Jla/titans (1998) #3 // The Kids Aren't Alright, Fall Out Boy // New Teen Titans (1984) #19 // Tales

"Dick was a terror of a child" "Dick was Bruce's least favorite child to raise" my love there are much easier ways to say that you do not like loud children than projecting it onto Bruce Wayne, who loved raising Dick Grayson's rambunctious ass so much that he gave 3 children a lifelong inferiority complex about it

im being so serious when i ask this, but, how has dick's characterization become so opposing to his actual character? like how in the world did this pervasive and frankly invasive depiction of him become so popular? where in the world did people get these scraps of personality that they've frankensteined together to create this fucking weirdo that shakes his ass for criminals and is the biggest attention seeker? for decades we have had pretty consistent source material that continually establishes that dick is quite serious and a leader, and also someone that cares deeply for people and has the skill set and willpower to do literally anything for them. how has this fanon characterization that's quickly becoming canon happen to him?

Please i need people to understand that the tragedy of robins is that their parents did love them.

Dick’s parents love him they didn’t want to leave him. Jason’s parents loved him, they didn’t want to be trapped in poverty and crime. Steph’s mother loved her, she didn’t think Steph would get caught up in her husband’s schemes. Tim’s parents loved him, they never meant for him to be as alone as he was. Cass’s father loved her, he wanted her to be as strong as she could be. Damian’s mother loved him, she was raising him in impossible circumstances. Duke’s parents loved him, they never planned to get caught up in the attack.

And yes, these situations are different. Duke and Dick’s parents were good people, Steph mom and Jason’s dad are sometimes depicted as abusive but at other times shown to be struggling with their circumstances. Tim’s parents and Damian’s mom were good people who should never have been parents. Cass’s dad was a bad person who shouldn’t have been a parent. With Cass, there ended up being abuse, and with Damian too because one way or another Talia or the league’s training and general way of life would’ve harmed Damian, and some depictions of Tim’s parents imply severe neglect. But deep beneath that, despite the circumstances and even the failure of the people themselves, they did love their children, and were trying in their own way.

Just like Bruce loves his children, and why I’m sort of against the terrible father depiction. Because I think he’s traumatized and his knowledge of parenting would give him a poor subconscious fathering ability, but CONSCIOUSLY he loves his children, and he would try. That’s the difference. All the robins were loved, but they all lost their parents anyway. And they all will be loved again, because even is he fails, Bruce loves them too, and he is trying to do right by them. He’s trying to make sure none of their stories are tragedies.

The sunshine and the grump

Pairing: Sparrow!Ben Hargreeves x Fem!Reader

Summary: “Hi!! I hope you’re having a great day or night!,can I request a Ben hargreeves x Fem reader who’s very loving and sensitive ,like she’s silent and introverted with strangers but very extroverted with her loved ones and always supportive and very caring?,bonus points if she has chonky cat who’s lazy and loves Ben! That’s all!💓💓” -Requested by @weepingprincepeace​

Warnings: Sparrow!Ben being sparrow Ben? oh, also swearing

Word count: 2k

A/n: Thank you for the request, sorry it took so long!

The first time you met Ben Hargreeves was at a store robbery. You were an unfortunate customer at the cash register when the two masked robbers came in and not only demanded to get cash from the register, but forced you and the cashier to the floor. One was holding you and the cashier back, threatening you with his gun while the other got all the cash out of the register and from your purse.

Keep reading

context (from here):

apparently, recently(?) on douyin, a housewife posted about her husband's unhinged reaction after she ate the last 2 swiss rolls out of a box of 8 when her husband and 2 kids had already eaten all the other swiss rolls. the husband's unreasonable response naturally outraged cnetizens. thus, one recent(?) douyin trend has been for women to ask their boyfriends/husbands the following, and then to record the answer: suppose that we get married and have two kids, and then obtain a box of swiss rolls, how should we split them?

anyways here are some of the provided responses from OP's post, put through the SVSSS filter (sorry OP):

thinking about that one trope where the hero is dying and reveals their secret identity at the last moment so they can die known and as the true person they were, not the hero name they designed. how, if dick were out as nightwing and were to be somehow in a life or death situation he literally could not see a way out of, and he was with a civilian who was comforting him in his final moments, he literally would have to die as nightwing and not dick grayson or else risk exposing the rest of his family. even if the civilian swore up and down and made a blood oath to never speak a word of this, dick would be unable to bring himself to allow himself the mercy of dying as dick grayson or hearing the name his parent's gave to him one final time

Devotion [umbrella!Ben Hargreeves Smut]

Warnings: thigh riding, f oral, m oral, piv sex, fluffy smut, fingering, romantic kissing, lap grinding, slightly dom!Ben, his first time asserting

Summary: You make the mistake of conjuring up your long term ghost boyfriend in Hotel Obsidian. Reader is Klaus’ twin with more practised and powerful abilities :)

[in my head my Ben is still here and I will not be taking any questions also reader is wearing a skirt]

ps this took so long 😭 I took a small difference from our sweet Ben but I am tempted to write a smut about virgin Benerino with reader

Read part two Damage Control here

I didn’t really proofread this so please notify any mistakes ty <3

18+ MDI!!!

Word Count: 3041

“Come on, I can sense you’re here.” I smile coyly around the space of the room. I wiggle my fingertips, a wind of pink cups around them. I had some time to get ready for the wedding.

“You’re no fun.” His solid form appears in the spot directly in front of me, arms crossed.

“Why are you lying to yourself? I’m plenty fun.” I waste no time by pulling myself into a standing position, wrapping my arms around the tall figure.

He sighs into the wisps of my hair, pulling me in tighter.

“Missed you today.” He murmurs, planting a kiss to my temple.

“God, I missed you too, dealing with asshole Ben is draining.”

“Oh, he’s so into you.” He pulls away from me, sitting on the mattress before pulling me into his lap.

“You’re so sure?” I raise an eyebrow.

“He’s me, I know how his cogs turn.” He moves a piece of my hair to fit behind my ear.

“Well, I think he needs to remove the pool cue from up his ass.” I brush his hair from its tidy style into a messy state.

“Wanna do it for him? Me? I don’t know how to address this.” He blinks in confusion before shrugging.

“I’d rather suck face with a windmill.”

“So much for loving me in every timeline.” He teases.

“Oh, come on! He puts the capital D in Douchebag, babe.” I press a gentle kiss to the corner of his mouth.

“Suppose you’re right.” He trails off and cups my face, pulling me back in to meet his lips in a proper fashion.

I melt into him, instantly, the soft cotton feeling of his lips soothing my own. I place my hands on his shoulders, steadying myself so I don’t fall off his lap.

He secures a hand on my waist whilst keeping his other glued to my cheek.

Our noses brush against each other as he moves with compassion, tasting of honey and orange, so uniquely him.

I let out a gleeful sigh into the kiss, as he prods his tongue, a silent request.

I open my lips wider, letting him in closer.

I slide my hands up to his hair, winding them around the soft streaks.

His tongue is still fumbling with mine, his thumb rubbing deep circles into my side.

I attempt to move my hands further down his hair but get caught on a couple of strands, creating a gentle tug against his locks.

A small moan of pleasure ricochets against my lips, I subconsciously smile into his own.

We disconnect, the fantasy to have an eternal kiss nags and pulls at my heart.

“You’re so pretty.” He whispers, breath hitting my chin.

“I should be saying that to you.” I move my hands down to find solace against the lapels of the leather that encased his torso.

“How am I dead but still have the opportunity to be with heaven?” He lingers a small kiss against me, his words winding around the cells of my body.

“You deserve everything you didn’t know you needed, love.” I move from my position into a straddling stance as he moves further into the plush underneath him, my skirt slides up a little.

Our lips connect once again, finding home in the comfort of each other. It’s more intense now, a sudden fervour to the moving of our mouths.

I hover, a hair fracture above his clothed dick, until his hands slide up my thighs and he presses them down so I’m fully on top him.

I resist the urge to move, a tease at heart.

He moves to squeeze the skin of my ass, propelling me to gently roll my hips against him.

He releases a breathy sigh, a smile pinching his cheeks as he pulls back from the kiss.

“Sit on my thigh?” It’s more of a question then a demand, something I adore about the man underneath me.

“If you insist.” I wink before kissing his nose, I move to set myself above his left thigh.

“Don’t resist yourself, I want you to enjoy every single moment we have together.” The intimacy and honesty of his statement soften my heart.

That is until he kisses me again, gripping the flesh of my ass, pulling me to grind down against him.

His wear and tear jeans do wonders against the thin cotton that constricts me.

“Shit, Ben.” I let his name fall freely from my lips, I let my hand slide up his other thigh, brushing over the fabric of his crotch.

“Fuck.” He cussed out as I knead my hand with a steady pace.

I start to grind down harder, faster, letting my clit roll against the denim.

I unzip his fly with one hand, opening the front of his pants. He’s painfully hard, already, sending a spark of lust below.

His hand tightens around my ass as I wrap my hand around him through his briefs, delivering steady tugs with what space I had.

He lets his thigh shake for me, increasing the pleasure of using him, short bounces as he spurs on my climax.

“Fuck, fuck, Ben.” I moan into his ear as I fall forward.

I can feel everything tightening, rocking my hips faster, I chase my upcoming high.

“C’mon.” His grumble turns into a moan as I give a particular hard tug.

“Almost there, love.” I nip at his earlobe, pressing a kiss to his jaw.

It all piles up, the pleasure, the love.

Until I’m cumming on his clothed thigh, grasping a hand at his shoulder, wet seeping through my panties and onto his jeans.

“Ben, baby-”

“Fuck.” His hot breath hits my neck, he whispers praises into the soft skin.

He gently removed my hand from him, rubbing shapes into my wrist.

“So good, baby.” He coos at me, lifting me from his defiled leg.

“I love you.” I let my mouth connect to the plush of his lips, he moans into them.

“I love you.” He whispers as I kiss a trail down his neck.

I let my fingers slide his jacket from his upper body, he pulls his hoodie and shirt afterwards, letting his bright read chest out for show.

He’s devoid of hair, smooth pecs and small trace of abs stare back at me.

I move to kneel on the floor.

“You don’t have to, my love.” He holds my chin between his finger and thumb.

“Oh, but I want to.” My desperation to wrap my mouth around him never ceases to shake him to his core.

“God, you’re perfect.” He moans out.

I smile at this, thinking the same about him.

After he’s no longer constricted from the refinery of the denim, I let a finger trace the underside of his cock.

He lightly grips the bedsheets resting under his palms, his head falling back as I wrap my mouth around his tip.

I let my right hand grasp the base, pulling steady strokes as I bob down on him. His mouth falls open, silent cusses air out.

I slide my other hand up his thigh, letting it cup his balls, massaging a gentle motion whilst still keeping my rhythm with my mouth.

“Shit.” His whine sends a jolt to my core, how is one man so blindingly hot?

I continue my pace, reveling in the whoreish sounds falling from his lips.

I remove my mouth from his cock, whilst keeping my hand tugging stable strokes.

I let my mouth wander down, my tongue pokes out as I lick a gentle stripe against one of his balls. Throwing caution to the wind I take them both into my mouth, awarding small sucks.

“Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck. Stop, stop.” I immediately cease all action.

“What’s wrong? Did I do something, oh, I’m so-”

“Absolutely not-” he takes a couple of moments to catch his breath “-I just want to come inside you, baby.” Sweet boy.

“Fuck, you’re so sexy.” I move from my knees to kiss him, letting my tongue explore his mouth, the taste of him still lingering in our swapping spit.

His forehead is painted a sheet of sweat.

“You need a moment?” I whisper sweetly.

“How about you take off your little outfit whilst I watch?” His devious smile is a new look on him, he’s so eager to take a turn at dominance.

“Damn.” I moan out.

Standing up fully, I reach for the hem of my shirt, letting it slowly slide up until I drop it on the floor beside me.

“You’ve been walking around with no bra?” He’s wide eyed and his mouth is gaped.

“It’s the end of the world, think I’m allowed some comfort.” I grin, reaching for the zipper of my skirt.

“No wonder, clone Ben can’t take his eyes off you.” His head lulls back before setting his eyes on me again.

“I’m all yours.” I look him dead in the eyes as I roll my skirt down my hips, letting my underwear join the garment. I bend slightly before letting it drop, he take the rest of his jeans off.

“Such a pretty little princess.” His words are sweet but there’s a dirty side to them.

I walk back over to him but before I make it to the bed he stands, grabbing my waist. He flips me onto the bed, my tits bounce up as I connect to the mattress.

“Shit, you’re so perfect.” He lets his knees connect to the sheets, settling himself between my legs.

“You don’t have to, baby.” I state as he lowers his frame.

“Oh, but I want to.” He repeats my words from before, smirking as he nips his teeth at the skin of my thighs.

He press small kisses and bites to my thighs, before sucking a large red mark, bang in the middle. I tense up, he’s teasing me, that’s my tactic.

He lets his head up further, moving his tongue up the side of one of my folds before quickly swiping over my clit and down the other one, barely lingering on the set of nerves.

“Ben.” I plead, he’s enjoying his new found dominance too much to grant what I want.

I feel one of his fingers trace a line down my entrance, not pushing it in. He does this a few times until I’m whining in wait.

“Please.” I whisper. He smiles softly at me, giving in.

His tongue connects to my clit as he finally pushes a single finger inside me. I relax into the pillow.

His small kitten licks are enough for now as his middle finger is curling sweet thrusts upwards.

I let myself drown in the pleasure and presence of him, my only love. I’d give anything for a single one of his desires.

He himself grows tired of the slow pace, inserting two more digits into me, whilst increasing the speed of his tongue.

“Oh, fuck.” My head dents into the mattress, my hands fumbling to grip the paper white sheets before deciding to wrap around his hair.

His fingers are setting a hard curling pace, hard and rough. His mouth wraps around my clit, emitting small fast sucks, whilst also moving his tongue up and down.

“Shit, Ben.” I’m almost crying from the pleasure and I’m certainly light headed.

It’s building up, fast and sure.

I tighten my hands around his locks, his hips are grinding slow thrusts into the sheets.

This is so hot. He’s so good, too good. Fuck.

His pace doesn’t falter of fail and I clench around his fingers as I come for the second time tonight.

“Ben!” I cry out, broken moans follow. He slows down his speed, letting me ride out my high to the last second.

“Oh, fuck, you’re getting fucking phenomenal at that.”

“I have an amazing teacher.” He breaths out, chest heaving, his hips have stop grinding against the mattress.

“I almost feel bad for keeping you all to myself.” I lift his chin with my hands, bringing him to my eye level.

“You don’t mean that.”

“You’re right, I don’t.” I connect my mouth to his in a messy kiss, his lower face still soaked in my cum, the taste doesn’t bother me in the slightest.

I wrap my legs around his middle, letting the make out last longer.

He presses his body down further, letting his abs rub up against my sensitive clit, a whine exits.

“I want you to ride them some time.” He states as he moves to kiss down my neck.

“Are you trying to kill me?” Poor choice of words.

“At least we’d be invisible together.” He makes an off hand joke.

He finds a spot and starts creating a mark with his teeth, delivering gentle kicks to soothe the pain. He repeats this a few times until I’m littered in them.

“There’s no pain in the void, only pleasure.” He’s so devious.

“Guess we have that to look forward too.” I reference the situation of the burning and collapsing world around us, I feel so safe with him that I’m not afraid anymore.

“You still wanna keep going?” He asks, his eyes boring deep into mine.

“You did just hear yourself, right?“ He rolls his eyes at me before softly kissing me, I untangle my legs from around him.

He’s still hard, leaking with pre cum, his tip is so red it looks painful.

“Fuck, I’m sorry for neglecting you like this, baby.” I look at him with kind eyes.

“Worth it, I love watching you writhe beneath me.” Those words. I have never heard those words fall from those pretty lips, but oh, do I want to hear them again.

“Fuck me, now.” I slide my hands down his biceps.

He moans out.

“Well, I wasn’t going wait until later.” He wraps his veiny hands around himself, letting a slow tug of his own before lining up with my entrance.

He takes his time pushing in, letting me feel every single inch of him, exactly how we like it. I’m so eager for ruin but for him, I have all the patience in the world.

He finally bottoms out, pressing his head against mine as his forearms find the spaces between my head.

He kisses the corner of my mouth before pulling almost all the way out, then sliding in, a torture worthy slow move.

He picks up his speed with every push of his hips, until he’s found a steady rhythm. It’s slow and hard and passionate.

He slides his fingers down the valley of my tits, down my middle until his thumb meets my clit. Slow circles and changes of pressure make my head fuzzy and eyes close.

“Let me see those eyes, princess. Please?” He’s so gentle, even when defiling me.

I flutter then open to see his perfect face staring back at me.

His pace starts to quicken but not lighten, his thrusts are still rough and deliberate.

The speed of his thumb against my clit has also fastened. He hiked one of my legs up around his shoulder, hitting a deeper spot then before.

“Ben, oh, fuck.”

“Shit, baby.” He moans out, his head meeting my opposite shoulder.

“Flip me.” I moan.

He’s silent but does as so. turning me into my stomach and wasting no time entering me again.

I press my chest into the pillow, arching my back at the complete destination of my body.

He’s railing me with such devotion and sentiment I can’t stop the tumble of moans and whines coming out of me.

“Rougher.” I plead.

“What if I hurt you?” He grunts out, still remaining his good boy attitude.

“You won’t, destroy me, please?” I grip the pillow in front of me.

“Fuck, I’m so lucky.” He laughs out before slamming hips hips into me, his hip bones creating friction against the back of my thighs.

He rains down a spank to my ass, gripping at the skin as an anchor.

He’s moaning with every delivered thrust.

His name is the only thing I see and think. His fingers find my clit again, rubbing fast and tight circles like his life depended on it.

Ben. Ben. Ben. Ben. Ben.

“Ben!” I moan out his name as my final orgasm hits me like a freight train, it’s soul wracking.

He lets out the loudest strangle moan I’ve heard him muster, spilling everything into me.

No need for contraception when you’re dead.

The unlocked door to the hotel room bursts open.

“Y/n, I heard you calling m-”

I whip my head around from it place on the pillow to see a face of horror, replacing the rushed tone of his previous statement. He’s completely shaken by the view of his clone balls deep in me.

Dickwad Ben.

“Fuck, you asshole! Get out!” I throw the pillow at him, he slams the door shut.

Ben pulls out of me.

I look towards him to see him silencing a laugh.

“Are you serious?” I stare him down but the more he’s laughing the easier it is to join in.

Soon we are in fits giggling on the sweat soaked sheets.

“Oh-ho, shit! He’s gonna go tell everyone! Fuck, I gotta go explain myself.” I shout out still in a gaggle of laughter.

“Take me with you, I gotta see how it plays out.” We hurry to dress ourselves, his cum still leaking out of me.

“Here.” He tosses me his jacket.

“You’re a doll.” I kiss him on the cheek.

“A spooooooky one.”

“Shut up, pretty boy, let’s go do some damage control.”

Can I touch lightly on this topic? Have you ever loved someone that is emotionally manipulative? Someone who can mentally play you like an instrument? Have you ever had someone step into your life and slowly remove others from it? This person could have truly loved you, but loved you in a way that was so silently violent it changed you. Then, by the time you realized it and tried to pull away, you found pieces of them stitched into every part of you.

Now imagine after painstakingly cutting them out, stitch by stitch, they are thrust back into your life. Even worse, you realize you love them. No matter how much grief this relationship has caused you, you crave their love. Their fucked up love. You push away healthy love for this weird battle of wills.

I would throw us both off the cliff too. It makes perfect sense.

Please i need people to understand that the tragedy of robins is that their parents did love them.

Dick’s parents love him they didn’t want to leave him. Jason’s parents loved him, they didn’t want to be trapped in poverty and crime. Steph’s mother loved her, she didn’t think Steph would get caught up in her husband’s schemes. Tim’s parents loved him, they never meant for him to be as alone as he was. Cass’s father loved her, he wanted her to be as strong as she could be. Damian’s mother loved him, she was raising him in impossible circumstances. Duke’s parents loved him, they never planned to get caught up in the attack.

And yes, these situations are different. Duke and Dick’s parents were good people, Steph mom and Jason’s dad are sometimes depicted as abusive but at other times shown to be struggling with their circumstances. Tim’s parents and Damian’s mom were good people who should never have been parents. Cass’s dad was a bad person who shouldn’t have been a parent. With Cass, there ended up being abuse, and with Damian too because one way or another Talia or the league’s training and general way of life would’ve harmed Damian, and some depictions of Tim’s parents imply severe neglect. But deep beneath that, despite the circumstances and even the failure of the people themselves, they did love their children, and were trying in their own way.

Just like Bruce loves his children, and why I’m sort of against the terrible father depiction. Because I think he’s traumatized and his knowledge of parenting would give him a poor subconscious fathering ability, but CONSCIOUSLY he loves his children, and he would try. That’s the difference. All the robins were loved, but they all lost their parents anyway. And they all will be loved again, because even is he fails, Bruce loves them too, and he is trying to do right by them. He’s trying to make sure none of their stories are tragedies.

i’ve never made a request before so sorry if this is bad but if you could write something about matt murdock with a fake dating trope like that would be so cute, especially if there’s feelings realized during/after it :)

a/n: i swear, i tried to just keep this short and sweet like how i usually keep requests, but then the fantasy i came up with was just too fun and too much like a fucking romcom not to just let myself go ham and turn it into a full-on long fic

word count: 3778

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Leaning your weight against the bar, you waited for Josie to return with another round of beers for you and your friends, who still remained exactly where you’d left them, all clustered around the pool table further into the space. 

Absentmindedly, you fiddled with the ring so often glued to your fingers, passing the heirloom from each digit and sliding it onto the next. It had been your grandmother’s, and ever since her passing, the simple golden circle with a little jade embedded at the cusp of it, rarely stayed in your jewellery box as the act of simply glancing down at it on your finger somehow offered you a drop of comfort in moments of mundane gloom. 

As the heirloom arrived at your left ring finger and slid down over the knuckle, a familiar voice suddenly emanated like an echo after the bar’s front door had swung open. 

“Y/n?” your whole body froze up at the unexpected timbre. 

Slowly, you twisted around to discover none other than your ex, wide eyes trained on you as he clutched the hand of a leggy blonde. 

“Henry!” you gasped, hoping they mistook the horrified look on your face for innocent shock, “oh my god…” 

Without any warning, the next thing you knew, he’d yanked your stunned form into a hug, “how the hell are you?” he clapped your shoulder as if you were old school chums, “it’s been so long.”

“I’m–, uhm, fine,” you managed to reply. 

“Yeah?” he smiled, the insincerity in your tone completely flying over his head, “that’s great.” 

Simply to be polite, you awkwardly asked, “…how are you?” even though you truly didn’t wish to know the answer.  

“I’m good, yeah, life’s been kinda crazy lately because–, oh,” he suddenly paused to glance back at the girl by his side, “Y/n, you remember Rebecca, right?”

“Mhm,” you hummed and offered her a glance, fearing steam might billow out of your ears at any moment, “hi.”

“Hey,” she smiled brightly as she tossed her luscious locks over her shoulder, “and please don’t mind him,” she clapped a palm over Henry’s chest, “he’s just freaking out, you know, usual guy stuff before finally getting tied down.”

“I’m sorry,” you blinked, nearly pinching yourself to test if this was a nightmare or not, “before what?”

Rebecca then held up her left hand to flash you the massive rock nestled on her fourth finger. 

“I finally popped the question!” Henry grinned and draped an arm around his fiancé.

“Wow, oh wow, that’s–…” you sputtered as the blonde promptly shoved her hand in your face for you to get a better look, “that’s a really big rock, right there, on your finger…” your touch floated up and tilted her palm slightly, the light from the neon sign close by glinting in the diamond, “congratulations…”

“Thanks!” she smiled down at the ring herself before her fingers suddenly captured your own and twisted your hand around, “oh wait, congrats to you too!” 

“What?” you still simply tried to keep breathing through this agonising gut-punch of an encounter. 

“I know they say that size doesn’t matter,” Rebecca eyed the tiny green stone that adorned your grandmother’s ring, “and it doesn’t! I mean, that’s so pretty,” she uttered in a sugary sweet and insincere tone that made you feel as if you were back in high school again, “understated, simple.” 

“Ah, no way,” Henry peeked down at your hand, “you’re engaged too?”

“Uh…” you let out a shaky breath, “yep,” the lie then suddenly flew out past your lips before you had a chance to stop it, “that’s me! I’m getting married.” 

“That’s amazing,” your ex let out an airy chuckle, “who’s the lucky guy?”

But before your lips could part and let out another lie, Josie returned, “here you go, hon,” and slid four beer bottles across the bar to you before adding, “and would you tell Foggy to stop sitting on the edge of the pool table? It’s old and I can’t be responsible if it breaks on him.”

“Sure thing,” you promised and snatched up the drinks. 

“Is that your man?” Henry cast a glance to the lawyer Josie had gestured to, “Foggy, was it?”

“Foggy?” a soft giggle couldn’t help but bubble out of your lungs, “no! Don’t get me wrong, he’s great, but no, sadly, he’s already taken.” 

“Then who is it?” 

“Is it the other guy over there?” Rebecca chimed in as they both sent their glances towards your friends, “the one in the light blue shirt and tinted glasses?”

“Uh, yeah…” you squeaked as you slowly turned to look at Matt as well, “that’s–, uh, that’s him,” you watched as he readjusted his grip on the cue stick in his hand, “that’s my future husband…”

“Hm,” a sliver of judgment slipped out of Henry, “wouldn’t have pegged him to be your type.”

“Well, maybe my type has changed,” you stated, letting your lingering resentment show before you noticed how harsh it had come out and your stomach immediately began to twist and knot in regret, “I–…” you swiftly winched, “sorry,” and averted your gaze, “have a nice evening, uh–, I’m gonna go back to my friends,” you stumbled as you tried to escape. 

Though as you turned to walk away, Henry’s voice found your ears one last time, “bye!” before you heard his fiancé turn to him. 

“Pookie? Would you order me a cosmo?” her voice began to fade into the background, “I’ll go find us a table…” 

You simultaneously felt as if a truck had just run you over as your feet carried you back towards your friends, yet also completely numb, as if you’d been turned into a floating ghost of the person you used to be. 

“Who the hell was that and why do you look like you’re about to throw up?” Foggy asked cautiously as he grabbed two of the bottles in your grasp and handed one off to Matt. 

Passing one of the remaining drinks off to Karen, you then lifted your own up to your lips before tipping it back and downing around half of its contents. Once you tilted the dark green bottle back down, you were out of breath as you began to explain, “that,” you wiped your bottom lip with one of your knuckles, “was my ex,” you used that same finger to hazily point back over your shoulder, “and his fiancé,” your eyes stayed fuzzy as you added, “who happen to be the girl that he cheated on me with for a year before I one day finally caught them together.”

“Oh my god…” Karen breathed, her bottle frozen halfway on its journey up towards her lips. 

“It was on easter,” you shared, “he thought I had gone back home to see my family, but I’d actually decided to secretly do this whole big surprise, like I thought I was in fucking rom-com or something,” you sighed at your past self, “but then when he got home from work, and I was all decked out, waiting on the bed, in bunny ears and everything,” you heatedly gestured to the top of your own head, “he wasn’t alone.”

“Wow…” Foggy stared. 

“Yep…” you exhaled heavily, taking another swig before you made the mistake of glancing back over your shoulder just as Rebecca shrugged off her coat and slinked onto a stool at one of the small tables, “fuck!” you exclaimed as if you’d just stubbed your toe, “she’s even hotter than I remembered. How is that possible?” 

“Oh, she’s not that pretty,” Karen tried, but you swiftly cut her off. 

“You shut your face, she’s basically a human-sized Barbie,” your glare roamed one last time from the top of her platinum locks to the bottoms of her high stilettos, “god…” you sighed as you finally averted your gaze and lifted your bottle to drown your sorrows, “I was such an idiot back there. It was like my brain just stopped working and–, oh my god!” your palm shot up to cover your mouth as you then suddenly recalled the lie that had slipped out. Slowly, your wide eyes drifted to Matt, who still remained silent, “oh no…” 

“What is it?” Foggy chimed in. 

“Matt…” you uttered tensely, knowing your friend well enough to be aware of just how much of the interaction with your ex he had overheard, “I am so sorry…”

“What?” Karen’s glance darted between you both, “what’s going on?”

Paralysing embarrassment churned your stomach and choked out any attempt you made to share the truth. But luckily, as your erratic heartbeat thumped and found Matt’s sharp ears, he eventually filled in instead, “…they thought that she was engaged as well and then assumed that I was the guy.” 

“I am so, so sorry,” you gasped, “I don’t know why I didn’t correct them.”

But to your amazement, Matthew simply shrugged and offered you a reassuring smile, “it’s okay, don’t worry about it.”

“I was just fiddling with my ring and then they just–…” you then snuffed out your frantic explanation and instead repeated once again, “I’m sorry…”

Saddling up beside you, Karen planted a palm on your shoulder, “hey, if that was my ex, then I’d wanna give him some of his own medicine as well,” she stated, “if not just straight up cut off his balls, which is what he really deserves.” 

A faint smile then began to soften your expression as you glanced around at your supportive friends, Foggy briefly reaching out to pat your other shoulder. 

But as you averted your eyes to the nearly empty bottle in your grasp, a thought suddenly struck you like a bolt of lightning, “wait, I have an idea…” your gaze slowly lifted to lock on Matt, “I mean, you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to, I totally get it, but would you mind, just while they are here, to–, uhm…”

Cocking his eyebrow, he finished your sentence, “…to pretend to be your fiancé?” 

“I know, it’s stupid, and I should probably just go home right now instead of playing some weird and immature game of revenge or whatever,” you uttered as you made the decision to lie in the grave you’d dug for yourself, “but I would forever be in your debt, I'm serious.” 

Sucking in a breath, he barely had to think about it before he murmured, “sure.”

“Really?” you gasped, your brows shooting up, “you’ll do it?” 

“Yeah, why not?” Matt shrugged, “it’s the very least he deserves for treating you like that.”

“Oh,” you crossed the short distance between you two and threw your arms around him. It took a second before you felt him hug you back, but when the alcohol got to your head and made you mutter, “I love you,” into his shoulder, a low chuckle rumbled in the lawyer's chest before you parted ways. 

“So,” Karen then began to fish out the colourful spheres and roll them back into the green felt, “do we still wanna play another game?”

“Hell yeah,” Foggy picked a cue stick back up before adding a playful threat, “you’re not beating me again this time, Page.”

Once the table was set up for another round of pool and you were a few turns in, your gaze couldn’t help but wander back towards the other end of the bar too often to keep track of. Though, soon on one of the fleeting looks, your eyes grew wide as you discovered you weren’t the only one sneaking glances.

Discreetly, you shifted closer to Matthew and leaned in to whisper, “he’s looking over,” however, when he then draped an arm around your frame, you couldn’t help but stiffen up, as you hadn’t thought that far in the plan yet, “what are you–”

“Shh,” Matt hushed your squeak, “just lean into me,” he shifted to stand tall behind you, arms enveloped around your form as he slowly drew you back against his chest, “smile,” his low voice tickled the shell of your ear and caused goosebumps to erupt across your skin, “and don’t look at him.” 

Redirecting your vision back towards the game before you, you narrowly managed to catch sight of the silent slut-shaming the other lawyer flashed his friend with but a glance, before he went back to the mischievous mission he was on. 

“Foggy, would you quit it?” Karen grumbled at the man beside her as he wildly waved both of his hands in her periphery, successfully knocking off her concentration as she tried to line up her shot. 

“No way,” he kept up his flapping, even causing Karen’s golden locks to get picked up by the breeze he produced. 

“You’re cheating.”

“Nope, I am not touching you nor the table,” he stated as if he was in court, “distracting you doesn’t break any rules.”

And as she finally made her attempt, the ball didn’t go in, causing her to explode in a roar, “damn it, Fog!”

“Ha, ha, yes!” he jumped as she straightened back up, “you know, I taste something right now, what could that be? Oh yeah, victory. And it tastes sweet as candy store.” 

“Urgh,” Karen rolled her eyes at him before her glare landed upon the both of you, “Matt, your turn. Would you please set him in his place?”

“Gladly,” Matt chuckled, and as he shifted closer to the pool table, he nudged your side and asked, “hey, would you give me a hand?”

Swallowing a chuckle as you already knew he very much didn’t need it, you cocked an eyebrow, “you want my help?”  

“Yeah,” he uttered clearly and let his real message seep through his tone, guiding your gaze to flicker back toward Henry, who’s stare was still locked upon you both, “so come help me.” 

“Oh!” it finally clicked in your brain, “right,” and you swiftly slid in beside him. 

With bated breath, you grabbed Matt’s hand that wasn’t clutching the pole, and guided it over the ivory ball that rested close to one of the corners. As you began to map out and tell him where each of the other spheres were, your eyes flicked over to notice just how close you now stood, as your nose nearly grazed against his stubbly cheek as you murmured guidingly. When you retracted your touch, you barely noticed how a few of Matt’s fingers reacted, faintly following your fading palm for but a second before it floated back down to the white orb below it. 

Once he’d made his shot, you lingered in the proximity and whispered, “do you think they’re buying it?” 

“Hm?” 

“This,” your eyes momentarily flickered back towards your ex across the bar, “us.”

Matthew’s brows then floated up as you reeled him back in to the matter at hand, “oh, I–, probably.” 

“Or should we do something else?” your mind kept on spinning, “I don’t know, I feel like I’ve completely forgotten how all of that works,” you shared, “kinda just numbed and cut off that part of myself after he broke my heart, it was just how I had to get through it, shut down a little bit because suddenly romance was terrifying…”

“...can I ask you something?” he asked quietly after a breath, and when you offered him a hum in confirmation, he uttered, “are you still in love with him?” 

Time stretched out before you finally replied, “I was, for a very long time…” your voice stayed small, “…but no, not anymore… I kind of thought I was, but then seeing him again cleared it all up. All I feel when I look at him now is rage,” you exhaled, “and pity, just because I know him too well, know everything that’s messed up about him…” silence encumbered you both for a moment before you then opened your mouth once more and said, “so, should we hold hands or something?” you asked plainly, though when a genuine laugh then began to billow out of Matthew, your eyes blinked up at him as your brows swiftly knit together, “what?”

“You know,” he tried to snuff out his chuckle, “if I was actually your fiancé, I wouldn’t just stand around and hold your hand all night,” he then leaned in the short distance till his lips nearly tickled the shell of your ear, “I would have dragged you into the bathroom by now and forced the whole bar to hear us fuck.” 

“I–, u-uhm,” you flusteredly stammered as your face began to heat up, “y-yeah, yeah, that’s good too,” you barely registered your own words as they slipped out past your lips, “if that’s what you wanna do–, I mean! Shut up!” you squeezed your eyes shut as soon as you regained your own senses, “just hold my hand, you dick,” you cursed over his laughter as he swiftly slipped his palm into your own.

“Cut it out, Karen,” Foggy’s voice cut through your haze and caught your attention. 

Glancing over, you spotted as Karen was giving him some of his own medicine, pettily leaning into his eye line, “what? You were the one saying that distractions weren’t against the rules,” she continued to glare in hopes of throwing him off his game, “why? Is this not working? Do you need me to scream directly in your ear instead?”

“Oh, would you?” he sarcastically looked to her, his pitch climbing up high at his words, “going deaf in one ear is exactly what I need to beat you.”

As your wandering gaze then flickered back towards the opposite end of the bar, your eyes grew wide as you spotted only Rebecca still seated at the small table, pink cocktail in her grasp. 

“Shit,” you spotted Henry as he crossed the room, confidently walking precisely in your direction, “he’s coming over,” you hissed, and in your muppet-like panic, your hands clasped each side of Matt’s face and yanked him in for a kiss. 

At first, he froze up as you continued to freak out, but then, as his broad palms slowly slid over your waist, all of your alarm began to melt away. It felt as if you were drifting off to sleep as you relaxed into the kiss. Never in your wildest dreams had you imagined that kissing Matt would feel like this, not that such a fantasy was something you pondered often or even at all, but as you felt his tongue flicker out to dance softly against your own, your knees beneath you wobbled as you lost yourself completely. How long the peck drew out remained a mystery, as when you eventually parted, the reasoning behind it wouldn’t emerge in your memory no matter how hard you tried. 

Though as you stood there, blinking back at Matt, still utterly spellbound by the unexpected feelings currently bubbling and bursting inside of you, the man now standing off to the side cleared his throat and brought you back down to earth. 

“Bunny–, I mean, Y/n,” you whipped your head around to catch sight of your ex, “just thought it would have been awkward if I didn’t come over here to introduce myself before me and Becca took off,” he muttered before his gaze fell to Matt, his arms slowly fading from your form, “I'm Henry, nice to meet you,” your ex then offered his hand, though the lawyer by your side didn’t grasp it, even if his heightened senses had lent him to pick up on the gesture. 

“Matt Murdock,” he uttered on a cold exhale. 

Stuffing his rejected palm into his pocket, Henry then asked, “what do you do?” 

“Matthew’s a lawyer,” you took over, slotting yourself into Matt’s side before you dramatically clasped a hand over his chest, “saves people for a living. That’s actually why we’re out celebrating tonight, he just won yet another case.” 

“Oh, well congratulations then,” Henry offered in well-forged petty politeness. 

“Yeah, I was there, watching him do his thing,” you uttered as some bitter goblin of resentment then took over your soul and caused you to say, “and oh boy, I tell you, if only it would have been socially acceptable for me to interrupt the trial just to rip his clothes off, because wow.”

A scoff then rippled in Henry’s chest, “okay, sure,” his stare upon you narrowed as he then grumbled, “we both know you’re not exactly the groupie type of girlfriend.” 

“Well, maybe your sorry ass was never worth her supporting you in that way,” Matt suddenly cut in, “maybe because you never bothered treated her that way in return,” his guess hit the bullseye, “and maybe that has a little something to do with why I was the one to put a ring on her finger and not you,” your heart thumped in your chest as Matt’s touch returned to the small of your back, protectively sliding over your waist as he continued to speak in a low and chillingly stern tone, “that or you really are as terrible of a lay as she told me you were, during those very first nights when she finally learned what it was like to be with someone who wasn’t a complete fucking idiot.” 

Utterly stunned, you watched Henry’s expression as he scrambled his brain for a way to crawl back from that, but eventually, when no suitable words came to his pea-sized brain, his feet slowly began to shuffle back till his hand had snatched up his fiancé’s and he’d yanked her with him out of the bar. 

As the door swung closed behind the pair, a celebratory squeal burst from your lungs, “oh my god! Matt, that was incredible!” you jumped in place before throwing your arms around him, “I don’t know how to thank you.” 

Tangling his own arms around you, he uttered, “I’m sure we’ll come up with some way you can make it up to me.” 

And as you withdrew, just enough to smile back at him, your gaze began to drift back down towards his lip just before Foggy’s voice cut through the palpable tension.

“Do I need to remind you guys that you’re not actually engaged?” 

“No,” Matt then murmured as the two of you parted ways, quietly enough for his words to be completely inaudible, “but we could be...” 

“What?” you glanced over at him. 

“What?” he echoed in return, though a bit too quickly. 

“Did you say something?”

“Me? No,” he tried to conceal his lie with a cough, “I-I, uh, think it’s your turn,” he then changed the subject, gesturing to the pool table behind you. 

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