#like... tim catches her flinch from the corner of his eye when it's announced on the station

[dylanconrique]

idk maybe i'm delusional but i think a chenford kitchen dance to dream a little dream of me would do wonders to my damaged, rotting soul.

#*and this is icarly! #the rookie #tim bradford #lucy chen #chenford #otp: you know me so well #it's sad to think that lucy probably has some sort of ptsd hearing that song now #but ik tim would do anything to make that a special song for her again #for some reason i imagine tim has an old radio sitting on his kitchen counter.... #and lucy's sitting at the table while tim is cleaning up and doing the dishes or something #and dream a little dream of me comes on #(the one by dorris day cause that's personally my fave version of the song) #like... tim catches her flinch from the corner of his eye when it's announced on the station #immediately putting his task on hold and pulling her up like 'come on dance with me' #singing along the words to her even though he knows he has a terrible voice and hates to sing #spinning and dipping her to the high note in 'stars fading but i linger on dear' #that way when she hears this song she'll associate it with a much happier memory #*DEEP INHALE* #okay i'm done #haven't gone off like this in the tags in awhile

[black-streak]

Saturday night's alright for fighting (but Sundays are meant for rest) - Deprived

Part 13

In case y'all forgot, their entire relationship started with sleeping and cuddles. If you're sick of reading about it, I don't know how you made it this far. Last! Bit! Until the bet's end! Warning, it might take me forever to write part 14. Thoughts are always loved.

Tags!: @emjrabbitwolf @mystery-5-5 @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @fandomkitty8 @dast218 @silvergold-swirl @shizukiryuu . @my-name-is-michell @kurogaya913 @elspethshadow @thecatnipmademedoit @shamefullove @ladylucina28 @crazylittlemunchkin @rayray384 @cassiejaydee @yuulxd @ladysblackcat @naclychilli @caffeinetheory @persephonebutkore @fertileleaf @hypnosharkrebeldreamer @weird-pale-blonde-person @st0rmy-w1th1n @littleblue5mcdork @dudet @naoryllis @disneyfoxuniverse @lordsmeldingtonthethird @taoiichii @resignedcatservant @iloontjeboontje @a-fan-fighting-for-equality

~---~

Missing someone starts simple enough. You raincheck a date or have to cancel a few times because life just demanded too much of you that week. Not that big of a deal, especially for a new couple. Surely the attachment and codependency hasn't settled in too heavily yet. Except maybe you're accustomed to seeing them at least four nights and two days every week at minimum even before dating. Perhaps that person helps with your bad habits and the lack of their presence disperses half your impulse control. There's even a chance that your basic human needs get tossed into a shallow grave with no marker because who really needs food and water and sleep? Those are optional right? But really, to skip all the roundabout half speak, it all accumulated into one basic thought, 'I miss Tim.'

...

"Something I should know about?" Robin spoke, not turning towards her where she landed at his side. 

"Not allowed to follow my bestie every now and again?"

"Tt. I am well aware that I am not your usual choice of company, Tuemessian. Angel's? Maybe. Not yours."

She hesitated a moment, contemplating teasing only to stop herself. She came to confide in him, not annoy and he had already offered the branch. No need to have it retracted.

"Batman decided to tail Red a few days ago."

"Hmm, Red Robin hasn't been on any particularly difficult cases lately. Why would he need the extra help?"

"Because of me."

"We all know you shadow him. No reason to start getting uppity about it now," he paused for a moment before shooting her an accusatory look, "Something must have changed. And you neglected to inform me."

Heaving a long suffering sigh at Robin's tone, she fell against his side.

"Might've gotten on Batman's bad side. And let him see me. And hung off Red."

"So he's babysitting you now," he realized.

"Pretty much."

"And you came running to me in retaliation so as not to be observed," he observed with an unimpressed scowl.

"I will not be tailed by a man in a glorified onesie. It's demeaning and rude," she sniffed, nose turned up in a perfect imitation of Chloe.

"Suppose I should get used to my new patrol partner then?"

"Until Bats gets his head out of where it doesn't belong anyways," she pouted further, "I'm going to miss Red."

"If you plan to whine about it, I won't stick around to hear it," he threatened.

"Yeah right, you love me too much to just abandon me."

"Don't push it."

…

Two nights later, Jason found Marinette sitting on the roof of the manor, drawing in her sketch pad.

"You know Littlewing is out tonight, right?"

"Yeah."

"Alright sugarcube, what's up? You always follow him on patrol nights," Jason asked, settling behind her and letting her lean back into his chest, taking comfort in the contact, "Unless you're the reason Batsy bitched all of last night?"

"He confronted Tim on why Vixen wasn't following Red Robin anymore. Said that Vixen was his responsibility and he was shirking it."

"And Tim told him to stop supervising his nights out," Jason filled in the blanks, chuckling at the memory, "thought he'd blow a gasket when Tim ignored him after that."

"Red told me he'd let me know when Bruce decided to back off so I could come out again. Followed Robin the last two nights, but it got boring. Taking a night off."

"Yeah, kid's too serious in the suit to be much fun. What you working on up here anyways?"

"New outfit for Kori. Owe her one," she stifled a yawn, concentrating once more on the mechanics of making a crop top that didn't move or lift with your arms up or when turned upside down, without being skin tight.

"And the roof was the best option for this, obviously."

"No distractions up here."

"Or really?"

"Don't even think about it!"

He snagged the sketchbook and took off back through the window and down the hall, laughing when he heard a shriek and the immediate sounds of Mari giving chase.

"Jason get back here with that!"

…

Stephanie dropped into the apartment on a Thursday, taking in the fabric bound chaos of the living area, particularly thick around a work desk that seemingly exploded. Scattered bits of boning, lacing, eyelets, three seam rippers and notably a few chains, sticking out of the disaster. In the center of it all sat a tiny designer with a vicious snarl curling the edge of her lip.

Skipping over, Steph wrapped her hands around and squeezed at the tense shoulders, noticing the concerning lack of reaction.

"Mari, I'm hungry."

"I'll make you something later."

"Hmm, don't think so. I'm calling for pizza. You're joining me and no, work is not allowed during pizza time." 

With that, she dragged Marinette off the chair and into the bedroom, both dropping onto the bed as Stephanie made the call, not needing to ask what the other wanted. Marinette didn't bother arguing, which was only more concerning. Steph wondered for a moment if she should call in reinforcement, but ultimately opted out. 'Nah, I got this.'

"Okay, should be here soon," she stated, relaxing into the comforter for a while, letting the other recover from being abruptly yanked out of work mode; read ten minutes of silence before curiosity won out.

"So what are you killing yourself over this time? Oh! Your suit for the next show? You have to let me see it!"

"No no, that was finished a week ago. You can stop by the studio tomorrow to check it out. You're still coming with me, right? I have a dress set aside for you."

"Obviously. I'm your date. However, that doesn't answer what you were getting so pissy with out there?" She teased, peaking at the other from the corner of her eye.

"It's a corset. Like, an actual, structured, hand embroidered, perfectly laced up corset. My hands feel like a crime scene with how much I've torn into them trying to get this right."

"Oh god, those things are so intricate. You're going to be screaming bloody murder by the end, why would you even do that to yourself?"

"... Haven't been sleeping much, figured it'd help get the frustration out."

"You never sleep much. Hence the sleep cuddle club," she pondered the thought a moment before snickering, "you two could make a business out of that if you weren't already swamping yourselves. Cuddle sessions for the sleep deprived and lonely. Oh! I'll go grab the door. I'm stealing your wallet by the way." 

Stephanie launched out of the room to the sound of a knocking door and a Mari grumbling about it hardly being stealing when you announce it and the owner doesn't care. Walking back in, she dropped the box between them, yanked the top off and grabbed for the garlic butter sauce they ordered to dip the crusts in.

"You're disgusting."

"And you lack respect for sauce. What else is new?"

"... I've been skipping nap time too," Mari muttered, hoping the other wouldn't hear.

"What do you mean you've been skipping naps? That's like, the only time you two ever sleep! Marinette, you cannot be awake 24/7."

"Pshh, more like 23/6. I crash hard on day 7."

"... That's a whole mood. Might I ask as to why you hate yourself so suddenly?"

"My commissions have gone through the roof with award season coming up, and spring weddings start up immediately after that. I might be clientele only, but my client basis is massive at this point! I don't have time and the few moments I've been free, Tim's been out for the night. And lord knows I don't sleep well alone."

"Uh-huh. And how long has this been going on?" Steph focused on the cheese stringing from her mouth that just would not let go, to give the other a chance to build up to tell the truth without having a guilty stare off.

"Um. About two weeks?" Mari flinched, wishing she were Tuemessian so she could disappear right there.

"So what you're telling me is that you haven't slept more than 12 collective hours, you're overworking yourself to the point of compliance to my antics, and your boyfriend, who's just as much of a sleepless wreck as you are, hasn't dragged you off for your regularly scheduled nap dates. Is that correct?"

"Well yeah. Wait, my boyfriend?"

"Don't even try me, I know you and Tim are a thing. No denying it. It's so damn blatant, it's ridiculous the others seem so oblivious to it," Steph rolled her eyes, daintily wiping her fingers off and grabbing a half empty water bottle off the nightstand to drain. A perfect contradiction of uppity and uncaring that only she seemed to pull off.

Marinette could only blink in surprise for a moment before nodding along, "We didn't plan for this," she murmured, half distracted.

"For what?"

"Nothing," she shook her head to clear the thought, "point is.Yes? I mean, we're just really busy and haven't found time and he knows how important this all is to me and even if he doesn't approve, it's not like he can get away to prevent it. Which would make him a total hypocrite if he called me out on it. Honestly, it's not even that bad, I'm catching up on so much now and I'll get to see him soon I'm sure, just as soon as I get through this season and!"

"That's it! I'm staging an intervention! We're finishing this pizza, cleaning you up and then I'm dropping you off at his apartment where you will sleep. Tomorrow the two of you are not leaving the bed until noon at the earliest. No work, only rest. Understood?"

"Noooo, Stephanniiieee, I'm busy!"

"Are you telling me you don't want snuggles?"

"... No."

"Then quit your bitchin, your arguments are lost on me. Now help me with this before I eat it all, itty bitty."

…

It took maybe fifteen minutes to finish the food and get some water down, another twenty to shower and get coerced into wearing cozy black fleece leggings, lavender tank top, and a soft, deep royal purple cardigan, and finally an extra ten minutes to lock up and make it out of the complex.

While Marinette was locked away in the bathroom, Stephanie called up Tim.

"Tell me you're at home. Or can be back in the next fifteen minutes."

"I just walked in?"

"Perfect, I'm dropping Mari off soon. She's like the walking dead right now and that's coming from the Dead Robins Club VP."

"VP…"

"Duh, Jason's the President. Damian's a recruit. Mari's not allowed to become the newbie. She's not even a Robin, it'd make no sense."

"What about Dick and I?"

"You two never actually died, doesn't count."

"Fair… wait, what's going on with ma loutine?"

"When's the last time you slept properly? Or even napped?"

"..."

"So when do you think she last slept or napped?"

"..."

"We'll be there soon."

…

Marinette found herself dragged up to his apartment, the door opening as she was pushed forward into a warm, familiar chest.

Since being dragged from her work, the lack of self care was slowly catching up to her. She hadn't even bothered to pull her hair out of her face, just letting the freshly blow dried fluff fall were it may. She had a vague idea of how they got here, but either way was grateful to find herself warm and held, even if it was in a doorway with the two talking over her head. She caught only snippets: something about not skipping out on each other anymore and a suggestion about living situations that made the body pressed to hers flush. Eventually the two stopped and Stephanie left. A hand pressed to the side of her face and she looked up to Tim who tilted to rest his forehead on hers.

"Hello sweetheart."

"Mon Somnambule," she smiled, eyes closing automatically.

"Think you're beating me there. When have you last slept?"

"Hypocrite."

"That's not an answer."

Mari pouted, not looking like she wanted to answer.

"Have you slept beyond an hour at a time?"

"I can't remember," she admitted.

"Why haven't you slept? You're usually better at self regulation than I am."

"Missed you."

"It's more than that though, isn't it?"

She pulled back and burrowed back into his chest, concentrating on the sound of his heartbeat.

"Couldn't sleep alone. Dark figure stalking me. Brought back bad memories. Became a nonentity for a reason. I do the following now. I make others uncomfortable, observe and toy with them. Not the other way round."

"I took care of that. He won't follow me anymore. You can come back out. But sweetheart, why didn't you call me?"

"Too risky at night with him following you. Too busy during the day. Didn't seem like there was a good time," she admitted.

He frowned, but let it go, gently tugging her arms over his shoulders to clasp behind his neck and placed his hands on the back of her thighs in a prompt to jump up. With her firmly wrapped around him, he made way to his bedroom, sitting down on the edge and pulling back a touch.

"Maybe Steph was right about living situations," he muttered to himself, hushing her when she hummed in confusion.

"Are you comfortable sleeping in that?"

She tugged at the cardigan, accidently getting tangled until he helped her out of it, folding it off to the side. She tucked her face down into the side of his neck and slumped into him completely. Turning them about, he settled her down, curling around her.

"Sleep well, love."

#timari #timinette #part 13 #ml x dc #maribat #I also need to be dragged to sleep #hints at dark past #doesnt get into it #use your imagination

[dccomicsimagines]

Beach Day and Jealousy - Nightwing x Reader

Requested by Anon -  an imagine where yj Nightwing takes his girlfriend to meet the team and Zatanna gets really jealous.

You gasped as you came out of the zeta tube for the first time. Dick caught you before you stumbled to the ground.

“Are you okay? I know it can be strange the first time,” Dick insisted, wrapping his arm around you. You nodded, blinking several times.

“I’m fine. It’s something I have to get used to,” you explained, adjusting the beach bag on your shoulder. You gazed at the cave around you. “Wow, so this is where you are spending all of your time.” 

“Well, not all of my time,” Dick mumbled, kissing your cheek. 

You laughed, turning to press a kiss to his lips. “You’re so cute.” As focused as you were on each other, you didn’t notice the rest of team entering the room.

“Who’s that?” Beast Boy asked, stopping in his tracks. M’gann quickly covered his eyes, much to his disappointment.

“They aren’t a new member of the team?” Bart asked, zooming into the room. 

“Yeah, hermano, Nightwing just kisses every new team member,” Jaime snapped, smacking Bart across the head. “Think, ese.” 

“They are somebody,” Zatanna mumbled, narrowing her eyes at the sight. Artemis placed a hand on her shoulder.

“That’s (Y/N),” Wally announced, causing everyone to look at him in surprise. “They’re his new girlfriend.”

“Really?” Zatanna snapped, glaring at Wally. “How long?”

Wally shrank at her glare, hiding behind Artemis. Artemis sighed, shaking her head in good humor. “They have been dating for about three months.” Zatanna growled at her words.

“Perhaps we should greet them rather than stand here gossiping,” Kaldur interrupted, stepping around the team to go towards you and Nightwing.

“Hey, Kaldur,” Dick greeted with a smile. “This is (Y/N). My girlfriend.” 

“Hi,” you squeaked, your eyes widened at the sight of Kaldur’s gills. Dick had talked about his team before, but you never thought what he had said was true. 

“Hello (Y/N), it’s nice to meet you.” Kaldur smiled, glancing back at the team who was too busy studying you to approach. “You will have to excuse the team. Unfortunately, they have yet to become use to meeting new people.”

“They’re kinda idiots,” Dick whispered in your ear as he slipped the beach bag off your shoulder. He tossed it over his shoulder making you roll your eyes.

“I assume you will be participating in our beach day?” Kaldur asked you as Dick went to go talk to the others. 

You watched him go while answering Kaldur’s question. “Yeah, Dick said it would be a good time to meet everyone. He talks about you all the time.” 

Kaldur hummed, turning to follow your gaze. The two of you fell silent as you noticed a girl with dark hair glaring at you. You tried to guess who she was, but Dick’s descriptions were never that detailed. 

“Who’s that girl with the dark hair?” you asked curiously. The girl’s glare made you shiver.

“Oh, that is Zatanna,” Kaldur explained, not noticing how wide your eyes grew at the knowledge. “She has left the team to join the Justice League, but she always comes back for beach day.” 

Swallowing hard, you forced a smile onto your face as Dick guided the rest of the team over to you. However, Zatanna’s glare chilled you to the bone. 

“I don’t know what Dick sees in her,” Zatanna sneered to M’gann and Artemis as the three women suntanned on the beach. You and Dick were in the water, splashing around with Cassie, Tim, and Garfield. 

“Maybe he likes them for their personality,” Artemis suggested halfheartedly. 

“They are pretty,” M’gann added softly. Zatanna turned her glare onto M’gann before going back to you. You glanced over at the three women, feeling their eyes on you. However, you quickly looked away at Zatanna’s hostile glare. 

“I mean what does (Y/N) have that I haven’t got?” Zatanna growled, hissing when she saw Dick kiss you before stumbling into the water after you. Artemis and M’gann shared look, choosing to remain silent. A pout formed on her face as Dick swung you around in his arms before the two of you disappeared underwater. “Disgusting.” 

Artemis sighed, pointing a finger at Zatanna. “Knock it off. It’s your fault you didn’t act sooner. Quit blaming it on (Y/N). Besides, Dick is happy.” With that, Artemis got to her feet to join Wally by the grill. 

“What does she know?” Zatanna eyed M’gann. “Do you agree with her or are you on my side?”

M’gann shifted uncomfortably. “They do seem very happy together. I know you’re hurt and jealous, but I think you need to let it go.” Wincing at Zatanna’s sour face, M’gann went to join Wally and Artemis by the grill. 

Turning her gaze back to you and Dick, Zatanna felt rage pooling in the pit of her stomach. Her eyes narrowed when you challenged Tim to a race. While the two of you swam into deeper waters, a idea sparked in Zatanna’s brain.

You breathed in water when you suddenly felt something grab a hold of your foot. Coughing, you barely got a chance to catch a breath before the something dragged you underwater. Through the water, you heard Tim’s cry of alarm. You glanced down at your foot, prepared to kick whatever held you only to find nothing there.

Fighting with all your might, you found the hold on your foot to be unrelenting as it dragged you deeper underwater. You breathed in more water, panic seized you. Your vision started to fade as a strong pair of arms wrapped around your waist.

The next you knew you were lying on the beach with Dick’s mouth against yours, breathing for you. You pushed him away, coughing up water. Dick helped you sit up, so you wouldn’t choke.

“Are you okay?” Dick demanded, checking you over with a panic you had never seen in him before. You nodded, gasping for air. 

“I’m okay,” you whispered, your throat sore from swallowing the salt water. Glancing around, you realized in horror that the entire team was watching you with concern. 

“What happened?” Tim demanded, kneeling down beside you. You made eye contact with Zatanna, shocked by the satisfied expression on her face. 

“I’m not sure,” you mumbled, quickly looking away from her. “Maybe I’m not as good of a swimmer as I thought.” You laughed halfheartedly before ducking your head in embarrassment. Dick drew you into his arms, holding you tightly. 

“Don’t scare me like that again,” Dick whispered in your ear. You glanced over at Zatanna again to see her wrinkling her nose in disgust. 

“I’m sorry,” you mumbled, gazing back at the ground. A sour feeling grew in your stomach as you felt Zatanna’s hatred of you. 

A while later, you were sitting on the beach with a towel around you. Dick had refused to let you go back into the water. Actually you didn’t mind, almost drowning had killed the mood. 

Dick was over getting food when someone sat down beside you. Out of the corner of your eyes, you recognized the dark hair. 

“So, that was quite a scare you gave poor Dickie,” Zatanna began snottily. 

You paused, studying her for a moment. “I can’t help that.” Narrowing your eyes, you stared at her hard. Zatanna raised an eyebrow, waiting to see if you would say some more.

When you didn’t, she continued. ”Dick needs someone who can take care of themselves. After all, he doesn’t need more things to worry about.”

You frowned. “Well, it’s a good thing he is with me. That is as long as certain people don’t try to intervene.” 

“What are you saying, (Y/N)?” Zatanna dared you smugly. You shook your head, glancing over at Dick who was busy talking to Wally while juggling two plates. 

“Nothing,” you mumbled, refusing to confront her. You sensed she was trying to get you to accuse her of what happened in order for you to look bad in front of Dick. However, you decided to remain silent. 

Rage flashed in Zatanna’s eyes at your silence. She leaned over, hissing in your ear. “You will never be good enough for him. I suggest you break it off before you end up hurting him.” Your eyes widened as you flinched away from her. Fortunately, Dick chose that moment to return to your side.

“(Y/N), Zee,” Dick interjected hesitatingly, watching the two of you carefully. “How’s everything going?”

Zatanna gave him a bright smile before getting up. “Great, I was just chatting to (Y/N).” She leaned over to kiss Dick’s cheek, but Dick pulled away from her. Her eyes narrowed before she walked away.

Dick sank down on the sand beside you, handing you a plate. He frowned when you refused to look at him. “(Y/N), did she say something?”

“No,” you mumbled, playing with the food on the plate. “I’m just tired.” 

“Stop. I know something is wrong,” Dick insisted, taking your chin in his hand to force you to look at him. “Tell me.”

You bit your lip, uncertain. “She’s your friend.”

“Yeah, but if she’s making you uncomfortable. I want to know,” Dick explained, glancing back over at Zatanna, who was currently talking to M’gann and Artemis.

Closing your eyes, you willed yourself to speak. “Were you in a relationship with her? Beyond simply friendship?” 

Dick furrowed his brow in confusion. “Yeah, but that was years ago when I was thirteen.” His eyes widened as the realization dawned on him. “Did she threaten you?” 

“It’s fine, Dick. Leave it be,” you answered, setting the plate of food on the sand. You buried your face in your knees, no longer having an appetite.  

Before you could react, Dick was on his feet, marching over towards Zatanna. His food laid forgotten in the sand. You watched him in horror as he started talking quietly with Zatanna. By the nasty look she gave you, the subject of their conversation was obvious. 

The conversation grew more heated before suddenly Dick dragged Zatanna towards you. You got to your feet, unsure of what to do. Fear pooled in the pit of your stomach. 

He stopped in front of you, letting go of Zatanna to wrap his arm around you. “I love (Y/N), Zee.” Your eyes widened in shock at Dick’s words.  “I understand you still haven’t gotten over our breakup, but it’s been years.” He glanced at your frozen expression of shock before glaring at her. “It’s time to move on, and harming (Y/N) is not the way to do that.” 

“But Dick...” Zatanna began, heartbroken. However, Dick cut her off.

“Stop Zee. We’re not getting back together, because our relationship wasn’t healthy for either of us. I’m sorry.” Zatanna was near tears as she quickly walked away. Once she was gone, Dick turned to you. “Are you okay, (Y/N)?”

You blinked several times. “You said you love me,” you stated, gasping as your breath had left your body. Dick grinned at you, nodding his head. 

“I’ve been meaning to say that for a long time,” Dick whispered, kissing you softly on the lips. His kiss took you out of your shock as you returned it happily. You buried your hands in his hair, pulling him against you. 

“I love you too,” you mumbled against his lips. Dick grinned before slamming his lips back against yours. Time seemed to stop as the two of you shared your happiness. 

“Hey, get a room,” Wally shouted, breaking the two of you apart. You hide your face into Dick’s shoulder while Dick sent Wally a dirty look. 

You pulled back to look into Dick’s eyes. “So, you have no regrets about choosing me?”

Dick grinned, his love for you sparkled in his blue eyes. “No regrets. How can I when you are the best thing that has ever happened to me?”

Your heart glowed at his words as you kissed him again with enough force to send him falling backwards into the sand. You landed on top of him. Dick chuckled, happily kissing you back. 

#dick grayson #dick grayson x reader #dick grayson imagine #nightwing #nightwing x reader #nightwing imagine #dc comics imagines #dc reader insert #young justice imagines #yj imagine

[defenestram]

Notes: I have no clue where this came from, @roseywaters. I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT IT THAN ANSWERS AND I WROTE THE DAMN THING. TW: Death, Suicide, Suicidal Thoughts

The world was ending…

The sky was shrouded in mist and rain and fog which twisted through the tree-topped hills. The river looped sluggishly and lazily below, the occasional point of a boat dipping through the waters. A few pedestrians braved the park, a few girls in raincoats took selfies while a tired mother chastised her energetic son for jumping into puddles and then wailing when his socks got wet. Cars passed in a quick clip, leaving a quiet hiss of rubber tires slicking rain to and fro on the pavement.

Nobody stopped. Nobody stared.

The world was ending, but only to Max, and it had been ending for ages.

The end of the world began when she met her assignment. The world began to end when she held her hand out to Tim Floss for the first time and introduced herself to him:

“Hi there! I’m Agent Price, and I’ll be holding you together today.”

And she did. For all her youth, Max was still a powerful mutant. She slid into Tim’s mind and found all the pieces of him that were left jagged by entropy and she pushed ever-so-gently until he could function, until she could see clarity as a beacon in the eyes she fell so hard for.

It was her job to be his shadow, to be a net to catch him when he fell, and Tim fell, fell, fell. Tim always fell and unlooped and unraveled. Humpty Dumpty always on his wall, and Max’s job was to pick up the pieces and make them sensible again.

Nobody had thought to look for her and piece her back together. Nobody questioned the day Max bought her first spinning ring and looped it around her finger, much less when she began to photograph bugs or that she spent more time outside in New Haven than she had in years. Max hiked, she wandered, and occasionally she would call her superior agent because she got lost and couldn’t remember the way back to her quarters, no matter how many times she read the way out of someone’s head.

“You shouldn’t be alone,” she had told Tim once, but Max had never heeded her own advice.

She retreated inward. Her only job was Tim. She had to understand Tim to hold him together. Understanding turned into becoming somewhere down the line, and becoming turned into being.

Max wandered. Max followed entropy, but she couldn’t control it. She dissolved and something else took its place, but it didn’t matter because one step away from herself was a step closer to helping him, him, him. She could hold him… even if it meant she’d fall apart, Max swore she’d hold him together.

“You shouldn’t be alone, Tim,” she’d said, a gentle smile curving onto her lips as she mused over her own secret.

He wasn’t alone. He never would be so long as he had her.

But he didn’t have her when he died.

He didn’t have her when entropy dissolved flesh and muscles and nerves to atoms and quarks and particles lesser still. She had been told officially the morning after it happened, but Max had known. She had twinned her mind to match his and erased herself until everything was Tim. She knew when her assignment, the match to her mind, and the man she was dissolving herself for suddenly became such painful nothing.

There was a hole in the world. Max made no reaction to the news beyond a few slow blinks and a softly muttered “That’s unfortunate” before she was dismissed.

But it wasn’t just unfortunate; it was calamity.

The world became wrong. She became wrong. There was a haunt in every corner in New Haven -- a breakfast joint where she had met him for an emergency session once, a park where she had watched (and photographed) butterflies while waiting for him, an apartment complex that they had been assigned for a few months when they had first arrived. The world was filled with Tim, but only as a ghost, only as an echo, only as the reminder of a vacuum.

She too was a ghost. Thoughts crept into her mind that were alien and strange, and unwelcome and unbidden. Max knew that they were hers, and that she was trying to heal her wounds and fix herself, but she was supposed to be his match, and he was always so broken…

Worse, he was gone, and she still was.

The fact struck home the most when she stared at her reflection in the mirror one morning after a shower. Her hair -- dark and long -- hung in damp strands that bled water against her bare shoulders. Her features were too sharp, too angular, but it was the hair that bothered her most of all.

She couldn’t find scissors, so she used a knife instead, and her hands were steady as she hacked and cut and chopped until her hair -- once called her one true beauty -- fell to the ground in heaps until even her hair matched his, albeit clumsily.

She reached up and touched the front-most strands of hair just nearest to her temple, and a slow dawning smile stretched upon her lips.

Clumsy.

Tim would have liked it. It would have suited him.

Max smiled as tears welled in her eyes and then dripped down her cheeks and dropped off of her chin.

The next day she asked for a transfer.

Get me out of New Haven. Get me out of this haunted city. Get me help, and get me out, out, out, she wanted to say, but all that came out was “I just want to be closer to family.”

She was gone within the week, her sparse possessions packed on a bus. Tim wouldn’t have liked a plane, she knew, but even with her window seat and her face pressed to the glass and the roll of the horizon past her gaze, Max couldn’t help but spin her rings endlessly, endlessly, aimlessly.

She stopped at Portland. Set her bags down in an empty apartment that had been assigned to her, and went to work the next morning, as if nothing had happened…

Except it had. The sky was gray, the clouds burdened with the threats of perpetual rain and everyone filtered this way and that on the sidewalk without much a care. They had places to go, people to see, and nobody minded that a little water soaked into their jacket…

It was gray. It was colorless. It was wet and weighted and it was wrong because she was wrong. Max knew many things -- she could know everything if she wanted -- but she didn’t know how to be right…

So she decided to end it.

She didn’t know why she chose St. John’s bridge or why she waited until after work, or why she decided to walk the entire way from the Pearl District headquarters to the steel bridge where she wanted the world to end. She was soaked and shivering by the time she arrived, and her breath escaped in lips in a thin drawl of mist.

Tim died in fire. Max couldn’t match that, but she could oppose it. Equal and opposite. If she couldn’t match, then she would oppose and end, and then she would match.

The world was ending. Max saw the grey sky, felt the rain weigh down into her clothes and hair. She felt the chill on her skin and heard the click of cell phone cameras and the cry of “well, of course they’re wet! That’s why I didn’t want you jumping in the first place” from an exasperated mother. She felt the rush of cars as they sped past her to and fro, and when she finally reached the center of the bridge, Max turned…

The river was not a river, but an ocean -- an void stretching its arms out to beckon her forward and welcome her down.

It would not embrace her; it would break her until she was nothing… but that was okay.

Tim was nothing too.

Max lifted her hands and rested them against the rails. She pretended it was a track meet -- just a few hurdles to jump, and then rest -- but when it came time for her to press down and hoist herself up and over…

She couldn’t.

Max stood still, but it was more like she was being held in place and pinned into position -- as if something or someone slid their hand into hers and tethered her to this side of life.

“It’s cold, love,” a gentle voice announced from somewhere to the right. Max couldn’t even turn her head to see who was speaking to her, but she knew it was a woman, just as she felt the warm pressure of another hand guiding hers away from the railing.

“It’s cold and it’ll be darker soon. You should head home, and you should rest. You look like you’re getting sick, and you know how colds carry around here.”

The hand slipped from hers, and then Max heard the click of a lighter. She wanted to flinch at the tiny spark of flame from the roll of the woman’s thumb on the strike, and she did wrinkle her nose as the smoke clouded and clogged her nostrils.

“Last a fucking lifetime, colds, and life’s too short to spend it sick and broken.”

Max and the stranger stood in silence for a few moments. Every once in a while Max could catch a glimpse of the woman from her peripheral -- shorter than her, dark hair in a braid that looped around her shoulder, a thick canvas jacket in olive drab… the glimmer of something silver around a slender throat.

But mostly they just stood. The world didn’t end. Instead, it rushed into Max’s senses. Color infiltrated the gray and brought verdant back to the pines. The river gurgled below, but it did not beckon, merely babbled and rushed. The sickly sweet smoke mingled with the fresh rain and the dust in the air, and in the distance Max could see lights in houses and hightowers, distant like a pinprick of stars that she could never touch, only reach for.

The woman exhaled and then sighed before flinging her still smouldering cigarette off the bridge and down, down, down… until it could no longer be seen.

Max shuddered, and it had nothing to do with the cold.

“I want to fix you,” the woman started, her voice heavy but strangely thin and strained. “I could do it, but I won’t. It’s not my place. I could fix you, but it would ruin the weave of the world -- the balance of it. I can deviate here and there, but a deviation is a ripple and even the tiniest of ripples could become a wave, and a wave could tear the very world in two. I’m supposed to hold it all together, you know? I’m supposed to be here too. I’ve done this so many times with so many possibilities and all for the sake of balance -- a line between it all… a synthesis -- but there’s always a Tim, and there’s always Aqua, and there’s always you and I meeting together on this bridge.”

Max wrinkled her nose and confusion knotted her brow as she tried to turn her head, only to find herself stuck staring forward. She tried to reach out with her mind and throw herself into the stranger’s head so she could read them and know them and what they meant, but there was… no mind to throw herself into. Max felt a wall, and then she felt a gentle weight in her mind, almost like a hand pressing down on her head so gently, or like two arms wrapping around her body to draw her in and comfort her.

“I won’t fix you, but I can give you a push towards fixing yourself. It’s literally the least I can do.”

Max could see the woman’s hand lift from the rail and disappear into what she assumed was the pocket of a coat. Max heard the rustling of fabric, and then the slap of cards as they were shuffled, and then a hand pulling hers up… and the tiniest weight of plastic on her palm before her fingers were made to close around it.

“A gift for Sam. He’ll know what to do with it when the time comes, even if he doesn’t know now. Boy can’t bluff for shit, but he’s the only person to ever beat me at cards, and that’s saying something.”

The woman stopped talking then, and the silence swept over them again. Max couldn’t move and she couldn’t speak. She couldn’t detect thoughts from the woman standing next to her, but she knew that what was happening was impossible. She knew it was wrong, as if a fissure in the world had been opened and she had seen a glimmer of something she was not supposed to.

But instead of covering her eyes, she could only watch the gentle pour of the rain and the rippled waves of the river below them. A car horn shot through the silence, albeit distantly, and that should have been jarring enough to cause her to turn on her heels in a start, but Max stared calmly…

The entire situation was wrong, but Max didn’t feel wrong or mismatched anymore. She and Tim were difficult to disentangle, but there was a tiny groove between them -- just the faintest impression.

“Your eyes look like your father’s,” the woman stated casually, as if her news were as mundane an observation like the weather.

Max blinked, and then the weight holding her down pulled away. She turned to the side, but she was too quick and too eager in her movements, and her elbow slammed into the railing. Max yelped and then struggled to right her balance, and that’s when she saw…

Nothing.

No one.

No brown hair, no thick braid, no olive drab jacket, and no smouldering cigarette.

But there was the clinging scent of cigarette smoke and a card in her hand… Max held out her palm and saw a tableau of a lion and a unicorn on either side of a field, a single black spade splayed upon the card, and printed so neatly: Honi soit qui mal y pense.

Max knew it as the ace of spades, but everything else was lost on her -- a mystery that she didn’t know the answers to, for once. She didn’t know who Sam was, or why she was supposed to give him a card, or even when she was supposed to give it to him…

But she started walking home and away from the ledge.

The next day, on her last day before starting her first day of work at the Portland office, she stopped by a salon and they trimmed her hair so that the clumsy cut framed the angles of her face a bit better. She didn’t look like Tim anymore, but she never had and never would.

Max still spun her rings as she wandered the city, but she sat criss cross in a diner booth that night and felt a little more like herself as she watched people pass by the windows.

There were no ghosts in Portland; there were only beginnings.

#character: Max Price #Sam and Max #I am so amused that the smartest/wisest/most powerful NPC I have ever written apparently smokes and cusses #Like I went to write Laurel and expected her to come off as preachy and sagey and she did to some extent but then THAT happened #Also good job Sam for apparently beating someone who is basically omnipotent in a game of cards... even if you apparently cannot bluff #LAUREL Y U SO QUESTIONABLE AND WEIRD?

[biebsimagine]

Newspapers

This is the very first draft of a fanfic I planned to write but lost confidence in at the beginning of the year, and I totally forgot about it until now. I thought I'd at least post it somewhere instead of just scrapping it. I've completely lost where I was going to go with the story so I don't know what this is, but enjoy! 

The news stands all around New York show the same image of a young girl - early twenties, blonde - laid out on the streets, covered in wounds. They don't catch my eye as I stride down the streets, trying to squeeze through the sea of people.

My earphones are in and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band by The Beatles is my soundtrack on my way to work. My briefcase is heavy in my hand and I have to keep alternating between my left and right but I don't complain as it keeps me fitting into the crowd, despite what's inside.

The buildings are towering over us all and creating shade, which doesn't help in the already cold air. The smell of hot dogs and burgers coming from the stands around the corner from my building fills my senses, as always, and I try not to feel hungry.

There's four buildings in each corner, each one seeming as tall as the next and all overlooking the fountain that sits in the centre that I'm walking past. I feel water spitting on my neck and I flinch away, meanwhile my feet are hurriedly taking me towards the building to my right.

A woman is sat on one of the wooden benches. She's staring down at an iPhone 7 that rests in the palm of her hand and she looks up as I'm walking by. I smile at her and it takes her a second to mirror my expression, when she does, I send her a wink.

There's birds swooping low and landing on the branches of the trees, their voices echoing while they do so. I can't help but wonder what it would feel like to be so free; nothing to think hard about, nothing to keep a secret.

I stride into the building and aim straight for the desk that sights next to the elevator. Harry, who works the desk, is sat in his usual chair and looking down at the newspaper; I'm fairly certain he's currently engaging in his daily routine of doing the Crossword puzzle in the back of The Times.

He looks up when my shadow casts over his paper, he smiles the usual crooked smile when he notices me.

"Morning, Bieber," he croaks cheerfully. I sign in by scribbling my name on the sheet of paper.

"Morning, Harry. Good weekend? How's the wife?" I ask but I'm already taking slow steps towards the elevator that's just opened and spat out two men dressed in suits almost identical to mine. Harry replies but I merely nod and grimace - my earphones are still in and Day In The Life is blocking out any kind of sound - before lunging in between the doors that were seconds from closing before I forced them to open again.

Thankfully, there's no one in the elevator as I make my way up to the third floor. I'm able to appreciate the melodies floating into my ear while checking my appearance in the slightly distorted reflection on the metal walls. I run a hand through my hair to smooth it and fix my tie.

It stops on the second floor and I recognise Tim Fitzgerald stepping inside wearing an Armani suit. He gives me a once over before standing next to me, clasping his hands in front of him.

Tim has blonde hair that I'm fairly sure is dyed, his nose points a little too far to the right; rumour has it, he used to be apart of a notorious gang, but I call bullshit. I try not to look over at him and imagine him in tiny pieces.

"..Listening to me, Bieber?" I can hear him say as the current song finishes. I sigh and reach into my suit pocket to pause the next song that I recognise as ____.

"Sorry, Fitz, you were saying?" I ask tiredly and in no form of anticipation to hear what he has to say. The elevator is moments from arriving on the third floor, I'm not relieved because I know Fitzgerald's office is on the third floor.

"I asked you if you'd tried that new restaurant downtown; Nova, I believe it's called."

"No, I haven't. If you'll excuse me," I manage to say as I slip between the metal doors that hadn't stopped parting.

"Oh, really? Everyone's going there, it's almost impossible to get a reservation. You should definitely take- what's her name, Sophia? Yes, Sophia. She'd love it there."

I'm uncertain as to whether he'd spoken after that because I'm hurriedly making my way through the floor, passing door after door, each of them having signs with the name of its proprietor. I keep a mental checklist that includes each of the names, although I know I'll never manage complete it.

Taking a left, I can see my office door and it's then that I become aware of the fact that no music is coming through my earphones. I sigh and carefully take each earpiece out of my ear before twirling them around my fingers.

My assistant, who I'm pretty sure is attracted to me, is sat at her desk outside of my office. Today she's wearing a black pantsuit with her blonde hair falling down her shoulders. I nod at her while turning the door handle, I notice a hopeful smile fall from her lips and I'm guessing it's because she was hoping I would make some kind of conversation with her.

Inside my office, I place the briefcase down on the desk, it's joined by my phone and earphones. There's cool air kissing my neck and it only becomes more dominant to me when I slip my suit jacket off of my back. It's left to hang on the back of the door and I smooth my hands across it.

Moving around my desk, I take a hold of the phone - it's one that still having to be held back by a long wire - and dial the familiar number. It rings and I let myself fall into the chair while I await and anticipate that one voice.

I can see, through the drapes that hang over the window to the left of the door, my assistant - Courtney - sitting behind her desk.

"Hello?"

"Sophia," I say while wrapping the cord around my pointer finger before letting it bounce back into straightness.

"You left about half an hour ago, Justin." Her laugh echoes and bounces against my eardrum, I flinch.

"Am I not allowed to call my girlfriend when I want to? I thought you'd be pleased to hear from me. D'you know most men don't call their girlfriends?"

"Alright, my apologies. What's up?"

"How about dinner tonight?" I ask, yanking the drawer of my desk open before grabbing the TV remote that sits next to the duct tape and the pins.

The silence goes on for a little longer than I expected. "I thought we could stay home tonight, have some 'us' time, y'know?"

"I'm thinking Nova."

My words are the predecessor of even more silence from Sophia. "Nova's nice.."

"You've heard of it?" I ask, wondering how she had managed to be up to date when I'd only just been made aware of the restaurant's existence. I felt my fingers clench around the phone; the plastic creaks under the pressure.

"Of course, everyone's talking about it. I heard it's almost always impossible to get a reservation. Emily Pierce told me her husband took her last week."

I can't help the excruciating itch of frustration that I'm seemingly the only one that hasn't heard about the restaurant. I remind myself to pick up a copy of The Times on my way home.

"So, is that a yes?" I ask with a rather short tone; the only things I've gained from this conversation are the annoyance of not failing to be up to date, along with the determination to get reservations - with a good table - at Nova's.

"Yes! Of course. Shall I come over tonight?" I can hear the excitement in her voice, it's almost billowing out of the receiver and threatening to punch me in the face.

"No, no," I say quickly, remembering the state I left my apartment in last night; I specifically remember the lung puncturing and covering the wall. "That won't be necessary. I'll pick you up at seven. Wear something nice. Preferably black."

"Okay, see you then. I love you," she gushes and, to my relief, doesn't give me time to reply as she ends the call.

There's a brief pause; the only sound is that coming from the TV. The news channel is on and I can hear the reporter talking about a plane crash in the East. Forty people dead, ten missing.

I can see Jean looking through the window at me now and I motion her inside, I watch as she almost trips while  rapidly making her way towards the office door.

"Courtney," I announce and she smiles. "I need reservations for two at Nova, tonight at eight or eight-thirty. Could you sort that for me?"

Her smile falters and, all of a sudden, she looks as though she's trying hard to keep it there.

"Of course," she says rather monotonously as she scribbles it down in the usual pad she carries with her. The edges are frayed and ripped. "Anything else?"

"Just get me a water," I lean back in my chair while I watch her unnecessarily write it down. "That'll be all."

She nods just once and edges towards the door. I'm looking through papers that I notice have been left on my desk when I'm close to being able to feel her disappointment.

"Don't wear that outfit again."

I'm not looking at her so I'm sure as to what her reaction is, but I make a mental bet with myself that it's either - even more - disappointment, or excitement that I've noticed her outfit, even if I have commented negatively on it.

"You don't like it?" she asks and I finally look at her. I won; it was disappointment.

"C'mon, Courtney, you're prettier than that," I chuckle.

#justin bieber #justin bieber imagine #​justin bieber imagines #Justin Bieber mature imagine #Justin Bieber mature #justim bieber au #Justin Bieber aus #justin Bieber fake au #bieber #fanfic #justin Bieber love #Justin Bieber dirty imagines #justin Bieber cute #justin Bieber romance #fake au #fake aus #fake text

[turnertimeline]

Decisions

Collection: Tim and Annie

Year: 1965

Characters: Timothy Turner and Annette Thompson

Content Warnings: abuse, domestic violence

Rating: T

Style: Prose

Summary: Annie has to decide what to do. 

Annie and Tim end up falling asleep on the couch together. She only stopped crying because she fell asleep. Tim doesn't have the heart to move her so he stretches out as best he can and falls asleep with her essentially on top of him.

And then Annie jerks awake a few hours later in a panic. Like, SHIT, how could she be so stupid to fall asleep like this, here.

Her quick movements wake Tim up and he can see how panicked she is. It's maybe only 3 or 4 am.

"I need to get home, Kenneth is going to be so mad if he wakes up and I'm not there." Annie can feel her heart pounding.

"Hey, it's okay. We jus--" Tim starts, worried at how worked up she's getting.

"It's not okay!" Annie shouts. "I was at his when he passed out, if I'm not there when he wakes up--"

Tim gets up and stands in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders, trying to get her to stop pacing and just breathe. "You can just tell him that you went back to yours, or that met a friend for breakfast. It'll be okay."

Annie flinches a little under Tim's touch but doesn't move.

Tim makes a mental note of her flinch when he touches her and moves his hands slowly away once she's calmed down enough.

"It'll be okay," Tim repeats. "He isn't going to wake up for a while. When it gets light, get changed, and go knock for one of your friends to go to breakfast."

Annie still looks freaked out, and a little panicky (and also a little unsure why Tim isn't making jokes about them having ~slept together that suggest they *should* if she was going to sleep on him like that. What did she expect, a pretty thing like her). She gives him a little nods. "Okay."  

"Do you want to try and get a little more sleep? I can set an alarm for 7." Tim offers.

Annie takes a step back and shrugs. "I don't know if I'll be able to sleep."

"I can put the radio on if you want, we can just hang out." Tim hopes that maybe if she's relaxed, she'll be able to get a bit more sleep.

"You should just go back to sleep Tim. I'll be fine out here." Annie makes her way back over to the couch and sits down at the end furthest from where they had been sleeping.

Tim doesn't really want to leave her alone, but... He goes to fetch the blanket and puts it down on the arm of the chair and lays it down flat, petting at the wool a little. "Alright, Annie. Just yell if you need anything..."

Annie looks up and smiles at him, but it looks forced and she isn't looking at him and is sitting all proper on the edge of the chair, her knees pressed tightly together and her hands in her lap , rather than the more relaxed semi-sprawl in the corner of the sofa he'd gotten used to on the occasions she came to visit with her friends.

Tim goes down the hall to his room. And after maybe half an hour of tossing and turning and trying to get comfortable, he grabs another blanket and heads back out to the living room.

He can see that Annie is still awake, but now she's curled up under the blanket, her head on the arm of the sofa with the pillow.

Annie looks up when she hears the floor boards squeak. And Tim can see that she's been crying again.

Tim makes a soft sound. Has maybe subconscious picked up that his father tends to announce his presence when he goes into a room and has echoed it.

"Oh Annie." He sits with his back to the sofa near her bent knees, the way he did the first time she came to him in the middle of the night. "Are you warm enough?"

Annie nods. The blanket she's under is one from the nuns, a patchwork of knitted and crocheted squares.

They sit in silence for a little. Tim leans his head back against the couch and closes his eyes. He's absolutely exhausted but knows he won't sleep while Annie is still awake.

"I'm scared Tim." Annie says quietly, her voice muffled by the blanket she's trying to let swallow her.

Tim opens his eyes but doesn't turn to look at her, not wanting to stop her talking if she wants to.

"I know," Tim murmurs back quietly. He doesn't know what else to say, what to do. He doesn't have a road map for this, so he just stays there.

"I'm not ready to be a mother." She whispers. She knows she doesn't have to be, that she can give it up for adoption.

"You don't have to be, if you don't want to. There are options." Tim tells her. He thinks of the mother's home that Chummy owns. Or adoptions like Angela's.

"My parent's have a friend who runs a mother's home."

Annie shakes her head and lets out a little sob "I don't think I could do that. Have a baby and then give it up?"

Tim makes little soothing noises, mostly without realising. "Shh, shh. Alright. There are ... other options, too."

Annie is quiet for a while. Thinking. She doesn't think she can do that, either, but she feels like she doesn't have any other choice. "No. I need to - tell Kenneth. Ask him."

Tim sits up on his knees to look at her. He can see she's started shaking a little.

"You don't have to ask him anything Annie. He's not the one who's pregnant, you are. It's your choice." Tim's voice is so firm, but not loud.

And Annie is so shocked by it, but it doesn't frighten her.

"But.. it's. It's his too. He'll have to... keep us."

Tim shakes his head again. "It will be his decision when he has to carry them. It's your choice."

Annie is a little startled. That his firm voice didn't frighten her, and at what he's saying. She didn't expect it, somehow. He's expressed some fairly "progressive" views, but as far as Annie knows his parents are quiet tradition.

"I don't...I don't think I could...end it." She whispers. She knows that's the other option Tim meant. And she really doesn't think she'd be able to do that. It's not the baby's fault, so why should it die?

"Then that is the choice you make." Tim reaches out a hand and places it on her knee. "You don't have to decide anything right now."

She jumps a little under his touch but relaxes into it and sighs, rubbing her face. "Can... can I have a glass of water, please?"

"Yeah, of course." Tim gets up and goes to the kitchen. Annie is sitting up when he returns, her knees tucked under her.

Tim hands her the glass and sits next to her, close enough that she can lean on him if she wants to, but not touching her if she doesn't.

She accepts the glass of water gratefully. She drinks half the glass in one go and wipes her mouth, and then leans her shoulder lightly against Tim's shoulder.

"Thank you," Annie murmurs quietly, eyes fixed on her knees

"Do you want to talk more about anything?" Tim offers. He wants her to know that he's there for her, to talk to, lean on, cry to. Anything she needs.

She shakes her head. "No. I think - not for now."

She just feels a bit blank, at the moment. After all the crying. She's made a decision of sorts - no abortion - but everything else sort of stretches out into the future and she can't see

Annie ends up falling asleep again for a little, and Tim falls asleep on the other end of the couch.

The next time she wakes up, she doesn't panic. She sees that Tim is already up and has gotten dressed.

"Good morning." He gives her a little smile. "Do you want to get breakfast together? Instead of trying to see if someone else is up already?"

She smiles at him a little. "That sounds nice. Can we - I should probably get dressed, first." Her circle are the kind of people who will notice if she's wearing the same things twice in the row, and her clothes are a little wrinkled from sleeping on the couch. Tim made sure he was awake so it's still early - much earlier than probably-hungover Kenneth will be out of bed for.

"Of course. Do you want me to go to your building with you and wait outside? Or meet me at the cafe?" They usually always end up at the same cafe when they eat together.

"Can you wait for me? Just in case...." Annie stops herself from finishing. But Tim knows it would have included her being worried about Kenneth being awake already.

"No problem." he smiles at her, hoping it's an encouraging one.

Annie gets up and stretches and Tim makes the point of turning his head when he sees that her shirt lifts. Annie catches the movement and is a little startled that he's not watching her.

She fixes her shirt and folds up the blanket she had used, letting it sit on top of the pillow on the sofa.

"Ready?" She asks.

She's used to *always* being watched, one way or another. By men, either leering or to make comments later about her, and her friends too, always looking for little flaws and comments they can make later on and she's just generally used to always being judged. Not used to Tim respectfully turning away but also not making a big deal out of being alone with a woman or whatever bullshit.

Tim nods. "Yep." They walk the short block to her apartment side by side, and Tim leans on the wall outside her apartment when she goes inside to change. He sees one of his friends but that's it - it's like, 7:30 on a Saturday, everyone's asleep.

Annie doesn't take long to change and she's back down in less than 15 minutes. Tim notices that her hair has been redone as had her make up. He never would have guessed that she'd spent half the night crying.

Annie gives him a smile when she meets him outside and they walk off towards the cafe in a comfortable silence.

At the cafe Annie orders tea, without milk. And when Tim gives her a curious look she tells him it's been making her feel ill.

It's one of those moments Tim realises how much labour and effort women put into maintaining their appearance, and the internal lives most people are unaware of. He's used to Shelagh, although while quite reserved at times, he has seen dishevelled, and curled up in Patrick's pyjamas on the couch, and cry. And the midwives in various states of disarray after a long and/or tiring birth

Tim can't help the little smile and orders his without milk, too. "My Mum was the same." He keeps his voice low, even though the cafe is basically empty apart from a few men in suits reading the paper before work. "It'll wear off."

Yes, and he can only imagine how much time Trixie spends putting herself together XD

He's caught glimpses of Trixie on girl's nights after a hard conversation, and has also seen her when she leaves.

Annie smiles a little. Knowing that Tim's mum dealt with the same thing was comforting. At least it was normal.

"I made a decision last night, or really this morning I guess." Annie says quietly, and pauses when the waitress brings over their tea and takes their food order.

Tim waits for the waitress to leave and then leans forward a little. "You did?" He wishes he could put his hand on hers. He's picked up a lot of his comfort methods from his Dad and from his Mum and from the nuns, which is a lot of gentle hand touches

Annie nods. "I'm keeping it. I don't....I can't end it and just the thought of having it and giving it up breaks my heart."

She smiles at him shyly. "I don't know what's going to happen, I don't know what Kenneth will say....but I want my baby." Her voice is soft.

But Tim thinks it's the confident she's sounded regarding the pregnancy so far.

Yes. And the most resolute.

Tim can't help but grin at her. "Whatever happens with Kenneth, I'll be there to help you too. Babies are the best."

Annie can't help but laugh at his cheesy grin. It's the first time she's felt anything close to happy about the prospect of being pregnant/having a baby.

It takes Annie a few weeks to work up the courage to tell Kenneth. And in that time she spends as little time at home as possible. Hiding out in the library, telling him she needs to study. Tim's usually with her.

She doesn't tell him, but he makes her feel safe.

She spends a lot of time in the library, because on the few times Kenneth has followed her in there and tried to cause a scene/accuse her of sleeping around/drag her back home the librarians have come over and kicked him out for making too much noise. And Tim tags along/is just there anyway for his own work.

Tim makes her feel safe - he doesn't push her to talk, he doesn't ever try it on with her or act like she owes him anything. And it's nice to be with someone who *knows*. Kenneh is less likely to start something if she has company, too.

When they go to grab lunch, she doesn't have to explain why she doesn't want certain things. She doesn't have to find an excuse like she does with her other friends. The occasions she has to run to the toilet, she doesn't have to say anything. On the few occasions they're out of an evening with friends, he runs interference so her friends don't query why she's not drinking.

Someone tells Kenneth that they see her with Tim a lot. And that starts some shit. Because Kenneth is all manbeast and possessive. Someone spots Annie and Tim at breakfast in the cafe and then later on in the library, and tells Kenneth. And Kenneth all but locks her in her own apartment and physically escorts her to every lecture.

#ctm #call the midwife #narrative: prose #narrative: tim and annie #Tim #Annie #abuse tw #domestic violence tw #1965

[childofmyth]

Sing Me To Sleep - Chapter 9

(So I decided to start writing a Gustafa/Reader fic and here is the result. If you enjoyed this, why not like and reblog it for others to see? And hell, come tell me what you liked, i’d love to hear your feedback!)

ARCHIVE PAGE

Previous Chapter -> (YOU ARE HERE) -> COMING SOON

Summary: You had always been a Mineral Town girl, born and raised on the pavel stone roads and friendly neighborhood. You used to think you’d die there, and that thought left you feeling… Empty.

So what did you do? You left for the town next door to seek new experiences, and you found an abandoned farm, not unlike the ones in Mineral Town, and you found pavel stone roads like Mineral Town, and you found(decidedly new) friendly neighbors like Mineral Town had.

But Forget-Me-Not Valley had one thing Mineral Town did not.

Gustafa

Takakura called after you once you finally began to wander from your farm, unsure exactly where you were you were going, but knowing you were being pulled there for whatever reason. You stopped though at the familiar sound of his rough voice.

"Hey Takakura, do you need something?" You asked, snapping from your daze to address him. He just shook his head.

"You haven't met Van yet. He's in town today, sets up his shop next to the bar. You should go see him." He suggested almost grumpily, but you doubted he was in a mood. His tone just sounded grumpy mostly.

You processed this information as Takakura disappeared into his house without another word.

"Thank you, Takakura!" You still called after him loudly, hoping he'd hear it from inside. You set off to the town path and looked down towards the bar. Lo and behold, there stood a man with a booth just before the bar. You approached him curiously, taking in his appearance as you came closer. He was a stout, husky Asian man it seemed. With his black hair tied in a small ponytail in the back and tiny round glasses perched on his nose. He turned to greet you as you approached the booth.

"We'll I've never seen your face in Forget-Me-Not before. So tell me, just visiting or have you moved here right under my nose?" He asked with a mischievous smile. You chuckled in return and shook your head.

"I just moved in at the farm a little bit ago." You explained, jumping a smidge when he snapped his thick fingers.

"Ah, you're the farmer Takakura was talking about! Wait just a moment. I have some items for you!" He announced almost excitedly before rummaging around beneath his booth. Finally, he reappeared from underneath and produced several items. Your eyes lit up.

Spread put on the booth surface now was a puppy training book, a rubber ball, a dog bed, and some packs of food. You looked up at Van in confusion.

Almost seeming like he knew what you were thinking, he grinned. "Takakura said he got you a puppy, so I thought I'd bring you a few supplies, and I'll even give you a discount since you're new."

"That's so nice of you!" You exclaimed happily, already rummaging around in your knapsack for your wallet. "I'll gladly take then all, please!"

Van let out a happy chuckle and bagged everything in a paper bag while you handed him the money. "And if you ever need anything specific, just ask and I'll order it and have it here the next time I'm in town." He added, turning to your side suddenly. "Ah, Celia! How are you, and how is Vesta doing? Is she back from her trip yet?"

You turned and, to your surprise, there was Celia beside you, smiling back kindly at the salesman.

"I'm doing wonderfully, and so is Vesta. She just returned late last night and is thrilled to be home. She's working the fields right now or she'd be here in my place, but she does say you both need to catch a drink sometime." Celia explained, hands folded neatly over her plaid apron.

Van shrugged. "I don't know about that, I'd be letting my guard down and who knows if Timmy is gonna swoop in and challenge me to something!" He barked back in laughter and it took you a long moment to figure out he must be talking about Tim, the Inn owner.

Celia only rolled her eyes playfully at the man. "Fine, fine. I'll tell Vesta the bad news, after I get back with her fertilizer." She emphasized with raised brows. Van seemed to startle at that and duck back under his booth, waving offhandedly to Celia.

"I didn't forget what you came for."

Celia leaned over to you, cupping a hand around her mouth to whisper. "He definitely forgot." You chuckled back in response.

Celia turned fully to you then while Van rummaged through his wares, and pointed at your paper bag. "What did you buy, if I may ask?"

"Oh! I just bought some supplies for Rowdy, my new puppy." You explained, deciding to add the last statement for clarification. Celia put her hands to her mouth and gasped.

"You have a puppy?" She asked, voice plum full of unrestrained joy. "You have to bring him over to lunch with us on the farm!"

You blinked in surprise, shaking your head for a second to try and process faster. "Wait, what? Lunch today you mean?" You asked in confusion and Celia only nodded happily. You frowned with uncertainty, rubbing at the back of your neck.

"Oh I don't know, Celia... He's called Rowdy for a reason."

Celia would not stand for it though, breaking out into a huge smile with clasped hands and sparkling brown eyes. "Oh that won't be a problem! Marlin is like an animal whisperer, he'll be calm as soon as he meets Marlin! So please, pretty please come to lunch!" She practically begged, then, as an afterthought, added, "You'll get to meet Vesta!"

You deliberated it for a long moment while Van suddenly reappeared and handed over the fertilizer to Celia. She hefted it like a champ and payed.

"Okay fine." You chuckled finally, admitting defeat. Celia squealed happily, hugging the bag closer.

"Wonderful! Be at the farm in 15 minutes,okay?" You nodded in return and Celia raced off to prepare, more excited than ever. You faced Van again. "Thank you so much for these supplies."

"Not a problem! Remember. I come to the valley twice a week, Takakura should have marked those days on your calendar for you." You nodded and grinned before finally jogging back home to set out your new supplies for Rowdy.

You placed the dog bed at the foot of your own bed and put the ball on it. Then, a few inches over where his food and water dishes sat, you placed down the extra dog food bags.

The training book went on your bedside table.

You decided to fix your hair before lunch at Vesta's and stood in the mirror, adjusting stray curls accordingly. You could suddenly hear squeaking behind you, and in the background of your mirror you could see that Rowdy had discovered his new ball. You smiled lovingly as you watched him bat it about and yip at the toy.

"Like it, buddy? Maybe I can ask Van to get you a bone next huh?" You asked the puppy, turning from the mirror to watch him still. He did not reply, fixated purely on his ball. You chuckled and pushed away from the wall.

"Alright, Rowdy. We've been invited out, so I hope you don't mind being carried there."

He did not mind actually. Once you picked him up and placed him against your chest, the only thing he seemed interested in was looking around excitedly, tongue lolling from his mouth. You supposed you'd have to get him a leash when he got bigger, but for now he was your snuggley puppy.

You reached the farm in no time, passing the first building in favor of the second. You knocked at the door, breathing in and out deeply. When the door opened, you were left staring at someone's chest, admiring the bright coloration of their clothes. Then you slowly looked up, and up until you found a face just barely under the door frame. A wide grin met you, kinky orange hair pulled back into a ponytail and out of the way of an impeccably strong chin. You slowly raised your hand in a wave, still very struck by her stature. And you thought Cody was tall. "Hello, I'm the new farmer. Celia invited me for lunch." You muttered, suddenly very unsure of yourself.

A large, calloused hand enveloped your shoulder, and the woman(You assumed she must be Vesta) bellowed out a laugh. "And glad to have you sprout! I'm Vesta." Her voice was as large as her stature. She pulled you inside effortlessly. You were stunned. "Come and sit down! Celia's just about placed everything out."

You hazard a glance around the wooden house, finding it actually quite... Small. Two beds sat in the corner, a small kitchen in the opposite corner, a bookcase and chair to your right, and to your left was a small round table, just big enough to fit four people. And up against the far wall was a ladder that led to the attic. Another room, you thought. As Vesta sat back down, you spotted Marlin staring coldly at you at her side. Celia came from the kitchen with a small pot and placed it on the table, sitting on Marlins other side. All three watched you as you stood motionless in their home. Rowdy scrambled from your arms and ran under the table, but you still hesitated until Celia motioned to the last empty chair.

"Rowdy will be fine, please come and sit." She suggested politely.

"Your dog is licking my leg." Marlin grumbled, leaning back to look down at the puppy.

Your anxieties eased enough that you were actually able to sit at the table. "His name is Rowdy, a red heeler." You tried, watching Marlin wearily.

The man shrugged. "Dog's a dog. Breeds are for pretentious people." He replied before bending down to pick up Rowdy. You bristled. Was he calling you pretentious?

Vesta frowned and smacked Marlin lightly in his shoulder as he set Rowdy in his lap. The man flinched and gave her a harsh look, but she only pointed towards you. You must have been making a face because as soon as Marlin saw you, his brows creased in annoyance, tips of his ears growing red. Before you could retort, he spoke up again.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I just personally don't really pay attention to breeds." He muttered, petting a suddenly very calm Rowdy. You blinked in surprise.

"Oh?" Was all you could manage, confused by the change.

Vesta decided to enlighten you. "Marlin tends to say things the wrong way. He doesn't mean to upset people. He honestly just has trouble saying what he means." Marlin scoffed lightly and glared down as he continued to pet your puppy. Celia only nodded.

"Like I said, he is a very good guy at heart."

Marlins ears burned redder but it went unnoticed by everyone.

Vesta spread her arms suddenly and laughed merrily. "Well, what are we waiting for? Celia's food is getting cold!" Then she took no hesitation in delving into different pans and pots and jars, scooping foods out onto her plate. Soon Marlin and Celia were doing the same and you decided you might as well too. The food all smelled fantastic!

You took a bite of some chicken and nearly moaned around your mouthful. "Oh my Goddess, Celia you made this?" You asked in awe, still ripping into it hungrily.

Celia laughed a tinkling little sound. "Yes, I cook all of our meals." She replied proudly and you looked her right in the eyes.

"Please come and cook for me. You and Ruby, you can live in my barn with Old Girl, it'll be fun." You chuckled back, heart growing lighter as Celia laughed on with you.

"Yeah Celia cooks real well, I just wish she'd figure out what she wants to do with her life." Vesta muttered and Celia stopped laughing, frowning in only slight agitation.

"I told you Vesta, I'm happy enough to be here with you two. I owe you everything." She went on, eyes getting softer as she reached across to place her hand over Vesta's. Vesta smiled forlornly at the younger girl.

"What do you mean, if you don't mind me asking?" You questioned carefully, fork hovering over your food.

"We do--" "Not at all!" Marlin and Vesta had both began, but Vesta overpowered Marlin's groaning voice easily.

"Sit tight though, cause this is a long story." She stated, adjusting in her seat while Marlin just rolled his eyes.

"A story about what?" You asked inquisitively.

Vesta looked up at you, smile wide, but her eyes shone with a sort of sad look.

"The story of how we came to be together." She answered, then folded her hands in front of herself. You felt you couldn't tear yourself from her intense gaze.

"When I was 16, Marlin and my parents died."

#harvest moon #awl #a wonderful life #another wonderful life #anwl #gustafa #Gustafa/reader #reader insert #my words #reader #sing me to sleep #smts

[makeup-wonder-woman]

Gotta catch ‘em all chapter 2

A/N: Welcome to my 200 follower celebration! I’ll be posting 2 chapters in my series, and opening up Headcanons for 24 hours!!! You defiantly have to send them in through my ask box for me to def. answer/see it.

Chapter 1,

Prompt: Batboys w/ Pokemon!Au, and the winner of the vote is….

Pairing: Tim X Reader

Word count: 1,227

TW: None

Record in Gotham: 1-0

Jason lead you faithfully through the streets of Gotham City streets. Lucario held Eevee until she grew tired of the bigger blue Pokemon and wanted to be by your side again. She leapt down and ran to catch up with you. You held out your arms and she leapt into them with a happy, “ ‘Vee!!”

Jason turned around the corner saying, “Aright, and if you come this way, the Pokemon Center and the Gym are right here!”

You turned the corner and your mouth fell open. The Pokemon Center was big, grand and beautiful. It was unlike ay other center you had ever seen. It was made of this white marble with a classic gothic design on the outside, but looked up to date with it’s technology. It was attached to another building, the gym lead by Jason’s father, was different, it was also made from a black marble but had a more sinister look to it. A haven and a hazard. Jason walked you into the Pokemon Center and you approached Nurse Joy, “Hello,” she greeted, her faithful Blissey right next to her, “What can I do for you?”

You pulled out Altaria’s pokeball and handed it to her, “My Altaria was just in a battle and took some damage, could you heal her for me?”

Nurse Joy took the pokeball without hesitation with a nod, “Alright, I can fix her up right now. She’ll be all healed by tomorrow.”

You thanked her before walking back over to Jason, finally really looking at him, he had black hair and green eyes. He looked up at you and you noticed the streak of white in his hair. “So, your dad owns the gym next door?”

Jason nodded, “You wanna train some?”

You scuffed your shoe across the ground, “I don’t know. I’m actually pretty new to the whole Trainer thing right now. My Pokemon are probably aren't half as strong as yours.”

Jason gave you a pretty smile, “Well you should at least let you Pokemon out to stretch their legs.”

You nodded, “Okay.”

Jason lead you though the hallways, interesting and going in-between black and white. You finally approached a large metal door. Jason input his code before walking into the gym, “Hey, Dad! I brought a friend!”

You walked into the brightly lit gym, an older man greeted you, far too old to be Jason’s dad. The man was also dressed as a butler. He nodded, “Ah, Master Jason,” he then peered over at you, ‘And you are?”

“Y-Y/N” You stamared, “Y/N L/N.”

“Pleased to meet you Miss. Y/n, my name is Alfred” Alfred informed you as he shook your hand and pointed the two down the stairs, “ Master Grayson and Master Drake are both having a battle if the two of you would like to watch.”

“Thank you Alfred,” Jason said and pulled you by your arm to the edge of the arena. You both peered down, there were two other boys, both again, around your age. One was quite taller and more muscularly build. He had sparkling blue eyes, black hair and seems to be of Romani decent. The other boy had the same strikingly blue eyes, but was much paler and lankier in his build. There were two pokemon out on the field, on the taller boy’s side was a fiercely beautiful Milotic, and on the other side with the younger boy was an intimidating Metagross.

You watched as the two trainers and Pokemon squared each other up. Both Pokemon had already taken damage, and when you looked up at the board that could tell you how the Pokemon were doing. The Milotic had more HP left in it, but you also knew that this battle still could wither way. The board also gave the two young men names, the taller one was Dick, while the lankier one was Tim. It was Dick’s turn and he pointed at Tim’s Metagross, “Hit him with Scald!”

The Metagross took took damage before it used it’s own move, quietly muttered by his Trainer, “Hang in there Metagross, used Zen Headbutt!”

The Milotic let out a cry as it was hit, despite it’s attempts to dodge. The two went down in a scuffle, but when the dust settled, the Milotic was still standing and Dick was announced the winner by the screen. Dick and Tim both recalled their Pokemon to their Pokeballs before going out to the center. Jason smirked and started going down the steps, you quickly followed him, Eevee still in your arms.

The two young me turned to face you as you both reached the ground. Dick and Tim smiled at their brother before looking at you, “Jason, who’d you bring back to the gym this time?”

Jason stuck his tongue out at his brothers, “Dick, Tim, this is Y/N. Y/N this is Dick and Tim.” He jerked his thumb at you, “Y/N battled Pamela’s Gogoat with her Altaria and won. I told her our gym was a safer place to let her Pokemon stretch their legs.”

Dick raised an eyebrow at you, “Really? Poison Ivy’s Gogoat’s pretty tough for beginners.”

“Poison Ivy,” You asked and both younger boys sent the oldest a look.

Tim stepped forward, as Dick flinched, “Yeah, that’s her nickname. Her and a few other trainers can be pretty tough on incoming Trainers. She also really likes to win.”

You scuffed your foot against the ground, “I didn't wanna make it faint, really.”

“So,” Dick said. making small talk, “What brings a cute girl like you all the way out here to Gotham City?”

You shrugged, “I heard you had a good Gym.”

“Who’s on your team,” Tim asked, as Lucario trotted down the steps and Jason patted it’s head in greeting.

You pulled out your Pokeballs, and released your team. First was Eevee, who you let jump out of your arms, “This is Eevee, she was my starter.” Then you raised a Pokeball and you released your Houndour, who let out a yawn before sitting down on the ground. Then came Bayleef, who immediately took in the new people and one Pokemon in front of him. You moved onto the next one, who was Jangamo-o, she clinked her scales together as she started to explore her new surroundings. Dick looked your pokemon up and down as you reached for your last Pokemon, “Not a fan of the big Pokemon?”

You sighed, “They usually kinda intimidate me.” You then released your Rhydon, “But… I’ve been working on it.”

All three boys took an unconscious step backwards and Rhydon stretched his limbs before looking down at you. You waved up to him and explained the situation, “These are the Wayne boys. They help run this gym that we’re in. You should stretch your legs!”

Your Rhydon nodded, and went to see what Jangamo-o was doing. “Well, this is a surprise.” You turned around to see the new voice, belonging to an older man with black hair and blue eyes. Despite the usual relaxed air of the gym, he was wearing a black suit and tie. He nodded at the boys before he took an interest in your Pokemon, “You must be Y/N. Alfred told me you were visiting, and I must say, your Pokemon have a lot of potential.”

“Thank you sir!”

“Please,” he smiled, “Call me Bruce.”

#Pokemon!Au #pokemon trainer #pokemon gym #batman #DC #DC Comics #Tim Drake X reader #reader-insert #self-insert #reader insert #Timothy Drake #Tim