Some Of Yall Needed To Hear This

just saw the most heartbreaking annabeth take from ep 3

The Umbrella Academy Final Season: My Version

Part Eleven: The Squid And The Girl

Overview: As Lila, Diego, Five and Clementine dig more into Jean and Gene, Ben and Klaus look for Jennifer, who struggles to make sense of her situation while facing her demons. TW: Mature language, panic attack scenes, mention of selling human beings, mention of harassment, tell me if I missed anything!! Pairings: Diego × Lila, Ben × Jennifer A/N: Hello, things are getting kind of interesting now 👀👀👀

The next day after the van was fixed, the gang split up. Klaus and Ben went on a walk, with the former chattering the latter's ear off.

The others went back, Diego handing Viktor the keys. "You drive."

"You sure? Wanda?" Viktor asked, gesturing towards the van, knowing how much the vehicle meant to him.

"Yeah. I don't give a shit anymore," he answered.

Diego started to walk inside but paused as Viktor jangled the keys expectantly. He turned back to him and explained. "She's pulling to the right a little bit. And don't go over 40, or what's left of the muffler's gonna fall off."

Viktor nodded, a small smile on his face. "Got it."

"Welcome to the Keepers HQ, courtesy of Jean and Gene," Five said as he lockpicked the door and opened it. "This is their other property that I found."

"Huh. Maybe the workspace?" Clementine wondered aloud.

All of them got to work, going into rooms and looking in places when Diego observed, " Jean and Gene didn't give us much to go on."

"Just stay focused, darling. You'll find something," Lila assured him, before she checked the file drawers, finding them empty. "All the files are gone."

"Yeah, it certainly looks that way," Five said. "There's nothing here."

"Our targets left in a hurry, correct?" he asked.

Lila and Five nodded in reply.

"So... haste makes waste, mami," Diego said, making Lila smirk with him.

When he got out of the room, Lila immediately confronted Five, "Out with it. Why can't you blink?"

"I can blink," he argued. "Y'know, I just..."

"Won't," Lila finished. "Well, you gotta get back on that horse, kemosabe."

She grabbed his arm and mimicked his power, just as Five exclaimed a, "Don't!"

"Whoa! Where are we?" Lila asked immediately when they were back in the subway station.

"A subway station," Five replied plainly.

"Yeah, I can see that, numbnuts," Lila retorted. "But why did you blink us here?"

"Believe me, Lila, it was not on purpose," Five said warily. "Ever since the marigold, when I blink, this is where I end up."

"Neat," Lila said, as they went down to the platform.

When they reached the platform, she giggled with the excitement of a curious child. "Okay, not the MTA, not the Tube."

"Trust me, this is unlike any subway you've been to," Five stated.

"Well, where do the trains go?" she asked.

"That's the weird part," he answered. "I took a westbound train. i went one station over. When I came up, it was the exact same day, exact same time, but a completely different timeline."

She smiled, the curiosity of it all brightening her mood. "Now that's interesting."

Spotting the map pillar, she ran to it, making Five sigh like the old man he was. He felt like he was taking care of a child.

"This is helpful, innit?" She yelled.

"If I could understand it," Five replied.

She scoffed confidently and said, "I once navigated the Tokyo subway with a bullet wound in my thigh, and on my period, so. How hard can it be?"

She started trying to navigate the map, as the speaker produced the warped, weird noise again, making Five's senses perk up ominously as a train came in.

"Eastbound. Shall we?" Lila asked him happily.

"We should get back to Diego," he replied.

"Oh, come on," she said like a petulant child being denied candy. "Let's take a ride."

"I don't wanna be hopping on trains until we understand this."

"Gahh, you need to move your ass!" she said, draging him along with her as she laughed.

When the train stopped on another station, it was kind of a deadbeat one, with some of the lights broken and some flickering.

"Yuck," Lila said as Five whipped out his tiny notepad. He clicked his pen and started scribbling on it diligently as Lila trudged over to look at his notes.

"Dear diary, why do I always wear suits?" Lila teased as Five rolled his eyes, continuing to scribble. "What are you doing?"

"Leaving bread crumbs. It's a broken vending machine. Stain on the floor in the shape of Australia. Three burnt-out light bulbs."

"Hmm. Where do you reckon we end up?" she asked.

"My guess is back in Gene and Jean's apartment," Five replied, as they started going to the stairs that led outside. "Same da, same time, different timeline."

But when they got out, they came out to flames, ashes and rubble. Everything was destroyed and Five's heart stuttered.

"You must've jumped forward, ahead of time, to the end of the world," Lila observed.

"No, no, no. We haven't jumped anywhere," Five said. "We're not moving forwards or backwards through time. We're just going to alternate versions of now.

He looked around once. "This is Gene and Jean's apartment," he murmured, looking around once more as his throat started constricting a little, his breath getting a bit shallower.

"I've been here before," he stated, hiding his panic as his heart started beating louder. "This is my apocalypse."

"Yeah. The original timeline," he said, trying not to speak too much because he could feel his lungs constricting to the point of pain. "I was, um. I was stuck here for 40 years."

"You alright?" Lila asked, a tinge of concern in her voice. "You look deathly pale."

"Yeah, it's just..." he said, pressing the heel of his palm to his chest, trying to ease the pain. "Being back here is... not very good for me."

Lila stared at him, her concern growing tenfold when his breaths got shorter. "Alright, then, let's get out of here."

She caught him just as he was about to fall to his knees, getting him to the station as he started to wheeze.

Back in the apartment, Clementine looked into the trash with Diego.

"Damn, it smells like ass," he said.

"You will too, if you just dive into it like that," Clementine stated.

Diego blinked at her for a second and shook his head with a smirk. "No wonder Five likes you."

After finding nothing, Diego looked to the side and then up, finding a weird cut on the ceiling. "Pass me that broom?"

Clementine did as he asked and just moved out of the way as a trash bag full of stuff fell. "Dude, at least warn me!"

They dug into the bag and found stuff which they took to the living room. As soon as Diego started reading a file, there was a woosh and Lila fell onto the couch, a panicked Five at her side. He was clutching his chest, prompting the other two to leave their stuff and rush to his side.

"What happened!?" Diego asked.

"I'll tell you, but first we need to calm him down!" Lila said.

"I can do it, I've had loads of panic attacks, so I know how to deal with them," Clementine said calmly.

Diego tugged at Lila as he stared at them. "What happened?"

"Five can only blink to this weird time travel subway. We took a ride on the train and somehow reached you guys' original timeline. It was all destroyed and he got a panic attack," she rushed out, swallowing at the end.

"I've never really seen him like this," Diego said worriedly.

"Tell me about it," she said, looking at them both. "Did you find something, love?"

"Yeah," he said, picking up the file he was reading. "Look at this."

The file contained details about an incident that took place in 2006. The incident that killed Ben, which they knew as the Jennifer incident. But there was no Umbrella Academy in 2006, which meant that it was one of those artifacts that Lila said they talked about.

"October 14th, 2006. What's so special about that date?" Lila asked.

"It's the day Ben died," he answered somberly. "Our Ben."

"That's a coincidence," a recovered Five said, tugging on the lapels of his coat.

They both stared at him and were going to ask if he was alright, but Clementine shook her head discreetly, telling them it was going to be pointless to even try.

So, instead, Diego said, "Let me break it down for you. We go to New Grumpson because a random dry cleaner goes missing. The whole town goes to shit because of one girl, we get T-boned and the said girl gets kidnapped by two vigilantes in a station wagon. Now, in their trash, we find a foreign document that has something to do with Ben's death. Hence, whatever's going on with the girl, it's got something to do with Ben."

'What the hell's the 'Jennifer Incident'?" Lila asked.

"That was a tragic accident," Five said, pushing his hair back, trying to ignore the urge to throw up.

Meanwhile, Klaus and Ben were starting to get tired of walking.

"Ugh, this is boring," Klaus said, slowing to a stop.

"Yeah, well, I didn't tell you to tag along with me, you moron," Ben said accusingly, turning back to look at him.

"Awwww, come on, Benerino," Klaus said, sitting down on the road. "Admit it. You missed me."

"No," he lied blatantly. "I was actually glad I got to be away from you guys. "

"Oh yeah?" Klaus said sarcastically. "Then why didn't you argue when Five paired me with you?"

"That's because you're better than Luther or Viktor," Ben said plainly.

"Ooh, does that mean I'm your favorite brother?" Klaus said, placing both his hands on his chest in happiness.

Ben only groaned and walked on a few steps as Klaus got up and jogged to catch up with him. "Okay, okay, but do you even know where we're going?"

"I... no," Ben said, scratching the back of his neck.

"Well, then, how about you stop for a minute and think about how we can find her, instead of where?"

Ben just stopped and turned and gave him a grumpy look, waiting for him to elaborate.

"Aww, look at you, Mr. Grumpy-Grumps. Anyway, look. You said you saw her in your dreams, right? So maybe you could find her that way."

"I can't do that. I've never been able to do that."

"Yeah, well, I couldn't shoo ghosts away without having to strain my powers, but now I just have to wave a hand. Maybe you got some upgrades too. Look, it wouldn't harm you to try."

Ben threw his arms up in defeat, hiding the fact that it was actually a good idea. "Fine. How'd I do that?"

"I-on-kno," was the immediate grumbled reply with a shrug. Ben's expectant, irritated face made him relent with a sigh, though. "Okay, just... close your eyes anddd... use your instincts. How about that?"

He closed his instincts, letting Jennifer's face flash in his mind, letting his nerves tingle a bit as Klaus looked around at nowhere, fiddling with the dog tags through his shirt.

Ben somehow felt like he entered an alternate dimension in his mind. It was all dark and scary, but there was a strange noise, like someone was crying. He spun around, trying to find the person who was making the noise. He followed the sound, which just felt like walking in an unending hallway, but he guessed he was making progress because he saw someone in the distance, curled up into themselves as their shoulders shook.

"Hello?" He called out, making the person look up, recognising the face, which was now streaked with tears. "Jennifer?"

He ran forward to her, kneeling to get in her eye level. "What happened? Where are you?"

"I don't know," she said, choking on a sob. "Ben, please, I need to get out of here."

The sheer terror in her voice made his heart skip a beat. "Okay, but I don't know where you are now."

Jennifer paused thinking for a minute, before perking up with a hopeful sniffle. "They said they let me into their home. They had alpacas. They gave me their milk too."

Ben squared her shoulder reassuringgly as he went into thought. "So maybe a farm?"

She nodded and let out a sudden hiss of pain, before pulling the sleeve of her left arm up, revealing a glowing, pulsating wound. It looked like a very bad burn.

"Did they do this to you? Gene and Jean?" Ben asked, his blood boiling in anger of thought.

"No. I don't know how this actually happened," she said.

"Okay, listen to me carefully. Try to cooperate with them. That'll keep you safe. Make shit up, if necessary. But make sure to stay safe. Okay?"

She sniffled again and nodded. "Just hurry, okay?"

Ben nodded, giving her a reassuring smile before she vanished and he spend his eyes.

"Oh! Welcome back, Benjamin," Klaus said. "I feast you attained good results?"

He smiled and nodded excitedly, "Yeah, she's safe. But, I think she's in distress of some kind. Still, she's safe."

"Great! So, where to now?"

"Well. I think those weirdoes took her to a farm of some kind. She said they had alpacas. Guess Luther was kinda close. Only question is, where's the farm?"

Klaus hummed absentmindedly. "Well, we'll figure something out. We always do."

Miles away, in the alpaca farm, Jennifer was looking at the little hall of fame they'd created in the garage.

Two hours ago

She'd woken up because of the burning pair in her wrist. She seemed to have a wound there, which looked like a high degree burn wound, but she somehow seemed to know that it was way more than that.

Gene and Jean had already offered her fresh clothes and a cup of warm alpaca milk, which, sure, had been comforting and refreshing, but it didn't cut out the creepy vibes that they had been giving out.

"Everything all right, dear?" Jean asked a tinge of worry in her voice.

"Yeah, it's nothing," Jennifer replied.

"Come," Gene said, making her more tense than earlier. "We wanna show you something."

They lead her to the garage, where she was expecting to see a truck. But, what she found was much more weird. Jean chuckled with excitement as Gene threw out an arm to present the room to her.

There were children's toys, telephones, old newspaper articles, a reception bell and various other tidbits. Most of the things were encased in glass while the articles were framed.

"What is all this stuff?" Jennifer asked.

"Proof," Jean replied.

"Proof? Of what?"

"That this world we live in is one big, phony-baloney lie," Gene answered.

"At first, it was... like a dream. One of those dreams where you don't know whether you're dreaming or not," Jean explained. "But then, along came the artifacts. Little tokens of proof, slipping through time and space. Proof of the many-worlds theory of quantum mechanics and such."

"Better believe they called us every name under the sun," Gene begrudgingly said. "Didn't they, Jean?"

"Frauds, tricksters, charlatans," Jean recalled.

"Accused us of intellectual dishonesty."

"Who's 'they'?" Jennifer asked, almost laughing after their dramatic conversation.

"The faculty at Golden Mesa Community College, for starters," Gene explained.

"Our reputations were dragged through the mud," Jean recounted.

"Tenure, revoked," Gene snapped.

"And all because we dared to speak the truth about these memories. Memories of another timeline! A timeline that felt so much more..."

"More true," Gene finished.

"Where... I was teaching at Harvard and Gene was a MacArthur fellow," Jean said sadly.

"Okay," Jennifer said. She was sure these poor people had escaped from a mental hospital or something. "But, uh, what does all of this have to do with me?"

The couple started wheezing and laughing holding on to each other as they did.

"Jennifer, you're the key," Gene said as they came closer to hold her hands. She resisted the urge to run away from the garage's open door. "The way to destroy all the false timelines and restore the real one."

"We're ready, sugar," Jean almost begged. "What do we need to do, huh? How can we help you bring about the Cleanse?"

Jennifer breathed in a quick breath before she said, "You people are... you people are fucking crazy."

"Language, darling," Jean replied. "And, please that's no way to speak to your hosts."

Gene took out a revolver from his back as they both sighed with disappointment. "We were so nice to you," Jean said, making the surroundings more tense, more ominous. "Brought you into our home."

"Gave you alpaca milk," Gene announced.

They went to the front of the garage where something was hidden behind a curtain.

"Maybe seeing an old friend will help jog your memory," Jean said, making the curtain fall and making Jennifer's blood run cold. It was a giant squid. The giant squid from years ago. "I believe you two are already acquainted."

Jennifer's breath stuttered as memories of a ship and a bad storm flashed in her mind. She stumbled to her knees, for breath turning shallow as Gene and Jean walked out, leaving her alone with it.

She ran back, banging on the door as it closed. "Wait, wait, wait! Don't leave me in here with it! Let me out! Please! No! Let me out!"

Her banging didn't do shit. She understood two hours later, as she sat on the floor, hugging her knees, that it only made her look stupid. Ben's suggestion to make stuff up did give her an idea though.

But it also meant she'd have to use her traumatic childhood.

When she was six, she had lost her family to a storm. Even though the details were hazy, she remembered being rescued by some sailors, who found out to be bad people. She overheard them talking to each other about how they were going to sell her with a couple others, and when she tried to escape, they'd stuffed her in the squid that they'd made up so that they could do their business without any suspicions. They had a circus as a front for it.

But, karma was a bitch, and another storm hit. The squid flowed out into the ocean and she was only rescued when two fishermen had thought they'd caught the world's biggest squid.

It had made national news at the time. A small child rescued by two brave fishermen. Apparently, when she'd been found half-dead inside the thing, she had been muttering about something called the Cleanse.

For three years, she'd been a target for reporters, who'd harassed her, throwing questions after questions about something she hadn't even remembered saying. Thankfully, her Uncle Gary and the people of New Grumpson had had her back. But after what had happened, she didn't know what was real and what wasn't.

There was a knock on the door, making her jump before Jean entered, wearing a somber look on her face. "Well, sugar? You ready to tell us what you know?"

"I was really young back then. I don't really know what I was saying. But, if I was let out of here, maybe I could try to recall it and tell you."

Jean's face brightened up with a smile. "That's the spirit!!"

Jennifer felt victory and hope in her bones for the first time since she'd landed in that situation. Now to create some lies to tell the next day.

She also hoped she could talk to Ben again. For whatever reason, she felt calmer when she thought about him.

Another A/N: Hello, so, yk something I noticed with Ben and Jennifer was the sheer angst potential. Like, even if they both were infected, like in the show, they could've at least shown us like an angsty romance development. Something like, "hey ik there's something going on over here but I kinda fuel attached to you and wanna try this out."

Then, they fall in love, blah, blah, blah and all that. Anyways, I'm gonna give that sweet boy the romance he deserves.

TUA taglist: @auxiliarydetective (tell me if you wanna be added!!!)

Thanks for reading!! Likes, reblogs and comments are highly appreciated💖💙💜

Hi .. hope you are doing well with beloved 🌹

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woah,, listen. i don't like joker at all. but i didnt know cameron played him??? hello?? in all seriousness, your writing is incredible !!! i admire the way you describe scenes and portray his character (even though, i have little to no knowledge about diff versions of joker, this is still spot on. i can definitely imagine him being like this) - - and the kiss scene in the kitchen. bye, i was squealing and kicking my feet.

thank you so much for sharing your work to the internet. manifesting all the luck your way, author ❤️

TWO-FACED; J. VALESKA

JEROME VALESKA X F!DETECTIVE!READER

WARNINGS: this imagine is set from s1 + s2 Jerome!, mentions of sex, makeout sesh, jerome being cocky !!

WORD COUNT: 6181!

SUMMARY: From the first time you met Jerome Valeska, you knew him as the son of Lila Valeska, the murder case you and Detective Gordon were working on. You had grown close, until you found out the truth. Now you know him as an Arkham escapee:

A MANIAX.

-

“I’m Jerome Valeska, her son.”

A soft voice was heard coming out of the silver trailer, coming closer to you. His ginger hair shined in the lights of the Circus, as he pulled over a comfortable jacket. He looked concerned as far as you could see, analyzing the way he talked and reacted to the things your partner was saying.

You had been invited to the Circus earlier that day by someone at the precinct, telling you it was a date. As time passed while you sat on the bleachers, they hadn’t shown up. You should’ve known; those cops were never true to their word.

You managed to make eye contact with Leslie Tompkins, the new Medical Examiner, smiling at her as she politely waved to you. It caught Detective Gordon’s attention, sending you a nod from the other side.

Now you stood next to him and Lee as you investigated the feud at the performance you all watched.

“Jerome, when did you last see her?” Jim asked, looking at the taller man. You both had been looking for Lila Valeska, the boy’s mother.

“Uh, this morning.” The ginger answered, his face conveying worry. “She was here when I left for the library.” He adds on, telling his side of the story to the detective. His eyes glance over at you, sending a kind half-smile towards you. You return, feeling your cheeks warm up.

At such an inappropriate situation, you couldn’t deny that the man in front if you was very handsome. His fire-colored hair suits him as much as his freckles matched his pale skin. His lips were the perfect shade of pink, begging to be kissed.

Talking snapped you out of your daze, looking over at the bigger man that had walked over. He spoke to Jerome in a low voice. “Your mother is fine. Gone on a spree no doubt. You know how she is.” His tone seemed to have some sort of undertone to it, making you shift in your spot.

“A spree? Without her hat or coat? Or her purse?” He rambled, wrapping his arms around himself to protect himself from the cold or to try and ease his worries, you couldn’t tell.

He looked around for a second before turning around and backing up towards a snake behind him. “Oh, look at Sheba.” He rested his hand on the cage, his left hand still clutching his jacket. “She’s distraught, she knows something’s wrong.” He looked back up as the snake hisses.

“The snake does seem to be agitated.” Jim chimes in, a fake smile taking over his lips. You look back and forth between your partner and the missing lady’s son. Jerome looks your way again, his eyes scanning over your body. You shivered and not because of the cold temperature.

“Sir, Ma’am,” The other man in makeup chuckles, walking over to you and Jim. “She’s what you call a ‘party girl.’” He leans in and whispers. As Jim listens to him, you look behind the broad red-coated shoulders to see the ginger look away irritably. His mother seems to be a tough subject to him, whether she was missing or not.

As Jim and the man converse, you back away and stalk towards the man standing in front of his trailer. “Hi,” You send a soft smile his way, walking next to him.

Jerome replies with the same smile, his dimples exposing themselves to you. His smile, whether it was real or to be polite, was breathtaking. It made your stomach feel fuzzy, having to clear your throat to gather yourself.

“So, what’s it like living at a Circus?” You try to start a conversation with the worried son. While your partner, Jim, always went straight forward into the investigation, you always tried to start off nice to see if they would give into you and tell you something.

The ginger-haired boy lets out a quiet laugh, looking down at his feet. His arms were still wrapped around his body, securing them tightly to himself.

“Uh, well,” He sighs, trying to rack his brain for the right words. “It’s different.” He starts off. He looks you in the eyes as he keeps speaking. “I’ve lived at the Circus my whole life, so I’ve gotten used to the weird behavior around here. We move a lot, hence the trailers.” He looks around, pointing to the ones in the area. You follow his finger, looking everywhere his eyes catch. “I guess, I don’t really have the right words to describe it.” He admits, looking back at you. His eyes tell you something you couldn’t understand yet.

“It’s definitely not a lifestyle I would choose if i had been asked beforehand. But,” He shrugs his shoulders. “It’s not like I have a choice.” He forced out a laugh, his features showing defeat.

Before you could question further into his confession, Jim interrupts. “How fast does an animal like that move?” He asks, looking towards Sheba in the cage.

“Uh.. fast walking pace. They rely on surprise mainly.” Jerome informs him as the snake hisses.

“Let her out.” Jim tells him. You and Lee look at him in disbelief.

“I’m sorry?” Jerome’s head cocks to the side, hoping the detective wasn’t being serious.

“Let her out.” He repeats, but with a smile. It was not convincing whatsoever. Behind him, Lee stood in shock at her boyfriend’s order.

“Jim, are you sure-“ Your input get cuts off by the same man you’re talking to.

“Y/N, trust me.” He gives you a look that made you sigh. You had originally stood up to him because of the look on Jerome’s face. He looked scared; maybe he didn’t want his mother’s snake out to get loose? Or maybe he was afraid?

Jerome’s shoulders were tense as he walked around the cage. He took the top off, watching the snake slowly navigate its way onto the ground. You all stand and wait as Sheba moves around, shifting in your spot.

“Do you work with Detective Gordon?” Jerome breaks the tense silence, looking over at you. You stood next to him as Jim and Lee were a few feet ahead of you.

“Yeah, he’s my partner at the GCPD.” You answer, trying to capture his expression. He nods in response, clenching his jaw every now and then.

“So, you guys aren’t together?” His bold question makes you freeze, taking a sharp breath in. You heard his faint chuckle from beside you, making your skin feel hot.

“No,” You reply, clearing your throat. “No, we’re not.” Jerome nods, a whisper of a smile on his face. “Besides, I look more to him as a father than anything.” You admit, starting to ramble.

“Yeah, I can see why.” Jerome adds.

You both walk forward slightly, carefully following Jim’s and Lee’s footsteps. As Sheba hisses and moves up boxes and on a truck, you stop dead in your tracks. Jim peels the tarp off the back of the truck and lying there is Lila Valeska. Blood seeped around her neck as her snake glides closer to her.

You hear a choked sob come from your right, watching Jerome fall to his knees. You gasp as you watch him cry, his face paler than before.

You crouch down beside him, not sure what to do. You place your hand on his shoulder and squeeze, hoping any form of contact would help him in any way. Before you register what happened, you feel two arms wrap around your torso and tears on your neck.

You tense at first, but hesitantly fold your arms around his body. He was vulnerable, too vulnerable to a stranger. You had a weird feeling in your stomach (not just the butterflies), that something bad was going to happen soon.

-

When Jerome came out of the interrogation room with Jim, you watched him walk over to an empty desk in the middle of the Precinct. You made your way over to your partner, immediately falling in line with his steps.

“What did you get out of him?” You asked, making your way with him over to his desk.

“Well, I asked about his mom, and he told me that she kinda slept around.” He explained with a grimace, looking back down at some folders. “But he did say that he loved her a lot; he seemed upset.” He adds on, still filing through the mounds of paperwork on his cluttered desk.

You nodded in response, arms crossed in front if your chest. Your eyes wandered the Police Department until they landed on the ginger in the corner. He still clutched his sweater, a nice red and white flannel under the soft fabric of the navy-blue cashmere.

“Why don’t you go talk to him?” Jim interrupts your thoughts, making you blink and look back at him. Before you could open your mouth to say anything, he puts up his hand to stop you. “I see the way you look at him.” He says with a serious face, but if you look hard enough, there’s a hint of a twinge at the corner of his lips. “Go on, kid. Maybe you’ll be able to get more out of him than just flirting.” He teases you, making you smack his arm. Go, he mouths, giving you a look.

You give into it and walk down the small stairs, making a beeline towards him.

You sit down next to him on a small bench, startling him out of his thoughts. He looks up at you from his position, straightening out his back instead of resting his arms on his legs.

“Hey,” His voice was small and short, fitting for someone in his position.

“Hi,” You try to send a soft smile his way, hoping to distract him, even for a little bit. Your eyes scanned his face, admiring his features. His freckles seemed for visible now in the Precinct lighting; his red hair parted to the side perfectly; his mouth looked swollen, maybe he was biting his lips. His waterline on his eyes were faded red from crying. He was still as beautiful with tearstained cheeks.

“I thought I’d come over here and maybe try to distract you or talk to you, instead of listening to the mumbles around this place.” You admit, forcing out a laugh. He lets out a breathy laugh, nodding his head with his eyes locked on the floor. “I know how much it sucks to hear every whisper in this place. I’ve only been working here for a couple of months, but for a police department, there’s a lot of drama.” You laugh, smiling as he joins in.

“Yeah,” He agrees. He looks up at you, finally making eye contact with you. His green eyes shined in the light; they looked expensive. “We only got here a couple of weeks ago, but I heard of all the crazy things that happen in Gotham in the newspapers.” He says, going along with the conversation.

You’re glad he continues it, instead of turning you down and ignoring you. You could never understand how someone could kill a mother to such a nice boy like Jerome. But as much as you liked conversing with the ginger, you couldn’t shake that feeling in your stomach.

As some time went by, you and Jerome got caught up in each other. His smile was so captivating, it made you want to try anything to see it again. You felt almost foolish to fall for some pitiful boy in a murder investigation, especially the victims son.

He seemed to break out of his shell to you, showing the sweet interior of the boy. You would get some weird looks from other cops when they saw you were laughing and smiling with someone who had fallen victim to a murdered mother.

“Was there anything any of her past lovers did that might’ve indicated of their intentions?” You asked him. As much as you love talking to him, you wanted to try and understand more to help him and his situation.

Most of the cops had gone home for the night, specifically Jim and Lee. You knew of their date tonight, so you’d rather not bother them. But you also knew that Jim would’ve wanted you to get at least something out of the red-haired boy.

“I mean.. not that i can think of.” He responded, fiddling with his fingers. Your eyes watched him fidget, that bad pit in your stomach resurfacing. You quickly tried to push it back down.

You nodded your head as a reply, different thoughts clouding your brain. You looked for the big clock on the wall, realizing how late it was. You looked out of the windows, just now noticing the black sky and the city lights on.

“Oh, Jerome, I’m so sorry for keeping you here! I lost track of time, I didn’t realize..” He cut of your rambling.

“Y/N, it’s okay. I had a really good time. Your distraction definitely worked.” He chuckled, the smile on his face making you feel weak.

Only certain desks were filled with people, some on the phone, some talking with others, and most asleep with their head resting on top of the table.

When you looked back at Jerome, you caught him staring at you, but instantly looking away once you saw him. You smile, watching his face start to heat up, looking down at his shoes.

“I can drop you off at your trailer if you’d like?” You offered, truly wanting to get out of this uniform and into bed for the night. He looked up at you, trying to decide what he wanted to do. “Or I can take you back to my place?” You offer. Before he had any sort of reaction, you kept talking. “I mean, I’m not too sure it would be the best idea to go back to the Circus tonight. I can give you a bed and some food.” You rambled on, not wanting the suggestion to come off as anything but friendly. “It’s all up to you.” You add, both of you already knowing this fact, but you wanted to state it verbally.

“That’d be really nice. Thank you, Y/N.” He answered, giving you a smile in return. You send one back, standing up from the bench.

“Let me just grab some things and I’ll be right back.” Jerome nods at your words, watching you walk away from him. You stood at your desk, grabbing your things and a folder or two.

“Alright, you ready?” You stood in front him. Jerome gets up and nods, following you out to your car.

-

You set your things down on the coffee table, walking over to grab a drink from the fridge.

“You can sit down, grab some food, whatever you need.” You inform Jerome as he stands by the door. He listens, making his way towards you in the kitchen. He grabs a cookie from the jar, taking a bite.

You laugh as you watch the crumbs fall on his sweater. “Sweet tooth?” You tease, screwing the cap back on your drink, leaning against the kitchen island. He chuckles, finishing off the cookie and dusting himself off.

“I saw it and I couldn’t help myself.” He admits, walking beside you and copying your stance. You both stood in comfortable silence, admiring each other without words.

“You’re really beautiful.” He whispers, voicing his thoughts. You couldn’t control the smile that took over your lips, looking down at the counter. “I’m serious.” You look up at him. “Even at such a bad time earlier, when I saw you at the Circus, I was immediately drawn to you.” He reveals, trying to capture your reaction.

“I felt sorry for feeling like this for the son of a case I’m working on, but,” Your words faded as you spoke, not finding any more on your mind.

You’re caught off guard when he leans forward and pressed his lips against yours. You both freeze when he pulls away, looking between his eyes and lips.

Your arms go around his neck as his go around your waist, pulling you both against each other. This was the first time you kissed him, but it didn’t feel like it. It felt like you’ve known each other forever with just one kiss.

His fingers dig into your hips, pushing you against his body. His tongue teases your bottom lip, waiting for you to answer. Your fingers pull on his hair, his groan being lost into the mesh of lips. His tongue pushes against yours as he pulls you closer-

RING! RING!

You both break apart fast, your chests heaving with each breath. You both reach for your phones, quickly taking the call instead of talking.

“Hi, Y/N, this is Lee! I was hoping to get you to the GCPD as soon as possible as some evidence for the Valeska case has been found.” She explains. You take a fast glance at the ginger on the other side of the room, making eye contact. “Jim’s currently on the phone with Jerome, so he should be here soon as well.”

“Yeah, of course. I’ll be right there.” You reply, hanging up the phone and closing it. It’s quiet for a minute before you hear Jerome move.

“Guess we’re heading to the GCPD.” He seemed irritated, his demeanor completely different. You follow him outside and to your car as you head over to your work.

-

You walked through the entrance, scanning the large room for the two that called you. Jerome followed behind you, watching your line of sight, looking for the detective that called him at such a late hour.

“Alvarez!” You walk down the stairs, catching the man’s attention. He turns around, waiting for you to keep talking. “Where’s Jim and Lee?” You ask, standing in front of him. His eyes get caught on the man behind you, before pointing to the interrogation room.

“They’re in there.” He replies, moving away to go to his desk.

You and Jerome make your way down the hall, standing outside of the door. A policeman guarded it, staring straightforward.

You look back at Jerome. “Why don’t you stay here for now, if that’s okay?” You suggest. He nods, sitting down on the bench as he waits.

You walk past the cop, opening the door and shutting it behind you. “What did you get, Gordon?” You ask, walking further into the room. You saw an older man sitting across from him with a dark red hat and a black suit with a matching red tie. You saw him from a distance earlier that day when he was talking to Jim and Lee, but you didn't know who he was. Jim told you he was blind and that he says he can speak to the dead. Jim seemed less than thrilled about that.

"Ms. Y/L/N." The old man calls out, making you stop walking. You stood beside Jim, sending a confused look to your partner.

“We solved the messga Lila sent you. It sent us to Arkham Bridge Park.” Jim reveals, walking over to the older man. Mr. Cicero fiddles with the cane in his hand.

As Jim continues to tell him about Mr. Cicero supposedly protecting someone, you hang on every word he says. As the bad feeling in your stomach grows bigger, Jim gives a look to the officer by the door.

When it opens again, the boy waiting outside came in. As soon as he made eye contact with you, your eyed widened. You knew what Jim was thinking. How could he be serious about this?

“Jerome, you know Mr. Cicero from the Circus.” Jim sits down in his chair. You stood next to him, frozen in place.

“Yes, sir. Hello, Mr. Cicero.” Jerome looks to his left, making your nerves rise. Mr. Cicero greets him back as Jim analyzes them both.

You and Jim both worked differently, but it always worked right. It took a bit of time to get used to, but you both fell into a pattern together. But right now, you’re not sure if you’re even able to open your mouth to breath.

“Do you know why you’re here?” He looks at Jerome. The ginger thinks before asking, “Did you find out who killed my mother?”

“You killed your mother, Jerome.” Jim answers without hesitation.

Your body tenses as that feeling in your gut freezes. Your body felt heavy as you stood still, your breathing slowly picking up. Jim had a strong intuition and evidence; there’s no way he was wrong.

“Me?” Jerome’s voice was a whisper, leaning back in his chair.

“You killed her up on that hill and Mr. Cicero let you clean up in his trailer.” Jim explained further. Every word that came out of your partner’s mouth made you feel sick. “He told you to scratch the satanist symbol on the hatchet and throw it off the bridge.” Jerome looked between Mr. Cicero and Jim in disbelief.

“Sir, that’s absurd and.. offensive.” His voice cracked, making your stomach turn.

“But it’s the truth.” Jim states, staring at him. “What I don’t know is why this man risked so much to help you.” He looked over at the man sitting next to the red-haired boy. “I think he’s your father.”

Jerome’s shoulders fell, pausing before letting out a scoff. He looks between the two men again. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” He says to Jim. “My father was a sea captain.” Jim looked over at you and Lee, making your jaw clench. You were a great detective, but a case like this wasn’t what you were expecting.

“Am I wrong, Mr. Cicero?” Jim looks over at the older man.

“Yes.” He replies with a monotone voice.

“He was a sea captain, his name was Sven Carlson. He died at sea.” Jerome explained further with urgency.

“What was the name of his ship?” Jim asked.

Jerome froze, before replying, “He worked on a lot of different ships.”

Jim shook his head, “The one he went down in.”

Jerome stopped. His shoulders fell as his gaze moved down towards the table. “She never said.” He whispered, looking back up at the detective. He looked over at you, giving you a pleading look.

“We can take a blood test to see if I’m right. Takes only half an hour to get a blood proof result. Isn’t that right, Doctor Tompkins?” He looks over at Lee, watching her respond. “Save yourself a needle.” He adds.

“I do hate needles.” Mr. Cicero replies. Jerome looks over at him, with furrowed brows. “I’m sorry, Jerome.”

“What’re you talking about?” Jerome’s voice was gravely, as if he was on the verge of tears. Your stomach started to hurt, watching all of this unfold. Was he faking?

“I am your father.” The old man reveals.

“No you’re not. Why would you say that?” Jerome’s tone makes your heart clench. Your jaw tightens as every second goes by, silence being the loudest sound in the room. You thought maybe they could hear your heart beating.

“You must’ve suspected the truth.”

“No, you’re not my father. My mother would never…”

“Your mother was a cruel woman, she was often unkind to me. But she did once love me.” Mr. Cicero interrupts him, his deep voice making the room tense. “And she loved you very much, that’s why she gave you a better father.” He felt around for Jerome’s arm, squeezing his wrist before going back to hold his cane.

Jerome broke out into sobs, his face leaning down towards the table. A lump formed in your throat watching him breakdown. Just a half hour ago, you and Jerome were talking in your apartment. Everything felt right before, it was comfortable. Now you were in an interrogation room with the boy crying and his father admitting to every accusation.

You heard every hiccup that left the boy’s throat, chills enveloping your body. You didn’t know what to do. Should you talk to him? Reach out? Comfort him? Or should you just wait?

His sobs turned to laughing as just seconds went by. Your body stood in shock as he looked up, a Cheshire grin taking over his red lips. A single tear fell down his right cheek, looking almost like a painting. I wonder what that masterpiece would be called.

“My mother was a coldhearted whore who never love anyone. And she would never touch a pathetic old creep like you.” Jerome’s voice was deeper than before, causing a shiver to go down your spine. Was this the actual Jerome?

You watched his eyes as he said each word. When you had met Jerome earlier, you saw something in them from the beginning. You didn’t understand it before, but you did now.

“Did you think I was kind to you because I’m such a good man? If I wasn’t your father, would I have helped you as I had after what you did?” Mr. Cicero retaliated. Jerome glared at him as he spoke.

“My father… hm! Well, I’ll be damned.” He turned towards you and Jim again. “Oh, that’s very funny.” He says, starting to laugh hysterically.

None of the murders or criminals you’ve dealt with so far have ever scared you like this. It wasn’t just the murder of his mother. He played mind games with you, manipulated you into thinking he was a good person. Are all the things he said in your kitchen a lie? Would you be upset if they were?

Jerome mimicked a drum and symbol sound, doing the gestures with his hands. “Looks like that bitch got me with a zinger in the end.” He glared ahead at Jim, setting his hands down on the table.

“Why did you kill your mother, Jerome?” Jim asked.

“Oh, you know how mothers are…” He waved his fingers, while looking off into the distance. “She just.. kept.. pushing.” He looked back at the detective. “And I’m like, okay mom, be a whore. Be a drunken whore even. But don’t be a nagging drunken whore… ya know?” He smiles. “Don’t come yelling at me to do the dishes if you’ve been banging a clown in the next room!” His hand slammed down on the metal table, making you flinch. “.. ya know?” He starts laughing again, each time getting louder and louder. He was in hysterics, not seeming to stop any time soon.

“Can I talk to him?” You ask, staring straightforward at Jerome. His laughter dies down, but his smile doesn’t fade.

“Y/N, I’m not sure-“

“Jim, I’m going to talk to Jerome.” You found your voice from your dry throat. You stared your partner down until he sighed. He nodded at Lee, resting a hand on her back as she leaves. Jim takes Mr. Cicero out to the Precinct with the other officer at the door. Once the door shuts, you take Jim’s chair and sit across from Jerome.

“Well, Y/N,” His voice was cocky, that wide smile never moving. “I didn’t-“

“Who are you?”

“Huh?” Jerome looks taken back. He blinks, that devilish smile slowly fading. “What are ya talking about, doll?” He sits back, folding his hands on the table in front of him.

“Who are you.” You lean forward, your face serious. You watch his jaw clench, his eyes switching between watching your left or right.

He leans forward, just inches away from your face. “I’m the son of a whore of a mother.” He spits out, each syllable filled with malice. “The poor boy in the Circus that gets beat up by their slut of a mom. I have suffered my whole life under the wing of that useless bitch!” He yells, his eyes screaming with anger. You don’t move from your spot, watching the way he reacts. “I thought it was about time she died anyway. Whether it was gonna be from one of her little toys or me.. guess it didn’t really matter in the end, huh?” A laugh surfaced from his throat, goosebumps forming on your cold skin.

It was silent for a minute or two, trying to find your words. “Was none of what you said real?” You question, taking him off guard again. He backed up an inch and cocked his head.

“What? The things I said to Gordon about loving my mother? Then, no, obviously not.” He states.

“No,” You stare at him, waiting for.. something. You didn’t really know what, you just wanted some type of answer.

“Ohh,” His eyes widened for a second, that nefarious smile forming again. “You’re talking about our little kitchen sesh.” He realizes, grinning from ear to ear. You never take your eyes off of him, wanting an explanation of anything you can get out of him. “That was hot, wasn’t it-?”

“Jerome.” You cut him off. Your face felt hot, you didn’t know if you were blushing or embarrassed. Was anyone watching the cameras? Can they hear Jerome?

“Okay, relax, doll.” He smiles, getting up from his laidback position. His face gets closer to yours again, feeling his breath on your lips. “What would you do if I said yes?” His eyes flickered between your eyes and your lips.

Your breath caught in your throat, your throat starting to feel dry again. No words came to your mind, all of it enveloped with fog. Jerome captured you in a way you couldn’t explain. His strong eye contact never wavered, seeming to tell you more than his words ever could.

“Cat got your tongue?” He teased, laughing. Your jaw clenches, trying to find the right words to use. “Alright, babe, I’ll tell ya.” He sits back in his chair, arms still folded in front of him on the table. “Everything I said was in fact true, dolly.” He says, his eyes never leaving yours. He has a faint smile on his lips, just the corners barely curved upright. “I mean, I can explain to you what we were gonna do before those two idiots called.” He keeps talking before you could say anything. “Well, first, I was gonna tell you to strip-“

“Jerome.” You stop him, taking a glance at the security camera in the top corner of the room. His laughing starts again, filling the silence of the small room. He follows your line of sight and waves at the camera, sending a chilling smile to the people that were watching. Most likely Jim, maybe Lee.

“Is there anything else you have to say before you’re sent to Arkham?” You ask, trying to come off to talk about his mom, but you both knew what you really meant.

“Hmm…” Jerome puts his finger on his chin and looks up, pretending to ponder. “No… no, I don’t think so.” He finally answers, smiling a genuine smile to you. Hopefully, for the last time, he causes a chill down your back.

As two officers rush in to grab him, Jerome laughs hysterically. Each one grabs one of his arms, dragging him out.

“I’ll see you again, Y/N! I’ll be back for you, doll!”

His yells echo through the long hallway, stopping you from moving. His words repeat in your mind over and over again, clouding your brain. You weren’t sure of what Jerome was capable of, and you’re not sure you want to find out.

Why would you let yourself fall for someone like him?

- SEASON 2 -

The Maniax. That’s what they called themselves.

Already, they’ve caused chaos. Throwing people off buildings and hijacking a school bus. People of Gotham were terrified, paranoid to step foot past their front door.

Jim had shown you and the rest of the GCPD of who you were trying to catch earlier that day. He walked up to the projector, clicking a button to turn it on.

“Jerome Valeska, 19, matricide.”

You froze. He broke out? What does that mean for you?

“I’ll see you again, Y/N! I’ll be back for you, doll!”

His last words to you rang like a bell in your mind. Goosebumps filled your skin, your body tensing up immensely. You felt like your body was cemented to the floor, almost not wanting to move.

Was this his plan all along?

“Hey, Y/L/N?” Jim waved a hand in front of your face. Your blinked, noticing how all the cops where at their desks now or running around the precinct. “Are you okay?” He asks, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

It takes a second for you to answer. “Yeah,” You pause, trying to clear your mind. “Yeah, I’m fine.” You reply, forcing a smile.

Jim quickly sees through it, putting a reassuring hand on your shoulder. “I’m not gonna let him get to you, okay? If it comes to it, I’ll let you stay at my place if it makes you feel safe.” He says.

Relief filled your body at his words, but you knew Jerome was going to get to you one way or another. “Thank you, Jim. I’ll let you know.” You send him a smile before waking away to your desk.

Was he really going to find you?

-

Hours passed from then as you sat at your desk, looking over different files of the Maniax. You wondered how only a group of people managed to break out, but not the others. Every time you flipped a new page or read a different paragraph, all you see is Jerome.

His file sat next to it, reading, in big capital letters: JEROME VALESKA. It distracted you any time you let your mind wander or your eyes peer over to it. Even if you worked on it with Jim, Jerome was your case. You’ll never forget what happened in your kitchen that night of the investigation. Every time you step foot there, you get hit with a wave of the feelings you felt in that moment. It made your heart clench every time.

The little things about him still consumed you. His scent still lingered in the back of your head: a faint apple cinnamon smell. The genuine smile he had on his face when you two talked in your house.

Jerome Valeska has clouded your mind since that day. Ever since you couldn’t shake him from your mind; his captivating eyes, his bright hair, the way his lips felt. The last one was the hardest to get rid of. Every now and then you’d wake up in a cold sweat, guilty from dreaming of kissing the murderer you once held.

Your thoughts were interrupted by a loud bang in the office, making you jump out of your seat. Smoke engulfed the precinct, making you cough. Gunshots rang through the air, making you flinch as you guarded your face. You had to think fast as you started to make a run for a closed off room somewhere in the back of the precinct.

You ran down an empty hallway, just a few feet away from an unlabeled door. You made a run for it, jiggling the rusty doorknob. It creaks as you open it, hoping for your life that no one heard. You hadn’t seen who the people that hijacked the GCPD were, too busy on watching all of the dead cops fall on the cold floor. You knew, even as a snap decision, the only good idea was to run. The only figures you saw standing were the ones that were firing.

You close the door behind you, trying your best to be as quiet as possible so the creak wouldn’t echo down the hallway. Your body backed up as you watch all kinds of lights flash outside of the distorted window. Your heartbeat was rapid, feeling as if it was going to rip out of your chest. Your body freezes as it backs up against something.

“Hey, doll.”

Your blood runs cold when you hear his voice. It was like you were back in that interrogation room, questioning why he had done what he did. You felt, at that moment, like your heart truly did tear through your skin. You felt cemented to your spot, too terrified to move incase he’ll do something drastic.

A cold hand wraps around you, pressing his palm against your mouth. You knew better than to scream, a gut feeling that no one would’ve heard you anyway.. if anyone had even survived.

“I told you I’d be back for ya, doll!” His manic laugh rings through the silent room, raising goosebumps on your cold skin.

This wasn’t going to be good..

𝐈 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 ; tony stark

pairing ; father figure!Tony Stark x adopted!gn!Reader platonic / mentions ; bucky barnes, wanda maximoff, natasha romanova, harold "happy" hogan, pepper potts

outline —; Happy is ten minutes late. Tony is freaking out. And you are here, munching on a burger, lost somewhere in Midtown Manhattan. 

word count —; 1.8k

WARNINGS —; mention of HYDRA

tags / themes —; reader forgets their birthday, father-child complications, pepper being a mom, happy being... happy,

A/N —; finally beta-read!! this is just so... self-indulgent, it was my birthday a few days ago and i wanted to fill the pit in my stomach w/ some more surprises!!

Midtown Manhattan is a maze to you. 

Thankfully, you didn’t have to walk. You didn’t get to choose to walk. And Happy knew that. 

He was about… ten minutes late, you’ve stood in the same spot for ten minutes. Ten. Minutes. It’s fun and all. Until, you had the brilliant idea to walk around the block of your school, ultimately getting lost between the local shops and roads of the large, loud city. 

Gazing up, you could see the lovely “Stark” brandished unto the Avengers Tower. A medal, a hope to those who looked upon it. Your eyes landed on a small restaurant, two huge windows on either side, and a strained glass door in the middle. Its contrast to the colours of the buildings that’s surrounding it; yellows instead of blue, reds instead of grey. 

Plus, not a single soul. Your lips curled into a smile. 

Perfect, it looks like someone vomited rainbows. You concluded to yourself before crossing the road. Your fingers curled around the metal handle, pushing it open. With hands clinging on to the backpack hanging from your shoulder, you smiled at the woman behind the counter. Though, you felt the presence of a schoolboy with a bright blue flannel, sitting in the corner; burger, fries, and soda in front of him, his main focus was on his phone. 

Turning away, you let the soft smell of burgers fill your senses. 

Eventually, you found a spot beside the window, looking outside a bit before the woman from behind the counter came over to pick your order. “I’ll have whatever he’s having,” You purse your lips to silently point at the boy. 

“Burger, curly fries, and soda.” The woman repeated, she made eye contact with you, then smiled. “Anything else?” 

“Uh, no soda and ketchup please.” You grimaced, fidgeting with your hands underneath the table, averting your gaze outside. 

She tilted her head. “Just water?” 

You nodded and whispered as if she could hear you, “Yes.” 

The woman simply nodded and disappeared behind the counter. And you heaved a sigh, a very quiet sigh, as to not disrupt anyone’s peace in the quiet restaurant. The boy from across the room settled his phone down, looked at the burger, then at you. He waved shyly. And you mimicked the action, despite not entirely understanding his point of social cue. 

You chose to shift your gaze to the clear, glass window. Watching the people walk by and the cars speeding through the road. The more you count the amount of people passing by, the more you understood Stark, he cared for these people. The heavy exterior of his iron suit may not tell much, and even though he doesn’t physically have a heart. He does care. 

The smell of your order reached your nose, making you turn back and smile. You paid the kind woman and started to indulge in your fries first. 

Your mind drifted back to Happy. If he wasn’t ten minutes late, you would’ve been at home right now, perched against the headboard of your bed, resting. But the day would end, and you’d start all over again. Disrupting your schedule isn’t so bad. You get time for yourself, you don’t have to talk.

You smiled, as you bit your burger. And as if your thoughts aligned with reality, Happy Hogan walks in the store. 

Happy fuckin’ Hogan. 

With his suit and sunglasses and all. Out of breath, he looks at your retreating figure; attempting to swallow the burger as you smiled at him bitterly. “Hi,” You mouthfully said, settling your burger down, and signalling him to sit down. “Do you want to order anything?” You asked, mouth clear this time, as you swallowed the food. 

“I was looking everywhere for you,” Happy said through heavy breaths, slouching his shoulders. 

You nod along his words and licked your teeth with a sound. “You were late,” You took a bite of your burger again, swallowing. “So, I wandered off.” 

“You wandered off?” He repeated with a tone that clearly said he wasn’t happy. 

“I wandered off,” You repeated, your palms were free and expressed your tone. “Why were you late?” 

A twinkle behind Happy’s eyes, then, his face contorted into a blank expression. He cleared his throat, sitting straight in the chair. “Tony wanted me to do…” He fixed his tie clumsily. “Stuff.” As his words escaped his mouth, you bit into your burger comically, rolling your eyes. “Hey— He’s really worried, you need to eat the rest of,” Happy made circle gestures to your food. “This. Otherwise, he’ll—” 

“Call me,” You finished for him, wiping the ends of your mouth with a tissue. You looked around, averting your gaze from anywhere but Happy. It landed on the floor. “I know.” 

Happy tapped the table twice, making you pay close attention to him. “He cares,” He says, offering a smile through his stubble. Though, you couldn’t really tell. 

Nodding along his words, you licked your lips. “I know.” You confessed. 

The ride alone with Happy is the same; quiet. But you never minded. 

This time is different, something is different. Your palm fell against the texture of the seat, forehead against the car window. “This isn’t home,” You knocked the window, your eyes landed on the rear mirror. “Where are we going?” 

Happy’s eyes were ahead, avoiding your gaze. He’d be adamant in keeping eye-contact, for some reason, he wasn’t… looking at you. “Avengers Tower.” 

“What?” You blurted out, scratching the lobes of your ear, you said a bit softer; “Why?” You bit your bottom lip slightly, pulling yourself from the window, settling down onto your seat. 

He cleared his throat again. 

Weird. That wasn’t likely of him. “Tony’s there.” 

You furrow your brows, sighing as your head falls back. “Do I have to be there too?” You asked, though, quickly shaking your head. “Why do I have to be there?” 

Happy sighs, it wasn’t a condescending sigh, he wasn't tired of your questions, he just sighs—heaves out a long breath before saying. “You’ll see.”

“Ah, there you are!” Pepper exclaimed, her long hair bouncing as she swiftly hugged you. Giving your temple a kiss. “Come on, everyone’s waiting for you.” 

You were about to question everyone? Before you feel Happy slightly nudge you to follow Pepper, trailing closely behind you. You shake off the sensitivity of his touch before your school shoes slapped against the marbled floor. 

“How was school?” Pepper asked, pressing a button in the elevator. Her soft hands drifted back of your head, tugging a strand of it behind your ear. 

You smile, eyes ahead the number of the floor, brows raised. You rub your eyes with the back of your palms, yawning. “Normal.” 

Pepper Potts is the closest mother figure you’ve ever since HYDRA happened. Glimpses of your past always came peeking through the surface, ruining any chances of communicating like a normal person. But… Pepper, she somehow reminded you what it’s like to be human. She taught you to be more open, to not be so tense, to hold your head high. “Just normal?”

“Until Happy,” You jabbed a thumb at the man beside you. “Was late.” 

Pepper tilted her head at the man, amused. “Don’t be late next time.” She eyed him as the elevator doors opened. 

Turning around the corner, with Tony’s back turned, the Avengers erupted into cheers. Much to your surprise. You slowly backed out, slightly overwhelmed with the amount of people in the room. “Happy Birthday!” 

Your shoulders slumped back and you tried to bite down a smile. Oh. It was your birthday. “...Thank you?” You slowly inched in, seeing familiar faces. Laughter erupted again, they were drunk. Definitely. How long have they been waiting for you? Wanda came in first, hugging your shoulders. Then Natasha’s crushing hug and smile. Then… “Barnes,” You chuckled as he ruffled your hair. 

“Heat sink,” Bucky affectionately bit back, his hands curled around a clumsy, boxed present. He tossed it to you. “Don’t tell Tony.” He whispered, before patting your shoulder, and heading to the kitchen, probably to get another drink. 

Tony smiled, showing his teeth. “Happy Birthday, kid.” 

There was a silence that hung right above your heads; other than the Avengers constant laughter; there’s the awkwardness between the two of you. No matter how long the years passed by—it’s always been there, you were unsure as to how you could conquer it. 

Maybe, you could start now. Pepper and Happy passed by you, feeling that they were suddenly invading, they headed close to the other Avengers. You cleared your throat, stepping forward. “Thanks, Tony.” You said a bit timidly, causing his brows to raise slightly. 

Tony examined you up and down. You were still in your uniform, now all baggy and messy. “How was school?” He inquired, signalling his head to follow him in the kitchen. 

“Normal, until Happy showed up late.” You mimicked his action, looking back at Happy and Pepper with a smile. “Went to a restaurant. Ate something.” 

Tony nodded his head along with your vague storytelling. “You got lost?” He raised a brow. 

You grinned cheekily, leaning against the countertable with your elbow. You swiped your palm against the base of your neck, grunting a little before replying. “A bit.” 

“Sure, a bit.” Tony said, pouring you a glass of apple juice. He handed it to you, “Happy Birthday again.” 

A pause. He continued. “I know we don’t talk a lot, kid. But I want you to know that—” 

You sipped your apple juice loudly, smacking your lips together. “Care about me,” You grimaced, not to him, you didn’t have the courage to look anyone in the eyes right now. “I know.” 

Tony crossed his arms and leaned against the countertable, just beside you. Though, far enough for your liking. “No,” His lips formed into a line, you dipped your head lower, looking at him between your eyelashes. He made that stubble face that Happy would, you couldn’t distinguish if it was smiling and frowning. “I don’t… express it enough.” 

Another pause. It wasn’t the same silence that hanged minutes ago. 

It was comforting. You patiently waited. 

Tony looked at you, with a smile this time. “I care about you, kid.” He says this like an oath. Your head was still dipped down, gaze fixed on the floor. Your vision begins to water, some-fucking-how. “You’ve been through a lot,” He continues, watching as you set the glass down. “And you’ve been so strong.” He smiles when you look at him. “I’m proud of y—” 

His words were cut off with you hugging him. Tony didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around your retreating figure, somehow, he understood your quiet sobs. The way your fingers tremble behind his back, the way your legs buckled, and the way your quiet sniffles were hidden by the collar of his shirt. He continued anyway, Tony’s nose was buried into your hair as he said. “I’m proud of you.” 

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Never again

never again, they said in 1945

Never again, they said

Never again will people be denied of human rights

Never again will people be slaughtered

Never again will there be a genocide

Never again will there be supporters of genocide

Never again will there be facist Nazis

And yet again, history repeats itself,

Yet again, people die

Yet again, people are staved,

Denied of rights

And yet again, hope in humanity dies

But most importantly,

Importantly to me,

My family dies,

My flesh

My blood.

Have you heard of the boy who held kindness close even though anger is an option?

I have.

His eyes contained the forests that hold our life; green and nature-blessed. And, his hair remains grown, messily arranged — it contains memories, not so kind, but hopeful to the eye. The base of his cheeks are four-leaved clovers: luck, pure luck has brought him here.

I have known of him.

I have known of him. His sense of a squirrel. As they plant trees with their acorns in the soil. As he does good with anger burning in the air. As he cries, with his head upon my shoulder. Cheeks dampening the side of my shirt.

I have known.

I have known his kind smile (not forced, never forced) and I see his lips fumble, fumbling, upon the overwhelming comfort.

Stupid, stupid man. The world does not deserve his kindness, they do not deserve him, and his sense of a squirrel, and his hopeful eyes to a trivial, humane need such as comfort.

Whatever labour they have done, they brought upon this man. Of good and gold. Of nature and luck. Of peace, never-ending peace.

Of kindness over anger.

Listen... Percy. I'm sorry.

PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS 1.02 "I Become Supreme Lord Of The Bathroom"

Then Chessa spoke, “Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” Her rosy cheeks grew even rosier as she grinned.

Nyla's fingers curled around her paint brush, dipping her chin down. She looks at Chessa from the rim of her glasses. “No, I’ll paint you instead, it’ll last for centuries.” She spoke softly, grinning back.

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this or lesbian rhaenyra.

rhaenyra and her gender one of the most interesting things to talk about for real