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light-yaers · 5 months

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Take Care: Chapter Twelve

Fic Masterpost | AO3 | Chapter List

Warnings: swearing, eventual smut, emotional themes.

A/N: sorry this took so long. but it's here now. HAPPY CHRISTMAS BITCHES!

Word Count: 10k+

Chapter Twelve:

“Darling!” Rebecca called as you and Roy approached the restaurant. She stood outside next to a shorter man (obviously), who could only be John Wingsnight.

Roy stayed back as you sped forward, stretching out your arms for an embrace until you and Rebecca finally met in the middle. “Why does Roy look more pissed off than usual?” Rebecca whispered in your ear quickly, as the men shook hands beside you awkwardly.

“Don’t ask,” you whispered back, but she only squeezed you harder in response. “I’ll tell you later,” you added painfully.

“Fine,” she muttered quickly, before the two of you finally parted. She put on a stellar smile. “Shall we head inside?” You nodded, and the four of you entered the restaurant together.

John reached the table first, and slid a chair out for Rebecca. She took it graciously, before he turned to look at you. “It’s so nice to finally meet some of Rebecca’s good friends,” he said. He sounded posh– Richmond posh. You smiled as nicely as you could, but Roy’s presence close behind you was practically burning a hole through your skin.

You went to grab a seat opposite Rebecca, but was abruptly cut off by Roy. He reached out his arm and slid out the chair before you could. You hit his eye as he waited for you to sit down, and when you did, you felt so overexposed that you could hardly stand it.

“Thank you,” you said quietly, as Roy tucked you in safely. He growled gently in response, and the four of you settled in for a long fucking night.

As soon as you could, drinks were ordered in excess. Small talk ensued, but it was made up mostly of Rebecca whittling on about your past placement at the club, and all of the drama that happened during your year there. Next to you, Roy stayed silent unless spoken to. It was clear he wasn’t thrilled about this, but even more so after the ordeal on the drive over.

Truth be told, as much as you’d been looking forward to this evening, you wanted nothing more than to pack it in and be alone with Roy. You needed to address so much, and talk honestly for once in your fucking lives. That was only made more difficult when John piped in with new questions. As soon as she could, Rebecca brought up your article from the Independent.

“Oh, fantastic!” John exclaimed in response. “I read that article, by the way– the one about you, Roy.” Roy tried and failed to look enthusiastic, as John turned to you. “Brilliantly written, you absolutely deserved to win.”

You smiled. “Thank you, that’s kind of you to say.”

“So, is that how this happened?” John asked, pointing at you and Roy playfully.

You and Roy turned to each other at the same time. Both of you looked like deers in headlights, as the entire point of your double-date lie was finally put to the test.

“Yes,” you said quickly. “Yes, exactly.” Stupidly, idiotically, you’d never fucking thought about what story you’d have to explain; the story of how you started dating. Roy looked too relaxed for your liking, so you decided to involve him. “Isn’t that right, Roy?”

Roy shot daggers at you immediately, but they were only perceived by you. He recomposed himself as he turned to Rebecca and John, but before a single word left his mouth, his hand found yours upon the table top. You inhaled deeply as his fingers wrapped around your own.

“She bugged me so much about the fucking article that it was inevitable,” he said lowly. “Isn’t that right, babe?”

John laughed heartily, raising his glass at Roy happily. Rebecca choked on her starter. You’d momentarily stopped thinking as soon as Roy’s hand had touched yours, and had now gone temporarily blind from him calling you babe.

Roy squeezed your hand gently, and your senses refreshed like lightning. “Y-yes,” you stuttered quickly. “Totally inevitable.”

“Well, how delightful,” John said sweetly, before he turned towards Rebecca. “Rebecca speaks very highly of you, I’ve found.”

“I’d bloody hope so,” you let out, getting rid of some of your pent up anxiety. Rebecca laughed, fully recovered from her choking fit. Roy’s fingers were still latched over yours, and you found yourself not hating it after the initial shock.

“And you, Roy!” John continued. “Congrats on the pundit gig, by the way.”

“John is a big football fan,” Rebecca said, and John nodded enthusiastically.

“Here we fucking go,” Roy growled under his breath. You rearranged your fingers quickly, so that you could squeeze his hand reassuringly. He turned to you gently, flicking his eyes over your encouraging face.

You knew this entire night was out of his comfort zone, including the whole fake dating ordeal on top. Getting Roy out to dinner like this was hard enough as it was, but adding this play-pretend must have had him reeling. It was tough for you, as well, especially after your almost confession in the car beforehand. All the two of you had to do was hold on for dear life for another few hours, and then it’d be over.

“It was a massive coincidence, actually,” you piped up suddenly, turning back to John and Rebecca. “I’d had this small nagging voice in my head that kept saying how good a pundit Roy could be, enough for me to annoy him over text, even. Then, a few weeks later, he was on the telly! It was weird, honestly.”

“That wasn’t a fucking coincidence,” Roy said sternly. “I’d had those Sky producers down my throat for a month, but only bothered to reply after you mentioned what a good idea it was.”

You squinted at him, shocked. “What?”

“I became a pundit because of you.”

Rebecca’s mouth upturned into a sly smile. John caught her eye in confusion, but still looked happy to simply be there– probably because he was in Roy’s presence. You struggled to find the right words to say, as your mind catapulted all your thoughts to ricochet off your skull.

The only word you could physically get out was “Oh.” Your wide eyed stare stayed on Roy for a few seconds more, until you quickly looked at the table, trying to compute what you’d just been told. “Right.” You added.

“You were right, too,” Rebecca said gently, and you caught her eye. “Roy does make a rather entertaining pundit.”

“And that’s an understatement,” John added, cheesing from ear to ear.

“Yes, he does,” you said, agreeing with Rebecca, but still hesitating over your muddled thoughts. “Will you excuse me for a moment? That wine has gone to my head,” you let out, alongside a breathy laugh to break the tension.

Roy fingers separated from yours, and as you walked to the bathroom, you felt utterly alone. Maybe it was the lack of his touch, just in those initial seconds after having it. Maybe it was the realisation that once again he’d done something that you’d suggested, just for you. There was no reason for you to get mad about it. Being a pundit was more than the article; it was more public, more personal, more professional. He wouldn’t have done it all unless he’d accepted it himself, and that was the truth of it.

Still, hearing that you’d been his reason for going ahead with the gig was warming. As you looked at your reflection in the bathroom mirror, your eyes were glassy. Your cheeks felt hot, and it wasn’t just from the wine. Your fingers were clammy, not only from your nerves, but from having someone hold them so tightly for the last ten minutes– all of these factors added up to be caused by one man only; Roy fucking Kent.

He was so different to you. So stubborn, so grumpy, so unapproachable, yet it had been so easy for you to cut through his layer of steel and get to the other side of his personality. Gentle, caring, and so unapologetically honest that you could hardly believe it. From the way Keeley and Rebecca– even the fucking football team, too– had reacted when Roy had steadily started opening up to you, you knew this wasn’t an ordinary occurrance. They knew him from a day to day perspective, whereas your knowing had transcended the walls of the Dogtrack after only a few months around each other.

Innately, a switch flicked on in your brain. It’d been over a year of this dynamic. Even including those three months of silence, you’d still thought of each other on a daily basis. Something had to give, and that something was you. This was your opportunity to make yourself abundantly clear– this stupid, idiotic fake dating situation. This was the trial shift, and you just had to show up.

You washed your hands quickly, and as you did it cemented this shift within you. As you opened the door to the bathroom and emerged back into the restaurant, you held your head high. You walked in your heels like you’d been walking in them your entire life, and when you saw the back of Roy’s head, your heart swelled.

As sat back down at the table, and impulsively leaned into Roy. He sensed you, and changed his posture to accommodate your own. “Sorry about that,” you said, laughing at yourself slightly. “It’s not often that I drink wine anymore.”

“Get a different drink if you want, darling,” Rebecca said.

“I think I will,” you agreed, before you took the plunge. Gently, you leaned into Roy, clinging onto his bicep softly. “When the waitress comes around again can you grab her for me, please?” you asked.

Roy tensed slightly beneath your touch, but you could feel him relax as he peered into your eyes. “Alright,” he said lowly. “Beer?” he asked.

You nodded with a smile. It was sweet that he knew exactly what you wanted.

Your main courses were uneventful, but tense. You ate in happy splendour, chatting about whatever— you wouldn’t be able to recount the conversation in any state, purely because you were hyper aware of Roy next to you the entire time. Rebecca’s side-eye stares tickled your bare skin. John’s obliviousness kept you grounded.

It was funny, wasn’t it? The moment that you and Roy had permission to fully jump, to indulge, you found yourselves in a situation where touching the other felt incredibly odd. As much as this entire situation was exciting for both of you, you found yourself focusing on the fact this was all fake– the relationship, the meal, and… the first time you allowed yourself to feel.

Every hand touch and shoulder bump was being watched clearly. Was it all real if this double date was a lie? Was it all real even if you and Roy weren’t actually together?

“Darling,” Rebecca said softly, and you almost jumped out of your skin when you came back to reality. You’d utterly zoned out to the point where you hadn’t even noticed your dessert was already in front of you. “Are you alright?” she whispered across the table.

You swallowed uncomfortably. “Yes,” you said quickly, before picking up your fork. “Sorry.”

“So,” John started, chewing on a mouthful of praline. “Pluto Press, right?”

Your eyes widened, your heart plummeted into your stomach. You’d been avoiding talking about your job with anyone for the past few months. You swallowed, and put on a smile in panic. “That’s the one,” you said, but the awkwardness practically seeped out of you.

“What’s it like in publishing? I’ve always been curious,” John asked, leaning in slightly, so that you couldn’t fucking escape.

“It’s… well, it’s…” You were hyper aware of Rebecca sitting opposite you, and Roy sat to your left. You felt the ex-football Captain stiffen next to you. Concern pooled between you, and he shifted himself to face you more so, curiosity prevalent on his brow.

You looked up at him, lost for words. Innately, you let yourself crumble. Perhaps it was time to tell them that you had your reservations about work. You sucked in a breath. “At first, it was a dream,” you said, turning to John with a faint smile. “I suppose it always is when it comes to the job you’ve wanted since you were a kid.” You turned to Roy again, meeting his eye. “Right?” you whispered.

Roy nodded gently before you. He had football on his mind, no doubt. You could see it in his gaze, you could sense him envisioning the green of the Dogtrack.

“A few months down the line, though…” you started, and gently turned to Rebecca. She was looking at you with a signature arched eyebrow, waiting for you to spill your guts. “It’s been… different, I suppose.”

“Different?” Rebecca questioned.

Roy twisted towards you even more. “Different how?”

Different, as in, I fucking hate it. That’s what you wanted to say, but saying that to the two people who gave you the opportunity to have the position? Hell fucking no.

You opened your mouth, trying to decide upon what words to use, but you never got the chance to say them. A woman sidled up to Roy and threw you all from your conversation. Rebecca’s stare snapped upon her like a lethal panther. Roy perked a brow up at her, a subtly seething look on his face.

“I’m so sorry to interrupt,” she said, and her Chelsea or Kensington accent was the first thing you noticed. “I just had to come over or I’d hate myself for it. You’re Roy Kent, aren’t you?” She was beautiful in a way that reminded you of the girls who used to bully you in school– in your mind, this was exactly what some of them would have grown up to look like. Blonde, big-boobed, high-fashioned, rich.

Your face dropped immediately, overcome by a feeling you’d never actually experienced before. Your chest felt tight, your fists balled in your lap, your shoulders squared off defensively. You turned to Rebecca, and the frown on her face only added to the grim feeling you held inside.

Roy growled at the woman in response, not just as confirmation, but definitely from annoyance. Who the hell interrupted someone during dinner? At a fucking restaurant?

She ignored his hostility, instead opting to jump up and down abruptly. “Oh! I knew it. My father and brother love you, especially from your Chelsea days. Can I…” she said. As she did, she leant in even closer, bridging the gap between her and Roy, until he was forced to look up at an almost ninety degree angle. “Can I get a photo?”

Your stomach dropped at the shift in her tone of voice. She was flirting. Suddenly, the feeling inside you made perfect fucking sense–

Jealousy. You were jealous.

Rebecca went to protest first, but you beat her to it. You leaned forward, and wrapped your fingers around Roy’s bicep defensively. “Excuse me,” you said strongly. “We’re in the middle of a meal, and you’re very much interrupting us.”

Roy’s muscles relaxed beneath your grip, and you only took that as a sign to hold your ground. The woman before you was taken aback, obviously not used to mere commoners having a pop at her about her wrong behaviour. She let out a nervous laugh, tilting back slightly as she peered down at you from above. Instinctively, you caught her eye and glared– glared for your damn life.

“Uh.” The noise burst from her lips like a breath she hadn’t meant to exhale. Like a crack in her exterior. “I’m sorry– what are you supposed to be?”

You saw red, and stood impulsively. You’d never wanted to throw a punch more in your life, nor had you ever had the desire to do so in front of a restaurant full of people, but something entirely new had come over you– and Roy was at the centre of it.

You pointed at her as soon as you were at her eye level, leaning over Roy beneath you. “Listen here, you little–”

“Alright!” Roy burst from beneath you, putting himself between you and the blonde. His arm twisted behind him and found your waist easily. He pulled you into his back, erecting himself as a literal human shield, in every sense. “That’s fucking enough of that,” he muttered, looking the blonde in the eyes.

Suddenly, she switched back to something more honeyed. She puffed her chest out, showing off her cleavage even more so, and batted her mink eyelashes at Roy above her. He bought none of it, of course. It was Roy, and he could always see the bad in people. Mostly, it was a hindrance, but sometimes… It worked.

“I’ll give you a photo to fuck off,” he said candidly.

You scowled behind Roy, trying to adjust yourself to the point where you weren’t utterly flush against the wool of his jumper. The blonde made a guttural noise of offence, however, which definitely pleased you somewhere deep inside.

“God, don’t fucking bother then,” she squeaked at Roy. You thought that was the end of it, until more drivel fell from her lips. “You need to keep your dog on a leash.”

You froze, but not from what she’d just said. You froze, because Roy’s blood immediately turned to ice. You felt the muscles in his back contracting, trying and failing to shut down his inevitable jump to anger. You could imagine the robotic expression on his face, the sharpness of his jaw, the straightness of his eyebrows.

This was Roy Kent when he was too angry to function. This was Roy Kent from the fucking football pitch.

Your gut lurched when his grip on your waist loosened, and you knew you had to intervene. Quickly, you slipped beneath Roy’s arm and shoved yourself between him and the blonde. You leaned back against Roy’s chest forcefully, and to no surprise he’d planted himself to the ground like a fucking tree. The blonde crossed her arms, shooting you with a shitty looking smirk that was supposed to make you feel hard done by, but you actually didn’t care.

You just wanted her to leave Roy alone.

“I think it’s time for you to leave now,” you said calmly. “Before you embarrass yourself even more.” You softened your expression, but not by much. The blonde faltered subtly, dropping her arms to her sides as she became self-conscious of how many stares in her direction littered the restaurant.

“I was going already,” she said, flustered, but not before she caught Roy’s eye again. “You footballers are always too fucking complicated.”

You and Roy watched her clip away in her heels, muttering to herself the entire way back to her table. A tense silence filtered across the restaurant, until all of a sudden, the hubbub came back. People went back to their meals, your heart settled in your chest, and Roy– his hand found yours instantly. You turned back to the table, shivering with every swipe he gave your knuckles, and caught Rebecca’s eye.

You’d almost forgot her and John were still fucking here.

Rebecca cleared her throat. “Shall we get the bill?”

John kissed Rebecca goodbye, but not after shaking Roy’s hand and holding onto his wrist for just a moment too long. You let out a pent up breath you hadn’t realised you’d been holding, as your party of four decreased to three. Rebecca turned back to you and Roy with an expectant face.

“So?” she said, eyes gleaming.

You hunched your shoulders up to your ears and smiled awkwardly. “He’s… nice!” you said, and for once you couldn’t find any other word to describe someone, but you tried your best. “He’s personable, and financially stable…” you trailed off.

“But?” Rebecca asked, sensing some trepidation.

“Well,” you started, turning to Roy for back-up.

He let out a sigh, growling subtly. “He’s fine!” he exclaimed. “And fine is good, fine is safe, but I guess it all comes down to why the fuck someone like that deserves you.” He said strongly. “You deserve someone who makes you feel like you’ve been been struck by fucking lightning.”

Rebecca and your speechlessness was apparent, as the two of you glued your eyes onto Roy. You could feel him buzzing next to you, and heat radiated off him in waves.

“Don’t you dare settle for fine, just because it’s easy.” Roy scrunched his face passionately, before clocking eyes with you next to him. His face softened, and his expression resorted back to something more unbothered. “Or do,” he backtracked. “Do whatever you want.”

He shrugged, and you scoffed abruptly, bringing a hand to your mouth to stop yourself from chuckling more. Rebecca was taken aback. She had this golden look on her face that you could relate to heavily. You’d had that look a thousand times before, when Roy had done something to completely subvert your expectations. He was right, though, as much as Rebecca probably wanted to object. He was right, and you were glad that he’d said it the way it should be.

The sound of Rebecca’s heels disappeared into the distance, as you and Roy walked back along the river. It was cold. The temperature had dropped profusely as November set in, and you could see your breath every time you managed to exhale. That was just it– breathing around Roy tonight had become some sort of manual chore, alongside every other normal function that you could usually do in a heartbeat.

Unsaid words flickered between the two of you as you continued strolling; past Roy’s Jeep, further down river, until you reached the small side streets around Richmond Green. It was a comfortable silence, but far from a calm one. You and Roy had thoughts so loud that it was a miracle you couldn’t decipher the chatter in each other’s brains.

Thinking back to the car ride, the stares, the feeling in your gut, all of it– you knew something had to be said. But, you simply didn’t know how to put it all into words. Perhaps Roy was suffering the same, as his mouth stayed glued shut.

Approaching the other side of the green, your eyes settled on the Crown and Anchor. Ted and Beard’s stomping ground was lively, and you slowed down to peer through the windows. Twinkling lights rounded each frame, shining onto the people inside. Beers were half drunk, locals chattered and chortled, and Mae stood in her rightful place behind the bar.

You smiled. “I wonder if Ted and Beard are in.” Your heart felt warm.

“Ted lives just up there,” Roy said, pointing to a side street beyond the pub. “He made me tea, at the end of last season.”

“Hm,” you said. “That was before the last game, wasn’t it?”

Roy nodded next to you slowly. “Stopped the twat from getting hit by a cab. He’d had one too many pints.”

You let out a gentle breath, smiling as you pictured the scene. Neither of you made an attempt to walk inside, or further down the road. You simply stayed glued to your spots, and you thought you knew why. This was nice. Stood beside one another, recovering from that tension you’d both had at the restaurant. But– this was safe. You were both avoiding addressing what you truly wanted to;

What would come of this?

You sucked in a sharp breath, feeling that you had to pull off the bandaid. “Listen…” You turned to face him. “Roy–”

“Don’t,” he said quickly, lowly. “I know what you’re gonna say.”

You swallowed away your words. “Okay.”

Roy’s chest expanded as he sucked in as much air as he possibly could, and let it all out of his nose. He smiled. “I like this,” he croaked. “I like things the way they are.” Your heart sunk ever so slightly, but you were thankful he wasn’t yet finished, so you didn’t have to speak. “I like you and me hanging out, and talking football, and just– I don’t fucking know– this.”

You didn’t understand him fully, and you had a feeling that Roy didn’t understand himself either. Neither of you knew what you wanted precisely, and that was easy to see.

Panic set in on Roy’s face. “I don’t know how to explain it. I just– I just fucking–” You stopped him by placing a gentle hand on his chest.

You attempted to rationalise what he was saying. Maybe this was for the best. Maybe keeping things like this, platonic, friendly, whatever the fuck word you could use, was for the best. It was just like that blonde girl back at the restaurant had said; footballers were complicated, and you didn’t like complicated, even if it was with Roy.

“I do, too,” you said, reassuring him. “Like this, I mean. I like this, too.” You smiled, but it felt sad.

Roy exhaled softly, finally landing on words you could both understand. “I fuck things up, sometimes,” he said lowly. “I don’t want to fuck up things with you.”

An abundance of thoughts trickled from the deep crevices of your brain. Ones that wanted to yell at Roy to let himself be happy, to let himself do things that he wanted, to not hold himself back. The look on his face showed you just how hard he’d thought about it all. It was the same look that had graced his face for most of the meal– he’d been thinking about this conversation all night.

You had, too. You’d adopted the psyche of someone who knew that she wanted this. Him. And you’d thought that Roy had wanted the same thing, too, considering the immense build up you’d both experienced. You were certain you hadn’t imagined it, certain that he was ready to give in alongside you, but evidently…

You’d been wrong.

And being wrong was okay, especially when your relationship with Roy was on the line.

You shrugged away the question in your brain of how a fake date, that lasted less than three hours, had utterly changed his mind after months. You bit away the urge to ask him why. Roy’s thoughts weren’t yours to divulge; they were his, and he’d made up his mind. That was something you had to take with grace.

“Okay,” you whispered. It hurt to say, it hurt to accept, but you weren’t about to become someone that got angry when someone you liked denied you. You took a small step back, and smiled in an attempt to hide how gutted you felt. “Okay, Roy,” you said, stronger this time. It cemented it all.

It was done, and you had to be okay with it, or risk losing him altogether.

As the end of November hit, Roy became used to his routine. He’d film Soccer Saturday four days a week live, and one day a week for pre recorded segments that were played during highlights. He got up at seven in the morning, sharp, sometimes going for a run when it wasn’t too blisteringly cold, but those mornings had been few and far between as temperatures hit zero. Winter hadn’t yet arrived, but it bloody felt like it.

He’d have a coffee, and don his suit, before jumping his Jeep to the studio. On the way, a mere two minutes into his drive, he’d pass your flat. It was customary for him to glance to the left as he passed, always, but the thoughts that hit him alongside were something he wished would stop.

That look on your face, the one from that night– it haunted him. You haunted him.

Through every fault of his own, he was grief stricken. If you’d asked Roy a few weeks before the meal if he was ready for this, for you, for what could be, he wouldn’t have hesitated to say yes. But that night, everything had shifted for him.

The way Rebecca had glanced between you and him made his gut coil, and he knew it was bloody obvious that you both had shared affections. The feeling that you both harboured could’ve been seen from fucking space, he’d bet. But, then it all went downhill. That blonde girl, the one with the giant rack, and even bigger nose to butt in your evening together, had stumped him.

Up until that moment, Roy was accustomed to knowing when his anger would jump out. He could feel it coming on, sense it raging within him, but when she’d talked down to the likes of you– it had felt uncontrollable. Roy was a violent man; he was no stranger to throwing a punch to someone who deserved it, and he was content living that way. Just not around you. He didn’t like that side of him when you were near. He didn’t want to fight or kick or punch his way out of an uncomfortable situation when you were next to him.

That, and Roy had felt the unmistakable struggle of something else for practically half his life. It was nagging, and made his chest hurt. Those thoughts of self-loathing, of exposure, of isolation, were something so ingrained that he’d never thought they would be a problem when it came to actually being happy. But, they were. They really fucking were.

The truth was, Roy Kent didn’t want to drag you– marvellous, intelligent, too-good-for-him you– into his nightmare of a life. Full of uncertainty, or unfulfilled self-worth, of all of it.

So, that was that.

You continued working, but reluctantly. Thoughts of Roy pelted your mind, utterly impossible to ignore. You didn’t have time to ponder the possibility of leaving Pluto Press, or doing something different, not when your workload was stacked high. The beginning of December brought buzz about Christmas, but you hardly felt festive. Roy was working hard over at Sky, as were the boys at Richmond. You still kept up with them all, and getting updates from Sam was practically routine now.

As you jumped off the tube at Richmond after a busy week, your phone buzzed to reveal another text from Sam, but what he’d written made you stop in your tracks.

Forgot to tell you. Jamie Tartt is back. He started training again today.

You flashed back to the ordeal from a few months prior, when Sam had stormed off the pitch after seeing Ted at the pub with the ex-Man City superstar. You knew that Ted would have made it clear about bringing Tartt back to the guys, but that didn’t stop you from feeling uncertain. You wanted to think that Jamie had turned a new leaf, but your gut still coiled at the thought of him back at the club.

Perhaps you were insane, or over-tired, or still reeling after your fake date, but you changed your course home and headed for the Dogtrack without hesitation. Tartt needed to know what was what, and you didn’t care being the person to do that. You imagined it would be harder for Ted to do so, or the guys themselves after all that he’d done last season.

You stormed through the doors off the car park, navigating the corridors down to the lower level, until you stomped your way through the tunnel to the pitch. You launched the door open quickly, not stopping to wave off the confused stares from Ted, Beard and Nate at the edge of the pitch. The guys ran around on the grass, finishing up their final game of their practice. You cut it all short as you propelled your way onto the cold, damp ground. Isaac was the first to stop and stare, whacking Colin on his back to make him aware of your presence too. The trickle of twenty pairs of eyes headed your way immediately, as you cut across Dani and Bumbercatch without a word, headed for one player in particular: number nine, Jamie fucking Tartt.

“Hey!” you exclaimed to him, and a handful of players flinched.

Jamie whipped his stare away from the ball at his feet, and slowed to a confused stop as you approached him. “Hey…” he said smally, utterly boggled at your presence. You stopped in front of him, brows furrowed sternly, as you tried to adopt Roy’s resting bitch face. “What’re you–?”

You cut him off by jabbing your pointer finger into his chest. He stepped back once, and rubbed the spot you’d hit him in. “You,” you said strongly.

Jamie’s face warped into concern. “Me?” he said, and his Mancunian accent hit your ears for the first time in several months. You prepared yourself, and even further blocked out the questioning looks that littered the pitch.

“See this team?” You gestured to the guys quickly. “They’ve worked really fucking hard this season, after the relegation.”

“Okay?” Jamie squeaked out.

“I’m not questioning Ted’s decision to bring you back,” you continued, holding your ground. “But, know this, Tartt.” You said his name like Roy would, with subtle disdain, with a strength behind it that communicated you were serious. “Being back here is a privilege, not a right, and you need to know that.”

Jamie’s confusion disappeared instantly. His face softened, and was replaced with something resembling guilt. It was a look you’d never seen him wear before, but one that you welcomed in that moment. He needed to know that things wouldn’t be like last time. He needed to know that people like you gave a shit.

Jamie placed his hands on his hips, and nodded at the ground. “Okay,” he said lowly, before meeting your eye. You raised your brows at him, perhaps in warning. He breathed out quickly. “This is a privilege, not a right,” he repeated to you.

“Good.” You nodded, and smiled just a little. “Welcome back.”

Tartt nodded at you in acknowledgement, and you stepped back to show you were done. The guys shuffled behind you, muttering to themselves as you swivelled on your heels and headed back the way you came. When you looked at the various faces around you, Sam was the only one who was properly smiling. He knew you’d done it for him, for all of them.

Beard hit Ted’s shoulder quickly, and the Texan jumped forward abruptly, until he walked beside you. “All okay, Writer?” he asked, and you smiled wider.

“Sorry for the interruption.”

“Oh, no bother,” Ted said. “Though, perhaps a heads up would have been appreciated.”

You laughed gently. “Noted. Won’t happen again, Coach, I promise.”

Ted laid his hand on your shoulder, and his confused expression turned to gold. “It’s good to see you.”

“You, too,” you said softly.

“Got any holiday plans?” Ted asked, as the two of you reached the edge of the pitch. You turned back to the guys and practice resumed.

You shook your head. “Not really. With how busy the office is around Christmas, there’s no point in me going home for it. I’ll probably have to work between Christmas and the New Year.”

Ted hummed in understanding. “Same as us, for sure. We’ve got a match on Boxing Day.”

You hummed in response, as yourself and Ted looked slightly sunken after your small catch up. You’d always spent Christmas with your family, so it would be odd not doing so this year. You tried to think of the perks, though– a pub roast on the day, a drink with Mae at the bar, and an early night before the match and your inevitable workload afterwards.

Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad. At least, that’s what you were telling to yourself.

“Hey!” Sam called from the pitch, jogging over to you and Ted cheerily. “If you have no plans for Christmas day, Mr Higgins is hosting all of Richmond's overseas players. I know that a good few of us are going this year.” Sam smiled, and you couldn’t help but smile back.

“Do you reckon it would be okay for me to join?” you asked.

Sam shrugged. “You are a part of Richmond, and you are away from your home. I do not see why not.”

“Very good point well made, Sam,” Ted said softly. Your heart swelled in your chest.

“Okay.” You nodded. “I’ll come.”

Sam leaned forward and gently grabbed your forearm, squeezing slightly as his fingers coiled around you. He got in close to you. “Thank you,” he whispered, then pulled back and sent you a knowing look. “You are too good to us.” You scoffed to yourself, just from a lack of how to react.

As Sam jumped back and headed towards the team, he sent you one final glowing review from home: “We all miss you around here!” he exclaimed, before fully rejoining the guys.

You gulped back your feelings, the hurt, the want, all of it. If you’d allowed yourself to speak back, all your walls would have crumbled instantly. You would have found yourself immediately saying Please let me come back.

Please, let me come home.

On Saturday afternoon, your phone was ringing off the hook. Not that you could do anything about it, as you found yourself in an altercation with the newly moved-in upstairs neighbour. For days on end, all you’d heard was stomp stomp stomp from above. It was so frequent and so loud that you’d been rudely awoken in the early hours of the morning on multiple occasions.

You were trying this thing where you were being stronger. You were trying this thing where you wouldn’t let people give you shit that you didn’t ask for, nor deserve. When you thought about it in depth, you were actually just trying to be more like Roy.

As you slammed your front door shut, you sighed deeply. The footsteps from upstairs had gone uncharacteristically quiet, so perhaps you’d actually got through to them. In the kitchen, your phone continued to buzz incessantly. You bound over and were met with something that should have instilled the fear of God into your bones: over ten missed calls, and multiple texts from yours truly, Roy fucking Kent.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” you muttered to yourself, as you scrolled through the messages.

OI!

Pick up the fucking phone.

You’re not gonna believe this shit.

I’m going on the air in two minutes, hurry the fuck up.

Guess you’ll just have to watch my mug talk about it on TV.

All messages were sent in a five minute period, not two minutes before. His last call had been one you’d missed by a mere minute. He’d be on Soccer Saturday by now, so you’d just have to see what the fuck was up as it aired.

When the first advert break hit, you were smiling from smugness. Not that there was any competition between you and Roy when it came to football– he would obviously win– but this time around you felt superior.

It was about Jamie’s return to Richmond. All that Roy had been calling and messaging you about was Ted bringing the superstar back to the team, and guess what? You’d fucking found out before him.

During the break, your phone inevitably rang again. You picked it up swiftly, and didn’t even bother talking. Roy growled on the other end. “Did you fucking watch it?” he asked.

“Mhmm,” you hummed in response, still smiling to yourself.

Roy went silent for just a second too long, and you could hear the cogs whirring in his head. “You already fucking knew, didn’t you?”

“Mhmm,” you hummed again, fully smiling now.

“For fucks sake!” he exclaimed. “I should have known your fucking fanbase would have spilled.”

“Sam told me yesterday,” you said. “I actually– well, I went to the Dogtrack after he told me.”

“Oh?” Roy questioned.

“I may have let my emotions get the better of me.”

“Did you give that little twat what for?”

You squished the features on your face together, thinking back to your abrupt arrival and yelling match on the pitch. “Yes…”

Roy paused, and your heart stalled. “Good girl,” he said.

You swallowed away the visceral reaction that reverberated through your chest, but still let out a small choking sound. You played it off as a cough, before you quickly changed the subject. “So, are you doing anything for Christmas?”

“I’ve got Phoebe. We’re gonna attempt to watch all the Harry Potter films in one day. It might get fucking ugly.” Roy paused again, and you had this horrible feeling he was about to– “Want to join us?”

You clamped your eyes shut. Your heart plummeted into your gut. If he’d asked you this a few weeks back, before the conversation, before the date, before all of it, you wouldn’t have hesitated to say yes. Now, even if you’d wanted to go, you wouldn’t be able to after agreeing to join the guys at the Higgins household. But that was just it– after facing the music, and realising that Roy didn’t want anything more, you knew it would be easier for your heart if you stayed away from moments like that.

Moments where it was you and him, him and you.

“Oh, Roy,” you let out. “That sounds fantastic, really, but I’ve already got plans with the team. I’m sorry.”

Roy knew it was a long shot. He knew you could’ve been going home to see family, but knowing that you were actually staying in Richmond was even more of a blow. You’d be mere miles away with the team, close enough to fucking be around if he tried. Deep down, though, he knew that wasn’t wise.

It was him that stopped all this in the first place– it should be him to uphold the friendship and not blur the lines. It wouldn’t be fair to you otherwise.

“No problem,” Roy said through gritted teeth, trying to sound fine. “Really, it’s fine. You’ve been missing Richmond again, haven’t you?”

You scoffed gently. “You could fucking say that again.” You wanted to ask him the same, as you harboured a feeling that he missed the team just as much as you did, but you didn’t want to ruin the moment.

Roy copied you, letting out a huff of air softly. “Enjoy yourself. You deserve it.” Over the line, the shrill sound of a bell rang and a tannoy yelled Back on air in one minute!

You frowned slightly. “Is that your cue?”

“Yeah, it is,” Roy said lowly.

“You better get back to it.”

“Hm,” Roy growled. Neither one of you wanted to hang up, though. It was plain to fucking see. “I’ll, uh, see you in the new year then.”

“Have a good Christmas, Roy,” you said, almost painfully.

“You too.” Then, he was gone.

Waking up alone on Christmas morning was a new feeling. Your apartment was empty, besides yourself and your haphazard decorations, strewn up quickly in the small amount of time you had at home over the weeks leading up to the big day. It was oddly comforting, though, as you operated to your own schedule and weren’t met with the immediate task of dealing with family for a week straight.

Your phone was full of Christmas messages. Ones from Keeley and Rebecca, from Ted and Beard. One from Nate made you smile, alongside various well-wishes from the local Richmond guys who wouldn’t be in attendance at Higgins’s.

You drank your coffee happily, and got yourself ready without any time pressures. Walking over to the Higgins’ household was refreshing, as snow graced the ground in all its splendour. Richmond around Christmas time was truly magical, and it made you feel equally as reflective about your time in this part of London. A year and a half had gone so quickly.

You passed the Crown and Anchor, and smiled at the buskers singing outside. Last Christmas drifted through the air rightfully, and you shrugged your shoulders up to your ears warmly and watched for a minute.

Down the small side street by the pub, the unmistakable silhouettes of one Ted Lasso and one Rebecca Welton strolled alongside one another. You turned to face them, and could hardly believe your luck. Rebecca’s face lit up as soon as she saw you, and her long arms spread wide to encase you in a hug.

“Merry Christmas, darling!” she exclaimed warmly, equally happy about bumping into you.

When you pulled away, she was very quickly replaced by Ted. He wrapped his arms around you instantly. “What a small world, huh!”

“Small indeed,” you chuckled.

Ted parted from you, and your cheeks already hurt from smiling as you looked at them both before you. “Where are you two off to? Ted, I thought you were having Facetime Christmas with Michelle and Henry?”

Ted frowned ever so slightly. “Well, some things in this life are impossible to control, and I think seven year old boys definitely fit in that category.” You smiled at him in understanding. “Lucky for me, though, the Boss was right there when I needed her.”

“We’re off to play Santa,” Rebecca chimed in. “Definitely beats what I did last year. That was right after Rupert… well. You know.” She smiled subtly.

“Are you off to the Higgins’s already?” Ted asked.

You nodded. “I wanted to get there a little early and help Julie if she needed it. Having a house full of footballers doesn’t strike me as something easy.”

“You can sure say that again,” Ted let out. Rebecca chuckled in agreement.

“What about Roy, what’s he up to?” Rebecca asked. You inhaled a sharp breath, but smiled all the same. You ignored the stabbing pain in your chest, and the hoard of butterflies that ravaged through your stomach.

You shrugged. “Don’t know.” It was a lie, but you couldn’t be fucked to explain it all. The invitation, the conversation. You hadn’t told her, nor Keeley, about what had happened after the double date. You didn’t want to.

Ted’s face softened. “Well, we’ll leave you to it, Writer. Have a good one. You deserve it.”

Rebecca encased you in another hug. “You really do,” she whispered. You knew what it meant.

Roy looked at his phone grumpily. Not that looking at his phone un-grumpily was something he did often, but he was extra grumpy as he traversed his Christmas messages that morning. There was nothing from you, no small text, no Facebook post, no message sent by carrier-fucking-pigeon.

“Uncle Roy!” Phoebe called, as the pitter patter of her bare feet erupted down the stairs and straight towards him. She crashed into him as he sat at the dining table, and latched herself onto him. “Can we do presents now?”

Roy took one last glance at his phone, before he dropped it on the table. He turned back to his niece, taking in her puppy-dog eyes and features that looked just like his sister. “Fuck yeah,” he said.

Phoebe squealed at the top of her lungs, before swivelling on her tiny toes and sprinting towards the tree in the living room. Roy watched her go, smiling to himself as she dropped to the floor and started rifling through the wrapped gifts.

It was true that he wished you were here. You’d probably have arrived right about now, wearing something cosy like a lumper jumper, and holding a bottle of prosecco for later. You’d have brought gifts, no doubt. Some Barbie situation for Phoebe, or another thing suited for a seven year old girl. Phoebe would have loved it.

You would have brought something for him, too. Something that you might have been worrying about for a few weeks, concerned that he wouldn’t like it when, in fact, you could have got him a bag of literal dog shit and he would have still said thank you.

Roy swallowed away the images that his head made up. He did it often now, thought of what could have been, what might have been his future, if he wasn’t such a fucking git– or, if you weren’t so fucking perfect that it scared him half to death.

“Julie! I’ve washed the sprouts!” you yelled from the Higgins’ family kitchen. It was a quaint house, and you wondered how the fuck they fit four boys and two grown adults so easily inside.

“Fabulous.” Julie rounded the corner from the living room, holding two empty plates that only held crumbs. “Another plate of mince pies is all gone. I don’t know where those boys put it all!”

The doorbell rang like clockwork, and with every ring brought another team member, or two, or four. You hugged everyone as they filed into the kitchen, dropping coats and bags and another plate of food until every counter and surface was covered in another cultural dish. It was fantastic, and you found yourself feeling more part of a family than you ever had at Christmasses in the past. There was no drama, no political debates, and no screaming matches with your mother. It was blissful.

When Dani arrived, the room erupted in greeting. He approached Julie first and offered her his dish. “Mrs Higgins, I bring you my mother’s punch, and some Mezcal on the side, as she says I am already cheeky enough.”

Julie chuckled. “Oh, thank you, Dani.” She took the punchbowl from him, and lifted the foil. Immediately, the room was met with the metallic scent of alcohol. Tequila was very much already present in this punch. “God– it seems like you’ve already added some to this.”

Dani grinned. “Yes, I may have cheekified this one for you already.”

You chopped carrots a few metres away from them, but turned to Dani with your knife raised. “Someone get me a fucking glass of that.” Sam obliged as you continued chopping, and the group of the guys got themselves a drink too. The festivities were well underway.

“Here you are,” Sam said, placing a glass of punch beside you.

“Thank you, Sam.” You wiped your hands and stopped cooking for just a moment, as he raised his own glass in waiting. You smiled and hovered yours next to his, feeling infinitely warm already. “What are we toasting to?” you asked.

“To you,” he said gently. “Just because you deserve it.”

You chuckled, embarrassed. “Everyone’s been saying that lately,” you said quietly. “I’m not sure why.”

“Because it is our job to remind you of it, especially when you cannot see it yourself.” Sam looked at you softly, and you knew he was being genuine. You clinked glasses, as your eyes welled ever so slightly. It was moments like these that made you feel known, really really known, but also desperately sad.

Why weren’t you with them every fucking day of the week?

Leslie let in another three of the guys, and as they clambered inside a problem arose. “You’ve become quite popular, Leslie!” Julie exclaimed happily.

“Yes, it seems so,” Higgins said. “That’s the problem though, isn’t it. Where are we all going to sit?”

You took the roast potatoes out of the oven and dropped them on the kitchen island. “I think I have an idea to fix that,” you said.

You tucked in your chair last, and looked around the room. A table as long as a train carriage graced the Higgins household, made from the likes of a surfboard and a pool table, amongst other things. Sam sat opposite you, casting you with a golden glow whenever he so much as smiled.

At the end of the table, Higgins stood up. Every pair of eyes in the house shot his way, and he raised his glass to the sky. “Here’s to another successful Christmas in Richmond!”

Sam raised his glass higher than all else. “And here’s to the family Higgins!”

As darkness set in outside, you all ate and were merry in each other’s presence. Spending time with the team was always special to you, but this moment stood out above all the rest. It marked the start of another year in Richmond, and just over six months at Pluto Press. It marked a year and a half of an unlikely friendship between yourself and Roy, and all the rest.

You ate more than your own bodyweight, but to your utter surprise, at the end of the meal your head was spinning. You took a sip of your drink, and stopped to stare at the contents of your glass. It was full to the brim, but had been almost empty just a moment before. Had that been happening all evening?

You glanced at Sam, but the punchbowl was nowhere near him. When you glanced to your left, however– “I think this punch needs just a bit more cheekiness!” Dani exclaimed, as he poured in another few shots of tequila to the mix.

You grabbed his bicep gently. “Dani, have you been filling up my glass all night?” you asked.

Dani nodded happily. “Sí, mi amigo. My mother never believed in empty glasses. A glass cannot be half empty, or half full, it always has to be full full!” he exclaimed. The boys around him cheered and raised their very full glasses.

“Well.” You scoffed abruptly to yourself. “Shit,” you said.

Dani turned back to you, eyes gleaming. “Oh my goodness, are you–?” He mimed tipping back a full glass, and you laughed so loudly that the entire table was alerted to you. Dani grabbed your shoulder fondly. “My friends, it seems our Writer has been– how do you say it in English?”

Bumbercatch leant forward, smiling wildly. “Trollied, bevved, battered–”

Dani stood up abruptly. “She has been trollied, bevved and battered!” He raised his glass high, and clinked it with the guys down his end of the table.

Meanwhile, you were just calming down from an uncontrollable laughing fit. You glanced at your very full glass, and a small part of your brain told you not to drink it. You’d already had far too much, and you knew what you got like when tequila was in your system. On the other hand, you thought of Roy.

And he would have told you to buck the fuck up and drink the whole fucking thing.

You raised your glass to the sky. “To Richmond!”

The guys followed suit, almost knocking over the surfboard table. “To Richmond!”

As you stumbled through town, after declining multiple attempts from the guys to drive you home or get you an Uber, you found yourself heading elsewhere. Not home, to the comfort of your bed and a full loaf of bread for you to soak up all of Dani’s Mezcal. Instead, your legs were taking you the familiar route to Roy’s house. You didn’t know what time it was, but you knew it wasn’t too late for him to be asleep. You were proved right, as you rounded the corner to his drive and saw the living room lights still on, no matter how dimly lit he liked them to be.

As you approached his front door, the small bit of your logical brain that you had left was screaming at you to fuck off and turn around. This was silly, you knew, but you couldn’t fathom going home just yet. Innately, you landed upon yelling surprise! or starting to sing carols in Roy’s face as soon as he opened his door. Somehow, those ideas seemed like the perfect idea, and not at all fucking stupid.

You knocked on the solid oak door strongly, ready to surprise the hell out of him, but when he opened the door and peered down at you– all your words failed.

Roy wore the remnants of a suit, and a fancy one at that. His tie was loose around his neck, and his shirt was slightly untucked at the bottom, but not enough to not notice the belt that sat snug around his waist. You scanned him up and down quickly– or as quickly as you could in this fucking state. To Roy, your checking him out took a solid ten seconds, or longer.

When you met his eyes again, he couldn’t hide the amused smile on his face any longer. “Can I help you?” he asked.

“I may have had a bit to drink,” you said, and as hard as you tried you couldn’t stop your words from slurring. “Dani made punch.”

“Did that punch happen to punch you in the fucking face?” Roy huffed.

You nodded. “Juuust a little bit,” you let out.

Roy moved to the side. “Fucking get in here,” he said warmly.

You struggled to take off your boots, as Roy grabbed a few drinks from the kitchen. He oversaw you in his entryway, shrugging off your coat clumsily. When you stepped onto his floor in your socks, you skidded and let out a squeak.

Roy looked away quickly, trying to harden his expression. Watching you inebriated and without inhibitions was enough to make his gut coil. You stumbled to the kitchen, and leaned against the kitchen island just to keep yourself up-right.

He slid you a beer, which you took without question. “I really don’t need this, do I?” you said, looking to Roy for approval.

“Fuck no,” he said. “But, it’s Christmas.”

“Right you are,” you said. The two of you clinked your bottles together, and you swigged back your beer as if it were water. Roy chuckled so hard that beer frothed out of his mouth.

“Fucking hell, come on.” He grabbed your bicep gently, and led you to the living room.

You practically jumped onto the sofa, and got yourself comfortable immediately. “I love Christmas,” you whittled on. Roy sat on the other side of you, and took a swig of his own beer. “All the lights, and the snow, and everyone together. I just love it.”

“I take it that spending the day with the team was nice?”

“Just the best!” you exclaimed, raising your arms to the sky and almost dropping beer onto Roy’s plush carpet. He took another amused swig, just to distract himself. “How was your day with Phoebe?”

“We got to Order of the Phoenix before she fucking fell asleep,” he said. “She gave it a good shot.”

In the corner of his eye, Roy spotted the last present beneath his tree, and remembered who it was for. As you busied yourself by pulling off the sticker from your bottle, Roy got up swiftly and headed to pick it up. He placed his beer down as he grabbed it, and opened the card on the top.

Just another thing to remind you of home. Roy.

His handwriting was shit, and he knew it, but he thought that now was as good a time as any to give it to you. It was Christmas after all.

“Hey, so. I don’t know what’s got me being such a pussy this year, but I got you something,” he said, keeping his back turned to you. “You don’t have to open it now, just thought it would be nice.” He turned back to you, expecting you to be looking at him with those large, glassy eyes that he’d looked into a thousand fucking times.

Roy relaxed when he saw you, and a bubbly laugh ejected itself from his mouth. You were fast asleep on his sofa, beer balanced precariously on your chest as you breathed rhythmically. Your expression was soft, and your mouth was open, ready to emit some serious snoring. Roy strolled back to you slowly, placing your present on the coffee table. He grabbed the beer from your chest and replaced it by pulling a blanket over you warmly. You didn’t stir, utterly unconscious from such a fun packed day.

He’d never seen you like this– with your guard completely down. He felt privileged to know you felt comfortable enough to feel so at home like this. In his house, completely pissed, next to him.

Something new came over Roy as he made sure you were comfortable, and before he could stop himself, he leant down and placed a kiss on your forehead. Just a peck, and so fast and soft as not to wake you up. “Merry Christmas,” he whispered.

Roy left you on his sofa, at peace, and turned off the lights as he headed for bed himself. On the way up, he thought about the last year and a half of having you in his life. All the ups and the downs, all the confusion and the clarity– and what a time it had fucking been.

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kingpreciouswrld · 3 years

Note

Hi luv, can you do a angst to fluff Miranda Priestly imagine where Andrea comes back to Runway to confess her feelings for Miranda, but Miranda is in a relationship w/ the reader and has to choose between them. At the end Miranda chooses the reader!

Wants and Needs

Title from Drake's song -"Wants and Needs"

Pairing: Miranda Priestly x Reader

Genre: Angst -> Fluff

Word count: 2k

A/N: God you know I'm a sucker for angsty Miranda 😫 I hope you like it! All mistakes are mine ;-;

__________

The phone landed on the sofa with a soft bounce as you sat back into your own chair with a sigh.

You just got a call from Nigel. He called you right when he got back from leaving Miranda’s office and told you that he saw her walking into the office.

Her being the infamous Andrea Sachs.

The young journalist was known as the one who walked away alive. And thanks to Nigel, you also knew Andrea as the girl who was in love with her ex-boss and your girlfriend, Miranda Priestly.

It wasn’t new information to those who knew the young journalist. Nigel had told you that the girl developed feelings for the editor during her tenure at Runway. So far, the girl never showed any interest in Miranda after she walked away in Paris, and you hoped it stayed that way.

Your relationship with Miranda wasn’t public and you liked it that way. Miranda wanted to keep things underwraps until the both of you were ready to face the numerous paparazzi, critics, and the unavoidable page six, but keeping things underwraps meant that no one knew the editor was taken.

There was no reason for the girl to be at Runway unless...no, no, you needed to use a wise mind. But the journalist wrote small columns in a mediocre newspaper, so why would she be in Runway’s offices?

You tried your best to not jump to conclusions but if anything, you had faith in Miranda. She didn’t like to be bothered during Runway hours unless it was a family matter so you knew she would ignore the girl.

You hoped she would.

You didn’t know much about how Miranda felt about Andrea, she never talked about it.

Either way, there was nothing you could do with the information you were given, you weren’t going to call Miranda at work,

So you just waited.

~~~~~~~

The shutting of the front door followed by heels clacking on tiled floors told you that Miranda was home.

You didn't need to check the time for it to tell you that Miranda was late, more late than usual.

You followed her movements with your hearing, never breaking your staring contest with the painting in front of you.

She was getting closer.

You didn’t have to tell her where you were, you didn't have the energy to anyway but she always came to the study to work on the book.

“Darling there you are.” Miranda bent down and pressed a small kiss to your forehead.

You responded with a hum and watched as your lover made herself comfortable on the sofa across from you.

“How was your day? Did you manage to turn in your project on time?” she asked as she put on her reading glasses before turning to the book.

You were too out of it to answer her questions. Your day was...fine, it was tolerable, but your mind was running at a thousand miles per second and it made you despondent.

Not getting a reply from you, Miranda looked up from the book, “Darling?” she asked softly, "is everything alright?"

"Hm?" Your eyes found icey blue ones that were filled with concern. "Oh, yeah–yes, everything's fine."

Satisfied with your response, Miranda sent you a soft smile before she returned her focus to the fashion pages in her lap.

The silence that followed swallowed you whole, only broken with the few scratches of Miranda's red pen and the flipping of pages.

"Why was Andrea at Runway today?"

At least you held off for longer than you thought you would.

Miranda's focus didn't falter, the only telltale sign that she heard you was the sharp inhale through her nose.

"What are you talking about darling?"

"Andrea Sachs. Why was she there?"

Miranda made no move to stop her work and you sighed,

"It's just a question Miranda."

Knowing that she couldn't get any work done until you were addressed, Miranda finally looked up at you, taking her glasses off in the process,

"If you must know, she was just there to talk."

"Okay," you nodded slowly, "talk about what?"

The white-haired editor fluffed her hair before she waved you off, "It's nothing, really."

"Miranda you never just 'talk' to someone during work let alone an ex-assistant who walked out on you. She worked for you Miranda, I thought you wouldn't be caught dead with someone like–"

"Do NOT talk about Andréa like that," Miranda snapped.

Miranda had never raised her voice at you and it made you physically flinch. She was defending Andrea.

For the first time since the relationship started, you were shaken. You couldn't read Miranda at all and it scared you.

Without warning, your mask slipped in place and you became eerily calm,

"What happened," you said quietly.

Miranda had gone back to the book albeit working slower than usual,

"The girl merely wanted to have dinner."

The puzzle pieces were settling into place. You could feel your stomach clench. Your heart sped up, and you felt your nerves set off as the waves of anxiety spread from your chest throughout your whole body,

"That's why you were late wasn't it…"

Miranda simply continued with her work as she pushed some of her bangs out of her eyes, "Don't be ridiculous Y/N, it was just about friends catching up."

"You never talked about her, you refused to talk about her, she isn't just a 'friend' Miranda."

There was a silent pause as you observed your lover. Her own mask was in place and she was blatantly ignoring the situation. She wouldn't even look you in the eye.

"She asked you out again, didn't she."

A whispered 'yes' cut through the silence.

You took a deep, steadying breath,

"What did you say."

Silence. Miranda returned to the book, turning the pages and making notes here and there. She never once acknowledged you, it was as if the editor shut you out completely.

It broke your heart.

"I hope having your fun is worth it."

You quietly approached the editor, making sure you didn't jostle the book in her lap, before you bent down and placed your own kiss on her forehead.

You couldn't bring yourself to say anything else. The answer of silence was an answer in itself.

Quietly leaving the study, you made your way up to your– to Miranda's bedroom and gathered your clothes into a duffle bag. You didn't want to stay here, you couldn't. You didn't know what all of this meant, it was too much for you to process, but you knew you had to leave.

~~~~~~~

A year of being together and a journalist is what comes between the two of you. A year. A fucking year.

And now, here you were, sitting alone in a hotel room for the 8th day in a row.

How easy it was for Miranda to look at another.

Throughout the week you did your best to not doubt yourself. You knew Miranda's curiosity had nothing to do with how you were as a person or a lover, but you couldn't help that little voice in the back of your head that questioned why you weren't enough to satisfy Miranda.

After the second day of being away from the editor, she started to blow up your phone. Calls on top of calls came through, even during Runway hours and Miranda never called you during Runway hours, maybe texted, but never called.

The night you left the townhouse was the last time you talked to Miranda. Even though she's made many, many attempts to reach you, you weren't ready. Those self-doubts made you hesitant to pick up any of the calls that came to your phone.

On the third day she started to get Nigel and Emily to contact you. You told Nigel what happened and he wasn't happy with what Miranda had done. Emily heard what happened the first time she had contacted you and the redhead wasn't thrilled either. Although Emily was hard to deal with at times, you knew she wanted the best for you and right now she didn't think Miranda was what's best for you. Either way, both of them knew the situation and both of them promised to keep your location underwraps.

That, in turn, caused Miranda to double her attempts (as if they weren't enough already).

She started to send gifts, flowers, anything the editor thought you might like.

When you would arrive at work, there would be a bouquet of flowers on your desk, then throughout the day more bouquets would follow. Hell the woman would send you chocolates, not the cheap ones either, the best chocolates money could buy in New York City. You started to find Roy waiting for you after work and despite your attempts of refusal, you caved in after he personally wanted to see you make it back to wherever you were staying, safely.

Every mutual friend you had with Miranda knew where you were and what had happened between you two, and each of them promised to keep quiet on the matter.

You knew you couldn't hide forever, you just didn't know when she'd finally find you.

A knock on your hotel door snapped you out of your thoughts.

Your breath hitched. It couldn't be Miranda right? You've managed to slip away for 8 days, surely you had more time.

Looking through the little peep hole, you felt your body relax before confusion passed over your features. You never ordered room service. Unless you did and just forgot about it.

You shrugged, 'Free food is free food.' You opened the door and followed the bellhop as he pushed the cart in. Taking a closer look, you found that the cart held a tray of your favorite foods with a basket of your favorite snacks.

"Um, excuse me, where did you get all of this?"

"You only deserve the best."

You whipped around and found Miranda standing in the doorway.

She looked as if she came from work. Her famously white hair had fallen out of it's usual coif and there were a few wrinkles on her blouse.

What surprised you was the fact that the usual poised editor was fidgeting with her fingers. You could practically feel the anxiety rolling off of her body in waves. It was only then that you noticed that the two of you were now alone in your hotel room.

Miranda didn't know where to start, "Y/N, I…" she took a deep breath, "I love you and I-I'm sorry for my lapse in judgement about the whole..Andréa spiel."

You watched as Miranda took tentative steps forward, gaining more confidence when she didn't get any refusal from you.

She took hold of your hands and pressed kisses to them both, "Darling, it's you. I love you and only you. There has never been a moment since you left that I haven't thought of you."

"Miranda…" you whispered softly.

She shook her head and squeezed your hands, "I need you. I should have never entertained the thought of life without you by my side. I choose you Y/N, I love you."

You bit your lip before you sent a small smile towards the editor and Miranda's eyes brightened. She pulled you into a crushing hug and she clung to you like a koala as she kissed any part of your body that was in reach: your shoulder, your neck, your hair. All the while, she whispered 'I love you's' and 'I'm sorry's' and 'Y/N' as if chanting these things would keep you two in the moment. You indulged in the love that was showered on you and you hugged Miranda back just as tightly.

Miranda finally settled to hide her face in the crook of your neck,

"How did you find me?"

Her response was muffled by your neck but you heard it all the same,

"I may have threatened Emily with the banning of cheese in the offices."

You snorted a laugh.

'Ratted out for cheese cubes..are cheese gift baskets a thing?’

__________

Devil Wears Prada tags: @007giu

#miranda priestly x reader #miranda priestly #the devil wears prada #meryl streep #meryl streep movies

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ive-tumbled-down-a-rabbit-hole · 3 years

Text

Hot Showers

This gets a little more risqué (nudity mentioned but that's it really) toward the end of the fic than I typically (or ever tbh) have written (from my point of view) so you've been warned. Probably "teen plus" as a result. (I'm not great at warnings/tags so sorry).

Masterlist

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Marinette giggled as she and Roy tinkered with the shower head and box. Their plan was fool proof, no flaws what's so ever. Jason would run out the scalding hot shower straight into Roy’s safe arms and they’d fall in love, then kiss and live happily ever after. That’s how it goes right?

As much as it pained her, to yet again fall for someone who wasn't interested in her, she wouldn't let herself get in the way of his happiness. Roy was her best friend. He deserved happiness. Even if his happiness was with Jason and not her. She got why he loved Jay. Jay was perfect for Roy with his leather, ruggedness, and wicked dark humour. Roy would always be her best buddy with Jay a close second.

It was inevitable that she’d fall for Roy. How could she not fall for the goofball of a roommate. He was charming, caring, chaotic and smart. His humour matched hers as well as he also adored Jagged. He dealt with the admin mistake amazingly as she ended up being placed in the male dorms. She doesn't really regret using Marin instead of Nettie on the forms to shrink her name to fit as she'd never have met the crazy man next to her.

Ok, that might be a slight stretch of the truth given they both had taken the same university course. But she'd never have guaranteed that they'd have worked together.

Also, his looks were nothing to be scoffed at… she's never forgotten bumping (literally) into his toned chest, damp hair and piercing green eyes as he walked out of the bathroom in first year.

She really was a sucker for green eyed Adonises who put her as 'just a good friend'.

"Wha'd'ja think? The mechanism seems ok? It's a little sticky though."

Roy's voice broke through Marinette's musings, giggles and reminiscing of topless moments, knowing he will never be hers. Stealing Roy's hat Marinette to place it on her own head to keep her overgrown fringe out her eyes (she really needed to cut it) she stuck her tongue out to focus on the mechanism Roy referred to.

"Can you grab me a nail file and tweezers Roy? I have an idea on getting it to move smoothly."

Handing Marinette the tools requested, Roy wrapped himself around his roommate, resting his head over her shoulder to watch her tinker with the contraption.

Marinette groaned inside her mind. It was times like this that made it so much harder adoring Roy and not acting on it with his sweet oblivious behaviour.

"It'll work right? This plan is fool proof, right?"

"Yeah yeah, the contraption is perfect. Look, I got it to work without sticking now."

"Nets!! That's not what I meant." Roy hugged her closer, "Course the fucking thing will work. It has us working on it. This stuff is a breeze. I meant, like, Jay will come running into my arms and I can declare my feelings."

"Roy… I love you…" Marinette grimaced internally stating that. Roy will never take her seriously or the true depth it meant with how often she said it, but at least she got to say how she felt even if it was never returned. "I'm $h1t at knowing whether it will work. My dating history and setting up is appalling. I never told the guy in lycée that I liked him. The girls set up loads of ridiculous situations for me to fail at. The only major success I had was setting Al's up with Nino by trapping them in a cage. This fits in with the crazy plans perfectly and it's you. You're not a coward plus how could Jay hate you?"

"Love ya too Nets. Thanks for the prep talk. I can do this. Jay will love it… afterwards."

"As this part is finished, do you want to assemble it together?"

"Yeah yeah, I get ya hint. Get the giant to put the shower together. I got this you little Pixie."

Marinette flipped him off as he let go of her allowing her to stand up and move away from him.

"I'm going to the gym. That way at least I can have a shower without issues. When's Jay over? I can grab take out on the way home."

"In an hour, I think. Have I told you I love ya Nets? Pizza and beer night!!"

"Not enough Roy, not enough… and for that I'm grabbing Chinese"

She stuck her tongue out at Roy and dashed into her room to grab her gym kit.

°~°~°°~°~°°~°~°°~°~°°~°~°°~°~°°~°~°°~°~°

As Jason lounged on the sofa, Roy attempted to watch the trash film he selected nursing the beer he was drinking. There was a reason he let Marinette chose films. She seemed to have an endless knowledge of them and about the directors. Though she said she was just reciting information she’s heard over the years from an obsessed friend and would be in the same boat as him otherwise.

Roy was struggling to keep his cool without Marinette around. He was so close to Jason, he could smell Jason's aftershave and something distractedly Jason. It was sending his mind into over drive. The plan was all set up ready and he just needed to wait. He didn’t like the waiting and now his nerves were all over the place like his mind with how Jason kept looking over at him.

“So what madness were you and Nets working on today?"

Jason’s deep voice caused Roy to jump and his attention to scatter.

"What?! No madness. We've had a quiet day. Nothing dangerous at all."

"Bullshit Roy. Nets tools are still in the living room. They'd be in her room if she wasn't working on something and *you* would have joined in. You're practically joined at the hip."

‘$h1t!’ ran through Roy’s head at Jason’s observation, very little escaped the 'not a bat' attention. "Errr….", Roy eloquently replied. He could hear Marinette’s scolding in the back of his head at his lack of words and distraction technique.

Jason threw a pillow at him, which Roy manages to catch. He resisted the urge to bury his face in the pillow, to look at Jason. Roy felt his ears start to heat up under Jason’s all knowing stare.

"Harper, you're a $h1t liar. I really haven't a clue how Nets hasn't figured you out yet."

Before Jason could continue grilling Roy about his latest project, a loud thumping of what sounded like someone kicking the door.

“Foood!! Nets is home!!” Roy cried jumping over the sofa to let his saviour in, ignoring Jason shaking his head at his behaviour. He finally got what she meant with the nerves she felt before each of her friends' crazy plans. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t tell his friend about how he fantasised about his thighs. His arms. How he loved and hated the showers at JL post mission. How when they sparred, that one shifted move and it could turn into something... something more.

Roy dragged Nets into the building and manoeuvred her to the kitchen neglecting to help by taking some the tower of food out her hand focusing complete to the panic ringing in his head. “Help me... he’s so fucking cute today.” Roy whispers into her ear.

His roommate and best Wing Girl looked at him with a sigh. “Chill Roy, just chill! The more you work yourself up the worse it’ll be. Forget the future. Focus on food so we can put phase one into action yeah!?”

Roy smiled. He could do this. This was why he adored his Pixie companion. She really was perfect friend. He dragged her into a hug with relief that she was here rushing through him, chuckling at her antics to escape his grasp.

“Grab the plates and make yourself useful instead of smothering me Roy. Jay! You gonna help too?!”

As the three navigated the small kitchen dishing up food. Every time Jason’s hand brushed his, Roy felt his heart flutter. Heat rushed through his body. His nerves were fried by the time they all were seated, from Jason’s heated touch and the desire for more contrasted with Marinette’s soothing balm calming his soul.

°~°~°°~°~°°~°~°°~°~°°~°~°°~°~°°~°~°°~°~°

Jason tried to focus on the food in front of him, but fu©k, it was hard especially with having a few drinks with Roy before Marinette turned up. He might have been harbouring a minor, not so big, little (HUGE) crush on Roy’s roommate and keeping it in check was hard, especially with alcohol. She was hot! Especially with the loose crop top and joggers she was wearing from her post workout. The hint of her abs and wet hair dampening the white top gave him all the wrong ideas. Her morbid humour match is his dark one and her love for rock music sold it for him. Roy was a strong man to be able to resist her, that is if he was resisting… with how Roy draped and snuggled close to her it was hard to tell.

Jason’s issue was he wasn’t sure if Roy was overprotective and physical close of Nets due to seeing her as a little sister or there was something more was under lying. He’d seen the pair try to hide their blushes. Their cosiness and whispered conversations. The fact Roy was often tactile with him made it harder to work out as maybe that was just Roy with his best friend's. With his attempts to find out Roy’s affections, it felt like getting a straight answer from B was easier. Roy always responded with lots vague responses and misdirection.

It was driving him insane, Jason desperately wanted to know where Roy stood so he knew whether it was green to maybe… possibly… make a move on Nets… without violence form Roy.

Lost in his own musings as Nets and Roy chatted animatedly about a potential 'illegal' modification to their bikes Jason didn't notice the downpour of beer which flew his way.

"WHAT THE FU¢K NETS?!?!!"

Jason jumped out of his seat as beer drained down his top onto his jeans. Roy rushed to pat him dry with napkins he'd grabbed, red faced to match his hair as he pat down the beer from Jason's head. Nets looked at him with her soulful doe eyes that peered out partially hidden by her lashes and overgrown fringe.

"$h1t!! Mon dieu!! I'm *so so* sorry Jay!"

With a pout and sorryful expression she looked up at him, melting his anger with her innocent look.

"It was an accident. I really didn't mean for that to happen. Are you ok? Did ya want a shower?? I'm *sure* Roy has some spare clothes he can loan you?"

She spoke with such a saccharine voice that shivers went down Jason's spine and whatever anger that remained disappeared.

"Errr, Yeah! Look, I'll, I'll go grab some spare clothes and towel for ya Jay."

Roy gulped as he exited the room to get the items leaving Jason suddenly feeling flustered, standing in wet clothes that clang to his body, with only Marinette left in the room.

"I'll just, I'll go be in the bathroom if Roy asks."

Marinette sent him a beguiling smile as he wanders out the room.

°~°~°°~°~°°~°~°°~°~°°~°~°°~°~°°~°~°°~°~°

Screams echo the apartment as Jason dashes out the bathroom flames licking behind him as he runs towards Roy who had grabbed a fire extinguisher and covers him in the water before panicking as saw the shower curtain was still alight.

"Arghhhhhhhhhhh!!! Nets! NETS!!! THE BATHROOM IS ON FIRE!!"

Marinette quickly comes into the hallway to find Jason naked, Roy hopping foot to foot holding the fire extinguisher and not doing anything. Grabbing the item off the flapping man and ignoring the nakedness of the other, Marinette tackled the flames and quickly put them out. Thankfully it wasn't as bad as she thought and easy to get under control. Before turning to Roy and Jason raising her eyebrow at the pair while chucking a towel at Jason.

"You b@$t@rd!! What in hell?! what you thinking Roy?!?! What was that?!"

"I'd call it a hot shower … "

Marinette gave Roy a pointed look at that comment.

"A hot shower Roy?! Where was the shower bit!"

"I might have forgotten to reattach the water element…"

"Might?!?! Might?!?!"

Jason felt the green fire in him growing as he stepped closer and closer to Roy. His friend was a madman. He was bonkers. He was going to kill him. Whether the him being Roy or himself he wasn't sure.

Roy suddenly grabbed Jason's shoulders, dragging him closer and kissed him. Roy poured all his affections into a heated kiss, hoping Jason would understand what he was trying to say. Jason paused in shock. That… that wasn't what he was expecting. His eyes blew wide as he processed what was happening. He saw Marinette give a bittersweet smile at the pair before she turned and left them to it as she re-entered the living room. His attention snapped back to Roy as he quickly let go to step back.

"Ummm, I like you… a lot… this was an attempt to ummm well… kick start telling you maybe…"

Roy's face was flushed vibrant red. Partly due to finally kissing his crush, partly from admitting his feelings and a lot due to remembering Jason before the kiss was angry and likely to kill him for the flamethrower shower and that he had kissed him unasked plus on top of that Jason was still in the hallway in only a towel.

"You like me?!?! Me?!?! What about Nets?!?! I thought you liked her … how can you not like her. She's a walking goddess?"

"Yeah I like you, like really like you…why wouldn't I? and Nets well, I love her too, but you're you Jay. I've liked you since forever."

Jason stared at his friend semi gormlessly, blinking slowly, as he tried to understand what was happening. His friend. His best friend. Who had just tried to kill him via fire. Had just said he liked him. Liked him more than a best friend. Roy had just kissed him. Given it was mostly one side, it still managed to be a decent kiss. Roy said he loved Nets, but from what he said it implied he loved him, HIM, more.

Did he like Roy like that? Jason knew he liked Nets but Roy was something he never considered...

"I err.. $h1t I fu¢ked this up. Forget it. I made this awkward. We can stay mates Jay….this never happened 'i can't believe I let Nets talk me into this'"

Jason grabbed Roy face in both hands and kissed him back heatedly, surprising Roy causing an ‘eeeps’ to escape his mouth. Especially as Jason now had his towel in his hand at Roy's face, not around his waist and his tongue requested to entry to his mouth. A second later Roy melted into Jason’s grasp, memorising the feeling he’d longed for. Moments later came too soon for Roy’s liking, as they slowly broke away to breathe again, Jason stared deeply into Roy’s eyes.

"Do you like like Nets? Be honest with me Roy!"

"I guess…"

"Not guess. Yes or no?"

"Yea…"

"Awesome. Ditto. I never considered you in the equation before. Always Nets but maybe… maybe do you think… did you want…?"

It was Roy's turn to look at Jason like he was the madman. Maybe he was mad, he was standing in his hallway, after almost being burnt, naked. He contemplated what Jason was trying to say and his eyes glimmered in understanding finally. God damn bats being as clear as mud with their emotions.

"Yeah," Roy whispered out, "yeah that sounds good. Shall we go ask her?"

Grabbing Jason's hand, the pair walked back into the living space to find Marinette tidying the mess they had made earlier. She looked up and squawked at the sight of Jason still wearing nothing as she threw a cushion at him.

"Clothes, Jason, clothes!!! Oh kwami's help me!"

Her face was brilliant red as she gazed up at the ceiling to avoid looking at the muscular men before her.

"Cack! One mo, Roy!"

Jason ran out of the room to put something on… anything… other than the towel which was lying on the floor in the hallway.

"So it went well then Roy?"

"Yeah Nets it went good."

"I'm so happy for you. I knew he couldn't resist you. So proud you did it. However unconventionally."

"About that…"

Marinette paused and finally looked at Roy standing awkward in their home. She tilted her head in confusion as to what Roy was worried about as he nervously fiddles with his cap. She walked up to him and brought him to the sofa to sit down.

"Talk to me Roy. What's wrong? I'd thought you'd be happy. This is what you wanted right? I didn't push you into something you weren't ready for, did I? Oh god I did, didn't I! I'm so sorry Roy. I'll take the blame. Don't worry we can fix this."

"What no!!! That's not it Nets. Promise."

Jason finally rejoined them, wearing a pair of Roy's shorts and a t-shirt that was a size too tight. Which left nothing to the imagination causing a flustered look dance across Roy's face.

"Nets," Jason sat beside her, and not Roy, adding to her confusion. "Can you answer this honestly this question? Please..." Marinette slowly nodded hesitantly, shifting to look at Jason, unsure what was happening with her friends. Jason gently took her hand and asked, "Do you like like Roy?"

The new blush that rushed to her face answered the question really, but Jason waited for the woman to regain her senses and answer him. Ducking behind her hair Marinette nodded at Jason. Roy hand darted up, before his mind had caught up, too tucked some of her hair behind her ear.

"Oh Nets… I'm an idiot. A major idiot."

Roy pulled her close to rest his forehead against hers, leaving Jason stroking the back of her hand.

"Nets, I adore you too." He kissed the tip of her nose, "Can you answer my question now. Do you feel the same way about Jay?"

"Wha…" she pulled away from Roy to look at the men before her, glancing between them like they were insane.

"I like you, Nets. God's know I like you, since I met you and your sadistic humour at Roy's misfortune. But I think l like Roy too. Roy well, the dense tool says he likes me, but I've seen the looks he's given you too. I'm pretty sure the feelings were mutual, just he never entertained it."

"Thanks Jay!" Roy grumbled before grabbing Marinette's other hand and kissed her fingers. "Did you wanna try with us?"

Roy looked at her earnestly. Hoping. Wishing she said yes. Her large, pretty eyes gazed into his, then to Jays. Slowly she licked her lips before opening her mouth.

"Just so I'm clear. You both want to date each other. But you also want to date me??"

Roy beamed at her, "Yes!" He leant forward and gently kissed her lips, savouring the taste compared to his heated, frantic outpouring with Jason.

"Dude! She didn't say yes. She just clarified what you were saying!" Jason exclaimed facepalming at his ?boyfriends? enthusiasm.

Roy quickly pulled back, "Oh, ooops!", only to witness Marinette looking up at Jason with wide eyes as if asking a silent question from him to nod in response. Carefully, as if uncertain of what will happen, Marinette kisses Jason slowly, easing into it before retreating. Shyly, as if she hadn't just kissed the pair, she smiles coyly at them.

"This wasn't the outcome I was expecting from this evening, but, I'd quite like to give it a go."

#maribat #maribat au #ml crossover #dc x mlb #ml x dc #dc x ml #mlb x dc #jasonette #roynette #marinetteXjasonXroy #poly #semi risqué writing #jasonXmarinette #marinetteXjason #marinetteXroy #royXmarinette #maribatJasonXroy #maribatRoyXjason #JayRoyNette

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floydshusband · 3 years

Note

Dorime Katrin, I'm sure you already know what's gonna come :risitas: Could I request some Rook comforting the reader who's going through a tough time rn? Like, him reassuring the reader that he loves them and all that cheesy stuff (you're good at writing Rook I know you know *eyes emoji*). Male reader would be preferred but gn works as well if you feel more comfy with that! Cheers!

Arrow that will follow you around.

Rook Hunt x male!reader

Rating: sfw, warnings: none

Summary: You are having a difficult time for a couple of weeks now, and you haven't talked to anyone about it. You weren't sure if you were planning to, but someone certain made sure you'd finally get it off your chest to a loved one (that happens to be him).

Read under the cut

It was a night with a clear sky where the stars could shine like the Pomefiore dorm uniforms. Everyone should be sleeping at this time, but you couldn't, and you wish the Headmaster wouldn't wander around to find you there, walking down the main Street of the Campus alone. These past weeks life just hasn't been so easy to you. Personal reasons. You didn't feel like sharing with anyone in the school, even your closest friends. You thought that coping by strolling down the street past midnight would help, but you fooled yourself. The bad thoughts and worries wouldn't leave as simply as that.

You shook your head, sighed and looked at the bright stars that looked like glitter on black fabric. You found a bench and sat there, hands on face sceptically. You felt like everything in your life was crumbling down and that you were alone in this. A knot in your neck bothered you, and made you curse under your breath. At least the night was peaceful, and the ambient sounds of it slightly soothed your frustration. The silence wouldn't last for long though...

"O là là!" You heard a voice in the distance that made you wince, as it echoed in the quiet campus, but what exactly pierced the bench right next to you startled you so much you couldn't even have the time to scream.

An arrow? For a brief moment you almost panicked. What why would an arrow have a place in such a time in the school? Was someone after someone else? Were there assassins? That immediately put you out of your thoughts and into a defensive stance out of instinct.

"Oh, mon dieu! I scared you, Monsieur? Pardon, pardon, it wasn't done on purpose, argh, seems like I got distracted by my target!" The familiar voice and the footsteps rapidly came closer as a tall guy with a very distinctive blond bob cut run towards you.

"Hunt? What are you doing this late here... With this?..." You tried to sound unfazed and a bit apathetic so that you wouldn't make him raise an eyebrow about your mood. It wasn't the time for this...

"Oh, Roi de mon cœur! It is you! Mon Dieu! I almost hit you!" His overdramatic reaction made you realise that he was obviously acting. He probably had this all already set, as you know him... And of course he wasn't aiming at you, but right next to you, to catch your attention.

"Ah non, don't mind me! I was just having some late night practice! I have set some targets for me, I can't fail! I will do my best!" He enthusiastically said and put a hand on his chest with pride.

"Is that so... Well, have a good pra-"

"Oh, look how beaute is the sky tonight! Romantic!" Before you could even finish your sentence, he sat very close to you, crossed his legs and hugged you with one arm even closer. His wide smile was so suffocating at the moment, but it is the smile you loved the most. You just needed some alone time and it seems he didn't get the hint...

"The stars shine so bright tonight, non?... It's like your eyes... Roi de mon cœur? What's wrong?..." He suddenly calmed down and his face looked genuinely concerned. He turned his face to him by gently holding your cheeks and chin. His eyes became gloomy with his sympathy for you as he noticed the lack of brightness in yours.

"I've been noticing that dropped face of yours for days, Roi... That's the actual reason I'm here with you now..." He placed a soft kiss on your forehead.

"I knew it..."

"Why you sound so sad about it... You know that I care you, non?"

"Yes, Rook... I do... I just needed some time for myself to think. I'm just having some personal problems going on these days... It's alright, it'll be better soon, you don't have to w-!!"

"Ugh!" He let out a sob as he pulled you in his embrace tightly, letting your face nuzzle his shoulder. His strong hand held your head in place and ruffled your hair.

"R- Rook?"

"(Y/n)!! I can't stop being worried about you!" He gently grabbed your neck and gave you three continuous kisses, one more passionate than the other. "Je t'aime!! I love you so much, Roi de mon cœur!... You can always count on me..." His voice slightly cracked at the end of his sentence, and that brought tears to your eyes, that so far had nothing to get wet for.

You gently gripped his jacket as you hugged back. "I also love you, Rook... A lot... I promise I'll talk to you, when I feel like to, hm?"

"Oui, this sounds ideal... Let me give you a kiss!" He smiled and kissed your cheek and lips quickly. "Come back inside now... If the Headmaster catch you out here, you'll have to listen to him!" He chuckled and pulled your hand.

"Eh, you're right... Let's go..." You kissed his cheek as you walked back inside the Mirror Chamber to transfer to your dorms...

#disney twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland #twst fanfic #twst #pomefiore #rook x reader #rook hunt x reader #male!reader #twisted wonderland fanfiction #twst x you #twst fluff #katrin writes #rook hunt #twst rook

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themaribatpit · 3 years

Text

Jasonette July Day 1: Suit Up

EDIT: Written by The Maribat Pit Content warning: Swearing, there is a quote that is a reference to Titans!Jason, references to Chloe’s actions in “Battle of the Miraculous”. Rated: T Inspired by: that one Tumblr post that suggested what would happen if Jason used a Lucky Charm. Prompt: Suit Up The kidnappers had Marinette, and Jason knew that desperate times called for desperate measures. Marinette hadn’t returned home from her mission the night before, Plagg returned that morning without her. He explained that Marinette had managed to free most of the kidnapped kids, but she was captured shortly after being depowered. They assumed she was one of the kids that hadn’t managed to escape.

Jason went from slightly worried to absolutely frantic. Roy was still in rehab, and there was no time to call in the Bat clan for help, it was up to him. In his mind, the more time they wasted, the closer she came to sharing his fate. “Great, just fucking fantastic”, he muttered to himself “the bad guys have the girl you love and you’re here looking for her jewelry”. If he went in guns blazing as the Red Hood, they would probably just kill her instantly and without a second thought. That being said, she would probably kill him later for tearing through the apartment like this. He was flipping the bed on its side, opening all the drawers and pulling out all of the contents. He was trying to find the Chinese Miracle Box, thinking maybe someone in there would help him if it meant saving their Guardian. He remembered a conversation they had when his curiosity about her powers got the better of him.

“So what if you were to, hypothetically, use several of these things at once?” He remembered asking.

“I did once, the Multimouse clones were using different fusions. Wearing them all at once can be pretty draining, even the fusions can be pretty taxing at the best of times if I’m not careful” she explained.

She also explained what happened when her old classmate tried to put on various Miraculous at once and started demanding power from them. Suffice it to say she didn’t get her way. So, by the sound of things, Tikki was his best bet, or he’d probably end up pissing off the other ones like Chloe did.

He found the box in her closet and opened it, to find that Plagg’s ring was missing and so were Tikki’s earrings. He closed the box and pushed it back into the closet, before searching the room for the earrings. She had said something before about Plagg and Tikki being the least suspicious of him. Probably because their combined magic was what created the Lazarus pits, the very reason he wasn’t still six feet under. He finally noticed the small red and black box sitting on the chest of drawers, and he popped it open to find the earrings inside. He wasted no time putting the studs in one ear, before a pink ball of light appeared in front of him. The ball of light turned into Tikki who gave a little stretch and yawn before being startled to see Jason instead of Marinette in front of her. “Hey Tikki, sorry, no time to explain but Marinette’s in trouble” he spluttered, “please I need your help, I wouldn’t be asking otherwise”.

“If that’s true, then there’s no time to waste, let’s go!” Tikki exclaimed, “Just say the words and I’ll help you.” Jason’s mind suddenly drew a blank, as he tried to remember what words Marinette used to transform into Ladybug.

“Bug Prism Power Make Up?” he tried.

“He doesn’t know the magic words?” Plagg asked slyly, “our Guardian’s life is on the line and he doesn’t know the magic words”.

“I know that you’d make a nice chew toy for Brutus”, Jason snapped as he tried to think. “Go go Lucky Charm?” he tried, Tikki shook her head.

“Lucky charm usually comes a bit later” she rubbed the back of her head, “keep trying, if Marinette is in trouble, then she needs our help”.

“Okay let me think, uh…It’s Magic Time? Ladybug Up? In brightest day, in blackest night...?” He kept throwing out suggestions, but Tikki continued to shake her head. “Uh, Shazam?” he had to give that one a try at least once, Tikki sighed.

Tikki thought it was admirable watching him at least trying to figure it out, even if Plagg was no help at that moment. It was clear to the little Kwami, she didn’t need to look that hard to know that this boy cared deeply for Marinette, even if he was hesitant to admit it at first. Tikki remembered gently encouraging Marinette to confess her feelings towards him, while Roy and Jason’s brothers took a more…direct approach.

“All right Jason, I’ll tell you the magic words but first,” Tikki told him and they both heard the Kwami’s stomach growl, breaking the awkward silence in the room. Jason remembered why Marinette usually kept a cookie on hand whenever she brought Tikki along, while the faint smell of cheese usually meant Plagg was in tow instead.

“Come on, let’s go get you a cookie” Jason said, “and some cheese for you” he shot Plagg a slightly irritated look. As Jason looked around the kitchen, the only cookies and cheese they had were the cheap stuff. Tikki tried to be polite about the fact that the oreo wasn’t going to cut it, Plagg just turned up his little cat nose at the processed American cheese. “Sorry Tikki, Marinette’s been a bit busy lately,” he told her before rounding on Plagg “what’s your problem?”

“You don’t happen to have any camembert, do you?” he asked, still refusing to even look at the slice of processed cheese.

“Camembert? Who was your last user?” Jason asked incredulously. Desperate times were calling for even more desperate measures, “just hang in there Marinette,” he thought.

Jason wouldn’t be racing over to Wayne Manor if it wasn’t a dire emergency. Tikki was safely tucked away in his jacket pocket, while Plagg was clinging to the hem of his jacket as it billowed behind him. Jason brought his motorbike to a stop just outside the gates, before hopping off darting past Damian, petting a sleeping Alfred the cat in his lap. Right now, he was hoping Alfred the human was baking something that would catch the Kwami’s eye. Sadly, he was not, a note on the kitchen door explained he wouldn’t be back until tomorrow. Sadly, this couldn’t wait until tomorrow. He opened the kitchen door, the cookies from Alfred’s last batch were stored in a cookie jar on top of the fridge. There was one cookie left, he unzipped his pocket and gestured to the cookie in the jar. Jason reached up and grabbed the jar, before opening it and grabbing the cookie inside. He also reached into the fridge and grabbed the camembert for Plagg. With the Kwami munching on their snacks of choice, he dashed out of the kitchen. Plagg had practically inhaled the wheel of cheese all at once, and glided alongside him. Meanwhile, Tikki clung to the cookie with one hand and the hem of Jason’s pocket with the other.

That morning, Bruce was not expecting to see Jason rushing past him. He wasn’t expecting to see a half-eaten chocolate chip cookie threatening to fly out of his jacket pocket. “Hi, can’t talk now, Marinette needs help, bye.” He called before disappearing down the hallway. Jason dashed past Dick who had just woken up, and Tim was on his way to the kitchen for some more coffee.

“Was that the last cookie?” Dick asked, slightly groggily.

“Oh that had better not be the last cookie” Tim groaned, someone had better be dying if that was the case.

Jason rushed to his motorcycle, and slammed the gate shut behind him before hopping on and putting on his helmet. Tikki was halfway through munching on the cookie, when she gave him a quick rundown of the powers that she would be giving him. Jason knew that the Miraculous granted the user enhanced speed, strength and endurance, he just hadn’t thought there would come a day when he would have to use their power. It was probably for the best that their guardian didn’t choose him when he was 13, for reasons that a bunch of guards were about to find out very soon.

Meanwhile, Marinette found herself in a cage inside a warehouse. There were two men guarding the cage, neither of them knew that Marinette was the girl in the black leather catsuit. They caught her just as the clock had run out on her powers, and they assumed she was one of the kids that had been captured. She was a petite young woman, and they found her dressed in a polka dotted hoodie, shorts and tights. She sent Plagg to go get help, and he had been gone for a few hours now. She was getting increasingly antsy, Jason was probably worried sick about her.

Jason arrived at the suspected gang hideout as fast as could, leapt off his bike and grappled to a vantage point. “Ok, relatively small time trafficking racket. Now where is Pixie Pop?” Jason thought to himself, scanning the area from his vantage point. “Plagg, go find Marinette, and tell her to not transform until I arrive.” Plagg flew out of Jason’s pocket and made his way there. “Alright Tikki, what's the magic word?” The Kwami flew out of Jason’s pocket as he spoke, Tikki glided to Jason’s ear and whispered to him the phrase. Jason repeated “Spots On” and felt power coursing through his veins. It felt like Venom without the addictive or berserk tendencies, pure energy was flowing through him. He felt the uncontrollable urge to pose and move with the flow of energy, doing a flourish of kicks and punches. It ended with him raising his left leg to his head, as if it was a vertical split and slamming it down. “Owwwwwwwwwwww” Jason groaned, “My thighs were not meant to do that.” He was not expecting the compulsive flourishes for the transformation itself.

Jason looked at his reflection in a nearby puddle, he could see he was wearing a full spotted suit and domino mask like Ladybug, yet his leather jacket stayed during the transformation and received its own ladybug pattern. Jason sucked up the pain and pushed onwards to the gang hideout.

Jason snuck in through a vent and approached a large main room, housing most if not all of the guards and their “merchandise” with cages strewn across the room with mostly women and children locked up. He finally sees Marinette, alive but imprisoned in a cage with a few other people in a corner. Jason needed a distraction so that Marinette could transform into Lady Noire. He had to do something to take the attention off every single person in the room.

Jason sighed and thought of a plan, it may not be the most flattering, but it worked and it would not be so threatening as cutting out the lights. He burst from the air vents and landed in a crouch, standing straight and shouting “Halt Evildoers, it I...Red Bug?”

This indeed worked as planned, as every guard, goon and hostage set their eyes on the intruder. The guards began pointing and laughing, “Good, they don't think I’m a threat” thought Jason. The guards underestimating Red Bug was what he needed, so that they would not find him threatening or harm anyone just yet.

Marinette took this opportunity to transform into Lady Noire. She wasted no time and began with Cataclysm, bringing down all the cages and making her way to Jason’s position. Both Lady Noire and Red Bug began fighting the guards, buying the hostages time to make their escape. As the last person successfully escaped the gang hideout, both Lady Noire and Red Bug stood side by side. More of them began to trickle in as they heard the commotion and began to surround the pair.

Marinette needed to think fast, she didn't have much time left after casting Cataclysm. She said to her partner, “Lucky Charm, Now!” Red Bug raised his eyebrow, “Lucky Charm?” he repeated. He suddenly felt the same compulsion as he did during the transformation, his arm suddenly shot upward with the yo-yo spinning. He looked up to see a swarm of ladybugs converge to form...a purse? Red Bug caught the purse with a look of disbelief, Lady Noire looked around the room for a plan to use the purse. Lady Noire got a burst of inspiration and turned around to tell her partner of her cunning plan, only to be greeted by thin air. She was brought out of her stupor hearing her partner yell out “LIGHTS OUT BITCH!”. She whipped her head towards the source of the noise to see Red Bug beating the guards with the Ladybug-themed purse. “I guess that works too” she said to nobody in particular. Knowing she had little time remaining as Lady Noire, she started running for the exit. Red Bug had no issue dealing with the remaining goons. Marinette hadn’t expected Jason to suit up with one of the Miraculous, not that she was complaining. She had expected him to come charging in as the Red Hood, or maybe start by picking off the guards one-by-one. She was surprised, but it wasn’t an unpleasant one, mostly. Since leaving Chat Noir behind in Paris, the fight left her feeling oddly nostalgic. Sometimes she missed fighting alongside a Miraculous user, though Tikki might have something to say about his...unusual use of a Lucky Charm. She walked over to Jason’s parked motorcycle and waited. Within minutes Jason followed suit and walked out the front door of the hideout. A swirl of green light surrounded him as he changed back, and Tikki zoomed over towards Marinette. Tikki nuzzled against Marinette’s face for a moment, before Jason walked towards her. He pulled his girlfriend into a big hug, Marinette is left breathless for a moment as he nuzzles into her neck. He didn’t say anything, but neither of them really needed to say anything at that moment. Touched by how much Jason cared for her, Marinette returned the hug. She stayed in that warm embrace for a long moment, before reaching up and gently patting him on the head. “Let’s go home...Pixie Pop.” Jason pulled away at the mention of the nickname he gave her, and before she could react, Jason began pinching her cheeks. “What did you call me?” Jason jokingly interrogated, while Marinette giggled like an idiot. EXTRA: Jason is sitting next to Dick and Damian in the Wayne manor lounge with two ice packs on his thighs Jason: I don’t know how you do it Dickie, my thighs were not meant to do that. Dick (covers Damian’s ears): Soooo did you and Marinette…. Jason: I literally beat up some guys with a purse today, don’t push me.

#jasonette #jasonettejuly2021 #maribat

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comradekatara · 2 years

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would you care to speak about what would happen if azula, mai, katara, ty lee, suki, yue and toph landed on yellowjackets mountain

to celebrate the season finale, here’s how I think it would go if the atla girls got stranded on yellowjackets mountain for 19 months (spoilers for yj s1 below the cut):

the night before nationals, azula and katara get into a fight at a party. katara accuses azula of breaking that girl’s leg on purpose during practice that day, and even though it really was, azula doesn’t do anything to deny that it was an accident. the entire team gets involved, until suki calls them off, and makes them all line up and say one nice true thing about the other. it’s cheesy, but it works.

either mai or azula’s dad paid for the plane (the PJ, as roman roy would call it). it’s the closest thing to parenting their neglectful rich asses are ever gonna get.

they’re the only survivors from the plane crash, but their coach and the other girls from the team were there too. they hold them all a funeral, and take turns delivering eulogies. they find a lake and an abandoned cabin in the woods, and use it for shelter and for supplies.

suki is team captain, and she’s still in charge in the wilderness. she doesn’t just know how to inspire the girls both on and off the field, but she knows how to forage, how to hunt, and how to take charge in emergencies. they all follow her lead, and despite their grief and fear, they could definitely be doing worse.

mai, who made the immediate decision to pull ty lee from the wreckage instead of suki, feels horribly guilty about this fact because she knows that they would all be dead without her, but also can’t bring herself to regret it.

azula and mai both realize that their meds are gonna run out soon, so they try to wean themselves off them slowly, lowering their doses from once every two days, then every three days, then every four, then every five, until soon enough they’ve both run out of pills, both feeling angry and suicidal. yue notices and helps them through their spiral, and even katara puts aside her lowkey beef with mai and highkey beef with azula to give them support.

meanwhile, ty lee and toph are trying to make sure that suki doesn’t have a nervous breakdown from being the sole one doing literally everything to keep them safe and secure. she hasn’t told anyone this, but she’s started having.....visions. at first she chalks it up to stress, but eventually she truly feels that it’s the woods trying to communicate with her. yue tells her that she can feel it, too.

katara claims that they should head south, look for someone, anyone who can help them. suki argues that it’s safer to stay put in the cabin; they have no clue where they are, but they have supplies and shelter here, and there are bears and wolves in the woods. toph agrees with katara, and mai and ty lee join her too. it’s a short-lived expedition. katara is supposed to be keeping watch, but she wakes up in a tree, unsure of how she got there. by the time she gets back, wolves have mauled ty lee’s face. she’s alive, but barely.

to lighten spirits, suki suggests they throw what yue dubs a “doomcoming.” they all dress up and drink fermented berry juice in the woods. they take turns singing their favorite songs a capella (while they already knew that katara has a beautiful voice because she shows it off constantly, they’re more shocked to learn that mai does too. suki’s singing is especially terrible, but it makes them laugh).

mai pulls ty lee in for a kiss in front of everyone. they all cheer, except for azula. she runs off into the woods the first chance she gets, wondering why she’s suddenly overcome with the urge to murder her best friend. mai and ty lee, pretending not to notice, go the opposite direction that night, to have transcendent sex on the forest floor. the rest of them dance around the woods, getting drunker and drunker until they all collapse.

they wake up the next morning disoriented and starving. they all make their way back to the cabin, except for toph. they realize that they left her in the woods by herself, and she must obviously be lost. they decide to go to look for her, but before they can, a bear approaches them. they all are about to run inside until yue takes suki’s knife and approaches the bear slowly, somehow subduing it, as if by magic, before stabbing it sharply in the neck. they eat well that day.

katara and mai, who have gone searching for toph, come back empty handed. meanwhile azula and ty lee get in a devastating fight in which they expose each other’s deepest insecurities, at which point azula decides that she’d rather sleep outside, and since she kind of scares and/or annoys everyone, no one tries to stop her. the only person who would have is toph, but who knows where she could’ve gone.

she keeps insisting that everyone needs to leave her alone anyway, and no amount of gentle coaxing can persuade her, especially not from mai, who insists that azula is being an idiot. azula hates mai; all of this is her fault, anyway, so what does she care. mai’s just like “girl wtf are u even talking about.” katara asks suki or yue to go try to get azula to come back inside, since it’s clear that she’s making no progress with her (they’ve gotten to a better place since the crash, but katara’s presence is only making azula furious now), but suki and yue are both like “no it’s okay. the forest will know what to do with her.” it’s only been less than a day and katara already misses toph so much.

azula attempts to light a fire outside, screaming as she hits two pieces of flint together desperately.

and then it begins to snow.

#I could only write so much considering we don’t know how the rest of the show plays out lol #but maybe I’ll revisit this at the end of s2 or smth #cavehags #asks #AUs #synthesis #posts for 2 people

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morgansunflower · 3 years

Text

I Miss You 1/3

Jason Todd X Reader

Batsiblings x Batsis! Reader

Warnings: suggestive content, though nothing explicit

Words:1,179

Reader Love's Jason more than anyone in the world. Though her lover has horrible timing

I threw up my breakfast into the grass outside Wayne Manor garden just beyond the shrubs. As I finally stop, I groan. Shit. My impending morning sickness the norm for the last few months. I step through the shrubs by the pool. I step up the steps. I open the door to the back entrance. I step inside and shut the door behind me. I saw Damian walk down the staircase. The chances of him trying to get on my nerves are well, very likely. Epically sense I smell horrible from throwing up.

I sigh "please don't say anything I know there are a million insults you want to say. I just need a break"

"tt, you smell revolting" he said with a rewarding look on his face

Of course I do "that's what happens when you throw up your entire breakfast" I obviously stated

I walked up the steps to my room. I walk through the hallway and open my bedroom door. I shut the door behind me and sat on my bed. Bruce is going to be infuriated with me. I looked on my laptop for places for Jason, our baby and I. How the hell I going to tell Jay? I remember our last night together. The release, the comfort and the beating of our hearts touching. We used a condom, always do but things happen. His voice ringing in my head 'I'll be back soon I promise' he'll be back. I suddenly began crying missing Jason, I need him. I want him to hold me. I have been trying to call him for so long but nothing. He left to help Roy with a mission. That was a three months ago. I yawn, I feel so exhausted. Sleeping as been so much harder. I shut my laptop and put it beside me. I laid back leaning on my pillows... That morning I opened my eye's feeling nauseated, and my breast sore. I stood stepping to my full length mirror. I lifted my shirt off. I gave to my small bump. There's only so much time I have until it'll be evident that I'm pregnant. I put on one of Jason's t-shirts and my shorts with pockets. I walked down the stairs and went outside for privacy. I call the doctors office to set my appointment. As I finished the call I hang up and put my phone in my pocket. I turned to the entrance seeing, Damian! Shit. By the look on his face I know he heard every word I said.

"Dami.." what do I say?

"tt I'm telling Richard" he said

"Damian do not tell anyone!" I demanded "I don't want anyone to know, at least for right now" I pleaded

He folds his arms glares at, me "tt it's not unlikely you can hide you're gaining wei--" I cut him off

"for once could you not be inconsiderate!" I snapped

His scoffed with a genuine hurt look on his face. I shouldn't have said that. I usually never lost my temper with him.

"Dami--I.. I'm sorry I lost my temper. My hormones are driving me insane" I said softly

He sighs heavily "is this why you have been ill?"

"yeah" I sigh, remembering yesterday "didn't mean to worry you the other day when I threw my breakfast up and probably last night's dinner to"

"I was not concerned" he lied, I could see right through that kid "is there anything else that you will be withstanding?" he asked bluntly

He doesn't know anything about pregnancy. I sit on the side of the lounge chair and pat beside me. Damian scoffed and sits by me.

Damn, how do I say this? "did Bruce, Alfie or Dick ever tell you about?..." I stammer, this is so awkward. I so do not want to give him the talk 'the birds and the bee's' talk.

He shakes his head in disgust "yes! Don't be absurd. I am aware of such. I have a girlfriend and am practically grown!" he defended

"ok! Good" I take a deep breath "so I guess after that thing happens when two people make a baby. Things change in a woman's bod- my body to be exact. My hormones are increased. I feel a nausea, headache sometimes" wanting to spare Damian from being grossed out. With as little as information about pregnancy I could. The minutes went by as I explained appropriately how my body is changing and about the eventual birth.

As I finish he takes a deep breath "will you be in pain when you are to give birth?" he sympathetically asked

"yes" I truthfully answered his face physically drops. I touch his shoulder "but don't you worry I'll be fine I promise" I assured him

He rolls his eye's "tt, I am not.. I still can not comprehend why you are keeping this in such secrecy" I lower my hand from his shoulder

Truthfully I am afraid of rejection from my family, but also "well because it's a big change. It means, no more patrol or missions for me"

"what?!" appalled he stood and extended his arms "that is absurd!"

"what? You gonna miss me" I chuckled

"tt, no I only.." Damian stammered folding his arm's with a huff and looking at the ground. He lied.

I guess I should tell him worst case scenario "Dami, patrol or missions are dangerous enough" don't cry! "if something happens I might could lose my baby" I stutter under my breath fighting tears scared to my core I'd lose Jason's and I baby.

His face drops and eyebrows narrow "I was, perhaps being too inconsiderate.. It is only, other than Richard" he takes a swift breath "you are the only bearable.. friend I have"

My heart melts that the kindest thing he ever said to me. Don't cry! He sits back down by me.

"Aww, Dami" I softly said

"tell anyone and I will...." he stammered and scoffed unable to come up with a insult. I chuckle he rolls his eyes "as I was saying Drake and Brown anger me to my core. I can not promise not to end them"

I roll my eyes and laugh. I look at my worried little brother "how about this? When patrol gets super annoying or hard for whatever reason. You can come hang out with me and have some quality uncle time with my baby"

"truly?" he asked softly

I nodded smiling "of course"

Damian swiftly hugged my neck. I chuckled and hugged my baby brother. He swiftly parted and gazed to me with worry.

"wait does Todd know of this" his face angers "because if he left you--" I cut him off

"Damian, he doesn't know" I sadly said missing, Jason.

With night fallen I sit in my bedroom. I hear my phone a text from, Damian. I open his message.

(Damian)- I fear that your absence from patrol as been noticed by our family-

-thank you for the warning. I should have known that I'd eventually run out of luck-

#batfamily #Jason Todd X Reader #Jason Todd #Damian Wayne X Batsis! Reader #Batsis! Reader #Batsis #Pregnancy #Unplanned pregnancy #Morning sickness #Batfamily #Worried Damian Wayne #Worry

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jangmi-latte · 4 years

Text

❞ 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐈𝐬 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐌𝐞𝐭.. ❝

➻ content: four smoothies! the last two, served

➻ warnings: uwu

➻ comments: here is the next part of the request! part one involves riddle and leona. mentions events from epel’s ceremonial robe sr card and chapter four!!! (not really spoilers)

Ⅲ.

…⚘ I Met You…

➺ you met because of rook.

➺ being a part of pomefiore meant you specialised in science, are hard-working, and beautiful. you and epel are both from the same homeland and knowing that both of you are neighbours, oh dear…

➺ if epel is a brash young boy, then you’re no exception. maybe a little less brash than epel but you do have that country accent along with seeing the fun in being non-sophisticated like vil.

➺ now, let’s go back to how rook was able to make you and vil meet. apparently, during the entrance ceremony, after being sorted into pomefiore, you escaped and wandered around the grounds of night raven college.

➺ in the end, you got lost. you nearly missed the welcome party that vil threw. up until the dorm head did a roll-call that rook started to look around for the only female in the whole college. you were sorted into pomefiore too. even epel was surprised not to see you around.

➺ rook found you wandering around the main building, near the tower just in front of the school and led you back to the dorm. you were baffled by how rook spoke plus the culture shock you experienced was enough to make the vil schoenheit be your mentor.

➺ the look on epel’s face told you it isn’t a good experience. rook was his babysitter, how unfortunate of you to have vil as YOUR mentor. see how i used different terms to refer to your babysitters?

➺ unlike what epel is going through, your meeting with vil was rather, surprising. you knew basic table manners, which made epel want you to be his mentor instead, and you can easily carry yourself. just a little work on your choice of words because vil wasn’t entirely impressed by how you said ‘absobloodylutely’ instead of saying a ‘yes’.

➺ by surprising, vil’s treatment to you wasn’t any different to how he treated epel. he was a little lenient on you (you want that in percentages? let’s say 5% lenient) since he had bigger trust on you. aha, jokes on him you’re also shovelling horseshit with epel.

➺ he has yet to know what happens behind his back and rook has also become your babysitter because of that.

…⚘ Closer To You…

➺ how do i say this…

➺ if anyone would describe how you two got close, it would be a heart monitor. it’s a rollercoaster for sure and rook enjoys watching two people with different personalities trying to get along.

➺ you’re epel 2.0 and vil nearly pulled his hair out with how carefree you are. one time he saw you and epel covered in mud after chasing a runaway horse and he’s not impressed. you’re a lady, hold yourself better! rook is laughing is ass off while vil dragged you to clean up. epel looked at you apologetically while you just pouted.

➺ “you are pomefiore’s student! in the name of the queen, be more graceful!” “but that’s not me!”

➺ woowee, you just made vil dumbfounded. that’s right, that’s not you. but vil won’t just take that easily. how about we do things your way while also make you be more of how a pomefiore student should be.

➺ you are now epel 2.0 and rook 2.0. while rook is away, you are tagging behind him. how did that happen? despite being who you are, you are a hard-working student. you were able to maintain your grades, help other fellow first years, and was even to point out some of vil’s not-so-obvious flaws.

➺ “vil…” and you’ll suddenly cut a loose thread from his uniform.

➺ with you being a lady, vil is able to earn some knowledge from your nonstop blabbers. he’ll let you talk about anything you want while he corrects your proper use fo words. subconsciously, you’re learning and vil couldn’t be happier.

➺ if epel can carve apples, you can cook. living in a village which population is mostly old people, you have developed a talent for cooking. vil would just suddenly smell something good coming from pomefiore’s kitchen and rook would say, “that’s the mademoiselle!”

➺ he prefers your handmade smoothies rather than those from mostro lounge.

➺ you two grew closer the more you accompany. you’re learning from him, he’s learning from you, and epel is beyond surprised to see you getting along with the strict model. “how did you do it?” he would ask while you just shrug.

➺ he didn’t force you to do anything, in fact, he’s just brainwashing you in a good way. surely, he may have been a bit forceful at first, but once he got to know you more – with just his skilful way of using words – he was able to bring out your full potential. still rusty but you’ll get there.

➺ rook is starting to ship both you and vil.

…⚘ I’m Yours…

➺ vil eventually learned to trust you. you have a somewhat good taste of judgement. he always reminds you, “i didn’t build you, you built yourself. i just showed you the right way to do it.” and honestly, that’s some motivational words from a professional model.

➺ if vil gave someone his trust, then you’re a special person indeed. if he lends you some of his makeup brushes or palettes, you’re blessed. one of the rare moments of vil showing his trust to you is when he would subconsciously share some of his stories to you.

➺ “roi des poisons, i can see in your eyes that you have fallen in love!” rook would proclaim and vil would just roll his eyes. he’s in denial, of course.

➺ you, however, began to be all flustered the more you’re around vil. his touches would make you melt, his words will make your bad mood go away, and just his presence would make you be all gushy. how much more will you surprise epel? how could you fall in love with vil schoenheit?!

➺ you honestly don’t know. do you really love him? how could you ignore your fast heartbeat every time he’s close to you? okay, maybe you do have a little crush on him. who wouldn’t it’s vil schoenheit!

➺ but really, besides his gorgeous appearance, vil has really helped you, y’know?

➺ with you first weeks in pomefiore, you were nearly as brash as epel, and now you’re just you. he helped you shape you into who you really are. he helped you uncover talents you never knew you had. everyone just needs to look past vil’s strict nature.

➺ while you’re being a gushy highschool girl, vil is just…well, vil. he’s still confused with his own feelings himself despite rook’s constant convincing. he’ll always look out the window if he hears your voice from outside and if he sees your breathtaking smile, he’ll just smile himself.

➺ the more you present vil with your delicious cooking, the more he would adore your hard-work. vil was used to taking care and working for himself that when someone would take care of him, he’s just speechless.

➺ “vil, have you ate?” he would always hear that every day.

➺ rook’s just waiting for the opportunity to make the both of you confess and he’s irked for that day to come. that opportunity came when you ran into the dorm crying.

➺ you failed the project you’ve been working hard on that rook knew the only person to comfort you was vil. ah, how it crushes vil to see your adorable face contort into an expression so unsightly. he hates seeing you in distress so, with the use of his words, vil was able to motivate you back into your smiley self.

➺ it was you who confessed to him first just by saying, “i guess this is why i love you.”

➺ rook had to contain himself from making noise after he heard that. vil was surprised but who could deny love? you two became an ideal couple. you still had your differences, but opposites attract don’t they?

➺ you were finally recognized as his when he posted a picture of you – you were combing his hair and the shot was you smiling in front of the mirror – on his magicam.

➺ epel wanted to faint.

Ⅳ.

…☾ I Met You…

➺ let’s do a little twisted and say your meeting with azul was unexpected.

➺ you are a human, he was a mer-octopus. how did these two different species meet besides meeting in night raven college? well, remember that one moment where azul and the twins earned their legs? that’s how you two met.

➺ you were walking along the beach where azul and the twins laid after recovering from the sudden limb change. you grew concerned on why there are three – rather handsome – men laying on the shore looking like they just escaped death.

➺ you rushed to them and the closest person to your reach was azul. “sir?” you lightly tapped his cheeks and that’s when azul opened his eyes and saw you. followed by jade and floyd, they were all in surprise and you totally didn’t notice they were naked.

➺ azul and the twins didn’t know how to react. this was their first time encountering a human. jade pointed out they’re naked and ohhh boy the embarrassment. you immediately covered your eyes while saying you’re sorry.

➺ azul was able to use clothes changing magic to give the three of them pants and they were really uncomfortable. since it isn’t uncommon to have merfolk going out of the water, it wasn’t hard for azul to explain to you that they’re transferring to night raven college next week and that they have to practice walking.

➺ again, to their surprise, you offered to help them walk. the trio looked at each other before agreeing to your help. you first helped azul by holding his arms, it was a little tricky at first considering their legs were really weak and that the twins are so tall you needed to hold their torso.

➺ they needed a place to stay after all that walking and since you just live near the shores, you offered your little townhouse and made them stay there for a remainder of a week.

➺ one would think how dumb are you to let some strangers stay in your home. either way, if they did plan anything magic is the key to defending yourself, no?

➺ for the whole week, you have helped the three move their feet and azul is greatly thankful for your help. jade had to stop floyd from squeezing you since you’re so huggable.

➺ when it was time they take their leave, they promised to come back and pay you back your generosity even if you keep declining. azul is a kind man after all.

➺ now you have started your first step into a good friendship.

…☾ Closer To You…

➺ in a span of a year, azul kept his promise and kept in contact with you. you didn’t expect to suddenly earn a friend, let alone someone from under the sea. jade had a keen eye and was more than happy to see azul finally have another friend other than both him and floyd.

➺ unbeknownst to azul, a year later after his enrollment, you were pulled into night raven college and into octavinelle. you know that one moment in chapter four where the mc and grim flew their way to octavinelle? yeah, that happened to you except you were thrown out the mirror and landed on floyd.

➺ the twin was annoyed alright but was surprised to see you. now you got to experience his deadly hug that you got dizzy.

➺ floyd easily carried you to the vip room where jade and azul are saying, “little shrimp is here!”

➺ oh god, floyd give y/n a break…

➺ azul was astonished to see you in in nrc. you were in your pajamas too so you were still trying to process everything.

➺ so timeskip, timeskip. crowley let you stay as a member of octavinelle, earned your uniform, let you study there, and get to help azul with the lounge.

➺ your job was to serve and accompany customers who wanted business with azul AND is jade’s replacement when the latter isn’t present. with your stay in the vip room, you would distract azul by talking to him. maybe even help with some paperwork too if he lets you.

➺ your friendship blossomed more the more you stuck to him. everyone would say that azul’s rubbing off of you when really, you’re the one who scolds azul with his antics.

➺ “please don’t tell me you’re going to play a trick over that one client of yours…?” “of course not! i’m generous, there’s no way i’ll make them have a hard time!” “azul.” “yes?” “put that potion down.”

➺ jade is thankful for your presence since azul is starting to open up to you. azul is a mysterious person but when someone cracks his shell, his vulnerable side shows up. he’s still that soft little octopus in the inside who’s scared to lose everyone.

…☾ I’m Yours…

➺ if azul’s a sly friend then he’s a shy romantic. azul makes sure not to let his emotions get to him so it took him quite a while for him to realize he has feelings for you.

➺ azul tends to be clingy and vulnerable when it comes to his friends so he made sure to always think ways through and ignore his feelings to avoid any conflict that may fail his plans.

➺ you weren't any different either. with a new school life to handle, love is something out of your league and as someone situated in a dorm where intelligent people resides, academics are your top priority.

➺ your relationship with azul remained in the constant line of friendship. you remained as friends for years, up until azul turned into his third year did you both finally come into the realization that you two might have feelings for one another.

➺ it was floyd who noticed that azul has been smiling a lot whenever you're around or how his mood seems to be uplifted when you come to him. he bluntly pointed out by saying, "azul looks happier when little shrimp is around. ne ne...y/n stay with azul more often. i don't want him to nag at me."

➺ this made azul's face burn 150 degrees (overreacting? maybe) and he sent floyd away while jade just patted his shoulder and smiled at him. you were confused but nevertheless smiled at azul, feeling thankful that azul finds comfort in your presence.

➺ "it's your chance," jade mouthed before leaving the two of you behind. you looked at azul, talking to him more and eventually started to hold his hand a lot, place your head on his shoulder, and whatnot. azul would be malfunctioning while you did this. like riddle, he isn't entirely used to affection and let alone a girl doing it was making his heart beat erratically.

➺ it was azul who confessed first. he tried to keep his emotions in tact but when you asked what's wrong and if you're making him uncomfortable, he just blurted out, "it's because i like you" before wanting to be in his pot again.

➺ awww...little octopus has made his appearance again as you cooed and said your feelings back before pecking his cheek. if azul could camouflage as an octopus, he can camouflage into heatslabyul's red walls by how red he is.

➺ anywho, you're now officially his girlfriend after that. the twins are happy for your relationship and wishes you two to last long. who knew that just a simple encounter on the beach would lead to this?

➺ you just earned yourself two bodyguards when azul's not around. ah, the perks of having a boyfriend who's good with business and picks the right friends.

➺ he's protective so you'll be safe and sound around nrc from then on.

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x-male-gn-reader-fanfic-finds · 3 years

Text

Character: Ennoshita Chikara

Au: Royal

Genre: Fluff w/a bit of Crack

Word Count: 1,163

Pronouns: Probably not mentioned, but if it is, I used they/them!

CW: Reader is tall (about 5’8) and that's about it for this part.

Notes: This will be a three part story: the main story line and two endings. Each post will be separate but I’ll link both endings on this post once I have them out and I’ll link them to each other as well as the main post. Again, this was requested by a friend to help with practice. So this caters to them!

Message to Roy: You didn’t specify which royal AU you wanted, so I took the liberty of doing whatever came to mind as I wrote.

---------

The sound of birds filled your ears as you walked through the garden. It was well kept, with various species of plants growing on almost every square inch of the garden. The path you walked was made from stones, none of them the same size or shape.

The air was warm, the smell of spring itself was extravagant. Your senses were full of the sound, smell, and sight of nature. You haven’t been able to get out much lately, as the past week has been nothing but almost constant storms. Finally, though, you were able to walk the gardens again. It was your favorite place, the only quiet you can get in this giant, bustling castle.

Yes, you heard me right. You lived in a castle. However, I regret to inform you that you aren’t the royalty running this said castle. No, you’re but a mere servant. A kitchen servant? No no no, you were the gardener. Yes, this garden, this beauty, it’s all because of you.

Speaking of royalty, the group of princes had walked through the gates of the garden. None of them were blood-related but adopted. The group consisted of the middle children; Ryuunosuke Tanaka, Yuu Nishinoya, Hisashi Kinoshita, Kazuhito Narita, and, of course, Chikara Ennoshita.

Ennoshita has always had a fondness for this garden. He’d come out here the most out of anyone in this dreadful castle, aside from you, of course. More than once, you two had struck up a conversation. He isn’t very talkative around you though. You’ve wondered why, but never bothered to ask.

His love for your garden, for your work, has brought him to become your favored choice out of them all. He was respectful and never touched your plants. The others, however, they touched and they plucked and they would occasionally stomp all over your hard work.

You let out a tired sigh, it was still early, why’d they have to come now of all times? You turned away and made your way towards the small pond in the very center of the garden. Tiny flowers had grown around it.

The voices of the boys got louder as they got closer. When they were back into your view, you caught Ennoshita waving slightly at you in a friendly greeting. Yeah, he was definitely your favorite. You shot him a soft smile in return, and he quickly turned back to look at his companions as the shortest one started jumping at the others and yelling.

“But it’s a great chance to see girls, Tanaka! You gotta come! I can’t go alone again!” Nishinoya now clung onto Tanaka as he was resting on his back, much to Tanaka’s apparent displeasure.

“C’mon, we should all go, it won't be that bad. Tanaka, you haven’t come to the past few, anyways. You have to come to at least one this year.” Kinoshita said his part.

“See, you gotta come this time Ryu!” The short one continued wiggling on the poor boy’s back.

“Guys, come one, calm down.” Narita raised his hands and smiled nervously, motioning his head towards where you sat, listening and occasionally glancing over.

“I got better things to do that night.” He retaliated.

“Tanaka, you can’t miss another one. This is important for the image of our kingdom and us.” Ennoshita cut in.

Their voices drowned into the background as you watched the water, mind wandering. What they were referring to was the big party happening two days from now. This particular one was planned to bring four of the surrounding kingdoms together. It can be used to court or form bonds, but you were most worried about getting the correct flowers together for the event. Every time, you are put in charge of flowers, seeing as it’s your expertise.

You thought back, going over your list a few more times. You had to make sure it was perfect or you could get into serious trouble.

Your thoughts were interrupted by a cough nearby. You glanced up to find none other than ennoshita walking closer, a timid smile on his face.

“Good morning, Y/N. Sorry for all the noise earlier.” His voice was smaller around you than it is around anyone else.

You smiled at him slightly, nodding in acknowledgment to the boy. He quietly sat near you, watching the sky as birds flew overhead. The silence was nice, it was something you always liked about him. He never forced conversation.

“What about you, the party I mean. Are you going to attend this time?” He was watching you intently, waiting for your answer.

“I’m… I’m not sure. I don’t really like all the noise. And there’s always way too many people attending…” You brought your hands to rest in your lap, fidgeting nervously. You’d never been one for crowds. You’d grown up in the quiet part of town, there weren’t many residents and the shops were never very busy.

“I see.” If you hadn’t known any better, you’d think he sounded disappointed. As if he wanted you to come. “That’s too bad, but I’m assuming you’ll be out here instead?”

You glanced back over at him to find a teasing smile and playful eyes watching you. You’d be lying if you said you didn’t find it amusing.

“You could say that. Though I’ll probably find my way to the food when it’s put out.” Your mood was now matching his in terms of playfulness. His soft laughter filled the morning air, a sound you had come to love.

Wait.

Love?

Maybe ‘like’ is the more… appropriate word for this.

However you may feel, he was one of the princes, you were just a gardener. You’re extremely lucky to even get moments like this.

The silence returned when his laughter died down, now only bearing a soft smile and soft eyes as he looked around at the plants.

“I’ve always loved this place, you know? It’s quiet out here.” He looked like he wanted to add something else, but shook his head deciding against it. “It's calm, serene. I couldn’t imagine spending my mornings anywhere else.”

Your face grew warm at his words. Though they weren’t directed at you, about you, they were about this place you’ve worked so hard to protect and keep beautiful. The compliment about your work made you quiet, face a tiny shade darker and smile nervous.

Ennoshita sighed, causing you to look up at him. His face was disappointed as he was looking in the direction of loud laughter and shouting.

“I really don’t like bringing them here…” He slowly stood, glancing at you with a smile. “If you’ll excuse me, I have man-babies to watch over.”

You let a snort leave you, noticing how his smile grew when he heard it. You nodded once at each other and he swiftly left. A moment later, you heard his voice yelling a short “Shut up idiots!”

Being left alone made your mind wander back to his question. Should you go…?

Will link the endings when I release them!!!

Request by: @fukoronoko !!! ilysm

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originalhybridloverfics · 3 years

Text

I Can't Let Her Die - Ch 10

A/N: Over the last week, my uncle passed away. And then I found out my cousin who came down for the funeral passed away.

My uncle was in his sixties but my cousin was only 34, he was perfectly healthy. My family is having a hard time with it all.

I will be taking time away to be with them. I won't be able to devote my time and headspace to write for a bit and I don't want my writing to suffer because of it.

Never take family for granted, death happens unexpectedly.

For now, I will be helping my cousin's wife in her time of need, my cousin had four young children and she could use the help during this difficult time.

This will be the last update until I am ready to get back to writing until then I will be on hiatus.

Felicity pressed her lips into a thin line. Laurel’s rudeness was not surprising. She had always had the feeling since their first meeting that Laurel didn’t like her.

Felicity knew it was because of Oliver but she didn’t understand it. Laurel had a history with Oliver. Not good history but it was still there. She had years of memories and moments with Oliver that no other woman who had been in his life did.

Though Felicity was glad she didn’t share the same history. Oliver and Laurel’s relationship was a place where romance, love, and loyalty went to die a slow painful agonizing death.

Still, she knew Laurel held a place in Oliver’s heart that no one could touch. Not even her.

Which is why she didn’t understand why the other woman was so threatened by her. Oliver loved her and held her on a pedestal above everyone else in life.

She was Gorgeous Laurel for a reason.

“You don’t get to come in and demand things.” Future Oliver’s voice was sharp like a blade. “And you sure as hell don’t get to come down here and speak to Felicity in such a way.”

“Ollie-”

“Don’t, I don’t want to hear another word out of your mouth unless it is an apology.” his eyes were like burning daggers, his jaw ticking in anger.

“I’m sorry,” Laurel said immediately. “I was just surprised is all.”

“I don’t mean to apologize to me, I mean apologize to Felicity.” He steps next to Felicity, his hand coming to wrap around her shoulder.

Laurel looked at them and felt something twist inside her. “You want me to apologize to her?”

“Yes, she deserves your respect. Not for you to treat her like some second or third-class citizen.” He ground out, his hand tightening on Felicity’s shoulder.

Felicity covered his hand with hers and looked up at him. “It’s okay, Oliver.”

“No, it’s not,” he said, his other hand came up to brush a strand of her hair back. “You deserve respect. It does not matter who it is. No one has the right to speak down to you. No one.”

Felicity’s heart pounded in her chest, she wasn’t surprised he spoke up for her not this new Oliver she was getting to know but the intensity in which he spoke had butterflies swirling in her stomach, his arms were practically surrounding her and she liked it. She wanted to stay there in the circle of his arms. If felt right. It felt like she belonged there, the heat coming from his body warming her.

The look in his eyes made her want to surge up and press her lips against his but she held herself back. She couldn’t do that.

She took a shaky step back only to feel another presence, her Oliver’s hand settled over her other shoulder. “He’s right. If you’re going to be coming down here I expect you to treat everyone equally,” he spoke to Laurel.

Digg came forward. “Why are you here Laurel?”

“I need to speak with Oliver,” Laurel looked between the two Oliver’s, “but now I just really need to know what is going on. How are there two of you?”

“It’s complicated.” The future Oliver said. “And it’s not something we can get into right now. Tell me what you came for.”

“Right,” Laurel stepped closer to him. “I know when Sara was here you would partner up with her out there on the streets but she’s gone with Nyssa and you’re out there alone.”

“He’s not alone,” Felicity interjected.

“Yes but neither Roy nor John are the Canary,” Laurel argued.

“Neither are you,” Felicity said and went on before Laurel could continue. “And don’t diminish John or Roy’s place on this team. Every night they go out into the field and have Oliver’s back. Each one of them makes sure they make it back home every night. This isn’t a one or two-person unit. It’s a team.”

“And where do you fit in all this?” Laurel didn’t like feeling like she was being talked down to but that’s what it felt like to her. “Is an IT girl really necessary?”

“Yes, and she is not just an IT girl. She’s Felicity” Future Oliver cut in sharply while Digg and Roy bristled at her words. “Before her, John and I were half-assing it at best. We were just two soldiers but with Felicity, we became a team. A family. And that expanded with Roy and Sara. Felicity is the heart of the team. Without her, it doesn’t work.” His expression darkened. “Trust me, I would know.”

“Oliver,” Felicity’s tone was soft as she looked at him, their gaze saying the words their lips weren’t. She slipped her hand in his, squeezing it in comfort.

Oliver automatically lifted her hand to his lips, and then held it to his heart.

Laurel’s eyes narrowed. “Am I missing something? Are you two together?”

“A place on this team.” Said Roy and John nudged him.

Present Oliver looked at the others, “Can you guys give us a moment with Laurel?”

John and Roy walked back to the back of the lair.

Felicity squeezed future Oliver’s hand one more time before joining Roy and John.

Laurel didn’t like the way both Oliver’s watch her go, one holding his hand out like her putting distance between them was too painful and the other like he wanted to call out to her for her to come back.

What the hell was going on with them and the babble mouth blonde.

“Furthermore, Felicity is more than the heart of the team, she’s brilliant and kind and she knows when to call our bullshit and force us to pull our heads out of our asses. Namely me. She is more valuable to the team and me than anyone, especially you could even begin to understand.” Future Oliver was vehement in his defense of Felicity.

“Ollie, I-”

“Don’t,” future Oliver said harshly. “I don’t want to hear an apology unless the words mean something to you.”

Laurel fell silent for a moment before finally. “I didn’t come here to cause problems. I wanted to talk about the Canary.”

“Sara is the Canary.” Future Oliver’s response was abrupt.

“Yes, but she’s not here. She left with Nyssa and I know you could use the help.”

“I have a team to help me.” Future Oliver glared harshly. “A team you are not a part of.”

“I can be,” Laurel argued.

“Are you out of your damn mind? You are not trained. If you go out there, you will get yourself killed or one of us.” Present Oliver said, his tone less harsh than his future self.

“Then train me!” Laurel saw the opening she was looking for.

A growl not unlike the one when he was under the hood, came from low in the back of future Oliver’s throat. “I don’t want you here in my space.”

Laurel flinched back.

“Hey, would you let me talk to her?” Present Oliver said, sending himself a look.

“You are too soft with her.” he accused before walking away.

Oliver’s eyes narrowed as his future self walked back to Felicity his hand easily finding hers, and hating as they seemed to be sharing food.

Seeing Felicity acting like a couple with him made him envious in a way he has never felt before.

“Laurel it is not that simple,” Oliver said gently, forcing himself to focus on her. “This life, being a member of this team-”

“I know that,” Laurel interjected. “I know this life is dangerous.” she took another step forward. “But saving people, fighting for a cause that is bigger than yourself, working with you,” she laid her hand on his arm. “This is what we were meant to do.”

Oliver looked at her hand on his arm, watching as it slid down to hold his hand. It felt wrong.

His eyes moved away from Laurel to Felicity, meeting her blues eyes. He flinched at the hurt look in her eyes as she watched him and Laurel.

He jerked his hand back as if he was caught doing something he shouldn’t but it was too late. Felicity looked away from him. She turned her whole body away from him.

He watched as his future self, stepped closer to her, tucking her into his side, and glared at him like he wanted to put an arrow through him.

Oliver frowned, wryly. His future self took self-loathing to another level. He was pretty sure his future self hated him to a certain degree.

“Laurel if you’re going to get into this it has to be for the right reasons.” Oliver turned back to her, forcing himself to look at her and not Felicity.

“What other reasons do I have,” Laurel was hurt when he pulled away from her she quickly covered it up, forcing a determined look. “Look, Ollie, I am going to help people just like Sara and you can either help me or I will do it on my own though I would feel better if you were with me.”

Oliver breathed out through his nose, fighting annoyance. Laurel never listened until she got her way and at this rate, she was going to get herself killed. “If you’re dead set on this regardless of the risk to yourself then you will not go out there until I say you are ready.”

“Does that mean you’re going to train me?” Laurel smiled cautiously.

“It does,” Oliver paused. “On one condition.”

“Which is?” Laurel asked, drawing closer to him, biting down on her lip.

“Felicity. I expect you to treat her with the same respect you would me and that goes for the whole team. If you are going to be a part of it you will not insult them and make anyone out to be inferior to you, do you understand?”

Laurel felt her hackles rise at the thought of treating the blonde as if she was on her level. She forced a smile. “Of course, Ollie.”

“C’mon,” said Oliver. “Felicity brought food. We were going to eat. We’ll discuss the new arrangement with the rest of the team.”

Laurel fell into step with him, feeling like she won, she flashed everyone a smile. “I look forward to fighting beside you,” she said before Oliver could.

“What’s happening now?” Roy shot Oliver a glare.

Felicity looked from Oliver and Laurel, brow furrowed.

“You’re not serious?” Future Oliver’s eyes were hard on his younger self. “She does not belong out there. She doesn’t belong down here.”

“We are going to work with her. It’s better than letting her get herself killed.” his younger self argued.

“We don’t have time for this!” Future Oliver growled, voice rising. “You know that! We have one goal. One! We don’t need distractions if we’re going to change my future.”

“You’re from the future?” Laurel jumped on the information like a dog with a bone.

She however was completely ignored by the two Oliver’s as the rest of Team Arrow watch them as if they were watching a ping pong match.

“We will change it but we can’t let Laurel get herself killed either.” present Oliver argued.

“I will not lose the woman I love because you can’t see the bigger picture here and focus on the only goal that matters.”

Felicity’s eyes widened, not expecting Oliver to proclaim his love in front of everyone.

But of course, Laurel took his words to mean her. Her heart skipped in her chest and a smile pulled at her lips. “You’re not going to lose me, Ollie. I am right here. This will-”

“I wasn’t talking about you!” Future Oliver growled in annoyance. “You are not the woman I love. Felicity is,”

“What?” Laurel recoiled as if he had hit her.

“I was talking about Felicity.” Future Oliver repeated

Laurel’s expression twisted. “So you are with Felicity? Really, Ollie? Screwing the EA is beneath you.”

“We are not sleeping together,” Felicity interjected.

Laurel scoffed, disbelievingly.

“Shut up,” future Oliver snapped angrily at the brunette, he stepped closer to Laurel and her eyes flared with desire.

Future Oliver’s annoyance flared more, he didn’t care for her attraction to him. He needed her to understand, she was not going to have everything go her way.

“Felicity and I have never been together, we have never slept together,”

“Then you can’t possibly love her,” Laurel said her tone, condescending. “Don’t mistake friendship for something more.”

“Love isn’t just fucking someone,” Oliver growled out. “It’s connection, it’s chemistry, understanding, belief, faith. It’s looking into their eyes and knowing that you’re safe, it’s that feeling of home when you’re with them, it’s the way your breath catches in your throat, your heart pounding against your ribcage. The way your skin feels heated by a simple touch, it the quiet dreams, it’s in the way you look at them. It’s all the little things.”

Laurel’s breath quickened with every word and she felt a pang because he wasn’t describing them.

“I am not in love with you, Laurel and the truth is I never was but Felicity,” he turned to look at her and found her, smiling at something Digg said. “Felicity is everything.” he turned back to Laurel. “I came back to save her life and that is the only thing that I care about. Don’t get in my way I can promise you won't like the results.”

“Alright,” his younger self stepped in front of Laurel. “I think she gets it.”

“If she doesn’t it’s on her.” Future Oliver moved, going back to Felicity.

Present Oliver forced himself to turn away. He wasn’t sure how much more he could take of seeing the easy way his older self interacted with Felicity.

He wasn’t surprised to see Laurel had tears in her eyes, a hurt look on her face. His future self was harsh.

“I don’t understand,” Laurel shook her head. “He came back here to save Felicity but if that’s was possible why didn’t he do this for his mom or God, Tommy? How is Felicity’s life more important?”

“It’s complicated. I can’t speak for him, I can only speak for myself and the experience I had and all I can tell you is that I can’t imagine getting through the last year without Felicity or the year before.” Oliver said. “I can’t imagine a future where she is not down here with me.”

Laurel shook her head and crossed her arms, her eyes landing on future Oliver and Felicity. The way he couldn’t get close enough, the absolute trust in Felicity’s eyes, the longing in his.

She couldn’t bring herself to understand no matter what Oliver said that out of everyone Oliver had lost Felicity was the one he came back to save. It didn’t make sense.

Who the hell was she to him to hold such a place in his life?

Laurel felt her stomach twist with anger and resentment with the realization that Oliver had never once felt about her with such strength and devotion.

What the hell was so special about Felicity?

She was the one who spent years putting up with his acts, the antics he got into with Tommy. The constant cheating, being fodder for the media because he didn’t know how to be faithful and now she was just going to be tossed aside for some blonde who came out of nowhere and brainwashed Ollie into thinking friendship was the same as being in love with someone?

No, she would make him see reason.

All she had to do was show him how great they were together and everything would be okay. She just had to suffer through this infatuation he seemed to have for Felicity.

She wouldn’t have to wait long. She was certain of it. When it came to women he was quick to grow bored. She was the exception. She has always been the exception. He always came back to her and she had no doubt he would come back to her again.

“Laurel, if you are going to be down here you will need to accept Felicity. Any grudges you might have for her need to be checked at the door.” present Oliver stressed.

Laurel dropped her arms and plastered on a fake smile. “I have no grudges. I just didn’t realize how important she is to you and u now that I do, I want to get to know her. Any friend of yours Ollie is a friend of mine.”

Future Oliver glowered when Laurel joined them with his younger self. He honestly didn’t have time for her.

It’s the only reason he told her the truth. He didn’t have time for games or keeping up with cover stories. He had more important things to deal with. Namely, keeping Felicity alive and ending the life of the bastard to take her from him.

Lunch was finished quietly a tenseness settling around them.

Laurel didn’t leave, not even when the boys headed out for patrol as night fell.

Felicity felt uncomfortable in her presence as she ran coms. She didn’t like that she was alone with Laurel.

Maybe she shouldn’t have convinced Future Oliver to join the rest of the team for patrol.

“How hard is it to do this?” Laurel asked, coming to look over her shoulder, staring at the computer screens.

“It’s the hardest thing in the world,” Felicity answered.

Laurel snorted. “I doubt sitting behind a computer is very hard.”

Felicity couldn’t stop her glare if she tried. “I meant the sacrifices Oliver, Roy, and John make going out there every night, living double lives, risking their safety to protect the city.”

Laurel couldn’t wait to be included in that. She wanted to make that kind of difference.

“And to answer the question. Yes, it’s not easy to run coms. it more than watching a computer screen, and it calls for more. It requires knowing your way around computer code and that’s something not easily taught to some individuals with less understanding of technology and not as much intellect.”

The boys were on the way back from patrol which Felicity couldn’t be happier about because she didn’t think she was prepared to deal with Laurel. Not tonight.

“It doesn’t look that difficult,” Laurel insisted. “I think I might want to try my hand at it.”

Felicity’s soul died on the inside at just the thought of Laurel touching her babies.

Oliver, Roy, and Digg made their way in through the back entrance, neither woman noticing the four men’s arrival.

“Oliver might have agreed to train you,” Felicity stood from her desk. “But you will not be going anywhere near my computers. I won’t have anyone messing with my babies.”

“I am good with computers.” Laurel insisted.

“Laurel, no one touches Felicity’s set up.” Future Oliver said drawing their eyes to him and the rest of the team.

“Not even you,” Laurel crossed her arms and cocked her head.

“Not even me,” present Oliver confirmed. “Can we talk?”

Laurel smiled brilliantly. Felicity tried not to show her hurt as he pulled Laurel to the other side of the room. Like the pair were sharing secret no one else was privileged enough to hear.

Felicity turned back to her computers, setting them to send alerts to her phone. “I am going to call it a night.”

She really just needed to get away from the Oliver and Laurel show. It was not good enough for her mental health.

Future Oliver set the bow he wielded down and grabbed Felicity’s coat from the back of her chair. “I’ll get you home,”

Felicity looked back at future Oliver and her chest warmed. “Do you think you can fit in the passenger seat of my car?”

“I’ll manage,” he said with a smile that was just for her.

Felicity said goodnight to Roy and John and allowed Oliver to take her by the hand.

Oliver chanced a look back to see his past self in a heated discussion with Laurel and he shook his head. If he had to make himself pull his head out of his ass to protect Felicity’s heart he damn well would do it. Facing forward again he laced his fingers with Felicity.

Felicity looked up at him and the smile on her face was enough to tear anyones’ walls down. “Let’s go home.”

His heart skipped in his chest, his stomach flipping.

Home. With Felicity.

Nothing had ever sounded more perfect.

Tags: @erika-amber @msbeccieboo @faegal04 @eloiselili @jendiaz69 @omglovechrissie @icannotbelieveiamhere @hope-for-olicity @keabbs @lageniuswannabe @it-was-a-red-heeler @aguschaer @memcjo

#arrow #fanfic #olicity #oliver x felicity #olicity fic #oliver queen #felicity smoak #fic: i can't let her die

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 4 years

Text

The Raven; Let Loose

Part 2 of the 1000+ follower milestone! A continuation of the Raven lore outlined in part 1. I believe I will have a few more parts coming out shortly, just to solidify the Raven and Jade lore—and, I suppose, to make up for the lack of events for previous milestones (600, 700, etc.).

Today, we have the Raven’s introduction to Night Raven College! It’s a bit longer than my usual works, so it will be censored under a cut. Please enjoy~

The raven stares into a full-length looking glass. Whoever stares back at them is practically a stranger.

Who is that girl I see, staring straight back at me?

A short girl with milky skin and long hair as dark as the night, swept over one shoulder, wears a perplexed expression. Their amber eyes appear even sharper than they typically are, no thanks to the smoky shadow that lines the outer corner of their lids. They are dressed in long, black robes edged with an intricate gold pattern--the interior of the robe is violet and dotted with gold.

“You look rather fetching in those coveted ceremonial robes!” chirps a jolly voice. It belongs to a man bearing a crow mask, a top hat, and a dark cape--leaning on a walking stick. He taps a talon under the raven’s chin.

“...Wanna stay home,” they mumble, tugging on their hood. The raven’s words are terse, clumsy, and unpracticed. They are too used to cawing and the sounds of bird speak.

“Excellent orating! Before you know it, you will be speaking human as well as you can write it!” The man in the crow mask declares.

“But...feels weird, Mister Dire.”

“No, no! I’ve told you before, have I not? Refer to me as your dear old Uncle Crowley!” he insists, waving a hand. “And you are...?”

“Erm...Raven. Raven Crowley,” they mutter, wanting to vanish into their hood. The have practiced the line so many times, but it still does not feel natural rolling off of their tongue. “Uncle’s...niece.”

“Correct!” He gives them a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “You’ll do just fine at the ceremony, my little black bird.”

“Scary...” The raven shivers and pulls their robes tighter around themselves. “I...I don’t want to...”

“Nonsense! You cannot keep roosting in the attic forever, toiling over those accursed storybooks of yours. It would do you some good to socialize--and I shan’t have the little bird I have taken under my wing wasting their life away on quill and ink!” Crowley shakes his head. “The time has come to set this raven loose on NRC.”

The raven stares doubtfully at their reflection.

“Let me give you a piece of advice--because I am so very, very kind. Words have power--but so, too, do actions. You must put yourself out there if you wish to change the course of your story, curse be damned.”

“I’ll...I’ll try.” The raven does not believe their own words.

“Very well. I shall see you at the Mirror Chamber, then.” Crowley turns on his heel and makes his way to the door.

“A-Ah...! P-Please wait for me...” The raven cries out, stumbling after the headmaster on unsteady feet, the fabric of their robes billowing out behind them.

“Oh, my apologies--I neglected to mention that you will be making your way to the chambers without my guidance!” Crowley tosses a mischievous grin over his shoulder. “After all, cuckoos must be pushed out of the nest if they should ever wish to fly. Spread your wings, my little raven--and enjoy your new school life!”

He gives a firm tap on the ground with his walking stick--and he vanishes in...a flash of light.

The raven’s stomach sinks, as though they have swallowed stones for breakfast. Vanishing in a flash of light--that would be their own fate if they did not tread carefully.

They sigh, shoving such ominous thoughts into the back of their mind. First thing’s first: make it to the ceremony in one piece, or else they shall never hear the end of it.

The raven throws open a window, then climbs onto the sill, hoisting themselves up and out. (Why did Crowley use the door? Windows are much more efficient for birds.) They tumble into the bushes.

The bird pops their head out and squints into the sunlight. By the Great Seven, the campus is positively teeming with students, all dressed in the same robes as them. The raven shudders at the thought of approaching any of them for directions.

They tuck their head into the bushes and begin to crawl, covered by the foliage. Unfortunately, the raven does not make it long before their path is blocked.

“Ohoh? What do we have here?”

The raven freezes--for young man with a blonde bob cut and emerald eyes has materialized before them.

“Bonjour--a bit early for a game of cache-cache, is it not?” He’s grinning, taking in the sight of a small bird curled up on the ground. “Ah, but more importantly, what is a lovely mademoiselle such as yourself doing in this den of lions?”

“...What?” The raven quirks an eyebrow at him. They have never heard such...strange, flowery phrases before.

“Ah, excuse moi!” His hands go up in the air. “You must be rather lost and confused, mademoiselle. Perhaps I may be of assistance?”

“N-No...I am okay...!” The raven insists, scrambling to their feet--their extensive vocabulary fails to make itself known in its trembling voice. Human language is...so difficult!

“...Mademoiselle.” The stranger’s eyes narrow, but the easygoing smile remains upon his lips. “That cadence with which you speak—it is reminiscent of the language of birds. Are you, perhaps, an animal given human form?”

Her flabbergasted expression confirms his suspicions. The young man breaks out into boisterous laughter and clapping.

“Fascinante~ I have a vested interest in wild life, you see!” he explains, circling the raven like a shark in the water. “I would like to observe more and more of you!”

“U-Um...I...I need to go...!”

But he has grabbed her arms by the elbows, roughly maneuvering them up and down. Her limbs flop around carelessly.

“Where are your wings, mon petit oiseau?” he asks, furrowing his brows. “Surely you must be capable of advanced transformation magic in order to maintain your human form? Are you able to fly as you currently are? Will you not give me a demonstration?”

The barrage of questions, coupled with being grabbed, sets the bird into a panic.

“S-Stay awaaaaay!!” The raven screeches, wildly thrashing.

They manage to land a hit on the young man’s face, sending him stumbling backwards. The raven sprints as fast as her little legs can carry her, not caring who witnesses it.

“Mon petit oiseau!! Please return to me--I must witness it...! The beauty of your flight!” comes his pleading voice behind them, growing ever louder.

The raven dares to sneak a peak over their shoulder--and screams even louder. He’s dashing right after them at a breakneck pace, closing the distance little by little. His hood has flown off in all of the rush, his golden hair whipping across his face. Perhaps he would have been a prince in some fairy tale, if his eyes were not so feral and pulsating with perverted curiosity.

This is it, this is how I will die.

The raven wills itself to run faster--

--crashing straight into another student.

The raven feels themselves falling back, expecting the harshness of the ground, but instead, they are caught and righted at once.

“Oya, oya. Please, do mind where you are going, miss.”

This student, too, is wearing the ceremonial robes. Oh, and how tall he is. Skin like sea glass, wistful lips, and a handsome face framed by teal hair and a black lock--but his standout feature are his heterochromatic eyes, one verdant green and the other a deep gold, edged in violet makeup.

“Pretty...” the raven remarks, their voice trailing off.

“Pardon?” he quirks an eyebrow at the remark.

“Eyes.”

“Ah. I see--”

“Mon petit oiseau!”

Oh no.

“P-Please help...!” The raven squeaks, ducking behind the tall student. They jab an accusatory finger at the fast-approaching blonde. “H-He is...he is scary!!”

The student regards them with the tilt of the head. “...I understand. Please, leave this to me.”

“Bonjour, Monsieur Mastermind...!” the blonde greets, having finally caught up. “The little bird you are guarding--kindly relinquish her to me, if you please!”

“Bird? Why, I do believe you are mistaken, Rook-san. She is a human through and through--a human that just so happens to be skilled in Animal Languages.”

“What?” The blonde--Rook?--frowns slightly. “Mon dieu, a human?”

“It is quite rude of you to make assumptions. See to it that you do not repeat such a careless mistake,” the tall student suggests. He smiles, but his tone has a bite to it. “You would not want Vil-san to learn of such a blunder, yes?”

“Ohoh. A fair point, Monsieur Mastermind. Cunning as always, I see.” Rook gives a light laugh and throws his hood up again, casting a shadow upon his face. “Very well, very well, I shall relent for today--my queen is expecting me.”

“I will see you at the ceremony, then?”

“Oui. Give Monsieur Kills for Thrills and Roi de Fort my regards~ And apologies for the trouble, mademoiselle!” Rook waves and disappears into a crowd of robed young men.

At last, the raven can breathe a sigh of relief. “Th-Thank you...erm. Mon...sure Mastermind?”

“Rook-san has a penchant for nicknames.” He chuckles into his hand. “I am Jade--Jade Leech. A pleasure to meet your acquaintance, miss...?”

He glances at them expectantly, with those pretty eyes of his.

“U-Um...Uncle said...to wait until the ceremony for giving names.”

Jade’s eyes shift slightly as he takes in this new information.

“Ah, you must be the unusual student the headmaster warned us of. I presume you must have been on your way to the Mirror Chamber before Rook-san gave chase.”

“Y-Yes. Erm...but I do not know where to go.”

“Fufufu. It just so happens that I am on my way to the Mirror Chamber now. The opening ceremony is to start shortly.” Jade raises a hand, gesturing to the students around them. “All you need do is follow the others, like a school of fish in the ocean. However, if you are still feeling unsafe after your encounter with...Rook-san, I would be more than happy to escort you.”

“I-Is that...really okay?”

“It is no trouble at all.” He offers his hand and a reassuring smile. “It is only natural to lend aid to those in need, yes?”

And the raven, mesmerized by his eyes, accepts his hand--and they merge with the sea of robed students milling to the Mirror Chamber. Standing at the entrance is the headmaster himself, ushering young men in.

Crowley catches the raven’s gaze and beams--though his expression falls just as quickly once he registers who it is that towers over his niece. Jade notices, and releases the raven’s hand.

“...Jade Leech-kun.”

“Headmaster. Good day to you,” he greets with a small bow.

“Hmm.” Crowley’s beady yellow eyes stare right into Jade. “Thank you for delivering her to me. Now then--shoo. Join the remainder of Octavinelle.”

“As you wish.” Jade gives a small, polite wave before he heads inside.

The raven waves back shyly. Crowley tsks and whisks them away behind his feathered cloak. He mutters something under his breath about being too kind.

Within the Mirror Chamber, a certain octopus scolds Jade.

“Where have you been? It’s not like you to be nearly tardy.” Azul frowns, hands planted on his hips.

“Ehehehe~ Even I made it here before Jade today,” Floyd laughs, gnashing his teeth.

“My apologies. I was preoccupied with...networking,” Jade says with a slight bow.

“Well, it had better have been worth it,” Azul mutters under his breath. “We’ll need to be in the headmaster’s good graces if we wish to expand the Mostro Lou—“

“Ah-HEM! If I may have your attention please, everyone,” Crowley calls from the front of the Mirror Chamber.

Azul immediately snaps in attention—and Jade follows his gaze. Floyd, meanwhile, groans and rolls his eyes. Lame old crow.

“We have a special little guest joining us at Night Raven College starting this year! They are quite far from our usual demographic, so I ask that you be so very, very kind to them.” Crowley nods to the hooded figure hiding behind him. “Go on, then. Introduce yourself, my dear!”

He steps aside, exposing them to thousands of pairs of eyes. The raven shrinks back. Crowley sighs and gives them a slight nudge forward.

“A-Ah...u-um...I am...R-Raven. Raven Crowley. Uncle’s niece. P-Please...take good care of me.”

Murmurs fill the room. Some students are expressing shock that the headmaster even has relatives, others are questioning the enrollment of a female student at an all-boys school.

“Oya?” A chuckle escapes from Jade’s lips. He leans over and whispers to his dorm leader. “Azul, that is the one.”

“Is that so? Mm, this is highly unusual,” Azul notes, tucking a hand under his chin. “But...if she is related to Crowley-sensei, it would behoove us to charm her. She can put in a good word to the headmaster for Octavinelle.”

“Yes, she will be of great use to us in the future,” Jade agrees, his smile twisting into something...demented, jagged teeth on full display. “Then, shall I do the honors?”

“You really do think of everything, Jade. By all means, be my guest. See to it that the little bird is...fond of us, of you. Either works.”

“Fufufu. But of course--I live to serve.”

“Well, I’m bored and hungry” Floyd complains, interrupting the two. He slings his arms around his brother and Azul. “Let’s grab some grub after this booooring ceremony...!”

#Floyd Leech #Dire Crowley #Azul Ashengrotto #Jade Leech #Rook Hunt #twst #Raven Crowley #twisted wonderland oc #twst oc #twisted wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #Raven #SOMEONE PLEASE REMIND ME AGAIN WHY I LIKE SUCH A SLIMY EEL #Tale of the Cursed Raven

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fullmetalscullyy · 4 years

Note

if you’re taking prompts,,, could we get a jealous!roy and oblivious!riza where they end up being super soft together after an argument 🥺

always, friend! and thank you so much!! 💖🥺 i appreciate you sending in a prompt!! hope you enjoy 💕

rated: t | words: 2685

“He can be such an ass.”

Rebecca Catalina, who was often in agreement with such a sentiment towards the reason for Riza’s ire that night, was taken aback momentarily by the harshness of the statement. It was not common for Riza to feel this way towards the Colonel. In fact, it was extremely rare. This was the first time she’d ever voiced such an opinion.

“What did he do this time?” Rebecca snorted, lifting her glass to her lips to take a sip of her wine. Resettling herself on her couch, she tucked her feet underneath her body and hooked her elbow over the back of the couch, taking the time to observe Riza’s body language.

The grip Riza had on her wine glass was not gentle. The tips of her fingers had turned white with tension. Her spine was straight and she hadn’t relaxed back against the cushion behind her, the tension in her shoulders still present from upon her arrival. She’d opted to remain facing straight ahead, rather than towards Rebecca, like they normally did of an evening. There was a tiny crease in between Riza’s eyebrows, drawing them downwards as she stared at Rebecca’s coffee table like its very presence offended her.

Rebecca had taken one look at her friend and known something was off. After a few glasses of wine, she’d vowed she’d get it out of Riza, but Rebecca had only taken two sips of alcohol before voicing her irritation. It wasn’t exactly difficult either to figure out who had made her so annoyed, but the fact Riza’s reply had been so heated left Rebecca instantly intrigued.

In response to Rebecca’s question, Riza was silent. Her frown deepened and her lips pursed in displeasure, clearly remembering her last interaction with Mustang.

“Said something stupid,” she muttered darkly.

“Isn’t that every time he opens his mouth?”

Riza shot her a warning look. Rebecca shrugged, uncaring at her jab. She had to get them in somewhere. Still, she was here to support her friend. Only one would do for tonight. Silently, her hands lifted in surrender, motioning for Riza to continue.

“He was spouting off that he didn’t want me to work with that new Lieutenant in Admin. Such bullshit,” she added with such a ferocity it made Rebecca laugh quietly to herself.

“It is bullshit. But…” A mischievous thought overtook Rebecca, and it was too good to pass up. “I can see why,” she offered, not wishing to elaborate further until Riza asked her about it.

“All right,” Riza announced. “I’ll bite. Why?”

“Second Lieutenant Wellwood is a good-looking man,” Rebecca replied casually. “I can see why Mustang wouldn’t want you working with him.”

“What?”

Poor Riza looked so confused. Rebecca resisted the urge to role her eyes at her friend’s inability to see the forest for the trees.

“Well, think about it,” she prompted. “Why wouldn’t he want you working with Wellwood?”

“There’s no problem with it. It’s an insult that he even brought it up,” Riza explained, her frown returning. “I can’t work with him,” she muttered to herself before scoffing in disgust. “He tried to remove me from Admin too to another task when I’m more than capable of carrying it out. Asshole.”

“I think there’s more to it than that.” Rebecca was trying to steer her away from the anger towards what Rebecca believed was the root of the problem. That Mustang liked Riza. He was probably in love with her, after all Rebecca had deducted over the years. Seeing their interactions, the way they just knew what the other was going to do, it made Rebecca squint at them, critiquing every movement as she wondered about the story behind them. When a hunk like Wellwood came along, all six foot two of him with his tanned skin and copper hair, a man like Mustang would get jealous if they were removing Riza’s attention from him.

“Like what?”

Rebecca sighed in frustration at how oblivious she was.

“Mustang would do anything for you, Riza. You know that, right?”

Riza blinked at Rebecca, stating that in fact, no, she didn’t know that. Rebecca coughed quietly as Riza looked down at her wine glass, a dusting of pink appearing over her nose.

“It still didn’t give him the right,” she muttered.

“No, I agree with you there. It didn’t. But…” Rebecca cocked her head. “I can’t put this subtly and also, it’s so blatantly obvious to me that it pains me to see you so unaware, so I’m just going to come out and say it. The fool is in love with you, Riza.”

Her head snapped up, instantly alarmed.

“I mean it,” Rebecca continued, “he really is. He’s like a lost puppy when you’re not around. And you’re both practically joined at the hip. Wellwood is a good-looking dude. No wonder he wouldn’t want someone to potentially steal your attention and affection away.”

After Rebecca had spelled it out for her, a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. It had felt like she’d needed to voice that thought for too long.

Riza’s mouth opened and closed a few times, no sound leaving her. It caused Rebecca’s eyebrows to shoot up as she witnessed it, never expecting to render her friend, Riza Hawkeye, so speechless. Her amusement slowly spread across her face, widening her lips into a large grin.

“You didn’t know?”

“I –” Riza’s mouth snapped shut.

“Oh my God,” Rebecca cackled, leaning back against the cushions. It was the funniest thing she’d ever heard. How could Riza not know? It was so obvious!

“Becca.” Riza tried to snap her warning, but it was weak in comparison to what it usually was. It was closer to a plea than a warning.

“That’s too funny,” Rebecca cried, trying to calm herself.

“Becca, stop.”

“No one’s going to overhear,” Rebecca waved off her concern.

“No, it’s not that –” Riza’s eyes closed and she took a deep breath. The skin of her cheeks had almost returned to their normal colour, but her neck was still flushed. “I know.”

Rebecca’s quiet laughter was cut off quickly. She bolted upright, staring at her friend with disbelief as the wine sloshed around the glass. Leaning forward, she strained to hear her friend. “Wait, you know? Know what?”

Sighing in frustration, Riza looked up towards the ceiling for a brief second. “I know about his feelings towards me,” she admitted so quietly, Rebecca had to strain further forward. “And he knows mine.”

Now, it was Rebecca who was left blinking at her friend, mouth hanging open. “What?”

“We know,” Riza stressed, not offering Rebecca much more than that.

A few more moments of silence passed.

“Wait, when? How? Where?”

“Years ago.” Riza’s eyes were cast down, staring at her almost untouched wine.

“Damn.”

Riza snorted softly at Rebecca’s reaction, shaking her head.

“So… He’s jealous then?”

Riza had arrived at the same conclusion Rebecca had, although much earlier. When Rebecca thought Riza wasn’t aware of Mustang’s feelings towards her, that was when Riza realised that not all was as it seemed. It was Rebecca who’d gotten the wrong end of the stick. They’d only argued earlier because he was jealous, and Riza hadn’t realised or considered that until just then.

“Oh.”

“Yeah,” Riza agreed glumly.

“I mean, it doesn’t excuse, but I guess it does explain Mustang’s behaviour. Especially with the way Wellwood looks at you sometimes.”

“Wait, how does Wellwood look at me?” Riza was horrified.

Rebecca rolled her eyes. “You are oblivious to everything,” she complained.

“No I’m not.”

“Yes, you are. And it makes sense if Roy experiences that in regard to you. Especially if it what happened between you two occurred years ago – Wait, you need to fill me in on this.” Rebecca interrupted herself, pointing a warning finger at Riza. “We’re not going any further with this tonight until I get the full story.”

A small smile appeared on Riza’s lips. “All right,” she nodded, lifting her glass to finally take a drink.

* * *

“Hi.”

The voice was quiet, speaking into the tension of the room. Roy was on edge, testing out her mood to see if they’d be having another argument or if they would be speaking on calmer terms. Still, he’d reached out and made the first move. A sign that he way be ready to discuss things like adults.

Riza closed her apartment door softly, hearing the lock slide closed for the night.

“You’re still here?” That was neutral ground.

“Of course.”

Okay, so maybe not so neutral ground. Especially when he voiced it so simply, as if it were the most obvious and natural thing in the world. There was a hint of hurt laced in his tone, his throat catching at the tail end of the sentence.

Even with the alcohol leaving her buzzed, Riza made a good choice not to speak her mind so freely. She decided not to tell him that she’d expected him to leave after their stupid argument.

Mustang would do anything for you, Riza. She shook the memory of Rebecca’s words from her mind. But it didn’t work. Another popped into her head. So… He’s jealous then? It was a hard concept to grasp. Roy owned her heart completely and had done so for years. She expected them both to be passed things like that. She and Lieutenant Wellwood had only shared civil conversation prior to her and Roy’s argument. There were no grounds for Roy’s jealousy. However, like Rebecca said, perhaps she’d been completely oblivious.

“How was your night?”

He’d waited for her to come home. He could use the excuse that he was dog sitting Hayate, but the pup could be left on his own for a few hours by himself. Riza preferred Hayate was never alone but sometimes it had to happen. It didn’t help that the only reason she’d left was because of their argument. She’d sought out Rebecca in the aftermath of their heated discussion, leaving Roy to cool off and calm down before she spoke to him again.

“Fine.” She turned and walked into her apartment, shrugging the strap of her purse off her shoulder.

“How was the walk home?”

Riza caught Roy’s eye, noticing how he was anxious. Normally, if she were out, he’d call and ask if she wanted a ride home or company on her walk. He seemed surprised she was back so soon, but after Rebecca’s jealousy comment, all Riza’s anger had fizzled out of her. They needed to talk as soon as possible. After an abridged tale of their history, Rebecca had let her leave.

“It was all right,” Riza replied, placating his worries. Despite the fact she carried a loaded gun on her person at all times, he still fretted. Because he loves you. Sighing one last time, Riza placed her purse on the coffee table and took a seat on the couch next to him.

“I’m sorry for saying what I said,” Roy started, gearing up for a big apology. “I didn’t mean to insinuate anything or accuse –”

“Roy, it’s fine,” she reassured softly.

The fight left him, lowering his shoulders and relaxing the muscles of his face. He eyed her for a second longer before nodding once, dropping his gaze to his lap.

“I talked it through with Rebecca.”

“I can imagine the slander,” he jested, the corners of his lips tugging upwards, but not quite making it to a smile.

Riza chuckled, patting his knee. “There wasn’t a lot.”

“Really?” He sounded genuinely surprised.

Shaking her head Riza shrugged out of her jacket and lay it atop her purse on the table.

“Sorry for making you angry, too,” Roy added sheepishly. “I was an idiot.”

“You were… But jealousy doesn’t always play a fair game either.”

Roy nodded silently, swallowing thickly. “I was jealous. It’s so stupid,” he scoffed.

“And I didn’t realise,” Riza countered. “Rebecca called me oblivious.”

“You had no idea?”

“None,” Riza confirmed. “But, I won’t be kept away from doing my job, Roy.”

“No, I know that. It’s just…” A quiet strangled sound left his throat. “Never mind,” he muttered, glancing away.

“What?”

“It’s nothing, honestly.”

“It’s clearly something.” Riza dipped her head to try and catch his eye. At the same time, she reached out, grasping his hand tightly and giving it a squeeze. “What is it?” Her prompt was gentle, coaxing him to voice his thoughts. They would achieve nothing if they weren’t open and honest with one another.

His gaze turned hard, his jaw setting as it clenched. “I overheard him talking about you with some of the other officers.” His head turned, making direct contact with her. “It wasn’t innocent.”

Riza’s expression turned into one of distaste. “I see.”

“It pissed me off. So…” A heavy breath left him, his chest rising and falling significantly. “I kind of lost it. And while I might have been jealous, I was also pissed at him. It was way out of line for me to demand you not to see him, and for that, I apologise. That’s not the kind of person I want to be either.”

Taking in his expression, Riza saw his clear regret. It had been out of character for him. Roy was not possessive, but he was protective and certainly more prone to emotional decisions than her. Especially when it came to her. She could understand where he was coming from but was pleased to hear his apology as well.

“It was out of line for that demand,” Riza agreed, “but I can understand your reasons.” Pulling away, she rolled her shoulders and straightened her spine. “Besides, my weapon won’t be far from my side when working with Wellwood. I can certainly shoot him if he tries anything.”

Roy snorted, shaking his head fondly.

“I’ll keep an eye on him. Thank you for telling me about his behaviour.”

“Sorry my behaviour started an unnecessary argument and drove you off.”

“You didn’t drive me off. I’m here, aren’t I?”

“You are.” Roy smiled the first full smile that evening, and it warmed her heart to see. “But I still kind of did.”

“Like you, I was pissed. And my weapon was very close by you,” she smiled wryly, “I thought it was best to leave.”

Roy chuckled. “I wouldn’t doubt you’d shoot me for being so foolish. It would be what I deserved, anyway,” he muttered to himself.

“All is forgiven.”

Riza leaned towards him slowly, tilting her head so that it could rest against his. Roy met her halfway and her eyes fluttered closed as they gently made contact. Strands of his hair kissed the skin of her forehead, tickling her. Air puffed upwards, out of her mouth as she tried to shift it.

“Sorry.” Roy’s shoulders shook with his amusement. A deep laugh rumbled inside his chest.

“You need a haircut.”

“What? You don’t like this boyish look?”

“Not when it tickles me.”

“That’s fair enough.”

Her stomach dropped for the briefest of seconds as he pulled away from her, but her fears were eased when she felt his lips press against her scalp. Eyes that had popped open in worry softened and fluttered closed under his affection.

“I love you.” The words were quiet and murmured, his breath shifting her hair with a gentle force. “Thank you for putting up with me.”

“You’re worth it,” Riza countered immediately and sincerely. She glanced up at him, seeing the adoration in his eyes and the small smirk on his face. “Love you too, Roy.”

They joined together, after a tumultuous start to their evening, their lips pressing softly together. His touch was tender as he grasped her chin with his thumb and forefinger. Her hand sought out his free one, gripping into it tightly, anchoring herself to him. Her heartbeat steadied and evened out, basking in the love he was showering over her. All her muscles finally relaxed now that she was home, next to him.

#royai #royai fic #royai fanfic #royai oneshot #megthemighty #ask #emma writes #fic request

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sohotthateveryonedied · 4 years

Text

We Dream in the Dark, for the Most Part

Read here on AO3!

Summary:

Jason is in the middle of lathering his hair with shampoo when suddenly the lights go out, leaving him in darkness. An instinctive chill runs down his spine, only to be replaced with annoyance. Of course. Beyond the shower spray, he can hear Lian shriek in fear, followed by Roy muttering curses.

Jason sighs. “Roy?” he calls.

“Handling it!”

It was a grueling patrol, but Jason is relieved to be home. He missed having Roy by his side tonight, but their usual babysitter, Mrs. Peterson from next door, came down with pneumonia yesterday and canceled. She doesn’t seem to have any idea that her neighbors are vigilantes, but they pay her enough that she doesn’t ask. Lian is coloring at the coffee table while Jason toes off his boots, leaving them at the front door. She’s wearing her fluffy Stitch pajamas, which she’s been practically living in for the last week and a half. “Hey, princess.” Jason drops a kiss on top of her head as he passes. “Where’s your dad?” “In the kitchen. He’s playing with the electricity again.” “Oh, good. Because, you know, I was actually hoping our place would explode, just to spice things up.” Lian giggles. “Has he fed you yet?” She shakes her head, her black pigtails swinging back and forth. “Nope. But he promised me special sushi if I cleaned up all my books.” Jason will never understand Lian’s passion for her “special sushi,” which is just deli ham slathered in strawberry yogurt and rolled up like a spring roll from hell. Jason gets nauseated just thinking about it, but the kid loves the stuff. “And did you clean up?” Lian points over at the bookshelf against the wall. They don’t have a huge apartment by any means, but Jason insisted on dedicating an entire wall to his books. That was one of the conditions when Roy first asked Jason to move in with him and Lian. It took weeks of finagling to convince Jason to relinquish a small section of the bookshelf for Lian’s picture books, which are indeed all in their right places. “Then it looks like you’ve earned your sushi, little miss. I’m gonna shower first and then I’ll make it for you, alright?” “I can make it by myself.” Jason snorts. “After what happened last time? I don’t think so.” It was his own fault for thinking a five-year-old could prepare her own food. It took a solid hour to scrub the yogurt stains out of the carpet. Jason pokes his head in the kitchen on his way to the bathroom. “Tell me you’re not burning the building down.” “Okay, then I’m not burning the building down,” Roy says around the screwdriver trapped between his teeth. He stands in front of what was once a light switch, tinkering with something that he most definitely should not be tinkering with, but Jason is picking his battles today.

“I’m not going to bother telling you that you’re on your second strike with the landlord. If he has to come up here again, I’m not defending you.” “You know what I miss? The old days when people would greet each other by saying things like, ‘hi, sweetie, how was your day?’ ‘Oh, it was lovely, darling. How about a kiss after spending hours apart and missing each other dearly?’ ‘Babe, it’s like you read my mind!’ You know, stuff like that?” Jason arches an eyebrow. “I’ve got mobster blood caked in my hair. Still want a hello kiss?” “Not really, no. Go shower.” “Try not to blow a fuse in the meantime, please.” Roy salutes with his screwdriver. “Aye, aye, captain.” Jason goes to the bathroom and relishes in the feeling of peeling off his armor and the bodysuit underneath, every layer soaked with sweat and blood. It’s a good thing his Red Hood getup is all dark colors, or he’d have scarred Lian for life ten times over already. He turns the shower knob as hot as it’ll go, letting his muscles slowly unravel under the spray. He takes his time scrubbing off the blood and dirt, whistling some shitty pop song that Dick paid Barbara to blast through the comms all. Night. Long. Jason has plans to add that to his repertoire of torture techniques if he ever needs some extra edge. It’s definitely effective. Jason is in the middle of lathering his hair with shampoo when suddenly the lights go out, leaving him in darkness. An instinctive chill runs down his spine, only to be replaced with annoyance. Of course. Beyond the shower spray, he can hear Lian shriek in fear, followed by Roy muttering curses. Jason sighs. “Roy?” he calls. “Handling it!” Another sigh. This is what he gets for leaving Roy alone. It’s Jason’s own fault, really. He quickly rinses the shampoo from his hair and leaves the bathroom, and towel wrapped around his waist. He navigates the pitch black apartment and finds Roy lighting a match in the kitchen. He’s got Lian tucked in one arm. “What did I say?” Jason asks. “I know, I know—” “I said not to blow a fuse. That was your one job.” “Technically, I didn’t blow a fuse. I just overloaded the circuit and cut off the electricity for the whole building.” Jason smacks himself in the forehead. “Wonderful.” Remind him again why he’s in love with this man? “I’m sure it’ll be fixed in no time.” “You can’t see it, but I’m rolling my eyes.” “You’re overreacting. It’s just a little blackout.” “We have ice cream in the freezer.” “I’ll buy more.” Jason runs a hand through his wet hair. “You’re killing me, babe. Again.” “It’s just one night without power, right? I’m sure it’ll come back on in the morning.” He bounces Lian a little, who’s got her face buried in Roy’s neck. Poor thing is terrified of the dark. “What do you think, pumpkin? You think you can be brave for one little night in the dark?” “I don’t like it. It’s scary.” “I know it is, sweetheart. But do you want to know a secret?” He leans in close to her ear, mock-whispering, “Jaybird over here is afraid of the dark too.” Lian looks at Jason with wide eyes. “Really?” Roy nods. “Yep. But you know what? He’s so brave and strong that he overcame that fear and now it hardly bothers him anymore. Do you think you can be brave like that?” “I can be super brave.” “That’s my girl. Not, sit here for a minute, ‘kay?” He sets her down on the arm of the sofa. The match has fizzled out by now, leaving them in complete darkness. “I know I have some scented candles around here somewhere. Dinah keeps getting them as gifts and pushes them on me when she doesn’t like them.” Jason’s eyes widen. “Wait, watch out for the—” Roy trips with a shout, glass shattering as he falls. “—coffee table.” Roy just groans in response. “Hang on, let me get a light.” Jason makes his way to the drawer they keep the emergency flashlight in. He turns on the beam to show Roy on the floor, surrounded by glass shards and clutching his leg. There are several small cuts peppering his knee like he crawled on a beach made of broken bottles. Jason gasps. “Oh my god, Roy! You broke Lian’s crayons!” Roy flips him off, angling his hand so Lian can’t see. “I’m fine, thanks for asking.” Jason helps him up and hands him the flashlight. “Lian, honey, will you help him get to the couch? I need to put some clothes on.” And he’s almost positive there’s another flashlight somewhere in Roy’s nightstand. They’re going to need all the light they can get. Jason gets dressed and retrieves the flashlight, plus one of Lian’s Disney princess glow sticks. When he returns, Roy is on the couch with his leg propped up on what remains of their coffee table. Lian is shining the flashlight on her tiny first-aid kit which Kori gave her last Christmas. She sifts through her collection of band-aids. “One to ten?” “Barely a two,” Roy says. “I already dug the glass out, and none were deep enough to need stitches.” Jason checks him over anyway, just to be sure. He wipes away the blood and applies some ointment over the cuts. He turns to Lian when he’s finished. “Can I trust you to finish this up while I make dinner?” She nods enthusiastically. Perfect. Lian can keep herself busy plastering Roy in Hello Kitty bandages, and Jason will have time to figure out what the hell they’re doing, food-wise. “How do you expect to make dinner without electricity?” Roy asks, reading his mind yet again. “What, did you never have to eat cold leftover pizza in your million-dollar mansion growing up? Weird.” He dodges the pillow Roy throws his way, laughing. “Those jokes don’t count when you also grew up in a million-dollar mansion.” Thirty minutes later and the three of them are sitting on the couch, Roy and Jason eating cold mushroom casserole while Lian enjoys her ham and yogurt. Once you get over the temperature difference, cold casserole turns out to be just as tasty as hot casserole. Gordon Ramsey should take notes. Jason managed to track down the candles Roy was talking about earlier and set them in various places around the living room, lighting the room in a dim glow. It’s not perfect lighting by any means—not even good lighting, really, but at least no one will be falling into another coffee table anytime soon. Roy’s knee is covered in Hello Kitty band-aids, some of which are in spots that weren’t even cut up by the glass. Roy doesn’t seem to mind. Jason took a picture for potential blackmail reasons. “I’m bored,” Lian says after a while. “You could always go to bed,” Roy suggests, “given that your bedtime was fifteen minutes ago but your daddies are nice enough to let you stay up this long.” “That was nice of us,” Jason agrees. “I think we’ve earned a quiet night to ourselves.” Lian pouts. She grabs Jason’s arm, clinging to his bicep like a koala. “But it’s dark in my room.” “It’s dark in there every night.” “It’s really dark tonight. Can I stay here with you instead?” Her eyes are big and innocent, perfectly disguising the mischief lurking within. This girl could be a successful con artist one day. (Not that Jason or Roy will ever let that happen. She’s going to grow up and become a veterinarian or something equally harmless.) Roy and Jason meet eyes, having a silent conversation over Lian’s head. Finally, Roy sighs. “Fine. You can stay up with us a little longer, but only because of the blackout, okay? Don’t go thinking that this trick is going to work tomorrow night.” Lian claps her hands, bouncing in her seat. “Can I have coffee?” “Absolutely not.” She isn’t deterred in the slightest. “This is gonna be so fun! We can stay up all night long, even past midnight and three o’clock which is when the ghosts come out.” “Ghosts, huh?” Jason says. “Yeah, Aunt Stephanie told me all about it! Three o’clock is when the witching hour happens and witches and ghosts come out like Bloody Mary and Freddie Cougar and they call come into your house and walk around but you can only see them if you’re awake, which I’m gonna be because I’m not even tired, I could stay up all night long and for a million, bazillion years, and—” She lasts seven minutes. Lian is fast asleep now with her head in Roy’s lap, her tiny feet dangling off the arm of the sofa. Jason drapes a blanket over her, kissing her on the forehead. He’s careful not to jostle Roy’s bandaged leg as he takes a seat beside him, putting his arm around Roy’s shoulders. “Well, I’m fucking exhausted.” “It’s cool if you want to go to bed,” Roy says. “I don’t mind sticking around here with Lian until the power comes back on.” “Nah, it’s fine. I like it better in here, anyway.” In here, where the light is. Roy doesn’t comment on the hidden meaning that he definitely catches on to, and Jason loves him for it. He just kisses Jason’s cheek, settling against his side. Jason doesn’t mention the darkness thing often. Or at all. After all, grown men don’t get scared of the dark—especially when they live in a place like Gotham and were raised in a literal cave. But if Lian insists on having the hallway light on in addition to the night light next to her bed, then Jason isn’t about to discourage her. Roy never says a word about it. Every night he keeps the door to his and Jason’s bedroom cracked open just enough so a sliver of hallway light floods in, and it’s good for both of them, really. Jason feels safer with the light on, and they both feel safer being able to hear every creak and draft in the apartment, falling asleep knowing that nothing will sneak up on them. Even when Jason was living on his own, post-resurrection, he always kept a lamp on when he went to sleep in whichever safehouse he was squatting in that night. Back before he had a place to call home. On especially bad nights, he would turn on the lights in every single room, even the one in the microwave. Only then could he sleep soundly. He can’t exactly do that now, but he doesn’t need to. Whenever his head gets too heavy to bear, he’ll simply wrap his arms around Roy and fall back asleep to the sound of Roy’s heart beating under his ear. He falls back asleep in minutes. Jason isn’t entirely sure what caused the light issue in the first place. Sometimes he can’t remember if it arose before or after he was adopted by Bruce. Other times he’s sure it’s lingering trauma from the coffin, from waking up in pitch blackness six feet underground. No bearings, no sense of what was happening or where he was. The only thing in there with him was the thick, cloying darkness on every side of him. Jason shivers just thinking about it. “We should get her a new night light,” he says. “Battery powered, not a plug-in. It would be a good investment if you ever try destroying our electricity again.” Roy hums. “We can pick one up tomorrow. I need to take her clothes shopping anyway. And it might be a good idea to have a couple for the living room and bathroom so we don’t have a repeat of tonight.” “Good idea.” God, Jason’s craving a cigarette right now. Every nerve in his body urges him to get one and soothe the anxiety buzzing in his brain, but he has a rule against smoking in the apartment or anywhere near Lian. He’d settle for a beer instead, whatever keeps the buzzing at bay, but he doesn’t drink at home either out of respect for Roy’s sobriety. He’s stuck. Roy must notice Jason’s twitching fingers because he reaches into his pocket, careful not to wake Lian as he pulls out a stick of nicotine gum. “Here.” Jason unwraps the gum and shoves it in his mouth. He takes a deep breath in as he chews, letting it out slowly. It takes the edge off some, but not completely. Still, it’s better than nothing. “You’re just carrying these on you now?” "Came in handy, didn't it?" “And I thought Bruce was the king of being prepared for everything.” Jason straightens the wrapper until it’s flat like a card. He holds it over the nearest candle until it catches, watching the flame consume the paper, eating away at its edges. He blows it out just before it gets too close to his fingers. “When I was a kid,” he says after a minute, “my mom and I used to light candles like these. The heat would get turned off pretty often since she was usually too high to remember what day it was, let alone when the bills needed to be paid. But whenever it happened, she would send me to the store with a couple dollars and I’d buy a bag of marshmallows. We’d roast them over the candles and pretend we were camping.” “That sounds nice.” “It was. I mean, now I realize that it’s actually really fucking sad that we had to resort to candles ‘cause my mom wasted all her cash on drugs and couldn’t pay the heating bill. But at the time, it was nice. It’s one of the few good memories I have of that time.” He feels more than sees Roy’s fingers lacing through his own, clasping their hands together. “I was telling the truth earlier, you know. You’re brave and strong and badass all the way.” Jason snorts. “Even if I get freaked out every time the lights go out?” Roy doesn’t laugh with him. “Yeah, even then. And you know why?” He rests his head on Jason’s shoulder, lets Jason feel his warmth. “Because of all the things to be afraid of, you picked the one that can be fixed by just turning the lights on. Once you do that, there’s nothing left in the world that can scare you. And that’s pretty damn badass if you ask me.”

#whumptober 2020 #no.27 #power outage #jayroy #jason todd #red hood #robin #batman #roy harper #red arrow #arsenal #red hood and the outlaws #red hood/arsenal #lian harper #dc comics #fanfiction #fanfic

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