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cloveroctobers · 7 months

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OCTOBER PROMPTS 🎃 — 2. Willie Jack

A/N: okay y’all lured me in to write anotha one about our girl! Can’t believe the show is over, idk why I expected at least 4-6 seasons smh. Show will be missed and I’m open to seeing where the cast further take their careers fr. I’m not speaking on that supposed relationship between two certain characters because it wasn’t really executed to me while watching? We all know if there was going to be a relationship between the teens who it really should have focused on. So whatever they hinted at this time doesn’t actually exist and it’s not canon to me! Anyways, would definitely recommend a rewatch for myself lol.

WARNINGS: language + awkwardness when it comes to crushes?

PROMPTS are from here + I’m using: blackberry picking, “do you want some hot chocolate?” and “I don’t like scary movies.” “I’ll keep you safe.”

🕸️𖤐༘⋆/ᐠ - ˕ -マ༘⋆𖤐🕸️ 🕸️𖤐༘⋆/ᐠ - ˕ -マ༘⋆𖤐🕸️ 🕸️𖤐༘⋆/

Willie Jack is still in disbelief that she’s back.

Well…not really back she thought. Mika was simply visiting temporarily from Nebraska—of all fucken places!!! which she moved to with her house full of family a few years back. She didn’t get the chance to visit much (at least Elora did being a whole college student and shit) but it seemed like she kept up with mostly everybody else, except for Willie Jack who was still being closed off with Mika’s departure.

“What’s up with you? Why aren’t you over there chopping it up with Mika? You know she’s outta here on Sunday right?” Bear says from beside Willie Jack, who quickly turns her attention back to her friend on the field.

Willie Jack shrugs, “don’t be in my business bro.”

“Yeah Cheese is right, you’re vibe is giving preternaturalness.”

Immediately Willie Jack jerks her head back with a frown, “fuck did you just call me?”

“I don’t know but i know it fits.” Bear grins at Willie Jack, slapping his hands down on her shoulders before leaving her at the plants to join the rest.

Yes it was unusual for Willie Jack to ever distance herself from her friends. She was a social butterfly amongst her friends majority of the time but having Mika back after all this time made her feel off and that’s something she hardly allows herself to feel.

“Sup,” another familiar voice catches Willie Jack off guard from behind the shrubs, her fists going up ready to defend herself but she realizes it’s just Elora staring at her strangely.

Elora lifts her chin, “what’s up with you?”

“I really wish everyone would stop saying that shit to me. I’m cool, having a grand time with my buddy, bart the blackberry tree.” Willie Jack is waving her hands at the dark fruit.

Elora stares hard at her friend before flicking her eyes off to the group where Mika has her head thrown back in laughter at something Jackie says.

Which also doesn’t sit right with Willie Jack.

“Jackie ain’t funny, so fuck is she laughing at?” Willie Jack mutters making Elora slowly nod her head and cross her arms as she gets closer to the girl.

Elora states, “Mika’s still that giggly person we’ve always known and love. That hasn’t changed.”

“Yo, You’re supposed to be on my side here.”

“Why does there need to be sides when it comes to Mika, she’s our homie no?”

Willie Jack rolls her eyes and says nothing more at that. She did consider Mika a friend once upon a time and it’s not like she didn’t consider her as such but things did change the night that she left. And Willie Jack never told anyone about it and still wasn’t sure how she felt.

“I guess but like…it’s different now.”

“But why?” Elora pressed, “to me it seems like you’re the one making it an issue when it didn’t seem like she had a problem since she hugged you when we met up earlier.”

Willie Jack messes with her beaded earrings now, briefly thinking about that encounter hours ago. Mika was all deep dimple smiles and although Willie Jack was the last person she hugged, Mika still acknowledged her like they haven’t stopped talking.

“If I tell you, you got to promise me you won’t make it a big deal.”

Elora nods, “okay…go on.”

Willie jack looks around to make sure everyone is still out of ear shot, she scratches at the back of her neck in nervousness. She’s been holding onto this for so long now and she knows there’ll be some relief telling somebody about what went down.

“Alright so I’m just gonna come right out with it,” Willie Jack exhales, “the night Mika left to shitty Nebraska…she came over to the crib and we were out in my backyard having a bit of a heart to heart you know? And she kissed me, bro.”

“What?!” Elora yells gaining the attention of everyone and Willie Jack goes to slam her hands on top of her cap covered hair in embarrassment.

Willie Jack glares at Elora who covers her mouth trying to hide her laughs, leaving Willie Jack to turn to Jackie, Bear, cheese, and of course Mika. She gives them a commercialized thumbs up before turning back to Elora, yanking on her shoulders to shove her further away between the shrubs.

“Fuck did I just say,” Willie Jack hisses at Elora who’s grinning at the younger girl now after stumbling a bit, “you’re the one making it worse now.”

Elora rolls her eyes, “please, they have no clue what we’re even talking about.”

“Maybe not or maybe! with you sounding like a fucken surround sound.”

Elora chuckles, “my bad, bro. But this explains so much!”

“Does it?”

“Yeah! she’s been asking me about you whenever we catch up with me at school and her all the way in Nebraska.” Elora informs Willie Jack who lifts her brows at bit at the news until Elora then sighs, “I was the only one that figured out that something went on without her really saying anything about it.”

“Wait…Mika’s asked about me?” Willie Jack is rocking on her toes now and Elora sends her a knowing smile.

“Uh yeah bro, it’s not like she ever forgot about you. You’re the one who stopped sending letters and picking up the phone.”

Willie Jack lifts her chin inquiring, “How you know that?”

“Mika told me, shit ass!” Elora lightly shoves Willie Jack’s shoulders.

“So…I’ve been a shit ass all this time when Mika’s been worried about me?”

Willie Jack’s never been the type of friend to just leave you hanging. If there was a issue, she would be quick to tell you to, “not be like that!” Wanting to figure it out, even if it was only keeping each other company until you were ready to speak on it. However with Mika, things change and she wasn’t sure if it was for the better.

“Well…I wouldn’t say worried but she cares and I don’t think she ever stopped being your friend, you’re the one who stopped.”

“I didn’t mean to.” Willie Jack feels the weight of that statement and she didn’t enjoy the sinking feeling in her tummy right now.

“Then fix it.” Elora orders, “Stop hovering in the corner by yourself like a fucken weirdo and just talk to her! So maybe you guys can be something if that’s what y’all want.”

Willie Jack scowls, “who said all that? I still don’t even know how I feel about it all. It happened forever ago anyways. Maybe she forgot? Plus she could be seeing somebody and we live hours away now so I doubt that will ever work.”

“Stop doubting yourself and you won’t know unless you try.”

Plus they could always look at Elora as a prime example. Although she wasn’t that far away from Okern, Elora still put in the effort to still be around now that their lives were slowly but surely changing.

“…Mvto, Elora.”

“Don’t mention it,” Elora pushes Willie Jack’s shoulder, “can’t believe you’re growing up on me, making out and shit.”

“Ah, yeah, shut up.”

“Let’s go!”

“Alright man, don’t rush me! Let me get my thoughts together first.”

“If you think too much, you’re gonna fuck it up…more than you already have.”

“Wow, it’s like that?

“Yeah, kinda.” Elora snickers.

Elora ends up leaving Willie Jack for a few moments to gather herself, gradually directing the rest away from Mika as she sees Willie Jack making her way over.

She’s swinging her hands behind her back awkwardly as the crisp air blows. Mika’s dressed in a jet black off the shoulder baggy sweater paired with a patterned pleated skirt, ripped up stockings, and gummy bear earrings.

She’s gorgeous and it’s not fair.

“How much blackberries you think you got?” Willie Jack starts from behind Mika, who’s on her tippy toes.

She sets back down, tossing some into a picnic basket she brought along, which Bear and Jackie teased her about but she shrugged it off with a smile and middle finger.

“You know…I was trash at probability in school right?” Mika’s sunset eyes glance at Willie Jack over her shoulder, “I never guessed right or got the prizes and it definitely pissed me off to no end.”

Willie Jack leans forward, peeking at her basket but Mika playfully steps in front of it, “I’m not sharing.”

“What?” Willie Jack blows a raspberry, “I’m sure I got more than you back in my own stash. These hands are the quickest ones here.”

Mika stares off at the spot Willie Jack was once at and dips her head, almost pointing, “are you faster than a Prairie dog?”

Willie Jack whips around, locating the chunky animal running off with her sack of blackberries. “Hey you oversized chicken nugget, that shit ain’t yours!”

The animal stops in the middle on its run, dropping the bag to bare its teeth at Willie Jack who jumps back with her hands raised in the air, leaving the dog to pick the sack up with its teeth and carry on its way.

“Even the fucken animals tryin’ to tear a hard working woman down, that ain’t right! Imma tell the ancestors about your bullshit too!” Willie Jack yells as the prairie dog continues fleeing.

Mika’s laughing before softly placing her hands on Willie Jack’s shoulders, “I think that was his way of telling me to share, although you’re the one who ghosted me.”

“Don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.” Willie Jack is poking her lips out.

Mika gives the long haired girl a look before turning to put her basket on her wrist, leading the way through the rows of blackberry shrubs.

Letting out a long sigh Mika replies, “the dogs never told me you ended up with amnesia.”

“I don’t think I have that,” Willie Jack said walking beside her, “…I just don’t want to make it awkward for you.”

Mika glances at the braided girl, “For me or for you? I don’t have any regrets if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“…are we talking about the same thing? The thing that happened a couple years ago in my backyard?”

“Oh you mean: me kissing you and you kissing me back?”

“Is that how it went?” Willie Jack’s eyes were in slits now.

Mika laughs, “hell yeah, shit ass and I didn’t forget! I couldn’t, which is why I wrote to you.”

“But you never brought it up?”

“I couldn’t get the best read on you when it happened. I knew you were caught off guard but…did you like it?”

Willie Jack stares at the floor, twisting her lips around in thought. How it felt to have Mika’s always covered bracelet arms locked softly around her shoulders, and her natural scent of patchouli, apples, and brown sugar was already intoxicating before she even put her lips on Willie Jack’s. Of course she was caught off guard with Mika taking the lead, Mika’s focus only on Willie Jack’s lips as she stopped thinking about it and just did it. There was only one chance and she waited a long time to take it so why not go forth with the risk?

“I mean…I didn’t not like it.” Willie Jack peeks at Mika who nods with a small smile, “it’s just shitty that you pulled that that same night you were leaving though. Didn’t really have a chance to talk about it or process it really.”

Mika understands that, “sorry about that, the not talking about it but not the actual kissing part. guess I kinda had to process myself…since I been wanted to kiss you but I did panic when you didn’t say much after.”

“It was something…but a good something.” Willie jack bumps her shoulder with the girl who smirks at her.

Soon they’re walking in silence, fingertips brushing against each others as the make their way back to Elora’s car where everyone else is standing near it talking themselves.

“Hey guys!” Cheese waves, “we’re gonna have enough berries to last us to new years!”

Willie Jack announces, “I got the most though!”

“Where?” Jackie asks.

Willie Jack kisses her teeth, “fucken prairie—it doesn’t matter, I just do and you’ll have to take my word for it.”

“I’d rather not.”

Willie jack rolls her eyes.

Elora laughs as she gazes at Mika and Willie Jack, “you two ready to go? It’s getting dark and we got a hour drive back home.”

Her eyes meet Willie Jack’s silently hinting that she hoped they got somewhere with their talk but Wille Jack just shrugs her shoulders.

“I’ll help if you get tired, Elora.” Mika speaks up.

Willie Jack raises her brows, “you got a license?”

Mika was a year older than Willie Jack.

“Yup not long before my family and I traveled back here. Think that’s why my ma really wanted me to do it in the first place since they took my granny’s license away. She’s losing her sight and thinks my hair is on fire instead of pink.”

“Orange would look sick on you though,” Jackie comments, making Willie Jack flick her eyes over to the once bleached girl.

Willie jack adds, “you want Meeks to look like fucken child’s play? She’s wearing the pink well, better than I’ve ever seen. True queen shit, which you wouldn’t know a thing about.”

Jackie sends a look to Elora and Bear, unsure what was going on here.

Mika bumps her hip with Willie Jack’s, “we’re cool again, I think.”

“Must be with how hard Willie Jack just went for you,” Bear grins before glancing at the girl on his right, “got Jackie here speechless.”

“Fuck off,” Jackie shoves Bear while looking at the hat wearing girl, “…glad whatever you two went through is over but…do we got a problem Willie?”

Willie Jack is nonchalant, “we don’t got no beef…just chill out.”

Which definitely sounded like a warning in Jackie’s eyes.

“It was a compliment or suggestion. Don’t see Mika getting tight about it.”

“Okay! Let’s get going.” Elora steers the conversation away, “Jackie, ride up front with me.”

“Sure,” Jackie eyes Willie Jack who huffs at her, circling around to the passenger side.

Cheese gets in the middle of the backseat while Bear runs around to the other side of the car to sit behind Jackie. Willie jack is awkwardly looking at the space in the car.

“I’ll hold your basket for you, Mika.” Cheese offers, while she thanks the young boy.

Bear sees The dilemma and also offers, “You can squeeze in Mika or sit on my lap if you want?”

“Oh god,” Elora mutters, pressing her forehead against the steering wheel, making Jackie frown at her.

Willie jack shakes her head, quickly moving to sit right beside cheese, strapping herself into the car before holding out her hand, “C’mon on then, you heard Elora. We got a long way to go.”

“Ohhh are you—

Willie Jack dips her head silently making Mika smile to herself, while the rest await the scene that plays out in front of them. Mika doesn’t further question it, entering the car and sitting right on Willie Jack’s lap before closing the door behind her.

“Aw but Mika doesn’t have a seat belt.”

Willie jack carefully slips her hands around Mika’s waist, “I got her.”

“That works for now!” Cheese beams, not reading into it too much like the rest in the car are.

Bear is smirking now after it dawns on him what is happening as Mika leans back into Willie Jack’s embrace so Elora can better see out the back window but also because it was a nice place to be.

“Is this okay?” Willie Jack whispers to Mika who’s made herself comfortable, head resting back in the space between Willie Jack’s neck and shoulder.

Mika says, “yup! Long as you got me.”

“I do.” Willie Jack meets Mika’s eyes, squeezing her a bit tighter.

“Good, then we have nothing to worry about. Let’s enjoy the ride.”

“Word.” Willie jack concludes, almost snapping her eyes shut at how annoying she probably sounded but Mika just presses her forehead into the side of Willie Jack’s head.

Elora drops Willie Jack off first with Mika having to exit the car. She asks Mika if she’ll walk her to her door and she agrees with a yawn along with a stretch of her arms up into the autumn air.

“So…” Willie Jack is back to swinging her hands in front of her as she stands face to face with Mika on her stoop.

Mika laughs, “yes Mena?”

“Do you want some hot chocolate?”

“I’d love some!” She bounces on her toes, “I’ll just tell the guys that I’m staying here.”

“Yeah, okay. Nice!”

Willie Jack silently curses to herself again while she just knows her friends are in the car talking shit. She watches Mika lean against the door of the window, talking to their friends in the car, waving at them before she steps back. Skirt spinning with her as she walks back to Willie Jack and fuck she’s so pretty!

Which almost distracts her from Bear smashing his lips on the car window as Elora pulls off from the curb with a honk of her horn.

“After you my lady,” Willie Jack holds her hands out after pushing the front door open.

Mika curtesy’s before entering the home, peeking around as she steps into the first space, which happens to be the living room. “Everything still looks the same.”

“Yeah?”

“Uh huh.” Mika plops down on the couch while Willie Jack enters the kitchen, turning the stove on before opening the fridge to get the leftover homemade hot chocolate she made at midnight.

It’s quiet but it’s not awkward as Mika makes herself comfortable, folding her legs underneath her on the couch. It’s not long before Willie Jack enters the living room with steaming mugs.

“Thanks,” Mika takes the mug with a smile while Willie Jack places her’s on the coffee table.

She takes off her hat, tossing it on the arm of the couch before digging her fingers into her braid to let her hair run free. Mika watches Willie Jack as she sips on the just right hot beverage, admiring just how beautiful her “friend” is.

“Your hair’s gotten longer,” Mika observes, “it’s still stunning.”

Willie jack fans her hand about, “thanks girl, I grew it myself.”

“Hell yeah! Love it just the way it is.”

And the way Mika is looking at Willie Jack makes her heart thud in her chest. The damn girl’s only been here for a day and she’s already got her feeling a way.

“We should watch a scary movie!” Willie jack jumps to her feet, heading over to the collection of dvd’s.

Mika rests one hand in the crease of her other arm, “I don’t like scary movies.”

Willie jack looks back at Mika from her squatting position, picking up on her unease. She was aware that Willie Jack’s parents weren’t home as the house was too hushed and she didn’t see her dad’s truck in the driveway. Night time has definitely fallen and they were alone, dancing around what they could be and now this girl was trying to put on a horror movie?!

“Really?” Willie jack asks, “any particular reason or…?”

“I don’t think it’s never really been my thing,” Mika murmurs while she looks at the front door, “every time you or bear would suggest sneaking into the outdoor movie night by lake crow I wanted to stick my head in the dirt and never come out.”

“Shit…guess I gotta pay more attention.”

“Nah, who wants to be the odd one out when everyone else was down? I just dealt with it…plus you two were always so excited although I lost sleep for a few nights because of all those movies but…you get over it you know?”

“If we do this…you think you’re gonna have any nightmares?”

“Hard to say honestly.”

“Then…I’ll keep you safe.” Willie Jack strongly said, “but that’s only if you want to. I’ll even pick the least scary one out of the batch.”

Mika sips at the hot chocolate, thinking about it, “I’m gonna hold you to it.”

Willie Jack makes a offering motion with a imaginary hot chip before taking the time to go through the collection. She finds one that she thinks will be alright before shoving it into the dvd player. Once she’s seated back next to Mika, she tosses one arm along the top of the couch allowing Mika to fill in that space.

She does, shuffling closer as a long suspenseful intro starts after Willie jack fumbled with the remote. Willie jack tries her hardest to keep her eyes on the screen but it’s the heat radiating off from Mika that makes it hard.

“Hey…you’re not drinking your chocolate?” Mika points out, pulling her head back to look at Willie Jack who fails to hide her staring.

She scratches at her ear, “oh right, it’s still piping hot. Imma let it rest for a bit you know?”

“Don’t tell me you’re one of those iced hot chocolate people?”

Willie jack scrunches up her lips, “I’m not. Don’t even think I ever tried that before.”

“Hmm.”

“You don’t believe me?”

“I didn’t say anything!”

“Your face did though.”

“What’s wrong with my face?” Mika leans back to give Willie Jack the side eye.

Now they’re looking at each other and Willie Jack is silently counting the beauty marks that’s on Mika’s diamond shaped face while Mika’s peering at Willie’s side profile.

“Nothing,” Willie Jack fully turns now gripping Mika’s chin and she almost forgets to breathe correctly, “nothing at all,” before she leans forward to press her lips right against Mika’s.

Willie Jack hears her squeal a bit but Mika knows she has to hold on tighter to the mug now while Willie Jack holds her in place. Mika tastes just like chocolate and cherries while her lips feel like fresh petals. Look at that, Willie Jack could be poetic or corny when it comes to romance too! Mika’s unfortunately not Willie Jack’s first kiss but this kiss definitely makes her forget all about what’s their face. The only thing that’s on her mind is how her heart basically skips a beat with her lips right on Mika’s.

And a kiss like this has never made Mika’s toes curl before.

When she pulls back, Mika is curling Willie Jack’s hair back behind her ear. She bits down on her lips to hide her dimpled smile (which doesn’t work in her favor really, Willie Jack was so tempted to poke them) as Willie Jack slowly opens her eyes to meet Mika’s sunset.

Willie Jack remembers to breathe, “What?”

“You kissed me, you really like me.” Mika sings into Willie Jack’s face, while the girl claps her hands against her face hoping her skin isn’t warming up but knows it probably is.

Mika reaches for Willie Jack’s wrist while laying her head back on the couch, “don’t be shy now, that was glorious!”

“Glorious? Oh my god.”

“That a great thing! Marvelous! Splendid even!”

“You sound like one of those teachers who thinks the sun shines out of their ass, bro.”

Mika pauses,“I don’t think you can call me bro anymore.”

“Why not?”

“‘Cause we kissed, twice?” Mika holds up the deuces, laughing as Willie Jack shakes her head, trying to wrap her head around the fact that she initiated this kiss.

Willie Jack nods her head at her own thinking, “You’ll always be my bro…just a different type. More meaningful, a higher level.”

“Oooh so I get perks?”

“Yeah…as soon as we figure out what to do about us?”

Mika goes quiet then, knowing their time was limited. She was only here for a week, mainly to visit and go to the state fair but that thought made her depressed since she was also building a life after graduating high school…all the way in Nebraska…and that’s not something she wanted to dwell on right now.

She peers at Willie Jack from underneath her lengthy eyelashes, “We could always just make out some more until we do?”

Willie jack scoffs, “I see, you only want me for my lips.”

“And your heart,” Mika leans into Willie Jack who licks her lips, feeling those butterflies in her stomach.

Willie jack throws her head back, “the rizz is killing me!”

“You love it.”

“I think I do.” Willie Jack nods.

“Yeaaah! So kiss me.”

“I’ll do more of that after we finish the movie, I know you’ll need it.”

“So you’re the one plotting on me then.”

“Noooo.” Wille jack fails to hide her smile although this wasn’t originally her plan…it doesn’t sound half bad now.

Mika pokes the long haired girl, “Now I don’t believe you!”

“Well I hope you have it in your heart not to hold nothing else against me. I made you hot chocolate, I gave you my love—

Mika laughs a bit, “that you did, that you did.”

They briefly place their foreheads against each other until Mika moves to rest her head on Willie Jack’s shoulder. It’s not long that they turn their attention back to the screen, both confused on this grainy yet clearly dated horror film.

“I think we need edibles to enjoy this.”

That would make the most logical sense and why Willie Jack’s dad even owned this film: House (1977).

“Damn,” Willie Jack snaps her finger, “and it would be even better if we at least had the blackberries. All that work we put in, we should at least be able to enjoy them.”

Mika gasps, “I can’t believe I left them in elora’s car.”

“That blows…hopefully cheese holds them down for you or else we’ll have to kick somebody’s ass. And by somebody, I mean bear and probably Jackie’s Wednesday Addams lookin’ ass.”

Mika snorts, missing this friend dynamic, “Meeks and Mena, doing what we do best.”

“Fuck yeah, thriving and Survivin’.”

“Real shit,” Mika grins as Willie Jack slips her hand to intertwine with Mika’s.

And she enjoys how Mika’s hand fits just right in her own, although a little shaky, which reminded Wille Jack of Mika’s old fear of bodies of water when they were much younger, Willie Jack gives Mika’s a quick squeeze to ease any form of anxiety her body maybe experiencing.

Whether it be the wonders of the world or the wonders of their relationship.

They didn’t have to always search for the answers, at least not right away. So for the present they could settle into the excitement of what’s happening in the now…

To just live with the guidance of one another.

With Meeks and Mena holding on no longer tiptoeing…then perhaps that could be more than enough.

🕸️𖤐༘⋆/ᐠ - ˕ -マ༘⋆𖤐🕸️ 🕸️𖤐༘⋆/ᐠ - ˕ -マ༘⋆𖤐🕸️ 🕸️𖤐༘⋆/

Continue with my October anthology prompts here.

#Willie jack #Willie jack x reader #Willie jack x f! reader #rez dogs #reservation dogs #reservation dogs season 3 #reservation dogs final season #bear smallhill #elora danan #Elora Dana postoak #cheese williams #Jackie reservation dogs #Jackie Rez dogs #October prompts #queued

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stegrossaurus · 1 year

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Capes and Cowls

by Lyle

Arty was a great friend when we were little kids. We met in kindergarten and clicked in that way that only little kids do. I think he’s the one that got me into superheroes. We spent the next few years with paper masks on our faces and towels tied around our necks playing in my backyard.

I’d like to say that I don’t know why we grew apart, but I know it was mostly on me. Still liking superheroes and comics and whatnot is fine, but at a certain point, wearing a domino mask to school and publicly geeking out about the new Superman movie stops being cute. His ill-fitting hand-me-downs, perpetually broken glasses, and greasy hair didn’t make him any more popular. It wasn’t Arty’s fault that his family was poor, I know. But the fact is, you’re only as safe as you make yourself and when you cut off deadweight, you can run from a bear a lot faster. So when Arty and I graduated to high school, I left him behind.

“Oh God. Arby’s Olsen is sitting right next to us,” Sheila hissed not-so-quietly to us at lunch. We called him Arby’s because he was greasy and undesirable. Not the most clever of nicknames, but it was nasty enough that we used it anyway. “I can smell him from here. Is he even allowed in the lunchroom?”

“Well, there goes my diet,” Yumi sighed loudly. “I can already taste the food getting greasier.”

Parker flicked a fry at the neighboring table, hitting Arty in the head. “Hey, greaseball! If you're going to be here, you could at least take a shower first!”

The rest of the popular kids laughed. I’m not proud to admit that I did, too, but like I said, you’re only as safe as you make yourself. I don’t want to make things worse for Arty but I want things to get worse for me even less. I tried to avoid looking in my former friend’s direction, but when I couldn’t resist and turned my head, I saw his thick glasses aimed at me. Then he got up and walked over to our table.

At 5’2” with chopstick limbs, Arty didn’t cut a very intimidating figure. But he walked with enough confidence that we all quieted down as he approached. He paused at my seat for a second then pushed by me to get to Parker.

“You dropped this,” he said, flicking the fry in Parker’s face.

In all the years of Arty being picked on, I don’t think I’d ever seen him retaliate. Parker’s stunned face told me that he hadn’t, either. Unfortunately, he wasn’t stunned enough to stop him from grabbing Arty by the throat and tossing him to the ground. He gave Arty a few sharp kicks, while the rest of the kids cheered. I didn’t join in, but guilt burned in my chest as I watched.

Arty managed to pull himself to a sitting position and gave me another glare, his eyes wet but sharp behind his thick glasses.

“Not gonna help me up, Black Drac?” he wheezed. “Some hero you are.” He didn’t sound disappointed, though. As the lunch monitor hauled him away for “fighting”, he was smiling.

“Black Drac? What the hell was that dweeb talking about, Lyle?” Yumi asked.

It was the favorite of the superhero identities that we’d made when we were kids. Black Drac, the vampiric vigilante, and Zodiac Man, master of the 12 powers. Of course, I didn’t tell them that. I just said, “No idea. All that family moonshine must have gone to his brain.” Everyone laughed and I tried to join in, but the guilt burned hotter when I did.

And it didn’t stop there. When Parker tripped a few freshmen in the hallway and I laughed, the burning came back. When Yumi showed off the bracelet she stole from a classmate and I complimented her, it came back again. At the end of the day, when Bart and Parker shook down some nerds to do our homework for us, it happened once again. But this time, Arty popped up behind me.

“You could intervene, you know,” he said, almost smugly. “It’d be the right thing to do.”

Bart, Parker, and even the kids we were bullying looked at me expectantly. Arty was right, of course, I could intervene and it would be the right thing to do. Instead, I shoved Arty to the ground.

“And you could take a shower for once, Arby’s!” I snapped. I thrust my math homework at the nerds and said, “If this doesn’t get an A tomorrow, you and I are going to have a serious problem.”

I walked off without looking back, hoping that sent the right message to Arty and the others. Almost immediately, the burning sensation came back with a vengeance. It hurt so bad, I wouldn’t have been able to walk home if it had lasted more than a minute. The first thing I did when I caught home was check the mirror. I pulled my shirt down and I saw it: a blackening, green-tinged lump of raised flesh in the clear shape of a V. Far from faint or invisible but not quite to disfiguring or concerning levels. If I’d had an explanation for it, I wouldn’t have been worried. But I didn’t have an explanation, not for the bruise of the burning that I’d felt all day.

It didn’t take a genius to grasp how it worked, though. Watching my friends do something nasty made it burn a little, doing something nasty myself made it burn a lot. And the fact that it started happening after Arty pushed by me to get to Parker wasn’t lost on me, either.

For a half hour, I tried ice packs and antibiotics to make the bruise go down, but nothing looked like it was working. I knew I was just stalling. Arty had done something to me and I needed to know what. Steeling myself, I decided to go visit Arty.

I didn’t want anyone I knew seeing me entering the trailer park, so I went through the forest. His family’s trailer was right on the edge of the property, so I could easily go from the trees to his front door, mostly unseen. Walking through the forest brought a wave of nostalgia as I remembered all the fun we had playing there. Arty’s parents were pretty harsh and mine were pretty controlling, even back then, so the forest is where we spent most of our time. Not for the first time, I started to regret cutting him off, but I shut that thought down.

“It’s not my fault that Arty never grew up and it’s not my fault that his family’s trash,” I said softly to myself. “He was deadweight and I cut him loose.” The second those words were out of my mouth, the V started to burn. It was really starting to hurt.

While gritting back the pain, I heard something through the trees. It sounded like a blowtorch flaring up and it went down just as the pain did. As quietly as I could, I crept through the bushes towards the noise.

I recognized the clearing a split-second before it came into view. It was one of our favorite spots. The large boulder at one end was always our superhero HQ (or Pride Rock or Arctic fortress or whatever) and the shallow, rocky ditch on the other was the bad guy’s lair.

Both of those areas were smeared with blood. The boulder had a large H painted on it surrounded by other smaller bloody drawings, and the ground around it was littered with bones. The ditch had a V painted in the center of the dying grass and flyblown entrails everywhere else. One of the rocks had a single black candle with a sickly green flame stuck to it. That unnatural fire somehow commanded more of my attention than the gore around me. Until another blowtorch hiss came from the boulder and I turned to see a blue flame rising out of a red candle that I hadn’t noticed before. Then I heard something else, a loud crunch of wood and stone as something large started coming closer through the trees.

On second thought, I decided to confront him at school the next day.

The bruise was still there when I woke up and it only got worse by lunch. Helping Bart sell his brother’s meds to burnouts. Setting up a prank for the pep rally with Parker. Taunting the special needs kids with Sheila. Giving Yumi the idea to blackmail her history teacher with some doctored photos. Every time the pain came back. I knew I should have stopped, but I couldn’t find a way to do it without wimping out in front of my friends. Still, I was swiftly caring less and less about that as the pain grew and by lunch, I had no problem leaving them to go corner Arty.

“Whatever you did, make it stop, Arty,” I said, once I’d dragged him to a quiet corner.

“You make it stop, Lyle,” he sneered smugly. “If you stop being garbage for 24 hours, the mark will disappear. Of course, it’ll come back if you start up again, but at least it’ll reset.”

I was about to ask what he meant before I remembered how the bruise worsens with each act. I checked on it before lunch. It was close to pitch black and the green veins were almost glowing. If I stopped being a bully for a day, according to Arty, it’d go back to the start, but wouldn’t really go away.

“I’m not being garbage. You’re just being too sensitive,” I snapped. “Are you seriously willing to kill me just because I won’t play Power Rangers in the backyard with you anymore?”

“You abandoned me for those scumbags,” Arty hissed. “And now, you’re the same as them: just a piece of crap that deserves to be punished. And you know that, don’t you?” His smirk came back. “That’s why you just sit back and watch when your new friends are being turds. You think it’ll keep your hands clean.”

“I’m just adapting!” I shout. “I didn’t want to ditch you, but this was the only way to get through life. My parents, the kids at school; none of them would have left me alone if I stayed your friend. I did it to keep myself safe. And you obviously know that or I’d see you sticking up for people like you seem to think I should do. Don’t act like you’re any better than me.”

We stood in silence for a bit. Then he nodded solemnly.

“So will you stop this?” I asked again.

“I’ll undo it after school. Just behave until then. Your candle’s almost melted down so I know you’re getting close.”

“Will this kill me if it keeps going?” I asked, already dreading the answer.

Arty’s watery gray eyes lit up. “So glad you asked. Come with me, Black Drac, I want to show you something.”

He wandered into a stairwell, digging through his backpack. He smiled wanly as he yanked down his shirt with one hand and pulled a stretch of fabric free of the backpack with the other. On his chest was a deep red and blue-veined bruise in the shape of an H. In his hand was a big leather cloth crudely stitched together. The back of the cloth was red fabric except for a rougher part towards the top where Arty was holding it.

“I made part of it with my old towel cape,” he said, wrapping what I then realized was a cape around his shoulders. “The rest is made from my parents’ old curtain and my parents.”

It took me a second to process what he said and a second more to take in that the leather parts of the cape were surprisingly flesh toned. In those seconds, Arty’s thin, short, weak body changed. His Martian Manhunter shirt turned to indigo form-fitting fabric, which immediately ripped under the weight of fur-covered muscle. His sneakers became combat boots that tore around prehistoric reptilian hooves. Avian claws ripped out of leather gloves. His gruesome cape strained as his shoulders separated to make room for the 12 monstrous heads, most of which were wearing domino masks.

“Say hello to Zodiac Man,” the pig, tiger, rabbit, and snake heads said at once. The dragon head laughed cruelly and the baboon head screeched hungrily. The massive ox head extended its thick neck to give my head a sniff. All of his eyes glowed with blue fire. “Doesn’t last long. But once I have my villain, it’ll be permanent.”

“Villain?” I whispered. I was too scared to even try running. I slowly raised a hand to the V blooming under my shirt.

The rat and rooster heads nodded while the dog and horse heads said, “Well, yeah, every hero needs a villain or we’re just weirdos in spandex.” He thoughtfully stroked the ram head’s chin and said, “Dead parents help an origin story, too. You used to know things like that, Lyle. But you were right.” His voices grew pensive. “I’ve been more focused on getting back at you than I have in being a hero. And you were just trying to survive. You’re not my enemy, Lyle, and I don’t want you for my villain. I want you for my partner.”

As promised, the 12-headed nightmare in front of me shrank back down to my former best friend a few seconds later. He left me in the stairwell with a promise to remove my candle after school. I didn’t join in anymore bullying for the rest of the day. I never felt good about being a bully, but after talking with Arty, I wasn’t sure what to feel.

I thought a lot about what Arty had said and what it meant before the bell rang. His parents were always hurting him in one way or another and they thought our friendship was making him “fruity”, so I couldn’t say I’d miss them. My own parents only talked to me when they wanted to tell me how disappointing I was and they thought our friendship was holding me back. Probably wouldn’t miss them, either. I kept that thought with me as I went to the clearing.

Art was there chiseling off the black candle with a knife. Once it came loose, I immediately felt a heat extinguish on my chest. When he saw me, he smiled and walked forward, holding the knife and the old gray towel that Black Drac wore.

We talked for a while about what it meant to be a hero (strength, bravery, dead parents, cool costumes) and a villain (cruelty, selfishness, greed, cool costumes). How hard it is to sew skin to cloth and how bones would make great helmets. How villains are designed to lose no matter how powerful they are. He never told me how he made all this happen (I still don’t think even he knows), but it was fun talking to him after years of trying to shut him out. When I went home for the night, it was with the knife.

The following week was rough. Lying to the police about my parents’ disappearance was a one-time thing; there’s no way they’ll believe the business trip excuse a second time. Rekindling my friendship with Arty meant a fair bit of bullying for both of us but it’ll be worth it. The ditch’s black candles far outnumber the boulder’s two red ones (all it takes is a touch from either of us), but Arty told me not to worry.

“Every new villain just makes us stronger,” he said. “Remember, villains always lose.”

And so here we are at the school pep rally. The laxatives Parker put in the cheerleaders’ drinks start to take effect at the same time the brown dye-packs hidden in the marching band instruments go off. An overhead projector starts playing footage captured from cameras he’d hidden in the bathrooms and the crowd erupts into laughter and taunts. Followed quickly by yelps of pain as over twenty people, both students and faculty, rub their chests and start choking.

“It’s happening, bud,” Arty says excitedly. “A lot at once, look like. Capes and cowls, quick!”

We pull our gear out of our backpacks. The cowls made from scalps and skulls were my idea. We put them on and start our transformation just as our villains start theirs. In all honesty, we’re just as monstrous and frightening as they are, but there’s something sickly about them. The fur under Parker’s ragged spandex is patchy and mangy. Sheila’s six buglike limbs look too frail and skeletal to hold her laser guns properly. Yumi’s second and third heads are practically vestigial, so only her main head has a psychic enhancer helmet. Bart actually shrank a bit as his body broke out in warts and was covered with a bloody lab coat. Compared to them, my thick midnight fur, upturned snout full of fangs, and massive leathery wings look gorgeous.

The villains start attacking the normals who haven’t run away yet. I adjust my skull mask, now transformed to match my new face, and summon ectoplasmic energy to my claws. Zodiac Man readies his cosmic sword and levitates into the air.

“Good to fight alongside you again, Black Drac,” his dragon head shouts over the din.

“Same, Zodiac Man,” I rasp. “It’s good to feel like a hero again. Now let’s have some fun.”

#short story #monsters #superhero #supervillain #magic ritual #revenge #high school #bullies

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pleasereadmeok · 3 years

Photo

This ‘Wonderland’ Interview to promote A Single Man is a gem. Matthew Goode is a bit of a handful and swears his way through this interview with his mate Nic Hoult. It’s very funny. It’s often quoted (including his description of Colin Firth’s kissing technique!) but it’s difficult to find a clean scan of the whole interview. This scan (from Natalie/ Fairchilds on ohnotheydidnt) isn’t very clear to read so I did a transcript several years ago - here:-

Wonderland Interview

Based on the 1964 novel by Christopher Isherwood, A Single Man marks the screenwriting and directing debut of fashion icon, Tom Ford. Having debuted earlier this year at the Venice Film Festival to a standing ovation, the film has continued to impress audiences during screening at the Toronto and London Film Festivals.

Joining lead actor, Colin Firth, on screen are fellow Brits Matthew Goode and Nicholas Hoult who discuss the film, Tom Ford and being British in LA.

ON A SINGLE MAN

Nicholas Hoult: The only time I saw Matthew was when we were getting our spray tans.

Matthew Goode: Which were more regular than we were expecting. I got on a plane with Colin [Firth] and then literally the moment we arrived, got in the car together, went to the hotel and suddenly – it’s like ten thirty at night – we have to go to Colin’s room where we’re having our spray tans . Colin Firth is in his pants, I’m in my pants and it stays that way for an hour whilst we wait for this stuff to set. He’s fucking great. I love Colin.

We [Nic’ and he] never had a scene together but we were there the whole time. I was only really fitting in around these guys. Nic had a damn sight more to do than I did.

NH: No I just did more.

MG: [Laughs] It was a really fun shoot. I mean, maybe I’m looking back with rose tinted spectacles, but …

NH: It was a good fun shoot. Everyone enjoyed it. I remember the night in Venice after seeing it in front of all those people and just lying in bed thinking ‘that’s something I’m proud of’.

MG: It’s seriously impressive. You watch it and you care and, it doesn’t happen to me a lot, but I watched it and thought ‘I’m in something that doesn’t stink!’. I’m proud of that.

NH: That’s a nice feeling when you’ve done something and you can say ‘yeah, proud of that’.

MG: Fucking hell – sorry to interrupt – but I was reading a magazine or a paper or something the other day and it said “A Single Man obviously being screened and whenever Nic Hoult was on screen there were gasps over his beauty” [laughs]. And I was thinking, fucking Hoult is going to LA and get so laid! [Laughs]. He is going to be turning bush away left right and centre!

NH: It’s all down to the fake tan again. That’s where the performance stems for me.

MG: That is a review!

NH: Nothing about the acting, right?

MG: They didn’t review the film. It just said “I saw it. I’m going to be reviewing it at some point, but let me tell you there were gasps over Nick Hoult’s beauty!”

ON TOM FORD

MG: Tom is immediately interesting. If it’s all about someone’s cannon of work then most of the time you wouldn’t work with a first ime director, but if the script is good and you have a chat with them and they know which end is up and which is down, then great.

NH: I didn’t know who Tom was when I met him.

MG: Nick “fashion forward” Hoult!

NH: I’d gone over to LA got off a plane and had dinner with him. And I asked him how he’d got into directing and why he was doing this!

MG: I love that. Isn’t that great? And that’s also like Tom. He’s not the sort of person who is like, ‘well fuck you!’.

NH: He explained very humbly what he had done and I thought OK. And then I looked him up after dinner and was ‘oh jesus! He’s actually accomplished quite a lot’ so probably quite a stupid question, but he was very honest and modest and made a great director.

MG: It’s so good. And so good for Colin. And Julianne [Moore] is bloody great in it as well. But the real star of it, it has to be said, is Tom. It silences immediately the people who were going ‘you self indulgent cunt.’ It’s like two massive fingers up to them as it is very, very accomplished.

NH: It’s very personal to him as well.

MG: Hugely personal as the main story sort of mirror images the relationship between him and Richard. There’s a similar age gap.

NH: He would always say my character is him when he was 18. He’s connected to every character and he knows them.

MG: And he wrote the screenplay and it’s starkly different from the book.

NH: Matthew’s read the book, so –

MG: That’s right! I have. It is different. I am always about the script, really. But one of the really nice things about being involved is that it is a love poem to Tom’s partner, Richard.

NH: Tom is very good in the sense that he is an actor’s director and knows what he wants you to do but is very giving to let you go off and explore things and try stuff out. And you don’t feel too much pressure of failure.

MG: That’s very true.

NH: ‘Cause the second you’re on set – especially when there’s only 20 days to shoot – to not feel the pressure, that’s a good atmosphere he created. Something his assistant was saying the other day was that he’s very good at holding his hands up and would admit when he wasn’t sure what he was doing and kept everyone on side and made it a really great team effort.

MG: I love it when someone’s like that. It’s so far away from self indulgent as well when someone’s shooting into the 19th hour of the day and the ship isn’t sinking, but there’s a leak and it’s far better to say we do have a leak and I’m trying to sort it out rather than leaning on one side and saying everything is fine. He is fucking great.

ON COLIN FIRTH

MG: Colin was great. I knew he was going to be good. The moment I read the script, I was like, ‘this is something you haven’t done in a long time’ – just something he could really get his teeth into. He’s such a subtle actor and it’s been a long time since I can remember him having something that central and serious.

NH: It was a great moment when we went to the Venice Film Festival and got the message Colin was winning the best actor award.

MG: I know. The previous evening we had sat there and we knew it had gone down well because there was a NINE minute standing ovation. And particularly when you’re not in the film as much as I am, then I feel like a fucking charlatan. I stood there and am looking down and smiling and embarrassed. Colin’s quite emotional and I tell you what – four minutes of a standing ovation gets a bit uncomfortable, but NINE? ‘OK, Colin… fucking move. Let’s go. Let’s leave.’ And he couldn’t tell us that he had won and so he was being shy about it.

NH: Yeah, he kept it very quiet.

MG: The moment we found out and we were on the boat we were like ‘What the fuck? You’ve won and you didn’t tell us!? And he was like ‘ I know, I didn’t wanna.’ He was humble.

NH: It was great. It was a bit of an odd first day like you had in the sense that I had to strip off in front of Colin on my first day. It sounds a bit seedy when I say ‘strip off in front of him’.

MG: It does!

NH: It’s part of the film, I swear! And it’s handled a lot more tastefully that that might seem, but yeah it was a bit of an odd first day.

MG: Everyone is going to say ‘oh it’s a gay movie’ which we then counteract with ‘no it’s not, it’s a film about love.’ But there is nudity and a bit of man kissing. Frankly Colin kisses like a nymphomaniac on death row, but it was a real pleasure!

NH: He’s got a lot of love!

ON JULIANNE MOORE

MG: She’s a fucking hero. She’s lovely. I didn’t have any scenes with her. I mean I’m only in flashback, so all my stuff was with Colin.

NH: All my stuff is with Colin as well. The first time I met Julianne was in Venice.

MG: Yeah, she was probably in the middle of juggling six projects or something, you know, she never stops working. She came in and shot two scenes, which were about 20 odd minutes of the film, and they did that in two evenings so she was in and out. I never got a chance to meet her until I was at some party in LA and she is just fantastic. And she’s married to a guy called Bart Freadlich who is a director in his own right.

NH: He’s a hero.

MG: He is actually fabulous! My girlfriend spent the whole evening calling him Bert instead of Bart and he was like ‘you know, actually I prefer Bert! Don’t worry about it’. He’s lovely. They could throw their weight around, but they are actually family people and live in New York – they’re kind of anti Hollywood.

ON THE LIFE OF AN ACTOR

MG: There are a lot of Brits and Aussies at the moment who are working. I don’t know what that means. But we never think of ourselves. When you get off the plane and you’re in America they ask ‘what’s the best thing about being a movie star?’ I am a jobbing actor, they have no idea! They make it sound like I get 500 scripts and am sitting there going through them all. If something comes up and they are stupid enough to give it to us or you love the script and audition but someone of a huge stature can come in and take it like Brad Pitt. Or Judi [Dench] – we’ve been up against each other a couple of times.

NH: I’ve never lost out to Judi yet.

MG: Only in a drinking contest! The vicious alcoholic that she is!

NH: Sam Worthington was telling me when he was in LA someone asked him why there were so many Aussies over there doing so well and his response was that it’s an awful long way to go to fail and not give it your best shot, basically.

MG: Oh. I was expecting some sort of knob gag in there, but yeah.

NH: It’s very true. I just got back from LA and every TV series has an English guy in the lead. Joseph Fiennes, Matthew Reece [RHYS]

MG: We’re good. We’re quite good…

N H: I can’t say it’s the training, because I don’t have any.

MG: You’re doing well! You make people gasp! You complete cunt. I hate that!

NH: You’re coming across very eloquent.

MG: That’s very nice of you. OK, who used to live with Ewan McGregor and Jude Law and he has a TV show? You’re right about that. Though it makes it sound like ‘Oh you’re English. Have a TV show’. I’m sure they all have about ten auditions.

NH: I had an interesting day recently when I was at a BBQ and Jimmy Page and Roger Daltrey were there.

MG: Wow!

NH: I sat there and was very quiet because I thought if I speak to them I’ll make a fool of myself so it’s best to keep out of the way and then they can’t have any bad thoughts although they probably didn’t know I was there. But I knew they were there so it was a good BBQ for me.

MG: I’d love to learn guitar. It’s one of those things I’d love to do. Though it’s not like I don’t have the time…

NH: [Laughs]

MG: I’d like to know all the chords.

NH: It’s difficult to get the fingering right… That’s what she said.

MG: And back to Dame Judi!

NH: [Laughs]

MG: It depends if you have a high action or a low action in terms of the strings. It hurts. You’ve got to build up the calluses. If you get a low action one that would be easier.

NH: Are we still talking about women?

MG: Yes! [Laughs] I remember Billy Crudup got the part in Almost Famous and he had lessons with Peter Frampton but had to have lessons on the side because Peter was like ‘you are fucking terrible’. But that’s one of the nice accidents of the job is you can get training in things. And random travel.

NH: I got to do archery.

MG: You did! That was The Weatherman!

NH: No, for Clash of the Titans. I didn’t use it once.

MG: Oh yes, it was the daughter in The Weatherman.

NH: Yeah man, keep up.

MG: Sorry mate. That’s how pretty you are. I confused you with the female lead.

NH: He’s seen all my work.

MG: I have! I’ve got to learn how to do it. You are a master. I did a Spanish film and it was all in Spanish [!] – I learnt it phonetically. Jesus, that’s my only skill. The major skill I picked up is I can pay my rent. The older you get the more you realize there are a lot of people who hate their jobs. I’m so glad I’m not – ha! Famous last words! – it does seem to be going OK for now. But bringing it back to what do you like about acting – to be honest, everything.

ON BRITISH TALENT

MG: I think there is an element that we’re just so happy to work. Certainly as for getting into film it was such an accident because I hadn’t worked in front of a camera. For a while it was like what is the secret code to working on screen? I have no idea what it is… but even ten films in I’m still sitting here renting and not owning a house. I think that keeps you grounded. As opposed to some American actors who are on a hundred thousand dollars doing some TV.

NH: You don’t get comfortable so you feel you’ve got to keep on striving.

MG: I think we’re overrated. [Laughs]. There is an element over there if you walk into a room of Americans that they’re suddenly like ‘oh fuck they’re British and we’re steeped in tradition.

NH: It’s odd that Tom got so many English actors for the film – we’re both playing American.

MG: And Julianne is playing English.

NH: it’s good he trusts in us to pull of the American accents.

MG: Yeah, I mean – idiot! In fairness you’ve done it before and I have done it a couple of times. But it is odd. If you think who he probably could have had –

NH: He probably could have done better than us!

MG: I’m sure he could have convinced someone with a much higher stature. I think it was just we were willing to work for free, effectively. And that’s also what makes Britain great. We want to work and we want to please the director and often at times, yes we might have strong thoughts on character and script, but we turn up and are like, this is your vision and you are the director and we know where we fit in. Certainly the Brits, I find, we want to be told what to do or how it’s going to work rather than, ‘I’m the fucking star!’ I tend to find we leave our ego at the door. We tend not to pussyfoot around. We all like a drink. We’re steeped in that tradition as well. There’s a certain forbidden thing in America if you drink you’re an alcoholic. No I’m not, and I generally wait until at least half past one.

NH: On weekends. Weekdays, 11.

MG: There is a reason pubs are opened at 11 and it’s because you are allowed to start drinking at that time. Otherwise, they wouldn’t do it! Christ, can you remember back to when – you might not remember, actually. I gasp at your beauty as I try to remember!

NH:[laughs] I’m never going to live this down!

MG:Do you remember when pubs shut on Sundays at, like, 1 for two or three hours? Maybe I’m showing my age now. That is fucking madness. There would be a riot now.

NH: So basically, we haven’t found a conclusion to what makes Britain great… You’re a big X Factor fan though, aren’t you?

MG: My girlfriend loves it. She’s got me into it. I mean it’s fucking hilarious. You literally sit there and you don’t know any of these people but the music comes up and they get selected and you can be in tears and so happy that these people have been selected for the live shows. I really like the over 25’s this year. They’re fucking great.

NH: Matthew Goode on The X Factor!

MG: ‘He’s very much into the over 25s and what is funny is they are all male’. But it is great. But then it’s such a machine. There is such a turn around. Sometimes the winner gets completely forgotten and they have no career and then, obviously, sometimes they go shooting up. But it is great telly! Saturday night, a couple of beers and The X Factor.

[Pics - My edit of Ben Rayner photos/scan by Natalie Fairchild.]

#matthew goode #nic hoult #a single man #a discovery of witches #adow #just in case ADOW fans are interested - it's a stretch I know.........

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queerbutstillhere · 4 years

Text

Tim steals clothes.

That's just how it is.

Everyone has come to accept it.

He steals Kon's hoodies, and Bart's t-shirts and Cassie's sweatpants and Cissie fuzzy socks. Somethings fit better then others, but Tim has never cared. He just steals clothes.

He is a certified clothes thief, or borrower, rather, because he generally gives them back after a few days.

And after a certain time, they all kind of came to accept it, always having extra clothes on hand, because this boy does not know how to pack his own clothes.

He'll just slump around the tower in a pair of stolen sweatpants and a giant hoodie, no socks, and his mask, just looking like he came out of a three week back packing trip with no showers.

At some point, Kon had this realization.

If Tim loves his hoodies and shirts so much, he might as well just give him one.

The only problem was which one? Because he didn't want to give one that he really loved, but also he didn't want to just give him one that kinda sat in the bottom of his drawer.

He finally decided, one day. Tim was sat on the Teen Titans sofa, tapping away at a laptop, and psychically shaking. Kon looked down at the red plaid flannel he was wearing, and then walked over, pulling it off and draping it over Tim's shoulders.

"Wha?" Tim said, startled, looking up.

"You looked cold," Kon said, smiling and tucking the flannel around Tim.

"Oh. . . Thanks."

"Yah. No problem. You can keep it, by the way."

Tim just mumbled something, that not even Conner's superheating caught, and then immediately zoned back in on work. Conner laughed, gently ruffling Tim's hair and then walking away.

A week later, Bart had giving him one of his hoodies. It was some cartoon merch, but with Tim it never really mattered. Bart was slightly smaller then Tim, but Bart also had a habit of wearing oversized hoodies, so it fit just fine. Kon couldn't help the mild spikenod annoyance, when he saw his flannel be replaced by Bart's hoodie, but this wasn't that surprising-

And wait, why was he annoyed?

Months of this passed. To the point that Tim had successfully accumulated multiple of Kon's shirts and overshirts and hoodies, as well as several of Bart's. Tim could make a whole outfit just out of clothes he had gotten off them. Tim even had one of Bart's beanies.

Tim didn't really seem to remember what was his and what wasn't. When he crashed at either of his best friends houses, he'd just dig into their dressers until he found the most comfortable clothes to borrow, and sometimes they were never returned.

Kon wasn't really sure what was happening anymore. Neither was Bart.

Here's the thing, folks.

Timothy Jackson Drake has this habit of just, sitting on people's laps. People being Conner Kent. And he had this habit of holding Bart's hand. And he has this habit of cuddling during sleepovers.

And Bart and Kon? They're just two queer disasters.

So you can't really blame them for thinking they were kinda maybe dating.

All three of them.

But here is the problem.

It was never directly addressed.

No one went "hey! We're dating!" and there wasn't much PDA or anything (or rather, with Tim). So Bart and Kon were more or less operating on the thought that this was just how things were with Tim.

Sometimes they got questioned, like people who would just kinda know them would say things like.

"Oh! Well when did you three get together?"

And Tim would answer like "oh a few years back"

And so they just thought they were dating, okay? Can you blame them?

Max was the first one to directly address it. They were all three at Max Mercury's house for the weekend. Kon had already been there all day, but Tim had shown up just in time for supper, they ate, and then the boys just crashed onto the sofa together. Tim was half in Kon's lap, while Bart was curled up under Kon's arm.

"So, are you guys dating?" Max asked casually, as he was putting a movie into the DVD player.

And Kon said "Yeah."

At the same time Tim said "No?"

A very awkward silence draped heavily over the room for a moment.

"Wait what?" Max asked, turning to face them.

Bart and Kon both slowly looked down at Tim, eyes wide. Tim looked up at them, confused.

"Wait, wait, what?!" Tim asked, blinking at them, then at Max.

"Wait, we're not?" Bart asked, also looking confused.

"We're- WHAT?" Tim exclaimed, gaping at them.

"We both kinda thought we were?" Kon explained, frowning.

"I'm-" Tim looked away from them, then at the floor. "How?!"

"Well, we go on dates all the time," Bart started.

"And stay at each other's houses a lot."

"And cuddle a lot."

"And you wear our clothes, a lot?"

"And we hold hands?"

"And you sit in my lap like, all the time."

Tim just stared at the floor, processing this, then he looked up at the two again.

"You thought we were dating and didn't tell me?!?!?!" Then he looked at Max. "You thought we were dating?!"

Max shrugged. "Well I knew they were so-"

Max gestured vaguely at Kon and Bart.

"You two are dating?!'

"We thought we were all dating!" Bart exclaimed in exasperation.

Tim blinked at them.

"You dumbasses!"

"I'll just give you a minute," Max said and slid out of the room.

Tim shuffled back, out of Kon's lap, sitting up properly to look at them.

"You thought we were dating. We- we haven't even kissed!!"

"Actually-" Kon started

"WHAT!" Tim screeched.

"We have, but you may or may not have been high on knock out gas."

"Oh god. But the rest of the time?"

"I just kinda figured it was a boundary issue for you," Bart said with a shrug.

"You gotta admit, the rest of the stuff is kinda boyfriend-ish."

Tim held up his hand to silence them, staring at his lap for a bit. Kon looked down at Bart, who shrugged. Minutes passed of silence.

"I can't believe you two. You thought we were dating and you DIDN'T TELL ME!"

Bart shrugged. "Oops?"

Then Tim was lunging forwards, grabbing Kon's hoodie and tugging him in, kissing him quickly before reaching down, tilting Bart's head up and kissing him as well.

"You two are so dumb," he huffed out, shoving them off and falling back down to the other side of the sofa.

"So are we actually dating now?" Kon questioned gently.

"Well, duh."

"MAAAXXXX!" Bart yelled.

"Yeah?!"

"WE'RE DATING!"

"Oh! Good!"

Bart looked up at Tim, and then lunged forwards, falling over Kon and onto Tim to kiss him again. Tim just laughed and caught the speedster, happy to accept the kisses.

For @binarystarkillers ask and yee shall receive

#timkonbart #bartkon #timkon #timbart #timothy drake #conner kent #bart allen #prompt #send me prompts!

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mischiefandspirits · 3 years

Text

Exploration

Sequel to Odd One Out

Alternate title: Five times the batkids' teammates didn't realize they have powers and one time their family already knew?

At the request of etherealizt on AO3

One ~ Oracle

Barbara sighed as she sunk further into the water, blowing a few bubbles away from her nose.

She was having a night of rest and relaxation. She’d told the Birds she was taking the night off and had threatened all the other bats with eternal rickrolling if any of them interrupted. The soft music Dinah had recommended was playing from her phone’s speakers on the counter and the lights were dimmed. She was trying out the strawberry and grapefruit bubble bar Carrie had made and had finally opened the rosé Bruce had gifted her when she’d moved into the Clock Tower. An Alfred-made meal was warming in the oven, courtesy of Jason paying her back a favor. After her bath, she’d eat dinner then watch some of the movies on Dick’s Babs Needs to See This!!!! playlist before heading to bed early.

It was meant to be a nice quiet night.

Which meant that whoever had decided to call her not ten minutes after she had lowered herself into the water and gotten comfortable was going to have some very annoying problems with their technology for the next week.

She gave the phone a good long glare before laying her head back and closing her eyes.

“This better be good,” she growled once she’d connected to her cell and answered the call on speakerphone.

“I know, I know, I’m so sorry,” Mari said quickly. “It’s just… we went on this mission -- just a quick in and out thing, or it was supposed to be -- and we thought we wouldn’t need your help, but we kind of do and now it’s too late to back out.”

Barbara sighed. “I was taking a bath.”

About five thousand miles away, Vixen flinched and looked at her fellow Birds. She mouthed, She’s taking a bath.

Canary flinched as well while Katana and Huntress shared a look and Question shifted guiltily. All five women had stayed at the Clock Tower before so they knew how Oracle preferred to take showers because of how arduous it was for her to get into the bath, even with the bath lift.

The times she actually got to take a bath were to be treasured.

“Shoot, I mean, we’ll handle it.”

“I’d hope you wouldn’t have called me if you could handle it,” Oracle joked.

“No. I mean, yeah, we didn’t interrupt your night lightly, but we’ll figure something out. We don’t want to ruin your b-”

“It’s fine. I’m already logging into my system. What are we looking at?”

She’s already logging in? But that means... Vixen slumped back against the wall she’d been standing in front of as she realized Oracle must have started getting out before she’d even picked up the phone. They’d ruined her night the moment Vixen had pressed call. Well, no reason to waste even more of her night.

The mission went fast with Oracle’s help and the team was out in just under half an hour. They all gave their thanks and apologized again for interrupting her night, but she waved it away before signing off.

“I still feel bad about ruining her bath. Maybe we should get her something to make up for it,” Dinah said as they were on their way home.

“Maybe we didn’t. She got on pretty quickly. She might have just had a tablet near the bath,” Helena suggested.

Renee shook her head. “She had too many things going at once. She couldn’t have managed it all with just one device.”

Tatsu smirked and chuckled, “Even the great Oracle could not handle such limitations. We'll all chip in to show our thanks.”

Back in Gotham, Barbara sunk a little further into the water with a pleased moan.

While it was a headache to manage an entire mission remotely, it was worth it to remain wrapped in the warm water and fruity scents. Thankfully it was just a short one this time, but maybe next time she’ll ask Tim to cover her in case of another emergency.

She started the music on her phone again then reached out to dry off her hand so she could finally grab her wine and start her night of relaxation.

Two ~ Nightwing

Green Arrow frowned as he watched the goon in the interview room. He, Batman, Hawkwoman, Flash, and Cyborg had picked the guy up the day before while trying to locate an experimental power core that had been stolen from S.T.A.R. Labs. They’d tracked the core to a shipping yard, but lost it there. Most of the yard’s crew were clean, but the manager was clearly on the take and knew something.

The only problem was that he wouldn’t talk.

They’d tried intimidation, logic, bribery, and charisma, but nothing had worked. Since Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter were off-world and Zatanna was unreachable (something about alternate dimensions and a tiefling warlock’s pet eldritch book-dogs), that meant the lasso of truth, mind reading, and truth spells were out.

“There has to be some way we can get him to talk,” Vic said from where he was sitting on the floor next to Wally.

“I could get him to talk,” Shayera muttered, thumbing one of the spikes on her mace.

“No,” Bruce objected as he walked up.

“We’re running out of time.”

“I know, which is why I called for help.”

“Help?” Oliver asked.

“Me.”

Shayera and Oliver jumped and spun around to see Nightwing standing behind them, a wide impish grin on his face.

Fricking ninja bats!

“Oh heck yes!” Wally cheered before bending over in a coughing fit as he choked on the bite of sandwich that had been in his mouth, Vic patting his back.

Dick winked at his friends and looked through the two-way mirror. “Double-R filled me in. This is the guy giving you trouble?”

Bruce grunted.

“I think I’ll be able to take him,” Dick said, walking over to lean against his father. “I’m going to need to borrow Robin for a few days after this, though.”

Oliver swore he could see Bruce’s eyebrow raise beneath the cowl. “For a mission or fun?”

“I need someone small to help with an infiltration… and Jump Wildlife Park has a new Snakes of the Outback exhibit.”

Sighing, Bruce shook his head. “Robin’s benched for the next week, as I’m sure you know. He’s not getting out of it. You can take Catgirl if Catwoman doesn’t need her. I’ll allow a trip to the zoo, however.”

“I’ll take it.” Dick shot him finger guns as he backed towards the door. He then spun around on his heel, high-fived the now standing Wally and Vic, and skipped into the interrogation room. He dropped into the chair across the table from the goon, leaning it back so he could rest his feet on the table. “Hi, there, I’m Nightwing.”

The goon glared at him.

“No introductions then, alright. I’ll make this quick since I’m sure you want to get out of here and I’m currently in a game of hide-and-seek with some of the other bats and I’m not about to lose because B’s having an off day. You tell me what I want to know and I won't have to make you.”

The goon snorted. “Am I really supposed to be scared by that?”

Dick shrugged. “If I wanted to scare you I’d break your fingers. We can try that if you want.”

“The winged chick already offered and it didn’t scare me then either.” The man looked Nightwing over then gave a grin that Oliver was sure set off Batman’s dad mode, even if the man hadn’t responded in any visible way. “You’re welcome to try, though. At least you’re prettier than that bitch.”

Oliver grabbed Shayera’s shoulder when she stepped forward and Vic placed himself between her and the door without looking away from the mirror.

Dick hummed then dropped his legs. The chair fell back onto all fours and he followed the motion so he was leaning against the table, elbows on top with his hand clasped together to create a V that his chin rested on. “You think I’m pretty?”

Oliver blinked and focused his attention on Dick. His voice sounded… different. He couldn’t put his finger on what it was. It just sounded… nice.

Distantly, he was aware there was another voice talking as well.

What was it about Dick’s voice?

Suddenly Dick was standing up and patting the goon on the shoulder. “Thanks, you’ve been a big help.”

The goon nodded, blinking up at Dick in a daze.

Dick skipped back out of the room. “You got everything you need then?”

Did they? Crud, Oliver had zoned out of the entire interrogation. Bats was definitely going to tear him a new one.

Bruce grunted and Dick smiled. “You’re welcome. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get lost before Batgirl bribes my location out of Double-R.”

And with that, the younger Bat was booking it down the hall.

“I’m going to write up a report on the interrogation. Review the footage and meet up in conference hall F so we can plan our next move,” Bruce said before marching off.

There was a moment of silence then Shayera asked, “What the hell was that?”

Vic rolled his eyes and Wally nodded, “It’s always a little distracting, we know.”

“Speak for yourself,” Vic snorted, elbowing the speedster. “The Titans call it Wing’s Milk and Honey voice. He barely ever uses it, but when he does, he always manages to get the information we need out of whoever we’re interrogating. It’s freaky.”

“It’s awesome. Just wish he’d talk to me in that voice.”

Vic glared at Wally. “I did not need to hear that.”

The speedster snickered.

“Did any of you catch what the goon in there actually said?” Oliver asked reluctantly and was relieved when both Shayera and Wally shook their heads.

Vic made a so-so motion. “I know he said he was working for Luthor and the core got moved to a warehouse just outside Metropolis, but the rest kind of got lost. Dick’s…”

“Distracting?” Wally suggested and Vic elbowed him again.

“Just listen to the recording. It gets easier the more you hear it. Kind of,” Vic suggested.

“Standard Milk and Honey protocol,” Wally said with a nod. “Dick’s just too charismatic for his own good.”

Before anything else could be said, Dick’s affronted yelp came echoing down the hall.

“At least when it’s not one of his siblings.”

Three ~ Red Robin and Batgirl

The Young Justice team had just gotten back from a mission. Bart, Kon, Jaime, and Tim were all resting in the lounge. Artemis had retreated to her room while Cassie and Kara had had to head home. Stephanie had been hanging out with the boys, but had disappeared a few minutes in.

Kon was asleep on the couch with his head resting on Tim’s lap. Tim, meanwhile, was working on a report, his laptop on the couch’s arm so as not to disturb Kon. Jaime was sitting on the coffee table in front of them and playing a video game on the main screen. Bart was curled up in an armchair off to the side, working through his post-mission meal.

A cymbal-banging monkey toy sitting on the shelves behind Bart slid forward a little.

The speedster turned at the noise and blinked at the unfamiliar toy. He shrugged it off and turned back to his food.

The monkey slid a little closer.

Bart turned around and frowned at the toy. He stared at it for a moment then slowly turned back around.

A minute went by, then the toy slid noticeably closer.

Bart spun around, jumping out of his seat and pointing at the toy. “I knew it!”

Tim and Jaime both turned to him, but the Kryptonian-strength earplugs did their job and Kon didn’t wake.

“What are you yelling about?” Tim asked.

“The monkey, it’s moving!”

Both boys looked between the monkey and their friend.

“You’re crazy,” Jaime said, turning back to his game.

“It is!”

“Did you see it move?” Tim asked.

“Well, no, but it’s not in the same spot!”

“Your eyes are probably just playing tricks on you. Maybe your blood sugar’s low or something. You haven’t eaten much yet,” the vigilante suggested before going back to his report.

“Like you’re one to talk about not eating,” Bart muttered as he grabbed his chair and turned it to face the self. “It moved! I’ll prove it!”

Bart didn’t take his eyes off the monkey for the next five minutes, even as he continued to eat.

Then his shadow reached out and tapped him on the shoulder before quickly returning to its proper place on the back of the chair.

He looked up and scowled when he didn’t see anyone. He returned his focus to the shelf, only to find himself nose to nose with the monkey just as it started banging its cymbals.

Bart bolted from the room, screaming about calling someone to come deal with the possessed toy.

Jaime glanced up, then shook his head and resumed playing his game.

A few seconds later Stephanie walked in, her magic bracelet on her wrist, and high-fived Tim.

Four ~ Black Bat and Signal

“Hey, Halo. Don’t turn on the lights.”

Violet paused in the doorway of the pitch-black warehouse, hand on the light switch. “Signal?”

“BB and I are here too,” Lia called.

“Looker? Why are you three sitting around in the dark?” ey called as ey carefully tried to make eir way towards the group by sound and memory.

“Looker and Signal are playing poker. The lights are off so Signal can’t cheat with his vision,” Cass explained.

“And yet the kid’s still cheating,” Lia huffed.

“I am not!” Duke said in an offended voice.

“How are you guys reading the cards?” Violet asked as eir hands finally touched the card table ey hoped the three were using for eir game. “And who’s sitting where?”

A hand came from eir left and brushed against eir arm. “I’m here. BB is next to me and Sig’s across from her. There’s a free seat across from me if you want to sit with us until BL gets here. Also, we’re using cards with braille. I can see the pictures and Sig can read braille so we’re all good.”

“You can read braille?”

“Batman.”

“Yeah, okay, that makes sense.” Violet slipped around the table and reached around until eir hand found the chair. As ey sat down, ey asked, “Is Signal even old enough to play?”

“Does this look like a casino? Who cares? It’s not like I’m sneaking him alcohol or cigarettes or anything,” Lia scoffed.

“Nightwing let me try a sip of beer once. It was awful,” Duke said.

She snorted. “Big Bro probably gave you the shi-bad stuff to scare you off.”

“You know, I patrol Gotham. I’ve heard all the swears before.”

“I am not getting caught swearing in front of Batman’s baby, thanks.”

“Robin and Catgirl are both younger than me!”

“CG is the Cat’s baby and Rob’s an assassin lovechild. You are the Bat's baby.”

Suddenly the room flooded with light, earning hisses, groans, and curses from the quartet.

“Why are you four playing cards in the dark?” Jefferson asked and the four saw him walking up to the table once they’d blinked the stars out of their eyes.

Violet could also now see that Cass was leaning against Lia with one of her arms stretched over the table to hold hands with her brother. The two let go, however, at their leader’s approach and Cass sat up. All three were suited up like Violet, though Cass’s mask was sitting on the table.

“We were playing cards," Lia said. "The dark was supposed to keep the kid from cheating. It didn’t work.”

“Whatever you say,” Duke snorted, gathering up his winnings. He sorted through it, then gave half to Cass.

“Why does she get half?”

Duke shrugged and Cass smiled. “Family helps each other out.”

Lia looked confused while Violet nodded slowly.

Jefferson just sighed. “Right… Well, get this cleaned up then we can discuss tonight’s mission.”

Five ~ Robin and Catgirl

Jon smiled at Goliath as he stroked the dragon bat’s ear. “Who’s the bestest dragon bat? You are! Yes, you are!”

“Bestest is not a word, Kent. Don’t teach Goliath bad grammar,” Damian tutted from where he was brushing Alfred the Cat.

“Gee Damian! How come your dad lets you get so many cool pets?” Kathy asked from where she was laying on Bat-Cow’s back. “I mean, the cow, dog, and cat are normal, -”

“Normal for farm girls, at least,” Colin chirped from where he was scratching Titus’s belly.

“- but the dragon bat’s insane! And now you’ve got a tiger too! Is there anything your dad won’t let you have?”

“Tiger?” Jon, Colin, and Damian all asked and Kathy pointed off to the side where Maya was slowly approaching the Malayan tiger cub that was stretched out on a large pillow and watching the girl through half-lidded eyes.

“That’s Kelley,” Damian said blankly.

“Aw, you named her after your sister?” Jon said, grinning widely at his best friend.

His best friend scowled at him in return. “She is not my sister.”

“I mean, your dad married her mom. That kind of makes her your sister,” Colin shot back and the scowl was turned on him.

“Does she accept pets or am I about to get my arm ripped off?” Maya asked softly as she sidestepped a little closer to the tiger in a crouch.

“Why would you wait this long to ask?” Kathy huffed.

“Kelley couldn’t rip your arm off if she wanted to,” Damian scoffed and turned back to his brushing.

Like she could understand him, the tiger’s head whipped towards him and she bared her teeth. With a low growl, she shifted onto her feet. Alfred realized what was happening as the tiger started bounding towards the bird-themed vigilante and jumped off Damian’s lap just before he was crushed under a juvenile tiger.

“Get off me! Get off me right now or I will skin you and use your pelt as a rug!” Damian snarled.

Jon considered helping his friend, but the tiger wasn’t doing anything more than licking his hair now that she had him pinned. After a quick use of x-ray vision proved that Damian didn’t actually have any weapons on him for once, Jon decided to leave the older boy to his pet and focus back on Goliath.

“KELLEY!”

“You’re the bestest dragon bat in the world, aren’t you? Yes, you are! Yes, you are!”

Plus One ~ Jason

Bruce scowled as he typed away at the computer.

The mission was supposed to be an easy one. Just a quick in and out. But they had gotten just one wrong piece of misinformation and now most of Bruce’s children were lying in the Batcave boasting some form of injury.

Worst of all, Bruce hadn’t been there. He and Selina had been on a date night across the city at the insistence of all the children.

The father paused in his typing to glance around the cave.

Carrie was lying on her pillow in tiger form. Either Tim or Duke had managed to slip a cone around her neck since the last time he’d checked on the kids. Considering the lack of shouting, snarling, growling, or baby roars, Bruce was assuming she was humoring the cone for now. Normally he’d make the boys take it off since it impaired her vision too much for comfort in the cave, but she wouldn’t be running around for a few days and the cone would remind her not to lick at her stitches, something she occasionally forgot while in tiger form.

Speaking of the boys, Bruce could see the cocoon of shadows Tim had wrapped them in on one of the larger infirmary cots. The shadows were meant to help with Tim’s concussion while providing Duke with the darkness he needed to get to sleep. A flaw with Duke’s powers was that it was hard for him to get to sleep in anything but the darkest of rooms, especially after an adrenaline-heavy mission got his photosensitivity at its peak. Normally they’d send him up to rest in his room since Bruce had installed special black-out windows for just this occasion, but Alfred wanted him to remain hooked up to an EKG machine overnight due to an electrical shock he’d received during the mission.

Dick and Damian were on the training mats, though Bruce only knew the former because of the thin, whip-like tail poking out from the mass of feathers to wrap gently around Dick’s leg brace. Otherwise, his youngest was completely hidden within his eldest's wings, bundled up against Dick’s chest to keep the boy from attempting to “train” his recently relocated shoulder “back to form.”

Stephanie was nowhere to be seen, though Damian assured them she’d returned home with the group and the occasional nudging of Bruce’s mug towards the edge of the desk confirmed it. Her bracelet sat next to Bruce, the focusing stone in need of replacement. Thankfully he’d thought ahead and had extras on hand so he’d just need to bring the bracelet to a jeweler friend in the morning to have it set properly.

Cass was curled up in one chair at the meeting table with her legs resting on another as she nibbled at a sandwich with one hand and held an ice pack to her bruised ribs with the other. Her eyes had been closed and she’d looked half-asleep when he’d first looked, but as the sound of a motorcycle reached them through the tunnels, her head perked up.

Bruce turned as his second-eldest arrived. Jason parked the bike and climbed off before pulling his helmet off and looking around. He whistled.

“How’d your mission with the Outlaws go?” Bruce asked.

“Better than the mission these idiots went on, apparently.”

“We got some faulty information. You hurt?”

“Nah. Kory, Artemis, and Biz got to have all the fun this time. Roy and I played sniper. What’s -”

Jason cut off as a black form leaped onto his back. Cass quickly wrapped her arms and legs around him before he could toss her off. Nuzzling into his neck, she cooed, “Big brother!”

“Hey, do I look like a horse!” He huffed, tugging at her arms and legs. Suddenly there was a bird in his place, with a plump body and long legs and neck. He flapped his wings and shook, but Cass had anticipated the change and shifted her grip to compensate.

Bruce smiled at the two, knowing Jason was just putting on a show of being annoyed. It was obvious by the fact he didn’t simply change into pure flames so she’d have nothing to hold onto and the way the feathers around Cass’s chest were alight, the flames rising up to brush against where the ice pack had been resting before.

Phoenixes couldn’t actually heal as some stories stated, but their flames could promote healing and ward off infection. Most importantly, though, they could soothe pains. And despite all his huffing and puffing, Jason hated seeing the people he cared about in pain.

The young man gave one last gentle shake before hissing and stomping off to his and Dick’s nest. He lowered himself down and Cass rolled off his back. She moved around to his front and leaned against the edge of the nest while he draped his neck over her chest. As she began to carefully brush her fingers through the burning feathers on his neck, the feathers on his back lit up once more. From where he was, Bruce could just barely see the faint traces of Stephanie’s face in the flames.

At the same time, Carrie yawned and carefully climbed to her feet before shuffling over and into the nest. She nudged the cone into Jason’s side until he stretched out a wing for her to curl up under.

A moment later, the shadows rose on Jason’s other side and he draped his other wing over them with a click.

Smiling at his children’s antics, Bruce double-checked that Tim had left the shadows open for the EKG machine’s wires then went back to his report.

By the time he looked up again a half-hour later, the ball of near-black feathers had relocated to under Jason's fantail and phoenix flames were covering the whole nest in soothing warmth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cookie to anyone who actually gets the book-dog reference at the beginning of Dick's part because I've been spending too much time on Youtube.

Funny story about Halo: I was looking up different characters that have been on the Outsiders team to put with Duke and Cass since I accidentally put Katana with the Birds before realizing she's the only other member of their team besides Black Lightning and didn't want her to show up in two parts (I've decided she runs with both teams in this universe). I decided on Looker because she seemed cool then was reading up on Halo. I remembered the character from clips of Young Justice animated and thought they were cool. I wasn't too surprised to see the original character didn't wear a hijab, but I was surprised that Wikipedia uses they/them pronouns for the part talking about YJA's Halo post becoming Halo. I thought the character was nonbinary until I checked the YJA wiki for something and saw it uses only she/her pronouns. I'm pretty sure that means Wikipedia's just being weird, but I decided to make Halo bigender anyways so she uses she/ey pronouns in this universe.

#batman #batfam #everyone has powers #except bruce

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queerbutstillhere-writes · 4 years

Text

Morning Routine

It had been a late night.

Bart hadn't gotten back to Tim's apartment until 3am, Kon got there around 3:30, and Tim was the last one, arriving just after 4. He had barely dragged himself through the steps for a shower, his body going through the motions without him thinking about it.

He had gotten to his bedroom and collapsed into his king sized bed, Kon and Bart already curled up together and half asleep on one sized. The bed was always so empty when they weren't around.

Kon made an annoyed sound, patting around until he met Tim's arm and tugging.

"M'here, birdie," he mumbled.

Tim yawned but obliged, climbing over to them. Kon let go of Bart, scooting back, so Tim had just perfectly fit himself between them, Bart instantly latching onto him like a little koala, while Kon put a protective arm over both of them.

He fell asleep like that, and he woke up in near the same positions, except now Bart was laying on his chest, and he was squished up against Kon.

Kon was on his phone, other arm underneath Tim's head, and Bart was still snoring softly, but judging from his wet hair, he had already gotten up and showered and then just fallen back to sleep.

Bart was really just a puppy.

Tim sighed and stretched as best as he could, before wrapping his arms around Bart.

"Good morning, little bird," Kon murmured turning his head to kiss Tim on the head.

"Mm, morning," Tim mumbled, letting his eyes fall close. "What ti-"

"Nine eighteen."

Tim hummed, just laying there. If he fell asleep, so what? It was a Sunday.... Well, he thinks it's a Sunday, anyway.

Kon made no effort to move them, and it wasn't until nearly twenty minutes later that Bart yawned and stretched, curling around Tim a bit after.

Tim chuckled, opening his eyes to look down.

"Bunny," he murmured, brushing Bart's damp auburn hair out of the way.

"Nooo," Bart whined, keeping his eyes squeezed shut.

Kon laughed slightly, setting down his phone, then reaching his free hand over to tug on Bart. It took a little persuading, but eventually Bart gave in, letting himself be pulled over. Tim scooted back so the ginger could slid in between them, and then he cuddled back in, Bart squished between them. Tim could just barely see his face form into a smile.

"What do you two want for breakfast?" Kon asked, reaching across Bart to play with Tim's hair.

"Pancakes," Bart mumbled into Kon's chest (super tiddies).

"Didn't we just have pancakes?"

"Pancakes are good," Tim defended.

" 'specially yours."

Kon chuckled. "Okay, fine. Pancakes it is."

Bart gave a muffled cheer, Tim just grinned and stretched forwards enough to be able to kiss Kon. Kon eagerly pressed back, carefully not to squish Bart any further.

"I'm gonna go start breakfast," Kon murmured after a few minutes of lazy kissing.

"Bye," Tim mumbled back, stealing one last kiss.

Kon pulled away, lightly kissing Bart a few times before getting out of bed. Both Tim and Bart watched him walk out, just wearing boxers.

"How did you sleep, my prince?" Bart asked quietly, pulling Tim's arm over his side and starting to toy with his fingers.

"Good, with you two here."

Bart hummed softly and Tim couldn't help but kiss his head, then keep his nose pressed into his hair.

"Stay tonight too?"

Bart giggled. "Sure, babe."

Soft music started filtering in from the other half of the apartment, and Bart started humming along to the sweet country song.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom okay?"

"Okaaay."

When Tim came back from the bathroom, Bart was gone, so he just grabbed one of Kon's shirts on his way out, finding the two in the kitchen, Bart in the middle of shaking up the orange juice. Kon was making pancakes from scratch.

"He's up!" Bart cried cheerfully, zipping over and stealing a kiss in the blink of an eye.

"Yeah I'm up, bunny, come back here and give me an actual kiss."

Bart held up a finger, quickly pouring himself the orange juice before zipping over and wrapping his arms around Tim's neck, grinning at him.

"Like this?"

He leaned in and deeply kiss Tim for a few seconds before pulling back, still grinning.

"Yeah, like that."

Bart just laughed and stepped back, getting his orange juice and going to hop up on the counter near the oven. Tim set about getting himself a cup of coffee, like he did every morning. And just like he did, every morning Kon was here, he walked over and kissed Kon on the cheek before going and sitting at the kitchen table.

The morning was nice and slow, everyone except Kon had left their phones in the bedroom, and his was only being used for music, untouched except to change a song. They idly chatted, about anything any everything, and then Kon spun when a song came on the radio.

Tim just groaned and buried his face in his hands.

"Nooo."

Kon passed Bart his spatula and walked over to Tim, holding out his hand.

"She had a shiny new beamer with the ragtop down-"

"Kon," Tim whined, but grabbed Kon's hand and let himself be pulled up.

"Sitting in the drive, but she wouldn't get out~"

And so Tim was made to suffer as Kon sang along to Big Green Tractor by Jason Aldeen, the two of them dancing around the kitchen. Tim was giggling, face pressed to Kon's shoulder, even as he loudly complained. They got halfway through the song before Bart interrupted.

"I wanna dance!"

"Then come here, my angel!"

So Kon spun Tim out, letting go and instead grabbing Bart, pulling him off the counter. Tim was giggling breathlessly, shaking his head at the two.

"Conner Kent, you are such a hick," Tim mocked, shaking his head.

"Hey, baby, come out to the farm with me and we really could go on a ride on a big green tractor."

"Mmmm, sounds like a good time, my star," Bart said softly, spinning away and then back into Kon, grinning at Tim.

"You're both massive dorks."

"Yes, but you love us!"

"Indeed I do," Tim said with a soft sigh. Then he paused. "Is something burning?"

"Ah fuck!"

Tim and Bart both burst out in laughter as Kon spun away, snatching up the pancake off the pan with his bare hands. Sure enough, it was burnt. Kon just groaned in annoyance and threw the burnt food away, going and washing his hands after.

"Hey, sunshine," Tim called softly. "Bart's staying tonight too. Can you?" "Sure, birdie, I'll text Ma and tell her.

Tim just smiled in response, and let silence settle over the kitchen like a soft blanket, warm and inviting. It was nice, just watching Kon cook (and maybe it was extra nice, getting an unobstructed view of his upper body), and just being there with them.

Breakfast was significantly less calm, but that's what happens when your boyfriends both have super metabolisms. Tim just ate his two pancakes and decided not to pay attention to how much, and how quickly they ate.

After breakfast, Kon gave them each a kiss, his mouth still tasting like syrup, and then disappeared to take a shower. Tim cleaned up the dishes - the one thing in the kitchen he was allowed to do - and Bart went and started setting up for a movie. This was a frequent Sunday routine for them, and Tim happily went along with it, going and curling up with Bart under a duvet that they had bought specifically for the living room. Regular throw blankets just weren't big enough.

Once Kon had joined them, one on either side of him, they started the movie, and Tim just smiled softly, leaning into Kon. This was going to be a good day, he could feel it.

written for the tkb server, but specifically @chaoticfuckingneutralgod and @feralforwildblueyonder

#timkonbart #core disaster #Domestic Bliss #writing request #pet names #fluff #tim drake #conner kent #bart allen #queerbutstillhere #Queerbutstillhere writes #my writing #drabbles

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miss-choco-chips · 4 years

Text

Soul Shards part 4

I have nothing to say for myself. Don’t kill me? I tried to edit this, but it’s longer than what I’m used to, so I probably fucked up somewhere along the way.

This... will probably need another part. Or should I leave it like this? I dunno.

Enjoy!

~~~.~~~.~~~

Timothy’s eyes shone hatefully. It was the most beautiful shade of icy blue he had ever seen. Even if the emotion was such a dark one, they weren’t empty anymore.

-It’ll be over soon -he shushed, slowly sinking to his knees and bringing the man into his lap, almost engulfing him between arms and firm chest, as if to protect him from the pain that was coming from deep inside; distantly, he heard Kon and Jon’s voices as they approached, their concern obvious but unimportant at the moment-, you just have… a lot of emotional catching up to do.

~~~.~~~.~~~

16 - 21

The young man raised his eyes from the documents he was revising, merely glancing over Damian’s case files.

-Zsasz -was all he said, before going back to his own thing.

Damian a year ago might have gotten mad, thinking Timothy was sprouting spur of the moment lies to get him to stop nagging him. He knew better now, that the man didn’t need more than a second of looking at his carefully collected evidence to make a verdict.

It didn’t mean he wasn’t curious, though.

-How? -was all he asked, giving the file a closer look, trying and failing to see what the other could- He was at Arkham at the time of the crimes, there’s witnesses and video evidence.

Timothy didn’t seem to be paying attention to him any longer, answering by rote but not taking his empty eyes from his own work.

-Not Zsasz himself, but not a copycat either. This is the work of a lover, or someone romantically interested in the bastard. Could be a courting gift, a mean to attract his attention, or both. Look deeply into any woman…

-Or man, or both, or neither -he felt compelled to add. Timothy shrugged, but his soul gave an approving humm.

-... or man, or both, or neither -the detective conceded, dropping his papers in favor of his coffee cup and tablet-, visiting him this last few months, or that could have benefited from any of Zsasz murders; maybe he unknowingly saved someone by killing their abuser or something like that, and they fell for him. Think Misa Amane from Death Note.

As he did any time Drake dropped a reference, Damian made a mental note to check this out. At least, “Death note” sounded more his style than the time he had to watch both Mean Girls movies.

-How do you know it’s a love interest and not, say, an apprentice?

Without dropping his cup, and balancing the tablet against his legs where he was sitting on the couch, Timothy raised his other hand and pushed one of Damian’s papers across the coffee table towards him. One of the autopsy’s photos.

-The cuts. Zsasz usually makes them all across the body, picking certain places that would make his victims bleed to death as slowly and painfully as he feels like. These, instead, are focused on the chest area, almost circling the person’s heart. In this one, a victim that was murdered specifically on Valentine's day, the cuts are even closer to it, almost framing the heart.

-...I can see it -he muttered, eyes widening. After two weeks of useless tumbling around this case, it was only when he caved and went to Timothy for help that he finally had some possible lead on it. And, as every time he did this before, a few minutes was all he needed to figure it out and to point him in the right direction.

-I’d hurry, if I were you. The least thing Gotham needs is a new villian power couple, a “Harley and Joker” take two. It was just too good when she left him for Ivy, so don’t allow anyone else to take their places as the criminal lovers of the city.

Damian nodded and went back to his files on Zsasz, energies and will renewed. Timothy ignored him once again in favor of his own things, and silence enveloped them. He didn’t mind; the icy blue soul’s warm encouragement was all he needed.

----.----

-It has grown -commented the older of the two, watching from the corner of his eye the souls on Damian’s lap. They had to fight some sea monsters at the beach, and sand had gotten into his pouch, so he stopped at the earliest chance to clean it up.

It was the first time Timothy saw his soul in years. Damian had being careful to not take it out around him, scared it might spook the man into leaving.

If anything, he seemed curious.

-It has? -he asked, dropping his own back on its hiding place and rising the other to eye level- It still fits in my palm the same way it always did.

Timothy rolled his eyes.

-Yeah, and your hand is the exact size it was when you were twelve? Brat, you are already taller than me -wipe that smile off your face, we both knew this day would come. You grew, and if it still fits the same, it’s only logical that it did as well. You probably didn’t notice because you see it all the time, and since your soul has also grown, there’s no sure way for you to compare them and realize it.

Amazed, and more than a little happy, Damian examined it closer. He was right, of course; now that it was brought to his attention, he couldn’t unsee it.

-A soul grows and thrives on multiple things -kept going the other, shaking his head to get as much sand as possible off his hair-, both positive or negative.

Damian knew this, has seen the sheer size of the Joker’s rotten soul, doubled after his latest killing spree: it fed on the pain of his victims. It was a disgusting sight, but one that proved just how different the psychopaths they fought saw life, and how unlikely it was they’d ever stop.

-And in this case? -he asked, refraining himself from saying ‘your’ instead of ‘this’.

A shrug- If I had to guess, love, like most people’s. It was what always healed me, time and time again, growing up; love for my friends, parents, family, people I liked… It started to shrunk when half the people I cared for died, and the other half didn’t seem to want my feelings nor return them. Poor, past-me’s soul was starved to death. You seem to have it well fed, tough.

It was said tonelessly, but Damian felt two sizes taller all the same. The soul at hand seemed to shine in front of his eyes (although it was probably just the sun’s reflection), and a quick succession of images flashed across his eyes.

Kon El, Bart Allen, Cassie Sandsmark and a few other heroes he recognized from Drake’s old Young Justice photos, going out of their way to seek him out and keep him company in his self imposed soulless exile.

Grayson, Father and Todd sitting quietly at the Cave’s Red Robin memorial (with cracked glass; The Red Hood hadn’t reacted well the first time he saw it), sharing stories of the man as they knew him: brother, son, childhood friend.

Cain and Brown, sitting back to back, holding the other’s soul shard; Brown delightedly absorbing the love Timothy had put in Cain’s icy blue compass, and the other carefully caressing the almost black locket, cocooning it in her hands, as if trying to breath emotions back into the almost empty thing.

Himself, tirelessly looking for information on the man years ago, following him around more recently. Taking hits for him during the times they worked together, doing his best to keep Grandfather away, sneakily replacing his coffee for decaf.

(taking care of his body)

Holding the precious icy blue orb in his palms, cradling it against his chest when sleeping or fondling with it between his fingers when troubled or distracted. Constant, tender touch. Never damaging it. Never leaving it alone. Never ignoring the feelings it sent his way.

(taking care of his soul)

Timothy looks indifferent, typing away at his new phone (he changed them almost every day, no doubt to keep Oracle or Father from finding him), but his soul reacts beautifully to Damian’s thoughts.

Fed by love, indeed.

-----.----

17 - 22

After he saved some children and comforted them during patrol, when he had (briefly) the upper hand against Cain in a spar, when he successfully talked Todd down from blowing up a building, when he stood firm against father in order to protect Jon, Colin and the rest of his friends from a scolding, when he tried (and failed) to help Alfred bake Grayson a cake for his birthday… each time, he would feel a tug from the not-so-little-anymore orb, and when he took it out of his pouch to inspect it, he’d always see a new, beautiful green and gold spot slowly dying the area surrounding the core.

Little specks of his colours, appearing here and there at times that seemed random to him, but evidently were appreciated by Drake’s soul.

It scared him so badly he could barely sleep without nightmares. Because, even if it meant tentatively good things (he was leaving a mark on Timothy where not even Todd had reached, was securing himself a way into his heart), it also meant a change.

What if, after all his efforts, this made impossible for Drake's soul to fit into his body after all?

After the soulless man had pointed it out for him, he begun to notice things. Not only the suddenly appearing, breathtaking looking spots on the icy blue sea of his soul, but how it seemed to shine more with each passing moment, how the feelings it gave off were more intense (it had come as a surprise; he would never had guessed they were muted before, until he was almost blown away by the soul’s rage after an encounter with Deathstroke left Nightwing at death’s doors), how the small little bumps and dents in it were filled out as the soul grew, healthier and prettier.

It had grown so full of feelings, so strong, he feared. What if, even if he got Timothy to take it back, his body couldn't accept it due to its changes? Or what if the accumulated feelings were too much for him to take, to process? He certainly had some emotional baggage to catch up to, and he had little to no information on soulless people accepting their core back to properly predict what outcome they might face.

He was scared by the changes. He was excited about his colours slowly taking space into Timothy’s soul. He couldn’t rest properly anymore.

The soul was a faithful companion on his long, sleepless nights. It spoke to him, in a language of feelings and abstract-like images he had come to learn with the years. It returned his love and care tenfold, in a way he knew only Drake, with his seemingly unending flow of emotions, could do.

A part of him (Wayne, hero, martyr) didn’t believe himself deserving of it. None on his family, with maybe Cain and Pennyworth as the exceptions, were worth the unconditional trust and loyalty Timothy bestowed upon them.

The part that was purely Al Ghul (proud, selfish, greedy) asked for moremoremore, and only himhimhim.

That didn’t help his insomnia.

Neither did Timothy’s warm comfort.

The feelings, on both ends, only grew.

-------.-------

When he finally gathered courage and went to the source, Timothy himself, to show him the changes on the orb, the man only hummed, undeterred in his task of cleaning the kitchennet of this small place he was using for the week. They were somewhere in Singapore, and Damian could see the sea from the living room window.

-It’s such a shame, really -he spoke, as his hands worked steadily and with the ease of familiarity on making both coffee and Damian’s favorite tea. Never let it be said he didn’t know how to host. Another muscle memory skill, no doubt.

-What is it?

-You fell victim to Robin’s Third Law. I thought you might have been excepted from it, but obviously not. So sad. If I had an Alexa, I’d have her play sad violin tunes.

Ignoring the last bit, he took his eyes from where he was comparing the blue and green souls (his and Drake’s), and glanced in his direction.

-Third Law?

He never heard of it before. He would remember if Father or Grayson told him about it.

-Hmm -he nodded, brining a tray with the beverages and cookies to the low table, taking his seat in front of Damian, back to the window (whether this was trust in him to watch out for him in case they were attacked, or he simply didn’t care, he didn’t know)-. It’s a theory I developed while Stephanie was Robin, and you only confirmed it for me. First Law: Each Robin shall have his or her Batgirl. Dick and Jason had Barbara, me and Steph (though very briefly on her case) had Cass, and you currently have Steph. Second Law: Each Robin will have either a Super, a Speedster, or both, as his or her friend and teammate. Dick had Wally, Jason Bizzarro, I had both Kon and Bart, Steph teamed up with Kara for a while there, and you have Jon.

Blinking rapidly, he nodded. It- it was too much of a coincidence. Timothy’s claims, as always, had their merit, no matter how far fetched it seemed to have three unescapable facts following the wearer of the Robin mantle.

-And the Third Law?

-Each Robin will fall in love with their predecessor, without a happy ending.

That stopped him cold, tea cup halfway to his mouth.

He knew?

It must have shown on his face, because the man rolled his eyes.

-Just because I don’t have feelings of my own any longer doesn’t mean I can’t recognize them on someone else. I told you, the soul that belonged to me -he nods in the direction of Damian’s lap, where he had placed the soul while they eat- thrived in love. It’s almost the size it was back then, when I was young, idealistic and stupid.

A sip of coffee. Timothy’s soul reached out tentatively, it’s metaphorical touch brushing Damian’s own, a wave of lamenting and corresponding. He didn’t want to focus on what it meant.

-Dick loved the boy he was, the little Robin his parents raised, that flew on the trapeze without a care on the world. That kid died the night his parents fell. Jason most likely had a crush on Dick back when he was Robin, though the way he was treated by him back then killed that tentative love. I know, because I studied him for years, until I learned everything there was to learn about my predecessor and friend.

Damian listened, but half his mind was on the unrelenting wave of feelings Timothy’s soul was sending his. There was a message there, but he was way too overwhelmed to understand it.

-Myself, well, since you have that thing -he pointed to Damian’s lap, then shrugged-, you must know about my hopeless, tortuous love for the bastard. You know, even though past me trained himself with a flight or fight response to him, it still took me some battle time to go for the fight one? My body couldn’t seem to settle into the idea of hurting him -he sighed, shaking his head- Stupid little brat.

-Th-then… What about… Brown did have you. Her... her love didn’t have a tragedy following.

TImothy merely raised an eyebrow.

-Even before she faked her death, I was kind of an asshole with her, always demanding she hang up the cape. Then, when she came back, I was so pissed and betrayed, I couldn’t even look in her direction as much as I couldn’t take my eyes away; from what I remember, it was hell. I’m pretty sure a part of her will always love past me, just like him would always love her a bit, but they’re never getting back to what they were. There’s just too much polluted water under the bridge.

-Her shard is almost completely black and empty -he muttered, eyes dragged against his will to the Icy blue (and green and gold, now) soul.

Timothy laded his head- Doesn’t surprise me. Kon, Bart and Cassie all have theirs in almost perfect shape, though some spots here and there are losing their colours. They were absolutely freaked out when it started to happen, came straight to me to yell about friendship, bonds and shit like that. I’m guessing both Cass and Alfred’s pieces are the same -at Damian’s reluctant nod, he smirked- about time, too.

Damian didn’t comment on it, because he was well aware of how much Drake wished for all his soul shards to go completely null. When that happened, his soul would have definitely died, no take backs.

There was also the matter of the soul core, in Damian’s possession, that kept on thriving and growing, but Drake didn’t seem too worried about it, which scared Damian in turn.

-And, lastly, young current Robin. In love -he smirked-, ah, no, corresponded love, judging by the green spots, with his predecessor. Tough luck. The soul might have feelings for you, but the body certainly doesn’t (muscle memory from back then is a bitch, isn’t it?), and those by themselves are not enough, are they? Such a tragedy.

He smirked while talking, empty eyes not really caring about Damian’s crushed heart.

He hated him, a little, just then. Not nearly as much as he loved him, sadly.

-------.-------

Watching him through the monitors of the cave was such a normal thing for him to do, it no longer called to the attention of his family members. They just accepted it as one more of Damian’s oddities and moved on.

Sometimes, Grayson or Todd would stop by. They would comment on some sparring mistake he made, or marvel at the mission report when Drake’s explanation on the thought process that drove him to solve it was beyond amazing, longing and pain lacing their words.

Cain and Brown rarely accompanied him, but when they did, it was their choice on what to watch, and more often than not it was some funny, endearing thing, like Drake’s comm quips, or mask recordings on the cheesy puns he threw to his enemies.

Father never stayed, once Damian took a seat by the Batcomputer. It was beyond frustrating, his decision to pretend his son was dead, from the memorial to avoiding all talk of him unless forced. Timothy was out there, and Damian held in his pouch the answer to his predicament, but no, Father would sooner think him dead than deal with the emotional rollercoaster Damian was currently riding.

Timothy defied death itself when everyone else thought Father dead. He went toe to toe with a devil like his Grandfather, and came out on top, for him. It angered him, not seeing such devotion returned. Todd’s death and later criminal career had undoubtedly messed with his emotional bonds with all his children, but this was just ridiculous. They fought over it, often. They fought a lot, these days; his older siblings said it was a rite of passage, to reach that moment when Robin was just done with Batman’s shit.

-Master Damian, you never showed up for supper. I took the liberty of bringing some leftovers for you to snack on here.

Lost as he was, both in thought and in footage of Timothy reaching a compromise with Poison Ivy, he had to repress a startled jump; it would be unbecoming of him, with all his training. Though, Pennyworth probably knew anyway. He always did.

-Thank you -he nodded, accepting the plate stacked with sandwiches. The old butler left a cool glass of water by the computer’s keyboard, and his eyes went up to the image of Timothy returning home after another successful mission. His tired eyes seemed to soften.

-How is Master Timothy fearing, young sir?

As sure as he was that everyone suspected him, only Alfred directly addressed the fact that Damian went to his old charge, time and time again. Even so, when he asked for “Master Timothy”, he always referred to the same.

Wordlessly, one hand holding a sandwich, he retrieved the soul next to his from the pouch. The spots weren’t bigger than last time, but more numerous.

One finger softly caressed the orb. He wouldn’t feel it, but Damian could, and it always warmed him the way Timothy’s soul reacted to the old butler’s touch.

-To think I let a young man under my care to go starved... -muttered the man. He hadn’t taken well when Damian confied on him the reason why the blue orb used to be so little.

-It was a shared mistake, Pennyworth. If anything -he nodded towards the man’s bowtie, where the small icy blue shard still shone- it’s evident how you -and Cain- were far from the worst perpetrators. The fault lies on the rest of us.

The man sighed- It’s such a shame, truly. Master Timothy was such a bright, full of life young man… his heart might have been naive, but it rarely steered him wrong.

While he spoke, the man went around Damian, reaching for the keyboard. A few clicks later, and a video file he never saw before was brought forth. Timothy’s young face appeared on the screen, and Damian paused, softly putting his glass back down.

On screen, his predecessor, down to his old Robin pants and no shirt, was finishing a training routine on the mats.This one, he didn’t recognize.

-I searched every bit of information on Drake, how…?

As he asked, another figure appeared on screen, this time… an odd version of Nightwing. He started needling Timothy (the file lacked audio), seemingly asking for something the other kid wasn’t willing to provide. He kept shaking his head.

-I have every bit of photographic evidence of Master Richard’s… most questionable clothing choices password protected, least he finds a way to get rid of all of it. It’s for posterity’s sake, you understand? And to maybe help refrain him from trying his hand at “improvising a new suit” ever again.

Looking at his mentor’s mullet hair and deep v-neck, he can’t exactly bedrugde Alfred his counter measures. He’s feeling shame just by looking at a video, can’t even imagine what living through that must have been for the poor butler.

-Grayson’s fashion sense is sadly lacking, isn’t it?

-I wouldn’t call that fashion, Master Damian, nor sense. One could forgive and forget the first Robin suit, a circus child in need of colour and reminders of home. But this? -a stiff nod to the screen- This makes me worry for any children he might have.

-I’ve been keeping him away from orphanages -he assures the old man, because at this point, it was a two on two battle, him and Pennyworth against Father and Grayson and their inability to keep their greedy paternal paws off of possible new family members.

-Good lad.

In silence, they watch as Nightwing goes off screen, returning later in civies. One would think anything would have been less of an eye sore, but the bright green pants, red sneakers and yellow shirt aren’t so much better than glitter and feathers in a skintight suit.

Shockingly, though, Timothy-on-screen seems to disagree. Graysons’ renewed efforts at convincing him of whatever he wanted bore fruits, and soon enough, both vigilantes left the scene. Automatically, the video started to reproduce again, on a loop.

Alfred hummed, taking back the empty tray- I would highly recommend you went upstairs to try and sleep, young Master. Your eyebags are two thirds the size Master Tim’s used to be, and that’s worrying on its own.

He wanted to protest, but the look on the old man’s face made him reconsider. There was very little any of them could do to repay Alfred for everything he did for the family. Easing his concern was just a start.

Silently, he closed the files he was revising and walked side by side with the butler.

-I wonder what was what Grayson said, to make Timothy concede -he commented, while they slowly hailed back to the Manor.

-Nothing of great importance -was his answer-. Master Timothy’s will is a force to reckon, but he always found Robin to be his Achilles’ heel. The moment Master Dick changed into civies the colour of his first suit, poor lad had lost the battle.

The words kept spinning in his head, even after he went to bed.

It wasn’t a plan, not even the beginnings of one, and it lacked all the finesse and detail attention one of Timothy’s would have, but it was more than he had yesterday.

A start.

------.------

He went to Kent with his idea. Conner. Kon El.

(Not Superboy. Not his Superboy, at least; just like he wasn’t his Robin)

He choose him, because he could fly them somewhere away from his Grandfather's ears. Because he was better at lying than the Impulse, and less noble and forthcoming than Wonder Girl. He trusted him more than he did Timothy’s other Young Justice old teammates.

But, more importantly, he knew Kent would be ready and willing to do whatever it took to get Drake back.

-You know it’s gonna hurt him -the clone pointed out, face serious and stony. He was already preparing himself mentally for the backslash of what they were going to do. His hand had raised up to the Icy blue earring. Out of everyone else, Cain and Pennyworth included, his soul shard was the brightest; his love and loyalty to Timothy never once wavered.

The soul in his pouch gave a warm wave of fondness. He suspects that, during Drake’s darkest hours, his best friend’s love was what kept the little orb fed. Even now, he felt it strengthen under Kent’s undying devotion.

-I know.

There was no question it would. If they succeeded, the onslaught of feelings would be far too much for anyone to handle. Timothy, awesome as he was in every other field, would not be the exception.

-He’s probably gonna hate me.

-No -he shakes his head, echoing on Timothy’s soul sentiments- He never could. You and the others… he’s weak to you. That’s why I’m asking for your help. I need you there first, to soften him up to the idea. Make him more… receptive.

A pause. Then:

-It’s me he’s going to hate.

-At first, for sure- the easy admission, from the mouth of someone as well (or better) versed in the mysteries and wonders of one Timothy Drake, hurt; then, the man continued- but I can promise you, it won’t stay in the way of your little love story for long. He will cave soon enough.

Startled, he looked into the meta’s eyes; mischief, but a shade of seriousness. He wasn’t lying.

-There is no love story. Only redemption for me, and a chance at happiness for him.

-Yeah, yeah, I know, you bats are all for ‘what’s right’ and ‘emotions and personal life are for the weak’. I’m just calling it like I see it, dude, and anyone can see how you look when you talk about him. And, honestly? It’s a little creepy, Edward Cullen style, the way you spent your entire teenagedhood pining after someone without actually interacting with him for almost half of it.

Multiple reactions raced through his mind. Embarrassment, denial, rage…

...resignation.

-I’m not worthy of his affections, not after everything. And even if I was, who’s to say the feelings his soul has now will be the same once it’s back with its rightful owner?

Kon El just sighed, something that sounded like ‘emotionally stunted bats’, and carefully placed a hand on Damian’s shoulder. It was striking, realizing they were not so far in height now. He would never bulk up the way Superman’s clone had, but his body was closer to it than Timothy’s, or Grayson’s.

-I’ll let you in a secret. There’s one easy shortcut, straight to Tim’s heart. Though, maybe ‘straight’ isn’t the right word in this case.

-Shut up.

A smile- Trust me on this one. You’re already using that way, even if you don’t realize it -he clasped his hand tighter, and then released him- Well, gotta go. Showtime is in two days, right? Have to be ready.

He was already taking off, when Damian’s brain to mouth filter seemed to break and he blurted out.

-What is this shortcut?

Still flying, the meta spin in place to face him, moving backwards. His smile was one part wistful, two parts sad.

-The fastest way for Tim to love you? Love him back. He’s a sucker for people giving him the barest scraps of affection, it would be impossible for him to resist someone wholeheartedly loving him.

-----.-----

18 - 23

All fell into place on Damian’s birthday.

The morning, he couldn’t escape his family. Grayson cried, of course, and Father had his constipated-emotionally confused face on. Todd and Brown promised to take him to a bar, careful to make that claim where Pennyworth couldn’t hear them. Him and Cain were in charge of the cake (Cassandra’s latest focus of attention had been bakery, and she wanted to participate), and Damian spent half the day surrounded by their love and support.

As promised, Jon came by mid afternoon to take him to ‘celebrate together’. He asked his family to wait for him awake, even if he came past the time patrol usually started. An odd request, but since he had asked for so little for his birthday, they couldn’t help but agree, Barbara going so far as to have The Birds of Prey ready to cover for them.

It was a long flight to Uruguay, but it was needed. He had taken note on how Drake was, more often than not, found on some seaside location. According to Grayson (and the multiple mission reports he had read on the subject), the tiniest Robin always seemed to like and take comfort on the beach. It had become a small compulsion, probably one he wasn’t even aware of, to stray to places surrounded by water.

The only stop they made, was for Damian to change civies for his suit. The Robin suit.

They found him sitting on the sand overlooking the calm afternoon waters, at La Pedrera Beach. Just where Damian asked him to met, where Kon had undoubtedly brought him a few minutes before.

No one was around, thankfully. The less witnesses, the better.

Jon touched ground softly, smiling at Damian and taking off again, to wait with the older Superboy as planned. His friend’s eyes betrayed no nervousness, but he didn’t need to; Damian was nervous enough for both of them.

Steeling himself, he walked towards the smaller man and stood by his side. Silently, they both watched as the sun slowly sunk into the horizon. In ten more minutes, it’d be completely hidden. Damian wanted for everything to be done before then, as if the beauty of the sunset would counter the pain of what was to follow.

-Okay, Baby Bat, lay it on me. Why ask me to come here, all the way from Italy? I was having a blast, you know, catching those mafias one by one.

Even as he spoke, he didn’t look particularly bothered. Soulless as he was, he had no qualms on showing his displeasure. Right now, though, he looked as satisfied as he ever did since losing his soul. The morning catching criminals, noon with his best friend and afternoon at the beach seemed to have worked like a charm. He was at ease, no longer waiting for Damian to attack him, and when he looked up at him and saw him wearing his colors (for once his more muted pants having a green tint to it, resembling more his predecessor's old costume), surprise gave quick way to trust.

Alfred was right, as always. Robin seemed to be the key past Timothy’s defenses.

-It’s my birthday today -he informed the man, doing his best to not be so stiff- And I want my gift.

A sharp laugh, devoid of feeling but humorous all the same, and Timothy stood, face to face with him, tilting his head to look him into the eye.

-My, my, what a spoiled prince. But whatever, I’m here already, and I already indulged you these last two years, letting you stay around and helping you with cases. What’s one more? I won’t take the soul back, though.

Damian shook his head.

-I don’t intend to return something of yours. I want to give something mine, for you to carry with yourself.

The smirk on his face turned utterly devious, and Timothy’s pale hands found perch on his shoulders.

-Such a daring man you have turned into -slowly, he leaned closer, standing on his tiptoes to reach Damian’s ear- What do you want to give me, baby bat? -his warm breath caressed his face, and he had to shut his eyes tightly when he felt Timothy’s face getting even closer- Maybe a kiss? It’ll be free of charge, even, just because I’m in such a good mood. I’ll still let you have the gift you had in mind, too.

Startled, he held the other man’s hips. The want that pushed viciously against his restrain left him dizzy, but his heart twisted and the pain brought him back to his senses, just before his lips -that he hadn’t even be aware he was parting- touched the other’s.

Carefully, because he didn’t mean any harm and because of how hard it was, he pushed the man away.

-No.

-No? Despite how desperately you clearly want it?

He clenched his fists, before slowly opening his hands and dragging them away from Timothy’s body. He opened his eyes again, looking down at the beautiful face, at those empty eyes. That sealed his decision.

-Not like this. Never like this.

He both regreted and was relieved by his words the moment he had uttered them.

A huff, and slim arms crossed over his chest. It helped a little, once the temptation was over.

-Okay then, boring. What’s this gift you want? Wanna give me a necklace or something? You seem the possessive type.

Damian breathed in, deeply. This was the moment.

-Open your hand, please.

Eyes rolling over the drama, one hand on his hip, he stretched out the other one, palm up.

Bracing himself, Damian retrieved something from his pouch. Before he could second guess himself, he softly placed it on Timothy’s hand.

Deep, rich green. Shinning gold. A sea of those colors, with specks of icy blue floating around.

His own soul.

Timothy’s eyes went to the soul, the one that wasn’t his, and widened a little. Reflexively, he closed his fingers around the orb as much as he could. He was still being moved by the muscle memory, the compulsion of pleasing Robin.

A second later, tears started to endlessly flow, and he was screaming in pain.

-----.----

For months, years, Damian had looked over him and saw two separate pieces of the same puzzle. Soul and body, beautiful on their own, but absolutely breathtaking if he only could put them together.

Now, the full picture stood in front of him. Despite its beauty, there were visible cracks where Damian had forced their ragged ends together, where he had to put his own soul as a filler between them.

Effective as it was, meshing two pieces, despite they belonging to the same puzzle, wasn’t the most gentle way to mend them.

They were bound to break a little, in order to fit.

-What have you done to me?! -demanded Timothy, hand clutching desperately at his chest (the other one still holding the gifted soul core), knees failing him. He would have crashed into the ground, if not for Damian’s firm arm around his waist.

He looked completely miserable, scared and shocked, which sent waves of both guilt and elation through him, because his Beloved was hurting because of him, but he was feeling.

Timothy’s eyes shone hatefully. It was the most beautiful shade of icy blue he had ever seen. Even if the emotion was such a dark one, they weren’t empty anymore.

-What is happening to me?! How?! This isn’t my soul! I shouldn’t be feeling my own emotions! -he shrieked, his entire body shaking, and it was obvious he would have attacked Damian if not so focused on his own pain. Tears fell seemingly without his notice, and flickers of different emotions crossed his face. Guilt, anger, joy, sadness, rage, fondness, pain, guilt, anger, joy… Too quick to properly categorize, too sudden for Timothy to process them. Those were the emotions his soul had been storing this past few years, and it was all crashing down around him.

-I’m well connected to the soul you gave me. As thus, by using my own as a conduit and bonding us together, yours finally has a way to reach out to you, to do its job and make you feel. It’s muted, not as strong as it’d be if you had accepted your own soul back in the first place. I’m afraid that would have killed you.

-I feel like I’m dying now.

There was screaming. Then laughter. Panic and crying. Puking. Timothy’s hand left his chest to tug at his hair, plucking off strand, then going to his naked arms and leaving red indents with his nails. Softly, he took his fingers between his, Timothy’s back to his chest, if only to keep him from hurting himself any longer.

-I can’t breath. I can’t think. Why did you do this to me? I love you. No, I don’t. Fuck, I’m going crazy -Daman tightened his arms around the man, shushing him, rocking back and forth on the ground, wishing desperately he could sooth his pain.

-It’ll pass.

Timothy whined, and cried, and smiled, and puked on the sand.

-I hate you right now. I love you. I’m scared. I hate you again. I/

-I know, love. I know.

When he passed out, still caught between tears and smiles, Damian couldn’t help but feel relief.

#My writing #soul shards #soul shards au #Tim Drake #Damian wayne #damitim #bruce wayne #dick grayson #alfred pennyworth #jason todd #Stephanie Brown #Cassandra Cain Wayne #kon el kent #Conner kent #Jon kent #ra's al ghul mentioned #young justice is mentioned

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onthesandsofdreams · 3 years

Text

A Part Of Me Is Yours, Forever [3/3]

Pairing: Molly x Greg Rating: T Summary: It is a year and a half of dating, when Greg begins to act… not strange, but it’s more secretive. At first he blames work, says that someone kicked something his way that is stressing him out. Molly just kisses him and lets him rest with her. But then, after ‘the something’ is over, Greg is still acting strange. She is not one to suspect cheating, Greg’s far too honest for it, but it unnerves her. “Is something troubling you?” She finally asks over dinner. Words: 1129 Notes: For my @mollyappreciationweek‘s bingo card, square: Valentine’s Day

Read @ AO3 | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

It is a year and a half of dating, when Greg begins to act… not strange, but it’s more secretive. At first he blames work, says that someone kicked something his way that is stressing him out. Molly just kisses him and lets him rest with her.

But then, after ‘the something’ is over, Greg is still acting strange. She is not one to suspect cheating, Greg’s far too honest for it, but it unnerves her. “Is something troubling you?” She finally asks over dinner.

Greg looks at her surprised. “No, Molly, all’s fine.”

She frowns, “It doesn’t look like that, you’ve been… quieter, as if you were hiding something.”

It is then that Greg stops eating, “Well,” he speaks slowly, as if thinking his words carefully. But in the end, he sighs, “I am planning a special Valentine’s. No, don’t ask me what it will be, you’ll see, but putting everything together is being… difficult.”

She leans forward, “You know that you don’t have to, right?” The last thing she wants is for Greg to feel like he has to go all out. He is still taking her on special dates, fun places they have discovered either he or she.

“Oh I know,” Greg gives her a grin. “I just simply want to. And besides, I think you’ll like what I have planned.”

She arches a brow and her lips curl upwards, “That, I don’t doubt. You really have found ways to surprise me a lot.”

Greg grins, “Good, good. You just wait.”

They resume eating their dinner, and after they make their way to their bedroom. There, they cuddle in bed and watch a movie, Toby curls up at their feet. It’s a quiet and calm night, she is already feeling better thanks to her talk with Greg.

A week before Valentine’s, Greg asks her to take the day off. “All day, Valentine?” she asks frowning. She’s never taken a day off just for a date.

“Yes, all day. Surprise starts relatively early.” Then Greg frowns, “Unless you can make it back to the flat before four… that’s when our first appointment starts.”

Now she’s curious, and pretty certain their first appointment is high tea. It’s the hour who gives it up. “Very well, I’ll take the day off.”

“Excellent!”

Valentine’s Day arrives, to find them both in bed, simply enjoying each other. And it’s Greg who makes breakfast, pancakes with bacon and coffee. They indulge and eat in bed, neither is going anywhere until much later, so she takes the change to enjoy Greg and quietness.

She has picked a nice outfit, as Greg is keen to remind her, because they will be going to different spots and they could hardly be coming back to the flat to change. So, she heeds his advice and opts for a nice dress and tosses a coat over it. Does her hair and make up, and Greg looks quite dashing in a suit and tie. “Ready?” Greg asks when he sees her, and she doesn’t miss how he looks at her.

She grins, “Very.”

“Then, let us go.”

Their first spot is tea, she can’t quite help but to stare in disbelief when Greg takes her to TWG Tea Salon, there, they go for the three course menu and high tea. She’s fit to burst at the end, but everything was so well done, and well, it’s not everyday that she indulges and she can be excused, after all, delicious food should not be wasted.

Their second spot is the cinema, more specifically, Backyard Cinema. The one they now favor, even if they still go to the regular one. This time, they watch Moulin Rouge at a bodega that has been decorated for the occasion.

“This is so nice,” she whispers as they sit side by side, holding hands.

“And it’s not done,” Greg whispers back.

Greg was not joking, for after the movie is done, he leads them to London’s Eye, he made the Valentine’s Day reservation, there, they enjoy the champagne and truffles as they are going up. It’s only when they are high on the sky, that Greg lets go and she frowns.

“Molly.” Greg says, looking quite serious. “I know we have been together for a good time now, but I find that I am so happy with you, you’re a special person and I love who I am with you.” He pulls something from his pocket, it’s a small sachet and her eyes go wide. “And I know that I don’t want to let you go,” he pulls a beautiful ring of sapphire with two diamonds on the side from the small bag and lifts it so she can see it well. “Because if I did, I’d be the greatest fool that ever lived. I love you Molly Hooper, and I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you honour me by being my wife?”

Her eyes are brimming with tears, and she feels her heart beating so loud, she’s certain Greg can hear it. There’s a knot in her throat too, yes, she loves this man as she never imagined she could love him. So she does what she can, she frantically nods her head and manages to say, “Yes,” before going to Greg’s arms, careful not to make him drop the ring. She kisses him with passion, they only part when they are short of breath and they are both smiling. “Yes, I’ll marry you.” She says again.

Greg slides the ring on her finger and they kiss again. “This is the most perfect Valentine’s Day ever,” she tell him.

“Oh it’s not over.” Greg says. “We still have two places to go.”

Her eyes widen, “Really?”

“Yes, really.” That’s all that Greg says.

When they are back down on the ground, Greg takes them to Bart’s. And when they arrive, it’s clear that it is a murder mystery investigation. She turns to look at him, Greg laughs, “We have an advantage! I’m a DCI and we are friends with Sherlock. We can do this.”

And they do. They have a blast solving it and they win, and everyone is clapping at them, while they bow as thanks. Throughout it all, she looks at the ring on her finger, and smiles.

The last place they go is Anthracite Martini Lounge, they have jazz music playing and they are not drinking beyond champagne (they did at Bart’s) but they enjoy the canapes both sweet and savory and the music. They are in a corner, quietly swaying to it, and as she looks into Greg’s smiling face and happy eyes, she knows, that a part of her is his, and a part of him is hers, forever.

#mhaw-winter2021 #mollstrade #Molly x Lestrade #Molly Hooper #greg lestrade #sherlock fic #sherlock #au: canon divergence #post canon fic #established relationship

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hqwritings · 4 years

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Kuroo, Bokuto, and Tsukkishima Hearing Their Roomate Dump Their Boyfriend

@venuslii requested: Kuroo, Bokuto and Tsukishima walking in on their roommate laughing on their phone and it turns out she broke up with her boyfriend and he posted about him being heartbroken and she says “that’s what you get you stupid b****” lmao headcanons or scenarios idrc

A/N: Eyy, thanks for requesting! I got a little stumped on some parts (*cough*Tsukki*cough*) but I hope you enjoy these! Requests are currently opened, no rules yet other than a maximum of only three characters please!

Kuroo Tetsurou:

-We all know this man loves his juicy gossip (re:when he immediately knew about Mikashou’s breakup) so when he heard you cackling in your room he knew he had to get you to spill the tea. It’s part of why you two get along so well and can stand living with each other: you two are nosey bitches that thrive off of spilling annoying/funny stories about the people in your life. He also gives killer advice that seems to always work for you, so that’s a bonus too.

-Since you two don’t really care about privacy near each other you left your door open and he takes the opportunity to dramatically poke his head in and pose at the doorway like the sexy bastard he is. “What’s so funny Y/N it’s not often that you keep secrets from me~”

-Needless to say he was a little baffled to see you cackling to the straight up breakdown your boyfriend was having over the phone. Kuroo feels an evil little grin coming onto his face. He never liked your boyfriend anyway. He was a bitch that was too easily angered and didn’t know how to keep his cool. Then again he never liked Kuroo either, always thinking he was gonna steal his girl (which Kuroo never bothered correcting him on because it was so fucking funny to him)

-He’s grinning at you and asks “Oh? What’d the bitch do now?” He’s leering over your shoulder as you show him your ex’s Snapchat, filled with sad Bart Simpson memes and edits with slowed rap music playing in the background. You even get him to read the terrible captions that say shit like “When the person who you thought was the one becomes a stranger again 😭😔” you’re laughing so hard at it you can’t even say anything

-Kuroo busts out the LOUDEST and most OBNOXIOUS hyena laugh ever and he’s grabbing your phone and going through all the other posts he’s missed so far and you’re just on your bed rolling in your sheets DYING and clutching your stomach because it’s hurting so bad

-“So you finally dumped him eh?? Good for you Y/N!” He shouts between laughs and then directs his attention to your crying ex, mocking him by saying “I have some sad Plankton memes if you need them! Unblock me first and I’ll send them to you! HAHAHA-“

Your ex hates him so fucking much and keeps trying to say something back but he keeps stumbling over his words and it just makes the two of you laugh even harder

-When you manage to get your laughter under control you lightly kick Kuroo (who’s now sitting on your bed) as a signal for him to give back your phone. When he hands it back to you, you go back to the call with your ex and shout “SEE THAT?! WHO’S LAUGHING NOW?! THAT’S WHAT YOU GET YOU STUPID BITCH!” With that final blow to his ego you’re satisfied, and hang up on him

-When Kuroo hears that click signaling the end of the call, he raises his hand for a high five and you give it to him. He’s sitting straight up now and immediately tackled you in a hug. You two kind of just lay there, and even though it’s mildly uncomfortable, he knows you need it. It’s warm, soft, and safe, showing you that he was always gonna be there for you no matter what

-“Good job Y/N, that guy was a major dickwad. He wasn’t nearly as hot as me anyway. Probably had a tiny dick too” “Trust me, he did” “Holy shit-“

-He rolls off of you from the hug but is still laying down next to you on your bed while holding your hand. You vent to him about how good and free you finally feel now that your ex is officially out of your life. During your conversation you two make a note to burn all the clothes your ex left in your room at your next house party/bonfire.

Bokuto Kotarou:

-He’s either A)chilling on the couch B)chilling on the couch talking to Akashi/Kuroo/Tsukki or C)chilling on the couch and playing video games. You two don’t have any particular system set up, because you two don’t care. What matters is that you’re bro’s and you both do your part to make (barely) make rent every month.

-You and Bokuto share plenty of funny stories to each other but he’s used to you just sitting in your room doing your own thing talking to whoever, but when he hears you literally CACKLING like a freaking maniac, he can’t stop himself from pausing whatever he’s doing and going to your room to make sure you’re still alive

-He gives a light knock on your door before realizing it’s unlocked and just coming in and he’s really surprised to see you doubled over on your floor laughing like there’s no tomorrow as he can hear your boyfriend on speaker phone, making the ugliest sobbing noises he’s ever heard

-“Whatcha doing Y/N? I can hear ya all the way from the living room, what’s up with you?” He asks, both curious and slightly concerned for you. You quickly get up, ignoring your (now ex-) boyfriend and pulling up his public Snapchat story that also has sad Bart Simpson memes and long ass sad emo paragraphs about how heart broken he is (it’s a little impressive how quickly he wrote it up though, given how you broke up w him like five minutes ago)

-“Bo, look at this shit- haHA I just dumped him!” Bokuto knows how much of a piece of shit your ex is, since you’ve spent so many nights crying to him about your fights and the hurtful things he’d say to you so he eagerly eats up the absolute bulls hit on his story and laugh with you while listening to his sobbing

-Your ex is fuming whilst crying over the phone “REALLY Y/N?! YOU'RE GONNA GET YOUR ROOMMATE IN ON THIS?! I KNEW YOU WERE CHEATING ON ME WITH HIM YOU SLU-“ but you were having none of it so you immediately shoot back “OH SHUT THE FUCK UP THAT’S WHAT YOU GET YOU STUPID BITCH” Bokuto is absolutely DYING by now, hyping you up as you shut your ex down

-He’s so happy to see that you know your worth now and aren’t going to let some dumbass boy make you think otherwise. So many times he’s wanted to just clock him in the jaw (he radiated really douchey vibes) but now he doesn’t have to (unless you want him to of course)

-Your ex angrily hangs up and you two are having a fit on the floor, Bokuto laying over your body as you read out the songs on the emo playlist he just posted. You even move to twitter to see him tweeting sad Pinterest quotes

-When the laughter dies down and he’s still laying over you and you’re just on the floor he turns over to look at you. “You know, I’m happy you broke up with that douche-face. He was ugly anyway, and a shit volleyball player. You deserve better” He lovingly pats your head “I’m proud of you Y/N, really” You almost want to cry at how sweet he’s being but you just smile and get up, walking to the doorway and turning to look at him

-“Thanks Bo, I appreciate that. All that laughing makes me tired though. Wanna order takeout and watch a movie? I’ll let you pick” He happily gets up from your floor and gives you a big high five and you two walk out of the room to go order your food. Your ex, completely pushed out of your mind.

Tsukkishima Kei:

-Doesn’t usually care about gossip (except for that one King of the Court thing w Kageyama) so your conversations don’t really go into “tea” abt people. You two are pretty close at this point and you both are hella nerds so your conversations will probably be about stuff like your sports/activities and maybe the occasional debate over which Jurassic Park Movie was the best (He will always go with the first one, he has a whole PowerPoint and everything). Otherwise you two don’t talk too too much, keeping to yourselves and being relatively peaceful.

-When he hears your loud laughter and straight howling, he’s… slightly annoyed. What could possibly so funny that you had to scream loud enough for him to be able to hear when he’s wearing headphones for fuck’s sakes. He begrudgingly takes off his headphones and makes his way to your room with the intention of telling you to stfu

-He doesn’t even bother knocking because he’s petty so when he sees you rolling over the floor AND hears your boyfriend’s loud hiccups and sobs turned on the highest volume on speaker phone he goes from annoyed to confused and annoyed.

-“Y/N you’re being so loud and it’s annoyi- what the hell are you doing” He’s not even trying to hide his mild disappointment in you and even makes a comment about your ex sobbing over the line “Why’s your annoying boyfriend crying too- he doesn’t sound like he’s laughing”

-You take a break from laughing to shout back at Tsukki “Make that Ex-Boyfriend Tsukkishima!! HAHA- come here, look at this- look-“ you’re getting up from your floor and grabbing him by the sleeve to sit him on your bed as you eagerly go through your ex’s Snapchat filled to the brim with emo poetry and paragraphs about heartbreak

-“I broke up with him 10 minutes ago and he’s still crying-“ Tsukki can’t help but laugh at this as he’s reading the absolute bullshit that your ex typed out. He can always tell when he’s going to be annoyed by someone and the moment your boyfriend stepped into your place, he knew that he would never get along with him. He avoided him like the plague and always denied the invite when you would go out together but would occasionally hear your fights through the walls or your crying when he came home late (in those moments he’s actually really nice and will sit and listen to you)

-“Wow… this is absolutely pathetic, how old are you, 12? This is bullshit!” Tsukki has no chill, verbally beating down your ex and only making him cry harder and now your stomach hurts as you clutch it with your free hand. At one point your ex decides he’s had enough and from the other end of the line he shouts “SHUT THE FUCK UP. YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING- YOU'RE A PIECE OF SHIT WHO CAN'T MIND HIS OWN BUSINESS-“ and Tsukki’s not having ANY of this so immediately goes “And you’re a sad loser who just got dumped by his girlfriend over the phone! What does that say about you?”

-You’re grinning ear to ear during this whole exchange and after Tsukki says that you bring the phone to your mouth (hoping to scream as loud as possible into your ex’s ears) and say “THAT’S WHAT YOU GET YOU STUPID BITCH-“ and hang up.

-It doesn’t stop there though- no no no- you two crack yourselves up even further by doing dramatic readings of all the messages (with stupid impressions of your ex to boot): “Oh baby if only I could hold you in my arms one last time!” “Heart been broke so many times-“ “Nobody cares about me, even the person who I thought I could trust the most-“ “Holy shit Tsukki you sound just like him-“

-When you can’t view his story/tweets anymore because he’s blocked you, you and Tsukki finish laughing. His long legs are draped over your bed and yours are placed on his lap. At this point he doesn’t even care because it’s been a good while since he ever found something THAT funny. He isn’t really the type for softly comforting his friends but you know that he definitely has a little soft spot for you (at least a tiny one) and you just sit there and gently kick him.

-“What” he asks and you just give him a soft smile and say “Thanks”. He has his own small smile on his face (that you can totally see but don’t mention because then it’ll go away) and just looks away from you and says “You’re annoying” (which by now you know translates to “You’re welcome”)

#haikyuu x reader #haikyuu!!#haikyuu imagines #kuroo testuro #bokuto koutaro #tsukkishima kei #kuroo x reader #bokuto x reader #tsukki x reader

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ttooccaa · 4 years

Text

Mamma Mia, he’s Italiano!

I wrote a fanfic for bartuardo(?) Crazy... It’s under keep reading, but there’s also a Ao3 link, I hope you like it.

Summary: After rescuing the prime minister of Italy from the evil clutches of Queen Bee, the Outsiders are invited to an event in their honor. Milan might not be the city of love, but everything can change, especially when a handsome Italian takes an interest in Ed and Bart is hit with a realization regarding his feelings towards his teammate.

Rating: Teen

Ao3 link

Komy Island

March 20, 23:45 UTC+2

“Terra, manoeuvre 16!” shouted Wonder girl, while throwing Tuppence Terror against a wall with her lasso.

Terra nodded and send a chunk of flying earth towards Wonder girl, who jumped on top of it. The earth piece took her swiftly to the center of the action, where Beast Boy was fighting Mammoth, while in the form of a green Gorilla.

Wonder girl jumped from the flying earth piece and landed on Mammoth’s back, where she wrapped her lasso around his neck and pulled tight, so that Beast Boy could deliver one last finishing blow to his face.

“Beast Boy to Beta, have you located the hostages?” He asked, contacting the other team through his ear piece, while narrowly avoiding an icicle flying his way.

“Yup, just got them out. E.D. will teleport them on the Bio-Ship.” Kid flash answered triumphantly, appearing from behind Beast Boy and forming a small tornado around Junior, sending him flying.

A sonic blast from above send Tommy Terror across the room. “Mission complete, ese. Let’s get out of here!” Said Blue Beatle, while grabbing Wonder girl’s arm and flying towards the opening in the roof.

Beast Boy used his ear piece once more. “Bio-Ship, come and get us.”

The Outsiders swiftly escaped through the ceiling hole and boarded the ship.

“Woohoo! Another successful mission for the Outsiders, if I do say so myself” Kid Flash high-fived El Dorado, then leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the control table.

Hollywood

March 21, 9:23 PST

“Good job team. You have successfully rescued Italy’s prime minister and her husband. They are on their way to Italy as we speak.” Came Nightwing’s voice from the large Tv in the Tower’s living room. “Even though both the League’s and the Outsiders’ approval rates are constantly rising we still need to earn the people’s trust back...”

“And that’s becoming harder and harder with Infinity inc. running around and stealing all the spotlight.” Interjected Static.

“Hey, I said it before and I’ll say it again, it’s not a bad thing that we have inspired other meta-teens to fight for what’s right” Best Boy crossed his arms over his chest confidently.

“Yeah man, but statistics don’t lie and both ours and the League’s aren’t exactly consistent.” Said Cyborg, while showing the team a hologram comparing the League’s, the Outsider’s and Infinity Inc.’s approval ratings.

Infinity inc. was leading with the Outsiders behind them and the League slowly rising.

“So not crash.” Huffed Kid flash.

Terra added “Well, at least it’s good to see, that the League’s newfound openness is actually having an impact on the people’s opinion.”

Nightwing sighed “It’s a slow rise, but it’s something.” He continued “Now, let’s get back to the matter at hand, we still don’t know why Onslaught kidnapped Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Cancio and her husband, Matteo Cancio, but considering that Onslaught works for Queen Bee, it was certainly her doing... just like always there aren’t any evidence to back that up. The best we can do is assume...”

“And that assumption is..?” El Dorado was looking up, while sitting next to Bart on the large sofa in front of the screen, a lopsided grin on his face.

“That assumption is that Queen Bee is trying to eliminate all the politicians who have publicly stated that they don’t think her acquisition of the country formerly known as Qurac was done with completely legal methods.” Finished Nightwing.

Cyborg raised an eyebrow “Then why didn’t she just, you know, kill them?”

“Killing them would bring too much attention from the media, it would be even worse if it’s discovered that Onslaught was involved, considering they work for her and have diplomatic immunity in both Bialya and Greater Bialya” explained Superboy.

“Hello Megan! She wanted to use her influence on them, make them her allies, rather than opponents. Probably why she kept them on Komy Island, one of the islands in her jurisdiction.” Jaime looked thoughtful.

“From what Forager understood, there is nothing the Outsiders can do.” Said the red bug alien, nervously rubbing his hands.

“Not exactly, the most we can do now is warn the potential victims and have the League, the Team and the Outsiders keep an eye on them.” The former boy wonder concluded.

The Outsiders nodded in agreement.

Nightwing continued “All in all, good job everybody, Nightwing out.” The screen went blank.

Hollywood

March 30, 15:50 PST

Garfield was standing in the living room, in front of the huge screen, his back turned to all his teammates, currently filling out the room.

“So why did you call this meeting, fearless leader?” Ed’s soothing accent cut through the silence.

Cassie smiled “Is there a new mission for us?”

Garfield turned towards them, huge grin on his face “No and yes, the Outsiders have been invited to Italy by the prime minister!”

“Wait, what?” Virgil looked surprised.

“The prime minister of Italy has invited us to an event in our honour, there will be other big politicians there, who will all show their support and gratitude towards both the Outsiders and the League! A part of the event will be televised with different news outlets covering the story. This is exactly the kind of good publicity we need right now!” Explained Garfield.

Conner moved his head to the side and raised an eyebrow “And does the Team or the League know about this?”

“They have been informed and should we accept the invite M’Gann will also come with us, disguised, of course.” The green teen explained.

“I mean it will be nice to have public endorsers, especially from a country, other than America.” Bart added.

“Mhm, gaining the trust of not only the people living around the world, but also their governments will certainly make our job way easier.” Vic continued.

Cassie looked thoughtful “Maybe we can learn if some of the politicians there know anything about Markovia, I mean the whole country has been nothing, but silent since Brion took over.”

Tara looked up surprised and then down - sad and uncomfortable. Forager but two of his four hands on her shoulder and back.

“Sorry...” Cassie apologised quickly.

The rather happy atmosphere had significantly dropped.

Garfield tried to divert the team’s attention back to the matter at hand “The event will take place in about three weeks time, on the 21st of April in the Bulgari Hotel in Milan.”

That defiantly peaked the team’s interest.

Garfield continued “The “Thank you very much for saving us and not letting us become Queen Bee’s minions” party will start at 7:30 pm with all the guests’ arrival on a sort of Red carpet, but not really, then there will be introductions with a televised speech by the Prime minister, dinner and afterwards Party time!”

“This whole thing sounds so... fancy?” Virgil looked unsure.

“Do any of you even own something more elegant than a pair of jeans and a dress shirt?” Cassie was smirking.

“Hey, I’m a movie star! I go to fancy events all the time, of course I own suits!” Garfield replied, faking offence.

Ed looked concentrated “I used to own a couple, because of dance classes and competitions, though I doubt any of them still fit... and I did leave them all in Argentina.”

Cassie looked towards them as if to prove her point.

“Hey! You don’t exactly think of looking fancy when you’re on the run!” The Latino defended himself.

“Wait, let’s backtrack! Dancing? What kind?” The speedster had a really surprised and doubtful look on his face, but his eyes were shining with excitement.

“Sí, amigo, well argentine tango, of course, but also ballroom dances like waltz.” Ed grinned.

“That’s totally crash, but I would have never pegged you for that type of dancing.” The other teen was smirking, his eyebrows raised.

Jaime smirked “Or dancing in general, you were so irritated and moody two years ago, not exactly dancer qualities.”

“I’m a guy of many talents.” Ed shot back.

“Okay, Garfield has fancy outfits and Ed can dance, that’s great and all, but how are we supposed to act around all those politicians?” Victor asked exasperated.

Tara interjected “I can tell you a couple things about behaviour around such high class people, I am... well, was a princess after all.” Forager continued rubbing her back.

“I’m sure Perdita also won’t mind helping us out. Okay, so... all in favour of going?” Garfield asked, the mood again a bit tense.

“Aye!” Came everybody’s reply, while not filled with as much enthusiasm as Garfield would like it was still a good start.

“Crash.” The green teen smiled.

Milan, Hotel Bulgari

April 20, 8:34 GMT+2

The car that had taken the Outsiders and Miss Martian from the airport had just stopped to halt. The hotel was huge, made of marble and other stone, the structure looked big and heavy, but also elegant and sophisticated.

Bart was the first out of the car “This car ride took forever!” He immediately perked up after seeing the hotel.

“Wow! This place is so crash!” Exclaimed Kid flash, while running everywhere in and out of the hotel. He elbowed Garfield “Now I understand why you like being a celebrity so much.”

Eduardo whistled “We’re just standing in front of this thing and I already feel like I’ve gone bankrupt.”

The hotel employees that were waiting for them in front of the building were already taking their baggage out of the car. One of them introduced himself as Nicolo and said, that if there is anything they want or have any questions not to hesitate to ask him or any of the other employees. He gestured for the superheroes to follow him inside the hotel.

On the inside the hotel was even more stunning, again marble decorated with golden specks and dark wood. Everything looked so glamorous, like something straight out of a movie. It was like the place was shining and shimmering.

The receptionist was a young and energetic woman, her name was Francesca and she again, just like Nicolo, said, that they shouldn’t hesitate to contact her. She gave them their room keys, everybody had their own room, even Superboy and Miss Martin, who was coming under the disguise of a representative for the Justice League. Everybody also had full access to any of the hotel’s luxuries, such as the pool, the spa, the restaurant and so on. Francesca said they they will find their belongings already in the room.

“I hope you enjoy your stay with us!” Was the last thing she said, before the superhero team headed to the elevators.

Banter started as soon as they walked away from the reception.

“So which room are you in?” Asked Jaime, Bart.

“3016, you?” Bart asked looking at the magnetic card.

“3020!” Jaime answered, relieved to be close to his best friend.

“We’re really close, that’s so crash!” Bart was really excited.

Both of them visibly relaxed after learning they at least had one teammate close-by.

“I don’t wanna interrupt that cute “bro moment” you’ve got over there, but we’re all on the same floor.” Ed teased from behind them, showing his “3023” card to them.

“Oh!” Blue Beetle and the speedster smiled, a little embarrassed.

Bart was quick to pick himself up “That’s even more crash!”

Garfield cleared his throat “Okay, team, I don’t know about you, but I’m really jet lagged, especially because we couldn’t use the Bio-ship. After the Reach, not every country allows alien technology to cross their borders... Anyways, everyone know the plan for tomorrow right?”

“Look good and approachable!” Cassie answered.

“Make sure we are on our best behaviour, because of all the media coverage.” Cyborg continued.

“And don’t do anything stupid and embarrass ourselves in front of all those fancy people...” Virgil, looking a bit miserable, added.

“And?” Beast Boy asked, smiling, one eyebrow quirked up.

“And be ready by 7 pm, we get it, mom, don’t worry.” Ed, with his arms crossed over his chest, answered. “Now can we stop hogging the elevator and get some rest in our rooms?” A gentle smile gracing his face.

“Hey, it’s called being prepared okay? But, yeah, I would also like to take a nap.” Garfield yawned for good measure.

M’Gann was smiling, her hand on Connor’s shoulder “He’s becoming such a good leader, growing up so quickly.” She said telepathically to her fiancé.

“He really has grown those couple of months. They all have.” He squeezed her hand.

The Team arrived on their floor, said their goodbays and all headed towards their rooms.

Milan, Hotel Bulgari

April 20, 14:36 GMT+2

It had been a couple of hours since the team separated and Bart was bored out of his mind. He had already done everything there was to do in this room, taken a shower, watched tv, even slept for a bit. The speedster had already seen the whole hotel and the place was boring, there was nothing to do other than relax. Relaxing was not exactly his thing, he needed excitement, he need to see and experience things, he needed movement...

Bart would also love to see Milano, not that he couldn’t do it, he could see the whole country of Italy, if he so desired, but it’s always better with somebody. That way he can appreciate it more, he couldn’t exactly go sightseeing during the future, mostly because all of the survivors and children of survivors and so on were the Reach’s slaves and most of the world was destroyed and in ruins... But! That was then and that is now and that future will never happen... hopefully.

The brown haired teen flopped down on his bed from where he was standing in front of it, mulling over his boredom. He grabbed his phone.

He started mindlessly scrolling through Flitter and posted a pic he had taken while checking out the hotel. He looked through the “Memesiders” tag. Bart loved all the ridiculous things their fans would make like the “Ya’ll ugly” vine, but with Ed or all the PETA commercial parodies with Garfield. This defiantly kept him entertained for a couple of minutes, but it was quickly becoming boring. Living at super speed can be the worst sometimes.

Bart flipped himself over and opened his messages, maybe somebody was online. He texted Jaime (though in Bart’s phone it said ‘I’m blue da ba dee da baa DIE’), but got nothing from him in the few seconds he waited for a response. Suddenly the little tic next to Eduardo’s name (‘EDgy’) turned from grey to green and Bart seized his opportunity.

KA-CHOW: Ed, mi amigo! Wyd?

EDgy: Just woke up, like 10 mins ago, u?

KA-CHOW: Same old, same old, I’m sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

EDgy: Sooo?

KA-CHOW: BORED 😭😭😭

EDgy: Ain’t that the usual

KA-CHOW: Yessss, but YOU could help me!

EDgy: How so 🧐

KA-CHOW: Wanna blow this popsicle stand 😏

EDgy: LOL sure meet at the front in 15?

KA-CHOW: Ed, hermano, you’re a lifesaver

EDgy: Mi Dios, why can I hear the way you say ‘hermano’ even through text

Bart was buzzing with excitement, finally something to do! And with Ed! Ed’s honestly an awesome guy, he’s funny and a real smartass, him and Bart also bonded over their participation in the non-real, but certainly real enough “The Reach traumatised me for life (or has been traumatising me my whole life)” club.

In the beginning the curly haired teen was so angry and annoyed with everything and everybody around him, he saw his powers as a disease, an illness, wanted to get rid of them. Bart remembered how shocked and surprised Eduardo Dorado Sr. was when his son showed on his doorstep after defeating the Reach. The father honestly thought he ran away again.

Even though they spent time with Lex Luthor, “The Runaways” still didn’t have full control of their abilities or knew their full extend. So that’s where the League stepped in, helped the teens learn control in a way that didn’t make them feel like lap rats.

In those two years Ed and Bart’s relationship truly blossomed. Turns out, they had a lot in common, when both of them finally chilled out, Ed was not irritated by every little thing and Bart didn’t spend every waking minute wondering about the future.

Bart shock his head in a cartoonish way, as much as he’d like to reminiscent about his relationship with Ed, he should probably get dressed and get going. Bart grabbed a pair of black sweatpants shorts, a white T-shirt and a dark red shirt with the sleeves rolled up, which he left unbuttoned.

Bart had super speed, but he also had a secret identity, as retro as that was. He slowly opened his room’s door a little bit and looked both ways down the hallway. The team had checked the cameras earlier and luckily none of them looked their way, well not anymore that is, after Cyborg tinkered with them a bit and created a blind spot. ‘Coast clear’ Bart thought.

The green eyed teen walked out of his room, without forgetting his magnet card and other necessities. The speedster took the elevator, which also took forever and walked to the front of the hotel, a second later there was a golden flash and Eduardo appeared next to him.

Ed was wearing a green and yellow stripped, baggy T-shirt, which he had tucked into his light denim jeans. They were cuffed and he had a brown belt to hold them up.

‘Damn, he looks amazing, so crash, well Ed always manages to look great, he is also so funny...’ Such thoughts always crossed Bart’s mind when he was with Ed, but then again he thought all his friends were awesome, yet with Ed, it started to be a little different. He never dwelled too much on it.

The other teen grinned at Bart “So, you got any plans?”

“Not really... We could walk around, check out Milan, I’ve never been, you?” They were walking towards a park right outside of the hotel.

“Never to Italy, but I did cross a big part of South America, until I got abducted by the Reach in Brazil.” The Latino cringed at the memory. He was sleeping on a bench, then a second later there was a hand on his mouth and before the panic and the adrenaline could kick in, he was out like a light.

“Anyways, we are not here to relieve our traumas, I suggest we check out some of the tourist attractions? I mean, this city is know for being one of the fashion capitals of the world? We could go window shopping on one of those way too expansive streets?” Ed suggested, one eyebrow raised, thinking of things to do.

Bart put his arms behind his head “Whatever we do, I’m sure it’s going to be fun.”

“Hmm is that so? Why?” Ed smiled shyly.

“‘Cause we’re doing it together, amigo! And things are always way more fun with friends, I mean you really appreciate them, when you didn’t have any growing up.” Bart’s energetic stride slowed down a bit.

“Hah, guess we’re not good at this whole ‘not bringing up our traumas and problems’ thing, huh?” The tan teen smiled teasingly.

“Yeah, suppose so...”

They had reached one of the more reserved parts of the park. Bart flopped down on one of the benches, Ed sat down next to him. The sunlight coming through the leaves above them was warm and creating fun shapes on the teens’ faces.

“I’m so feeling the mode right now.” The speedster huffed.

“Wanna talk about it?” Ed offered.

“Honestly... no. We’ve talked so much about our problems with both our mentors and Black Canary and so on and so fort. I just want to, idk, chill, relax, not think about it, even if it’s only for a few hours. How about you, hermano? Any traumas, problems and sad stories you wanna share with the class?” Bart answered truthfully, a lopsided smile on his face.

Ed grinned and looked at the empty bench in front of them “Nah, I mean I’ve got some, we all do, but sharing is so exhausting.”

They stayed like that for a bit, in comfortable silence.

“I heard that there’s a crazy amount of pigeons in front of ‘Du-om-o de Mi-lano!” The speedster broke the silence, already in front of ‘the golden one’.

Ed raised his eyebrows, then laughed “Oh, you mean Duomo di Milano!”

“Yeah! That’s what I said!” Bart defended his terrible accent, faking offence, but happy to have made his... friend laugh.

“No, amigo, it’s ‘Duomo di Milano’, you hear the difference?” The Argentinian got up next to Bart.

“Actually, yeah! How do you know to pronounce Italian so well?” Bart was already excited.

Ed blushed a bit “It’s only a couple words, no need to be so impressed, but actually Argentinian Spanish can sound closer to Italian, rather than Spanish.”

Bart took out his phone and put in the address of the Cathedral and they headed that way through the picturesque streets of Milan.

“I never knew that, you don’t really talk a lot about your time in Argentina or Argentina in general.” Bart explained, his hand illustrating his words.

“Well, there’s not a lot to be said about my life in Argentina... but if you want to know more about Argentinian culture and the Argentinian language, you can always ask me.” The other teen offered.

Ed was never the type to open up about his past, but then again who was Bart to judge him about that? They were in the same boat. A thought still crossed his mind ‘I want to know more about you.’ But instead he said “Totally crash, amigo.”

They arrived at the Cathedral and there really were a lot of pigeons, but also a lot of tourists and people in general.

“Wait a second, I have an idea, be back in a flash.” Ed winked, while Bart groaned at the terrible joke.

Ed teleported. It was so fascinating to see the way Ed had grown into his power, at first he hated it, but now, it was as natural as breathing for him. He teleported next to a man selling popcorn and bought two of the small cartons.

He turned away to teleport back to Bart, when suddenly “Oh my gosh! Are you? Are you El Dorado?! Of the Outsiders?” A girl with ginger hair in a ponytail squealed.

Eduardo turned towards her and smiled both awkwardly and kindly, he hoped.

“It’s really you!” The girl was jumping up and down in excitement.

“Uh, yeah?” That sounded pathetic even to Eduardo’s own ears.

“I’m really sorry, but can I please take a pic with you?” The girl’s eyes were shining.

“Uh, yeah... I mean, yeah, of course!” He tried to sound more enthusiastic, the girl didn’t seem to mind.

They took a quick selfie in which Ed tried to not look incredibly awkward, while holding up two boxes of popcorn.

The girl thanked him profusely and asked if any of the Outsiders were here to which he answered, that he’s sorry, but he couldn’t share that info with her.

The ponytail girl said that it’s all right and that she was glad to have seen him, in Italy of all places. They said their goodbyes with the girl still freaking out.

Eduardo was glad, that the Outsiders were doing a good job, spreading the good word around and inspiring others and so on. But sometimes such attention was a bit... overwhelming. He said many times, that the hero lifestyle wasn’t for him and he still believed it. Ed still felt that he wasn’t cut out to be a hero. As much as he’d love to stand here and dwell on these thoughts, he should get back to Bart.

He loved hanging out with Bart, at first... he didn’t like him. Ed thought he was just another gringo, with probably the worst accent ever. In the beginning he thought that Bart was mocking him in a way, with “Amigo, that”, “Hermano, that”, but then he realised that Bart was a pretty awesome and genuine dude.

With Bart he felt like he could let loose, be himself, it felt good. Bart made him feel good and himself in ways he didn’t know another person could. He felt like he could share everything with him and it’ll be fine, not that he had such plans for the near future, but it felt nice.

The Latino teleported back to Bart, who was currently taking a selfie in front of the Cathedral and sending it to the Flash Family chat.

“Whoa, man, popcorn! So worth the wait! Bart grabbed one of the boxes.

“Yeah, sorry, got approached by uhh... fan.” Ed explained, tossing a popcorn into his mouth.

“Crash, man, I love talking to our fans.” Bart continued enthusiastically stuffing his face with popcorn.

Ed threw a couple on the ground and pigeons immediately gathered around them “That’s good, it’s just that... I don’t know, I don’t feel like I should have fans, I mean what have I done to deserve people looking up to me? And even if I have done stuff that deserve praise, shouldn’t I do more, do better? I just feel like I haven’t done enough...”

“Well you may feel like people shouldn’t be your fans, but pigeons sure as hell adore you.” Bart tried to lighten up the mood, while tugging the discussion of Ed’s insecurities for later.

Eduardo snapped out of his daze and looked around to find at least a dozen pigeons around him “Guess, I was throwing out more popcorn, than I thought.” He laughed.

“Ah!” A pigeon got bold and landed right on Eduardo’s arm where the popcorn where, then a bunch more started flying around him and one landed on his other arm and shoulder. Ed was both panicked, surprised and laughing uncontrollably.

‘Looks good, even when he’s covered in pigeons, huh.’ Bart thought while snapping a few dozen pictures “Come, Eddie-Boy! Smile for the camera!” All in all those pigeons were a great distraction.

Bart took Ed’s arm and got him away from the bids currently trying to nest in his hair.

“Hahah, oh that was adorable!” Bart laughed, he got his phone out and started scrolling through the pictures. He wheezed so hard at them.

“Let me see!” Eduardo said while ridding himself of feathers. He looked at the pictures “That’s a winner right there!” He pointed at a picture where a bird had just flown towards his face which resulted in him being a blur with a shocked expression on his face.

“Really? I like that one.” Bart opened one, where Ed was looking at the camera, a big grin on his face and slight panic in his eyes, while he had pigeons all around and on him, one of them was in the box of popcorn, happily munching.

Ed looked the other way, a slight blush blossoming over his cheeks “Yeah, that one’s good as well.”

Bart was happily scrolling through the photos “You should totally post that one! Also one of the distressed ones! Imagine the memes people will make!”

“Since when is it our job to knowingly provide the public with our embarrassing moments? And hey, for all you know it could cause a scandal. I can just hear G. Gordon Godfrey - ‘Our so called heroes aren’t even in the country! How are they supposed to protect us when they are too busy feeding the pigeons!’” Ed purposelessly making his voice have as much of an American accent as possible.

“Yes! Or ‘What are they teaching our children?! To throw our food at animals?! Next you’ll know they’ll be telling them to throw trash on the streets of our beautiful America!’” Bart continued, almost letting a tear fall out of the corner of his eye at the mention of dirtying their America.

The teens looked at each other, then started laughing even harder.

The speedster looked up at the sky. The sun was slowly starting to set, he looked at Ed who was still catching his breath. Bart checked the time on his phone - 18:40.

“Wow, time truly flies when you’re having a good time.” Bart mused.

“Hmm?” The Latino looked at Bart’s phone “Almost seven pm.”

Bart’s stomach grumbled, Ed looked at him, one eyebrow raised “Really?”

“Hey! It’s not my problem I run on superspeed!” Bart grinned, fingerguning.

“Guess not, I could also grab a bite... I think we passed a pizzeria on our way here?” Ed wondered.

“Lead the way, amigo.” Bart bowed down like a gentleman.

The teleporter rolled his eyes, but still blushed a bit.

They walked side by side for a few minutes, until Bart pointed at a pizzeria close by and ran that way, dragging Ed with him. Good think he was making sure to run like a regular person.

The pizzeria was quite picturesque, small wooden tables with white tablecloths, flowers in the middle and wooden chairs.

A waiter quickly took them to a table outside.

Bart took one of the menus “Ohhh, what should I get? Maybe a Capricciosa or a Romana or maybe go classic with a Margherita? What about you?”

Ed loved how excited Bart could be over the simplest things sometimes “Mmm, maybe a vegetarian pizza?”

“Vegetarian also sounds good! Deciding is so hard, wish I could just take all of them.” Bart declared.

Ed took one of the red flowers out of the vase “I mean, you can certainly stomach all of them.”

The brown haired boy looked at Ed. He was holding the red flower between his fingers spinning it around, the sunset was casting beautiful shades of gold, red and orange on his skin. Ed met his eyes and smiled. Bart could stare at him looking like that forever.

“So, did you chose anything?” Their waiter, as if appearing out of nowhere, asked.

That startled both of them, Ed coughed and looked the other way and Bart burned a bright red.

“Uh, yeah I’ll have a large Capricciosa and a soda...” Bart trailer off.

“And I’ll take a large vegetarian pizza and also a soda...” Ed quickly continued.

The waiter smiled and said he’ll bring up them up, when they’re done. A few moment later he came back with their drinks.

Ed looked at the Cathedral, turned back to Bart and pointed at it. The speedster turned around to look at it. The Cathedral looked absolutely stunning like something out of a postcard, the beams from the sun were being reflected by the countless windows and painted the square. It was truly beautiful, but when Bart looked out of the corner of his eye, he could’ve sworn Ed was looking at him, even if for a split second.

The green eyed teen turned back around at took a sip out of his soda “How’s everything at the centre?”

Ed looked at him “Honestly, I don’t know, a mix of good and bad, I suppose? I mean, we’ve been making huge progress with a lot of the metas, but some of them are still scared and don’t want to accept their powers. We get new metas all the time, I’m struggling to make room for everybody as it is... We need more funding, I hate to say it, but Granny Goodness was our biggest sponsor, we are part of STAR labs, but not part of their funding, well not a big part, we get some money, but certainly not enough for all the newcomers...” The Latino stopped abruptly.

He smiled apologetically “I’m, sorry I know all this talk of money and funding isn’t really interesting...” He trailed off.

Bart jumped in “No! You know you can tell me anything and I would love to know more about the centre, not only the good, but also the bad.” He smiled.

Ed sighed and opened his mouth, but then “Sorry for the wait, gentlemen! Here are the Capricciosa and the vegetarian pizza, if there’s anything else you need, don’t hesitate to call!”

They thanked the waiter. Bart immediately dug in and was already three pieces in, while Ed was taking his first bite.

“Slow down there, amigo, it won’t go anywhere.” The teleporter laughed.

Bart wiped his mouth with the napkin “Yeah, yeah, gotta be reminded sometimes, you know in the apocalypse my favourite food was... food.” He shrugged, while smiling.

Ed looked at him apologetically, then grinned “Well, good thing you came to us, no idea what I would do without you... also you completely missed all the tomato sauce around your mouth.” He gave him another napkin.

Bart blushed at Ed’s words, but was also really happy, because he also didn’t know what he would do without everybody, the League, the Team, the Outsiders and... Ed.

Ed ate a slice of pizza.

“What about your father? Isn’t good ol’ doctor Dorado any help at the centre? I mean, he did found it with you?” Bart took a sip out of his soda.

Ed sighed “I don’t know, hermano. Me and dad we don’t really click? I suppose, it’s hard getting to know your son at 45 and respectfully your dad at 16... He doesn’t really help me with the centre, I have to do all of it on my own, well not all of it I have you and Neut, of course. There are just so many other things to consider like all of the legal stuff, there is so much paperwork! Also parents and psychologists and sometimes psychiatrists and I have to make sure everybody is safe and happy and comfortable.”

Bart cut him off “Geez, Ed, I didn’t know you had that much to take care of.” He felt a bit guilty, because he was overjoyed when Ed became part of the team, but if he really was that busy...

Ed clenched his hand around his almost empty can of soda “And I always feel like I’m not doing enough. Is the centre good enough, am I good enough for the Outsiders? Because I still don’t think the “hero life” is for me... I love being part of the team, but am I a good enough part?”

Bart smiled brightly “You know, I think... I think you’re not giving yourself enough credit.”

Ed looked at him, confused “What do you mean?”

“Just... You’ve done so much! You were talking about a place, that can help young people deal with their powers even before you had full grasp of yours! You are going there every day to give them advice and a safe space to not only get a hold of their powers, but also share how they feel and discuss their traumas and so on. You joined a public superhero team just to give them inspiration. So don’t sell yourself so short, you’ve done a lot and you’re continuing to do it every day.”

“Wow, I uh... I don’t know what to say, thank you... you’re pretty incredible.” Ed looked Bart directly in his eyes. “Why are you always so good at reassuring me?” He grinned.

With Bart it was always different, because whenever he would say Ed was doing a good job or that he was doing well, he couldn’t help but believe him.

“What can I say, amigo? Not only am I incredibly good looking, I’m also an incredible friend.” He grinned, eyes closed and hand under his chin for dramatic effect.

The Argentinian smiled contentedly and agreed “Really though! And having you around when you can be in the center is always good, all the stress from dealing with everything seems to lessen when you’re around.” He smiled shyly at the last part.

Bart blushed “Well, I love spending time at the centre with all the metas and helping in whichever way I can and... being with you, of course.” He grinned.

Ed blushed a really bright red and tried to hide it by pretending to wipe his mouth with his napkin. “You know, you’re the only person I can talk with... like that.”

Bart slowly put his hand on top of Ed’s “Yeah, me too.”

Both of them smiled with light blushes on their cheeks.

Milan, Hotel Bulgari

April 21, 19:00 GMT+2

“Looking sharp there, boys!” Cassie smiled widely, fingerguning.

Kid Flash and Blue Beatle weren’t so sure about that. Because of their secret identities they had to wear their costumes (or at least the mask in Kid Flash’s case) under their tuxes. They felt a bit... silly.

Jaime looked at Wonder girl “You sure about that?”

She was wearing a form fitting, deep red dress without sleeves, that was cut right above the knees. She looked incredible. Though everybody remembers the relief they felt when she finally chose between the dress and the tux, not because she chose the dress, but because she chose something.

“Dont sweat it, Jaime! Get it? ‘Cause you’re wearing both the costume and the tux!” The blonde laughed hard at her own joke.

“Yeah, Cassie, I got it.” The blue superhero replied dryly.

“Forager also feels weird wearing something over his shell, but if it is a human custom, then Forager doesn’t mind.” The alien supplied, while running his four hands over the shirt and jacket.

M’gann smiled “You look great, Forager.”

“So the only people still missing are El Dorado and Static right?” Beast Boy asked tapping his food impatiently and looking around anxiously.

They had decided to meet in one of the hotel’s spare conference rooms with the hotel’s approval, of course.

The Martian walked over to her little brother and put her hand on his shoulder “Don’t worry, Gar, its only 7:15, I’m sure they’ll be here any second.”

Just after she said that, Ed and Virgil came in through the door.

“Sorry for being late, but Mr. Static over here first couldn’t decide between ties, then it was ‘With hat or no hat? With hat or no hat?” Ed rolled his eyes, while fixing his own gold coloured tie.

“Hey! The hat’s like an integral part of my look!” Virgil defended himself.

“You’re going to a formal event!” Ed retorted.

Cyborg supplied his opinion “If you ask me, good thing you decided to ditch it.”

“See!” El Dorado said while gesturing towards Vic.

“Whatever, man.” Static replied, visibly grumpy.

“Look, everybody, I can understand that some of you are nervous and unsure of what to do or how to act tonight. But remember just relax and be yourself. Don’t over exaggerate, if you start a conversation with somebody, but don’t know about the topic it’s best to drop it, be nice and if you don’t feel like it, don’t mingle, there’s a lot of us here, so you can always go up to somebody and hang out. We want good press, so be nice!” Garfield’s pep talk wasn’t much of a pep talk, but it did ease a lot of the Outsiders’ worries.

M’gann looked at Conner, that proud sparkle shining in her eyes.

El Dorado went over to Bart.

Bart grinned and elbowed Ed playfully “Lookin’ good there, amigo.”

And he really did, he was just wearing a simple black tux with a dark yellow (kinda gold) tie, but it fit in all the right places.

“You clean up nicely.” Ed winked, even though he was blushing hard.

Bart was wearing the same as him a simple black tux with a red tie, but he looked great. ‘There really was something about seeing a guy in a suit, huh...’ Ed thought.

Bart also blushed.

The white Martian looked in their direction and smiled gently.

Garfield looked at his watch “Okay, guys we’ve got ten minutes before this thing starts, everybody knows what to do right?”

“Yeah, Gar, calm down, promise we won’t blow anything up.” Cyborg rolled his eyes.

“And even if we do, I’ll just work my charm on them!” Bart wiggled his eyebrows, while pulling on his imaginary suspenders.

That did not ease any of Beast Boy’s worries.

Milan, Hotel Bulgari

April 21, 19:30 GMT+2

The Outsiders plus Miss Martian had to get to the front of the hotel to pretend they were just now arriving? Honestly the whole ordeal was pretty useless and stupid, but they had to interact with the media waiting outside.

They went right to where the “red carpet” and all the news reporters were.

Garfield turned around and looked at his team “Okay! Big smiles, everyone!”he winked at the end.

The others smiled uncomfortably.

The moment the team stepped into “the limelight” a hoard of reporters came onto them bombarding them with questions.

One woman was louder and shoved her microphone in Tara’s face “How do you feel now that you are a princess with no country?”

Tara’s happy expression dimmed and she casted her eyes down “No comment.” She replied, looking up and with newfound intensity in her eyes at the reporter. The message was clear ‘No more questions.’

Beast boy was quick to cover for her and take the attention of the reporters away from the former princess.

The team was quickly separated most of them were discreetly trying to get inside the hotel while answering as few questions as possible.

Ed, while not looking forward to being interviewed, wouldn’t mind answering a few questions if it meant he could explain that they were planing on opening a new centre for meta teens in Europe. The news were already announced a month back, but the more people knew about it the better. He was currently trying to get one in every major city in America, maybe at some point in every state. They had opened one more in Central City, but he also wanted to make them permanent, because as of right now the centres were only temporary.

The Argentinian wasn’t exactly nervous to talk in front of a camera, because of the centres he had to talk to strangers every day and also hold speeches and arrange things and so on. He’d learned to be comfortable in front of an audience, even if he couldn’t see them.

A reporter with a beautiful long dress and bright pink hair approached him out of nowhere and suddenly he had a microphone shoved in his face.

She smiled brightly and winked “Hello viewers! Here with us right now is El Dorado!”

Ed smiled and waved awkwardly.

“Now our viewers here are just dying to know! What exactly is going on in your tower in Hollywood? I mean a group of teenagers all living together! It must be crazy! Love scandals, parties! Tell us all the great gossip!” The reporter was overly enthusiastic to the point of being fake.

Ed thought back to all the “crazy drama” that occurs in the Outcast’s home, only thing that came to mind is their movie and game nights.

The Argentinian smiled politely “Well, most of the time we are too tired to really have the time for scandals, but something that’s more interesting is that the new meta-human youth center in Sweden, Stockholm will be up and running in a month.” He grinned.

The pink haired reporters face fell, though she did try to keep her smile on, but it was obvious she was annoyed “Wow, that’s crazy...” She turned quickly towards the camera and bit Ed a quick goodbye, realising she won’t be getting anything out of him.

The tan teen was definitely a bit annoyed, but not surprised, most news outlets were always looking for gossip. He continued his short walk towards the entrance of the event.

“Kid Flash! What happened to the previous Kid Flash?” A reporter shouted at Bart, while he was explaining to another one, that no he didn’t almost die that one time.

The question made him choke on his words, the other reporters noticed and also started asking him questions about the other Kid Flash. Bart quickly and while giving out excuses shuffled into the hotel.

Just as he entered he noticed Ed a couple feet away from him, his expression the same one as Bart’s.

“I’ll take it you’re also having a good time.” The shorter teenager smiled, while fixing his tie.

“I’m still trying to stay positive for the rest of the night.” Ed smiled at Bart, even though it was a little strained.

“Yeah... you and me both. Right now though, I’m totally feeling the mode.” Bart looked around and suddenly grabbed Ed’s sleeve “Eddie, look! There’s a huge table filled with bite sized food!” He was smiling, while showing how little the food was with his thumb and pointer finger.

“Didn’t we just eat like a couple hours ago?” Ed was always impressed with the speedster’s appetite.

They went over to the table, Bart quickly took a small plate and filled it with all kinds of finger food. At the same time Ed took a fancy looking glass filled with punch and looked around the room.

The event had just started, so the room was still pretty empty, safe for the hotel staff, a few other guests invited by the prime minister and the band, which consisted currently of a piano player, but places for other players and even a singer could be seen. The music was pretty, but kinda bland, like elevator music, it was just a background.

The other Outsiders had yet to make their way towards the ballroom, but Ed suspected that Forager and Tara were going to be joining them soon.

The speedster looked at Ed and for the god knew which time that night appreciated the way he looked, he quickly swallowed a mini sandwich he was eating and turned towards the Argentinian “You should totally try this little one with the orange stuff inside, it’s sweet, yet fruity!”

He held the little treat up, offering it to Ed.

For a moment too long Ed looked at Bart with a dumbfounded expression, the sudden thought of leaning down and eating it from Bart’s hand came to him, he felt all of his blood change course and go to his cheeks. The teen quickly took the food with his hand and ate it, desperately trying to will down his intense blush.

“It’s good.” He quickly added while giving an awkward thumbs up.

Bart raised his eyebrow, but still smiled.

The “golden one” took a small gulp from his glass, still trying to calm down his burning cheeks ‘What’s wrong with me? Only Bart can make me like this...”

“I’ve forgotten how obnoxious and insensitive reporters can be!” The former princess grumbled, already having reached the table and grabbing a small pastry. She leaned against the wooden table and crossed her arms.

Ed looked at her “So the interviews are going well.” He offered her a napkin.

“Garfield is doing just fine, while Cyborg is trying to stop the interviewers from overwhelming Forager... Superboy looked like he really didn’t want to be there.” The blonde took the napkin and placed a few pastries in it. “From the way things are looking the others will be following us here pretty soon.”

She quickly ate one more small dessert and pointed towards Ed and Bart “You two did good coming here so fast.”

Kid Flash flashed her a blinding grin and pretended to remove dust from his jacket “Being fast is kinda our specialty.” He turned towards Ed and winked “Right, amigo?”

A blush crept across his cheeks again ‘When will this end?!’ He thought, while quickly plastering a smile a giving Terra a thumbs up.

‘He’s so cute...’ Bart thought, but quickly banished the thought away.

The princess looked at him quizzically, but just shrugged.

Her gaze turned towards the entrance, some people had come through, the room was slowly filling out. The bright red of Forager’s shell was not hard to miss. Tara waved “Vic, Forager, over here!”

The grim expression on Vic’s face was becoming more and more visible as he approached the other Outsiders. The alien, on the other hand was rubbing his hands nervously.

“What got his gears so tightly wind up?” Ed leaned towards Forager.

“Victor Stone became upset after a reporter asked Victor Stone what happened with Victor Stone’s football career and then another one asked if Victor Stone felt like a freak, because of Victor Stone’s appearance.” Forager explained.

Everybody winced.

“Harsh.” Bart commented.

The tan teen turned towards Forager “What about you, buddy? Everything good?”

The alien rubbed his hands and looked down “Forager would be happy to explain Forager’s culture to the reporters, but the reporters asked if Forager is in a relationship and if Forager finds humans appealing...”

“Yeah... they do that.” Ed looked at him apologetically.

Kid Flash tried to cheer him up “They don’t mean any harm...”

More and more people were coming into the room. Virgil and Blue Beetle were one of the first ones to enter. Virgil hastily turned his head, obviously looking for the others. He spotted the other teens near the table and together with Jaime quickly walked to them.

“Good thing Gar is out there.” Virgil ran a hand through his hair.

“God, this is like an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.” Ed said. “What would our name be? Abused by reporters Anonymous?” He was moving his glass with his hand, stirring the already lukewarm punch.

Bart laughed.

Ed felt something akin to pride in his chest at making Bart laugh.

“So come on, amigos, share with the group what happened to you out there with the scary and noisy interviewers!” The speedster threw a cookie in the air and caught it with his mouth.

Jaime crossed his arms over his chest “Even after two years the Reach is still a pretty popular topic.”

Bart put a hand on his shoulder.

Virgil sighed “Everything was going on fine, until one of them asked me to show off my power, but I panicked, demagnetised some part of their equipment.”

The peer counselor slung an arm across Virgil’s shoulders “Good job, man, you took one of them down. Our enemy will soon be slain.” He had a determined fire in his eyes.

Static pushed his arm away “You’re a real hoot, Ed. But seriously, people are always filming us, taking pictures of us and so on. How come I suck at interviews?”

Bart shrugged, and while chewing said “Well, when people are usually filming us, we don’t exactly have the time to stop and answer a few questions. We’re focused on, you know, saving them.”

“Makes sense, I guess.” Virgil took a small sandwich, defeat evident in his eyes.

Victor looked around “This place sure filled up.”

Even more important looking people wearing suits or beautiful dresses had come into the room.

Virgil looked at his phone “8:56, shouldn’t this whole thing be starting soon.

There was a silent agreement, that everybody couldn’t wait for the event to be over.

Wonder girl entered the room soon after. She waved and speed walked to her teammates.

When she arrived, the blonde quickly took a sweet from the table and popped it in her mouth. She said with her mouth full “If one more person asks me how I do my hair or makeup, I’m gonna flip.” She finished that sentence and ate a cracker with something grey on top.

“I mean! They don’t ask me about the missions or anything like that! It’s all ‘Is your lipstick punch-proof?’ Like what is that even supposed to mean?” She continued, while leaning against the table, her arms crossed

The other outsiders winced in sympathy.

“Sorry, man” Vic rubbed the back of his neck.

Cassie sighed “Eh, it is what it is, I guess... by your expressions, I’m not the only one who had a jolly good time out there.” She emphasised how happy she was by swinging her arm which was folded at the elbow, her hand in a fist.

Suddenly a huge crowd entered the ballroom, the leader of it was Garfield. He had a huge grin and looked more than happy to talk to anybody or answer questions.

At the end of the crowd were Superboy and the disguised Miss Martian. The white alien was smiling, even though it looked a bit forced and tired, while Conner looked like he wanted to go home immediately. All of the Outsiders were surprised how long he’d lasted outside.

M’gann laughed and looked Conner in the eyes "Thank you, you did great out there." She said telepathically.

Conner smiled.

The Outsiders were watching their gentle exchange of love. “God, I need a girlfriend.” Virgil’s never ending whining about that certain topic cut through the silence.

Beast boy quickly spotted the other Outsiders and walked over to them, leaving the group of people behind, a slight bounce to his steps.

He winked “So, how you guys doing? Everything going well?” He straightened out his jacket and brushed of invisible dust off his shoulders.

The team gave each other side eyes and smiled nervously. Bart gave him a thumbs up.

Garfield gave them a half smile “So no too hot?” He nodded once and put his hands in his pockets “Don’t worry, there won’t be any more reporters for the rest of the night, well a few at the opening ceremony and speech of the primer minister, but all we have to do there is smile and nod.”

“Speaking of the ceremony, shouldn’t it be starting soon?” Jaime took a sip of punch.

Tera was staring intently at his lips. “Isn’t it weird to have it on your mouth?”

“Pardon?”

“The mask, isn’t it weird?” She explained further.

Jaime put a finger to his lips “Eh, not really, I mean I can’t really feel it? It’s like a part of me, second skin sort of way.” He tried to explain.

Tara narrowed her eyes “Interesting.”

M’gann and Superboy approached the group.

The Martian put her hand on Garfield’s shoulder “Come on, team, let’s get to the stage, it’s starting soon.”

The Outsiders started to walk towards the stage, it was a small stage, enough to fit them, the primer minister and her husband. The lights were very bright.

They walked over to the security guard, who opened up a crimson coloured rope. The superheroes were staying in a small, separated from the attendees, space. Mostly waiting for the prime minister to call for them on stage.

A crowd of reporters and other guests had already gathered in front of the stage. The prime minister, Giorgia Cancio and her husband, Matteo Cancio were climbing on stage, the guests started clapping.

The politicians smiled in front the microphones and waved.

Giorgia cleaned her throat and the speech started “Thank you everybody for coming tonight, we are more than...”

Soon after she started her speech Bart tuned her out and started looking for other things to occupy his attention with.

Kid Flash looked around the room, quickly noticing a woman in the back arguing with a waiter, well more like yelling at him, he squinted in order to try and read her lips, something about ‘Gluten? Oh! Gluten free...’ he thought.

Bart moved on, he looked up at the big, glass and crystal chandelier, it was glowing in soft yellows and whites. A small, dangling crystal, that was spinning caught his attention for a bit.

His eyes soon landed on Ed, Bart was looking at him out of the corner of his eye. His eyes have been landing on Ed a lot those past couple of months.

The Argentinian was standing beside him, he was looking down, probably at the colourful tiles, that made up the floor, occasionally he would look up at the prime minister.

Bart liked looking at Ed, he had this shine and drive in his eyes, this drive to just be and do good. It was something Bart had soon noticed after spending time with Ed. It was something so beautiful to see. Where Bart had come from (the Future) people’s eyes were dead, given up, moded, they didn’t care about doing good, they just wanted to survive.

It was kinda shocking how that moody kid had grown up into such a compassionate person. He was probably always like that, it was just hidden under all that angst and daddy issues.

Suddenly he didn’t have the desire to look away, he was content like that, just looking at Ed.

Ed absentmindedly licked his dry lips.

A light brush crept across the speedster’s cheeks and a stray thought wandered inside his mind ‘I wonder how they feel.’ He caught himself softly running his finger across his own lips, he quickly dropped his hand and his blush intensified. Bart quickly averted his eyes away and towards the stage, trying to focus on the prime minister.

El Dorado had felt somebody’s gaze on him, finding out it was Bart had made him feel... something... something warm inside his chest, like happiness. He smiled slightly.

“And now for our guests of honor, the Outsiders!” Giorgia introduced them and steeped away from the microphone, while clapping.

“That’s our cue, team.” Garfield started walking up the three steps to the stage.

They all climbed on, the prime minister thanked them one more time while shaking their hands. They took a few pictures with way too happy smiles and got off the stage. It all felt longer than it actually was.

When the crowd had cleared out the prime minister approached one more time, she smiled warmly “I hope you’ve had a good time so far.”

Garfield, as their leader, smiled with all the charm of a famous actor “Of course, Mrs. Cancio, it’s all been wonderful.”

Her eyes softened “Well, the real fun begins now anyway, people always feel way more relaxed after the reporters leave.” She winked at the end.

The woman clapped “Make sure you have fun, this party is in your honour after all!” She bid them goodbye and walked away.

“Well you heard the lady, time to have fun!” Garfield said trying to get his team excited.

They appreciated his enthusiasm and tried to match it, I mean they can stick together, the food was good, the view was beautiful and eventually the soft background music will turn more energetic. All in all, they are sure they can manage.

Ed leaned slightly down towards Bart “Hey, I wanna get a breather out on the balcony? Want to tag along?”

Bart winked with a smile on his face “You know it, amigo.”

Just as they were about to split into small groups, each headed toward a different part of the room, two women and a guy, about 16 or 17 approached them.

The women had an air of authority around them. One of them was taller, with dark black hair and a deep red business suit, the other was shorter and curvier wearing a long, blue dress. They had wedding bands on.

The boy was standing between them, he was tall, half a head taller than Ed, wearing a black suit sporting a dark turquoise tie, he had an undercut and really dark, curly hair. He had a slight tan with a dusting of freckles and bright hazel eyes. His smile was charming, a dimple on each side.

The taller woman smiled kindly “I’m sorry to bother you, but my name is Liliana, this is my wife, Emily and our son Antonio.” Emily smiled brightly.

“Just Toni also works.” Their son supplied, he quickly looked over all the Outsiders, one of them catching his eye.

Liliana continued “I just wanted to thank you personally for saving my sister, Giorgia and her husband. I don’t know what I would’ve done, if I had lost her.”

Her wife put a hand on her shoulder.

“Luckily, that didn’t happen, because of you, so one more time, thank you.”

She shook Garfield’s hand.

The meta human smiled brightly “It’s what we do best.”

“Indeed.” Toni piped up. His arms were crossed over his chest, his smile even more charming than before. The Italian was looking straight at Ed.

The women excused themselves and the Outsiders started to walk over.

Bart and Ed headed towards the balcony.

“Was it just me or was that guy staring at you?” The speedster asked Ed, not quite understanding why that made him so annoyed.

Ed raised his shoulders “Probably not honestly, I mean why would he be looking at me anyways?”

‘Why wouldn’t he?’ Bart thought, still a little bitter at the guy. ‘Maybe I’m just imagining stuff...’

“Excuse me.” A voice cut through Bart’s thoughts.

The superheroes turned around... it was Toni.

‘Shame he had to turn around, he had such a cute butt.’ The Italian thought while looking absentmindedly at Ed.

He had a hand in the pocket of his dress pants. “Sorry to disturb you, but you’re Kid Flash and El dorado, right?”

“Yeah.” The shorter of the two superheroes answered, some definitive dislike in his voice “How can we help you, Antonio?”

‘I’ve never acted like that before, what’s wrong with me?’

Antonio glared slightly at Bart, but only for a split second.

The Argentinian just kind of looked between the two of them.

The Italian cleared his throat “Actually, I also wanted to thank you for saving my aunt.” He gave his hand out for a handshake towards Ed.

“As Beast Boy said, it’s just what we do.” Ed shook his hand.

‘A cute butt and a cute accent! Perfect.’ Antonio was already forming a plan in his head.

Toni’s and Bart’s handshake wasn’t as warm, they looked into each other’s eyes, annoyance clear behind the smiles.

Toni smiled warmly and continued talking “Anyways, Eduardo, can I call you Eddie by the way?”

‘Dude thinks he’s sooo slick’ Bart thought and rolled his eyes.

“I guess so?” Ed shrugged, still not understanding why this guy wanted to talk to him.

The guy grinned “As I was saying, Eddie, before you were a hero, you opened a centre for meta-humans, right?”

“Yeah...” He still didn’t understand where this guy was getting at.

“I’m sure it was so hard to do everything on your own, speeches, counselling, events, setting it up, promotion-“

Ed smiled “Well, I was never really absolutely alone, there were volunteers and Kid flash over here has been helping me since the beginning.” Toni noticed that when Ed turned towards the speedster a warmth filled his eyes.

Bart smirked and looked the Italian in the eyes, pride evident in his.

Toni subtly glared towards Bart, then quickly put on the smile back on his face “Yes, of course... I’m just going to cut to the chase, my mothers own an advertising agency, you might have heard of it before, “L.E. ads”.

Ed was quite surprised “They are one of the biggest agencies working right now, I tried to get them to advertise the new center in Sweden, but they never wrote me back.”

‘Crap!’ Thought Toni “Uh-well, they do get a lot of clients and offers each day, so sometimes, some of them get lost... or buried under the others, please excuse us.” He apologised, even adding a slight bow.

Ed opened his mouth to say something, but Antonio quickly cut him off “What I’m offering right now, is an opportunity to work with us, as you might be aware, we don’t only use regular ads, we also organise events etc. We can organise speeches, billboards, ads on tv and so on.

The Argentinian was truly dumbfounded. “Might I ask, why?”

“My mothers will be more than happy to help the heroes who saved my aunt and uncle.” Toni finished pride all over his face.

Ed looked at Bart with a conflicted expression, then back at Toni “While that is all well and good... I just don’t think we can afford you, no offence, the centre just doesn’t have the resources for such... um... extravagant?... advertising. But, thank you nonetheless.”

Antonio stepped closer to Ed “It will all be free of charge, of course.”

Bart’s annoyance was growing with every word that came out of this Italian prick’s mouth.

El Dorado was quick to retaliate “Oh, no, I’m sorry, we can’t accept something like that.”

“The centre accepts money, food, volunteers and so on all the time right? Think of this as just another form of charity.” He grinned, his eyes shining in a way that unsettled Bart.

“Yeah, but what you’re offering is quite huge, I just don’t think it’s right to-“

“I insist!” Toni had a hand over his chest, it was almost theatrical. His eyes relaxed “Why don’t you join me this evening, we can discuss this over and see if by the end of it, I’ll be successful in changing your mind.” He smirked at the end, confidence dripping from him. He was closer now, definitely entering Ed’s personal space.

At this point the speedster wasn’t just annoyed with this guy, he was angry, really angry... but damn it all, this was a golden opportunity (no pun intended).

The taller of the two heroes looked at Bart and was once again about to deny him, but Kid flash cut him out “You should talk to him, the deal he is making is great.”

“Yes, but-“

“Come on, Ed, think of how much that can help the centre.” Bart smiled, looking Ed in the eyes.

The Argentinian sighed, he’d much rather stay with Bart, than this Italian guy... but such advertising could really help them in the long run... And denying him once more would be quite rude and they are here to make a good impression and all that, he still wasn’t sure about accepting the deal, but he’ll spent some time with the guy, then he’ll politely deny or accept the offer.

“Okay, fine.”

Antonio’s smile grew “Perfect.” He threw his hand on Ed’s shoulder and pulled him away.

Ed said goodbye to Bart.

While they were walking away Toni turned around and looked Bart in the eyes, his grin predatory.

The speedster saw red and was so close to just grabbing the Italian douche and leaving him in Antarctica, instead he turned around and headed towards the balcony. There were a few people already there, smoking and talking. The fresh, night air made him cool down a bit, now he just felt a bit sad.

He leaned against the railing and looked at the garden. ‘What a prick...’ He slumped further down against the cold metal, his chin on it ‘Why am I overreacting so much? It’s just a guy talking... flirting with Ed and... touching him... ughhhhhg!’ The speedster put his hands on his head, annoyed at just feeling so much. ‘Goddamn it, Ed.’

In his sulk Bart didn’t hear another person entering the balcony.

“What’s got you so moded, amigo?” A familiar voice said.

Bart turned around quickly “What? Me? Moded? No way, hermano. I’m feeling A-okay!” For emphasis on how good his mood was, he plastered a big grin on his face.

Jaime raised his eyebrow, his expression sort of exhausted, as if he’s had to do this a million times “Ese, we’ve been friends since like forever, you can tell me, if something’s wrong.” He joined Bart at the railing.

“It just... jeez, Blue, I don’t even know what’s wrong!”

Jaime hummed “Well, trace your steps back, what happened?”

Bart looked away from his fellow Outsider, sulking “Ed...” he mumbled.

“Edu? Why? Did he do something?” Jaime would be quite surprised if he did, considering how close the speedster and Ed had grown.

“No! Nothing like that... he’s just with... some Italian guy.” Bart didn’t know why he felt so embarrassed to admit it out loud.

Jaime had a puzzled expression on his face trying to work it out. “Wait, you’re annoyed ‘cause Edu’s with some guy?” Suddenly it was like a switch flipped inside his head “Dude, are you jealous?”

Bart moved away from the railing like it was scorching hot “Wha-? No! No! I’m not jealous!... well, maybe, I don’t know, okay!” The brunette leaned against Jaime.

Blue beetle thought for a second, then spoke up “Ese, do you remember how I would get when Traci would go out with Arrowette, before we started dating.”

Bart moved away from Jaime and looked him in the eyes “Yeah, of course, you would get all annoyed, mopey and would rant about it a lot.” Bart rolled his eyes at the memory.

A slight blush coloured the latino’s cheeks, he coughed once “Uhm, yeah... yeah, do you remember why exactly I got so uhm mopey?”

The speedster was playing with a loose threat of his suit “Of course, I do, hermano, you liked her.”

Blue nudged Bart gently with his elbow “What I’m getting at is, do you like him in the same way I like Traci?”

The brunette was quite surprised by that question, he’d never really thought about it, I mean, he liked Ed, of course he did... but as more than a friend? He looked his best friend in the eyes “How do you know when you like someone?”

Jaime rubbed the back of his head “Well, jealousy, obviously, but you also want to spent time with them and just being near them feels good. You might imagine what holding hands with them or kissing them or cuddling with them might feel like... you know...” He had grown a little red by the end of it, good thing it couldn’t be seen from under the suit.

Bart’s cheeks very also a bit tinted with colour, because, yeah, he would like to do all of those things with Ed. He chuckled “For a speedster, I’m pretty slow, huh?”

Blue laughed “Yeah, ese, I agree.”

They looked at the scenery before them, it was already dark out, the moon and the stars were creating a beautiful shine on the garden before them.

“You know, I’ve never... liked anybody before... apocalypse and all that, it’s weird, I like the feeling, but it’s a bit annoying being so emotional...” An airy chuckle left him at the end.

Jaime bumped his shoulder against Bart’s “That’s a good way to describe it, hermano. So what’cha gonna do about it?”

“I- I’m not sure, I want to do something about it, just not sure... do you even think I have a chance with Ed?” He was looking at the moon.

Blue shrugged “Well, that’s something you should be asking Edu, you won’t know unless you give it a shot.” He worried his lip with his teeth, then continued “And even if it doesn’t work out, that’s okay, but I think it might. Call it scarab senses.” He grinned at end.

Bart smiled, feeling better, he was relieved now that he finally understood his feeling. ‘I like Ed... there could be worse things, like an apocalyptic future where humanity is entirely controlled by evil aliens.’ He looked at Jaime and smiled “Let’s head inside, amigo, I’m dying for something to eat.”

“Lead the way, hermano.”

The two superheroes entered the room, coming into the too bright yellow light felt a bit blinding. They headed towards the big table filled with little snacks, but came into a sudden halt, when they saw something.

There they were, Antonio and Ed, they both had glasses of punch, Antonio was too close to Ed and chuckling about something, while Ed was smiling politely, the whole image was a bit annoying, but not something too offensive, until Toni put his hand around Ed’s waist and brought him closer whispering something into his ear. He then moved farther away from the young superhero, but kept his arm around his waist.

“Damn, Edu looks like he really doesn’t want to be there.” Jaime supplied, while putting his arm on Bart’s shoulder.

The brunette had defiantly grown annoyed, his almost good mood was crushed faster than the Flash himself. He clenched his fists and huffed. “Blue, can we please go some place else?”

“Of course, hermano.” They hurried over to the other side of the big room.

All throughout the night, Bart would catch glimpses of the annoying Italian and Ed talking and so on, at some point the guy even asked Ed out to dance. At that Bart was quite annoyed, but also just sad and mopey. He just wanted to lay somewhere and not have to think about it. Good thing he was good at pretending everything was fine.

Jaime was a good distraction, the rest of the team as well, while he hadn’t managed to completely take his mind off the situation, it was still okay.

“That Italian guy sure has it out for Ed, huh?” Cassie pipped.

‘Great, my favourite topic.’ Bart thought.

“Yeah, Ed’s probably so done with him by now, probably keeps it up, only for the good media or something. They guy might go whine to his aunt, the prime minister, if Ed leaves him.” Virgil added.

Cassie wiggled her eyebrows “You never know, he might actually like the attention.”

Jaime quickly tried to dissolve the situation “Oh, come on, look at him he looks miserable, right, hermano?” He nudged Bart.

“Yeah, totally.”

Cassie rolled her eyes “Eh, what do you know anyways, the guy’s quite handsome and Ed’s last boyfriend was... actually I don’t know when, has he had one?” She looked at Virgil, expecting his reply.

“Hey, don’t look at me, you know Ed isn’t exactly an open book about his private life or life in Argentina and even if he had told me, maybe there’s a reason he hasn’t told you.” Static pointed at the blonde.

She glared at him “Not cool, man.”

He raised his shoulders.

Bart sighed and Jaime put his arm around his shoulders.

Kid flash looked once again at the general direction where Ed and Toni were, but they were gone, he took a quick look around the room and they were nowhere to be seen.

“They’re gone.” He said while still looking around the room.

Wonder girl grinned, while nudging Virgil in the chest “Maybe they went somewhere to make out.” She wiggled her eyebrows up and down.

Virgil gently pushed her away “Thanks for the visual, Cas.”

She winked.

Jaime quickly joined in “Yeah, right, Edu obviously wasn’t interested in the guy. Probably tried to get away, but the dude followed him.”

“Tomayto, tomahto.” Cassie was smiling like she was victorious.

Blue beetle rolled his eyes.

On the outside Bart’s expression was carefree, but on the inside he was a mess of emotions, annoyance, worry, sadness, maybe a bit of anger. ‘Be rational, man. You’re not even dating, calm down... I never imagined, that having a crush could be so moded.’

Static smiled smugly and raised one eyebrow “Why are you so invested in Ed’s love life anyways? Having problems with Tim?”

‘Virgil to the rescue.’ Thought Bart.

Cassie huffed and glared vigorously “I’ll have you know, me and Tim are more than fine!”

Virgil was still grinning while he raised his arms up in mock surrender.

Bart sighed and got lost in thought, drowning out their bickering.

Jaime looked at him, pity clear on his face.

Milan, Hotel Bulgari

April 22, 3:16 GMT+2

“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m beat.” Beast Boy said while waiting for the whole team to gather in the lobby, just outside the room, where the event had taken place.

The team had said their goodbyes and well wishes to the prime minister and were more than ready to leave.

The event/party still hadn’t ended, but most people had already left and the young heroes were eager to get out of the uncomfortable suits and fake smiles and into bed.

Almost everybody had come back, only Ed was still missing.

The Outsiders’ night had gone with various degrees of success, some had even talked to a few people without completely embarrassing themselves. Those small victories were not enough to make them stay until the complete end.

Victor had his arms crossed over his chest, he looked completely exhausted “Can’t wait to crash. Hero work isn’t as exhausting as this.”

Superboy agreed and M’gan chuckled.

“Where is Eduardo Dorado Jr.?” Forager asked, he looked nervous.

“Texted him a couple minutes ago, should be here soon.” Virgil looked at his phone.

Cassie bumped her shoulder against Virgil’s “He’s probably still out there with that Italian guy.” Her grin was wide.

“What Italian guy?” Tara asked.

Just as she asked that, a flash of gold shone next to Bart and Ed appeared, looking more than miserable and exhausted and quite angry.

Bart didn’t like seeing Ed like this ‘Haven’t seen that expression in a while.’

Ed sighed “Let’s get out of here.”

Cassie laughed and the group started walking.

Wonder girl grabbed Tara and started whispering to her.

Bart and Ed were at the end of the line.

The speedster spoke up “So, how’d it go with Antonio?” He made sure to say the name as pretentiously as possible and with a thick, fake Italian accent.

The Argentinian laughed, but the tired expression returned to his face quickly after “Don’t even want to talk about it...”

“So, pretty bad huh?”

Ed sighed, he’d started calming down, being around Bart always helped “That’s one way to put it.”

Bart put his hand on Ed’s shoulder.

The taller teen looked him in the eyes and smiled “Thanks.”

They continued their walk towards their rooms in silence.

Milan, Hotel Bulgari

April 22, 12:47 GMT+2

The speedster had woken up not too long ago, he’d fixed himself in the bathroom, then had promptly returned to bed and was scrolling through Flitter. Some of the interviews from the event had come out already and their fans were relentless with how much fun they’ve made out of them.

‘What’d we do to deserve such funny people liking us?’

He continued scrolling, until a picture of Ed from last night popped up. He was smiling, looking straight ahead, his eyes gentle.

Bart unconsciously lingered on the picture a bit longer than needed, then put his phone away and laid on his back. ‘Wonder if Ed’s feeling better since last night... Not being aware of a crush is definitely easier... ignorance truly is bliss.’

He turned away from his phone and looked out the large window, the sky was a lovely blue colour, the superheroes would be leaving soon. They have the rooms until the end of the day.

Just as Bart was growing annoyed with not doing anything, his phone vibrated. He quickly rolled over and grabbed it from the other side of the bed, it was a text from... Jaime.

Bart felt himself flush at the fact he was annoyed by a text by his mejor amigo, but it’s not his fault he was hoping for somebody else.

I’m blue da ba dee da baa DIE: How’s it going? 👀

Kid CRASH: 😑

I’m blue da ba dee da baa DIE: 👍

Kid CRASH: DONT JUST “THUMBS UP” ME

I’m blue da ba dee da baa DIE: What else am I supposed to do?!

Kid CRASH: wyd

I’m blue da ba dee da baa DIE: just finished a call with Traci 💙

Bart rolls his eyes, but in a loving matter, of course he was talking with his girlfriend. He got a bit sad at the end, but quickly averted his attention back to Jaime.

They continued to text about random stuff, until...

Kid CRASH: OMG ED JUST TEXED ME

I’m blue da ba dee da baa DIE: What did he say? Also calm down amigo

Kid CRASH: texted*

Kid CRASH: Just asking wyd and if I wanna hang out

I’m blue da ba dee da baa DIE: say yes?

Kid CRASH: of course I’m gonna day yes

Kid CRASH: say*

Kid CRASH: autocorrect 😑

I’m blue da ba dee da baa DIE: have fun, keep me updated 😎😉

Bart quickly switched to his chat with Ed.

EDgy: Wyd

EDgy: Wanna hang out

EDgy: ???

KA-CHOW: nothing

KA-CHOW: sure, where do u want to meet

EDgy: on this floor’s balcony?

KA-CHOW: see u in a flash ⚡️

EDgy: oof

Bart quickly got up from bed and put on his shoes. He looked at himself in the mirror and slowly left his room, like a regular person slow, annoying.

He had to walk from one side of the floor to the other and what’s worse is he had to do all that walking like a normal person would, because of secret identities and all that...

The speedster reached the balcony, the wall and the door were made completely out of glass. He noticed Ed leaning against the railing and looking down. Bart opened the door and started walking towards the Argentinian.

When he got close he got the urge to wrap his arms around Ed’s waist and pull him close, but quickly dismissed the thought with a slight blush and leaned against the railing next to Ed.

“Hey, amigo!” Bart smiled.

Ed looked at him “Took you long enough.” He teased.

Bart rolled his eyes, still smiling “Well, not my fault you got so used to my superspeed.”

Ed raised one eyebrow “Oh, yeah, like it’s not driving you nuts to have to do everything like a regular guy.”

Bart shook his head from side to side and firmly stated “Not at all, it’s actually refreshing.”

Ed continued to look at him with the same unbelieving expression.

Bart rolled his eyes and pushed himself away from the railing “Okay, a bit.”

He turned away and leaned against the metal, a silence stretched across them.

Bart leaned against Ed playfully then stepped away “A penny for your thoughts?”

The Argentinian looked up, the sun shining softly “Just thinking about last night.”

“Wanna talk about it?”

“I don’t know, man... the guy was just...” Ed’s expression was a mix between disgust and disappointment.

Bart put his hand on Ed’s shoulder “Okaaayyyy, sooo what happened?”

The other teen took a deep breath and looked down at the garden “First of all dude drags me away from you like nobody’s business with his oh-so-generous offer of advertising.” Ed was being satirical, but the annoyance was clear in his voice.

Bart’s heart almost skipped a beat at the ‘you’.

Eduardo continued “So he’s talking and talking and talking... and I’m, over there, trying to get the conversation back to the centre and the advertisements, you know, the thing we were actually supposed to discuss!” At this point Ed’s fist was on the railing.

Bart was listening to every word, his distaste for the Italian growing.

“At the same time he ain’t stopping being all touchy feely, I was trying to be all subtle and stuff, while moving away from him, you know, I didn’t want to explicitly tell him to go as far away from me as possible... because we were here for good press and what not.” The Argentinian was rolling his eyes and pushing himself away from the railing with his hands, his voice was growing angrier and his rant faster.

He leaned once more against the cool metal “The dude was pretending he’s Casanova or something, I thought he was flirting from the start, but I’m not good with the whole are they are they not flirting thing you know?” He turned towards Bart his expression quizzical.

“Oh, he was definitely flirting.” Bart responded immediately, his voice slightly more pissed off then he wanted it to be. His checks quickly turned a light shade of pink.

Ed’s as well, but he also had a small smile for a bit, until he continued with his rant “Anyways so first he drags me to dance which was sooooo annoying, but tolerable, I guess... Oh yeah! And we still aren’t talking about the thing we were supposed to, mind you, it probably has been like an hour, maybe more, it felt like too long...” The superhero was just sounding tired at this point.

Kid Flash rolled his eyes “What an ass.”

“I know right! Anyways finally the douche drags me to the garden and low and behold I finally get him to talk about the advertising! Turns you he doesn’t know anything! And I mean, anything about it! His mothers run the whole thing and he just gets money from them... he had absolutely no intention of helping me! And then he had the audacity to try and kiss me! Can you imagine?!” Ed’s hands were in the air and he was really angry.

Bart swallowed his own anger and asked “So what happened next?”

“Well I moved away and asked him “What are you doing?” Hoping that the awkwardness of the situation would make him leave, how naive of me! I don’t remember what he said, something cringey that sounded good only in his head and afterwards he tried once again.” Ed was talking fast, some words louder, some quieter, but all filled with anger.

El Dorado continued “I was literally saved from the text announcing we were leaving, I told him I was going, didn’t give him a chance to reply and teleported to the ballroom, then noticed you and teleported over there.” He finished his rant with a deep sight and leaned against Bart’s shoulder, resting his head against Bart’s “I just wished he hadn’t wasted my time and kept me from spending the evening the way I wanted to.”

“How did you want to spend it?”

Ed looked away from Bart, blushing slightly “You know, with...you.” The end of the sentence was quieter then the beginning.

Bart was blushing, but there was a smile on his face “I would’ve liked that.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

After a beat Bart continued talking “I mean sorry that dude basically lied to try and get into your pants... you deserve better.” He finished awkwardly, his blush intensifying.

Ed’s cheeks also darkened and he smiled “You always make me feel better, no matter what.” He looked straight ahead, the sun high in the sky.

Bart smiled and looked at Ed’s profile for a bit before also focusing on the horizon.

Ed once again leaned against Bart, the speedster slowly put his arm around the Argentinian’s waist and leaned against him.

They watched the blue sky and the sun as it’s beams illuminated the garden, feeling content and happy in each other’s presence.

#bartuardo #zetaflash #eduardo dorado jr #bart allen #el dorado young justice

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bruciewayne · 5 years

Text

5 minutes

stevetony post-avengers, 2012 era, getting together, fluff, 2.2k

for ‘steve rogers’ on @iron-man-bingo

At first, Tony didn’t know what to think of Steve Rogers. Actually, that’s a bald-faced lie. He knew exactly what to think of him; arrogant, pigheaded, stubborn, and of course, nothing like the stories. At all. But apparently, he’s been under the influence of Loki’s sceptre (yeah, that guy from Norse mythology who fucked a horse (Tony’d went on a week-long wiki-venture in the middle of writing his thesis. It’d been a tough time.)), so it didn’t count, he’d apologised after.

They did say ‘never meet your heroes’ after all.

When he was younger, he was so sure that if he ever got to meet Captain America he’d hug him, thank him for his service. When he grew up, he promised himself that if they ever found him, he would deck his probably-perfect teeth. Adult-Tony does neither.

Adult-Tony keeps his distance. He so badly wants to punch him, because of everything his father said, but he feels as though he should wait until he has actual, reasonable grounds to punch him, things he’s done, not what his father did. The fact that his face would most likely break his hand also factors into his decision of simply shaking his hand when they part ways.

They’ve had a couple of small, quiet moments, mostly amidst battle, that make Tony think that maybe he’s not an asshole, and maybe he could get to know him, but at the end of the day, Tony really doesn’t know what to think of him, he’s good in the field, he’s a good leader, but outside of that, he doesn’t really know him. At all.

Thanks to dear old Nick, that changes, fast.

Well, about half a year after New York, maybe a month after his whole Mandarin/Killian. He spends the time ‘bettering himself’ and getting on and out and back in and then permanently out of a relationship with Pepper. On one hand, he hasn’t been all too productive (making, then destroying dozens of suits cancels each other out, really), on the other, it makes him a prime target for Fury to shoot at.

“You told me the Initiative was scrapped,” Tony says. He can’t believe he actually went to SHIELD for this. He, by choice (like, 21% choice) went into SHIELD HQ, to talk to their resident pirate. About letting five strangers move into his tower.

“You assumed the Initiative was scrapped, assumptions just make an ass of you and me, Stark, you know that,” Fury says, evenly, “you have the space and the funds. Stark, you know that something like Loki is going to happen again, the best way to prepare for that is like this, all of you under one roof, learning to become a team.”

“Your little boyband saved New York, once, by the skin of our teeth, and now you want us to protect the word.”

“Your boyband, and you lot aren’t the only people in my phonebook. Look, all I want is for you to become a team, for the future,” Fury pushes a manila folder to Tony across the desk.

The Avenger’s Initiative

“Fine. You owe me,” Tony concedes, leaving the room. He doesn’t take the file.

Within a week, he has two more assassins under his roof, with the next he has another scientist (a biologist). It’s awkward, for a bit, everyone staying in their own corners, so to speak, until Agent Bart-- Hawke-- Clint proposes weekly movie nights (Tony just thinks that he wants an excuse to watch movies (they’re going to be very good friends)) and much of the awkwardness dissipates.

It’s fascinating really, they know each other so well on the field, they work seamlessly together, but put in a civvie, normal, situation, and now no one knows where to sit, but the movie night thing helps and everything just clicks. Tony thinks he has friends now.

Except there’s something, someone, missing.

He doesn’t even know why he wants him here so much, it’s not like they got super close or anything,the four of them click, and based on what Clint says, Thor would slip right in and he’d barely be here anyway (which is a shame, because Tony really wants to get his hands on that hammer), but none of them know their captain at all and Tony can’t help but look at the four of them and think there’s something missing.

“The god and the legend too good for us?” Tony asks Natasha one morning. She’s the most open and vulnerable she’s been ever since she started living here, maybe a month ago; she has messy hair and she’s wearing a hoodie at least two sizes too big. It might be Clint’s. Tony’s not going to think about it too much. (And if he wasn’t in fear of attack-via-butter-knife, he would call her cute.) Anyway, he’s asking her because she’s the one reporting to Fury at the end of every week, and out of her and Clint, she’s more likely to tell him something (Currently, Clint’s giving him the silent treatment for putting purple dye in his shampoo (he drew over Dum-E with glitter glue (He’ll never admit it but Dum-E likes it))).

She gives him a look he doesn’t really want to decode. “Thor’s dealing with his own stuff, off-world, and Rogers is still at SHIELD.”

Tony gives her a disbelieving look, surely the team captain should be with them, and not in a cinderblock room eating crappy food (Tony’s been to SHIELD HQ exactly once in his life and never in the residential areas or the cafeteria (In his defence, he’s not too far off)).

Looks like he’s going to be getting another stamp on his SHIELD loyalty card.

It doesn’t take much to find out where Rogers is, a little hacking tells him his apartment details and a little more gives his security camera access. Rogers is pitifully predictable, Tony watches what he did in the past week, cutting between days and decides he needs saving.

All he does is go to ‘class’ (some guy explaining something, probably everything that happened in the past 70 years, while he takes notes. Captain America takes handwritten notes. (He should mention that he has godawful handwriting (Maybe Tony enhanced the image out of curiosity, but only JARVIS knows that and he’s well aware of the national ‘no snitching’ policy), he should also mention that he’s a doodler. Tony’s far happier than maybe he should be to find that he has a flaw - not so perfect now, huh Dad?)) and the gym (maybe he’s untouchable but damn Tony really wants to touch those muscles) and that’s it. He also leaves for hours at a time, only at night, and Tony could probably find where he goes, but SHIELD most definitely already does, and he thinks the guy deserves a little privacy from him (He leaves when the sun sets and comes back when it rises and looks the exact same. Not particularly suspicious until you realise that it means that he doesn’t sleep. Not Tony’s problem - he probably has therapists anyway.). He’s going through the motions, head down, quiet, Tony doesn’t think that he’s seen him smile the entire week.

JARVIS tells him that the sun sets in just under 20 minutes. He takes the suit.

“Going anywhere?”

“What the-- Mr. Stark?”

Tony’s always enjoyed the dramatics. He steps out of the shadows, still in the suit but with the helmet off, to face Rogers, legs straddling motorbike.

“Eh, call me Tony,” he says, casually leaning against a concrete pillar. God, the SHIELD garage is depressing. SHIELD is depressing.

Rogers still looks confused. And ready to book it straight out. “Anything I can do for you?”

“Come live with me.” Tony’s been told that statements usually make people do what he wants, instead of questions, and this statement is to a living legend, the Great American Hero. Telling him to live with him.

Rogers looks even more confused, “I already have a place?” He says, like even he’s not too sure.

“Fury didn’t tell you? Everyone has to live in Stark, well, Avenger’s now, Tower. For team bonding or something. In all honesty, I think he just wanted to get Legolas off his back, so to speak.” When in doubt, talk.

“Legolas?” Rogers still looks confused, but under it, there’s excitement, or proudness, or something, like he’s trying to tamp it down.

“Yeah, archer from Lord of the Rings, sequel--”

“To The Hobbit!”

Tony expected many things from him, straight up refusal was one of them, but not excitement at the Hobbit. If he couldn’t easily throw Tony a city block, he might have called him cute. (Whatever, he’s goddamn adorable, okay?)

“Yeah, kid,” he says, voice softening of it’s own volition. He clears his throat before he says anything more.

Rogers smiles at him, small and shy, and fiddles with something on his bike. “Were you, were you serious?” He looks at Tony likes he’s expecting him to pull the rug, yell ‘Sike!’ and fly away cackling.

“Yeah, you were meant to be there since the beginning,” Tony wishes that he has that file, from so many weeks ago, just to prove to him, ‘Look, you’re meant to be with us’. Fuck, a couple months ago he was ready and willing to punch this guy in the face and now he wants to wrap him in a million blankets and make him marathon the extended versions of the Tolkien-verse movies until he’s happy.

He’s going to be having words with Fury.

“Oh,” he says, like he never really considered that, “when can I move in?”

“Now’s always good,” Tony replies, challenging him with a raised eyebrow - ‘now’ means breaking out of SHIELD, ‘now’ means no more lectures from SHIELD personnel.

Rogers brightens up, it’s not much, but a 0.2V lamp in a basement seems like a quasar. (And if it makes Tony himself happy, to see him like this, well, no one has to know.)

“Let me get my stuff,” he swings off the bike and that should not be as attractive as it is. Bikers never really interested Tony, but there’s something about this one in front of him.

Tony comes with him, still in the suit, because he has to see his cinderblock in real life - hopefully the camera made it worse?

The camera did not make it worse. It takes him under five minutes to pack, and everything can fit in a standard backpack.

By the time they get back to the garage, Tony learns a couple things: 1. He knows what the internet is, and enjoys it, 2. The lessons are going incredibly slowly and he watched some Youtube videos and went on Wikipedia and already knows everything they’re telling him (they’re at the 70s and they skipped the formation of Queen), and finally, Steve Rogers, not Captain America, because in that short five minute walk he’s learnt so much about the man behind the mask he’s determined to never let him be forced behind it again, Steve Rogers is a nerd, a geek and a little shit.

And lonely. So fucking lonely. They pass so many people, walk straight through the canteen, twice, and while, yes, they get some double-takes (mostly baby agents (they’ll grow out of it)), no one says hi, or waves, or greets them or anything, even the guy who Tony recognises as Steve’s ‘teacher’ doesn’t say anything when they pass by in front of him.

He’s entirely untouchable, a living legend, Tony gets that, hell, even though that ten minutes ago, but under all that, under the fanfare and the applause and the costume, he’s a person, curious, bright, intelligent, funny, flawed. He wishes more people knew that.

“So, how fast can that new-fangled suit of yours go, Mr. Stark?” Steve asks putting on an ‘old Brooklyn’ accent and tilting his head and scanning it up and down as he straddles the bike again, bag on his shoulders.

“Fast enough,” Tony replies narrowing his eyes.

He grins. Bright and unabashed and it’s wonderful, but Tony only gets to see a second of it because he’s whipping out of the garage, yelling “Race you,” over his shoulder.

Tony’s laughing as he engages the suit, snapping up the helmet and following hot on his heels.

(They tie (4. Steve Rogers drives like a madman), shaking on a rematch.)

((It’s the happiest Steve’s been in the new century, in his life.))

It takes them a while. It takes them so fucking long even the new baby (practically foetus) agents are done with their shit.

It takes years of longing looks and brushed hands and secret smiles and quiet nights and flirty one liners and compliments, but eventually, eventually, Tony admits to the torrent of butterflies that inhabit his insides whenever he even looks at Steve and he kisses him, grinning so goddamn bright Tony’s positive his heart is going to burst.

“You gave me a home,” Steve admits quietly to him. Tony can’t see his face like this, in his arms, but he can kiss the side of his neck, hopefully communicating more than he ever could with words. Steve gets it.

“You make me happy,” Tony says, simply, into his skin, holding tighter.

(They tie the knot three years after that (the baby-- toddler agents yell Mrs. Rogers to Tony and Mr. Stark to Steve for a month straight (Tony doesn’t think too hard about the implications)))

((It’s the happiest Tony’s been in his life.))

iron man bingo masterpost

ao3: ineffablestarkrogers

#steve rogers x tony stark #steve x tony #stevetony #stevetony fic #stony #stony fic #iron man bingo #iron man bingo 2019 #iron man bingo 300 #imb #steve rogers #tony stark #my fic #my writing #pls rb yall

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banditthewriter · 5 years

Text

Whatever It Takes - 5 - Billy Russo

Here we go, part five! Let me know what you think!

Tags are at the bottom. Let me know if you would like to be added to one of my tag lists!

Enjoy!

*****

“This could be good for you as well,” Billy called from downstairs as you checked yourself in the mirror one last time. “These people could do well with having someone like you on their side.”

You almost laughed at that. Instead you left your room and went to the stairs. He turned from where he was checking his watch in order to watch you come down the stairs.

Somewhere in the back of your mind you tried to remember the name of the movie where you’d seen almost this exact scene. The girl comes down the stairs in slow motion, the guy looks caught off guard and a little in love. A cheesy romantic song plays in the background before the girl makes a self deprecating comment. The guy makes a comment that would be creepy if it came from anyone but the attractive teen heart throb.

At the bottom of the stairs, you twirled around a bit and smiled at Billy.

“I was expecting the uniform,” you said as you tapped his shoulder as you moved past him and into the living room where your bag was sitting.

“I’m not active so I don’t wear it anymore,” he explained as he looked you over from head to toe.

It was something you were getting used to, his eyes on you.

“You look good Y/N. I’ll be the envy of every guy in there.”

You smiled and moved over to him, raising an eyebrow as you did so.

“If we were actually dating, that line might get you laid,” you joked as you turned to walk away.

Where had that come from? You clenched your eyes shut for a moment before you flicked off the lights. You left on one so that it would look like someone was home. Then you turned on the porch light before you turned to where Billy was standing.

He didn’t look like he had reacted to your comment at all. You weren’t sure why you were surprised. Or disappointed.

“Come on bud, we’re gonna be late.”

He waited while you locked the door and then led you down to where he parked his car. He opened the passenger door to let you in. You sat down first and then pulled your legs in. Once the door was shut and he was on his way to the driver’s side, you let out the breath you’d been holding.

Nerves were building. You doubted that Billy had been this nervous to come to the group home opening but you could barely keep from shaking.

And only part of that was because you had splurged on this dress. It looked good on you. The saleswoman had told you that it was made for you and you had to admit she might have been right. Even Billy’s look had told you that you looked good in it.

You dusted off your skirt as Billy slid into the driver’s seat. He shot one look at you before he turned the car on and pulled onto the road.

The dinner was a bunch of military and ex-military members and their significant others. You had a feeling it was at least partially for networking since most of them seemed to have an infinite amount of business cards they could pull out at any given moment.

General Keller was there. He introduced you to his wife Linda, a beautiful woman who was immediately taken with you.

“Bart, you didn’t tell me Billy’s girlfriend was so lovely,” she jokingly chided before she turned back to you and Billy. “Honestly, you two make such a handsome couple. Goodness, could you imagine if they had kids? They’d be gorgeous.”

You covered your mouth as you tried to hide your choking. Billy was biting his lip but not saying anything.

Bart was quick to scold his wife.

“Come now Linda, they’re young. Maybe let the kids be young and in love before you start measuring them for wedding dresses and tuxes.”

She made her apologies and then moved on to someone else she saw that she knew.

“I’m sorry about her,” Bart said as he looked between the two of you. “It’s obvious this is new. She didn’t meant to pressure you. We’re expecting our first grandchild so it’s all she can think about.”

“Congratulations General Keller,” you said as you grasped his hand, Billy following suit. “Boy or girl?”

“Too soon to tell. Linda and my daughter want a girl. I don’t care what it is as long as it doesn’t look like my son in law.”

Billy laughed, his arm coming around your waist and tugging you into his side.

“We should probably get to our seats but congratulations Keller. I’m happy for your family.”

He led you over to the dinner table and found your seats. He even pulled your chair out for you. Once both of you were seated, you looked around at the men and women that were at the same table. More than one of the women were either giving Billy a come hither smile or glaring at you.

Billy draped his arm on the back of your seat, his fingers brushing against the bare skin since the dress had a low back. His hand felt warm against your back.

“I did tell you that you looked beautiful, right? Because you do.”

You ducked your head so that he couldn’t see just how bright your smile was at that.

“Thank you,” you whispered as someone at one of the other tables stood up to make a quick speech.

“I mean it,” he whispered back, his mouth at your ear so as not to disturb the people around the two of you were that were listening to the speech giver. “Do you know how many guys in this place have been checking you out?”

Not exactly what you wanted to hear. You playfully shushed Billy before you turned to watch the person that was speaking. Not that you were particularly interested in what he had to say but it was better then listening to Billy tell you about all the other guys that were apparently attracted to you.

Why couldn’t you get it through your skull? Billy wasn’t just off limits. He was out of your league. He was someone that you counted yourself lucky to be friends with, but that’s all it would ever be. At least now you were getting to be a closer friend.

Once the speech was done, dinner was served. Conversations picked up around you. Billy struck up a conversation with one of the men across the table and you listened as they talked. You were lost at first but then you started to recognize some of the facts Billy used in his arguments.

He was talking about the same thing that Karen was investigating: the potential corruption in the CIA. Apparently the other guy didn’t think it was possible because why would the government bother hiding that. Billy was definitely of the belief that not only was it possible but that it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“You served, right? How can you look at your time overseas and not think that the government is corrupt? I did four tours and let me tell you, nothing makes you more aware of the fact that the government doesn’t know what it’s doing than being in the thick of it. You don’t go through that without thinking you’re the bad guy too.”

That was a lot deeper than you had expected. You reached out without a second thought and covered his hand. You felt him jerk a bit but then his other hand covered yours.

The other man was saying that the military shouldn’t be held to the same standards as you would other government agencies, but Billy wasn’t taking any of that.

You gave him all of your focus. There was something that drew you in when he spoke. This man would make a great orator. You could imagine him on the front lines giving motivational talks to the men that he led. Frank was a little more to the point but Billy? He had skill.

At some point dessert was being wheeled out. You had barely touched your meal, but you weren’t hungry for anything sweet at the moment. Billy turned it down as well.

His hand had moved back to the back of your chair at some point. That hand rested easily against your skin, his thumb rubbing gently back and forth. Just as you started to wonder how much longer this dinner would go, music started to play from the speakers.

A few couples went ahead to the dance floor. You smiled at the sight of Bart and Linda swaying together.

“Want to dance?”

You turned your head in surprise. Billy raised an eyebrow and shrugged his shoulder. You knew a challenge when you saw one so you gave him a smile and offered your hand.

He led you onto the dance floor. When he pulled you into his embrace, he didn’t even hesitate. His hand fell to your hip, his other holding yours out. You slipped your free hand onto his shoulder and gave the song a few beats before you started to move with it.

“How’s tonight going? A success?”

Billy tilted his face towards yours and smiled in response to your question.

“Bart is ready to give me the keys to the city at this rate,” he said as he tugged you a little closer.

At that point you decided that it was better not to talk about that stuff here on the dance floor. Instead the two of you moved together around the floor as if it was something you did all the time.

You couldn’t even remember the last time you danced with someone. You were pretty sure it’d been Connor and that was probably after you begged him.

Just the memory of him made you stiffen in Billy’s arms. He noticed and gave you a curious look.

“What’s wrong?”

You sighed and shook your head, your eyes darting around to make sure no one was too close.

“Just remembered something about Connor. I can’t believe I dated him for as long as I did.”

Billy nodded, obviously in agreement. The song transitioned into another slow one so you both continued to dance.

“I never understood it. Someone like you had no reason to be slumming it with someone like him.”

You laughed.

“Connor would consider it the other way around. He enjoyed telling me that I should count myself lucky because so many women wanted him but he stuck around with me for some reason.”

The two of you stopped moving. He had a look on his face that you couldn’t place, but it didn’t seem very friendly. He tilted his head, tongue darting out to wet his bottom lip before he finally broke eye contact.

“Braxton isn’t fit to shine your shoes. Never forget that.”

With that he slowly started to sway once more. You nodded and stepped a little closer to him.

He could probably hear your heart thudding painfully in your chest. He probably knew it was because of him and the way he had looked at you, the things he had said. What was this man doing to you?

------

You tapped your finger on your bottom lip as you looked at the tablet on the cushion next to you. It was late, almost one in the morning, but you hadn’t been able to sleep. You’d made some hot chocolate and got comfortable on the couch, but your mind wouldn’t stop racing.

This thing with Billy was getting complicated for you. That little, easily ignored crush you had developed for him had turned into a full blown thing recently. And it wasn’t like you thought he was interested in you; it was just that you didn’t seem capable of seeing him this much without your heart racing.

This wasn’t fair. This was supposed to be simple, easy. It wasn’t supposed to make you lose sleep.

The tablet beckoned. You grabbed it from the couch and unlocked it. One click brought up your Facebook. Then you clicked into the search bar and typed Billy’s name. It brought up his profile almost immediately and you clicked on it.

You were friends on there but you never saw him post. And it didn’t look like he posted that often. You scrolled through a few pictures that he was tagged in, a few that he had posted. It was all fairly normal.

After a moment you closed Facebook and opened up your browser. You typed his name and waited for the results to load. They were all about Anvil.

You closed the tab and then locked your tablet. It’d been stupid, but you had hoped to find something that would cause you to lose interest. Something that would make you look at him in a new light, something to make you get over him.

Your phone lit up with a text so you reached out for it. It was from Billy.

Isn’t it past your bedtime?

What? You glanced at your windows and peered out from the curtains before you typed out a response.

How’d you know I was awake?

His reply came in just a few seconds.

Facebook. Saw you were online. Everything okay?

It wasn’t like you could tell him you were stalking him. Or that you had hoped to find something to make you stop liking him.

Couldn’t sleep. What are you doing awake?

Same

You thought about what you could say to that but before you could get more than the first few words typed, his responded again.

Want me to come over? I can stop and get ice cream. You like that chocolate swirl, right?

It was one of your favorites. But him coming over would just complicate things. It was the opposite of what you needed. You needed space, you needed a way to get over him.

Your thumbs had a life of their own.

Sure. Better bring your own though. I don’t share.

Well. That happened. So it looked like he was gonna head this way now. As you stood up to do a quick check and make sure your house didn’t smell, another text came in from him.

Neither do I

Let me know if you want to be added to my Permanent Tag List @hermioneshandbag @onebatch--twobatch @smiley-celine @blackcoffeeandgreenteaforme @starless-skyox @youveseen--thebutcher @citation-is-here @mightymelly @realduckvader @1550kilogramsofsilver @hxbbit @rockintensse @missphanosaur18 @thepuffyeyedpuff @the-three-eyed-ravenclaw @yessy2012 @gingerstarlight @siriusement @marauderskeeper @xinyourdreamsx @wickidlady @sassygirl25 @maraudereestauderelb @rainyboul @cutie-bug @random-quartz @holamor @lea----b @heyitslexy @detectivebourbon @coffeenmoscato @presstocontinue @elisemockingbird @assbuttwithwings @geeksareunique @siriuslovesmarlene @witch-of-letters @delicatelilyflower @l-l-c-m-w-b @whovianayesha @hiddenprincess @yannii04 @jeanettexkillian @brighteststarinthesky @kilyra @gallxntdean @sweetvengeancee @lady1505 @thedarklightwithinus @ateliefloresdaprimavera @siriuslyimmoony @elodieyung @fudgeflyss @madamrogers @thatwrestlingfan91 @teranya @sophiabulbu69 @delusionsofnostalgia @effielumiere @mamaraptor @hot-and-spiceyyy @i-padfootblack-things @aya-fay @fcavalerro @sithskywalkers @raquelbc2003 @iwishyoucouldbekissed @lostinthoughts23 @tamanamohain @newtstarmander @suchatinyinfinity @blushingskywalker @queencocoakimmie @funerals-with-cake @love-dria @arrowswithwifi @swiftyhowlz @cheyfleur @dark-night-sky-99 @margot-black @celestegolden @king4thesirens @beautifuldesastre @ashkuuuu @luminex3 @nerdypinupcrystal @iblogabout-stuff @curlyhairedblueeyedangel @myplaceofheavenorhell @cafeconsoya @nea90sweetie @traeumerinwitzhelden @kryyta @russosprettydiamondnow @dorkybryan @mahalobro @yesixoxo

Let me know if you want to be added to my Billy Russo Tag List @something-tofightfor @piink-magnolias @hoodedhavok @aylinnmaslow @musingsofbanana @bluebird214 @rileyblues @nerrdstark @that-bwitch @ethereal-heavcns @queenisabella789 @colddecember-night @j-finco @arthoeaesthetixbs @tomhiddlestonsbeard @mischiefs-never-managed @romanceyour-ego @evyiione @drinix @sweetheart-im-the-boss @thebabblingbook @katieswinforddiaries @benbarnesfanforever @releasethekracko @itsjustmylifeconfessions @nostalgic-uncertainty @aveatquevale- @clarasworldofwonders @ladyblablabla @thehanneloner @hellostarposts @girlwhoisfearless @maria-beretta @friendlyneighbourhoodweirdo @marcelskittel @fictionwillneverdie @avipshamitra @hysteriadarling @living-on-rice @hello-la-v-en-rose @tiredofthisgeneration @marveliskindacool @giggleberts @stateofloveandvedder @encounterthepast @ironstank @spettrocoli @xserenax-13 @sleepwalkingelite @dreamingofonceuponatime @supernaturalcat7 @rosebunnie @damagelove @petersunderoos96 @dylanobrusso @littlemermaidprobz @agent-scully-182 @editboutique @audreychaz @songforhema @fireeyes-on-teller-dixon-grimes @ania2603 @screwmesiriusblack @figlia--della--luna @balladblood @cloudywithachanceofcupcakes-blog @jessicahh @flightoftheflightrisk @slamharder @roschele | @rhabakoli @lexxierave @shadowhunterscloset @stories-you-wont-hear @benbarnesfrustration @weasleyisourjedi

#billy russo #billy russo x reader #billy russo imagine #billy russo fanfic #my writing #whatever it takes

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shawnstoriesx · 5 years

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Bear Pt 2

hello again! thank you for all the love on my first post ! it means the whole world to me! here’s the 2nd part but it’s a lil long so I had to divide it into two diff posts. personally i think this part is a lil messy but the 3rd part will hopefully be better. :-) any feedback would be greatly appreciated !

also...stream Two Of Us by Louis Tomlinson

Several weeks had passed since YN last sat with Shawn at the boba shop but the memory still stung. He didn’t need YN in his life anymore; he had Alexa. He made that clear. And YN knew that the more she’d see them together, the more her heart would break. Since then, she had been actively avoiding him and instead dedicated her time to her studies and working out. She came home late on the weekdays, choosing to stay at the campus library until closing, and then would leave early in the morning to squeeze in a workout before classes. On the weekends, she’d stay in her room whenever Shawn was over or would make a quick excuse to leave. And he was seemingly unbothered by it, giving YN nothing more than a quick nod whenever she left before directing his loving gaze and attention to Alexa.

“Don’t forget the midterm research project. That’ll be due in a couple weeks so get started and you must do it with one, and only one, other partner. Talk to me if you don’t find one. Have a good weekend.”

The room instantly ensued in the muffled noises of people packing their bags and discussing who they would choose as their partner. YN looked around the room helplessly. She didn’t know anybody in this class, keeping to herself and leaving right as it ended. Just as she was getting ready to head towards the front with the other group of students who didn’t have partners, YN felt a light touch on her shoulder. Turning around, her eyes fell upon a tall, broad shouldered, dark skinned boy. He looked fit but his athletic physique contrasted with the heavy circle framed glasses that rested on the bridge of his nose.

“Um hi...are you still looking for a partner?” the boy asked nervously.

YN nodded, looking him over before giving him a small smile. He didn’t look like he’d leave all the workload on her.

“Want to be partners then?” he added, fingers toying with the hem of his shirt.

“Uh yeah sure. I’m YN by the way.” she answered timidly, eyes fixated on his fingers before directing them back to his face.

“Great! I’m Brad.” He flashed her a wide smile.

They quickly exchanged phone numbers before agreeing to make plans through text. As she was walking away, YN heard a sudden thud and quickly turned around. Brad had apparently tripped on the steps leading down from the lecture hall and was pushing himself upright from the floor and rubbing his back. Scrambling back, YN offered her hand to him and he gave it a firm grasp before pushing himself up. But at the same time, YN was pulling him up and the momentum caused them both to fall backwards, crashing onto the floor with Brad on top of YN.

YN and Brad both stared at each other before simultaneously breaking into a fit of laughter. He quickly got off of her and stood to help her up and check if she was okay.

“Well that was a great first impression” Bart joked as he dusted off YN’s backpack before handing it to her.

They shared a chuckle and walked out of class together, engaged in light conversation, the sudden intimacy from the fall eradicating all of the awkwardness that was there before.

YN and Bart made plans to meet at her apartment later that day, agreeing that it was better to start now rather than later. Although they had just met, YN really liked Brad. They got along well and it was nice having another guy to talk to. But she was still cautious, texting Alexa to ask if she’d be home too. After all, Brad could be a serial killer for all she knew and she’d rather not be alone with him. Alexa quickly responded saying that she had plans but she’d reschedule to be home with YN. Alexa really was a great roommate.

The doorbell rang and YN ran to open it, expecting it to be Brad.

“Hey Br-“ YN started cheerfully before she realized it wasn’t Brad. It was Shawn.

“Oh. Hi Shawn.” The smile that was on her face before quickly left and she turned away. She wasn’t expecting him to be here today.

Shawn chuckled. “Happy to see you too Honey.”

The name that once brought her so much joy now made her heart heavy. YN gave him a sad look but he didn’t notice. He was already walking past her and towards Alexa.

“She just thought you were another boy babe” Alexa added.

Shawn stopped in his tracks. “Another boy? Who’s that?” he asked, flashing a questioning look over to YN.

“I was going to ask her too! Is that the boy I saw in your Anthro class? I walked into class and saw him on the floor on top of you and-“

“What?” Shawn interjected, his voice raised.

YN blushed, remembering that Alexa had class in the same room right after her. She remained silent and turned back towards the door to close it. She had just shut the door when she heard a “Wait up!” She cracked the door open just a bit and saw an out of breath Brad jogging up to her door and dramatically placing his hands on his knees to emphasize how breathless he was.

YN giggled. “Come on in.” She gave Brad a light squeeze and then turned around only to run straight into Shawn’s chest.

What the...when did he get here?

YN backed up from Shawn and looked up at his face to apologize but her words were caught in her throat as she processed the expression on his face. Shawn’s jaw was flexed and he intently looked over Brad, his entire body was tense.

“Hey. I’m Brad. I didn’t know YN had a boyfriend.” Brad stuck out his hand to shake Shawn’s.

Shawn’s jaw relaxed a bit at the kind gesture. “I’m Shawn, YN’s be-“ until she cut him off.

“Oh no he’s not my boyfriend,” she said, hands gesturing wildly at the notion. As if Shawn was ever going to see her in that way. “He’s just my roommate’s boyfriend.” YN added quickly before pulling Brad into her room to work on the project.

When it was time for Brad to leave, YN walked beside him on his way from her room to the door. Shawn and Alexa were cuddled up to each other on the living room couch while watching a Harry Potter marathon. Not wanting to distract the couple from the movie, Brad and YN made plans for their next meeting in quiet whispers, YN leaning into the others body to quietly whisper into Brad’s ear and vice versa.

They quickly said their goodbyes and YN went to join the Shawn and Alexa in the living room. Even though things were awkward between her and Shawn, she could never pass up on Harry Potter.

Sitting on the other end of the couch, YN recognized that the marathon had probably just started since it was only 45 minutes into the first movie. She looked over to the couple on the other end of the couch. Shawn was staring at her intently but quickly reverted his eyes to the TV screen when he saw her look over. And Alexa was beginning to nod off, looking like she was already bored out of her mind.

Before the first movie was even finished, Alexa excused herself from the rest of the marathon.

Shawn gave his girlfriend a worried look. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah I’m just not that interested in this stuff.” Alexa responded, giving him a kiss before slipping out of his arms.

“I thought you said you loved Harry Potter.”

Alexa froze. “Oh yeah I mean uh that I’ve watched it so many times it’s not exciting to me anymore. I’m still a big fan.” she stuttered as she walked away, leaving Shawn and YN alone.

They watched the first and second movie in silence but by the third movie, YN was shifting around a lot, the cold making her uncomfortable.

“Do you want to come over here? We can share this blanket.” Shawn asked, motioning towards the thin blanket on the floor below him. Alexa and Shawn were using the blanket before but when Alexa stood up to leave, she dropped it and didn’t pick it back up for him.

YN just stared blankly at him, not knowing what to say. After a couple more seconds of YN not responding, Shawn gave a deep sigh, stood up, grabbed the blanket, and walked around the couch and out of her field of vision.

Great. He finally left.

But a couple minutes later, Shawn returned with a thicker blanket. He sat down right next to her, draping the blanket around the both of them before resting his arm on her shoulders, drawing her body into his. YN tensed up but slowly relaxed as her body remembered that she and Shawn used to do this all the time. As much as she was trying to fight this feeling, Shawn’s presence still felt natural to her and him being this close was slightly comforting. He gave the top of her friend a friendly and chaste kiss. It was a common thing for Shawn to do but she still blushed at the action. Thank goodness that the lights were off.

“So, who’s Brad?” Shawn asked quietly.

“He’s in my Anthro class. We’re partners for a project.”

“Yeah I got that much. But what is he to you?”

“I don’t know. I just met him today. I like him though. He’s nice.”

Shawn just nodded in response and a comfortable silence took over. By the end of the last movie, YN and Shawn had both fallen asleep on the couch, her head head resting in the crook of his neck and his arms wrapped tightly around her.

YN was the first to wake up. It took her a while to remember where she was and who she was next to it but when she did, her heart started to race. YN sat there for a while more, basking in Shawn’s touch before she slowly got up, careful not to wake the boy who was still fast asleep.

She changed into her gym clothes and opted for her bike over her car for the journey to the nearby gym. Halfway there though, YN instantly regretted her choice. While it was sunny when she left her apartment, dark clouds were steadily making their way towards her and YN knew that it would probably start raining soon. As soon she reached the gym, YN locked up her bike and texted Alexa.

“It’s going to rain later and I took my bike to the gym. Can you pick me up?”

She didn’t get a response right away. “She’s probably still sleeping” YN thought as she walked into the building.

An hour into her workout, YN thought she heard her name being called out. She took her earbuds out, looking around to find the source of the noise when she heard her name again. This time, she recognized who it was.

Brad was walking towards her, giving her an energetic wave. YN gave a small wave back.

“Do you come here often?” he asked.

“Yeah I’m here almost everyday. How about you?”

“Dude same here. We should definitely work out sometimes. Are you here by yourself?”

“Yeah. You too?”

Brad shook his head and pointed to a small group of boys in the direction that she came from. “I’m here with my pledge bros.”

YN looked at the group of boys who were all staring in her direction. A blush fell over her cheeks from all of the attention and she was about to say goodbye, eager to escape their gaze, when Brad asked “You mind if I join you today? The boys are getting on my nerves about something.”

“Yeah sure. No problem” YN responded and they both headed towards the weight room.

They’d just finished up at the bench press and leg press and were taking a quick break.

“So what were your pbros bothering you about?” YN asked in between sips of water.

“We have a formal coming up but my girlfriend lives far away and can’t make it. I was going to go stag but apparently it’s against tradition.” Brad sighed, scratching his head.

They were about to go back to their workout when Brad’s friends came up to them, jumping on him and giving her a polite nod.

“Bear, maybe you should ask her to the formal.” one of the boys joked. The rest of the group agreed, giving their shouts of approval.

Bear? YN gave an awkward smile, not because of what the boys were saying but because of their name for Brad. It was her name for Shawn.

Brad looked down to his feet and brushed his fingers through his hair, obviously embarrassed of his friends. “Stop it guys.”

The boys continued their banter, moving from one topic to the next, until YN realized what time it was.

“Shit. I’d better head home now.” YN exclaimed. Looking out of the windows, she saw that it was pouring. She checked her phone. Still no response from Alexa. Maybe I should try Shawn. Last night felt like how it was before Alexa and it gave her hope that she and Shawn could return back to normal.

Brad noticed that YN was lost in though. “Everything all right YN?”

“Yeah,” she chuckled. “I just didn’t know it’d rain and I have to bike home.”

“No way I’m letting you do that.” Brad said firmly. I’ll take you home. You can put your bike in the back of my truck.”

“O my gosh. You’re a blessing. Thank you so much!” YN squealed, giving him a big hug before separating temporarily to collect their things from the locker rooms.

On the drive to YN’s apartment, she and Brad discussed their project and made plans to meet again after classes on Monday.

“Sorry about my pbros by the way. They can get a bit much.”

“No problem. They seem fun.” YN said quietly, gazing through the windshield.

“Would you be up for it though?” he asked nonchalantly.

“Up for what?”

“Being my date for the formal? As friends.”

YN’s head snapped towards Brad. His vision was still focused on the road and his demeanor didn’t change at all, given the weight of his question.

Brad noticed her silence and quickly said “If not that’s cool too. I know we don’t know each other well but I don’t know that many other girls. I don’t want you feel like I’m forcing you into-“

“Hey it’s no problem.” YN said, laughing quietly at how flustered Brad was.

Brad let out a deep sigh. “Thanks so much.”

“So...what’s up with the whole Bear thing?” YN said, changing the topic of the conversation.

“Oh it was my nickname of my football team in high school and it’s stuck with me since. Cuz I’m a big guy and I like to give hugs.”

“Well...that’s very fitting.”

They pulled into the street in front of YN’s apartment. Brad insisted on carrying YN’s bike in for her, which resulted in them waiting side by side in front of the door as she rustled through her gym bag looking for the keys.

“Hey thanks again for being my date. You’re a real savior.” Brad said, resting the bike against the wall.

“It’ll be fun hopefully.” YN responded absentmindedly, still pushing her things around looking for the keys. “You saved me today. It’s only right that I save you too.” Ahah. Found them.

“Bye Brad. Thanks again for th-“ YN started but was cut off by Brad wrapping her in a big hug.

A small laugh escaped her lips. “Forgot that you loved hugs.” She wrapped her arms around him too, returning the hug. “Thanks again for the ride Bear.”

When the words left her mouth, they instantly felt wrong to YN. That name was reserved for only Shawn. But she didn’t even have time to process the thought when the door swung open.

Shawn stood on the other side, one arm slipping through the hole of the shirt he was putting on.

“YN!” Shawn exclaimed as she and Brad broke from their hug. “Sorry we were busy and I just saw your text on Alexa’s phone. Was just about to come pick you up.”

“It’s no problem.” YN responded dryly, taking note of the hickies that weren’t there this morning and his messed up hair. It didn’t take a real genius to figure out what they were busy doing. “I was with Brad so he drove me home.”

#shawn mendes x reader #shawn mendes angst #shawn mendes x yn #shawn mendes au #shawn mendes fanfiction #shawn mendes #college!shawn #college!au

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fyeah-bangtan7 · 5 years

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The Greatest Showmen: An exclusive look inside the world of BTS

Maybe you saw them piled on the klieg-lit couches of Ellen DeGeneres and Jimmy Fallon, trading light bilingual banter with their starstruck hosts. Maybe it was when they spoke solemnly on mental health and self-love at the United Nations General Assembly last September, or when a wall of dolphin-like screams greeted them as they rolled into February’s Grammy Awards in trim matching tuxedos, their hair tinted various shades of pastel macaron.

Or maybe the cover of this magazine is the first time you’ve truly noticed BTS. (Stranger things have happened in 2019.) But it seems indisputable to say that sometime over the past two years, the septet have taken over the world: two No. 1 albums on the Billboard chart in the span of three months; more than 5 billion streams combined on Apple Music and Spotify; a string of sold-out concert dates from the Staples Center in Los Angeles to London’s famed Wembley Stadium.

That hardly makes them the first boy band to dominate a cultural moment, but the fact that they are all Korean-born and -raised, singing Korean-language songs only occasionally sprinkled with English, feels like something brand-new. And it speaks to an unprecedented kind of global currency — one where pop music moves without barriers or borders, even as geopolitics seem to retreat further behind hard lines and high walls.

On a blindingly bright March day in Seoul five weeks before the release of their upcoming sixth EP, Map of the Soul: Persona, the band is holed up at their record label Big Hit Entertainment, preparing. Buildings like this are where much of the magic of the phenomenon known as K-pop happens, though Big Hit’s headquarters on a quiet side street in the city’s Gangnam district (yes, the same one Psy sang about in his 2012 smash “Gangnam Style”) look a lot like any other tech office: sleek poured-cement corridors and glass-box conference rooms scattered with well-stocked mini-fridges, plush toys, and the occasional beanbag chair. Only a display case stacked with a truly staggering number of sales plaques and statuettes, and a glossy large-scale photo print of BTS at their sold-out concert at New York’s Citi Field last October, give away the business they do here.

Down a long hallway, all seven members lounge in various states of readiness as they gear up to pretape a thank-you video for an iHeartRadio award they won’t be able to accept in person. Jimin, bleached blond and pillow-lipped, is having his hair carefully flat-ironed in a wardrobe room filled with racks of coordinated denim and neon streetwear. Dozens of pairs of pristine Nikes and Converse are piled in a corner; a lone fun-fur jacket the color of strawberry ice cream slumps on a hanger behind him, like a neglected Fraggle.

Jung Kook, the baby of the band at 21, sits obediently in a folding chair in the dance studio, also having his hair tended to; J-Hope strides by in a white dress shirt emblazoned with an over-size silk-screen of Bart Simpson, then grins and disappears. Suga, V, and Jin huddle together on low sofas next door, scrolling through their phones and occasionally singing fragments of American R&B star Khalid’s “My Bad.” Twenty-four-year-old RM, the group’s de facto leader and lone fluent English speaker, is the last to arrive.

They run through their speech for a camera crew and do maybe four or five takes until the director is satisfied. Then they settle in for a conversation in an airy break room upstairs, accompanied by their longtime translator, a large, amiable bald man in a business suit named John. (Unless noted, the answers of all members other than RM come through him.) Several weeks after returning from their first Grammys, they’re still riding high off the experience: presenting the award to H.E.R. for Best R&B Album; chatting with Shawn Mendes in the men’s room — “I was like, ‘Do I need to tell him who I am?’ ” Jimin remembers, “but then he said hello first, which was really nice” — and being seated only a sequin’s throw from Dolly Parton. (“She was right there in front of us!” marvels Jung Kook. “Amazing.”)

As happily dazzled as they still seem to be by other celebrities, seeing BTS in the flesh triggers the same disorienting but not unpleasant sense of unreality. On screen, the band can look disconcertingly pretty; avatars of a sort of poreless, almost postgender beauty who seem to exist inside their own real-life Snapchat filters. In person they’re still ridiculously good-looking, but in a much more relatable, boyish way: bangs mussed, even the occasional chapped lip or small (okay, minuscule) blemish. Take away their Balenciaga high-tops and the discreet double Cs of Chanel jewelry, and they could almost be the cute college guy next to you at the coffee shop or on the train.

Except riding public transportation or casually dropping into a Starbucks stopped being an option for BTS a long time ago. In Seoul, their faces are plastered across makeup kiosks and street signs and the sides of buses — even on massive digital billboards that are bought and paid for by private citizens to acknowledge a beloved member’s birthday, or just because. In cities like São Paulo and Tokyo and Paris, fans camp out days in advance for concerts and public appearances, obsessively trading trivia and rumored sightings. When the band posted their takethis link opens in a new tab on Drake’s #InMyFeelingsChallenge, it became the most liked tweet of 2018; this summer, Mattel will release an official line of BTS dolls.

In the still center of this bizarre fame hurricane, the boys have managed to find a few pockets of normalcy. Jimin wistfully recalls a time in Chicago when they were able to slip out of their hotel rooms undetected “late at night, just to get some fresh air.” But most places, he admits, “that’s really out of the question” unless they split into smaller groups. “I mean, look at us,” RM adds with a laugh, running a hand through his own silver-nickel bangs. “Seven boys with dyed hair! It’s really too much.”

Instead, they focus on the things they can do, like sneaking out to the movies (“Always the latest or earliest show,” says RM, if they want to stay unseen), shopping online (V loves eBay, especially for clothes), going fishing, playing StarCraft at home. Group housing is actually common for K-pop stars, and BTS seem to appreciate the shared stability: “We’ve been living together for a while now, almost eight, nine years,” says Jimin. “So in the beginning we had a lot of arguments and conflicts. But we’ve reached the point where we can communicate wordlessly, basically just by watching each other and reading the expressions.”

Though they’re unfailingly polite and attentive in interviews, there’s a certain amount of contained chaos when they’re all together — a sort of tumbling-puppy cyclone of playful shoves, back slaps, and complicated handshakes — but also a surprising, endearing sweetness to the way they treat one another in quieter moments. When a question is posed to the group, they work hard to make sure each one of them is heard, and if someone is struggling to find a word, they’ll quickly reach out for a reassuring knee pat or side hug.

Even with the language barrier of speaking to an American reporter, though, their individual personalities quickly start to emerge: Asked to name their earliest pop memories, the answers land all over the map. “I loved Pussycat Dolls’ ‘Stickwitu,’ ’’ says J-Hope, the group’s most accomplished dancer, snapping his fingers and cooing the chorus. For RM, who started out in Seoul’s underground rap scene, it’s Eminem’s “Lose Yourself.” (“I think that’s, like, a life pick for so many people around the world,” he admits, “but I can’t forget when I first watched 8 Mile and heard the guitars. That was my turning point.”) For Jung Kook, who has released covers of Justin Bieber and Troye Sivan songs, it was Richard Marx’s deathless lite-FM ballad “Now and Forever.”

The soft-spoken Suga cites John Lennon’s “Imagine” as “the first song I fell in love with,” which feels like a fitting gateway to ask where BTS see themselves in the pantheon of musical heartthrobs that the Fab Four essentially invented. “Sometimes it feels really embarrassing when someone calls us a 21st-century Beatles or something like that,” RM concedes. “But if they want to call us a boy band, then we’re a boy band. If they want to call us a boy group, we’re a boy group. If they want to call us K-pop, then we’re cool with K-pop.”

Ah, K-pop. In South Korea, where the genre has become not just a prime cultural commodity but a multibillion-dollar export, the players, known as “idols,” go through rigorous Fame-style schooling in song and dance and media training that often goes on for years before they’re considered ready for the spotlight. And it’s paid off: Business has been booming since the early ’90s, with stars from Girls’ Generation to G-Dragoncrossing over to various markets across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. But while the sound has remained fairly consistent — a canny mix of club-ready beats, hyper-sweetened choruses, and the more urban inflections of Western hip-hop and R&B — it’s never before landed with the lightning-bolt impact of BTS.

Bang Si-Hyuk, the CEO and founder of Big Hit, began putting the band together in 2010, when all the members were in their tweens or teens: RM and Suga were coming up on the local rap scene; Jimin and J-Hope studied dance at performing-arts schools; V, who focused on singing early on, joined officially in 2013. Jin was an aspiring actor recruited off the street for his striking looks; Jung Kook, now the group’s main vocalist, joined while he was still in junior high.

Though fansites tend to lean on their extracurricular differences (Jung Kook is a Virgo who loves pizza! V collects ties and clenches his teeth in his sleep!), each member genuinely does hold a unique space in the group’s process, whether it’s leaning more toward production, lyrics, or the supersize hooks the songs rest on. “With seven members we have seven different tastes, of course,” says RM. “So when it comes to songwriting, it’s like a big competition.” Occasionally, adds J-Hope, “we’ll write a lyric and decide, ‘This sort of reflects me [more], who I am and my own color,’ so we’ll want to keep that for a solo song.”

Because Big Hit doesn’t restrict their right to funnel some ideas into side projects — and because the appetite for more BTS-sourced material online is seemingly unquenchable — members regularly release solo work through EPs, SoundCloud, and mixtapes. But the primary impact still comes through the official album releases, and the particularly weighty subjects those songs take on — a notable departure from the narrow, often strenuously upbeat topics other K-pop artists typically cover.

“I promised the members from the very beginning that BTS’ music must come from their own stories,” says Bang; their subsequent openness about their own struggles with depression, self-doubt, and the pressure to conform took them all the way to the U.N. last fall, where RM addressed the band’s Love Myself campaign and #ENDviolence youth partnership with UNICEF.

“They stand out,” says Japanese-American DJ and producer Steve Aoki, a top-selling global dance artist who has also collaborated with the band on several tracks. “And I’m not just talking about K-pop. They add so much of their personality to the music and into their stories and how they present themselves. And the world has fallen in love with them because they are showing that vulnerable side that everyone wants to see.”

It helps, too, that the group’s more pointed messages are often slipped into the sticky aural peanut butter of anthems like “No More Dream,” “Dope,” and “Am I Wrong.” But they always appreciate the chance, Suga says, to get “a little more raw, a little more open.” RM elaborates: “I think it’s an endless dilemma for every artist, how much we should be frank and honest. But we try to reveal ourselves as much as we can.”

Honesty has its limits, of course, when you’re the biggest band in the world. Asked to describe the new album, due April 12 (at press time, it had already hit over 2.5 million in preorders), members offer up cryptic but enthusiastic koans like “therapeutic” and “refreshing crispness.” To be fair, they can’t say much in part because the new album’s track list isn’t actually finalized yet — late decisions being a luxury of in-house production — though they do agree to play one song, a propulsive rap-heavy banger called “Intro: Persona.” (It was released as a teaser March 27; you can watch the video herethis link opens in a new tab.)

When it comes to more personal questions about the challenges of dating or the goals they might want to pursue post-BTS, they pivot so gracefully to evasive, nonspecific answers, you almost can’t help but be impressed; it’s like watching a diplomat ice-dance. They want you to know that they are incredibly grateful for the devotion of their fans, and so blessed to be exactly where they are; that they really don’t think in terms of five- or 10-year plans. But they turn reflective when the subject of American pop’s holy grail, the Hot 100 singles chart, is raised. They cracked the top 10 last year with “Fake Love” but have yet to reach a higher spot, largely because mainstream radio airplay—a huge component of Hot 100 domination—still eludes them Stateside.

“It will have to be a great song,” Suga acknowledges, “but also there’s a whole strategy that’s associated with getting all the way up. And then there has to be a measure of luck, obviously. So what’s important for us is just to make good music and good performances and have those elements come together.” Does a Spanish-language smash like 2017’s “Despacito” — which spent a record 16 weeks at No. 1 — make them more optimistic about their own odds? “You know, Latin pop has its own Grammys in America, and it’s quite different,” RM says thoughtfully. “I don’t want to compare, but I think it’s even harder as an Asian group. A Hot 100 and a Grammy nomination, these are our goals. But they’re just goals — we don’t want to change our identity or our genuineness to get the number one. Like if we sing suddenly in full English, and change all these other things, then that’s not BTS. We’ll do everything, we’ll try. But if we couldn’t get number one or number five, that’s okay.”

Aoki, for one, has faith they’ll get there. “I think it’s 100 percent possible that a song sung entirely in Korean could crack the top of the Hot 100. I firmly believe that, and I really firmly believe that BTS can be the group that can do that. It’s going to pave the way for a lot of other groups, which they’ve already been doing—and when that happens, we’re all gonna celebrate.”

Back at Big Hit, though, the band has more immediate work to do. RM offers a quick tour of his production room (each member has his own dedicated space on site). The door outside is guarded by a quirky assemblage of figurines by the renowned street artist Kaws, but inside feels, incongruously, like stepping into a tiny, luxurious Sundance lodge that also just happens to have a soundboard: There’s a beautiful coffee table made from a single piece of black walnut; Navajo-style rugs; tasteful art on the walls. RM talks easily about his admiration for producers like Zedd and the Neptunes (“Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo were my true idols in 2006, 2007. Pharrell’s voice! It’s so sexy, how he sings”), and plays down his own skills (“As a beatmaker, Suga is way better than me. I don’t even know how to play the piano — I just do the chords like this,” he insists, miming keyboard Muppet hands).

Then it’s back to the dance studio, where they’ve changed into track pants and T-shirts to run through new steps with a choreographer. It starts with a rough triangle formation, and an elaborate hip-swivel-into-pelvic-thrust/crotch-grab combo that actually plays much more innocently than it sounds, mostly because they keep stopping to crack each other up. Soon, though, they drill down — repeating the moves until they seem crisp but easy, almost an afterthought. It feels like time to leave them; the boys wave happily, shouting out a rowdy chorus of goodbyes. Then they turn back to the mirror, and keep dancing.

#bangtan #jimin #jungkook #v #suga #jhope #jin #rm #o:interview #190328

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