#detectives au

“Yes, I did.” Y/n turned to him, serious as stone. “Every single day.”

Jason frowned, more concerned for the hostages after they heard Y/n’s jokes than Y/n herself. He knew she could handle herself. ”I don't understand. Why isn't ESU handling this?”

“Apparently, the hostage-taker asked for Y/n by name.” Wayne raised a brow and stared down at his detective like she had an answer.

“Oh, it's getting even cooler!” Y/n hummed and contemplated, “man, I wonder who it is. Maybe it's the sister of someone I put away for life. Ooh! Or the identical twin of someone I put away for life. Ooh! Or the fraternal twin of-”

Captain Wayne cut off her tangent. “L/n! Just get down there! And take Drake with you.”

“You got it!” Y/n beamed and jumped up. “Yep, yep, yep.” She turned to Tim who had come to stand next to her. “How do I look? Police-y enough?” She waved him off before he could answer. “It doesn't matter. Let's go negotiate!”

When Tim and Y/n got the the jewellery store, the block was closed off and police cars were surrounding the building, sirens going on and off periodically. Y/n waltzed up to the area and pronounced, “don’t panic, everyone, I'm here.” An officer beckoned her over and Y/n introduced herself. “I'm Y/n L/n, the negotiator.”

The man stared at her, unimpressed. “So you're Y/n L/n?”

“The negotiator, yes. And… who are you?”

“Arnold Flass, ESU. This was my crime scene before you bozos got here.”

Tim sipped on his coffee before noting, “nice to meet you too, Arnold.”

“I've spent ten years as a negotiator and you just took my first hostage situation,” Arnold exclaimed. “All I've done up until now is talk jumpers off of rooftops.”

“Well, that must be satisfying in its own way, right?” Y/n offered. Tim walked off to talk to a more senior, professional officer.

Arnold scoffed. “Yeah, really satisfying saving a crazy person's life. Here's a little advice: I don't like you.”

“Not so much advice as a hurtful statement based on limited interaction,” Y/n muttered.

“He wants to talk to you,” Tim came back and motioned to Y/n.

Arnold rolled his eyes and ripped the label off his vest. He handed it to Y/n begrudgingly. “Get the hell in there.”

“Oh, it says ‘negotiator’ on it.” Y/n happily put it on and weaved through the crowd of officers and bystanders. She took a bullhorn from a cop and called into it, “this is Y/n L/n. I am unarmed and I'm approaching the building.” The door swung open ominously and Y/n glanced back at Tim. He gave her a nod of encouragement. “You wanted to talk to me?” Y/n stepped into the jewellery store, peeking around the corner.

“Keep those hands in the air,” a voice commanded. Then, in a lighter tone, the voice joked, “and wave 'em like you just don't care.”

“What?” Y/n’s brows furrowed, confused.

The hostage-taker finally came into view. “I'm just messing with you, L/n.” Roy Harper grinned. “Put your hands down, give me a hug, darling.”

“Roy!” 

“Okay, so are we gonna talk about it?” Steph slipped into the seat next to Jason and leaned on his desk.

“Nope.”

“Todd, you frustrate me,” Damian said. Steph blinked at him, not realising he was listening in.

Jason’s chest clenched. “There is nothing we need to talk about.”

“I disagree,” Damian muttered. 

“Listen,” Jason turned away from his computer and Steph knew that it was about to get real. “I just went out on another date with Rose. She’s a lovely girl and I was thinking of taking it to the next step. I’m planning on asking her to be my official girlfriend tomorrow night.”

Steph shook her head. “Yeah, that’s not gonna work. You see, my big plan in life is to push you and Y/n together so you can all be happy and possibly make even cuter babies.” 

Jason blushed and swallowed thickly. “I’m not interested in L/n.” 

Damian scoffed. “Brown, we have a lie detector at the precinct, correct?”

Steph grinned, eyes lighting up with mischief. “Hey…. Richard!” she called to Dick. “Wanna have a little fun?” Dick looked up, beaming impishly.

“I gotta admit, man,” Roy said, shrugging. “I thought you'd be more happy to see me. Why’re you being so weird?”

“Oh, I don't know.” Y/n pursed her lips together. “I didn't sleep well last night, so I’m just tired. Oh, and also, this is a hostage situation!”

“Wow!” Roy sucked in a dramatic breath. “It's like that.”

“Yes, it's like that. What the hell, man? You called me, remember? You promised me that you wouldn’t do anything to wind up in jail!” Y/n referenced the time when Roy called her in the middle of the night to promise to stop his life as a criminal.

“I didn’t! I work at Tiffany and Co. now.” He rested a proud hand on his chest. ”I sell luxury jewels to the rich and famous and I do it legally. Last week I sold a sapphire necklace to the dude who played Johnny in Hotel Transylvania.”

“You met Johnny?” Y/n exclaimed. “Was he cool? Does he actually like vampires in real life? Wait- no.” She caught herself. “We’re not chatting right now. You have three hostages.”

“You mean Pam and the two Bobs?” Roy looked at the three people on the floor, rope loosely tied around their wrists. “They’re not hostages. I prefer to call them ‘collateral friendships.’ I gave them each one hundred bucks out of my own pocket.”

One of the Bobs spoke up. “Thanks again, Roy.”

The other Bob nodded his head in agreement. “You’re the man, Roy.”

Pam stuttered, “a-actually, I'd rather not be a hostage.”

“Pam hasn't come around to me yet.” Roy shrugged. “Tell her I'm a nice person, Y/n.”

“I'm so sorry,” Y/n said to Pam.

“Officer, are you friends with this criminal?” Pam asked, aghast.

Y/n’s nose scrunched up. “Not really…”

However, Roy replied at the same time, “absolutely, best friends.”

“It's a layered relationship, Pam,” Y/n defended.

“Best friends,” Roy corrected.

”Harper,” Y/n hissed, pulling him towards the door. “What is going on, dude?”

“This isn't my fault, darling!” Roy protested. “Two years ago before I went straight, I stole a big ruby from a drug dealer: Jack Napier.”

“Oh, no, Roy.” Y/n groaned. ”He's a bad guy.”

Roy whined, “I know! When I realised it was his jewel, I torched the briefcase it was in along with the drugs that were in there! Who the hell puts drugs and rubies in the same briefcase?!”

“Oh, no, Roy,” Y/n groaned in the same pitch as before. ”Briefcase drugs?”

“Millions of dollars of them! Napier just found out it was me. Said I had to do a job for him to pay off my debt.”

“But did you tell him you went straight? Did you tell him about Johnny?” Y/n asked desperately.

“I did. He said he didn’t watch Hotel Transylvania.” 

“Oh, this guy is the worst.”

“I know.” Roy’s voice turned desperate and low. “L/n, he said he's gonna kill Lian if I don't do this job.”

Y/n’s eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open. “He can't do that. I won’t let him do that. The GCPD can help you guys. We can put you in witness protection!”

Roy shook his head. “I can’t mess up my daughter’s life ‘cause of my mistakes. That's why I'm here stealing this big ‘ole bag of rubies; to make up for the one I stole. Y/n, you know how dangerous this guy can be.” He took a breath. “I need you to help me save my daughter.”

“How can I help?” Y/n responded immediately. 

“Easy. I have a plan that's good for everyone. All I need is for you to-”

“-let him go so he can arrange a drop with Napier.” Y/n explained Roy’s plan to Tim. “We arrest Napier, save Lian, Roy turns himself in, and why is that amazing, Tim?”

“Napier’s a huge crime boss,” Tim answered.

“Aaaand what else?”

“GCPD's been trying to get Napier for years.”

“And?”

“That's it.”

“Yeah, it is.” Y/n said, “so, since we all agree, I'll go tell Roy the plan is on.” She swung around to go back inside, but Arnold stopped her.

“No, we don't all agree. He's trapped and frantic. Everything he told you is a lie.”

“Why do you say he's lying?” Y/n asked.

Arnold frowned. “That's all negotiating is. Two liars lie until one liar stands too close to the window and gets shot in the head.”

Y/n scoffed loudly. “That can't be all negotiating is!” She noticed Tim’s head lolling to the side. “Timmy, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but have some more coffee.”

“It absolutely is. Now, get in there and coax him to a window.” Arnold pressed a button on his walkie talkie. “Snipers to one. The window plan is on. I repeat: The window plan is on.”

“No, no, no, no, no!” Y/n cried and tugged the walkie talkie away from Arnold. “Snipers to zero! Snipers take a nap. The nap plan is on. It's nap time, snipers!” 

A couple minutes later, Y/n regretfully told Roy, “ESU won't take your deal. They think you're lying.”

“I'm not lying!” Roy gasped dramatically, offended. “I don't wanna be a criminal. I love my life as an average citizen. I voted for the first time this year! It was huge. Lian helped me fill in the little boxes. She chose Ed Breakfast for school board.”

“Who?”

“I don't know,” Roy muttered. “He had a funny name. He deserves a shot.”

“That's exactly why I voted for Stacy Ladle! Anyway, I'm sorry, but they're not cutting a deal.”

“So that's it?” Roy sighed. “I gotta turn myself in and let Napier kill Lian? You’ll take care of her, right?”

 Y/n’s heart broke and she could feel a plan formulating in her mind. “Actually… there might be another way.”

“Alright, Todd.” Dick strutted in front of Jason. “We’re gonna do this one time and one time only. Do you have feelings for Y/n?” 

“Are you shitting me?” Jason’s head fell into his hands. He was strapped to a lie detector test that Steph was currently monitoring. “We’re actually doing this?”

“Yep!” Dick said. “We have to know. Now, let’s go over the evidence.”

Damian wheeled in a large cork-board which was covered in index cards, push pins, and signature red string. The index cards said things like: ‘Halloween incident,’ ‘Valentine’s Day nicknames,’ ‘1000 pushups blanket,’ ‘googly eyes,’ ‘lack of dates,’ and more.

As Jason read over the cards, his face slowly got more and more red. Dick gleefully snapped a polaroid picture of Jason’s current face and secured it to the board, adding it as another factor of evidence. 

Roy shouted from the doorway of the jewellery store. “I've taken your negotiator hostage! If you come in here, I will shoot her.”

Y/n wailed, “just do whatever he says! My life is in his hands! Please!” 

Roy slammed the door behind them and then broke out in giggles. “That was so much fun!”

“Oh, man, you sounded really scary.” Y/n exhaled.

“No, no, it was all you. The tremble in your voice sold it. ‘Just do whatever he says.’” Roy mimicked Y/n’s panicked voice

“I mean, I just made that up. Ah, I was so in the moment.” Y/n silently praised herself on her acting skills.

“Darling, seriously? You are a great hostage,” Roy complimented.

“Aw, thanks, Harper. You're a great hostage-taker.”

Outside, Arnold was talking to Tim, lamenting, “I can't believe L/n got taken hostage. The good news is… I'm now the negotiator. Finally!” He slapped another marker labelled ‘negotiator’ on. 

“Congratulations,” Tim said dryly.

“I've been waiting for this moment for so long!” Arnold exclaimed.

Roy’s voice from the bullhorn cut him off. “I'm ready to negotiate. But I'll only talk to Tim Drake.”

“That's me, Arnold.” Tim ripped Arnold’s label off and placed it on himself.

“Oh, come on!”

“Welcome, my man!” Roy waved to Tim when the latter entered the store. “I don’t think we’ve met before, have we? I’m Y/n’s bestie. I’m a hugger; bring it in.” He walked over to Tim with open arms.

Tim, however, yanked on one of those arms and looped it over Roy’s head, effectively holding him in place. “Roy Harper, you're under arrest.”

“Holy fuck, Tim’s strong?” Y/n mumbled. “But he’s so lanky and only runs on coffee. Wait, Tim, stop.”

“What's going on?” Tim grunted as he tried to place cuffs on Roy.

“Look, this is not really a hostage situation. I mean, Pam and the two Bobs are definitely being held against their will, but not for much longer.”

Roy spoke up, trying to be helpful. “Y/n’s helping me take down Napier.”

“We can't do it without you,” Y/n pleaded.

“Seriously, L/n?” Tim scoffed. “Isn’t this the guy that you and Cass tried to take down? The one you did a thousand push ups for?” 

“You did a thousand push ups for me?” Roy cooed. 

“Not important.” 

“This is like that story my dad told me as a little kid. He used to quiz me on fables from different cultures.” Tim said, finally releasing Roy. “You're the frog and he's a scorpion. You're gonna help him across the river. In the end, he'll sting you. And then you'll both drown.”

“Geez, that's dark.” Y/n grimaced.

“Yeah, I’d never tell Lian that story,” Roy said.

“My parents didn't read to me at all,” Y/n commented. “I just watched cartoons ’till I fell asleep. Do you think that our childhoods shape the adults we become?” She hummed thoughtfully.

“They do,” Roy and Tim said at the same time.

“And cartoons shaped you into a naive little frog,” Tim said.

“Okay, first off,” Y/n held up a finger. “Little frogs are adorable, and second, he's not that kind of scorpion anymore.”

“I'm a changed bug,” Roy said.

“Actually, scorpions are arthropods.” Tim and Y/n spoke together. Tim looked at her, surprised. “What?” She shrugged. “I listened to the documentary you made us watch. Tim, I know he used to be a criminal and has fooled me in the past, and yes, he is currently engaged in criminal activity.”

“Innocent until proven guilty,” Roy reminded Tim. “But yes, I technically am robbing the store.”

“But, Tim, his daughter is in danger and we have to help her. He agreed to turn himself in when this is all over. Right, Roy?” Y/n scrutinised him.

“I promise.”

Tim sighed. “Cass warned me about him. But okay. What do you need from me?”

“We have an airtight plan.” Roy grinned. He poked the bullhorn out of the door and shouted, ”all we demand is pizza!”

“I’m in a relationship with Rose,” Jason insisted.

“You’re not answering the question!” Dick exclaimed, growing more frustrated. 

“That’s because the question is stupid and doesn’t need to be answered!”

“Todd, you must have lost half your brain if you think you’re fooling us.” Damian didn’t look impressed.

“Jason,” Steph exhaled. “By not answering the question, you’re answering the question.”

“Yeah, well, you don’t make sense.” Jason shot back lamely.

“It’s okay to have feelings for L/n.” Steph said, oddly calmly. “You’re not admitting defeat.”

“No, I’m aware, but just…” he sighed heavily and stared down at the table. “What if she doesn’t like me back?”

Steph slowly shut off the computer and the lie detector. Damian had a rare look of sympathy glazing over his eyes. “But she does,” Dick said softly. “She’s told all of us herself. Right, guys?” he asked his friends. 

“If I had a nickel…” Steph smiled and huffed, trailing off.

“She’s interrupted many movie nights with tangents of you,” Damian frowned at the fact. He had yet to finish The Gladiator because of Y/n.

“We'll be safe here,” Roy directed Y/n towards a small, neon-lit shop. Tim had provided them a distraction long enough for Roy and Y/n to sneak away. Tim said he would meet with them later. “I know the owner. He'd never turn me in.”

“Yeah,” Y/n nodded along knowingly. “I have the same relationship with the guy who runs this laser tag place I love. I- I mean, gun range.”

Roy chuckled. “L/n, why’re you lying to me, huh? I love laser tag! We gotta go sometime, darling.” He led her inside the place and to a back room which had a large screen and a karaoke machine plugged in and ready to go.

Y/n beamed. “I was hoping you'd say that. Alright, let's text Napier and set up the drop.”

“Okay, yeah. ‘Got the diamonds. Let's meet.’” He clicked his phone and the message was sent. “Done.”

“Okay, now we wait.” She clicked her tongue and hummed. “You know, it’s kinda weird, sitting silently in a private karaoke room, not singing.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered. “But we're on a mission, so, you know, we gotta stay focused.”

“True, true, true, true, true, true.”

“So I wake in the morning and I step outside and I TAKE a deep breath and I GET! REAL! HIGH! And I scream at the top of my lungs ‘WHAT’S GOIN’ ON?’” Roy sang in a falsetto as Y/n accompanied him in a lower tone.

In the middle of the song, Roy’s phone dinged and he paused the song. “Ugh. It’s Napier.”

Y/n pouted in disappointment. “Yeah….”

“The drop is set for 5:00 p.m.” Roy informed her. 

“Let's do this.”

“Totally. Although…” Roy shot Y/n a knowing look. “That is an hour and a half from now.”

“And the drop point is actually pretty close to here,” Y/n added.

“So..."

“DANCING QUEEN! YOUNG AND SWEET! ONLY SEVENTEEN OOOOOOOH…”

Tim walked into the room and slowly sipped on his coffee, looking more tired than ever.

“I feel more sympathy for our perps now.” Jason ripped the lie detector off himself. 

“Can you please just admit that at some point, past or present, you’ve had feelings for Y/n L/n?” Dick begged. They had spent over three hours in the interrogation room, grilling Jason on his feelings and not getting any work done.

“If it makes you let me go, then yes.” 

“I’ll take it!” Steph cried. “It’s close enough!”

“I still say I could’ve made fine use out of a pair of pliers.” Damian glared at Jason. Jason couldn’t help but shudder under his stare. 

“Torture me all you want,” Jason said. “But I don’t like Y/n like that. She’s like a sister to me. We’ve worked together for over four years. I don’t love her romantically.” 

If he had still been connected to the lie detector, its lines would’ve jumped widely.

Steph said quietly, “just know this: to remember is to love.”

Roy explained the plan to Tim and Y/n in the parking lot where Napier would meet them. “First, a jeweller will come out and inspect the rubies. Then, when he gives the okay, Napier will come and get them.”

“And then I'll take him down.” Y/n cracked her knuckles dramatically.

“Here we go,” Roy mumbled as an expensive car pulled up and a thin man got out. Harper, Drake, and L/n got out of Y/n’s old car and Roy greeted, “What's up, dude? Did anybody ever tell you that you look like the most interesting man in the world? You get that a lot?” After an awkward silence, Roy inhaled sharply. “Geez, I get it. We're not friends.”

The thin man held out his hand and Roy placed the sack of small rubies in it. The man inspected a random ruby and then nodded. Another man got out of the car and Roy said, “There he is. Napier! What's up, Mr. Napier? How’re you doing?” Napier’s car pulled away to give them some privacy.

“Shut up.” Napier licked his lips. “Give me the rubies.”

A new voice shouted from the other end of the parking lot. “L/N!” 

Y/n cringed. “No, no, no, not now.”

Arnold yelled out, “I tracked your phone, idiot. I knew you were working with this criminal! You were gonna double cross us!”

Y/n’s head whipped back to Napier, but he was already running down the street, phone pressed to his ear, likely calling his driver.

Arnold gasped. “That's Napier. Harper wasn’t lying. Well, we gotta arrest him!” Arnold grabbed Y/n’s vest and pulled her back.

“Y/n, he's running!” Tim cried, already in pursuit of Napier.

“Lemme go!” Y/n tried to yank away.

“Only if I get the collar and one hundred percent of the credit.” Arnold growled.

“Are you negotiating right now?”

“Always.”

“Okay, that was actually a really cool line. Deal. Let’s do it.” She pointed harshly at Roy. “Stay. Here.”

“Okay.” Roy shrugged.

Y/n and Arnold ran off after Napier, catching up to Tim. “GCPD!” Tim shouted. “Stop and put your hands in the air!” Napier continued running and Tim groaned. “Why don’t they ever listen?”

“Drake,” Y/n swerved towards another street. “I’ll block him off!”

“Not without me, you won’t!” Arnold changed direction and sprinted after Y/n. 

Napier’s eyes grew wide when he saw Y/n and Arnold appear ahead of him. He glanced over his shoulder and when he saw Tim, still in pursuit, he cried out in frustration. Y/n tackled him to the ground and threw handcuffs on him. After she was done Mirandizing him, she apologised to Arnold. “Sorry I ran out on you at the jewellery store. But I couldn't let this guy get away.”

“Look, I'm fine with it.” Arnold said. “Arresting Napier’s gonna get me a promotion and at the end of the day, that's what this is all about.”

Y/n squinted at him. “Right, that and getting a major drug lord off the streets.”

“Yeah, right. I don't care about that.”

Y/n stared at him, wide-eyed before brushing him off. “Whatever. Let's bring in Roy Harper.” She left Napier with Tim and ran back to the parking lot. Finding it empty, she cried, “Oh, fucking hell! Where is he? Roy? Roy?!”

Arnold saddled up behind her. “Don't worry. We'll get him. At least we have Napier and the rubies.”

Y/n simply shouted, “Roy!”

“Why are you still calling for him?”

“ROY!”

Arnold realised, “oh my God, he has the rubies, doesn't he?”

“Roy!” Y/n quickly composed her wits and muttered to herself, “I'm sure Harper didn't run off with the rubies. I bet he's looking for me right now. You know what, I bet he's worried that I’m in trouble!” She frantically pulled out her phone. “I'll just call him and put his mind at ease.”

Arnold raised a brow. “Lady, he's already gone.” He placed a hand on Y/n’s shoulder and Y/n pushed him off, giving him an icy glare. “He's not gonna picking up.” Y/n’s jaw clenched at Arnold’s words.

Suddenly, Roy’s voice filtered through her phone and she breathed a sigh of relief. “What's up, L/n?”

“Ha!” Y/n pointed a victorious finger at Arnold. “He did pick up. In your-”

“This is goodbye forever,” Roy cut her off.

“No!” Y/n stomped her foot. “I can't believe you deceived me. I can't believe you used my love for Lian against me.”

“I love that you love her.”

“Of course I do! She’s the living embodiment of the reminder that childhood innocence never dies.”

“Amen,” he agreed. “But, I wasn't lying though. Napier was gonna hurt her and you saved her life. Buuuut then I was all alone with the rubies and next thing I know, I'm hotwiring a car and driving away.

”But I thought you liked being a good citizen? You voted Ed Breakfast for school board!” Y/n whined. 

“And he immediately had a sex scandal.” Roy reminded her. “It was very disillusioning.”

“Understandable. Our democracy is crumbling. But, Roy, this is not what we’re talking about. They could take my badge!” 

“Tim was right.” Roy smiled faintly. “I'm a scorpion. I thought you knew me better by now. I'm sorry I can't be the man you want me to be.”

“Damn it, stop being so romantic.” Y/n choked on her words and begged, “now turn around and come back to me, you fool?” The line clicked and she called, “hello? Hello? He's gone…. He broke my heart.” Tim walked up behind her as her lip quivered theatrically. She turned towards her fellow detective and hugged him tightly. “Now you tell me everything's gonna be okay, Timmy boy!”

“Everything's gonna be okay,” Tim reassured monotonously.

“You don't know that, Tim!”

“I just got off the phone with the brass,” Captain Wayne said to Y/n. “It doesn't look good. They're still trying to decide on a punishment for your actions.”

Y/n sniffed and asked meekly, “Did you tell them I feel so bad I have a tummy ache?”

“I did. They were unaffected.”

“Are you sure it’s not cramps?” Jason pushed a box of chocolate towards his coworker. “It is your time of the month.”

Y/n grimaced in disgust. “It’s creepy that you know that.”

“Not really,” Tim said. “You, Steph, and Cass have all synced up. We all know when to have desserts in our desks.”

“I think even Kori is synced up to you guys,” Dick added. “Somehow.”

“So no.” Damian spoke up. “In this instance, Todd isn’t creepy.”

Y/n looked up at Wayne as if to ask his opinion on this matter. All he said is, “I have no comment to add in this conversation. Back to the topic at hand, the brass said they could’ve justified your tactics if you'd gotten Napier and the rubies, but as things stand, there are no rubies.” He sighed and said, “you're looking at a suspension, maybe worse. Unless you can track down Harper and recover those rubies.”

“Can they wait twelve months?” Y/n asked hopefully. “I usually run into him about once a year.” Her eyes caught on something on her desk. “Wait a minute. What doth we have here?”

Y/n walked into the karaoke place and looked around hesitantly. “I've got this coupon for a private room?”

“Yep,” a worker said. “Right this way. We already have a song cued up for you.”

The screen blinked on as soon as the worker left the room and a large picture of Roy Harper with Lian on his hip showed up.

Y/n shook her head and muttered, “Harper.”

“What's up, L/n?” the recording asked happily. “Thank you so much for coming. So, I thought about it and I think I did you dirty. I never meant to cause you any trouble.”

“Yeah, well, you caused me a lot.” Y/n kicked at something at her feet.

Roy chuckled and said, “you're talking to a pre-recorded video, but it's cool. I know what you're saying. I hear you in my heart,” he said emphatically.

Y/n rolled her eyes. “What am I doing here?” she asked herself.

“I feel the same way,” the recorded Roy placed a hand to his heart. “You’re my best friend too.” He nodded thoughtfully and said, “look, I'm not coming back. We started a new life here in San Diego.” He jostled Lian who was giggling on his hip.

Y/n shook her head, grinning. “It’s stupid telling me where you are.”

“Come on, darling, I’m not in damn San Diego.” Roy laughed loudly. “Everybody knows that place sucks! But, I got you a little something as a going away gift. It's on the table next to you.”

Y/n opened the small velvet sack and gasped. “The rubies. Yes! I- I can’t believe you actually brought them back…”

“The rubies!” Roy cried from the screen.

Y/n let out a lighthearted laugh. “Yeah, you mistimed that one.”

“No, you're the best. Look, even though I am a scorpion, I will never drown your adorable little frog ass. So that's all I gotta say.” He glanced down at Lian who was smiling happily, staring at something in the distance. “I'm sure I'll see you again at some point,” Roy said, his eyes softening. “But for now, that coupon you got there, that's for a full hour in a private room. So…”

𓍝

Fuel to fire - Agnes Obel.

Hadleigh seemed void that day, which was out of the ordinary because Hadleigh was such a small village that just two families of five were enough to warm up the room.

It was so small that a single bus line was enough. It had standard hours, allowing the townspeople to plan their days better.

Hadleigh was so small that it had a single wide road running through it from the nearby town to the town square by the church. Any other road was smaller, wide enough for cars to come and go at a reasonable speed.

The main road went down from the town square up to the football court on the other side of Hadleigh.

It’d be more correct to define Hadleigh as a random spot in the mountains, an area littered with houses and shops.

Hadleigh was the type of village that made everyone neighbours, despite how distant the houses were, because the distance was never big enough.

Sabine knew this. 

Whenever she looked out the window, she’d face the side of a tall mountain and could see houses scattered on it like random coloured patches on a cat’s fur.

What amazed her the most was that sometimes she could look at those houses and feel like she was right there, like they were that close, but they weren’t.

Sabine knew this.

Everything in Hadleigh was seemingly close just as it was seemingly distant.

Hadleigh was a village amidst nature, and connecting with nature went beyond fingers grazing leaves or taking in the smell of spring while running in a vast field.

It was fascinating to see this reality reflected even amongst the villagers. It took Sabine some time to realise that the connection went way beyond hugs and kisses.

That day was one of the many days Sabine had spent in Hadleigh.

It wasn’t the brightest or the gloomiest. It was standing at the threshold between a grey, windy day and a blinding sunny day.

Sabine was cooped up in her seat on the bus, heading home after an unusual day in school.

During the ride, she appreciated how her mates understood her silent message, the one she left when dropping her school bag in the seat next to her.

Sabine, that day, wanted to be alone. This wish of hers was never hard to fulfil because she didn’t have a horde of friends running behind her, even on her best day.

Her legs were against her chest, her chin on her knees as she closed herself off, feeling too exposed despite her clothing.

There was something about Hadleigh that she’d grown to dislike. She was unsure at first, but now, she was certain about it. 

She didn’t like how divided it was. Hadleigh had no in between despite being a village set amidst a wide bed of clean and unharmed nature.

In Hadleigh, there was good or bad, right or left, white or black, no in between. Ever.

In Hadleigh, in was never out and out was never in. In and out never existed. You had to choose unless someone else would take on the task, and at that point, you couldn’t complain about the outcome, just take it.

Sabine disliked, no, she hated, that she’d gone back on her words, her choices. She should’ve stayed out, never in.

Out meant a carefree life, like being forever stuck in the blissful beauty of childhood.

In meant you had to care. Had to because there wasn’t a choice, especially on what to care about.

In meant secrets, a waterfall of secrets. A cruel and merciless avalanche of secrets that poured down on your head, suffocating you, burying you, caging you until you accept it, metabolise it, and agree to do exactly what it implies.

In meant secrets, and secrets meant truth, and it goes without saying that truth could mean pain sometimes, many times actually.

And Pain was a stranger to rejection or acceptance. Pain didn’t discriminate, let alone listen to people’s opinions. Pain was the puppeteer; everything else was a puppet with no autonomy.

But Pain still gave people a choice, though, because people knew where Pain was and where it wasn’t. 

And Sabine mentally repeated that she’d been that one dumb example of what happens when you step into Pain’s territory.

She should’ve known better.

Pain was punishment, the consequence of a single action or a series of actions. Pain came in many shapes; the punishment was never an isolated case but a wide spectrum of events.

Sabine hoped hers had come to an end.

The bus took the usual turn onto Hadleigh’s main road, the meters shrank, and within moments, it came to a halt at the stop at the town square.

It’d be wrong to say that the driver had developed the patience to wait for everyone to unboard the vehicle. It wasn’t a matter of patience but rather routine: every weekday, by three, it’d stop at Hadleigh’s stop, and all the high and middle school students would get off, spreading like split water into every nook and crevice of the village as they headed home.

Sabine, just like on any day, was one of the many drops to compose that water.

She slung her bag on her shoulder and decided to dive in, blending in with all the students, the ones she knew and the ones she could just recognise.

The pathway between the seats was slim, so the flow of students was almost static until she got off the bus and out in the open.

She knew the town square like the back of her hand. She knew where each secondary road led to, which neighbourhood or natural reserve.

The bus was parked, engine off, as the driver eventually got off to grab a coffee at the café by the elementary school.

Sabine remembered that store really well because teachers ordered coffee from there, making the waiters walk across the square with a trail of little mugs.

The elementary school faced the church, which faced the park, a place that held many memories in Sabine’s mind.

It’d been a long time since she’d last played there because it was the go-to spot right after school when she was still in elementary school.

She crossed the road and walked on the cobblestone in front of the church. For some reason, as if sensing impending doom, Sabine paid closer attention to her surroundings that day.

She took notice of the bench her older brother always sat on, waiting for the moment she’d run up to him and tell him that she was tired and wanted to go home.

That moment always came late, and sometimes, he’d have to anticipate it by a few minutes because Sabine was restless, especially around the people she liked, her friends.

She walked past the bench, the slide and the set of swings. The latter reminded her of all the afternoons she spent playing with Ophelia: she’d sit in her lap — sometimes, they’d switch — and they’d swing together, simulating a church bell with their tiny legs.

On point, the church bell rang three times while Sabine turned right, going up the few stairs to the back of the building. 

As she did so, she took notice of the presence behind her. It didn't surprise her, though, because Hadleigh was only so big, and the neighbourhoods were only so many.

She also couldn’t ignore the familiar voices ringing behind her in the distance.

She proceeded, one foot in front of the other as she turned left into an arched stone pathway.

This led to another of the many secondary roads in Hadleigh. On her left was a wide expanse of green, and just as usual, she saw the same three horses munching on the grass. 

They noticed her, but she pretended not to notice them that day because she’d heard the set of familiar voices ring again behind her, and stopping to play with the animals didn’t seem like the right choice. 

She’d made enough bad choices lately. It was time to change and go back to the old ways, out.

Stones and leaves cracked under her weight, a sound that was usually comforting now reflected the haste in her movement, something that only increased the distress within her.

She’d already mentally attached a face to each voice she heard, but falling victim to hope, she glanced behind when she turned the corner again.

This only proved her fear.

Being out of their sight for the moment, Sabine ran down the stairs and onto the asphalt.

On a normal day, she’d leisurely go down each step, listening to the peaceful sound of the river flowing past her.

On a normal day, she’d be admiring yet again the work done on the stairs, analysing how each log of clear wood was placed to form the railing and the edges of each step.

But that day wasn’t a normal day; she could feel it in the air, on her skin, and taste it on her tongue.

The road was one of the many leading to the litter of neighbourhoods that brought Hadleigh alive.

As per habit, she walked on the left side of the tarmac, keeping away from the slightly taller wall of stones and leaves on the right.

On a normal day, she would’ve mentally replayed the first time she’d screamed her lungs out because the dog in one of the compounds running along the way decided to run up to the gate and bark.

She’d got used to that scare after so many years, but that day wasn’t a normal day, and when the dog ran up to the gate and barked, oddly, Sabine flinched.

She knew the animal wasn’t the real culprit.

The set of voices was approaching at a steady pace. She could differentiate each tone, each giggle, each snort, each chuckle. She could mentally imagine the face they’d make as they did so. But she couldn’t imagine why they were following her.

Maybe she could, and just didn’t want to believe it.

One of the voices called for her, her name falling from their lips so smoothly. Another giggle followed, tone rich in joy but with stains of mockery here and there.

The same voice asked her to stop in her tracks, but she knew where Pain lived and had no intentions of knocking on its door. Not anymore.

She could see it in front of her, a few steps away. It was like a hole through the woods, like a cave.

It used to scare her once, but now, she looked at it like it was her last hope. Without wasting a second, she ran towards it, turning left to glide through the trees.

This was another of the many secondary pathways in Hadleigh. It wasn’t anything as official as a road made of asphalt, but years of footprints had killed the grass enough for nature to open up and let men through.

This pathway was the last section of Sabine’s shortcut to home. Once out of the thick rows of trees, she’d be walking amidst a wide field a few meters away from her front gate.

But before she could reach there, despite seeing the light, something, someone, a hand, reached for her wrist.

The rustling of her clothes, the thumping of her heart, and the crackling of the branches under her feet shielded her ears from hearing them run after her as soon as she increased her pace.

The touch was soft, but the look in their eyes wasn’t. She looked at each one of them, her mouth moving on its own accord as she begged.

But Pain was like the devil: once you made a deal with it, you couldn't go back. 

Sabine had been naive enough not to realise that she’d stepped into its den and uttered the words that sealed her path and marked her destiny.

Pain was good at its job, riddled with profound professionalism. Nothing could make it waver, not the shaky sound of her voice as she pleaded for her life, not the glossy look in her eyes as she searched for mercy in the pair looking at her.

This pair of eyes, though, didn’t belong to Pain. They were a lot familiar, once in shades of warmth, love, and passion.

Now, they were cold, like they’d been gouged out, leaving only deep, black holes in the face.

The only warmth came from the liquid trail running down her neck once she hit her head. She knew it’d stain her clothes and her school bag, but she was too weak to care.

All the energy she had left in her was used to look for warmth. All in vain.

Even as she was lifted off the ground, body eerily cradled in their arms, Sabine still felt cold. As they walked with her in their hold, Sabine could feel the breeze blow on her head through her hair. 

It was cold. Everything was cold, everything except the liquid running down her neck.

So she reached for it, or so she believed. Her arms dangled weakly, moving passively with each step they took.

The warmth she sought came with lots of promises, as if Pain had finally decided to have mercy on her and pay her back.

Maybe it was the throbbing in her head that caused her senses to be this weak, because Pain was never merciful. It had one job, and it never slacked.

The warmth Sabine was reaching for was an illusion, one of the many consequences that dealing with Pain brought.

She felt light and heavy at the same time, body in the embrace of a strong breeze. Still cold. 

It frustrated her, and she wanted to become whiny, maybe drag herself around like a child because she was desperate for some warmth.

Maybe it was the throbbing in her head that made her forget where she was. 

Despite it being at the threshold between human life and nature, Hadleigh was still all about good or bad, right or left, in or out, white or black, no in between.

Hadleigh wanted you to make a choice and live with it, or let others do the job for you and live with it regardless.

Maybe it was the throbbing in her head, because it suddenly stopped, and Sabine finally found the warmth she’d been seeking.

Her body was weak. She couldn’t move.

Her eyes were open, but she couldn’t see, which wouldn’t be the first time anyway.

She’d been blind all this while, and only recently came to terms with the truth.

Just like Eve in the Bible, Sabine had eaten from the forbidden tree despite all the warnings.

Now, she lived with the consequences, but while Eve was simply kicked out of the Garden of Eden, Sabine was thrown down to her end.

⋆｡°✩  ‧₊˚ ☾. ⋅

Souvenir - Selena Gomez.

Ophelia’s body was on fire. It began with little sparks, but those are always enough when fuel’s around.

The liquid running down her throat seemed to cling to the flesh with claws, ripping through it with no mercy, but Ophelia didn’t care enough.

For her, pain was nothing but a fleeting feeling, like a demon in need of a vessel to exist.

Her body was her own vessel, not anyone else’s. What would happen with this vessel was hers to decide, and she always made sure to have fun in the process, as if laughing in Pain’s face.

She loved stepping on toes and touching sensitive nerves anyway.

The little sparks responsible for the fire had multiple origins, and Ophelia had a hard time determining where each one came from.

The liquid she’d just swallowed burned her throat, no doubt, but the hands running down her sides caused more damage, and that night, she’d chosen to be a bit masochistic.

Her hands were up in the air, head snapping left and right, and her hair was everywhere.

The music blasting through the speakers did not spare the ears. Just like Pain, its terms and conditions were clear and lacked flexibility.

You can’t really walk into a club and complain because the music’s loud, can you?

Even if that were possible, Ophelia wasn’t the type, considering that it was the whole point of her coming.

Her arms fell on Taehyung’s shoulders, wrapping around his neck and closing the little distance that made them two distinguished people.

They swayed and jumped with the beat, and if they weren’t screaming, they couldn’t hear each other despite the proximity. Any form of communication had to be physical, hence his touching her body.

As if bothered by the loose-fitting nature of her off-shoulder top, Taehyung’s hands stopped at her hips, fingers grazing the slip of exposed skin above her knee-length capri pants.

They hooked on the hem of her bottoms, pulling her impossibly close, and she just let him, enchanted by his moves and the music.

He leaned closer, and she took in the scent of his cologne, waiting in anticipation. “Fuck. If I didn’t have to drive tonight, I know I’d be fucking wasted.”

“Oh, you aren’t?” she giggled, hands now on his chest, nose so close to his. “I couldn’t tell.”

Experience had taught her just how nice his chuckles sounded, something breathy but not too much, a sound deep and husky in a way that she didn’t simply like or love: it surged heat all through her body, melting her nerves. 

She could almost hear the smirk in it, picture the expression he’d sport on his perfectly carved face, and imagine the peculiar glow his eyes would have.

The gleam would appear right on cue as if something she’d said or done triggered it, as if she were the source of light he was looking at, which wasn’t wrong either.

Because of this, despite the music, she could tell exactly how he sounded when he chuckled at her words.

 “Isn’t it a good thing?” she asked, eyes focused on his with her bottom lip between her teeth. 

The sound came again — her favourite — and he didn’t break eye contact, enchanted by the glint in her blue eyes.

She giggled again, proud of her deeds. She was always his trigger.

They worked like fire and fuel: she the latter, and he the fuel, the element that could widen a blaze that could never be put out.

Around them, colleagues and friends were busy choosing between drinking, dancing or doing both. 

To the eyes of other clubbers, they certainly appeared as another group of citizens who’d decided to dive into the bliss of a Saturday night, the world’s favourite day.

Music and drinks went hand in hand with nine-to-five workers seeking a break from the unforgiving pace of their work hours. But being humans, a species unable to live without music, there wasn’t any need for an excuse.

Having one, though, was simply the cherry on top, and there wasn’t a better excuse than a job promotion.

Taehyung and Ophelia’s unique dynamics had paid off in the best way possible, and as the Bellport Police Department dream team, they had gone from ground officers to detectives.

The occasion called for celebrations — the reason for the fire to seek fuel even more.

Ophelia had spent a few more minutes getting ready for the night. She’d chosen a pair of capri pants, a specific one, because her ass looked great in them. Her off-shoulder top revealed she had no bra underneath, but also skin she wanted seared with kisses.

It was late August, and naturally, the club was scorching hot for everyone. But Taehyung alone particularly felt the heat because he was standing right in front of the source, hands sliding down her back without fearing he’d burn his fingers in the process.

The goal was something more, something bigger, hotter, than the small blaze atop a match.

In fact, just touching wasn’t enough. Feeling how her back curved along his palm wasn’t satisfying enough. The rough material of her pants was too much of an obstacle, something he believed was unfairly too resistant to the heat, the fire — more resistant than he ever could be.

He wasn’t drunk, and not because he had to drive them home or because he just didn’t feel like passing out and waking up with a rock band playing in his head.

In fact, overdosing on alcohol was never really a problem, but it simply wasn’t strong enough to make him withstand Ophelia’s charm.

If the effects initially made his vision blurry, as soon as his eyes landed on the woman, time slowed, the background faded, and he focused solely on her.

What else would you focus on when you find a blaze burning in a dark forest? He wasn’t to be blamed.

She was a nymph and he a mere lost soldier, who didn’t know better — even if he did, he’d willingly block it out and let her do her magic on him.

Because of that, he followed her as she pulled him through the crowd, looking at her the same way a sailor looks at the North Pole after hours of blind sailing on open sea.

Their friends and colleagues were just another random tiny star in the night sky that she could easily outshine.

His hand was clasped in hers as she grabbed their belongings and led the way out of the club. 

He meekly followed, numb even to the drastic change of temperature when they’d stepped out of the building, because where their hands met radiated him with heat that would normally make him overstimulated on a random summer day, but instead simply pulled him in as if it was a cold winter night and he, in profound need for warmth.

With this as a premise, it’s a surprise to no one that he could barely register his surroundings, not until the car came to a random stop. Not until he was in the backseat, lost amidst the scent of her perfume and the intoxicating intensity of her kisses.

The moon was their only source of light, but it was hardly a problem since they knew each other’s bodies as if the ability was intrinsic to their nature.

Her fingers ran through his hair, breathless gasps escaping her the more he kissed her neck, lingering in her most sensitive spots.

Too needy for his touch, that fuel, how exactly she’d got out of her pants escaped her, but she didn’t try to think about it. There was no mental space for it anyway.

His hands traced paths on her body like she had a map written on her skin that could lead him to where she wanted him the most.

Her nipples were hard as if his touch was deadly cold against her burning hot skin, leaving only goosebumps in its wake. But the real heat was lower, at the level of their crotches, where her hips wouldn’t stop moving. 

Their lips met once again while she quickly unbuttoned his dress shirt, but he barely gave her the chance, pulling on her top and leaving her just in her underwear.

She cupped his face, connecting their lips yet again, and he finished what she’d started, shirt soon discarded in the space next to them and hips already bucking up to get rid of his bottoms.

Just as he’d predicted, just as she’d wished, just like fuel to fire, they both gave into each other, diving into the ocean of their passion but still burning in the process.

Her hips moved on their own accord. An arm wrapped around her frame while his free hand groped her breast, heartbeat restless.

They moaned in each other’s mouths. Moving like a spreading wildfire, their kisses, already passionate, turned messy as if they had no time left, as if the night was steadily running to an end and the light of the day would expose truths they’d rather keep hidden.

She propped her feet on his lap, back straight, and the pace increased. His face was cradled in her hands still, lips clasped in kisses they could never grow tired of.

“Oh, God. Lia.” He just sat back,  breathless and with hands now on her butt as he let her take him whole — body, soul, energy, and sense. 

His moans and grunts were the only proof that his brain hadn’t completely shut off yet. His head was thrown back against the seat, eyes curious to watch her as she moved on him and study her silhouette, the way the moonlight illuminated her body from the side, but the pleasure was too strong for him to fight off.

He wasn’t weak, though. He just didn’t want to fight, never would. So he just let her take him whole like the fire she was.

“Fuck, Tae.” Her moans were close to sounding like hiccups. His name was seemingly the only word she knew as her body moved on its own accord, the sinful dance tattooed in her system.

The greater the blaze became, the harder it burned, the louder their moans became, the faster the pace got, until he was moving her body on his own, fingers digging into her hips, and her legs almost giving out under her restless pace.

He grunted, eyes rolling to the back of his head, as the pleasure drew closer to cutting his senses short. She tried moving still, but the moment he adjusted their position to thrust into her, her moans died in her throat, and she hid her face in the crook of his neck. 

Now, it was her turn to let him consume her. Everything he did to her, the kisses on her neck, his lips around her nipples, his hands running along her body like they needed to feel everything, made her feel alive.

The more he did, the more the fuel poured out, the better she felt, alive.

He hissed, bottom lip caught between his teeth and hands gripping the flesh of her ass if it were the only thing reminding him that he hadn’t evaporated yet.

They kissed again, but it was brief as they approached their orgasm at a steady pace, just like fire burning flesh.

First-degree burn, just like the kisses on their skin, the hickeys on their necks and on her breasts, and her nails digging his biceps, leaving temporary marks he’d want to turn into tattoos, maybe even scars.

Second-degree burn, just like the prints his hands left on her ass cheeks when he spanked her or gripped hard, or the bite marks she left on his shoulders to stop her voice from coming out too loud.

Third-degree burn, just like the sensitive spot he was constantly hitting as though he were on a mission to scar her in the best way possible.

But nothing scars deeper than a fourth-degree burn, heat searing past the fat, past the muscle and down to the bone, the same way the pleasure made their nerves short-circuit.

He grunted, hissed, groaned, whined, hips thrusting up a few more times on their own accord, while her gasps, shallow breaths, and thinned out moans would die in her throat because her body was too busy uncontrollably shaking as the pleasure washed over her, like a shower of water on fire.

Just like a parable, after the high came the down, but Ophelia was a fire that could never be put out, and he was a leaking tank that could never run out of fuel.

It was always just a matter of time before its trail would find the blaze again.

⋆⭒˚ 𓍝｡⋆

Nightcall - Kasinsky

Speeding along the empty late-night road, the once calm wind outside screamed against their ears and faces as the windows were left open.

The car was silent. The radio softly played in the background, filling up a space Taehyung and Ophelia were too tired to occupy with small talk.

The woman rested her arm on the car door with her elbow just a bit out of the window. His position was similar, but one hand was busy keeping the steering wheel steady.

The high hadn’t worn off yet because a wildfire always leaves smoke after it’s quenched. But it also carries silence as if nothing had happened before it burned, as if the couple hadn’t given into their deepest desires in the most carnal way possible just moments ago.

There was no need to check herself in the mirror because whenever the temperature got too high with Taehyung, she’d always end up looking like a different person.

Exactly, her wavy hair was all over the place, a few strands clinging to her forehead because of the traces of sweat.

Her capri pants and off-shoulder top suddenly felt too heavy for the weather, as though she hadn’t had dinner and danced in it across the evening into the night.

Her feet weren’t slipped under the strap of her heeled sandals. The shoes were just there, keeping her soles from coming in contact with the small rug of Taehyung’s car.

She was tired, lazy, worn out, but satisfied, and her smile was the objective testimony. She didn’t even try to hide it. The silence didn’t help her case either.

“Funny.” She turned to face him. On cue, the sound of her voice had him snap his head in her direction. It wasn’t a problem anyway. It was way past two in the morning, and the road ahead was empty.

“We get promoted to detectives and decide to celebrate it by having sex in the car.”

He laughed, again a sound she liked way more than she’d ever admit. His eyes were back on the road, head shaking in disbelief.

“Do you think they’d, I don’t know, de-promote us if someone discovered it?” Just like her, he was back to being fully dressed, but he’d left out a few buttons.

“Tae, it’s demote, not de-promote, and no, I don’t think so. They love us too much at the PBD. Can’t risk losing us over—”

“Public indecency?” he chuckled.

“It’s only public indecency if we do it in public public,” she argued, leg now across the other.

“Lia, do you hear yourself?” He laughed yet again, and she insisted with her takes, laughing along with him, but their fun was shut off the moment his foot abruptly hit the brake, the car screeching and tyres drawing lines on the tarmac.

She barely had the time to scream his name and ask what was going on when her eyes landed on the girl standing in their headlights, palms flat on their car.

Her brown hair was messy, wavy strands caught in the material of her poor attire, the gloss on her lips and the sweat on her forehead.

They barely had the time to inspect anything before the girl rushed to the backseat door and jumped inside, screaming at Taehyung to drive.

Normally, Ophelia would be very suspicious of such an act; in fact, she’d heard multiple cases of people stopping to help supposed victims along the road only to turn around and find out that their car was being stolen.

But she couldn’t help but wonder why a girl dressed strictly in her undergarments would risk jumping in front of a moving car, screaming for help.

So she checked on her, asking about her well-being, and trying to understand what could have led her to make such a risky decision.

But the girl wasn’t compliant. She was mentally and physically closed off, knees under her chin, arms around her legs, and her head constantly checking behind as Taehyung drove off.

Ophelia tried to make sense of her body language, tried to push aside the part of her brain that was giving her a single explanation for the situation. She tried not to think about the worst-case scenario.

But what else would you suspect when a young girl, left in her undergarments, rushes into a random car at an odd hour of the night?

In fact, thinking about it, Ophelia stopped fighting back, mentally accepting the situation for what it was, what it could be, what she feared it’d be, what she was certain it’d be.

𓍝

(prologue) ⬅ | ★ | next chapter ᯓ☆

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