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emo-batboy · 2 months

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Somewhere out there in the DC multiverse, there’s a world where Battinson’s parents didn’t die, and he became the Lance Stroll of Formula One racing. Wayne Enterprises has an F1 team, Thomas brought Bruce to races when he was young, they indulged his love of cars until he was winning kart races at 8. He BEGGED to help design the race cars, ended up making a great car, and now Wayne has turned from a midfield team to nearly top three.

You’d think everyone hates Bruce because he’s a nepo baby, but he’s just so nice and smiley (like Lance lol) that everyone loves him anyway. His dad is the team’s chairman and pretty hands-on just like Lawrence Stroll. Fans call Bruce the F1 Princess as a joke since he’s already the Prince of Gotham, but then it sticks, and now everyone makes edits of him with tiaras on every time he makes it to the podium. He doesn’t get it, but he’s not going to complain either. His fans are just silly. (He blushes so much when anyone calls him princess to his face, though. Fight me.)

Bruce still insists on everything being black because it’s his favorite color. It was already mostly black before he joined, but now it’s even blacker. His suit is all black. The car is all black. The helmet is all black. He loves it. He looks just like the dark, regal old money rich boy you’d imagine until he’s smiling and talking about racing. (Imagine a meme with two cars next to each other, one being WE’s. It says: “Bruce’s Car v. Bruce’s Personality.” The other one is covered in glitter obv.) One time, a little girl gives him a tiara that she painted black herself and asks him to wear it if he wins. (He does win. He puts it on at the podium. He’s embarrassed the entire time. The champagne rubs some of the black away. It’s a treasured memory and sits right on top in his trophy case.)

His fellow drivers call him Brucie to tease him. He’s a bit awkward during interviews, but that just makes him endearing. He’s also tall for an F1 driver (nepo baby core) so there’s always jokes about him towering over everyone. One time, he came second to Lewis Hamilton, but you could still see he was visibly standing taller on the podium, and people would not stop making jokes about it. (It was mostly his hair, but you know how Twitter is.) Speaking of hair, it will NOT stay flat. He looks insane every time he takes his helmet off. He could be sweating for hours in there but when he takes the thing off, he looks like he’s through in a tornado. (Again, memes.) He knows so much about car mechanics, even for a driver, and will regularly start talking to other drivers or the press about the tiniest of parts in the engine or break system, unaware that everyone is completely lost. (Also memes about that.)

When he’s 23, he suffers a pretty bad crash. It knocks him out for about twenty seconds, and his mom and dad are ready to pull him completely from the sport, but he refuses to stop, and despite missing a few races to recover—his dad’s still a doctor—he ends up winning the next race and gets to stay.

During his F1 career, it’s pretty much guaranteed that he’ll get fastest laps, but he only gets podium like 40–50% of the time. There’s always drama that apparently Wayne Enterprises is trying to become top three, but they insist that they’re not as competitive. They will always have respect for every team, and it shows. They never join in on protests. They always wish the other teams luck, and they genuinely congratulate the winners. Bruce is always the first to hug the winner :)

Before Bruce joined, the Wayne team was always a midfield team, and they were perfectly comfortable with it. WE had good-looking cars, they designed good-looking cars, and they sold good-looking cars, and F1 was just a way of promoting that. Thomas loved watching the races, and he was happy to see them get podium a few times per season, and that was it.

Until Bruce became their lead driver, and he wanted to really earn his seat, and he wanted to get podium, and he wanted to design a faster car, and he wanted to win, and Thomas Wayne couldn’t say no to his son, and suddenly Wayne Enterprises was inching closer and closer to the front of the grid. Now, they’re still not The Best, but they’re a team that future drivers look up to.

During a season of DTS, Bruce is 27. Netflix films the Wayne episode when there’s a fatal crash in F2, and Bruce was nearby when it happened. He ends up crying on camera for ten minutes. They had to cut almost all of it, but we get the most gut-wrenching confessional about how after he heard the news, in that moment, he didn’t want to be an F1 driver. He admits that if he hadn’t become a driver, he was going to become a doctor like his father, and he wonders if he could have saved the driver’s life if he did that instead. “What am I really doing if I can’t help others? I could have been anything…Maybe being a driver was selfish. Maybe I don’t belong on the track anymore.”

He’s visibly distraught during the moment of silence on the day of the race, but Bruce decided to continue because he wants to make the fans and spectators happy. (That’s his job, anyway. That’s what he does.) Despite getting pole position the previous day, he doesn’t get fastest lap or make it to the podium, but he still gets fourth. He has a long talk with his father away from cameras and calls his mom. The future’s uncertain for a few days until Bruce comes back to training. To finish the episode, he says he’s going to continue driving, even if he might need a bit of time to get his confidence back, and he pledges to one day make the safest F1 car ever seen. Even if it’s part of the risk of being a driver, he doesn’t want to see any more drivers losing their lives to the sport they love.

When he’s around 35 or 40, he retires from Formula One so he can inherit Wayne Enterprises, and he takes his father’s place as chairman of the team. Since he has the time now, he holds up on his promise to make an even safer car—the designs inspiring safer car designs for other teams as well—and they pick out two incredible drivers who end up finally (FINALLY) moving Wayne Enterprises into one of the top three teams. They win the world championship twice in a row before falling back a bit and only winning it every couple of years, but they’re nonetheless fierce competitors. Bruce still has a ton of kids, some of which like F1 just like he does, but he is the only Wayne to become a Formula One driver.

I just think Battinson would love driving for F1 :)

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cloakedsparrow · 1 month

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Thomas Lives! Bat-Family AU

Batfamily AU where Thomas Wayne moves to protect his son by shielding him rather than rushing the gunman after Martha is killed. Joe Chill was a mugger who didn’t expect to become a murderer that evening and he flees as soon as Thomas’ back is turned. Now both Thomas and Bruce survive and go home to Alfred.

Does Thomas become Batman and Bruce becomes the first Robin? Is Thomas (and later, Bruce) cool with lethal means when necessary but usually holds back because a) most street level crimes don’t require a lethal solution and b) he doesn’t want to traumatize his child any more than he already is?

Or does Thomas go all in with philanthropy to try to save Gotham and Bruce eventually becomes Batman because he sees there’s a missing piece? He figures between his father’s free clinic and all the money he puts into public transit, shelters, food banks, medical care, and education, Gordon fighting to clean up the dirty CGPD, and his efforts to take down organized crime as Batman, Gotham will be better off. Does he have to wait until he’s an adult to even start training for Batman because Thomas won’t let him go off to study the way of the blade until he’s graduated high school?

Do Thomas and Bruce trade off Batman for years once Bruce grows up and no one knows which one they’re gonna get? Most people don’t even know there are two so any theories on his identity is widely off? Neither one needs much of a cover since they’re both seen when the Batman is active plenty of times. Thomas continues on a surgeon. Bruce gets a business degree and works at Wayne Enterprises. Alfred continues to be the world’s most badass valet. They build the Martha Wayne Foundation together and are all active within it. Instead of Bruce and Leslie starting the Thomas Wayne Memorial Clinic, Thomas and Leslie build and run the Martha Wayne Memorial Clinic.

Does Bruce end up being less of a control freak because he never had full control in a world where his father was still around? With Thomas there to take care of things after Martha died, does Bruce even feel the need to control everything around him? Does he end up with more emotional intelligence and better communication skills in a world where he’s raised by both Alfred and Thomas? Is he just little quicker to trust people? Is he less likely to date criminals and tell them his secret? Is he a little quicker to smile?

In the OG timeline, 18/19 year old Dick wanted to adopt newly orphaned Jason Todd and Bruce stopped him and stated that he would adopt the kid while Dick went to school and started his life. Would the same thing happen between 22/23 year old Bruce and Thomas with newly orphaned Dick in this universe? With a healthier father figure and Bruce as a brother rather than father, would Dick and Bruce ever have the falling out they eventually did in canon? If they still fought when Dick outgrew Robin, would Thomas be able to be a better mediator than Alfred, since he doesn’t have any constraints in his relationship with them? If Bruce had been Robin himself, and eventually became Batman after his father stepped away from the role, would Bruce even blink at Dick moving on?

Jason’s adoption would probably go much the same, but afterwards, things would probably change.

Because if Dick and Bruce aren’t butting heads, and they’re both always welcome in their dad’s Manor (possibly even both reside there), does Dick -now the cool, young uncle- end up spending more time with Jason? Bruce can’t teach a lot of what Dick can do (no one but Dick probably can) once he melds his circus training with his fight training, so Jason had to become a brawler/bruiser in order to do the same job in canon. This meant his violence looked like violence, whereas Dick’s violence looked like cute acrobatic tricks pulling the criminals’ attention away from Batman. If Jason gets the chance to learn more from Dick, or if Dick is able to go to bat for him without triggering any bigger fights with Bruce (plus Thomas there for Bruce to turn to with dad questions/rants), does Bruce ever think Jason is crossing a line?

Even if he does, Jason isn’t in quite the same place in this universe. Even if Dick is still incommunicado when he overhears Bruce talking to Alfred and misunderstands, he now has someone else he can turn to: Grandpa Tom. Does Thomas tell Bruce that he’s not too big for a scolding and he needs to go apologize to his son? Does Bruce take that advice and explain everything to his kid so Jason never returns to his old neighborhood to learn that his mom wasn’t his biological mother?

Batman doesn’t take off in the Bat-Jet every time a Gothamite gets into trouble somewhere. It’s reasonable to assume that if Tim isn’t his emotional support child -and therefore standing right next to him when they learn his parents have been taken captive- Bruce wouldn’t leave Gotham to go save the Drakes. Obeah Man always planned to kill Jack and Janet, so they’d both die in that incident.

Does Bruce step in to adopt Tim when he realizes the orphaned boy has no family left and is worth millions of dollars (which will lead to all kinds of trouble in Gotham)? Under what circumstances does the rest of the family learn that Tim knows their secret? Does he just take pity on them when they’re trying to explain away an absence or injury one day and gently tells them that he’s known who they were for years already? Does he step in to help when they’re in trouble at some point, and is like ‘by the way, I’ve known since I was nine but that’s not important right now’ similar to canon? Does he stop Jason from running into trouble without backup one day and in the middle of arguing that he has to go, Jason realizes that the little shit knows? Do they decide to tell him one day and he overdoes his ‘shocked’ reaction? Or does he sell it perfectly and it’s years before they learn he already knew?

How does Jason take to being a big brother? Does he jump into the role with enthusiasm? Is he unsure about it? Is he determined that his little brother will know no further heartache and ends up bullying their dad (Bruce) into better self care as a result? Does he just kind of ignore Tim while he tries to figure out how he feels about all the changes until he sees some kid bullying his little brother at school and hears Kill Bill sirens going off in his head? Do they become an unstoppable team both at home and in the field? Do they geek out about books together even though they have different tastes in them? Do Bruce and Thomas just check the library any time they can’t find the boys?

Or does Jason die anyway? And Tim still steps in to help, but with another person watching with a different perspective from the others?

Everyone else is focused on the fact that Tim is already a skilled detective who knows their secret, has been studying martial arts and acrobatics enough to have a solid foundation and some decent skill already, and can recognize that Bruce needs help and therefore, should totally be the new Robin. Thomas, however, stops to ponder why it is that Tim was able to recognize Bruce and Batman’s heavily hidden depression. Instead of questioning how Tim knew where Dick lived and worked and all that, he questions how the hell a kid that young just fucked off to another state without anyone noticing. Yeah, he’s worried about Bruce getting stabbed and just going back into a fight, but he’s already got Alfred and Dick on his ass about that, so he can take a moment to feel the horror at the fact that a child witnessed that and didn’t respond as though it were the worst thing they’d ever seen. While no one else questions that Tim just had his boarding school start forwarding his mail to Wayne Manor without issue, does Thomas stop to go ‘WTF? Why is no one questioning what the Drake boy is doing here?’

Does Thomas decide that while helping Bruce, they can also help this kid who is clearly in dire need of competent adult supervision?

Who, then, adopts Tim? Thomas or Bruce? Or does Alfred adopt him out from under them, so they each get a little boy wonder? Do most people who encounter the family have a period where they try to figure out which black-haired, blue-eyed kid is which black-haired, blue-eyed man’s child before giving up with a headache? Does Bruce sometimes refer to Alfred as his mom the way Dick has a few times in canon? Are outsiders utterly confused about the whole lot? Do they all just live in the Manor together as one happy and less-dysfunctional-then-they-could-have-been family?

When Cass enters the picture and Bruce is focused on the whole assassin-turned-vigilante bit, is Thomas in the background going ‘Yes, a granddaughter! Have you met your new little brothers, yet? Oh, you don’t know how to speak? You know they have teachers for that, right, Brucie? We can afford one that will keep their mouth shut if she lets anything slip during lessons. You go help Barbie research that while I introduce her to the alphabet. See? Wasn’t that easier than making the poor girl point at everything until we caught on to what she wanted?’

‘This is your Uncle Dick, he’s going to teach you how to use the trapeze! What’s that, you like ballet? I’ll build a studio in the Manor and get you private lessons! You like roses? Alfred, want to help us build Cassie a rose garden!? Of course she broke those men’s arms, Brucie, he was harming her little brothers! I seem to recall you breaking more than a few arms when someone hurt Dickie!’

Instead of coming to Gotham with his quiet, emotionally stunted father to meet an uncertain and grieving adopted brother and very professional Alfred, does Damian end up hearing all about his new family and asked after his interests by his more mature father? Does he exit the Batmobile to be gathered up in a big bear hug by the unit of a man that is Thomas Wayne? Is he then introduced to his uncle, sister, brother, and whatever Tim ended up being in this universe? Does that make the introduction go better? Either because there are just too many variables in play for his planned takeover or because he’s too stunned at everyone being genuinely happy to meet him that he forgets he could be cursing and trowing a tantrum when they talk about helping him unpack and get ready for bed after his long trip?

Does Damian still try to kill Tim (the current Robin) off? Does he try, but this much more cohesive and connected version of the family keeps stopping him? Do they talk him through his issues better? Does he learn what it means to be part of a family much sooner? Does he end up with an art studio and a pair of kittens by the end of the first week? Does Thomas call up Talia to arrange for Goliath to be sneaked into Gotham to live in the Bat Cave once he learns that his grandson is missing his dragon bat over hot chocolate one night?

Or does Batman/Previous-Batman/Sometimes-Batman, Thomas Wayne, just raze the League the first time Ra’s messes with his son? Does Bruce get to stay with Talia to raise Damian from the beginning in his family’s ancestral home with his father, honorary second parent, little brother, daughter, son, and whatever Tim is to him in universe? Does Talia go off to become CEO or COO of another company on her own after her father’s demise? Does she work for Wayne Enterprises? Do she and Bruce get together under different circumstances? Do they not get together at all and Damian is never born? Or are things much the same between them, except she realizes that Bruce can give Damian a real family in this universe and hands him over sooner?

If Jason died and came back, how would Thomas’ presence alter his actions afterwards?

Would Thomas have killed the Joker once the threat of starting an international incident was taken off the table? Would any member of the family give a shit if Jason used guns or killed the occasional murderer/pedophile/human trafficker in this universe? Even when Jason saw there was a new Robin, he wouldn't be able to say who brought Tim into the fold, so that wouldn’t make him feel as replaced. He’d have a moment to step back and question it in a way he never did in canon. Even if he was still hurt and pissed at Bruce, would knowing Thomas, Alfred, and Dick were all there be enough to bring Jason home anyway? Would his grandpa and new little siblings ever let him leave again once he did?

Would Bruce have reacted better to Clark confessing to killing some of his rogues in a world where he was raised by Thomas? Would they never have their falling out and end up even better friends without that interruption in their relationship? Between that and having less overall issues, would Bruce be willing to call his friend sooner when he needs help? Would that extend to more members of the Justice League? Is he laid up with a broken leg and calls in Barry when Mr Freeze breaks out of Arkham because he has experience with ice-themed villains? Does Killer Croc get bitch-slapped back into Arkham by Wonder Woman one day because Bruce and his kids all had the flu and he asked for her help?

Does Jean Paul Valley ever become Batman? Or does Thomas just step into the suit while Bruce is recovering so Jean Paul gets more training time? With another adult around, does Tim still have to babysit Jean Paul all by himself? Are they able to catch the fact that Jean Paul is losing it sooner?

Does Bane have any idea what hit him when Thomas-Batman comes for him after he hurt his son?

/|^;-;^/| ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ /|^;-;^/| ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ /|^;-;^/|

Just some questions that came to me while I was feeding my goats this morning…

#dc #comics #fanfiction #fic ideas I haven't the time for #Bat Family #Thomas Wayne #Bruce Wayne #Alfred Pennyworth #Dick Grayson #Jason Todd #Tim Drake #Tim Wayne #Damian Wayne #Cassandra Cain #talia al ghul #thoughts #questions #just farm thoughts

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emptyjunior · 10 months

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If you have followed for a while you may know my "Martha Wayne becomes Batman instead of Bruce" au where like What If martha was the one who survived.

And she was like an actress who did her own stunts and a ballerina who travelled the world and maybe like an Olympic gymnast, and she gave it all up for Thomas and losing it makes her go Crazy.

But anyways, I was asked to draw a rogue in that au, and what I like about it is Martha is already an Adult so all the batman timeline happens much quicker, she'd be Batman in that era of Gotham that was all corruption and bribery and old money families running like 1930's gangs

(I've decided it's a 1930's vibe, can you imagine how funny it would be for the robins to say Hey Bruce what was the Great Depression like, he'd Perish)

But ANYWAYS here's my Two-face, Lucille Dent, the mother of Harvey. I decided to make her a Judge, who slaughters all the other judges who were paid off and took bribes, and is now coming for all the families like the Wayne's, and inflicting true Justice on them😌

#text post #art #fanart #batman #dc #Harvey dent #two-face #martha Wayne #commission #commission work

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dairy-farmer · 2 months

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https://www.tumblr.com/dairy-farmer/730277865124495360/an-au-in-which-thomas-and-martha-survive-and-raise?source=share

so the combo of me being a jaytim shipper and my desire for tim (and jason) to have nice things has inspired me

martha and thomas are obviously paying good money to keep dick and jason quiet

(they have enough money it wouldn't go to court but it would still be bad pr)

dick and jay both leave asap but jason keeps tabs and when he see that bruce picked up the tiny neighbor boy jason is furious

jason can't get bruce arrested but he can run interference

tim's so tiny it wouldn't matter if he fought back but jason's taller then bruce and a solid wall of muscle and an alley brat and he's is both ready and willing to fight bruce

so he becomes something of a safe space for tim

any time he's at the manor tim is with him more then willing to hide behind jason

and tim gets a crush, jason is safe, he protects tim and patches him up, he takes better care of him then his parents ever had, of course tim gets a crush

jason on the other hand doesn't feel much of anything but pity at first but running interference means spending time with tim and getting to know him

and tim is smart and caring and considerate and viscous when provoked

tim may not be able to beat bruce physically and the wanye family money means that he can't get the man arrested but tim has a whole plan to absolutely ruin bruce the moment he's 18

and jason can't help but be enamored by that

jason and tim both finding comfort, solace, and protection in one another from their shitty childhoods at the hands of bruce 🥺🥺🥺🥺. jason does his best to protect tim the way he wished dick would have for him even though jason doesn't blame dick since he was forced to be around bruce for longer than them. dick endured him the longest and still came out....somewhat okay. he's never had a girlfriend and he lives alone in some penthouse but he sometimes teaches at a gymnastics studio. he avoids the kid's class like the plague though and jason gets it. his insides get all...icky around kids too. some part of him is terrified and fearful that bruce infected him with whatever was wrong with him and that maybe he'd do to them what bruce did to him.

despite that. despite the icky feelings. despite the manor having no good memories for him. he returns. he comes back when he hears about bruce gaining guardianship of the neighbor boy. a small little runt of a thing that jason had once seen from his bedroom window running around in baby cargo pants and carrying a butterfly net to catch bugs.

jason returns and does his best. tries to protect little timmy from the worst of having bruce wayne as a parent.

try as he might part of jason is still terrified of him. he can hardly breathe in that manor so he makes up a bunch of excuses to take tim places. the museum, aquarium, zoo, botanical gardens, amusement parks. bruce wises onto them and begins accompanying them. jason thinks he isn't bold enough to try anything but then tim says he has to go to the bathroom while jason is in line for lemonade. he doesn't come back and jason finds tim crying while bruce has him bent over in a stall.

it's not easy.

trying to protect tim requires constant vigilance. and bruce is a particularly persistent wolf constantly stalking the edge of their territory. at any opportunity he'll snatch tim away to have his way with him.

jason didn't remember bruce being this persistent with him. but then again. at a recent gala bruce had drunkenly confessed to people that tim was his "favorite".

it made jason sick to his stomach when he heard that. dick never attended galas anymore. there was too much alcohol and the risk of him relapsing into addiction at being in a room with bruce and flowing drinks was too high.

so jason tries. he comforts tim as best he can. rubs numbing lotion on his carpet burned knees and does his best.

to his surprise tim is hoarding quite a bit of rage at the waynes. maybe jason had seen the kid as purely a victim but that changes when he hears what the kid has planned for them the moment he turns 18.

he's a smart kid and slowly, bit by bit, jason feels himself letting go of the instinctive discomfort he has around kids. tim is the only exception.

jason would like to believe that, in a better world, he and tim still would have met.

in this one, the two of them might be too...broken by bruce to ever try to make something of the thing they feel between them.

but...maybe one day.

for now jason is content just being by his side and hoping he'll be around for when tim gets justice for what was done to them.

#answered asks #asks #anonymous #jaytim #⚠️underage

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targaryenismuses · 1 month

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Martha Wayne

DCEU, DC AU, DC Comics

CHARACTER INTRODUCTION

We all know the tragic story of the Wayne's. A gun, leaving a little boy named Bruce an orphan

. Well what if instead of his parents being shot that night it was just Martha that survived?

That night in the alley changed her life forever.

The gunman shot down her husband first then ask he aimed for Martha. She jumped forward grabbing the man's hand trying to push it down. But 'BAM' the gun fired off, she heard a cry. Both their eyes widen. The robber ran off with fear in his eyes.

Leaving Martha holding her son on his last breath next to her dead husband. She begged Bruce to stay with her then Thomas. But there was so much blood. All she remembers is tears and blood from that night. Fear living her in guts keeping her still as she sobbed. The next thing she heard were police cars showing up to the scene...

Martha Kane - Wayne grew up as the princess of the city due to her family having money. Her family name help build this city, she was treated like a princess by everyone else but her own family.

There was bad things that happened in her house. All of it was a nightmare for her. The nightmare became worse the night her mother killed her father. then herself. She was eight years old. Just a girl who watched both her parents die. That soon led her to being an orphan, along with her brother.

The two children were sent to live with her mothers sister. Since then she wanted to be the prefect child. Straight As, class president, and a prefect dancer. It seemed she did it all.

Until over the summers when she was on 'vacation', she really was sent to therapy because her brain would be cracked like sheared glass. This was kept hidden due to mental illness not being spoken about at the time.

Martha found a love for dance and writing. She was an excellent ballerina.

Preforming in local shows in Gotham. She lost her self in dance. It almost seemed to heal her. She found herself wanting to be a a journalist more, wanting to share peoples stories.

Bringing attention to things no else did. Give helpless people a voice. So that's what she did but danced in her free time.

Due to choosing that path she met a man named Thomas Wayne. The two worked together a few times and fell for each other fast.

That night in the alley was the night she lost her soulmate and son.

Martha never ever understood why it happened. Thomas had been involved with some organised crime. One night while looking for more wine to drink her pain away, she discovered a wing of the house she had never seen before. Her husband who never told her a thing of what really happened. She found their murders. This whole time Alfred knew. That's why he was looking around after her.

She made him take her how to fight. She was already strong since she danced in her free time.

Martha became a justice.

The city gave her the name

'The bat'!

By day the widow by night the Bat.

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morgansunflower · 3 months

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I Keep My Promises

Batman! Damian Wayne X Wife! Reader

Warnings:suggestive content, explicit language, angst, and grief

Words:1354

Arthur's notes! Age reverse au. Damian(24), Stephanie(17), Duke(16), Tim(15), Jason(12), Cassandra(11) Grayson(10)...

Similar to dark knights of steel but not in medieval times. The El's all survived the end of their planet. Bruce Wayne's biological father is Jor-El.. Major angst as Talia, Bruce, Jor-El, Lara, Thomas and Martha are all deceased.

Damian asks his uncle to help him protect Gotham and his children. So he, can help Y/N recover from the worsening fear toxin that had inflicted her.

Even though her ill state made her feel weak. Y/N continues onto her nightly routine of checking on the family to ensure their safety and because she truly missed them.

She began doing this. After that terrible night Jason returned in a near deathly state. Though also she had been in a very distraught place after Scare-Crows fear toxin.. She was to put it simply still recovering.

Like a silent cat she checked on Grayson. The little boy was snoring clinging to his little stuffed elephant. They had gotten it for him for Christmas. She softly smiled at how cute he looked.

She continued on, she saw Alfred laying sound asleep on his bed.. Good. The kind old man needs his rest..

She departs for Jason's room finding her son on his bed asleep with his finger in between the pages of his favorite book. She takes the book putting in the bookmark and places it on his nightstand.

She went to Tim's room his laptop on as he laid in bed asleep. She rolled her eyes. She steps to turn off the laptop and places it on his desk..

She then checked on Stephanie as she was clinging to her purple blanket sleeping heavily. She moved the covers to cover her little feet.

She steps as quietly as she can stepping to Cassandra's room. She sees her daughter laying completely still as she was asleep.

She departs to Duke's room. He was sound asleep. She knew he would be up soon and off to patrol.

Just then her headache appears again. So she, left him so he could sleep for the remainder of the time he desires. Hoping he didn't hear her.

Duke wakes hearing a soft shivering. He opens his bedroom door not seeing anyone in his presence. He uses his powers to look in the past few moments. Duke sighed heartbroken for his, adopted mother. He reaches for his phone calling his adopted dad. Damian answered the phone while in the Bat-cave.

"Y/N needs you"

Y/N sits on the seat of the toilet with a cold dampen cloth to wash away her feverish sweat. In hopes it would also cool down her body's rising temperature as well. She, wanted to takes a shower but was afraid she might trip and fall.

As much as she fights it, she can't.. Her mind keeps going to Slade's sword impaling through her husband's chest. Though it wasn't real. It wasn't real. It was not REAL. Her husband is OK, her babies are OK and Alfred's OK. She began to shake in her throat unable to convince herself with her own thoughts.

She yelps loudly seeing a figure touch her hands. She takes a deep breath in and out forcing herself to calm down.

"I did not mean to startle you my love" he placed his knuckles on her face that felt a concerning amount of warmth against his skin "your sickness is worsening" he sympathized

He reaches to her letting her body rest against his own. While supporting her. Damian carefully takes the cloth and cleans the remaining sweat. She instinctively leans into him feeling vulnerable knowing she is truly safe.

He kisses her head as she leans even more into him "I'm here.. I'm right here"

He leans, slightly away. She gripped his arms. She couldn't be away from him. She was scared. Her pleading eyes touch his heart breaking it for he was truly worried for her.

"don't be afraid Beloved. I'm not leaving. I'm only starting a, shower for us" he promised her

She let's go nodding as she trust him to take care of her. After their shower Damian carried her into their bedroom.

Damian dresses her in her most comfortable clothes and then dresses himself. She laid in the bed as her husband placed a cold dampen cloth on her forehead. Her fever continues to calm down and raise throughout the night.

He had long ago given her medicine to help with her fever but to her his hands relieved more pain than anything else ever could.

"I.. Love.." she shivered as her voice shook

He kindly smiled and kisses her lips softly "I love you too"

As her eyes close and she began to fade into slumber.. He closed his eyes and rest his hand on his face. His guilt festered into anger and settled in like a infected wound on his heart. Damian felt it was his fault she was hurting and with that he neglected to realize how much pain she is in.

He can't leave her.....

Damian stepped out to the balcony reaching for his phone. Damian knew he could trust him. He calls him, while looking at his sleeping wife...

Damian listened to her heartbeat, a trait given by his Kryptonite biology from his father. Although he did not have all the abilities from his paternal grandfather. He could hear from great distances, run at great speeds and his strength was close to uncle's.

"Damian are you ok?" the man of steel asked slightly concerned in his tone

It was not common for Damian to call him. So naturally he was feeling genuinely worried for his deceased brother's son.. As he knew like his father Damian was not one to call out of blue.

"I'm fine Uncle.. It.. It is regarding Y/N"

"I heard she has been sick. Is she getting worse? Or did you catch it? I can be over to assist in anyway Dami" Clark offered

"it's not contagious. She breathed in Scarecrows fear toxin. She is not recovering as quickly with the antidote. Do to the toxins have been modified and for such reason it has prolonged her recovery... Gotham needs protection and I cannot lay the full burden of Gotham onto my children..."

"I understand. I'll be there to make sure Gotham and your family remain safe. Before I let you go.. I know you are your father's son.. Don't continue blaming yourself for her suffering. You are a good father and husband Damian"

"I.. " he wanted to say thank you but it felt too deep to speak further.

"I know kid. I know.." he repeated solemnly remembering his brother who was so much like his nephew.

He hoped he was saying all the right things to his nephew. He still remembered Bruce's last request that he look after his little boy. Clark promised his brother and tried to be there for Damian ever since.

The Dark Knight returned to his bed with his spouse. Damian closes his eyes trying to calm down his deepening worry as he focused on her heartbeat that was like a, soothing melody.

That following night did not bring comfort as unfortunately. Y/N's fever begins to fester yet again.

So again Damian stands beside the bed. His hands hold a dampen cloth soothing all across her body. Finally the her fever calmed down. As he finished soothing her, he tossed the cloth into the laundry hamper. He takes his hands and massages all her aches and pains from the toxins angering her nerves.

The door began knocking. Damian listened hearing all his children's heartbeats. His hands hold her face as he smiled softly and kisses her.

"your children miss you. If you need more rest before you see them, it's OK. I can tell them to give you--" she grips his arm

"nooo.." she takes a deep breath "I need to see them.. Please"

Damian lays the blanket back on her "come in" Damian announces to them

Stephanie slowly opened the door forcing a smile to hide her worry. Jason softly gasped at the state of his mother and tightly closed his eyes. Tim distracted his worries and comforted Dick who was nearly in tears. Steph begins rubbing Jason's back as the young boy's throat shakes. Cass hugged Duke's arm tightly to not only feel comfort as she was truly worried but to comfort her big brother.

"she'll be OK" Damian encouraged "come kiss your mother goodnight. So she's not worrying about you as she tries to sleep" Damian said.

#damian wayne is batman #batfamily #Batfam age reverse #Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne are brothers #Dead Bruce Wayne #Dead Talia al Ghul #Angst #fear toxin #damian wayne #protective batfamily #alfred pennyworth #batfam #Kryptonian Damian Wayne #Loosely based off of dark knights of steel #Nightmares #Jor-El is Bruce Wayne's biological father

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laiqualaurelote · 1 year

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Whipplocke AU where Cornelia goes after Thomas to America?

This one was very hard (frankly it's not likely Cornelia would survive America if she had come earlier) but here's what I have: Cornelia arrives in America after Thomas has reported Melmont & Co for the massacre, so she's aware from the start what kind of men they are; Melmont is thus never in a position to extort money from her, and so never goes on to invest in Alamosa and make his fortune. Cornelia and Thomas marry and he sets about building his cattle business. Just when it looks like it's taking off, Melmont and McClintock return and murder Thomas in revenge, then vanish on the run. Cornelia, newly widowed, discovers she is pregnant. She gives birth to a healthy baby boy, whom she names Thomas after his father, but calls Tommy. She could go back to England, weather her parents' disapproval, but something about this country compels her to stay. With Thin Kelly's help, she drags the cattle business back from the brink and sets about expanding it. She hires a young woman from Colorado called Martha who seems to have a knack for herd wrangling, and between the three of them, the business thrives. 1890 comes round. Cornelia is in Kansas on business - she has a trading relationship with Kills On Water - when Melmont strikes again: he and McClintock kidnap Tommy and leave a ransom note demanding essentially everything the business is worth. Cornelia knows the law will be of no help to her here. Kills On Water says he knows a man. Fresh out of the army, on his way to Nebraska on some fool's dream to find home. Perhaps Cornelia can divert him some. Eli isn't sold on this rescue mission at first. "Don't expect me to care for one boy," he says. But she notices this about him: he'll say one thing, then not take his own advice. And she knows he'll help her bring her son home.

Leave an AU and a pairing in my ask and I’ll give you the plot of the fic I won’t write for it.

#fic ask game #sorry thomas #canon divergent au #the english #the english 2022 #cornelia locke #eli whipp #eli x cornelia #whipplocke

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ciel-em · 3 months

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Reread the webtoon My In-laws Are Obsessed With Me and I only want to take the cursed blood and slam it on the batfamily. For all of it to make sense it would have to be a no capes au.

Thomas and Martha unknowingly unleash a curse upon Gotham that didn't begin until they died and paid with their blood. Their killer took a bit more time with Bruce and punched him across the jaw making blood spill from his lips. Bruce sees his hand reaching for him again and just lunges at it. Sinks his teeth thoroughly into his hand making the man scream and pulling him away to throw at the ground. The man pulls out his gun and aims only to drop it and Bruce watches as he claws at his chest and writhed while choking on his pain until he stills. And so Bruce is the first to gain the cursed blood.

Obviously they (Bruce and Alfred) don't know at first that Bruce's blood is toxic. They find out when Alfred forces Bruce to spend some time outside and a squirrel catches his attention. Against Alfred's wishes, and while he went inside for a moment, he holds out his hand with a nut that the squirrel quickly eats. It checks his hand for another and finding nothing it just bites him. He yelps as he pulls his hand away to look at, but movement catches his eye and he looks up to see the squirrel shaking on the ground and then stop. It reminds him of that night and he's crying when he turns around and there's Alfred who crouched down to hold him, but keeps a hand around his wrist to keep at a distance.

To make sure of what he saw Alfred catches various bugs and small animals to test with Bruce's blood. All died. He tells Bruce and from there they make sure to hide it from all. He teaches him how to defend himself, how to keep others at a distance, and dress in fully covering clothes and gloves. Years pass.

Alfred has gotten into the habit to keep an eye out for entertainment and such that can be partaken from afar to go with Bruce. The circus is in town and his boy has time for the last day of it.

After this my mind just bounces around with the fact that each of the batkids get cursed blood before they come to Bruce. Because after laying dormant for a while the curse comes out and affects one person in Gotham then the next. Just speeding up after Jason and then laying quiet for a long time until Terry and Matt.

I want them traumatized so maybe Dick, Jay, Tim, Steph and Duke are the cause of their parents death. Barbara being an outlier and getting cursed blood after getting paralyzed as an adult and kidnapped with a Wayne (Jay I'm looking at you). Cass being found after she's been using her blood as a tool to survive the streets and hates that she does. Damian joining the family and not having cursed blood at first. They find out when he had a small cut on the palm of his hand that Ace licked and he watches the dog die in front of him and his family.

For the sake of my heart this is an isolated batfam idea. Meaning the only ones not affected by cursed blood are others with it. They only have each other because they at least know they can't die because of them. And they don't suffer from their blood so no random seizures because their own blood hurts them too.

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landboundstar · 8 months

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Trade Secrets Part 5

Back to Giovanni Zatara as narrator. Still pre - Crime Alley in my AU made up of my mishmash Gotham City, assembled from all the stories I love.

Little bit more centered on Thomas, Martha, and Giovanni this chapter, but will build some more on my takes on Harvey, Selina, Bruce, and Zatanna as we go. Still a lot more building on these ships and headcanon backstories.

Trade Secrets

Part 5

I sat down on the foot of the bed, looking as she let the dress fall from her hands onto the bedspread.

"Thank you for indulging me, Gio." Martha smoothed the skirt of the dress I had bought for Zatanna out. "I always see the adorable clothes in the girl's section. Unfortunately, I don't have a reason to shop there. It's one of the few downsides of only having a boy. Seeing the clothes Alfred and you buy for Rachel and Zatanna lets me enjoy that vicariously."

Martha smiled, patting me on the arm. "I know you miss your Sindella, and I wish I could have met her. But, I've been seeing Zatanna grow up, and you are raising a wonderful daughter."

"Yes, well nothing has caught on fire or been turned into a bunny in the last three weeks." I told her, not even trying to hide the tears in my eyes.

She was right. I missed Sindella, and I did wonder what she would think of how I was raising our daughter. But, I loved our daughter and honestly enjoyed seeing her delight in the colorful dresses and tops as much as I enjoyed Martha's request to see the outfits as well.

I stood up, and walked over to the window. Zatanna was playing in the garden with Rachel and Selina and the three girls appeared to be drawing a complicated game of hopscotch on the path. Things seemed to have been normal between Zatanna with both Bruce and Harvey, which I had been worried about after the cat incident. But, I was also not surprised that Zatanna had chosen hopscotch over the movie that the boys had chosen to watch.

"I have to admit, this plaid dress is my favorite."

Martha unfolded the next dress that I had bought, admiring the blue and green tartan.

"Yes, it is quite fetching." Alfred mentioned from the doorway. "Although, I have to admit that I think that dress will look cuter on Zatanna than it did the last time I saw that particular pattern."

I coughed, not successfully smothering a laugh. Martha shook her head with her own chuckle, so I knew that Martha had heard the story about the Scot in Alfred's MI6 unit who had indeed worn a kilt in the same pattern as I had picked out. While the kilted soldier had been quite a striking figure, I had to find it equally unlikely that Zatanna would not be far cuter in her plaid dress than the grizzled veteran.

"Well, I am sure your colleague had other skills." Martha told Alfred.

"Oh, that he did. Since you are going out with Thomas later, would you like me to have the children come have supper before you get ready to leave?"

"That probably would be a good idea. Honestly, I think I want to have supper before I leave rather than survive on champagne and canapes for the evening."

"A family dinner sounds excellent then."

"Join us, Gio."

I smiled, "Of course."

Walking back over to the window, I looked out and saw Selina pick a flower and give it to Zatanna.

Zatanna tucked it behind her ear, and kissed Selina on the cheek.

I had not realized Martha had joined me at the window, until I heard her say, "Awww. The girls are being sweet."

"They are."

Heading downstairs with me, Martha turned. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. Harvey is definitely a fan. He still has that trick coin you pulled out from behind his dad's ear."

I laughed, a little startled. "The one Selina took from him?"

"That's the one. He treats it like a good luck charm."

I knew just how quickly luck could turn, but decided to keep that opinion to myself.

"Alfred just told me about an early dinner." Thomas kissed his wife on the cheek. "That sounds fantastic. The girls are getting cleaned up, and Alfred is getting both boys."

I looked towards the living room, where the boys sat as the screen went blank, making a Bela Lugosi Dracula parody disappear. As soon as the image was gone, Bruce's fingers uncurled from Harvey's grip.

I pulled Thomas aside.

"Is that going to be a problem?"

Thomas did not even pretend to misunderstand me. "Not for me. It was a surprise, but never a problem.I've seen weirder things than my son wanting to hold hands with both boys and girls. Funny how having a friend who can cast magic puts that into perspective. And whoever he likes, I like the boy my son is growing into."

"What about for Harvey?"

"Mr. Dent has very definite opinions about what type of a man he wants his son to grow into. And I am worried without a way out, it is going to break something in Harvey. He's a good kid, but he'll never be what his father wants."

I put my hand on Thomas' shoulder. "Isn't it good he has a good friend then? How did you raise such a good kid anyhow?"

Thomas smiled. "I'm going to borrow one of your lines, Gio. Trade secret."

#batman #au fic #zatanna #harvey dent #selina kyle #bruce wayne #Living wayne parents #Still building the ship.

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sticksbatnix · 2 years

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Batman Au where Thomas and Martha Wayne survive the shooting but Bruce still becomes Batman and his parents are so supportive of him.

#I just like thinking Thomas and Martha loving every batkid that comes their way #and still treat Bruce as their son despite how much he stays in the shadows #batman au #au #alternate universe #dc au #thomas wayne #martha wayne #bruce wayne #batman

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morbidology · 2 years

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On 29 July, 1849, Kate Webster was born in Killane, County Wexford, Ireland. As a child, she was often caught stealing and this kleptomania would follow her through to her teenage years and eventually onto adulthood. As a teenager, Webster managed to steal enough money so that she could sail from her home town in Ireland to Liverpool. For the next five years, she survived solely on stolen money and goods. That was until she was caught pickpocketing and sentenced to four years behind bars at the age of just eighteen.

Following her release, she travelled to London where she was able to land a job as a charwoman. On top of this, she slept with men for money, eventually becoming pregnant and giving birth to a son. After the birth, Webster was back to her old tricks, only this time she escalated to robbing boarding houses. Over the next few years, Webster was arrested numerous times and served a number of prison sentences.

After her release in 1877, Webster managed to get employed as a maid for Mrs Julia Martha Thomas, a wealthy widow from Richmond, Surrey, who appeared completely oblivious to her criminal history. Initially, the relationship between the two women was a pleasant one but soon enough Webster fell back into her old rebellious ways; she spent more time in the local pub causing havoc than performing her au pair duties. Thomas expressed to her friends that she had become fearful of Webster and her friends urged her to fire Webster.

On 2 May, 1879, Thomas explained that she wouldn’t be needing Webster’s help around the house any more and that she should pack her things and leave. Webster agreed that she would leave the house after she attending church. Enraged by what was taking place, Webster arrived back to the house from church and went up to the bedroom where Thomas was taking off her church hat. Webster burst through the door, armed with an axe, and struck the unsuspecting Thomas.

In an attempt to escape, Thomas managed to struggle her way to the landing where Webster pushed her down the stairs. Running down after her, Webster struck the final blow into Thomas’ head. She then dragged her lifeless body into the kitchen where she began to butcher the body. She then reached for a large pot and boiled the dismembered body: “I determined to do away with the body as best I could. I chopped the head from the body with the assistance of a razor which I used to cut through the flesh afterwards. I also used the meat saw and the carving knife to cut the body up with. I prepared the copper with water to boil the body to prevent identity; and as soon as I had succeeded in cutting it up I placed it in the copper and boiled it. I opened the stomach with the carving knife, and burned up as much of the parts as I could,” she would later disturbingly recall.

When the body was boiled, she drained off all of the liquid and put it into jars. She packed the dismembered remains into a Gladstone bag and then a wooden box. Unable to fit the severed head into the box, she buried it under a pub’s stables, where it was miraculously discovered 131 years later when Sir David Attenborough was having construction work done on his home which stood where the pub’s stables once stood.

Ever the entrepreneur, Webster even attempted to sell the jars of reduced body fat as “best dripping.” Webster then had an old friend, Robert Porter, help her carry the box to the Thames, where she threw it in. The box containing Thomas’ boiled remains was discovered the following day by horrified fishermen. As the police were closing in on Webster, she fled back to Ireland where she was arrested by the Royal Irish Constabulary; she was wearing Thomas’ clothing and jewelry.

She was charged with the brutal murder and denied any involvement. That was until the day of her execution when she freely confessed to the murder. She was hanged on 29 July, 1879.

#Kate Webster #true crime #female killer #women who kill #history #historic crime

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thomaslightwood · 2 years

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Tale of Knights and Secrets, part II

part i | part ii | part iii |

AO3 | masterlist

Thomastair Royal AU: Tale of the Prince and the Servant (can be skipped if you really want to)

•

~ Present ~

“Habeeb?” Alastair whispered with a hoarse voice. He didn’t dare to speak the language of this land, afraid the wrong person would hear him. This was intended only for one.

“Nafasam,” a raspy voice responded. Alastair made himself stand and went to him. He fell on his knees next to Thomas’ bed. His lover tried to smile but Alastair could see how weak he was.

“How are you?” Alastair gently brushed the hair from his face.

“I...”’ Thomas took a deep breath. “I feel feeble,” he whispered.

Alastair took his hand and kissed his knuckles.

“You will get better soon,” he whispered. “The night is almost at its end. The sunrise will warm us.”

Thomas smiled faintly. “You can be such a poet.”

“Only for you.”

•

~ Past ~

Cecily looked exactly how Thomas remembered her. Sharp blue eyes, young face and black, shining hair. The same proud General she had always been. She scanned them with a suspicious, sharp look Thomas had seen before but never pointed at him. He had to remind himself he looked like a completely different person to his aunt.

Uncle Gabriel, however, was different. When Thomas last saw him he had just woken up, half of his face was covered in bandage and gauze, his skin brushed and with two broken ribs. He definitely was better now. Healther at least. There was a vicious scar across the left side of his face that continued down the neck and the chest.

Scars never worried Thomas, growing up with a mother that had one. Still, Gabriel's made him shiver. Not because he thought it's ugly. But because it was a painful reminder how Thomas - how all of them - had been a thread away from losing another family member that day.

Then he saw his parents. It was like a punch in the gut, a twist in his stomach. There wasn't any significant change in their appearances. His mother still had the same haircut, his father was wearing his old medals on his shirt. But he could see the wrinkles between their eyes, around their months and new heaviness in their shoulders.

He was reminded that they didn't lose just Barbara back then. In a way, they had lost Thomas too.

Thomas had dealt with the guilt long ago. Or at least he thought he had. He was always telling himself it was his life and he could do whatever he wanted to be happy. To feel better, to feel something different from the pain and sorrow that followed in the long weeks after Barbara's death and the sleeping Gabriel who they weren't sure would survive.

But looking at Sophie and Gideon now, the old guilt grabbed him from the inside and started playing with his organs.

“Your Majesty,“ Sophie smiled at them. At Alastair more specifically. “It's an honour for us.”

Charlotte smiled at her guests. “I'll leave you in the hands of my most trusted advisers. Excuse me.”

The queen left the room, accompanied by the servant Martha and a few guards.

“Please, sit,” said Gabriel. “The preparation of your rooms will take a while.”

The four of them sat back on the couch. Cecily stood next to the door, the rest of the Lightwoods sat in front of them.

“Tell me,” Gideon smiled at them. “What are a young prince and his companions doing so far from home?”

“It's sort of a coming of age journey,” Alastair said. Thomas couldn't see his face. He wanted to hold his hand.

He had been perfect with his role so far. It remained Thomas of the person Alastair was at the palace.

Alastair told the Lightwoods the story they had come up with. Kamala, Grace and Thomas were Alastair's closest and most trusted friends. They had wanted to travel and experience the world and see different cultures.

They liked their story. Or at least believed it. After a while they were told their rooms were ready and the Lightwoods accompanied them.

Gabriel was walking in front of them, leading, while Gideon and Sophie chatted with them. Cecily was behind. Thomas felt a little uneasy. It couldn't be more obvious they didn't trust them.

The rooms they were shown to were two pairs, each one connected to the other. Alastair and Thomas took one pair, and Grace and Kamala - the other.

Thomas waited a few minutes, making sure his family had left them alone. Then he opened the door inside his room and went to Alastair.

He was walking around the room restlessly, anxiety written all over his face.

He looked up at Thomas, relaxing a bit.

“Did we do well?” he asked.

“I think so,” Thomas said. “We can ask the girls in the morning but I would say it's all good.”

“Okay,” Alastair said, unbuttoning his shirt. “This is nice.”

“Hey,” Thomas said gently and took his hands, kissing his knuckles. “Are you okay?”

Alastair sighed and looked away. “I just… Never thought I would have to be a prince again.”

Thomas finished unbuttoning his shirt for him and took it off his shoulders. He made Alastair sit on the bed and opened the closet.

“I’m sorry you have to do it again,” Thomas said and he was sinerce. He knew how hard it was on Alastair to pretend, back then in the palace and here. He was never comfortable as a prince.

“It’s alright,” he said, his back hitting the bed, staring at the ceiling. “It’s just for a few weeks. I hope.”

Thomas turned to him. “Here,” he said. “Wear this.”

Alastair lazily got up, letting Thomas dress him up. He followed his movement, his eyes suddenly serios.

“What about you?” he asked quietly.

“What about me?” Thomas shot him a smile.

But Alastair was silent. He was watching Thomas’ face, his gaze so intense Thomas couldn’t return it.

He sighed. Stopped butting up Alastair's shirt and ran a hand through his own hair. “I… don’t want to talk about it. It’s too much.”

“Okay,” Alastair said softly.

Horrible feeling bloomed in his chest.

“I’m sorry I-”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Alastair took his face in his hands, his thumb gently brushing his cheek. “Don’t apologize. Never apologize to me.”

Thomas smiled faintly. “Sorry for-”

Alastair shut him up with a kiss.

Thomas let himself be dragged into the bed next to him. He buried his fingers into Alastair’s hair and wrapped an arm around him.

“Stay with me tonight,” Alastair murmured against his lips.

“Okay,” Thomas said with a smile on his own. “But I need to get some clothes from my closet first-”

Mischievous smile appeared on Alastair’s face. He started unbuttoning Thomas’ shirt. “You won’t need them.”

•

The next morning Alastair woke up because of someone knocking on the door. Very insistently.

Thomas was sleeping next to him. He was lying on his belly, his back an endless field of smooth skin with a few scars. He had his face turned to Alastair. Alastair was warm and comfortable. He didn’t want to get up.

“Janan,” Thomas murmured. “Who is it?”

Alastair immediately softened, hearing Thomas saying it. Especially like this. Almost asleep, unthinking - just an instinct. It was good to hear his language again.

With a murmur he got up, searching his surroundings for clothes. As he pulled on pants, he realized something. He turned. Thomas’ face. It was his own.

“Thomas,” Alastair hissed, shaking him. “Your face.”

“What…?” he muttered, still half asleep and confused.

“The damn potion,” Alastair said desperately. The fucking knocking wouldn’t stop. “Thomas, someone is knocking, they will see you!”

Thomas’ immediately opened his eyes. He was wide awake now. He jumped off the bed.

“Damn it,” he whispered fiercely as he picked his clothes from the floor. “Damn it, damn it, damn it.”

Alastair was looking at the door every two seconds. It was locked but this couldn’t stop his anxiety.

Thomas quickly left, through the door that connected their rooms. Alastair couldn’t even appreciate his naked lover properly.

Alastair opened the door, more aggressively than he intended.

“What?” he said, sounding peevish and annoyed even to himself.

In front of him was standing tall, ginger guy whose eyes curiously looked over Alastair’s shoulder. To see if there was someone in his bed, no doubt.

He smiled at Alastair and he wasn’t even faking it.

“Good morning, your highness,” he said cheerfully. “I’m sir Benji and I’ll be a guide for you and your companions while you’re here. I thought we may go for a quick walk before breakfast.”

Alastair didn’t miss the sword he was carrying on his cross. Or the badge on his sacristy that shows his status as a knight. He wasn’t just here to show them around. He was here to keep an eye on them.

“The sun has barely risen,” Alastair through gritted teeth.

“It’s already high in the sky,” he replied with the same annoying, sunny smile. “It’s up to us to follow it.”

What does this even mean?, Alastair thought.

“We need some time beforehand,” he said out aloud. “My friends may not be up.”

“Oh, I’m sure at least one of them is awake,” he grinned.

Alastair shut the door in his face.

Fifteen minutes later the four of them were in the royal gardens. Benji didn’t seem to mind the waiting or the delay. He was a never ending ball of sunshine and smiles. Alastair despised it.

At least he didn’t have to pretend he was seeing the place for the first time, unlike his friends who were raised here. Benji was talking about rare flowers and which days the book club’s meetings were. There was a fountain in the middle of it, at which they stopped. Alastair was smelling some flowers nerby Thomas. He wanted to sit next to him, to hold his hands but didn’t dare.

Kamala took some bread to feed the ducks and Grace sat on the edge of the fountain, enjoying the sun. Her eyes never stopped moving around, careful who was watching them.

“So,” Benji said. “Are you any good with the sword?”

Alastair frowned and looked at him. He had been quiet so far. But his words weren't directed at Alastair.

He was talking to Thomas.

•

“Um,” Thomas said. “Kind of. I'm decent enough, I think.”

Benji smiled at him. Thomas knew this smile very well. The sole purpose of it was to charm.

“Oh, really?” Benii said. He was sitting next to Thomas. They weren’t touching but Benji was sitting close enough. “I would love to have a sparring with you some time,” he put a hand on the bench behind Thomas and said, with a lowered voice and a raised eyebrow. “I can teach you some things. One or two that only a knight would know.”

With the corner of his eye he saw how Alastair's hands clenched into fists.

“This is really kind of you,” Thomas smiled nervously, clearing his throat. He was starting to sweat. “But… um…”

He was trying to come up with an excuse but his mind was empty. They were stuck here for weeks, with nothing to do but look around and read books. He didn’t have anything better to do.

“If you don't like this idea,” Benji said. “We can go on a picnic. There's an amazing place, just at the garden's corner. A gazebo that is quite cozy and-”

“Shouldn't we go already?”

Alastair was standing in front of them, his expression hard as a stone, with crossed arms in front of his chest.

Benji blinked at him and stood up, his usual smile back. “If you want, your highness.”

Kamala eyed them, raising an eyebrow at Thomas. He shrugged helplessly.

“We already went around half of the garden,” Benji said. “The rest isn’t that interesting and part of it is reserved for the royal family.”

“I see,” Alastair said. “Let’s walk then.”

“As you wish,” Benji smiled brightly.

•

Alastair wanted to knock the teeth out of his mouth.

Benji wouldn’t shut up about flowers and the history of every object they passed. He seemed immune to heat and tiresome.

“Oh, right there,” he said. “My favourite spot. The playground.”

A few kids were there, playing in the sand, laughing. Benji looked at them with a soft smile.

“Why is it your favourite?” Kamala asked. She sounded genuinely curious.

“I have good memories here,” Benji shot her a smile. “I played with the Lightwoods kids in this very place. I’m still good friends with some of them.”

“Really?” Alastair said. This was the first thing that caught his attention since the beginning of the walk. “Can we meet them?”

Benji was silent a second too long. “Maybe some of them, yes,” he said. For the first time his smile faded a little.

Alastair couldn’t stop himself. He knew he was being an asshole. Thomas would be so mad at him.

“I heard General Gideon has a son,” he said. “That is an excellent swordfighter. Can we meet him?”

Benji stopped abdurbly and looked at him, startled. He gazed at Alastair’s eyes, for the first time really looking at him.

Then he laughed. “Someone did their homework, didn’t they?”

They started walking again. Alastair caught Thomas’ glare behind Benji’s shoulder. He looked away. Oh, he would be in trouble later.

“If you’re curious,” Benji said. “His name is Thomas,” he smiled. A smile reserved only for people dear to you. “He is indeed good with the sword. But I didn’t think he’s that famous. Or at least not more famous than me,” he winked at Thomas saying this.

He. Winked. At. Him.

Alastair filled with an ugly feeling, burning sensation in the chest or stomach. His jaw hurted by clenching his teeth so hard.

“You didn’t answer my question,” he said sharply. He had to remind himself Benji had no idea that was the same Thomas he was talking about. “Will we meet them?”

Benji shot him a quick look. “Unfortunately, no. Not all of them. Some of them… are not here. Thomas, for example, is… well, he is not in the palace,” sadness creeped into his voice.

“I see,” Alastair said, looking straight ahead of him.

He dared to glance at Thomas for a second. He was looking at the ground, his hands behind his back.

“How about we go back for breakfast?” Benji suggested. His usual sunny attitude was back.

“Sounds good,” Alastair said neutrally.

•

Thomas closed the door to his room and locked it.

He started to undress, not bothering to fold the clothes. He grabbed the shirt he was sleeping with and he pulled it over his shoulders.

All day Benji was with them. They didn’t have a second to breathe, couldn’t even go to the damn toilet without him checking you in thirty seconds. He couldn’t talk with Alastair.

A soft knock came from the door that his and Alastair’s rooms shared.

“Come in,” Thomas said without hiding the emotion from his voice. It was mostly anger. And a little hurt.

Alastair came in, quietly closing the door after himself.

“I’m sorry,” he said straight ahead.

Thomas lowered his head. His back was still to Alastair.

“This was shitty, Alas.”

“I know,” he said and Thomas heard how he made a step closer.

“You could have asked me,” Thomas said, rubbing a hand through his hair. “I would have told you everything. About Benji, the palace. What was that about?”

Alastair took a deep breath and held it in. “I just don’t like him, okay? He is annoying.”

“Bullshit,” Thomas snapped. “I know you. This isn’t a good enough reason for you.”

Alastair’s lips pressed together in a slight grimace.

“It wasn’t right to ask like that,” he said. “I’m sorry. I guess part of me wanted to see how other people view you.”

Thomas didn’t say anything. He looked away. “I should go to bed.”

“No, wait-” Alastair shortened the distance between them and grabbed his arm.

“If you won’t tell me the truth, there is no point-”

“I was jealous, okay?” Alastair yelled. “He is this childhood friend with whom you played and trained, knowing for years, and are apparently close with even as a grown ups, and who flirts with you shamelessly even when he has no idea it’s actually you-” he stopped absurdly. He turned away, letting go of Thomas. “Part of me felt insecure and he is so obviously into you that…” he took a deep breath and said, quieter. “I got scared that now, as you are back home and meet all your family and friends you will… you will… nevermind.”

“Wait,” Thomas took his arm. He gently turned him so he could look at his face. “I assure you, you have nothing, nothing, to be jealous of.”

Alastair looked at him. His dark eyes were a sky Thomas could lose himself into.

“I love you,” he whispered. “You are the air I breathe. To be apart from you would be as painful as cutting off my very flesh,” he took Alastair’s hand and kissed it lightly, tenderly. “You are my heart, Alastair. I could never look at someone else when you’re here. It’s just impossible.”

He added, after a second of hesitation. “Benji’s flirting… It doesn’t mean anything. Not really. I have seen it countless times. He charms his lovers this way but it’s rarely something more for him. Believe me, I’m not special.”

Alastair exhaled.

“Okay,” he said. He squeezed Thomas’ hand. He looked up at him. “Can I spend the night with you?”

Thomas smiled. “Please.”

Alastair kissed him quickly, and against his lips whispered, “I love you too.”

Thomas’ heart melted in his chest.

Alastair turned away, and walked to the door to get some clothes for sleeping. When he opened it, he turned and said, “I still hate the ginger though.”

Thomas couldn’t help his laugh, even when Alastair went to the other room.

•

Almost two weeks have passed since they were in the palace. They didn’t meet almost anyone else besides Benji and sometimes Gabriel or Sophie. They get to know a gardener that they passed every morning on their way to the garden. An older woman that served them their meals that every time looked like she wanted to poison them. A messenger boy and a few knights who were friends with Benji also stopped by.

Their interactions with people were pretty limited. Grace seemed stressed and sleep-dehydrated. Thomas suspected she was going out during the night to do her own investigation. They tried to ask her a few times but she wouldn’t say anything. Kamala seemed wary.

“I have a bad feeling,” she said. “Grace shouldn’t do this.”

Thomas couldn’t agree more. He had plans to talk her out of it. Or at least to talk with them about what she was doing.

The morning though Thomas felt unusually tired. The heat wasn’t that bad and they even skipped the walk before breakfast. Why was he so worn out? He felt like sleeping had drowned the energy out of his body instead of giving it.

Even when they sat to eat this feeling didn’t pass. He could barely make it past the main dish. In fact, he didn’t. A little before the dessert was served, he stood up.

“Excuse me,” he said breathily. “I’m not feeling well.”

Alastair looked at him immediately, not even trying to hide the worry on his face.

Before Thomas left the room, he saw how he whispered something to Grace, both looking after him.

He opened the door to his room, not bothering to close it after himself. He knew Grace would come soon.

He took off his shoes, unbuttoned his shirt and practically collapsed into the bed. He felt feverish and cold, his head heavy.

“Tom?” Grace’s voice reached his ears.

“I’m fine,” he croaked with closet eyes. “Just... just need some sleep.”

He heard how she moved around his room.

“Thomas?” She was next to him now. He felt her cold hand on his forehead. “Oh gods, you have a fever.”

More movement, some worried murmur and he felt cold hands against his face again.

“Thomas,” she said, her voice rough. He opened his eyes. She was looking down at him, worried. “It’s the stupid potion.”

“What?” he blinked.

“The potion,” she sounded on the edge of tears. “Fuck, Tom. The side effects was-”

“I…”

“Where is your bottle?”

“The nightstand,” he said. He could barely keep his eyes open. “The drawer.”

Grace opened it and grabbed it, turning it around her hands, looking for the label.

“Listen and tell me if something of this sounds familiar,” she said. And started to read.

Thomas was listening through a fog in his mind.

“Wait,” his eyes snapped open. “The previous one.”

Grace’s eyes moved above. “Can bring back past illness while the potion is consumed.”

“That’s it,” Thomas exhaled. “When I was a child I was sick. In puberty I got through it. That must be it.”

Grace squeezed her eyes. “That’s my fault,” she said with a raw voice. “I brought it. I suggested it. We should have read the damn side effects-”

“Hey, hey,” Thomas took her hand in his. “Even if we did, we still would have drank it. It’s the best we had.”

Grace took a shaky breath and blinked furiously. Her eyes were dry now and her hands were steady as she squeezed his. “We should tell Kamala and Alastair.”

“Yeah,” Thomas said, barely hearing his own voice. “We should…”

•

When he opened his eyes again he saw Alastair staring into him intensely.

He tried to smile. “Hey.”

Alastair closed his eyes. His knuckles whitened as he grabbed the handles of the chair he was sitting on. “Jigaram,” Alastair’s voice broke.

“It will be okay,” Thomas whispered. “I’ll get better when I stop drinking it. It’s not fatal. I’ll be fine.”

Alastair took a shaky breath and nodded. He gently took Thomas’ hand and kissed his fingers and knuckles, his palm and the point of the pulse of the wrist. He held on his hand a few seconds more and cautiously put it down on the bed.

“Kamala brought you some food,” he said. “The lunch finished a while ago.”

“Really?” Thomas blinked. “I… I must have slept for a few hours then.”

“Yes,” Alastair said. “Three hours and a half to be exact.”

“Oh,” he just said. He hadn’t slept that much during the day since he was a kid.

“Here,” Alastair pointed at the nightstand that was laden with food.

Thomas smiled and shook his head. “Remind me to thank Kamala later.”

•

Kamala and Grace visited them later that day.

Thomas hugged Kamala for the food. Checked if Grace was alright.

Alastair was seeing it all through a fog. The beating of his heart was loud in his ears.

“What are we going to do now?” The three of them looked at him. “About-” his voice croaked. “About the potion.”

There was a short silence.

“I can keep drinking it-”

“No,” Kamala snapped. Alastair opened his month to do the same but she was faster. “Your health isn’t a game. What if you drink it for long it becomes permanent? What if someone recognizes the sickness and finds out who you really are?”

“What other choices do we have?” Thomas said with a grimace. “If I stop, everyone will know. I can’t hide in this room forever. If they find out I’m unwell, they’d send a doctor,” he shook his head.

Grace stood up from her seat. “The potion effect will last for the whole day and night,” she said, tightening fists. “We have some time to decide. We should let Tom rest now.”

Kamala nodded, biting her lower lip. “You’re right,” she stood up as well. She smiled at Thomas. “Try to get some sleep, okay?”

He nodded with a tired smile.

She looked at Alastair and said quietly, only for him to hear. “Don’t stay up late to look after him,” she squeezed his shoulder. “You don’t want to get yourself sick and worry him, do you?”

“Don’t gaslight me,” he murmured.

“This is not what gaslighting means,” Kamala smiled and let go of him. She and Grace left the room, leaving them alone.

Alastair looked at his lover. Thomas looked pale but his cheeks were flushed. His movements implied tiredness he had never seen in Thomas before.

“Will you stay with me?”

Alastair kissed his forehead and whispered. “What a stupid question.”

He gently lifted the blanket. Thomas moved aside to make room for him. Alastair could see what physical effort it cost him.

“No need to move,” Alastair whispered. “Lean on me.”

“Are you sure?” Thomas hesitated. “I may be too heavy-”

“I’m sure,” Alastair interrupted him.

Thomas was too tired to argue. He laid his head on Alastair’s shoulder, his arm on his chest. His whole body relaxed against Alastair.

“I love you,” he whispered in his shoulder.

Alastair’s heart skipped a beat.

Instead of answering he kissed the top of his head. He gently started to stroke his back, whispering words of comfort. Soft tales, told in the language of his own land that only Thomas could understand here. When he felt Thomas falling asleep Alastair buried his fingers in his lover’s hair and closed his eyes too.

It took him a long time to fall asleep.

•

Alastair woke up from a loud noise outside the room. It sounded like screams.

It was night, he noticed. The moon that could clearly be seen through the windows was shining softly. Thomas was still sleeping next to him, a little frown was forming between his eyes.

Alastair carefully moved Thomas away from himself and stood up. Barefoot, he crossed the room and opened the door. On his left, where Kamala and Grace’s rooms were, three knights were standing, two women and a man. One of the women was holding Grace on the floor.

“Hey!” Alastair yelled before he could think about it and ran towards them. “Let her go!”

They turned to him. The woman that didn’t hold his friend shooted, “Hold him!”

The other knight headed towards Alastair. He took a step back. The other man grabbed his arm, twisted it behind his back and pushed him against the wall. His grib wasn’t rough but it was strong. He tried to fight but it was useless. He was almost as tall as Thomas, a trained knight. Alastair felt like he was fighting against a stone.

Another female knight came out of Alastair’s own room. He blinked. “Nothing,” she said.

“Search his companions’ room,” said the woman who was apparently in charge. “And arrest them if somebody is inside.”

“What are you doing?” Alastair yelled. “We have done nothing wrong!”

The woman looked at him, her eyes hard. “You are under arrest for the possession of the potion "new life, new home".”

He saw how Grace’s eyes widened, mirroring his own surprise. He remembered how Grace talked about someone who sells something that “gives you new life” and can “give you a new home”. They thought the city was a dead end. The same one where they met Thomas and Alastair and from which they have brought the potion they were getting arrested for right now. Grace and Kamala had been on the right track after all.

“Here,” the knight came out of his room, holding Thomas’ bottle.

“Wasn’t anyone inside?”

“No,” she shook her head.

The woman turned back to Alastair, his eyes narrowed. “Where is he?”

“I…” Alastair’s mouth was dry. The wall was cold against his chest. He shivered.

A move behind the knight holding Grace caught his eye. Kamala. She was holding a knife. Faster than he imagined she could move, she hit the knight holding Grace with the handle of the knife. She collapsed on the floor. Grace stood up, breathing hard.

The woman took out her sword, long and shining in the dark, her lips pressed together. Kamala and Grace took a step back. A girl with a knife and one with no weapon at all couldn’t match a trained knight.

“Let them go,” came a quiet voice from behind them. Thomas.

He was holding a sword himself. The woman that searched his room was on the floor, her body leaned against the wall. This was probably her sword.

The woman looked between Thomas and the girls, her whole body tensed.

“They have done nothing wrong to this queendom,” he said, and repeated, “Let them go.”

The knight holding Alastair said, his voice unsure, “Amice…”

“Do not let him go, Reginald” the woman named Amice said through gritted teeth.

Before someone could say anything more they heard loud steps, dozens, getting closer. Benji appeared behind the corner, at least a dozen of knights following him. For a second Alastair had hope everything was going to be alright, that it was a misunderstanding… This hope vanished when he saw his hard expression. It was the first time he had ever seen Benji that serious.

Thomas had frozen. His pose was uncertain. He slowly turned to them.

The knights stopped in front of them. Benji stared at Thomas’ face. There was no trace of flirtation or playfulness. Just a bit of sadness.

Thomas lifted his sword but hesitated mid-action. He pulled back slightly, taking a shaky breath. His hand slowly opened, letting go of the weapon. The sword made a loud noise as it hit the ground.

Benji glanced quickly around, taking in the whole scene.

Finally, he straightened his back, looking straight ahead of him.

“Alastair Carstairs,” he announced. “You and your companions are under arrest for possession of a forbidden potion, lying about one’s identity, spying, resisting arrest, attacking and injuring knights and suspicion of participation in a conspiracy against Her Majesty, Queen Charlotte.”

Thomas looked terrified. Kamala and Grace too. Everything was a fog in front of Alastair’s eyes.

“Mabel,” Benji nodded at the girl next to him. Alastair recognized her as one of Benji’s knight-friends that had stopped by.

She, along with other knights, stepped forward, surrounding them. She grabbed Thomas and did similar thing to what had been done to Alastair. But this time Thomas didn’t resist and she didn’t slam him against the wall or the floor.

“Someone, send a note to General Cecily immediately,” Benji shouted. He turned and started to walk away. “Put the prisoners in the dungeon until further notice.”

•

To be continued...

Words: 5 860

Dictionary

habeeb - a beloved, a lover nafasam - my breath jigaram - my liver

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