#i am trying to leave romance or lack thereof in God's hands while still doing whatever I can reasonably to encourage it

[catkin-morgs-kookaburralover]

I feel so ashamed I actaully followed an ad and bought something

but also not so ashamed bc a) i am getting two new beautiful necklaces (a dragonfly and a turtle!) and b) I'd seen stuff about it before it was only this ad that made me go finally 'okay given that this is a closing down sale of this thing I will make my final decisions regarding purchases' so the ad didn't really influence anything it just made me get on with it

#i will have Four necklaces when these come!! #a simple round blue-green opal I love very much #a small silver dragon which is gorgeous texture for playing with if I'm stressed actually #a dragonfly with white opal inlaid for wings #a turtle with blue opal for the shell #hmmm there seems to be a theme here whatever could it be :P #ive always had this Thing surrounding jewelry that i shouldn't get much or any myself bc that's a thing i see as gifts esp by significant #others. but part of buying jewelry for myself is kind of a release of that dream i suppose. #like i want it still so much but im learning to release it into God's hands #im trying anyway #i am trying to leave romance or lack thereof in God's hands while still doing whatever I can reasonably to encourage it #but it's funny you know. thinking about the boy. my thoughts reach out into the future and it's like the last few months ive begun to start #being able to see a future. im not just talking 'being able to see a future with him' (altho i perhaps can tho i try and stay away from #that for obvious reasons) im literally talking 'being able to see a future beyond the immediate next year or possibly the year after even. #like. /i have a future/ and ive never seen that before even when i was a child #i never expected to get to the 2020s and here wie are in 2022 #the boy #personal #catkin rambles

[seasonsofeverlark]

Something Red

Author: @eiramrelyat

Prompt: Everlark meets during a crazy shopping experience (pre-Christmas sales around US Thanksgiving). Bonus points for romance blossoming! (well, of course!) ;) [Submitted by @mandelion82​]

Rating: M 

Author’s Notes: As I started writing this, I’m not sure how realistic this would be, but I went with it. Also, the store mentioned in the story is entirely made up, but my inspiration came from the Capitol. Thank you @jroseley​ for editing my story, and thank you @mandelion82​ for the prompt. I hope this shopping experience is crazy enough haha. Enjoy!

___________

“So how did you two meet?” Delly, their neighbor, asked. 

Katniss and Peeta glanced at each other. “Oh, um…” she faltered. 

Peeta turned toward Delly, giving her one of his charming smiles. “I’ll let my wife tell this story. She’s a great story-teller.”

He was doing this to tease her, and Katniss scowled at him.

Of course, she should have expected the onslaught of questions from their neighbors during the neighborhood autumn block party. And it was a simple question, really, one that they answered often. Still, it flustered her every time she recalled that day…

“Jo, couldn’t we have waited to come on a different day? You can’t even walk around in here,” Katniss grumbled while squeezing her way between sales racks and huddles of women.

She hated shopping, especially on one of the busiest days of the year. Not to mention that the store Jo wanted to go to (a high-end lingerie store downtown known as Capitol Delights) was holding a fundraiser that day. But Jo was persistent when she showed up at Katniss’s door that morning, practically dragging her out of bed and force-feeding her toast. Jo’s excuse was that she needed something to wear for her and Gale’s anniversary. Katniss thought it pointless.

“Well, then there wouldn’t be any Black Friday sales, brainless,” Jo said dryly. Then she held up pink fuzzy handcuffs. “These look just like the pair Gale uses at home.” Katniss’s face felt hot as she looked at the cuffs, and she tried desperately to erase the mental image that was slowly unfolding.

“I could have gone a lifetime without hearing that.” This made Jo snicker and put the cuffs back.

During their one hour of shopping, Katniss had learned way more about her friends’ sex lives than what she was comfortable knowing. Like Gale’s reaction to Jo in stockings or how her friend owned several dominatrix costumes⎯ it made her cringe just thinking about it.

As they moved from showroom to showroom, Katniss had no intention of trying anything on in that store, least of all the actual lingerie. Most of it was priced way above what Katniss was willing to spend on a pair of lacy underthings. And it was overly bawdy compared to the simple cotton underwear that she owned. 

Though Jo had other plans. Of course, she did. “Here.”

Katniss had just enough time to react to Jo tossing her something she found on the sales table⎯ the item nearly hitting her in the face. She glared at her friend, then looked down at the red strappy teddy in her hands. Her eyes widened. The garment didn’t even have enough material to pass as a piece of clothing. “I’m not trying that on,” she said firmly. “Plus, who am I going to wear this for?”

Jo gave her a mischievous grin. “Yourself… or for your blind date that your boss is sending you on with her grandson, duh.”

Katniss rolled her eyes and tossed the teddy back onto the display table. “I’m not going to sleep with him. We’re only going out to dinner.”

“Right.” Jo snorted. “You say that until you find out that he’s hot.”

“There’s more to someone than their looks, Jo,” Katniss insisted. 

“Come on, just try something on. I feel like I’m shopping by myself here.”

“That’s because you are. I’m an office assistant. I can’t afford any of this,” she argued.

Jo released a dramatic sigh, then leaned forward to pluck three items off the nearest rack and shoved them into Katniss’s hands. “Fine, you twisted my arm. I’ll buy them for you.”

Katniss shook her head. “What, no-” But Jo cut her off with a tsk and grabbed her hand.

“Now, would you hurry up? We’re never going to get a fitting room if you keep dragging your feet,” Jo grumbled. Katniss didn’t even get a chance to inspect what Jo grabbed before being pulled in the direction of the fitting rooms on the second floor.

At the top of the escalator, they entered a dome-shaped room that looked nothing like fitting rooms⎯ it almost resembled that of a hotel lobby. In the middle of the room, a woman with brightly colored hair and a chipper voice greeted them from her reception-style desk. Katniss wasn’t sure what was more absurd, the reception desk or the woman’s orange hair. “Hello, how may I help you, ladies?" 

"Two fitting rooms, please,” Jo told the woman.

“Of course, right this way!” They’re led down a hall of doors similarly styled like the rest of the store with its black floors and walls, making the narrow strip appear endless. Two doors were unlocked for her and Jo, then the woman turned toward them with a wan smile. “Now, if you need help, ask for Effie,” she said.

Before Effie had walked away, Jo was already closing the door to her room. 

Katniss gave the woman a smile and turned the handle to her own door. After she opened it, she paused to take in how polished the room was. Silver wallpaper covered the walls, paired with dark carpet and a single maroon chaise in the middle of the room. But that wasn’t what stopped her. No, it was the giant one-way mirror on the far wall that overlooked the fundraiser in the neighboring building. Sounds of clapping and music can be heard from the other side.

How… odd. Katniss had never seen anything like it. Nor was she comfortable with the idea of changing in front of the people below⎯ not that they could see her. Still, she closed the long drapes puddled on one side of the window, just in case.

Katniss set her pile of clothes down on one side of the chaise, feeling hesitant to try any of it on. But after a moment of contemplating whether to lie to Jo about it, she sighed and began stripping down to only her underwear. 

It didn’t take her long to figure out that Jo’s style conflicted with hers, though she probably could have figured that out before she went through all of the trouble of trying the first two garments on. She almost didn’t bother with the red teddy that Jo had tossed at her last minute. But she removed the narrow straps from the hanger and started working her arms and legs into the strips of lace and nylon⎯ a decision she soon regretted.

Everything was going fine until one of the straps in the back became tangled as she was adjusting the fit. She tried reaching behind her to undo the knot, but it was too small for her fingers to grasp onto.

After six attempts, her arms fell down to her sides tirelessly, blood pounding from holding them behind her back for so long. She released a frustrated sigh, pushing her sweaty bangs out of her face. “Shit.” She was undoubtedly stuck in that ridiculous red teddy.

Now what? 

She bit her lip, pondering whether she should walk over to Jo’s door in her current state of dress… or lack thereof. 

After deciding that it was her only option, aside from risking the reception desk, Katniss slid on her flats and opened the door to her fitting room. She covered her nearly exposed breasts with her arm and stepped across the hall toward Jo’s room. Her knuckles rapped against the door. “Jo,” she said, waiting, then tried again when there was no answer. “Are you in there?” Still, no response.

God, she really didn’t want to walk all the way out to the reception area. But she looked down the hall, anyway⎯ it was empty. Maybe she could make it to Effie and back without being spotted. 

Now with both arms crossed over her chest, she made her way toward Effie’s desk. She was walking so fast that she didn’t have time to stop for the person that rounded the corner into the fitting rooms.

“Oof,” she gasped as she bounced off a solid chest. A hand gripped her elbow before she could fall over as the sound of boxes clattering to the floor reached her ears.

The person she had run into let go of her elbow and crouched down to pick up the two boxes at her feet. When they stood up again, her breath caught in her throat. All she could do was helplessly gawk at the guy in front of her.

He was a few inches taller than her and wore a short-sleeve white button-down, the words Mellark Bakery etched into the right pocket. Short curly blond hair was neatly gelled back⎯ only two unruly strands rested against his forehead. She also noticed the series of colorful tattoos that covered his skin. They started on his taut biceps underneath his shirt sleeves and ended at his hands.

He was extremely attractive.

“Are you okay?” he asked, looking down at her.

She blinked, then remembered the mess she just made. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.” Heat swirled in her face.

He smiled. “Don’t worry about-” he stopped suddenly, his breath hitching, ears turning pink. 

It was then that she realized she was no longer shielding her chest. Instead, only a thin strip of cloth covered her nipples from the stranger, leaving her almost entirely exposed. “Oh!” Katniss crossed her arms over her chest again, hoping to preserve some modesty. “Men aren’t allowed back here,” she exclaimed in near panic. Her face burned hotter.

He looked anywhere but her while rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. “Er, sorry, I uh- I was told to use the back door for the fundraiser,” he explained and nodded toward a door next to one of the fitting rooms. “I’m the caterer.”

“I… oh,” she said lamely.

Still not looking at her, he asked, “are you one of the models for the fundraiser?”

His words left her stupefied and a little speechless. She didn’t think she could pull off being a model, but she was flattered that he thought so. “Uh, no. I-” she cleared her throat, “I was looking for my friend.” For some reason, she was embarrassed to admit the next part. “I, um, I’m kind of stuck.”

“Oh?”

She nodded her head, even though he couldn’t see it. “Yeah…”

“Well, I can help you,” he suggested. 

Her eyes widened, and she was pretty sure her brain stopped working. “What?”

His head snapped toward her. “Wait, that came out wrong! I meant I can help you find your friend, not with your outfit. Not that I don’t want to-,” he paused, scrubbing a hand over his face and his mouth tilted up into a shy smile. “I’m sorry, do you want me to find someone to help you?”

Katniss bit the inside of her cheek. She wasn’t going to lie. The thought of him helping her didn’t seem totally unappealing. But what if Effie caught them and assumed they were doing more than untangling the teddy?

Honestly, it didn’t make the idea any less inviting. In fact, it did nothing more than add fuel to Katniss’s imagination.

“Okay,” she said after a moment. “You can help me if you want.” The request was barely audible to her own ears, but the red splotches spreading up his neck told her that he heard her.

“I don’t know, are you sure?” he asked carefully.

“Uh-”

At the sound of women coming up the escalator, Katniss grabbed his hand (ignoring how warm it felt in her palm) and guided him back to her fitting room. Once inside, she dropped his hand and tried to fight the blush that followed. 

Now that they were alone, she suddenly felt anxious and giddy. And she silently hoped that he didn’t think she did this often. Because she was already having a hard time believing that she just pulled some stranger into her fitting room. He could be some crazed killer for all she knew. Although, the way he was nervously fidgeting next to the door made it seem unlikely.

“So, where do you want to- where do you want to do this?” he asked finally.

“Oh, um,” she turned toward the chaise in the middle of the room, “maybe it’ll be easier if I sit down.” He followed her, and she sat down with her back facing him.

She pulled her hair out of the way as he set his boxes down somewhere behind her. “Okay, where are you stuck?” he asked shyly. Her skin broke out in goose flesh as she felt the heat from his hands at her back.

Katniss reached behind her, searching for the small knot. “Right here.”

“Okay.” An involuntary shiver coursed up her spine when his fingers touched her skin, but he didn’t seem to notice (or ignored it) and continued toying with the knot. 

It didn’t take him long to undo the mess she made at her back, then he worked his way toward the next part that became twisted. She gasped when his nimble fingers brushed a sensitive spot on her side. His hands froze, and she blushed furiously. 

“Sorry,” he said quickly. 

Katniss licked her suddenly dry lips. “It’s okay, I’m just… ticklish.” He hesitated for a moment, but then she felt his fingers working at her side again. When he reached her front, her breathing sped up because he was currently crouched in level with her chest. She tried to distract herself by watching his tattooed fingers undo the lace, and became slightly in awe by the contrast between his hands and her stomach. 

But this did little to distract her. Because now she was thinking about those hands exploring all parts of her skin.

Another breathy gasp escaped her when he reached the bit at her navel, and this time, he bit his lip but didn’t stop. His brows furrowed in concentration until he had finished untwisting the teddy. Katniss had to bring her hands up to keep the garment from falling down, and she gave him a timid smile.

“Thank you,” she murmured. 

He rested his hands on either side of her thighs. They were a respective distance, but it didn’t stop her stomach from swooping or thinking about how precarious their position was. After all, he was kneeling between her partially opened thighs, and she might as well be naked. 

“You’re welcome,” he said, his voice sounding an octave lower than before.

She bit her lip and watched his eyes follow the movement. There was a sudden urge to lean forward and kiss him, but he pulled away before she could respond to the impulse.

He stood up, the left side of his mouth tilting upwards. “I’m sorry, I should probably get going. I might be missed downstairs.”

“Yeah,” she breathed, nodding her head. “Er, thank you again. You didn’t have to help me…”

He shrugged. “I’m a gentleman. What can I say?”

He walked around the chaise to pick up his boxes, and before he could leave, she quickly said, “I don’t normally ask random strangers to help me out in the fitting room. This is kind of… well, it’s a first-time occurrence.” Katniss was unsure why she said it, but she felt like she needed to convey this to him.

He laughed, though, the sound thrilling her. “I didn’t think you did,” then he left her room.

Katniss changed back into her clothes and exited her room in a bit of a daze. Jo walked back toward her room, hands full of more clothes, and released a low whistle. “You should have seen the hottie I saw leaving the fitting room. If I wasn’t married…”

“Mhm,” Katniss hummed, not really paying attention to what Jo was saying, but her ears perked up at what she said next.

“So, did you find something for tomorrow night?”

Oh,… right. How did she forget about her date?

She sighed. “No.”

“Good, because I found more things for us to try on.”

Katniss didn’t bother telling Jo that the ‘hottie’ she was referring to had helped her out of a piece of lingerie.

The following day, she wasn’t any more enthused about her date and dragged her feet to the door when she heard him knock. However, as she pulled open the door, she was a bit startled to find the guy who helped her in the fitting room on the other side. He was dressed in a navy suit and a pair of dark dress shoes that revealed more tattoos on the tops of his feet. And instead of boxes in his hands, he held a bouquet of orange dahlias. 

Okay, maybe he was some crazed killer… or a stalker.

She was about to accuse him of following her until a mutual look of surprise registered on his face. “Katniss?” he asked slowly. 

She nodded, fidgeting with the skirt of her dress. “And you must be Peeta, Mags’ grandson?”

“Yeah,” he breathed. “Wow, small world.”

“Yeah,” she repeated after him. They awkwardly stood in her doorway, and Katniss couldn’t seem to take her eyes away from how well he filled out his suit. And another look at his hands had her thinking about his fingers feathering over her skin again. The thought discomposed her, making her blurt out her next words before she could think about them. “I like your tattoos.”

When he didn’t say anything right away, her cheeks went hot with humiliation. But then his mouth broke into a grin. “Thank you.” She sighed with relief, then he added, “I like how you look in red.” Her eyes widened. He couldn’t be referring to- “Your dress, I mean,” Peeta continued.

“Oh.” Of course, what was she thinking? 

At her reply, he rushed to correct himself. “Not that you didn’t look good in the teddy yesterday! Wait- I mean-” He was rambling, but Katniss could only focus on the fact that he was thinking about her in that piece of lingerie.

She paused for a nanosecond, reluctant about what she would say next⎯ her blood rushed into her ears. “Well, I can show you what else I bought yesterday?" 

He visibly gulped, and he nodded his head stiffly. "Uh, sure.” Then she walked away from the door.

He followed her inside, and the door closed behind him with a soft click…

“And that’s how we met,” Katniss finished with the story, shooting Peeta a secret smile. His mouth quirked, and he took a drag from his beer.

“Oh, that’s so romantic,” Delly exclaimed, sighing to herself. “Don’t tell Thom, but I wish we met anywhere other than a grocery store.”

When they left the party later that evening, Peeta stopped them in the middle of the sidewalk on the way to their house. “So, you find my tattoos attractive?” he asked, smirking.

She blushed, poking his ribs playfully. “You already knew this. I’ve mentioned it in numerous versions of the story. Plus, I tell you this all of the time.”

Peeta laughed and pulled her against his side. “Also, that’s not exactly how I remember us meeting,” Peeta said, looking down at her with amusement. “You seemed to have left out the part where we had sex on that maroon chaise, and again in your apartment. But I appreciate you making me sound like quite the cavalier.”

She shivered at the memory. How is it after three years, Peeta still managed to get her all hot and bothered with a few simple words? 

“You are a gentleman,” she told him, then Katniss stepped out from his side and tugged on his hand. “But maybe you can jog my memory about how unhonourable you were that day.”

His jaw ticked, and he gave her a wicked grin. “Gladly.” And Katniss squealed as Peeta picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.

#everlark #everlark fanfiction #autumn #autumn 2020 #eiramrelyat #submission #prompt

[reddrobins]

Older! Damian Wayne x Reader

Request(s): Can you do two (sorry if it's too much, you can do only one tho) for Damian Wayne? Sassy: "Hmm. So you 'do' have feelings. " Fluff and romance: "I've loved you for years." Thanks so much! + Hi! Can i request a damian x reader where he denies his feelings towards the reader, which annoys jon 24/7. So jon convinces the reader to fake date him to see for themselves that damian’s hiding his feelings, and it ends up working, as his mood completely changes when he sees jon and the reader together.

(Decided to combine the two because I had a brilliant fic idea)

Summary: After years of denying his feelings for the reader, Damian finally confesses after (Y/N) and Jon ‘date’. 

If there was anything in the entire world that annoyed Jon Kent, it would be Damian's feelings towards you. Or rather his persistent lack thereof. 

The three of you were now seniors in high school and though you may not be in the same school district, let alone city - the trio was closer than ever. Some members even too close, at least to Damians liking. 

It had started about a week ago. Jon had approached you during one of your study hall periods, yes - you lived in Metropolis - with a request unlike any other. 

“Fake date me.” He said bluntly and then quickly blushed at the forwardness of his actions, “I mean only if you want to. But I promise it’s for good reason.”

“Good reason huh? Shoot.” You quirked an eyebrow at him, intrigued. 

Jon sat backwards in the chair in front of you and gave a toothy grin, “So you know how Damian likes you but won’t admit it?” 

You choked at his words, “No Jon, I don’t know. Because he doesn’t. Stop trying to make me feel bad about my crush.” 

The Kent boy groaned and tapped your desk with his finger when you looked down at it. “Nuh uh, you don’t get to do this to yourself. No wallowing on my watch missy. Now listen-“

At those words, Jon then went on to explain his master plan. By getting the two of you to fake date it would make Damian jealous and then bam! (his exact words) you two will fall in love. 

Rolling your eyes at the teen you shook your head. “It’s not going to happen Kent. He obviously doesn’t like me that way.”

Jon groaned in frustration, how come both of you were so dense!

“Just try it (N/N). And hey if it doesn’t work out then you get to say I told you so, yeah?”

You contemplated for a moment. I mean what did you really have to lose? “Fine.” You spat out. “But there’s boundaries.”

The young teen nodded egarly, happy that you finally agreed, “Oh of course. It’ll all be on your terms, but we have to make it look real. We can just hold hands and stuff, you know? We have to make him jealous jealous.”

With a handshake the two of you sealed the deal and you accepted your fate as Jon’s fake girlfriend. 

A few days had passed and the weekend hit. This was the big day, the day you and Jon would be going to Gotham. The first time you’d see Damian as a ‘couple’. 

The two of you clambered up the Wayne manor steps and Jon knocked on the door, making sure to hold your hand (not very subtly) as he did so. 

You heard Damian yell from inside and then the large oak doors opened revealing your tall crush - no, friend. 

“Jon. (Y/N).” He greeted in his ever so formal fashion. “Thank you for coming over, I - Kent, are you holding (N/N)’s hand?”

You cursed internally, god why did you agree to this?

Jon gave a small chuckle, “Of course, why wouldn’t I be holding her hand, that's what lovers do right?”

You stared at Jon deadpanned, could he possibly be any less subtle? 

Damian on the other hand had the adverse reaction, his eyes flared, his chest rose, his hands clenched and then just like that, he was back to his normal self. “I’m sorry?” He said.

Jon gave your hand a squeeze, signaling that it was your turn to talk. You cleared your throat, “Yup, yes, that's what we are… lovers.” you cringed at your wording, now not so judgemental of Jon but yourself.

“I see.” said the young Wayne, “So, when did this pairing begin?”

Before either of you answered, Damian shook his head, “How rude of me, please come in - you know where to go.”

The three of you raced up the grand staircase up to Damian's bedroom. He opened the door for the two of you as you followed in, both sitting on the edge of his bed.

Damian stood in front of the two of you and crossed his arms, “So, when’d you get the balls to ask her out Kent?” he said rather sharply.

Your mouth dropped open, what the hell had gotten into Damian, he'd never say anything like that, ever.

Turning to Jon, you saw he had the same reaction and you squeezed his hand to edge him to answer. “Um, well I just realized that I’d always had a crush on her and so finally my dad convinced me to ask (N/N) out and I did!” 

Damian squinted his eyes at his super friend and sneered, “Always had a crush on her, huh?”  Jon, like a lovesick puppy, nodded in response.

There had been two things in Jon's sentence that set him off, first, never telling Damian about his secret crush and secondly, him using your nickname. Only Damian got to say (N/N).

“Well then, I am glad you are both happy with this partnership.” he forced out, faking a smile all the while his heart ached on the inside. But he’d never let them know.

A week had passed and yet again the weekend was there, however this wasn't just any weekend, no this was the weekend of August ninth, or more specifically, the weekend of Damians 18th birthday.

The Waynes had planned a large gala to celebrate the occasion and of course, both you and Jon were invited.

The two of you stepped into the large ballroom, your gown shimmering behind you (Lois had helped you pick it out). You felt like a princess, and though you weren't with the prince you wanted to be with, you were happy to be here with Jon.

“Damian is so going to freak when he sees you, I’d be surprised if he doesn't just kiss you on the spot” He whispered to you. In response you slapped his arm lightly, hissing out his name.

However friendly the gesture may have been, it came off as an intimate moment from one watcher in the crowd.

Damian was standing off to the side, a flute of champagne in his hand. When he saw what he assumed to be a moment between two lovers he squeezed the glass so tightly, it cracked. He cursed, wiping the dripping champagne off his hands as he continued to watch the two of you hold hands in the ballroom.

When Jon once more leaned into your ear to whisper something, Damian finally decided enough was enough. Waltzing over to the two of you he put on a forced smile, “(Y/N)... Kent. Nice to see you both.”

You let go of Jons hand and tackled Damian into a hug, “Happy Birthday Dami!”

The teen blushed furiously, but successfully hid it in your hair, hugging you back. Damian pulled away, “Thank you, it has gotten so much better now that you’re here.” He whispered.

You froze in spot, had you imagined that or...

Damian, soon realizing what he had said, cleared his throat, “I meant to say now that you’re both here. I’m glad to see you all arrived to save me from the socialites.”

Jon chuckled at that and gave Damian a hug as well, “Of course!” He said, “Me and my sweet couldn’t leave our best bro all alone on his b-day!”

The Wayne teen outwardly cringed at Jon’s sentiment, god could he be any more annoying, he thought to himself.

Jon caught on to Damians disgusted glare and saw this as an ample opportunity to let the two of you ’hash out your feels’.

Just as Damian went to speak, Jon swiftly interrupted, “I think I am going to head over to get some punch for me and (N/N).” He turned to you, “Be right back my love.”

And he kissed you.

As your face flushed and Damians flashed in anger, Jon smiled and walked away towards the bar.

The two teens stood in silence for a few minutes, you unsure how to react and Damian trying to calm himself down.

“So”, you stated. “Did you get anything exciting today? Like, birthday present wise...” You laughed awkwardly, trailing off.

Damians jaw unclenched as he looked at you once again, god you looked otherworldly. What he wouldn’t do to be in Jons position.

You caught his starring and waved a hand in front of his face, “Hey Dami, you still here?”

He nodded and then swallowed, still shocked by Jons actions. “Tell me (N/N), how are you and Kent doing?”

You furrowed your brows, it was his birthday, surely he had other things to talk about... why this?

Shrugging you responded, “We’re doing well, great even, I mean it’s nice, we’re nice.” You stumbled over your words, doing your best to give seemingly sincere response.

Damian just nodded, unhappy with your answer. Though him and Jon were the best of friends, he just wished that the Kent teen was an awful boyfriend, that way it would be easier for Damian to make you his.

“I’m so happy for you.” He struggled out, but you were oblivious to his obvious distaste.

“Hmm, so you do have feelings?” You joked.

Damian rolled his eyes, glad you didn’t question his emotions, “Yeah, yeah, whatever (L/N).”

Silence once again took over the conversation and you began to wonder where the hell Jon went. You craned your neck to look over Damians shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of the bar.

You frowned when Jon was nowhere to be seen. Confusion grew within you until your phone dinged.

Taking it out of your pure, you saw you had one new message from the super-boyscout, it read:

‘Hey (Y/N), I left the party to give you and D some alone time, please don’t be mad at me and especially DONT BE A COWARD AND KISS THE FOOL. Luv u’

“Everything alright?” Damian questioned, catching your frustrated glare at your cellphone.

Shoving it back into your bag, you smiled, “Yeah, all good, just Jon.”

Damian clenched his fists, “Oh?” He questioned, mocking sincerity, “Is everything okay though?”

You waved your hand in dismissal, “Yeah he just had a family emergency back in Metropolis so he had to leave early, he wishes you a super birthday though!” You wiggled your eyebrows at the last sentence, making sure to add emphasis on super.

Damian rolled his eyes again, this time in amusement, “Wonderful. Though I feel like his birthday tends to be more super.”

You laughed, god you loved talking to Damian, you could do this for ages.

“Would you maybe like to go somewhere more private to talk? Galas have never been my scene.” Damian suggested.

“Are you sure?” You asked, “I’d hate to take the birthday boy away from his own party.”

Damian smirked, “I’m sure they could last a few hours without me. Plus, they’re more here for my father than I, business deals and all.”

You shrugged and followed Damian into his fathers study, where unlike the ballroom, it was nice and quiet.

The two of you sat down onto the sofa and you immediately took of your heels, throwing them to the floor.

Damian laughed at your pained expression, “Not a fan huh?”

You chucked, “God no, those things are the worst.”

“You know, you could’ve just worn flats. Hell, you could have worn pajamas and you’d still be the most gorgeous person in there.”

You blushed at his words, not expecting them to be so flirtatious. Maybe Jon was right? you thought, Maybe I should make a move.

You were just about to thank him for his kind words when your phone buzzed again, another message from Jon,

I’m serious (Y/N), you better ask him out or I will honestly explode. I can’t handle the tension anymore.

This time, you groaned whilst reading the message and shoved your phone back into the handbag. “I literally cannot believe him.” You grumbled.

“Jon again?” Damian sneered, looking way from you and down to his shoes.

“Yeah. He just keeps bugging me to do this thing, it’s driving me crazy.” you sighed.

Against his better judgement, Damian blurted out, “Maybe you should breakup.”

Your eyes widened at his suggestion, “What?”

The Wayne teen all but shrugged, “If hes bothering you that much, maybe you aren’t meant to be. Surely there are millions of other suitors out there perfect for you.” Other suitors like him.

“Damian, where is this coming from?” You questioned.

Damian sighed and then finally, he broke. “I can’t do this anymore (N/N). I can not stand to watch you and Kent flirt back and forth when it should be me doing that with you. I’ve hid and denied my feelings for far too long, but (Y/N) (L/N), I’ve loved you for years. And I know I shouldn’t, it is unjust for me to be in love with my best friends lover but I can not help it. I love you.”

Through his monologue, Damian gripped both of your hands, lightly squeezing them, rubbing his thumbs over the back of your palm.

“You love me?”

Damian just nodded, not willing to look you in the eyes.

You bit your lip, Jons words ringing through your ears, There’s no time like the present, I guess, you said to yourself.

So without any further thought, you lightly placed your hands on Damians face and kissed him.

He instantly wrapped his arms around you waist, savoring this moment, but swiftly pulled back, eyes wide.

“B-But Jon...” He stuttered out.

You leaned your forehead against his, “It was faked, he thought you’d finally confess your feelings if you saw us together and I have to hand it to him, he was right.”

“So.” Damian began smiling, “Does that mean I can ask you to be mine?”

You  pecked his lips and then leaned into his chest, “Of course.”

Does anyone wish to be added in a tag list?

#damian wayne #damian wayne x reader #older!damian wayne #older!damian wayne x reader #older! damian wayne x reader #batman #batman imagine #batman x reader #batfamily imagine #robin x reader #jon kent

[secretlover-ao3]

Always Yours

Chapter 1

“Daenerys, come on! It’s Friday night… and it’s my birthday! You have to come out with us!” Arya insists. 

Arya Stark, my best friend of the past 12 years. I love her, but she does not get it. I’m not one for crowds. My anxiety and depression make it difficult. Although I try to mask it, she still sees my hesitation, knowing me all too well. 

“Come on!” she continues, “You will be with me, Gendry, and Jon... Forget everyone else. Please?” 

“Ugh! Fine! But you have to help me get ready.”I cannot say no to her and she knows it. Her victorious grin is infectious, and before I know it, I am grinning along with her. As much as I would rather be home with my book, she is my best friend… my only friend if I am being honest… so, I wouldn’t miss her night. 

An hour and a half later, she has tortured my long silver hair with a flatiron and my face with makeup that is typically reserved for special occasions. Normally, I’m a mascara and lip gloss kind of girl. I am in a dress she insisted I buy more than a year ago and have refused to wear until now. It’s black, too short and clings to my too curvy body. I look in the mirror and all I recognize are my pale purple eyes. She insists I look beautiful; I feel over exposed. Arya is the exact opposite of me… black hair, deep gray eyes, and a body most would love to have. Where I’m standoffish and a loner, for the most part, she is outgoing and popular. How we became best friends is beyond me. 

I will never forget how we met… I was 10 and had just moved here from Kings Landing. My dad had the opportunity to move and buy his own construction company; it had always been his dream. That is how I ended up in the small town known as Winterfell. 

My first day of school was horrible. It was the middle of the year and as the new girl… no one seemed to care for me. The kids had been staring, pointing and whispering most of the morning. At lunch, I grabbed my tray and having no appetite I sat down at a table by myself.  I was about to cry when she sat down beside me and said, “Hi, I’m Arya. Don’t worry about them. They are just jealous because you’ve been somewhere else, and they haven’t.” That was it. We were instant friends. Turned out we lived on the same street and once my parents divorced, I practically lived at her house with her, her parents and her brother Jon. Now in our mid-twenties, we share an apartment together.

“Perfect! We ready?” Arya asks, snapping me from my thoughts. 

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” I reply with a sigh. “You are so lucky I love you.” Her laugh makes it worth it as I give one last, longing look at my book and head out the door.

About 20 minutes later, Arya and I reach the little Essosi restaurant where we are meeting Gendry and Jon.  Gendry is Arya’s longtime boyfriend… I would say they are highschool sweethearts, but their romance began in junior high. Him being the football star and her the cheerleader. They are perfect together. He is about a foot taller than her at 5’10” with sandy black hair and brown eyes. He is really good to her; I can only hope that one day I will have a relationship as pure as theirs. 

Then there is Jon. Jon is older than Arya and me by a couple years. I can’t help but wonder who his flavor of the week is now.If I seem bitter, it’s because I am. I have secretly been in love with him for as long as I can remember.

No one knows.  

Not even Arya.   

She would probably be pissed if she did know… and I am pretty sure he thinks of me as just another sister anyway. 

He keeps his dark curly hair a little long with a naturally messy look. His dark gray eyes are like midnight you could drown in. He has that rugged, bad boy look. At 25 years old he has made a name for himself. Not only with the ladies, but in the business world as well. It surprised no one when he chose to major in Business instead of Marketing like his mom or Law like his dad. He was always one to do his own thing. I have always admired their family for supporting each other in all they do. I wish it could be that way for me. 

The guys are outside waiting for us as we park. I have to turn away because Gendry’s greeting for Arya is enough to make me blush.

I take my time as I walk over and say hello to Jon. To my surprise, he isn’t here with a woman, but his best friend Daario… who by the way, is an asshole. He is tall, dark, and handsome… but an asshole none the less. I had the unfortunate privilege of dating him briefly. One date to be exact… about a year ago. It was awful. He took me to dinner and before we had our food, he was already hinting at sex. When we left the restaurant, he tried to shove his tongue down my throat and grabbed my tits… so I kneed him in the balls and called Jon for a ride home since he lived the closest. Besides, he was the one to set the date up, so I felt he owed me. I was humiliated, but Jon made me feel better. By the time I made it home I was laughing so hard about the whole situation I was in tears. 

Jon returned my hello with a hug. Daario smirked and waved. 

Jokingly, I asked Jon, “What, no date? Or is Daario your flavor this week?” 

Jon laughed answering, “Nah, just taking the night off for Arya… besides, Daario is still holding out for you.” 

“Man, fuck you!” came Daario’s response. 

“No, thanks.” Jon and I say in unison.

By the time Arya and Gendry join us I cannot stop laughing. I love that Arya and Jon are so close that they have always wanted me around is a bonus. It is the only time I don’t feel like I’m an obligation.Dinner has been great. I’m glad I came.The conversation has been flowing easily from all of us. To my surprise, there is not even tension between Daario and me. The past is the past, and he was a decent friend before our mistake night. When it comes time to leave however, my anxiety builds.  I know Arya is ready to head out and party. Dinner with friends is one thing, but I do not party.Jon sees the panic rising and takes my hand. Squeezing it, he leans over whispering“It’s okay. I’m here. If it gets too bad, we can go, okay?”Nodding my head yes, because that is all I can do, I take comfort in his words.I ride along with Arya and Gendry, feeling like the third wheel I am.  

“Where are we off to?” I ask Arya. She looks over at Gendry, since he is the one driving and says, “Take me somewhere I can dance!” Gendry laughs and keeps driving.

Just a few minutes later we pull up to Arya’s favorite bar, it’s more of a club minus the door man. I don’t want to leave this car, but I will not let my best friend down. So, on a sigh I muster up my courage and get out. 

I am happy to see Jon and Daario are out of Jon’s SUV, waiting. Before I know it, Arya and Gendry have disappeared into the bar. Shaking my head, I laugh and walk up to the guys. Jon smiles while guiding me inside. With him here I feel safe. I know that it is wrong, but in my heart, I wish he could feel the same for me. 

We have been here about an hour when Daario starts being his old self. I wish I could blame the alcohol, but I am sure it is just him.We had all been talking and having fun, so when he asked me to dance, I said sure. Before I knew it, he was trying to kiss me, and his hand was on my ass.

“Stop!” I yell as I try pushing him away, but I am unable to break his hold. I panic, fearing no one will hear me because his mouth is on mine. 

Suddenly, I am out of Daario's grasp. Jon is in front of me growling at him, “What the hell, man!?” Daario glares at him and shouts. “Whatever, that bitch is going to die a virgin!” I am mortified. I stand there, unable to move or speak.

Jon comes over; putting his arm around me he leads me back to the table. He sits me down, turning my chair to face his; placing his hands on my knees he says, “I’m sorry. He’s an asshole. Are you okay?” 

I feel the tears brimming my eyes as I respond with a simple “No.” He takes me into his arms, apologizing again. 

In his embrace I find comfort, allowing myself to cry for a few minutes. Once I’m able to speak I ask him why he is apologizing.

“Because I’m the one who brought that bastard with us. I should have never let him get close enough to hurt you again.  You will never know how sorry I am.” He drops his eyes from me and I think I hear him sniffle. When he looks up again, his eyes are red, and his cheeks are wet. 

I shake my head and laugh. With confusion written all over his face, he arches his brow and asks, “What’s so funny?” 

“He’s right, you know?” He still looks confused, so I continue. “I will probably die a virgin. It’d just be a lot easier if the world didn’t seem to know about my love life… or lack thereof.”

He laughs, shaking his head he says, “That’s what happens when you live in a small town;everyone knows everything about everyone.”

I sigh with a “Yeah.” 

We sit there quietly for a while; I break the silence when I say, “One of these days I think I’m just going to have sex… just to get it over with.”

He laughs out a “What?” 

“I’m serious!” I reply “I’m tired of being the virgin.I have no hope of a serious relationship when the guys only want me to have a chance at my v-card. Once they find out it’s not happening right away, I either never hear from them again or it ends up just like it did with Daario… them thinking they have the right to go for it anyway.  If love isn’t going to happen for me first, then maybe it will come along after.” 

“Daenerys, look at me.” When I look up, he is staring at me intently. “You’re serious?” 

I wait a bit before I softly respond, “Yeah, I think I am, Jon. I’m just tired… tired of disappointment. It’s not like I’ve been saving myself for my wedding night. I didn't expect something special or romantic. I just wanted it to be with someone who somewhat cared about me. Someone that would still speak to me after. I know all of this sound stupid. I sound like one of the hopeless girls in my books.” I finish, saying the last part to myself. Oh my god, I am a complete an idiot… why did I tell him all of that?! I think to myself and feel the heat rising in my face. 

He says nothing, and I grow more embarrassed by the second. Not only did I just say the most idiotic thing I could possibly say... I did it with zero alcohol in my system to blame.I'm about to excuse myself to find Arya, tell her I'm not feeling well and going to find a ride home… when he finally speaks. 

“I'll do it.” He says… so softly, I think I have heard him incorrectly.

“What?” I ask. 

Just as he looks up at me to answer, Arya and Gendry join us at the table. Arya looks back and forth between us and questions, “What's wrong?”

I have no words; I just sit there with a blank expression. 

Jon seeing I'm not going to answer anytime soon says, “Daario, being an asshole like usual.” 

I can hear the concern in her voice when she looks at me and asks, “What the fuck did he do to you? I will to kill him.”

I cannot control my nervousness any longer and burst into a fit of laughter. “What the hell is wrong with you?!” she demands but I can't stop laughing to answer. 

She looks to Jon.

He shrugs. “She is laughing to ease the tension, I would guess.  We were all having fun. Daario asked her to dance; then being Daario, he tried forcing himself on her. She tried pushing him away and when I saw her struggling against him... I handled it. Well, as much as I could while being in here. I will thoroughly handle it later.” He finishes with venom in his tone.

Arya leans over and hugs me apologizing.

“Would you two quit apologizing? You have no control over that asshole’s behavior!”

It's Arya's turn to laugh as she says, “We can't help it... we love you!” she continues, “Anyway, we are heading out. You ready?”

I hesitate, looking over at Jon who hasn't taken his eyes off me.

Before I can answer, he says, “Stay and talk a while longer? I will get you home safe.” When I don't answer right away, he smirks and continues. “Let's give the birthday girl and her man a little alone time before I take you home, okay?” His eyes are pleading with me.I have no idea what I'm in for, but I smile and agree.

We say our goodbyes and I am once again alone with Jon; once again feeling the heat flame my cheeks.

After a few moments of sitting in silence he turns, “Daenerys, please look at me.” I sheepishly look up at him. I am embarrassed, and it shows.

“If you are serious... if you are completely sure that is what you want to do... I'll do it.” I still can’t speak, so he continues. “Look, I’m impressed that you’ve waited as long as you have; I admire you. But if you truly just want to get it over with... I’ll do it. If it’s going to be this way, I want it to be me. I wouldn't intentionally hurt you. I care about you, and there’s not a chance I would ignore you after. I'd rather it be me, then some asshole like Daario.”

He has rendered me speechless, but he allows me time to think without saying another word. When I feel I can I finally speak, “Okay” is all I say.

He stands and reaches for my hand; I take his, completely numb, feeling as though I am dreaming.

#daenerys targaryen #emilia clarke #mother of dragons #jon snow #arya stark #gendry waters #kit harington #game of thrones #a song of ice and fire #ao3 #fanfic #kimilia #jonerys

[milothebastardman]

If it's not too much bother could you do radmond confession? I wonder who would've been the first to come to terms with their feelings and confess

Here ya go Nonny! Hope you enjoy

They’d been tiptoeing around the issue for weeks, neither of them able to muster up the courage to admit what they felt for the other. For starters, Rad was the worst when it came to dealing with emotions that were considered to be unmasculine by society. Sure, he could read all the articles on why crying was healthy and why it wasn’t a weak thing to do, but it would take more than a handful of articles urging him to open up before he could actually do so.

Then there was Raymond, sweet, egotistical, “Nobody could ever meet my impossibly high standards” Raymond. For the record, Rad met every single one of his standards. And that was scary. Incredibly scary. Part of the reason it was scary was that he had no clue as to what Rad’s standards were, so what if he didn’t even come close to meeting them? What if Rad only liked aliens of his own kind? Or what if he wasn’t interested in a mechanic being as himself? Welcome to Existential Crisis 101, folks, with Instructor Raymond.

So, it goes unsaid that the two were painfully awkward when it came to even considering the possibility of confessing to the other. So the silent dance around the subject continued, fights between the two always involving an easily detectable tension that Enid recognized from her Angst Daily magazines. KO, as innocent and oblivious as he could be, was even able to sense that there was something off with the two. So it should be of little surprise that he was the one to try and help them fix whatever was wrong with their relationship, or in this case, the lack thereof of a relationship…

“Do you have a crush on Raymond?”, KO asked, forgoing any pretense of subtlety in a move that normally would leave the turquoise alien full of pride. Since the probing question was directed towards him, though, the pride was quickly drowned out by embarrassment and panic. The soda can he’d been drinking from was quickly crushed as he tensed, the cheap metal giving way and spewing artificial colors and flavorings onto his work uniform. In between trying desperately to clean up before it dried (he’d learned the hard way that you couldn’t remove intergalactic soda stains from clothes), he stammered out a response that was telling enough for the tiny hero.

“You DO have a crush on him!”, KO exclaimed, bouncing up and down excitedly as his best friend managed to choke on air. Rad coughed harshly for a moment, turning purple in the face as he struggled to breathe. KO was actually going to be his cause of death, he thought, then shook his head. No, having a stupid as heck crush on a dumb, evil robot was going to be his cause of death, he mentally amended. “Oh man, I can’t believe it! Well, actually I can, you’re good at all kinds of stuff but you aren’t very good at being subtle.”, KO continued, giving his alien pal a giant, 1,000-watt smile.

“… Please don’t tell Enid.”, Rad whispered, daring to glance over at the inattentive cashier. She had her nose buried in another one of those weird comics of hers, the kind you had to read all backward like, right to left instead of left to right. She didn’t even look up from her comic, she just snorted loudly.

“Rad, everyone and their mom knows about your giant, dorky crush on Raymond.”, she commented, causing the poor stocker’s heart to beat in a way that he was sure couldn’t be healthy.

“Yeah! My mommy thinks it’s like one of her old romance novels!”, KO added cheerfully, getting a little laugh from Enid.

“See Rad? Literally, everyone and their mom knows! Except for Raymond, obviously. He’s just as clueless to your feelings as you are to his.”, she finished, turning her attention away from Rad’s love life and back to the love life of the charismatic lead in her graphic novel. The alien let out a sound that was somewhere between a hysterical laugh and a sob, the idea that everyone knew about his stupid affection for a stupid robot beside the stupid robot in question proving to be a little too much for his brain. KO poked him hesitantly, unsure as to why Rad had suddenly decided to let his head bang against a shelf rather roughly.

Mr. Gar shook his head, grumbling to himself about his best stocker getting a concussion on the job just because he couldn’t buck up the courage to confess. Fully unaware of how hypocritical he was being, he retreated to his office so he could mentally rehearse ice breakers in case he ran into Carol anytime soon.

Meanwhile, things at the large factory across the road weren’t faring much better…

KO had recruited Darrell to assist in his mission of getting his favorite alien and his favorite sports loving robot together, something that everyone needed to happen already. Shannon was so close to retiring her own auditory sensors just so she wouldn’t have to process the constant stream of sincere compliments followed by half-hearted insults geared towards her least favorite Bodega Baby. Lord Boxman, evil as he could be, was still very invested in the lives his robotic children led, and simply wanted the baby of the family to be happy. Darrell was more than happy to assist his hero buddy, especially since it meant he got to play matchmaker for once.

So here he was, standing outside of Raymond’s room patiently, waiting on his youngest sibling to open up the door.

“Raymond! C'mon, I know you’re in there! Just let me in!”, he called, leaning against the metal sliding door lightly. He could hear the tell-tale signs of mechanical life, the rustling of silk sheets (honestly what else would do for the Prince of Panache?) and metallic clank of his feet on the plush carpet. The door finally slid open, a rather weary looking Raymond appearing in the doorway.

“If you ever dare to reference that blasted children’s movie again, I will personally destroy every copy of it that currently exists, and set fire to any factory that hopes to produce any more copies.”, he threatened flatly, giving his older brother a tired glare. Darrell pretended his favorite movie wasn’t just insulted and stuck a grin on his face.

“You really need to let it go.”, he commented, ignoring Raymond’s little indignant screech. He pulled the mopey robot from his room, a surprising strength to his grip as he forced the younger robot to start walking down the hall with him. “Seriously dude, you need to relax just a little bit, and handle your thing with Rad.”, he added, now dragging his frozen brother along.

“I have no idea what you could possibly be referring to.”, Raymond eventually replied with, attempting to school his face into a calm, cool mask of indifference. However, the internal panicking managed to seep into his metal features, ultimately betraying his facade. “Oh god it’s really bad Darrell!”, he cried, throwing an arm across his face dramatically. “He’s just this stupid alien with a stupid crop top and power point high heeled boots and good GOD where did he get the NERVE to pull off pink pants, black heeled boots, and a blue crop top?!?”, he ranted, huffing loudly when Darrell began laughing.

“Jeez, you really do have it bad!”, he wheezed out, patting his baby brother’s shoulder spike affectionately. The two were in in the living room now, where the majority of the robot family had gathered. Shannon was wearing quite the snazzy business outfit (Lord Boxman had secretly had a field day making his daughter such a professional, evil outfit), and was stood next to some sort of projector.

“Ugh, it’s about time you brought the Drama King here. I’ve been waiting for way too long just to give this dumb presentation.”, she griped, adjusting her skirt before she started up the projector. After a couple moments, a power point presentation titled “How to Ask an Alien on a Date” displayed on a nearby wall. Raymond let out a loud groan when he read the title slide, his face flushing as Shannon started going through the slides, using a new laser pointer feature Lord Boxman had installed on her pointer finger to draw attention to key points.

Needless to say, Raymond felt every bit as embarrassed as Rad did. While they weren’t aware of it, they were connected by the crippling waves of anxiety and mounting panic as the day wore on. Now that they knew that everyone else knew, they felt prompted to act. The big issue still remained, though: How would the other react to a sudden confession of pesky feelings? It was Rad who picked up his cell phone first, hesitating and wasting nearly an hour over what to do before he finally gave Raymond a call. As his luck would have it, of course, it went straight to voicemail. He left a quick message telling the robot to meet him in the park at 5 p.m. sharp and hung up immediately afterward.

He actually got to the park about an hour early and decided to shut his phone off, just so he wouldn’t spend the next hour or so checking it frantically to see if he’d gotten even a message back. Five eventually rolled around, and Rad was well into chewing off the nails on his left hand before he saw Raymond casually stroll into the entrance. He jumped off his branch excitedly, forcing himself to try and play it cool in an attempt to not seem too eager. Didn’t want to come off as desperate as he felt, am I right?

“Alright, so what is ever so important that you just had to drag me away from my work to this park?”, Raymond drawled, smirking as his confidence kicked into maximum overdrive.

“Oh shut it, bolts for brains. It is something very important, I’ll have you know.”, Rad retorted, leaning against his tree nonchalantly. He examined the nails on his right hand, managing to look fairly disinterested despite the inner turmoil that his brain was in. “I think we should go do something, together, like together-together.”, he suggested, glancing up after a few moments of silence to see how Raymond was reacting. His face was blank, revealing absolutely no emotion, and that was only slightly terrifying to the teen.

“… Are you asking me out..?”, Raymond replied with, his voice shaking only a little bit. His circuits felt like they were going to explode, and he could hear the sound of his cooling fans turning on as he began over heating. Rad nodded, swallowing roughly before he took a deep breath.

“Yeah, I guess… Well, I know I am. So like… Maybe we could catch a movie this weekend?”, he elaborated, every nerve in his body ablaze as hormones surged through his blood. He got an armful of excited robot in response, a choked squeak passing his lips as he was pulled into a near violent hug.

“I would absolutely adore that, darling!”, Raymond sang, pulling away from the hug with a starry look in his eyes. Rad let out a nervous giggle in response, feeling the stress and worry melt away. “I’ll pick you up around six on Saturday, alright? I’ll leave the movie choice to you, frankly, I could care less what we see.”, he continued, seemingly unaware of the tension that dissipated. No, he was too busy planning the first of what he hoped would be several stellar dates! Truth be told, Rad was too busy trying not to faint now that he realized he actually had a date with his crush. He was going to need all the advice Enid could give! Maybe her comics could help him…

#radmond #rad #radicles #raymond #ok ko #ok ko let's be heroes #anon #ask #fanfiction #short and sweet

[blatherkatt]

Title: The Calm Is Terrifying When The Storm Is All You Know [Homestuck]

Chapter 18: Wiggler-steps 

Summary: There were two kinds of trolls who went to Earth: rich shitheads with too much money and free time, and desperate assholes who couldn’t survive on Alternia, even with the best efforts of the young Condesce. Karkat hated the planet almost immediately, but with his home planet too dangerous for mutants, he really didn’t have any choice but to hide out on this weird little diurnal planet. At least he’d be safe. Or so he thought, right before blundering his way into an accidental friendship with the son of an anti-troll terrorist.

Rating: M

Chapter Warnings: Mentioned/implied abuse

FIRST | PREVIOUS | NEXT

It had been two days since Dave was supposed to go back to Bro, since Kanaya’d been hurt and all that, and Dave was still fucking reeling from the aftermath. Or, more accurately, the lack thereof.

Like, seriously, what the fuck.

He was definitely still feeling guilty as fuck about it, but…everyone else seemed to have gotten over it? Dirk was sorta making him nervous and being as stoic and hard to read as ever, but for all the times the guy looked pissed off (well, more like annoyed, but years of living with Bro had taught Dave that on that face, annoyed meant pissed), nothing had ever come of it. Rose was being really gentle, lately, fuckin’ asking him if he was okay like all the damn time, and he’d never tried saying ‘no’ to her yet, but he was starting to think it might actually be okay to do so. He was still experiencing whiplash from how quick she’d turned that conversation about The Kanaya Thing around, fuck. Mom hadn’t even talked about any sort of punishment, Kanaya seemed totally okay with everything (aside from being generally vaguely bewildered about the whole vampire deal, which was totally fair), even fuckin’ Terezi had let him off the hook with a warning.  

And…then there was Karkat. He hadn’t done anything either, except for a good dose of the silent treatment. Dave suspected that was mainly because he hadn’t actually talked to Karkat about it yet. Wasn’t super looking forward to doing so, but he was gonna do it. Right the fuck today. Time to clear the fuckin’ air, get this smoggy conflict shit outta there so we can all fuckin’ breathe.

Karkat was, at present, down on the couch in the living room, watching some troll movie on his troll computer. Dave swallowed hard, and walked over to Karkat.

“Hey,” said Dave. Great start. Awesome. Fantastic way to start an apology.

“Hmph,” said Karkat. His ear flicked as Dave dropped down next to him on the couch, but his eyes remained trained on his laptop.

“So,” Dave said, scrambling to keep his train of thought reigned in enough that he could actually put words to it, “like, for the record, in advance, if the answer is gonna be ‘no, fuck off, never talk to me again, you have screwed the pooch so hard the furries have fully embraced you as one of their own whether you like it or not, get the fuck away from me and never talk to me again,’ that’s totally fine and I will shut the fuck up and be out of your hair, but. Can we, like, talk? About shit? ‘Cuz I, uh. Probably owe you an apology. I mean, you and everyone, but most of them’ve already heard it, and their responses have been, uh, kind of fucking weird, honestly, but. Ugh, I’m fucking this up already, Jesus Christ, there’s no end to this verbal fucking flood, the levies have already broken, just start breakin’ out the inflatable rafts and start blowing, and not in the sexy way —”

“If I say yes, will you shut up?” Karkat groaned.

“…Uh, I mean. I’m asking to talk, but, uh.”

“Okay, how about this, then: what’s the point, Dave, skip the impossibly unending torrent of words, ditch the fucking flotation devices altogether, and cut straight to what you actually came down here to say. Please.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what, exactly,” Karkat said, his voice flat. His eyes were still trained on that movie. Some troll on screen was barking something really mean sounding to another in Alternian in the middle of a really violent looking makeout session. At least, Dave thought it was a makeout session. The two might have actually been literally trying to suck each others’ faces off. Dave shuddered, shook his head, and tried not to look. Fuckin’ troll romance shit, Jesus.

“Well, do you want the list in alphabetical order, or…” Dave trailed off, let the joke die before it had a chance to drop its pants on stage. Wasn’t funny, and Karkat clearly wasn’t in the mood, judging by the stony look in his eyes. “…Everything, I guess. Uh. I’m really fucking sorry for getting Kanaya hurt, she seems really okay with it and…thanked me, for some reason? Which was almost as confusing as what Rose did, but whatever.  I’m…sorry for taking advantage of you being a really decent dude, way back when you caught me sneaking in, too. That was…that was kinda scummy of me, even if I thought it was necessary at the time.”  

“That’s putting it mildly,” Karkat said. Dave suppressed a flinch. “I trusted you, Dave! I thought you were just doing something harmless like feeding an animal or something, and it turns out you were putting all of us in danger! Kanaya’s…” Karkat’s voice choked, and he turned his head further away, clutching at his arm. “She’s basically my best fucking friend, and I almost lost her. I fucking gambled on everyone’s safety, just letting you sneak out like that. I should’ve told someone, but past me had to be a stupid fucking idiot with giant diamonds in his eyes about it.”

“I…wait, diamonds? Fuck it, nevermind, weird alien expressions can wait.” Dave shook his head. “I know it doesn’t really help anything, but honest to God, I never meant to…I was gonna just go quietly, that way no one’d get hurt and I’d be out of everyone’s hair —”

“ExcUSE ME?” Karkat yelped, turning back toward Dave with his eyes wide, angry, and watery, but Dave wasn’t done.

“—and everything could go back to normal, but that last night was so fucking peaceful that the thought of going back to having to constantly be on full alert sounded so fucking exhausting and I couldn’t stand it, and I knew that I’d waited too long to tell you guys for everything to just be okay, and, and I thought everyone was gonna be pissed at me over it, which they kind of were but not nearly as mad as I expected, and, and —”

“Dave,” Karkat hissed, grabbing Dave’s arm and making him jump, “Holy shit, you’re gonna work yourself into another panic attack. Breathe, dumbass, watch your breathing.”

Dave took a deep breath, tried to talk again, and was immediately silenced by a gray hand slapped over his mouth.

“No. Stop. That’s enough. I think I get the idea. You made a mistake. I’m not as mad as you think I am, calm down.”

“You’re not?” Dave said, as the hand pulled away, hating a little how hopeful his voice sounded. He was like a fucking dog perking up at the tiniest bit of praise, fuckin’ ridiculous.

Karkat sighed. “Yeah. Call me the biggest pan-baked maggot spawn this side of the fucking galaxy, because I’m accepting your fucking apology on account of knowing you only did what you did because you’re scared and Strider fucked up your think pan and because I…really like being your friend.”

Dave blinked.

“It’s because I hate myself,” Karkat clarified. “I hate myself, and deeply enjoy my own misery in constantly dealing with you and your incessant bullshit and how you are just fantastic at being the biggest pain in the ass.”

“Uh,” said Dave.

“And what I’m saying I guess is that I’m really glad I know you and you’ve made moving to this godforsaken backwater rubbish heap of a planet a lot more bearable even if you did make this one catastrophic fuckup and you clearly fully get that you screwed it up and won’t do it again, so please stop talking about yourself like you’re a fucking burden on the lives of everyone around you when really you’re not. You are, at worst, kind of obnoxious and prone to making stupid mistakes, which, fuck, I’m guilty of that shit, and you know what let’s change the fucking subject before I embarrass us both any further.”

“Uh.”

“Dave, words.”

“Can I have like a minute to process?” Dave said.

“No. Fuck that. The less of the horrible vile sludge I just let escape my stupid mouth you manage to filter through your think pan, the better things will be for the both of us.”

Dave stifled a snicker at that. “What, and ignore that basket of warm fuzzies you just gift wrapped and delivered at my door? Bro. What kind of asshole do you take me for?”

“The kind who apparently cannot be decent enough to allow an accidental, humiliating outpouring of affection slide. Yes, I have shamed myself to a greater extent than ever before, and you noticed. Can we please move on.”

“That was gay as hell, dude, I’m fuckin’ swooning over here.”

“Rose, there’s a good subject to swerve the fuck over to and leave this train of conversation a distant speck in our memories. What did you mean when you said Rose’s reaction was weird?”

“Oh, you’re not getting out of this that easy, man. I think I need to reflect a little longer on how much my good buddy loves me—“

“DAVE WHAT DID ROSE DO. I AM CHANGING THE SUBJECT.”

“Fine, Jesus, you big killjoy,” said Dave. “Uh, she like…she mostly just yelled at me for a while, actually? And then she like…took my shades off, and just…did a total fuckin’ one-eighty, said she accepted the apology and…said she was sorry to me, like. She said she overreacted and…just walked out after that? And I’m kind of freaking out about it to be honest?”

“….Seriously? What the fuck?” said Karkat. “I mean, great, awesome, I’m glad, but what the fuck? Are we talking about the same Rose here?”

“I, well, uh…” Dave ran a hand through his hair. “I mean, like, I was expecting…you know. No one’s really tried to actually punish me for what happened. Rose fuckin…Let me hang out with her, like, all day yesterday. Wasn’t angry at all, nothing. And…I mean, I definitely fucked up, right?”

“Dave, the fact that you fucked up is so undeniably a fact that scientists have not even bothered to write it down, because it is absurdly obvious and utterly inarguable. It is one of the most core and unchanging facts of this universe. You fucked up hard.”

“Yeah, exactly,” Dave said. “But. I mean, all I’ve gotten is a bit of yelling, and Rose fuckin’ apologized for that. Hell, even Terezi just like wagged a finger at me and said to not do it again.”

“Which, by the way, next time you sneak out,” Karkat said, “I’m not keeping it secret. The entire world will know.”

“There won’t be a next time, you got my word on that, dude,” Dave said. “Not if I can help it. Lesson’s been learned. But also what the fuck? Why is everyone being so nice about it?”

Karkat snorted. “Dave, I still don’t get how family works, and I can tell you that they’re definitely not going to fucking attack you over what boils down to an honest if deeply misguided mistake. You thought you were doing what you were supposed to right up until the end, you were never malicious, and they get that. Even Rose, apparently.”

“…But I fucked up.”

“They forgave you for that,” Karkat said. “It’s fine. Do better next time.”

“But. But….” Dave drummed his fingers against his leg. “I just. I mean, yeah, they’ve been saying that no one’s gonna hurt me, but. Fucking…” He threw his arms up and sat back with the most confused, irritated noise he could muster. “Fuck’s sakes, man, if they won’t even come after me for this, then what the fuck have I been trying to stay out of their way for?”

“I mean, you don’t have to do that,” Karkat said. “Rose has literally been trying to tell you that you can come out whenever you want.”

“Fuck,” said Dave. “I know I probably sound like a fuckin’ idiot right now, but. Just. Nothing makes sense anymore, what the fuck.”

“Nothing’s made sense to me since I moved to this planet,” said Karkat. “You’re on your own figuring this shit out. Good fucking luck.”

“Thanks,” said Dave. “You’re a real pal. Super helpful, Karkat.”

“I aim to please.”

Dave snorted. Then, he paused, glanced away a moment, and said, “So, like, just to be totally clear, though…we’re cool, now, right?”

“You’re so far from cool, your heat could power an entire fucking planet for a millenia. You are the antithesis of cool, Dave Strider. But yes, things are alright between us.”

“Alright, second question,” Dave said, allowing himself to lean back against the couch. “What the fuck are you watching?”

“The title’s too long for me to recite right now, but it’s a fucking classic, and I will not stand for your usual brand of culturally insensitive bullshit —“

“Why did the little one just make bedroom eyes at the guy who just kicked his ass?”

“It’s fucking blackrom, dumbass, they’re flirting.”

“That’s not fucking flirting, it’s a goddamn cage match. All they need is the fuckin’ leotards and some secret identities and — oh, I’ll be damned, one of them is actually wearing a leotard.”

Karkat slammed his finger down on the button. “Excuse me, asshole,” he snapped, “This is a beautiful fucking story of the darkest of whirlwind romances, it is a beautifully tragic of star-crossed hatred the likes of which your kind could never create!”

“Sure we could, man,” Dave said, grinning. “That shit’s on, like, every Thursday, I think. World Wrestling Entertainment’s got you covered for all your muscular-dudes-in-tight-revealing-clothes-hitting-each-other-and-grunting needs. Totally one hundred per-cent Not Gay groping, wrestling, and general squirming around on the mat guaranteed or your money back, complete with a totally bullshit nonsensical storyline just for the hell of it.”

“You know what, I changed my mind, friendship over,” said Karkat.

Truth be told, Karkat hadn’t quite fully forgiven Dave just yet. Nearly losing Kanaya had been a blow, even if she had been okay in the end. Even so, he couldn’t bring himself to be all that angry with Dave, either. He maybe was uninclined to trust Dave completely, but he did understand why this particular mistake had happened.

And as furious as hearing Dave admit to essentially feeling like he was a burden to them all, he couldn’t claim that he wasn’t once again in the exact same shitty floating contraption.

Dave was right about one thing — there was no way Strider wasn’t going to try something again. Karkat couldn’t bring himself to fully trust Dave to be honest if such a plan did happen, but even more than that, he was disgusted with himself. He’d been basically useless, relegated to watching the fucking doors, and even that he’d almost failed at. The first hint of trouble had sent him scrambling away to safety. He was still every bit the fucking coward who’d had to flee his entire planet.

Next time, he wanted to be ready.

The first step in achieving that plan, though, was to find either Rose or Dirk, and asking either of them for help was not a prospect he was looking forward to. Rose would no doubt be exceptionally smug about the whole thing, lording the fact that he needed a little bit of assistance with one single thing over his head, and Dirk…fuck, Karkat still didn’t blame Dave for being scared of the guy. He wasn’t quite the oppressive presence Strider had been, but he was still something of a ghost. Also, Karkat had no idea where the fuck his room was, so Rose was probably his best bet.

Rose, at least, was in her own room. She was working with her knitting again, and had evidently been talking to Kanaya. She continued to do so, in fact, even after Karkat cleared his throat to get their attention. Apparently, whatever trashy book they were intensely whispering about was pretty fucking engrossing, because he had to clear his throat again before they looked up.

“Am I interrupting something?” Karkat said. “I’d hate to cut short an important debate on the merits of the adventures of blood drinking, or whatever the fuck you two talk about.”

The girls shared a look, and Kanaya, to Karkat’s surprise, excused herself, tapping her hand on Karkat’s shoulder warmly as she passed.

“We were talking about you, actually,” Rose said, putting her yarnwork aside. “I’ve been meaning to speak to you, and wanted to ask some advice on how to do so.”

Karkat pricked his ears. “Talk to me about what?” he said, tipping his head.

She bit her lip and looked aside for a moment, tapping her fingers as though collecting her thoughts.  “Well, first and foremost, I suppose I should apologize,” she said.

Karkat’s jaw dropped. Rose, too? It was only a couple hours since he’d talked to Dave! “Holy shit,” he said, grinning, “Between you and Dave, I must’ve hit the fucking apology jackpot today. It’s about fucking time I got some proper appreciation around here.”

“Ha ha,” Rose deadpanned.

“Okay, but seriously, for what exactly. Be detailed, I wanna enjoy this. Rose Lalonde admits she was wrong.”

Rose rolled her eyes. “While I probably deserve at least some of your smugness…No, I probably deserve all of it, actually. I really have been in the wrong here.” She looked at Karkat, her eyes serious. “You were right about Dave. I know that now. You were trying to tell us how to help him, and I was so caught up in my own assumptions about him and my petty jealousy that I didn’t see that you were always only acting in his best interest, nor how much I was hurting him. I’ve already apologized to him for it, and I’d like to extend the same to you.”

“What took you so long?” Karkat gloated. Yeah, this was pretty fucking nice.

“The aforementioned jealousy, mostly,” Rose stated. “I was so frustrated and bitter over you being closer to Dave than I am, you knowing him better, that instead of trying to fix things, I took it out on the both of you. Neither of you deserved that.”

Karkat’s brow furrowed. “Of course I know him better than you do,” he said, “I had an extra week to get to know him compared to you guys. Not to mention I literally spent that week living in the exact same fucking horrific situation he’s been through. Even with that, I still don’t know the full weight of the crushing behemoth’s foot that is the shit he’s been through, but I’ve at least seen enough that I can fill in a few fucking blanks. I have the advantage! Why the fuck would you know him better?”

“Because he’s my twin!” Rose huffed, frustration strong in her voice. “He’s — we’re supposed to be — I can’t stand feeling like my own twin is a complete stranger, and seeing a literal alien having more of a relationship to him than I do is a bitter pill to swallow.”

“…You two look nothing alike, though,” Karkat said. “What the fuck does looking similar have to do with knowing him, anyway? I mean, that’s what that word means, right? That you’re like. Mirror images or whatever?” It was a word he’d seen come up sometimes in human media, and he’d guessed its meaning through context, but no troll he’d met had been able to actually translate the word that made any kind of sense to him. But clearly this was important to Rose, and therefore probably a concept he should understand for Dave’s sake, at least.

Because Dave definitely did want to have a relationship with Rose, Karkat knew. All along, she’d been the one he’d been most excited to see again, even back at the space station; Karkat still remembered how Dave’s face had changed visibly, even through the shades, back when he’d seen her on the aircraft they’d arrived here on. And if what Rose was looking for had to do with this weird twin thing, then Karkat would try his best to make some sense of it.

Rose, judging by her thoughtful sigh, also understood that this was not going to be an easy topic to speak about. “How to explain the significance of twins to a species with no concept of siblings, hm.” She tapped her finger on the counter several times, eyes narrowed in deep thought. “I know Dirk and I aren’t the greatest examples, but typically, with siblings, there’s a connection that’s…hard to really describe and quantify. Kanaya’s described some sibling interactions she’s run across in books as seeming ‘pale,’ but from my understanding of those relationships in your kind, comparing moirails to siblings still leaves a great deal to be desired. Siblings don’t have to be close, necessarily, but there is a sense of…of relying on each other, I suppose. By virtue of sharing the same situation growing up, theres a deeper understanding of one’s home situation than could be gained by just about anyone else. There may be fights, and Dirk and I certainly don’t often get along, as you’ve no doubt noticed, but at the end of the day we do love each other, and there’s…an underlying understanding, beneath it all, that some day we may each be all the other has.”

She looked at him, waiting for a response. Karkat wasn’t sure he had one. He couldn’t make head nor tail of any of what she was saying. Pale, but not pale? Rose and Dirk sure as shit weren’t remotely pale.

Rose sighed. “Okay, let me try coming at it from another angle, then…Imagine someone who is not exactly a moirail to you; you wouldn’t necessarily tell them everything, they aren’t your confidant or the one you’d go to first when you need to calm down, or, I don’t know, maybe for some people they would be, some siblings are very close indeed. But for all siblings whose relationship is a healthy one, when things are really bad, when you’re at your worst and don’t know what to do, they’re the one you think to turn to for help. Granted, that’s more family in general than just siblings, but it’s the same idea.”

“I don’t…” Karkat paused. Actually, now that he thought about it, he did kind of get that description. It pretty much summed up his feelings on, well, Kanaya. Terezi and Sollux too, for that matter, not that he’d admit as much to their faces. Or to Kanaya’s face. Fuck if he was saying it to Rose, either, this shit was embarrassing. “…I think I get what you’re getting at,” he said instead. He tried thinking of his very private feelings on the other trolls in context of what Rose had said earlier, then — what it might have been like sharing a home with them growing up, how that might have changed things.

Living with Terezi or Sollux would have been awful, actually, but the time spent sharing a house with Kanaya so far hadn’t been so bad, he supposed. And her presence here had definitely been a source of comfort in a way that was decidedly not pale. He didn’t feel the need to cuddle up to her and talk about feelings, but it was nice knowing that she had his back.

“Right,” said Rose, “And then when you have twins, there’s an entire extra level of that. There’s all sorts of folklore in different cultures about twins, about them having special abilities to sense each others’ condition, about opposites, so on and so forth. Make of that what you will, I personally can’t say for sure if I know there’s much truth in it. But what I do know is that…just by virtue of being the same age, the shared experience aspect increases so much. We, Dave and I, what I remember of those first years when he was still here…we were nearly always together. Not always by choice, we certainly didn’t always get along, but we…we would have taken our first steps together, we almost certainly started talking at around the same time, and we…we should have gone to our first day of school together, too, but then two weeks before that started, he decided that he wanted a child after all, and whisked Dave away, and I…we…had to face the world alone.”

Rose’s face contorted with a mixture of immeasurable fury and a deep sorrow, and her voice dropped to scarcely more than a whisper. “Even now, the man isn’t finished stealing from us. We should be graduating and going off to college at the same time, in a couple of years, but now? Dave’s missed ten years of school. I don’t know if that means much to you, but trust me, it’s a lot. More than he could hope to make up. And after what I saw a couple days ago, how frightened he is, I suspect Mother’s decision to homeschool Dave whenever he is ready was the right one. I don’t think he could handle the stress of a school environment.  So we can’t graduate together, we can’t learn to drive together, we didn’t get to struggle through our first crushes at around the same time…We’ve missed so much, and we’ll keep missing some things, and I hate it.”

She looked at Karkat very hard, in a way that almost made him uncomfortable. “I can’t say it doesn’t still burn me, that an alien, a complete stranger to our family, was the first person he decided to trust.” Her eyes softened. “But after how fearful I saw him, I can’t keep letting my pride keep me from doing wha the needs of me, and the fact is, he does trust you, far more than any of us, and if I’m to repair what’s left of our relationship, I’m going to need your help.”

Karkat thought for a long moment.

Yeah, wow, that was…a lot to process. So much of this felt alien to him still, but he could sort of imagine how deeply important this sort of thing could be to a species that put so much emphasis on their tightly knit social groups.

(In truth, while he didn’t fully understand the concept, it…appealed, in a lot of ways. The idea of not having to face the world alone, of having a group of people you could always trust to be there to support you in times of need. If that was what this whole…family thing Dave had insisted was so important in defending Strider was really about, then…that made a little more sense.)

“Well, fuck,” Karkat said, finally. “I think I got like, maybe a third of that? Chalk it up as another stunning pain in the ass courtesy of cultural differences, I guess. Tell you what, though,” he said, and oh, this was a good segue. He got some fucking respect, and now he could turn it into a way of asking for help and not being mocked for it. “I’ll accept your apology and agree to help you figure Dave out, if you help me with something.”

“Of course,” Rose said, blinking. “Anything. What did you have in mind.”

Karkat took a deep breath. “Do you have someplace where I could practice fighting?”

#karkat vantas #dave strider #rose lalonde #homestuck #davekat #longpost// #fanfiction #fanfic #calmvsstormfic #calmvsstormchapter #katt does a writing #sorry this one took so loNG #next time: rose and dirk cannot be chill for even five minutes #roxy doesnt deserve this. why are her cousins like this.