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bluejaysandblackbats · 3 months

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Five Little Ducks

Fandom: DC Comics, Batman

Summary: Bruce finds a magically de-aged Jason.

Chapters: 7/13

Characters: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Stephanie Brown, Duke Thomas, Zatanna Zatara

Additional Tags: De-Aged Jason Todd, Magic, Babysitting, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Angst, POV Third Person, Bruce Wayne is Not Okay, Bruce Wayne Tries, Jason Todd Has Issues, Childhood Trauma

Chapter Seven: Please Don't Think It's Funny

Bruce let Jason play hide-and-seek in the manor. He thought it'd be harmless but realized he'd made a horrible mistake after an hour. He called Duke and Steph to help, trying to conceal his panic. Steph arrived first, and Duke met her shortly afterward. "How do you lose an eight-year-old kid?" Steph asked as she checked under the staircase and the tables. "The world's greatest detective is the world's okay-est dad." She chuckled to herself as she jogged up the stairs. "Jason! Jason! If you stop hiding, I'll give you all the candy in my pocket!"

"Yeah, because he's gonna take candy from a stranger," Duke teased as he checked up high.

"Wait, he's tiny... Like, fit inside cupboards small," Steph whispered. They started opening cupboards and knocking on them. Duke came to a halt and grabbed Steph's arm.

"I think I know where he is, but Bruce isn't gonna like it," Duke replied, "Bruce! He's in the cave!"

Bruce darted upstairs, pushing Steph and Duke out of the way as he zoomed past them into the Batcave. Jason stood near the computer sobbing. Bruce ran to him and scooped him up. "Jason, I'm so-. You're so light," Bruce pulled away and looked at Jason's face. "Oh no... Jason, I'm Bruce Wayne... And I want to help you." He was so caught up in finding Jason that he didn't notice the difference in size or the change in his scent. He smelled so young. He even looked young. Not quite an infant, but he was close.

Bruce rocked Jason until the crying stopped. Duke and Steph came downstairs, and they exchanged a glance. "He's-."

"Jason Toddler-."

"Duke!" Steph chastised him.

"You thought it," Duke mumbled.

Jason cupped his hands around Bruce's ear. "Is Mama gone?" Jason mumbled.

"I think so, Jason... I think so," Bruce asked.

"Where's Daddy?" Jason questioned.

"Jason, would you like a cookie?" Bruce replied. He was afraid to say anything to upset Jason. He was so tiny and fragile. Jason nodded. "These are my friends Stephanie Brown and Duke Thomas."

Jason sniffed and waved at them. "She's pretty like Mama," Jason pointed to Steph. Steph chewed her lip, holding back tears of her own. She came up to Bruce and took Jason.

"Well, aren't you a sweetie pie!" Steph exclaimed in a sweet voice despite the tears in her eyes. "Let's go get you the biggest cookie in the kitchen."

Duke and Bruce followed her upstairs. Steph sat Jason on the counter and messed up his hair. She turned around and grabbed a cookie from the jar. Jason held it with both hands. "Thank you," Jason whispered, "Mama's gone... But where's Mommy?" Then it clicked for everyone in the room. Jason had forgotten his birth mother, but he was old enough to talk by the time she'd gone.

Jason ate his cookie, and Bruce poured him a small glass of milk. "Bruce, he's-. How old are you?" Steph asked as she grabbed the glass.

"This many," Jason whispered as he held up two fingers.

"Bruce, he's two. He can't drink out of a cup like this. Don't you have any emergency sippies?" Steph asked. She covered the cup with plastic wrap and poked a straw through. "Here you go, cutie pie."

Jason drank his milk and set it aside. "Thank you," Jason whispered. Bruce was still in shock. How could Jason have regressed?

Jason reached for Bruce, and he announced something, but neither Bruce nor Duke could make it out. "He said he has to wash his hands in the potty," Steph replied.

Bruce carried Jason to the downstairs restroom, and Steph plopped down on the couch in the living room. "You okay?" Duke asked as he sat next to her.

"I guess so... I mean," Steph took a deep breath, "It's weird to see a guy like Jason so tiny and vulnerable."

"Guess it is kinda sad when you put it like that," Duke replied. Silence fell between the two, and Bruce brought Jason back.

Jason tugged Bruce's sleeve. "Mr. Wayne? Can I go up?" Jason asked. Bruce nodded and picked Jason up. Jason closed his eyes. "I so tired."

Bruce rubbed his back. "Yeah? It must be so exhausting having to be a big boy when you're scared, huh?" Bruce asked. Jason nodded.

"I like you," Jason whispered. Bruce lay back in the recliner, still holding Jason. "You be here later?"

"Of course. We're not going anywhere," Bruce whispered. Jason held on tight to Bruce's shirt. "Jason... It's alright."

"Okay," Jason mumbled. Bruce smoothed Jason's curls down and watched as they bounced back into place. Jason loosened his grip on Bruce's t-shirt and started to suck his thumb quietly.

Bruce gestured for his phone once Jason was asleep. "Text Zatanna for me," Bruce whispered. The only noise in the room was the soft sound of Jason sucking his thumb. Duke sat on the couch with his phone in hand. "Can you tell her I need her help and that it's an emergency?"

"He's exhausted," Steph whispered as she looked at Jason. "Why do you think he got smaller? I thought he was getting older?"

"I'm hoping Zatanna can answer that... I hope this is as small as he gets," Bruce spoke softly. Zatanna texted back immediately, and before Steph could read the message, she appeared in their living room.

"I came as soon as I heard you say emergency," Zatanna stated, "What's wrong?"

Bruce pointed down at the little boy sleeping on his chest. "Remember my son, Jason? This is him," Bruce answered. Zatanna chewed her lip. "When I found him a few days ago, he was five years old, and he had an inscription written in liquid on the back of his head. Latin."

"Here, let me hold him while you write it down... How old is he now?" Zatanna asked. She took Jason and patted his back as he stirred.

"He's two. He was eight this morning and seven yesterday-. He was getting older, but now he's young again," Bruce replied as he took a piece of paper and wrote down the Latin inscription. Zatanna glanced at it. "I got a distress call from Jason, then his line went silent, and when I got to the warehouse, he was five years old. Every time he ages, he forgets who I am to him... He knows I'm Bruce Wayne."

"Someone failed Latin in high school... But, I can tell you now, it's not a curse. I think he asked for this," Zatanna explained, "This spell is sort of like the flu. You have to let it run its course, but once it's over, it's over... From what I gather, whoever did this fudged the Latin. They should've said, puer mens et corpus potest cor sanare. That would've followed with the implied intention. A child's mind and body can heal the heart, was what they should've said in Latin... But the spell on the back of his head read a child's mind and body to a child's heart."

"If he asked for this-. He called me because he wanted me to take care of him," Bruce whispered to himself. Jason lifted his head and looked around.

"Mr. Wayne?" Jason mumbled.

"It's okay... I didn't go anywhere," Bruce reassured as he reached for Jason. Zatanna handed him over, and Bruce smiled at him. Jason blew him a kiss.

Bruce smiled. "Where's Daddy?" Jason questioned. Everyone grew silent.

"He had to go away for work for a little while," Bruce whispered, "So, you'll be here with us until he gets back." Jason hid his face in Bruce's shirt.

Bruce rubbed his back as Jason burst into tears. "Aww, it's okay, Jason. We're gonna take good care of you until your daddy comes home," Steph reassured him as she walked over and stroked his cheek with the back of her hand.

Zatanna waved and uttered something before disappearing. Bruce offered Steph and Duke a painfully grave glance. "What I'm about to do can never leave this room," Bruce warned. They nodded.

Bruce set Jason down on the couch. "Do you know Mr. Rogers?" Bruce asked. Jason nodded as he cried. Jason took several deep, tear-filled breaths, attempting to self-soothe. His whole body shook as he wept and stuck his thumb in his mouth to keep quiet. Bruce patted Jason's arm before singing Please Don't Think It's Funny. Jason listened carefully and hiccupped as he took his thumb out of his mouth and wiped his tears away. Halfway through the song, Bruce tickled Jason to elicit a laugh, and Jason tried to sing along. Duke and Steph stared in shock at Bruce dancing and singing with Jason. Jason let Bruce hold his hands.

After Bruce finished the song, he breathed, and Jason copied him. "Mr. Rogers always makes me feel better when I'm scared... What about you?" Bruce questioned. Jason nodded. "He's such a good neighbor. I want to be a good neighbor like him. Could I be your neighbor? Would you like that?"

"Uh-huh," Jason offered Bruce a smile.

"Thank you for your smile. I know that was really hard... You are such a brave little boy," Bruce complimented him. Jason sat on his knees and leaned forward, kissing Bruce's forehead.

"You're nice... I like you," Jason whispered. Bruce wiped Jason's face with his thumbs, and he beamed.

#fic #batfam #Jason Todd #Bruce Wayne #Dick Grayson #Stephanie Brown #Duke Thomas #Zatanna Zatara #De-Aged Jason Todd #Magic #Babysitting #Father-Son Relationship #Fluff and Angst #POV Third Person #Bruce Wayne is Not Okay #Bruce Wayne Tries #Jason Todd Has Issues #Childhood Trauma #five little ducks fic

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sylvieserene · 4 months

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On a particularly rough week, Joker sprays Batman with a mysterious gas in one of their chases. Although Batman declares it to be just pepper spray, Robin can't help but feel something is wrong and soon notices an odd change in his mentor's attitude and behaviour as time goes on.

Will he be able to save him before it's too late? What unconventional allies and unexpected truces await him?

After being exposed to one of Joker's gas, Batman's attitude and behaviour takes a turn for the worse and although Batman dismisses his protégé concerns by a mere scanner's result which declared the gas to be just Pepperspray and he refuses to do a full body check up; Robin can't help but feel something is wrong and eventually takes the matter into his own hands to check if his mentor was truly unscathed or is it just him only to make a horrifying discovery.

The story shall delve into what truly broke the Dynamic Duo apart and for Robin to leave Gotham along with their later reunion![This story takes place in the Teen Titans (Animated Series) verse.]

AO3 Link to Chapter 1:

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grival · 8 months

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i'm pretty sure in The Blacks & The Greens, Daemon and Viserys have lilac eyes and that's rare eye color even in the family, i'm sorry 😭 but i can only think about this

#the blacks & the greens #viserys ii targaryen #daemon targaryen #father-son relationship #gorgeous lilac eyes

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a-little-bit-of-ships-in-my-life · 1 year

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If out there is still a dbh fan, who stills lurks in the fandom, adores Connor and like the found family father-son relationship between Hank and Him, and of top of that wants to write a fic but doesn't have a plot idea i bring to you:

Connor learning about Father's day. He talking to Markus and how he feels about Carl, Alice wanting to do a gift for Luther, heck, idk, maybe him encountering some case about a father and their son, and being curious all about it, wanting to see how the city celebrates the day and then, realizing that all the things he hads heard about how a father acts (protectiveness, support, love, etc) fits Hank, and then, oh, oh yeah, Hank is like a father to him.

Then cue to him stressing over, what should he gift to his dad in this day.

#idk man #their father-son relationship gets me everytime #fic prompt (?)#detroit become human #DBH #connor dbh #hank dbh #like how do i tag this for the people with daddy issues who wants to enjoy some good ol' found family but not for the people with other ty #found family #hank and connor being father and son is so good #father-son relationship

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naksushadows · 2 months

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“My name is Ha Yi Chan. I’m 18 years old now. My life is twinkling to the fullest.” – Ha Yi Chan

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cochineal-leviat · 7 months

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"After a beloathed King's demise, a new prince rises to the throne - with a guardian to protect him and the Mirrorlands. But the father and son's duo's new lives come at a dear cost."

I never uploaded this fic on Tumblr, so for a little context, it's a Dark Meta Knight and Skirby-centric fic (Dad and son bonding) with them navigating the Mirror Lands pre-Amazing Mirror. DMK is his messed up self, and Skirby is a happy child along for the ride.

Dark Mind's presence complicates things.

If you want to start from the beginning, click here.

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enby-calamity · 2 years

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Dad Pitch, Son Jack incorrect quotes

Jack: Pitch, you risked your life to save me! Pitch: And I’d do it again! And perhaps a third time! But that would be it*.

*It, in fact wouldn't be it

Pitch: You often use humor to deflect trauma Jack: Thank you Pitch: I didn't say that was a good thing Jack: What I'm hearing is, you think I'm funny

Jack: I don’t mean to be rude— Pitch: Yet, sadly, accidental rudeness occurs alarmingly often

Pitch, handing a balloon to Jack: I have no soul. Have a good day! Jack, walking off: I don't have one either.

after finding out jack was alone for 300 years:

Pitch: How the hell are you still alive? Jack: Honestly, I’m just as confused as you are.

Pitch: Life is like Jack. It's short.

Human au:

Pitch: You either buckle down and do your work or you’ll end up at McDonalds. Jack: We're going to McDonalds if I don't do my work? Pitch: NO-

#rotg #rise of the guardians #rotg pitch black #pitch black #rise of the guardians pitch black #father-son relationship #dad pitch black #rotg jack frost #jack frost #rise of the guardians jack frost #son jack frost #IDC if you ship but this post is completely PLATONIC #platonic #I hc them as father and son #found family #chosen family #family of choice

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lemurarchive · 10 months

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Fic #2 911

Title: A Family To Cling To

Author: soft_satan

Chapters: 1/1

Words: 1,620 (reference - The Hunger Games has 99,750)

Summary:

“What happened?” Bobby demands, feeling Athena’s hand settle on his shoulder. “Where are my men?” “There was a sniper. Diaz was shot.” All the air leaves Bobby’s lungs. ... Athena and Bobby put their problems aside to take care of Buck coda for 4x13

My notes: I love parental Bobby. I love parental Bobby and adopted-son Buck SO MUCH. This fic does such a nice job of comfort and the current relationship between the two along with their pasts. The line about Bobby not knowing if Eddie is alive based on Buck's reaction while he's cleaning him up is easily my favorite as it's so skillfully written and just heartbreaking.

#911 #parental bobby nash #parental athena grant #father-son relationship #hurt/comfort #911 sniper #buck and bobby #buck and athena #family dynamics #one-shot #mother-son relationship #911 fanfics #emotional whump #dissociation #shock

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nyrandrea · 1 year

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Thicker than Water

Summary: As Spider struggles with life as a prisoner of the RDA and Miles Quaritch grapples with both old and new identities; the estranged pair begrudgingly try to help each other out.

(Basically a slightly more in-depth look into Spider's time with Quaritch and the RDA, so there will be spoilers!)

Also available to read on A03!

Enjoy!

Spider was, in every sense of the word, a drifter.

He drifted from the safe, clinical embrace of the laboratory he was raised in, to the hostile, toxic jungles where he grew up. Drifted from his family of exhausted scientists who tried their utmost to keep up with him to the family of natives who constantly left him in their dust. Drifted from human to Na’vi.

Despite being constantly surrounded by people, Spider’s life had been a lonely one. But over time, he had learned how to live with the pain; that dull, barely-there jab in the chest that never seemed to leave no matter how much he tried to shrug it off.

He had always liked to imagine himself as a lone wolf of sorts. A cool, brooding wanderer who would come and go as he pleased; the whole of Pandora was his to explore. The sentiment invoked a sense of freedom that nobody else on the entire planet possessed. The world belonged to him, and he belonged to nobody.

But even lone wolves needed a pack sometimes.

And that was where the Sullys came in. Spider wasn’t entirely sure how he had come into their lives (barged in, according to Norm and Max), but the children had accepted him without hesitation; Jake a little less so; Neytiri with bared fangs. It took a year of her trying to pry him away from her family and dumping him back at the lab—only for him to come running back on all fours like some feral puppy—before his stubbornness outmatched hers and she reluctantly agreed to let him be around their children—so long as it made them happy.

The little stray that hung around for scraps of a sense of belonging.

Spider shook his head in shame. He should have been grateful. The other Na’vi wouldn’t so much as give him the time of day, never mind letting him walk among them. Painting blue stripes all over his body seemed to have worked on the wildlife of Pandora as they were just a little less hostile towards him (Jake didn’t have to fend off the Ikran from trying to pluck him off the ground for a snack anymore) but he wasn’t fooling anyone else.

Not even himself.

He hated how intense the Na’vi’s glares were; their piercing yellow eyes burning straight into his soul when he turned his back to them for more than a few seconds; Neytiri’s was particularly scathing. Spider often glanced over his shoulder just to make sure she wasn’t planning to put an arrow in his back.

Not that he could blame her. He couldn’t blame any of them for being...overly cautious, to put it kindly.

Why would any self-respecting Na’vi want the son of Colonel Miles Quaritch—the demon who had burned the Omaticaya clan’s hometree and slain their people without mercy— anywhere near them or their children?

Pity, in Jake Sully’s case.

Being human himself once, as well as the indirect cause of the Colonel’s mass slaughter, he had decided to take a young Spider under his wing and teach him a few tricks on how to use the skills of both the na’vi and humans to the best of the boy’s...limited abilities. Discreetly, of course, as he was under Neytiri’s constant fierce gaze.

Spider was grateful. For Jake. For Kiri, Lo’ak, Neteyam and Tuk. He was even grateful for Neytiri, in a weird way, as she always kept him alert and thinking on his feet—an indispensable skill to have in Pandora. He was grateful for the sense of bonds—however fake they were—that he had with them. The Sullys were a family, and families stick together, right?

Wrong.

When it came to the mother, father and the kids, this much was true. What kind of parents abandoned their children in need? Not very good ones; Spider should know, and if there was one thing Jake and Neytiri were not, it was bad parents. They would risk life and limb if it meant keeping their brood safe.

However, family pets were of less... significance. After all, who would go out of their way to rescue a feral brat that just hung around like a bad smell?

And so, the stray had finally been caught and shoved into a cage. Much to Neytiri’s delight, probably.

Spider snorted; he imagined her consoling Jake and the kids and doing a happy little victory dance when their backs were turned. Hell, the rest of them probably didn’t care much either way.

Except Kiri. Kiri would care.

The thought of her crying made Spider’s heart wrench and inspired a new-found vigor to find a way out of this place and get back to her.

The room he was trapped in was akin to the lab that Norm and Max tried to keep him in when he was too young to wear an oxygen mask and too keen to go exploring outside. However, it lacked the warm hum of the machines or the scattered coffee mugs that were never finished or the excited chatter of the scientists that kept a watchful eye over him. This place was...cold, clinical and cruel. Especially with that general lady in charge.

Spider absently picked at the dried blood that ran from his nostril to his top lip. His head was still pounding from that hell-hole machine they had strapped him into. The general’s eyes bored into him much like Neytiri’s often had, not paying any heed to his cries and pleas for her to stop. He wasn’t sure what would have happened there and then. He sure as hell wasn’t going to tell them where Jake and the others were (he was loyal after all, as any family pet should be). The general probably would have kept him there until his brain exploded or something.

Until Quarit—his father stepped in.

Could he even really call that guy his dad? The real Quaritch was long gone—brought to a fitting end by Neytiri. But this...avatar held his father’s memories, his thoughts, even his personality; a Recombinant, Jake said they were called. A blank slate that had been painted on to replicate the original; it was close enough to the real thing but still a little rough around the edges.

Kiri often visited the lab to watch old video logs of her birth mother, Grace, to try and get a sense of what she was like as a person: no-nonsense, knowledgeable and loyal to the bitter end. Spider had done the same for his father—much to Norm’s vexation—and he had quickly learned that Quaritch was none of those things. He was a monster that killed people for fun and spit on their graves for good measure.

And yet...

When Spider came face to face with him during the ‘personal approach’, as Quaritch had so plainly put it, he had expected a worse interrogation than with the machine. All sorts of terrible scenarios had run through Spider’s head; restraints, teeth pulling, tasers, burning, the list went on and on. He had resorted to hiding under the table, as if that would do him any good. Escape was futile too, how was one supposed to dodge past a literal giant with long ass arms?

It dawned on Spider then that he was just going to have to accept his fate. He wouldn’t give up the Sullys location, no matter what. He would rather have died. Missed by nobody.

Except Kiri.

Though as the teenager psyched himself up for what was probably going to be a very painful death, it seemed as it was all for naught, as Quaritch simply entered the room, gave him an ultimatum; help the RDA navigate their way through Pandora to find Jake or go back through the hell-hole machine with general iron lady.

Then...he left, saying that he would be back in ten minutes to hear Spider’s decision.

That was it.

Where was the all-high-and-mighty macho-man from the video logs? The demon that killed entire civilizations? The brute that wouldn’t hesitate to risk anything and everything to succeed in the mission? Because that certainly wasn’t him. Sure, he was still a little tough and assertive, making sure Spider knew who was in charge and all but he was just too... soft.

It was as if he was trying to be like his father—the real deal—but was struggling to get the exact mannerisms just right. Spider couldn’t imagine what that was like, pretending to be a past version of yourself that was dead. It was so...messed up.

“How are you holdin’ up, son?”

Spider flinched at the sudden presence by his side and instinctively hopped off the table to create some space between him and the 9ft avatar that somehow managed to get into the room without him noticing.

‘Can’t be zoning out like that,’ Spider thought. ‘I never do that out in the forest, what the hell’s wrong with me?’

Quaritch stayed seated on the table, his back hunched a little as he clasped his hands tightly together. He made no move to grab Spider as he backed himself up into a corner and even attempted a small, strained smile when the boy’s eyes flickered up to meet his momentarily. It was unnerving, seeing his not-dad try to look as non-threatening as possible, but he appreciated the gesture. Kinda.

“You looked like you were zoning out a little there,” Quaritch said, as if he were reading Spider’s mind. “You uh...probably have a lot to think about, huh?”

“Yeah, no shit,” Spider snapped back. “And... don’t call me that.”

“Huh?”

“Son. You called me son. I’m...not.”

Quaritch recoiled a little but held up his hands and nodded. “Ah, you’re right. Just a... force of habit, is all. Won’t happen again.”

Spider nodded and looked away as they fell into an uncomfortable silence. The boy settled down and brought his knees up to his chest to hug them, much like he had done during their last meeting. His eyes wandered up, and he saw that Quaritch’s smile, small and strained as it was, had been replaced with a more characteristic grim line as he brought a hand up to his chin and rubbed it, no doubt contemplating his next words carefully.

Spider decided to beat him to it.

“I’ve thought about what you said earlier,” Spider said. “Y’know, when you asked me to help.”

He had Quaritch’s full attention now as the colonel slowly nodded and gestured with his hand silently for Spider to continue.

The boy looked away and grinned, keeping the agitated colonel in suspense for one second too many.

“C’mon so- Spider,” he quickly corrected himself. “I don’t got all day now.”

Spider shrugged. “I’ll do it.”

Quaritch’s ears pricked up and, no matter how hard he tried to hide it, his smile returned.

“You will?”

“Not like I have much of a choice in the matter.”

“Now, that’s what I like to hear!” Quaritch suddenly slapped his thighs as he stood up to his full height and approached Spider, who nervously scrambled to his feet, stopping just short of him to bend down and raise his hand. The teen flinched but stood his ground, letting out a relieved—if not a little annoyed—sigh when the colonel gently tapped his temple.

“I knew there was a smart brain in there somewhere,” Quaritch chuckled, putting an arm around Spider’s shoulder as he started to lead them both out of the room. “Glad you finally came to your senses.”

“Uh...thanks?” Spider wasn’t really sure how else to respond. “W-where are you taking me?”

“Well, you’re one of us now, aren’t ya? Part of the team!” Quaritch said with a light slap on the boy’s back, though it was still hard enough that Spider was sure he dislocated something. “Can’t have you staying in that dingy little room any longer. You’ll be bunkin’ with myself and the Recom team.”

Spider wanted to argue. To scream that he wasn’t one of them and that he would never be one of them. Because they were all monsters, and he wasn’t . He wanted to rip Quaritch’s hand away and make one last daring escape to be with his family. His real family. Even if he had no oxygen mask, he would still find a way because the bond he had with the Sullys was so strong, so powerful, that it would triumph over all logic.

So why was he still here? With this...weird fuzzy feeling blossoming in his chest? Was he having a panic attack right now?

If he wasn’t, he was about to.

“And who authorized this?” A piercing voice asked from behind, stopping them both in their tracks.

Spider followed Quaritch’s lead and slowly turned towards General Ardmore, who was standing there, stiff as a board with her arms behind her back and a look that would make even an ikran flinch.

“Because it certainly wasn’t me.”

Spider’s breaths were short and shallow as she stared him down like a palulukan would a yerik as its next meal. Her steel blue eyes held an authority that nobody else could pull off, not even Neytiri. Everyone around them gave the three a wide berth as they passed by, in fear of getting within her line of sight.

Words struggled to form in Spider’s dry mouth as a lack of breath suddenly overcame him. His lungs worked tirelessly to bring in much needed oxygen and he felt like he was drowning in toxic air. His hands absently went up to his face to re-adjust his oxygen mask, only to be reminded that he wasn’t outside.

Now he was having a panic attack.

“Ah, general,” Quaritch greeted, a slight edge to his tone. “I have some good news; Spider here has agreed to assist us in our search for Jake Sully. Ain’t that right, boy?”

As if to reiterate the point, Spider felt Quaritch squeeze his shoulder ever so slightly, to which he responded by silently nodding, too focused on breathing to talk.

“I see,” Ardmore responded, her face giving nothing away. “That is good news, colonel. But I see no reason why he shouldn’t remain in his quarters in the meantime.”

Spider felt Quaritch tense up as she continued.

“That child is feral and a danger to all personnel on this ship. Including himself,” she said, pausing to eye up the cuts and bruises he had self-inflicted during his previous tantrum in the holding cell, throwing the furniture around and bashing his fists against the windows. “It would be beneficial for everyone involved if he remained...contained.”

Trapped.

The teen could feel his hackles rising as a pang of raw fear rose from his gut and took a grip of his chest. He couldn’t go back in there. He just couldn’t! All it had taken was one hour for him to go berserk; what would days, weeks, months do to him?

Spider felt pressure on his shoulder again, as if Quaritch was silently telling him to calm down.

“Technically,” the colonel slowly started off. “It ain’t really Spider’s quarters. It is a prison room. For prisoners. Which Spider ain’t anymore. Since he’s helping us out.”

Ardmore gave Quaritch a long hard stare at his patronizing tone, his towering height doing nothing to daunt her in the slightest. The colonel seemed to notice this as he brought about a more friendly demeanor.

“And I will make sure that our little hotshot here remains on his best behaviour. A model citizen. Huh?” Quaritch wordlessly encouraged Spider again with a light jostle.

‘Eywa, I’m getting sick of these pet names,’ he thought while replying with a deadpan, “Yes, sir.”

“See? Nothing like a bit of military trainin’ to iron out those wrinkles” Quaritch said as Ardmore rolled her eyes. “I do believe this is the best decision. For everyone involved.”

The sudden shift in tone briefly reminded Spider of the old video logs of his father; the surface was charismatic, but underneath was a corrupt beast that would get what he wanted through any means necessary. And that beast was threatening to break free right now.

It seemed that the general was also reminded of his nasty streak, as there was a blink-and-you-miss-it flinch that broke through her tough façade. But Spider didn’t miss it.

“Fine,” she bit back, avoiding eye contact with either of them. “But he is to be under your supervision at all times, is that clear?”

“Crystal,” Quaritch replied, and they were already turning and walking away before Ardmore could even dismiss them.

‘Holy shit,’ Spider thought as they weaved through the crowds. ‘Holy shit that was actually kinda cool and scary as hell, she looked like she was gonna crap herself.’

A wry grin slowly formed on his lips.

‘Serves her right.’

Spider stole a quick glance up towards the colonel as they marched; his impassive expression was betrayed by his folded back ears. He looked pissed. Spider reminded himself to never get on this guy’s wrong side.

“And here we are,” Quaritch tiredly announced as they entered the SecOps living quarters. It was...basic. The bunk-beds of silver metal with their rough canvas mattresses were jammed end to end on both sides of the long, drafty room. At the end of the central aisle the light shone dimly through the window onto the grey bedding and steel-clad floor. Outside to the horizon were the lush green forests of Pandora, wild and beautiful.

Spider felt a primal surge to try and escape again.

“This’ll be where you sleep,” Quaritch cut in before he could act upon his instincts. “The cafeteria is down the hall there, shower rooms are that way, and the medical room is just ‘round that corner.”

Spider tried to follow all the directions the colonel fired at him, but his head was spinning.

“Go get yourself cleaned up and put those on,” Quaritch gestured to the neatly folded pile of clothes on the bed. “I’ll go get something for those cuts you gave yourself before they turn nasty.”

And with that, he was gone.

Spider raised an eyebrow at the camouflage uniform that lay waiting for him on top of the immaculately made-up bed that just happened to be underneath Quaritch’s bunk. It was almost as if he had been anticipating his long-lost son’s arrival.

He shook his head; it was probably just coincidence.

While there was no way in hell he was wearing those stupid clothes, he did need a shower. Badly. So, after twenty minutes of trying to find the damn shower room in this maze of a ship, Spider finally managed to stumble upon it by blind luck and picked a cubicle that was far away from prying eyes. The shower came as the warmest of summer rain, and as he closed his eyes, he imagined himself under the wide, blue skies of Pandora once more.

Spider’s moment of bliss came and gone, and after he got lost (again), winding up in the farthest reaches of the ship—and had to be escorted back—he finally returned to the dorms and came face-to-face with a less than amused Quaritch.

‘Ah shit.’

“And just where have you been?” The colonel asked, holding up his hand when Spider opened his mouth to answer. “That was a rhetorical question. Are you seriously trying to bail out on me again? Do you have any idea the strings I had to pull to get you outta that cell? All it would take is one damn mistake for General Ardmore to—!”

“I got lost,” Spider managed to quickly cut in, holding up his hands in a bid to calm the rising tension.

“You got...lost,” Quaritch repeated, his eyes narrowing.

“Yeah. Not exactly used to a bunch of metal corridors that all look exactly the same.”

“Well—”

Besides, why would I try and bail out when I don’t even have an oxygen mask?”

Now it was Quaritch’s turn to hold up his hands in defense as he nodded. “Alright, alright. I’ll give ya the benefit of the doubt.”

Spider breathed, relieved that his onslaught of logic seemed to work. Jake and Neytiri never would have bought it, since Spider did stupid and risky stuff that got him lost or into trouble pretty much ninety percent of the time, but Quaritch didn’t know that.

Yet.

“Ever get lost again just...ask for help next time.”

Spider glanced away. “Yes, sir.”

Quaritch looked at him for a moment.

“You planning on getting dressed anytime soon?”

“I am dressed,” Spider retorted, choosing to lock eyes with him this time, to show that this was a subject he would not back down on. If he was going to have to wear those ugly threads, then he wouldn’t go down without a fight.

The colonel’s ears flicked back momentarily, but if he wanted to say something, he seemed to have decided against it.

“Fair enough. Now, you uh...you hungry?”

Spider blinked at the sudden change of subject, surprised—if not slightly disappointed—that Quaritch wasn’t going to fight him on it. This guy just seemed to change attitudes at the flick of a switch. At least with Neytiri, Spider knew where he stood but this...this was unnerving, to say the least.

“Not reall—”

“Get this down ya,” Quaritch interrupted, all but shoving a hot bowl of...something into Spider’s hands. The boy took a moment to sniff it and recoiled at the scent.

“Yeah, we all react like that at first but it ain’t so bad,” Quaritch waved him off before sitting on the bed, gesturing for Spider to sit next to him.

Silently doing as he was told, he tried not to gag at the repulsive gruel that he shoved into his mouth, hoping that the scalding heat didn’t do permanent damage to his mouth and throat. All the while trying not to flinch or gasp as his wounds were attended to. If you could call viciously rubbing with stinging alcohol that.

At this rate, Spider would have preferred General Ardmore and the hell-hole machine.

“Christ, you don’t need to inhale it,” Quaritch softly chastised. “You’re gonna choke.”

“I’d rather choke on it than taste it,” Spider said under his breath.

“What was that?”

“Nothing,” Spider wiped his mouth and put the bowl aside. The avatar seemed to take the hint and finished up cleaning the cuts, much to the teen's relief. He was grateful the dried blood and dirt had been cleaned away, but Spider had suffered enough for one day. He just needed to lay his spinning head down and sleep it off. Then when he could think straight, come up with a plan to escape this place and get back to the Sullys.

Maybe when he woke up, this whole nightmare would be over.

Or at the very least, he could dream.

“Thanks for the um...food,” Spider wondered if he could even call it that. “But it’s been a long day and...” he trailed off, hoping Quaritch would get the message. He didn’t know why but he felt almost...frightened? Ashamed? To say that he was tired and needed sleep. Either he was going to get the sympathetic response of “I understand” or the disapproving “Soldiers don’t need sleep” or some shit that the military liked to spit at kids like him.

Thankfully, it was the former.

“I understand,” the colonel said with a hand to the shoulder. “I’ll leave you to rest up and re-gain your strength, you’ll need it. We’ve got a long road ahead of us.”

Spider felt a pang of dread at that but said nothing as Quaritch gave him a light pat before standing and making for the shower rooms. He paused for a moment then and turned with a smirk.

“Stick by me, son, and I’ll do right by you. But if you think about betraying the cause, you’ll not only have General Ardmore and the whole of the RDA to answer to. But you’ll have to answer to me as well,” Quaritch breathed and pointed a finger at Spider as if to emphasize his warning.

“Do not make that mistake.”

Spider strained a smile and nodded. His heart thumped hard in his chest, and out of all the racing thoughts in his head, only one stood out amongst the rest:

‘I am not your goddamn son.'

XXX

I know quite a few folk weren't overly fond of Spider and his uh decisions but honestly I felt so sorry for him, like the dude's just trying to belong somewhere and I get what that's like so all aboard the family issues train wooooot wooooooot

#avatar #avatar the way of water #avatar quaritch #avatar spider #na'vi quaritch #father-son relationship #fanfiction #my writing

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1whump-dump1 · 9 months

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Falling Skies Season 1 Episode 3.

(The fourth gif has my heart)

#whump gif #whump #men crying #emotional whump #crying #weak #male whump #whump community #comfort #father-son relationship #father-son whump #hugging #injury #falling skies #hal mason #he sobs so pretty i wish you could hear it through these

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wangxianficrecs · 9 months

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Visitations by Vir_Abelasan

Visitations

by Vir_Abelasan

M, WIP, 18k, Wangxian

Summary: "Wei Ying-" Lan Zhan says, stutters, "I'm sorry." And now Wei Wuxian sees it, the red rimming Lan Zhan's eyes, the rumpled edges of his blazer. There is an old, familiar urge for him to reach over, to hold Lan Zhan's hand and smooth his hair, to tell him that everything will be fine. "We're all a bit sorry about this, I think," he says instead, and finds that he means it. For Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji and everyone else in that Guanyin temple, the pain must be unbearably fresh, like skin just flayed open. But Wei Wuxian's chest had been cracked open a long time ago, his wounds licked and cauterized and sewn shut over five long years - Ever hurting, but a dull, constant ache, "It's really alright, Lan Zhan." Five years after being accused of corporate espionage and losing everything, the Guanyin Scandal breaks open and Wei Wuxian finds a familiar face at his door. Kay's comments: An @angstymdzsthoughts inspired Corporate Espionage AU and one I enjoy very much and find myself re-reading every few months because it's just that good. In which Wangxian were married in the past and had A-Yuan, but then Wei Wuxian was tried for corporate espionage against the Lans. They were forced to get divorced, Wei Wuxian went to prison and lost custody and evertyhing went horrible, but at least he had the Wens by his side and now, five years later, his innocence is finally proven and everyone has to learn how to live with that and has to decide how to go forwards. The hurt/comfort and angst is strong with this one and just perfection. Bonus shout-out for He Su and his role, really enjoyed how this character was integrated in the story! Excerpt: The moment Lan Wangji opens the door - mindful of the throngs of people and press still milling about at the end of the trials - A-Yuan runs towards Wei Ying, a blur of white and blue that hits Wei Ying's chest with a loud off and a bright laugh from his baba. For a moment, Lan Wangji is struck with the thought that the last time Wei Ying sees A-Yuan, the boy had only came up to his stomach, and not the willowy pre-teen that he is now. "Baba," A-Yuan's voice is wet and garbled, hands fisted on the stiff black of Wei Ying's blazer. His A-Yuan, who never cried when he has a fever, or when he fell down, or when Shufu's words are particularly demanding and biting. His A-Yuan buries himself on the safe cradle of Wei Ying's arms and crumbles. "Baba-" A-Yuan hiccups, then sobs back into Wei Ying's chest "I missed you so much." "Oh, my little radish," Wei Ying is crying too, unabashed and unashamed, fingers gentle on A-Yuan's hair, smoothing the unseen creases of their son's white shirt, "Baba has missed you so much too. If your A-Die's family is alright with it, then we'll work out something so we can meet regularly, alright? Would you like that, A-Yuan?" Lan Wangji barely manages to snap out of his own head, something caving in painfully inside him at Wei Ying's words. For Wei Ying to think that he won't be allowed, even now, to meet his son - But hadn't Lan Wangji sat by, all those five years when Wei Ying and A-Yuan was denied each other? Hadn't he agreed with Uncle and Brother that it would be safer, simpler, kinder for A-Yuan and the Lan family to keep Wei Ying away from their lives?

pov alternating, modern setting, modern no powers, post-divorce, reconciliation, father-son relationship, families of choice, angst and hurt/comfort, sad, custody arrangements, past abuse, past xiyao, angstymdzsthoughts, healing, hurt/comfort

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for this hard-working author if you like – or think others might like – this story.)

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bluejaysandblackbats · 3 months

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Five Little Ducks

Fandom: DC Comics, Batman

Summary: Bruce finds a magically de-aged Jason.

Chapters: 5/13

Characters: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Stephanie Brown, Duke Thomas, Zatanna Zatara

Chapter Five: Borda

Jason knocked on Bruce's door at two in the morning. Bruce groaned, forgetting Jason was seven years old, and he answered the door. He was so exhausted he never thought to look down. "Mr. Wayne," Jason whispered, "I did a bad thing."

"Oh? What did you do?" Bruce questioned, still not opening his eyes.

"I threw up," Jason mumbled. Bruce blinked hard and looked down at Jason. Jason had a greenish pallor, and his eyes were red and puffy.

"You threw up... That's alright. Are you done?" Bruce questioned. He was still half-asleep.

"I threw up on the rug," Jason mumbled. Bruce reached for Jason's hand, and Jason flinched.

"I'm not gonna hit you. Do you wanna be picked up?" Bruce questioned. Jason rubbed his eyes and nodded. Bruce scooped him up and rubbed his back. "I'm sorry that you got sick."

"I can clean it up... I was just-. I-. I got scared that I'd get lost," Jason stammered.

"You don't have to do that," Bruce whispered. Bruce imagined Jason's eyes were puffy because he probably fretted over the mess, crying out of fear of punishment. "Accidents happen, Jason... Okay?" Jason hid his face in Bruce's shoulder as they entered the room. Bruce turned the light on to assess the situation, and he nodded. Sure, enough, there was a little clear puddle in the center of the rug.

"I'm sorry," Jason whimpered. Bruce held the back of Jason's head in his palm and put some bounce in his step as he walked to the hall closet to grab the cleaning supplies.

"It's alright... It's nothing little baking soda and seltzer can't fix," Bruce whispered, "Jason, I've gotta put you down now-."

"Just a little bit longer... Please," Jason whispered. Bruce nodded and bounced from one side to the other. It was so hard to remember that Jason wasn't a baby. He was so small and easy to hold onto. Easy to hold onto. Jason hadn't been easy to hold onto in years. For years they'd been caught up in a violent struggle of push and pull. It felt good just this once to be needed. "Nobody picks me up anymore..."

"Well, I'll pick you up anytime you want," Bruce promised, "I don't care how big you get... I'll always try-." His voice broke. Bruce was bombarded with images from Jason's death. He took a steadying breath, and after a few moments, Jason pulled away.

"You can put me down if you want... I'm tired now," Jason whispered. Bruce nodded and tucked Jason into bed. Then, he tended to the mess on the rug. Jason lay on his side, staring at Bruce. "Mr. Wayne... I really am sorry," Jason apologized again.

"It's alright... Do you feel better?" Bruce questioned. Jason nodded. "That's all that matters..."

"Is Dick your son too?" Jason asked. Bruce nodded. "Why did he go away?"

"He had to go home... He doesn't live here anymore," Bruce explained. Jason blinked hard.

"You live all by yourself?" Jason questioned. Bruce nodded. "Aren't you lonely?"

"Sometimes," Bruce answered as he finished cleaning up. "I'll be right back." He put everything where it belonged and returned to Jason's room.

Jason waved at Bruce. "My dad told me a scary story the other night because he was mad at me... He said his dad told him the same story," Jason whispered.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Bruce questioned. Jason nodded.

"My mommy says if something's scary, sometimes you have to tell the story to someone else so that it won't worry me anymore," Jason explained.

"Alright," Bruce replied.

"Can you turn the light on first?" Jason asked. Bruce nodded and turned on the lamp with a remote. "If it's foggy, I'm not supposed to walk to school unless he's with me... But I went anyway because it was library day. So, when he got home from work, I wasn't there. He grabbed and shook me, and I wanted to cry, but I didn't." Bruce nodded.

"Did he take you to school?" Bruce asked. Jason shook his head.

"He told me kids shouldn't go out in the fog without their mommies and daddies because of the Borda. Do you know what that is?" Jason questioned. Bruce shook his head. "She's a scary witch with a blindfold that kills kids with ropes for going where they're not supposed to." Bruce nodded.

"Were you upset when he told you that?" Bruce questioned. Jason nodded.

"But he didn't stay mad... I told him I was sorry, and he took me home. We played the lock game, and he got his money back from our neighbor," Jason replied.

"What's the lock game?" Bruce asked.

"We played it in our building... Sometimes he'd forget things in people's apartments, so he showed me how to unlock doors with different stuff, so we don't have to bother anybody," Jason explained, "I can unlock a door in less than a minute."

It took everything in Bruce's power to hold a straight face. He was furious. How could Willis trick a child as sweet and innocent as that into breaking and entering into apartments? And Jason was none the wiser. "What's the matter?" Jason questioned. Bruce shook his head. He knew Jason had to learn to steal from someone, but he had no idea this was how it all started.

"Did you play any other games with Willis?" Bruce replied.

"Um... The police game. Mommy didn't like that one," Jason replied, "I had to sit in the car when he'd go shopping and honk the horn when I saw police. I have to smile and wave at the police, and if they stop and wave at me, I win."

Bruce swallowed hard. "You don't play checkers or anything like that with him?" Bruce questioned.

"Oh," Jason yawned, "Sometimes he'd play the drums on my stomach while dinner cooked... I like that one. It's my favorite."

Bruce made a soft noise as Jason closed his eyes. "Any other games?" Bruce asked.

"It wasn't a game, but when he reads-. When he used to read the paper, he would let me hold one side while he held the other... I liked it because he always gave me a kiss instead of telling me to turn the page," Jason replied. Bruce kissed Jason's forehead.

"Thank you for sharing your stories with me," Bruce whispered.

"Thank you for holding me," Jason mumbled. Bruce tried not to seem sad, but he couldn't help but feel pain in the pit of his stomach. Willis's love for Jason was there, but it was selfish. Jason accepted that as it was. Jason accepted scraps of love when he deserved much more. Jason deserved the world, and even Bruce failed to give that to him.

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