Halloween was stupid, Remus thought. All year, he spent time and energy teaching his son; don't take candy from strangers, don't knock on strangers doors, stranger danger for Christ's sake.
And then Sirius, his child's stepfather and immature role model for all things badly behaved, would come along and unpick those carefully sewn threads of logic. Come on Ted let's go knock on strangers doors to ask them for sweets that they will hand to us willingly with God knows what sorts of poisons or needles or whatever else some of these evil people would add.
But this. This was the last straw.
"Daddy daddy look" Teddy squealed joyously, jumping up and down, causing the sheet draped over him to billow. The sheet had been trimmed and tailored to fall to his ankles perfectly, and there were two little eye holes where Remus could see Teddy's blue eyes gleaming. The sheet in question was a pure Egyptian cotton sheet that was handcrafted and weaved, a housewarming gift from Lily years and years ago. A very nice sheet.
"Yeah, Daddy, look," Sirius said, dubbing the same outfit as Teddy. "Something wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost, " He teased, picking Teddy up and balancing him on his hip.
"He has," Teddy squealed delightedly, clearly much happier with the costume choice than Remus was. His poor, poor Egyptian cotton sheets were massacred and murdered. On Halloween, no less.
Referenced Master Concept Post from the Short Stories on A03. Just a silly world that pops up now and then in the back of my mind.
BASIC PREMISE
In this AU, Grant does not die while attempted to murder the Titans. The Titans ping that Ravager is showing signs of cardiac failure (at least TWO of them possessed the ability to hear guy’s heartbeat) and communicate as such to their team members. They still can’t STOP him via combat; but they CAN send Wally out to get a tranq and, with Dick being read up to speed, several other drugs and tools to keep Grant both sedated and level. Turns out that anesthesia and cardiac problems have a looooong history of working around one another so this work-around is IRL plausible. Crazy but it's a comic... also not totally beyond Dick Grayson’s canon abilities/knowledge. A stretch but not that far of one given all of canon!
Grant survives, but ends up in custody of the Titans. Unfortunately for them, Grants near death experience did what his childhood trauma failed to do and activated his meta gene. Now possessing an enhanced healing factor and literal hysterical strength (which means he's just really hurting himself by over doing it and then healing inhumanly fast. It's not technically "super strength" the way Slade's, and late Rose's, serum and latent gene works), Grant escapes the Tower (the Titans do let him go, Dick has sensibly, if creepily, chipped him and his clothes).
HIVE is not at all impressed. Their plan was for Grant to die trying so they could hire Slade at a bargain deal. For ease of concept, let's say they assume Grant's death while he's with the Titans and call Deathstroke up anyway.
Grant escapes while Slade is still observing his new targets and assume his eldest son is dead. The hilarious "I'M OKAY" meet up ensues and Grant gets to spend time with Slade (Dad! Noticing me!) ... but eventually sees senses that what he wanted from his Dad and what he’s going to get are two different things.
This epiphany probably occurs after a few ass kickings by the Titans too where Nightwing ends up fighting Deathstroke (despite the girls on the team being more or less walking weapons and therefore more logical answers) and completely ignores/by passes Ravenger (correctly) as the lesser threat. ((Grant ends up having Draco Syndrome and Slade finally is like “Say less about Nightwing.”))
Joey and Addie (Grant’s little brother and his mom) ally with Dick a la canon which is the eventual tipping point for Grant.
Joey moves in and brings his “fussy” (Joey’s word) older brother with him. Grant falls fast and hard for Nightwing, much to Joey’s amusement ((Which, awkward, he’s been a main antagonist)) (((Roy was the one who usually, somehow, ended up having to fight Grant in close combat and so Roy is the most against it.)))
Joey flirts more with Dick because of this! Dick canonically thinks the way Joey flirts/woos is how he’d like to be treated and so there’s a lot of shit Joey gets to give Grant over Grant’s more fumbling attempts.
Grant becomes the grumpy, awkward, den-mother of the Titans.
WORLD BUILDING
The Titans are now an international team with Towers and contacts spanning the globe. Dick is the nexus of this.
He jokes that it's only because he’s one of the few who can speak with anyone from any given place at a time vs an actual leadership role. No one else is laughing at that because it’s palpably untrue.
This shift made the Justice League (re: Bruce) very twitchy but just as in canon they were unable to shut the Titans down. Here, the Titans don't collapse in on themselves and so kept growing.
The UN actually has far more contacts with the Titans vs the Justice League (which still calls itself the JLA). The Titans and their respective Towers are, much to the disagreement and constant bickering in the aforementioned UN, unaffiliated with local governments. They can work with governments and agencies but are not beholden to them. The Titans, more or less, have carved out what’s technically Titans Sovereign territory. ((Dick is thrilled to no longer have to juggle multiple, international, tax returns for teen superheroes.))(((Because, yes, Dick canonically had the Titans registered and paid their taxes. The nerd.))) The real reason isn’t the tax benefits thing (though Dick and Victor loudly disagree as the two who most often had to figure those forms out) but because the local governments very quickly attempted to use the Titans in their area as military assets. ...One or two Titans died due to this. And despite them willingly fighting for their country, the resulting backlash on their less willing team members and the government’s use of their image and deaths pushed Dick to step in as Nightwing. The long standing rule now is that if your country goes to war with another country (hopefully not another Titan’s country) you can take leave of the Titans to fight… but you do so as a civilian in your civilian ID with all the risks that accounts for. ((It’s not a pretty answer and Dick is grateful that it hasn’t happened more than twice. Still two times too many. I as author am aware, especially now, that this is also not a great answer but it's the one I have.))
TLDR: The Titans are international, and a huge group, and at this point Dick is the face and defecto Leader of Titans Global vs the original Titans Tower and team. He networks, helps train, oversees, and organizes dozens of Titans. Which are all of his favorite parts of the job, really.
Canon Changes (Drastic)
Mirage goes differently, as Miriam struggles to impersonate Grant. Dick still downplay's Miriam's SA's of him and it still creates problems in his relationship. Dick is also, eventually, raped and assumed the whole time (just as in canon) that Miriam was his actual partner. She again reveals that it was her and that Dick should have "been able to sense the difference" but this time, with both Kory AND Grant baying for blood the other Titans are corrected early and harshly. There's still fall out, and Dick is still raped in a place he assumed was safe with his rapist wearing the face and mannerisms of someone he loves... but it's acknowledged as rape and blame is not slapped on the victim instead of the rapist. (Miriam has all of Dick's life floating around in her head as well as false memories of a long standing relationship with him. YES she had every tool available to fool him and NO IT'S NOT DICK'S FAULT THAT HE WAS RAPED.) (We are also not blaming Kory for how canon went down either - not happy I need to say this bit out loud as I assumed that was obvious but of course she's allowed to have feelings about those events. Holy shit. Kory's support is what is actually pivotal in this AU.)
Jason Todd still calls Dick's cellphone despite knowing Dick is off planet... here, though, Dick has left his phone with his boyfriend/husband. Grant interferes with Jason's plans to run off to Ethiopia. Several possible routes: (1) Grant stops it cold. (2) Jason runs off anyway and Grant either (a) succeeds in calling out Sheila Haywood and stopping Jason before there’s ever a warehouse handover or (b) In rescuing Jason after Jason goes to the meeting after Grant said NO. Or (3) Fails to save Jason, even if he was there. Especially if he was there.
Tim Drake still shows up on their doorstep one evening. Grant is the adoption instigator there, surprising even himself. And as opposed to Jack Drake threatening Bruce Wayne with a gun, Grant helps himself to Jack's nice scotch one evening and the two have talk... neither Tim nor Dick are impressed but depressingly it works (and then Jack is murdered).
Dick's Territory
As well as overseeing his new “home” city. TBD but it’s not Bludhaven. I’m leaning towards Chicago or New York. New York is classic Titans and Nightwing - they had a temporary base there at one point. Would also let me work in my favorite cracky ideas of 'Elloise of the Plaza Hotel' reference character as one of Nightwing’s NYC benefactors. But Chicago probably works better...
FUN DETAILS OF THE HUSBANDS AU
Dick's Side Projects
These are my usual HC's for how Dick affords his NW gear but...
Dick has built up a strange fortune via a bunch of enterprises that he like, sets up, fixates on, makes profitable, then passes over to a team he hand picks and moves on to the next thing.
(1) "Big Red’s Garage" (based on Roy)
BRG is a low-income community focused work/trade opportunity. Skill training is given on site. One of the work requirements in all the contracts is that they have to stay clean. There’s decently rigorous testing. These garages start up on the West Coast, but spread relatively quickly once Dick gets the systems (both literal computer wise and literal application wise) down.
(2) [NAME TBD] A Coffee Chain
Idea was developed when he started taking college classes + the number of times the Titans crashed for lack of coffee or wanted a late-night to 24hr coffee shop. Dick, being Dick, actually went ahead and did it. Dick, being Dick and also a dick, did not tell the Titans that the coffee shop they started frequenting was his. There are, of course, hero themed drinks based on locale (the Titans from Dick’s era are the Staple drinks though now some have faded from memory that people know the drinks better than Dick’s now dead friends…) and also a lot of fan-produced hero-merch is available for sale in each location.
(3) A health cereal brand
Because he could.
(4) He's an investor and tech-partner in Joey's start up
I usually write Joey working on technology to help those with speech related disabilities or impairments. Dick lends a hand, largely because he's usually both nosey and competent, and I usually have Joey thank him by shunting paperwork his way. Whenever Dick refuses to heal or rest, he gets "promoted" at the company. By the time Joey dies, Dick is in the c-suite... which made him vey sad (as it meant Joey died upset with him on some level).
Children
The idea that Grant wants kids, but not his genetics (trust issues, for a start) and Dick wants to make his husband happy (and has always wanted family). It starts with Garfield and Rachel (using a mix of canons here). Then Jason. And then, later, when Donna has her son Robert (aka "Rob," the same nickname used for Dick by the original six Titans) they take him in. The prophecy regarding him becoming a Lord of Chaos can kiss their ass (defy fate). ((Robbie's entire existence is tragic in ever iteration. It would be nice to both let Donna divorce her much older (author-insert, eheobophile) husband and win custody over her kid and not worry too much over the world ending prophecy of days. I also personally have mixed feelings about the motherhood role the authors place on Donna... so while I still adore the strong feelings she's written as having about her son, I sort of like this route as a way to circumnavigate the classic 'motherhood as pinnacle' trope.))
Eventually, after a very long period of time and multiple discussions; Mari (Nightstar) Grayson also exists. Grant and Kory almost had issues because Grant is easily jealous and insecure. But Kory is amazing and doesn’t take Grant’s shit and calls him out. So many conversations between Grant and Dick but Grant eventually feels secure enough for Mari to exist.
I also imagine that Rose stays with them on and off and, eventually, it is likely that Respawn (who I always name Reed) will make an appearance one way or another.
Grant took Dick’s last name. GG = Grant Grayson for a few reasons. First, his dad is essentially immortal. Joey kept Slade's name, despite the divorce. (Dick is like… you don’t want to keep your mother’s name? Grant in point of fact does not.) Later, Grant argues that even Rose took Dad’s name!
The real reason? Dick isn’t “the Last Grayson” anymore or ever again.
Home
Grant and Dick have a town-house/condo. Three levels. With dry-erase walls on the first floor with notes and photos and magnets given and left and written by all their friends - and children. Grant says, often, that they have so much space because they have too many kids. To be fair to Grant, there was a point in time where most nights of the week he and Dick ended up on the sofa because 3-5 teenagers were piled in their bed and the guest bed contained 2-4 “grown” Titans. To be fair to Dick, that tapered off after two years or so as the kids found their feet and either started going to college or moving out to help organize the other Titan branches.
Dick is not a Cop (anymore). Grant’s biggest won argument is, of course, Dick quitting the police force. He quietly put up two photos in the back-entrance by the kitchen. It’s two headshots, side by side; one of a 17-year old Slade Wilson in his military uniform and one of a 19-year old Dick Grayson in his officer uniform. Both of the young men in the photos are smiling and proud of themselves. Grant has replaced the photos twice and they won’t be moved a third time. Between those photos on a small wall between the garage and the kitchen is a plaque commemorating a victory to Grant Grayson and a tiny article detailing Detective Grayson's retirement. (Dick stuck it out through to detective, got what he needed from the force i.e. routed out an amazing amount of corrupt cops, and then quit after getting better people in power.)
Misc Details
Grant wears his ring obsessively/proudly. It’s nth metal, which is beyond absurd. Grant’s genuinely not sure if Slade donated it or if Dick won it off him (in combat) but he’s very sure that Dick got it from Deathstroke one way or another. The other, more reasonable alternative, is that Dick got it via his connections to the Hawks but Grant is well aware that is the Red Herring here.
Undecided if in the AU... If Grant ever becomes a Lantern (dies and comes back as a Black Lantern or simply gets a ring through the distribution system as one does) he's going to be a Star Sapphire and his power ring is usually worn by Dick. Because Star Sapphire.
You guysssss! I'm back!!! Again lol. This time thank the shower for this one (shower thoughts finally pulled through)
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Ah movie dates. Sitting on the couch together. Watching a rom-com, chick flick, horror, or action movie with your partner. Blankets covering your laps and leaning against each other. Occasionally stealing glances at each other. Maybe even stealing a kiss or two. While you share snacks. It's probably one of the best things.
And it makes it better when one of them cannot stop roasting the actors. That was Geto. No matter how good an actor is, he will find a way to roast them. Whether it be looks, skills, personality, or just existence he will roast them. No one is safe from Geto and his silver tongue.
"Ok yeah she can act but she's shaped like a pretzal." For the past twenty minutes Gojo has been trying to catch his breath. But every time he does Geto just starts again. "And if you're gonna be built like a pretzal than you should at least try to hide it. Not dress like one too."
Gojo clutches his stomach as he hunches over. Howling with laughter. While Geto is completely unbothered as he tosses some popcorn into his mouth. "Don't even get me started on her singing. I mean what the hell was that?" Gojo tries to signal that he can't take anymore. "Suguru wheeze I can't wheeze breathe!" Geto pats his back and nods.
"Even I could do better than that. In my sleep too." Geto shrugs. It is only then he notices his husband hunched over trying to breathe again. He laughs and Gojo finally calms down. "As much as I love you, stop talking." Usually it's Geto saying that. "Well she can't sound like a pigeon making out with a seagull and expect me to say anything good."
@the-goopy-organist early Husband’s AU, the two see something magical :D
Gaster followed his husband through the dark, the fire’s glow his only guide. Their fingers were tightly intertwined - a constant connection they held ever since the last tunnel expansion collapsed and trapped monsters on the wrong side of Home’s light. Grillby wasn’t going anywhere without Gaster; Gaster wasn’t going anywhere without Grillby.
But before that fear injected itself back into their souls, Grillby had found something, something he knew Gaster would like, so here they were. Heading their way through the dark, where only firelight defined the cave’s edges. Outside the glow, Gaster could just make out piled stones, tumbled down from walls carved by something far more ancient than monsters. Little roots crept by every now and again, dipping into holes that could twist an ankle if he wasn’t careful.
“How far now?” Gaster asked, just to hear Grillby laugh his soft, crackling laugh. It lit up their path a little brighter with the noise.
“Not any further than the last time you asked, dear.”
“Ah, but I have to ask again, just to see if I can sneak the answer out, don’t I?” He got another laugh for that, his hand squeezed fondly. But nothing more was said, the secret preserved. Gaster couldn’t help but grin. He’s really excited about this!
It had been a while since he’d seen Grillby’s glow this warm. The stone that surrounded Home’s crawling growth seemed to dull the flame - a difference in the air, they guessed when a Check of his soul said everything was just fine there. Or a lack of sunlight and heat for Grillby to pull from. Now, it was a cozy orange with streaks of yellow that skipped giddily through the flames. Whenever the yellow grew too boisterous, they pulled off his core and bounced off the low ceiling. It was beautiful.
“Duck here,” Grillby murmured, voice suddenly hushed. He did as he was told, following the narrowing tunnel down and down until it felt hardly big enough to fit either of their bodies. Then, before it could get any smaller, the world suddenly yawned wide. Dainty blue flowers spread as a field before them, some sort of glow of their own pulsing as heartbeats as they swayed in some invisible breeze, or from the currents of the pools they bloomed in.
Gaster stared in wonderment, “Grillby this is beautiful.”
Beautiful beautiful
Beautiful
Beautiful
The flowers picked up his words like a delighted giggle from a child running away with a stolen piece of bread from the table to share with their friends, their success echoing off into the distance. He gasped in surprise. Grillby laughed, nodding in agreement.
“I found one growing outside the tunnel, and its roots led me here. They repeat you, dunno why, but,” his flames curled bright, pulling Gaster further into the cave. He followed eagerly, fingers of his free hand out to gently brush a path clear. “I thought you would enjoy them.”
Enjoy them
Enjoy
Them
Enjoy enjoy
Gaster nodded, eye lights sparkling as he examined one flower up close. Nothing on their surfaces suggested they should be able to repeat things so easily, so readily, but his studies weren’t in plant matter so there was little for him to understand about the plants beyond the basics. He’d have to ask around. He felt a tug on his hand, and turned to see Grillby looking even more pleased with himself. Before he could ask, Grillby put a finger up, stay quiet, and pointed to the flower he had cupped next to him. Then, he signed, just listen. Don’t speak.
Gaster leaned in to the flower, curious.
“You can even whisper into them, to get little personal messages like this one, saying I love you more than any cavern could contain.”
Oh, Gaster looked up, grin growing ever wider. His hands flicked quickly, “That’s amazing!! I have a message for you too then.”
He knew exactly what to say back. He whispered quickly into the flower next to it, hoping to preserve the first message. Grillby leaned over him, brushing their shoulders together in an attempt to sneak a listen in early. He popped a silent, fire-noise only laugh when he was shoved away.
“Okay, now you can listen you goof.” Gaster pulled him over to it, trying to not spoil the surprise early. Gentle fingers brushed the petals, the message coming through.
“What do you get when you cross a husband and a field of flowers? Love that blooms every day.”
A delightfully awful joke, it spawned exactly the reaction he hoped for. Unable to contain himself, Grillby’s sparking, spluttery laugh chased its way through the field, echoing off into the distance. He rested his face against Gaster’s skull, kissing the spot a few times.
“Only you my dear,” he giggled. “I’m sorry I think I erased our messages.”
“We’ll have to just make more.” Gaster wasn’t deterred, his excitement mirrored by his husband’s, the two racing in opposite directions to fill the flowers with unique messages. They had an entire field to cover after all!
Okay okay I know this is crazy but I just saw a scene from I think it's Batman Beyond? Where our good buddy Alfred was writing a detective comic and Damian grew up to be the next Batman after Dick and his SON, Damian's SON was Robin and the kid had red hair that reminded me a lot of Colin Wilkes and asdfghjkl I just kept thinking of your husbands au and what would be the kid's name
haha not BB, but Brave and the Bold! I definitely know the episode you’re talking about! It was so cute. And I thought the exact same about Colin ahahaha.
Augh, i MISS my Husbands AU! I feel like if they did have a child and he became a hero person too Colin would be proud but also LIVID at his husband for allowing it. Damian would feel guilty, but also believe it’d help their child for whatever reason. But also be the SCARIEST Batman in the world when his son patrolled with him. Like there’s Batman scary and then there’s another LEVEL scary. And that other level is when he’s out with his kiddo.
And I seem to recall I wrote a fic either in the future or a dream or something of the future, when Damian had Colin’s son as Robin (though they weren’t romantically involved I don’t think/he wasn’t Damian’s) and I think I named him Brandon. That’s still a good name I guess haha.
But I could also see Damian being a goof and naming a kid after “the greatest man he’s ever known’ so like. After his dad or Dick or something haha.
Reccer’s Note:
I really adore this fic and I’ve wanted to recommend it ever since I read it. It’s a beautiful read with namjin being foster parents there are some things such as vomiting and other things like so I’d recommend you read the tags. I also wouldn’t be disheartened by the fact the fic being so long and few chapters it seems the author is taking their time by making each chapter plentiful. Anyways I’d say this fic is a rollercoaster that maybe you’d like to go on again and again.
