The Devils Bride

The Devil’s bride

Summary: 20 years ago your parents promised you to a demon… and now the devil has come to collect his prize.

Pairing: Demon! Bucky x Reader

Word count: 800 (very exactly lol)

Warnings: Mention of forced marriage… No smut in this.

A/N: This is for Miss @syntheticavenger‘s 8k. Because she writes some of the most compelling, creative stories I’ve got to read on AO3 and Tumblr. And she’s also super nice and positive. I wasn’t gonna at first cause I’m a little shy about tagging others but here goes lol. Just… thanks for sharing your talent with us, missy! Gif by tvandfilm

~

It’s another Saturday at the diner, one of those slow, tedious shifts that you can’t wait to see reach its end. You itch to get home, kick your feet up, binge a show or two on the Netflix account you share with your best friend. Your feet are beginning to ache from the ceaseless rushing about. It is, as usual, always the same humdrum labor: taking orders, operating the cash register and getting coffee refills for the customers. Ever since your friend Wanda quit, your boss has piled on more work on your frail shoulders, since she is too cheap to simply hire a new waitress. You suspect she is unabashedly exploiting the fact that she knows how much you need this job. Your stomach curls as you remember how behind on your rent you are. After brewing a fresh pot, you sigh and lean your elbows on the counter. There are only three customers in the diner. Hopefully one day, you’ll rack up enough cash to wave goodbye to this sorry job and this sorry little town. But considering the dismal state of your credit score… this won’t be any day soon.

You perk up when the chiming of the door bell announcing the arrival of a new guest peals across the diner. A chilling breeze floods in when the man enters. You frown as goosebumps bloom on your flesh. Shivering, you rub your arms. Strange. It is the height of summer and there’s been a pleasant warmth clogging the air all day.

Keep reading

Art & War

Father of Mine – Masterlist

“Alright, kiddos. Who is ready to see some art?!” Y/N asked the group of kids and preteens.

Gotham was having it’s first ever art festival.

Thanks to Y/N’s hard work, and Bruce’s generous friends – and even more generous pockets of his own.

Y/N and Jason had been talking one night and both realized that the arts were not accessible to lower income families or homeless kids. Art departments cost money and they were the first thing to be cut from school budgets – right after physical education.

So Y/N started brainstorming an art fair where all ticket sales, 30% of sales, and various auctions would go to a local charity that made sure art programs stayed in Gotham’s school district.

Jason had asked some of the homeless kids that he visited in the streets if they wanted to attend, thinking they’d all think it was super lame.

But almost half of them were intrigued, and begged him to go.

Now, Y/N was taking them around the fair to see some art and meet a few artists.

Y/N’s phone buzzed.

It was a text from Jason: “How’s it going down there?”

Down there was pretty accurate, since him and the rest of the family were busy patrolling and couldn’t make it to the fair for themselves.

Y/N could tell Damian had wanted to come and hang out with kids his own age – no matter where they came from. But he took his duties as Robin very seriously. And when Bruce showed surprise at his son possibly wanting to skip patrol, Damian quickly hid his desire to go with Y/N to the fair and put on his uniform.

Y/N looked up at the rooftops, half expecting to see her boyfriend looking down at her in his Red Hood uniform.

But she found nothing.

So her attention went back to the kids.

To her shock, they were having an absolute blast. All the artists she had invited were happy to answer all their ridiculous and hilarious questions. And they seemed amazed to hear that some of the artist she’d invited had come from the same bad neighborhoods as them.

After a couple of hours though, the kids started to lose some steam.

“Who’s hungry?” She finally asked the group.

There was a chorus of “I am!” and “Me!”

But then one little girl tugged on Y/N’s sleeve, looking up at her with innocent eyes. She couldn’t have been older than six.

“What’s up, sweetie?” Y/N asked.

“I don’t have any…money,” the little girl whispered.

It broke Y/N’s heart. None of these kids had any money. They lived on the streets.

“I’m buying all your food,” Y/N clarified to the whole group, but nodded specifically to the girl who’d asked. “And you guys can get as much as you want.”

There was a burst of cheering and smiles.

A couple of them said, “Thank you, Miss Y/N.”

Y/N laughed. It was very clear that Jason had insisted the kids learned good manners, despite where they came from.

Y/N knew Bruce worked a lot in giving back to the community and trying to get people – especially kids – off the street. But it never would feel like enough. With a broken foster care system and more evil people than good, the streets were sometimes safer for them.

The kids had just finished eating all their food when Y/N noticed a van screeching to a halt behind one of the tents.

Six men or so got out, and Y/N immediately got a bad feeling. They looked like they were on some sort of mission, determined and aggressive expressions on their faces.

Next, Y/N noticed one of them pull out a gun.

She jumped up and grabbed the attention of all of the kids, kneeling in front of them and making sure to keep her panicked voice quiet as to not grab the attention of the men.

“I need you all to listen to me very carefully. What does Jason tell you when there’s trouble?”

Living on the streets made them take her tone seriously. They were used to danger being nearby and had lost their naivety long ago.

“Keep out of sight,” they whispered quickly.

“Right. You all need to follow me as fast as you can. Stay calm. Stay close. And look out for each other. OK? And if something happens to me, you hide. OK?”

They all nodded.

“Older kids, grab a younger buddy,”Y/N added as she stood up.

She grabbed a little one’s hand and pulled her cell phone to her ear.

“What’s wrong?” Jason answered on the second ring.

“You guys should get down here. Now. Just saw a group of men who are looking for trouble. They’re armed and not fucking around.”

“On it. They’re probably looking to get some money…” Jason noted.

Y/N could tell he had already jumped into a run.

“I gotta get the kids out of here,” she answered.

“We’ll be there soon,” Jason told her.

“I love you,” Y/N said, expecting something terrible to about to happen.

“Love you, too. I have your tracker. I’m on my way.”

Yes. Her tracker. It was a ring she now wore every day. Jason had insisted on her having it in case of an emergency, especially after they announced to the world that she was Bruce Wayne’s only daughter. When Y/N had looked to Bruce for assistance on telling Jason he was being overprotective, Bruce didn’t agree with her and supported Jason’s idea.

But Y/N guessed it was a good thing now that she was actually in crisis.

Leave it to the criminals of Gotham to find any opportunity to take advantage of the vulnerable. All this money was going to charities, but they only saw it as an easy steal.

Gunshots rang out and Y/N jumped.

Some of the kids whimpered in fear.

“Get down!” Y/N told them.

But when she whipped around, she saw that the men had shot their guns into the air to get everyone’s attention.

“I think it’s time for all you to empty your pockets!” The leader screamed with a sneer.

“Come on,” Y/N hurried the children to the nearest alleyway.

“Hey! Hey! Where do you think you’re going!?” One of the men noticed Y/N fleeing with the children in tow.

Y/N grabbed the oldest boy by the shoulders, ignoring the threatening man, “You to find the nearest open door in the alley and get everyone inside to hide. If I’m not there in an hour, call Jason,” and she thrust her cellphone into his hand. “Make sure everyone gets safely inside, do you understand?”

She was remaining calm, but the boy knew to take her seriously and could see the worry and fear in her eyes.

“Don’t worry,” the boy told her, “Batman will be here any second.”

Y/N forced a small smile.

She sure hoped he would be…

“Go go go,” she lightly pushed him. “Look after them.”

It felt wrong as the kids disappeared down the dark alley. But there were various doors to different stores and buildings.

One of them would be open and they could hide out there until police arrived.

Just as the kids disappeared into the back entrance of a Chinese restaurant, someone roughly grabbed Y/N and shoved her against the brick wall of the buildings.

“I was talking to you,” the same man growled at her with a sneer.

“Get off me,” Y/N shoved him, getting back her space.

Suddenly recognition crossed over the man’s eyes. “I know who you are…” he cooed as if he’d got the biggest prize. “You’re Wayne’s bastard child.”

Y/N stayed quiet, preoccupied with thinking of an escape plan.

The man laughed, “I won the fuckin’ jackpot tonight. Didn’t I?”

He roughly grabbed Y/N’s arm and started pulling her back to where the rest of his crew was, who were busy stealing people’s personal items and invoking fear on the citizens of Gotham.

“Oy!” He screamed. “Look what I found!”

The rest of them moved their attention to him and looked at Y/N curiously.

“She’s a Wayne! Think of the ransom,” the man explained, his grip tightening on her.

“Don’t fucking touch me!” Y/N roared and kicked the man in the balls.

The man released his grip on her immediately and fell to his knees in pain. “You stupid, fucking bitch!”

Y/N didn’t wait to hear more and made a run for it.

But she stopped when a bullet flew just inches from her.

Y/N knew she could outrun the men, but she couldn’t outrun their bullets. And she wasn’t about to get shot in the back.

“Where do you think you’re going, sweetheart?” Another member of the crew asked, gun pointed right at her.

Y/N slowly turned with her hands raised, making sure not to make any sudden movements.

He laughed as he asked, “How much ya think daddy will pay for ya?”

She just clenched her jaw. If only they knew who Bruce Wayne really was.

More importantly... if only they knew Red Hood was her boyfriend.

But before he could get any closer, all the streetlights around them blew out.

“What the fuck…?” the man muttered.

Y/N's eyes adjusted to the darkness. The building lights around them made it just possible enough to kind of see.

That was the only reason Y/N was able to catch a figure standing behind the man, just over his shoulder.

Batman. Her father.

But then someone else spoke behind Y/N, making her jump.

“You really fucked yourselves this time,” they threatened.

No, not someone. Jason.

Y/N whipped around to see her boyfriend in his Red Hood uniform, red helmet reflecting the city glow and moon.

“Get out of here,” Jason told Y/N just as Bruce made his move, and attacked.

Guns started going off and people started yelling.

And before Y/N knew it, she was right in the middle of the chaos, with no clear exit.

But even worse, she was of no help.

Instead, Y/N was a complete liability to the rest of them.

Jason fired his own bullets, but Y/N knew they were only rubber. That didn’t mean they didn’t hurt like lethal ones.

Y/N watched as her boyfriend and father fought around each other. The two of them had such different combat styles, but were equally dangerous.

After all of this time, Y/N had never actually seen either of them fight. Jason seemed averse to showing that part of his life. And Bruce surprisingly did the same, despite the rest of them going into the 'family business' of vigilantism.

Y/N was shocked at how quickly her boyfriend moved with his size and weight of his gear. All of his muscle proved to be functional and not just for show.

Bruce was another story, and Y/N had trouble following his movements. He completely blended into the night, almost appearing invisible.

All Y/N wanted to do was help.

She hated feeling like a damsel in distress, a weakling that her boyfriend and family felt the need to constantly protect.

But she wasn’t naive enough to actually try right now. She’d only make things worse.

The best thing to do was listen to Jason and run for safety.

But just when she saw an opening, one of the men blocked her path.

Gun raised.

Clearly the idea of using her for ransom had failed, and now he thought the next best thing was just to execute her for ruining all their plans.

But just as he was about to pull the trigger, someone dove to Y/N, pushing her against the nearest wall, and then used their body to shield her.

Y/N looked up and recognized her father’s blue eyes, even through his cowl and dark makeup.

“No!” She gasped, thinking he spared her life with his own.

“Cape’s bulletproof,” he groaned, still feeling the pressure of the bullets.

There was a pause in the reign of bullets and Y/N looked over Bruce’s shoulder to see that Jason had taken out the shooter.

But just as he did so, someone else was behind him, ready to attack.

Y/N’s mouth opened to scream a warning, “Jas-!”

But Bruce put his gloved hand over her mouth before she could shout her boyfriend’s name to all of Gotham.

“Code names,” he warned her.

Y/N nodded, and her eyes quickly raced back to her boyfriend.

Fortunately, Jason didn’t need to be warned of another attack, and had already sensed it and defended himself.

“He knows what he’s doing,” Bruce tried to softly tell his daughter, but it was still in his gruff Batman voice.

A few minutes later, all the men had been neutralized.

And Bruce finally stepped away from his daughter, now that all of the threats were eliminated.

“Are you OK?” Y/N whispered, looking her father up and down.

She expected to see bleeding somewhere on his body, but it seemed Bruce was untouched.

He gave a curt nod, not worried about his own wellbeing.

Now that they were safe, Jason’s focus was completely on Y/N. He walked to them, strides twice as long as the normal man.

But instead of pulling Y/N into his arms like she expected, he stopped a yard away from her and kept shifting his weight in frustration.

Even without being able to see his eyes or facial expressions, Y/N knew Jason was struggling with having to stop himself from holding her or physically checking to see if she was alright.

But they had an audience. And people shouldn’t be seeing Red Hood showing concern and affection for Y/F/N Wayne.

“Are you okay…miss?” Jason's distorted voice asked through the helmet.

Y/N nodded.

Then Bruce put his finger to his ear. “It's all clear, Robin.”

Y/N frowned.

Damian.

Bruce probably told Damian, Tim, and Dick to keep patrolling while he and Jason handled this particular situation.

And Y/N could only imagine Damian throwing a fit, wanting to help.

Bruce didn’t explain what Damian was saying to Y/N, knowing it would seem weird if anyone watching them caught it. Batman was not known for communicating, especially to civilians he just saved.

So, instead, he gave Y/N a look that silently communicated, ‘He’s worried about you.’

“Batman, the police are here,” Jason announced and nodded his head in the direction of the sirens and flashing lights.

That was him saying it was time to go.

“Wait!” Y/N blurted out. “There’s kids. Hiding in the Chinese restaurant back there. They need to be taken back…” she hesitated. “They don’t have homes.”

But she knew Jason would understand who she was talking about.

The street kids that looked at Jason as their own hero had no idea that he was also Red Hood.

He would make sure they got back to their shanty town before the police found them and tried to place them in foster care – or worse, back to their abusive homes.

An hour later, Y/N had answered Gotham PD’s questions for what felt like the tenth time. She was mentally and physically exhausted. The adrenaline rush of the night’s events had sucked all her energy away. And she had a headache. She could only assume her body would be sore tomorrow morning, especially where the men kept grabbing her.

Suddenly, a Rolls-Royce pulled up.

Alfred came out, walking with purpose and a jacket in his arms.

“Officers, I will be taking Ms. Y/L/N home now.”

“We’re not done questioning her,” one of the dumber cops tried to argue.

Alfred gave him a look that made the cop shrink back, and asked them, “What more could possibly be said? She was attacked and nearly kidnapped.”

Alfred put the jacket over Y/N’s shoulders.

It smelled like Bruce, she noticed. Alfred must’ve grabbed it before rushing here.

“Is this not your typical night in Gotham?” Alfred continued. "If you have more questions, they can wait until morning.”

He left no room for further discussion, and Y/N was so grateful for it.

“Come on, dear.” Alfred ushered her gently to the car.

“The rich asshole can’t even come pick up his daughter. Makes the butler do it…” Y/N heard one of the cops mutter right before getting in the back of the car.

Of course they thought that.

Little did they know, Bruce was running on top of rooftops as Batman, keeping Gotham safe in a way they never could.

And who knew what would’ve happened had he not shown up when he did. More people could’ve been robbed and everyone would’ve gotten hurt.

“Master Wayne asked that I take you back to the Wayne Manor,” Alfred told her, looking at her through the rearview mirror.

Y/N nodded and sighed, “Thanks, Alfred.”

When they arrived at Wayne Manor, Y/N dismissed Alfred’s offer to make her something to eat and or even some tea.

Instead, she rushed down to the bat cave.

Alfred had told her they weren’t back from patrol yet, but they were coming back early due to the events of the night. 'Events' being Y/N almost getting kidnapped and held for ransom – and then almost shot point blank.

20 minutes later, Y/N heard the rumbling of a motorcycle coming down the long tunnel. It was quickly followed by the bat mobile, a sound that took some time for Y/N to recognize.

She jumped up to her feet and ran down the stairs to the platform that they arrived on.

Jason was of course the one screaming down the tunnel on a motorcycle, and skidded it to a halt at the last possible second.

Like some sort of rebel without a cause.

But he did have a cause. And she was rushing towards him, too.

Jason ripped off his Red Hood helmet, throwing it off to the side as it meant nothing.

And he quickened his steps to get to Y/N faster.

Y/N finally let out a sigh of relief, “Are you o–”

But her words were cut off by Jason lifting her into his arms.

Y/N was expecting some sort of relieved embrace, yes. But not for Jason to pull her so tight and lift her off her feet, completely in his control.

After her smell and touch calmed him down, Jason finally placed her back on her feet.

But he didn’t let her go far.

Jason's eyes pierced through hers and his hands cupped either side of her face, moving her hair out of the way.

Y/N gripped his biceps, but knew better than to pull away from his touch or try to break his hold on her face.

“You OK?” Jason asked.

It could’ve been misinterpreted as casual and unconcerned. But Y/N saw it for what it truly was: he had been terrified of her getting hurt.

It was all his eyes, in his desperate grip on her face, in the way his breathing escaped his mouth as if he had been holding it in until he physically saw her.

“I’m OK,” she quickly told him, not wanting him to worry any more than he already had.

But Jason still seemed tense.

Y/N eyes widened suddenly. “The kids–”

“Safe,” Jason assured before she could even ask. Then he winced. “Well… as safe as they could be while living on the streets of Gotham.”

Y/N nodded in understanding.

Jason made eye contact with someone behind her and reluctantly stepped away from his girlfriend.

Y/N whipped around to find Bruce, still mostly in his Batman uniform – his cowl was gone and his cape had been detached.

Bruce looked at her with an expression she had never seen before.

Y/N suddenly felt guilty, as if were her fault she’d been attacked.

To her surprise, Bruce pulled her into his arms, as well.

But it was different than Jason’s.

No, this was a father worried for the safety of his daughter.

Y/N whined, “Oh, not you, too.”

But Bruce ignored her.

Then Y/N felt something tackle her leg and hip.

Y/N laughed when she looked down to see Damian joining their hug.

“I’m OK. Really.”

“Father wouldn’t let me come to help,” Damian groaned, still holding her.

They pulled away.

“Guess he wanted to be the one to risk his life,” Y/N teased, but then gave Bruce a dangerous look that silently said, ‘I didn’t forgot that you jumped in front of bullets for me.’

Jason allowed Bruce and Damian to have their moment with Y/N and then he was at her side once again, grabbing one of her hands, intertwining their fingers.

“Go home or stay here?” Jason asked Y/N quietly after Alfred arrived in the cave and started talking to Bruce and Damian.

“Can we stay here?” She asked quietly.

Y/N hadn’t quite recovered from the image of her father jumping between her and a gun.

And seeing Bruce unharmed felt too good to be true.

Jason nodded.

“Are Tim and Dick alright?” Y/N asked.

The two hadn’t come to her rescue, and a part of her thought something bad had happened to them earlier in the night.

“They’re fine,” Jason assured her. “They’re patrolling later so the three of us could get here as soon as possible.”

Y/N took in a deep breath.

“Tired?” Jason asked.

She nodded.

“That’ll be the adrenaline wearing off.”

Jason nodded his head towards the stairs. “Get something to eat. Alfred always has food ready after patrol. I’m going to get rid of my gear and shower down here.”

Y/N did as he said, but was surprised to find that Damian had silently moved next to her and grabbed her hand.

Bruce was walking ahead of them and glanced at his two children. Him and Y/N shared a look. ‘He was worried about you,’ was what Bruce silently told Y/N.

She looked back down at Damian and gave his hand a quick squeeze.

Both Alfred and Bruce convinced Y/N to have some beef stew and bread.

When Jason joined them, he also got her to chug some water, mentioning something about getting dehydrated after an adrenaline rush.

Y/N realized Jason was right about the crash, and her eyes immediately started to feel heavy after eating and drinking.

“Come on. Bedtime,” Jason urged her.

He walked closely behind her, worried that she might collapse at any moment from exhaustion.

After getting ready for bed, Jason slid under the covers and laid on his side to face Y/N.

“What are you thinking about?” Jason asked her quietly.

He could tell her mind was racing, despite her body being exhausted.

“I’ve never seen any of you…” Y/N struggled to find the right wording. “I’ve never actually seen you fight before.”

Images flashed in her mind of Jason taking down goon after goon and firing various weapons – as if it had all been rehearsed. And Bruce moving like a deadly shadow, impossible to keep up with and seeming inhuman.

“Did I…” Jason was scared to finish his question. He cleared his throat. “Did I scare you?”

Y/N wasn’t looking at him, instead her eyes were cloudy as she zoned out and was taken hostage by her thoughts and memories of earlier that night.

“No,” she mumbled. “I knew you all risked your lives every night. But I just…it was was something else to see it for myself.”

“Y/N?” Jason whispered as he held her chin.

The gentleness of his voice finally snapped her out of it and she looked at him.

“You know I’d never hurt you, right?”

She nodded right away.

“People were shooting bullets at you, Jason.”

Jason smirked. “Bullets I can handle. But you being in danger? That. That's what I can't handle.”

“I knew you would come,” she told him in return.

“Gotham could be up in flames and I’d still find a way to you.”

It should’ve sounded cheesy, but Y/N could see the darkness in Jason’s eyes. He would give up everything, even his own life, all to save her.

Before Y/N could find a way to respond to such a declaration, Jason leaned toward her and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

“Try to get some sleep. Alright?”

Y/N nodded and let Jason pull her into his chest.

––––––––

Jason was disappointed to find the bed empty in the morning.

He rubbed his eyes roughly to try and wake up faster.

When he looked around his childhood bedroom, he half expected her to be lounging somewhere, maybe tinkering with a camera or coming out of the bathroom.

But Y/N was nowhere in his vicinity.

Jason threw on a pair of black sweatpants and didn’t bother with a shirt.

His first stop was the kitchen, hoping to find Y/N eating something or at least taking it easy in some regards.

But the kitchen was empty, except for some fresh scones that Alfred must’ve made that morning.

Jason tried the library next, then the pool, then the theater.

But Y/N was nowhere to be found.

As he was walking down the hall, he saw Damian’s bedroom door left ajar. He spotted Damian sitting at the window seat with his sketchbook balanced against his thighs.

“Hey,” Jason greeted without knocking. “You seen Y/N anywhere?”

“She left,” Damian shrugged without looking at him.

Jason froze. “Left?”

“She went on a run.”

That wasn’t unusual, but it was unusual for Y/N to do so without telling Jason.

“I think her and father got into a fight,” Damian added, finally looking up form his drawing.

The look in his eyes proved that he knew he was giving Jason vital information.

“Great,” Jason spat sarcastically. “Thanks, demon spawn.”

He went back downstairs and hoped Y/N would be back soon. Thankfully the manor was pretty isolated from the rest of the city, so it was safe for a woman to go running alone – for the most part, that is.

30 minutes later, Jason was alerted that the manor’s gates were being opened.

He glanced out the window to see Y/N with earbuds in and workout clothes on, walking up the long and windy drive of Wayne Manor.

Even from a distance, he could tell she was breathing heavily.

Jason didn’t bother putting shoes on as he grabbed his mug of coffee and went outside to meet her.

Y/N was clearly deep inside her head and in a post-run daze, because it took her awhile to notice she was being watched.

Jason took a sip of his coffee.

She pulled out her earbuds. “Hey.”

“Hi,” Jason answered with a shy smile. “Why didn’t you tell me you were going for a run?”

“Wanted you to sleep.”

It was a stupid excuse, since Jason constantly told her not to worry about that and insisted that he would like to be woken up to make sure he could time when she would be back.

“Damian said you and Bruce had a fight,” Jason said once she reached him.

Y/N's steps faltered and she rolled her eyes.

“So the brat wasn’t lying?” Jason pushed.

Y/N didn’t answer.

Jason sighed, “Am I allowed to ask what the fight was about?”

“He won’t train me.”

Now that was not what Jason had been expecting.

Jason narrowed his eyes and stepped closer. “Sorry. What?”

Y/N scoffed. “I asked him to train me.” Then she brushed past Jason and started walking for the house once again.

But Jason quickly caught up to her. “Why didn’t you ask me?”

She had tried to avoid this. “Don’t make this about you, Jason.”

But Jason was insistent. “I’m serious. Why did you ask him and not me?”

Y/N stopped to face him again. “Because you’re more protective over me than he is. And I figured if he told me no, you would, too.”

Jason was left speechless – not by Y/N’s words, but her tone. She didn’t sound mad, just sad and disappointed. Somehow, it made Jason feel like he’d let her down in some way.

It had stunned him long enough for Y/N to continue her escape into the manor. But now before calling over her shoulder, “I’m going to take a shower and then I want to go home.”

Home. As in their home, not the manor.

Jason wondered if Bruce would eventually leave it to Y/N. Or if it would be Damian. It was sure giant enough for both of them to live in together. But Jason couldn’t really picture it right.

An hour later, Jason was driving the two of them back to the city and their apartment.

Bruce was nowhere to be found when they departed.

Y/N was freshly showered with slightly wet hair.

She silently looked out the window as Jason drove.

Jason was looking at the road, but his focus was his girlfriend. And he was hyper aware of her breathing, her tension, her posture, her frown, her slight squint.

He reached over and lightly gripped her thigh.

“I can teach you,” he said softly.

Y/N finally tore her eyes away from the window to look at him. And she was clearly confused by what he was talking about.

“W-What?” She managed to blurt out.

Jason smirked. “You want to learn self-defense, right?”

She nodded eagerly.

Jason grabbed her left hand and brought it to his lips to kiss. “Why did you think I wouldn’t?”

Y/N frowned and shrugged. “I don’t know,” she mumbled. “You should’ve seen Bruce when I asked. I’ve never seen him look so angry. It just – caught me off guard. It was so…strange.”

“It’s a good idea,” Jason tried to encourage. “But this doesn’t change anything.”

Y/N squinted in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I’m still always going to be there, whether you can handle yourself or not.”

She smiled and gripped Jason's cheeks, squeezing them as he looked ahead to drive. “There’s my overprotective boyfriend. Wasn’t sure he was still with us.”

—————

Y/N was in her office editing some photos when there was a knock in the doorway.

She turned around to smile at her boyfriend, but found that Jason was frowning and closing the door behind him.

“What’s wrong?” Y/N asked carefully.

Jason crossed his arms. “Bruce’s here.”

Her face dropped.

Jason stepped closer. “Want me to get rid of him? Kick his ass?”

Y/N gave a heavy sigh, but he could tell she was amused still. “Don’t even think about it…”

Slowly she got up from her desk and gave her boyfriend a quick kiss on the lips and patted his chest, showing that his protectiveness and offer hadn't gone unnoticed.

Jason followed Y/N to the living room a few steps behind, ready to step in and give Bruce a piece of his mind.

As soon as Y/N entered, Bruce turned from the window

“I’ll give you two some…privacy,” Jason mumbled, making his way to the door.

But not before he gave Bruce a warning look that said, ‘If I come back to this apartment with her crying, you’re fucking dead.’

Bruce heard it loud and clear.

Y/N seemed utterly impressed with her father’s presence.

“I’m guessing you came here to say something…” She was too exhausted to try and run this conversation, especially with Bruce of all people.

Bruce cleared his throat. “I came to apologize.”

She remained silent.

He continued, “I shouldn’t have responded the way I did.”

“Care to explain why you did then?”

Bruce knew he deserved how harsh she sounded. Because he had been harsh the other day, and Y/N hadn’t deserved that.

“I do not want…” Bruce cleared his throat. “No. I cannot have you training.”

“Really? ‘Cause it feels a little fuckin’ sexist to me,” Y/N countered. “All your sons – adoptive, biological, fostered – all of them got into the family business.”

“Exactly,” Bruce countered a little too insistently.

“Jesus Christ, Bruce! I wasn’t asking to be the next Robin! All I wanted…” but Y/N stopped herself before she could let it slip.

Bruce gave her a look, begging her to finish the thought.

Y/N took in a deep breath. “I wasn’t asking Batman to take me under his wing,” her words slow and careful. “I was asking my father to help me stop feeling powerless.”

That did it.

Now Bruce really felt like shit.

He lowered his head in shame. “I’m sorry for the way I reacted, Y/N.”

She just waited, feeling like he had more to say.

“It started the same way with Dick and Jason – and even Tim. Curiosity turned to self-defense. And then self-defense turned into combat training. Next thing I knew, they were begging to go on patrol with me.”

“Bruce, I’m an adult. My life is my own, and always was. I'm not on a path of vengeance. And I’ve never felt this pull to protect Gotham like all of you. Batman didn’t raise me; my mom did.”

Bruce knew everything Y/N said made sense. But that logic wasn’t loud enough to quiet his greatest fears when it came to his daughter.

“Y/N, you just became a part of my life,” his voice changed. “I can’t let anything happen to you.”

The sound of Bruce’s voice and the look on his face broke Y/N’s heart.

Without thinking, she wrapped him in a hug.

How could she stay mad at him?

“Nothing’s going to happen to me,” Y/N mumbled into her father’s shoulder as she held him tight.

But Bruce had seen how this city had ripped his family apart over and over again. And he wasn’t naive enough to believe it wouldn’t try to take his only daughter away from him, too.

“I just…I don’t want you all to think you’re the only thing that can save me,” Y/N told him as she pulled away from their hug. “I want to be able to save myself – as silly as that may sound to you.”

“You’re right,” Bruce answered – to Y/N’s surprise.

She gave him a shy nod. “So…are we OK?”

He gave her a smirk. “You tell me.”

Y/N laughed. “I think we are.”

Bruce looked relieved. “You know, Damian’s convinced you need to have a guard dog.”

Y/N groaned. “Oh, god. Here we fuckin’ go…”

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i love love love book reviews and comments and messages. ❤️

Father of Mine – Masterlist

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His Voice

Pairing: Dark!Paul Atreides x Reader

Summary: You thought you could escape him, how had he found you? And why now after all this time? He’d sworn to never use the voice  on you when he was still your Paul, but that obviously changed just as much as he did…

Warnings: Violence, Death

Word Count: 1539

You had no idea how you ended up running for your life. 

  You’d woken up and your entire village was in flames, smoke was painting the sky in a grey colour but the red and orange flames that encompassed your village evoked fear amongst you and your people.

 Dashing out of your tent, you immediately sought out the Chief of your village. Maneuvering your way through tents, you finally located the Chief’s tent; slightly larger than yours but still represented the equality that your tribe thrived on.

  You batted the tent flap out of the way and stormed into the spacious area, only to gasp and have your eyes widened. 

   The Chief was nailed to the wooden pole in the centre of the tent and it looked as though he’d been dead awhile. His eyes were staring lifelessly to the floor and he sagged almost comically in his place. 

  Slowly and cautiously, you approached his corpse and raised a shaky hand to grasp his cheek in a tender hold. You pressed your foreheads together and bid his spirit a safe journey to his next life, wherever that may be.

  You didn’t linger though, coming to the conclusion that whoever did this had a connection with the fire and was most likely still within the village.

  Grasping the knife you always kept tucked into your sleeve, you made your way out of the tent and ventured towards the camp’s centre. You were practically running but always checked around you in fear you’d see another dead body of one of your kin.

  But then you froze because a phrase left a bellowing voice you never wished to hear again.

   “Behold! Your Emperor, Paul Atreides and kneel to him.” Duncan Idaho, second hand man to Paul Atreides and his most loyal puppy. You detested the man after he killed your little sister years ago and swore that when you crossed paths with him again, you’d kill him with the very blade he’d gifted you.

  You couldn’t dwell on the past right now though, you needed to reach the crowd before people started dying, because you knew without a doubt that your tribe would never kneel to Paul.

  Paul, who used to be so kind and pure, is now corrupted with his need for power and universal domination. You’d both been so close once and now? He’s second on your to-kill list. A fact you deeply regret, but must exist for your kin’s protection and your own.

  Slowing as you neared the commotion, you crouched by a tent just before the clearance and scouted from behind.

  You saw a massive Ballista that had lowered itself onto the grassy floor of your planet and tried to spy how many enemies you’d have to somehow eliminate before the inevitable happens. 

  Your darting eyes stopped and settled on the lithe form of a young boy. Over the past few years, he’d definitely grown and he certainly suited this dark role he’d adopted.

  Though you’d never admit, your breath caught in your throat at the sight of him and an indescribable sense of longing consumed your very core, but you refrained from any brash movement you might have made had you not bit your tongue. 

  He stepped majestically onto the grass and seemed to study each one of your tribe as he spoke. “A certainly lovely planet you have here. It’d be a shame to let it go to waste.” He began walking slowly towards the crowd gathered and had a thoughtful look on his face.

  “And you know full well why this planet would become useful in the future, don’t you? The natural and raw energy cores deep within your mountains are truly a delightful source of money.” 

  In the distance, you began to shake with anger, sensing where this was going.

  “Which is exactly why I claim it as my own.”

  That caused an uproar amongst your people, they began shouting in anger, some in fear but mostly in caution. Someone decided to speak head on and you braced yourself should this turn violent.

  He went straight up to Paul, causing his guards to raise their weapons but Paul dismissed them with a wave of his hand, and glared at him with a ferocious scowl. “How dare you come here and demand such a thing? This is our land, not yours! We were here first, not. You.” He accentuated this by jabbing Paul with his finger, a grave mistake.

  Paul glanced down at the slightly shorter man and narrowed his eyebrows.

  “Kneel.” 

  The man fell to his knees in an instant and regarded Paul with a slightly dazed look. He smiled down at him and mockingly petted his head. 

  Then Paul addressed the mass group of people almost cowering before him and repeated his command, “Kneel”.

  They too, fell to their knees. You watched in silent horror and rapidly tried to think of a solution to the dire situation. How could this have gone wrong so quickly? 

  Remembering when Paul first became a monster, you distinctly remember hearing him say he’d never use the voice to get anything that he could take so easily. He said it was a waste of breath. He’d said that before demanding you accept his proposition to become his Empress. You declined resolutely and ran away before his brain could catch up with your denial.

  “Sleep.” 

  Another command, one you weren’t affected by but felt the power emanated within it.

  He was silent for a minute, gazing down at the floor before his attention turned towards your direction. You abruptly crouched behind the tent and prayed to whatever God was listening that he didn’t know you were there.

  Whatever hope you had died when he chuckled maliciously. “Oh, (Y/N)? Come on out, darling. There’s no point in hiding now.” Of course you didn’t move but found you had no choice when none other than Duncan Idaho grasped you in a crushing hold and all but hauled you over to Paul.

  You screamed and thrashed and tried to stab him with your little blade but he greatly surpassed your strength. “I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! Let me go, you bastard!” You yelled.

  You reached Paul quicker than you’d realised and immediately tried a different approach. For the past few years, you’d been practicing how to use the voice specifically for a moment like this. Glaring at him you opened your mouth and stated your command.

  “Let me go, Duncan.”

 He dropped you to the floor and his arms hung loosely by his side, before he knocked himself out of whatever daze he was in and went to pick you up again but was stopped by Paul.

  He had a proud look on his face that made you want to kill him all the more. “Been practicing I see. Any specific reason?”

  The bastard knew why you’d been practicing but decided to taunt you nevertheless. You conjured up what saliva was in your mouth and spat directly at his shoes, huffing indignantly. He huffed out a laugh and readjusted his posture to a more boyish and casual one.

  Raising an eyebrow, he questioned, “Now is that anyway to treat your husband, (Y/N)?”

“You are no husband of mine, you monster! Our marriage died the same day you did!” you said and prevented the tears that were gathering in your eyes from spilling, out right defying to show any more signs of weakness.

  He narrowed his eyes at you and one of them twitched.

  “Get up.” You shot up.

  “Stand here.” You stood next to him.

  “Kiss me.” Your lips connected in a ferocious kiss that would surely leave your lips bruised.

  It lasted a few seconds before he softened it and pulled back slightly. He raised his hand and stroked your cheek to gaze lovingly into your eyes. “There we go, haven’t you missed that?”

  You blinked rapidly and had a full body shudder before retreating swiftly a few metres. “Don’t ever take advantage of me like that again.”

  “Don’t aggravate me and I won’t have to, although I’ve noticed your resistance is stronger, little one.”

  Once again, you shook with rage and went for the knife in your sleeve only to slump to the ground and surrender to unconsciousness after he said, “Sleep, (Y/N).” 

  He shook his head fondly at you and knelt down to pick you up delicately. “Whatever will I do with you?” Then he turned to Duncan and signalled for him to burn the village and its people to the ground. Duncan saluted and immediately his soldiers went about lighting it up in flames.

  Paul walked up the ramp to the ship and sat down on one of the seats and set you up against his chest. He brushed a hair out of your face and bent down to kiss your forehead. He pressed his to yours and vowed, “You will never leave me again. When I’m done with you, you won’t want to.”

  Then the ship took off and they were heading back to his empire back home. He couldn’t wait to start reshaping you into his wife, empress and soldier. His to love, his to cherish, his… forever.

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Gangsta’s Paradise (Michael Gray x Reader)

WARNINGS: DUB-CON BORDERLINE NON-CON, blackmail, loss of virginity, (for the sake of this fic let’s pretend that Finn Cole is taller than what he is okay)

! DNI IF THIS OFFENDS YOU !

➥ divider by @firefly-graphics

summary: an agreement with the Peaky Blinders is almost a done deal…until you catch the eye of Michael Gray. You’re suddenly thrust into the equation, and your father must decide between losing everything or losing you.

Keep reading

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arranged.

Arranged. 

Mafia Boss!Chris Evans x Female Reader

Summary: Living in this life, you’ve never gotten to have much say in anything. What you wear, who you hang out with, and now, who you marry and you’re dreading your arranged marriage to the Italian mob boss, Chris Evans. Expecting to suffer through a life of abuse while being kept under lock and key, you’re pleasantly surprised when Chris is nothing like you expected. He’s the most feared man on the East Coast, only brought to his knees by one thing and one thing only. You.

This is the backstory to one of my recent fics, Followed. Check it out here! 

Part 1 - The Wedding (w/c = 5.9k)

Part 2 -  Mi Assecondi (12/10/2021)

Part 3 - Ferris Wheels and Cotton Candy (12/13/2021)

Part 4 - Come Home To Me (12/17/2021)

Part 5 - Amore Mio (12/20/2021)

(there will be more parts, they just haven’t been written/named yet)

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The Guard and the Princess

Masterlist

Chapter 1

Knight!Jason x Princess!fem!reader

WC: 4,200

Warnings: mutual pinning and feels, low spice(?)

Playlist

Synopsis:

The Princess of Noreska, the heir to one of the most powerful thrones in the world. Know for her beauty, elegance, and grace. Little do they know she is one of the most stubborn, unladylike, princess anyone has ever met. But, for some reason, her guard loves that about her, a grave mistake for the both of them. But what happens when she is going to debut into society and soon to be married? Especially when tension is already high with reports of anarchy to the crown.

=========

The guard’s footsteps echoed across the marble floor. The early morning light casting window pane shadows against the doors on his left. The smell of fresh eggs and fruits wafted through the air.

The guard did not care in the least, he knew what task lay before him. He dreaded it every morning, everyone in the castle heard the screams of incoherent words and words no princess should be saying.

What is this task?

Waking up the princess.

Jason sighed deeply as he stood outside of the large mahogany doors.

He began to mentally prepare himself for his task, still tired from the night before.

Every morning to get the princess up, was a battle, and not in the metaphor type.

Jason has seen war. He has had to fight on the front lines many times since he was twelve, much to the dismay of the princess.

But this? Waking up the princess? Was in a category all on its own.

Jason should not be the one to wake her up. It was against social etiquette for an unmarried man and woman to see the other in such a state of vulnerability.

It should be her maids who wake her up and get her ready, not her guard who wakes her.

The only reason why he had to do this was that the princess made so many maids quit. And the stories of why they quit would circle in the kingdom, the King and Queen did NOT need another scandal from the princess.

Jason put his hand on the hilt of his sword. He might need to use it, he’s had to use it before to wake up the princess.

Neither of them spoke about that incident.

When Jason was a “guard” and not a knight, he only wore leather protection around him. He found out very quickly that the princess will bolt at any moment and use his knight suit against him as it weighs him down too much to keep up.

Jason left his hand to come up to the door and knock. He knew she wouldn’t come to the door, but at this point, it was a tradition.

“Princess?” He said softly. He angled his head to the door, hoping to hear her say something, but knowing she wouldn’t.

With no reply, he closed his eyes and breathed deeply. His heart can’t keep taking her jump scares every morning. One day she will kill him with fright and give a speech at his funeral which would make Jason want to come alive again just to make her stop her nonsense, (which she would be laughing at).

Jason’s hand still on his sword opened the door slowly, listening intently to every movement. “Princess?”

He stepped lightly in, ready for an attack. The room was dark. The drapes are still over the windows, no surprise to Jason.

He stepped farther into the room and past the protection of the door. The light from the outside was the only way for him to see inside.

The princess had a large room, a rectangle in shape. Directly on the other side of the door were two large glass doors leading to a balcony overlooking the forest. To the left of the door by the wall, was her large canopy bed. Light pink drapes are held to the bedposts by golden ropes. Then, opposite to the bed were bookshelves, stuffed full of every author she ever loved. She would often have Jason read to her as they lay on the two couches by the fireplace that was in between the two wall-length bookshelves.

He looked at the bed, to see a jumble of bedsheets and what looks like someone was still sleeping. Jasons sighed in relief.

No attack, he thought.

“Ha!” Someone yelled behind him.

But, he was wrong.

Jason grabbed his sword as a bedsheet was thrown over him and two arms circled his waist and pushed him to the ground with the attacker still on top of him.

“You fall for that every time!” The princess laughed out as Jason played limp.

“Yes, because I keep thinking that you will pity me enough to stop this encounter every morning,” Jason said giving the princess a look from under the sheet.

“Well, I do have to keep you on your toes. Make sure that your skills as my guard are still in tip-top shape.” She laughed.

“Yes, I appreciate you testing my skills,” Jason said sarcastically.

“My pleasure,” Y/N said in her royal tone.

They both laugh.

“Can I get up now your highness?” Jason asked as the princess still sat on his chest.

“I don’t know, I think this is your punishment for not being a very good knight.” The Princess said as she pretended to weigh her options. Her finger on her chin, from what Jason could make out of from her silhouette.

“Being your guard is punishment enough,” Jason said with a smirk.

The princess gasped as he felt a pillow hit his face.

He laughed as she kept hitting him.

“That’s not funny!” The princess shouted, which only made him laugh more.

Jason then thought of an idea. His hands came from under the sheet and grabbed the princess’s hands and made her drop the pillow from surprise. Jason then sat up with the princess sliding down to his lap, his head coming up from the sheet. Finally able to see the princess clearly.

His heart stopped.

She was beautiful. Her hair was still unbrushed from sleep, her cheeks flushed from laughing, her eyes gleaming with mischief. Her plump lips holding a smile, one that always makes Jason’s knees weak.

She kept laughing as Jason still had a fun smile on his lips. After years of being hypnotized by her personality, wit, and beauty, he was used to hiding his internal turmoil.

He had to keep chanting in his head, I am her guard, nothing more. Never more.

“Oh yes, I should definitely tell Knight Wayne of this predicament,” Y/N said playing along.

“Jason, you’re no fun anymore.” She laughed as his grip loosened.

“Oh, am I not? Are you going to have to take it up with my superiors?” Jason suggested as his grip left hers completely and his hands were put behind him for support.

“Oh please, Bruce would have to do a double-take on that one,” Jason said as he rolled his eyes.

His adoptive father was the general of the Noriska army. He is world-renowned for his battle tactics and rigorous training of future knights. That was what he was known for, not humor.

Although, under all of that brain and seriousness Bruce had a heart. And that heart was what brought Jason to the princess.

Bruce found Jason when he was six and was trying to steal the gold trimmings off his horse. Surprised by the young kid’s audacity, Burce adopted the orphaned Jason, not more than a week later.

Bruce said that Jason had potential and was soon being trained to be the next Robin from Dick Grayson, the first Robin.

The students/sons of Bruce were called Robins because Dick said that’s what his mother used to call him as he was in the Romanian Circus. Bruce, not wanting to crush young Dick’s spirit, allowed the nickname, and because Bruce thought it was a fitting name for little knights learning how to “fly”.

Which was a very cute form of saying that they will soon be the best knights this country has seen.

Jason was only eight when he became the Princess’ guard.

Why so young? That was the princess’ doing.

She would evade every single guard she had, young, old, male, female, and even Dick Grayson. Or just insult them until they quit, like Dick.

Even the famous knight Bruce Wayne had trouble keeping up the eight-year-old princess.

The King and Queen were terrified for the young princess not having a guard. They were worried that she would get herself into trouble, kidnapped, or anything else that was equally terrible.

Bruce didn’t know what to do, that is until Jason accompanied him to the palace one day. Jason was eight, going on nine when he first met the royal family. He was mesmerized by everything he saw, he’s never seen such wealth before.

Bruce and Jason were in the throne room talking and introducing Jason to the royal family when the princess’ guard (of 6 hours) came in and quit, followed by a smiling princess who skipped up to her throne.

Jason fell for her instantly.

Her dress had mud stains, tears, and her hair was a mess. Leaves, flowers, and thorns stuck every which way, but it wasn’t her appearance that made young Jason head over heels, it was her eyes.

He had never seen someone with such vibrant eyes. Eyes filled with life, hope, mischief, and love. Where he grew up, everyone had eyes of pain and loss. At the Knight’s training ground, everyone had eyes of past horrors of war, arrogance, or power.

He had never seen such a beautiful soul.

She was in love too.

Jason tried to introduce himself to the young princess, but ended up saying a string of words, “Uh, hello, I’m princess- NO WAIT! I’m Knight-no-robin Wayne. NO! I’m Robin Todd.” Jason blabbered to the young girl.

She only laughed, she had never met someone so normal. Everyone she was around would bow and speak words of sureness and formalities.

As Bruce eyed the young children, he noticed how the princess wasn’t trying to escape from the room, and how she would sit still and smiled at the red-faced Jason.

He had never seen her so invested. She would try to escape every meeting or every time she would see Bruce, she would try to insult his honor.

Then, halfway through the meeting, he noticed how the children were no longer there. The palace looked for them for hours and never found them. Then, after dusk, the princess and Jason were seen walking side by side and laughing.

The next day, Jason was made her guard.

Now the young children were young adults. Jason was almost nineteen while the princess was still eighteen. They have known each other for almost over a decade, and still, their feelings never wavered but only deepened.

It was painful for them both.

“Your favorite was made today,” Jason said as he looked longing at her.

“Really, so early in the summer?” She asked surprised. Usually, her favorite breakfast was only made in the winter.

His mind entering dangerous territory. The territory of pretending to be normal. He would allow his mind to wander and pretend that he wasn’t her guard, but her prince.

Little did he know, she would pretend that she was no princess at all, but a simple peasant, finally able to love him.

“Apparently there is to be a special announcement made today,” Jason said as he moved so she would be more comfortable on his lap.

Then, he looked down at what she was wearing. He blushed.

“Princess!” Jason shouted as he closed his eyes and turned away.

She was still in her nightgown. Doesn’t matter how many times he’s seen her in it, or how she would say that she doesn’t care about social etiquette and that she trusts him. Seeing her so vulnerable like that, in such sheer clothing, he could not handle.

He never looked to where he shouldn’t, he was a gentleman after all, but seeing her collarbone was enough to send him into a coma.

“What?” Y/N asked pretending to be oblivious, both Jason and she knew differently.

“Princess,” Jason said threatening, his eyes still closed tight. He started to gently push her off, but she didn’t want this moment to end. She wanted to be as close as possible to him.

Oh, how she craves for his touch daily, how she craves to hear his voice, how she craves to be loved by him and only him. Oh, how she craves him.

With age, she’s been more open about her actions. How she traps him in her room morning and night, how she traps him in the library with her, forcing him to be with her.

She loves every moment with Jason. She loved how he made her laugh, how they talked about nonsense forever, how he makes her feel safe and normal.

She wishes she was normal every day of her life, and every day of her life, she’s gifted with Jason.

“Hm,” She hummed as she sat closer to him.

“Princess,” he said more sternly. Which only made her grin.

His calloused hands touched her bare arms. She shivered.

Jason never yelled at her or even raised his voice. He thought she had enough of that from the palace and their strict rules set upon her.

Rules he thought were nonsense. He thought that princesses should be able to live as freely as princes, but the world thought otherwise.

And he knew how cruel the world is.

“I know what you are doing.” He said lowly. She leaned forward towards him, out of instinct.

“Oh, do you?” She said as she place her hand on his chest. If Jason wasn’t wearing his leather armor, she would feel how his heart was racing.

“Yes, and you need to cut it out,” Jason said sternly.

His mind was dipping into dangerous territory, territory he should not be thinking of right now. Especially not now.

“Jason, like I said,” her hand slipped up to lightly trace the scar on his jaw, he gulped, “you are no fun.” She pouted and started to stand up.

Jason let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, but his eyes still lay closed.

“See you later,” Jason said quickly as he stumbled out of the room, feeling for the door, then slamming it behind him, leaving a laughing princess.

He leaned against the outside of the door with his eyes still shut. The image of her burning into his mind. His breathing was still quick with adrenaline.

He can’t keep doing this.

Pretending not to want her close, pretending to not want to touch her, he can’t.

“Woah, I haven’t seen you this red since you at the Jalapeño pepper.” Someone said.

Jason let out a yell and opened his eyes to see his older adoptive brother.

“Jesus Dick,” Jason said clutching his chest.

“Oh, I see, princess troubles...again,” Dick said with a knowing smirk.

Jason really hated him sometimes.

The guard stood up straight and put his hand back on his sword, a habit he now has.

“If you really must know, yes,” Jason said as he straightened himself out.

Dick let out a laugh. “You guys are so cute.”

Jason gave him a look. “Don’t say those things, someone would hear you and talk.” He warned. Although to contrast his statement, he loved hearing of someone thinking that the princess and he are perfect together.

It was the inner romantic of him to think that someone thought that they were made for each other.

Dick shrugged, “Eh, they already do.”

Jason’s mouth went to a straight line, two could play at this game, “So, you and Barabra huh?”

Dick flushed, “How did you hear about that!”

“People talk.” Jasons said, but really it was his younger brother Tim, the newest Robin, who snitched.

Barbara and Dick have known each other since they were young, her father, General Gorden, was the previous General before Bruce.

And Barabra always wanted to be a knight, and against social norms, she was training to be the first female knight. Y/N was one of her biggest supporters. Y/N was also the reason why Barbara was even able to train, no one goes against the royal say.

Barabra was always the one who challenged Dick with everything he did, which ultimately lead them to be soon-to-be lovers. (Jason and Y/N thought it was adorable and always teased them both). (Though, Jason does say she could do better than Dick.)

Suddenly, the door behind Jason opened, both knights looked behind them.

She was now properly dressed, though, with the look of anything but happy.

“Good morning Princess Y/N,” Dick said as he bowed.

Dick was always more for formalities than Jason. Besides, Y/N quickly put a stop to Jason referring to her as his superior in any way shape, or form.

“Good morning.” She said back with a smile.

Jason moved to the side as she passed him to move toward Dick. Jason moved to where he was stationed behind her, his arms locked to his sides, his military-style stance.

(Which the princess loved to break.)

“I heard a little birdy tell me that there is a very special announcement to be made at breakfast,” Dick said as he raised back to his height.

“Could you please share what this information is?” She asked with a smile.

Dick pretended to ponder his options, “No, it’s best to be a surprise. I think you will very much like it.” Dick said with a wink.

Dick was known for his flirtatious tendencies, and Y/N didn’t mind it. She thought it was humorous, and she liked seeing Jason squirm with jealously.

This piqued her interest.

“I have to go now princess, but,” he kissed her hand, “enjoy your morning.” He leaned back to his height and then walked down the hall to his knightly duties.

“Do you know what the announcement is?” Y/N asked as they began walking to breakfast.

“I don’t, but I know it has to do with your status,” Jason said as he kept one step behind her.

“Walk with me.” She said sternly slowing down. She hated when Jason would do that, lower himself from her, following status etiquette.

She hated all of these rules. She hated how they divided people, how people couldn’t even look at one another because of status.

“I can’t,” Jason said slowing down as well. He had to keep that mindset of being below her, if he actually did follow through with her orders, he would die trying to lower himself back down. He wouldn’t be able to live without her.

Which is the same reason why the princess kept trying to get Jason up to her level.

Even though Y/N was not ladylike, or take all of her princess duties as seriously as she should, she did want to be Queen. Not for the power, the titles, the parties, no, but for the possibilities.

Y/N wanted to rewrite every law, she wanted to change social norms, she wanted to change her kingdom, for the better.

That was one of the many reasons why Jason loved her so much.

She was a world changer, and he couldn’t be more proud to know such a powerful woman. And for her to treat him as an equal, by such a woman, made him feel things so deep and powerful, he didn’t know how to describe them, other than love.

They walked down the lavish marble steps and towards the dining room. The warm smells of breakfast getting stronger and the soft whispers of talking lay hidden behind the doors.

Jason was used to the slowing of the princess’ steps as she edged closer to her family. He knew of the arguments that left her crying herself to sleep for the countless nights, he was there for every argument that left her fuming for hours. Jason saw it all, and all of it made his heart ache.

Y/N never saw eye to eye with her family. Her family was raised on tradition and followed every rule there was, and they tried to have their daughter follow the same path, which did not work. Y/N was never one to submit, especially from “peer pressure from the dead” (as she liked to call tradition).

Again, another reason why Jason was so entranced by her.

Y/N stood in front of the door, battling her inner demons. She lay her hand on the doorknob, almost pushing forward, she stopped.

Her hand trembled.

The reason why she trembled so much was because she was terrified of the announcement. It was never good when her parents had an announcement, especially if it involved her status. It always meant her being suffocated and slowly dying from the inside. Her duties choking the life out of her.

Jason leaned forward and placed his hand on hers. His warmth from his chest pressed against her back and his hand covered hers completely.

Silent messages are shared between them.

“I’m here.”

She took a deep breath in and pushed forward. Jason shrunk behind her, making sure no one in the room knew of their close contact.

A guard should never be that close to their princess.

The room was large as it held four wall-length windows that overlooked the miles of forests and kingdom. Deep blue jacquard curtains held back by silver ropes for the sun to shine into the room. The white glossy floor led up to a roaring fireplace with a large antique clock on the mantle. The clock being in the royal family for generations.

The long table in the middle of the room holding her parents at both heads, between them, a buffet of foods. On the other middle side of the table, sat Y/N’s younger sister.

Y/N always said that her parents had another child because they were worried that Y/N would not take her duties seriously enough to take on the country. They had a backup child.

Little did they know, that Jason and Y/N would spend hours in the library, making sure every single decision she did would be the best for her country.

Those were the duties she took seriously, the ones that affected her country.

The King and Queen look up at the new arrivals, Jason walked past the princess and as he passed, he brushed his knuckles against hers.

Jason had spent so much time with her and going over laws that he was unknowingly more informed than Bruce in the laws of Noriska. He had so much knowledge that he could pass as a prince in school.

But, neither of them knew that.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

He put his forearm across his chest with his hand fisted as he bowed. “My King, my Queen,” Jason spoke in a respectful and forceful tone. Showing confidence, something he learned quickly in this kingdom.

“Knight Jason, good morning.” The Queen greeted as she sipped from her cup, the King nodding in respect.

Jason stood, “Good morning.” He spoke and then stood by the other guards, next to Tim.

After Bruce learned of how well Y/N and Jason clicked, he did the same tactic with Y/N’s younger sibling. Tim and the younger heir bonded quickly, almost as close as when Y/N and Jason were younger, the only difference was that they were not unknowingly in love with one another.

Tim bowed his head to his older brother, Jason mirrored.

“Mother, father, S/N,” Y/N said as she greeted the room.

“Good morning Y/N, slept in I see.” Her father said as he looked at the clock. Judgment oozed from his tone.

The reason why the princess slept in this morning was that she and Jason were having a late-night conversation. One they would have often.

They spoke of the kingdom and of helping the poverty-stricken community, the one Jason was a part of as a child.

“Yes, I was gossiping.” She said in a sarcastic tone.

“Mind your father.” Her mother said bitterly.

She huffed.

Her father put up his hand to his wife. “Have a seat, we need to speak with you.” He said as he pointed the conversation back to safer waters.

The princess went up to her seat across from her younger sister.

Her younger sister always looked up to Y/N, much to her parents’ dismay. Her sister always looked up to her because of Y/N’s strength. How she was always carving her own path and how she was always staying true to herself. Something the younger princess wishes she could do, but even she knew that she needed to be the backup queen.

“What do you need to discuss with me?” Y/N asked as she started to pick at the food in front of her. Unknown to her, the guards of the Queen and King took a sharp intake, they knew that the princess will not take the news well.

Jason and Tim both stole a glance at the veteran soldiers, both now uneasy.

“We think you will like this news very much, darling.” The Queen said with a smile.

“Yes, it is a momentous occasion.” Her father added excitedly.

Their excitement makes Y/N’s stomach sink slowly down.

“Yes, since you are now of age, there has been much talk about you in other countries.” Her mother began.

Panic overtook the eldest princess as her fork clattered to her plate.

“What?” The princess asked.

“What your mother is trying to say is, that the prince of Jacobs has asked for your hand in marriage.”

Author’s note: I hope everyone liked chapter 1. I really wanted to move a little faster, but we needed drama and feels. But, yeah, I hope you liked it and I really wanted to focus the romance on really emotional stuff, so I hoped you all picked up on it. Plus, I’m a sucker for touch-starved characters :)

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