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scintillyyy · 4 months

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a view at perceptions of dick's economic situation at the circus through the years

alright, we start at detective comics #38, the OG introduction. and, nothing is really said either way about what dick's economic station would have been, because really, the only thing it's there to tell us is that dick is an acrobat--which gives him the skills needed to fight crime by batman's side.

of absolute note to me, though, is the fact that his family was famous for their triple spin & what that potentially means for his upbringing. because, if you've been following this journey with me, means a lot. because we have a real life example of that to compare to get an idea of what may have been his childhood. i am of course, talking about the flying concellos && i did find another one and that would be the flying codonas (alfredo codona being the first man to land a triple somersault).

now, let's be clear--dick being the son of famed circus trapeze artists, especially ones who could land a triple, in 1940, means that he grew up the son of stars. they would have been center ring performers, and likely had amenities and pay that reflected that. now i won't deny that as circus performers they were likely 'othered'--there was likely a prejudice against what they perceived circus folk to be, but that does not likely completely reflect the actuality of what they may have had access to as a result of being entertainment stars. because they were othered--but at the same time, if they were famous enough for their skills, they were definitely adjacent to the rich and famous, not just poor, exploited workers. there was a lot of overlap between famous acts, longstanding families, and ownership. after doing...a lot...of reading on the most famous circus stars of the era of the 1920s & 1930s (especially alfredo cordona + his eventual wife lillian leitzel and the flying concellos), i think i've determined a couple of things:

one, these circus stars feel very akin to movie stars wrt their fame. and they were messy as hell. lillian leitzel in particular was a prima donna--she was the first circus star who was able to catapult her worth into luxuries. she was the first star to ever get her own private train car and personal dressing tent and was known to be the prima donna of the circus. she was also known for her temper--her personal maid would sometimes get fired and rehired several times a day. when she married alfredo cordona between acts in chicago, it was considered the royal wedding of the circus world. may wirth, a trick rider, was frequently in the gossip column of newspapers & had many, many admirers. lillian leitzel was voted the most beautiful woman in the world by american soldiers in wwi. like, these people were stars in every sense of the word.

two, these performers were not just meek, exploited poor people. with the right skills, they had power, they had ambition & they had money. they were center stage performers. arthur concello was huge in investing in and modernizing the circus--likely because of the money he made through the years of performing his act.

so frankly detective comics #28, and later batman #32, doesn't really delve into what dick's life experiences may have been on the circus--because that's not the point. the only thing those are their to do is establish dick as an orphan & and acrobat, and thereby skilled and motivated enough to work at batman's side.

but based on the era in which he was created and in comparison to similar acts of the time, it's easy to take a gander. because john & mary being able to perform a triple would have been huge. they'd be center stage acts, high in hierarchy. with mary being a young, attractive woman who could perform a triple, she may have had plenty of admirers & been in the gossip columns of the newspaper. her wedding to john may have been a whole thing to circus fans. i read a lot about those types of acts being invited to perform and star in european shows over the winters at old, respected circuses && they had enough international star power that they drew crowds there based on name alone. i know the impulse is to think that dick would have had no experience with the wealth of bruce's world, but conversely in that day and age and his parent's skillset it's highly likely he would have been exposed to the glitz & glamour of the famous high life. they may have been invited to do private performances for other rich & famous people & rubbed shoulders with them. alfredo cordona was in a few hollywood movies for his skills & arthur concello had connections to hollywood due to brokering the movie 'the greatest show'--is it out of the realm of possibility to believe that john would have had the same opportunities?

anyways, moving on. i find myself extremely intrigued by detective comics #484, which brings dick back to haly's circus. now there's some hilarity here in that dick has no clue if it's possibly the same haly's circus he and his parents worked for, and he meets linda--of the flying graysons! (get her ass for copyright infringement, dick). jk. linda is a very nice girl & it's just a stage name. dick confirms they were circle ring stars & says that haly's was the greatest show on earth (the ringling bros & barnum and bailey about to come for haly...)

now this issue is interesting because while it doesn't necessarily give us an idea of what dick's economic status would have been, it does establish that the flying graysons were famous enough that the evil stepfather conviced haly that by yoinking the name for his family they'd be able to draw in more customers based on name recognition alone & that the name would put him in the headlines/give him headliner credibility for his act and the circus to get sold to a bigger show & that he would be able to "ride the crest of the wave" and become very successful (and presumably rich). which definitely implies that the grayson name is worth something. now haly's circus is shown to be getting by with generous checks from bruce wayne, and i feel like here we start to get what i feel is a fairly consistent incongruency where haly's circus is often shown to be barely getting by (despite their full audiences), yet the flying graysons were famous.

so then on to secret origins #13, which has dick tell joey about his journey to robin, and...briefly goes into his childhood (he started performing with his family at 5), but again the focus is, as always on the acrobatic portion. there's an interesting opaqueness there about what his childhood was like. just acrobatics and loving parents. nothing is ever really suggested with regards to their fame, they're just vaguely famous & circus stars. nobody seems interested in interrogating that.

and then we get to year three & batman #436 and this is the first time we get any sort of nugget as to dick's potential economic status, and it's not bad? his dad references getting world series tickets and dick wants to go to a movie with harry so he can skip out on homework. the average price of movie tickets in the 70s (when this is implied to take place) adjusted for inflation would be equal to about ~11 dollars today and dick clearly doesn't seem to think this is a huge expenditure. i mean, i wouldn't say that they're rich here by any means (unlike the potential implications of his 1940 introduction), but they're clearly comfortable enough to afford small luxuries without worry. which, again, as a named, headlining act doesn't seem too out of the ordinary. as the headliners, they're probably making the most of all the acts, as they're the ones bringing in the crowd. mary is said to be a third generation circus performer, which. to me. implies some success, that the circus family continued on. a lot of the people i mentioned before were ostensibly part of circus families that continued the tradition as that's what they were raised in. alfredo was first brought on stage at 7 months. & i think the fact that dick was a part of a longstanding circus family that would have had deep ties not just to the community but also would have likely been very entwined and friendly with management due to the nature of a long work relationship together. there is a stability there that wouldn't necessarily be seen with. someone new, i guess?

anyways, honestly i feel like year three & later a lonely place of dying are really the stories that try not to stereotype circus life the most. there's no "wow circus people are so othered & weird", they're just normal people who work at a circus & are treated as such. even jack and janet stopping for a photo is treated like "let's show our son that these performers are just people like us under their costumes". which, honestly reads more like that time i was brought to a local haunted walk when i was like 7 and i was in tears because i was so scared and one of the performers took off their mask to show me he was just a normal guy underneath the costume.

devin grayson, of course, retcons this long-standing family history of his mother being part of a circus family in nightwing annual #1 and changes it to his father instead & is very, hm, married to the idea that circus workers are poor in her conceptualization of how she writes dick as evidenced by her interview in "dick grayson, boy wonder" where she says the following:

god. the racism. it's something. and now. i'll say i have no issue with the idea of clarifying dick as not necessarily white. i do have slight issue with the idea that because he was a circus performer, he was poor. because this is the first time someone i think has actually tried to take into account the childhood dick may have experienced, and she definitely inserted her own stereotypical biases into it. and is a bit at odds with how skilled, famous american circus workers who have his parents' skillset were treated back in the time of dick's conception. they traveled in the winter because they were stars and were invited to perform in prestigious european circuses due to their fame. i just. and i will point out that a lot of these famous circus performers were hot blooded and it had nothing to do with race and everything to do with the fact that they were stage divas. idk. obviously, conceptions of circus workers were likely not the greatest in the 90s. they were nowhere near what their fame was in their heyday. clowns were definitely starting to be seen as more creepy and by this point, circuses were far more criticized for their treatment of animals. but i feel like there's a bit of a leap here wrt devin grayson's assumptions of circus life because of the fact that they travel & doesn't do near enough justice to the worth of the skill of dick & dick's parents. because being able to perform a triple & a quadruple would have still been extremely rare and highly valued. so rare it wasn't performed until 1982 & can still hardly be achieved.

https://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/13/arts/a-quadruple-for-the-flying-miguel-vazquez.html

this article is a fascinating review of exactly how rare and dangerous it is. & hey, alfredo mention.

batman legends of the dark knight #100 seems to go along with this idea that a circus is a dirty and poor place.

and, like. okay so the graysons are still shown as an act important enough to have their own dressing/prep room, per usual, as expected for their skillset. haly's circus in modern day is usually shown in more modern comics to be a small traveling circus that's not doing...super well--at least in comparison to previously established show selling out lore, but the only thing i really take umbrage with here is that alfred describes it as decrepit. which. i feel like even if haly's is small and maybe not super profitable it should at least be shown as a well kept, nice place & the only reason for that is because if it was practically falling apart, there's no fucking way jack would have won the battle of 'let's bring our son tim to the circus' if it was falling apart. janet would have been out here on beyondthebump all 'help my DH wants to take our son to a circus and it's falling apart, located in a terrible part of town, and looks like it employs murderers, how do i tell him no?' and she would have been met with a chorus of 'stand ur ground girl, do NOT let him endager your baby like that!!'.

anyways, the new 52 also gives us almost nothing to go on either. dick's parents' trailer looks nice enough, indicating they do make enough money with their act to afford a semi nice trailer. john is an asshole, dick is out of character. lovely, thanks new 52. the secret origin is as least much better but does go into how the circus has no money--which, hm. doesn't really tell us anything re: the grayson's economic situation. the circus might be struggling and have to close down soon, but it doesn't mean a lot for what contracted rates they pay their acts. in fact, paying for an act as skilled as the graysons and not getting enough profit in return could be part of their money troubles.

and then finally we end with nightwing 82-83 by tom taylor, with the meili lin thing (and, while meili is nice enough, i must say i still don't like this whole thing because the point of zucco should not have been he had a longstanding grudge against the graysons, gdi-). which, again, all it confirms is that the grayson's were the star attractions and does nothing to interrogate what that might've been. it does focus a lot on the idea of they were free and happy, which. um. sometimes the focus on how happy people are is usually "despite the fact that they don't have x". then again i do feel like i will give tom taylor the fact that he also seemed to have just written the graysons as normal people, but he also doesn't seem interested in interrogating what dick being the son of the star act might have actually meant for him.

honestly, a lot of what i'm finding is that much like tim, dick's childhood is left frustatingly opaque--there's a lot of room for interpretation, honestly. it's not ever really said on paper if they struggled with money growing up. you have writers who have all but confirmed they wrote dick with the understanding that he grew up poor because he worked in a circus, but at the same time does ignore the fact that the grayson's had such a unique and special skillset that it's hard to say that makes sense. & is rooted in stereotypical biases. the only aspect of it that's ever considered is "dick's the son of the skilled, star performers and also has those skills ergo he has the skills to be a vigilante". they're cast in this light of famous & skilled!! but the circus they work for is poor and barely getting by, and you can only assume that because they worked for a poor circus dick was probably also living on the poverty line, wholly dependent on the success of the place they worked for because at times their wages were struggled to be paid (despite the fact that as a contract act, to underpay them would absolutely be a breach of contract). there's no confirmation or in-depth look at his childhood, only vague implications, throwaway lines & stereotypes. they want the grayson's to be probably the most skilled circus act in the world. they don't want to look at what that would realistically mean. because only the acrobatics is the important.

#anyways my deep dive into reading various versions of dick's origin really does show that dc doesn't really care #what his childhood experiences may have been #because they don't matter. only the acrobatics ever have #anyways i do think there's a lot of potential for dick to feel othered in his stories #his family would have been at the top of the hierarchy #he was used to fame but still was unable to fit in to bruce's world

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mrsbuckybarnes1917 · 5 months

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Request from @captainswintersoldier: Can you please write a story where reader goes back in time and meets her boyfriend Bucky in the 1940s?

Word count ~3.3k

Warnings: smut, p in v, mild fingering described, angst, mention of blunt force trauma and cardiac arrest (of original characters) and some comforting Bucky at the end.

A/N: shoutout to @samodivaa for your help and support! Love you!

The mission was simple: go back and gather intel. It was a small change but the team hoped it would correct a lot of wrongs.

You were nowhere near Brooklyn, no chances of anyone recognizing you. The risks were negligible. Or so you thought. You had infiltrated the barracks under the guise of a trained nurse. It wasn’t a tall order, you had almost completed your training and you knew your stuff, but occasionally your imposter syndrome would make you feel a little anxious about your activities.

It wasn’t something that concerned you too much tonight though, as you danced at the center of a throng of burly WWII soldiers. You’d completed your mission and you could relax until the time came for you to return home. There had been multiple offers of drinks but you needed to keep your wits about you. You had duties to fulfill and a cover to maintain.

Duty did call halfway through the evening. Two inebriated soldiers had fallen victim to their own drunken rambunctiousness and one of them needed stitches to their temple. You had to tear yourself away from the festivities to suture up the intoxicated infantry recruit and now had to clean up the mess he had made in your infirmary.

As you worked you sang quietly to yourself.

“The good old days, the honest man,

The restless heart, the Promised Land,

A subtle kiss that no one sees,

A broken wrist and a big trapeze.”

You were in the process of replacing your supply of gauze supply and in your eagerness you'd picked up more than your arms could handle.

“Oh well, I don't mind if you don't mind,

'Cause I don't shine if you don't shine.

Before you go,

Can you read my mind?”

You might have been a little too enthusiastic with your hip swaying because without warning you had stepped back and stumbled over the leg of the examination couch. Several packets of gauze went flying in every direction as you fell backwards. You expected to find yourself lying on the floor, but a strong arm was wrapped around your waist and lifted you back up slowly.

A green uniform came into view and you steadied yourself on a sturdy chest before you came face to face with a pair of dazzlingly familiar blue eyes. A gasp slipped past your lips as you took in the features of the handsome young soldier holding you upright. His eyes were the same as the ones you knew and loved, except they lacked the haunted look you’d come to know. Instead you saw glimmers of mischief and excitement, and was that lust?

“Well hello there, gorgeous. You trying to read my mind?” Bucky flashed you a glittering grin.

“I- what are you doing here?”

Confusion painted your features and you extracted yourself from his arms.

This wasn't supposed to be happening. You'd checked, he wasn't supposed to be here!

“See the thing is, I couldn't just let a gorgeous woman just spend all her time here alone while everyone else is out there enjoying the party.”

His words had you blushing like a schoolgirl.

“You're not supposed to be here, Sergeant Barnes.”

“You know who I am?” His eyes lit up.

You rolled your eyes but your smile gave away the fact that you were charmed.

“I've seen you around,” you lied but your tone said something different altogether.

Stop flirting! Everything about him brought out your playful side.

“And I've definitely noticed you. I've never seen anyone as stunning as you.” He took your hand and lifted it to his chest, just around his heart.

A soft blush stained your cheeks and you could feel your heart fluttering wildly. How was he having such a powerful effect on you? This man in front of you was maybe ten years younger than you were, yet here you were swooning and melting into his arms.

“Say, if you're stuck in here, how about I bring the party to you?”

“Oh? What do you suggest?”

Bucky sauntered over to the window of the infirmary and pushed it open to let in the sound of music.

“May I have this dance?” Bucky put his hand out to you with his palm facing up as an invitation to you.

You couldn’t resist the temptation to take his hand, letting Bucky snake his arm around your waist and pull you into his chest. He smelled exquisite and you closed your eyes to take in his scent. It was only then that you realized that the fingers that he had pressed into your waist were made of flesh and bone. Bucky still had his left arm and he was holding you with it. You ran your hand along it.

“You like what you feel?” he smirked at you.

You shook your head with incredulity at how much confidence and sex appeal that was oozing off the man. It was like he was a totally different person from the man you loved. He probably was. Your Bucky had been through a huge transformation, lost everything he knew and loved. The man in front of you now was the caterpillar version of your boyfriend, but you couldn’t help but be captivated by him. Silently you let him lead as you swayed to the distant music.

As the music finally faded away, Bucky stilled but didn't let you go.

“So are we going to stand here all night?” you asked.

“It's just… I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone as beautiful as you.”

“And what are you going to do about it?”

Ordinarily, you would never have been so bold as to speak to a man you’d just met in this sort of tone. But you knew Bucky, even if he didn’t know you. Now you were just testing his boundaries. And true to his form, Bucky leaned into you, holding you close, he pressed his lips against yours. His kiss was exquisite, familiar but different all at the same time. It was exciting and somehow terrifying. For the briefest of moments, you wondered what your boyfriend would think, before you put the thought to the back of your mind and let him kiss you again.

A few days later, you found yourself in the midst of a crisis. One of the new recruits was in the middle of a training session when he was slammed in the chest with a shield as he was brandishing a bayonet. The kid went down like a tonne of bricks, lying unconscious on the floor.

You were walking past when you heard his fellow cadets’ panicked shouts. In a flash you were at his side assessing him. A few shouts in his ear, your ear to his mouth and your fingers on his neck told you that he wasn't breathing and his heart wasn't beating.

“What happened?” you demanded from the scared men standing around watching you as you started CPR.

A few stuttered words and you extrapolated the rest. It was a long shot and you'd only ever seen them successfully perform the maneuver on television, but what the hell!

You lifted your hand and made a fist and brought it down forcefully in the center of his chest. The reaction was immediate, the young boy opened his eyes, gasping and coughing.

Your legs collapsed under you from the kneeling position you'd been in, Your heart wasn't the only thing that was pounding and you thanked your lucky stars that you'd had the guts to make the move. But your job wasn't done yet. The recruits had gathered themselves together and fetched a stretcher and carried their teammate to the infirmary. It took you around an hour to make sure the newbie was stable, but as you worked you could see Bucky hovering around out of the corner of your eye.

“Hey you.” You smiled at Bucky as you closed the door to the now stable and sleeping cadet. “You don't need to worry about Simmons, he'll be just fine.”

“Yeah, I'm sure he will be.” Bucky approached you slowly. “How’re you doing?”

“I'm alright,” you answer, finally noticing the predatory look in his eyes.

The blue of his eyes was darker than you remembered them. It made your heart skip a beat and you wondered if you too needed to be hooked up to an EKG machine like poor Simmons.

“I'm glad.”

His hand came to rest on your waist. Bucky stood in front of you. When had he gotten so close?

“Bucky?” you questioned his subtle approach.

“Hmmm?” he hummed, his other hand was on your hip.

He took another step forwards, pushing you backwards. Again and again until you were inside your office. As soon as the door closed he had you up against it, one hand on the small of your back and the other cupping your face.

“Bucky,” you muttered breathlessly. “What-”

There wasn't time for you to finish your question as his lips claimed yours with a hunger that you'd not seen from the young man before. Until now he had only been sunshine and roses with his words and demeanor.

But here and now, there was no doubt in Bucky's mind what he wanted from you. He was desperate, he was hard, he needed you. His thoughts were different, dirty, downright sinful. They poisoned his mind, like a plague. He was going to take what he wanted, right here against the wall of your infirmary.

You moaned as his lips moved down to your neck. Hands roamed your body as his hips thrusted into yours. There was no mistaking the erection he was sporting. He was making you feel like Niagara Falls under your skirt. Bucky slipped a hand underneath it, pulling aside your panties dipping his fingers inside you.

“Buck-” you tried to suppress a moan.

He answered by spreading his fingers and stretching your walls, making you whimper and whine into his neck. You dug your nails and teeth into his exposed skin as his thumb found your clit. The way he growled your name had you teetering on the edge of an orgasm and your walls fluttered around his fingers expectantly.

“Now why'd ya have to go get ahead of yourself, huh Doll?” Bucky pulled his fingers out of you and licked your essence off them.

“Bucky,” you whined. You started unbuckling his pants, pulling him free from the constraints of his briefs.

His fingers ran over your bare ass and down your thighs as you prepped him with a few pumps. He moved closer so you could line him up to your dripping entrance before he slammed into you with relative ease. You arched your back as he ran his fingers through your hair and tugged at the strands. Even after all this time, you couldn’t get used to his size. Bucky shoved his fingers in your mouth, filling it and muffling your carnal moans. His mouth was close to your ear and you could hear him mumbling a string of profanities into it along with something about how tight you were and how ruined you’d be when he was done with you.

He removed his fingers from your mouth to grab your hips again, pulling you towards him as he slammed into you repeatedly. He lifted your leg, opening you up before pushing deeper inside you. Then his tip brushed over that perfect spot inside you and your mouth was open but no sound left it. You wanted to scream but all you could do was gasp as he fucked the air right out of your lungs.

“Pleeeease.”

“Please what, Doll? Use your words, darling.” His mouth was on yours, swallowing your moans like they were the oxygen his body craved.

“Right there, Bucky. Please.”

You could feel the smirk on his lips as he thrusted his hips to hit your g-spot. And you knew the pace he was keeping would be your undoing.

“Faster Buc-”

Your young soldier had no more smart mouthed comments for you, just rocking his hips faster, his rock hard member filling you completely. Your body quivered dangerously as your orgasm built up, his cock twitched inside you. He was close too, every wanton sound pushed you closer and closer to your release, until you finally climaxed. Your walls clenched around him, legs shaking uncontrollably as he growled curses and filled you up with his white hot cum. You clutched his shoulders tightly as you both rode out your highs, panting until you felt like you could breathe again.

“You’re amazing, you know that?” Bucky put a finger under your chin and tilted your face up so you were looking into his eyes.

Why did his dazzling blue eyes have this dumbfounding effect on you? Slowly and gently he pulled out of you, pulling your panties back into place.

“Don’t want to spill anything, right?” he grinned at you before turning slightly to tuck himself away.

His words made you flush in a way that you hadn’t done since he had strutted into your infirmary. Present Bucky had never spoken to you like this, he was so much more restrained than this rapscallion in front of you.

“I have to go.”

He surprised you with a deep but gentle kiss before disappearing as quickly as he had arrived, leaving you feeling a little unsettled.

The next time he came to find you was under different circumstances.

“Hey you,” you greeted him fondly, picking at the collar of his uniform jacket.

He pulled you to the side, one of his hands grazing your back while the other hand wrapped around your arm to guide you around the corner. The absence of his usual swagger should have alerted you to the oncoming storm.

You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him into a kiss. “Mmm, Buck!” you murmured as you felt something hard pressed against your leg. “Not out here!”

“Well it just so happens that I have a bottle of pretty good rye in my pocket.” He smirked at you.

“Oh and here I thought you were just happy to see me.”

“I’m always happy to see you, Doll.” The smile on his face didn’t quite reach his eyes and you were well versed in reading Bucky’s face, he hadn’t changed as much as you’d originally thought.

“What’s wrong, Bucky?” you asked tentatively.

“What makes you think something is wrong?”

You run your fingers over the small ridges on his brow and around his eyes, the ones you’ve seen far more often than you ever hoped to. And now you could see them on the young soldier’s face.

“I feel like you know me better than I know myself.”

“Maybe I do,” you whispered against his lips.

The gesture was intimate but you’d suddenly been gripped by fear and you wanted to keep him close. He looked down at the floor, not making eye contact with you, his hands were stuffed in his pockets and he shuffled his feet nervously. When he finally looked back up at you, sadness shining in his beautiful blue eyes, you knew why he had come to you.

“Don’t go,” you shook your head.

Bucky sighed. “I have to, Doll.”

“Please,” you begged.

“I gotta go help my friend out, my unit.”

“I’m sure they’d manage fine without you. Stay here with me.” You were clutching at straws.

“When Captain America asks for your help, you can’t say no.”

“You can. I’m sure Steve would understand. He’s your best friend.”

“That’s exactly why I have to go. Someone needs to keep that punk’s nose out of trouble.”

Words failed you, you knew he wouldn’t stay. Not even for you. You flung your arms around his neck, your whole body trembling with fear and anxiety. “Please,” you whispered into his neck, over and over.

Bucky held you close, his hands wrapped tightly around your back until you fell silent. Eventually he pulled your arms down from his neck so he could see your face. His palms cupped your cheeks and he brushed your tears away with the tips of his thumbs.

“Don't worry, Doll. I won't be gone long.”

Fresh tears leaked from your eyes at his words. You knew the truth, what future waited for him. There was nothing more you could say that would change his actions. It would be like a leopard trying to change its spots. Not that you would try, Bucky's loyalty to his friends was one of the things you loved the most about him.

“I'll be back soon. I promise.”

You wanted to tell him not to make promises he couldn't keep but you just stood there, relishing the feeling of his left hand on your face. It felt as though time was standing still, you didn't want things to change.

But just as the thought formed in your head, the moment was interrupted by a distant yell. Bucky turned to the sound of his name being called.

“I gotta go, Doll.” He pressed his lips against yours one last time before backing away slowly until the hand he was holding couldn’t stretch any further.

He flashed you a sad smile. You closed your eyes to blink away your tears and when you opened your eyes again he was gone.

It felt like hours that you stood against the wall, it was the only thing holding you up as you reeled from the loss. The reverie you'd lost yourself in was broken by a strong vibration from the hidden device in your pocket.

It was time for you to go home.

You stumbled into your office and activated the device that would take you back to your own time.

The journey was tumultuous and you staggered out of the other side of the wormhole, collapsing straight in your boyfriend's arms. Sobs wracked your body as he held you tightly and you mumbled muffled apologies into his chest.

Bucky looked around at the others bewildered by your reaction. He felt your arms and legs looking for signs of injuries that might have upset you.

“I'm here, Doll. I'm here. Everything’s gonna be alright.”

He cradled you into his arms and carried you away from the other watching Avengers. Finally your breathing slowed and your tears dried up. You looked up at Bucky’s anxious features.

“Hey.” Bucky smiled down at you.

“Hey,” your voice squeaked as you answered him.

“Wanna talk about it? ‘Cause not gonna lie, Doll, I'm kinda worried. What happened?”

“You weren't… you weren't supposed to be there.”

“What do you mean?”

“You were there, Buck.”

“I was?”

“You don't remember?”

Bucky shook his head. “You saw me?”

“Yeah. You were pretty cute.” You smiled shyly, wondering how Bucky would take this.

“Did I hurt you?”

You hated the fear behind his words.

“No, Bucky, of course not. But I-”

“What?”

You felt ashamed of what you were about to tell him and you looked down at your hands when you made your confession. “I knew that if I stopped you leaving, that I'd lose you here. I'm sorry. I was selfish. Everything you've been through is my fault.”

Bucky sighed, he hated seeing you so upset, especially over something that you were never responsible for.

He took your face in his hands, the same way he had done in 1940. The only difference now was his cold vibranium fingertips against your flushed cheek. “Look, I still have a lot of gaps in my memory from… before. But one thing I know for a fact is that you aren't responsible for what happened. Got that?”

You sighed and let your boyfriend envelope you in his arms. Maybe one day you'd believe him.

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes x female reader #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes #skittle's requests

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aroayr-shuk · 2 months

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Reverse Robins AU!

Damian | Timothy | Jason | Dick

• Early Life:

Dick, Richard, was raised in a circus. The son of Mary and John Grayson, the trio was known as the Flying Graysons in their heyday, but like all good things the circus days had to come to an end. When Dick was nine the Graysons' act was sabotaged by the villain Tony Zucco, who cut Mary and John's lines while they were preforming their famous trapeze act. Dick watched as his parents fell to their deaths.

Lucky for him Bruce and his eldest son, Damian, were both in the stands to witness to atrocity. And to help him through the aftermath.

• First Outing:

Many will assume that Dick is the golden child, but that title was given later in life. When he was first adopted by Bruce Wayne, Dick was a feral child. Hell bent on killing the man who took his parents. Bruce couldn't stop him as he snuck out of the house with one of his brothers' knives, but he did manage to convince him to bring Zucco to justice properly instead of executing him.

Dick would have a second "first outing" after taking up a superhero mantle, with Damian under the Batman cowl. While their time together as partners would be short, Dick would prefer working with his eldest brother more than with Bruce.

• The Name:

While Batman and Shadow both tried to convince young Dick to take on the name of Aves and carry on the legacy, Dick retired that mantle permanently. Instead taking up the name that would define him for his entire life, based on the nickname his mother gave to him: Robin.

• Home Life:

Dick has the best home life, by far. He is quickly named the baby of the family.

Bruce, Damian, and Tim are all overly protective of the little Boy Wonder. Who lives up to his name, always asking questions and always filled with life. He is immediately accepted as their littlest brother, and they all swear never to have a repeat of Jason.

• Independence:

Dick remains Batman's sidekick for far longer than any of the others, staying by his side for ten years, until he's nineteen. He fights along side both the Teen Titans and Young Justice, as well as a multitude of other superhero teams during that time.

When he outgrows the Robin mantle it is retired. And he once again honors the memory of his parents with his new moniker Nightwing.

#No they don't let him out of the house without pants #batman #nightwing #red robin #batfam #bruce wayne #damian wayne #dcu #dick grayson #jason todd #red hood #robin

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witchersmistress · 5 months

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Little Lamb for Slaughter

Hello my darlings, reality pulled me away for some time and this dude almost ended up in my punish room.. little shit.. this was another request by @livesinfantasyland

Summary: its is a spring evening in 1884, Sherlock has taken on a rather difficult case. one that makes him question everything he though he knew about the Hudson Family.

Triggers warnings: loss of virginity, both male and female, illegal gambling, auctioning off of people, blood, tooth ache endusing sweetness. mentions of fire arm, after care.

Word count: 3.4 K

80. Sex as a performance/third person watches.

Sherlock’s POV

50 minutes south of London, we arrived at this gentlemen’s club in Reading. It was a seedy underground gentlemen’s club to which the man in question I am looking for happens to be there. With a reluctant sigh, I climb out of my carriage into the dimly lit streets.

Walking into the club, looking around as I made my way down the stairs, passed the illegal gambling tables, the long stage in the middle of the room, that men flock to as the women fly back and forth on the trapeze as men holler from the balconies above. Looking in the crowds for the unscrupulous character I was looking for, I found him indeed Mr. Hudson, married to one Mrs. Hudson, the landlords of 221b Baker street.

Taking a glass of brandy, I sit in the corner, observing the room but watching him from the corner of my eye. Mrs. Hudson admitted her worry for her daughter, she was afraid that he was putting their daughter in harm's way, she was coming home with unexplained bruises and could barely look at her father, let alone be in the same room as him. So I've followed him for weeks and learned his schedule. He had a rather large gambling debt but yet he was still able to play at the tables. A rather large gentleman came up to him and pulled him in my direction “She is refusing to cooperate, make her” he hissed at him before shoving him off. He stumbled into a group of men and one helped him to his feet.

He pushed past men, and made his way for the stage. Getting up slowly I followed him to the stage and behind the curtain. “Go, leave” he yelled at the other women as they scattered away leaving just one. Pulling her crinkled picture from my pocket, I've looked at it countless times. She was a strong willed girl as her mother told me, with her chin held high, her beautiful hair coming down in waves on one side of her neck, she was indeed a beautiful woman.

But the girl I see before me is not the girl her mother described. Her body is hunched trying to make herself small and meek, her skin is red and blotchy from crying. My heart beats rapidly in my chest at the sight of this poor girl in distress. She has always been a sweet and shy thing, her cheeks always flushed pink whenever I caught her staring. She didn't realize that I was always watching her.

Mr. Hudson grabbed her by her shoulders and pulled her to her feet “ you will do this child, we will be out of debt and your mother won't ever have to work a day in her life again” she sneered at him. “But my chances of a good marriage and my reputation will have gone out the window because you are selling my innocence to settle your gambling debts” she wrenched her shoulders from his grip and stood back from him. Her delicate hands balled up in fists at her side. She reached out and slapped him across the face.

She had a slight smirk on her face as he seethed at her. “Fine” he snarled “ I'll go and get your little sister, she’d fetch me a higher price than you” her face blanched at that comment. I knew of his other daughter, his illegitimate one. She was only 14 years of age. Unlike Evelyn, who is 10 years younger than I. My grip on my cane tightened as I took a step forward. “I'll do it, you leave her out of this” he nodded at her and “I'll let Mr Carnahan know” he strided away as her knees began to falter and she dropped to her knees. I desperately wanted to go pick her up and take her home but her father would go use his young daughter. Grabbing a black mask from a table. I put it on my face and turned away from her. I was off to find Mr. Carnahan.

I found him, he was at the gambling tables, he clapped Mr. Hudson on the shoulder as he walked away. I pursued him on the way to his office. Pushing my hair back and dawning on my half mask, I gave three sharp wraps to his office door before I proceeded in. He was sitting at his desk. “ I'd like to make a deal with you” he picked his head up and cocked a brow “ Come in, sit down my friend” sitting in front of his desk, he leaned back in his chair with a lit cigar hanging from the corner of his mouth. “ Who are you making a deal for?” I gave him a wicked smile “ Evelyn Hudson” he smiled back showing all his teeth. “Let's make a deal”

*few hours later*

Sitting in the private room in the corner, only select men were allowed back here. The women came out and performed, Evelyn is the last one to perform. Sitting back letting the dark conceal my face. I watched as she made her way to the stage in a tight corset that enhanced her curves. Little shorts underneath it, and silk stockings held in place by straps attached to her waist. If she was afraid she didn't let it show. Her face remained blank as she took her place on that stage. Giving a slow spin to show off her figure as men yelled at her, my blood was boiling, as I watched her father sit in the corner of the room with a smug smile on his face that scheming bastard.

Adjusting myself in my chair to settle back in as men approached her and looked her over like she was nothing more than a piece of meat. Rubbing their hands over her body, I expected flinching and twitching but nothing. She was set in stone, unwavering and unmoving. One man went to undo the strings of her corset but Mr. Carnahan stepped in “ Sorry gentlemen, she is for viewing only, she has been bought for the evening. Her eyes widened in fear as one of his men escorted her off the stage. Mr. Carnahan stood in front of the stage and clapped his hands together “Well gentlemen thank you all for coming, proceed down stairs to collect your winnings” Mr. Hudson was enraged “We had a deal damn it '' Mr. Carnahan just shrugged him off, “Someone came to me with a better offer, don't worry old boy you'll get a small fee for bringing her to me” her father threw an empty brandy glass across the room. Before storming out.

“Mr. Holmes” he drawled before he left the room “Stay here and one of my men will escort you down shortly "I stood rooted in my place as I watched him walk out that door. I was certainly going to hell for this but I had to protect her, I promised I would.

Evelyn’s POV

I was waiting at my makeup table just waiting to be summoned, fixing my makeup for the third time that night when one of his goonies came back for me. Looking at myself one last time, I put on my brave face and followed him. We went up the back staircase past the rooms that were used for when men collected their prices. You could hear the sounds of men and women grunting and groaning, a few women sobbing and begging for them to stop but no one ever helped them, that's just not how it worked here. We came to the last door at the end of the hallway. The goon knocked three times before opening the door. This was his private room, it was lavished with deep reds and gold trim. Not my taste, I just had to bear it long enough to get this over with. “Hello my darling” Mr. Carnahan drawled, my feet grounded to the floor, the blood running through my veins turning ice cold.

No no no this couldn't be happening, this cant be the man my father sold me to, one of his guards grabbed my arm, and tried to pull me from my spot but I fought back. Scratching at the goon and trying to pry his hands off my arms. “That is enough '' a loud voice rang out “ I did not pay for a damaged girl. Mr. Carnahan this really can't be how you allow your men to treat them?” the sound of a cane thumbing against the floor as the footsteps drew closer. “No sir i can assure you that this won't happen again, it will be handled” the goon finally moved, allowing me to get a look at the man in question who had purchased me. His back was to me, he was tall, all dressed in black with a mop of curly hair on top of his head. He turned on his heels slowly, those mismatched eyes, both blue but one had some brown in it, which startled people. He was an extremely well known and respected man that stood before me, it was no other than Sherlock Holmes. My breathing hitched, my heart felt like it was in my throat, my palms began to sweat as he approached me.

Dropping my gaze to the floor as I wiggled my toes in my satin slippers. A coarse knuckle that smelt of tobacco and some type of oil, followed the lines of my jaw before resting at my chin and bringing it up so I could look at him. I narrowed my focus on the floor “My she is defiant isn't she?” he mused out loud. Mr. Carnahan laughed in the background as he continued to examine me. To anyone who wasn't personally familiar with Mr. Holmes would just assume that he was indulging in my appearance, he had to appropriate reactions, the slight lick of his lips, the hum of approval, the slight touching of my skin and clothes, but in all reality, he was scanning me for any marks or injuries.

Mother has something to do with him beginning here no doubt. “Look at me” he ordered, I lifted my eyes up his frame, and resting on his tense gaze, his eyes softened slightly. “She is perfect Mr. Carnahan, you may leave” Mr. Carnahan huffed “Gents hit the road” the goonies let me go and walked out of the room. “You too, Mr. Carnahan” the sounds of his footsteps getting closer “Did you really think that I was going to leave Mr. Holmes? You'd just wait till we were gone, take the girl and leave” His posture stiffened as he bit back “ I paid for her, you've received your money, what does it matter what I do with her” sherlock locked eyes with me and gave a gentle squeeze to my hip, i heard the familiar sound of a revolver cocking. My eyes widened in panic, but Sherlock remained calm. “ Do it Holmes or your little lamb will be slaughtered”

Sherlock’s POV

Her eyes widened when he threatened to shoot her, before I could say “I’ll do it Mr. Carnahan "I looked down at that girl, there she was, that fiery little thing. She grabbed my wrist and held fast. Reluctantly I relaxed my posture and let her lead me. “Excellent dear girl..” she spun and looked at him “ Not another word from you” he closed his mouth so fast you could hear the audible click of his teeth. She led me to the edge of the bed and pointed for me to sit. Toeing off my shoes as she pushed my coat off my shoulders, grabbing her wrist to stop her. She spoke in a soft tone “ C'est bon, laisse-moi faire ça” It’s ok let me do this. I narrowed my eyes at her as i glanced over at Mr. Carnahan, she smiled softly and carrassed my check “ l'imbécile ne parle pas français, il disait que c'était une perte de temps d'apprendre une telle langue” the imbecile does not speak french, said it was a waste of time to learn such a language

I let out a short laugh as I gazed over to her shoulder to wear while he sat, sipping his drink, watching us with a suspicious look. I looked back at her as she began to work on the buttons of my waist coat. Grabbing her right arm, I leave a trail of kisses up to her elbow, her cheeks turning a beautiful shade of pink “ Me fais-tu confiance?” Do you trust me? She looked at me absorbing the words before she responded “ Avec ma vie, M. Holmes” with my life, Mr. Holmes

Releasing her wrist, I move my hands down her waist down to her stocking covered thighs. Wrapping my hands around the back of her lush thighs, i pulled her up into my lap, she squealed and wrapped her arms around my neck to steady herself, letting out a soft chuckle, she leaned back her hands stilled laced together behind my neck, she smiled gently but there was an aspect of fear in them. “qu'est-ce qui ne va pas petit agneau?” what's wrong little lamb?

I question, as my eyes trailed up her delicious frame, settling on her ample chest. Settling one arm around her back, i reached up with my other hand as i started to undo the lace corset work

“ Après ça, je serai ruiné pour tous les autres hommes, personne ne voudra jamais de moi, mais je garde ma petite sœur en sécurité” I'll be ruined after this for all other men, no one will ever want me, but I'm keeping my little sister safe" her shoulders dropped with a small sigh, her brown eyes looking straight into mine “ Je suis reconnaissant que ce soit toi Sherlock” I'm grateful that it is you Sherlock. She continued to undo the lace of her corset as i watched her, i picked her head up and really looked at her “Le plaisir est pour moi, je ne l'aurais de toute façon pour aucun de nous” The pleasure is mine, i would not have it either way for either of us” her eyes widened as i stood up with her, ripping the covers off the bed and placed her higher up on it as i crawled up her body and devoured her mouth.

A sharp wolf whistle came from behind us, and she froze. “Les yeux sur moi petit agneau” Eyes on me little lamb. She looked at me as I opened up her corset and pushed it off her shoulders. Lowering my head to her stomach, I started a trail up her body, paying close attention to her ample cleavage and neck before capturing her lips again. She reached up, ripping off my tie and tearing the buttons of my shirt. It went flying to the floor with her corset and stockings, I began to undo my trousers and slide them down my legs and discard them on the floor with the rest of my belongings, hesitating on her knickers, she gave me a sharp nod and I pulled them off. I took a moment to take her in, she was absolutely breathtaking. “tu es belle” You are beautiful

Her cheeks tinged pink, i drew the blanket up around my back to cover her exposed body from Mr. Carnahan. He scoffed but I ignored him and just focused on her. Lining my cock with her wet entrance i looked at her “Je suis vraiment désolé mon agneau, ça va faire mal” I'm so sorry lamb, this is going to hurt “C'est bon, je suis en sécurité avec toi” It's ok, I am safe with you.

I leaned down and kissed her as I thrusted my hips forward, she let out a cry against my lips. I froze in place as her inner walls squeezed and clenched around me. A few tears rolled down her face. I kissed them away and kept apologizing to her. “ respire petit agneau,Je vais déménager maintenant. Restez avec moi ” Breathe little lamb, I am going to move now stay with me” rocking my hips back and forth in a gentle motion, she hissed out her discomfort, pulling up her right leg so it was bent at her knee, i wrapped it around my back and continued to move. Her pained whimpers, slowly turned into breathy moans. “ Plus?” More as I watched her body flushed with heat and excitement “ oui s'il te plaît plus” Yes please more. She dropped her leg from my back and opened them wider for me as I picked up my pace. Her small arms came up my back at my waist and she dug her nails in.

she chanted my name like it was an endless prayer. Her walls were like a vice, i could barely pull in and out of her anymore, she changed betweening chanting my name to say oh my god in french. Her hips met mine, thrust for thrust and she never let up. Arching her back off the bed as her eyes rolled in the back of her head, I could feel a rush of wet heat cover my aching cock, thrusting faster as she rode out the waves of her orgasm, the pressure was building at the base of my spine and my balls tightened.the thread of tension snapped as i came inside her, my movements slowing down and becoming jerky, i withdrew from her wet heat gently as possible, looking down as i pulled out, i saw the blood that was on my cock, her inner thighs and the bed sheets. Moving gentle off the bed, with my back to Mr. Carnahan, I drew the covers up to her chin. “Stay, do not move,” she nodded as I placed a kiss on her forehead and moved to step into my trousers. Turning to face him “You are done here” he sighed and unfolded his hands “I suppose you are right” he stood to take his leave from the room “Send in a girl with some warm water and towels and the rest of her things” he looked back and nodded at me “ Of course sir right away, enjoy your evening Mr. Holmes.”

Moving back to the bed, I grabbed my discarded shirt off the floor and offered it to my little lamb “Are you alright?” I asked as I helped her sit up, her lower lip trembled and she let out a shuddering breath. “What happens now?” she looked at me unshed tears clinging to her lashes

“Do i become some common whore that roams the streets at night to just barely get by” my face fell as i pulled her into my bare chest and let her sob. Three sharp knocks and the door opened “ Excuse me Mr. Holmes but Mr. Carnahan sent me with the rest of the items and her belongings. "She placed the bowl of warm water on the bedside table and her clothing on the chair. Is there anything else that I can get you?” I looked at her from over my shoulder. “Yes, have a carriage waiting here in 15 minutes” She curtsied and left the room, the door shut with an audible click.

“Lay back little lamb and let's get you cleaned up” I stood and dipped the rags into the water before it began to cool. She laid back down and spread her legs for me. I ran the cloth down both her thighs and rinsed it before I started on her sensitive area, she hissed at the contact. “A warm bath will do wonders for those sore muscles of yours” she nodded and just watched me as i dried her off then was the blood off myself. She didn't speak as I helped her into her dress and covered her with my coat.

We made our way down from the private rooms, through the gambling room where her father was, being arrested along with a handful of men. Mr. Carnahan wasnt amongst them as we walked up the stairs to our waiting carriage. Putting her bags in the back and opening the door “Where are you taking me?” she asked in a small voice, holding the door open for her i extended my hand to her “Home, we are going home” she looked at me with confusion “Into the carriage, it's a long ride back to London'' she climbed in and i climbed in after her. The carriage pulled away from the building and started on our journey home “ the deal that i made with your mother in exchange for bringing down your father i got something in return, she looked up at me and cocked her brow, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear “ you little lamb, i get you”

#henry cavill imagine #henry cavill characters #sherlock holmes imagine #henrycavill smut

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browniesarethebest · 2 months

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Ur reverse batfam is so just *chefs kiss*!! I’d love to read either Dick seeing Cass dance for the first time if it’s not too much trouble

Ah! Thank you! I am so sorry that this took forever! I promise I didn't forget about it! Thank you so much for your patience!

When Dick first moved into the manor, he was given a tour by Stephanie and Tim, which Dick was very grateful for. The place was huge and, even with the tour, Dick still managed to get lost once or twice in the beginning. At one point, they stopped to peek into a windowless room. One wall contained a giant mirror that stretched from corner to corner. The opposite wall held a wooden bar that was just as long. There were a few chairs stacked along another wall next to a closed door, and Dick could see sound system one could hook their phone up to. Dick shuffled his sock-covered feet across the polished wooden floor and almost missed Stephanie's explanation as he took in the whole room.

"This is the dance studio. Cass is pretty much the only one who uses it, but I'll join her sometimes if I'm in a dance-y mood."

Dick perked up. Cass danced? It wasn't quite the same as acrobatics, but that made Cass a performer, just like him.

Dick soon forgot about this as the tour continued and he was bombarded with the rest of the amazing rooms the Manor had to offer. He only remembered again a few weeks later when he went exploring to continue learning the layout of the Manor. He was walking down a hallway when he heard soft music coming from one of the doorways. Peeking his head in, his eyes lit up as they caught sight of Cass gliding around the mirror-filled room.

Dick stared in silent awe as Cass moved and swayed to the music. There were no words in the song, but Dick felt like he could see a story in her dance. He sighed wistfully.

She would have fit right in at the circus.

Cass seemed to have caught the sound—or maybe she caught sight of him in the Manor, Dick wasn't sure—and paused. Instead of stopping the music like Dick expected, she reached her hand out to him with a gentle smile.

Dick beamed and eagerly took her hand. She led their dance, but Dick easily stayed in rhythm with her. The performer in his heart soared as he watched the two of them in the mirrors. It wasn't his usual type of performance (not enough flair for him), but it was so nice to move with someone again...

They both slowed as the song came to an end, posing gracefully as the final note finished. They beamed at each other, and Dick felt his heart skip a beat as he felt kinship growing between them. It was strange to go from being an only child to having a gaggle of siblings, but Cass was quickly becoming one of his favorites. She understood him in a way the others couldn't, and Dick appreciated that.

"Do you ever perform for the others?" Dick asked as they sat on the floor. Cass passed him an apple from her bag, which he took eagerly.

She shrugged and made a so-so gesture. Dick frowned, so she elaborated further. "Mine. My...thing."

Dick took a moment to process that before he understood. "Oh! So you mean you like to keep it to yourself. Because it's for you."

Cass nodded, and they fell into silence. Dick picked at the stem of his apple.

"The trapeze is like that for me," he murmured. Cass tilted her head to show she was listening. "Do you think...Do you think I could have one? Like you have this?" Dick gestured around the room. He wasn't really asking if Mr. Wayne could make him one. There was no way the man would do anything like that for him—the man had done enough already taking him in. Dick just missed the circus, and he couldn't help but dream about flying on the trapeze again.

Cass huffed out a laugh and ruffled his hair. Dick batted her hand away, pouting.

"I wasn't being serious," he muttered. Cass just looked at him knowingly.

And that was how it went. Dick would find himself exploring the hallways, always ending up at Cass's dance room even if he didn't always intend it. He would watch Cass dance and wait for her to notice him. She would eventually reach a hand out to him, and he would join her. She never made him leave, even though dancing was "her thing." Maybe she knew just how much he needed it—Stephanie had said she was good at reading body language.

It was almost like a shared secret between them. Unknown to Dick, however, Cass had a secret of her own.

"What...?" Dick breathed as he was led into a room further down into the Manor by Bruce and his siblings. His jaw dropped as he stared up in awe at the trapeze set up in the middle of the room. He stopped moving, but Cass took his hand and pulled him further into the room.

They stood in front of the trapeze together, still holding hands, as Bruce came up behind him and set a hand on his shoulder.

"Cass was telling me how you miss the trapeze at the circus." His head snapped towards Bruce as the man spoke. Bruce smiled down at him reassuringly.

"This—This is too much! I—"

"Everyone here has something of their own. Cass has her dance studio, Tim has his gaming room, Damian has his art studio, Jason has the library, and Stephanie..." Bruce was pointing to each sibling but faltered when he got to Stephanie.

Said girl grinned proudly. "I call it my multipurpose room."

"...Sure." Bruce turned back to Dick. "So you see, everyone has a room that is just for them—"

"Pretty sure the library is technically for everyone."

"Yeah, but no one goes in there but you, Jason."

"Yeah, 'cause you're all uncultured."

"You all have a room just for you!" Bruce cut in, his smile becoming forced as he refused to look at the others. He heard a scoff and mentally noted to give Jason extra training tomorrow.

"Just for me..." Dick murmured as he stepped closer to the trapeze. He fought back tears as he stared up at the trapeze. For a moment, he could see his family flying across it, circus music playing softly in the background as his parents called out to him.

He blinked, and the vision was gone. The hand holding his own slipped out and slid around his shoulders, pulling him closer to his older sister. He looked up at her, lip trembling.

"Yours," Cass simply said.

Dick let out a shaky breath as he looked around the room. He took in the trapeze, but more importantly, he took in the faces of those surrounding him. Jason and Tim were subtly shoving each other while Stephanie giggled and egged them on. Damian was leaning against a wall, looking done with the whole thing. Only Cass and Bruce were still looking at him.

Dick smiled at them, warmth settling in his chest.

"Mine."

#ask #anon #reverse batfamily #reverse robins au #dick grayson #cassandra cain #robin #my fic #I have now created a pattern of Cass convincing Bruce to get Dick things #this has been in my drafts for a thousand years #i am so sorry for the wait #batman fic #batfamily fic #damian wayne #stephanie brown #jason todd #tim drake

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gatorbites-imagines · 2 years

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a dick greyson fic where the m!reader was in the circus with him, and was kinda his gay awaking, even if dick didn't exactly understand what that meant back then. years of past and he fell out of contact with them for obvious reason, and suddenly he meets them again ((how is up to you)) and reader's changed, but in a good way. more outgoing and flirty, and certainly a lot more handsome. where exactly it goes next is up to you <3

Dick Grayson x former circus performer male reader

Headcanon

How did you know I have an oc exactly like this? So, I’m taking inspiration from said oc in this.

I may not have followed the request a 100%, hope its still okay tho

- You and Dick Had both been born to circus performer parents. Him to the flying Graysons known for their amazing trapeze performance, whilst your parents were the strongest man and the snake lady, meaning your father was inhumanly strong, and your mother extremely flexible.

- Seeing as you were around the same age, the two of you bonded and become thicker than thieves. If you couldn’t find one of you, you’d just have to find the other because you were always together.

- When you both reached an age where it was possible to train in your parents’ skills, you could regularly be found with the Graysons, practicing their arts. You attempted to teach Dick your skills too, but he wasn’t as talented in the strength department or as flexible as you or your mom.

- Your parents would always joke about the two of you, Dicks parents calling you husbands, whilst your parents would joke about the two of you being the perfect couple. At the time Dick didn’t understand why it made him feel so warm inside, or made him blush.

- In the chaos, you didn’t even get to say goodbye to Dick, as he seemed to be swooped away. When it all finally calmed down, you ran around looking for your friend. That’s when you learned he had been adopted by Bruce Wayne of all people.

- You had just finished your performance with your mom when the death of the Grayson’s happened. You had frozen on the spot, staring in horror as your friends’ parents fell to their death, leaving Dick on his own.

- You tried in vain to contact him, but being a traveling circus performer made it almost impossible, and seeing as no letters or calls came to you either, you assumed he must have moved on from you.

- Later, you would realize that the pain in your chest was heartbreak.

- You had little education, though you knew many things that wasn’t school based. You were stronger than any normal person, almost to a meta level. You were too flexible. You could speak too many languages for one person to know. You even knew much of the league of assassins training, as a couple had fled the league and had taught you when they were at the circus.

- Years later you had both moved on, mostly. Dick became Nightwing, and after a major argument with your parents and the owner of the circus you left. During all these years you had kept up the trapeze training, and the owner wanted you to take over where the Grayson’s had been, claiming it had been long enough.

- During your years alone, you had saved the life of the son of a major mobster, and they invited you into their midst. You were given a high rank at your vast knowledge of the area, though you decided to play the role of low-ranking lackey.

- In reality it was so you could join large dealings and alike to make sure it all was going to plan.

- The job had taken you to Gotham, and the dealing was with a dude named Penguin. Your job was to stand guard, a gun in your hands though you much more liked swords and the like, taught to you by the former league of assassin members.

- It was at one of these major dealings that you met your childhood crush again, though you didn’t know that.

- That’s when the bats crashed the deal. Most threw themselves to the ground or started shooting at the moving figures.

- You took a chance, grabbing loose cording to crawl up the wall with skill that came from your many years of exercise with rope and fabric. Crawling onto a ledge, you zeroed in on your target, which was the hero you knew was named Nightwing.

- Taking the plunge, you jumped off the ledge, and with skill no normal person should possess, you stretched your feet out in front of you. He didn’t have time to react before your feet met his chest, sending him flying off the ledge he had been standing on.

- He was able to do a roll landing, and snap his gaze up at you. Still gripping the cording, you wrapped it around your leg so you wouldn’t have to support yourself with your hands, as you swung backwards again. As you grabbed your gun and pointed it at him, recognition flashed through him.

- Much to your luck you were able to flee in the panic, hotwiring a random car to speed out of there. You could feel your heart in your throat as you dumped the car on a random street, pulled up your hood and went on foot the rest of the way to your motel.

- It was only because of Batman tackling him that he was filled with bullets as you fired, clenching your jaw at the loud noise of the weapon.

- When you got there, you messaged the boss that you didn’t want to get involved with Gotham again, as it was a shithole with men dressed as leather furries picking fights. You could hear the boss and his son laugh through the way they texted.

- You snorted and rolled your eyes, kicking off your shoes as you laid back down on the stiff bed and went to sleep.

- He couldn’t even focus on Bruce’s lecture about being aware of your surroundings, as he remembered the movements you had used, and how he had taught them to you.

- What you didn’t know was that your appearance had shaken a certain hero. Dick couldn’t make his face cool down as you though of you, the feelings he thought had went away years ago resurfacing.

- Later Dick spent hours researching you, trying to figure out what lead you to be a lackey for some gang. He found very little, seeing as you had little dealing with the world before you left the circus.

- He was able to find pictures of you performing, the man having to force them the ever-growing heat in his face and chest at the pictures of you in tight spandex performing.

- With some snooping around, he was able to find a social media account, and before he could overthink it, he messaged you. He made sure to explain who he was and mention memories that only he and you would know.

- Dick thought he had prepared himself to talk to you, but he definitely hadn’t prepared himself for how flirty and outgoing you were. He couldn’t help but blush again as you complimented him, and took interest in his life and alike. He did realize how you weren’t as open to talk about your own personal life, and how talking about why you left the circus was a sore subject, so he left it be.

- Dick couldn’t sleep all night, nerves bubbling in his very being. When you finally replied he released a breath as you didn’t seem against talking to him. Though, you were slightly cautious, but that must come with your territory of work he assumed.

- The two of you kept texting, Dick being glued to his phone all day, which made Jason tease him, but it didn’t matter as Dick finally had you back. You both even sent selfies, and he sent a worried text as you had a bruise on your face there hadn’t been the night before, you just explained you got into a fight with some rando who tried to jump you because its Gotham.

- Acting like he didn’t know you were in Gotham, he gushed about you both being in the city. That’s when you asked if you wanted to go on a date, in a teasing tone with lots of winking emojis. Dick blushed again, but replied with a yes, hed love to go on a date.

- It took you a moment to reply, but you did, asking if he was serious. When he made it clear he was obvious, you found yourself flustered, but you both started planning your date and where to go and when, as you wouldn’t be staying in Gotham for long. You’d have to keep your job away from Dick though, as he was a cop and grew up raised by Bruce Wayne, so you assumed your friend wouldn’t be able to take the less than pretty part of life.

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