#this is kind of mostly fluff

[twistedwonderlandsimps]

Little Misfortune!Yuu

I'm just here to mix-and-match different kinds of Yuus with different kinds of personalities to see what monstrosity I can make. That being said,,, Little Misfortune!Yuu brainrot!

Finally, the promised thing is here. I did say I was going to make this one day in one of my earlier asks. Well, here it is.

Yuu isn’t a child here. They’re all grown up but they still have the same morbid humor.

And who’s with them when they get transported into another world? Well, Mr. Voice, of course!

Mr. Voice is a limitedly omniscient being and probably lives in the 4th dimension or something. He’s just hanging around Yuu and acts as a father figure/narrator because he practically adopted Yuu and didn’t have the will to kill them when they were young and now here they are.

Or maybe he was successful and Yuu died but they were adopted by Mr. Voice soon after, whatever floats your boat.

Anyway, the only one who can hear Mr. Voice is Yuu.

Yuu also has that very distinct accent from the game because I say so. It’s cute and makes the morbid things that comes out of their mouth more horrifying.

Also, Mr. Voice probably sometimes lovingly refer to Yuu as ‘little misfortune’ as a nickname.

“Mr. Voice, I don’t like being trapped in here.” Yuu worriedly says once they woke up to find themselves trapped inside a coffin. “Can you help me get out?”

“Don’t worry, Yuu. I’m sure you’ll be out soon. Ah! Speaking of, here comes a cat. What might this little creature be doing to come here? Perhaps they’re going to help you get out of that coffin? It seems so! You might want to brace yourself, little misfortune.”

The moment the coffin opens up, Yuu faceplants on the ground with a loud ‘oomph!’.

“Are you okay, Yuu?”

“I’m okay, Mr. Voice.” Yuu says, pushing themselves off from the ground and dusting the dirt off from their clothes. They then looked around their surroundings and said in a voice full of awe, “Where are we?”

“We seem to be in a completely different place. Maybe even perhaps a different dimension?” Mr. Voice replies in his ever-so-calm manner.

“Woah! For reals? Are we going to have an adventure? I like adventures! Hehe.”

“Well, if you want to, then yes.”

The father-child moment gets broken by none other than Grim who butts in, “Who are you talking to, human?! Gah, nevermind that, give me your robe!”

Yuu manages to escape Grim safely with Mr. Voice’s guidance. That doesn’t last long because Grim finds them soon after.

Trust me when I say Mr. Voice was ready to throw hands at that moment.

Remember, Mr. Voice might not have a body but he can affect Yuu’s plane of existence.

Causing destruction or whatever, as long as the scene is within his ‘screen’ or in other words his point of view, is child’s play for him.

Luckily for Grim, Crowley arrived.

Guess no punting Grim to the horizon for today. Can’t say the same for the future overblot boys, though. May the Great Seven save their souls.

Anyway, they’ve arrived at the Mirror Chamber.

Yuu was hesitant to go in at first.

“There’s a lot of people inside. I don’t know how to feel about this, Mr. Voice.”

“It’s alright, Yuu. You don’t have to worry about anything. I’ll always be with you.”

“For reals?”

“Yes, for real. Now go in and show all those people inside you’re not someone to be messed with!”

“Hehe, okay!”

Yuu is not threatening at all. Not one bit. They like to think they are and Mr. Voice likes to encourage them and make them believe they are but no.

Anyway the ceremony goes off without a hitch, aside from Grim almost burning it down that is, and Yuu’s brought to Ramshackle.

“Creepy and spooky!” Yuu exclaims with a small giggle but they don’t seem worried or scared.

“Now, now, Yuu. It might look rundown on the inside but I’m sure it’s better on the inside.”

[Cut to Crowley and Yuu standing inside Ramshackle where it’s obviously not much better than the outside.]

Mr. Voice: “Well, alright then.” *proceeds to trip Crowley as he was heading out, making the Headmaster stumble, fall, and break through the dilapidated floor and down through the basement*

Mr: Voice: “That should take care of him for now. What say we go upstairs and find a nice comfy bed you can sleep on?”

Anyway, imagine Yuu and witnessing overblotting.

Someone: *overblots*

Yuu: “Yikes forever.”

And when the overblot’s finished, Yuu just sprinkles the overblottee a fistful of glitter.

“I hope you feel better now. Glitters always make me feel better.”

“You eat glitter, my little misfortune. I don’t think eating glitter makes anyone feel better.”

“Hush now, Mr. Voice.”

Where does Yuu even keep their seemingly infinite source of glitter from? Even Mr. Voice, as omniscient as he is, doesn’t know.

Now that I think about it, they’re probably going to be constantly throwing glitter all over the campus since they sprinkle it everywhere that they believe needs happiness, and it cheers them up.

And NRC is a very gloomy place.

My god, can you imagine that part where Riddle insult Yuu, their parents, and their education?

The braincell group gets angry, Ace punches Riddle but then Yuu just casually pipes up with:

“Hey! That’s rude, you know. My mommy and daddy were always busy arguing with each other and drinking juice so sometimes they forgot about me.”

“As I said before, their behavior isn’t an excuse for them to neglect you, Yuu.” Mr. Voice says.

“Really? Damn.”

“Language.”

Mr. Voice was slightly conflicted since technically Riddle was mocking Yuu’s parents and was trying to mock Yuu’s upbringing through them. Of course it doesn’t really work that well since Yuu’s parents weren’t the best people so he was kind of right.

Also imagine Yuu approaching Riddle post-overblot and asking, “Do you have your own Mr. Voice, too?”

“Mr. Voice?”

“Yeah! He talks in my head and knows a lot of things. He takes care of me because my mommy and daddy can’t.”

“I don’t think I have this… Mr. Voice you speak of.”

“Oh… Ok! I’ll just share him with you then and he can take care of both of us.”

Also, I like to think that since Mr. Voice is in another plane of dimension that’s beyond Yuu’s is that he can see what the players can see.

That means that he can see the overblot boys’ flashbacks and tells Yuu all about it.

“I don’t like Riddle’s mommy. She sounds mean. Can’t you do anything about this, Mr. Voice?”

“Unfortunately, I can’t. The only one who can make a choice regarding this is Rosehearts himself. The only thing we can do is give him support and help him when he needs it.”

Also, I don’t know why but I ironically think Mr. Voice would have a favorable impression on Ace.

Not at first, of course, since they insulted Yuu and all but he was thoroughly impressed with the Heartslabyul student when he defended Yuu later on and even called Trey out for being a bad friend to Riddle.

Anyway, Yuu probably doesn’t hide that they can hear Mr. Voice and even talks to them but since no one else can hear Mr. Voice, they seem a wee bit weird talking to thin air and staring off into nothing.

Except for the braincell trio and maybe some other people. They, at some point, start to believe Mr. Voice exists.

Because really?

Cater: “Prefect, do you know anything about how Trey got injured?”

Yuu: *silently looks to wherever Mr. Voice is*

Mr. Voice: “I believe this problem has something to do with the… Savanaclaw Dorm, was it? Specifically, someone by the name of Ruggie Bucchi. The one that Grim traded his lunch with the other day ago, remember him? He’s the one who has been causing all these accidents.”

Yuu, turning to the others: “Mr. Voice says it’s because of Ruggie Bucchie from Savanaclaw. He said that he was the one causing all the accidents.”

Ace: “Alright, case closed. Now let’s get the pitchforks.”

Unfortunately since they had no evidence yet and can only rely on Mr. Voice’s (someone who the majority still believes is just a product of Yuu’s overactive imagination and is in no way real) word, they can’t do anything but they do keep a closer eye on the Savanaclaw Dorm.

Also, I like to think that Lilia would want to adopt this Yuu.

Like, hm? Your parents were crappy and neglected you your whole life? Sometimes even hurting you? Well, well, well, would you like to instantly get a parental figure and immediately be adopted?

Mr. Voice has a contender for the parent role and it’s not Crowley.

“Mr. Lilia, Mr. Voice told me to tell you that ‘You are not going to be taking my ward away from me you overgrown bat.’”

Speaking of Crowley, every time he’s within Yuu’s vicinity, and subsequently in Mr. Voice’s point of view, dead birds will fall from the sky no matter if he’s inside a building or outside.

Mr. Voice is just that petty.

Also, just thinking about when the braincell group visit Ramshackle, gets bored, and goes over through Yuu’s stuff and they see a bloodstained rock that had a sad face drawn on to it.

“Hey Yuu, what’s the deal with this rock? Why does it have blood on it?”

“I got that stone when daddy threw it at me once. I call him Stony because he’s a stone.” Yuu said and giggled, not noticing the silent horrified looks their friends gave them.

Wait, wait, I just thought of something…

What if the reason Yuu got their name was because their parents couldn’t be bothered to think of a name for them and just constantly called them ’you’.

[madarasgirl]

Without You

Friends…I am a Mrs. now! The wedding stuff turned my head to goo...feeling very romantic (but also horny). Sorry for the sappiness in this story, which I baked on/off over the past month. This Alucard is pretty soft with his Reader until he wants to troll.

With how important a concept virginity is in the world of Hellsing, I was surprised by the lack of virginity loss fics, especially with a partner Alucard actually cares for. So I wrote one. Your decision was made. You will not forsake your humanity in exchange for an eternity with your vampire King. On the night he was to take your virginity, there will be no going back.

“Eternity is a long time, little one.” Tags/warnings: 18+ NSFW, Alucard (Ultimate) x Fem!Reader, Vladcard x Reader, Riocard x Reader. Romance, angst/comfort, emotional sex, loss of virginity, vaginal sex, creampie, oral sex, sex marathon, slight bondage & BDSM, partial mind control, anal, snowballing (?), tiny bit of predator/prey (Alu can’t help that side of himself), AFTERCARE, Alucard uses his abilities... Words: 10441

Tumblr won't let me post the full fic even though I've seen longer fics here before. So here's the link.

An excerpt is below the cut.

Dracula was crying. It felt as though he murdered you metaphorically even if you were still living, which was foolish because the sex only solidified the fact you will never turn into a ghastly vampiric monster like him. Yet the act also represented the end of something. The dream that you might always be together. Bloody tears stained his face and the silky sheets. He held you close, squeezing you into the soft mattress as he wept silently, unwilling to let you physically part from him.

You understood. Your arms found their way around his broad back and caressed soothingly in an oval track. Salty tears fell down your cheeks as you mourned with him –you mourned the fact you won’t always be there for him.

Sir Integra gave her blessing to your relationship with her servant years ago, instructing you to take care of him because he was little more than a sobbing child. Her words were nonsensical at the time. This creature of mass destruction, a sobbing child? She had been right all along.

You kept rubbing his back while you peppered his head with light kisses. You were lost in the intimacy of the moment, but when you came to, the vampire in your arms was Alucard again, peering at you lazily like he wasn’t vulnerable just now. This was the form in which you met. You loved him as the King, but also like this. You loved him in all his forms. You pet his sinfully alluring face as he purred and leaned into your touch. He loved to be touched. 

He was so beautiful it just wasn't fair. His stunning appearance and cryptic mannerisms used to fluster the heck out of you. Fortunately, after many years together, you managed to better compose yourself in his presence. Until the next time he discovered another way to pester you, as Alucard does.

The Cheshire grin told you he heard your thoughts. “I’m not reading your mind, sweet, you are telling me.” He looked too pleased with himself. You exhaled. Nothing was fair to begin with when it came to this immortal being. “Come love, join me in the bath,” you told him, making to get up from the tear-stained bedsheets when you were swept off your feet and into lean arms several feet off the ground. “Alu, I can still walk!” You laughed at his overprotectiveness.

A sound at the back of his throat reverberated as he silently drew the bath and poured in scents and products, never letting you out of his grasp while he waited for the tub to fill with steamy water. “We will rectify that by the time I am through with you.” He finally replied, lowering both of you into the water, a devious grin painting his lips.

The bubbly water level reached your shoulders. You wriggled against a toned, lanky body to get comfortable, ignoring the boner poking your rear as you enjoyed the bath with Alucard. His head was thrown back against the tiles as he felt you shift around, your vampire the image of relaxation and contentment, his long limbs hanging awkwardly outside the tub. You sighed and leaned against him, the soothing water jets the only sound in the room.

He washed you, sweat and fluids sliding off your body with each swipe of his hands. "My Queen. My love...I will protect you. Always." His voice was low, eyes lidded and rippling with intent as he scented your rising arousal.

He buried his long nose in the crook of your throat and crooned, the elixir of your blood that raced under the skin ravishing his senses. He had been obsessed with your neck since the night you met. How he loved to lick, nuzzle, and sniff your throat. Running dexterous fingers down your waist, he found slick vertical lips once more.

The vampire made his infamous landshark smile from behind you, two rows of pointy teeth glinting in the soft light of the bathroom. He lapped at the side of your jugular, a low moan sounding deep from his chest as he teased, “So tempting, love.”

You snickered, head tilting over as if to invite him in, daring him to bite as you held his head and pushed his mouth against your throat. His teeth ached with the compulsion to drink, your intoxicatingly heady aromas tickling his bestial nature…

His fangs descended, his cock twitched. Alucard growled, huffing and finally ripping away from the urge to sink fangs into your vein. “A dangerous game you play, little one.”

[athenadione]

'overcoming the fear of you and something more'

(What started out as a tiny drabble turned into THIS monstrosity of a fic, and nope I couldn't leave it without adding a little bit of *angst*. I hope you all enjoy, and find that opening yourself up to love isn't always a bad thing ;)

Read on ao3 HERE

Words: 9286

Rated: M

Fear is a fickle thing. 

It’s usually something Raven can never quite grasp. On the rare occasion that she does, by then it evolves into something different, something more. 

Something that she doesn’t want to name. 

And as much as she knows that it has a tendency to manifest in a way she never anticipates, she shoves down that feeling at the dinner table in favor of ignoring it. The less attention she can bring to herself the better. 

Especially since the root of it all is sitting across from her. 

If she could she would be able to rationalize that her conglomeration of emotions are natural — a testament to her humanity rather. It’s good that she’s able to feel things so freely for once, but she can’t think straight right now. 

Not when Damian is helping Mar’i settle back into her high chair, taking extra care to buckle her in and wiping the corner of her mouth with his thumb. 

Her heart pounds in a way that unsettles her deeply at the sight, and she can’t help when her power takes hold of a dish on the counter and slams it back down.  

It’s a good thing it’s plastic. And that Mar’i is used to loud sounds.

Emerald eyes flash to her with immediate concern, along with similar looks from everyone else at the table. 

“Raven, is everything alright?” Richard asks her as Kori takes advantage of a distracted Mar’i with a spoonful of mushy peas in one hand. 

“Ah, yes. I’m sorry,” the scrape of Raven’s chair makes her wince even more apologetically when she scoots back, “let me go set that in the dishwasher.” 

“Oh, just put it in the sink and we’ll get to it later,” Kori says without looking at her, “I have to wash some of Mar’i’s bottles anyway.” 

“You’ve been having more slip ups lately, is something bothering you?” Richard presses further, ever the nosy older brother. 

Knowing that Damian’s eyes are still on her, even as she lowers to her knees to grab the plate off the floor, she takes great care to keep her voice even. 

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me. It’s probably just a cold or something, you know I’ve been sneezing more lately.” That much was true. The turn of the season to Spring left something to be desired — which was clear sinuses. Raven was as surprised as everyone else to find out that a half-demon could get allergies. So lame.  With the attention focused solely on her, Raven feels her desperation rising to change the subject. She clears her throat after placing the plate into an already full sink, 

“So have you both figured out if you’re able to make Gar’s wedding?” 

Richard chews the side of his lip, casting a glance to Kori before answering, “We think we can make it, but we’re not completely sure. I heard Jamie is going with his new fiancée.” 

Raven raises a brow, “I didn’t know he had one.” 

“We just found out this week,” Kori tells her, still battling Mar’i over the peas, “she seems nice, but we haven’t met her yet. She’s from his hometown.” 

“Hmm.” Raven slides back into her seat, both hands going straight for her cup of tea. The conversation continues with Richard and Kori talking back and forth about Gar’s wedding plans with Terra. Apparently they finally decided on a venue out on the Grand Canyon. Raven thinks it’s fitting. 

By the time her nerves settle enough to pick up her fork to continue with her chicken alfredo, she sees that Mar’i’s attention is back on Damian. Her little fingers reach for the necklace around his shirt, grasping the chain she knows has two dog tags on them — both with written words in Arabic. Raven hadn’t gotten close enough to try to read them. Not that she’s fluent anyway. 

The slight burrow of Damian’s brows is the only sign of his hesitancy towards the little girl. Raven watches as he drops his own fork, then attempts to gently pry Mar’i’s fingers from them. Instead of letting go completely, Mar’i decides to grab one of his fingers in all of her tiny ones. 

There’s that funny feeling again, working its way up into a lump in the back of her throat as Damian looks down at their hands in a quiet wonder. Kori smothers a laugh while Richard watches, looking strangely proud. 

“She loves her Uncle Dami,” Richard says, chuckling when Damian sends a bewildered look his way. He motions back down to Mar’i’s fingers. 

“They’re so… small,” he says, looking back to their joined hands. 

“I know right? It’s crazy. I still can’t believe that we have her sometimes, it’s so unreal. Being a parent is…” 

“Unlike anything I could have ever imagined,” Kori finishes, a faraway smile on her face. Mar’i swings her head back over to her mother, babbling in confirmation. Richard chuckles at the noise.

“One-hundred percent.” 

Raven swallows hard. 

The rest of dinner goes as smoothly as she can expect with the growing storm of emotions threatening to spill over with every stolen glance to the pair across from her. She forces herself to eat, if just to stop anyone else from asking too many questions. 

Her mind drifts as the conversation takes another turn. To her friends. To everyone that had scattered with the winds over the years. Gar to adventure with Terra wherever they wanted — and about to be married. Kori and Richard, now settled in Blüdhaven with Mar’i. Even Jamie, apparently finding love in his hometown. 

Damian had stayed with her in Jump. As much as she wanted to ask why back then when the Titans officially disbanded years ago, she still hasn’t.

Mostly because she’s not sure she’s ready to hear his answer. 

Dinner is over when Mar’i begins to fuss, and it heightens to the point that she can’t be consoled. She doesn’t want to listen to the Tameranean lullabies of her mother, or the soft rocking of her father. She doesn’t want the warm milk Richard heats up for her, or even the pacifier that Kori tries to stick in her mouth. As time goes on and her parents run out of options, nothing seems to quiet her down. 

Raven’s eyes soften in understanding that sometimes you don’t know what you want or need. 

Raven takes the time to clean up after everyone while the screaming ensues, waving Kori off when she thanks her profusely and apologizes all in the same breath. Richard walks away further into the house, most likely in search of something to help calm Mar’i down. 

“No worries at all, truly. Thank you for inviting us over,” Raven responds in earnest. 

The invites had started to climb since Mar’i was born. It’s easier to invite them because of her ability to create portals. And the boom tube of course, with one now built inside of their home for easy travel. Still, Raven figures that both Kori and Richard haven’t had a night out in months. It’s probably also easier to have Mar’i at home, and Raven doesn’t mind in the slightest. 

Except for the little moments that throw her off balance until she’s teetering off the edge into something she doesn’t understand. 

Which has inadvertently caused her current predicament. 

So focused on her own thoughts and rinsing off plates, Raven nearly jumps out of her skin when she feels a hand at her lower back. She doesn’t have to look behind her to know it’s Damian. 

His touch burns her through the silk shirt of her blouse. 

“Let me help,” he says, rolling up the sleeves of his button-up and his arm brushes against hers. The grip on her sponge slackens as a familiar heat runs through her. She takes a step to the side. 

“I’m okay, you can—”

“Take her, please. I don’t know what else to do.” Kori unceremoniously pushes Mar’i up against Damian’s chest, and he’s forced to put his arms around her to keep her from falling. 

“Just hold her for a minute while I run her a bath, that usually helps calm her down.” Kori runs away just as fast as she came, yelling across her shoulder, “Thank you!” 

Mar’i’s face is an angry red as hot tears roll down her face. Damian wraps a hand around the back of her head to keep her secure against his chest while the other settles against her bottom. For a minute or two all either of them can hear is her high-pitched screaming. Raven holds back a grimace. 

Then Damian starts to hum a low, foreign tune, while patting her bottom gently. 

Raven chokes back on a suggestion, enamored by the way Damian seems to immediately calm her. 

Mar’i hiccups, tears still falling but not as frequent as Damian continues his hum in her ear. It’s some kind of lullaby, that much she can tell. Mar’i moves her head to stare up at him with big eyes, just as bright as her mother’s. 

Damian gently nudges her to settle her back against his chest in a move that makes her sigh with another hiccup. As Raven continues to clean up the kitchen by finding the tupperware and putting up the leftovers, Damian continues to hum and pat in a rhythm that quickly puts Mar’i to sleep. 

The room falls silent while Raven sets the dishwasher to start. She glances back over in time to watch Damian place the smallest of kisses against Mari’i’s head. 

It’s such a small and intimate gesture that takes Raven by surprise. It’s genuine, and raw, and the open look on his face nearly undoes her. Seeing this side of Damian with Mar’i only further threatens the hold over her power. She yanks back on the transparent black that encases a cup she missed, hoping that Damian doesn’t notice. 

One look behind her shoulder tells her that he does. 

“Grayson’s right. You have been on edge lately, any reason why? And don’t tell me it’s allergies because we both know that you were lying earlier.” 

Raven just barely holds back her wince. She doesn't know why she ever thought she’d get something past him. For all the years they’ve spent together at the tower, she knows he can now read her like a book. 

In fact, he knows exactly how she takes her tea, what time she likes to meditate in the afternoons. He even knows when she’s starting to get a migraine by the extra gel ice pack she finds in the freezer. 

A frown tugs at the corners of her mouth. 

He knows her. 

So why does that terrify her so much?

“Honestly there’s just been a lot on my mind…” her voice falters, not able to meet his eyes because she knows he’ll see the half-truth in that statement. 

“Raven…” 

The sounds of her name from his lips brings her eyes right back up to his. 

She knows he won’t push her — that he’ll always defer to her choice when to speak her mind. She also knows that he allows her to hear the concern in his voice just as he can hear the uncertainty is hers. 

She starts to chew the inside of her cheek, a habit she had picked up after gaining the freedom to express her emotions more. A nervous one that Damian knows from the way his brows knit further together. She sighs, opting to ignore the question altogether and focus the attention back on Mar’i. 

“I’m impressed, and a little jealous that you’re so good with her,” she admits jokingly.  

Damian sees through her blatant attempt at avoiding him, but thankfully he allows it. 

“I’m not sure why all it took was me holding her,” he admits.

“Maybe because of your energy. You’re always calm and so sure of yourself.” It’s just a theory but Raven has a hunch Mar’i might already be stepping into some of her power.  

“I imagine Mar’i might be able to sense that.” 

Damian looks at her, his face now unreadable, and Raven can tell that he’s analyzing her words  — trying to figure out what exactly they mean.

No doubt from years of back-handed compliments from not only the press but also the socialites of high society as a Wayne. She briefly remembers an encounter with a Calloway that left with the blonde man on the floor of the Wayne Manor ballroom clutching his nose and loudly cursing. If Raven was correct, Damian had simply rolled his sleeve back down and walked promptly outside to the balcony, ignoring the stares that followed. 

But there was no ill intent to her words now. 

“I’m serious. Mar’i seems to be a bit of an empath in my opinion.” 

“Hmm, maybe.” Damian says, although still unconvinced. Raven shrugs, then resists the urge to bite her lip, looking for a reason to cut their conversation short. She doesn’t want them to circle back to talking about her just yet. 

“I’ll go look for Kori, maybe since Mar’i is asleep they’ll want to put her down.” 

Damian nods, still patting the little girl in his arms in fear that she may wake again. Raven tears her gaze from him, if a bit reluctantly, and goes in search of her friend. 

Raven had always felt close with Kori, even as a younger teen when trust didn’t come easy. Kori tore down her walls just as quickly as Raven had tried to build them back up. She paved the bridge of friendship between them and after a while Raven stopped running from it. 

Now, with a little care and communication, they had grown together in a way that Raven thinks fondly of. 

Yet with the closeness that Raven feels with Kori now, she can’t quite bring herself to talk about what’s been bothering her. Not that she’s figured it out herself. To be fair she hasn’t really tried, and has been avoiding thinking about it more than anything. But dinner has suddenly brought it to the forefront, and the only thing that she now knows for certain is that Damian is at its centerfold. 

Raven finds Kori in the guest bathroom, kneeling over the tub on her knees as it’s filling with water. She gives her back a soft smile, feeling the exhaustion in her aura weighing on her. 

“Hey Kori,” Raven says gently to not startle her, “Mar’i fell asleep on Damian’s chest. I came to see if you wanted him to help you put her down in her crib.”

Kori’s relief from her words is immediate, “Oh yes that would be perfect. I’ll go get them, thank you Raven — and don’t think I didn’t hear you cleaning up in the kitchen. I hope you know we didn’t invite you over just to clean. Not that I’m not grateful of course, but you’re our guests.” 

Raven waves off her concern, “You know I didn’t feel obligated in the slightest, now go ahead and get Mar’i. I’m sure you and Dick are ready to settle down for the night.” 

“I’ve only slept five hours in the past three days. I. Am. Dying.” 

The graying circles under her eyes are more prominent now that Raven gives a closer look, although with her tangerine colored skin it looks more purple than anything. Still, she can’t help but feel a little bad for her.  

“Maybe you can get a night’s rest tonight.” Raven tells her with a hand on her shoulder in sympathy. It’s a fool’s hope really with a one-year old, but Raven still thinks it’s worth saying. 

“A woman can dream,” Kori snorts, then covers Raven’s hand with her own. “Thank you.” 

“Of course.” 

As Kori leaves Raven cuts off the water and pulls the plug. She has a feeling Mar’i will be skipping bath night as long as she sleeps soundly — and if Damian has anything to do with putting her down for the night, she will. 

The thought of him again disquiets her. With a quick flick of the bathroom light, she strays back towards the living room and decides to take a seat on the couch to wait for them. At this point she knows it’s better to just stay out the way. Cleaning was the best way she could think of to help. 

After a moment Damian walks back in alone while running a hand through the dark curls in his hair. 

“She’s down. Kori and Richard are already in bed too. I think it’s okay to leave now.” 

Raven nods and stands. Wordlessly she creates a portal back to their home at Titan’s tower. Even though they did disband years ago, it’s the only place that feels welcoming enough to stay. 

Slipping through a wormhole of her own power always raises gooseflesh on her arms. It pulses through her veins when they both step in and back out in the common room. 

Tonight it’s empty, but in a few days all of their friends will be in to visit just before the wedding. Somehow Raven had been roped into teleporting them all to the Grand Canyon the day of. She has a sneaking suspicion it’s more of an excuse for them to all be together in one place again — not that she minds. 

She admits that she misses it all. Wait —

“I thought Jason and Rose were supposed to be coming in early before everyone else, shouldn’t they be here by now?” Raven asks. 

The thud against a wall in a room further down the hallway is her answer. Damian scowls while Raven suppresses a smirk. “Well it’s a good thing there’s a guest masterbath in the bedroom I think they're in. We won’t have any awkward run-ins with each other.” 

Damian snorts, “I’m glad that you’re able to see the positive in this, because I can’t.” 

Raven hums in amusement, “There’s no other way to look at it now that they’re here.” She steps into the kitchen, “Tea?” 

“Sure, I could use some before I go out on patrol.” 

Starting the kettle is easy work, and the habitual movements help to ease her mind. Setting it on the stove, she reaches for two cups and grabs a packet of black tea and chamomile. Damian doesn’t have to tell her that black is his favorite, she just knows. 

Sometimes it surprises her by how easy it is to talk to Damian, and the irony of that thought is not lost on her when dinner was so… unexpected. 

“I’m thinking about inviting Kori and Rose to a girl’s night before the wedding. I think Kori needs a night out, and since Rose is here now I don’t want to leave her out.”

“Oh?” Damian raises his brow when he takes a seat on the stool in front of the island. “That could be… interesting.” 

The corners of her mouth quirk together as she turns the dial to turn the heat to high on the stovetop. 

“I just want her to be able to relax for a bit, and maybe talk with her about a few things…” her voice trails as she traces the marble in the countertop. “After tonight, do you think you could offer to watch Mar’i? Or even just go over to the house with Richard to keep him company. I’m sure —”

"Yes I can do that, just let me know what day.” 

  His quick response to her surprises her, and she thinks of calling him out on it but decides not to in the end. She’s sure he has his own reasons for helping too. 

“Thank you, hopefully Kori will be up for it. I’ll check in with her tomorrow after she’s had more sleep.”

“Good idea.” 

After that she brews in silence as Damian reviews the routes on his communicator for the night. They tend to alternate a couple of different pattern types, and have had to make some changes to include the docks for the next couple of weeks. Receiving an anonymous tip that a ‘deal’ was about to go down in the next week or so kept them extra alert. The details of that deal? Well neither of them have a clue, which is just a little worrisome. 

Raven pours Damian’s tea into a to-go tumblr when it’s finished, knowing that he’ll want to take it with him. 

She meets his eyes at the hand off, the brush of his fingers against hers sending a sharp tingle up her arm. 

“Thank you,” he says, already making his way to the boom tube off in the corner of the common room that had just been recently installed. 

Raven hesitates for a moment, the thought of the docks heavy on her mind, before she calls after him. 

“Damian.” she waits until he twists back to her. His domino mask is already covering his eyes. 

“... be careful.” 

He actually smirks. “No promises.” 

The flash of the boom tube declares his departure before she can respond. She rolls her eyes at his absence anyway. 

There goes the root of all my troubles, off to make even more trouble. 

Her hands cup her tea, taking a small comfort in the warmth it provides her. 

What am I going to do with you?

.

It turns out Kori had been itching for a night without Mar’i. 

Making plans had been easy enough. 

Rose had wanted to go bar-hopping, and Kori wanted to bring over her new crochet projects. Raven decided on a compromise — a night in the common room. With lots of alcohol. And pizza. 

It had taken both Rose and Kori awhile to warm up to each other and find some common ground, but after an hour or two everyone’s now laughing at one another in good fun. Raven’s sure the alcohol has more to do with it than anything else. 

“Okay, so maybe a night in isn’t so bad.” Rose says, bending forward for another slice. The three of them had ended up on the floor of the common room, pizza boxes and wine bottles alike spread out. The heated flush of Raven’s cheeks is the only indication of her intoxication. Well, that and the wobble walk back from the bathroom. She plops down next to Rose with a chuckle from her lack of grace, waving at Kori with encouragement to go for another glass. 

“I’m so glad we have Mar’i on formula now,” Kori tells them when she takes a sip straight from the bottle of sangria, “I’ve missed wine.” 

Rose makes a face, “What I’m hearing is don’t have babies.” She barks out a laugh when Kori reaches across the pizza boxes to smack her arm. 

“Mar’i is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. We’re just struggling with getting her on a sleep schedule. Once we do that I swear babies aren’t difficult at all. It was really nice of Damian to babysit with Dick tonight so that I could come over.”

Rose gives Raven a knowing look, “Yes it was, wasn’t it? I heard about dinner the other night. Mar’i seems to love Wayne.” 

“Yes definitely, he’s —” 

“Speaking of Wayne!” Rose cuts Kori off in favor of turning directly to Raven, “What is this weird thing-not-thing going on between the two of you? It’s driving me crazy staying with you in this damn tower.” 

In hindsight, Raven should have known that Rose would pick up on her sensitivity. At least some of it anyway. The interactions between her and Damian a few days after dinner had been amicable of course, but Damian had known she'd been acting strange here and there for a while. Raven responded in kind, retreating to what she knew best and avoiding him when she could. Solitude in the face of internal conflict will always be her greatest ally. 

Raven frowns into her glass, deciding to take another gulp of her own wine. “What do you mean? Nothing’s going on between us. We’re just —”

“Don’t even say ‘we’re just friends’. That’s bullshit. Have you seen the way he looks at you Raven? He makes you tea in the morning. Tea! And it’s your favorite too, I noticed.” 

“Oh that?” Kori says flippantly, “They’ve been doing that for years. I thought that finally they’d end up together when everyone else left the tower. Dick thinks it’ll be another year before Raven finally realizes that Damian’s completely in love with her.” 

Even through the haze of her growing intoxication, Raven gives them a glare. “That’s not true. As close as you’re implying we are, wouldn't he have said something to me? And besides, I like our friendship. A lot. I don’t want to jeopardize that.” 

“Damian’s been keeping it to himself for a reason Raven. Everyone knows how skittish you can be about feelings .” Kori bumps her shoulder with a laugh, then takes another swig from her bottle.

“It took us years for you to finally be comfortable even talking to me about things outside of Hero work or me and Dick.”

Raven knocks back the rest of her wine and decides that she needs another glass. “That’s different, you wrangled me into your friendship.” 

Kori looks affronted, mouth poised to argue when Rose cuts her off again, “Yeah I can definitely see that happening. I can picture it now, Kori cornering a young teenage and timid Raven to try and convince her to be best friends.” 

“It didn’t happen like that.” 

Both Raven and Rose stare at her in disbelief at the same time. Kori holds up her hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, it kind of happened like that but look how it turned out? Better than what I thought.” 

“Hmm, true.”

“So are you into him?” Rose directs the question to her. 

Raven rolls her eyes. “If I tell you I think he’s hot will you stop asking more questions?”

“No, so you do think he’s hot.” 

“I’m not blind Wilson.” 

Hot is more of an understatement in her opinion, and the new suit that Damian had opted to start wearing out on patrol was doing him many favors. Not that she would ever admit that to either of them. That would just be adding more fuel to the fire. 

“So have you fucked him yet?” 

“Rose!” Kori yells at her. 

“What? I’m just curious. Don’t tell me you guys have been living together, alone , for years and haven’t fucked.” 

“No actually, we haven’t.” Raven’s brows knit together as her stomach tightens from something she’s not sure. Annoyance from Rose asking deeply personal questions so casually? Or jealousy at the sudden intrusive thought that maybe Damian has, but with someone else? If so, did he bring her to the tower? 

“So you two haven’t even tried to just have a little fun. You know, do something casual? Like friends with benefits?” Rose asks her. 

“Do you know me? I don’t do casual.” 

“And neither does Damian,” Kori points out. 

“So maybe he’s dating someone.” 

Raven looks back at Rose with a dangerous look. The wine in her system doesn’t help hide her sudden disgust. She ignores the flip of her stomach that feels like nausea at the probability of Rose’s theory. 

“I’m done talking about this.” She says, tone final. “Why don’t we talk about how you and Todd broke in the guest bedroom last night. We could hear you two from the common room.” 

“Damn right, that shit was good too. We haven’t seen each other in months . Some of the best sex I’ve ever had.”  Raven smirks while Kori chokes on her bottle.

Jason and Rose are like fire and air. Mix them together and they become a fire whirlwind, burning everything in its path. It’s passionate, sure, but unpredictable and something that would always keep Raven on edge. 

“Dick and I have barely had sex since Mar’i’s been born,” Kori sighs, “It sucks.” 

“No alcohol or sex? Yeah, I’m never having kids.” 

Kori laughs, “Never say Never Rose, someone might come along and make you eat those words one day.” 

“Gods I hope not.” 

“Who knows, Jason might be working on that right now.” 

The room erupts in laughter, and the conversation only further derails after that. 

.

Raven wakes with a gentle hand on her shoulder. 

With a groan, she blinks groggily as her head spins from the alcohol still thrumming in her body. Somehow she had made it to the couch with Rose at the other end, passed out. 

Scattered pizza boxes litter the floor, one open and empty with the other with a couple pieces remaining. She doesn’t count but she does see a handful of empty wine bottles grouped together in the middle.

She doesn’t see Kori as she scans the room, but her eyes do land on the person that shook her awake. 

Damian. 

His quiet demeanor is a contrast from the clear amusement swimming in his eyes. 

“Where’s Kori?” Raven asks, the sleepiness still evident in her voice. 

“I helped her back home, Grayson has her.” Ah. That explains the fading light of the boom tube in the corner. 

“Oh okay, how’d it go with Mar’i?” she asks, accepting his hand to help her sit up. A wave of vertigo hits her, and she leans heavily on the arm of the couch. 

“It went well,” he takes another glance around the room, “how much did you drink?” he asks, taking note of the way she curls back into herself on the couch. 

“Too much.”

Another voice speaks up behind Damian. “Yeah that checks out, by the wine bottles on the floor I’m sure you’re all still plastered.” 

Jason. 

She turns her attention to the end of the couch where he scoops up Rose effortlessly. She doesn’t even move in the slightest. 

“You’re heavy as shit.” Jason talks down to her, but Raven can see the fondness in his eyes that betrays the truth. Rose isn’t heavy at all, and Jason’s enjoying having her around. 

“See ya Wayne, Raven. Gonna take this one to bed.” 

Damian spares him another glance, “Night.” 

“Don’t you want to sleep in your bed too?” he asks her, leaning over a little closer that makes her heart jump. 

The thought of getting up right now and walking anywhere is so unappealing that Raven burrows back further into the couch. 

“It’s okay, just leave me here. I’m sure I’ll be fine in the morning.” Intoxication didn’t last as long for a half-demon. 

She closes her eyes with a small yawn, sleep threatening to take back over, which is perfectly fine with her. That way she doesn’t have to dissect the way Damian is looking at her right now, another unreadable expression on his face. Reading him had never been easy, but now with her own emotions at war with themselves, they’ve gotten in the way of being able to determine his. 

There’s another moment of silence between them when Raven realizes that Damian is actually weighing the pros and cons of a decision. She opens her mouth, is about to ask him what’s wrong, when he stoops down closer to her. 

One of his arms weaves its way around her waist while the other settles under the back of her knees. 

A small squeak of surprise escapes her when he lifts her, cuddling her body close to his chest. Her arms wrap around his neck instinctually to help stay balanced in his own. 

“You’ll get a cramp in your neck if you sleep here,” he says simply, explaining away the question in her eyes. 

“I can walk to my bedroom if I wanted to Damian,” she reasons with him, though not exactly resisting as he continues to carry her down the hallway. 

“I know,” his breath is warm on her neck, “but you didn’t want to.” 

Raven holds her tongue, only because she knows he’s right — and he does too from the small smirk on his face. Thankfully he doesn’t say anything else when they get to her bedroom, and the door scans her for entry. 

It slides open and Damian steps inside. Raven suddenly feels uncomfortable with him seeing her room. It’s not like he hasn't seen it before. 

But he hasn’t, at least not now that she doesn’t even know what to think of him anymore. Not when she feels so… vulnerable. 

It’s cozy, and packed full of things but not messy. The shelves need dusting, and the books need to be re-stacked. It’s a show of her true nature — organized chaos. Damian doesn’t seem to mind. He only takes a short glance, probably out of her respect for privacy, and walks straight to her bed. 

He helps her slide under the covers, and is careful not to touch her more than necessary. It makes her heart squeeze. This barrier that seems to be growing between them since dinner is unwanted, but she feels helpless to fix. 

Damian hesitates as he leans over her, the closeness between them oddly intimate. She notices his dog tags have slipped out of his shirt, and she impulsively reaches for them. He watches quizzically as her fingers glide over the indentations. 

She doesn’t know if it’s the alcohol, or the sudden change in tension between them, but she finally decides to indulge in her curiosity. 

“What do they say?” she asks him. 

“laā yuhimmu kam ʾanta baṭīʾ ṭaalamā ʾannaka lan tatawaqqaf. It means ‘It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.’” 

The air feels heavy when Raven takes a breath, “and the other one?” 

Damian gives her a look, one that holds too many emotions for her to understand. 

“I’ll tell you what that one means another time.” 

.

For the first time in a long time Titan’s Tower is full of heroes. 

There’s an excited energy all around as the rooms fill with chatter as more and more people begin to show, dressed up for the wedding. Some people hadn’t seen each other in years. 

Raven’s content to keep to herself in one corner of the common room, exchanging pleasantries with the people who approach her. Damian is somewhere in the chaos, but she doesn’t try to look for him yet. Not when just thinking about him is causing her stomach to tie into knots. 

“Hey Raven, it’s good to see you!” 

Raven turns with a smile. “It’s good to see you too Donna, you look great.” Her black dress covered in sequins accentuated her curves in a way that made many heads turn at her arrival. That and her charming personality can make anyone she wants to fall to their knees in front of her. 

“Me? You look breathtaking, girl. Blue is such a good color on you.” 

Raven accepts the compliment with grace, something she’s been working more on doing. She slides a hand over her satin dress. The ends of it reach her toes, with a long slit up one side that gives everyone a slight tease of a long leg. Her black heels only emphasize the swell of her calf, the ankle strap a final touch. 

“Thank you. How are you?”

“Oh fantastic, work has been going well and crime is starting to slow down. Maybe because we’re finally getting some good weather and people want to enjoy it for a change. Who knows. How’s patrol in Jump going? I spoke with Wayne earlier and heard that there might be some kind of trade deal at the docks?” 

“Yeah,” Raven sighs, walking Donna to the kitchen in search of something to drink, “Last night there was some movement, but not much else going on. I’m starting to think it’s all a hoax but I don't know. I guess we’ll find out soon.” 

“Hmm, well there’s no need to worry about it right now. Wayne doesn’t seem too worried about it either so I’m sure it’ll be fine.” 

Raven holds back the retort that she isn’t worried, and that Donna’s the one who brought it up in the first place. 

“Yeah, punch?” Raven asks her, gesturing to the island in the middle of their kitchen. An assortment of light snacks filled the table, along with punch, tea, and water. Raven’s grateful that Kori came over earlier to help her and Damian put it all together. 

“Oh nice, thanks. So…” Donna trails, smiling sheepishly when she accepts the glass Raven hands her, “is Damian seeing anyone by chance?” 

Raven’s hold tightens on her own glass of water she poured for herself. “Not that I’m aware of.” 

“Oh good, I was thinking about asking him out later after the wedding. It’d be nice to catch up in Jump again — see what all’s changed.” 

“Go for it.” Raven clears her throat when Donna gives her an odd look at her curt tone, “I just mean I’m sure he’d… appreciate the company.” 

“Are you sure? Because if you’re —”

Raven’s not exactly sure what Donna is about to say but she doesn’t let her say it at all. “I’m not. You should ask him.” 

Donna blinks, then laughs, “It looks like some things haven’t changed after all. Don’t worry, I won’t.” She throws her a wink, “I’ll see if Roy is free tonight. I’ve always had a thing for red-heads anyway.” 

Raven deigns not to answer, instead taking a long drink of her water. Not because she really needs it but to keep her from revealing anything that might give her away. That and she doesn’t need to explain anything to anyone, not even Donna. 

A quick glance at the microwave tells her that it’s nearly time. She takes a breath, preparing to create a portal that will last long enough for everyone to get through. It will be tenuous at best, but it should work. Should. 

The sound of an announcement in the common room distracts her from her thoughts, especially when a small group starts making their way over to the boom tube.  

“They’re probably lining up for the boom tube since the wedding’s about to begin.” Donna says. 

“Boom tube? I thought that everyone was going through my portal?” 

“I’m not sure,” Donna looks as confused as she feels, “Damian’s been going around the room and assigning a specific time for everyone to go through. A lot of people are already gone.” 

Raven’s eyes dart to the common room that now looks a lot emptier than it had been about five minutes ago. 

“Looks like my time is in another minute,” Donna gives her a wave, “I’ll see you there.” 

Raven tells her bye, and stands there as the rest begin to file out, one by one until there’s only her and Damian. Her eyes meet him across the room before he whips his head in a signal to come join him. She does just that, taking the time to appreciate his suit. 

It’s Armani, of course, black and sleek, and it’s fitted to him perfectly. The pant legs do nothing to hide what’s beneath, and she feels her neck heat at the sight. One hand is tucked into his pocket while the other is holding the boom tube open for the both of them. As she walks closer she realizes that he’s wearing a darker navy blue tie — nearly identical to the color of her dress. 

Only when she reaches him does she ask him why they weren’t going by portal. 

“I didn’t want you to overexert yourself so I had a boom tube placed at the site of the wedding temporarily.” 

His gesture hits her hard, and she doesn’t know what to think when he reaches out his hand for hers. She places it in his delicately as he helps her step up inside. 

“I probably would’ve been fine, you know. I’m sure there wouldn’t have been much to worry about.” 

Damian steps in after her, his chest brushing up against her back as the door slides shut behind them. 

“Well now neither of us have to worry at all.” 

She turns to face him and smiles. 

“Thank you.” 

“Anything for you Raven.” 

Her eyes widen at his words and the blatant truth in his voice. Suddenly the air around them feels hot, and she leans back up against the wall, trying to put as much space in between them as possible. The proximity of him, the small space of the boom tube, his words — it all feels like too much. She feels the familiar tug of her body as they teleport — something that lasts only milliseconds. 

By the time they’re on the other side she’s breathing hard, not feeling like she’s getting enough air. The boom tube isn’t opening fast enough and it’s still too hot. She’s getting lightheaded and the pounding beat of her heart is only getting faster. The door begins to slide open, but before she can slip away Damian has a hand on her wrist. 

He pulls her back inside, shuts the door, and presses the button with the AC. The cool air helps a little, but there’s still a rising panic in her that she can’t tame. Raven has half a mind to slide down the wall to hug her knees but Damian grasps her shoulders, forcing her to face him. 

“Hey Raven, look at me. Look at me.” Emerald eyes search hers imploringly and she chokes back a sob. 

“I-I can’t do this, Damian, I don’t know what’s wrong with —”

“It’s okay. You’re okay,” he says. His words are gentle and soothing as his hands begin to rub her bare arms. Up and down, forcing her to stay tethered to the present. Not allowing her to retreat into her mind. 

“Just breathe, Raven. We’re not going anywhere until you breathe.” 

It takes a few minutes. He starts whispering to her in Arabic, much like the way he took care of Mar’i, and that thought puts a heavy weight on her chest. She breathes through it anyway knowing that the wedding will start at any moment, and she doesn’t want them to be late. When her breaths become more even Damian pulls her into his chest, wrapping her into a hug. 

“Whatever is going on is okay. I’m not going anywhere and neither are any of our friends. You’re okay, and it’s okay that you don’t know what you’re feeling.” 

Raven inhales a shuddering breath. 

She doesn’t know that she needs to hear him say all of those things so desperately until they’re already spoken. She takes a moment to cling to him, to thank him, before pulling back. Whatever Damian sees in her face must be enough for him to deem her capable enough to go back outside because he opens the door. Then he takes her hand again. 

“Watch your step,” he murmurs to her, helping her across the rocks to the venue. The sight of it is breathtaking. An archway is just a couple of feet away from a ledge that overlooks the entire Northern rim, and Raven sees that most of the chairs are already full of their friends. Garfield is already at the front, fidgeting with the cuff of his sleeve and trying not to bite a hole with his canines from worrying his lip in a nervous tic. 

Raven smiles, because even though it’s clear that he’s nervous, she can also tell that he’s happy. It’s all she’s ever wanted for him, and he deserves it. 

They find a seat in the back just before the ceremony begins. Damian puts his hand on the back of her chair, steadying her. For once she decides to lean into it, finding it to be a comfort. 

Terra’s dress suits her perfectly. It’s whimsical with long sleeves that hang off of her shoulder, with the length of her dress flaring out with floral and vine lace covering the bodice. Her hair is braided down her back with a string of hair pulled out and curled around her face. She’s gorgeous, and she can tell that Gar thinks so too. The love and excitement is pure in both of their eyes solely focused on each other. 

The ceremony doesn’t last long, but it is beautiful and genuine, and Raven stands and claps with everyone else as the newly weds are announced. Terra and Garfield practically race back down the aisle. 

It’s a welcoming sight. Raven smiles softly the entirety of the reception, even when meeting Jamie’s fiancée. From the moment she sees them she knows it’s a good match. 

“They look good together,” Damian says from beside her with two glasses of water in each hand. He gives one to her. 

“Yes, they do. I’m sure we’ll be getting another invitation soon.” 

“How are you feeling?” he asks her. 

“I’m okay actually. Thank you… for earlier.” She runs a nervous hand down the length of her dress to smooth it out. 

“You don’t ever have to thank me Raven.” 

He stays with her the rest of the night, which more than a few people notice, Donna included. When she smirks in Raven’s direction she doesn’t even scowl back. 

For some reason her mind is more at ease than it has been in weeks. 

.

The trade at the docks happens the next night. 

It’s around 3 o’clock in the morning whenever a small fishing boat slips up with the mooring line. Three people, dressed head to toe in black, get out with multiple coolers that look dubious. Mostly likely drugs . Then from the right, five more meet them on the dock, dressed the same. 

Damian signals to her from the other side of the building, and she nods her understanding. She presses the button on her cloak silently, alerting the JCPD of their location. 

They take them by surprise, but they recover quickly. A few of them barricade behind barrels while Damian starts to fight off the three that are scrambling back inside the boat. 

It’s not until Raven hears the first gunshot when she realizes they all have weapons. 

It takes her another moment to realize the gun had been aimed at her whenever the sharp pain flares at her side, and her hand presses it. When she brings it back up to her face shakily it’s covered in blood. 

Then more start to ring out, and Raven drops to her knees. She remembers that Damian is on the other side of the group of thugs still fighting on the boat. He hadn’t seen her get shot, still hasn’t had the time to even look in her direction. She tosses up a quick shield just before bullets rain down in his direction. They bounce off her shields uselessly and Raven releases a breath she doesn’t realize she’s holding. 

Another wave of her power throws everyone in the crossfire back. Some hit the water with a loud splash while others scrape up against concrete away from the docks. Damian takes advantage of the momentary distraction, apprehending everyone still on the ground with quick, practiced motions. 

Raven attempts to stand, but stumbles back to her knees. She feels around the wound, her finger prodding for the bullet that’s still lodged inside. She bites back a cry at the pain, her teeth gritting. It will need to come out before she can heal herself, but she’s starting to lose more blood than she’s comfortable with. She takes off her cloak. The material is too strong to tear so she wraps the entire thing around her waist anyway. It will have to do. 

As Damian pulls the last one out of water and throws him on the ground, black spots are beginning to dance in her vision. 

She can hold on until he finishes the job. They’ve been looking into this lead for weeks, she won’t ruin it all by letting him know that she’s bleeding out. I can make it. 

Squatting is no longer an option. Raven finds herself forced to lay down on the concrete, her hand tucked into her side to staunch as much of the blood as she can. The pain heightens to a point that makes the rest of her body feel numb. 

She clings to consciousness as long as she can, until she’s sure that Damian has arrested them all. The police will be here at any moment and can take over. 

By the time Damian finally looks up and is searching for her the adrenaline wears off. All she feels is pain, so whenever unconsciousness calls back out to her she answers. 

He finds her as she’s losing the battle. 

“Shit, shit. Raven!” 

She’s fading rapidly when he reaches her. One hand cradles the back of her head while the other presses into her wound. She hisses weakly. 

His voice sounds like it’s underwater. 

“Hold on Raven, not yet,” he presses on her wound more insistently, the pain causing her to stay conscious. Then he’s pulling out gauze and hydrogen peroxide and medical scissors from his belt. 

His words are rushed and thick with emotion, “I need you to stay awake, you’re losing too much blood. You have to portal us to the med-bay now. You won’t make it if you don’t.” 

It sounds like too much, every breath is more agonizing and tiresome than the last. 

“ Please habibti, you have to try.” 

Her eyes open at the pleading in his voice.

With her remaining strength she does her best to meet his request, and portals them back to the tower. 

The look in his eyes is the last thing that she sees before she drowns in a sea of darkness. 

Fear.

.

There’s no noise when she wakes. 

She’s in her healing trance, hovering above the hospital bed. By the familiarity of the metal walls she knows that they made it to the med-bay. A sweep of the room also tells her that she almost didn’t make it. Blood covered just about every instrument. The bullet lays in a tray beside her. She looks down at herself, noticing for the first time that she’s not wearing anything except for a pair of sweatpants. Her entire upper body is covered in gauze. Specks of blood dot where she had been shot. She won’t need to change it again fortunately, her healing trance had made sure of that. 

Her eyes continue to scan the room until she sees Damian, hunched over in a chair right beside her. His head is in his hands, not yet knowing that she’s awake. His hair is askew. She imagines that he probably ran his hands through it over and over. He’s still wearing his uniform, covered in her blood. Guilt sweeps through her, knowing that she’s the cause of so much worry. 

“Damian,” she whispers. 

He jolts upright so fast that the metal chair falls backwards. He doesn’t care, his eyes are on hers as he grasps her hand. 

“Raven, you made it,” he chokes on his words. “Do you need me to change your dressing?” 

“No I don’t think so.” she tells him softly, then lowers herself on the bed to lay down. He helps her adjust. “I think I’ll be sore for a while, but I’m okay. Thank you for saving me.” 

He sighs deeply, “You scared me Raven. Never do that again. Never wait to tell me if you’ve been hurt. You could have died. You almost did .” 

“I know,” she whispers, squeezing his hand, “I’m sorry.” 

They’re silent for a few minutes, with Damian stroking her hand with his fingers. She lets him, figuring that he needs the touch to remind himself that it was just a close call, nothing more. 

“Did the JCPD get all the arrests?” she asks, breaking the silence. 

“Yeah,” Damian says, pinching the bridge of his nose with his other hand, “They found fentanyl in the coolers. Enough to OD the entire city. Interrogations are going on right now. They think they’re just pawns in a much bigger drug deal.” 

“That makes sense,” she says, chewing on his words, “Looks like almost dying was worth it.” She jokes darkly. 

“No,” He shoots her a sharp glare, “Almost losing you was not worth it Raven. It will never be worth it. When will you realize that?” 

The veracity in his words is like a slap in the face. She recoils at them. “I’m sorry Damian, I was just trying to do the right thing.” 

He breathes deep, seemingly at war with himself on how to respond. He settles for acceptance. “I know you did, I’m not going to say that it was okay, because it wasn’t. But it happened, and at least you’re here. Just don’t do that again.” 

She swallows the lump in the back of her throat. “Okay.” 

“Get some rest, I’m glad you’re okay.” 

“Thank you Damian, I am too.” 

.

Damian isn’t there when she wakes, but this time she’s in her own bed. She smiles softly, knowing that Damian probably wanted her to be more comfortable, but also didn’t want to intrude in her space. 

A familiar feeling blossoms in her chest that Raven wants to pull back down, but she doesn’t. She lets it stay, and the longer it does, the more she realizes it’s not as scary as she thinks it is. 

It grows with each thought of the past few weeks. All the little moments that Raven had ignored, now resurfacing with a renewed vigor. It pumps through her veins, filling her completely. 

It all hits her at once. 

She doesn’t know how she could have been so oblivious to it all. 

Maybe she did see it, but favored ignorance so that things wouldn’t have to change. 

But change happens whether I like it or not. 

She gets up, pushing past the aching muscles in her side to get dressed. Confronting her feelings is long overdue, and she can’t afford to put it off any longer. Not with the thought of dying without telling Damian about how she feels. 

She finds him outside, looking out across the bay. Laps of water splash gently against the rocks. The wind whips her hair as she draws closer. If Damian notices her presence he doesn’t acknowledge it. She can see that he’s deep in thought with the far away look on his face, brows knitted together. 

She sits down beside him. 

He meets her stare when she looks at him. She takes a breath, it’s now or never. 

“You love me,” she states, looking into his eyes for confirmation. His expression doesn’t change, he’s not surprised. He just stares right back. 

“Yes,” he says simply. 

Raven sucks in a breath, “Why didn’t you tell me?” 

“You weren’t ready for me to tell you,” he says as his eyes soften, “It would have scared you.” 

“That’s — true,” she admits with a frown, “I’m still scared, but, I love you too.” 

He smiles, “I know.” 

“You do?” 

“Yes, but that’s okay. I didn't mind waiting for you to figure it out.”  

She laughs then, bewildered by him. The wind reveals the dog tags underneath his shirt, and Raven decides to ask again. 

“Will you tell me what the other one means now?” 

He recites to her first in Arabic. A poem. 

“في أيّام الصيف.. أَتمدّد على رمال الشاطئ وأمارس هوايةَ التفكير بكِ.. لو أنّني أقول للبحر.. ما أشعر به نحوكِ لترك شواطئَه.. وأصدافَه.. وأسماكَه.. وتبعني”

Then he holds her stare when he translates, “ In the summer I stretch out on the shore And think of you. Had I told the sea What I felt for you, It would have left its shores, Its shells, Its fish, And followed me.”

With tears in her eyes she reaches for him so that she can rest her forehead against his. 

“I love you.” 

He responds to her in kind, his mouth whispering against her lips for the first time. 

“I love you too.”

[sysig]

These cute adults, wth (Patreon)

And a Bonus Fionna

Because she’s still a kid lol

[raelle-writing]

Good Morning, Love

Short VegasPete fic, posted as a twitfic and edited a little for Tumblr. Fluff, rated T. Character study. 452 words.

Pete never used to like sleeping in. Even when he was a child, he usually got up right after his alarm and went to train. In the mafia, it was the same, getting up to train and go about his day.

That was before Vegas.

Now, Pete liked to linger in bed. When he woke up wrapped up in Vegas' arms, or Vegas tucked into his, it made him feel warm and content and safe in ways he'd rarely ever felt before.

Holding Vegas was his favorite. When Vegas curled into him and stayed there, all soft and cuddly and warm. It made so many previously-unfamiliar feelings attack Pete at once. Adoration. Love. A hint of protectiveness, too. Wanting to protect Vegas - who the world had been so harsh to, in so many ways - and keep him protected, here, in Pete's arms, forever.

He couldn't, of course. But he could daydream about it. In the soft morning hours when he woke up before Vegas in their shared bed. This morning, Pete woke up with Vegas in his arms, just the way he liked, Vegas' cheek pressed to bare chest. Vegas' body curled up, tucked completely into Pete's grip, entirely relaxed and at ease, his breathing long and slow.

Pete loved these moments, when they were both tired and relaxed and unworried about anything. When nothing mattered except the two of them in their warm, comfortable bed together.

The moments didn't last, of course. Vegas had his traumas, had his duties, and Pete carried Vegas' tension - and his own, at times. Sometimes it was hard, when Vegas was feeling haunted, when Pete could see the ghost of a beaten child on his face, or the haunted look of a man who couldn't help reliving his past mistakes.

But Pete wouldn't trade any of it. Not the hard days, not the times when they both had to scream and cry and then make up.

In these quiet moments, when they could just be. He knew he'd made the right choice. When he'd followed his heart, he'd chosen Vegas, and he'd chosen himself, and he wouldn't trade it for the world.

Pete pressed a kiss into Vegas' hair and felt Vegas hum and stir a bit. He hadn't meant to wake him, but didn't mind it.

Vegas shifted back a little so he could look blearily at Pete, blinking sleep out of his eyes. A small, unrestrained, happy little smile tugged up the corners of Vegas' mouth. "Good morning, Pete," he mumbled, looking sleep mussed, soft, and beautiful.

Pete couldn't help smiling back, feeling overwhelmed by how much he loved this man in his arms. Yes, he'd definitely made the right choice.

"Good morning, love."

[urlocalwhumper]

OK LAST ONE FOR NOW. MAYBE. DEFINITELY NOT FOR GOOD THO LOL I WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY WRITE MORE EVENTUALLY

as always, rayan belongs to @sowhumpshaped

rayan felt horrible.

nana had only been with him for a few days when he noticed that her tail was bothering her. a little glint of pain in her eye whenever it wagged, she way she took great care not to sit or lay on it, and, most recently, how she yelped and flinched away when he, idly fidgeting with her tail while sitting on the couch, brushed his fingers over the unnatural bend near the middle.

he'd wanted to give her at least a week to settle in before taking her to the vet for a check-up, but he also wasn't just going to sit there and let her suffer when she was clearly in pain.

so, off to the vet they went. nana really didn't like it there, she shook like a leaf and stayed glued to his leg for their entire time in the waiting room, and once she was up on the examination table, he had to be at least holding her hand for her to stay somewhat calm.

even the vet winced once her x-rays appeared onscreen.

"oh yeah, no wonder she's in pain." the vet grimaced. "this is a really bad break, the bone is completely shattered around where that bend is." he said, pointing on the screen to what he was talking about.

"this kind of injury... the most likely cause is crushing." the vet glanced at nana's papers and pursed his lips. "repeated impacts. like being stomped on, perhaps."

rayan felt sick. he could tell, from the look in nana's eye and the way she curled further into herself, that the vet's assumption was correct. he trailed a comforting hand across her scalp and pressed a little kiss to the crown of her head.

the vet continued. "either way, for a break this severe, there really isn't much we can do to fix it. your best option is to amputate."

nana went stiff as a board. rayan felt her breathing quicken as she started to whimper under her breath. her loose grip on his shirt turned into an iron vice and she looked up at him with a fearful, pleading gaze.

he continued to scratch at her scalp and behind her ears, soothing and gentle, but internally he was just as frazzled as she was. he was expecting the worst case scenario to be needing to re-break a badly healed bone, not amputating most of her tail.

"can... can we have some time to think about it, please?" he said, wanting to at least get nana out of the examination room and hopefully calm her down.

the vet nodded. "of course. you know how to make an appointment, once your decision has been made."

it took hours for nana to calm down fully. once they returned home, she immediately retreated to her bed, curling up under the blanket like it would hide her from the world. rayan sat beside her, nearly lost for words.

"... i'm so sorry, nana." he said, resting his hand, palm-up, on the edge of her bed. her shaking hand reached out from under the blanket and gripped it tight. "this isn't fair, you shouldn't have to deal with this at all."

he sighed. "... but... your tail's just gonna hurt forever if we don't do anything. and it might even get worse." he squeezed her hand. "getting it amputated is scary, but it's the only option we have."

he felt horrible, trying to convince her like this. he knew that if he was in her position, he'd be just as terrified and reluctant to have a part of him cut off. but, he also knew that, for her health, it needed to be done.

and when he looked over and saw her peering out at him from under the blanket, her eye hesitant but trusting, he knew that she understood too.

nana was a nervous wreck on the day of her surgery. even though he could tell she was trying to be brave, the vet informed him that she wet herself out of fear the moment she was in the prep room, completely separated from him.

but it was finally over. the amputation had been performed with no complications, and now nana was at home - short half a tail and loopy from the meds they'd given her, but no longer suffering from a painful shattered bone.

she was napping at the moment, her head in his lap as he absently pet her hair. he frowned at the bandaged end of her newly shortened tail. it was the right decision, he knew that, but... it was just so unfair. for her to lose most of her tail just because some jackass decided it'd be funny to stomp on it... it made him angry.

angry that such a monster could get a pet license, angry that they'd been so cruel to a pet as sweet and loving as nana, angry that they even existed. it made him so angry that he felt like he could just- !

nana stirred in his lap, mumbling something unintelligible and snuggling further into him. right, he needed to calm down. all of that was in the past now. right now, she was safe and comfortable and happy with him, and that was all that mattered.

[lexithwrites]

Having sex repulsion episodes sucks when you’re in a fandom that constantly wants/writes graphic smut—and don’t get me wrong a lot of the time I love writing/reading it but when most writers give the couples daddy dom/sub dynamic I can’t always read them which also sucks, I hate missing out on fics but ya know, gotta put myself first

[vieramars]

Moth Jon

[baconcolacan]

Thanks for the cute ship hcs so far btw (Ｔ▽Ｔ) I always enjoy how people can find different kinds and types of love with the characters. Makes me so happy. Makes my heart all mushy 💕

[ijwrsmff]

Hiiii! Can I please request something with Soufflé? Maybe soft cuddling that leads to something else, but if you aren't comfortable with that, then just non binary (they / them) MA cuddling Soufflé after a long day?

- Soufflé anon 💕✨🌙

I mostly did the lead up TO something else if that's okay! Suggestive, and I tried to capture his character without having got him in my own game ;-; I feel like I played one of his events, but didn't get too far in it or at the very least it was a while ago. (Very sorry, I hope I did your boy justice ^^)

Thank you for requesting!

Word Count: 1,207

All you could do was sigh when you got back home, and you headed to the bedroom only to flop down onto the bed. You groaned, and Souffle ran in, looking as confused as ever. He sat next to you, and patted your back awkwardly. You just knew Lilia and Vivian were clung tightly to him. He tended to keep them close to him at all times, and knew he could act differently without them. 

“Sorry Souffle…it’s just been a long day. Not up for doing anything really…” You took in a deep breath and turned over to lay on your back. “It’s good to see you though, you always calm me down.” You smiled, and he looked away with red cheeks. Reaching over with one hand, you took his free hand in yours. It was quiet for a moment before he spoke. 

“A long day? I know just the thing!” He gave you a small smile, and slid off the bed and over the span of a couple minutes made a sort of “pillow fort” in your bedroom. Your actual bed being in the center. He had a few little lights around in the room, fake candles and all that, so it looked really…well cute. “I-If I can…I could hold you? Make you feel safe?” He wouldn’t ever look at you when he made comments like that. Not unless he didn’t have his dolls with him. 

“Sure Souffle! That sounds nice.” Even your tone sounded worn out, and you maneuvered your way around the bed to be laying at the head of it. You laid down with your head on the pillow, and on your side as you patted the spot beside you. A yawn escaped, but by the time you had opened your eyes fully again, he was laying a foot or so away from you. It made you laugh quietly, and say “It’s okay! You can come closer.” 

He slid carefully, and slowly into your awaiting arms. When he wrapped his arms around you, you could feel the material of the dolls against your back. It wasn’t anything new, but it was comforting he’d let you get so close to them. He wasn’t exactly willing to let hardly anyone near Lilia and Vivian, let alone close enough to touch them. It showed how much he trusted you, and even just that made you trust him all the same. 

“Is…is this okay?” He hugged you a bit closer, before pulling back slightly to press his forehead against yours. He was making sure to not look at your eyes, knowing he could get so lost in them he wouldn’t be able to say more than a word or two. Though he did do it sometimes, it made him somehow even more flustered than he was on a regular basis. When he was already an extremely flustered person, it said a lot. 

“More than okay. Perfect even.” You laughed, and leaned forward slightly to kiss him. It wasn’t a long kiss, but it showed your feelings. He asked you often if you loved him, so you did everything in your power to make sure he felt loved. “I love you, Souffle. There’s no one else I’d rather cuddle with like this.” You kissed his nose, then relaxed more into his embrace. 

“I…love you too. All of me…loves you.” He sounded feeble, but the words were said with conviction. You knew he had another side, sometimes he was timid, but other times confident. Shy, then bold. It all depended on his mindset and how comfortable he was in a situation. Somehow, the dolls had something to do with it as well. But he always knew what he did no matter what he acted like, so it became common for you to even catch on to the slight changes. 

“It’s okay Souffle, I love all of you too.” A small laugh escaped, and he looked at you as if you were his whole world. And it may even be true, he certainly acted as if it was the case. He was precious to you, every detail. Every time he was happy, sad, any of it. “My Souffle…knowing how much you love me, only makes me love you more.” You reached and put your hands on either side of his face to pull him into a deeper kiss. 

He whined, loving the action and pulling you as close as he could. He was soft, and gentle as he kissed you. Even his hold on you, so careful as if he’d break you with any more pressure. He rolled his head to the side, and you did the same as you shared this intimate moment. Something changed though…he progressively got rougher. Still not rough itself by any means, but a noticeable difference. 

Your suspicions were confirmed when you felt his hands on your back, instead of the touch of Lilia and Vivian. The feelings went from comforting, to something more. You were pulled closer, and you felt his tongue run from the corner of your lips to your ear as he whispered, “I’ve missed you.” He chuckled, in a low and almost menacing tone. “Stressful day? I know how I can help you relieve that stress.” 

You were far from intimidated though, so instead you challenged him. “Think you can help me?” You laughed with him, and you let him roll you over onto your back while he hovered closely over you. “I think that’ll be alright. Though I’m not much in the mood for “rough” right now. Be gentle?” You tilted your head to the side and smiled up at him. 

“I suppose I could manage that.” He smirked, and leaned down, pulling you into another kiss. His hands wandered, from your back, around to your neck. Slow, but intentional. Using the tips of his fingers to span across your neck, and moving your head to the side so he had better access. “Don’t you just love it…coming back here, home to me. I can comfort you, confide in you…pleasure you. No one else can do that.” He chuckled against your neck as he trailed his lips along it. 

You sighed in contentment and let him do as he pleased. “My souffle…” You accentuated your words by putting emphasis on “my” and that little detail made him gently nibble on the soft spot on your neck as he chuckled at your words. He wasn’t always gentle, but right now he would be. “Not a human, not even a food soul I’d rather be with right now.” 

“Just as I am your Souffle…you are my y/n. Now and forever.” With the last word, he bit down just slightly harder and it made you gasp. “So now…I’m going to make sure you never have to worry about stress while I’m here.” His hands traveled, and rested on your chest as he squeezed, proving his point. 

“I want you to only think of me, okay?” He chuckled as he made sure you felt good, for him and him alone. “So for today, tomorrow, anything. No matter when or where we are, I’ll always make you feel good. Make you happy. Give you everything you could ever want. I’d do anything for you…” 

[penguuinss]

guys... i have... skk brainrot... id like to share... throws up and holds hands out. HERE IS A LIST OF MY FAVS!!!

dazai would always take care of chuuya after corruption. he'd catch him, whisper "you did well today," and place his head on his lap, hum a soft tune while waiting for someone to pick them up from the scene. sometimes he'd tangle his hands in chuuya's hair because he loves how soft it is.

chuuya would always take care of dazai after his attempts fail. he would silently help him bathe, dry his hair, and they wouldn't talk. they never would, because chuuya knows dazai probably wasn't in the mood for it. it's only until the next day that dazai goes back to his old self, and they go back to their same old fights

chuuya would cook for the both of them every day. he fusses about how dazai probably doesn't even know how take care of himself (which is probably true), then proceeds to cook meals for him

after missions, they'd drink together. dazai would watch as chuuya gets even more intoxicated, braver, and somewhat flirty-- which he finds this amusing, or so people think, but he actually flusters easily on the inside and just has a great poker face.

CHUUYA WEARS CHAPSTICK. i will repeat this every day. he wears it. i swear he does. he doesn't want his lips to be chapped, and when dazai notices this, he doesn't stop staring, which leads us to--

at some point, dazai definitely kissed chuuya to stop corruption. he kisses him, light and airy, full of curiosity, and finds out chuuya's chapstick is flavored. and at some point, chuuya finds out and changes his chapstick every day just in case it happens again. and it does.

chuuya understood why dazai left the mafia, but was conflicted on what to do afterwards. he was just so used to dazai's presence that he sometimes accidentally cooks food for two instead of one and buys bandages as a habit

i definitely have more but. i'm still half awake please forgive me.. im pretty sure most of the fandom thinks about this but i'd like to be a reminder hashtag i hope skk stans suffer once more

[hermitagereheadcanons]

I feel like my tagging system is kind of lacking in terms of type of content, but I have a lot of trouble sorting things into subjective categories. Even just a vent or play regression tag feels difficult to decide, because a lot of my posts don’t have a distinct “this character regresses for fun” or “this character regresses to cope” theme.

I want it to be easier for people to both find and avoid specific types of headcanons but I’m not sure how to go about it. If anyone has tips, I’d love to hear them.

[katrinawritesthings]

OT5; Held Close; PG

ot5 all being wish granters that hang out in the same liminal nonspace to grant their wishes together : ) I've actually had this idea for a long time but I didn't I have a setting for it until I saw this photo card lol

Minho’s wishes come to him slowly, one at a time. He takes his time listening to and granting them as they come. In between wishes, he plays with Jinki's hands, or freestyles quick little rap verses to go with Jinki's singing, or just closes his eyes and rests, snuggled comfortably in Jinki's lap. Jonghyun used to be jealous that all of his wishes don't come down at him at once – Kibum still is – but he gets it now. Him and Kibum work until they're done with their piles; Minho doesn't finish until his shift is over four hours later. Always, he's still getting wishes dropped down onto him by the time Jonghyun is leaving.

Jonghyun appears.

Not suddenly, but not a little bit at a time, either. One moment, he's not there, and then the next moment, he sort of is. Fading in slowly, his outlines steadily growing sharper, and when he finally settles, it's almost like he was never not there at all. 

"Star light star bright, first star I see tonight, star light star bright, first star I see tonight, star light star bright, star light star bright, star light star bright...." he mumbles to himself. He almost hums it, it almost sounds musical as it comes out of him. 

As he comes into being, so too do his surroundings, filling in slowly closer to him and then further out as if reacting to his existence. First a loose wooden rope bridge, floating in mid-air, suspended on nothing. The slats creak and sway underneath his feet, a small gap between every one betraying not a fall, but an endless expanse of nothingness all the same. He walks along it at a leisurely pace, continuing his rhythmic monologue as the bridge stretches and curls out behind him, materializes in front of him.

Stars appear around him, grouped in little clusters, not a single one alone. Jonghyun sees them through sparse, swirling clouds that drift around him and in the distance. Before very long, a small ball of pink light appears from underneath him. It floats through the newly-created atmosphere, meandering its way around until it finds Jonghyun and he plucks it out of the air.

"Star light star bright," it whispers to him. "I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight." It whispers its wish to him, asking for courage through the long night. As he holds it in his palm, fuzzy and warm, another wish drifts up to him. He takes a hold of that one too, listening to its incantation and then its request for good luck the next day. Another wish; another incantation; another plea for a loved one to get well soon.

One by one, wish by wish, Jonghyun collects the little floating balls of pink light. He holds them all in his palm, and when that fills up, tucks his arm to his torso so he can start placing them in the little shelf that that creates. One by one, wish by wish, faster and faster, Jonghyun bites his lip as he reaches for each one. It's hard to hold them all, harder still to balance them all, hardest yet to listen to them when they're all speaking to him at once. He leans a little too far reaching for a wish and squeaks in surprise when one falls out of the crook of his elbow. 

Quickly he tries to reach for it to catch it, but when he does, more fall out of his arms. He curses softly, trying to lunge for them, spilling even more, when all of a sudden, there’s another pair of hands helping him gather.

Small, pudgy, gentle, and strong, they sweep up all of the falling wishes and hold them out to Jonghyun. Jonghyun looks up and Jinki is there. Just when Jonghyun needed him. Like he was there the entire time.

Smiling, relieved, Jonghyun says, "thanks, Jinx." Instead of taking the handful of wishes back, he deposits even more into jinki's arms, gratefully unloading onto him. Jinki smiles back, eyes sparkling underneath his wavy bangs. 

"Of course, starshine," he says warmly. Jonghyun bites his lip, turning so he can catch more wishes, pretending that his cheeks aren't suddenly as pink as they are.

Jinki doesn't mention it, thankfully. He does smirk about it, but that's easier to ignore. And, after a few minutes, it's easy to smirk back, to try a little flirting of his own now that Jonghyun's over the initial headrush. That's the thing about Jinki; he's always so so so much, but only at the beginning. Only at first, and then he becomes soft, easy, comfortable, familiar. This is a nightly meeting between the two of them so Jonghyun is used to not always being used to him by now. 

It only takes a couple more minutes for the wishes to start slowing down. The time increases between each one, longer and longer, as more stars appear and less people make wishes to him. Soon, Jonghyun sits down on the wooden bridge, crossing his legs in front of him. He gently drops all of the wishes into his lap, helping Jinki pour his own armload of wishes into the pile. Instead of falling down through the wooden slats between his legs, they float, hovering over the empty space like it's solid ground. He makes sure that he has them all, and that he's comfortable, and then he starts sorting through them. 

He has three categories for wishes: first, the ones that he can grant right now, like luck or reassurance. He does those as he reaches them, pouring his magic into them and pressing them against his chest over his heart so they merge with his body. Second, the ones that will take a little time, a little effort, maybe a little cosmic intervention, like a wish to meet someone specific tomorrow or to have good results on something important. Those wishes, he hands to Jinki, letting him stack them into a soft, fuzzy, warm pyramid on the bridge in front of him.

And third, the wishes that Jonghyun can't grant. Wishes to change the past, wishes for miracles, wishes that he could do in theory but that would take all of his power and leave him with none left for a month's worth of wishes. With those, he holds each one in cupped hands, whispers an apology, seals it was a kiss, and then quickly squishes them between his palms, crushing them into stardust. He blows that into the void too, filling it with the desperate magic of yearning to replace what he takes every time he grants a wish.

He's about halfway through his wishes when Jinki looks up suddenly. His eyes glaze over, stars and cosmos swirling around in them as he steps out of their shared reality for just a moment. Then, all of a sudden, he's back, blinking quickly and shaking his head.

"Excuse me for a minute," he says, placing a final wish onto his pyramid and standing up. He dusts off his jeans, then takes a few steps back. Jonghyun nods his head, not looking up from his work. Must be almost time.

Within a moment, it happens: Kibum appears. Not slowly, like Jonghyun; suddenly, instantly, on the exact second. He pops in hard, shaking the wooden bridge as he stumbles until he falls right into Jinki's waiting arms. It seems like he barely notices Jinki, though; he's holding onto his head, pressing his palms into his ears, tangling his fingers into his hair and pulling, his face scrunched up in pain. A cascade of light green wishes descends on top of him, pulling themselves from the void and landing on him, tumbling over his hair and shoulders to puddle around his feet.

For one whole entire minute, for 60 long, dragging seconds, Jinki holds Kibum. Jinki holds Kibum up on his feet, rocks him back and forth gently, runs his fingers through his hair. He stays quiet, but Jonghyun knows that his lips brush Kibum's fingers over his ear, pressing soft, unspoken words of comfort against them.

And then, all at once, the minute is over. The wishes stop. The last one bounces off of Kibum's shoulder and tumbles over all of the other ones until it rolls to a stop by Jinki's right foot.

Kibum stays in Jinki's arms. Shaking, trembling, breathing. Slowly, his arms lower from covering his ears to holding Jinki around the neck. He presses his forehead to Jinki's shoulder.

"You okay?" Jinki asks then, soothing and quiet. Kibum takes another couple of moments to gather himself.

"I sure am something." He finally pushes himself away from Jinki, shaking his head and blinking his eyes open. Over Jinki's shoulder, Jonghyun glances up and watches Kibum, smirking. Just like every night, Kibum looks at Jinki, swallows hard, and puts his face into his hands. And just like every night, he quickly puts a hand on Jinki's cheek and turns him away, like pushing Jinki out of his direct line of sight will make him less flustered. He should know by now that it doesn't work.

All at once, like his wishes, Kibum drops down. He sits himself down right in the middle of the pile, legs sprawled out and hands flopped down between his lap. He blows a puff of air through his lips, looking at all of the fuzzy light green balls of light around him. Jonghyun catches his eye, raises one eyebrow; Kibum flips him off.

"You couldn't conjure up somewhere more comfortable to land on?” He grumbles as he does it, sticking his fingers through the empty spaces in the wooden bridge. "Hey babe," he adds after. Jonghyun smiles, flattered by the gesture and the greeting.

"Hey," he says back, ignoring the judgment of this little space that he's created.

"Like for horses," Jinki hums, sitting down comfortably between them with his legs straight in front of him. 

Both Jonghyun and Kibum roll their eyes and get back to their work. Jinki takes no offense. Instead, he starts singing, a soft, quiet little lullaby. Serenely, languidly, from the top of his head, improvised and fun. Sometimes it's more humming than words, and sometimes the words are spoken in a language derived from the same unfathomable energy that comes from his eyes, but neither of them mind. They enjoy it as something that they know Jinki loves to do, and they enjoy it as a backdrop to their wish sorting.

Kibum has a similar system to Jonghyun, but while Jonghyun works as he goes, Kibum sorts all of his wishes into three piles before he starts granting any of them. Easy, hard, and ungrantable. His last category is relatively much larger than Jonghyun's because so many of his wishers misjudge the amount of time in a minute and their wishes get cut off halfway through when the time turns from 11:11 to 11:12. 

Even so, it takes him so long to listen to all of them that he's still not done when Jinki, eyes glazed over again, murmurs "midnight."

And just like that, Minho starts fading in. Not like Jonghyun, slow and steady, or like Kibum, sudden and punctual. He fuzzes in and out, blurry one moment and solid the next. It takes him a long time to take full, corporeal form, like he's just drifting in, never entirely all the way here or all the way not. But when he does finally arrive with warmth and weight to him, he's lying down and his head is in Jinki's lap. His long body stretches out in front of them, one leg bent at the knee, the other dangling off of the edge of the bridge.

"Good morning," Jinki tells him cutely, rubbing his shoulders.

“Mmm, good night," Minho mumbles back. He smiles at Jinki, little and sleepy, his eyes sparkling behind hooded lids. He yawns, and as he does, a fuzzy lavender wish descends gently down on top of him. He catches it, brings it to his ear, and listens to its whisper. Then he pushes it inside of himself to be granted.

Minho stretches his arms far above his head, then lowers them down on either side of him, reaching for Jonghyun and Kibum. Kibum holds his hand, tangling their fingers together, and continues his wish sorting without looking up. Jonghyun grabs the hand offered to him, brings it to his mouth, and says, “ang!” playfully, pretending to bite his fingers off with a loud snap of his teeth. Then he kisses the back of it and lets it go. "Hello, tall one," he says.

"Hello, tiny one," Minho smirks. He pats the bridge underneath him, points up lazily at it trailing through the starry sky above him. "You come up with this?" He asks. "It's pretty." The compliment comes out as a yawn as another wish floats down to him. He plucks it out of the air and holds it to his ear.

"I did, thank you," Jonghyun says, proud. He flicks his eyes over to Kibum. "Nice to know someone appreciates my efforts around here." Kibum, still not looking up from his work, flips him off again. He also smiles, and Jonghyun smiles back.

Minho chuckles as he crushes the wish and blows the particles out into the void. As always, his laugh is quiet, sleepy, deep, warm. Jonghyun knows what he sounds like when he's wide awake and peppy, not in a state of constantly falling asleep like all of his wishers. When Minho isn't on duty, his laugh is loud and high-pitched, a jolt of energy to everyone around. Jonghyun likes his soft little chuckles more, though. No one else gets those. No one but their tiny little group of granters.

Minho’s wishes come to him slowly, one at a time. He takes his time listening to and granting them as they come. In between wishes, he plays with Jinki's hands, or freestyles quick little rap verses to go with Jinki's singing, or just closes his eyes and rests, snuggled comfortably in Jinki's lap. Jonghyun used to be jealous that all of his wishes don't come down at him at once – Kibum still is – but he gets it now. Him and Kibum work until they're done with their piles; Minho doesn't finish until his shift is over four hours later. Always, he's still getting wishes dropped down onto him by the time Jonghyun is leaving. 

Slowly, the three of them make their way through their work. Kibum finishes sorting his wishes and starts crushing each ungrantable one after the other so soon he's sitting in a cloud of green dust. Jonghyun finishes up with his smaller wishes and starts working on his big wishes, listening again to each one and putting all of his focus and thought into granting them. Every so often, Minho will say a wish of his out loud, asking for advice. Usually it's Jinki that answers, but Jonghyun or Kibum will throw in their opinion every now and again. 

They ease into the comfortable familiarity of it all. It's like this every night. Just the four of them, quietly doing their own work, but together. Simpe, cozy. Relaxing. Calm. Nothing to interrupt their focus, except on the rare occasions when – 

"Wait." Jinki snaps his head up suddenly, interrupting himself mid hum. His eyes glaze with the entirety of the cosmos for just a second before he curses, "fuck, wait. Fuck, shit. Excuse me, baby, fuck." He scrambles to get out from underneath Minho without jostling him. Staggering to his feet, he shakes his head, looks up at the endless expanse above them, and starts jogging down the bridge, away from Jonghyun, behind Kibum, cursing under his breath the entire time.

Jonghyun watches him go and feels excitement fill him up like he's a balloon, inflating his chest, pushing up his cheeks, brightening his smile. He knows exactly what that means. 

Kibum knows too, and it's like he's a direct opposite to Jonghyun: he deflates, rolling his eyes, scowling.

"Oh, great," both of them say in two very different tones. Minho grunts an incoherent noise back, trying to get comfortable again after the sudden loss of his pillow. Jinki keeps jogging, and then running, and then sprinting, the bridge materializing under his feet with each step, glancing over his shoulder, holding his arms out, and is just in the exact perfect spot to catch Taemin when he hurtles out of the sky. 

Taemin comes in with a shout of laughter, clinging around Jinki's neck with his arms and scrambling to get his legs around his waist as Jinki staggers, spins, struggles to hold his weight. He's loud, energetic, eye catching and attention holding, his eyes and his smile as bright as a shooting star. 

Jinki laughs with him, relief and adrenaline and genuine happiness to see him. Just like he is with the other three. Slowly, Taemin calms down, his forehead pressed to Jinki's. His laughter turns to giggles, turns to chuckles, turns to just a smile.

And then, as if on cue, his wishes follow. They streak through the sky in the same curve and speed that he did, hundreds of fuzzy yellow balls of light like a comet trail directly to him. Taemin barely has time to say, "oh, geez, they're coming," before Jinki is turning them around so his back is to the wishes. Each one bounces weightlessly off of Jinki as Taemin curls into his neck, covering their heads with his little hands.

"You smell good," he says once the wishes let up. 

"Thank you," Jinki replies. His voice is nothing but a smile. He lets Taemin down carefully in the middle of all of his wishes, then lets Taemin walk towards the rest of the group ahead of him.

Taemin walks with a bounce and a groove in his steps, a brightness in his smile that Jonghyun can't help but match. He loves when Taemin joins them. Taemin's wishes follow him, floating behind him like dandelion seeds, and Jinki follows them, gently ushering each one into the air and making sure that none of them get left behind. It's more for Jinki's preference than anything, because the wishes will all wind up where Taemin winds up anyway, made to him as they are. 

When he reaches the group, Taemin stops behind Kibum for just long enough to grab his shoulders and pull him backwards hard enough to make him fall but gently enough that it's a soft landing. Kibum was expecting it; Jonghyun knows that he was, he always is, because Taemin always does it, and Kibum always lets him do it. And always, like every time, Kibum snaps and curses at him anyway, and like every time, Taemin's smile gets even brighter. Taemin breezes right by, his wishes trailing him and getting in Kibum's way as he tries to sit back up. 

Minho lifts his hands up for Taemin to hold when he gets there. Taemin ignores them and bends over so he can poke all over Minho's tummy instead. He takes advantage of Minho's sleepy attitude and easily swats away his hands, continuing to tickle him until he's just about to get actually angry, and then he holds his hands like Minho wanted him to do in the first place. Then Taemin steps over Minho, still not caring that his wishes get in the way of the few lavender ones trying to float down. Jinki, retaking his place underneath Minho's head, guides the yellow wishes out of the way of the lavenders.

Taemin doesn't try anything with Jonghyun. He takes the hand that Jonghyun offers out to him and lets Jonghyun kiss his knuckles, then walks around and sits himself down. Their backs thump together; Taemin's breath oofs out of him. Jonghyun takes the impact with ease, enjoying the warmth of their bodies together, the tickles of Taemin's hair on the back of his neck, the fuzzy playfulness of his wishes as they dance around him. Slowly, taking their time, they all drift by until they're surrounding Taemin once more.

"Hey,” Taemin says finally. He plucks his wishes out of the air one by one, granting or crushing them at random. He's a little stingy with his granting, so it's only periodically that Jonghyun hears the smacking of his lips that means Taemin has popped a wish into his mouth. 

And then it’s the five of them. Quiet, cozy, comfortable. Jinki starts humming again and this time it's a song that Jonghyun knows. He sings along softly, breathily, in between listening to his wishes. Taemin moves back and forth against him, shoulders grooving to the tune. 

Kibum, always efficient, finishes first. He pushes his last wish Into the hollow of his throat just above his collarbones and stands up as the green light is still fading underneath his skin. Stretching his arms over his head, he says, "all right. I'll be at the gardens. One of you better come hang out with me when you're done or else I'll be grumpy. Later.” And then he's gone, popping out of their little space just as suddenly as he popped in. 

Jonghyun chuckles to himself. The gardens. Of course that's where he's going. Maybe if it's cloudy he'll go meet up with Kibum for a little bit, but if it's not then he's sure Kibum will invite himself over to his place eventually anyway. He always does. 

"Jinx, can I request a song?" Taemin asks.

"Maybe,” Jinki says without a shred of Defiance in his voice. “Which song?” 

"The one about the friendzone." 

"Play the Field,” Jonghyun translates before Jinki can ask. 

"Play the – that one isn't about the friendzone,” Minho says indignantly. 

"It kind of is," Taemin says. 

"Is not." Jinki is defiant now, pouting with the force of countless galaxies in his eyes. Luckily for Taemin, he's not facing Jinki so he can't see that. Jonghyun can, though, and it makes him feel bad enough that he decides to stay out of the conversation instead of joining it on Taemin's side. 

He just listens instead, enjoying the sounds of their voices mixing together as he focuses on his wishes. He does love listening to their conversations.

Maybe half an hour later, after the argument ends, after Jinki sings the song and a few more, after Minho has started dozing on and off between wishes, Jonghyun finishes granting his last wish of the night. Gently, slowly, he leans forward, away from Taemin, until Taemin realizes and sits up on his own. Distractedly, he reaches behind himself and pats Jonghyun, his hand lingering on his chest and tummy as Jonghyun stands up. His fingers leave trails of yellow dust. "Nighty night," he says. 

“Mmhmm,” Jonghyun hums. "Come over sometime and let me baby you,” he says. It's been too long. Taemin doesn't turn around, but he smiles so big that Jonghyun can see it in his cheeks. 

"Will do,” he says.

Warm in his heart, Jonghyun walks the few steps to Minho and kicks his foot lightly. "You too," he says. "But don't expect me to baby you.” Knowing the pair of them, when Minho comes over all they're going to do is argue for an hour and then cuddle. Minho doesn't open his eyes, or reply out loud. But he does lift the sleepiest thumbs up and smile the tiniest little curve of lips. Which is enough for Jonghyun.

And then Jinki. Jonghyun doesn't ask him to come over; he never does. Jinki is almost always busy and Jonghyun hates to make him feel guilty about it. He just puts his hands on Jinki's shoulders, smiling down at him with all of the fondness in his heart. "Thanks," he says. 

Jinki smiles right back at him, calm, peaceful, comfortable. "Hey,” he says. He blinks once; his brown eyes fill with the entirety of the cosmos. The stars in them shift, change, dim, becoming the void, everything and nothing, drawing Jonghyun in, repelling him away. And then, from the darkness, Jinki’s wishes appear. Each one is a peachy orange and they glow bright enough to cast soft spotlights on Jonghyun’s arms. They float around inside of Jinki, safe and protected, and they disappear one at a time until there's four, and then until there's only a single wish left. Jonghyun doesn't need to ask to know whose it is.

“It’s my pleasure," Jinki says. He blinks again and his eyes return to normal, warm and brown, flecks of gold. 

Jonghyun, warm with affection and gratitude, leans down and brushes a kiss to Jinki's cheek.

[skelekins]

Hehe

[ellsey]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: SPY x FAMILY (Manga), SPY x FAMILY (Anime) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Loid Forger | Twilight/Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess Characters: Loid Forger | Twilight, Yor Briar Forger | Thorn Princess Additional Tags: Sickfic, Fluff and Angst, Loid Forger | Twilight is Bad at Feelings Summary:

Twilight doesn't know what it is about Yor that keeps making him remember his past when he's trying to keep that all buried away

It’s Twiyor Valentine’s Week 2023! For day 1 I picked “childhood” but as always my brain traveled in a strange direction

[bunnyb34r]

Just need to add bells and these fuckers will be done 😵