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#Part 4
thevoidstaredback · 12 hours
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How To Balance Your Daytime and Nighttime Activities So That You Don't Burn Yourself Out More Than You Already Have
Preparations, Danny soon realized, were very much useless. He'd spend a while just watching the vigilante, recording his habits and schedule, following him around and taking note of the little details. Call him a stalker, but he was just trying to make sure Nightwing didn't end up in an early grave.
Not like him.
Any and all preparations Danny had made could not ever fully gear him up for actually talking to the only vigilante he'd ever met. Sure, he knew the guy from afar, but actually speaking to him? Looking him in the eye? Having the other look back at him and actually respond? The closest he'd ever gotten to letting the guy know he was there was when he left food out for him and made sure he had water, sometimes coffee, within reach at all times.
Now that Danny was here, standing in front of the door to Nightwing's - Richard Grayson, he'd learned on day three - apartment, he was frozen. Was he actually about to do this? Could he really risk it? What if Nightwing flipped out?
No. He couldn't think like that. Nightwing's a vigilante, a detective, and an officer of the law. He won't attack willy nilly. Besides, it was too late to turn back now. Danny knew way too much about Nightwing's life to back off now.
Not allowing himself to hesitate any longer, he reached up and pressed the doorbell. He didn't hear the sound, but shuffling from inside alerted him that the man he'd come to see was now moving towards him.
'I hope this goes well,' Danny thought. Then, the door opened. "Good, at least you're taking care of yourself and actually eating proper foods. Now, I'm here to discuss your extracurriculars and how to time manage them properly without running yourself into the ground." He didn't mean to enter the apartment uninvited, but he didn't want to risk Nightwing closing the door on him or something. "I've brought my own board with an ideal itinerary that I expect you to follow." He turned to look at the man. "Any questions?"
Nightwing rook a second to process the words. Then, he said, "Yeah, just one: Who the fuck are you, kid?"
Well, he was in this deep, might as well dig himself a deeper grave. "I would say I'm your new legal guardian, but you're older than me and I can't exactly adopt a fully grown adult." Right? Yeah. Danny sat down stiffly, his bag on the floor and leaning against his leg. He pulled out the binder he'd cleared out and dedicated to helping the older vigilante and put it on the table. "I could say that you're my new legal guardian, but we run into a similar problem." Kind of. Being dead is a legal barrier, so adoption's off the table. Transferred custody on the other hand? Well, he's got that taken care of. Though, he had to wonder, "Could you adopt me?" No, he couldn't think of a way that would work. "No matter."
Nightwing, still standing by the open door, shook his head a bit as if to clear his mind. "I'm sorry, who are you?"
Introductions? Yikes. "I'm Danny! Nice to meet you!" He had no idea how he's not completely bombed this yet, but he wasn't going to complain.
Nightwing didn't move from the door, let alone shake his hand. Danny put it back on his lap. "Likewise, I guess."
"What, no name?" Was that pushing it?
"I'm optimistic, not an idiot." Yeah, he'd towed the line a bit.
Shrugging to try and rid himself of the nervous butterflies in his stomach, Danny opened the binder to the front page. It was mostly so he'd have something to do with his hands, but it proved to be a decent distraction for Nightwing, too. Though, he pushed down a blush when he saw the glittery blue writing. It was the only other pen he had on him and he'd stolen it from Jazz.
The distraction didn't last. "How did you find this place?" Nightwing asked, the door still wide open.
"Doesn't matter." He didn't think the vigilante would take kindly to being stalked followed around the subject of a kid's curiosity.
Nightwing very much did not seem to believe him. "Why do you think I have a day job and a night job?"
Did he- Oh. The man was probably holding out some kind of hope that Danny wasn't saying what he was saying. Oops. Should he apologise? "I'm a realist, not an idiot."
Throwing the words back at him was probably not the best decision. Then, again, Danny hadn't made a whole lot of good decisions since he'd stepped foot in Bludhaven. At least here, there was a chance he could get away with it, relatively scot free. Imagine if he were in Gotham? With how violent Batman got recently? No thank you. He'd rather take his chances with his parents.
Danny did his best to not clear his throat as he flipped to the next page. "First thing's first. Why do you do what you do? Why go out at night to fight crime when, I assume, that's what your day job is for? Why hurt yourself to help other people?"
Those were all questions he'd had to ask himself before the portal destabilized. Why did he do what he does? Why risk himself to help the people who'd never thank him for his help? Why put his life on hold to do the job of adults?
He'd thought he'd had solid answers for them back then, but he wasn't so sure anymore. Regardless, this was a good place as any to start helping Nightwing.
If he could help just this one person, he'd be satisfied.
Part 3
Tag List: @flame-343
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gabunny · 8 months
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Been rewatching JoJo: Diamond is Unbreakable and i noticed the most fucked up sign ever
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gaasublarb · 4 months
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Oh boy humbling reality Spider-Man has arrived
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dcxdpdabbles · 5 months
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The Royal Consort Part 4
Danny smiles awkwardly as Mr. Paresh once again talks about his business. He is still determining why the man keeps repeating the annual profits or benefits for his investors as he carefully sips his sparkling cider.
He tones the man out after he starts again, gazing over the lavished banquet hall. Bruce Wayne really went all out for this gala. There were people in suits and dresses that cost more than his family car, strutting around and ignoring the large spread of deserts and drinks.
Danny has no idea how. He has already gotten a plate of fudge and sparkling cider from a world-renowned chef, never before tasting anything better. He would have gotten more, but he gets stopped whenever he tries to cross the room.
All everyone wants to talk about is his "husband," his "husband's" money, or their company and business. The night has blended into a weird mix of the three topics, and he will be hard-pressed to recite any of the information.
It's not that it isn't interesting, but Danny keeps getting the feeling that he's being talked down to. Or swindled.
But maybe that's just his insecurities talking. Danny isn't sure how he would ever come clean about his lies now. If he ever could.
The world believed that an inter-dimensional war would break out if he so much as had an argument with Phantom. Tucker had sent him the link to the political debates about it.
Imagine people finding out after all of that, that he lied and claimed he was married to himself? No.
That is not going to happen.
Danny would take this secret to his second grave.
"Your cooperation would be greatly beneficial to both parties. Wouldn't you agree, Mr. Phantom?" The man finishes, and Danny snaps his attention back to him. What did he call him? Oh no, did Mr. Paresh figure him out? And what was that about cooperation? Was he going to blackmail Danny?
Danny isn't sure what kind of expression he is making, but it must have looked bad for Tim Wayne to make his way over quickly. He's been hovering since the gala started.
In fact, all the Waynes have been hovering ever since they rescued him from the paparazzi. They took him back to the manor, where Alfred had been kind enough to make him some tea to help calm him down.
It was a bit awkward. Mostly because he had been somewhat shaky from the encounter, and they had been hyper-aware of future-him's threat to destroy the world if he was harmed.
Not that Danny would, but the Waynes didn't need to know that.
"Excuse me, Mr. Paresh, I need to speak to Mr. Fenton for a moment," Tim says with an easy smile and a smooth side-step that allows him to steer Danny away.
Mr. Paresh tries to protest, but Tim masterfully ignores him. With sure steps, an easy smile, and a hand on the small of Danny's back, Tim has him out of the crowd into the open air of a balcony, and Danny can feel himself breathing again.
"Thanks for the save," He tells Tim, leaning on the railing overlooking the garden.
The other teenager offers him a crooked smile. "Don't mention it. Mr. Paresh can be a bit pushy when it comes to investors."
"Is that what he wanted?" Danny asks surprised.
"Yes, even he wouldn't be dumb enough to hit on a Royal Consort," Tim tells him jokingly, but something about how he says it makes Danny feel like he is not joking. In fact, it's almost like Tim is trying to appease any foul mood the mislabeled "flirting" would cause.
Strange.
"Too bad. I don't have any money. It all belongs to Phantom." Danny sighs.
"Many spouses here are investors using their partner's funds. It's not a surprise you be approached for King Phantom's vaults." Tim explained with a helpless shrug that seemed far too regal for such a casual action.
Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Danny sighs. "Phantom would never be interested in human business affairs"
Tim eyes gleam "why?"
"We don't live very long to a being like him. Our businesses would be like a snap of his fingers, and he wouldn't make up any profits that could match whatever he put into it"
The other teen makes a noise in the back of his neck but doesn't say anything after that. Danny slumps more onto the railing, allowing his chin to rest on his crossed arms.
The necklace that got him until this mess swings about accidentally hitting the metal. It's loud clack echoes as the silence between the two stretches.
After a moment, Danny speaks up, eyes trained on the tree line that has provided a screen of privacy.
"Are there still paparazzi at the gates?"
"Yes." Tim scoffs. Even without turning to look at him, Danny knows the other is frowning. "Bruce hired private bodyguards- Bowhunter Security- to keep them out, but they will hound you for the rest of your life likely. I'm sorry."
Danny shrugs even if a part of him shivers up into a ball at the thought of those camera flashes and pushy people hoping to capture something they can exploit. "I figured. They bothered Princess Diana like that too."
Neither speaks for a moment, allowing the gentle cold wind of the night air to brush over them. Danny, for a second, closes his eyes and lets himself sink into the welcoming silence.
He nearly falls asleep there, even going as far as to close his eyes and slow his breathing but just as he's about to drop off into his dreams, Tim lets out a startled gasp.
"King Phantom!"
What.
Ripping open his eyes, Danny can only stare in absolute shock as a green portal ripples before him, much like it had done a few days ago in Wayne's car. It's larger than before, the size of a large door, which makes it easier for Phantom to step out of.
He is dressed to the nines, his kingly attire screaming wealth even if it seems to be from a few centuries back. Its dark blues and whites highlighted his figure, and the black overthrown cape gave him a commanding presence.
White hair pushed back in a stylish tousle mess, it gave his flouting crown that much more alluring sight to behold. Danny's eyes were imminently drawn to another one of Clockwork's medallions resting comfortably around Phantom's neck.
No. Danny thinks faintly as Phantom- his future self, the asshole-winks at him. Please let this be a nightmare.
Alas, it is not, for Phantom takes his hand and brings it up to press a kiss against his knuckles. "Good evening, Darling. I have come to escort you to the gala."
"The hell you are" Danny hisses, yanking his hand away. Tim shifts uncomfortably at his side as Phantom tilts his chin to the nearby windows.
Risking a peak over his shoulder, Danny bites back a groan of frustration as multiple guests press themselves against the glass, gawking at the king of dead.
A few even have their phones out recording.
the portal's glow must have attracted guests' attention. Dammit it all
"Darling, I know I missed our anniversary because of my work, but please let me make it up to you." Phantom all but begs. He steps forward to drag Danny into a tight hug where he proceeds to whisper into his ear, using ghost delict.
"Alien invasion on the way. Batman and Superman die tonight trying to stop it. The world goes to Dan's level of bad. Clockwork wants us to handle it. Play. Along."
Of course, there is. Why not?
Danny wants to scream, wants to punch something very hard, but all he can do is whisper back. "What causes it?"
"Some idiot in this crowd cares for the key that portals the invading fleet. We will blow it up as the invading forces try to get through; we just have to find the person and not let them activate it beforehand." Phantom grips his hand harder, teeth turning just a bit sharper. "They killed Jazz first."
Oh, this is personal.
"Who is our first suspect?"
"Suspects," Phantom corrects, pressing him even closer, and to the onlookers, it seems sweet and devoted to his human. None of them know the chill in the air is due to Phantom's ire and not the cold winter. "The Waynes were conveniently gone when that thing opened."
Danny's eyes, against his will, almost flicker over to Tim, and he is startled by the calculative look in those blue eyes before it is swiftly hidden. Shit, and he liked the Waynes.
"I swear," Phantom says, stepping back now speaking in English and offering a boyish smile, that does nothing to hide the rage in his eyes,. "The Waynes are no threat to my family, Darling."
Everyone hears the words, but they all believe what King Phantom said has a different meaning.
The crowd thinks the Waynes had somehow implied an attack on the royal ghost house, maybe a faux pas for not knowing ghost culture while hosting Danny. Team Phantom thinks Danny is accusing the Waynes of ending the world.
But what do the Waynes hear?
"This is bad B. I think Danny Fenton is accusing the Waynes of trying to steal his husband." The teenager whisper-shouts into his phone, trying to hide from the embraced couple speaking in a strange language on the balcony.
"Tim, what did you do?!" Bruce yells back.
"I didn't do anything!"
"Tell Drake to stop being a homewrecker before the King declares war on us, Father!" Damian is heard over speakers, likely crowding around the phone like his siblings. Tim can see them now, hidden away in a closet, trying to listen to the call between Tim and Bruce the moment Bruce went for his phone.
"I am not a homewrecker!"
"That's right, Tim is not a homewrecker! Phantom has two hands. he can have two loves!" Dick passionately defends.
"He also has an undead army." Duke says, "Which we would like to avoid attacking us. Tim, come on, the man is married, back up."
"No, no, no, Dick is onto something there. I say seduce them both!" Steph shouts like she is commanding him to rush the frontlines of a battlefield.
"You should dance for them. Like birds." Cass adds.
"Yeah, Tim, shake some ass for the good of mankind," Jason snickers.
"None of this is helpful!"
"Tim, just please try to calm the King down." Bruce cuts in, sounding both severe and tired. "We really can't afford this war."
Tim risks glancing toward the royals and has to swallow a gulp at the twin-set stare that bores into his soul. It's unnerving how similar they are- but then again, Phantom changed his form to match Danny's in an odd Ghost tradition of love.
A love that he believed was being threatened with unfaithfulness due to Tim- or the other Waynes!
How was he ever going to calm someone like that down?
"I'll try."
He just hopes it's enough to get it through the evening.
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flamingpudding · 1 month
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I'm back with a part 4 if you want to do it it's kind of more of a crack write I just need Klarion trying to explain the family tree
But not explaining how he was made at all So Young Justice and the Justice League are now convinced that a the Ghost King was a teenage parent who is now 27 years old and just passed college with a degree in astronomy and machinery
Klarion's other parent is a a crazy fruit loop 64 year old millionaire who went to college with Klarion's Mom parents who had an emotionally unhealthy obsession with his mom's mother and then it passed on to his mom.
And he has an older sister who is technicality a clone of his mom but also has the bastards DNA so fundamentally making Ellie Vlad Master and Mom's first born kid but there's six other siblings that Klarion had that died back a while back but Mom got granddad who's apparently the time lord AKA Cronos which is a whole another long story to go back in time and save those kids get them fixed up and now Klarion technicality has seven older siblings which all do their own things
And then he starts mentioning his uncle who is a 9 ft yeti his technicality auntie who is a medieval ghost princess who can turn into a dragon his auntie Pandora and his his grandfather cronos
My names for the six other clone children are Donald (he/him), Cecelia (they/she), Bartholomew(Them/They), Kyle AKA Bite(He/It), Brutus(He/They), and then there's Danna (She/Her) who actually really like the name Dan and asked Klarion if could have it when Klarion changed his name
Sorry if this is a little bit too much I've just really been thinking about au for this after the last part you made I hope this helps you with your writing or at least makes you laugh but I really love the idea of Danny's AKA somewhat clone children and finding their own personalities and and fighting themselves out of just being failed clone of their mom also I love the idea of Danny going back in time to save the rest of the clone kids cuz now he's a mature adult who wants to save their lives and wants them to grow into their own people.
(⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)
I probably did way to much research into all the fandoms I am in to see what I could tie into this... And yet this feels shorter than it should but I also currently lack the time to add more. But for now I hope this will be satisfactorily.
Also this family tree idea especially the part of saving the melted clones. LOVE IT!
So even though it took me a while! here is Part 4 you inspired! Thanks so much for the ask!
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"Dude, you are making us only curious!" Impulse spoke up as he sat down next to Klarion who had his head in his hands. "Like you and your mom can't just drop your family lore like that!"
The witch boy on the other hand looked up with narrowed eyes at the speedster. "What lore?"
"Let's see, the part that apparently a Vlad tried to kill your Grandpa to make friends several time. That your mom is 'ghost' adopted by the lord of time Cronos and Pandora, which makes us family too by the way, and that you have a sister that apparently is even crazier than what we got to know of your family so far." Wonder Girl counted off her fingers next to him grinning as she mentioned the part of probably being a part of his 'crazy' family too. Which hell yea, that sounded like a lot of fun to be explored she would have to talk with Wonder Woman about that as soon as possible.
"Also..." Red Robin added as he flipped through the photo album that apparently no one remembered he had. He was turning it around and pointed at a particular photo with a wild bunch of people in it that varied between more human and well... less humanoid people. One of them definitely was a Yeti and there was also what looked like living armor as well as Teekly (they knew that demon cat at least), a giant green dog and for some reasons there was a green aggressive looking Octopus in the background too. "...how are you related to a Yeti?"
"Hey that man there and those other teens in the picture actually have some resembles with you! Do you have older brothers too?" Superboy additionally asked as he moved around Red Robin to see the photo better pointing at a man that appeared to be in this late twenties, blue eyed, black haired and a little on the buffer side. If he didn't know any better and the fact that he should keep his mouth shut about their actual identities he would have jokingly asked Red Robin if his family would like to add more kids considering Klarions family apparently had a bunch of black haired blue eyed members too, judging by the photo at least.
"What are you talking about. That man is my mom and yes the others are actually my older brothers and that Yeti is uncle Frostbite who also happens to be the best medic in the Infinite Realms" The four teen heroes looked stunned at the picture and then back at the Ghost King that was smiling at them, still seated by the dinner table with their mentors. Who by the way were now perking up at the change of topic and the information they could gain with it, well Wonder Woman was more interested in the apparently extended family she had.
"Oh I remember we took this photo last year, it was such a hassle to get everyone into one place with them all being busy doing their own things." Danny mused for a moment, remembering fondly how he had to literally drag some of the kids home through a portal.
"It was more annoying than anything too since I was declared to be the youngest...." Klarion muttered also remembering that day not as fondly as his mother.
"Wait, wait, wait! That is a picture of your family? I need an explanation buddy!" Impulse cut in without shame, quickly removing the picture from the photo album to get a better look at it before holding it out to Klarion so he could explain all the individuals. "Plus why does your mom look soooo.... human?"
The witch boy on the other hand stared at him for a couple of seconds before looking over towards his mother as if waiting for something. After a moment the teen heroes as well as their mentors saw Danny nod with a little smile. "This dimension doesn't have the GIW so its fine, the Justice League Dark won't be a problem either, right?." Constantine flinched at the smile the Ghost King was giving him, muttering something under his breath as he had hoped his presence had been forgotten.
"Since mom is giving his okay...." Klarion mutter sitting crosslegged on the ground as he snatched the photo album from Red Robin and flipped through it. "Lets start with the easiest stuff to explain."
Danny chuckled noticing that not only the teen heroes but their mentors as well showed an interest. He choose to stay quiet letting the adults listen in on the kids, and if things went bad he would just ask Clockwork if they could revert time back to this moment and he would change his nod of permission to a shake of denial.
"Okay first of, this is my mom and his sister Jasmine, this is Danielle my older sister and that hulk with flaming white hair and blueish skin is me. That was before I got deaged because of destabilising." Klarion explained flipping to a photo of him, Danny, Jazz and Danielle. "Mom was around fifteen, Aunt Jazz about seventeen and Ellie should have been about a year old but she was aged up to twelve. They look human in this one because well they are. Mom was originally human and became what you call in this dimension a Meta through an accident."
"Wait... that would mean your mom... How could he have two kids at that age of fourteen? You look like an adult and your sister was aged up?" Wonder Girl couldn't help but ask as she looked from the photo and back to Danny at the dinner table again.
"That's cause Vlad was a fu-"
"Language Klarion!"
"Vlad was a fruitloop. That photo was taken shortly after Vlad and I sort of redeemed our selfs. Plus, mom didn't really have my sister and me willingly.... we were kind of forced upon him in a way." Klarion explained shrugging. "Old Man Vlad had an obsession with his mom that then turned on mom, which resulted in my oldest sister Danielle first. Actually, a lot of my elder siblings resulted from that, but they didn't survive it the first time, Mom got Old Man Clocks help to save them once he got used to being the Ghost King. I got added to the mix shortly after my sister, but... i wasn't in the best state of mind at first, kind of went through a redemption phase in which mom had to fix the timeline of our original home dimension, too."
Danny chuckled again at the disturbed looks the teens were giving his son as well as the looks their mentors sent him. He probably should correct Klarion's wording... but being one of the gremlins of his family he just smiled on, not commenting. He really understands now why Pops Clockwork liked watching the chaos he used to cause as teen, and still sometimes causes as adult.
"Klarion... how old is this Old Man Vlad?" Red Robin asked grimacing as his eyes under the mask flicked up to the Ghost King and then back to the witch boy both seemingly unbothered by the disturbing information they were sharing.
"In human years... probably around 67? You stop counting age at some point if your a halfa." Klarion shrugged, not noticing the grimaces of the teens around him. "Anyway, Ellie is sort of the first born. I came in after that, with my core being a mix of Mom and Vlad. Not DNA wise though since I came to be because of their ghost cores. That's why I look like that in this photo. Though human DNA wise I am probably now mostly Moms, we never bothered to ask the old man."
Danny muffled another chuckle, coughing as Superman sent him an incredulous look of shook while he felt Batmans burning gaze on him.
"You... mentioned more siblings?" Red Robin asked carefully sharing a look with his team, feeling like there was a whole lot of trauma in Klarions family he wasn't sure they should address or not. So asking after his siblings was probably, hopefully the safest option. They didn't know that while there was trauma in the witch boy's family it was not the kind they were imagining.
"Yea I got a bunch more brothers, Vlad was a evil crazy fuitloop, before he redeemed himself. They all kind of melted in one timeline but mom and Grandpa Clock found a way to save them." Klarion nodded flipping to another photo containing him, as he looked now, and all his siblings.
"So, Ellie you know about already. The one with the sunglasses and died hair is Bartholomew, second oldest. They made themselves a home in other dimension, barely at home cause he has to much fun messing with something called a 'Starstream' by being a 'Constellation' and throwing gold coins at 'Incarnations'. Don't ask me what that means, I barely pay attention when he gushes about his favorit 'Incarnation'. They spent like all their money and pocket money there. Aunt Jazz thinks he might develop a gambling addiction if we don't stop his spendings." The teen heroes eyed the teen that looked like a young adult grinning in the photo as the witch boy pointed at the one next to them. "The one with the vile is my elder brother Bite, most responsible one of this bunch. Mom even allowed him to take care of a couple of dimensions by taking the role of being their God of Death. I think he messed them up more than helped but he is doing a somewhat good job, even if he is sort of obsessed with making some red head his saint or something..."
"One of your sibs is a God?" Impulse gabbed and Klarion just blinked at him with a shrug. "My Grandfather is the ruler of Time, your point is? Wonder Girl is also related to a God of your dimension."
"Never mind him, moving on." A yelp resounded as Superboy pushed Impulse head down leaning in more to see the photo better. "You got one emo looking brother there!"
"Oh that's Yamikumo, he is like a year or two older than me right now, in human years. He barely got any of mom's powers so he choose to try to life a somewhat normal life but weirdly enough he choose a dimension that is ruled by people who have powers and abilities, you know like the Meta Humans of this dimension. Now that I think about it, he is also the only one who actually is studying on how to be a Hero."
"Do you end up fighting with him if he studies to be a hero?" Wonder Girl whisper asked him with a quick glance towards their mentors, to which Klarion shook his head. "As long as we leave the dimensions one of us choose to live in alone we usually don't fight about stuff like that, aside from the usual sibling fights that is. Then again I do have some siblings that like to make bets like who is better at ruling as demon lord, or who can safe a dying timeline quicker."
Danny chuckled again as he watched the kids, Klarion had definitely caused some misunderstandings with his wording. Then again it wasn't like Klarion said anything that wasn't true, but then again his son loved chaos. So there was a suspicion that Klarion intentionally choose the way he worded the explanation about how he and Ellie came to be as well as the rest of siblings.
"So....." Superman slowly started wondering how he should bring up the topic. "...you became a mom at 14?"
"Say Danny is there a way for me to meet this Vlad? You know since we are family." Wonder Woman also asked smiling in a certain way that reminded Danny of Valerie when she was mad but didn't want to show right away how mad she was, to which the Ghost King on reflex could do nothing but gulp for a moment. Not noticing that a green post it note appeared on the table before him.
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teddeggs · 5 months
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I just love part 4 so much you guys
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rboooks · 10 months
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The bakery is a front....right? PART 4
Dedicated to @foxy-tea. Thank you for your lovely words!
Danny didn't want to do it, but he had to admit that his mating season peak had arrived and could not work in that condition. It wasn't that Danny was like a cat in heat, wanting to engage in intercourse all the time.
No, his body craved a life partner and a child to smother in fierce paternal love. It was a bit worse if you asked him. If he just manwhore his way through the city over three months, well, they would just whisper about how easy he was.
A bit embarrassing but not uncommon for someone with Danny's good looks.
Instead, his mating season made him a would-be kidnapper.
He had to physically slam a hot pot of coffee on his hand a week ago when a customer had walked in with a baby, and Phantom had tried to leap over the counter to take the babbling bundle of joy as his own.
Not to mention how Phantom reacted to some of his youngest delivery employees. He hadn't realized he was mumbling "Mine. mine. mine. mine. mine" while approaching Manolo for his latest delivery until Peter had stepped into his path with the dirtiest glare Danny had ever seen.
The punch to his throat hadn't knocked the wind out of him- since Phantom had stopped his breathing three days prior - but it was enough to get Danny out of the daydreams of tucking Manolo into bed after a cup of tea and a bedtime story.
We could teach him to bake. We can teach him to ride a bike. We can sit through all his school performances, no matter how bad they are. We could be his dad. Phantom had cried as Manolo had thrown himself between Peter and Danny, his little arms spread wide to protect him. Let me have the child! Manolo is mine! He's mine to love, mine to protect!
Danny had never had such trouble getting Phantom to settle.
In seconds, Peter was quickly surrounded by Andres' friends and the rest of Danny's staff. He had taken a fighter position, looking around like an animal about to maul its victims while Danny wrestled with himself to get control.
He and Phantom are not two separate personalities fighting for control but one person with conflicting instincts.
One of a human's most basic instincts is self-preservation. A ghost's most basic instinct is self-fulfillment.
Danny did not want things to become a free-for-all where someone could get hurt. Phantom tried to fight them all to claim the kids under his protection.
Thankfully, everything was deescalated by Jazz's timely arrival. Danny couldn't really remember what she had done (too busy struggling to hold himself as a human and not go ghost to become the most excellent dad to ever dad). Still, if there was one gift Jazz had, it was being able to reason with spirits about their obsessions.
If she could convince beings whose entire existence depended on being stubborn about a particular subject, she could persuade humans of anything.
Peter had been allowed to leave with no injuries, and even two days paid off, while the rest had realized that the man had just acted out of PTSD due to what Jazz called "projecting trauma in safe settings."
There were a lot of people in this area that understood what PTSD episodes did to them and had not faulted Petter. Manolo even gave Peter a small crocheted fox to help him overcome the fear.
(Danny had given the small fox plushy to Manolo when the kid first arrived at his bakery, proclaiming it had a protective spell to keep fear away. He had yet to be aware the boy carried around with him.)
Jazz had then taken Danny to his apartment, where she had placed him in quarantine. She had been informed by Frost Bite during their bi-weekly mentor/protegee meetings- Jazz was studying under the Yeti in Ghost Psychology- that Danny's Peak had arrived. Danny would jack up his "I need to be a dad" and "I need to be a husband" urges to Fruitloop levels.
Danny would try to force someone into that role if he was around humans or ghosts, even if it was against their will. Ugh, he would be a Vlad 2.0 for a full two weeks!
He could not risk himself around others. So with a heavy heart, he informed his employees he would be stepping away for a two-week long vacation and had made it seem like he left on a plane to visit Jazz overseas.
His staff would take care of the bakery for him, but it saddened Danny he could not be there to help with things. He then sealed off all entries to his apartment and informed the residents of the Ghost zone he was in, "Mating Peak retreat," so no one would bother him past a few already mated servants of the Ghost King.
They would bring him supplies and requests through a no-contact portal once he ordered them through a magical catalog. It was like online shopping for ghosts.
Danny now had to wait two weeks for this to finally go away, and he could go about his ordinary daily life of being perfectly dead and alive. Until it happened again the following year.
Elli told him to be grateful it was only a yearly thing, not a monthly deal. He shuddered at the mere thought of experiencing this every month.
Done! Phantom cheers snapping Danny back to reality. In his hands are a pair of freshly crocheted booties. He hadn't even been aware he was making them.
They look great, Danny tells Phantom, turning them in his hands to smile at the giant sunflowers on each side. A button was used as the center of the flowers, and Phantom even included a few lace designs around them to look like leaf vines.
They are based on the park's flowers.
The park?
Yes, the park where you promised to take me today! Phantom goes from calmly talking to screaming, and Danny winces.
You know I can't go outside. You'll just try to steal a child from the park.
I would never forget to also steal a wife or husband!
Danny sighs, rubbing his face knowing he was telling himself that forgetting a spouse was worse than the idea of kidnapping people. He places the booties on top of an ever-growing pile. Since his quarantine has begun, Danny has made about two hundred pairs of various styles, sizes, and colors.
Danny looks around at the piles and piles of other of his crocheting projects. He's got sweaters, scarves, gloves, socks, hats, beanies, and even blazers for various genders, ages, and styles meant to help with the coldest winter. He could adequately dress his whole street and still have some left over.
All prepared for his nonexisting family.
He has been making them at the same speed he can fly, i.e., 200 mph. He's made some yarn dealers in the zone extremely wealthy. He can't help it, though. Danny has frozen every inch of his apartment too far too cold levels for an average human without proper wear.
He's been working fast because his human mind knew that the cold was terrible for his lover and children, so it wanted to keep them nice and warm. While his ghost side added layers of snow to the floor and ice to the walls, he even made decorative ice sculptures that he desperately reorganized again and again to find the perfect balance of the cold. Only his electronics were not frozen over, so even his furniture had layers of ice- some with designs to make them look fancier.
He's also cooked up a storm in preparation for feeding his family. Only to realize a spouse and kids were not coming, thus forcing him to donate his meals to the ghost delivery people. They were ever so happy to have five-course meals shoved at them just for bringing the king more yarn.
Danny throws himself face-first into the pile of snow from his couch, allowing the softness to cushion his fall. There is a terrible itch under the skin. It's begging him to leave to find someone to kiss and worship. Unwillingly, Alvin's face appears in his mind before he turns over and stares at his ceiling. He's made all the constellations into small carvings on the ice. I can't go outside. I can watch another movie or make more bagels instead.
Watching another romance movie won't bring me a mate! Phantom hisses.
I know but-
Suddenly Danny senses flair as someone crosses over his wards. Sitting up in alarm, Danny makes a break for his room as even more people join the first and break into his guest room through a window. Not that he can't take whoever they are, but if he comes face to face with them-well, Danny thinks he may keep them.
That's not something he's willing to risk.
Phantom is already throwing out some severe pheromones that would likely infatuate them to Danny, babbling about this being their chance. Four adults- spouses!- and a child- a son or daughter!- have entered their main haunt. They had to give them food and warm clothes and cuddle them until they never left!
No!
He can't force them to stay!
He had to make them stay even if it meant chaining them!
No, they would be miserable!
Phantom could make them happy forever!
The effort to stay in his human control took so much effort Danny started to aggressively twitch as he fumbled with the hidden room in the back of an old wardrobe. He's breathing heavily, trying to get his blurry vision to focus so he can open the darn thing and get in. Finally, it does, and Danny just barely closes it when a figure bursts through the door.
He watches through a small crack as the figure carefully looks over his frozen domain. It's one of the vigilantes. Red Robin.
What is he doing here?
The man walks into his room, leaving behind disruptive snow that goes up his ankles.
Thank the Ancients, his footprints do not appear in his own snow. Otherwise, a perfect trail would lead the hero straight to him. Instead, he watches with a hand over his mouth as Red Robin carefully searches his room.
Danny cuts off his need to breathe as the sound would give him away. Still, he's twitching so much that he's practically shaking as the hero carefully breaks the ice over his drawers and pulls out his clothes in quick, careful movements.
Go away. Go away. Go away. Danny thinks desperately. He should have tried calling someone. Jazz. Ellie. Even his parents or Vlad!
None of them would cause his instincts to want to force them to play house- though he would likely still try to imprison them since he would like to protect them non the less.
But they could at least do something and get the poor vigilante somewhere safe!
Never leave. Never leave. Never leave. Phantom purrs, and oh no, an intense burst of pheromones is sent through the room. Red Robin freezes; from what little Danny can see of his face, it's flushed red, and gosh, he wants to smother that man in so much love-
"Guys, I think I came in contact with the drug," Red Robin pants after pressing his hand to his ear. "I don't know how, but I am definitely feeling something. Think it's airborne, but not sure."
He doesn't finish his sentence before Redhood and Nightwing are suddenly in his room. Nightwing has a gas mask over his face while Red Hood swings a gun around the room, looking for a target.
Danny almost whines at the gentle way Nightwing helps Red Robin into a sitting position. He's looking him over with such loving protection that he- that Danny- Phantom wants him- wants a husband-!
"Shit," Red Hood hisses, body pushing back as if some strong wind had hit him. "Yeah, it's definitely in this room. Felt a bit of it, even with my built-in filters. Wing?"
"Did the room get colder?" Nightwing asks as he helps Red Robbin to his feet. The other man seems to be feeling better with his gas mask, but he must still be effect by Phantom's pheromones.
"The wardrobe." Red Robin gasps, pointing unknowingly right at Danny. "The ice around it is getting bigger. And...it's leaking."
What? Danny looks down only to see in horror a knocked-over jar of fresh ectoplasm. He hadn't even been aware he had broken the thing when he crawled here.
The jars were the ones that he gathered with Jazz and Ellie after a three-day foraging trip. All ghosts were made of Ecoplasim, but just like you couldn't stick blood into someone without being comparable, you couldn't use any random ectoplasm for other people- humans or ghosts.
It had to be some of the purest natural kind, not linked to any type of beings, like a river of ectoplasm or the frozen pillars in the farthest parts of the Far Frozen. Giving someone ectoplasm from one's body could taint them in the donator's obsession.
Yes, Danny could make more people protective of each other, but it would likely cause them to be Fruitloop-level protective. They just didn't have the filter like he did to not go mad.
That pure kind was now leaking out of his hiding place and into the white snow of his main lair.
Danny only has a second to panic before the door is wrenched open, and he falls into a stunned Red Robin.
He goes limp from the shock as Phantom purrs, settling in his mind now that he's pressed against a possible mate. Like Danny said, it's not intercourse his ghost side is after, it's close contact, and this is enough to satisfy it.
"Shit, it's Danny. He-he's not breathing, and he's ice cold. I think he's de-dead." Red Robin says in what sounds like tears.
No. My husband is sad. Danny and Phantom think, a terrible pulse of pain bursting across his chest. He can't get his body to move to offer comfort, though. It's been a whole week since he last saw someone in person, and this is so nice. Why did he ever fight this instinct? It felt so good to give in.
He could stay in Red Robin's arms forever.
Red Robin was never going to see the clear sky again. He was never leaving this apartment.
"I found something," Red Hood's voice is behind him. "It looks like it is Lazarus' water, but it's clearer. I think this is our drug. Danny must have ODed."
"No! He can't- we have to do something!" Red Robin cries, and Danny slumps further against him like a broken doll. He's not blinking. Blinking is for humans. Danny isn't a human.
His unfocused eyes stare at wherever Red Robin has him positioned to look.
"There is nothing we can do, Red Robin," A new voice says though not unkindly. Phantom doesn't turn his head but can see Batman walk up behind Red Robin, wearing his gas mask. He places his hand on the trembling vigilante. "You need to put him down."
"No!" Phantom purs as the arms around his shoulders bring them closer to his husband's body.
"It's too late for him, Drake. We can only honor his death."
That....that was a voice of a child. A child is in his main haunt.
Phantom wails in joy.
He gets out of his husband's arms, leaping over Batman, and his arms are around a boy in red, green, and yellow. Phantom smothers his face against the hood covering the boy's head, and short sobs rank his body. "My baby! You're my baby!"
"Unhand me!" His little grunts slamming a knife into Phantom's side, but that doesn't matter because Phantom has his son and his husband in his nest.
A bullet harmlessly passes through his forehead after a loud bang, creating a hole in Phantom's wall. He'll take care of that after he smothers his baby in cuddles.
Nightwing swings a baton at Phantom, but that, too, passes through his body without harm.
"Shit! Danny put him down!"
Huh, was that Sam?
"Danny, I mean it. Drop him!"
Oh, Tucker too!
"Daniel Fenton, you let that boy go right now!" Jazz sounded upset. Maybe she should hold his baby. "Are you listening to me?"
"Danny is not here right now." He hears his body say.
"Ohhhhh. That's not good. Okay, Danny time for a nap!" Ellie flies into his face, her hand glowing green and he has a moment to gasp at the betrayal before she blasts him.
He drops, knowing no more.
(Part 1), (Part 2), (Part 3), (Part 5)
2K notes · View notes
writeyouin · 3 months
Text
Lucifer (Hazbin Hotel) X Fem-Reader - Sinless Sinners - Chapter 4
Chapter 4 - Hell's Assumptions
A/N – Okay, I think that’s everyone on the tagging list. So, here’s to Chapter 4. Raise a glass.
Warnings – None.
Rating – T
MALE VERSION HERE
GN VERSION HERE
Tag-List: @xx-all-purpose-nerd-xx@sseleniaa@randomgurl2326@22carolina08@astrxwitch@yu-87 @clover-1767 @lil-bexie @thesimpybitch @reverse-soe
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People were staring.
The worst part was, you weren’t sure who they were staring at, you or Lucifer. It could have easily been him since he was the King of Hell, and even those who didn’t immediately recognise him could sense the power he exuded. However, it was just as likely that they were looking at you and wondering who you were, and how you had managed to get their ruler to walk with you, especially since he wasn’t known for going out much.
Fortunately, when people saw Lucifer coming, they moved to the other side of the street, staring, whispering, taking pictures, but keeping a safe distance.
Lucifer was used to this kind of thing. He walked confidently, held a charming smile, and was generally non-plussed by the attention. You, on the other hand, felt awkward.
‘This was my idea,’ You mentally reminded yourself.
You tried to hold onto that thought as you attempted to strike up a conversation.
“So… What’s it like in the Embassy building?” You asked, quickly realising that it was a terrible topic as Lucifer’s smile became a glower.
You shouldn’t have reminded him where he was going. It was obvious he hated Heaven for their treatment of him, yet yearned for it and the life he had lost within its pearly gates where nothing went wrong for anyone.
“Sorry,” You said hurriedly. “I didn’t think- uh, nice weather we’re having?”
Lucifer smiled and shook his head. He couldn’t believe you. Only the night before, you had told him to grow up, with such confidence, and now here you were struggling for words. He bypassed the awkward situation with ease by asking, “Will you be visiting the Hotel today?”
“Oh, uh… Maybe. I would like to see everyone again. Check that Nifty hasn’t set anything on fire. Make sure that everything’s okay, and-”
You had been about to mention Angel Dust. Today was one of his work days. You would like to check that he was okay. You didn’t mention him however, with something like a confidentiality clause stopping you, though you weren’t his doctor, nor was he your patient. You didn’t want to talk about his suffering; he was more than his trauma.
Instead, you said, “I would like to check in, but maybe not today. Besides, you’ll be there tonight, won’t you?”
“Yes. I’d like to deliver the news to Charlie personally, and perhaps coach her on some of Heaven’s stricter rules.”
“Then, I think I’ll stay at the manor. I wouldn’t want to step on your toes. You and Charlie- I think you need to catch up a bit, without any interruptions. She missed you, you know.”
Lucifer ruminated on this for a minute. Whatever your motivations, he was glad that you were giving him and his daughter some space. Granted, the Hotel was large enough to house many conversations in separate areas but by making the offer of keeping your distance, you were giving Lucifer some breathing room; that was good.
Had you not made that offer, Lucifer might have brought up the topic of moving you back into the Hotel to Charlie, but in respecting his boundaries, Lucifer was starting to think that you weren’t so bad… for a Sinner.
“I missed her too.”
“Can I ask,” You said hesitantly, “What kept you away so long? You clearly think the world of her.”
Lucifer sighed, and stopped in the middle of the street, “I-”
He didn’t get to explain his absence.
Instead, he became annoyed as two Sinners, one who looked like a nine-year-old boy’s dream with bazooka arms and rocket-infused shoulders, and the other a winged bear-woman wielding a machine gun burst through the building on the opposite side of the road, waging war upon one another.
“SHIT!” You cursed, seeing the debris that threatened to crush a lone imp who hadn’t reacted quickly enough, his leg trapped under the first brick segment that fell.
Reacting quickly, you threw out your arms. A light green barrier shielded the imp from further harm, but you struggled under the weight of so much wreckage.
“MOXXIE!” A female imp yelled, running to him.
You thought she might struggle to lift the wreckage off him and were about to ask for Lucifer’s help before your barrier would inevitably crumble. Yet, the female imp was stronger than she appeared and she threw it off Moxxie. She then lifted him bridal style, and ran from the danger, shooting you a grateful look from across the street.
You gasped and shuddered as you let your arms fall, your barrier fading from existence.
“You shouldn’t have bothered,” Lucifer said as you straightened up.
“What?” You breathed heavily, recovering from the exertion; one of the weakest Demons in Hell, with your limited abilities.
“It was a nice thing to do, but what’s the point? Look around,” Lucifer threw his arms up dramatically. “Someone built something nice, and now it’s gone, all because two Sinners couldn’t take their petty power struggle somewhere else. Nobody benefits from this.”
You opened your mouth to argue but were interrupted by the same two imps you had just saved, “Hey there, I’m pretty sure my husband is delirious right now, but he wanted to come over here.”
“I’m not delirious, Millie,” Moxxie said pointedly, clinging onto her shoulder to support his weight; his leg was in all likeliness broken, but being an imp of Hell, it would heal quickly enough.
Millie looked at him sympathetically, likely thinking something along the lines of, ‘Baby, we’re the only ones on the same side of the street as His Majesty, but do what you gotta do!’
“I must thank you most humbly for your remarkable rescue in my name, good Lady,” Moxxie exclaimed pompously, probably presuming that since you were accompanied by Lucifer you were of a much higher station than you were. “Without you, I would certainly have perished, so I find it an appropriate time to extend my gratitude.”
“He means thank you,” Millie affectionately translated.
“You’re welcome,” You smiled. Then, with a small flourish of your fingers, Moxxie leg was bandaged and he was provided with a crutch to hold onto. You were no healer, but that would help the bone set correctly.
Moxxie and Millie thanked you both again, presuming that Lucifer had been part of the rescue (and in a way he was, for when the warring Demons saw him, they took their battle elsewhere), then they were gone, one limping down the street on his new crutch, and his wife offering to carry him.
“You’re wrong,” You said, once the pair were out of sight. “They benefitted.”
Lucifer didn’t know what to say about that. They were only imps. Why did you think they mattered? Yet, after watching the loving couple thank you for their rescue, Lucifer wasn’t certain that he trusted his assessment of the situation. Charlie wanted to redeem Sinners, you had just saved the lowest of all Hell’s beings and he…? He needed to reassess how he thought about things.
The two of you didn’t speak after that and Lucifer assumed that you were mad at him until you reached Heaven’s Embassy. Lucifer stared at the building, broken and hopeless, thinking about how he would have to fight for Charlie.
He was about to take the first step towards it when you rested your hand on his shoulder.
He stared at you, surprised.
“Good luck,” You proffered sympathetically. Then you walked away, and Lucifer was left staring after you. So, you weren’t mad at him after all. What a curious person you were.
He looked back to the building before him, the one place in Hell that was perfectly pristine, and unable to be harmed by anyone. After a deep breath, he headed inside.
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When Lucifer returned home, he was exhausted. The meeting had been lengthy and derogatory. He had been treated with barely disguised disdain and talked in circles, but finally, Heaven had agreed to allow his daughter passage to Heaven.
It was never an option really. As the ruler of a powerful realm, Lucifer had to be treated respectfully, even if all of Heaven hated him. Yet, just because they had to acquiesce to his request didn’t mean they hadn’t tried to talk him out of it. The only good news was that it had been Sera and a few of her assistants who hosted the meeting, not that ignorant prick Adam; Lucifer hated that guy… though his taste in women had always been spectacular.
Still, it had all been worth it when he got to the hotel and Charlie thanked him and invited him to stay for a while. They had caught up over tea, and he had gotten to know a little bit more about her and her relationship with Vaggie. Lucifer likely would have stayed longer seeing as he’d also been invited to games night, but then that red-headed bastard was there, grinning like a Cheshire Cat, and Lucifer had made his reasons to leave.
Now, all he wanted was to recover in peace.
On his way upstairs, he heard the long-neglected TV blaring in one of the living rooms. Feeling somewhat guilty about his unsupportive attitude towards you earlier, he decided it would probably be good for him to make amends and apologise. So, before isolating himself for the evening, he sought you out.  
You were hunched on the sofa, watching 666 News, and grimacing at the new headline, King of Hell’s New Fuckbuddy.
Lucifer stood quietly behind you, watching as Katie Killjoy reported, “While Hell will be royally fucked by the impending extermination it seems that King of Hell Lucifer is being royally fucked by his new bimbo bitch, seen walking with him today on the streets of Pentagram City.”
Security camera footage of you and Lucifer from earlier filled the screen for a minute before returning to the hosts.
“Who is this Sinner? Does Lucifer get off on Angelic clothing? We hope to find out more soon. Over to you, Tom.”
Tom Trench continued the report, much less assuredly than his co-anchor, “Nobody can say for certain they’re together. Some speculate the Demon to be his highness’ new assistant or-”
Katie clutched Tom’s neck in one hand, never looking away from the camera as she cut off his air supply, “Nobody gives a shit about your limp-dick opinion Tom. We’re all here to speculate about who’s raw-dogging who. Now, onto our cooking segment, It’s Dahm Good, with host Jeffrey who is making a delicious spleen soufflé. Jeffrey-”
“HA!” Lucifer laughed, pointing at the TV.
“Shit!” You yelped, lurching forward, having not known he’d returned home. You turned the TV off and stood to face Lucifer.
He was doubled over and wheezing at the idea that you and he would ever be together.
“Well, at least you’re not upset about this,” You grinned, finding his good mood contagious.
“What morons. They’re always just there, assuming the weirdest shit whenever I go out,” He laughed.  
“Yeah? So, it’s okay people know we’re friends?”
Lucifer straightened up with a smile. So, you classed him as a friend? He didn’t confirm or deny your assumption of friendship. He waved his hand, unbothered, “Let them think what they want to think. It’s Hell, nothing matters. Besides, 666 News is trash.”
“Yeah, you’re right. So, how did the meeting with Heaven go? Did they agree to meet with Charlie?”
Lucifer sobered up slightly, though he didn’t seem as upset as he was earlier when Heaven was mentioned, “Yes. The meeting’s in a week. Charlie is- She’s optimistic.”
“And you?”
“I- My girl can handle it.”
“Yeah, she can.”
And so it was that you and Lucifer started to find some common ground, that slowly built the gap from two people who barely knew one another, towards friends.
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tadpolesonalgae · 7 months
Text
Azriel x Third-oldest-Archeron-sibling!reader: Can’t Bring Myself To Hate You - Part 4[*]
A/N: a truly beautiful friendship is always founded in chaos (it’s funny because of who Eris is in mythology)
Also, I would like to emphasise the bickering at the end is entirely whispered—enjoy
Warnings: Just general angst, sexual undertones, unjustly jealous!Azriel, swans (don’t even get me started on how scary they are, and don’t try to tell me otherwise if you haven’t been cornered by at least one)
Word Count: 6,618
-Part 3- -Part 5-
A voice is calling your name from somewhere: somewhere foggy, and distant.
A voice that really has no business interfering with the hot, male body that’s pressing you into the wall.
Large, playfully rough hands grip your hips, using his own to keep you pinned against the brickwork, groping your ass appreciatively.
You arch up into him, mouth opening over his own, tongue stroking and flicking. Fingers rake through his hair, turning it messy as you haul him closer. The lovely press of his cock against your abdomen, the ego-boosting sign of his appetite. He groans into your mouth, bucking his hips, and you drag the soft swell of your breasts over his chest. The cool night air scrambles beneath your skirts, making them flutter and billow, urging him closer.
The voice sounds again. Clearer; closer.
It’s strange how it sounds like—
The male body is forcibly torn off you, cold flushing your front, leaving the uncomfortable dig of brick into your backside. You blink away your haze, real world events crushing back down, slamming home when your eyes lock with sharp hazel. He’s clearly pissed. It’s probably the most emotion he’s ever shown to you.
How miserable.
“Did you forget we’re have dinner tonight?” He asks gruffly, hand still resting firmly over the male’s shoulder who’s looking warily between the two of you. It dawns on you what he’s just seen you doing, the position he’s caught you in; heat swallows your body whole. The shameful, humiliated type, and you force yourself to keep his gaze. Beg yourself not to hang your head.
“I’m not going,” you manage, eyes flicking away from his. “I already told Fey, and she said it was fine, so…” His brow narrows, attention piercing into you, judging. “They’re not compulsory, anyway,” you mumble, “so really I— there’s no reason for me to be at one.”
“It’s a family dinner. There’re plenty of reasons for you to be there.” His eyes flick to the male who just had you pressed between him and a wall, “unless something more important comes up.”
There’s no obvious sign, but he’s agitated. Irritated. Maybe a foul mood.
Azriel releases the male, eyes flicking over his shoulder—a sure dismissal. When the male refuses to leave, Azriel’s shadows thicken. Definitely a foul mood. “Is there something I can help you with?” He mutters sharply, piercing attention zeroing in on the male—Bas.
His golden eyes turn on you, peering warily, “who is this? You said you were on your own.” Heat washes down your spine, gaze flicking between them, wishing for the floor to open up under your feet. “He’s—nobody. Just a—…” You fumble, unsure what to say. “Acquaintance,” Azriel finishes for you, hairs rising at the back of your neck as he stares at you. “A friend of a friend.”
Bas’ lips lift into a smirk, and you pray he’s going to keep his mouth shut for once. But he turns to Azriel, standing less than an inch shorter than the shadowsinger, “I don’t see what business you have with a friend of a friend,” he drawls, making both of you stiffen.
The dim faelights gleam in his intelligent golden eyes, bringing out the rich darkness of his skin, the outcropping of his sharp jaw, the thickness of his hair that hangs in lovely, rough locks.
Azriel’s eyes narrow, shadows coiling at his back, peeking over menacingly large wings, “and what business do you have with her? She has plans for tonight.” One of Bas’ brows quirks in subtle challenge, and you brace yourself. “Considering she sought me out, I think her plans have changed,” he says, that provocative smirk still tipping his lips.
“Bas…” you murmur, stress tensing your muscles.
Both of their attention switches to you, and your mouth seals itself shut.
Azriel shakes his head, “she’s coming with me. Don’t bother her again, Bas.” The words are final, and you can tell the conversation is over. Bas doesn’t back down, though. Always ready for a bit of rough and tumble. Practically lives off the edge. “Now I didn’t realise she was your property, Az,” he drawls challengingly, his attention then settling over you. “And you should have told me who this other person was, sweetheart.”
They know one another?
“She’s not your anything,” Azriel says, a rough sharpness to his voice. “Back off, Bas.”
The male doesn’t budge. Instead his gleaming eyes fall on you.
Oh no…
“Sweetheart?”
Heat warms your skin, gaze darting anywhere but the two males before you. You really don’t want to go to the dinner. To see all of them so soon after the mess that happened precisely one week ago… And it would be weird to show up after having said you weren’t going. What if you went and there wasn’t enough food? She has enough on her plate, she doesn’t need to worry about extra dinner guests.
You’re staying with Bas.
Hazel meets your gaze, and words stumble. “I…” I’m not going to the dinner.
“You…?” Azriel repeats, jaw tightening.
You flush, eyes lowering, heat warming your cheeks against the cool night air.
You turn to Bas, and he frowns. “Sorry,” you say gently, “I should see my sister.”
The wings at Azriel’s back loose a slight bit of their tension—still pulled taut. “Right, let’s go,” he says, cutting off any communication, “we’re already late.” You shoot Bas an apologetic look as you move to follow behind Azriel—keeping his gaze ahead. He merely shakes his head, giving you an easy smile, “find me after, okay?” A wave of gratefulness washes over you, and you push every drop of it into the thankful look you send him. Then you turn, hurrying down the uneven cobbles after the Shadowsinger.
He’s silent when you catch up, walking at his side, a pace behind. He doesn’t look at you once, continuing down the road that will lead to the River House. Fighting down the humiliation, you clear your throat. “Can you—” You nearly trip, righting yourself a second before your tipping point. Stumbling, you scoop the fabric of your long dress into your hands, raising it out of the way of your feet.
He continues walking, though slows a little as you scramble after him.
“Azriel,” you say, a little breathless. “Azriel, wait.”
He halts suddenly, making you flinch with the abrupt stop. Sharp hazel eyes press down on you, and you falter. “Yes?” He asks. Fumbling for words, your eyes flick out from under his, skipping over the shops in the darkening streets. “I—…” you begin, unsure what to say. “Can you…can you not mention any of that?” You request softly, embarrassing heat warming your cheeks.
“Who would tell?” He replies coldly.
Humiliation settles in the pit of your stomach. You lower your head a little. Nod. “I didn’t want you to think…”
“I don’t make a habit of interfering with other people’s business,” he says pointedly, watching you. Why does it feel like he’s scolding you?
Your lips press together, shoulders curving inward almost imperceptibly.
His eyes flick to your hair, and his hand raises, as if to shift a strand—tuck it away. But he stops, noting your gaze. “You need to fix your hair,” he says, a touch softer than before. “It’s obvious what you were doing.” Shame is like a deadweight in your gut, hands feeling dumb as they attempt to neaten out a mess you can’t see. His eyes narrow when you lower them, and you both know it would be easier if he was the one to right whatever’s wrong with you. He doesn’t, though.
“I’m not like Nesta,” you say softly, a little shakily.
His brow narrows slightly, “nobody said you were. There’s nothing wrong about being similar to her.” Heat warms your skin, and you stumble under the look.
“I mean, that—what you…saw—that’s not normal. It’s not a… I’m doing doing any of that…”
“Drinking and fucking?” You flinch at the crude wording, and a gleam of apology flashes in his hazel irises. He watches you quietly for a moment, and you shift under his gaze, hands moving to rest on your elbows, dress swishing close to the ground.
“You know it’s fine if you are,” he says, gently. “As long as you’re being sensible about it,” he adds, “there’s nothing wrong with doing that if it works.” Your lower lip wobbles at the implication—that he knows you’re doing this to try and get over him. How desperate you’ve become.
“But find someone other than Bas,” he says, making you furrow your brow.
“What’s wrong with Bas?” You ask. He’s been great. Azriel watches you silently again, hazel eyes piercing into you blankly. Has your lip-tint smudged?
“He’s not…” Azriel begins, as if debating how to frame what he wants to say. Make sure you’ll understand. “You shouldn’t spend your time with someone like him,” he settles on.
“‘Someone like him’?” You echo, looking back up the street to where the two of you had been. Heat crawls up your spine, and you hastily look away.
“He’s different from you,” Azriel says, bluntly.
“That’s not necessarily a bad thing,” you argue softly, peering at the cobbles. You hear him sigh, as if he doesn’t know what to do with you. “He can’t give you what you’re looking for. He’s the type to string you along until he’s bored, then never visit again. Stay away from him.”
“He hasn’t done anything bad…” you say quietly, shifting lightly from foot to foot. “He’s been…he’s been very nice.”
Azriel sighs again, and that funny feeling settles in your stomach. Disappointment tickling your insides. “That’s to draw you in. As soon as you try to bring him to a dinner, or to meet one of your sisters, he’ll bolt.”
“Why would I bring him to meet any of you?” You ask bitterly at the lack of confidence. “Do you plan to keep your partner a secret?” He counters with, tersely. “Maybe.” You reply defensively, still looking at the ground.
He’s quiet again, and you can almost feel the air shift. “Need I remind you of last week’s events,” he asks, quietly. “You’re not known for keeping your mouth shut.” You bite your lip to keep it from trembling, nails digging into your elbows. “And I thought you didn’t make a habit of interfering with other people’s relationships,” you murmur.
“I know they’ll make good decisions,” he counters. “You don’t have enough experience. To know what you’re doing.”
“Stop treating me like a child,” you whisper, head dipping. “I know what I’m—” you cut yourself off as a sob tries to work its way from your throat. Take a deep breath. Swallow. “I know what I’m doing,” you manage quietly.
“You’re going to get yourself hurt,” he argues. “You don’t want to damage yourself like that.”
Your body stiffens at the words, then a breath eases from your chest. You nod. “Okay.” You begin walking again, one foot in front of the other. He sighs again. “I didn’t mean it like that.” You keep walking.
“I’m trying to help you,” he says flatly, falling into pace.
“Okay.”
“So you’ll stay away from him?” Azriel asks, eyes falling on your smaller frame.
“Okay.”
His brow narrows on you, watching intently. Then, “look at me.”
Look at me.
The feeling of his fingers inside of you, close enough to share breaths, yet you were the only vulnerable one. Not an ounce of intimacy to be exchanged. You keep walking toward the River House.
Azriel doesn’t say another word.
————
In the end, you’re somewhat glad you went to the dinner.
If you hadn’t, you would be back here, in the mortal lands.
Well, with no wall, you’re not sure what to call your previous homeland. But you’re here, nonetheless, and all thanks to Elain. She’d wished to see Lucien, who had near permanent residence in the mostly intact house, and had invited you along with her. Whether she knew you needed some time away, or simply offered, you don’t know.
You’d arrived most likely around an hour ago, Fey and Cassian departing soon after, leaving you and Elain to spend the day as you pleased. You’d opted to take a stroll around the gardens, walking alongside the river that was just beginning to refill after an apparently hot and dry summer.
That was your first encounter with Eris.
You nearly jump out of your skin when he winnows to the river bank mere feet to your left, stumbling backward a few steps in surprise. Cutting caramel eyes pierce into you with razor-sharp scrutiny, noting your pointed ears. His brow narrows as he takes you in; he doesn’t look pleased with what he finds.
Blinking, you mark the blazing colour of his hair, the beautifully tailored finery, the flicker of flame in his eyes—remarkably similar to Lucien. “What…who are you?” You manage, calming your heartbeat. It’s a nonsense question, you realise—it’s obvious who he is. Anyone could figure it out through simple deduction. So you shake your head, “why are you here?”
Eris’ eyes narrow on you, then he’s striding forward, moving up the river bank until he’s come to stop before you. You take a single step back—if you have to crane your neck to look at someone, you’re too close. He’s remarkably imposing with his height and muscle, despite the inherent beauty of the fae.
“Who are you?” The words are short and efficient in a sharp, brazen way, and you find yourself wondering if you should have just continued on your way. “I’m—” you open your mouth to give your name, then realise it would be rude to assume he knew who you were. There’s no reason for him to. “Feyre’s my younger sister,” you supply instead.
His brow narrows. “I didn’t know there were four of you.”
Heat flushes your skin, and you look away. It’s not an insult, yet you feel embarrassed.
“So, why are you here?” You repeat, a little quieter, trying to change the subject.
“I’m expected,” he replies shortly, turning to face the way you had come. “Why have you been kept a secret?” He asks. You mentally scramble for an excuse to continue on your walk. You don’t want to go back yet, and he’ll probably expect you to winnow, and you aren’t really in a talking mood at the moment. No excuse comes to mind.
“I haven’t been kept a secret,” you respond finally, falling into step a little behind him. “Not intentionally, anyway,” you add as an afterthought, frowning. He's walking fast, and you’d like more time to take in the scenery. At least he’s not winnowing.
“You haven’t been present at any meetings,” he counters, “I find it hard to believe that’s a coincidence.”
Your frown deepens, “why would I be at any of them? Elain hasn’t been to any, either. The only time you would have seen her is in the Hewn City.”
“Which you were kept away from, too.”
You come to a stop, watching him. His brow narrows as he’s forced to slow his pace, looking vaguely irritated. “I was there when you danced with Nesta,” you correct, “all of us were.”
Eris stares at you blankly and it’s an effort not to squirm. “I was there,” you insist, “behind Elain?”
He doesn’t remember you.
Well.
“So you’re good at remaining unseen,” he says, turning to set you into motion again. You hurry after him, a little taken aback at the compliment. It’s a nice way to think about it, a faint smile tipping your lips, “thank you.”
“It was a question.”
“Oh…” you say, smile vanishing. It hadn’t sounded like one. “I guess… I prefer it…”
“You and the Shadowsinger must get along swimmingly,” he mutters, continuing along the path, neatly avoiding muddied parts. Something you fail spectacularly at.
The comment registers in your mind and you stiffen, muscles contracting as you force yourself to continue moving. “Not particularly…” you hedge, uncertain what’s appropriate to tell him. You aren’t familiar with Court politics. “No more than anyone else, anyway,” you correct, soothing out the slight rumple.
“No? Not settling in well?” He asks. You could swear there’s some sort of mocking undertone to the question, but you can’t figure out what the taunt is for.
“I…I guess not?” You answer, slowly. “It’s not bad,” you add hastily, not wanting to talk negatively behind their backs. He might bring it up later. You repeat the thought in your head, then shake it, smiling faintly. He hadn’t even know you existed until a few minutes ago, yet you think he could be trying exploit you. How silly.
The result of an over-inflated ego. Maybe you really should stop fooling around with Bas—he’s giving you all sorts of ideas about the value of your person, and it probably isn’t healthy.
“I mean, it’s fine. Just…normal, I guess. Compared with the initial chaos,” you add, satisfied with the end result of your rambling. The house is in sight now. All you need to do is pass between the river and the pond, and—
You stumble.
Not literally—it’s more of a mental scramble. Because right there, where they weren’t mere minutes ago, are a pair of large, powerfully built swans.
Eris continues walking like the two beasts aren’t eyeing you up with those sharp, beady eyes. You can practically see the light catching on the small teeth hidden beneath the beak. Glittering with menace.
“Let’s go this way,” you say abruptly, pointing to the path that winds around the pond. He comes to stop, clearly irritated by the unnecessary hinderances you’re causing. “This way is perfectly usable. We go this way,” he turns, continuing forward, fear rising in y our throat.
You scramble forward, clutching the skirts of your dress, “Eris!”
His caramel eyes slice into you, piercing in their intensity, but you don’t buckle. “I understand that maybe they don’t seem as vicious as the creatures of Prythian,” you murmur, as if they can hear you, “but swans are still very dangerous. We should go around.” Again you point to the pathway, ears perked up for any signs the massive birds are approaching. “And I get that you have magic, but you can’t just go around butchering local animals if they get in your way. That’s not how things are done here.”
He stares at you, as if asking if you’re serious. You hold his gaze because yes, you’re completely serious.
“You know they won’t attack you,” he counters, “and you’re correct, they aren’t dangerous compared to the beasts in Prythian. So move aside.”
You shake your head, “they could break your arm,” you insist, refusing to budge. His brow narrows in a scathing scowl, “they could break a human’s arm. I am not human.” He walks around you.
“They’re still dangerous, Eris. We should really go around,” you urge, watching as he walks along the path, remaining rooted to the spot. “Just winnow,” he snaps, then looks over his shoulder. “Unless you aren’t strong enough.”
“I can winnow fine, but…” Even that’s too close to them. You firmly believe animals have a sixth sense humans do not—you wouldn’t put it past them to know they’ve been cheated. “Please, let’s just go around.”
He watches you with narrowed eyes, weighing; judging. You freeze beneath his gaze, refusing to even breathe in case it’s the wrong thing to do. He turns fully to you then, and you think he might listen to you. Relief washes over you, but—
“You’re scared of these creature?” He asks, amusement underlying his tone. You flush. “Like I said, they’re dangerous,” you defend, lowering your gaze a little.
“You know, you’re fae. They won’t attack you.”
Your eyes flick up, doubting. “Why would they act any differently?”
“We are creatures of magic. Greater than they are. They know it would be unwise to attempt anything.” You blink, having not thought of it like that. The fae had felt different when you were human, more intense, more concentrated in a way humans weren’t. You hadn’t considered maybe other animals would understand that primal difference, too.
Eris’ lips twitch, and he holds out his arm—you’re completely certain it’s a mocking gesture this time. But also a challenge.
It’s also a prompt to face your fears. It’s been long enough.
You can do this.
You can prove to yourself there’s no need to be afraid of them any longer.
You take some small steps forward. Then a few more. And a few more after that. And then your arm is overlapping with Eris’, feeling the hot strength of muscle cording his forearm. An odd feeling of security settles over you, as the two of you begin to move forward.
You’re unable to help tensing as you pass them, even if Eris is on the side closest to them. Then to your dismay, he stops. “You can pet them, if you want,” he says, lips still quirked in the corners. He’s enjoying watching you shake and tremble at something half your size. “Are you insane?” You mutter under your breath, staring at the white beasts that seem to be waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Eyes widen and you stare at him, “I’m so sorry—I didn’t mean that.”
He watches you steadily, eyes gleaming as he turns toward the swans, forcibly dragging you with him, despite your protests. “Eris…” you mutter, digging your feet into the mud, but you nearly slip. “Eris, seriously, stop it.”
He stops; you sigh in relief, but the tension doesn’t leave your body—still much too close to the great birds.
“Go up to one,” he says, a smirk on his rosey lips. “Touch one, then you can go.” He’s enjoying this far too much for your liking.
“No way,” you hiss, trying to pull out of his hold. The swans shift at the jerky movement, and you still. You stare at him, but he doesn’t seem inclined to move. “They’ll definitely do something if I try to go up to one!” You argue, as softly as possible. He just hums, and you wish you had continued walking instead of addressing him. Then you could be looking for blackberries, enjoying the natural sounds of the outside.
But here you are.
“You’re fae,” he reminds, eyes gleaming as he watches you intently.
Muscles tremble, thoughts flash in and out of existence within your mind as you look at the swans, sat neatly on the river bank, just at the water’s edge. A few long steps there, then back, and it’ll be over.
He’s right—you’re fae. They won’t attack you.
Still.
His arm unlinks from your own, hand pressing gently against the base of your spine. Egging you on.
You exhale a heavy breath, then move forward. Silently cursing him—unkind as it is. One step at a time as you descend the bank. The wind seems to have picked up, and you’re grateful for your preternatural sense of balance as you move down the muddy slant, feet settling on the pebble-filled shore.
Just three more steps, and you can turn back.
Two more.
One more, and then you’ll be in reaching distance.
The beady eyes pierce into you, wings stiffening, and you force yourself to breathe deeply.
“Just tap one on the head, and it’ll be over,” he reminds from your back, a little too loudly for your liking. Like he’s trying to get them to startle.
You steady yourself, blocking him out.
Come on, you can do this. You’re twice it’s size, and have immortality on your side. You can do this.
Slowly, shakily, you take the last step forward, reaching out your hand.
Black eyes meet your own, and you falter.
The swan shrieks, the second one hissing viciously, wings flaring to strike. You jump away, feet landing on the slippery rocks of the river. The massive birds surge forward, beak opening to snap at you, and you stumble, yelping as you fall backward. Icy water soaks up to your waist, and the breath whooshes out of you, your arms covering your face as wings flap.
When you open your eyes, the swans have taken off, and you’re up to your ribs in freezing river water. Trembling and shaking, you ease yourself out, soaked from the waist down, clothes wet and icy against your skin as you shiver.
Up on the bank, Eris is grinning, eyes gleaming with mirth as he watches your soaked state shuffle from the river, barely keeping his laughter to himself.
“You said—” Your heart is still pounding, vision blurring a little as you fumble for words. “You said they— That they wouldn’t…” Your teeth are already chattering, and you have to get warm quickly. You know how deadly the cold can be. Even with a reinforced body, the cold is as vicious as you remember, softly sinking into your arms, numbing your lips.
“Every animal has a fight or flight response,” he replies, voice lilting with amusement at your terror. “It was foolish of you to think you were above that.”
“But you said—”
“If I told you to dip beneath the river for five minutes without coming up for air because fae lungs are larger, would you do it?” He counters.
“…I wouldn’t disbelieve you,” you stammer, lips numb from the cold, lumbering back toward the bank.
The water in your shoes makes it hard to climb the muddy slope, and you end up having to use your hands to keep yourself steady, gritty dirt sliding beneath your nails. “Why did you lie?” You manage, heart pounding from fear, blinking away tears. His lips are still quirked into a rueful smile, enjoying your terror.
Hateful, hateful, hateful male.
“Don’t blame your idiocy on me,” he says smoothly, offering you a viper’s smile as he turns to continue along the path, leaving you freezing and shivering, soaked in river water. “Anyone with half a brain would have been able to see through that,” he calls over his shoulder. Tears spill down your cheeks, and for once, you don’t think, or fret over the consequences.
You winnow, and land a smack square across his cheek. As hard as you can.
He blinks, startled.
Then flame ignites in his eyes, glittering ire blazing hot as a forge.
“Don’t you ever,” you snarl, “do something like that again.” Fury heats your body, and you feel like a physical warmth is wrapping around you, fingertips tingling as if glowing, skin itching just below the surface. “Do you hear me, Eris?” You repeat, rage sharpening your words as your lip pulls back from your teeth.
The flame banks in his caramel eyes, and he yields a step. It’s satisfying, until you realise why.
You are glowing. But it’s not the bright, warm golden of Feyre’s happiness.
It’s green, and vivid.
Hands the colour of radiant starfall.
————
The Mother seems to enjoy putting you through various trials.
You come to this conclusion as you resist the urge to press deeper into the firm heat of Azriel’s chest as he carries you through the air.
For reasons you can only guess at, Cassian was otherwise preoccupied, leaving the Shadowsinger to fill in. Now Elain understands your relationship with the male, Feyre can guess at the complexities, and Azriel is part of the mess, so it should be obvious you’ll fly with your younger sister, right?
Unfortunately, Lucien had to be accounted for.
He’s well aware of the history between the Spymaster and his mate, and while he would never ask Elain to avoid him, she can guess well enough it would make him unhappy. That’s how you end up in his arms, split between wishing to be anywhere else, and wishing to be able to bask in his touch without anyone questioning how close you would lean. As it is, you’re stuck between keeping your distance, and not leaning so far it looks like you’re attempting to plummet to the ground far below.
The group is moving in silence, passing over the final stretch, and you can make out the twinkle of lights in the distance—Velaris. They’d gotten caught up in—what sounded like—a rather heated conversation with the Autumn Court heir, while you had opted to wait outside. The hallway had seemed too cramped, and you weren’t sure if you could manage being pressed so close to him without making your discomfort obvious.
Azriel breaks the silence. “Was everything okay with Eris suddenly turning up?”
The question startles you from your inner thoughts, and you replay it to catch the beginning. “Yeah,” you reply, trying to keep your eyes off him. “He’s just a bit…” You fumble for words, but he’s already nodding, knowing what you’re getting at. “He’s a little intense,” you settle on, “but everything was fine. For the most part, anyway.” You’re rambling.
“For the most part,” he echoes, a soft question in his voice.
“Well, I ended up falling into the river, but you know how it is…” you mumble, suddenly finding the sky very interesting. More interesting than Azriel.
(Liar.)
“I don’t think I do,” he replies. “What does soaking yourself to the bone have to do with him?” He asks, grip tightening ever so slightly as you begin the descent. You really don’t want to tell him—it’s not going to win you any adult points. At best it’ll just show how emotional your are, and that means baggage.
“It’s a long story,” you hedge, trying not to cling too tight to him as your stomach lifts in your belly. “We’ve got a while left,” he replies, gazing ahead. He could definitely be going at a steeper angle.
You sigh softly, trying to figure out how to make it as quick and concise as possible. “Well…he kind of…appeared out of nowhere, and we ended walking back together.” Azriel’s fingers press into your skin lightly, slowly spiralling in wide circles, “and there was a river involved.”
You nod gently, “yeah.”
“How?”
Teeth worry your lower lip, mouth pursing.
He exhales quietly. “We’re in an alliance, but that doesn’t mean you should trust him. I need to know everything that happened so precautions can be made,” he explains firmly.
“Okay…”
“So tell me what happened when you were walking alone with him,” he prompts.
“There’s not much to say…” you try, but he gives you a look that tells you to quit lying. “I don’t know…we were walking past the river, and there were some swans, and he convinced me to touch one, and…well, I slipped and fell in.” You leave out the glowing hands part. If you mention it, you know they’ll pounce. You don’t want to go through what Nesta did. The things she had to endure just to activate her powers…
Granted, there’s no looming threat of the queen anymore, but still. You’d rather not.
“He convinced you,” Azriel mutters under his breath, “and how did he do that?” You flush with heat, and pray he can’t tell. “I didn’t want to walk past them, and he…encouraged me to tackle my fear.”
“Stop forcing a good narrative on that prick,” he says sharply. “He didn’t encourage you, he manipulated you.”
“Maybe,” you murmur, “but I’m a little less afraid of swans now.”
Azriel sucks in a steadying breath. “And what did you talk about?”
You cast your mind back to the conversation. “He said he hadn’t known there were four sisters,” you admit, quietly, “he thought there were only three, and that Rhys was hiding me, for some reason.” He hums, and your hairs stand on end, able to feel the resonance thrumming through you. You hurriedly shift your mind elsewhere before your scent changes. “What else?”
You put your teeth into the inside of your lower lip, “I…” said we weren’t on the best of terms. “He asked…how…I was settling in,” you manage to string the words together, selecting each one with great care. “And?” He prompts. Oh dear.
“I said it was fine,” you reply, purposely vaguely. His eyes flick to you, and your own snap away in response. “Just fine?” He questions, softly. You make to nod, but he mutters your name under his breath, a quiet reprimand on his tongue. Heat coils in the pit of your belly, making you shift uncomfortably in his arms, leaning away.
A muscle feathers in his jaw, and he tightens his grip on you. “Stop doing that. You’ll fall.” You’re squeezed closer to him, and you squirm, the heat doubling. He mutters your name again, rougher.
“Stop doing that,” you hiss, sharply. You don’t have time to feel bad—it’s better to be rude than for him to realise the immense effect he has on you. “Stop leaning away from me,” he counters, “you’re being difficult.”
“I’m sorry my responses are an inconvenience for you,” you snap, quietly. No louder than a whisper.
“Don’t weaponise your emotions like that,” he murmurs back.
“I don’t see how I’d be able to when I don’t even know what that means,” you return, quietly. You feel his eyes press into you, and you look further away, inspecting the ground. “Don’t feign ignorance either,” he says sharply, “it’s immature.”
“Immature is making a problem out of something I can’t help,” you whisper back, snappily. His eyes narrow on you, and you shift again.
His hold tightens abruptly, fingers digging into you as he roughly readjusts his grip on your thighs and around your back. You squeak at the harsh treatment, heat bursting in your lower belly, and you squeeze your lips together, praying no sounds slip out. “It’s like you’re trying to get me to drop you,” he mutters beside your ear, “just keep still. We’re almost there.”
“Keep still?” You repeat incredulously, staring at him. “I don’t know if you’ve somehow forgotten, Azriel,” you hiss, emphasising his name. Hazel eyes flick down to you, and you gently push away the heat for a moment. “But I struggle to even think straight when you’re around. I can barely keep my head as it is, so forgive me if I’m a little shifty in a position like this,” you snap quietly. Probably the most aggressive you’ve ever been for a consistent time period.
“And I don’t know if you’ve forgotten,” he snipes back, eyes piercing into you, “but you managed to pull away on the brink of an orgasm.” Wild heat swallows you whole, and there’s no way your scent is remaining undetected now. “So you’re clearly more in control than you say you are.”
You stare at him, lips parted, skin flushed with heat.
“We are done with this conversation,” you hiss, breaking your gaze away. He doesn’t appreciate the verbal dismissal. “We’re done when I say we’re done,” he hisses in return. “Now what did you mean when you told Eris you were fine?”
You purse your lips, pointedly averting your eyes.
He mutters your name, grip tightening on you. You ignore him.
He repeats it, rougher this time, shadows twining around you.
“Cut it out,” you whisper, sharply.
“Expand on the fine comment,” he pushes, and you can physically feel the weight of his gaze upon your cheek. “Why are you so hung up on that one, tiny part?” You return, a sliver of irritation peeking through. “Because you’ve been acting strangely for a while now,” he hisses, “and if you’re starting to spiral like Nesta—”
“Do not threaten me, Azriel,” you snarl softly, skin heating—tingling. His eyes flicker, and his hold lessens on you a little, “it’s not a threat,” he soothes, “just an observation.” You narrow your brow as you watch him warily. “Like I said: you’ve been acting strange recently, and if you even gave the slightest hint that something’s off, Eris will exploit it.”
Your eyes flick away, slightly embarrassed by your tiny outburst. That wasn’t appropriate.
“So tell me, what happened when you said you were fine?” He repeats, gritting out the question.
“I…” You bite your lip, then give up. “He asked if I was settling in well, and I said I wasn’t.”
“Why did you tell him that?” He asks, gaze returning to pick out Velaris, much closer now. “Because it’s the truth,” you reply, a little weakly.
“I don’t care if it’s the truth, you shouldn’t have told him,” Azriel hisses. “He’ll give you the comfort you want, offer the reassurance, until you’re wrapped so tightly you choke on it.”
Hurt flickers in your eyes, vision blurring. “Maybe if I was better than fine I wouldn’t need the comforting,” you snap, turning your head and blinking away tears. His jaw tightens, “that’s not the point.” You stare at him. He stares back, features set in a stony line. “What is the point, then?” You ask weakly, the small spark of fight banking, beginning to flicker out beneath his oppressive gaze. “The point is,” he says, dragging out the words like he’s talking to a child. “You’re too naive.”
It’s like a smack to the face, your head reeling.
“You don’t know the dynamics between the courts. You don’t know about the feuds, or the history of Prythian. You don’t know enough to be trusted to act on your own,” he continues, oblivious to the number of scars he’s striking. “You’re a loose cannon, that I now have to compensate for.”
You stare up at him, hazel eyes glittering beneath the starlight.
“What’s worse—”
You put your hands over your ears. You can’t take anymore. If it was coming from someone else—fine. From anyone else it would be fine; understandable.
But not Azriel. That’s too much.
His brow furrows, lips moving, and you can guess he’s telling you to remove your hands.
You shake your head softly, unable to stand another word.
But his shadows contract around your wrists, tugging them away, and you hate the heat the bubbles in your lower belly at the roughness.
“You need to grow up,” he mutters, lowly. “You can’t just run away from something if you don’t want to hear it. You’re going to have to face it.”
A sob breaks from your chest, and your hands cover your face as the tears finally break, spilling down your cheeks. “Just leave me alone,” you cry, shoulders shaking as the tears continue streaming. “You find me irritating? fine. You find me annoying? Fine. You think I’m the worst, ugliest, most useless female in the world, fine,” you sob, unable to look at him. “But keep it to yourself, because every single word from your mouth holds more weight that you can probably even understand. And it is crushing me.”
You tremble in his arms, wishing they were there to offer comfort instead of being purely obligatory.
“You think Eris is the viper? You think he’s the one who’s bad for me? The one who’s trying to choke me?” You ask through your tears. “But you’re the one succeeding.”
Azriel’s eyes harden, and you feel the fractures growing larger. “I’m trying to keep you in line,” he replies, coldly. “For the sake of my Court, my High Lord and Lady, I am doing my best to keep people safe,” he emphasises. “And you are a proving to be a burden.”
You don’t know if he intentionally selected that word, burden.
You don’t know if he even realises which wound he’s targeted—so many have been picked open.
But you go quiet in his arms.
Docile.
The fight finally winking out.
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joseph joestar is so. he’s crashed four planes. became a real estate agent. he’s an objectively awful person. just a horrible, horrible man. got married at 18. cheated on his wife. faked senility when confronted with his bastard son and affair. loves his grandma. collects comic books. his first ever appearance is him beating up two cops. fought an immortal god inside an active volcano. he’s had to watch himself and his entire family before and after him lose their lives and childhoods to the joestar curse. likes weird al. he thought it would be funny to pretend be the man who had tormented his entire bloodline and killed any friend they’ve ever had. just as a little prank. tactical genius who can’t do simple math. died once but he was resurrected so it’s fine. his solution to killing a vampire was use tommy gun. and when that doesn’t work, use grenades
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zepskies · 7 months
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Smoke Eater - Part 4
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Pairing: Firefighter!Dean Winchester x F. Reader 
Summary: Dean Winchester is the cocky, but well-respected Lieutenant at Firehouse 25. He leads by example, but he’s also known to break a few hearts. He’s starting to crave something he’s never had, though. Something stable. Something real. 
That’s when he meets you, on a truly terrible day, trapped in a rickety old elevator.   
🔥 Series Masterlist
Song Inspo: “Take It to the Limit” by The Eagles
Word Count: 6,000 Tags/Warnings: Major fluff alert. Some angst(ish). First date part 2…and a second date?
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Part 4: Rocky Road
You enjoyed dinner more than you expected to. Dean was funny, and charming, and deeper than you might’ve expected at first glance.
He also didn’t let you even think of paying any part of the bill. In his view, he’d asked you out, so your purse was staying the hell away from the little black booklet.
The only problem was, the freely flowing conversation you and Dean had all through dinner kind of stalled after you left the restaurant. He’d chosen a spot in downtown, so the two of you walked leisurely down the sidewalk, under rows of soft overhead string lights and a gentle chill on the evening air. 
Dean had his hands in his pockets, and even that casual gait caught your eye. He looked good tonight in his black slacks and jacket. The dark blue buttoned-down worked for him too, just as well as the red plaid and jeans worked for him last night. Just like his gray lieutenant’s polo and navy pants worked for him.
In fact, you didn’t think there was anything that wouldn’t work for him.
“So, what’s next?” you asked. Dean glanced over at your question, looking a bit uncertain.
“Well, I’m gonna be honest. This is as far as I thought things through,” he said. “What do you want to do?”
You hummed and touched your chin. You paused and considered your surroundings. There were little shops, clubs, and restaurants on either side of the street. But then you spotted something nearby: a cart with a pink overhead. You smiled.
“You up for dessert?” you asked, pointing to the ice cream stand.
Dean shot you a slightly disbelieving look.
“Yeah? Ice cream after that fancy shmancy meal?”
You shrugged. “Why not? Come on.”
You looped your arm through his and tugged him along with you. He smiled at your enthusiasm and let you do it.
He later watched you try no less than five flavors of ice cream before you settled on the first one you tried—chocolate chip cookie dough. Which you ordered on a cone, with brownie pieces on top.
“The only way to do business,” you told him sagely. Dean grinned and held a hand to his chest.
“A woman after my own heart,” he said. “Here I thought you were gonna make fun of me for getting rocky road.”
“Why would I? I don’t discriminate when it comes to dessert…and only fun people get rocky road,” you countered.
“Tell that to my brother,” Dean scoffed. “He gets plain-ass chocolate chip. Every time.”
“Oh, you have a brother?” you noted with interest. “Any other siblings?”
“Nope,” he said, and accepted his cone from Steve, the guy operating the kiosk. “Just my giant little brother.”
“Giant?”
“…You’ll understand when you meet him.”
“When, not if. That’s encouraging,” you said with a smile. Dean shot you an amused grin back.
You held your cone with one hand while you rifled through your purse for your wallet with the other, but by the time you looked up, Dean was already handing over his credit card. Your brows furrowed.
“Dean—”
“This is all still part of the date,” he rationalized. His green eyes fairly danced with amusement, which you begrudgingly accepted with a sigh.
You then looked at your cone from all angles, trying to spy the best spot to start. You decided to go at it from the side. Though you tried to be graceful about it, you realized you hadn’t totally succeeded when a brownie piece almost fell off. You yelped and managed to catch it before it fell on your dress.
“Smooth,” Dean remarked. You shrugged and hummed happily while you took another bite.
“I told you. I don’t play when it comes to dessert,” you told him.
“Clearly,” he teased.
You briefly looked up at him through your lashes, making him smile. You really did have a pretty pair of eyes. And when your tongue came out a little to lick your lips, he was drawn to that as well.
And an even prettier mouth, he thought. Damn.
He raised a thumb to wipe away a bit of ice cream left behind on your lower lip. You blinked up at him, your eyes a bit wider, and he saw the bout of shyness in your resulting smile.
You shivered then with a bit of cold, whether from the ice cream or the chill on the air.
Dean’s mouth quirked, and he gave you his cone. “Hold this for a sec.”
You did so for him, but you watched him curiously as he shrugged out of his jacket. He wrapped it around your shoulders, like this was some kind of Hallmark moment.
Heh. Can’t believe Meg had it right, he thought, as he caught your blush.
“Thanks,” you said softly.
“Can’t let you catch cold in this little dress,” Dean reasoned. He tugged you in closer by the ends of his jacket.
Once again, his gaze was drawn to your face, your eyes, and finally your lips. You still held both ice cream cones between you two, but he could be careful enough to sample something else.
He started to lean in…
“Hey, man!” said Steve. “Don’t forget your wallet.”
Hesitating, Dean’s lips pursed as he turned his head to look back. Sure enough, he’d left his wallet on the counter. Letting out a subtle sigh, he glanced down and found you biting your lip in amusement.
He released you to go back and pluck his wallet out of Steve’s hand. The kid looked college age, and chilled out of his mind, like he didn’t realize he’d just interrupted another dude’s flow.
“Thank you,” said Dean, a bit pointedly.
Steve gave him a bored smile.
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While you continued walking and finishing off your ice cream, you went with the flow of people coming and going; couples, families, people walking their dogs and with their children for an evening stroll.
You learned that Dean’s brother was a few years younger than him. The two shared an apartment, though Sam had a girlfriend, Eileen.
She worked at a specialty school, specifically with hearing impaired children, as she herself was deaf. Sam had learned a bit of ASL in school and worked on becoming fluent after they met. He was an assistant prosecutor working in the district attorney’s office.
“Wow. They sound like a power couple,” you remarked.
Dean inclined his head. “Yeah, they’re the smartest people I know, to be honest. They’ve been going strong for a few years now.” 
And he learned that you were an only child, raised by your grandparents, and still living in your childhood home with your grandfather.
You admitted to him that after your grandmother passed away a few years ago, you just never found it within yourself to move out and leave George alone. He still needed you…and you probably needed him too, in some ways.
“Nothing wrong with that,” Dean said. "Taking care of your people is number one."
You gave him an appreciative look. He wanted to ask where your parents were in this situation, but he didn’t want to pry if you weren’t up for sharing. It felt like something even more personal.
You then stopped in front of a beautiful French bakery. It was closed, but you could still smell freshly baked bread and sweetness through the glass doors. You leaned against them while you peered inside.
“Ooh, I’ll need to come back here,” you said, before you remembered that you did in fact have company. Dean sidled up next to you and crossed his arms in amusement.
“You want a piece of cake or something?” he teased. “I’ll get my crowbar from the car.”
You grinned. “Not the jaws of life?”
“That’d be a bit extreme for a glass door, don’t you think?” He raised a brow at you.
“Don’t underestimate the lengths I’ll go to for quality cake,” you quipped back.
“All right,” he chuckled. “I like a girl who knows what she wants.”
You’d lost count of how many times you’d blushed tonight, but it had to be a record. You turned to him, but unconsciously kept a hand on the glass door.
“When I was in culinary school, I dreamed of opening up a bakery just like this,” you said. There was the gleam of memory and nostalgia in your eyes, and Dean found himself getting swept up in it.
“What happened to the dream?” he asked.
You sighed, letting your hand fall away from the glass. You hesitated to confide in him, to reveal this much of yourself. But there was something about this man that…well, that made you trust him. Even with this part. You tugged his jacket closer to your body.
“My grandma died about a month before I graduated,” you said. “She and my grandpa raised me…after my mom left.”
Dean’s gaze gentled, while his brows drew together. That just about answered his question about your parents.
“How old were you when she left?” he asked.
“Officially? Six years old,” you replied, sighing heavily. “She didn’t want responsibilities.” 
He acknowledged this with a slow nod. He got the feeling your dad was never in the picture.
“Have you talked to her since?”
“No,” you said. “I lived with my grandparents from the beginning. She’d breeze in and out of town, from what little I remember. But one day, Gram finally asked her: When are you going to realize that you’re a mother?” 
You glanced away for a moment. “Well, after that…I never saw her again.”
You took in a deeper breath to steady yourself. You didn’t often talk about this, let alone with someone you’d just met. Yet again, you felt safe enough with Dean.
“But after Gram passed, my grandfather was already retired,” you continued. “I needed a job, not a pipe dream.” 
Dean had been listening to you with rapt attention. This was the first time he truly frowned. The wind was brushing strays of your hair across your forehead. He reached out and tucked a few strands behind your ear.
“Not all dreams are pipe dreams,” he said.
You flickered at a smile, looking up at him.
“Fair enough,” you replied.
Your eyes roamed his face this time, falling to his lips. You found yourself tilting up your chin when his face began bowing toward yours.
You felt his warm breath on your cheek, his hands grasping your arms, your hands gently resting against his sternum. By now, your heart was tripping up, double timing. And yet, you felt at ease as your eyes closed.
Only to be startled out of your wits when a dog yapped by your feet.
Even Dean jolted. His grip on your arms tightened on reflex. Both of you turned with wide eyes at the little Pomeranian that yanked at its leash. The woman holding it pulled her dog back.
“Sorry!” she called as she passed by. And she was still wrangling with the dog as she made her way down the sidewalk.
You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me. You read the thought across Dean’s frowning face. Though you felt the same way, you still smiled.
You leaned up and kissed his cheek instead.
“Thanks for listening,” you said. “I know that was heavy for a first date. I’m sorry.”
Dean’s eyes were warm when he looked down at you. You seemed to be honest and straightforward, which wasn’t a bad thing. In fact, he liked that a lot. In his experience, it wasn’t something he encountered very often with women.
Or maybe just with the women you’ve gone after, he thought.
“Nah, don’t apologize…but I’m sorry for your loss. I really am,” he said, thumbing at your cheek.
You could see that he meant it too. “Thank you.”
You ducked your head, fighting embarrassment. Not that he'd given to reason to feel embarrassed or ashamed, but you still couldn't believe he'd cracked you open like a book, without even trying. Andréa was sure to tease the hell out of you for that one.
You glanced back up and managed to spy something past Dean's shoulder. You smiled and took his hand. 
“Oh look! There’s a bookstore open,” you said, and led him farther down the path.
Dean later followed you, once again with his hands in his pockets as you browsed through each aisle. He should’ve known you were a reader. But you were cute, he thought, as your fingers brushed across certain spines of books while you scanned their titles and covers.
You glanced over at him. “I’m sorry. This must be really boring for you right now. I’ll come back another time—”
“No, no. I’m along for the ride,” Dean said with a smirk. It earned another amused look from you.
“Well, buckle up then,” you teased. You led him down to the Mystery section—murder mysteries being your favorite, you told him. He raised a brow at that.
“What? Were you expecting romance novels with telenovela-style covers?” you asked. And you draped yourself across the bookshelf, holding the back of your hand up to your forehead, like you were about to “faint.”
Dean shook his head at you, but his eyes were dancing again.
“Nah, give me a juicy mystery,” you said, as you continued to browse. “Clues, evidence, surprise twists, villain reveals…”
“Well, I’ll say that real life Magnum P.I. ain’t all that fun,” Dean remarked. That made you raise your head from the book you were inspecting and look over at him.
“Hmm, that sounds like personal experience,” you said.
He hesitated, but he eventually nodded. “Yeah. My dad’s a cop. A detective, actually, in homicide. Real Law & Order, you could say.”
Your eyes grew comically wide, and Dean had to laugh.
“Now that is interesting,” you said. “How long has he been a cop?”
“Heh. My whole life,” Dean replied. There was something behind his eyes that you didn’t miss.
“Hmm, something tells me being a cop's kid isn't all it’s cracked up to be,” you said. "Bet you couldn't get away with anything, huh?"
He smirked. "Not a damn thing. I coulda sworn my dad had cameras planted all over the house."
But no, his dad was just that good at reading him and Sam. Granted, it wasn't often that they tried to pull one over on the old man, but their teenage years had been...interesting.
You laughed lightly while you continued to browse.
“Your dad was tough growing up?” you asked. Dean considered you, and your question with a tilt of his head.
“My dad’s a good guy,” he said. “The best at his job. And he’s the toughest son of a bitch I know.”
You knew then that there was a story there, or maybe several, but you didn’t want to push it. Dean seemed to be at the edge of what he was willing to get into on the subject.
So you just nodded and chose a couple of books, which you insisted on paying for yourself. Unlike a meal or dessert, he hadn’t participated in this part, you reasoned.
“That’s not how that works,” Dean said, but he begrudgingly let you pay for your own books. You carried the bag out of the store with a satisfied smile on your face.
Dean shook his head with a smile of his own. Though he did take your free hand in his on the way back to the car.
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Dean meant to take you back to your house…but maybe you weren’t quite ready for the night to end just yet. He was driving his sleek tank of a car down the main road when you got an idea. 
“Oh, we’re going to drive over the river,” you remembered. “There’s this little spot right before it where you can pull over and park, see the skyline… Have you seen it?”
Dean glanced over at you with a gleam in his eye. “I have. It’s definitely a sight to see.”
“I haven’t seen it in a while,” you said.
A smile curved his lips. “Well, that’s a damn shame. Let’s fix that.”
The Impala soon pulled into a clearing off the side of the road, just before the Kansas River. True to your memory, there was a beautiful view of the city skyline. The half-moon above sprinkled light across the water. The waves were otherwise black and choppy.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen it at night,” Dean said. You turned to him and smiled.
“Thanks for tonight. I had a really good time,” you said.
He raised his brows at you. “We’re not done yet. You’re the one who wanted to sightsee.”
You chuckled and nodded in agreement. You were feeling a bit warm with the heating vents on you, so you unclipped your seatbelt and shrugged off Dean’s coat. You folded it up nicely and draped it across your lap.
You didn’t notice it, but Dean’s gaze drifted over to you when you bared your shoulders again, revealing smooth skin and the tantalizing neckline of your dress. Even in the dim lighting, the vibrant green caught his eye. 
But it wasn’t until the car stopped rumbling so much that you noticed the radio playing hard rock in the background. It sounded like a lot of screaming and guitars to you.
“What the hell are we listening to?” you said.
“Hmm, not an Van Halen fan?” Dean replied, giving you a chiding eye. “Aw, I don’t know if I can trust you if you can’t appreciate Sammy Hagar.”
“Oh no,” you said with a laugh. “He likes mullet rock.”
“Yes, he does,” Dean grinned. “The bigger, crazier hair the better.”
You rolled your eyes. “All right, Hendrix. Mind if we change the station?”
You hand reached for the radio knob, but Dean’s hand batted yours away.
“Ey, ey!” he said, though a smile raised the corners of his lips. “Driver picks the music.”
 You full on laughed then.
“Okay, but can we please listen to something less grating?” you asked.
Dean snorted. “All right, your highness. Let me see what I’ve got…”
You watched him curiously as he reached over on his side and pulled out a few ancient relics.
“Oh my God. You still listen to cassettes?” you asked in disbelief. Dean shot you another grin as he sorted through a handful of them. He considered you for a moment, debating his decision.
He chose a cassette and popped it in. Soon, the rhythmic melody of a guitar filtered through the speakers. You tilted your head.
“The Eagles?” you guessed. The song was familiar…
“All alone at the end of the evening, and the bright lights have faded to blue,” crooned from the speakers. “I was thinking 'bout a woman who might have loved me. I never knew…”
“Wow, all right,” Dean said, grinning. “Guess I haven’t lost you to the Bieber pop masses just yet.”
You gave him an amused look.
“My grandfather is an Eagles fan,” you smirked back. Though you patted the Impala’s dashboard. “But I guess I shouldn’t be surprised you’ve got an old soul.”
“I prefer the term ‘vintage,’” Dean quipped. He noted the way you seemed to be admiring his car. “My dad played this stuff all the time when Sam and I were kids…I guess the car’s another thing he passed down to me.”
You looked over at him then. “Yeah? He give it to you as a graduation gift or something?”
He inclined his head, brushing a hand through his hair.
“Sort of,” he said. You smiled then, shifting towards him in your seat.
“Ooh, that sounds like a story.”
He acknowledged that with a nod, though he hesitated. “You really wanna hear it?”
You rested an elbow on the armrest between his chair and yours, chin in hand, staring up at him encouragingly. Your brows raised in a “go ahead” gesture.
With an amused sigh, Dean nodded.
“Believe it or not, after I graduated high school, I wasn’t sold on the whole college thing.” His lips twisted wryly. “That was more Sam’s beat. So my dad thought it’d be good if I followed in his.”
Your eyes widened. “You were going to be a police officer?”
Dean smiled. “Well, I got into the Academy.”
That was where he met Cas, all those years ago. First, they were sort of silently competing on their scores, each wanting to be the best in the class. For Dean, it was because John Winchester had been the best. To this day, he still held some of the top scores in the region.
Meanwhile, Cas had come from a strict, religious family that drove him to succeed in whatever he put his mind to. Cas hadn’t liked Dean’s casual, joking, surface-level arrogance, thinking he wasn’t taking it seriously.
Dean had thought the guy had a serious pole stuck up his ass.
“I was about halfway through, but I just…my heart wasn’t in it,” Dean said. “Cas could see it. He asked me why the hell I was working so hard if I didn’t really want this.”
“To beat me?” Cas had asked. “To level your dad’s scores? To prove you can be him? Frankly, that sounds idiotic. Not to mention, utterly pathetic.”
Dean hadn’t wanted to face it at first, but he’d known then that his archenemy was right.
“You know…up until then, I don’t think I’d ever considered what the hell it was I wanted,” he admitted. His fingers drummed on the Impala’s steering wheel.
He knew you were listening. Just listening, like you were taking in his every word. He didn’t know why, but your quiet attention made him keep trying to fill the silence.
“So I quit,” he said. “Didn’t tell my dad…but Sam was the one who put the Fire Academy paperwork on my desk. Once I worked up the nerve, I took the firefighter test on the sly.”
“Was your dad mad?” you asked.
Dean chuckled. “At first.”
It had also been the first time he felt like he’d truly impressed his father. Namely, by not doing what John expected of him. That was more Sam’s territory.
“But after I made it through the Fire Academy, he gave me Baby,” said Dean.
He laid a fond hand on the steering wheel. It hadn't been the first time John said he was proud of Dean, but that day was still a good one, etched into Dean's memories. Sometimes it blocked out the darker ones.
“Baby?” you asked in bemusement. 
He blinked, looking over at you with a quirk of his lips.
“Uh, yeah,” he said, and swiped a hand over his mouth.
That, and the way his gaze dropped a bit, you thought he seemed a bit embarrassed. Not by his old-ass taste in music, but by the fact that he’d named his car.
What a giant dork, you thought, as your smile grew.
Leveraging a hand on the armrest, you leaned over and kissed his cheek for the second time tonight. This time you lingered a moment, leaving the mark of your lipstick behind. 
“It’s a good name,” you said.
Dean smiled back at you. Right about then, that was about the best thing you could’ve said.
He raised a hand to your cheek, brushing the back of his hand along your jaw. He settled on gently taking your chin between his fingers, before he leaned in and finally kissed you.
It started out slow as his lips moved against yours with purpose. Your eyes closed at the feel of him. Each new touch drew you in further, making your head swim with warmth, and your heart begin to race.
You unconsciously reached out and grasped the collar of his shirt. His hand moved to cradle your cheek and guide your head to the side, so he could deepen the kiss. His teeth grazed your bottom lip, and his tongue soon swept across to sooth it. You couldn't help the small, pleasant shudder that ran through you.   
You weren’t sure who stopped first, but when your eyes eventually opened again, it was to those talented lips curving into a smile. 
“Not gonna lie, I’ve been trying to do that all night,” he said, chuckling a bit.
You couldn’t help the giggle that bubbled up into your throat and managed to escape. “I know.”
You leaned against him, with your hand still curled in his shirt. Your eyes briefly lowered.
At the delightfully hair-raising feeling of his thumb brushing back and forth against your cheek, you glanced back up at him. Your smile became more flirtatious, yet still with a bit of nervous energy.
“Want to reenact the moment?” you asked.
Dean grinned and pulled you in again, flush against him this time. All while his music continued to play. You recognized another one from your grandpa’s collection. This time, you didn’t mind. 
This man might’ve been vintage in his tastes, but his touch made you feel brand new.
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“What would you say…about doing this again sometime?” Dean asked.
That is, between feverish kisses on your front porch. You’d been trying to say goodnight for a few minutes now, but every time you tried, the two of you kept getting pulled back into the feel of one another.
He held you close against him, his hands molded to the curve up your hip and pressing into your lower back. Your fingers were alternatively tangling and soothing into his hair. You clung to his shoulders as his lips and tongue continued to rob you of your breath, as well as your good sense.
You were making out with this man under the porch light like you were a teenager afraid of getting caught by your grandfather. (He was probably asleep by now anyway.)
And you couldn’t remember the last time you’d been kissed like this, touched like this. The evening chill spread goosebumps across your arms, but your insides were warm and champagne-bubbly. All the while, his lips made slow, sensuous movements against yours. 
When you caught a moment to pull away, just to take in a few needed breaths, your eyes flicked up to his.
“I’d say make an appointment,” you teased. “I’m a busy woman.”
You tapped his chin with a finger, making him smile.
“Oh, yeah? Can you pencil me in…say, tomorrow at 7:00?” he asked.
“Tomorrow.” You raised a brow. “Anxious, are we?”
His smile faltered, just a little. “Too soon?”
“…No,” you admitted. If you were honest, you wanted to see him too. “7:00 is good.”
Dean was about to reply when the porch lights flickered overhead. Your brows furrowing, you turned and spotted your grandfather in the window by the front door. You didn't like the look of his smile, hinting with mischief.
“Oh my God,” you muttered.
“Did I make you miss curfew or something?” Dean joked.
Embarrassment began to heat up your face in record time. You groaned and shook your head as you turned in his arms.
“My grandfather, ladies and gentlemen.” Your lips quirked. “And his incurable wit.”
Dean’s hands fell away from you so you could reach for the door, just as you heard it unlocking from the other side. George cracked the door open a few inches and peeked his head out.
“If you wanna put on a show, you should sell tickets,” he quipped, giving you and Dean a raised brow.
“Grandpa, really?”
He laughed and ran a hand through his hair.
“Just kiddin’,” he said. “Hey there. Heard you’re the fireman who saved the cheeky damsel in distress here. How many does that make for ya this week?”
You sighed. And you pleaded with Dean, via your eyes, to be patient here.
“Well, wouldn’t call her a damsel, but she’s certainly the prettiest one so far,” Dean told your grandfather, though he shot you a teasing wink.
You couldn't help a smile. “Yeah, he’s got a caravan of us waiting back at the station.”
Dean chuckled along with George, who then gave him a more appraising look. Dean knew when he was being silently judged. He met the older man’s gaze directly.
“Anyway, sorry for crashing in. Glad to meet you, son. I’m George,” said your grandfather. He stepped out fully to shake Dean’s hand.
Dean took it with a firm, but relaxed grip. He nodded respectfully.
“Good to meet you. I’m Dean.”
“So I’ve heard,” George said, his tone a little enigmatic. “You plannin’ on seeing her again? ‘Cause I think you might be a special one. She had me approve no less than five different outfits before she decided. And I said, ‘Hun, if he’s half a man at all he wouldn’t care if you were dressed in a woolly potato sack and nothin' else—’”
“All right, is that Wheel of Fortune on back there?” you quickly cut in. A wilder blush was taking root down to your neck. You pointed back inside, where you could hear the TV playing. “I think your show’s back on.”
George’s eyes widened like he was catching on to you, reading between your lines. He “apologized” with placating hands.
“Okay, that’s my cue. Though I’ll have you know, it’s Shark Week on the Discovery channel. Wheel of Fortune’s for old people,” he quipped.
Dean smirked. “Hell yeah. Gotta love Shark Week.”
“Right?” George gestured at him as if he’d just found a kindred spirit. “A whole damn week of sharks.”
“Great! Well, sounds like the show’s back from commercial,” you hinted. Actually, you hoped he recorded those episodes. You loved a good nature documentary that made you fear the beach for another six months.
“All right, I got it.” Grinning to himself, George gave Dean one last tip of his imaginary hat. “G’night, you two.”
“Good night,” you and Dean replied, though yours was distinctly tighter, while he was more amused. He glanced down at you after the door clicked shut.
You bit your lip, meeting his eyes. “Sorry. No matter how old I get, that’s still his way of being protective.”
“As he should,” Dean said, chuckling a little. He bucked a gentle fist under your chin. “You’re like a daughter to him, right?”
Your lingering embarrassment began to even out into a smile.
“Yeah, basically.”
“With a sharp shooter like you, I’ll bet he doesn’t have a lot of chances to look out for you,” he remarked.
You inclined your head at that.
“Maybe,” you replied. You reached out to straighten the lines of his jacket. You’d managed to wrinkle him a bit since hanging out in his car by the river earlier.
“So…you said something about 7:00 tomorrow?” you asked tentatively.  
Dean grinned. But it soon faded as reality seemed to interject. “Ah…you know what, let’s do 7:30.”
His hands found your waist, but they soon slid around to hold you securely in his arms. It made a heady feeling rush through you, down to the tips of your fingers. You soothed through the mess you made of his hair and rested your hands on his arms afterwards.
“Are you sure?” you asked. Dean thought about it for a moment.
“Let’s do 8:00, just to be safe. I get off work at 6:30,” he said. He wanted to give plenty of wiggle room, just in case something cropped up.
You agreed, even though this aspect of things had the potential to make you anxious. You knew his job was unpredictable at times, but you were a planner, organized and detail oriented. And you did not like the unknown. Hence your mildly anal tendency to make checklists.
Dean could see the wheels turning in your head though.
“Don’t worry. I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said. When he gave his word, he fully intended to keep it.
So he kissed away the reservations he saw in your eyes. 
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Despite the pure magic that had been last night, today, you had a suspicious feeling.
It was 8:30 in the evening, and Dean still wasn’t knocking at your door. He hadn’t responded to your text either.
You were ready for dinner. This time in a black dress, nice, short, and enticing, as your grandma had long ago impressed on you: every woman should have a little black dress.
At 9:00, you gave into your instincts and tried to call him. It rang for a while, but ultimately went to voicemail. You sat on the living room couch with a glass of wine in one hand, your cell in the other, and you frowned.
You still hadn’t moved the vase of tulips from the coffee table, and you noticed them again. They were starting to open up nicely. 
Grandpa George glanced over at you from his favorite chair, watching your mood begin to sour with both annoyance and worry.
“He’s probably just caught up on a call,” he said, and raised a teasing brow. “Maybe saving another girl from a crapped out elevator.”
You shot him a droll look. “Thanks. But yeah, he probably just got held up at work…not standing me up at all.”
Logically, you knew it was probably the first option, but the less secure part of yourself wondered.
George relented when he saw how pensive you looked, with a tinge of impatience.
“You must really like this guy,” he said.
You looked over at him with a soft frown, but you didn’t answer. It told your grandfather everything he needed to know. Even with the protective walls you tended to put up whenever you were anxious, he knew you better than anyone.
“It may not be what you think. Just relax,” he said. “He’ll call eventually. And when he does, let him actually talk.”
You huffed. But your lips formed a smile as you nodded in agreement. 
Whatever was holding Dean up, you just hoped he was safe.
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However, by 10:00 p.m., you were both worried and irritated. You changed out of your dress, but you kept your makeup on in one last ditch effort of hope.
You laid in bed and watched Friends reruns. Even though you knew every joke, it usually still managed to make you laugh.
Not this time, unfortunately.
But, Dean finally called around 10:30. You let it ring a few times before you answered your cell.
“Yes, Lieutenant?” you greeted flatly.
“Hi, sweetheart,” he said. His tone was already full of remorse, but you couldn’t help it. You were feeling petty.
“I don’t think you get to ‘sweetheart’ me tonight,” you said.
“Look, uh…I’m sorry I’m not there,” said Dean. “I really am. I wasn’t trying to do this to you.”
…Damn it, you actually believed him. You heard the sincerity in his voice, along with how tired he seemed to be. And that was before he even got to the explanation.
“There was a five-car pileup on the road, and someone got T-boned on either side,” he said. “It took us basically all night to clear it up and get the injured out of there. Was a big mess. I just left the station a few minutes ago.” 
Your irritation soon fizzled into shame. You should’ve known.
“That’s…a really good reason,” you said.
“Just let me shower and I’ll come right out to you.”
You sighed. “It’s okay, Dean. Let’s just try for another time. You must be tired…”
It was his turn to sigh.  
“I know it ain’t okay,” he said eventually. “I can hear you clear as day.”
Your lips quirked wryly.
“How can I complain, Dean? You were literally saving people.”
“Doesn’t change the fact that you’re all dolled up, and I’m not gonna get to see it,” he said. A bit of his usual charm and good humor crept into his voice. It made you smile.
“And I really put some effort into this smokey eye,” you quipped. You also curled a strand of styled hair around your finger absently.
“I’m gonna pretend I know what that means, but it sounds sexy as hell,” he replied.
Your smile deepened. “Okay, what about Tuesday night?”
“Hmm…sorry, that day’s no good. I’ve got a 24-hour shift Tuesday to Wednesday,” he said. “What about Thursday night?”
“Ah…I’ve got an appointment after work,” you said.
Really it was George’s doctor’s appointment, but you wanted to go with him this time to make sure the doctor was doing his best to diagnose George’s persistent cough.
He’d also been more tired lately, you’d noticed, even after a full night’s sleep. He was blaming it on old age, but you knew your grandfather. You knew when he was downplaying to avoid the doctor, or to avoid worrying you.
“Friday?” you posed.
“I’ve got another long shift,” Dean said.
Damn it. It seemed like his schedule and yours wasn’t very compatible. You were starting to get discouraged…
“Oh, wait,” Dean said, his tone perking up. “I forgot. I’ve got this Monday off, during the day…why don’t I take you out to lunch?”
“Lunch?” You considered it with a frown. “It can be hard for me to leave my desk. I have to take a lot of calls.”
Most days you worked straight through your lunch hour. But Dean’s reply was smooth.
“That’s all right,” he said. “How about I bring takeout? Office picnic.”
Slowly, you smiled.
“Okay. I’ll see you on Monday then,” you agreed.
“Yes, you will,” Dean said. His tone was firm. “You can count on it.”
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AN: Okay! How did you like part 2 of their first date? (And Dean meeting George for the first time lol.)
Hopefully round two of their second date will go better. Though Dean finally meets the infamous boss...
Next Time:
“Hey, what’s your progress on the Greenway account…oh,” said Nick, pausing where he stood.
He took note of Dean in the room and straightened his posture. His expression changed from its lazy gait, to a more tightened one. You swore you could spot a tinge of annoyance as well, like he was surprised that he hadn’t caught you alone in your office.
“I see I’m interrupting,” he said.
Holding in a sigh, you looked over at Dean and found him similarly assessing Nick.
“This is Dean. You might remember him from last week, when the elevator broke down. He’s one of the firefighters who got me out,” you said.
Your hand fell on your companion's arm. “Dean, this is—”
“Her boss,” Nick said. He seemed to lighten up and give Dean a smile, reaching over to shake the man’s hand. Dean obliged him.
“So I’ve heard,” he said.
Keep Reading: PART 5
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Dean Winchester Masterlist
Main Masterlist
Series Tag List (Part 1):
@hobby27 @kazsrm67 @letheatheodore @agothwithheavysetmakeup @jacklesbrainworms @foxyjwls007 @wincastifer @iamsapphine @simpforbuckyb
@vanillawhiskeyflavoredkisses @roseblue373 @this-is-me19 @emily-winchester @spnexploration @deans-spinster-witch @deans-baby-momma @iprobablyshipit91
@melancholictearz @nic-kolas @sleepyqueerenergy @wayward-lost-and-never-found @thewritersaddictions @just-levyy @samanddeaninatrenchcoat @deanwanddamons @antisocialcorrupt @lacilou @adoringanakin @theonlymaninthesky @teehxk @midnightmadwoman @brianochka @branj19
@agalliasi @venicesem @chriszgirl92 @lyarr24 @ladysparkles78 @solariklees @xsophianicolex @deansbbyx @candy-coated-misery0731 @curlycarley @sarahgracej @bagpussjocken @ultrahviolentart @chernayawidow @beskarfilms @mimaria420
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kenconffetti · 13 days
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His poor blood pressure😭😭😭
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Kid Vaggie 4: Unsung Lullaby
Request for angst. Why angst? Why do people want to have their feelings hurt? Why? Also, this is LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG.
Charlie: (cradling Kid Vaggie in her arms as she carries the little angel to bed) Alright, sweetie. It's bedtime.
Kid Vaggie: (shakes her head violently and clings to Charlie's jacket lapels) No!
Charlie: Vaggie, it's bedtime. You need to get your sleep so you can grow up big and strong.
Kid Vaggie: (shakes slightly) No. Something bad is gonna happen.
Charlie: (pulls back the covers and sets Vaggie down gently) Sweetheart, nothing bad is going to happen to you here. This hotel is officially the safest place in Hell. Nothing, and I mean nnnnnothing- (boops Vaggie's nose)
Kid Vaggie: (giggles slightly and curls up under the blankets to get away from the onslaught)
Charlie: -Is going to get you.
Kid Vaggie: (snuggles in and yawns) Pwomise?
Charlie: (heart pulses painfully) I promise. (kisses Vaggie's forehead and heads to the door) Good night, Vaggie.
Kid Vaggie: Goodnight, Pwincess. (blushes and hides half of her face under the covers) . .. .. I wuv you...
Charlie: (clutches her chest and pinches her legs together as her ovaries throb like ticking time-bombs) I love you too, hun. (closes the door and walks down the hall while pulling at her hair) Note to self: As SOON as Vaggie is back to her normal self, get a spell from dad to make babies.
Kid Vaggie: (nestles in and falls asleep)
*-*-*zZzzzZz*-*-*zZzzzZz*-*-*
-Screams fill the air as the smell of burning tires, smoke, and blood course through the streets of Hell. Angelic Devils with grey and black wings soar through the skies and between buildings as they spray the blood of sinners across alleys and buildings.-
Kid Vaggie: (eyes snap open at the sound of a particularly blood curdling scream, and she looks around at the chaos)
Exorcist: (rips her spear out of Angel Dust's mouth and throat)
Kid Vaggie: Angle Bust!!!
Husker: (leaps forward with a tiger's roar and his claws extended)
Exorcist: (grabs Husker and uses her spear to skin him alive before completely ripping his spine out of his back)
Kid Vaggie: Husk!!! (looks around and sees the rest of the Hotel's occupants' corpses laying on the dead grass filled front lawn of the establishment)
Alastor: (sawed in half with his antlers ripped off)
Cherri: (exploded from the hips up)
Niffty: (pieces replaced with bug parts and scuttling across the ground from an angelic steel knife lodged in her spinal chord to keep her moving)
Lucifer: (tied by the ankles at the top of the hotel, his wings billowing limply in the breeze from being completely shattered like a flag)
Kid Vaggie: (crying and is about to puke when another scream fills the air. She looks and sees the Exorcist holding Charlie up by the throat) CHARWIE!!!!
Exorcist: (looks over to Vaggie and throws Charlie in the air)
Charlie: (gets skewered on the sharp nose of Dazzle's statue)
Exorcist: (to Kid Vaggie) ......Go. Run. (turns to look at the carnage) ........*sob*
Kid Vaggie: (suddenly sees the same spear the Exorcist has in her hands and scrambles to run away. Lungs are on fire as she sprints through the streets and down an alley) NO!!! NO!!!NONONO!!!
-Feathered Wing Flapping Fills the Alley-
Kid Vaggie: (turns around and sees the Exorcist, shakily bringing her own spear up as tears stream down her cheek)
Exorcist: (stands silently before taking off her mask, revealing Vaggie's older face) What did you do?
Kid Vaggie: (suddenly wearing Exorcist clothes) I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!!! YOU DID THAT!!! (scene shifts, and suddenly she's the one staring down a cannibal child cowering against the wall)
Cannibal Child: (crying) I didn't do anyhting wrong.... Please, don't kill me...
Kid/Vaggie: (lowers spear) Go. Run.
Cannibal Child: (sprints away)
Kid Vaggie: (looks down at her fully grown self in horror and suddenly feels excruciating pain in her left eye socket) AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Exorcist/Vaggie: You were weak. (grabs Kid Vaggie's wings and rips them off)
Kid Vaggie: (screams and cries before panting in pain and staring at her older double. The older woman is split in half down the middle to share the visage of a woman with short, white hair and blood smear everywhere)
Lute/Vaggie: You don't deserve Heaven. / (crying) You don't deserve Happiness.
Kid Vaggie: (world slowly fading to black as the Exorcist turns and leaves)
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Angel: (sees Charlie walk into the bar) Woooooof! Don't you look a special kinda way. I take it that Baby Fever ain't breakin' anytime soon?
Charlie: (pouts) Is it that obvious????
Angel: Please, Toots. (waves a hand in front of his nose) I can smell the ovulation process comin' off ya.
Lucifer: (sparkles in his eyes as he digs into his inner jacket pocket) Do you need the baby potion?!
Charlie: NOT YET!!! VAGGIE IS STILL A KID!!! (pauses) .....Wait, you just keep a bottle of that on hand?
Lucifer: .........Full transparency. I've been keeping it ever since you were with what's-his-nuts in case you needed it. What was his name? Fredrick's boy.
Charlie: (covers her mouth at the thought of carrying her ex-boyfriend's child) Dad, I never intended on having kids with Seviathan.
Lucifer: THANK THE STARS TOO!!!! Boy was a little fuckwit.
AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
Charlie: (turns to the staircase and sprints up the stairs three-four at a time) VAGGIE???!?!?!
Hazbins: (all scramble out of their seats and sprint after Charlie)
Charlie: (bursts into her and Vaggie's room and sprints to the bed to hold the thrashing child tight) Vaggie, sweetie, what's wrong?!
Kid Vaggie: NO!!! NO!!! NO-NO-NO!!!! (stops thrashing as Charlie's scent fills her nose and stares up into worried eyes) Charwie?
Charlie: Yeah, sweetie, what happened? (pets Vaggie's hair, wincing at how badly the child is shaking)
Kid Vaggie: (breaks out into a new wave of tears and sobbing wails as she holds Charlie tight) Exowcists! *hic-hic* Evewyone gone! My fault!
Charlie: (holds Vaggie tighter) Shhhhhh! Shhh-shhhh-shhhh! It's okay, Vaggie. The Exorcists are gone. They're not here anymore. They can't hurt you or anyone else here. Nothing is your fault. (turns to the rest of the group motions for some help)
Hazbins: (all standing in the doorway slowly shuffle in to make a giant hug pile)
Angel: No one blames you for nothin', kid.
Husker: For a fierce little psycho, you've never hurt any of us. (massages the skin patches where Vaggie took out some clumps of fur) Not entirely.
Cherri: You're a great guardian angel for the Hotel, kiddo.
Niffty: You do such a good job helping me kill all the roaches in the basement!
Lucifer: (finishes off the hug pile by engulfing everyone in his wings) You're more angelic than any of those Exorcists, little dove. Nothing that happened is your fault.
Alastor: (watching silently from the doorway)
Charlie: (tears filling her eyes as she gently rocks Vaggie and sings a quiet lullaby)
Kid Vaggie: *sniff-sniff* (looks up at everyone around her and calms down, nestling into Charlie's chest and falling asleep) Wuv... you... guys.... ZzzzZzzZZz.....
Bonus:
Hazbins: (clutch their hearts simultaneously) Fuck....
Charlie: (still holding a sleeping Vaggie) Not so funny when it's you, is it?
Lucifer: Charlie, please tell me you want that potion as soon as she's back to normal. I need a little demon-angel grandbaby.
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dcxdpdabbles · 7 months
Note
Cave boy Danny just casually mentioning things that correspond with Bruce, like the time he stole an experimental power suit and shot a god corresponding with Bruce shooting Darkseid or the Infi-map being like the time Bruce was lost in the time stream, and the bats wondering how this kid can remain a civilian
Danny tried his best to not blink too quickly, as it may cause the stranger to shoot him. He honestly has no idea how he ended up here, but somehow, he was taken hostage alongside a bus full of people on his way to buy some chips.
He got tired of Alfred's instance to ban all junk food from the manor and had snuck out while the Wyanes had been busy going over plans for some big showdown with a guy named Scarecrow.
Danny doesn't know who that is and doesn't care to find out. The less he knows, the less likely he will have to deal with rouge. He's on vacation, dang it.
Or he was until the bus was taken over by a group of men wearing gas masks. They forced their way onto the bus when they stopped for some passengers, forcing the driver at gunpoint to drive them off course, and now they were heading to a wear house. People were crying, but Danny felt like screaming.
He just wanted spicy chips, and- maybe if he had the time- he would swing by the old junkyard to find a steering wheel for his ship! Fenton luck strikes again, it seemed.
"I wouldn't be so smug, Kane," One of the people in a gas mask shouts at him. He blinks up at the woman pointing her gun at his head but scoffs at her stance. His mother would throw a fit if Danny or Jazz ever placed their feet so off balance like that while wielding a weapon. "Once Dr.Crane is done with you-"
"I'm sorry did you just threaten me with myself?" Danny cuts her off. She pauses seemingly thrown before she sputters.
"No- not Kane, Crane."
He blinks at her. "You just said the same thing"
"C-R-A-N-E." She spells in a huff.
"Ohhhhh. Sorry, the mask makes it hard to understand you. Okay, so where were you? Dr. Crane is going to do what with me-?" Danny asks, leaning back in his seat, and waving his hand at her.
There is a moment of silence before she hits him across the face with her gun. "Don't you mock me!"
"Ow." He deadpans, rubbing at his cheek, and wonders if it was supposed to hurt. His healing had vanished the pain before her gun left his skin. "I thought we were having a conversation, but forgive me, I had no idea you had an inferiority complex and assumed everyone was mocking you. Let me guess, no one has ever told you they are proud of you, and now you are defensive of every action you take because-"
"Shut up!" His voice wobbles and Danny knows he hit the nail on the head.
"Does it keep you up at night? Does it freak you out that everyone can see your issues on your face as bright as day? I bet it does it. Bet it causes you to cry like a sad little confused kid who still can't figure out how to ask for help." He doesn't mock. He states it as fact because that is what it was. Fact. She does break down about it; he can tell by her reaction, and his tone makes it all the harder to swallow.
"I'll kill you!"
"Do it." He smiles. "Saves me from your boss. But will that keep you safe? Let's find out! How long will it be before he breaks you down? Ten, maybe fifteen minutes? And he will break you; you know he will. He's already halfway there."
"I-" She stumbles away from him. He doesn't have to see her face to know it's gone pale. Ha.
One of her crew hits her shoulder, having heard him speaking while the rest of the bus stares. "Stop letting him into your head!"
"Oh, what's your name?" Danny asks, blinking his large blue eyes at the man, watching his body language for clues. His eyes zero in on three belts and how they all match up at the buckle despite the fact that they are stacked on top of each other. Didn't Jazz once say that a belt with that much control hinted about attention to detail?
Hmm.
"Is the plan falling apart- can you not control it? The way life just moves on without you and that freaks you out doesn't it. The lake of control?" He asks, and the man jerks back. Bingo.
"Holy shit," A teenager whispers in the back horrified. "It's Dr. Crane jr."
"No, that's the Rabid Dog," Another answer. "Heard he made three elites cry after talking to him for more than ten minutes."
Danny is about to open his mouth when suddenly Robin crashes through the front window. Rude. There is glass everywhere now.
Hours later, Alfred franticly checks him over for injuries while the rest are freaking out. Apparently, they had feared to find Danny screaming from terrible visions but instead found him mentally breaking the hired goons with Jazz's training. "It's not like they did anything. I had a harder time stealing a super suit than those fruitloops-"
"You stole a what?" Tim cuts him off, eyes narrowed. Danny shrugs.
"I mean, haven't we all stolen a super suit?"
"Literally, no one here has done that," Steph tells him, and Danny tilts his head.
"You guys must have had boring childhoods. Surely you at least tried to organize your school into a battle-ready militia? No one can finish school without doing that at least once."
Dick raises a hand. "Brucie, how common is this in your world? Because that's alarming."
"All the kids at my school do that. My graduating class has done it three different times back in freshmen year." He shrugs. Cass makes a strange noise in the back of her throat.
"Not a lie. Brucie is strange," She tells the group, and everyone stares in bewilderment at the boy sitting on the medical table, even Bruce.
Danny smiles at them sweetly like he would at Vlad when the fruitloop is over, and he gets his parents to throw him out sooner than he wants to leave. It curves with just the right amount of innocence and mischievous nature that no one can tell if it's a positive or deadly expression.
"You are from a war-torn world?" Damian inquires, fingers under his chin with a frown. "How are you so carefree?"
"Oh no, we haven't had a war in about- eh fifty years? Give or take." He answers and once again Cass confirms the truth of his words.
This does nothing to settle their nerves.
"Every day I learn more about teenage Bruce, and every day I am more unsettled," Jason announces, and the rest of the Bats nod. Danny's smile turns broader and softer. It makes him more attractive but unsettling in a way.
Alfred sighs with a fond smile. "Oh, the memories. Master Bruce used to smile at his dates in the same way. I can picture him taking that sweet girl to the movies as if though it was yesterday."
"Bruce, how in the world did you get people to date you? That's creepy as hell. " Dick accuses the man who only shrugs.
"Oliver once told me it was part of the thrill. The idea that I could kill them."
"Why!?"
"I wish I knew chum."
Danny slips the control into his sleeve- he will rip it apart later for the Bluetooth piece. He will wait till the Waynes are too busy with Bruce's old stories about his first few dates to take apart the fear gas bomb he took from the woman earlier today. Could he use it as a fuel?
He'll have to do some tests.
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jei-rifni · 1 month
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They know what you are
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FIRST PLACE part 3
pairings: Xavier thorpe x Fem!reader summary: hating each other doesn't really work out when there's different feelings hiding beneath it. warning: swearing, them being assholes to each other. note: reader is Wednesday's cousin. again. pretty long. I told myself this would be the last part but I got carried away. sooooo part 4 tomorrow so comment if you would like to be tagged in that
part 1 part 2 part 4
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Xavier's POV
"Y/n!" I knocked on her window "can we talk"
the lights were off but there was noise coming from inside
"you can't ignore me forever" I sighed.
the window was slightly open so I took my chance and pushed it open more. climbing into her room.
I looked around and walked to her desk. looking at the statue of a frog playing an instrument. It was an odd concept but it seemed like something she would like, I picked it up and examined it closer until I heard footsteps coming to the door, I quickly put the frog down and made my way out the window again.
---
"you snuck into my room" you said walking up to Xavier
"what?" he questioned, Looking at you confused
"you broke into my room last night" you stated
"no I didn't" he denied quickly
"there's no point in lying, Xavier. there's proof. you're an amateur in that department"
"what proof do you have then?" he asked, getting annoyed
you pulled out a little zip-lock bag with a single hair in it
"is that a strand of hair?" Xavier spoke surprised and shocked
"a strand of your hair, yes" you nodded
"that could be anyone's hair" he defended himself
"It could've been, that's why Wednesday got it tested" you insited
"what the hell do you mean you got it tested?" he replied
"i think you know what it means" you huffed
"you're insane"
"I got to my room last night only for my room to smell like you, I find my frog in the wrong place and a single hair my floor. not to mention my window was an inch more open than when I left it. and when I looked out of it, I find that you're not at you painting on the wall, but your supplies are" you investigated "care to explain why?"
"again, you're insane" he scoffed
"no, I'm just observant" you spoke dully
"right, ok" he rolled his eye
"why were you in my room?" you demanded an answer
"I wanted to talk to you" he shrugged
"what is so important to tell me that you had to break into my room?" you huffed, crossing you arms
"wel- how do you know what I smell like?" he trailed off
"what?" you furrowed your eyebrows
"you said you got to your room and noticed it smelt like me. how do you know what I smell like?" he smirked
"because it smelt shit just like you"
"are you sure about that?" he chuckled
"I'm certain" you said before you turned away.
as you walked off, you and Xavier both took a deep breath and gulped.
---
During Outreach day, you snuck away from your group to go to the cafe
"what do you want?" Xavier asked
"A coffee, that's what everyone comes in here for" you told him simply
"what type of coffee?" he sighed
"one without your spit in it" you shrugged
"why would I spit in your coffee?" he shook his head in disappointment
"I don't know, the look on your face said it"
"what coffee would you like?" he questioned
"maybe a frappe" you said, looking at the menu at the top
"maybe? it's a yes or a no" he huffed, getting impatient
you smiled sarcastically "first of all, you're not getting a tip anymore. and yes, I'll have a coffee frappe"
"7.50"
you gave him the money and walked to your table. looking out the window to the street
you pulled out your phone and scrolled through pages, seeing Enid's page was updated with the latest 'gossip'
it was a photo of two people taken from a distance, you couldn't recognise the people in the photo so you read the description
'these two seem to talk a bit too much for them to be just enemies' it read
it was only posted a minute ago, with only one like and a single comment
as you looked at the comments under it you saw a comment from Xavier
'Enid take this down right now'
it was until then that you noticed it was you and Xavier in the photo
"here's your Coffee frappe without spit" Xavier put down the drink
"thanks" you mumbled
you messaged Enid, telling her to take the post down as soon as possible, not even a second later she gave in and said she would take it down. you thanked her and put your phone away, taking a sip of your drink.
----
"what the hell are you doing?" Xaviers voice called out from the rain. you looked up at him to see him with an umbrella
"why are you here?" you glared at him
"Wednesday told me you planned on going around here." he explained
"that doesn't answer my question" you blinked blankly
"just get under the umbrella" he moved closer to you, trying to get you under the purple umbrella with him
"I don't need protection from the rain" you stated
"I don't want you to get sick" he pleaded
"since when do you care if I get sick or not?" you investigated
"fine" he grumbled
"what's wrong with you?" you rebuked
"nothing?"
"stop. you've been acting weird lately and I don't like it" you spat
"what do you want from me?" he quizzed
"to act like you did before, like you hate and not care about me" you declared
"I do hate you" he nodded his head
"that's not what logic says" you pointed out
"what logic?" he retorted
"you have a drawing of me in your notebook, you're always around me now and you kissed me the other day" you announced "any logical person would say that you have feelings for me, but I refuse to be under your trap"
"trap? what trap!?" he said loudly
"the one where you think you can trap me into thinking I don't hate you" you explained
"you're insane! you know that? I'm basically serving my feelings to you on a silver platter here and you say I'm trapping you?" he yelled at you
"yes, that is what I said" you nodded
"what is wrong with you?!" he screamed as the rain got heavier
you stayed silent, you didn't want to answer him anymore so you just stared at him blankly.
"I could ask the same question" you mumbled, walking past him
----
It was quiet in the quad as you stared at the boy from afar.
he was oblivious to you behind him as he painted the wall
"I hate you" you must of scared him for a second time and made him mess up for the second time
"oh yeah? care to share why that is?" he huffed, mad at you
"you are an asshole"
"yeah? you're not the nicest person either" he rolled his eyes
"I have done nothing to you!" you yelled at him
"is that really what you believe in your twisted little mind?" he growled. putting his paintbrush down and backing you up into a pillar
"It's not a belief, It's a fact" you corrected
"you know what else is a fact?" he took a short pause, not caring for your answer "you're being a bitch"
"I've always liked dogs" you glared at him
"you can't be serious? I tell you I like you and you just walk away like I don't matter. Like my feelings don't matter!" he yelled "and the sad part is that you don't even care, you think you're treating me fairly!"
"I hate you, how else am I supposed to treat someone I hate?" you questioned
"yeah, right, why do you hate me again? because you're afraid of showing your emotions? afraid of the true feelings you have for me?" he laughed dryly
"you scared me" you stated
"I scared you" he chuckled, licking his lips while looking down at his feet, he shook his head amused as his dimples became more defined
"that's pathetic. I scared you one time and you hate my guts and torture me for years? I apologised for doing it a million times!" he yelled hysterically
"why are you so mad?"
"I was trying to impress you! I have always tried impressing you but you don't get it. you just flip out. I was excited to show you what I could do. I didn't draw or animate for months after that. you hurt my feelings and you didn't even care!" he shouted
"why should I care?" you grilled
"do you seriously have no emotions or feelings whatsoever? it is so pathetic how little empathy you have for others." he scoffed
"feelings are a waste of time and emotions show weakness" you explained dully
"you are" he took a deep breath "a horrible person"
"I'm trying to not hurt your feelings" you said
"you already did! did you seriously think you can treat me like shit and not hurt my feelings!?" he screamed, running his hands down his face in frustration.
"it's not my fault I can't interpret you're emotions, it's nothing personal." you shrugged
"No, it never is with you, is it?! and you can't even apologise, you just come out with an excuse! I'm done with your bullshit. I should've been done a long time ago" he sighed angrily, hitting the pillar he had you against
"why haven't you sooner?"
"Because I love you!" he disclosed loudly "it's kind of hard to just forget those types of feelings for a person and leave"
"you should've told me" you swallowed a lump in your throat
"why do you think I came to your room that night, and even if I did you would've turn me down. every. single. time" he smiled sadly
you didn't know what to say. you couldn't form words. you didn't love emotions, but you couldn't stop them, it was a human right to have feelings.
"I'll see you around, Y/L/N"
he walked away from you one last time.
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taglist: THERE ARE SO MUCH OF YOU I SWEAR
@apollo3475 @jiyaisdope @ihrtsabrinaclaudio @kpop-core @xavi-thpe @sammarvel123 @1201pm @ur-mom-is-h0t @barryswifey @ilovethesmiths111 @honey-with-tea @l-3rk @meankim @your-left-sock @thorpin @gx0sty @yayaistime @ygyofoyyxo @users09 @meme-queen-1999 @czeniess @gutterrataesthetic @parkersmyth @absurd-raven @lnnlove @aureliapappa @idccc @sstilinski @beautifuldisasters-things @gengen64 @issy1554 @mxltifxnd0m @spooky-bitch420 @dyhlanobrien @pauphs @soobin-my-beloved @herejustforjj @lovurryy @diorheaven @karagrace @pepswag10 @pockeymcmockey @mogli-bear @finnwantsmefr @ttayl0rswift @error404-energynotfound @renn-pumkin-head @lieutenant-roos @satan1cwh0r3 @sanzusmile @harrys3rdnipp @theprettytragic @aunicornmademedoit @dahliamae @mxgvmiii
I hope I got everybody! I'm sorry if i got everyone! there was so many of you I had to get through.
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