#Steph was clapping somewhere

[starpirateee]

What you desire the most

@lautski-week day 5 - moon

Warnings: gun mentions / read on AO3 here

--

"We just want what you cherish the most..." 

Steph got over herself, and glanced at the beings for just long enough to notice that one of them had gravitated towards Pete. It reached a hand out, slowly. Almost tentatively. She was close enough to be able to feel the violent chill that rushed down Pete's spine as it ran a pale hand through his hair, sweeping a strand away from his face. It looped the end of the strand around it's fingertip, and Steph swore she saw a crackle of green energy cast itself out from the being. 

Pete backed off as much as possible, angling his body so that he was facing Steph rather than keeping his back to her. She no longer felt protected. She felt alone, and the space he had occupied had turned cold. She looked into his eyes. They were filled with fear. 

"There he is!" The being taunted, leaning closer to Pete again and making him draw in a shaky breath. 

Steph clocked on immediately. Tearing her eyes from the way that the bottom of Pete's hair appeared to be tinged in green, she whirled around and turned to face the thing behind them. "No! No! There has to be something else!"

"I have made my decision. Pay the price, or don't, it makes little difference to me!"

One of the other things cackled as if this was the most hilarious outcome in the world. "C'mon, Stephie! We all know how special he is..."

"And you do want rid of Jagerman, don't you?" The low voice with the mask mused, a smirk residing on his otherwise dark face. "We can give you what you want."

"You just have to give us a little something first!" The green one grinned. The way they bounced off each other was terrifying, and she felt herself shiver this time. She had been the one to demand a bargain, and now she was going to have to pay the price. 

As soon as the gym fell back into the uncomfortable darkness, Steph swore she heard Pete, at her side, trying to stifle a sob. He clapped a hand to his mouth and forced a breath, but even Grace could tell how scared he was.

"You two should take a moment... Maybe you could figure this out!" She said, all too hopefully. The lords had echoed their own desires enough that they were reverberating through the walls of Steph's mind. She couldn't imagine what Grace or Pete were thinking at this moment in time.

"Figure it out, what the hell do you mean?" She snapped, then immediately retracted. "Sorry-"

"I mean, maybe there's a way around it! A way that means you don't have to-" Grace stopped suddenly, hesitant. Both of the others understood, though, why she was so reluctant to finish that sentence. 

Steph helped Pete to his feet, and the two of them made their way out of the back doors and towards the football field. She was holding onto him like he could slip through her fingertips if she let him go, and he had hold of her hand like a looser grip would cause the world to fall apart. The floodlights weren't on, there was no reason for them to be, so the only light that either of them had was the supporting glow of the moon. 

Pete's eyes darted towards it, as if it would offer him any form of comfort for what was about to happen. It didn't. He pressed his lips into a tight line, and tried to avoid the way his entire body was racked with chills. "They were serious, weren't they?" He muttered, his voice thick. 

Steph nodded, but she didn't want to admit it either. "I- I don't think-" She stopped, breathed, and turned to look Pete in the eye. "I don't want to do this, Pete..."

"If you don't, they won't take Max... Either way, this doesn't end well for me." The laugh that followed was bitter, blocked by the threat of tears. He lifted his head and cast his gaze out over the field. "He's out there somewhere. It's only a matter of time before he comes. Please, Steph, just- just get it over with."

"No!" She didn't mean to yell that, and by the way Pete startled, clearly he wasn't expecting it either. Forcing her tone down a little, she swallowed, a pit of dread building in her chest. "Shit, I can't. That thing was right, you're... You're what I cherish the most, and now I have to kill you?!"

It had said "one of you." 

Maybe this didn't have to end with Pete dying. 

"Wait... Wait, no. I refuse. You must have desires too, right? Why don't you do it? Give up what you want the most, and then you don't have to die! It could work! You could-"

"It's you."

Steph's face paled. He'd said that as if she was supposed to have known all along. Had she? The way they fought in the coffee shop, she was about convinced that the feelings she had for him were nowhere near reciprocated! Knowing that he loved her as well- that hurt. It hurt, and it felt amazing, and she wished her heart wasn't beating so fast right now, because otherwise she'd be able to identify how it felt.

"No..."

But, he'd said she was the thing he cherished the most. Her, and the little time they'd spent together. She was what he wanted most in this world.

"The thing I want most, I can't have. I want things to be normal, I wanna live a life where my closest friends since second grade aren't fucking dead, or where I don't have to worry about my brother turning up missing... I can't have that. But... Just for a moment, I thought that things would work between the two of us, that you could be the one constant I have. That's... That's what I really want."

All she could do to an admittance like that was stare. He braved it and took her other hand, so the two of them were fully facing each other. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Steph. And I needed you to know that before something happened, but I haven't had the chance to tell you, and-"

Impulse took over. Steph stood up taller, squeezing both of Pete's hands, and brought him into a kiss. It was broken and full of promises that neither of them could keep, but it was nice. It was Pete. For once, something felt in her control.

Pete's eyes widened at first, but he didn't hesitate in returning the kiss. The moon watched on, bathing the two of them in a cool light that they could barely see in. Under any other circumstance, that would be the height of romance, especially since his feelings for Steph had practically been written out in concrete. He knew how he felt, and she did too. The rest of the world melted away for a moment.

And then, as his mind began to wander, he remembered the gun sitting in her back pocket, waiting to be used. Waiting to be used... On him.

That pretty much broke the moment completely. 

Both of them pulled away far closer to tears than they had been only moments ago. Pete broke the connection, and ran one of his hands over his face. 

"I love you," he whispered, hearing his voice crack as it emerged. "Stephanie- Steph. I love you, and I know that means I have to let you go... I'm sorry-"

"Don't apologise, Pete. It should be me... You still have something to live for! You have a future!"

"I wouldn't be anything without you!"

He stepped back. In the glint of light, Steph could see that the strand of hair the lord had ran a hand through was tinted green. The lights in the gym weren't mistaken... That thing had crept up on him, and actually made an impact. Something she could see. Maybe that would be the last she saw of him...

"Look, Steph, I don't care what anyone says... You're smarter than they think. You- you know what you have to do."

The green looked like a marker now. A pointer, telling the world that he was the obvious choice. His life needed to be the one that ended. 

"I can't. Pete, I don't know what happened, but something did, and now I have you! And you're everything I never even knew I wanted in life. We could do this back and forth until Max comes and finishes us both, so please... take this gun, finish the job." She dug the weapon from her pocket, and held it out. Pete just stared at it.  "I love you, Pete..."

"I know. That's why you have to do it."

He sunk to his knees on the grass, feeling the cool blades beneath his trousers. His hair fell in a messy curtain in front of his face, and just before he could lift a hand to sweep it away, he caught sight of it too. The green streak. Tears welled in his eyes and spilled over. Some of them caught on the frames of his glasses, and some of them slipped down his cheeks. He felt his shoulders shake, and he doubled over, sobbing into the ground. After a moment that felt way longer than it probably was, he straightened up, wiped his eyes, and shot a final glance over his shoulder. 

"You know it's there... That thing wants me dead. Go on. I won't blame you."

He closed his eyes, turning his head. Breath held in anticipation, he heard Steph sob, curse loudly towards the sky, and take the safety off the pistol. The moonlight danced, she lined up her shot, Pete managed a single thought.

I hope your future is better than anything I could've given you

And then, Steph pulled the trigger.

#lautski week #stephanie lauter #peter spankoffski #starkid #void offering #this one got someone in a discord server upset #and she didnt even have context #sorry lexi if you see this

[saedii-gilwraeth-simp]

Scar, Saedii, and Auri going out for a girls night while the boys stay and look after the kids.

To talk about the girls or the boys? Both, both is good

~~

"To tequila!" Saedii exclaims and Auri grins.

"To tequila," she repeats with the same energy, clacking her shot glass with her sister-in-law and before throwing them back. Scarlett laughs as both gag at the absolutely, undoubtedly shitty tequila carried by the dive bar. She sips her cosmo and enjoys the sweetness as Auri and Saedii chase their shots.

"Okay so, as I was saying before Saedii's need to drink us under the table interrupted," Auri turns back to speak with Scar with a giggle, "Syldra's going great, it's been so long it started feeling like it was useless, but it feels like we're finally getting somewhere, y'know?" Scar nods, excited for Auri's success.

Saedii claps for Auri with just two fingers and Scarlett tries to hide her amusement. Saedii gets another couple of shots in her and their booth would become hug city.

"Saedii, how about you?" Saedii shrugs.

"Not much, still trying to collapse the Unbroken, but you know Warbreeds are stubborn fuckers," Scarlett snorts into her cocktail. Saedii is not wrong.

"Oh, isn't that the truth, you should try getting them to study," Scarlett says and Saedii lets out a sympathetic groan, before taking another shot.

"Oof, you have my respect, Jones," Scarlett flips her hair jokingly.

"Yes, I know, I'm fantastic," she says. The three pause, and then they're laughing, howling into their drinks.

~

"Daddy, they look so pretty!" Lae says, holding up Tyler's hands and showing the living room. Steph and Zila clap at the sparkly pink nail polish now on Tyler's nails. If his daughter and nieces weren't smiling so wide, Tyler would probably cringe. Sparkles are much more his sister's vibe, that's for sure.

"Oh very pretty, well done Lae, I love the sparkles," Tyler threw a dry look to a grinning Fin, who had Kal Jones in his arms, the toddler asleep drooling on Fin's shoulder. Tyler grins at that. But not as much as he grins at Kal.

Dariel was sitting in Kal's lap, enjoying his book, but Kal's hair was falling victim to Rory and Cat Jones-De Seel.

"... go over and then add a strand and go over and add a strand and go over and a strand ..." Cat continued to repeat, trying and failign to teach her twin how to braid. Cat's braid seems to be forming nicely but it is deeply offset by Rory doing hers way to loose, causing Kal's hair to flop everywhere, and then Rory pulling tight.

Tyler is wowed by Rory's strength solely by the fact that when she tries to tighten Kal's braid, he actually winces. Kal meets his eyes and looks down at his hands, which Steph was now putting plastic rings and bracelets on. Kal and him meet eyes and both just smile and shrug.

~

More "Fin being the best at getting children to sleep" energy

#aurora cycle #saedii gilwraeth #tyler jones #kal gilwraeth #auri o'malley #finian de karran de seel #scarlett jones

[destinationweddinganovel]

GEMMA

Any longer in Marissa’s room and I was going to choke to death. I had to get out of there. I was so appalled Marissa. By her attitude. A daddy’s princess who grew into an entitled brat who always paints herself as the victim. I’m tired of her. Beyond tired. Poor Alex. He’d be better off with his ex.

I come out into the dining area, empty now, and pass by the Tiki bar. The air is much cooler than indoors. A nice relief from the hot sun earlier. I’m lucky I didn’t get heatstroke after that tour in the paddle boat. Now I’ve done my duty for the night. Played hostess to the more boring guests, explained how the bride wasn’t feeling well and retired early. I even managed to stomach Alex’s mother. I deserve a medal for that one. No wonder Alex has this neglected, little boy side to him. A side he hates, I suspect. Feeling drained, I breathe in the wonderfully fresh breeze. I step out of my shoes and plant my feet into the soft earth. Breathe in deep, exhale.

Voices echo from the lobby. I tense up. I should have moved further away from the hotel. I pick up my shoes and duck around the side just as Beth comes out. That same dark-haired guy follows her. Now that’s weird. I had no idea they knew each other. Gavin, that was his name. I keep forgetting it. He paces around, kicking up gravel. The toe of his shoe sends a stone skipping toward my feet. “She was supposed to meet me half an hour ago!”

“She was in the change room last I saw. I was waiting for her to come out because I wanted to talk to her but then these other two girls went in. So I went to the bathroom and by the time I came back she was gone!”

Gavin snorts. “I didn’t know you knew her.”

“We’ve been friends for a few months now.”

“Friends. With my sister. As in is your new brother-in-law’s ex.” He blows out a whistle, practically calling her an idiot. I already heard about that drama. Christine had made a pass at Beth in order to get her to dish some dirt about Marissa. Apparently it worked. What dirt? I’d be curious to know myself. Each time I ask her about why she moved back home from New York City I would get a slightly different lie.

“We … had a connection.”

I clap my hand over my mouth to suppress a giggle. Marissa’s sister, and Christine? Oh, poor Beth. I feel terrible for the girl. The percentage of lesbians in this town is tiny. Tiny and old. All the ones I know are over fifty. I amble further away so I don’t have to overhear them. I think back to the end of those speeches earlier. Lord, that was weird. This entire night was so awkward. Alex was livid when when Christine ran out. Did he cheat with her last night? I don’t want to know. I’m too old for all this drama and yet I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious.

I pass by a rickety wood cabin where I stop and stare around. Not good. I was so lost in thought that I kept walking without paying attention to my surroundings. Oh, well. I'm about to turn back when swear I hear Steph’s voice coming from somewhere further ahead. What’s she doing out here? Then I hear footsteps going at top speed somewhere to my left, heading in that same direction. I catch a flash of long, pale legs beyond the trees.

Alex. What’s he doing out here? I begin jogging after him.

#Destination Wedding #Novel #fiction #women's fiction #love triangle #Gemma #unreliable narrator #crazy ex #weddings #wedding drama #Multiple POV #dark secrets #dark past #scheming #revenge

[darkfearsandkittyears]

At a JL meeting.

Superman: Batman, don't you think it would be wise to get rid of your no meta rule?

Batman: No meta, because I am Batman and there is none beta.

Also Batman: Happy now, Jason?

Robin!Jason, under Bruce's cape, reading and eating snickers that Diana is sneaking him: Very.

#I promise this was funnier in my head #BATMAN #batdad #Tired batdad #No meta #Baby Jason #smol #jaybird #jason todd #Bruce Wayne #batman #Batkid shenanigans #Steph was clapping somewhere #batfamily incorrect quotes #batbrats #robin #red hood #Rocking Robin #tweet tweet #Tags are wonky #Sorry not

[bruce-waynes-parenting]

I Stayed There

I Thought I'd try out blurbs!

Fic where I give Kon a "Speak Now" moment at a Timber wedding, bc all I know is angst and I thought I'd play around with this idea :)

Characters: Kon-E/Superboy, Tim Drake, Bernard Dowd (mentioned), Jason Todd (briefly)

Relationships: Tim Drake/Bernard Dowd, Kon--El & Tim Drake, Tim Drake & Jason Todd

“Thank you, Kon”

Tim looked over at his best friend, illuminated in the fireworks. His undone bowtie fluttered in the wind, blue eyes lit up with the neon busts of color. He sniffed and clapped a hand on Tim’s back,

“Couldn’t do anything less for my best friend's wedding, right?”

Tim smiled.

The rooftop was quiet other than the firework show above, Kon had taken him up to watch when the guests and music started to feel like too much. Bernard went somewhere with a couple of their old high school friends, probably watching the fireworks from below.

Bernard. Tim’s stomach did a little jump. Bernard, his husband, probably forever. He felt like a kid, stupid in love and stupid optimistic. Just for tonight, he didn’t care. The world could be perfect. He had Bernard, his family, his best friends. He smiled up at the fireworks.

Pretty perfect.

The ceremony was short and sweet. And small. Kon and Cassie and Bart in the wedding party, Dick, Jason, Cass, Duke, Damian, Steph, Kate, Bruce, Luke, Harper, Cullen, Babs—

Well, small for their family. A few relatives on Bernard’s side came (though they left pretty quickly) but mostly high school friends came to give their congratulations.

The after party…had been open to more guests. “Wayne” guests (though Bruce had assured him that they didn’t have to) but he and Bernard managed. That and Kon pulled him up to the roof to get some peace and quiet. And fireworks.

He breathed a sigh, the grin not quite leaving.

“I think I’m really….really happy, Kon”

He glanced back over.

Kon wasn’t looking at the fireworks. He was staring at Tim, a look behind his eyes.

“Kon?”

“Yeah?”

The firework show was ending now, a huge finale of lights and colors danced across the night sky. Kon’s eyes glistened in the brilliant oranges and blue’s. Like he was about to cry.

“Hey" he said, turning away from the brilliant lights, "You okay? What’s wrong?”

He shook his head, absentmindedly looking out over the hotel grounds and then at the gravel of the roof.

“Nothing–nothing’s wrong”

Tim took a step closer, shortening the gap between them. Kon kept his eyes glued to the ground and shoved his hands in his pockets.

“Come on, you’ve been weird all day, I know you,” another round of ‘boom’s’ sounded as more fireworks went up, “What’s wrong?”

Kon pursed his lips.

“...I’m sorry”

Tim blinked,

“What?”

“I’m sorry, Tim” his voice broke, he cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m in love with you”

Tim's breath caught in his lungs. Someone shrieked with laughter in the parking lot below,

“...What?”

Kon brought his gaze up to meet Tim’s eyes. Tear tracks shone in blue, green, gold, red.

“Kon–not funny”

“I’m serious”

Tim took a few breaths, looking anywhere but–but Kon’s face.

“I’m sorry–”

“Why would–why would you say that?”

Kon remained silent, hands in his pocket,

“Kon–I”

I spent years in love with you, I didn’t know how to say it, you’re my best friend, I’m getting married–I am married.

“I know”

“You–you’re my best friend, Kon, and-”

“Stop”

Fireworks sizzled and popped overhead. They just stared at one another.

“I know I…I should have said this a long time ago”

Kon's face twisted into something pained,

“I know there’s no way to fix this, I know this is selfish and fucking stupid, but I–” He cut off, breath shaky, and Tim had to fight down the instinct to comfort Kon, step forward and pull his best friend into a hug.

“I’m not asking you to–to do anything, or leave Ben, you guys are great together and I—-I am so happy for you.”

Tim just stared, the pit of his stomach falling further.

Kon rubbed his forehead with the palm of his hand. He laughed,

“I had to tell you…” he bit his lip, “I had to tell you once.” he let his hand fall to his side.

A single firework screamed and popped, showering them both in a violent pink.

“You don’t have to say anything,” Kon said.

“You don’t have to answer me or–or say anything or—” he squeezed his eyes shut, “Or ever see me again, and I’ll understand…I just…I just had to tell you”

This time Tim slowly nodded. Because somewhere he did understand. A lump stuck in his throat…things would never be the same for them. That was why Tim had kept his own feelings secret for so long...afraid of the rejection, afraid of losing Kon (The irony rang painfully in his chest). But that was years and years ago. And before he’d met Bernard. Before he’d even come to grips with who he was.

“That’s it i guess” Kon nodded stiffly, “I-”

The door to the roof opened, fluorescent yellow shined on the gravel.

“Someone’s looking for you Timmy” Jason stood outlined in the doorway, leaning on the handle with a hand on his hip. The grin dropped from his face when he saw Tim and Kon standing there.

Kon took a look at Tim, saying something unvoicable, and flew off into the night.

#whew anyways #batfam #jason todd #batfamily #dick grayson #tim drake #nightwing #bernard dowd #batman #might do a part 2 #requests are open! #timber #timkon #angst #kon--el #superboy #red robin #speak now by taylor swift #title is from 'right where you left me' by Taylor Swift #sorry

[alecmagnuslwb]

Giving Home a Heartbeat - @doubleredweek Day 7

Read on AO3

Jason’s pretty sure that somewhere underneath all these boxes is the house they bought, he’s just not quite sure where.

“Jay Jay, Daddy stopped picking up boxes and sat down, so I’m picking up the slack!” Lian shouts over the distinct scraping sound of cardboard. Jason turns and there she is walking backwards her tiny hands pulling a box along that’s practically the same size as her not even breaking a sweat. Sometimes Jason thinks they really need to ask Jade about any superhuman abilities she might be hiding that could have been passed down.

Jason shakes his head and walks over to her lifting the box and sitting it over with the rest of the living room Jenga stack of cardboard boxes that is their life.

“Good work princess,” Jason says ruffling her hair as she sidles up next to him looking at all the boxes with a much more gleeful look on her face than the one he’s sporting.

“I am not slacking,” Roy shouts with a struggling groan. Jason turns back to the door watching as Roy takes a step through with three heavy boxes precariously stacked on top of one another in his arms blockading Roy’s body almost entirely from view. Jason rushes over to his side taking the highest one revealing Roy’s head his messy hair dripping with sweat and poking out wildly from underneath his backwards cap.

“These are the last ones and I just didn’t want to make numerous trips,” he grunts shifting the boxes in his arms. “Dick and Babs are taking the truck back and sweetly said they will not be coming back to help us unpack.” Jason rolls his eyes eight siblings, one younger than them aunt, two pseudo sisters-in-laws, a literal space traveling brother-in-law, three parental figures and one grandfatherly figure between the two of them and not one of them stuck around long enough to put all these boxes through the front door.

“We don’t know exactly how you want everything set up,” Connor had justified as he and Kyle started floating up into the sky and away as soon as the truck was full as if Jason, Roy and especially Lian wouldn’t happily boss them around with instructions of where to place things.

Stephanie, Tim and Damian even had the audacity to eat half the moving day pizza on their own, pick up one box together and then disappear. Teamwork Steph had called it before high fiving Roy and running after her boyfriend. Chaotic bisexuals Roy had sighed as they sped away on her motorcycle Damian already long gone slipping off like a silent shadow in the mid-day.

At least Roy and Jason hadn’t had to pay for the pizza they got one shared slice of, after twenty minutes of arguing about who should pay Oliver and Bruce had settled on splitting. Though knowing Bruce Jason would bet he added on a bigger tip when Ollie’s back was turned just to spite him.

“Do you think the Aqua Family treat each other this way?” Jason says watching as Lian tosses a small box up on the still covered in plastic couch and starts tearing at the tape.

“I bet they swim across the seven seas and happily move their family’s underwater décor without complaint,” Roy says as he slips behind Jason resting his chin on Jason’s shoulder. Together they survey the room with the knowledge that every other room in the house looks much the same, a labyrinth of boxes. It’s gonna take them weeks to unpack all the stuff from the workshop alone.

“I know we don’t know her as well as my dad and Bruce, but do you think if we put in a call to Zatanna she’d just,” Roy says flicking his hands around Jason’s waist in a pale comparison to the intricate patterns Jason’s seen her do in battle. “Ya know, poof and we’re unpacked.”

“I don’t think that’s gonna happen,” Jason sighs. Lian has fully opened the box now pulling out item after item that definitely all belong in the kitchen not on their living room couch.

Roy faux cries burying his face in Jason’s neck sadly. Jason reaches up a hand only slightly condescendingly patting at Roy’s head.

“Alright, we gotta start somewhere. Lian’s room is the priority, you and I have slept on far more uncomfortable things than a plastic wrapped couch,” he says, they’ve already got a start in there anyways thanks to Alfred the only member of their families who’s not an ingrate setting up her pink and green matching bed, bookshelf, desk and wall shelves without even being asked. Jason survey’s the room eyes falling over to the kitchen. “I’d say we shoot for finishing the kitchen tonight too, but we can always just order takeout again.”

“More pizza!” Lian squeals in delight twirling a bundle of measuring cups around and around in one hand.

“No, we’ll get something else,” Roy says and Lian’s face drops just a little. “Something with lots of vegetables, like Thai maybe.” She perks back up at that.

“As long as I don’t have to eat peas,” she grumbles trading the measuring cups out for a ladle she taps delightedly on the boxes flap.

“Fine, no peas,” Jason says slipping away from Roy and grabbing the box Lian has been playing around with as she shouts triumphantly about the lack of peas in her future. He tosses the things she’s taken out of the box back in and slides it onto the kitchen counter to deal with later.

“Go to your room and start unpacking the boxes labeled books first okay,” Roy says lifting her up from the couch her legs sticking to the plastic as he does and settling her feet on the ground. “Put some on the lower shelves, but don’t try to reach the high shelves without Jay or I’s help okay?”

Lian nods furiously skittering off clapping her hands in joy, her light up Scooby Doo shoes going wild with every step.

“Promise, Daddy!” she shouts as she hightails it up the stairs and turns the corner sharply. A light thud earns their attention as soon as she disappears from sight followed by silence.

“Lian?” Jason shouts after her already braced to rush the stairs if she doesn’t respond instantly. Roy does the same.

“I’m okay, I just kicked a box over!” she shouts back and they both breathe a sigh of relief. “And it knocked over two more!” she says with utter delight causing them both to chuckle.

“If we want to get this house done before she’s out of high school, we’re gonna need to send her for an archery range day with grandpa tomorrow,” Roy says walking over to Jason. He hops up onto the kitchen island kicking his feet out back and forth.

“And maybe an ice cream day with aunt Emiko the day after that, just in case,” Jason adds on as he settles himself between Roy’s dangling legs his back to Roy’s front. Roy wraps his arms back around him, placing his chin back where it had been in the living room.

They both gaze out across the rooms, across their home, across what it will be in a few days’ time. Jason never thought he’d call Star City home, hell he never thought he’d get out of the Narrows, but here he is a homeowner with a man he fully intends to keep for the rest of his life and a little girl he considers his daughter.

“It’s gonna look great when it’s all set up,” Roy says nuzzling his face softly to Jason’s temple. “The perfect mix of superhero chic and parents of a five-year-old who only occasionally cleans up after herself.”

“An interior designers dream,” Jason chuckles leaning back further into Roy’s arms.

“Jade’s gonna hate it,” Roy laughs.

“Oh god, I’ll fly Alfred out to help me clean just to be sure it’s spotless when the time comes. When does she get back from South America?”

“The fourteenth, she’s taking Lian for the week, remember?” Roy says pressing a quick kiss to Jason’s jaw. The fourteenth, that’s plenty of time to make it look it’s best to at least cut her sly judgements in half.

They’re quiet for a while comfortably listening to the rustling sound of Lian tearing tape off of boxes above them. She’s probably gonna be wrapped in it by the time they get up here.

“We own a house,” Jason says breaking the comfortable quiet still stunned by the fact they’ve made it here. Six years ago he walked away from Roy, the worst mistake he’s ever made, and somehow impossibly when he came crawling back Roy welcomed him with open arms and now they’re here. It feels almost too good to be true.

Roy nods and Jason can feel his smile against his neck.

“Your stuck with me now Jaybird,” he chuckles and Jason pulls Roy’s arms around him tighter, happily stuck. They bask in each other’s arms a little longer when the sound of tape gets louder and more prominent followed by a giggle and comical ‘oops’ from Lian.

“We better go help her before she mummifies herself in packing tape,” Roy chuckles slipping out from behind Jason and making his way to the stairs taking them two at a time. Jason hangs back for a moment just looking one last time at the space in front of him, looking at their home before following the sounds of tape being unwrapped from clothes and the laughter of the two most important people in his world.

#my fic #jayroy #jayroyweek2021 #jason todd #roy harper #writersmonth2021

[squiddybeifong]

Can I ask for the batsiblings reaction to Damian pacing so much he wore a hole in the floor? Doesn't have to be a fics, maybe headcanons?

Sorry for the rather long wait. Kinda wanted to make this a fic

Here's the floor pacing fic

On Ao3 here

--

Alfred hadn’t outwardly reacted to Damian’s obvious lie as to why he had paced the floorboards uneven, but the butler absolutely took action for amending the tripping hazard in the boy’s room. With the floor repairman on the line and a measuring tape in hand nothing was amiss, of course.

Dick had already kept him up-to-date with the gossip about the two Titan birds, so Alfred hadn’t been surprised whatsoever. His position in the family meant that he’d watched the awkward budding romances of most everyone who’d called the Manor home. Damian being frustrated at his feelings for a teammate was nothing compared to a (very grown) Bruce being moody after Selina rebuffed his kiss while ‘on the clock’ or Dick’s increasingly creative attempts at sneaking around with Kori before the ‘no dating metahumans or aliens’ rule had been lifted. Honestly, watching the pun-laden flirting that Steph ladled out to both Tim and Cass on a near daily basis was more awkward than his youngest ward taking his repressed emotions out on the floors.

Unfortunately for Damian, the butler arranged for the floor repairman to show up during the day. Most notably, the repairman arrived at exactly the specified 1:35 p.m., not wanting to be late when called upon to fix anything belonging to Bruce Wayne.

Why Robin had believed that (like everyone else in Gotham) this worker would be fashionably late, he didn’t know. What Damian did know was that he hadn’t heard Grayson open the door. Nor had he heard his brother head up with Alfred and the repairman into his room. And he especially didn’t hear as Alfred slyly mentioned that he believed Dick’s gossip was coming to a head, if the worn path in the floor meant anything.

No, Damian heard none of it. Not when he was busy brushing BatCow and making sure that every square inch of the barn was properly ventilated so she couldn’t possibly overheat in the approaching summer weather. So when the youngest Bat stalked into the Manor, he’d been all but ambushed.

It didn’t take a detective to realize why he’d been pacing so much. Even without Alfred’s confirmation, it was unlike Damian to avoid going back to the Titans early if he could help it. Batman hadn’t looked up when Robin had elected to stay another week when they were in the BatCave, but his siblings sure had. And while Bruce didn’t outwardly ponder about how intense things had to be for Damian to go out of his way to avoid a certain someone, this new information had Dick positively enchanted at the prospect of his baby brother being in love.

“I’m not in love with Raven,” Damian hissed out.

Jason snickered as he reclined in his seat, his face full of mirth at the flustered crack in Damian’s voice. Cass was sitting upside down with her legs resting on the couch’s back, her smile wide as she took in her youngest brother’s irritated, embarrassed body language (nevermind the barest hint of an actual blush on his face when vehemently denying any feelings he had towards his fellow Titan).

Babs’ smile was wide and cheerful as she pointed out, “Who said anything about Raven?” Duke perked up from his spot next to Cass, immediately adding on, “Yeah, Dami. We thought you were just falling for her?”

Steph snorted, “Falling over those footprints in the floor, more like it.”

Tim laughed behind his gulp of his coffee, sleepily (and loudly) drawling out to the blonde, “A Robin and his Raven. Guess you can say they’re a real pair of lovebirds, huh?”

Damian glared at them all, fighting the urge to pinch between his eyes. Why were all the Bats at the Manor? Shouldn’t they be on patrol instead of bothering him?

Jason clicked his tongue and rested his arms on the table. He met Dick’s gaze, saw the way his older brother’s eyes brightened up with mischief and scratched at the streak of white in his hair. Deciding that messing with Damian was by far the most fun he’d have in the Manor that morning, Jason asked, “So, Lil’ D… What’re you gonna get your girlfriend? Can’t come back empty handed.”

“She’s not my--”

Babs interrupted him, nudging Tim with her elbow, “Do not tell me he wasn’t planning on getting her anything.”

Steph lazily rested on the chair’s edge. The blonde leaned over to rest against Jason’s shoulder, her fist pressed to her face. She gnawed on the inside of her cheek; it wasn’t likely she’d be much use for knowing how Raven would want to be wooed. She had heard of her but she had yet to actually meet Damian’s mystery crush, after all. She let out a hum, “What does Raven like? It’s gotta be something personal!”

Damian clicked his tongue as his siblings were suddenly oh so chatty at Spoiler’s suggestion, their unwanted ideas filling the room.

“What if he paints her something?”

“Doesn’t she like old books? Maybe one of those first editions that Alfred was thinking about donating last year?”

“Wait a sec-- Dick, isn’t she goth? B did get that set of obsidian jewelry at the last gala.”

“Hell, if we’re going that route I’m sure Selina has some nice rings somewhere--”

“Maybe something that isn’t stolen, Tim.”

“Just be honest with her.”

The room went quiet at Cass’ simple instruction. Still in her Orphan suit from her early morning patrols and reclining in her inverted spot on the couch, the brunette somehow kept a serious face as she stared at Damian upside down.

Seeing that no one was going to add-on to her suggestion, Cass blew some of her bangs out of her face and shrugged, “You like her for a reason.”

Brown eyes slyly glanced around the room, gratefully falling on Babs as she piped up, “Cass is right. I really don’t think Damian of all people would fall for someone who’s all about dating mind-games.”

Ignoring Damian’s exasperated lie of “I haven’t fallen for her!” in the background, Steph slumped down on the couch next to Duke. Her face was contemplative, “Then maybe we should invite her here?”

Dick let out an excited laugh the same time Tim clapped his hands and grinned at their resident computer whiz, “Babs could absolutely get her up to speed on patrolling Gotham for a bit, right?”

The redhead looked excited at the idea. Pushing her glasses further up her nose before they fell, Babs teasingly asked, “What is it about Gotham and bird-based superheroes?”

Duke shrugged, a hand cradling his chin in thought. “Not sure, but Dami obviously won’t confess if we’re not around to kick him into doing it.”

Jason clicked his tongue at the possibility of the youngest Bat listening to them and raised a brow Dick’s way, “Any chance at all that she’ll make the first move?”

Irritated at the topic, Damian turned on his heel and retreated to the kitchen. Ignoring the chorus of “C’mon, Dami” behind him (and planning on fighting Todd later for the childish boos that the antihero was aiming at his back), Robin set about grabbing some snacks for his pets when he heard two sets of footsteps approach.

He bit back a groan as Dick practically skipped into the room, Cass on his heels. “What now?”

Nightwing let out a laugh at his brother’s sneer, “You do know that we’re only trying to help, right?” He took a few pears from the fridge and handed them to Damian, knowing that they were BatCow’s favorite. Hearing as Cass opened the cabinet doors to find where the rawhide bones and cat treats were stored, Dick pressed on, “I know she already knows me but it might be easier introducing everyone as a segue into talking to her about other things…”

Cass let out a quiet snort at his suggestion. She shook her head and offered a better idea, “Alfred first.”

Dick tilted his head, nodding in agreement a moment later. He ignored the violent way Damian was cutting up the pears and said, “That’ll probably be for the best. Living with the Titans is one thing; we gotta ease her into our particular brand of madness.”

Tossing aside the stems and peeled off stickers, Damian sulked, “None of this is necessary.”

Cass hid her smile with her hand. Dick hummed out, “You don’t want your girlfriend to meet your family?”

“She won’t be my--” Damian couldn’t say the potential title just yet. He clicked his tongue, “Just because you all think I have feelings for her doesn’t mean she’ll reciprocate.”

The older two visibly paused at his words.

Her head tilting in concern, brown eyes studied Robin for a moment. Damian glared at Cass but she ignored him. Dick leaned against the wall, the worried furrow in his brow betraying his nonchalant stance. He spoke out the obvious, “Do you really think she’s not interested?”

“She thinks I’ve been avoiding her--”

Cass shrugged, “You have.”

Damian continued as if he hadn’t heard her, “--so I doubt any feelings she may have towards me are positive right now.”

Dick let out a hum, “You didn’t answer the question.”

Ophan’s suit somehow didn’t shine in the kitchen’s fluorescent light as she crossed her arms, “Yes or no?”

Damian bit the inside of his cheek. It was quiet in the kitchen for a moment as he thought over all the moments he and Raven had shared, the comfortable quiet pauses between crimefighting, training, and avoiding their teammates’ noise. She never seemed to dislike his company, but she was stoic enough that he could never tell if her heart leaped into her throat whenever she noticed that they were alone.

He suppressed a jump as Cass entered his personal space.

Olive eyes were reluctant as she poked his cheek. “You’re not stupid,” She figured it was progress when he didn’t try to swat her hand away, but she couldn’t keep the beam off her face at the boy’s blush. A hint of smugness crept into her voice, “So she is?”

“I don’t know.”

Cass looked to the Manor’s main entrance, knowing that in half a week’s time the entire structure would be full of lights, flowers and who knew what else B’s planners would bring. A spring gala with flowers and enough hidden corners for a pair to get lost in the crowd.

In other terms: the perfect setting for a first date.

She met Dick’s gaze and grinned at the knowing look on his face. His hair nearly fell out of its bun as he let out a whoop, wrapping an arm around Damian. Thoughts of finding Raven a gala-ready dress (and maybe a matching suit) in mind, Dick couldn’t keep the excitement out of his movements.

Ignoring the aggravated yet cautiously hopeful way Damian shrugged off his brother’s arm, Cass clasped her hands in front of her chest. “Only one way to find out.”

#damirae #damian wayne #dick grayson #cassandra cain #batfam #my writing #asked and answered #mistkissedmoon #g o d it's been a While hasn't it? but I really hope u like it!!! #but yeah. batfam is gonna batfam if dami's got a crush. a whole lotta teasing at his expense *but* they are gonna try to help #but its bc they loooooooooooove him. he's the baby bat ofc they gotta get cheesy with it #I was thinking of headcanons but this gives me an excuse to write a first date/gala shenanigans so #I figured why not? I've been slacking in producing ridiculous damirae fluff

[headcans-oneshots-and-stuff]

Viral hit (Drabble)

Warning: None Word count: ~640 Request by Anon: Could you do a one-shot where the batsis has like tik tok and they do a tik tok in the Batcave with Batman behind them and it goes viral?? And the justice league find it and are like what the hell?? Pairing: (Platonic) Batsis x batfam

It was a stupid accident and one that could have been avoided if you had just been a bit more careful. You had meant to send it to the batkids™-groupchat for funs and giggles, but for once in your life, you forgot to upload the video on private like you usually did - your tik-tok account just a random name without a profile picture or any posts at that point. The fact that the 10-second video of you - or rather Y/H/N - hanging from the ceiling along with the bats that had made their home in the cave while singing baby-shark, the camera moving down at the end to showcase Batman with the textbook definition of a disappointed look on his face was now up and in the open online went completely over your head until you came back from patrol. It had been a rather chill patrol and there hadn’t been any difficult fighting so when you, Damian, Jason and Steph came back to the cave in a rather chirpy mood you hadn’t expected to find your phone flooded with notifications. Oh shit. “Uhm...guys?” you asked after looking around to make sure that Bruce was nowhere in sight, “Remember that video I sent you? The one with...uhm...Bruce in it?” “Yeah, that was hilarious, it’s good to know he doesn’t just look at me like that,” Jason chuckled and came up beside you, his ever-curious nature prompting him to look at your phone only to freeze. The others agreed, even Damian, but when you and Jason exchanged looks - very, very serious looks - they noticed that something was wrong. “Guys?” Stephanie asked, and inspected you carefully. Both you and Jason simultaneously turned around, looking at your siblings who were eyeing you suspiciously. You had to swallow down the lump in your throat but decided that instead of saying anything you’d show them. “Catch,” you said, voice void of any emotion, and threw your phone in Damian and Stephanie’s direction where your little brother already had his hand raised over his head, not even flinching when the phone perfectly landed in his grasp. Thank you, Bruce, for making your children extremely good at catching stuff. For a second there was complete silence while Damian and Steph looked at your still activated screen before their eyes shot up and met yours just like Jason’s had done earlier. “Please tell me that’s a joke, Father is going to kill you,” Damian scoffed while Stephanie started to laugh. “That’s perfect! It’s a viral hit,” she exclaimed and clapped into her hands. “The video wasn’t meant to be viral! It was only meant for you and the others!” you shouted and couldn’t help but whine a bit in frustration. “Welp,” Jason patted your back and looked up at the entrance of the cave that was currently opening, “It was really nice knowing you sport, but I’m afraid that was the last time for a veeeery long while that you’re going out on patrol.” You couldn’t help but moan in frustration, but you knew that you had to surrender yourself to your fate…

<A few minutes earlier, somewhere else entirely, not even on earth>

“Uhm guys?” Barry asked into the filled meeting room of the JL, his phone in hand, mask on. “What is the matter, Flash?” Diana inspected her friend carefully, question marks basically depicted in her eyes. The speedster looked around, his eyes quickly being caught on Batman who was standing at one of the windows with Clark. “Take a look at that,” he whispered and turned his phone around, holding it out towards Diana. Her eyes went wide at the video of Bruce’s daughter with him in the background. “Oh, my dear Zeus, the child is dead,” Diana chuckled slightly and shook her head, quickly departing when she noticed that Clark and Bruce were on their way to them...

#BAtsis #Batsis!reader #batfam #batfam x reader #batfamily #dc x reader #Damian Wayne #robin #stephanie brown #spoiler #batgirl #jason todd #red hood #bruce wayne #batman #barry allen #flash #diana prince #wonder woman #clark kent #superman #drabble

[stark-strange-love2]

A Day at the Fair

My submission for the ironstrange fanfic challenge!

Prompt: 

Tony drags Stephen out on a date to the fair, despite Stephen insisting he doesn’t want to go. Tony spends the whole day trying to show Stephen how much fun it is until finally, Stephen breaks down and confesses the real reason he didn’t want to come today. 

Tags:

Omega Stephen Strange, Alpha Tony Stark, high school au

Tony grinned, practically vibrating with excitement as he rolled out of bed. Every year he and Stephen went to the fair, the closest thing their tiny town had to offer for fun. He grabbed his phone from his nightstand.

T: Heeeeeey Steph~

S: Tony? What is it?

T: Well I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to the fair this fine day, as per our usual tradition

Stephen took a few minutes to reply. Tony set down his phone, brushed his teeth, dressed, and sat down for breakfast. Stephen still hadn’t replied. Then, as he was pouring cereal, his phone dinged.

S: Idk. I’m not feeling up to it rn

T: Okay… do you wanna come over and hang out then? My parents are out of town… I could even sneak a bottle of wine for us

S: Eh… let’s just go to the fair.

Tony smiled.

T: Great! I’ll pick you up in an hour?

S: Sure

The fair was loud and hot and crowded. It reminded Tony of every fantastic summer with Stephen he could think of. Tony squeezed Stephen’s hand, but Stephen didn’t squeeze back.

“Hey, Steph, are you okay? You seem a little off-color.”

Stephen bit his lip.

“Just tired I guess. I have a bit of a headache.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Tony leaned up and kissed Stephen’s cheek, then down to his unmarked scent gland. “Maybe we can sit down near the back? Have some lunch? I have Asperin too if you need it. We can even go back home if you’d like. Anything for you,” Tony said.

Stephen smiled softly.

“Lunch sounds good.”

He finally squeezed Tony’s hand back.

“Ugh, don’t they have anything remotely healthy?” Stephen bitched, scrunching up his face at the third deep-fried Oreo stand they passed.

“Oh? Are you doing another vegan kick or something?”

Stephen shook his head, cheeks pink.

“Uh- no. No, just trying to eat a little healthier, that’s all.”

“Can you take a break for today?” Tony asked. God knew he wasn’t planning on eating well today.

“Well… I mean…” Stephen worried his lip between his teeth. “I’d just feel better if I ate healthily, that’s it.” He didn’t meet Tony’s eyes.

They finally found something reasonably healthy- chicken tenders and lemonade- and sat down at a table under a large tree. Somewhere in the background, a band was playing. Stephen picked at his food while Tony happily munched away.

“After this do you want to go on a ride?” tony asked.

Stephen shook his head.

“No rides.”

“Why? Are you still not feeling well?”

Stephen didn’t meet Tony’s eyes, electing instead to look off into the never-ending distance, hazy with the feeling of the fair, a haziness that stayed in Stephen’s mind and mulled like a roiling, humid cloud of every problem that had ever graced him. The heat clung to his skin. His stomach turned and he looked down, his arms folded over his abdomen. Tony could smell the scent of unhappy omega from across the table.

“Yeah. Not feeling great,” he lied.

Tony’s eyes were so warm and comforting that Stephen’s stomach couldn’t help but crawling higher into his throat and nestling there like some sort of weak and defenseless baby bird. Stephen’s cheeks were hot with shame.

“Are you sure that’s everything? Please tell me if something’s bothering you, Stephen. I love you. I want to help.”

Stephen’s stomach churned and he ran to the nearest trashcan and threw up. Tony leaped to his feet and rushed over but Stephen waved him away.

“Oh God- oh God Stephen!” Tony cried.

“I’m- I’m fine,” Stephen coughed. He wiped his mouth and downed his lemonade, popping a few breath mints into his mouth. He let out a low groan and took a deep breath.

“Jesus Stephen, let’s go home. You’re sick. You need to rest.” “No. You brought me here on a date. We’re staying.” The resolution in Stephen’s voice felt strong and clear and hard and unwavering, the same way a freshly poured asphalt highway stretches on and on and on until it dissolves into a dazzling mirage. Endless and resolute in a way that made Tony feel tiny in comparison.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Stephen ate his last chicken tender and tossed the tray.

“Maybe we can try at one of those fair games,” Stephen offered.

“Aren’t they all rigged?”

“Well that makes winning more impressive,” Stephen said with a grin.

Stephen took Tony’s hand and they walked through the fair before stopping at a booth: balloons and darts. Stephen bent over, looking at the booth. Then there was a loud whistle and a squeak from Stephen that had Tony’s alpha growling in his chest. Tony turned and snapped at the fuck boy alpha that currently had his hand on his omega’s ass. Stephen turned and slapped the guy’s hand away, face red and furious. His blue-green eyes burned like two twin stars hovering above the ocean horizon.

“Hey sweet-cheeks, what’s a pretty little omega like you doing with a boring alpha like him?” the guy said with a thousand-watt smile.

“Not interested.”

“Aw, come on baby, don’t be like that.”

“He said he’s not interested,” Tony growled.

The guy rolled his eyes.

“Fine, tightass.”

He stalked away and Stephen’s resolve broke. His entire body drooped and he sank into his seat, the smell of pure displeasure and unhappiness radiating from him like a morning fog over a valley. Tony sighed and pulled Stephen to his chest, holding him tight.

“Fuck Stephen- I’m so sorry.”

“Not your fault,” Stephen mumbled.

But there was a flat sort of grey hanging in his eyes and Tony knew it wasn’t okay, but he also knew there was nothing he could ever do. Tony held him close, whispering gentle things into Stephen’s ears.

“Hey, I saw what happened.” Tony looked up to see the carnival stand girl looking apologetic at the two of them. “I don’t know if this would make you feel better, but would you like to play a few rounds for free? It’s on the house.”

Tony smiled and looked to Stephen.

“Does that sound fun?”

Stephen shrugged, laying his chin on the counter.

“You play. I’ll watch.”

Tony nodded, a plan in mind. He missed the first shot but nailed the next four. Then he aimed for the bright yellow balloon titled ‘10,000 points.’ It was tiny, underinflated, and unlikely to pop from elasticity tension. Tony ran a few trajectory equations through his head, nibbling at his lip. He had two darts left. Gravity was his best bet, if he could arc the dart so it landed into the balloon, he might stand a chance. All the other balloons were one point, and by now, he could maybe get Stephen one of those cute little teddy bears, but he wanted to get Stephen something bigger. Like that giant fluffy round hamster plushy the size of Tony’s body.

The first dart missed, bouncing off the board and falling to the ground. Tony took a deep breath and tossed the last dart in a high arc, watching as it fell and fell and fell and gained velocity until it popped the yellow balloon with a loud snap.

Stephen grinned and clapped and Tony did a little dance. The girl grinned.

“Congratulations! What prize would you like?”

Tony grinned and pointed up at the massive hamster. The girl pulled down the hamster and passed it to Tony who promptly passed it to Stephen.

“Hey, I know today hasn’t been great, but I’m really glad I got to spend time with you today. You never fail to make me happy, even when the whole world feels bad, and I want you to know I want to be there for you, on all the good days and bad.”

Stephen looked at the hamster, then back at Tony. He sniffled and broke down in tears.

“Oh God- Stephen? Was it something I said? Are you okay? Oh God, I’m so sorry!” Tony stammered.

Stephen whimpered, tears pouring down his face. Then he turned and ran, the hamster in his arms as he wove through the crowd and through carnival stands. Tony stared after him, heart sinking. He stood there for a second before taking off after Stephen.

It took him twenty minutes to find Stephen in one of the animal shows, surrounded by cages of fluffy baby bunnies. He was crying silently into the hamster, squeezed tight in his arms. Tony knelt beside him.

“Stephen?” His voice was soft. Something was very wrong. “Please… please just tell me what’s wrong. I want to help you.”

Stephen looked away. His chest was so full of lead he couldn’t bring himself to speak. He felt heavy and dense, like an ancient tree rooted to the ground, bark worn by the elements but still there. Unmoving. Unable to move.

“Please.”

Stephen let out a choked whimper.

“I don’t know if I’m ready to tell you.” His voice was cracking and frail. So weak. But it was the truth.

“That’s okay. I just want to make sure you’re safe… are you safe?” Tony asked, taking Stephen’s hands in his.

Stephen nodded.

“It’s just… I don’t know.” Stephen hung his head.

“It’s okay not to know,” Tony whispered. “Do you want to go home now?”

Stephen shook his head.

“I want to ride the Ferris Wheel. Like we do every year.”

Tony smiled softly and hugged Stephen, staying there for a second, the way a curling vine of ivy finds comfort in cracked bark, grey with exhaustion. They stayed there for a bit, nestled amongst the animal cages and beneath the flair of the crowded festival like the world was fog and they were the grass, rooted in place.

Stephen moved first, reaching up and pulling himself to his feet and then reaching for Tony to help him up.

“You know, you’re the best alpha I could have ever wished for,” Stephen said with a small, bittersweet smile.

“Well… I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to fall in love with,” Tony responded.

“Do you promise you’ll always be with me? Through everything?” Stephen asked, squeezing Tony’s hand.

“Of course. I love you, Stephen. And nothing can ever make me stop.”

Tony leaned up and kissed Stephen softly, sweetly. Stephen let his eyes drift closed and he savored every single saccharine second.

They found the Ferris Wheel easily. It was the center of the fair, after all. And one long line later they were sitting in a car going up and up and up. Stephen fidgeted quietly. It was funny how the second all you needed was time it seemed to twist and turn and go faster and faster so blindingly fast you can barely even remembered what you prepared to say. When the carriage got halfway up its arc Stephen bit his lip, letting out a little, tightly-wound sigh.

“Tony… I need to tell you what’s wrong. I’ve been avoiding it all day, but… I just wanted one last good day with you before it all changed.” Stephen looked over the edge of the carriage and let out a dry chuckle. “Although I suppose I ruined my chance at that, too.”

“What- what are you talking about?” Tony’s voice was on edge.

“I-I’m pregnant.”

Stephen stared at Tony full-on. He kept searching for something other than shock but it was like combing a beach for something that just wasn’t there. Stephen’s hands started to shake.

“T-Tony? Please say something.”

Stephen’s voice sounded so small. He felt so small.

“Am I- Am I the dad?” Tony finally asked.

Anger flared deep in Stephen’s gut and for a moment he wanted to slap Tony off of the stupid Ferris Wheel.

“Of course you’re the father!” Stephen snapped. “You fucking idiot- you really think I’m screwing a dozen alphas behind your back?”

His scent soured and he turned away, glaring. Tony stayed quiet.

“Whatever. You probably want to break up with me now anyways. Just do it. I don’t want to have you pretend to care about this. I’ll just… forget about my full-ride to Columbia. I doubt my parents will even let me go. They want me to stay on the farm and become a good obedient little housespouse omega.” Stephen let out an involuntary whimper. Tears were pouring down his cheeks and he hugged himself. “I thought I was going to be happy… I thought I was going to have a future, but I- I don’t know anymore!”

The whole world felt like it was collapsing, folding in an compressing into one invincible singularity stuck in Stephen’s windpipe. Everything was spinning and hot and his head hurt so so much… Stephen closed his eyes and buried his face in his hands, sobbing.

Then, Tony gently wrapped his arms around Stephen, pulling the crying omega to his chest.

“Shh… it’s okay. I’m sorry, I just… I’m a father…” A small smile appeared on Tony’s face. “I couldn’t believe it. But Stephen, whatever you choose to do, this is your choice, and I will back you up 1,000%. I love you, and I meant it when I said I would stay with you no matter what. I know how much medical school means to you, and I swear that I can help you take care of our child so you can study if you choose to keep it. You don’t need to give up your dream, your dream can always stay. If you choose not to keep it, then I’ll be there for you too. No matter what you choose, we’re in this together.”

Stephen let his hands fall away from his face and his head plop on Tony’s shoulder. He was still crying and shaking, but this time from happiness. Tony wasn’t leaving him. He wasn’t going to be stuck alone on a farm his whole life. He would be okay. They would be okay.

He turned and tackled Tony in a hug, enough to rattle their cart. Tony laughed and held them as they reached the top of the Ferris Wheel, watching as the sun set over the fair and the town and everything surrounding it and turned it all to gold.

#ironstrange fanfic challenge #ironstrange fanfiction #ironstrange #tony stark #stephen strange #omega stephen strange #alpha tony stark #iron man #doctor strange #avengers #supremefamily #marvel #mcu

[goodlucktkachuk]

Frantic -- Matthew Tkachuk (Pt.2)

a/n: And by popular demand we have part two. Hope you guys enjoy!

Part One

------------------------------------------

Instantly a smile covered your face as you pressed confirm. Your instagram was nothing of scandal, mainly  paintings or doodles, a few pictures of you and Emily, and some vacation photos from last summer in Muskoka that you knew Matthew will enjoy. When Mitch reentered the room he shot you a puzzled look.

“What’s got you so chipper mini?” He teased, using the nickname your mom affectionately gave you when you were four and in a phase where you followed Mitch everywhere.

Chuckling, you shrugged your shoulders, “Emily sent me a really funny video of Nick in a facemask.” He laughed at the thought and the topic was dropped.

Around 1am, Mitch was blacked out on the couch next to you so you took the blanket you had wrapped around you and you tried to place it as softly as possible on your sleeping brother. After turning off the TV, you headed into their bathroom to borrow Steph’s makeup wipes. As you stared at yourself in the mirror for the first time that day and you could really see how tired you were. The all nighters of  homework and the rush and fall of going to games had started to catch up with you. You quickly slipped into Mitches closet and grabbed one of his old London hoodies and a pair of boxers. Once you found yourself in your pajamas and the warm embrace of the guest bed you flicked your eyes on your phone once again.

*Matthew_Tkachuk has sent you a message*

Intrigued by what the boy has to say you slid over the notification and unlocked your phone.

Matthew: first of all, what the fuck? Had I know it was you I wouldn’t have said what I said

Y/N: what?

Matthew: You didn’t think to mention that you're a mini marnie princess?

Y/N: why does it matter matty? Not like I live with him anymore. I’m an adult now Matty

Matthew: You’re still Mitches kid sister Y/N! I can’t just brush that off

Your chest ran tight after hearing him call you a kid. You knew you were younger but didn’t see the big deal about it.

Y/N: Oh give me a break, I’m 19, I’m all grown up now Tkachuk

Matthew: prove it, move this to snap and put your money where your mouth is ;)

Your heart fluttered in your chest but before you could enjoy it you found yourself mentally scorning yourself. This was your brother's old teammate and a family friend. Hell, you and Tayrn were attached at the hip everytime you two were together. There was too much history. Even though everything in your mind screamed no you found yourself accepting his proposal anyway before drifting off to sleep.

The next morning you woke up to find there was a sticky note placed firmly on your forehead. Pulling it off slowly, you flipped it over and it read ‘Went out for lunch with some of the team. Text me when you wake up’ The fact he couldn’t have just texted you that made you roll your eyes. You slowly lifted yourself out of the bed and started your staggered walk to the guest bathroom.

The sight in the mirror this morning was actually pretty cute. Your braids were slightly a mess from the night before but it went nicely with how Mitches sweater fit you and how his boxers hung off your hips. You snapped a picture of you throwing up a peace sign and posted it on your story with some witty caption about stealing Mitch’s clothes and looking better in them before hopping in the shower.

After departing from the warmth of the shower you changed back into your jeans from the night before and kept the sweater on. You ordered yourself some food and pulled out your laptop to get some school work done. Before you dove into art history and marketing techniques you opened a snapchat from Matt.

It wasn’t anything groundbreaking. He was sitting in a restaurant somewhere in a nice polo shirt. You could see half his face and his curls were pushed up with a red bandana. You stared at it for so long that you almost forgot to read what it said. ‘Snazzy hoodie you got there mini marnie, too bad it has the wrong name on the back’

You followed suit with your response, only sending half your face with a smirk plastered to your lips. ‘See Marner suits me so much better than Tkachuk so I think I’ll stick with this one!’

Matthew smiles at his phone. He was at a team lunch with the Flames and a few Leafs to catch up before they had to head back to Calgary. It was nice to see all the boys again, especially Mitch even though he had a different Marner on his mind. The lunch was overall pleasant even with all the dirty looks he had got from Auston any time anyone mentioned Y/N. As hard as it was for him not to spew endless chirps, he knew if he ever wanted a shot with you he knew he had to bite his tongue.

Deciding taking photos wasn’t the smartest way to hide what he was doing he texted you back instead. “Ouch Y/N that one hurt a bit. Hopefully in a few years you’ll change your mind ;)”

Y/N: In your dreams, Tkachuk. The team already has me destined to be with Aus so you gotta get in line.

Seeing those words made a fire erupt in his body. He knew you were probably just joking around but the idea of Auston getting to hold you made his blood run cold. Maybe that friendly warning wasn’t in the best interest of Y/N but Auston being selfish.

Matty: Auston has nothing on me sweetheart.

His words stopped you in your tracks. You never thought the juvenile feelings you had for Matthew would ever be reciprocated but here he was playing the game right back.

Y/N: I don’t know Matty, I’ve seen what Austons packing

As soon as Matthew read your text he slammed his phone down with a ‘Fuck’ that was a bit too loud making all the guys look at him.

“What’s your deal?”  Johnny asks, confused at his sudden outburst.

“Nothing.” Matthew says before he picks his phone backup and answers his text.

Matthew: I’m sorry what?

Before you answered, your mind drifted back to the previous summer. Mitch had invited the team and their girlfriends up to your cottage for one of the long weekends. It was a really fun weekend filled with drinking, boating, bonfires and even more drinking. On the last night there, Auston had a bit too much and proceeded to take off his swim trunks and run full force into the lake. Thinking it was hilarious, a few of the other boys followed suit. Unfortunately, because of where you were sitting when this happened, you saw a bit more of your brother's teammate than you would like to.

Snapping back to realted you messaged him back.

Y/N: you read what I sent

Matthew: tell me how good he was and then let me show you something better princess.

A mad blush crossed your face at the thought of Matthew showing you what he could do. You pushed those thoughts out of your head and began work on the lecture notes you were avoiding. Trying your best to push the thought of him having his way with you out of your head.

A few hours passed and the boys all crashed into Mitches apartment. Mo, Jake, and Zach set up shop on the bar stools across from you as Auston draped himself over your shoulders. Mitch leaned over the edge of the counter, all of them talking over each other. You missed having a house full of players all having fun. Matthew texted you again and you quickly turned your phone over before anyone could see it but you weren’t fast enough. Hearing your phone go off and seeing Auston look over your shoulder, Jake shot him a look to which Auston just shook his head and they both frowned knowing it was Tkachuk. Still typing away on your computer, Aus reached down putting his hands on yours and the pressure alone messed you up. As you went to scold him Jake interrupted you.

“So Y/N did you hear the Sandman and his girlfriend broke up?”

“I didn’t actually, I thought they were gonna get engaged?” Not looking up from your screen you tried speaking with as little interest as possible.

He shrugged his shoulders then continued “Guess it didn’t work out” He took a slight pause while Auston nodded at him  “Maybe you two should go out. Mitch mentioned at lunch you aren't seeing anyone.”

“I’m not sure dating another leaf is a good idea.” You responded still trying to feign interest.

“I think that would be a great idea.” Aus chimed in from behind you.

“I don’t remember asking what you thought, Auston.” You bite back.

You could cut the tension between you and Auston with a knife. After about a minute of no one saying anything, Mitch clapped loudly to catch the group's attention before he spoke.  

“Alright boys I think it's time for some Modern Warfare” The boys all nodded and headed towards the living room.

Auston leaned in close, whispering in your ear before going to meet the others, “It’s cause he’s young right? I know guys my age are more your speed these days.”

You flinched slightly, “I don’t know what you're talking about” You tried to say as smoothly as possible.

“If you say so, pest.” The last word basically being spat at you with a hostility you had never felt from him before. He finally let go of you and headed for the living room.

With that comment you had had enough and excused yourself to head back to your apartment. On your way down to the lobby knowing you were safe from the watchful eye of Auston and Jake you decided to answer Matthew.

Matthew: Y/N? Did I say something that's going to get me in trouble?

Y/N: Sorry, got distracted by some homework. Since when is Matty Tkachuk afraid of causing a little trouble ?

Part Three

#matthew tkachuk #matty tkachuk #matthew tkachuk imagine #nhl imagine #nhl #hockey #calgary flames #flames imagine #auston matthews #mitch marner #toronto maple leafs

[aliceaddellheidde]

Fatum

A/N: This is for @the-ss-horniest-book-club Lucky in love. March 18 – Occasion.

WORDS: 2134 😅

WARNINGS: Bucky is sad a bit, swearing

PAIRING: Bucky Barnes x reader (eventually) {Soulmates AU}

DISCLAIMERS: Endgame happened, but only Thanos and his peasants died. English isn´t my first language so sorry for mistakes.

Moi, Rai and Parca are genderless & are using they/their pronouns.

This is soulmates au. When you get tattoo, your soulmate gets it as well on same spot. It glows when you touch.

This is multi-chapter story. 10/19

Gif from here

Divider by @rainbowkisses31

Today was THE day. Your birthday. You woke up to beautiful sunny morning. There were flowers and muffins on your desk. You walked up to it and sniffed the bouquet. It was your favourite. But you were suspicious about those muffins. You took one in your hand. It was weird, like rubber. You squeezed it lightly few times and then suddenly it burst and thick colour covered your front. You angry-walked out from your room, wiping your face best as you could, leaving footprints behind you.

„Good morning Y/N.” said Bucky with smile on his face. But when he saw you he looked surprised. „What happened to you?” „Don´t act like you don’t know!” you screamed. „You did it? It´s your work! I got used to to your pranks, but it´s my fucking birthday! You couldn’t stop for one damn day?” „It wasn't supposed to be like that! There was a card next to it. You didn't read it?” „There is no card!” He sighted. „Come with me.” He took your hand and you both walked back to your room. There was pink colour on walls, ceiling, floor and furniture. „See? No card.” You pointed on the desk. He looked behind the muffins and handed you small paper. „Told you.” 'Happy birthday to my fourth best friend. Bucky. P.S.: Those muffins are for party this evening. Don’t touch it yet.' „But I bet you would touch it anyway because you are stubborn as a mule.” he smirked. „We are friends?” you asked. His face fell a bit. „Yes. What did you think we are?” „Acquaintances.” „Oh.” Now he looked sad. „I'm sorry Buck.” He nodded, but didn't look at you. „Go and take a shower. I´ll clean this.” „I´ll help you.” „No. It´s your birthday. I heard Wanda and Natasha want to take you shopping.” „Ok. Thank you.” You left him with heavy heart.

When you walked back to your room it was clean, Bucky gone and smiling girls were sitting on your bed. „Ready to go?” „No. My hair is wet and I have … .” Wanda moved her hand and you found yourself in jeans and Bucky's hoodie with dry hair. She even applied light make-up on you. „Thank you Wan.” „No problem. Now lets go.”

They took you to your preferred shops and restaurant for lunch. Meanwhile your team was decorating whole compound floor in your favourite colour and flowers were everywhere. Bucky was in the kitchen making your favoured cookies even when Tony told him he hired professional culinary team. He only rolled his eyes and once he was done he went to pick up presents for you.

You came back home few hours later. „Are those cookies I smell?” you asked when you walked into private area of compound. „They are. Bucky made them.” said Tony, dressed in suit. Bucky showed up from behind the wall with basket full of them. „Happy birthday doll.” he smiled at you slightly and handed it to you. „Thank you Buck!” You hugged him and he hugged you back. „No problem.” You looked up at him and suddenly everything else stopped. Tony looked at Wanda and Natasha with confused face. They just smirked. „Ok Y/N. Time to prepare you for party.” You woke up from trance when Wanda touched you. „You prepared party for me?” you asked Tony. „Of course. It´s your birthday!” You turned back to Bucky, kissed his cheek and Wanda was dragging you away.

She tried different dress on you until you finally found one you loved. „Blue looks amazing on you.” said Natasha when she was giving you pair of earrings with small diamonds as her present for you. Wanda gave you matching necklace. „Miss Y/N, Sergeant Barnes is outside of your room.” announced F.R.I.D.A.Y.. „Thank you. Let him in.”

He had blue Henley and jeans on and his hair was combed. „What is it Bucky?” He looked like a snack. Nervous snack. „I have one more gift for you.” He moved away from door and young woman walked in. „Stephanie!” you shouted and ran to her. „I thought you couldn’t come because of work.” She laughed. „It was pretended. Bucky's idea.” You looked at him and he blushed. „I … I´ll see you at the party. Bye.” „He has crush on you.” said Stephanie when he was gone. „And she has on him!” Wanda laughed. She and Natasha met Stephanie before. You couldn’t protest. They were right. „Ok, ok, stop it. We have party downstairs. Come!”

You walked out of the elevator and everyone in the room started screaming 'Happy birthday' and clapping. You saw your whole team mixed with people from compound. Thor and Loki were there as well with their mates. Tony came up to you and asked for first dance. It seemed like everybody wanted to dance with you after him and you hardly had time to eat or drink or be with Stephanie. She looked happy dancing with Bucky. They were talking and laughing all the time. You felt pang of jealousy even when you knew Bucky wasn't yours. You rather went for drink.

„Having fun?” said familiar voice when you were sipping from your glass for few minutes in peace. „Yes. You having fun with my friend I see.” You turned to him. „Stephanie? She's awesome.  She was telling me how she met Brian.” „Brian?” „Her soulmate. She didn't tell you?”„No.” „Then it´s good thing she's coming over here. Have fun doll. And don’t drink too much. There is surprise for later.” He took his drink and let Stephanie to sit on the chair. „I feel like idiot.” you told her. „Why?” „I was jealous of you and Bucky.” „Oh my gosh, really?” she laughed. „You look good together.” „I don’t know about it. Either way, I´m not single any more.” „So I heard.” „Sorry. I wanted this day to be about you and not me and Brian.” „It´s fine. But I´m upset you told Bucky before me.” „On my defence, he was asking about you and your dating life and I blurt out I met my soulmate. Then he changed subject. I guess he realized he will have no info from me.” „Thank gods! You know too much about me.” „Don´t worry. Your secrets are safe with me. But I bet he knows you like him” „He´s handsome. That's all.” „Should I start with that Declan incident?” „Don´t you dare!” She was laughing and after one more drink you moved to dancing parquet.

„Ok people! Make three teams and put on these protecting suits.” said Tony. It was your team only now as other left and you quickly put white thingy on and went outside with others. You were in awe as whole huge garden changed into maze. „Take you bags with muffins and lets fight!” „Rules Tony.” said Pepper. „Yeah. No magic, no guns, don’t eat those muffins. Who will get treasure box at the end is a winner. It´s hidden somewhere in the maze. Once you are hit, you are dead. Understood?” Everybody cheered and three teams of eight people ran forward. You had your girl friends, Thor, MJ, Scott and Bucky in your team. You were fighting for about an hour, and got lost three times, when you saw something shiny on your left. „Treasure box.” you said to your team and cautiously moved that way. When Tony was designing this maze he put different traps in there. But even he didn't know where they were because F.R.I.D.A.Y. did final touches. You were only few metres from box when lasers showed up. Nat was quickly on the other side and turned them off, but was hit by two muffins from Clint. You and other members ran across his firing range and Bucky shot him with blue coloured muffin. Rest of his team showed up and you had to took cover. „Wan and Steph with me. We have to get that box. Bucky, you good?” „Yeah. Go doll.” You blushed. „Come on birthday girl. Lets get your treasure.” You ran the remaining three metres and grabbed box from pedestal. Then loud alarm screeched around the area. Walls disappeared and you saw everyone coming to you. You were all dirty from paint, but happy. „Congratulations Y/N!” Each one hugged you and you opened the box. Inside was small golden trophy. „Thank you all for this. And for the party and presents.” You were crying as you were walking back inside for rest.

It was quiet when you walked out of shower. You assumed your friends were sleeping by now. You lay down on bed when you felt something hard under your head. It was book you were looking for everywhere, but it was sold out. There was text on first page: 'To birthday doll. Your Bucky.' Your cheeks hurt from how big was your smile before you fell asleep.

Next morning you woke up to Stephanie poking into your sides. „Wake up, lazy girl.” she laughed. „You have to take me home.” „Ok. Breakfast first.”

You met Sam and Aderyn in the kitchen. „Are you and Brian disgustingly sweet like them?” you asked your friend. „Sometimes even more.” she laughed. „Gross.” „Oh come on. You don’t really mean it otherwise you wouldn't go to tattoo salon today.” „I have to do it. If my soulmate doesn’t want to. I´ve been alone for so long Steph. Everyone around me has somebody.” „I know love. And I´m wishing you all the luck.” „Thank you. Now we have to go.” You said byes to happy couple and took one Tony´s cars. „Sometimes I´m jealous you're working with Stark.” „Why? It´s not easy job.” „I know, but look how many cool people you know and what amazing things you have!” „Oh Steph. Is it a way to tell me you want new car for your birthday?” you teased. „What? No! But maybe you can ask Clint if he's free sometimes? To meet Brian. My man is obsessed with Hawkeye.” „I can try. Now get off a car before your boyfriend will march here.” You stopped in front of her house and Brian was standing outside. „I´ll introduce you.” You both walked to him and he hugged Stephanie immediately. You adverted you eyes as they kissed. „Babe, this is my best and the coolest friend, Y/N.” „Nice to finally meet you.” He shook your hand. „Likewise.” You did small talk and then you had to go on your appointment.

You stepped inside a tattoo salon and girl from reception recognized you right away. „Miss Y/N! 11 A.M., right?” „Yes.” „Follow me.” She took you into small room with table, chair, counter and shelves with equipment. You looked around beautiful pictures on the walls. „Your artist will be right here.” You nodded and sat down. After few minutes door open again and Tatiana walked in. „Hello. Nice to see you again.” she smiled. „Can we begin or you have some more questions? Some doubts?” „I … I was looking at you photos outside and here as well. Those couples look so happy. I´m not always so sure there is really someone for me.” „You are afraid your soulmate will not love you?” „Yeah.” „Honey, don’t worry. It´s called soulmate for a reason! I´m not saying there will not be hard times, there will, but your souls are meant to be together. In good and bad.” „But what if I think I love someone and it turns out he's not my mate?” „When you already feel it like that then there is high chance he's the one for you. If not, then you only have to deal with it.” You looked at your shoes. „I guess.” „You still want to do it?” You looked back at her. „Yes.” „Then hop on the table. Left side of lower belly, navy blue?” „Yes.” You lied down and let her do her job. After that you saw her when she put your template into computer system. „Congratulations, you are first with this tattoo.” Tatiana smiled at you. It was easy system. You could choose almost any colour of colour spectrum, but not shades too close each other. That's why governments around the world made computer program and it tells you which colours are already taken. Once all are used, tattoo template is destroyed. It predicted a lot misunderstandings. Just imagine there would be five more people with same colour tattoo as you. How would you know which is your mate? „I can take a picture of it and you can update it later on soulmates web.” „Please.” After that she told you about aftercare again and you were free to go.

At same time some person got same tattoo as you and it scared the hell of them.

Music 🤣

#hbc lucky in love #the ss horniest book club #bucky barnes #soulmate au bucky barnes

[kumeko]

A/N: For the Summer Lovin’ zine, where I wanted to do a light, fluffy, summer romance. With bonus Steph and Tim teasing Damian (as is their right) and Cassandra helping out where she could.

…

…

…

…

Endless fields of unripe wheat. A cloudless blue sky stretching as far as the eye can see. The occasional house poking out of an otherwise flat terrain. Damian stared outside the car window and clicked his tongue. No wonder his father had declined to come; there were no shadows here to hide in, only light.

 “What’s the matter?” Stephanie asked, an impish smile on her face as she poked his cheek. “Bored?”

 “Of course not.” He swatted her hand away but that only made her laugh. “We shouldn’t be here.”

 “Why?” From the driver’s seat, Tim glanced at him in the rear-view mirror. If Stephanie’s smile was teasing, his smirk was downright malicious. “Scared you’ll have fun?”

 Damian crossed his arms. He would never for the life of him understand what his father saw in that fake Robin. No, it went deeper than that—what did he see in most of his proteges? Stephanie didn’t take anything seriously, Tim didn’t have the skills, Dick was too fun-loving, and Jason had no control. The only not disappointing one in the bunch was Cassandra, and Damian feared that one day the others would infect her as well. He should have gotten rid of them while he had the chance. “We should be training, Drake,” Damian replied, irritation leaking into his voice.

“An important part of training is taking breaks.” Stephanie poked his cheek again. He was going to break her finger one day. “It’s summer, school’s out, and Bruce and Dick have Gotham covered. We can have a little vacation, the world’s not going to destroy itself without us.”

 “Without you, maybe,” Damian sneered. The effect was ruined as she pulled his cheek.

 “Without us,” she repeated, still sporting that insufferable smile. “If it’s serious, they’ll call us. It’s not like the League doesn’t know where the Kent farmhouse is.”

 Damian wasn’t sure if that was a good thing. Surely the most dangerous man in the planet should have his parents hidden somewhere secure, instead of having their name on file. Villains broke into the JLA all the time as it was; it wouldn’t be that long before someone stumbled upon this badly kept secret.

 “You’re wasting your breath, Steph.” Tim shrugged, his eyes on the road. “He doesn’t know what a break is.”

 From the front passenger seat, Cassandra gave Damian a sympathetic smile. She had been silent till now, more than content to just listen. Which was probably why he preferred her to the others; she wasn’t a blabbermouth like the others. “A break can help your body recover,” she offered.

 At least that was practical advice for once. Damian leaned back in his seat. “I suppose.”

 “You’re such a softie to her and Dick.” Stephanie leaned back into her seat, finally leaving him alone.

 “It’s too bad Dick couldn’t come,” Tim sighed. “He could have muzzled the brat.”

 “Well, while we’re meeting our favourite aliens, he’s got his own alien to meet.” Stephanie waggled her brows before she and Tim burst into a fit of laughter. Leaning forward, she rested a hand on Cass’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, I’ll share mine with you.”

 “Okay?” Looking confused, Cassandra nodded.

 “And Damian’s got Jon,” Tim chimed in, exchanging a look with Steph.

 Wisely, Damian kept his mouth shut. With these two, almost any response he gave would only be ammo.

 -x-

 “Damian!”

 He barely had time to turn around before Jon barreled into him, knocking him over. Landing flat on his back, Damian grunted as his breath rushed out of him. Jon had little restraint in the best of times, and almost none when he was emotional. Frowning at the mop of dark hair on his chest, he rolled his friend off. “Kent.”

 “Kent,” Tim and Steph said at the same time and he didn’t have to see them to know they were wearing identical smiles.

 “Damian!” Pushing himself off the ground, Jon shot him a grumpy look.

 Quietly, Damian muttered, “Fine, Jon.”

 The idiot duo cackled behind him and he wasn’t sure if Jon’s bright smile was worth it. Picking himself off the ground, Damian didn’t bother to dust off his clothes before hauling Jon up. “Where’s my room?” he asked, dragging Jon along as he headed to the main house. “And please tell me those two are sleeping in the barn.”

 “Nah, they’ll be rooming with Conner and Kara, just like you’ll be with me.” Jon wrapped an arm around his back, almost skipping as they headed in. “It’ll be fun!”

 Fun. That wasn’t the word he’d use for it. Perhaps he could at least sabotage their beds after this.

 -x-

 Balancing a dagger between his two fingers, Damian studied the target. It was perhaps one of the simplest targets he’d practiced with, a static bale of hay only 50 yards down. A single red x made of cardboard sat on the bale. There was no challenge in this. Still, some practice was better than none. Raising his hand behind him, Damian whipped his arm forward and tossed the dagger.

 With a solid thwack, the dagger hit the target dead center.

 As expected. Child’s play, really.

 As though to cut into his preening, Jon applauded behind him. “Wow,” he cheered, his voice deadpan. “That was amazing.” Sarcasm dripped from his words as he hovered over the ground, giving Damian the most bored look possible.

 “There’s nothing else here to use,” Damian sniped back, not appreciating the reaction. It figured this was the place the Supers called home, this land of sunlight. The Kents owned few weapons, if one could call them that. A shotgun, several farming tools, and an oddly sharp kitchen knife were their defenses of choice. Miraculously, no supervillains had dared to take over this quaint town, and he could only chalk it up to luck. Probably the same luck that allowed all the Supers to fly without a single neighbour to report them.

 Not finished, Jon leaned forward, shielding his eyes with a hand. Fake squinting, he studied the target. “That’s, what, ten in a row? All in the same spot, somehow?” The scorn disappeared from his tone and Jon gave him a thumbs up. “That’s actually really cool.”

 Cool was again not a word Damian would use but he accepted the compliment. “If I couldn’t do that much, I’d hang up my cape.”

 “Right, right.” Jon landed on the ground next to him, clapping him on the back. “And you’re doing ten more of these?”

 “I need to keep up the practice,” Damian muttered, distracted by the tingling in his back. It had been happening recently, at Jon’s point of contact, and he wondered if it was some uncontrolled Kyptonian strength running through his flesh. “Even if the practice is subpar.”

 “Of course.” There was a mischievous twinkle in Jon’s eyes. “But you’re just going to get the same result. And it’s boring.”

 Rankled, Damian pulled away. “Practice is not—”

 “There’s more fun ways to practice instead.” Jon pounced, tackling him to the ground. “Let’s fight.”

 Well, that was certainly something Damian could get behind. Flipping them over, he smirked. “You’re on.”

 -x-

 “So, Damian, was it?” Ma Kent smiled at him kindly as she exited the kitchen. The smell of cooked chicken wafted through the air, filling the dining room. In her hands was a bright, flowery plastic bowl filled with Brussel sprouts. “I heard a lot about you.”

 Damian stared at her. The dining room was empty save for them—the others hadn’t yet come back from whatever wasteful endeavours they had planned and Jon was feeding Krypto. While he had begrudgingly accepted the fact that he’d have to eat dinner with everyone, there had better not be any expectations of conversation. He had planned to let Jon do all the talking, to cover up his silence, but that wasn’t possible right now. When Ma Kent smiled at him, he reluctantly replied, “I see.”

 “Ahaha, got a way with words, I see.” Chuckling, she set down the bowl. A bowl that did not match any of plates. Actually, now that he was paying attention, none of the big serving bowls matched, all of them hideous plastic monstrosities. Noticing his scornful expression, she rubbed her neck sheepishly. “I know what you’re thinking. I used to use my good china whenever someone came, but after two dinner attacks and one food fight, I’ve learned my lesson. If the powers are out, my plates stay in.”

 “I see.” Not that he had asked for clarifications. Not that he was curious in any way, shape, or form about it.

 “You really do have only one mode.” Laughing, she returned to the kitchen. “Like father, like son. Glad the rest of your lot didn’t turn out like this; don’t think I could have handled that much grumpiness at my table.”

 “I’m not grumpy,” he muttered under his breath.

 “Man, Krypto was hungry tonight!” Jon tumbled in through the window, ecstatic. Catching Damian’s expression, he cocked his head. “What, did I miss anything?”

 Resisting the urge to cross his arms (because he wasn’t grumpy, he was stoic), Damian gave him a surly look. “Nothing.”

 Ma Kent chuckled again. “Nothing, hun. Now make sure to wash those hands.”

-x-

 The stars were bright here. Sprawled on the roof, Damian leaned back and studied the night sky above him. Without Gotham’s pollution, the milky way was visible for once. Stars glittered above him, taking advantage of the moonless night. He had almost forgotten what the night sky could look like, what it had those nights long ago when he lived in the desert, training under his mother’s watchful eye.

 An almost silent presence approached him and Damian discretely reached into his pocket for a dagger. The stranger’s hand touched his, stilling it, and he looked up to find Cassandra Cain. She offered him a smile. “It is silent here,” she murmured, sitting down beside him.

 “I suppose.” Damian glanced at her, then at the fields below. It looked like a dark sea, threatening to swallow them whole. An owl hooted, crickets chirped, and all in all, it was far quieter here than it was in the city. Just when had he gotten used to the never-ending honking? Even the smell here was different. The farm felt clean.

 “It is,” she corrected, hugging her knees. She closed her eyes, listening. “It is…not bad to relax.”

 Not bad, perhaps, but not good either. Not when there were lives at stake in Gotham. Damian wouldn’t call himself a hero, not by any stretch of the word, but Gotham was Batman’s. Gotham was his and he was loathe to let its citizens die when they under his protection. “Isn’t it?”

 “No.” Cassandra closed her eyes. Words were hard for her, action easier—perhaps one of the things he respected so much about her. When she spoke, her words meant something, they were considered and honest. “Relaxing…you can recover. Recharge. See things differently.” Opening her eyes now, she smiled at him, a waxing moon. “See what you are protecting.”

 Damian stared. He was too late; Cassandra had been infected by the others. “I don’t need to see—”

 “Damian!” Before he could finish his sentence, Jon floated down beside him. Dressed in bright blue pjs his mother had to have bought for him, Jon landed on his right. “What’re you doing up here alone?”

 “Alone?” Damian looked at his left once more. Empty. Cassandra was gone. Even if her brain had rotted, her skills remained, and he didn’t know whether to be impressed or irritated at himself. Turning back to Jon, he shrugged. “Reflecting.”

 “Reflecting on what?” Jon raised a brow before asking. “Wait, is this one of those bat-broods Dad was talking about? How you guys all go to a corner at some point or another and just sulk?”

 Speechless, Damian gaped, his jaw hanging loose. Of all the things he expected to hear, that wasn’t one of them. That wasn’t even on his least likely list.

 “I mean, I can’t picture Steph sulking, but maybe she wasn’t Robin long enough to get the broods.” Jon sat down next to him, bumping shoulders. “Or maybe you took all of them?”

 “I’m not sulking,” Damian growled, resisting the urge to hurl Jon off the roof. Not that it would do any good, he’d just fly back and be twice as mocking about it. What was it with the Kents and their presumptions?

 “Then what?” Jon’s eyes lit up and he hit his fist on his empty palm, as though he’d solved a case. “Stargazing?”

 It was as good an explanation as any. Better, actually, than his own, considering he had none. “Sure.”

 “Prepare to be amazed!” Jon pointed up, a wide smile on his face. “A city boy like you, you haven’t seen half of these stars before.”

 “City boy?” Damian scoffed. “You’re not much better.”

 “I’ve been in the country plenty of times,” Jon retorted, his mood still bright. It was like sitting next to the sun. “Besides, I can fly. Dad’s takes me up all the time to see the stars.”

 A very frivolous waste of power. No wonder Bruce worried about this family.

 “Anyways, see that star over there?” Jon leaned closer, wrapping an arm around Damian’s back to bring him closer. “So that’s part of the big dipper.”

 Of all the stars to start with, the big dipper? Really? Damian didn’t know if he should be insulted or not. It wasn’t like he was much of a ‘city boy’ himself; growing up in the desert, his mother made sure he could navigate just as easily at night as he did the day.

 He could say he had the best tutors, that he knew every constellation by heart.

 He could say that Jon was pointing at the wrong dipper, he meant the one slightly below it.

 Damian could say any or all of those things, but for once in his life he kept quiet. Jon was smiling and he didn’t always have to prove he was the smartest person in the room.

 -x-

 “So, any bets?” Steph asked, shielding her eyes as she leaned back and squinted at the sky. Despite the intense July heat, she stood away from the shade. Above them, small specks in the bright sky, were Conner, Kara, and Jon. They raced through the air, sometimes coming low enough to hear their laughter, other times they were barely visible.

 “On what?” Tim asked. Like her, he was staring up at the sky. Unlike her, he was smart enough to stay next to the barn and the meager relief it provided. Perhaps he did have a modicum of intelligence after all.

 Not that Damian would applaud him. Using a handful of pebbles, Damian started flicking them at distant targets, smirking when they hit with a satisfying thwink. Perhaps Jon could hide his training dummies and Tim could hide his weapons, but they couldn’t force him to be idle the entire time he was here. Glancing at Cassandra, who was sitting nonchalantly on the ground next to him, a pleased smile on her face, Damian was perplexed. How could she handle this?

 “The next Super. Like, it’s obvious that Cass is the next Batman, but I dunno about them.” Ignoring Damian’s glare, she finally strolled into the shade. She leaned against the barn door and crossed her arms. “It’s between Conner and Jon.”

 “So Kara’s not interested?” Tim stroked his chin thoughtfully. After humming for a few minutes, he turned to Cassandra and asked, “Who’d you rather work with?”

 Unable to handle the indignancy anymore, Damian barked, “I’m the next Batman.”

 “Sure.” Stephanie rested a hand on her hip, giving him a pitying look. “Whatever makes you feel better.”

 “Go easy on him, it’s not easy to find out that he’ll be Robin forever.” Tim shook his head sadly. “All of that time, all of mommy’s promises that’d he’d get the job, it must be crushing.”

 “What?” he squawked.

 “He couldn’t even accept that Cass is Bruce’s favourite.” Coming over, Stephanie squeezed his shoulder. “And then there’s Dick—you’re maybe third? Maybe?”

 Picking a pebble out of his hand, Cassandra flicked it at the bushes. A bird shot out of it, startled. “Either of them…are fine,” she answered slowly. “Conner, then Jon?”

 Et tu, Brutus? Damian turned to Cassandra as she tossed yet another pebble with pinpoint accuracy. He should have realized earlier that they were all after his job, that there was no one here he could trust.

 “Ah, Conner takes it on for a little before giving it to Jon.” Stephanie nodded sagely. “True, that’s also in the running.” Her hair fell in front of her as a flyby occurred and she quickly pushed back her golden locks. “You know Jon actually hangs out with them?” Wrapping an arm around Damian’s shoulder, she bemoaned, “Why can’t our baby be so friendly?”

 “It would be…weird,” Cassandra pointed out, getting up now. She patted him on the back. “He is…different.”

 “Who is?” Kara landed on the ground, her hair looking like a wild nest. It seemed being Kryptonian didn’t protect them entirely from physics.

 “Damian, but you already knew that.” Stephanie retreated before he could attack her. “What’s up?”

 Kara glared at him before smiling at Stephanie. “A race! We’ll each pick one of you up and see who can fly the fastest. So, Steph or Cass?”

 “Cass!” Stephanie volunteered, leaning against Cassandra. “I’ve had plenty of flights. It’s a sacrifice, but someone has to do it.”

 “Sacrifice.” Tim rolled his eyes. “You just don’t want to mess your hair.”

 “Both things can be true.” She stuck her tongue out.

 By now, Jon and Conner had landed as well, standing next to Damian and Tim respectively. Conner smirked cockily. “We’ve got this in the bag.”

 “Yeah, we did this every day in the Teen Titans.” Tim high-fived Conner. “It’ll be too easy.”

 “Oh, just you wait and see!” Kara stood next to Cassandra, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “I’ve practiced.”

 “We’ll win!” Jon declared, grabbing Damian’s hand. Leaning closer, he whispered, “And no matter what, you’re my Batman.”

 “Huh?” Damian tried to look at Jon but before he could, he was already in the air and the race had started.

 On that day, Damian discovered that his stomach was both stronger and weaker than he’d expected.  

 -x-

 At nine pm, it was dark. Dark in a different way than Gotham got—for all the narrow alleys and forgotten warehouses, it was never truly devoid of light. Whether it was a flickering streetlamp or the semi-blocked lights of an office, there was light somewhere.

 Here, though, in the middle of nowhere, it was pitch dark. Damian could just make out Jon’s figure sitting next to him. The others, still sitting near the barbeque a short distance away, were impossible to see. The only thing visible were the stars above, as disgustingly bright as ever. Somehow, the sky never turned truly dark, a thing he had forgotten. It had been too long since he’d been in the desert, since he’d left the city behind.

 “I’m glad you came.” Even without looking, he knew Jon was smiling. He was always smiling, always moving, always something, like his face didn’t know how not express his emotions, like his body would combust if he stayed still.

 Damian didn’t bother to reply. Leaning forward on the dock edge, he skimmed his shoe against the still waters, watching the dark ripples warp the galaxy below. The only thing rivalling the stars were the fireflies drifting lazily nearby, yellow spots against the black.

 Unfazed (and Damian didn’t want to think about when that happened, about when Jon stopped getting angry at his silence and just accepted it), Jon rested his hand on Damian’s, threading their fingers together. It was an oddly intimate sensation. Damian didn’t mind it for some reason. “It’s a lot more fun when you’re around. I wish you didn’t have to leave tomorrow.”

 This time, Jon’s stare was expectant. Damian glanced at him, then back at the fireflies. “It wasn’t a complete waste,” he muttered, a half-truth. Perhaps there was something to vacations, but he loathed to admit it.

 Jon laughed, seeing through him. “Knew you’d like it here.”

 Feeling a little prickly, Damian glared at him. “Don’t act like you know—”

 “But I’m right, aren’t I?” When Damian didn’t say anything, Jon leaned closer. “I know you.”

 Before Damian could react, Jon’s lips were on his cheek, a warm pressure that was all too temporarily. His jaw fell slack. His skin burned. For once, his words failed him and he felt like a simpleton.

 “If I knew that’d shut you up, I’d have done it ages ago.” Jon smirked, looking playful.

 “Jon!” Pa Kent yelled. “We’re making smores.”

 “Save me some chocolate!”

 And just like that, Jon leaped to his feet, dashing away, and Damian still didn’t know what to say.

 -x-

 The roof was empty when he sat on it. Cassandra wasn’t there to give advice. Jon wasn’t there, laughing as he strung together stars like they were the pearls, creating tapestries on the sky above. There was just complete and utter silence, just as Damian preferred.

 While his skin had cooled down, his heart hadn’t, and he tried to meditate. Crossing his legs, he emptied his mind. Jon’s lips had been soft. He emptied his mind. His hand was rough. He emptied his mind. Jon—

 And maybe he had been wrong before; it was too late for himself. He’d been infected by all these damnable people around him, to the point he had actually considered asking Tim Drake of all people for advice. Friendship, family, love—

 It was too late. He had all of them and as loathe as he was to let them in, he was even worse about letting them go.

 -x-

 “So.” The confident Jon of yesterday was gone, leaving a more nervous boy in its wake. He was constantly fidgeting, his eyes darting all over like he didn’t know where to look. Judging by the bags under his eyes, he probably hadn’t slept.

 Good. He deserved a little suffering for leaving like that, for forcing Damian to think about his feelings. “So?” he drawled out, relishing in the little flinch Jon gave.

 They were standing in front of the Kent’s house, in the cool morning air. For the first time in two weeks, the sun wasn’t beating down on him and Damian couldn’t wait to return to the air conditioning of the Wayne manor. Already, the others were packing up the car, leaving only him and Jon to say their goodbyes.

 Or, well, whatever it was that Jon was trying to say. Damian tapped his foot on the ground, raising a brow when Jon didn’t say anything.

 “See you later?” Jon managed weakly.

 Sighing, Damian tossed him a bone. “Even a stopped clock is right twice. This vacation wasn’t terrible, I’m not adverse to doing it again. However, we are making this up with double the amount of work when we get back.”

 Jon blinked. “You still want to be partners?”

 Damian nodded. “Yes, I thought you had superhearing?”

 “And the other thing?” Jon asked, stepping closer.

 It took all of Damian’s willpower to not step back, not even when Jon was close enough to touch, to kiss. Feeling a familiar flush on the back of his neck, he coughed and looked away. “That…that was fine too.”

 “Really?” Jon’s voice was filled with an earnest hope and Damian’s stomach flip-flopped.

 “Don’t make me repeat it,” Damian growled, feeling uncharacteristically flustered.

 “Damian!” That was the only warning he got before Jon’s arms were around him once more, his lips pressed against his own. Behind him, he heard a bag drop and of all the people to bear witness to this, it had to be the morons in his family.

 It was hard to pay attention to both them and Jon, to the pure joy that radiated off his—Damian didn’t know what to call Jon anymore. Friend didn’t feel appropriate. Whatever it was, he’d figure it out later, when they were alone and they didn’t have the peanut gallery around. Gingerly, he wrapped an arm around Jon, pulling him closer. When they finally parted to take a breath, he glared at Jon. “Did you have to do it in front of them?”

 “That’s your first response?” Jon grinned, leaning close to kiss him on the nose. Reluctantly letting go, Jon stepped back. “See you in a week.”

 “Like I’m letting you off the hook that easily,” Damian grumbled, pretty sure his entire face was red now. While he took after his mother, his brown skin could only hide so much, and unfortunately his carmates eyes were sharper than most.

 Ignoring the stares, he marched to the car and plunked himself into the front passenger seat. He was not going to deal with Stephanie’s teasing a second time around, not when she had more ammo. At least Drake would have to keep his eyes on the road.

 -x-

 The entire car ride back was filled with Tim and Stephanie singing, “Damian and Jon, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.”

 Damian had never been more tempted to kill.

#damijon #damian wayne #Jonathan Kent #robin #batman #superboy #fanfic #dc comics

[willykappymarnsmatts]

Wish It Was Real: Chapter 3 (A. Matthews)

Gif by @nylanders

Usually on Saturdays Auston and I would hang out at home all day, listening to music and doing chores around my apartment until it comes time to get ready to go to the arena. It's abnormally quiet in the apartment this Saturday, with no Aus bouncing around the halls, trying to distract me while I fold the laundry, blasting music until I yell at him to turn it down.

I miss him. It's only been a couple of days since I've seen him and I miss him. I don't bother turning on music, but I go around the rooms, picking up old glasses and plates to wash before I get ready to go. I shake my head and wonder how terribly wrong I read the situation on the couch with Auston. I spooked him, and now he'll never look at me the same ever again. He's probably disgusted with me. He's never expressed he wanted anything more with me, our relationship seeming strictly friendly until the fake-dating. But apparently, the entire thing was acting. If he's going to give me the cold shoulder from now on, I don't know how much longer I can go playing pretend with him.

•••

AUSTON’S POV

Why the fuck did I run off like that, I think to myself, lying on my back on my bed, staring at the ceiling. I've picked up my phone at least a hundred times, opening her contact on my phone, wanting more than anything to text her, to see her.

To hear her voice.

But something stops me every time. Something inside me makes me throw my phone across the room and try to force her out of my head. I can't get her out, though. She's all that I can think about, has been for years. Stupid fucking flings don’t even come close to making me feel the way I do when I’m around her, when she smiles at me and its like time stops, when she jokingly flirts with me when we’re alone. The way she's been looking at me, while we've been pretending, I literally cannot focus. It takes all my fucking willpower not to kiss her while we’re in the company of the team, or her friends.

When she's wearing my sweats, her hair hanging loose with no makeup on, I can't think straight. When she dresses up to go out somewhere, I imagine my hands roaming her perfect body, the things I'd do to her if I could. She makes my heart stop. She's funny, and kind to literally everyone, she's loyal, beautiful…

She’s my fucking favourite person and I want her all to myself.

I'm gonna make her mine. I'm done playing games and pretending and flirting. I sit up on my bed and push myself onto my feet to get ready to go to the arena. I'm not going to wait around anymore.

•••

Y/N’s POV

I smile politely at the people who make eye-contact with me on my way to the section where the guys buy seats for the WAGs. I take a deep breath when I see the group of blondes chatting and drinking a few metres away. I nod at the strangers in the seats between me and the girls and slide past them when they get up.

“Y/N! Hey!” Paige exclaims when she sees me. She gets up from her seat to hug me and sits back down, taking her purse off my seat so I can do the same. I wave at the group, and while most of the girls are nice enough to me, Steph glares at me slightly. I shake my head to myself, but my face breaks into a smile when Paige turns towards me. “So, how are things going with Auston?” She drawls. Paige had quickly become my closest friend out of the girls when Kasperi started dating her. They have an on-off relationship, and when they're on I see a lot more of her, but she's probably the only one out of the girlfriends that I keep in touch with outside of with the guys.

I grimace slightly, and her face falls. “You know how the guys all went out for Will’s birthday the other night?” She nods, her eyes searching mine. “Since that night, I haven't seen or heard from him. I know he’s alive because he’s been posting and the team hasn’t posted a fucking announcement that he died, but he’s been ignoring me for what seems like absolutely no reason.” I pout a little, this being the first time I've spoken the situation out loud, even in its half-truth.

“Want me to get Kappy to kick his ass?” She asks, her expression sombre until she sees my face light up and I giggle. We laugh and continue to chat until the lights dim and the light show begins on the ice. We whoop and cheer with the rest of the arena, and Paige and I yell especially loud for Kap, Mitch, and Will. When Auston’s name is announced and the arena starts to shake, my heart dips and breaks a little. He gives a small nod to the arena, which is displayed on the scoreboard, then looks in my direction. I watch him as he squints to look for me in the crowd, as he does every game I come to, but instead of smiling and waving when he sees me like a little kid, he nods to himself and looks away.

My heart breaks and I slump in my seat a bit, which catches Paige’s attention. “Hey, what's wrong?”

“He barely even looked at me.” I admit, and she puts an arm around me and rubs my shoulder. Her bracelet catches on a loose thread of my jersey, and she grins a little.

“His name is still on the back of the jersey you're wearing. Everything is fine. He would’ve taken it with him when he left if he didn’t want you to wear it. And you're going out with him tonight, right?” I nod, still frowning.

“Okay, so then you talk to him tonight. Ask him why he's being a little bitch. And if he does break your heart, I swear I’ll get Kap to beat his ass.”

I giggle again at the thought of the two best friends having it out. “Thanks for being such an amazing friend,” I tell her, and she smiles.

“Babe, you never have to thank me for that.”

The game speeds by and it’s halfway through the third period with the guys down by one to the Panthers. Auston gains possession of the puck and skates into the opposing end. He passes it to Mitch, who passes it back to Auston, who skates around a defenceman and shoots from his backhand…

The arena starts to shake as people jump up from their seats and scream and cheer. I stand up and clap as the guys jump on Auston in celebration. As he skates towards the bench, he looks in my direction and winks, and butterflies blossom in my stomach. Paige sees, and she wraps her arms around me in celebration.

Mitch scores the game-winning goal seven minutes later, to which the fans erupt, and the game ends three minutes after that. Everyone is ecstatic and I leave our section and go into the concourse with Paige on my heels.

“Do you need anything before you go to see him?” she asks me, gently fixing my hair.

“I think I'm okay,” I laugh. “We’re not meeting for the first time or anything.”

She nods and pats me on the shoulder. “Have fun, don't let Steph drag down the night too much.”

I nod and she kisses me on the cheek before letting me find my way to the stairs to get down to meet Auston.

Most of the security recognize me, so I don't have to pull out my access card, but there's always a few new guys who assume I'm a fangirl going to harass the guys. I groan and fish around my purse, but before I can find it someone comes running down the hall and envelopes me in his arms. “Auston!'' I exclaim and hug him back.

“See my goal? Just for you,” he winks, easily falling into fake-affection.

“I saw,'' I grin, and he plants a kiss on my forehead, right in front of the security guard. He clears his throat and Auston nods at him, then wraps his arm around my shoulders to lead me to his car. When we get in, my smile falls, but his doesn’t.

“We can't just act like nothing happened,” I frown.

“Why not?” he jokes, but immediately drops it. “I know. I'm sorry for the way I acted, I really am. I was stupid, I just freaked because-” he cuts himself off when Mitch bursts into the back of the car, a huge grin on his face.

“Mitch! Game winner!'' I smile and high five him, and he pats himself on the back.

“No big deal,” he laughs. Stephanie steps into the car moments later, and the light mood darkens slightly, but I'm able to ignore the glare she gives me.

“Where are we going?” I ask Auston, telling him with my eyes that our conversation is not over.

“Uhm, the usual place.” I nod, my lips in a tight line, and Auston nods back, expressing that he gets that we’re gonna talk alone.

The night is far from over.

#auston matthews #auston matthews/reader #auston matthews fic #auston matthews imagine #mitch marner #toronto maple leafs #hockey #nhl #nhl hockey #toronto maple leafs fic #hockey fic #hockey imagine #nhl fic #nhl imagine #toronto maple leafs imagine #willykappymarnsmatts

[rockmiyabideusexmachina]

2020 Megaman Summer Fanart Contest Results Thread ~ Cat. 1 - Mariko-Sensei’s Hot Hot Hotspring Club

Sorry for the delay in these results. Those following me on Twitter know I had a little computer mishap the week after the deadline, when I had planned to get this all done. And once I went back to work, time to focus on this has not been plentiful. So I’m going to try to keep this a little shorter and concise, best I can. As has become the norm, I’m going to break up the results into separate posts for each category. Here are all the steamy submissions from Category 1 (that *ahem* hopefully aren’t too hot for tumblr nowadays...), and your winners, after the break:

Thank you again to all who participated! As always, you make it very hard to judge these pieces with how great they all were! I will be contacting all winners today, after these posts go live. For the full gallery with images at their actual resolution, please check out these two links:

https://imgbox.com/g/tUBHFYfbpd   [Everyone’s entry, except...]

https://imgbox.com/g/N3dEQbKjjc   [...inanehipsterslang’s multi-page entry]

I will also include a direct link after each entrant’s name, if the images won’t load or are crunched for legibility.

Category 1 - Mariko-Sensei’s Hot Hot Hotspring Club (this category focused on Megaman characters in an onsen setting. Mariko-sensei needed to appear somewhere in the entry, but did not need to be the focus of the piece.)

1.) Steph O’Dell: [ENTRY] *For coming in 1st, Steph has won $125 via Paypal*

Um, uh...sorry to intrude, Mariko-sensei... Gosh, this turned out so dang pretty! In terms of the overall background environment, your piece certainly felt the most polished. The details in the shading, from the rocks to the fence, and the opacity of the water and steam feel just spot on. Stunningly beautiful to look at. 

2.) @dragonmarquise​ [PAGES 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7] *For coming in 2nd, dragonmarquise has won $75 via Paypal*

♫ If you’re ‘fraid of hot springs and you know it, clap your hands ♪

You won points for having the most cohesive story and bringing the category’s titular club to life! There were a lot of panels that had both cute and humorous moments, (glad to know Match at least isn’t weirded out by showers XD) it read well, and felt like a unique and thought-out entry. 

3.) Komito Amae [ENTRY] *For coming in 3rd, Komito has won $50 via Paypal*

As one of two traditional medium entries, I felt you did a really pretty job with your shading and highlights. Especially with everyone’s hair, but also details like the light shining behind Meiru and the pretty contrast in the sky. The rounded rock arrangement fit the composition nicely and stood out in a unique way against the other entries. 

4.) Viruscore [ENTRY] *For being the Honorable Mention, Viruscore has won $25 via Paypal*

Keep your eyes closed or covered, everyone else. There’s not enough steam to keep Mariko’s buns properly covered, and I’m not talking about her hairstyle. _____

And here are the remaining entries that just barely missed the cut, in alphabetical order by alias:

@inanehipsterslang​ [ENTRY FULL GALLERY - 23 PAGES]

Man, I Love Frogs. Man, I had a good laugh at Shadow Man in that shirt! While I have a feeling you were more pressed for time to finish this entry as well as you wanted to, I appreciate that you were the only one who had characters in yukata for this theme, and still snuck in a little Akane bribery. Challenge me to censor your art, will ya? Well, this is what happens... ;p

Mattasaurs [ENTRY]

Layer sure was a popular choice in this theme, and her new XDive swimsuit skin was probably a catalyst. She looks super cute here! I think you nailed her new style perfectly!

@megagundamman​ [ENTRY]

Onsens don’t always have perfect clear blue color. There is actually a variety of types and reasons why they appear different colors. Being yellow, this one might have a bit too much iron or sulfer in it. Or maybe that sunken booty is where all the iron is coming from. 

@tea-and-finalfantasy​ [ENTRY]

The watercolor look of this piece is just as soothing as the feeling Layer and Mariko must be experiencing in the waters. The flowers and berries mixing in help make it an even prettier scene, and the little ducky floating by is cute. I really liked how your Layer turned out; the extra wave and curl in her hair looks very nice like that. 

#Rockman #Megaman #Mega Man #Rock Miyabi's 2020 Megaman Summer Fanart Contest

[spoileralertitsme]

Here’s my part of the collab with @codenamed-queenie and @pauimaginart

-------

“There’s no way,” Dick said with a cynical shake of his head. 

Jason clicked his tongue and leaned back in his chair, letting his arms and legs stretch out obnoxiously. It was hard for Dick to remember seeing him more...’smug’...than he was at this moment, but he was sure it’d happened. 

“That’s the kinda attitude I ‘preciate,” he slurred, with a raise of his wine glass. Instead of merlot, though, Jason had filled it to the brim with the vodka he’d smuggled in here in a hidden flask. Dick wasn’t sure why he was surprised. “Cause it means I’m ‘bout to be fifty bucks richer.”

“Jay,” Dick deadpanned. 

“Fifty bucks is a lot.”

“Jay.” 

He huffed, nursing his vodka glass a little closer to his chest. “Yeah, well, Daddy Warbucks just cut me off, okay?”

Dick raised his eyebrows, stunned. “I didn’t--”

“Yeah, well, somebody’s not getting a tie for father’s day this year. Let’s just leave it at that.” Jason sat up, and leaned over the table, elbows balanced precariously on the edge. “Back to the matter at hand? He can too sing.”

“You haven’t heard him in the shower.”

“As a matter of fact, I have,” Jason countered with one raised finger. “And he sounds like a dying squirrel, I’ll give you that. But! That’s when he’s just messin’ around. You should hear the kid when he actually tries!” 

A waiter swooped over to their table with their meals. Dick and Jason both paused to appreciate the steaming cuts of meat as the plates were slid onto the tablecloth in front of them. A few questions about service preference, apologies for the wait, and generous smiles later, and their server bid them farewell with a warm, “Enjoy the show.”

On cue, all lights in the conference hall dimmed, and the rest of the gathered socialites and city elite murmured lowly across the room. Their hushed chatter fell on Dick’s ears like a buzz, and he turned to Jason with narrowed eyes. 

“I want to be the supportive older brother, here. I do. But the fact is, you can’t hear him try Mariah Carey in the bathroom at three a.m. and expect me to have an open mind.” Dick leaned forward, tapping a finger against the linen-wrapped tabletop. “I love him, Jay, but he sucks.”

And Jason’s smirk was enough to make Dick’s blood boil. 

“We’ll see, bro,” he drawled. “We’ll see.”

Motion over on the stage caught his eye, and Dick turned to watch. 

Tim walked up to the microphone, shoulders as squared as his jaw as he gripped the stand in a death grip. The look on his face was two parts determination, and one part wounded pride. Dick felt a prick of guilt, remembering their conversation a few minutes ago.

“Well, we’ve been puttering around this shindig for an hour, and still no way to get the intel we need. Any ideas?”

Dick had shrugged. “Distraction, obviously. It’s the only thing that works at these functions.”

“I can take care of that.”

“You? What’re you gonna do, Timbers? Squeak at McElvers until she gives up her phone?”

An angry blush colored Tim’s face. “I just overheard the event coordinator. They had a cancellation for tonight’s entertainment.”

“So...you’re gonna squeak at McElvers until she gives up her phone.” Jason’s snicker had been a little cruel. “What’ve you got, stand up comedy? Magic tricks?”

“I’ll sing,” Tim countered with a noncommittal shrug that wound up being at least a little committal. 

And Dick, Big Brother of the Year that he was, choked on his drink. “You?”

He wasn’t proud of it. And he definitely wasn’t proud of causing the betrayed look Tim had given him.

“Yeah. No big deal.”

“Alright.” The note of approval in Jason’s tone had surprised both of his brothers. “Well, I think it’s a solid plan. Go sing your little tweetie-bird heart out up there, Timbo. Dickie and I’ll grab McElvers’s phone while she’s distracted, download the intel, then we’ll all make like a tree and get the heck outta here. Sound good?”

“Jay,” Dick had protested, side-eyeing Tim apologetically. “You sure? We could trip one of the servers, rig a small explosion--”

“Oh, so you’d rather blow something up than let me pull a little weight?” Tim’s expression had reminded Dick of an angry pug, but he’d been a little too emotionally torn to snap a picture for the scrapbook. “I’m a little fed up with third-wheeling on all your missions, guys. Either let me help, or let me head back to the Titans and mind my own business, okay?”

Jason’s eyebrows had risen in a clear challenge. “I say do it, Timmers.” To Dick, he’d added, “Fifty bucks says the kid knocks our socks off.”

Dick had been tempted to argue that Tim’s singing voice would probably knock them off their socks, but he wanted to avoid an explosion of a different kind. So, with a heavy sigh, Dick had nodded, and let Tim storm off to do battle with the event coordinator. 

And whatever Tim had promised the woman must’ve worked, because now he was standing in front of a blazing spotlight, ready to sing his little tweetie-bird heart out. 

The light threw his features into shadow, a dramatic effect that the audience seemed to appreciate. The dry sound of clapping fluttered through the air as a few pinging notes began to play over the speakers. 

Dick sunk a little lower into his seat. Maybe McElvers would be sufficiently distracted when Tim hit a high note and shattered her eardrums. Or her wineglass. Or maybe even both. 

Wait, Dick recognized this song...

Seriously? Ariana Grande?

They might’ve actually been doomed--

--but then Tim started singing. 

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s and bottles of bubbles...”

And Dick’s jaw hit the table. 

For a few moments (which was, admittedly, probably a waste of valuable time) Dick and Jason could only sit still and listen, absolutely mesmerized. The rest of the audience seemed to be hanging on Tim’s every word, the trilling notes of the song holding them captive.

Especially Elaine McElvers. 

Jason tapped his arm frantically, motioning towards their hypnotized mark with his chin. Even with the urgency, though, Jason had a hard time keeping that smug grin off his face. 

“Alright, let’s move,” he whispered. 

“Holy $#!^,” Dick breathed. 

“Ditto, pal, but we need to get a move on.”

“Holy $#!^.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jason said, head bobbing as he clapped one hand on Dick’s shoulder. “You owe me fifty bucks, and you owe Tim an apology. But both of those things can wait until we nab that phone.”

Dick shot one last glance up at towards the stage. Tim’s expression was schooled into a suave, showy smile. 

When he met Dick’s gaze, his eyebrows quirked up in a very told you so sort of fashion. 

“Please tell me we’ve been recording this.” He turned to Jason as both of them stood up. With a flick of his wrist, he snagged the towel off a server’s arm and draped it neatly over his own. 

Jason turned his suit coat inside out. Both of them had worn reversible jackets tonight, and the white tuxes typical of the wait staff were perfect for hiding in plain sight. 

“Shyeah, man, what do you take me for?” Jason snorted as he edged the sleeves back over his arms. “Dami’s gonna have a stroke.”

“Steph’s gonna lose her mind.”

“But that’ll be nothing, nothing, compared to the old man.” Jason shook his head disdainfully, adding under his breath, “Cut me off. Like he’s never blown up a building before, that hypocritical son of a--” 

“Alright,” Dick nudged his little brother forward. “Let’s do this.”

The song ended softly, and the spell seemed to linger over the crowd just long enough for Jason to slip the phone off the tablecloth and into his pocket unnoticed. McElvers would notice in a few moments, but they planned on leaving the device somewhere along the edges of the room, where it could’ve easily fallen out of her purse. 

As they stepped away, the spell broke. Applause shattered the air as audience members rose from their seats. 

And Dick clapped loudest of all. 

#batman family #batfamily #dc comics #tim drake #red robin #jason todd #red hood #dick grayson #nightwing #my write stuff #dont steal please

[katie-dub]

The Bottomless Brunch Incident

Summary: There are some things you shouldn’t do while drinking - driving, texting ex boyfriends, carving pumpkins. But Emma Swan was never one for following the rules.

AO3

Hello! Yes, it’s been 84 years and honestly I thought my days of writing CS fic were done, but the words are back so here I am, putting out some Halloween-type fic inspired by my ridiculous life. (No, really.) And a little birdie ( @profdanglaisstuff​ ) told me that it was @thisonesatellite​ ‘s birthday, so happy birthday Steph! (And thank you Saira for reading this for me!)

“Emma can do that! Emma! EM-MA!” Mary Margaret’s voice rang out across the bar. 

Emma looked up without releasing the straw from her lips, continuing to slurp down her delicious alcoholic beverage of indeterminate origins. She hoped that she had struck that sweet spot between paying just enough attention to satisfy her friend, while also not making it clear to the rest of the room that she was the Emma in question.

“Come here here, Emma!” Mary Margaret had started flailing dramatically. 

Emma sighed, there was nothing for it, she was going to have to go see what she wanted or risk being dragged over there and causing even more of a scene. She stood up, and was a little surprised to discover that the ground seemed to sway beneath her. 

“Woah, who’s playing Inception with the floor?” she muttered to her feet, watching them suspiciously for signs of further unexpected movements and only making a move to her friend when she was satisfied that the ground was definitely upright again.

“What’s up Ms?” she asked, stumbling, but styling it out by leaning against the bar. And if her arms happened to miss the target ever so slightly, no one seemed to notice. At least, no one who would say anything.

“Emma! You’re exactly the person we need! The lovely um -”

“Killian”

“- that’s right, Killian, needs help.”

Emma looked up into the most stunning pair of blue eyes she’d ever seen. They were so rich and intense - like sparkling sapphires and forget-me-nots and the clearest, bluest summer sky all combined - and they were smirking at her in undisguised amusement. 

Oh fuck, she was staring. 

She blinked and concentrated on ignoring the resulting gravity shift in her brain that caused. When she reopened her eyes, she took in the rest of the owner of those eyes. A cocked eyebrow, an amused smirk, black and ginger scruff and mussed up hair that fell into his eyes. 

It was a good look. 

More than good, Emma’s lip curled up in a predatory grin, she licked her lips. She liked what she saw, a whole lot.

“Killian here needs a white in shining armour to help him impress a lady.” Mary Margaret said eagerly, clapping her hand on Emma’s shoulder. Emma’s heart dropped. A lady. Of fucking course the most gorgous man in the bar needs her help to get in some poor soul’s pants. “Killian, this is my dear friend Emma, and she carves the best pumpkin that you will ever have the pleasure of seeing. In. Your. Life.” 

It took Emma’s brain a minute to process what Mary Margaret had just said. “No, there’s no way for me to make sense of that. What’s happening here?”

“Killian -” Mary Margaret pointed with all the unselfconscious flourish that only the very intoxicated can pull off “- needs you, Emma Swan -” her finger jabbed towards Emma “- to carve him a pumpkin for a lady.”

“Carve your own damn pumpkin,” Emma snarled, feeling a childish urge to pout because Killian was taken.

“I would but -” Killian raised his left arm to indicate the prosthetic he had in place of a hand “- this makes it somewhat tricky.”

Oh God, I’m an asshole, she thought, refusing to help someone differently abled. 

“Oh - I’m - er, I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok, love, you didn’t cut off my hand”

“Someone cut off your hand?” Emma shrieked in alarm, and Killian looked startled.

“Well, they were a surgeon, it wasn’t like Peter Pan chopped it off and fed it to a crocodile,” he said with a laugh.

Emma’s face burned in reply. 

“So anyway, my prosthetic makes pumpkin carving alone somewhat tricky. And my friend Will was supposed to turn up to help, but I forgot that he’s a wanker so that was never going to happen. And I might’ve struggled through, only the bottomless brunches that we offer is so popular that the whole place is packed. So now I need to go to Belle’s literary Halloween party straight from my shift with an ‘epic and on-theme jack o lantern’ that is currently but a sad, humble pumpkin. In short: help me Swan Kenobi, you’re my only hope.”

“Perhaps I should just carve Don’t Panic in large friendly letters?” Emms suggested.

Killian scoffed. “No need for that. I’m a frood who really knows where my towel is.”

Her jaw dropped. “You know Hitchhiker’s Guide?” she gasped.

“I’m a British geek, of course I do, I’d have my geek licence revoked for not know that. It’d be like a Ben Wyatt who couldn’t do sums!”

“It just doesn’t add up?” Emma smirked and Killian grinned in reply. 

“Oh I knew I liked you.”

“What does the lovely Belle like?” Mary Margaret butted in. Emma scowled. Right, there was a lady. “Ooooh Emma, maybe you could do something from Beauty and the Beast? You know, because of the name?”

“That sounds a little complex for me, Ms, um..” Emma said.

“Oh don’t go to any trouble on my account,” Killian said.

“Killian, stop flirting with my customers, and get back to work!”

Killian rolled his eyes, but straightened up, scratching behind his ears which had turned a little red at his boss’ words.

“Just leave it with me,” said Emma confidently, “I’ll wow this Belle for you!”

And she started carving a pumpkin, because what else can you do when you’re drunk and the guy you’re into has the hots for someone else.

🎃🎃🎃

It was probably not the best pumpkin Emma had ever carved. It certainly wasn’t the safest thing she ever did, wielding a sharp knife while so drunk she had to close one eye and squint to see straight. But still, some time later she had produced a Frankenstein’s Monster pumpkin that Mary Margaret squealed “she’ll love it!” over, before turning a colour befitting of said monster. 

In the rush to save both the jack o lantern and the bar floor from the indignity of Mary Margaret’s depositing the contents of her stomach upon them, Emma had to leave without saying goodbye to Killian or hearing his thoughts of her carving.

It was probably for the best.

🎃🎃🎃

Emma had thought that she would be too embarrassed to ever set foot in The Rabbit Hole again after The Bottomless Brunch Disaster. But just three weeks later, she found herself cajoled into going with Ruby to meet a new girl she’d started seeing. Emma left her hair down, letting it fall forward over her face to hide from the shame.

“Emma, come join me!” Ruby called out and Emma looked up to see her sitting at the bar. She shook her head minutely, she couldn’t go sit at the bar, what if Killian were there? She’d be mortified. 

“Swan Kenobi as I live and breathe!”

Emma was fairly certain that her heart stopped in that moment. Just for dramatic effect. Killian was here. Well, there was no point hanging back now she’d been caught.

“Hi Ruby,” she said as she walked up to her friend, “Killian,” she greeted him with a short nod.

Ruby looked back and forward between them. “I didn’t know that you knew each other.”

“Oh we don’t really,” Emma said, “I just carved a pumpkin for him a few weeks ago. How’d that go by the way? Did you win the heart of the princess?”

“Hold up,” said Ruby. “You carved him a pumpkin? How is that sentence meant to make any kind of sense to me?”

“He was trying to impress some girl and Mary Margaret was there, probably handing out hope speeches like Halloween candy, and somehow it was decided that a gorgeous Frankenstein’s Monster pumpkin would be the way to do it.”

“Emma carved that jack o lantern you brought to Belle’s party?” Ruby gasped in delighted shock, while Emma was left reeling by Ruby’s statement.

“You know Belle?” she asked.

“Hi there!” A petite brunette appeared from nowhere, presumably the aforementioned Belle, and she proceeded to give Ruby a kiss.

“Emma, meet Belle, my new girlfriend,” Ruby introduced the newcomer.

It took a long time for the pieces of the puzzle to click into place in Emma’s head, but when they did she was left feeling inexplicable angry with Killian. “I pulled out my best work for nothing?" she snapped at him. 

"I wouldn't say nothing, lass, I did need help with carving a pumpkin for Belle’s party. Your friend got it into her head that men and women can’t be friends or some such nonsense. Honestly, she was drunk and offering me help, I wasn’t trying to trick anyone. And besides that pumpkin brought a very enchanting lady into my life." 

There was someone else now? I mean, the guy was hot, but was she gonna have to fight a crowd to get to him? Not that she was interested of course.. She leaned in with her chin on her hands, attempting to look nonchalant. 

"Another one? Tell me, what's this one like?" 

"She's a tough lass, but with a heart of gold. The kind to take pity on a miserable sod in a bar and try to help him get his happy ending, a real saviour, you know?" Emma's heart beat faster. "And she has the most bewitching green eyes that I could get lost in." She started to smile. “And she’s the best pumpkin carver I ever met and if she’d be up for it, I’d love to get a drink with her sometime.”

“Killian Jones will you stop fucking about and do your damn job!” Killian’s boss had come up behind him, causing him to jump. She stomped off, leaving him and Emma to say their goodbyes.

Thinking quickly, Emma reached over the bar, grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. It was hot, sweet and far too fast. “You’re on,” she said, releasing him and stepping back from the bar “but let’s go somewhere else next time - and let’s not talk about pumpkins again.”

“As you wish,” came the faintly stunned reply from Killian as she turned and sauntered out of the bar, already looking forward to next time. 

🎃🎃🎃

So... yeah. Don’t drink and carve people, that way leads to madness. What’s the wackiest Halloween-related thing you’ve ever done?

#cs fic #captain swan #cs halloween #cs ff #cs ff au #cs au #katie dub writes