#joyfire x reader

You were pressed against the barrier, front row, pulse in your throat and lower, trying to breathe through how bad you needed them. All three. Right now. On the stage, on the floor, anywhere.

Then Kori’s eyes locked on you.

She didn’t miss a note. She just prowled to the edge of the stage mid-chorus, dropped to her knees in one fluid motion, and reached down. Her fingers tangled in your hair, tugging you up until your mouths crashed together. The kiss was hot, tasting like cherry gloss and sweat, and the entire crowd roared behind you but you barely heard it. She moaned into you, tongue sliding against yours while the line she was supposed to be singing vibrated against your lips instead.

When she finally pulled back, her forehead stayed against yours, voice husky in the mic for the whole venue to hear: “This one’s mine tonight.”

Roy’s snare hit like a gunshot. Jason’s low growl of a bass line dropped an octave, eyes dark and fixed on you like he was already planning how hard he was going to make you beg later.

Kori licked her lips, gave you one last teasing bite, and stood, spinning back to the mic with a laugh that promised you weren’t leaving this venue without all three of them inside you.

Your knees almost gave out. You grabbed the barrier to stay upright, soaked through, aching, counting the seconds until the last chord because the second they were off that stage they were yours.

The dressing room door slams behind you and the lock clicks like a starting gun.

Kori has you by the throat before you can breathe, her grip firm but not cruel, just enough to remind you who decides when you come tonight. She walks you backward until the back of your knees hit the bed, mouth on yours again, hotter than on stage with no audience to perform for now.

“Such a good little star,” she purrs against your lips. “Look at you, dripping for us before we even touched you.”

Roy’s behind you in a heartbeat, hands sliding under your skirt, fingers hooking your ruined panties and dragging them down your thighs.

“Jesus, babe,” he laughs, low and filthy, “you’re a fucking flood. This all for us?”

You try to answer, but Jason’s already there, crowding in on your left, calloused palm cupping your jaw and turning your face to him. His kiss is rougher, teeth nipping your bottom lip hard enough to sting.

“Use your words, princess,” he murmurs. “Tell us how bad you need it.”

“Please—” It comes out a broken whine.

Kori’s smile is pure sin. “On your knees, sweetheart.”

They move you like you weigh nothing. Roy’s hands on your hips guiding you down, Jason’s fingers tangled in your hair, Kori standing over you radiant and terrifying and so beautiful it hurts. Your knees hit the bed at the same time as your palms, and three belts clink open at once.

You don’t get time to think. Kori fists your hair, tilts your head back, and feeds you her strap (the big orange one you love) in one slow push that makes your eyes water.

Roy’s already behind you, spreading your thighs wider, sliding into you with a single brutal thrust that punches the air from your lungs.

“Fuck, there we go,” Roy groans, hips snapping forward, hands bruising your waist. “Take it so pretty.”

Jason watches for a beat, eyes dark with hunger and waits for Kori to empty your mouth with a wet plop. Then steps in and fills your mouth, thick and salty on your tongue. You choke, drool already spilling, but you don’t pull off.

Kori strokes your cheek with deceptive tenderness. “That’s it, baby. Open up for them. Let them wreck those pretty holes.”

They set a ruthless rhythm: Roy pounding into you from behind, Jason fucking your mouth in slow, filthy strokes while Kori keeps you pinned exactly where she wants you. Every time you moan around Jason, Roy curses and drives deeper, the wet slap of skin on skin loud in the small room.

Then they switch.

Jason hauls you up by the arms like you’re a doll, spins you, bends you over. He’s inside you before you finish gasping, one hand fisted in your hair arching your back, the other gripping your hip hard enough to leave marks.

“This what you wanted, princess?” he growls against your ear. “Watching us play with you like a desperate doll?”

“Yes—f-fuck, Jason—”

Roy’s in front of you now, cock slick from your pussy, pushing back into your mouth with a lazy grin. “Taste yourself, sweetheart.”

Kori moves easily, fingers under your chin lifting your teary eyes to hers. She’s stripped off the strap, thighs spread, glistening.

“Come here, love,” she coos, guiding you down between her legs while Jason keeps railing you from behind. “Make me come on that greedy tongue and maybe I’ll let you have theirs.”

You lick into her like you’re starving, her taste making your eyes roll. Her thighs clamp around your head, hips rolling, praise dripping from her lips. “S-such a good girl. Nghh! Right there, don’t stop—”

Jason’s pace turns punishing, every thrust shoving your face deeper into Kori. Roy’s back to stroking himself, waiting his turn, telling you how gorgeous you look getting used from both ends.

You lose track of time, of whose hands are where, of anything but the stretch and burn and fullness. They flip you again (onto your back this time), Kori sliding down to straddle your face while Roy lifts your hips and sinks back in. Jason kneels beside you, cock in your hand, then your mouth, then gone again as they trade places like they’ve choreographed it.

Kori comes first, grinding hard against your tongue, crying out your name like worship. Roy follows seconds later, pulling out to stripe hot across your stomach with a broken groan of “fuck, baby—”

Jason’s last. He flips you onto your stomach, drags your hips up, and fucks you through the mess Roy left, one hand between your shoulder blades pinning you down.

“Come for me, princess,” he orders, voice shredded. “Come on my cock while they watch.”

You shatter so hard your vision whites out, sobbing into the cushions, body shaking as he pumps you full and keeps going until you’re limp and beautifully ruined.

When it’s over, they collapse around you in a tangle of limbs and sweat and soft laughter. Kori kisses your temple, Roy nuzzles your neck, Jason’s fingers trace lazy circles on your thigh.

“Our perfect girl,” Kori whispers, voice warm. “Did so well for us.”

You can’t even speak yet, just a blissed-out hum, floating in the haze of always being fucked so good. And they didn't even use their piercings this time.

1.

Emily pushed open the doors of the gym she’d been trying for the past couple of weeks (it didn’t help that they kept getting called out on cases and she’d only been able to go a few times by this point). It’d been a heavy caseload at work recently and this felt like the first weekend off in a while so she was hoping to finally be able to blow off some steam at the gym.

She swiped her card and pushed through the turnstiles and was about to head to the change rooms when her eye caught onto a familiar figure. She squinted. Yep, looked like you had a similar idea of blowing off steam at the gym, Emily thought. Then she paused. You were grinning at somethi- oh? Rather, someone.

Emily watched you lunge across the mat at your sparring partner and exchange blows. She had to admit she was impressed and slightly in awe.

The was you two moved with each other … as cliché as it sounded, it was like a dance. You had to know each other well to fight so familiarly with each other. She didn’t think she’d ever seen you go this all out before, she'd never realized just how much you restrained yourself in practice spars or when detaining unsubs. Neither of you seemed to be holding back now, dancing around each other on the mat, even as you kept your hits carefully precise and to only cause impermanent damage. Your partner would swing, you'd dodge and retaliate, throwing a punch or kicking, grinning all the while.

Someone brushed by her and she realized just how long she’d been standing there. She cast one last glance at you and sucked in a breath when your partner threw you across the mat, but you were rolling and standing up with a laugh Emily could almost hear across the gym.

The familiarity between the two of you made Emily wonder who was this person you were so comfortable with? You were usually so tight lipped about your personal life, never mentioning loved ones’ names, never showing them pictures with clear faces, never introducing them to anyone. They understood your hyper-paranoia from coming from Gotham, but they were curious to a fault.

Emily watched for another minute as you threw teasing taunts back and forth circling each other then lunging back at each other. She didn't know if she'd seen you this light in a while. She shrugged her bag back over her shoulder and turned around. The moment looked too precious to interrupt. She would find another gym and come back here another day.

2. 

It was a beautiful day outside as Penelope walked through the park to her favourite ice cream truck. A blissful weekend off with warm spring weather? Penelope just had to celebrate that with a treat.

She was debating whether to go with a classic favourite or a new seasonal flavour when her gaze caught the most magnificent head of red hair. So beautiful and voluminous, Penelope knew she was staring but whoever they were, dammit, she was jealous of their hair!! Then she heard your soft laugh and froze.

There you were, holding hands with that beautiful person whose face Penelope couldn’t even see. She was about to call out to you when you leaned in and kissed your companion’s cheek, and, oh?

You grinned and tugged gently, leading them away, bumping shoulders when you fell back into step beside them.

She squealed silently, you two were just too cute! And maybe it was a little selfish of her to want to observe you unnoticed when you were rarely this relaxed around the team, considering your job. She didn’t want to interrupt your moment, not when you were acting so adorable!

Even as she longed to go up to you and pester you to introduce her to your friend/for all the details (same thing), she held off and went up to the counter and ordered a fun-sounding new flavour. It felt like a day to try new things, after all. Besides, she would have plenty of time to bug you at work about it.

3. 

It had been a hard case, and when you had denied a ride home from Derek, Spencer had hoped he could join you on the subway and keep you company, to make sure you weren’t alone. (Return a favour, so to speak, and he was concerned for you, his teammate.) The case hadn’t just been hard, but long as well, longer than any of them would have liked, and he knew you were absolutely exhausted. Spencer could relate to getting drained physically, mentally and emotionally.

He stepped out of the elevator and sped walked out the doors, keeping an eye out for you. He spotted you across the way but before he could call out to you, you walked up to someone else. Spencer paused in his step to watch.

You stopped in front of a person leaning up against a motorcycle who opened their arms for you to slump into their chest. You stayed like that for a while, arms wrapped around each other, simply holding each other, their hand running down your back.

Seemed like you had someone to lean on.  

You slowly rose and the driver reached back to hand you a second helmet, then put on their own, hiding their red hair. You got on the back and the bike sped away.

Spencer wondered who your companion was as he made his way to the subway on his own.

4. 

Hotch noticed you fidget on the drive to the modeling agency. He wasn’t sure why you seemed to be nervous, or perhaps uncomfortable would be a better word, but whatever you were feeling it had started when he’d mentioned where they were headed. Your brow had furrowed more than usual and your hands hadn’t stopped moving since.

You pulled him aside before you entered the building and he nodded at Morgan and Rossi to go on ahead before giving you his full attention.

“Um, so the thing is, I, uh, know? them?”

His brow furrowed. “Know who?”

“The models,” you clarified. “I … well, I’m close with one of them and, I’ve been to a couple of her shoots? and events? before, so I’m familiar with at least some of the models that are going to be in there today.”

Hotch nodded. “Ok. Thank you for letting me know. Will this personal relationship affect your ability to do your job professionally?”

You were shaking your head before he finished the question. “No, I just wanted to let you know, that I probably know some of them, they may know me … build a 'firewall' of sorts, just so there’s no surprises kinda thing.”

“It may be good for you to be the one to talk to them then, if they know you, they may be more comfortable.”

“I can talk to them, but professionally, I won’t force them to answer anything they don’t want to just because they know me.”

He nodded. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

***

Hotch wasn’t the only one to notice your restlessness, Derek kept glancing over during the drive to the scene and he couldn’t help but wonder what you had needed to talk to Hotch about.

A few minutes later, you rejoined him and Rossi as they were finishing talking to the building manager and about to move on to interviewing the business owner and employees.

“Rossi, with me, we’ll talk to the owner. You two take the models.”

With a nod, he headed off, you by his side.

“In the interest of full disclosure,” you murmured to him under your breath as you walked, “I … know some of-”

“Honey bear!”

“Sugar plum!”

You gave a sheepish smile to Derek’s look before turning your attention to the models. “Hi, it’s good to see you again. I’m sorry it’s under these circumstances.”

“It’s good to see you too, so are we. Hey! Denise! Look who it is! Kory’s partner!”

“Oh hey! One sec, I’ll grab her.”

“Derek, pleasure to meet you.” Derek smiled wryly, shooting you an amused glance. Full disclosure, huh?

“Ah, sorry. Yes, this is Derek Morgan, my colleague from the Bureau, Derek this is Jeremy and Taylor. That was Denise who went to … grab Kory.”

He definitely noticed your slight hesitation, and before when Denise had referred to you as her partner. He wondered what that was all about.

“Look who it is!” Denise, the model who had ducked away was back, bringing along a very tall woman with voluminous red hair.

“Hey Kory,” you said in a soft voice. (That was … affectionate. Like … extremely-close-loved-one affection … Partners, huh? There was something going on between you two, but he’d have to ask you directly for any hope of an answer.)

“Hello, darling.” The tall red head smiled at you gently and opened her arms for a hug, you leaned in right away to squeeze her back. None of the other models reacted except sending small, affectionate smiles your way.

So, this was something regular around here then. Definitely something going on.  

“I was sorry to hear about Emily,” you said when you stepped back. “I liked her.”

“I as well,” Kory said, a deep frown appearing on her face. “She was a wonderful person.”

“You’ll find whoever did this, won’t you?” Taylor, who had called you ‘sugar plum’ earlier, asked.

“We’ll do our best, promise,” you said, and Derek had to do a double take because it was one of the first things you learned, never make a promise you don’t know you can keep. There was no guarantee they’d be able to find the unsub- but he tried to stay on track.

“What can you tell us about her?” he asked.

“She was, like Kory said, a good person. Awesome to work with,” Jeremy, of the ‘honey bear’ moniker, said. “Sure, she wasn’t perfect, had her cat-fights with models that bitched about stylists or talked shit about other models behind their backs-”

“Or if you got into her snacks, she was crazy about her snacks,” Denise added. “And sometimes she’d go off on a designer about something she didn’t want to wear but like, she was just saying what we were all thinking sometimes.”

“Yeah, but other than that she was a pretty chill and smart person,” Jeremy said.

“She carried mace in her purse, and I know she was taking some like, martial arts or self-defence classes every weekend in addition to her regular workouts,” Taylor added.

“I don’t know why she wouldn’t have used her mace,” Denise frowned.

He shared a quick glance with you. That might mean either blitz attack or charming and disarming.

You finished interviewing all the models and regrouped at the door, when Derek realized he’d lost you. He glanced back and you were talking quietly with Kory. He watched you squeeze her hands before she leaned over and kissed your cheek. His eyebrows raised. He was gonna need you to explain because there was definitely something going on there.

You hurried over to the group, acting like nothing was out of the ordinary, and Hotch started talking before he could tease you.

Derek had so many questions but he would let it go for now. But when the case was over? Then it’d be fair game.

5. 

JJ followed Spencer and Penelope around the library, just browsing as the other two sought out exactly what they wanted.

They were in the historical romance aisle when JJ heard a fairly familiar voice.

“Go ahead and bite me, you fiend! I’ve had my rabies shot!” you hissed.

She glanced at Penelope and Spencer who nodded back at her, wide eyed. They, too, had recognized your voice. In agreement, they rushed to the end of the row and peaked around the next aisle together.

There you were, back to them, hissing and poking your finger into the chest of a tall person, built like a tank with dyed white bangs, who was smirking at you in amusement.

“That-!” you jabbed your finger at the book in their hand “is not even a book and I know you’re trying to get on my nerves and it’s working but I swear to Alfred if you take that one I’m going to smother you.”

JJ’s eyebrows rose even further at the annoyed spite in your voice; and she realized how creepy it might look, the three of them standing there staring, when your friend’s eyes flicked up and gave them a quick once over.

You noticed and spun around. “Oh. Hey.” You gave them a smile. “What’re you doing here?”

“It was Spence’s turn to pick what we did together, so of course he dragged us to the library,” JJ teased.

“Hey, it’s a great place to be,” you shrugged in his defense.

“That’s what I said,” Spencer argued. JJ knew it was a hill he would die on so she liked teasing him about it even if she agreed with him.

“So, what are you doing here?” Penelope asked. “Who’s your friend?” Her eyes kept flicking between the two of you.

Your demeanour changed and you side-eyed them, your dramatic annoyance coming out again. “Someone who is not-” you yoinked the book out of their hand “-going to take out this blasphemy to literature-” you slid it back into the shelf swiftly “-This-” you pulled out a different book “-is an actual book-” you shoved it into their chest and proceeded to disappear out the end of the aisle, as if forgetting they were there.

JJ, Penelope and Spencer watched your interaction with raised eyebrows, having rarely seen you act so pettily dramatic, so… comfortable but aggressive?

Your mystery friend’s smirk never left. “Toodles.” They gave a two-fingered salute before disappearing after you.

JJ shared a look with Spencer and Penelope. They rushed to the end of the aisle and scanned the library for where you’d gone.

“Over there.” Spencer pointed.

Somehow the both of you were already across the building, holding out books to one another and talking civilly, seeming to be over your disagreement.

Well. That was certainly unexpected.

“Shall we continue on then?” JJ asked.

+1. 

They hadn't seen you in a while. Ok, that wasn't true, it wasn't like you’d been sick or calling out of work, but outside of work, they hadn't seen you recently. They didn't think you were purposely avoiding them, but you also seemed to sneak out as soon as possible after work or the case was done. You weren't slacking by any means, but sometimes they wanted a full team hangout and you were making it really difficult. (Also because they were nosy and you were private and that didn't mix well.)

So, they decided to ambush you. Your address was in your file, so it wasn't stalking. And they had been there before so it definitely wasn't stalking. (And Penelope would find it either way.)

One Saturday afternoon they showed up. (They even managed to drag Hotch, Jack and Rossi into it by calling it a family event, full team bonding, no shop talk. Will and Henry came too. Now all they needed to do was convince you to join them and they weren't taking no for an answer.)

They knocked on the door and heard some voices. The door opened and to their surprise it wasn't you. It was a young girl. Maybe 10 years old, who looked at them, tilted her head and asked, “You’re the fubby?”

“Lian, who is it?” A voice called, not yours.

Did they get the address wrong?

It wasn't you who came around the corner but half the team started in recognition.

The person walked over, put a hand on Lian’s head and gave them a once over. Before anyone could speak, they finally heard your voice.

“Jason? Who is it?” You came around the corner and saw them, surprise flitting across your face. “Hey, what’s up? We got a case?” Your eyes scanned them, noticing the whole team and their families and you frowned.

In turn your teammates noticed the ghosting of your hands over Jason’s arm and the kid’s shoulder. Familiarity. Could this be… your family? A partner and child?

“No, just wanted to-”

“We wanted to meet your family!” Penelope burst out.

“We wanted to invite you to hang out with us,” JJ said, a little sheepishly, “we haven’t hung out as a team in a while and you kept disappearing on us before we could invite you out.”

“So we decided to ambush you at home but it seems like… you already have company.” Derek arched a brow, hoping to nudge you into an explanation.

“They’re the fubby,” the young child (your child?) announced again, proudly and full of mischief.

You sighed and rolled your eyes, but not without fondness. “You know it’s the F. B. I. Acronym. Like NSA not NASA,” you explained as if this was the hundredth time you were repeating yourself, but amused nonetheless.

“Uhhhh, Jaybird? A little help in here?” Another voice called out from the depths of your apartment.

You and Jason shared the quickest of concerned glances before you exchanged places holding the door open … or keeping the door just shut enough they couldn't fully see inside? You looked back at your team. “So you’re just… having a…?”

“Team bonding moment?”

“Family day?”

The young girl turned to you raising her arms and you picked her up without looking, sitting her on your hip. She curled into your chest, face tilted towards them to watch them curiously.

“Ok…” you said slowly. You held up a finger. “Just… one second.” You shut the door on them and they could hear movement and voices, but nothing clear enough to decipher.

You were back a moment later, breathless smile, “Come on in.”

They knew you were a private person. Keeping your family and loved ones close to your chest. However, they didn’t expect you to be hiding an entire family.

“Um, everyone. This is… Kory, Roy and Jason, my partners. And this is Lian. Roy’s kid.”

Everyone crammed into your apartment and got settled in the living room while you hovered in the kitchen with your partners, still holding Lian on your hip.

“You’re ok to feed a bunch more people than we planned?” you murmured, rapping your knuckles soundlessly on the kitchen counter.

“I know I was gonna make lunch but I think Jay’s got this now,” Roy joked.

“I got it. Finish your soup, I’ll make some sandwiches.” Jason nudged Roy out of his way with his hip.

“You need extra help?”

“Me!”

You chuckled and let a squirming Lian down. “Ok, looks like you’ve got another assistant chef here.”

“Go be a host,” Roy urged, teasingly.

"I will come with you. It will be nice to meet your team."

You gave Roy a sassy look and Kory a smile before stepping back into the living room.

“You never told us you were hiding a family!” Penelope exclaimed when you turned your attention back to your teammates.

You laughed and shrugged. “Habit, I guess.”

"We can be private people about our loved ones in hopes of protecting them from enemies," Kory said.

“Wait, holy sh-itake mushrooms, you’re-” Emily turned to you, disbelievingly. “You know Kory Anders?”

“Who?” Spencer asked.

“The model,” JJ answered, taking another look at her, then at you. “You’re dating a model?”

You inhaled deeply. "Yes."

"Wow."

“An FBI agent is an honorable job, and my partner is a wonderful person, I am grateful to have such a person in my life,” Kori said and you gave her a soft look. “All of my partners are wonderful and I am honoured they have chosen me as their partner.”

“Ok, wait,” DM interrupted. “You just said you knew her. And, I mean, I was curious about how close you were, because they said you were partners but you say nothing about having… life partners, having a whole family we don't know about? What’s up with that?”

You pursed your lips. “Old habits die hard? I’m not-“ You sighed. “Gotham isn’t the best place to be open about loved ones when the person sitting next to you could be a homicidal maniac or corrupt cop who develops a grudge against you and goes after your family. It’s just- it’s always been safer to keep loved ones a secret, a habit to downplay any connection.”

"Well, we're glad we get to meet them all now," Rossi said.

"It's wonderful to meet all of you as well," Kory said with a smile.

Lunch turned out to be a homey affair. It was a little snug with limited seats, some standing, some sitting on the floor. But it was warm and cozy and you were glad your two families got to meet. (Well… at least some of them.)

“So, wha'd'y'all do?” Will asked Roy and Jason a little while later after most of the dishes had been taken away. Roy shot a look at Jason that didn’t go unnoticed.

“Uh, security. The both of us. Night shifts mostly. Pays the bills so I can be a dad,” he replied.

There were a few squinting eyes as your team couldn't help but profile your family but you shot them looks and they immediately looked guilty. You didn't blame them; not profiling was sometimes harder than profiling, but this was your family, and you didn't need them getting the wrong idea. Or the right one. You weren't sure which would be worse.

Groups slowly split off and smaller conversations popped up as the day wore on. The kids vanished, presumably to Lian's room, but reappeared every once in a while, mostly to sneak some more snacks.

(You might have said ‘Roy’s kid’ earlier, but they were pretty sure you were all raising that little kid. The way you all looked at her fondly, how she easily scampered up to any of you and climbed up like a monkey … yeah, Roy clearly wasn't her only parent.)

You observed, contentment warm in your chest as Rossi talked cooking with Jason across the kitchen counter, Spencer having been pulled into the conversation too. Emily, JJ and Will talked with Roy (you were too far away to hear about what, but judging by Roy's enthusiastically gesturing arms, possibly his robots and other creations), while Penelope and Derek chatted with Kory. You spotted the rare sight of Henry, Jack and Lian in the corner, potentially plotting a pillow fort by their glances at the couches.

“Where’d you take this picture?” Hotch asked from behind you.

You turned to see the picture he was gesturing at and exhaled a laugh.

“That one’s from Roy’s apartment in Star. A couple Christmases ago. Lian was able to convince him to help her build a fort in the living room and, of course, he can’t do anything half way. We spent most of the holidays curled up on those pillows watching holiday movies.” The memory brought a fond smile to your face.

The picture was lit with soft colourful lighting from the Christmas lights strung up and the blankets and pillows strewn about. You were curled up, mid laugh, with Kory, Lian and Jason, each with their own soft or elated expressions.

Roy had disappeared for a few minutes and Lian was telling some funny story that you don’t remember, only her high pitched giggles as she told it that made you all laugh. You hadn’t noticed Roy’s return until after the camera clicked, capturing your laughter and soft expressions. It was now one of your favourite photos.

“You look happy,” he said, watching you.

You smiled. “I am.”

He returned your smile with one of his own. “Good, I'm glad.”

"You seem happy, too," you added.

"I am," he repeated.

"Good, I'm glad."

He chuckled quietly beside you. You lapsed into silence and people-watched your families together.

You caught Kory's eye and she smiled at you before going back to her conversation with Derek and Penelope. You sought out Roy next and he comically blew you an exaggerated kiss. You rolled your eyes and blew one right back. Then your eyes slipped to Jason, whose finger on the counter was tapping out: I L-O-V-E Y-O-U. His eyes flicked to yours and you signed it back to him, he looked back to Spencer and Rossi with a smile curving his lips.

Your quiet corner was interrupted when an excitable child bulldozed into you, knocking the air from your lungs. You couldn't help the laughter that bubbled out as you smiled down at Lian, her arms around your waist, chin on your stomach, looking up at you with big eyes. "Hi." You brushed a strand of hair out of her face.

"Hi." Her wide grin and bright eyes felt contagious. You loved her so much.

"Havin' fun?"

"Yup."

You glanced behind her where Jack and Henry were hovering, matching excitement on their faces. "Whatcha up to, hm?"

"Can we steal the couch?"

You glanced over to the couch in question, where Kory, Penelope and Derek still sat, then back down at the girl attached to your front. "Hmm … are you hoping I'll free the way so you can take the cushions and build a fort out of them?"

"Maybe."

"Hmm." You stroked your chin dramatically, pretending to consider your options. "Hmm."

Giggles erupted from the three kids in front of you at your dramatics.

"Weeeellllll," you dragged out the word. "Alright then, I'll help you mischief makers get your materials. But y’all better have fun making this, you hear me? Only fun allowed, ok? Or I might have to come after you." You tickled Lian's sides in demonstration and she wiggled away, shrieking with laughter. You shook your finger at the kids. "Only fun to be had, you hear? Only fun."

"Ok!" they giggled.

"Alright," you smiled and shooed them in front of you, but, of course, they'd disappeared by the time you got to the couch.

Kory, Derek and Penelope noticed your approach.

"Hello, my dear friends."

"Hello." Penelope grinned back.

"I'd like to make you an offer."

"What kind of offer?" Derek asked, smirking at you.

"You stand up, and I talk to you."

"What now?"

"You receive … us standing up," Kory started.

"And you get conversation from me, yes." You nodded.

"Excuse us a moment while we discuss," Penelope said haughtily, playing up the dramatics.

You grinned and stepped back. "Of course."

They made loud whispering sounds, encouraging the giggles from the ghosts hiding in the room.

"We've reached our decision," Derek said, smirking, turning back to you.

"Oh?"

"We accept your offer," Penelope said.

"Such wonderful news, huzzah." You snickered.

The three got up from the couch and moved towards you. Immediately the cushions disappeared.

"So, about that conversation…" Derek teased.

As Lian ran off with Henry, Jack and the couch cushions, you couldn't keep the smile off your face. Kory wrapped her arm around you and you leaned into her. Surrounded by your friends and partners, your family … there was no place you'd rather be.

~~~

You got the notification on your phone and frowned down at it. A silent alarm on one of your safe houses had been triggered. (Yes, you had multiple safe houses. Sue you, your adoptive bat family rubbed off on you … a lot.) You pulled up the feed and then relaxed when you realized just who it was that had “broken in”. Then you saw who else was there and started worrying again.

Jason just wanted to get home, eat some good homemade food and fall asleep with his partners. He’d settle for access to a good kitchen.

So, when he saw three strangers already in your safe house, he reacted quickly (unfortunately for his bag of groceries) and pulled out his gun, pointing it at them.

Not today, motherfuckers, not today, “What the fuck are you doing here?”

The grumpy blond with the bandana immediately stepped in front defensively, much to the silent annoyance and protest of the other two. The way he watched him (and the gun) and balanced on his feet, Jason could tell that this man knew his way around guns and violence. The other blond behind him though… she reminded him of Dick. Even without a constant smile like him, the capability of violence and acrobat’s grace were clear in her fierce glare and movements.

“Who are you?” the third asked, the way his hands moved on his hidden phone reminded Jason of Tim and Babs.

“I asked first,” Jason growled. God damn it, he wanted to curse these people for spilling his groceries. He’d been so excited to try a new recipe he’s found online with ingredients he’d picked up at a local farmer’s market.

His phone started to buzz in his jacket at the same time as he noticed a tell-tale vibration in Bandana’s pocket.

They stared at each other. Slowly, their hands drifted towards their pockets, and they grabbed them carefully, simultaneously.

Jason opened his and held it up to his ear as Bandana handed his off for Murder-Glare to read.

“Jason,” your dry and amused voice greeted him.

He didn’t respond but he assumed you were expecting that because you continued almost immediately.

“If he’s tall and handsome with a glare for days and at least one visible injury, that’s Eliot. He’s a friend.” You paused. “Don’t shoot,” you added.

“He knows about your safe houses?” Jason demanded, not in english.

You exhaled a laugh. “Of course that’s what you focus on,” you teased. “But yes, like I said, he’s a friend. I’ve known him for a while and that’s one of my older safe houses. ‘Sides, my safe houses are safe houses for a reason. So … play nice.”

“They ruined my groceries,” Jason grumped.

“Ouch,” you winced sympathetically. “But was it intentional or was it because of them accidentally startling you?”

He grumbled for the sake of grumbling.

You gave another soft laugh. “I’m on my way, it’s been a while since we’ve seen each other, and I don’t trust y’all not to ruin my house.”

“Rude.”

You hummed, amused, knowing neither of you were being that serious.

“Play nice until I get there, I shouldn’t be too long.”

“And when you get here?” Jason teased.

“Hmmm, we’ll see, ‘kay, bye, love you.”

“Love you,” he said before you hung up. And then remembered where he was and cursed himself for forgetting himself and his surroundings. He glared up at the three sets of eyes staring curiously and suspiciously at him.

“You’re a friend?” Bandana- Eliot asked gruffly.

Jason nodded jerkily. “And you?”

Eliot nodded back.

Jason studied them, then sighed and put his gun away and crouched down to salvage his groceries.

“Those from the market just outside town?” Eliot asked.

Jason looked at him suspiciously as he stood, cradling the broken bag. “Yeah.”

Eliot nodded. “They have good produce, it’s a true farm to table market.”

Jason paused. “You like cooking?”

“Like cooking?” the hacker asked. “Dude, he loves it, and he’s great at it.”

Well, fuck. Looked like they had more in common than just knowing their way around guns.

You approached your safe house and hoped everything was going alright. Thankfully the building was still standing, there didn’t seem to be smoke coming out of the windows and no loud sounds were coming from inside. Sighing, you walked up to the door and let yourself in.

“We once stole a country.” That was Parker.

“A country?” Jason.

“Mhm.”

“Impressive. But have you ever been to other planets?”

“Aw, c’mon man, don’t say that! Leverage is international, not intergalactic. We do not need to deal with extraterrestrial crimes! We deal with enough shady politicians and ruthless scumbags here!” Hardison.

You turned the corner to the kitchen.

“Yeah, don’t mention going into space too much, you’re gonna make Hardison jealous.” Eliot smirked at him.

“Nah man, I am not jealous, nuh uh.”

“Hardison wants to meet aliens. But he can meet them here so I dunno why you need to travel to another planet just to do that,” Parker said.

“That is true, there are plenty of aliens on earth,” you said, stepping forward. You smiled at Jason first and he smirked back, knowing you were thinking of your girlfriend, the alien. Then you smiled at Eliot who nodded back from the kitchen with Jason, who looked like they were making a meal together.

“Parker, Hardison, good to see you again. How are you?”

Parker hopped off the counter and bounded over to you. “Hi!” She jumped up and you caught her in a tight hug. “Missed you.”

“Missed you too. Sounds like you’ve had some fun, though,” you smiled.

“Bah, you knew about the country one, that was years ago. But we did have to steal a monkey off of a princess’s shoulder a couple months ago, that was fun, and we bankrupted a couple more companies that were selling cancer causing products, those scoundrels.” She blew a raspberry and hopped out of your arms. She went back to sitting on the kitchen counter, mostly out of the way of what Jason and Eliot were doing.

“Nice.”

“You knew they’d stolen a country and you never told me?? I am wounded,” Jason teased.

“Forgive me for my blasphemous error, it will not happen again,” you said dramatically. “Good to see you, too, Hardison.” You shook his hand.

“You too, how you been?”

“Oh, you know,” you shrugged, “living my life as an offense to all you law breakers,” you joked.

“One of the good ones.” He pointed at you.

“I try.”

“How’s Taggert and McSweeten doing? We haven’t run into them in a while.”

You snorted. “They’re doing well, doing good work and rising in the ranks. They’re both good men.”

“They are.”

“How much food are you making?” you asked the men in the kitchen a little while later, watching incredulously as they seemed to start preparing more and more dishes.

“A lot,” Hardison said.

“It’s a competition to see who makes the best food,” Parker said.

“We’ll need more people to finish what they’re starting,” Hardison joked.

Jason shrugged. “We know a few people.”

Eliot shrugged, too. “If you want, if you trust them.”

The men paused and glanced at each other, realizing what they’d said.

“So, what? Are we having a family dinner now?” you joked seriously, looking around at everyone. “I mean, we have two partners we could invite, it’s been a while since we’ve all been together…”

“If you wanna invite your partners over, hell yeah, then Eliot and Jason don’t have to make excuses for making so much food,” Hardison said.

You glanced at Parker and Eliot who both shrugged and nodded, not opposed. You looked at Jason. You ok with inviting them?

His mouth twitched. Sure. Missed you all.

Ok, I’ll text them. You pulled out your phone and shot a text to Roy and Koriand’r asking if they were free and inviting them to meet your friends for dinner.

They responded quickly, saying they’d be there as soon as possible. Lian was staying with Dinah and Ollie for the weekend so Roy wouldn’t have any trouble getting out, Kory had already finished her shoot and would pick up Roy on her way.

Your partners arrived, you introduced them to your friends, and they hit it off. Talking lawbreaking and jobs and supervillain fighting. The five of you hung out outside the kitchen, close enough to Eliot and Jason that they could be included in the conversations but out of their way while they cooked.

“So, how long have you been together for?” Roy asked, taking a sip of his water.

“A couple years now,” Hardison responded.

“A while,” Parker said.

Your gaze drifted to Eliot, working in the kitchen, as the conversation moved on without him. He was listening in, you were sure of it, but he wasn’t participating. He looked tense, and if you hadn’t known him for so long you might not have noticed, and you didn’t know why.

“One time we went on a date to steal this guy’s ugly guitar that he stole from a charity and Eliot had to punch like 10 guys in the face.”

Eliot made a noise. “That was a date for you?”

“Duh.”

“Yeah, man … it wasn’t for you?”

“I mean, I was there, if you had wanted it to be a date, why didn’t you just do the job yourself? Or pick another scumbag to rob that doesn’t have the private security of a military compound?” Eliot scoffed as he mixed ingredients.

“You…” Hardison trailed off, frowning.

“What do you mean? Of course we had to bring you along, it’s not a full date without you?” Parker glared at him.

You and your partners’ eyes were flitting back and forth between the three of them, silently wondering when you would need to give them some privacy.

Eliot looked up, defensively frowning as he glanced between Parker and Hardison.

“You’re important to us, man, we thought we were … that we were all…” Hardison gestured between the three of them.

Parker rolled her eyes. “We’re all dating. I’m dating you and Hardison, Hardison’s dating you and me, and you’re dating both of us.” She paused and frowned. “Do you not want to date us?”

“No! I mean- yes! No, I- shit, we’re not dating?” Eliot blurted.

This seemed to be getting very deep and very personal, very fast.

“Eliot, I love you. Jason-” he looked at you and you waved your phone at him “-it’s Dick. Parker, Hardison, I love you too.” You glanced at Jason again and nodded towards the stairs, not needing to nudge Kory or Roy for them to get them message and move backwards. “C’mon.”

Jason put down the pan he was holding, turned down the burners on the stove and followed as the four of you escaped upstairs to give the band of thieves some privacy.

You ended up in one of the unclaimed bedrooms and closed the door behind you. Roy and Jason sat on the bed while you leaned against the desk and Kory stood by the bed.

“They’re like us,” Roy joked softly.

“Two partners thinking they’ve been dating while the others are completely unaware? A misunderstanding that lasts years?” Jason huffed a laugh. “Sounds about right.”

Roy rolled over towards Jason to wrap his arms around him. “But we’re glad we got it sorted.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jason rolled his eyes jokingly.

“We are very happy that we have all agreed to be in a relationship with each other,” Kory said and floated towards the men to gently kiss the backs of their hands.

“We are,” you said softly, remembering your experience and worrying for Eliot, even though you knew the three loved each other, the fear of losing your favourite, most important people? The fear that they would change their minds and not accept you? You could understand some of Eliot’s struggle. You were just glad you and your partners finally talked about it and you all made the decision every day to be together.

Kory floated across to you and squeezed your hand before bringing it up to her lips to kiss.

You squeezed back and just stayed like that for a bit, holding hands with your girlfriend while your boyfriends cuddled on the bed.

Jason squirmed slightly in Roy’s arms.

“Hey,” Roy protested.

“We said we were calling Dick, let’s call him.”

You chuckled. “Ok.”

“It will be nice to catch up and hear stories of your siblings, we have not visited in a while.”

“It sucks, we’ve all been so busy recently,” Roy sighed.

Jason hummed in agreement as his phone rang with the facetime dial tone.

“I am glad that, as impromptu as this was, we were all free,” you said.

“Yes,” Kory agreed, and you kissed her cheek for the sake of kissing her cheek.

“Jason! Hi! Is everything ok? Where are you-”

“I’m fine dick-head, don’t make me regret calling you,” Jason growled.

You could hear Dick’s dramatic gasp across the room, and you shared a smile with Koriand’r as you pulled her along to join your partners on the bed and cram your heads into the little screen.

“You’re calling because you missed me? Aww, Jay-bird, I love you too!”

“Yah, yah, I love you, now start talking, about whatever shit the kids have been up to lately that you can’t wait to share.”

Dick wiped a fake tear from his eye. “So sweet.” That’s when he finally acknowledged the other three people surrounding Jason. “Oh hi!” He greeted you all by name. “How’s it going?”

You chatted briefly and Dick did indeed share stories of the recent chaos at the Manor before you ended the call, Dick having to get ready for a date-night with Wally.

You slid off the bed to stretch.

“We should crash family dinner again,” Roy said, flopping back on the bed and staring up at the ceiling.

“I would like to see your siblings again, it has been difficult with our schedules to find time to be all together.”

“I’ll ask Alfred when he’s trying to wrangle everyone for dinner again and let you know,” Jason agreed.

The front door opened and shut quickly, and you had a feeling you knew what had happened. You looked at your partners. “I’ll be back, promise.”

They all nodded, only a vague idea of what you were talking about, but trusting you, nonetheless.

“Go,” Jason said, perhaps understanding the most out of all of them.

You raced out of the room, down the stairs, past where Parker and Hardison were still at the kitchen counter, and out the door, running to find wherever Eliot had escaped to.

Jason stood up.

“Where you goin’?” Roy asked, shifting to stand and follow if Jason left.

“Gonna finish dinner. Food’s still gotta be made.”

“We shall join you,” Kory said, and Roy nodded, quickly standing and following them both out the door.

You saw Eliot, walking a block ahead of you and kept running after him. When he heard your footsteps, he sped up. Not to get away, but in a “I’m-going-to-speed-up-so-that-when-you-get-here-we-can-run-together-but-not-talk-to-each-other” kind of way. A kind the both of you were familiar with.

You caught up to him and matched each other’s stride to run side by side. Feet pounding on the sidewalk, miles passing by as you forgot about everything outside of the beating of your hearts and the air in your lungs.

Jason walked quietly into the kitchen, even though he passed right by the two guests. They’d quieted as soon as they heard him and his partners’ footsteps, and he didn’t blame them.

Roy and Kory leaned against the wall, watching him, while Parker and Hardison still sat at the counter, and they all existed in silence for some time.

He picked up the knife he’d left earlier (the knife he and Eliot had been annoyingly passing back and forth, much to your amusement given that there was an entire knife block at their disposal) and started working on the salad.

Jason pondered his words, debating whether or not to say the words slowing building up in his throat. “He knows you love him,” he said, not looking up from chopping the peppers in front of him.

“Of course we do,” Hardison said reflexively.

Jason nodded. “I know. And he knows.” He took a breath. “It’s just hard to admit. And to accept it. That you love him for him because of what he’s done. He … he probably doesn’t believe that he deserves it-” he swallowed “-deserves you.”

“But we forgave him for all of that, we don’t care,” Hardison said, voice full of confusion, hurt, longing.

Jason grabbed the tomatoes next and turned away to rinse them in the sink. He shook his head. “’snot about that. ‘s the fact that he’s done some shit that he thinks he doesn’t deserve to be forgiven for. Snapped too many necks to be allowed,” he took another deep breath and continued chopping the tomatoes, “to have something soft. To be allowed to touch people he loves and have them trust him not to hurt him.”

Parker made a sound of protest, but he quickly explained.

“He would never.” Jason looked up at them, seeing his own partners out of the corner of his eye and felt his shoulders loosen and heart calm.

“He would cut off his own hands before intentionally hurting you. But all he sees is the blood on his hands, feels the callouses from the guns and knives and knows about the dirty work they’ve done. Knows what he’s capable of and what he’d do again if you were in danger. And then he looks at you and sees everything he’s ever wanted and nothing that he feels he deserves.” He continued slicing methodically. “He wouldn’t be able to bear it if one day you woke up and started looking at him differently, if he snapped and did something unforgivable.”

The scars and betrayed looks he’d caused after coming back floated through his mind.

“You’re together. And maybe he knows other people can have multiple partners but he’s worried he’ll just fuck up your relationship, your dynamic, because you’ve got a good thing going. Besides, you’re friends, you hang out together anyways. You’re important to him, he can’t lose you. So why mess things up? He’ll just hold on to whatever he can, knowing he couldn’t survive losing you. He’d go to the ends of the universe for you. He loves you but he doesn’t believe he deserves you.”

He slid the tomatoes into the bowl, grabbed the mushrooms, cleaned the knife, started slicing again. He was sure that they could hear that he wasn’t just speaking for Eliot … but from experience, for himself. Because, in at least some sense, he knew what Eliot was going through, could guess what mental hula hoops he’d be pulling himself through because he felt like he didn’t deserve forgiveness for his past actions.

Jason knew what that could feel like.

Eliot finally slowed down in the park, to a jog, then a walk, and eventually you paused near the river-walk to stretch.

After a few minutes you broke the silence. “It was 5 years before I realized Roy and Kory thought we were dating. All of us,” you started, looking off into the distant city skyline. You saw Eliot tilt his head towards you out of the corner of your eye. “Me and Jason both. Neither of us knew. It seems like a ridiculous amount of time to some people.”

It was silent for another minute before you continued.

“We loved them, loved each other, of course we did. But we just didn’t realize they thought we were dating. We were close, important to each other, cared for each other, flirted with each other, lived together a lot of the time, co-parented Roy’s kid, did things together. But to me? That didn’t mean we were dating. They never overstepped boundaries, and we just never talked about it, never seemed to have to, we thought we were on the same page.” You changed to a different position. “I knew we were in a relationship but not … We all knew we loved each other, we knew we were important to each other, so it never really came up.”

The two of you sat down on the grass to keep stretching.

“And I can’t … and won’t speak for Hardison and Parker, but I see that they love you. And they wouldn’t, won’t, give you up so easily. They won’t let you run away. Not if you don’t want to keep running forever, they’d keep chasing you down, they’re the type to not let go so easily, are they?”

Eliot huffed beside you, agreeing.

You let that sit for a bit as you switched sides.

“It was terrifying,” you admitted softly. “Having something so big change. The fear of losing them? Of them not accepting me even though they did every day? The fear that they’ll leave you, or reconsider loving you if you let them in deeper, into all the dark parts and crevices.” You exhaled. “But they love you, they accept you, they know who you are and still continue, choose to love you. But they wouldn’t pressure you into anything, so it’s your choice now. It’s up to you how to proceed. Run, walk, towards, away, whatever, it’s up to you, they’ll accept whatever you decide. … Probably.”

Beside you, Eliot huffed another laugh. “If you think Parker would let me run away, you don’t know her very well,” he joked quietly. “Neither would Hardison, him and his satellites, any security camera.” He snorted. “Never leave me alone.”

“Of course not, not if you were doing it out of fear or some misplaced feeling of being unworthy, because you know them. You just said you know they’d never leave you.”

He sighed and you thought you could hear the nerves he fought so hard to hide. You both stood.

“You don’t have to tell me. But you should … let them know. Even if it takes some time. They’d wait. You know they would, however long you need.”

He nodded and started walking away. You matched his pace and slowly sped up to jog back to the house together.

You were murmuring quietly about some of the jobs Leverage Inc had pulled over the years as you pushed open the door to the house. You wandered into the kitchen area together where your partners were talking with each other.

“Hi, darling,” Roy greeted you and kissed your cheek when you got close.

You murmured greetings to him and Koriand’r as she kissed your cheek next.

Eliot rejoined Jason in the kitchen, but not without brushing his hand across Hardison’s arm and tapping Parker’s hand as he walked past. They watched him like hawks but didn’t say anything, not going to bring it up yet, just glad that he was back.

“Everything ok?” Roy whispered into your ear as you leaned back against him.

“Mhm, ran, talked. Was good,” you murmured.

Koriand’r interlocked her fingers with yours and squeezed your hand. An I love you gesture. You squeezed back and watched Eliot and Jason move fluidly together in the kitchen. Jason looked up and caught your eye and your lips twitched up into a small smile.

I love you.

Love you too.

So, maybe not everyone had a perfect start to their relationship, or even realized they were in a certain kind of relationship, but if it truly mattered to them, giving it a name didn’t always matter, not if you were on the same page. And these people around you, your friends and partners, were some of the most important people in your life and you loved them dearly. They knew it, and so did you. And for you, that was enough.

~~~