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Royal Flush

It was harder to cheat at poker than dice but mainly because she had no sleeves to keep cards hidden up. No wonder Spike had insisted on cards. Still, Faye had spent a good portion of time learning how to bluff and how to read her opponent, so she was fairly confident in her ability to beat Spike.

He had a tell, after all, and that was all she needed.

Then again, Spike was far too clever for his own good. She didn't put it past him to be feigning a tell just to get her to lower her guard in false confidence.

They'd been playing for hours already while the ship floated dead in space. It wasn't the first time nor would it be the last time that they ran out of fuel and had to drift along until they reached a starbase or a planetary outpost. This time they at least had a pantry full of food. Ramen cups, but food nonetheless.

Jet had folded in a previous round and subsequently bailed entirely. Ed had been cast out of the game for repeatedly trying to play according to different rules. Ein hadn't been included in the first place even though Ed had insisted on his skills. Now it was down to just Spike and Faye.

They were playing heads up poker which was a more fast paced and aggressive form of the game. Naturally this suited both Spike and Faye just fine. They'd decided to play for cigarettes originally since it was the one commodity both had in spades. Shortly after Ed passed out, Spike had suggested strip poker but Faye had shot that down since she had so much less to lose.

Though his casual suggestion had certainly put some wild ideas in Faye's head. Which was probably all part of his plot to throw her off. He seemed too chill about her initial outraged reaction and hadn't even bothered to push for it. Instead he'd acquiesced to her rebuttle of loser washing the winner's zip craft.

He had his chin resting in his left hand and a smirk on his face as he fanned his cards lazily. He looked like the cat who got the cream. There was nothing left to do but lay down her own cards but Spike's expression and posture didn't faze her in the least. She knew hers was a winning hand. And she hadn't even needed to cheat!

"Four of a kind, read 'em and weep!" Faye called out, laying her hand down.

"Mm, such a shame." Spike mused, putting his own cards face down on the table.

Glee spread across Faye's face as she greedily gathered up the loose smokes on the coffee table.

"Shame indeed! My craft got covered in bird crap on that last mission," She told him without a hint of compassion.

"No no no, Faye... A shame for you!" Spike reached out and slowly flipped each of his cards over to reveal... "Royal Flush."

"What!" Faye squawked. "But you didn't even slow blink!"

He snorted. "You thought I had a tell? Aww, poor Faye-Faye!" A grin stretched across his face. "Gotta say I'm looking forward to our next dock. Seeing you in a swim suit getting suds all over my... cockpit..."

Faye's cheeks burned red. "Why you dirty-"

"Well, it's my ship that's dirty but..."

"Ugh. I'm done playing." Faye grumped. She let the cigarettes spill back onto the coffee table and then snatched one up as an afterthought. "I'm bumming one of these."

Spike blinked at her slowly. "I'll spot you another... If you need one after a round in my quarters."

"Ohh you think I'm gonna play you again?" Faye purred at him. "I got news for you, buddy. I don't play games in bed." She stood up then and stuck a hand down to take his and yank him to his feet. "But I'm ready for a reeeeeal good workout. If you think you can make me sweat..."

Sunrise

"Nothing good comes from Earth."

Jet had said that, but Spike had generally held that to be true.

Except...

Well, except now there were exceptions to that rule.

He stood barefoot on the flight deck in the sleepy early hours of the day, going through the motions of his Jeet Kun Do workout as the sun broached the watery horizon and began to rise up into the sky. The incredibly blue sky. The sun had heralded its own arrival with a gradual lightening that had been rather lovely, if he did say so himself.

While the section of the planet they'd descended on had been cocooned in the last vestige of nighttime when he'd first awoken, something had called to him outside. How often did his morning coincide with the actual morning of a moon or planet, after all?

Not often enough to take away the splendor to be observed when the sun made its triumphant return after the world had been bathed for hours in darkness. What was it about a sunrise that evoked so much promise and hinted at so much potential? It's not like any particular day was ever all that different from the rest. Yet the energy he felt suffusing his body was undeniable as he watched the gold streaks settle into a honeyed yellow, brightening the blue of the sky from something so dark as to be considered black and into shades of azure and cerulean.

Earth was beautiful. Even the debris of the moon plummeting down, blazing through the atmosphere like shooting stars, merely magnified the brilliance of the dawn breaking - how could something so mundane be miraculous at the same time?! - into something breathtaking.

The stillness of the ship, floating tranquilly in the ruined remnant of some former city, was mostly welcome. He was feeling introspective and catching the sunrise made his quiet contemplation seem even more appropriate.

They weren't supposed to be here, but he'd long ago learned to roll with the punches and take life as it came.

Jet had programmed their course last night - a course that should have brought them to Mars - so it obviously hadn't been Jet to change their destination. Ein, intelligent as he was, was still asleep on the couch in the living room - or had been when Spike ventured outside - so the dog wasn't likely to be the culprit either.

No, this was clearly the work of the exceptions to the general rule of Earth. And not just one of the exceptions but both. The unusual stillness of the ship was due to the current absence of both women.

Had it been at Faye's behest or was it something Ed decided on as a lark?

Spike suspected Faye.

She'd been withdrawn and melancholy since he rescued her from the abandoned building so cluttered with dead technology. At first she'd seemed fine... She was able to stand on her own and together they'd retrieved both their zip craft and headed back home. She hadn't spoken much but she also hadn't seemed too caught up in her own head. Back on the ship, she'd lingered in the living room with Ein cuddled up beside her on the couch and Ed jabbering away about the adventure she and Jet had gone on. Dinner had been a boisterous affair with Ed regaling everyone with a reenactment of their successful attempt at "breaking into" the hospice.

Later, Faye had approached him as everyone was withdrawing to bed. Like a child hesitant to make a request they worried would be denied, she'd stood near the couch where he laid, tugging at a loose string on the cuff of a sweatshirt Spike hadn't seen her in before. Eventually it had been up to him to break the silence to ask what she wanted. Well, he'd said "need something, Faye?" and had gotten a nod in response. And then, after another minute of unnatural timidity...

"Can I... sleep out here with you?" Her voice had been barely above a whisper. Her entire stance radiated the bashful embarrassment of the girl in the home video. She hastened to continue speaking when his brow had furrowed in confusion at her request. "Just sleep! Just for tonight! I ...I just need to feel something real. Someone real. I can't stand the thought of being alone right now."

He had wondered what she had seen while in that unconscious state, but he hadn't asked. No point in making her recollect something that had made her uneasy enough to risk ridicule by asking something of him like this.

So he'd reached out to take her hand, stopping her from unraveling the whole damn sweatshirt, and had wordlessly pulled her down to lay alongside him.

She offered no thanks, lying there with her backside pressed against his front. She merely gripped his arm to her stomach and let out a heavy breath. She was asleep before it could be awkward.

He didn't sleep a wink that night.

It had been years since he had another person so close at hand. Years since someone trusted being in his arms while in the utterly vulnerable state of sleep. Had Julia ever slept in his embrace? Their time in bed was usually taken up by other activities and afterwards he often had to leave for Syndicate jobs. A rare instance or two had him waking in her bed only to discover she was already up and moving around in her daily routine. Sure, they'd lain together quietly a time or two, clutching each other while dark thoughts troubled their minds...

This was decidedly different.

Despite her prickly nature and tough attitude, Faye had felt... delicate in his arms. Her hair was soft against his chin whereas Julia's had been glossy. With Julia there had often been a reserve to her even in post-coital bliss. With Faye the reservation tended to exist only in some - not many - of her waking hours, otherwise she had no qualms about shoving into someone else's personal space. Her body had relaxed against his in slumber as soon as she had properly settled down next to him on the couch. Considering how often they fought over that particular piece of furniture, they actually fit quite well sharing it. And, despite his lack of slumber, it had been a surprisingly restful night with her breathing peacefully against him.

In the morning, as she began to stir, he closed his eyes and pretended he was sleeping. He still wasn't sure why. Normally he had no aversion to stepping into potentially tricky situations, but for some reason he'd chosen to let this incident slip by both of them without comment. He had listened, arms still loosely around her, as she drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. With the utmost of care, she navigated freeing her body from the gentle confines of his own arms and legs, and then she'd paused for a bit. Sitting on the edge of the couch, she'd twisted to lay a hand against his cheek for a heartbeat before climbing to her feet in a rush as if expecting him to spring awake and catch her in the tender act.

Things went back to normal between them afterwards and he wasn't sure how he felt about it. Prior to Callisto, they had a camaraderie between them that bordered on flirtation. She hadn't known his heart was taken but neither of them were too persistent about the casual touches or underlying affection that was growing between them. He'd done something before Callisto to upset her, though he wasn't entirely sure what. She'd run off, taking his best winter jacket and clearly antagonizing him to follow, but then Ed had uncovered that transmission with Julia's name and... well, he had come undone in the worst way.

Chasing after the barest tease of a chance that Julia was indeed on the frozen moon, he'd left Jet and the Bebop on poor terms. He'd spared no thought at all to Faye except to throw her fate to the wind or to Jet to handle. And for what? To face off with Vicious and have the truth mashed in his face like a dog being forced to acknowledge their own shit pile on an expensive rug. It had been infuriating to be shot by a lackey when he wanted so badly to duke it out with his former brother. To finish what they'd begun in the cathedral. And for a moment after Lin had fired on him, he'd felt relief that it was all over even if it meant he was dead.

But no.

He'd been haunted by memories as the sedative gradually relinquished its hold on him. Memories of Vicious, warning him of Julia, when the other man had discovered that Spike had begun to see her. Memories of Julia, warning him that all women are liars - though he'd shrugged it off as her speaking tongue-in-cheek. Perhaps being coy or mischievous. Not once did he consider she was telling him something about herself that was true. He'd given her secrets about himself... told her that his damaged eye saw the past but that his good eye saw only her, sharing the present with him and making him a better man. He'd dreamt of escaping with her, living a happy wholesome life far from syndicate reach. He'd wanted her for himself and for neither of them to be caught in the brutal grind that they'd existed in for so many years already.

She'd never agreed to leave with him. Had never admitted to desiring to leave aside from concurring with him that their time together felt like a dream. He'd foolishly assumed that she would want to actualize that dream - to grasp it with both hands and never let go. And then she'd let him walk into his plans of self-destruction. She herself had disappeared - he knew because he'd made several attempts to track her down after killing himself off. And Vicious had apparently known of it all. Her time on Jupiter. Her intent to take off on her own - or perhaps she merely went deeper into the Red Dragon world, sinking into the mire of blood and power, a name no longer spoken. What had been her truth? What had she done when he waltzed off to a future alone?

Having it all brought back to the forefront after that confrontation - if you could call it that - with Vicious had made him re-evaluate everything. The love he thought they'd shared. The unspoken hope he'd long held about finding her once again and finding happily ever after with her at last. The way he'd been played and abandoned, as if he was a toy she had simply grown out of enjoying.

It had broken his heart anew.

And because he hadn't gone after Faye, things between them changed too.

For weeks he'd been irritable and hyper focused on bounties. He'd been grieving again, though he hadn't considered it such until recently. And he hadn't even noticed Faye had pulled back. Then, just when he was starting to feel like himself again, a piece of her own past had reared its ugly head. He was surprised to learn that some of the things she'd hinted at - or outright told to the dog - were true. Things that seemed impossible. But it was real, her whole sorry story, and he worried how it would all play out. He'd feigned interest in the bounty status of Matsumoto to take off after her, hoping to help ground her in some way. Jet had been worried that Faye would let the man go, choosing her former flame over the money to be made turning him in. Spike had suspected that she had an ulterior motive in mind, even though he bet Jet that Faye was, in fact, letting Matsumoto go. 

He chased after her, each of them avoiding any serious shots on one another because destruction wasn't either of their goals, and he overheard the entire explanation of Faye's girl-interrupted existence. Then, he followed after when she went to turn Matsumoto in.

At the time he hadn't been sure what she would do. After being shamed by that doctor, after learning everything her former love had told her was a lie or manipulation, after realizing there were no answers to be found for the questions that tormented her about herself... well, a person might choose a course of action based on despair. He'd stood on the steps and teased her at first and then offered what little solace he could think of. It was a lesson he'd finally taken to heart himself. Fuck the past, embrace the future.

And life had continued on as before, except they were still more distant than they had been initially. She was more reticent, which was frustrating because that had been his attitude before he'd decided to change, whereas she used to be upfront about her thoughts and coquettish with him in particular.

But they'd never actually acknowledged the attraction between them and now that Spike finally felt like he might be able to pursue something with her - freed as he was of the shackles of the past love he'd held so firm - it seemed like she had decided against it, whatever it could have been.

He couldn't regret not going after her on Callisto - he didn't do regrets - but he did wonder why it had cowed her so completely. And, open as he was now to the idea of something with her, it was against his nature to press if she wasn't interested anymore. They had to share a living space, after all.

He'd had a moment of hope that the fire had been rekindled - when she came after him on his suicidal mission to take down Mad Pierrot. He'd intentionally flirted with her on the ship, feeling like things were more like they'd been before Callisto. Maybe it had been seeing him so wrapped up in bandages again, taking her mentally back to his period of recovery after the cathedral. Maybe it had been knowing how close he'd come to dying again that had shaken her up enough to realize her affection for him was still intact. Whatever it was, he was curious to see how things might play out afterwards...

Things had been more playful between them while on Mars, with Jet taking on that wild mission to help a girl find her father. And then they'd been drawing in bounties left and right for a few weeks, too busy for either of them to consider acting on whatever feelings they might have or addressing the various moments of oddness that had occurred between them over the previous months.

He hadn't understood how much she was still tormented by her lack of memories. Hadn't known that she was bothered to the point of making reckless attempts at figuring herself out.

Now, he figured the bounty on Londes was only half the reason she'd gone haring off after the "man."

After the nightmare that had been - perhaps quite literally for her - she had grown even more standoffish than before. Well, aside from the night she'd spent with him on the couch.

Caring for Faye was like operating a yo-yo. Sometimes she was up, sometimes she was down - you might get skilled at pulling her back but she'd always try to pull away again despite the string of connection.

But he was reasonably sure that her feverish pursuit of answers was what led them to be on Earth now.

He'd had months to settle the score with his own inner demons and find a place of balance between who he was and what had driven him before and who he is now and what he wanted the future to be. And, painful as his past was... he knew it fully and could face it.

She was still trying to see. She was still struggling to come to terms with her reality, especially now in the wake of that videotape.

Spike stood on the flight deck of the Bebop now, brushing his teeth after his workout in the open air, and let his mind wander as it pleased. The only thing he knew for sure was that he intended to give her the time and space she needed to deal with her own shit. She'd come to seek solace in his company after the Londes incident so he trusted that she knew she could come to him again if she needed. In the meantime, he'd just have to be patient and to let her sort herself out.

On the bright side, she had Ed to help.

It was reassuring to know the women could rely on each other. Really, they didn't need the help of any man.

Feeling comforted by the knowledge that they were somewhere out there teamed up in search of answers, he spat toothpaste into the sparkling waters of the ocean - reflecting the glory of the newly risen sun - and heard the stomping approach of Jet.

Well, time to break the news of their location to his partner.

At least the day was looking like it'd be a nice one - the sky clear and blue, clouds drifting here and there but with no hint of rain. The sun had risen on a day full of promise and potential... Who knew where it would take them?

I LOVE Mariana Zapata. Her stories are well thought out, her characters are compelling, and the banter between MCs is always *chefs kiss*

If you see this you’re legally obligated to reblog and tag with the book you’re currently reading

Just sharing one of my favorite ongoing series’s.

I cannot believe that Should The Sky Fall was Amithia Raines first published book, it was aaaaammmaaaaazzzing. Rip your heart out and stitch it back together amazing, while book two is like a warm hug ❤️

There are supernatural elements in these books those it’s a bigger part of the plot in book 1.

TW for book one: sexual assault chap 2, domestic violence, emotional manipulation, alcohol addiction.

𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 | 𝐙𝐮𝐤𝐨 𝐱 𝐟!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟷 ~ 𝙻𝚊𝚔𝚎

𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜: 𝚗𝚘𝚗𝚎

𝚂𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚢: 𝑌𝑜𝑢 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐹𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑤ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑠， 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑖𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑃𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑍𝑢𝑘𝑜， ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐹𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢，𝑟𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑒．．．

𝙰/𝙽: 𝚃𝙷𝙸𝚂 𝙸𝚂 𝙽𝙾𝚃 𝙼𝚈 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙺!!! 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚏𝚒𝚌 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚗 𝚠𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚙𝚊𝚍 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚉𝚞𝚔𝚘𝚜𝚆𝚒𝚏𝚎𝟽𝟽𝟽. 𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗’𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚝𝚞𝚖𝚋𝚕𝚛 𝚊𝚌𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝 𝚜𝚘 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚜𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚙𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝚒𝚝 𝚘𝚗 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚎.

𝚃𝚘𝚝𝚊𝚕 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜: 𝟷𝟼𝟾𝟺

𝙽𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛

Narrators' P.o.v:

Your feet slam against the cold stone pathway as Aurora drags you by my arm down to the river. It's about 6 in the morning and she decided to drag you down to the river for an early morning swim. Not that you're complaining though. You've always had sort of a connection with water you guess? The way it flows around you, the refreshing feeling of fresh water on your fingertips, the way it moves when you practice bending.

You snap out of your thoughts when you feel the ground under you change textures, switching to the cold sand you know from the lake. Aurora lets go of your hand once you get to the beach, tossing her towel on the dock that extends a couple of yards out into the water. She runs full force off the deck, tucking her legs to her torso with one hand and squeezing her nose shut with the other.

"CANNONBALL!" she yells as she jumps off the dock. A small grin spreads across her face as she emerges from the water, hair soaking wet. She shakes like a dog before turning to you and giving you a grin.

You set your towel down on the dock and walk to the edge, sitting down and swinging your legs over the dock plunging them into the cold water. It feels fresh on your skin like a cold breeze on a hot summer's day.

"Y/n get in the water already!" Aurora whines.

You swing your legs back and forth, testing the water before lifting yourself off the dock and sinking into the water. You dunk your head under the water letting it soak into your hair, emerging from the water, you run your hands over your face pushing your hair out of the way.

As you have your eyes shut to avoid getting water in them, you feel the cold water splash onto my back. You turn around slowly your jaw dropped. "What the hell Aurora?!" you yell, "You were already wet anyway!" she yells back defensively, her hands raised above her head, surrendering. You splash her back aggressively but not enough to hurt her and she covers her face but ends up getting water in her eyes anyway as you continue to splash her. « Stop itttt! » she screams, but you don't stop.

You use your water bending to pick up a ball of water, bringing it over to her and letting it go.

"Aahh! Y/n! Why would you do that?!" she yells, wringing out her hair.

"You deserved it." you shrug a small grin spreading across your face. You swim back over to the dock and climb up onto it while Aurora is still in the water.

You watch her for a couple of minutes in silence before she turns to you to say something "Do you want to go into the town today? For like a girl's day?" she asks while doggy paddling over to you.

"Yeah sure, any specific reason why?" you ask, tilting your head to the side slightly.

"No not really," she climbs over the edge of the dock and walks to the shore, she picks up her towel and wraps it around herself. "Is it illegal to want to spend time with my sister?" She asks sarcastically, raising one eyebrow.

"I mean no but I don't recall a time you didn't have other reasons to hang out with me," you stand up from the edge of the dock and turn around to face her, crossing your arms.

She rolls her eyes and turns away from you starting up the beach and to the house. You run up to catch up with her and you get to the house shortly. Once you get to the house you open the door to a heavenly aroma coming from the kitchen. You walk into the kitchen and take in a big whiff of, pancakes? You're not sure.

"That smells really good Mom," You say leaning against the doorway. "Thank you, sweetie, it's chocolate chip pancakes." She says as she flips a pancake. "Do you want any?" She turns around to face you. "No I'm good," Yourespond shaking your head. "I need to go take a shower. But I'll have some after." you walk to your room and into the bathroom connected to it.

After you take a shower you wrap yourself in a towel and pick out an outfit from your dresser.

The outfit:

(You can choose a different one if you don't like it this is just a suggestion btw)

You walk into the dining room again where your sister is sitting at the table reading the newspaper. She looks up at you and a mischievous grin spreads across her face.You raise one eyebrow at this.

"What?" you ask as you slide onto the bench against the wall at the dining room table. She turns around the paper and doesn't give you time to read it before talking excitedly, "The prince is choosing his wife today Y/n!" she blurts out wiggling her eyebrows in your direction, "you need to get over it already, it was just a childhood crush. Nothing more, and anyway I don't have an ounce of attraction to him now. I mean with all the horrible things he's done, he doesn't even interact with his people! If I were a princess I would actually connect to my people..." you mutter that last part.

"I know, I know," she says as she waves her hand dismissively, "but you have a chance to be princess technically, I mean with the whole having to choose his wife today thing." she stabs a piece of pancake with her fork and shovels it into her mouth. "He has been very picky about his spouse, he even rejected Luna of the water tribe. LUNA! She's gorgeous." she shovels another piece of pancake into her mouth and you grimace.

Mom slides a plate to you full of steaming hot pancakes and you give her an appreciative smile. "Yeah. You wonder why he has? Cause he's stuck up. I mean he's been waited on by servants his entire life, he's probably a whiny man baby that can't do anything for himself." you stab a piece of pancake with your fork and shove it into your mouth.

"He would be a dreamy man baby either way," she plops her head into her hands "I mean have you SEEN him after he got rid of that god-awful ponytail?"

You shake your head disapprovingly, "First of all don't call him dreamy you should stick to liking boys your age, and second of all I have but it doesn't make it any less of a horrible person and worse ruler." you take a sip of my water. "Personality is a huge part of the attraction as well as looks."

She sighs and rolls her eyes at your statement. "What if he's not a horrible person? How do you even know he is anyway? It's not like you've actually met him before."

"He hasn't exactly proven himself to be a good person, he's made horrible decisions for the safety of his people just for more power."

Obviously.

"What if that was his dad or someone else? You don't know if it was him," she says furrowing her eyebrows.

"Y'know what fine, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. But the moment he does something that would prove my point I'm going right back to hating him." you finish the rest of your pancakes and bring my plate over to the dishwasher placing it in with the other plates. Aurora follows shortly after you, putting her plate in the sink, "I wonder who he's going to choose though." She leans against the counter and faces you. "Just think it could be anyone in this town, at least the girls his age. It could be you!" She throws her arms up in the air dramatically while saying this.

"I'd rather not it be me," you say my voice laced with repulse. "I mean to be quite frank marrying a man I just met is nauseating. The lifestyle wouldn't be half bad though, the dresses, the money, the palace, seems pretty great."

She scoffs at your statement, "Who cares if you don't know anything about him? You probably wouldn't even have to interact with him half the time. He would be bust with all his lordly duties or whatever. You would basically just be a trophy wife, something to boost his image."

"I'd rather not be treated like an object, knowing there's so much wrong with the nation and not being able to do a single thing about it would quite literally put me in a mental institution." you turn away from her, heading back over to the table and sitting down again. "How soon do you want to go into the town?" you ask.

"In like 5 minutes," she lowers herself onto the chair next to you while saying this. "Are you going to drive us or do we have to walk?" She asks, obviously hoping it's the former.

You try to resist a smile fighting itself onto your face at her obvious favor to driving, "Don't worry I'll drive us there." you say slightly shaking your head.

"Great!" She responds shooting up from her chair and making her way to where we keep our shoes. You make your way over there as well, grabbing a pair of navy Converse and cramming your feet into them (Converse are actual hell to put on). You quickly put your hair up with a claw clip and tie your shoes just as Aurora finishes putting hers on.

You walk out the door and you close it behind you, walking to the car where Aurora is already sitting in the passenger seat. "Ready?" you ask as you get into the driver's seat. You buckle your seatbelt and turn to her as she nods. "Ok," you respond and press your foot to the gas pedal.

~~~~~~~~~~~♕♔~~~~~~~~~~~

𝙽𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜:

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𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 | 𝐙𝐮𝐤𝐨 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟸 ~ 𝚃𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜: 𝙽𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝙰/𝙽: 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔 𝚖𝚢 𝚜𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛’𝚜 𝚘𝚗 𝚠𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚙𝚊𝚍. Word count: 1295 𝙿𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 | 𝙽𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙�…

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𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 | 𝐙𝐮𝐤𝐨 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦! 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟹 - 𝙲𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚗? Warnings: none, A/N: this is not my work, my it’s my sister’s from Wattpad Narrator's P.O.V: Oh god... You tu

This might be a bit annoying y'all but just a reminder its on ao3, :D

Ik it's unfinished but comments and Kudos motivate me to keep going y'all.

Basically Flint Hatcherfield moves to Paris and buys the burnt remains of the Opera Garnier with plans to renovate. To leave behind a dark past is never easy. But when a certain heartbroken opera ghost gets disturbed that makes everything harder! Will romance perhaps blossom or are they both too messy for that to happen?

I promise I won't make many posts about this!

— slow burn for friends to lovers˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

aaaa slow burn man, enjoy LOL

delicate hugs, but they linger longer the more both of you do it

"why are you staring? is there something on my face?"

gently pushing their hair behind their ear to see their face better

handholding where your hands are intertwined tightly with theirs

late night calls where one of you accidentally falls asleep

them reading you like an open book, especially knowing when you're going through difficult times

"i can't imagine who i'd be without you in my life"

wanting more physical affection yet you don't want to overstep

yearning to constantly be in their presence

platonic sleepovers that somehow ends up with you waking up with their arms around you

buying matching jewelry, but it doesn't mean anything right?

getting extremely worried when they get physically hurt

memorizing their coffee/tea order so you can buy it for them every morning

"you're so oblivious aren't you"

accidentally staring a bit too long at their lips

watching your favorite movies together

singing your favorite love song to them as if you are truly dedicating the song to them

"you drew stars around my scars" (cardigan by taylor swift)

feeling like your complete self when you're with them

sharing each other's clothes (especially hoodies)

hearing rumors that they have a crush and desperately hoping that it is you who they are crushing on

the urge to confess to them whenever you see them, yet you fear losing them

"what are we to each other?"

Planning on writing a Slowburn fanfic, but i wanna make 1st Person POV & 3rd Person POV. Yet I also want to gain readers but I know some people don’t prefer the other

Rewatched one of the Tom and Jerry movies called Tom and Jerry: The Lost Dragon, and it just seemed funny that Tom was considered the Mama throughout the film since he was the first person the Puffy saw when they were born.

And i joked around that Tom would look good as “The Mother of Dragons”, some type of Game of Thrones jokes was what i was toying with the film about

Though that was when i decided to start planning on making an AU about Jerry being a bartender and coming across Tom who’s the “Mother of Dragons”

The Way Back Home (Spencer Reid x Reader) - Chapter One

The Way Back Home (Spencer Reid x Reader) - Chapter One Reader Insert: she/her pronouns Word Count: 4867 Warnings: major angst, major fluff, mentions of murder, graphic descriptions of dead bodies, crime scenes, near-death experiences, slow-burnish romance, death, canon violence, rape, swearing, guns, knives, prostitution, canon cuteness of the team. Spoilers: Maeve's death, mentions of previous cases or canon events from seasons 1-10.

Spencer and you have an unspoken connection with one another. Nothing has ever happened between you two, especially since everything went down with Maeve, but your love has grown and overcome and is now clear as day to everyone. However, just when Spencer builds up enough courage to ask you out officially, you're requested on an undercover mission that halts your budding relationship in its tracks.

Months go by without a word from you until bodies of prostitutes start showing up in New York and the BAU is brought in to help. Spencer and you finally reunite as both your cases collide, but your lives and your love are both on the line now.

Will you and Spencer be able to find the way back home this time?

Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Epilogue

~~~

In the bedroom of his apartment, Spencer fiddled with his tie as he looked in the mirror. He didn't know why he bothered though, it was always perpetually crooked. Something you always tease him about.

Teased.

He clenched his jaw at your memory. It had been eleven months since you'd left. Eleven. Months. You just... up and disappeared without a call or a note. Heck, he would've taken a text despite his adversity to how it was inevitably devolving people's interpersonal communication skills.

When he'd shown up to the office on Monday, he expected to see your dazzling figure with two coffees in hand - one for yourself and one for him - and that infamous bright smile on your lips. He hated to admit it, but he'd become reliant on you to always be there. You had only joined three years after he had, around a similar to time to Emily (who had been like a big sister to you), but even after others came and went, you had always stayed.

You had stayed with him. By him. He selfishly thought sometimes it was for him.

So when Hotch had informed him and the rest of the team that you had been offered another position with a different unit across the country, he shouldn't have been all that surprised that you had jumped at the chance to do something more than what you were doing at the BAU.

Again, selfishly, he thought that what you both did would be enough for you. It was for him.

He should've been happy for you despite how shocking the news came. But instead he was struck with an odd sense of open-endedness - no closure. If you were leaving, you would've said something... right? He wasn't the best at recognising social cues or reading people's emotions, but he couldn't have mistaken the smile you'd given him when he'd asked you out that night. It was joyous, it was relief, it was overwhelming excitement for the future. There could've been no faking that you felt what he felt and wanted what he wanted.

His fingers dropped from his tie, seeing no point in trying to fix it any further. Instead, his gaze drifted to his hair. It was long again, unruly curls caressing the top of his neck and tucked as neatly as possible behind his ears. You would always play with those curls as you gave him head massages when he was having his migraines, and kept the habit up whenever Spencer was stressed or tired. It helped him relax, it soothed him.

The image of you pouting whenever he got his hair cut short and close-cropped tugged his lips slightly upwards. He smoothed back the curls on his forehead. He had a random thought to just shave them all off. They were just another reminder of how much time had passed since you'd left.

He raised an eyebrow at himself in the mirror.

He wondered if he could rock the bald egg look.

He grimaced at the thought and shook his head. What the hell am I doing? He rubbed at his tired eyes before looking at his wrist watch briefly. He had to be in the office in just over an hour. So he quickly grabbed a suit jacket from his closet, but decided halfway to the kitchen that he would need extra warmth today and so turned around to grab a cardigan from his messy chest of draws.

He winced at the chaos of colours and material he found waiting for him. For a highly organised, intelligent man, he really could be a complete mess.

He wasn't looking for any particular one, but he absentmindedly sought out the regal navy blue one you'd gifted to him on one birthday. It was the most worn in his collection by far, having worn it multiple times a week (sometimes even consecutively) in the past eleven months. He fiddled with the soft material for a moment, and he swore he could still smell your perfume on it.

Vanilla Caramel and Peonies. An odd combination, but just the right balance of sweetness and freshness.

It was the right balance of you.

She's not coming back, he told himself, and his broken heart yearned for what could've been once more. He'd called you - well, tried calling you - for days, weeks, months even after you'd left. But he'd just go straight to voice mail, and you had never tried to call him back. It was like six years of working together had never happened, like they had never mattered.

Like he had never mattered.

He shook his head and dropped the cardigan in favour of an emerald green one that his mother had just sent him from one of her travels. It was oddly cold compared to yours, but at least he knew where his mother was and that he was on her mind, no mattered how disorganised it had become.

He wondered if he was still on your mind, wherever you were.

It didn't take him long to put on the green cardigan, grab his lunch from the fridge - it was just leftover Chinese from the takeout place down the street - and lock his apartment up before making his way to work. The drive to the FBI Head Quarters in Quantico was its usual, monotonous route, making it to the highly secured facility in under an hour. He entered the bullpen and went straight for his desk first, placing his satchel bag on it before heading for his safe haven - the break room.

They'd just closed a case yesterday and so he expected to be filling out a lot of reports today. Thus the reason for the copious amounts of sugar in his coffee he was currently making.

'Whoa! Talk about having a sweet tooth. Save some for the rest of us, Reid.'

Spencer looked over his shoulder to see Kate Callahan walking through the door into the break room, an amused and slightly baffled expression morphing her gentle features as she eyed Spencer's coffee making. She walked over beside him to grab a mug from the cupboard and poured herself some coffee from the freshly brewed pot beside Spencer.

Spencer spared her a tight-lipped smile. Not long after you had left, so did Alex. It was like a double blow to Spencer's trust system, with two pillars of reliance being taken away so quickly and without warning. Kate had joined the team soon after that, and Spencer was glad to see the past few months that Kate had slotted in with the team just as nicely.

But she sadly couldn't fill the you-shaped hole in his heart.

'Sorry,' he said, putting the sugar container down finally and began to mix what he could in with the hot coffee. 'Our days started earlier when I first started, and normal coffee just never did the trick for me. Now I can't have it any other way but tooth-rottingly sweet.'

She chuckled as she placed the pot down and drank it straight - no creamer or sugar or milk at all. 'Doesn't worry me. I'm a true espresso gal, but I think Morgan may have some issues if all the sugar somehow disappears.'

'I won't tell if you won't,' Spencer offered, tapping the spoon on the cup's edge before placing it in the sink. He took a tentative sip from the hot drink, and relished at the sweetness that warmed his throat.

Kate winked as she took a sip from her own coffee. 'It'll be our little secret.'

Before either could make a move to return to their desks - where no doubt towers of paperwork were waiting for them - the bright, colourful figure that was Penelope Garcia stopped by the doorway. 'Good morning, my beautiful people,' she said by way of greeting, although her smile didn't reach her eyes like usual. 'I know you all just got back but we've got another case. Roundtable when you're ready.'

Kate sighed with exhaustion but Spencer nodded his understanding. Paperwork soothed him, but he didn't necessarily want to be soothed right now. He wanted action, a distraction, something to physically do. Anything to take his mind off you.

'Looks like paperwork will have to wait,' he said, bounding after Penelope with Kate in tow.

'Don't sound so happy about a dead body, Reid,' Kate suggested.

'You don't know it's dead body,' he argued as he swung by his desk to grab his bag and rejoin Kate to walk towards the Roundtable Room, all the while not spilling his coffee. 'Statistically, it is more likely that there are multiple dead bodies involved considering we don't get called in for singular homicide events very often unless it's a high profile victim, in which case the unsub could be a highly trained assassin or of military background. But those statistics are another collection of data unrelated to serial killing, so it's more likely the case involves a serial killer, and therefore multiple dead bodies.'

The two of them entered the Roundtable Room to find the rest of the team already seated and Penelope standing in front of the screen, ready to present.

'What are we talking about?' JJ asked.

Before Spencer could answer, Kate cut in with, 'You don't want to go down that rabbit hole.'

'Okay, my pretties,' Penelope started, clicking a button to start the presentation. Three pictures of women appeared on the screen, alongside birth certificates and a picture of their dead body. 'We have three dead women: Anna Carswell, Petrina Summers, and Larissa Pembroke; and as you can tell from the pictures, their deaths were very messy. There are signs of sexual violence from what remains of their... um... mutilated nether regions.'

'They were stabbed?' Kate asked, her face pinching with disgust and sadness for the women. Spencer didn't blame her. There was blood everywhere including the walls of the dumpsters they were found in. It was enough to make him squeamish; he couldn't imagine what Kate, JJ and Penelope were possibly feeling.

Penelope nodded grimly. 'Yeah. Anna Carswell was the first victim and was only stabbed five times, but the others both have twelve stab wounds each.'

'So much rage...' JJ mused softly as she examined the pictures.

'That,' Derek started, 'or twelve is a significant number for the unsub.'

'Or he's trying to send a message to someone,' Hotch added. 'Look at her clothes, her shoes, makeup and hair.'

Spencer narrowed his eyes to inspect each area individually, but it didn't take a genius to figure out what Hotch was talking about. 'Styled or big hair; tight-fitting tops, skirts and dresses that leave little to the imagination; significantly high heels; and bold jewellery and makeup,' Spencer listed his observations pragmatically before looking away from the screen to address the others properly. 'I don't want to stereotype, but my guess is that they're prostitutes.'

'And boy wonder wins this round of Guess Who,' Penelope announced. 'All of them worked as prostitutes at popular establishments around Manhattan, but they were so far strung that local police didn't put the killings together until Larissa's body was found last night. The first victim was killed six months ago, but Petrina and Larissa make two in the last month.

'That's a bit of an escalation for the unsub,' Rossi finally said, having been quietly contemplating since Spencer walked in. 'Why the sudden increase in kill time, do you think?'

'Maybe he's impotent,' JJ offered. 'Maybe Anna Carswell was just an accident - see, look at the jagged and varied placement of the stab wounds. And for the past few months he's been trying to repress the urge to kill again, and some recent event has been his stressor.'

'JJ's right, Petrina and Larissa's stab wounds are cleaner, intentional. He's perfecting his craft,' Kate stated.

'Who called it in?' Derek asked.

'The first two victims were found by dumpster guys picking up the trash, but Larissa was found by a homeless man trying to find some food,' Penelope said. 'Local authorities have all callers in at their main office and are expecting you within the next two hours.'

'We'll keep debriefing on the plane,' Hotch said as he stood up, tablet in hand. 'Wheels up in twenty.'

Suddenly his phone pinged, and he took a quick glance at it, his face turning grim.

'What is it, Aaron?' Rossi asked.

Hotch pocketed his phone as he said, 'That was the New York FBI office. They've found another body. Wheels up in ten.'

~~~

Spencer stood across from the coroner with the latest victim's body laying between them.

Roxy Vega. Sounded fake, but that's who her brothel manager identified her as. She was the one to call Roxy in, but said that one of her girls was the one to find her. Spencer and Morgan were to go talk to her and the manager after looking at the body.

'She's the same as the others, poor thing,' the coroner said, her brow scrunching with displeasure. 'Stabbed to death. Twelve, to be exact.'

'Anything from the toxicology report?' Derek asked.

She shook her head. 'Hasn't come back yet, but I can guess she'll be like the others too and be clean. People think prostitutes would be similar to junkies, but the truth is it's usually whoever they're serving that put something in their system to... elevate the experience.'

Spencer and Derek must've been pulling shocked expressions, because she chuckled, putting her clipboard down on a table beside her. 'I used to do some escorting myself to help pay off medical school before I got this job. Nothing extreme like these girls, but the same principles applied.'

Spencer gave her a tight-lipped smile before pointing at the sheet. 'If you don't mind, can I look at the wounds myself?'

'Sure,' the coroner said, and delicately manoeuvred the white sheet covering Roxy so that it covered her upper body still. Even the dead deserved some modesty.

But Spencer wasn't perturbed by her female genitalia. He was more interested in the twelve stab wounds that scarred her lower abdomen and pelvic area. Six side by side in each area.

'That's odd,' he murmured to himself.

But Derek heard him. 'What is?'

Spencer hovered his pointer finger over each wound. 'Look at these,' he said. 'They're almost exactly parallel to one another, all in a row. And the cuts are all the same length, too.'

'Well that rules out our unsub being rageful,' Derek added. 'If he was angry when he killed them, the wounds would no doubt be all over the place, and varied in length if he did it in a frenzy.'

'So our unsub is cool, calm and collected,' Spencer mused, but something still didn't add up. 'There is almost something ritualistic about the placement. Like it's a symbol.'

'Well, he's definitely trying to send a message then,' Derek said, eyes drifting back to Roxy laying on the table. 'But who is it for?'

'And has it been heard yet?' Spencer added. The buzz of his phone prompted him to pull it out of his coat pocket and answer the call.

'Hotch,' he answered. 'Morgan and I have just finished at the morgue. The lines on the latest victim suggests that these could be ritualistic killings or a message to someone or even a group. The stabs were clean so the girls, well Roxy at least, would've been restrained or knocked unconscious before they were stabbed.'

'That changes the profile from a raging serial killer to someone who had these killings premeditated,' Hotch concluded. 'Good work, you two. Head down to the brothel to see the manager and the co-worker who found her. Local authorities took their statements but maybe they know more than they think or are letting on.'

'Okay,' Spencer agreed. 'What are you guys doing?'

'JJ and Kate are talking with the victim's families one at a time and Dave and I are at the headquarters talking with the officers and detectives who started this case. I'll ask them if they noticed the stab wound patterns, see if it means anything to them.'

'We'll call JJ and tell her the same,' Spencer said. 'Maybe the unsub is taunting the parents somehow and the key is in the stab wounds.'

'Okay. Call back when you're done.'

'Got it.'

Spencer hung up and turned to the coroner. 'Thanks so much for your help. If you could send that M.E. report to our unit chief, that'd be most helpful.'

'Of course,' she said, offering a kind smile. 'I'll keep looking for other anomalies, particularly if you think they were somehow restrained or unconscious before they were stabbed.'

'The mass blood spillage was just for show,' Derek said. 'I have a bad feeling these girls weren't stumbled upon by accident. There's more to this, and whoever these stab wounds were meant to warn is the key to solving who is behind all of this.'

Spencer quickly thanked the coroner for her time before he and Derek were out the door and in an SUV driving to downtown Manhattan to the brothel.

The Chateau, despite its name, was just a small sign hanging above a door that needed a fresh coat of paint about ten years prior. No doubt the sign would light up neon at night to draw in the locusts that were cheating husbands or deadbeat wannabes. But it was located on a busy street, and daylight made it look unassuming compared to the big billboards and towering office buildings around it. Just a hole in the wall, really.

'This place looks like a dump already,' Derek said as they examined the outside. Posters advertising all kinds of entertainment from the establishment were pinned to billboards either side of the door and down the wall where people stood in line to get in perhaps. But they were torn, like flyers from a travelling circus long ago.

'That's probably a strategic method,' Spencer said. 'It's what many opium dens in Shanghai used to do back in the 1920s to avoid law enforcement suspicion. Of course, brothels and even opium dens are legal today, but they now act as the fronts for more illicit dealings.'

'Right,' Derek said, reaching out for the door handle tentatively. 'Let's just hope that isn't the case today. We've got enough to worry about with four dead girls let alone some underground, black market bullshit.'

Derek wasted no more time in opening the door and stepping inside, Spencer right on his heels. But as soon as the daylight faded and their eyes readjusted, they both gaped at what met them inside.

Lavish gold and black velvet carpet lined the floors, swirling in intricate, flowery designs that made Spencer feel dizzy for a second. A settee sat to their left in a small alcove where gold curtains were pulled back, but Spencer took a guess as to why they would be closed at certain points. All the furniture were beautifully crafted pieces with a black gloss layer and gold lining certain edges that sparkled in the low light from the victorian style lamps hanging on the walls.

It scared Spencer how accurate he had sort of been. It felt like he was in a 1920s film noir club where gangsters met up to make and complete deals. Where they smoked cigars, and the showgirls wore sparkly, frilly, feathery dresses and patterned pantyhose. In the back of his mind, Spencer knew it was a brothel, that the gold and sparkles were just a front, but he couldn't help but be impressed by the attention to detail. Right down to the artwork that hung on the walls, all of which were from famous painters from the time period.

'They're amazing, aren't they?'

Spencer spun alongside Derek at the new, commanding voice that entered the room, and found a woman in her late forties to early fifties standing by a podium where the registry would no doubt sit each night for customers to sign in and out of. He had to give it to the establishment, it was committed to the act.

'Y-Yes,' he stuttered an answer, looking back at the painting in front of him. 'It looks like- I'm sorry, but are these the real thing?'

She laughed heartily as she sashayed over to them, the bellowing arms of her white, silk sleeves flowing gracefully with her movements. 'Goodness, no. The real ones are more than likely in a museum somewhere or hanging above the bed of some rich bimbo who doesn't understand what it is or who even painted it.' Despite the malice in her words, her red lips parted in a sultry grin. 'But alas, these do just fine. As do you, might I say.'

Spencer didn't like how her eyes raked over him and Derek ever so slowly, like she was some predator contemplating what part of her prey she should consume first. This is what JJ, Kate and Penelope must feel most of the time, he thought, averting his eyes as best as possible from the woman's snake-like ones.

He decidedly did not like the feeling it gave him.

Sensing his partner's discomfort, Derek reached into his jean pocket and pulled out his badge. 'Thank you, but we're here on official business only today.'

Those snake-eyes latched onto the badge, and it only took her half a second for her sultry smile to drop and to cross her arms. But not out of embarrassment, more like how a child did when they didn't get what they want. 'So you're the FBI agents I was told was visiting me today. How charming.' She held out hand to Derek, and Spencer couldn't help but notice how bare it was compared to rest of her. Long dangling emeralds hung from her ears, matching the beautiful emerald necklace around her neck. But no rings, or bracelets.

Odd.

'I'm Madame Lacroix,' she said, Derek finally taking her hand. 'I am the manager of The Chateau.'

She held her hand out to Spencer, to which he awkwardly splayed his hands up by his chest in a mock surrender. 'I, uh, actually don't do handshakes, sorry. Just a personal thing.'

Madame Lacroix looked him up and down from over her nose, which was an impressive act as she stood a good head shorter than him. After a moment, she dropped her hand and the matter, turning back to Derek once more.

'Madame,' Derek started. 'We just want to ask a few questions about Roxy Vega. We understand she was... one of your own for a while now. Is that correct?'

'Yes,' she answered, her painted face taking on a contemplative, even fond expression at the mention of Roxy. 'She'd been with us around eleven months. Some of the girls were supposed to take her out this coming weekend to celebrate. Geez, did those girls love partying.'

'How so?' Spencer inquired.

That snake-like gaze whipped back to him in an instant. 'They would have weekends away once every couple of months. Fancy yachts, expensive clothes, gourmet restaurants. One time, they went to the Greek Isles for a week.' She shrugged nonchalantly. 'But they could always pay for it. My girls are the best at what they do. So much so they are able to pay me and keep a good amount of earnings for themselves. And before you ask, everything is perfectly legal here, I have papers.'

'We're not really interested in that, Madame Lacroix,' Derek continued. 'You say Roxy was part of a, shall we say, an exclusive group in your establishment.'

'If you're implying that I play favourites, I don't, agent,' Madame Lacroix said, her tone dancing with silent threat. 'All my girls work the same hours, and relatively earn the same amount. It's completely on them if they decide to form friendships or alliances wth one another.'

'Was the girl who found her in that group too?' Spencer asked for Derek.

She nodded. 'Usually, Roxy and her girls don't let newcomers into their group. And if they do, it's not until they're a few months into working here. But yeah, Serena was pulled into that group from the moment she got here only three months ago.'

'Do you know where she was before The Chateau?' Derek asked.

'Yeah, she was uptown at a strip club, Guilty Pleasure. I know the guy who runs the place, and I don't blame her for leaving.'

Guilty Pleasure. The name rung familiar with Spencer, and so he pulled Derek away a little to whisper in his ear. 'That's the club Larissa used to work at.'

'And what are the odds that Larissa is now dead?' Derek added, eyes lighting with recognition. He quickly turned back to Madame Lacroix, urgency written on his face. 'Madame, there have been three other girls found in similar fashions to Roxy.'

For the first time since she entered the room, she didn't appear in control of everything happening. Her face dropped and a look of confusion and shock reflected in her eyes. 'Three other girls? Oh my goodness...'

'If you'd like, we can continue this talk in your office?' Derek offered, to which she nodded and began walking towards the podium, which Spencer now realised was in front of twin staircases heading downwards either side.

'I usually conduct private business at night, so my office is down in the Pit where I can make sure my girls are okay,' she explained as they descended into the a dimly lit bar reminiscent of the roaring 20s.

A giant glass chandelier hung in the middle of the ceiling, providing enough light to see the retro bar to the left, the cabaret setup of chairs and tables that faced the small stage at the far end of the room, and the empty booths where more settees and lounges sat with curtains drawn back for now. Again, Spencer was struck by how much it felt like stepping back in time. It was truly impressive.

Spencer halted, however, when Madame Lacroix stopped and turned back to face them, genuine concern furrowing her perfectly plucked brows. 'You don't think Serena has anything to do with this. Do you?' she asked.

'We don't know that for certain,' Derek answered. 'But we would like to have a talk with her so we can start clearing up this mess. Do you know where we can find her?'

She nodded, then pointed to a door over their shoulders. 'She's here doing stocktake for me today, actually. She does so on occasion when my workmen are busy with other jobs. A load just came in this morning. You can found her sorting through it out back in the loading bay.'

'Thank you,' Spencer said before turning to speak with Derek. 'I'll go talk with her while you finish here.'

'Shout if something goes wrong, okay?' Derek warned, to which Spencer agreed and made his way to the back door.

He couldn't stop his nose from scrunching as the scent of rotten food and heavy alcohol wafted up it. Giant bins were pressed against the far corner of the loading bay, but it wasn't a very big room, so the smell was easily detected.

Looks like the stocktake room doubles as the bin room, he thought as he stepped further into the bay, where crates were stacked taller than him with food, glassware, alcohol. Amongst the stacks was a shuffling of feet, then a hard thud that resulted in a harsh cry and an 'Ouch!'

'Hello?' Spencer called out while searching his way through the stacks. What did a brothel need with so much stuff anyways? 'Serena?'

'Over here!' a heavy Brooklyn accent replied. Spencer followed the voice, finding a hunched over woman cradling her exposed toe. She wore burnt orange platform wedges with jeans and a white tank top that left little to the imagination of a one Dr. Spencer Reid. Her hair was a puffy mess of curls like the blowouts back in the 80s, and it was so big he couldn't see her face.

'Are you okay,' he said, rushing over to help, but she just held up a hand, her face still covered.

'Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, doll,' she replied hastily, shakily. 'Just hit my toe, is all.'

'Well, here, let me get you some ice-'

'That's not necessary, hun. Really.'

'Well, at least let me have a look at it. You might've gotten a splinter in it or-'

'Stop.'

He was already bending down when the word hit him. But not just the word, but the voice that came with it. It was different to the Brooklyn accent now. It was... familiar.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as familiarity turned into recognition; and when he looked up from his half-squat position, he froze where he was and stared. Because the woman he saw wasn't an unrecognisable face of some girl called Serena.

His mouth had gone dry at the shock, and so he gulped a few times, trying to find the words he'd been holding back for months. But instead, only one word came to the surface.

'Y/N?'

Always Been You (Dick Grayson x Reader) - Chapter 2

Always Been You (Dick Grayson x Reader) Reader Insert: she/her pronouns Word Count: 5030 Warnings: death, violence, fighting, bloody wounds, angst, infuriatingly oblivious love interest, slowburn Spoilers: Young Justice Seasons 1-3 plot partially, but it ended in 2022 so catch up.

Y/N Prince - miracle daughter of Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor - and Dick Grayson - first adoptive son of the Batman himself - have been best friends since day one. They went to school together, trained together, kept each other's alter ego secret from everyone else, and they founded the Young Justice alongside their friends together. 

But as time progressed, Y/N and Dick grew up and Y/N found herself wanting more than friendship with Dick. But he never seemed to indicate that he reciprocated her feelings. And when Wally died and Dick abandoned the team, Y/N realised he never would. So she heads to the one place she knows will help her become a stronger warrior so that one day she can take her mother's place: Themyscira.

Two years after his leave, Dick reaches out to his old friends to help him with a mission. But when he finds out Y/N left too, he chases after her in the hopes to bring her back.

However, when the two finally reunite, it isn't as warm as he hopes. Not to mention Themyscira becomes under siege as they go to war against Echidna, the Mother of Monsters in Greek Mythology, and her army of monstrous children.

Will Dick and Y/N be able to put their past behind them and save the Amazonians' homeland? Or will they fall, unable to tell one another their true feelings?

~~~

(6 Months Later)

Dick Grayson looked up at the Carr family home from his car, apprehensive to open the door just yet. It was a nice home, and from the research Dick did, a nice family lived there too.

His eyes trailed to the apartment situated above the garage, imagining the people who were inside. How were they going to react when he told them what he was there for? Scratch that, how were they going to react when they saw him?

'Should I go take a nap or are you going to man up and go inside at some point?' Oracle's sarcastic voice came through the car's bluetooth.

Dick clenched his hands around the steering wheel. Barbara - newly named Oracle - was right. It didn't matter what his friends were going to say. He needed their help, and he needed to man up.

Dick finally unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door. 'I'll call you when I'm done,' he said, then ended the call before Barbara could sneak in another witty remark.

He made haste running up the Carr's driveway, then up the stairs to the apartment above the garage. As he raised his hand to knock on the door, he heard laughter and lively chatter that made him pause. An overwhelming sense of guilt and shame and longing surged through him. Was he really going to break up the joy beyond the door? Once upon a time he would've been glad for a party, for a break from work and his vigilante duties.

His mind flashed back to that first party him and his friends had in Mount Justice. It was Wally's birthday and he had been lapping up all the attention, especially from M'gann, who had made him a cake and had in fact organised the whole party. This was before Wally realised him and Artemis were meant to be, same with Connor and M'gann.

But Y/N had known, had even pointed it out to Dick as they sat in the corner just the two of them, watching everything play out.

'They're all so thick,' Y/N said, taking a sip of her lemonade, trying to hide her knowing smile.

'How so?' Dick asked.

Y/N rolled her eyes. 'Can you not see?' She grabbed Dick's chin and guided him to look at Connor and M'gann interacting awkwardly but in a cute way, then Wally and Artemis "fighting", matching wit for wit with every snarky comment they threw at each other. 'Connor and M'gann are so into each other, and you could cut the emotional tension between Wally and Artemis it's so thick. They are all crushing hard.'

Dick watched the two couples interact a little longer and realised Y/N was right. 'Well would you look at that,' he said, turning back to Y/N. 'You're quite the observer, aren't you?'

Y/N chuckled. 'Dick, we've been best friends for three years now. If you're just figuring that out now, then you're just as thick as the rest of our friends.'

'Hey! I am not!'

'Are to.'

'Am. Not!'

'Are. To!'

The two fell into hysterical laughter, gripping onto one another so they didn't fall to the ground.

Y/N's smile came to him then, and the longing in his chest ached even more. She was more than likely beyond the door too, laughing and smiling without a care in the world. He suddenly had the thought that he couldn't go through with it. He couldn't possibly ask them - couldn't ask her - to help him. Not after what he'd done...

Before he could chicken out completely, he forced himself to knock lightly on the door.

'I'll get it,' M'gann's sweet voice called out to whoever she was with, and Dick prepared himself as he heard her walk to the door.

M'gann opened the door, and she was smiling, the remnants of laughter twinkling in her eyes. She was in her human form, but it had changed since the last time Dick saw her. Her ginger hair was now cropped just under her ears, and her features were sharper, more refined than that of a young adolescent. She wore a flattering white blouse and casual jeans, not bothering for shoes in her own home.

She was grown up. In just two years?

Her brown eyes locked with Dick's blue ones, and immediately her smile dropped as shock froze her face.

Dick offered her a small smile 'Hi, M'gann,' he said softly.

'Dick...' was all she could manage as she continued to look at him, eyes raking over him as if she were imagining things. 'What are you doing here?'

'Honey, who is it?'

Dick's guilt deepened at the sound of Connor's voice. The Superboy himself came to the door when M'gann didn't answer, and stopped in his tracks as soon as he laid eyes on Dick. But he didn't stay shocked for long.

Connor furrowed his eyebrows and stepped up behind M'gann, placing a protective hand on her shoulder. 'What are you doing here?' he asked icily, eyes solely focussed on Dick.

It hurt to see such distrust in his old friend's eyes, but Dick somewhat expected that. 'Nice to see you too, Connor,' he said, slipping into his casual, carefree persona easily. If there was one thing Dick was really good at, it was putting on a mask. 'I was in the neighbourhood and thought I'd swing by. It's been a while.'

'Why don't you answer my question first before you start acting like nothing is wrong,' Connor suggested, his voice taking a deep threatening tone.

'Connor, please,' M'gann said, seemingly getting over her initial shock. She placed her left hand over Connor's on her shoulder, and that's when Dick saw the shiny diamond ring on her finger. 'He's our friend.'

Dick didn't think his guilt could worsen at those three words.

M'gann opened the door wider and offered him a small smile. 'Come in, Dick. We'd love for you to join us.'

Dick flashed her a grateful smile. 'Thanks,' he said as he ducked through the doorway. He then looked from M'gann to Connor and back again. 'Congratulations, by the way.'

M'gann looked confused for a moment, then a joyful twinkle flashed in her eyes as she looked to her ring, a soft smile gracing her features. 'Thank you, Dick,' she said. 'That's what we're actually celebrating. Come on, there is food and drinks this way.'

M'gann walked back towards the party, but Connor and Dick remained in the entrance, staring at one another.

Dick took Connor in. Because of his clone genetics, Connor never actually aged. Not physically anyways. He'd changed ever so slightly from when Dick first broke him out of Cadmus, only growing a centimetre or two every year or so. His muscles had toned more having entered his theoretical twenties, and but his face still held onto those baby features he'd had since being replicated as a teenaged Superman.

Dick sized himself up against Connor and shockingly found that, for the first time, they were looking at each other eye to eye.

Connor seemed to scan Dick, too, coming to the same conclusion that Dick had changed too since they last saw each other. Dick waited for Connor to say something, but when Connor was done he gave Dick a stone cold grimace then turned to follow M'gann.

'What a warm reunion,' Dick mumbled under breath as he followed Connor down the hallway.

The hallway opened into an open-floor plan that held the kitchen, the dinning room and the lounge. Dick expected a few more people to be waiting for them, but he only spotted Kaldur lounging on the couch, drink in hand. Being the vigilant person he was, Kaldur immediately recognised Dick and placed his drink on the coffee table as he stood up.

'Dick,' he said, teal eyes wide with surprise.

'Hey, Kaldur,' Dick greeted awkwardly, ready for the same cold treatment as Connor.

Instead, Kaldur's face broke into a warm smile as he manoeuvred around the furniture to make his way to Dick. 'Old friend,' he said as he embraced Dick. 'It has been too long.'

'It sure has, buddy,' Dick responded, returning his friend's embrace.

Kaldur released him, but kept his hand on Dick's shoulder as he scanned over him. 'Look at you! You seem to be healthy and strong.'

It was true. Dick had noticed he'd muscled up a little more since leaving the team, though still keeping towards the leaner side of muscular. He certainly wasn't has bulk as Connor, or Kaldur for that fact, who Dick noted also had more muscles and toned features. Kaldur certainly filled out the black button-up he wore. But, as it was with Connor, Dick was happy to see him looking directly in Kaldur's eyes as they spoke, not from slightly below as it had been since they were children.

'Thanks man,' Dick said. 'Been working out. I see you've been doing the same, Aquaman.'

'My King left some large shoes to fill,' Kladur admitted humbly. 'But thank you.'

'So you know of Kaldur's promotion, but couldn't contact him to say congrats when it happened?' Connor interjected from his place in the kitchen.

M'gann scolded him as she placed some plates on the dining table, but the mood had already changed to tense and quiet.

'Connor's right,' Dick admitted, addressing his three friends. 'I'm sorry. These past two years... I should've stayed in contact. I wanted to. But every time I went to, I convinced myself that you didn't want to hear from me. That it would be better to leave you all be while I try to figure out myself again.'

'Oh Dick,' M'gann started, walking around the table to pull him into a hug. 'Of course we wanted to hear from you. You're our friend and we missed you. But we understand that after Wally died, you had to take a break from everything.'

M'gann pulled away and then pointed an accusatory finger at him, looking extremely cross with him. 'But if you ever do anything like that again, I swear I will hunt you down and kick your sorry ass into another universe. Understood?'

Dick nodded vigorously. 'U-Understood.'

M'gann's sweet demeanour returned and she walked back to the table to continue setting it. The three men looked at her quietly as she went about her work, until Dick turned to Connor and said, 'Your fiancée is scary.'

Dick expected another glare from the Superboy, but he was gladly surprised when the dark-haired boy nodded in agreement, face slightly pale. 'You got that right.' He then shook himself out of his frozen state of fear to help his fiancée dish out their meal.

'Give him time,' Kaldur said quietly to Dick. 'You know how Connor can be with expressing his emotions.'

'Well, he's not as emotionally constipated as he once was, I'll give him that,' Dick said. 'Unfortunately, I don't think I have time.'

'What do you mean?' Kaldur asked.

Dick went to explain but quickly decided against it. Kaldur was in the Justice League now. Dick couldn't really explain what he was planning to do. Not yet, anyway.

'Forget I said anything,' Dick said instead, flashing his charming smile and wrapping an arm around his old friend's shoulders. 'For now, why don't you tell me everything I've missed. How is it being Atlantis' new champion, first starters...'

For the next hour, it was like old times. The four of them ate and laughed and swapped stories about what Dick had missed in the last two years. They recalled some of the good times they all shared when they were on the team, and Dick convinced himself for a brief moment that they could all stay like this. Happy, carefree, young.

But Dick had come to Connor and M'gann for a reason.

Once they'd had enough of dessert, Connor offered to wash up and Dick saw his chance.

'I'll help wipe up,' Dick offered, taking his and Kaldur's plates to the sink while Connor filled the sink with soap and water. Dick waited until M'gann and Kaldur were in deep conversation over on the couch that Dick decided to broach his intended subject. 'So, how is the team going?'

'The team is doing okay,' Connor answered flatly, never lifting his eyes from his work with the plates in the sink. 'I just try to help M'gann as best as I can. We're down a few numbers since your old man decided to take half of the Justice League and our team with him in his little stunt.'

Dick winced. He recalled getting the call from Tim about it about five months ago. It had been an orchestrated walk out from over half the Justice League and their protégés, all of them wanting to go back to their vigilante ways as the League and the team had become somewhat irrelevant. Those that remained never saw it coming.

'I'm sorry about that,' he apologised, though he wasn't entirely sure why. Just felt appropriate.

Connor looked at him briefly, hands pausing in the sink as he did, and then released a sigh of defeat. 'Don't be sorry, Dick. It's not like you had anything to do with it.'

'No,' Dick agreed, 'but I should've been there at least. I should've reached out to see if you were okay. We started this team together, I shouldn't have just left it all to you.'

'Well, I know the rest of the team would really appreciate it if you came back now,' Connor said, his tone hopeful. 'That is, if you're ready to come back.'

Dick's heart lurched at the thought of going back to the team, both with want and terror. He liked Barbara, he really did. But, if he were being honest, he'd missed being a part of something bigger than himself and his own agendas.

'Connor,' Dick started softly, looking to see M'gann and Kaldur still locked in deep conversation before continuing, 'I would love to come back. Please know that. But you should know I haven't just been idly moving about the place the last two years. I've been conducting undercover missions of my own with Barbara in relation to the meta-human trafficking crisis.'

Connor's eyes widened and Dick saw he was about to raise his voice so leaned in close and hurriedly whispered, 'Keep your voice down, please.'

Connor took a second to register what Dick had said before whispering harshly, 'What do you mean you've been working on your own? You should've come to us if you were getting involved.'

'First of all, I just said I had Barbara helping me, and secondly because the team and the Justice League are full of public figures now. The missions wouldn't work if they got involved. But I've actually come here to ask you for your help on a mission, Connor.'

'Me?! Why would I-'

'Let me explain. First of all, it'll be you, me, Artemis-'

'You've pulled Artemis into this too?! Where the hell has she been, anyway?'

'Would you stop interrupting me for one second?' Dick hissed, wiping up a plate or two before returning to the conversation. 'As I was saying, from our intel, Markovia's Princess Tara has been found dead. Killed by a meta human supposedly, and I have a sneaky suspicion someone has been testing on people with the meta gene, turning them into extreme versions of their meta abilities. I need your help to find out who. As I said before, I've convinced Artemis to help already, and I was looking to you, Jefferson, and Y/N to make up the rest of the team.'

Dick looked around the room, looking at how empty the couches were around M'gann and Kaldur and sudden thought struck him. 'Speaking of which, where is Y/N?' he asked. 'I would've thought she'd be here celebrating the good news.'

He'd forgotten to keep quiet that time, and so Kaldur and M'gann looked at him alongside Connor, all looking as if Dick had sprouted three heads.

'What?' Dick asked, patting around his face. 'Do I have sauce on my face?'

'You don't know?' M'gann asked, sounding almost on the brink of tears.

That's when Dick realised something was majorly wrong, and his gut twisted with fear. 'Know what? Where's Y/N?'

'Y/N, she...' Kaldur started, then took a deep breath before continuing, 'Y/N left the team, Dick.'

'What?' Dick said, almost dropping the plate he held. 'What do you mean she left?'

'She left about six months ago,' Connor answered, washing up the last plate and emptying the sink. 'Before everyone else left. She felt like she wasn't doing enough with us anymore, so she just... left.'

'I've sent her plenty of messages,' M'gann said, 'but she hasn't answered any of them. And I can't sense her at all in the country. Even the Watchtower couldn't find her.'

Dick couldn't believe this. Y/N was gone? 'So Wonder Woman doesn't even know where she is?'

'Wonder Woman has been busy running the Justice League since Batman resigned,' Kaldur answered. 'Even if she did know where her daughter was, I don't think she'd like us to know, and I would have to agree.'

'Why?' Dick asked, suddenly very angry at Kaldur for not being as concerned as he was about Y/N. 'Do you know where she is?'

Kaldur shook his head. 'Regrettably, no. But when we last spoke, she sounded like she didn't want to be found. That she would come back to us when she was ready. I think we should respect that.'

Dick shook his head in disbelief. 'No, that's not like Y/N. She wouldn't just leave anywhere without telling anyone.'

'What, you mean like you?' Connor asked, and that cold stare was back.

'I mean she is loyal and empathetic. Surely she would know how her absence would affect the team,' Dick continued, ignoring the personal dig.

'She was loyal, Dick,' Connor countered. 'She was loyal, and stuck around with M'gann, Kaldur and I until the team got back on its feet. She held the team together when we were on the brink of falling apart. But you wouldn't know that because you weren't here.'

Dick wanted to argue but found that he couldn't. What he had thought was the best for the team turned out to be the complete opposite. He could sense it now; his relationships with his oldest friends were no longer as they were.

'You were gone for two years,' Connor continued. 'You'd be surprised as to how much a person can change in that time.'

The day Dick left flashed in his mind, and he recalled the pain in Y/N's eyes when he left her behind. He remembered how she'd held it together, but he knew she would probably cry about it later because she'd done it some many times before, always going to him to cry on his shoulder.

But he wasn't there that time. He'd left her all alone to dry her tears.

You're my best friend. Always have been. Always will be...

Dick looked to his friends again, but they could barely meet his eyes. Kaldur was disappointed, Connor was angry, and M'gann was just sad. An apology bubbled up in Dick's throat, but he didn't think it was sufficient enough for what he had done to them.

'I have to find her, then,' Dick said into the quiet room, and finally they all looked to him.

'Did you not just hear Kaldur?' Connor asked. 'We should leave her alone like she wants.'

'We don't necessarily know that,' Dick countered. 'Besides, this isn't about bringing her back. This is about me making things right with her.'

'But what if Kaldur is right?' M'gann argued. 'What if she doesn't want to be found. Maybe the right thing to do is leave her alone?'

Dick shook his head. 'She's my best friend, M'gann. I can't accept that she wouldn't want to see us ever again.'

'Maybe she doesn't want to see you, have you considered that?' Kaldur asked, his voice taking on a protective demeanour. 'The bottom line is, Dick, that you left her behind without a second thought. And she respected that, even if it killed her inside knowing that you would rather abandon her - abandon us - than face the pain of losing Wally together. She missed you every single day, and yet she still fought and trained and guided the team without faltering. And now, when she finally finds the courage to do what's best for her for once, you want to shame her for it?'

Anger surged through Dick, fiery and hot. 'I am not shaming her for anything. Do you not think I didn't think of you all every single day?'

'If you did, you didn't do anything about it, did you?' Connor mumbled, but Dick heard him just fine.

'Look, if you guys don't want to help me find her, fine,' Dick said, looking at all three friends pointedly. 'But I will find her. Because she needs to know that she was right. That I was wrong to leave and I am a terrible best friend.'

His expression softened as he looked down at his hands, imagining how long ago him and Y/N would link their pinkies. How simple friendships were back then.

'If she never comes back,' he continued, quieter this time, 'then I won't blame her. But best friends don't give up on each other.'

It was quiet for what felt like an eternity. Until Kaldur walked up to Dick and grabbed his shoulder comfortingly.

'You may be a terrible best friend,' Kaldur said, a small smile warming his face. 'But that doesn't mean your heart isn't in the right place.'

'Thanks, Kaldur,' Dick said, patting Kaldur's hand upon his shoulder.

Kaldur dropped his hand and the four of them sat down on the couches. 'Y/N didn't tell me where she was going,' Kaldur started, 'just that she needed to find out who she was again.'

'I don't follow,' Dick said.

Kaldur chuckled. 'Don't worry, I said the same thing to her when she told me. But she also said something along the lines of, "I need to find out where I've come from to find out where I will go.".'

'What the hell does that mean?' Connor asked.

'Again, not sure. But when I asked her the same question, she said she had to go back to her roots,' Kaldur elaborated. 'Something to do with where it all started. And her mother...'

Dick contemplated all of Kaldur's recollections, juggling each statement over one another to try and make sense. It was so vague, but Dick could sense there was a blatant truth staring right at them if they just looked hard enough.

Where it all began... Where she's been... Her mother...

The answer hit Dick like a brick wall.

'Themyscira,' he said softly, then more confidently. 'She's gone to Themyscira.'

'The Island of the Amazons?' M'gann asked. 'Are you sure?'

Dick nodded. 'It has to be. That's where Wonder Woman is from, and Y/N mentioned all the time when we were kids how much she wanted to go visit it one day.'

'But isn't it hidden?' Connor interjected. 'I mean, that's why they haven't gone back right? Anyone who leaves the island can never find it again.'

'Wonder Woman must've had something to help her remember,' Kaldur offered. 'Or at least guide her back home. I would suggest we go ask her, but again, I doubt she would tell us anything.'

It was like nothing had changed. The four of them had slipped back into theorising and planning and bantering as if no time had passed, as if no one had left or been promoted. It warmed Dick's heart at the thought that they all wanted to help find Y/N, even bring her home.

But Dick shook his head in dismissal. 'You guys don't have to worry yourselves over this. It sounds like I'm part of the reason she left in the first place, so it's my responsibility to find her and make this right on my own.'

'While I agree that this is partially your fault,' Connor said, earning a slight slap from M'gann beside him that he barely flinched at, 'Y/N's our friend too. The least we can do is help you find her.'

Dick smiled gratefully at his friend, who gave him a nod in return which was a start. 'Okay then...' Dick brought his watch up in front of his chest, clicked a few buttons before bringing up a large holographic screen with Barbara on it. 'Can you see us, Babs?'

'In quality HD, as well,' Barbara replied with a witty smile. 'Now, what can Oracle do for you?'

'We're trying to find Themyscira,' Dick explained. 'But it's not on any maps that we know of. Anything in any history records? Sailor sightings while out at sea?'

'You're asking me to find a mythical island from greek mythology that is meant to be hidden from Man's World and is forgotten by any who leave it?' Barbara asked incredulously, but then began typing ferociously on her end. 'Yeah, sure. No problem.'

Dick and the others waited in silence as Barbara worked her magic, files and maps and illustrations of the island popping up all over the screen around her face. After a minute or two, she spoke again.

'Okay,' she began, 'according to maps, you're right, the place doesn't exist. Even old sailors from Ancient Greece don't have any records of the place. However, I did find some similar tales being published in short stories of greek mythology and sailing journals. And all of them mention a couple of times sailing near what has now become the mouth of the modern Terme River in what we now know as Turkey, and having a strange sensation wash over them about danger. Each and every one of them have been convinced there is danger ahead and have turned away.'

'But they're just stories,' Kaldur argued. 'How can you be sure that what they speak of is the Island of the Amazons?'

'Ease up, Aquaman. I'm getting there.' A few more clicks and taps and Barbara brought up a picture of a very odd looking fish. 'Do you recognise that at all?'

Kaldur stared at the fish for a moment, contemplating its odd structure. 'I don't recognise it as a species,' Kaldur said. 'But I do recognise parts of it. It is like... different fish species have been spliced up and put back together to form this.'

'Exactly,' Barbara said, tap and clicking fervently again. 'This is a fish that has been found not near Turkey but close enough, and on multiple occasions. Now, if we isolate all these fish types... and then map out where each species usually resides... then find the crossover point for all of them...'

Dick watched diligently as Barbara isolated the fishes, highlight on the world map which species resided where, then drew lines horizontally and vertically, then zoomed in on the section the two lines crossed over.

'And there you have it,' Barbara offered proudly. 'The mouth to the Terme River in Turkey. You're welcome.'

'That makes sense,' M'gann said, looking up at the map, intrigued. 'If Themyscira is supposedly this pocket of space no human can find, then it makes sense that sea creatures of different genetic combinations would be able to breed there in peace, more than likely living there except for the stray pod or two that wander off into the open ocean.'

'I would have to agree,' Kaldur said, fascinated by it all as well. 'Who knows how many sea creatures live in harmony there.'

'Well, I'll be sure to find out when I get there,' Dick said as he stood up. 'Thanks Babs.'

'Any time,' she said, then the call ended.

'Wait, you're leaving now?' M'gann asked as Dick made his way to the front door.

'This cannot wait, M'gann,' Dick insisted, opening the front door. 'I have to speak with her as soon as possible.'

'Hey.' Dick was forced to stop when Connor grabbed him by his bicep, bringing the two of them close enough Dick could feel Connor's breath on his cheek.

'Are you really doing this for Y/N's sake, or for yours?' Connor asked in a hushed voice. 'Because whatever mission you think you need her for, I can assure you it cannot be more important than your friendship. Do you understand?'

Dick didn't quite understood what he meant, but he nodded anyways, and Connor let him go.

M'gann and Kaldur stepped up beside Connor as Dick made his way down the apartment stairs and back to the car. M'gann wrapped her arms around Connor's waist as he embraced her with one arm over her shoulder.

'Good luck, old friend,' Kaldur called out. 'May your journey be safe and successful.'

Dick chuckled as he waved farewell. 'I know you've always been well-spoken, but is it now a job requirement as Aquaman to sound like Gandalf?'

Kaldur pulled a face that Dick and M'gann laughed at, and Connor cracked a smile at the slight burn. Before he could psyche himself out of it, Dick hopped in the car and took off towards Wayne Manor.

'Call Alfred Pennyworth,' Dick spoke loud and clear, and the car immediately began ringing.

After a few rings, Alfred promptly answered the phone. 'Master Dick, what a pleasant surprise.'

'Hey, Alfred. Is the Batwing free at the moment?'

'I've just given it a deep clean now. Why?'

'Excellent. Could you please prepare it for take off by the time I reach the Manor? I have a little excursion I have to go on.'

'Will that excursion bring the Batwing back in one piece, Master Dick?'

'...I'll be there in twenty.'

Dick promptly ended the call, not waiting to hear a scolding from Alfred. Those were never fun.

Truth be told, he wasn't sure what to expect when he went to Themyscira. But Steve Trevor did it once, surely it could be done again.

Either way, it was a risk Dick was willing to take to get his best friend back.

---------------

Tag list:

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Some Disenchantment fluff

This pretty old one was inspired by @tothineownelfbetrue Disenchantment fanfiction “Being Orpheus”, which I particularly loved. Made before I learnt how to use layers, lol

Link to the ff:  https://archiveofourown.org/works/24270553/chapters/58494040

Elfo took the initiative for once and Bean did not see it coming ✨

I love this pairing for a bunch of reasons: they are best friends, they care deeply for each other, they diverge from the aesthetic standards, they are a biracial couple, they reverse gender tropes, he’s shorter than her, she’s the strong one, he’s the sweet one, and I’m definitely a sucker for slow burn. 

“Is this how love feels like?” “You think I’d know?”

Another one inspired by @tothineownelfbetrue Disenchantment fanfiction “Being Orpheus”. Link to the ff:  https://archiveofourown.org/works/24270553/chapters/58494040

Sketching is done, let's see how it turns out in digital, proportions need to be fixed too. In the meanwhile I'm keeping an eye on the poll! Let me know what you think 💙

New #dramione #wip by me find it here on AO3

"He looks so pretty, like the devil!"

Summary - A week and a half after one of the worst wizarding wars in history, the Ministry of Magic has asked wizarding and muggle-born families to welcome the children of Death Eaters (who are awaiting trial) into their homes, for the summer.

Hermione has literally just got her parents back and is outraged to find out that McGonagall wants the family to invite the 'ultimate dipshit' Draco Malfoy to stay with them.

But if they refuse, Malfoy is headed to Azkaban.

POV: you're training for your first mission with the men of letters. You spent the last 20 minutes walking the rest of the way from the car to the shooting range. Its an open Kansas field, with targets at varying distances. The wind picks up, brushing your hair off of your shoulders.

"You ready?" your partner and trainer for the day, Arthur Ketch askes you. He drops the large case on the ground and starts setting the gun onto it's tripod.

After he's explained all the parts of the weapon to you, he invites you to kneel down and line the cross hairs up to a target. Another chill late September breeze billows past you. You steady the weapon in your hands and feel Arthur's palm on your back, keeping you grounded. you try to brush past the feelings his touch stirred in you.

"getting a little friendly?" You asked, when the wind dipped down and you could speak over it.

"just a little. you know, we're going to be playing the part of a couple for this mission. Do you think you'll be ready for that?"

"Oh please Arthur," you reply, your low back still burning under his touch "I've faked it with plenty of bigger assholes than you."

"Fine," he relented, removing his hand. you missed it immediately, but you couldn't show it. There would be plenty of times to play at being Ketch's girl, later, when you could blame the mission on it.

but the wait was going to be agony.

If you're into slow burns, love triangles. espionage and sarcasm you're not gonna want to miss my new fic Just my Type (link in bio)

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Supernatural (TV 2005) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Arthur Ketch/Original Female Character(s), Arthur Ketch/Mary Winchester, Dean Winchester/Original Female Character(s) Characters: Dean Winchester, Arthur Ketch, Sam Winchester, Mary Winchester Additional Tags: Love Triangle, Spies & Secret Agents, Slow Burn Summary:

Morgan moved cities for a fresh start- and because she needed the bump in pay to help her make payments on her mounting credit card debt. after surviving a vampire attack which turns out to be more than it seems, morgan is pulled to the world of supernatural, monster hunting, and the men of letters. But the men of letters don't like loose ends, and offer Morgan a job with them to keep her closer. At first the bump in pay seems like exactly what she needs to wipe her slate clean, but slowly Intrigue and tension form and she finds herself torn between the affections of two men.

On the one hand, Dean is fun loving and compassionate, and the two share a mutual attraction, but Morgan doubts he's ready for a relationship, with all the commitment and baggage that goes along with it.

Arthur is harder to win over. Morgan isn't sure if his interest in her is superficial, but they form a bond working alongside each other that makes her wonder where the relationship could go.