#I had had friends and a team the way Tim does I would’ve ended up differently’ wouldn’t that apply to Dick too? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thevindicativevordan · 3 years

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Why isn't Nightwing a bigger deal? He has all of Batman's skills and Superman's faith in humanity and is arguably the most beloved hero in the DCU, but most people seem to know him either as the leader of the N̶o̶t̶ ̶J̶L̶ Teen Ttians or just Robin.

Thank you for asking me about Nightwing, I've been wanting to write a piece about him for a while now. The short version is that everyone who claims Dick becoming Nightwing was him "moving out of Batman's shadow and becoming his own man" is completely wrong.

Dick Grayson is a fantastic character, someone who saved Bruce Wayne in-universe both by forcing Batman to grow up a bit, and the countless times he saved Batman's life as his partner whether as Robin or Nightwing. Dick saved Batman in the real world as well, hard to believe but Batman was actually in danger of being cancelled due to poor sales early on. Enter Robin, a young daredevil audience stand in the creators hoped would get kids interested in reading Batman. And it worked! Sales on Batman doubled once Robin showed up which is crazy to think about, but Dick Grayson has always been a popular character. Cartoons like Teen Titans, Batman: The Animated Series, and The Batman only helped grow his audience.

Character-wise, Dick Grayson really does fill a number of crucial roles in the DCU. For Batman, Dick is proof that Batman is a positive force. Meeting Batman helped change Dick for the better, helped him heal after his parents died. With Dick, Batman can take comfort in knowing that yes, he has made a difference in the world for at least one orphan boy, which is all he wanted when he lost his parents himself. To the wider DCU, Dick is a friendly face who convinces others that Batman is competent and not a complete asshole. He took this kid in, trained him to be one of the best heroes the DCU has seen, and did it all out of the kindness of his heart. That someone like Dick can confront the evils of Gotham and not break means there's still hope for that city. As Robin, Dick has led the Titans and is an icon in his own right as The Sidekick, the original, the one every other Robin is built around copying or contrasting. The one all other superhero sidekicks are drawing on as a basis. As Robin Dick Grayson is very much on Batman's level.

Just not as Nightwing. As Nightwing, Dick has been a second rate Daredevil which means he's a third rate Batman (fully prepared to get hate for this but I've read and enjoyed the Miller and Bendis DD runs so I feel entitled to my opinion). A typical Nightwing run tends to go like this: Moving to Bludhaven (which is Gotham... but WORSE!), Dick Grayson usually enrolls in a pointless job we don't care about in order to provide some meaningless soap opera drama that doesn't go anywhere. Patrolling the city as Nightwing, he fights a variety of bad guys who are usually rather lame and unthreatening, with his big bad being a Kingpin knockoff called Blockbuster. Villains are fought, long running plotlines are set up, then everything is abandoned because it's Batfamily event time, and Dick has to run back to Gotham in order to play sidekick again. Usually his involvement is completely superfluous and it would've been better if the writer had gotten to opt out. By the time we finally get back to Nightwing's solo plotlines, the audience has usually ceased to care and the run gets cut short.

That's how Nightwing has been since the New 52 at least. Anyone who thinks that's "becoming their own man" is out of their mind. Dick is so thoroughly in Batman's shadow that he got shot in the head and spent a longer time as "Ric" which everyone fucking hated and sold like shit, than he did as Agent Grayson which was extremely well-received. Reiterating: Ric went on longer than Grayson because of a fucking Batman plotpoint Tom King wanted where Bruce was sad and cut off from the Batfamily because of Dick getting shot. Not just calling out King either, how many times was Kyle Higgins Nightwing run derailed because of Scott Snyder's crossovers? Or how about that entire run getting dumped to the side because Johns wanted to out Dick during Forever Evil, a Justice League/Lex Luthor story? DC has repeatedly made their contempt for Nightwing clear, he's Batman's sidekick still in their eyes, and he serves whatever story role the Batman writer wants.

Hell his best stories tend to have been the ones where he's not Nightwing. He was Robin in a good chunk of the Wolfman/Perez New Teen Titans run. Morrison really showcased his depth as a character when they wrote him as Batman, their time with Dick under the cowl was actually one of the first Batman runs I ever read, and no Nightwing run has ever matched it in terms of quality in my humble opinion. Scott Snyder's work with DickBats also was a high point for the character, showing Dick as competent and examining his relationship with Gotham and the Gordons. King and Seeley gave him one of the best comic runs with Grayson, a series where he wasn't even a "superhero" technically! When it comes to actual pre-New 52 Nightwing runs that are highly recommended where he *is* Nightwing, there's Chuck Dixon and uhhhhhhh... Tomasi's brief run before Dick became Batman? It's not exactly an overwhelming list.

Look there has been good work done with Nightwing, I'm not claiming there hasn't been. Tim Seeley wrote a great run with Nightwing Rebirth. Seeley fleshed out Dick's Rogues Gallery with cool new ones like Raptor, he brought back old foes like Dr. Hurt (why oh why couldn't you have brought back Flamingo too?), he gave Dick's world some character it solely needed. Bludhaven under Seeley is pretty much the only time I've really felt like it lived up to being Dick's city.

The problem with fictional cities is you have to put in the work to give them the character of real cities. You have to make the cities feel like characters in their own right. Gotham is the best example of this, it's a character all it's own, one that tells you a lot about Batman and his cast. In contrast Bludhaven is usually one of the worst. Any place that wants to claim to be worse than the city that is built over the gate to hell and gets wrecked every other month by the Arkham freaks has to really put in the work to compete. Simply put, Bludhaven typically fails utterly. There's nothing about it that makes you really buy it's worse than Gotham, I mean does anyone really think Nightwing's Rogues wouldn't get their lunches eaten by Batman's? No, no one genuinely buys that. When Bludhaven claims to be worse, it just comes across as tryhard, an attribute that does end up telling you about Nightwing in unintentional ways.

So Seeley didn't do that. Instead he created a city built for a hero like Dick Grayson. Someone who is bright and flashy, but does have an element of darkness to him. Someone who loves the spotlight, but often uses it to obscure. Seeley turned Bludhaven into Las Vegas, and that was the fucking best concept for Bludhaven I have ever seen, it makes so much sense. Las Vegas is the "Entertainment Capital of the World" and isn't that the perfect city for a hero who got their start working in the circus? Isn't the aesthetics of the gleaming casinos, the glamorous sex appeal of the performers, and the spectacle of the shows, all being used to cover up the seediness of mob bosses meeting backstage perfect for Nightwing? It's so utterly unlike New York City, yet Las Vegas is still dangerous, it's got a crime culture all it's own. Seeley used it to great effect, as did Humphries during his brief run, and I will always be pissed that DC didn't continue to use it. That should have stuck around and been the definitive look for Bludhaven.

How Seeley's take on Bludhaven was treated feels like a small scale version of how Nightwing in general gets treated. Whenever creators pitched ideas for him, if editorial thought there was potential to break big, they asked for those ideas to be repurposed for Batman instead. Anything big or good gets repurposed for Batman or tossed to the side so Nightwing can go back to his default: having irrelevant adventures in a city that is supposedly worse than Gotham but can't live up to it. Just like how Nightwing is supposedly better than Batman but never gets to show it. Goddamn it's so frustrating seeing his potential get wasted like that.

The Nightwing book should be one of DC's most ambitious books in terms of storytelling. You can go from traditional superhero stories, to romantic soap opera, to spy stories, to crime noir, to horror, to cosmic adventures, and ALL of them would fit because Nightwing is someone who has a foot in both Gotham and Metropolis. He's got friends everywhere on every team, and has been a hero longer than most Leaguers have at this point. No reason DC should still be afraid to let him loose and insisting on hewing close to what Dixon established almost over 30 years ago is only holding him back. At the very least get him some better Rogues, why the hell didn't he get to keep Professor Pyg? That's Dick's villain not Bruce's! Bullshit that they didn't let Dick keep him. Hopefully Flamingo comes back, with a slight revamp I think he'd make a great reoccurring Nightwing Rogue.

Luckily it does look somewhat like Nightwing fans have reason to be optimistic. While Taylor isn't to my taste, DC clearly views him as a "big" writer, and that they put him on Nightwing says a lot. Taylor has been selling well so far, so hopefully he gets to tell his story, hilarious that even he lampshaded having to write Dick running over to Gotham for another tie-in after Taylor's big opening arc was all about Dick committing himself and his money to Bludhaven. Scott Snyder is apparently working on a Black Label Nightwing book which will explore how he's a different detective than Bruce. The Gotham Knights video game has him as one of the main stars, and while Titans is... controversial, it's one of the most popular streaming shows and Dick is the main character. There's a lot of content coming that features him in the starring role, and that will only help his star rise further.

For the first time in, well, ever it feels like DC may be serious about elevating him. Time will tell if it pays off, but I for one choose to be optimistic that the 2020s will be a turning point for Dick Grayson where Nightwing becomes hugely popular in his own right. Not just as Batman's sidekick.

#nightwing #dick grayson #batman #gotham knights #titans #dc comics

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robinrequiems · 3 years

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"Everyone keeps on trying to set us up but we are already secretly dating" clishe as jondami

I know its kinda late but I really love this trope xjkajkajkajka

OO NO. NEVER LATE.

• damian, at 17, has never dated anyone, never danced with anyone at a gala, probably never kissed anyone. his brothers had thought he was aromatic, which was okay!

• until they asked Damian about it:

Damian: ..where would you get that idea? i.. have romantic attractions.

• yeah his brothers were like: WOW! Oh my god! but they have seen how Damian disregards everyone, ignoring everyone and everything

• he only showed feelings to his family, friends, his animals, and jon. jons a separate category, they didn’t know if they were friends/partners/ or enemies sometimes

• but with the way damian smiled with Jon? and how jon hung out with damian? it was perfect!

• kon and kara have both watched as jon declined girls and boys, and basically everyone. he’s been asked out, jons a catch, he’s a sweetheart.. than why isn’t he dating anyone? jons dated people a few years back.. that weird middle school romance with Kathy, and that one week relationship when he was 14, but then everything stopped.

• like jon just no longer tried. they have seen jon laughing at his phone, but they don’t know why. it’s that stupid smile you get when you look at someone you love.

Kon: you aren’t worried about your sons love life?

Clark: ..do you want me to be worried about your love life?

Kon: I’m not— ( oh he thinks of me as his son )

• kon just dropped it, but kara smacked his head because of it.

• but anyways, the batfamily just wanted their little brother to at least go on one date! and the supers didn’t want jon to be alone, jon would be an amazing boyfriend, they knew that

Dick: look, Damian is.. restively calmer with Jon.

Tim: fair, but what if it ruins their friendship they have?

Stephanie: easy answer! we just don’t tell them it’s a date.

• meanwhile, here damian was, laying on jons chest and reading the latest chapter of a manga he just got

Jon: kon and aunt kara have been weird.

Damian: how so?

Jon: dunno, just like.. trying to investigate me. asking me what I like in a person.. it’s weird. it’s like when you tried asking me out

Damian: I didnt try to ask you out! I did!

flashback:

Damian: jonathan- if someone.. what do you.. tolerate in a person?

Jon: what

Damian: what do you like?

Jon: chocolate

Damian: in a person idiot!

Jon: hey don’t insult me): I like people who are.. headstrong, and uhh don’t let people knock them down, but also care for others

Damian: that’s so cliche, i like a cliche idiot who I have no chance with

Jon: what?

Damian: hm?

Jon: what did you say?

Damian: I called you cliche

Jon: okay..

current:

Jon: no you didn’t

Damian: yeah I did!

Jon: you told me you liked me and then pretended like I didn’t hear??

Damian: so

Jon: that wasn’t you asking me out

Damian: I didn’t even ask you out then!

flashback;

Damian: hello.

Jon: hi, you’ve been avoiding me

Damian, throwing a chocolate box at jons head: accept my chocolate

Jon, thankfully, his powers worked and he caught it: whats this for?

Damian: you.

Jon: okay, thanks

Damian, visibly panicking: date. you. me. please ?

Jon: huh-?

Damian: oh god I can’t do this, damnit!

Jon: Damian, breathe

Damian: I can’t, I can’t even ask you out properly!

Jon: oh.. oh.. Damian, Damian, hey, look at me. quit glaring- would you go out with me?

Damian: I was supposed to ask you):

Jon: it was a team effort

present:

Jon: you didn’t ask me out period

Damian: shut up

Jon: but they’re being weird

Damian: mine are too, they asked me if I was aromatic.

Jon: pfft, you’re the biggest romantic out there though!

Damian: i am not!

Jon: with me you are

Damian: no. shut up. but they’re being weird and trying to figure out what’s going on in my life. it’s gross

Jon: pfft

• they sorta just forgot about that. they really shouldn’t have since a month past and they are all celebrating damians birthday ( dunno his birthday, i get mixed results all the time )

• damian is awoken by dick who is forcing him into an outfit. he wanted to sleep all day. he’s uoset

Dick: hey birthday boy, happy 18th, you’re an adult now!

Damian: barely, all I can really do is legally move out.

Dick: hey, hey, don’t be a downer. cmon, everyone is here

Damian: everyone? please say you didn’t throw a party

Dick: I would be a liar then, sorry, lil d, but today’s a big day, okay? I know you hate parties, but you deserve one.

Damian: tt

• and low and behold, the only one down stairs is only jon kent.. damians so confused. and he’s holding flowers. and looking like he wants to sink into the floor. oh Jesus fuckingchrist

Damian: richard-??

Dick: surprise, I’m a liar. you two, are just going to go out for a nice lunch- have fun, if anything happens, call me.

Jon: hey, d…

Damian: um.

• dick just walks away, not before kissing damians head and wishing him another happy birthday.

• even though dick would actually like to spend the day with him, he also just wants to see if Damian and jon could work, but if it doesn’t, that’s okay. all he wants is his brother to be happy. dick does end up nearly having a breakdown in the bathroom though, his Robin had grown up so much, Damian was.. a petulant child when he first got there, and now? he’s a nearly functioning adult. he’s really proud of him okat?

• and dick is having: oh shit I’m old moments. but dicks so happy with the way damian freely smiled when he saw jon, even if he was confused. the Damian from even 5 years ago wouldn’t have done that. ( sorry dick and dami family stuff snuck in )

Damian: ..why the flowers?

Jon: dick gave them to me.. said to give them to you. they knew your favorites..

Damian: huh.. oh. oh no

Jon: huh?

Damian: this is a date

Jon: it is? oh no, I would’ve dress up more-

Damian: no, it was made by.. that. oh

Damian: they set us up

Jon: for what?

Damian: a date, idiot!

Jon: oh..

Damian: damnit.

• they hid their relatiosnsho because it was easier to go out in public, they didn’t want the superhero community to keep them apart during life threatening missions either. ( during life threatening missions, a lot of couples were split up since there would be a conflict of interest and it would cause many risks if someone was constantly worrying over their loved one, you know? granted, some couples are fine, but Damian knew bruce, he knew they would be separated. Bruce also knows damij would give his life for his loved ones. Heretic was an example of that, so he definitely would, Damian knows that he has a point, but he doesn’t want jon to be alone during life threatening stuff )

• and Damian didn’t want to deal with the fact his brothers might feel a little betrayed by the fact he hid for.. 3 years now. oh yeah, they started dating at 15. Damian.. loved his family, but sometimes? they were.. overwhelming. jon was just an escape sometimes, and he didn’t want his family to know that he escapes from his family

Jon: you know.. this wouldn’t happen if we just..

Damian: shut up.

• but dami & jon went out though, they went out for lunch and had a nice time.. minus the paparazzi Damian wanted to murder.

Damian: this is why I don’t want to make us public.

Jon: will we ever be public? it’s now or never, d, i don’t wanna hide us forever.

Damian:

Damian:okay. fuck it.

• and then they kiss. break the internet temporarily. and have to find a way to tell their family.

• thays. gonna be so fun.

#secretly dating au #cliche asks #damijon #Damian wayne #jon kent

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venfx · 3 years

Text

magnus fic roundup

as tma comes to a close, i thought i'd post some of my favorite fics to come out of this fandom. most of these are classics, listed in no particular order.

A Weather In The Flesh by @cuttoothed | 3K | S1-S4 | Jon/Martin | Complete

"There is a span of years where Jon doesn’t touch anyone other than the occasional hand shake. It’s not so bad. He’s never been someone who’s needed physical affection."

Jon has never been any good at making people want to stick around.

↳ this is such a well-done exploration of jon’s character and his relationship with touch, and i’ve re-read it at least five times. sweet and sad and phenomenally well-written.

in the chillest land and on the strangest sea by imperfectcircle, singlecrow | 20K | Safehouse, S1-S4 | Jon & Daisy, Jon/Martin | Complete

Jon remembers a statement he read years ago given by a Jesuit priest, who said that the shortest prayer he knew was, just, fuck it, as in fuck it; it's in God's hands. He takes Daisy's hand and trails on after her.

or; hope is a thing with feathers.

↳ hey, you wanna fuckin..... feel things? read this.

The Magnus Institute hires a Data Protection Officer. He sets about diligently booking in meetings, writing policy documents, and training all the staff in the importance of confidentiality. Now if only he could get hold of the Head Archivist, who seems to have vanished again...

(Jon is only trying to save the world, but apparently some people think he should still be doing his day job.)

↳ i’d be surprised to find people who haven’t read this series, but it’s the definition of “the magnus archives is a workplace comedy”. also, alasdair stuart has actually read some clips of this on Twitch, so that’s a fun bonus.

In accordance with the Ride or Die Pact of 2009, Jonathan Sims can call upon Georgie Barker at any time for aid with no strings attached. Despite their rocky history, their childhood friendship, and Jon’s barely recovered alcoholism, this pact is sacred and must be upheld.

Georgie Barker may regret this. She may regret it when she discovers that the world is full of monsters and eldritch gods and dickhead managers. She may regret it when a punk rocker who should be dead collapses on their doorstep, a teenager again who needs their help. She may regret it when her stupid ex-boyfriend starts selling his soul for knowledge and the ability to keep his new family safe.

But she probably won’t. Georgie isn’t scared of anything - not a Clown’s apocalypse, not the apocalypse that Jon is destined to begin, and not Jon’s own loss of humanity.

Maybe she should be.

↳ if you’re looking for an everyone-lives-no-one-dies-happy-ending fic that also happens to be massively chaotic, look no further.

The Reverb in These Holy Halls by @wolftraps | 98K | AU, S1-S4 | Jon/Martin | Complete

Undoing the apocalypse would have been enough for Jon, if all his people survived. Without them, Jon's only recourse is making it so it never happened in the first place. He's going to do better this time.

↳ quintessential time travel AUs. plot-wise, i feel like these can be difficult to write, but op does a fantastic job of tying things together in a way that makes sense. plus, it’s just fun to read.

jon sims v the nhs by @thoughtsbubble | 12K | Series | S3 | Complete

Joan Bright has a new patient. He's carrying an old tape recorder and is covered head to toe in scars. Jonathan Sims looks dangerous, but Dr Bright has dealt with all sorts of atypical individuals. She has no reason to be nervous.

Right?

↳ if you’ve ever thought “hey, jon should probably go to therapy”, then 1) you’re absolutely right and 2) this is... probably what would’ve happened. prior knowledge of The Bright Sessions is not required. also, apparently, this fic is written by the showrunner of The Underwood Collection? wild.

Family, Found by Dribbledscribbles | 9K | S4 | Complete

It’s Basira who catches onto it.

The collective shift that seems to come over them when heading in or out of the Institute. Not just the oppressive sensation of being observed, their every move catalogued for the voyeuristic cravings of some unseen Eye(s). That feeling remained with them even when they left the Institute these days, but it was always stronger inside its walls. That wasn’t the change. Nor was it the point.

The point was: making life worse for Jonathan Sims.

↳ i think being part of the avengers fandom circa 2012 has given me permanent found-family-trope brainrot, but you know what. jonathan sims can have a little happiness, as a treat.

n. an important moment of insight, typically one that leads to a dramatic transformation of attitude or belief

Or, in which Tim becomes an avatar for the end of all things.

↳ tim dies and then he doesn’t. there is catharsis and world building. just....read it.

Come, Change Your Ring With Me by @backofthebookshelf | 29K | S3 | Peter/Jon, Jon/Martin, Peter/Elias | Complete

The Lukases demand the Archivist marry into the family, and the Institute relies on them too much to say no. Peter is smug. Elias is fuming. Martin is suffering. Jon thinks this might be tolerable if only Peter would hurry up and leave him alone already.

OR, the soap opera we call an Archives revolves around Peter Lukas this time.

↳ superb evil-bastards-in-love content, feat. martin pining, tim being obnoxious, and jon being... well, tired, mostly. i will literally never get tired of how op writes peter.

creatures that i briefly move along by @dotsayers | 16K | Series | AU, Post-S4 | background Jon/Martin

Mr Sims was so weird, was the thing. Miss Grant always said calling people weird was rude, and Anna sort of agreed, but she didn’t know what other word to use to describe Mr Sims.

He’d only been in with the class for a few days, really, and half of that he just sat at the back listening, but that didn’t stop her from making a swift judgement. 5BG had had student teachers before, back when they were 3ST, and they’d been uniformly normal.

Mr Sims was… actually, Anna had a better adjective. He was interesting.

↳ i just.... love teacher!jon fics. this series delivers.

Once Bitten by @apatheticbutterflies | 1K | S4 | Jon & Daisy | Complete

Jon Sims has always been a jumpy kind of guy. Nervous. Twitchy. Daisy used to think it meant he was guilty. Turns out he was. Just not of what she’d thought.

Daisy learns how to peel an orange.

↳ daisy and jon’s relationship is an example of an instance where i’m happy to say “fuck what you wrote mr. jonny ‘chocolate torte of tragedy’ sims, i want them to be friends”.

pins and needles by mutterandmumble | 13K | S1-S4 | Complete

He’s got a reputation to uphold anyways; an uptight, rigid reputation that dictates the way that he interacts and functions and is such an integral part of him that he can’t let go of it anytime soon. He likes his safety nets. He likes his contingencies. He likes his privacy, and everything around this place right down to the walls seems to have ears, so he’ll stay tight-lipped up to and beyond the threat of death.

He’s good at that.

In which Jon takes up embroidery and bumbles through life the best that he can.

↳ out of all the introspective jon pieces i’ve read (and there are many), this one stands out. maybe it’s the symbolism or the characterisation, or maybe it’s the fact that i have an embroidery kit lurking in the back of my closet along with a hundred other half-pursued hyperfixations. whatever. this is excellent.

sleeping in by @ivelostmyspectacles | 5K | S2 | Jon/Tim | Complete

“Who are you trying to convince?”

Jon gives up, letting his head sag against Tim’s shoulder. “I don’t know.”

aka Elias gets tired of Jon and Tim's bickering, sends them away for a "team-building" weekend trip, and is sure to book them a room with only one bed

↳ this has everything you’d need from a “oh no there’s only one bed” fic. someone please get these men therapy.

if you try, sometimes (you get what you knead) by @ajcrawly | 3.5K | S1-S4 | Jon/Martin, Tim/Sasha | Complete

It starts with an abundance of boeuf bourguignon and ends up as a team tradition.

Food and love in uncertain times.

↳ more found family fic, this time with a diverse og!archival staff and food as a metaphor for love. hurt in all the right ways. made me hungry in the process.

#tried to keep this shortish but i might just make a part 2 #people in this fandom are crazy talented #tma #the magnus archives #tma fic recs #fic recs #long post #txt #mine

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justcourttee · 4 years

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Could I request when Marinette first meets the Batfam (One as Marinette meeting the Wayne's, one as Marinette meeting the Batfam, one as Ladybug meeting the Wayne's, and one as Ladybug meeting the Batfam)

I’m so so sorry it took so long. I loved this so much and grossly underestimated how long it would take me to do this prompt justice. I decided on a whole bunch of short stories that tied together and several days of editing and rewriting left me with this.

I hope you enjoy it! @elements1999

The First Time

The first time Marinette met the Wayne’s was at a charity auction that she dragged Adrien too.

With her first year of earnings beyond her imagination, Marinette wanted to donate some to charity and who better than Bruce Wayne. She read all about his many donations and auctions, how he came to the rescue of orphaned kids and hospitals struggling to stay afloat. She might not know much about charity, but she knew this man would put her money to good use.

It didn’t take long for Adrien to wander off, his hopeless romantic self trailing after every beautiful person he saw. He advised her to find her own beautiful person, after all, this world revolved around connections, and she needed more than just Adrien.

She set her eyes on a prominent looking man around her age. His attention seemed fixed on the older men he was entertaining, their conversation dragging, but the more she watched, the more she could recognize his own boredom. If anything else tonight, at least she could save him from succumbing to social suicide.

“Excuse me sir, but I was wondering if I could steal a moment of your time. I had a question about, uh, the stocks of your business.”

His eyebrow cocked as a playful smirk pulled at his lips. He knew that she had no intention of doing such things with one glance. She was impressed. As he excused himself from his company, the man offered his arm which she readily took.

“Now Miss, what questions could I answer for you?”

“Hmm, well, we could start with how do you put up with such dreadful conversations for hours on end? You looked like you were five seconds away from passing out.”

Tim, she soon learned, was the business partner of Bruce Wayne and his adopted son. He mostly dealt with the partnership side of Wayne Enterprise which meant enduring boring old man for hours on end at these types of events. They continued on with small talk as they walked the ballroom, but eventually, Tim had to excuse himself to yet another group of old men.

Marinette shook her head, slightly amused at the sight of him putting on a game face. Maybe she could ask Tim to help her with the partnership side of MDC. Right now, her current co-owner was off making plans for an after-party, not a sponsor.

“This is outrageous! I have my invite right here, what do you mean not invited? Brucie gave me this,” he shoved the piece of paper into the guard's face, “this morning.”

“Sir, a paper that says, Jason, my favorite son, this is an unlimited pass, does not count as an invite. Sorry.”

“You know, something tells me you’re not really sorry.”

Marinette bit her lip trying to hold back her laughter. For the second time in one night, it looks like she would have to be the knight in shining armor stepping in to save the damsel in distress.

“Jason? I told you not to leave your invite on the counter!”

The man widened his eyes at her as she crossed her arms, a fake disappointment monopolizing her face.

“Excuse me sir, but this is my date. He didn’t arrive home on time for work, so I left his invitation on the counter! I didn’t think he would be dumb enough to forget such a small piece of paper.”

“Oh yes, I’m sorry babe, please forgive me?”

The security guard didn’t look convinced, but he sidestepped allowing Jason to enter. Immediately he threw his arm over her shoulders as he dragged them away from the entrance as quickly as possible.

“First off, thanks for getting me in small fry. Second, who are you? The guards aren’t that stupid, they know we’re not together, but for some reason, it only took one look at you and they let me right in. Are you like sleeping with Bruce or something?”

Marinette’s face paled as she tried to stutter out a denial.

“Oh God,” Jason bursted into laughter, accidentally dragging her down with him as they doubled over. “Oh god, I’m sorry. It was too good, your face was too good.”

Marinette landed a punch in the man’s side with a sickening thud, but he didn’t even flinch. Instead, he had the audacity to ruffle her pristine hair while wiping a tear from the corner of his eye.

“Anyways, fess up, who are you really?”

Her time with Jason was much different from Tim’s. She honestly couldn’t believe that they were raised by the same man. Tim was constantly calculating his every sentence, watching her for signs of a slip-up or lie. He was composed the entire time, careful not to insult her as if she was a potential business partner. Jason? Not so much.

They traded insults and jabs at each other before turning their attention to the room insulting anyone who dared to step into their line of view. Marinette would be lying if she said she wasn’t a bit disappointed when he had to leave to find Bruce.

She spent the next few minutes wandering around the room until another damsel caught her eye. To put things lightly, Marinette was a little confused about who she was saving. The smaller man was maybe a couple inches taller than her and while the taller man was looming over him. However, it was the look in the smaller one’s eyes that screamed danger.

“Hello sir, I seem to have wandered off from my group, would you happen to have the time? I wouldn’t want to be late to the auction.”

Whatever argument the two were engaged in instantly came to a standstill as they seized each other up before turning to face her. The taller one flashed her a blinding smile before introducing himself as Dick.

“My son here is Damian and I’m sure he’d be glad to show a beautiful woman like yourself back to the auction site.” He placed a hand on Damian’s head, giving his hair a ruffle for good measure.

“You are not my father Grayson, unhand me at once.”

Marinette covered her mouth slightly trying to hide her giggles. She knew these two. They were the few exceptions to the press rule, always doing interviews as a brotherly team, maintaining the loving family image.

“What is so funny woman?”

Marinette cleared her throat trying to swallow any remaining laughter.

“Oh nothing, it’s just, you all are so different than I imagined, it’s quite refreshing.”

Damian shot her a quizzical look as if he wasn’t sure whether to be complimented or offended.

“Well, if you like little bird so much, we should definitely get you back to the auction! This year, he graciously volunteered to be the surprise celebrity date.”

“Gracious is not the correct word Grayson. You all blackmailed me.”

“Details, details, so what do you say, Miss?” Dick waved off the accusation before offering his hand to her.

“Marinette and I would be delighted to save him from the woman here.”

They chatted idly as they made their way back, neither oblivious to the slight red tinting Damian’s cheeks. When the time came, Marinette made sure to place the first and last bid for Damian Wayne. And before the end of the night, she had four numbers to match her four new friends.

“Marinetteee, I didn’t find a single soul tonight that was there for a good time. What a bunch of sticks.”

Marinette chuckled as she slid into the limo, patting Adrien’s head with fake sympathy.

“A bunch of sticks indeed.” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The first time Marinette met the notorious Batman, she had gotten herself in over her head.

She had just wanted to find this new fabric shop that Jason had suggested, who would’ve known that one wrong turn in Gotham and she would end up in Rogue territory.

It had started just a handful of punks, intent on robbing her. Sure they had some knives, but she wasn’t worried at all. She only started freaking out when they seemed to duplicate right before her eyes. At the rate she was going, she was going to be overrun, no question about it.

At least until the man dropped from the sky. Marinette didn’t have time to process what had happened, instead she used the distraction to knock out the nearest goon. Even with the new help, they were still being overwhelmed.

“It’s time to get you out of here Miss, unfortunately, the two of us are not going to be enough for this guy.”

“This guy?”

Surely he wasn’t insinuating these masked men were one guy, right? He didn’t answer her as he pulled her into his side, sending his grapple into the dark sky. The landing was slightly rough as Marinette rolled to a stop, stumbling to her feet to get a good look at the man.

His suit was odd. Everything was fine from the coordinating red and black to the yellow robin perched on his breastplate, but what really did it for her was the spandex black hood covering his hair and eyes seemingly connected to his cape.

“My God, Is that connected to your hood?” Marinette pinched at the material covering half his head, amazed as it snapped back into place immediately. “You know you could really hurt yourself like this?”

She paced around him admiring the handiwork of his suit. If she had to make a guess, this was most likely Red Robin. Her eyes narrowed in around the neck, a small string almost unnoticeable sat at the base.

“Ohh I get it now, you pull this little string right here and it’s like an emergency relief. Okay, I’ll let the weird hood slide.”

He seemed to pay her no mind as he slipped the small device in his hand back into one of his many pockets.

“Ma’am, backup is on the way, I’m going to have to ask you to stay right here until one of us lets you down.”

“Hmm, would this be considered kidnapping?”

Red Robin stumbled over himself trying to explain that it was for her own safety, that Batman would never kidnap her. It took everything in her not to bust out laughing from his distress. She waved off his rambling as he watched him jump back down into the herd of men below.

Now that she was alone, maybe she could transform, help him. She turned from her spot only to come face to face with another superhero.

“Oh no, you can’t skip away, I’m pretty sure Red told you to hold your position.”

“Dude, I just really was trying to get to this 24-hour fabric shop that my friend told me about. I can’t help that danger just seems to follow me.”

The man clicked his tongue before reaching out to ruffle her hair in an annoyingly familiar way.

“Sorry small fry, just you and me until Red down there can relay a plan.”

Small fry? Only one obnoxiously fun person in Gotham City has referred to her like that and the more she stared him down, the more the gears started to turn in her head.

“Do I look good from that angle? Am I mesmerizing to you? Is the moonlight reflecting off my hair blinding you?”

If she had any doubts before, the ridiculous poses from the man in front of her only confirmed what she had thought. Before she could ask, the man quickly placed his finger up to his ear, his face dropping to deadly serious.

“Okay, so princess, I’m going to have to ask you nicely to stay up here. Robin should be here at any moment to make sure of it, but the situation just got a little bit more dire. Nice meeting you though, try not to fall in love with me when I save your life.”

Marinette wouldn't even respond as she leaned over the edge watching the fight ensue down below. Another two heroes had arrived, one in a blue and black suit, the thin mask concealing his eyes. The other?

“Oh mon Dieu, that’s Batman!”

“Are you always this obvious?” A hand barely touched her shoulder and on instinct, Marinette gripped it, pulling the attacker over her back and slamming them into the roof.

“Oh, oh, oh, I’m so sorry Robin. I guess I got a little spooked from the fight down below.”

The man stared at her with an unreadable expression before adjusting his hood, scooting a couple inches back before standing. He kept one hand on a small piece jutting out of his ear that she only assumed was a comm as if waiting for instructions.

“Hey, do you know the identity of the other’s down there?”

“Tt, of course I do, what kind of question is that?”

She shook her head, a small smile pulling at her lips.

“Nothing much, just wondering. You know, Red Robin said something about those goons being one guy, does that mean you guys are looking for one person in particular to stop the clones?”

“How do you know so much about Multiplex?”

“I don’t,” she shrugged her shoulders as nonchalantly as she could. “I’m just trying to get a grasp of my situation. If you were to ask me though, they’re not going to find him in the crowd down there and even if Batman is looking for the direction they could be coming from, he has no vantage point to see.”

Robin paused for a moment as if he was going to regret the next words that came out of his mouth.

“Fine, if I were to ask you, where do you think the main copy is?”

Marinette pointed wordlessly to the building they were standing on. Reaching out, she grabbed Robin’s hand pulling him to where she stood.

“Unhand me wo-” Marinette placed her finger on his lips waiting for him to silence before motioning over the edge to where the alleyway entrance was propped open.

“When I first got here, that’s the direction the first three came from. Now if my theory is correct, this Multiplex guy doesn’t need to be on sight to create copies and once he creates a copy, that copy can multiply no matter how many times it’s beaten down. So him sending only three out, can make six men minimum, right?”

Robin simply nodded, but she could see the wheel’s turning in his head, matching her own.

“You’re saying that if I enter that door down there, he should be somewhere in this warehouse that we’re standing on.”

“I’m saying if we go down there with an inhibitor collar, we can help Batman.”

“Absolutely not Mar-Miss. It’s too dangerous for a civilian. You can stay right here.”

All it took was one reminder that she had flipped him on instinct and he was the trained one for Robin to bring her down with him. In a matter of minutes, Robin had taken down Multiplex, surprised that she was right.

They were in the middle of an argument when the others stepped through the door, all wearing the same shocked expressions.

“Miss, what were you doing here this late at night?”

Marinette paused, the sudden realization that she was indeed standing in front of Batman, arguing with his sidekick that she was more competent than he was, how embarrassing.

“I really was just looking for this 24-hour fabric store that my friend Jason told me about. Do any of you know anything about that? Oh, better yet, can someone take me there? I really have so much work to be done and so little time to do it in.”

The five of them exchanged glances as if they weren’t sure who should go. It was like watching an involuntary ‘nose-goes’ game.

“Robin will take you.”

There was a slight grumble, but even he couldn’t hide the blush peeking out from under his mask. It only took five minutes by grapple and as he sat her down on the pavement, Marinette pecked his cheek.

“I think you might need a new disguise little bird,” she sent him a wink before turning to enter the store, unable to hide her own blush forming.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The first time Ladybug met the Wayne’s, she was in the wrong place at the right time.

She just wanted to drop off a new Lgeimat recipe that she had definitely not been trying to perfect ever since Damian mentioned his middle eastern heritage. So, you could imagine her surprise when she found Poison Ivy standing on the mansion’s doorstep.

Setting the plate on top of the call box, Marinette wasted no time transforming. Slinging her yo-yo, she pulled Ivy off her feet, landing on top of the woman as the door swung open.

“My lord, what do we have here?”

Alfred stepped backward, his eyes scanning over the scene in front of him. Marinette wanted to shove her yo-yo into Ivy’s mouth to end the string of curses falling out. Honestly, it was enough to turn the tips of Marinette’s ears pink.

“Master Bruce, your visitor has arrived and with a friend,” Alfred called behind him, stepping out of the door frame only to allow Bruce to fill it instead.

“Mr. Wayne, I was patrolling and a young woman came running up frightened for your safety. She said she was on her way to surprise you when she caught sight of this rogue on your doorstep.”

Bruce looked slightly amused. Marinette wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or worried at that fact.

“What may I call you Miss?”

“Uh, Ladybug.”

“Miss Ladybug, Dr. Isley here was my guest tonight, not an enemy, but I can understand the confusion. We had a new arboretum to talk about. Would you please release her?”

Marinette was sure her face matched her suit. She quickly withdrew her yo-yo, offering her hand for Ivy to stand. The woman ignored her, still cursing under her breath as Alfred led her inside leaving Bruce to stand with her on the porch.

“I’m so sorry Mr. Wayne. The young woman sounded frantic, I was only trying to help.”

Bruce waved off her apology, even going as far as inviting her inside. She politely declined, trying to escape before she could embarrass herself even further. But it was futile. They finally settled on a picture with his sons who all were apparently big fans from her Paris days.

Marinette tried to feign ignorance to who the boys were, but it was so hard as they fawned over her outfit, asking her a million and one questions about Hawkmoth and Chat Noir. Even Damian seemed impressed by her standing in front of him.

“Oh my, I almost forgot.” Marinette took off in a jog to the front gate. “The young woman asked if I could deliver these to the youngest Wayne and I’m assuming that’s you.” She returned, handing off the plate to Damian whose eyes instantly softened.

“Lgeimat” it was barely a whisper, but Marinette felt her heart flip at how fond his voice sounded over the fritters. “If you see her before I do, please thank her.”

Marinette nodded, too scared of her own voice to answer. Bruce motioned for them to gather together as he pulled out his phone, snapping several photos at once. When she left, Marinette was jealous that she could never ask for a copy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The first time Ladybug met Batman she had accidentally landed in the middle of their meeting on top of Wayne Tower.

As soon as her feet hit the rooftop, all voices silenced, five sets of eyes landing on her position.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize this rooftop was taken, I’ll be on my way.”

She quickly unwound her yo-yo, ready to take off when a hand grasped her wrist, forcing her to stand down.

“Please, Ladybug, we actually have a few questions for you.”

It was Dick, no, Nightwing. She was sure without even having to look him in the eyes. No one else ever used such a soft gentle tone with her. Securing her yo-yo back in its rightful place, she nodded, walking over to where the rest of the group stood.

“Nice to finally meet you Ladybug, how long have you been in my city?”

The only thing holding her back from her theory that the Wayne brothers were the bat boys was the idea that this crude man in front of her was really Bruce Wayne. She had heard of split personality, but he took it to a whole new level.

“Quite a few months now. I try not to go out much considering this is your city to protect, but I had to out myself the other day to save a civilian. Turns out he didn’t need my help, but I figured it was in the open now that Paris’ hero was in Gotham City. Surprise?”

Red Hood looked like it was paining him to try and not laugh as she and Batman continued their staredown.

“When will you be leaving?”

“I’m not sure, I’ve started to grow fond of some people here, makes me want to settle down.”

She heard the hitch in Robin’s breath making her smirk stretch even further at the idea that he liked the thought.

“Would you be willing to reveal your identity to me? I don’t like unknowns in my city.”

“Only if you reveal yours first.”

She crossed her arms in mock defiance as Batman’s lips pulled into their own smirk.

“You’re Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

“You’re Bruce Wayne.”

There was a moment of silence where neither party said a word. The others seemed to be glued, unsure who was going to move first. With a great sigh, Bruce reached up, pulling back his mask to reveal his face. Marinette smiled as she called off Tikki, revealing herself in the middle of the rooftop.

“I knew it. See, pay up Timmy boy.” Jason threw off his mask before lifting Marinette in the air in a bone-crushing hug.

“I was dumb to bet against it,” Tim pulled off his hood, a smirk monopolizing his face.

Dick didn’t even bother to let her regain her footing before sweeping her into a hug of his own. As he sat Marinette down, she couldn't help the nervous chuckle that escaped her lips as she turned to face Damian. His face was unreadable as he pulled back his hood. Slowly he reached forward, his hand tentatively touching her cheek as if to ensure that she was real.

“I, uh, wanted to thank you for the dessert. Nobody has really gone that far for me before and I, uh, appreciated it.”

He took a step forward, his whole hand cupping her cheek sending the butterflies in her stomach into a frenzy. Just as she thought something could happen, an arm around her shoulder pulled her swiftly out of Damian’s reach.

“Okay lovebirds, not in front of his dad! Princess, you can’t steal this boy’s first kiss in front of his daddy.”

The first time Marinette cried in Gotham City was that night. Her laughter turned into tears of joy as she watched Damian and Jason nearly kill each other while Dick and Tim placed bets. It would be the first time she felt this kind of joy, but far from the last.

After all, surrounded by Gotham’s biggest idiots, her friends, there were sure to be many more firsts.

Permanent Tag List:

@ash-amg @rebecarojas07 @heaven428 @long-lost-peace @thequeenofpotatoeunicornss @moongoddesskiana @nach0ava @iamablinkmarvelarmy @seraphkitty @clumsy-owl-4178 @pawsitivelymiraculous

#daminette #maribat #miraculous ladybug

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elysianslove · 3 years

Note

hi! how have you been since the hell that ensued after halloween is?

also could you do a batboys college au? like their major and how the reader would meet them and all that jazz? 👉👈

-🐥

hi anon!! i’m not sure what ur talking about @ the halloween stuff hvsdhjs but! here are the batboys hc’s! i’m not very familiar with duke thomas’s character enough to write about him tbh, so he’s not included here :( but if you want me to add him let me know!! i hope you enjoy!!

dick grayson

out of all the batboys i really didn’t know how to choose a major for him

but

i think he’d do law tbh, specifically criminal law

his main motivation to become a police officer in bludhaven had been to be able to help people in any way he can

i forgot if it’s canon or not but he does realize how corrupt it is and he quits but that’s another thing we won’t get into that lmao

anyways yes let’s just stick with law

meeting you !

he shares one or two courses with you

one that’s really early in the morning

and one that’s later on in the afternoon

dick is like a magnetic okay

anywhere he goes people are just attracted to him

like literally he will breathe

but someone call the ambulance there’s a person that’s passed out bc of how beautiful he is

but this is an 8 am class 😃

so there’s no way ur awake enough to notice him

coincidentally he sits next to you one time

and this is the one time

you decide

yeah lemme just fkn sleep is uni even worth it

dick definitely notices right away but he doesn’t say anything

he thinks you look so cute passed out on your desk like this 🥺

when the professor signals the end of the class, he watches as people file out and then he just leans over and nudges you slightly

you nearly punch him bc he scared you ❤️

he just laughs and goes “class is over”

you just sigh like the guilt starts to hit you and your heart begins to sink

and he sees your disappointed face and just goes

“i took a lot notes. i can share them w you?”

lifesaver in every single way dick grayson 😻😻😻

you had another class that you had to run to and you were rushing

he was like “dw i’ll just give them to you whenever i see you next”

and you 🏃🏻‍♀️ outta there

imagine ur surprise when u enter class at 12 pm and he’s there in all his glory

after the lecture is over, he walks up to you as you’re packing and asks if you want to go to the coffee shop nearby

to take his notes of course

and you finally register just how handsome he is

so obviously you say yes wtf

and the rest is history 😼

he asks you out, properly, pretty early on tbh

so unfazed lmfao

now you take naps on his shoulder instead of the desk 💞💞💞

soooo into pda

kisses u when he first sees you

when you’re parting ways

when he feels like it

straight up cuddles w during lectures i’m not even joking

it’s disgusting how cute you two are

gets you coffee for all those 8 am classes u have w him hehe

study dates always turn into karaoke sessions somehow don’t even ask lmao

jason todd

english literature

this is a collective agreement right?

right

definitely english literature

i dont even think he wants to go to uni but he’s going to waste time plus this is bruce’s money 😏🤑

your major doesn’t necessarily have to be english literature as well

but you share one class

and my god

you two disagree on everything

like every little thing

at this point if he says something and you slightly agree internally you’ll still say some opposing shit

that’s kinda what draws you to him

at first you genuinely had nothing against him

but then this kind of rivalry developed for no specific reason

but it was fun

and he was hot

so seeing him get flustered or angry made him even hotter somehow

but then

but t h e n

you’re not sure if your professor like ships you or something

so you’re assigned a debate topic on one of the books you’d discussed in class/one of the books you’ve read outside, and within each group are the two sides for and against

not only were you in the same team as jason, but you were on the same side as him

so you had to work with him

the audacity of the professor omg

but jason needs this course

and

well you don’t but it’s too late to back out now

you two meet in the campus library after deciding on a book with the other two of your team

and

honestly???

you two work so well together

like insanely well

during the debate you destroyed the other team

spoiler alert

doing so well with jason kinda made you like hot and bothered

seeing him in his zone

sexy <3

what i mean to say is

you both end up making out in some storage room lmfao

or hate sex 😏

professor has a phd in matchmaking 🤔😻

i think you two don’t admit you like each other

bc you’re both stubborn as fuck

but eventually you’re literally on his lap on his couch and it just hits you

and you lean back and go

“wanna go out w me”

and he just shrugs and goes “sure” and pulls you in for more kissing hehe

he’s not v good at the boyfriend thing tbh

you have to chase him around and be like “sir!!! did u forget about me huh!!!”

he doesn’t mean to i promise

he gets all blushy and flustered once he realizes

only ever into pda if he’s insanely jealous

will straight up make out w u regardless of where u are or who ur with lmfao

he’s still getting used to the little intimacies and all

debates in class are so much more fun now cause he finds it so hot when u get all riled up hehe

that eng lit professor is so happy for you two omg

tim drake

okay i also couldn’t really decide for him

but maybe he’d study something like physics (or maybe computer engineering/computer science)

idk u have to have a death wish to wanna major in physics so tim’s major it is

i’m not sure how it works for every other uni but my uni requires 6 credits of sciences to graduate

so let’s say for the sake of this hc u take like just the first level of physics to get 3 credits

and

you’re struggling 😃👍🏼

so you like approach your professor with a few questions before the quiz

but tim is also there

and he kinda makes small talk while you two wait outside the office

and he asks why you’re here

you show him

and he’s like “oh i took this course w the same professor as well, i could help?”

it’s like an angel had descended from the heavens for you personally

you take his number and decide to meet up with him after a few hours

he’s of so much more help than your professor would’ve been, even if ur prof is a really nice and smart person

and he’s super like

patient with you?

also he pays for all the coffee and snacks you’re getting after you already get them

ur like bruh i didnt

dont pay pls

and he’s like no im loaded let me 😼

swooning <3

and guess what!!

you ace the quiz out of some miracle

first thing you do is text him and he congratulates you

and then

bc ur not blind and tim is so fucking cute

you’re like “can i take u out to thank u”

tim’s brain stops working but !

he does say yes eventually

he becomes your designated physics tutor + your amazing boyfriend

being with tim is so like

chill

it’s a very relaxed time

lots of study dates! and cafe dates! all hours of the day whether the sun is up or not

into pda but to a certain degree

like yes of course have a kiss pretty baby

but also it will only be a small peck

any time anyone passes by like common rooms you two will be there snuggling on the couch, one or both of you completely passed out

damian wayne

business major 100%

or a bsba econ major, which is basically the business side of economics

he has to take over his father’s company one day duh

also i genuinely think damian would excel in this field

he’s a very keeps to himself kinda guy in uni

like you only ever see him in your common classes and then he just

disappears

anyways there was this party that everyone was going to, and damian wasn’t planning to

but dick accidentally read some groupchat’s messages and was like are u going

damian went 🏃🏻‍♀️

but dick was like go and try to make friends !!!!

and dames cant say no to his big bro 🥺 so he goes

stays in a corner on the settings app the entire time

like half an hr in he just leaves and is walking home/back to his dorm when you come like rushing up to him

you’re zooming

and then you just latch onto his hand and lean up to press a kiss to his cheek, whispering in his ear “this person’s been following me for like 15 mins just please go along w this”

he kinda stiffens but when he does notice that there’s a person eyeing you he slips his arm around your waist and just carries on walking

he walks you to your home/dorm and is like

so awkward

but it’s okay ! ur a people’s person enough for the two of you

you thank him so much over and over

and then you’re like

“can i take you out on a real date?”

and then he becomes ur real boyfriend hehe

is still super stiff but it’s only bc he’s so hyper aware of how attractive you are

and i’m super positive he doesn’t have that much experience with dating so

you hold the reigns

but he’s a great boyfriend all in all tbh

super attentive, super protective, and so loving

isn’t into pda especially on college campus but he does like subtle pda

things like linking your pinkies or giving you his hoodie to just parade around campus hehe

end note; i’m sorry if these feel rushed or anything like. i used to be an avid writer for the batboys, but i just haven’t been feeling it lately. i still love to write from them bc i know these boys so well eeeeppp. anyways feel free to request some more!!

#dc comics x reader #dc comics headcanons #jason todd x reader #jason todd fluff #jason todd headcanon #dick grayson x reader #dick grayson headcanon #tim drake x reader #tim drake headcanon #damian wayne x reader #damian wayne headcanon #batboys x reader #batboys headcanons

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tinyboxxtink · 3 years

Text

“Helpless” *Part 10*

Dammit!! I really wanted a nice and even chapter set, but I couldn’t fit the proper ending in here. So, I guess I’m just gonna have to deal. LoL.

Side Note: I initially wanted to toss the word ‘helpless’ in there to go with the title, and now it’s just everywhere. So, sorry if it seems cheesy lol. And if you don’t notice that’s a good thing! It just bothers me...lol

Master List

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

FINALE!!

Tag List

@wanniiieeee

@dumauier

@chasingeverybreakingwave

@word-scribbless

---

You were lost in your thoughts when Olivia’s phone rang.

“...Yeah, uh huh. Alright, thank God. Yeah she’s here,” Olivia glanced at you. “Uh huh...yes we will, Okay thank you,” She hung up the phone and looked at you again.

“They caught your friends,” she told you.

“Oh they are NOT my friends,” you scoffed.

“I thought you said--” She started.

“Arianna was my best friend, until she got the lo--until she got Rafael shot,” You tripped over your words, not really wanting to get into the ‘love’ debacle with Olivia again.

“I see. Well, apparently they didn’t have the gun they used to shoot Rafael on them, and they’re insisting that you have it,” She stated coldly.

“I...Wha...A-Are you serious?!” You were shocked. “I-I-I-I...I don’t have a gun! I don’t have ANY gun! Y-You saw me!”

“She’s right Liv, we didn’t see a gun on her at the scene,” Rollins pointed out.

“She could have stashed it,” Olivia eyed you?

“A-Are you serious, Detective? Didn’t we just do this? I couldn’t have-- I would NEVER--”

“Alright, why don’t we just start from the beginning, okay?” Carisi interrupted you, trying to be the mediator.

“...The beginning of what, exactly?” You asked confused.

“Of the night,”

“Well, I mean you were there at the beginning,” you shrugged.

“Right. So take us after we left you...in the kitchen,” Carisi alluded to when they had caught you making out in Fazzoli’s kitchen like teenagers.

“Right. Um, so Rafael helped me re-do all the prep we knocked over, and then he gave me a ride home, and then we--” You paused, wondering how much detail was really relevant. You decided some things were better left private.

“We said good night, and then I went upstairs and Arianna was packing, and she said we had to leave and I was never gonna see Rafael again, and when I refused she pulled a GUN on me,” You paused again, reliving the night all over again.

“So I called Rafael because I was scared, but I know I shouldn’t have because I knew he’d want to come and be a hero or something. He wanted to call you, and I said no. Then he said he was going to come himself and I still said no! But then Arianna came in and heard him on the phone so she smashed it, and then--”

“So why exactly, did your friend pull a gun on you?” Fin interrupted you.

“I...um, because I wouldn’t do what she said,” you bit your lip.

“Right. And why did she say you both had to move and ‘never see Rafael again’?” He raised an eyebrow.

“I um-- well she, she thought he was going to come after us. Her, really,” you started to twirl your hair furiously.

“And why would he do that?”

“God..” you didn’t want to do this. You didn’t want to have to explain to actual cops what you did. But you also knew lying would bite you in the ass, so you continued.

“...Because I told him what we do,” you looked down at the floor.

“And what do you do, Y/N?” Olivia aske sternly.

“I...we...we sort of...hustle, people,” you muttered, still looking at the floor.

“You hustle people?”

“Yeah I have this superpower--” you started, but suddenly realized you sounded like a nut job.

“A superpower,” Fin half laughed.

“Not like laser eyes superpowers. Like a...skill?” you tried finding a better word for what you did.

“A skill?”

“Yeah I can-- um, read people,” you bit your lip again, not really knowing how to explain this.

“Like a psychic?”

“No! Like...body language. Microexpressions,” You didn’t know why they would know what those were, but you really didn’t have another word for them.

“Oh like on that show!!!” Carisi chimed in excitedly, causing the squad to stare at him. “What? I love Tim Roth,”

“So what, you’re just really good at reading body language? How does that help you hustle people?”

“I mean it’s-- it’s more involved than that,” you replied, a bit offended.

“Yeah Fin, you should see this show man. They’re basically human lie detectors,” Carisi added.

“It’s a TV Show” Fin rolled his eyes.

“But it’s based on real life science! Science I’ve studied my entire life, basically,” you started kicking yourself, should they really know how good you were?

“...Ok well whatever, so you were scamming Rafael and he found out?”

“NO! Well…” you bit your lip. “Kind of,”

“Kind of? My best friend could be dying because of you right now, so you better start talking straight to us,” Oliva got in your face.

“I am! Ok look: I really liked Rafael for a really long time, and then Arianna told me his name and so I kinda ‘went for it’ but I really did like him! And then Arianna told me to start ‘using him’ and getting something out of him we could use, so I started to. But when he told me that his dad used to beat the shit out of him I couldn’t--”

“I’m sorry, what?” Olivia interrupted you.

“...He told you about his dad?”

“I...um, yeah,” You looked down at the floor again; he probably wouldn’t have wanted you spewing his life long secret out in public like that. The squad all looked at each other in disbelief.

“....That must be one hell of a superpower,”

“I-I can’t believe he told you-- he’s never even told ME,” Olivia blinked in disbelief.

“...So you manipulated him into telling you intimate things, and then what? He figured it out?” Rollins persisted.

“Yeah, pretty much. But I sent him away before he told me anything else, and I told him to stay away from us!” you defended yourself.

“And why’s that?” Fin asked.

“Because Arianna doesn’t give up, that’s why. She would have kept on digging, but I told her that he was onto us so she backed off. And then he just had to come back and talk to me, and-- and talking about ‘saving me’ from Arianna, like he could,” You rolled your eyes, why did you ever let him try?

“He wanted to ‘save’ you? From your best friend?” Rollins now raised her eyebrow.

“She was my ONLY friend. My only family. She kept me to herself, and manipulated me our whole lives,”

“Oh ok so this is all Arianna’s fault, and you’re just the victim, is that right?” Olivia scoffed.

“NO!!! Look, I told you-- I kept telling him to back off, I even straight up ghosted him after he gave me his number. But then tonight he--”

“Insisted we have dinner at Forlini’s,” Rollins finished, making your face fall.

You knew it; he was trying to reach you. Maybe if you had just called him back, or texted him ONE TIME, he wouldn’t have brought everybody there tonight. Then Arianna wouldn’t be on to you, and then none of this would’ve happened.

“You HAVE to believe me,” you begged them. “I never intended for Rafael to get mixed into all of this. I tried to stop him, I tried to push him away from me but he just-- wouldn’t,”

“Mr. Barba’s a fighter, like I said,” Carisi shrugged.

“Liv, I believe her,” Fin looked at her.

“It does sound like something Barba would do,” Rollins agreed.

“Yeah I...I guess so,” Olivia was still shaken up from the fact that Rafael had shared his deepest secrets with you, who he barely knew, over her.

“Look Arianna’s going to try and take me down with her, but if you just ask Rafael--” you started, but still Olivia would not let you finish any sentence about her best friend.

“And how are we supposed to do that, Y/N? He’s lying on a surgical table, because for whatever reason he thought he could ‘save you’ from your apparently ‘manipulative’ best friend!” She kept herself from physically shaking you,

“...I know,” Was all you could say.

“Liv we don’t know anything right now, okay? We still could ask Rafael when he--” Rollins started.

“IF he” Olivia interjected.

“Liv, be positive,” Carisi warned.

“We can still check her story. Meanwhile, she’s still ‘in our custody’,” Rollins finished.

“You’d better--” Olivia started but was interrupted by the doctor returning from the OR. He was covered in blood.

“Oh my god…” you whispered, tears stinging your eyes.

“He lost a lot of blood,” The doctor explained. “But he made it through surgery...barely,”

The squad and yourself let out a collective sigh.

“The next 12 hours are crucial,” he went on. “If he makes it through then, he’ll have a fighting chance,”

“Oh my God…” You put your hands over your head, trying to breathe, but Rafael’s blood on them just made you panic more.

“Can she...do you have anything she could change into?” Fin took pity on you and your blood soaked outfit.

“Yes, yes of course. We have showers and some scrubs you can wear dear,” The surgeon nodded to a nurse.

“We’re gonna need those clothes for evidence,” He told you.

“Right..” you nodded softly.

“Right this way dear,” a nurse gestured to you to follow her.

As you followed her, you wondered if the squad would update you if something happened with Rafael. And then you thought-- would you really want them to?

On your way to the showers, you saw a team of surgeons rolling Rafael down the hall on a gurney. You couldn’t help yourself, you had to see him. You ducked out of the nurse’s view and chased the gurney down the hallway.

“Wait! Please!” You yelled, they turned and stopped.

“Ma’am you really can’t be back here,”

“I..I’m with her,” You glanced behind you to see the nurse coming after you.

“I just-- I needed--” You stared at Rafael, just lying there. Lifeless. Helpless. You felt yourself start to cry for the millionth time tonight.

“Friend of yours?” the nurse asked.

“Dude, I think he’s more than her friend,” another one rolled his eyes.

“Can I just--?” You pointed to Rafael.

“Yeah alright, just a SECOND,” He stepped away and looked down the hall, pretending not to see you.

You moved past them and stood right next to Rafael’s head, stroking his hair.

“I love you, Rafael Barba. I am not done loving you yet, do you hear me? You fight. You come back to me,” You ordered the unconscious man, like an idiot.

“Please,” you whispered, before placing a kiss on his head. You nodded a ‘thank you’ to the team, before they continued down the hall.

“Sorry,” you apologized to the nurse for ditching her.

“It’s fine, I’d do the same for my husband,”

“Oh we’re not--”

“Oh, you’re not? So you REALLY can’t be back here, can you?”

“I-I guess not,”

“Alright...you know what, here,” She pulled out a sticker that said “ALL ACCESS”.

“I could get in trouble for this, but just in case I’m not here when you get all cleaned up, use this to get to his room. It’s family only in ICU,”

“R-Really? Seriously?” You took the sticker in shock. “You’d do that for me? Why?”

“You looked so helpless, just standing there,” She turned her head sideways in sympathy.

“Thank you,” You whispered, and she nodded as you two resumed walking down the hall towards the showers.

Hopefully you could use that sticker SOON.

#rafael barba #rafael barba x you #rafael barba x reader #rafael barba imagine #law and order special victims unit #law and order svu #law and order svu fanfiction #helpless #angst

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official-weasley · 3 years

Text

The Irreplaceable Charlie Weasley: Pt. 8, Ch. 1

PART 8: WHERE IT ALL ENDS Chapter 1 - The First Three Years

Nova

THE FIRST TO AID (1992)

I couldn't believe how rested I felt. I haven't had that feeling in a really long time. Having two days off really does do you good, who would've thought. I turned around and saw that Charlie was already out of bed. The fact that I was rested wasn't the only rare occasion. Having 2 days off at the same time as Charlie did, THAT was even rarer.

We worked in the Sanctuary for about a year now and if I didn't love my job as much as I did, I would've given up a long time ago. Feeling tired and smelling like roasted meat most of the time wasn't even that bad because of the work I could do.

—

I still remember the day when I arrived. I was so nervous to meet everyone and to see what exactly my job would be. They greeted me with extended arms and big grins plastered on their faces, just like Charlie said they would. He came 2 weeks prior and waited behind the crowd of people who were excited to meet me.

The welcomeness of everyone calmed me down a bit and I just gave in. I knew I already got the job, that I am not going to go through an initiation process or any of the sorts.

“Wotcher! You must be Nova!” A man with a thick mustache approached me and squeezed my hand so tightly that I wanted to wince from the pain. I could see that Charlie wasn't the only one with muscles around here as I eyed the man, that introduced himself as Ben, up and down.

The next one to offer me a hand was a blond man named Tim. He had to be about my age but with a lot more scars than Charlie had. He was followed by Alice, Beatrice, Sam, and Dominik. After they all asked me the polite questions of how were my travels and if I need anything I should just ask, I finally reached the two men that looked like they were in charge.

“You must be Andrei.” I smiled. He was the only one I recognized as Charlie told me a lot about him and he was the one who wrote me the letter.

“Pleasure to finally meet you! Charlie can't shut up about you!” He returned the smile and shook my hand. I tried not to blush and act as professionally as I could, even though my eyes went to Charlie, who was standing behind them, at once.

“And I'm Felix.” The other one said. Felix Rosier, Charlie told me about him as well. Apparently, very talented and he went to our school and was a Prefect. I studied his face to see if I could recall seeing him at Hogwarts, but he didn't seem familiar at all.

“Nice to meet you both!” I liked meeting all the rest but I can't lie, I was the most excited to meet these two. The way Charlie spoke about them has piqued my interest.

“We can chat more at dinner. You must be tired.” Andrei said and gestured to start walking with him.

Charlie joined us, beaming. I knew he couldn't wait to show me around and I knew he was just as excited for me to finally be here as I was. I missed him so much in these past 14 days and I couldn't wait to hug and kiss him.

“You wait here.” We stopped in front of a wooden cottage that looked like a reception. “Dorothy will be with you soon to accommodate you.” He grinned. His eyes met those of Charlie's and he winked at him. I had no idea what was going on but I was excited to get my own place.

I have been dreaming about living in one of these cottages ever since Charlie told me that our date room in the Room of Requirement was something like these huts in the Sanctuary.

“Ah, Dot! Here you are!” Andrei playfully slammed his hand on the wall next to the door that just opened. Dot was a middle-aged woman that reminded me a lot of Molly if Molly had pitch-black hair.

“Oh, a new arrival!” She squeaked. “Come in dear, come in!” She waved her hand and I looked at Felix and Andrei who nodded that I should go inside.

“Let's see...your name?” She stepped behind her desk and started looking through the many piles of papers she had on it.

“Nova Blackwood.” I gave her my name.

“Blackwood...Blackwood...” She browsed through the papers murmuring more to herself than to me.

“Ah!” She exclaimed and lifted a piece of parchment into the air. “Blackwood, Nova! Our new Magizoologist!” She looked at me and I couldn't hide the excitement on my face, which indicated to her that I was the right person.

“Looks like you have a roommate!” I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. I was used to having a roommate at Hogwarts. Tulip was the best one anyone could ask for but I was hoping, after spending almost an entire Summer in a house full of Weasleys, that I would get some alone time. I loved Charlie's entire family and I loved spending time with them but as an only child, it could be very tiresome when 5 kids try to get your attention at once.

“Let's see here.” I looked up at Dot, snapping myself from my thoughts.

“Ah, very curious.” Her brows met. “We usually don't have roommates of the opposite gender. Was this a request?” She looked at me, bewildered. I blinked at her, not knowing how to reply. I didn't have to fill out an application for the cottage. Charlie told me he was going to...oh.

“Charles Weasley.” My lips curved even before she read his name. “Nice lad, not intrusive so you won't have any problems living with him.” She reassured me, clueless just how unbothered I was with my new roommate.

“He's my boyfriend, actually.” I decided to spear her the embarrassment as I could see she was looking for more words to make me feel comfortable with the fact that my roommate was a man.

“Oh.” Her cheeks turned slightly pink. “That would make more sense, yes.” She cleared her throat. “Well, here are your set of keys.” She handed me the keys with a Romanian Sanctuary keychain. “And I would just need your signature here.” She put her finger on a piece of paper and I came closer so she could hand me a quill and I signed the document.

When I got back outside, Felix and Andrei were gone and Charlie was leaning on the wall next to the entrance, having the same smug face he always had when he was proud that he was able to surprise me.

“I heard you have a male roommate.” He winked at me and pulled me into a hug.

“Yeah, I heard he's pretty handsome. You never know what might happen.” He laughed at my sarcastic comment.

“Sorry, to burst your bubble but I've heard he is very much in love with his girlfriend.” He kissed my forehead.

“Bummer!” I cupped his face and kissed him as hard as I could. I missed him so much. I couldn't wait to be around him every single day.

—

“Morning.” Charlie said as he heard me walking down the stairs. Something smelled delicious. I have never thought that us living together would mean that he would cook so much but he was just incredible and so painfully handsome. I hated when he cooked only in his boxers. If we weren't living in a wooden cottage with a high risk of burning it down, I would strip him every morning while he was cooking.

“Morning.” I hugged him from behind and peaked at the stove. “Pancakes, what's the occasion?” I kissed his back and chuckled. We had pancakes every time we had a day off together. It was our little treat and because we had two days off, we had pancakes yesterday too.

“Well, this rarely happens...” I could feel his body vibrating in giggles, as he placed a pancake on a plate. “That we have two free days in a row and I had no idea what to cook.” He poured another pancake into the pan.

“I still can't believe it.” Charlie and I didn't work together often. He worked with a team to tame and feed Dragons and I either worked with researchers or my team of Magizoologists, which I was now a leader of. The only time we worked together was when we needed Dragons to observe their behavior around the creatures we brought into the Reserve or if we needed to move a Dragon to a specific location for better observation.

Getting a day off was something we both struggled to get. Charlie was one of the best at doing his job and if something went awry they always turned to him for help. After half a year of working with 2 other Magizoologists, Felix saw that I had a talent for working with creatures and that they tend to listen to me more than others so he put me in charge of our team.

I now work with 4 other Magizoologists and several researchers and we have done so much in a year. I have written 2 groundbreaking papers about Dragon interaction with Hippogriffs and Mountain Trolls and after these two days of free time with Charlie, I am going to work with one of my dream creatures as Andrei approved my research for a Chimera.

“What's this?” I waved an unopened letter laying on our dining table. Charlie's eyes moved from the stove to me.

“I think it's from Ron.” He placed another pancake on the pile. “Haven't opened it yet. You can do it if you want.”

I turned the letter and unglued the seal. Charlie was right, it was from Ron.

“They have what!” My eyes widened as I was reading the letter. I remember when Charlie told me that Ron befriended Harry Potter. I mocked him that he outdid his entire family by just being friends with the Boy Who Lived. They were having a rather peaceful year and we were glad they weren't getting as many letters about detention as Fred and George were.

“Is it from Ron?” Charlie turned the stove off and brought the pancakes to our table.

“Oh, Hagrid.” Charlie started laughing and shaking his head as he was reading the letter from behind my shoulder. “He got himself a Dragon!”

“He's insane!” For some reason, I didn't find it as amusing as he did. He liked Hagrid's crazy ideas much more than I did. I knew Hagrid always wanted to have a Dragon and I guess now that he somehow got his hands on one he saw they were not just another Fang.

“How are we going to transport an illegal Norwegian Ridgeback from Hogwarts to Romania?” I couldn't think of a single idea how to do it.

“Not just a Ridgeback, love. NORBERT!” Charlie was having too much fun with this. I just playfully rolled my eyes at him, without a reply.

“It's impossible.” Charlie was still laughing, putting jam on our pancakes. “We can't do it on a weekly notice.”

“Unless...” I said under my breath an idea appearing in my head.

“Unless?” Charlie sat down next to me, beyond excited.

“We were friends with two pranksters and a smuggler at Hogwarts...” I am not going to lie, I was getting excited too. “And Tonks and Tulip are coming here next week anyway.” I suggested.

“You want to entrust Tonks, Tulip, and Jae with a Dragon?” He raised his eyebrows at me.

“We would help!” I defended my idea. “They would kill themselves if they went alone.” I chuckled.

“Love, we barely got two days off in a month, how are you going to get to Hogwarts?” He leaned on his hand and I knew he was having as much fun discussing this as I was.

“Let me talk to Rosier. He has a soft spot for stories like this.” I swung my hand as if it wasn't a big deal.

“You should go with them, I'll stay here. Someone has to be here to let you in.” Charlie was giving the idea some thought. “And there's no way Rosier is going to let both of us go.” He added.

“So, should I write to Tonks?” I couldn't believe we were going to do this.

“I will write back to Ron. I think in the middle of the night would be the smartest and somewhere up high so that you can leave as undetected as possible.” He nodded.

“Astronomy Tower?” I suggested.

It didn't even take Tonks a day to reply with a yes, having both Tulip and Jae on board. As predicted, Felix was up for it as long as nobody would see us and now we just had to wait for next Saturday.

—

“Be careful, this is a Norwegian Ridgeback.” Charlie hugged me to say goodbye. Jae was already waiting for me and Tonks and Tulip were going to meet us at Hogwarts.

“I know my Dragons, Weasley!” I winked at him and kissed him. Ever since we have been working together he calmed down a little bit when it comes to me being hurt.

I was scratched, burned, and bitten more times than I would enjoy and he got used to the fact that I am fine every time so he stopped eyeing me as if I was made out of glass. And once I threw in his face that he isn't any better, having the biggest burn mark covering the majority of his left arm, a big cut on his back, and a still healing scar that halved his left eyebrow, he finally gave in that I can have scars as well.

Just like me, he couldn't deny that the scars suited him. I already found him incredibly attractive but he looked so cool and sexy with all his scars, once healed properly, of course.

“I love you and I'll see you soon.” He pressed his lips against mine and gave me one of those kisses that weakened my knees. He always did this when he knew we won't be able to see each other for a while.

“I love you too, Charles.” I looked deep into his eyes. “Now, I have to go!”

I rushed outside and Jae and I apparated together. The warm air filled my lungs as I have almost forgotten how much warmer Britain was compared to the Sanctuary.

“Are you ready?” Jae whispered to me.

“Are you?” I looked at him and by his gaze, he knew exactly what I meant.

Charlie was corresponding with him more than I did but I talked to Penny, Tulip, and Tonks regularly. A few months after our Seventh Year, Jae and Tulip broke up and when Charlie and I compared the messages between the two, Jae seemed way more hurt than Tulip did.

“I'll be fine. We have to focus on the Dragon anyway.” He dismissed me.

“Have you talked to her at all, since...you know?” I finally unlocked our arms, as we were still standing on the spot we apparated to.

“A few times.” He whispered. “We are trying to be friends.” He tried looking me in the eyes but decided to avoid me at the last second.

We ran as quietly as possible to the Astronomy Tower. Tonks and Tulip were already there with three brooms. We still didn't know how exactly we would do this but it was now or never. I hugged them both and Tulip indicated that we are going to talk later. She looked at Jae and their eyes met for a split second before they both looked to the ground.

“Alright, let's do this!” Tonks was as excited as she was every time she did something that could get us in trouble. She was an exceptional Auror-in-training but her mischievous spirit never left her.

I shared a broom with Tonks and we flew up to the top of the Astronomy Tower where two kids were waiting for us with a big box behind them.

“Nova?” Whispered the boy.

“That's me. Where's Ron?” I looked at him.

“He was bitten by Norbert...I mean the Dragon.” Said the girl. “I'm Hermione Granger and this is Harry Potter.” Tulip gasped when she realized who the boy she was looking at was.

“I would love to chat and get to know Ron's friends but this is not the time and place.” I whispered as I got off my broom. They both nodded in agreement but I still shook both of their hands.

“Is he in the box?” I looked behind them and they turned around.

“Yes.” Nodded Harry.

“We didn't know exactly how you are going to approach the situation.” Hermione looked embarrassed. She reminded me of Penny; not wanting to break the rules but somehow finding herself in the midst of it anyway.

“Leave it to us, sweetheart.” Tonks put her hand on my shoulder and took out her wand. “See, light as a feather.” She said proudly after casting the Feather-Light spell upon the box.

“Is it sleeping?” Jae asked, eyeing the box.

“It's okay. I'll carry him, Jae.” I reassured him and stepped closer to the box. I opened it and gasped. “He's beautiful.” I looked at Harry and Hermione who looked at me like I was mental.

“I can see how you were friends with Hagrid.” Harry said, trying not to be impolite. I chuckled and cast the stunning Spell on Norbert.

“You should meet Charlie then.” I grinned and lifted the box with my wand. “It was nice to meet you both, now please go inside. Charlie will write to Ron to update him on everything.” I gestured that they should step back as my friends mounted their brooms again.

“And say hi to Ron for me. I hope he gets better soon, Dragon bites can be quite nasty, got a few myself.” I waved my hand at them but quickly put it away as they got the same horrid expression on their faces as before.

I sat behind Tonks and we started to fly away from the Castle. We stopped three times in between so I could recast the spell on Norbert and I was hoping nobody would spot us. We got to the Sanctuary with an hour to spear before sunrise.

Charlie's proud grin when he spotted us only got bigger once I carefully placed down Norbert and told him to look at him.

“He's a beauty!” His eyes sparkled. “I can't believe someone just gave the egg to him.”

“Not everybody is as excited as you are about Dragons, Charlie.” Tulip giggled.

We showed our friends to our cabin and then I helped Charlie settle Norbert to the spot his team prepared for him. On the way back, I told him how it was and he laughed when he heard the faces Ron's friends were making.

Finally, we could start talking and I hugged Tonks and Tulip again. We were glad that the situation wasn't as awkward between Jae and Tulip as we thought it would be as we sat around our fireplace and talked about our school days and our lives now.

Tulip told us that she published a very important paper and that if everything goes through she might start working on a new telescope.

Jae told us that he was being relocated to America as they were lacking Aurors there and I couldn't help but notice that Tulip was intrigued by that idea. We haven't seen our friends in such a long time and it was nice to just sit back and relax with them. We were missing Andre and Penny but we knew that with them being engaged, it was only a matter of time we would all get together again.

THE FIRST TO WED (1993)

“Charlie! We're going to be late!” I looked at myself in the mirror, desperately trying to do something with my hair. Where is Andre when you need him? Oh, right, getting married!

“Do you reckon...” I turned around as I heard Charlie rushing down the stairs. “Wow, you look...” He stopped when he saw me, blinking at me as if he couldn't believe his eyes. “Ravishing!” He breathed out.

“Thank you.” I couldn't stop the grin spreading across my face. I liked my beige dress with black lace. It showed my curves and I felt good in it but I still hated my hair. “What did you want to ask me?” Our eyes locked as he came to kiss me.

“Uhm...” He seemed completely lost for words, his eyes still on mine.

“You're drooling, Weasley.” I giggled and turned back to the mirror.

“Do you reckon Tulip will bring a date?” He finally snapped out of it and started putting his tie on. He was so handsome, I tried looking at myself in the mirror but my eyes kept escaping to him.

“Probably not. Why?” I finally managed to capture that one lock that made the hairdo bearable. I was sure Penny would fix it for me anyway.

“I just opened the letter Jae sent me yesterday.” He lifted his chin to finish tying his tie.

“He's bringing a date.”

“He's what?” I frowned and turned to him. “Penny will lose it if they start drama at her wedding.”

“So out of the blue as well. Didn't say her name or mention her before, either.” Charlie shrugged his shoulders and started kissing my neck.

“What are you doing?” Our eyes met in the mirror and I knew the look on his face.

“You look too good in this dress, love.” He winked at me and got back to my neck, his hands on my zipper.

“Char, we don't have time.” I said in a whisper, closing my eyes.

“We're apparating there and the wedding doesn't start for another 3 hours.” He tried calming me down, his hands on my shoulders, ready to take my, now unzipped, dress off.

“I'm the Maid of Honor. Penny will kill me if I'm late.” I turned around and kissed him passionately.

“I see how much you care, yes.” He whispered in my ear, pulling me towards the sofa.

“Okay, but don't ruin my hair. I just got it up.” I gave in.

“Likewise.” He winked at me and his eyes escaped to his tight pants. He looked too good in the suit.

“Oh, shut it!” I pushed him gently so he stumbled on the couch and started untying his tie.

—

“There you are!” Tonks locked our arms together and rushed me inside the second Charlie and I apparated. “See you later, Dragon Boy!” She waved at the left behind Charlie.

“Tonks, where are you taking me?” She was dragging me all the way to the bathrooms.

“Tulip and Jae are back together!”

“What?” My jaw dropped. “So she is Jae's plus one?” That will avoid a lot of drama.

“Yes! Ever since Jae was relocated to America they have been seeing each other again!” Tonks whispered, excitedly. It felt like we were at Hogwarts all over again.

“I thought Tulip was suspicious when we went to get Norbert.” I rubbed my chin, thinking about it.

“Finally!” Tonks and I both jumped in the air. “What took you so long!” We turned around and saw Penny standing behind us, looking unamused.

“And what's with the hair, Blackwood!” She blinked.

“Please, fix it!” I pleaded and before I could say anything else she was already dragging both Tonks and me to her changing room.

“So what do you think?” Penny asked, beaming when Tonks and I saw her wedding dress.

“Pen...” I was lost for words. It was perfect for her. She was going to look like a princess.

“I know, right!” She knew what I meant without even saying it.

“Well, let's see it then!” We all turned around and saw Tulip standing in the door frame. We all rushed to hug her and Penny pulled her inside and sat us all down.

Tonks and I looked at Tulip and winked at her.

“Tonks, I told you not to say anything.” Tulip hissed at her.

“Get off it. She would find out sooner or later!” Tonks laughed.

“So, are you guys serious, or is this just for the wedding?” I asked, waiting for Penny to put on the dress.

“It's been going on ever since he moved to America.” Tulip blushed.

“That was 4 months ago!” Penny came from behind the room divider, her eyes widened, not even fully in her dress.

“Yeah.” Tulip giggled. “I guess it's not just for the wedding.” She was blushing like crazy. It felt different this time around. As if they were more serious.

“I can hear wedding bells!” Penny sang.

“Oh, no!” Tulip shook her head. “Nova's next!” She leaned on my shoulder.

“Why, because Charlie and I are together longer?” I laughed.

“It's a miracle you two aren't already married, Blackwood.” Tonks mocked.

“We're too busy to think of things like that right now.” I wasn't lying. We really were. We talked about it that night when Charlie expressed the interest in marrying me when we told our families we're together. But we have never mentioned it since and I wasn't bothered by it.

“Sure, every excuse comes in handy.” Tulip winked at me.

“Okay, what do you think?” Penny interrupted our staring contest and we all looked up at her. Tears started gathering in my eyes, she was so beautiful. She reminded me of that one princess from a Muggle fairytale from a book I used to read to Ginny. Beauty and the Beast, I think. Tonks had her hands over her lips and Tulip's mouth was open.

“Penny, Andre is the luckiest bloke in the world.” Tonks said with a shaky voice.

“You look beyond beautiful.” I stood up and reached for my purse. “You wrote to me that you needed something blue.”

“You remembered!” She turned to me.

“It might not be traditional, but it's very rare.” I barely held in the tears, looking at her. I spent far too much time on my makeup and I knew Penny was too emotional to fix it.

“Is that a Dragon scale?” Tulip gasped as I put the brooch on Penny's sleeve.

“A Swedish Short-Snout one.” I nodded.

“Nova, it's beautiful!” She hugged me and I waved to Tulip and Tonks to join us.

—

I felt my cheeks turn pink as I was walking down the aisle before Penny. I saw Charlie standing next to Andre and Jae and I loved the way he was looking at me. It reminded me of the night of the Ball when he saw me walking down the stairs.

We had so many beautiful moments together and we made so many memories during all these years but that night was still one of my favorites and every time Charlie looked at me the way he did now, it reminded me of just how much he wished for us to be together back then and it made me feel so special to know I was able to bring him that happiness.

The ceremony was beautiful and Tulip, Tonks, and I all cried as Andre and Penny exchanged their vows. They were such a beautiful couple. After all the food and all the toasts, it was time to dance. I couldn't help but hope that we would have more of these moments together because I was having so much fun dancing with the girls.

I loved that our friendship was so strong that even though we saw each other a couple of times per year we still acted as if it was every day.

It was finally time for Penny and Andre's slow dance. I was probably looking at them as if I was in love with them both. I meant what I said earlier, that I didn't mind that Charlie and I weren't engaged or planning on getting married any time soon but moments like this sparked something in me that made me think otherwise.

“May I have this dance?” Charlie suddenly appeared in front of me, disturbing my thoughts and as I zoned back in I heard that Magic Works started playing. I took the hand Charlie offered me with the biggest grin on my face. That was the song we slowed danced to at the Ball. That was the song that made me break down all my walls and the song that made me realize just how much I wanted to be more than friends with Charlie. It was our song.

“They look amazing together, don't they?” Charlie said softly as my head was resting on his chest and we were slowly moving to the song.

“They do. I am so happy for them.” I smiled.

“Are we next then?” I looked up at him when he asked the question.

“What do you mean?”

“To get married.” He brushed my nose with his, the biggest smile on his lips.

“I...” I blinked at him. His question surprised me.

“Just because we don't talk about it, doesn't mean it's not on my mind, love.” His sparkling eyes were killing me softly.

“You're not asking me now, are you?” I could feel my heart against my ribcage.

“You really think, this is how I am going to propose to you?” He chuckled.

“Oh, so you already have it planned out?” I placed my head back on his chest, my heartbeat was getting faster with each sentence.

“Of course, I do.” He said as if he was thinking about this every day.

“You don't want to get married?” He asked after a minute of me being silent.

“I want nothing more than to be married to you, Charles.” I looked up at him as I heard his heartbeat raise. I could see he was trying to hide his excitement but he was doing a rather bad job. “It's just...we never talk about it so I didn't put much thought into it.”

“Well, it's going to happen, Blackwood.” He kissed my forehead. “Bill predicted that I will make you an official Weasley. I can't let his Divination talent die.” I laughed.

“Then perhaps we are next.” I smiled at him and his eyes sparkled as if I just said yes to his marriage proposal.

When we get married, I knew that it wouldn't compare to Penny's wedding. It was amazing and we had so much fun. Events like these made me realize just how much I miss my girls and we promised each other that we would visit one another as often as we could.

After people started leaving and Jae, Andre, and Charlie fell into a heated debate about the Quidditch World Cup next year, Penny took us girls outside.

“I have to tell you something.” She put her hands to her cheeks and she looked as if she was about to start crying. Tulip and I exchanged a look.

“I'm pregnant!” She exclaimed and we all jumped up, in awe.

“Merlin's beard, Penny!” Tonks didn't know how to reply.

“You're moving fast Mrs. Andre Egwu!” Tulip pulled her in a tight embrace.

“We're going to be aunts!” I shouted and started jumping into the air. They all laughed and joined me. I was right, her wedding can't be topped.

THE FIRST TO FEAR (1994)

“Are you sure you don't want to come?” Charlie shook my shoulders as I rolled my eyes at him.

“For the millionth time, Char! I will stay with your mum and Ginny.” He let out a sigh. “You rarely see your brothers, you should spend some time with them!” I placed my hands on his cheeks. Ever since Arthur announced that they were going to the Quidditch World Cup we have been bickering over me staying at the Burrow.

He has been at the Cup with his family a few times and he just wanted me to experience it. I believed him when he said it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see how Quidditch is really played but I had enough by just him describing everything so vividly. I always felt like I was there with every one of his stories.

I wanted him to spend some time with his brothers and his dad. I knew he missed them more than he would like to admit and he will get to say that he was at the World Cup with Harry Potter. He was the new Seeker for the Gryffindor Team and I knew Charlie couldn't wait to talk to him about it. Besides, we rarely got time off and whenever we got to the Burrow we were so preoccupied with every single family member that I don't know when was the last time I spent some quality time with Ginny.

I was worried sick when she was taken by the Basilisk and kept sending Pip to Molly to see if she got any news. The whole Weasley family, including me, was so grateful for Harry to rescue her and the fact that Ginny has the biggest crush on him is just too adorable. I would say that they remind me of me and Charlie when we were their age, but for some reason, Hermione and Ron ring more of a bell.

“I don't know if the Burrow ever had 3 girls without a single boy before.” Charlie chuckled and I joined him. I wished Hermione would stay too. I would like to get to know her better as Ron couldn't stop writing to us just how brilliant and smart she was.

“The Burrow will do just fine!” I pressed my lips to his. “Just enjoy your time and have fun for a change!”

“Hey, I have fun!” He smirked at me.

“Sure you do, Mr. Serious.” I ruffled his hair. I loved that he let his hair lose every time he wasn't working. It made him so charismatic. He rolled his eyes at my remark but said nothing. He knew I was right. He was focused on his work most of the time and rarely unwinded. I admired that about him but he needs to relax more, he's a workaholic for sure!

“Alright!” He finally gave in as our lips parted. “Have fun with my mum and Ginny.”

“I will. We will party like crazy!” I laughed.

“Sure, especially when mum starts asking questions about us.” He winked at me. That was the only part I wasn't looking forward to.

We have been together for 4 years and she has been nagging us about marriage and children for 2. I knew she will take this opportunity of us being alone to talk about it as she obviously couldn't get through Charlie's thick skin.

“What if I was planning to propose during the game and you're not coming?” He tried convincing me one more time.

“You are not that cheesy, Charles.” I giggled.

“You know me too well, love.” He pressed his forehead to mine and hugged me tightly. He took a deep breath and I knew he wanted to remember my scent.

“I love you, Charlie.” I looked deep into his eyes. The words still gave me butterflies sometimes. “Now go have fun with your brothers!”

“I love you too, Nova.” He kissed me one more time, hugged Molly and Ginny, and ran after the others.

—

“So, Ginny.” I sat down next to her on the sofa. She eyed me suspiciously without turning her head, pretending to read.

“Yes, Nova?” She said, casually, even though I was pretty sure, she knew what I was going to ask her.

“You and Harry.” I nudged her and she let out a deep sigh.

“Forget it, Nova. I am not talking about it.” She turned the page of her book, pretending to be unbothered by my question.

“Hey, you were the first one to know about me and Charlie, I have the right to know.” I acted offended.

“There's nothing to tell. He doesn't fancy me.” She tried to keep her voice normal, but I knew her too well to know she wasn't okay with it.

“Oh, give him time! There is something going on in his life every year at Hogwarts!” I wasn't wrong. I couldn't believe how peaceful we had it compared to him. The Stone, the Basilisk, his Godfather last year. The kid has some stuff going on!

“Yeah, right.” She chortled, trying not to get her hopes up.

“Look, sometimes boys need longer. He'll come around.” I tried to encourage her. It was obvious Harry had too much on his mind to think about having a crush.

“Wasn't it the other way around with you and Charlie?” She winked at me, a smirk painting her face.

She was right. Charlie started fancying me in our Third Year and I needed about a century to realize that having him as a friend wasn't enough.

“That's beside the point. I was blind!” I laughed.

“You really were.” She leaned on my shoulder. “I don't know, Nova. Perhaps, I'm too young.” She finally gave in to talking about him.

“Rubbish!” I started brushing her hair with my fingers. “He's only one year older than you.”

“And he's Ron's best friend!” She continued. “You know how protective he is!” I chuckled. I knew all too well.

That evening when we told our families that we are together, 11-year-old Ron cornered Charlie and threatened him to learn the meanest hex at Hogwarts and use it on him if he hurts me. And Charlie is his family, not me.

“If you two would fall in love, I am sure he would understand.” My fingers still in her hair.

“It's ridiculous if you think about it.” She closed her book. “I fancied him since I was 10 and he knows too.” She lowered her head.

“You are beating yourself over it too much!” I pulled her in a half hug. “You're going to be in your Third Year this year. You still have time.”

“Do you ever wish you and Charlie started dating sooner?” She looked at me with those beautiful eyes. They were the same as Molly's.

“I used to.” I answered honestly. “When I realized how long I liked him for and how long Charlie had feelings for me, I wished we would've gotten together sooner, but I am certain we came together at the right time and I wouldn't change a thing.” My lips curved as memories started rolling in front of my eyes.

“So, you're saying to just be patient?” She asked.

“Perhaps but also don't find yourself waiting for him. Enjoy your life. If it's meant to be, you two will come together at the right time.” I smiled at her.

“Thank you, Nova!” She hugged me so tightly that she could give Molly a run for her Galleons. “You're the best sister!”

My cheeks turned pink. Every time Ginny called me her sister it melted my heart. She adored me since she was 4 years old and always made me feel so included in their family. That never changed, even now that I was part of the family.

We helped Molly with dinner, even though it was much easier cooking for only 3 people for a change. Now that everyone was at Hogwarts, Molly could relax a bit as she and Arthur were alone most of the time during the school year.

I couldn't believe how much fun we were having. Molly was a completely different person when the boys weren't around. I don't think I have ever seen her so relaxed. She told us all about how she and Arthur fell in love and all the cheesy gifts he has given her over the years. I knew she enjoyed talking about it to us as I am sure the boys wouldn't be so keen on listening to their perfect love story.

The two days passed quicker than Charlie would catch a Snitch! Ginny has already gone to bed as she gave up on waiting for the lot to come back as we weren't sure exactly when that would be and I knew she wanted to avoid seeing Harry. I was sitting in the living room, in Molly's usual spot, as it was easier for me to write my reports in an armchair and since Molly went upstairs to take a bath I reckoned I would have some alone time to finish my report on the Chimera which was still in the Sanctuary.

It was a tough creature to work with but I didn't lose patience and Felix and Andrei told me that there is no rush to have a revelation. Dragons and Chimeras were creatures that both had such strong magical energy and I knew getting them together was not going to be easy. At first, I thought that the Chinese Fireball would warm up to the creature but almost made me bald instead as he breathed fire straight into me to let me know he does not approve of my friend.

Charlie wanted to help me but Ajax, the Chimera wasn't that fond of him and got vicious every time Charlie was near me. I considered him to be jealous as I befriended the creature on my own. Norbert was doing the best with Ajax, out of all Dragons, and Charlie was rather proud of him for that. He was the one who took care of Norbert the most and as he was almost fully grown and has gotten a bit out of control and more stubborn it was a miracle that he got along with Ajax.

“Nova, dear!” I lifted my head from my scribbling at Molly's words. “You should go to bed.” She came down the stairs in her nightgown.

“I have to finish this report.” I smiled at her as she started to the kitchen.

“Want some tea?” She whispered to the best of her abilities as she put the kettle on. I nodded, her eyes were still on me.

“You're not going to bed?” I smiled at her as she sat down on the sofa.

“Oh, no!” She shook her head. “You know me. I constantly think of my boys.” She swung her hand as if worrying for them was the only thing she did.

“Should I move? I'm in your seat.” I finally noticed and started moving my papers around.

“No, dear. You sit and don't let me bother you.” She grinned. “I just want some company.” I lowered my head down to finish the report. I only had a conclusion to write anyway.

When I put my quill down and closed my ink bottle I looked up at Molly and saw her staring at me. I couldn't stop my cheeks from turning bright pink.

“I'm sorry.” She put her cup down. “Sometimes I just can't phantom how lucky Charlie is to have you.” My heart started racing at that. I could never get enough of her compliments and I always started missing my mum when she said things like this.

“Well, I should say the same.” My lips curved. “I always feel that I'm the lucky one.”

“I just wish Bill would find someone as well, you know.” She sighed. Me too. Bill was so great and I couldn't believe he wasn't seeing anyone special.

He wrote to me a couple of times about this girl he was seeing that was also a Curse Breaker but it didn't go well. He did fancy this girl he met at Gringotts once but nothing came out of that either.

“He will.” I stood up and sat down next to Molly. “He just hasn't found that special someone yet.” I wanted to reassure her. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that Bill won't find a nice girl to settle down with.

“And what are you two waiting for, anyway?” She asked after a moment of her nodding and staring at the fireplace.

“What?” I didn't exactly know where she was aiming with her question.

“Four years of being together and no ring on your finger.” She raised an eyebrow at me. I knew this was coming.

“We...” I felt like I was 16 and had to explain to my mum why I got detention. ��We are in no hurry.” I scratched the back of my neck.

“In no hurry!” Molly scoffed. “You two are as perfect as anyone can be. You should be married and pregnant by now.” My eyes widened at her words. I was not ready to have a baby yet. I was only 22!

“Well, we talked about it, and with the field of work we're both in we don't feel like it's the right time.” I was being honest. My career was only getting better and better and Charlie is in for a promotion.

And to be fair, we might've talked about us getting married on rare occasions but we have never talked about having children. I knew I wanted to have a family and I knew Charlie felt the same but we never discussed it beyond that. I couldn't imagine raising a child next to Dragons and a Chimera.

“Nonsense!” Molly waved her hand at me. “There is never a right time. These things just happen.” I didn't know how to respond to that. I knew she and Arthur got married fresh out of Hogwarts and Bill came soon after but I wasn't planning to follow in her footsteps.

“Right now,” I started slowly, “being just the two of us is enough for Charlie and me.” Her expression softened a bit. She had a soft spot for our relationship.

“I understand.” She put her hands on mine. “But at least give marriage a thought. You would be such a beautiful bride.”

“A crying bride.” I chuckled and she joined me. I know I was going to cry at my wedding even more than I did at Penny's.

“Don't let your job be an excuse.” She brushed the lock of hair, that fell over my cheek, away. ��You two love each other too much not to celebrate it and have a family.” She said in a soft voice that melted my heart.

She wasn't wrong. I caught myself daydreaming about having a family with Charlie more than I would like to admit. Perhaps we could talk about it even though I knew we would eventually get there.

“Bill has to get there first.” I tried to stir the conversation back to him as I didn't know what to add. If he was here, he would kill me.

“Right!” Molly rolled her eyes as she was reminded yet again that her eldest son didn't have a significant other.

She opened her mouth to say something else but she stopped as her eyes widened, looking at something behind me. I turned around and saw that she was staring at the Weasley Family Clock and the hands on the clock those of Arthur, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, and Ron turned from Quidditch to Mortal Peril.

We looked at each other and stood up. We were so deep in conversation that we didn't notice the time.

“When are they supposed to be back?” Molly whispered as I was sure she couldn't manage anything else. I could feel her shaking next to me.

“I am sure it is nothing they can't handle.” I tried reassuring her even though I felt my throat tighten.

We walked outside to the garden and sat down on the bench. I knew we would be able to spot them as soon as they return with the Portkey. It seemed we were waiting for hours. I could feel Molly drifting away on my shoulder and then lifting her head realizing she almost fell asleep. I tried to keep my focus on the spot where I knew the Portkey was and I couldn't help but get more nervous by the minute.

I went inside to make us some tea and my eyes turned to the clock. Still Mortal Peril. What was going on? How could they be in danger at the Quidditch World Cup? I couldn't understand and imagine what could've happened and that was the scariest part.

I went up to take a shower as the sun was almost rising. I couldn't sit still and look at the same spot anymore. It was making me too anxious. I came back down and used a Drying Charm on my hair as I heard the hands on the clock move. I hurried in front of it and the hands one by one started to move from Mortal Peril to Home.

“Molly!” I shouted and rushed outside. She was standing by the edge of the garden, her hands to her cheeks, looking at the Hill where the Portkey was. Percy was the first that I could see. He looked like a mess and a sense of worry on his face. George and Fred followed and then I saw Bill, his hand was wrapped in bandages.

My heart leaped as Percy, Fred and George reached us and Molly pulled them into a hug. Where were the others? Fred saw my worried face and came to hug me.

“He's alright.” He whispered in my ear and my heart started slowing down.

Before I could ask him where is Charlie and what in the hell happened, I saw him walking next to Arthur toward us. As Bill came to us and I pulled him into a hug, he winced at the pain in his arm. He smiled at me and nodded for me to go to Charlie. I started shaking and I couldn't just stand there, waiting for them to reach us.

I ran so fast that I thought I wouldn't be able to stop myself as I was nearing them. Charlie picked up his pace to meet me halfway and spread his arms as I ran into him with such a force, that he let out a small 'oof'.

“I'm okay.” He said gently, his fingers buried in my hair as we stood in the middle of the field, embraced.

“What in the bloody hell happened?” I asked as I finally let go of him and we started walking towards the Burrow.

“Death Eaters.” Charlie exasperated, pulling me in a half hug.

“Death...” I couldn't grasp the fact that they were attacked at the Quidditch World Cup.

“Where are Ron, Hermione, and Harry?” I asked.

“They aren't back?” Arthur said, looking around the Garden. Molly and I both shook our heads.

They explained what happened. How the Dark Mark appeared in the sky and how they accused Harry of conjuring it. How the loud voices and burning tents woke them up and how they tried fighting them back before they suddenly fled.

“An elf conjuring the Mark?” I repeated Percy's words, incredulously. “That sounds ridiculous.”

“That's what we said but she has been found with Harry's wand.” Arthur pursed his lips, not believing it either.

Charlie and I exchanged looks. We knew this didn't mean anything good. There have been rumors that He Who Must Not Be Named was coming back and will regain his power but we dismissed the rumors up until now. The Dark Mark wasn't a good sign and now I wished to be there so I could've fought with them.

—

Charlie and I accompanied the lot to the Hogwarts Express before we would have to return to Romania. Charlie kept teasing the twins with a secret we knew and they didn't. Hogwarts was going to host the Triwizard Tournament and Charlie was assigned to bring 4 Dragons to the school in November. He was beyond excited and I wished I could go with him.

“You'll find out soon enough.” Molly chuckled as she waved at the boys on the train. I couldn't help but get nostalgic and as I looked up at Charlie, amused that his brothers were clueless about what was going to happen, I couldn't help but picture us waving our kids goodbye like this in the future.

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sparkleofpizza · 4 years

Text

The archer - Tim Drake x reader 3/?

Requested: no

Warnings: swearing, flashback in italic

Taglist: @isthataladybag

Summary: Y/n Queen will be living in the Wayne Manor for a while, and Dick Grayson decided to be the Cupid between her and his little brother Tim Drake.

Word count: 2.918

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7

Tim trusted Bruce. He trusted Bruce a lot, he was Batman after all, he took care of the city very well and would never let a known threat just live there normally. But Tim was a detective as well, he felt a bit bad for it, but he had to dig a bit on you.

After finding out you are Oliver's sister and not Roy’s, and that you had been trained by Talia al Ghul, he realized he knows nothing about you or your past. If it was anyone else staying at his house, he would've already found out all of their secrets and everything they had ever done in their life. He couldn't let a silly crush get in the way, or your pretty conquer smile. He felt very bad for snooping around, but he had to do it. It was who he was.

You were out for the day, you had to take care of a few papers at Gotham University since you would be studying there in a few days. You had invited Tim to accompany you, and he really wanted to, specially since you knew nothing about Gotham and could easily end up going somewhere dangerous (everywhere was a bit dangerous, but still). He told you he had to work on a few papers for Wayne Enterprises and suggested you invited Jason to join you.

So now, there was Tim. Sitting alone in his room, laptop open, a mug of warm coffee by his side, and he was ready to look you up. He started typing, doing the thing he always does when he needs to dig dirty on people he is tracking for a case - he still felt terrible about doing this behind your back, but he pushed it to the back of his mind, it was just the crush he had on you talking louder than common sense.

Y/n M/n Queen. Birthday: xx/xx/xxxx. Birth place: Star City.

Moira Queen - mother (deceased)

Robert Queen - father (deceased)

Oliver Queen - brother

Emiko Queen - half sister

Tim started reading everything he could find about you. Good student with great grades, former cheerleader, socialite knowing for mingling with important people from Star City. Has been saved by the Green Arrow a few times when kidnaped for being a Queen, and then Deathstroke's victim. Footage of you out there being Silver, in the years where you were activated the most, now a days you're hardly ever seen as vigilant. Associated with Thomas Merlyn - mercenary, Malcom Merlyn - mercenary and assassin. Joined the League of Assassins for five months after being held as a prize on a fight between Malcom Merlyn and Oliver Queen, resulting in the loss of Oliver and you being sent to the League. Trained by the whole al Ghul family. Often associated with Roy Harper and Connor Hawke. Teamed up with Red Arrow and Kid Flash before.

Tim was pleased he didn't find anything bad about you. All of this was ok, even the League of Assassins stuff. He was relived, but now was feeling ever guiltier than before. Should he tell you what he did? Would you be mad?

He closed his laptop, rubbing his eyes. Maybe he was just tired, that's why he did all of this. There was no need for you to know any of this.

"Drake." Damian said, barging into his room, hands behind his back and chin held up high "I think we need to discuss the fact that Queen is a former member of the League of Assassins."

Tim sighted "I already looked it up, she is fine, Damian."

"Then look it up again and harder. You are letting your feelings cloud your judgment."

And with that the little boy left.

You were sitting at a cafe with Jason in Gotham Downtown. You had already delivered the missing papers at Gotham University, and now were enjoining an iced coffee with him. He had a hat and sunglasses on, trying to hide his identity, he was supposed to be dead and hasn't made his big debute just yet.

"So... Dick seems to be trying to be the cupid between you and Tim." he commented, taking a sip of his Frappuccino "What do you think about that?"

You chuckled "I am certainly not opposed to that."

Jason's eyebrows shot up "Really? So you are crushing on my replacement?"

"Stop calling him that, you know he didn't want to replace you." you rolled your eyes, no you didn't know that, but from what you learned about Tim, you could tell that wasn't his intention when he took the mantle of Robin "And yes, I am crushing your brother. Although I have no idea what he wants from me."

The man in front of you rolled his eyes back at you, not like you could see trough the dark lenses covering his eyes. Of course you were crushing on him, if you were already willingly to defend Tim without even knowing everything.

"Dick wouldn't have came up with this idea if he didn't think Tim was interested in you as well. But, I can try and talk to him if you want to. Please, don't."

"Geez, why did you volunteer if you don't want to?"

"Because I am trying to be nice to you."

You shook your head, sipping on your iced caramel macchiato. You only hope that Jason don't rat you out to Roy, you don't want your brother to find out about you having a crush on Bruce's son thought Roy. God knows he didn't know how to keep the gossip to himself.

"What's the deal with you being trained by the demon's mother?"

Ah there it was, the question you knew would come eventually. You regretted telling them the truth in the first place, but you also knew that if they found out later and on their own it would have been worse. They would probably think you were trying to hide it from them because of bad motives. It wasn't, you just didn't really like to look someone in the eyes and say hey, did you know I was trained by assassins?

"I already said it isn't..."

"Yes, it is." he cut you off, not buying any of your bullshit "I know you are not the bad guy, if that is why you are afraid of telling me the truth. I just want to know what happened. I know how the league can be... brute."

You bit on your lower lip, staring off into distance.

The air was warmer than you��remembered it from a few years ago, maybe it was because you were younger and was only trying to see the best into the situation - it was like a trip, right?

You looked out of the window, watching the trees' leafs waving with the wind, people walking in a group outside, looking for any inconvenience. You wondered how long it would take for you to be killed if you decided to escape.

"It is time for your training." Nissa al Ghul informed you, standing at the door of the room you were currently calling yours

"Again?" you asked, not turning around to face her, you didn't want her to see your blank face "I just finished training with your sister."

Nissa sighted, pushing back the brown hair that was around her shoulders. Her hand left the handle of the sword tucked into her belt. She had promised Oliver that she would do her best to keep his sister out of harm ways, but there was only much she could do. Going against both her father and sister was not a smart idea, and although it wasn't often that she saw eye to eye with them, they were still her family, and Oliver and you were simple... friends? Maybe, that was a complex term.

"Yes, again. My father is waiting for you and he doesn't like when people keep him waiting."

You nodded your head. There was no point in fighting like you did the first couple of weeks. You knew you were outnumbered, and God knows when your family is coming to rescue you, if they can succeed in doing so.

As you walked around, silent footsteps, no sign of your approach, you saw Ra's al Ghul. Before you could even blink, he had his sword down to your neck, you on your knees as you helplessly stared into his eyes. His angry eyes.

"Never keep your opponent waiting. It gives him the time to explore his surrounds and learn the best path to ambush you the moment you arrive."

You pushed his sword back, not caring that the blade cut into the palm of your hand. You allowed the blood to drip on the floor, pushing yourself off the floor and grabbing your bow and an arrow from the quiver on your back.

Fighting with Ra's made you think that maybe this was going to be your life from now on. Sparring everyday until you had to kill for the first time, then sparring harder until you got sent on a mission, for your first kill. You wondered if maybe you would be stopped by your brother and friends, if you would allow them, or if not, if they'd succeed in stopping you.

"It was just Malcom's Merlyn fault." you stated, turning your gaze to Jason who was still staring at you "He provoked my brother into a fight, I was the prize. Malcom won and the league finally got a Queen so they could mold into the perfect assassin. Thankfully, Tommy joined Oliver and they both got me out of there."

Jason nodded, it wasn't a full story like he was expecting, but hey! He doesn't like to talk about his time at the league too. Hell, he thinks not even one of his brothers know fully everything that happened there with him. Somethings are better left unsaid, and apparently, for you, this was the case. He was ok with that, that was your story to be told, and if you didn't want to share it, then you didn't have to.

"Yeah, Roy mentioned a couple of times how much of an asshole Merlyn can be." He said, earning a laugh from you

“He knows how to be a pain in the ass.” You nodded your head in agreement “I thought Bruce had said something about it to you guys.”

Jason shook his head, it was typical Bruce to not share informations with the rest of them. Jason learned from him how to be closed off and not share his feelings, even when Dick would bother him about it.

“No, he didn’t say anything.”

You persued your lips “Oliver asked him for help at the time, you know, because of Bruce’s connections to Talia. He wanted to know the best way to outsmart her. I thought at least one of you knew...”

“Bruce probably thought it was for the best to keep this kind of information away from Damian. He doesn’t like to talk about his time at the league, I don’t like to talk about my time at the league. Dick would’ve found a way to ask us how we feel about it, and Tim... he would’ve found a way to ask us how was our time there, trying to learn more.”

You nodded your head. You couldn’t blame Bruce for not talking, you were actually relieved he didn’t, that way the boys got to know you because they wanted to, and not to prove you weren’t an assassin living in their house. You’ve never even killed anyone before, so... maybe you should’ve started the conversation with Jason by stating that fact, it would’ve been better.

“I never killed anyone.” You addded, voice just above a whisper “I thought you should know that.”

“Well, then I am glad the league didn’t break you enough to start killing.” He smiled at you

Dick was sitting at the kitchen with his brothers. Damian was going on a rant about you, exclaiming everyone should keep an eye on you, just in case.

Dick grabbed a cookie from the plate, they were still warm, freshed baked. He could understand why his little brother was worried, but Tim looking you up?

“I already talked about it with her today.” Jason sighted, presssing his hand trough his face “She isn’t an assassin, Damian! Let this go!”

“I can’t believe you were digging dirty on her.” Dick said, shaking his head in disappointment “I thought you were crushing on her! Damian said he saw you guys almost kissing yesterday!”

Tim blushed “I just had to make sure she was who I thought she was. We knew nothing about her, now we do. Her parents are both dead, she doesn’t have a criminal record, and she’s never killed anyone before.”

You stopped dead in your tracks, frowning. Did you hear them correctly? Did they look you up just to make sure you weren’t a bad person? Ok, you understand them being wary of you after they found this whole league of assassins thing out, but Tim...? You just couldn’t believe he had the nerve to do this instead of asking you, you would’ve told him anything he wanted to know.

Maybe you were being a fool, trusting him blindly when you shouldn’t. You were being a fool for just starting to fall for this boy who clearly doesn’t trust you enough like you trust him, and clearly his crush on you means nothing.

Frustrated, you went back to your room, closing the door behind you. Right now, you were regretting having agreed to wait for Oliver to come back from his missions to look for an apartment to live in Gotham.

You grabbed your cellphone from the bedside table, clicking on the screen and then holding it up to your ear.

“Hi, I need to talk to you about something.” You said as soon as he picked up

“Hello to you, too.” Connor Hawke said on the other end of the line “Who ate your ice cream?”

You rolled your eyes. Once when you were younger, Roy ate all of the ice cream there was on the fridge and you were pissed for the rest of the day. Now, every time you are on a bad mood, they would ask who ate your ice cream. Very funny.

“Hi, Connor. How are you?” You asked after taking a deep breath, taking your anger out on your best friend wasn’t going to solve your problems

“I’m fine, but you apperently aren’t. So tell me, what did Gotham do to you? Or perhaps what did the Wayne boys did to you?”

You sighted, taking a sit on the bed, Connor knew you too well. He also knew the troubles you went trough growing up as a Queen and as the Green Arrow’s sister. He was always there for you, so he knew a lot how you coped with things and how certain small things had a big impact in your life.

You started by telling him about the sparring session you had with Jason and how it ended up with everyone finding out about you being trained by the league of assassins. And then proceeded to tell him about what you overheard at the kitchen.

“I know that me being part of Team Arrow should make me understand why Tim was researching about me. We have been betrayed by people close to us before, and I really want to be resenoble about this whole situation, but...”

“But you are upset about it. You wish he had came to you to ask you all this questions.” Connor finished up your train of thoughts

“Yes, God yes! I wish he would’ve just came to me, I would’ve told him anything he wanted to know, and damn, I know this makes me sound like a fool.”

“Just a little bit.” Your best friend laughed “I am happy to see you are developing feelings for him, even if I am a bit mad he was suspicious of you. But in our line of work, we should always be too careful.”

You pushed your hair away from your face, staring at the cream walls in front of your. Connor was right, you were overreacting because you were developing feelings Tim and you wanted him to trust you because trust is fundamental in a relationship. You couldn’t help but think that if it was the other way around, you would’ve done the same thing.

“You’re right. Thank you, Conny.”

“I am always right, and please, don’t call me Conny.”

You chuckled, flopping down on bed so you could rest your back on the soft mattress.

“Should I talk to him about it?” You asked quietly

“If it is going to make you feel better than you should approach him with the subject, if not, let him come to you, it will be a proof if it is worth nurtrishing feelings for him.”

After you ended the call, you kept thinking about what Connor had said. He did know how to give good advise, and waiting for Tim to tell you was indeed a good test to know if it was actually worth it to have a crush on him. Maybe you shouldn’t let him know you knew. Let’s see what he’s gonna do.

After all, he wasn’t the only one who came from a family that knew how to keep emotions on check.

#tim drake x reader #tim drake x you #tim drake x y/n #tim drake imagine #tim drake headcanon #red robin x y/n #red robin x you #red robin x reader #red robin imagine #jason todd x reader #dick grayson x reader #damian wayne x reader #roy harper x reader

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much-obliged-timothy · 3 years

Text

Dad Tim & Uncle Rhys Part 11

I’m stressed again so here’s another entry for this. Gearbox where is Sasha???

“God, that guy's such a douchebag,” Tim said as Rhys ended the conference call they’d been on. He looked over his shoulder. “C’mere, pal. I’ve got a snack to hold you over until lunch time.”

Phoenix got up and went over to Tim, brightening as Tim handed him a packet of fruit snacks and a juice box. Phoenix looked up curiously and Tim nodded, holding his arm out so he could help Phoenix up onto his lap.

“What else do we have to suffer through today?” Tim asked as Phoenix tore open the packet and popped a fruit snack into his mouth.

Rhys checked his schedule. “Another conference call in an hour. After that, I made sure you had time to take a lunch break and rest a bit before your next meeting.”

“Great,” Tim said with a sigh.

“Just stay in here until the conference call. We can go over the outline of what we need,” Rhys said, pulling it up on his computer.

There was a knock on the door. Rhys glanced over.

“Come in,” he called.

A woman pushed the door open, giving them a sheepish smile as she held up a file. She was incredibly pregnant, waddling over to hand the file to Rhys.

“Here you go, sir. That should be everything, but I’ll be checking my email almost daily while I’m on maternity leave,” she said.

“Right, thank you,” Rhys said, taking the file. “Good luck, and congratulations. I’ll go through your team as much as I can. You should be enjoying time with the baby, not worrying about work. We’ll handle everything to make sure you have a smooth transition back.”

“Thank you, Mr. Strongfork,” she said gratefully. “I’m heading out now. I’ll be in touch. I left everything else with my assistant, if you need anything more.”

She left the office. Rhys set the file on his desk, then looked at Tim curiously.

“Would you ever have another kid?” he asked.

Tim’s eyes widened. “Hell no. I was with Ember from the moment she went into labor. She’s one of the toughest women I’ve ever met, and she was handling the contractions like a champ for a while. But, hell, the longer it went on, the more she screamed and told me how much she hated me and my ‘stupid, fucking non-sterilized sperm’.” He shuddered. “Thought she was going to break my hand when she was getting ready to push. Think she broke my eardrums when she did start pushing. Never again.”

He hesitated, then put a hand over Phoenix’s ear, pressing his other ear into Tim’s chest. Phoenix scowled, but popped another fruit snack and accepted that he was being taken out of this conversation.

“Plus, he would never handle it well. He wouldn’t be able to accept me giving my love to another kid. He’d feel abandoned,” Tim said. “I could never do that to Phoenix. That, and Ember made it quite clear we were never having another kid together. He would never forgive me if I had a kid with someone else.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad he’s fine and healthy. But I’m surprised she had a smooth pregnancy in the casino,” Rhys said.

“I did what I could to make sure she had proper meals. Saved up health kits for when she went into labor, just in case,” Tim said with a shrug. “One of her friends from the vice district had helped deliver her sister’s baby a few years earlier, so she acted as a midwife. I wouldn’t say it went smoothly, but it went well enough that we had a fairly healthy kid. We’re not sure exactly when Ember got pregnant, but if my guess is right, Phoenix came two weeks earlier than he should’ve. He was on the smaller side. But there were no real complications with him in his infancy.”

Phoenix was a smaller kid, but Rhys had always assumed that was due to growing up in harsh conditions. Still, he did seem healthy enough, so that was all that mattered in the end.

“No more kids for me,” Tim said, shaking his head. “I learned my lesson damn well. Always, always use a condom. I love my son, but I’m a one and done with kids.”

“I’m...surprised you and Ember stayed on good terms through that,” Rhys admitted.

“Takes two to make a baby,” Tim said with a shrug. “To be honest, she was the one who usually came onto me the times we had unprotected sex. It was on me a few times, but even she admits she started it more often. Still, both our mistake. We knew that. We stepped up to face the consequences. God, women are incredible, though. I’m such a bitch about pain. No way in hell I’d ever survive what Ember went through with childbirth.”

He uncovered Phoenix’s ears. Phoenix rubbed at them.

“Just talking about how incredible your mom is,” Tim said, ruffling his hair.

“Dad, where do babies even come from?” Phoenix said.

Rhys choked on air at the question. His eyes widened in alarm as he looked at Tim, not wanting anything to do with this conversation.

But Tim seemed calm enough about it. “Well, that’s a heavy question, pal. I don’t think you’d fully understand yet. But babies grow inside their mothers. You saw how big that lady’s stomach was? There was a baby in there, almost ready to be born. You grew inside your mom, just like I grew inside mine.”

Phoenix frowned. “But how does the baby get there? And how do they get out?”

Rhys wanted to bang his head on the desk. He regretted bringing this topic up at all.

Tim just shrugged. “That’s the tough part to explain to you. A dad helps the baby get there, but I don’t think you’d understand that part of it yet. And when the baby is ready to come into the world, the mom has to...well, push it out.”

Phoenix furrowed his brow. “I don’t get it. How?”

“Don’t worry about it right now,” Tim said, taking a fruit snack out of the packet to hold out to him.

“Aren’t you just supposed to tell kids babies come from the stork, or something?” Rhys said.

“Why? There’s nothing wrong with him knowing,” Tim said. “Jeez, Rhys, didn’t your parents ever explain any of this to you growing up? Yea, it’s kinda awkward, but it’s not inappropriate or anything.” He leaned back and laughed a little. “Here I am talking about it. My mom would smack me upside the head if she knew I completely disregarded her safe sex talk and knocked a woman up.” But his laughter died down and he slowly looked at Phoenix.

“Tim?” Rhys said.

“I just...wish she could know about him, ya know? I think she’d really love him. We had this swing in the backyard she used to push me on when I was a kid. I think she’d like pushing him on it,” he said quietly.

“You could always tell her,” Rhys said, but he knew Tim’s family was a touchy subject.

Tim hugged Phoenix to himself. “No, I can’t. She’s better off not knowing what happened to me, even if it means she never knows about her grandson.”

“Ya mean your mom, dad?” Phoenix said. “I wanna meet her!”

Tim looked pained. “I know. I want you to meet her. But...we can’t, Phoenix. She doesn’t even know I’m alive. And I’m not...me. Not anymore. She wouldn’t recognize me. I wouldn’t want her to. It’s hard, pal. It’s really hard.”

“I could anonymously send her a picture of him?” Rhys offered.

Tim shook his head. “No. He’s so young. There’s no way he could’ve been born before I supposedly died. And even if you convinced her it’s an old picture, she’d go looking for him.” He kissed Phoenix. “I think...I think she’d go looking for him. She would think he’s all that’s left of her son now.” He sighed. “No, it’s better if she just goes on thinking I died all those years ago. Besides, I was a shitty son. No need for her to know I’m a shitty father too.”

Phoenix hit Tim in the shoulder. “Stop it, dad. You’re not shitty. I love you.”

“Language,” Tim said, but he cracked a smile. “Yea, pal, I love you too.”

“Hey boss guy, are you gonna have any kids?” Phoenix said.

Rhys rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh...someday. Maybe. I want kids.”

“Phoenix could babysit,” Tim said. At Rhys’ startled look, he laughed. “I’m kidding, Rhys, calm down. He’s not even old enough to be left by himself yet. Seriously, though. Have kids sometime soon so my kid can have a friend.”

“I was hoping…” He trailed off. Hoping what? To have kids with Sasha? They’d never even talked about it.

And she wasn’t here now.

“Is it the girl you have a picture of on your desk?” Tim asked, nodding to it. “Waiting on her?”

“Something like that,” Rhys said, looking at the picture. “You would’ve liked her. She would’ve been incredible with Phoenix. A hell of a lot better than I am with him, at least.”

“Is she…” Tim waited.

“What? Oh, no! No, she’s just-” He tore his eyes from the photo. “I trust she’ll come back one day. Even if she doesn’t want to be with me, I don’t think she’d ever leave me wondering what happened to her forever.”

“Did you love a girl, boss guy?” Phoenix asked curiously.

“I did,” Rhys admitted. “I still do. She’s just, um, not here right now.”

“Oh. I hope she comes back soon if you like her,” Phoenix said. He frowned up at Tim. “I don’t get adults, dad. If you love your mom, why don’t you find her? And if boss guy loves this lady, why doesn’t he find her?”

“It’s not always that easy,” Tim said gently, hugging Phoenix close. “Love is hard, Phoenix. Worth it, but hard.”

“But I love you and it’s not hard!” he said.

“Well, good. I hope love is never hard for you,” Tim said, running a hand through Phoenix’s messy hair. “And I hope someday boss guy here has a kid or two of his own for you to play with. You get to have a friend, and I get to watch him try to explain where babies come from to his own kid.”

“I hate you. We were having a moment and you ruined it,” Rhys said, shooting him an exasperated look.

“Socially stunted,” Tim reminded, grinning. “Alright, that’s enough deep talk for now. Phoenix, go read your book and finish your snack. Rhys, let’s get ready for that conference call.”

They did just that, but Rhys’ mind was too distracted to really focus. He couldn’t stop thinking about Sasha, and about the future they could have together. He saw Tim struggle through fatherhood, but he also saw the joy and love that it brought him.

“Tim?” Rhys said, interrupting their work.

“I know, Rhys,” Tim said, glancing up at him and giving a weak smile. “I hope you get the future you dream of. I really do. Parenting is exhausting, but it’s worth it. And even if you don’t have kids someday, I hope you have your girl.”

“I...thanks,” Rhys said, looking back to the picture of Sasha. He hoped so too. He really hoped so.

He was glad to be a part of Tim’s family. But it’d be nice to have one of his own, one day.

#borderlands #timothy lawrence #borderlands rhys #dad tim & uncle rhys #borderlands au #My writing

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rawritzrobin · 4 years

Text

Angel Amongst Bats Chapter 4

Title: Angel Amongst Bats

Pairing: Jason Todd x Stella Covington (My OC)

Warnings: Cursing, past major character death, a little bit angsty, fluff.

Summary: Tim spills the beans as Stella finally gets the answers she is looking for.

Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3

A/N: Yes, I am aware that Renegade was Dick's character. But I liked the name for Jason instead (:

Chapter 4: Answers

Stella stared at Tim’s outstretched hand for a few seconds.

She was confused at the gesture. What did he mean by nice to meet you? They have been friends for years. Just then, it hit her. If she really died when she was a teen in this world, she never would’ve met him.

She shakes her head, rubs the back of her head with her left hand and shakes his right hand with her other hand. “Stella! Sorry. I kinda forgot where I was for a second there.”

They shook hands for a few seconds and pulled apart.

“Alfred. Do you mind if I steal Stella from you for a while?”

Alfred smiles down at Tim. “Of course not.” He nods in Stella’s direction. Stella smiles nervously.

“That is, only if you want to.”

“Of course!” Stella was more than willing. Maybe Tim would finally tell her why everyone is avoiding her questions about Jason in this universe. She stepped behind Tim’s wheelchair and wheeled him towards what she knew was Tim’s favorite place in the manor.

Once they were settled deep inside the gardens of Wayne Manor, Stella took a seat on one of the many wicker chairs surrounding them. It was a nice sunny fall day. There was a chill to the air, but that just made the sun more welcoming. Stella and Tim both stared into the beautiful greenery around them for a few moments. The silence was welcomed.

Stella was the first one to break the ice.

“So. You said Jason threw you off a building? Care to elaborate?” Stella asked curiously. Her elbows resting on her thighs and her chin resting on her hands.

Tim chuckles. “Do you want the full story that leads up to that? Or just that part of the story.”

“What do you think?”

“Well I can’t give you the full story since I joined the team late. But I can tell the things I have heard. It all started when you died.”

Stella nods. It was still weird for her to hear that she was dead in this universe. She was dead and yet life goes on. The world continues to function without you. It was surreal.

“Jason blamed Bruce. He kept repeating over and over again that he should have went for you first. It was already too late by then. And well, after the funeral, Jason sort of snapped. He left the manor one night and broke into Arkham.”

Stella listened intently, leaning closer to Tim. He went on.

“He took the Joker from his cell, and broke him out. Jason ripped the tracker in his arm off so that made it impossible to track him. It took them nearly 2 weeks to find him. By that time it was too late. Based on what they found it looked like Jason tortured him for a few days before leaving him to die, drowning in his own blood.”

Stella covered her mouth with her hands in shock. Jason hated the Joker, but she could never imagine him torturing Joker until he died. But then again, he had Stella to calm him down when he lost his temper. She wondered if he could really pull that off if she was the one who died that night. She thinks back to the day she tried to take her own life, how empty she felt without him.

Yeah, she could see Jason snapping the same way she almost did.

“He disappeared for a few years after that.” Tim continued. “That was when I joined. I only heard stories about what happened. I never even met him at that point. A year in we ran across a string of murders. Each as violent as the next. The only thing connecting them was the fact that they were all drug dealers. We didn’t put two and two together until one day we caught him, in the middle of killing Black Mask.”

Stella was silent. Her brain still trying to comprehend everything Tim has told her so far.

“He was wearing a black motorcycle type helmet. Called himself ‘Renegade’. It wasn’t until we caught a sample of his blood off Black Mask’s corpse that we realized it was him. The first time Dick and Bruce confronted him Dick ended up with a broken leg and Bruce nearly came home in pieces. Ever since then he’s just been sort of around. His latest victim was the Penguin.”

Stella gasped. “What?!” She asks.

Tim sighs. “Yeah. After that he sort of took over Gotham as one of the big crime lords. We tried to talk to him. One by one. But he wouldn’t listen. Well, when it was my turn he was furious. Called me ‘replacement’ before beating the shit out of me, and throwing me off a building. And well, here we are.” He says gesturing to his wheelchair.

At this point Stella was at the edge of her seat. She wanted nothing more than to return to her own world. Hearing such stories about the man she loved, even in a different dimension, was heartbreaking.

“The fall severed my lower nerves from my vertebra. I landed directly on the side of a trash can. The pain was excruciating, at first. But then everything went numb. Doctors are trying to find a cure, but I know better. I’ve actually gotten used to this by now. I kinda hated patrol anyways. I would much rather be on the computer supporting the team you know? Like a sort of watcher. Or…”

“Oracle.” Stella finished.

Tim smiles, “Yeah. Thats a good codename actually. Might have to take that one from you.”

“Well it’s not mine to take. You see back in my world…” Stella goes on, telling Tim the details from her world.

The two talk for hours. Exchanging stories from their own world. Stella tells Tim her Jason’s story. How he died, came back to life, and went mad before finally settling down with the Bat family once more. She told him how the Tim in her world was currently donning the name ‘Red Robin’. How the Joker in her world took away Barbara’s ability to walk..

Tim listened intently. Taking in every story and noting every difference between their worlds. Little did they know, Bruce was also listening in from the Batcave, through a few bugs he had planted in the garden.

By the time Stella was finishing her part of the story, Dick, Barbara, Damian, and even Alfred were gathered around the Bat computer. Barbara shivered at the Joker story, Dick pulled her into his arms.

“And that’s that. I was actually waiting for Jason to get back from patrol when I was sent here. By who and how I still don’t know. And believe me, even though my Jason seems a lot less violent than yours, there’s a running list of people who would love to get revenge on him.”

Stella lays back on the chair she was sitting in and sinks in. Closing her eyes, she slowly takes in everything Tim has just told her. So Jason did exist in this universe. He was just a psychotic murderer who was also a crime lord, but he also kills bad guys. Not to mention the fact that he has tried to murder each and every member of the family. Even Alfred apparently.

Tim studied her. To him she seemed like just your average girl. He couldn’t believe that this was the girl Jason went on a murder rampage for. She seemed so, normal. Sweet even. How did Jason land a girl like her? What was their story?

Stella sits back up. “Wait. So now that I have the full story. Can you tell me why Conner seems to despise me? By the looks of it he never even met this worlds version of me.”

Tim rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh, he blames Jason for what happened to me. I have told him over and over again that Jason’s not in his right mind, but he still wants to kill him. I guess to him, knowing that you were the reason Jason snapped, he blames you for what happened to me.”

Stella raises her eyebrows. “First off, I am not the same Stella in this world, though she does sound cool. Second, it’s not like I did it on purpose. And third, IM NOT EVEN FROM THIS WORLD! And it’s not like I wanted to die!” She screams as she crosses her arms in and angry puff.

Tim smiles at her sheepishly. “I know. But he’s been extra protective of me ever since it happened.”

Stella wiggles her eyebrows at him. “Im guessing you two are dating in this universe too?”

Tim blushes. “Yeah. Is the Tim in your world with Conner too?” He asks.

“Pftt. No. They both have the hots for each other. But they’re both too proud to admit anything. It will probably take a life changing moment for those two to get together. Like..”

“Like the accident that brought Conner and I together in this world.” Tim finishes.

Stella looks at Tim sadly. “I’m sorry.” She looks down at her feet.

Tim rolls his chair closer to where Stella was sitting. He places his arm gently on her shoulder. She looks up.

“It’s not your fault. It’s not any of our faults.”

“Except that stupid clown.” Stella mutters under her breath.

Tim sighs. “Yeah.” He says as he turns to face someone. “Hey Alfred.”

Stella turns around to see Alfred approaching them. It was then she realized the sun had set, and it was already night time.

“Master Tim, Bruce is looking for you. Something has come up and they require your help.”

#Jason Todd #Jason Todd x OC #Stella Convington #Red Hood #DCU #Alternate Universe #Fanfiction #iwritethings #alfred pennyworth #Tim Drake #Renegade

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itzagothamcitysiren · 4 years

Text

Pretty Please

I’m taking request now! I write oc’s so if you want to request something just shot me a ask or message! :) This one was requested by @comic-nerd-dc

Request: Will you do a damian (16+) with my name Sandy. Maybe like the dorky best friends to lovers trope I’d love to see damian get jealous over me and not understand what he was feeling and then like haveing a screaming match when he confesses his feelings

Part One

Damian Wayne had never gotten used to the big galas and parties his father threw. Even after living with his father for the last ten years and attending countless amounts of them, he still found himself uncomfortable as he was forced to put on a new face and pretend to be interested in anything and everything that people told him as he conversed; it was sickening.

Normally he’d be able to stomach it a little bit better but tonight was different. Tonight he could feel himself letting his face droop and show how truly uninterested he was in the conversation he was stuck having with one of his father’s business partners. He quickly caught himself though before the well-polished man before him noticed, straightening himself back up and plastering that fake look of attentiveness back on his face.

As the man went on about the coming merger between himself and Damian’s father, Damian let his thoughts trail off. He was one hundred percent not interested in a thing this man was saying if it wasn’t any clearer than it was before. He was more concerned about a different matter; a far more important one for that matter. It had been the whole reason why he was stuck here alone and finding everything unbearable.

He’d already gotten on warning look from his father already, as well as the famed family butler and to throw more salt into the wound even Grayson asked him what his deal had been. Tt, he thought to himself, remembering Dick’s concerned look. But as much as Damian hated admitting it, he was almost an open book to the man now and could never hide when something was bugging him.

Damian hadn’t noticed or heard the incoming of footsteps, well-trained or not, until a hand clasped against his shoulder. He jerked forward, face contorting into a scrunched rage for being snuck up on and startled. Between his thoughts, the man’s never ending story and the loud chatter and music throughout the room, Damian had been completely distracted.

“Hey,” Jason’s voice came to reach Damian’s ears, causing the boy to look up at him with a confused and annoyed face. “You wouldn’t mind if I burrowed my brother real quick would you? No? Thanks!” Jason continued, slightly with a teasing tone throughout.

He didn’t really wait for an answer, quickly turning Damian away from the conversation and towards the opposite side of the large ballroom. Damian quickly shrugged his hand off his shoulder, not as forcefully as he would’ve liked, knowing that his father would kill him if he made a scene. He still let Jason lead him away as he silently thanked him for getting him out of his previous predicament. He would never say so out loud, of course; this was Todd after all.

“What do you want, Todd?” Damian glared up at the older man, not having to look up as much as he used to, having hit a growth spurt over the last couple of years. He was practically Jason’s height now.

“Thanks for saving me, Jason; yeah no problem, Damian, you’re welcome.” Jason mimicked Damian’s voice in a fake conversation before taking a drink from the glass he held.

“Tt, you didn’t save me Todd.” Damian narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms against his chest.

“Okay fine then. Go back to that extremely interesting conversation.” Jason nodded back towards the man, who had locked a new victim into conversation. “By all means,”

Damian grunted but made no sign of moving. He prefer to not spend his already miserable night with Todd but even he had to admit that Todd was better than that. Why is father was willingly making himself a partner was unknown to him.

“Why are you here?” Damian questioned.

“Working a case, Tim was gonna decode something for me.” Jason started, taking another drink, leaving the glass now empty. “Dick found out and begged me to stay at the manor; I said no and he told Alfred, so now here I am.”

Damian nodded, understanding; you didn’t just say no to Alfred. The man was getting older, not being as active as he had been around the manor when Damian first arrived. Even he found himself caving more and more for the man, knowing that he’d regret it if he hadn’t.

“What crawled up your ass and laid an egg? You looked like you were two seconds away from murdering that guy.” Jason asked with a slight chuckled.

“You’re as ill-mannered as ever, Todd.” Damian rolled his eyes. “Nothing is wrong. You should know just as well as I that father’s parties aren’t the most pleasant.”

“This is true.” Jason nodded, “Though Dick said you’ve been pouting all week so,” Jason added with a shrug.

“Grayson’s delusional.” Damian spat, crossing his arms a little tighter, ignoring the feeling of chest constricting into itself.

“This is also true.” Jason laughed, “You’re also a liar. Does this have something to do about a specific lady friend? Which speaking of I haven’t seen her all night? Where is she?”

“On a date with her boyfriend.” Damian said grinding his teeth together.

“Blondie has a boyfriend now? Oh, I get it now.” Jason almost sang out. “You’re just jealous. Makes sense why you’re panties are in a twist.”

“Excuse me? We’re just friends, I have no reason to be jealous. Don’t be absurd, Todd.”

“Ha! Are you joking? You have the total hots for her. I may not be around much but even I can see it.”

“Grayson’s not the only delusional one in this family apparently.”

“Aw, you admit we’re family. But no seriously, it’s fine to be jealous. I mean it’s not, you shouldn’t have let it get to the point of being jealous and asked her out yourself-

“I am not jealous Todd. Sandra is completely capable of dating anyone in which she chooses. ”

“Okay Demon Spawn, you keep telling yourself that while I go get another drink.”

Damian huffed as he watched Todd walk off towards the bar. He was not jealous. He was Damian Wayne; he was Robin for crying out loud. He didn’t do jealously. There was no way in hell that he was jealous of whatever his name was again. He was so not jealous that he hadn’t even remembered the boy’s name, even with her talking about him nonstop in the last month of the two dating. Damian Wayne was one hundred percent not jealous.

Angry? Now that was a different story. Damian did do anger. He was angry about a lot of things actually. Was this one of those things? Possibly, but he knew that he couldn’t stay angry at Sandy for too long. They’d been friends for so long, meeting shortly after she had joined the Teen Titan’s a couple of years back. She was Black Cannery’s niece and thought it’d be best for her to work with kid’s her own age part time.

And at first Damian was Damian, acting closed off and untrusting, especially after the whole fiasco with Slade and Terra. He didn’t care if she could be vouched for by a hero as established as Cannery, he didn’t know her, so he didn’t trust her. But he soon got to know her.

Her bubbly and outgoing attitude was hard to avoid.

She had a voice to match too. Damian hated to admit but her powers and skill had been a great addition to the team. The pair built a great dynamic with each other unintentionally. They both were greatly skilled in hand to hand combat, offend sparring for hours and until they were both panting on the ground. She tested him; she pushed him to his limits.

It wasn’t just in training she did so either, as Damian noticed, she had a very big personality. She refused to let him skip out on team movie night and dinners. She always made sure he was included and participated. At first he found it unnerving, not understanding why she clung to him as much as she had. He didn’t know when it happened but eventually he began to find it endearing, and soon grew fond of the attention.

He wasn’t sure of the exact moment their friendship formed but it had. The former assassin knew it had something to do with her being the only one to actually remember his birthday. He had been thankful that she kept it to herself and not tell the rest of the team, knowing he wouldn’t want a big surprise party or anything like they’d end up wanting to throw.

Instead she kept it to herself and made a small party for themselves in her room. She’d made a giant blanket and pillow fort in her room, made a ton of his favorite foods and bought him new art supplies. His father and even Dick and Alfred had gotten him birthday presents in the past, along with trying to make a small celebration for the date but it hadn’t felt as genuine as this had.

So was he angry that she had ditched him tonight to spend time with her new boyfriend? Not necessarily. But was he happy about it? Absolutely not. Ever since they became close friends she went to every single gala with him knowing that it eased his anxieties about them and made them go by quicker. She could’ve gone out any other night for she knew that tonight was his night with her but she choice to instead go off and see some stupid movie and pay for overpriced snacks.

He found himself deep in though again, losing himself in another self-tirade. He watched the people move about the room, all laughing and appearing to have a good time, making a bitter scowl appear on his face. He hated how he was clearly the only one not having a good time. Normally he wouldn’t care but he felt like he had a terrible taste in his mouth and watching everyone else made it worse. His eyes traced the room again, scanning around as if it would change anything.

His eyes stopped on one particular head of hair. Blonde.

His feet were moving long before his mind was as he made his way across the marble floors. His target was right in front of him and he felt something snap in him before he could stop himself. When he stood right behind the person he had been glaring daggers at he reached out, gripping his fingers tightly around their wrist.

“What are you doing here, Lance?” Damian questioned, his voice thick as he jerked her around to look at him, cutting her off from her conversation she had been having with Dick and Tim.

Tim looked at the pair with a deadpanned look, nudging Dick, trying to signal the other man to leave the two alone but the birdbrain didn’t get the clue. Dick obviously opened his mouth, “I texted her where she was and asked her to come when she saw she was just at home.”

“What?” Damian jerked his head to look from Dick back to his friend. “Weren’t you on a date?”

“Erm, yes,” she said nervously, rubbing the back of her neck.

She brushed her hair over to her left shoulder, shifting in her heels. Damian knew she was hiding something, he could tell just from the sound of her voice let alone her stance. She also was wearing the same dress she wore to the last gala, something she would never normally do. It wasn’t that anyone would notice, the gala’s being so stretched out but she always fretted about being caught wearing the same dress twice and being embarrassed.

Cocking an eyebrow at the girl, Damian knew something was wrong when she averted her eyes away from him. He felt his sudden anger flare. They didn’t keep things from the other. Their whole friendship was based off of a certain level of trust and her just randomly showing up without his knowledge was something small, but something they just didn’t do.

Damian grabbed her wrist again, pulling her away from her brothers. He ignored her protests and question of what he was doing. He also ignored Dick’s voice.

“Where are you going?” Dick called out, only to be shushed by Tim.

Sandy shot them an apologetic look, before relenting and letting Damian drag her out of the ballroom. It wasn’t until they were halfway into the manor did she finally put her foot down, feeling her blue eyes growing sore from glaring at the back of the boy’s head.

“Damian if you don’t stop dragging me I’m going to scream.” She warned, giving her arm a good tug.

Damian scowled at her, releasing her from his hold but not without a little sass in his actions. He tutted, crossing his arms against his chest, looking at her straight in the eyes, being close in height.

“What’s your problem?” She questioned, mimicking his stance.

“You weren’t supposed to be here tonight.” He said not breaking his stern stair.

“Well,” she rolled her eyes, popping her hip out slightly. “I can leave if that’s what you want.”

“No,” He said a little too quickly, causing her to quirk an eyebrow. Coughing into a fist to clear his throat, he shook himself back into his strict demeanor he broke shortly. “I was just under the assumption you weren’t coming tonight. You said you had a date.”

“I did.” She said making an annoyed face. Damian made a face of his own, silently pushing her to explain further. She huffed, uncrossing her arms and placing one hand on her hip. The other ran through her soft curls as she furrowed her brow, “It ended early.”

“Why?”

“What’s with all the questions, Damian?” She slightly shook her head, feeling exhausted and about ready to crawl into herself.

“You’re clearing hiding something. I just-,”

“Just drop it Damian,” She signaled him to cease with a wave of her hand, crossing her arms against her chest once more. She turned her head away from him, looking back down the hall from which they came from. “We should head back downstairs before we upset your father and Alfred.”

“No, I want to know what happened.” He demanded, reaching out to grab her arm as she turned away from him. “Did he hurt you?”

“What?” She questioned, slight amusement cracking through. She shrugged her arm out of his grip, the lightness in her voice now gone. “Pfft, please. Like he could.” She rolled her eyes, “its fine. Please, let’s just go back downstairs, ya?”

Damian nodded reluctantly giving up. She looked about ready to scream and he was sure that his father wouldn’t appreciate the cry of a cannery ruining his party. He followed behind her as she now led him through the halls of the manor. His face still kept the same stern look, now noting how fake she looked as she pretended to be her regular self throughout the night. He wouldn’t call her out on it. He wouldn’t keep pressing that he knew she was hiding something from him. He’d give up.

For now.

#Damian Wayne #damian wayne fanfiction #damian wayne imagine #damian wayne x oc #orginal character #batman fanfiction #robin x oc #Jason Todd #dick grayson #Tim Drake #jason todd fanfiction #tim drake fanfic #dick grayson fanfic #request #dc comics fanfic

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mediocre--writing · 4 years

Text

He Loves Me Not

Tony Stark X Reader

Summary: When one single drunken night brings out the worst in Y/N, how will Tony react when 20 years of pent-up feelings are released on him within 20 minutes?

Word Count: 3,906

Warnings: None, there’s some angst, but it ends fluffy

**This was posted from my other account previously

One could almost smell the alcohol from the ascending elevator, the stench going up to the living room in the tower, it was disgusting, really. So when the elevator doors opened, it was to no one’s surprise that a disgusting, drunken Y/N came waltzing through the halls.

More like stumbling around in her bare feet, heels in her left hand, clutch in her right, skin-tight dress clinging to her sticky, sweaty skin.

It was moments like these that Steve was more than grateful for his Super Serum enabling him to not get drunk, he never wanted to involuntarily look like that.

It was kind of a bust on the movie night that the other Avengers had invested most of their night into. While most of them were asleep, Steve, Bruce, Tony, and Clint were talking while the third Harry Potter movie played in the background.

Y/N almost fell flat on her face as she walked into the living room filled with sleeping Avengers, kicking Thor as she tripped over him, saving herself at the last minute. Good thing the god was a heavy sleeper.

“You do realize it’s 12:30 in the morning, right?” Tony asked Y/N, who barely shrugged in response, practically falling on Steve’s lap as she sat on the couch. “How much did you drink, fluffy?”

“I only had one drink,” Y/N slurred as she blinked slowly and carefully.

“I think you mean one case,” Tony told her, raising an eyebrow at her, to which she gave him an aggravated look.

“No,”

“Wow, pouty face, hits you in the heart, doesn’t it?” Tony mumbled to Clint, who was beside him, before addressing the absolutely hammered girl sprawled along the couch, half in Steve’s lap, and boy did the discomfort on his face make Tony smirk on the inside.

“I think you had more than one drink,” Tony told her slowly as she raised her head once again, glaring playfully at Y/N.

“And I think you’re always wrong.” She said grumpily, voice muffled by Steve’s thighs.

“Oh, I’m always wrong, aren’t I?” Tony inquired, rubbing the top of her head, watching her back relax as her breathing got quieter.

“Um-humph,” Y/N agreed, propping her chin on Steve’s thigh, staring at Tony through her lashes, eyebrows raised as if to tell him that, obviously, he was always wrong.

“Ok, well, one thing I’m not wrong about it getting you to bed, fluffy,”

“Why do you always call me that!” She yelled loudly as Tony helped her off the couch, grabbing the shoes and clutch as he supported her with his other arm.

“‘Cause your hair is all fluffy in the mornings, that and you hate when I do it.”

His fucking smile. That Tony-Stark-shit-eating-grin that could make any girl weak did nothing but aggravate Y/N, he was always like this. Cheeky, arrogant, idiotic, charming, caring, sweetheart.

The little bitch.

Y/N was leaning on Tony’s shoulder once in the elevator, leaning against the wall as she took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

“Where’d you go to tonight?”

“Where does it look like I went?” She asked harshly, but not moving her head from his shoulder, which only got more comfortable.

“Just wondering which bar got you so fucked up, had to have been a good place,” Tony asked, watching the numbers above the elevator get closer to her floor. “or was it a horrible experience… or person?”

“Good person, bad guy.” Y/N said, speaking more clearly than she had all night.

“Wanna elaborate on that?” he asked, craning his neck to look at her face, which looked peacefully disturbed.

“You.”

Tony swears everyone could hear the gears turning in his head at that very moment.

Did he do something that he didn’t remember? Her birthday was months ago, he doesn’t recall anything important that he forgot to tell her, there hadn’t been a mission for the past month, surprisingly.

He was a scientist, what variable was he forgetting to include.

A projection of all their years together flashed through his head, they met at MIT, she helped him after his mom and dad died, she was his partner when he started his takeover of Stark Industries, she went through the Avengers Initiative with him, along with anything important in his life. She was always with him, and she always seemed happy, so why was she so suddenly unhappy.

The only thought in Tony’s head was the quote “Drunk words, sober thoughts.”

Was she really so unhappy being around him? Did she only ever stay around for money or fame? Was she only doing this out of pity, or was there another ulterior motive behind their friendship?

“Me?” If Y/N was sober, she would’ve noticed the breaking of Tony’s voice.

“Yeah, you and your–your fuckin– just like the– I– You’re my problems.”

The door dinged open, showing the hallway in which Y/N’s room was on, along with Wanda’s.

“Fluffy what di–”

“Stop calling me that!” She begged as she pushed away from the wall and Tony’s shoulder, stumbling her way to her door, almost falling multiple times until he came out of his frozen state and grabbed her shoulders from behind, steadying her as he walked her to the door.

“Y/N, can you please tell me what I did that made you mad?” Tony asked, holding her shoulders for both emphasis and necessity, as she began leaning left so far she almost hit the wall.

“You’re you, Tony.” Y/N told him, locking eyes, and for that split second, Tony knew that everything that would come out of her mouth next wouldn’t be lies. “You’re amazing and sarcastic, and kind of a bitch to the team, but you’re so nice to me. And we’ve been together, as friends, for like 20 years. But I don’t want to be your friend anymore.

“Got it?” She said, teary-eyed.

“Y/N,” Tony called before she disappeared through her door, making her head turn, the tears flowing freely now. “What can– did I do? Why’re you so drunk right now?”

“You!” She screamed so loud you could hear the scratchy strain on her throat, causing her tears to come down a bit faster, but backing away when Tony tried to wipe them off her face. “This is all because of you! You and you’re lovable self, and I fucking love you but you and Pepper love each other so much and I’m not allowed to stop it because I won’t let you be unhappy for me, because I know that you just want me happy, but I don’t want it!”

She slammed the door, and Tony knew the clattering in the room wasn’t her drunk mind wobbling around the room, but throwing things at the door and walls, and her screaming wasn’t from a physical injury, but the stabbing feeling in her heart that screamed to be relieved.

Through all of this, Tony didn’t move. He wanted to, he wanted to run through the door, cradle her probably shaking body and stop her crying, but he, truthfully, didn’t know what he would say, or if he would get hit with a lamp, so he stayed away, walking to the lab, where he would crash at around 6am, just like every other time he had something on his mind.

Y/N knew that he would go to the lab. But what she wanted more than anything was for him to run in, screaming about how he secretly loved her as well, and how he never loved Pepper as much as he loved her.

But that was only for fairytales, and the shit-hole that was Earth was no fairytale, it was some twisted story written by the Grimm brothers and turned into reality by Tim Burton.

So, like any logical person, Y/N decided to scream and cry and throw things around, and, if she were sober, she probably wouldn’t have ever said anything. She wouldn’t want to die at that moment, to see the confused regret on his face when she spilled out her heart.

Everyone heard it. Steve, Clint, Wanda (who was woken up by the screaming a door down), and Bruce, who knew what the screaming was about.

Tony was oblivious, but anyone could tell that Y/N loved Tony, and it may have seemed only platonic to him, but she was in deep. And Tony was even oblivious to the fact that at least a little part of him loved her too.

Even Pepper knew that they fit together well, when one was being an idiot, the other would become an annoyed parent, they were there for each other. They’d been through too much with one another.

So Bruce turned on the coffee pot at 12:45 that night – more so, morning, bringing a large cup down to Tony in the lab, where he was bound to end up after the screaming ended. With his amazing timing, Bruce had just set down the two cups of coffee when Tony came walking in, dazed and confused, walking like a zombie who didn’t know where to go.

“Wanna work on something or do you wanna talk?” Bruce asked once Tony sat down, grabbing his designated mug, something that Y/N had bought for him as a joke, one that said ‘Worlds Greatest Dad’ on it with Peter’s signature on the back with a happy face next to it.

He stared at the mug for a moment, looking at the straight black coffee swirling around with little bubbles around the swirls.

“Let’s work,” Tony said, getting his tools from the desk, getting FRIDAY to bring out his latest suit, Bruce staring at the broken man for a moment before putting on his glasses and preparing for a long night with the resident insomniac.

It had been a week. Y/N wasn’t avoiding Tony, she was going on every day like nothing ever happened and everyone had the same question: Did she not remember what happened?

She did. Y/N was a wreck that morning, going on an early run once she knew that Tony was crashed in the lab and probably wouldn’t be up until noon, and let the five miles she jogged clear her thoughts.

If he didn’t want to bring it up, she sure as hell wasn’t going to. So she went about everything as normally as possible, not letting any feelings overwhelm her and keeping to herself just a bit more than usual, to not get any questions.

It was hard, most of all, that she didn’t get to talk to anyone about this.

She knew that Tony and Bruce talked, and if he wanted to, Tony could let Bruce know anything, or Rhodey, or anyone. Because he formed real relationships with the people he worked with. The only person Y/N was close with was Tony and it’s not like she could talk to either of them about her problems, being in love with Tony and all.

So Y/N continued to silently suffer through the Terrible Tony Times, which she had labeled this era of her life that morning when she got her sober mind back. Anyone could tell she was off, she worked harder, did more things around the compound, talked less, and her jokes were few and far between.

Wanda, the only person that Y/N had talked to more than for debriefing for a mission or a friendly morning greeting, finally brought it up to Natasha and Bruce. She figured she could offer Y/N’s perspective, Bruce Tony’s, and Natasha could be the impartial voice since she’d known both of them for an equal amount of time and wasn’t particularly close with either.

It was a plan, a sneaky one at that, and would only work if they got a certain spice out of the picture.

Pepper and Tony’s relationship seemed to be the only thing keeping them apart, and Tony would never break up with Pepper to only make Y/N happy, but he didn’t necessarily want Y/N unhappy as he was with Pepper either.

The trio was at a standpoint, nothing was going to get any better unless they truly found out Tony’s viewpoint on this situation. And the only way for that to happen was to get him totally-completely-hammered-to-the-ground-wasted so they could get a truthful and straight-up answer from him.

The plan was working, it was a Friday and the team, per usual, was enjoying a week with no missions that left with a horrible news story. Everyone had had a drink or two, but Tony, who was hanging around Steve and Thor, had been shooting back the Asgardian liquor that Thor brought for himself and Steve.

At this point, they were waiting for Tony to start headbanging to himself singing the alphabet song, which had happened a time or two, then Natasha would go in with her “sneaky spy thing” (Wanda’s words) and get an answer from Tony.

“I’m doing it now,” Natasha murmured to Wanda as she stood up, getting a confused look from Y/N, who was laying off all alcohol after her little incident with Tony. “Going to the bathroom.”

“I don’t trust her,” Y/N said to Wanda after seeing the sultry smile that she put on her face before she fully turned around, “What’s she going to do, Wanda?”

“Not sure, I’ve learned to not ask questions that I don’t need answers to,” Wanda said, locking eyes with Y/N before sipping the whiskey out of the glass.

“Well the only thing I enjoy anymore is knowing everything so I’ll be right back,” Wanda’s hand latched onto her upper arm, causing Y/N to turn with wide, accusing eyes pointed at the brunette. “Wan, whatcha doin’?”

“Leave her alone, Y/N,” Wanda said sternly, her eyes oddly serious for her usual calm demeanor. Her grip was still tight on Y/N’s arm, drawing out a long sigh from the woman.

“What do you know that I don’t?” Y/N asked Wanda.

Meanwhile, across the room, Natasha began talking to Thor, Steve, and Tony about whatever came to mind, trying to get Tony alone as fast as possible.

“Did I ever tell you boys about the mission Bruce and I went on in Barbados?” She asked the men, who all shook their heads, “Really? Apparently, I didn’t tell the girls either, so how bout you go sit with them and I’ll start storytime in a minute?”

Natasha’s raised eyebrow and curious eyes led the two blonds to the couch in the living room, her hand reaching out to grab Tony’s arm when he tried to leave. “I need to talk to you,”

“Yes ma’am,” Tony awkwardly saluted her as they stumbled to the far end of the kitchen, away from the others.

“Can I ask you a few questions, rapid-fire, as fast as you can?” Natasha asked, “And honestly, too.”

“Yes…” Tony narrowed his eyes, still blurry and confused from the strong liquor, but still snarky and annoying, as always.

“What’s your favorite color?”

“Gold,”

“What’s your favorite food?”

“Cheeseburgers,”

“Your favorite team member?”

“Bruce,”

“Who’s your favorite person?”

“Y/N,”

“Where do you want to grow old?”

“Somewhere secretive,”

“Who do you love?”

“Y/N.”

“What’s one secret you have?”

“Too many”

“Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?”

“Yes, a donkey named Eorye.”

Natasha smirked with her bright red lips, curly hair falling around her face, “That’s all I needed to know, thanks, Tony.”

“Welcome, fireball!” Tony slurred as he walked into the living room, sitting on the other side of Wanda, Y/N at her other side.

The days following were crucial to the plan and were on thin ice. Trying to get inside Pepper Potts’ head was going to be an issue, she was a tough nut to crack, and though Nat had gotten through people stronger than her, she didn’t want to come off invasive or rude.

Pepper was going to be an issue, that was certain, until she disappeared, though Tony didn’t seem as worried as he should’ve been, claiming “She didn’t want to stay, I wasn’t going to force her.”

The team thought that this was it, he and Y/N would finally get together and be happy, like they should have always been. But nothing happened.

Y/N continued to avoid Tony like the plague and it seemed like Tony was doing everything he could to talk to her.

“Y/N, Mr. Stark requests to see you in the lab.” FRIDAY’s voice would announce in the kitchen.

“Tell him that I would, but I’m busy doing anything else,” Y/N would respond every time, sometimes there was variation, but it was usually the same.

The next two Team Fridays passed, they all drank and had fun doing whatever they did, but Y/N would, mysteriously, become ill in her room all night and wouldn’t answer, or unlock, her door.

So it was a random Wednesday.

Tony was fed up with this, he was ready to tell her that he loved her too, that things with Pepper had been on the edge for a while, and that he’s sorry that he was weird that night, he didn’t expect it, that’s all.

But she was only a ghost at this point. He would see her across the room, from the other end of the hall, but when he’d get close enough, she’d be gone, in a closet, hiding around the corner, sprinting around the compound, until Tony found her.

Her hands were wrapped, beads of sweat dripping down her back and forehead, her leggings and sports bra clinging to her sticky skin as she punched at the bag, going harder and harder as Tony watched from the door.

“Don’t kill the poor thing, Rogers already killed their family.” Tony joked with a small smile on his face, looking at Y/N’s back as she stopped and tensed at the sound of his voice. “Did you know that I’ve been trying to talk to you for the past two weeks?

“At first I thought it was just normal, it was still weird, but then you just didn’t show up anywhere I was and would disappear if I showed up. Do you even know that it’s been a month since we’ve talked like friends? That I got a haircut? That I … broke up with Pepper?”

“I know,” Y/N stated, still not turning to face him, but unwrapping her hands slowly.

“Oh, you know?” Tony asked, scrunching his nose up in the cute way he did when the sarcastic bitch came out. “Well, I know that you haven’t been doing much of anything, that I’ve tried to talk to you over and over constantly. I know that you don’t talk to anyone anymore, but that’s because you only ever talk to me. What I don’t know is why you won’t now.”

“Tony?” Y/N asked, finally facing him, sucking a breath in through her nose, “Why’d you break up with Pepper?”

“You know why.” Tony smiled softly, raising his eyebrows in a sign of surrender.

“No. I don’t. I have two possibilities of why you would have broken up with Pepper,” She looked down at her shoes, his shoes, then back up to his eyes. “If you broke up with Pepper to make me feel better, then everything gets worse, Tony. I can’t feel like I ruined a relationship because I don’t talk to people about my feelings. That’s my problem, not yours.”

“No offense, but do you really think I’d end a relationship over you?” Tony snarked back, “You know better than anyone that Pepper has only ever made me go out of my way and do things I wouldn’t normally do. You know that she never made me really, truly happy.”

“But you guys were fine, and you were going to propose to her soon–”

“Yeah, because you told me to. I trust your judgment more than I ever valued hers, you told me that I was prepared for the next step, and I thought that if you thought so, knowing me, then she’d think so, too.” Tony ranted, pacing back and forth in front of the door. “You are the only person here, besides maybe Rhodey, that I’ve trusted for so long, that I’ve known and respected for so long when any friends I make get their picture and leave.

“An- and you know that I would go to the ends of the earth for you, and you would do the same for me, and I know that you’ve liked me in MIT, and I thought you may have liked me when we were working together, and I thought you stopped, because we grew up and you went on dates with guys, so I got with Pepper because you never said anything to me–”

“You never said anything either!” Y/N shouted to stop Tony’s ranting. “This is a two-way street, and you can’t blame your relationship problems on me not saying anything to you when you so obviously never said anything to me. Your problems aren’t me, your problems are your own faults, Tony!”

“I’m not blaming you! I’m saying that we both didn’t say things we should’ve in college, and I know that I’ve had my share of mess-ups, but so have you. And that’s why I think we can work well together.” Tony’s words softened as he walked towards Y/N, putting his hands on her upper arms ever so gently. “And even now, when you’re all sweaty and gross, I still know that I love you, Fluffy.”

“I love you too, Tones.” Y/N smiled at him, looking at his hazel eyes that bore into hers. So many unspoken words shared at that moment, their plans for the future, their lives, anything that could be communicated with that look was said easily in the deep moment as they leaned into one another.

Her eyes flickered down to his lips, smiling as they got closer, closer, and closer before they were breathing on each other’s lips.

Their eyes closed as their hands wandered, his going to her hips and hers on his shoulders, their lips nearly touching–

“Oh, Mr. Stark!” Peter’s voice yelped along with a crash that came from the doorway, where Peter had landed on the floor in his excitement.

The blooming couple sighed, eyes darting to the clumsy kid, who’s cheeks were flushing from how he found the duo.

“I-I’m so sorry Mr. Stark I didn’t mean to intrude, but–”

“Kid,” Tony snubbed his mumbling, “I’ll meet you in the lab.”

“Ye-Yeah, got you, Sir.”

“I told you, ‘Worlds Greatest Dad,’” Y/N poked his chest, “Right here,”

Her tongue was between her teeth as she held in her giggles, Tony pulling her in for a tight hug, kissing her head before resting his own head on top.

“I love you, Fluffy,”

“I love you too.”

“Good, you had me worried there for a minute.” Tony joked, pulling his head to look at her face.

“God, you’re annoying, maybe I don’t love you so much anymore.” Y/N teased as Tony picked her up and spun her around as they both laughed, oblivious to the group of Avengers watching from the door after Peter had told them what was happening.

#tony stark x reader #tony stark #tony stark imagine #marvel x reader #tony stark one shot

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afni-fics · 4 years

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Tim arrives in Paris and reunites with old friends.

(a pre-New52 DCU/Miraculous Ladybug crossover fusion)

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It was a typical morning at the Dupain-Cheng home above the Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie. Thirteen year old Marinette Dupain-Cheng had overslept (again) and was scrambling to get ready for school on time.

“No time for breakfast, Maman!” the petite teenager said as she was dashing down the stairs while tying her shoulder-length black hair into twin pigtails. As she snagged her lunch bag from the counter and was preparing to leave their apartment, she noticed that she was alone in the kitchen. “Maman?” she called out as her blue eyes scanned the empty room.

That was odd. Usually her mother, Sabine Cheng, waited until her daughter had left for school before going to help her father, Tom Dupain, in the bakery.

“Are you down here Maman?” Marinette called as she walked into the kitchen of the bakery, slowing to avoid causing any accidental disasters before entering the main storefront. She paused in the doorway as she noticed her parents talking to a man she’d never seen before.

The stranger appeared to be in his mid-30s and was dressed in a pair of nice looking dark slacks with a stylish leather jacket. He was of average height with slim athletic build, despite being absolutely dwarfed by the presence of Tom Dupain, Marinette’s gentle giant of a father. His skin was pale and some of his short black hair fell slightly into his face. He also wore a pair of dark sunglasses that completely masked his eyes. Overall, the stranger looked like a fairly well-off gentleman, and it appeared her parents both knew him. Her petite mother’s eyes were glistening with unshed tears, though Sabine Cheng also had a warm fond smile on her face as she spoke with the man, who seemed a bit embarrassed by all the attention.

“Papa? Maman?” Marinette asked cautiously as she stepped fully into the shop.

All three adults froze, obviously startled by the girl’s appearance. “Oh Marinette!” Tom was the first to respond. “We thought you’d left for school already.”

“Almost,” she said as she stepped a bit closer, curiosity winning over caution. “I’m on my way out now. Who’s this?“

Marinette’s mother found her voice. When Sabine spoke it was with a great deal of affection as she watched the stranger out of the corner of her eyes, as if she was afraid he was going to disappear when she wasn’t looking. “This is Timothy Drake. He’s a very dear old friend of ours from the United States that we haven’t seen in… goodness… over a decade now.” The tiny woman reached out and placed a hand on the stranger’s arm. “And Tim, this is–”

The stranger slowly pulled off his sunglasses, and Marinette could see for the first time that this man had kind blue eyes. “Marinette,” he said with a small smile. Though he had a slight American accent, his French was flawless. “You probably don’t remember me. The last time I saw you, you were just a baby. God, look at how much you’ve grown.” He glanced back at Tom and Sabine and the smile he gave them seemed a bit sad at his eyes. “Really sinks in how long it’s been, seeing her all grown up.” Tim turned back at the girl. “You look so much like your mother.”

Marinette felt her cheeks grow warm at the stranger’s fond words. “Oh, I’m not all that grown up or nearly as pretty as Maman.” she said dismissively with a small smile. “I’m still really klutzy and childish sometimes and…”

“–and late for school?” Her father interjected with a knowing grin.

…and late for school!“ Marinette echoed without thinking. Then she thought about it. "OH MY GOSH! I’M LATE FOR SCHOOL!” She dashed to her parents and gave them quick kisses on their cheeks. “See you later!” She said before pausing at the door. “Oh! And nice to meet you M. Drake!” Marinette smiled brightly at him before rushing out the door as quickly as she could.

Once she was gone, the smile faded from Tim’s face and his expression became more guarded.

Before he was able to address Tom and Sabine again, the petite woman raised her hand to pause him. Then she moved to the front door of the bakery and flipped the sign to “Closed” and set a time for the “Back at…" clock. Then she beckoned the two men to follow her upstairs.

“There,” Sabine said once the door was closed behind the three of them and she motioned towards the living room. “That’s better.” She looked at Tim with tender concern in her expression. “Sorry about that. I thought she’d already left for school. Are you alright?”

Tim nodded. “Yeah. I’m fine,“ he said as he took a seat on the sofa.

Sabine gave Tim a skeptical look, but didn’t press him further as she day inn a nearby chair.

Her husband went to the kitchen and began pouring out several mugs of coffee. “I almost didn’t believe my eyes this morning when you came into the bakery.” Tom said as he set the mugs on a tray. “Last time we saw you, it felt like we were never going to see you again.” Tom had a sad expression on his face as he said this before offering the first of the mugs to his guest.

Tim sighed as he took a mug and stared into it. “I never thought I’d ever set foot in Paris again either,” he admitted.

“Is it because of Le Papillon?” Sabine asked after a small sip of her coffee. “Is he why you’re here?”

Tim nodded. “At first I was just going to slip into Paris undercover, figure out who this terrorist was, and deliver all the information to the authorities before slipping out again back to Gotham. No one was supposed to know I was here.”

“What changed?” Tom asked?

“The League got involved,” Tim answered. “And Bruce asked me to investigate personally. Now I’m on their radar.”

At the mention of the League and Bruce, both Tom and Sabine frowned. Tom looked mostly concerned while Sabine looked irritated. For a moment it looked like she wanted to say something, but instead chose to focus on drinking her coffee, swallowing her words along with the dark bitter liquid.

“You should have said no.” Sabine finally muttered under her breath. Then she shook her head. “No. They should’ve never asked you in the first place.” She looked at Tim with an expression that warred between frustration and worry. “Not after what they did.”

“If I hadn’t accepted, then they would’ve sent a team of my brothers and sisters from Gotham, and we would’ve ended up tripping over each other.” Tim set down his empty mug. “Or worse, Bruce might’ve decided to come himself to investigate.”

“So what brought you to the bakery?” Tom asked. “You could’ve still investigated for the League and we wouldn’t have even known you were here in Paris.“

“The League has evidence that Le Papillon may be directly targeting the children at College Francoise Dupont.”

Tom and Sabine gasped in alarm. “Is Marinette in danger?” Sabine asked immediately.

“I’m not sure.” Tim admitted with a frown. “We aren’t certain how Le Papillon is choosing his victims though there are some solid theories. However, the majority of his targets recently are either students from the school or adults with direct ties to them. Once I leave here I’m going to begin my investigation. I’ve got a few leads to chase down. Not sure how long this is going to take though.”

“Are you going to be undercover?” Tom asked.

“I’m actually going undercover as myself.”

Tom regarded him with a quizzical look. “How does that work?”

Tim smiled a little. “You’ll see in a day or two.” He revealed. “It’ll be fairly obvious.”

Then Tim reached into an interior pocket of his leather jacket. He pulled out a small package. “I really need to head out to the school myself to get things started. I’ve got an appointment with Principal Damocles today. However, I wanted to give you both this before I left.”

Sabine took the package from Tim and opened it. Inside was a pair of cell phones in two different styles and colors. One was silver. The other was red.

“The silver phone is a direct secured line to me,” Tim explained. “If Le Papillon puts either of you or Marinette in danger when I’m not nearby, call or text me. I’ll come immediately. I’m staying at Le Grande Paris for the week at least, and if it takes longer to hunt down Le Papillon I’ll be setting up in an apartment not too far from here. I don’t plan on leaving the immediate area until this investigation is complete. So I’ll be here if any of you need me.”

Tom nodded. Then Sabine picked up the red phone. “What about this one?”

Tim’s expression became more serious. “That is an emergency line straight to Oracle, my point of contact to the League. If something happens to me… if I get badly hurt or akumatized… I need you to send a message to Oracle. I need you two to let her know that ‘Mockingbird’ has been compromised.”

At that, both Sabine and Tom stared at Tim with open concern. “Then, I pray we never have to use this.” Tom said quietly.

“You and me both,” Tim agreed as he prepared to leave.

“It’s not fair.” Sabine’s sad voice caused Tim to pause at the door. “We’ve missed you so much, and we’ve wished for so long that you would come back to Paris one day, back into our lives, but not like this.”

Tim kept his gaze focused on the door, his brows furrowed before closing his eyes and bowing his head. “I know. But you both know why I couldn’t.“

"You know, you don’t have to pretend to be a stranger while you’re in Paris now, Tim.” Tom said hopefully. “Sure the reason you’re here is not ideal, and while you never intended to return you are here now.” He drew his wife into a sideways one-armed hug and smiled reassuringly at Tim. “Marinette knows you’re our friend, and if you’re here for awhile, it would be odd or even suspicious for you to not visit from time to time.”

Tim sighed. When he turned to the couple it was clear from his initial expression he intended to give a reluctant denial. “I can’t–” But the words got stuck in his throat as he looked at both Tom and Sabine, with their dual hopeful expressions. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I'll… think about it,” he finally relented.

Sabine smiled and gave Tim a hug while Tom smiled and nodded. Then the pair of them saw him out of the bakery as he started out towards College Francoise Dupont.

—–

Meanwhile, a small purple and black butterfly was flitting towards that exact same school, pulsing with dark energies.

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#afewnovelideas #miraculous DC #a mockingbird in paris #mdc:amip #miraculous ladybug fanfiction #ml fanfic #batman fanfiction #batman fanfic #tim drake #marinette dupain cheng #Sabine cheng #tom dupain #red robin fanfiction #red robin fanfic #ml fanfiction

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mymoonjin1 · 4 years

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Chris Chibnall ruined Doctor Who

Doctor Who sucks now. I’m sorry for starting this off with such a blatant statement, but we all know it’s true. And this angers me so, so much, because it used to be one of my all-time favorite shows, and now with a female lead it had so much potential, lost in shitty writing. Here we go.

I have to admit, I used to be one of the people against changing the Doctor’s gender. I thought it would be weird, that they were only doing it for PC reasons, etc. I changed my mind since then, but needless to say, I remained disappointed. I think that a female Doctor would have been a refreshing take on the character, it would have shut up people (like me at the time) and it would have made a lot more people take interest in Doctor Who. Jodie’s era could have been amazing, magical and revolutionary. But alas, here we are.

Jodie Whittaker’s first episode was watched by a little over 14 million people if I recall correctly. But why did the show fail in keeping that number? Simple: the writing sucks. Chris Chibnall is not a good showrunner. He took elements he knew of Doctor Who and tried to copy them, without understanding what made them special.

Let’s start with character development. The Doctor. There was a moment in Spyfall when Yaz says: “what would the Doctor do?”, and for the longest moment I thought… “what would this Doctor do?”, which is NOT something I should be thinking this far in Jodie’s run as the Doctor. It’s all been oh’s, wow’s, unnecessary exposition and not a single truly emotional moment, one that makes me feel like I know or relate to this Doctor. I feel like they tried to make a sort of female Eleven without everything that made him special. Jodie said multiple times “yeah, I can play an alien”, and of course, she could have. But the problem it’s not just about playing an alien. The Doctor is an extremely complex character, with extremely complex emotions. Emotions we are yet to see from her. And I am not saying she isn’t a great actress. I absolutely loved her in Broadchurch, a show that was also run by Chibnall. She is capable of showing emotional range. So why hasn’t she? Shitty writing. My guess? Chibnall is scared of criticism saying that this Doctor (a woman) is too emotional, criticism that wouldn’t have existed in previous Doctors' incarnations. Which is bullshit, and also leads me to my next point: the companions.

Having three companions may have sounded good in paper, but the reality is that none of them has had enough screen time to properly develop as characters. My guess? In the eyes of Chibnall (and probably the BBC, I don’t know), a team would lessen the controversy around the new Doctor. But they didn’t bother with them.

If someone asked you to describe Yaz or Ryan’s personality, what would you say? …Exactly. The only one worth watching is Graham, and even he hasn’t had a proper storyline. They tried to show more of their struggles in Can You Hear Me?, but here’s the thing. It is far too late in their arcs for this. At this point, it just felt way too forced. As someone with depression, It would have been great to see more of Yaz’s struggles with it, but just one episode is not nearly enough. Also, she connected with a police officer who we are never going to see again! Don’t you think it would’ve been better to see this development in her relationship with the Doctor? NONE of them have a strong friendship with her. They just say she’s amazing because she takes them places and shit. Not because they actually want to spend time with her. What are Yaz’s reasons to be there? She wanted to be more than just a cop that gave tickets, she wanted to help people, yet she just…left? And she has mentioned being a cop like, once since then. How does this make any sense?

Ryan was supposed to have dyspraxia, which hasn’t been mentioned since the bike thing, I think. It would have been great to see this being an actual part of his character and seeing him coping with it whilst traveling around in space and having dangerous adventures. But nope, they completely forgot about it, as well as his Youtube channel. Also, what are his motivations, his ambitions? Why is he there? In Can You Hear Me? we learn about his friend’s struggles with mental health, but again, shouldn’t it have had more impact coming from Ryan? A character we are supposed to care about at this point?

As for Graham, like I said, he’s the one with a more formed personality. He’s a goofball, he worries about the “kids” of the group, he’s a father figure. Great. But the problem is they presented him as wanting to travel with the Doctor to get over his grief, but they hardly show any of it. And there wasn’t any hint throughout the first season of him having any sort of thirst for revenge, so him wanting to kill Tim Shaw just came out of nowhere. But my biggest problem this season, was when he was opening up with the Doctor about his fear of his cancer returning and she just… said: “I’m sorry, I’m still socially awkward”???? WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL? There’s been plenty of times that we’ve seen this awkwardness. It is ALL we’ve ever seen from this Doctor. This was NOT the time to say this. This could have been a beautiful way for them to connect, to show more of the Doctor’s emotional side, yet what we got was a “suffer in silence bro, I’m so awkward lol”. REALLY? The Doctor has always shown compassion. Even if they don’t understand what their companions are going through, they are always there for them. Why would the writers think this was a good idea? It’s infuriating.

I’ve been watching a LOT of Youtube videos talking about why Chibnall’s run has been a disaster. I really liked one called “Is the Doctor a hypocrite?”, by B-WHERE. In the video, they essentially say that this Doctor’s moral compass is a mess. In Arachnids in the UK, for example, she somehow thinks locking up all of the spiders and letting the queen die suffocating is more humane than just killing them quickly, which is what the villain does in the end. Ummm? Okay? Listen, the Doctor has always faced difficult moral decisions, even scary ones, like in the Family of Blood two-parter. But as the video says, they’ve never claimed to have moral superiority. And maybe this could have been a more distinctive flaw in the character, a flaw that maybe her companions saw and disagreed with. Like Ten’s wake up call at the end of Waters of Mars. But no. Again, it’s just plain shitty writing.

Ok. Now... The Timeless Children. Jesus Christ. There are so, so many reasons this was the worst thing to ever happen to Doctor Who, but y’all are probably wishing for this rant to be over, so I’ll just mention two.

In over fifty years, we’ve NEVER needed an origin story for The Doctor. The show is called “Doctor Who” for a reason, the question that should never be answered. And they just go and shit all over one of the most beloved sci-fi shows of the twentieth century in a single episode. Again, this is mentioned in several videos, but I thought the same thing right after watching the episode: making the Doctor another “chosen one” goes against everything the show represented. The Doctor was an ordinary alien who was not very good at the Academy, ran away with a stolen TARDIS because he disagreed with the Time Lords way, and couldn’t even control where the TARDIS would go at first. The Doctor is an idiot in a box. The Doctor helps because he wants to; because it’s decent and kind. ANYONE could be like the Doctor. And now, it turns out he’s always been special. The Doctor is the reason why Time Lords regenerate. The character is basically a god now. Why is this a bad thing? This changes EVERYTHING, and yet, it WILL CHANGE NOTHING going forward. Ruth’s Doctor says so herself, it doesn’t change who the Doctor is. Oh, but it does. It changes who the Doctor WAS. None of it matters now, none of their sacrifices, it meant nothing. That’s what makes this so heartbreaking. And I had so much faith in this season. I actually enjoyed a few episodes, like Nicola Tesla’s Night of Terror. I thought they were going down the right path. But Chris Chibnall has ruined my favorite show in just one episode. My only comfort is that there’s still plenty of Classic Who episodes I haven’t watched. Those will be the ones I’ll look forward to.

(Also, that’s nOT HOW REGENERATION WORKS! IT DOESN’T BRING TIME LORDS BACK TO LIFE! IT HEALS/PREVENTS THEM FROM DYING WHEN THEY’RE IN PHYSICAL DANGER. GOD, CHRIS, WHY ARE YOU SO STUPID!) Okay, rant over, deep breaths. Thanks for reading!

#doctor who #the timeless child #13th Doctor #chris chibnall #rant #twoheartedslytherinwrites #twoheartedslytherin

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iwritethat · 5 years

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Tim Drake: All Hallows’ Night

A/N: I’ve been waiting all year for this and love the Halloween story ideas and I hope you all do too.

🎃: Tim encounters a ghostly presence in the manner but it turns out you’re more than the folktales let on.

>>>>—————————>

Once upon a time, there was a mysterious ancient house. It was in the rumours, the city speculations and old wives tales that ghosts thrived in Wayne Manor. Of course, all that once lived there or continued to do so were no stranger to these mysteries although the current residents thought nothing of such folk lores as they had no proof to suggest otherwise and thus paid no attention to unusual tendencies.

That was at least until Timothy Drake had one eventful Halloween, one he would not soon forget. At first the odd occurrences weren't given a second thought, objects falling from shelves and peculiar echoes in the hallways were all a normal day to Tim, the single soul in the Manor at the time. That is until he returned to the Bat Computer, scrolling through the research he'd compiled linking to the newest case of underground dealings.

"Definitely a mobster, I'm thinking Penguin to be honest."

"Yes, it certainly matches his usual pattern." The vigilante replied without hesitation to whomever had commented on his case file despite being alone in the Manor that night.

"..."

It was an eery silence, one like no other, despite his focused state, Red Robin had realised the impossibility of having an unfamiliar voice answer the silence.

"Who the flip?!”

With his delayed startling, the stranger laughed, Tim scrambling to his feet only to find an unusual presence perched on the desk of the computer next to where he once sat.

"You're Tim Drake right?" Of course, the male was too bewildered to answer the unwelcome intruder, simply nodding whilst pointing his bo staff.

"I'm (Y/n) (L/n) by the way, thanks for asking."

"How did you get in here? The security systems are top of the range, they would've informed me of your access." He was astounded, tilting his head out of curiosity yet retained the offensive stance.

"Guess they're on the brink huh? No need to worry though mate, I mean you no harm~" The (h/c) beauty grinned with a wicked smile, offering out a hand for Tim to shake. The hero smiled in response, though still wary, met theirs in greeting - however instantly backed away upon doing so, their hands never met, instead his passed straight through (Y/n)'s own.

"Well then, I suppose you have your answer about security now." The entity smiled, hopping off of the counter and strolling towards him.

"What on earth are you?"

"Hmm, technically at this point in time I'm a ghost, wandering spirit? Although phantom has more finesse to it, wouldn't you agree?" The intruder brought a hand to their chin in thought before directing a smile toward him.

"I um, what?" Tim stared in confusion, closing his eyes as a break from the newest shreds of weird information.

"Oh no, you know what? Spectre has a nice ring to it too."

"No, I mean... wait, does that mean the stories are true? Wayne Manor is haunted? By you?" Tim was full of questions, just as expected by this latest phenomenon.

"For tonight it is, and for the unforeseeable future I'm afraid. Don't get me wrong, I had the full intention of keeping to myself but it's incredibly boring and this case seemed like a viable distraction." Was carefully explained, gesturing to the computer with a mischievous glint to their eyes much to Tim's fascination.

"Okay. Alright. Sure. For the sake of my sanity I'm not going to argue with a ghost... (Y/n)." Tim shook his head, once again sitting at his computer.

"Ah you're my favourite Robin already." Came the hearty response, the entity leaning on the back of Tim's chair as he scrolled through. They bounced ideas off of each other, methodology, motive, the next areas to strike and soon enough Tim was clad in his uniform readying to disappear into the night. The unlikely pair walked together towards the exit, planning a strategy on dealing with the Penguin and had the intent to carry it out - until Tim walked through the exit and the spirit clashed with an invincible force, curses spewing from their lips.

Red Robin was once again beside them, opting to offer physical comfort before he phased past them and had to settle for verbal inquiries.

"What happened? Is it some sort of barrier?"

"Damnit Constantine, tethering me to Wayne Manor of all places. Dumbass sorcerer..." It was only faint frustrated mutterings but explained your situation rather adequately.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"I haven't been completely honest with you, but in my defence you didn't ask. I'm verging between the spirit and living world and I'm relying on John bloody Constantine to pull me back from this purgatory. And since it's Halloween I'm guessing my spirit can manifest." The entity gave an exasperated sigh, rolling their eyes at the mention of their comrade.

"That's a lot to take in (Y/n), wheres Constantine now? I can go and lend my assistance, maybe I can -"

"No Tim, you have to help Gotham. You've known me no more than a couple of hours, you have more important matters to deal with." Despite their previous remarks it was obvious they had trust in Hellblazer and didn’t wish for their circumstance to interfere with Robins’ duties.

"Maybe so, but I'd like to think a couple of hours is enough to say you’re not so bad. I can't help but wonder what it'd be like meeting you in person." Tim wittily replied, raising a brow in their direction.

"Maybe one day, until then I'll stick to haunting."

"Hey RR, who are you talking to?" Dick Graysons voice rebounded off of the walls to the cave, Tim directing his gesture to his latest accomplice only to catch a glimpse of static where they'd once stood.

"Uh- no one..."

"Hah, for a second there I thought you were going to say a ghost. Anyway, I got an update on that case of yours."

(Y/n)'s presence lingered for a while after Halloween although it was not as strong as then, but there were the little quirks that Tim noticed around the Manor.

'Nice job solving the case detective~'

Was written on the dusty surface of the attic during one of his ventures, foggy windows also held innocent scrawling of which Tim happily replied to whether out loud or with his own scribbles.

Then there was the peculiar static on his TV if he ever watched it between 00:00-1:00am, one he'd grown to value.

"Hey Timbers.”

"Ah you're back, and still haunting the place I see." The male looked up from his laptop, crossing his legs and smiled at the TV.

"Yeah well Constantine is apparently taking his sweet time." The image of the spectre was slightly blurred and flicked every so often but remained viewable.

"He told me what you did to end up here y'know." He’d referred to the call he’d made a few days ago inquiring about the odd circumstance and if he could assist.

"He's lying." It was a confident and quick reply, (Y/n) unwilling to discuss such matters.

"About sacrificing yourself to bring them all back from Hell? Despite not being in the vigilante game?" Red Robin elaborated further, knowing a majority of the details beforehand.

"Yup, so hard to believe it must be a lie."

"Why did you-"

"Because they're my friends, they helped me out and I took on some damn demon curse to save them. Anyway, who are we looking into tonight partner?" With a brief smile, Tim flipped the computer screen in their direction as a visual response.

Tim also took to using the radio frequently whenever he was alone, making it easier for the invisible resident to communicate with him.

"I miss food so much, it's rude of you to constantly eat in front of me you know."

"True but take out is just so amazing, I wanted to share the experience." He was being incredibly dramatic purely to get on his friends nerves though his playful side was rather endearing.

"I hate you right now." The guest replied, the radio crackling as a physical display of their words.

"Alright, alright, when you're back to normal I'm taking you out to dinner on me." Boy wonder instantly caved, but was truly sincere about his statement.

"Are you sure you can spare enough time to do that detective? Won't Gotham crumble without you?" The spectres sarcasm was heard even through the radio, and if he could see their expression Tim would bet they wore a smirk.

"I'll always take time out for you like I do now, but you have a point - I guess we'll have to take down some crime rings before dessert." It was accompanied by a shrug yet (Y/n) was grateful for his words none the less.

"Dinner and a show, I like it."

However it wasn't long before these daily instances Tim looked so forward to seemed nonexistent, the TV displayed the news without any interference, windows remained untouched of meaningful notes and the radio soon lost its appeal. Constantine was unreachable leaving Tim with no inclination as to what happened to the illusive guest and it seemed his family members noticed the sudden deterioration of his mood but chose not to pry quite yet.

It had been a week or two by his count, and he was currently packing for Titans Tower, shifting through his belongings and paperwork.

"Hey stranger, whatcha doing?" The voice held addictive familiarity, clearer to what it had been before, and due to this Tim answered like nothing had changed.

"I'm moving to Titans Tower, the Team thought it’d help our teamwork and I honestly can't wait."

"Hmm, when do you leave?" Their lovely tone held a hint of disappointment but was masked well for anyone but a detective.

"I'm aiming for this weekend, but don't worry I'll come back as often as I can to see you." He took a brief glance to the standing figure, lifting a box and walking straight through like he usually did purely to mess with them.

However, he hit a solid surface, the giggle following his actions causing him to almost drop his belongings but fortunaly the previously thought-to-be ghost stabled it with ease.

"Cool, I'll be able to visit you as well. But do you think you've got time for that dinner first? I'm starving after actually bypassing Manor security and climbing through your window." His realisation bringing a smug grin to (Y/n)’s lips as they finished.

“I- you- you’re back?”

“Yep, in the flesh although there’s some nice side effects... Nothing major though.”

“C’mon you’re telling me everything, the Manor is free tonight so how about take out and a movie?”

“Lead the way detective.”

Tim did so, however as the pair passed a hallway the former ghost halted before a beautiful oil painting and gently straightened the frame then turning to the questioning expression of Drake.

“Oh, it’s a half a centimetre off balance and it’s been winding up the ghost of the Manor for years. I promised to fix it once I returned.” (Y/n) nonchalantly explained, smirking as she passed an awestruck vigilante.

“...Ghost?”

“Who do you think told me about all your identities? Also, according to my recent conversation with the ghost, apparently you missed me Timbers~”

“Of course I did but how do you know that?!”

“Side effects, but don’t worry I missed you too.”

(Y/n) remained cursed for the rest of her mortal life, to become a spectre as the clock strikes, marking the Witching Hour for every Hallows' Eve to come until the festival was up.

~~~

"The End." You dramatically finished, accompanied by a spooky hand gesture for emphasis as you enjoyed the warm glow of the campfire.

The fellow hero's seated on surrounding logs remained silent for a few moments before cheering, thoroughly enthralled in the tale you bestowed upon them as per tradition of Halloween night.

"That's one hell of a story (Y/n), and basing the characters off of yourself and Tim was genius!" Cassie complimented, standing up with sheer delight as you smiled.

"Way to put a twist on a classic horror story telling, never would've thought of something like that." Conner nodded in approval, proudly smirking at the exchange of smiles between yourself and your boyfriend.

Tim sat beside you, nudging your shoulder out of the playful knowing you both shared and of course what came with the success of your tale. The chime of the cities bell tower echoed in the distance and with it you stood before your fellow hero's who had no intention of sleeping quite yet and wished them a good night. Tim followed your lead, gently brushing his fingers with yours as you strolled back to your room for the evening as the Team watched you both disappear into the eery night exchanging playful remarks.

But... if they had just looked a little closer....

Taken more notice...

Maybe they would have caught how Tim's digits effortlessly phased through your own as the witching hour had begun...

#dc #dc imagine #tim drake #tim drake imagine #tim drake x reader #red robin #red robin imagine #red robin x reader #dc gets spoopy

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