Little John.

About time.

John stuck his finger in the cuff of his shirt collar and tugged at it to loosen it up. It’d been a long time since he’d dated. After he’d made plans with Cass and left the cafe, he thought about his lack of love life. Sure, he’d dated here and there in the past, but rarely did anything last. He’d always prioritized his pack, and that loyalty had carried over to Robin and the rest of their gang. The timing now was poor when there was more danger looming in the shadows, and under their noses - but he found himself craving something a little more than the thrills of his and Robin’s work.

Drumming his knuckles against the wood of the door, John held a bag of groceries in the other hand and waited patiently. When Cass opened the door, he resisted smiling immediately, giving her a sly look as he tried to act cool. “ Well hello, Miss Cass, your personal chef for the night has arrived. On the menu tonight is pan seared filet mignon with mushroom red wine sauce with blue cheese, and of course - ” he held up the two bottles of wine in his other hand, “- plenty of wine to drink.”

His reassurance as to the nature of their date coupled with an unnervingly soft smile sent the butterflies in her stomach into a greater frenzy. That was nothing compared to her reaction when he suggested her coming over to his place. He…was going to cook…for her? That was way sweeter and more intimate than she’d anticipated, and no doubt the look on her face betrayed her surprise. Indeed, her eyes were wide as saucers and she somehow managed to still have a smile on her face that was both bashful and gleeful. 

“A self-proclaimed chef, huh? I never would’ve pegged you for the cooking type, John. I’m pleasantly surprised.” she replied, a bit of a laugh lilting her speech, “That sounds absolutely brilliant. I mean, we don’t even have to go to the park. I’d be perfectly content just sitting and talking, especially since we don’t ever really get to hang out. When do we wanna do this, then? I’m pretty flexible.”

-

John watched her with a curious, soft expression on his face. Surely this wasn’t what he expected from coming in that day, especially so late. Perhaps the lateness of his arrival played into all of this. If he’d come in earlier, Cass would have been like the energizer bunny, bouncing around the cafe to provide the exceptional service that she always did. Sure, he’d have moments alone with her on slow days, but usually he was the one on the run, or they just had a pleasant chat. But the way she’d asked him out had taken him off guard; he’d always been so fond of her, but for the longest time, the thought of dating had been the last thing on his mind. In the moment, however, it was hard to say no. It was hard to even want to. It’d just never clicked until now.

“You sure ‘bout that? I’m pretty sure I look like a man that can eat,” John laughed, leaning back to pat his stomach dramatically. “Someone’s gotta cook to keep Robin from givin’ me and everyone else food poisonin’.” 

“Screw the park, then, if I’m bein’ frank,” John began with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders, “I’ve gotta work tonight, but what are you doin’ tomorrow?”

Cass couldn’t help the bright smile that cam across her features at John’s acceptance of a date. “Oh, well I mean, it doesn’t need to be like a, like a date date if you don’t want it to be. Not that I’m opposed, I’m super down…I just. Erm.” She coughed, tucking some hair behind her ear as she awkwardly tried to compose herself. They were two normal adults and this was a normal thing to do. No need to be so weird about it. It just didn’t help that he was this huge, really attractive guy that she had chemistry with. 

“Right! So, umm, I didn’t exactly plan this sooooo…Do you have any suggestions? I tend to cook a lot or have it delivered, so I’m a bit out of touch when it comes to where to eat. We could also just go do something not food-oriented! Totally open for whatever.”

-

“I wouldn’t say it could be a date date if I didn’t want it to be,” John teased, flashing a soft smile at her. “You’re right, Cass. I have been all work and no play lately. The world ain’t goin’ to end if I take one night off.” It wasn’t like he was the only of Robin’s crew keeping an eye out for suspicious activity. Best to enjoy himself before things began to escalate. If they escalated. But they usually did. It was more about ‘when’ it would, than if.

He listened to her talk, the look on his face not so quiet about how much he was loving how nervous she was all of a sudden. It pleasantly surprised him, and flattered him even. Cass had always been so sweet, and he’d always loved coming in to see her. “I’m a bit of a self-proclaimed chef, myself. How about we nix the restaurant part altogether and just cook somethin’ way better together? You handle the desserts, I’ll handle the meats. Then we can head out to the movie in the park after.”

HERCULES shook his head in disagreement with Jonathan, he didn’t want any payback, any kind of present or money. He was more than happy to help keep a roof above both of their heads, besides whether Jonathan realized it or not he was already paying Herc back; in friendship. “You can put out the trash tonight and we can call it even” he chuckled. 

“Oh..” Hercules sighed sadly, putting the pieces of the puzzle together in his head. He had met Doug, he really liked the kid but he also had a feeling he was running from something. John’s words were the crushing realization that Doug had either lied– kind of– to Hercules or else he was in bigger trouble than he had thought. “I’ve met him I think. He’s harmless– he’s naïve!” Herc sighed, once upon a time he had been too. “He really is just a kid… gods this is horrible.” he cursed, his fist balled in anger. 

Hercules wanted to protect Doug, just like he would protect his new friend Lilo, or John or Tiana– or anyone he cared about. Protecting people was quite literally what he lived for and right now he felt helpless to Doug’s cause. He sat with his shoulders slumped in defeat, how the hell was he supposed to help make this right when he didn’t even know where Doug had run off to? “Hm kind of sounds like you when I first met you.” Herc teased. “Without the bullying because bullying is…bad…” he stated. 

Taking the final sip of his drink Hercules placed his empty can on the coffee table and looked towards John. “So what do we do about Doug?”

-

“Deal,” John said with a nod of his head, happy to make that deal. He’d of course find other ways to make up for it, but he was also just the kind of guy to enjoy spoiling others and having fun. Hercules was a good guy, and he liked going out of his way for him the same way Herc did for him.

John’s heart sank a little when Hercules had such a reaction to the information he’d given him about the scout. He’d obviously had a positive interaction with him. “Sometimes the ones that look like they couldn’t hurt a fly are the ones you gotta worry about,” he said, “it’s who he reports to that is most likely going to be the problem. Unless the kid is scared. From what I gather from Robin, it kinda seems like he doesn’t want to leave this place and will do anything to make that happen. Desperation can make a fool out of us all. If that’s the case, then we need to worry.”

John cracked a smile at Hercules, “Touche. I am pretty sus, aren’t I? It’s the eyes. They give me away every time,” he joked as he crushed his beer can in his hands idly. “I don’t know if there’s anything we can do yet. Robin tried to tell him that we could help him, but he rejected it. Didn’t trust her. I’ve scouted out a couple of people he seems to be close to so I can keep an eye on them and make sure they’re safe. I guess just watch him if you see him again. See if he’s up to anything suspicious. I think his reinforcements are already here, so just be careful.”

“You say that, and yet you are only ever in here when you’re on business. Might I remind you, you are also in here frequently. I promise I’m not chastising you without cause. I’m an Aunt, not a blood mother. I tend to construct my arguments in reality…I try to, at least.” she conceded, knowing she was certainly far from perfect. However, she did her best to ensure the wellbeing of those she cared about, especially if something caused concern. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she’d grown quite fond of John.

His remark about her cookies brought color to her cheeks, biting her lower lip to keep from grinning like mad. He was a buttercream guy…good to know. As he munched away, a thought finally breached to the forefront…she had to do something. Him calling her a sun spot in his day released a whole host of butterflies into her stomach and she added onto that, “Well, the feelings are definitely mutual, John. I think we both need each other…” She trailed off as her eyes met his. Just go for it. Hiro and Tadashi would both want you to.

“So, you know what? Let’s get dinner. You and me. We don’t have to, like, call it anything you don’t want to, but I think we both deserve to go out and have fun…Together. We could even do the Summer movie night if you’d like! I know I think it’d be a ball…What do you say?”

-

“I’m a busy man, Cass,” John said, though he knew she had a point. Between jobs that required actual manual labor to put food on his table, and his efforts to help root out the threats in Prentiss, John had been burning the candle at both ends. He could use a break. At least, a little one. He wouldn’t want Robin to work herself into the ground, and he knew that feeling was mutual. “But you’re probably right. I’m overdue for some kind of a break. Thanks for noticin’ and callin’ me out on it. It’s pretty easy for me to get distracted with work.”

He finished off his cookie in three bites, sipping on his coffee to wash it down like the caffeine was water. A little rush of dopamine flooded his head, his body physically sighing from the sugar. Her presence was equally calming for him - and he couldn’t help but wonder, was it the cookie, or Cass? Or maybe a little of both. He wouldn’t put it pass her to always give him cookies to make him associate her with sweet things - because she was by far the sweetest.

He cracked a smile at her returning the sentiment, but found himself caught off guard in the next moment when she asked him to get dinner. “Let’s not beat around the bush, Cass. I’d love to go on a date with you. I’d be outta my damn mind to not know a good time when I see one.”

“You say good ol’ fashioned fun as if I’ve ever seen you have fun. Sweetheart, I’ve never seen you come in here in one piece. Something is always dragging along behind you, usually your behind itself.” she teased, unable to help herself from patting his hands again. What on earth had gotten over her? She really needed to start sleeping more or something.

She rested her elbows on the counter, trying to contain her laughter at the thought of John being jealous at a child. “You, jealous? Now that’s a sight I’d like to see.” she chuckled, nudging the plate in his direction. His remark about something sweet waiting ignited another remark, one that flew from her lips before she could so much as take a breath and consider it. “What, having me here to tease you and give you your caffeine fix not sweet enough? Duly noted, sir, duly noted.” 

-

“All work and no play makes John a dull boy. Cass, I have plenty of fun, I promise - just sometimes a man’s gotta keep his head down and work,” John said with a sigh, lamenting about the fact that it was easier to protect people he got close to if they didn’t know he was there to try to protect them. It was what it was, there was no getting him to budge on that.

“Anyone walkin’ out of here with the last of your cookies is goin’ to make me jealous,” John chuckled, “If I can be frank for a moment, comin’ here is the best part of my day. And it ain’t always because of the caffeine or sugar fix.” His gaze and tone softened, and he tried disguising it by grabbing the buttercream beach ball cookie. He examined it for a second before grinning like a big kid and taking a monstrous bite out of it. “Buttercream is my fave - this is delicious,” he sputtered out with a mouthful before taking a sip of his coffee to wash it down. He’d half forgotten that he was supposed to be somewhere, but he was okay with taking a break for a moment. “I don’t come here for the caffeine anymore, Cass. And the cookies are just a big bonus. Thanks for being a sun spot in my day. I’ll be the last to admit it, but I do need it sometimes.”

“Well John, has this Robin had to deal with the ferocity of…a concerned mama bear?” she snarled playfully, curling her fingers into pretend claws before dissolving into laughter. “I’ll tell you what I tell Hiro, just because it’s your best friend doesn’t make it okay. You know your own body and limits better than anyone else. I know you’re a good man to a fault, so that’s why I have to ask. If you aren’t going to remind you to take good care of yourself, someone has to.”

She slid his regular into his hands, patting them with a smile before she went back to grab her summer spread of goodies from the back. His question about her day did not go unnoticed, as she waved a hand dismissively in his direction as she walked. “Oh goodness, it was much the same as always. Fred came by and had a fantastic comic book hall. Taught me all about Red Sonja and while I still don’t understand it all, it’s always nice to see someone excited about something. Speaking of…” The cafe owner emerged from the kitchen with a mile-wide toothy grin. “I have a sampling of my summer treats for you to try! There’s a fresh fruit tart, a buttercream beachball cookie, aaaand something called ‘unicorn toast’. I need your complete and honest opinion about all of these, okay? No beating around the bush.”

“No, no she hasn’t,” John laughed, hearing her out before he chimed in again. “Don’t worry yourself over me, Cass. It ain’t a forever thing. Sometimes you just need to make a few sacrifices to make sure something important happens - or that something doesn’t. I don’t do anything without a good reason. Unless it’s just for some good ole’ fashion fun.”

He smiled at her when she handed him his coffee, softening at the little pat of her slender hands on top of his. In that moment, he resisted to temptation to pull out his flask in front of her to add a lil’ something special to it. He wasn’t in the mood for a second mama bear speech, just her company. “But I do appreciate your concern. More than you know,” he said, breaking eye contact with her only to take a small sip of his coffee.

John enjoyed listening to her about her day. She always had such funny stories about the kids that were around her, in and out of her shop. He’d met a couple in passing, so he knew faces to their names. “I’m waaaay behind on my comic book game, but I am sure I’ll get the full update too next time I see ‘em,” he laughed, similar to her in that he was often an ear to listen. But sometimes, the listeners needed someone to listen to them, too, and he liked to make sure she had that person in him.

“Come on, Johnny! Keep up!”

Robin laughed back as she trudged along the shoreline. She had decided pretty quick after landing in Prentiss that running in the sand was the way to go. Just as good as those fancy gyms. Running in sand, jumping fences, pulling yourself into trees - that was the sort of exercise that she swore by. Everything was made better when there was a bit of adventure mixed in, that was Robin’s credo, second only to a firm belief that more money really did equal more problems. She had had both - she knew what she preferred.

Her bravado didn’t ever equal to ease, slowing to a stop as they neared the boardwalk. With her last bit of energy, she swung herself up on the railing of a surf shop and finally paused to catch her breath. ,

It was a day - a fairly regular day for Robin. 

But as she looked up, everything shifted, worlds shifting together, and the only word Robin could pull together was, “Shit.”

She slipped down, eyes stuck on Declan as he stared back. “John… John… this is…” Bad? No. It couldn’t be bad. It did not matter how many years had passed, she could not believe anything the man could be bad… but did that make it good? Could her worlds combine and things stay the same? “How sweaty do I look? How’s my breath?” She tore her eyes away from the man and to John beside her. “Johnny, as my dearest friend and partner, please tell me I did not look like I was struggling when I was running and he saw…”

“I hope you know strength training is more my strong suit than cardio,” John yelled loudly at her with a huff as he tailed after her. He kept up well enough - doing so with a big grin on his face-  but she was still a little faster and more agile than him. But John loved the way Robin challenged him; she made him better. They made each other better. 

When they’d finally come to a stop, John huffed and puffed, out of breath but content from the exhaustion. He bent over, hands on his knees as he worked to catch his breath and recover for round 2. “You’re a real fox with the way you jump around and bob and weave through obstacles,” he commented breathlessly with a sly grin on his face. But when he looked up at her, she looked distracted - distraught, even - like she’d seen a ghost. And nothing scared ole’ Robin. 

“What’s got your feathers ruffled?” He asked, looking around, at first in a cautionary way, like he was expecting a fight. He followed her eyeline to the stranger, then brought it back to her. “Robin, you’re always a sleuth and a champ. Had me runnin’ for my money. What’s goin’ on? Who is that?”

Max didnt bother telling him he could take that or leave it. He just sniffed at the drink one final time and took a long sip of it. He felt like he was dying as it burned the sides of his throat. “Nothin’s wrong really.” He admitted. “It’s just one of those days where you’re tired but it’s the kind of tired even a thousand hours of sleep wouldn’t help…. That probably makes no sense whatsoever but like….” It didn’t occur to him that he could be depressed. It was just how his life worked at times.

Originally posted by maeveasshole

-

“You’re preachin’ the the choir, kid, that’s the story of my life some days,” John replied, leaning forward on the table. He gestured at the drink. “Now, don’t tell Cass I put alcohol in that drink or she’ll tear into me. But sometimes takin’ off the edge can help. What do you got goin’ on right now in your life?”

“The hardest working slacker I know.” she retorted with a bright grin, setting to work on fixing up his usual, this time making it a double and adding an extra shot of espresso. She always enjoyed John’s company, but she worried constantly about him. While they talked for quite a while whenever he would come in, she had no clue what he did for work beyond what he volunteered to share, and something in her told her not to ask. Perhaps this was his one haven away from whatever he did for work that had him so tired all the time, so she made sure to always take good care of him whenever he stopped in.

“You know, I have half a mind to go find this boss of yours and give them what for. You’ve been having a lot of long nights lately. I’m seriously starting to worry about you, John. Are you getting enough sleep? Are you eating enough?” Blame the mother in her or blame feelings she’d not dared to unpack, but she couldn’t help but inquire about his wellbeing. She set his coffee in front of him with one hand, taking his hand in her other and looking him dead in the eyes. “Be honest with me, now. Don’t lie to me.” she said sternly, giving his hand a firm squeeze as if to further emphasize her concern. His remark about the cookies didn’t go unnoticed, but before she revealed her big surprise for him, she needed to check in first.

-

John sat down at the counter across from her, leaning forward on his forearms to watch her as she worked. His mouth watered a little, eager for his daily hit of caffeine that he’d missed out on earlier that day while he kept an eye on something that struck him as new and suspicious. Not everyone new was suspicious - this was still a tourist spot - but he was airing on the side of caution. New werewolves he was specifically keeping an eye out for. 

The man lost himself in his thoughts, scanning his memories of the day for any details he might have missed. It didn’t surprise him when Cass spoke, but her pressing questions took him off guard. He looked up suddenly, his eyes wide for a second before he settled in to respond. “That boss is my best friend in the whole wide world, Cass. You’re goin’ to have a hard time tellin’ Robin what to do,” he laughed, shaking his head as he waved his hands to disregard the worry. “I’m fine. I’m fine. Couldn’t get me to eat less or sleep less if you tried. I do a lot of manual labor for hire. Sometimes that’s goin’ to dictate my sleeping schedule a little.”

John sighed and smiled at her. She cared, and that meant the world to him. There was a reason why he was a regular. “But I appreciate your worry. That’s real sweet of you, Cass. You didn’t tell me how your day was, though. I still wanna know.”

Location: Lucky Cat Cafe

Closed Starter: Little John//Cass

@initforthekicks​

“Okay bud, you can have this bag of cookies right here, as long as you promise to share with your siblings. Pinky promise?” Cass inquired, extending her pinky out to the child in front of her. Wrapping her pinky around their’s, she shot them a wink before handing over the last little bag of cookies for the night. Anything Cass didn’t sell, she was always willing to give to a lucky guest or donate. It just so happened that a child had scampered in to get a cookie, and said he wanted a big one to split with his siblings. Being the tenderhearted gal she was, she couldn’t help but give the little youngster some more to share before sending him on his way. He bolted out the door with a polite thank you, causing Cass to laugh and wave goodbye. Glancing up at the clock, she realized it was about ten minutes til close and a familiar face hadn’t popped in once today.

Sure enough, as if she’d summoned him, a familiar, lumbering figure emerged in the doorway of the cafe. “I was wondering when you’d show up. Leave it to you to show up five minutes before I close.” she teased, placing her hands on her hips and giving John a playful grin. “You want your usual, dear?”

-

John had work to do. Well, as much as kicking back around town and people watching was work. But it required his attention, none the less. He was Robin’s second pair of eyes, and he took her concerns as seriously as she did. Maybe more so, since he was often warning her not to do anything rash or bet too much on her confidence. 

A yawn escaped the bear of a man as he rubbed his eyes, fatigue wearing him down a little. Nothing a little pick-me-up wouldn’t do. He headed to his favorite cafe, a craving for caffeine and pleasant conversation with Cass. He pulled open the door, stepping back to let the excited child dart through. He smiled at the way the kid radiated happiness from what he could only assume was classic Cass generosity. He entered into the cafe, smile turning into a grin at her sass. “What can I say? I’m a hardworkin’ slacker,” he said with a nonchalant shrug as he owned the comment.

HERCULES smiled at John’s reaction, he had only ever meant to be kind and help them not be evicted– it was hard to find a housemate as tough as he was, or someone who wasn’t freaked out at superhuman strength! “See I have your back, you always doubt me!” he protested with a chuckle. “Don’t worry about the money John, just keep yourself out of trouble and I will be happy to keep us afloat.” he smiled, opening his drink and taking a sip. Hercules nodded as he listened to John, a small frown crossed his features as he tired to put the whole story together. “I wonder… I met this kid.. he seemed a little lost. – also how do I know if someone is suspicious or not if I’ve never met them before?”

-

John starred at Hercules, his eyes wide and his lips pulled into a faux frown, touched by his generosity as he stood up from the lounge chair and tossed his arms around the man, pulling him into a big bear hug. “You’re the best, man,” he said before he let him go. “I’ll pay it back in some way. Always do.”

John raised an eyebrow and tilted his head forward when Hercules mentioned a kid who had seemed lost. 

“Robin was tellin’ me that their scout was already here. She’d gotten in the way of him gettin’ some shapeshifter’s feather to track it down for his pack to hunt. Slim but athletic build, silky brown hair, kinda short, big doe eyes anyone would fall for? That’s the description I got from Robin. Kid’s name was Douglas if I remember correctly.”

“Before Robin and Little John times?” Robin laughed. “Never heard of ‘em.” There was darkness in the years before she found him. A lot of death. She wasn’t proud of that. She hadn’t been proud of it at the time. But it had seemed like the only choice, the only way out of the world she had been born into. 

There could be more to her life than death, though. She never thought she could help people until she helped him and his pack. He was her closest person and she was damn lucky to have him. 

“I think we got to.” She clicked her tongue, feet hitting the ground hard before she stood to pace and think, already restless at the simple idea of settling for longer than a few weeks. “I wager they’ll be here and they’ll be here quick. We can’t leave ‘em defenseless.” She wondered if Christopher Robin would let her keep her room a little bit longer. Free meals would be more difficult to get her hands on as well when they became a full time gig. John could sniff out the other wolves - Doug didn’t know she had friends yet - but she could think of nothing else they could do but… wait. “We keep an eye on him. He knows he’s being watched - doesn’t know by quite how many eyes, but at least mine. We stay ready for when the big dogs arrive… pun intended… and I’ll work on me some of those employable skills to help me settle.”

-

“Honestly? Me neither, now that I you mention it,” John replied, a half grin on his face while he took another straight-faced sip of his alcoholic coffee. Life had gotten better with Robin. She always had some wild scheme or plan. John liked to stay busy. He wasn’t a fan on lingering on the past, and neither was she. They were meant to be partners. 

“Alright, alright,” the man said, raising a hand to rub the scruff of his face in thought. “I’ll do a couple of night runs here and there. Nothin’ suspicious. Just a jog out about town with my eyes wide open and my nose to the ground-” he paused, glancing at his watch for the date and sighed, “We’re comin’ up on a full moon pretty quick, too.”

“The kid’s probably goin’ to avoid you like the goddamn plague. We gotta plan for that,” he commented, his eyebrows furrowed together. “How close were you to him? Do you think he’s got your scent? Do we - meaning me, Tuck, and the gang - need to keep our distance?”

Max…. Had never had to turn to alcohol before. When something was wrong, his dad would make waffles and they’d sit at the coffee table in the living room and talk. He didn’t want to be rude though she he nodded, raising it in a slight cheer. “Thanks.” He took a drink and only just managed to stifle a cough, smiling and setting it down. “Not bad.”

Originally posted by fakehappymeal

“That’ll help you grow some hair on your chest,” John remarked, taking a sip of his own with a straight face. He leaned forward, setting his elbows on the table while cupping his cup of coffee in his hands. “You wanna continue the small talk and pretend nothin’ is wrong or talk about what’s got you stuck in the thoasand yard stare?”

HERCULES froze in his spot as John called out to him, of course the young God had never wanted to cause any trouble… but he also did not want to fall behind on bills– which led to another problem; being too early with them. “Actually I paid our rent a week early.” he quipped back, one hand up to catch his kombucha. Hercules chuckled as he took a seat on the arm of the couch. “It was just a once off… like receiving your vacation pay before you go on vacation.. I like to be organized.”

-

John gave Hercules a humorous glare while he listened to him explain himself, then nodded once when he understood the whole picture. “Oh,” he said, following with a nervous chuckle. “Well... Thank you. Now this is awkward. My bad. I’ll pay you back as soon as a job finishes up. Kinda been distracted with some work that’s needing to get done on the side,” he paused briefly before deciding that it would be best to just tell Hercules what he was up to. The man had quickly built up trust with him, as John had worked to do the same. It was a relief knowing he had some strong man back up if he really needed it. “I think we might be gettin’ some dangerous people rollin’ into town - a new werewolf pack that ain’t what it seems. So keep your eyes peeled for anythin’ suspicious.”