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sadlybeans · 3 months

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No More Batman AU Part 2: Robin Lives.

(Part 1)

The light rain turned into a downpour that clouded the entire city. From the porch of the manor you couldn’t even see the gate at the end of the driveway, and the wind was so strong that Damian was already soaked to the bones where he sat on the steps that led to the huge double doors. If someone was home, they mustn’t have heard the taxi through the rumble of thunder above their heads, and so nobody had bothered him in the two hours he had spent there.

Damian wasn’t a stupid child, he never even had the slightest chance of being naive and innocent, but he still sat there looking out towards the faraway gate he could barely make out, waiting for someone to come pick him up. Someone who was never coming back.

The door opened and someone audibly tripped over the boxes and suitcases lined right in front of it.

“Fuck! What the….?”

The dark sky was momentarily lit up by lightning.

“… Hello?”

Time had run out, they had finally noticed he was here, and there were still no headlights coming in the distance.

“Hey, are you alright? Can you hear me?”

Damian slowly untangled his cramped limbs and stood up, turning around to find himself face to face with the vaguely familiar face of a man around Jason’s age. His first instinct was to want to lie, to say he had been left there by mistake, that he needed a ride back to the city. He wanted to ask for a phone so he could call his mother to get him, or to mark a number that was already deactivated.

“M-My name is Damian Al-Ghul” he stuttered against his will, trembling so much he couldn’t keep his voice steady. His tone was still quiet and mostly emotionless despite that, and through his half blurry vision he could tell the man was shocked by his answer. Well, he would get another bomb dropped on him. “Bruce Wayne is my biological father”

He could have screamed and raged, maybe try to get his hands on something sharp and attempt patricide despite the low chance of success. He could have also shown his disdain towards all of Wayne’s charity cases, or snapped at Wayne himself for treating him like a child. He could have smashed every single stupid decorative vase in his room out of spite and then escape through the window for good measure… but for once in his life, Damian Al-Ghul was too exhausted to throw a tantrum.

His heart had been ripped out of his chest and all that was left was a far away numb pain, and his mind kept telling him ‘It’s alright, see? It doesn’t hurt that much’. But with every second and every breath that tiny scratch became a festering wound that kept growing larger and larger— his eyes hurt but they were dry, because not even his tears could bring any relief, they just made it all the more real.

His mother had prepared him since he was a little boy to one day say goodbye, he had always known that one day he would he in this manor, in this room, and she would be somewhere far away and out of his reach. He had always expected it, and he had always known that she would be there whenever he came back to her.

Jason Todd was, and would always be, the worst thing to ever happen to him.

When he had first met him, undead and full of too much rage, he had been an annoyance. He tolerated him because mother asked him to, because he wasn’t half as useless in some ways and he could teach him about things that his mother either couldn’t or wouldn’t. Jason was a thread connecting him to his father and nothing more, a nuisance, an aggravating asshole that found too much pleasure in making Damian lose his cool.

And then, as months blended out into years he learnt to tolerate him and appreciate that, maybe, he hadn’t been so right in his initial assessment on Jason’s capabilities. As he grew older he began to realise that he preferred his company to that of his grandfather’s assassins because unlike so many of the adults around him, Jason listened. Damian had never treated him too kindly and yet he was patient and he stuck to his side no matter what.

That fool had worn down his walls until he could break through, and it was so confusing and so infuriating to feel warm when he was there, a feeling that only one other person in this Earth was worthy of.

He had let down his guard, let Jason hold his heart in his hands, and all he got in turn was this.

Damian had never truly meant anything to him, when he had meant everything to Damian.

“…mian? Damian, are you listening?”

He finally looked up and fixed his passive stare on Richard Grayson, pointedly avoiding to look at Wayne.

“Yes”

Grayson looked concerned and Damian wanted to punch him or stab him for it. Who did he think he was? Why did he believe he could do anything to make it hurt any less? He didn’t know anything of his pain.

“I was saying… we know this is going to be a bit of a tough adjustment for everyone, but we’ll do our best to make you feel welcome, ok? This is your house now and- and you can ask for whatever you need”

For a second his eyes flickered around at the sober decorations and soft lighting of the room that made it seem welcoming, and he hated that it felt much warmer than his grandfather’s palace.

“I don’t want to”

Grayson blinked.

“You don’t want to… ask for anything?” he dumbly guessed.

Damian pursed his lips.

“I don’t want to stay here” he stated clearly this time “I don’t care about him“ he vaguely and sharply gestured towards Wayne “or about his house. If mother wants me to live in Gotham for a time I will, but I don’t want to be here, I won’t. I refuse”

He crossed his arms over his chest in what could’ve been an attempt at seeming more serious, but was actually a shield between them. The silence that followed was long and tense.

“Listen, I know that I have not been a father to you, and I don’t expect that you would think of me as one” Wayne finally spoke, slowly and calmly as to not set him off, and that was even more irritating than if he wasn’t trying to be understanding “If you don’t want me to ever be your father then- that’s your choice. But for now, being here is safest for you”

Safe… what did it matter if it was safe or not? He had grown old enough to take care of himself with tooth and nail if he had to, he wasn’t some innocent sheep— he was a trained assassin, skilled and sharp, and even if he didn’t look the part his hands were already drenched in blood.

“I want to go home” he spat out, lowering his gaze again.

“Well why don’t you give it a chance?” Grayson tried to lighten the mood that was quickly falling “Just for a couple weeks, and if you don’t like it then you can leave”

“I want to go home”

The stubbornness in his voice was one hair away of turning into desperation, and that open hole in his chest was burning so intensely he could feel it physically now, barely short of interfering with his breathing.

“Thalia wants you to stay for a while but you will go back eventually” Wayne tried to say that because of course he did, of course he would use his mother to get him to stand down.

“I don’t want to be here, not with you!” the hurt and the anger were finally spreading to his lungs and his throat, demanding to be let out “This is all your fault!”

Grayson seemed about to pipe in but Wayne put a hand on his arm to stop him.

“I understand” no he didn’t “I don’t want to force you to stay, Damian. But Thalia sent you here, she is asking me to look after you, so I have to try”

“I don’t want you, I want to go home!”

“This is going to be home for now”

“NO!” the last string holding him together snapped and he finally screamed because no matter how hard he tried, nobody listened unless he made himself heard “THIS ISN’T HOME, YOU’RE NOT MY FATHER!”

Damian hadn’t carried any weapons on his person since they moved and he deeply regretted that choice at the moment, so he picked up a paperweight from the desk and threw it at Wayne, grabbing for anything else that was within reach in a frenzy. Pens, glass trinkets, a lamp, a phone, a sand clock— they all landed where he intended and Wayne took it, stunned at his outburst. Grayson scrambled to try and catch the projectiles, which meant he couldn’t stop him from grabbing more.

“I hate you, I don’t want to be in your stupid house!” he grabbed a book and it slipped past Grayson’s fingers, one of the hardcover corners hitting Wayne on the forehead hard enough to leave a bleeding scratch “I want my baba, I want to go home with baba!”

There was a beat of silence, and then nothing.

It had just… come out.

When Damian turned nine he had finally stopped saying ‘Todd’ and had moved onto ‘Jason’. When he turned eleven he sometimes threw in ‘ahki’, but when he turned thirteen he stopped any of those altogether and never once adressed Jason directly again. Mother always knew why, because of course she did, but she never tried to pressure him into voicing it… Jason on the other hand, never noticed how Damian never called for him even when they were in opposite sides of their apartment and instead chose to walk directly into his line of vision whenever he wanted something, never noticed how he pointedly avoided answering people when they asked what they were to each other.

At first he didn’t really know how to say it… and at the end, he had realised that he couldn’t say it because it wouldn’t matter any longer.

So here he was, standing in front of complete strangers that he was supposed to accept as family, calling for a man who didn’t even know he held such title.

The study was a mess of broken things and tense silence, but there was no more screaming. He turned around, scarily silent and with complete blankness covering his features once more. He opened the door and let his feet bring him back to the impersonal room where his things were piled up on.

Baba isn’t coming back.

Bruce couldn’t be the only one who saw it, the only one whose blood ran cold every time the shadow of his recently found fifteen year old son passed by a hallway, and every day that passed the other members of the family started to see it too, even though they hadn’t known the person he was eerily similar to. A swear jar that hadn’t been used in years rested upon the kitchen mantle with a good few bills and coins inside, books that were rarely ever touched pulled from the shelves of the library, the echoes of loud music coming from the always shut door of a teenage boy… it was all like they were living with a ghost.

And the more he thought about it the more he saw it and the more painful it became; Damian was so much like Jason. From the way his eyebrows dipped in a frown to his cat like walk— how he held his fork at dinner and how he passive aggressively reorganised everything to his liking, how he muttered curses under his breath and how he dressed. His sweet tooth, his distrustful demeanour, his speech patterns…

It hurt.

Not a day had passed in the last ten years that he didn’t think of his little boy and the agonising pain of losing him, not one. When he woke up every morning he did it with the foolish hope that it had all been a nightmare and that he would find all his children downstairs having breakfast, when he returned home from work he still expected to be ambushed at the door by Robin trying to take Batman by surprise, and when he laid down in bed for the night a part of him still said; “It’s alright, he will be here tomorrow”.

He was everywhere, in every TV commercial about cereal (“That’s just fake advertisement, /this one/ is clearly superior”), in every child that ran past him in the streets (“Hurry up! If you don’t move the tickets will sell out and it’s a limited time exhibit!”), in every flash of superhero merchandise (“Oh my god B, look! It’s me! It’s my Robin! I have to buy one for Big Bird!”), in every scholarship signed by his hand (“You can’t throw this away, one day when I become a famous author you can have interviews and say it was your genius son’s first story”).

Buses (“You need to know how to use public transport, you’re an embarrassment”).

Cars (“I did steal all four tires, you just lie every time you tell the story”).

Loud punk songs on the radio (“You wouldn’t get it, you’re old”).

Laughter echoing in the distance (happy, he had been so happy, he had believed in him and trusted him).

… The news.

(Agonising screams and blood, oh so much blood, all over concrete and dust and bright yellow fabric, a small broken body held in too rough hands- you did this, it was your fault, he would still be alive if you had been a good father, you never deserved him, you don’t deserve any of them)

Jason was everywhere, and yet nothing could ever fill the gaping wound that his absence had made, none of those fragmented memories could ever be enough…. and now he was there in that manor, in the shape of a boy that hated Bruce’s guts, of someone so familiar and so alien at the same time.

“I’m fine”

Bruce dared lift his head to stare at Damian, who tensely stood in the study as he held the phone to his ear, his mother at the other end of the line.

He was slender like any other boy his age, and the oversized hoodies he wore every single day didn’t help in analysing him further but Bruce wasn’t naive enough to believe Thalia hadn’t trained him throughly…. he was grandson to the Demon’s Head, after all. His hair was silky straight much like Bruce’s, but completely pitch black like Thalia’s, and he too shared her bronze skin tone and the shape of his nose. His sharp eyes and eyebrows were all Bruce however, even the small and barely visible moles under his left eye and right side of his chin. His eyes though… they weren’t like either of them. Thalia’s eyes were green but they weren’t as green as Damian’s were, unnervingly bright as if… as if the Lazarus Pit itself resided in them. If Thalia was to be believed, he had never been put inside it so it was indeed simply a little disturbing.

Whatever Thalia said on the other end frustrated Damian, who frowned and interrupted; “When is baba picking me up?” he demanded “I want to go home”.

Silence, and then Bruce heard her faint voice.

“… He’s not here, dear. You know the deal, I don’t know where he is anymore”Damian’s knuckles became white as his grip on the phone tightened. “I’m sorry my love, I know you miss him but he will find a way to contact you eventually, and then you can tell him all about staying with your father”

“…”

“I know this is strange but you will be fine, your father is a good man and he will look after you, even if it’s not like home. I’m sure he could even train you if you ask”

“…”

“You need to give yourself time, hmm? I promise it will become easier if—“

“Why did he abandon me?”

Bruce inhaled softly and Thalia shut up entirely. Not unlike the first time he had seen his son, he looked utterly devastated and wrecked while still managing to keep his body upright and his expression vacant. His green eyes however, they were tainted with unshed tears.

“He didn’t abandon you, my love…”

“I know he doesn’t want me anymore” he interrupted again “I just. I… I want my baba”

Finally a couple tears made it past his eyelashes and left their mark as they soon vanished into the collar of his hoodie.

“Why am I not enough?” he choked out, sniffing and blinking as if to try and stop the torrent “What did I do wrong?”

“That’s not it, baby, he loves you, this is probably hurting him as much as it is you—“

Damian seemed like he wanted to lash out and scream, but instead he suddenly hung up the phone and set it down harshly atop the desk, furiously wiping his tears away.

You have to be careful, Dick had warned him after that explosive first impression, you’re his biological father but you’re not his dad, and you can’t pretend you are. If you try and take that place he will resent you.

“Damian, wait—“

The boy froze just before he left the studio and Bruce walked to catch up, taking a deep breath.

“You don’t have to talk to me, but just— listen, alright?” Those bright death-lit green eyes glared daggers at him but he didn’t run off just yet. “This is being hard for all of us, and I would love to get to know you and spend time with you… but!” he quickly intercepted him from leaving again “I don’t want to disrespect you, and if you feel like you don’t need me… I can’t stop you from feeling that way. You want to go home and that’s fair, so how about we compromise?”

Damian remained silence for a long moment, and then finally made a small subtle head gesture as if to tell him to go on. Bruce almost let out a sigh of relief.

“You stay here for a while and we try to be civil to each other to make your mother happy. In the meantime you can look for your, uh, baba, and once you’re ready you can leave”

Hopefully, with just the tiniest chance, Damian might find him tolerable, or he would stay long enough for Bruce to know him. When he left he would’ve lost another son, but at least he would know he’d be safe and happy with the person he actually considered a father… with his real family.

“… You won’t tell me what to do”

“If it’s within reason then— yes, I suppose”

He could almost see the gears turning as the boy quickly analysed every possibility and how each choice could affect the outcome. Was it worth it? Had he offered enough?

“I want something, only one thing” the boy said slowly, quietly but surely.

“What is it?” he asked, eager to know and grant it.

Damian looked at him and his eyes were burning.

Gotham nights were cold and quiet, as far as anyone is concerned to measure in a Gotham scale. For the past decade Batman had been little more than a myth, refusing to entertain the rogues any longer and doing his work in the shadows. Blurry sightings and vague stories was all that remained of The Bat, and only occasionally you would see one of his batlings soar through the skies.

Gotham nights were cold and quiet and nothing ever disturbed them anymore.

At least not until a blur of colour is seen again.

#batman #batfam #batfamily #bruce wayne #damian wayne #jason todd #jason todd raised damian wayne #no batman au #fanfic #batfamily fanfic #angst #angst with a happy ending #family feels #wip

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violent138 · 2 months

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Can you talk about your headcanons about the Wayne's? Please, would love to read everything!

Thank you! Have a great day!

Anon, you've made my whole day. I love the Waynes and love the snippets of them we get occasionally. A lot of my headcanons go very well with canon, but there are a few places I diverge.

So firstly, I have always headcanoned that Thomas was very worried about not living up to his prestigious family legacy. His great-grandfather built the city, and Thomas faces a lot of pressure to measure up. But, he's kind of an idealist and a little naive from his upbringing (as the prince of Gotham, as his son will soon become). Thomas likes tinkering with cars, is a little afraid of his family, and becomes a doctor to serve people. In my mind, he's a very hardworking (see: obsessive) student who gets bullied/pressured into attending a party after his finals, where he meets the beautiful, notorious party girl Martha Kane.

So Martha also comes from a very rich, very powerful old-Gotham family, but she's more paranoid and less coddled, and her family is tarnished by scandal and controversy compared to the Waynes. She's artistic and loves to cook, and knows everything about the city.

Not to mention, Martha is always an activist and philanthropist and at first, she's a little unimpressed by Thomas' talk, but lack of action.

I think eventually they manage to get married because Thomas is utterly charmed by her, and grows on her. Their marriage is a scandal that dominates the tabloids for a while. But they're a very passionate couple, who fought a lot (but patched it up fast, especially with Alfred's interventions).

Professionally, Thomas struggles in the early days to get WE to do good, but Martha holds him firm to the principles they both care about. So Thomas tries to leverage Wayne Industries into doing good for Gotham, and it's Martha that plays a key role in establishing clinics in the Narrows and convinces her husband to work in them, which inspires their rich friends to pay up and curry favour with them by supporting these projects.

I feel like Thomas and Martha balanced each other out well, both charming and good at making allies, and there was no way Thomas ever let anyone insult his wife, who was kind of mocked for the fervour with which she championed Gotham's social causes, given her husband's capitalist-driven wealth. The wealthy elite of Gotham adored them regardless, because they were a class act, and clearly very devoted and honest.

And when Thomas makes his friends with gangsters or whatever, Martha isn't put off by it at all, she's used to operating in those parts of Gotham and merely invites them to dinner. She makes Thomas do crazier things, and he helps her with her occasional paranoia or nerves.

And I've also always hc'ed that Martha has some form of mental illness, which was long-running in her family (I think there's ample evidence of that) and I also think that she's beginning to struggle with it around the end of her life.

I see them as pretty gentle and indulgent parents too. However, Thomas is frequently absent on his many different endeavours in the city, and somehow balancing managing Wayne Enterprises too (which Martha disapproves heavily of, as that's how Thomas and her were raised and it sucked).

Additionally, Martha's family wants her to use her connections with the Waynes to better themselves, however, I think Martha's firmly against that (hence also the cutting off the Kanes for most of Bruce's childhood/not letting them have custody).

#there's a fic I kind of want to write about their first meeting so let me know if you want to see that #but it's what I believe of them #Thomas Wayne #Martha Wayne #dc comics #batman #bruce wayne #the waynes #gotham #pretty basic stuff #martha kane #anon asks #asks answered

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transskywardsword · 7 months

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i remember your complete adoration for character playlists and love encouraging ur hf so QUICK THINK FAST DAMIAN PLAYLIST

JOKES ON YOU I ALREADY HAVE ONE MADE. it's much longer than this but these are some of the ones on there

the main character -- will wood

So, God forbid I'm seen just as an average human being I mean, imagine if antagonists lacked any evil scheme I'm the gap between a tragedy and comedy Don't come at me I'm the main character, and you have to like me

i see this as recently coming to gotham damian, who is facing a lot of mistrust or downright hatred that, after being raised the way he was, is deeply different than what he thought meeting his father would look like. he's used to being treated a very specific way and had a LOT of very specific misunderstandings about bruce's character, and finding himself alone while feeling these things is,,, rough

brutal -- olivia rodriga

I'm so insecure, I think That I'll die before I drink And I'm so caught up in the news Of who likes me and who hates you And I'm so tired that I might Quit my job, start a new life And they'd all be so disappointed 'Cause, who am I, if not exploited?

and also

All I did was try my best This the kind of thanks I get? Unrelentlessly upset (ah, ah, ah) They say these are the golden years But I wish I could disappear Ego crush is so severe God, it's brutal out here

this is a more adjusted but still new to gotham damian-- he knows how he's viewed, what he is, who he is, and while he's been raised to accept it, now that he's on his own, without any ally, well. it's starting to get under his skin

teenagers -- my chemical romance

do i need to explain this one. do I. do I really need to

rat -- penelope scott

i wont post the whole song but like. every lyric in it works. so you get a lot of em.

I come from scientists and atheists and white men who kill God They make technology high quality complex physiological Experiments and sacrilege in the name of public good They taught me everything, just like a daddy should

I studied code because I wanted to do something great like you And the real tragedy is half of it was true

'Cause we're so fucking mean, we're so elitist, we're as fucked as any church And this bullshit west coast dogma has a higher fucking net worth I bit the apple 'cause I loved you, and why would you lie? And then I realized, you're just as naive as I am Oh, you're so traumatized, it makes me wanna cry

Well, I don't wanna eat the rich, I'd have to eat my heroes first And my tuition's paid by blood, I might deserve your fate or worse

i can see this song applying to any of the robins and their relationship with bruce, but damian def fits the most out of all of them

oh no! - MARINA

I know exactly what I want and who I want to be I know exactly why I walk and talk like a machine I'm now becoming my own self-fulfilled prophecy One track mind, one track heart If I fail, I'll fall apart Maybe it is all a test 'Cause, I feel like I'm the worst So I always act like I'm the best

just because damian is self aware of his trauma-- which I very much believe he is-- and how it affects him down to his very blood and breath, he can't undo what has been done to him.

seventeen - MARINA

Oh, you were embarrassed of me 'Cause I used my tongue freely Bet you wish I couldn't speak 'Cause when I do, you know I tell you why you appear weak

and

You teach me how to behave I felt you question the way I was brought up as a baby Well, you don't know fuck about my family

damian is very aware of how his family-- both talia and bruce-- are viewed, and how it reflects on him, and on his own behaviors. well, in his view, tough shit. he is who he is

little big boy -- madds buckley

Brimstone fire and eyes aglow Little big boy's making the whole world know his name Raised on pillars and shining lights, Breathing smoke for the right to keep his place Never satisfied 'till they all see How big this little boy can be Well the water's rising Tide's comin' in Does little big boy know how to swim? In a pond filled with fish bigger than him Oh little big boy's gonna see how little he really is

it's all fun and games until you're robin-- can league training really prepare you for the horrors of gotham?

interlude: i'm not angry anymore -- paramore

'm not angry anymore Well, sometimes I am I don't think badly of you Well, sometimes I do It depends on the day The extent of all my worthless rage I'm not angry anymore

damian is adjusting to his new family and new city and hey, even some new friends! but trauma doesn't go away overnight

lullaby - shayer james & kate douglas

Mother, all my life you taught me People can't be trusted And we have to fight to stay alive We'll always be the enemy Oh, eye for eye and limb for limb The blood that I've been swimming in Oh, mother, I've grown tired of this Mother, I've grown tired of this There's beauty and there's empathy Some people might've cared for me I hid my heart and stayed inside Instead of moving with the tide Oh, mother, I've grown tired of this

how do you rationalize loving your mother while also being aware of how she's hurt you, how she's forged you into a weapon? how do you live with that?

this is home -- cavetown

Get a load of this monster He doesn't know how to communicate His mind is in a different place Will everybody please give him a little bit of space? Get a load of this trainwreck His hair's a mess and he doesn't know who he is yet But little do we know the stars Welcome him with open arms Oh time is slowly tracing his face But strangely he feels at home in this place

damian is viewed as a monster and a danger, sometimes even by his own fellow heroes, but at the end of the day, he'll have people who love him for who he is, not despite who he is

#long post

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cipheress-to-k-pop · 3 years

Text

A Sister's Love

Pairing: Platonic Damian Wayne x Al Ghul!Reader

Warnings: Injuries and blood. Drugging, Trafficking and sexual assult but these are not the main themes.

Word Count: 4.9K

Summary: You realize you have a lot to learn about yourself outside of your little brother, Damian's, shadow.

A/N: Was originally gonna make this a Dick Grayson x Reader but realized it would be weird cuz of mixed families and stuff. And I don't wanna be pushing the boundaries of incest.

Growing up in the League of Assassins meant a lot of things for you. It meant that you were raised to be powerful and commanding. It meant you knew how to kill a man in 47 different ways and counting. It meant that you were raised to rightfully think that you were the best.

Although for every good thing there was always cons. Your schedule was rigid and your peers were unfeeling. Your mother most of all, but that didn't stop you from trying to win her affection. It was the reason why when your little brother was born you felt threatened.

That was until you met little Damian. Your mother had handed him to you with a smile of pride that she never showed you and you hated him. But then you saw his precious little face, a nose tinier than a button and adorable lips that were curled into a pout. He was so beautiful.

Since then, you put any differences you might have had with your mother behind you. According to Ra’s it would have been a mistake to show Damian such tenderness, to teach him about loyalty to your heart, instead of without it.

But Talia couldn't ignore the tug she felt in her heart seeing you and Damian together. You still worked hard, harder than she had ever seen before, now determined not to show that you were weak and have them take your brother from you. Damian followed your example, training to her approval, however taxing it was for him.

And more importantly, Damian loved you. You were the first woman he had ever loved and he was smart enough to know that would never be a mistake. You were his shelter in a storm, his fire in the cold. You were the best sibling that anyone could ever even dream of.

But then you had to part. At age 10, Damian went to live with his father, Bruce Wayne. You had never met the man when he was with your mother and you assumed you wouldn't need to, he wasn't your father.

Both you and Damian didn't want to leave each other. You'd miss your little brother and you'd miss the feeling in your chest whenever you'd look at him. Damian would miss home; he would miss your presence and he would miss the familiarity. But he couldn't stay.

That's something you learnt at the League. Damian couldn't stay, with you. He was meant for bigger things than you.

Another thing you learnt was that you didn't have to stay either. You wanted to see the world, see what everything else had in store for you. And your mother, bless her, gave you her blessing.

Of all the things the league taught you, there were things they missed out on. And a part of you was thankful for that. Because you enjoyed the feeling of wide-eyed wonderment when you stepped into a train station for the first time ever.

You had never tasted a chocolate muffin before, you realized as you stuffed your face at a local bakery. Coffee and chocolate muffins went well together. You liked sweet things better than spicy things, you noted when you didn't enjoy the tteokbokki you bought at a Korean food stall.

People were kind, not foolish. They smiled at you when you came in and genuinely asked you where you were headed. Like the woman you met on the tram who was heading to Washington DC. Even through the short ride, the two of you had bonded and she had left you with her phone number and a promise that if you were ever in DC, you would ring her up. Diana was trusting, too trusting. You could have assumed it was because she was stupid, but you wanted to believe it was because she was smarter than even you.

Some people were kind like her but of course, some were impolite and pig-headed. You of course didn't waste any time putting them in their place. Maybe that was why you shouldn't have any faith in humanity.

But isn't humanity just the thing you should be putting faith in?

It was fun at first, discovering new things, seeing how people really lived outside of books and things taught to you back at the League. You knew everything, you weren't naive enough to be oblivious but reading about something was miles apart from actually experiencing it.

After a while however, you got lonely, it was a huge world with people constantly moving and you've come to realize that unless you're with somebody, you can't really move from your place. Instead, you'd be stuck watching all of them. So, you sought after your brother.

It was easy enough to track Bruce Wayne, he lived in a house large enough to be seen from outer space. Getting to Gotham took longer than you expected. Time passed so easily when you didn't have a purpose but now that you had somewhere you needed to be, the train couldn't go any slower.

Gotham City was less gloomy than people made it out to be. The sun was shining and the city was bustling. In some ways, it seemed a little homey. Maybe that was because you didn't have to worry about someone hurting you. If anything, they should pray that they don't choose you as their next victim.

Of course, you could've gone to Wayne Manor and introduced yourself civilly but you wanted to see Damian more than anything and didn't want to delay it any longer. And more than that, you wanted to see Damian is his cute little school uniform.

That's what led you to wait outside of the well-reputed Gotham University, waiting patiently for the bell to ring and students to file out of it. You already knew that they wouldn't come out singing like in the movies but a very small fraction of you still hoped.

Your heartrate increased with every passing minute, excited to meet your brother after nearly a year of being apart. Eventually, the bell did ring and students began trickling out of the doors, looking like bumble bees, excitedly zipping around and talking to their friends.

'Would this have been my life if I was never born in the League?' You wondered, looking at a girl who was animatedly chatting with her friend, arms interlocked as they moved towards the parking lot where their parents were waiting.

When you finally saw Damian, you suddenly felt out of place. Like an outsider watching someone else's brother when you saw his eyes lock onto someone in the commons. Even though you weren't on the school campus, you could still recognize who it was.

Richard Grayson, oldest son of Bruce Wayne, waiting to pick up your little brother on a motor cycle.

And for the first time in your life, you experienced insecurity, watching them greet each other like brothers. The feeling was sour and you wondered if it was a mistake coming here, thinking that you still had a place here.

It was true, people didn't move from their place unless they had someone to go with. You hadn't felt fulfilled like that since your brother stopped being at your side. He was everything you knew. It was just your mistake for thinking that in the year apart your brother wouldn't have found anyone either.

***

"Drake, pull up the security cameras from today at my school parking lot." Damian ordered, stepping into the Batcave.

"No 'Hello', no 'How you doing?', it's always 'Tim, do this' 'Drake, do that'," Tim commented sarcastically but still pulled up whatever he needed, "And then as soon as I give you what I want, you're going to forget me again. And not even visit the kids."

Dick spared him a laugh at his dramatic scene, ruffling his hair as greeting and then turned his attention to the screen. The footage was played at double the speed until Damian's eyes locked onto just what he wanted to find.

It was just for a second, when Dick's motorcycle had zoomed past but that was all he needed. Damian had seen your face and it wasn't any mistake, he'd know you even if he was blind. Even though he was so sure it had been you, he still couldn't hide the way his body froze, eyes wide when he saw your face.

It was the same face he'd see every night before he went to bed and the very first person he wanted to see every time he woke up. Your image was what came into his mind when he thought of being nurtured, when he thought of being safe.

There was a time when he was younger, too young, there was a thunder storm. He doesn't remember much from the night, just hiding his face against your chest and you wrapping a blanket around him. His mother trained him even harder the next day, until he almost dropped but he'd never forget curling up to your warmth. Not even now, when he knew that thunder storms were the least of his fears.

It was as simple as that. With his father and brothers, he didn't have to worry about looking weak, he didn't think of love as a weakness, rather he considered it as the fuel behind strength. Yes, his father taught him well. And now he would show you just how much he's grown. So, you can be proud of him.

"We need to find her."

"Why? Who is she?"

"My sister."

***

Of all the things you wanted to experience, visiting a bar was one of them. Was the air really enough to intoxicate you? Were you really going to lose all sense when you stepped into it? Would be able to drink your troubles away?

You were sorely disappointed. The alcohol didn't taste good, it burned when you swallowed it and made your tongue feel fuzzy. The music was so loud that your brain began throbbing against your skull to the beat of the song.

Men were picking fights and women were having fun but even then, you couldn't find it in yourself to get up and actually have fun. I mean, how were you supposed to? How was cosying up against a drunk man supposed to make you feel better? How was getting lost in throngs of sweaty people who didn't know what personal space was meant to improve your mood?

If anything, it just reminded you of just how pathetic your life was.

You were realizing you had no purpose. Damian was all you had known for years now, knowing only to protect him with your life and love him with your heart. Who were you without him? What did you like? What made you happy outside from your duty at the league?

A man knocking into you brought you out of your thoughts, which had been happening all night. Except this man stopped in front of you and gave you a smile that turned your stomach upside down.

"Sorry about that pretty lady, let me buy you a drink to make up for it." He spoke with a voice that was trying to be smooth but instead sounded like metal scraping over each other.

"No, thank you." You said sharply, not yet done with your Manhattan anyway. You were barely enjoying your time here as it was and you were sure another drink wouldn't change your mind.

"Not a fan?"

You shook your head at him, choosing to humour the man.

"Then let me buy you another one, if you don't like it then you have nothing to lose."

You pretended to giggle at him and he swelled with pride. Did he think he was winning?

"One Boulevardier." He told the bartender who nodded and began preparing the drink. Until it was ready, you indulged the man in front of you who reeked of cigarettes and alcohol.

He placed the drink in front of you and if you hadn't known that it would burn going down and turn you into a shell of yourself, you might have been curious to what it tasted like.

"You see that dude over there?" He nodded to a man standing in the other corner of the bar and you turned to look at him. Another man, covered in tattoos who didn't look any different than the one standing behind you.

"He's my pal, owns the bar. Ask him and he'll hook you up with free drinks tonight. For a price, of course."

You turned back around to face the man and out of the corner of your eye saw something dissolve into your drink. It was only for a second but you saw the last remaining grains turn invisible and you definitely noticed the way the once steady drink was now swirling into a vortex in the middle.

"Drink up, princess."

You smirked. Tonight, might be fun after all.

***

This was boring.

You had been pretending to be unconscious for about 40 minutes while these men drove you to some undisclosed location. Their conversations were unbelievably dry and it's not like you had anyone else to talk to. Everyone else who might have been even mildly interesting were knocked unconscious.

Eventually they pulled up to some sort of holding facility and if your assumptions were correct then this would be a midpoint before they sold all the girls here to some sort of pimp.

Once they lugged you off the truck and threw you into a room with so many other people, you could hear their breathing did you open your eyes. It seemed like this was some sort of abandoned butcher or meat factory, judging by the ominous hooks hanging above your head and the metal walls. The door had been bolted shut, the only way to look through it was a small glass window.

Only after you finished taking in your surroundings did you even look at the other women who had been trapped in the room along with you. Your stomach turned.

There were so many unsuspecting faces who looked like they didn't sign up for this. Half of them looked under the influence of something, sweating profusely even in their sleep, faces scrunched up in pain. The other looked like they were forcibly taken, bruises covering their skin, hair and clothes in disarray and more than half of them had either a black eye or a swollen lip.

Maybe it was their fault for not being trained, that's what someone at the league would've said. But isn't it their captors’ fault for misusing their training, their strength, for something as vile as this?

You decided to wait, you couldn't assume that this small group of girls was the only one in the confines of the building. How many more were here?

You weren't feeling overwhelmed, not at all, not with the weapons that were littering you. A kunai hidden is either of your boots, throwing stars in your pockets hidden underneath your vest and a war fan in your pocket. You could handle these clowns without even looking up.

But it wasn't your life you were concerned about. It was the lives of these underaged, vulnerable girls who had fallen prey to these monsters.

While you were waiting a couple of the girls started to wake up. Some were still heavily drugged, still groggy when their eyes fluttered open and unable to focus onto anything. Others shot up straight as an arrow and began crying, screaming, begging for them to let them out.

They were ignored, by both their captors and you. Why try and reassure then when you weren't sure what was going to happen. More importantly, why throw off the monsters lurking outside the door that there was one woman who hadn't been phased.

Instead, you just stared blankly, trying to get comfortable and hear anything through the walls. Eventually, you heard the sound of footsteps coming towards the room. You covered the lower half of your face with a scarf, making sure that anyone who left here alive today, wouldn't be able to remember your face. Whether it be as a saviour or their punisher.

The girls whimpered and curled into one another, crying quietly and you felt sympathy. There was no way they'd be able to move forward from this without having fear stab at their heart with every step they took. You could only hope they had something in their life that would make them feel safe.

For tonight, you'd be that for them.

A few men opened the door with a cruel smile, stepping inside for a second before bolting it shut. They flaunted guns and other weapons to the girls, finding pleasure where there should be compassion and worry. You were disgusted watching their smirks twist maniacally when the girls cried harder seeing them brandish their weapons.

One of the men stepped forward and grabbed the girl closest to him who begged and cried to spare her. His disgusting hand might as well be made of acid because you almost felt the sick burn when it snaked between her legs and copped a feel while she sobbed and screamed, trying to fight him off.

You grabbed one of your weapons and returned their sick grins with one of your own.

It was going to be hard to cop a feel when he can't feel anything.

You were going to break each and every bone in his hand to ensure that.

***

"Can I borrow your phone please?" You asked the bloody and broken man by your feet. He glared at you and spat blood on your boots, unable to do anything else. You sighed and faked a pout.

"Is it here?" You wondered, holding the dirtied boot over his ribs and his eyes widened, catching drift of what you were about to do. You rammed your foot into his broken ribs, courtesy of yourself, and he screamed bloody murder. Music to your ears.

"Apparently not. Want me to check your pants?" You asked, raising a brow and he frantically shook his head, using whatever strength left to pull out his phone from his pocket and you smiled, thanking him quietly.

"Now, let's hope that one blow is enough to put you out of my misery." You sang, punching him right in the face and he passed out. Lightweight.

You took a look around the place, seeing bodies littered over the place like confetti. Blood was scattered on the ground and you're sure if people looked hard enough, they'd find someone's teeth. You on the other hand looked fine.

You sat on the floor, crossing your legs comfortably, tired after the fight and dialled a number onto the phone.

"Hello, police?"

"Yes, how can we help you?"

"Well, there's a sex trafficking scam going on at my location. Quite shoddy but they have a number of women trapped here and it would be nice if you could send backup to have them escorted home safely."

"A sex trafficking scam?"

"Well, it could be just a regular trafficking scam but I'm not too sure."

"All right, I'll have someone check it out."

"Good, and I realize you might get a lot of calls like this but please don't talk to me like I'm an idiot. Tell your people to send a couple of ambulances as well, you'll need them."

"Of course."

You could only hope the person on the other end of the line would eat their words when it was on the front of the newspaper. For now, your work was done.

In the meantime, how were you going to get anywhere from here? Where even were you? Was there anyone even conscious here who could give you directions? Or would you have to call the police again to find out where to go?

Not that you'd wait long enough for them actually arrive here. You'd return to the bar way before that for another drink. Maybe now you'd actually be able to enjoy one.

Just as you were about to leave, you heard a creak coming from the other end of the warehouse. It echoed through the halls and you leapt to your feet, soundless moving to hide in the shadows and pulling out a kunai.

The footsteps that followed it were light and airy, barely even touching the ground. They were trained, whoever they were. You kept your ears open in order to hear something.

"Whoever was here was trained." You heard someone comment.

"Are you really that stupid, Nightwing? It's obvious that my sister was the one who took out this ring and reported it." Came the snappy reply back and your breath caught in your chest. Make no mistake, that was your brother's voice.

"We must find her."

He was actually looking for you? He knows you're here? You're not entirely surprised, you haven't exactly been careful or stealthy when it came to concealing your face around Gotham. A mistake on your part but you couldn't have been more relieved.

You still remained quiet, not wanting to disturb the flow, not wanting to interrupt. You had the mind of a soldier but when there was no one to follow you seemed more like a sheep. It made you feel slight shame, that you were unable to stick up for yourself despite being so many things.

Maybe, the league wasn't the best thing for you.

Immediately you scraped the thought from your mind, berating yourself for even thinking that. The league had given you everything, everything you were today was because of them. You were strong and calculating, the leagues proud soldier.

You were proud of your roots, thankful that you grew up to be the person you were. They had given you everything, and your brother was just one of the gifts that you had been blessed with in your life.

"Damian." You spoke softly, stepping out of the shadows. His head snapped towards you, eyes widening when he took in your form. It really was you. His sister.

Damian wasted no time in bounding towards you and you knelt down to meet his eye level, catching him with open arms. A part of your heart sang when you realized he was still small enough to fit in your arms. He still held you close. He still loved you.

"I've missed you, Ya Amar." You spoke softly, cradling his head that was buried in the junction of your neck.

"I as well, Okhti."

***

Damian was ecstatic that you were in Gotham. Of course, it didn't look like it to anyone but everyone who knew him well could tell that he was happy that his sister was home with him. He didn't wait for even two seconds when you got to the Batcave (much to Bruce's surprise) to show you all his pets.

The next few days would be considered the best of his life.

Damian wanted to be as close to you as possible, sitting near you during meals, training with you, talking with you, even going as far to sneak into your temporary bedroom at night for cuddles. He certainly got more comfortable showing affection since the last time you were around.

He showed you his hobbies like painting and sketching and you were impressed. He had the skills to be doing something like this? Damian had picked up many new talents and many new stories since you last saw him and he was eager to share them all with you.

The next few days would be considered the worst of your life.

You had found Damian now, so why didn't you still feel fulfilled? Why did you feel like something was missing? Like this wasn't meant for you? Why weren't you satisfied?

Why did you feel envious that Damian got to experience so many things? Why did you feel resentment against him when you realized you never got the same things he has?

Your life felt like it amounted to nothing.

You loved your brother but so far you had just been living for him. And now that you realized there were parts of the world that you wanted to see. There were thoughts in your mind that were of your own and desires that you didn't have to explain to anyone. As long as it made sense to yourself.

And you realize one thing with an aching heart.

You couldn't stay here in Gotham.

"Does Damian know?" Bruce asked you one day when you had asked him a favour. Bruce so far had been a little cold and unfeeling ever since you had met him in the Batcave uninvited. His feelings towards you got more negative when you gave an offhanded comment about how you thought he was taller. But he was the only one you could ask for a favour. He was the father to your beloved brother and you could only hope he would offer you the same consideration.

You had asked him for a flight to Washington, to see if Diana really meant what she said. To take a leap of faith for the first time in your life.

You shook your head no, "Not yet. I'm hoping he will take the news well. It's not like I'm leaving forever. I just—I need to—" You trailed off, unable to find the right words.

Bruce nodded, "I understand. Just tell him before you go. I don't think I've ever seen him this happy before."

"It makes me feel worse." You admitted, feeling a little guilty. How could you not feel happy at your brother’s happiness?

"You need some time to figure out that your world is yours. No one else should determine how you feel about yourself."

"You are very wise," You said softly, "Thank you."

***

"I love you dearly, Damian." You tried to coerce him from his room where he had locked himself in only 5 minutes ago. No doubt he was sulking since he found out that you would be leaving for DC in two days’ time.

"If you did, you wouldn't be leaving!" His voice was muffled, as if his face was buried in his pillow or even Titus. You had been trying to coax him into open the door for 20 minutes now and had multiple offers from Grayson, which you turned down.

"Oh, for the love of—Damian Wayne, you open this door right now!" It was silent for a moment before you heard the lock click open and took that as the indication from him to step into his room.

It was large and from the moment you stepped in, it was easy to tell the space was his. There were swords mounted on the wall, paintings on the wall adjacent to it. His desk was tidy and in the corner of his room, there were multiple easels and sketch pads.

Damian was sulking on his bed and you sighed, feeling guilty. You sat beside him and ran your fingers through his hair. Even though he was upset with you, he still sank into your touch, feeling comforted by mere contact.

"It's not forever, Damian. Wherever I'm going, I'm going to come back. I just need some time to myself." You tried to explain.

"But why!"

"The league taught me well, Damian. But it taught me to live like a soldier, but not as a person. There are so many things that I don't know about myself. What do I like? What do I want to do with my life? And I need to figure it out for myself."

"Why can't you do that here?"

You gave him a pained look and realization dawned on him, "Because of me."

"Damian, in the time we spent apart you learnt so many things about yourself. That you like animals, that you like art. There are so many blanks in my life and I need the distance to figure it out. I need to understand myself." You explained wistfully.

It was true, there were so many blanks in your life. You didn't even know what food you liked better, what hobbies you enjoyed. You wanted to experience new things, without the influence of Damian, without relying on him. And more importantly, you were scared you would put Damian above yourself time and time again.

It was all you knew. Damian was worth more than your life, worth more than your heart. But if that was true, you wanted to know at least what your heart was worth to you. If you didn't hold any value to yourself, it would be foolish to think you would to anyone else.

You needed the distance. You needed something new. You wanted to dive into uncharted waters and figure out the magic for yourself, without anyone to help you.

"It's not forever," You reminded gently, "I'm going to come back, I can promise you that."

Damian began leaning until his head was settled in your lap and you chuckled, gently scratching his scalp and he nestled into your belly. Hard to believe this was the same boy who left only a year ago. You wondered if you would change as much as he did or if you were stuck in your ways now.

"Okay," He said, voice muffled and you smiled, "I hope you find what you're looking for."

"Thank you for your blessing, Ya Amar. It means the world to me. I love you; you know that."

"I do." He said, now wrapping his arms around your waist, "I love you too."

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invisibleanonymousmonsters · 3 years

Text

All Men Have Limits - XII

Character: Dick Grayson x Reader x Bruce Wayne

Summary: A certain bat believes that Y/N is in way over her head, that she’s too naive to act in her best interest. So, whether she wants it or not, the vigilante family is going to help and protect her before she gets herself killed.

Word Count: 6,600+

Warnings: Mentions of past abuse

Previously on…

6 MONTHS LATER...

Dick threw his small duffle over his shoulder as he looked around at his surroundings.

It sure was beautiful.

The complicated and long journey to get there was definitely worth it.

Dick figured out his surroundings before starting to walk.

There weren’t many people he passed, even when he got close to the town. But ones he did, they all stared, immediately recognizing him as a tourist. The place was too isolated for people to be passing through frequently.

Dick used that infamous Wayne charm to give polite smiles and nods to the townsfolk who gawked at him.

An hour later, Dick was at the bottom of a small hill, outside the fence of a bright yellow house. On the other side of him was water – the Norwegian sea.

The air was crisp and fresh, and Dick’s lungs seemed to thank him every time he took in a deep breath.

He was lost in the scenery when she appeared at the top of the hill.

Dick noticed her before she noticed him.

But when she was just a few yards from her house, she finally raised her head and spotted him.

Y/N froze for a moment, convinced she was seeing things.

But then her face broke into the brightest smile and she was running to him.

Dick caught her in his arms and spun her around, laughing at her excitement.

“What are you doing here?” She asked after he let her go.

“What do you think?” He chuckled.

Her smile faded slowly, and it was replaced with a contemplative look.

“Come inside,” she told him quietly.

Dick watched as she moved around the small kitchen and made them coffee.

He couldn’t take his eyes off her.

“I’m surprised it took you so long to find me,” Y/N admitted shyly as she grabbed two bright red mugs from a cabinet.

“Well, it didn’t,” he looked a little bashful at the confession. “I found your location a couple days after I got your letter.”

Y/N stopped moving for a second.

“Oh,” she slipped out in surprise. “Did Bruce tell you?”

Dick shook his head. “No. I didn’t ask and he didn’t offer up that info.” He took in a deep breath. “I think he wanted to make sure I worked for it.”

Y/N nodded slowly.

But it was clear that the mentioning of Bruce wasn’t making her feel all that great.

“I’m sorry he never came,” Dick told her softly.

“Why?” She challenged.

After all, wasn’t Bruce his competition?

“I waited to come find you because I didn’t want to mess up what you were trying to make here,” Dick admitted.

“You could never mess anything up, Dick.” Y/N poured coffee into both of the mugs and sat across from him at the tiny kitchen table. “I was the one always messing everything up.”

“That’s not true.”

But from her face, Dick could tell she was unconvinced.

“Why Norway?” He asked, trying to change the subject.

Y/N shrugged with a little smirk as she looked out the window that showed the sea just outside her door.

“I always wanted to visit. Just never got around to it.”

“What have you been doing?” He asked, surprised to see not even so much as a laptop sitting around.

It was strange to imagine her living without a dozen computer screens surrounding her.

“I work at the preschool. And I help on one of the farms nearby on the weekends sometimes.”

Dick smiled at the thought.

“What?” She pressed.

“Nothing. Just the world’s smartest and most badass hacker working on a farm.”

Y/N shrugged and laughed. “It’s relaxing.”

“I’m sure.”

“I’ve made friends.”

“Friends?” Dick repeated melodramatically to tease her.

“Shut up,” she laughed as she punched his shoulder. “Yes, I have friends. And get this…I go to therapy now.”

Dick smiled proudly at her. “Therapy, huh?”

“Yep. I talk about my feelings and everything,” she laughed.

His smile dropped a bit and he cleared his throat. “I’m proud of you, Y/N. Really. I am.”

Y/N winced at his sincerity a bit. She was never one to take compliments well.

And before she could stop herself or hesitate, she stood from her chair and moved to Dick’s lap, hugging him.

“I’ve missed you, Dick.” She mumbled into his neck as he held her tightly and rubbed her back.

“I’ve missed you more,” he muttered.

Y/N pulled back to look at him. “Not possible.”

A single tear had escaped from her left eye.

Dick gently wiped it away.

“Hey, none of that,” he whispered.

“How long are you staying?” She asked him.

“Just two days.”

Her eyes widened. “That’s it? You traveled all this way just for two days?”

Dick Grayson was a romantic.

His face turned serious. “I was serious about not wanting to mess up what you have going on here. I just wanted to make sure you were doing alright.”

“I’m doing great,” she clarified.

He smiled. “I know. I can see that.”

“OK. Well…want to go to the pub with me tonight? You can meet my friends and get to see the town.”

Dick didn’t know why she bothered to phrase it as a question. Surely she knew by now that he was going to go anywhere she would.

But he nodded anyway.

——

Dick sat back and watched Y/N interact with the locals. They seemed to have taken her in as their own. He couldn’t help but wonder how they’d react if she were to ever leave. Surely she didn’t intend on staying here forever. Or maybe she did.

But he was surprised when she introduced him to a few of her new friends and their eyes widened with joy at hearing his name.

“Oh, you are Dick? We’ve heard so much about you!”

“We didn’t know you were coming to visit!”

“Come! Come! Let us buy you a drink!”

Dick tried not to blush when they all seemed to know who he was already.

Y/N sang along to songs with them and danced with anyone who asked her.

Dick had never seen her like this. She seemed to be glowing.

“Come on, Dick!” Y/N suddenly grabbed his attention. “Come dance with me!”

He laughed as he did as she requested, and let her spin him in too many circles.

A couple hours later, they were walking home.

They were both happily buzzed, but were by no means drunk.

Y/N wrapped her arm around Dick and leaned into him the whole walk.

When they were just outside her house’s gate, Y/N stopped them.

“Look how bright the stars are here!” She exclaimed quietly as she tilted her head up to look at the sky.

Dick was instantly thrown back to that night, laying on the ground of Wayne Manor and looking at the smoggy sky of Gotham. The stars seemed so bright to her then and now she was amazed at how bright the Norwegian sky was.

Y/N realized Dick hadn’t tilted his head back.

“You’re not looking!” She accused before shifting her gaze to him.

When she did, she found that he was staring at her.

“What?” She whispered.

“I wasn’t completely honest about why I came here,” Dick confessed.

She tilted her head questioningly.

“I mean, yes, I did want to check on you. But there’s more to it than that...”

Y/N had untangled herself from him now and turned to look at him.

“I know things have always been…complicated. And I know you loved – or love Bruce. I don’t know. But I just…I needed to tell you this.”

Dick took in a deep breath. “I’m gonna wait for you.”

“Dick…” Y/N exhaled in surprise.

“Wait. Please…let me finish.”

She did.

“I’m gonna wait for you. And you take as long as you need. I mean it. I know you think that I don’t know how to be alone…but I’ll wait for you as long as I have to.”

Y/N stayed quiet.

“Unless it’s Bruce. Then I’ll–”

“It’s not Bruce,” she quickly cut him off.

Y/N stepped forward and softly captured Dick’s face in her hands.

“It’s you, Dick.”

And before he could ask her if she was messing with him, her lips collided with his. It took him a second to react and kiss her back. But when he finally did, it was with everything he possibly had.

When Y/N pulled away, she stared into his eyes and took his hand, guiding him into the house.

As soon as the door shut behind them, she started kissing him again.

She tugged at his belt and became frustrated with the amount of buttons on his flannel. Dick would’ve been more helpful if he wasn’t so preoccupied with taking off her clothes. He seemed to be doing much better than she was.

Once they were both in their undergarments, Y/N dragged Dick to her bedroom, giggling when he tripped over the edge of her couch on the way.

It wasn’t until Y/N’s thumbs slipped under the elastic of his boxer briefs that Dick stopped them.

“Wait, wait, wait,” he breathed as he paused their kissing and grabbed her wrists.

“What?” Y/N gasped, worried that she’d read all of this wrong.

“I just…Are you sure?” Dick asked quietly.

Y/N couldn’t help herself, but she started giggling.

“Oh, come on,” Dick groaned in embarrassment, pressing his forehead into her shoulder.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry,” Y/N said as she controlled her amusement. “It’s just…you’re too sweet for this world, Richard Grayson.”

He rolled his eyes.

But Y/N’s smile softened as she stared into his eyes. “I love you. You love me. And that’s all I care about right now.”

Dick just stared at her in awe.

“OK?” She asked.

Dick nodded quickly, so desperate not to mess this up.

“OK,” he agreed before kissing her again.

——————

It was the dinging of the buoy bells and the sound of soft waves that woke Dick up.

Maybe it was the unusual soundscape. He was so used to the sounds of cities that this was triggered as unusual in his mind.

Dick opened his eyes and his mind slowly reminded him where he was.

Y/N was asleep on his chest, held in his arms.

He smiled at the feeling of her naked skin against his.

It was going to be harder to leave than he original anticipated.

Dick tried to untangle their bodies, waking Y/N up in the process.

“Go back to sleep,” he whispered to her. “I’m going to make us some coffee and breakfast.”

“Don’t bother,” Y/N mumbled sleepily. “I don’t have any food.”

“Stay,” she added in a whine. “You’re so warm.”

Dick chuckled. “I know you have coffee, Y/N.”

“I do,” she hummed with a mischievous smile, eyes still closed. “But I want you to stay in bed.”

“I promise I’ll be right back,” he whispered to her before kissing the top of her head.

She finally allowed him to leave.

Dick quickly put on his underwear and got to the kitchen, trying to be quiet as he shuffled around to find everything to make coffee.

When he returned to bed it was with two filled mugs.

Y/N had rolled onto her stomach, her face buried in Dick’s pillow.

Her shoulders and upper back were exposed as she slept.

Dick paused and allowed himself to take in the scene before him.

He’d spent so much time dreaming of having such bliss. And now it sat before him as a reality. It felt too good to be true.

He sat on the very edge of the bed, putting both mugs on the nightstand beside him.

Dick bent down to place a trail of kisses up Y/N’s spine and then to her shoulder.

She hummed at the feeling.

“Come on. Wake up,” Dick whispered in her ear.

Y/N slowly woke up, and pulled the sheet to her chest as she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

“You know…you’re very adorable when you first wake up,” Dick told her with a smirk.

“Oh, shut it,” Y/N warned him as she grabbed for one of the mugs.

Dick allowed her one sip before he pressed his lips to hers.

“Morning,” Y/N smiled after.

“Good morning,” he huffed a laugh.

She sighed. “What would you like to do today, Mr. Grayson?”

“I really don’t care,” Dick admitted.

He wanted to say, ‘As long as I’m with you, it doesn’t matter.’ But he knew it would come out cheesy and she’d only laugh at him. So he saved the thought for himself.

“How about a hike?” She offered.

“A hike sounds perfect.”

She tilted her head. “Maybe a shower first?”

“Shower first,” he confirmed. “Would be even better if it was together.”

Y/N threw her head back in a laugh. “I’ll allow it.”

A hike did turn out to be perfect.

Y/N pointed out landmarks or the property of friends.

And then she’d ask Dick about his life back home. And she asked about his brothers – to which he gave great detail about each.

But it didn’t go past Dick that she hadn’t asked about Bruce.

They’d finally reached the top of their goal peak.

They were both breathing heavily. It was by no means an easy hike.

“Do you miss him?” Dick finally had the courage to ask.

Y/N shrugged, but wouldn’t look at him. “Of course I do.”

“Be honest. Were you expecting him to find you?”

“No,” she answered truly. “I knew he wouldn’t.”

Dick didn’t know how to respond to that.

“But I think the worst part was that I was so okay with that,” Y/N admitted.

Then she sighed.

“Obviously I’ve had a lot of time to think about…everything. Me and him…we would be terrible for each other, Dick. I don’t know how to read his mind. And he doesn’t know how to talk to me. We’re both so stubborn and so bad at communicating. We would’ve just grown to resent one another.”

Y/N took in a shaky breath and exhaled. “And once I realized that, I was terrified that I’d completely fucked things up with you – and that I’d hurt your relationship with him.”

“You didn’t, Y/N.” Dick tried to reassure her.

“Things would be so bad between him and me. Then there would be one single moment of good…and I’d hold onto it for dear life,” Y/N added. “And I realized that would be our whole relationship.”

Dick nodded in understanding.

He knew she was absolutely right, and it had been his biggest fear for them.

“I’m sorry,” she quickly apologized. “I shouldn’t talk about him with you like this.”

“Don’t apologize.”

Dick wrapped his arm around her as they looked at the view together.

“Come on,” he told her. “We should get back soon. I have to catch a boat.”

She nodded.

——

The walk to the boat went by far too quickly for both of them. And their goodbye had arrived too soon.

Dick held Y/N in his arms on the dock.

When they pulled away he saw that Y/N’s eyes had filled with tears.

“Why do you have to go?” She muttered, clearly trying not to cry.

“You know all I want is to stay with you. But you said it yourself: you gotta figure stuff out. And I don’t want to be the one that gets in the way of that.”

He kissed her slowly.

“I wasn’t lying when I promised that I’d wait as long as I needed to, Y/N.”

“I know.”

“You take as long as you need, hear me?”

She nodded quickly.

“But I gotta go now.”

Dick gave one final and abrupt kiss before rushing away and jumping onto the boat.

He knew if he lingered, even a second, he might not be able to leave her.

He wouldn’t even let himself look back at her as the boat started to drift away. Because even then he was at risk of jumping off and swimming back to her.

——————————

9 MONTHS LATER…

“Seriously, Jaybird?” Dick asked as he held his cellphone to one hear and the steering wheel with the other.

He turned to Y/N, who sat in the passenger seat. “He says he’s not coming.”

“Gimme,” she muttered impatiently as she held out her hand.

Dick passed her the phone.

“What the fuck has you so busy that you can’t have a family dinner?”

Dick chuckled at his girlfriend’s sass.

“Jason, I haven’t seen you in over a year! Please? For me?”

Dick immediately heard the tone in her voice that always brought him to his knees – and she already had him wrapped around her finger. He wondered if Jason was immune to it.

But when he saw Y/N start smiling widely, he knew his brother was no stronger than him.

“Can’t wait to see you!” Y/N sang before hanging up.

The car went silent then. The only sound being the commercials on the radio.

“Is this going to be weird?” Y/N suddenly asked quietly as she stared out the passenger window.

“No,” Dick answered confidently.

She turned to look at him. “Sure?”

“No one is better than Bruce Wayne when it comes to pretending everything is alright. Trust me.” Then he sighed sadly. “Plus, Damian texted earlier and said there was last minute Justice League business. I doubt he’ll be back by dinner.”

“Sorry,” Y/N told him softly as she grabbed his right hand and placed a kiss on his knuckles. “I know you’ve missed him.”

Dick had been jumping from place to place for the past year and a half that even when he was in Gotham, he barely had time to see Bruce. It was always in passing.

“It’s fine.”

When they pulled up to Wayne Manor, Dick barely closed the car door before Damian was tackling him into a hug.

“Hey, Damian,” Dick chuckled softly at the boy.

Y/N smiled at the interaction and walked to the door to find Alfred waiting patiently with a smile.

“Hello, Alfred.”

“Ms. Y/L/N,” he bowed his head slightly.

“Alfred, we’ve been over this…” she warned playfully.

“A hard habit to break, Y/N.” He answered with a wink. “Welcome back.”

“Jason will be late,” she told him before hugging him hello.

“Master Wayne had another engagement,” Alfred said to Dick as he walked up with Damian glued to his side.

“Damian gave me the heads up,” Dick answered before hugging Alfred, too.

Damian gave a rushed side hug to Y/N as if he was embarrassed to show her any sort of affection and then ran away.

Dick and Y/N laughed at the gesture.

“Mr. Clark and Ms. Brown are here, as well.” Alfred informed them.

Y/N gave Dick a questioning look.

“Superman’s son and Tim’s girlfriend,” he explained.

“Ahh.”

Jason did end up coming to dinner – late as usual.

But he made up for it by wrapping Y/N in a giant bear hug and lifting her off her feet.

“Easy, punk!” Dick warned protectively as he heard his girlfriend shriek in surprise.

“Oh, fuck off,” Jason shooed.

This particular meal went off rather differently than Y/N’s first Wayne family dinner.

It probably helped that Damian was distracted with his best friend, Jonathan – who was the sweetest little boy Y/N had ever met. And Tim kept having a quiet conversation with his girlfriend, Stephanie – who was a social butterfly and asked Y/N about a million questions before dessert.

Jason claimed to only have come for a free meal and to ask Y/N why she was dating such a loser.

After dinner, Y/N convinced everyone to have a game night in the family room. Jason blasted some music. And everyone – to no surprise – got way too competitive with each other.

Y/N found it amusing to see Dick’s brother interacting with their own friends or significant others. Tim looked absolutely love stricken every time he looked at Stephanie. And even though Jon and Damian seemed like total opposites, Y/N could see that Damian really did enjoy the boy’s company.

“How did you not get The Searchers?” Jon groaned at Damian, but he clearly wasn’t actually mad or upset at the loss.

Y/N laughed at the boy. “Jon, how the hell do you even know that movie? It’s form the ‘50s.”

“Me and my dad watch westerns every Friday night,” he beamed proudly.

“I have better things to do than watch movies all the time,” Damian mumbled.

Y/N turned to Dick, who had her locked onto his lap with his arms.

“You gotta let me go,” she muttered to him with amusement. “It’s our turn.”

Dick did as she asked, but not before giving her a quick kiss.

“Eww!” Damian screamed.

“They’re in love! Leave them alone,” Stephanie reprimanded Damian, and looked at the couple – almost with admiration.

“Damian and Jon only got three in their round,” Jason announced just before he started the timer. “You two idiots ready?”

Y/N nodded and bounced on her feet in excitement.

Her and Dick ended up doing better than the younger boys. But they only got 5 right in the time limit and that was not good enough for Y/N.

“Can you please watch more movies?” Y/N moaned. “Or I’m going to partner with Jason next time.”

“Who knew pop culture was gonna be the thing that broke the two of you up…” Jason snickered.

Dick punched him in the arm before he pulled Y/N back down onto his lap against her will.

“You sure you wanna threaten me?” Dick asked before tickling her.

“I’m a winner. And you are becoming our weakest link!” Y/N managed to say through her laughter.

Even with the room filled with nothing but joyful chaos, a thought was nagging away at Y/N’s mind the whole night. She couldn’t ignore the disappointment of Bruce being absent. Dick knew she missed him – and he couldn’t acknowledge that without also feeling jealous.

Y/N just wanted to know how Bruce was doing.

But she also wanted to make sure there was no water under the bridge.

Yes, Bruce could go on living without ever clearing the air between the two of them. But Y/N couldn’t. She wasn’t that person anymore.

She was dating Dick now, who was basically his son – no matter how much they all tried to ignore that.

Just went Jason was about to partner with Stephanie, there was a throat clearing in the doorway of the family room.

Y/N looked up to see not only Bruce, but also Clark Kent standing in the doorway, watching all of them.

Or should she say Superman? Because he was still in his uniform.

“Hi, dad!” Jon smiled.

Clark smiled at the chaos before him. “I see you’re having fun with the Waynes.”

“Dad, can I sleep over tonight? Pretty please?” Jon whined.

“Yes, father. May he?” Damian urged to Bruce.

Clark and Bruce shared a look.

Y/N had to hide her amusement at the tired-dad role she was seeing Bruce fill. It never failed to surprise her.

Clark sighed, clearly sad he was about to disappoint his son. “I promised your mom that I’d bring you home tonight. Another time, alright?”

Jon’s head lowered in disappointment. But he didn’t fight his father on the decision.

He got up to walk to him.

“What do you say?” Clark asked.

Jon turned to Bruce. “Thank you for having me over, Mr. Wayne.”

Bruce smirked at the boy. “You’re welcome any time, Jonathan.”

Jon turned to wave bye to the rest of them. But then his eyes widened when he got to Y/N.

“Oh!” The boy practically yelped and skipped to where Y/N sat on the couch.

She was taken by surprise when the boy wrapped her into a hug.

“It was nice to meet you, Y/N.” Jon hummed with a smile. Then he turned to his father. “Dad! This is Y/N.”

She stood up when Clark walked to her. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you.”

Clark reached his hand out. Clearly Jonathan got his manners from his father.

“Clark,” he introduced. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Y/N. It’s nice to finally put a face to the name.”

Y/N turned to eye Dick for that.

“Oh, not from that one,” Clark clarified with a smile and then nudged his head in Bruce’s direction, who was still standing in the doorway.

Y/N blinked in surprise, but recovered quickly.

“I hope they weren’t too much to handle,” Clark commented with a wince, knowing that Dick and her were probably supervising the kids the most.

“Not at all,” Y/N said. “Jonathan is better behaved than any of these monsters…”

“Hey!” Dick and Jason called out in unison.

Clark chuckled.

Then he looked down at his son. “Come on, Jonathan. Time to go.”

Y/N peaked through a window as the two of them walked outside and took off into the sky.

A second later, she heard the sonic boom.

When she turned back to the room, no one seemed to have watched their exit like she had. They hardly noticed people’s inhuman abilities anymore.

“You guys are way too used to that…” Y/N mumbled.

Jason laughed lightly at her amazement. “You should ask Bruce about the first time Dick met Clark.”

“Absolutely not,” Dick immediately shut down.

But when Y/N looked up to ask Bruce to elaborate, he had already disappeared from the room.

Maybe her being here wasn’t as easy for him as she had expected. But that was so hard for Y/N to believe.

“He was his biggest fan,” Jason continued as Dick tried to tackle him into silence. “He asked for his autograph like a fuckin’ nerd.”

Y/N shook her head at the two of them. “Aww…cute little baby Richard.”

Before she could ask more questions, Damian tugged on her hand and pulled her out of the room.

Dick didn’t call after them, too relieved to get away from his past childhood obsession with Superman.

“Where are we going?” She asked Damian with a laugh.

The boy tugged her harder, clearly annoyed by how slow she was moving.

“I wish to show you something.” Then he hesitated before adding, “It’s a secret.”

When they got to his room, Damian double checked the hallway before closing his bedroom door behind them.

He walked to his giant, walk-in closet.

When he opened the door, Y/N knew exactly what he was hiding.

There was a litter of kittens and their mother in a large cardboard that had food, water, and toys for them.

“Damian…” Y/N cooed at the sight of them.

“I found them on patrol a week ago. It was raining and they were freezing cold. Father and Pennyworth don’t know.”

She arched an eyebrow. There was no chance that they didn’t know. Bruce was aware of everything that happened in this household.

“You can hold them,” Damian offered as he held a kitten up to her.

It warmed her heart. And she took the kitten out of his grip.

She watched as Damian played with them and their mother, who seemed to be alright with this new human touching her babies.

“How’s your father doing, Damian?” Y/N asked carefully after awhile.

He shrugged. “Fine, I suppose. Though I think he was rather sad when you left.”

Y/N hummed.

She was surprised that such a thing could be perceived by Damian. It had to have been rather obvious for him to notice.

But this was most likely all she’d get from the boy.

“I see Grayson is quite happy,” Damian added.

“Think so?”

He nodded.

“I liked Jon. He’s a little cutie.”

“Yuck. He’s my friend.”

Y/N laughed. “You know, I think you’re a little cutie, too. But I would never tell anyone that. I know you’ve got a reputation to uphold.”

Damian glared at her.

But the look just caused Y/N to laugh more.

“Maybe I can convince them to let you keep all of ‘em,” she told him.

His head whipped up to from the kittens to her, surprised by her offer.

“You would do that?” He asked.

“Yeah. I just don’t know how much power I have...”

“More than you think…” Damian mumbled.

“What?”

“I think he still loves you,” the boy said as he looked down at the kittens.

“I’m not so sure. After all, he didn’t seem to even want to talk to me.”

“He doesn’t know how to behave around you and Grayson. He’s scared to get in between the two of you.”

Her brow furrowed. “How do you know that?”

“A couple nights ago, I overheard father and Pennyworth talking about you visiting. Father thought it was best to keep his distance.”

“Overheard or eavesdropped?” She challenged.

Damian smirked mischievously.

“We should probably get back before everyone get’s suspicious. I don’t want to expose your secret,” Y/N finally told him.

The boy nodded in agreement.

“Thank you for sharing it with me.”

“Mhmm,” he hummed back.

——————

Dick and Y/N had already planned to stay the night at the manor.

The two of them stayed in Dick’s bedroom, which only got Y/N to make a dozen jokes about sleeping together in his childhood room.

But the fun ended there.

While Dick quickly fell asleep, Y/N laid wide awake.

She went over her conversation with Damian again and again.

Was Bruce really that worried about her visiting?

After failing at going to sleep for hours, Y/N finally gave up.

She started getting out of bed.

“You OK?” Dick mumbled, her movement instantly waking him up.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just gonna go get some water from the kitchen,” she told him quietly. “Go back to sleep,” she urged before kissing his cheek.

It was a bit of a white lie.

Y/N was going to find Bruce.

However, she expected to have to trek all the way down to the cave.

Imagine her surprise when there was a slit of light leaking from the office.

Y/N froze, realizing her moment of confrontation was coming much sooner than she’d expected.

Her inhale was shaky the second before she slipped into the room.

Bruce immediately sensed a new presence and looked up from the computer.

“Hey,” Y/N greeted quietly.

Her body language screamed how uncomfortable she was.

But Y/N knew she had to stop running away from the hard questions.

What was the point of going to therapy if she wasn’t going to use the resources and advice to improve her life?

Bruce straightened in his seat, almost as if he’d been caught.

“Hi,” he replied softly.

His eyes held a smile that didn’t reach his lips.

“Couldn’t sleep?” He asked her.

Y/N nodded and crossed her arms.

But she couldn’t stop herself from blurting out, “I’m sorry if it’s hard – me being here, I mean.”

Then she blinked and her eyes widened, fully processing what she just said.

“Or maybe it’s not hard at all and I’m completely projecting,” she added quickly.

Y/N cringed at her mess of a mind and inability to actually communicate what she wanted to say.

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Bruce assured her before she could panic any further.

He slowly stood from his desk and walked out from behind it.

Y/N was a bit caught off guard by how close he stood to her, arms crossed and radiating poise.

She was so used to him keeping a distance – literally and figuratively.

“I’m glad you and Dick came to visit,” Bruce shared.

Y/N nodded.

Of course he would say that. It was the polite thing to do. And Bruce Wayne was raised to be polite, if nothing else.

An awkward silence settled.

“It is hard, you being here,” Bruce finally confessed.

Y/N was caught off guard by the honesty.

“I shouldn’t have kept the two of you apart,” he told her tenderly.

“It wasn’t just you, Bruce. I kept pushing him away,” she tried to defend.

Bruce shook his head. “But you wouldn’t have done that if it were not for me.”

Y/N took in a deep breath. “I’m glad you didn’t come find me.”

It was like they could both feel the gravity of the conversation drop.

“I needed time and space to see our relationship without,” she hesitated, “without being distracted by wanting you to want me.”

She shook her head at her own racing thoughts. “We would’ve been terrible for each other, Bruce.”

His instinct was to tell her that he disagreed.

But that was only because she saw the truth before him, and it made a part of him bitter – bitter that she wasn’t scared of it the same way he clearly was.

So Bruce’s silence said more than any words.

“I finally understood that the issue was never you not being able to find the right person. It was you never finding the person who would make you give up everything else.” Her head bowed in defeat. “And it just…it fucking sucked to realize that wasn’t going to be me. But I had to realize it at some point.”

Bruce cleared his throat. It was more to hold back his emotions than anything else.

“After everything, does it even mean anything when I say that I will always be sorry for what I did to you?” He asked her faintly.

She gave him a sad smile and bowed her head, “It does.”

Her smile brightened.

“Bruce, I really love him,” she whispered.

It was desperate and almost frightened, like she was scared saying it aloud would ruin the whole thing and Dick would disappear.

“I promise…he loves you even more.”

Once again, Y/N was taken aback by Bruce’s words.

But it was the truth.

From the short time Bruce had been in the room with Clark, he was hit with the absolute infatuation Dick had for her. Bruce noticed the way Dick looked at her, how his body was always facing her direction, and the love-sick sparkle in his eyes.

It had made Bruce wonder, ‘Could I have ever loved her that way?’

And he knew it was the what Y/N deserved.

“I won’t allow my mistakes to be the thing that keeps you two away,” Bruce finally disclosed. “I want the two of you to be happy.”

“Thank you,” Y/N whispered, trying to stop her voice from shaking.

Y/N faltered before she asked, “Are you gonna be OK, Bruce?”

He nodded. “Always am.”

She laughed lightly at his answer. “No, you aren’t. You’re just way too good at hiding it. And that’s why I worry.”

“You don’t have to worry about me, Y/N.”

“Well, I’m going to.”

Bruce gave her a shy smirk. “I will be fine.”

Y/N gave a stiff nod. That was as good as she was going to get.

“I should try to get some sleep,” she told him with a shrug.

He nodded. “Goodnight, Y/N.”

With that, she walked slowly out of the office and left him.

Tiptoeing back into the bedroom, Y/N got back into bed and nuzzled close to Dick.

He pulled her into his arms without opening his eyes.

“Hi,” he mumbled sleepily.

“Hi,” she whispered back.

She brushed some hair off his face and took in the sight of him sleeping.

They had officially been together as a couple for the past six months, bouncing around the country together.

Dick had done what he promised and gave Y/N her space.

She ended up staying in Norway for a year, spending 6 more months there after Dick had visited.

It was a real testament to Dick’s self control, the way he stopped himself from texting and calling her every day. He managed to keep it to a single text, once a week. He’d always kept it light, using it more as a check-in to make sure she was doing OK and staying safe.

Now Y/N looked at him as her boyfriend.

Someone she’d never had in her life before.

It was definitely a learning curve for her. But Dick was patient. More patient than Y/N believed she deserved. But that was something she had to work on still, too.

Dick was nothing but loving and gentle with Y/N. He made her laugh and smile – sometimes at his own expense. He taught Y/N that relationships could be filled with fun and jokes. They didn’t always have to be weighed down by tension and uncertainty.

And even though Y/N didn’t understand it or agree, Dick still saw himself as the lucky one.

“I love you, Dick,” she finally breathed as she brushed his cheekbone with his thumb.

“I love you, too.” He mumbled back.

And she had no idea if he was talking in his sleep or not.

Regardless, it was absolutely adorable.

————

Dick was a product of Bruce’s bad habits, often waking up early even when he was disturbingly sleep deprived.

When he walked into the manor’s kitchen the next morning, only Bruce was occupying the room. Alfred was probably working in the gardens.

“Morning,” Dick greeted as he poured himself coffee.

“Heading out early?” Bruce asked.

Dick shook his head. “Y/N didn’t get a lot of sleep last night. So I wanted to let her sleep in as much as she wants. Then we’ll probably head out.”

“Where to?”

Dick shrugged, “San Francisco.”

Bruce just nodded in interest.

“I can feel a lecture coming on…” Dick pointed out before he quirked an eyebrow and took a sip of coffee.

Bruce moved in his seat. “Don’t ruin this, Dick.”

Dick couldn’t help but smirk. “You do understand how ironic that is coming from you, right?”

Bruce sighed, but it was his equivalent of rolling one’s eyes.

“She talk to you last night?” Dick asked.

As soon as Y/N had come back to bed, he knew that’s where she’d been.

“She did,” Bruce confirmed.

Dick shifted his weight.

“You have nothing to worry about,” Bruce said with a smirk. His amusement only earned him a glare from Dick. “She chose you, Dick. And I’m not going to do anything to hurt either of you.”

Dick knew there was nothing but sincerity behind Bruce’s words.

But he also spent most of his life comparing himself to Bruce. This was the first time he’d ever done so with women or love or even sex. It would take a bit more effort to get over it like he had with his other insecurities.

“I know,” Dick finally said quietly.

———————

A few hours later, Y/N had woken up, showered, and gotten her things together.

Dick and her had said their goodbyes to the boys and Alfred.

Just as they were at the door, Y/N noticed Bruce leaning against the wall, watching them leave.

“Go,” Dick urged her quietly when he saw her hesitate. “I’ve already said my goodbyes.”

Y/N’s fingers fidgeted as she slowly walked to Bruce.

“Guess this is goodbye,” she laughed awkwardly.

“Guess so,” he offered with a sad smile.

‘Fuck it,’ she thought before wrapping him in a hug.

“Keep in touch with him, please. He misses you more than you think,” she whispered into his shoulder.

“You let me know if he gives you trouble,” he answered seriously.

But Y/N pulled away with a laugh. “We both know he would never.”

She took a step back. “Bye, Bruce.”

“Goodbye, Y/N.”

And then she was gone.

Bruce watched them leave through the windows.

When Y/N got into the car, Dick reached over with his hand and gave her a sympathetic look. “You OK?”

“Mhmm,” she hummed before kissing him.

“We got a long drive ahead of us,” Dick sighed.

Y/N smiled. “Yeah, but it’ll be fun.”

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

THE END

I just wanted to thank everyone who commented or messaged me about this story. I don’t know if I’ve ever written a story this quickly before. And it was honestly because I felt like people were reading it and they cared. I haven’t had that experience for quite some time. So thank you.

Let me know how you’re feeling and what you thought!!!

If you’ve been reading this and not commenting/messaging me, or you’ve waited until I finished writing the whole series so you can read it in on sitting and not engage at all... we’re not friends.

LOL.

#all men have limits #all men have limits part 12 #dick grayson x reader #dick grayson reader insert #bruce wayne x reader #bruce wayne reader insert #bruce wayne x reader x dick grayson #dick grayson x reader x bruce wayne #batfam #batboys #nightwing x reader #batman x reader

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just-dreaming-marvel · 4 years

Text

Too Kind

MAIN MASTERLIST

Avengers x Stark!Reader

Word Count: 3,950ish

Summary: You’re smart just like your father, Tony Stark. But too kind for your own good.

Notes: This was a requested one, but it was also one of the ones that got deleted. I hope that whoever requested this enjoys it. (REQUESTS ARE STILL OPEN. CLICK/PRESS HERE FOR GUIDELINES.)

You’ve always been told that your mother was the nicest woman on the planet. And that you were very much like her in that way. Unfortunately, your mother died during childbirth leaving you with your father, Tony Stark. You definitely got his brains, but you were definitely not as loud and rambunctious as him.

When you first met the Avengers, they were surprised that you were Tony’s daughter. In their eyes, you were too nice, too forgiving. You hated violence, but you understood why your father and the other Avengers did what they did. None of what made you you was a bad thing. It’s just, the Avengers were afraid that one day you’d get deeply hurt by your kind and forgiving nature. They couldn’t stand to see you sad so they did whatever they could to protect you. But they knew, that the one that would end up hurting you the most was Tony.

Not that he was a bad father, he just was blind to how his actions affected people. Especially you, his daughter. Tony would spend a lot of time in his lab or away on missions. He did try to make sure a night was set aside every week for just the two of you, but that slowly faded away once Peter Parker came into the picture. The Avengers saw what was happening and felt extremely sorry for you. They would always try to get you to talk about it, but you would always give him an excuse though and never talk unkind about him. This made the Avengers hearts break but also made them love you more. You were a better person than they would ever be.

One morning, you were having breakfast in the common kitchen of the Avengers Tower. Steve was brewing coffee while Sam was making waffles, bacon, and eggs, and Natasha was cutting fruit. Tony drudged in after a long night in the lab, going straight for the coffee.

“Good morning, dad!” You greeted with a large smile on your face.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” Tony greeted in return, grabbing a cup of coffee before walking to press a kiss on your hair. “Have any plans today?” He moved to sit in the empty chair next to you.

“Just school and then a big science project I need to work on this afternoon.”

“Science project? That sounds interesting. Need any help?”

“You aren’t too busy to help?”

“I’m never too busy for you, sweetheart.” The other Avengers eyed each other, carefully watching the interaction. “Why don’t you come straight to the lab after school?”

“Really?”

“Really.” He leaned forward, kissing your cheek, before standing up. “I’ll see you after school.”

“Yeah, see ya then, dad.”

Tony smiled at you before heading back to the lab. The three Avengers in the kitchen with you moved to sit down at the table.

“That will be nice,” Natasha said, slowly. “When was the last time you worked on something in the lab with him?”

“Oh, a few months, I think,” you answered. “But he’s been busy, saving the world and helping Peter get his feet on the ground now that he’s an Avenger.”

“You know you don’t have to do that, Y/N,” Steve said.

“Do what?”

“Make excuses for him. He’s your father, he should spend more time with you than he does.”

“He spends time with me. It’s just that Peter doesn’t have a father in his life. Dad feels the need to step into that roll. It’s alright.”

“I don’t know how you do it, Y/N/N,” Sam said, shaking his head. “I don’t know how have been able to maintain such a positive attitude throughout everything.”

You just shrugged your shoulders. “It’s not that hard.”

“You know that if it gets too much for you, that we’re here for you right?” Natasha comforted. “Any of us would gladly put your father in his place.”

“I know that, Nat. But I don’t need any of you hurting each other. Thanks for the offer though.” You stood up, swinging your backpack over your shoulder and putting the dishes you used in the sink. “Thanks for breakfast guys! I’ll see you after school!” And then you were gone.

Steve sighed. “I’m worried,” he said. “She’ll break one day. He’ll do something to hurt her and I can’t bare to stand by and watch it.”

“We can’t do anything until she says,” Nat said. “If we do anything, she’ll be disappointed in us. All we can do right now it remind her that we’re here for her and watch carefully.”

~~~

School went slowly, with you constantly watching the time. All you wanted to do was go home and work in the lab with your dad. It had been longer than you’d like to admit since it was just you and Tony in the lab. When you got home, you swung by the kitchen for a snack before making your way to the lab. As you neared, you heard laughter coming from the room. You entered to see Tony and Peter working together on a new Spider-Man suit, laughing. Bruce was on the far end of the lab, minding his own business. You slowly came up to your dad and Peter.

“Hey, dad,” you greeted, smile on your face. “Hey, Pete.”

“Hey, sweetheart,” your dad turned around. “Spidey here ruined his suit during lunch today, so we’re just fixing it up. Mind if you wait a little before we start on your project?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

“Hey, Y/N,” Bruce called, having heard the conversation. “I can help you if you’d like.”

“Oh, no, it’s okay Bruce,” you shook your head. “I can wait. I’ll just be up in my room until you need me, okay dad?” But Tony wasn’t listening, he was back to work with Peter. “Dad?”

“Huh?” Tony hummed, not moving to look at you.

“Just have FRIDAY tell me when you’re ready.”

“Oh, yeah, okay.”

You smiled kindly at Bruce before heading to your room. Bruce sighed as he watched you leave. He knew you had hope that Tony would call you down tonight, but this hadn’t been the first interaction like this that he had witnessed. It hurt him to see you seemly so naive to what was happening to you.

You never did get called down to the lab. But instead of hiding out in your bedroom to do homework all night, you eventually moved out into the common area. Nat, Steve, Sam, Wanda, Vision, Rhodey, Bucky, and Bruce were all already out there, putting together dinner. Bruce had already told them what he had witnessed in the lab and they all already had to stop Bucky from barging down there and giving Tony a piece of his mind. They all smiled though, at you as you walked to the table and set your things down.

“How was school today, Y/N?” Rhodey asked.

“It was school,” you answered with a shrug of your shoulders. “Not too terrible, but also not too amazing.”

“Anything we can do to help you with your homework?” Steve asked.

“No,” you shook your head. “I just came out because I didn’t want to be alone while I worked.”

They all eyed each other and silently promised each other that they wouldn’t let anything ruin your night. They all pitched in to help you with your homework, even though you never asked. All of you worked together to make dinner, laughing and dancing around the kitchen. It was a night to remember. You fell asleep at the table, head fallen into a textbook. Bucky gently took you in his arms and tucked you in for the night. Wishing you sweet dreams with a kiss to your forehead.

You woke up and did your routine like any other day. This time was a little different though, both Peter and Tony were at the table eating breakfast before you.

“Good morning,” you said with a smile.

“Good morning,” Peter replied.

“Did you spend the night Pete?”

“Yeah, by the time Mr. Stark and I were finished, it was too late.”

“Hmm,” you hummed, grabbing a yogurt and a throw-a-way spoon. “Did you get everything fixed?”

“We did,” Tony answered. “Even started designs for a new suit for him.”

“Oh… I’m glad you two got some work done. I’ll see you guys after school.”

“Have a great day, honey!” Tony shouted as you entered the elevator.

~~~

School was the same as the day before, only this time you were coming home with an award for first place in your classes science fair. You were so excited to share the news with your dad. You went straight to the lab to show him.

“Hey, Dad!” You excitedly greeted as you rushed in. “Look what I—“

“Can’t talk right now, sweetheart,” Tony interrupted, heading to his waiting suit. “Peter’s in trouble. I’ll talk to you later though.”

You couldn’t get another word in before he was gone. You waited to move until you couldn’t hear or see hie suit anymore before you went to the common area. Bucky, Vision, and Wanda were in there, sitting around the room.

“Hey, Little Stark!” Bucky said when he sensed you. “How was school? Did your project go well?”

“It did,” you nodded, pulling out the award. “I got first place.”

“You did?” Bucky jumped up to see the award. “Congrats!” He spun you around, causing you to laugh.

“Thank you, Buck.”

“We have to celebrate!”

“Have you showed your father?” Vision asked. “I’m sure Mr. Stark would be so proud.”

“I tried,” you said. “But apparently something happened with Peter that he had to hurry and get to him.” You could see the looks of disappointment with a hint of anger they were giving you. “But that’s okay. I’ll just tell him when he’s back.”

~~~

Unfortunately, you didn’t get to see your dad for the rest of the day or before you left for school the next morning. It did disappoint you a little, that he seemed to be so busy as of late, but you also understood that the things he did were important. You were sitting in your math class, waiting for it to start, when the windows shattered and five people dressed in black from head to toe came bursting in. The classmates around you screamed while you jumped in shock.

“Nobody move!” One of the five shouted, a man’s voice. Each of them were holding up guns. “Stay where you are and nobody move!” You and your classmates froze in your spots. “Very good. Now, those of you standing, get in a seat.”

Your classmates quickly did as they were instructed. You kept your backpack that was resting in your lap close. Your father and the other Avengers, had you carry a bracelet in your bag in case of emergencies. Once you put it on, it would activate a signal for help and would form a Iron Man gauntlet onto your hand for protect. You kept your head down as the five people moved to surround the room on all sides.

“We’re looking for Spider-Man!” Another one yelled, again a man’s voice. “We’ve seen him come and go from this building. If any of you know who he really is, better fess up before it’s too late.”

You could feel the eyes of your classmates on you. They all knew whose child you were and who you considered family. So of course they would look at you for that answer. As carefully and quietly as you could, you slipped your hand into your bag and grabbed the bracelet.

“If any of you know the truth about Spider-Man’s identity,” a woman’s voice shouted. “Fess up now or one of your classmates are going to get what’s coming to them.”

You tensed at the sound of all of their guns cocking. You hated violence, but you weren’t about to let any of your classmates get hurt if you had any say. You took a deep breath before slowly standing up from your seat. Suddenly, all eyes and guns were on you.

“I-I-I know…” You shakily said. “I know who he is… I can take you to him.”

“You’re Stark’s kid,” a fourth voice snarled. “She would know who Spider-Man is. She lives at the Tower with the other heroes.”

“Come here, then,” the first man ordered, seemly the one in charge.

You slowly walked towards him, slipping the bracelet fully onto your wrist. You tried hard not to breathe a sigh of relief when the bracelet fully conformed to your wrist and slowly began forming over your hand. You knew that the Avengers would be here soon.

“I know what class he should be in,” you said, quietly.

“Then take us to him,” the first man growled.

You nodded, turning to head towards the door. But before you fully turned, you lifted your hand and used the gauntlet to take out the two people in the back.

“Foolish girl!” The man shouted.

He aimed his gun at you, but you dodged the bullet. All of your classmates took cover under their desks as a fight began. Another one came up began you, shooting at you. The bullet graze your right side. Causing you to scream out in pain. But you kept going. You quickly took out your shooter before taking out another one of the attackers. Leaving just the main guy. You help up your gauntlet covered hand as he held up his gun. You could faintly hear the emergency vehicles coming closer.

“You stupid girl,” the man snarled. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

“I would do anything to protect another’s life,” you said. “That’s how I was raised.”

“Too bad no one will be able to save yours.”

~~~

The Avengers were all in various places around the Tower, going about their own business when FRIDAY sounded the alarm.

“Miss Stark has used her panic bracelet,” FRIDAY announced to them. “She is currently at the school.”

All of the Avengers rushed to suit up.

“Where’s Tony?” Bruce asked, planning on waiting behind until he was deemed needed.

“He hasn’t been seen since yesterday,” Steve answered. “I’m sure that FRIDAY has told him and he’ll meet us there.”

~~~

The man finished his words and two shots were heard. Both the man and yourself falling to the floor. As you fell, you could faintly see Bucky outside the window, sniper riffle in hand. You looked down to see yourself bleeding from the center of your chest and the side where the bullet grazed. Breathing had become difficult. You heard someone running and jumping into the window.

“No, no, no, no,” Bucky rushed, kneeling beside you. “Doll, stay with me.” His metal hand came to press on your wound as his other went to the comm piece in his ear. “I need emergency medical services on the East side. Y/N’s been shot.”

“Bucky…” you rasped, black dots slowly filling your vision.

“Sshh… save your breath, doll. You’re going to be fine.”

“Oh my gosh!” Steve exclaimed, him and Natasha running into the room. They knelt on the other side.

“D-dad…?” You croaked. “W-here’s my d-dad?”

“He’s on his way, sweetie,” Nat said, trying to comfort you.

“T-tell him-m… that I-I’m sorry… I tried… an-and that I for-forgive him…” You barely got all that out before your world went black.

The EMTs arrived almost right after you fell unconscious. The team struggled to stand by and watch them rush you away in an ambulance. They quickly followed behind, arriving at the hospital right after you. You were immediately rushed into surgery and the team was forced to wait in the waiting room. Bucky and Steve were pacing; Vision was floating; Wanda was sitting in a corner, trying to block out everyone’s racing thoughts; Natasha was sitting in a chair, leaning forward with her hands clasped in front of her; Sam was leaning back, arms crossed and foot tapping; and Rhodey and Bruce were trying to get a hold of Tony. They had been there a little more than an hour when Tony and Peter rushed into the waiting room.

“Where is she?” Tony asked, clearly out of breath. “Where’s my daughter?”

“You would know if you answered the emergency alert that was sent out!” Bucky shouted.

“We were a bit busy trying to find these guys and were threatening Peter!”

“You mean the same guys that broke into the school and threatened Y/N’s class?” Steve growled.

“What?” Tony shook his head. “No. They… They… oh my—”

“And you were too busy to come to your own daughter’s rescue?!” Steve continued. “But, why is that a surprise,” Steve chuckled darkly. “You’re always too busy for her.”

“I don’t like the way you’re talking, Rogers. Be very careful.”

“But it’s true!” Bucky yelled. “Time and time again she’s tried to spend time with you, but you push her aside. Either for a mission or for him!” Bucky pointed at Peter, who immediately looked like he wanted to disappear.

“That’s not true!” Tony retorted. “I spend plenty of—“

“It is true, Tony!” Nat yelled, coming up to face the man. “Just in the past two days, you’ve ignored you twice to spend time with Peter. No offensive, Peter. This really isn’t your fault.”

“Did you know that she got first prize in her science class for the project that you didn’t end up helping her on?” Bucky questioned your father.

“I told her that I’d help her after—“

“After you were finished with me,” Peter interrupted Tony. Everyone turned to look at the poor teenager, who was feeling incredibly guilty. “But we never finished. Or even asked her to stay.”

Tony got quiet, immediately searching in his memories for the events of the past few days. And, unfortunately, his teammates were right. He searched his memories back farther, realizing that it made been months since he’d spent any alone time with his own daughter. Tears pricked his eyes.

“What have I done?” He quietly asked, turning the attention on himself. “What have I done?” He ran his hands through his hair, feeling a panic attack coming on. Tony backed up into the wall. “She’ll never forgive me… I’ll never forgive myself… she’ll die not knowing how much I care for her…”

“Tony, Tony,” Rhodey quickly came up to his spiraling friend. “We can’t think like that. Yes, we haven’t heard anything. But Y/N is not going to die.”

“And she’ll forgive you,” Bucky said. “For whatever reason… her last words before she— she wanted you to know that she was sorry and that she forgave you.”

“She was sorry?” Tony repeated. “How—why?”

“She felt like she didn’t try hard enough for you,” Nat answered.

“What? How could she feel that way? And… and how could see forgive me?”

“She was always forgive you,” Bruce replied. “For everything. She always gave you a reason.”

“I’m a terrible father.”

“Damn right you are,” Bucky agreed.

“Bucky,” Nat scolded.

“No, no, Barnes is right,” Tony said, hanging his head. “And if she doesn’t make it… I’ll never get to make it up to her…”

~~~

It was a long and tormenting wait. They were all constantly moving, constantly changing positions. It was scary, not having heard anything after seven hours of you being back there. They were really starting to fear the worst. By the time the tenth hour came, most of them were prepared for the worst when the doctor come out and called for your family. They all rushed up though, Tony in front.

“Surgery was rough,” the doctor started. “She flatlined a few times. We won’t know the full extent of any lasting effects until she wakes. She’s currently in the ICU. We’ve put her in the most secluded area of the ICU so that you all can come back.”

“Thank you, doctor,” Tony said.

“Why don’t we all go back to the Tower and change, bring food back, so that Tony can have some time with Y/N?” Natasha suggested.

The team all nodded in agreement. They left Tony will reassuring smiles and pats as they went to leave. The doctor walked Tony to your room, where he became frozen at the door. His heart broke into a million pieces at the sight of you hooked up to wires and tubes breathing for you. He didn’t try to stop the tears that began to trickle down his cheeks as he took in your body. He’d never seen you, or anyone else, look so fragile. It was clear that you had lost a lot of blood and that the surgery took just as much of a toll on your body as the bullet wounds had. Slowly, his heavy feet made their way to your bedside, pulling the chair up with him. Tony plopped into the chair, immediately grasping your hand in both of his. He held his head to the hands, crying into them.

“I promise that I’ll do better,” he cried. “Be better… for you… you deserve a better father than me… and, from now on, I promise to be the father you deserve…”

He stayed by your side, for days. With the other members of the team switching off to be there for you as well. A week after surgery, the doctor gave the go ahead to take the breathing tube out of your mouth. It was now completely up to you and your body as to when you would wake up. At this time, none of the team members left the hospital. They all wanted to be there when you woke. It was other two days before you flinched. They all were immediately on edge, watching for more movements. Your eyes fluttered next, clearly taking a while to adjust to the bright hospital lights. Tony stood, so that he could be the first one you saw.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he smiled, a teary, tired smile, as your eyes met his.

“D-dad…” you rasped. “I—“

“No need for that,” he shook his head. “You need to rest some more.”

“Hey, doll,” Bucky greeted as him, Steve, and Sam walked up to the other side. The other team members quickly surrounded the bed. “You gave us quite the scare.”

“Never do that again,” Tony pled, holding a kiss to your forehead. “I am so sorry, Y/N,” he whispered, letting a tear fall onto your face. “I am so sorry.”

“Let’s give them some space,” Wanda said quietly. “It’s good to have you back with us.” The team went to wait just outside the room, leaving the father-daughter you alone.

“I’m so incredibly sorry for the way I’ve been treating you, Y/N,” Tony cried. “I don’t know how you could ever forgive me.”

“Be-because… I… love you… as a daught-ter should love… her father… unconditionally…”

“You’re too good for me. Too good for this world. I love you, honey. So, so much.”

You gave your father the best smile you could. “Start over?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “And, first things first, I’m taking all time off so that I can just focus on you and your recovery. Show you that I mean it.”

“Okay,” you nodded. “You just can’t go polar opposite, helicopter parent. Okay? I don’t know how I’ll be able to handle that.”

“Oh, sweetheart, that’s exactly what I plan on doing.”

#avengers x reader #tony stark x daughter!reader #the avengers x reader #marvel imagine #avengers x stark!reader

1K notes · View notes

loving-all-for-loki · 3 years

Note

Can you write one where the Rogers is assigning a new recruit to each avenger for training? Loki gets the new girl and he’s irritated thinking she’s just some normal human that hasn’t a clue how to fight properly because of her petite size. When it comes time for them to spar, she gives him hell. She fights with swords and is very skilled in the art. He says something to piss her off and she ends up blasting him away with powers she never told anyone about. Loki realizes what she is since he knows the magic she used. She’s part light elf but being half human she was abandoned and left to die just like Loki was. They end up bonding and work together on the team.

A/N: I hope you like it! I didn't focus a whole ton of them working together, but I feel like you get the point. It's a bit longer than my other one shots.

The Moon And Her Darkness

Summary: Y/N, the newest avenger, starts her first day of training. An unimpressed Loki’s doubts are proved to be wrong when she reveals herself to be stronger than he knew.

Word count: 2744

Warnings: angst, dick Loki

Forever Tags: @mm2305

Your blood pumps fast through your body as you stare at the raven haired god. Ever since you joined the team, he’s been giving you dirty looks and eye rolls. You tried to not pay attention to it since you know of his past (and have been warned by Tony), but as the newest Avenger trying to prove herself, you find yourself longing for his approval.

It has been a week since Nicky Fury showed up at your home, extracting you from it, and throwing you into the lion's den you called the Avengers. You never signed up for it, but given that you were on the government’s radar for a long time, you’re not surprised. A couple mishaps here and there made them take you on their own terms. They’ve decided that having super powers is not something to be normalized and that you couldn’t live like a normal civilian.

Although you want to be home, the Avengers have already shown to be a great family. Nat and Wanda have already taken you shopping while Steve gave you a tour of the tower. As far as the others, they have been out of sight. Bucky avoids everyone, Sam with him because they’re glued to the hip, and Tony is somewhere else working on new technology with Bruce. Clint? Thor? Who even knows. You’ve been thankful for the attention they have given you.

Except for Loki.

You remember the attack in New York and you won’t lie when saying that approaching the god is intimidating. He stands with great pride and power, it’s hard not to feel small, but when he stares at you the way he does, it’s harder. He doesn’t stop looking at you as if you were a rat he found in a sandwich. Disposable. Replaceable. Disgusting. You don’t expect much from the God being that he’s only staying here out of punishment for the attacks, but you had hoped for a little something more. Even a prank or two.

When Steve told you that you were going to start training, you expected hand to hand combat like the rest, not whatever involves Loki being in the gym at the same time as the two of you. He hasn’t said a word, but just stared at you as Steve goes over some basic disabling techniques and defense. Most of it is already burned in your brain from your childhood, being a warrior and all, but you still manage to learn some new things.

But learning as to why Loki is there, that still remains unclear. Everytime you throw a punch or try to block one of Steve’s, Loki scoffs at you and rolls his eyes. He looks completely relaxed on a bench in the room, yet he could not be looking at you with a more tense gaze. He looks worried, as if you’re going to get beaten to a pulp.

“Okay, what’s wrong?” You yell at him.

Panting, you block Steve’s last hit and turn to the younger Odinson.

“Sorry?”

“Oh, don’t sorry me. Cut the crap, Loki. What’s up?”

“I believe the sky is.”

You grab a knife off the wall and aim it in his direction, startling him slightly but not even shocking Steve.

“You stare at me with daggers in your eyes and judge my every move. You have yet to even talk to me since I joined the team. What do you have against me, you ass?”

“Y/N-”

“Shut it, Steve!” You yell, quickly aiming the dagger at him before returning to Loki, “You. Talk.”

“It’s just pathetic, that’s all.”

“Pathetic? You’re calling me pathetic?”

You start to charge at Loki, but Steve quickly wraps his arm around your waist, holding you back from gutting the god.

“Y/N, I wanted you to spar with him after me,” he cuts in.

“And why would I do that?”

“Because he's a skilled fighter who matches your level.”

“Oh, so I spar with the tricker who decides I’m too pathetic to fight. He’s going to teleport or some shit and stab me like he does with Thor.” Loki’s eyebrows raise at the mention of Thor getting stabbed. “Yes, I’ve heard the stories. I’m not that naive, Steve.”

“I won’t leave you alone with him. I’ll be here to watch and guide.”

“What do you know about fighting with me? I have magic beyond belief” Loki asks the both of you.

“I know more than you think,” I spit, turning back to Steve, “Can we do something else?”

“Well, you coud-”

“I am not sparing with Loki.”

“Okay, then how about weapons? Whatever one you want to start with?”

Loki scoffs again at the mention of you fighting any other way than hand to hand combat. He’s lucky you’re on the same team as him or else you would have decapitated him by now just because of annoyance. How can a man so attractive be so obnoxious?

You walk over to the wall of weapons were Steve and quietly discuss which ones you’ll practice with. He recommends knives so you can spar with Natasha when he’s gone, but the swords are more up your alley. They remind you of your childhood, the weapon of your people. Some days, you miss them, but you know they are fighting their own battle that is too dangerous for you.

Picking up the swords, Steve warns you he is not good which makes Loki laugh again. He has the right to this time because how do you practice with a man who doesn’t know what he’s doing. You can’t last ten minutes with Cap before you’re tired of his flailing. He’s really not good.

“Loki, you wouldn’t happen to know how to use swords would you?”

“I have some experience. Asgard knights and Valkyrie used them, we were forced to learn.”

He stands and takes Steve’s sword from him. Turning to you, he smirks, taking you in. Your frame looks so small compared to his, nothing but a mortal. He’s never admit it, but he finds you slightly adorable, in a helpless baby sort of way. You take proper stance and stare at Loki dead in the eye, determined to prove him wrong.

The two of you run at each other, swinging at any unblocked area you can, yet never hitting. He blocks your swing, pushing you back but not down. Looking up at him, you scream and run, thrusting your sword towards his neck and legs. He blocks you again, but not without stumbling. Before he’s able to get up, you land a blow right to his chest, knocking the air out of him. He hooks his foot around your leg and flips the two of you over so he hovers above you, sword to throat.

“I’ll admit it, you are good, but not great,” he laughs.

He stands up and walks off, setting the swords back on their holder on the wall. You gradually stand up, fury in your bones for the way he speaks to you.

“You… are irritable!” You yell.

Right before Loki gets to the door, he turns to face you. Steve rushes to your side.

“Y/N, stop. He’s not worth it.”

“Oh, he’s not worth it, alright,” you mutter to Steve, “He’s not worth the pride. The praise. Whatever the ‘glorious purpose’ he thinks he has. He’s just an insecure little boy who needs to prove himself over others, make them feel small so he feels superior. Just a bully.”

“I’d watch your tongue,” Loki warns.

“Or else what? You’ll challenge me to a words competition? See who has the best insults or can sound like the biggest douche because I think we all know who would win! Another check mark for your book of things you’re better at than ‘midgardians’ or ‘mortals’ or whatever degrading nickname you think of next.”

Loki’s chest heaves in anger. You’ve never seen someone so angry or heard anyone yelling at you with concern like Steve. Nothing he says registers in your head as Loki’s daring looks fill your mind. You’d almost be scared if you didn’t know he’s full of empty threats. Just a scared little god boy.

“You imbecile, think you can scare me?”

“Actually, I think anything can.”

“I can take words from someone who does not know me, but to be called a coward is not something I take lightly.”

“So what are you going to do about it? Huh?”

“Nothing, I don’t waste my time on people like you.”

“Oh, people like me? Because the great Frost Giant Asgardian is sooo superior.”

“Don’t you ever say that.”

Loki rushes to your side, grabbing you by the throat and lifting you up against the wall.

“Loki, stop it!” Steve yells.

“This is not about you, Rodgers. I suggest you leave before getting in the crossfire.”

“I can’t do that. The safety of this team-”

“Is your priority. I know you are honorable, but I highly suggest you leave.”

Steve hesitates at the sound of you gasping for air. You cling onto Loki’s hand, tightly wound around your throat. His veins pop out of his hand like a dehydrated man. Steve looks back at you, eyes now closed to focus on your breathing.

“Put her down first,” Steve orders.

“Fine, always have to be the hero.”

Loki sets you down and your body goes numb. Everything hurts, your throat swelling. You gasp for all the air you can, feeling it go down your throat and enter your lungs. It’s fresh, comforting, healing. Leaning your head back against the wall, you barely open your eyes to see Steve by your side.

“Are you okay?”

Not energized enough to speak yet, you nod your head and place your hand on his shoulder. Steve looks over at you with worry before turning back to Loki.

“Leave, now.”

“Gladly.”

Loki turns to walk away, but doesn’t. He stands there to listen to you and Steve. At this point, neither of you care. You’re too focused on not dying.

“Can you breathe?” Steve asks.

You nod your head.

“I can get you help. We have a hospital room.”

“No,” you choke, “I’m fine. I just need a moment.”

Steve nods, but doesn’t listen. He gets up and leaves the room, rushing down the hallways to get a nurse, leaving you alone with Loki.

“Why haven’t you left?”

“No reason.”

“Please, just go. I’m tired of fighting. You’ve done enough.”

Loki turns to look at you. You look weak, but actually weak this time. The purple tint to your skin is fading as your lungs self regenerate as you keep breathing. Gripping onto the wall behind you, you stand up. Your knees are weak, making you wobble as you do. You’re not lying. You’re tired of Loki. You’ve barely spoken to the man and he’s made two attempts on your life in ten minutes. Sure, you teased him, but doesn’t he deserve it for being an ass.

“Weak.” He mutters.

That was the last straw. You look up at him. He stares at you as if the devil himself has entered you and your eyes glow bright red, but you know what is wrong. Holding out your hand towards Loki. A glow erupts from behind you, bright yet dark. It’s dark blue like the night sky and Loki watches it in awe. In seconds, Loki’s body is flung through the training room doors, blasting him into the wall of the hallways. He feels his rib breaking, his head hitting the wall. He yells out in pain as you slowly approach him, the anger seeping through.

“Never call me weak.”

Loki flips his head up to look at you, shock running through his body. At the sound of his body collapsing, the other Avengers come running forward. They look upon the sight of you towering over the trickster god with a look they’ve never seen before. Ethereal. Godly. You look as if you’re a queen staring at her peasant handmaid. Anger. Controlling. Power.

“What the-” Bucky mutters.

“You,” Loki gasps.

He struggles to stand as the team tries to help but he refuses. You two locked eyes but nothing was said. “You’re an elf.”

Everyone looks back at you with confused faces, but you don’t say anything. Your body goes hot at the mention of the word ‘elf’. The fire inside you fades out as anxiety places it, waiting for Loki to continue.

“I knew if someone was here to figure it out it’d be you,” you whisper.

“Light elf yes?”

“Yes, moon elf to be exact.”

“How are you here? Aren’t the-”

“Yes, they’re away. I was left to die. Our town got ransacked, everyone fled. No one stopped for me.”

“Then how are you here?”

“The Air elves. They got word of what happened and came. Found me. Took me back, but-”

“You weren’t suited. They found out.”

“Yes.”

There’s a moment of silence between you and the god. His eyes shine with sadness, tears coming to the corners. He looks at you with great pity as the wall inside you breaks.

“Can someone explain what’s happening?” Steve asks.

“Can you tell?” You ask Loki.

He nods, “Yes. Y/N is a moon elf, a tribe of light elves. They’re as high up as Asgard in the nine realms, powerful warriors. They’ve been at the center of every creature out there. People have been after them for their weapons, gems, and wealth. A landmark for every thief and warrior in the universe.”

“My town was destroyed when I was a little girl. Nobody wanted me because I was a child. I was a burden to them.”

“She was left for dead to be found by the Air Elves. Another tribe. Not as powerful. But they didn’t want her and there’s only one reason why they wouldn’t want a moon elf. She’s a half-breed.”

“Moon elves are the only ones who tolerate them. Half human, half elf. Considering many of them come from moon elves, they’re not despised, but Air Elves.”

“They dropped you off on Midgard to be picked up by someone else. I assume you hid your powers?” “I had to. I acted out once when I was little and my parents freaked out. They sent me away. I lived in a orphanage before some group took me, trained me, helped me hone in my powers. They saved me.”

“Until you got to old and left.”

“Didn’t know where to go. I became a waitress at some back alley bar, lived above it in an apartment with my manager. Lived paycheck to paycheck.”

“Then?”

“Nicky Fury came to me. I was on SHIELD’s radar and they wanted me on the Avengers.”

The room goes silent. Throughout your talking you missed the way Loki got considerably closer to you. You practically stand right under his nose. Loki raises his hands and places them on your shoulders, getting your attention. You two look each other in the eye for a long moment.

“I am… so sorry.”

You feel the tears forming in your eyes as Loki pulls you into his chest, holding you by your waist. The team watches in awe as the closed off god embraces you. Slowly, everyone leaves you two in the hallway. An hour goes by as you cry in Loki’s eyes.

Eventually, Loki picks you up bridal style and brings you to your bedroom. He helps you get dressed for the night and settled in bed before you grab his hand, making him turn back to face you. His eyes are no longer riddled with anger or hatred, but kindness and pity. He looks at you like you’re a little lamb to be protected.

“Yes, darling?”

“Stay with me?”

He nods before undressing and getting in bed with you. He pulls you close, your head leaning on his chest, and places an arm around your waist.

Every night goes on like this. No matter what happened in the day, even if you two got into an argument, Loki always found his way back by your side in your bed. You would have never expect it from how he treated you at first, but after the last few months since you met him, you find yourself growing closer to the god.

Loki slips into your bed for what feels like the 1482nd time. Resting your head on his chest, Loki pulls you close to his body.

“Goodnight, darling.”

#loki #loki fanfic #loki x reader fluff #loki x reader #loki fluff #loki x reader one shot #loki one shot #loki laufeyson #loki layfeyson x reader #loki laufeyson fluff #loki laufeyson x reader #lovingallforloki #themoonandherdarkness

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novamirmirsblog · 3 years

Text

So stay with me

Word count: 1957

Request: Yes

Genre: ANGST

Warnings: DEATH. SADNESS. Like there is literally no silver lining.

A/N I've done the foster system based off how it is where I live. I don't know what it's like for other countries so I apologise if it isn't quite the same for where you live :3 ALSO I'm going to put the request elsewhere because in order for the full unhappiness, you must experience it like this 😈

When you first entered the S.H.I.E.L.D training programme, you had been hand picked by Fury himself. You were bouncing from foster home to foster home at the time, causing general trouble by stealing, fighting and lashing out at anyone and everyone. You had no real direction. You knew you were most likely to end up on the streets - sure your social worker would still check in occasionally after you had aged out of the system but there were more and more kids being given up. Realistically, you knew you were on your own. When you reached 13 you knew that no one was going to adopt you. Especially when there were babies and young children available. Deep down, you had figured it out when you were around 9 but you clung to the naive hope that you were wrong.

~~~~~

Fury found you when you were 15 but didn't take you in until you were 17. It was the day after your 17th birthday when he turned up at your foster parent's door. He said he wanted to take you for a military programme and you packed your bag before he had even finished his speech.

You went through years of intense training and passed top of your class for everything. It was surprising considering you had never been first before. What was more shocking was the need for praise. You had always believed that you didn't need it. You had never had it before, so why is it a necessity. You realised how wrong you were when Maria took you to the side and told you that you had done well. The comment replayed in your head for months.

~~~~~

You were 23 when you first joined the Avenger's initiative. 23 when you first met Natasha. The two of you didn't hit it off to begin with, Natasha didn't like how reckless you were and you didn't like how far the stick was shoved up her arse. Truth was, you both liked each other a little more than just friends but neither of you knew how to deal with these emotions. Let's face it, Natasha grew up being told 'love is for children' and you grew up in the system where the cracks were so big elephants fell through them. The team could see it though.

"Just ask her out." Wanda told you while sitting on your bed painting her nails.

"Who?"

"You know exactly who. I can read your mind and your thoughts are very loud."

"No. Your information is wrong." Wanda grabbed your hand, painting the left one first.

"Y/n just ask Natasha out. She'll say yes."

"I hate her. We're enemies."

"Some say you have to love someone to hate them and besides" Wanda paused, gauging your reaction "You wanting to bend her over a table doesn't sound very enemy like."

Heat rose in your cheeks and you prayed nothing gave you away. "Untrue. I want to do that in an enemy way."

"Sureeee..."

From then on, you were extremely careful to keep your thoughts quiet. Especially when you had to watch Natasha train.

~~~~~

It was Natasha who asked you out. At first you thought she was joking and very nearly laughed but then you saw how she was standing, how she said 'will you go out with me' with such nonchalance that it was as if she was asking you to pass the ketchup. No one could be that cool and collected. It was the way she even played slightly with her fingernails that showed you she was nervous. You of course said yes.

That was the beginning of your relationship and you had been going strong for a good five years. The nausea and tiredness however, started three years into your relationship. Natasha used to joke that maybe you were pregnant when it had first started happening, the others laughing at even the thought of you cheating on Natasha. The jokes died down when after a month and a half of running to the bathroom, it finally affected your missions. You were sent right off to Dr Cho and no one would have anything else said on the matter. You had tried to fight them, of course - it really wasn't that bad. All you needed to do. was take some anti-nausea medication and you would be fine.

Leukaemia

You knew that one little word would do so much damage to your strange family if they ever found out. You sat in silence as you formulated a plan, Dr Cho just watching you, letting you process. What was the point in telling your family and causing them pain if the treatment plan Dr Cho had lined out for you worked? There wasn't. That's why you kept it a secret. Why you brushed off any comments about your increased nausea, or your lack of hunger. The only person who knew was Fury.

~~~~~

"Are you cheating on me?" Natasha had cornered you after a particularly tough session of chemotherapy. All you wanted to do was sleep.

"No. Why would you think that?" Words were hard to say when you had to put all your energy into just standing up.

"You go out at all times of the day and night, you're too damn tired to do anything and you never talk to me anymore Y/n... If you wanted to break up you didn't have to cheat."

You knew this day would come eventually. It was a year into your treatments and none of them seemed to be working. Natasha wasn't stupid. It's why you kissed her on the head and pulled her into the tightest hug you could muster.

"I would never do that. I love you Natasha Romanoff. I'll explain but let me get everyone here." You asked F.R.I.D.A.Y to call everyone down to the living room.

Once everyone was settled on the sofas and chairs, you sat on the coffee table, no longer being able to hold yourself up.

"I have leukaemia."

At first, you couldn't bring yourself to look at the others. You didn't want their pity but you knew they wouldn't be able to show anything else. You looked at Natasha first. You knew she wouldn't have a pitying look on her face.

You were right.

Natasha looked furious. How dare someone who didn't even want you in their lives give you a horrible disease. She knew your chances of survival weren't good but there were treatments that could help. She had more than enough money to get whatever treatment necessary.

Tony spoke first. "I'm going to my lab. FRIDAY, contact Dr Cho. I need Y/n's medical details."

Bruce followed quickly behind him. The others gave you sad but hopeful smiles. You couldn't bring yourself to tell them there was little hope.

~~~~~

Natasha had been gone on and off for 6 months. You knew your time was coming to a close but she still hadn't given up. She was always in some country following a lead for some experimental drug to try and cure you.

But there was no cure.

Not for this. Maybe one day there would be a cure, but not in your lifetime. The cure wouldn't be able to save you.

You were almost hesitant to let Natasha come back. It had been a while since she had seen you and now you looked like paper. You were thin and fragile and your skin had lost it's colour and took on a grey tinge. Your cheeks were hollow and your lips were constantly chapped and the only thing you could stomach were tiny meals and energy drinks.

You were dying.

Everyone had come to terms with it. Tony and Bruce never stopped trying to find a cure, it just wasn't for you anymore. Wanda tried her best to keep you as comfortable as she could with her powers and Steve would come and tell you stories of before he was put in the ice to entertain you. Clint would bring his kids until it got too painful for them to see you turn from the scariest, coolest person they knew into a hollow shell.

The only person who hadn't come to terms with it was Natasha.

"Nat she needs you." Steve told her when the team were all eating.

"I know. I really think this time this lead will be the one. Then she can be fixed and-"

"Natasha." Wanda cut her off, her voice dangerously low. She had heard this speech so many times that it was painful to hear it again. "She needs you. She's dying and you need to accept it. You don't have much longer left with her and you're abandoning her when you should be with her 24/7!" Wanda's eyes glowed slightly red as she thought of all the times she had to watch her best friend realise the love of her life wasn't there with her. The cutlery began to shake a little and something fell over in the kitchen.

The crash that you heard woke you up. Maybe it was Natasha. You hobbled out of what was supposed to be your shared room, and made your way to the kitchen. By the time you had reached the kitchen, everyone was fighting. There was food being thrown, knives being grabbed and glasses shattering everywhere. You just stood there as your best friend and your girlfriend attempted to kill each other.

"guys stop." Your throat hurt from hours of throwing up so your voice didn't carry.

"guys really..." You tried again, tears forming in your eyes. You didn't want to spend your last days watching your loved ones fight.

"FRIDAY tell them to stop. please."

"Miss Y/l/n would like you all to stop. Now."

Everyone turned to the doorway where you were standing, horrified that you saw them fighting.

"Y/n, you need to get to bed sweetie." Wanda walked over to you, wrapping her arm around your waist.

"Don't touch her." Natasha stormed over, taking your other side.

"Ladies there's no need to fight. You can share right?" You let out a soft laugh and watched as they both melted. Just because you were dying, it didn't mean you lost your sense of humour.

They both took you back to your shared room, Wanda leaving to give you and Natasha some privacy.

"Please don't go anymore." You laid with your head on Natasha's chest, her hand stroking your hair.

"But I'm so close. I can cure you Y/n."

"Natty please. I can tell I don't have much longer left and I don't know if I'll still be here for when you come back if you leave again."

"But I can't lose you." Natasha whispered, scared that if she spoke any louder, some other power would hear her and take you away from her too soon.

"So stay with me."

~~~~~

It was strange, you thought, lying on your bed; you had always thought you would die doing something spontaneous, or maybe in the field. Not because your cells were abnormal. Natasha had spent every moment with you since she returned 5 months ago. You had planned everything; your funeral, little messages to each of them, where to bury you. Everything was sorted. All that was left now, was to die.

It was an ordinary Wednesday afternoon when you felt the last drops of life drain from you. You knew it was time and so you turned to Natasha who had you wrapped up in her arms, placing a hand on her face, the rest of the Avengers all sitting there quietly.

“When the time is right, we’ll be together again. I’ll always be with you.” You then let your eyes drift shut, never to open again. Not in this world, anyway, but perhaps in the next.

A/N pt 2: NOOO BUT WHY AM I CRYING. THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT WAY AROUND. We've got some Peggy Carter fluff coming up soon tho :)

Also here is the request:

A Natasha x fem!reader. Reader was one of THE best shield agents and a great member of the avengers, but sadly had genetic cancer. After fighting for two years, with nausea, pain, and no improvement, reader knew she was dying. She didn’t want to admit it, especially after all the team has done to help her, especially her girlfriend, Natasha Romanoff. No amount of treatment or amount of money or technology Tony had was gonna save her. In the end, reader comes to terms with it. But Natasha doesn’t want reader to give up. Reader get through to Natasha that she wants to spend her last moments with her without putting more strain on her body. Natasha then comes to terms with it. Eventually, on readers death bed, surrounded by the rest of the avengers, Natasha is holding reader in her arms as reader says goodbye and looks to Natasha and says “When the time is right, we’ll be together again. I’ll always be with you” (GO NUTS AND MAKE IT ANGSTY)

#natasha romanoff imagine #natasha romanoff x you #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha x reader #natasha x you #natasha romanov x reader #natasha x y/n #natasha romanoff #natasha romanov #natasha romaoff angst #Natasha Romanoff angst #black widow x female reader #black widow imagine #black widow x reader #black widow x you #black widow #angst

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writing-blog-iguess · 3 years

Note

Do you have any headcanons about the insecurities fic you wrote about? I can't help but headcanon a lot, like:

both Harley & Ivy enjoys watching reader finishing her food, they also call her their mom since reader has been making them food since their first meet (Harley loves her egg sandwich, while Ivy was the baked potatoes bread)

Alfred always bakes matcha swiss roll with red bean paste or pastries that's easy too shallow with reader (so that she could shallow without feeling like choking and needs to drink a lot of water) whenever she stops by and keeps giving him hugs which he gladly return it everytime, the Alferd&Y/N's hug, is what everyone comments it

Dicks showing pictures he took of seven years old (a journey of Y/N's growing he calls) and then reader to all his teammates and the league as soon as he learnt the engagement's finally announce 'Look at this! Can't you imagine?! She's my little sister! This is when she seven years old! It's very heartwarming right blah blah blah... " and that's how the other superheros and older Teen Titans and Barbara knows how much Dick adore his future little sister-in-law who's s cinnamon roll

Sassy and baddass way to talk for so people won't dare mess up with her confidence (Jason help her built up, after he met her and quick into adoption of her, siblings!) Not that he would ever admit, Jason will sent glares to whoever who diss Y/N's like to children picture books (for example, The Guardians of Childhood aka inspiration of Rise of the Guardians movie) come on, his little sister had great taste in books!

Tim forbid her drinking coffee when they first met and even after (since he nearly caused a seven-years-old gone missing in the manor after the reader can't fall asleep decided to have a exploration situation) but will make it for her sometimes later after she used to it, made account for art websites she wants to register that so she can admire arts but underage back when childhoods, so he used it under his own only name (defiantly annoymus, and no, it's not illegal website) and every then and how

Makeover and dress-up with Barbara, Stephanie and Cassandra after they learnt of her (which they give Damian few lessons of 'how to treat the girl you like' with Dick who's extremely enjoy it, Jason and Tim who's enjoy the show all day), in the end, all heads to movie since it's sister bond time and apparently, the ideas of XL caramel popcorns and coke are the best choice!

Bruce pat or ruffle her hair softly everytime they met, a habit since the day he had ten years ago when she's seven, a touch of 'my daughter is growing up' feel will seldom appears in his heart

Damian from straightly ingored to slowly falls in love with reader after everytime he saw her sincere smile whenever she enjoyed Alfred's food heartily (like this, but a more faintly heartwarming one haha, at the very last pic, not sure if you could see it, so here's another link you could try out☺☺ )

Innocent, 'naive girl playing tough' charm whenever she and Damian together alone (first kiss, cuddling, hair massaging, teasing, which he finds not annoying because it's how really she is, and he enjoys keep on trailing and turn on her wildness)

How reader slowly felt left out though it didn't really occur me, just the thought of Batfam night activity and how we're isolating from each other slowly and inoccasionally when growing up just made me feel that way, you know, the feelings of it's not the same like it used to anymore😞😞

And once again, thank you so much for accepting my request at the beginning, I've been having this thought in my mind but I just couldn't write it, I'm so glad you accepted it and it's totally the way I want☺☺ (And about part 2 Talia which you accepted it too, I hope my words didn't scare you out lol... I'm too exciting that day...) Hope you have a very good day ahead, author!

Tumblr really needs to let me know when I have something in my inbox, I swear.

Of course! I loved writing it, and I’m glad you enjoyed it. No, your words didn’t scare me lol, I’m just outlining part 2 and I hope you love it just as much. With that said, and you don’t mind the wait, send in your ideas! I love reading them.

Okay, onto the headcanons! I love these! I put mine under the readmore, there's a bit;

Y/N didn’t have the best home life. Like I’m not saying abusive, just her parents neglected her a little. And it didn’t help that her whole life was planned for. So when she met Harley and Ivy, they basically went, you’re mine now no take backsies. And y/n just rolls with it, because through them, she finds out what it feels to be loved by someone who cares about you. This of course, she keeps from her parents and the day she turned eighteen, she moved out and it was a lot easier to hang out with those two.

Ever since knowing Harley and Ivy, y/n’s been slowly getting out of her shell. When she starts to hang out with Jason, she becomes more confident. She has Jason wrapped around her finger without even knowing

The girls love her, everyone loves her and Damian’s just, why

She loves cooking, and she even swaps recipes with Alfred. (even from the beginning of the whole arrangement) she became fast friends with Alfred first before everyone else.

y/n has known Damian since his first day of school. But I’m not going to lie, y/n was kind of scared Damian.

She got so offended when Tim took away her coffee when she wanted to try it. And when she became a regular coffee drinker, they would talk about different coffees they had tried and compare notes.

When the arranged marriage was first brought up in conversation, there was a lot of protests. Especially from Dick and Damian, but Bruce just shrugged saying that it was a good match. And if they don’t get married in the end, than that’s fine. Everyone was very confused but stopped bringing it up

They have theories though about the whole thing, the most popular one in the manor is that Bruce is looking for the next Robin when Damian hangs up the Robin cape to be someone else

When Bruce announced that, everyone did their own research about y/n. Everyone but Damian agreed but she must be protected, though it kind of blows up when they kind of cast her aside when she started hanging out with them at the manor, (but that’s not until later)

She and Damian have lunch together everyday at school, much to Damian’s displeasure. And he’s mean to her at the beginning, ignoring her and whatnot. She doesn’t do anything cuz she hates this setup just as much

But slowly, she starts to catch feels but keeps it to herself.

As you said, Damian takes longer to fall in love with her. And its one of those moments when she looks at peace within his family and it just hits him like ‘oh. Oh no I’m in love and I can’t tell anyone this’ and he doesn’t. So up until they confess to each other, their just pinning after each other and people who aren’t family sees that their in love but no know says anything

However, they do get more cuddly when they’re alone. Like, they don’t kiss or anything. But when they have movie nights, y/n’s curled up on the end of the couch with Damian’s head on her lap. And she’s always plays with his hair, of runs her fingers through it and Damian has discovered that it feels nice and helps him to de-stress

She knows when he’s stressed about something, so her just pats her lap and he grumbles about it but is secretly happy (they have been caught on multiple occasions by his brothers and they chooses to ignore them

She’s been so use to feeling alone, that being with people who care feels foreign to her

When she starts to feel like she’s alone again, she doesn’t see it until it’s too late

It starts off slowly, the fam is to busy with missions and saving the world that they kind of forget they she doesn’t know, and when she comes over, their not there or just brushes her off when she is. And she’s tried to talk to them, cuz she’s spend years being a part of their family but then one day it stopped.

But they just brush her off and she’s reminded about her parents so she stops pushing and then altogether stops going to the manor.

No one really realizes at first, only Alfred, and when they do, y/n had already broken off the engagement.

#damian wayne x reader #damian wayne x fem!reader #batman #arranged marriage au #headcanons #robin #damian wanye #i answered a thing #anonymous

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wxnderlustfandoms · 3 years

Text

not a villain [loki x teen!reader]

[not my gif]

pairing: loki x teen! reader (platonic), avengers x teen!reader (platonic)

description: you try to make loki feel more welcome after thor brings him to the compound, thinking it would be good for him. he thinks you’re just trying to get on his good side for selfish reasons, but after overhearing you defend him to the avengers, he realizes you see the good in him

word count: 2291

warnings: none really.

a/n: not me taking this description straight from my shifting script and turning it into a fanfic lmfao

in a way a continuation of this headcannon because the reader’s powers are the same and its the same backstory.

After the fight at the airport between the avengers, they all realized how stupid the accords were and how it provided them no freedoms to do the things they needed to. However, you pointed out that the idea of an accords was okay because if we’re being honest, the avengers didn’t really think about collateral. The avengers all met with the countries that made the accords and worked together to revise them to work the best for both parties.

Once that was settled, you all moved back into the compound and returned to normal life. Well, as normal as you can get with the avengers.

One day, you heard a loud booming noise outside and saw a flash of light come from outside. You opened your window and flew out quickly to investigate. When you got closer, you saw a tall blonde with longer hair and a hammer. With him was another tall man with long black hair. A few other avengers were already there and they seemed to be on edge.

You landed next to them and realized that the blonde was Thor. He was an avenger and you remembered seeing him on tv when New York was getting attacked.

“I’m sure you all remember my brother, Loki,” Thor introduced, gesturing to the man with black hair next to him. Loki looked about as excited to be there as everyone else was to see him.

“Wait, wasn’t that the guy who attacked New York? I saw him on TV when I was a little kid,” You asked Sam quietly, whispering towards him. Sam nodded his head and you looked back to Thor confused.

“Why is he here, Thor?” Tony asked, holding his armor-covered hand up to him, prepared to attack if he needed to. You seemed to be the only one not in a fighting stance, but to be fair, you really didn’t understand what was happening.

“I believe that it will be good for Loki to come and live with us all here! Who knows, maybe he could even become an avenger with the proper training!” Thor boomed with a smile. You felt yourself smile a bit just looking at him, he radiated so much pure, optimistic, happy energy.

“Absolutely not, he tried to take over the world, Thor. He killed people,” Natasha argued back.

“My brother may have had a complicated past, but I just know that this will be a good opportunity for him!”

You didn’t feel as though you were in any place to take a side, as you were not there in New York and did not know anything about Loki, but you felt as though if Loki was here to train to become an avenger, he should be able to. He didn’t seem like a terrible guy. You listened to them go back and forth for a while, discussing things you once again couldn’t input on because you were a child when these things happened.

Eventually, Thor convinced the rest of the Avengers to let Loki stay with them. However, he was basically on house arrest at the compound until they deemed him trustworthy enough to leave, and Tony made sure to tell Loki how he believed that to be a long, long time. Loki seemed to not be bothered at all, and hadn’t really talked throughout the entire interaction. His brother kind of took the lead and spoke out for him.

The next week, you didn’t see Loki much around the compound. He seemed to be brooding in his room or something like that. You shrugged and just thought he might be taking his time to get comfortable.

I mean, he did try to kill a lot of people in this compound. It's got to be awkward to just run into them in the same compound now that he lives with them, You thought, walking into the kitchen. Your wings flexed in surprise when you saw Loki in the kitchen. He looked up when you walked in and he looked like he was going to leave once he was aware of your presence, but you stopped him.

“You don’t have to leave, you know? We both live here and this kitchen is big enough for the two of us,” You said.

His face didn’t betray what he was thinking, but he didn’t make another move to leave. You got out some ingredients to make a sandwich for yourself and looked over to Loki, who was looking through the cabinet.

“So… you’re like… a god?” You asked him the question you’d been thinking the whole time since he moved in.

He looked at you and raised an eyebrow. The look on your face told him you were being serious.

“Yes,” He responded bluntly. You raised both of your eyebrows in your surprise that you got a verbal answer.

You hummed, going back to making your sandwich. Loki didn’t seem to find anything he wanted in the cabinet and made his way to leave the kitchen. “See ya, Loki!” You said as he exited.

The next few weeks went the same way, you running into Loki and initiating conversation with him, trying to get to know things about him. He was very blunt, his answers short. Sometimes he didn’t even answer and the conversations were very one sided but you still didn’t give up trying to get to know him. You knew that because Thor was still taking care of things on Asgard and coming back and forth, he didn’t really have time to check on how Loki was but for a few minutes. And the other avengers made no attempt to socialize with the god. So you decided to. You weren’t sure if they knew you were talking to him all the time, but if they did none of them made an attempt to stop you. They knew you were trusting, but they also knew you weren’t dumb, so they trusted you.

One day, you caught Thor when he was visiting the compound and asked him what Loki’s favorite earth food was, or if he could bring him some food from Asgard. Thor was surprised a teenager was concerned about Loki, but thanked you for thinking about him. He told you about an Asgard dish that could easily be made with Earth food and you thanked him, going to the kitchen and started making it. When you were done with it, you went to Loki’s room and knocked on his door. It took a minute before he opened it, but he was surprised to see you when he did open it.

“Hi! I noticed you didn’t seem interested in any of the snacks in the cabinet and haven’t really eaten any good meals since you got here, so I made you something. Thor said it was similar to an Asgardian dish. I’m… not sure exactly which one. It was pronounced weird. But I hope you enjoy it!” You said, handing it to him. He wasn’t sure how to respond, so he just looked at the dish and then back up at you.

“Anyway, I hope you have a good day, Loki!” You told him, walking back to clean up your mess in the kitchen.

Loki stood there with the door open, looking at the dish. His thoughts were jumbled and he couldn’t figure you out. What could you possibly want from him that would make you try so hard to get on his good side? He appreciated the gesture, but he didn’t trust that it was just out of the kindness of your heart.

Later that week, you were hanging out with a majority of the avengers in a lounge room, TV on in the background, but you all were mostly just talking.

The topic of Loki got brought up quickly. They started talking about still not being able to trust him and how awkward it is he lives at the compound now. Usually you wouldn't say anything because you didn’t feel like it's your place but you just had to this time.

“Well maybe, if you guys even tried to talk to Loki, you would know he’s not a terrible person,” You defended.

Bruce laughed, “Are we talking about the same man that mind controlled Clint and made me go all hulk mode on everyone?”

Clint agreed.

“Jesus,” You stood up, wings ruffled in anger.

“[Y/n], why are you getting so defensive?” Sam asked.

You turned around and gave him an annoyed look. “Because you all are sitting here, saying Loki could never be anything but a villain, but won’t stop treating him like he is!” You threw your hands up in defeat. Walking a bit to the right before turning back to them. “Like, how is he supposed to prove to you guys he’s good when you won’t even give him the time of day! I’m not saying to go in trusting him 100%, I know he did bad things in his past. But haven’t we all? Isn’t there some part of our past we wish we could go back and erase because it was a mistake?” You looked to Natasha especially while saying this.

“[Y/n], I understand what you’re trying to say, but it’s incredibly naive of you to trust Loki, and to compare what he did to any of us,” Clint responded. You looked at him, confused and hurt. Looking to the other people sitting in the room, they agreed, nodding their heads. Your eyes started tearing up.

“If I’m too ‘young’ and ‘naive’ to understand these things then why am I even an avenger? You can’t sit here and constantly bring up my age and lack of experience when I try to say things just because you don’t think I’m right! If Loki’s villainy in the past never affected you guys personally you wouldn’t be sitting here holding this, what? 5 year grudge against him!?” You felt a few tears fall down your face and you brushed them away, almost angry that they decided to fall when you were trying to talk to your comrades. You were trying to tell them that you don’t want to be treated like a kid, but here you were crying like one.

“[Y/n]...” Sam started, getting up when he saw you were crying. You shook your head, turning away from them and running back to your room. You collapsed onto your bed and let out a few sobs.

You weren’t necessarily crying because the avengers didn’t accept Loki. It upset you, but that wasn’t why you were crying. You were crying because this wasn’t the first time they have brought up your age to belittle your opinion or said you were not experienced enough to have an opinion on something. You were sick of them treating you like that when you’d been a part of the avengers for almost 2 years. You jumped slightly when you heard a knock at your door. You thought it was Sam coming to talk to you, but you didn’t want to speak to him.

“Go away, Sam,” You yelled.

“It’s Loki,” You heard his voice from the other side of the door. Your eyes widened in surprise and jumped up off the bed. Walking to open the door. You tried to make it look like you weren’t crying, but when you opened the door he could see the redness and puffiness around your eyes.

“Is… something wrong?” You asked, having no idea why Loki would come talk to you of his own accord.

“Can we talk?” He asked. You nodded and led him into your room. He looked around for a second, taking in your room before you sat on the bed and invited him to do the same. You sat more towards the middle of the bed, crossing your feet in towards you. Loki sat near the edge, barley making an indent in the covers. It was probably as awkward for him as it was for you.

“Listen, I’m sorry if I’ve been annoying you the past few weeks. I’ve been trying to make you feel welcome here but I know it's been a lot. No one really wants a teenager all up in their business. So… I’m sorry,” You started, looking up at him.

Now, you were usually good at reading people, however, ever since Loki moved into the compound, you could never read his face. Even now, you looked at his face and couldn’t see a single expression that revealed what he was thinking.

“I don’t understand you. Why are you so nice to me? And why would you go against your teammates to defend me? What exactly does that accomplish you?” You sigh a little as you realize he overheard you talking to the group of people out there.

“I don’t really have a reason to be nice besides wanting to make you feel welcome. I know what it’s like to feel… out of place.” You gesture to the wings on your back and the horns on your head. “Ever since this happened, the avengers are the only people that seem to accept me as the way I am. And I believe everyone deserves to have that. Even if the avengers don’t end up being that for you, I hope you do find it.” You explain. “I trust that you have good in you. Being mischievous doesn’t mean being evil,” You smile at him.

For the first time since Loki moved in with the avengers, he smiled. Even if it was a small smile, it was genuine. He nodded and got up, on his way to leave. Before he did leave though, he turned around and revealed he was never truly annoyed by you and enjoyed the talks you had.

#loki #loki odinson #loki laufeyson #loki x reader #loki x teen!reader #avengers x reader #avengers imagine #avengers x teen!reader #avengers headcannon #avengers x fem!reader #marvel x reader #marvel

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outoftheframework · 4 years

Text

characterization cheat sheet: the batfamily boys

Hey everyone! I had the idea to compile a comprehensive list of different traits and attributes for each member of the batfamily based off of both canon and fanon interpretations. I think this could be useful for new members to the fandom, or those looking to write and/or draw for these characters. Remember that these will have a slight bias considering I, a fanon creator, am creating the lists. But I’ll try to make them as accurate as possible.

Appearances vary from artist to artist, so I’ll try to stray away from general details and add more little things you can consider in your art.

Bruce Wayne:

Age: 35-45

Appearance: Extremely physically fit, but signs of aging and prolonged exertion can slip through. Has a collection of scattered scars varying from fresh to fully healed. Strong, dark features. Conventionally attractive, but can easily switch to be foreboding/intimidating. Well kept in public appearances, but can look like death incarnate when in private.

Personality: Dual personas: “Bruce” (at home, but not as batman) and “Brucie” (public appearances like galas, news interviews). Bruce is stoic, well-read and educated, well-mannered, and occasionally can be witty and laid-back. Smirks rather than smiles. Brucie is loud, spontaneous, charming, and sometimes oblivious. He is the womanizer and scandal-maker. Often the actions of Brucie are motivated by Batman’s interests.

Speech: Bruce was mainly raised by as English butler, so his speech patterns are proper and smooth. Rarely uses speech fillers such as “uh” and “um,” except when interrupted while concentrating. Despite living in Gotham his entire life, he has not picked up the accent. His voice is newscaster American, almost impossible to pinpoint to a certain region. His speech as Brucie changes to relate more to the audience he is addressing. Speeches to Gotham high society will sound different than those aimed to the general public.

Additional Attributes: Bruce Wayne in all of his personalities is fiercely protective, and can easily slip into a deeper voice to intimidate. Bruce can be extremely empathetic and slightly impulsive when it comes to children who have lost their parents. As learned through his training to become Batman, Bruce is disciplined and can work for hours straight.

Dick Grayson:

Age: 23-29

Appearance: Dick Grayson mirrors a young Bruce Wayne despite their not being blood related. This could be a subconscious action by Dick to absorb traits of his father figure. His lean acrobatic body starts to set him apart from Bruce’s image. Dick manages to be well-built but still limber and flexible. His feet and hands are rough and calloused. His hair can get long but usually stays at a length in between Bruce’s and Tim’s. His eyes are bright blue without even a hint of green or brown.

Personality: In one comic I believe it was Superman who said that Dick Grayson is a universal constant, meaning that on every alternate earth or timeline, you can always rely on him to be good and pure. I think this really sums up who Dick should be. He is kind to a fault, and can sometimes be naive and not think things through. He loves to love, be that in his family, in his romantic relationships, in his friendships, and even in strangers. He is a chronic hero who only wants to see the world as a better place. But it’s important to note that Dick can get angry when pushed, and holds grudges.

Speech: Dick is an extremely interesting study in speech patterns. As a child he traveled with the circus, until he lived with clear-spoken Bruce Wayne and a proper English butler. So influences to his speech and accent come both internationally and locally to Gotham and Bludhaven. As a child living at Wayne Manor, Dick picks up a slight Gotham tinge to his accent with some British flourish in his vowel sounds. He regularly speaks in slang. As Nightwing he is able to suppress his unique speech to sound more evenly American.

Additional Attributes: Dick acts differently around each of his family members as to be what they need in a big brother. For example, he is more fatherly to Damian while to Tim he is more an equal. Dick can fidget and has less of an attention span than Bruce. He can use jokes as a coping mechanism.

Jason Todd:

Age: 22-26

Appearance: Hair is often long on top and shorter on the sides, sometimes with a white streak as a side effect from the Lazarus Pit. Tallest and heaviest of all the kids, very physically intimidating. Has a lot of scars and burns, and in some fan works he has a “Y” shaped scar the length of his chest from his autopsy. Never skips leg day. Green/blue eyes.

Personality: Jason goes through a lot of character development, but for this list I’m going off a timeline of post-Under the Red Hood, where Jason is on okay, yet still a little shaky, terms with the rest of the family. Jason has a hard time separating vigilante life and civilian life; his death as Robin ended his life as Jason Todd, blurring the lines between the two. Jason is legally dead, so he is basically building an identity back up. He holds some attributes from childhood: brave, impulsive, loud-mouthed, and street-smart. But his experiences post-Robin have made him a hardened loner. He lives modestly and with some semblance of order. He’s hard to foster a relationship with, but can be a passionate friend/family member when he opens up.

Speech: Jason probably has the least influence from Bruce and Alfred’s speech patterns, seeing as though he spent a lot more time with his biological family/on the streets than he did as a preteen in the manor. He is the definition of Gotham vernacular, with a rough edge. So much so that as a child, the high society gala attenders sometimes had a hard time understanding him. Often talks in curt, short sentences.

Additional Attributes: He has trouble expressing his emotions, more specifically anger and/or grief. Can both love or hate furiously. Inherently good, but sometimes does “bad” things. Protective over children, especially those living on the street. Very much a believer in “the ends justify the means.”

Tim Drake:

Age: 17-20

Appearance: Pale skin, dark hair. Sharp cheek bones and jawline, mostly from how skinny he is. His body isn’t technically “built” to be extremely athletic, but he’s forced a nice lean build from stringently working out. Easily loses and gains weight as a direct result of his work, causing fluctuations in his build. Five foot something, will eventually be out-grown by Damian. Long hair that can still be styled to look professional.

Personality: Tim Drake is very passionate in pretty much everything he sets his mind to. He feels as though he imposed himself onto Batman to become Robin, so he works twice as hard to prove his worth. He can be self conscious and deprecating. Tim as Robin or Red Robin is very different than civilian Tim; his hero personas can be bolder and more confident. Despite dropping out of high school, he values education.

Speech: Tim grew up rich, and his speech reflects an intelligence gained from private tutors. Despite this, he knows how to interact with those his age in using less formal language and slang. Often quotes books and movies. Can be awkward and stumble over his words when teased by his friends/family. He can manipulate people easily in business settings by talking fast and confidently while explaining complex topics.

Additional Attributes: Tim’s demeanor is directly tied to his varying levels of confidence and anxiety. Tim is has above-average intelligence and is diligent in detective work, but can still act like a teenager. He can be stubborn to extremes and will patiently play the long con. He does not cope well with loss.

Duke Thomas:

Age: 17-19

Appearance: Short dark hair, shaved on the sides and/or the back. Often wears the colors yellow and black. Around the same height as Tim, but a little taller. Stronger and heavier build more alike to Jason than Dick, but he’s still light on his feet. Expressive face that can give away his feelings easily. Still a bit of a baby face, but he’s still well-proportioned and conventionally handsome.

Personality: In my works, I’ve often described Duke as having a “sun-shiny” personality. He is one to not even think twice about putting others before himself. Duke uses his own personal experiences to guide him as a hero rather than suppress his emotions. Duke went from being an only child to having a large family, so he can sometimes feel overwhelmed. He is on friendly terms with every member of the batfamily, as well as many other heroes. Duke is self-sacrificial and is still learning how to effectively work as a detective.

Speech: Duke grew up in a middle class Gotham family, so his speech is influenced by his parents as well as his city environment. Duke has a mild Gotham accent and speaks a lot in modern slang. He hasn’t had much influence from Bruce and Alfred, considering he hasn’t lived with them for long. It’s possible that as he grows he will pick up some influences from Bruce and Tim’s way of speaking, but will most likely hold onto the accent of his childhood.

Additional Attributes: Duke is a metahuman vigilante in a city where Batman typically bans them, which causes a bit of an insecurity and a perfectionist drive. These are exasperated by the long line of history preceding him, as well as the fact that he involved himself in the Robin movement rather than being handpicked by Batman. He and Tim can relate in that way. Duke is an ardent student of Batman and is dedicated to the cause.

Damian Wayne:

Age: 10-14

Appearance: Looks similar to Bruce when he was the same age, yet stronger and with tanner skin. His hair is expertly cut and styled, but still age-appropriate. He is the shortest of the batkids, but still has a lot of time and potential to grow. He pretty much won the genetics lottery with Bruce and Talia as his biological parents, and is made for athletics. He has some scars that stand out with their pale coloring against his tan skin.

Personality: Damian is slowly becoming less of a brat, to put it bluntly. He admires his family and tries to mimic them, but will never confess it. Damian is quick to judge and will voice his opinion no matter how scathing it may be, both as civilian and hero. Damian is slowly realizing he may not want the Batman mantle as quickly as he planned. Jon is a perfect foil to Damian, and often makes him a better person when they’re together.

Speech: His speech is proper and formal. Prefers formal titles: ex. “father” over “dad” and last names over first. Damian is at least bilingual (Arabic and English), and can switch between languages easily. Most of his speech patterns developed from his tutors in the League, and more recently, Alfred. Influences like Jon and Dick have introduced him to a more modern, laid-back way of speaking, which he sometimes utilizes when relaxed.

Additional Attributes: Damian has problems with authority, especially those that he doesn’t respect like his teachers at school. He can be arrogant and childish ever though he often acts like he knows everything. Damian is still a child and has much to learn from batman and family as well as unlearn from his time at the League. Dami was forged to be a ruthless warrior, but now has to find a balance between the hero Robin and the child Damian Wayne.

Hope this helps someone! Feel free to add on if you think I missed anything. Just please remember to be civil and respect different interpretations of these characters. Let me know if you want another one of these posts outlining the girls or other characters.

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dameronology · 3 years

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aftermath {natasha romanoff x reader}

summary: when the snap happened, everyone’s minds immediately went to the person they loved the most. natasha romanoff’s went to you. (for @writefightandflightclub!! i hope you enjoy❤️)

warnings: set during the snap, so all the canon angst of that + swearing

- jamie

Natasha Romanoff had a long to-do list.

Declaring her love for you was certainly on there.

It’s just - as life often went - she got busy. You got busy. There were missions that took you to opposite ends of the globe and meetings that pulled you apart at all hours of the day. There was something between you - something strong and pure, something sweet against that contrasted against the dark world you’d both come to discover - but Natasha couldn’t quite work out what. She’d never felt the need to. It didn’t have to be explained. Unlike everything else in her life, it wasn’t complicated. You were consistent. You someone she could count on. A constant and steady presence among a world that never seemed to slow down.

It was stolen kisses as you brushed past one another in the corridor. It was slow mornings under the covers of the dark before you had to drag one another out of bed to face the day. It was knowing in your very souls that you had one another; knowing that no matter where or when, you could turn to each other for anything. You never rushed her into anything, or asked her too much of her - that was something she was particularly thankful for. She couldn’t work out if she was just lucky, or if she’d been a saint in a past life to deserve you.

But, in the same way that life had plenty of highs, it came with lows. It could pack a punch and whilst you both prided yourself on your ability to get back up, some hits kept you down.

The snap had been a flashpoint moment for everyone who survived it. You could have asked anyone and every person would remember where they were, who they were with and what they were thinking. No matter how many years passed, they would remember. The loss, the pain, the panic. The not knowing if their loved ones were alive.

Natasha had been in Wakanda. You had been in the States. The last few days had worn you both down to your very cores and you’d barely had a chance to speak. The only thing that had kept her going was the occasional sound of your voice over the comms - reminding her that you’d see each other in a few days, that everything would be okay and that you could go home. Maybe you believed your own words. Maybe you didn’t. Either way, feeding yourself false hope was the only way you could have possibly pulled through to the final battle.

Vision. T’Challa. Strange. Bucky. Sam.

All gone. One by one. Bit by bit. Ceasing to exist in a matter of seconds.

Natasha had realised what was happening - and her heart dropped. It fucking plummeted. You were the first place her mind went. She hadn’t heard anything from your comms line in a while - but you’d been busy fighting, busy holding up the other end of the fight across the ocean. You were okay. Of course you were.

You had to be.

She slowly - and almost dubiously - raised her hand to her ear piece, pressing the receive button. There was a crackling sound, but no voice. Why hadn’t you said anything? Maybe you were still busy in battle, or you were on your knees mourning for your friends in the same way people around her were. Her brain spat out a million different possibilities at once but not one of them seemed to cover the worst possible scenario.

You’d been lost in the snap.

Natasha knew that it was the most likely outcome. Fifty percent of all living things - she didn’t like those odds, especially not given her track history. Whenever she felt like she finally had something good and pure, it got ripped away from her. It had happened a thousand times before and she’d been insane to think it wouldn’t have happened again. This time, she’d really let herself be aloof; she’d let herself be naive enough to think that you were a permanent fixture in her life.

The realise that she was in love with you hit Natasha Romanoff like a ton of bricks; like a freight train to a strewn car. It was the most obvious thing in the world but still, the biggest shock her system had ever experienced. She’d always wondered what love felt like, what it was - and it had been right in front of her the whole time.

The journey back to the Compound was only a few hours, but it felt like lifetimes. There was so much hanging in the balance and Natasha almost didn’t want to land. It would mean knowing for sure that you were gone, that Tony was gone, that so many of the people she’d come to care for were gone. It was like a mutated, screwed up version of Schrodinger’s Cat. There was still the possibility that you were alive and kicking but the Black Widow was nothing if not a realist. She knew how these things usually went.

Steve nor Bruce said a word the entire way back. Even Thor was uncharacteristically silent, tucked away in the corner of the quint-jet with his knees pulled to his chest and a solemn look on his tired face. The life had been pulled from all of you over the last few days, and even the demigod’s humanity was starting to peep through. They were all spent. Mentally, emotionally, physically.

‘Look after yourselves.’ Steve’s instructions were a little half-hearted as the four of them traipsed of the ramp of the jet. Even in the darkest of times, he was still trying to be the leader.

‘Don’t forget to do the same.’ Natasha spoke for the first time in what felt like hours. ‘You look like hell.’

‘Feel it too.’ He murmured in response.

Natasha was working on autopilot, letting her legs simply drag her from the jet and towards the living quarters. She usually went to your room after long and tiring missions - the way you greeted her with a warm hug and encouraging words never seemed to get old. You were always the first thing her mind went to when she thought of coming home. You were her home.

Your room had always felt a thousand times more comfortable than hers. It was a mess of clutter and pillows and discarded clothes but it was welcoming, and filled with tiny reminders of you. There was a strewn book on the bed, alongside your reading glasses. The walls were filled with photos of you and the team; there was one of the time that Thor had dragged you all to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. Steve was grinning, Tony had ice cream on his nose and you and Nat were in one another’s arms. There was a Polaroid from your brief trip to the Bahamas, when Sam had sunscreen on his nose and Bucky was scowling under the bright sun. Most of the photos, however, were just random ones of you and Nat.

She was grateful to have those photos. They were something to hold onto, something to remember you by in case you didn’t-

‘- where the fuck have you been?!’

The cry of someone’s voice pulled Natasha from her thoughts and less than a moment later, your body collided with hers. You hit her with a thump, arms instantly wrapping around her waist to cling onto her.

It took her a minute to react; to realise that you were real. You were alive. You’d survived the snap and you were here, clinging onto her for dear life and practically crying into her shoulder. Natasha had forgotten for a moment that she’d been radio silent too, working on the assumption that you were gone. Grief went both ways - of course you’d felt it for her.

Her arms came to hold you back, tightly clinging onto your shoulders. Your bodies were tangled together, skin to skin and nose to nose, the smell of your perfume and shampoo immediately bringing her to reality. You’d survived. For once, she’d assumed the worst and was wrong.

‘My comms went down when it happened and I tried to call you, and Bruce, and Steve-’

‘- I love you.’

You pulled back from Nat, an o-shape on your lips as you stared at her with wide eyes. It was as though she’d knocked the air from your lungs and stolen your ability to speak, or to function as a human being. That was the Black Widow’s speciality, after all.

‘You love me?’ You repeated it back to her.

‘You were the first person I thought of when...when it happened.’ She still couldn’t bring herself to acknowledge what had happened earlier that day. ‘I feel like I’ve always known it but I thought we had time, that I could wait to tell you-’

‘- I love you too.’

‘You do?’

‘Nat.’ You squeezed her arms, giving her a tearful smile despite everything. ‘You’re all I can think about on a good day. The world was literally crumbling around us and I couldn’t think of another person.’

She gave you a knowing nod - you had both lost a lot of the last few days. Near enough everything, in fact. Most of the world had barely even begun to process what happened, or even thought about accepting it. You were on that page too. Everything had changed and the world was never going to be the same again. It was though someone had taken the idea that nuclear war was the worst possible outcome and they’d laughed.

‘I don’t even know where to begin.’ Nat murmured, hand ghosting your cheekbone. ‘Everything is....’

‘...gone?’ You offered.

‘Gone.’

The euphoria that came with her declaration was only fleeting. It was the relief you needed after days of battling but it didn’t change anything that had happened. Still, at least you had her by your side.

‘Whatever the next few days - or months or years - bring, you have to promise me one thing.’ Natasha took your hands in hers, gently intertwining your fingers.

‘Anything.’

‘We’ll do it together.’

You nodded. ‘Together.’

She finally closed the gap between you, softly brushing her lips against yours. You’d kissed many times before but this held something different; love, panic, desperation. It was a testament to the last few days - the feeling of losing someone and regaining them all without truly ever realising. It made you cling onto her a little tighter, savouring the taste and feel of her a little more.

You didn’t even know where to begin - there was no doubt that the mantle of protecting the Earth still lay in the laps of the Avengers. That would come once people had accepted what had happened and frankly, you weren’t even there yet. Your brain was still processing seeing Thanos in person, let alone the rest of the what kind of fuckery is this that had followed.

But in that moment, Natasha was the only thing on your mind. She was in one piece, and so you were you. Neither of you had any idea what was to come, but there was one thing you were certain of.

You had Nat and she had you. Nothing else mattered.

#natasha romanoff x you #natasha romanoff imagine #natasha romanoff angst #natasha romanoff fluff #natasha romanoff x reader #black widow x reader #black widow imagine #avengers x you #avengers x reader #avengers imagine #marvel imagines #marvel fanfic #avengers fanfic

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thompsborn · 3 years

Note

Can i please get “I know hurts, but you have to stay awake, okay?” With hurt Peter and a really worried Harley 💙💙

(read on ao3)

He knows it’s part of the job.

It’s what happens, when someone’s a crime fighting superhero, or an Avenger, or an Avenger in Training, or whatever it is that people want to call it. He knows that the danger comes with it. He’s known for a long time, would be naive to ever try and believe otherwise.

But he’s never been this close to it before.

“Oh god,” Harley says—his voice is shaking almost as badly as his hands are, where he’s got them hovering uselessly. “Oh my god.”

The fight had been close to the tower, is the thing—as in, only a block or two away. When the alarm had gone off in the lab, none of them had been prepared for it, but then Friday had said something including the words, “Green Goblin,” and, “Bombs,” and, “Fire,” and that was all that had mattered, Tony and Peter both suiting up right as Friday tacked on the fact that it seemed to be a team up, that Gobby had apparently brought along some friends.

Harley sometimes thinks about it. Joining them, in a suit that he made a long time ago, that he works on and upgrades as if he’s got plans for what it’ll be for. He thinks about stepping into it and flying off to help them out, but he isn’t ready for it yet. For now, he still works long distance to help out—stays on the comms, gets in contact with first responders, helps use Friday’s scanners and any other tech in the lab to help him get an eye on what’s going on, just to let the team know more, to help out however he can from where he is.

Today, he almost used the suit.

And he would have—if Peter hadn’t been thrown through the window instead.

“We’ve got this,” Tony tells him, sounding out of breath and angry, worry tinging the ends of his words, as he knocks Green Goblin out of the way in order to prevent him from following Peter into the lab through the window. Harley wonders if they really have it at all, but can’t bring himself to ask. “Is Peter alright?”

“I don’t know,” Harley answers honestly, a waver to his tone. The reason he was about to use his own stupid suit is because Gobby’s been targeting Peter the whole fight, like he’s got a personal bone to pick, a grudge to settle. And Peter—the strongest, most capable person Harley has ever met—had stated that he wasn’t going to hurt Gobby, that he wasn’t going to fight back. That he was going to take it.

Well, he took it. He took a lot.

Gingerly, Harley reaches up, peeling Peter’s mask up, up, up, until it’s off completely. He winces at the blood crusted under his crooked nose and dripping from his busted lip, but sighs in relief when bleary brown eyes blink at him. “Hey,” he murmurs. “How’re you feelin’?”

Peter inhales sharply, and lets the air out with a low whine of pain. Harley can’t blame him in the slightest—there’s more rips and tears in his suit now than there are in the shredded remains of his homemade one that he still has, the one that had the Vulture’s metal talons rip through the cloth just to dig into his skin. It would be impressive if it didn’t mean each and every mark on the suit signifies pain underneath.

“Well,” Harley says, a waver to his words but a forced smile on his face. “You look great.”

It makes the airiest of laughs push past Peter’s lips, and he offers Harley a dazed, lopsided little grin. There’s blood on his teeth. “Thanks,” he rasps, wincing slightly. Before Harley can do much more than convulsively swallow back the bile that rises in his throat (his heart coming up with it), Peter suddenly sobers up, and he looks dead serious—not in pain, not dazed, but firm. He reaches forward and grips onto Harley’s shirt, leaves bloody streaks where the glove of his suit has been burned away and the skin beneath has been burned with it, and he says, “Harley, they—they can’t hurt him.”

“Who?” Harley asks, confused.

“Green Goblin,” Peter breathes, shifting his eyes until he’s looking out the window he was thrown through, features strained. “It’s not… I’ve been hiding a lot, about—about that, ‘cause he asked me to and he’s my best friend and—”

Harley furrows his brow. “Wait, wait—what? Back up, Pete. Hiding what? Who asked?”

Peter looks back at Harley, and mixed with the blood and the bruises is a meek sort of guilt. “Harry,” he says. “The Goblin, it—it’s his dad, Harls. It’s Norman. Or, it was, and we—he didn’t want his dad to die like this, but he wanted justice, so we were gathering evidence, everything we could, so we could turn it in and get him arrested, and I wanted—I—I wanted to tell you guys but you know how complicated Harry’s feelings about his dad are and I couldn’t break his trust once he asked me not to and we were so c-close to being able to t-turn him in but then he fuh-found out and—and—”

Harley carefully cups Peter’s face in his hands, being sure to avoid any scrapes and bruises encompassing the skin there. “Breathe, baby,” he murmurs. “You’re still hurt. Don’t push yourself just to tell me this. Take a breath.”

But Peter just shakes his head, sounding urgent as he continues with, “No, you d-don’t—he found out! He—He’s got c-contacts, I don’t know who with, but there’s—there’s a way to control people, and it sounds insane and I know it does but—but—but last week the Goblin showed up, right? And I confronted him but it wasn’t Norman, it was Harry, and he was fighting me and while he was fighting me he said he didn’t want to do it, and—and I don’t know how Norman’s doing it but he’s got Harry under his contol and—and it’s him, Harley! Out there, right now, in that suit that everyone is fighting against—that’s our friend in there, and we… we gotta help him, we have to… we…”

“Peter?” Harley lightly taps his cheek when he sees Peter’s lashes start to flutter, the tension in his body bleeding out, just a bit, leaving him a little bit more limp where he lays on the ground. “Peter,” Harley says again, trying not to let his fear tint his voice too much. “Hey—”

“Tell them,” Peter murmurs, grip on Harley’s shirt starting to go a little weak. “T-Tell ‘em that ‘s ‘arry. Can’t hurt ‘im. You gotta tell ‘em.”

Harley sucks in a shaky breath and tries to compose himself a bit. Knowing Peter as well as he does, it’s not worth insisting reevaluating priorities right now—his stubborn ass boyfriend will deny help until either getting what he’s asked for or falling unconscious, whichever comes first, and with the injuries he has (the ones that Harley can see; who even knows what’s hidden beneath the suit, what bones have been broken and muscles have been torn?) falling unconscious isn’t an option until someone in the Medbay says it’s safe. Because of this, Harley just nods once, reluctantly leaning back a bit in order to address the comms, knowing Friday automatically disconnects and reconnects when it’s clearly necessary. “Guys,” he says into the wave of sound that greets him, overlapping voices and background fighting noise clashing together.

Instantly, the voices go hush. “Harley?” Tony sounds worried already, likely expecting an update on Peter and fearing the worst.

“Goblin,” Harley tells him. “Green Goblin. Peter said—he said it was Norman, and him and Harry were working together to get evidence and get him arrested, but Norman found out. He says that Norman’s got him under some kind of control now, somehow. Like, he’s literally controlling him. Like mind control, I think. The point is, it’s Harry in the suit.”

Sam speaks up, sounding equal parts skeptical and resigned. “Did you say mind control?”

Before Harley can snap at him, Natasha speaks up, telling them all, “Trust me, it’s out there. Unless someone else found a way to do it, I’m assuming this is something left behind from the Red Room—maybe someone found out how she did it, or… I don’t know. I’ll find out how Norman got his hands on it later, but the good news is, as long as it’s the same stuff, I can get my hands on some antidote. He’ll be okay.”

“Fucking antidote?” Sam repeats. “Nat, what the fuck? When did you learn about mind control? What does that have to do with the Red Room? Why do none of us know this?”

Sounding beyond amused, Nat casually says, “Have I mentioned that I have a sister?”

“Oh my god,” Tony murmurs. “Okay, shut up, we can talk about—all of that after this is over. For now—message received, Harley. We’ll try to just knock him down or something so that we can bring him into the tower and have Nat do whatever it is she just said she can do. For now, you worry about Peter. Is he okay?”

Harley looks at Peter, his breath hitching. “Maybe,” he answers. “He refused to let me help him until after I told you guys to not hurt Harry. I’ll keep you updated, though.”

“Sounds like him,” Tony chuckles. “Focus on him and you, don’t worry about updates. Friday can keep me in the loop. You’ve got this, kid.”

The comms disconnect then—Tony’s doing, no doubt, in the hopes of helping Harley from getting distracted by the battle. Harley gets why, but the sudden silence that overcomes the room is startling. For a moment, he freezes.

“Thank you,” Peter breathes, shattering the quiet—and then he promplty blacks out.

“Shit!” Harley leans forward, eyes going wide as his hands, once again, hover uselessly in the air, unsure of what to do. He has to swallow back the lump forming in his throat, and finally settles on checking Peter’s pulse—irregular, and a bit weak, but still there—and trying to wake him up as he asks, “Friday, where’s Doctor Cho? Or—Or Bruce, or fucking Stephen, or—where the hell is an actual doctor?!”

He taps at Peter’s cheek, cautiously shakes his shoulder, not wanting to agitate his wounds or cause any pain, but needing him to wake up. There’s movement behind Peter’s eyelids, but they don’t open, not quite yet. “Doctor Cho is currently at the compound, as well as Mister Banner. They are getting ready to leave for the tower to assist in post battle injuries, but will not arrive for a minimum of thirty six minutes. Contacting Doctor Strange now.”

Okay. That’s something. Harley tries to let himself relax, but it just won’t work—not when Peter is splayed out on the floor in front of him, bleeding and broken and not waking up—

“C’mon, baby,” Harley murmurs, ignoring the waver in his words. “Come on. Wake up.”

It looks pointless—hopeless, almost—but, after a moment, Peter sucks in a sharp breath and his eyes flutter, just a bit. His eyes are glazed over and unfocused, barely even parted at all, but he’s awake and murmuring unintelligible nonsensical sounds that don’t seem to equate into actual words.

Harley breaks out into a grin—one that doesn’t last too long, but the relief is flooding. He moves over his hands until he’s cupping Peter’s face gingerly in his palms. “Hey,” he says, breathes it, really, so much air to his voice that it’s a miracle he’s making any sound at all. “Hey, Pete, look—look at me, honey. Can you look at me? I’m gonna get some help, but until they get here, I need you to try and look at me, okay?”

“Mm.” Peter’s head rolls towards the sound of Harley’s voice, blinks more like little flutters of his lashes as he furrows his brows, mouth twisted up in a pained grimace. “Wh…?”

Progress. Good. “Hi, baby,” Harley whispers, thumbs brushing over the apples of Peter’s cheeks. “You in there? Can you hear me?”

There’s a moment where he gets no response, but, eventually, Peter lifts his chin in a barely noticable nod, and then lowers it to turn his cheek into Harley’s palms. “H’rley?”

“I’m right here, honey. I’ve got you.” Tears burn the backs of Harley’s eyes, well up and threaten to roll down his cheeks. He blinks them away in order to keep his vision clear. “Friday?”

Instantly, Friday responds, telling him, “Still attempting contact with Doctor Strange. I have managed to reach Wong, who has assured me he is getting my message through. Until then, I recommend keeping Mr. Parker awake and trying to slow the bleeding from his abdomen.”

Harley’s gaze flickers down, and he bites back a curse as he notices that Friday’s got a point. While Peter’s enhancements, specifically his healing, makes it possible for him to survive a much larger blood loss than the average person, that doesn’t mean it’s any less worrying to see that there’s a slight puddle beginning to form beneath him. Especially under his midsection, where a large gash across his abdomen is sluggishly yet steadily dripping .

It’s going to suck, putting pressure on a behemoth of an injury like that—Harley has to even out his breathing from just the thought of how much pain it’ll add to the agony Peter is already in—but he has to do it. If he doesn’t, he risks Peter not lasting long enough for Stephen to get here, and Stephen is their only hope.

“Okay,” he mumbles, looking back up at Peter’s pale features, trying for a shaky smile. “Alright, baby, we—we’re gonna have to pull through this next part together, okay? It’s gonna suck, but I’m gonna be right here the whole time.”

Peter looks confused, trying to process Harley’s words and struggling to blink his eyes into focus. “‘Kay,” he slurs out blearily.

Harley reluctantly pulls back his hands, being quick to yank his sweatshirt over his head, balling it up in his grasp and then reaching over with one hand to cup Peter’s face again, the other poised and prepared. “Ready, Pete?”

“Mhm.” It’s clear Peter still isn’t quite sure about what Harley is saying, but he’s agreeing anyway, and—shit, Harley loves him.

Swallowing roughly, Harley nods, just once, and steels his nerves, and presses the hoodie down.

As soon as there’s pressure against the wound, Peter gasps—a horrible, horrible sound, strangled with an agonizing cry, his eyes snapping fully open with clarity shining in them, no longer fogged over and dazed. His back rises off the floor, body instinctively trying to curl in on itself, hands scrabbling to weakly push Harley and the sweatshirt away.

“Hey, hey, hey!” There’s an urgency to Harley’s tone that makes his words come out in a strained sort of rasp. “Peter, honey, you—you gotta calm down, okay? I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, but I gotta slow the bleeding. It’s okay.”

His words seem to help, or the sudden pain spurred on a rush of adrenaline that’s fading as quickly as it came , or perhaps some combination of the two—Harley isn’t sure what it is, exactly, but Peter collapses back onto the floor with a whimper in the back of his throat. “Harley,” he murmurs—barely coherent, words slurring together. “Harley… ‘m tired.”

His eyelids are fluttering. Harley panics. “No,” he says. “No, no, baby, you—you gotta keep those eyes open for me, alright? I’m so sorry, honey, and I—I know it hurts, but you have to stay awake, okay? Stephen will be here soon, and he’ll fix you up, but you gotta—you—”

Peter’s eyes fall shut. Harley sobs.

“I still need to—t-to tell you that I love you!” Peter’s chest stutters with every every rise, with every fall. “We gotta—we have to finish college, Pete, and—and get an apartment together, and grow up all the way, okay? And one of us still has to propose one day, and—and—and we still need to h-have a wedding, where we make fun of Tony for crying so much, but—but it’s out of love, so it’s okay, and—we could have kids, too, Pete! You have to—you have to make it, ‘cause there’s so much left for us, for—for you, and I can’t—baby, please open your eyes, please—”

A second sob bubbles up from the center of his chest when the only response he gets is another stuttered breath. He tries to remind himself that at least that means Peter is still breathing, just in time for Friday to speak up, softspoken as she says, “My message has officially reached Doctor Strange. ETA should be any second now. Boss has been informed.”

Only a moment later, there’s an orange glow from behind him, but Harley doesn’t look, too busy keeping the pressure steady and firm against Peter’s abdomen with one hand, the other now pressed to Peter’s pulse on his neck to assure himself that his heart is beating—his own breaths uneven and choked off as he cries.

A hand lands on his shoulder. “You did good, Harley,” Stephen tells him gently. “Let me take it from here, alright?”

He doesn’t want to let Peter go, but he knows he has to, if he wants to make sure Peter makes it out of this alive. Body trembling, he pulls his hands away, doesn’t stand up (he isn’t sure if he could, with his legs feeling so weak) but manages to scramble back a few feet to give Stephen enough room. “Is he—is he—?”

“I’ll do everything I can,” Stephen assures him, already creating another portal with one hand, using the other to lift Peter off the ground, his Cloak moving over quickly to aid in levitating him. “And I’m good at what I do.”

He leaves with that, disappearing through the portal with Peter—and Harley remains where he is, sitting on the concrete floor of the lab, hands covered in his boyfriend’s blood, sobbing.

Outside, the fight goes on.

In here, the world stops turning.

—

He doesn’t know how long he stays there, or how much time has passed. He doesn’t know if the fight is over, if they got Harry, is anyone else got hurt. He doesn’t know anything, not for what feels like hours. He just sits, head bowed, face buried in his arms, uncontrollably shaking.

Inside his mind is a jumbled up mess. Part of him can’t stop picturing it—Peter, battered and bleeding out right in front of him. Part of him keeps picturing the future he had been blubbering about, forms images in his head on the two of them at their ESU graduation together, getting the keys for the apartment that they refuse to let Tony help them pay for, maybe bringing in a pet or two, probably alleyway strays that Peter finds on patrol. A ring, not horrendously expensive but still undoubtedly perfect and special, and a wedding, small and wonderful.

Kids. God, he could have kids one day, and Peter could be the guy he has them with.

If Peter makes it out alive.

A shuddering breath wracks his frame, body trembling at the idea of Peter doing anything but. He’s so caught up in all of this, in these two conflicting trains of thought, that he doesn’t hear the door to the lab open, or the footsteps that cautiously approach. It isn’t until a gentle hand settles on his knee that he even realizes he’s no longer alone, and even then, he doesn’t lift his head until he hears a shaky, “Harley?”

It isn’t Tony, or Rhodey, or Sam, or Stephen—it isn’t anyone that Harley would have expected to be the one to come in here right now—but, when Harley looks up, bleary and bloodshot eyes widening a bit, he isn’t all that surprised.

Harry is kneeling in front of his, looking a little bit worse for wear. There’s an abundance of scrapes and bruises scattered about his face, the knuckles on the hand resting on Harley’s knee busted open and an angry looking red. He’s got on the light grey sweatpants and the white cotton shirt that are stocked up in the Med Bay, but the clothes are all rumpled and askew. He looks tired, and heavy, and sad. But, when he sees Harley looking at him, he tries for a smile. “Hey. How you feeling, man?”

“Like shit,” Harley rasps, bring up a hand to scrub at the sticky dried tear tracks on his cheeks, only to freeze just before his hand can come in contact with his face, remembering the smears of dried blood coating his skin. His eyes water at the reminder, but he blinks it away, dropping his hand and clearing his throat. He eyes Harry, frowning. “What about you? Pete… he, uh—he said Norman was controlling you…?”

Huffing out something that’s a bit too hollow and bitter to really be a laugh, Harry nods, looking away with a smile that’s so twisted it looks more like a grimace. “Yeah,” he says. “I still don’t really know what it was, or how he did it, but—yeah. Natasha got me free of it, though, and she said, uh—she has a sister, I guess, who went through the whole… mind control, or whatever the hell that was, so she’s gonna get ahold of her and have her—I don’t know, visit, or something? I think Nat just wants me to talk to someone who knows what it feels like. But…”

He trails off, and Harley—Harley sees, suddenly, how stricken and haunted Harry truly looks.

“But I don’t want to talk about it,” he decidedly says a moment later, eyes downcast. “Not yet. Or ever, really. I mean, how do you even try to talk about the fact that your own father just used some kind of mind control to force you into trying to kill your own best friend, right?”

The way that Harley’s stomach twists and turns on itself makes him swallow back bile. “Is he…”

Harry glances back up at Harley, one side of his lips twitching up. “He’ll make it.” The barely there smile fades into a grimace, and he looks back down. “No thanks to me, of course.”

“I…” Harley isn’t sure what he wants to start with—the relief of knowing that Peter is going to pull through, the irrational anger within him that makes him want to blame Harry for it, the logical majority of him knowing that Harry isn’t the one to blame, that Harry has been traumatized by what just happened and is as much a victim as Peter, if not more so. He settles on murmuring, “It’s not your fault.”

“My hands,” Harry counters. “I did it to him.”

Harley shakes his head, reaches out—pauses, when he sees the dried blood flaking off of his skin, but then—settles his hand on Harry’s shoulder anyway. “Your dad did it,” he corrects. “He used you like a puppet, and that isn’t on you. Peter won’t blame you. I don’t, either.”

“You should,” Harry says bitterly. “I mean, Pete wanted us to tell you guys about it all—about my dad being Green Goblin, when we found out, but I—I was so stupid to think we could do it by ourselves, and so selfish, asking him to keep it between us, all because me and my fucking daddy issues decided it was better that way. Look at where it got us. Where it got him.”

“If you had any sort of idea,” Harley starts, “that anything like this could have happened, would you have made the same choices you made?”

Harry looks offended. “Of course not!”

Harley shrugs. “Then I don’t think you’re the bad guy here. Now, before either of us sinks deeper into our own little depressive spirals here, I think—I think I wanna go see him.”

But that’s not it, is it?

“Need to,” he corrects. “I need to see him.”

Though he still looks conflicted, Harry offers him a nod and gets to his feet, hand outstretched to help Harley stand. “Let’s go.”

—

There’s a lot of bandages, and bruises, and waxy pale skin. Harley falters in the door, taking the sight of it all in, and then steps forward, again, and again, until he’s falling into the chair situation by the head of the bed heavily.

“I, uh…” Harry trails off, still standing in the doorway. It’s hard for Harley to rip his eyes away and look over, but he does when he registers the waver in Harry’s voice, and finds that the guy is staring intently down at the floor with a furrow to his brows. “I can’t—I can’t be in here. I know you’re right, logically, that it isn’t really my fault, but I was—I remember causing… all of this, okay? Even if I wasn’t in control, I still remember, and I don’t think I can—y’know?”

Be in this room, Harley knows is what Harry’s trying to say. He can’t be here and see Peter like this, when he can so vividly remember his hands causing these wounds, control or no control. Harley swallows roughly and nods, just once. “Where are you gonna go, then? Because I don’t think being alone is good for you right now. Like… I don’t know. Call Flash, at least. He’ll rush over to keep you company and make sure you’re okay. I think you might need that.”

Harry’s eyes flicker up, barely glancing over Peter with a flinch before settling his gaze on Harley. “I will,” he assures. “I’ll call him.”

“I’m gonna ask Friday in twenty minutes if you have yet,” Harley warns. “And if you haven’t, I’m gettin’ ahold of him myself. Understood?”

A half hearted partially there smile punctuated by an eye roll. “Yeah, I got it, you mother hen.”

“Good,” Harley says, nodding.

Moments later, Harry is gone.

Harley turns, slowly but surely, to face Peter once again. It causes a pang in his chest, seeing his boyfriend so beaten down, attached to various machines and IV’s, all there to keep him stabilized, but he finds comfort in the rhythmic beeping that signifies every beat of Peter’s heart, reaches out to hold one of his hands in both of his own, careful and gentle and loving.

Because he loves him. Because Peter is everything, and Harley is in love with him.

“When you wake up, I’m gonna tell you,” Harley whispers, thumb lightly stroking over Peter’s bruised knuckles. “And I’m gonna tell you that I’m in this for the long haul, okay? And if you don’t feel the same, or just aren’t ready to say it back, then that’s okay, ‘cause I just wanna make sure you never get hurt like this without knowin’ how much you mean to me. Sound like a plan?”

Peter’s eyes move beneath his eyelids, his chest rising and falling, fingers flexing, just barely, against Harley’s palms.

Harley beams, eyes watering. “Yeah,” he murmurs to himself. “Definitely a plan.”

#my writing #parkner

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sarcastically-defensive17 · 3 years

Note

Yo! Wassup? I read far away today and boy is it awesome like you totally slay as sis .. btw when is part 2 coming ? Not tryna rush you or anything.. Take your time

Far too long - P. Parker (Part 2)

Read Part 1 here

ITS HERE AND I’M SUPER NERVOUS. I FEEL LIKE I RUSHED THE ENDING BUT I ALSO FEEL LIKE IT WOULD BE A FLURRY OF PENT UP WORDS AND EMOTIONS. I HOPE YOU ALL LIKE IT AND IF ITS BAD THEN LMK AND ILL APOLOGISE SINCERELY BECAUSE I’M SCARED OF THIS HAHAHA

(gif is not mine)

TW: Mentions of blood, grief, injury, abandonment, fear, angst, childbirth. If any of these themes may trigger you then, please, do not read for your own good. Your wellbeing is far more important.

My inbox is always open.

Original story by sarcastically-defensive17

It would be a lie to say that Peter hadn’t been in horrible situations before. However, with the development of his powers came the growth of thicker skin and stronger shoulders to bear the weight of his choices and others.

He fought, day after day, to withstand everything life threw at him. Heartache, mistakes, the one time he frosted the tips of his hair when he was 12 - Y/N knew that he would be alright.

He had to be alright. He had to be alive. She needed him. They needed him.

Y/N had watched him grow as a man, and watched him overcome everything. Then he was finally hers. She had everything she had ever wanted in him, and she was going to bring new life into the world with him by her side, until the missions came between them.

Now, she had been away from him for over 2 months and he was missing in action. Every news station was reporting that he was gone, but she refused to accept it. She knew Peter. She knew the strength he had. She knew that no matter what, he wanted to be a part of his baby’s life.

The minute she saw the broadcast her shaking fingers dialed Tony’s number and he was there to take her to the compound as soon as he could be.

Another three months passed.

Three agonizing months.

She gave birth in the medical bay of the compound, May by her side, welcoming her daughter into the world with a broken heart

Rosie May Parker was welcomed into the world, but the one person who was meant to be there wasn’t. She had her fathers eyes, his ferocious brown curls - but she didn’t have her father.

Y/N didnt have much knowledge of science outside of her computer mechanics degree, nor did she have any means to be a powerful superhero like the avengers, but she had fierce determination. Tony had ordered her to stay at the compound until they found peter - he was also determined that his faux-son would be okay.

Y/N harbored no intentions of leaving, more so, now that Rosie had joined her. May was there as well, watching Y/N fall in love with the small child over and over again, every day, helping where she could.

It was when they neared the day that her daughter would turn two months old, that it all happened.

Y/N had taken up residency in the lab. She was a computer science major at university, and she was able to pick up the workings of the technology Tony and Bruce utilized to keep track of mission data and surveillance measures for MIA operatives. She had spent nearly every day that she had been there inspecting every program, every website, keeping track on news outlets.

The world said that Peter was dead, but she refused to give up. He wouldn’t go down without a fight. Spider-Man wouldn’t submit.

If her eyes weren’t glued to a screen, they were on her daughter, both keeping her connection to peter alive. She monitored his Karen program for any inconsistencies, any sign that the program was online.

Karen had been offline for so long. The minute the building went down on Peter, the only thing letting Y/N and Tony know that he was alive was gone with it.

Rosie would sleep soundly in a bassinet set up next to her chair. There was a strain in Y/N’s head that hadn’t waned for weeks. Each day her head felt heavier, the harsh blue lights from the computers creating a constant reminder of her naive determination.

She was beginning to consider the possibility that he was gone, but something always made her thoughts shift in the other direction whenever the idea graced her cortex.

Her days had been filled with bouts of despondency, but the small babe that she cradled against her chest throughout the day brought light back into her life.

But still, nothing

Not until that day.

Rosie was sleeping in her crib I’m their room, recently fed, changed and cuddled - Friday monitoring the baby in all of the ways that the baby monitor she had with her couldn’t. The clock had just hit 2:38am and her eyes were heavy. She considered submitting to the crushing weight of her exhaustion, until Tony burst into the laboratory with Bruce and Natasha in tow, the woman suited up and heading towards the hallway leading to the quinjet hangar.

“Tony?” Y/N blinked, eyes darting to the baby monitor to determine if the commotion was linked to her daughter. Rosie hadn’t moved, her small chest rising and falling with each breath. “What’s wrong?”

Bruce had rushed over to the computer she was sat at, rebooting various programs that Y/N could barely recognize in her bleary state.

A vein in Tony’s forehead protruded - a clear sign that his stress levels were at a high. Bruce had been attempting to monitor his blood pressure as of late, knowing that his anxiety had been peaking with the disappearance of two of his team members.

Y/N had felt a overwhelming sense of duty to the man who had taken her in. She wanted to calm him, help ease his worries as he had done for her. He was as much family to her as he was to Peter.

His brown eyes were frantic, but there was something else hidden in the warm irises that seemed constantly framed by bloodshot sclera. Hope.

“Take off in 30, Nat.” Bruce spoke through an earpiece, connecting directly to the quinjet she assumed the Russian was boarding.

Y/N focused her gaze entirely on Tony, rising to her feet carefully and stepping towards him slowly, as one would a spooked animal.

The minute she was within arms reach, his hands were grasping her shoulders. There was no pressure under his hands, but there was comfort. “A few minutes ago, a transmission came through.” Y/N felt her eyes widen, mind racing with possibilities. The smile she received from the older man told her everything she needed to know before the words left his lips. “Pete came though. He’s with Barton, they’re safe. Romanoff’s on her way to pick them up.”

Y/N was in disbelief, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes, “The building,” she breathed. “It came down on them-“

“The kid will explain when he gets here.” His hands moved to her cheeks. “He’s coming home, Y/N. For the most part, he’s alright. I got his vitals from the Karen program and he is stable, may need some work when he gets home, but he is okay, physically.”

Tears slipped from her eyes, running down Tony’s fingers but he paid it no mind. The smile that split his face was enough of a pardon.

It was another two hours until the familiar sound of the quinjet hangar opening graced her ears.

Bruce had ordered her to get some rest while they waited, but she opted to spend the time watching her daughter. Rosie had woken for a feed, but her big brown eyes stared up at her mother with a knowing look. Y/N could do little to push down the excitement of Peter’s return, but the overwhelming fear quickly resurfaced.

They left on horrible terms. They were no longer a couple, nor did she have the chance to take back the horrible things she said about his faithfulness to their family dynamic. But there was a lingering part of her mind that pushed her to think he would want nothing to do with them.

She left her room, placing a kiss to Rosie’s forehead and asking Friday to keep a watch of the baby, clipping the monitor to her waistband and rushing for the laboratory.

She arrived in time to see the compound medical staff trailing alongside a stretcher, Barton sprawled on it with a smirk on his face and an IV cannula in his arm.

Moments later she saw him.

He looked as much a mess as he felt, he knew so. Soot and dirt coating his skin and his suit, his leg aggravated and aching from an incorrectly set break. He hadn’t expected to see her face, but when he did, it felt as if a building was falling down on him once again.

She caught his eyes darting down to her stomach then back to her face. She smiled at him softly with a nod, hoping he could grasp her meaning across the meters between them.

She hadn’t the chance to say a word to him, nor he to her. Bruce led him to the medbay, offering support where he could for the pain in Peter’s leg, and Tony went to Y/N, cradling her as the pent up grief escaped through her eyes. She wanted to follow after him, so badly.

Tony held her against his chest, sharing the grief that had been building over the months. They were beginning to think they had lost Peter, but to see him alive and standing in front of them - it was overwhelming for both.

“I, uhm,” Tony cleared his throat, his voice wet from tears. “I’m gonna go help Bruce out. I’ll send for you when he’s all fixed up. I promise.”

With a nod of her head, Y/N let him go.

Minutes after, Friday alerted her that Rosie was awake and she took her leave to sit with her baby.

Her heart was pounding in her chest as she cradled the babe to herself. She had decided that even if Peter didn’t want to see her, she would at least hand Rosie over to Tony to introduce father and daughter. Despite her previous words, she just knew that Peter would be entirely smitten with the small human, just as much as she was.

As such, it came as a surprise when Friday chimed through her P.A. System requesting her presence at the medbay.

Her feet shuffled to stop at the door for the room they were in before she knew it, and Tony had opened the door to allow her entrance. He and Bruce took their leave, allowing the former lovers to have the space to themselves.

Peter felt the air drain from his lungs and he looked at her. He had sat up on the bed, leg bandaged and healing at an accelerated rate now that it had been set correctly. He was bruised and battered but he still smiled wider than he had in so long when he saw her and the small bundle she cradled.

She was the first to speak, “You’re alive.” Her voice was choked. The past months had been hard on him, but he couldn’t imagine the pain she felt thinking he was dead. Especially when they left things so horribly.

“The building... it wasn’t meant to go down like that,” he sighed, his smile shrinking. “I took most of the brunt because I can handle more than Clint. But we managed to get out and get our target... eventually.”

His eyes were darting to the bundle in her arms, but he didn’t dare to say anything about he baby. At this point, he didn’t even know his baby’s name.

Y/N noticed his gaze, and the unspoken question that his eyes held. Without warning, she took a seat next to him on the bed, unwrapping Rosie and placing her in Peter’s arms. She silently adjusted his hands to ease his fear and discomfort in holding an infant, and she could see the emotion forming in his chocolate orbs.

“Her name is Rosie.” Y/N whispered, eyes stuck on her daughter. “Rosie May Parker.”

“You named her after ‘Love, Rosie’,” he smiled, feeling a tear slip down his cheek. He had a daughter, and she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

“It’s my favourite book. Two best friends who fell apart, only to come together and repeat it until they could finally be together.” Her fingers fiddled in her lap, picking at her cuticles. Her body was alight with nerves, her toes electric within her boots. “And I had to name her after May. She’s the only mother I have.”

“Rosie,” he tried the name on his tongue, noticing the way the baby scrunched her nose in her sleep. Her mother did the same thing.

Y/N sighed deeply, breathing out through her nose as she held back tears. “Peter, I’m so -“

“You have nothing to apologise for, Y/N.” He ran his finger over Rosie’s cheek. So soft, scared to stir her from her sleep. “Everything that happened, happened because of me.”

“Peter-“

“My list of discretions are unending. What kind of fiancé was I?” He let a soft chuckle fall from his lips, a humorless one, soaked from the sob he refused to let rip from his chest. “What kind of father was I? Who did I think I was, to keep you waiting on me, day after day. Every important event, I missed.”

“I never meant to say those things to you, Pete. To accuse you of not loving me, not wanting to be a father... it was uncalled for. But,” she sniffed, turning her head upwards to gaze at the ceiling. “I felt so alone. And then, you left, and I was alone.”

After what felt like eternity, his eyes met her face. Her skin was blotchy from tears, eyes bloodshot and red-rimmed. She was the most beautiful thing he had seen, apart from the angel in his arms. He felt almost complete, with the two girls by his side. His heart hurt a little less.

“I know. I’m probably the biggest jackass on the face of the planet, and I know that I can most likely do nothing to change that. It’s far too late for me to even begin to say the things I have wanted to say, but I can’t stand the thought of another day without telling you what’s been on my mind since the minute I left.” His body shuddered with a heavy breath, his lips kissing the small fist that rose towards his mouth as Rosie stretched in her sleep. “I have loved you for as long as I can remember. Every second I was away, I wanted nothing more than to run home and apologize for every disgusting thing I had said to you, to put my hands on your belly and promise our baby that I would never leave either of you.

“Then the building went down. I helped Clint get out, but I was stuck there for a few days. Some of our operatives were working as hard as they could to find a way to clear the debris so I could go, but it took a while. The entire time, I had convinced myself that I would never be able to see you again. It was like, like, I knew, that I couldn’t breathe until I saw you again.”

Her hand moved slowly, resting against his cheek to thumb away a tear that trailed his smooth skin.

“I didn’t know how many months had passed while I was gone, but when I got out from under the building, I realized that you were all alone to have our baby.” The sob finally broke through his chest. “I left you all alone. The small little baby that would see the world for the first time without their father.” He rubbed the side of his face onto his shoulder to not drop tears onto Rosie. “I’m a horrible father. I was so horrible to you.”

His breaths were staggered, and Y/N took the baby from his arms holding her against her own chest as she pressed her body to his side. Her free hand turned his face toward her own, but he kept his eyes squeezed shut, tears flowing rhythmically.

“I love you so much, Y/N, and I’m not going anywhere. I promise you,” he caught the way her hand tightened on his arm as he spoke. She was terrified of losing him again. “I would do anything, anything at all, to have you forgive me, but if you can’t then I understand. Just don’t make me leave your life, please.”

She felt her breath hitch, “I said horrible things to you. I told you to never come back, but I can’t stand another day without you. I need you here, with us. We need you Peter, like I told you all those months ago.” She felt his lips kiss the palm of her hand, the same one she used to brush away his tears. “I love you so much, and I don’t want you to leave. Ever.”

He pressed his forehead against hers, his lips pouting from the strength it took to resist pressing his mouth on hers. He didn’t know if she would welcome the contact. He had done her wrong.

“I’m not leaving you anymore, baby. I’m not leaving either of you, ever again.”

Y/N knew that Peter would be alright. His resilience was unmatched, his love ferocious. Y/N had began to think she would never see him again, but the image of him perched in front of her, eyes locked on the child that looked so much like him was one that she would never forget.

The tears falling were no longer out of fear, or sadness, or anger. Her tears fell out of love and happiness. She had the final piece of her family back, and she would do everything she could to see the two people in front of her smile.

“I’ve been far away, for far too long, baby. I’m never leaving you again. I’ll spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you and Rosie. I’ll make you Mrs. Parker and buy a house in the suburbs and do everything boring house husbands do,” Y/N snickered, forehead still against his. Peter was rambling, but she knew she would never force him to give up what he loves, so long as he came home to his two girls at the end of the day. “I will love you, both, until the day I die and beyond that.”

She leaned her head forward slowly, allowing him to reject her intentions, but when he didn’t, she poured her emotions from the last half year into the kiss. The love, the fear, the anger, the uncertainty.

When they broke apart, one thing was on her lips, “I love you, Peter Parker.”

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