#ayvenol

the sky was bleeding violet.

mark hovered above the ruins of what used to be a city, his breath shallow, his body aching. the war had torn through dimensions, each version of himself more twisted than the last- some drunk on power, others hollowed by grief. he had fought them all, but nothing prepared him for this.

a sonic boom cracked the air, alerting him.

from the smoke emerged a figure- glowing, graceful, terrifying in his power. he moved like a meteor, fists blazing with solar energy, cape trailing behind him like a comet’s tail. he wasn’t just fighting the variants- he was actually winning. one by one, he knocked them out of the sky, shielding civilians, redirecting collapsing buildings with telekinetic force.

mark's heart then stopped. because he knew exactly who that was.

It was you. in all your glory but still the same person he once knew. not just alive- but transcendent. powerful.

the boy who used to sit beside him in class, doodling superheroes in the margins. the one who believed in justice before mark even understood what it really meant. the one who died in his arms two years ago, all because he couldn't control himself.

he began to feel the heavy weight of guilt build up in his body. flashes of heat reminding him of how horrible he felt after it was too late to save you.

but this version… this version of you was amazing.

mark dropped to the ground, knees buckling. he watched as you landed softly, boots crunching against broken pavement. your eyes glowing with golden light, but your expression softening when you finally see mark.

“mark?” your voice was deeper now, steadier. but the warmth was unmistakable.

mark then staggered forward. “you're… you’re alive.”

you nodded slowly, laying a hand on his back to steady the both of you. “i'm guessing i died in your world...” he gives you a look of 'how did you know that' and you offer him a sad but kind smile.

"you wouldn't be the first one to tell me that," you state. "but you are different than most variants." you didn't have the mind to ask him what happened to you in his world though.

you didn't want to cause any extra distress.

mark's voice cracked. “i never stopped dreaming about you. i never stopped missing you.” he clung to you desperately, and for a moment you could have sworn you saw tears building up in his eyes. you weren't surprised but it still hurt to see any version of mark hurt.

you stepped closer, hand outstretched. “then maybe this fight isn’t just about survival. maybe it’s about finding what we lost.”

he looked at you, eyes brimming. “i want you back. not just this version. you. my best friend.”

he can feel your body stiffen at his request, almost like you want to pull away any second. and he notices the way your heartbeat slightly quickens too. but he's not going to let up about this. "please? you don't understand-"

"mark, that's not fair. i'm not yours- i'm not from your world and we both know that." you try to get that sense of delusion out of his head before it consumes him whole. you didn't necessarily want to fight him though, maybe he was one of the ones you could actually talk to.

"just at least- come back with me? only for a bit i swear. my world's been in shamble too. and if you really have your mind made up- i'll leave you alone." he begged.

you could hear the desperation in his tone, feel it in the way he clung to you. but you weren't getting the same bad vibes you did from other variants that had found you and wanted you back. you knew that your mark was somewhere doing damage control that would take a while- and you knew that he would find you if anything really went wrong.

so you...

you smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder. “then let’s go. together. but only-"

"-for a bit? yeah i know." he interrupted you, eagerly pushing you to the portal he had come out of.

it wasn't much, but you still wanted to help people where you could. so you didn't think twice about how eager he was- as long as you got back to your mark- your home- you would be fine.

it has officially been 2 whole weeks since that night. you had walked home alone and didn't bother greeting anyone. you just went straight to your room and cried yourself to sleep. 'thankfully it's the weekend' you had thought to yourself when you got home. you didn't know how you would show up to school with a puffy, sore, face. let alone see rodrick.

so even though it had been 2 weeks since that night, it had been two weeks since you saw rodrick. well- technically not seeing him. every time you would walk the halls between periods, you would see him walking around as well except it was with some of his band friends or 'nerds' he would ask to do his homework. and every single time, you would get the hell outta dodge.

see him in the hallways? gone. the cafeteria? gone. the bathroom? gone.

by your locker? well, you purposely waited until you watched him leave your locker after he figured you weren't coming. you didn't care how pathetic it seemed to look, waiting for him to leave so that you didn't have to face him, but you just couldn't handle seeing him.

so here you were, at your locker after you literally watched rodrick leave- a small look of irritation written all over his face. this time he had waited for damn near thirty minutes, but you would wait it out as long as you had to.

grabbing your books from science class, you drop them into your bag along with a couple of pencils.

after cleaning up a couple of papers from your locker, you find one of rodrick's rings in the far-right corner. you recognize it from that one time you got it for him at a fair. during last fall where he dragged you out with him, just you two. picking it up, you examine it. the ring didn't necessarily match his aesthetic- it was gold with intricate patterns on it but he loved it. as soon as you won it for him he wore it ever since then, but now it sits in your locker.

untouched.

he must've dropped it in my locker throughout the week...

although, you couldn't make yourself leave it sitting in your locker collecting dust. so you dropped it into the side of your bag's pocket. but as you put your hand on the side of the locker getting ready to close it-

"why are you ignoring my brother?"

you jump and slam your locker out of fear and turn your body to the voice. your heart banging against your ribcage and your breathing starting to pick up. moving your head down slightly, you're met with rodrick's younger brother greg who has a hand on his hip and an interrogating look on his face. you arch your brow at him and squint your eyes as you try to figure out why he even asked you that in the first place.

"what the hell are you even doing- how did you even get in here? don't you-"

"go to the middle school? yes. but that's not what i'm here for. why are you-"

sighing you fling your backpack over your shoulder and start to walk towards the entrance doors. "yeah i heard you greg, doesn't mean i have to answer you."

you slightly cringe at how mean you sound but it wasn't like you wanted to be mean to the kid, in fact you really liked him- no matter how much he got on rodrick's nerves. but you weren't in the mood for his shenanigans today. or to be interrogated at all.

"just wait (name), please?"

stopping in your tracks, you turn around and lean against the lockers. "five minutes, i want to get home."

greg perks up at that and walks over to you. "well, rodrick's been moping around the house for weeks now. he doesn't even blast his music in the middle of the night anymore. why are you ignoring him?"

you make a face at that last comment and rub your fingers against your temple. "i'm not doing anything. he's the one who's been acting weird, maybe ask your brother greg." you finish as you turn to walk away.

"is it about the tape?"

what.

turning back around, your face for sure looks shocked because greg begins to speak again as if he's trying to explain himself. "i- i found it like a long time ago but he made me promise not to say anything to you," he pauses. "but if you want to know-"

"what's on it greg?"

he comically looks around making sure everyone is out of earshot before he turns back to you. "...it's a song. for you. about you."

he says the last part hesitantly and quieter than the rest. you feel that same burning sensation in your chest and the heat growing on your face. you wouldn't have guessed he would make a song specifically for you- but it made sense now.

sure you two had a strong friendship, stronger than any of the other friendships he has. and yeah there was that one time you two cuddled each other during one of your various sleepovers. or the time he wouldn't let go of your hand when you two went to go see a movie and walked back home at night- but it was cold so that's normal... right? that was just your guys dynamic.

...right?

"just talk to him? please? he gets on my nerves too but he's still my brother y'know?" and that was all you needed to hear.

tightening the straps of your bag you practically run down the hall and out of the doors. you had one thing on your mind-

talk to rodrick.

the sun was beginning to set now, and you eventually mustered up the courage to go over rodrick's house to talk with him. you did take the long way from your house to his to kill time and really kill your nerves, but you were in front of his house sooner than you wanted to be. you made sure to bring the ring that he had left in your locker as well, you wanted him to have it back.

no matter which way this conversation went.

you kick up the corner of the welcome mat on the porch and pick up the key that was sitting under it, taking note that his parents aren't here tonight either- again.

walking in, you don't hear rodrick's music blasting from his room. nor do you hear anything else throughout the house- it's really quiet. way too quiet.

but you make your way up the stairs anyways and see rodrick's door slightly ajar. but you don't just walk right in like you would've two weeks ago. not wanting to invade his space like you did with the tape. but you begin to feel your nerves eating away at you as you slowly raise your hand up to knock on his door.

however, before you can make the first knock, his door opens wider and he looks at you standing there with nervousness written all over your face. rodrick doesn't look shocked though, in fact he looks like he had expected you to be there. you look at him fully; he's in regular sweatpants and his hair is a bit messy but he's wearing the hoodie you gave back to him. the sleeves look wet and that's when you look at his eyes and notice how they have a slight red hue to them. you begin to feel a bit guilty.

"i didn't think you would come over today..." he begins, but he whispers it quietly. "come in?" he asks you as he opens the door wider and stepping aside for you.

you don't answer him, but you gladly walk in and plop down on his bed. his scent fills your nose, and you realize how much you had missed him. his room is messier than usual, his record player sat untouched, and some of his clothes were thrown out on the floor.

"don't mind the mess, i haven't cleaned up in a little bit," he says as he closes his door shut and sits right next to you on his bed. "how have you been?"

your lips quirk and you look at him at bit sadly because you know he's been crying and he's trying to ignore it just to check up on you. "good. i've been good-"

"i- itried talking to you but i haven't seen you around much and i didn't mean to make you upset either, but i didn't know what to do- and i wasn't ready to give it to you- but-"

"rodrick, calm down, okay?" you firmly say, stopping him from going on a tangent as you grab both of his hands that he was fidgeting with. his breathing was uneven, and you could see tears welling up in his eyes that he tried desperately to blink back. "it's okay, yeah?"

he shakes his head in agreeance and finally calms down after a couple of seconds. you let the room sit in silence as you continue to hold his hands, brushing your thumb over his fingers.

"i'm not mad at you, i never was mad at you. i think we just need to talk to each other," you say and you finally smile as he squeezes your hands back. "i apologize for going through the box, and for stealing your hoodies. i overstepped-"

"no (name), no. you didn't do anything wrong. i like when you wear my hoodies."

your eyes light up at that. "you do?"

"yeah, i uhm- i remember when you first started wearing my hoodies back in our freshman year and when i had asked you about it. you told me it helped you with your dysphoria so i liked how comfortable you were with me," he pauses. "so how could i be mad at you about that?"

you begin to feel your own tears well up in your eyes at his remembrance of you. huffing out a laugh as you squeeze his hands. "then what about the tape? i mean you kinda freaked out on me about it and i thought i overstepped a boundary."

rodrick begins to shake his head. "what? no, i just..."

silence returns to fill the room, but you patiently wait for him to get his thoughts together. he sits up straighter now and wipes the unshed tears out of his eyes. he grabs your hands again and looks you in your eyes now.

"i like you (name). i have for a long time now but i was scared because... well i didn't know if you would like me back and you're so cool- like my best friend- i just- i didn't want to lose that."

now, everyone knows that rodrick wasn't big on emotions. if something was truly bothering him, he would play it out on his drums or blast music until his ears bled, and his problems were gone.

but not with you.

no, with you he was real. he was tender, and he was willing to be vulnerable with you just like you were willing to be vulnerable with him.

"you'll never lose me silly," you begin. "i like you too, and i didn't tell you for the same reasons as well but i'm- different. so, i didn't say-"

"you're not different to me." rodrick states firmly as he cuts you off. "never have been, never will be. but i'm glad you uh- you like me back because now," he reaches over to his nightstand and pulls the tape out of the drawer. "i can officially give you this."

you can't help but have a goofy smile on your face. not only because of the way he reassured you but because now you have the tape you two were stupidly fighting over.

"oh, i have something for you too," you say as you pull out the ring he left in your locker. "this belongs to you."

he quickly put it on and stood up, pulling you into a tight hug. you two stood there for a long moment, just enjoying each other's presence. his hair smelled faintly of his coconut shampoo he used, and you could smell your own scent on his jacket that you always wore. pulling back, his hands found their way onto your hips as he held you in place, the sparkle now back in his eyes as he looks at you fondly.

"you know that was like my last resort, right?" he huffs out a laugh.

"you dropped your ring in their as a last resort?"

he scoffs. "well how else was i supposed to get your attention? you were hiding out on me."

"mm, i don't know. could've stopped by my house or came by ms. baxter's class-"

"okay that's not fair, you know she hates me."

both of you laugh at that and rest each other's foreheads against one another's. "...would a kiss work?"

"hm?"

"as a last resort, would a kiss get your attention?"

you slightly pull your head back, smirking at him. "wanna find out?"

he doesn't waste any time and grabs you by your waist and pulls you towards him, landing a kiss right on your lips. you kiss him back slowly, savoring the moment as much as you can. after a couple of seconds, you pull back and laugh as he tries to chase your lips.

"hm, looks like it did get my attention heffley," you whisper. "anything else?"

"well-"

"rodrick? are you home?"

you both quietly groan at his mother's voice echoing throughout the house. but before he goes to open the door and answer her, he grabs you from behind you neck and kisses you again. this time with more desperation and need. he lands three more small pecks onto your now bruised lips before opening the door.

"oh and (name)?"

dazed, but now in a better mood since that night two weeks ago you hum in acknowledgement. "i'm taking you on a date this weekend and asking you out properly. don't forget."

with that, he heads down the stairs to talk to his mom.

you feel your heart flutter and that weird feeling in your stomach when you first realized you had a crush on him. smiling to yourself you take off your hoodie and grab one of his out of his closet.

you lay on his bed, waiting for him to come back but not without planning what flowers you're going to bring him next weekend.

𝄃𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄀𝄁𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄃𝄃𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄀𝄁𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄃𝄃𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄀𝄁𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄃𝄃𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄀𝄁𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄃𝄃𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄀𝄁𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄃𝄃𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄀𝄁𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄃𝄃𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄀𝄁𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄃𝄃𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄀𝄁𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄃𝄃𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄀𝄁𝄃𝄂𝄂

reblogs, likes, and requests greatly appreciated!! hope you enjoyed this one!!

fall had just started to begin, and the deep chill of the wind flows in your hair. your window now wide open with the screen off as you try to flawlessly execute your plan for the night. currently, you were standing ridiculously still in the opening of your window because as you were trying to take the screen off of it, well- it fell. like all the way down onto your home's fence, which resulted in a cringey loud noise that of course would only happen at night, when you were actually trying to be sneaky.

after a couple of minutes pass, and you know for sure that nobody in the house had woken up, you slowly move your body back inside your room. feeling the chill from outside, you wanted to make sure you weren't freezing your ass off on the walk to rodrick's house. unzipping your backpack, you make note of all the things you already have.

snacks? check. extra clothes? check. bunch of random stuff? check. jacket? wait-

rummaging through your closet, you quickly find one of your thicker jackets in your fall clothing bin. you shove it into your bag, flinging it onto your shoulder, and crawling your way out your window. with your room being on the second floor, it seemed like a far drop- but it really wasn't. not when you had a pile of leaves to fall on, all thanks to your huge backyard tree that conveniently shed its leaves near your window.

once you successfully make it out your window and down to the side of your house, you walk your way to the sidewalk. it's gotten darker now- save for the various warm streetlights that are now lit everywhere along the streets. and a couple of cars pass up and down the neighborhood as you make your way to rodrick's house. leaves crunch under your footsteps and other people walking around this evening offer you a nod in acknowledgement as you walk by.

your heartrate slightly picks up once you make the turn on the street of his house, an unknowing smile creeping up on your face due to excitement and nervousness.

his house wasn't lit up, save for a couple of windows upstairs which you guessed was his brother since no cars were in the driveway. 'perfect', you thought to yourself- sneaking in just got a whole lot easier.

running to the back of his house, you can see the typical lights and faintly hear the music coming from his room. looking around the ground, you find a couple of small pebbles on the ground and scoop them in your hand. you hoped that he could hear the rocks on his window through his music. after throwing one pebble, there was no answer. after another one was thrown, the music coming from inside abruptly stopped and the window was lifted up.

"look who finally decided to show up," rodrick whispers from his window, hair already lathered in bleach. he brings his hand out and taps on the ladder next to the window. "c'mon, c'mon!"

laughing, you jog over and climb your way into his room- bag plopped on the floor next to rodrick's guitar. "you left me freezing out there."

rodrick turns his music back on but lowers it just a tad to hear you. "yeah? what were you about to get frostbite or somethin'?" he says, his hand reaching out to grab your cool one. chills running throughout your body as his warmth reaches you.

"actually, yeah i was," you pause and fake a pout. "then who would be able to do your hair? oh my gosh-"

"oh whatever, shut up and let's get started," he laughs out, walking to his dresser. "i already mixed the bleach but i don't have gloves for the dye."

you both looked at each other from across the room, faces basically telling each other that neither of you had gloves for the very staining dye that he has. the room erupts in a bit of laughter after a moment of you two staring at each other. "i'll just wash this bleach out and we'll figure it out from there- oh and," he flips some covers over on his bed. "i got you your favorite take out."

you thank him and watch him walk down the hall to the bathroom. the smell of food gets your stomach grumbling, and his bed looks real comfortable right now, so without much thought you end up curled up on his bed going through his collection of records.

a couple of them you recognize, others you don't. but you see a lot of the ones you've gifted him over the years, and now that you think about it, the music playing right now was one of the ones you had given him.

if you remember correctly, it was the time you two went to one of the various thrift stores last summer.

"you bored yet? or do you just like snooping through my stuff?"

turning over, you see rodrick. hair wet, bleached hair, and halfway putting a shirt on. you cover your face in hopes to try and hide the nervous smile you have and calm the heat creeping up onto your cheeks. he must've just taken a shower because the smell of his signature bodywash fills the room and he looks refreshed.

and really hot.

"well yeah, i have great music taste so why wouldn't i go through the records?" you tease.

he walks over to his window and grabs your bag, looking through it. "wow so you weren't gonna tell me you have snacks?"

you roll your eyes and sit upright on his bed. "stop being dramatic, you know i brought those for you."

rodrick finally pulls the dark blue bottles of dye out of your bag, quietly laughing. "yeah i know." he says, pulling out a coke and beginning to drink it down.

"oh don't get smart-" you start, throwing some of his pillows at him as he tries to dodge them.

"alright! alright! i'm joking," he laughs. "c'mon can you do my hair now?"

"mm i don't know..."

he walks over to you, his scent really filling your nose now. he leans down to your face, his chocolate irises looking into yours. "please?"

and how could you say no after that?

heading down the hallway to the bathroom, rodrick leans on the sink as you set down the bottles along with a plastic container. after squeezing out the dye from the bottles, you reach over and ruffle his hair, the silky strands running through your fingers. "you ready? this dye actually looks really pretty." saying the last part more to yourself than to him.

but rodrick brings the container in between the two of you, shaking the container slightly. "i want to do it too."

and the way he says it- almost like he was shy about it- caught your attention. "...so then... i mean- why did you ask me to come over and do it for you silly?"

"because..."

"because?" you ask smiling at him with squinted eyes.

in a flash, he dips one of his fingers in the container and presses his fingers on your cheek. "hey!"

"my hair can't get any blonder, we should totally start putting the dye on," he says, obviously trying to ignore your questioning.

but you really didn't mind and immediately got to work.

after about thirty minutes of spreading deep blue hair dye throughout his hair, both of your hands were stained thoroughly- some of it staining parts of the sink. "this stuff isn't permanent right?"

rodrick looks down at your hands as you play with the leftover dye stuck to your fingers. he picks up one of the bottles and carefully reads the words on the back. "uh... nope. why, what's wrong?"

"well i mean, i literally snuck out so how would i explain to my family why my hands are blue?" you ask him, quirking up your eyebrows at him.

"blueberries."

you snort and look at him with a crooked smile. "blueberries?"

"yeah just say you ate a ton of blue berries in the middle of the night and they stained your hands." and you almost believe it with the way he says it with such confidence- but you know that his idea will definitely not work. "besides, i think you could clean your hands before then."

rodrick now stares at you, blue dye smudged on his hairline and throughout his head. deep brown eyes turning into honey as the warm bathroom light hits them perfectly. it was then, that you begin to notice his unique features all over again. the tiny brown freckles that quietly dust his face, the way his nose sits perfectly between his slanted eyes. including the way his lips naturally hold a pout- especially when his focus drifts off in class.

"you're staring..." he whispers, and you now notice how close you two had gotten while you were lost in thought.

before, you tried to hide your nervous smile but now it was all out for show. "and?"

he smirks at your answer, his head tilting as he leans in and really looks at you. "well if you keep staring at me," he pauses and his eyes flicker down to your lips then back up to your eyes. "then i'm going to kiss you."

"then do it."

and as much as rodrick hates listening to anyone, he sure as hell listens to you. his lips fit perfectly against yours, the taste of cola reaching your mouth. you feel cool, stained hands reach up to you- one on the base of your neck and the other one on your cheek. he tugs the back of your neck, allowing him to kiss you deeper. one of your hand's lands on his chest, grabbing his shirt and pulling him closer to you.

after a couple of minutes, you break apart from him, but you quietly laugh as he chases your lips. "slow down pretty boy."

rodrick licks his lips and huffs. "oh, so i'm pretty now?"

"always have been."

looking behind him into the bathroom mirror, you see blue smudges all across your face and all over your neck. "you made a mess-"

he pulls you back over to him by the waistband of your pants. "don't worry about that right now," he whispers and places a couple of kisses on your forehead before pulling back. "we just made out."

"yeah we did."

"and you kissed me back."

"mhm," you hum. "in fact, i think you just might like me."

"you aren't too innocent either, your tongue was just shoved dow-"

you cut him off with another kiss, purposefully placing your stained hands onto his face before kissing the tip of his nose. "don't be cocky now."

before he could answer you though, you see the time and notice that you should probably be heading home.

like right now.

"you could just stay here..." rodrick says, noticing the time as well. he has the same pout on his lips from before and his eyes look into yours.

"for starters, you need to wash the dye out of your hair and secondly, i gotta get back before anyone wakes up," you say. "and we'll technically see each other later today."

after a quiet moment, he finally relents and hops off the sink. "can i get a kiss at least?"

you turn around, grab him by his waist and land a couple of kisses on him. his smile growing after each one. "okay you can go now, but-"

"hm?"

"we can talk later right? like- about us?"

staring at him, a shy smile grows onto your face. "of course we can."

and that was all he needed.

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a/n. is this yaoi?? lol anyways i hope you enjoyed it !!

it’s been a few weeks since you had landed- well crash landed- on earth and wound up in what you now know as the batcave. in that time, you had become quite the subject on everybody’s mind. particularly with the justice league, they had taken an interest in you.

look at his physique, he must be a fighter. batman- bruce, had many questions about just you as a whole but you didn’t really blame him for being suspicious of you. it was kind of awkward how he followed you around though…

superman in particular has stepped in, not just as a mentor for you but as someone who understands the loneliness of being the last of your kind. i used to be just like you, trust me, you’ll do great here on earth, he had said. and it was the way that he said it with so much sincerity, that you couldn’t even begin to doubt him.

you’ve spent long nights in the batcave training with nightwing, and long days in metropolis talking with superman. and no matter how much you tried to ignore the warm feeling in your chest, both relationships were starting to shape you- but in different ways.

-

now, you and superman are standing on top of the daily planet building at sunset. he had taken note at your awe of sunsets so he always had you guys meet up here.

he’s calm, arms crossed, cape fluttering in the wind, watching you try to balance flight with control.

you hadn’t exactly gotten your powers adjusted yet… but you’re making progress.

“you’re learning faster than i did. took me years to trust myself not to crash into buildings.”

you smirk as the wind flies through your hair. “so you’re saying i’n better than you already?”

“alright, alright, don’t push it” he chuckles with no real spite behind his words.

he grows quieter, eyes scanning the city lights that begin to illuminate brighter as the sun begins to set more.

“but really, i know what it’s like. that silence that you hold with you? waking up everyday realizing you’re the last voice from a dead world… it doesn’t go away, but it gets easier when you let people in (name).”

that hits you hard, and for the first time, you let yourself admit out loud that you miss the sound of your people’s voices, the color of your skies, the way the stars looked from your home world. superman listens- like really listens- not with pity though, with understanding.

superman nods and watches as you successfully land on your feet. “you can carry your world with you. every story you tell, every memory you share… that is what keeps you alive.”

the sun is now almost completely below the horizon and the wind blows a bit harder against your muscles. but it feels as if you’re really on top of the world.

-

later that night, you’re back in gotham. nightwing is the one who waits for you when you return from metropolis, leaning against the batcomputer, arms folded. his smile is small but genuine.

“big blue give you another pep talk?”

you walk towards him with a faint smile playing on your face. “mm, something like that.”

you watch his eyes as he looks you up and down. “you seem lighter. you got a pep in your step.”

“…a what in my step?” you ask as you turn your head to the side.

dick let’s out a small laugh at the look on your face. “just a saying, we have to get you more cultured.” he pauses, and you see his eyes go just a bit softer as he meets your eyes. “but seriously, you seem less… haunted.”

you’re just glad that your attitude seems to please him. but since he’s in such a good mood, you ask him if he’s up for a small little training match.

and who is he to deny you.

training turns into sparring, sparring turns into laughing when he sweeps your legs, laughs turn into giggles when you pin manage to pin him down, and before you both know it, you’re sitting on the floor of the batcave, both of you out of breath.

there’s a small pause. the batcave is quiet tonight except for the hum of the computers and the sounds of heavy breathing from the both of you. dick catches you off guard however, taking advantage of your calmness and flips you over on your back. he straddles your hips as he pins down both of your arms. no matter how much you struggle against him though, he surprisingly is a little too strong for your tired muscles.

“i win,” he huffs out, his face mere inches away from yours. then he rolls off of you and lays right next to you on his back.

minutes pass, filled with silence, but you remember back to what superman had told you earlier that day. so you do just that.

“…on my planet, we didn’t really have masks. everyone knew who they were. everyone easily trusted each other. and now- now i’m here. and it’s all about shadows and secret identities. so i guess… well i just wonder if ill ever truly belong.” you finish ranting and look back up at the ceiling, almost cringing at how you just poured your heart out to him.

dick studies you, his playful grin softening into something gentler. almost like the one you were greeted with when you first found yourself on earth.

“belonging doesn’t mean losing who you are. it just means finding someone who sees you… someone who doesn’t run away when you show them the real you. when you show them what’s underneath.”

the way he says it- it lingers. his voice, his eyes, the way his hand brushes yours when he helps you up- it sparks something you can’t ignore. something your body can’t ignore.

you both meet each others eyes as your breath evens out in comfort. dick offers you a soft smile, the sparkle in his eyes lighting up even brighter.

there goes that warm feeling again…

-

as you leave the batcave that night, muscles sore and warm cheeks, you overhear batman speaking low to what sounds to be wonder woman.

“he’s strong. too strong. if he loses control-“

“he won’t. not if he has someone to hold onto, and he’s already made acquaintances- we’ll really friends here. he’ll be fine bruce.”

you look back at dick, who had been watching you from across the cave, and something in your chest tightens.

since that night, the smell of violence and warm blood had left your house, but you noticed there was still a bit of staining in the carpet. nothing bleach couldn't fix but you made sure that if anyone else was let in that they wouldn't be let inside that room. hell, if you had a lock and key for the door- it would totally be off limits.

even though you tried to keep what had actually happened away from the other people who resided in your home, the little boy that had been in your closet asked coat guy about the man. your heart dropped at the mere mention of the guy who had been mangled on the floor not too long ago, but coat guy seemed to take a liking to the boy. offering a decent smile as he waved the boy off. 'he's nothing to worry about, you're safe now'

...glad that was taken care of.

the sisters however, seemed to be even more wary than when they first arrived. not necessarily of coat guy- or you- but just in general. 'did he really just stop by and... leave? just like that?'

in all honesty, you had half the mind to just tell them that he was a visitor who had to be dealt with accordingly. but remembering the way they held each other close- bodies shaking with anxiety- you let them believe he had just left. 'not everyone stays long y'know?' you had said with a comforting smile, only leaving when they had calmed down enough. you didn't entirely lie- you've had people in the past stop by your home only to leave a couple of nights later.

now, coat guy had kept his promises. mess cleaned up- even the ones he makes in the future- and protection. in fact, he was really holding up to his last promise. he followed you around the house more often, made you little snacks for you when you were dealing with assholes at your door, and slept beside you in your bed at night. cuddling up to you as he tries to take your warmth, but you didn't mind one bit.

there was a sense of security now- underneath all the anxiety inducing news and the people who come up to your door with aggressiveness- you always had him now.

-

a couple of knocks from your door permeated throughout your home. the sun had set not too long ago so you were kind of surprised to have someone stop by this early in the night, but people were seemingly getting desperate the longer this whole thing went on. so as always, you answer the door with caution, keeping a small distance between you and the door before calling out. "who is it?"

"hey stranger, i'm looking for a place to crash for a couple nights- got any room?"

looking through the peephole, you see an average looking guy. he has a dark blue long sleeve shirt on and black jeans- he can't be older than 25. his body seems riddled with exhaustion, and he has his hands stuffed deep into his pockets. nothing really stands out but you're not taking chances like the last time.

"okay... but what brings you to my house though?"

the guy smiles but takes his hands out of his pockets to make a show of how he has nothing on him. "i'm not armed and your house was the only one that looked safe for miles so i figured i'd take a chance. that's all."

you look behind you and see coat guy leaning on the wall next to you. still clinging onto your hoodie, his face doesn't read anything, but he looks at you as if saying 'it's your call'.

and you know if anything truly goes wrong, you'll somewhat be fine.

"no funny business?" you ask.

"no funny business."

a couple of moments pass, checking to see if you could notice any oddities on the guy on your porch but you weren't picking up on anything in particular.

"come in."

you make note to keep an eye on him though.

-

the next couple of days were fairly easy to say the least. the guy you had let in proved to trusted, he even made runs out after the sun set to get extra supplies or food. fema had stopped by and took one of the other people you had let in in the past couple of days though, not that you really minded as long as they weren't too pushy with you.

coat guy though- well he was acting slightly off. last night would be a perfect example. you made a habit to check on the rooms and your house before going to sleep yourself to make sure everyone was settled. but not only had coat guy not come to your room that night, he didn't even give you his usual snack.

so after you finished checking on the sisters, you had stumbled across coat guy just... standing there.

in the front of bathroom door where the other guy was staying at. the floorboard had creaked under your weight which alerted him- snapping his head up to you. but when you asked him if he was okay, he just told you 'just making sure everyone's fine.'

not that you bought that or anything, but you still got him to come lay down with you.

waking up now, you feel dryness settle into your throat and a very strong need for water. so, you gently get up, trying not to disturb coat guy, brushing a few stray strands of his hair out of his face.

as you walk down the hallway to the kitchen, you find that the guy was already in there. sitting at the table with an empty mug in front of him. "oh hey man, didn't mean to disturb you," he says.

"couldn't sleep?"

he sighs, toying with the rim of the mug. "nah, but who really can in a world like this? am i right?"

you offer a knowing smile to him and grab a bottle of water. you begin to turn back around and head back to your room, but he stops you. "hey uh, have you noticed how weird he's been acting?"

his voice has now dropped to a whisper, and his face shows a new amount of seriousness than before.

"...who?"

"y'know- the guy? with the weird coat? i mean he says he's cold all the time- that's not," he pauses. "that's not human."

walking back over to the counter, you place your bottle down and turn to face him. "he's... he's fine. some people are just naturally cold-"

"'naturally cold' my ass. we could all be in danger- and he just creeps around all the time too," he whisper-shouts. "look, i know i just got here but you seem like a genuine person, so let's point out the obvious here and get rid of him."

your heart is racing a million miles a minute at this point. you had hoped someone wouldn't catch onto him- purposely hiding him from fema whenever they came by- but now... you're stuck.

"he's been here for a while and hasn't done anything. kind of silly to just accuse someone right?" you justify, trying to hide the nervousness in your voice.

"but can you say with 100% certainty that you can trust him?"

'i can trust him, but can you?'

that's what you really wanted to say but a part of you was scared. not of him but for him.

not only did he just accuse him, but he was also right about it and seemingly posed a threat to coat guy. not that he could really do anything to him... unless.

"who's to say you're not one?"

"what?"

walking up to the table he was sitting at, you clear your throat. "i said- who's to say you aren't a visitor?

"but i- i'm not-"

"let me check your eyes then."

his face changes for a mere second, something like fear flashes across it. "i don't need to be checked. i would've-"

"then get. out."

that's when he pushes himself away from the table and marches across the kitchen right towards you. slamming you against the cupboards, a deep smirk gliding on his face. "you humans are all the same. dumb and impressionable. i just tried to give you a way out but now i-"

his speech is abruptly cut off, blood splatters onto your face, and begins to seep out of his nose. his grip loosens on you as you both look down and see a tip of a knife lodged through his chest.

behind him, coat guy stands, watching his body crumple to the floor as he pulls out the knife.

silence fills the room.

you look at coat guy who immediately drops the knife and begins to inspect you. "you're okay, right?"

trying to speak, your body continues to shake. your mind trying to grasp what had just happened. he calms you down by placing his cold hands onto your face, wiping the blood off from under your eye. "hi."

"...hey."

he sighs, looking around your face for any cuts. "you took too long coming back to bed."

'oh. had it been that long?'

"i don't want you to be afraid of me. i protect you- see? i-"

you bring your own hand up to his face, tucking some of his hair behind his ear. "i'm not afraid," you brush your thumb on the side of his face. "see?"

"he was one of you, and you- you killed him."

there was no sign of guilt or resentment on his face when you said that. in fact, all he really looked at was you. "he wanted to hurt you. but you are mine- mine to take care of and look after," he whispers. "and you give me a place to stay, a home."

you nod, understanding why he had done what he did. offering an understanding smile, you look down at the body. "let's clean this together, yeah?"

"we can go back to bed after, right?"

that earns him a genuine laugh from you, body already recovering from what had transpired. "anything you want."

taglist. @crystalcremes

i. food talk

it was in the middle of summer now, so camp was as lively as ever. sun beating down on the campers out doing chores or the various hobbies there were to do. the demeter kids could be seen working on their crops, ares kids training all day and night, and various counselors trying to keep their cabin mates out of trouble. (prank wars got real serious in the summertime)

but you and leo found peace in all the witty chaos of camp. it wasn't early when you two decided to get a snack- more like you had to convince him to take a break- but it wasn't too late to where all the food had been eaten up by the ares kids.

sitting down, you watch a game of volleyball while you wait for leo to return with both of your plates. he always insisted getting you your food- saying something along the lines of 'pretty girls like you should be taken care of' along with a wink as he walked away. you try to ignore the beginnings of a smile creeping up onto your face at the memory though, looking back to see leo already heading towards you.

"and this is for you," he says as he hands you over your plate. "i grabbed you the last chunk of fruit too- looks like you were right about taking a break huh?"

your plate was filled with all your favorite assortment of fruits and tonight's dinner. leo then placed another plate in between you two, a couple of cookies and brownies scattered on the plate, their smell filling your nose almost in an instant.

following your gaze, he notices you staring at the deserts on the plate.

"oh, i know you like both so i just-"

"got me both?" you ask, huffing out a laugh. "you really didn't have to leo but thank you."

"of course, pretty."

there it is again, that warm feeling creeping up on through your neck to your face. you brush it off with a quiet giggle though. "you always call me that- why?" you ask, picking up a cookie and taking a bite out of it.

sure, it was sunny outside, and you could practically see the honey brown of his eyes glowing, but you could totally see the faint blush that was now on leo's face. a goofy smile plastering across him as soon as you asked him. "well maybe it's because you're pretty."

you tilt your head slightly to the side, getting a better look at the boy. "maybe?"

his nervous laughter filled your ears as he tries to avoid your gaze. "no, you are. that's why i call you that," his tone whispers, gaze now looking more sincerely at you.

"mhm, and what else?" you ask. a beat passes, then another before he looks like he's about to say something.

"you two done flirting with each other?"

both of you look up and see percy standing in front of the table you two were at.

"we weren't flirting, just giving honest compliments is all," leo states with a playful smirk.

you look up at percy, his eyes squinting slightly at leo before flickering over to you- holding up one of your hoodies. "it'll be cold later on so i brought you your hoodie because- well you're always out with someone..."

way to be subtle percy, way to be subtle.

-

ii. machines and naps

it was nighttime, most likely way past curfew but you were sitting on one of leo's desks. toying with spare clogs and some of his latest inventions that didn't make the cut.

it was raining tonight, and the smell of faint vanilla, sandalwood, and rain were not helping with you staying awake. one of his blankets flows over your body as you slightly swing your legs back and forth as an effort to keep yourself awake.

"getting sleepy, huh?"

flicking your eyes towards him, his curly hair now pulled back by one of your hair ties as he works on his project. "you can go back to your cabin if you want- don't let me bore you to sleep."

"you never bore me, just a little sleepy tonight," you yawn as you stretch out on the desk. "continue working, trust i'm fine."

leo softly smiles at you but turns back in his chair, working on what he was before.

around twenty minutes pass and the rain had gotten harder now. banging comfortably on the window's glass and the quiet rumbles of thunder can be heard from outside.

but when you open your eyes, you're laying down. covers bundled around you keeping you warm and a soft pillow resting under your head. looking up, you see leo, still sitting at his desk working away without a care in the world. you don't open your eyes all the way though, just readjust in the bed with a soft sigh.

'he must've carried me over here'

a couple of moments pass and leo heads over to you. the candles illuminating his side of the cabin and next to his nightstand are blown out.

"goodnight (name)." you subtly hear him whisper. a faint smile graces your features before you drift back off to sleep. the sounds of rain still filling the cabin.

-

iii. always

leo has been thinking about that night for the longest. he knew you were going to fall asleep right on his desk and he couldn't just leave you there in that awkward, uncomfortable position. (no matter how peaceful you looked)

his mind was riddled with the way you had unconsciously clung to him as he picked you up and carried you over to his bed.

but a part of his mind was eating away at him. you two really hadn't talked since that night and he couldn't really figure out... why?

you two had many moments together, became great friends ever since you met each other. but he couldn't help but think that all of his actual flirting was just for your playful flirting. and what if you really did just think of him as your best friend? nothing more, nothing less.

it was really eating him up inside.

hearing a knock on his cabin door, he is pulled out of his thoughts. sighing, he gets up from his bed and walks over to the cabin door, opening it.

"we need to talk."

it was percy but he seemed like he really meant business. stepping inside leo's cabin without another word. "yeah man, talk about what?" leo asks as he closes the door, standing across from percy.

"did something happen between you and (name)?"

leo's eyes squint in confusion at his question. "...no? why what happened?"

"she's been acting weird ever since she stayed the night here. just wondering if you guys had-"

"nah, nothing happened with us- i mean between us. maybe something else is bothering her?"

leo swore he could've started praying to every god and goddess he knew in order to make sure percy didn't catch his slip up. but obviously, things don't fly by percy that easily. "...us?"

dammit.

"i mean- well yeah she's like my best friend so yeah. us." leo finishes off with a shrug.

percy now looks at him, a smirk on his face. "just tell her. please, i mean it's getting ridiculous at this point."

the air stills, and leo's eyes brightened at the mention of just merely you. "really?"

"you make her happy, and you're better than a lot of other guys she could've picked so yeah- really."

"yes!"

both of the boys turn their heads to one of the windows- where your voice could be heard from. it was muffled, but it was definitely yours.

"(name)!?" percy shouts, and you slowly open the door of the cabin. shyly stepping in trying to keep your gaze away from leo who now has a bright smile on his face.

"well this was easier than i thought," percy begins as he scoots behind you- walking through the door. "good luck you two."

you stare at him, and he stares at you. a goofy smile growing on your face the longer he looks at you with his eyes. "so..."

"so?"

"well- pretty girl- do you... do you like me back?"

his voice is low, but he asks the question with a large ounce of confidence.

you giggle as you step closer to him- hugging him. "of course i do, took you long enough."

he picks you up and twirls you around in circles as you laugh loudly. "took me long enough!? oh c'mon you just said you liked me back!"

setting you down, he looks at you with a wide smile on his face. you bring your hand up to his face, brushing stray curls out of his eyes. you hum as your eyes scan across his features. "you gonna kiss me now?"

leo took his chance right then and there and kissed you deeply. his hold on you firm but sweet and gentle.

oh- how you've waited for this.