Thinking about High school Robert with a corruption kink for âreligiousâ shy reader
CW: Both Robert and reader are 18, reader has AFAB anatomy, reader is (was) a virgin and Robert is not, masturbation, fingering, oral (both receiving), nicknames, Robert is a bit of a dick but tries to be nice (key word is try), smoking, public/car sex
High school Robert who while not being the sweetest person, tries to be softer and gentle with you. Heâd still do shit like smoke around you but is sure not to blow it right in your face, or keep the windows open if youâre in his car.
High school Robert who has a hate-love relationship with how innocent you are. On one hand he loves how squeamish and flustered you get when he makes dirty jokes and stuff. But on the other hand, you two havenât done anything past making out and while he would never pressure you, heâs getting impatient.
âReligiousâ shy reader who hates their innocence, period. They feel left behind and like an idiot that doesnât understand how basic sex works (which isnât too far from the truth). They wanna please Robert but they donât know how.
âReligiousâ shy reader whoâs only just started masturbating. All they can really do is play with their clit and tease themselves until they come. They have to start doing it everyday just to focus. They get addicted to it.
âReligiousâ shy reader who accidentally moans while on call with Robert as theyâre humping their pillow, but instead of being weirded out, Robert tells them to go faster and to not hide a single sound.
High school Robert who starts to realize how inexperienced you are and is oddly turned on by it. He starts loving how heâs the one to make you turn over a new leaf and take your innocence away bit by bit. You didnât even know how to finger yourself until you let him do it for you.
High school Robert whoâs in love with the sounds you make as heâs knuckles deep in you, thrusting his fingers while youâre whining, teary eyed, and begging him to let you have an orgasm. Only for him to take his fingers out and start all over, purposefully make you go crazy
High school Robert who, while wanting to please you like thereâs no tomorrow, also wants to tease you and hear you beg for it. You looked fucking breathtaking when you were submissive for him, sucking off the same fingers covered in your cum, cleaning his skin.
High school Robert whoâs fucked around with a few classmates and thought he wouldnât care for sex outside of a meaningless hookup, but starts taking it much more seriously for you (though that doesnât mean he starts being vanilla)
High school Robert who teaches you all sorts of things like how to suck his dick. You two do it while his parents arenât home. Heâs guiding your head up and down, trying not to thrust into your mouth until he canât take it anymore and makes you swallow his load. He makes up for it by laying you on his bed and going down on you.
âR-Robert! G-God!â
âHm?â He mumbles, his lips in the midst of sucking and kissing your clit. âDid you say something, dollface?â
You whimper as his tongue drags across your pussy in one long stroke, slow and lazy. âYouâre so mean.â You managed to say.
He chuckled. âAnd you love it. Fine. Wanna come, baby? Iâll make you come so hard youâll see the Lord himself.â
High school Robert who starts getting a bit too comfortable and starts getting more daring. He starts putting his hand on your thigh in class or putting on arm around you in the hallway. Everyone stares. He doesnât give a fuck.
High school Robert who even starts fingering you under the table in the library when youâre trying to help him with his homework. He loves watching how your face heats up and you start stammering. You get so nervous but he doesnât miss the way you shift your hips so he goes deeper.
High school Robert who wonât peer pressure you to smoke with him but teases you about how your clean little lungs wouldnât be able to handle a single drag. Determined to prove him wrong, you smoke with him. You last two minutes. He laughs at how you cough but ends up buying you a milkshake or whatever you want when you pout.
âReligiousâ shy reader who slowly starts getting braver at telling Robert their sexual fantasies. At first they feel awkward but soon they get over the embarrassment. Soon telling Robert all the ways they wanna get fucked is like telling him what they had for breakfast.
High school Robert who loves having sex in his car because he can be as loud as he wants. He starts keeping spare blankets and clothes for you and him in the car just in case you two decide to do the deed.
High school Robert who loves the idea of picking you up after you went to your local place of worship and fucking you dumb. He knows itâs wrong but it turns him on and eventually he confesses. It didnât take much to convince you to make his fantasy come true.
âRobert! F-Fuck, please!â You begged. His hips thrusted at a godly pace, his length filling you up over and over again. You were getting dizzy.
âPlease? Please what baby? Please stop? Please keep going? Please slow down?â Robert purred, grabbing your chin and making you look at him. âI canât keep going if you donât tell me what you need. Use your words, dollface.â
You swallowed a whine. âP-Please, go harder.â You begged. A wolfish grin spread across Robertâs mouth before he began to piston his hips. His cock made the walls of your pussy flutter and you mewled. âOh god!â You moaned.
Robert laughed. âNo baby. Robert. You call out my name. No one elseâs. Not even god. God isnât the one fucking your cunt and making you scream, is he?â He grunts as he goes faster. âNo. I am. Youâre mine to fuck. Mine to ruin. Mine to corrupt. Youâre not godâs little angel anymore. Youâre fucking mine.â
âReligiousâ shy reader who now screams out Robertâs name every time they come. Robert absolutely loves it.
A/N: Can you tell Iâm projecting? Also I lowkey wanna make a fic about this waitttt
unofficial part one; dispatch shelf âËđđËâ^ŕžŕ˝˛
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satoru stared at you, from shokos bed. Shoko and you were roommates allowing satoru to just gawk at you from across the bed, because god you were so beautiful. The only reason he insisted on helping Shoko was just so he could stare at you, he wasnât able to stare at you during class as you would sit in the very back, while satoru sat in the front making sure to get good notes incase you ever asked to borrow his notes.
Which you never asked, he even began begging Shoko to try to get her to give him your number, Shoko was gonna say no as she already knew if she did he wouldnât even text first.
Satoru watched as you and Shoko left the dorm to quickly grab sanitary or whatever, he wasnât paying attention. He immediately got up and went into your laundry basket and pushed his nose against your dirty panties, his eyes rolling back at the scent of the sweetness and sweat combined.
He went into your drawer to grab one clean lace pantie and quickly stuffed them into his backpack pocket that he never opens. After you and Shoko came back, Satoru quickly apologises to Shoko and left.
Satoru had a flush look on his face, as he imagined whatâd he do later this night to your panties. You not even knowing that he just stole your panties, turned him on so much he could feel himself throbbing and leaking pre cum. Satoru quickly made it to his dorm and immediately dropped everything, he was glad he didnât have a roommate.
Satoru opened his backpack to grab the panties before throwing his sweater and shirt off as he quickly sat on his bed leaning against the pillow as he held one of your dirty panties. He knew he should feel ashamed for doing this, but the excitement of doing this without your knowledge made him even harder. He put the panties on his face as he sniffed, feeling his cock twitch against his sweatpants.
Satoru reached his hand down pulling his sweatpants down a bit as he pushed his hips up and palmed himself through his underwear, feeling his cock twitch against his hand as he groaned and closed his eyes, trying to pretend it was you touching his cock and not himself.
He imagines you catching him, would you be shocked? Would you join him? Satoru pulled his underwear down, as his cock sprung out in the cold air, curving to the side dripping with pre cum. Satoru opened one eye just to stare at his cock, still trying to think what your reaction would be. God he hoped you would join, tell him you want him too and he isnât a creep for stealing your underwear and jerking off to it.
Satoru grabbed his cock, going up and down in a slow motion making sure to spread the pre cum all over his cock as lube. He wonders how youâll look on your knees, do you have a gag reflex? Are you a virgin? Satoru closed his eyes again as he groaned as moved the motion of his hand faster and faster. Satoru was a moaning mess with his face all flushed, his glasses becoming foggy making it difficult to even see anything. He pumped for a few more times before cuming and wiping the cum against your stolen panties. Promising he would return the stolen panties as he knew he wouldnât. Satoru fixed his glasses as he looked in the mirror, cum was on his stomach, face, nipples and even on his hair.
Satoru took a shower and hid your panties in his drawer. Grabbing his phone as he stared at his lock screen with a message from an unknown number saying
âHi! Itâs {+}, I was wondering if you could help me with something?â
Satoru smiled at the message, heart eyes forming behind those glasses as youâve finally noticed him.
GUYS IM SORRY FOR NOT POSTING MUCJ BUT I MADE THIS IN 30 MINUTES, DEF NOT GRAMMAR PROOF. Iâve evolved toođđłâď¸
Credits to artists ofc but I donât know who do it unfortunately
summary: after getting married very young you and lando get divorced after seven years of marriage. still flirtatiously communicating on social media, fans bring up cute moments that have you and lando rethinking your decision.
social media + texts
( i tried to do my best with the culture aspect of this, but pleaseee tell me if something is inaccurate or offensive. i do different readers as my best effort to be inclusive especially for those who don't get represented as much. hope you enjoy this! )
đ˛đ¨đŽđŤđŽđŹđđŤđ§đđŚđ
liked my 4,792,693, others
yourusername: divorced, but still wifey material đđ
landonorris: oh and of course youâre wearing my favorite saree on you đ
^yourusername: last time youâll be seeing me in it!!
^landonorris: i think iâll miss seeing it on the ground more than seeing it on
^yourusername: ohhh take a hike norris đ
user: MOTHER IS SERVING
user: the divorced glow is real and in full effect
user: oh I'm sick
user: never wanted this day to come
user: i didn't know think they were actually being serious with this
user: my world is collapsing as I'm typing this
^user: what are these weird drops of liquid pouring out of my eyes right now....what is this feeling
^user: no same. normally I'm not one to ever be parasocial or idolize celeb relationship but these two were so pefect. i think it's because they were together before land was even in f1
^user: THAT MAKES THIS EVEN WORSE
user: ok i know I'm supposed to be sad but she looks incredible
^yourusername: thank you!
đĽđđ§đđ¨đ§đ¨đŤđŤđ˘đŹ
landonorris: back on the market boyssss đžđď¸
formulaonegossip: itâs official! after a year of publicly discussing their journey with seperating, y/n and lando are now legally and completely divorced.
the first talks of ending their marriage began last year when they did an interview together addressing their relationship, casually announcing they were working on filing for divorce. now, the two have made posts both declaring they got it finalized. though they are done, the two seemed to be in high spirits and said it was a mutual decision they both wanted.
different from our normal announcementsâŚ..and while we donât know the complete reason for the separation, we wish the two a happy life now apart! đđ¤
yourusername: erm no the hell i didnât. when he basically admits youâre the best>>>>
landonorris: in words of drake âbest i ever hadâ
^yourusername: iâm the only one youâve ever had đ
user: BRING HER BACKKKK
user: she's soooo pretty it hurts
user: crying, screaming, throwing up, sliding down the wall, rocking back and forth, wailing til i lose my voice, pulling my hair out, banging my fist on the ground
^landonorris: hello? are you ok
^user: no. and it's because of you
user: the greatest devastation of my life
^user: mourning them like they're my husband who died at war
user: boy we know you chose that caption yourself
user: heâs so bad at hiding he still loves her
^user: no theyâre BOTHHHH shamelessly flirting
user: my mother
^landonorris: sheâs no oneâs mother ( yet )
^y/nnorris: KNOCK. IT. OFF
user: bro said âex wifeâ and made it a joke like they havenât spent the past 10 years together
^user: heâs so obviously in pain
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yourusername: big 26 for this weirdo. i hope you know i still have that stupid ass coat. donât get too drunk tonight đ đ˝ââď¸đĽ
^yourusername: THESE ARE NICE WDYM? itâs not my fault iâm photogenic, also i literally posted DOUBLE than what you did
^landonorris: whatever. guess iâll accept it
user: these really show how long theyâve been together
^user: they truly grew up in love đĽş
user: i need them back together now. it's not even funny, and it never has been
user: Y/N AND LANDO QUIT THESE GAMES
user: if you can hear us please save us
user: wtf is he doing in that golf picture
^yourusername: he does it literally EVERYTIME he goes golfing, says it's the "only" way he can get the correct angle.
user: how come we've never seen ANY of these
^user: she's his wife....
^user: WAS. SHE WAS HIS WIFE. nvm it's too painful i'm living the delusion word with you. but yeah they've been together for 10 years, i'm sure she has many many more
user: the differences in their post, omg so cute. they are so perfect for each other
^user: she really got to see a different side of him
^user: i know she misses him bad
^user: oh they both are absolutely regretting their decision. i think their posts and comments show that very clearly
đĽđđ§đđ¨đ§đ¨đŤđŤđ˘đŹ
landonorris: horrible race and horrible result today. on lap 10 i crashed was not able to finish the race. this is not the way i hoped for this day to go and itâs been unfortunate the way things are playing out
user: err lando i donât think you can say thatâŚ.
user: the divorce regret is showing
user: no y/n in the paddock = no good races
user: biggest lost of the year ( this isnât about racing )
^user: yeah him and y/n divorcing was truly the worst thing that couldâve happened to him
user: YOU MISS YOUR WIFE JUST ADMIT IT
^user: pls omg. he needs to put us and himself out of misery and go win her back
user: no comment from our queen đ
user: damn, itâs really over guys
user: so is now appropriate to ask if HEâs the one who's okay?
^user: lowkey no but you did anyways so đ
user: dude you have two races left pls pull through
user: thereâs no racing career without y/n
user: he knows it doesnât have to be this way right? like baby youâre the one who got divorced but still flirt with her and you both posted each other. GET AFTER THAT
user: the dress. the hair. the makeup. everything really
^user: how many words in devoured
^user: ATEEEE
user: iâm surpressing a crazy ass scream bro
user: so so fine and for WHATTT
user: how the hell is she single bro
^user: probably not for long
^user: hi lando i know itâs you on your burner
landonorris: uhm no, i say things with my chest đ
user: if I say what iâm thinking iâll be banned
user: HOTTEST WOMAN ALIVE
user: so no one is gonna mention how BOTH lando and y/n are in paris? at. the. same. time.
^user: I SAW THAT
^user: please let this be what i think it means
landonorris has post a story!
đŤđđŠđĽđ˘đđŹ
georgerussell: i knew your happiness about the divorce was too good to be true
^landonorris: yeah gotta be honest I donât know why we went through with it in the first place
alexalbon: yay now you can stop sulking
^landonorris: iâve not been sulkingâŚ.
alexalbon: yeah ok. me when iâm in a delusional state
user: ARE YOU IN PARIS??
user: her face card is actually insane
user: i knew this day would come
landonorris: so youâre saying youâre a psychic, will i win wdc this year??
^user: no.
landonorris: ok i donât like this game anymore đ
yourusername has posted a story!
đŤđđŠđĽđ˘đđŹ
landonorris: this is a very bold post my love
^yourusername: omg says you đ
carlossainz: i am going to unfollow you, i do not want my eyes burning when instagram is supposed to be fun
yourusername: sorryyyy carlito đ
carlossainz: maybe iâll let it slide because i know how much you two love and miss each other ;)
user: MOM AND DAD BACK TOGETHER??
user: girl. how could you let this go to begin with
user: thank you for the new lockscreen đ
yourusername: my pleasure!
đĽđđ§đđ¨đ§đ¨đŤđŤđ˘đŹ ďťż
landonorris: i was being serious when i said we might have to run it back.
as you know y/n and i got divorced a few months ago, and though we thought it was the right decision at the time we QUICKLY realized it wasnât. this girl has been by my side through every race in my f1 career and the years way before that. she is truly my number one fan and her not being there actually made me want to quit the altogether ( donât let mclaren, legal or my pr team see this )
but truly she is the most importantly and valuable thing and person in my life and to call this woman my wife for the past seven years has been an honor and something i clearly took for granted. as of now we are dating but JUST KNOW the divorce papers are being ripped up as iâm typing this
i love you y/n. hereâs to loving each other for eleven years and manymanymanymanymanymany more đ
user: lando thank you for not being stupid anymore
^user i was about to punch him
user: literally like holy you know you still love her
user: Y/NLANDO DEFENDER TIL I DIE
^user: theyâre truly a couple worth fighting for
user: ascending with happiness
user: perfect timing! living will be easy again
user: wait the way his post matches her aesthetic and her post matches his. thatâs my endgame right there
^user: awww stop i just noticed that too
user: they just make sense together
^user: iâm so happy theyâre back together because i truly couldnât imagine them with anyone else
^user: it would be on sight if lando ever brought someone else in the paddock
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yourusername: lando lando lando. after knowing you for fifteen years, being together for ten and married for seven i know youâre the only person for me
we stupidly let our love go thinking we had gotten married to young and maybe needed other people. but we couldnât even last a few months apart, and in that time we actually never lost communication. so though we were and still are legally separated, our hearts are still bound to each other and i will never be able to be without you ever again
he is the best decision iâve ever made and after seeing all the fanpages and edits ( iâve seen every single one ) we realized we threw ten years away for nothing
so twenty six is not for being single but i am still hot! as of right now weâre just dating, but JUST KNOW a wedding post will be here in the future
・đŚšÂ°â§ your dupatta gets stuck to his watch || r.sukuna x f!desi!reader
a/n: typical bollywood meet cute because sukuna and desi reader have been taking up a large part of my time lately. also not proof read đ
- listen to 'tujh mein rabh dikhta hein' specifically the part from 1:06 for max immersive experience đ
wc: 1.2k
The plan was to go straight home after the function. No detours. No side quests. Just go home, free yourself from the confines of your stupidly heavy lehenga. Rip off the earrings that had your ears feeling as though they were about to fall off. Wipe off the makeup that youâre pretty sure is melting off your face. And marinate in your pyjamas whilst bingeing your comfort show.
But when you drive past the bright glowing lights of Taco Bell, you couldnât seem to resist. The sign wasnât just illuminating, it was beckoning. Calling your name in the form of baja blasts and crispy chicken burritos. It was practically luring you in!
So now, youâre parked up outside at 1:27am, lehenga skirt bunched up in one hand, phone balanced in the other as you stumble out of your car, dignity hanging on by a thread. You make sure to slam the car door with a little more force than necessary, wincing with every step you take towards the entrance, in heels that felt like a great choice at the beginning of the night but were now beginning to feel as though they had been designed by Satan himself.
The air is cool against your skin, a dramatic gust of wind rushing through the near empty car park. Your skirt sways. Your jewellery chimes. Your hair is blowing behind you in what seems to be⌠slow motion? You could have sworn you heard music playing softly in the background too - the theatrical score of violins and flutes. Whatever, it was probably your imagination.
After what seemed like an eternity, you make it to the door. You reach out to open it and thenâŚ
Tug.
The speed with which you freeze is truly astonishing. You swear under your breath, closing your eyes and inhaling sharply. Turning your head back slowly, your mind is reeling with every late night horror scenario it can possibly conjure up. Were you about to get kidnapped?
The embroidered edge of your dupatta has somehow wound itself around a watch.
A very expensive looking watch.
Attached to a very large (attractive) hand.
Attached to-
Your eyes trail upwards until youâre met with a too tall, too handsome stranger who seems to be just as frozen in place as you. His eyes are sharp, enough to make your heart skip a beat even though thereâs a flicker of amusement in them as he stares down at you.
The music in your head seems to be getting louder.
He looks down to where your dupatta has betrayed you, raising a brow in question.
You clear your throat, finally taking your gaze away from his face and following his own to glare at his watch instead.
âYouâre attached to me.â Thatâs all you can manage right now unfortunately. But apparently, thatâs more than enough for him. His lip twitches in what you assume is a smile.
âI noticed.â No apology, no sense of urgency. No sign of him moving to help. Almost like this was a regular occurence. Or almost like he didnât mind being stuck to you.
You, on the other hand, roll your eyes and let out a light scoff, fingers moving deftly to untangle yourself from him. The embroidery only seems to be getting tighter around the clasp.
Brows furrowing in concentration, you shuffle closer with a mumble, bangles chiming as your fingers wrap gently around his wrist, âDonât move.â
âWhy?â
âBecause if this rips, I will cry. And I will blame you for it.â And then, quieter, almost like you were speaking to yourself. âThis probably cost more than your stupid watch anyway.â
He just snorts, quickly bringing his other fist up to cover his mouth when you glare up at him with pure venom.
Letting out a frustrated huff you, somehow, end up closer to him with every poor attempt you make at untangling yourself from him. Ironic.
Thatâs exactly when he chooses to move. He lifts his wrist, the movement so subtle you wouldnât have noticed if you werenât well⌠stuck to his watch. The thread tightens. And you stumble forward right into him with a surprised gasp. Your palms are flat on his chest, steadying yourself as you blink up at him. Half vexed, half flustered.
For a moment, neither of you move. Your heart is beating far too hard against your chest and youâre praying he canât feel it. Everything suddenly feels too much. The warmth of his chest under your palms. The steady rise and fall of it as he breathes. The way heâs looking down at you, bottom lip trapped in between his teeth.
The way heâs so close.
Too close.
His heavy stare falters briefly, only to flick down to your lips before slowly trailing back up your face to your eyes. You can see his Adam's apple moving as he swallows. Youâre pretty sure your heart has forgotten how to beat at a normal rate.
And then you remember how to speak, making a feeble attempt at covering your flustered state.
âYou did that on purpose! I told you not to move.â
A smile spreads across his face at this, slow and teasing. âYou were taking too long. Struggling?â
The absolute audacity of this man.
You open your mouth, ready for some choice words to fly out but youâre quickly interrupted when he lifts his wrist up higher, bringing his other hand up to work at the fabric around his watch.
You freeze yet again, hair brushing his chest as you look at the way his fingers move. Quick. And yet ever so careful.
Before you can even let out another breath, your dupatta has been freed, hanging loose over your shoulder once again. You step back almost immediately, clearing your throat and inspecting the fabric, letting out a relieved sigh when you notice thereâs no damage.
His hands are now crossed over his chest, watching you with a smirk, although his eyes seem to be softer. âWhat, no thank you?â
Your head snaps back up to him, eyes narrowing as you scoff, mirroring his stance. âThank you? For almost tearing apart my designer lehenga? Keep dreaming.â
âOh trust me. I will.â His smirk widens, tongue poking the inside of his cheek as his head tilts, shamelessly looking you up and down. He hums before extending his hand out to you, the same one his watch was on. âRyomen Sukuna.â
Unimpressed, you sigh, offering your name as you reluctantly take his hand, refusing to acknowledge the strange flutter in your stomach. Your nonchalant expression is wiped off though, when he bends down, simultaneously bringing your hand up to press a soft kiss to your knuckles. Youâre quick to snatch your hand back, looking everywhere but at the infuriatingly smug look on his face.
âYou should learn to keep your distance.â You school your expression into one of indifference, pushing the door open to finally get your beloved Taco Bell.
He runs his tongue along his teeth, following you inside. âYou should stop coming so close then. Princess.â
You only walk faster towards the counter, the heat creeping onto your face becoming too much to ignore, much like the weight of his gaze on you.
And you don't know how much longer you can ignore it. Because, something tells you this wonât be the last time your paths will cross.
áŻâ notes from star: excuse the rushed ending i finished writing this in a lecture đ. comments and reblogs appreciated as always!! mwah mwah <3
prettyngeto Š 2026. all rights reserved - please do not plagiarise, translate, steal and repost any of my works on any social platforms for whatever reason.
a/n: alexa play 'desi girl' (ft. satoru finding his name in your mehndi) lowkey think that i like the suguru one more LOL | nanami version
there's music playing in the background, almost muffled by the excited chatter of friends and family invited to your most special day. but if satoru's being honest, he can't hear the music or chatter, solely entranced by you. you and him in your own little bubble of happiness.
his hands cradle yours tenderly yet firmly, your knuckles brushing against his palms. you expect his eyes to be scrutinising the brown stain, intricate and beautiful, but when your gaze flickers to his face he's staring at you with a lovesick grin.
âsatoru, you're not even looking,â you laugh.
âoh, i am. and i'm thoroughly enjoying the view.â he winks. you roll your eyes playfully.
âyou're so goofy.â
âmhm, but i'm your goofy husband now, mrs gojo,â he smirks, but it soon melts back into a loving smile. it almost hurts his heart, in the most euphoric way possible, to look at you, adorned in deep red and gold. his wife.
âhey, don't try to weasel your way out of this by talking sweet like that.â
âi'm not trying to weasel out of anything. am i the bad guy for wanting to stare at my stunning wife?â he emphasises the last word on purpose, savouring the way it rolls off his tongue so beautifully.
you huff, beginning to slide your hands out of his but he quickly grasps them again, his thumbs circling your palms.
âah, you don't need to let go. fineee, i'll take a looksie.â
he spares one more glance at your features before his eyes trail down to your hands painted delicately with mehndi, to find his name embedded into it.
it's hidden on your wedding ring finger. he already knows it. he found it about ten minutes ago before his eyes had wandered to your face. but he doesn't say anything, not wanting to let go of your hands yet as his thumbs continue to caress your palms.
as he pretends to continue to look for it, he speaks up softly, âyour grandmother told me about that myth - that the darker the stain of your mehndi, the more your husband loves you. and it's no surprise that yours is so dark,â he smirks playfully, eyes briefly meeting yours.
a soft smile decorates your lips, and his heart skips a beat. âin that case, i never want it to fade.â
âi'll make sure it never does,â he whispers, bringing your hand up to his lips and he kisses the spot where his thumb once was. and his thumb moves to hover over his engraved name.
you notice where his thumb drifts and raise an eyebrow at him. âyou saw it this whole time, didn't you?â
he grins cheekily, crinkled eyes marrying yours, such devotion and admiration shimmering in his. âyeah,â he admits quietly, âi just didn't wanna let go.â
his lips travel up from your palm to the gold ring sitting prettily on your finger, a diamond nestled in the middle so luminous, yet his eyes still put it to shame.
âam i the pope? kissing my ring like that,â you giggle teasingly. but your eyes are warm and affectionate as you watch him.
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Drawing henna on myself for eid and thought about Enjin (x Desi Reader).
Girls put their bfs/hubbys name on their hands, hide the initials in the intricate henna design. And then their partners have to find them. Also if the colour isn't deep it traditionally means your partner doesn't love you enough lmao.
I think Enjin would be so into this tradition. He got so many tattoos, and seeing you for the first time with those gorgeous designs he'd be all excited thinking you got tattoos without telling him. But then when you explain everything to him he'd be so into it. Trying his hardest to finding his initial hidden somewhere on your hands. He'd hold both your hands and stare with full focus and slight annoyance because he's loosing patience, at the same time amazed at the intricate patterns and designs. If you did it yourself he'd praise you until you're a blushing mess. Finally when he does find his initial hidden in a corner of your palm he'd want to kiss it and then proceed to tease you again because he's annoying like that and we love him that way. If your henna comes out in a dull colour, you'd go to him whining and complaining because it's his fault your henna came out dull and ugly, he doesn't love you enough. He'd be so freaked out, then he'd make sure to love you extra all day. But if it does come out in a vibrant colour, Welp he's teasing you again, duh. It'd be so fun for him. And at the end, he'd be so into this tradition that he'd get YOUR initial tattooed on to him and now he's sitting there shirtless and smug and grinning like the annoying shit he is, and you're trying your best to find your name in the mess of his tattoos while not getting distracted by his abs lol. Good luck.
Anyways Eid Mubarak to my fellow desi peeps and everyone who celebrates it. Love y'all. â¤ď¸đ
(forgive my poor English, this is just a dump of my thoughts.)
a/n *:シďžâ§*:シďžâ§ This might just be my most requested series besides the Yan!ATG fic. I was this close to abandoning it, but yâall refused to let me and now Iâm on a roll again! There should be at least two more chapters before my motivation dips again, so keep the energy coming. And as always, donât forget to Comment, Reblog and Like (ââ§â˝^)
Comment to be added to taglist
Pt. I | Pt. II | Pt. IV | Pt. V
Jason found a rare, familiar solace in the ritual of maintenance. After the grit and grim reality of his nocturnal dutiesâwhether as a vengeful vigilante or a strategic crimelordâtrue moments of peace were fleeting. The garage of his old friendâs repair shop had become a sanctuary. When he wasnât patrolling Gotham's rain-slicked rooftops or navigating the fraught politics of its underworld, he came here, letting the scent of grease and gasoline clear his head.Â
There was a profound, uncomplicated satisfaction in laying hands on machinery, in feeling an engine respond to his adjustments with a purr or a roar. It was a realm of clean problems, where issues could be solved with the right tool, a precise oil change or the decisive smack of a wrench. Here, he was in controlâa stark contrast to the tangled, human complexities that otherwise defined his life, problems no toolkit could ever seem to fix.
He was deep in the rhythm of it, sleeves rolled up and focus narrowed to the motorcycle before him, when a voice cut through his concentration.
âSorry to bother you but do you know where Jonah is?â
Jason looked up, wiping his hands on a rag. The man in the doorway was unfamiliarâaround his own age, perhaps a few years older, with a relaxed posture and mid-length hair and a tan complexion that suggested origins far from Gothamâs perpetual gloom. But it wasnât the man who fully captured Jasonâs attention.
It was the machine beside him.
An absolutely stunning Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, custom-painted in a deep, iridescent purple that seemed to swallow the workshopâs feeble light. The bike was a masterpiece of aggression and elegance. Jason felt an immediate, almost electric connection to it. His eyes, usually sharp with suspicion or guarded coolness, lit with genuine, unguarded appreciation.
âItâs his day off,â Jason said, straightening up. His curiosity, piqued by both the man and the machine, got the better of his customary reserve. âAnd you are?â
âNameâs Krish,â the man replied, easing the magnificent bike forward. âI wanted to drop her off for repairs. Jonah mentioned youâd be around if he wasnât.â A casual, trusting gesture accompanied his words. âMind taking a look?â
Jason gave a noncommittal shrug and pushed himself up from the creeper seat, the well-worn leather of his jacket creaking with the movement. He ambled over to the bike, his earlier focused intensity shifting into a more appraising, professional curiosity. Jonah knew him too wellâknew that a machine of this caliber was an irresistible lure, a puzzle and a pleasure rolled into one. Still, a flicker of caution cut through his appreciation. Trust was a brittle currency in Gotham and Jonah giving out his name, even casually, pinged on Jasonâs internal radar. That name could be a thread and threads had a way of unraveling back to places best left in the dark.
He pushed the thought aside for now, circling the Kawasaki. Up close, its condition was even more impressive. The custom paint was flawless, the chrome gleamed and the engine, even cold, spoke of meticulous care. A quick visual inspection suggested it needed little more than routine maintenanceâmaybe a fluid change, a chain adjustment. It was less a project and more a privilege to handle.
âYou donât look like youâre from Gotham,â Jason remarked, his voice casual as he ran a thumb along the edge of the pristine fairing. Krish let out a warm, easy laugh. âOh, god, no. Iâm based out of New York these days, but my work has me on the road more often than not. A bit of a nomad, really.â
âThat business sent you to Gotham?â Jason cocked an eyebrow, his tone lightly skeptical. Few legitimate enterprises required a voluntary stop in his city.
âNo, this trip is personal,â Krish clarified, his expression softening. He placed a hand on the bikeâs fuel tank, a gesture that was both possessive and tender. âIâm just here to drop this baby off. Sheâs been sitting in my garage for too long and itâs time I let her go.â A sigh, wistful and genuine, escaped him.
Jason straightened up, crossing his arms. He couldnât mask his bewilderment. âI donât get it. Why part with something youâve clearly put this much of yourself into?â
Krishâs smile turned a touch melancholy. âLetâs just say I got one of those requests you just canât refuse, yâknow?â
A knowing, slightly crooked smirk played on Jasonâs lips. His time on both sides of the law had schooled him in the many meanings of an âoffer you canât refuse.â âGood money,â he ventured, his tone laced with implication, âor someone special?â
âThe latter,â Krish confirmed, his eyes holding a glint of private happiness. Then, as if shaking off a reverie, he clapped his hands together lightly. âOh, that reminds meâdo you sell helmets here?â
Jason tilted his head toward the far wall, where rows of helmets were mounted in a spectrum of colors and designs, from sleek full-face models to vintage open-face classics. âTake your pick,â he said, gesturing with his chin. âJust donât go for the cheap stuff. A headâs worth more than that.â
Krish walked over to the display wall, his gaze traveling appreciatively over the orderly rows of helmets. He didnât just look; he studied them, his fingers lightly tracing the contours of a matte black shell then the sleek racing stripes of another. âDo you have anything on the⌠cutesy side?â he asked after a moment, turning back to Jason with a playful, almost conspiratorial glint in his eye. âSomething in pastels? Or⌠maybe, anything with a bit of glitter?â
Jason couldnât suppress a rough chuckleâa rare sound in the oil-scented gloom of the shop. âPastel and glitter in Gotham?â he mused, wiping his hands again on a rag. âThatâs one way to make a statement. Might be the brightest thing in a five-block radius.â He scanned the wall, his eyes landing on a particular helmet tucked slightly to the side, almost as a novelty item. It was a vibrant pink number adorned with a cluster of cheerful Sanrio characters. With a half-smirk, he unhooked it and held it out toward Krish. âThis cute enough for you?â he asked, the question dripping with friendly sarcasm.
To his surprise, Krish didnât laugh it off. Instead, he took the helmet, his expression shifting to one of serious contemplation. He turned it over in his hands, examining the weight, the interior padding, the quality of the visor mechanism, ignoring the flamboyant decals. His gaze narrowed thoughtfully, as if he were visualizing it in a context Jason couldnât see.
âYou know what?â Krish said finally, a slow, knowing smile spreading across his face. âThis fits. Iâll take it.â
Jasonâs other eyebrow joined the first in a look of pure, unvarnished disbelief. âWait, what? Seriously? Youâre picking this?â His gesture encompassed the garish pink helmet as if it were a radioactive artifact. His tone clearly questioned not just the aesthetic choice, but the manâs entire sense of judgment.
Krishâs grin only widened, infused with a strange delight. âOh, trust me,â he said, his voice warm with amusement. âWhen you see her, youâll get exactly what Iâm talking about.â
Her. The word hung in the air, and Jasonâs mental image shifted. This wasnât some generic gift; it was for a specific person. He gave a mental shrug, the judgment fading into pragmatic acceptance. Ultimately, what did he care? If this guy wanted to buy a ridiculous helmet for his significant other, that was his business. And Jason had to grudgingly admit that beneath the eye-searing design, Krish had instinctively chosen one of the most durable, high-spec models on the wallâa helmet that prioritized safety and quality construction over everything else. The man might have eccentric taste but he wasnât a fool.
âYour money, your head,â Jason conceded with a final, dismissive shake of his head, already moving to ring up the sale. âOr, I guess, her head.â
Jason finished the minor tune-up, accepted the cash with a nod and watched as Krish prepared to depart. The transaction was complete, but the stranger lingered for a moment by the door, the soft Gotham dusk framing him from behind. Though the more Jason talked to him, the more he felt like he knew the man. Not the way that youâve met them before but the type youâve seen before, somewhere, but he couldnât quite put his finger on it.
âHey,â Krish began, turning back with a look of casual consideration. âYouâre around the shop often, right? Since I wonât be in the city, Iâd feel better knowing thereâs someone trustworthy I could reach out to for any bike troubles down the line. You seem like a solid guy.â
Jason leaned back against the workbench, crossing his arms. The request was simple, but in his world, connections were liabilities. âJonahâs usually here,â he stated, his tone carefully neutral. âBut honestly, for a⌠lady,â he said, subtly referencing the helmetâs intended recipient, âI wouldnât recommend this part of town for a roadside rescue. Itâs not exactly welcoming.â
He moved to the chipped shop counter, rummaged in a drawer and pulled out a slightly grease-stained business card. With a pen snatched from behind his ear, he scribbled down one of his many untraceable, burner-like numbersâa line that routed through several buffers before it ever reached him. It was a concession, small and controlled.
âHere,â he said, sliding the card across the counter. âIf thereâs an issue, call this number. Iâll make sure someone reliable gets sent to help.â
Krish took the card, tucking it securely into an inner pocket with a grateful nod. He swung a leg over the magnificent Kawasaki, its custom paint job seeming to drink in the shopâs fluorescent light. In a move that perfectly captured his contrasting sensibilities, he carefully secured the pink Sanrio helmet to the rear seat with a bungee net. Then, he pulled on his own helmetâa sleek, professional piece in matte black and dark blue that perfectly matching his bikeâs stunning color scheme. The engine purred to life with a deep, respectful growl.
âThanks, Zack,â Krish called out over the muted rumble, giving a casual two-finger salute from his temple. âYouâre a real one.â
Jason blinked. The name landed like a misplaced gear. Zack? Jonahâs latest hire who mostly handled invoices and coffee runs. âIâm notââ he started, the correction automatic.
But Krish was already gone. The bike leaned into a smooth turn and disappeared into the gathering evening, the sound of its engine fading into the cityâs perpetual hum.
Silence reclaimed the shop. Jason stood there for a long moment, the ghost of a wry, relieved smile touching his lips. The misunderstanding wasnât just amusing; it was a relief. It meant Jonah hadnât given his name away after all. His identity, fractured and precarious as it was, remained tucked behind the anonymous walls of the repair shop, shielded by a simple case of mistaken identity. He was just a mechanic to Krish. For now, in this small space, that was all he needed to be.
âY/N.â
The voice was a lilting, melodic chime, cutting through the fog of deep sleep. Y/N jerked awake with a soft gasp, the world swimming into focusâthe familiar wood grain of her desk, the warm glow of her study lamp and the screen of her laptop where Vaniâs amused face peered out at her.
âYeah, yeah, IâmâIâm up,â Y/N mumbled, pushing herself upright and rubbing the lingering stiffness from her eyes. A faint line from the edge of a textbook was imprinted on her cheek. âWhat time is it?â Sheâd been deep into her latest project, a intricate digital design that had consumed the evening, before sheer exhaustion had finally pulled her under right there at her workstation.
Vani and Y/N had a pact, an unbreakable ritual born of mutual necessity and comfort. Their video call was a near-permanent fixture, a shared digital space that bridged the distance between their rooms. For Y/N, it was the perfect alternative to braving the trip to the library; she could burrow in her favorite blanket fort and still be âat school.â For Vani, it was a failsafe against procrastinationâa friendly, watchful presence that kept them both vaguely accountable. It was less about constant conversation and more about the quiet, comforting hum of another soul being present.
âItâs time,â Vani said, her voice dropping into a stage whisper, a knowing smirk playing on her lips, âto get up and look out your window. Thereâs a gift waiting for you.â
Y/Nâs brow furrowed in sleepy confusion. A gift? At this hour? Pushing her chair back, she padded over to the window that overlooked the quiet, tree-lined street below. The scene was mostly shadows and the soft pools of streetlight. But then her eyes locked onto a silhouette leaning casually against a parked sports bikeâa silhouette whose posture, whose very outline, was etched into her memory. Her breath hitched.
For a second, she was frozen, a statue of disbelief. Then, movement. She scrambled, snatching up the worn outdoor slippers by her door and bolted from her room. The journey down the stairs was a barely controlled stumbleâshe nearly tripped over her own feet three times, her heart hammering against her ribs. She fumbled with the heavy main entrance door before finally wrenching it open.
Then she was flying. Across the small front yard, through the gate she didnât bother to close properly, a direct line to the figure who was now turning toward the sound of her frantic footsteps. She launched herself at him with the full, unrestrained force of her momentum, wrapping her arms around his torso in a tackle-hug that knocked a soft âOofâ of air from his lungs.
âKrishu!â Her voice was muffled, pressed into the familiar leather of his jacket. âWhat are you doing here?â
He staggered back a step, laughing as he regained his balance and returned the hug just as fiercely. âWhat can I say?â he murmured into her hair, his voice warm with affection. âI missed my chotu too much.â nickname used for someone tiny/small
At the old, teasing nickname, Y/N finally leaned back just enough to swat his chest. âStop calling me that!â she protested, but the effect was ruined by the beaming smile she couldnât suppress. The smile then wavered, giving way to a playful pout. âAnd do you even realize mujhe aapki kitni yaad aati thi? No calls, no texts⌠itâs like you forgot all about me!â she complained, the Hindi slipping out in her earnest, half-exasperated scolding. how much I missed you
Krish held up his hands in a gesture of playful surrender, his grin unrepentant. âAccha, accha, maaf kardo, meri ma,â he said as a smooth counterpoint to hers. âI was hiking in the Atacama in Chile. Trust me, the network there is basically non-existent. Youâd have had better luck sending a message by carrier pigeon.â He gave her hair another affectionate ruffle, his eyes crinkling at the corners. âBut see? Iâm here now. And I come bearing actual gifts, not just my charming presence.â alright, alright forgive me mom
"Gift? What gift?" Y/N asked, pulling back from the hug to look at him, her eyes still wide with sleepy surprise and lingering disbelief at his sudden appearance.
Krish just gave her a mysterious, lopsided smile and held up a single fingerâwait for it. He stepped back, creating a little space between them and pulled out his phone. With a few swift taps, he dialed a number and put it on speaker. It rang only once before Vaniâs voice, now laced with triumphant glee, crackled through.
âIs she there? Did she faint? Do I need to call an ambulance?â Vaniâs rapid-fire questions spilled out.
Without a word, Krish handed the phone to Y/N, his eyes dancing with amusement. âVanshita,â he announced to the air, as if presenting a formal witness. âExplanations, please.â
 Y/N took the phone, pressing it to her ear, her gaze darting between Krishâs expectant face and the stunning motorcycle gleaming under the streetlight. âVani di,â she said, her voice a mixture of confusion and dawning suspicion. âWhat is all this about? Whatâs going on?â
âOkay, listen,â Vani began, her tone shifting to one of conspiratorial delight. âOur dear Krishna here was committing a cardinal sin. He was letting that absolutely gorgeous Kawasaki justâŚÂ rot in his garage. A tragedy, right? And we were talking and I may have mentioned that I knew someoneâsomeone brilliant, someone whoâs been working herself to the bone, someone who could really, really use a spectacular win in her life right about now.â
Y/Nâs breath caught. Her eyes flew to the bike, then to the keys Krish was now dangling from his finger, the metal catching the light. âNo,â she whispered, the word more a puff of air than sound. It was a denial of the impossible, a rejection of a happiness too large to accept all at once.
âYes,â two voices chorused in perfect unisonâone from the phone in her hand, rich with sisterly satisfaction and the other, warm and steady, from the man in front of her.
Krish stepped forward, the keys swinging gently. He offered them to her, his expression softening as he saw the sheen of tears instantly welling up in her eyes. The moment her lower lip began to tremble, he was there. He gently cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing away the first treacherous tears before they could fall.
âRote nahi,â he murmured, his voice dropping into a soft, pleading command. âRona nahi, Y/N. Mai bol raha hoon, rona nahi.â His words were a frantic, loving mantra. âIf you start crying, I swear Iâll put it right back on the trailer. Iâll take it back to New York. Donât make me do that!â Don't cry, Do not cry, I'm telling you, don't cry.
From the phone, still clutched in Y/Nâs hand, Vaniâs dry commentary floated out. âStellar way to console a person, Krish. Truly top-tier emotional support.â
âOh, shut up, Vani!â Krish retorted, his eyes never leaving Y/Nâs watery ones, a flicker of panic in his own. âYou know how I get around crying people! Women in particular! Iâm not equipped to deal with this!â
The comical desperation in his voice, the tender way he was holding her face and the absurdity of the situation finally broke the tension. A wobbly laugh bubbled up through Y/Nâs sniffles, the threatened downpour of emotion receding into a glitter of unshed joy in her eyes.
âAur haan,â Krish continued, his tone shifting from playful to purposeful. He reached into the inner pocket of his worn leather jacket, his fingers emerging not just with the gleaming key fob, but also with a slightly worn business card. He pressed both into Y/Nâs palm, folding her fingers over them with a firm, meaningful squeeze. âThis is important. The card is for a repair shop in the cityâa place I trust completely. The owner, Jonah, is a good man.â and yes
He flipped the card over, tapping a finger on a series of numbers handwritten in a quick, utilitarian scrawl. âAnd this,â he emphasized, âis the direct number for one of the employees there. His nameâs Zack. If anything at all feels off with the bike or if you just need a second opinion, you call him. Tell him you know me. Heâll make sure you get the help you need.â He paused, ensuring he had her full attention. âIâve already spoken to Jonah. Heâs expecting you. Heâs the kind of guy who knows everyone and heâs going to help you navigate getting your full license sorted out. No shortcuts on the paperwork but heâll make the process smooth.â
Before she could fully process the practical flood of information, Krish turned back to the bike. From a secure net strapped to the rear seat, he carefully extracted the final piece of the gift. It was the helmetâthe gloriously, unabashedly pink Sanrio helmet heâd chosen with such specific intent. A soft laugh escaped him as he presented it.
âAnd this,â he said, his voice softening, âis non-negotiable.â Gently, he placed the helmet onto her head, his fingers deftly fastening the strap under her chin, checking the fit with a practiced tug. The world outside muted slightly, filtered through the visor. âNever. Without. A helmet. Samjhi?â His eyes, visible through her visor, were uncharacteristically serious, all traces of his earlier panic gone, replaced by a bedrock of protective concern. âNot for a two-minute ride around the block. Not ever. This is the rule.â got it?
Y/N nodded enthusiastically, the movement making the cheerful characters on the helmet bob slightly. The promise was easy to make, fueled by a lifetime of conditioning. Her father had been a devoted motorcycle enthusiast, his passion filling their garage with the scent of engine oil and the low rumble of classic engines. Y/N had grown up not just around bikes, but on them, learning to balance on a cousinâs tiny dirt bike long before sheâd learned long division.
Her mother had always disapproved, citing safety and unladylike conduct, but her fatherâs world of freedom and wind had been too magnetic. Heâd taken her on countless rides, her small hands gripping his jacket as the world blurred into a stream of joyous sensation and that love had been irrevocably imprinted on her soul.
Knowing Krish had only poured accelerant on that spark. He was the only person in her life whose bikes were faster, whose stories of open roads were more thrilling and who never once dismissed her fascination as a phase. He was always happy to indulge her, explaining mechanics, letting her sit on his machines, and now⌠this. This was more than indulgence; it was an investment, a passing of the torch wrapped in glittering pink plastic.
From the phone, still loosely held in her hand, Vaniâs voice cut through the moment, warm with approval. âSee? I told you heâd come through with the full safety lecture.â
Krish shot a mock-glare toward the phone. "I'm hanging up on you now, Vanshita. My emotional support duties here are done." He reached over and ended the call, plunging them into a sudden, significant quiet, broken only by the distant city sounds.Â
The reality of the moment, so joyous just seconds before, began to settle with a sobering weight. Krishâs smile lingered, but it had softened around the edges, tinged with a melancholy that Y/N felt echo in her own chest. âI should get going, Y/N,â he said, his voice quieter now, pitched for just the two of them in the dim evening light.
The words landed with a dull thud. So soon? âWhy?â she protested, the plea slipping out before she could temper it with reason. âYou just got here. At least⌠at least come up for some chai. Iâll make it the way you like it.â The offer was automatic, a thread of normalcy she desperately wanted to cling to, even as she knew it was futile. She understood the mechanics of their lives all too well. Krishâs work was a demanding, globe-hopping entity and her own academic pursuits were a vortex of deadlines and projects.
Their worlds orbited on different axes and the gravitational pull that had once kept them close was straining under the distance. Growing apart felt less like a possibility and more like an inevitable, slow-motion drift she was powerless to stop. As a child, Krish and Vani had been her constants. She had sworn silent oaths to never let them go, but adulthood, she was learning, was a series of gentle, necessary goodbyes.
âYou know I canât, yaar,â he said, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder. The regret in his voice was a tangible thing. âI have a flight to Taipei first thing tomorrow. Clients waiting, deadlines breathing down my neck.â He shrugged, attempting a casualness that didnât reach his eyes. In their deep, familiar brown, Y/N could see a mirror of her own reluctanceâa sadness that this stolen hour was all they could manage. dude
âI understand,â Y/N nodded slowly, the words tasting like ash. There was no point in arguing with logistics, with the tyranny of schedules and responsibilities. Together, in silence now, they carefully wheeled the magnificent Kawasaki into the designated parking area of her apartment building, the quiet rumble of its tires on concrete feeling like a final, solemn ceremony.
A soft beep from his phone broke the stillness. Krish glanced at the screen, his expression tightening almost imperceptibly. âThe cabâs here,â he announced, not looking up, his focus on the glowing rectangle as if it could shield him from the goodbye. âI should go.â
But before the distance could formalize, before he could take that first step away, Y/N moved. She crossed the short space between them and threw her arms around him in another tight embrace, this one devoid of the earlier giddy force, filled instead with a clinging, wordless plea. She buried her face in his jacket, inhaling the familiar scents of leather and distant places, fiercely holding back the hot press of tears.
The impact made him let out a soft, grunting laugh. âArrey, what is with you and body-slamming me tonight?â he chuckled, the sound warm and strained as he brought his arms around her, one hand coming up to pat the top of her head, right over where the pink helmet had been. âTrying to give me internal injuries as a parting gift?â
âShut up,â she mumbled into the fabric, her voice thick. He didnât reply, simply holding her, his own cheek resting against her hair, savoring the quiet, precious moment of connection, memorizing the feel of it.
Finally, as the cabâs headlights swept across the street, he gently loosened his hold. Pulling back just enough to see her face, he brushed a stray strand of hair from her cheek, his thumb briefly grazing her skin. âAlright,â he sighed, the playful mask gone again. Then, a flicker of his old self returned, a last attempt to leave her with a smile. âSo⌠duty-free run. Do you want anything from Taipei? Skincare? Those weird flavoured Kit-Kats youâre obsessed with? A decorative sword? Name it.â
She pulled back, sniffling once but managing a wobbly smile. "Just for you to comeback safe and sound. And maybe a postcard. A really ugly one."
"That's my girl," he said, his own smile finally reaching his eyes again, if only for a second. "Ugly postcards are my specialty." He tapped the side of her head gently. "Remember. Card. Jonah. License. In that order."
He gave her one last, long look, as if etching the sceneâher standing next to the beautiful, impossible bike, the ridiculous pink helmet now clutched in her handsâinto his memory. Then, with a final, decisive nod, he turned and walked towards the waiting cab, its engine idling with impatient warmth.
Y/N stood rooted to the spot, watching as he slid into the back seat. He didn't look back as the car pulled away from the curb, its taillights shrinking into two red pinpricks before dissolving into the river of Gotham's night traffic. The sudden silence felt immense, a vacuum left in the wake of his vibrant energy.
Her gaze drifted from the empty street to the motorcycle beside her. It wasn't just a machine; it was a promise, a tether. He couldn't stay, but he'd left a part of himself behindâa roaring, purple and black fragment of his world, now parked in hers. The cool metal of the key bit into her palm, a tangible anchor.
If the weekend's surprise had felt like a burst of radiant, impossible color, Monday morning was a harsh, high-contrast black and white photograph. Y/N L/Nâs reality snapped back with a vengeance and it was currently embodied by her boss, Timothy Drake Wayne, who was in a mood so foul it seemed to warp the very air of the office. The cause was a mysteryâa crappy client meeting, a traffic jam, a critical email from god-knows-where but the effect was painfully clear: Y/N was his designated pressure valve.
While the other junior associates were across the office, clustered around senior architectsâ screens, eagerly observing the early-stage digital reconstruction of a property recently damaged in one of the Red Hoodâs more explosive disputesâ allegedly a result of his latest face-offs with one of the rogues, leaving Y/N was anchored to the small pantry. Her primary architectural contribution for the morning was achieving the perfect steep time for a cup of chai, Timâs third in two hours.
âHmmm,â she mused under her breath, stirring a generous spoonful of her precious, personally blended chai mixâa cardamom-and-ginger concoction Tim had once tasted and now felt aristocratically entitled toâinto a pot of simmering water. âShould I spit in it or is this finally the day for rat poison?â
âPoison, definitely,â a cheerful, unfamiliar voice agreed directly behind her.
Y/N jumped, nearly sending the pot clattering into the sink. She whirled around, her prepared glare dissolving into stunned silence.
Leaning against the pantry doorway was a man who seemed genetically engineered to disrupt the monotony of a Monday. He had a relaxed, athletic grace with mid-length hair that looked artfully tousled rather than unkempt. But it was his eyes that halted herâa vast, brilliant blue, the kind you saw in travel posters for tropical skies. They were nothing like Timâs icy, assessing glare; these were open, warm, and currently crinkled with amused apology.Â
He was dressed simply in a well-fitted blue shirt and dark trousers, but the clothes hung on him with such easy perfection they might as well have been a tailored suit. He looked like if Hrithik Roshan and Brad Pitt had decided to collaborate on a greek god of a love child. Ghoorna band kar, she mentally scolded herself, tearing her gaze away from his smile. Stop staring.
âSorry about that,â the masterpiece said, straightening up and taking a step forward. His voice was as pleasant as the rest of him, friendly and laced with that same easy charm. âDidnât mean to sneak up on you. Iâm Dick.â
A new, entirely different reaction bloomed across Y/Nâs face. The awe, the shock of his appearance, was momentarily vaporized by a wave of profound, cosmic pity. Dick. Of course. It was a universal law, apparently. The universe had to nerf the devastatingly handsome ones. Why did all the unfairly attractive white men come saddled with the most godawful, conversation-stalling names? Josh? Chad? Tim? Dick? It was like a built-in humility feature.Â
She managed to school her features into something resembling professional neutrality, though a spark of her earlier mischief remained in her eyes. âRight,â she said, her voice dry. âOf course you are. Can I help you⌠Dick? Or are you just here to advocate for workplace toxicity?â She gestured vaguely with the spoon still in her hand.
âI was, uhâjust here to grab myself aâŚâ His sentence trailed off as his gaze swept the small pantry, landing on a nearly empty snack rack. He snagged a lone, slightly stale-looking oatmeal cookie from a crumpled cellophane packet. âThis. Yeah.â
The move was so transparently improvised that Y/N had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. She gave a noncommittal shrug and turned her attention back to the simmering pot, the rich, spicy aroma of cardamom and ginger beginning to fill the small space.
Instead of leaving, however, Dick moved. He casually sidled up to the counter next to her, closing the distance with a natural ease that made the cramped pantry feel even more intimate. He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a stage whisper that was warm and conspiratorial. âSo,â he murmured, as if they were old allies planning a coup. âWho are we poisoning and why again? I need the full briefing if Iâm going to be an accessory.â
The proximity, the low timber of his voice, the playful glint in those impossibly blue eyesâit was a concerted assault on her composure. Y/N leaned back instinctively, creating a few crucial inches of space. A faint, unwelcome blush heated her cheeks. She was accustomed to handsome men, sure. She worked for Tim, whose sharp, aristocratic features were a study in cold perfection and sheâd grown up with Krish, whose roguish charm was its own brand of compelling. But in both cases, their personalitiesâone icy and demanding, the other mischievous and overbearingâhad instantly neutralized any superficial appeal. This was different. This was a handsome man who was also⌠genuinely, disarmingly nice. It was an unfamiliar and slightly overwhelming combination.
âTake a guess, would you?â she finally managed, her tone drier than the cookie in his hand. Seeking a small, petty revenge, she deliberately scooped an extra spoonful of sugar into Timâs tea, knowing full well he preferred it bitter. The petty act, witnessed by this charming stranger, felt both childish and satisfying.
âA name does come to mind,â Dick mused, nodding thoughtfully as he watched her stir the sugary revenge. He took a bite of his cookie, his expression one of sympathetic contemplation.
That tiny hint of solidarity was all the invitation she needed. The dam of her professional frustration, already weakened by the morningâs tedium, gave way. âHeâs the worst,â she hissed, keeping her voice low but letting the venom flow. âHe acts like Iâm his personal errand girl, not a junior architect⌠intern. And on top of the actual mountain of work, thereâs just this⌠sheer avalanche of bullshit he dumps on me. I get it, heâs a control freak and Iâm his assistant, but thereâs a line! Somewhere! A very clear, bright line that he joyfully pole-vaults over every single day!â She punctuated her rant by clanging the spoon a little too hard against the rim of the mug. âAnd then thereâs his stupid, smug face. God, I could justââ She made a brief, violent wringing motion with her hands.
Dick didnât just smile or offer a polite nod. He let out a loud, hearty, unreserved laughâthe kind that filled the small pantry and seemed to bounce off the tiles. It was a sound of pure, unfiltered amusement.
Y/N immediately cut off, her furious momentum halted. She glared at him, the blush returning full-force, this time from indignation. âWhatâs so funny?â
âNothing, nothing,â he said, raising his hands in a placating gesture, though his eyes still sparkled with mirth. âItâs just⌠you seem to have some very strong feelings for him. Passionate. Visceral, even.â He took another bite of the cookie, looking thoroughly entertained.Â
âAgainst,â Y/N corrected with a sharp huff, giving the simmering pot a final, aggressive stir. âVery, very much against.â As if on cue to prove her point, her phone buzzed on the countertop with the specific, dreaded tone sheâd assigned to one contact. She glanced down, and her expression hardened into a mask of pure, simmering fury.
Mendhak:
Make an extra cup. I have a guest coming.Â
The sheer, casual audacity of itâthe assumption, the lack of a âplease,â the fact he was texting her from approximately thirty feet awayâsent a fresh wave of irritation through her. She could practically feel her molars grinding together.
Dick, who had politely averted his gaze from her phone but couldnât miss the storm cloud that settled over her features, offered what was probably meant to be a mitigating observation. âI mean,â he ventured, his tone still light but shifting slightly towards diplomacy, âyou have to cut the guy a little slack. Heâs only nineteen and heâs basically the acting CEO of a billion-dollar empire. Thatâs got to do⌠something to your personality. Puts a certain kind of pressure on a person.â
Y/N slammed the spoon down on the counter with a definitive clack. She turned to face him, the last vestiges of her earlier flustered blush gone, replaced by the fiery righteousness of the perpetually put-upon. âThat,â she declared, jabbing a finger in the general direction of Timâs office, âmight explain the ego, the impossible standards, maybe even the permanently smug expression he wears. What it does not explain, or excuse, is his pathological refusal to use the perfectly functional, top-of-the-line espresso machine in his own private cabin!â
She gestured wildly toward the pantryâs sad, drip-style coffee maker, as if presenting Exhibit A. âHe bought it! He had it installed! It makes coffee that probably costs more per cup than my hourly wage! But no. Instead, he demands I make this,â she pointed at the pot of chai, âfrom a personal recipe. And he doesnât ask. He commands. âMake an extra cup.â Not âCould you?â Not âWhen you have a moment.â Itâs a text order, like Iâm a drone in his personal beverage air force.â
Dickâs lips twitched, his earlier full laugh now tempered into a smile of genuine, shared commiseration. âWell, I should probably get going,â he said, his tone light. âBut truly, I wish you all the best in your⌠ongoing campaigns.â He gave her a final, friendly nod that felt like a genuine salute before turning and slipping out of the pantry, leaving behind the faint, clean scent of his cologne and a palpable void of charm.
Y/N deflated slightly, the brief spark of camaraderie extinguished. She stared at the empty doorway. Why couldnât her professional life be filled with people like that? People who laughed easily, who whispered about poison with a twinkle in their eye instead of just doling it out in passive-aggressive memos. Her mind, seeking distraction, began to categorize him. What department was he with? Finance? No, he lacked the predatory sharpness, the hollow sheen of a finance bro. Sales, then. It had to be sales. Companies always hired the incredibly attractive for client-facing rolesâa classic tactic, weaponizing charm and good bone structure for persuasion. The theory satisfied her, neatly filing Dick away as a pleasant, transient anomaly from a different, more glamorous sector of the corporate machine.
With a resigned sigh, she turned back to her duty. She prepared a second cup, then carefully reheated the first, knowing from bitter experience that Tim Drake considered anything less than scalding to be an personal affront. Arranging both mugs on a tray with mechanical precision, she carried the loaded peace offering down the hall to his office.
She knocked softly, the careful tap-tap-tap of someone balancing hot liquids and their own simmering resentment. A muted âCome inâ filtered through the door.
Pushing it open, she stepped into the sleek, minimalist spaceâand froze.
There, perched casually on the edge of Timâs immaculate desk, one leg swinging slightly, was Dick Grayson. He was in the middle of a story, gesturing animatedly, a bright grin on his face. And Timâher Tim, the Mendhak, the source of her morning miseryâwas leaning back in his chair. He wasnât just listening; he was relaxed, his arms crossed, wearing an expression of open, unguarded amusement. It was a face sheâd never seen him wear in her presence.
The scene was so dissonant, so utterly wrong, that the tray in her hands gave a dangerous wobble.
âOh, Y/N, perfect timing,â Tim said, his voice still carrying traces of that unfamiliar warmth. He gestured casually between them. âI have someone to introduce you to. This is Dick Grayson.â He paused, and a smirk touched his lipsâa real one, not the cold, calculated kind she was used to. âMy brother.â
The words landed not as an introduction, but as a physical blow. Brother. The air left her lungs. The carefully maintained tray tilted; china clinked a frantic, perilous alarm before she managed to steady it through sheer, white-knuckled will. The feeling that surged through her wasnât just shock. It was a hot, humiliating wave of betrayal. Sheâd just unloaded her professional grievances, painted her boss as a petty tyrant, to the tyrantâs own brother. Heâd stood there, nodding along, sympathizing, laughing.
Somehow, her body moved on autopilot. She set the tray down on the corner of the desk with a soft, definitive clink. Every movement was measured, robotic. She turned to Dick and manufactured a smile. It was a polite, professional, utterly hollow stretch of her lips that didnât touch the storm in her eyes. âNice to meet you, sir,â she said, her voice unnaturally even. A vein pulsed dangerously at her temple.
Dickâs reaction was immediate. All the easy charm had evaporated. His eyes had gone wide, his easy posture stiffening. He looked at her not with amusement or sympathy but with deep, genuine concernâand a flicker of something that looked like alarm. He opened his mouth as if to say something, to explain but no sound came out.
Y/N didnât give him the chance. She pivoted back to Tim, her spine straight as a ruler. Her face was a mask of impeccable neutrality, but her tone was so carefully, chillingly devoid of inflection it was more scathing than any shout. âSir, I need to confirm the details for your four oâclock conference call with the Tokyo investors. Iâll be at my desk if you require anything further.â Not a question. A statement.
Without waiting for a dismissal, she turned on her heel and walked out, closing the door behind her with a soft, precise click that echoed in the sudden, stunned silence she left in her wake.
Work ended early, a small, unexpected mercy and Y/N refused to let the lingering shadow of the Wayne brothersâone a micromanaging prodigy, the other a charming, duplicitous enablerâtaint what came next. The solution to all her misery, she decided, was waiting for her in the parking garage.
It was finally time to take her baby for a spin.
A part of her, the sentimental part nurtured by years of shared adventures, wished Krish were here for this inaugural ride. His whoop of approval, his inevitable critique of her posture, the shared ritual of itâit would have felt more complete. But his life was a series of departures and hers was learning to be a series of arrivals in his absence. Besides, she reasoned, she had practicalities to attend to. The food rations ran dangerously low and the nearby supermarket was only a fifteen minute ride away. Surely a quick, careful trip for essentials, license still pending, wouldnât hurt. It was a test drive with a purpose, not a joyride. Thatâs what she told herself.
In her apartment, she strapped on the cheerfully bright Sanrio helmet. The pastel and cartoon characters were a stark, almost absurd contrast to the Kawasakiâs purple and cobalt severity, a touch of childish whimsy against a machine of pure, adult power. But Krish had chosen it and that connection made it precious. She loved the dichotomy. Securing the strap under her chin, she felt a familiar, comforting enclosure.
Downstairs, the bike waited. She swung a leg over, settling into the seat that felt like it had been molded for her. Her thumb found the ignition. The engine didnât just start; it awoke with a deep, throaty purr that vibrated up through the frame and into her bones. It was a feeling that transcended mechanicsâit was a conversation, a potential energy humming under her control. She let it idle for a moment, soaking in the sensation, then gave the throttle a gentle, experimental twist. The responsive growl that answered was electric.Â
The sound transported her instantly to her memory back years, across an ocean, to the heat-hazed tarmac of the Delhi expressway, tucked behind Krish on his old Triumph, the wind screaming past her helmet as they chased the horizon. To the feeling of limitless asphalt ahead and the wild, weightless freedom of speed. Y/N could almost hear Vaniâs frantic calls afterward. Sheâd always been their unwilling accomplice, left to craft elaborate lies for her parents, put in what she called âmorally precarious situations.â Sheâd swear, every time, that she was done, finished, never covering for them again. And yet every time, sheâd be bribed back into compliance with a packet of imported cigarettes and a plate of steaming, spicy momos from their favorite roadside stall. The memory drew a small smile from Y/N.
With that warmth in her chest, she eased the bike out of the parking spot and into the dusky Gotham evening. The trip to the small Indian supermarket was a short, cautious navigation of side streets, every stop and start a new lesson in the bikeâs sensitive controls. She pulled into a spot right out front, killing the engine. The sudden silence felt loud.
Pushing open the shopâs door triggered a familiar, welcoming chime. The air inside was thick with the comforting scents of sandalwood incense, fresh herbs, and spices. And there, emerging from behind a stack of ghee tins emerged a man who could only be described as a giant, Sikh golden retriever. Baldeep Singh was built like a wrestler, with a beard that rivaled a kingâs and eyes that perpetually crinkled with good humor. He looked, she always thought, like if the chirpy innkeeper from Frozen.Â
âSatsriakal, Paaji!â Y/N called out, her earlier troubles melting away in the warmth of the place. âSabh changa?â Hello sir (used informly for an older brother figure), everything good?
His face split into a beam so wide it seemed to generate its own wattage, brightening the entire aisle of lentils and dried beans. âY/N!â he boomed, his voice a baritone of pure delight that vibrated in the air, making the nearby jars of pickles and spices hum in sympathetic resonance. He lumbered out from behind the counter, wiping hands on the apron stretched over his broad chest. Before she could utter another word, he closed the distance and delivered a welcoming thump to her back that rattled her teeth and nearly sent her stumbling into a display of pappads.
âWah! Look at you, breathing our air again!â he laughed, his eyes twinkling. The hefty slap was just Balpreet Singhâs version of a handshakeâa little overwhelming but brimming with uncomplicated affection. Having spent decades at his familyâs dhaba in Delhi before transplanting his family and his hospitality to Gotham, he treated Y/N with the proprietary warmth of a hometown elder. In his eyes, her Delhi roots earned her the coveted âlocalâs discount,â a currency far more valuable than dollars.
âIâm just here for the essentials,â Y/N said, catching her breath and pulling up a list on her phone. âHalf kilo of arhar daal, maybe some rice⌠and a few of those minute-made curry packets for the week.â Balpreetâs magnificent smile instantly inverted into a formidable frown. His bushy eyebrows drew together like two caterpillars in a conference.Â
âAunty is well, I hope?â
âThe missus is in radiant health, waheguru ki kripa se,â he declared, waving a dismissive hand. âWhich is precisely why she would box my ears if she learned I let you walk out of here with those⌠those emergency rations.â He said the words with the distaste of a master chef presented with a microwave dinner. âGrowing young people, working hard with their brains, need proper fuel! Real food! Not powder in a packet.â by the grace of waheguru
Y/N offered a sheepish, pragmatic smile. âThe internship stipend hasnât hit my account yet, Paaji. The budget is⌠austerity-level this week.â
It was as if she had casually insulted his ancestors, his culinary lineage and the sacred cow all at once. Balpreetâs expression shifted from disapproval to profound personal offense. He drew himself up to his full, impressive height.
âBas cha kar putter! No more of this talk,â he commanded, his voice softening even as his resolve hardened. âYou come with me.â Enough kid
He snatched a basket from a stack and began a purposeful march down the aisles, a general on a war campaign. Y/N trailed behind, a smile tugging at her lips, knowing resistance was futile. Into the basket went a fresh bundle of coriander, plump tomatoes, a bag of onions, a bottle of his house-blended garam masala that smelled like heaven, and a container of ghee he insisted was medicinal.
âMy own Arshpreet,â he said as he selected a bag of the finest basmati rice, âis off at Berkeley, becoming a big-shot engineer. Her mother, my Roop, she calls her every night and her first question is always, âBeta, what did you eat?â We cannot be there to put a plate in front of her, so we worry.â He placed the rice in the basket with a gentle pat. âBut you⌠you are here, in my shop. If I cannot ensure my own daughter is fed like a sher, I can at least make sure someone elseâs child, far from home, does not eat like a⌠a sparrow.â He glanced back at her, his eyes crinkling with a warmth that melted any remaining protest. lion
âWith all due respect,â Y/N said, her voice thick with a mixture of gratitude and gentle scolding. âYou are going to run a thriving business straight into the ground because of me. Iâm a liability to your profit margins.â
He let out a hearty laugh that shook his broad shoulders. âProfit? Pah! This is not profit. This is seva. And what is a business for, if not to take care of its own?â He stopped at the counter and began ringing up the items at speeds that defied logic, his thick fingers flying over the ancient cash register. The total he named was a fraction of the actual cost, a number so symbolic it was practically a fairy tale. selfless service (one of the core principles of Sikhism)
He bagged the groceries with practiced efficiency, tucking in a small container of homemade ginger candy âfor digestion.â Y/N paid the token amount, the transaction feeling less like commerce and more like accepting a blessing. As she hefted the bags and turned to leave, a violent, cacophonous crash shattered the quiet evening from the street outside. The sound of rending metal and shattering glass was unmistakable.
Balpreetâs head snapped up. âOye! What is this now?â
âPaaji, you lock the door,â Y/N said, her voice tight. Her heart leapt into her throat, a single, terrifying thought eclipsing all else:Â her bike. She dropped the bags just outside the doorway and bolted outside, the shopâs bell jangling a frantic alarm behind her.
Relief, swift and dizzying, washed over her first. The Kawasaki stood untouched, gleaming under the streetlight, a solitary island of beauty amidst the sudden chaos. The destruction came from the narrow, trash-strewn alley that ran alongside the spice shop. From its shadows came the grunts of impact, the sickening thud of fists on flesh, and the clatter of a metal dumpster being slammed into.
Against every screaming instinct of self-preservation, she found herself moving toward the noise. She clicked her helmetâs visor down, the simple action feeling like donning a thin layer of armor, and crept closer to the alleyâs mouth, pressing herself against the rough brick wall to peer around the corner.
The scene was a blur of violent motion under the sickly, intermittent glow of a Gotham streetlight that flickered as if gasping its last breath. A group of men, hulking shapes in the gloom, were swarming a single figure. It was impossible to make out detailsâexcept one. A flash of streetlight caught on a familiar, stark shape: the unmistakable, domed curve of a red helmet.
Red Hood.
The recognition was instant, a fact filed away from news clips and hushed, fearful conversations. Before the thought could fully form, one of the attackers was hurled backward as if from a cannon. He sailed past Y/Nâs hiding place, missing her by feet and crashed onto the asphalt with a nauseating crunch of bone and a pained groan. She flinched back, scooting deeper into the shadow of a stone pillar, her breathing shallow behind the helmet.
As the fight ebbed and flowed, she watched with dawning horror. Red Hood was a cyclone of brutal efficiency but he was moving wrong. There was a hitch in his step, a favoring of one side. A dark, wet stain was spreading across his leather jacket. Heâs hurt. And he was severely outnumbered. Heâd beat several down, but they were like roachesâstunned, then slowly, shakily rising again.
The man who had landed near her was one of them. He pushed himself up, swaying, his face a mask of rage and pain. His hand dipped into his jacket and emerged clutching a pistol. He raised it, the barrel wavering as he tried to steady it, aiming directly at Red Hoodâs back. The vigilante, locked in combat with two others, was completely exposed.
Logic was a clear, cold voice in her head:Â Stay hidden. Get on your bike. Go home. This is not your fight. This is Gotham.
But another voice, louder, born of a childhood watching her father and Krish tinker with engines and talk about fixing whatâs broken, screamed back. These people fight every day to keep the city from swallowing itself whole. And youâre just going to watch?
Her eyes scanned the ground. There, beside a fractured piece of curb, lay a half-brick, discarded and ordinary. Without another thought, her fingers closed around its rough, gritty surface. It felt heavy. Final.
A prayer her father used to mutter before tackling a stubborn engine block surfaced from her memory. âJai Mata Di,â she whispered, the words a quiet breath against her visor.
Then she stepped out, just enough to get a clear angle. With a grunt of effort that was part fear, part fury, she hurled the brick.
It sailed through the dank alley air in a short, brutal arc. It didnât whistle; it was too clumsy for that. It just thudded against the back of the gunmanâs skull with a sound like a rotten melon hitting concrete. His arms flew out, the pistol clattering away into the darkness. He stood frozen for a surreal second, then his eyes rolled back and he crumpled to the filthy ground, out cold.
Silence, sudden and profound, descended for one heartbeat. Then all remaining eyes in the alleyâthe dazed thugs and the slowly turning, bloodied red helmetâswung toward the alleyâs mouth, toward the figure in the absurdly cheerful pink helmet, standing with empty hands and a racing heart.
Civilians, in Jason Toddâs extensive and brutal experience, followed a simple rule: see the Red Hood, run the other way. Their fear was rational, a survival instinct he often relied upon to keep them out of the crossfire. Direct intervention was rare, and almost always stupid. Not that he was ungrateful, in a distant, abstract way, but a panicking civilian usually became a liability, a hostage, or a stain on the pavementâthree outcomes that just made his night more complicated.
So when the figure in the pink helmet spoke, his first reaction was a surge of pure, exasperated irritation.
âUh, Mr. Red Hood. Hello, Iâuhââ Her voice was muffled by the helmet, young and tight with adrenaline. She gestured vaguely toward the unconscious gunman. âI just wanna say⌠thank you for your service? And uh⌠yeah.â
Service. The word almost made him bark a laugh, if every breath didnât feel like a knife in his ribs. Heâd just shattered a manâs knee cap and likely broken anotherâs orbital bone. This wasnât a community outreach program.
âGo,â he growled, the voice modulator in his helmet layering the single syllable with metallic menace. It wasnât a suggestion.
She nodded, the cheerful Sanrio characters on her helmet bobbing rapidly. âYeah. Totally. Great idea. Iâm just gonna⌠go.â She let out a high, awkward laugh that was pure nerves, turned on her heel and began speed-walking back toward the mouth of the alley.
Good. Smart. Finally.
Jason turned his attention back to the remaining thugs. Two were still down, but one was staggering upright and the sounds of shouting and converging footsteps echoed from the far end of the alley. Backup. His comms were fried, his bike was three blocks away and currently on fireâcourtesy of an earlier, separate disagreement and the deep gash in his side was leaking through the Kevlar weave. The tactical assessment was grim: he needed to disengage and he needed to do it now.
He took a limping step backward, putting weight on his bad leg sent a white-hot spike of pain up his spine. One of the thugs, seeing his vulnerability, let out a ragged yell and charged. Jason pivoted, channeling the pain into the movement and drove his fist into the manâs jaw with a crack that echoed off the bricks. The man dropped like a sack of cement, but the exertion cost him. He swayed, the world tilting for a dangerous second.
âUm, Mr. Red Hood?â
He stiffened. That voice again. He turned his head, the red lenses of his helmet fixing on the pink-helmeted woman who had, inexplicably, returned. She was standing just outside the alley now, one hand on the seat of a motorcycle he hadnât registered beforeâa custom-painted Kawasaki Ninja that glowed like a jewel under the streetlight. Of course.
Why didnât she leave? Canât she see the âWelcome to a Bloodbathâ sign flashing over this alley? The thoughts were a furious, internal roar. Was she pathologically kind, suicidally naive or just spectacularly dumb?
âDo you⌠need a lift?â she asked, the question so absurd it seemed to hang in the smoke-tinged air.
He stared at her. A lift. From a civilian. On a iridescent purple sports bike. It was the kind of scenario that belonged in a particularly deranged cartoon. He opened his mouth to tell her to get the hell out for the second and final time.
But then a bullet whined off the dumpster beside him, showering sparks. The shouts were closer. The math, however insulting, was simple: pride and protocol versus not bleeding out in a garbage-filled alley where his body would likely be looted before the Bats even got the alert.
The choice was humiliating. It was also the only one he had.
Slowly, gritting his teeth against the pain and the sheer ignominy of it, he gave a single, curt nod.
He began limping toward her, each step a study in agony and stubborn will. The woman didnât freeze or flinch. She sprinted the few feet to the front of the spice shop, snatched up two heavy-looking grocery bags that had been abandoned there and was back at the bike in seconds.Â
âPlease hold these,â she said, her voice surprisingly steady as she thrust the heavy grocery bags backward toward him without looking.
Jason stared at the woven handles dangling in the space between them. The absurdity of the situation reached a new, crystalline peak. âAre you serious?â The modulator couldnât fully mask the sheer, flabbergasted disbelief in his tone.
She tilted her head just enough for him to see the serious, determined set of her jaw beneath the helmetâs edge. âWant that lift or not?â
A groan, part pain, part profound existential frustration, rumbled in his chest. With his free armâthe one not currently applying pressure to the weeping wound on his sideâhe snatched the bags. They were deceptively heavy, pulling at his shoulder. âLady, you feeding a family of seven or what?â he grunted, the mundane question feeling surreal amidst the scent of his own blood and alley filth.
She didnât grace him with a response. Instead, she shifted forward, making what little space existed on the seat. Unfortunately, one of the few design flaws of a Kawasaki Ninjaâa machine built for speed, not for passenger comfortâwas its complete lack of second-passenger real estate. He was pressed flush against her back, his thighs bracketing hers, the contact unavoidable and intensely personal for two strangers. Almost immediately, he felt her stiffen. A damp, cold patch on the back of her shirt, right between her shoulder blades, was growing steadily cooler against his leather-clad chest. Blood. His blood. Sheâd definitely felt it.
He heard her take a sharp, bracing breath, as if steeling herself against the sensory violation. You just had to play hero, huh? Her own brain was probably screaming the same thing his was.
Then, she didnât just ease the bike forward. She floored the accelerator.
The Kawasaki leapt forward like a startled panther, the sudden G-force slamming him hard into her back. A pained hiss escaped him as the impact jolted his injuries and he felt her own shudder at the full, wet press of his wound against her spine. The sensation was unmistakable nowâa sticky, chilling dampness seeping through fabric. The âickâ was almost a tangible wave coming off of her but she didnât slow down.
What followed wasnât a direct route. It was an evasive maneuver worthy of someone whoâd watched one too many chase scenes or who possessed a surprisingly sharp instinct for survival. She wove through narrower side streets, took sudden, sharp turns down one-way alleys going the wrong way, and circled blocks in dizzying patterns. Her head was on a constant swivel, checking mirrors and glancing over her shoulder, not at him but past him, scanning for tails. She was running interference and she was doing a damn competent job of it.
Finally, after a circuitous journey that left even his seasoned sense of direction slightly scrambled, she slowed and guided the bike into the deep, shadowed mouth of an alley behind a nondescript cafĂŠ called âSip and Savour.â The engineâs roar dropped to a low, uneasy purr as she killed the ignition. The sudden silence was heavy, broken only by the distant hum of the city and the sound of their breathingâhers slightly ragged, his deliberately controlled through the pain.
She sat perfectly still for a moment, listening, watching the alleyâs entrance. Then, seemingly satisfied they were clean, she let her shoulders slump a fraction. The makeshift rescue mission, it seemed, had reached its temporary terminus.
âThe GCPD headquarters is about three blocks that way,â she said, her voice muffled but practical as she pointed with a gloved hand down the main street. âThere's a public hospital two blocks east of that. And if you take a right out of the alley, there's a bus stop where the next one leaves in...â She lifted her wrist, checking a sleek, sporty watch. â...five minutes. Should get you wherever you need to go.â
Red Hood had been a statue of silent, pained intensity for the entire ride. As soon as the bike stilled, he moved. He swung his good leg over with a grunt, dismounting with a stiffness that spoke of serious injury. The grocery bags, which heâd clutched like bizarre, life-preserving totems, were unceremoniously dumped onto the grimy asphalt of the alley.
He didn't offer thanks. Instead, his hand went to a back pocket of his tactical pants. He pulled out a small, damp billfold and extracted two crumpled hundred-dollar bills. Without a word, he placed them neatly on the seat of her bike, right where heâd been sitting.
âFor your troubles,â his modulated voice grated out. A bloodied finger, its leather glove stained dark, pointed vaguely at the center of her back. âAnd the shirt.â
Y/N twisted, trying to crane her neck to see the damage. Thankfully, sheâd worn black. In the low light, the stain was invisible but the damp, chilling patch against her skin told the whole story. A shudder she couldnât suppress ran through her. âThereâs no need forââ she began, turning back to face him, ready to refuse the money.
But the space where he had been standing was empty.
He was justâŚÂ gone. Vanished into the deep shadows of the alley as if heâd never been there at all. No sound of footsteps, no rustle of fabric. One second he was a solid, bleeding reality; the next, he was a ghost. A classic Bat trick, she thought, a mix of irritation and awe curling in her gut. Sheâd heard the stories but seeing the unnerving precision of the disappearance firsthand was something else.
Alone now, she looked at the two bills on her seat, then at the abandoned grocery bags on the ground. With a sigh, she picked up the moneyâit was soaked at the edges with a concerning coppery dampness and stuffed it into her own pocket before retrieving her groceries.
Three blocks away, perched on a rusted fire escape landing in a pool of darkness even deeper than its surroundings, Jason Todd pressed a freshly packed wad of gauze against his side. The world had a fuzzy, tilting quality, a combination of concussion and significant blood loss that made thinking in straight lines a chore.
But it was in that muddled, pain-hazed state that the puzzle pieces finally clicked together.
The womanâs voice, the way she held herself, the absurdly cheerful helmet⌠and the bike. The bike. The custom-painted Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R with the cobalt and purple. Heâd seen it before, just days ago. It had been wheeled into the shop by a tan, traveling man whoâd asked for Jonah. The man whoâd bought the ridiculous pink helmet for his⌠whoever.
âWhen you see her, youâll get exactly what Iâm talking about.â
The strangerâs words from the repair shop echoed in his memory. Heâd said it with a knowing grin, handing over cash for that pink shell.
A low, pained chuckle escaped Jason, the sound rough and humorless even to his own ears. He shook his head, the movement making the world swim. The universe had a truly deranged sense of humour.
He looked down at the blood seeping through the fresh gauze, then back in the direction of the alley where the bikeâs purr had now faded into silence.
âFuckinâ hell,â he muttered to the empty night, the modulator off, his own voice raw. âIt does fit.â
â° â⤠A/n: Sorry to keep you waiting, but I hope you enjoyed it! With this chapter, all three Batboys have officially made their entry. Letâs see where the story goes from here. Also I tried to make the translations as accurate as possible but please do correct me if i made any mistakes. And credits to @swamiiyasssss for the biker Y/N idea.
Tags: ftm-coded!reader but not explicitly stated, desi!reader but not explicitly stated, fluff
Summary: After a full team mission, everyone is tied. Thatâs nothing new. But sometimes you still need your dad to pull you away from a task you can save for later and send you to bed.
Authorâs note: I am a trans dude as well as being mixed, the reader is heavily based on me because this was self indulgent af. Iâm Irish and Indian, I wear bangles irl. The reader wears bengals despite being a guy. I am in desperate need of more desi!reader fics. Sorry my page has been pretty dead, I hope you enjoy. I tried to write it in active voice for a change, so Iâm sorry if itâs a bit funky compared to my usual passive voice!
Fic starts below
Bruce isâdespite you and your siblings aging him several decades with each shenanigan or injuryâalways proud to say who his children have grown up to be. The once small sidekicks that have turned into your own amazing vigilantes and heroes or are on the way to it. He would not trade it for anything.
He does, though, occasionally miss the days when you were all small. When he could carry you up to bed after a late patrol, or patch one of you up without hearing embarrassed grumbling. Now, he most often receives argument and protest each time he patches one of you up. From Dick? Insistence that he does not need help. From Cass? A quiet assurance that she is fine, though she is more likely to allow the help. Bruce nearly had to sedate a bleeding out Jason when the crime lord insisted he could stitch a deep gash in his side on his own. The list goes on, and each story added reminds Bruce that his kids no longer need him for every scraped knee or monster in the closet.
Thatâs what makes tonight special; itâs one of the few nights that shows that his kids still need him. That his life is somehow more than just fighting in the dark and pretending to be a himbo during the day.
Tonight has been a long and draining oneâmore draining than usual for a Gotham vigilante. A nearly full-team mission had been planned and sprung on Black Mask and his constituents. The mission had been meant to stop an arms deal. Long story short, the weapon was on its way to the Justice League for safe keeping and the bats have all been patched up. Everyone has been changed out of their costumes and into more comfortable clothes for a short time now. Most of your siblings are on their way to their respective apartments, safe houses, or bedrooms in the manor. The only people left in the batcave were you, Bruce, and Tim.
The clacking of the keyboard echoed faintly through the cave as Tim logged his portion of the mission report. Bruce had allowed a small exception to this mission that everyone could fill out their reports in the morning due to how straining it had been, but Tim was rarely one to let work go undone. The young man had likely just been waiting for the pain meds to kick in anyway.
Bruce, on the other hand, is putting up the last of his gear. Having already finished his report and gotten patched up, he found no reason not to put his things in order. The suit and gear are easiest to account for and have Alfred mend when it was all in the right place, and he certainly does not want to get an earful from the old butler in the morning.
What breaks the nearly peaceful ambience of the cave is the sound of you beginning to sharpen one of your blades. Your body feels heavy with sleep and injury, but you feel restless. Like youâre still waiting for another wave of battle.
The sound draws your fatherâs familiar gaze. You can feel his eyes on you, but you are too tired to particularly care. Bruce can see the tension and exhaustion in your movements. How you stall before each careful swipe of the blade over its expensive whetstone. How your eye lids seem reluctant to open each time you blink. How you donât bother trying to shake the water off your banglesâwhich you usually do when they got wetâafter putting more water on the whetstone. Right now, Bruce did not see a fearsome vigilante. He saw a worn-out teenager who needed to be sent to bed.
Bruce cleared his throat in attempt to get your attention, but it flies over your head. He watched you for a moment longer. How your grip on the daggerâs hilt grows uneven. How your head occasionally bobs as you try not to fall asleep where you are working. A young man needs his sleep, especially one with both a night and day life such as yourself.
Bruce calls your name in his usual deep cadence. When heâs sure he has at least half your attention, he continues, âYou should go to bed.â
âIâm busy,â you matter to him. He can hear how tired you are in your voice, though itâs not as if it is not evident in itself.
âYou can work on the dagger tomorrowâ, Bruce chides as he grows perturbed. Mostâif not allâof his children are like this, yet it never gets less worrying.
âIâmâ, you are cut off by a yawn, âfine, B.â You had tried to sound stubborn, but Bruce right now merely sees his dead tired son pushing his body past his breaking point.
The older vigilante sighs as he walks over to you, bending at the knee to kneel and gently take the dagger from your hands. He sheaths it tentatively like it is an extension of you; precious. Something worth handling with care. It is easy for him to evade your attempts at grabbing the weapon back; your reaction time is dulled thanks to how tired you are.
âYou can finish this tomorrow, (y/n),â Bruce said in a stern yet gentle tone thatâs been largely forgotten since you and the rest of your siblings have gotten older. âAfter school,â he adds to make sure you donât get any âbrightâ ideas.
âRidiculous,â you say under your breath with a few other choice words.
Bruce only shakes his head while pocketing your dagger. He decides he can put it away once he gets you to bed. You are his priority at the moment; the blade can come after.
He picks you up like he once would have when you were a child. Heâs careful of any bandage is wrapping your tired body, making sure not to aggravate or reopen any of your injuries. Itâs something he doesnât much get to get to do anymore, itâs really only for occasions when his children are horribly wounded or devastatingly tired. He handles you with a gentleness that most would not assume the Bat is capable of at first glance.
The quiet clash of glass and gold on glass and gold echoes off the cave walls as the movement makes your bangles shift here and there. It was soft, nothing so remarkable that Tim would be distracted from his typing. The family is pleasantly used to it, one of the many familiar sounds that often fills the manor and cave with warmth.
âSeriously, B?â, you grumble the question. Despite it, you let him carry you. You often play tough like your siblings, but this is one of the few times where affection isnât awkward.
âYou can work on it tomorrow, chum.â
âI can work on it now.â Itâs a weak argument on your part, you both know it.
âYou were practically falling asleep with that dagger in your hand. You can work on it tomorrow,â Bruce finally shut you down while gingerly carrying you towards the trapdoor that leads to his study.
Your father receives a defeated, albeit disgruntled, huff from you. You donât have the energy to argue. The mission was long and hard, and school still awaits you in the morning.
The walk to your room is quiet, save for the faint sounds coming from the jewelry on your wrists. The manor is asleep. The animals are in the barn or Damianâs bedroom. Alfredâs retired to his bedroom for the night. The halls are dark with only the dim moonlight shining through the windows to cast elegant light on the walls and off expensive display peaces. Itâs peaceful.
âAre those staying on?â, your father breaks the illusion of silence. Your half closed eyes glimpse up at him in question. He then offered, âor will I be taking off the bangles?â
âLeave them,â you mumbled. The gold bangles would be no issue to you; Bruce only buys the best, so they wonât be breaking or snagging on your sheets. Your glass bangles were strong too, made from tempered glass. You sleep in them most nights anyway.
Bruce hums in acknowledgment. He knows youâre about to fall asleep, and he savers the fact that you are not acting tough in the moment like you so often do.
When he gets to your room, Bruce shifts you gingerly. Preciously. Like you are made of glass. He doesnât want to snap you out of your sleepy dazeâBruce doubts youâll be willing to let go of your earlier task of sharpening the dagger if you get rejuvenated any. When youâre situated again, he opens the fine wooden door to your room.
The room is dim. The only light is coming from a small lamp you keep on in case of nights like these, and the glimpses of moonlight that sneak through the curtains. Everything in it is so, very you. From the decorations youâve collected throughout the years, to the jewelry sitting on an organizer rack. Bruce makes a mental note to order more chest tape for you when he sees the empty box in your trashcan.
Just as carefully as before, Bruce shifts you in his arms. This time, though, your father is shifting you to lay you in your bed. When heâs sure youâre comfortable and none of your injuries have been agitated, Bruce smooths out your hair and pulls the blanket over you. Youâre asleep before he fully withdraws from the room.
He takes a moment to watch you before closing the door on his way out. You are all still his children, no matter how grown you get. You may be nearing the end of high school, but you still need your dad. Thereâs still time before you leave his nest.