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#i guess danny could have been a woman
il-miele-che-scrive · 1 month
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Could you do something with Lewis, maybe reader and Lewis have been dating for a while but she’s famous too so they kept things really private, but they got married over the winter break and now the other drivers are finding out
Hello 🫶 lately I've been doing more smaus so I decided to make this one a smau also, hoping you'll like it 🩷
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yourusername I still haven't gotten used to seeing myself on those huge ads
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georgerussell63 A supermodel and an actress not being used to seeing herself in ads? 🤨
↳yourusername When was the last time you were walking down the street and saw a picture of you casually hanging on a building? 🤨 Let me tell you it always takes you by surprise, George
carmenmmundt How are you so beautiful? 😭
↳yourusername I love you Carmen 😭
oscarpiastri Good job, Y/n👏
danielricciardo What an abundance of beauty you are
landonorris an amazing day to have eyes
charles_leclerc Can't take my eyes off you
zhouguanyu24 You haven't posted in months and that's what you decided to post?🙄
↳username1 AND SHE ATE
carlossainz55 See you in Vegas soon 👋
tchalamet You busy lately? We haven't been in a movie together for a while
↳username2 Co-star rizz lmao
username3 It's so weird to me how Y/n is the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen and she's SINGLE
↳username4 It's her choice
username3 And she made it while having f1 drivers and timothee casually flirting with her in the comment section
username4 Doesn't seem that much like flirting to me 🤷‍♀️ she's friends with Carmen and George so she's gonna have the drivers in her comments. And Tim is like her bestie
username3 Are you blind 😭 okay maybe Oscar's comment is friendly, but the rest is definitely flirting!!
username4 Whatever feeds your delusions I guess. I don't think she's single, she might just be keeping her relationship super private. Exactly because of fans like you
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yourusername Nothing beats a date in Las Vegas
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username1 A DATE. IN VEGAS.
username2 Okay guys, which driver do we think took her on the date?
↳username3 I'm saying Lando, it's a very Lando thing to do
username4 imo he was too busy healing from this terrible crash he had lmao
username5 Plus Lando is too young for her, I'd say Danny Ric
username4 yooo y/n and danny would be a great couple, I hope you're right
username6 Do you guys remember what Carlos commented under her previous post?? "See you in Vegas" or smth
↳username4 yeah but it could be just because she was invited to the paddock
username6 Like usually. But did you ever see any driver say anything like see you there and there before other races?
carmenmmundt YOU WENT ON A DATE?
↳georgerussell63 @/yourusername reply immediately and say who took you
yourusername Mom, dad, I'm terribly sorry I didn't tell you 😭
carmenmmundt This doesn't answer our questions...
↳username1 Help even they didn't know lol
username7 It could be anybody, guys. Y/n has most of the drivers in her likes
↳username2 Then maybe it's someone who isn't in the likes? 🤭
username7 Well, then we have Alonso, Bottas, Hamilton and a few others, it doesn't make it easier
username3 She'll say who it is when they're both ready but I wish it would happen as soon as possible
username9 LMAO none of the guys from the previous post commented now
↳username5 She just subtly told them too f off cuz she's taken 😭
username8 I can't wait until the winter break, I know something is gonna happen...
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yourusername He made me get my first tattoo lol
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username1 WHAT?? IS?? HAPPENING??
↳username2 idk looks like miss girl moved, got a tattoo and then decided to travel around 😐
carmenmmundt When are we going to talk about who is "he"?
↳yourusername When the timing is right ✨
georgerussell63 Whoever he is, he's a bad influence on you 🙄
↳yourusername Mom can you tell dad to quit my comment section @/carmenmmundt
username3 Y/n moved to Monaco 😭
↳username4 And how do you know that?
username3 Haven't you heard she was seen there?
username4 And? Celebs love Monaco
username3 Exactly. So she moved there. Possibly with her secret boyfriend
username5 Okay so what we know about Y/n's secret man is they live together in Monaco, he could be an F1 driver and he must have tattoos (because why would he make her get one otherwise?)
↳username6 IT'S DANNY RIC I'M TELLING Y'ALL
username7 Well there's also Hamilton who has quite a lot of tattoos
username8 And Alonso and Stroll, she didn't say how many tattoos her bf has, could be as well one or two
username5 Don't forget some drivers might have them hidden and never spoke about them
username9 To be fair she didn't say if he has any in general lol
danielricciardo What about a party in the new apartment?
↳username6 Yeah, keep telling me it's not him
↳yourusername Most likely when I'm back from my lil vacation
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lewishamilton Winter break
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username1 EXCUSE ME
username2 SIR LEWIS HAMILTON, EXPLAIN THE LAST PHOTO
username3 Don't panic, guys, it is me in the 4th pic
username4 I know he's an almost 40 years old man but I'm still shocked
username5 ngl that woman's hand looks familiar...
username6 Not even a tag on the last pic? 😕
username7 Silly season starting early this year 😭
↳username4 Yeah, firstly he dropped the bomb about moving to Ferrari and now THIS
username7 Man said lemme dominate this winter break 🤠
landonorris congrats i guess?
carlossainz55 Unexpected but happy for you!
georgerussell63 I'm calling Toto, you're lucky he doesn't have social media
username8 I can't believe he kept it a secret from all the drivers lol
↳username7 And for so long too!! I mean, you don't marry someone you started dating a month ago, it could've been going on for YEARS
charles_leclerc When will we meet this mysterious lady?
↳lewishamilton I'm sure you all know her well
↳username7 Leclerc better stay away 🤺
username9 You guys don't ever know how sure I am that it's Y/n
↳username10 I won't believe it until they confirm it
username9 Yeah because it's a total coincidence Y/n recently moved to Monaco, got a tattoo because "her bf made her" and also went on a trip
yourusername Shik shak shok
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username1 I KNEW IT I KNEW IT
username2 The couple I never knew I needed
username3 Two fashion icons
username4 Honestly is anyone surprised? Like, okay, unexpected, but I'm not surprised Lewis is dating one of the most famous models/actresses in the world
↳username5 I am surprised tbh 😭 I think a lot of people expected DR3, not LH44
username6 rip to all the drivers who used to hit on Y/n in her comment section 💀
username7 So Y/n is dating LH44 and is best friends with the girlfriend of GR63?
↳username8 She copied her lol
username7 Except Carmen's bf hasn't ever won the world champion title lmao
↳username9 That's a real friendship. Going for drivers from the same team
username10 I need to know how did they mange to keep it a secret for so long 😭
↳username11 Yeah cuz I can't believe even Toto himself had no idea
username12 Something about them being married makes so much sense, I love them
username13 Imagine when we start seeing them doing ads together omg
↳username14 ads? 💀 now that they're out and married I expect lots of content together on both their accounts AND on Drive to survive and just anywhere
username11 tbh who cares about the races, they can just display Y/n on the screen for 2h and I'd watch
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y/nhamilton btw we used to date but now we're just married (and thanks @/zhouguanyu24 for keeping our secret)
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carmenmmundt I was just as shocked as the fans
landonorris somehow I'm not surprised Zhou knew
↳username1 And he knew about both THIS and Lewis moving to Ferrari!! And kept quiet both times!
↳charles_leclerc I wonder what else Zhou knows that we don't
username2 Zhou Guanyu is officially the most trustworthy guy on the grid
↳username3 And I thought it'd be Oscar...
username4 Does it mean more iconic Y/n outfits on the paddock? 😍
↳y/nhamilton And matching outfits! 🤭
username2 Oh they're gonna kill it!!
username5 I need a friend like Zhou
zhouguanyu24 You're welcome 😌
↳y/nhamilton 🫶
↳lewishamilton 💜
username6 I never thought about Lewis and Zhou being friends, but...?
username7 in moments like this I go look at the old posts where other drivers would flirt with Y/n lmao
username8 This winter break belongs to Lewis
oscarpiastri Lewis' last name suits you
↳landonorris it would've been funny to see Lew change his last name to hers tho lol
carlossainz55 How long have you been together?
↳y/nhamilton Something like 5 years now
carlossainz55 And none of us knew all this time 😳
y/nhamilton Zhou knew... I've just said that
username9 All the other drivers immediately regretting everything they said under other Y/n's posts hahahah
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neoyi · 8 months
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Okay, cool. I can finally talk about the absolute catharsis I felt after fifteen years hoping - dreaming - of this moment because holy SHIT, they did it. They goddamn DID IT.
VLAD GOT HIS REDEMPTION ARC.
Let's talk about it...
By the end of the third season, Vlad Masters had ostracized the entire planet by exposing his true self (why), demanding money and total command of Earth, and completely wailing on Jack Fenton, driving away the only member of that family who unequivocally adored the man where every other Fenton knew him for who he truly was: utterly despicable and incapable of seeing the bigger picture.
Because, after all, he is a villain and that's just what villains do. Villains want power. Villains want to rule the world. There need not be more than that, and in another show, there wouldn't have to be. As far as Hartman was concerned, there is only a binary Good vs. Evil.
You would be hard-pressed to view the Vlad in "Phantom Planet" as the same man who anguished in desperate madness when his perfect clone son died in his arms. That was a Vlad who, by that point, had taken his biggest gamble and lost. I guess one could see his reasoning in season three as a "fuck it all, what even is the point" mode. But while "Eye For an Eye" (tellingly, the last major script helm by former main story writer Steve Marmel... just saying) promised a personal conflict, by the end of the show, he's made it much more external, far greater than what he and Danny's interwoven plot originally started off as.
Vlad is pathetic. Vlad is narcissistic. He is egotistical, entitled; a bitter, arrogant man who lives in his dream castle with all the money and privilege in the world that would leave him content a hundred times over, and it's still not enough.
Money is not Maddie Fenton, the woman he loves. Money is not Jazz, a child that should have been his. Money is not Jack's friendship whom he denies severely, the only part of his life who willingly embraces him. And money is not Danny, who is a half-ghost like him, and by all rights, should have been his son.
No one else could ever understand to the fullest extent of their uniqueness than Vlad and Danny would to each other, and the latter, for the longest time, hated that. Hated the way Vlad talked down to him and manipulated him, hated the whispers into his ears with promises of grand power if he just joined the billionaire's side and become his ward, hated when he caved in just once in front of Vlad's eyes who responded with a smug "See, I know you" reaction. Danny was fortunate to have good moral compasses from his family and friends, but the thing is, though, it's not about the healthy support structure he had, because Vlad had the chance to get some, too. Jack and Maddie loved Danny no matter what he was, and dollars to donuts, they would have for Vlad if the latter had approached them with his problems.
But he chose instead to be bitter and miserable, taking it out on everyone and expecting them to fall into his train of thought. The show knew what he did was wrong, but until season three, never stopped repeating his truest desire: to find love and squash his crushing loneliness.
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Hartman couldn't provide a damn on what exactly was Vlad's "destiny" in "Infinite Realm"; it was vague gesturing to excuse his villainy. He was more than happy to abandon the life he's made for himself and the woman he loved in spite of two decades of planning, all on a whim for whatever time period the Infi-map was willing to take him, hoping maybe this one will give him the unconditional worship that he thinks he's deserved (by force, of course.)
Because he's the villain.
And for the longest time, the show ended with the idea that Vlad deserved to be stranded, away from people, because he simply could not help himself. To be fair, there is a lesson in that - some people genuinely DO go so far that there really is nothing more we can do other than stop the problem before they cause any further harm. I'm not denouncing that.
What I AM denouncing is the the narrative plant that's dug its way into the greater plot where an older Vlad in "The Ultimate Enemy", realized what a fool he had been. What he wouldn't give to start all over and be a better person. You don't just give someone a sympathetic goal like "looking for love", constantly provide the necessary stepping stones, and not have it set up for something far more substantial than what we got.
And even then, even if it still ended with Vlad being too far gone, I wonder, should the supposedly original plot arc for season three had been made, would Vlad's fate there been far more appropriate than whatever cartoonish supervillainy he ended up as by the time "Phantom Planet" ended?
I cannot speak for Gabriela Epstein. I cannot say how much Nickelodeon allowed her to tinker with the DP world. All of this is presumptuous speculation on my part, but this entire comic feels like they looked at season three, particularly "Phantom Planet", realized what a travesty that was, had their work cut out for it, and went about to make a post-series finale story that still paid tribute to its ending while wiping it off the map.
Vlad's redemption is the crux.
Within just a few panels, Gabriela Epstein provided an explanation on the why of Vlad's actions circa-season three. The Infi-Map was aimless because Vlad's purpose was aimless. And Vlad's purpose was aimless because his need to be in control was a manifestation of his greatest fear: being alone.
"A Glitch in Time" recontexualizes why Vlad traveled across time in "Infinite Realm." It wasn't a generic bad-guy-wants-to-rule-the-world-through-latest-plot-claptrap, but an act of utter desperation from a man who had since lost the biggest connection to his very being: Danny.
It started with Maddie (someone whom Vlad only interacts once in the comic, but is an acknowledgement of his villainous origin, nonetheless), and it may still end with Danny.
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Never, in a million, billion years, have I even thought about another redemption arc... for Dark Danny.
And I am kicking myself for not even considering such an option. I had pegged him so far gone, so far past the breaking point to think otherwise. Dark Danny was suppose to be the outcome of a Danny at his literal worst: a too-late, too-little scenario. Back then, it was a symbol of Danny's rejection of what Vlad expected and desired of him.
But the comic made me sit down and think about the implication of Dark Danny's very existence, that of a man who lost his family and friends ten years ago as a child. Like Vlad, he, too was alone, and had carried a tremendous amount of pain and anguish that his human half just could not bear.
Yeah, they died because of a time loop HE created, but that doesn't erase that he was born from a horrible trauma that he could not properly cope with. And Vlad, try as he might, did not fix it. All he ended up doing was separate a ghost - infamous for their obsessions, and now, as the comic established, a carrier of human emotions - to exist. And Dark Danny carried so much raw emotion that he retaliated very, very violently.
Everyone's respond at that time was to fight him and stuff him in a Fenton Thermos for eternity. I am not saying Danny wasn't justified in fighting his darker self because the dude legitimately caused massive damage and likely murdered a hell of a lot of people, I am just saying Dark Danny is the byproduct of a scared, lonely, traumatized child.
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And what does he do? He tries to take what he thinks is his by any means necessary. Vlad got his wish, he got the son he wanted.
And he's facing him now.
And he gets it.
He finally fucking GETS IT.
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Which shouldn't have been a surprise because his "The Ultimate Enemy" counterpart got it. He looked at the devil that he created and lingered as a hermit in regret. And now Vlad - Vlad Prime - reacted the same.
Only this time, he can fix it.
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I did not anticipate that Vlad's redemption would happen at the same time as Dark Danny's. I didn't expect the two of them to link other than the latter being another number in Vlad's bullshit entitlement count.
I love that it isn't Danny who heals him, but Vlad. It had to be Vlad. In order to own up to his actions, Vlad had to look at the eyes of the boy he was entrusted and corrupted beforehand and apologize for what he put him through. And I don't mean just "The Ultimate Enemy", Vlad is apologizing for everything he's done up to this point.
He (temporarily) sacrifices his body to stabilize Dark Danny who has fucked up the time stream so much that he wouldn't be able to exist otherwise. And only then do the two of them get what they've longed for.
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Vlad gets a son.
Dark Danny gets a family.
Holy forking shirt balls.
I have a lot of problems with alternate counterparts sticking around longer than they should in the "main" setting of a show. Usually I'm fine when it's an alternate counterpart demonstrated as someone the hero is trying so hard not to be, because it's compelling to see what could have been under different circumstances. It's another thing when you have another version of the main character running around doing their own thing. Multiverse characters are inherently messy just by existing, but it gets worse when they take away from the uniqueness of the central protagonist.
There's something awkward about two Danny Phantoms living in the same world, and in any other scenario, I would have hated it. But Dark Danny is of a vastly different background brought forth from a long, nuanced, engaging history between him and Vlad.
Danny's central journey - the cusp of the show - has always been the Spider-Man mantra, "great powers = great responsibilities." You are in charge of how you carry the burden of your powers. Vlad has been the one constant always challenging and belittling his selflessness. "A Glitch in Time" had Danny asking himself, what is his purpose? Who is he now that everything has been neatly wrapped up?
Writing anything about who Danny is means Vlad is presented in some way, shape, or form. They are so thoroughly linked to each other, and it's that link that simultaneously serve to push their own individual character arc, and their relationship with each other.
So, Vlad gets a son. Dark Danny gets a family. They get a second chance, and it is up to them to work it out. I have no idea if Vlad got his wealth back. Everything is restored as is, except Danny's secret identity is secured again (which I am 100% fine with except for one notable exception, but that's another topic for another day) and implication that Vlad was just a crummy mayor with no indication the greater public is also aware of his Plasimus mode (which I am also fine with.)
There's a part of me who thinks he should have lost the money and power he's accumulated because he gained them through his vice, but if he's back in his Wisconsin cheese castle, then he can damn well use the money he has to not only benefit the world (charities, improving human lives, funding Fenton Works ;D...), but to raise his son.
Dark Danny is going to have to adjust to the idea that his father is Vlad, something he was already expected to do so when he orphaned himself and moved in with him. But it's Vlad who has to work the most out of the two: as a parental figure - as an adult - he's always had a power over Danny regardless of what timeline they're in. Most of the time, he's abused it heavily.
The second chance Vlad has been given here means he has the ability to provide a safe, healthy environment. It's more than he deserves. He failed with Danny and he absolutely failed with Dani (another can of worms in itself; she's not mentioned in the comic, and I imagine it's because her story would need a comic of her own), he cannot fail with this Danny.
Vlad shouldn't have been given a child at all until there was a guarantee that he could work through his bullshit, but Dark Danny is a special case. He is a kid who needs a home and someone to love him unconditionally, and Vlad needs to learn boundaries while giving selfless love in order to be loved himself.
Clockwork gave Vlad a test, so get studying, dude.
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This does not erase how Danny Prime feels about him. He may never want to forgive Vlad, and that's his right. He can acknowledge however, that, in order to help those in need of healing, a door can be opened, even if slightly ajar.
For Vlad, that may just take a bit longer and that's completely understandable.
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Vlad can't have the kind of relationship he wants with this Danny, but maybe one day, they can be equals - friends.
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Like christ, I think this is the first time Vlad has actually, genuinely asked if Danny was alright.
The comic was already good prior to this, but just knowing - understanding that Vlad was more than "a villain" - meant after fifteen looooong years, we finally see the promises of a brighter future for a man with shitty priorities, but a sympathetic goal.
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"It's over, isn't it? It's over, isn't it? It's over, isn't it..."
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ew-selfish-art · 7 months
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Dpxdc AU: Danny can’t fix Jason’s whole…deal… and doesn’t want to answer any questions on ectoplasm but he can get Jason to the best therapist he knows! Jason mistakes Danny constantly pushing Jazz his way as an awkward little brother move to set them up romantically- which uh, isn't necessarily a bad thing? Jazz has her own vested interests.
… heads up that this got long...
Jason ran his hands through this hair, relieving them from their previous position of cradling his face in embarrassment. Why was he sitting in a nice cafe with Danny’s redhead sister and a five dollar chai latte? For all the awkward live wire feelings he had, at least she was calm and composed. How many times had this happened already?
“So… the green stuff again?” Jazz asks, taking a sip from her own stupidly expensive drink and giving him eyebrows that beg for his explanation.
“Yeah. I was trying to get your brother to explain stuff without all the science mumbo jumbo. I just, I guess that means he defers to you.” Jason sighed, and tried to not think about how pretty her eyes were as she observed him.
“Not likely. But is the search for your answers helping you cope from day to day or making you climb an impossible mountain?” Jazz asks and it makes Jason fluster.
“It’s a moving goal post, sure, but I need answers if I’m going to fix my-“
“I think it might help you to realize that people don’t need to be fixed, they just need to grow.” Jazz interrupts.
They finish their drinks in a comfortable nonchalance, the rest of their conversation doesn’t go anywhere beyond their mutual hobbies and he’s grateful for that.
Jason's been doing a lot of introspection since this all started.
——
The first time it happened was months ago.
He confronts Danny after a mission, just wanting a simple answer on whether or not Danny thought the Lazarus pit contained ectoplasm? Could ectoplasm be separated from blood? Danny looked a little uncomfortable.
“Look dude, I know you want to know more but like, having this info isn’t going to help you. You need to talk it out.” Danny sounds sad and his eyes are filed with something adjacent to pity. It riles up the pit inside him.
“Oof. See that whole reaction thing. That’s not ectoplasmic, that’s something different. C’mon follow me.” Phantom cringes as he talks to him, and then floats across the rooftops, going slow enough that Jason can keep up on his grapple.
The arrive at a modest apartment building, not too far from his territory but clearly outside of it. Danny opens a window and slides in ahead of Jason, and all of a sudden he’s seated at a kitchen table with hot chocolate and teal blue eyes peering into his soul.
“Danny, some warning next time you’re bringing a crime boss to my apartment.” Jazz sighs and its not said with any malice or sarcasm. Danny gives her a grin and a peace sign before disappearing.
“So you want to talk about it?” Jazz turns back to him and asks.
“About?” Jason’s deep voice is going through the modulator and it sounds more sinister than it should.
“Death. Dying. The afterlife. Those are the normal things Danny brings people to me for.” She blinks.
“There’s a misunderstanding, I don’t need to talk, I need answers on Ectoplasm.” He grits out.
"Hm. Well that's not my field of study, but I can tell you that however your feeling is probably a valid response towards the trauma you've faced in life. Do you think showing yourself some kindness might lessen your desire to know the knitty gritty details?"
Jason scoffs.
"Oh. You're serious. No. I don't think being kind to myself is a valid approach to dealing with an infection that's cost me a lot of family relationships." Jason rolls his eyes. The woman looks contemplative for a moment and Jason can tell that while the dim kitchen lights are doing her no favors, she's incredibly beautiful. He pockets that information and refuses to think about it.
"So...Lets take this a different direction. Do you think successful people know what they're doing or do you think successful people need help to get where they want to go?"
"Most people are dumb and trying to get by." Jason grits out.
"So, accept that you're dumb. And then get by." Jazz replies, and then sighs and leaves the room.
Jason however, is now pissed off. Who the heck was she to say that to him?
____
The next time he finds himself across the table from Jazz, he's been on a wild goose chase with Danny and lands himself in a fancy restaurant. Why the hell was she here?
"Uh, it's called self care." Jazz replies, because apparently Jason asked that out loud. But he's not going to let this lead get away from him.
He takes off his helmet, years of muscle memory make him check that his Domino mask was in place, and sits down across from her. She raises a brow and then sighs.
"You think Danny might give me answers if I hold you hostage over, what is that, some kind of gnocchi dish?"
"Mm. Probably not." Jazz says, taking a bite and pulling out her phone.
"You're just going to ignore me then?" Jason finds himself a bit flabbergasted, he was a fucking crime lord, not someone to be ignored! Like he's just- just some bad blind date!
"Uh huh. You don't want to work on your issues and it's not my job to lead a stubborn horse to water."
"The expression is that you can lead a horse to water but you can't-"
"Can't what? Or are you still going to tell me it's not a huge waste of my time to tell you that you need to accept and forgive yourself to be able to move on. Find peace. Rest." Jazz is taking bites between her last few words but her glare remains unshakeable.
Jason is about to get up and leave when a terrified waiter comes over: "A dish, as compliments from the chef. Your guest's meal as well." He's shaking as he speaks and it makes Jason feel bad.
"Thanks." He grits out.
"...Is that the lasagna?" Jazz is looking at his food curiously, and Jason pushes it forward to indicate that she can take a bite. Probably not the safest thing for a civilian to do considering people regularly try to poison Jason but, meh. He's kind of pissed off at her still.
"It's pretty good. I was debating between that and the gnocchi- Okay let's think about this differently. You want to know about the green stuff, Danny is never going to tell a mortal about it and you keep denying yourself basic self-respect. What does your support system look like?"
"You're really pushing my buttons lady-" Jason can feel the green, but after a breath and seeing her unimpressed gaze "-I have a few friends who know what my deal is, I have an older brother who claims to forgive me, and a merry band of goons that I call my henchmen."
"Henchpeople?" Jazz asks.
"I mean, sure. That's more accurate."
"What do you do for fun?" She asks.
"I take down crime syndicates-" she levels him with another glare, he wonders why its so effective on him "-I read."
"Yeah? What genres?"
"Classics." He can admit only that much.
"Nerd. Are you going to eat any of that? You really shouldn't let food waste like that when it's not even fighting back."
"I don't know why I'm even bothering to talk to you right now." Jason spoke plainly.
"I dunno either but it's easier to tolerate you without the stupid helmet speaker. Anyway, If you like to read, hopefully that means you like to see new scenarios, new plots, stuff like that. You ever think to put yourself in side-character mode and contemplate what your whole deal is bringing to the table?"
"...How so?"
"Like, if you don't think it's worth it to treat yourself well, how do the main characters feel? Or, you know, if you were a child reading your story, what would you shout at them to move forward differently?"
"... I've decided that I only read poetry." Jason grumbles, trying to deflect with humor the fact that he does have some thoughts about what she's saying. She actually laughs at his joke though- he hadn't anticipated that.
"Uh, what is the Dr. Suess line? Stop telling outlandish tales, stop turning minnows into whales? something like that."
"Dr. Suess? Really?" Jason laughs.
"Sorry Mr. Classics, I spent most of my childhood raising my brother, forgive me for not knowing any fancy poetry." She huffs but he can tell she's laughing with him still.
They get off the topic of his mental health crisis and it turns out the Lasagna isn't half bad.
----
Jason keeps chasing Danny. Danny keeps leading him to Jazz. It goes for a few rounds before the ghost kid makes a joke about Jason liking her better anyway. Jason asks what the hell Phantom means by that, but Danny just laughs and says that Jason should just ask for her number.
...This does not sit right in his gut all of a sudden. Does he think that, that Jason is only pursuing this knowledge to keep talking to Jazz?? Does Danny want him to pursue Jazz? Does HE want to pursue Jazz???
----
He spots the Replacement in the Cave's lab before he heads upstairs to grab a cookie and leave as a civilian. The reason he even looked that way being that Tim is holding glowing green vials.
"Is that-"
"Yeah. They're literally the same except for the magic mumbo jumbo that Ra's has mixed in with the pit. Leave me alone now."
"So there is a way to heal it or, or extract it or-" Jason can feel his heart racing, but his constantly-exhausted sibling is looking at him like he's grown a second head.
"Dude. You're not gunna be able to flush it out with like, a juice cleanse. You're probably better off trying to find a magic user to deal with the curses and a therapist to do the rest." Tim looks like he's trying to be patient despite being deeply, deeply vexxed.
"Therapist- why in the hell would I-"
"I mean hasn't that been Danny's entire solution for you? He's only had one strategy the whole time he's lived in Gotham." Jason rolls his eyes.
"His solution is setting me up on dates with his sister not-"
"Dates!?! His sister is THE break out psychologist, she's done more for Arkham in the last year than decades of political reform! You've been goin on- wheez- oh my god I have to call Danny-" Tim is cackling, the lazarus water all but abandoned.
"Don't you fucking dare!"
After a (from both brothers) number of punches, a few headlocks and a large portion of threats, Jason agrees that Tim can tell his boyfriend but no one else.
Kon can keep a secret right? That's why he's the favorite?
----
"So... You and Jazz huh?" Danny looks amused as he floats by- Kon could not be trusted. The entire Justice league knows. Jason might have to die again. Apparently he said as much.
"Oh buddy, it's okay! You don't have to die again! I'm sure that if she likes you, she likes you just as you are, weird little zombie boy." Danny teases, turning intangible as Jason swings a punch at him.
"What do you mean if she likes me?" Jason asks, swinging with his grapple, trying to keep up with Danny.
"You think I read her diary or something? Weirdo. You need to talk to her about it tho, it's funny and all but I'm sure she's not a fan of the JL hot goss."
"I didn't start any of this-"
"My guy. Chill. I know, but uh, I did definitely tell her about it so... Oh look! We made it all the way to her apartment! BYE!"
Jazz is standing in the window and she looks like an absolute vision. Her glare makes him want to shit his pants however, and he knows that it's going to take all of his brain cells making contact to survive this encounter.
He sits on the fire escape when he realizes that she's not moving from her spot in the window, blocking his way. Ouch.
"So let me get this straight, you thought this whole time-"
"I thought Danny was being annoying and trying to set us up! I didn't know you were a shrink!" He tries to defend himself.
"...Why should I date an idiot?" the like yourself goes unsaid but he can hear it. Jason is scrambling.
"...I can make even better lasagna than that fancy restaurant you like." is what he lands on. Jazz bursts out a laugh.
"I was just fucking with you, but honestly what a great response." She's wiping tears of laughter from her eyes.
"Just fucking with me?" He grins a bit, unable to stop himself from getting excited.
"Yeah, I've been telling everyone at work that I'm dating the Red Hood for like, months now. It's been stellar for my hostage record, I haven't had an issue since I started the rumor!"
"We're dating?" Jason asks, a bit bewildered but charmed.
"I wouldn't give free therapy to just anyone! Now about that Lasagna-"
Something, something, something- they seal the deal with a kiss.
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goldsainz · 1 year
Text
THEY BROKE UP? — one shot.
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pairing: daniel ricciardo x reader
MASTERLIST.
NOTE: i’m a sucker for angst😁 i don’t know why i felt so inspired, i have never been in a relationship. or what drove me to write that article, which i didn’t spend as much time on as you would think, i guess i was inspired. please enjoy this, happy danny ric grand prix (not anymore😐)!!! this is my longest social media piece to date (templates by @mybodywakesup)
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liked by tchalamet, jennaortega and 2,047,159 others
yourusername my EP “FWD” is out in all streaming platforms! this EP comes from a very deep, personal and heartfelt place. many nights of non-stop writing led to me putting out 4 songs i never would’ve released months ago. thank you for giving me time to come back as the best version of myself.
view all 30,707 comments
selenagomez I am so happy you released this! The world needs to see all of your talent shine ❤️
⤷ yourusername thank you for being there sel 🫶
ynfan1 I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR HOW HEARTBREAKING THIS WOULD BE
ynfan2 oh so we’re back to making us cry
dannielfan1 things i wish you said is so about daniel
user1 after 9 months of no content she just puts out four songs?
⤷ ynfan3 please read her newest vogue article before commenting things like this
alexademie i’m in love with you?
⤷ yourusername i’m in love with you too?
ynfan3 LONESOME BEST SONG!!!!!
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When I got the call that Y/N Y/L/N wanted to do the article with Vogue, and that I was appointed as the writer I remember thinking ‘What will I say?’. There isn’t much to prepare you when a celebrity like her decides she wants you in her home, opening up about her hardships with you there to listen and write it all down. But, alas, I put my nerves beside me and took all of the questions the world wanted answers to, to the only woman who could answer them. 
Her house in the English countryside is just as perfect as you would expect. With dark mahogany floors, potted plants everywhere and white walls that are filled with different memories she framed, Y/L/N’s home is made for those who love the feeling of being at home. It brims with a cosy feeling, from the rugs she picked which bring an unexpected, yet welcome, warmth, to the open space that shows off her beautiful backyard. Y/L/N’s house is nothing short of exceptional. If each room were to speak to me they would all rave about how comfortable they feel, how there is no other that feel like a ‘home’ quite like theirs.
The moment I arrived at her front door, she was the one to open the door and greet me with a hug. There was no one but us at her house, nothing but the comfortable silence and the occasional chirping of a bird. Her outfit was casual, with some Stella McCartney jeans, a Prada silk blouse which she wears with the top 3 buttons open, and a pair of Hermes sandals, it all made her look relaxed whilst still looking polished. She offered me a single-couch to sit down on, offering me different options of beverages she proudly concocted. I opted for a refreshing blueberry lemonade, while she had an already drunk, half-full glass of orange juice. 
After what seemed like forever without her presence on red carpets, premieres or her famous F1 paddock appearances, Y/N Y/L/N created an enjoyable life for herself. She admits that even though there have been many hardships, she has pushed through them as best as she can. “Sometimes you just have to take a break, take a moment to look around and wonder what you really need.” She expresses, “This life isn't for everyone. I am very happy with how things turned out for me, and there is not one day I regret what I’ve done. But, there are moments in which things get out of control and space is needed.”
On the outside, Y/L/N has always appeared to the masses as someone who never falters in her step. From her modelling debut when she was freshly 18 years old, turning herself into the face of Prada back in 2012 when the whole world wondered ‘Just who is this girl?’. It wasn't long before she delved into the acting world, with her first role in 2014 for the critically acclaimed film ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ as ‘Agatha’. Everyone loved her, wondering what her next move would be, so the whole world was shaken when just a year later she released an album. ‘Honeymoon’ took the world by a storm, with emotional lyrics that only added to the mystery of who she was, Pitchfork said “It's an album about love, but "love", as Y/L/N sings it, sounds like mourning. The romance here is closer to addiction—something that's sought for its ability to blot out the rest of life's miseries…”. Nobody knows who drove her to write this, but the speculations never stopped, not to this day. On the inside, however, she struggled to know who she really was.
She talks about not having the right skills to cope with the sudden fame, how overwhelming it all would really be. Still, she never stopped putting out new content for her fans. Nobody could forget the girl who despite all the luxury that surrounded her, uploaded vlogs to youtube about her life. No one could take away her raw authenticity.
Maybe that is why when in May of 2022 her posts on Instagram, Twitter and Youtube came to a sudden halt, fans wondered what happened to her. What made Y/N Y/L/N drop from the face of the earth? Why did she stop appearing everywhere? 
The talk never ceased, the world could not let go of the woman they had grown up with and learned to love over a decade ago. “It was weird seeing all those rumours while I battled to know who I was. I tried as hard as I could to drown it all out, so I uninstalled every single social media app I had. I ended my connection with the world to reconnect with myself.” She says. “It was hard, but it was truly what I had wanted for a while.”
Since she appeared in the spotlight, her relationships or lack of, has been questioned. “I watched my female peers struggle to get away from their love lives, how every interviewer didn't care for the projects they were in, but rather who they were with at the time.” She recalls. “I was in a relationship with who I thought was the love of my life, for almost 7 years. It is rather jarring coming to terms that sometimes people grow, and that you are the one that needs out of a relationship which is nothing short of special. My concept of love was tarnished by a guy who was older than me, and another guy who was just as immature as I was. So naturally, I was swept off my feet when suddenly, all I ever knew wasn't how I thought it was.” 
Even now, after the heartbreaking experience she went through, Y/L/N only has kind words to say about the man she loved. “He is a true gentleman, he knew me like no one else did. I guess, along the way, I stopped knowing myself. That was the problem.” She says. “How can someone else know me when I don't even know myself? I asked myself that a lot. I like to think I know myself better now, I learned how to love every part of me, and that was the most rewarding journey. It wasn’t his fault, but I couldn't love someone else without loving me first.”
Self Love is a very important part of her life now. She puts her well-being over her need to succeed, something that made her iconic, was destroying her slowly. “Being an ‘icon’ to many stuck me in a box. There was an underlying feeling of having to always outperform others and myself, it was exhausting and that was how I started losing sight of myself.”
When talking about her future projects, Y/L/N expressed that she was “taking her time”. No more would she be walked over and feel pressured to put out new content, opting for a more relaxed and controlled lifestyle. Though she once was everywhere everyday, she now hopes to be mentioned when she does something valuable and not when she is merely existing. 
“I do have an EP coming out. It is just four songs, but I wrote them alone, and they are my most special songs to date.” She says. “One thing I do not want happening is for people I care for to be harassed or accused of things they are not responsible for. Music is a creative outlet for me, it is never made with the intention to hurt anyone.” She adds. “‘things i wish you said’ is my favourite. It’s the first one I wrote after my breakup, which makes it the rawest out of all of them. I think that's why I like it so much, the other three were written in different periods of my life, some even years ago. It will be fun seeing everyone dissect them.”
She decided to keep the EP to just four songs because all the others were too personal or she decided to keep them for another time. “I’m sure the world would love to know all the nooks and crannies of my past relationship, but that is something I would like to keep between him and me. I am ready to move on from all the pain, to leave it all in the past. If people want to remain stuck there, that is their own choice, I choose to be free and continue growing.”
Y/L/N’s journey is far from finished. She has not even turned 30 yet, but she redirects her narrative because it just does not fit her anymore. She is not that young 18 year-old girl who knows nothing, but rather a 28 year-old woman “ready to move on” as she puts it. 
At that point in our conversation, her previously relaxed demeanour has only grown. With her legs tucked on the black leather couch she has in her wide living room, an arm resting on a deep magenta pillow, she is in her own space. Y/L/N smiles and pays attention to every question I ask, she has no qualms in sharing. Though she sometimes opted to give no comment about certain situations, not once did she feel offended or made me feel out of place. 
As our conversation came to an end, she gave me one final piece of advice: “Only you can decide what's best for you. Once you learn how to manage other people’s opinions, there is nothing that can truly stop you from being uniquely you. Love yourself, you have one life, why live it in misery?”
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liked by ynfan21, danielfan21 and 103,859 others
yndanielenthusiast i will never forget when they both posted the same picture to hard launch their relationship
view all 1,558 comments
ynfan22 what if this was my 13th reason?
ynfan23 we all remember where we were when this dropped
⤷ danielfan22 i woke from a nap, checked instagram and screamed so loud my parents thought someone died
⤷ ynfan23 so real
user21 missing them hours
ynfan24 nothing could’ve prepared for y/n confirming their breakup. nothing.
danielfan23 I NEED THEM BACK
⤷ ynfan25 THOSE TWO WERE LITERALLY MY PARENTS
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liked by yourusername, redbullracing and 462,071 others
danielricciardo Don’t leave me hangin 🙃
view all 6,931 comments
ynfan31 y/n liking this😭
danielfan31 IM SO HAPPY HES HAPPY WITH RBR
ynfan32 say what you want abt y/n (don’t) but she’s handling the situation very maturely
danielfan32 he’s smiling while we’re all in shambles smh
⤷ danielfan33 right???
user31 I need him back on track asap
user32 am i delusional to think the caption means something else or…
⤷ ynfan33 yes.
⤷ danielfan34 yes.
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liked by danielricciardo, taylorswift and 1,925,836 others
yourusername many things to come 🥂
view all 28,887 comments
ynfan41 istg if she says an album is coming
⤷ ynfan42 it would be crazy but i don’t think so
zendaya cheers to that!
liked by yourusername
user41 her smile <3
danielfan41 ariana what r u doing here🤨
taylorswift 🍾🍾🍾
⤷ ynfan43 I’M SCARED WHAT’S GOING ON
ynfan44 she has something cooking and i am not prepared
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raaorqtpbpdy · 22 days
Text
Made of Meat
Danny Phantom/DC (Animal Man) crossover (thank you @stealingyourbones for the prompt)
When strange, faintly glowing meat creatures start rampaging through the streets of San Diego, there's only one man to call. And when Animal Man could use a helping hand, Phantom swoops in to assist. Or, Danny Phantom and Animal Man team up to fight the Lunch Lady
Read it on AO3
[Warnings for minor violence, mentions of vomit, and repeated mentions/descriptions of raw meat]
When strange, faintly glowing meat creatures started rampaging through the streets of San Diego, there was only one man to call. 
Absorbing the power of flight from a hawk overhead, Buddy Baker, A.K.A. Animal Man soared toward downtown to confront the monsters wreaking havoc on the innocent civilians of his city, his blond hair fluttering in the wind.
By the time he arrived, the chaos was well underway. Just like the reports had claimed, several unidentified creatures were causing the brunt of the damage, each of them about four feet tall and composed entirely of raw meat, still dripping with blood and already attracting flies, with glowing red eyes and fleshy teeth. Animal Man could see pools of vomit on the sidewalks from people who had evidently been too disgusted by the creatures to hold down their lunches, but he'd seen far worse himself and wasn't bothered by the creatures' grotesque appearance.
He swooped down to snatch a little girl out of the way of one of the things and take her to the nearest screaming woman—her mother, just as he had guessed—and urged them to run. There weren't as many people downtown as Buddy would have normally expected to see at this time, probably most of them already had already run away, but a few stragglers still remained, most of them filming the incident on their phones, some hiding, none of them in immediate danger.
With his bird's eye view, Animal Man had spotted a peculiar woman in the center of the commotion. She looked confused and sickly, with greenish skin. It wasn't her appearance that bothered him, though. Something about her felt off, and it unsettled the hero in a way he couldn't quite put into words. Using the sharp ears of a bat from the nearby zoo, he could hear her even from high in the sky, demanding to know where she was and what was for lunch.
Whoever she was, Buddy was pretty sure she was the woman in charge, and these meat gremlins were her doing. If he could knock her out, or better yet, peacefully convince her to stop, her creatures would stop too.
With the strength of a charging rhino, Animal Man plowed through her meaty minions with little trouble and slammed his whole body into her, sending her flying a few feet to land sprawled on the ground. He rushed forward to pin her so she couldn't get away, and it was then that he began to realize what was so off about her.
Her skin was cold and green, her eyes glowed red, and her clothes were about forty years out of date. But even more strange that that, he didn't feel any connection to her through the Red. The Red connected all animal life, from the tiniest single-celled organism, to the biggest blue whale, and humans were included in that. Through the Red, Animal Man could absorb the powers of any living creature. 
Not this woman, though.
She looked human, and acted human... but she wasn't human.
Animal man dug deeper, trying to feel out a connection to the Green, or the Rot. It was harder for him to sense them, but all three elements were connected, and they encompassed all living things, even after death.
Except for this mysterious woman.
She wasn't fauna, or flora, or decay. And now that he was feeling through the Red, he realized that her constructs weren't connected to it either, even though they looked like they could have crawled right out of it moments before they showed up here. Buddy didn't know how that was possible, but right now, what she was didn't matter half as much as stopping her.
"I don't want to hurt you anymore," he said firmly, "but you have to stop what you're doing, or I'll be forced to. I can't let you keep attacking innocent people with your creatures. It has to stop." 
The woman scowled and stood up, her body passing right through Animal Man like he was made of air, and a chill ran down his spine and he shuddered as he fell a few inches onto the asphalt below.
"What the...?" He tried to grab her again, but he couldn't even touch her. His hands passed right through her, like he was trying to catch smoke.
"You think you can stop me?!" the woman demanded, her hair standing up and writhing like snakes on her head. The meat monsters turned as one and began to converge on Animal Man. "Today's menu is doom, and now, it's lunchtime!"
"It's four-thirty!"
Animal Man snapped his head up toward the sound of the new voice, and saw a teenager flying into view. He wore a black and white jumpsuit, had white hair, and the green glow of his eyes was visible even from a distance. The teen rocketed down and slammed his fists right into the strange woman's face, sending her skidding backwards.
"You!" she hissed, her eyes widening and pulsing red—it was terrifying in person, but Buddy couldn't help the thought that it was reminiscent of a really angry Loony Tunes character.
Immediately, her creatures turned their attention away from Animal Man, and toward the newcomer. Evidently, she and him had a history. And she'd determined that the kid was a higher priority than Buddy was.
"That's right, Lunch Lady, it's me again," the kid said, grabbing a thermos that was hanging off his belt. "And I'm here to tell you that the only thing on the menu for you today is soup!"
Whatever he planned to do with that thermos, he didn't get the chance, as one of the meat gremlins morphed its arm into a long whip and knocked it away from him.
"Ew!" the kid said, dropping a few feet to punch the nearest creature and then dry-heaving for a second. "Are these things raw? Why—eugh!" he cut himself off with a shudder as another one got close and he had to punch it. Clearly the creatures were not his bag.
"Hey kid!" Animal Man shouted, ready to offer his help.
"It's Phantom," the kid shouted back. "Wait, who're you?"
"Animal Man," he replied. "I'll keep the meat things occupied if you can deal with her."
"You sure, dude?" Phantom flew back out of the meat things' reach with a grimace, and dodged the sprays of blood they spewed up after him looking almost as green as the Lunch Lady. "These things are pretty gross. Way grosser than the last time I fought 'em."
"I've handled grosser than them," Buddy assured. "They're not a problem—but I can't fight someone I can't touch."
Phantom turned slightly to look at the Lunch Lady, who was laughing triumphantly, and got splashed in the back of the head by one of the meat creatures still bombarding him. He yelped in disgust, and Buddy pressed his lips together to keep from laughing.
"Alright, deal!" Phantom agreed, wiping the back of his head with a gloved hand. "I'll leave 'em to you, just don't let them merge with each other, or her, they become a much bigger problem that way."
"Got it!" 
Animal Man summoned up some elephant strength, leopard agility and the reflexes of a fly and ran at the creatures. The force of his punches caused them to burst apart instantly, and in the time it took one to reform itself, he could take down three more.
Meanwhile, Phantom shot upward, firing a green beam at the Lunch Lady. His head turned frantically, like he was looking for something, but he didn't seem to find it. The Lunch Lady screamed as he dive-bombed her again, this time sending her through a wall—the wall itself undamaged. She came back through it moments later, back on her feet and angrier than ever. 
As much as he wanted to keep an eye on the kid to make sure he didn't get hurt, Buddy still had to focus on his own fight. Phantom was clearly familiar with this enemy, had apparently fought her before, and he seemed like he could handle himself. None of that stopped Buddy from worrying. None of his worrying changed the fact that he had a job to do.
In his moment of distraction, one of the creatures slammed into the side of Animal Man's knee, knocking him down. He used his elephant strength to throw it off and watched it splatter into a bloody, fleshy mass against a concrete wall. 
As he rolled over to get back on his feet and resume the fight, he saw the thermos Phantom had dropped. It had rolled out of sight under the bus stop bench. That must've been what the kid was looking for! Although Animal Man had no idea what Phantom could need it for, he darted forward like a cheetah on all fours and snatched the thermos up.
"Hey Phantom!" he shouted, jumping to his feet and kicking another creature into pieces. "You need this, right?"
Phantom turned, and grinned widely when he saw what his new ally was holding. Animal Man threw it up to him and he caught it easily and uncapped it right away, aiming it at the Lunch Lady.
Animal Man punched out another meat gremlin as a blue light shone from inside the thermos, and the Lunch Lady screamed and shouted in protest as she was sucked inside. As soon as the cap was back on the thermos, the remaining creatures collapsed into piles of raw meat, covered in rocks and dirt and buzzing flies. How this mess would get cleaned up was anyone's guess.
Fight ended, Phantom flew down to where Animal Man was standing, surrounded by a ring of red meat and plucked poultry, but did not touch down on the ground. A strategic choice, although it was a bit too late for the other hero to do the same.
"Eugh, I smell like a butcher shop and I have entrails in my hair," Animal Man commented, sniffing his sleeve with a grimace. "My wife isn't gonna so much as wave hello until I take a shower, and it's gonna be hell getting the stench outta my suit."
"Oh, uh... here." 
Phantom put his hand on Buddy's shoulder, and a cold empty sensation wracked his body for a few seconds. All the gross chunks and fluids dropped to the ground, falling through him like he was made of air, just like the Lunch Lady had moved through him earlier. When Phantom took his hand away, Buddy was clean. Even the smell didn't seem to be coming from him anymore, although it still definitely surrounded him.
"Wow, thanks," Buddy said, marveling at the distinct lack of red stains on his white gloves which had been absolutely soaked in it a moment before. "That trick must come in pretty useful for you."
"Yeah, well, it's the least I could do after you helped me out," Phantom said. His shoulders hunched and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "It was all my fault the Lunch Lady attacked in the first place. I was stupid and forgot to make sure the thermos was empty before I left Amity Park."
"Hey, you're not stupid; don't say that. Everyone makes mistakes, what's important is that you were able to fix it," Animal Man argued. 
Phantom smiled gratefully, and it wasn't until he took his hand away from his neck that he seemed to remember the splatter of blood and juices he'd gotten from one of the creatures and he wrinkled his nose at the red stain on his own glove. He hardly seemed to think about it as he turned himself intangible like he had to Buddy before and let the viscera fall to the sidewalk with a splat.
"So... what was she anyway?" Buddy asked, doing his best to keep a straight face. "The Lunch Lady I mean. She definitely wasn't human, I could tell that much."
"Oh, she was a ghost," Phantom replied. "I'm a ghost, too, but I'm a good guy, I swear. Sorry, I forget not a lot of people have seen ghosts outside of Amity Park. They're super common where I come from."
"A ghost, huh?"
Animal Man considered that. It would make sense. A ghost was dead, but not decaying, not made of flesh or vegetation. Not fauna, not flora, not rot. It tracked with what he had sensed from the woman before. But if Phantom was a ghost too, that meant he'd died at about the same age Buddy's own son, Cliff, had, and that sent a pang of heartache through the man's chest.
One thing didn't make sense, though. Phantom claimed to be a ghost, like the Lunch Lady, but unlike with her, Buddy could sense Phantom through the Red. It was a thin connection, like the kid was hanging onto it by a thread, but it was a solid one, too. If this kid really was a ghost, he wasn't the same as the one he'd just trapped in that thermos of his.
For a moment, Buddy thought about pressing for answers, but he quickly decided against it. It could be that the truth was too personal, or embarrassing, or even dangerous for Phantom to reveal, especially to a virtual stranger, even one who'd helped him out. Besides everyone was entitled to their secrets. Instead, Animal Man smiled at the kid and clapped him on the back.
"That's pretty cool," he said. "Say, do ghosts eat? You should come over to my place for dinner. After a hard-fought battle like that, I'd say you deserve it."
"You can eat after fighting those things?" Phantom looked down at what remained of the meat creatures and gagged.
"Trust me, if I wasn't already a vegetarian, I would be after this," Buddy replied. "My wife's making some meat-free lasagna, and we always have tons of leftovers. She usually doesn't like me taking hero stuff home with me, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind in this case."
"She knows you're a hero?" 
The open shock on Phantom's face was a bit of a surprise, but then again, he had said he was from out of town. Just because Buddy was often swarmed by local paparazzi, didn't mean he was any more than regionally famous.
"Everyone knows," he said with a shrug. "I don't keep my identity a secret. It can get annoying sometimes, but I don't really have any reason to. I'm not one of the big-shots, like Batman and Wonder-Woman. You're not from around here, so I bet you never even heard of Animal Man before today."
"Well... no...."
"Exactly," Buddy made sure to grin wide enough that the kid knew there were no hard feelings about it. "So what do you say? You coming over for dinner, or what?"
"I'd love to, but I can't," Phantom said apologetically. "I have to deal with all this meat and then my—uh... I just have other plans tonight."
"You need help with the clean up?"
Phantom frowned down at the piled of meat still surrounding the two of them. 
Maybe this really hadn't been the best place to discuss dinner plans. Man, Buddy really was desensitized to this kinda stuff wasn't he? For a guy who didn't eat meat, he sure spent a lot of time surrounded by it, both in the Red, and now here.
"Nah," Phantom decided finally. "I think I can just turn the ground intangible and phase everything down under the street level so it can decompose."
"Just turn the ground intangible, huh?" Animal Man huffed a light laugh and shook his head. "Yeah, alright, if you're sure. I should get going anyway. Stay safe, kiddo. Maybe I'll see you around again before you head back home."
"Uh..." Phantom blinked owlishly at him. "Y-yeah... you uh... stay safe too."
Animal Man smiled and nodded, and took off toward his home, borrowing the power of flight from a pigeon on a telephone wire. The way Phantom had reacted, it was almost like no one had ever said that to him before. Stay safe.
Where had he said he was from? Amity Park?
Maybe Animal Man should keep tabs on him from now on, just in case. After all, ghost or not, he was still just a teenager, and all heroes needed allies from time to time.
154 notes · View notes
theemporium · 8 months
Note
Hello! Could I request Daniel and Sunshine meeting the parents/family? And this could be pre-relationship or what you feel like doing. But I would love to see how Daniels parents “react” I guess. I feel like Daniel has to be gushing over sunshine even before the the relationship and I can totally see his parents giving him side eyes like when you going to do something about this bud??
thank you for requesting!🖤
.
It shouldn’t have surprised you that Daniel’s parents would be in the paddock, it was the Australian Grand Prix after all.
What surprised you was that they seemed to know who you were before you even had a chance to introduce yourself, before you even clocked who they were. 
The Friday had been chaotic and you had been racing back and forth from the motorhome and the garage, always carrying a massive stack of papers with you wherever you were going. It was only the third race of the season and every piece of data you could collect for the car was valuable. 
You were barely paying attention when you made your way into the motorhome, desperate to grab a quick bite to eat before you joined your colleagues in the garage to look over the statistics from the second free practice session. You had your head down, frowning at some email you were reading over when you heard a voice speak up. 
“You must be Sunshine!” 
You blinked, caught by surprise. It was an Australian accent but not the one you were used to saying the nickname. You lifted your head, turning to find a woman smiling at you, looking at you as though this wasn’t the first time you had ever seen her in your life. 
“I’m sorry, do I know you?” you asked, trying not to bristle at the use of the nickname. You weren’t defensive about it or anything, but it almost felt wrong to hear it coming from anybody but Daniel’s mouth.
Speak of the devil, and he will appear. 
“Sunshine!” Your head instantly snapped around to find Daniel entering the motorhome, his race suit tied around his waist and his curls a mess, undoubtedly because of his balaclava and helmet. But it didn’t stop him from grinning as he approached you, throwing his arm over your shoulder. “I see you’ve met my parents.”
“Your—” you paused, your cheeks burning in embarrassment as you turned to the couple, a sheepish expression on your face. “I am so sorry, Mr and Mrs Ricciardo, I didn’t—” 
But his mother, Grace, only smiled and waved you off. It hit you then just how similar she looked to her son. “Don’t apologise, sweetheart, we aren’t foolish enough to imagine Danny talks about us to you half as much as he talks about you to us.”
Your brows raised in surprise as you turned to look at Daniel, but he was sending his mother a pointed look and trying to ignore the blush growing on his cheeks. “You talk about me?”
“Maybe,” Daniel answered vaguely.
But his father, Joe, just snorted in response. “He doesn’t shut up about you.”
“Dad,” Daniel grumbled, his arm tightening around you. “Shouldn’t you two be in the garage?” 
“Shouldn’t you be in the car?” Grace retorted.
“Touche,” he murmured before clearing his throat. “Anyways, I need my Sunshine for something so if you don’t mind—” 
And before his parents could even say anything, Daniel was dragging you away from his parents who were only snickering in response. You looked up at Daniel, his arm still wrapped around your shoulders and his blush still evident on his face. 
“You boast about me, Ricciardo?” you teased, poking his side.
Daniel grinned. “Of course I do, sunshine, what’s there not to boast about?”
You flushed. “But to your parents?”
“I would boast to the whole world how brilliant you are if I was able to,” he replied simply and you found yourself far too flustered to even come up with a response as you let him guide you through the paddock.
.
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lovesickry · 6 months
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- let the light in.
┈⋆⭒ lando norris x rival femdriver!reader [2.4k] ┈⋆⭒ part 3 !
.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⎯ find all parts here! .𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⎯ contains: 18+, smut, swearing, angst, handjob LOL .𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⎯ a/n: sorry for my little hiatus I was really trying to think about what im trying to do with this story. .𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⎯ comment if you wanted be added to taglist
by all accounts Spain had been...interesting. considering the close proximity in which you came into with a certain man by which you (or at least thought) certainly disliked.
A sense of unease followed you in the coming week, a kind of distrust. With yourself? It was an odd feeling, unlikely to be exactly pinpointed so it was more or less thrust far back into your mind, his lingering, burning touch hopefully soon forgotten.
You were eager to more or less throw yourself into training, it was Monaco after all, the race every driver wanted to win. You were not an exception.
-
You saw Danny for dinner on Tuesday and it was actually very refreshing, you had taken some convincing (done by yours truly) to actually attend, by in doing so you did actually have a good time. He was Danny Ric of course you were gonna have a good time. Anyway, you were walking around Monaco much too late, talking about the season and actively trying to avoid any talk about his current teammate. He mentioned he was worried about you. 
“Why?”
“Oh just you know, sometimes I see a bit of myself in you and I know how I can get.” 
Your eyebrows furrowed, he cared so much. Danny had never been your teammate but youd drifted together through one force or the other and he'd been nothing but nice to you. You understood where he was coming from, you guess you were similar, the same kind of persistent optimism, sarcasm, devotion, not knowing when to stop pushing, problems of burning out etc; 
“I’m fine”
He waits for you to continue, you do.
“I mean, I think, it's just all a lot. I've wanted to be in Formula One for as long as I can remember and now that I’m here, it's still like everyday I'm fighting to be here. And it's not all just about being a girl either, like most of it is but still. It's like there's something inside me that's almost contradicting my existence, like I'm not meant to be here. It's pushing me forward and also pulling me back. I don't know how to explain it.”
You take a deep breath and try to keep your voice steady as you continue.
“There's just so much that I want to achieve and I don't even think I believe I can do it.”
Your voice wobbles only slightly as you pause walking and look at him, suddenly breathless.
He looks at you with so much understanding you could break down into tears. He extends an arm and pulls you into a side hug as he continues down the street slowly walking. 
“I think when you first do this that's how everyone feels, like they’re lying to themselves or that they don’t deserve it, but believe me when I tell you Dylan you are so deserving, more than so many drivers and you will get there. The isolation will dissipate and your body will realign and you’ll know what to do and how to do it and you’ll truly believe in yourself and your life won't be pushing and pulling at you anymore, i know its hard and i hate to say it, but time is truly your best friend in shit like this.”
You don't know how danny seemed to always know what to say but the words he spoke resonated with you and made something click, the rest of the walk home was lighter as you reached your hotel just after midnight, saying goodbye to Danny and watching him walk off into the lit streets of Monaco, quiet, peaceful and picturesque. You were amongst the other drivers who didn't (yet) live in Monaco, but you loved every moment you visited. Yes it was a posh persons wet dream, but it was undeniably beautiful in every part and you loved the safeness as a woman too. Though you'd have to admittedly work on your french.
When Thursday rolled around and you had to go to the track, ending your period of peace, it was  gratefully uneventful, not once did you see who you had prayed you wouldn’t and that was enough to leave the paddock with a smile. Friday was less than satisfying however, achieving not even in the top 10 in either practices. Saturday and Sunday, were thankfully a different story, you had qualified well, pulling your car into P4. You were happy, the car was happy and you were focused, the chat with Danny had made you in some way looser? 
You had mixed emotions about the part of the day in which you would attend the drivers parade. On one hand you could argue that it was a bit of a break from the seriousness, a time where drivers genuinely just chat shit while people look on and occasionally get asked questions, but on the other you could also argue that its kinda pointless and stupid. Regardless all the drivers piled into the moving vehicle and settled into a chatter of conversation in their respective “groups”. Just by your luck, as you eased into a conversation with Danny and George, Lando decided to join in. You didn’t ignore the look up and down he gave you before swiftly intervening in the conversation. For some reason the minute Lando joined in you were mute, not cintrivuting to the conversation in the slightest bit, other than nudging Danny every now and again to point something/someone out. You spoke few words with Lando present and even fewer when prompted by him to speak. At a point George simply dragged you away and talked to you one of one to save the awkward silence that seemed to surround the you and Lando. You had never found George unattractive, but at the same time you werent attracted to him either, which you thought in the moment he wasnt understand, as everything he said he would lean closer, almost intimate. Not too obvious, not romantic, but obvious enough, atleast to you and the eyes that you felt bore into the back of your head from a certain McLaren driver. Waling through the paddock following the drivers parade was always an ordeal, fans were out and you signed caps and shirts and skin and took photos, before finally making it anywhere near your garage. That was a part of the fun honestly, you always thought: The fans. You hear familiar voices and try not to eavesdrop, though subconsciously straining to hear, it's muffled and you only make out. “Shes not” “Dude” “fuck” “embarassing” “gross” “come on?” “you jealous?” your spying however is put to an end when none other than George Russel and Lando Norris round the corner to where you stood or recently stood, because as soon as you heard shuffling you resumed movement so they didn’t know that you were really just standing there listening to whatever the fuck they were saying.
“Speak of the devil” Lando says with a smirk.
You don't fully register the meaning behind that line however, still relishing in the fact they didn't know of your habit to eavesdrop. 
“You're such a twat” George says, and more or less storms off.
You watch as he goes, still silent and then turn towards Lando. 
“You’re actually such a dickhead ”
Lando scoffs before continuing.
“I was the one defending your dignity, George was drooling at you, its embarrassing”
You raise your eyebrows at him
“George?”
“Oh come on you're not that naive, he's so into you it's disgusting.”
“piss off”
“No seriously Mr Russell was in a seductive mood” it's said with an air of humour and you nearly laugh. 
“George was trying to seduce me?” you let a deep breath out of your noise, nearly letting loose a laugh.
“And how exactly would he go about that huh?” you continue sarcastically.
‘Hmmm” his eyebrows straighten and his whole face looks as though it changes composition.
You move to go, sick of whatever the fuck Lando wants to play with you, you round the corner, reaching a small end of a hallway with no current people near and suddenly hes there too. Lips grazing the top of your ear. His body was against yours and radiating with heat, breath fanning your temple. 
“Like this?” his voice is too fucking low, too fucking delicious and your mind is begging for you to succumb, but you cant, you wont.
“Youre a fucking asshole” its said through your teeth and you dont make any action to move your body away from his.
He hummed in response, simply moving his breaths down your neck.
“You mean it?” a smirk paints his face
“I hate you” the words come out more breathless than you'd hoped.
He laughs into the skin of your neck, you're still not moving, unable to move. In fear giving into him. 
You close your eyes in hopes to centre yourself but it's impossible to ignore the heat that seems to surround you, your blood flows like molten lava through your veins and every breath is staggered and fractured. Opening your eyes was a mistake, Lando is looking at you with someone that could be moulded into admiration and his pupils are blown. You can't stop the way your back arches to meet him and suddenly your hands are in his curls and his mouth is on yours. It is so sweet, so filthy, so hateful. The way your mouths are moving against each other, his hands grasping at your back while you pull at his hair, you notice as you pull away the way he bites his lip, as if to not make any noise. 
Well that's rich, he doesn't get to pretend he hasn't been the one chasing after you, acting all shitty just cause you’ve been the only girl not to fall to your feet at the sight of him.
He deserved a taste of his own medicine, you moved your lips off his and his eyes widened slightly thinking you're stopping whatever this was. Not yet. You move your lips down to his necks and begin to kiss him until you reach where he tenses at, figuring that's your best shot. You find the spot just above his clavicle and he inhales sharply before biting his lip. You were getting somewhere, focusing on this singular spot had Lando more desperate than before, biting so hard on his lip you thought it might bleed and gripping your waist so tightly you thought it might bruise if he adjusted his grip anymore. 
The next idea that hit you was albeit self-indulgent but you thought would get your point across, or atleast suffice some of Lando’s infatuation with you just enough to clear your mind of him.
While one of your hands holds firmly his curls while you kiss his neck fervently, your other hand drops down further, trailing over the muscle that lay taut and hot underneath his fireproofs. His throat bobbed and he threw his head back only slightly, making an incoherent noise that made you smile against his neck, his control lost and gained so fast. Soon after your other hand left the back of his head, he dropped it onto your shoulder, still fiercely remainly quiet as you moved the other hand down his back, both hands reached under the material at the same time and his body was hotter than you had ever thought possible, retaining so much heat you are surprised there wasn't some kind of steam coming off of his skin. You pull his race suit down lower so it meets his middle thighs, his forehead still resting on your shoulder, keeled over. Pulling the material of his fireproofs up so you could actually see the muscle that was residing under there was fucking awe-inspiring, the small gap that you allowed yourself to see, breathing hard and fast, watching the muscle, the skin go out and in which each breath, you were nearly hypnotised. 
“Im not gonna fucking beg tait”
His voice is rough but fractured and static, not portraying the toughness you think he’d like it too. It's your turn to hum in response as you move your hands achingly lower to where he is painfully and unbearingly hard for anything you do. The minute your hand makes contact with the sensitive skin he gasps, you relish in the noise and you slowly move your hand around him, gathering the pre cum that coats the tip and focusing on it, slow moments make him shake and he's suddenly making small, consistent noises that only egg you on more. You hated to admit that the power in the movement was absolutely superb, enough to ignore the ache between your own legs. You twist your hand slightly causing a strangled groan to come from Lando followed by a “fuck you” though its not too aggressive. You speed it up and soon he's breathing too fast, his eyes are fluttering and he’s so close. You position your hand and fingers at just the right part of him and he's coming hard and fast and hot and heavy in your palm. Followed by a deep, long breath and then a swift laugh. Lando Norris just came in your hand in his fucking racesuit. If that wasn’t karma that while he sung the national anthem he’d have cum in his fucking pants you didnt know what was. 
“That's for the crash and all the shit in the press.” you know how it must sound, that you'd just jerked him off and now you're labelling it as payback, but to the relationship that you both held it was pretty much just that. You slip out from under him, smoothing your hair and wiping your hands on his race suit. His face has fallen and hasn't moved, though he moves his arm to steady himself. 
You don't look back as you finally walk out of the corner of that measly little hallway, grateful that nobody happened upon you two. 
“Fuck you” its quiet but loud enough to hear and its almost….whiny? 
The ache between your legs has dissipated by the time you climb into the car, eager to get anything else into your head than the one that had been resting on your shoulder that day. 
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builtbybrokenbells · 9 months
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Gold Dust Woman | ii
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Y/n finds herself giving in to temptation, tangling herself further in Jake’s web due to her inability to turn him away. Her dishonesty about her actions results in nothing but more trouble as she quickly realizes Jake is not the only one playing the game.
Read part one here
Pairing: jake kiszka x f!reader, sam kiszka x f!reader
Word Count: 8.5k
Warnings: swearing, allusions to sex, flirting, touch of making out, hangovers, love triangle situations, sorry if i miss any!
hi! sorry this took so long. it’s also not the best, but i hope you still like it and stick with me through this series because im quite excited about it. ive been having a really tough time lately and just started getting back into the swing of things, so this chapter is kind of setting the scene and a promise for more, i guess. no smut in this one, but pinky promise it’s coming soon. as always, enjoy, be kind, and don’t mind any grammar mistakes 🫶🏻
~
The sun served as a violent reminder of the previous nights events. When you opened your eyes to the rays of light beaming through the curtains, you barely had time to register you were awake before the remorse began to seep back in. You were sure that the headache from your hangover was just another way of the universe laughing at you. As you rubbed the sleep from your eyes, you were almost angry at the sun for shining when you felt as miserable as you did. The specks of dust danced through the rays, silently taunting you as you attempted to pull yourself from the arms of slumber. You hated knowing that the world would keep turning and moving forward, even when you felt like everything was crumbling around you.
You made a move to stand, but the pounding in your skull was encouraging you to crawl back under the blankets and hide away. Still, you stood, searching for clothes to cover yourself with. You located an old t-shirt and some shorts in a pile of laundry you hadn’t gotten around to folding yet, throwing it on without much thought. You took to the mirror, checking yourself over, sickened at the sight. Your makeup was in disarray, smudged and stained over your skin and your hair was wild, sticking up and knotted. You grabbed some makeup wipes, ridding yourself of the mess on your face, first, and then grabbing a comb to brush through your hair. When you deemed yourself at least sort of presentable, you made the dreaded journey to the company of others.
As you made your way down the hallway, you could hear minimal chatter coming from the living room. You peeked your head around the corner, praying that it was just the boys, still unsure of who stayed at your home overnight. You felt a wave of relief wash over you when you saw Josh sprawled across the couch, eyes closed with a hand on his forehead. Danny was sitting on the second couch, arm casted around the back and slumped into the cushions. Sam was laying on the floor, eyes also shut to block out the light. You couldn’t help but notice Jake was nowhere to be found, immediately wondering where he ran off to. You scolded yourself internally, upset that he was the first person you searched for, that he was the first thought in your head. Even so, your mind trailed back to the memory of him, reminding yourself of how ethereal he looked between your legs. How could you not think about him after you’d seen him like that? Just at the thought, you felt a surge of emotion rush straight to the pit of your stomach.
“Good morning, sunshine.” A voice broke you from your head. You looked up, nervous at the greeting. You were sure guilt was plastered all over your face, giving you away almost immediately.
“Hey,” you replied, hoping to cover up your startled expression. You walked over, careful to avoid Sam on the ground. You took a seat next to Danny, who almost instantly wrapped an arm around your shoulders. You leaned into the touch, comforted at the idea he could possibly still be ignorant to the events of the night prior.
“You disappeared on me last night.” He noted, but there was no accusatory tone present.
“Yeah, I didn’t feel very good. I ended up going straight to bed.” The lie slipped off your tongue easier than any truth you’d ever told. You kept your eyes on your hands, which were resting on your lap. It only took one night for Jake to cast such a spell over you, one that made you so willing to lie for him; whatever power he held within him was strong enough to make you a fool, keeping him a secret while silently hoping he would come back, just so you could catch sight of his face.
“Feel better today?” He asked. You rested your head on his shoulder, closing your eyes in attempt to ward off the ache in your head.
“Not particularly.” You gave a short lived chuckle. “What about you guys?”
“I think it’s safe to say we’ve all had better days.” He replied, leaving it at that. “Josh, throw over that bottle of Advil.” In response, Josh let out a low groan along with a few incoherent mumbles. He reached to the side table without moving from his position, hand searching wildly for the small bottle. Once he’d located it, he tossed it in the general direction of you both without looking. It landed with a thud on the cushion beside you.
You picked it up, taking two out of the bottle. Danny handed you his glass of water. You muttered a thanks, swallowing them down and handing it back to him. “I’m never drinking again.”
“You say that every time.” Danny reminded.
“I mean it, this time.” You grumbled, but left it at that. You had no energy to argue the point any further. You were certain you meant it, now, because you finally joined in on the drunken mistakes everybody so often spoke about. For once, the alcohol worsened your situation instead of taking your mind off it. And now, you had no idea what to do about it. Your night of attempting to drink away your lesson had only created more. As your eyes drifted to Sam laying on the floor, your chest ached at the sight. Still, as hungover as he was, he was gorgeous. The previous nights events had no affect on your feelings for him; they were still as strong as ever. You were hoping the entanglement would provide some sense of clarity, but the only thing your dance with the devil gave you was a sense of shame, and a bit of remorse.
As you watched Sam’s face, you couldn’t help but feel your thoughts drift back to his brother. Sam was the type of person you wanted to come home to after a long day, cozy up with on the couch and throw on a movie. He was the person you wanted to share your everyday life with, one with whom you wanted to make an endless book of memories. Jake, on the other hand, was like a cloud of black smoke consuming you every time you thought of him. He didn’t even need to speak to you, you just wanted his hands on you and for him to never stop touching you, ever again. The sinful desire to be wrapped around him forever was overpowering; much stronger than a want. Now, it was almost a necessity.
The idea of never feeling him like that again was so dreadful that it took the air from your lungs and clouded your vision. He was suffocating you with his essence, but it felt so good that you almost felt the need to thank him for it; oxygen was second only to Jake and the way he made you feel. Even in your hungover state, the memory of him was still overpowering everything else. The tingle on your skin in the places he touched you was residual, begging you to remember him. As much as you’d hoped for it to be gone when you woke, you knew that you’d give anything to have a minute alone with him once more.
You found yourself toying the line of consciousness, comfortable in Danny’s hold and soothed from the warmth of his body. He was much like a large teddy-bear, and one of the few friends you didn’t mind physical contact with. If anything, it was one of the greatest comforts you knew. You were certain everybody else had dozed off as well, each one of you feeling the exact same way. Just as you were about to fall back into slumber, the front door opened and footsteps echoed down the hall. You stirred slightly, peering at the intruder with only one eye open. You were glad everybody else was sleeping, because the redness that spread across your face at the sight of Jake was more than incriminating.
He caught you looking, wasting no time giving you a smile. He was holding a tray of coffee and what looked to be a bag of takeout. “Don’t you all look energetic,” he commented, his gaze drifting around the room.
“Please, please tell me that one of those are for me?” You found the energy to open both eyes, lifting your head slightly. The surge of pain that ran through your skull prompted you to resume your earlier position.
“Obviously, sweetheart. Could never forget about you.” He sent a wink in your direction, one that was so subtle you would have missed it had you not been immersed in every detail of his face. You bit down on the inside of your lip in attempt to distract yourself from the fluttering in your stomach, still clearly affected by his pet names. He walked over, handing you a cup.
“Thanks, Jake.” You said, eyes focused on his face. When you reached for the coffee, your fingers brushed with his. The contact ran through you like a shock of lightning, causing your breath to catch in your throat. It was a small enough reaction that nobody noticed, except for the boy who caused it. He gave you a smile before he moved on, handing out the rest of the drinks.
At the smell of food, and the sound of the conversation, Sam and Josh arose from their positions. Jake gave everybody’s respective orders to them before settling beside you on the couch. You took a sip of coffee, trying not to focus on the feeling of his thigh resting against yours. You looked down at the lid of the cup, delighted at the taste of the drink. Your eyes softened at the writing on the top. Somehow, he’d managed to remember exactly how you liked your coffee. You couldn’t recall the last time you’d actually told him, meaning he’d been storing that information in his head for a while. You looked to him through the corner of your eye, hoping to be sneaky about it, but you found he was already looking at you through the corner of his. You felt the heat rise to your cheeks again, quickly shifting your attention back to the food in front of you.
After some much needed caffeine and sustenance, the group seemed to become a bit more lively. Sam and Josh both managed to remain upright, their eyes staying open for more than a few minutes at a time. “You seem awfully quiet,” Danny nudged you with his elbow. Your head turned towards him, trying to cover up your dazed look. You still weren’t quite back to reality. The memories from the night prior were hitting you harder each time the chatter in the room died down, leaving you still trying to figure out if it really happened or your dreams were just very vivid. You knew it must have happened, because the ache in your heart was very real every time you caught Sam’s eye, or because of the flood of emotion that washed over you every time you looked a little too closely at Jake.
“Oh, yeah. Guess I still don’t feel the best.” You chuckled, realizing you’d have to break out of your internal struggle sooner or later.
“Another Advil?” He offered, holding the bottle out to you.
“I don’t think any amount of Advil can take away this hangover, Danny Boy.” You sighed, letting your head fall back into the cushion. You meant it, too. This hangover was different, because you were suffering through a withdrawal from something much more powerful than alcohol. As remorseful as you felt about your actions, you knew the only way to satiate the feeling was to get Jake back in your bedroom and finish what you started. Even thinking that caused a twinge of pain in your chest, eyes casted in the direction of Sam and the stupid little smile he had on his lips.
“Hey, y/n,” your attention was pulled in another direction. You looked to your side, raising an eyebrow in response to Jake’s voice. “Do you still have that Les Paul?” You watched him, more specifically the way his lips moved as he formulated the words, finding yourself captivated in it. You felt the urge to lean over and kiss him, just to feel a shred of what he’d made you feel a few hours before.
“Uh, the gold top?” You asked, unsure if that’s the one he was asking about. “There’s a sunburst around here somewhere, too, if you’re thinking of that one.”
“No, the gold top.” He clarified. You looked around the room, certain that you’d left it there the last time you played it. When you couldn’t locate it, you furrowed your eyebrows in confusion.
“It must be downstairs. Did you want to play it?”
“Yeah, I’ll come and look for it with you.” He said, passing it off as a completely innocent, friendly gesture. You locked eyes with him, knowing what he really meant by the statement. Your gaze lingered for a moment too long, realizing you would have to answer before any suspicion was casted towards the interaction. You shared a silent agreement with him before speaking.
“Sure. It’s probably down there, somewhere. There’s so much shit in the basement that I can’t even keep track of it all anymore.”
“If you’re looking to get rid of any of it, I’d be more than happy to take that Thunderbird off your hands.” Sam sent a smirk your way. The sound of his voice pulled your attention to him, completely immersing you in his presence. You hated that both boys now had that power over you. Without missing a beat, you rolled your eyes, giving a slight scoff at his statement.
“You’ll never get your hands on that bass, Sammy. I love you, but never.” You said, making a move to stand.
“Oh, come on. All of those instruments down there, and I’ve never even seen you play one. Have some compassion, woman.” He pleaded. You gave him a gentle pat on the head as you walked by.
“Never, Sam.” You repeated. “Play it all you want, but it stays here.”
“Worth a shot.” He shrugged.
“Just like the thousand other times you asked?” You teased. He gave you a look, his gaze lingering over your face for a moment.
“Always.” He smiled, eyes focused on you with an expression you weren’t sure you’d seen from him before. You felt your heart flutter, noticing your stare lasted for a second too long with him, too. You shook the thoughts from your head, unable to think about how pretty he looked when he smiled, especially when you were about to head off to seclusion with his brother. You were in too deep with both of them, and there was no sign of land. You moved towards the exit of the room, looking back to find Jake following closely behind. You flicked on the light to the stairwell leading to the basement, cracking open the door. You led him down, watching your footing as you made your descent down the steps. You heard him trailing behind, the door softly falling shut behind him.
When your feet hit the floor, your hand searched for the second light switch on the wall, locating it after a few moments of struggle. You clicked it on and the yellow hue of the lightbulb filled the room, allowing you to see what was inside. You turned back to look at Jake, once again finding him already looking at you. He gave you a small smile once you caught his eye. “Sleep well last night, Gold Dust Woman?” You narrowed your gaze, eyebrow raised slightly to showcase your annoyance with him.
“What do you think, Jacob?” His smile only grew, and a laugh accompanied it, this time.
“I never got any phone calls, so I assumed you did.” He took a single step in your direction, almost as if he was nervous to approach you again. You watched him, wondering if you should let the situation continue as it was, or shut it down.
“Did you put my Les Paul down here?” You asked, unable to keep the question to yourself. You had the nagging idea that he moved it, almost certain that you last left it in the room you had just been in. But, at the same time, you could never be too sure of yourself. Especially considering the last twenty-four hours of your life had been nothing short of disastrous and delusional.
“Is that an accusation?” He seemed to love answering your questions with more questions, and it was driving you insane.
“Simple curiosity.” You replied, feeling unable to look away from him.
“Maybe I took it upon myself to bring it down here,” he explained, giving a slight shrug of his shoulders. “Wouldn’t have wanted anything to happen to it, last night.”
“You sure that was the motivation?” You pressed further, wanting to hear him admit the true intent. He took another step closer, now within an arms reach of you. He brushed the hair from your face, tucking it neatly behind your ear.
“Curious little thing, aren’t you?” He teased. His fingers ghosted over your cheek, sending that same rush of excitement through you as it did the night before. It was crazy how such a minuscule contact could produce such a grand feeling. That was just how Jake was, though. Everything about him was grand, even his simplicity.
“Just a question.” You assured him, praying you could keep your confidence. The slight airiness of your words and the drum of your heart against your ribcage said otherwise, though, and you were certain he noticed it.
“Anyone ever tell you that curiosity killed the cat, sweetheart?” He was inching closer, the space between your bodies diminishing more by the second. Even so, it seemed painfully slow. You wondered how you so easily found yourself in the same position after making the fatal mistake the night before; after the soul-crushing remorse you’d been feeling all morning.
“There’s another half to that saying, Jacob. Don’t forget about that part.” You reminded, hand involuntarily reaching for him. Your fingers grasped at the fabric of his shirt, pulling him towards you a little further. There it was again, the same incomprehensible force he had that drew you into him. You understood, now; you would never be able to escape Jake as long as he was accessible. Much like a drug, he was addictive. You were sure that even if you went to the basement with the intent of telling him to leave you alone, you’d still end up immersed in him one way or another. His aura was stronger than any pull of gravity or any other earthly force. Even knowing you shouldn’t, you couldn’t help but invite him in.
“Right,” he agreed, now pressed into you. His face was hovering just above yours. The anticipation was killing you; he seemed to be a fan of keeping you on edge, and it was insufferable. You wished he would just make the move, to decide for you and limit you from any overthinking. But, maybe, that was his intent. He wanted you to think about it; he wanted you to do all of the thinking, so you would ultimately end up in his arms on your own terms. He wanted you to think about him so often that there was no room for anything else, and he almost had you there. He was persevering until every part of your brain was consumed with him, in a true devilish fashion. He knew he could get away with it, too, because he could tell it was working. “Remind me, again, would you?”
“Of what, exactly?” If he wanted to play the game, you had no issue playing, too. A smirk was toying at the corner of his lips, although hard to notice due to his close proximity. It would be so easy to kiss him, you thought, so easy to just lean forward and allow you both the pleasure you were desperately seeking. But, you stayed true to your position and your stubbornness, refusing to break the gap between your mouths.
“Don’t be like that, sweetheart.” His hand that wasn’t occupied with your cheek found your hip, holding it with little force, just enough to let you know he was touching you. The pet name made your head spin once again. He had you wrapped around his finger, and you were too far gone to come back from it. You knew you would give him anything he wanted as long as he continued looking at you in such a way.
“Satisfaction,” you muttered, completely lost in the deep brown hue of his eyes. They were so inviting, much like a warm hug on a cold day. He nodded, happy with your answer. “Satisfaction brought it back.” You finished, more confident in your words.
“Mhm,” he hummed. “So, what’s going to satisfy you, then?” You swallowed hard at his words, eyes flickering down to his lips again. He already knew the answer, the question only served as a boast for his ego. “Finishing what we started last night?” He pried, lips just hovering over your own. It was almost funny, how distraught you’d been about this exact situation just minutes before, and how willingly you’d fallen back into it.
“An answer to the question would do it, I think.” You brushed his question off, but you knew your response was a lie. You were practically drooling at the thought of continuing your activities from the previous night. The idea of walking away from him was blasphemous, the thought almost putting you in agony.
“So, if I tell you the truth, you’ll walk away?” His fingertips were burning into your skin, so violent despite his gentle touch, but it felt fantastic. You were certain you’d never be able to live without it.
“Yeah,” you breathed, trying to feign a little bit of certainty, but anyone with a working set of ears could tell it was untruthful.
“You know you can’t lie to me, angel.” He scolded, although his tone was soft and barely above a whisper. The tip of his nose was tickling your own, now. He’d given in last night, but he was stubborn enough to stop himself, this time. He wanted you to invite him in, now. It was your turn to break the boundary. “But, yes. I brought the Les Paul down here this morning, if that’s what you want to know.”
“Why?” You pestered, both of you aware that wasn’t the question you wanted answered.
“So I could have you all to myself, again.” He was done playing, realizing the best way to get what he wanted was to be honest. As fun as it was to tease you, he wanted to feel you on him again, almost as badly as you wanted him. In another moment of weakness, void of any rationality, you pulled him closer and closed the gap between you. It was hungry, filled with desperation and a need for each other that was unable to be described with words.
He guided you backwards, firmly pressing you against the wall as his hands found their way under the hem of your shirt. He wasn’t disrespectful: more so just searching for a more intimate piece of you to experience. He settled his hold on your hips, just above your shorts. His fingers felt like heaven on your skin, like it was exactly where they were meant to be. Your arms were wrapped around his neck in a shameless attempt to capture him and hold him to you forever. The idea of the guitar was long out the window, much like the memory of the people sat in your living room. The only thing that held any importance was the boy before you, once again casting his spell over you.
When he parted from you, the loss of contact was agonizing, nearly bringing you to tears. The pent up tension from how he’d left you had simmered, but now was building once more, making it impossible to see past it. If life would have been so kind, he would have taken you right there. But, as you grew to understand, it never was. He gave you that same, irritating smile in place of his kiss. You wanted to smack it off his face, just to ensure he’d never give it to you again. “Glad to see you still feel the same way,” he noted.
“You make it impossible not to.” You said, fighting the urge to push him away from you.
“Thank you.” He grinned.
“Not particularly a compliment, sweetheart.” You corrected, barely noticing the use of the nickname. It seemed like his charm was rubbing off on you.
“Agree to disagree,” he said, face still inches from your own. “Have I earned that invitation, yet?” You held back an eye roll, knowing deep down that he never needed any invitation; he owned the place, now. It would feel more comfortable if you were asking him permission to allow you the pleasure.
“You could’ve had me last night. You already had the invitation, Jake. You didn’t need to earn it.” You reminded him, still angry but finding yourself more focused on his lips, hoping he’d grace you with another kiss.
“I know, angel, but don’t you want it even more, now?” You expelled a long sigh, tired of him dragging the situation out. “It will be so much better, now that you’ve waited.” He assured you. “Besides, I think you’re worth courting, at least a little bit.” He sent another wink in your direction, paired with a smirk.
“Maybe you’re the sadist.” You shot, throwing his own theories back at him. He gave a shrug, but didn’t give anything more. “You promised me, Jake.”
“I haven’t broken any promises, sweetheart.” He said, looking over your face.
“Surely this isn’t what you meant by all day long, however I wanted it.” You scoffed. “I’m not exactly enjoying this.”
“So, what? You want me to fuck you while everybody waits for us upstairs?” He asked, raising a hand to run his finger over your cheek. That smug little smirk remained stuck on his lips. When you didn’t answer, he raised an eyebrow in inquiry. “You would?” He let out a disapproving hum, settling his palm on your cheek. Your eyes fluttered closed, knowing that if you were going to have him, he’d ensure that you would suffer a bit, first. That was just a part of his hellish nature. Although, you had to admit, he was right; the build up was bound to result in a way more intense climax, later. “Dirty little thing, too.” He noted, drawing in a deep breath. It seemed like the idea sparked a nerve within him, too. If your inhibitions were any lower, you both would have given in.
“Get the fucking guitar,” you snapped, but your hands refused to break their hold on him. “But when they go home, you stay.”
“A lady who knows what she wants,” he leaned in once more, lips barely brushing over yours. “Hot.” The eye roll you’d been containing made its way into the world. The small statement aided you in realizing that as captivating as he was, he was still just a boy. He leaned forward, giving you another kiss to hold you over. As much as you hoped it would ease the feeling of need, it only worsened it. When he broke away, he moved back and freed you from your position. You watched him, still half-tempted to fuck him right there. You persevered, playing the waiting game once again. You managed to hold back this long, and you were sure you could hold on just a bit longer.
“Where’d you put it?”
“So demanding.” He said, feigning a look of disbelief. You placed a hand on your hip, silently telling him that your patience was growing thin. “Fine,” he stepped away, looking only for a second before locating the case that contained the guitar. He grabbed it, returning to you and giving a genuine smile. “Better?” You gave a nod, happy for once that he decided to comply. Amidst your frustration, you couldn’t help but soften at his goofy expression. You walked towards him, placing a kiss on his cheek in thanks. You nodded your head towards the stairwell, letting him know you were both long overdue for your return.
“Thanks.” You said as you took to the steps. He was close behind, not letting you stray too far. As you reached for the light switch, a sharp smack landed on your ass, causing you to jump at the contact. You turned around, giving a look of bewilderment which was met with a chuckle.
“Just so you know, I never break a promise.” He assured you. “And, just because you got your way, doesn’t mean you’re in charge.” He gave another wink, causing you to swallow hard. The statement produced a whole other world of excitement, eager to see what he had in store for you. You both returned to the main level, composing yourselves as you walked in attempt to hide the true intent of the basement visit.
“Oh! Hold on,” You said, turning on your heels. Jake watched you, curious about your sudden change in direction, but stepped out of your way. You tumbled back downstairs, looking around for only a moment before locating the item you’d forgotten. You grabbed the bass before joining Jake once again. Even though you were captivated in Jake, Sam still seemed to be heavy on your mind.
“If you let him play that, he’s never going to give it back.” Jake warned.
“He will, trust me.” You said, not worried about it. You closed the basement door behind you as you stepped into the main floor. Jake disappeared around the corner, joining his brothers. You took a moment to fully regain yourself before following after him. You were greeted with three pairs of questioning eyes once you entered the room.
“Did you guys get lost?” Danny asked, a smirk on his face. You looked to him, trying to cover any look of guilt that might have been on your own. The knowing look he held in his eye made your stomach churn with unease.
“There’s a lot of shit down there. Guess it just got lost in the mess of things.” You chuckled, refusing to hold his stare any longer. You turned to Sam, handing him the Thunderbird. He took it, excitement replacing any inquiries in his mind. “To play. Not to keep, Sammy.” You reminded, but he was too busy plucking at the strings. Jake had flicked the power on to an amp sitting beside the television, messing with the settings. He took to the second one beside it, tossing a patch cord towards his youngest brother. Danny decided he would drop the subject for now, knowing you’d never admit to anything in front of a group. He made a mental note to ask about it later.
“Now I feel left out.” Danny said, looking around at his friends. You let out a small laugh.
“I’ve got a box drum. No real drum set, yet. Or a couple acoustics, if you’d prefer that.”
“Those in the basement, too?” He questioned. You elected not to respond, making a move towards the amp and grabbing the drum, making the decision for him.
“Right here, actually.” You smiled as you sat it in front of him.
“You’re too kind,” he said, pulling the instrument between his legs. You resumed your earlier position on the couch beside him, looking around at everyone. The morale definitely seemed higher than it was previously. Between the pain killers and the distraction of music, everyone was mostly back to their normal selves. “That’s a gorgeous guitar.” Danny noted, eyes trailing towards Jake.
“It’s a ‘57 reissue. Wish I could’ve got the real one, but I can’t be too greedy.”
“Where do you find all of these? And how are you not broke?” Sam laughed, eyeing the bass in his hands.
“I got a lot of them as gifts, or thank you’s from the people I’ve worked with over the years. Some of it I bought secondhand, and some I got brand new. They all kind of come with their own story, which is cool.” You explained. Sam watched you intently as he listened.
“That is really cool, actually.”
“Yeah, turns out a lot of musicians like to cycle through instruments. They get bored after so many years and move on to other things. When they do, they have nowhere to put the pile of old ones.”
“That’s where you come in?” You smiled, nodding in response.
“Yeah, exactly. It’s awesome, ‘cause it’s like I get to keep a part of the people I work with. I mean, the instruments are cool, but the sentiment means more.” You told him, feeling touched at the question. The whole idea of Sam was confusing. You were hopelessly head over heels for him, but you were quite certain any feelings you had weren’t returned. Then, he’d sit there and ask you questions nobody else bothered to ask you. He made you feel seen; heard, even, after an entire lifetime of begging for it.
“You can’t tell me you’ve never played any of them,” he said, stare still burning into you. You opened your mouth, but closed it quickly, void of a proper response. Your eyes flickered to Jake, who was mindlessly strumming. He wasn’t looking in your direction, but you knew he was listening; he always listened. You weren’t sure if you wanted to share the intimate detail of your life with all of them, yet. The thought terrified you, understanding that the more people that knew about it, the bigger chance of your escape to the bars on Friday nights being ruined. Then again, you thought you’d be mortified if anyone found out. The night before, when Jake showered you in his completely honest compliments, it felt more comforting, rather than scary. Like the years of learning and practicing finally amounted to something. The stamp of approval from a real musician was exhilarating.
“A little, I guess.” You shrugged. Jakes eyes flickered towards you, expression intrigued at the idea you might tell everyone. “Just a side hobby.” Jake had to bite back a smile, excited he may be able to get to hear you play again. Sam’s eyes were wide, amazed that you finally admitted you played the instruments, rather than let them collect dust. They all had the nagging suspicion, and often took turns trying to pry the information from you. He was proud of the fact he’d been the one to get you to tell them. If only he knew the truth, that he wasn’t the first to know, he might have been a little heartbroken. So, you kept that part to yourself and hoped Jake would do the same.
“Play me something?” He asked, hope sparkling in his pupils. You felt your heart jump at the sight of him, unable to turn him down while he looked at you in such a way. You swallowed hard, but eventually gave a nod.
“Okay.” You agreed, already feeling your nervousness set in. At the word, Jake immediately surrendered the Les Paul over to you. You took it, muttering a thank you and settling it on your lap. “What do you want to hear?” You asked. All four boys had no answer, overjoyed to hear whatever you were willing to play. You rested the pick between your lips as you adjusted the tuning pegs to satisfaction.
You took a deep breath, closing your eyes for a moment, realizing that this was the most intimate detail you’d ever shared with them to date. You didn’t even bother to open them, too scared to see the expressions they adorned when you started to pick. You let the muscle memory guide you through the intro riff. You played it a few times, getting a feel for the song before continuing on. The second time you played it, Danny caught on and was banging a small beat into the drum. The third time, Sam joined in with the bass. The sound of all three together brought a smile to your lips, finally focused on the music rather than the fear.
“Listen to the wind blow, watch the sun rise,” the lyrics came like a second nature to you, all of the anxiety floating away as the words fell from your mouth. If only you knew how brutally truthful the words would turn out to be, you never would have played the song in the first place. “Running in the shadows, damn your love, damn your lies.”
“And if you don’t love me now,
You will never love me again,
I can still hear you saying
You would never break the chain.”
Josh joined you on the chorus, singing the backing vocals. On the second chorus, Jake joined, too. They let you sing the verses on your own, but by the time the last chorus came around, you were all shouting the lyrics with each other. On the finishing note, you were breathless and red in the face, but you couldn’t recall a time you felt quite as alive. Your heart was beating against your ribcage, threatening to break free, and the smile on your face was blinding.
“A little?” Sam asked, his grin matching yours.
“I have a lot of free time.” You breathed, a short laugh following the statement. “I have a couple friends I play with at the bars sometimes.”
“That’s more than a hobby, y/n. That’s a passion.” He said, never once breaking his stare away from you. If your face wasn’t already red, the blush your cheeks produced would have been a dead giveaway of your feelings for him. “You’re fantastic.”
“Thank you,” you whispered, unsure of how to take to the kind words.
“I’m just upset we didn’t do that sooner.” Danny said, his palm landing on your back with a pat of encouragement.
“Well, we have all the time in the world.” You shrugged.
“You guys are thinking the same thing, right?” Jake asked, looking around the room. The three boys seemed to have an unspoken agreement, already knowing what he was about to say.
“What?” You asked, feeling left out.
“We’ve been looking for an opening act, if you and your friends are interested.” Jake finally answered. When you looked to him, you half expected him to laugh and tell you he was joking, but his expression had never been more serious.
“O-oh, no,” you laughed “no, I can’t do that.”
“Yeah, you can.” He said, his eyes searching your own, seeming to be looking straight through your soul. He knew you had it in you; he’d seen it that night at the bar. “Come with us.”
“Are you allowed to offer that?” You asked, desperate to divert the attention away from the topic at hand. “Aren’t there contracts and managers and all of that stuff involved.”
“Yeah, we can handle that.” Sam said, just as enthusiastic about the idea. Your eyes darted between the two, unsure if they were pulling your leg.
“I have a job, guys.” You brushed them off.
“That you can always come back to.” Josh spoke now, in complete agreement with the others.
“Don’t have to decide right now. Just think about it.” Danny wrapped his arm around you, pulling you into a side-hug. You felt like the air was stolen from your lungs, baffled at the idea. You couldn’t believe they had enough faith in you to ask such a thing. More than that, you couldn’t believe they liked you enough to want you to join them. You thought it was crazy, completely insane that they offered you something like that without even thinking twice. But, under the shock, you felt a small bubble of excitement. A chance to live your dream; finally a real shot with an option to fall back on. “Play us something else.” Danny spoke again, gently encouraging you to keep going.
“Oh, yeah. Okay.” You nodded, coming back to reality. You thought for a moment, trying to decide on what to play next. When you settled on a song, it only took the boys a few seconds to join in.
The late hours of the morning dwindled until early afternoon, filled with music, chatter and laughter. The spirits were so high that you even managed to forget about your internal dilemma. After a while, the group broke off into smaller conversations and the instruments grew quiet. You took it upon yourself to take a trip to the kitchen, craving a bit more caffeine and a snack to keep you going. You flicked on the coffee maker, filling the top with grounds and pressing the start button. You pulled down a mug, tapping your fingers against the counter as you waited. The stead drip seemed to take forever, your impatience showing more by the second. As you watched, gentle footsteps echoed behind you, letting you know someone had joined you.
You turned, half expecting Jake to be standing behind you, eager to put you through a bit more turmoil. A bubble of excitement arose at the thought of another minute along with him. You were met with a shock, seeing Sam approaching with a small smile stuck on his lips. “Coffee?” You asked, nodding your head towards your empty mug.
“Sure.” He agreed, taking a seat at the table. “I can’t believe you kept all of that talent a secret for so long.” You were still pleasantly surprised that Jake was true to his word; he hadn’t even mentioned the fact he’d seen you perform.
“Guess I was just shy.” You shrugged. “I don’t really tell many people.”
“I don’t know why, y/n. Talent like that should be shared with the world.” He said, honesty radiating from his tone. You didn’t answer, mostly because you weren’t sure how to, so both of you fell into comfortable silence for a few moments. “I think it would be really cool if you came with us.”
“I think it would be, too.” You crossed your arms over your chest, suddenly aware of how hungover you looked. You didn’t share too many moments completely alone with Sam. Now that it was just the two of you, you were very conscious of your appearance. “But there’s a lot of stuff to consider. I have a job, I have to make sure my people are okay with it, too. We only have a few original songs and mostly stick to covers. Fuck, Sam, we don’t even have a name.” You laughed. “We play at dive bars on the weekend and forget about it by Monday. Definitely not prepared to tour with anyone.”
“You’ve got some time to figure it out. You work with music all day, every day. You probably know more about it than we do.” He offered. “You kept up with us really well. Clearly you guys know what you’re doing. I’m sure you sound even better with them.”
“Are you trying to peer pressure me into this?” You gave a smirk, just to let him know you were joking.
“Yeah,” he laughed, not afraid to admit it. “I want you to come.” The profession was blunt, hitting you hard. He’d never been so direct with you about anything, especially concerning anything like that. You watched him, unsure of how to respond. Instead of answering, you turned and filled the mugs with coffee. You sat one in front of him, taking a seat across from him. “I miss you when we’re gone, you know.” You were sure that your heart stopped beating for a moment.
“I miss you guys, too.” You replied once you’d had enough time to process the statement.
“No, I miss you.” He clarified, making sure you knew he wasn’t speaking on a broad spectrum. “I mean, I’m sure they do, too, but I miss you.”
“Oh,” you mustered, feeling the redness creep to your cheeks again. “I miss you when you’re gone, too, Sammy.” He gave you a soft smile, happy to hear the confirmation.
“I was wondering where you were, last night. I didn’t even get to play a game with you. We always play together.” You gave a nervous chuckle, unsure of how to answer.
“I just wasn’t feeling the best.” You lied. “I would’ve asked, but it seemed like you were a bit… occupied.” You trailed off at the end, not really wanting to dive into the specifics of him and the other girl.
“Oh, that girl?” He asked, looking for confirmation. You nodded. “I don’t even know her name, honestly.” Your stomach sank, realizing you’d completely mistaken the situation. Your feelings clouded the interaction, making it seem like the conversation was much more flirtatious than it actually was. You wondered how many times you’d done it over the course of the last few months. You still weren’t sure where the conversation was headed, exactly, so you didn’t respond right away. “I was hoping to talk to you, instead.”
“You never came over.” You said, eyes searching his face for another clue as to what he was hinting at.
“I never do, I get too nervous.” He chuckled. You leaned back in your chair, taking in his words as he spoke. You weren’t sure you were understanding the intent of his conversation, and you weren’t sure if you wanted to. “You and Jake seemed pretty close last night.” Your eyes widened, shocked that he had even noticed the interaction.
“Uh, yeah, I guess.” You shrugged. He watched you, waiting for something else. When you didn’t respond, he looked to his mug on the table, picking it up and taking a sip.
“Just be careful,” He said, looking back to you. You cocked your head to the side, wondering what the warning was for, or why he thought he was the one who had to give it.
“There’s nothing to ‘be careful’ about.” You replied. “We just played beer pong together.” You chuckled, wondering if he could see through the lie. The words seemed to perk him up a little bit, but you didn’t want to read too much into the details, just in case you were wrong.
“I think he might be looking for something more than that.” Sam gave another soft smile, but it was more sullen than the last. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Sam, you don’t have to worry. I can handle myself.” You assured him.
“I always worry about you.” The statement itself was friendly enough, and you wouldn’t have thought anything of it had he not reached over and rested his hand on top of yours. The small action was enough to send your stomach into butterflies and make your breath catch in your throat. When you looked up to meet his eyes, he was already watching your face. He didn’t move his hand, but gave you the freedom to pull away if you wanted. You noticed, in that moment, just how similar him and his brother were. Not just in looks, but their expressions, too. You could go as far as to say even down to the illusive nature of their words and actions.
You thought it must be some violent trick from the universe, a scheme to make you the laughing stock of the world. There was no logical reason that you’d fallen into Jake’s hands, and shared such an intimate moment with Sam right after. A moment in which you had been craving for so long, one where he seemed to be showing you a hint of what you were looking for the whole time. If you had waited just one more day, you imagined you wouldn’t be feeling so guilty for wanting to lean over and kiss him. But, as you sat with his hand over yours, the only thing you could think of was your rising sense of remorse, stronger than any you’d felt before. This time, it wasn’t on behalf of your feelings for Sam; it was on behalf of Jake, and your fear of hurting him. A fear of losing him, even. So far, your shame was based off your crush on Sam and your guilt for sleeping with his brother despite that feeling. This time, you’d actually found yourself involved with Jake, even if you were unsure of the nature of the relationship. It felt dirty feeling this way about Jake’s brother, now, after his hands had been on you so intimately. It almost felt like a betrayal to him.
You wondered, if you had put a stop to Jake’s antics the night before, if Sam would still be across from you with intent on professing such feelings. After so long of waiting, you thought he might only be interested in you when the idea of you being with someone else arose. That thought pained you more than the rest. In attempt to satiate the thought, you opted to believe you were looking much too far into the interaction. It was a friendly conversation, and a gesture that matched. Just two people drinking coffee, experiencing the lull of a hangover and seeking some form of comfort.
“So, it was just a friendly game?” He asked, knowing the answer but wanting to hear the desired response, instead.
“Yeah,” you whispered, nodding along with your words. You both knew you were lying, but it didn’t make the difference for him. “Why?”
“Because I’d hate for my favourite girl to have feelings for my brother, and not me.” Your eyes fluttered closed, the statement hitting you like a train. You thought you might be sick; the sound producing a much worse feeling than any part of the hangover. A day sooner, and you’d be jumping for joy. Now, you wished he hadn’t said anything at all. Although you still thought that his intent was to keep you on his line instead of someone else’s, you prayed you were wrong. As gross as you felt about it, the reciprocation of feelings was euphoric. Even so, the knowledge only made a messy situation even worse.
The part of you that was in love with Sam was begging you to fall into him, to revel in the admission and give in to his affection. The part of you that was immersed in Jake was screaming at you to stand up and walk away, to pretend you hadn’t heard a thing that he said. Instead, you sat, staring at Sam wide-eyed and void of any response. A thought worse than the ones previous surfaced, that maybe this wasn’t a coincidence, or conscious choice that Sam made, waiting until after Jake made a move. Maybe this was your repayment for succumbing to the devil’s temptation. The conversation you shared with Danny the night before was pounding against your skull. Perhaps, this was your karma. You’d failed miserably at utilizing your lesson, and this was the universe’s indignant punishment.
The most disgraceful knowledge of all, was that your moral compass was completely destroyed; the need to have Sam in your life was debilitating, and the thought of never having Jake again was paralyzing. For a moment, the sinful little devil made its reappearance, working hard at convincing you to have them both. The idea of keeping your feelings a secret was long gone, and was replaced the new idea of entertaining both boys just so you wouldn’t have to go without. As misguided as it was, the notion was the most sound you could come up with, because the thought of having neither was unbearable.
The last piece of crucial information was unknown to you; the brothers knew exactly what they were doing. Both taking a keen interest in you long ago, and only finally engaging in the battle of courtship. They had never been able to turn down a bit of friendly competition, especially when the prize was so grand. And brothers they were, because that same streak of evil ran through both. Ever so slowly pulling you in with their captivating eyes and electrifying touches; driving you crazy without doing much of anything at all. As innocent as their intentions may have been, as amiable as the competition seemed, there was no escaping the fact that someone would end up suffering. With everyone hoping it wouldn’t be them, you all failed to see the misery you were wishing upon the others.
It was a situation that left the sinister laughing; the devil was only awaiting the downfall.
Heartless challenge,
pick your path and I’ll pray
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yetanothergreyjedi · 1 year
Text
Ghosts of Our Pasts
DP x DC crossover
Damian Wayne and Danny Fenton siblings AU
Parts 1 & 2 Part 3.
Part 4
He looked more like Bruce than Damian did, which felt right for the brother that had died leaving the assassins.
Danyal's stance was not a League of Assassin's stance. It could be that he was trying not to look openly hostile, but if Dick was honest, it reminded him most of Wonder Woman. Danyal stood like he might throw himself into the air with no expectation of gravity pushing him back down. Interesting, but de-escalation first.
"Richard Grayson," Dick introduced himself with a wave, "But you can call me Dick."
Danyal's lips did the little twitch that everyone's lips did when he told them his nickname. Daynal didn't relax yet though.
"Hi, Dick, I'm Danny."
"I'm Tim, but we established that... and you know Damian..."
The silence stretched.
"Well, if that's all you guys wanted..." Danny took a few steps backwards deeper into the alley, never letting any of them out of view.
"I should have gone with you." Damian said. It was an apology; though someone who didn't know him might not realize. "...I did not understand, not until I came here..."
Danny closed his eyes, looking away for the first time, clearly internalizing something in Damian's words. With every second, he seemed to realize that no attack was coming, and none was going to come.
"Maybe we should go back to the coffee shop?" Tim suggested, good. A neutral, public place would ease at least some of the tension.
Danny grimaced, a hand coming to rub the back of his neck. "Yeah, I sorta... I need to head back there..."
"Okay, cool," Dick said, as if the tension still didn't require tools to cut.
The walk back was an awkward mess of everyone trying to stay in Danny’s eyeline despite the crowd and him pretending he wasn't nervous when he couldn't see them. Dick had already decided that if Danny ran again, he was going to make sure they let him run. Chasing would only make him trust them less, and Danny wasn't a criminal (probably).
He gave them all an unreadable look as they re-entered the coffee shop. Dick wasn't sure what to make of it until an older bald man declared, "Mr. Fenton!"
"Sorry, Mr. Lancer..." Danny said, every bit a sheepish high-schooler. He sat down at the table he'd been at before the chase as the older man began a lecture about safety in big cities and staying with the group. Well... that complicated things.
The barista called Tim's drink.
---
"Are you good, man?" Tucker asked as soon as Lancer's attention went back to focusing on the group as a whole and not just their table.
"I think so, Tuck, but, uh... this... I don’t know, I don't think the just chilling plan is gonna work..."
"Is this related to Gotham? I thought she gave you permission?"
"She didn't just give me permission, Sam, she welcomed me... I know why now... its just complicated..."
"So... is that why the Wayne's were chasing you?" It was said like a joke.
Sam's eyes widened when he answered. "Yeah,"
Tucker stuttered out a confused mix of excited syllables, "Does that mean we get to meet—"
"Their just people, Tucker." Sam reminded, "Spoiled rich kids who at least manage to cause a scene at every other gala, so they get to rank slightly higher than all the other rich kids, because at least their not boring."
"Sam!" Tuckers exclamation caught Lancer's attention. The teacher called on them to restate what he had said. Sam guessed correctly, Tucker and Danny did not, and so the lecture started over.
Danny patiently waited for the lecture to end before whispering, "You guys know how I'm adopted..."
"Yeah..."
"So..." Danny gestured to the group of siblings that appeared to be arguing over... napkins? What were they doing?
"Wait, you know the Wayne's? Why didn't you ever say something?" Tucker exclaimed.
"Uh... well, the League of Assassins stuff..."
"Uh huh,"
"Actually, thats a bad way to explain it... my biological father is Batman."
"The Batman?!" For all of her 'people are just people' talk, Sam was too excited.
"Yes, and I can't fully explain all this without getting into identity stuff."
"Danny, Danny, Danny, first of all fair, but second, how far off is Wes?"
Danny tried very hard to not react to that. Which apparently was the same as saying yes, so he shushed them before they could start.
"I don't know how he connects to the League. This is more secret than mine, okay?"
They sobered, argued that phantom was equally important, but Danny didn't budge. So they excepted it as a weird obsession thing and agreed.
"Wait so, how did you not end up a Wayne kid?"
"The assassins have access to ectoplasm and I traded some for my parents to hide me."
"I hate that that tracks."
"To be fair, I didn't understand how actually messed up it was until later."
"Wait, so is Batman apart of..."
"I don't know, I thought he was. But the fact that I'm not stabbed right now is a good sign."
"You say that like you were planning on letting yourself get stabbed..."
Danny sighed, "It would be easier to fake my death... or like, actually die for a few days, than to resist and have them realize I'd require ending."
"Great." Sam said with forced cheer. "How are we modifying the vacation plans?"
-
-
-
Part 5
Tag list:
Next part is finished but is a bit short, I will not post 5 until I have 6 written and 6 is being mean to me.
Edit: Part six bit me, so it's in time out. But the draft is finished.
@spectralstardustandphantomnights @avelnfear @idfk-man10 @blackroserelina @candeartist422 @mur-ururu @luer-mirin @insufferablecatenthusiast @skulld3mort-1fan @alonedustspeck @voidbornposts @meira-3919 @marshmelloe @aethernorwood @mimilikey @undead-essence @cloudminder @markus209 @everything163 @latheevening226 @roman4517 @moobloomrights @battybatbat @lumosfeather18581 @werv @ahyesanerd @pyramaniac @lexdamo @princessbelix @bun-fish @deeannthepan @edgyboi10000 @thatrandomsarahchick @busterkeel @aconitewolfsbane @spoopyspoony @bright-shade @spidey29phangirl @idontgetpaidenoughforthisshit @keimiwolf @u-a-wizard-jamie @gay-puff @bicerise @itshype @blackfoxsposts @icanneverdecide @lolottes @chubbypotato @jovialherringtacoghost @saltyladynightmare
@pastalavistamf @mysoulspiralbound @mj-arts-n-stuff @andaspoonfulofangst-whoops @apointlessbox
Apparently there is a mention cap on posts, who knew! I will see about the best way to add anyone else.
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jake-kiszkas-smirk · 8 months
Text
Spontaneous
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Danny Wagner x Fem Reader x Fem OC
18+ only, minors dni
Warnings: explicit sexual content, threesome, unprotected sex, digital penetration (fem rec), oral (fem rec), pegging, dirty talk, mild cum play, choking if you squint? if I missed any please let me know 🖤
You were standing in the kitchen reluctantly washing the dishes when you heard the bathroom door open and the sound of soft footsteps padding down the hall. You had the brief thought of 'no way he showered that fast'.
"Babe," He said as he rounded the corner, looking down at his phone.
"hmm?"
"Did you subscribe to a new account?" Your movements stalled for a moment as you realized what he was asking.
Danny and you had started sharing an OnlyFans account ages ago. The both of you had decided neither of you really had anything to hide and that it could be fun. Except right now you felt your cheeks blushing and your pulse starting to pick up. You HAD subscribed to a new account and a small naive part of you just thought Danny wouldn't notice. He stopped next to you and held the phone where you could see it, as if you didn't know exactly what he was talking about.
"Daniel, were you about to have fun in the shower without me?" You turned off the sink and turned to face him, crossing your arms and leaning against the counter.
He gave you an odd look, tilting his head and almost glaring, and then the smirk appeared,
"Don't deflect y/n," He moved closer, looking down his nose at you, "Did you subscribe to this account?"
You chewed on the inside of your lip as you tried to hold his stare.
"I did." You admitted as you moved to walk past him, grabbing a towel to wipe the kitchen counter, trying desperately to act as if you aren't overthinking about how he's going to react. "Is that a problem?"
"No, of course not" He's following behind you and you can see him scrolling through the account, "It's just...I wasn't expecting it"
Facing away from him you grinned at the inquisitive tone of his voice, glancing over your shoulder to see him adjusting himself beneath his gym shorts.
"How did I not know you were into this?" He riddled out loud to himself more than you, "I mean, I've always heard women like watching other women in porn but-I just have never heard you talk about it"
You finally stopped trying to distract him and yourself and sat on the kitchen counter.
"You want the truth?" You said as he leaned on the counter across from you, finally looking away from his phone.
"Please, enlighten me" You felt your cheeks heating again under his gaze, feeling much more on the spot now.
"I didn't know how into it I was until recently." You shrugged your shoulders, looking away as you toyed with the hem of your shorts. He walked over slowly and stood between your legs, rubbing his big hands up and down your thighs,
"So I'm guessing that you've never been with a woman before then?" He asked,
"Nope" You replied plainly. He stayed quiet for a moment nodding his head as you watched the gears turn behind his eyes,
"Is that....something you want?" You mistake his shy tone for insecurity and immediately begin to reassure him,
"What? No! Danny you give me everything I need, I would never-" You're rambling and waving your hands defensively when he catches them both and cuts you off
"Y/n," He giggles softly, "Baby thats not what I meant,"
You're completely lost now so you wait for him to speak again, trying hard to read his thoughts
"I meant," He paused, sighing like he always did when he tried to choose his words carefully, "Is that something you'd like to explore, with me?"
Your face must have twisted in even more confusion because he giggled again, letting his head fall to your shoulder. He placed a quick kiss on your neck as he stood back up,
"Y/n, I'm asking if you want to have a threesome" He finally said.
"Oh" you knew your eyes went wide as you looked at him. He waited patiently as you considered. You had to admit to yourself that you'd thought about this before, but never really thought it would be on the table. There were multiple reasons it just didn't seem plausible. You wondered if you'd even be into seeing Danny with another woman, or if it would make your stomach twist in jealousy. You stayed with that thought for a moment, and quickly reminded yourself that Daniel only had eyes for you, and he'd proved it time and time again. "I- who would we even chose?"
"So thats a yes?" he teased as he leaned forward to kiss your cheek,
"It's a maybe" You paused as he gripped your hips and tugged you closer, moving his kisses to your jaw, "What if I get jealous? What if you get jealous?"
"You know how solid we are," He said confidently, "I don't think any of that will be an issue."
"Ok, back to my first question, who?" You tried to stay focused as he sucked marks on your neck, clearly already riled up over the mere thought of this happening
"I'm not sure," He stopped his attack on your neck, "Whats your type?"
"I-I don't know" You didn't know,
"Ok, well" He pulled his phone from his pocket, "What do you like about her?" He clicked on a video from the new account you'd followed, pointing to the creator as the video played.
The volume on his phone wasn't that loud but you could still hear the moans of the two women coming from the speaker, but your eyes stayed on the brunette with the lush curves.
Danny's mouth was on you again as he waited for your response, his hands getting more and more explorative as you subtly bucked your hips against him,
"She-she," You stuttered, "She is just sweet, and sometimes a little silly, and I like that."
He pulled away and gave you a 'come on now' look with a quirked brow,
"Ok, ok, she has great tits and a nice ass too" You rolled your eyes playfully, "And she sounds so, so, pretty."
"Hmm not as pretty as you" Danny lifted you from the counter and you wrapped your legs around his waist as he headed for the bathroom,
"Oh, NOW I get to be part of you shower time fun?" you teased, wiggling a bit against his erection for good measure
"Hush," He laughed, landing a brisk smack against your ass as he closed the bathroom door.
--------
"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" Danny asked as you slid into the booth next to him. It was date night and he'd insisted on coming to your favorite sushi place. He brought your interlaced hands to his lips and kissed your knuckles while he waited for your response,
"Beautiful, stunning, pretty," You smiled as his lips twitched up at the corners, "You're going to run out of adjectives Daniel." You'd worn a simple dress tonight, the real treat underneath, but still Danny showered you in compliments.
"I'll still never stop telling you" He said plainly as he tucked you under his arm and began to scan the menu.
"And I'll never get tired of hearing it" You pecked a quick kiss to his cheek and then scanned the menu with him.
You had just placed your order when you heard the little bell above the door ring. You and Danny always made it a point to sit facing the door, being avid people watchers. When you looked up you were not expecting who you saw.
"Babe" You gasped, shaking his forearm and subtly motioning with your head towards the door, "Look who it is"
Standing by the hostess was the woman that only a week ago had prompted that conversation with Danny. She was even prettier in person. He looked in the direction of the door and then raised his hand, waving at her.
"Oh my-stop what are you doing!" You snapped under your breath. You dared a look back in her direction and felt your face drain of color and your heart start to race as she approached the table.
"Danny?" She asked as she stopped next to the booth. Your palms grew sweaty as you shyly looked between her and your boyfriend, trying desperately to fill in the information you were clearly missing.
"Thats me, here have a seat" He beamed as she sat across the table from the both of you, not failing to see your reaction.
"Nice to finally meet you in person, I'm Britt" she reached across the table and shook his hand before turning to you expectantly.
"Oh-I, I'm Y/n." you cleared your throat. You had a death grip on Danny's leg under the table conveying a 'what the fuck is happening, I'm going to kill you' squeeze as she got comfortable in her seat. "I'm sorry, I just wasn't aware anyone was joining us for dinner tonight"
"Would you like anything to eat or drink?" Danny offered, "It's on us"
"Are you sure? Thats really not necessary" she replied. She had a soft confidence about her that intimidated the fuck out of you.
"We insist, anything you want" Danny assured her as he sat back and put his arm around you. He was completely relaxed, and you were on the verge of panic. After sitting in silence while she chose her item and ordered you finally spoke up,
"I'm sorry, not to be rude but what is going on" You needed to know or the anxiety would keep eating away at you. Britt looked at Danny, knowing it wasn't her job to explain anything right now.
"Last week after our conversation in the kitchen, I figured it couldn't hurt to try and reach out to Britt with a proposition." his nonchalant shrug accompanying his statement made you want to smack him.
"And you just thought not telling me was cool?" You said, not concerned with the third person at the table witnessing your annoyance,
"I wanted it to be a surprise" He grinned devilishly. He just liked seeing you squirm and you knew it.
"I told him that I would come to dinner but that I'm only down for the sex if you are comfortable with it, I don't want you to feel pressured into anything" Britt said, offering you a soft smile.
This all felt like so much, you stared blankly as you tried to organize your racing thoughts
"How about you think about it? We can eat dinner, have a few drinks, and re-assess later?" Britt suggested.
"Please" You huffed a nervous laugh and relaxed a little.
Danny waved over the waiter and the three of you ordered some drinks. You talked about random mundane things for a bit but then wandered into more explicit territory as the night progressed. You ended up discussing everyone's hard limits, establishing a safeword, and getting most of your concerns and questions addressed. You discovered that she had already discussed and agreed to discretion regarding Danny which was one of your biggest concerns.
"Alright, I'm in" You finally mustered up the courage to say. Mentally you'd been down since she walked in the door, you just needed to voice it.
After covering the bill and texting Britt the address Danny and you headed towards your car. You had both only had one drink and had been at the restaurant talking long enough that you were both safe to drive. Upon pulling out of the parking lot Danny looked to you, placing his hand on your thigh,
"Are you mad?"
"I'm irritated you didn't tell me, but I'm not mad" You answered truthfully,
"I'm sorry, that really wasn't my intention, I was trying to be spontaneous" he rubbed his thumb in slow circles over your skin as he spoke. You nodded letting him know silently that it was ok, "You're just being so quiet?"
"I'm nervous" You said as you reached down and placed your hand over his.
"I thought you got all your questions answered?" He said, just trying to clarify,
"I did, but that doesn't mean I'm not still nervous babe." You turned to look out the window, "I have never done stuff with a woman before, and thats really intimidating, I don't want to look dumb,"
"Y/n, " He cooed, "You're not going to look dumb. You told her at the sushi place that this is something you've never done, that we've never done, she knows that."
A heavy sigh left your chest, "Ok,"
"Listen, I'll be there the whole time, if I see you freeze I'll jump in and teach you, how's that?"
"Teach me?" you gave him and intrigued look. Briefly you let your mind wander to the thought of him watching you and her...and it excited you.
"Yeah, I'd say I'm qualified" He smirked. You playfully smacked his shoulder with a laugh, "No but seriously, I got you, don't worry."
The rest of the short drive home was silent, but you could feel the excitement like electricity in the air. Upon stepping foot into the house you immediately headed towards the kitchen,
"I need a drink" You said as you opened the cabinet to grab a glass.
"Why don't you pour us all one and I'll get things set up in the bedroom?" Danny suggested as he began to head down the hallway.
You take out 3 glasses, putting a generous shot of tequila in each one. Setting them all on a tray you are making your way to the bedroom when you hear the doorbell. Taking a steadying breath you make your way to the door. Upon opening the door Britt offers you a sweet smile, but there is something sultry there as well. She glances past you and then leans forward slightly,
"Are you sure you want to do this? If not I can just say I changed my mind,"
You smiled at her kindness, and felt yourself calm just a bit more.
"I do want this, I promise." You stepped out of the way and handed her a glass, "I'm just a little timid is all"
"Don't be nervous on my account," She downed her glass of tequila, "I'm here to show you a good time, just have fun."
You nod shyly and lead her to the bedroom where Danny is moving about the room. He's turned on the lamps on both nightstands that give the room a soft amber glow. The smell of your favorite incense is filling the air. Upon your eyes second pass of the room they land on your beloved strap. When you look back to Danny his eyes meet yours and he gives you a little wink. Suddenly your mind is wandering through the possibilities. The strap had been brought up at the restaurant. Britt had asked if she needed to bring one and Danny had easily offered up the information that you already had one. She had raised both her brows in surprise and then grinned before taking a sip of her drink. The fact that she had brought it up told you she wanted that tonight, but the cheeky look Danny just gave you had you wondering if he'd want it tonight as well.
That thought heated your skin and had you already getting wet, just thinking about him seeing you fuck Britt and how needy he might get, wanting the same treatment.
The clattering of a glass being placed down pulls you from your thoughts and brings you back to the man looking down at you. It was only now that you realized he shed his shirt at some point, and was now standing close as he took your hand,
"How do you wanna play this, y/n?"
"I-I don't know.." You said honestly, looking between him and Britt.
"Can I make a suggestion?" Britt stepped in,
"Please" You sighed with a small laugh,
"You two get started, act like I'm not here, and when I'll eventually join in when I think it's the right time, hows that?"
"I think I can work with that" Danny grins as he pulls you a little closer,
"Perfect, I'm going to run off to the bathroom for a sec, is that it?" She points to the door and you give her a quick nod as Danny begins walking you backwards to the bed, clearly ready to get things moving. You watch her walk away and close the door when Danny hooks a finger under your chin and turns your attention to him,
"Hey" He says, his nose brushing against yours
"Hey" You reply as his hands find your thighs, sneaking higher and higher under your dress,
"How're you doing, baby?" He's ghosting his lips over yours as he checks in,
"I'm good," You whisper your reply,
"Good," He kisses you, soft and slow, "Can we take this off?" He is gathering your dress around your waist,
"Mhmm" You hum against his lips. He steps back to pull it over your head and then he's staring at you with dark eyes as he takes in the matching set you'd worn underneath the dress. It's simple and dainty set, a light lavender color. The material is sheer except for some embroidery flowers covering your nipples. The panties are completely sheer with a small cut out at the base of your spine adorned with a tiny bow.
You take this time to unbutton his pants, letting them fall to the floor, leaving him in his snug boxer briefs that don't leave much to the imagination.
"Oh, baby..." He groans, pressing his body to yours as you wrap your arms around his neck, "She's not gonna know what hit her when she sees you"
You feel yourself blush and then you're falling back onto the bed, Danny crawling up and settling next to you. The front of his body is pressed to the side of yours as he dips his head down, capturing your lips in a ravenous kiss you weren't expecting. You whimpered and arched into his touch as he groped your breast. You could feel his hardness against your hip and you reached down, palming him through the thin material. This only spurred him on, a low growl rumbling in his chest as he slipped his tongue in your mouth, sliding it against yours as his hand toyed with your nipple though the sheer material.
You were so lost in Daniel and his touch that a small gasp left you at the sensation of the mattress dipping next to you. Within seconds her warm body was against your other side. You feel her hand, so much smaller than Danny's running up and down your hip, and then you feel her lips on your neck. Your breathing picks up and you moan into Danny's kiss. Everything already felt so good, her lips were so soft, and Danny's hands were roaming over your body. With your free hand you blindly reach back, wanting to touch Britt. Your hand landed on the inside of her plush thigh, and she scooted closer. The way she was kissing your neck, the way her tongue smoothed over it and she sucked at your pulse point, fuck you needed to kiss her. You took the leap, breaking your kiss with Danny and turning towards Britt. Caressing her face, you brought her lips to yours.
The first kiss was experimental, cautious and slow. She was letting you take the lead, and it set a fire within you. Your hand slipped from her face and tangled in her hair as you kissed her harder. You heard her whimper against your lips and it made your inhibitions begin to fade away. You needed to be closer, immediately. You turned on your side to face her, pressing her back against the mattress. You heard Danny briefly mourn the loss of contact before he was pressed against your back, kissing and touching you where he could as you savored the woman beneath you. Britt's hands were on you as well, holding you close and grabbing at your ass as she arched into you. Unwilling to let your kisses stifle her moans any longer you break the kiss, moving to her neck. Her one stipulation was that no marks were left on her, you didn't realize how hard that would be until now, when all you wanted to do was suck pretty purple marks into her neck.
You felt her hand move between your bodies and you sucked in a breath as she harshly pulled the black lace of her bra down to reveal her hardened nipple. You groaned, letting your forehead fall to her chest as you saw the metal bar going through the rosy flesh. How could you forget about the piercings,
"For fucks sake" You murmur against her sternum, "How do you keep getting hotter" her and Danny both giggle. Britt's laugh is cut short as you latch your mouth onto her sensitive peak.
"God your mouth feels good" She sighs, head falling back against the pillow. The more she compliments you and your antics the more confident you feel about moving forward. In your peripherals you see her rubbing her thighs together, cueing you to snake your hand down the curves of her body. Kissing her abdomen you timidly rub her through her panties. You can feel that they are soaked and clinging to her. Biting your bottom lip your kisses stall and your eyes stay fixed on your hand. You are suddenly anxious again at the thought of approaching uncharted territory for you.
"May I?" You hear, and look to see Danny had at some point crawled off the bed and was holding each side of Britt's panties.
"Mhmm" she nods, "Please"
You look up at him with gratitude and he just gives you a knowing smile. After Danny removes the material he pulls you down the bed a little and positions himself back behind you. Your face is now even with Britts groin and Danny has his chin resting on your shoulder. She boldly lets her legs fall open,
"Look how wet you've already made her baby," He's talking so quiet you know Britt probably can't hear, but she doesn't seem to mind. "Do you want to touch her?"
"Yes" You huff out quietly, your heart hammering in your chest,
"Do it," He urges you, "I'm right here, and I'm sure Britt can tell you what she likes"
"I'm enjoying watching you two navigate it" She grins, "Endearing in the hottest way"
You and Danny both give her a playful glare and then your eyes go back to her heat.
"Fuck, come on, touch her" Danny rasps against your jaw, "I wanna see you with your fingers in her cunt" His words have stunned you, but you love when he talks like this.
Hesitantly you reach forward and run your fingers through her slick, gathering some of the wetness there and gliding back up to circle her clit. She writhes under the touch and is rocking her hips, trying to coax your hand lower. You move your hand lower, and once again your movements stall. Within seconds his hand is there, and you follow his lead. He places his hand over yours, lining up your fingers with his and sandwiching your hand between his and Britts entrance.
"Middle finger" He whispers, "I'll show you"
The breath is ripped from your lungs when he slowly presses his middle finger and yours into Britt. You relax your hand and allow his finger to guide yours.
"Oh my god," Britt moans as she realizes what is happening.
"Now, move your finger like this" Danny curls his and your finger, slowly pumping them in and out. You're watching this unfold, your fingers slipping in and out of her together, and it might be the death of you. "You feel her clenching around your fingers like that?" He asks as he pulls his hand away, "That means she's close"
"He's right," She rushes out, gripping the sheets beneath her, "Please make me cum"
You remove your finger, only to press back into her with your middle and ring finger. You feel something against your lips and open your mouth when you realize its Danny's hand, offering you the finger he just removed from Britt that is coated in her slick.
"How's she taste baby?" he hums as you suck his finger.
"So good" You mumble around the digit, and its the truth. You need more.
Danny removed his finger from your mouth and his hand travels down your body to between your legs. He pushes your panties to the side and then his deft fingers are circling your clit. He groans as he starts rutting his hips against your ass, watching as you continue to finger Britt. Her taste is still on your lips but it's not enough. Leaning forward the best you can with Danny's arms around you, you lower your mouth to her clit, lapping over it and massaging it with your tongue.
Britt cries out her legs start to tremble, "Fuck, yes-"
"You hear all those pretty sounds she's making for you?" Danny praises, "You're doing so good, keep going, just like that"
The louder Britt gets the harder Danny is rubbing your clit. You feel yourself starting to get overwhelmed, the pleasure from his fingers clouding your focus on Britt, making it hard to keep a rhythm. You remove your mouth from her,
"Babe," you turn your head and he's there, kissing your jaw "You gotta stop, I-I can't focus with you doing that"
With a snicker he removes his hand from your heat.
"Fuck me" in unison you and Danny look to Britt, "I'm so close but I want you to fuck me"
Danny's chest rumbles against you back, "I don't think I'm going to survive seeing this"
He gets up from behind you, helping you stand and then handing you the strap. As you secure the straps you take a moment to take in the view. Britt is on her back with her legs spread, one hand draped over her stomach and the other fidgeting with the sheets as her dark eyes watch your form. Danny his slipped out of his briefs and had climbed on the bed next to Britt, laying on his back with a hand behind his head and the other wrapped around his leaking cock. When he catches you staring he gives you a devilish smile
"Comfortable?" You tease him as you climb over Britt,
"Absolutely" He reaches forward and tucks a strand of hair behind your ear, "I want a front row seat for this"
You roll your eyes and look down your body to line up your strap with Britt's entrance with shaky hands when she suddenly grabs the back of your neck and pulls you into a sloppy kiss,
"You're doing amazing" she said as she relaxes back against the pillow. You bit your lip, blushing again as you refocused your attention on sliding the strap into her, advancing it slowly,
"Don't let her fool you Britt," You heard Danny say, his hand steadily stroking his dick, "This is the one thing that isn't new to her," You're thrusting your hips slowly, giving Danny a side eye as you bend to kiss Britt's chest, "Come on baby, give it to her, fuck her like you fuck me"
You give him a scandalized look, pausing to see if you heard him correctly. He's not even looking at you, his eyes are on where you and Britt's bodies meet.
"What he said" Britt urges you on, giving an eager nod.
She doesn't have to tell you twice. You sit back on your knees, hooking your arms under Britt's thighs and pulling her towards you and lifting her ass slightly off the bed. She's much lighter than Danny and you're enjoying being able to toss her around a bit. Holding her legs you begin thrusting into her faster and harder. Her mouth falls open and her hands jump into action, toying with her own nipple piercings as you pound into her.
"Goddamn Y/n, you're a vision" his voice is strained as he pumps his hand faster,
"Rub her clit" You command abruptly, becoming breathless for more reasons than one. You look down, letting spit fall from your mouth onto her bundle of nerves "I want to watch her cum"
Danny follows your order, reaching over with his free hand and moving his fingers in tight circles. You watch the bright purple cock sliding in and out of her, and you are hypnotized by it. You feel Britt's legs tense in your hands as she get's close.
"Don't stop, don't stop!" she rushes out as her eyes roll back and a string of moans flow from her lips. You take it in the way she writhes and gasps, she looks absolutely incredible. You slow your movements and Danny pulls back his hand as she comes down from her high. Removing yourself from Britt you carefully you lower her back to the bed and move to pepper her chest with kisses as she catches her breath. You feel a hand on your arm and look to Danny,
"Baby," He pauses for a second "I thought I was gonna be able to just watch tonight...but after seeing you fuck her..." He grabs you and flips, pinning you to the mattress and running his teeth over your neck before nipping at your earlobe, "I want you cock too" he whispers.
It sends a shiver through you,
"Yeah? Right now?" You reach down and wrap your hand around his length, giving it a squeeze. He hisses into your ear through his teeth,
"Yes, right now." He reaches to the side table and grabs a wipe, using it to wipe down your strap. "Wanna ride you while she rides your face" His eyes flick to yours, no doubt committing the look on your face to memory.
Your clit is throbbing and your panties are drenched, but who are you to deny Daniel. That plus the thought of getting to taste Britt again...
"Is that something you want to-" Britt started
"Yes!" you all collectively smile at your enthusiastic answer. You aren't sure where to look as Danny spreads lube over your strap and Britt begins to crawl over you.
"You two are kinky" Britt smirks as she looks between the two of you,
"That we are" you agree. You reach up, holding Britts hips as she positions herself above your face. You feel the bed dip on either side of your body as Danny places his knees on the mattress, straddling you. You wondered for a second why Britt hadn't sat on your face yet, but your question was answered when they lowered themselves in unison. Fuckers.
Danny's glorious moan fills your ears as it mingles with Britt's higher pitched one. You flatten your tongue, letting Britt fuck herself against it as your fingertips dig into her hips. You groan against her as you feel Danny grab your boobs, steadying himself as he slowly rocks his hips back and forth.
"Y/n, your mouth is.." she trails off as she braces herself on the headboard, "You're a lucky man Wagner"
"I-I'm aware" He stutters out, "god, don't talk about her mouth, I'm already too close"
You release Britt with one hand and reach to Daniel, placing your hand on his leg, just wanting to feel closer to him for a moment. He briefly places his hand over it in acceptance of the loving touch before placing his hand back on your chest. His movements speed up and as if they share a brain so do Britt's.
Everything sounds a little muffled with her thighs one either side of your head, but you can hear both of them voicing their impending ends. You think you could die happy right now with Britt cumming on your tongue and Danny's hot release painting your stomach, listening to them sing your praises as they come undone.
You’re in a lust induced daze as they both topple off of you, Danny to one side and Britt to the other. Your eyes slowly blink open as you lick your lips. Looking down you see Danny and Britt sharing a scheming look before they both move into action,
“Are you having a good time pretty girl?” Britt questions as she moves to settle between your legs. You nod, watching in quiet anticipation to see what they are up to. “Good,” she kisses the inside of your thigh as she works to undo the straps around your hips.
“You’ve spoiled us baby,” Danny is suddenly in your line of sight, licking his cum off your stomach, keeping it on his tongue as he reaches your lips. He presses his tongue into your mouth with an obscene kiss. You can taste them both in this moment, and it’s heavenly, “now let us spoil you.”
“Please,” you whimper between kisses, vaguely aware of your panties being dragged down your legs “I’m so-“
Your words are cut off as Britt wraps her lips around your clit without warning. You cling to Danny as she sucks and swirls her tongue over you. Putting one are behind your head he props your head up, forcing you to watch Britt going down on you,
Her eyes are set on you, occasionally they roll and her eyes flutter shut like you’re the best thing she’s ever tasted. She’s already dragging you under, every movement calculated and intentional. Danny’s hand moves up your chest and settles loosely around your throat and jaw, turning your attention to him,
“Show her how pretty you are when you cum, she’ll love it baby” he tightens his grip slightly and places feather light kisses to your cheeks as your hands instinctively tangle into Britt’s hair, “fuck, even I’m getting hard again just looking at you”
“I- close- I’m gonna-“ your voice comes out in broken moans. Britt is humming against you as you cum, pleased with her effect on you. You feel like your whole body is shaking as it crashes into you,
“That’s my girl, so sweet coming for her aren’t you?” Danny admires as he watches you. He’s not really asking, he just takes every chance he can to praise you, and you love him for it.
You slowly but surely come back to earth, drawn back by Danny’s soft touches and gentle kisses. Britt lifts herself from the bed, placing one more kiss on your thigh, catching her breath as well. After a few minutes of basking in the afterglow Britt slowly rises, silently heading to the bathroom.
“Britt,” Danny calls, getting her attention, “if you’d like to stay I have the guest room set up for you,”.
“Are you sure?” She asks as she appears around the corner now holding her bag
“Of course” I reply, “Help yourself to anything in the fridge as well, just lock the door behind you when you leave”
“Sounds good, thank you” she briefly climbs back on the bed and kisses you on the cheek, “thanks for the invite you two, I had fun” she winks and then she’s off and headed down the hallway, closing the door behind her.
You and Danny both look to each other at the same time, both bursting into a quiet fit of giggles, wrapped in each others arms
“Who are we?” You quip and the both of you laugh harder.
“I’m not sure” he teases back, laughter dying out as he studies your face, “but did you like it?”
“I did,” you kiss his lips softly, caressing his face and lightly scratching it with the pads of your fingers, “thank you for this,”
“Anytime,” he playfully wiggles his eyebrows at you and then with a shriek from you he’s pulling you in his arms and standing from the bed. “Now, let’s get cleaned up so we can hit the hay”
“Sounds perfect,” you lean against him as he heads into the bathroom, and you can’t stop smiling and thinking about just how lucky you are.
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phantom-dc · 9 months
Text
Dad Hood - part 16
‘Ok Danny. Let us know if you see anything that looks familiar.’
After the plane had landed, the family set out in a rental car. They had decided to tour the town while it was still light outside. Since they had no leads, Danny was sitting on Jason’s lap and looking to see if he recognized something.
‘Oh! There! That’s the Nasty Burger! Can we go get burgers there? Please daddy? I promise it’s better than Bat-burgers!’
Jason looked at the fast-food place. At least that explained why Danny kept asking for ‘nasty’ burgers. Promising they would go there for lunch, they kept driving around. After a while they came across a large official building.
‘That’s the mayor’s office! Remember the frootloop? He worked there! He became mayor just to spite me and make my life difficult. But he is lost in space now, so it’s all good!’
Jason put down his gun. Looks like he’ll have to ask Green Lantern for a favor later. Too bad. A few minutes later they passed a school.
‘That’s Casper High! I go to school there! The food is gross, but at least it doesn’t come alive! One time the psychiatrist tried to kill my sister. That was Spectra, she’s dead too! But even deader than us, dad! She’s like fully dead!’
Danny then spots something across the street. He phases out of the car, and flies towards it. Jason immediately takes of after him, no way he was losing his kid in a city he didn’t know. He sees Danny nearly tackling a green-haired girl into a hug, who was standing next to a woman with blue hair and a blonde guy with a motorcycle.
‘HI GUYS! I’m back!’
Kitty looked at the little kid that was suddenly in her arms. Despite him being so small, she recognized him immediately.
‘Danny! Where have you been? Everyone has been so worried since Desiree wished you away!’
Johnny 13 ruffled the kids black hair.
‘Dang, little man! You got even smaller! You know that your family has been in a tizzy, right? It’s been weeks!’
Ember pried Danny out of Kitty’s arms and held him up to see.
‘Look at you! Now you’re an actual baby-pop! Almost as small as Youngblood!’
Jason manages to catch up and apologizes for Danny tackling the girl. He notices that the three teens glow, just like Danny does. Are they like Danny? Are they experiments as well? Or is there something about this city that causes it? He then notices that the blonde guy seem to become hostile.
‘Are you the reason that Baby-pop was away for so long?’
A shadow emerges from beneath the blonde’s bike. It is growling at him, making itself look big to intimidate Jason. Before Shadow can attack though, Danny speaks up:
‘No! He’s my daddy! He is really nice and took care of me! He worked reeeaaaally hard to get me back home! Please don’t hurt my dad!’
Calming down, Johnny recalls his Shadow. Kitty smacks him on the head for losing his cool. Wasn’t it obvious that the guy was worried about Danny? Jason, deciding to just accept all this to save himself from a headache, asked if they knew why Danny was so small. From their conversation it seemed they knew him when he was older. Johnny gave him an explanation:
‘Yeah, he was fighting Desiree. She can grant any wish, but messes it up so It’s not what you want. And his idiot of a pop wished him a kid again so he could hang with his dad from what I heard. After that Danny just disappeared. Guess he ended up with you, huh?’
Jason sighed. So that’s how Danny ended up in his appartement. Someone magicked him there to get rid of him. It also explained how he became a 5-year old. All this because of a rogue.
‘Poor baby-pop. Even when he does everything right, someone else messes things up for him. He always gets into trouble like this!’
While Ember laughed, Danny put up a serious face.
’Speaking of trouble, you guys aren’t causing any, right? Even if I’m tiny I can still kick your butt!’
Kitty giggled at the adorable threat:
Oh, no no! Don’t worry, little King! We’ve been good! No one’s causing trouble here!
Jason decides to cut this short. It’s starting to get late, and he needs to find Danny’s parents.
‘Look, we’ve been looking for Danny’s family all day. He has trouble remembering things, so could you tell us where he lives? If it’s a safe place…’
Johnny assures him that the Fentons are loving parents. The times they hunted him was because they didn’t know it was him. Different forms and all that. Plus, now they know that not all ghosts are evil they even let up on the hunt on other ghosts, as long as they don’t cause trouble. He points Jason to a long street, and tells him to follow it until he finds Fentonworks. Jason can’t miss it. Really.
When Jason and Danny get back to the car, the Waynes head into the street. For a moment they are wondering which of these houses was Danny’s. Then the giant UFO appears over the horizon. Hearing Danny’s calling out for home, they head there immediately. Sure enough, Fentonworks is written on the side. Danny is getting impatient, fussing in Jason’s hold. Taking a deep breath, Jason knocks on the door, the other Waynes behind him. An orange wall of a man opens the door, holding what looks like a sci-fi bazooka. Before Jason can react, the man has snatched Danny out of Jason’s arms:
‘DANNY-BOY! GIRLS! DANNY'S HOME!’
As the man starts hugging and doting on Danny, a woman in a blue hazmat-suit nearly jumps down the stairs and joins him.
‘SWEETIE! WE WERE SO WORRIED! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?’
As the parents are over the moon, Jason and the others are standing in the doorway. A girl with orange hair and a 12-year old girl ran into the room as well. Seeing them, Danny gets even more exited.
‘Hi Jazzie! Hi Dani! I’m home! And I brought guests! Is that ok?’
Realizing there are people with Danny, Maddie invites them in. Jack gives Jason a nearly bone-breaking hug in gratitude for bringing his son home. The orange haired girl decides to introduce themselves.
‘Thank you so much for bringing Danny back home. I’m Jazz, his sister. These are our parents, Maddie and Jack. And that is our little sister Dani.’
Looking at Dani, Jason sees that she has picked Danny up, and swinging him back and forth.
‘Jeez Danny! You’re even smaller than me now! I’m a big sister now!’
As Danny laughs, Tim pipes up:
‘Wait, wasn’t Dani a clone?’
This causes Jazz to freeze.
‘You know?’
Jazz had hoped that Danny had managed to keep things a secret. But seeing as Danny was around 5, she realized that was hoping too much. And when she saw that these were the Wayne’s, a very famous family, she was now worried that his identity became public. Bruce assured her that wasn’t the case. They had been very careful to keep Danny hidden from any press. Jazz was relieved. Jack gave Bruce a good-hearted pat on the back that nearly toppled Bruce over. He always thought that Bruce was an airhead, but he guesses he’s not! Danny agrees with that:
‘Of course not! He’s the Batman! The worlds greatest detective!’
The Waynes freeze. Jazz just sighs.
‘Danny, you can’t tell people things like that. What if someone was spying on us?’
‘I’m sorry, Jazzie.’
Jazz just pats Danny’s head. Looking at the Waynes. Now that she took a look at them, they did resemble the bats a bit. It was the right amount of people after all. She assured them they would keep it a secret. After all, they kept Danny’s secret too.
‘So, which one of you is Danny’s dad? I’m assuming it’s you, Bruce?’
Jazz was surprised by the strange looks. Was she wrong? But he was the only one old enough for a 14-year old son? Then Jason stepped forward:
‘Actually, it’s me. Things are very weird, and I’m not sure where to start…’
‘Jazzie! Jason is dead, like me! And my mom is an assassin! And I’m really 6 years old! The assassin mom made me older! Isn’t that cool? I had a superhero origin before I even died!’
Jazz just looked at him. Jason understood that feeling all to well. Utter confusion, mixed with a smidge of horror. He’d become very acquainted with that feeling these past couple of weeks.
‘Yeah, I think we should explain what happened these past couple of weeks.’
Jason told the Fentons everything that happened. From Danny appearing in his appartement, to looking after him and the discovery of Danny’s powers. He told them about Danny’s birth and how he ended up in the orphanage the Fentons adopted him from. He also told them about the misunderstanding with the ‘frootloop’ and the fight he had with Bruce. After that the Fentons told them about their own stories. They explained how they used to hunt ghosts, and Danny’s accident. They explained why they hunted him and they gave more information about Vlad. They explained the Ghost Portal and how Danny saved the world with the help of the other ghosts. They were very proud of their boy. During the talk, Danny started to fidget.
‘Dad, how do I get big again? Desiree’s wishes are permanent after a while, right?’
‘I don’t know ho-’
‘Don’t worry, Dann-’
Jason and Jack looked at each other. Both had tried to answer Danny’s question, responding to being called ‘dad’. Jason suddenly realized that this was Danny’s family. He was a Fenton, not a Todd. As Jack leaves the room to go get something, and Jazz goes to call Sam and Tucker, Maddie puts her hand on Jason’s shoulder.
‘You know you are family now too, right? Just because he is back home doesn’t mean you have to leave his life. I’m sure that Danny would love to have you, whether he’s a child or a teenager.’
Jason smiles at her. He’d like that very much. At this point Jack comes back.
‘Here we go! Danny’s friend Clockwork gave us this. He forbade us for going to look for Danny, something about 'saving the Father' and ‘getting rid of a great evil’ in exchange. This medallion should make him older and fix him up again. Are you ready, Dann-o?’
Dani puts Danny down, and Jack slips the medallion around Danny’s neck. In a flash, Danny was now 14 years old.
Danny looked at himself, getting to know his older, bigger body again. Jason felt odd seeing the kid age up so quick, almost regretful. But even if it meant missing time raising Danny he knew it was for the best. Dick and Bruce were surprised just how much Danny looked like a younger Jason, though less skinny. Noticing Jason, Danny turned to him to thank him:
‘So, uhm… thank you for looking after me? That was… kind of you? Sorry, this feels weird.’
Danny felt a bit sheepish. He now realized he caused Jason a lot of trouble, and it was odd talking to him like this after being a kid for a while. Jason felt odd about it as well.
‘Yeah, no problem… So, this is the real Danny? Older Danny? I guess you won’t need the toys we got for you anymore.’
Danny laughed a bit. He might be keeping some of them.
‘If it’s ok with you, I’d like to keep the Red Hood one. And maybe we could give the rest to Dani instead.’
Jason smiled. It was nice that he was still Danny’s favorite. Seeing his own family hinting franticly behind them, Jason decided to push his luck a bit.
‘If you’d like, you could come over sometimes? Like for a holiday? We’ll get your room updated for a teenager and everything!’
Danny thought about it. He wanted to have Jason in his life.
‘I’d like that. I’d like that a lot!’
As Maddie starts inviting the Waynes for dinner and everyone starts to relax, Danny got a weird look in his eyes, his older mind realizing something important has happened:
‘Wait, did I kill a guy?’
END
First - Previous - AO3
253 notes · View notes
creedslove · 9 months
Text
DESERVE IT - PART EIGHTEEN
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Javier Peña x f!reader
Summary: You're finally in Laredo, ready to start your life beside Javi and the two of you couldn't be happier together
Warnings: fluff, so much fluff, Javier is so husband material it makes me want to cry, mentions of smut and FLUFF
A/N: I don't know besties, I didn't like this chapter very much because I think I could have done it better but at the same time it felt I just couldn't write it anymore, and to make things worse I'm suffering from a real bad JOEL FEVER which makes it hard for me to focus in Javi 🥺
• PART ONE TO SEVENTEEN ON MY MASTERLIST
3.6k words
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At first Javier didn't want to go to Danny's and whatever was her name's wedding, but his father had insisted, saying it was a good opportunity for Javier to see the people from Laredo - as if he hadn't been seeing them for the past weeks, hence all the congratulations he was getting from them, as well as the usual gossip spreading around town that Javier Peña was back. Chucho then grunted and told his son it was a good opportunity for him to unwind, socialize a little, dance and relax, as he'd been tense since his arrival. And then it was time for Javier to scoff and roll his eyes, as if he was actually going to dance at that place.
"Well, why don't you go and meet a girl then? This is something that you used to like…" Chucho suggested him, getting annoyed at his son's attitude and not understanding why he still behaved like a naughty little boy even after becoming a grown man.
Javi laughed this time and shook his head, which caught his dad's worried attention at his refusal, because Javier never refused women and if he had just done it, it was concerning.
"¿Qué pasa mijito?" He frowned and Javier just knew he would have to give him an answer, however, he didn't know why he felt so anxious at a simple thing such as telling his pa he had a girlfriend. No, not just a girlfriend, a fiancee. Still, it wouldn't be the first time he broke the news to Chucho but unlike the first time, now he knew his dad had the right to second guess him.
Javi's tongue ran around his lips and he sighed, pacing the kitchen softly and shook his head "there's someone I met… a woman, we met in Colombia and I fell hard for her" and his dad just took a deep breath. He had seen that movie once and wasn't pleased to know it would repeat itself, at the same time it also puzzled him, because his son wasn't one to admit his feelings, not even when he nearly married Lorraine, of course he'd say she was pretty and things like that, but he never once admitted to love someone.
"What?" He asked and sat down at the table, as Javi lit up another cigarette and proceeded to tell his father all about you. How you two met, how hard he tried to fight your love and then you two pretended to hate each other's guts until you couldn't hold back anymore. You were too in love to resist and the need of being together grew stronger and stronger until Javier proposed to you.
Chucho then choked on his coffee, looking at his son with big wide eyes "you did what? With your mother's ring? Are you out of your fucking mind, pendejo?" He raised his voice at his son, who pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, knowing his dad would have that reaction, and worse: he had the right to. He had lost the ring once because Lorraine was petty and knew how much that ring meant to Javier and his dad, and then Chucho had to interfere and ask Lorraine's father for the ring back, in one of the most embarrassing and humiliating situations of his life, so he was not pleased at all to learn Javier had handed the ring to another woman - one he hadn't met but was sure his son would break her heart just like he did with every other girl he'd been with. Javier knew how little faith his dad had in him, and even if a part of him still took it hard and felt offended, another part of him just couldn't blame his father at all, there were things Javi couldn't simply fight and his evil ways towards women were one of them. Used to be one of them, because ever since you came into his life, you taught him how decent he could be, and he liked this version of him, where he could dream about being a good husband and father without worrying every five seconds about screwing things up and ruining his relationship.
"Dad… it's not like that, I promise you… Y/N is the real deal. I love her, like I hadn't loved anyone in my entire life. She's the one for me and she was also the person who loved me and accepted me besides my flaws. I've always wanted something like you and mom had and I thought it wouldn't happen to me… But it did and that's why I gave her the ring, because she deserves it. We'll get married as soon as she is able to leave Colombia, so far she's trapped in the Escobar paperwork but we'll be together, she'll live here and maybe in a couple of years you will be sitting on the same spot ranting with your grandkids instead of ranting with me"
Chucho laughed softly, that sounded too good to be true. Even if he wanted that all to be real, he still had his doubts. Yet, seeing Javier as happy as he seemed at that moment, was worthy and he decided to play along not wanting to disappoint him at all. He nodded as he rubbed his hand over his chin and looked at him "if you say so, son, I'll make sure this girl feels at home with us, if she'll be your wife she will also be like a daughter to me. But I ask you one thing in exchange of that"
"What is it pa?"
"You come to Danny's wedding with me!"
So when Javi got to the wedding, after sitting through a really boring ceremony in a packed church in a temperature almost as high as Colombia, he couldn't help but keep daydreaming of you. He would like to have you by his side, for you to be his date, wearing one of your beautiful dresses and holding his hand among all those people, but at the same time he also liked to picture himself up there, at the altar, waiting for you. He was sure you would be the most beautiful bride in the world, but he also felt anxious to think of it, knowing what you went through in your last attempt and what he did in his last attempt, he didn't know exactly how you two would make that part work, he was dying to see you in a wedding dress, so not having a ceremony would was definitely off the table. He would have to talk to you about it, maybe in your next call. He felt guilty to know he wouldn't be able to call you that night, even if he had told you he would be at a wedding with his pa, he still felt sad about not being able to talk to you. Little did Javier know you were literally on your way to see him.
You on the other hand, would be completely mortified to be crashing at someone else's wedding at any other occasion. The idea of attending an event so meaningful like a wedding as an uninvited guest was enough to make your skin crawl, but at that moment you couldn't care at all. You had quit your job, left the life you've known for the past year behind just to be with the man you loved. Some people might have said it was a mistake, that leaving your job and the prospect of building your career over a man was just crazy, but what these people didn't understand is that it wasn't just any man. It was Javier Peña and they wouldn't understand it at all, because he was yours and only yours.
The girl from the motel - Camila, as you learned in the car, asked you why you were in such a hurry to find them, and couldn't help but laugh softly when you told her the sweet truth: you were engaged to Javier. She felt embarrassed as you frowned at her and she cleared her throat "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh, it was disrespectful. It's just that Javier has quite the reputation and nobody in town expected him to be engaged" and at your words you were the one who couldn't help but laugh
"You think I don't know about his reputation? Honey, I've witnessed his reputation being built with my own eyes… but the problem is that Javier is too much of a sexy motherfucker and before I could help myself, I was madly in love with him and the best part is that he's just as in love with me, believe it or not'' Camila smiled at your words and nodded "well, I have only seen him from afar, all I know it's the gossip about him, but he looks good, his father is a very kind man, a little rough on Javier, after what happened with his… you know… former bride" she said blushing a little and you nodded, showing her you knew the whole story.
Once you two arrived, Camila wished you luck and went to hang out with her friends. You swallowed as you looked around, the party was going strong, a lot of people were wearing their best clothes, dancing, eating and cheering. You felt an excitement inside of you, knowing seeing your man was just a matter of locating him in the crowd and you couldn't help yourself but giggle at how appropriate your recounter would be at a wedding.
You walked among people, being careful so you wouldn't bump into the people who were dancing and having their fun. You liked the energy of that place, people were so warm and even if they didn't know you, they still greeted you as you passed by.
And then you finally spotted him.
Your heart drummed in your chest and relief flooded your body at the sight of Javier standing a few meters away from you. He had his arms crossed and he talked to a blonde woman you already knew, recognizing her from the time you went snooping through his apartment and found pictures of Javi and his old group of friends. It was Lorraine. She looked better in person, you had to admit that and there was a time your heart would burn with jealousy at that sight, but not now, as you were so sure of Javi's feelings for you. Besides, you just knew he was apologizing to her, he always did that out of guilt and it soothed your heart, because it showed Javier had become a better person, it showed he would never do that again, break a heart like he did before. Javi finished his conversation as soon as the man you pressured to be Lorraine's husband showed up with a couple for children - probably their kids - and he went back to his seat.
Next you know, you walked to him, placed your hands on his shoulder and asked him to dance.
Javi was so distracted that among all the people there he thought he had smelled your perfume and he shook his head softly, wanting to get rid of that painful impression, knowing you were miles away from him and also slightly worried he was growing a little obsessed with you, but he couldn't help himself, he was so drunk in love he didn't know how to act otherwise.
He leaned his face on his hand, watching as the party went on and hoping he could get home already when he felt hands on his shoulders and tensed up, he didn't usually like unannounced physical touch like that and frowned, ready to turn around and face whoever was touching him with no permission he heard your voice.
"Would you like to dance, Javi?"
It was a trick, it had to be a trick. Maybe he'd drunk too much, he was in too deep with you and he was starting hearing things, but then, he felt the presence leaning towards him and pecking his cheek gently, your lips on his skin as your arms wrapped around his neck and you giggled
"Te extrañé tanto mi amor" you whispered into his ear and let go of him, giving him space to get up and face you.
When he finally did it, you couldn't help but chuckle, smiling wide as your Javi took all of you. He could barely believe as he took a step forward and placed his big hands on your hips "Y/N…" he whispered still a little shocked to see you there but couldn't contain his happiness the moment he felt your hot skin under the thin cloth of your dress, seeing you were real, and you were there for him.
You nodded and took both hands to his face, cupping his cheeks gently, as you stroked them at first, before finally running through his soft hair, tugging at it gently and loving to have him so close to you.
"Yes, it's me Javi, your cariño, I came for you, I couldn't stay away any longer" Javier smiled and leaned in, kissing your lips, his arms immediately snaked around your frame, pulling you closer.
His kiss was so urgent and he really showed you how much he'd missed you. You moaned into his mouth needing his touch as much as he needed yours, but you remembered you were in a public place, and not only that, you were in a public place where everyone knew Javi and he could easily become the town's gossip - more than he already had. And much against your will, you broke the kiss, but your hands didn't leave his face, not yet, as you wanted to feel his skin under your touch, you wanted to make sure he was actually there, standing next to you. And boy he looked handsome. Painfully handsome like you grew to love each time more and more, never getting enough of your man.
"How?" He asked, mesmerized, his grip around your waist was tight as he didn't want to let go of you and you proceeded to briefly tell him what happened in the last few days and how you simply quit and took the first flight to him. Javi just smiled and pulled you for another kiss, he didn't want to stop touching you at any moment, but as his father cleared his throat, he forced himself to break another kiss and turn to him.
"Pa, this is Y/N, my fiance… She left Colombia and she's gonna stay with us" he told him and you blushed hard.
You realized you had just flew to a city you knew nobody and you were imposing your presence in someone else's house. What if Javier's dad didn't want you around? You gulped but still extended your hand to him.
"Mucho gusto, don Chucho" you said nervously, as the older man shook your hand and observed you, seeing you were wearing his late wife's ring. He wasn't one to smile a lot, but he gave you a nod
"Welcome home, mijita. Javier has told me a lot about you, but I think he forgot to mention how truly beautiful you were" he added and it made the tension go away. Now you knew where Javi's charms came from and it was soothing to know his dad was warm to you, after all, he welcomed you home, so you assumed he was okay with you staying.
He turned to Javier and frowned, his expression hardening again "she must be hungry, take her to the buffet and do this pretty lady a favor and dance with her" he told his son and you held the urge of bursting out laughing. There was something just so amusing in seeing Javier being treated like a child that even if it angered you, it was still adorable.
You helped yourself to the delicious food once Javi led you to the buffet table and you explained to him how awkward you felt in being at someone's wedding without being uninvited, but he just brushed it off assuring you there was no problem. He had so many questions to ask you, but at the same time he just wanted to undress you from the pretty summer dress you wore and touch you in the most inappropriate ways he could think of, but at the same time he wanted to hold you in front of the whole town and dance with you, show them Javier Peña had found someone he loved, someone he trusted and he would be happy with. He wasn't just a manwhore, he wasn't the kind of guy women wouldn't want to preserve their reputation away from, he was yours.
So he waited patiently for you to finish eating and then he took you by the hand, "come on, hermosa, let's dance" he winked at you and led you to the dancefloor, his hands always on your body, as you two swayed gently to the romantic ballad that played.
People stared and watched, some of them didn't care, but others were shocked and amused to see Javier Peña tied to a girl like that. Some even managed to spot the infamous ring on your finger and that would lead to some juicy gossip the next day, and you knew that if the people from Laredo wanted a show, then you would give them a show. So you just kissed Javier once more, mid-song, for everyone to see, so there wouldn't be any doubts of what nature your relationship was.
•••
At the end of the party, Javi drove Chucho back to the ranch and then took you to the motel, so he could help you get your stuff and you would also have some time alone to talk things through. As he drove, you told him in details everything that went on the weeks he had been absent and how you simply couldn't stand being away from him. You mentioned how fed up you were with your job and how Manu was the one to apologize and suggest you went after Javi, which surprised your man, but he felt thankful deep down inside, because then, you were there for him.
Javi was just so happy, he couldn't hide the excitement about having you closer to him, he couldn't leave his hands away from your skin, as one of his hand always rested on your thigh as he drove. He was taking the road back home, when you bit your lips
"Javi wait…" you asked "I want to talk to you in private, before we get to the ranch" you said and he immediately parked on the stretch of the road and a sudden memory of the night he took you on a date in Colombia and fucked you in his car made you blush. God, you'd missed that man.
"It's just that… I know we talked a lot about our future on the ranch and how we wanted it, but we also stressed it was a plan for the future, so if you don't feel ready to have that, or you think that us living together is too soon, let me know, okay? I don't wanna impose on your or your dad and I can find a place for myself here, I saved a pretty good amount of money so I can get by for some time until I find a job" you told him, but he calmly smirked at you "come with me" he said exiting the car and waited for you to do the same, taking you to the back of his truck, helping you up so you could sit down as he joined you.
Javi took your hand in his and stroked it gently, looking into your eyes and pecking your lips gently
"Mi amor, if you want I can marry you tomorrow… you are my future, and I want whatever you give me, all I need is you baby girl, so yeah, if it's up to me, you'll call that ranch your home, and you'll pick a beautiful wedding dress downtown tomorrow and we can get started on trying for a baby Peña tonight" he tilted his head and winked at you, his old charms always there, which made you throw yourself into his arms and kiss him.
You thought Javi would fuck you in the back of his trunk, but instead he made love to you that night. And as you rested against his naked chest, with only his jacket thrown over your body as a blanket, you looked up at the sky and realized how clear and starry it was.
"Look how beautiful it is Javi" you pointed at the stars to draw his attention but he just shrugged "it doesn't compare to how beautiful you are, cariño" he said in return making your heart melt.
When you began shivering, Javier helped you get dressed and drove you back to the ranch. It was dark and silent as his dad was already asleep, but you really liked what you saw. You knew how happy your fiance had been there and you just wished you could be just as happy as he was once, but you had a gut feeling telling you you would, as you'd live there with the love of your life.
When you were in his bedroom, you and Javi went for another round, you just craved his cock as much as he craved your entire body and when you came down from your bliss, you two decided to set the date to the wedding. It would happen in a few months, so you would have time to adapt to the city and plan things.
You knew you were the luckiest person in the world when you snuggled closer to Javier and watched his side profile as he slept peacefully. That man was yours and you were his. You two loved each other and would get married soon.
_____
A/N: I don't know about you besties but I'm very depressed right now simply because I'm not engaged to Javier Peña 🥺😢😭🤧
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joviepog · 3 months
Text
Okay, I’m finally (kinda) back! I wrote a little siren x reader story based on a song! Hope you enjoy!
-ᰔ-ᰔ-ᰔ-ᰔ-ᰔ-ᰔ-ᰔ-ᰔ-ᰔ
People I don’t like
Warnings: Cursing, Arson, mention of people checking each other out, fire, mentions of screams, alcohol
Who: Siren x Reader
Pronouns: She / they
Word count: 1,137
Tag list: @gaytoadwithapopsicle @corner-of-void @danny-yagami @loversj0y @ax-y10 @lanaxoxoxoxoxox @haunted-headset @phxntomsdusk
Anything else: It’s been a while since I’ve written! Please excuse any errors and bad spelling! I will try to write as much as possible during this Christmas Break! :D
This story is NOT proofread.
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Listen to this as you read!
“Hello. It’s so good to see you!”
You hear a cheery yet smug voice behind you as you smoke a cigarette. Great. You get partnered with him out of all people? Like seriously, siren out of all people?
“We’ve met before but nice to meet you.”
You say with a fake smile as he walks in front of you. He’s wearing his masquerade mask which is a dark blue. Similar to his regular villain costume. He wears a black suit and his hair is slick back, a new look.
“Yeah, i dont really wanna be here.”He says with a sigh
You nodded and suddenly launch at him to knock him out. If you can, you can get all the money. But as soon as you got close you him, he grabbed your hand and pinned you to the wall.
He smirks as he looks down at you which only made you roll your eyes. “What’s my name? Do you remember?”
You scoff and give him an innocent smile, “I’m pretty sure you have my number.”
He backs off, “So let’s pretend we like each other.”
The two of you walk in to a big room made of what seems like gold. There are big windows that open to multiple balconies, there is one large door that opens to an outside area. The roof is high and there are chandeliers everywhere you look. People with fancy dresses and suits fill the area.
“This room is so suffocating.” You whisper to Siren. He tightens his tight on his suit and shrugs. “Walking on ice, but nobody breaks it.” He winks at you before walking off to talk to people. You follow suit and walk uncomfortably with your big dress to the bar area. This oldish man comes up to you, complimenting your body and outfit. You hated it but kept your cool. You were stuck in this one way conversation.
‘Guess i’ll be here for a while.’ You thought.
He starts talking about his paycheck, blowing smoke in your face.
You take a shot with a fake smile as you look at him, excusing yourself before taking another round.
You talk to a couple more people, making friendly banter. The only goal you had was to get everyone on your side and to distract people from the vault. Your coworkers are working to steal as much money as possible. You let out a sigh as you tune out the lady’s words.
‘Everybody in the party’s fucking fake. I really wish i could say it to this lady’s face. But i wont. So…’ you think before talking to someone new.
“Hello it’s so good to see you!” You say to a man
“It’s nice to meet you!” You say to another man only 10 minutes later.
“What’s my name? Do you remember?” You say with a smile to the first guy you talked to at the bar.
“I’m pretty sure you have my number.” You say with a wink to a random man.
‘Let’s pretend we like each other.’ You think at almost the people you’ve talked to.
You wonder if Sireb is doing well with the lady’s . You stole a couple things from the men you had talked to for yourself to sell.
You come up to a woman and compliment her shoes. Then only a minute later you ask to know more about another lady.
Your job was hard, but you loved to act like you cared when really you dont give any shits.
As you talk to another man you see Siren flirt with a girl, having her pinned up to a wall. You scoff in disgust before looking away. Why did it make your heart pound? The lady your talking to is going in and on about herself. You keep on a smile but you scoff at her.
‘Can’t you bother someone else?’ You think.
Only 2 hours in and you’ve made a large amount of progress. You now have a group of people around you. They were interested in you.
You make a quick toast, “Raise a glads if you like me!” They all cheer and raise their glasses. You smile and take a sip of your drink, everyone joins in. Siren comes up behind you and you smirk, you could smell the alcohol off him from a mile away. “You’re getting trashed ‘cause you can’t leave?” You look at him in your seat, he’s standing behind you. You felt like a queen
“Guess we’re in this together.” He says as he looks down at you.
“Makes my head hurt.”
You get up and excuse yourself from the crowd, now walking with him. He might be drunk but he still looks composed and he’s still doing his job. He just randomly blurts things out..
“Everybody in this party’s fucking fake.”
You smirk, “And so am i, but we just go here so we gotta show some face.” You give him a laugh and he laughs along. You both walk away from each other before finding someone else to talk to.
“Hello it’s so good to see you.”
“We’ve met before but nice to meet you.”
“What’s my name? do you remember?”
“I’m pretty sure you have my number.”
“Let’s pretend we like each other.”
Suddenly you and Siren get a message from your ear piece that they got everything. You excuse yourself in last time before running away with Siren.
“Finally, We’re done.” He says with an exhausted sigh. “Not me.” You shrug
His eyes widen and he looks at you. “Wait, what?”
You wink at him before running away. It only takes you about 5 minutes to set gasoline around some of the building. Suddenly your coworkers show up.
“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!?”
“YOU’RE GONNA RUIN THE PLAN!”
You shrug and give them a smirk. “Oh well.”
You grab the lighter from my pocket and set the place on fire.
“Cya.” You run off, taking off the fancy dress and wearing your costume from underneath. As you run you see smoke and fire in the distance. Screams filling your ears. You smirk as you run away. Hopefully that gives the villains a distraction so that you could escape.
That doesn’t matter though.
You know they’re weak.
Once you get to an alley way you open your pocket to see that everything you stole was gone.
“Wait. What the heck?” You start to look all around you before you hear a voice.
“Looking for these?” Siren. He dangled the watched, necklaces, and bracelets that you had stolen.
He walks up to you, grabs your hand, and opens it. He places the stolen items in your hand before walking away.
“Next time Darling, be more careful with the things you steal.” He looks you up and down. “Also, be more mindful of the chance that people can follow you.”
He smiles at you before running off.
And you’re left there, furious.
And yet you’re blushing.
Why were you blushing?!?
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mimokuro · 4 months
Text
Love ain't a science
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pairings: Danny Bixler x reader
summary: you mom asked you to help her student
warnings: is my bad grammar count? but non i guess
notes: English isn’t my first language, i’m really sorry if my text to bad and hard to read
"...and you want me to spend my day off to help your student with his studies?" you stood in front of your mother with your arms spread out
your little performance had been going on for about 10 minutes, asking all the questions you could, trying to show your reluctance and disagreement with your whole body, hoping that your mother would finally give in
"yes, you understood me correctly" the woman didn't even look at you, too busy crossing out something in the some of her student’s test "I'm not asking you to go through the whole program with him from elementary school... he's a very smart guy, just a little lazy, set him on the right track, and then he'll do everything by himself" your mother met your gaze, smiling slightly.
a heavy exhalation escaped your lips, and you threw your head back, staring at the ceiling.
You didn't have any big plans for this weekend, so losing one day would be too much to bear, but spending one of your free days on studying... god, that sounds stupid! No one in their right mind would agree to that!
"By the way," your mother began, as if she'd had a brilliant idea, "you said you wanted..." the woman thought for a moment, unable to remember anything.
you rarely wanted anything for more than two days, and if you did want something, you got it on your own.
and now, for lack of any thought of what you wanted, your mother just said, "I'll pay you."
the idea of helping your mom's student seemed like a great idea. Why not do a good deed, right?
⋆。‧˚ʚɞ˚‧。⋆
The car stopped, and you shifted your gaze from your phone screen to the window that overlooked a rather old apartment building.
you had no prejudice against other people's houses, and judging by appearance was never your thing, but this place creeped you out.
"text me when you're done and I'll come and get you, okay honey?" your mother's voice brought you out of your thoughts.
you smiled slightly and nodded at her words.
inside the building, it was quiet and a little chilly.
When you got into the elevator, you double-checked the floor and the apartment number, as if the numbers would change at any moment.
you were nervous, but you did your best to hide it. of course, it was normal to be nervous when you were doing something for the first time, but you wanted to look professional.
you exhaled as the elevator doors opened, you walked slowly down the hallway, each step harder than the last.
you don't know anything about this guy except his name, you've never met him, all you know about him is what your mother told you, but she only talked about what he was like at school...
'what if he's a bully? or a rude guy who makes me do all his homework for him?' the thoughts were running through your head, mapping out the worst case scenarios, but your hand was already knocking on the door, so there was no turning back.
The door opened.
the first thing you saw was the head of a baby-looking doll at the level of your face.
you almost screamed, but you saw a little girl about 11 or 12 years old holding the doll's head on a stick.
when she met your gaze, the girl smiled and moved her creepy construction away from you.
you pressed your hand to your chest, smiling "you scared the shit out of me!"
"that's the point!" the girl smiled proudly, then held out her hand to you "hi, are you the girl who's going to help Danny with her studies?"
shaking her small hand lightly, you nodded in agreement.
"sorry for scaring you! I thought it was a ghost..."
"Kassie, stop scaring our guest!" you flinched at the sudden, turning your head towards the source of the sound you saw a woman.
"hello, Ms. Bixler, I've come to-" the appearance of this woman made you even more nervous.
she was tall, beautiful, and gave the impression of a strong and self-sufficient woman.
"don't worry, baby, I know why you're here" she smiled at you and you didn't even realize you were smiling back "and you better call me Ellie! Would you like some tea?"
The three of you walked into the kitchen, where a girl with short hair was standing.
you smiled at each other.
"that's Bridget, my sister" said Kassie "she's not as cool as me, but I think you'll be friends too"
the kitchen filled with light laughter, Bridget rolled her eyes but didn't even try to hide her smile.
as you pulled out the treats you had brought for the occasion, you noticed the little ghost warrior's eyes light up.
it seems you've already won her heart
you were drinking tea and chatting about various topics when the realization came to you like a brick on your head....
"Excuse me, where's Danny?" you asked, remembering the reason for your presence here.
"oh, he's busy in his room for now..." the red-haired woman smiled, looking to her eldest daughter for support.
"yeah, he's just... um, finishing up all his other things so you can study without too much interference" Bridget confirmed, but her words seemed unsure to you.
Kassie looked at you and leaned slightly closer, as if she wanted to tell you a secret.
"he's actually still cleaning his room, it's the first time he's ever had a girl over" she whispered to you and you could barely contain your laughter.
it was harder to hold back the laughter when you heard the heavy exits from the girl's mother and older sister.
This little tea party went on for a while until the sound of the door opening.
everyone at the table looked around.
"Well, it's time to meet the new student." Bixler's mom smiled as you helped her clear the table.
⋆。‧˚ʚɞ˚‧。⋆
Danny wasn't what you expected.
Instead of "bad boy," he came off as friendly and nice.
and to be completely honest, you didn't expect him to be that good-looking.
Danny was a bit taller than you, his hair was dyed blond which made his blue eyes stand out and he also had cute plump lips....
‘ew, what are you thinking?’
you smiled awkwardly, shook hands, and then went straight to his room.
The room was large, clean and cozy, it smelled nice, and the desk was prepared for several hours of hard work.
there were posters of various music artists on the walls, lots of books and vinyl records on the shelves, and 'DJ stuff' you thought.
"sorry you had to wait so long" he said as you sat down at the table.
his blue eyes looked into yours, you smiled slightly.
"don't worry, I had some nice company."
he let out a quiet chuckle, then sat down more comfortably ready to study.
⋆。‧˚ʚɞ˚‧。⋆
your mother wasn't lying when she said he was smart.
he understood everything perfectly, completing every assignment you gave him.
'I think it's his laziness and lack of seriousness about his studies that's getting in the way,' you nodded at your own thoughts, looking somewhere in the wall.
Danny noticed your action and smiled broadly when you felt his gaze on you
"now I see why you became friends with my family so quickly" the guy could barely contain his laughter "you're weirdo too"
he threw his head back, covering his face with his hands.
you lightly hit him on the shoulder laughing but Danny grabbed the spot as if he was in unbearable pain.
"Is beating up students part of your teaching method? God, I think you broke something." the blond made a grimace of pain, you just rolled your eyes.
to your own surprise, even studying with him seemed fun.
this guy was funny and playful, a little awkward, but that only made him charming, maybe it was the life in the "women's" house that affected him, but he was respectful not only to you, but also to other people you mentioned in your conversations between assignments.
somewhere deep inside you were quietly glad that you had met him out of all possible people.
sometimes Kassie would come into the room, asking what you were doing.
for two hours, your answer was the same.
"what are you doing now?" the girl hung on the doorknob a little, like she was swinging on it.
you looked at Danny and saw in his eyes the hope for at least a short break.
you sighed without saying a word, but the guy understood you.
he stood up and stretched, as if after a long car ride.
at that moment his shirt pulled up a little, your gaze lowering itself to the bare patch of skin....
'DON'T LOOK THERE'
it rumbled in your head and you stood up abruptly from the table.
"we can finish on it for today" you said, gathering your things.
"you're leaving already?" sadness sounded in the girl's voice, you smiled affectionately back at her "maybe you'd like some more tea? it would be great if you stayed longer! mom and Bridget liked you! and so did I! and Danny! right, Danny?" Kassie looked at her brother expecting an answer, but the boy was stood like a stone.
He stared into your eyes, not knowing what to say.
"yeah, I guess..." he said quietly, averting his gaze "but, if she has to go, we can't keep holding her back" the blond said crouching down to be on the same level with his sister
"do you really have to go?" the little girl asked hopefully.
one simple "no" has never pleased Kassie so much, she immediately grabbed your hand pulling you towards the living room.
Your body acted faster than your brain as you turned around to look at Danny, he was smiling, his eyes looking into yours as he slowly followed you.
⋆。‧˚ʚɞ˚‧。⋆
Before you knew it, you had spent 3-4 hours in their house. The house that had been scary before seemed incredibly cozy and warm.
You talked and laughed a lot, you were given a tour of their house, and you noticed how each room conveyed the character of its owner.
and you also notice how much of a good big brother Danny is.
Of course, his relationship with Bridget doesn't seem to be so friendly at first, but the little details in their actions, which you noticed from time to time, indicate that they really care about each other.
And as a son, he's shown himself to be the best.
caring, kind and loving are new traits you've discovered during this time.
He even let you listen to what he's been working on at his DJ table for the last few days.
"wow, that's not so bad! my ears haven't even started bleeding" you said, shaking your head to the beat of the music.
the blond guy laughed, pushing you lightly with his shoulder.
"ew, stop flirting with each other and let's go to dinner." you both turned around at the voice.
"get out, Bridge!" the guy took off his headphones, peering at you, trying not to make it too obvious
you and Danny were visibly embarrassed (even more than before) when you were seated next to each other at the table.
when you looked at the female members of the Bixler family, you thought they were all looking at each other conspiratorially (even Kassie!!!), but you tried not to pay attention to that, because you had a much more important goal now - not to be awkward around HIM.
your cheeks flushed, ‘why am I even thinking about this?’
thank god, dinner was easy.
except for the awkward glances you and Danny caught at each other, the even more awkward accidental touching, and the way you both laughed too hard at each other's not so funny jokes....
you were helping clear the table when Bridget pulled out the dessert, saying that she made it herself and you had to try it
you sat down in your seat while Bixler's mom made tea for you for the third time today, you watched her actions until you noticed the blonde head that squeezed in between you and Danny.
"what subject have you been studying?" asked Kassie.
her brother grinned "why do you ask? do you want to study with us?"
"no, mom and Bridge said you had chemistry, but when I went in I didn't seen at what you were writing"
the awkward silence was replaced by laughter.
you hoped everyone was too busy laughing to notice how red your cheeks were.
⋆。‧˚ʚɞ˚‧。⋆
"it's late, now I really need to get home" you said picking up your bag.
"I hope you'll come again." Ellie smiled softly.
"you don't have to come to this-" Bridge glanced at her brother "-as your student! you can come to me as a friend."
the girl smiled at you and put her arm around your shoulders.
"I'd love to."
"and me too! don't forget about me!" the little girl jumped around you.
your cute little conversations continued all the way to the door.
"is someone coming to pick you up?"
your eyes widened in realization
"I totally forgot to text my mom...she'll take longer to pack than the whole round trip..." you muttered to yourself, completely immersed in your thoughts
Ellie looked at her son, and then gestured to where the car keys were placed
"I can drive you home," said Danny with a look of thanks to his mother.
you were embarrassed, trying to say that he didn’t need to do that, but you were already said goodbye and pushed out of the door.
"thanks for coming, and thanks for helping" the guy was the first to break the silence in the elevator.
"thank you for being such a good student." you both laughed.
"I didn't think we would end up having so much in common, it was easy for me to talk to you and my family really liked you..."
his words made you feel so warm and happy inside, it felt like the ground was shaking under your feet.
but it did, the elevator was shaking like it was about to explode.
‘an earthquake'.
you crouched to the ground in fear with your hands covering your head, Danny covered on top of you, his hands stroking your back, trying to calm you down.
you both exhaled as the elevator doors opened in the parking lot below the building, without a second's hesitation you quickly headed for the car, Danny still had his hand on your back
it seemed a miracle to you that you'd survived the trip.
the guy stopped, looking away, you followed his gaze.
there was a huge hole in the ground.
you walked closer, curiosity never leads to anything good, so when you looked into the hole and saw something, you took a BIG step back.
"maybe I should go down and see what's in there?" you immediately punched the guy in the chest.
"are you stupid? haven't you seen even one of a million horror movies where the main character goes to a clearly cursed place, takes clearly cursed things, and then is surprised that everyone around them dies?" you pushed the guy towards the car, afraid to even think about what you might find in there
"no I haven't, but we can all watch something like that together next time you come over" you were already standing by the car when he turned around to look you in the eye
"I'm sorry, Danny Bixler, but I come to you to study, not to date."
"does that mean I should plan a date for next time?" he asked as he opened the car door for you.
you sat down, not knowing what to say.
"by the way, if you follow your logic, then part of today was a date too! of course, then it turns out you had a date with my whole family too-" the guy sat down in the driver's seat, it seemed like he was teasing you.
"I WANT TO CHOOSE MUSIC!" you interrupted him loudly, making him laugh.
"what ever you want , ma'am!"
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hazelriver74 · 1 year
Text
My take on @nelkcats ‘s work https://at.tumblr.com/nelkcats/found-family/jdu71j9n8tul
What if Danny was John Constantine’s firstborn who was a part of several demonic contracts possibly including one with the god of time? Nelkcats’ work has some interesting background and ideas for this but its my turn with the blorbo and I wanted a more morally gray Danny :)
“Hn” Batman looked at the summoning circle with displeasure. “are you sure about this?”
“It’s not like we’ve got many options here bats.” John Constantine huffed out.
The justice league was summoning Phantom, defeater of Pariah Dark, and the new Ruler of the Infinite Realms. Two days ago, Wonder Woman called an emergency meeting. Apparently Kronos, the God of time, recently escaped from his bonds in Tartarus. He wasn’t the only one. Constantine mentioned rumors of Mamitu, Janus and several other Gods of Fate or Time were free as well.
“Maybe they are friendly?” Captain Marvel suggested.
“Kronos is powerful enough to bring the end of the world. If there is even a chance of him coming here…” Diana trailed off.
“We need more information.” Batman decided, and that led them here, to gain information about Kronos and to establish contact with a possible ally against him.
Soon after Constantine and Zatanna started chanting, the lines of the circle turned a toxic green, glowing brighter and widening until the entire circle was a swirling portal.
The first things they saw in the center of the portal were a circle of light blue spikes, rising until a crown of ice could be distinguished. The room cooled as short, white hair floated into view, then a pale face, a young man with bright green eyes that were already scanning the room. The temperature plummeted quickly, and by the time the beings chest was visible, a scowl was fixed on his face. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deliberate breath. Batman knew something was already off but there was still a chance this could be salvaged. When the being was fully in the room Batman stepped forward and felt the weight of the being’s gaze on him.
“Greetings, your highness, we are the justice league. We-“ but he was cut off.
“Justice?” The being scoffed, “Then you should be more careful about the company you keep.” Phantom’s eyes flicked to Constantine and his scowl deepened.
“Me?” Constantine near shouted.
The beings eyes flashed blue and Constantine’s mouth was iced shut. They had 30 minutes before frostbite would set in. Batman pressed on.
“Your Highness, we have heard rumors about the escape of Kronos along with multiple time entities. We wanted to confirm those suspicions and ask for your help in stopping any plots they may be involved in.”
The king sat down as an ice throne materialized. “I believe all of the rumors are about the same entity. And yes he has been freed, though, as it is in my domain, it doesn’t concern you. I now handle the infinite realms and all who inhabit it.”
Superman’s eyebrow twitched at the dismissal. “I don’t think you understand the severity of the situation we are facing.”
“Yes,” Wonder Woman added, “If we could tell you more about him, your highness.”
“I hardly need informing about him.” The being gave the distinct impression that he was close to rolling his eyes.
“Son, I don’t think it’s your place to make such statements.” Superman frowned.
“My place?” The entity’s face split into a too wide smirk full of teeth.
“You are the ones who are misunderstanding. Even if he wanted your world, there would be nothing you could do to stop him. You cannot fight a god.”
“But you could.” Batman guessed. “You could stop him. You are powerful enough to imprison him.”
“I am the one who freed him!” Phantom bit out sharply. The room stilled as the information sunk in. Diana let out a horrified, “Why?”
Phantom gave a laugh that sounded more like a bark as he stood, agitated. “Because he raised me? Because he was more of a father to me that any mortal ever was?”
“That’s impossible!” Diana said, “He died!”
The room got impossibly colder.
“So have I.”
Phantom leveled Superman an icy stare. “If I thought for one second he wanted your world, I would have handed it to him on a silver platter.“
“Are you out of your mind?” Green lantern shouted.
“Have you considered that he might be manipulating you?” Batman asked softly. Phantom did not appear to consider the suggestion.
Superman stepped forward. “It’s obvious he has been under Kronos’s influence for far too long. If we separate them then he might not continue to revere him.” Superman stepped towards Phantom and reached out to touch him, “It’s going to be okay, son”
“NO” The creature shouted. Superman pulled back.
“Please, let us help you.” Flash begged.
The young king was clenching with rage, when a hand appeared on his shoulder and he visibly calmed. A tall, ever-shifting figure stepped into being behind Phantom: Kronos.
“Perhaps a demonstration.” Phantom said thoughtfully as he looked at Constantine. The magician was hiding behind Zatanna and Captain Marvel, while he attempted, unsuccessfully, to melt the ice muzzle. Faster than the majority of the justice league could process, Phantom had Constantine kneeling in front of him with a razor sharp, ice dagger growing closer to the magician’s neck. Both Superman and Flash were frozen midstep. It looked as if they barely had a chance to move before the being had noticed and neutralized them.
“Father,” Phantom spoke to the room, “You know what this man has done to me and why I would wish him dead.”
Constantine’s eyes darted around in panic.
“Should we kill him?” Phantom asked while he shook with anger.
“No” the god of Time replied. Raising his right hand, the king spoke again, “I, Phantom, High King of the Infinite Realms, do solemnly swear to give my position of king to my adopted father, mentor, and friend, the god of Time, right now, should he only ask.”
A thin magic chain bound Phantom’s raised hand.
“No, thank you.” Came the quick reply. It almost sounded like the god of time was trying not to laugh. The chain shattered, fading to nothing before the pieces hit the ground.
“Rats” Phantom whispered, faintly smiling. Then he spoke to the room, “Are there any other questions?”
Batman still didn’t have all the information he wanted. Constantine looked baffled, and Batman didn’t get as far as he did without pushing his luck. If the being was going to kill them, he would have done so already.
“What wrong has he done to you?” Batman quietly asked.
“World’s greatest detective, and you miss the family resemblance?”
All eyes turned to Constantine, who looked confused for a few seconds then blanched.
Phantom growled in his ear, “Tell them” as the ice muzzle vanished.
Constantine looked horror stricken. He wet his lips and after a bit choked out, “I sold him… My firstborn,”
“You sold your child to Kronos?” Diana asked in disbelief.
“And to about a quarter of the demons he’s come in contact with.” Phantom added bitterly, “I’m beyond lucky Kronos saved me.”
At the stunned silence in the room, Kronos spoke again, “Come, son. I think tea would do you some good.”
Phantom leaned his head back on Kronos’s chest, “Thanks, dad.” And they disappeared along with all the ice and the books and materials used to summon them.
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raaorqtpbpdy · 2 months
Text
Have You Ever...
Danny gets invited to a hero convention as Danny Phantom, and his booth is next to none other than the legendary Ben 10, one of Danny's own favorite heroes. But when the two start playing a modified version of Never-Have-I-Ever to alleviate their boredom between handshakes with fans, they accidentally expose some things they didn't really mean to.
You can also read it on AO3
Written for X-over Danuary Week 2024, Day 1: Ben 10 | Prison Thanks @crossoverdanuary for running this!
I got a late start because I had DnD today, and I finished this at like 10pm, so I didn't have time to edit. I'm planning on editing it later this week, but until then, sorry for any mistakes. [Edit: it has now been edited]
[Warning for mentions of past traumatic experiences]
It was weird to see such a huge convention center so empty.
Well, it wasn't completely empty, but a few people carrying boxes and setting up displays was a significantly smaller crowd than Danny would normally expect to see in a place like this.
"Ah! Danny Phantom you're here!" A woman with a high ponytail and a convention staff t-shirt walked over to him. "Wow, I'm so excited that you actually came!" 
Her voice was familiar.
"Sally, right?" he guessed. "Sally Braddock?"
"You remembered!" She said brightly.
Sally had been the one who'd convinced Danny to come to this convention. She'd offered him pretty substantial payment, but it was only when she told him he could have three free tickets to the convention as well that Tucker told him he had to agree or they wouldn't be friends anymore. 
So here he was, at San Diego Hero Con, halfway across the country, to sit at a table and sign autographs for a few hours each day, and then do an hour-long panel with a bunch of other teen heroes, and another tomorrow on specifically ghost hunting. (He was still debating whether he should actually show up to that one, or if it would be too dangerous.) The worst part, though, was how early he had to wake up to set up his booth before the event started.
"Here's your presenter badge," Sally said, and handed him a bright yellow name tag clipped to a blue lanyard with the convention's logo on it. "Celebrity meet-and-greets are over there. I'll lead the way. We try not to put them too close to each other or the lines get out of control, but your booth is right next to Ben 10's."
Danny perked up at that. "The alien guy?"
"Yup!"
Oh, man, he hoped he'd get the chance to talk to him. Ben 10 was Danny's favorite superhero. He got to fight real life aliens, sometimes in actual space! And sure, Danny had been to space before that one time Technus had taken over a satellite, but it had still been a ghost fight. It wasn't the same.
"So, this is your table," Sally said, pointing to an empty, white folding table. "Do you have a tablecloth, or banners or headshots or anything?" she asked him with a tight smile.
"Uh.... I don't photograph well," he replied.
Sally sighed. "Well, I can bring over one of the convention tablecloths, but you really should get some kind of poster or cardboard cut-out or something that shows people who they're meeting. And you'll definitely need something to sign. Comic books, or T-shirts. Anything, really. There's a portrait artist in Artists Alley who works pretty fast, her name is Jess. If you get something from her, I can send a gopher to make copies for you to sign." 
"Uh, okay? But, I can just call a friend to bring something."
"Whatever works." With that, Sally left to go organize something else.
Danny called up Sam, who was back at the hotel with Tucker—Tucker would no doubt still be sleeping—and asked her to find a nearby print shop and get a Danny Phantom Banner to hang up and a whole bunch of 8x10 illustrations of him. He let her pick the picture, but asked her to please not pick anything too embarrassing.
Right as he hung up, a pair of people approached the booth next to him carrying plastic tubs. It was none other than Ben 10 himself and a tall, furry, blue alien who was no doubt one of his allies. (That or a cosplayer, but since they were with Ben 10 himself, Danny felt safe in assuming that they really were an alien.) The two of them placed their tubs on the floor and opened them up to start unpacking their display.
"Woah, hi!" Danny said, louder than he meant to.
Ben 10 snapped his head around, muscles tensing. Danny recognized that response all too well, and tried not to let out a sympathetic wince.
"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," he said. "You're Ben 10, right? I know this is cringey to say, but I'm a huge fan."
"Uh, thanks? Just Ben is fine."
"I'm Danny Phantom, but you can just call me Danny."
"I can see that... uh... nice to meet you?" Ben replied. He seemed uncomfortable. Had Danny come on too strong.
"Something wrong?"
"What? No, of course not," Ben said, though it wasn't very convincing.
"I am Rook Blonko," Ben's companion said, offering Danny a handshake which he excitedly accepted. "It is an honor to meet another hero, though I will admit, it was only recently that I came to learn about you." 
"Oh, yeah," Danny let out an awkward laugh and rubbed the back of his head. "My scope is a lot more regional and sometimes not very... in this dimension." 
"That would be... the Ghost Zone, right?" Ben said casually. "What's it like? Anything like the Null Void?"
So he was at least somewhat familiar with Danny and his exploits. Danny tried not to let that go to his head, but he couldn't help feeling a little giddy nonetheless. Ben laid down a black tablecloth with his logo on it and spread it across his table. This definitely wasn't his first rodeo.
"I don't know about the Null Void," Danny said. "It's like the bottom side of this dimension. It's where ghosts live... or... not live. Reside. Almost everything is green because of all the ectoplasm there, and when humans go there, they can pass right through walls and objects just like ghosts can in this dimension."
"That does not sound like the Null Void at all," Rook observed, pulling rods and boards out of one of the boxes and assembling them into a small standing shelf.
"What's the Null Void like?" Danny asked.
"Mostly red," Ben said with a shrug. "Full of floating islands and enormous aliens. Used as a penal colony for this dimension's worst criminals."
"Oh... yeah, no. Aside from the floating islands, that doesn't sound anything like the Ghost Zone," Danny agreed. "Although it's kind of a cool coincidence that we both have experience with alternate dimensions."
"Yeah, I guess so." Ben looked over at Danny and his sad excuse for a booth—really looking for the first time. "First time at one of these things?"
"Oh yeah," Danny confirmed. "My friend is bailing me out at a print shop right now, but I was so unprepared."
Ben snorted. "Here," he said, digging through one of his boxes and pulling out a bright green swath of fabric. "You can use one of my tablecloths. I brought an extra, just in case. It has my logo on one side, but if you turn it around so the logo faces you no one will be the wiser. We have basically the same color scheme, so it works out."
"Thanks," Danny accepted the tablecloth, slightly surprised, and spread it out over his table. It was almost exactly ectoplasm green, just a shade or two darker. "Have you been to a lot of conventions?"
"A few," Ben said.
"This is your fourth," Rook said.
"That sounds right. If it hadn't been for Rook, I probably would've been just as lost as you at my first one. He's all about preparing in advance. But yeah, I've been a public hero for over a year now, and since my identity isn't a secret anymore, it's easier for the people who run these things to get a hold of me."
"About that... why don't you have a secret identity?"
"It wasn't exactly my choice," Ben replied. "Some kid found it out and exposed me on the internet. It turned out surprisingly well, though, for the most part. Must be nice for you though, not having an alternate identity—not that being dead is nice or anything like that—I mean, it's not a bad thing—or it is a bad thing? I uh... yeah, I don't know what I'm saying."
After taking a moment to parse that rambling sentence, Danny burst out laughing. 
"Hahaha! Is that why you're acting so uncomfortable around me? Because I'm dead? Ha! You don't have to worry about that. You're fine."
"Serious?"
"Dead serious," Danny replied with a smirk.
Ben shook his head with a soft laugh. "Alright, fine.... Actually, that's not the only reason. Back when I was ten and just starting out I had... a bad experience with a ghost-like alien of mine. Ever since, ghost stuff just puts me a little on edge."
"Oh... I see. Well, don't worry, I won't take it personally," Danny said. "Did you really start doing this when you were ten?"
"Yeah. Although I kinda retired for a few years when I was eleven, and started up again when I was fifteen."
Danny did some quick math in his head. "Oh, so altogether, you and me have been in this for about the same amount of time. 'Cause I got started a little over two years ago."
"Yeah?" Ben was silent for a few moments. He pulled out boxed figurines of his alien forms and lined them up on the shelf Rook had assembled. "So... when did you...."
"Die?" Danny finished for him. "I was fourteen. I'm almost seventeen now. In about three months, I mean."
"Do you still age?"
"Sort of?" Danny shrugged.
He and Jazz had come up with an answer to this question a little while ago, when people noticed that Danny Phantom was starting to look older, even though ghosts supposedly didn't age.
"A ghost's body is a reflection of their mental image of themself. In the Zone, ghosts don't really age or change unless something specific happens that makes them feel older or different. Because I spend so much time in the human world still, because I learn and grow with each fight, I still feel like I'm growing up, so I look like I'm growing up, too."
"That is fascinating," Rook said. "I would love to learn more about ghostly biology."
"I would love to tell you about it. Problem is, I really don't know that much," Danny told him apologetically. He shrugged. "Sorry. I'm a superhero, not a scientist."
"I'm here!" Sam called, her heavy combat boots tromping into the room. She was carrying a large cardboard box. "I would have been here sooner, but I had to put together a design for the banner. Luckily I found a printer that could make one for you on short notice like this, or you'd be screwed."
"You're a life saver!"
"You wish," she scoffed. "I got you a banner and three hundred head shots."
"That's not gonna be enough," Ben said immediately.
"Ya think?" Sam asked.
"Trust me."
She sighed heavily in annoyance. "Okay, I can go back and get some more, but you so owe me, Danny."
"Yeah, I know," Danny said, taking the box from Sam. "You're the best!"
"Yeah, yeah," she said, taking one of the head shots off the top of the stack and leaving again.
"Is that your friend?" Ben asked.
"One of them," Danny confirmed, setting the box down on the table. "That's Sam. She and Tucker have been with me since the beginning. He's probably still asleep at the hotel."
He pulled out a stack of head shots for the table and slid the box with the rest underneath. She'd picked a good picture. It was a poster illustration for a local ghost awareness presentation he'd done a while back, and he nearly sighed with relief when he saw it. He'd been half afraid she'd pick one of the grainy newspaper photos of him in his underwear.
"That's cool," Ben said. "Yeah, I don't think anyone could do this job without allies. When I first started, I had my Grandpa and my cousin, then my cousin and my best friend, and now I have Rook as my partner."
"We have been together for a year," Rook added.
"Like... together together or...?"
"Working partners," Ben clarified insistently. "It's not like that."
"Oh, okay, my bad."
Hoping to alleviate his embarrassment, Danny unfurled his new banner and flew up to hang it on the wall behind his booth. It looked cool, but not too complicated. Just his name and logo and a little bit of ghost designs around the edges. Sam had done a good job with it.
"You are not the first to think that," Rook consoled. "It is a more common assumption than one might think."
They continued chatting idly while they set up their booths. Danny got to ask Rook what kind of alien he was, and what his home planet was like. Sam showed up with a whole bunch more photos and then immediately abandoned them to get a sneak preview of artist alley before she came back as an attendee.
Just before the convention center officially opened, Danny worked up the courage to ask Ben for an autograph, and Ben obliged him with a smile, offering an exchange, rather than asking for payment. Danny eagerly accepted, signing one of his own pictures and trading it for Ben's. Ben's looked far more professional than his own. He hoped people wouldn't be disappointed.
As people started trickling in past the security checkpoint up front, both heroes only got a few people in the beginning. After only about twenty minutes of boredom, Ben suggested they play a game.
"Sure," Danny agreed. "What game?"
"My buddy Kevin calls it Reverse-Never-Have-I-Ever, and my cousin calls it Have-You-Ever." Ben said. "See, we could never play regular Never-Have-I-Ever, because we all knew all the weird stuff we'd done and we'd target each other mercilessly. With this version, You say something you have done, and anyone who hasn't done it loses a point. If everyone's done it, no one loses a point."
"Okay... I think I get the idea, but why don't you start? Five fingers or ten?"
"Let's start with five," Ben said. "Rook, you playing?"
"I will pass," Rook said. "I always lose this game."
"Alright, if that's what you want." Ben shrugged. "Alright, Danny, have you ever... transformed into a different species?"
"Yes."
"You have?!"
"Uh, yeah. I went from human to ghost. Duh."
"Oh... right, duh," Ben agreed, shaking his head at how foolish he'd been to blow his first question like that. "Wow, I can't believe I didn't even think about that...."
"My turn, right?" Danny said. "Have you ever fought an evil alternate version of yourself?"
"Yeah, like six of 'em."
"Okay, well, now you're just showing off."
Ben smirked. "Oh, I never get to use this one on my friends. Have you ever been to space?"
Danny smirked right back. "One of my rogues possessed an orbital satellite."
"Damn it!" 
Someone walked over to Danny's table and he smiled at her, pointedly ignored the way she shivered when he shook her hand, and signed a photo for her.
"Okay," he said, shifting his attention back to the game, "have you ever... been cut in two."
"I regenerated, but yeah."
"How?" Danny demanded.
"Plant alien."
"I should've guessed. Stupid plant creatures with their stupid regenerative powers. Undergrowth-ass alien. Lame." 
Ben laughed at him while he signed a figurine for a fan who came to his table. "How about this. Have you ever fought a medieval-style knight?"
"A knight? Hold on." Danny considered that for a moment. Had he? He'd rescued Sam from Dora's realm that one time, and yeah, he'd definitely had to fight the ghosts of knights then. Oh! Also Fright Knight. How could he forget about him. "Yes, I have definitely fought knights on several occasions. Ghost knights, obviously."
"Ugh! I really thought I had you with that one. Why do ghosts who died a thousand years ago have to stick around for so long?"
"Nope!" Danny teased. "Okay, how about this one. Have you ever fought a ghost?"
"Define ghost?" Ben asked.
"The law defines a ghost as any creature which produces ectoplasm, is composed of ectoplasm, or requires ectoplasm to survive," Danny recited. 
There was no need to say which law—that would be the anti-ecto acts. It was stupid that those stupid acts were still even law when public support of ghosts had never been higher. Although, they hadn't been as heavily enforced the last year or so, since the G.I.W. lost a lot of funding after repeatedly failing to catch their most wanted, Danny.
"Then yes, I have," Ben said. "Have you ever fought an alien?"
"Define alien."
"A creature originating from a planet or plane other than Earth."
"Then yes, ghosts."
"Ah ah ah!" Ben argued. "Ghosts are the spirits of dead humans, which means they originate on Earth."
"Except that not all ghosts are the spirits of dead humans," Danny countered right back. "Many ghosts originally formed inside the Ghost Zone, which makes them, by your definition, aliens, and I have fought them, too. Also I fought off some Incurseans back when they invaded the Earth a little while back. It was awesome." 
Ben groaned.
"Haha! Gotcha!"
"Just go already."
"Have you ever died?"
"Ha! Yes, I have," Ben said, as if dying was some huge victory. "You probably thought you had me, but you were wrong. I may have been brought back through alien magic and/or time travel, but yes, I have died. Speaking of which, have you ever time-traveled."
"Psh, have I time traveled?" Danny scoffed. "I have literally met the Ancient, omniscient Master of Time. He's a huge pain in the neck."
It was at this point that more people started accumulating at the two heroes' tables. Some got in line for autographs, though both Ben and Danny were too engrossed in their game at this point to give their full attention. Others just stood, watching, and listening to the two of them. A few even started filming their little game.
"Alright, my turn," Danny said. "Have you ever... oh, I have a good one! Have you ever had to fight your best friend after he copied your powers which then caused him to lose his mind and become evil?"
"Literally how?!" Ben shouted.
"Is that a no?"
"No, I meant 'literally how' as in how has something that specific happened to both of us?"
"No way!"
"Yes way! That's happened to Kevin more than once."
"What?!"
"I know, right?"
"It is also strange for this game to go so long without any of the participants losing a point," Rook said. "I believe it is at this point that I would have lost, had I been participating."
"You put up a good fight, Rook," Ben joked.
"But... I was not playing?"
"I was teasing, Rook."
"Ah, yes."
"Whose turn is it now?" Ben asked. "Mine, right?"
"Yeah," Danny confirmed.
"Have you ever had a limb severed?"
"Yes, but I'm a ghost, so I reattached it pretty easily. Have you ever altered the fabric of reality?"
"I once had to recreate the entire universe after it got destroyed, and then went on intergalactic trial for doing it. And the worst part is, ever since then, grape smoothies just don't taste the same. It's so frustrating. I did get this super comfortable hoodie out of it, though." 
"Ew, smoothies?" Danny grimaced. "What are you a yoga mom?"
Ben stood up, slamming a hand on his table and with the other, he pointed accusingly at Danny. "Smoothies are delicious, screw you!"
"You're just frustrated because I'm winning."
"You're not winning, neither of us have lost a single point! But you will!" Ben declared. "Have you ever saved the whole entire universe."
"Yes."
"What?" Ben fell back into his chair, deflated.
"A while back, this one group, the G.I.W. tried to destroy the Ghost Zone with a special anti-ghost nuke, and I stopped them. The Ghost Zone is the flip side of our dimension, so if it had been destroyed, it would have taken our universe along with it. Hence, I saved the universe. I just didn't let it get all over international news first."
"Boo!"
"Isn't that my line?" Danny said. 
Ben threw a sharpie at him and he turned intangible and let it pass right through him while he laughed at his own joke.
"Anyway, have you ever visited an alternate timeline where the entire earth is barren and desolate and the alternate version of you rules supreme?"
"Yes, I call it the Mad Universe, because it looked like Mad Max, you know?"
"Oh, yeah, I guess I can see it. But really? You have?"
"Yup. The alternate version of Rook was a jerk." 
Rook frowned but didn't have the chance to say anything before Ben kept talking.
"Have you ever... I don't know... every time I go weirder, you just match me. Have you ever had a family member be friends with one of you enemies?"
"Yeah, my dad considers my archenemy his best friend in the world," Danny said. "The feeling is not mutual, though. Have you ever been imprisoned by one of your enemies?"
"More times than I can count. Have you ever asexually reproduced?"
"Do clones count?"
"No!" Ben refused.
"Yes," Rook argued, possibly still upset about Ben's jerk comment. "Technically, cloning is a form of asexual reproduction."
"But could they fly?"
"I don't see how that's relevant to asexual reproduction, but yes," Danny said. "They were ghosts. They could fly. Most of them were too unstable to survive though. There's only one left." He frowned.
"Oh... sorry."
"It's... fine." It wasn't fine. He still found himself lying awake at night thinking about them sometimes. Danny shook his head and plastered on a determined grin. "I really think I've got you this time, though."
"Do you?" Ben did not sound convinced.
"Have you ever had to fight sentient food that was not still alive?"
"Y—wait...." Ben frowned as he thought about it for a long moment. "No... I haven't."
"Yes!" Danny cheered and Ben buried his head in his hands, humiliated. "This puts me in the lead."
"Not for long," Ben said. "Have you ever eaten food from another planet?"
"Wha—noooo...." 
"Ha!"
"We're dead even again." 
Their game continued.
"Have you ever fought a cult's subject of worship?"
"Have you ever had a Christmas-themed battle?"
"Have you ever fought on the same side as one of your enemies?"
"Have you ever been called upon to end a war?"
"Have you ever unexpectedly developed a new power that caused you trouble?"
"Have you ever used your powers to get out of other responsibilities?"
"Have you ever had to skip out on something you were really looking forward to and save the day?"
"Have you ever been blamed for property damage your enemies caused just because you happened to be there at the time?"
"Have you ever been mind controlled?"
"Have you ever fought an evil circus?"
The game kept going on and on, while they absently shook hands and signed autographs, with neither of them giving up another point. Until Sally showed up to tell them it was time to go to the teen hero panel they were on. 
It was only then that they looked up and saw all the cameras that had been recording their game. How long had they been recording? How much had they gotten?
"Uh... right," Ben said. "Sorry everyone. You can come back for autographs after the panel. And Danny, I think we're gonna have to call it a draw."
"We'll have to have a rematch some other time," Danny said, trying to keep his tone light, despite his sudden anxiety. 
Sally led the two of them to a large room with rows upon rows of empty seats, right down the aisle to the stage up front where a man in his thirties was already standing, and a masked teenage girl with glowing pink hair and eyes was sitting behind the table.
"Hello, I'm John and I'll be moderating this panel," the man introduced. "This is Lucky Girl, another teen hero we invited. Lucky Girl, this is Ben 10 and Danny Phantom."
"Nice to meet you," Danny said.
"I can't believe they roped you into this," Ben said, smiling at the girl like he knew her.
"Shut up," the girl barked back. "We can't all gain international fame overnight, and I have to pay for student housing."
"You two already know each other?" John asked, surprised.
"Oh yeah, we've known each other for a long time," Ben said. "All our lives, in fact."
"Ben, I swear if you give me away I will hex you so bad your children's children's children will travel for miles just to spit on your grave."
Ben put up his hands in surrender, and took his seat without another word. Danny followed his lead. This Lucky Girl didn't seem like the kind of person he wanted to mess with.
Once they were all in their seats, John gave them a quick run down of how the panel would go. He would ask a few questions. They would answer. He would open it up to questions from the audience, and they would answer those too. After an hour, the panel would be over, and they would return to their booths, or in Lucky Girl's case, simply leave, as she apparently didn't have a booth.
"She uses her powers to disguise herself, but she can't keep that up for more than an hour and a half," Ben whispered to Danny, clearly sensing his confusion. "She'll probably hang around for a little while after to greet fans, but she'll have to leave when her mana's drained."
"Oh, okay, that makes sense," Danny whispered back, nodding. "I was worried it might be like a sexism thing."
"As if she'd stand for something like that," Ben scoffed.
Soon enough, the doors opened, and people started trickling in. The seats filled up with mostly teens and young adults, with a few parents and older adults sprinkled in. Danny noticed Sam and Tucker come in and sit in the back row and waved at them. Rook was also sitting in the back row, trying not to draw attention to himself. Although, it seemed like most people thought he was a cosplayer, so he didn't really have to bother hiding.
When the doors closed, John started the panel.
The first part was easy. 
John asked questions like: "How do you balance being a hero with the other responsibilities you have as an adolescent?"
"Honestly, not well. You know how people say 'you can sleep when you're dead'? Yeah, that's a lie." 
"I'm lucky enough to have a good memory so I don't have to study much, otherwise my grades in school would tank. For me, the real struggle is finding time to do chores." 
"I prioritize my other responsibilities. I don't usually face world-ending, city-destroying threats like these two, which allows me the luxury of saving hero work for after my homework is finished."
And: "Where do you go when you want to de-stress after saving the day?"
"I usually go over to my friends' and play video games. I feel safe around them."
"If the sun's still up, Mr. Smoothie. But if it's late, I like to go out for chili fries."
"The library. I know it makes me sound like a nerd, but whatever. I am a nerd. Who cares."
And: "How do your parents figure in to you heroic activities?"
"They... don't know. They don't exactly have a great opinion of ghosts, and they don't recognize me when... I mean, they don't recognize me anymore. So I guess they don't figure in." That wasn't entirely true, but Danny wasn't about to say they shot at him in front of a crowd of hundreds of people.
"My parents are actually very supportive. At first, they wanted me to quit, because they were worried about my safety, but I changed their minds. They raised me to know right from wrong, and to help others whenever I can, and they're proud of me."
"My parents don't know either, and I don't live with them right now because I live on my school campus, so I guess, like Phantom, my parents don't really figure in either."
They were easy questions to answer, even if Danny didn't always tell the whole truth. John kept things light, focusing mostly on them being teenagers, and how being a hero affected that aspect of their life, rather than the other way around. There were a couple questions about battles and enemies, but for the most part, they avoided the heavy stuff.
Then, about halfway into the panel, John opened it up to the audience to ask questions.
They didn't shy away from the heavy stuff.
"Hi, I'm Mandy, big fan," said a girl with curly brown hair. "I have two questions for Ben, first is, are you dating anyone?"
Ben chuckled, trying to sound amused, even though, up close, Danny could tell the question made him uncomfortable.
"No, I'm not dating right now."
The girl giggled for a moment before asking her next question. "My next question is: when you're fighting an alien invasion basically by yourself, do you ever feel afraid?"
Ben didn't answer right away. He took a breath, and nodded.
"Yes," he said. "I know I'm strong, and there's a lot that I can do and have done, but when I'm outnumbered a thousand to one, yeah, I'm a little afraid."
"Not that you were ever actually by yourself," Lucky Girl pointed out.
"Heh," Ben rubbed his neck awkwardly. "That's true. Even if there weren't many, I've always had people in my corner."
The next person who stepped up was a guy in a Danny Phantom T-shirt which read 'it's not gay if he's dead.'
Danny immediately groaned and Ben grinned hugely. "Before you ask your question, I have a question for you. Where did you get that shirt?"
"I got it at a souvenir shop when I went to Amity Park, but I think you can buy them online, too," they guy said.
"I'm getting one."
Danny groaned even more insistently.
"My question is for Phantom. If you hadn't died, do you think you still would have become a hero, and protected your home from ghosts?"
"Honestly? I don't know," Danny admitted. "Amity Park does have other ghost hunters, the Fentons and Red Huntress, for example. If I hadn't d... if I didn't have my powers, I wouldn't really have the ability to protect anybody. I'd probably leave it to the ghost hunters who were better equipped."
"And for Lucky Girl, are you single?"
"Ha ha no," she said flatly. "I have a boyfriend."
"Figures."
Next up was a girl in some pretty fantastic Lucky Girl cosplay. Her wig even lit up. Although she looked like she was quite a bit taller than the real thing.
"Lucky Girl, do your periods ever interfere with fighting crime?"
"Uh... that's a bit personal," Lucky Girl said instantly, as if the answer was instinctive. 
But when she saw the way the girl reacted like she'd been slapped, hunching in on herself with shame, Lucky Girl bit her lip and answered anyway. 
"Actually... the life of a superhero is really stressful. The kind of stress that has... biological effects. When I first started fighting crime as, like, a regular thing, I didn't have a period for months. When I finally did again it was... you know what, I'll spare you the details. Suffice it to say, it was really bad. Like, my doctor prescribed me pills to stop me from menstruating bad. So... I guess the answer to your question is 'not anymore' and also sorry for the TMI." She finished with a short grimace.
"Thank you for answering," the girl said before going to sit back down.
Ben covered his mic and turned to her. "How come I never knew about that?"
"Are you kidding?" Lucky Girl muttered back. "Like I'm gonna discuss my cycle with a fifteen-year-old boy."
Ben didn't even attempt to argue with that.
As... much as those questions were, it was the next one that really stopped everything in its tracks.
"Hi, I'm Michael. I don't know if you know about this video that's going around. It was only posted, like, less than an hour ago, but it's really blown up in fan circles already," the young man said. "The video shows Phantom and Ben 10... I guess playing a game or something? Where you guys are asking each other if you'd done certain things and basically comparing experiences with each other? Do you know it?"
Ben and Danny shot each other anxious looks.
"Uh... I haven't seen it, but I think we know what you're talking about," Ben answered cautiously. "Is that your question?"
"No, my question is... well, in the video you guys are talking about alternate timelines, and fighting evil versions of yourselves, and getting mind-controlled, and changing reality. I guess my question is. Did all that stuff really happen to you guys?"
Neither Ben nor Danny wanted to answer. They didn't look at each other, or the crowd. They deeply regretted playing a game that revealed such personal secrets in a public space.
Finally, Ben cleared his throat. "Yes, all that happened." Danny nodded his own confirmation. "The life we lead is a dangerous one, and it demands sacrifices, and it takes a lot from you, and it puts you in a lot of strange situations that few others can understand. It's... not for everyone."
The next fan stepped up to the mic. "Follow up questions. First, how are you guys like... functional? Because I mean, if I'd gone through the kind of stuff you were talking about in that video, I think I'd have a mental breakdown. Second, why would you put yourselves through all that?"
"Well, first off, bold of you to assume I've never had a mental breakdown," Danny said. "And secondly, if we don't do it, who will?" he asked. "We're not just random ordinary high schoolers who up and decided to subject ourselves to unspeakable trauma just for the fun of it. 
"We do this because we have the power to do things others can't, to fight enemies other people can't fight. We do this because if we don't... if we don't, people die. Or worse. People experience the kind of things we do trying to protect them. So I guess the answer to both of your questions is, what other choice do we have?"
"Yeah, exactly what Danny said," Ben agreed. "I tried to give up my powers, and my responsibilities once, and people got hurt because of it. My grandpa.... Because I wanted to live a normal life, to take it easy, there was no one else to protect them. It is every individual's responsibility to do what they can to help others. It just so happens that we can do more than most, and that comes with drawbacks. 
"Lucky Girl, care to weigh in? You weren't in the video, but I know you've had your share of superhero related trauma."
"I think you guys pretty much covered it," she replied. "I don't think I've been through quite as much as you two, but I definitely know about the sacrifices we make for this life. I also know that it's worth it to know that the people and places you love are safe and protected because of you."
The boy's both nodded in agreement.
The questions didn't really lighten up after that. "What's the worst experience you've ever had as a hero?" "Have you ever failed to protect someone?" "We heard Ben 10 say so already, but have you ever wanted to quit, or wished you never had powers in the first place?"
After a point, John noticed how uncomfortable they were getting and had to step in and ask that the next few questions not be so dark.
A younger girl, maybe even a middle schooler, hand mercy on them at last, and asked, "What was the funniest thing that ever happened to you while you were saving the day?" and from there the questions finally eased up.
It felt like it had been far longer than an hour when the session ended, and they left the stage and returned to their booths to sign autographs and shake hands and listen to dozens of people gushing, "I'm you're biggest fan!"
They didn't pick up their game again, even when things got slow. Evidently they'd learned their lesson. And they kept learning it as more and more of the people who came to visit them asked about that video. Each time Danny had to smile and laugh it off, the regret deepened. 
It had been a while since he felt like such a complete idiot. Since he'd done something so thoughtless. He'd gotten a lot better at keeping secrets over the years, but he'd just been so excited to talk with someone he had so much in common with—and yeah, he'd probably gotten a little too competitive also. He should have known better.
"So uh... I was at your panel earlier," said a girl who placed a science magazine on the table for him to sign. The cover touted an article about 10 Things You Didn't Know About Ghosts (they have their own culture!). Danny remembered doing that interview.
"That's nice, thanks for coming," Danny said, his smile tensing. "Do you want me to sign the cover, or the page with the article."
"The cover please," the girl said. "For Marnie. And um... I was too nervous to stand up and ask before, but... I was really curious."
"Oh?" Danny asked, keeping his eyes on his hand as he signed the cover 'To Marnie, stay spooky'.
"Why would you make it a game?" she asked. "Wouldn't it be better to try to forget all those things?"
"Easier said than done," Danny said. "Things like that stay with you. Turning them into a joke or a game takes the power away from those bad memories. When you're laughing at your fears, what can they do to you? That's the way I see it. Ben might have another reason, and technically, it was his game. He came up with it."
"So... what you're saying is, laughter is the best medicine?"
"Yeah, I guess so," Danny agreed. He slid the magazine back to her. "Thanks for coming by."
Finally, Danny's shift was over, and Ben's ended at the same time. Just in time, too, because Danny was just about out of photos. He'd have to get more for tomorrow. He signed his last picture with a sigh of relief, thankful that the convention staff had come by to cut off the line when it was about time for him to be finished.
"You finished too, Danny?" Ben asked.
"Yup."
"You wanna go get lunch with us? Wait... do ghosts eat?"
"We do, but I was gonna meet up with my friends for lunch today, and then explore the convention a little." Danny said. "Are you gonna be here tomorrow?"
"Yeah, I'm here for the whole con," Ben said. "Here, let me give you my number. We should keep in touch."
"Totally!" Danny agreed. "It'll be nice to have an actual superhero friend. I love Sam and Tucker, but there are some things...."
"Yeah, I get what you mean."
After swapping numbers the two of them headed off to their separate engagements. Danny transformed and got to experience what else Hero Con had to offer without getting swarmed by fans like he saw happening to Ben that afternoon.
They met up again the next day. Chatted at their booths, had lunch together, checked out the fan artists, just hung out for a while. This time around, Danny didn't have his human form to protect him from the crowds. 
That video of their game haunted them both for the rest of the convention. People kept bringing it up until it became almost more annoying than mortifying. 
When Hero Con finally ended, they both breathed sighs of relief. The convention was over, but Ben and Danny kept in touch. They never did have that rematch though. In fact, they were both pretty much done with 'Have-You-Ever'.
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