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zepskies · 3 days

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Every Second Counts - Part 2

Pairing: Russell Shaw x F. Reader

Summary: One date with your best friend’s brother leaves you wanting more, even though his questionable job and vagabond lifestyle make you want to guard your heart. When your brother falls into trouble, however, Russell is the one you trust to help you find him.

AN: I decided to put this chapter out a bit early due to some Father's Day stuff tomorrow. I was blown away by the response from you guys on Part 1!! Thank you so much. 🥰 I had some trepidation writing a new character, but I'm so glad you guys seem to enjoy where this little series is going so far. It makes me even more excited to bring you the next chapter of ESC! 💜

Song Inspo: “Too Late” by The Paper Kites

Word Count: 5.3K

Tags/Warnings: Shaw family feels, a bit of mystery, tinge of fluff and mutual pining, and a twist…

💜 Series Masterlist

Part 2: “Family Reunion”

The next day after he left, you finally managed to get Charlie on the phone. He implored you not to try and find him.

He claimed he was staying with a friend for now, and was picking up some odd jobs through a connection at the museum—another security guard who knew how to get extra work.

“What kind of extra work?” you asked. You sunk back into the couch in your living room and held a hand to your aching head. You had already lost sleep over this, worrying about where he was and what the hell he was doing.

“It’s better that you don’t know,” Charlie said.

He really knew how to frustrate you to the nth degree.

“Charlie, just come home. Please,” you said. Tears burned in your eyes, choking your words. “I’m sorry for what I said, okay? We’ll figure this out together, I promise.”

You heard him sigh.

“You had a right to be mad,” he said. “I’m the big brother, remember? But I’m…I’m a fucking mess. You shouldn’t have to take care of me.”

“We take care of each other, and you know that,” you said sharply, wiping at your eyes in frustration.

“Listen, I’ll come home when I can, okay? Be good.”

“Charlie! Ch—” The call ended, and you nearly tossed your phone in aggravation.

“That stubborn fucking idiot,” you muttered.

Four months later, your worry was eating you alive.

Charlie refused to come home or tell you where he was staying. The only time you got to see him was when you visited him on his night shift at the museum. You tried to talk him into coming home, but your brother remained stubborn.

“You get that from Dad,” you’d told him once, while watching him eat some leftover meatloaf you’d made for him. The two of you stood outside the museum on his break.

Charlie had smirked at you. “Yeah, well, you share the disease.”

You’d rolled your eyes at that.

But just when you thought you were starting to get through to him, now, he’d stopped answering your calls. For that matter, the museum hadn’t even seen or heard from him in a week or so.

So here you sat, in the living room of Dory’s apartment, crying into a jar of Nutella that you’d long ago stopped spreading over the strawberries she’d laid out. You had a chocolate-covered butterknife in one hand and a used Kleenex in the other.

Dory was sat next to you on the couch, rubbing your back with sympathy and concern in her own eyes.

“You should call the police,” she advised.

You’d thought of that, but if Charlie was doing something he wasn’t supposed to, then depending on what it was, you didn’t want necessarily want him locked up in a cell. He wasn’t a bad person, he was just…lost. You wanted him to get help.

You set down the butterknife beside the jar and turned to her, after drying your eyes the best you could.

“Do you think your brother would be willing to come back to Wyoming?” you said. After a beat of hesitation, you specified:

“Colter, the tracker.”

You hadn’t had a chance to meet him when he dropped in a couple of months ago, but she’d told you about his brief visit to find a graduate student who had been kidnapped, and nearly killed by a professor in the Sciences department for uncovering a flaw in the man’s research. That flaw would have costed him his entire grant, and possibly his career and reputation.

The terrible incident had caused an uproar on campus. Students were released from their classes for an entire day after the professor was arrested.

Now, Dory considered your question with a thoughtful nod. “I’ll call him.”

You were grateful, but your face became pained as something occurred to you. You held up a hand.

“Wait, I just realized I can’t pay him,” you said. You didn’t have more than a thousand dollars in your savings account, and that was for emergencies. Like the time Charlie nearly burned the house down after a lighting mishap with his bong.

“Oh, sweetie, don’t worry about that,” Dory said. She laid a comforting hand on your arm. “He’d do this as a favor to me.”

“I don’t know,” you replied, your brows furrowing. “That’s a pretty big favor.”

She’d told you what some of Colter’s fees could run up to, but she tried to quell your reservations and promised to call him regardless.

However, the more you thought about it, you already had a phone number in your cell…for the one person who would understand the part of your brother that you might never be able to.

After you left Dory’s apartment, you debated the idea in your head for the entire drive home.

And when you got to the house, you picked up your cell, and you called him. Your nerves had you pacing back and forth across the living room as it rang.

“Hey, sweetheart.”

You couldn’t help smiling just at the sound of his voice, smooth and pleased, and a hint surprised.

“Hey,” you replied, biting your lip. “How are you?”

“I’m good. You’ve got good timing too. I just came off a job,” he said.

“Oh really? Where are you?”

“Well, I’m states-side now. Just got back from South America.”

“Oh, wow,” you said, blinking incredulously.

What the hell was he doing there? you had to wonder. Maybe he was protecting some Latin American emissary. Or maybe, he was doing things you didn’t want to think about. Your brother had filled you in a bit about civilian contract jobs in recent weeks, as he’d considered going after those himself.

“They can pay very well, from what I hear,” Charlie had said. “The problem with that is, it kind of defeats the purpose of leaving the military.”

Despite that mildly troubling thought, you tried to focus on the fact that you had this man on the phone at all.

A smile formed across your lips. “Did you get yourself a nice tan?”

“Eh, not really. Was more of a night job,” he said. “But uh…how are you doing? Not gonna lie, I’m surprised to hear from you.”

“Yeah, I’m…I’m not all that good, if I’m honest,” you said.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. You heard the concern in his voice. You steeled yourself before you answered.

“Russell, I’m sorry, but I need to ask you for a big favor.”

“Hmm, this sounds serious,” he said.

“Yeah, it is,” you agreed. When you next took a breath, it came out unsteady. “My brother’s missing.”

It was a bright Saturday morning when you welcomed Russell Shaw into your house. He looked around, finding family pictures, bookshelves, paintings, candles, all things that began to shade in who you were in the comfort of your home.

“It’s nice,” he said. “It’s uh, homey.”

You smiled and closed the door behind him.

“Well, it’s the house we grew up in,” you replied.

You and Charlie had of course inherited it after your parents’ passing. Their life insurance policies had helped pay off the three-bedroom house while you two were still in school. Your grandparents helped a lot back then too, and had even moved in for a time. Now they each had plots beside your parents at Grandview Cemetery.

“You want some coffee? I know you had a long drive,” you asked.

“Sure,” Russell agreed. He followed you to the kitchen, where you put on the coffee pot. You made a discreet glance at him. He looked virtually the same, with that familiar green jacket, jeans, boots, and a Jimi Hendrix shirt. You'd had a feeling he was a classic rock guy.

“Look, not that I wasn’t glad to get your call,” Russell said, “but you do know that I’m not the tracker in the family, right?”

“Dory did offer to call Colter, but I can’t afford to pay him,” you said.

“I could help with that,” said Russell. You raised up a hand to stop him there.

“I don’t want that kind of help from you,” you said firmly. “I didn’t call you for money, Russell. I called you because you’ll probably understand where Charlie’s head’s at. Better than me, anyway.”

He hesitated, but nodded in understanding. When the coffeemaker dinged, finished percolating, you turned to make him a mug with cream and sugar, as per his request.

While he waited for the coffee to cool, he admired you for a moment. Even in a plain V-neck shirt and a pair of jeans, your hair swung up in a ponytail, you were still a sight. (Your lipstick did match your shirt though. That made him smile.)

And Russell could admit, it was good to see you again.

“Me and Colter reconnected recently. Did Dory tell you?” he said.

Your brows raised high in surprise. “Oh yeah?”

The two of you found your way back to the living room with your mugs.

“Yeah. We talked for the first time in…shit, over twenty years,” Russell laughed, raking a hand through his hair.

Not only had he been able to say his piece to Colter about their…family issues, they’d also solved a case of their own, with Colter agreeing to help him find his friend Doug, who worked for the same black ops contract agency as Russell. The Horizon Group.

The aftermath of that still left Russell with a bitter taste in his mouth when he thought of how Horizon would’ve left Doug to rot, if it hadn’t been for him and Colter pressing their luck and digging deeper into who’d taken his friend.

That whole mess had also made Russell begin to wonder if maybe he needed a new line of work after all. But, because the money was just that good, he’d ended up on a new job by the end of the month.

Your voice soon broke him from his thoughts.

“I’m glad to hear that,” you said. You reached over and touched his arm, with warmth in your eyes.

Russell gave you a smile. The closeness between you brought up memories of that dusty bar, and the taste of lime and tequila on your soft, supple lips. But you subtly cleared your throat and took your hand back. He hid a twinge of disappointment.

“So what’s going on with your brother?” Russell asked.

Get back on track, he reminded himself.

You sighed. “Damn Charlie.”

Over coffee, you explained that Charlie took off a few months ago, the night you got back from the bar. You had seen him only briefly, whenever you were able to catch him at the museum after work. He’d been keeping in touch with you on a weekly basis, but now, he hadn’t called in almost two weeks. You couldn’t get ahold of him on any of the numbers you had. They all seemed to be burner phones. Plus, he’d been let go from his job at the museum after not showing up for the past week.

“What’s he into, extracurricular-wise?” Russell asked.

“I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell me,” you said in frustration. Tears prickled at your eyes, and your lower lip trembled. “He said it was safer that way.”

Russell laid a supportive hand over yours, earning your watery gaze.

“And you haven’t gone to the police?” he asked.

“I think he’s gotten into something…dangerous. I don’t want to get him in more trouble than he might be already,” you said. “I just want him to get help for his problems. Physically and mentally.”

Russell nodded. He understood that you wanted to protect your brother. Sometimes though, getting into “trouble” was the rock bottom someone needed in order to face their problems.

“Does he have friends?” he asked. “Some kinda crowd he hangs around with?”

“Not anymore. I think he’s lost touch with his Air Force buddies,” you said, though you tried to think. Your brows furrowed as something occurred to you. “He knew someone at work, at the museum. Another security guard on his same shift. After they cut his hours down to part-time, Charlie said the guy knew how to get extra work.”

“Okay, that’s definitely where we start,” said Russell. “Let me just give Dory a call. If I don’t let her know I’m in town, I don’t even wanna know the consequences.”

You laughed through your tears and tried to brush them away.

“Yeah, do that. I wouldn’t want to get you in trouble.”

Russell took one look at you, and he tightened his hold on your hand.

“Hey,” he said.

You glanced up at him, as tears clung to your lashes. His heart couldn’t help but clench for you. He really didn’t like to see you like this.

“We’re gonna find him. You’ve got my word,” he said.

You were desperate to believe him. So you nodded, sniffling as you tried and failed to keep yourself together. You were scared, for the first time in a long time.

“All right, come ‘ere,” Russell said. When he guided you into his arms, you went willingly. You pressed your face into his chest to hide your weeping. His hold was warm and strong enough to make you feel secure. Just for this moment, you didn’t have to pretend you had everything handled.

“He’s the only family I have,” you reminded him. He nodded.

“I hear ya. We’ll get him home,” he said. “And I am going to call Colter. Don’t worry about the rest. I’ll square it up with him.”

“Russell—” you protested, but he just squeezed you playfully.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll pull big brother rank. He’s got no choice,” he joked.

You shook your head, but you allowed him to comfort you for a bit longer. Because all too soon, you’d have to steel yourself again. You’d have to be the version of yourself that you always had to be, ever since you were fourteen years old.

You invited Dory over to your house, where the three of you were soon joined by the last of the Shaw siblings: the one you had yet to meet.

Colter made it in time for dinner that afternoon. The tall blonde took up your doorway with his broad shoulders and offered you a polite smile, along with his hand.

“Hi, I’m Colter,” he said.

You mentally tripped up a bit as you shook his hand and gave him your name. Did all the Shaw siblings have to be so damn attractive?

“Uh, yes, please come in.” You ushered him into your home and led him into the living room, where Russell stood from the couch.

“Ahh, there he is,” Russell grinned, slapping his younger brother on the shoulder.

“Here you are,” Colter gestured at him. “Where the hell did you take off to after last time?”

“Ah, you know. Argentina was fun.”

“I’m sure it was.”

You paused in the doorway, just watching the brothers in mystification. Dory shot you a questioning look as she came over from the kitchen. You met her with raised brows.

“What?” Dory asked. A smile played on her lips.

“Do all of you have to be so unbelievably pretty?” you whispered over to her. Dory smirked and bumped your shoulder, nodding at Colter.

“What, you wanna make out with him too?” she teased.

Your mouth dropped open in disbelief. Dory just laughed and moved on to say hello to the other blonde. She pulled him down into a hug, and he reciprocated warmly.

Russell then laid a hand on Colter’s shoulder, as well as Dory’s. He wore a big, proud grin.

“Hey. Look at us, huh?” he said.

Dory sniffed as tears welled up in her eyes, looking up at both of her brothers. Colter wore a more reserved smile, but he did wrap an arm around his sister and thump his older brother on the back.

You smiled. You were lingering by the kitchen doorway. If nothing else, you were glad that this whole mess had been able to bring Dory back together with her family.

You decided to give them a moment, and you wandered back into the kitchen. There you took a beat for yourself, mainly to breathe.

When you again thought of Charlie, you had to wonder just what the hell he’d gotten himself into.

Later, the four of you sat in the living room so you could explain everything you knew so far to Colter. He took all the information in with a pensive expression that didn’t reveal much to you.

“So you said he was struggling?” he said.

“Yes, after he got out of the military,” you confessed. “He had a hard time figuring himself out. I got him the job at the museum, but I don’t think it was enough for him.”

“Why is that?” Colter asked. He saw that you were reluctant to explain. “I need to know the full picture of who Charlie is if I’m going to be able to figure out his probable moves.”

You sighed. “Well, he was seeing a VA psychiatrist for a while. They wanted to put him on antidepressants, but he stopped going. He…started self-medicating instead.”

That part was hard to admit, but it was the truth. You couldn’t pretend it wasn’t any longer.

“What substances?” Colter asked.

“Alcohol, mainly,” you replied. “At his worst, there were hard drugs, but I got him to tone it down just to weed every now and then.”

You bit at your thumbnail out of habit, but you forced yourself to stop, folding your hands in your lap. You didn’t see judgment in Colter’s eyes, just him taking in the information. You couldn’t help but glance at Dory, where you found her sympathy. She knew enough about what you’d been dealing with for the past few years. Russell seemed understanding as well.

“Anything else I should know?” Colter asked. You shook your head. You felt bad about revealing Charlie’s business like this, but you knew it was the only way to help him. Still, you felt you had to defend him a little.

“Look, my brother has his problems, but he’s a good man,” you said. “He, um…he basically half raised me, after our parents died.”

Dory also knew this story. She rested a hand on your back, and you gave her what smile you could.

“How old were you?” Russell asked. He earned your attention, and you met his sympathetic gaze.

“Fourteen,” you answered. “It was a car accident.”

He took that in, nodding slowly. “I’m sorry.”

The way he met your eyes when he said it, you believed him. You subtly cleared your throat and directed the conversation back.

“So, I don’t have a lot of money. But I can give you something for your services,” you said to Colter. Both Russell and Dory met you with similar looks.

“I’ve got it,” Dory says, before Russell had the chance. Colter waved her off though.

“In this case, it’s not necessary,” he said, focusing on you again. “So Charlie was working at the local museum?”

You breathed a note of relief at his generosity. Dory, Russell, and now Colter…they were all good people in their own way. You felt emotion rise in your throat.

“Yes, it’s about ten minutes away,” you managed to reply. “It’s closed now, but his coworker could be on shift. They always have security in place.”

You grabbed your purse to go with them when Colter and Russell stood, but the former raised a placating hand.

“It’s best if you stayed here,” Colter said.

Your brows rose. “I don’t think so.”

Colter’s mouth parted, and he blinked, like he hadn’t expected you to push back quite like that; calm and matter of fact.

“Ah, well, it’s really for your safety—”

“I’m not going to sit and wait,” you said. “That’s all I’ve been doing for months. I may not be an expert tracker, or have been in the army, but I do know my brother. And we are going to find him.”

Behind you, Dory was giving Colter a warning shake of her head. She knew just how stubborn you could be. Meanwhile, Russell came up on your other side with a smile.

“What’s the harm in her coming along to the museum?” he said, sliding his brother a teasing look. “Unless the T. rex wakes up all the mummies, Ben Stiller style.”

You wanted to point out that that wasn’t exactly the plot of Night at the Museum, but you held it in with a smile. You gave Colter an expectant look.

He sighed at Russell’s antics, but he turned to you with a nod.

“Okay, let’s go,” he said.

“I’ll head home then,” said Dory. “Call me if you need anything.”

You gave her a hug after she gathered up her purse.

“Thank you,” you whispered.

“It’s going to be okay,” she said, rubbing your back. “Colter’s the best.”

“All right, fine. And what am I? Chopped liver?” Russell remarked, gesturing wide with his hands. You all filtered out of your house, and you locked the door behind you.

“Oh, you’re special, all right,” Dory quipped back, but she gave her eldest brother a warm hug as well, then patted Colter on the arm before she left.

Russell shot Colter a playful smirk. “I got the hug.”

Colter rolled his eyes and pointed over to his big pickup truck.

“Just get in the car, please.”

You had to smile at all their sibling teasing. It reminded you of how you and Charlie used to cut up, when things were good. On your way down the driveway, you hesitated by the Chevy Chevelle parked next to your own car. She was still black and sleek and beautiful.

You happened to glance up, and there was Russell, getting into his brother’s pickup. He winked at you across the driveway. You turned your face to hide your smile (and your blush) as you climbed into your car.

Colter noted the exchange when he buckled up into the driver’s seat. He watched Russell do the same on the passenger side, all while wearing a certain smile on his face. When he noticed how Colter was looking at him, his brows raised.

“What?” said Russell.

“What was that?” Colter asked.

“Nothing.”

“Yeah, right,” Colter chuckled. He began to pull the car out of the driveway after you in your car, so he could follow you. “What, do you two have a thing or something? Is that why she called you before me?”

Russell shrugged, but his smile was telling. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Mhmm. Convincing,” Colter said, but his lips tugged upward as well. His good humor diminished though, when he considered the last time he saw his brother. “How’s the arm?”

Russell gave a thumbs up with his left arm—the one that previously had a bullet run through it. It was still healing, even now.

“It’s good,” he said.

“Did you see a doctor?”

“Sure did.”

Riiiight. Another thing Colter wasn’t sure was the truth, but he’d give Russell that one.

“And that unfinished business?” Colter asked.

Russell’s smile faded, but he nodded. “Finished.”

After a moment, Colter nodded as well.

“Okay,” he said.

Something occured to him then. He paused, and he reached into his pocket. He held up a small, closed pocketknife with a wooden handle, and he gave it back to Russell. It had the man's name carved on the side.

Russell's smile returned as he flipped the old keepsake through his fingers.

"Thanks for keeping it safe for me," he said.

Colter smiled back. "Thanks for trusting me with it."

Colter parked next to you at the museum. It was closed, but the security guard, Jimmy, did know your brother.

“I haven’t seen Charlie since he quit last week,” Jimmy claimed.

“He quit?” you said. “They told me he just never came back.”

“Yeah, well, same thing,” he said.

The front doors of the museum opened, and out came Dr. Feinman, your former boss, and the Head Manager. You left Jimmy’s questioning up to Russell and Colter with a meaningful look, and you went to intercept Feinman.

“Hi, sir, how’re you doing?” you asked. Your name fell from his lips in surprise.

“My dear, it’s good to see you, but why are you here after hours?” he asked, his British accent lilting.

“I’m trying to find Charlie. He’s been missing, well, officially for about a week,” you said. “I was actually surprised to see you here so late.”

The man cleared his throat. He smoothed a hand over his tie and suit jacket.

“Yes, well, we could’ve used Charlie’s help. We’ve had to double our security efforts,” he said. “We’re currently dealing with a sensitive issue, so the museum will be closed until it is resolved.”

“You’re doubling your security efforts… Was something stolen?” you asked.

Feinman clearly didn’t want to tell you this, but you knew you’d hit the nail on the head by the look on his face.

“Please, keep that information to yourself,” he said.

“What was stolen?” you asked in concern.

“I’m afraid I cannot disclose that information. Not even for you, dear,” he said. “I do hope you find your brother though.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that, and as a matter of fact,” you began, but Feinman waved an apologetic hand.

“I’m sorry, I’m afraid I’m in a terrible rush just now. But call my office tomorrow and Brenda will help you with whatever you may need,” he said. “Good evening.”

“Wait, Dr. Feinman,” you tried, but he was already breezing past you and heading toward his Mercedes in the parking lot.

Meanwhile, Colter and Russell weren’t having much better luck with Jimmy.

“Look, I really don’t know where Charlie is,” he said. “Haven’t seen or heard from him since he took off.”

“He said you connected him with someone who could give him some work on the sly,” Russell said, leveling a hand at the man’s chest. “Who did you connect him with, and what kind of work are we talking?”

Jimmy blew out a breath, like this was really inconveniencing his day. (Or night, at this point.)

“What, you’ve got somewhere to be?” Colter said. “You’re getting paid to stand right here, and we have no problem sharing your shift all night. You might as well just tell us what we want to know.”

Jimmy rubbed the back of his neck in annoyance.

“All right,” he snapped. “I hooked him up with this guy I knew through a mutual acquaintance, who just needed some muscle. I guess you could call it private security.”

“A mutual acquaintance?” Colter repeated.

“What’re you, James Bond? Who did you connect him with?” Russell pressed.

Jimmy was reluctant to talk. You came back over to join them, and the security guard became even more tight-lipped.

“You guys should go. I don’t have to talk to you, and I’ve got a job to do,” he said.

When he tried to continue his patrol around the museum, you stepped deliberately in his way. You didn’t have the patience for this, and you would no longer be a doormat, letting the Goldsteins and the Feinmans of this world push past you.

“Look, Jimmy, if you don’t give us something we can go on to find my brother, you know where I’m going to go?” you asked. But you spoke before he could respond. “To the police. And your name is the only one I have to give them. Now, if you don’t want that to be you, then give me a different name.”

Jimmy looked down at you, and then over at your intimidating shadows, Russell and Colter. Jimmy sighed.

“Eddie,” he gave, finally.

Russell raised his hands, as if to say, Is that it?

“What, Eddie Vedder? Eddie who? Come on,” Russell said.

“Eddie Mendez,” Jimmy replied in a lowered voice. “I don’t know where he lives. I don’t have his number. And that 'mutual acquaintance' is doing some time in lockup. But Eddie hangs out at a bar called Howley’s.”

You and Russell shared a meaningful look at that. You turned back to Jimmy.

“Okay. What was stolen here at the museum?” you said. “That’s why it’s been closed, right?”

“I don’t know,” Jimmy said. “I wasn’t on shift, and Dr. Feinman keeps a tight lid on that kind of thing.”

“We’ll need to get into his office then,” Colter said.

You blinked wider at Colter. Wait, was he really suggesting you guys break into the museum?

Jimmy pointed to the black device attached to the ceiling above them.

“See the cameras?” he said. “That's not happening on my dime.”

Colter looked up, and he saw the cameras strategically installed across the front of the museum.

“Then take us where the cameras don’t see,” he said.

You, Colter, and Russell were able to break into the museum via a storage unit door, thanks to Jimmy’s texted instructions. You couldn’t believe you were actually doing this, but it was for Charlie, you reminded yourself.

You remembered where to find Feinman’s office. You paid for a lot of your undergrad expenses, namely your books and tuition, by working full-time as an office assistant here, and the occasional tour guide.

You led them to the room where the inventory records were kept. Colter gave you his gloves so you didn’t leave prints, and you were able to pinpoint what was labelled as missing from the latest shipment.

“Oh great,” you muttered.

“What was taken?” Colter asked.

“A collection of Native American weapons. Dated almost eight hundred years old,” you said, shaking your head. “The collection is valued at $1.5 million dollars.”

Russell and Colter shared a look.

“That’s some big motive,” Russell said.

“When did they go missing?” Colter asked.

“Almost two weeks ago,” you said. Your brows furrowed the more you read, as you realized something. “Just a few days before Charlie left the museum…”

The timing wasn’t lost on anyone. But if Charlie was a suspect, Feinman hadn’t let on to that at all. You checked the exact date the artifacts went missing again: a Tuesday night. Charlie didn’t typically work on Mondays or Tuesdays, you realized. And he’d left after the artifacts went missing. So maybe they hadn’t thought to question him yet. One small blessing.

You sighed. With that information gathered, the three of you put back everything you uncovered and left the building the same way you came in. Jimmy was nowhere in sight, probably patrolling the other end of the museum on purpose.

When you all made it back to the parking lot, you turned to Colter and Russell.

“Okay, what’s next?” you asked. “Howley’s right? To find Eddie.”

“Actually, I think it’s best Russell and I take it from here,” Colter said. “We don’t know what kind of character Eddie Mendez is, but from how reluctant Jimmy was to tell us, it doesn’t sound good.”

You opened your mouth to argue, but Russell drew closer and touched your arm. You could see in his face that he agreed with his brother, even though he hadn’t said anything yet.

“Look, you’ve been a huge help,” he said. “But let us work on this, okay? We’ll call you when we find something.”

Still, your lips pursed. “Russell, he’s my brother.”

“I know. Punching out drunks is one thing, but this might be a little different,” he said, grasping your arms gently. “Will you give me some peace of mind, knowing you’re home safe?”

He brushed one of his thumbs along your skin. Already you had goosebumps. From the cold chill on the air, or from him, you weren’t sure. But that simple touch, along with his earnest, imploring gaze broke you down.

“All right. I get it. I’m not the Special Ops guy,” you said. “But call me afterward so I know how it went.”

“Okay, will do,” Russell agreed. He let you go so you could go to your car. You shot the brothers one last look before you climbed in and peeled out of the parking lot.

Russell expelled a sigh of relief. He got into the passenger side of his brother’s pickup while Colter started it up.

Thanks to the late hour, and how little traffic there was on the road, it didn’t take you long to get home.

You’d debated whether you should just go to Howley’s anyway, but you didn’t want to get in the way, or make Russell worry for that matter. You smiled, despite yourself.

His touch had tingled across your arms, and whenever he absently laid a hand on the small of your back, supportive or guiding.

Thinking about him just made your heart ache. Because after this was over, he’d be gone again—on a new mysterious job, perhaps on the other side of the world.

You’d been regretting how you left things with him at the bar for months, but now you were glad you hadn’t gone any further with him that night. Your heart was too easily ensnared, it seemed, and Russell didn’t seem to be a “strings attached” kind of guy.

When you parked in front of your house, you let out a tense breath. Russell and Colter would find Charlie. You believed in them. You just hoped your brother was all right, wherever he was.

You pulled your cell out of your purse to call Dory as you headed for the front door. You wanted to give her an update and let her know that you were back at home.

The call began to ring just as you slipped your key into the lock. Unfortunately, you never got a chance to open it.

A strong pair of arms wrapped around you from behind and yanked you back, and a firm hand over your mouth smothered your scream.

AN: 🫣 *Whispers* Sorryyy. But hey! What did you think of the reader's reunion with Russell, as well as the little Shaw Family Reunion? Plus, we got a bit of the reader working with Russell and Colter on the case.

Now, the real timer starts...

Next Time:

You were led into what sounded like a warehouse. You couldn’t know for sure with this musty bag over your head and your wrists bound together with zip ties, but you clenched your teeth and tried to stop sniffling. Your fear made your heart pump fast and loud in your ears.

Voices echoed around you, arguing, yelling about shipments. You were shoved hard to the ground, and you gasped, instinctively throwing your hands out when your knees hit the hard cement.

“No…”

That voice was all too familiar.

Series Masterlist

Ko-Fi Me ☕

Russell Shaw Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Russell S. Tag List:

@kazsrm67 @letheatheodore @agothwithheavysetmakeup @jacklesbrainworms @foxyjwls007

@wincastifer @ades106 @iamsapphine @simpforbuckyb @roseblue373

@brianochka @branj19 @hazel-eye-coffee-shop-girl-blog @globetrotter28 @charmed-asylum

@waywardxwords @deanwinchestersgirl87 @this-is-me19 @rachiem4-blog @sweettimelady

@leigh70 @clinicallydepresso @xiphoidbones @skoveu @nyotamalfoy

@kmc1989 @jackles010378 @emily-winchester @waynes-multiverse @jessjad

@my-stories-vault @deans-spinster-witch @syrma-sensei @stellasfictionalworld @ultimatecin73

@jesllianaquilesrolonsworld @pieandmonsters @lhymer1995 @taehyungxjungkookistaekook @lovelystoriesaj

@nicksalchemy1 @spnwoman @onlyangel-444 @sexyvixen7 @illicithallways

@wolkenprinzessin007 @alwaystiredandconfused @carpenterswife @cheynovak @grilledcheeseandtomato

#Family Reunion #Every Second Counts #Part 2 #russell shaw #tracker #russell shaw x reader #russell shaw x female reader #russell shaw x you #russell shaw fanfiction #russell shaw fanfic #dory shaw #colter shaw #jensen ackles #jensen ackles characters #tracker fanfiction #tracker cbs #russell shaw series #tracker series #zepskies writes

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seeingivy · 5 hours

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ryomen sukuna x f!reader

**part of my best friend's older brother fic

previous part linked here

things change slightly in the weeks that follow.

according to your mom, who called you very upset on a tuesday afternoon, your dad had apparently decided to stay in town until the end of the month – and on very strict orders from sukuna and possibly any shred of self-preservation that you had in you – you weren’t going to be going back until he was gone for good.

messages from sammy were few and infrequent, except for whenever she got drunk – something she very clearly got from your mom. always the same message, deeply apologetic and regretful, and it somehow was very slowly melting whatever it was that happened at the funeral.

or it was just one of those things.

she was your sister – she was blunt, a little harsh at times, but well meaning. or at least trying to be. but she was still your sister and for some reason, you were just going to get over it, in the real way, without thinking twice.

but you do realize that it was too naive to think that years of butting heads and stepping on each other’s toes wasn’t going to go away just because you had decided to be friends and sang kumbaya while buying lingerie.

that much should have been obvious though, since sukuna and yuuji had done their version of that years prior, and yet still had the meltdown they did a few months ago. it was always one of those complicated things you figured – growing up in the same house, being competition, stuck in admiration or hatred.

the family business, one that sukuna and yuuji both refused to ever be a part of, has fallen at the seams. and while sukuna has no intention of ever working there – much to satoru’s delight – he’s fixing the mess of the finances that were left behind for all of the employees and the stipends that he were going to help his mom.

meaning he has to go back to town. the town that you refuse to return to for the time being. and he won’t let you accompany him.

and it’s in the week that he disappears that you wonder if you’re starting to be too codependent. if it’s normal for you to miss someone this amount, to worry about him so much, to the point where he occupies your every thought.

he tries to call when he can. sometimes they’re a few in between because you know that he’s spending time with his mom, that he doesn’t like being home, that whatever it all is – it’s stressful and he hates it.

your mom sends you a picture of him once in a while. sometimes you stare at it for a little too long.

“hi sweet girl. how are you?”

his voice sounds tired over the phone, the smallest hint of a rasp tinged in with the strained tone.

“i’m okay, ryo. how are you?”

sukuna can feel his heart sink at the nickname. at the fact that you use nicknames, terms of endearment, and he hasn’t heard them in days.

“good, good. are you getting ready for bed?” sukuna asks.

“yeah.”

there’s a quiet beat. maybe you should have been more descriptive than that. that was a little flat.

“is that fucking gel cat strawberry in the spot next to you?”

you smile.

“it’s a jelly cat. and yes, it is.”

“enjoy it while it lasts. i’m going to throw it out the window when i get back.”

“you’re so rude.”

he laughs over the line and you can’t help but sigh before immediately regretting it.

you wonder if he sleeps well. or if he laughs often with the moms or if he’s just run in different directions trying to make sure they’re all okay.

“oh don’t break my heart, now. you miss me, sweetheart?” he murmurs.

you can tell by the tone in the voice that he’s trying to coddle you. you almost want to give in just to hear him sweet talk you down.

“yeah. gets real scary here without you.” you joke

“is that right?”

“not actually. but you know like right before you go to sleep and the house creaks? i panic for one second and then decide that i should send a prayer out to the universe so i don’t die before falling asleep.”

“always one for the dramatics.”

“i know. i’m sure it always creaks but i’ve always shared a room – either with sammy or with mai across the way who was always blasting music. and you snore, so i never even not–”

“i don’t snore.”

“yes, you do.”

“no, i don’t.”

“i will admit. while it does take me some time to fall asleep, i’ve never slept so soundly with you gone. it’s so serene.”

you know for a fact that sukuna’s rolling his eyes on the other side of the line.

“wow, sweetheart. i should just do you a favor and stay here longer then.”

“every night i wake up in a panic without you! i’ll never sleep again!” you joke.

sukuna laughs.

“that sounds about right. but really…i…i’ll be back soon, okay? i don’t like being away for so long.” he murmurs quietly.

you frown.

“don’t feel bad. you know you have to be there.”

“i don’t feel bad. well, maybe i do a little but i mainly just fucking miss you.” he mumbles.

you smile.

“sap.”

you pause.

“i miss you too, you know?”

“i was waiting for that. give me a little more.” he responds.

you smile. mainly at the fact that he expresses what he wants so openly. or that he misses it just as much as you do.

“i miss you a lot. it feels so weird to sleep in our bed without you that i fall asleep on the fold out couch.”

sukuna scoffs.

“you mean you fall asleep watching tv and don’t move because i’m not there to pick you up?”

“yeah, more like that.”

sukuna laughs.

“sleep in the guest.”

“ew. it smells like yuuji and megumi’s cologne. and while they smell great, i don’t like smelling like them when i wake up.”

“does our bed smell like me?” he asks.

“yeah but i prefer the real thing so i sleep on the couch. i refuse to elaborate.”

sukuna gets it.

“i’ll be back soon, okay? i’m almost done and then…then i’m running back to you, alright?” he whispers.

“okay. i do have something planned this weekend for your birthday, but don’t stress about it. it won’t be anything big.”

sukuna pauses.

he forgot that his birthday was coming around.

he would be lying if he was saying that he wasn’t looking forward to it. he supposes that he was your opposite in that way. since no matter what it was, the circumstances good or bad, your birthday had been soured so bad that nothing could make it good – not even him.

he didn’t blame you. or even take it personally.

but he couldn’t relate. because he knew you – and it wasn’t arrogant of him to assume that you were going to go all out, no matter the circumstances. not only did you have a bad habit of leaving tabs or notes that were very clearly labeled gift ideas out in the open, but he knew that you would do something special for him, that he’d get to chart in all of the cherished memories that he had with you.

it would be another sour patch of his that you’d sew right over, with careful and steady hands. but with every milestone that he thought of now, it was bittersweet.

first birthday with you. first birthday without his dad – not that it really meant much in the first place.

“no parties.” sukuna clarifies.

“no, it’ll actually be just you and me. and i think you’ll like it, you–”

“i’ll love it.”

you smile.

“i love you.” you state.

he’s quiet on the other side of the line.

“sukuna?”

“i want to say it back but the moms are staring at me.” he mumbles quietly.

you smirk.

“say it.”

“no.”

“you’re going to let me go to bed without an i love you?”

“i’ll text it to you.”

“ryomen sukuna. tell me you love me.”

sukuna sighs.

“i love you. call me if you can’t sleep, okay?”

you can hear giggling in the background. and you’re sure he’s three different shades of pink.

“i will.”

not even an hour later, yuuji is standing on your doorstep – with a peachy smile and a bag slung over his shoulder.

“yuuji? you–”

“sleepover!”

he walks past you and falls straight onto the couch, placing his bag next to him as he reaches for the remote. you quickly shut the door and take the spot next to him, watching as he starts shuffling through the movies, so cavalier about barging in so late and unannounced.

“do you always show up to people’s apartment’s unprovoked with all your things?”

yuuji smiles, reaching forward to flick your forehead.

“no, just for you.”

“figures.”

you watch as he flits through all of the movies, nestling his head into your shoulder, as you return the gesture and lean your cheek against his. it takes two seconds for you to figure it out.

“did he call you?” you ask.

“he did. said some weird stuff about tables and carrying stuff. pretty sure he was just asking me to keep you company, which don’t mind if i do.” yuuji responds.

you smile. of course.

“i made one half joke about how i don’t like to sleep alone and he sent you running.”

“isn’t that sweet? i can tell he’s been thinking about you a lot.” yuuji responds.

you lean back, giving him a confused look. and you can tell by the look on his face that he knows exactly what you’re trying to get at, but pretends otherwise.

“what? it’s sweet! he asked me to come take care of you.” yuuji clarifies.

“since when do you find him sweet? no lecture about how he thinks i can’t handle things on my own?”

yuuji scoffs, before pressing on the princess diaries.

“you can’t take care of anything on your own.”

“what a vote of confidence.” you deadpan

yuuji sighs, as you watch the movie start, and both sink deeper into the couch. a telltale sign that you realize both sukuna and yuuji have – one that you deeply appreciate – is that they’re always careful with their words.

the opposite of sammy really, of your dad too. they won’t talk until they know whatever they’re going to say is something they mean.

“you can take care of things on your own. but i like that being with him means that you don’t have to sometimes. for both of you.” yuuji states.

you smile.

“i like that too. it’s a nice change.” you respond.

“i’m really sorry, y/n.”

“i know.”

yuuji swallows hard, reaching for the remote and pausing the movie before he turns to your side, your limbs now a tangled mess of being criss-crossed as he leans forward.

“really. i’ve been so shit to you when this is all i’ve ever wanted for you.”

“it’s okay. this…this stuff is really complicated for you and…”

yuuji shakes his head, before looking down at your joined hands, fingers interlocked together.

“this isn’t any excuse but…but…”

yuuji sighs.

“when sukuna came back, i thought he was really different. i mean, he was really different. i don’t know what you noticed, but he came back softer. he always gave me my space and let me come to him and we were working back through all of our stuff together.” yuuji starts.

you’re not sure if you noticed a difference after he came back. he always seemed the same as always – a little withholding, like he was keeping you at arms distance. though, that seems to make more sense to you now.

“but he’s still the brother i grew up with. there’s still things that i’m sensitive to, that…that i can’t get over.”

you feel a pang in your chest.

“i get that. you know…i kind of get that with sammy sometimes.”

yuuji frowns.

“yeah?” he whispers.

you can feel the bitter contempt in your chest lingering.

“i don’t know. i thought things were going well but…sometimes it’s just the same things as before. she’s just…always brushing me off. so harsh with her words. sometimes i think about the funeral and i’m glad sukuna’s not here just so i can lock myself in here and be alone.”

you shake your head.

“it’s like she’s picking at a scab. it’s the one thing i don’t want her to do and it’s the one thing that always happens. and she’s the only person who has that power in the first place, who…who gets to be that sore spot. and i know that it’s just how it is and it’s complicated but…”

“but you can’t.” yuuji finishes.

you shrug.

“you were my scab.” yuuji states.

you curl your nose in disgust, looking up to find the same expression mirrored on his face before you both laugh.

“real cute.”

“i mean…my thing with sukuna was that he was always better than me in every respect. that…that everything he did was perfect, that…that he was born normal and i wasn’t.”

you cringe.

“you are normal, you..”

yuuji smiles.

“i know i am. i just mean in my head, i always figured things were so easy for him. school was easy, sports were easy. he liked girls – he’d never have to sit there and debate if he was ever going to meet someone who liked him and when if he did, he wouldn’t have to give up his entire family for it.”

yuuji pauses.

“you were my best friend. you are my best friend. you’re my thing that’s always been easy. we don’t really fight, spending time with you never gets old, and…and really, you’re the only person i’ve known will always be around.”

you smile.

“it just felt like another thing he was going to be better at than me. and it’s selfish, but it was something i didn’t want to share. and i don’t expect you to get it, but…”

you scoff.

“don’t expect me to get it? you’re forgetting that i was the one who had to learn how to share you first. and maybe i didn’t say it out loud, but…i had some evil monologues for megumi that i was cooking up in my head.”

yuuji laughs, almost like he’s relieved.

“really?”

“trust me. there was an entire basis behind the petty comments that i was making. i should have been more open with it but…but i don’t hate you for feeling that way. if anything, it makes me kind of happy, i guess. it did feel like you forgot all about me once you guys started dating, but…it’s nice to know you feel that way still. about me. even if it was annoying.”

you pause.

“you and i are special. and i can’t speak for you, but…sukuna’s never going to be what you are for me. i love him, but you…you’re not someone who could ever be replaced.” you affirm.

yuuji smiles.

“and megumi isn’t what you are for me either. he’s the love of my life. but you’re always going to be my soulmate.”

you smile, rolling over the word in your head. soulmate – you and yuuji were soulmates. and he leans forward, placing his hands on your shoulder and squeezing.

“now go on. tell me about him.”

“what?” you ask.

“i know you want to tell me about how happy you are. how it makes you feel. and i want to hear it. just refrain from talking about like how big his dick is or whatever and i’ll be fine.”

you smile.

“really? you mean it?”

yuuji smiles back.

“i’ve unfortunately heard the entire story of what that asshole was doing to you after the fact. it would make me really happy to hear how happy you are now.”

you lean back on the couch and explain it all to him – french toast, bridgerton mugs (which he winces at when he remembers sammy broke them), emails, his coworkers, kisa, and everything in between.

you don’t hear the apartment creak at night when you go to bed – instead it’s his labored breaths next to yours.

sukuna makes it back early in the morning to find yuuji making breakfast in the kitchen and what he knows is you facedown still dead asleep in the mound of blankets on the couch. he gives yuuji a noncommittal wave before walking over to the couch and bending down at the side.

sukuna can’t help but reach forward, brushing his back of his fingers against the softness of your cheek before tangling your hair away from your forehead. he can smell the remnants of the shampoo in your hair, your lips still a glossy pink from the balm you put on at night.

“wake her up. give her a kiss.” yuuji whispers, now standing at his side.

“are you crazy? she’s sleeping.”

sukuna shakes his head, reaching forward to press a kiss to your hairline, before the two of them shuffle back to the kitchen. sukuna settles for a cup of coffee as he watches yuuji make the mix of french toast, the stillness hanging in the air between them.

“dunno. if it were me and i went days without seeing megumi, i’d wake him up right away. why deprive myself of love and affection?”

“you should deprive yourself more often. i’ve seen you two kiss far too many times. heard the words gumi bear way more than i’d like to.”

yuuji snorts.

“was she happy you came?” sukuna asks.

“yeah. doubt she heard any of that creaking or anything she was telling you about since we were talking the entire time.” yuuji responds.

it’s a small breath of relief – that sending yuuji was the right move – only to be coupled with guilt.

sukuna hadn’t had time to check in on yuuji.

“what did you talk about?”

yuuji grins.

“you.”

yuuji looks over at him, grinning at him fully this time.

“special edition bridgerton mugs? twilight themed emails? who knew you were so fucking corny? and that you watch bridgerton?”

sukuna can feel his cheeks heat up, as he rolls his eyes.

“she loves that shit. she made me watch it.”

“no, she didn’t. she told me that you had watched it already and that your favorite season is the first one? not only are you a liar but you have god awful taste.”

“let me guess. you like kate and anthony, like every other person on the fucking planet?”

yuuji rolls his eyes.

“everyone likes it for a reason. it’s perfect.”

the two of them glare at each other, before giving up, and letting the same stillness take over. it’s not exactly uncomfortable, but there’s something lingering there – the two of them are stuck in their own heads about how they’re going to approach it, and more importantly, who is going to do it first.

it’s yuuji.

“the mugs thing is sweet. i’m sorry sammy broke them.”

sukuna shrugs.

“i’m bidding on ebay. no big deal.”

yuuji notes that he responds to the second part of the statement and not the first.

“i like that you do nice things for her. she really appreciates that you do.” yuuji repeats.

sukuna sighs.

“did she say that?”

yuuji smiles.

“all that and more. she really loves you.”

sukuna lets his eyes wander back to the couch, settling back into how foreign the apartment feels from being away for so long, and trying to let it all come back to him – how it was before he left things, how the two of you were.

he’s scared he’ll do it wrong.

“I’m really happy for you too. she’s exactly what you deserve.” yuuji states.

it’s a weird sense of deja vu that sukuna gets – of the very first night. that loud bar, the mildew smell in the bathroom, and your tear streaked pink face. of the very first time that it occurred to him that there were people who had upset you, who had let you down, and that maybe he was the only person who was good enough for you – because he was the only one who intended to give you what you deserve.

that he got to reap the goodness of the sweet love when he knew for a fact that he’d always be one to give it back to you, no matter how he was. that he was exactly what you deserved – maybe the only person who was because of how much he loved you.

“what?”

yuuji takes a beat.

“were you expecting the opposite?” yuuji asks.

“do you blame me?”

yuuji shakes his head.

“i am really happy for both of you. but i wouldn’t lie if i said i was more happy for you. i’ve known her a long time – and i’ve always wanted her to have someone who saw her for how special she is. and i always knew that it would happen, it was just a matter of time.”

yuuji continues.

“but i’m more happy for you. i had no idea that you had liked her for that long. i only now realize that the only person you could be that open with is her. and well…i don’t fucking know. shit sucked when we were kids. maybe for all of us, but for you the most. i know she loves hard. and i mean it, that’s what you deserve after everything.”

there’s a lump in sukuna’s throat. he wants to tell yuuji everything – about why he left, about how him being around made it easy for him for a long time, how there was a time where he didn’t think he was going to live past twenty and now he’s reaching yet another birthday on the weekend.

“i spent my entire life thinking i’d never get to be in love. and i’m not sure if that’s what you thought – but i know you weren’t ever thinking you’d get the girl of your dreams, and that on top of that, that it would be perfect. but really. it’s nothing more than what you deserve, sukuna.”

but all he does is give him a nod. yuuji’s smart enough to parse what it means – that in the long rambling that he heard last night – he knows he has to learn how to read the silences, the quiet cues.

“it means a lot to her that you came around.” sukuna starts.

sukuna clears his throat.

“and to me too.” he finishes.

yuuji smiles.

“and i suppose i should thank you. i always said she was like family to me, but it’ll be nice to tell people she’s actually my sister in the future.” yuuji responds, before squeezing his shoulder.

sukuna smiles.

“do you really let her call you ryomen?” yuuji asks.

“yeah.”

“thought you hated that name.”

“i did.”

there’s a reason that he went by sukuna. because every time that he slipped, he’d hear that godwful venomous voice, of his father telling him that he had given him such a special family name – and that sukuna had done nothing to deserve it.

sukuna vividly remembers when he was a kid, when he used to beg everyone around him to call him sukuna, correcting them until they virtually forgot that his name was ryomen in the first pace.

sukuna can feel the dryness in his throat, accompanied with a burning wetness in his eyes. yuuji makes no comment about it.

“she just says it with so much love.”

sukuna pauses, trying to will away that rising wave of emotion that was simmering in his chest, and put it away for the time being.

“what did she get me for my birthday?” sukuna asks.

yuuji nods.

“she’s taking you on a weekend trip. a few cities over. she said there’s some cherry blossoms in season and that there’s a few museums that she wants you to see. figured it would be a nice rest for you given everything that’s been going on.”

sukuna sighs, only because the wave comes back in full force.

to be loved is to be known.

clear cut proof that you had heard him loud and clear, when he had bared his soul to you. and not only that, but had known well enough that whatever was stewing in his head was getting dangerously close, maybe the closest it had been in years, to the edge – and that you had every intention to pull him back in the way he had pulled himself out in the first time.

“is that good?” yuuji asks.

“it’s perfect.” sukuna responds, before giving him one last nudge.

sukuna decides that he won’t deprive himself. and instead leans forward, pressing his lips against yours – and pleasantly surprised when you smile right back at him in your sleep, his name honey on your lips, as he sinks into your arms.

an: kind of filler again. sorry. apologies. also two more of this fic before it's done :O

taglist: @porridgesblog @k0z3me @sugu-love @yihona-san06 @bsenpai @sweetenertea @skzismyhome @mykyoon @violetmatcha @rebeccawinters @shotenvinsoot @itzmeme @gojoswifeyyys-world @cutiejg @chilichopsticks @ghostreadersthings @charlie-xo @whoami-72 @heijihattorisgf @megu-meow @complexivelovely @multiplefandomthings @hoebuns @lzaj19 @glossygreene @ramluvr @sureconfused @najaemism @manduse @imhorn1help @gamergirl5125 @r0ckst4rjk @invisible-mori @isaacdaknight @wishmemel @gyros-cum-sock @suftsunshine @i0099 @cowgirlikets @haitanibros0007 @stuffeddeer @yoontaedotin @ec3lipsy @armani78 @awkwardaardvarkforever @kereseth @leave-rae-alone @ruruvia @princess-ackerman @jjkwritingss @lilkiwikiara @opchara @telepathicheartss @starriesworlds @raechu11 @exprimidordefresas @nxxrxm @aalloochaat @strangehuman101 @tzutology

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clockwayswrites · 8 hours

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Part 2

Part 1

Danny & Cass, Cyan, Wind chime bells @wandixx

Cass placed the backpack down on the kitchen counter, unzipped it, and spread the opening purposefully.

Alfred looked from the bag to Cass, one pointed white brow raised. Keeping her eyes locked with Alfred, she took an apple from the fruit bowl and placed it inside the bag.

A moment later the brow lowered and a small smile pulled at the corner of his lips. “Ah, looking for a picnic, Miss Cassandra?”

Pleased he had gotten it, Cass nodded eagerly and held up two fingers.

“A picnic for two? Is one of your siblings joining you?” He asked.

Cass shook her head.

“Ah. Are you off to see a friend?”

Cass nodded and scooted the bag a little closer towards Alfred.

“Well then,” Alfred said after a beat, “any allergies your friend has?”

She took a moment to think about and then shook her head. She’d always seen Danny eat everything that either of them could get their hands on.

“And is your friend human?”

That was an odd question. Cass’s face scrunched up in confusion.

“You would not believe the things that both Master Richard and Master Jason got up to,” Alfred answered, looking like a man who had been long suffering.

Cass gave a little giggle, which softened Alfred’s expression.

“If you will give me a small time, I will put together a meal for you and your friend. Perhaps, while I do so, you would go and let Master Bruce know that you are going out.”

That seemed odd, but Cass figured it was part of being in a family now. They often liked to know where she was or tell each other when they were going somewhere not the manor or would be be back to the manor. It was still taking time for Cass to be used to all of these rules that weren’t rules.

Knocking she understood now, it was apparently polite and sneaking through the shadows was not. To that end, she knocked on the door to Bruce’s study and waited for the slightly distracted ‘come in’ to enter.

“Cass,” Bruce said with a smile when he looked up from his work. “How are you doing today, honey?”

Cass gave him a thumbs up as he turned on the tablet on his desk and spun it around for her. Her tongue stuck out just slightly as she looked for the right images.

🦢🫱🥪🎒 🏠🐦‍⬛➡️🌆

Bruce watched her put in the images. “Ah… Alfred is putting food in a bag for you and you’re going into the city?”

Cass nodded.

“Alright…,” Bruce said slowly. He tapped the edge of the tablet in a soft rhythm. “Thank you for letting me know. First off, do you have your phone with you?”

Cass pulled it out of her back pocket.

“Good. Do you remember what we talked about with the emergency button? How even if you don’t think you need the help, you should press it if there’s any trouble?”

Cass swiped over to the left screen and the large button on it before locking the phone again.

“Alright. Are you willing to wear an alert bracelet too?” Bruce asked and purposeful leaned back into his chair and forced himself to relax. “That way if your phone is taken or breaks you can still press the bracelet. It has a tracker in it, but we won’t use it unless we need to or you tell us too.”

It didn’t really mater to her, she wouldn’t be here if she didn’t trust them, so Cass gave a little shrug and help out her wrist.

Bruce gave an amused snort and opened up one of his drawers. “If you’re any example, daughters really are easier than sons.”

The bracelet, black of course, was a little snug, but it was low profile enough not to get in the way. Cass adjusted it just slightly before she was satisfied. She was confused though when Bruce stood.

He gave her a soft smile. “I’ll drive you into the city. I have some paperwork there I should get anyways.”

That was a little bit of a lie, but Cass decided not to call him on it and simple held out her hand for Bruce to take.

“You aren’t supposed to come out here anymore,” Danny said. He’s trying to look mad— arms crossed with a wide stance, but the way he looked at her from under his black bangs gave him away.

Cass patted the spot on the roof next to her. It’s one of their favorite spots to watch the sunset together. Not only was the view of the sunset over the waters amazing, but when there was a breeze they could hear all the bits of metal tied to the bridge next to them clink in the wind. It made Cass sad to think of Danny watching it up here alone now.

He gave an aggrieved sigh but took the indicated spot. Once he’s seated, Cass starts pulling out the food. There are bulging sandwiches, fresh fruit, salty chips, and best of all cookies.

“Wow,” Danny said. His hand twitched like he wanted to just reach out and start eating before the food disappeared.

Cass handed him a sandwich.

“You still shouldn’t be out here,” Danny protested, but the words were muffled by the large bite of food.

Cass just smiled and started on her own.

#dp x dc #batpham #danny & cass

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animeredhead101 · 14 hours

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Tim Drake/ Danny Fenton Masterlist

An Interesting Family Tree by Scififan33 :

Danny's life in Amity Park wasn't perfect, but it beat his old life. The GIW and Fenton parents didn't make things easier but at least ghost attacks had lessened since he was named Prince, to be crowned upon his twenty first birthday. He'd run from the League almost a decade ago, risking getting their attention, and for a stranger? It was insane. And yet he still got on the plane to Europe to find and warn one Tim Drake that he was being targeted. Word Count: 68,348 On-going This is one of favorite fanfics, I love the interactions of Danny and Tim throughout the story. I also love how the author writes two story lines together. I love both Fandoms and to read a story were they work well together is always a treat!

Tim Drake's I.E.F (Invisible Eldritch Friend) by Half-dead Ham :

The last thing Tim expected while getting stalked was to get used to the unseen creature and how they started taking care of him. He expected even less for them to be the same age

Word Count: 72,042 On-going

I find it hilarious that the bat stalker gets stalked and they some how make it into a funny Rom-com.

Till Death and Beyond by Scififan33 :

Danny and Tim have known each other for a year, have been dating for months, and are very happy. Sure, Tim would prefer if his boyfriend let him help him at least get a nicer apartment, or even an internship at WE but Danny won't let him. Dating Tim is not keeping his head down but as far as everyone knows, Danny Fenton died with his parents and sister. Danny Nightingale has no links to him, thanks to Tucker and Technus' magic. But there are still those who would love nothing more than to get their hands on Phantom, despite his not having been seen in a long time. And why is there a vigilante bleeding out on his apartment floor? Word Count: 79,279 On-going I love the fic for the fact that we talk about how the bat-fam treats Tim. Like he is such a sweetheart and he is not treated they way he should be. Like don't get me wrong I love the fics were Damion and Tim get along and fix their relationship but the way they interact this would not have occurred and to see this in this fanfic and Tim recognizing that its not okay was amazing. I also love that Danny doesn't take any shit from the bat-fam, hes likes fuck with Tim and see what happens. Defiantly one of my top 5!

Mesmeric Revelation by DisillusionedDanny :

Danny couldn’t stop the future. That much was true. Despite not cheating on his CAT and doing every single thing by the book to make sure that this future was not a reality, it had happened anyway. The nasty burger had blown up. His parents, Jazz, Sam, Tucker, they were all in the building when it happened.

With his friends and family dead, Danny goes to the only place he thinks is safe. The infinite realms.

As Danny attempts to move on from the tragedy he manages to get summoned by cultists, build a new family for himself and even find love. Not all in that exact order.

Tim Drake thought getting kidnapped by cultists was probably the most annoying thing to have ever happened to him. Little did he know it would also be the best thing to ever happen.

Word Count: 71,980 Complete

Its very heartwarming with a dark tone in the beginning. I enjoy reading this as a comfort fanfic.

Shovel Talk by SummersSixEcho :

When Tim decided to tag along on a road trip with Danny to meet his parents, he was kinda ready for the shovel talk with his friends and family. But bringing out the secrets buried in Amity Park? That’s another kind of shovel talk Danny hadn’t prepared him for. Word Count: 71,396 Complete

Family introductions by Half-dead Ham(Grima101) :

Danny and Tim have been dating for about a year now, figuring out their relationship between Tim’s vigilante duties and Danny’s Ghost King responsibilities. Danny is taking a small (unauthorized) break from his paperwork to find his bf flat on his ass sick trying to go on patrol. The only way to stop him was to take his place, and Danny was lucky they're the same size.

Word Count: 14,070 On-going

Wanted: Dead and Alive by Astereae :

“Hey, I do I... Do I know you?” Danny asks, a hand coming up to brush something off Tim’s cheek. “No,” Tim says. “We haven’t met.” “Oh, no, I do.” Danny says, and he smiles, teeth white and sharp. “You’re that guy who rearranged my guts!” Rearranged his- Tim glances at the knotted scars on the boy’s abdomen. He can see the shine and shadow of haphazard stitches that weren’t meant to hold forever, that tore and healed over. His- This- “WHAT!?” Nightwing shouts, equal parts confused and delighted. Tim’s fucked. OR Danny Fenton's been in GIW captivity for 4 months. Tim Drake gets kidnapped by the GIW one Tuesday evening in May. Considering how many of the Bats and the Birds have died and come back to life, it was only a matter of time for some people interested in the afterlife to come poking around. The detectives can't seem to uncover any information about the mysterious white vans, however. And they keep losing the mysterious boy who seems to be the one person in Gotham to know anything at all. Word Count: 121,281 Completed

The Rebirth of Tim Drake by Bewitched_Forest :

Tim gets turned into a halfa after an incident with a newly spawned Lazarus Pit, electricity, and Ra's Al Ghul. When he awakens, he finds himself in the Ghost Zone. Taken to fellow Halfa, Danny Fenton, he travels to Amity Park where he learns with the help of Danny and his friends just what he has become. And how being a Halfa has made him one of the most hunted beings in the world.

Not Abandoned! Updating will just be whenever I feel like it cause I got burnout.

Word Count: 57,663 On-going

My Name is Not Wounder Boy! by CrepuscularCryptid :

Casper High's juniors go on a trip to Washington DC every year. This year it's Danny's class's turn. Absolutely nothing goes wrong. Nothing. Shut up, Tucker. ************* Wherein Danny meets Wonder Woman, fosters diplomacy between the Living and the Dead Realms, and eventually gets a new haunt. Word Count: 44,832 On-going

Bitter, had the Heart by CastrianAmore :

Tim is the only one consistently watching. Thus he’s the first and only one to notice one more body following the streets like the bats do. A kid with all black hair and white motifs and an attitude problem that reminds him a tad too much of Jason. It was a shame Jason was adamant that he “didn’t know anything”, what a liar right?

But the streets of Gotham listened and the name on everyone’s lips playing like a discordant harmony was one word: Distortion. Not that Tim knew what it meant yet, but Danny would make sure he would. If Danny lived long enough for Tim to find out.

Word Count: 182,548 Complete

Tim Jr. Coffee Machine Extraordinaire by PaperPuffin :

Dick worried his lip between his teeth as he looked Tim over. His little brother was standing, zombie-like, in front of the Cave’s coffee machine. Not that the act was unusual for Tim. Just… the thing was, Tim had been doing better. Word Count: 2,330 Complete

Rated M

A Grave Affair by OnlyHereForTheSnacks :

Tim was used to life taking unexpected turns. It was just another part of being a vigilante. Sometimes life gives you lemons and sometimes an immortal assassin sells you into an arranged marriage to the Ghost King for a piece of jewelry. (Lots of plot. Smut in Ch.3. Mind the tags)

Word Count: 14,744 Complete

Seeing Double by Wraiith(Jayyydez) :

"You remember that conversation we had about me being able to duplicate?" Tim's brow furrowed even more. Which conversation-? His mouth dried all at once, his heart threatening to burst out of his chest. Oh. Oh, Ancients and Gods alike, help him. Danny was having this conversation with him. He was having it with him right now, and Tim felt more awake than he had in days. Word Count: 7,752 Complete

Skin of Your Teeth by halfgone(milkywxy) :

Tim can't bring himself to lie about his secret identity anymore. When he spills his secret to his boyfriend, Danny, many more secrets are soon to follow. Some with interesting results.

Prompts: Tim Drake |Eldritch Danny| Teeth

Word Count: 7,065 On-going

#danny phantom #dc universe #batman #red robin #tim drake #masterlist #crossover fanfiction

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sumicchin · 2 days

Text

CHIMES OF THE HEART

❃ a wind breaker (satoru nii) reader insert.

CHAPTER 2

Sakura needs to remind everyone that his apartment complex doesn't have galvanized steel extensions.

content warnings: female reader, everyone testing sakura's patience

Nirei

No luck here on our end!

Tsugeura

nada here as well!!

Anzai

she's better at hiding than me that one time with KEEL

Takanashi

Skill issue

Sakura reads the messages his classmates sent in their group chat, all of them having the same result. They all decided to go by pair with the exception of the captains and kings as solo to respond quickly to their subordinates. Sakura found himself wandering near his apartment, what's already eerie in ambiance has been worsened by the rainy weather. The perfect hiding spot for a fugitive, he thinks. While there's the possibility the target already escaped to the next town, him feeling the target's skin told too much that the person wouldn't last long if the rain persisted. 'If only I was quick enough, I could've caught this person easily,' he mutters to himself.

He feels his phone vibrate in his pocket and whisks it out swiftly. A message from Kusumi, one of Kaji's friends, was sent to all Bofurin students with a video attached.

Kusumi

Sent a video.

This is her right????

Sakura watched the short clip and sees the now clear figure of a girl hanging onto a lamp post, back hunched and labored breathing. His phone rang again, another message from Kusumi.

Kusumi

Kaji and I are near an alleyway by the bakery btw!

Come quick >< !!!!

I think she knows we're here but she's not moving (⁠;⁠ŏ⁠﹏⁠ŏ⁠)

Sakura doesn't understand, but he immediately runs to the said location. Just earlier, he was trying to fight this person, but now he's running with all his might under the rain for some stranger.

❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋

Many students had already arrived at the girl's location, but none of them knew how to handle the situation. Kaji, already waiting for about a minute or two, stepped forward but was pulled back by his shaggy-haired vice-captain. "She's gonna die from hypothermia if we keep acting like pussies," Kaji scowls. He turns his head back to the girl, only to see Umemiya next to her. Sakura arrives just in time to see Bofurin's leader take off his dark green tailcoat and put it over the trembling girl who hasn't moved an inch.

"We aren't here to harm you, we promise you that." Umemiya keeps his eyes on the girl whose lips are a shade of purple, hands gripping the lamppost already pruning.

What they didn't expect was to see their leader in a defensive stance as he blocked a punch directed to the face.

"Let us help you, please." He states with a firm tone while making sure he isn't gripping the girl's fist roughly. He felt like he was touching ice, and he needed to work his magic soon to save her fast. Umemiya was thinking of having someone come out and help him seize the girl, but he noticed the pressure on his arm was gone.

He felt a weight on his chest instead.

Everyone watches as the girl falls towards Umemiya, who is fast enough to catch and wrap his arms around her. He then proceeded to carry the unconscious girl who was barely breathing in his arms.

"Whose house is nearby, quick!"

Everyone looked at each other, until a certain first year raised his hand.

"My place is nearby, but I don't think it's the best place to keep her," Sakura says. Umemiya however argues that it's their best option so far, so they decide to rush over to his lodging. Some of the boys ran to shops to get supplies such as heat packs and warm soup.

Umemiya, Kaji, Tsubaki and the first years arrive at his seemingly run-down apartment a few minutes later, laying the girl down gently in Sakura's futon for warmth. Said homeowner unfortunately did not own pillows, but Nirei was kind enough to offer his lap as a makeshift cushion. Normally, Sakura would've been embarrassed by what he was seeing, but the severity of the girl's condition had him too worried to care about public displays of affection.

"Kaji says that his group is going to arrive soon with food and heat packs," Hiragi relays to Umemiya whose gaze is stern and clearly bothered, different from his usual demeanor.

Hiragi swears to himself that Umeyama's expression had something other than concern showing.

Suo and Tsugeura were seated oppositely at the girl's side, their much larger hands taking in her cold, paler ones to warm her up while waiting for the heat packs. Kiryu and Tsubaki offered to rush to Cafe Pothos and ask Kotoha for help and spare clothes. Not much was going on inside the room while they waited for the second years to arrive, with only the labored breaths of the girl permeating their senses.

"So this is yer place," Hiragi tries to break the ice as he looks around the room, searching for at least one piece of furniture. "Didn't know yer a minimalist."

Everyone looks at the two of them, the room's atmosphere slightly lifting. Sakura however feels embarrassed, having his friends over in such a cramped space. "I-I don't have any need for furniture...just a waste of money."

Umemiya lets out a chuckle from his underclassmen's persistence, "I can get you a bean bag and some curtains if you'd like!"

Sugishita glares at Sakura upon hearing Bofurin's leader offer his rival free stuff, "You should be grateful Umemiya-san is offering you gifts!".

"It was pretty concerning the first time we came here..." Nirei says with Suo nodding in agreement, feeling the girl's hand feel warmer as time passed. "I have faith that Sakura will eventually learn how fun it is to decorate."

Other than warming her up, Tsugeura fiddled with the girl's hands as if he were massaging it. A thought suddenly appeared in his head, face scrunching up as he imagined it.

"Doesn't this mean that she's gonna stay here with Sakura for the night?"

Said homeowner exploded.

❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋

A few hours passed, and everyone seemed to calm down a bit. After Kaji's group arrived, some of them bid their farewells but reassured they were willing to help if needed. Kiryu and Tsubaki arrived with Kotoha in tow, allowing her to clean and change the girl's clothing into warmer ones. They all sat in silence as they prepared warm food and drinks for everyone.

"So, is no one gonna fill me in?" Kotoha breaks the silence, everyone turning their heads towards her. Umemiya could only let out a weak chuckle, scratching the back of his neck. "Sorry Kotoha, we didn't mean to keep you in the dark." Bofurin's leader turns to resident chatterbox Nirei, who still hasn't given up his job of makeshift lap pillow to retell the events—from the beat-up red light district traffickers to Umemiya almost getting squared in the face.

"She must've run away," Kotoha says looking at the near folder yet tattered kimono beside the girl.

Suo stares intensely at her sleeping figure whose breathing is now at a normal pace, "Perhaps she works at an izakaya...or even a brothel."

Everyone started formulating their own theories, on how this girl came to be and what drove her to act violently before succumbing to weakness.

"She looks like a princess while sleeping, straight out of a fairytale," Tsubaki says with smitten eyes, pushing away strands of hair covering her face. "I believe that Kotoha and I should be the first ones to have a talk with her once she wakes up."

No one seemed to reject the idea, so it was decided that they all go home to freshen up and come back once Sakura let them know she was awake. Upon hearing the idea, Sakura went into panic mode, asking his more experienced peers what to do if the girl woke up.

He was ignored.

So it was like that for hours.

The Haruka Sakura, resident bad boy lone wolf who happened to be given the flaw of being the worst at socializing, is now alone in his very humble (and minimalistic) abode with a girl who was now sharing his futon. He hasn't moved an inch since arriving at his own room, mind you. Every time he dared to make a move, to maybe freshen up since he stunk as hell from having damp clothes and a face full of wet concrete earlier, he suddenly retreated once he heard the girl make noises in her sleep.

Is it normal for girls to do that, he asks himself. His train of thought was broken when he heard actual words come out of her resting figure, repeating the phrase "Get away from me" with intensity.

His feet drag him towards the girl, her face sweating profusely and eyebrows knitted. She's having a nightmare.

Does he wake her up? Sakura finds himself reaching out to her but immediately retracts his arm. This internal warfare kept going until the girl calmed down on her own.

Nicely done, Sakura.

What he didn't expect was to suddenly have eyes staring back at him.

#wind breaker x reader #windbreaker x reader #haruka sakura x reader #wind breaker

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melbatron5000 · 2 days

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Minisode connections, again

I'm working on decoding the chiastic structure of Good Omens season 2. It's taking a long time because there's a bunch of crap going on -- not the least of which is I think I found two different structures, so that's fun -- also, I have to work and do human stuff, so I can't just sit around working on Good Omens all day, every day.

But something I noticed while counting beats to find the middle (middleS, plural, but that's another meta):

It's already been pointed out by others that the magic act in the Nazi Zombie Flesheaters minisode echoes the Big Break Up and Kiss scene -- which it certainly does.

But the Restoring Job's Kids to Life in Front of a Bunch of Angels scene also echoes both of those scenes.

First and foremost, they are all around sixty beats long. (About the same rate as a resting human heartbeat, interestingly. What else is 60 beats per minute, I wonder?)

Second, in each scene, something (someone) signals the start of it. In Job, the angels applaud just before Aziraphale enters late. In 1941, Mrs. H tells Aziraphale to get on with it. In the Kiss scene, the Metatron tells Aziraphale to go and tell his friend the good news.

In all three scenes, Aziraphale enters stage right and turns to his left.

In Job, Crowley murmurs to Sitis, "trust me." In 1941, Aziraphale mouths to Crowley, "trust me." I think in the Kiss scene, "trust me" is more implied by both of them. It starts out murmured, then gets mouthed, and by the end, is unspoken entirely.

In all three scenes, Aziraphale explains to Crowley what needs to happen. "It would be really helpful if you were an expert on human births. Gabriel here witnessed the first human birth." "Aim for my mouth, shoot past my ear." "He said I could appoint you as an angel."

In all three scenes, Crowley takes a shot and Aziraphale backs him up. Job: "Reach into his robes and pull out three ribs." *Aziraphale miracles the kids into kids again.* 1941: *Shoots the gun at Aziraphale* *Aziraphale catches the bullet* *Kisses Aziraphale to give him the records from Heaven.* "I forgive you."

All three scenes end with Aziraphale having successfully fooled his audience.

Now, I already figured out that the scenes that are supposed to parallel the Resurrectionists minisode are missing. Even Crowley knows they're missing. Time has jumped forward past some important events. I don't know what was supposed to happen to echo Resurrectionists, but something is, and it's gone. I think it matters, though. Otherwise, why would we have this:

All three minisodes on the matchbox. The box itself is from the Resurrectionists pub, it has a verse from Job on it, and the verse is 41:19 -- or, if you reverse the numbers Verlan style (which is like Pig Latin, but what they do in France -- thank you @noneorother!) 1941. I strongly suspect the verse itself may very well have to do with the missing scenes that should mirror the Resurrectionists minisode.

But I wonder why Job, 1941, and the Kiss all line up and echo each other, while the Resurrectionists is the odd one out. I feel like whatever scenes have been jumped over probably line up with something big and important that happens elsewhere in the story. Threes are very important in storytelling, a rule that should never be bent or broken. I really wonder HOW the missing scenes got jumped over -- did God do it? Did Aziraphale or Crowley do something which caused it? Given how Crowley reacts to it happening, I would say if so it was inadvertent. Is time out of whack for some reason? It keeps jumping forward, why is that? Did someone else force them past the missing scenes? Ugh, I don't know.

Several people have pointed out to me now that the 1941 minisode has a lot of wedding night symbolism in it, and I see that the Job minisode has a lot of first date symbolism in it, too! Ha! Including Crowley and Aziraphale out in the desert by themselves when they encounter Job talking to God -- what the heck were they doing out there? Making out, maybe? Is that why Aziraphale comes rushing in through the door late when the other angels arrive? Busy smooching your new crush, Aziraphale? The Kiss scene seems to be a divorce, but it's actually a long-married couple who can read each other like a book being forced apart.

So if Job is a first date, and 1941 is a wedding, and the Kiss is a (forced) divorce, what is the Resurrectionists? What comes between a first date and a wedding? Traditionally, in love stories, a break-up has to come between those things. But other than Crowley being dragged back to Hell and forcing them separate, and then their argument over the holy water when he comes back, I'm not sure I see Resurrectionists as representing a break up. Does it? Maybe . . . ? And maybe more important, what comes after a wedding but before a divorce? Would we say kids? Mundanity and boredom? Infidelity? Given that it's a forced divorce, I wouldn't say those last two things. But kids then? What else could it be? Hmm.

Does the Resurrectionists minisode and whatever its missing echo is have to do with that progression in a relationship? Or given that Job, 1941, and the Kiss all echo beautifully and Resurrectionists does not, is that something outside their relationship and the progression of it?

Anyhow. More investigative work to be done here.

In between doing alive human stuff, I'm on the case.

#good omens 2 #crowley #good omens meta #aziraphale #ineffable husbands #good omens analysis #aziracrow #good omens fan theory #good omens job #good omens thoughts #good omens 1941 #ineffable divorce #the big damn kiss #good omens minisodes

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bigfan-fanfic · 3 days

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Rainbows in the Dark (Batdad Headcanons)

@sweetheartsofmidsummer If you still do batdad, maybe taking Dick and Bruce out to his first pride parade? Just a small Dick on the shoulders of Bruce, watching with amazement as the colourful wagons and people pass by, thatd be cute, or organising the first pride parade for Gotham and somehow managing to get Superman the gay flag as a cape?

It's definitely not easy being a public figure, sometimes.

You're not a celebrity in the way that an actor or entertainer is, which means people are much more willing to let you have a private life - Businessman Bruce Wayne and his husband are much less interesting to the average media consumer than say, a movie star, or a singer.

Bruce is a little more interesting since he recently stopped being missing from traveling round the world, and of course, because he's insanely hot.

But luckily, even as an out gay man, most people are content to let you and your bisexual husband do you.

Dick mentions the Pride parade first. Saying that his parents were going to take him - some of Haly's Circus was meant to perform there before... well.

In any case, it's Bruce's first Pride as well, as Alfred encouraged you two to carry out your burgeoning love in private to avoid having any paparazzi ruin it for you.

You went each year that Bruce was gone traveling and training - it was good to feel like you weren't alone; like you were part of a community.

You even have some friends there who are happy to run interference to ensure you and your son and husband remain safe from being accosted.

Bruce has been Batman for a couple years at this point, and Dick has not yet become Robin, though he's been with you for almost a year, and knows about Batman. So you're still in the mindset that maybe you three can become a simple family, safe and together after tragedy.

"Dick, Bruce, this is Davy, my friend. Davy, this is Dick, my son, and Bruce, my husband."

Davy is dressed in a bright, rainbow-patterned recreation of Batman's cowl and armor, and he looks really good. "Nice to meet you, citizens! The Rainbow Knight welcomes you to Pride!"

Dick grins. "You look really cool, sir."

"Well, since the Dark Knight couldn't be here, I'm filling in for him."

You give Bruce a sly look before you get a picture of Dick next to the Rainbow Knight.

Dick did ask about what Pride meant to you both. And you explained as best you could that it's about community and working towards a future where love and equality can be assured without fear or hatred.

And of course, coming from the circus, Dick's rather at home amongst the chaotic but vibrant atmosphere.

Bruce is a little more uncomfortable, not so great among huge crowds, so he takes a while to become at ease at the parade.

But one of your other friends starts to talk to him, getting him to open up and calm down, and you keep an eye on Dick, getting him an awesome scarf that he puts several pins on.

He gets the Pride flag painted on his cheek by someone too, looking adorable with his radiant grin.

Gotham's Pride Parade has been pretty safe, ever since Sal Maroni's daughter transitioned socially and came to Pride. Now it's kind of the neutral event of the year in which nobody tries to make any moves.

So you truly feel safe when you walk with Dick among the stalls, before returning to your friends and husband.

"The Rainbow Knight ran off." Bruce chuckles.

You laugh. "Didn't scare him off, did you?"

"Oh, I'm sure he's saving the day somewhere."

"Pops, B, the parade's about to start!" Dick whines, and Bruce scoops up the boy, grinning as he sets Dick on his shoulders.

You get another picture of them, looking so much like father and son, the small acrobat grinning ear to ear as he sits on the shoulders of the broad-shouldered, smiling man beneath him.

The Rainbow Knight turns out to be the grand marshal for the parade, waving and dancing on the first float, making Bruce laugh and cheer wildly.

He turns out to be Gotham Pride's greatest gem, always hoped for and beloved.

But floats and wagons and dancers walk by, beautiful and graceful and wild and free.

Dick watches all of them with happiness in his eyes, and knows he's among his people, even then.

You didn't know it'd become a tradition for you three, even when Dick left for Bludhaven. He'd come back and the three of you would go to the parade. Helping people, but mostly bonding as a family, beyond Batman and Robin and Gotham itself.

As queer people part of the same family, sharing love and pride for each other and yourselves.

As more of your family and friends make appearances, the party grows, but at the core remains you, your husband, and your son.

Because it's one of your favorite memories - Bruce protective and fatherly and grinning, among actual friends, and his son - your son - with a matching grin and feeling happy and safe and willing to be himself.

What more could you ever wish for?

And one day, maybe Dick will find love with someone and bring them with you, and the family will grow even more.

And truly, you couldn't be prouder of your family.

#batdad reader #batman x male reader #bruce wayne x male reader #batman x reader #batman headcanons #dc headcanons #headcanons

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erinwantstowrite · 2 days

Note

Okok fr questions because I’m obsessed with Tim figure skater AU

Because the bats aren’t aware of tim being the one behind his vigilante mask, how are his relationships with them out of the suits? Do they interact often or on spare few occasions? (I see the happy birthday Bruce message and think they don’t talk *too* often? idk)

ALSO JANET AND TIMS SIGNATURES… them being so similar has me rocking back and forth crying (interpret as you will)

AHHHHH I LOVE FIGURE SKATING TIM AUUUUUU

be prepared i am about to YAP cause i love this au sm and now i gotta talk about it LFMAO

So far, the backstory is that Jay ended up not dying and was just extremely injured after the Joker incident. When he got back on his feet again, he joined a hockey team to make more friends outside of the hero community. Cass wanted to try figure skating and they start going to a rink in Gotham, and that's where they met Steph, who is "not" a vigilante. (She is, but more on that in a sec.)

While there, they start to hear more about "Tim" who comes by sometimes and is Steph's friend (they met when they were much younger and they are besties), and they end up connecting that the Tim they're talking about is "that famous figure skater from Bristol" that's always in the news. Cassie is a huge fan of Tim's, and she freaks out when she hears from Jason and Cass that this rink is one that Tim frequents. That's why she ends up dragging Bart and Kon to the rink to see Jason's practices or to hang out with Cass- so she can meet Tim.

However, it's sort of a well kept secret that Tim and his rink friends have. He's not supposed to go there anymore, because he has a private rink. Janet lived, but Jack went into his coma still. He eventually woke up and while Jack is recovering, he finds out they moved back to Bristol full time and there's no more travelling. In turn, they spend more time with Tim, but it's also a strain on their relationships. Jack gets on Tim's case about school, and Janet becomes Tim's manager and pressures him about skating. So Tim doesn't get to visit the rink as often anymore because of his workload. Like, he's in the gym 24/7, does his schoolwork online (he's grades ahead), doesn't ever get a break. Meanwhile, Jack and Janet are always fighting and sort of using Tim as an outlet/weapon against the other.

Buuuuuut, when he does visit, he meets Jason, Cass, Cassie, Bart, and Kon through the connection with Steph and other unnamed rink friends. They start getting to know Tim through the times that he's at the rink, and Steph, who is Janet's #1 hater and an instigator at heart, starts pushing for the vigilantes to look more into Tim's life and befriend him.

The dynamics at play are super funny because Steph and Tim are a vigilante. "A" vigilante, as in sharing the same identity. Tim doesn't have the time in his schedule to go out there, so Steph takes up that part of the role and they share this identity together- Steph taking out the bad guys as "Bird Watcher" and Tim doing the computer/tech work as "The Ornithologist". They're both detectives in their own right and work so well together that it's incredibly hard to distinguish that they aren't one person. They both know that the Bats are the Bats, but the Bats are unaware that these two are the same vigilante they've been trying to figure out for years now.

The rest of the family meets Tim through Jason's hockey stuff, away from Janet and just who he is as an individual. And then they see his figure skating side and the dynamic he has with Janet when Cass enters the same competitions as Tim. (This is my world and they compete against each other.) Obviously, Bruce sees this black haired, blue eyed kid who has parents that treat him like shit and goes "Another one, thank you!" So Tim ends up getting closer to them that way and Steph (again, Janet's #1 hater and looking for members for her club) is having the time of her life causing chaos on the side.

There is... a "tiny" little detail that I won't share yet, cause I truly do want to write this au at some point, and it's way more fun to see people react in real time to it. (I have SOOOO many Tim aus it's not even funny. Blame alighterwood for that.)

Also YESS Tim and Janet are so alike but so completely different it makes me CRAZY

#thanks for the ask!#erinwantstowrite #dc #dc fanfic #tim drake #time drake au #figure skating au

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xoxo-ren-xoxo · 3 days

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Ari AU - Part Two

This is Part Two of my popstar Grian AU! Part One is is here!

CONTENT WARNINGS for this Part: discussions of past attempted SA, physical assault, hospitals, briefly mentioned drug abuse, suicidal ideation, mental health crisis.

please consider reblogging if you liked this and want others to see it :D feel free to send me asks, comments, etc. about the au!

Martyn’s Radio Show

The response from Grian’s fans is overwhelmingly positive. While some are disappointed that the last shows were cancelled, most are just happy to see Grian okay and alive, even if she looks worse for wear. Online, the fanbase supports Grian’s claims. Online, they feel empowered to share their own experiences. Online, they believe her.

The tabloids continue with the addict line. They claim Grian is unstable and manic. They claim he’s lying about the night out. Pearl suggests Grian go on the radio. Talk more about her experiences, because it really is helping people, and if she makes a professional, live appearance on air, the accusations of her being on drugs will seem less credible.

Grian agrees, so Mumbo and Pearl get him booked in with Martyn, of Faction Isles Radio [a pirates smp reference? In my angst fic?] for a live interview and casual discussion about Grian’s life and career.

For someone used to live performances, Grian is absolutely terrified. What if he says the wrong thing? What if she messes up her story and people think it’s fake? What if this Martyn guy is mean, or unfair, or things are awkward?

This is where Impulse steps in. He offers Grian a spot on his hobby podcast with his friend, Skizz. A pre-recorded semi-interview with people Grian is more comfortable with, in preparation for the “real thing”. Grian accepts, and they record the episode together. She tries not to freak out every time she stumbles over her words and Impulse says they can cut it.

(Eventually she snaps that they can’t cut anything when it’s live, so why are they acting like her mistakes are okay? Impulse takes it graciously, helping her calm down. Skizz offers a few words of advice that Grian doesn’t even remember. Something about going for it, even if she’s scared? After the pep talk, she does feel better. More confident...)

Then suddenly, it is time for the “real thing”. To his credit, Martyn is lovely. A natural on-air, well-researched about Grian’s career, asking all the right questions and never seeming judgemental. Grian recounts her rise to fame, her love of music, and then, finally, the tour.

They get to a rather emotional point and Grian thinks he might be about to cry. How embarrassing would that be? But Martyn seems to understand, and there's a break for one of Grian’s songs. Turning off his mic to let the music play, Martyn looks over to Grian with a laid-back but kind smile, and asks if she's okay.

Grian is not okay, but if she admits that, they’ll never get through the interview, so she lies. Martyn gives him a look like he knows he’s lying, but it isn’t judgemental.

The show is a success. Grian feels a little lighter.

Downtime

The radio show does not help with the tabloid problem. As the media does, they try to get more out of Grian’s story, spinning it into either support or negativity. Theorising that she lied about why she was in the hospital- wild stories ranging from drug use to secret pregnancy (she is not about to explain why that's impossible).

With news trucks and paparazzi hanging around outside her house, she has to keep the curtains closed constantly. Every time she steps outside she's hounded again. On the one hand it's good that he's being kept in the public eye, but he wants his privacy more than anything in the world.

So, Scar offers to open his house to her. Grian accepts, moving in with him in secret. They manage a few blissful weeks with each other before the press finds them again. It’s awful. They're still trying to explore their relationship and what it means, trying to figure it all out. Grian's still trying to come to terms with what happened to him and how Scar saved him.

The flashing of cameras is starting to give Grian anxiety. More than usual. She has half a mind to make another statement, but knows that'll only make things worse. In the meantime, Grian officially moves in with Scar.

Even Grian’s self-expression is criticised to no end. Suddenly the press is snapping pictures of her, in Scar's home, in jeans and sweaters and no makeup. She cuts her hair short because it’s starting to make her itch with discomfort, and boy does that cause an outcry about her 'mental breakdown'. Grian never had many issues with dysphoria or dysmorphia before, but once the papers picking apart her image start flooding in, looking in the mirror makes her a little nauseous.

Of course, the real fans still support her. She has a good, loyal fanbase who do care about her wellbeing and understand why she's hiding away. But the tabloids can build a story out of anything. Kind stories just don’t sell.

Album Two: ‘Land of the Viscera’

Things calm down a little bit, enough for Grian to master a new album. This time it comes from a place of anger and frustration, at the media and the stalkers and herself. She spends a lot of time working on the tone of the album, not wanting to fully alienate her fans but not wanting to stick with the preppy pop of her biggest successes.

In the end she goes for a mixture of femininity and something grungier, less pretty, less polished, a little more unhinged and rock-inspired. Think female punk bands, mixed with the warbling parasitic sound of bjork. The album is titled Land of the Viscera and follows the story of a character named Mother Spore as she explores a wonderland of twisted nature and decaying landscapes.

The aesthetic goes hard, basically. It feels blurry in terms of genre and more obviously queer, the Mother Spore metaphor openly criticising the tabloid news cycle and addressing the struggles Grian has faced in hand with fame. Still, her music holds a range of appeal, keeping within a pop-type structure while shifting into gothic, punk and rock.

The music videos are dark and edgy, full of rot, blood, and decay. They reference the stalking and attempted assault. Grian keeps her feminine costumes, trading the sleek red dresses for dark grey layered gowns. More severe makeup remains stylish, but drifts further away from Grian’s real preferences, as if he’s trying to separate himself from his persona.

The fans call it an ‘era’, immediately scrambling to figure out the “lore” hidden within the videos and lyrics. While critics suggest Grian will lose some of her audience by adopting a harsher sound, the album is regarded as an overall success.

Taking One For The Team

It takes a while for Grian to feel comfortable going ‘out’ into the world again. After the release of the album, the paparazzi take a moment to calm down, and public appearances seem less scary than before.

That is, until he starts making public appearances again, and remembers why he tried to go into hiding. Grian starts flipping off cameras or walking straight through the reporters, whenever she goes anywhere. Scar, ever one to do his job, isn’t sure he likes the attention, especially as the tabloids start to shift their reporting back to him. At least it fits Grian’s new image to be snarky and mean towards the cameras, bringing some of her private defence mechanisms from the tour back into the foreground.

New threats start coming in. It was fine, before, when the fans were satiated by the tour and Grian’s relationship with Scar seemed like a crazy fling. Now, with no new tour announced (thank god), the papers focusing more on Scar, and their relationship going public, things look more serious. This upsets all the people who think they are entitled to Grian’s life.

Once online threats start coming in, Scar gets jumpy and nervous. He asks Grian if they can stay at home, get their groceries delivered, etc. Grian appreciates Scars worries, and doesn't mind taking a few lazy days, so she agrees. At least they get to cuddle some more. But they both feel cooped-in. Trapped, within Scar’s house, constantly on the look-out for hidden reporters.

Grian decides she can’t live her life on hold forever. As much as it scares her, she loves performing and she wants to reignite that passion somehow. She agrees to attend a small local gig, an exclusive thing which doesn’t get announced on social media. It’s meant to be her stepping stone back into the world of performing. It’s meant to promote the new album, really. That’s all.

Scar stands backstage, watching from the wings and doing his job keeping Grian safe. Also admiring her with heart-eyes. There are other bouncers in the crowd, but Scar is the closest to Grian, confident in his ability to protect her.

In the middle of the set- and it all seems to happen quite suddenly- Scar feels a tap on his shoulder. He turns to see two young men and a young woman, all dressed in black. He’s about to ask them how they got backstage when one of the men punches him in the face, sending him to the ground.

Now, Scar is a strong guy, and the stranger seems kinda shocked at himself for throwing the punch at all, so Scar has enough time to recover and stand. Instantly, his heart is racing. Adrenaline rushes through him. One thought comes to mind: he has to protect Grian.

Scar assesses the situation. The attackers have no visible weapons. Good. As the second man goes to swing a punch, Scar grabs his wrist. He's much stronger, clearly. Twists the man’s arm around and pushes the guy back until he's tumbling onto the floor.

The girl goes to scratch him, but Scar dodges at the last second. He can hear another security guard, somewhere nearby. If he screams, Grian will hear. She'll stop the set and come to find him. She will be closer to the danger. She could get hurt.

Scar holds his tongue. The first guy tries to come in again, and again Scar blocks the attack, but he doesn't see the second man getting back up. He’s one against three. It’s a miracle he made it as long as he did.

He's on the floor before the pain of the hit even registers. This time, they're quicker than him. He receives a kick to the chest. Something snaps. For a stunned second, the attackers pause. The breaths catch in his throat painfully.

He thinks they might kill him. It's a horrible thought, but it's not an unrealistic one. The three assailants all land hits and kicks, never giving Scar enough time to stand.

They finish their assault as suddenly as they attacked. With horror, Scar thinks they're going to go onstage. They're going to hurt Grian. But, no. They turn back the way they came. One of them says something. About stealing, or deserving, or...

Scars ears are ringing.

As they walk away, he blacks out.

Hospital Visit Two

Grian is the one who finds Scar, coming backstage during a break. Her scream is enough to alert the crew. Obviously, the show is cancelled. An ambulance is called for Scar and a search takes place for the attackers, but no one can find anyone suspicious. Later, more anonymous posts on social media brag vaguely about how they showed that bodyguard that he doesn't deserve Ari.

When Scar wakes up in hospital, Grian is right there waiting, looking like a mess. The rest of the tour crew are there too, glad to see Scar awake. Grian's hair has been cut even shorter, in messy, jagged clumps. Scar briefly wonders if he did that in the hospital bathroom.

He asks if Grian is okay, to which Grian breaks down crying. She practically screams at Scar that he should be worried about himself. He broke a rib and has a head injury, for goodness’ sake! Scar says that’s not his job. Grian freezes up. She tells him quietly that his safety should always come before Grian's own. Scar repeats that his job is to keep Grian safe, no matter what.

Grian realises that Scar would do anything for her, and that's terrifying. He could have died, today, and he didn't call for help. Grian knows she would have heard him if he had called for help. So she asks Scar why. Scar tells the truth: he wanted to make sure Grian wouldn't come running towards the danger, because that's his job.

He’s so sure of himself, it’s agonising. Grian knows that Scar's contract isn't the only reason he's so willing to get hurt defending her. Still, she fires him. Right there, on the spot.

The hospital makes Grian feel anxious. The lights flicker, almost like the flashing of cameras. She cut her hair with tiny scissors in the hospital bathroom, to keep herself grounded, and to keep herself from doing anything stupid. She thinks about how she brings pain to everyone around her- how she took Scar away from a normal life.

They are only in the hospital for a few more days. Scar and Grian go home together, and make no announcements to the press. Grian gets Mumbo to call Scar’s boss and make sure he’s fired. Not out of malice- they talk about it, of course, and she has enough money for both of them- but because she isn’t sure if she can handle Scar taking on any more dangerous jobs.

A Break, A Breakdown

After Scar is out of the hospital, Grian decides to take another indefinite break, pulling back into isolation, even becoming more distant from Scar. Scar obviously knows something is wrong, but chalks it up to Grian being upset with him about his own recklessness. A rift grows between them, despite living together.

Moving house to escape reporters and cameras doesn’t help much with the growing tension, either. Not for the first time, Scar realises just how complicated his life has become.

Grian becomes increasingly closed-off, no matter what Scar says or does. Jokes don't land. Conversation runs dry. She just doesn’t seem happy. Scar starts to grow irritable, too, not enjoying being stuck indoors and left with frequent nightmares surrounding Grian and their various attackers. It all seems rather bleak.

Until, one day, Grian is happy. Carefree. Better. Scar isn’t an idiot. He knows what's happening. He doesn't want to believe it, but he's heard enough stories from friends and family to know what's about to happen. For lack of better words, Grian has been depressed, now suddenly she’s joyful again? Yeah, no, Scar doesn’t buy it.

He calls the crew. It's an emergency. Grian isn't well. As the day goes on, Scar doesn't let Grian out of his sight. Once she starts an argument about needing to use the bathroom in peace, Scar tells her what he thinks is going on. He has reason to believe she's actively suicidal.

A shocked silence. From the look on Grian’s face, Scar knows he was right. Grian mumbles something about it not being Scar's job to protect her anymore. Scar tells her it is. It's his job as a partner to make sure Grian stays alive. He doesn't expect Grian to break down crying in front of him, but that's been happening a lot lately. Or, Scar has heard it a lot, through closed doors.

This time Scar is able to offer comfort, to hold her somewhat awkwardly in his arms and whisper that it'll be okay. Even to Scar, it sounds like a lie. He was never really good at emotional things, always more helpful with the physical- sharing honey tea for a sore throat, or putting himself between Grian and the cameras.

The thing about Grian, is that once he starts speaking, it’s hard to get him to stop. As soon as Scar opens the door, she’s off on a rant. Of course, he listens, but it hurts to hear. Grian’s so sick of it all. His body, his art, his relationships, his life. They’re all objects in the eyes of the press and the fans. She’s not even safe to just be with Scar- her existence puts them both in so much danger. And she's not perfect anymore. She's corrupted and wrong and they can smell it on her like bloodhounds. Every imperfection is amplified or ignored in favour of viewing her as this untouchable idol that Scar is selfishly taking for himself. Grian just wants it to stop.

#ben chats shit on the internet #ari au #hermitcraft #hermitblr #scarian #gtws #gtwscar #goodtimeswithscar #grian #long post #hermitshipping

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sk1l-exe · 2 days

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I’m working on something that’s been taking forever and I feel like I’ve ghosted y’all, so here’s some headcannons in the meantime :]

Beware, these are very specific. I’ve had these floating around in my head for a long time 😭

- Darry 100% loves baking, I feel like this has to be kind of obvious because he’s the one that always makes chocolate cake but I think he LOVES it with a passion and would do it more if he had the time.

- Steve had never celebrated his birthday until he met Soda. His dad never cared and he didn’t really bring the topic up much until Soda asked what he did on his birthdays. The answer was that he’d usually just be alone and eventually get wasted and regret it the next day once he got his hands on alcohol. After that Soda always dragged him over to his house so the Curtis’ and Co. could celebrate his birthday.

- Two-bit has naturally curly hair, he just puts so much gel in it that no one would know. He unironically looks like Ronald McDonald with his natural hair.

- Darry likes gardening, whether it’s vegetables or flowers he enjoys the idea of nurturing something because he feels he doesn’t do a good job with the gang. There’s an old abandoned greenhouse that he made into his own garden that he visits each day after work to water and prune. No one questions why he’s covered in dirt when he gets home because roofing houses isn’t necessarily the cleanest job in the world.

- Soda and Darry tan really well, Pony on the other hand fries very quickly in the sun. When he inevitably gets burnt and puts aloe on he somehow always manages to get stuck to a blanket and someone has to peel it off of him.

- The Shepard’s are amazing dancers. When Curly and Angela were younger Tim would dance with them and teach them what he knew. Tim had learned what he knew from his mother, who died when he was 10. Although he didn’t exactly remember being taught, he just knew how to do these beautiful dances. One day he figured out his mother used to dance professionally, so he put two and two together and realized she must have taught him.

- Paul didn’t want to stop being friends with Darry when they graduated, but his father forced him to by threatening to hurt his mother. Eventually Paul began to resent Darry for this, which led to the misconception that he’d just stopped being friends with him because they couldn’t go to college together.

- Also, Darry and Paul’s mom—Lina—used to bake together whenever Paul’s dad was away because of work. Darry saw her as an aunt and she was the first person he wanted to see after his parents died but couldn’t.

- Buck dyes his hair random colors habitually. One week it’s baby pink and the next it’s deep green. He strangely looks good with every color.

- Tim and Dally had their first kiss while in the middle of fighting each other. It wasn’t the most romantic first kiss but it got the point across. Tim broke three of Dally’s ribs and Dally managed to break Tim’s nose and split his lip. Their love is sometimes shown through aggression, but rarely now that they understand the other better.

- Two-bit and Marcia are platonic besties. Most people assume they’re dating, but in reality they’re just pulling the biggest, most elaborate prank on everybody. They dance with each other and share clothes but they never consider the other as a romantic option, just another clown to have fun with.

- Cherry didn’t move on after Bob’s death for a year. She loved him even though he wasn’t the best person. Eventually she realized that she can move on without feeling like she’s somehow disrespecting his memory.

- I might have mentioned this before but Angela paints Tim and Curly’s nails. Sometimes she’s able to get other people too, like Dally, Buck, and Two-bit. She always picks the colors that match them perfectly, they’re always complemented by anyone who notices.

- Randy leaves fresh flowers at Paul’s grave each day, sometimes running into Cherry. He missed him, but acknowledges that he’s a better person now that he’s gone.

- Evie makes handmade jewelry, it’s something she does to calm down. Steve loves what she makes and if he notices she’s having a particularly bad day he gets the gang to wear the ones she stress makes. She used to be embarrassed but after seeing everyone wearing something of hers she feels pride. She wants to be a jewelry designer but knows she can’t do it (she does, eventually).

- In a universe where Johnny and Dally die, Darry has children named after them. He has a biological son named Johnny and an adopted daughter that everyone calls Dallas because she’s from Dallas, Texas (her name is actually Logan). Both act exactly like their namesake.

- Pony and Johnny bring random animals home at least once a week. Possums, turtles, lizards, kittens, anything he can find. Darry always feels bad telling them no, but he makes sure the animals go to a wildlife center.

- Steve is surprisingly good at math. If he applied himself he could get a scholarship, but it isn’t what he wants. He wants to open a car shop with Soda.

- Pony and Soda like to watch the sunset together, meanwhile Darry starts watching the sunrise before he goes to work because he’s never home to watch the sunset with his brothers. Sometimes one of the gang is awake and joins him, it’s one of the most peaceful moments of their day.

That’s all for now, I might make a more less lighthearted version of this later?? If you guys wanna hear me ramble more??

#the outsiders #headcanons #darry curtis #sodapop curtis #ponyboy curtis #two bit mathews #dally winston #steve randle #evie the outsiders #marcia the outsiders #cherry valance #tim shepard #curly shepard #angela shepard #buck merrill #paul holden #randy adderson #the outsiders headcanons

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sh0tanzz · 2 days

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RIIZE OT7 LOVE LIFE READING ~ based on tarot

so glad to be doing tarot again tbh

reminder this is based off of my interpretations of the energy and cards I receive and is not exact fact unless said so by the members themselves; energy is subject to change or manifest differently so my reading may differ from others

note: while doing the reading the members seemed ok speaking on their love lives (lowkey seemed like they wanted to vent) but the phrase “can this stay anonymous” kept coming up so instead of outright saying each member I’ll keep it vague on who I’m speaking of

Member A:

he most definitely has been involved with someone as of late and this person is most likely new or it’s a more recent romantic development for him (AoW, 2oC, PoC). the pacing of his dynamic has been pretty fun and lighthearted which he really does enjoy but it may be moving a bit faster than he expected/intended to making him anxious (the fool Rx, 8oW). the person he’s seeing might want to make things more serious but he might not 😭 he’s been deliberating on a decision of how he wants to operate, he’s very indecisive on committing to anyone rn (2oS, 2oW, 2oC)

Member B:

dating is lowkey out of sight out of mind for this member, he could date and has opportunities but is more focused on bettering himself (KoS, ace of cups Rx, 7oC, 8oP) . he isn’t outright refusing the opportunities he’s just not that concerned with them. he might’ve broken up with someone however this breakup isn’t exactly recent [or he’s been thinking about past relationships] but it made him reflect on some things. (2oW, 4oC, the hermit) he’s concerned about figuring out how to let go of some of the baggage and bad behaviors he has plus to be a better person with more to offer. (the devil Rx, 8oS Rx, temperance, 6oP) he essentially wants to heal himself before dating anyone.

Member C:

he’s interested in someone, like has a small crush it’s probably another idol or someone who works in a similar/same field and might be someone older or debuted before him/been in the industry longer (KoW, QoW, 3oP, the hierophant) but he’s lowkey suspicious of the person and may feel that they’re deceptive or may not have the same intentions as him (7oS, QoS Rx, the magician Rx). in his personal life he feels like he’s finally seeing the success and and results of him working hard as an idol and will be very intuitive and on gaurd romance wise to ensure that maybe a dating scandal or bad relationship doesn’t sour his good work life. (the high priestess, 9oW, 9oP, 7oW)

Member D:

this member in particular isn’t really fond of how they look currently; and is very caught up in a personal illusion of not being as desirable as he “used to/could be” (Empress Rx, Moon, 9oC Rx). his more deeper insecurities regarding his appearance is hindering him from pursuing or moving forward in relationships out of fear of rejection (5oS) as well as being too caught up mentally about his physical dislikes to even consider love opportunities (5oC, 9oS) he wants to wait till he’s confident again

Member E:

very simplistic, he’s honestly more worried about other relationships in his life outside of romantic ones so his family and friends plus he’s looking forward to adding new friends to his circle cuz he’s lowkey been bored social life wise (3oC, 10oP, 4oC, 3oW). similar to member b he isn’t outright against dating at the moment but he isn’t actively pursuing it, he’s satisfied where he is (9oC) but if an opportunity comes he won’t mind it exactly..he has a very “if it happens it happens” mindset about it for now (the hanged man, the wheel of fortune) he might be finding many people attractive at the moment or having talking stages here or there or getting to know someone but that’s really it (AoW)

Member F:

he has a lowkey urge to date because he’s very available at the moment but at the same time he has other matters to tend to which is holding him back. he might currently be studying and working on a new thing he’s recently gotten into. (8oP, 3oP, PoP) this reading is a bit ironic because he has so much free time yet still might not be in the position to date again for now, he might have a small urge to put himself out there since he can but he’s nervous that it’ll go left and end up making his current dealings more complicated. (the lovers Rx, 9oC Rx, the world Rx, 2oP, 9oW) he may have had a woman/fem figure in his life aiding him through his current processes and have an admiration for her I’m not sure if I’d call it a crush however (the star, the hierophant, QoC)

Member G:

ok this one is funny bc I can’t even tell if he’s in a relationship or not but what I do know is this member is STRESSED and it’s impacting his relationships not just the romantic ones 😭. (10oW, 2oC Rx, 7oP, the sun Rx). the stress is causing imbalance because he might be a bit more abrasive or could be a bit snappy at people lately from being so burnt out maybe even a bit rude (the emperor Rx, KoS Rx, 5oW) however he knows he needs to correct these behaviors for his relationships in general to flourish (8oP, 9oP)

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narcjsistx · 2 days

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hii! I'm new to this platform and I haven't fully understood how it works yet... also, english is not my first language. don't be rude to my grammar which definitely sucks 🙏

—————꒷♡꒷—————

— Coincidences? PART ONE

Rindou Haitani x FEM¡READER

“Is that all you can say?” This is the last message you sent to Hyokko, but obviously he left you the message with the displayed. He doesn't know how to find arguments when you argue, even if he is the first to create these hateful arguments

You've been thinking for more than a few months that your relationship should end, but after every argument you find yourself in his arms crying while whispering that you love him

The fact is, you can't let go of a relationship that's been going on for 3 years so easily. You met in the first months of your first year of high school, and soon after, bam, you were together after his declaration in perfect romantic style

Now you two are 16 years old and your fights are the order of the day. You can't get along anymore but you both don't want to ruin everything you've worked so patiently to create

a message appears on your screen: "have you break up?". you sigh, and type a quick message to your best friend Ran on your keyboard

"it's complicated. I'll be at your house in 10 minutes" you write and send the message, while you put on your jacket and go out

You and Ran have been friends pretty much as long as you've known Hyokko. When you were a first year, he was at the third. Now you are in your third year and following a failure Ran finds himself in his fifth year. At first you didn't particularly like him, but after the afternoon you spent together a few years ago you decided that he would become your best friend. He is a particular person, but you love him very much

You knock on the door and it's Ran who opens the door and gives you a kind smile. "Do you have something interesting to tell me, pretty?" he says, letting you walk into the house, where you sit heavily on the couch

"He's a dickhead! He doesn't know how not to get into trouble with other girls and puts the blame on me for not giving him enough importance" you say out loud, while Ran giggles sitting on the armchair next to the sofa

"You still haven't figured out that he's cheating on you, right pretty?" Ran says crossing his legs, and you snort at his statement

“he doesn’t cheat on me” you say settling your head on the pillow. your only certainty about him is that he could never cheat on you, he himself has admitted several times that he has a very strong hatred for traitors

“Oh well, your thoughts… are you still at home, Rindou?” Ran says, noticing his brother walking down the stairs passing through the living room to the kitchen

You look up and notice Rindou, Ran's younger brother. You don't have a great relationship with him, you know each other and you like each other, but nothing more

"Kat said she would be late so I waited a few minutes to go out. I'm going now" says the boy as he drinks a glass of water, then goes into the hall to put on his jacket. With a wave of his face he greets you, and you wave back at him

Rindou leaves the house and you are alone again "how long has he been with Katerine?" you ask. You knew that Rindou was engaged with a girl from your school, a year younger than you. She was actually American, but She had been in Japan since her birth. You liked Katerine, she was very nice

"I think a year. Great little bitch" Ran says calmly, making you jump for a moment. Why did he talk like that about his brother's girlfriend?

"What? Bitch?" you say for a moment confused. You raise an eyebrow, actually confused by his words. You had always seen Kat as an extremely kind person, and those times you had spoken to her she had always been enormously loving. Furthermore, with Rindou she made a really nice couple. You were used to seeing them after school while he took her home on his motorbike

“I've done my research. She doesn't have a great reputation, let's just say she's seen more dicks than people,” Ran says, letting out a chuckle. This annoys you, even though he is your best friend you don't allow him to talk about other girls like this, but what did he mean?

"Rindou has been telling me for months that Kat is always busy on certain days. I sent some of my subordinates from Roppongi and discovered that she has a lot of fun in the back of the pizzeria near the music store nearby" Ran says, answering your yet to be asked question. You are confused for a moment by his words, but suddenly a memory from some time before comes to mind

You were with a friend of yours and you had just left the music store. She needed new strings for her guitar and you had offered to accompany her on the condition that once done she would buy you some pizza. You were heading towards the pizzeria and, leaning against the wall, there was a girl in scanty clothes counting some money while smoking. You didn't notice, but as you entered the pizzeria you met the girl's gaze. Such familiar eyes... who knows

"IT WAS KAT!" you shout, making Ran jump. You put a hand over your mouth, apologizing for your loud voice. “Sorry, and why didn’t you tell Rindou?” you ask, becoming even more confused. You knew very well that the two Haitani brothers had a truly almost perfect relationship, so, why was she hiding something so important from him?

"Do you think Rindou would believe me? No. He is madly in love with Katerine, he would think that I want to make him leave her because I envy him" Ran says sighing. You think about it, and Ran might actually be right. Rindou isn't exactly the person who believes things that go against him, no matter how real they are

“I have to ask you a favor,” he asks suddenly, tucking a lock of hair behind his shoulders. You look at him, waiting for the offer "You have to tail Katerine. You have to have physical evidence that she does what she does". You look at him for a moment annoyed, why you should do what he can easily do? Besides, you don't owe Rindou anything. Why let him find out that his girlfriend is cheating on him with your proof?

"No? why should I?" You ask, crossing your arms over your chest. Ran stares at you for a few seconds, letting a victorious smile cover his face

"If you do, I will give you physical proof that Hyokko is cheating on you. Then I can say I'm right" he says playing with his hair, probably thinking he's won

The fact is that, despite knowing that Hyokko is very faithful to you, the doubt always remains. You may be a bad girlfriend for doubting him, but he it's been weird for a long time now. Why not clarify the situation? You know Ran won't have any proof anyway

"You collect proof and I will collect proof on Katerine. Rindou must not know that I did it and that these are things you did on your behalf" you say putting your hand forward. Ran squeezes it without even thinking about it

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ricflairdrip20 · 18 hours

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Meeting Emily Prentiss - (Prentiss x Y/N)

• You have been working in the BAU for about 5 years before you met Emily Prentiss, who came along after Elle left.

• For the record, you and Emily are lesbians, but y’all don’t know that about each other 🤭

• You get along well with everyone. Spencer is a sweet nerd who just wants to talk about the facts, which get limited due to the time sensitivity in the cases you works in. Morgan is a great and funny guy who will protect you at all cost. Hotch is the boss you respect because not only is he great at his job but he’s a great person himself who cares about his team. Elle is your best gal friend and you were sad she left, but you kept in contact with her. Gideon is somewhat of a father figure, although you teased him to be grandpa figure. But most of all, J.J. and Penelope Garcia are your best friends. You confided in them whenever things get rocky, whether it’s your personal life or the intensity of the case.

• Anywho, Emily comes along and you’re like 😯 who is this girl?

• At first she felt like she didn’t belong, but before you knew it, you and her became close. Like really close.

• You told Garcia and J.J. about your crush on her and they smiled and give you advices, as well as assuring you she likes you.

• One night after a bad school shooting case and you found yourself at a bar with her, crying your eyes out because it hits close to home.

• Emily hugged you tight and the way she was comforting you struck a cord in your heart. As she pulled back, you saw sympathy written on her face and you smiled.

• You held hand as you walked outside to catch a taxi, not risking to be behind the wheel while a little buzzed.

• Emily took you on a date, and the starry night is full of Emily telling you how beautiful you look and kissing your hand.

• After multiple dates, she placed a kiss on your lip and you felt like you could fly.

• From then on, you’re both dating and it was the best thing ever happened to you

#criminal minds #ssa emily prentiss #emily prentiss #emily prentiss x reader #emily prentiss x y/n

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avonne-writes · 2 days

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Your hs au college head canons sound sooooo angsty and good! I can’t wait to see what you do with them! While I was reading them, I couldn’t help but picturing like a scene where they each separately are talking with their new fiends who basically say something like “I’m surprised you two are together, you don’t seem like you are right for each other” which would add doubts for both of them because they are so used to people thinking they are such a perfect and sweet couple. And of course feeling those doubts causes more tension. And of course these friends only feel this way because they haven’t truly seen their relationship, only the way it’s been during this transition time. Ugh I love this kind of angst! Of course, only if it has a happy ending!

Hi dear! Thank you, I’m glad you like the headcanons.

Great addition, this 100% happens. Gale's friends would phrase it similarly to how you did, politely. They would go on to tell Gale that this happens to most high school sweethearts, and that a break-up doesn’t mean that the previous ~4 years were not meaningful or that they're bad memories. They try to comfort Gale. But they're not without fault either, because like you said, they don't know John and Gale's relationship super well and they see mostly the struggles in that first semester, so they encourage Gale to break up. They try to talk him down from investing more effort into the relationship.

But Bucky gets the short end of the stick here.

His social circle is made up mostly of his teammates. As you can imagine, some of those can be rude and extremely crass, boasting about their conquests and being hurtful out of mere ignorance. These guys would regularly poke fun at Bucky for the fact that he has never had sex with anyone but Gale. They'd say things like "don’t you wanna dip it somewhere else" and "how do you even know you're bi when you haven't even tried pussy". If he wants to skip a party, they whistle and boo at him that the missus has him whipped (this isn’t exclusive to him, they do it with everyone who goes home). Some might even try to comment on Gale, about his prettiness and how they'd tap that too. They think this is being inclusive but Bucky snaps and there's an altercation, and it takes a few days before the team dynamics reset again.

These are not Bucky's friends, just teammates. His actual friends within the team are much nicer, but they also echo some of the same sentiments. "Don’t you feel like you're missing out on something?" Bucky tries to keep most of this from Gale and he's not comfortable discussing his sex life with his mom, so the whole thing builds up in him. It doesn’t help that due to their issues, he and Gale don’t have sex that often or it just feels a bit off.

When he and Gale make up after their big fight, he tells Gale everything. Since this is exactly Gale's insecurity, Gale - much more gently this time than during the fight - tells him that he doesn’t want to hold Bucky back. It clearly pains him, but he even offers to do an open relationship for a while. But Bucky doesn’t want that, and he says it too. He snuggles close to Gale and basically just asks him to reassure him that it's okay not to want that. That it's okay to be with only one person and that they'll work on making sure neither of them regrets it in the future.

Gale is very pessimistic and thinks that's impossible, but at that point, he wants to help Bucky relax and he has the selfish desire to say yes too, so he tells Bucky that it's okay and that they will figure everything out. Ultimately, they do figure it out every time they struggle with something related to this, so Gale’s pessimistic fears don’t come true. And their sex life improves drastically after the fight. It’s the best it has ever been.

#buck x bucky #anon #mota #clegan #john egan #gale cleven #hs au

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spenceragnewfics · 2 days

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I love softboi Spence but can we get something slightly more agro maybe a jealousy lead up? Thanks xxx

Hope you enjoy!!

JEALOUSY JEALOUSY | Spencer Agnew x F!Reader | MINORS DNI

TW: Unwanted suggestive comments, small violence, unprotected sex, public sex, sex on games stage.

Word Count: 1.4k

Description: After a childhood friend joins Smosh, Spencer gets a little jealous when he steps over a boundary Y/N has set many times.

Smosh is a channel filled with many people, whether permanent cast or guest stars. Y/N is a cast member who has been around since 2016 and is well-loved by the cast, crew, and fans.

During this time, Y/N and Spencer became very close and started dating, becoming a beloved couple among their friends. This soon became public knowledge in 2020 when the two announced they moved in together after being a couple for two years.

Over the years, the couple have been very secure. Neither gets jealous or anxious about their relationship. That was until a new cast member joined recently.

Y/N and Spencer were on the games stage, figuring out how to play a new board game for Board AF when Ian and Anthony walked in. “Oh, well here is our favorite couple,” Anthony says, smiling at the two. “Hey guys, what’s up?” Y/N asks as Spencer moves to sit with her on the couch.

“We wanted to introduce you to our newest cast member. He should be here in a second.” Ian says when he notices the man not behind him. “So is he going to be on games or more on the main and pit channels?” Spencer asks, wrapping his arm around Y/N’s shoulders.

“We don’t know yet, we’re still trying to see what he’s good at.” Ian says and a voice rings through the studio, “I’m good at comedy, if that helps.” Y/N leans over to see who it is and gasps. “Oh my gosh, no fucking way!” She says as she gets off the couch.

The three men are confused as she runs over to the tall man, “James? It’s been so long!” She says affectionately. “Y/N/N! It’s so good to see you again.” He says, hugging the shorter woman tightly, lifting her a bit as he does. “Wait, you two know each other?” Spencer asks, his voice a bit dry.

“Of course, I used to babysit James when I was back home. I can’t believe you’re here!” Spencer watches only a few feet away with his arms crossed. While Y/N’s face and voice are friendly, he knows the look on James’ face. He used to have the same look and it makes him feel agitated.

The conversation doesn’t last much longer as Anthony and Ian continue to show Trevor around. Y/N walks over to her boyfriend, an excited smile on her face, “I can’t believe Jae is here! God, I have so many stories from when he was young that could embarrass him.” She says laughing at the memories.

Noticing how quiet Spencer is, she looks at him concerned. Her brows frowned as her hand touched his bearded cheeks, “Spence, what’s wrong? You’re not seeming like yourself.”

“I’m fine, just thinking about all of the things going on. I’m okay.” He assures her, kissing her palm. She sighs, not believing him but also not wanting to dig much deeper for now, “Should we get back to the game? I don’t want Angela talking my ear off again about the rules.” She jokes and he cracks a smile. “Of course.” He says, kissing her cheek before moving back to where he was.

Weeks go by and Spencer only gets more and more jealous, well he calls it annoyed, but he’s jealous. Especially since Selina thought that James and Y/N were a good duo in videos, fans agree with her thoughts and love seeing them together.

James had gotten more bold with his gestures. He would wrap his arm around her, hold her hand, and call her sweet names, and it kills Spencer. It does make him feel better that Y/N made sure to tell him when he stepped over a line and made sure Spencer knew if something happened while he wasn’t there.

Spencer’s line got crossed when they were filming Werewolf. It was him, Y/N, James, Shayne, Courtney, Damien, and Chanse. James was the werewolf and tried to kill Chanse but got accused by Courtney. “You say you were with someone last night, who was it?!” They yell, jumping on the couch.

James looks across from him to Y/N and smirks, “I think you already know.” She looks at him shocked as he laughs but no one else does, “What? Bad joke?” He asks, not getting that no one found it funny. The video soon finishes and everyone starts to walk off, the only people left are James, Spencer, and Y/N.

“Hey, Y/N/N, no hard feelings right?” James asks, acting like what he said was nothing. “James, I have told you a million times, I am dating Spencer. I have been for six years now.” The younger man rolls his eyes, “Look, no offense Spencer, but there is a lot of history between Y/N and I. So I think-”

Spencer doesn’t let him continue as he grabs the taller man by his collar, pinning him against a wall. “You have no say in this. This is between Y/N and I. This is the final straw, dude. You’re done here at Smosh and I will make sure you don’t get work anywhere else.” He threatens before pushing him off the set. Locking the door and leaving him and Y/N alone.

“Spence, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what’s-”

“Just shut up and kiss me.” He says before pulling her into a heated kiss. Teeth and lips clashing with the passionate movements, weeks of pent-up feeling being released.

The couple moves to the couch, not breaking the kiss as Spencer lays Y/N on the couch. The two quickly get out of their clothes and Spencer lines himself up to her entrance. “I’m going to make sure you know you’re mine.” He practically growls before plunging inside her.

“Spencer!” Y/N screams at the sudden force, the feeling of him inside her taking her by sweet surprise. “Yes, moan my name baby.” He groans as his hips go at a fast pace. His hands hold her hips down while her legs are wrapped around his waist, keeping him close to her so she can feel as much as she can.

The sound of skin hitting skin is loud and intimate. Her fingers are tangled in his curls while he leaves hickeys on her body for people to see. His hands move to trace her body, every curve hitting into his hands as her soft skin feels tender in his hands.

His hands stop at her breasts, and he plays with her right nipple before putting his mouth on her left one. His lips wrap around the bud, making her moan at the feeling. The waves of pleasure coming from his thrusts and his lips make her eyes roll back.

Spencer pulls away from her chest as she squeezes around him. His eyes squeezed shut at the feeling, reveling in the warmth wrapped around him. He rests his forehead against hers, his breath coming out short and fast matching Y/N’s pace.

Despite the intimate sweet moment, his thrusts are fast and rough. Making her usual feeling of enjoying the slow and intimate nature of sex, more on edge with the fast and passionate thrusts. She isn’t complaining about it, enjoying the new sensations.

His moans and groans are loud, louder than normal, his caution thrown to the wind as he gets closer and closer. His fingers rub a quick pattern onto her clit as he gets close, wanting her to release with him.

“Spencer, please, don’t stop.” She begs, feeling the coil in her stomach tighten as she grips the couch. Only moments later does she release on his cock, she releases with a squeal of his name. He pulls out and quickly strokes himself, releasing onto her chest.

His eyes glaze over as he looks at his cum on her tits before leaning in and kissing her. The two pull away after a moment, looking into each other’s eyes as their foreheads meet. “That was different.” She says, her voice is breathy as she tries to regulate to a normal pace again.

“Yeah, I couldn’t help it. A lot of stuff built up, but I don’t think you mind.” He smirks as he moves hair from her face. “Yeah, I think I might try to make you jealous more honestly.” She teases, he rolls his eyes as she laughs and wraps her arms around his neck.

“Let’s get you cleaned up and out of here before people get suspicious.” He says, caressing her face, staring at her with hearts in his eyes. “I think I want to stay like this for a bit.” She says as she runs her hand down his chest, her nails almost getting caught in his chest hair.

“Whatever you say, babe.”

#smosh #smosh cast #smosh games #smosh mouth #smosh pit #spencer agnew #spencer agnew x reader #romance #fanfiction #imagine #request #smosh x reader #smosh imagine #jealousy

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