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#chapter 10
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manga-meow · 11 months
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derikisu · 1 year
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moonandmecomic · 4 months
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S1: Episode 10 - It Begins
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azertyrobaz · 2 years
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I said, hey!
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a-forbidden-detective · 4 months
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Curious add-ons, Episode 10 (Part 6), The Blush and other things
Like what I’ve mentioned before, Wataru Watari and co. edited out Akira’s dialogue and panels in the manga and added a few things that ante up RonToto’s relationship.
(If you listen to the RKDD voice actors, Youhei Azakami especially, they say RonToto when referring to their—his and EnokiJun’s— characters often during their radio show out of laziness, heh, and habit maybe.)
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The blush after Ron notices that Toto is looking at him. Probably caught by his bashfulness, in the end, he smiles at Toto, but realises that there’s something off after Toto sighs loudly.
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Honestly, this is so sweet. The anime writers are invested making use of Akira’s panels where Ron loves to smirk so we can hear him say “heh” with the movement of his lips and giving emphasis on the quiet moments where the characters can interact without words but still heavily imply that emotions are surging. I particularly like the scenes between Toto and John Grizzly where the BLUE instructor was interrogating Toto’s relationship with Ron. That was a minute of no dialogue only the reaction of their faces shown.
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“So, that’s how much… she likes you” is replaced with this nicer statement from Ron. Anyone who treats his friend Toto nicely gets a star from him.
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With the following scenes Toto has come out more dominant than in the manga.
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And yesterday new merchandise had been unveiled just in time for the upcoming Jump Festa. Two of them are these images of the two. Ron is wearing a trendy attire with harnesses on his chest area and a dog tag. Whereas Toto is wearing a sort of street-smart urban outfit. The joke on X Twitter is who’s the “dog” and who is the owner.
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Yes. It is all coincidence. And I am probably projecting.
They definitely removed Ron’s “I feel the same way” line and instead included the dialogue suggesting two things. 1)Ron sees that Toto is fond of ordering takeouts that it is implied that he cooks for the police officer from time to time. His recipes are mostly drenched with black syrup. 2) because Toto is not into cooking, he wishes that one day he does break this habit. Maybe because it is not healthy. This is where my head canon and speculation collide. Seeing that cooking is chemistry and Ron has been a hikikomori for five years and had lots of time during those times he probably had so many things tried and experimented.
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From an outsider’s point of view, like Chikori, who has been wondering what the hell is the relationship between these two.
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britcision · 1 year
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Guys I dunno how to tell you this this is my favourite fucking chapter so far and before this one the last one was
I know it looks like we’re getting distracted and side tracked off on tangents but I’m having the time of my fucking life and more than half of my favourite bits weren’t in the plan
(We’re still on track and makin’ our way but oh boy the funniest things are all accidents)
AO3 link is as ever still on the first couple of chapters!
First:
Previous:
———————
That’s Not A Twink That’s An Anime Girl
They did eventually have to let Dick out of his snow drifts.
As a former circus acrobat, Dick had the best excuse of all of them to use his vigilante training in public; he’d wormed out of Jason’s grasp, flipped over Duke and made a run for it.
Unfortunately for him, gravity was actually literally optional for Danny, and Danny didn’t even have a superhero identity to protect in Gotham.
He could turn a lot more easily on the slick ice and snow to give chase, a little flight added when friction failed him. On his own, Danny would have probably had to actually fly to take Dick down.
Of course, odds of eight-to-one would weigh on any man. Not a single member of the group wasn’t thoroughly soaked by the hour’s end, sweat under clothes and snow clinging over them.
The journey up to Wayne Manor ended up being done in chunks as the sun began to sink and the cold set in for their more human friends.
Jason, Danny, Duke, and Tim had to go back to the mall to retrieve motorbikes.
(Technically Danny didn’t actually need to, but what he did need was an excuse to get Jason alone for a minute, and he’d put up with snickering from Sam and Tuck to do it.)
Steph, Cass, Damian, Sam, and Tucker called for a cab rather than pack themselves into Dick’s now snow filled car, and their numbers were excuse enough for Danny to slip away.
Which is when Tucker realised he could have probably hitched a ride on Tim’s bike, and spent the whole journey hugging Tim Drake-Wayne.
Buuuuut it’d also mean riding a motorcycle through slushy snow. The dilemma on his face made Danny grin all the way back to the mall, despite the damp now clinging to his clothes.
Sure, the car might reach the manor first and they’d get warm and dry, but that just meant Tucker’d miss out on more Tim Time.
The snowball fight had clearly done Tim good too, he was much more energised as they walked back to the mall, complaining to Danny and the others about Amity Park’s underhanded tactics.
Danny sure as fuck wasn’t going to apologise, but he did have a much more important question: how the fuck did Jason do that landshark-disappearing-into-snow bullshit?
Which… well, was also a chance to fuck with Tim and Duke.
“Seriously Jay, I can go intangible but that snow trick was bullshit,” Danny complained with a wicked glee in his heart, reflected in Jason’s grin.
Tim nearly tripped over his own feet. Duke caught him, his own eyes wide.
“You can what?!” Tim asked in a slightly strangled voice, and Danny gave him his most innocent smile.
“Oh, has Dick not told you? Yeah, it’s one of my things, from the generic end of the list,” he explained casually, turning his arm intangible and phasing it through Jason.
Who made a face.
“Okay but why does it feel like that left a residue?” The larger man complained, scrubbing at his shirt.
Which. Danny paused, frowning down at his hand. Stuck it through his own chest experimentally.
“Y’know, I didn’t know it did that… not like I go through myself often, but I can definitely feel it,” he agreed, sticking his tongue out as he wiggled his hand around, then drew it back.
Duke and Tim looked fascinated and nauseated respectively. Danny gave them both a cheerful shrug and kept walking.
“It’s probably my pit water,” he theorised, and Jason groaned loudly.
“Danny, did you just fucking mix our forbidden smoothies?” He complained loudly, and Duke damn near choked himself on a strangled laugh.
Danny fully had to stop and turn to stare at Jason, delighted awe on his face.
“Oh, I’m calling it that forever. That’s my new favourite thing. Skulker is going to shit his entire liver when he hears “forbidden smoothie”,” he decided gleefully.
Jason smirked and bumped shoulders as he passed, forcing the others to keep moving to keep up. Duke almost jogged to lean around Jason and give Danny a curious look.
“Who’s Skulker?” He asked innocently and Danny grinned at him.
“Oh, one of my rogues. He likes to talk a big game but he’s pretty easy to deal with. All bark, no bite,” Danny explained cheerfully.
Honestly he was a little surprised Skulker hadn’t shown up in Gotham to bother him yet. He must have been having a hard time finding a portal, because it’s not like he’d stop.
Tim and Duke did seem a little reassured by his casual dismissal, but still concerned. Jason cut them off before they could ask anything that might be useful.
Yeah, Jason was kinda Danny’s favourite.
“So how the fuck do I get your smoothie out of my jug?” He asked with an overly disgusted face. Danny fought not to laugh.
“You are so asking the wrong person dude, I didn’t know it happened until just now,” he pointed out and Jason rolled his eyes.
“I’m taking at least six showers when we get to the manor,” Jason grumbled melodramatically, and Danny laughed aloud.
Then paused.
“Wait, how many bathrooms are there? Can we all shower?” He asked Tim and Duke.
Neither of whom looked ready to admit they didn’t know what was going on. Fuck Jason knew his family well.
Duke shrugged, the mall finally coming into sight, and diverted towards the underground parking.
“Well, there’s enough for one each. And Alfred could do laundry for you so you can change right after if you take a long one,” he offered, glancing down at his own now damp clothes.
Best part of a snowball fight: changing back into something warm and dry.
Danny snickered, plucking at Jason’s oversized sweater.
“The way you assume I’m wearing a single thing that I actually own is adorable,” he told the younger man sincerely, grinning as his cheeks heated.
Sure, it was more subtle on dark skin than Danny’s light tan, but he’d been friends with Tucker since he could walk. He knew exactly what to look for.
Was not quite ready for it to be combined with a sly grin right back.
“What, nothing of yours?” He asked suggestively and Tim laughed, quickly catching on.
“Did Jason give you everything?” He asked teasingly, both younger Wayne wards now grinning at their older brother.
Jason’s little pink blush was definitely still Danny’s favourite. He grinned right back, refusing to follow them to a place that didn’t exist.
“Some of it’s probably yours,” he told Tim blithely, tugging at his sweatpants. Which, as predicted, immediately changed Tim’s expression to annoyance.
“Why is everyone wearing my pants today?” Tim grumbled, and Danny’s grin widened.
“They looked a little tight on Tucker if you wanted to help him take them off,” Danny teased and Tim levelled a dry stare at him.
“I do have a boyfriend,” he pointed out coolly, like that was gonna stop turnabout from being fair play.
“Ask him to come help then,” Jason cut in, ruffling Tim’s hair, “you know Connor’s always welcome for dinner.”
For a long moment Tim’s expression froze, clearly actually considering the suggestion. Then he shook his head, sighing and calling the elevator.
“Probably not today. What floor do you guys need?” He asked as the doors slid open, stepping inside.
Quiet day at the mall. Probably the fucking cold, combined with hangovers from the new year.
And as much as Danny was thirsting to ask about that, he also very much needed Jason alone before they got on the road. Hopefully they weren’t on the same level.
“Two,” Jason said, and Tim nodded, hit two and then four. Looked to Duke. Who grinned.
“Three. Sorry Tim, you’re taking the scenic route.”
And for once the universe worked in Danny’s favour. Something fucked would probably happen soon to compensate.
He and Jason left the elevator together, waited til the doors slid back shut, and then headed off towards the bike. Danny didn’t make him ask.
“She’s definitely liminal. Not like, bad? Honestly she wouldn’t even register back in Amity Park. Damian’s is a bit worse, but he’s younger, it happens. Ecto energy likes kids,” he explained when Jason made an inquisitive noise.
He definitely wasn’t bitter or anything. He’d been just young enough to take it in like a magnet.
His parents probably wouldn’t have survived the same accident.
“It’s kinda the only thing horror movies get right. Ectoplasm can form from emotional energy, and little kids, they feel everything that much more. Tapers off when you get older, so Damian’s still a magnet. Cass is stable.”
He kinda wished he had better news, but honestly? After a dunk in the kind of rancid ectoplasm Jason described, Danny was taking it as a win that neither of the others were haunted.
Jason nodded gruffly, pausing beside his bike to pull his helmet back on. Not that it’d stop Danny from reading his mood; his aura pulsed stress-stress-stress-worry like a beacon.
Danny stepped closer, resting a hand on Jason’s shoulder, stilling the movement.
“They’ll both almost definitely become ghosts if they die again,” he explained softly, voice low enough to pass unheard in the echoing space, “but they’ll be fine. Think of it like insurance; you’re never going to lose them.”
Jason snorted, the sound distorting strangely through the helmet, but didn’t pull away.
“Is that what you tell yourself about Sam and Tucker?” He asked, trying to sound derisive but there was a tinge of hope there now.
Danny gave him a gentle wave of sorry-sorry-comfort back.
“Yeah.”
**
Back in the elevator, Tim looked at Duke expectantly. Who sighed.
“I am not a fuckin’ pokedex, Tim,” he reminded the older boy with a roll of his eyes. Which his brother totally ignored, still waiting.
Tim could fucking stare like nobody’s business.
The elevator chimed again and Duke stepped out, not the least surprised when Tim followed.
“I dunno. I thought I almost caught something in the park, but it was just a blur. Tucker and Sam both have more of an aura than Danny, but Danny’s clearly something. I just dunno if it’s a meta gene,” he explained reluctantly, and Tim nodded, already adding the information to his wrist computer.
Which he wasn’t supposed to wear out of costume.
Duke wasn’t gonna tell; he’d be a damn hypocrite if he did, he wore his Signal boots with the bike half the time. They were just much more responsive than normal boots.
“What makes you say that?” Tim asked, still typing away. It’d save Duke from having to add it all to his report, so it kinda counted as a favour.
Duke shrugged, still trying to narrow down the feeling.
“Honestly? Most people with the same meta gene fuck up a little the first time they show off around me. It’s the x-metals; I boost them, whatever they’re doing goes too hard.” Tim’d been the one to help him work that out, but it would all go in the report.
Tim nodded, gesturing for him to continue and Duke sighed, running a hand through his hair.
“Danny… didn’t. Unless that’s the residue they were both talking about, and if the fucking Lazarus Pits can cause intangibility we have got to warn Bruce. But that’s not the only thing,” he added quickly, before Tim could speak.
The older boy quieted obediently, but Duke could see he had his thinking face on. Putting pieces together, all those wheels turning as one.
That was practically a fuckin’ meta ability, and it wasn’t like Tim got a boost from him either. Maybe Duke needed to do some more experimenting.
“Most metas, even the nonhuman ones, have at least some aura. Some of them can hide it, but I can get a feel for their powers from it. Danny… I dunno. I can almost feel something, but I can’t see it.”
That was the thing that unsettled Duke the most, honestly. Almost all of his powers were purely light based; seeing what other people couldn’t. Even his shadow manipulation still worked around light.
It was fucking weird for there to be anything he couldn’t see, and he could go way beyond the visible spectrum. Whatever Danny emitted, it went beyond even that.
For a guy who could even see a little into the future, it was weird.
And since Danny had showed off flight, super strength, and intangibility already? And called them the generic end of the list?
Duke was definitely leaning on the “extreme control of his aura” side of the equation.
Tim looked concerned too, which was kind of validating. It kinda sucked being the expert on things no one else could understand, because Duke always worried he was overreacting, but if Tim tagged it too? Well that was validation.
“The only bit of good news is that we can probably rule out the pits as the source of his abilities,” Tim muttered as he scanned back through his notes so far.
“They coulda been trauma activated by his death in the same way as a meta gene,” Duke pointed out thoughtfully, leaning back against the wall.
It wasn’t like they were racing home, and until someone else came down the elevator? No rush. Tim had another floor to descend anyway.
Tim himself shrugged, adding another couple of notes to his file.
“It’s definitely possible, but even if it was a million-to-one chance, I can’t imagine Ra’s keeping quiet about something this useful, or letting someone like Danny run around if he had any idea he existed,” Tim explained, making a face.
And… yeah, no point trying to argue with Tim about Ra’s al Ghul. Duke pulled a face too and sighed.
“Well, he still seems pretty sure we’ll know all about it if we can get into Amity Park. Or when Jason decides to fucking tell us,” he added with a roll of his eyes.
Tim glanced up at him, smirking.
“You noticed too?” He asked innocently, and Duke snorted. Reading Jason’s micro-expressions might not be a survival skill exactly, but it was still a bat family hobby.
“He definitely fucking knows!” He complained, the switch from Professional Hero to Baby Brother getting easier and easier as time passed.
He still had his own parents, he didn’t need Bruce to adopt him, but he’d been an only child for most of his life. Having a new army of big brothers and sisters? Kinda ruled.
And he knew most of the others felt the same. They’d all be alone in their own ways, and the stubborn independent streaks were still there, but…
It was good to know someone had your back. That no matter what happened, how the adults in your life fucked you over, you could always go to Dick’s in Bludhaven.
Could always call Jason to bitch about whatever you needed off your chest, and yeah, there was always the worry that he really meant it when he said he’d “take care” of your problem? But he also listened when they said no.
Hell, it’d been Jason’s couch that Duke had crashed out on about a year ago, back when Jason was still damn near on the Big Bat’s no fly list.
He’d been on his way to school for the start of his winter semester when an absolutely blinding migraine took him to his knees. For whatever reason, Jason had been close.
Duke hadn’t even been able to glance at his phone to call for help; even opening his eyes a crack felt like he was being blinded. He’d barely recognised Jason’s voice asking if he was alright.
Hell, back then he hadn’t known if Jason recognised him out of costume. They’d always had a more friendly relationship than Jay did with the other bats, but this had been just after Jason finally texted Dick back.
Back when Red Hood would take a casual shot at any mask crossing into his turf. Not to hit, but a definite reminder of the border.
And Jason had lifted him bodily and carried him into Crime Alley. Put him on his couch to sleep it off in pitch darkness, and made him some of the best home made soup Duke had ever had.
Duke got why the older teens were still a little wary. He’d seen the Pit Rage live and in person, and it was fucking terrifying. It just wasn’t all Jason was.
And yeah, the family also had a whole army of fellow teens who’d know exactly what you were talking about, between Steph, Tim, Cass, and Duke himself. Even Damian, as much as he pretended not to care.
Kate and Babs were always willing to spread their wings out and give them all a place to shelter. And hell, if adult supervision was needed, they even had Harley, Ivy, or Selina.
Duke may not want to be a Wayne, but he’d take everything the bat family offered with both hands.
Tim sure as hell had not adjusted from being the baby to being third oldest though. He gave a huge heaving groan to match Duke’s own, flopping back against the wall.
“I know, right! And he knows we don’t know shit. He’s just enjoying watching us scramble cuz he knows we can’t just tell Danny we don’t know,” he grumbled, scrubbing both hands through his hair.
Duke hesitated.
“We… probably could just tell Danny,” he said slowly, brows furrowing. “It’s not like he doesn’t want us to know.”
Tim gave him a sidelong look.
“Yeah, after we admit we didn’t even manage to google him. Y’know, the kid who clocked Dick’s identity from his ass,” he added dryly.
Duke hesitated again, brows furrowing.
He knew that shouldn’t matter. Knew the smart move really was to ask for help sometimes. Knew damn well that it was Tim’s stubborn streak that kept him in the cave all night, while Tuck, Steph, and Cass watched movies upstairs.
Finally he let his head drop, sighing.
“The longer we wait the dumber we look if we have to ask later,” he warned Tim but his heart wasn’t in it.
It didn’t matter that Jason was probably the only member of the family with all the pieces; whoever caved and asked for help first? Yeah, social suicide.
Tim shook his head, pushing off the wall and scowling out into the rest of the garage.
“It’ll be fine. I’ll talk to Tucker about the Amity Park problem tonight and we’ll know by morning.”
Which… Duke hid a smile.
Asking Danny? Definitely cheating, worthy of scorn and derision.
Asking Tucker? Apparently completely different. Although technically he wouldn’t be asking Tucker for the same information.
Just admitting the exact same fault.
Pulling his keys from his pocket, Duke turned and wiggled them at Tim as he headed for his bike.
“Hey, if you hurry you could try to beat Danny and Jason to the manor. Get to Tucker first,” he added, grinning as Tim hit the call for the elevator.
The shorter boy rolled his eyes, waving a hand in Duke’s general direction.
“I’ll get to him once everyone’s warmed up. He wanted a look at my set up last night anyway,” he said almost off handedly.
Duke’s grin spread.
“Oh hey, that’s perfect! Just take him to your bedroom after you’ve both just been wet and naked and show each other your most private parts!” He called loudly, wondering if any of the supers were listening.
They’d find out soon.
Tim choked, blushing cherry red and spun to yell something after Duke just as the elevator doors opened. Duke waved cheerily back, turning away to head for his motorcycle.
“See you at the manor Timmy!”
**
Reconvening at Wayne Manor was… well, chaotic. Even more so than the gala the night before, though that might have been because this time, none of them had a firm plan.
Jason and Danny arrived first, greeting Alfred on the way in. The butler was not hugely impressed by the “foresight” which had led to a snowball fight when Danny was wearing an oversized sweater, sweatpants, and little else.
Any protestations that Danny was fine and was normally this cold anyway quavered under an archly raised brow and Danny privately swore never to let Clockwork meet Alfred.
They would get along far too well.
And that’s how Danny ended up actually using one of the spare bathrooms while Jason, who had worn a proper coat and thus escaped Alfred’s wrath, grabbed him a change of clothes.
The fact that this once again included one of Jason’s shirts, when Tim, Dick, Duke, and Steph all existed and also had spare clothes here, felt a little targeted.
It hung from Danny’s shoulders like a kid in his dad’s clothes, but Jason was probably also the only one with a shirt that said “Soup Powered Fuck Machine”, and the bit was fucking worth it.
Danny tied off most of the excess fabric into something just a bit longer than a crop top and settled in to drink hot chocolate with Jason and Duke and wait for the others to come back down.
(Which, by the way? Best hot chocolate he’d ever tasted. He was stealing the recipe 1000%, it was so rich and creamy and thick and had grated curls of chocolate on top of the whipped cream.)
Any lingering questions Duke might have been hiding about the shirt? Answered themselves when Tucker walked into the room, saw Danny, and laughed so hard he wound up in the fetal position.
Yeah, Jason was never getting this shirt back.
This was Danny’s shirt now. He was gonna wear it for his next fight with his rogues.
Sam actually did have her own clothes, so she’d accepted the offer of laundry while she showered (though she was a little annoyed the laundry room was so far from any of the bathrooms that she couldn’t do it herself), so she’d rejoined them in a mix of Steph and Cass’s clothes while she waited.
She had also been unable to keep a straight face upon seeing Danny’s new country girl fashion statement, rolling her eyes and punching his shoulder as she dropped to sit next to him.
“We call the thermos Soup Time,” she explained when Cass cocked her head curiously… which probably actually confused the rest of the bats a little more.
“The thermos you threw at Killer Croc?” Dick asked, still towelling his hair dry.
Sam raised a very slow eyebrow at him, her smile toning down to a smug smirk.
“Yeah, sure, I definitely threw it at Croc,” she agreed dryly and Dick cackled, throwing his towel down on Tucker’s still curled body.
Without even seeming to open the door Alfred appeared with another tray of hot chocolates, handing them out to those who hadn’t yet gotten one and taking back empty mugs.
He even had a second hot chocolate for Danny, who was going to marry the man. Even if he was old enough to be his grandpa.
Maybe Tucker did have a point about trying to get into the Wayne family for the perks… which Danny was never going to stop teasing him about, now that he and Tim were getting on so well. Boy could make his own ins, he didn’t need Danny.
Even Tucker roused himself for a mug though, crawling out from under Dick’s towel, glancing at Danny, and bursting out laughing again. Still, this time he could keep himself steady enough to stand, take the mug, and join Tim on another couch.
Alfred gave a quick glance around the room, probably counting heads, and cleared his throat.
The assorted vigilantes quieted immediately, and Danny’s respect for the old man grew just a little. It was already pretty fucking high. Not much more room to rise.
And somehow that perfectly serene, composed face managed to convey a deep sense of satisfaction.
“I am afraid we are presently waiting only on Master Bruce to begin dinner. If you would all proceed to the dining room?” It was phrased as a polite request.
The Wayne brood leapt to like it was an order. Danny pressed his lips shut on a laugh as he followed, catching Sam’s eye to see her grinning.
Up in front, Dick hurried to walk alongside Alfred.
“Oh, is Brucie not home? Or do you want me to go dig him up?” He asked brightly, and Alfred gave him a tight smile, pushing open the door to the fucking plainest most normal dining room Danny’d ever seen in a mansion.
Sure, the table was huge, but rather than being ornate, heavy, or flashy, it looked to be hard wearing oak. Clean, well polished, and not even that polish could hide the dents.
The chairs too were comfortable, nice, and a lot more tasteful than the Manson’s or Vlad’s. Well padded, well used, but not… fancy. Even the walls were simple, the elaborately framed portraits and art pieces on the wall replaced with…
What looked like kid’s drawings. Framed, cherished, and it clicked.
No chance in hell that this was the manor’s formal dining room.
The table was huge, but not that big with the number of people in the room. More than half of it was filled with just the kids, and sure there was space for the Amity Parkers, but not a larger group.
This was the family dining room. And that was fucking adorable.
Steph’d definitely walk him through every picture on the walls to help him find Jason’s. Today was going to be great.
He almost completely missed Alfred’s reply to Dick.
“I’m afraid not, master Dick. He was expected back nearly two hours ago, and yet…”
Even deep within the manor no one could have missed the sound of the front door slamming open, and anyone who did would have been alerted by the bellowing yell that followed.
“OOOOOOOH BRUCIE! I TOLD YA WHAT’D HAPPEN IF WE HAD TO HAVE THE BOUNDARY TALK AGAIN!” An extremely loud, very chipper given… well, everything voice filled the room.
The Gothamites’ heads all snapped around with expressions ranging from delight to exasperation.
“How the fuck did she get here so fast,” Duke hissed, leaning in towards Tim, but not far enough that Danny couldn’t hear, “weren’t she and Ivy in Brazil?”
Tim, definitely the exasperated one, gave a helpless shrug. Whatever he replied with was lost under Dick, bellowing back with clear glee in his voice.
“FAMILY DINING ROOM, HARLS! FIRST HALL ON YOUR LEFT!”
So, they were all going to meet Harley Quinn today. That’d be fun. Danny had always wondered what she was like in person, and apparently she was a close enough friend of the Waynes to be welcomed in.
Sam and Tucker’s faces would be fun.
Alfred’s was a perfect mask of patience that even Clockwork would envy, and he had already pulled a new place setting from a chest of drawers.
It didn’t take Harley long to find them, striding down the hall wearing some fucking unseasonal shorts, a baggy long sleeved sweater, and her trademarked blonde pigtails with the pink and blue tips.
And a bedazzled baseball bat slung casually over her shoulder, just in case anyone missed the mark.
She greeted Dick with a kiss on the cheek, then chased down as many of the others that hadn’t immediately fled to the other side of the table. Barring Damian, none of them seemed to mind.
Jason had made an attempt to flee, but no. No, that wasn’t happening, and Danny “accidentally” got in his way. Boxed him in between chair and table, grinning all the while until Harley made her way to them.
“And there he is! My poor suffering boy!” Harley cooed, cupping both of Jason’s cheeks in her hands and yanking his head down with a lot more force than a woman her size should have been capable of, pressing a large smooch on each cheek.
For all the glares he shot Danny, he managed an almost sheepish smile for the woman herself.
“I’m fine, Harley. Really. You didn’t need to come,” he protested with absolutely none of his heart in it, a pink flush rising to complement the sparkly pink lipgloss smooch marks.
“Nonsense, baby boy, if Brucie needs his head pulled from his ass I’m always here,” Harley told him firmly, patting his cheeks and rounding on Danny.
It was kinda less funny now that she was bearing down on him, all of her airhead dramatics belied by the piercing, analytical stare she pinned him with.
“Huh, did Brucie pick up a new one while we were gone? It’s been like a week, we’ll talk about his adoption issues too,” Harley declared firmly, snagging Danny by his collar and yanking him in for a cheek smooch too.
And yeah, holy shit, she really was a lot stronger than she looked. Like, almost ghostly levels of super strength.
Batman’s “no metas in Gotham” rule was looking flimsier and flimsier, cuz while she’d been a rogue in the past, this? This was not a rogue’s welcome, and Danny actually did like most of his rogues.
Just not “kisses on the cheek”, although the grabbing and pulling was familiar.
Still, better not let Vlad know. Wouldn’t do for him to feel too welcome in Gotham.
Harley released him a moment later to give him a dazzling smile.
“Hi, you’re a little older than most of Brucie’s new kids but that’s fine, I’m your Aunt Harley now and if you ever need any help with anything, especially getting Brucie’s ass in line, you just call me, okay doll?” She told him firmly.
Jason was fucking grinning at him over her head, and it just plain wasn’t fair that he was a whole head taller than them. Danny flipped him off behind her back, and gave the woman herself a sheepish smile.
“Actually, I’m not one of Bruce’s, I’m just-“
“Jason’s-boyfriend,” Steph stage coughed behind him.
Harley’s eyes widened, Danny had a go at kicking blindly behind him and hurried to correct her.
“Just Jason’s friend,” he stressed the word and suddenly those almost frighteningly piercing eyes were roaming across his face again.
It was like if Jazz had been dunked in a vat of glitter but could still see right through him. Then Harley grinned again and patted his cheek.
“Sure thing, sugar. Still, if you stick around long enough Brucie’ll make a go of it, so be careful,” she warned him cheerfully, then lunged for Steph, got her in a headlock, and smooched pink lipgloss into freshly washed hair.
Danny couldn’t help chuckling softly as Harley scanned the room, clocked a bemused Tucker and wide eyed Sam, and her eyes narrowed for a moment.
Then she nodded, apparently deciding they probably also weren’t new niece and nephew, and skipped back over to Alfred.
“So! Not that this ain’t great, but ya clearly got some company over so if ya could just point me towards the B-man I’ll borrow him right quick?” She offered with a broad grin, not actually grabbing Alfred.
Up went the respect-o-meter again. Restraining Harley Quinn was hard for seasoned heroes, her restraining herself? None of the birds could claim that apparently.
Alfred gave her the same polite smile, setting her a place at the table.
“I’m afraid Master Bruce has not yet returned from his lunch appointment, Miss Quinzel. He should be returning shortly if you would care to join us for dinner?” It almost didn’t seem like a question, given what he was doing.
Harley waved a hand easily, making a face that was almost apologetic.
“Oh, nah, I’ll just go get ‘im for ya and send ‘im back over. Maybe with some new bruises,” she added almost as an after thought, then shrugged and grinned. “So! Where’d ya last see ‘im?”
It seemed like their missing Brucie problem was about to be solved, and the rest of the Gothamites were now taking their seats around the table.
Tucker, who’d cautiously followed Tim’s retreat around the table after Harley’s chaotic entrance, was now sat between Tim and Damian, and probably regretting his life choices.
Sam, whose parents hadn’t actually specifically forbidden her from speaking to Harley, seemed to be trying to make up her mind about something. Probably going to talk to Harley directly.
Steph and Jason had considerately left two spots in between them as they sat, and Danny let himself drop into the chair next to Jason as Alfred answered.
Well. Nearly into the chair.
“Master Bruce’s lunch appointment was approximately four hours ago in a private room at Chez Vous with one of our gala’s guests, a Vlad Masters.”
Yeah. Danny missed the chair, thunking all the way to the floor with a startled squawk.
“He fucking WHAT?!” He exclaimed, yanking himself back up, staring around the table at the equally startled Waynes.
Like they hadn’t spent the first part of the gala telling these people specifically that Vlad was a fucking mind controlling sociopath who was targeting their dad. What the hell.
Alfred raised an eyebrow very slowly at him, concern now creeping into his expression.
“He went to met Mr Masters in a private room for a late lunch, Mister Fenton. I am not aware of any other plans, but-”
And Danny was probably committing a cardinal fucking sin by interrupting him but he couldn’t hold in the groan, sinking down into the actual chair this time and thunking his head off the table.
Across the table, Tucker snickered at him.
“Let me guess. You forgot Vlad was still in town?” He asked, and Danny let out another utterly heartfelt groan.
“I forgot Vlad was still in town,” he whined as Jason stifled an entirely inappropriate bout of laughter.
There was one more important piece of business though, and Steph jumped straight to it.
“Wasn’t someone supposed to warn Bruce about Masters last night, so this couldn’t happen?” She asked in a low voice, leaning into the middle of the table.
Tim made a face, rubbing the back of his neck.
“I said I would, but… I got distracted…”
By beating his brains out against Amity Park’s ghostly firewalls apparently, and Danny did feel kinda bad for completely forgetting to mention that. In his defence, he hadn’t technically known that the Batcomputer was not ghost virus proof.
Should have guessed. Hadn’t known.
Tucker, who still had no idea about the vigilante thing, was quick to reassure Tim.
“You had a medical emergency, of course you were distracted,” he said quickly, patting the younger man carefully on the shoulder and glaring at the other assembled Wayne brood, “and any of them coulda mentioned it too!”
Dick raised a hand with a half smile that was mostly apology.
“Actually… Bruce went straight to Tim’s side after the gala. Think he stayed all night, but I never actually saw him. We coulda texted though,” he added sheepishly as the rest of the family made general noises of agreement.
Except Duke, who shrugged.
“I only learned about Masters when I met you guys this morning,” he pointed out, and Danny kinda doubted that but Duke had missed the original Masters debrief so he had the best excuse.
Alfred stepped closer to the table, and for the first time his presence actually registered as something other than the polite, nigh-unnoticeable model of efficiency.
Which probably meant he’d picked up on Danny’s super subtle hints that the situation was not fucking good. Good for him.
“And precisely what information was supposed to be shared with Master Bruce?” He asked, still politely, still calmly, but there’s a hint of warning that had most of the table stiffening up.
Tucker answered, giving Alfred an apologetic smile.
“Vlad Masters is a super creep and probably using his mind control powers to try and make Mr Wayne sign over everything he owns,” he explained easily, like it was nothing.
Harley’s eyes had widened, but she didn’t seem overly worried, just shouldered her bat again.
“So it’s also gonna be a rescue mission, huh? Vladdie a local boy or are they still gonna be in the same place?” She asked, the rest of the table tensing as one.
Because yeah. Next step was extract Bruce, and kick Vlad’s ass, and probably maybe try and get any contracts Bruce had signed in four hours? Which could now be anywhere.
Sighing heavily, Danny hauled himself to his feet. Feeling like a fucking idiot aside, he probably should have already left. He was pretty sure he knew where Chez Vous was?
“No, you guys stay put, I’ll go get him,” he said as cheerily as he could, cracking his neck.
Harley’s brows drew down in a frown and she prodded him with the bat.
“No offence kid, but ya look like a stiff breeze will flip ya over. You’re not going alone,” she told him firmly, and yeah, Danny could also feel Jason damn near vibrating from beside him.
Concern-worry-protect-coming too.
Putting a hand on the big guy’s shoulder before he could rise, Danny pushed just enough to keep him in his seat. Felt the moment of shock course through the much bigger man, and his grin became just a little more genuine.
“Sorry but if any of you come along, you’ll only make it harder for me to get Bruce back safely. Vlad’ll just take you guys over and make you fight me. I really wouldn’t worry too much though, he’s never actually beaten me,” he added with a reassuring smile.
Sam snorted a laugh, dropping into the empty seat beside Steph and crossing one leg over the other. Reassuring the Gothamites with her own complete lack of moving.
“Yeah, Danny’s been cleaning his clock since he was fourteen and it’s something like 700-5. You’d think he’d give up eventually,” she added, rolling her eyes.
Cuz yeah, Vlad might have gotten the upper hand through sneaky traps a bunch of times, but in a straight fight? Danny usually won, even before he had the power of the Infinite Realms at his back.
It wasn’t that all eyes turned to Harley. It was more that suddenly a bunch of them weren’t looking at her so pointedly they might as well have.
She regarded Danny and Sam a moment longer, then shrugged and dropped into the chair at the head of the table.
“Guess I’m stayin’ for dinner, or at least til Brucie’s back. And hey, it can be hard for folks ta come to terms with things like that. ‘Specially if they’re adults takin’ offence ta gettin’ their butt kicked by kids,” she added, a bright gleam in her eye.
Sam snickered, leaning back in her chair.
“Voice of experience?” She asked innocently and Harley tipped her a wink.
“Hell nah, you ever seen a Robin fight? ‘Sides, most of the folks who’ll shit a brick at bein’ beat by a kid get just as huffy at gettin’ beat by me,” Harley explained with a broad grin, flexing her own muscles.
It was just a little hilarious to see the differing reactions from the young vigilantes around the table.
Damian was still noticeably grumpy, though he almost felt more worried to Danny’s expert empathic eye. But then, his dad was in the lion’s den.
Dick and Tim looked like they were sharing an inside joke, and Danny had to figure they were the other Robins that went against Harley the most.
Steph, Cass, and Duke all looked decidedly self satisfied. Jason…
Jason was ignoring the rest of the table, still frowning up at Danny but not fighting his grip anymore.
“I should still come with you,” he argued like the rest of the conversation hadn’t happened, his voice low and urgent. And… yeah. Protection Obsession, 1000%.
And his Fright Knight now, fuck you very much Clockwork, but he was also not even fully formed. No way Danny was taking him to fight Vlad as his first ghost.
He gave Jason’s shoulder a quick squeeze, lowering his voice under the rest of the conversation.
“You’ll know if I need you, Jay, but Vlad used to be able to control me too. He’s not a great first run,” he explained softly.
Jason very clearly didn’t like it, brows drawing in even further, and Danny made his grin a little brighter by contrast. Brushed confidence-easy fight-be back soon across his aura.
“Besides, he’s more a sneaky fuck than an actual fighter. Not worth both of us heading out,” he tried, rolling his shoulders.
Jason raised an eyebrow, entirely unimpressed.
“By that logic it should be me going instead of you,” he pointed out, and Danny pouted. Fuck him for technical accuracy.
“Look, next time, okay?” He whispered, leaning in til his mouth was next to Jason’s ear. Tim was now watching them rather than Sam and Harley’s banter.
Perceptive little shit. But he wouldn’t catch shit if Danny covered his mouth to talk. For now, he had to persuade a cranky protective halfa not to go kick Vlad’s ass.
How the turntables and so on.
“Once you’ve got your powers in you can take him every time, alright?” He whispered, then leaned back and grinned at Jason. At least he wasn’t glaring anymore.
“I’ve got this. I’ll be fine,” he said as reassuringly as he could. And then. Pausing. “Uh… but I’ll probably… y’know. Do the thing to find him.”
Vlad couldn’t hide from Danny’s expanded aura, not without leaving this dimension. But that’d mean Jason also got another dose.
The understanding dawned across the big guy’s face, fell into a complicated expression. Finally he nodded stiffly.
“Fine. But leave it up so I know how it’s going?” He grumbled back, lips barely moving. Probably as a countermeasure for Nosy Little Brother.
Danny grinned and ruffled Jason’s hair, stepping away.
“Sure thing bud. I’ll be back with Bruce as soon as I can,” he said more loudly, more to the whole room, and let his aura flare out into the city until it touched Vlad’s.
Yeah, that beat trying to navigate the city from above for the second time ever.
A sudden absolutely awful impulse hit him, and his grin stretched just a little beyond what was humanly possible.
Why the fuck not? The reveal was gonna drop soon enough, Tuck and Sam already knew how much he wanted to show.
And most of the table were watching him.
Danny rolled his shoulders, cracked his neck, and had a brief moment of nostalgia. Because if he was being theatrical…
“I’m going ghost,” he called as loud as he could, letting the glowing rings of his transformation wash over him, changing him to Phantom in front of a table of gawking bats.
Then he jumped into the air and flew out of the manor through the wall, Sam and Tucker’s laughter ringing in his ears.
Now he just had to hope he could reach Bruce before Vlad did anything he couldn’t easily fix.
**
Tim was the first to speak. Other than the raucous laughter of the Amity Parkers the dining room had been dead silent since Danny’s… well, it was a transformation.
Reaching out blindly with his other hand, Tim caught Duke’s arm.
“You saw that, right?” He asked, his voice a little hoarse.
Duke nodded slowly, still staring at the wall Danny had just disappeared through.
“Not that I know what the fuck it was… but yeah…”
Because… yeah. They’d known Danny was some kind of meta at this point. Guy really wasn’t trying to hide it. But that was…
“What, you ain’t seen that before?” Harley asked from the head of the table, her voice filled with a sudden glee.
Across the table Jason snickered, and Tim’s attention zeroed back in on him.
He’d known. He’d stiffened up before Danny had transformed, still hadn’t fully relaxed and Tim could guess why. Whatever he’d told Danny to “leave up”.
It didn’t look like he was in pain, more like he’d braced himself for something that hadn’t fully happened yet. But since apparently all secrets were just on the table now…
Tim turned to Tucker.
“What the fuck was that?” He asked, and Tucker sighed happily, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.
“An overdramatic little fuck?” Sam offered from the other side of the table, also still grinning. Tucker wheezed loudly, slumping back in his chair.
Tim shifted his attention to Sam instead, giving up on Tucker for now. To be fair, he was kinda surprised Jason wasn’t also laughing at them.
It must have made a comical scene.
“Obviously. But that… going ghost? What did he mean?” He pressed, leaning in across the table but not lowering his voice.
Sam and Tucker exchanged thoughtful looks, Tucker’s laughter fading to giggles as they clearly weighed their answers. Then Sam leaned in too, folding her arms on the table and leaning over them.
“How much were you actually able to look up about Amity Park?” She asked, and the rest of the table leaned in to listen.
Even Harley, thoroughly devoid of context, kept quiet for a change. She could smell a good story when she heard one.
And as much as it pained him to admit…
“Nothing at all,” Tim confessed with a brief shake of his head, eyes narrowed. “I couldn’t even find the weather account you showed us.”
Beside him Tucker took another deep, fortifying breath and steadied himself in his seat.
“Yeah… warned you about that. Any tech not actually from Amity needs a baseline level of ecto before it can get through the firewalls,” he explained, and as glad as Tim was to have him back in the conversation…
“But that isn’t how firewalls work,” he protested, knowing full well the other boy knew, “Facebook doesn’t have a separate server or separate firewalls for some small town in Illinois versus the larger world, and even if it has something to do with the IP…”
Tucker raised both hands quickly and Tim subsided, a little relieved to have been cut off. The frustration from last night was building again, and he really didn’t want to deal with that right now.
“Okay, you’re definitely right almost all of the time, but Amity Park’s is… different,” Tucker explained quickly, glancing around the table and almost immediately focusing his full attention back on Tim.
Dismissing the others as below the level needed to understand the conversation, or assuming they’d keep up on their own? They all could, none of the bats were slouches on cyber security, and the distinction didn’t matter to Tim.
Yet.
They were also probably all a little below Tucker’s own technical proficiency, from everything Tim had seen (and Steph and Cass’s admitted failure to break his server encryption).
(Oracle still hadn’t broken the same server.)
Tim nodded anyway, not willing to talk and slow the explanation any further.
They could have been doing this more than twelve damn hours ago.
“Firewall isn’t exactly the right term for it either, but about five years ago… well, we decided the rest of the world couldn’t know about a lot of things that happen in Amity Park. It wouldn’t be safe,” Tucker added, watching Tim’s face carefully.
He looked almost guilty. Like he could guess how much frustration this had caused Tim. Hell, if Danny knew their identities then Tucker, his guy in the chair almost certainly did too.
And since they weren’t pretending to all be civilians anymore…
“The GIW were already censoring the hell out of us,” Tucker continued, rolling his eyes, “it was actually really annoying. They actually did the IP thing, but you could VPN around that. But we didn’t want the rest of the world, other governments to come to the same bullshit conclusions about ghosts and keep causing trouble.”
“Ghosts like Danny,” Duke cut in, not a trace of doubt in his voice.
Tucker glanced past Tim for a moment and nodded.
“Pretty much, but Danny’s a special case. Most ghosts can’t actually do the magical girl transformation,” he added with a snicker, and Sam rolled her eyes, tapping the table for attention.
“What Tucker’s dancing around telling you is that what we call the Amity Park firewall is basically alive. It has nothing to do with IP addresses or any regular tech shit because it runs on ectoplasm.”
“It’s not actually alive,” Tucker cut back in with an exasperated huff, “it’s just something I came up with with some help from Technus. He’s the spirit of technology so he can possess computers, not people, and together we made a safety net.”
“All of Amity Park is saturated in natural ectoplasm,” Sam explained, ignoring Tucker’s pointed glare, “so now whenever someone’s trying to connect online to anything based in an Amity Park server, our ecto looks for your ecto in whatever device you have. No ecto, no data.”
“It’s not that simple,” Tucker whined, like this wasn’t already a level of complexity that made Tim’s head spin.
But it was the spinning that triggered an almost ignored memory.
“Ecto… that’s what Danny nearly said last night, when he was talking about the Lazarus Pits,” he said with a sudden sharp frown, attention jumping between the Amity Parkers and onto Jason.
Who shrugged. Like this wasn’t news. How the fuck had he even met Danny in the first place?
“Show of hands, who here’s surprised that the pit waters actually come from the land of the dead?” Jason asked dryly, gaze sweeping along the table.
Tim’s attention flashed directly to Damian and then Cass, the two of them sat on a full diagonal from each other. They were the closest thing the family had to experts.
Neither looked surprised, although Damian’s eyes were narrowed. New information then, and likely something he’d be looking more into. Cass just looked thoughtful.
Harley’s hand was up though, and the table gradually turned to its gravity. She shrugged.
“Had a bet with Ives that it was super tainted kool-aid. Not that we know much about it,” she added with a shrug, and Jason snickered.
“You’re half right anyway,” he told her and the raised hand was replaced by a pair of fists pumping into the air, but silently for once.
Even Harley wasn’t gonna interrupt a lore dump.
Jason returned his attention to Tim.
“Apparently the pits are made of contaminated ectoplasm. Super tainted,” he nodded to Harley, “because the regular stuff? Doesn’t bubble, doesn’t burn, and doesn’t kill people who touch it.”
Tim’s eyes narrowed for a moment, looking Jason over, hunting any trace of a lie. He’d made himself an expert on Jason’s features, on what every micro-expression might possibly mean.
Jason was a damn good liar, but Tim knew every tell that meant he spoke the truth.
Still, he glanced from Jason to Cass, sat on Jason’s other side. The Asian girl raised an eyebrow at him, then nodded.
Human lie detector confirmed. Good to know. Even if she was rolling her eyes at him for checking.
Duke leaned in further, half his body now hovering above the table as he grinned at Jason.
“So does that mean you’ve got ectoplasm in you, if you still have the pit rage?” He asked, which didn’t really seem like something to smile about.
Although not exactly worse than the idea of Jason just still having the pit in his veins. At least Jason didn’t seem to be really bothered by it.
He just shrugged.
“I guess so?” He offered suspiciously, his face still carefully neutral as he watched Duke. Whose grin broadened.
“So does that mean if you look up stuff on Amity Park you’ll get through?” He asked innocently. Jason rolled his eyes.
“I’m not a phone, Duke,” he said dryly, and Tucker snickered.
“It’s actually kinda funny you say that, cuz Danny’s been sucked into video games before,” Tucker said innocently, giving Jason a sidelong look.
Which… raised a couple of questions, since Jason didn’t seem embarrassed by it. Tim’s eyes narrowed for a moment.
“Is that something that could happen to Jason?” He asked cautiously, and for some reason Tucker actually laughed.
“Oh, it’s something that could happen to anyone,” he said sounding very smug, and Tim tore his attention off Jason to stare at Tucker, wondering what the hell he was thinking.
Tucker just grinned back and Tim’s best guess… well, it couldn’t have been a bad experience. It had definitely afforded him the full attention of everyone at the table.
Harley stuck a hand in the air again.
“Okay, I know I ain’t one o’ the kids, but I’m gonna need to know a whole lot more about that,” she declared, and Tucker laughed, shaking his head.
“Another time? I gotta get back to get ready for school early tomorrow at the latest but if you wanted to hang out again…” he trailed off hopefully, his attention slipping from Harley back to Tim.
Tim was not going to blush. This was a chance to gather more intel in future. And just hang out with a friend! There was nothing more to it than that.
He chuckled softly and nodded, settling back into his seat.
“Yeah, I think it’s safe to say we’ll see each other again,” he agreed, and definitely didn’t enjoy the way Tucker beamed at him.
Given their reactions, he probably did some kind of tech support while Danny… Danny was probably the ghost who’d protected Amity Park.
Had they always known who Jason and his family were? Tim knew he should reserve judgement until he could find an unbiased source and work out what had actually happened in Amity Park, but…
Well, it wasn’t like the Amity Parkers were hostile. There was always the chance it could be a long con, but Tim didn’t think so. They’d given too much away.
For now, it seemed safest to assume that they were fellow vigilantes, and were at least as aware of their identities as Danny. Tucker might even have been the one to work it out.
And if Tucker could solve their technical problems and give them open access to Amity Park, Tim could take that and confirm his theories.
If they had something to hide, Tim should be able to work out at least where to look based on what Tucker gave him.
“We’ve gotta wait for Danny to get back for him to infuse your tech, buuuut I can get you started on the data download if you can hook me into your set up,” Tucker said with an almost seductive smile.
Or maybe Tim thought it was seductive because it came with an offer of increased tech. And sure, he wasn’t hooking a stranger straight up to the Batcomputer, but…
Well, that’s what the fully isolated laptops were for. And Tim could bring one of those up from the cave, but… well, the Amity Parkers showed trust first. And they really had less reason to.
They’d been abandoned by the Justice League, and apparently personally picking up that slack. The least Tim wanted to do was promise them that it hadn’t been malicious; they really hadn’t known.
And to promise that he personally was going to find out how this had happened, and make sure it wouldn’t happen again. Last night wasn’t going to be in vain.
He’d ask the others about it, but as things stood right now, Tim would really like to see Tucker get a proper look at the Bat Cave.
**
Vlad was a little surprised to find he’d been having an absolutely charming afternoon with one Brucie Wayne.
He hadn’t expected to actually like the man, but one on one he had a kind of self effacing charm that Vlad rather appreciated. Far more tolerable than most of the arrogant rich bastards he had to deal with.
He had been so very interested in the running of Amity Park too, in the challenges of being a mayor and a business owner, and so few people really appreciated the struggle.
Of course, Vlad wasn’t going to out any of Daniel’s little secrets. It wouldn’t do to upset the boy more while he was trying to mend fences.
Even if he had left Vlad to the mercy of some hapless buffoons and the criminals they were chasing the night before.
So he kept it light, to issues like road maintenance, funding local fixtures like the library and the schools, things he thought Brucie had a chance of understanding.
Brucie had also noticed that their boys were becoming… close.
Well, it would be almost impossible for him not to have. And it was only natural that Brucie wanted to know more about the boy getting close to his son.
It was almost a little strange how easy it was to speak well of Daniel. For so long Vlad had been fixated on his inadequacies, on all the things he could fix if Daniel would just accept his help.
On wanting to mould Daniel into someone like himself. He hadn’t really considered that Daniel… might not want to be like him.
Vlad was rich, successful, on top of the world by every modern marker, but he was also alone. He had no one and nothing that he would call his own, that he could leave his fortune to.
Of course, as a half ghost it wasn’t like he was actually going to die, but not having a successor was part of what tugged at his core.
And Daniel… Daniel was much better at bringing people close than Vlad. He had dear friends, and easily found himself with new ones. Daniel was likeable, and Vlad had to admit that he himself… wasn’t.
People cozied up and tried to bribe Vlad, but perhaps it was the very things he’d seen as weaknesses in Daniel that made them actually like the boy.
So he focused on those instead, the qualities that had always baffled and confused him. The loyalty, the trust, everything he’d once tried to use to tear Daniel down.
And utterly failed at every turn. After so many years, yes, Vlad had detected the pattern. It was just so hard to keep from falling into it.
So when he felt Daniel’s aura wash out and across him, wary but amused on top of the aggression, he startled just a little. Made sure to obviously check his phone, and gasped when he saw the time.
It was obvious what must have happened.
“Oh my, Brucie, did you have another appointment today?” He asked in only mildly faked surprise, concealing his amusement expertly. “Dear Daniel has just contacted me, it seems you’ve been missed.”
Daniel likely thought Vlad was up to the kind of nefarious schemes that he… well, had come to Gotham to commit, in all honesty. But obviously those plans had changed with his little badger’s personal interest.
Perhaps he should have told Daniel that? Ah well, the boy would learn soon enough. He settled back in his seat, letting his aura broadcast his intent.
Calm-welcome-nothing to hide.
Felt Daniel’s disbelief, but that was fine. It was the truth.
Brucie visibly startled as well, taking his own phone out to check the time. Probably wondering why his own brood weren’t contacting him if he’d been missed so much.
“Oh… yes, I’m terribly sorry, I think Danny must have been invited to our family dinner, which I’m late to,” Brucie added with that lovely self effacing smile, shrugging. “I must have put my phone on vibrate. I’ll just tell them to start without me.”
Or his children didn’t expect him to check it, apparently with reason.
Vlad clapped his hands together and rubbed them a few times.
“Well, no matter. I do believe Danny is on his way to retrieve you, so we’d best wait where we are. I will pick up the bill, of course.”
They’d had the private room in the restaurant for around four hours now, which wouldn’t come cheap, but Vlad could be generous. Especially if Daniel expected him not to be.
Brucie made the usual noises of gratitude and appreciation, and mild confusion. Well, that would be answered by whether or not Daniel bothered to transform back before bursting in.
Either way, it wouldn’t be Vlad’s choice to reveal his little secret.
“I have my car with me, but if Danny’s on his way here…” Brucie trailed off, glancing to the window with a perplexed frown on that handsome face.
Whoever dealt with the man’s wrinkles for the cameras would be very upset, but Vlad got the feeling Brucie could afford the best. He had such an expressive face, and yet nothing was ever out of place.
Almost as good as ectoplasm for keeping one young.
He was probably wondering why Daniel was coming instead of one of his own children, and while Vlad could come up with an excuse about needing to see the boy anyway… well, he was bursting in on a very pleasant afternoon.
Vlad wanted to mend fences, not solve all the boy’s self inflicted problems.
Still, he gave Brucie a smile, touching the pad that would summon them a server again.
“Oh, you and Daniel can take the car I’m sure. He’ll just be here to make sure I’m behaving myself,” he added with a wry chuckle, settling back in his seat.
Something very much like alertness flicked across Brucie’s face, and Vlad could feel a flicker of suspicion for the first time from the other man.
Well, Vlad had baited him.
He certainly wasn’t as empathetic as Daniel, but he liked to keep an eye on his company, and this was the first trace of something more that he’d gotten from the man.
He waved a hand cheerfully, chuckling. The man likely had links to his city’s precious Bat and all his opinions on those more than just human. Best allay those concerns even if he was leaving.
“I have been known to talk peoples’ ears off if I get onto a subject like football, and four hours is surely long enough for him to suspect I’ve roped you into watching a game. Though if you did want to attend…” he let himself trail off, watched the man’s shoulders settle as he laughed.
“Oh, I’m not much of a sports fan myself, but I try to keep up with the Gotham teams when I can.”
The female teams at least, according to the tabloids, but Vlad wouldn’t judge. Much.
Brucie gave him that charming smile again, settling as well as the server came in and once again refilled their drinks.
“I didn’t realise Amity Park had their own teams in a league, though,” Brucie added with that softly furrowed brow. Like thought was such a strain for the man.
Vlad gave the server a quick smile and inclined his head.
“I will take the bill now, I believe we’re ready to go. And we don’t have our own teams in any of the major leagues,” he explained indulgently to Brucie, lips quirking up at the very thought.
Imagine trying to play a home game in Amity Park. It was hard enough getting the school teams out to their rivals.
And it gave him a chance to talk about his secondary Obsession.
“No, I have ownership of the Green Bay Packers, back home in Wisconsin. I really must warn you to stop there if you don’t want their full stats for the last four seasons or worse,” Vlad teased with a soft chuckle, taking a sip of his water.
Both of Brucie’s eyebrows rose and the man smiled back, settling into his seat.
“Well, Danny will be here soon to cut you off anyway,” he commented, that charming smile looking far too comfortable on him.
And he did have a point. Giving him a nod of acknowledgement, Vlad relaxed and let the gentle sea of Obsession take him, enthusiasm ramping up with every word he spoke.
It was nice to have permission for a change.
**
Despite his cheerful words, Danny couldn’t help but tense as he flew across the city. He’d make it within minutes, way faster than anyone trying to actually use Gotham’s streets, but…
Vlad had had Bruce for hours already. Danny was gonna hope that whatever he was doing, it was just more of his shady businessman bullshit.
He really, really, really didn’t want to fight overshadowed Batman.
Of course, remembering the looks on the flying furry brigade’s faces gave him a definite boost in mood. He didn’t actually wanna show up at Vlad’s giggling, buuut that was a problem for future Danny.
Present Danny was busy specifically not worrying so that he didn’t worry Jason into coming after him. Maybe telling the guy about Vlad’s lightning juice hadn’t been a great idea?
Of course, the good thing about the expanded aura was that he could still feel Jason’s like they were right next to each other.
And who’d have thought Jason was also a fucking mother hen? Poor guy was still tense, although at least Danny could still feel just a little amusement.
Yeah, Jason was getting to enjoy the full fruits of Danny’s theatrics. It wasn’t fair, but it made the whole thing better. Gave him something to keep his mind off Danny.
As if on cue, a strong spike of incredulous-funny-what the fuck came from his favourite non-clone halfa.
Danny was nearly at the restaurant now, and paused just above to send a questioning pulse back. Felt Jason startle, and could almost see him roll his eyes.
Later-come back-done?
The fuck were they talking about? Maybe the bats were right to always have their own little comms in. Danny sent a reassuring wave back.
Soon-anticipation-just arrived-curious.
And yes, Danny did expect the caution-stay safe-coming after you that he got back, but he wasn’t sure Jason would get the full effect of him actually rolling his eyes.
One last check for Vlad’s aura and Danny turned invisible, phasing through the roof and walls to have a look around.
Vlad was alone in a private room, with nothing but some glasses of water and a mostly empty bottle of wine. Alright, food was probably over a while ago, but the water might be a good sign.
Vlad wasn’t known to take care of the people he overshadowed.
Danny did a quick search of the rest of the building, stopping just shy of accidentally sticking his head through a bathroom wall when he felt a familiar presence.
Yup, Bruce was in the bathroom. Probably not overshadowed, which might just mean that Vlad was finished with him.
Not taking the risk, Danny made his way stealthily back to the private room, popping into visibility behind Vlad’s seat.
At least his aura being everywhere made it hard for Vlad to get a fix.
“What, did I not pay you enough attention last night, Vladdie?” He complained, draping an arm across the back of the man’s chair and noting the way he stiffened.
Also, these chairs? Much more pretentious. All carved and ornamental and bleh. Nowhere near as good as the ones at Wayne Manor.
Vlad didn’t actually turn to face him, reaching out and picking up his water glass instead. Filling his hands, so it’d be harder for him to take a shot at Danny?
Or just Vlad being Vlad and dismissing him.
Vlad took a long, slow sip before replying.
“While I would have preferred more of a chance to speak with you, Daniel, my presence here is solely to your benefit I assure you,” he said cool as a cucumber.
Danny narrowed his eyes, giving another poke of his aura. It didn’t feel like a lie.
“How so? Gonna rob Brucie blind and give it to the poor? I guess green also works for Robin Hood,” Danny mused, fingers drumming on the back of the chair.
Vlad actually looked at him then, a sharp sidelong glance before the man relaxed again, chuckling softly.
“Nothing of the sort. But if you and young Jason are going to be closely… connected, I will be seeing much more of Brucie, and I thought perhaps I could help lighten the… impression you left.”
Wait.
Was Vlad blushing?
Danny peered forward for a better look, utterly at a loss for what connection Vlad might be talking about. Cuz yeah, he and Jason were friends, but…
Oh.
Oh!
Vlad bought the closet scene.
Somehow that outcome had never even occurred to Danny and he felt himself flush, cheeks going green. Fuck, the goal had been to cause a scene, but Vlad actually thought…
Wait.
“So you’ve been here trying to convince Bruce I’m not an evil harlot corrupting his boy?” Danny asked, barely concealed glee rising with every word.
Because if this was funny, if this was fucking hilarious, he didn’t have to be embarrassed by it. Vlad didn’t need to know shit about his actual sex life, but if he’d actually called Bruce to try and polish up Danny’s new slutty reputation…
Vlad cleared his throat pointedly, still not looking directly at him.
“And luckily for you, he is somewhat willing to believe you have some good traits,” he said archly, and that fucking floored Danny.
“YOU think I have good traits?” He asked incredulously, cutting off whatever Vlad was about to say.
The man even took it pretty well, just one of those loud sighs like Danny was a particularly tiresome child, not a full grown adult man.
“I understand where you might have got the impression I don’t, Daniel, but if I thought you had none would I have pursued you so harshly?” He asked, finally turning in his chair to face Danny frankly.
Which meant he got both barrels of the sceptical face Danny was making.
“Dude, you say that like Obsessions are fucking logical,” Danny said dryly, and Vlad actually chuckled.
Not even condescendingly.
Like Danny made a point.
“Quite. Unfortunately for myself, the effects of my Obsession went into how I planned to achieve it, not in the goal itself. You have always been a remarkable young man, Daniel.”
And that was at least familiar ground.
Danny rolled his eyes.
“Yeah, yeah, and I’d be even more if I let you lure me off to your creepy castle in Wisconsin to become mini-Vlad. Brucie can’t ship me to Wisconsin,” he pointed out, just about resisting the urge to poke Vlad in the chest.
The old guy was being weirdly noncombative, but it had been a while since they saw each other. Actual years, which Danny couldn’t imagine would have been good for the other halfa.
Much as it sucked being someone else’s Obsession and he’d loved being free of the Fruitloop… he wouldn’t wish the ache of an unfulfilled Obsession on anyone.
Fuck did that mean Vlad had actually moved on? Was that something he could do? Please let it be something he could do.
The older halfa chuckled again and took another sip of his water.
“No, I’m well aware that he can’t. But our time apart gave me little to do but consider what I know of you. You have grown to a fine young man, Daniel, perhaps with all that I have ever lacked.”
He looked up again, their eyes meeting, and Danny very nearly recoiled. Almost stepped back and away from the other halfa’s aura so that he couldn’t feel Vlad’s pride seeping into his skin like grease.
“Okay, this is getting fucking weird. Do I have to kick your ass to get whatever contracts you made Bruce sign back?” He asked sharply, trying to get the conversation back to somewhere he understood it.
Vlad hesitated a moment, then settled back again, clearly reading Danny’s discomfort in his aura if not on his face because the pride settled away.
Back in Wayne Manor, Danny felt Jason keying up, the slow growing happiness cutting straight back to danger-warning-protect-need help?.
Danny forced himself to calm too, closing his eyes for a moment to focus on the feel of Jason, not Vlad.
He just.
He didn’t know what to do with Vlad being proud of him. That had only ever meant he’d fucked up somewhere horrible before.
Calm-safe-I’m safe-not hurt.
“Still in contact with young Jason?” Vlad asked, letting the subject change even if he didn’t answer Danny’s question.
Danny cracked an eye open to peer at him.
“Yeah, he wasn’t a fan of me coming to see you on my own. Not to pick up his dad,” he added before Vlad could get the wrong idea.
Actually. It was still kinda funnier if Vlad kept the wrong idea.
From what Danny could read of him, no worries about that. Vlad was amused, but not comfortable.
Yeah, well, he could join the club. Danny gave his shoulder a gentle poke.
“Anyway. What did you really want Bruce for?”
Vlad glanced at his watch, then at the door.
“Well he’ll be back any second to tell you himself, Daniel. I wasn’t sure if you’d shared this little secret yet so I didn’t mention any of our shared nature, but he was the one to invite me out.”
Which also felt like the truth. Both parts. Danny hesitated for a moment, not quite sure if he was ready for this particular secret to be out to the Batman.
It’d be out the second the man got home if no one had texted him yet, but that was a long car ride away unless Danny flew back, and he didn’t want to leave Bruce unsupervised again.
Just because Vlad was being weird didn’t mean he wasn’t being Vlad.
Still, he’d know if Bruce was overshadowed right away, and if he wasn’t he could ask the man himself what Vlad had been up to.
And Vlad was in human form. Not like he could transform any faster than Danny if shit was about to go down.
The decision pretty much took itself out of his hands when the door began to open and Danny jumped back out of grabbing reach (just in case) and changed back.
Which was when he remembered what he was wearing.
**
Lunch with Vlad Masters had been… informative, and Bruce was a little surprised just how much time had passed.
Masters might be an unscrupulous businessman but he was clearly devoted to the things he cared for; Daniel Fenton, Amity Park, and the Green Bay Packers.
He just couldn’t quite reconcile how those three pieces fit into the picture at hand. To hear Vlad tell it, nothing untoward had happened in Amity Park in his whole time as mayor. And yet… the calls were real.
Even if Masters hadn’t hit the button personally, someone in his office must have.
Was there a chance that Danny had some sort of mind control abilities? That he’d removed the memories of those in Amity Park who’d opposed him?
It would explain why Masters would so fervently champion a boy he’d had almost nothing to do with. Oh, Danny Fenton had been born to two of Masters’ college friends, but they hadn’t seen each other for years before Danny’s birth.
As far as Bruce could tell the two had never even met before Danny was at least fourteen; Vlad had lived in an actual castle in Wisconsin and been a regular on the gala circuit for his area.
Friend of the family or not, it was suspicious that the only adults he’d spoken to so far had such diametrically opposed views on Danny.
Vlad was obviously hiding something. About Amity Park, Bruce was completely certain. The man’s accounts simply did not add up with the evidence. About Danny…
Bruce had his suspicions, but there was very little clear evidence about the man himself. Danny was technically an unknown quantity. And the center of far too many mysteries for Bruce’s peace of mind.
Bruce slipped away to the bathroom to let his thoughts settle not too long into Vlad’s lecture on the history of the Packers.
If Danny was coming from the manor they had a while yet before he’d be there, so he could let Vlad ramble on for a while once he returned.
His cheeks hurt from keeping up Brucie’s smile, but that was nothing new. The gala last night was still weighing on him, but it made it easier to put the act back on.
If Danny was coming here, and would accompany Bruce back to the manor, they would have a while to talk in the traffic. Finally a chance to speak to the man himself and let Bruce get an unbiased read.
Something had happened before Vlad claimed to have received a message from Danny. Something that made him start, and while it could have been the man’s phone, Bruce doubted it.
Even silent vibrations actually made some sound, and Vlad had barely glanced at the device. Not long enough to read any kind of complicated message; he hadn’t even unlocked it.
Vlad must have thought he was hiding it, but he’d been amused by whatever happened. Amused, and known immediately it was Danny. That Danny was coming.
Whatever else he might be, Vlad was certainly not a particularly skilled liar. Not to Batman.
Washing his hands, Bruce wondered if he might not be able to get Vlad back onto the subject of how Danny would be coming.
On his own, or at least Vlad hadn’t mentioned anyone else. And using Bruce’s car to get back? There were hardly bus routes between the manor and the city.
Unless Danny had some kind of meta abilities. Damian’s report had included his suspicions, and Duke and Dick had both seen him fly away.
That would put him here sooner than expected, but Bruce was certain he’d have noticed a flying meta in his city. Unless Danny only flew for certain situations.
Bruce paused at the door to their private room for half a second, letting his Brucie mask settle comfortably into place. Letting the smile spread. And pushed the door open.
Something bright flashed inside and Bruce tensed, anticipating a trap. One he would have no choice but to fall into, as he was now. But as the door cleared, he saw…
Vlad at the table, just as Bruce had left him. And Danny Fenton settling like he’d just moved sharply, wide blue eyes and messy hair above a shirt that was far too large for him tied off at his waist, and.
And.
Impractical for the weather. The trousers were closer to the right size, but arms and feet were bare, along with a slice of midriff.
Completely dry. It was still snowing, and the streets were covered in snow and slush. There was a slim chance he’d left a coat somewhere, but even his hair was dry.
Windswept and dishevelled hair, suggesting flight. His boys were right, and Bruce made a note to check in with Oracle later. See if he had been detected in the air.
Startled by his presence. Likely not because he didn’t expect Bruce to be there, not if he’d come expressly to pick him up. More that he’d been distracted by whatever had him moving so sharply.
Staring at him.
And then there was nothing else to observe, except…
Wearing one of Jason’s shirts. One that Dick had given him as a joke. It hung off him, exacerbating their size difference.
Danny was small. Closer to Cass’s size, and this close up Bruce could see the lean muscle, but there wasn’t much of it.
In pure hand to hand Bruce could probably take him, but whatever abilities let him tank a fight with Killer Croc left the actual outcome an unknown.
Blinking hard to distract himself from just how and why Danny had managed to show up in Jason’s clothes, he pulled on his big happy Brucie smile for the room.
And suddenly Vlad was incensed.
Bruce would swear the man had been smiling when he opened the door, but at some point while Bruce gave Danny a quick once over his mood had turned to rage.
He smothered it down quickly, but his jaw was still tight when he spoke through gritted teeth.
“Daniel, I believe this is the first time you have met Brucie,” Vlad said, his tone so frosty Bruce nearly shivered.
Not controlled by Danny then. At least, not controlled in a way that made him deferential. Not unless this was a slip in Danny’s control.
The boy looked startled still, looking down at himself like he’d forgotten what he was wearing and giving Bruce a sheepish smile.
Honestly he could have been wearing the world’s finest suit and not allayed any of Bruce’s suspicions, but it wasn’t Brucie’s job to let that show.
Instead he cranked the smile up a couple more notches, stepping forward and holding out a hand to shake.
“Yes, Danny, my kids simply won’t stop talking about you! I was sorry I couldn’t say hello last night,” he added, wanting to see how Danny would react to a little dig.
Nothing he couldn’t deny as being purely sincere.
Danny made a face and then pulled a smile on over it, stepping forward quickly to shake Bruce’s hand.
Some people only needed touch to take control of another. Bruce felt nothing of the sort, but Danny’s hand was oddly cool. Not unaffected by his clothing then.
“Yeah… sorry about that. About… well, all of it,” Danny said with a sheepish smile and one shoulder shrug that nearly had the shirt’s overlarge neckline fall off his other shoulder.
He scrabbled to right it, and Bruce firmly stifled the impulse to relax.
It was familiar, something any of his kids might have done. It could easily be an act to lure him into a false calm.
Brucie laughed and clapped him on the other shoulder, keeping half an eye on Vlad, who was still stewing at the table.
“Oh, I certainly got up to much worse in my day. You’re only young once, right?” He offered jovially, tipping Danny a playboy wink.
The boy blushed to the roots of his hair.
Interesting.
As much as Bruce wanted to pull at Vlad a little more, try and work out his sudden change of mood, he would much rather begin his observations of Danny Fenton directly.
“Still, we should get going or we’ll miss all of dinner,” he said with a cheerful smile, nodding to Vlad. “Thanks for a lovely afternoon, Vlad! Maybe we’ll catch a football game before the season ends.”
The man’s disposition brightened like he’d flicked a switch, though he still shot Danny an almost smug dirty look.
“Oh, that would be charming, Brucie. I’ll get you tickets for the Packers’ next game, we’ll have a splendid time.”
Danny snickered beside him, shoving his hands in his pockets and grinning back. Not afraid of Vlad either, for all that the other man was older, richer, and more influential.
“Yeah, Vladdie here knows aaaall about packers,” he said with a sly smirk, looking down on Vlad from his standing position.
Vlad responded with a look that Bruce had previously only seen on Clark’s face, around when Dick started teaching Kon sex jokes. And in the mirror.
Steph called it the “your puberty was my death sentence” look and insisted every one of the mentors used it. Bruce personally wasn’t convinced Oliver Queen knew what shame meant.
He’d abandoned his son. Bruce would never forgive that until Roy asked him to.
Perhaps he did have more in common with Vlad than he’d thought though. Watching the children get old enough for innuendo sucked.
Luckily Brucie could pretend not to get it.
“I know, he was telling me all about their recent games before you arrived,” he said cheerfully, oblivious as anything. And watched how both responded to innocence.
Vlad still looked pained, possibly by the pair of them now. Danny… Danny was smirking, clearly not convinced.
That was concerning. The boy knew who Nightwing and Signal were, there was a chance he knew Bruce’s identity too and this at least pointed in the same direction.
Still, no need to confirm anything for him. With another cheery wave to Vlad he held the door open for Danny.
“So, shall we? Would you like to take my car or do you have your own way back?” He asked, subtly prodding to see what Danny might say. And perhaps a hint how he’d gotten there.
Danny hesitated for a moment, glancing at Vlad. Like there was something between them, something to do with him.
Yes, Bruce would have to meet with Vlad Masters again in future. After he’d gotten to speak to Danny.
“I’ll come back with you,” Danny said with a shrug, nodding towards the door and then moving through it at Bruce’s wave.
He kept half an eye on the boy as they headed down to the restaurant’s garage and the sleek black car Bruce had driven over.
It’d be at least twenty minutes to drive back to the manor at this hour, maybe longer. Time enough for a short interrogation.
“I already messaged the others and told them to get started without us, I hope you don’t mind,” he said in his best charming Brucie voice, beeping the car to unlock it.
Danny shrugged, moving around to the passenger door, apparently entirely unbothered by bare feet on freezing concrete. Bruce almost wished he had some spare shoes for him.
“Yeah, it’s cool. I figured. So, any idea how long it’ll be to get back?” He asked, slipping into the car and sitting cross legged on the front seat.
Bruce followed suit, turning on the car and then the heat right away. Doing what he could.
“Probably not more than twenty minutes. Your seat is heated too by the way, here. You made it down very quickly, were you in the area?” Bruce asked, watching Danny from the corner of his eye as he strapped in.
Would Danny just tell him?
He’d not been hiding from the boys. If he really didn’t think this had to be a secret, he could just tell Bruce.
Danny shrugged again, opened his mouth, and Bruce’s phone rang, cutting him off.
His phone should be on silent. Bruce gave Danny an apologetic smile, pulling it out and planning to push the caller to voice mail. Wondering if he might have turned the ringer back on without meaning to. Or if Oracle had pushed through.
There was no one else he needed to talk to more than Danny right now.
Of course the universe would mock him for that thought.
The caller ID blinked accusingly up at him from the lock screen.
John fucking Constantine.
Bruce hesitated for a moment. Torn. The mystery or the responsibility?
Any other member of the Justice League would be ranked as a more reliable source of information than a possible suspect, but after the night Bruce had had? After what he’d learned?
The problems in Amity Park may have begun or ended with Danny Fenton, but the problems in the Justice League traced neatly back to John Constantine.
When it came down to it, Bruce knew he had a responsibility.
He gave Danny another, more apologetic smile.
“So sorry… do you mind if I take this quickly?” He asked, holding the phone carefully so Danny couldn’t see the screen.
The boy’s face cracked into a grin and he shrugged a third time, getting comfy in the expensive leather seat.
“Hey, if you keep one eye on the road you’ll be the safest driver I’ve ever ridden with. You don’t wanna be too late though, you’ve got another extra guest for dinner and she seemed real impatient,” he said with a slight smile, turning on his heated seat.
About to get out of the car, Bruce paused again.
“Oh? Who was that?” He asked half rhetorically, already listing the women in his life who could possibly make this situation worse.
Top of the list…
“Harley Quinn.”
Of course.
What did she want now?
Bruce forced himself not to think about it, swinging up and out of the car and holding the phone to his ear.
One disaster at a time. No matter how many the universe was piling in his lap after nearly a month of nothing. He’d known it was too good to be true.
At least the garage was empty, and the car soundproofed. Danny wouldn’t hear a thing.
“Constantine. How did you get this number?”
**
In a secluded corner of the House of Mystery everyone’s favourite magical scapegoat stubbed out a cigarette and reclined back in his seat.
“Oh, is this not fun when people do it to you? And here’s me thinkin’ barging into other peoples’ business was how you lot showed affection,” he said dryly, fingers tapping off the glowing purple ward scrawled on the phone case.
Phone numbers were for plebs.
He could fuckin’ hear Bats grinding his teeth through the phone. And yeah, maybe winding him up further wasn’t the best idea, but fuck it.
If John had good ideas, he’d never have given the fucking Justice League his contact info. Case in point.
Winding up the big Bat was the price they all had to pay for royally pissing him off all fuckin’ night and all fuckin’ day.
Kept an impressive handle on the growl though. Must have been somewhere semi-private.
“Constantine. You’ve been out of touch for more than eighteen hours and there is a serious-”
John cut him off, waving his cigarette around as if he could shush the man from here.
“Oh no no, big boy, you’re not fuckin’ blaming that on me. You’re the one fucking up all my communicators, and you’re going to fuckin’ stop. Now.”
And yeah, maybe he did enjoy the very tiniest inhale of surprise he could hear. Or was that Batsy counting to ten?
“What do you mean.” The trademarked growl was definitely creeping in, private place or not. Well, good. John being too annoying to kill was what kept him alive.
Better spell it out for the fucker though.
“I’m a fuckin’ magician, Batlad. On a couple of Hell’s most fuckin’ wanted lists. I can’t be fuckin’ found by people fuckin’ wishing me fuckin’ harm, and let me tell you how goddamn delighted I am to learn that that now includes you!”
All he’d wanted to do today was drop off some results for the junior spandex brigade about some of the glyphs and wards they’d found at a dig.
Just trying to stop them from blowing their fucking hands off. A humanitarian mission. John fuckin’ hated kids. Handless kids only slightly worse.
And he couldn’t contact a single member of the fuckin’ Justice League because some asshole was trying to use them to hunt him down.
Zatanna had needed to come to the House personally to circumvent the wards she’d helped him build.
(Good to know how well they worked though. Assuming they were working and he’d done something to piss off the big Bat enough that he was out for blood.
There was technically a chance they’d been calibrated wrong and Batsy wanted to bring him ham. Less likely than harm, in John’s humble opinion.)
Still, the only way to unfuck his communications was to find and defuse whatever had pissed the skulky bitch off, and while Zatanna had agreed to drop off his work for the kids, he needed to know what else they’d found.
He so was not going to fucking Alaska in January.
And with that as his alternative, John forced his most chipper smile onto his lips. Apparently people could sense that through phones. Who fuckin’ knew.
“So. You’ve fuckin’ got me. What the hell do you want?”
—————
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alkalische · 3 months
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hey remember when Hoederer lied to W about ines's death for no reason. because I do
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damn-stark · 6 months
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Chapter 10 I’ll know, I’ll know
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Chapter 10 of Sugar
A/N- You may be his sweetheart, his baby, and his darling, but Satoru is still his soulmate and one and only 😆 (that’s why Choso comes into your life, you’ll be his one and only and his soulmate)
Warning- Swearing, FLUFF, angst!!! Spoilers, long chapter, very soft and little! sexual part.
Pairing- Suguru Geto x Gojo!fem-reader, (future) Choso x fem!reader
Takes places during- 2x05 & JJK 0 movie
(Let me know if you want to be tagged)
————
There he stands across from you, looking at you with his dark eyes that usually work to assure you, but this time it all troubles your mind as something flickers inside.
“Hey,” he mutters and his smile fades while he squints to study you closer as he notices the conflict on your face now. “Is everything okay?”
Kill Geto Suguru.
You huff and narrow your gaze deeper but feel your eyes sting as tears cloud them.
Kill Geto Suguru.
You wrap your hand around the dagger’s handle and then charge at him to wrap him in an embrace that catches you by surprise.
Kill Geto Suguru.
He doesn’t hesitate to wrap an arm around your waist while he holds the back of your head with the other one. “Shoko told me what happened,” he whispers. “I’m sorry I didn’t go get you.”
You pull the dagger out of the sheath, but you also catch a whiff of his scent and feel your racing heart begin to ease with the small unintentional gesture.
Kill Geto Suguru.
“No!” You bellow and drop the knife to shove him back and walk away, but you stumble back as you try to fight the trance they tortured in you.
However, those foreign needs insist and counter harder, making your mind feel like it’s on fire again.
“Y/N?” Suguru calls out worryingly while he swipes the dagger off the ground.
“Stay away,” you plead and walk back until your back hits a tree. You want to keep walking away from him to keep him out of harm's way as you try to kill those foreign thoughts inside you, but your cousin's cursed technique fights back and that once-echoing command feels like it begins to yell at you, so you slide down to the ground and hide your face in your hands instead. Because at least if you don’t see him then that need won’t be so strong.
“Y/N?” Suguru calls out again before you suddenly feel his warm hands wrap around your hands. “What’s wrong? Talk to me.” He pulls your hands off your face, and you’re about to yell at him again to get away, but as you look him in the eyes, that once burning need falters, and resolve finally makes itself known.
“They,” you stammer without feeling the need to act out the command overwhelm your every thought. “They made me do it,” your voice quivers. “I tried to fight it but they hurt me.”
He can see the exhaustion in your eyes now, he notices the deep eyebags that weren’t there before. He can see the slight change on your face that looks like you haven’t eaten in days, and he knows now what you mean. “It’s okay,” he whispers softly and moves his hands to cup your cheeks.
You try to move away since that need to kill him is still very much present, but he holds you there and leans in closer to you. “It’s okay, you’re okay. I got you okay?”
You shake your head. “You don’t understand,” you blurt softly. “They want me to kill you. My family used their cursed technique to trick my mind. Please stay away.”
Suguru sighs with pity and shakes his head. “I'm not going anywhere. You helped me, now I’m going to help you,” he assures you and slides over his hands to cup your hands in his.
“How?” You whisper shakily. “It hurts to fight it. It’s like my mind is on fire. It’s like their voice is echoing in my head. I can’t make it stop.”
Suguru glances down and stays quiet for a moment, letting you just hear the demands in your head.
“It’s okay to leave,” you whisper. “You found yourself, I don’t want to take that away from you, so please just go…”
Satoru did.
Suguru hums and then he snaps his eyes up to meet your gaze with his eyes wide. “Try using RCT,” he suggests. “It hurts to fight back, so maybe healing your mind will take away those thoughts.” He nods softly to comfort your doubt.
And since it's the only solution you have you close your eyes and focus on summoning RCT. You focus on the soothing feeling as it slowly takes away the burning sensation, but not the foreign thoughts. Because it’s not actually hurting you, it's a trance.
“It didn’t work,” you whisper as you open your eyes. “So—”
“It’s all a mind trick baby,” he says softly. “It’s not real. You think it is because that’s what they want you to believe. Just try meditating, like you do at home, and focus those thoughts on something else.”
That’s right!
“Yeah, yeah,” you agree and close your eyes again to inhale and exhale slowly, to take in the soft and chilly fall air, and to feel the very light rays of sun kissing your face. You focus on the sound of Suguru’s breathing since he’s so close to you, you focus on the warmth of his hands, and the comfort he brings by that touch alone. You take in his presence and feel the demanding thoughts all slowly go silent, all the echoing voices slowly vanish leaving you able to focus all that energy onto one singular feeling; anger over Satoru and his betrayal.
“It worked,” you say excitedly and open your eyes to throw your arms around Suguru. “It’s all gone.” You smile with relief.
Suguru hugs you back and sighs with relief. “Good, I’m proud of you.”
You pull back and counter him lightheartedly. “It was all you. You helped me. You always do,” you tell him sweetly.
And perhaps it was truly him, his presence alone did manage to make a crack when you first saw him. Furthermore, he’s your whole world, so the love you feel for him is stronger than your cousin's cursed technique; as cheesy as that sounds.
Or maybe it was the fact that your mind was already strong due to all the meditation and practice you put it through over the year, you just needed a push. Whatever, it was he still helped you.
“And I always will,” he says and cups your cheeks. “I’m…sorry that happened to you,” he changes the subject. “I’m sorry your family was so heartless as to do that to you.”
Your joy and relief fade away and anger makes itself clear. “I’m not surprised though,” you mutter and lower your gaze as you feel tears once again fill your eyes. “It’s what they do…and Satoru basically let them by leaving me behind.”
“What?” Suguru gasps. “He let them do it?”
You scoff. “No, but,” your voice quivers. “He practically did by leaving me behind. He was there,” you share what had been stuck in your throat over the past week. “He was there to take me home, but they told him I was weak, and he agreed with them by leaving me behind after he promised to always protect me. I mean he’s always known what they do to me and he still left,” you whimper. “He left me.”
“I,” Suguru pauses, letting you lift your eyes to see him study the ground all perplexed. “I’m sure he thought he was doing what was right for you. He thought he was protecting you that way,” he defends your brother.
No matter what happened, and what might’ve happened when they talked, he still defends his best friend. You can’t say you can do the same to defend your brother though. Not this time.
“It doesn't matter,” you argue. “Sometimes thinking that you’re doing the right thing isn’t the right thing. He might’ve not known what would happen, I didn’t either. Do I blame him for it?” You pause and almost feel afraid to say it, but your anger right now is blinding your judgment. “Yes. And what hurts the most is that he didn’t believe in me. On top of that, he knows how much I hate my house and my family because of what they do and did, and he still left.” You lower your gaze and sniffle as you avoid shedding the tears that threaten to spill.
Suguru stays quiet as he can’t find what to say. He wants to defend your brother, but he also wants to defend you, but doesn’t know how to approach either the correct way without upsetting you so, he just utters two simple words. “I’m sorry.”
It doesn’t resolve anything, or ease that anger, but it does comfort your anguish. He then proceeds to pull you into an embrace and that lets you drop your shoulders and exhale with relief.
Suguru keeps you in his embrace for a moment longer, and when he pulls back you’re going to protest, but he then presses one kiss on the top of your head, then one on your forehead, and a last one on your lips. You grin softly as you grab the sides of his neck.
“I’m here for you, always,” he says, causing you to feel sweet bliss.
“Thank you,” you whisper softly.
Suguru hums softly before he presses one more kiss on your lips.
“Now,” you sigh and move on to your next pending topic. “Your turn. My family kept rubbing in my face what you did so I know.”
Suguru holds your gaze for a moment before he lets out a breathless chuckle and sits down across from you. “Yeah, I figured that’s why your folks took you home.”
You hum in agreement and quickly interject with something you hope assures him. “You look happier,” you point out. “So does that mean you found yourself?”
Suguru nods as he doesn’t let his eyes flicker away from yours. “I did,” he says. “But before I get into that, what are your thoughts on what I did? I don’t need to explain to you what happened, that's something I’m sure your folks made sure to not get wrong.”
You scoff and nod. “Yeah, they basically memorized the report…” you trail off and shake your head. “Regardless, you know my thoughts on non-sorcerers, I don’t like them, and hearing what you did doesn't make me feel any sort of sympathy, so I don't hate what you did, I don't blame you, or hold any animosity.”
“But?” Suguru probes since he knows that you have more to say.
“But,” you repeat and exhale deeply. “I do want to know what made you choose that path. And why your parents too?”
Suguru draws out a small breath but his face doesn’t change to show any sorrow or regret, he stays nonchalant. “I couldn’t make my parents an exception. Besides, those people are not my family anymore. It’s that simple.”
You hum in comprehension and accept that truth he chose. Does it slightly upset you? Kind of, he’s already so different, plus he would never talk this way before. But he chose his path, you can’t judge him for it, especially because if you had the chance, let's just say that the only Gojo’s left would just be Satoru and you. So even if it's weird to your ears hearing Suguru speak like that, you don’t judge him.
“And as to what made me choose,” he continues. “Well, after I exorcized the curses in the village, they—” he pauses and his face hardens whilst he fists his hands. “The non-sorcerer's living there showed me to two little sorcerer girls that they had caged and beaten because they thought they were the ones who had cursed them.”
You gasp softly in horror at what he shares.
“But it was their own fear and negativity that cursed them, not those little girls. They’re only children!” He says with anger rising in his voice. “But they noticed that something was slightly different and took no shame in torturing them because of it. Because of their ugliness and fear.” He scoffs and shakes his head. “After I realized that is when I chose my path and let the old me die in that fire too.”
They’re all the same, aren't they? Driven by their selfishness and fear. They hurt children because of it instead of seeing the truth and trying to help them. How evil is that? Now you understand why he chose what he did. You would too if you already didn’t find your resolve.
“Are the little girls okay?” You can’t help but ask.
Suguru nods right away. “They’re okay,” he assures you. “I helped them and took them in.”
You blink in disbelief at what he said, but you can’t help but let your lips lift to a small proud smile. “Good,” you praise him. “I'm glad they’re okay.”
“Now all that’s left to do,” he adds in a much calmer voice, “is carve my path the best way I can to accomplish my goal…will you help me?”
You blink repeatedly again and feel your breath catch in your throat.
“Help me build a better world for sorcerers like us, like those little girls,” he adds softly and with an excited smile. “So they won't hurt people like us, so we won't have to live in fear of the curses they make, and so we don’t have to live surrounded by their selfishness. It won't happen overnight,” he tells you. “But we can start it, and we could do what you want to do too. You can build a community for sorcerers while I try to accomplish my goal.”
Your lips pull to a soft smile, and your heart flutters as your face burns with how flustered you’re getting at this proposal.
Does he really want you on this new path of his? He doesn’t want to leave you behind? It wouldn't be anything strange if he did choose to leave. In the back of your head, you feared he would leave when he found himself again. Plus Satoru left, why wouldn’t Suguru?
But you’re glad he isn’t leaving, it only reaffirms the fact that no matter what he will always be here for you. Plus it’s such a breath of fresh air, and a comfort to your aching heart after your brother broke it. Yet there’s still one thing you need to know. “How will you accomplish your goal to build a better world?”
Suguru sighs softly. “I’ll start a fake religious group to use the non-sorcerers naivety and collect curses,” he reveals. “And then I'll use those curses to kill every non-sorcerer,” he finishes nonchalantly.
You hold his gaze for a moment in silence. And when his words finally progress in your head you can’t help but smile at the ground with pride.
“What?” He asks hesitantly.
You lift your eyes to meet his gaze and grin at him. “Out of everyone I know,” you say. “I know for certain that you can do it and so much more. I'm proud of you. I’m happy you found yourself. I’m happy to see you smiling again.”
Suguru’s chest falls and a smile spreads on his face. “You’re the only person who’s said that,” he whispers. “No one else has believed in me.”
You offer him a sweet grin and reach over to grab his hand and caress his knuckles. “You always have faith in me, my love, why shouldn’t I believe in you?”
Suguru's smile widens and his eyes soften. “So?” He presses. “Do you want to build this new world with me? If you don’t, say it, that’s okay too.”
Happy tears fill your eyes and your answer is clear. It has been. He only gave you clarity as to what you truly want out of this life now. “I do,” you assure him and stay where you are to add more. “But you must know that I’m going to accept Yuki’s offer because I need her to become the person I want to be,” you share enthusiastically. “I won’t be gone long, I don’t want to leave you behind, but know I will leave with her for a year. Is that okay?”
Suguru doesn't hesitate, he nods. “If it makes you happy then go for it,” he says sincerely.
You beam at him and can’t contain your excitement, you throw yourself on him, causing you both to fall back and laugh.
“All I ask,” you interject as you pull your head back to face him. “Is for you not to leave me, and I won’t leave you.”
Suguru raises his hands to hold your hips as he watches your lips. “I swear,” he assures your concern.
You hum happily and lower your gaze to his lips before you smash yours on his without caring that people passing by can see.
“I love you,” you tell him between kisses.
Suguru slides his hands up to cup your cheeks and pulls your head back. “I love you too,” he whispers against your lips. “More than anything.”
You share a soft loving look before you begin kissing again and again. You can’t stop yourselves, you’re too enveloped in the bliss of the moment, and in the passion that burns at that moment.
You eventually do pull apart, but he stays close. “Let’s go home,” he says and grabs your hand to pull you to your feet.
“Home is wherever you are,” you assure him even if it sounds cheesy now that you say it.
Suguru flashes you a grin and wraps his arm around your shoulders. “Come on then there’s people I want you to meet.”
You wrap your arm around his waist and rest your head on his shoulder. “You know,” you add lightheartedly. “I really love a family-oriented man.” You chuckle.
Suguru chuckles and looks over at you. “Is that so?” He teases. “That’s good to know.”
Alas even as you walk to your new home, even as you walk down the path that will let you fulfill your dreams with the man you love, with your family, there’s a small weight that weighs your heart down…
“…I’m your big brother, I will always protect you.”
You look back as if Satoru was there, as if you had left him behind, and frown with sorrow.
——
*LATER*
“Wait,” you blurt and come to a stop before Suguru can open the door. “Not yet. I’m nervous.”
Suguru pulls his hand back from the knob and turns to face you in confusion. “About?” He asks while he stifles his laugh.
You point to the door. “Meeting the twins,” you let him know. “What if they don’t like me, huh?”
Suguru snorts. “Y/N, you’re being ridiculous you have not given them a reason to dislike you because you haven’t met.” He steps towards you.
You shrug. “Well, what if they see me and don’t like me? Kids are very brutally honest, you know?”
“You were?” He teases.
You draw in a small breath and shake your head. “Well no,” you breathe out. “But Satoru was. It’s scary.”
Suguru chuckles and grabs your shoulders to gently caress them. “Baby, it’s gonna be fine.” He drops his hands to his sides and points his head to the door to walk back to it and open it before you can protest again.
You slowly follow him inside but stay hidden behind him as he walks into the motel room.
“I’m home Mrs Zu,” he announces. “Thank you for taking care of the girls.”
“Geto!” You hear two sweet voices exclaim before you hear hurried footsteps approach your boyfriend.
“The girls were well-behaved,” you hear an old lady say. “We had lunch, and I made some dinner for all of you to have later.”
Arms wrap around Suguru’s waist and he wraps his hands around two separate bodies, making you smile softly at how gentle he is.
“Oh, you shouldn’t have,” Suguru protests. “My girlfriend and I stopped by to buy things for dinner.” He says, making one girl with dark brown eyes, and very light brown hair shaped in a short bob, tilt her head to the side. When she gets a peek at you her eye widens and she pulls her head away quickly, making another girl with the same colored eyes but with a dark-haired bob, take a peek at you too.
You offer the little girl a kind smile and her eye widens before she hides away too.
“Well you can save your things for tomorrow then,” the lady retorts as you hear feet shuffling against the ground. “I didn’t want to have you guys eat junk food.”
“Oh,” Suguru chuckles and moves forward, letting you see the girls in baggy-colored hoodies, and with healing bruises on their faces as they stay there and watch you with curiosity. While you watch them with a timid smile, and with pity over how you see their little faces.
“Well, thank you then,” Suguru adds while the old lady stops before him and smiles. “Here, for today's work,” he says and offers her money. Albeit the lady doesn’t take it and makes sure to walk past him before he can insist. She then spots you and blinks.
“You must be Gojo’s little girl,” she points at you as you step aside to let her walk past you. “You’ve grown into quite a beautiful young woman. I was friends with your grandmother years ago.”
You offer her a faint smile and respond. “Oh? It’s nice to meet you then. I’m sorry I don’t remember you.”
“No you wouldn’t,” the lady says as she walks past you. “It’s been a long time since I’ve visited your family. Well, I’m Mrs. Zu. If you need me to babysit again just call me!” She walks out and closes the door behind her, leaving Suguru standing by you with the money in his hand.
“I’ll take the money,” you tease Suguru, making him chuckle and put his money back in his pocket. He then puts an arm on the small of your back and makes you turn around with him to face the twins. “Mimiko, Nanako, I have someone here I want you to meet,” he quickly interjects sweetly. “This is y/n Gojo, my girlfriend.” He looks at you and you briefly meet his gaze before you walk to them and crouch so you can be at their level.
“Hi,” you greet them softly. “I’m y/n, Suguru has told me a lot about you, but I have yet to know your names. Is it okay if I know?”
The twins look at one another, and the one with light-colored hair smiles and steps forward. “I’m Nanako Hasaba,” she introduces herself. “This is my sister…” she trails off and grabs her sister's arm to pull her forward.
“I’m Mimiko,” the girl with dark hair says while she holds her stuffed little creature closer to her. “Are you the girl Geto has on his phone?”
You giggle. “I should hope so,” you say and peer back to see Suguru smile.
“Hey, why is your hair white?” Nanako asks, making you snap your head to face her. “Are you an old lady?”
Suguru snickers and your mouth drops with slight disbelief.
“Nanako,” Mimiko scolds her sister.
“What?”
“It’s okay,” you assure them and peek back at your boyfriend before you lean towards the girls and whisper. “I’m an old lady who consumes the souls of beautiful men to make my face look young. Just don’t tell him, huh?”
The girls chuckle and nod in agreement.
“Hey, what did you tell them?” Suguru asks and steps forward.
You look back and offer him a sweet smile before you respond at the same time as the girls. “Nothing!”
He hums and leaves it be, letting you look back at the girls and grin. “Can I ask you guys something important? What’s your favorite animal, hm?”
Nanako and Mimiko look at one another to share a knowing look before they look at you and Nanako answers, “Bunnies!”
You smile, and then glance at the two half-empty cups of water before you lift your hand as you use your CT to pull the water out of the cups and summon it towards you. As the girls see, Mimiko looks in awe, and Nanako squeals.
“Watch,” you tell them, and collect the water together in between your palms before you break it apart and begin to form them into multiple small bunnies.
“Geto look!” Nanako exclaims excitedly.
“I’m looking.”
You make the water-made bunnies hop as if they were real and then proceed to make them hop around them, causing both girls to smile brightly as they follow them.
Mimiko soon thereafter traps one in her hand, so when she looks at it, you make the water-made bunny scratch its ear. And Nanako hops after the other bunnies you still have hopping around.
“See,” Suguru interjects softly, making you stand up and walk to his side. “They like you.”
You smile softly as you watch the girls happily try and play with the water-made bunnies you keep up for a bit longer. And you try to be swept away, and you kind of are; seeing them happy and laughing makes your heart swell and makes you want to keep them happy all the time after just meeting them, but there’s another part of you that’s unsure of it all. This is the life you choose to live now, but you’re so reluctant about them.
You never had supportive or loving parents, all you had was your caretaker Belinda, and your older brother Satoru. They tried their best to give you a happy life, but you still remember your parent's “tough love”, what if you end up like that too? You’ll ruin these girls' lives the same way your parents ruined yours. You don’t want to be the cause of their misery, because no matter how hard you try to forget, stuff like that sticks with you. And they've already been through so much, you don’t want to be that for them.
“Are you okay?” Suguru breaks you from your train of thought.
“Yeah,” you assure him and offer him a soft smile. “I’m okay.”
Of course, he noticed.
“Hm,” Suguru hums and watches you for a moment before he wraps his arm around your shoulders and presses you against him to press a gentle kiss on the top of your head.
You hold his hand and lean against him as you continue to think about the girls and the role you’ll play in their lives. You know you won’t be alone trying to—well, what does Suguru want to do? He said he was helping them, but does he want to raise them? Knowing him he probably will, so if it happens then you won’t be alone raising them, but what if you become everything your parents were to you?
That question lingers in the front of your head all day, it forms doubt and begins to form regret. You try not to think too much about it, you try to think of it all positively, and it kind of works, but then later that day you begin to get calls from your parents as they finally seem to know that the mission they sent you to failed. You get calls from Satoru and Shoko, and you even get texts from Nanami.
You want to respond to your friends and let them know you’re fine, but you can’t do it after you begin to think back to five days ago when Satoru left you behind. It heightens your doubt as your agony and anger return tenfold and lets you take in the choices you made.
You don’t want to go back, but you really left it all behind. Satoru really let you down and left you there, he hurt you. And your family hurt and used you because of it. This will be your life now; living with Suguru, possibly seeing your dreams come true…without your brother. You left it all behind and it hurts to think about it, but you also don’t know why it hurts so badly.
This is the choice you made after all. You’re happy that you left a school that only brought misery, you’re happy that you left the family that only tormented you, but you’re not happy that you left your friends behind. Yet that’s not what saddens you, it’s—well, you don’t know exactly what it is but that’s what hurts to think about. And you cry when you’re alone in the shower because of it.
You want to stop crying, but your tears keep mixing with the water that falls on your face.
Suguru seems to notice and when you least expect it he surprises you by hopping in the shower with you and embracing you from behind.
“Did it hurt when you left it all behind?” You ask him in a quivering voice.
Suguru sighs. “Yeah, it did,” he admits. “But it gets better. You’re just taking it all in, it's just a bit of a shock. It won’t be easy, but you have me, I’ll help you. You’ll be okay.”
——
*THE NEXT DAY*
You to Nanami and Shoko: “Just know I’ll be fine.”
You blow out smoke and watch your phone as if you’re waiting for an immediate response or a protest from either of them.
Nonetheless, before you can actually get a message back you shut your phone off and put it down to instead drop your head in your hands and let the cigarette continue to burn.
Your phone was going off all evening so you shut it off, when you turned it back on just now you had probably a hundred missed calls from Satoru. Suguru began to get calls from him too, but neither of you answered him. You only found the courage now to reassure Shoko and Nanami, but that’s it. You can’t message him or answer a call. You won’t run back home, you’re staying with Suguru.
Who knows, maybe when your anger passes you’ll try again. Someday, just not today.
Therefore, you lift your head and draw in another drag of your cigarette before you turn it off and stand up. However, just as you do the door opens and Suguru walks out. “Breakfast is ready,” he announces with a tiny smile.
You nod. “I’ll just go deep wash my hands.” You giggle and pat his shoulder, yet as you grab the knob you step back and face him seriously. “I need to ask you something.”
Suguru becomes serious and concerned. “What is it?” He probes.
You exhale softly and avert your gaze as you bring up another matter that’s been on your mind. “What are we going to do about those girls?”
Suguru blinks. “What do you mean?” He asks.
“I mean we’re teenagers, Suguru,” you explain. “We left school, and I mean we have money, but our brains haven’t even fully developed, how are we going to raise them?” You ask with worry. “I just.” You scoff and drop your head. “I don’t want to ruin their lives. I don’t want them to grow up and hate their childhood because I did something wrong along the way. From here on out we’ll be everything to them, we shape their lives. I…don’t want to mess up and mess them up along the way.” You shake your head and sigh shakily. “I can’t do that to them, they’ve gone through so much.”
Suguru exhales deeply and steps forward to grab your shoulders. “And you think they’ll have a better life out there?” He questions. “If we send them out there they’ll run a risk of getting treated the same way I found them,” he reveals a truth you also thought of. “Or even worse. I know it’s scary, I mean I’m nervous, but I don’t think anyone really knows what to do when it comes to raising kids, don’t you think? You learn along the way and from the mistakes your parents made.”
You nod in agreement and lift your head to meet his gaze with a terrified look.
“You’re not your parents,” he tries to assure you. “And you never will be your parents. You know how I know that? Because you’re a good person with a good heart, you wish to help people, something they can’t do. You will be everything they weren’t because you don’t want kids to experience that same thing. The same way your brother always tried to make things better for you.”
Tears fill your eyes at the mention and you can’t help but nod even if your brother does trigger some annoyance.
“Look,” he adds as you stay quiet. “I don’t know what I’m doing either, but we’re going to do it together, I promise. I won’t leave you alone.”
You’re still terrified, but his soothing voice and his words do have a way to comfort your doubts and silence your overthinking. Plus, as long as you have him with you you can raise those girls so they won’t have to know any more of the ugliness and cruelness that non-sorcerers create.
“You’re right,” you muse softly and embrace him. “I’m just scared.”
“I understand,” he whispers as he hugs you back and caresses your back. “But we can do it and so much more,” he says and goes quiet for a moment before he quietly adds, “I promise I’ll give you and the girls the world.”
You smile softly and snuggle your head against his chest.
You stay like that for a moment longer before he pulls back and points inside. “Breakfast will get cold,” he says. “And the girls will be waiting.”
You grin and walk past him to walk in first with eagerness to eat.
“Hey, so I’ve been meaning to ask,” he interjects while he tows behind you and closes the door. “What do you want to do for your birthday? It’s coming up.”
You stop in front of the entrance and face him. “It’s in a month,” you remind him. “Well no, a few weeks now!” The days have really snuck right past you. “Hm, well I don’t know, maybe we should go to some college Halloween party?” You suggest. “Mei-Mei says those are very fun.”
“Eh, but there will be non-sorcerers around,” he rebuttals. “True,” you grumble. “Oh!” You exclaim excitedly. “But I heard about a sorcerer club we can go to, I heard they’re fun.”
“Who said that?” Suguru asks.
“Eh…Naoya,” you whisper and twist around to follow the smell towards the small round table just outside the kitchen.
“Who?” Suguru asks since he didn’t hear.
You avoid answering when you reach the sink and catch the girls trying to pour orange juice for you and Suguru around the dining table. “Oh, what's going on?” You ask as you wash your hands and can’t help but smile.
Nanako puts the carton down and grins at Suguru and you. “We’re trying to serve you guys juice so you won’t be thirsty!” She exclaims.
Your heart swoons and when you finish washing your hands you skip over to happily sit down on your seat and beam at them. “Oh, bunny,” you call her a nickname that just comes out and feels so natural. “That’s so nice.”
She grins brighter and continues to pour juice while Mimiko holds the cup down.
“So, Suguru was just asking me what I wanted to do for my birthday, do you girls have any ideas?” You ask them as Suguru takes his seat beside you.
Nanako puts the carton down and looks at you surprised. “Us?” She asks.
You nod.
Nanako and Mimiko share a surprised look before Mimiko speaks up. “When is it?”
“On the 31st of October.”
The girl's eyes brighten. “On Halloween!” They both say simultaneously.
You nod. “Yeah.”
“Could we,” Mimiko interjects as she and her sister sit across from Suguru and you. “Dress up and go get candy? The kids in the village would do that.”
Your smile falters and tears fill your eyes as you fill with guilt. Even if it wasn’t your doing you still feel terrible for what they lacked in their lives.
Suguru notices you on the brink of tears and cuts in as he picks up his utensils. “Yeah, we could do that. And then we can come back and have cake, sound cool?”
The girls giggle and your own eyes brighten as you get an idea. “Oh my god, we could totally coordinate costumes!” You exclaim excitedly. “I have some ideas!” You beam and then take a bite from the food Suguru has made.
“I'm almost afraid to ask,” Suguru mumbles.
“Then don’t,” you quip teasingly after you swallow. “You’ll see it and love it.”
“I wanna know!” Nanako blurts.
“Me too!” Mimiko interjects.
You wink at them and throw them a thumbs-up. “After breakfast, we can go over some ideas, hm? But only after.”
The girls begin to eat away with smiles on their faces, but then suddenly the mood shifts on Mimiko. “Will we stay that long?” She asks timidly. “We won’t go somewhere else?”
Suguru lowers his utensils. “Go where?” He asks.
You chew your food and watch her curiously.
“I don’t know,” she murmurs. “Away from here? Can we stay here until after?”
Suguru and you share a brief pitiful look before you interject confidently and with an assuring smile. “No, Mimiko, you and your sister aren’t going anywhere. You’re staying with us, we’ll be a family now. The four of us.”
The girls smile brightly and Suguru and you share a soft smile before you continue with your breakfast.
You don’t doubt or overthink any part of that now, you actually like the thought of being a family. The four of you. You want to build a better world with them, for them. You want to work on your dreams too and never let go of them, especially not Suguru Geto.
——
*10 YEARS LATER. 2017*
“Nice shoot, y/n!”
“Great work as always! That’s why you’re the best!”
You peer back and shoot them a wink and a smug smile.
“I hope to shoot with you again soon,” the photographer interjects as he blocks your way. “You know you’re my favorite.” He grabs your hand and you draw in a small breath and smile.
“I hope so too,” you respond and fight the need to pull your hand back. “There’s a Chanel shoot I'll do in a few months so maybe then?”
He grins and nods. “I’ll have to fight for the spot,” he says.
You nod.
“Y/N!”
You look past the man’s shoulder and smile with relief as you see your family member, and shared assistant, Manami.
“Your husband is on the phone and he says it’s urgent.” She shares.
Urgent?
You nod in comprehension and look at the photographer to offer him a fake sweet smile. “I’ll see you, as always it was a pleasure.” You touch your chest to pretend and be touched. “Bye.”
He lets you go and waves with a beaming grin on his face, letting you stride towards Manami as fast as you can. When you reach her she hands you your sunglasses, and you put them in as you mumble. “Let’s go, I don't want to be here any longer than I have to.”
“Agreed,” she says after you and squirts hand sanitizer on your palm like usual.
“Is he on the phone now?” You ask as you walk out of the room.
“No,” she clarifies. “He said you could call him later. I just thought you needed an escape.”
You sigh with relief and nod. “As always you’re right. Anyway I can talk to him now, is the car here?”
“Yeah, already waiting,” she lets you know while she hands you your phone.
“Good,” you whisper and quickly manage to call Suguru back. And like he tends to do, he doesn’t take long to answer.
“Hello, darling,” he greets. “How was work?”
You smile. “Oh, you know, tiring. And reminding me how much I hate wearing contacts for work.”
“Yeah,” he sighs. “I don’t know why you wear them. Your eyes look beautiful without them.”
You laugh softly. “So you say all the time.”
“Well, I just want to remind you.”
You hum softly and then happily add, “I’m done here and on my way home. Are you there?”
“No, I’m still over here at the facility,” he says. “I was hoping you could come over and we can go home from here. I need to talk to you about something,” he says in a low and husky voice that makes you smirk.
“Oh, Sugar, what’s with the lusty voice? This better not be about another woman now, because I got to say I’ll get jealous.”
Suguru scoffs. “Don’t say nonsense,” he counters with annoyance.
You chuckle. “Okay then, I’ll head over there now.”
“I’ll see you here then.”
You hum and then hang up the phone to look at Manami. “Are you hungry?” You query. “I haven’t eaten all day.” You mention and rub your stomach.
“I thought you said you were cutting back on non-sorcerer food,” she points out.
You pout. “I do that and I’ll starve to death,” you exaggerate. “I don’t have time to cook something so I’ll break my promise just this time.” You grin.
“You said that last time,” she mutters.
You shrug her off because honestly you can’t do it and you don’t know how Suguru does it. Sure he breaks his rule about not eating non-sorcerer every once in a while when you and the girls want him to try something, but besides that, he keeps a strict only sorcerer-made food diet. You tried it for half a year and haven’t kept it constant after that. There’s just too much good food out there!
And especially after you get off long days of work all you want is something quick, and when you’re out with your friends you don’t want to seem picky so you just continuously break any streak you may have, or any attempt at trying. It’s a good thing Suguru doesn’t mind your difference in tastes, you still respect his choices albeit and finish your meal before you get to the religious facility that now stands tall and prestigious, showing off all the hard work he put in building up what the star-religious group left behind.
When you step inside all the lights are off though, and the rooms are empty for the day since his day ended. Only the hallway light is lit, signifying he’s in his office. You knock once on his door as you reach it and hear him welcome you inside, making you smile happily.
“I’ll say,” you tease as a welcome while you walk in. “Your followers are gonna start thinking you’re a pervy monk since you’re always asking me in your office.” You snicker.
Suguru rolls his eyes but stands off his chair to meet you halfway with a smile.
“How was your day?” You ask when you reach him and place your hands on his toned chest hidden under all his Buddah costume.
“Better now,” he says softly as he cups your jaw and pulls you in for a deep and slow kiss to greet you after not seeing each other since this morning. When he tries to pull back, you bite his bottom lip and slide your hands to the back of his head to pull him in again.
Suguru chuckles and grabs your hips as he walks back and plops on the chair in front of his desk. You hover over him and smirk in your kiss whilst you entangle your fingers in his long and soft hair.
“You smell nice,” he compliments as you begin to leave a trail of kisses that lead down to his neck.
“Hm, I am wearing your favorite,” you murmur against his neck.
Suguru grunts softly as you nibble his neck, but he then realizes what you’re doing and gently pushes you back, making you snicker.
“I told you,” he whispers between heavy breaths. “Not there.”
You smirk and sit on his lap now, letting him slide his hand down to caress your hip.
“Undress and I’ll leave it somewhere better,” you tease him as you twirl a strand of his hair around your finger.
“You first,” he counters smugly as he tugs on your short skirt.
You grin. “I will,” you say. “But first tell me what this is about?”
Suguru sighs deeply and his smirk deepens. “Do you remember that boy with the special grade curse we’ve been hearing about?”
You blink and look away to think really hard.
“The one who gravely injured his classmates recently?” He adds since he knows you won’t recall what he wants right away since there’s so much on your plate. Thus when you remember you snap your fingers as it finally comes to mind.
“Ah, yes, I remember now! The boy that got picked up by the school! Yeah! The research on him has been hard, too many holes everywhere, but,” you say happily. “After some thorough digging and with the help of Nanako and Toshihisa, I learned he’s a descendant of Sugawara Michizane! So we’re, like, super distantly related!” You smile.
Suguru smiles down. “Then it explains so much,” he muses. “His curse, Orimoto Rika, must be more special than we’ve been led to believe.” He smirks and grabs you tighter. “It’s time we prove it.”
You quirk an eyebrow and probe. “How so?”
Suguru drifts his eyes and meets your gaze with a deeper smirk. “By unleashing one of my curses in an elementary school overrun with curses—”
“What?” You cut him off in disbelief and get off him to stand and share a puzzled gaze. “And elementary school? You can’t be serious, Suguru.”
Suguru doesn’t share your sudden concern and actually questions you on why you sound so worried. “Yes, I am. It’s just a monkey school.”
You scoff. “Look I don’t mind anything else we do,” you argue, “but that’s a school full of children, it doesn’t matter if they’re non-sorcerers or not, they’re kids and most of them are the same age as—”
“Don’t bring her into this,” he cuts you off more seriously now since you bring her up. “It’s not the same and you know it.” He stands up too and steps towards you to press his defense. “You shouldn’t be worried, y/n, it’s just a school already in great need of cleaning. And I promise that no child will be harmed if it bothers you so much. We just need one or two to display a threat and have them deploy Okkotsu…But do I need to remind you what we fight for?”
You shake your head and step back. “No,” you deadpan. “I know what we fight for, I still believe in it, but this will be crossing a line. We do this and we’re like the people we so deeply despise.”
Suguru frowns and spats back. “Don’t compare me to them. And it’s not like we’re doing anything out of the ordinary, what do you think will happen when we finally unleash our plan to rid this world of every monkey?”
He’s not even trying to understand you. But you have to admit he’s also right.
Yet! That doesn’t mean it’s okay right now! No matter how much you hate non-sorcerers, why should children pay the price for one of your schemes that just involves seeing what power a curse possesses?
“I know what will happen,” you argue. “But we need to be better than them, this is not being better, are you understanding me?”
Suguru holds your gaze for a long while as he gets lost in thought. You wait and hope he at least changes his mind and changes his plan to some different location.
“It’s already being done,” he mutters without expressing any sort of emotion you just made him feel.
You swallow thickly and avert your gaze. “Why didn’t you tell me about your plan earlier?” You ask quietly.
“Considering how quickly everything is being handled it’s a plan that I thought of on the spot,” he explains. “You were at work earlier so I didn’t find the right time.”
You nod. “I see. How many children?”
“Two.”
You exhale deeply and then lift your gaze to show off the disappointed and upset look painted on your features. “Okay,” you mumble and sigh.
“If you’re mad just tell me,” he says. “I don’t want to go home upset with each other.”
You nod in comprehension and pull out your phone pretty much without thinking to text someone to talk to about this with, someone who will listen and also give you some advice. Something to just unravel all the racing thoughts tangling with each other amidst your confusion on how to feel.
You could ask Nanami to hang out, he and you haven’t lost touch after ten years. You did go a couple of years without speaking because you wanted to distance yourself from your old life out of fear that you’d get pulled back to that life, back to your brother. But you broke that rule with Nanami, he was one of your best friends after all, he was brutally honest which you needed sometimes, and someone you know wouldn’t be disappointed by your choices.
But you did promise to keep all that sorcerer-related talk out of your mouths when you hung out. You’d just dive into your day-to-day lives, you’d go into the deep life stuff. You want to keep that promise because you need that sometimes, because even if you have Suguru and your family, you just need to get away sometimes, and he always answers.
So it leaves one person you can rely on. If she is around anyway.
“Y/N?” Suguru asks as you stay quiet and text your friend and cherished master, Yuki.
You to Yuki: You around to go out for a drink?
“I’m going out,” you brush Suguru off and face him. “I need to, I don't know, think.”
Suguru sighs and tries to get close, but you step away. “There’s nothing to think about, darling. This is the life we chose, those are the people that we want to get rid of. Why is this hard?”
“It’s not hard,” you argue. “I know what I chose and what I’m choosing to do, and I’m okay with it. I have no regrets, but is this right? No matter what we choose we still need to ask ourselves what lines we cross and which ones we don’t. That’s what separates us from them, and keeps us from being feared by the people we want to protect. I wouldn’t have cared if you attacked some hospital or some mall, or something, but those are children. I just…” you trail off and can’t think of what to say.
“It’s okay, take your time,” he says softly because, of course, he can’t express his anger towards you. He hardly ever does. Even if sometimes you want it, you’re glad he doesn’t actually get angry, you’d probably cry if he did show it to you.
Yet as comforting as he was, your phone gets a message and you eagerly check, noticing that it’s from Yuki.
Yuki: Actually I am around, I was just going to text you! So let’s do it. How about our usual whenever you want.
You: In around ten minutes?
“I just need to think,” you brush him off and storm out of his office without another word and with your argument unfinished.
Thankfully, you get a message back from your master right away too.
Yuki: Okay, I’ll see you there ;)
——
*LATER*
Suguru: I’m home please let’s talk it out
You sigh.
You: I’ll be home soon we can talk then
“Such a long sigh,” Yuki points out as she puts her drink down and sits back in her chair. “What’s wrong?”
“Does there have to be something wrong for us to hang out?” You ask lightheartedly.
A half smile tugs on her lips. “No. But it seems that today your head is in the clouds. What’s wrong?” She asks. “Was it the burrito? I know how you feel about those.”
You laugh softly and shake your head. “No, I told you I’ve…grown an appetite for them again.”
“You’ve barely touched it,” she points out.
You raise a quizzical brow and scoff before you push your plate towards her. She flashes a smile and takes the burrito off the plate
“But I took a bite,” you counter teasingly. “I call that a win.”
Yuki rolls her eyes and changes the subject. “So what is it then?” She asks with her mouth full.
You look at her with disgust, but you shift to answer, however, your phone then buzzes as you get a message from one of the twins.
Mimiko: Hey, where are you? Why aren’t you home?
You smile. “I’m being interrogated,” you mention as you text back.
You: I’m with Yuki, I’ll be home later xoxo
“I remember when they would call me just to say they missed me, now they only text me to interrogate me or ask me for something,” you muse.
“Teenagers,” Yuki comments. “Is that what this is about?”
“No,” you laugh. “Not like I would come to you for motherly advice though.”
Yuki snickers. “And you shouldn’t, Todo and you were a pain in the ass when you were together, that’s why I don’t have kids of my own,” she says. “You two were enough for me.”
You grin at her and lean over to add to that. “Have you talked to him? He answers my texts super late.”
Yuki shakes her head. “No, I think he might be too cool for us now.” She snickers. “His phase will pass though.”
You hum and sit back with your arms crossed over your chest, feeling your smile fade to a frown. “Anyway, about my problem. It’s…this disagreement I had with Suguru about our differences in a situation.”
Yuki is about to take a bite from her food but she puts it down and fully takes you in as she grows curious. “What situation?”
You sigh and hesitate for a moment before you share. “We’ve come across a specific curse he wants to get, but there’s some stuff we need to do before we can put that plan into action, one of them being…attacking an elementary school.” You avert your gaze and feel her stare on you. “He already did it, put two kids in danger for the sake of it, and I just…I can’t agree with what he did, I don’t know why, I just don’t know how to feel about it all.”
Yuki hums softly in comprehension, and you see her pick up her burrito off her plate again to take a big bite. You look over at her and she’s looking away.
“It’s wrong,” you add. “I mean I don’t like non-sorcerers, but they’re kids, we have to draw a line somewhere, no?”
Yuki sighs and swallows her food this time before she speaks up. “What’s the difference between this and the other stuff that you’ve done in the past years?”
You blink and she meets your gaze with a narrowed gaze. “But specifically targeting children for the sake of it isn’t right,” you argue.
“And targeting the masses is?” She counters quickly.
You exhale deeply and answer without remorse. “Yes.”
“Then there’s no difference,” she says the truth as it is. She always does which is why it’s good talking to her.
“But there is to me,” you add softly.
Yuki sighs and leans in to fold her arms over the table. “It’s the same thing as targeting the masses, the same people are involved. So tell me,” she says and leans her face forward to look at you in the eyes better. “If it came in between what you want to accomplish, would you stop it? Would you leave and do something against it?” She asks.
There’s no need for debating or overthinking, your answer is clear and has been clear. “No,” you mutter.
Yuki snaps her fingers and points at you. “Then there’s your answer, your heart just gets in the way, Gojo.”
You scrunch your nose. “No. Not Gojo,” you snap.
“It’s not written otherwise,” she counters sassily.
You scoff. “I’m married.”
Yuki nods. “Yes, but you didn’t legally get his name,” she says.
“No, because we don’t want to risk the role he’s playing,” you state. “But I’m Y/N Geto where it matters.” You smile and pat your heart.
Yuki's eyebrows knot together and she lets out a soft scoff. “Does being cautious really matter? Your family name isn’t leaked for your job.”
You shake your head proudly. “No because I hide it well, besides my simple alias is so much better; y/n,” you share smugly. “Like you know that model y/n? Oh yeah, the one with no family name? Yeah, I know her, she’s so cool!” You grin.
Yuki blinks slowly as she looks at you with annoyance. “You’re so weird,” she mumbles.
You shrug her off.
“Anyway,” she breathes out and hits her palms on the table. “Back to what we were talking about. This is the life you chose, you don’t want to leave or change anything about it, so you have to deal with it,” she says bluntly.
You draw in a deep breath and nod stiffly as you cherish her words.
“Just,” she adds softer this time as she sees the perplexity in your eyes. “Try and find meaning to what happened and what needs to happen, okay? That’s how you'll get over this bump in the road, or else you’ll destroy yourself.”
Suguru always says there’s meaning to what you do and what you need to do, it’s what drives him. So she’s right too, not only that but your life is something you're comfortable with. You deeply wish for some things to change, but besides that small fraction, you want it all to stay the same way it is, your family and you together.
It’s grown over the years, it’s no longer just the twins and Suguru and you. There are five more members now. There are five more people you cherish and love. You don’t want that to be taken, you don’t want to abandon that so it all has to be okay then. No matter what.
“Thank you as always, master,” you tell her sweetly. “I appreciate it.”
Yuki offers you a faint smile and nods. “No problem. And…it’s good to know you haven’t lost your heart.”
You pick up your cup and smile as you swirl the rest of your drink around in your cup. “I have many reasons not to lose it,” you mumble.
Yuki hums and probes. “Which reminds me, how is that first reason anyway?”
You look at her with a wider smile. “Great, only getting bigger. Which reminds me,” you yawn. “I should get home. It’s almost lights out…then again Suguru is there, so it doesn’t really matter if I’m late,” you mumble to yourself.
“I can take you home,” Yuki offers, making you beam at her.
“Really?” You query and put your cup down to grab your purse whilst you also reach under the table.
Yuki confirms her offer with a nod letting you snatch her keys she has hooked on a belt loop and quickly get up to show them off.
“Great! I'm driving!” You exclaim excitedly.
Yuki jumps out of her chair and tries to take her keys back but you step back and shake your head.
“You know I really don’t like when you drive,” She grumbles.
You drive too fast, she says, you make too many sharp turns, she says. True to all of it, plus it’s a motorcycle and more dangerous, but it’s fun as hell!
“Well, too late,” you tease her, “because I’m already there.” You turn around quickly on your heels and run out of the bar to get on her motorcycle. When she comes out a few moments later you’ve already started it and have a helmet on so all she can do is get on.
“I’ll be gentle,” you assure her as you throw over her helmet. “Promise.”
Yeah, you lied. But she had fun though, you were laughing and smiling the entire ride home.
When you get home though, your mood is a different story.
.
.
.
.
A/N- If you had stayed with Satoru you would have raised Megumi and his sister, like actually raised them like a mother figure :/ butterfly effect is a real butt init?
Tagged- @deniseabad1928 @secondary-character-25 @starlightanyaaa
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zoros-debt · 6 months
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I can't believe Oda robbed us of a closeup reaction from this scene. Nami was definitely star-struck when she first saw Zoro.
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steddieas-shegoes · 11 months
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Chapter 10
Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 / Chapter 7 / Chapter 8 / Chapter 9
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There wasn’t much Steve was sure of.
His parents disappointing him was on the list though.
Eddie didn’t make him talk on the way to his house, he didn’t make him talk as they ate their reheated pizza, and he didn’t make him talk while they put leftovers away and cleaned their dishes.
But when Eddie pulled him towards his bathroom with the intent to shower together, he brought it up.
“You know why I like taking long showers at the end of the day?”
“Why?”
“Because it’s a chance to wash away the bad parts of the day. Sometimes I even say them out loud so they aren’t stuck inside anymore.”
“You’re starting to sound like a guidance counselor,” Steve said, a small smile on his face despite the fact that he knew Eddie would expect him to talk about what happened earlier.
“I think you’re rubbing off on me,” Eddie teased.
“I wish I was,” Steve teased back, throwing an exaggerated wink his way.
Eddie let out a loud laugh, his hands finding Steve’s waist naturally as his eyes closed and he leaned his head back.
“Wanna talk in the shower?”
“I don’t really want to, but I know you’re gonna make me,” Steve sighed.
“Hey,” Eddie squeezed his sides, making him focus. “You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to. But I know it will help if you do, and I want you to know you can. Anything you need, sunshine.”
Steve knew that, in theory. But he still couldn’t be certain that Eddie wouldn’t run the moment he was too honest. And that’s what this would require.
“I want to tell you, I do,” Steve started. “I just don’t know where to begin or if you even want to know half the shit that doesn’t even matter anymore.”
“If it’s something you still think about and it still bothers you, it does matter, love.”
Steve blushed at the name, always thrown off balance when Eddie introduced a new one.
Eddie searched his face and finally settled on his eyes, looking between them like he was gauging how far he was going to push on this.
“Let’s get in the shower and relax for a minute,” Eddie suggested, turning to start the water and get it to the right temperature.
Steve stripped down quickly, not wanting to wait another minute to be skin to skin with Eddie.
“Let me know if that’s a good temp, sweetheart,” Eddie said as he scooted away from the shower and started stripping his own clothes off.
Steve did as he was asked, quickly stepping in when he felt how perfectly warm and steamy it already was.
Eddie laughed when Steve let out a groan of satisfaction as the water streamed down his back, the stress of the day falling away.
Maybe there was something to what Eddie said about washing away the bad.
Eddie was joining him ten seconds later, pulling him into his chest and guiding his head to his shoulder.
Steve knew he had to talk.
“I guess I’ll just start with what happened today. Is that okay?”
“Anything you wanna tell me is okay, love.”
Eddie’s hands were running up and down his back, the hot water falling down his back.
“My dad called me. He said my mom’s sick. Cancer. They think she’ll be okay after treatment, but there’s always a risk.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. When will she start treatment?”
“I don’t know,” Steve sighed. “I have to call her. My relationship with them…it’s complicated.”
“I gathered as much,” Eddie said with a kiss against the top of his head. “Lean your head back, sunshine. I’ll start washing your hair.”
How could Steve possibly say no to that?
He leaned his head back enough to get it wet as he spoke.
“They were never great parents. I mean, I think my mom tried when I was little. She stayed home with me at least, but she never really did mom things. Like we never played together, she never read to me at bedtime, nothing you’d expect a mom to do. She only put me in sports so she could talk to the other rich moms.” Steve sighed as Eddie’s fingers gently moved through his hair. “And then when I turned 10, it was like she’d been counting down the days for me to be able to handle myself.”
Eddie’s hands froze.
“You stayed by yourself? Like after school?”
“Always. I mean my mom would never let me ride the bus because people like us weren’t supposed to or whatever. She had another mom in the neighborhood pick me up from school and drop me off at home. But I was alone 90% of the time. My mom went on work trips with my dad because she didn’t trust him. She was convinced he was having an affair with one of his partner’s wives, that the daughter she had when I was eight was actually his. And I wouldn’t put it past him honestly.”
“Jesus, that’s a lot.”
“That’s barely the beginning,” Steve snorted. “My dad was rarely home, which was probably a good thing. Anytime he came home he spent the entire time letting me know how much I let him down and how useless I was. How stupid I was for different things. Stupid at school, stupid with my friends, stupid at golf and basketball, stupid with my chores. The less he was home, the better.”
“Sweetheart, I’m so sorry. You didn’t ever deserve that.”
“Yeah, I guess I finally started to learn that when I graduated high school. I didn’t get into the colleges he expected me to and I was fine with it. We got into a big argument. He punched me, I blacked out, when I woke up, my mom was begging me not to get the cops involved, and I left. The car was in my name, I had three years’ worth of pity money my mom sent me, and a trust fund that I had access to the day I turned 18. I stayed with my girlfriend at the time for a few weeks and then found the apartment I’m in now, started community college, and didn’t talk to either of them for a while. My mom calls on my birthday and Christmas every year, but other than that, today was my first time hearing from my father since he punched me.”
Eddie had been scrubbing shampoo in his hair through everything, gently scratching at his scalp and running his fingers down through the ends of his hair. It helped keep him focused, calm, present.
He’d never said any of this to anyone except Robin, and she had to practically beg for him to talk about it.
With Eddie it was easy.
“I could kill him.”
Steve snorted.
“It wasn’t a big deal. I got a minor concussion, but it was kind of the final straw. I’m not sure I would’ve been brave enough to leave without him doing that.”
“I’m glad you left, but I wish you could have without that happening. They never deserved you.”
Steve didn’t expect the sob that exploded from him. He thought he was doing great, getting through the worst of it somewhat detached, letting himself ignore the hurt that still welled up when he talked about it.
Eddie’s hands moved to cup his cheeks, a surprisingly firm grip keeping Steve from being able to pull away.
“My love, you never deserved their neglect or abuse. Not as a child, not as a teenager, and not as an adult. You should have been given support and love, they should’ve been there for you, and you should’ve been able to find happiness your whole life.”
“Eds…” Steve began, but Eddie quickly stopped him.
“You feel conflicted about your mom, don’t you?”
Steve nodded slowly, sniffling as Eddie leaned his head back to rinse the shampoo from his hair.
“I felt that way about my dad. I never knew my mom, she died when I was a few months old from an overdose. My dad wasn’t a good dad, barely even a good human most of the time, but I think he loved me the only way he knew how. He never held down a job for more than a few weeks, always turned to selling drugs or robbery, even did a few jobs for the fucking mafia to make some money. Could always tell when he’d done that because we had steak for dinner,” Eddie snorted. “By the time I was 11, he’d landed himself in prison and my only option was living with my Uncle Wayne. When I got there, he treated me like royalty compared to my dad. I mean, my own bedroom, three meals a day, my favorite snacks for after school, new school supplies every year. Don’t get me wrong, we struggled. He had to work more than he should’ve just to get me the basics, but he loved me. And even when my dad got out on good behavior when I was 17, I stayed with Wayne.”
Steve had calmed down while Eddie spoke and rinsed his hair, his voice quiet and smooth, like honey on a spoon with medicine. Delivering his sympathy with a sweetness, in a way Steve hadn’t expected to help.
“Do you talk to your dad?” Steve couldn’t help but ask.
“Rarely. Sometimes he bugs Wayne for money, but he knows better than to ask me. He did it once when he found out I was doing well for myself. Asked if I could spot him first month’s rent on a place and I said the only way I’d do that is if he worked it off at my shop cleaning every night for a month. He said as his son I should just want to help with no requirements, so I hung up. Don’t even know if he’s living in an apartment or a car or couch surfing at this point. I just know he calls a couple times a year randomly to let me know he isn’t back in prison.”
“I’m sorry, baby. You deserved better than that.”
“I know. But I got better with Wayne. He’s my mom’s brother, so he told me all kinds of stories about what they got up to growing up. He said she was good, but let my dad get her hooked on the wrong things, and nothing, not even me, could pull her out.”
“Do you forgive her?”
It was a question he was asked in therapy a lot. It was even something he asked his students in certain situations. Something that didn’t always bring closure, but allowed people to heal enough to move on.
“I do. I don’t think I could forgive my dad in this lifetime, but I forgave her years ago. She was in a bad position and didn’t know how to get out. I can’t say I would’ve done any better in her shoes.”
“That’s really mature of you.”
“It’s just how it is.” Eddie pulled him close for a kiss on his lips. “But that doesn’t mean you have to ever forgive your parents.”
Steve knew that. He’d had therapists tell him that, Robin told him that, he just knew. But something about the way Eddie said it, the way he had a shitty parent and knew exactly how difficult it was to see the struggle of forgiving to let go and just letting go, it made Steve feel like he finally understood.
The rules did apply to him. He didn’t have to forgive them to prove that he understood psychology. He didn’t have to forgive them to accept that his relationship with them sucks and it won’t get better. He didn’t have to forgive them to still be sad that his mom was sick.
He could feel the conflicting emotions together, and Eddie would be here to hold him through them.
“I love you,” Steve whispered, leaning back in to press his lips to Eddie’s neck.
“I love you, too,” Eddie said back, letting his head fall backwards as Steve continued kissing down to his collarbone.
He pulled skin between his teeth, smirking when he felt Eddie’s cock hardening against his hip.
“Killing me, sunshine,” Eddie moaned.
“Wanna get you clean.”
“With your mouth? I’m not sure that’s gonna accomplish what you think it will.”
Eddie’s hands reached down his back, over his ass, squeezing and pulling his cheeks apart as water continued to run down them both.
“I wanna taste you,” Eddie said suddenly, like the thought had maybe just occurred to him that he could.
Steve froze.
“You wanna…”
“Taste you. Can I?”
“Yeah,” Steve nodded, doing his best to control his excitement and arousal so he could last more than 10 seconds.
But then Eddie smirked and turned him around so his back was facing him.
“Uh. What?”
“Hands on the wall and legs spread, sweet thing.”
It hit Steve like a freight train. Eddie was going to eat him out. In the shower.
He had eaten plenty of people out, women and men alike. He loved doing it, loved the way it brought out more whimpers and moans than just fingers.
But no one had ever returned the favor.
He’d had plenty of blowjobs. Like, probably more than average, actually. Especially in his school before he met Nancy.
But he’d never felt comfortable with anyone being that up close and personal with his asshole.
He was comfortable with Eddie, though. He trusted Eddie with everything, and he knew no matter what, Eddie would make this incredible.
So he put his hands on the shower wall in front of him, spread his legs out enough to feel some of the water dripping between his ass, and looked over his shoulder at Eddie.
“Is this good, sir?”
Eddie growled, which was a better reaction than Steve had expected.
He turned his head back to the wall when Eddie dropped to his knees behind him, his hands instantly cupping Steve’s ass and spreading it so his asshole was completely exposed.
“Fuck, it’s good. You’re so good, sweet thing.”
His mouth was leaving a trail of kisses down his lower back, each ass cheek, and then finally, finally Eddie’s tongue was licking a broad stripe over his hole.
Steve gasped at the feeling.
“Wanna hear you, sweetheart. Wanna hear what my tongue does to you,” Eddie said before diving back in.
Eddie wanted to hear him? Fine. He could shut off the filter.
He let out a whine when Eddie’s tongue started slowly moving up and down over his hole, spit dripping down and joining the constant fall of water.
Steve couldn’t grip anything against the wall, and his hands kept slipping as Eddie started licking faster, his tongue pushing just past his entrance every few licks, making him jump.
“Need-“ Steve started to say before Eddie’s hand smacked his ass.
“I know what you need, sweet thing. Get all the way against the wall.”
Steve did, hissing at how cold it was despite the warmth of the water.
“Stay there. If you need to cum you say please.”
“Yes, sir.”
Eddie’s tongue was licking over his hole as soon as he answered, pushing through the tight ring and making Steve’s head fall forward to rest against the wall.
His cock was trapped between his stomach and the wall, the cold touch just enough to keep his orgasm at bay. Even with the cold, he had to bite his lip and clench his fists to resist rutting against the wall and Eddie’s tongue.
He knew Eddie didn’t want him to move, and he wanted to be good.
He felt Eddie’s finger push in next to his tongue and his knees nearly gave out at the slight burn and then relief as it stretched him enough for Eddie’s tongue to slide further in.
“Yes, yes, yes, yes,” Steve repeated, pleasure wracking through him as Eddie’s finger pushed in and out, curling just right on every thrust inside.
Eddie pulled his face away, but kept his finger moving in and out, getting deeper without his tongue in the way.
“Being a slut, aren’t you, sweet thing? So needy.”
Steve knew they discussed it, but the reaction he had to being called a slut was not what he pictured before.
He felt his stomach clench, his balls pulling in tight to his body.
“Please. Please sir, please.”
“Mhm. That’s my sweet slut, begging for permission,” Eddie’s finger pulled out, but only long enough to slip two fingers in. “If you wanna cum, it’s gonna be on my tongue only. You understand?”
“Yes, sir,” Steve whined, wishing Eddie would get his tongue back on him, in him, wherever.
“Color?”
“Green, please, please,” Steve continued to beg, not even sure what he was begging for at this point, past the point of processing the pleasure he was feeling.
“So pretty when you beg. Can’t believe how tight you are. You a virgin, sweet thing?”
God, it’s like every word out of Eddie’s mouth went straight to Steve’s cock.
He could feel it pulsing, his heartbeat so loud in his chest, it felt like he could hear it echoing off the shower walls. Maybe it was.
He was certain Eddie could feel it in his fingers buried deep inside Steve, feel the way the blood was all flowing to his cock, rushing there to make sure it was all he could think about.
“Not a virgin,” Steve mumbled out, his lips dragging against the wall as he tried to use all his energy to hold himself up.
“No? You just stay this tight for everyone then?”
“Mhm.”
Eddie slapped his ass again, this time on the other side, harder. Probably hard enough to leave a red mark. Maybe it would bruise.
Steve moaned at the thought.
“You want my tongue again, sweet thing?”
“Need it, need it please.”
And Eddie must have needed it too, because he withdrew his fingers and replaced them with his tongue as quickly as possible.
His tongue was long, not quite long enough to reach where his fingers did, but long enough to keep him on the edge.
All it would take was one more thing, one more sensation.
And Eddie knew it.
He gave the back of his thigh a hard slap, and that was it.
“Please, please, please,” Steve said as he banged a hand against the wall.
Eddie tapped him once on the leg.
Green.
Steve came, release splattering against the shower wall and his stomach, his cock instantly sensitive after his second orgasm of the evening.
Eddie kept pushing his tongue in and out for a moment, but then stopped and slowly pulled away.
Steve couldn’t stand anymore. His knees were buckling and Eddie’s arms caught him before he could collapse all the way.
“Okay, sweet thing?”
Steve nodded, unable to speak.
Eddie guided his head to his shoulder, pressing a kiss to his temple.
“Let’s rinse you off and go to bed, okay?”
“‘Bout you?”
“You think I didn’t finish the moment your pretty little hole clenched around my tongue, sweet thing?”
Steve whined, the visual making a new home in his brain.
Eddie helped him back up, helped him wash off the remains of his release, then shut the water off.
He got out first, helping Steve out and quickly wrapping him in a towel.
“Doing okay?”
“Mhm. Thank you, baby,” Steve said, leaning in to get a kiss from Eddie.
“Let me brush my teeth first, my love.”
The second Eddie was done brushing his teeth, Steve’s mouth was on his, licking into it, tasting his teeth, his tongue.
“Love you.”
Eddie grinned, their kiss naturally breaking when he couldn’t stop smiling.
“Love you more, sunshine,” Eddie said as he patted his ass under the towel. “Let’s get to bed.”
—————
When Steve’s alarm went off, he was cold.
But he fell asleep with Eddie, so why was he cold?
He opened his eyes, reached over to shut off the alarm on his phone, and frowned.
The bed next to him was empty, and it was cold enough that it had to have been for a while.
Steve frowned to himself, his brows drawing down and his lip pouting out.
He pulled the blanket over himself and huffed out a sigh.
If he wanted to wake up alone, he would stay at his apartment.
He was lost in thoughts of being lonely when he felt warm hands on his face.
“Sorry, sunshine. Chrissy called and I didn’t wanna wake you up before your alarm.”
“Don’t wanna be alone,” Steve pouted.
He knew he was being ridiculous, but he didn’t like waking up without Eddie by his side.
“Sunshine, I’m right here,” Eddie smirked.
Steve didn’t like that tone. Like he was making fun of him silently.
Robin did it sometimes, too.
He turned away from where Eddie was kneeling by the side of the bed, pulling the blanket over his head.
“Stevie, c’mon.”
He felt Eddie’s side of the bed dip, and the blankets lift, but he burrowed his head under his pillow so Eddie wouldn’t try to kiss him out of his mood.
“Sweetheart, Chrissy called to see if I could check on her car tire. She said the low pressure light came on on her way to work and she doesn’t wanna drive home without it being looked at.”
“Should’ve woke me up.”
“Look at me, sweetheart.”
“No.”
“Are you being a brat?”
“No.”
“It sounds like you’re being a brat.”
Steve pulled his head out from under the pillow to pout at Eddie.
“I’m not a brat. Just mad.”
“Mad because I wasn’t in bed when you got up?”
Steve nodded.
“I’m sorry, sunshine. That’s probably gonna happen sometimes. Do you want me to wake you up next time?”
Steve nodded.
“Alright if that’s what you want,” Eddie smiled softly at him. “Can I get a kiss now or are you still upset?”
Steve sighed.
He was not happy about being awake, or how he woke up alone, but he did want a kiss. Maybe more than one.
He burrowed into Eddie, keeping his head back so he could kiss him, morning breath be damned.
“You wanna get up so we can get to your car at the shop?”
“Fuck. Forgot it was there.”
After the tattoo last night, and the visit to space, and then the shower, he’d kind of forgotten how to function at all, let alone that Eddie had driven him here.
“If you drive me to work, we can spend more time in bed,” Steve tried to convince Eddie.
“You’re insatiable, sweet thing,” Eddie smirked at him, but Steve could tell he was giving in.
“Just for you, always only for you,” Steve said.
He was being a little manipulative, but he meant every word.
He didn’t want to leave this bed, and after last night, he didn’t want Eddie to ever stop touching him. He wanted Eddie inside him, he wanted him to live everywhere, not just his heart.
“Want you,” Steve whined, pouting his bottom lip out again.
Eddie reached out and poked it with his finger, like he always did when Steve was being a bit bratty, and smiled.
“Sweetheart, we don’t have time to do the things I wanna do to you. It’s almost the weekend, and I only have a couple appointments, so I’ll be able to make sure you get me in any way you want me.”
“Promise?”
Eddie kissed him, lips soft but demanding, opening his mouth so his tongue could be inside.
Steve moaned around his tongue, his thoughts drifting to when his tongue was a lot lower the night before.
“Promise, my love.”
“Like when you call me nice things,” Steve sighed against his chest, letting himself enjoy the warmth and comfort before he had to get up.
“Yeah? You like being sunshine? My sweetheart? My sweet thing?” Eddie paused between each question to kiss him, causing him to giggle. But he paused and grinned at him. “What about when I call you other things? My slut?”
Steve reacted much like he did the night before.
“Like that too,” Steve managed to say as he felt Eddie moving his hand lower, lower, lower until it rested against the waistband of his boxers. “Like being your slut, sir.”
“Fuck me, sweet thing. The things I wanna do…” Eddie leaned down to suck a bruise into his neck, but then popped his head up. “Your tattoo! We gotta put some stuff on it.”
“My…Oh! Shit!”
Steve had genuinely forgotten about his new tattoo. Robin was going to kill him.
“C’mon, let me get it clean and moisturized and then you need to get ready for work.”
“Fine, but you owe me the best fuck of my life,” Steve said casually.
“Oh, sunshine. It’ll be the first of many best fucks of your life,” Eddie said as he pulled the blankets off of them.
Steve had a feeling he wasn’t exaggerating.
What did he get himself into?
—————
He decided to FaceTime Robin on his lunch break, just in case she wasn’t home when he got home after work.
He wanted her to see the tattoo before it reached the peeling stage and he was pretty sure he’d be spending the next few nights with Eddie.
She answered quickly, but she was…was she…
“Are you in the shower?”
“Are you judging me? Bold of you to do so when I heard through the grapevine that you fucked on our couch. Our couch, Steve.”
“That’s unrelated to you answering while in the shower. No offense, but I’ve seen your boobies more than enough.”
Robin rolled her eyes and leaned back to rinse the shampoo out of her hair.
“Sooooo. You’re in love.”
She said it so certainly, like she knew that he couldn’t possibly avoid it or deny it.
“Robs, you have no idea.”
She stopped mid-rinse and looked at him through the phone.
“Tell me.”
“He’s just. He understands me without me having to tell him things, but then I do tell him things. Like I told him about my parents! And I wasn’t even that scared.” Steve sighed. “He’s more than I ever imagined for myself, but I want to deserve him. I want to keep him.”
“Steve, you deserve to be the happiest. I think Eddie makes you so incredibly happy.” She turned to rinse some soap off her face before turning back to him. “He apparently talks about you nonstop with Chrissy.”
“Yeah, so explain that to me. Break that down into detail.”
Steve was smirking as Robin stuttered and shook her head.
“Nothing to explain. We’re being super casual right now.”
“Uh huh.”
“We just text a lot and I slept over at hers.”
“Uh huh.”
“She’s just really good at making me feel comfortable with like talking and touching and stuff.”
“Uh huh.”
“And she just seems to get me! Like even the first time a couple years ago, she just knew exactly what I needed.”
“Robin, it kinda sounds like you’re on your way to being in love, too.”
Steve was so happy for her. He was happy for Chrissy even though he barely knew her.
He was a little nervous about how that all would play out, but he figured Robin and Chrissy were the type of people who could just avoid each other if they had to for Steve and Eddie’s sake.
“I don’t know. I mean I do like her a lot, and I think maybe she likes me a lot, but she isn’t looking for anything serious and like, professionally she’s with other people sometimes. And like, I’m not against it, you know I’m not, I just don’t know how I’d handle the jealousy.”
“Okay, then you can burn that bridge when you get to it.”
“Steve, you know the term is cross that bridge when you get to it.”
“Yeah, but you may also have to burn it.”
“Hopefully not.”
“Hopefully not,” Steve agreed. “I did call for an actual reason.”
“Oh you mean it wasn’t to lament about Eddie’s dick and see my boobies?”
“Not today.” Steve unbuttoned the top three buttons on his shirt and moved the collar over so it was off his shoulder. “I got another tattoo.”
Steve moved the camera closer so she could see it.
“Steve,” Robin gasped. “Is that…for me?”
“Of course it’s for you. You’re my soulmate.”
He said it because it was true, but also because Robin didn’t always think she was as special to Steve as she was. She thought he’d abandon her, especially since he and Eddie have spent everyday together for nearly a week.
This would show her that no matter how far they may drift physically, she would always be by his side.
“Steve, it’s beautiful. Eddie did it?”
“Yeah. He drew it all and copied your eye color for the wings.”
Robin was crying, he could tell even though she’d moved the camera away from her face.
“He did a great job.”
“He always does. He’s done all of Chrissy’s, you know?”
“I know. Hers are beautiful too. Maybe he should do one for me.”
“I’m sure he’ll get you in quick since you’re the soulmate of his sunshine.”
“That is disgusting, but I’ll allow it if I get perks.”
Steve let out a laugh, happy to be sharing any of his time with Robin.
“You like it?” He couldn’t help asking. Sure, she’d complimented it, but he needed to know she was telling the truth.
“I love it. Thank you for doing this,” she said, her voice wet with a held back sob.
“Love you, Robs.”
“Love you, dingus.”
“Gotta get back to work.”
“I have to go to work.”
“Mkay. See you later.”
“Later.”
Steve hung up the phone and quickly ate his lunch.
Only six more hours until he could be with Eddie again.
Chapter 11
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Finding Your Roots- Chapter 10, Page 41 Next > Cover
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