────── nirvana, måneskin, tyler the creator, hyunjin, orelsan. music taste's a mess. ready player one, criminal minds, superman 2025, castle, young justice. tv show/movie tastes are diversified as well.
────── VALENTINES DAY DISCOUNT. galentines event, day two.
pairing: roy harper (arsenal) x reader.
you brought your good old friend Roy to a flea market to refurnish your apartment. an elderly lady mistakes you for a couple and gives you a 50 percent off discount -why not keep it going? it's great for your wallet.
tags: no use of y/n, lack of capitalization, 2nd person pov, fake dating kinda trope, post recovery!roy, lian doesn't exist in this (sry)
warnings: none.
w/c: 1.9k
notes: i didn't want the usual ikea setup so i picked a flea market... and now it's not as 'pretend' as it was meant to be. fuck it we ball
it took everything in you to force Roy out of his apartment so he'd come shopping with you. you needed a bag holder, and as his somewhat best friend, you had every right to use him for that purpose. he'd been complaining the whole journey there, obviously, all the while blasting the worst UK rap songs known to mankind through your car speakers (he's the worst passenger princess ever).
once you find the flea market your aunt had talked to you about, and spend around forty minutes to find a place to park, you finally are able to stretch your legs.
you turn your head, and Roy is drooling, like he has every right to.
you smack his arm.
"what the f-" he whisper-shouts, mind foggy, but you cut him off to "language," as he sits up. "are we there?"
"yup," you reply, the 'p' popping.
the first stand was an elderly woman's, and on top of the ugliest counter you've ever seen, stood the prettiest lamp you've ever seen.
"oh my god, i love this one!" you exclaim, bringing Roy along. he was busy acting nonchalant, hands in his pockets, but let out a high pitched yelp when you grabbed him by the bicep.
the kind lady soon enough walked over you, busy fawning over the lamp, which looks like a lily of the valley. "she's really pretty, right?"
"the girl?" he asks, voice soft. the woman snorts, "the lamp, silly! i do agree that your girlfriend is more than beautiful."
that grabs your attention. "what were you saying?"
professional, she avoids the question and steps forward. "nothing much... you seem to love that one! it was my favorite too, once, but i forgot about it over the course of life."
"i'd treat it real good, ma'am," you assure, and she laughs, voice soft. "see," you start, "i need pretty things to go in my brand new apartment and it's just the kind of stuff i love."
she smirks. "first apartment? i'll give you a reduction. i know what it's like, to move in with a man..." she points to Roy. "your boyfriend seems kind, but not quite like the home decorator type. lemme offer you $20 dollars."
expecting three times the price, you choke a little on your saliva. "oh my god, thanks! i... yeah, my boyfriend won't be as helpful as you, but hey, he's got those strong arms to carry that! thanks, a lot!" you reach for your purse, handing her the money, which she gladly takes.
"of course, dear!"
Roy is looking at vintage car pins and completely oblivious to the good deal you just made when you grab him by the hand and walk away, waving goodbye.
"man, i just got 70% off for this cutie!" you breathe, in awe.
raising a brow while squeezing your hand, he hums, non-committal. "how'd you do it?"
"i practically didn't do anything. she said we were, like, a cute couple or something, and that you didn't seem like an interior designer, so she gave me a discount." he scoffs at that.
"i decorate really well. my apartment is real pretty," he mumbles. you lightly hit his forearm, your laugh discreet as you reply, "not really. but point is, we're going to roleplay today."
he raises his brow further up but smirks as he comments, "oh, kinky." it has you rolling your eyes. "as boyfriend-girlfriend, idiot. so they give me discount. i'm sure that they can pity me, 'cause seriously, if that was real, i'd be doing charity work going out with the likes of you."
"using our big girl words now, are we?" you scoff. "at least i graduated." he holds up his hands, leaving yours all cold. "woah there, didn't know we were going band for band."
you present your hand, palm up. "you're being overly dramatic, boyfriend. may your ego be less easily hurt."
he happily interlinks your fingers and pulls you with him, skipping in the middle of the stands. you laugh and join him until an apothecary desk catches your eye.
"look, Roy, isn't it so cute?"
it takes him a minute to spot the desk, but eventually, he scrunches his nose. "yeah, for the nineteenth century." it has you scoffing, "whatever, you've got shitty tastes anyway."
after a little negociation and a fake argument, you leave the stand with the desk on a cart. "not sure this is gonna fit in your truck, girlfriend," he muses. you muse back, "well it's your job to make it fit, boyfriend," semi-annoyed.
it does, indeed, take twenty minutes to make sure it won't fall off as soon as you start driving. but it does work, and before he can even take a seat, you call after him while carefully securing your lamp in the backseat.
"who said we were done? i saw an adorable mirror on our way here, plus, i want new books."
he groans and stands back up, muttering some "didn't know you could even read."
the whole afternoon is spent that way, buying small furniture and decorations (the desk was already bigger than necessary), making him hold most of it, and of course, making sure to get that couple discount by either acting cute together, or arguing enough to make the owner uncomfortable and force them into offering a reduction.
Roy loved it. especially since he got to hold your hand and make snarky comments the whole time.
around 6pm, when many people were packing up and yourselves hadn't found an interesting object in a while, you decide it is time to wrap it up. you're holding a paper bag full of old editions you never got the chance to dream of, plus a new flower pot for yet another plant you'll kill off in two weeks.
Roy is holding a box full of mirrors, mini statues, organizers and many useful things that he finds too heavy (but he'd never complain, you'd tease him relentlessly).
that was a great day so far. he wasn't about to complain.
and Roy Harper was a man of communication.
"y'know what," he starts when all new purchases are carefully stacked in your backseat, "i didn't expect to have so much fun. i'm more of an ikea guy myself, but-" you scoff, "oh, we can tell."
he rolls his eyes and opens the door to the passenger seat. "who's we?"
"me and the kind old lady who thinks you have no taste in matter of interior design."
"she complimented my taste in women though."
you buckle up and send him an amused, tho confused, glance. "what do you mean?"
he shrugs. he's not even sure himself. "whatever," you say.
you realizing, halfway through, that you're low on gas. "browse for gas stations near us, bum."
he protests, arguing he was doing sudokus on his phone and needed concentration, but facing your lack of response, he opens safari real quick. "you were nicer to me when you were pretending to wife me up."
"you'dbe the wife?" is all you can retort, trying not to blush at the mention of how serious you got to obtain the Hera statue half-price -claiming that you needed the goddess of marriage in order to propose to your oblivious boyfriend.
he replies, twirling his hair, "don't you think i'm prettier than you?"
you chuckle. "the prettiest of them all," you say. "can my bride tell me where the actual fuck i can find a gas station?" "no problem, sir."
fifteen minutes later, tank filled up, you're eating chips in your car, awfully parked next to the station in itself.
"i had fun pretending," he declares after a moment of silence.
you shrug it off, "it was natural. we didn't have to kiss, it was just... it was nothing," you try to reply with a voice as certain as his. he catches on and turns his head towards you.
"i liked how you talked about my height, and how we'd have to struggle for it to be at a comfortable height for the both of us," he starts, which has you turning your head to him. "i know it was during the pretending times, but you always do that -imagining me in your space, i mean. thanks for that."
you snort, "what's with that appreciation stuff? are we in a Montessori friendship?"
he smiles but doesn't laugh. "hey, i'm serious!"
your laughter dies down into an appreciative smile. "okay, sorry. yeah, i don't know why i do that. it's just... i like having you in my space, first of all. though you invade it more than you just exist in it, mostly."
he smirks. you don't say much more.
he turns his head to look at the poorly painted brick wall in front of you. "i wish there was a sunset right there, at least my words would have more of an impact."
you laugh and grab a handful of his chips, "they do, don't doubt yourself, queen."
he turns to look at you (what a weathervane) and smiles. you try to ask him what's he looking at, but end up spilling crumbs on your hoodie.
"ew, gross," he says with a smile, before sighing. "girl, i'm so in love with you."
you nearly choke, and barely manage to swallow before you talk again.
"you cannot be telling me this with crumbs all over my clothes." he laughs, "sorry, but nothing's ideal so far. not really your kind of grand gestures, i know you can be quite a romantic."
you sigh and smile, honest, amused, probably a little flustered too.
"it's okay. i'll do better once i propose to you," you offer with a shrug. he smiles, wide.
you don't last a second more. "whatever, come here," you mutter before your hand comes up to the back of his neck. satisfied, eager, and way too casual for your liking, he leans in and kisses you.
it's all soft and unassumed, both parties waiting for the other to fully give in. you do first, lips opening ever so slightly.
Roy's a messy eater; he's also a messy kisser. as soon as your mouth is half-opened, he's got his tongue on your lower lip, then dancing the tango with your own tongue. one hand is at the back of your seat, the other rests on your knee, and when you pull back, he smiles sheepishly, his lips forming the most beautiful yet weird shape you've ever seen.
"terrible 'asking out' skills, Harper. you better buy me dinner once you ask me to be your girlfriend officially," you demand.
he makes a face. "but we've always done casual. and you started it!"
"we barely held hands! plus, it was for my wallet's interest," you counter.
he pecks your lips and smiles like a dumbass before he leans in once more. "it was a great sample, i'll admit," he says. "promise i'll take you to dinner. we could even pretend to be on the brink of divorce!"
"i want custody of the lamp."
"hell, i want to not have custody of the desk. ugly ass, heavy shit," he states before he kisses you once more.
you lost a diary and found a new not-so-secret admirer; anyone would consider it a good trade.
tags: no use of y/n, second person pov, lack of capitalization, high school au, no powers/vigilante stuff, invaded privacy? (secret diary read by 1 (one) person), secret admirer.
warnings: none.
wc: 2k
notes: is it rushed? yes. (i thought i'd have more time but we're the first, it's 3.02pm, and i just finished the first version, which i will not re-read nor correct. i hope it's still enjoyable? i feel like it lacks emotional depth, but i'm not used to short stories. feedback would be appreciated!
when you found it in your locker, it had been six days since you'd last seen it.
brown cover, absolutely spotless with how much care you took of it, its pages almost completely filled with thoughts, reflections, worries, little joys, all from the past seven months; your diary sat in your hands, your face in a rumpled expression. you were confused. you'd thought you had lost it for good, already mentally ready to face the embarrassement as someone you barely knew handed it to you.
you hadn't written embarrassing things, at least not the worst parts -nothing about your sexuality, your big fat crush on Kori, the transfer student you'd only talked to when you showed her around the school, nor what your thoughts seemed like when she entered your field of view.
you were safe, sure, but not completely; no one would recover from the unease felt after someone's read those private thoughts one lays down to tie the threads in a more coherent pictures. private thoughts, needless to say.
"whatcha looking at?" Roy asks gruffly -good friend of yours, worth bothering for. you put the diary back where it belongs, in your locker, and close it. "thought i'd lost it," you shrug off, heading for third period, your history manual long forgotten underneath the aforementionned diary.
"lost what?" he inquires, since yeah -your inner monologue not being available to him, he couldn't guess what you were talking about. "my notebook, the neat one," you say, quickening your steps to remain to Roy's level instead of falling behind.
he hums, non-committal, before switching the topic to his cigarettes, which had been confiscated by the counselor three days ago. he had said it was a sign to stop; he is now going through withdrawal.
after history class, you part ways, and you go back to your locker, considering buying a lock on your way there. swiftly, you take your diary and exit the building, avoiding your friends who'll probably ask you to sit next to them for lunch.
you want a little alone time, nothing wrong with that -eventually, they should understand.
once sat at the back of the facility, you open said 'notebook', and a letter falls from it.
the enveloppe is a soft pink, and it smells like vanilla with a citrus note. probably perfume -this one seems familiar.
well, someone probably read your diary -it's totally fair you open the enveloppe and read its content, right?
inside of it, there is plain white paper. the handwriting -black ink, by the way- is round and bubbly, all dots (on top of i's, on exclamation marks, as periods) being a heart instead. cute.
you still as you read the first words.
Hello friend!
I must apologize, because I have betrayed your trust by reading those pages. Please do not feel uncomfy because of my intrusion, it was out of sheer curiosity! And i won't talk about it to anyone, I promise.
I'll admit I found it fascinating how your thought path works. You never got quite personal in your diary, which is strange, but understandable since you leave it unattended quite often.
I won't reveal my identity as it is quite thrilling to have a secret, but I'll admit I truly admire your writing and intricate mind.
Does that make me a secret admirer? I think so! I'd love to be yours, then.
of course, Kori-fuckin-and'r would find it -and think her personality wouldn't immediately show through. it is quite cute, and hey, she is complimenting your messed up mind for being so all over the place, what is there to complain about?
plus, you'd think it'd end there, that after this secret admirer thing, she'd forget about the diary, letters, and go back to living her life with her cool-ass friends.
but if Kori is one thing, it's thorough -much to your dismay.
every school day since the 7th january, you have been receiving a vanilla-and-citrus-perfumed letter, signed by your secret admirer; over the weeks, it turns to 'your mysterious lover'. devastingly cute. on the other hand, you're on the brink of dying from heart failure at how thoughtful it is.
each and every letter was dedicated to list every single trait of yours she liked, praise you even for the more insignificant success, express her wishes to walk up to you to have these conversations on one-on-one, and so on.
she never once wrote a lustful thing about you. she didn't compliment your eyes or your writing over and over again, but she's been earnest, admitting she wanted to cuddle up and get comfortable with you once she'd ran out on things to compliment. it seemed she refused to let go of this fun little habit, which was to observe you and write something that'll make you happy.
she goes so far as to skip classes just to see you open and read her letters. you don't notice that right away, though.
Kori even searched for alternatives to help Roy overcome his smoking problem. you wrote about it once. you just made a list, three weeks ago, about things he could do to stop smoking weed (he started cigarettes in the meantime). of course, in the meantime, his cigs had been confiscated. but she wrote, in one of her letters, that gum could help and it did help Roy, and that piece of advice was just so nice and cute.
so you wrote back.
Dear 'secret admirer',
The gum works (mostly), thanks a lot for the advice
You should know you write like you talk. Hearts and all
Thx for the letters tho!
Kori couldn't stop smiling. Rachel told her she'd get her face stuck like that. as Roy and you were eating lunch in the cafeteria, occupying a whole table for yourselves, making sure no randos come and sit at your designated table; however, Kori couldn't be more oblivious and almost skips on the way to your table.
Roy raises an eyebrow and smirks. "solar flare incoming, girl."
you turn around to see who he's talking about and spin back to watch him with wide eyes. "fuck what do i do? what do i say? Roy im gonna have a heart attack-" before you can panick some more, he stands up. "aw, i just remembered i really needed to ask Dick about... something. you're on your own for this one!"
you wince and watch him leave the table as Koriand'r sits at his place, watching him leave with confusion written all over her face.
she's adorable.
then she turns back to you with a blinding smile and you might just faint right here.
"your writing is beautiful," she blurts out, chipping her nail polish, bubbliness not erasing her nervous state.
"so is yours," you reply, a slow smile spreading over your face, your own cheeks flushing, "really... sincere."
it began there, on that table usually reserved for moody, cool-ass teens like Roy and yourself. Kori brightened the whole thing, she brought the sunshine, and before you knew it, your friend groups had merged. Roy didn't seem to mind and actually grew quite close with the others; you only talked to your not-secret-anymore admirer. Roy said you two were disgustingly poetic.
yet no moves were made.
because you "weren't sure". it could be dire kindness. she just likes your random to-do lists that you never finish and maybe you're just attracted by what she represents, who knows? maybe you're mistaken -do you even know yourself that well?
Kori is now a confident. she told you about her loneliness, the strange weight that comes with being a "charming foreigner", a "cute alien". you told her about your own issues. both of you, once the other was done talking, had offered reassuring words.
you started doing hangouts -with the whole friendgroup, of course. somehow, it always ended in a context where you had to hold hands. Roy teased you about it the next morning.
"i'm pretty sure you've always handled horror movies well, twin. and she was laughing the whole time," he says, waiting for you to retort. "it was bonding, as friends, you know."
he suppresses a laugh, "you're so gone on her."
Koriand'r is very much aware of her own feelings. she knows what she feels, is unapologetic about it, and to be honest, she thinks you've already caught on.
and when she invites you at her house to hang out, the two of you, no Roy, no Dick, no Rachel, no Victor, no Wally- the TWO OF YOU!!- you can't help but think it is out of sorority. kindness. whimsy or whatever.
Kori likes CDs, she likes popstars, and she recently bought a new album. you listen to it while sharing earphones -you don't bother telling her she could just blast it on her stereo, because it's much more intimate that way.
a song talks about unrequited love. she looks up at you. "you know, i have some more letters somewhere in there. they're.. different from the others. i didn't dare sending them, as these were much more... not quite..." she struggles with her words, but it fades into background noise. she wrote for you then; she still had some more. how come you got so lucky? heat crawls up your neck and your cheeks are burning.
"Koriand'r," you whisper, voice rough.
she looks up at you and closes her mouth, lips tight, trying to suppress a shy smile. she bites down on her plump, rosy lip. your gaze drops down to watch the way the light reflects on her glossy lips, and it doesn't waver. you feel hot, yet try to mentally force your cheeks to find a normal colour.
she reaches out, tracing the line of your jaw, a gesture so tender it makes your eyes flutter shut. she breathes your name back, andswer and prayer at the same time.
when your lips meet, it's a bit awkward, and it takes time for you to get used to the other's rythm; yours is deliberate, gentle, unassumed, while hers is eager, heartfelt, full of unspoken words.
she tastes like strawberry shortcake. and an industrial kind of raspberry -probably the gloss.
once you've found common grounds, it grows heated, and she leans back, pulling you on top of her. when you break apart, your foreheads rest together for a few seconds before Kori wraps her arms around you to pull you in the tightest hug. you giggle though her grip is stronger than it looks, crushing you, and wrap your own arms around her shoulders. her head is buried in your neck, curly hair tickling your face, and she giggles, "i have been burning for you," she says, voice light and words heavy with love. "i love your mind, and your thoughts, and your handwriting even if it's hard to read. and you're so, so pretty-" you cut her off: "woah, easy there." she pulls back to look at you.
you sit up to properly straddle her.
"i.. myself... have been having some sort of feelings? i thought i was just like the others, charmed by the unknown, but Kori..." you lean down to peck her lips. "you're the most wonderful woman i've ever had the chance to meet."
she bites down her lip. you raise a brow. "what?"
"i'm trying not to say i love you. can i write it? i still wanna write letters. oh, i have so many things to say!"
credit to @pinksplace & @wildflowersandvibranium !! i've started to write some of these and i'll try to be consistent (no promises tho; my goal is to finish it, never said anything abt being on time)
these fics feature... artemis grace, bruce wayne (batman), clark kent (superman), diana prince (wonder woman), dick grayson (nightwing), hal jordan (green lantern), jade nguyen (cheshire), jason todd (red hood), kaldur'ahm (aqualad), koriand'r (starfire), lois lane, lucius fox, minhkhoa khan (ghost maker), roy harper (arsenal), selina kyle (catwoman), talia al-ghul, tim drake (red robin), wally west (kid flash)
i, sending&receiving love letters, ft. Koriand'r. (high school AU)
ii, Valentine's day discount & pretend (swap out), ft. Roy Harper.
iii, "is this okay?" ft. Diana Prince.
iv, berry picking date, ft. Clark Kent.
v, strawberries and chocolate, ft. Artemis Grace.
vi, you don't make it to dinner, ft. Bruce Wayne.
vii, "do you think I would make a good parent?" ft. Hal Jordan.
viii, "i want you so badly it hurts to hold back," ft. Talia Al-Ghul.
ix, lace/lingerie, ft. Hal Jordan.
x, hiding under a blanket to hide their blush, ft. Kaldur'ahm.
xi, flowers, ft. Tim Drake.
xii, "you're such a nerd," ft. Jason Todd.
xiii (a), oh no! there's only one bed, ft.
xiii (b), breakfast in bed, ft. Jade N'guyen.
FEBRUARY 14TH! CANDLELIGHT...
⇃ with more characters ⇂
clark kent, "it's not like we never shared a dinner whilst working late before. it doesn't have to mean anything different just because of the day."
diana prince, "i thought that since we both had nowhere to be today, we could make a day out of it. just you and me."
dick grayson, "i'm happy i got to spend the day with someone i care about."
hal jordan, "you're telling me you've got nowhere better to be than here today?!"
jade nguyen, "i'm guessing the fact that you're already home will tell me everything i need to know about how your date went?"
jason todd, "i just think it's a little more effort than someone would normally put in for their friend."
lois lane, "if you want to know who put these flowers at your desk, i'm ready to put your mind at ease."
luke fox, "thanks for making today a little less depressing."
minhkhoa khan, "afterparty at mine? the two of us?"
roy harper, "before you say anything about me being home today, i want to remind you that you are too."
selina kyle, "has it occured to you that we've spent more Valentine's days with each other than people we've been dating?"
wally west, "i bet i can woo you with just one date." "you suck."
i used prompts from this post for the february 14th prompts! credits to the op.
onlyfeng 2026,, do not feed my work (or any writer's, ever) to AI. not original ideas -feel free to take inspiration as long as you tag the original creators.
¹⁾ “you really planned this?! remind me how you’re single, again?”
²⁾ “thanks for making today a little less depressing.”
³⁾ “has it occurred to you that we’ve spent more valentine’s days with each other than with people we’ve actually been dating?”
⁴⁾ “c’mon, like i need an excuse to spend time with you.”
⁵⁾ “i can’t help but think that this is a little more effort than someone would normally put in for their friend.”
ੈ✩‧₊˚ coworkers to lovers
¹⁾ “if you’re still wondering who left those flowers at your desk, i think i’m ready to put your mind at ease.”
²⁾ “you’re telling me you really have nowhere better to be than here today?”
³⁾ “c’mon, it’s not like haven’t shared a dinner whilst working late before. it doesn’t have to mean anything different just because of the day that’s in it.”
⁴⁾ “someone’s been leaving valentines for me all over the building today, and i’m pretty sure i know who.”
⁵⁾ “i don’t have any plans after work, and i know you haven’t either. how about we keep each other company instead of spending it alone?”
ੈ✩‧₊˚ roommates to lovers
¹⁾ “before you say anything about me being at home tonight, i want to remind you that you are too.”
²⁾ “i thought that since we both had nowhere to be today, we could make a day of it. just ourselves.”
³⁾ “i’m guessing that the fact you’re already home will tell me everything i need to know about how your date went.”
⁴⁾ “wow, someone’s looking good. hot date, or what?”
⁵⁾ “i’m happy i got to spend the day with someone i actually care about.”
ੈ✩‧₊˚ exes to lovers
¹⁾ “don’t tell me; you had so much fun with me last year, that you just couldn’t resist spending it with me again.”
²⁾ “wow, you really don’t have anyone special in your life at the minute.”
³⁾ “ i wanted to treat you how i should’ve before.”
⁴⁾ “you really thought i wouldn’t remember what you like? please, give me a little credit.”
⁵⁾ “maybe if things had gone like this every year, we wouldn’t have ended up the way we did.”
ੈ✩‧₊˚ secret relationship
¹⁾ “are you telling me we can’t do anything to mark the day?”
²⁾ “i understand if you don’t want to, but i wanted to tell you that i planned a few things for us today.”
³⁾ “it’s so much less than what you deserve, but it’s all i could think to do given the circumstances.”
⁴⁾ “and here i was, expecting just an anonymous bunch of flowers.”
⁵⁾ “i couldn’t think of a better night to show everyone how in love with you i am.”
Pink aka @pinksplace and I, have some very special dates and treats planned as we host our new Tumblr Wide Galentines Collab writing event! She’s sweet and/or spicy However you decide to spend your Valentines we gotcha covered with both!
Check back soon on either of our pages for more info! Or comment for any questions and/or if you would like to be tagged on the official collab post!
Rules and Q’s:
When is it? - - This event will run from February 1st through February 14th (Valentine’s Day!)
Who can join? - - We are opening this to anyone and everyone who would like to join! Whether you are just starting, a seasoned tumblrian, write fluff, angst, smut or all! we have a ticket waiting just for you! :)
What Fandom(s) are participating? - - This will be for characters in the MCU/DCU fan base! Comic, canon, etc!!!
How will it work? - - Each day there will be two prompts associated with that date! One on the sweeter side and one on the spicy side! But, don’t let that limit how you choose to interpret the prompt! There is a mix of Dialouge, Tropes and Scenarios throughout! If there is any time or day the prompt isn’t speaking to you…We have provided a few swap outs (both sweet and spice) you can use any time, once! You can combine the sweet and spicy prompts into one fic or, you can pick one out of the two or, write two separate fics/drabbles etc, for both!
Fic Size? - - You have full creative freedom on the length of your fics! It can be a blurb, drabble, ficlet or full on plot filled story! You choose! Muah
Extra Info:
This is a non commitment collab! So feel free to join as much or as little as you would like! There is NO pressure, just sweet Valentine’s Day themed fun!
We cannot wait to see you all there! -with so much love, Isla and Pink! 💋🎀
— THE THIRST; STARE, DON'T TOUCH.
first part of the aftertaste series.
pairing: kaldur'ahm x reader
(PREVIEW) Manta's son is one of a kind, of course you'd fall for him when his father handpicks you as his lieutenant. your relationship may be peculiar -as Kaldur insists you mustn't fall for him-, you soon acknowledge you'd do anything for him, even if that involves treason.
tags: no use of y/n, 2nd person pov, lack of capitalization, fem!reader, morally grey probably.
warnings: heavy Young Justice season two spoilers (basically the whole plot).
notes: it's only a preview for a much longer, multi part fic, but i need to see people actually care abt it to motivate myself.
the perpetual movement of the waves always makes you remember everything. water memory or, more likely, the familiarity of it all.
it helps remembering your mother’s last, frantic breaths, bubbles fading into the dark abysses you lived in. it helps remembering the way you left to live as a homeless teen in a coastal town, hiding your gills and avoiding the beach at all costs.
the sea itself remembers how you shamefully came back to serve your mother’s protector, because it was all you knew. you couldn’t have cared less about his motives, unless maybe had it been coral destruction. you just wanted to have a place to belong to.
it -the sea- remembers your first murder, the arsons, the hurt you’ve caused on purpose, just to earn your place in the slightest.
everything brought you here, to this moment. the sea brought you to him. you didn’t feel a particular connection to it, to him -the ocean- but you liked to believe in destiny. helped you get through shit.
you broke the water surface without a sound. you’d always been stealthy. a monument to grace, restraint. so good at making yourself invisible. so, so good at being forgotten.
not quite like a ghost or some sea creature. more like a shadow, trying hard not to be a bother, and succeeding.
as you emerged from the dark waters, two figures stood there, noticeable only thanks to the faint glow of the moonlight. you would wait, then would be acknowledged, you would take your place, easy peazy.
but then again, he was some kind of child soldier, with the instincts of a marine. he moved his father to the side, and he charged. you dropped, took a step back, and grabbed your halberd. you extended it, not to kill but to strike his calf, which you missed. you didn’t get the chance to prepare for another strike of his though, though you were wary, because Black Manta then moved forward, one heavy step being enough to stop the both of you. you lowered your halberd. his son did not lower his water blades, but his expression tempered. very, very slightly. it was mistrust instead of threat assessment now.
oh, joy.
“Kaldur.” he turned his back to you, a hand on his son’s shoulder, “she is Idiya’s daughter.”
Kaldur’ahm looked up at his father in confusion. for someone who had never lived in Black Manta’s circle, he probably didn’t know much about whom had lived before he came. but her, he definitely knew about. his father’s lieutenant. the fiercest, most loyal soldier that ever existed in Black Manta’s ranks. the most phenomenal ghost to ever overcome, for Manta’s respect for her was too great. you owed your survival to her ghost. that’s probably what Kaldur saw first, you thought.
because you saw yourself through his eyes, right away. a problem.
only then did the red gaze of the helmet swing your way
“this is my son. you know.”
a few days earlier, you were in a dark echoing chamber. you had pledged allegiance, no, you had sworn to dedicate your life, to someone you were to meet later on. it was an abstract oath then. now, it seemed pretty clear that this was an oath Kaldur’ahm never accepted, one that he had never heard of.
you bowed your head, curtly, shortly, maintaining that bland face you’ve learned to keep over the last few years. “I have taken the liberty of hand-picking your lieutenant. right hand woman, if you will.” Black Manta’s voice didn’t leave much room for debate. he added, “she has to prove herself worthy, because, and you’ll understand I’m sure, blood proves very little loyalty.”
the hypocrisy wasn’t lost on you. it was even so vast you almost let your eyes roll.
you didn’t have any reason to be here. standing in front of Manta and his son. you could have -should have- gone away, escaped, and honestly, at the time they wouldn’t have found the care to chase after you.
maybe it was all you’d known -living by Manta’s rules.
maybe then, meeting Kaldur and having someone with whom making the journey to Manta’s trusted circle was the best thing you could get. and as you looked at him, for real this time, his conflicted gaze, the set of his jaw, yeah, maybe it wasn’t so bad.
onlyfeng,, 2025. please don't feed my work (or any writer's, ever) to AI. this work is an original idea of mines, please credit if you decide to write your take on it.
merry christmas please dont call by bleachers is so batfam its crazy.
picking my fav quotes:
“Cause everybody’s gone it’s Just you and your anger” SO Bruce Wayne after his parents died.
“Oh golden boy, don’t act like you were kind. You were mine but you were awful every time. So don’t tell them what you told me, Don’t hold me like you know me” dick grayson after he moved out at 16
“But you should know that I died slow Running through the halls of your haunted home And the toughest part is that we both know What happened to you Why you’re out on your own Merry Christmas, please don’t call” JASON TODD!!!
“You really left me on the line kid Holding all your baggage You know I'm not your father” TIM DRAKE
“Oh golden boy you shined a light on our home And at your best, you were magic, we were sold” all the other Robins about dick grayson
to be honest all of the song could be all of them but these are my first thoughts.
I see your "reader who knew Jason before he died" and I raise you "reader who doesn't meet Jason for the first time until years after his revival."
For the first time, he has the chance to be known as him. Not Robin, not the angry kid he was, not even the storm of rage having freshly risen from The Pitt.
But as Jason Todd, the grown man who's seen way too much for a lifetime, who knows pain like an old friend, and who is trying so hard to be something greater than his death.
He can finally form a relationship with no expectations, with someone who isn't haunted by his corpse, and with knowing that the person looking back at him doesn't want him to be any other version of himself other than how he is right now.
That doesn't mean the reader doesn't know. It would take a long time, but he'd finally be able to tell the story to someone who doesn't see it as a tragedy, but as resilience. Not the ugly death of what once was, but the birth of something new and beautiful just the way it is.
Dare I say Jason todd views of justice and morality versus Bruce Waynw views of justice and morality
Whenever the topic of Jason Todd is bought up DC writers likes to push a certain narrative that he's the "angry robin" because he didn't follow Batman moral code ,Which I will be biased with this statement but Jason has every right to go against batman moral code aswell him being angry is valid
This man grew up in the slums of Gotham where the system was heavily in favor of the rich and believe that the poor should remain poor. He has witnessed innocent people being killed by bad people who keep repeating such crimes with them not facing severe consequences, So it makes sense for Jason to see that the only acceptable way to serve justice is to execute such bad people which will make a much more controlled and safe environments for innocent civilians
He was right to go against batman "No kill" rule cause that rule gives villains such as Joker the chance to repeat deranged crimes towards innocent individuals ,Is this rule actually serving justice? Will this rule protect Gotham? In my opinion no ,It won't keep Gotham safe,Because such rhetoric makes us adapt to.such terrible problem rather than finding a solution to the problem .
I wish DC could see Jason todd potential as a character rather than putting him to the side and poking fun at him (DC is lowk classist themselves too)
I genuinely wanna see some opposing ideas in the comments too lol
i think the reason why i have such a hard time writing for dick is because he is me and i am him and last time i tried to write a fic about him i CRIED with my google docs open and ended up deleting the doc
also i’m on the SA survivor Dick agenda and I can’t not talk about it but then again it hits too close to home and then i’m just🧍🏽
your journey, from somehow baby trapping Gotham’s prince(ss), playboy billionaire, to the bittersweet feelings you nurture towards Bruce Wayne, to some kind of love.
────── masterlist! playlist!
— MAIN SERIES.
i, loose ends.
ii, everything but real love.
iii, precious things.
iv, sweet escape.
v, enjoy the silence.
vi, pure possession.
— DRABBLES ; ONESHOTS.
𓃭 ,, winning them over.
𓃭 ,, finding out.
𓃭 ,, mother material.
𓃭 ,, nightmares handling.
(PREVIEW) when you meet Jason again, he's surprised you're just happy to learn he's "back in Gotham" instead of worrying about the fact that he should be dead and buried.
tags: no use of y/n, lack of capitalization, 2nd person pov, childhood friends to strangers to lovers, mutual pining, meeting your childhood unrequited crush on a thursday afternoon (both of you) (the crush was indeed requited),
warnings: none?
notes: i'm having fun with this one! it's cute and changes from the usual angsty undertones of my other fics (also! it may be “airhead!reader”, it’s no dumb gal, js long-term memory issues, i still don’t do weak women, so no worries!)
you were on your way back from the dentist (routine checkup) when you crashed into a man -a large one. he was coming out of a bakery, a pie (or cake?) in his right hand and a half-eaten donut in the other. instinctively, he put the box out of reach and put his hand on your shoulder, donut falling on the ground.
“oops- sorry, sir, I-” you cut yourself off, his glare sending shivers down your spine. but beyond the feeling you were an annoyance on his way, recognition washed over you. you were pretty sure you knew the guy.
you tilt your head. “have we met before?”
“don’t think we have,” he simply says, opening the box to make sure his pastry was intact. he doesn’t even bother to glance your way but yours remain fixated on him. okay, he’s handsome, he’s scarred, but you’re sure you’ve seen him somewhere. where he looked different. “i’m pretty sure we have met, though.”
“listen, woman, i don’t know what kind of flirting technique this is, but…” he stops and squints.
then tentatively mutters your name. like he doesn't quite believe it.
your whole face breaks into a beaming smile, mouth half open. of course you recognize the guy. you two parted ways before the 5th grade, when he left the public school you both attended for a private school where Bruce Wayne had financed a scholarship for him.
“dear Lord- hi Jason! it’s been a while, you’ve grown so, so much -do you have lenses on? i’m pretty sure you had blue eyes!”
he then used his now free arm, donut long since forgotten on the sidewalk, to pull you into a quick hug. it’s warm and honest, but it shows it’s more the gesture than the thought. you can feel it, the way he wants to offer you recognition and kindness, doing it as if mirroring the acts he’s seen on TV.
you blame it on him living amongst rich people -though he doesn’t look like one, right now. at first glance, he doesn’t wear big brands, his hair is tousled (and it adds to that rebellious charm he’s had since forever) and he looks honest, maybe raw around the edges. still him.
“hi, you have- you’ve changed a lot, too.” you smile at that, having a hard time locking gaze with him -something you’ve always struggled doing with him, honestly- but taking the sight of him in anyway. and man, he looks fucking handsome.
you look back up at him and smile, something so soft it leaves him a little breathless. “how has life been treating you, Jay?”
it takes him a few seconds to get it back together. he knows his kind of women. he doesn’t believe in ‘having a type’, but on the record, he always went for the one that meant no good (maybe because himself believed he didn’t deserve better). he underestimated how your warmth and familiarity would hit him.
square in the chest.
“I, uh, good? I guess?” he manages, suddenly passionate about the cake/pie/whatever box’s damaged corner.
“mhmm,” you hum, amused, light-hearted, without an ounce of suspicion. “what do you do for a living?” you tilt your head to catch his gaze (which you can barely hold), one of the passersby shouldering him. “I- I fix cars.” “you’re a mechanic?” “I’m a mechanic.” “cool!”
“how about you?” he tries, regaining some of his gruffness. “I work in a campaign office! you know, tryna make a difference and everything…” you trail off, unsure of where you’re leading this sentence to. “of course you would. are you… i guess you’re finished with your studies?” “yep! are you?” “i, uh… never finished. didn’t… whatever. no, i don’t really have a diploma. to… answer the question.”
you barely hide your surprise. “really? you’re- i mean, if i recall correctly, you were one hell of an academic weapon!” before he can reply, you resume, “but of course, it’s totes okay to focus on other things, no judgment coming from me.”
he offers a tight smile, one that’s rehearsed, the kind that betrays how he barely knows how to show kindness. he is kind, does acts of kindness on the daily, but to look affable? different thing.
you see right through it, or, more likely -you decide to interpret it. same thing.
“life just happened. i’m satisfied, right now, so…” he shrugs. you smile. “that’s all that counts. can I… can I give you my number? to catch up?” he hesitates, raises a brow, then looks behind him -though there are only bystanders around you. “i… i’d be pleased.” “pleased,” you tease, a smile playing on your lips.
“yep,” he replies, the ‘p’ popping.
pls tell me ur thoughts, opinions, tips, and if u wanna be added to the taglist, feel free to comment! will probably be a oneshot.
i genuinely hate x readers with older characters where the reader always acts immature and childish girl give me my old couple 40 years of marriage knowjng everything about one another kisses on the forehead enjoying each other's silence and company, having eachothers habits etched into your being to the point of even twirling your hair like your lover, being so devoted to eachother for so long that the borders of appeasing anyone else romantically by being masculine or feminine enough become arbitrary and useless
