#then I see the dog food hasn’t been started so I need to do that but I have to do the dishes to make that

[makkie-is-screaming]

I fucking can’t today

[yanderenightmare]

TW: nsfw, anal, suggestiveness & pressuring

fem reader

Thinking about really boyfriendly boyfriends – simpy and helpful and sweet – boyfriend material perfectly cut as if custom-ordered – boxed and shipped and sent express mail from the boyfriend factory with love.

He’s interested in your hobbies and studies and is equally passionate about sharing his interests with you. He’s comfortable and playful with your family and makes a true effort to befriend your friends. He’s even outgoing at parties where he doesn’t know anyone but you instead of sulking and asking you to leave like so many past boyfriends have.

He likes sharing food, sings loudly in the car, texts you throughout the day, and calls you when he’s at the store before coming over, asking if you need or want anything. He’s open and honest and geeks over new releases – that movie trailer, that game, those sneakers, that album, that car, and all that other boy stuff – and yet never fails to tell you how beautiful you are every time he sees you.

And he likes taking you on dates – cinema, arcade, roller rink, amusement park, road trips, picnics, beach days – or simply hanging out at his or your place – making food, binging a series in bed, kissing and dry-humping…

He’s just, all in all, everything you could’ve ever wished for. Perfect in every way.

Only… there hasn’t been a single time he’s had you in bed where he hasn’t all but begged to fuck your ass…

He’s literally crying for it while moaning, “Please~ lemme put it in~ just wanna try it once, please, baby~” with his hands squeezing your butt over your shorts and his head under your shirt, kissing and sucking your tits with the prayers on his lips as he humps his tented crotch against your clothed cunt – making your panties hot and damp. 

You squeeze your eyes shut with a suppressed whine.

He keeps pleading, “I’ll be gentle~ just the tip~ I’ll go so slow~”

His fingers dig into the crevice of your cheeks, wedging your shorts and undies through your slit. Everything clenches from the friction.

Your face is heated, biting your lip with cinched brows. You knew he’d ask for it again today – he never doesn’t. Even though he’ll get pussy-drunk and pound your poor womb in a tight mating press the second he’s made you cum on his fingers. 

He slurps your nipple, still begging, “Please, baby, please~ it’ll feel so good~ so-so-so good~”

You’d been deliberating giving in to his incessant proposals for a little while. He’d been so unrelenting you were starting to feel bad denying him for so long.

Not like past boyfriends hadn’t been equally relentless in the ask.

But this one was different… unlike the others… you really like him. 

You think you might be in love with him, even though it’s a little early to say.

Still… since he’s so perfect… you want to do your best to be perfect for him, too.

So you’d made yourself ready for it this time – done preparations in the shower. 

But… you pout… it was all so embarrassing, and your poor mind was riddled with doubts as though you were a virgin all over again. 

What if something… gross happens? What if it hurts so bad you have to stop? Will it disappoint him? What if you hate it but go through with it anyway, only for him to keep asking? What if you have to break up because you won’t ever be able to look him in the eyes again?

“Are you okay? Is something wrong?” His voice slips through the inner turmoil.

He’d resurfaced from beneath your shirt on account of your silence, only to see you’d covered your face in both hands. He gently peels them away – revealing your eyes and the shy way you nibble your lip.

“I’m sorry…” He apologizes then. “I’ll stop asking-” 

“No!” You blurt. To his surprise – staring at you with those big puppy-dog eyes you just couldn’t handle seeing look so disheartened. “I mean…” 

You look away, cheeks burning – voice just barely above a whisper. 

“If you really want to… I’m fine with it…”

He seemed to perk up at that. If he’d had a tail, you know it would be wagging behind him. 

His chest swelled, eyes big and unblinking, swallowing thickly – breaths already thick with containment. 

He leans in close and nose-kisses you, brushing your lips with heated words, “Really? You’ll let me?”

You made a small sound, too humiliated to say or do much more than nod your head in confirmation.

He seemed to shudder, closing the space between you, kissing your lips softly – he tasted like static – buzzing with restricted urgency. Parting with a soft-spoken yet strained, “Thank you.”

Both his hands messaged your waist – fiddled with the band to your shorts as though he couldn’t wait to drag them down your thighs and free you.

Still speaking against your lips, “Can you turn around on your knees for me?”

Everything was burning – from the tips of your ears to your lips and deep down in your stomach where something equally hungry and anxious was preparing for something.

He moved back to allow you to crawl into position, taking a pillow and placing it underneath you – patting it while telling you to “Lie down.” 

You did like suggested, lying with your face and chest against the soft plume, sinking into it with your back in a slope and your ass presented. Heart pounding in your head, loud and hot, as he took position behind you – placing his hand back on your hips.

He hooked his fingers into the band of your shorts again, pulling them back over the fat of your haunches, then dragged them down slowly until they pooled around your knees. You felt the damp heat of his breath immediately hit the peach fuzz on the small of your back – seeping through the cotton of your panties – making your belly brew with butterflies. 

“Just relax, okay? Tell me to stop if I go too far.” He said, sensing how you quaked as he placed both palms on your globes – denting the plump flesh with greedy fingers.

It’s not like you haven’t fucked in this position before – it’s just that you knew this time was going to be different. You felt so exposed.

He fingered the frill of your panties and started peeling them off – baring your naked skin and the pretty dip between your cheeks. 

You yelped. His mouth was on you before he’d even finished undressing you – placing a sloppy half-bite half-kiss on your upper ass before proceeding to slurp the crack.

You whimpered – flustered and flushed as the heat of his tongue laid wet trails down through the valley until his lips met with your rim. You shuffled your thighs and balled the pillow in small fists as he groaned into you. Shamelessly squeezing your fat with his hands, spreading the cheeks to let him at your little puckered hole.

Your eyes screwed shut while you hid your face in the pillow beneath you – muffling all uneasy sounds as he canted his mouth against your ass. Chin rutting into your puffy cunt while bobbing his jaw, lipping at your taint and rim – nose nuzzled between your cheeks – mouth fully closed around you – moaning at the feel of it pulsing on the tip of his tongue as he runs it over the tight scrunch again and again.

Your shoulders brace as he tries and screw the wet muscle inside. You tense up way too tight for it to happen.

He smacks off with a raunchy sigh. Your heart is in your throat. 

Slick from your ignored cunt feels sticky on your swelled pussy-lips – hot and twitching in the cool air.

He pops the cap of the little bottle of lube the two of you always keep on hand. You flinch when his slick fingers come back to rub your hole. He gives it slow and soothing circles before easing the tip inside. Filling you up only to the first joint, waiting for you to relax and loosen before sinking the rest inside. 

He hums at the display, groaning, “Fuuh-ck~” Sliding the digit in knuckle-deep before slipping it out to the tip again – repeating the motion while feeling your muscles ripple around it. “You’re so cute, baby~ so pretty~”

He bows and places a chaste kiss on your buttcheek, laying his face on it like a pillow – his eyes half-mast while looking at his finger disappear inside you.

He works another in with the first, shuffling them – messaging the tightness, slowly training it to stretch. His hot breath fans over your wet skin, making you go goosefleshed.

“Fuck, baby – so pretty with my fingers inside yah~” He hums, almost in a whine while curling them inside you. “So fucking hot how you swallow and squeeze on ‘em like that~”

He pulls himself up again, tugging on his belt with one hand – keeping on fingering you with the other. 

His pants drop to the floor a moment later, and he lifts his neglected cock out of the sticky mess he’d made in his boxers – throbbingly fat and hard, pulsing in his fist and leaking pre, another pearl each time he rubs over the bulge of his tip.

He looks at your hole – eyes misty. You seem to have loosened up a bit – enough for him to part his fingers.

He pulls them both out with a schlick. “I think you’re ready…” His voice is sticky – stuck to his throat. “I’m gonna try ‘n put it in.”

Your hands curl into the pillow as you nod your head – eyes still squeezed shut. It hadn't felt too bad so far – just weird. Embarrassing and… clinical. A bit like a doctor’s visit. But you knew that would all change now.

His hands glide across your back, catching your crop top in balled fists, stretching it as his tip works on stretching out your opening – nudging against it, coaxing it into accepting the head.

“Fuh- oh fuck~” He moans, lost to the sight and feel of your butt seizing around him – closing up around his tip. 

You look so fucking perfect like that – face-down and kneeling with your ass pressed back against him – giving him your second virginity. 

His eyes flitter across the slope of your spine – looking over your creamy skin, looking so pretty, all glossy with dew, until he reaches your face. Your brows are pinched together, gnawing on your bottom lip, eyes shut tightly.

“Are you okay?” He pants.

You nod your head – curt and rushed.

He suppresses a sound – feeling even more heated. You’re so perfect, so good to him – the best girlfriend he could have ever asked for. Trusting him like this, letting him do this even when you’re so nervous about it. You must really love him.

He’s nearly crying, holding onto your hips as he fucks you with just the tip – loosening the rim up and going just a little deeper for every shallow thrust. He nearly barrels over, standing there with his back hunched – bowing his head, looking at where the two of you connect while sweat drips from his weighted bangs.

“I love you, too.” He confesses out of the blue, and you blink, looking back at him – seeing his mouth parted with blissful moans, his eyes wet, and brows softly curled. “You’re so fuckin’ perfect fo’me – so good.” 

He loves you so much he can barely take the blossoming in his chest, feeling like he wants to eat you up and swallow you whole. His girl – who laughs at all his silly jokes and holds his hand everywhere you go and doesn’t tease him when he yelps and holds you close during horror movies. His perfect perky girlfriend – who lets him fuck you raw and cum inside, and now… even letting him fuck your tight round ass for the very first time.

He's almost all the way in now – just a few more thrusts, and you’ll have him swallowed down to the base with his balls pressed firmly against the puffy lips of your wet pussy.

“Fuh-uuck-” He breathes out again, gripping your hips tight as he bottoms out. 

He nearly cums right then, having to bite his lip to hold back – savoring how you ripple and squeeze him – so tight and firm.

You’re such a good girl taking him so well and so deep, lying so sweetly beneath him with your ass presented – letting him nestle his entire length inside you. Curling your toes all cutely as you adjust with only pretty girly mews leaving you.

You didn’t expect him to mount you. 

But he does. Now standing with his feet in the bed, squatting over you with his cock sinking balls deep in your ass. Freshly broken-in, it’s tight and firm and twitchy as though it’s confused as to why there's a big fat cock stretching it out. 

He can’t help but smile, perched on top of you – hands still hooked upon your hips for balance while he leans forward, settling even deeper. 

You moan, and it nearly drives him wild. Barely holding himself together as he pulls out – wishing he had something to bite into instead of his lip as he focuses on the way your firm walls clench on him, clinging to his shaft so tightly it’s hard pulling out despite the wetness – it’s so good he’s losing it. 

He’s taking his perfect girlfriend in her perfect ass. And it feels so fucking good his hands leave their grip on your hips as he slugs forward, bending over you until his chest presses into your back, and his head rests on top of yours, cheek to cheek – slinging both arms around you, putting you in a headlock – leaving you to do nothing else but pant, squished between his biceps and his cock kisses your guts. 

“Can’t believe I'm fucking your little ass, baby.” He rants breathlessly. “It's so tight and good, gripping me so fuckin’ hard.” Huffing and groaning with his back hunched as he curves into your butt as deep as he can – stuffing into you from behind slowly and carefully as though he’s savoring every single flutter of you hugging him.

He’s barely even pulling out – kneading as far as his cock can reach instead – cock-warming himself inside you.

“Fuck, baby – I can cum inside, right?” He whimpers against you, kissing the corner of your mouth with his tongue out.

You’re so squished beneath him you can only just wheeze out the word. “O-okay-”

“Oh- fuck, I love you.” He cries when he blows, squeezing you so tight you’re choking as he pumps pulse after pulse of thick hot cum deep inside you. “I love you, I love you- love you- love you so much- so fuckin’ much-”

And you don’t know if it’s the confession, the headlock, or the cum being pumped up your guts – but your clit’s pulsing and your cunt’s twitching even though it’s around nothing, gushing down your shaking thighs as your butt pushes itself flush against your boyfriend’s cock, clenching hard around it and milking him free of every drop.

BNHA – Deku, Shoto, Denki, Kirishima, Shigaraki, Touya, Hawks, Natsuo, Mirio

JJK – Gojo, Choso, Yuji, Yuuta

HQ – Kuro, Bokuto, Miya twins

AOT – Armin

and whomever else you imagined♡

[imamotherfuckingstar-lord]

OP smutty headcanons

Warnings: ⚠️no minors pls ⚠️

Just some fun headcanons I have for some of the OP men ☠️

OP men: Zoro, Sanji, Law and Luffy.

pt. 2

Roronoa Zoro:

- he’s gonna be rough with you (are you really surprise???)

- but his aftercare is actually thoughtful. If thoughtful means getting you a wet nap to clean up and putting you to bed because he practically ruined your body

-he’s gonna be smirking pridefully when he sees you walking funny the next day

- degrading (receiving) tell him you think mihawk would be a better lover or that sanji’s stamina is stronger - he’s gonna be so pissed but he’s gonna dick you down harder. Call him weak and you’re done for, might as well save up for a new pussy.

- oral (receiving) he’s gonna sit back and relax while you do the work. Arms crossed again his chest the entire time, he’s not gonna let you know he’s enjoying himself -that’s for weak men.

- thigh kink: his favorite way to watch you get off is by riding his enormous thighs and you’re eyes have to be on him the whole time.

Black Leg Sanji:

- Praise kink (receiving) tell him what a good boy he is!

- Hand kink (giving) he only uses his hands for two things - cooking and fingering you until your juices are all over his fingers.

- Food Play (giving) he wants to feed you chocolate covered strawberries while fucking you. If you allow it, can he please lick chocolate off your nipples???

- Nipple sucking (giving) His favorite thing is to lay his head upon your lap, your fingers in his hair as he sucks on your nipples. He can cum in his pants if allowed enough time. He got mommy issues yall.

- Missionary King: he wants to see your face at all times and he wants to treat you like a Queen. And queens don’t have to lift a finger! He’s gonna take good care of you and make sure you cum first before him.

- Aftercare includes cleaning you up himself, drawing a bath for you and making sure you have enough food and water.

Trafalgar D. Water Law:

- you have to take the lead, he’s kinda shy….

- but once the ball gets rolling…he tends to be a little more assertive but polite. “Is this fine?” He’ll asks when he starts to move faster in you.

- he can’t handle how cute you look when he’s inside you that he asks if you guys can do doggy style instead. He can’t focus, so that’s his favorite position.

- he’s needy and stalks you around the ship. He won’t outright say it but he’s always down to fuck. Or maybe some foreplay? He has no problem sending you two to his room with his power, he can have you naked on his bed in seconds!

- praise kink (giving/receiving) he likes when you tell him how good he’s making you feel and in return, he will (under his breath, he’s shy!) how good you make him feel.

- aftercare includes telling you to use the restroom right after. He’s a doctor ya’ll he doesn’t want you to get a UTI. But then he’ll beckon you back to the bed because he likes to cuddle. Cuddling is mandatory for at least thirty minutes. He’s the big spoon.

Monkey D. Luffy:

- he’s a little complicated, but he’s an eager lover.

- he’s a “I need it now and I don’t care where we’re at or whose around” kinda guy. There’s been enough times where the rest of the crew has come to recognize the look in his eye and quickly leave the two of you alone.

- he likes eating…so eating you out is his favorite thing to do. His head digs into your thighs and he acts like he hasn’t eaten all day. “You taste really good!”

- praise kink (receiving/giving) tell him he’s gonna be the king of the pirates and he’ll do whatever you want. Every time you make him cum, he always is thankful and rewards you with a kiss and a pat on the head. But you tell him he needs to do more than that! He does lol

- his stamina lasts forever. He can raw dog you for hours if you allowed it but most of the time you have to beg him to finish - your body can’t handle it!

- aftercare really is just him bringing food for you and him to eat in bed. Then a really long nap, his arms wrapped around you - even if you wanted to leave, you couldn’t!

……………….

Send me more characters to headcanon!

[plainemmanem]

kissing best friend!steve🫠🫠

pining, obsessed steve? you got it<3

⊹₊┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ✿ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈₊⊹

"Do you ever think about the time we first met?"

Steve peers over his drink, his eyes skeptical and focused in on you from across the table, anxiously awaiting your answer.

"You’re my best friend," you shrug, eyes staring down into your mug at the remnants of your milkshake. “Of course I remember the time we first met.”

That wasn’t necessarily his question, but he’ll take what he can get.

He swallows harsh. “How’d it go?” 

You eye him suspiciously, quickly noting the nervous thrum of his fingers on the table between you.

He’s been quiet all night. And Steve’s never quiet when he’s with you. Not during your weekly Friday dinners at the diner. 

Steve’s always been a talker, ranting and rambling about work and his parents and the possibility of school. You were the only person he ever really opened up to about these things; the only person he ever felt comfortable enough to tell.

So, he knew you would notice something was off right away. He kept turning the conversation to you, listening with a far off stare. He didn’t chat up the waitress like he usually did, or bicker with you about the radio on the drive over.

But he can’t help it. His brain was going a million miles a minute and his palms were starting to sweat and he’s really never felt so nervous in his entire life.

Tonight is the night. Tonight’s the night Steve comes clean about his feelings for you – all those sickly, sweet feelings he’s been wanting to tell you ever since he met you.

Like how much he adores your laugh and your smile and the smell of your perfume. And the way you always keep extra tissues in your pocket when you know he has a cold. And how you always save him the seat next to you for movie night. And how you always ask him if he’s eaten that day and had a glass of water. And how Friday is his favorite day of the week because he gets to see you. And how he wishes he could see you every day. And how he’s never felt so lovesick before in his life. And how he really, really has to tell you he needs you because he doesn’t think he can keep it from you for much longer. And how he can’t stand being near you and not being able to kiss you when you smile at him like that. And how he hopes to god you feel the same way because he doesn’t think he can take losing you.

But he can’t say all that. He physically cannot say all that.

Secretly, he’s been silently hoping you would just figure out his feelings by yourself  already, so he wouldn’t have to muster up the courage to tell you himself. 

It’s genuinely concerning you haven’t noticed already; he shows you his infatuation nearly every time you two are together. He’ll kneel down to tie your shoe for you when it comes undone. And he constantly calls you “just to hear your voice.” And he’ll rub your arms in the freezer section of the grocery store so you don’t get cold because you refuse to just take his jacket. And he still wears that silly friendship bracelet you made him in the tenth grade because he’s too afraid to lose it if he takes it off. And he always, without a doubt, gives you half of his food at the diner, even if he hasn’t eaten all day. 

The poor boy’s practically obsessed with you, but you never seem to notice – always off in your own little world, leaving Steve to trail behind you like a lovesick, little puppy.

But he doing the whole puppy dog act tonight. He wasn’t doing anything tonight. He was a wet blanket dripping all over the booth tonight. And he was acting nervous. 

And you still couldn’t figure out why. 

So, by the time you both finished dinner and your waitress brought the check, you were just a touch annoyed.

“‘How’d it go?’” you repeated, truthfully understanding the question, but just wanting to give Steve a hard time. 

“Sure, you know. The first time we met… how’d it go?” he asks again, unsure how to make himself any clearer.

Under the table, his foot had started to mimic the nervous tapping of his fingers. Your eyes snapped to his hand, then the bottom lip between his teeth (nervous habit), then down to your purse next to you in the booth.

“Well,” your brows furrow at the check near the end of the table as you blindly start feeling around your purse for some bills, “I seem to recall it was at the mall? You were in that adorable getup with the hat and the socks… and Robin was there–” You turn your full attention down to your purse, looking at it, offended. 

Steve’s eyes narrow on you from across the booth.

“Ah!” You finally pull a crumbled up twenty from the bottomless pit that is your purse. 

He really needs to remind you to clean that thing out again. 

“Where was I?” you ask innocently over at him, “Oh, right. Robin… Robin, Robin. Oh! She told me you were gonna hit on me and that I should shoot you down no matter what.” You finish with a triumphant smile, the memory drifting back into your mind. 

He’s always liked when you smile like that. Like he’s the butt of the joke.

“Right right,” he nods, eyes dropping back to the empty glass in front of him.

You seem to be waiting for him to just come out with it, to just say whatever it is that’s been eating him all night.

But he can’t. Something about the moment feels off.

He’s afraid to peek up and catch your icy glare drilling into him, until he hears you let out another huff as you start shimmying out of the diner booth without him.

“Wh–?” You were already halfway towards the door. His hand swipes up the twenty-dollar bill you left as he digs into his back pocket for his own wallet. He tugs out a twenty of his own and  replaces it on the table. He tosses out a five as well – should be enough for a tip – before he spots the forgotten purse on your seat and swipes that up, too, sticking your money back in the rightful pocket of your bag before jogging after you.

He's caught up to you just as you've reached the diner door, and you quickly drop it in his face, opting instead to head towards his car in a dramatic huff. 

Eyes rolling, Steve swings the glass door back open, his foot making it about half-way through the exit before the hostess calls out to him.

"You finally gonna bite the bullet and tell her tonight, Stevie boy?" she chides him.

"Har, har, Janet. Very funny," he grumbles, tucking your purse under his arm to preserve some of his dignity.

"See you next week, Harrington," she chuckles, looking back down at the desk in front of her.

God. Is he that obvious?

Shaking the fear from his mind, he bursts back out into the warm, summer air, trailing a step or two after you.

"I didn’t hit on you, by the way," he insists, unlocking the car and jogging over to open the passenger side for you.

You slide in, your belly laugh cut off as he closes the door on you. 

Once again, he's found himself to be the butt of the joke. He still doesn't mind all that much.

A smile starts to creep onto his lips upon hearing your laughter, but the grin quickly fades as he remembers the severity of his situation. Steeling his nerves, Steve strides around the hood to the driver's seat.

You're just gonna… go in there and just...Tell her. Just say what you feel, Harrington, c'mon. Best case scenario, she feels the same. Worst case scenario, she laughs in your face.

He grips the door handle, but can't seem to muster up the courage to get in just yet. He catches sight of you through the window, riffling through his glovebox, no doubt looking for the mixtape he made for you all those months ago. You spot the one with his writing on the side – crisp, clean – like he took far too much care in writing it. It's just your name on the side, nothing fancy, but he wanted to make it clear this tape was for you in particular. No one else.

Christ, you're becoming a problem.

He grits his teeth and hops inside as you load up the tape, still chuckling to yourself from earlier. Steve bites back another smile.

"Why's that funny? I didn't hit on you when you came in, I was perfectly civil–"

"Steve, you asked me what color lipstick I was wearing and if I had any plans that night," you shoot him a smirk as you reach for your seatbelt.

A blush warms his cheeks at the memory; he thought you would have forgotten.

He clears his throat and starts the ignition, turning in his seat and throwing his arm around your headrest to reverse, actively avoiding your gaze.

"I– uh, don't remember that."

"You're such a terrible liar, Steve," you smile through the words, whistfully, like he has no idea what he’s gotten himself into.

A chuckle bubbles up in his chest and he can't help but peek over at your smile. Now fussing with the buttons of the stereo, you listen for the song you want to hear.

You look pretty just sitting in his passenger seat, the sun gently setting through the whisps of your hair. 

His eyes snap back to his rear window.

The car jolts to life as it swings out of the parking lot. Steve knows the way to your house by heart, but he always insists on taking the longer route back on Fridays.

"I'm actually an amazing liar, thank you very much," he mutters casually, adjusting his rearview mirror and merging onto the road.

"No, Steve, you're not," you finally find the right song and turn up the volume a touch - loud enough to hear the lyrics, but soft enough for you two to hold a conversation. 

Steve likes this song. He likes all the songs on this tape because they remind him of you – Friday night drives back to your place, close proximity in his car, those butterflies in his stomach when your gaze turns on him.

"Y/N, I am so good at poker, your brain couldn’t even handle it–"

"Being good at poker doesn't necessarily mean you're good at lying, Steve. Just means you're good at reading people."

"Well that, too," he gives you a cocky look before snapping back to the road. "I'm a man of many talents."

"Pshhh," you smack his arm, as if he's said something particularly funny.

"Ow– Wha–? What is so fucking funny?" He shoots you a look across the car, half shocked, half annoyed.

"Nothing," you're giggling through your words once again, "Nothing, Steve."

"What, you don't think I have any talents?" He's accusatory now, leaning towards you for dramatic effect, his eyes still trained on the road.

"No! No, I didn't say that." A wave of seriousness washes over you, but it's quickly replaced with a sincere lightness, a gentle smile as you look at him. "I think you're plenty talented, Steve."

He scoffs, "Don't take that tone with me."

"What tone?" your voice bounces around the car, "I'm not taking any tone."

"That teasing tone, that 'Oh, yeah. Sure, Steve, whatever you say' tone."

You giggle at his poor impression of you, and he can't help the dopey smile that spreads across his face. He can never stay annoyed with you for too long.

You’ve turned your attention back to his glovebox now. He can tell you're reorganizing the tapes stowed there in a very particular order. He strains his eyes a bit to catch the titles. They’re ordered from left to right – his favorites to his least favorites. They’re definitely easier for him to reach from the driver's seat now.

His chest aches at your actions, how you subconsciously think of him, and a warm smile envelops his face. He thinks about how he'd rearrange every tape you've ever owned if it meant making your life a fraction easier.

Your hands freeze and you spin to face him. A silly smile slips onto your own lips and Steve’s breath hitches. 

"What’re you smiling about?" you question coyly.

His grip on the wheel tightens and his eyes snap back to the road. He needs to contain himself.

"You always patronize me." He's grasping at straws, but he knows it'll distract you from the nervous hand running through his hair and the nibbling of his bottom lip.

“Patronize y–? Well, I'm sorry you feel that way, but I wasn't patronizing you just now. I was being sincere." You go back to sifting through his glovebox, muttering to yourself, "Surprised you can even use that word in a sentence…”

His eyes drift back down to your deft, pretty fingers, that bright, pristine nail polish, and he has to steel himself once again. There could be dents on the wheel by the time he pulls in your driveway.

A heavy sigh leaves him as he reaches up to anxiously adjust his rearview mirror. He knows he looks nervous as hell; he just hopes you're too wrapped up in your own little world to notice.

You don't seem to, now picking at your pretty manicure and tapping your foot to the music gliding through the speakers.

Steve passes your street sign and he can't stop the impending dread that washes over him at the idea of you no longer sitting in his car. He always hates the drive back to his place after he drops you off - your warmth still mingling in the air, but he can't quite get a hold of it. He likes that your perfume lingers when you leave, and the smell of your shampoo, but he just hates how it fades so quickly, until he gets to smell it again next Friday.

Pulling into your driveway, his stomach drops. It really is now or never.

He switches off the ignition, leaving you two in the warm darkness of the summer night, surrounded by that hazy light right after sunset. Only bits and pieces of your silhouette are visible from the dashboard light, but you’re still as stunning as always.

A heated look passes between you two before you're gathering up your things to leave, mindful to take your tape out of the stereo, replacing it with his favorite one for his ride home.

Your hand reaches for the handle as you start your goodbye. 

"Kay, well, I'll see you next week, okay–" 

But he stops you with a hand around your wrist. A silent plead for you to stay.

His heart is in his throat. Your pulse is so strong beneath his fingers. He swears he hears your breath catch.

“Y/N," his voice was low, unsure, like he was still thinking of what exactly to say.

"Yeah?" you give him a worried expression, tuned into his serious tone.

"I…" 

But the words were caught in his throat, lips unable to form the words. 

"I… I forgot." He deflates just a fraction and rubs your wrist once with his thumb before dropping it.

"Geez, Steve. Don't scare me like that. Thought you were gonna say you hate me or something like that." You chuckle as you swing the passenger door open.

Hate you? Hate you?

He’s not even thinking when he pushes open the driver’s side door and jogs after you to your porch. 

You stop fumbling with your front door keys and turn to confront him.

“Forgot something, Harrington–?”

But he cuts off your teasing with his lips pressed to yours. 

His hands run up to your neck, his thumbs nestled under your jaw and the pads of his fingers stroking at the soft spot below your ear. Your lips are so soft, so smooth, he can’t stop the little sigh from leaving his throat. Finally, he feels you relax into him, coming up to wrap your hands around his wrists gently, melting into his touch.

Eyes squeezing shut, he’s trying to memorize the feel of you, the smell of your shampoo and the feeling of his nose brushing your soft cheek, and the way your lips move against his, trying to drag the kiss out for as long as possible. 

Unfortunately, he still needs that stupid thing called oxygen and he’s forced to pull back. His hands stay at your neck, the thumbs rubbing across your jawline, as his blown pupils sweep over your face.

“I’m really, really into you, by the way,” his words come out so breathless as he looks between your swollen lips and your wide eyes.

A shaky breath escapes through your lips. “Good thing I’m into you, too, pretty boy.”

He can’t even get worked up about the nickname before he’s leaning in again, this kiss much slower, much more meaningful. His heart starts to ache from the feel of your fingers rubbing along his knuckles, and he can’t stop from smiling against your lips. Eventually, he has to stop from how sickeningly sweet his chest feels, pulling back to rub the tip of his nose up the bridge of yours with his eyes squeezed shut, his cheeks and his lungs slowly starting to ache in the best way.

He hears a content hum come from the back of your throat, and he can’t help but mimic the same sticky, sentimental sound himself.  

His eyes pop back open to get a good look at you. Your cheeks are flushed and your pupils are blown; you can’t seem to contain your own smile. 

“Uh… sorry, if that was a little… unexpected,” he chuckles at your smarmy grin, his hands leaving your face as he takes a bashful step back and off your porch. “I’ll, uh… see you next Friday!”

Spinning confidently on his heel, hands tucking into his pockets, he makes his way back down your walkway and to his car, leaving you there a bit speechless. He smiles to himself at your stunned silence as he reaches for the door handle. Pausing for a moment, he spins back round, riding his adrenaline high. 

“I’ll call you!” he calls out to you before swinging the door open and hopping in.

You’re just left there, standing on your porch, watching him drive off, one honk of the horn and then he’s down your street. 

A hand comes up to graze over your kiss swollen lips. The spot where Steve Harrington just kissed you. The spot where Steve Harrington’s lips were on yours. 

Little did Steve know, you’ve been waiting for him to do that for months now…

[sunflower-lilac42]

✧ 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬 | sturniolo triplets ♔

summary: y/n was always the one to listen to her friends and brothers, but she was never the one that people listened to or 3 times y/n helped her brothers/friends and 1 time they didn’t help her. (not really in chronological order).

warnings: sad, being lonely, crying, mentions of abuse, mentions of ed, mentions of cancer

notes: part of the 'behind the lens' series. please keep in mind that all of these scenarios are all fake and i don't mean to harm anyone.

series masterlist | celebrities masterlist | main masterlist

1. Alex

“her best friend wears long sleeves in mid-june, hope no one will see she’s black and blue”

Y/n sits in her bedroom in her apartment watching YouTube when she gets a text from her friend, Alex, wondering if she wants to hang out soon.

It was the middle of June and she had been out of college for two or so years and has been getting into a stage and routine of being independent. When she met up with Alex at the coffee shop she took note of the shirt he was wearing. She decided not to question it for now, letting Alex bring anything up if he wanted to. 

Throughout their time together she started to notice more and more things uncharacteristic of him, the little sideways glances to see who was around them before he spoke, the rubbing of his wrists, he was silent compared to his outgoing personality. She didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable but she also didn’t want him to feel like he couldn’t tell her anything. 

“Are you okay?”

“Wh-what do you mean?”His eyes looked panicked and he looked around again to see who was around them.

She placed a hand over his, “Let’s go for a walk, yeah?” He nods and the two get up and leave. They walk in silence for a little bit, Alex trying to figure out what to say and how to say it while Y/n thinks to herself about the multiple possibilities. 

She’s read about things like this before but hasn’t experienced it. She didn’t even want to experience it but that was how she was. If her friend was in need, she would be there. It wasn’t that long until Alex spoke, “I don’t know what to say, y/n/n. I don’t want anyone to get in trouble.”

“Alex, no one is getting in trouble unless they deserve it. I won’t say anything if you don’t want me to.” He nods and attempts to say what he wants to. 

When he finally said it, the thing y/n had been thinking this whole time, she kept a stoic face. She didn’t want to jump into the whole ‘I’m so sorry’ because it wasn’t her fault and Alex hated when people pitied him. But she wanted to get him out of that relationship, out of that apartment.

“Please don’t argue with me on this, you’re coming to stay with me. Not for a while but at least for a little bit. I can’t say I know how this is but I promise you we will get through it together. Unless you don’t want to.”

Alex nodded, he knew there was no fighting her. He knew she wasn’t trying to be controlling and she was just trying to be the best friend she could possibly be and he let her. 

✧༺♥༻∞

2. Nick

“her sister skips meals to fit into the dresses she wore back in high school”

Y/n had been hanging out with her brothers when she started to notice it. She wasn’t totally concerned. She was worried yes, it was her brother and he had been leaving his trail of insecure thoughts behind him like a dog who stepped in mud. 

She watched as Nick picked at his food from across the table at the restaurant that he picked. She knew there was something wrong, she picked up on these things pretty easily. It wasn’t that hard when you spend the majority of your life worrying about others and not yourself. 

As always, she didn’t want to ask in front of the other two (or anyone else for that matter), so she waited. When they left the restaurant Matt and Chris decided to go into a store as the other two stood outside. She waited until the boys were completely out of earshot before she even thought about speaking up on the subject. 

She knew it would be a sensitive one, but it seemed like everything was nowadays. She finally gained the courage to speak to her younger brother, “Nick, are you okay?”

“‘Course I am, y/n/n. Why wouldn’t I be?” He was much more convincing than Alex. Alex had it written all over his face that something was wrong. 

She knew this behavior, she practically was a master at it and she could tell Nick had picked up a couple of things here are there. She stared intently at the boy, “Mhm, sure. Now you actually want to talk to me about it?”

He shrugged and looked off into the distance, twiddling with his fingers. She started to whistle, trying to annoy him and succeeding. 

“Can you stop, please?”

“Stop what? Stop being a nice older sister? Stop worrying about my brother? Stop trying to help?”

“Yes.”

“Nick, you know I hate being an overbearing sister but I can tell something is wrong. Can you please tell me what it is so I can help?”

“I don’t want your help, y/n.”

She sighed, “Fine. I understand but if you do, I’ll be here, ‘kay?”

“Whatever.”

༶•┈┈⛧┈♛

The triplets were staying at Y/n’s apartment for a little while as they visited her in the northern part of California. Matt and Chris were staying in the guest bedroom while Nick wanted to sleep in the living room. 

Y/n had tried to get him to at least sleep in her room and let her take the couch but he refused, saying it was her house and she should sleep in her own bed (which she thought was the exact reason why she should sleep on the couch). 

“We’re going out to get food, do you guys want anything?” Christ came wandering into the living room with Matt behind him. 

“No thanks, guys.”

“Nick?”

He shook his head, somewhat aggressively, and his brothers shrugged and left. Nick and y/n continued to watch whatever was on TV when Nick spoke up, “How do you notice and they don’t?”

“Hmm?”

“Matt and Chris. You always seem to know when something is wrong with me, or anyone of us, but when it comes to us three, we’re sort of oblivious.”

“Nick, I’m sure that’s not the case. How many times have you noticed something was wrong with one of them or somebody else and just haven’t said anything?”

The boy sat and thought for a moment before looking down, “A lot.”

“Yeah. I just decided to act on it, Nicky. They might just not know how to bring it up or what to say. Now, do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really but I should.”

“If you’re not ready, you don’t have to. I promise. I just want you to know that I am here for you if you ever want to. Whether that be tomorrow, next month, or in ten years. Whenever you need me, I’ll be there.”

“Okay.”

“Go ahead.”

“Can I have a hug?”

“Come here, you big oaf.”

Nick jumped on top of y/n and she let out a breath, “Jesus, Nick. Knocking the wind right outta me.”

He shied away, “I’m sorry.”

“Awe. Nick, it’s okay. I’m just joking with you, I’m sorry. Don’t worry about it.”

“Does it ever bother you that you can’t wear the clothes you used to?”

Y/n looked confused, “No? Is that what you’re worried about?”

Nick nods, “Nick it’s normal. Everyone has grown out of clothes before, whether it’s because they’re too big or too small, the clothes not you. And sometimes it’s a good thing, it means you’re growing. You think everyone can still wear what they did when they were super tiny? If we could, I’d still be wearing my ‘My Little Pony’ onesie.”

Nick giggled, “That makes me feel better. Thanks, y/n/n.”

“Anytime, Nicky.”

Only two minutes had passed since they finished their conversation when there was a loud knocking on her door, “Can you guys let us in, please?! The food is getting cold… and so are we!”

✧༺♥༻∞

3. Caroline

“her teacher’s about to unravel, her treatment is making her fragile”

Y/n was always mature from a small age. It started when she was in second grade when she accidentally overheard her teacher talking with another one about how she was going to be out for a little bit. OF course, she was curious, what second grader wouldn’t be curious when they heard their teacher was going to be out for a little bit? 

She tried to ignore the voice in the back of her head that was telling her to go out into the hallway and make her presence known but she couldn’t. She stepped out from behind the door and ran to give her a hug. 

“Oh! Y/n what are you doing out here, sweetheart?”

“I’m sorry, Miss. Walker.” Caroline, her teacher, furrowed her eyebrows until realization dawned on her, “Oh, you weren’t supposed to hear that.”

“It’s okay, Miss. Walker! My cousin had to get treatments too, I don’t remember what for, but she turned out okay so you will too!”

She sent the child a soft smile and then ushered her back to class. Ever since that day, y/n made it her mission to make her teacher feel better. She’d spend every minute not working on her homework working on something for her teacher. Whether it was making friendship bracelets with the help of her mom, or a simple card, or even an origami flower. 

Each day she’d walk into class with a new little project made for her teacher and place it on her desk or give it to her. Caroline was so grateful for the small girl, having a collection of little gifts from her. No one really understood, hell they were second graders, why she was bringing gifts for Caroline but they soon all wanted to do it. 

When Caroline left for the first time, the kids (especially y/n) were super upset. They left their gifts on her desk in the morning and the substitute teacher was in awe of how nice these kids were. Still, none of them knew the real reason Caroline was out except for y/n. 

When Caroline got back she saw all of the gifts in two baskets and burst out into tears. All the kids hugged her when they got to school that day and that was the first time y/n experienced maturity. Sure she was still an innocent child but she had this sense of adultness spread through her.

✧༺♥༻∞

1. Y/n

“she’s got exes on both her hands most Saturdays. Covers up with covergirl so no one knows her age, sacrificing every moral just to fit the shape, of a picture she’s dying to frame. Friends with almost anyone, a chameleon, only problem is she doesn’t like who she’s become, she’ll do anything to get the slightest bit of love, but it’s never enough. She blows the candles out but now it’s just formality, can’t celebrate under the pressure of society, another year at home alone with her anxiety, says goodbye to her company.”

Y/n had a ton of friends, lots of them from childhood who had stuck together by each other's side and a lot from high school and college as well. Though none of them ever realized what was happening to y/n.

They were never able to break down her walls enough to see the true her, they were never able to even get a vulnerable side of her. Sure, they had seen her cry here or there but she never talked about it afterward, never even made a mention of it. 

This was the same for birthdays and holidays. Everyone was always so obsessed with what her brothers were doing, how her brothers were doing, and who her brothers were with. She never got asked once ‘How was school y/n?’, ‘How is work going?’, ‘How are you?’

Even at her own birthday party, she was an outcast, both when she was younger and even now. When her friends would come over for her party they somehow always find a way to disclude her. Not that it was on purpose but to an eight-year-old, it was. 

As time went on she stopped having parties, much like other kids, but she didn’t even want to celebrate her birthday anymore. Her mother still made her family come over for a party, however. However, there was a pattern of outcasting the birthday girl. 

They all arrived, said a brief hello to the girl, and then wandered off to go catch ip with the rest of the family. Y/n sat in silence by her mom or helped in the kitchen while reading a book or listening to music. Her mom scolded her but she could see the reason why. No one was even trying to talk to her. 

It was almost as if she had to be in the room or near a conversation at the right time to even say a word. When they all sat down to eat dinner, y/n picked at her food listening to her cousins talk around her to her brothers. She eyed the ‘adult’ table from across the way and in some respects wished she was over there. At least she’d be quiet enough to fit in. 

When she was younger she’d have to open her gifts as the eyes of everyone fell on her. It was always the most awkward thing but her mother never let up and always made her open them. Though, when she got older she agreed to at least wait until the very end of the party. At least it was easier as it was typically just a card with some money or a gift card in it and then maybe a small bag with some socks or something along those lines. It was never anything huge.

When it was time to say goodbye she waved but never gave anyone a hug. They sat in the entrance talking forever before they finally left and y/n was left to clean up and eat whatever dessert was left over, which she couldn’t totally be mad about.

When her own family left her apartment, y/n was left alone with silence and her anxiety of waiting until next year to do it all over again.

“if only they knew, the heart-wrenching truth. and they don’t see”

[vikuo-kuma]

Stupid In Love 🍯

A/N: PLEASE REQUEST, I’M BEGGING— and no this is not a request by anyone. This is also inspired by a song that hasn’t released yet, I just think that it fits his character.

Warning: angst at the beginning, if you squint hard enough, but it’s just fluff

—

This was the third time, the third time that you were stood up. You didn’t know what was wrong with you, you always look your best, had the proper manners, as well as a kind heart. So what did you do wrong? You had tried reaching out for your boyfriend’s phone number, but it always went to voicemail. Eventually, you gave up. With a grimace expression, you turned around and started to head back to the apartment.

You finally understood that he didn’t want you, that you were just a simple one night stand. You felt… like an idiot.

Cuz I’m so stupid in love.

During your walk back, you bumped into a close colleague, Kaldo Gehenna. “Oh? Y/N, strange to see you out of the workplace. Out on a date, I assume?”, the white haired male stood tall, he seemed to be walking his pet dog, Honey. Your face twisted into an unsure expression. “Kind of… got stood up by my boyfriend, so I broke up with him through text..”, you awkwardly responded to your colleague’s question. It wasn’t something worth smiling about, so Kaldo’s face softened.

Let’s get married in Vegas

Kaldo already knew your boyfriend was a horrible person from the start. He wanted to warn you earlier, however, the white-haired male also knew that it would’ve ruined the close bond between you and him. Kaldo didn’t want that, he didn’t want that to ruin his progress with you.

We don’t need a guest list

“Then why don’t you and I go on the date?”, his suggestion was out of the blue, shocking you with his words. “A date? With you?”, You ask, wanting to make sure that’s what he had asked. It finally hit Kaldo in the face, he had asked you on a date. “Uh, yeah- that’s what I meant, but if you don’t want to it’s fine as well-”, you stopped him from ranting on by holding both of his hands. “Sure, why not?”, with a smile, you looked at him softly. This man was flustered, but he kept his awkward smile, which you found adorable.

I don’t wanna think too much.

You and Kaldo walked down the street, passing many cafes, stores, and reached a dog friendly restaurant. As you two walked into the restaurant, a waiter sat you both down near a window. It had a nice view of the city, people were walking outside, reaching places where they needed to be. You started a small conversation, which led to you finding out that both of you have a lot in common. You both had a sweet tooth, but you giggled at the part where Kaldo told you about how he likes putting honey on everything.

Let’s just say that the conversation started to lift up your mood.

Let’s get matching tattoos

Once you both finished your food, you went to go pay. Leaving a nice tip for the working waiter. Kaldo and you left the restaurant with Honey by your side, you both entered an accessory store. It had many cute key chains, some were matching ones. You haven’t noticed that Kaldo had already paid for something, but you followed him out the store.

I don’t wanna think it through

“What did you buy?”, you asked confusingly. He turned towards you and smiled. “Matching keychains”, the white haired male replied. Handing you a brown bear, that was holding a jar of honey, keychain while he held up a white polar bear keychain. This made you blushed slightly, you never really received anything from your ex before, so it was very much appreciated. Then Kaldo took out something else, it was a cute cat plush that you’ve been looking at when passing one of the stores.

Baby I’m so stupid in love~

“I want to spoil you from now on, would you allow me to?”

—

[catscidr]

Could we get some Dottore x escaped experiment reader? Gn if possible, doesn't even have to be smut. I just can't find anything along those lines and I like your writing style :)

i. note — hehehoho i might have uuuhhh used this ask as an excuse to go off a lil and try something new teehee °ᗜ°) but this was really fun to write!! thank you nonnie for the suggestion, and thank you very much for liking my stuff enough to req something!!! i hope u all enjoy ii. includes — dottore, gn!reader iii. cw — unhealthy and toxic dynamics, no dialogue, mentions of cannibalism, mild body horror, one (1) dead body, not quite stockholm syndrome but maybe kinda, reader is a mess and dottore is not a good person (shocker). minors do not interact, age in bio or block. iv. wc — 2k -> posted on ao3 too!

To humans, running is what they do when they’re late to work, when they’re working out, or even when they’re playing games at recess as children. To predators, running is what they do in order to secure their next meal. To prey, running is what they must do so they can escape from the predator’s clutch in one piece, to not end up as a mangled corpse serving as someone or something’s food. 

You have more in common with prey than you have with humans, despite being one yourself. 

It hasn’t always been that way. One moment you were enjoying the warm afternoon sun of your home region out on a walk, and the other you found yourself thrown over someone’s shoulder with a bag over your head. 

You always find yourself reminiscing, yearning to feel the warmth you felt that day— minus the incident. You used to be a model citizen; someone people would rely on. 

A shame no one helped you when you desperately needed it. 

Your own mind is all you’re left with, as you’re clumsily tripping over your feet, rocks scraping your skin and blood trickling down your legs. The feeling is almost peaceful; but after running for so long, and with how often you’ve gotten yourself in this exact situation, you’re starting to second guess your motive for running in the first place. 

Is it a form of entertainment, are you growing bored of the four padded walls engulfing your five senses at all hours of the day that you feel the need to get the energy out of your body like a hamster does by using the wheel in its cage? Is it to leave the predicament you found yourself in after trusting someone you, under no circumstances, should have trusted? 

Or is it because you gradually have come to find yourself sharing more similarities to a dog, begging its owner to even unenthusiastically throw a plastic frisbee for a smidge of attention to fulfill your need to be seen, to be heard, and now you feel the responsibility to own up to that label you inflicted upon yourself? 

The lines between reality and your thoughts have blurred so much it frightens you. 

...Or, rather, it should scare you. After spending so much time in your own head, one would find that it’s surprisingly easy to come to distrust your own mind. You’re not sure if you should believe what goes through your head, even less believe what you feel. But at the same time, you’re all you have. You have no choice but to trust yourself, even when you shouldn’t. 

Only a select few are aware of how dreadfully strong and outright stubborn the human mind can be, whether it be from their own personal experience or from seeing others slip into a state like yours. 

Unfortunately for you, He’s familiar with your situation. Painfully familiar. 

… 

Sometimes you wish you were a luna moth. Delicate and radiant, people would be torn between praising you for your beauty and shunning you away for the crime of looking different than what they’re used to. You wouldn’t be a butterfly, would not conform to what society wants you to be. You would be able to be who you want, look however you want to without worrying over other’s opinions. 

The people that did like you, though, would treat you with care and would do everything in their power to make your stay in this world a pleasant one. A stay that would only last a week. 

Not long enough for you to become familiar with the horrors that await humanity. Seven days filled with nothing but genuine smiles, void of empty promises. 

You’d crawl out of your cocoon, eat good food, find someone to help continue your bloodline, then die somewhere peaceful and hope that your crumbling, decomposing body will bring relief to someone desperately needing something to eat. 

But you’re not a moth. 

… 

It’s unbearably cold when you come to your senses. Peeling your eyes open, you glance around to find yourself surrounded by cold limestone, barely illuminated by the cave’s entrance just a few feet away. The hairs on your skin rise from the wind guiding snow through the passageway, making you curl into yourself in a pathetic attempt to keep your body’s temperature from dropping too low. 

You look down at yourself; your pants are ripped at the hem, and you see messy splotches of brownish red staining the fabric and your skin, going all the way down to your calloused feet. You’re not sure how long you’ve been out for, but it must have been at least an hour given how the bleeding from the numerous scratches and gashes on your legs stopped without any assistance. 

The cave felt completely foreign to you, but even then, it brought you more comfort than He had. Or at least you think it does. 

You feel free. Despite the way your body shivered endlessly from the wind howling into the cavern, despite the dull but searing pain that made it feel like your feet were scorching that traveled up your legs, despite the way you couldn’t move your lips from how dry and cracked they were, split from sheer cold. 

You think this is the most freedom you’ve felt since you’ve gotten yourself stuck in His maw. 

... 

The wind is reduced to a soft, soothing melody when you wake up again. Almost calming enough for you to drift off to sleep a second time, but a nagging feeling in the depths of your gut told you that it was a bad idea to fall unconscious this time around, so you try to shake off the numbness in your limbs instead of succumbing to the call of the void. 

Standing up proves to be a challenge as your legs buckle under your weight. You catch yourself before you fall, holding onto the rough formation of a rogue stalagmite; it’s a struggle to hold yourself up, but at the very least you didn’t give yourself a concussion. 

The pain isn’t completely unwelcome, though. Your feet are throbbing, and the palm of your hand holding yourself up with the help of the stalagmite stings. As you blink the drowsiness away and the blood begins to flow through your limbs correctly again, you straighten your back to take in your surroundings properly. 

The cave’s entrance was filled with thick snow. There was enough that it would reach your stomach should you walk up to it, ignoring the snow that fell into the grotto, and not the snow that partly obscured your way to the outside world. You can’t see much outside, only the faint outline of pine trees wavering in the distance, far enough that you can only barely make out their form. 

Looking away from the blinding whites outside, you notice how utterly desolate the cavern is. Not even a single trace of a life was left behind in this cold, worn hollow. Maybe it’s better this way. You’re not sure you would have appreciated seeing even a wild hare or a fox in here, much less a bear. 

Sitting down on the rocky ground again to give your legs a break, you take a moment to think back to what got you here in the first place. 

You faintly recall rusty medical equipment, convulsing organs, and seeing Him jot down notes. You remember a plate being handed to you, the vague image of a man covered by a stained sheet of what used to be white, and the bile that rose to your throat when your gaze focused on what was on the plate itself. 

Everyone knew the Doctor was a twisted man, but you doubted He was twisted enough to force someone to cannibalize one of their peers. 

Clearly, you were wrong. 

Then, you remember making a mad dash for the thick iron doors of his laboratory. By the grace of god, you were able to leave; and you now found yourself in this desolate cavern, tucked away from civilization. 

As far as you were aware of. 

But you shouldn’t trust your mind. You knew this, yet you also knew not to trust yourself when you told yourself you couldn’t trust yourself. Simultaneously believing in logic and being a mess of paradoxical jargon— it exhausted you to think about. So you try not to. 

Whether by a stroke of bad luck or because of something else entirely, your dull sense of hearing picks up the faint sound of snow crunching beneath boots. Your hands and legs scramble to take you where you can hide as much of yourself as you can behind a rock formation, and you stare out of the cave’s entrance, holding your breath. 

The sound becomes louder. An almost gentle woosh noise accompanies the scrunch of snow, and soon after it stops, you’re able to make out a blurry figure approaching the cave’s entrance. The icy flakes make way for Him at His command, hand waving to get rid of what was keeping you physically separated from Him. 

The pure white snow behind His body glinted off his intricate accessories, the light forming a halo so otherworldly that it left you utterly breathless. 

His boots make a soft clicking noise against the limestone as He steps into the grotto, your safe haven for however long you had been here— now not. Not a single word left His lips as he assessed your rugged appearance. 

You wish He would smite you right then and there. He was most likely able to, and with ease, but you doubt He would willingly discard one of his longest-running experiments for disobeying a rule that you had broken many times before anyways. 

Your jittery gaze follows His movements as He outstretches His arm, offering you a gloved hand, silent. 

Did he know how much you simultaneously trusted and distrusted your own judgement? You stare at His hand, unmoving, heart racing against your ribcage— torn between bolting away, into the darkness of the cave, or intertwining your fingers with His, allowing Him to take you away voluntarily. 

This was mercy either way. You could either die at the hands of whatever lurked in the shadows of the grotto, or you could die at the hands of the man that brought you so much pain it morphed into comfort, solace. He stood, unmoving. Observing you. 

You knew Him well enough to know that He was taking mental notes on your behavior even now, outside of the familiar comfort of his lab in Haeresys. 

Both options were foolish, but you weren’t exactly known to be in the sanest state of mind. 

Pulling your arms away from your body, you bring a shaky hand up to take ahold of His, allowing Him to pull you up to your feet. You almost fall as a result of your nerves, but thanks to His quick reflexes you find yourself tucked in his arms, cheek pressed up against His navy cravat. The hand that wasn’t holding yours comes up to pat your head, gently untangling the knots that had formed in your hair. You melt into His touch, eyes fluttering shut to bask in the warmth He provided. 

As you stand there with Him, knees weak, body upheld by His will alone, you shove down the thoughts that brew in the forefront of your mind. Usually you would welcome the noise, even be grateful that you, at the very least, had yourself to lean on. But you find yourself wishing to lean on Him more than yourself, both literally and metaphorically, keening at the comfort He brought you. 

You knew you couldn’t trust your mind, so why not trust His instead? If you couldn’t rely on your own instincts, judgement or thoughts, then how bad would it truly be to let someone other than you become fully responsible for your wellbeing? 

... 

You were neither a moth nor human.

You were a dog.

[justmeinadaze]

We're A Family Part 10 (Steddie X You)

A/N: I had many feels with this one. From this point forward I may start aging everyone up a bit just because I have some ideas with Steddie being girl dads and then Dylan needing them for advice all growing boys need. Im also drooling to get to teacher Steve... We also may throw another kid in there. Idk. Definitely not 6 @sidthedollface2 !!!

Warnings: ANGST and SMUT with a dash of fluff. Reader interacts with her mother which is always fun (I may also be dealing with things personal in this regard that flowed into my writing...), Reader and boys fight! I know! Its a small one though. She mentions feelings from her previous marriage and feeling like she isn't enough. Um...I think that it.

Word count: 4085

“Dada…da…da…”

“I know, sweetheart. I miss them to.”

You and Aurora were sitting on the floor of your bedroom while Dylan laid a few feet away patting the floor. 

“Come on, Ro. You can do it.” She giggled at her brother as she tried to take a step forward before falling back on her butt.

This was the fourth day in a row that the guys hadn’t been home in time for dinner. Eddie had been working late at the shop while Steve had stayed behind at school to work on a project he had due. You missed them terribly but you would never bring it up. They were both working so hard to take care of you and the kids but you’d be lying if you said there weren’t a few times you had some flashbacks to your previous marriage. 

You reminded yourself constantly that this was different. Charlie had always been out on the town with his friends or fucking other women behind your back. Eddie and Steve were both at work. You weren’t allowed to be angry…right? It’s ok though. The guys said tomorrow everything would go back to normal…right?

The sound of your phone ringing startled you back to reality. 

“Hello?”

“Hey! Is my son there?”

“Lynette? No, he isn’t and if he was I wouldn’t let you talk to him.”

She aggressively sighs. “Just like Wayne. So fucking self-righteous. I need to know if he’s going to the hearing.”

“Oh, well, I can answer that. No. Now leave him alone.”

Dylan laughed as you hung up the phone. “You’re so spicy, mom.”

“Yeah, it comes with old age.” He laughs harder as you laugh with him. “You want to watch a movie, weirdo?”

##################

Steve sighed as he quietly opened the front door to a relatively dark house. Like you had been doing all week, the kitchen light remained on illuminating the entryway enough for him so he could see. 

“Hey, Munson.”

“Harrington. You’re just walking in to I see?”

He nodded as he reached for the fridge door, softly smiling at the food you left behind for them. 

“We don’t deserve her.” As he turns back around, he notices Eddie reading the note you left behind. Even though you could text them, you always left a note on the counter giving them a play by play of the evening. The metalhead hands it to Steve as he retrieves a beer and leans against the counter. 

“Eddie and Steve,

Dylan insisted on Chinese food so I ordered you both something and left it in the fridge. He had a good day and even told me about a new girl in his class :P. I think he likes her.

Ro still hasn’t got walking down. Our son keeps calling to her like she’s a dog and all she does is laugh lol She has definitely mastered crawling for sure. I saved the lives of one of your guitars, Ed!

She asks for you guys a lot. At night while we’re watching tv, she’ll point or look around and call out for ‘dada’. She misses you two…we all do…

Eddie, baby, your mom called my phone tonight looking for you asking about the hearing. I told her you didn’t want to go. I wanted to give you a heads up just in case she tries calling you to.

I love you both so much,

Y/N <3 “

“Steve, one of us should at least be here.”

“I know… I don’t know what to fucking do, Eddie. This is a big project for the semester and then I have to still go to work and make money. What about you?”

“I’m working to, man. I have more responsibility now and not just here. I…”, he exhales as he heads for the stairs. “I’m too fucking tired.”

Their hearts break when they enter the bedroom, finding all three of you asleep on the bed. Steve carefully picks up Aurora from your chest as Eddie pries Dylan from your hip, carrying them to their respective areas. 

Without even changing, they threw themselves into bed next to you, pulling you into their embrace as they fell asleep. 

#############

When you woke up, they were both already gone for work. The only reason you knew they even came home was because you could still smell their scent lingering in the sheets. 

For the rest of the Saturday, you busied yourself around the house to make the time go by faster. Eddie and Steve were supposed to come home by 6 but the anger didn’t start to rise until 7 when neither of them had come back yet. Stomping to your phone you noticed a few texts you had missed. Steve said that the group he was working with in his class had some free time so he was going to run to one of their houses to finish up their project and Eddie said he had to work late again but promised he’d be home by 8 at the latest. 

You fumed as you paced in the kitchen. They promised today everything would go back to normal. They told you things were going to go back to how they were so they could at least see the kids before they went to bed. Without thinking it through you grabbed your phone and texted them a response.

“Fuck you both.”

Thirty minutes later, both boys angrily barreled into the house, shocked to find not you but Kierra in the living room. 

“I don’t know what you two did but my sister is pissed.”

“Where is she?”

“She said she needed to let off some steam.”

“Kierra, come on, we know you know where she is.”

Your sister glared in their direction, rising to her feet with Aurora on her hip. 

“Dada. Dada.”, she clapped reaching for Steve.

“I’m taking them to my house to spend the night. Talk to her, gentlemen. Y/N can handle a lot but she won’t put up with another Charlie.” It was their turn to glare, hating being compared to your douchebag ex. “She’s at The Hideout. Bring your shield and swords. My sister isn’t exactly a happy drunk.”

##############

I’m not supposed to be angry. I’m not supposed to be angry. I’m not—” 

You chugged back the liquid in your glass as you lit another one of Eddie’s cigarettes. You imagined you looked pretty pathetic in a dark bar, smoking a cigarette in a shirt and jacket that were two sizes too big but you needed them close to you. Eddie’s jacket and one of Steve’s button up shirts were blanketed in their smells that had you hugging yourself as you tried to push back the tears that tried to run down your face. 

“Man trouble?” Your eyes shoot up to meet your moms as she sits diagonal from you at the bar, ordering a drink of her own as she lights up the cigarette in her mouth. “I swear me being here is a coincidence. It seems Mrs. Harrington and I don’t have a lot to talk about these days. Plus, she spends less time at that country club now that she’s at your house more.”

“Can I just drink alone, please?”, you whine. 

Your mother nods as she takes a sip of the martini that was handed to her. “How’s, um, how’s Dylan?”

“You would know if you bothered to come by or even call.” She looks down as you snap at her, immediately feeling guilty. “He’s doing ok. He plays baseball now and is dead set on teaching Aurora how to walk.”

“Is that the baby’s name?”

“My daughter, your granddaughter? Yes, it is.”

Your mother sighs as she turns to fully face you. “I don’t have a problem with her. I hope you know that. Janet showed me some pictures of her. She’s really beautiful.”

“No, you just have a problem with her mother being together with her fathers.”

“That’s what I’m talking about, Y/N! She has ONE father. ONE parent. How are you going to explain that to her when she gets older. Hell, how are you going to explain it to her now?! I imagine for a toddler that will be extremely confusing. And have you even considered what school will be like for her?! You’re so selfish, Y/N.”

You chugged down the rest of the liquor in your glass as you began to subtly cry. You already felt selfish for being angry with the boys…this is the last thing you needed. 

“Y/N, let me call Eddie to pick you up!”

“I’m not driving, Nick!”, you shouted as you exited the bar.

As you began your trek into the parking lot, your mother’s voice floated from behind you. 

“Y/N, come on. Let me drive you home.”

“Don’t!”, you snap as you turn on her. “Don’t pretend like you fucking care about me now. Don’t patronize me and pretend like you give a fuck about me or my kids! You told Charlie all about my life and things he didn’t need to fucking know which kick started a brand-new custody filing which fucking back fired because even a court so far seems to think my home is better than his! He felt so cornered he took him from school without telling me and got arrested. Did you know that?”

“Did you know that no one makes fun of Dylan at school and most of his friends think it’s ‘cool’ he has three parents? Of course, my son doesn’t care about that. All he cares about is the fact that he finally has men in his life who are there and actually make him feel wanted!”

This was a long time coming. Everything you been holding in was finally spilling out of you and you couldn’t reel it back in. A hand suddenly touched your arm but you didn’t bother turning around. At that moment, it didn’t matter. 

“Y/N, baby, come on.”, Steve murmured before you yanked out of his grasp.

“Aurora may only be one but believe it or not she understands that these two are her father. Biologically, yes, one helped make her but it takes more than that to be a parent but you wouldn’t understand anything about that, would you? I haven’t seen you in almost 2 years and why?! Because I found two good people I love and love me back? Jesus, you’re right. I am fucking selfish! I’m not perfect!”

As you spoke, Eddie and Steve tried to pull you towards the car but you kept fighting to get out of their grasp. 

“Why am I not enough for you?”

Eddie finally stepped in front of you, blocking your mom from your view as he grabbed your biceps forcing you to look at him. 

“Stop! Stop... Get in the car, sweetheart.”

Steve opened the back door, guiding you in before facing your mom. “You know, for someone who cares about how people perceive her, you give off a really shitty image. Maybe it’s time to consider if you’re trying to impress the right people.”

#############

You barge into the house and head straight for the liquor cabinet in the kitchen.

“Fucking child proof...garbage…ugh!”, you whine as you aggressively pull on the child lock attached to the door.

“You don’t need anymore alcohol, Y/N.” Both men were leaning against opposite counters watching you. 

“I’m sorry, Steven, but you don’t get to tell me what to do. I’m an adult—”

“Whose acting like a child.”, Eddie cut you off.

“Said the man who acts like a kid 24/7.” You glare at them as you exhale. “Fuck this. I’m going to bed.” As you tried to head towards the stairs, they both cut you off. “Move.”

“Or what?”, Steve challenged. 

It had been awhile since you saw this version them; the angry version that didn’t mind playing into your attitude with a fury of their own. 

Turning on your heels, you planned to go around the counter through the living room but Eddie cut you off. 

“What was that text about? ‘Fuck you both.’”

“You BOTH promised me you would be home today?!”

“Sorry, honey. Shit came up. It’s not like we’re out on the town or having any fucking fun! Eddie and I are working our asses off!”

“So do I! I work an 8hr shift AND come home to take care of TWO kids alone!”

“We talked about this, Y/N. You knew when Steve started school and I took that promotion our schedules would be tight. You said you were fine with it.”

“Well maybe I’m not! And tight is completely different that not seeing you at all.”

“What do we do then, huh? You want me to quit my job so we can scrape by for the next year and a half? Maybe, Ed can go back to his old position that he hated. At least everyone would be fucking happy!”

You marched outside, slamming the backdoor as you lit a fresh cigarette. 

“Hey! Don’t walk away! We aren’t done.”

“I DON’T KNOW!”, you screamed. Your hands beginning to shake as the tears started to flow again. “I don’t know, Eddie. I-I know I’m not allowed to be angry and I know that you guys aren’t doing anything wrong or anything like that. But I hear Dylan talk and see Aurora search for you…then I go to bed alone and I just…I feel like I did when I was married to Charlie.”

“That’s…”, Steve aggressively sighs as he tries to control his temper. “That’s not fair, Y/N.”

“I know but, fuck. Maybe I am selfish.”

“If there’s one thing you’re not, sweetheart, it’s selfish. Don’t bring your mom’s ignorance into this because what she thinks about you and us doesn’t matter. What I do want to focus on is you’re the second person today to compare us to your ex and I don’t fucking like it.”

“Me either.”, Steve chimed in.

“Y/N, we know you went through a lot with him and still are but we aren’t him. How would you feel if we said something you did reminded us of Emily.” You cringed at the thought. “Exactly. We would never fucking hurt you the way Charlie did and we would never fucking give up on you either.” You made a funny face in his direction so Eddie continued. 

“Baby, he stopped fighting for you the moment he cheated on you. Fucking asshole was so petty he wouldn’t even let the mother of his child and son stay in their home.”

“If he hadn’t done that though, I never would have met you two.” You flashed them a slanted smile as you wiped your eyes. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking when I sent that text earlier. You know me, I saw red and… I was just so excited you guys were going to be home.”

Your gaze shifted between theirs as something quickly passed through their eyes, something you hadn’t seen directed towards you since living across from them...

 “I’m going to go get ready for bed.” You grin again, tossing the cigarette into the ashtray before swishing past them into the house. 

A hand abruptly grabs your shoulder, spinning you around as lips crash to yours. The many rings on his fingers tells you its Eddie as he pushes you against the living room wall. There’s a neediness to both your energies as he hastily unbuttons your pants and slides his hand under the waistband of your panties, making you moan as he roughly inserts two of his fingers into your cunt. 

You cling to his neck as he sucks on yours, thrusting into you at an aggressive pace. 

“E-Eddie… slow…oh my god…slow down.”

Without a word, he does as you ask, choosing to curl his fingers deep inside of you. Your legs began to shake as you reached down to grip his wrist. You tried to pull at his hair to look at his face but his lips remained attached to your neck. Instead, you searched for Steve, finding him leaning beside you both, his eyes overshadowed with that determination you saw before. 

Tonight, it was just you three and it had been so long since you had been together not just sexually but intimately. You were hurting and so were they. They missed you as much as you missed them and tonight they were going to show you how much. Tonight, the house belonged to you guys and they were going to make you scream their names so all of Hawkins understood you were theirs, no matter what.

You moan his name repeatedly as you cum, yanking Steve’s shirt to bring his lips to yours. As soon as Eddie removed his hand, the other man lifted you into his arms, bringing you into the kitchen and placing you on the island in the middle. The metalhead came around to grip your waist as Steve aggressively tugged off your jeans and panties. 

After pulling you closer to the edge, he threw off his shirt before kneeling, opening your legs wider, and wrapping his mouth around your clit. His motions were just as fast as Eddie, not allowing you much time to catch your breath. Lips and teeth warmed your breast as Eddie switched between the two. 

“I…guys…please…fuck…” You were struggling to form words as they both overwhelmed your senses. The sharp, cold temperature of the granite hit your back as you laid flat against it, thrusting your hips against the man’s face till you felt the coil snap and you came again. Eddie lifted you, placing you on your feet, and turning you so your back was to his chest. 

He fumbled with his belt as he walked you towards the stairs, kicking them and his boxers to the side as you fall forward onto the steps. The man licks his hand, pumping himself a few times before pushing into you as you moan. His fingers clung to your hips as he thrust into you, the obscene sound of skin hitting skin filling the area. 

Footsteps echoed beside you as Steve pushed off his own attire tossing it to the ground. After sliding himself in front of you, your hands grip his thighs for support as you encase his cock with your lips. 

He grunts at the feeling as you moan and bob your head, pulling your hair into a ponytail so he can watch you take him. Eddie falls forward, grinding into your pussy hard as his hands roam your now sweaty body. 

You lift your head, continuing to jerk him as fast as you can, shouting Eddie’s name as you hurtle quickly over that ledge again. He groans as you flutter around him, pulling out before taking you in his arms as he heads for the bedroom. 

Throwing you onto your back on the mattress, he lifts one of your legs over his shoulder and breaches your entrance again as he chases his high. Steve climbs up beside you, licking his fingers and reaching between you to rub your swollen clit. 

“Please…I can’t…again…too much…” They both silently continue what they were doing, lost in you and the moment. Eddie grunts as he cums, thrusting his hips till he empties inside of you. 

Steve takes over as the other boy pulls out and backs away, sliding himself into you before pushing your legs together and turning you on your side. This position had him deeper inside of you then you had ever felt as you gripped the sheets for support, needing to hold on to something as he smacked his hips against yours. 

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw his hand reaching for yours, quickly reaching over to take it as he gripped you tightly. The sound of your whimpers and moans escalated until you couldn’t hold back anymore, crying and shouting Steve’s name into the darkness. His body folded over your own slightly as his rhythm sputtered and he came, rope after rope filling you up. 

The room feel quiet except for your sniffles into the blankets. Someone gently lifted you into their arms and carried you to the bathroom before placing you on your feet by the tub. Looking up, you met Eddie’s soft brown eyes as he smiled, brushing your hair behind your ear. A loud grunt left him as you practically tackled him, wrapping your arms around his waist as you cried into his chest. Steve came up behind you, hugging you as he rested his cheek on your head. 

They waited for the bathtub to fill before releasing you, holding your hand as you stepped inside and immediately tugged your knees under your chin as they joined you. After Steve delicately pulled up your hair, he tenderly ran his palms along your shoulders and down your arms as Eddie cleaned your body. 

“I don’t like this…the silence…” The only reason you knew they heard you was because their movements paused for a moment before they continued. “Please say something.”

“You’re more than enough.” Your eyes met Eddie’s in total confusion. “You asked your mom why you weren’t enough and I know part of the reason you feel the way you’ve been feeling is because Charlie made you believe that to. You’re MORE than enough. You are everything.”

“You’re not selfish for feeling the way you’ve been feeling, Y/N.”, Steve continued after. “We miss you to and the kids. When you said Dylan has been trying to show Ro how to walk more, I panicked like what if we weren’t here when she finally did?”

You sighed as you leaned against his chest.

“We finished our project so I’m done there and, of course, the semester ends next week so I’ll be home more. Maybe next semester, I can cut back on some of my hours at work. Things might be a bit tight but…”

“Maybe not.”

“What do you mean, Ed?”

“The owner of the shop, Scott? He’s retiring after the new year. Part of the reason I’ve been staying late is because… he’s been talking about giving the garage to me.”

“Eddie, oh my god. That’s amazing!” You lean forward wrapping your arms around his neck. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up including my own if he decided against it. But, baby, this would mean I could be home more and we would have more money. Steve could even solely focus on school but knowing him he would insist on continuing to work.”

“You’re not wrong.”, Steve chuckles. 

“But what about music? Corroded Coffin?”

“I can practice more with them to. Sweetheart, I’m not going to become a rockstar in the next year.”, he laughs. 

“You’re already a rockstar to me.”, you smile as you kiss his lips.

################

“Oh hey, look. The entire Munson-Harrington clan came to get you guys AND they seem happy.”, Kierra grins as she opens her door wider to allow you three into her home. “Did you fall on your knees and beg for forgiveness?”

“Eh something like that.”, Eddie laughs. 

“Your mother was at the bar to last night. I’m not sure if she told you that.”

Your sister sighed at Steve’s comment. “I swear to God, that woman can be so…ugh! What did she say, Y/N?” When you didn’t answer, she turned to face you, noticing your eyes focusing on the kids. 

Dylan was holding Aurora’s hand allow her to balance before letting her go. She took one wobbly step forward before falling on her butt and smiling up at him. You sunk to your knees placing yourself a small distance away from her. Your son lifted her up again, holding her hand as he guided her towards you before letting her go. She stood still just for a moment as she looked your way. 

“Come here, baby. I missed you. Give mama a hug?”

You reached out your arms as she giggled before slowly taking two steps forward. She almost fell catching herself on her hands before pushing back to a standing position. 

“Ma…mama!”

She took two more determined steps by herself before falling into your lap. 

“Oh, Wayne’s going to hate that.”, Eddie grinned. 

“God job, Ro.” Steve kissed her forehead as she keened into your neck. 

“Get ready, boys. Here comes the fun part. Running after a toddler around a two story house with sticky fingers.”, Kierra laughed as she wrapped her arms around you leaning her head on the Aurora’s back. 

###############

@adequate-superstar @kalinaselennespeaks

@alienthings @steddieloverrr @manda-panda-monium

@decadentwombatmiracle @katie-tibo @marsupiooo

@local-stoner-bitch @steamystrangerfics @lunatictardis

@adaydreamaway08 @hazydespair @actuallyspencerreid

@moviefreak1205 @waylandmorgernsternherondal-blog

@kik51199 @strngrlytn @idkidknemore @damon-loves-pie

@k-k0129 @micheledawn1975 @eddie86baby

@justmeandmymeanderingthoughts @3rriberri

@sashaphantomhive @chelebelletx @big-ope-vibes

@munsonzzgf @munsonmoonshine86

[jacksprostate]

Part 4 (with links to the other parts)

The first thing I do is, I talk to the man who takes my sheets, with his scrapdog ears and eyebrows, and I tell him: address him properly.

The word spreads on its own. I remember, before I was used to it, that knowing lilt. Sir. It’s still present. Take your pills, sir. It’ll be alright, sir. Take your time recovering. 

Mills starts cursing at the staff. We pass in the halls, he yells at me, tells me to stop them. He’s not their fucking leader. Call off my dogs.

I smile, too wide. They’ve never listened to me, not really. Especially not on this.

I can’t help you. 

Naturally, he hates this. 

The second thing I do is, I ask for photographs. News clippings. Marla’s dildo was large, questionable, encouraging of disorder, and a choking hazard. Slips of paper are much more tolerable contraband. I’m given free rein, like one of Zimbardo’s incentivized guards. It’s a psychology experiment in a psychology experiment, and my psychiatrist is playing Jane Goodall. 

It’s arts and crafts, and all the attendees are either bruised or braindead. There is no one stopping me. I glue all my collected pieces together into the rough shape of a heart, like it’s Valentine’s Day, and I turn to Mills, trapped at the back of the room. He hasn’t seen a shred of what I’m up to. 

Something to remember her by, I say. I don’t call him sir, because I never have. I wonder if he knows this.

I see him look, more instinct than anything from getting layers of paper shoved in his face, and I see how he clenches his teeth so hard his jaw creaks. He rips the collage of his wife out of my hands, and I can tell, he hates me. Real hate, like he wants death to fuck my body until it’s not even for the worms. 

He can’t bear to destroy it, and now I know every time he looks at it in his room, he’ll be thinking of me. Funny how that works.

The thing is; Mills actually didn’t try to kill me this time, so I think I need to take it up a notch. 

I cross the cafeteria just so I can spit in his food. I piss on his door and get the space monkey janitors to leave it for fifty-seven hours. In group therapy, I take a page from Chloe and monologue about how the last thing I’d like to do is get my rocks off chemically unhindered before the seizure medications they’ve got me on arrest all of my brain activity altogether. A nice nugget for Mills to report back to Somerset about my proposed psychosexual obsession. I segue into discussing how I met Tyler, on the nude beach, grit all across him as he hauled pilings and sat with his bare ass in the sand. It’s the most I’ve ever said about Tyler. The group minder scribbles on her sheet like mad as I describe Tyler’s wet, blond hair. His minute of perfection.

And he still doesn’t try to fight me. I know he wants to. He wants to shake me by my throat and rattle me and slam my head into the ground until it splits open like a rotten egg. But he doesn’t, and he looks torn. Like he’s guilty. Like Tyler could ever really feel guilt. 

This is one of the things I want to complain about when Marla calls me. 

She still does. More than when she was alive. But she says nothing, and I can’t break the silence. I sit there, orderlies watching as I say nothing, she says nothing, just a whole bunch of dead air between us.

Ghosts were always calling for Marla, at Paper Street. 

Now I’ve got Marla’s ghost on the line and Tyler’s ghost in the flesh, and neither want to talk to me. 

We get locked up in supervised one-on-one again, now with both of us chained and one twitch away from a new addiction.

I ask Mills, did you talk to her enough, that last week?

Do you think she knew you loved her?

Do you think she felt loved?

Mills asks for the sedation, this time. Polite about it, like he’s not seething. Like I can’t see how his eyes have been only half empty most of these days, since I’ve managed to fill him up with rage at me. Folie à deux, I want it so bad. 

I am Jack’s crippling sense of rejection.

My stupid psychiatrist, he lets Mills amble out of the room and traps me in there. 

I’m corralled. An angel on either shoulder. All the staff who aren’t from the Project have stopped laughing at my jokes. My antics have not gone unobserved. I’ve been given my time to rein as the world’s most entertaining lab rat, and now this localized god wants results.

“What’s your goal here?”

Isn’t it obvious?

“No. Tell me about what you’re thinking,” he says. I look at him, and I see him, for the first time. Not disillusioned, not holy. Just a sniveling doctor with a penchant for human experimentation and the funding to enable him. 

How horribly average.

He says, “I understand this is difficult for you, but we really need to know what’s going on if you want to have continued support in this manner for your recovery.” Play nice, or you’ll lose your favorite toy.

I say, this has never been about recovery. It’s time we faced that, isn’t it?

This man, so used to my religious apathy, has never truly had a challenge. He looks pinched.

He says, “Of course I want you to recover.”

And I laugh, and I point out that we both know those outside these halls are more interested in what’s wrong with me than any semblance of fixing it. 

You’re not getting paid to drain the swamp in my head. You’re here to keep it plugged up, decomposing. We both know this, I’m just acknowledging it. I laugh.

I tell this little god, he can write me up in all his little acclaimed journals.

But don’t come to me, saying I have to play your little games or you’ll take Mills away. We both know you won’t. The day I give up, the day I become a real vegetable is the day your cash cow keels over. You’re not going to punish me. Not really. You’ll take away my jello, my oats, you’ll put me on lithium and clozapine and valproic acid, but you don’t really want this to end. You don’t want me to get better. You want Tyler back just as much as I do. You can’t do shit to me. I have nothing to lose.

You have everything.

Tyler’s words, back home in my mouth. They’re mine now. I get up and the orderlies flanking me do nothing. I look down on this small, small man, and I think, he has never known a bigger fish. He doesn’t even know the hands that feed him.

I’ve hit bottom, I say, and it’s not you who holds the shovel. Be grateful I let you observe.

[sil3ntfr34k]

I cannot sleep and having postal brain rot 🫶

Postal 1 Dude Boyfriend Headcanons

• Homie has been living alone with his borderline psychopathic thoughts since he was about 19, absolutely 0 social skills. But he kinda likes it like that, although it’s not good for him, but when has anyone ever liked what’s good for them???

• It was a miracle that you ever saw him to begin with. This man hasn’t left his run down home in 3 weeks and you just so happened to catch him at the grocery store buying ‘supplies’ as he calls it. You had helped him find a certain canned item (he doesn’t eat a lot so he needs something that will last for a while) and also helped him at the check out.

• Romantic love is a very foreign concept to him. As someone who doesn’t feel a lot of emotions other than fear and confusion, anything that makes him happy is something he so desperately wants to keep around. So meeting you was like a breath of relief

• It’s very hard for him to understand what he’s feeling, the constant mood swings don’t help either. One minute he’s spiraling downward, but when he thinks of you, he’s suddenly overwhelmed with this warm comforting feeling. For a while he’s convinced you must’ve put a spell on him, before you finally visit his house

• Champ, his baby boy, immediately takes a liking to you, his strong tail hitting against and knocking things over around him as he approaches you to give you sloppy kisses. Since Champ is sort of like a emotional support dog, Dude trust his judgement which ultimately leads him to be more comfortable around you

• It takes a longgggg time before Dude even thinks about getting into a relationship with you. He’s never felt this way about someone and it terrifies him. Being anti social and all makes him very skittish, so you’ll have to ease him into such a intimate relationship

• As the relationship progresses, you really start to see why no one ever talks to him. He’s weird. Like, he has a concerningly large dead animal collect, even feeding them to Champ if his food gets too low and Dude is too paranoid to leave the house. Dude also has a large weapons collection with some military grade stuff. Not to mention his expansive knowledge of the human body after death and the various ways to skin various animals (and humans, but he hasn’t told you that yet)

• Since this whole relationship thing is new to Dude, he has no idea what to do or how to do it. He never plans dates, doesn’t give you any big gifts, and hardly ever says “I love you”. Although he does love to have you around and hold you when he’s comfortable enough with it.

• The amount of illness this guy has baffles you. It’s like he’s nothing but a sick mind and weak mindset. Good luck trying to give him any sort of medication, he will run away and lock himself in the bathroom with Champ. Fully believes that any sort of pill will make ‘corrupt’ him, especially if it’s from a pharmacy.

• Having to deal with this guy during any sort of episode is EXHAUSTING. Yes you love him, but everyone has their limits. His schizophrenic episodes are the worst of them. They usually force him into a paranoid and clouded state, his mood becoming fragile and his actions more aggressive. Usually during these episodes he believes that there are people out to hurt him, to kill him, so he has to kill them first. It’s a doozy and a half trying to stabilize Dude, desperately trying to tell him he’s safe in a his home and getting Champ to sit with him.

• It’s very hard to get Dude outside of his house. His paranoia always gets the best of him and drives him right back inside the familiarity of his run down walls. Wanna go for a walk around the city to bond with him more? Good luck with that. Wanna go grocery shopping with him because he’s been living off the same can of peas for 3 days now? He’d rather starve. Wanna go shopping for his wardrobe? He has enough clothes. Although you could probably lure him out with the promise of bone hunting with him in the local forest area.

• There aren’t many dates with Dude. The entire relationship is mainly just you two relaxing on his couch watching tv. Of course y’all still do ‘fun’ things like playing board games and helping him clean up around his house, but it’s mostly just sitting in peace with him. It may not seem like a lot to you, but to him it’s the most calm and relaxed he’s been in years

• Dude doesn’t give many gifts, but he likes to give you little wooden figures he’s made. Living alone for years and having nothing but free time really gives you the ability to learn a new skill. He took up widdling and wood carving as a hobby to make hard chew toys for Champ since those rubber bones never lasted and the real bones were too expensive. Dude will give you little shiny rocks he found around the house too. He’s kinda like a crow, shiny attractive

• Trying to cuddle or hug Dude is a task. Due to his childhood, he thinks anytime someone is going to touch him it’s gonna hurt. You’re gonna have to ask him, and then slowly reach out for him. Any sudden movements will make him nervous

• Despite all these bad traits, he’s rather clingy and possessive of you. Sure he doesn’t want you to touch him a lot, but he still wants you around. Just having you in his house is like having his own personal angel. Anytime you want to leave he gets incredibly sad and starts to make up excuses of why you can’t leave. “The evil ones, they’ll hurt you if you step foot out there! Stay here with me, where it’s safe.“

ok that’s all I can think of I sleep now

[popatochisssp]

I would like more details on ocean boys plz. More Descendtale for us?

Descendtale

A human falls to the Underground.

They’re merciful…mostly.

But maybe not merciful enough.

They make friends with many monsters on their way through the Underground.

They kill some others.

Nobody important, none of the real friends they’d made along the way—just a handful of annoying ones who kept getting in their way, surprising them with Encounters when they were busy on their very important quest to escape the Underground and go back home.

When they leave, they put their fun fantasy adventure behind them, eager to get back to their real life.

They never come back.

The monster ‘friends’ they left behind do their best to move on.

Asgore is gone, and so are the six human souls they’d collected, so close to finally being free.

Toriel has returned, which is something, a comfort of familiarity at least to have a ruler who knows what she’s doing when hope is falling and…other things are starting to go wrong.

The Royal Guard has been disbanded, what with the queen’s mandate that humans falling down should be welcomed as friends. Which is fine, most of them all knew the most recent human as a friend, but…it does leave quite a few dogs and a fish and a few other animals out of a job and consequently, out of a driving purpose in their lives.

A handful of monsters have also gone missing. Not Fallen Down, or moved away, just…gone, without a word or a call or a note. No one really knows what happened, though there’s theories, nobody seems to know anything for sure and the unsubstantiated rumors, ranging from wild to tame, are a little bit scary.

And…the Underground’s resources are dwindling. They have been for a long time, but some of those monsters that disappeared—farmers, couriers, suppliers—their absence has unbalanced the food supply chain just a little more, and what they do have is taking longer to get to the populated areas, costing more, creating uncertainty.

In essence, monsters are getting nervous and losing hope.

Many of these problems have no clear solution, but Toriel tasks the Royal Scientist to one it might be possible for her to solve: the food issue.

After all, it may only be a mild concern now, but with the human souls gone, with how long it took to gather so many to begin with, how unlikely it is for more humans to fall down anytime soon—and to be treated as guests, even if they do fall…

It’s going to be quite some time before monsterkind has any real chance to be free.

They need to survive.

They need to be able to weather the long winter that’s to come, to remain strong and keep from falling to despair.

Certainty that they won’t starve to death in subterranean ignominy is a solid step towards that.

Alphys, happy to have been kept on after her last boss…uh. Well, she throws herself into the assignment, feeling that this is her chance to really do something great, worthy of her title.

The way she sees it, they need some kind of a staple crop, something they can produce in excess without exhausting their resources in the process.

She sets her eyes on the echo flower.

Echo flowers are hardy plants and grow well in any dark environment, in all but the driest of soils, already proliferating wildly in the Underground without any influence and thriving for a long, long, long time. Their petals have been known to make a soothing tea, but the root of the plant—a thick black rhizome—is edible, too.

It hasn’t been actually eaten very much, historically, being that the taste is…not great, a little sour and a lot bitter, no matter how you prepare it.

But it is edible, full of nutrients and ambient magic to keep a monster fed and healthy so long as you don’t mind the taste.

And…can they really afford to mind the taste, at this stage?

Toriel agrees with Alphys’ assessment. The artificial light cycles that simulate day and night are ceased and echo flowers are planted anywhere and everywhere they’ll take, roots harvested and incorporated into monsters’ diets. At first, the farming is only to supplement the scarcity of other foods, but as time goes by and most of those all but disappear, the root eventually begins replacing them almost entirely.

It takes awhile for anyone to notice the changes.

Before necessity, no monster ate or even used enough echo flower root to realize that it had preservative properties.

When monsters begin to notice they’re not aging nearly as fast as they should be, a whole host of other side-effects have started to make themselves known, all dutifully assessed and catalogued by Alphys.

Monsters who consume the echo flower root consistently, at volume, can expect to see many of the following changes in their bodies:

Light sensitivity

Darkening of the extremities

Extended periods of low activity (similar to hibernation)

Lack of appetite

Bioluminescence

Reduced metabolism

Sharpening of preexisting teeth, or growth of new ones

Heightened senses (predominantly hearing sight, and smell)

Decreased sensitivity to touch

Increased physical durability

Thorn-like growths or protrusions

Mental changes and personality drift

In addition to these is something monsters colloquially start to refer to as The Withering, when bodies begin to look thin, gnarled and frail but with no attached physical ailments.

The monsters so afflicted by their new condition…

Accept it.

There’s little else they can do, as reliant on their new food source as they are by this point, and quite frankly, none of the changes seem all that bad.

They have food, they have each other, and most importantly, they have time.

It’s all a little different, of course, but monsters are nothing if not adaptable, every bit the survivors the Queen knew they could be.

The worst thing to come out of it all is that brightness of Hotland and New Home poses a bit of discomfort to most of those who’d settled there, but Toriel oversees a mass migration back to Home and renovation of the Ruins there to make them a far more pleasant place to live.

And naturally, along the way are Waterfall, blissfully dark, and Snowdin, delightfully cold—both equally appealing neighborhoods to move into, with monsters’ new taste for such things.

Life goes on for monsterkind, still trapped in their deep cavern but now…kind of thriving in it.

The next human to fall will be faced with a very different sort of Underground than the one the last human left, darker and colder to be sure, filled with monsters who want to be their friend but are maybe…a little rusty at it.

But there should be plenty of time for them to get used to it.

Kohl (Descendtale Sans)

Not so friendly with regards to humans, these days. He knows for a fact what that last one did to a handful of innocent monsters, and has a pretty strong hunch that they could’ve undone it, or at least come back to free their so-called ‘friends’ after the dust settled…but they didn’t. Despite everything, they were no better than any other human who touched the lives of monsters, and he’s all out of belief and hope and second chances for any of their ilk

Something of a new lease on life, or at least a stubborn determination to live, in spite of monsters’ most likely fate after their abandonment—the influence of the echo flower root has made a lot of his favorite creature-comfort-type experiences (eating, sleeping, savoring warmth) more difficult to enjoy, but he refuses to let that stop him

A slight mean-streak, fond of creeping up on people, unnerving them, enjoying a bit of schadenfreude now and then… but at the same time very defensive of anyone he considers part of his in-group (monsters only for now)

Mostly drifts around his usual haunts, Grillby’s, his place, his sentry station—even though the Guard isn’t a thing and he’s not technically a sentry anymore. He still likes to keep an eye-socket out, and if a human manages to slip out of the Ruins without being caught, or if they come in the back way, he’d really like to be there to give them a good scare, and remind them that he’s watching

A little chilly, a bit avoidant, and with a tendency to push peoples’ buttons to see what they do (…well, he’s always done that one), he’s not the easiest person to get along with but… Well, there is no ‘but,’ that’s the end of the sentence.

Bram (Descendtale Papyrus)

Very, very, very eager to make new friends—yes, even human ones! He befriended the last one, but…maybe he didn’t do it right, because…they left…and never came back…and if his brother is to be believed, they may have also murdered a few monsters before that… That’s probably not his fault. But he can do better! He can be a great friend! The best friend, he just needs another chance!

In the process of reinventing himself, just a bit. With the Royal Guard disbanded, that dream is dead, but the Great Papyrus doesn’t need a dream to be great! He’s working on himself right now, trying new hobbies, exploring new styles, reaching out…reaching out a lot, it’s…it’s very hard to get a call back these days, with everything going on…

Some difficulty with emotional regulation, he can go from feeling not much of anything at all, to feeling one emotion very strongly, which can lead to embarrassing outbursts from time to time. He's managing it, or trying to!

Still patrols around Snowdin regularly, even though he’s not a sentry anymore. He likes to see everyone—all the new and old faces—and it wouldn’t do to leave all his traps and puzzles to fall into disrepair, not when he has so many ideas for how to make them more difficult, challenging enough that even the craftiest human might really need to think on

A little bit scattered, a pinch forgetful, and somewhat prone to saying vaguely unsettling things without realizing they are unsettling (…well, he’s always done that one), but mostly he’s harmless! Just seeking a bit of earnest connection and people to have in his life that won’t leave

[captain-mj]

HII, first of all I just wanna say that I love your fics, and then could please post something about wolfshifter au?👉👈🥺🥺 It's my favorite one, I love it

CW for... a lot man honestly. Sexual abuse. References to reproductive rights/the taking away of reproductive rights

Previous parts

Ghost fell asleep with his head in Soap’s lap. The sun was still shining so bright on both of them and the smell of the honeysuckle lingered on their hands. 

“Hey Johnny.”

Well, Soap thought he was asleep. His eyes stayed closed. 

“Yeah, Simon?”

“Why are you so nice to me?”

Soap pet his hair gently, mulling over the words. He could answer that this was his job and while that was definitely true, Simon also definitely got special treatment from him. Not once in the years he’d be working in this job had he ever, ever taken someone home. 

“I don’t know. Guess I just think you deserve it.”

“Sappy.” Ghost opened his eyes. Chocolate brown eyes stared at him. “You’re so sappy. All the time.” 

Soap frowned. “I am not!”

“Kinda are.” Ghost sat up and leaned into him. “That’s okay though. I like it about you. How… soft and squishy your insides are.” He smiled at him. 

Soap flushed. “You’re weirdly romantic for someone who hasn’t talked for a while.”

Ghost looked around to check to see if anyone else was nearby. “They always had romance movies playing at one of the places. Shitty hallmark level ones. All in Spanish, but I picked up things.” He smiled, tilting his head. 

Soap wanted to kiss him. Instead, he followed behind him. 

Ghost walked funny. A tiny bit lopsided. Soap wondered if he had a limp or something that he had been hiding or if that was just his natural gait. He grabbed on to Ghost’s arm and they walked in tune. 

After the park, Ghost seemed a little brighter. He sat up in the car and looked out the window, showing interest in the things that passed by. 

Soap thought he was gorgeous. Regardless, they could not stay out all day. He brought Ghost home and made him more food. 

“So… you mentioned some things that I’m curious about.” He kept his tone light, not wanting to send Ghost on the defensive. 

Ghost looked up, tilting his head. “Yes?”

“You mentioned that when you were being rewarded, you got more control, right?”

“Yes.”

“And when you were being punished, you got less control?” 

Ghost frowned. He didn’t get why Soap was reiterating this so much. Soap was smart, Ghost had no doubt he grasped the concept just fine, so he didn’t get why he seemed so baffled. “Yes. They’d tie me up and let women use me. Sometimes I wonder if I have any kids.”

“Kids?” Soap stared at him, eyes wide. 

Ghost shrugged. “Makes sense. Take two wolves and shove them together. Get better fighters.” It was logical. 

Soap went to the bathroom and retched. Ghost followed and rubbed his back gently, not understanding such an extreme reaction. He didn’t understand why Soap let out a sob. Why he cradled his face so gentle and started to promise it wouldn’t happen again. 

“I’m never ever going to let anyone do anything like that again. I promise. I’m going to keep you safe.” 

Ghost frowned and pulled Soap closer. “You don’t have to keep me safe. I’m your guard do-”

Soap kissed him softly and pulled him in closer. Cradled his face and dotted kisses all over his face once he had gotten his fill of Ghost’s lips. “No. You’re not. Not anymore. You’re not anyone’s guard dog. Not anyone’s dog at all.” He was just so upset. 

Ghost picked him up and carried him easily. He made Soap drink some water and decided he didn’t need the reward he was promised. Johnny was a good enough reward. 

“You’re a person. A very good person.” Soap pressed into him. 

“Johnny.” Ghost started, very gently. “Is it bad, if I don’t feel like a person?”

“Not at all. We’ll get there.”

“What if I never feel like a person? What if I always feel like an animal? What if I can’t be what you’re expecting?”

Soap paused, having to actually think about that. It was a fair question. If he denied it was a possibility, it could be stressful. And regardless of what recovery would look like for Ghost, he needed reassurance now. 

“I’ll still care for you regardless.”

“You own me then. That makes sense. Why isn’t that… good enough?”

Soap tried to think of how to impress upon Ghost that wasn’t… right. It wasn’t okay. “Okay. Remember when you said you own me and I own you?”

Ghost nodded.

“See, we’re… partners. It’s now ownership, just, I care about you and you care about me.” 

Something about that bothered him. “But… I want to own you. I don’t want anyone else to.” 

Soap blushed brightly. “What exactly do you want no one else to do?”

“Touch you. I don’t want to share anymore. I want you to be mine.” 

“Well, then we can arrange that. It’s part of being partners.” 

That seemed to satisfy something in Ghost. “Fine. If you prefer we act as partners instead, we can. But I really don’t think you should trust me as easily. I’m violent. Bad. Feral.”

Soap shook his head. “One day, I’ll get those nasty thoughts out of your head. Until then, just know I do trust you though. And that we should eat.” 

Ghost quickly went to check on the food, happy to see that before Soap ran off to the bathroom, he had turned it off. He watched Soap, making sure he ate first and then he dragged him to bed and let himself be cuddled to sleep. 

Soap though did not sleep. As soon as he was convinced Ghost wouldn’t snap back awake, he went to the balcony and called Price, lighting a cigarette. He spilled everything and even over the phone, he could feel Price’s distaste. 

“How did you find this out?”

“He’s shockingly open about it. I don’t think he quite gets how awful all of it is. He’s so secretive about certain things but with this, he’s an open book. Is there a way to find out if…”

“There were a couple of children according to their records, but obviously no fathers were put down. I’ll check into it. Did he give you anything we can use?”

Soap sighed. “No. Nothing we can use. I’m sorry, I’m just trying to treat him with kid gloves.”

“It’s understandable, Johnny. Take care of yourself here. He hasn’t done anything, has he?”

Soap felt the wound on his shoulder throb. “No. He hasn’t done anything.”

[whereianonymouslypostfics]

Silver Springs Part 2

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Reader

Word count: ~13k

Summary: Wanda tries to leave her mob life behind to start a family with you.

A/N: This is a crack-ish fic that I wrote because I got bored. Reposting from Ao3. Enjoy.

Chapter warnings: Drug use, smut, mentions of violence and getting shot. 

You’re outside when Yelena and Nat arrive for a visit. You’d exhausted yourself with the stress of your appointment, so you’d gone to the third-floor deck to take a nap. You’d brought Boone with you of course, but when he heard the car door slam from the driveway, he stood up to investigate. He spots Yelena, Nat, and Fanny all walking to the front door and he quickly heads back inside to greet them.

The sound causes you to stir, but you’re stubborn and don’t wake up immediately. You’re a little stoned because well you’d tried to destress by smoking, and you already feel better. You didn’t usually smoke, and you definitely hadn’t while you were trying to get pregnant, but now that you weren’t you figured you deserved to relax a little. You’re having an amazing dream when your friends arrive, so you just roll back over and try to stay asleep. You’re full-on snoring by the time Yelena comes to find you.

Wanda’s quick to answer the door when the doorbell sounds throughout the house. She’d been trying to figure out dinner and what would most likely put the two of you in a better mood. She’d given you some time alone because she figured you needed to rest. She also wanted a chance to talk to their friends without you present. She sets the rest of the food on the kitchen counter before hurrying to beat Boone to the front door.

“Boone, wait!”

The shepherd had a bad habit of getting too excited by the doorbell, and since he can see who it is through the large windows he’ll bark loudly whenever he recognizes someone. Wanda manages to wave him off and keep him from doing much more than whine as she opens the door for her friends.

“Hey there, Red.”

“Boss.”

Wanda rolls her eyes with an affectionate smile as she waves the duo inside. She moves to grab some of the bags they brought and Yelena sighs in relief when she’s left with just her dog and a couple of bags in one hand.

“Thanks for coming you two. Also, technically not your boss anymore, Yelena.”

Yelena just shrugs before she attempts to remove Fanny’s leash while she’s greeting her best friend. Boone is jumping on her and biting her ears which makes the task difficult. She eventually gives up and lets the two dogs run around and get hair all over everything. Wanda sighs as she watches the duo, but since they’re not knocking things over like the used to, she can’t really complain too much.

Wanda follows the pair to the kitchen before she realizes they’ve brought groceries. She feels her appreciation for the sisters grow even more as Natasha begins to unload everything they brought. The older redhead looks around briefly, before turning back to Wanda with a questioning look.

“Where’s Y/n?”

Wanda shrugs as she moves to the kitchen to take stock of what she has to work with for dinner. She hasn’t seen you in a while and she’s sure you’re resting upstairs. Most likely outside. She says this and notices how Yelena places her bags on the counter and ducks out in search of you. She runs past the dogs to finally free Fanny of her leash before heading up to where you’re most likely asleep.

Wanda turns back to Natasha who’s handing her ingredients to your favorite dish. She’s not the best at cooking, but she’d made a lot of progress since she’s known Wanda. She used to burn mac and cheese, but now she could probably help Wanda make dinner without any casualties. Yelena on the other hand, still burnt mac and cheese if she wasn’t paying enough attention.

“So how are you handling all of this?”

Wanda would be lying if she said she hadn’t expected the question at some point. However, she hadn’t really come up with an answer yet that wasn’t too depressing. In all honesty she was disappointed, and she felt guilty about it but didn’t know how to explain it.

Wanda sighs as she moves to grab a couple of cutting boards and a pan from the cabinet. She hands one to Natasha as the redhead hands her a knife before she shakes her head.

“I’m disappointed of course, but I think that maybe we’re going about this all wrong.”

Wanda doesn’t offer an explanation to her cryptic statement and Natasha opens her mouth to ask for one when she’s cut off. The sound of a muffled scream from a couple floors up causes Wanda to stiffen and she’s about to run upstairs before Natasha’s hand falls to her wrist.

“It’s fine. Yelena just scared the shit out of Y/n, I’m sure.”

Wanda wants to argue that she should check, but she knows that Natasha is right. The two of you should be joining them shortly, probably once all of the cooking was done.

Natasha resumes cutting the vegetables given to her before she glances over to Wanda who seems to be lost in thought.

She nudges the other redhead before offering her a kind smile. She knows how much Wanda wants children. She’s only talked about it since she met you, but Nat hates seeing her so stressed and discouraged.

“What did you mean by going about it wrong?”

Wanda sighs before she admits what she’s concluded earlier today. She’d been selfish. She wanted so badly to see you pregnant and get to take care of you throughout your pregnancy until your children were born. It was something she’d always wanted, but seeing the kind of stress it was putting you under made her second guess this. She didn’t want her dream to come at the expense of your happiness.

“I just want kids, as you know. I’ve always wanted to have our own, but I don’t think that makes much of a difference. Whether she gives birth to them, or I do, or we adopt, I think we will love them all the same.”

You’re dreaming about eating dinner with famous cats when Yelena makes her way up to the deck. She looks around before spotting you on the couch and she hurries over to you. Her nose wrinkles slightly at as she gets closer and she frowns as she looks to the discarded lighter on the table. She puts two and two together rather quickly, and loudly.

“YOU SMOKED WITHOUT ME!?”

You jump up and scream as you’re awoken rather rudely. You’re breathing heavily as you jump to your feet and hold your arms up ready to fight off any threat. When you see it’s Yelena shooting you an incredulous look you just slap her hard, and repeatedly.

“Damn it, Yelena! You scared me to death you bitch!”

You continue to slap the blonde until she grabs your hands and shakes her head. She looks to your slightly reddened eyes and your glare with a laugh as she pulls you in for a hug.

“You deserve it. You smoked without your best friend.”

Despite your desire to break away and shoot your ‘best friend’ a glare you don’t. You just sigh in defeat before you hug her back with a small smile. You tighten your hold on her before releasing the blonde with another sigh.

“It’s so good to see you. I’ve missed seeing you every day.”

Yelena nods before she sits down on the couch you’d just been napping on with a yawn. She motions for you to sit next to her which you do, and she throws an arm around your shoulder.

“I bet. I’m very entertaining.”

You groan under your breath before playfully slapping Yelena again. She pretended to cringe in pain before she pulls you into a side hug.

“I’ve missed you too. The compound hasn’t been the same, and Natasha is so boring.”

You laugh out loud at this and realize that Yelena’s just answered your next question. You turn around to confirm it though and you see Nat’s corvette in the driveway meaning that the redhead is also here. She never lets anyone else drive that car unless it’s a matter of life or death.

“I’m sorry I smoked without you, but…”

You trail off as you move away slightly to dig into your pocket. Yelena’s eyes widen at the sight of not one or two, but 4 joints that you’d stuck in your pocket. You’d fallen asleep before smoking more than one, but you knew that Yelena wouldn’t mind helping you out. You smile widely at her look of surprise before shrugging.

“What? It’s local.”

Almost half an hour passes of you and Yelena catching up before anyone comes to look for you. The two of you are laughing loudly at stories about near hopeless recruits that Yelena’s had the displeasure of trying to train.

“He literally sliced his entire shirt trying to pull out his knife. I thought he was going to cut himself.”

You snorted as you imagined this happening, and better yet both Yelena and Nat’s reaction to this. The redhead probably kept a straight face as she questioned her luck while Yelena lost it. You don’t think you would have been able to restrain yourself and you burst out into laughter at the thought.

“I know I’m not great despite all of your and Nat’s work, but I’m not that bad, am I?”

Yelena takes another drag before she pretends to think about it a little. She hasn’t sparred with you in a long time, but she knew from her sister that you were improving a lot. Still couldn’t beat either of them and probably never would, but when you were keeping up with the twice weekly training, you probably could have taken most thugs you’d run into on the street.

Instead of saying this; however, Yelena decides to give you a hard time. She finished up your third joint before coughing out smoke.

“I don’t remember. It’s been so long since we’ve trained together.”

Neither you nor Yelena notice Boone’s presence until he barks at you a few minutes later. He’d been sent up by Wanda to get the two of you downstairs for dinner. However, you currently have other plans as you jump up to your feet with a wide smile. You hold up your hands like you’re ready to fight before motioning for Yelena to stand up.

“We can train now! You’re right it’s been so long! Let me punch you.”

Yelena laughs as she stands up as well so she’s only about a foot away from you. She shoots you a smug look that makes you want to lash out immediately, but you wait patiently as you bounce on the balls of your feet.

“Yeah right. You couldn’t hit me right now if you tried.”

You of course don’t agree with this and you throw a hand out haphazardly and are almost as surprised as Yelena when it lands. You watch as Yelena stumbles back and falls back onto the couch holding her nose with a grimace. You’d just punched her in the nose.

“You just punched me in the nose!”

“You told me to!”

“No, I didn’t!”

Boone barking makes you jump in surprise and even with your brain clouded by the drugs you realize why he’s here. You grimace as you reach out for Yelena to pull her to her feet.

“Come on, we’re being summoned.”

Wanda and Nat are almost finished with dinner when you and Yelena make it to the kitchen. Both redheads immediately realize something is off when you’re clinging to Yelena as the two of you walk down the stairs. More like stumble down the stairs, and Wanda is already halfway to you when you nearly fall for the third time.

For some reason you’re just laughing as Yelena grumbles inaudible Russian under her breath as she hauls you to your wife. You barely avoid stepping on Boone as you hurry to the closer of the two concerned redheads with a wide smile.

“Wands! I missed you!”

Wanda’s startled by your seemingly inebriated state, and she pulls you into her arms with wide eyes. As soon as your arms are wrapped around her and you’re leaning against her Wanda understands the reason for your odd behavior. She turns to Yelena who is rubbing her nose gingerly with an accusing look.

“Did you give her weed?”

Nat’s trying really hard not to laugh at how high you clearly are. You’ve since pulled away from your wife to play with her hair all the while having a dopey smile on your face. You mutter things under your breath that Nat can’t hear, but Wanda probably can. Not that she’s paying you much attention right now. She’s clinging to you while glaring at her sister who just throws her hands up with an offended look.

“No way! She shared with me. It was her stash.”

This surprises Wanda for a few reasons. For one, she thought you’d only smoked that one time with Yelena years ago. That had ended horribly and you’d promised to be more careful in the future. Since you couldn’t drink a lot of alcohol, you’d turned to recreational drugs. This state was great for that, and you had easy access to weed apparently.

Wanda hadn’t realized that you smoked regularly, or that you kept it in the house. She briefly wondered where you hid it before she becomes distracted by your loud whispering.

“You’re so pretty Wanda. So, so pretty!”

Nat can’t help but snort at your loud declaration, and this of course catches your attention. Your eyes widen as you spot another friend and you release Wanda rather suddenly as you near-run to the other redhead.

“Nat! You too! Oh my gosh.”

You practically throw yourself at the older girl who just laughs at you in amusement. You’re squeezing her tightly as Wanda and Yelena have a silent conversation. Your wife isn’t happy by how stoned you are, but at Yelena’s shrug she realizes that there isn’t anything she can do about it now. She figures you were just trying to decompress, and of course once Yelena becomes involved with anything it becomes a mess.

“Yup. I’m here too. Good to see you, kid.”

You don’t respond and instead just hold the redhead tighter. You’re comfortable where you’re standing beside her and you cuddle closer to her with a yawn. You don’t realize you’re practically burying your face in her chest until she tries to pull you away.

“Okay, now you’re getting too comfortable.”

Yelena scoffs as she meanders over to the kitchen to see what the redheads had cooked. She mutters something as she steals a bite of what’s still on the stove.

“It wouldn’t be the first time.”

Both Wanda and Nat glare at the blonde who seems completely unbothered by their looks. She watches as Nat near tears you from her body and deposits you back in your wife’s arms with a sigh. Wanda shakes her head at you before moving to sit you down at the table. She doesn’t think too hard about what Yelena just said, but it’s a little difficult when the sisters are still whispering about it.

Back when you were in college, Nat had actually met you before Wanda. You’d been forced by your friends to go out to a club on Saturday night and instead of drinking an obscene amount and pouting all alone you’d run into Nat. The redhead was both stunning and a sweet talker, and you’d ended up back at your place. It was a completely uncharacteristic decision for you that you hadn’t regretted at all until the morning after. You’d hadn’t expected to wake up after a night of wild sex and have a heart to heart with the stranger you brought home, but you also hadn’t expected her to leave right after. You’d been disappointed but eventually moved on with your life. Then you’d met Wanda.

When Wanda had introduced you her friends after the two of you had been dating for a year, you’d been surprised to realize you’d already met one. You and Nat had just stared at each other for a solid 30 seconds before you burst out laughing. You’d laughed so hard you almost cried while Wanda was confused by your reaction and Nat’s horrified look.

You’d explained it to Wanda eventually, and honestly, you’d never been so afraid of the redhead. She’s looked pissed and you feared for Nat’s safety when she finally speaks up. The question was directed at Nat who you remembered looking deeply unsettled, but you’d answered for her in attempt to calm Wanda down. She clearly wasn’t happy to hear about how you’d met and how Nat has essentially ghosted you, but she got over it eventually. When you two became good friends and you convinced Wanda a few dozen times that you were only hers, she finally stopped glaring at Nat whenever you were around.

“How about we eat?”

Even though Wanda had made you some coffee, you still leaned heavily on her as you ate your dinner. You were very chatty when high and everyone was enjoying listening to you ramble. The trio had been worried that you’d be too upset tonight to really enjoy their company, but all it took was a little weed to get your mind off of your bad luck.

“We need to have another movie night, Yelena. You can come too, Nat and Wands.”

The two redheads sighed while Yelena smiled at the thought. She began to think of what movies you could watch next while Nat was already shaking her head. She wasn’t sure how you always liked to watch horror movies. The world was terrifying enough if you thought too much about it. Wanda simply preferred to watch rom-coms. Not that she’d admit that to anyone other than who was in this room.

“Sure thing. Maybe we can watch outside again.”

You smile widely as Wanda immediately starts to shake her head. The last time you and Yelena had watched a horror movie outside on the second floor, you ended up screaming and throwing pillows over the railing onto the driveway. Nat just smiles into her glass while she watches the chaos unfold in front of her. She watches you recall the incident while Wanda appears to be plotting how to prevent you from doing this. Yelena sneaks food to the dogs that are sitting at her feet before she turns her attention to you. You’re drinking coffee and looking less high by the second, but you’re distracted from your conversation with Yelena by your wife.

You smile innocently at her warning look before you shake your head in agreement. You’ll be smart and just hold movie night in the den instead of at the top of your house. You stifle a yawn in your coffee as you snap your fingers at Boone who you just realized is begging for food at Yelena’s feet.

“Boone no. Come here.”

Dinner passes by too quickly for your liking, but you jump up from your seat to grab your wife’s dish before she can even stand. You shoot her a look, and she just smiles gratefully before you begin to go around the table and grab everyone’s plates.

“Nat are you busy this weekend? I wanted to get back to training.”

You don’t notice the look that Wanda shoots the redhead who’s already opened her mouth to respond. She pauses for a moment before she’s nodding and handing you her plate.

“Yeah, let me check my schedule and I’ll let you know. Thanks.”

You smile widely before you hand the stack of plates to Yelena who’d been prepared to hand you hers. She pouts but doesn’t get a chance to argue before you’re speaking up and motioning for her to follow you.

“Awesome! I’ll pretend like that doesn’t mean you have to talk to Wanda. Yelena and I are going to get cleaning since you cooked, so chat away.”

Yelena sighs but she follows you to the kitchen with a frown and a pile of dirty dishes. Boone of course follows and Wanda watches as you bat Fletcher off of the counter.

“So what’s the verdict boss?”

Wanda rolls her eyes before she nodded in agreement. She didn’t have anything against you and Nat training. Well that wasn’t true. She would always worry that you would get hurt, and she hated it when you came home too sore to do anything other than lie down. That said, she knew how valuable it was for you to be able to defend yourself, and sometimes you even had fun. She mostly wanted to make sure that you were wanting to train for the right reasons. She knew you were upset, and unfortunately when you were upset you didn’t make stellar decisions.

She stole a glance to where you were instructing Yelena to reclean a dish because it wasn’t spotless. She smiles before looking back to Nat with another nod. She just wants to check in with you later to make sure you’re feeling better.

“I’ll talk to her later tonight.”

Your friends left about an hour later. They’d stayed for drinks and after thanking the pair for cheering them up, you and Wanda were left alone again. You sigh as she you shut the door behind the duo and Fanny before locking it with a yawn.

“It’s past my bedtime.”

Wanda smiles before she’s reaching out for you. You move close enough so she can pull you into her arms, and she kisses your hair.

“It is. You need to get to bed if you want your 8 hours.”

You follow your wife upstairs to the bedroom where you immediately head for the dresser for a change of clothes. You continue to yawn as you change clothes and wash your face. While you’re brushing your teeth you watch as Wanda sits on the bed and puts her hair up. You take a moment to admire her exposed skin from where her shirt rides up.   

“I have a confession.”

Wanda turns to you with a curious look and you try not to lose courage as you move to sit down on the other side of the bed.

“Okay.”

Wanda’s not sure where you’re going with this, but she doesn’t have to wait long to find out. You shift slightly before you cross your legs and sigh heavily. You meet your wife’s gaze because you want to see her reaction to what you have to say next.

“I don’t think I want to keep trying to have children. I mean I want to adopt. “

Wanda’s eyes widen slightly at the first part, but she’s relieved when you elaborate. She knows that you’d been on the fence about having kids when the two of you met, but since then you’d said you wanted them. She wouldn’t want you to just agree to having kids to appease her.

She opens her mouth to say that she’s perfectly fine with this. That she reached the same conclusion when you speak up again. She realizes you’re nervous, so she hurries to cut you off.

“I know you really wanted to go through the pregnancy, but I’m sure we can find a baby, and it’s practically the same thing, just no sore boobs and massive weight gain. If you really want it though, we can try again, I mean third time’s the--.”

You’re promptly cut off when your wife crawls over to your side of the bed with a sigh. She straddles your lap before wrapping her arms around your neck with a smile. She kisses you once before she’s pulling away to meet your gaze.

“I love you, detka, and I want to have a baby with you. It makes no difference to me how it happens.”

You can’t help but smile at her answer, and you feel a wave of relief wash over you. You hadn’t realized how much stress you were putting on yourself trying to get pregnant. You had wanted to do this for Wanda, for yourself because you did want children with her, but honestly this way will be easier. It will be stressful and a lengthy process, but it’s one where the both of you can work together to find an ideal match.

“I love you too. So much.”

You lean in to kiss the redhead again and your hands fall to her bare thighs as you pull her closer to you. When she gasps in surprise your tongue slips into her mouth and you moan at the taste of her. You’ve never been much of a fan of alcohol, but you’ll never tire of tasting it on your wife. She kisses you harder, her arms tightening around your neck before she pulls away just long enough to breathe.

“You still taste like weed.”

You smile at her sheepishly and Wanda’s frown falters at the sight. She rolls her eyes before sighing in defeat before you even apologize.

“I’m sorry my love. I’ll be sure to invite you next time.”

You can’t help but laugh as Wanda playfully slaps you on the arm. The two of you didn’t really do drugs. Outside of the rare times like tonight when you wanted to relax, or the very stressful nights Wanda’s had at work, the two of you had only gotten high together a handful of times. Most of these times were in college, and they just ended with you two having sex for hours on end. Marijuana made you both incredibly needy, and you know that Wanda was only pretending to be annoyed. She would do it with you again if you asked nicely enough.

You run your hands up and down Wanda’s legs as you start to kiss her neck. You love the way she still smells like her shampoo and how soft her skin is. You can and have spent hours just kissing your wife’s smooth skin, but tonight you had something else in mind. You groan as Wanda shifts restlessly in your lap. Her hips moving against yours makes you want to hurry this along.

Instead, you leave a bruising kiss at her pulse point that makes her gasp loudly. She presses her front to yours as her hips rock against yours.

“Shit, detka. Please.”

You sneak your hands under Wanda’s shorts and you feel her shudder at your touch. You smile against her neck before you start to kiss lower.

“Yes?”

You start to kiss down her collar bone and you grab the hem of her shirt before quickly pulling it over her head. Wanda looks gloriously mussed as she shoots you a desperate look. She can’t help but whine as one hand goes to her bare breast to tweak her nipple. She groans again before moving into your touch silently pleading for more.

“Touch me.”

You nearly groan at how turned on Wanda sounds. Her voice is rough and low and you have to remind yourself to take a breath before your hand leaves her shorts to tease her other breast. She leans into your touch, arching her back with a look of pure bliss on her face. She’s clearly enjoying it, but she wants more and you know it. You’re not giving in so easily though.

“Like this?”

You just watch as your wife’s eyes squeeze shut and she lets out a breathy gasp as you continue to pinch her nipples. She eventually manages to shake her head.

“No. More, I need more.”

You hum in acknowledgement but don’t hurry to give her what she wants. Instead, you drop both of your hands to pull your own shirt over your head. You take your time to reach out for her legs before dipping your head down to take a hardened bud into your mouth.

“Tell me what you want. How do you want me to touch you?”

Wanda’s too overwhelmed to answer immediately. She also isn’t sure what she wants more right now, your fingers or your mouth. She’d love both, but she knows what happens when she gets too greedy. You have to stop yourself from smiling as Wanda gasps loudly when you bite down – reminding her that you want an answer. She’s breathless as she finally manages to give you a response.

“Fuck me, please. I need your mouth.”

You smile wickedly before you meet your wife’s lips for a chaste kiss. You break away quickly as you move your hands down to her hips to remove her from your lap. You lay her on the bed against the pillows and meet her lips one more time.

“Anything for you.”

Wanda’s practically shaking in anticipation as you run your hands down her stomach to the waistband of her shorts. You don’t waste much time before taking them off leaving her bare. She squirms against the cold sheets before your hands fall to her hips to still her. You kiss her toned stomach and you both moan in unison as you run your fingers through her wet heat.

“Oh fuck!”

“God you’re so beautiful.”

You continue to tease Wanda until she’s nearly bucking her hips against your hand. You realize you’ve teased her enough and you’re certainly going to pay for this, so you decide to give her what she wants.

When your tongue first meets her soaked folds, Wanda cries out and grips the sheets beneath her fingers. She’s moaning loudly as you devour her like a starved woman. You have to hold her hips down as they buck against your face, and when your lips close around her clit, Wanda’s scream is muffled by her thighs closing around your head.

“Fuck, Y/n. Don’t stop, please.”

You can’t hear what she says, but you have no intention of stopping as your tongue continues to work against her. You take a deep breath, growing faint at the taste of your wife against your tongue. You groan as you double your efforts and leave Wanda shaking against you. The pressure in her lower stomach is building and she stiffens as her back arches off the bed in an attempt to get closer to your mouth.

Eventually you realize that Wanda’s close from how hard her thighs are shaking and how she’s gripping your hair. You smile as you tease her entrance with your fingers before pushing two into her. Your lips circle her clit and she’s screaming as her first orgasm washes over her. She’s cursing and squirming against you but you continue to thrust your fingers inside her once her high has passed.

“I’m gonna come again. Fuck, just like that!”

You smile as you curl your fingers deep inside her and suck her clit hard enough to make Wanda see stars. She comes hard, her hips bucking hard against your face as she’s nearly blinded by the force of her orgasm. She’s breathing heavily as she falls back to the bed and twitches from the aftershocks. Her insides are still squeezing your fingers, so you wait until her muscles relax before pulling out. Wanda groans at the feeling and then moans when she watches you stick your fingers into your mouth with a smile. You’ve always loved the taste of your wife, almost as much as you loved the way she looked at you at times like these.

“You’re so perfect.”

Wanda doesn’t get a chance to respond before you’re kissing her. She can taste herself on your tongue and she groans as you pull away from her and try to give her room to breathe. You lie down next to her watching as she eventually catches her breath. She’s sweating and you can’t help but groan as you reach out for her. You can’t keep your hands off of her, and Wanda can tell by just how eager you are that you’re still feeling the effects of the weed from earlier.

“Can you keep going?”

Wanda takes a deep shuddering breath as she tries to concentrate long enough to answer you. Your hands wander her flat stomach and creep up towards her chest. Your touches are meant to be teasing, but you quickly realize that you’re distracting your wife from answering. Much to both of your displeasure, you stop and give Wanda time to answer.

She immediately nods as she reaches out for you again, and you can’t help but smirk at her pleas.

“Yes please. Fuck me again.”

When you wake up the next morning you immediately curse yourself when you realize you have a headache. You’re parched but far too comfortable to get up right now and bother with getting a glass of water. You stifle a yawn as you pull your wife closer with a smile. She makes a noise of protest before she turns around in your arms so she’s facing you. She buries her face in your hair before she takes a deep breath and settles against you.

“Good morning, love.”

You can’t help but laugh when Wanda just grumbles something unintelligible into your neck. You know it’s early from the fact that the sun isn’t up yet, but you’re also certain that you won’t be going back to sleep. You’re cursed with the inability to fall back asleep once you’re awake, but you don’t mind lying in bed next to your wife as she drifts off.

Almost an hour later the sun is beginning to rise, and Wanda has shifted once again. She rubs the sleep out of her eyes as she lifts her head off of your stomach with a small smile.

“Morning, detka.”

You smile back at her and sit up as Wanda stretches out with a groan.

“Morning sleepyhead.”

Wanda’s response is lost on you as the redhead drops the sheets around her and turns to look at the clock. You’re still staring at her when she turns back and she smirks at you before getting off the bed. It’s time for you to start getting ready for work, and Wanda unfortunately has some calls to prepare for.

“I’m going to shower, do you--?”

Wanda doesn’t even get to finish her question before you’re on your feet and lifting your wife into your arms. She yelps in surprise before holding onto you for dear life, not that she really needs to. You’re perfectly capable of carrying her much further than the five steps into the bathroom, and Wanda finds herself staring at your muscles as you cross the threshold.

“Do you even have to ask?”

Boone is waiting downstairs for you when you finally make it downstairs. You’d taken a longer shower than you should have because of course you got sidetracked. How could you not when Wanda was naked beside you? Either way, Boone is where he always waits for you: standing at the back door ready for his morning walk whining impatiently.

You leave Wanda with a quick kiss before you hurry to let your dog out while the redhead goes to the kitchen to make some coffee. It’s 5:30 and both of you desperately need the caffeine to get through today. Tuesdays are always busy at work for you, and you’ll need the energy to keep up. Wanda’s already running through a list of the things she needs to do when you return with Boone from the backyard. You hurry to feed the shepherd and Fletcher before making your way to the kitchen.

Wanda’s pouring you both cups of coffee when you come up behind her. She expects it and she melts into your embrace as your arms sneak around her waist. You kiss her hair before brushing it out of the way so you can kiss her neck. She’s about to complain because she’s still a little sore from where you’d left hickeys last night and this morning, but you pull away with a laugh.

“You missed a spot.”

Wanda’s quick to turn around and shoot you a glare as her hand goes up to where your lips had just been. She’d taken far too much time this morning covering up all of the marks you left on her with makeup, and now she had to do it again.

“You’re evil.”

You just laugh loudly before you take the offered cup with a sheepish smile.

“I’m sorry? I’ll cook you breakfast as an apology.”

Since you had a little more time this morning, you made breakfast for the two of you before taking it upstairs. You ate on the deck snuggled up next to each other under a blanket. You sipped your coffee and ate your eggs as you watched the sun rise higher in the sky. After you set your plate on the table in front of you and grab your coffee to warm your hands you turn to your wife with a curious look.

“What’s on your agenda for the day?”

You figure Wanda will have some work to do today. Despite being a lot less busy since moving here, she still had things to work out with Pietro and Nat. You remind yourself to ask Wanda if she’ll go with you to the compound on Saturday before you take another sip from your mug.

“Not much. I figure I’ll try to catch up with Clint and Kate to see how they’re doing.”

You nod at this before downing the rest of your coffee. You need to get ready for work soon, but you don’t want to leave your wife’s comforting presence. Despite her reputation as a terrifying criminal who took no shit, you knew Wanda to be one of the sweetest people you’ve ever met. She’s loving and protective, sometimes to a fault, and she cares for her family above all else. You always feel safe with her because you know she’ll always have your back.

“Tell them I said, hi?”

Wanda smiles at this before nodding without much thought. She knew how much everyone missed you being around and she was excited for the possibility to visit later this week.

“Of course.”

You leave for work with Boone a little while later, leaving Wanda and her baby at the house. Sometimes you leave Boone at home, but some days when you know you’ll need a break or a pick me up, you take him with you. He’s well behaved and stays out of trouble for the most part, and he truly loves getting to ride in the car.

Wanda spends most of the day at home relaxing. She’s still decompressing after leaving her extremely stressful job, and sometimes she finds that she’s restless. She sometimes can’t stop texting or calling her brother to ask if there’s anything she can do to help. He usually reminds her that she’s retired before asking her why she can’t do anything fun with her newfound freedom.

With this in mind, she decides to stop thinking about work and heads upstairs to read a little. She lets Fletcher follow her outside despite her fear of the cat jumping down 2 stories before she settles in one of the couches with a sigh. She opens her book which ironically is a murder mystery you convinced her to read. You liked to read a lot of supernatural, crime thrillers and had only been recommending different books to her for years. This is probably the first one she’s picked up because she honestly hadn’t seen the appeal of reading about people getting brutally murdered when it happened at least once a week in her real life.

She’s almost half-way through the book when her phone rings. It’s too early for you to call, so she assumes it’s someone who’s going to pull her from her relaxation. She frowns at the caller ID before answering quickly. As much as she loved her friend, he rarely called her without a good reason.

“Steve, what’s happened?”

You’re as busy as you thought you’d be today. There have been a couple of emergencies that have come in, and being the only available doctor at the time, you’d jumped on them. Now you were juggling four cases while trying to figure out when you’d have a minute or two for lunch. You haven’t even walked Boone yet, but you knew he’d be fine for a little while longer. Honestly your priority was figuring out how to treat this cat whose bloodwork was all over the place.

You were thinking that he probably needed to be hospitalized and you were slightly worried about telling the owner this. He was already very cost-conscious and you couldn’t see him going for hospitalization for his cat that probably ate rat poison. You take a minute to go over your plan before you check in with your assistant to make sure the other cases are at least handled for now.

Once you get the go-ahead you decide that you can’t delay this conversation any further and you head back into the exam room.

“Did you figure out what’s wrong with my cat?”

You suppose there’s no easing into this and you have to remind yourself to not sigh as you start to explain what you found. You push down your anxiety as you watch him frown with each treatment option you mention. Hospitalization could be hundreds of dollars and given how you’ve only been able to do an exam and bloodwork today, you know he’s not going to do this.

“It’s going to be difficult for her to recover from this without prolonged treatment.”

That was really all there was to it. He’s waited too long to bring her in and now she was near death and he didn’t have the money to help her. You’d consider covering the cost if he didn’t get so upset at you. He stood up quickly at what you were implying, and it takes all of your resolve not to take a step back.

“So, what are you saying? Are you just going to let her die?”

You shake your head ignoring his anger as you think about what the next best option is for this cat. You’re getting a bit of a headache from today’s events but you push it aside in hopes of getting this over with.

“There are several medications we can send home with you if you choose not to have her hospitalized. They just might not be enough in her case.”

The sound of him banging his fist on the metal table causes you to jump, and you’re certain other people throughout the hospital hear it. You hold your position somehow, not even shifting as you eye him questioningly. He’s scowling and looks like he wants to spit obscenities at you, but luckily, he sticks to just one.

“That’s bullshit!”

You open your mouth to respond that no, it is in fact not bullshit, but you didn’t get a chance. There was a knock on the door behind you and it opened before you could say anything. Your assistant stuck her head and shot you a questioning look that was clearly directed toward the client.

“Everything okay in here Dr. Y/L/N?”

It’s obviously not, but you appreciate the interruption because it seems that the man across from you realizes that he needs to calm down. He’s not going to benefit from blowing up at you and not getting his cat treated. Eventually you nod and your assistant disappears again, but you have a feeling she didn’t go far. You wait for him to reach a decision and you have to stop yourself from running out of the room when he finally speaks.

“Can I get the name of that hospital again?”

You nod and tell him how to get to the emergency hospital before you leave to grab his cat for him. You sigh in relief once you’re out of earshot and in the treatment area.

“Everything work out, okay?”

You turn to your assistant, Amina with a small smile before you nod in confirmation. You ask her to take Frosty back to his dad, but you make sure to let her know not to linger.

“Yes, thank you. Would you mind taking Frosty to him? He’s headed to emergency hospital.”

Once she’s gone you return your attention to your other three cases. One is stable and you’re just waiting to hear from his owner, and the other two are appointments that you’re super late getting to. You sigh as you check your watch. 12:30.

It’s going to be a long day.

Pietro Maximoff was about to take his lunch when the delivery came. He’d been swamped meeting with business owners who had concerns or complaints, and he’d just returned to his office. He’d be suspicious of the timing when he thought about it later, but as he walked into his office, he didn’t get to shut his door before his assistant Luce was calling out to him.

“Mr. Maximoff! You have a delivery.”

Pietro can’t help but roll his eyes as he meets the blonde at the door. He’s a little caught off guard by the appearance of a large bouquet of flowers, but he’ll worry about that in a second.

“What have I told you Luce? Call me Piet. I don’t have a stick up my ass like my sister.”

Luce of course doesn’t know how to respond to this and she’s left sputtering as Pietro takes the flowers with a quick thank you. He’s left alone to admire the beautiful arrangement of roses and lilies and wonder who they are from. He briefly considers that his sister sent them, but quickly disregards this thought. He sets the vase on his desk before he looks for a card. It’s hidden in the middle of the arrangement making it a pain in the ass to get to, but once Pietro finds it, he frowns.

To Ms. Wanda Maximoff.

It has come to my attention that you recently decided to retire from your family’s business. I would like to meet and discuss the potential for us to continue working together.

- B W v Strucker

Pietro scowls as he reads the note and he’s about to tear it up when he realizes his sister might want to read it. He sighs heavily as he considers his options before sitting behind his desk. He stares at the flowers and suddenly hates the sight of them because of who they’re from.

Strucker has always been a pain in Pietro’s ass since he’d cut ties with his parents. They’d worked together years and years ago, but after they’d gone their separate ways and he’d started his own business, they’d become rivals. They’d been negotiating territory and terms of agreement for years. Wanda had handled all of that and Pietro hadn’t realized how easily she’d managed him until now.

He rarely remembered hearing about Strucker in the past year or so outside of him continuing to stick to their agreement. If anything, Wanda was the one who was pushing him as she slowly but surely encroached upon his side of town.

Pietro pulls out his phone and calls the first number in his contacts. He waits for only two rings before the other man picks up.

“Hey Steve. What’s my sister up to?”

You’re sitting outside in the yard with Boone for the first break you’ve had all day. You’d just finished up with your appointments for the morning, and had a total of 15 minutes before your next one was due to show up. You sigh as you throw a tennis ball to the shepherd who just stands in front of you expectantly.

You think back to the upset client you’d had this morning and how you had been almost certain that you’d have to have someone show him out. You felt bad for him because his cat was dying and despite spending a small fortune at another hospital, might still end up dying. You understood how emotions could get out of control when people’s pets were concerned, but that didn’t excuse his behavior this morning.

You wondered what you would have done if he’d lashed out again, but your thoughts are cut off by Boone’s return. He gets in your face and drops the wet tennis ball in your lap again and you just sigh. You hope that you can finish the rest of the day without anything too interesting happening.

Wanda hadn’t expected to hear from her brother today. As far as she knew he was busy working and wouldn’t have time to chat with her until their weekly get together. She was still trying to figure out how she felt about Strucker’s message, and more importantly if she was going to humor him with a visit.

She hadn’t met with him for months, and that was mostly to smooth things over when she’d gone a little too far pushing his boundaries. Despite their complicated history, the older man liked Wanda, or at least he respected her enough to acknowledge her authority. He would let her get away with things without realizing it and suddenly he’d be blindsided by how large of an effect it had on his business. She hadn’t done anything new recently so she wasn’t sure why he wanted to meet. His note indicated that he just wanted to talk about continuing business, but why he couldn’t talk to Pietro about that she wasn’t sure.

She sighed as she leaned back against the cushions while looking up at Steve. He’d come over to explain what happened and now she was trying to figure out if she needed to make a trip into town tonight. She hated to do it and with so little notice, but she had figured something like this would happen. She had a feeling Strucker wouldn’t just ignore her absence, and this was honestly not a bad way to have to address it. At least he didn’t seem angry about it, for now that is.

“What do you think I should do, Steve?”

The blonde in front of her takes a moment to think about it before he just sighs in defeat. He sits down across from Wanda who’s petting her sleeping cat with a contemplative look. She knows what she wants to do, but it never hurts to get a second opinion. Especially if her decision means missing dinner with you.

Steve rubs a hand over his face with a groan. He’s always hated Strucker and never understood how Wanda could work with him after what happened between them. He was responsible for her parents’ deaths whether he admitted it or not, but Wanda didn’t let this stop her from forming a business relationship with him.

“I don’t think you should go. He’s just going to do his usual schmoozing and just try and get your help with something.”

Wanda’s slightly surprised by this response, but she doesn’t comment on it immediately. She appreciates it when people are upfront with her because it so rarely happens to her anymore. She’d always been told what she wanted to hear and could only trust those close enough to her to tell her how it is.

She thinks about what Steve said and realizes that there is clearly an ulterior motive to this meeting, she just doesn’t know what it is. She wonders how she can go about figuring this out without meeting with him, but she also realizes it doesn’t really matter. If she’s trying to leave Pietro in charge of things, she can’t meet with Strucker in any capacity right now. He needs to understand that the power has shifted to her brother and if he wants to talk business, he needs to see Pietro.

“I think you’re right. After all, if he wants to talk business, he can see Piet.”

Steve nearly sighs in relief but he just nods before he starts to stand. He stops halfway before he eyes Wanda with a raised eyebrow.

“How would you like to tell him that?”

Wanda sighs at the thought of having to make this call, but she doesn’t hesitate to sit up and grab her phone off the table. She unfortunately has Strucker’s number and she’s dialing it before Steve can even excuse himself. Wanda shakes her head silently requesting that he stay as she waits for the older man to answer.

“Am I truly getting a call from Wanda Maximoff herself?”

Wanda nearly rolls her eyes at this as she looks to Steve before lying back once again. Fletcher’s fled from her lap and is making her way over to the blonde who has ignored her up until this point. They have a love hate relationship because usually when he shows up, her favorite person leaves.

“Well, it seemed rude not to respond to the message you sent, Strucker.”

The older man laughs loudly as he takes another drag from his cigarette. He’d been in the middle of something important, but when he saw who was calling, he knew he had to answer. He eyes the slightly squirrely man in front of him who has only grown more agitated once he answered the phone.

“Have you called to schedule a meeting then?”

Wanda shakes her head before she sighs in annoyance. She was supposed to be taking it easy today, not dealing with whatever Strucker wanted from her.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to call Pietro if you want to talk business. As you said, I’m taking a step back from it.”

There’s a long uncomfortable pause over the line as Wanda waits for Strucker to respond. He’s staring intently at the blonde in front of him trying to figure out how he’ll be of use to him, but Wanda doesn’t realize this. She thinks he’s going to complain, which he is, but not to the degree that she suspects for the length of awkward silence.

“That’s disappointing to hear. I was hoping I’d get to see the new place, and meet the wife finally.”

Wanda’s jaw clenches when he mentions you, but she doesn’t take the bait. Instead, she smiles and shakes her head and sticks to her decision.

“Sorry to disappoint, but I won’t be available to talk anytime soon.”

When they hang up the phone Wanda’s left a little annoyed and confused. She’s not sure what they accomplished with that phone call because she still didn’t know why Strucker wanted to see her. He hadn’t contradicted her statement of ‘talking business’, so she assumes that’s what he wanted. She’s not entirely sure, but she doesn’t feel like wasting any more time on it.

“That was unproductive. I don’t think anything’s going to come from it.”

Strucker on the other hand smiles as he eyes Vision curiously. He’s going to help bring Wanda back to the forefront of her business, and he knows just the way to do it.

“I’m going to need you to move ahead with our plan a little earlier than scheduled.”

You arrive home to the smell of dinner cooking and the sound of soft music playing throughout the house. Both the food and the classical music immediately calm your frayed nerves and you feel your aching muscles sag in relaxation. You could fall asleep right now. You eye the couch longingly, but you know that you will be far more comfortable in bed.

“Wands?”

You watch as Boone high tails it to the kitchen to see if he can get any scraps, and you smile widely when Wanda appears around the corner. You don’t notice her smile disappear as you drop your bag on a nearby chair before heading towards her.

“Long day, detka?”

You nod as you practically fall into your wife’s arms with a sigh. You take comfort in Wanda’s presence and you stay wrapped in her arms just breathing her in for a few minutes before you manage to pull away. You’ll talk about your day a little later, but right now you really want to eat.

“How was your day, love?”

You watch as Wanda considers skipping over the interesting part of her day, but she eventually just shrugs. She leads you back to the kitchen because she can tell you’re starving, and sits you down at the counter as she finishes making you a plate.

“It was interesting. I needed to remind some people of what the word ‘retirement’ means.”

You laugh at this as you take the food Wanda offers you before following her to the nearest table. You wait until she sits down across from you to start eating, and of course at that point Boone has also settled right beside you. You ignore him for now and focus on your wife who’s watching you carefully.

You’d clearly had a long day. You looked exhausted and Wanda could tell how you were sitting that you were very tense. She made a mental note to fix this later, but for now she wanted to hear about the details of your day.

“Did anything interesting happen at work?”

You take another bite and use that time to figure out how to explain today’s dumpster fire. You sit up slightly before offering a smile that your wife could tell wasn’t very sincere.

“Well other than having a client yell at me, I had a hectic schedule allowing for a 10-minute break, and oh also this.”

You push up the sleeve of your sweatshirt and show Wanda the long angry red marks on your arm. You’d been clawed by a cat because she’d gotten loose while you were vaccinating her and she’d wanted to show you how much she didn’t appreciate it.

Wanda’s frown deepens as she eyes the painful looking scratches. She makes another note to have you take care of those after dinner. She’s currently fixated on what you said about someone yelling at you though.

“Someone was upset with you?”

You put down your fork, having already finished eating despite only being at the table for 5 minutes before you nod. You think about the client in question and how you still felt bad for him despite how horribly he handles situations. You’d actually mentioned his temperament when you’d called ahead to the referral hospital. You didn’t want anyone else getting caught off guard.

“Yeah, he didn’t have a lot of money or options and grew frustrated. I was the easiest target.”

Wanda knows all too well how this works. She’s been on both ends of this situation before and despite not liking the idea of you facing upset, angry people, she knows you can take care of yourself. She watches you head back to the kitchen after you excuse yourself to get more food. Boone is quick to follow you and Wanda returns her attention to her food for only a second before she hears her phone ring. She groans in annoyance and you can’t help but sigh too as you look around for the device. It’s in the kitchen but you’re not quite sure where until Wanda speaks up.

“It’s on the stool behind the counter, I can--.”

She trails off when you shake your head and hurry to retrieve it. You glance at the caller ID before nearly sighing again.

“It’s Vision.”

You watch Wanda roll her eyes before shaking her head. It’s dinner time and he honestly doesn’t have anything too important to share with her. She’s almost certain of this and she shakes her head before motioning for you to come back.

“Leave it. I’m not talking to him tonight.”

You can’t help but laugh at her distaste for the older man. It’s only been a constant in your relationship with your wife. Some times were worse than others, and especially in the beginning when he was so persistent, but most days she barely had enough patience to tolerate a conversation with him. It didn’t help that he was a liaison for all of their associates and she had to talk to him regularly. She’s just glad that since she’s gotten married, he’d stopped flirting with her so blatantly.

“I won’t complain about that.”

Wanda smiles at you as you sit back down across from her, and you two resume your dinner.

About an hour later, once the animals are all taken care of, and you’re both showered, you address the open wounds on your arm. They aren’t deep, just long and in an awkward place for you to bandage. You begin applying antibiotic ointment to your entire forearm when Wanda returns with supplies to help you wrap it.

She sits down in front of you waiting as you finish up before she takes over.

“Here, let me.”

You hold your arm out for Wanda to carefully place the gauze and then wrap it up nice and tight so it doesn’t slip off. You lean in to kiss her gratefully when she’s done. You groan slightly as you shake your shoulders out in an attempt to get more comfortable. You miss Wanda’s look as she moves to stand up again once you’re settled.

“Detka, lie down on your stomach I want to try something.”

You only hesitate for a moment as you try to put together what Wanda’s thinking. You realize why she’s asking this of you and you’d be lying if you didn’t say you’d thought about this at some point today. Still you shoot her a questioning look before you shift slightly in preparation to accommodate her.

“Are you sure, Wands? You don’t have to.”

She just smiles at you before nodding and you sigh in anticipation of the relief you’re going to feel before doing as you’re told.

You move to the middle of the bed before rolling over and lying on your stomach. You groan at the stretch in your back before you lay your head down on your pillow. You listen to Wanda get back on the bed and come up behind you. She reaches out for you with a smile watching as you squirm impatiently. You’re always so restless.

Wanda straddles your waist, keeping her weight off of you as she goes directly for your shoulders. She smiles as you groan at the feeling of her fingers working your stiff muscles. You cringe slightly but eventually release a sigh when as the pressure dissipates when your wife pushes a little harder.

You groan again as you shift beneath the redhead as she moves down your back. Your back cracks in multiple places as Wanda puts a lot of her weight onto you, and you can’t help the near obscene noises that leave you.

“Shit, that’s amazing. Ugh.”

When Wanda reaches your lower back, you reach behind you to try and push your shirt out of the way. You want to feel Wanda’s hands on your skin, and luckily, she realizes what you have in mind.

“We probably should have taken this off first.”

Wanda chuckles as she says this and you only respond with a sigh of defeat. You suppose you didn’t think this all the way through. You just nod before bracing your hands by your sides and preparing to push up, but Wanda stops you with a hand on your shoulder.

“It’s okay, Y/n. I’ll take care of it.”

You feel Wanda pull your shirt up and you raise your arms above your head to help her pull it off. She tosses it aside before retuning her attention to your lower back. You’ve always had trouble with your back whenever you had to sit for extended periods of time. When Wanda had first met you when you were still studying to be a vet, you’d had a lot of bouts of pain from all the time you’d spent in the classroom. You had fond memories of all of the massages Wanda had given you then as well. They all made you feel much better, and most of them ended with you falling asleep.

You could feel your eyelids grow heavy as Wanda finished up with your shoulders again. She could tell that your breathing was evening out, and from how relaxed you were sleep was just around the corner. Wanda smiles at you lovingly before she moves off of you and the bed altogether.

She grabs a blanket from the closet and spreads it over you before kissing your cheek. You mumble something unintelligible as Wanda turns off the light and gets into bed beside you.

“I love you so much.”

When you wake up next, it’s still dark out, and it takes you a moment to figure out why you’re awake. You groan in annoyance before rolling over and looking at the clock. It’s only 3am, and you are thoroughly pissed at being woken up. The sound of a phone ringing finally registers as you realize Wanda is sitting up to hopefully silence the offending device.

Wanda doesn’t even look to see who’s calling. She’s still half asleep, but she’s quickly wide awake when she hears a familiar voice.

“Hello?”

Wanda listens carefully as Steve tells her what happened earlier tonight. A deal had gone south and the police had confiscated close to $50k worth of product. That would be annoying enough, but Nat had been there when shit hit the fan, and she’d ended up getting shot.

“Is she alright? Where is she now?”

You sit up when you hear how concerned you wife sounds. You feel your anxiety skyrocket when you consider who could have gotten hurt enough to warrant a call at 3am. You wait anxiously for Wanda to listen to what she’s being told, and you feel yourself relax when she eventually sighs in relief.

“Well tell her she’s very lucky, and that I’ll see her first thing tomorrow.”

You wait until Wanda’s hung up the phone before you ask what you’re dying to know. Your wife turns to you with a sigh before she explains to you what happened. It’s still dark out and she can barely see you, but the light from her phone is enough to illuminate your worried expression.

“What happened, Wanda? Who’s hurt?”

Wanda reaches out for you to help ground you before she leads with the important part.

“It’s a minor injury, but Nat was shot during a deal tonight.”

You immediately stiffen at this and you’re already thinking about when you’ll leave. You need to talk to Yelena because she’s certainly worried, and then you need to visit her. And Natasha. Wanda squeezes your hand because she can tell you’re thinking a mile a minute, and she hopes that she can calm your nerves.

“She’s going to be fine, detka. Knowing her she’ll be out of the hospital before we even get to visit her.”

You nod at this before you try to take a couple calming breaths. You hate the idea of any of your friends getting hurt, but Nat’s family and the idea of losing her makes you panic. You remind yourself that she’s going to be fine. Probably insufferably cocky later this week when she can still lay you out on the mat. You make a note to visit her as soon as you can.

Eventually you nod before lying back down to go to sleep. Wanda doesn’t even make it that far before you bolt back up and grab your phone from the bedside table. You text Yelena asking how she and Nat are before you lie down next to you wife.

“Can we visit her before I go to work?”

Wanda nods before she places her own phone away from her. She’s not sure she’ll be able to go back to bed, but she needs to at least try. She’s already considering different possibilities of how this could have happened. It had been a long time since the cops had caught on to her dealings. Everyone she worked with was more careful than that, and the fact that it was Nat who was caught in the crossfire makes her even more suspicious.

Nat’s one of the most paranoid people she knows and the fact that she was caught tonight wasn’t a coincidence. Someone had screwed up. She needs to talk to Pietro tomorrow after visiting Nat.

Wanda turns toward you to try and bring you closer to her, but she sees you texting frantically on your phone. She figures that Yelena has responded, and she doesn’t have to wait long for an explanation.

“Yelena says she’ll keep Nat there for as long as she can, but that we’ll probably need to visit first thing because you know how Nat is.”

Wanda nods at this, still a little lost in her thoughts about tonight. It’s your turn to pull her from them as you reach out for your wife with a smile. You sigh in relief that this could have been far worse, that it was Nat who was the toughest person you know. You’re glad to have Wanda here in bed with you instead of out there at risk.

“Let’s try to sleep? We can scold them both later.”

As expected, neither of you slept soundly for the few hours that you had before it was a reasonable time to visit your friend. You tossed and turned as you had nightmares while Wanda had been plagued by thoughts of who could have slipped up. She’s quick to jump out of bed when the clock finally turns to 6am. You’re a little less enthusiastic, but you realize that you’re not getting any more sleep so you eventually pull yourself out of bed too.

“I’ll go start the coffee.”

Wanda smiles before she heads to the bathroom to get ready for what is sure to be a stressful day for the both of you. She mutters a thank you as you leave and hurry downstairs as quickly as you can while not caffeinated. You find Boone waiting for you in his usual spot. Despite loving to be around you as much as possible, Boone was a guard dog first and he rarely slept upstairs in the bedroom with you. You sometimes dragged him in there and he stayed after whining for a little bit, but most of the time he was downstairs keeping watch, or somewhere on the second floor. You’ve almost tripped on him in the past when you’ve come out of the bedroom first thing in the morning.

“Morning my baby boy.”

You scratch him behind his ears and kiss his head before you move toward the kitchen. You stifle a yawn as you grab the coffee and start to set it up. You’re thinking about what you can make for a quick breakfast when you’re interrupted by the doorbell. You jump almost a foot into the air and you curse under your breath as you spill the creamer you’d just grabbed. You don’t have much time to wonder who the hell was ringing your doorbell so early before you hear Wanda call from upstairs.

“It’s Steve and Bucky! I called them over.”

You relax at this before heading to the front door where Boone is already waiting. He’s staring out the window at the two men who just smile at him while they wait. You open the door with a tired smile before you wave the duo in.

“Morning guys. This is a surprise.”

Bucky smiles sheepishly while Steve looks apologetic as he greets Boone who’s quick to jump up on him. Bucky shuts the door behind him before offering an explanation for their presence not that he really needed to. You figured you knew why they were here.

“Wanda figured that if we were all going to visit Nat anyway, we might as well go together.”

You nod at this before waving the two men toward the kitchen. The smell of coffee brewing had certainly already caught their attention, and now you had a better excuse to make a decent breakfast.

“Sounds good to me. As long as Bucky is the one who drives.”

You hear the brunette laugh while Steve scowls at your criticism. It’s well-known among them that Steve drives far too slowly for your liking. If you had your way, you would drive everywhere at least 10 over, but Wanda didn’t let you drive much for this exact reason.

“Hey now. Some of us like to follow the law.” 

You laugh loudly at this as you grab two more mugs and pour them both a cup of coffee. You set it on the counter in front of them before going to grab the creamer you dropped and sugar. You remember that you haven’t walked Boone yet when he comes to sit in front of you and whine.

“I need to walk Boone real quick, but once I come back I’ll make breakfast.”

Steve is quick to put down his mug and shake his head at you. He’s more than happy to walk Boone while you get started on breakfast. Not only does he get to eat sooner, but this way you don’t get sent outside in the dark.

“I can do it. Bucky can help cook.”

You are about to argue but the brunette is already rounding the counter toward the fridge so you just nod in acceptance.

“Thanks, you two. Bucky can you grab the eggs and bacon?”

When Wanda makes it downstairs, you’re almost done cooking and you appear to be laughing at Steve’s expense. She watches as the blonde tries to get Boone to do a trick for a piece of bacon but he’s being very uncooperative. Steve eventually gives up and throws the bacon in the air for Boone to catch. You shake your head in mock disapproval.

“You spoil him. Now he knows he can get away with not listening to you.”

You realize you’re being slightly hypocritical because you are also a major pushover for your dog. That said, when it really matters, you know that he’ll listen to you and Wanda, hell even the two sitting across from you. You watch as Steve opens his mouth to argue, but he quickly shuts it when he realizes he can’t deny what you said. You’re about to comment when you feel arms wrap around your waist and you turn to see Wanda smiling at you in amusement.

“Like you’re not a total pushover for him too, Y/n.”

You scowl in faux annoyance before trying to shake your wife off. She holds you tighter like you’d wanted her to before she kisses your hair and then neck in apology.

“I know, I know. Whatever.”

Wanda laughs at you before releasing you so you can finish your breakfast. You hand her a plate and a cup of coffee before turning your attention back to your food.

“Thanks for coming over you two. I know it’s early.”

They both just shake their head before claiming that it’s fine. They had been planning on visiting Nat, and hearing that Wanda planned to do the same before you had to go to work was just an excuse to get up earlier. It also saved them a trip since they would have tagged along anyway, just as more of a security detail than friends.

“Not a problem. We need to figure out how Nat let herself get shot.”

Bucky says this as a joke, but at least Wanda and Steve know that he’s being serious. He’s not sure if you catch on. You’re focusing on your food and Boone who’s pawing at your leg. The three of them seemed to jumped to the same conclusion about the incident. After Wanda talks to Pietro and they all talk to Nat, hopefully they’ll have a better idea of what happened.

Once everyone’s finished eating, Y/n runs upstairs to get dressed while Steve runs Boone outside again. Wanda and Bucky wait until they hear you close the door upstairs before turning back to each other.

“So what were you able to find out so far?”

Bucky sighs as he recounts what Clint had told him earlier this morning. He’d also been present and he’d been the one to drag Nat out of there and get her sent to the hospital instead of prison.

“Clint thinks that the cops were there the whole time. They just waited for money to exchange hands before intervening.”

Wanda frowns at this as she considers the significance of this. Clearly Bucky and Steve had come to the same conclusion because the brunette just nods in response to what she says.

“Someone set them up.”

Steve returns first and he immediately notices the tense atmosphere that had settled during his absence. He watches a dark expression pass over Wanda’s face as she considers punishment for whoever was responsible. He hears a door open upstairs so he speaks just loudly enough for Wanda to hear.

“We’ll figure out who’s responsible, Wanda. I swear it.”

She just nods in return before she hears you running down the stairs. She’s always hated how you take them two at a time, but since you’d only fallen once or twice, she didn’t have enough of an argument to make you stop. Your face is slightly flushed and you have you bag and keys in your hand like you’re about to go to work. You look between the trio and it only takes you a second to realize you missed something. You’re not bothered by this right now. You’ll figure out from your wife later.

“I figured we take two cars so I can stay for as long as possible before going to work.”

They all nod as they figure out whose car they’re going to take. Steve walks towards you with his hand out but you just shake your head before clutching your keys to your chest.

“No way, grandpa. I’m driving.”

Part 3

[rubydubydoo122]

In every universe Jason Peter Todd dies young. It’s a fate sealed across the multiverse. Maybe he could hope that there’s one universe where he doesn’t. aka, Jason, Dick, and Bruce go multiverse hopping, and are not having a fun time. (Ps, when I started writing this fic I hced Jason as Latino, but I don't really believe in that hc anymore, so just a heads up if you don't like that hc)

TRIGGER WARNING -> Cancer and mentions of previous child death

It’s been a week and Jay still hasn’t told Bruce or Alfred.  Jason spent the first couple days walking around Gotham trying to stop his heart from exploding out of his chest. Then he beat the shit out of the training simulations– which he failed multiple times because he hit the fake version of the Joker with multiple lethal shots. 

Obviously, he has checked on Jay, and apologized for freaking out, and tried to convince him to tell Bruce, but the kid always managed to evade doing just that.

Hence why he was currently stress cooking.

Maybe four dozen chocolate chip cookies, 3 batches of blueberry muffins, and an ungodly amount of chili dogs were excessive, but he needed to otherwise he would find himself storming up to younger Bruce and just telling him. Which wouldn’t be the worst thing, but it might make things difficult.

It would be so much easier if the kid just spilled the beans himself. But Jay was holding onto that god damned can so tight. Now if Jason could just… loosen the grip…

They were all currently eating dinner on the patio, because the early April weather was nice for once. Tim was also there, because Jason had made too much food, and Alfred encouraged Jay to invite the kid. Jay had also apparently wanted to invite Babs, but obviously since Kori and Dick were engaged it would be awkward considering a version of Dick was at the manor.

Jason hummed, “I feel like we’re missing someone.”

Tim looked around at everyone, “Our Dick?” His face turned red, “That came out wrong.”

“Well, yeah, but that’s not it.” Jason knew exactly where he was going with this, but he had to play it right.

Dick grabbed another cookie, “Damian, Stephanie, Duke and Cass.”

“I’m not as close with them as you are, dude.” Jason took a bite out of his chili dog, and chewed as he pretended to think about it, “Oh! I know! Uncle Clark.”

Jay immediately sat ramrod straight. If Uncle Clark was here, he’d immediately see the giant brace on Jay’s knee. Then he’d use his x-ray vision, and he’d immediately make that face like someone kicked his puppy and tell Bruce. 

Then the anxiety washed off Jay’s face, and was replaced with a glare, “Seriously, Jason?”

Younger Bruce’s face went blank, “Clark… is dead.”

“You mean he hasn’t come back to life in this universe?” Jason… totally forgot about that. To his credit, he was in a coma at the time– or catatonic.

Younger Bruce frowned and then glanced at older Bruce, “Not that I’m aware of…”

Older Bruce grunted, “He didn’t come back until early May. At least for us. It could be different in this universe.”

“Oh.”

God damn it.

Jay wanted to bang his head on the table hard enough to knock himself out. He couldn’t sleep a wink last night because of the incessant throb in his knee.

He gritted his teeth, “Jason Peter Todd, I swear if you play ‘Drops of Jupiter’ one more time, I’m going to–” cry. He was going to cry. That’s what he would do. He was going to cry. Who plays songs about their mother who died of cancer at 7:30 in the morning? “I’m going to kill myself and blame you.”

Dick immediately whipped his head to Jay, so he added, “Hyperbole. But I will smack my head on this granite and blame it on you.”

Jason frowned, and then wordlessly switched the song to ‘Ronan’, by Taylor Swift.

And it’s not like Jay didn’t know exactly what Jason was doing. He knew what he was doing as soon as he came down and the song started playing. God he was an asshole. 

Though… it was probably an asshole move for Jay to ask him to keep it a secret. He just needs time to…gather his thoughts and figure out the right way to tell Bruce. 

Dick patted Jay’s shoulder, “Want me to drop you off at school?”

“Please.”

Dick handed him his crutches and grabbed his backpack for him as he hobbled to the garage, “April’s not the best month for him. He died on the 27th, so… that’s probably what’s with the mood and the sad songs, and all the cooking.”

He felt something twist and knot in his gut. He was making Jason’s already traumatic month so much worse, and even more traumatic because he’s reminding him of Mami and–

“Jay? Are you ok?”

He nodded, “I was just thinkin’ about how Jason really is Jesus. Did he die on Good Friday?”

Dick chuckled and ruffled his hair, “I dunno.”

It took him an unnecessary amount of time to get to lunch. Not only was he slower because of his broken tibia, but crutching around had him winded. It forced him to sit with Tim and his friends, because the table he usually sits at fills up before he can get to the cafeteria.

Now he didn’t mind sitting with Tim and his friends, it just felt odd as a Junior sitting with a bunch of Underclassmen. But, they also didn’t pay much attention to him. Usually he just napped the entirety of lunch. 

Well, he didn’t nap, because he could not sleep around people he didn’t trust, but he rested his eyes, and to everyone else it probably looked like he was asleep. 

Most of the table got up to get cookies, but Tim stayed behind with Jay. Then he felt the table shift on the opposite side. Except the weight shift wasn’t as drastic as it usually is with the guy who usually sits there, so it was probably someone new. 

Jay didn’t have the energy to check who it was.

“How asleep is he?” Oh! It was Stephanie. Wow, this feels like a crossover episode.

He felt a gust of air blow on his face, and jokes on Tim, Jay’s known how to fully fake sleep since he was ten. Meaning no flinching during sleep tests, “He’s out. I guess.” To Tim’s credit he probably knew he wasn’t fully asleep.

“Ok, you’re like a Batman and Robin superfan, aren't ya?”

He heard Tim pause, “How did you know that?”

“Your screensaver is subtly Robin themed, your backpack is subtle Batman, whenever they’re mentioned you pretend to not pay attention to the conversation, even though you are, and,” She let out a snicker, “I saw the stack of photos you have of them when you let me take gum from your backpack. They’re really good by the way.”

Jay knew that Tim was beet red, “Oh. Thanks.”

“Anywho, do you know the last time Robin was seen out? Cus people have been saying the last time he’s been seen was the warehouse explosion by the docks.”

Why was she worrying? He told her he was going to retire.

He could feel Tim trying not to glance at Jay, “Yeah, That was the last time he’s been spotted. Though, I’m sure he’s just recovering or something.”

“Ok. ok.” She drummed the table with her fingers, “Fuck, can you keep a secret?” There was a pause where he assumed Tim nodded, “Alright.” She leaned closely across the table, and he felt Tim move in closer as well, “I’m Spoiler, and I kinda know Robin. I don’t know who he really is or anything, but I’d consider us to be close. He told me he was planning on retiring.”

“What?” wait, he hasn’t told Tim about that yet, “Did he tell you what he’s planning on doing? Is he gonna stay in Gotham, or move to New York like Nightwing?”

“No. He said he was retiring retiring. Like no more fighting.”

“He’s giving up being a hero?” Tim’s voice was blank, “Good for him, I guess.”

“That’s not–” She sighed, “The last couple times I’ve seen him, he’s been…tired. Not as quippy or flippy. I think… I think something’s wrong.”

There was a pause, “Now that you mention it–”

Jay picked up his head, “Ya know Barney, if you were really this worried, you coulda called.” 

Stephanie’s eyes blew wide in realization– Bruce is going to go berserk– Then she glanced over at Tim, who rolled his eyes, “Ok, I know too.” Then he turned to Jay, “Jason, why the fuck didn’t you tell me you were retiring, but you told her?”

He shrugged, “Professional courtesy. And it never really came up between us. I only told B after I got half my hair singed off. I still haven’t told N.”

“So you’re officially retired?” Stephanie raised an eyebrow, “I would’ve thought you’d make your last appearance as Robin special.”

“Technically, I have two and a half more weeks, but, uh, seeing as…” He looked at the crutches, “Can’t exactly do much.”

Tim nodded, “And as far as Gotham knows, you went out with a bang.” 

Stephanie hummed, “My mom works at Gotham General and has been talking about this kid who’s apparently obsessed with Robin. Apparently she tells the other kids stories about him. Maybe you can make that your last appearance. I can come too if ya want.”

Jay smiled, “That sounds like a good idea. Is the kid gonna be there this weekend?”

“I’ll ask my mom and get back ta ya on that.”

Jay looked at Tim, “Wanna meet your mini you?”

Tim shook his head, “I would love to, but it’d be odd for a random civilian to be hanging out with two vigilanties.”

Jason was currently in the middle of whipping up his second batch of raspberry meringue cookies– by hand– when both Bruces decided to corner him.

Honestly he wishes it was Dick. At least he could get him to eat half of the cookies to then justify Jason making more. 

“Jay, lad, your baking is really good, and we all enjoy it, but…” Older Bruce looked at the multiple tupperware and gallon sized ziplock bags filled with assorted cookies and cakes, “I think it’s beginning to teeter on the excessive side.”

He looked up from examining his peaks and determined they weren’t stiff enough, “This isn’t nearly enough. I was planning on bringing these to the homeless shelter for easter.” He continued whisking the meringue.

Younger Bruce picked up a Robin themed Peep he made and squished it, “Easter’s not for a week, Jason. You’ve also been stress cooking for a while. What’s got you all strung up?”

“Strung up? I’m not strung up. In fact, I’m Pinocchio after he got turned into a real boy. I got no strings on me.” He started whisking the meringue faster. That was probably the worst lie he’s ever lied.

There was a sharp inhale from the doorway as Jay crutched in, “If you’re Pinnochio, your nose is gonna poke a hole straight through the wall.”

Jason inspected the meringue peaks again, and was unsatisfied. “And yours could touch the moon.”

Jay froze as both Bruces immediately frowned at Jay, but Jason only needed younger Bruce to scrutinize Jay, so he gave him the boxes of raspberries, and pointed to the sink.

Younger Bruce held up the Peep, “Peep, for a peep?”

Jay groaned, “I don’t wanna Peep.” He sat down on the kitchen stool and leaned his crutches against the countertop.

“But he does have something to Peep.” Jason added. 

Older Bruce set the raspberries down next to Jason, “Can we stop saying Peep?”

Jay’s eye twitched as he glared at Jason, so Jason just grinned back. 

Younger Bruce was looking at Jay patiently as the kid played with a part of his knee brace, “I’m pretty sure I have…” He clamped his jaw, and then took a deep breath, pressed his lips together, “...no interest in finding a partner of any sorts.” He held up little jazz hands, “I’m Aro/Ace.”

Jason set his forehead down on the countertop, and banged it once, “That’s… not what I wanted him to tell you. I did not mean to out him.”

Younger Bruce ruffled Jay’s hair, “Either way I’m proud of you, Jason.” Bruce gave him a small smile, and Jay leaned in closer. “Ok, so you’re pretty sure you have what?”

Jay looked up at Bruce, “A new Robin I would like to pass the mantle to. I’m also planning on telling Dick when I visit him next week.”

Jason made a buzzer noise, “Nope, Try again.”

Jay scowled, cracking his fingers,“I also might’ve told Stephanie Brown that I was Robin.”

Younger Bruce frowned, “You what?”

“Bruce, I think she’s a really good person, and I trust her.”

Older Bruce cleared his throat, “It takes us some time, but we trust her too. In our timeline, she becomes Robin for a brief period of time, and she’s currently Batgirl.”

“I was actually debating on making her Robin. I guess she’ll be the backup if Tim says no.” He turned back to younger Bruce,“She’s a good person. We’re also planning on visiting the kids in Gotham General as Robin and Spoiler this weekend.”

Jason paused, “The kids who… have been affected by rogue attacks, or who are… sick?” Because, yeah, Jason tries to make it a point to help out in Leslies clinic, but seeing the patients who have been diagnosed with cancer is always hard. Mainly because Leslie’s clinic doesn’t have the resources to give those patients proper care.

Jay's face contorted like he ate something sour, “Fuck you.” He spat out, standing up and grabbing his crutches, “You’re not Jason Todd, you’re a shitstain of an excuse that crawled out of his grave.”

And suddenly he was 19 again. Coming home soaked in blood wondering if he was tainting his own memory. He was 18 staring at an empty grave knowing the kid who died would’ve hated the person he became. He was 17 holding a detonator in his hand; not recognizing the person he saw in the mirror.

But this wasn’t about him. This was about a 16 year old kid with cancer, who was too afraid to tell his dad about it for God knows what reason. And Jason has just been prodding and prodding, and– “Jason–”

“I don’t need a dead man’s opinion on how to live.” He crutched out of the kitchen and Jason started to follow him when younger Bruce grabbed his wrist.

Jason twisted his wrist out of the hold and pointed in Bruce’s face, “Watch the damn cookies. And don’t you dare eavesdrop.” 

He continued after Jay, “Wait, Jason, I didn’t mean it like that.”

Jay started hopping up the stairs, “I– Don’t– want– to–” He almost missed the step, but he landed on his bad leg to regain his balance. Jason supported him by the armpits and slowly lowered him to the ground before he could go crashing down.

Jay’s eyes began to water and face screwed up. He punched Jason in the chest, which hurt, but he stayed still as Jay attempted to get back up, but failed. He punched him again, “I hate you!” It could probably be heard from every point in the manor, “I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!” 

Each hate was reinforced with a punch, each one with less power behind it, until Jay was sobbing into his chest, “I want them here. Why aren’t they here? I just want Mami and Papi.” 

Jason felt his eyes start to burn as he wrapped his arms around the kid.

“And I-I love Bruce and Alfred, but I want them. I miss them. I-I need– I needed them.”

Jason nodded, trying to figure out something to say, but he couldn’t. His heart had crept into his throat and was squeezing his vocal chords.

He… He needs to be a real adult and tell Bruce. None of the sideways routes to get Jay to spill. He has to be direct. 

After Jay stopped crying, Jason made sure he got up the stairs safely and went back down to the kitchen where younger Bruce looked like he was having a crisis and older Bruce was staring at the cookies. He would’ve laughed at the sight if it weren’t for the circumstances.

“Bruce, Jay–”

Bruce picked up his head so fast, he probably got whiplash, “You died?”

“Yes. But Jason–”

“Died, as in, your heart stopped.”

“Yeah, but that’s not important–”

“Not important? Jason you died.”

Jason blinked, “Yeah, but you’re focusing on the wrong thing here. Jason–”

“I do not think I am focusing on the wrong thing. Why are you so calm about this?”

He groaned, “It happened like… eight years ago. This body doesn’t even have any of the same cells as the one that was buried–”

“Buried?”

Jason threw his hands in the air, “Whadaya think Bruce did with my body? Kept it on a table for six months?”

“Six months? I thought your heart just stopped, and then CPR! How–”

“Oh so you accept Superman coming back, no problem, but when it’s me, suddenly it’s impossible.”

“He’s Kryptonian! And you–” Bruce buried his face in his hands, “you would’ve been… you wouldn’t have known–”

“I don’t understand why this is such a big deal when Jason–”

Bruce uncovered his face, leaving only bafflement, “Am I not allowed to be distraught over my son dying?”

“Yes! You’re allowed to be! But I am not your son. Your son ha–”

“But you are my son! Doesn’t matter what universe. In every universe you exist, I will always see you as my son, and I will always want the best for you–”

“It never ends well for me!” His voice cracked on the last word. 

Bruce frowned and took a step forward, “What– what do you mean by that?”

 “Fuck.” He ran his hand down his face, “You’re watering the wrong plant.” 

That seemed to snap Bruce out of his state of distraught, sending him out of the kitchen. 

Jason went back behind the counter to pipe more meringue roses, but found himself just staring at the tray.

He couldn’t even tell him.

He literally took over the Gotham drug trade before he could legally drink, and he couldn’t tell a father that his son had a tumor.

“Jason, are you alright?”

He snapped out of whatever trance he was in, “I just hate April.”

Bad news is, Bruce definitely knows something’s wrong and is very much doing his hovering but in the Batman way– thing. 

Good news is, because Jay dropped the Dead-Jason bomb, he was hovering around Jason and not Jay. 

Bad news is, Jay feels super guilty for all the things he said to him, especially considering he stayed with him while he was having his episode, and even though he’s been a complete ass about it, he still hasn’t told Bruce or Alfred about the tumor.

Good news, Bruce let him drive the Batmobile to Gotham general since grappling wouldn’t work well with his knee, and Alfred couldn’t drop them off unless they wanted to risk their secret identities.

He pulled up right next to Spoiler, and rolled down the window, “Get in loser, we’re going shopping.”

Jay was 90% sure that Stephanie was grinning under the mask as she slid in, “Wait, how are you drivin’ with your knee?”

“When your partners are generally under the age of 16, you tend to realize that autopilot features are more practical.”

She nodded and glanced at all the buttons, “I’m assumin’ you’re gonna to tell me not to touch any of them.”

“Most of them are speed enhancers or shock absorbers. You can touch them, but they won’t activate unless we’re going over 70mph.” Product of Dick’s ADHD.

“Is there an aux cord?”

“Dude, there’s bluetooth.”

Jay parked the Batmobile in an alleyway a couple buildings from Gotham General. Did that mean he had to crutch around farther? Yes. But Bruce told him he can’t just park the Batmobile in a normal parking space. Was that a while ago? Yes, and he didn’t think to ask if the rules change if he has a broken knee.

“Oi, Tinky-Winky, would ya mind grabbing the cookies in the trunk?” 

“‘Course, Mike Wazowski.” She went around back, “How the fuck do I open this.”

It took them about 15 minutes to walk into Gotham General, mainly because of Jay's incredible crutching skills, and when they got there the receptionist was not impressed.

“What’s with the cosplay kids? If you’re gonna commit to being Robin, ya gotta at least wear the short shorts.”

Jay gave the receptionist (Drew) his signature Robin grin, “I wore the short shorts for almost four years. I got the road rash to prove it.”

“Look kid, if ya wanna get your knee checked out for free and without anyone contacting CPS, try the free clinic in Park Row. Ya don’t needa wear your upcycled Halloween costume there.”

“I don’t need my knee–” Well, he does need his knee to be checked out, but that wasn’t why they were there, “I’m really Robin, do you have one of those TSA bucket things? I’m about to start pulling outa buncha bat-themed things.”

Drew rolled their eyes, then looked around and gave him one of those empty paper bins. He started with his utility belt, “Ok, so I have my rebreather, some batarangs, and my grapple gun.” then he moved to his right pocket, “Some tranquilizers, a lockpick, and a universal tool,” He reached into his left pocket, “smoke pellets, bat-bolas,” He then reached into the pocket that was near his left knee, “A first aid kit, various antidotes to fear toxin, Ivy’s spores and Joker Venom and… some bat shaped goldfish.” He grinned, “I also have some stickers in the pocket under my brace.”

They blinked, “How do you fit all of that…?”

Jay gave her a little shrug, “Because I’m Robin.” He began taking the things and putting them back in its place. 

Stephanie stole the goldfish before Jay could put them back in his pocket, “We heard there was a Robin superfan, and we just wanted to say hi.”

“Let me check with Pediatrics.” Drew dialed a number, “Hey Ruth, I have Robin and one of his caped friends down here. Think I can send them up?” a pause, “Hold up, let me ask,” They looked back to them, “How long are ya kids free till?”

Jay looked to Stephanie, “I’m free for the whole day, but I’m your ride home.”

She shrugged, “I just gotta be home for dinner.”

“Before the sun sets. We took the Batmobile.”

Drew nodded, “The kids are sayin’ around 7:30. So that’s about four hours in each unit.” Another pause, “Well, I can give ‘em the bands, but you’re gonna have to figure that out.” another pause, “I’ll send them up in like… five minutes. Oh and Robin’s on crutches.”

Drew settled them with visitor passes, and Stephanie traded them for a ziplock of cookies, and they hobbled to the elevator, and went to the pediatrics floor. 

They met Ruth, who was a sweet old lady that almost refused the cookies they had brought, but did for the sake of her colleagues, and guided them to the Medical Unit.

Jay decided to leave his crutches at the door (even though Ruth protested about bones not healing right– The bones weren’t growing right in the first place) just to preserve a bit more of the Robin magic. The brace and the limp were already breaking the illusion, he didn’t need the crutches to completely shatter that.

Maybe… maybe that’s why he couldn’t tell Bruce about the tumor. Because when they put on the capes they became close to gods. Except Jay could no longer be extraordinary because his bones were growing wrong. Something in his cellular makeup was fundamentally flawed. 

No.

Today is not about him. It’s about these kids. And they deserved to be blithe. So Jay refused to let himself allow any negativity take over his consciousness. Not when all these kids’ spirits were immediately lifted just because Robin had come to visit them. 

And he was glad Steph was with him, because even though not many of the kids knew who she was, they ended up adoring her. She somehow knew every time when Jay’s energy started to run low and found ways to keep the kids from noticing that. 

They took a break around 2:30 for a late lunch, where Jay once again rested his eyes. 

“What’s got you so tired? I thought you were off the night shift.”

“Knee won’t let me sleep.” It’s become more of a routine. Resting during lunch because he couldn’t fall asleep due to the stabbing bone pains in his knee.

“Why not just take ibuprofen or something?”

He shook his head. Even though he took it when he had those fevers, he’s not going to take it for pain he can power through. “Even if they’re in fancy packaging, I can never really trust them.”

She slowly nodded, “I think I get it. My mom got hurt when I was younger. Now, she’s…never off the painkillers.”

“My mom–” he played with the velcro on his brace, “She, uh, she had cancer. After a while we couldn’t afford chemo. So she switched to painkillers. Every once in a while they were laced.” He shrugged. “I guess seeing that at a young age hardwired something in my brain.” He doesn’t usually talk to anyone about this. Yeah, he’s changing the topic, “The Wayne foundation has a rehab unit. I, uh, added things into the program that I thought would help. Obviously it’s your mom’s choice, but you guys can talk to Bruce…Wayne about it when you’re ready.” 

“Thanks Robin.” She placed a hand on his arm, “And I’m sorry about your mom.” She paused and frowned, “We’re goin’ into the Oncology unit next. Are you gonna be ok?”

He gave her a small smile, “It happened a while ago. I’m fine about it now.” He’s ignoring the fact that he was crying for her like a much smaller child four days ago.

He’s also ignoring genetics and how technically he’s not fine about it now because it’s really cutting him off at the knee right now. Haha, that was kinda funny.

Not really.

If the tumor grows too large he might have to get his leg amputated. Was it already too big? He… he hasn’t really been thinking about that. Mami didn’t have to get her arm amputated. They caught the tumor early enough to scrape it off and blast any of the remaining bad cells with chemo. 

…If the tumor grew too big it could kill him. And Bruce and Alfred and Dick– they’d all be– 

He stood up.“I’m gonna call B real quick. Tell him how we’re doin’.” 

Stephanie nodded, “Can I have your sandwich?”

“Knock yourself out.”

He hobbled over to the family bathroom, shut the door behind him and pulled his phone out.

All he had to do was tell him. Three words. I have cancer. That’s all. They were just three words. They were each words that have been in his vocabulary since he was little. They weren’t foreign. They were just words. 

Words are easy.

He pressed on Bruce’s number, and waited as the line rang.

He could say it.

Three words.

I have cancer.

He would say it.

“Jay, Lad. How’s the visit going?”

“It’s goin’ good. It’s goin’ good.” He rubbed the knot forming in his chest, “All the kids love Spoiler by the way.” 

Bruce chuckled, “I already said I trust your judgment, I just need more time.”

“Yeah, I know.” It’s just three words, “Hey Bruce?”

“Yes, Jason?”

Three words. He could say three words, “I… love you.”

Those… were the wrong three words. He’s a wimp. He’s a schemiel. He’s the biggest cream puff to ever cream.

There was the sound of something dropping, then a pause, “Is everything alright?”

It’s ok. He can still tell him. He can– “We’re about to go to the pediatrics oncology unit.”

“Will you be alright? You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

He shook his head, “Nah, I’m alright. Besides, I still haven’t met the kid Stephanie was talking about.” Yeah, all the kids were excited to see him, but the way most of the parents acted wasn’t the way a parent acted when their child was meeting their hero. 

Wait, he’s distracting himself, “Bruce, I–”

“Do you want me to swing by?”

He paused. Letting the blood rush in his ears from the words left unsaid, “Yeah.”

“Ok. I have a couple things to finish up, but I’ll be there in 30 minutes.”

“Ok.” Jay was about to hang up.

“I love you too, Jay. You mean the world to me.”

“Yeah.” He sucked in a breath, “Cool. Amazing. I’m gonna hang up now. Bye. See ya.” He hung up and tapped his phone against his forehead. 

It’s ok. 

It was better this way. It was definitely a conversation that was better to have in person.

Obviously he wouldn’t tell Bruce in front of the kids, or in front of Stephanie, but he’d tell him.

He’d tell him. 

He went back out to where Stephanie was, only to find her talking with Ruth. Break’s over.

It was… It was a lot harder trying to stay upbeat for these kids. He was acting like a lifeboat for these kids and their parents, when really he was being pulled into the same riptide.

At least the nurse (Nancy) who was guiding them through was nice about it. She’d take a little longer while walking to the next room, pause in front of the door to tell them the kid’s name and if they were more shy or talkative. If today was a good day or a bad day. Then she’d take her time while telling the parents– she’d just give them more time.

Then Batman came, and Jay doesn’t know if that was better or worse. 

It was better for Stephanie. Since Bruce was there she let herself slip out, if the kid didn’t seem to pay Spoiler any mind. It made guilt bubble in his stomach.

Maybe it was better for Jay, because Bruce knew him better. That also made it worse. But better. It was better.

They paused in front of the only door they hadn’t been to in the wing, “So this is our last kiddo of the day, Evelyn. She’s nine and she’s a big fan of yours. We saved her for last so she could have the most time with ya, Robin. She says she met you a while back, so– well, ya know to at least pretend to remember her even if you don’t.”

He leaned his shoulder against the wall for support, “Nanc, have I let you down at all so far today?” 

“Yes. You’ve been walking around without your crutches. Giving all the medical professionals around here aneurysms.” though she said it with a playful grin, so she couldn’t be too upset. “She’s been pretty chipper all day, so, this’ll be great.” Nancy slipped into the room to give the parents a heads up. After a minute she peeked back out, motioning her head towards the room.

Jay stopped fidgeting with the end of his cape and followed Nancy in. 

He gave a little salute to the dad, and who he assumed to be her older sister, who was filming. When he was in the girl’s line of sight, she gasped, “Robin! You came!”

The memory of a seven year old girl lost in Robinson park during an Ivy breakout was brought to the front of his mind. He remembers playing on the monkey bars with her while they waited for both Batman and her dad to find them. “Of course I did.” He looked back at Nurse Nancy, “Ya may not know this, but Evelyn and I go way back.” He sat down in the chair next to the bed, gesturing to Stephanie, “This is my friend Spoiler, and you remember Batman. From last time. God, it feels like it’s been forever. Ya haven’t gotten caught up in any of Ivy’s schemes recently, have ya?”

She grinned at his recognition, “I haven’t, but by the looks of it, you have.” She pointedly looked at his knee brace.

“Puh-lease, ya really think someone could get the jump on me?” He lightly smacked the side of his brace, “This was a product of my own demise. Really I’m my own worst enemy.”

“We kinda match.” Evelyn shuffled around the blankets, showing off a yellow cast over her knee.

He froze. Huh, he guessed they did match. “Can I sign it?”

She looked at him with stars in her eyes, “You really wanna sign it?”

“What’s the point of having a cast if it’s not decorated?” He reached into his back pocket to grab a sharpie. 

Stay gold, ~Robin and then he started doodling a bunch of bats.

They continued talking– something about a tv show about a ladybug and a cat who were also magical superheroes– then she started talking about Harry Potter, so Jay obviously recommended Percy Jackson. Then she started talking about a tv show about gem people? And the universe? At least Stephanie understood the tv references and apparently her favorite stone was amethyst. Which made sense, because of the whole purple theme.

He could see the moment Evelyn’s Dad built up the courage to actually talk to Batman, “Thank you for coming. It really means a lot to my daughter and– thank you.”

Bruce hummed, turning his gaze from Jay to the man, “Robin has a big heart, so when Spoiler suggested visiting…”

“Wait, I gotta show you my drawings!” Jay turned his attention back to Evelyn as she reached for the bedside tray, but it was too far from her reach. 

She started to turn around to grab it, but her sister stopped her before she could hurt her leg in the process, “Let’s slow down a bit here. Robin’s not gonna magically disappear without saying goodbye.” Her sister moved the tray closer to Evelyn and sat down at the foot of the bed. Now that the camera wasn’t covering her face, he was pretty sure she was in his physics class. Crazy small world. Her name was Reagan.

Evelyn grabbed the papers off of the tray and handed them to Jay, “This one’s of you and me playing on the playground, because we never go to go on the slide, or the swings and those are the best parts of a playground.”

Jay grinned, “I would say the best part of a playground is the merry-go-round.” 

Evelyn’s Dad turned to fully face Bruce, “It still means a lot. You and Robin saving the little things.”

“This isn’t a little thing at all. If someone hurts Robin, I can punch them back. With this–”

“This one's you and Batman taking a vacation because Reggie says you guys really need one,”

“--You’re much braver than I am, Mr. Harris.” Bruce looked back at Jay, “I don’t know what I would do if I found out one of my sons were sick.”

“--and this one… this one is you fighting Cancer for me.”

Jay forced himself not to freeze. He kept his eyes glued on the drawing of Robin zapping a glob that was presumably cancer with the bat-cancer-be-gone ray, while Evelyn stood behind him.

Jay took a deep breath, “Here’s the thing about Cancer. Its power is that it multiplies. If I tried to fight it alone, it could just multiply and take over.” The words clawed at his throat with hypocrisy. He undid the clasp to his cape, “but if we have more people to help us, like your doctor, and the nurses, and your Dad, and Reagan helping us, and we use chemo warfare–” He placed the cape over her shoulders, blinking because the lenses of his domino were starting to fog up, “And a little bit of Robin Magic, I think– I think we can fight Cancer. Together. And win.” 

Evelyn leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his torso in a hug, “Ya really think so, Robin?”

He returned the embrace, nodding, “Yeah. You’ll win.”

They dropped Stephanie back off in the Burrows, when Jay realized they weren’t headed back to the manor. They were going deeper into the city. 

Bruce must have sensed his confusion, but he didn’t say anything to clarify his thought process. However, Jay didn’t ask, because eventually they got to Wayne Tower, and Bruce grappled them to the top, so they were overlooking Gotham.

If there was any time to tell Bruce, it would be that moment. Or maybe it was probably when they were in the car, or when he broke his knee, or right after he got that first fever. But the past was the past, and he had to tell Bruce. He’s held it off for long enough.

He kicked his leg, “Hey Bruce?”

Batman grunted in acknowledgement. Cape fluttering in the wind.

“Thanks for bein’ here for me.” He wrung out his fingers.

He felt Bruce’s gaze turn to him, “I know I am not the best at communicating, but I’ll always be here if you need me.” 

Jay searched Bruce's eyes, wishing he wasn’t wearing the stupid cowl.

It’s just three words. He could say them. He inhaled slowly and opened his mouth to–

“I’m proud of you, Jason.”

He was going to scream. He was going to throw up. The unsaid words felt like they were growing and growing and soon they would be stuck in his throat, never to escape. “Bruce, I–”

“I mean it. I know it was tough for you, but you still tried your best to brighten up each one of those kids’ day. And you did. Just like you have mine, every single day since you hit me with that tire iron. You have a big heart, Jay. One that has grown with time.” Bruce paused, before placing his hand on top of Jay’s, “I think you would’ve made her so incredibly proud. Your mother. And your father. They would be proud of the man you’ve become, and the future you’re striving for. I know I am.”

His eyes began to burn as the lenses to his domino fogged up.  No. He wasn’t going to cry. He had to be strong while he told Bruce. He had to be.

Jay scooted closer to Bruce, who opened up an arm to wrap part of his cape around Jay, holding him closer than he usually did. Like a subconscious part of him knew that Jay was slowly slipping away. “What we do– it’s dangerous. If you– If what happened to–” Bruce paused and took a deep breath, “I’m glad you’re allowing yourself to live. I am beyond grateful you’re hanging up the cape.” Bruce rested his chin on top of Jay’s head, “Though I’m gonna miss having you by my side.”

“You’ll make sure to watch your six? And not spook any kids? You’ll–” His mouth twitched into a frown, which he immediately tried to turn around, but it was like the muscles in his face weren’t connected to his brain, “You’ll be ok without me?” 

“Jay, lad, I’ve been at this for a long time. I think I’ll do fine. Besides, you said you had a successor in mind.”

“I gotta get Dick’s blessing first. Then I’ll tell you. But they also have to agree, and it’ll still take a while for them to get up to Robin standards, and—”

“There’ll be some adjustments, but you’ll still be close. If I’m ever in any real trouble, I trust you just as much as I trust Dick. Active vigilante or not.”

Jay undid the top velcro on his brace and then tightened it. He has to be strong. He has to tell him. He undid the velcro again and then refastened it. Then again and again and–

“Jason, I know you probably feel guilty right now, but you deserve to be happy. This doesn’t have to be permanent if you don’t want it to be. I want you to be happy and let yourself move forward. No matter what that path looks like, or how many times you change directions, I’ll support you.”

He focused on the sliver of golden on the horizon, peaking through the cityscape, “I need to quit. Being a hero, it just– it won’t work anymore.” He took a deep breath, trying to sync up with the rise and fall of Bruce’s chest. 

He had to be strong. 

He had to tell him. “I…” 

‘I don’t know what I would do if I found out one of my sons were sick.’ 

“...Just realized, this is our last time out as Batman and Robin together.” 

He would tell Bruce. Just not now. Not when it’s supposed to be a happy moment. 

“It is, isn’t it?”

He looked up at Bruce, “We had a good run.”

Jason wanted to go home. The longer Jay held out telling Younger Bruce that he had cancer, the more likely it was that Bruce was going to pummel him for not telling him that his son was terminally ill. And it’s not like Jason hadn’t tried multiple times. He’s tried cornering him in the study, where it just turned into another conversation about his death. He tried telling him in the Batcave, but there was an emergency and Batman was needed, and he tried telling him while Jay was visiting the hospital, but then he got a phone call and had to leave.

Not to mention, the anniversary of his death was slowly creeping up on him, and he couldn’t even be alone because they were kind of stuck in the manor until they were found and brought back home.

How long does it take to find someone? Three someones? It’s not like Tim and Babs had to build a whole new machine. Obviously, time could be passing differently for them, but the more time they took the wider his gaping hole of guilt grew.

That was why he was currently encoding a message to add to the beacon that read ‘Come quick. I keep dying. This isn’t fun anymore. ~JT”

Suddenly, a hand rested on the back of the Batchair, and out of instinct, Jason was about to punch the person it belonged to, when he realized it was just Alfred.

And then he realized it was Alfred, the person he’s been trying his hardest to avoid because he would immediately know Jason was hiding something and he would feel guilty for lying to him.

“Master Jason, when was the last time you slept?”

Jason grinned, “Last night.” Albeit, it was only an hour or two because his mind has decided he isn’t allowed any peaceful dreams, but it was the truth, “Personally, I think you should be asking younger Jason that. That kid’s eye bags could replace his backpack and still have extra room.”

Jason knew he messed up when Alfred made his ‘that is precisely the topic I wished to discuss with you’ face. “So you know what is troubling the young master?”

“I’m not talkin’ to the kid.” He felt like a stupid little kid who had just been caught and was now grasping for any excuse.

He could tell him. He could tell Alfred and then this whole nightmare would be– it wouldn’t be over, it would probably get worse, but sometimes things need to get worse before they get better. 

He took in a deep breath, “Jason–”The door of the elevator in the batcave dinged, and out came the kid in question. “...Has something to tell you.”

Why in the world could he not get the goddamned words out? It was like some mystical force was stopping him from doing so.

Jay froze and gave Jason a pointed look, but then looked to Alfred, “Yeah, I do! I was wondering if Jason and Dick could come with me to visit the Titans. Apparently Roy, Donna and Kori really wanna meet you two.”

Jason stared at Jay.

Jay shrugged all innocently, “Dick said your deathiversary was soon too, so maybe being out of town for that would be a way to take your mind off…of…it?”

Jason turned to Alfred, “Can you tell your grandson that I am not talking to him.”

He raised an eyebrow, “And why might that be? I thought Master Jason had apologized to you for his outburst from the other day.”

“He knows why.”

Alfred looked from Jason to Jay, then back to Jason, “Well, I can assure you, I am not keen on playing telephone. I expect you both to have sorted out your issues before you make your way back upstairs.”

And with that, Alfred left.

And Jason, being the stubborn man-child he was, refused to talk.

“I really am sorry for throwin’ your death in your face.”

Jason glared at him.

“Ok, I know that’s not what you’re angry at me for, but can you really be angry at me for havin–”

Jason got up to leave. Jesus Christ, was he always this difficult?

“Hold up–Wait! I tried to tell Bruce, I really did! Multiple times. But every time I tried he would interrupt me, or it wasn’t the right time, and if ya really think about it, it’s kinda better this way–”

Jason turned around, baffled, because “Better this way? Please, explain to me how letting’ a tumor grow is better than tellin’ your guardian you’re sick.”

Jay paused, “When you put it like that, it sounds bad– but if I tell Bruce now, it’ll be nothin’ but x-rays and MRIs and blood tests, and then surgery and–”

Jason was going to smack his skull open on the stalactites.

“Yeah, yeah, I know, and I will… eventually… do those things, but knowin’ Bruce, if I tell him now, he’ll make me cancel my trip to New York.” Jay dragged the stool from the workbench closer to him and sat down, “What if I can’t tour Columbia by the time it’s gone? It’s my dream school. How can ya expect me to just throw away my dreams? The moment we come back from New York, I promise I’ll tell Bruce. I just want the week with the Titans to be…normal before everythin’ falls to pieces.”

Jason pinched the bridge of his nose as his intestines braided themselves together in a knot. Why was he about to… “If you don’t tell him as soon as we’re back, I’m gonna. Are we clear?”

“Yes.” Relief flooded onto Jay’s face, “Thank you.”

(Author here! We’re about to go to Titans Tower, and I’ve been re reading comic storylines and I don’t know what lineup I want, so, I am mixing and matching, so please don’t come at me. Also, my main knowledge of the Titans come from the show Teen Titans, so just a heads up if they’re not how they are in the comics. I also really wanted Raven in this, but if timelines are timelining, she should be evil right now, so… I guess that works in my favor plot-wise, but gosh darn it, I really wanted Raven in here. Oh well)

Out of everyone, Jason was pretty sure Dick was the most excited to see the Titans, which made sense, because Jason barely knew them at this age, and Jay had the impending doom of talking to Bruce about cancer. Jason also had the impending doom of getting the snot beaten out of him.

Still there was an odd energy about Dick. Like he didn’t also fully like the idea of seeing the Titans again. Which was somewhat understandable, because Kori was his ex and yada yada yada. Also, something about the wedding not working out because Raven went evil and crashed the whole thing. Maybe Dick should’ve given them a heads up on that, but also, props to Raven. It was pretty badass. Apparently Dick and Kori were still together, from what Jason could piece together, but honestly, he barely tried to understand their relationship on a normal day, and he wasn’t going to start trying now.

They were in the elevator when Jay’s eyes blew wide and he started digging through his backpack, pulling out a bottle of cheap cologne and spraying it on his chest and the backs of his knees. 

Dick coughed, “That’s a bit too much there, Jay. Are you trying to assault Gar’s nose?”

Jay raised his eyebrows, “Yeah, actually.” 

The elevator door dinged open and they walked into the living room of the Tower, just as Jason realized Jay was doing it to get Gar off the cancer scent. 

He scanned the room and groaned when he realized who was in the room.

Jay followed Jason’s gaze, smile immediately dropping into a scowl, “What are you doing here?”

“Kyle! Hey, what’s up, man!” Dick strode over to shake Rayner’s hand.

“Nothing much,” Rayner light heartedly clapped Dick’s back,  “Got back from the Oa a couple days ago.” He turned his gaze to Jason looking him up and down, before turning to Jay, “There’s no way your five foot ass grows to be that.”

Jay crossed his arms, “I am five foot four, Elphaba.”

“Jason.” Dick gave Jay his ‘be nice’ look.

Jason nudged Jay, “Yeah. Don’t disrespect the Witch of the West like that.” He gave Kyle a wicked grin, causing the dude’s mouth to open slightly, “Besides, he’s like Rango.”

Kyle’s ring dimmed, before he grit his teeth, causing it to brighten again, “I’m gonna get dick– or Donna. I’m gonna get Donna.” and then he sped off.

Jay grinned and held out a hand for a low five, which Jason obviously returned.

Dick looked from the door Rayner exited from to Jay, “Hold up, why don’t you like Kyle?”

“He doesn’t like me.” Jay moved to sit on the couch, “If you’re asking me to be polite with him, I’m not gonna. I don’t owe him nothin’. In fact, he–” 

Suddenly a toddler came out of nowhere running straight for Jay, “JAYBIRB!!” 

Since when have there been toddlers in Titans Tower? 

Jay’s face immediately lit up, “Lian! H–ow, watch the knee, how have the Tiny Titans been?”

“Miwage dwowned in da toiwet.”

If that was Lian then…Jason and Dick immediately turned to the door, “Roy!” 

Roy grinned and walked over to ruffle Jay’s hair, “Hey guys, how're you liking our reality?”

Dick leaned against the couch, with a grin, “It’s a lot better than most of the realities we’ve been to, that’s for sure.”

Ya know who’s going to actually beat up Jason? Dick. He was going to pummel him for not telling.

Roy turned to Jason, “Puberty hit you like a freight train.”

“It was the forbidden Mountain Dew.”

Roy nodded, “Dick said something about a Lazarus Pit. He was ranting about Talia when he came back last month.”

“Oh my god. Did he say anything about her kidnapping me? Because she didn’t.”

Roy looked to Dick, who nodded and mouthed the words ‘she totally did.’ 

“If you continue to scorn her, I will tell Damian, and we’ll both stab you together.”

Jay looked over the couch at them, “Who’s Damian?”

Dick opened his mouth to respond, when Victor and Gar walked in, causing Jay to sit in a way that was forced to be casual, “Hey guys!”

Gar immediately sniffed, and then sneezed, looking at Jay with a frown, “Are you wearing Nautica?”

He gave him little finger guns, “It’s… Adidas.” Jay grinned, in a ‘my lies have worked’ sort of way. 

“It’s… too much, that’s what it is, Brah.”

“You vaguely smell like the boy’s locker room.” Victor went to sit next to Jay, where Lian immediately started playing with the blue lightbulb things in his cyberskeleton. “I saw videos from you visiting that hospital. Is Robin taking a more domestic approach to vigilantism?”

“Sure,” Jay crossed his arms, sank deeper into the couch, and gave Victor a half smile “But not in the way you’d think.” Just then, younger Dick and Kori walked in. Minus Donna, Jason was pretty sure that was the current Titans lineup, so… Jay snorted, “Looks like Kyle’s officially useless.”

Younger Dick looked like he was about to lecture Jay about being nice but his expression turned to concern, “Have you been eating enough?”

“Hi Kori, hello to you too, oh least favorite brother of mine.”

“I–” Dick frowned, “Did Bruce adopt another one?”

“Nah. Not yet at least.” Jay carefully stood up and gestured to the rec room “I actually wanted to talk with you about something.”

Jay crutched over to sit on the armchair in the rec room as Dick closed the door, “Is everything ok?”

The concern on his face was clear as day. And Jay knew before coming that he would notice something was up. He was sure the only reason he had Bruce and Alfred and everyone in the manor relatively fooled is because they’ve seen him every day while his health declined. Dick on the other hand– the last time he saw him was a month ago while he was dancing, flipping, and singing on stage. Now, Jay could barely make it up a flight of stairs without being winded.

But this was supposed to be a fun, happy trip. For his future. He doesn’t want to think about a stupid tumor that will be gone hopefully before Christmas. 

Maybe he could write his Common App essay on it.

“Jason?” Somehow Dick had made his way towards him and was now sitting on the arm of the couch Jay was on. 

He blinked. Thoughts. Right. Words, “Whaddya think about Tim?”

Dick tilted like he didn’t understand what Jason was getting at, “I think he’s nice. I’m glad to see you making friends.”

“Ok, cool. That’s great. So, I’ve been trainin’ him, but not like too much, with simulations, I haven’t told Bruce yet, but I think, he’s a good fighter and–”

“Time out,” Dick held up a hand, “I think you’re forgetting to mention a couple of things. What are you training him for?”

“To be Robin. Duh. What else? I’m askin’ if ya think he’d be a good fit. Cus ya know, you’re the first.”

There was a pause, “Did… Bruce fire you again?”

Jay shook his head, “Nah, I’m choosin’ to retire. That way things’ll be smoother when I start che…ollege. College.”

Dick smirked, “So you’re planning on filling Bruce’s nest before it becomes empty.”

He tilted his head side to side, “More or less, yeah, but I wanted to get your… blessing? Yeah, blessing, to pass down the mantle.”

“Look at you.” There was a soft smile on his face, “All mature and grown up.” He paused, “But you’re not allowed to be taller than me.”

“Dude… No need to rub it in. I’m not planning on swimming through wiper fluid anytime soon. Or ever.” 

“What, Little Wing? Don’t want eternal youth? Ra’s skin is just glowing. Maybe radioactive, but glowing.”

Jay grinned and rolled his eyes, “But seriously, do you think Tim would be a good fit? Cus, if not, I dunno, you can choose–”

“I think Tim’s a great choice. Mainly because the alternate versions of us seem to already know him, but also, you’re the one who currently has the yellow cape. If you think it would fit around Tim’s shoulders, then I support that.”

“...technically, a nine year old has it.”

Dick chuckled and ruffled Jay’s hair, “Then he’s gonna have to get that kid’s approval.” He slid down the arm of the chair so they were both sharing the armchair.

Jay shoved at him, “Get off! Your giant tushie is crushing me!”

Dick, like his namesake, just made himself even more comfortable, “So, are you planning on joining the Titans? Got a new name picked out?”

Jay tried again to make more room for himself to no avail. And God was trying to fight with Dick tiring, so he just crossed his arms, “I told ya. I’m retirin’. No capes. No kevlar. Just Jason Todd-Wayne.”

Dick looked at him like he didn’t believe him, “Like… no more vigilantism. Period.”

“Mmmhm.” he tightened the velcro to his knee brace.

“Are you sure everything is alright?”

He nodded, shifting under Dick’s scrutiny. There’s no way Dick could actually figure out Jay had cancer, though. He might be having the same train of thought older Dick had, but Dick didn’t have enough context clues.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I’m here if it’s something you feel like you can’t talk to Bruce or Alfred about.” Dick paused, “Or if it’s something you should tell Bruce or Alfred, but just… can’t.”

He could.. 

No. 

Jay had to be the one to tell Bruce. He had to hold it together for him. He couldn’t act like a scared little kid who needed to hide behind his older brother, “I’ve just been pretty stressed recently. And I know that my workload is just gonna get heavier, and I love helping people, and I loved being Robin, don’t get me wrong, but… I can’t anymore.”

“Jason, I’m not going to get angry at you for growing up. I just wanted to make sure you were doing it on your own accord. Not because someone was forcing you to put down the cape.”

“Bruce didn’t fire me again, if that’s what you’re getting at.”

“Well, yeah, but also, do you want blueberry pancakes?” Code for ‘are you being blackmailed.’

He gave him a small smile, “I’m retirin’ on my own accord. I was plannin’ on doing it eventually, but…” He shrugged, “Universal signs and all that jazz.”

Dick gestured towards the knee brace, “Was it the dislocated knee?”

“Actually, it was getting three fevers in one month.”

“So that’s why you look like a sick Victorian child who just recovered from scarlet fever.”

Jay huffed and leaned back into the couch, “Well that wasn’t a nice thing to say.”

Jason does not understand why he agreed to come here. Yeah, he was kinda friends with Roy, and Kori, and Donna, but not this version of them, and it is so weird being about the same age as all of them. 

Currently, Jay, Dick (the younger one) and Donna were touring NYU. Dick (his brother), Roy, Lian, and Gar were outside teaching Lian how to do cartwheels, Kori was out running errands, because now the Titans were throwing Jay a retirement party, and… he had no clue what everyone else was doing. 

Doesn’t matter anyways. He was in his own little bubble re-reading A Death in the Family by James Agee because Jason was a masochist and wanted to see if the comic from that one universe drew inspiration from the novel or if they just used the title.

He heard someone entering the room, and based on their gait, it wasn't Cyborg, who tended to have a heavier step, so process of elimination, “Skidaddle, Rayner. You’re infecting the room with green vibes.” Now, did Jason have a reason to hate this version of Kyle? No. Not really. But Jay obviously had his qualms against the dude, so Jason did too.

Rayner, like the nuisance he was, sat down on the couch perpendicular to Jason, “Are you magic or something?”

Was Kyle trying to condescend him? Not him, but Jay, but that was still him. Jason looked up to fix him with a deadpan stare, “Take a wild guess.”

That got Kyle to slightly shift in his seat. Wimp. This wasn’t even his half deadpan. And contrary to popular belief, Jason could be nice, so he went back to reading.

Except someone obviously didn’t take the hint that he didn’t want to be bothered and he could feel him staring at him. Back during his multiversal game of cat and mouse, usually when Rayner started staring at him, it ended with fists flying.

“Do I have something on my face?” He asked without looking up from his book. It was probably such a Bruce move, but oh well. Some Batman things work.

“I’m just confused on how you’re supposed to be Robin.��

He raised an eyebrow, “What, picturing me in the green shorts?”

“I wasn’t.” A pause, “It’s just, primary colors don’t seem to fit the ‘Angst Ridden Bad Boy’ aesthetic you’ve got going on. At least the younger Jason’s a theater kid, so it makes–”

Jason side eyed Rayner, “I will smack you back into orbit, if you do not shut your trap.” It was typical of him to somehow jab at him and Jay at the same time.

Kyle just shrugged and flipped the pages of a sketchbook, “Feels like an empty threat, but ok.”

Before Jason could prove him wrong, the elevator opened, and Dick, Donna, and Jay poured out. 

“.--the Bobst library was… It probably holds more books than the library on the Watchtower.

God, it was behemothic.” Jay crutched over to the couch Jason was sitting on, handed his crutches to him, and then flopped onto the couch.

Jason balanced the crutches against the couch, “How was NYU?”

“Huge. And… pulchritudinous. In a modern art-deco sorta sense. There’s a lotta windows.” Jay was forcing himself not to breathe heavily, but so he probably wasn’t letting on how tired he actually was.

Dick definitely picked up on it, because he handed Jay a water bottle and sat next to Kyle, catching a glance at his sketchbook, looked at Jason, and then frowned like he was mentally adding a conversation to be had.

Donna sat next to Jay, “The tour guide was nice. She made sure to stop and talk at places where there was seating in case Jason needed a break.”

“Which, I didn’t, because I’m a vigilante, but I took them because a normal civilian wouldn’t have my stamina.”

Dick leaned forwards in his seat, “Sure, Jase. Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

Except, Jay couldn’t sleep at night. The throb in his knee was pretty much unbearable at this point. The pain was alway worse at night. 

He left Dick’s room as quietly as he could– since the guest room had been built, he’d been sleeping there, but since older Jason and Dick were here, he was fine with going back to rooming with Dick. Pillow walls.

He didn’t even know what he was gonna do, walk it off? He could barely do that. Honestly, it made his tibia feel even more like a crispy sponge, rather than a bone. God, that’s basically what it was. 

He probably wouldn’t even have his leg for much longer, would he? It’s been at least two months. What if it–

Nope. It probably didn’t. Otherwise he’d feel worse. Right? 

Jay was so lost in thought, he almost walked straight into Gar. Who was looking at him like he’d just been shot or–

Fuck. 

“I knew it was smelling off earlier… you– Jason, your scent is off.”

He felt his ears start to ring as the blood rushed from his face, “I mean I… am going through… puberty.”

His face contorted into something on the edge of worried and confused, “Jason, you smell like… you smell like a tumor.” 

“Maybe… someone on the tour had cancer.”

Gar sniffed again, and slowly shook his head, “Maybe we should go sit down, and then I’ll get Dick–”

“No! Don’t tell him!” It was a whisper shout, but even he could hear the panic in his voice.

He frowned, “You know?”

Welp, there goes plausible deniability. There goes hoping it wasn’t actually cancer and he was just overreacting. “Well… I assumed? I wasn’t fully sure. But I guess, now I know.” He hated the way his voice cracked on that last word. He couldn’t even get angry to get Gar off his back on this because his knee fucking hurt and he just wanted to sleep, but he couldn’t because cancer is stupid. “Just– please don’t Dick. I haven’t even told Batman about it yet–I’ll bake you cookies or something. The jam-filled ones that you like?”

“Dude, you–” Gar covered his face with his hands, and–

This was going to be the end of it wasn’t it? He doesn’t know how he managed to get Jason to agree to keep quiet, but he has a strong feeling he accidentally manipulated him. And currently, the only way he knows how to manipulate Gar is by bribing him.

Gar took in a breath, “When are you planning on telling your boss?”

“When I get back.” He saw him glance at Dick’s door, “Please, Gar. I know that once I get back to Gotham, it’s just going to be test after test, and then treatments until… December at the earliest, and… I just… I need this week to be normal.”

Gar stared at him– no, not at him. Through him. “Ok.” Gar sighed and ran his hand through his hair, “I… I get wanting that week of normal, and I know the testing sucks, but the sooner you start those treatments the sooner you’ll get better, dude.”

“It’s just three days.” Jay of all people knew how much could happen in three days. How things could go horribly wrong over a weekend, “I don’t wanna cause him any grief. Please.”

Gar took one long look at Dick’s door, and then turned around to head back towards his own room, but paused at the door, “My mom bought a box of Hertzoggies after my dad cured me from Sakutia.” He looked back at Jay, “We can share a box of cookies together next year.”

Jay gave him a small smile that hopefully said I don’t think I could ever repay you and I’m sorry for manipulating you even though it was a complete accident and I didn’t know.

He was in a room full of a mountain of red, green, and yellow. But the colors were dull. They weren’t as bright as they should be. They were muddy, and brown and… covered in blood. 

Bruce was carrying bodies. One at a time. Each of them in a pristine black suit, placing them each in a coffin. When he looked back to the pile of suits, they were all lined up, each in cases on display. Like a museum of dead robins.

It wasn’t just a museum of dead robins.

It was a museum of dead Jasons.

Each with a plaque at the bottom saying a good soldier, a good soldier, a good soldier.

A uniform too tattered to even tell it was a Robin suit. A uniform covered in ice. A red vest covered in track marks.

A yellow cape with red staining the collar. A case filled with dirt, green gloves barely peeking through the surface. A hollowed out red shirt, intestines still spilling out. 

A costume the size of a toddler covered in cocaine.

Why at the bottom of this case was he still a good soldier?

He closed his eyes. He’s seen too much yellow. He’s seen too much green. He’s seen too much red. 

It’s too much red.

He bumped into Bruce assembling a case. One that didn’t have a suit inside of it. At least not yet. 

Not yet.

Jason was on edge. In all fairness, it was the 26th. But he was going to blame the nightmare and just forget the major trauma anniversary, because hell yeah.

He forced himself not to bake, because younger Dick had put him on cake duty for Jay’s surprise retirement party tomorrow. They’d get the tower ready while Dick, Donna and Jay were touring Columbia. 

Honestly, Jason was glad for the distraction planned tomorrow, but that didn’t help him with the fact he needed a distraction today. 

He found Jay in the living room, half curled up on the couch, a book close to falling out of his hands, because he was asleep. Didn’t even wake up with Jason’s approach. 

He carefully placed a pillow under Jay’s head, and moved  the book on the coffee table. Where, from underneath, a green dog was looking at him. But Gar’s body was angled towards the entrance to the living room.

Kinda like he was guarding Jay.

Hold up, Jay wasn’t wearing any cologne to mask the scent of the tumor. So Gar knows. Did… he tell Dick? Because Dick would probably immediately call Bruce, and thank fuck.

But if Dick knew, he would probably call off the retirement party, because lowkey, it’s a happy cancer! Party with context.

So Dick probably didn’t know. So why was Gar keeping this?

He debated asking, but then Rayner walked in the room, looked like he was going to say something, but immediately closed his mouth when Jason shot him a glare– No. When Gar let out a low growl.

Yup. Gar definitely knew. And if that was Gar’s reaction to someone about to get into Jay’s space while he was sleeping, he was trustworthy enough. 

Jason exited the living room, dragging Rayner by the upper arm, as they made their way to the stairs, “Wanna spar?”

Kyle frowned and then shrugged, “Ok.”

Boom. Distraction found. And he gets to beat up Rayner. 

The next day, Jason was slicing up bananas and a pineapple to go in between the layers of the hummingbird cake he was making, when (his brother) Dick wandered in to check on him. 

“Need any help?”

Jason’s knee jerk reaction would’ve been to say no, but something about how close he’d gotten to Dick in the past few months made Jason hold up a banana and the pineapple, “Which would you like to cut? The bananas, or the ananas.”

That caused Dick to grin, “English is so weird. They just had to be special with their pineapple.” 

Jason looked at the fruit in question, “It is pine-y, I’ll give it that, but you can not tell me this looks like an apple in the slightest.”

“It's fragrant, and an excellent fruit. Ananas fit so much better.”

Dick took the pineapple and one of the heavy duty knives, and started chopping it up.

Jason finished slicing the bananas, so he moved onto the cream cheese frosting. 

Dikc had finished cutting off the peel and had moved to quartering the pineapple, “Do you remember the first time we cooked together?”

“The time when we made the sarmale mofongo fusion, just to see if they’d work out, but then the bat signal went off, so we were rushing to finish off Killer Moth before accidentally burning them?”

“That was one crazy night, wasn’t it?” Dick chuckled, “No, I’m talking about the time we were cooking here. I think you were thirteen? Maybe you had just turned fourteen. It was over that summer.”

Jason frowned, trying to remember, but he couldn’t. If this trip was teaching him anything, it was that he didn’t remember as much as he thought he did. He shook his head.

“We made tochitura together.” He could see Dick smile at himself, “You had to climb the counter to reach the cornmeal for the polenta. And, I had made tochitura with Alfred, and on my own, loads of times before then. And I loved Alfred’s cooking, but there was always something missing.” Dick stopped chopping to look at him, “I’ve had this conversation with the Titans in the past, and I guess the feeling is like missing your parent’s cooking.”

Jason nodded, though he doesn’t think he could remember missing their cooking. Just cooking with them. 

“Whenever I cook with you it tastes like… it tastes like them. It tastes like Haley’s. Like a rest stop in the middle of nowhere, and coming back to the stove every five minutes asking when the food will be ready. It tastes like family.” 

“Oh.” Jason suddenly had a really dumb thought, “You had a ratatouille moment?”

Dick blinked, “Oh, fuck you, yes. I did. But I was actually getting somewhere.”

“Yeah?”

“That was the moment I knew you were my family. Just wanted to let you know. And, I’m glad you’re alive.”

“Oh.” Jason cleared his throat, and dipped a spoon into the cream cheese frosting, holding out for Dick. “You’re a good older brother.”

The Columbia Campus was supposed to be smaller than the NYU campus. At least that’s what he read online. So It should be less tiring. Which was why Jay decided to leave his crutches in the car. Dick was starting to suspect something was up with him, and he had to prove to him he was ok.

Not prove per-say, just… show.

And ignore the glare Dick gave him when he said he’d be fine without them. What a hypocrite. When he came to yell at Bruce last year, his leg was hurt and he definitely wasn’t using crutches.

The tour group was much bigger than their tour group for NYU, and the tour guide was definitely giving the vibes of not wanting to be there.

Jay, Dick, and Donna, had started off in the front of the tour group when they were at the Manzanita Welcome Desk, but now that they were fifteen minutes into the tour, they were starting to trickle towards the middle.

He had run around the entire city of Gotham while he was homeless. He was not getting tired walking around 32 acres.

He picked up his pace. 

A mother of a kid on the tour glanced at him in concern, and he gave her a little smile. 

He didn’t need pity. He didn’t need his memory of visiting his dream school to be tainted with the fact that–

No. He’s not even going to think about it right now. He’s just going to finish this tour, talk to some of the academic advisors for the pre-med track, and then, take a big fat nap.

He let himself trickle towards the back of the group, so he wouldn’t hold anyone up. Dick and Donna followed suit.

Donna frowned, “Are you sure you don’t want me to go get your crutches?”

“I’m fine.” but his breaths were coming out heavier. And they were more than a couple steps behind the group now.

The group started to slow as they passed the Alma Mater statue.

The mother from earlier glanced back at them, and then looked at her son pulling out her phone, “Can we pause here? I want to get a photo of my son with the statue.”

The guy’s ear turned pink, “Mom…”

Jay knew she was just being nice. And he was grateful for it, for the wiggle room. But he wasn’t helpless. 

He was Robin for crying out loud. He was fighting 4 rogues a week two months ago. He was doing six flips a night six weeks ago, while dancing and singing. He was carrying bodies out of a building rigged to explode less than a month ago.

Yet he couldn’t even keep up with a stupid tour guide who didn’t even want to be there. 

He was dully aware of the fact that the mother had finished taking pictures, and they were starting up again.

He was panting, like he’d just run a marathon, and both his legs were aching, and his heart was pounding, and–

How much has his health regressed in the past month?

How close was he to–

He felt the blood drain from every limb in his body, leaving his ears ringing. 

The concrete beneath him began to feel like he was lost out in the sea. Tilting from left to right–

Something gripped his upper arm, as he buckled into something firm. Something steady. And he thinks that firm-steady thing was guiding him somewhere.

But he couldn’t breathe. Something was in his trachea and was stopping him from breathing.

What if it was the tumor?

There was a light thumping under his hand, as it slowly rose and fell. “Alright Jason, breathe with me so I don’t look like an idiot over here. In…” His hand rose, “and out…” and fell. 

He tried to take a deep breath as his hand rose, but his breath hitched, causing him to fully break down. All he could hear was the static-y sound of blood rushing back into his ears.

“I can’t…” 

“You breathe every day Jay. In fact–”

“W-What if I can’t. What if it metastasizes? What if I can’t– what if I can’t go here, and, and never become a doctor and–” He let himself build dreams and he could hear the castles crumbling in the distance.

“Jason?” Dick’s voice was quiet, and barely audible. Dragging Jason back to the present.

They were sitting on the steps next to the Alma Mater. Their tour group was farther off, but not close enough to where they could hear them, and Donna was gone.

Jay wiped his cheeks, frowning, “Where’d Donna…” He trailed off when he saw the look on Dick’s face. When he realized the words he’d let slip out. 

“She, uh, she went to go get your crutches.” Dick swallowed, “Jason–” His voice cracked, and his eyes turned glossy. He opened one arm for a hug

Jay’s eyes began to burn again, as he dove into Dick’s embrace, “Please don’t cry.” he mumbled into his shirt.

“I’m not gonna– it’s just allergy season.” though, he could hear how fast Dick’s heart was beating. How short his breaths were. 

“I–” it was just three words. Why could he never bring himself to say it? “My mom… she had cancer.” 

Dick’s heart changed pace, but his voice was even when he next spoke, “I didn’t know that. What type did she have?” 

“Wanky janky bones.”

He felt Dick nod his head slowly.

That was supposed to make him laugh, why wasn’t he laughing?

“Are you sure?”

How much he wished he could say ‘no, I’m not sure, actually, I could just be overthinking’

Jay assumed Dick took his silence as a yes, because he held onto him tighter.

Dick pulled away, to look Jay in the eyes, incredulity clear on his face, “Bruce hasn’t noticed yet, has he? There’s two of them in the manor, how–how’d you get away with– did you not get an x-ray of your knee when you dislocated it? Fuck, you broke it– Is it the same one that’s been bothering you since the musical?”

“...yeah.” Jay undid the velcro to his knee brace and then tightened it. “Uh, I think Bruce forgot about that.”

“Bruce? Forget? We are talking about the same man, right?”

“Yeah…” To be fair, older Jason’s dissociation face was one of the most uncanny valley things Jay’s seen in his life.  “To be fair, I am a master at distraction.”

Dick raised his eyebrows, “Is there a reason you’re not telling Bruce?”

“Well, I…” rip, stick, rip, stick. “I dunno. At first I was makin’ sure everything would be in place so that it wouldn’t be like I was… pullin’ the rug out from under Bruce’s feet.”

Dick looked like the puzzle pieces were falling into place. “So… things will be smoother when you start… chemotherapy.”

Jason nodded and started picking at a hangnail, “And once I got everything in place…I just, I could never find the right time to tell Bruce.” Jay chewed the inside of his cheek, “I was close to tellin’ him last week. Back when we were visitin’ all the kids at Gotham General. And he was talkin’ to one of the dad’s and I don’t think there’s gonna be a way for me to tell Bruce without completely throwing him off kilter because he said– Bruce said, ‘I don’t know what I would do if I found out if one of my sons were sick.’ How am I supposed to tell him now?” He leaned into Dick’s shoulder, “I want to tell him. I need to tell him, but–”

“Jason. There’s no ‘buts’ here.” His voice was soft but firm, “Tomorrow, we’ll go back to Gotham together. We’ll sit Bruce down, and if you can’t bring yourself to tell him, I will. Ok?”

Jay nodded. Throat closing up with another whimper he refused to let out. 

Dick moved his arm so he was holding Jay more comfortably, and rested his chin on Jason’s head, “Te iubesc.”

I love you.

“Dick…” His eyes burned as he lost any semblance of composure he had gained. As more hot tears rolled down his cheeks. As he buried his face in Dick’s shirt. “I’m so scared.”

“Atunci te voi proteja, aripa mea mică. Mereu.”

Then I’ll protect you, my little wing. Always.

Dick called Donna  to ask her to bring the car closer to the Low Memorial Library. They didn’t finish the tour, nor did Jason get to meet with an academic advisor for the pre-med track, they ended up going back to Titans Tower earlier than they had planned

Dick got out of the car and went to help Jay, but he brushed him off, “I’m tired, not helpless.”

Dick opened his mouth like he was about to say something, but stopped himself before he could

This week couldn’t have just been normal like he planned it to be? Why couldn’t his bones just… be normal, and grow how they were supposed to? Why…

Why couldn’t he just have a normal life? 

The doors to the elevator opened and suddenly confetti was littering the air, and the first thing his eyes caught sight of was a banner that said “Happy Retirement!”

He could feel the twin cringes from both Donna and Dick. And, since he was an actor he had to play the part. He turned around with his hand covering his mouth, “You guys… you didn’t have to do this for me.”

But, maybe Dick and Donna were way too visibly anguished to the rest of the Titans, to just brush it off, because they had various levels of confusion and concern written on their faces.

Kori was the first to speak up, “What’s wrong?”

Neither Dick nor Donna answered her question, and Jay shrugged and started crutching towards the couch, “Ooh! Cake.”

Almost immediately after he sat down, Lian came running towards him, and pounced, “Happy we-tiwerd-mend!”

Except, she had jumped right onto his knee. Causing numbness to buzz the area before crackling white hot pain took over. And his stupid dry eyes decided they were going to tear up, again.

Suddenly, Roy was squatting in front of him, like he was a little kid, which he wasn’t. He wasn’t. “Are you ok, Jace?”

“Yeah.” He angrily scrubbed at his eyes. He’s been through worse pain, why was he acting like such a baby now.  “Tibias are so futile.”

Roy looked confused, but still nodded.

He glanced at older Jason, and– “For fucks sake, half of you already know.” He buried his face in his hands. “One of you guys can share with the class.” 

There was a beat of silence before Gar cleared his throat, “Jason, um… Jason has cancer.”

Everyone was frozen in place. Except for Lian, who tugged his sleeve, “What’s cancer?”

Jay gave her a little smile, “It just means I’m sick.”

“Does your tummy hurd? My tummy hurds when I’m sick.”

Jay let out a little chuckle, “Nah, my tummy doesn’t hurt. But I’m a lot more… tired than I used to be.”

“You do look weally tiward.” 

“Thanks, Lian. Now that that’s settled, can we have cake?”

No one answered, except for Lian, “I wan cake too!”

He scooted around Roy so he could reach the coffee table and cut a slice for himself and Lian. And sometime while he had moved to cut the cake, everyone had unfrozen and started to move, but he was ignoring them. He was going to enjoy his cake and ignore the pity. He doesn’t need pity. 

They were currently back in the guest room where Dick was passive aggressively packing his things, “Why did I think this universe would be any different? This whole time–”

“Oi! You say that like he’s already dead.”

“Positive vibes, my ass.” 

“Well, forgive me for trying not to lose my mind while watching different versions of myself die in every single universe we go–”

The door opened, then closed, and there stood younger Dick, “Excuse me, what?” Then he shook his head, “You know what, I– that’s not what I wanted to talk to you guys about, and I’m going to assume that was a hyperbole, and please don’t tell me because I will not be able to focus on what I wanted to talk with you guys about.” He took in a deep breath, “How, in a house filled with detectives, did no one figure out that my brother was sick?”

And that was Dick’s ‘I’m about to beat the shit out of someone’ voice. Jason was going to get the biggest ass beating of his life by Dick– by both Dicks. 

Older Dick sat down on the edge of the bed and ran a hand through his hair, “In hindsight it was so obvious, and I thought something was up a month ago, but I thought he was just depressed. I checked in with him and– I knew something was wrong, I just didn’t think it would be…”

Younger Dick’s eyes flickered towards him and then he frowned, “But you knew.” 

He was going to die again, this time by his brother's hand. God, he always thought he was Cain. “I did try to get Jason to tell Bruce himself. And when it was clear he wasn’t going to do it, I tried to tell Bruce and Alfred myself. It's just… It was like there was always something stopping me from doing so. Either Bruce would cut me off with matters he thought was more important, or something would come up and he’d have to leave.”

“Why–” Younger Dick’s phone began to ring, eyes narrowing when he saw the caller ID, and then cut the call. “It was Bruce. Why–” The phone started to ring again, and Dick hung up again. Then it rang a third time. 

“For fucks sake,” Older Dick answered the call, and motioned for him to answer.

Younger Dick put the phone up to his ear and then frowned, “You’re not my Bruce.” a pause, “Yeah, they’re both here with me right now.” The amount of guilt laced in Dick’s expression could probably fill up an entire swimming pool, “Yeah, he probably didn’t pick up because he’s taking a nap.” Dick handed the phone over to Jason.

He frowned and glanced at Older Dick. Why would Bruce want to just talk to him? “What’s up, Old Man?”

“Nothing really. I just wanted to check in with you. Are you… are you doing alright?”

“...Yeah? Why wouldn’t I–” And then it hit him, “Oh. I forgot it was the 27th.” 

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

He saw the Dicks sign something back and forth between each other– Older Dick explaining what’s up with the 27th. Minus the death part.

“I suppose that’s most likely because it’s not even April in our universe.”

“Yeah. Probably.” Jason paused, “Are… you doing ok?”

“Of course.”

“...ok… I’m gonna give the phone to Dick– Like, our Di- Richard.” he handed the phone over to him.

Younger Dick made eye contact with him and signed, Clearly a retirement party, today of all days, was just a bad idea all around.

Jason shrugged, You didn’t know.

I should have.

Stop with the guilt. Doesn’t create solutions. 

“--Ok, Bruce, I’ll– yeah. Can you give the phone to other Bruce? Dick needs to talk to him.” Younger Dick made a deer in headlight look and Older Dick signed, Tell your B-R-U-C-E that you’re coming. Give him a heads up.

Younger Dick flipped him off and took the phone, pausing for a minute. “Hey Bruce.” his mouth was pressed into a tight line, “We… had to leave earlier than we planned.” Dick’s knee started to bounce, as he looked down to his shoes, “No. There wasn’t any attack or anything. Have you… have you noticed anything about Jason recently?” Dick’s eyes turned glossy, as his face scrunched up, and he looked up at the ceiling.“No– well, Bruce he’s–” Dick sniffled, while older Dick went to put a hand on his shoulder, “Bruce, he–” a tear escaped from his eyes, and he buried his face in his hands, “This… this isn’t really a conversation to have over the phone. I know you’re probably thinking of the–” Dick paused, “No. It’s urgent, but not that urgent. We’re leaving tomorrow anyway.” He let out a shaky breath, “Yeah, I’m coming back to Gotham. For Jason. He wants to tell you. So when he tells you, can you just listen to him? Please?” a watery smile appeared on his face, “Yeah, I’m ok. I’m ok. I didn’t think I would– ugh.” He wiped his eyes, “This is embarrassing.” His eyes began to water again, “I-I love you too. Yeah. See you tomorrow.” Dick hung up and rubbed his eyes pretty aggressively, “Fuck.”

(Author here, I was debating whether or not to include this scene, but yk what, I will)

ABBA.

Jason shouldn’t have expected anything else from Younger Dick. Or any Dick for that matter

It was the next day, and the four of them were currently in the car, with the Dicks in the front, (Dick was driving) and the Jasons in the back. (Jason had lost the battle for the passenger seat.)

Jason glanced at Older Dick who was tapping the steering wheel while humming.

“And here we go again, we know the start, we know the end; Masters of the scene; We've done it all before and now we're back to get some more.”

And then he turned back to Jay and Dick who were both fully into the song, pointing at him with a huge grin on his face, “You know what I mean”

Honestly, it was really fun if he ignored the impending doom of death lurking in the corner.

He grinned, and sang along “Voulez-vous (aha)”

Maybe the sooner they left the reality, the better chance it gave Jay of beating cancer. 

“Voulez-vous (aha)...”

Incongruities must be purged. Jesus, that voice was getting too loud. Where’s his mind-muffler?

The song ended, and– “Is this real? Is this a fanta–” Then is skipped to the next song. 

By Richard, and his little driver’s seat skip button.

“NO GO BACK!!” 

No one skips Queen. He was glad Jay was on the same page as him.

Older Dick glanced over, “Dick, I’m begging you, please don’t. Please. If I have to listen to Jason belt Bohemi–”

Jay looked at Older Dick, through the rearview mirror with hurt laced in his expression, “Are you saying you don’t like my voice?”

“No! Not yours–”

“But… we’re the same person.”

“Bud… you’ve barely hit puberty.”

Jay’s jaw dropped, as Jason had to turn to the window too conceal a laugh.

Jay gave younger Dick’s shoulder his ‘kicked puppy’ expression (that Jason could no loner pull off) and Dick changed the song back. 

“NO!! Wait! What about–”

“Is this real?”

Younger Dick patted his shoulder, “How bad could it possibly be?”

Jay and Jason turned to eachother,“Is this a fantasy?

Older Dick glared at him, “It’s only bad with context–”

Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality”

Jason smirked, “But Dick, Now you have more context.  Open your eyes, look up to the skies and see; I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy; Because I'm easy come, easy go, little high, little low; Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to me, to me.”

Older Dick knocked his head against the steering wheel.

“Mama, just killed a man; Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger, now he's dead; Mama, life had just begun; But now I've gone and thrown it all away”

Dick looked back to him, “Holy fuck, Jaso–”

“Mama, ooh, didn't mean to make you cry; If I'm not back again this time tomorrow; Carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters.

“Too late, my time has come; Sends shivers down my spine, body's aching all the time; Goodbye, everybody, I've got to go; Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth.”

Jay grabbed his arm,“Mama, ooh;I don't wanna– dude… get a therapist.”

Younger Dick looked between Older Dick and Jay, “Am I missing something?”

Jason shrugged, “I see a little silhouetto of a man; Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango?”

Jay… was going to throw up. He was going to puke. Yeah, the car ride was a great distraction, but as soon as the Gotham air hit, it was like a tsunami of anxiety decided to wash him clean.

Alfred met them in the garage, where Dick (his brother) immediately wrapped him in a hug, “Master Dick, it’s lovely to see you.” 

“Yeah, Alfie, you too.”

Jay tried to crutch past the two, but Alfred obviously noticed, “Ah, Master Jason. Master Bruce wishes to speak with you in the library.”

He was going to scream. He was going to scream. He was going to scream. “Oh. Not the study?’

“He specifically requested the library.”

A place where he would be comfortable. Does Bruce know something was up? “Ok.” He glanced at Dick, who gave him a pressed smile and followed him to the library.

And there Bruce was waiting on the couch. With his look of concern slightly masked, “Hello boys.” he was sitting on the corner of the couch, so that Jay could sit closer or farther from him if need be.

Jay sat right next to him, “Hey, Bruce. How was your week with Bruce?” A decent amount of the poetry books they usually read out of were stacked on the coffee table, along with a pot of tea, and some cups. So Bruce knew something was wrong.

He felt the couch dip on the other side of him, and knew Dick sat down.

Bruce moved his arm so that it was behind Jay, resting on the back of the couch, “I suddenly understand why the both of you dislike it when I only communicate like a caveman.” A joke. To lighten up the mood. Bruce barely ever cracks jokes. He cleared his throat when it was obvious the joke didn’t really land, “I couldn’t imagine what losing you would–” Bruce cut himself off. 

Jay looked back at Dick who was making his ‘Wrong step!’ face. 

So… had Dick already told him– no. 

Bruce would’ve had him go straight to Leslie’s clinic. He reached for one of the poetry books on the table. One from “Goblin Market and Other Poems” By Christina Rossetti. Jay leaned his head against Bruce’s chest, and flipped to one of the pages marked with a post it note.

He smirked up at Bruce, “My secret I tell my secret? No indeed, not I: Perhaps some day, who knows? But not to-day; it froze, and blows, and snows, And you're too curious: fie!You want to hear it? Well: Only, my secret's mine, and I won't tell.”

“Jason, you have to tell him.”

“Richard, it’s what’s written on the page.” Jay cleared his throat and looked back down at the book “Or, after all, perhaps there's none: Suppose there is no secret after all, But only just my fun. To-day's a nipping day, a biting day; In which one wants a shawl, A veil, a cloak, and other wraps: I cannot ope to every one who taps, And let the draughts come whistling through my hall; Come bounding and surrounding me, Come buffeting, astounding me, Nipping and clipping through my wraps and all. I wear my mask for warmth: who ever shows, His nose to Russian snows, To be pecked at by every wind that blows? You would not peck? I thank you for good will, Believe, but leave that truth untested still.

“Spring's an expansive time: yet I don't trust; March with its peck of dust, Nor April with its rainbow-crowned brief showers, Nor even May, whose flowers; One frost may wither through the sunless hours.

“Perhaps some languid summer day, When drowsy birds sing less and less, And golden fruit is ripening to excess, If there's not too much sun nor too much cloud, And the warm wind is neither still nor loud, Perhaps my secret I may say, Or you may guess.” Jay looked up at Buce. “Does the self proclaimed world’s greatest detective have a guess?”

Bruce hummed, deep and rumbly to the point where Jay could feel the vibrations, “You’ve decided you want Tim to be the next Robin… because you’ve been tired recently?”

Jay nodded. He could hear Bruce’s heartbeat. Even and strong. His, on the other hand, was racing like a rabbit. 

He flipped the pages to the poem Mirage, “The hope I dreamed of was a dream, ⁠⁠Was but a dream; and now I wake; Exceeding comfortless, and worn, and old, ⁠⁠For a dream's sake.

I hang my harp upon a tree, ⁠⁠A weeping willow in a lake; I hang my silenced harp there, wrung and snapt, ⁠⁠For a dream's sake.

Lie still, lie still, my breaking heart; ⁠⁠My silent heart, lie still and break: Life, and the world, and mine own self, are changed; ⁠⁠For a dream's sake.”

He felt Bruce’s heart do a weird ker-sloosh before evening out again, “Jay… Lad, you don’t have to tell me right now, or at all, if you don’t want to. If you’re not ready to.”

“No. I have to tell you. Cus it’s been at least a month and–”

“At least a month?” Oh, that was his Batman growl.

Jay sat up, “I dunno, I was tryin’ to ignore it, but…”

Dick covered his face with his hands, “Holy… wrong conclusion, Batman.Also, this is a Bruce issue. There’s no one to punch, ok?” He crossed his arms over his chest and sank down into the couch, looking Jay in the eye, then to Bruce, then at Jay’s knee.

He continued flipping through the book, “I’ve been, uh, I’ve been thinkin’ about my mom recently. Kinda because I didn’t realize how many of her mannerisms I have until seein’ ‘em in other Jason. And he’s hers in the ways that count, but he wasn’t even born of her womb.” He cringed at that phrasing, “Not like I was.” He looked up from the page he landed on, tracing the design of the rug with his foot, “Remember when I got that first really bad fever? And then another one and then another one? I– I didn’t want to– I–” He cut himself off as his throat began to close up. 

He already cried in front of Dick, which was bad enough. He had to be strong about this. For Bruce. 

He looked back at the page, “I have no wit, no words, no tears; My heart within me like a stone; Is numb'd too much for hopes or fears; Look right, look left, I dwell alone; I lift mine eyes, but dimm'd with grief; No everlasting hills I see; My life is in the falling leaf:O Jesus, quicken me.

My life is like a faded leaf, My harvest dwindled to a husk: Truly my life is void and brief; And tedious in the barren dusk; My life is like a frozen thing, No bud nor greenness can I see: Yet rise it shall—the sap of Spring;” He took in a deep breath, “Gar basically confirmed it when I saw him, but I kinda knew before.” 

Three words. 

He could say them.

Dick grabbed his hand.

 I…” He felt his lips start to pull down, so he bit the side of his cheek, and looked Bruce in the eyes. And he knew that look. Bruce had put it together, but was just waiting for him to actually say it. To confirm. 

And–

His eyes started to burn, “Dad.”

His vision was too blurry to actually see Bruce’s reaction, but he felt his arms engulf him. He heard his heart against his ear. He felt his hand smooth out the curls on the nape of his neck.

“We’ll figure this out, Jason. I promise.” Bruce murmured, “I promise.”

[atom-writings]

this is very random, but what about the hetalia main eight where their s/o has a dog/cat(ur choice). And the dog/cat is very friendly and loving towards the s/o but not them(it acts cold and sort of just doesnt like them), like how would they react to that?(u dont have to do this if u dont want to its really dumb lmao, either way have a good day)

(Hetalia Main 8 x Reader) S/O’s pet dislikes them.

(Gender Neutral) Headcanons ~ A/N this is a cute request. … .. . ouppy and kitty!!! Sorry this is shorter idk:

Trigger Warning: None, just fluff!

“What, don’t they like me? I didn’t do anything wrong…”

Alfred really cannot tell when animals like or dislike him. To be fair, he’s like that with humans too… but with animals, he just assumes they all love him.

But he’s also not great at being incredibly gentle with them. If you want him to stop riling up your animals you’ve got to just tell him outright.

After that, he’ll just try to bribe them with treats. If he can be bought with food, surely your pet can too. Actually, him and your pet are similar in a lot of ways…

You can literally see how hard it is for him to resist petting them (especially if it’s a dog… he loves dogs so much,) but he’ll wait until they come to him first.

“Alright well… these things can take time I suppose. They’ll like me eventually, right?”

Arthur doesn’t take it personally. He’s had a lot of animals of his own, and they’ve all hated him at the start as well. He’ll just be patient.

 But also all the pets he’s had before have been like… sheep or rats so he’s not sure how to handle your more average pets. Hopefully they don’t care if he doesn’t pet them a lot.

He says he doesn’t care that much, but you’ve also caught him sneaking your pet little pieces of dinner (he’s nearly as bad as Alfred!)

In general, he doesn’t care much for most animals, but he absolutely adores yours. The first time they act affectionately towards him, he immediately calls you excitedly.

“Aw, why are you running away? I will just catch you again!”

He’s definitely taking it a little personally. He hasn’t had a lot of pets that weren’t birds so he’s not used to normal animal affection. He definitely needs assurance from you that they’ll love him eventually…

But until then, he’s just gonna force your pet to be around him. Even if they hate it, he’s gonna be super affectionate. 

Hopefully they don’t get too pissed off about it. It breaks his heart just a little that they won’t reciprocate. They like you and not him?!

Once they finally do, he nearly bursts into tears. He takes about a million photos and immediately sends all of them to you.

“Aiyah! Fine, then I do not like you either. Even when you’re so cute…”

Yao has lots of pets himself. That love he has for you absolutely extends to your animals. When they don’t love him back, well, he has nothing but time!

A lot of the time, he’ll just sit next to them, trying to get them more comfortable. He would never force them to be affectionate with him, even though he just wants to grab them and squeeze them-

Once they start crawling in his lap on their own volition, he’s cuddling with them all the time! If your pets weren’t spoiled before, they will be now.

“Y/N, can’t you make them like me? It makes me feel bad…”

Ivan is used to rejection, but not rejection from something so adorable! He takes it very personally… he’ll act like he’s not upset but he really is. After all, your pets are important to you, so he’ll have to love them too

He doesn’t know how to make them warm up to him, so he just tries everything at once. This of course… does not work. Which probably only makes him more upset

But once you tell him to just leave them alone, he listens. Soon enough your pet will be crawling all over him, and he’ll be losing his mind about it. Animals have never liked him before, but just like you, your pet is finally an exception.

“Come here little kit- Ouch! Why would you hurt me when I’m trying to love you?!”

Just like he is with you, Feliciano is not familiar with “taking it slow.” As soon as he can, he tries grabbing and playing with your pet. If they resist, he’ll be a little hurt.

He’s much better with cats than he is with dogs. If you have a cat, he’ll try playing with them and laying next to them whenever he can. If you have a dog, he’ll ask to take it on walks just the two of them.

Considering how lovable he is, surely your pet will warm up quickly. And when they do, he couldn’t be more ecstatic.

“Oh no, did I do something wrong? They don’t seem to like me very much…”

Considering how many dogs Ludwig has had, he’s really not used to this. Animals tend to love him on sight, so he’s not sure how to proceed from there.

So, he researches. Soon you’ll see him just hanging out around them, trying to get them more comfortable. Plus, he’ll buy lots of treats he’s sure they’ll like. Anything to get them loving him as quick as possible.

And once they do, that pet is as important to him as it is to you. Even if things were awkward at the start.

“Ah. That’s too bad. Maybe they will warm up to me later.”

Frankly, Kiku does not care that much. He won’t take it personally. He knows that most animals (... and many people) can find him hard to warm up to. But your pet will be seeing him a lot, so it will be fine in the long run.

If he buys your pet anything, it’s not to manipulate them into liking him or anything. He just thinks your pet is super cute and deserves it.

When they do finally come to him, he’s super excited. Even though he doesn’t seem like it. He’ll call you into the room and then just point at your pet like “!!!” After that, that animal is getting all the love and affection he can possibly give.

[jjunberry]

ATTENTION! — Part 6 ✎

Over the next few days Y/n spent all her time with Taehyun. She played games with him sometimes streaming. He even introduced her to his friends. For the first time in a long time Y/n felt happy.

She was busy at the shop today, seeing as Beomgyu called off again. He’s been to busy with his current girl to notice how Y/n hasn’t been spamming him tiktoks, or asking him to come in and help at work. Infact she hasn’t even thought of Beomgyu lately.

She’s been so happy hanging out with Taehyun to even notice Beomgyu was spending time with another girl.

The bell above the door rang catching Y/n’s attention. She looked up hoping to see Taehyun but it was Yeonjun. “Hi Junnie.” she greeted the older boy. “Hi, I brought you that sweet bread from next door.” He handed her the bag. The girl grabbed the bag excitedly inhaling the smell. “ Junnie I love you thank you.” “You only love me because I bring you food.” She gasped. “That is so true.”

The two laughed. Yeonjun always brought her food when he wasn’t busy. “Alright I got to head back just wanted to stop and see you. You’re happier keep that smile.” He gave her a hug before heading out.

Yeonjun always looked out for Y/n and her happiness. She appreciates him more than he’ll ever know. The hours at the shop dragged by. Around 4pm the bell above the door rang again this time with two voices entering.

“Taehyun you HAVE to get me Pokémon Pearl I need it I might die without it.” Kai followed behind Taehyun into the store. She giggled at the pair. “Hi boys.” Kai rushed up to the counter. “Y/n make him buy me Pokémon Pearl.” Y/n looked at Taehyun who rolled his eyes.

“Kai I have the game, you can have my copy.” She said. Kai let out a squeal you would think only dogs could hear. He hugged the girl. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” She laughed hugging him back. Kai let her go to go look at their newest shipment of old Wii games.

Taehyun leaned forward on the counter. “Y/n, I need some recommendations. My followers are requesting we play more games together.” Y/n blushed. She couldn’t help it. Taehyun made her nervous..in a good way.

She thought about what games to play together. Then the idea hit her. “Oh we should play Animal Crossing!” Taehyun smiled at her excitement. “We can be island friends and I’ll help you start.” She was rambling again. Taehyun watched her in aw. His heart swelled.

“Okay sounds perfect. I’ll buy it today. Do you work tomorrow?” She shook her head no. “Do you want to have an all nighter stream?” He asked. “I would love that!” He smiled. “Great come to my place after work.” She nodded.

He paid for the game and left. Kai made her swear to bring her copy of Pokémon Pearl.

When Y/n arrived at Taehyun’s house she was greeted by Soobin and Kai. “Hi boys.” She waved. Soobin gave the girl a small smile while Kai just about squeezed her to death in a hug. Her eyes scanned the room. Soobin chuckled. “He’s upstairs getting the stream ready, he’s excited.” The girl blushed.

Y/n found Taehyun’s room. He looked frantic getting things together. “Hi Hyunie.” She greeted. The boy let out a scream turning towards her with his hand over his heart. “Jeez Y/n you scared me!” She giggled which made him laugh too. “I’m sorry Hyunie.” He blushed at the nickname.

Yeah it was his streaming name but it felt different hearing her say it. His heart was racing. The way she made him feel scared him.

She took a seat in the chair next to his. Y/n turned her switch on excited. “I’m so happy you’re playing this with me!” Taehyun smiled. He was just happy she was here. Taehyun started his stream greeting his viewers.

“Okay everyone today we are doing something different. Y/n and I are going to play some Animal Crossing.” She waved at the camera while he explained what the plan was. He started up his game.

She helped him pick a good island to begin. His eyes scanned her screen. “Y/n why is your character so cute? mine looks like he just got ran over.” The girl burst into a fit of laughter. “Hyunie you have to earn bells!” Her laughter was like heaven to him. All he wanted was to see her happy and laughing.

chat: she called him hyunie😭

chat: bro thats his name??

chat: yeah but they obviously like each other

“My island is so ugly.” He said. Y/n laughed. “Don’t worry I’ll help you.” He smiled. He began setting up his tent and his residents tents. “These little villagers sound like Kai.” Taehyun mumbled. The girl giggled.

kai in chat: UNPROVOKED.

chat: 😭😭

“Hyunie I have gifts for you open the airport.” Taehyun’s eyebrows furrowed. “Now how do I do that?” His confused face was so cute the girl thought. “Here.” she leaned over grabbing his joycons. She was so close. Taehyun hopped the girl didn’t hear his heart beating so fast. She opened his airport and returned to her spot. He missed her closeness.

chat: bro looks like he’s gonna combust he’s so into her

chat: he’s down astronomical

His eyes scanned the chat. Was he really being that obvious? Y/n entered his island. She went to him and dropped of the gifts. Taehyun smiled. “Thank you.” He said. She smiled. “Thank you it’s nice to help the less fortunate.” Taehyun stared at her.

She giggled. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding.” He shoved her shoulder laughing as well.

chat: they’re so into each other its so painfully obvious

chat: look at them together <33

kai in chat: he’s rizzing her up 😨

The two shared laughter as they played. Y/n felt so carefree with Taehyun. Not constantly walking on eggshells like it is with Beomgyu. Taehyun made her feel better, made her feel cared for. She didn’t want to lose that.

It was late, Taehyun insisted she stayed over. She gave into his pleas. He offered his room and he took the couch.

“Bro you’re so down bad.” Kai said standing in the kitchen eating dry cereal. “Fuck off kai.” Taehyun groaned covering his face. Fuck was he?

masterlist

tag list! @jjunieworld @304files @run2seob @gyutarling @hhoneylix @crybabyzo3y (if your name is bold it wouldn’t let me tag you)

author’s note! taehyun is rizzing her up y’all, i hope everyone is enjoying this so far <33

love, Echo🖤

© jjunberry