...

for scribble_myname!

whipsy — Fri, 28 Mar 2014 18:48:57 GMT

Title: Too Long a Past
Characters: Gambit/Rogue
Rating: G
Word Count: 115
Disclaimer: Marvel and 20th Century Fox own.
AN: You know, since it's only a few months away this could count as an early birthday fic and I wouldn't be late for once! ;D

There were things Gambit just didn't do. He never bet more than he was willing to lose. He never let it get personal. And, he never, ever, under any circumstances allowed his heart to become involved. He promised himself long ago that he wouldn't risk it again. Not after Belle, the Thieves and Assassins, banishment... Then came Striker, Three Mile Island, Sabertooth, and he found he had no use for it anymore.

He'd done too much. Too much had happened. Happened in the worst possible way. It...wasn't worth it.

And yet...

Once at Xavier's, meeting Rogue, becoming an X-man...things changed. Unexpectedly, in this place, with this girl, he'd broken all his rules again.

for zarabithia!

whipsy — Fri, 28 Mar 2014 18:19:57 GMT

Title: That Made Me Stronger
Characters: Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers
Rating: G
Word Count: 260
Disclaimer: Marvel and Paramount Pictures own.
AN: Happy Belated Birthday, Z! Sorry it took so long! Also, I borrowed the prompt you left for a holiday fic thing a while back, hee.

Perhaps it was foolish, but once she arrived in New York and stopped by her apartment to drop off her things, she went directly to The Stork Club. The place was still empty, just beginning to come alive for the night.

"Ready to order?"

Blinking away her thoughts, Peggy glanced up.

"Oh, I apologize, miss," the server said looking over at the empty chair, "Are you waiting for someone?"

Peggy smiled sadly, the pain sharp, piercing, only two months old. "Yes," she replied. "I am. He owes me a dance."

"Shall we give him a few minutes then?" the server asked, smirking.

"No," she shook her head, smile fading, "He's not coming."

Trying not to look confused the waiter simply stood there, at a loss for words.

"I'll just have a bottled Coke, please."

The waiter walked away and she sighed. Really, she should have ordered something else, something stronger.

Different scenarios had replayed themselves over and over in her mind, involving a miracle or two, but it didn't matter what she longed for, Steve wasn't coming back. As Peggy sat there, wondering if it was only the lure of what could have been that would continue to plague her, haunt her- no. It had been more than that. It had been him.

Even if it could never possibly happen now, Peggy knew she was better off for having known him. His heart, his inner strength. And, that smile didn't hurt either. But, more importantly, he was a fighter, just like she was. Just like she would continue to be.

For bradygirl_12!

whipsy — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 23:28:16 GMT

Title: Halloween Time
Characters: Bruce, wee!Dick, Alfred
Rating: G
Word Count: 380
Disclaimer: DC Comics owns.
AN: Happy belated Birthday Brady and Happy Halloween!! =D Also this is for your 2013 DCU Fic/Art Halloween Challenge!

Leaning against the edge of the counter, his arms crossed over his chest and legs crossed at the ankles, the boy released another long suffering sigh.

Only a few feet away, Bruce inhaled deeply to keep from growling something he'd only end up regretting. Then, took a moment to compose himself due to yet another interruption.

"What is it, Dick?" he asked instead, his voice fairly level. Since deciding to take him in, Bruce wondered if he had made the right decision. They were still getting used to one another, especially since their personalities were so vastly different.

"Oh, it's nothing..." came the murmured reply.

Alfred warned Bruce to be patient with the boy. It would be his first Halloween without his parents.

"I am certain, Sir, I have no need to remind you what that was like."

Bruce had only glared at Alfred, who simply turned on his heel with that unaffected air he carried himself with, and left.

But, Bruce remembered all too well. And it had been horrible. Everything after his parents' death had lost all meaning. Everything. Including what once had been a favorite holiday of his.

He did not want that to be Dick's life.

Concerned blue eyes traveled to where the young boy sat. After another quiet sigh, Bruce shut the computer down.

Being in the cave without the constant hum the computer provided was strange and Dick's gaze snapped up. He watched on with piqued interest. The computer was always on because Batman was always on. That was simply how things were.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

"It's time to get ready."

Dick pushed off the counter.

"Get ready for what?" he wondered, his eyes wide in surprise.

"It's Halloween," Bruce answered as if that explained everything.

"I know it's Halloween, but you said-"

"Alfred should have your costume ready upstairs."

The boy's entire face lit up. His smile, full of gratitude and anticipation, tugged at Bruce's heart strings.

"Really?!"

Dick could not contain himself. He rushed over to wrap his arms around Bruce's waist.

"I'll be ready before you can say trick-or-treat!" he added, his laughter following him out of the cave.

Bruce found himself smiling as he climbed the stairway, then promptly shook his head. Though...perhaps Alfred was right yet again, perhaps Dick's presence would be good for all of them.

TDKR/Iron Man/X-men drabble

whipsy — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:57:19 GMT

Title: What's In a Name
Characters: Bruce Wayne/Selina Kyle, past Tony Stark/Bruce Wayne, Selina Kyle/Logan
Rating: PG
Word Count: 360
Disclaimer: DC Comics and WB own, plus whoever owns The Avengers and X-men movieverses because it's not me and I'm too lazy to look them up.
AN: For chipsnopotatoes, who I still owe fic from long ago! ^^; Also, I blame the Oscars for this because just having Hugh sitting next to Anne gave me ideas!!!

There was no denying it, it bothered him. Tremendously. Too much, in fact.

That...name. One name. Either first or last. Or something else entirely. There was no way to be certain.

Or rather, there was one way he could know...

In the middle of the night, when Gotham was surprisingly quiet (and she was away on unexpected 'personal business'), Bruce sat at his computer. Brooding. Debating. Weighing his options.

The name blinked back at him, waiting to be submitted. Possible answers and information waiting to be discovered. His hand trembled ever so slightly. No one might have been able to detect the minute, uncharacteristic spasm, but Bruce would, did. As his finger hovered over the key, itching to press enter, curiosity turning into suspicion, paranoia...

No.

He moved so fast, the chair toppled over. Without a glance back he walked away from the screen and paced the cave, stirring the bats above. His knee began to throb, sending waves of pain shooting up his leg. It barely registered.

This was familiar territory. This had happened before. With Tony. And Yinsen. The name the genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist had whispered in the dead of night on more than one occasion.

Bruce had been jealous and hurt and very upset, but mostly jealous. The same swirl of emotions was already growing in the pit of his stomach, churning, twisting, making him question it all.

Nostrils flaring as he inhaled, he shook his head to clear it. No, he would not doubt her. Not after everything. Not after Talia and Bane and the bomb. He would, however, ask about the name she whispered in her sleep two nights ago. After that phone call that left her visibly shaken though she tried to hide it. She was gone the following morning, leaving only a note she knew he would find.

Scowling, Bruce picked up the overturned chair. When Selina returned, he would ask. Because he failed to trust before and it was a mistake he was not willing to repeat. However, the name would continue to haunt him until then.

Logan.

Bruce had to know what it meant to her.

snagged from modestroad

whipsy — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 17:00:14 GMT

Give me a character or a pairing, and I will write you a fic of between one to three sentences for each of the following genres:

1. Angst
2. AU
3. Crack!fic Plot
4. Crossover
5. First Time
6. Fluff
7. Humor
8. Hurt/Comfort
9. Smut
10. UST

11.11

whipsy — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 20:50:43 GMT

Title: Remembering
Characters: Bruce Wayne, his parents
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 185
Disclaimer: DC owns.

The initial pain may fade with time, so that it turns into a dull ache, ever-present, as opposed to the sharp, vicious continuous pang it begins as. Time is praised for its ability to heal, but it does something else as well, it steals, it takes.

It's a quarter of a century later and if Bruce were to hear his parents' voices on the street, he's not sure he would recognize them. Of course, he could easily remember his mother's kind words or his father's favorite sayings, but their voice, the tone and cadence? They had all but faded from Bruce's memory with time.

As he watched a rare news clip where Thomas and Martha Wayne answered a few questions together with short quips and laughter, Bruce found he could hardly breathe. His mother sounded nothing like he recalled, his father's laugh was so different to what he remembered. Tears rolled down Bruce's face as he replayed the footage over and over, until he lost count of how many times he watched it. All the while trying to memorize the sound of their voices once again.

For heroines_fest!

whipsy — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 20:07:08 GMT

Title: Element of Surprise
Characters: Natasha Romanov, Raven Darkholme, Clint Barton, Erik Lehnsherr, Irene Adler, Nick Fury
Rating: PG
Word Count: 915
Disclaimer: Marvel Comics and 20th Century Fox own.
AN: for heroines_fest! Prompt- Marvel Cinematic Universe, Natasha Romanov & Mystique, against each other in a spying situation

It all started in Monte Carlo. The last day of the year nineteen hundred and ninety-nine. All it took was one small, stupid mistake with huge repercussions.

...

He watched her approach the car, walking in that no nonsense steely gait of hers. The one reserved for plotting precisely executed plans of revenge. When she slipped into the car all she said was, "Drive."

Natasha's face was almost serene by the time they'd traveled four blocks.

"What happened?" Clint asked. That was as close to an 'are you okay?' as they ever got. They'd been working together one year, but after all they'd been through before, that one year seemed so much longer.

Natasha kept her gaze on the oncoming traffic in front of her.

"I didn't get it," she said flatly.

That much he knew. If she had managed to acquire the information onto a floppy disk, she would have arrived at their rendezvous on time, not twenty minutes late. Her hair would still be up in that fancy chiffon she had going in. And, the elegant black dress she wore would be in one piece.

Clint pulled over to the side of the road.

"What are you doing? We need to get out of the city," she reminded him. Still, she wouldn't look at him.

"What happened?" he asked again. This time a sliver of worry laced his tone. For some reason he couldn't fathom, she seemed upset with him.

Jaw clenched, she focused on the side mirror. After a seemingly endless silence, she turned to face him. Her green eyes held his gaze.

"We - I - wasn't prepared for him...her," she shook her head slightly. "I wasn't prepared. That's unacceptable."

Clint's almost scowl said it all, but he gave her a curt nod anyway. After he pulled back onto the road, they didn't exchange another word.

...

Erik took the floppy disk from Raven. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he waited for her to look up at him. The look in his eyes said it all: sometimes, sacrifices need to be made.

"Thank you," he said and meant it. Things would have been much easier had Azazel still been around, but that wasn't an option anymore. Rising from the chair, he left to check the contents of the disk.

When he was out of earshot, Irene stepped closer.

"Are you alright, Raven?"

She looked shaken and bothered, not at all like she had a tendency to be after a successful mission. Especially if her mutation is what got her out of a tight spot.

"It was necessary," was the only reply Raven could make.

"It is imperative we get the information before anyone else does," Erik explained and inhaled deeply before adding, "Do whatever you must to secure it."

Even when Irene tried to stop her, Raven left the premises. She felt like she needed to move.

Erik and Irene - all of them! - had maintained such a low profile and managed to remain hidden for decades. The government might have been aware of some mutants, but The Brotherhood wasn't anywhere on their radar. Emma had made certain of that. But now... now Raven had exposed herself.

Perhaps it should have upset her more, but Raven liked the idea that at least one person outside their group knew she was around. After all, they shouldn't have to hide.

...

"It won't happen again," she promised Fury.

"Oh, I have no doubt about that Agent Romanov," the Director assured her. It had been a short debriefing and when he dismissed her, she paused at the door.

"There's more of them than we are aware of, isn't there?"

Natasha didn't wait for a reply because she already knew the answer.

...

The red-headed woman, whose name they did not know had been too good, moving from the party to the back offices unseen, like a ghost. For a second Raven even considered the idea that the other woman might be a mutant, her power something akin to Azazel's.

Raven excused herself from the man chosen as a cover and followed the red-head's lead. When she got to the hallway Destiny envisioned, the woman was already in the office, probably downloading the files.

Without giving it too much thought, Raven shifted and walked into the room.

A gun was pointed at her head the minute she did so. That is until the woman seemed to realize who she was pointing the gun at.

"What are you-?"

"We've been compromised," Raven replied, her voice low and deep, an exact replica of the man's she was pretending to be. The man who was waiting a block away in a getaway car, the woman's partner.

...

It had been Clint. Clint Barton. Hawkeye, himself. Natasha saw him with her own eyes, heard his voice, had a goddamned conversation with him.

Increasing her speed, she ran faster. Cursing herself with each step because she should have known. Natasha had read all the reports in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s possession. She was well aware powerful mutants like Sebastian Shaw existed. She knew and should have been prepared for the shape-shifting individual she ran into.

Barton would never leave his post. Just like she wouldn't either. Seeing him, or rather the person who shifted to look exactly like him, that caught her completely off guard.

"Damn it."

She ran even faster.

Natasha was itching to go up against the shifter again. Next time, she thought, increasing her speed again, next time.

For heroines_fest!

whipsy — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 19:33:12 GMT

Title: In Denial
Characters: Rogue, Logan, Storm, Kitty, Warren, Gambit
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2070
Disclaimer: Marvel Comics and 20th Century Fox own.
AN: for heroines_fest! Okay, so apparently the original prompt was: X-men (films), Rogue, navigating a relationship without touch, but for some reason I wrote this with navigating relationships without touch in mind. *headdesk* Didn't notice until right now when I was about to post, but it's close enough, right? >.<

No one had ever wanted to fix all her problems more desperately than Rogue, the girl herself was certain of it. She knew that relationships came in different shapes and sizes, but what took her longer to accept was that perhaps relationships simply weren't for everyone.

The way Rogue saw things now, it wasn't even worth getting upset over anymore. After all, there was next to nothing anyone could do about it; Beast and Moira had both tried and come up short. The young woman simply had to accept her fate and make peace with her mutant power. In fact, because of it, her professional life was great. She loved fighting, she loved being an X-men, and she was really, really good at it. The problem lay in her personal life.

Disillusioned, she tried to pretend it didn't exist. She'd gotten good at pretending, too. Especially the first few weeks after the cure failed completely. Anger to sadness to denial to regret to blame and back again. She went down the list experiencing damn near every emotion possible when basic human contact was denied her again.

Iceman's frosty lips she kissed for two whole seconds before he passed out. The day after he woke up, he told her it probably wasn't going to work.

Colossus's metal lips were next. The cool, hard, smooth surface was interesting, but Rogue craved warmth, softness... Oh well. No harm, no foul. They'd only been messing around anyway.

"Poor girl can't catch a break."

They all whispered it and Rogue was fed up. It was bad enough she felt sorry for herself, she couldn't stand everyone else's pity. If she got a dollar every time one of them looked at her with that stupid, sympathetic look in their eye, she would've made enough to buy that pretty Harley on sale one town over.

Really, what she wanted to do was just leave. Not tell a soul where she was going and just bounce. With Xavier and Jean both gone... Well, it would be rather easy to disappear.

She hadn't counted on Logan though. Or perhaps she had. Honestly, she's not sure which.

"You running again?"

"Tryin' to."

He gave her that look, the one he saves for when he was truly disappointed. Rogue looked away to be distracted by something, anything. The bus station was empty however.

Placing a heavy hand on her small shoulder, Logan said, "You're gonna be alright, kid."

It wasn't a question, but a statement and Rogue blinked back the sudden onslaught of tears. That's all he needed to say really. They'd had a few of those heart-to-hearts about the raw deal the x-gene had given her, so she didn't need or want another one of those. But when Logan, who didn't believe in anything except what Xavier's dream had come to mean to him, who couldn't remember a whole lot of what his life had been before he joined the X-men (and Rogue knew by the nightmares she still had sometimes that bad things happened to him and by him), that man, he believed in her.

He was also pissed at her though and she could see it when he crossed his arms over his chest.

"You coming home or not?" Her eyes were wide when she glanced up at him. "Told you long ago, kid, I ain't your father, I'm your friend."

She hadn't forgotten that. In fact, she kinda saw him as a little bit of both; a father figure and friend all rolled into one.

Rogue eyed her beat up duffle bag holding her few belongings. Most of them gifts from her friends. The book 'Ro gave her, the ipod with hundreds (probably more like thousands!) of songs courtesy of Kitty, the cashmere scarf and gloves Warren bought for her as a birthday presemnt... There was also the X-men suit Xavier had trusted her with. The sweater Jean and Scott had given her when she first arrived. And of course, Logan's tags.

Seems she'd somehow forgotten that there was more to relationships than romance. Take the man standing before her now. Unlike people at school, when Logan hugged her, he never flinched. Though with his healing factor, he didn't have to be afraid. But the thing was, there were others who'd lost that fear of being near her years ago. Storm, Kitty, even Warren, had all become such good friends of hers. Truth is, they were like her family. She couldn't touch any of them and yet they'd all found ways to touch her. They made her feel welcome, made her feel she was home.

Rogue didn't want to lose that. She was already navigating so many relationships without touch, why had she lost sight of what was truly important because of what happened with two teenage boys.

"Ah wanna go home," she said.

The raised eyebrow Logan gave her warned her she better be sure because she was going to be in a world of pain is she decided to take off again without telling anyone.

"Good." His hands fell to his side. "Let's go."

She picked up her duffle bag and threw it over her shoulder. They walked in silence out of the bus station.

"Anything happen while Ah was gone?" she asked, trying for small talk.

"Not much," he replied gruffly, with a sideways glance she nearly missed.

Something had happened!

"Logan, c'mon!"

He kept walking.

"Logan!"

"It's not a big deal. Just had a visitor, is all."

"Really?" she smiled, her curiosity piqued. Visitors had a way of causing quite a commotion at Xavier's. When Lorna showed up a few months back, the entire school was in a tizzy over the girl.

"Mutant or baseline?" she managed to ask before she saw his bike. She dropped her bag and a fist came to rest on her cocked hip. "Didn't think Ah was going back home or what?"

"Didn't know," he answered honestly. "Figured I'd enjoy the ride better on this either way," he added, mounting his bike.

"Do two people even fit on that thing?"

The helmet he offered was his only reply.

Rogue got on behind him. A little voice in the back of her head wondered why a ride on his bike couldn't have happened five years ago when they first met. The girlish crush had long passed, but this only served to remind her that apparently her life would always be a series of ill timed events.

"So tell me about this visitor?"

"No."

"No?" she laughed. "Why not?"

The engine came alive beneath them and they were off.

...

It took two days of almost non-stop driving to get back within the Westchester county line. Rogue realized that Logan knew she'd return with him, but brought the bike to keep conversations down to a minimum. He wasn't the chatty type.

It worked out alright though. It gave Rogue lots of time to think. About herself and what she wanted. Since she was pretty good with maintaining platonic friendship rather than romantic entanglements, she planned to stick to those types of relationships going forward.

The kissing and intimate skin on skin touching she couldn't do anyway, so what was left? What would she really be missing out on? The drama? Silly misunderstandings? Jealousy fights? Yeah, she could do without those.

With her newfound resolve, she would step foot in Xavier's once again. She was fortunate to have more than enough people she considered friends and family, so Rogue decided she didn't need anything else. And it felt good - so good - to take charge and not let her powers overrun her life.

By the time they reached the school, Rogue's shoulders and neck were stiff, her back was aching, and her behind was numb. Logan and his stupid healing factor walked away like nothing. She was tempted to borrow his powers... See, her powers would come in real handy if she wanted them to. They weren't all bad, she thought with a smile. Grabbing her bag, she followed him inside.

They were mauled by half the students. Kitty and Ororo clung to Rogue and didn't let go. And she was overcome with emotion when she realized neither woman had even stopped to make sure she was fully covered.

"Sorry Ah left," she whispered to them and she meant it wholeheartedly.

"It's okay," Kitty replied sweetly. "Just don't ever do it again!" she threatened.

"All right, give the kid some space," Logan ordered.

All the other students had smiled and touched the sleeve of her coat, but otherwise kept their distance as they mumbled varying versions of 'good to have you back, Rogue.'

Storm pulled back and placed one hand on Rogue's shoulder, "You had us worried."

"Didn't mean to," she promised. "Just had to work through some things."

"And did you?" the older woman asked.

Rogue felt confident in her answer, "Yes."

"You missed our movie date."

Rogue turned to see Warren, his beautiful angel wings out for all to see. Lately, when he was in the school, he went without his coat. It was something Rogue had suggested. She knew the burden of having to be overly dressed.

Heat rushed to her cheeks when he said the word 'date'. They had not referred to it as such, it was always just movie night and everyone was invited to the lounge.

"Think we can try it again?" he asked, now standing directly in front of Rogue. "I'm glad you're back," he added, enveloping her in a warm embrace.

It felt nice but it made Rogue nervous. She'd never looked at him as anything more than a friend- okay, maybe 'never' was an exaggeration. He was cute and very sweet. And rich, added a voice in the back of her head that sounded a lot like Jubilee's. The thing was she truly enjoyed spending time with him. Just hanging out. Rogue didn't want to ruin that with all the problems that came along with her life-sucking powers.

Before she could make a reply, someone behind her cleared their throat. Rogue turned to find someone she'd never seen before staring at her.

"Ain't no one gonna introduce me?" the newcomer asked with a sly grin.

"No," Logan replied at the same time Ororo stepped forward to say, "Rogue this is Gambit. He'll be staying with us for a while."

Immediately, Logan let Storm know he didn't agree. "That's not what we settled on, 'Ro," he growled.

But Rogue soon became distracted by the painfully handsome man who'd taken her hand in his.

"Remy LeBeau at your service," he winked before placing a kiss on the top of her hand.

The warmth of his mouth spread from her knuckles along every inch of her body. That simple gesture made her want to throw out her plan to stay single for the time being out the dang door.

"Rogue," she managed to reply when Kitty nudged her other arm.

"Care to show me 'round the place, Rogue?"

The way her name slid off his tongue made her heartbeat speed up. She couldn't quite place his accent though it was definitely southern.

Without meaning to, Rogue's lips turned up at the corners because she really wanted to give him that tour. If only...if only what? What was she even thinking? Lordy, she really was one of those stupidly hopeless romantics, wasn't she?

"Can't," she replied because cute or not, she wasn't going to waste anymore time wanting impossible things. Her mutation may have limited the type of relationships she could have, but she wasn't going to let it limit the life she led. Not anymore anyway. Besides, she was done crying over things she couldn't change.

"See ya around, Gambit," she smiled. Feeling better than she had in a long time, Rogue picked up her bag and disappeared up to her room.

Ororo watched the girl walk away with an unexpected bounce in her step. Before heading up the staircase, Rogue turned back to look at Gambit over her shoulder. Perhaps the small action shouldn't have worried Ororo as much as it did.

"You think she's really okay?" Kitty asked.

"If she isn't, we'll be here for her," Ororo replied with an encouraging smile. Still, the older woman hoped Rogue had actually managed to work through some of her issues. If not she was going to end up right back where she had been before running away.

For heroines_fest!

whipsy — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 23:45:59 GMT

Title: Strays
Characters: Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne, John Blake, and ?
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1825
Disclaimer: DC Comics and Warner Bros. own.
AN: for heroines_fest, prompt- The Dark Knight Rises, Selina Kyle, she’s collecting strays and all of them are dear to her heart.

The girl had been small and scrawny with big blue eyes and a different name. That's not what pulled at Selina's heart strings though. Especially since it was just as easy not to like the girl. For being such a tiny, little thing, she had a big, bad attitude, was ungrateful, and ran off the first chance she got. Selina had expected that though. Jen had been only twelve at the time and had no one - no one - looking out for her.

Long ago, Selina had been in the same spot. With no one to turn to, nowhere to go, and too proud to let anyone help her even if someone had bothered to offer. Life was hard already and she'd been young and more than stubborn enough to make it harder for herself. There was no way she was letting the same thing happen to Jen.

It didn't. And there were no regrets by either woman.

But now, there was someone else who had come along. Another stray.

No, not Bruce. Even though he had been lonely when that entire ordeal with Bane, Talia, and the bomb occurred, he wasn't alone. He always had Alfred, so Selina didn't see him as a complete stray. Alfred would definitely resent her if she did.

Anyway, after Florence and Madrid and Paris (and practically the rest of Europe), both she and Bruce had grown...restless. She craved their old nightlife. He felt he owed it to Alfred to keep trying, to continue to stay away. Selina had no such qualms.

"I'm leaving," she said flatly.

He'd set his jaw then and mentally prepared for the worst.

"Why?" was the only question he could manage to ask.

"Honestly? Because I'm tired of...this."

Bruce deflated a little. It hurt to hear. He'd let his guard down a little before Florence and he was left exposed to feel the effects of every harsh word.

"You've been moping around the place and it's driving me crazy!" she added and he returned his gaze to her.

Could it be she wasn't tired of him, but simply the situation? With renewed hope, he dared to ask, "What are your plans then?"

Her half grin told him he'd played right into her hands.

"We need to go back." His lips narrowed to a straight line. "No one needs to know."

That was all she said. Frankly, that was all she needed to say. He understood perfectly. And he agreed. Not out loud, of course.

Bruce couldn't just cave to her whims. It would set a bad precedent. After a week of pretending to think it over, he relented. The sex had been extraordinary the night he told her he would return with her and then again the following morning before they boarded a plane as Mr. and Mrs. Kyle. Bruce wasn't amused, Selina couldn't stop grinning.

...

It was in Gotham where Bruce seemed to come alive again. Despite his not-to-subtle insistence, Selina chose not to stay in the manor. She returned home to her walk-up. Jen had kept it in perfect disarray for her.

The thing was, Bruce and Selina made sense away from their alter egos. Back in the city that helped define both, it wasn't just the two of them anymore. Besides, there was the kid to consider. He had been staying at the manor for a few months. Selina didn't want to barge in. That wasn't her style.

Still, she heard it took an entire week of brooding in the cave, before Bruce donned the suit again. Blake was happy for the help. And perhaps not surprisingly, even more so to talk about it.

"It didn't feel right, you know?" Blake admitted one night (weeks after their return), while they stood out on a rooftop high above everyone else. Selina knew he was referring to the mantle of the Bat. "It's his."

She understood and smiled without judgment.

He may not have trusted Selina Kyle at one point, but Bruce did. Blake knew enough about the man to know he didn't give away his trust lightly.

"So," Selina grinned, "Nightwing seemed like a better idea?"

Under the domino mask, the kid actually blushed.

"It did at the time," he shrugged a shoulder. "You think it's too-"

"It's fitting," Selina replied making Blake beam with pride.

There was something about him. He wasn't meant to simply fill in someone else's shoes. She was glad he'd struck out on his own. Truth was Selina liked the kid. Even before he apologized for arresting her. For so long, he had been all alone as well, but he was a born fighter. After Bruce's awkward introduction, she and Blake got along rather well. It might have been because they were rather close in age or the fact that they understood the risks of wearing a mask, either way they formed an easy alliance.

Then, one night, someone new came along. Another stray entered the picture.

Bruce was supposed to be out on patrol. And the Tumbler was with him often to save his knees from their nightly torment of pounding the ground while taking down bad guys. But, when Selina found the car, she didn't find him, she found an angry, hungry, dirty little boy in the process of removing a second set of rims from the Tumbler.

She was looking forward to telling Bruce that not only had this little boy managed to bypass another of his so-called impenetrable alarms, but he was able to do so with only a monkey wrench and a pair of pliers.

To say she was impressed would be an understatement. The kid was ballsy. Selina knew there were certain things too tempting not to try and steal. But from the Batman himself?

"Hi, there."

The boy froze. Big blue eyes glanced up at her and that same haunted, hateful look that had been in Jen's eyes - that sometimes still colored the edges of Blake's and had been in her own - glared back at her. Then, he took off like the devil himself was after him.

Selina's smile only grew.

Not wanting to frighten the boy even more, she followed, but remained hidden. He led her on a long, intricate chase through abandoned buildings, down isolated alleyways, and finally to an old warehouse near the city limit. Most people, including cops, would've lost him before then.

The boy was smart.

Before he went inside the warehouse, he checked his surroundings, making sure no one saw him. There was a vent near the corner of the building he lifted to grant him access. Selina went in through a window high above, landing on some rusty scaffolding.

It was dark and the warehouse was full of dusty crates. She wasn't going to approach him, but he called her out.

"I know you're there!" he yelled from somewhere down below. "Whataya want? Why'd you follow me? I didn't take nothing!"

"I know." The anger that laced his words, the wariness, she recognized it all too well. "Just wanted to-" she stopped abruptly. He wouldn't believe she was simply making sure he was okay. He wouldn't. Judging by the condition of his clothes and the place he returned to hide out, the ability to trust had probably fled his small frame long ago.

"Just wanted to what?" he yelled, his voice sounded farther away, likely towards an exit somewhere.

"Just wanted to see what else you've stolen."

Selina heard him snort. Then something creaked.

"Wait!" she called out, but even with the night vision in her goggles turned on, she couldn't find him. "Damn."

The next few nights, she searched for the boy. Even Jen and Blake offered to help. Bruce didn't. He was pissed about the tires, even more about the sad state of his alarm systems.

On the fourth night, she found him. He messed with the wrong people and was being cornered in a dead end by three men, each more than twice his size.

"You're gonna pay, punk."

She intervened before things got out of hand.

"Let's say we settle this like civilized people."

All eyes watched Selina land silently a few feet away. She positioned herself between the men and the boy.

"I got this!" the little brat growled at her. "I don't need your help!"

"Better listen to your mommy, punk, if ya know what's good for ya."

"See, I knew you could be reasonable," Selina finished saying before one of the idiots pulled a gun on her. She sighed, disappointed, though she wasn't surprised. "Alright," she smiled, red lips curling up at the ends. "Have it your way."

First, she took the gun. Then, she broke the guy's wrist. Finally, she stopped the other two who tried to make a run for it. She left them lying unconscious on the ground.

When she turned back to where the boy had been standing moments ago, she was surprised to find him still standing in the very spot.

"Who are you?" he gasped.

"A friend. If you need one."

...

Jen fell in love with the dark haired boy almost immediately.

Blake came around soon enough. "We can all use more friends," he winked.

Bruce, however, had a harder time with it.

"Ease up, Wayne," Selina teased. "I'm not asking you to take him in or anything." She wasn't too good at sharing anyway and she really liked the boy.

She only asked once, but eventually Bruce agreed to meet him. She didn't have to say it, yet he could see how important it was for her that he do so. It didn't seem to be nearly as important to the boy, however.

"This the rich stiff you're shacking up with?"

Selina raised an eyebrow. "What did we agree on, Jason?" she asked.

He made a face as he looked down at his new shoes. He liked Selina - she took him into her home expecting absolutely nothing in return, except that he cease stealing and enroll in school. She promised that if his grades were good, she'd teach him a thing or two about taking what he wanted without getting caught.

"Fine," he muttered, then sighed dramatically. "It's nice to meet you, Mr.Wayne," he said, putting on a fake smile and extending his hand. When Bruce shook his small hand, Jason turned to Selina. "Can I go now?"

Fighting back a smile, she nodded once.

"He's... so much younger than I expected," Bruce said, lowering his voice.

Jason was quick to run and hide in the next room. There, he could hear the conversation clear enough.

"How long will he be staying with you?" Bruce asked getting straight to the point.

The concern in the usually stoic man's voice was touching, but Selina did not comment on it. She knew Jason was probably listening somewhere nearby, so she replied quickly and firmly, so that the young boy would know exactly where he stood.

"He can stay for as long as he wants."

Signal Boost: Helping Asp (copied from kirax2)

whipsy — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 18:23:33 GMT

Hey folks! Most of you know sharpest_asp (formerly merfilly) as one of the most supportive, generous, kindest people in fandom.

She's in a tough spot right now due to a situation that is completely not her fault (a teenager smashed into her parked car, and her insurance isn't going to cover what it should).

If you can help ChipIn, offer something in exchange for donations, or even just signal boost, it would be really awesome.

Here are the comms:

helping_asp | helping_asp

Thanks, folks!

TDKR drabbles

whipsy — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 17:10:20 GMT

Title: Impractical
Characters: Bruce Wayne/Selina Kyle
Rating: G
Word Count: 160
Warning: SPOILERS for TDKR
Disclaimer: DC Comics, WB, and others owns.
AN: Takes place post TDKR. Written for the batcat_fic comment-a-thon, prompt: Selina pokes fun at Batman's voice, Bruce snarks back about fighting in stiletto boots.

Bruce put the paper down on the table and looked at Selina in disbelief.

"Impractical?" he scoffed. "A fake, raspy, wannabe growl?"

She sipped her coffee and shrugged one shoulder.

"Like I'm gargling rocks?"

She didn't think it would be such a big deal.

"Yes," she smiled, amused that he would be so insulted. She, on the other hand, didn't care what others-

"At least I'm not running around in five inch stiletto boots. Talk about impractical," he murmured.

"Those serve a purpose!" she snapped. She wished she'd been wearing the boots so she could show him just how helpful they could be.

"Besides increasing the likelihood of injuring your ankle, you mean?" he grinned from behind the paper he took up again. "I can design you a better pair."

"You mean Mr. Fox can..." she teased.

Bruce didn't reply.

"Fine. It is a little intimidating," she amended.

He continued hiding his grin behind the paper. "So are those boots."

Title: Quiet
Characters: Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne/Selina Kyle
Rating: G
Word Count: 375
Warning: SPOILERS for TDKR
Disclaimer: DC Comics, WB, and others owns.
AN: Takes place post TDKR. Written for the batcat_fic comment-a-thon, prompt: Alfred watches Bruce and Selina get married.

The tiny baroque church was one of the lesser known in Rome, but it was quite exquisite all the same. Multi-colored marbles, stucco, and detailed guilding exemplified its richness and subdued splendor. And while it was raining outdoors, when Alfred stepped inside, the many candles lit throughout the small space gave it a warm glow.

The church was near empty, only a few scattered people could be seen. Two old women were sitting up front, a few others prayed here and there, and an older gentleman was sitting near the end of the second row with rosary beads in his hands. There was also a couple getting married at the altar.

The groom wore a perfectly tailored, black suit. The bride, a white dress, made of silk and lace, that reached the floor. Her long brown hair hung loose with a simple white pin holding a few strands back.

Alfred sat near the door, listening intently for the couples' vows. The way they looked into each other's eyes as they spoke the words that would bind them forever, Alfred could see that it would not have mattered if the church had been bursting with people, they wouldn't have noticed anyway.

Years of practice allowed him to take a few pictures during the ceremony and one of the newly married couple's first kiss unnoticed. Then, he stood and walked out the side exit quietly to return to his hotel room.

A part of him wished Bruce could have been married as his parents had. Back in Gotham in a big, lavish affair. It was how a Wayne was meant to do it. But another part, the one that watched the boy he helped raise give in to a near uncontrollable monster was simply happy that Bruce was willing to give life another chance.

When he reached his room, Alfred hung his coat. He was tired. After keeping track of them through half of Europe and following them to Rome, he was ready to go back home. As he began packing, he noticed two white envelopes on the small table near the balcony. The first letter read:

Selina and I would appreciate you joining us for dinner.
Via Maggio 16 at 7pm. -BW

The second:

Please bring a copy of the pictures!
=^.^=

It's Catwoman's birthday! Let's celebrate!

whipsy — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 20:00:07 GMT

Give me any pair or threesome (including Selina!) or any character (plus Selina!) and a prompt and I'll come up with something for you! =D Crossovers welcome! ;)

This is when I fell in love:

I wanted to be her!!

Then I read this:

And I respected her ever more!

And saw this almost everyday after school:

I wish she hadn't been caught and sent to jail so often though...

Eventually, I got caught up on old comics, bought new ones, yeah good times. =D

Most recently played this:

And if her suit would've only been zipped up, she would be my favoritest Catwoman EVER!! *nodnodnod*

fic/drabbles in 2011 (45)

whipsy — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 18:45:23 GMT

time to get back on the saddle

whipsy — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:55:26 GMT

snagged from darthbatgirl and modestroad

1.) Give me a pairing.
2.) Give me an AU setting.
3.) I will write you a three-sentence fic.

meme from flist

whipsy — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:14:51 GMT

I'm running a test to see who's reading my posts. So, if you read this, leave me a one-word comment about your day that starts with the third letter of your LJ USERNAME. Only one word please. Then repost so I can leave a word for you. Don't just post a word and not copy - that's not as much fun!

Holiday Fic Requests- Day 9

whipsy — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:25:36 GMT

Title: A Return To Gotham
Characters: Bruce/Selina
Rating: G
Word Count: 375
Disclaimer: DC Comics and others own Batman: The Animated Series.
AN: For kittybats from the Holiday Fic Requests. The rest of these will probably be late and out of order. *headdesk*

It had taken over an hour for her plane to land. It circled high above Gotham City far away from the pouring rain, the pilot announced. When they finally touched down, it took another fifteen minutes for the plane to reach the correct terminal, thirty for the passengers to be allowed to exit the plane, and thirty-five more for her one bag to finally make it through to baggage claim. Selina's return to Gotham was not off to a good start. Still, she couldn't wait to be back in her old penthouse apartment after such a long flight.

Adjusting her scarf around her neck and a beret over her short, dark hair, she readied her umbrella as she headed out to catch a cab. A violent gust of cold wind whirled down along the sidewalk and her umbrella was ripped from her hand the moment she stepped out of the airport through the sliding doors. Her umbrella twirled three times in the air, then skidded along the wet floor, until it crashed into the back of an unsuspecting gentleman about to step into the backseat of a car.

Selina, having been running after her umbrella, stopped to apologize.

"I'm very sorry about that," she said.

When he turned to face her fully, she forgot all about the rain. Not because it ceased to fall violently, but because it was Bruce standing before her. After all that time away from Gotham, it meant something that his face was the first friendly one she saw, she was sure of it.

He smiled like only he could, warming up her insides despite the cold afternoon. In the past, Bruce had a way of making her think about Gotham's other celebrity, but not this time. He was her sole focus.

After he accepted her apology, he insisted on giving her a ride home.

"I do appreciate it, Bruce, but-"

"Selina," his grin made her catch her breath, "I insist." He took her hand, "Let an old friend help you out."

...

The drive had been a pleasant one, the offer of dinner even more so. And after all that, Selina was forced to reconsidered; though initially not great, it seemed her return to Gotham was actually off to a pretty good start.

Holiday Fic Requests- Day 7

whipsy — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 19:25:37 GMT

Title: Remembrance
Characters: Steve/Tony
Rating: PG
Word Count: 385
Disclaimer: Marvel Comics and Paramount Pictures own.
AN: For bradygirl_12 from the Holiday Fic Requests. I wasn't sure if you meant comics or movieverse, but I went with the movieverse, hope that's ok? =)
AN2: No disrespect is meant. If there is anything anyone would like to point out, any questions or concerns, please do let me know.

Since the beginning of December, Tony noticed that Steve had grown withdrawn again. Although Tony wasn't known for giving people their space, he thought this might be one of the times he should. He didn't, however, and sat down on the steps next to the younger (technically older?) man.

"What it is?" Tony asked. "Because something's obviously bothering you."

Steve looked up, his blue eyes filled with unshed tears.

"Whoa," Tony panicked. He was good with a lot of things, but tears weren't his forte. "Let me go call someone." He stood. "Um, maybe Thor? He's good at this stuff. Probably. I'll...be right back."

"Today marks seventy years," Steve whispered.

Tony froze a few steps away.

"Seventy years?" Tony wasn't sure he understood. "Since...what?"

"Since the attack on Pearl Harbor."

Slowly, Tony returned to sit next to Steve.

"A lot of innocent lives were lost," Steve continued, a faraway look in his eye. "You know Bucky was almost stationed over there?"

Steve had told Tony all about his friends during and before the war. He knew all about Bucky, the Howling Commandoes, the infamous Peggy, and even what his own father, Howard, was like in those days.

Steve talked and Tony remained quiet throughout. It seemed maybe the Captain just needed someone to listen. Steve spoke of two friends from Brooklyn who were lost during the first wave. He said that after he heard of the attack, he tried to enlist three more times in a matter of weeks. He admitted he felt helpless and useless and just wanted the war to end.

"War is an ugly thing," Tony said after a long silence. "But, I'm not going to pretend to understand what it was like."

Steve nodded in appreciation.

"But I know there's something we can do. Come on," Tony patted Steve's shoulder.

"Where we going?"

"Just follow me."

...

Tony, in full Iron Man gear, flew them across the country and over the Pacific Ocean until they reached their destination. When they landed, Steve was overwhelmed by the sight before him. He choked back tears before whispering a quiet, "Thank you."

After a quick hug, Tony left Steve to mourn at the Memorial in private. He didn't go too far, however, because if Steve needed him, he would be there in a heartbeat.

Holiday Fic Requests- Day 6

whipsy — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 01:01:34 GMT

Title: Finding Your Way Home
Characters: Tony Stark/Pepper Potts, Yinsen, Rhodey
Rating: PG
Word Count: 375
Disclaimer: Marvel Comics and Paramount Pictures own.
AN: For pervyficgirl from the Holiday Fic Requests.

The airplane ride back to the States had seemed longer than all his time in the cave. He was anxious to get back to work, to improve the arc reactor he built with spare parts, and above all else, to see Pepper again.

Tony had thought of her often. He was surprised by how much, actually.

...

"You spoke her name numerous times while you were unconscious," Yinsen said.

Tony tried to play it off, saying she was just some girl.

"Some girl," the older man repeated, then smirked, "I'm sure she must be if the great Tony Stark bothered to remember her name."

It appeared his reputation had followed him into that dark, dreary cave and Tony simply laughed. "Are we going to talk about girls, Yinsen, or we going to build this thing?"

...

When Rhodey ran to him across the sand, Tony, lips cracked, mouth dry, throat parched, only had two words for him. "Where's Pepper?" he croaked, the words inaudible.

"How was the fun-vee?" Rhodey asked, not having heard Tony's question. "Next time you ride with me, all right?"

It wasn't until hours later, once Tony had gotten cleaned up and into the black, fitted suit Pepper sent that he began to feel like himself again.

"I called Pepper," Rhodey said and Tony's ears perked up. "She'll be waiting with Happy and the car when we land."

"Right," he grinned, his voice casual, but even the scotch he drank couldn't calm his nerves.

...

It should have been surreal when Tony was finally standing across from her, but it wasn't. He felt as though nothing had happened and he had never been gone.

"Your eyes are red. Tears for your long lost boss?"

"Tears of joy," Pepper said and Tony was struck by the unexpected tug at his heartstrings, until she added, "I hate job hunting."

"Yeah, well, vacation's over," Tony replied smoothly and with that - the easy repartee that had always been a staple of their relationship - they were really back to normal and Tony realized it wasn't what he had hoped for. After everything he'd been through, he could admit - if only to himself - that he didn't want things as they had been, he wanted more from her.

Holiday Fic Requests- Day 1

whipsy — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:15:21 GMT

Title: Like Gossamer
Characters: Steve/Diana
Rating: R
Word Count: 370
Disclaimer: DC Comics owns.
AN: For bradygirl_12 for my Holiday Fic Requests.

They had been many things to each other at various points in their lives. Being friends was easy. Lovers, even more so. They had fought side by side, but more importantly, they centered and grounded the other when it was needed most. She was an Amazon born, unconquerable through the end, and yet, she let him to love her. Whatever happened before, whatever came next, he did not care. All that mattered was this moment where he was simply Steve and she, Diana. Where they were man and woman, finally husband and wife.

They sat together on the edge of the bed. He held her close and swore he would never let go. She smiled when he whispered it in her ear with a hot breath that sent shivers shooting through her. She moaned when he pressed his lips to hers and he leaned back on the soft sheets and brought her with him. But, then she stood and eyes locked into his, Diana let her gown pool at her feet.

His breath caught in his throat as he watched her undress and when he was finally able to speak, he could utter but one word.

"Angel."

Diana smiled at her pilot and Steve stood to kiss her once again.

Her lips were unbearably soft and warm and when she kissed him back with the same desperate desire, he held her closer still. He kissed along her jaw, nipped down her neck, and along her collar bone and shoulder. He teased the outside of her breast and she sighed. He sighed, too. Her skin was like so soft, so smooth, just like gossamer, and he planned to kiss every inch of it as they fell on their wedding bed.

She called his name as she drowned into the blue of his eyes and ran her fingers through his golden hair. He answered her call with heated kisses, gentle caresses, and ran strong hands along every part of her, claiming her as his. She did the same, surprised that the thought of him as hers, and only hers, had an effect she did not expect. She liked it far too much and could tell by the look in her eye, he did as well.

for Pervy!

whipsy — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 21:00:29 GMT

Title: Thanksgiving Dinner
Characters: Dick/Roy, Lian, Dinah/Babs, Bruce/Selina, Batfamily
Rating: G
Word Count: 1340
Disclaimer: DC Comics owns.
AN: For pervyficgirl! Hope you had a great birthday! =D

It was their first Thanksgiving together in a very long time. Friends had been absent, dinners postponed, or something else happened, but not this year. Dick made sure of it, deciding to host himself. He invited all his closest friends and family and when that didn't work, he resorted to guilting a few into coming. Bruce, Jason, and Damian, mainly.

Even though the dinner was held at Dick's home, he had Bruce sit at the head of the table. Dick sat to his left, Lian, Roy, Dinah, Commissioner Gordon, and Babs were also on the left side. Alfred was at the other end, with Leslie to his left, followed by Damian, Steph, Jason, Cass, Tim, and an empty chair at Bruce's right.

Dick had planned to order the entire meal, not wanting anyone to spend hours cooking, but Alfred could not be persuaded otherwise. Sure Dick's tiny kitchen was nothing like what Alfred was used to at Wayne Manor, but Alfred never shied away from a challenge. So, while Alfred prepared everything - with the help of Leslie, Dinah and Babs - the rest watched football. Cass enjoyed the game so much, she suggested next year they play a game instead of just watching one.

When the second game was over, Dick, Roy, and Lian began setting the table. Cass, Steph, and Tim helped carry the food from the kitchen, while Jason and Damian explained the video games they played to the Commissioner. Bruce arrived shortly after that with a bottle of wine.

Once they were all seated, Dick asked Roy to carve the turkey, which he did, happily. Plates were soon overflowing with food. Everyone was ready to begin eating when Dick stood.

"Since it's been a while since we were all together, I'd like for us to go around the table and say one thing we're thankful for."

A few groaned.

"Can't we just eat?" Jason complained.

Dick ignored them, saying, "I'll start. I'm thankful that you were all able to make it tonight-"

"You forced us, Grayson," Damian reminded him.

"-and I hope we can make this a yearly tradition," Dick finished and sat down.

"Lian, would you like to say anything?" Roy asked his daughter.

Lian stood on her chair and looked around the table. "I'm thankful that there's more girls here this year than last year because last year it was only me! Oh, and look, there's one more coming, yay!"

Everyone turned to see Selina coming from the guest room. The Commissioner turned to his daughter. "Has she been there this whole time?" he asked.

Babs, knowing the guest window had probably been used only minutes ago, replied, "She came when you were washing up, dad, but she wasn't feeling well, so Dick insisted she lie down."

"I see I'm more than a little fashionably late," Selina said.

"But you're feeling better now, right?" Dinah asked, having overheard what her girlfriend told her dad.

Selina caught on quickly. "I am, thank you," she smiled and took her seat. Bruce watched her, wondering why she was so late, after all, they left her apartment at the same time.

Lian sat down, too. "Okay, daddy, it's you're turn."

Roy stood. "I'm thankful that you've all welcomed us," he winked at Lian who giggled, "into your family. I appreciate it, it means a lot. And, I'm also thankful that I wasn't able to talk Dick out of setting this whole thing up because we've had a great time." When he finished, Roy leaned over to kiss Dick.

"Get a room!" Jason and Dinah yelled at the same time.

Dinah stood next and said she was thankful she was able to get the night off to be able to spend it with her girlfriend. And she made a mental note to take J'onn, who was nice enough to cover her monitor duty, a plate as thanks. Jim was thankful to be around such good friends. Barbara was thankful that Alfred, and not Dick, cooked dinner, which was quickly followed by, "Hey! I'm not Bruce, I can cook!"

Everyone laughed, Bruce glared, and Dick smiled sheepishly at his father figure.

Alfred stood then. He wasn't one for big speeches, so his words surprised even himself. "I am grateful that we have all made it through another year. Together. I realize children grow and leave the nest, but it's really something when they all come together at times like these. I can only hope that the same can be said in the coming years."

Barbara placed her hand on his once he took his seat again. Then, it was Leslie's turn. "I am thankful to our host and that everyone finds themselves in good health."

Damian muttered something when it was his turn, to which Steph replied, "You need to stand and speak clearly."

He glared at her, but stood. "I'm glad this ridiculous holiday only comes once a year."

Steph ruffled his hair, he swatted her hand away, but she smiled at him anyway. "Not to steal yours, Babs - and nothing against our host - but I'm so thankful Alfred cooked. I've been dreaming about this feast since I got the evite."

Jason was thankful he could say as little as he wanted, then sat down. Cass was thankful for being there. When Jim asked where she'd been, Babs quickly explained that Cass had been attending an out-of-state school. Tim was thankful the year was almost over. Selina was thankful to the host for getting everyone together and for having been included because everything looked delicious. If anyone noticed that she looked at Bruce when she said delicious, no one mentioned it.

Lastly, Bruce stood. "I am thankful for everyone here." He was about to sit down when he added, "And, for those who could not be here with us."

"Here, here," Dick said. "All right everyone, dig in!"

The turkey was moist. The mashed potatoes were very popular. The bread rolls disappeared quickly. However, only half of the table liked sweet potatoes and Damian flat out refused to try them. It was only when Steph insisted, "You're missing out!" and tried to eat them off his plate, that Damian tried them. And, loved them. Alfred noticed the young boy reached for seconds, then thirds.

Dinah was in love with the cranberry sauce and asked for the recipe. Alfred's only reply was a small smile, he would not divulge his secrets just yet. Leslie complimented him on everything, especially the green bean casserole. Lian really liked the stuffing, even though she thought it wasn't as good as her daddy's. Dick almost spit out his potatoes and gravy when he laughed out loud. Actually, a tiny bit did land on Selina's dress, which made Tim and Jason laugh, too. Roy apologized both for his daughter's outburst and Dick's.

After that, dinner went by smoothly. Everyone ate and laughed, even Bruce. Selina grinned when Dick raised a surprised eyebrow, clearly impressed. That's when a cell phone went off.

"Excuse me," the Commissioner said and walked away from the table. Everyone looked around anxiously until he returned.

"Everything okay, dad?" Barbara asked, wiping her mouth with her napkin.

"Afraid not. There's trouble downtown and I have to go."

"You be careful, okay?"

"I will be," he said, kissing the top of her head. "Thank you, Dick, everyone. Everything was perfect."

"We'll make sure to save you dessert," Alfred said.

"Thank you," Jim smiled, he'd been eyeing the pumpkin pie right before his phone rang. "Good night, everyone."

Dick walked him to the door. When he returned, Babs was already on her laptop, probably wondering why she didn't get an alert sooner. Bruce was talking to Tim and Cass. Jason and Damian were already gone. And, Alfred had begun cleaning up.

"Don't worry about that, Alfred. I'll take care of it when I get back."

"Nonsense, Master Richard."

Dick smiled at him. "We almost made it to dessert, huh?"

Alfred returned the smile. "Yes, but not to worry, sir, there's always Christmas dinner."

10 inspirations (4/10)

whipsy — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 20:08:18 GMT

Title: Star Gazing
Characters: Rogue/Gambit, Kitty, Jubilee
Rating: PG
Word Count: 3100
Disclaimer: Marvel and 20th Century Fox own.
AN: For 10_inspirations, Phrases #33- Seeing is believing. Follows this. Canon with all X-men movies.

Rogue walked along the narrow pathway adjacent to the school. The night was cold and she was regretting coming out at all. She could have watched the meteor shower from Storm's balcony like the rest of the school, but she wasn't great with crowds and it was going to get crowded up there. Besides, she wanted to enjoy the meteor shower and not spend her time worrying if someone was getting too close. Resolving it was definitely better that she was down on the lawn by herself, she walked on.

Around the corner of the school, she noticed a series of cottonwood trees lining the landscape. Perhaps in passing she may have seen them before, but it wasn't until that moment that she really took notice of them. Add to that that she was feeling lonely and her mind was made up for her: she was going to climb one.

As a child back in Mississippi, whenever she felt like the only child she was or so alone it hurt, she'd climb the trees in her backyard or more often, those along the river. While up in the trees she didn't feel so lonely anymore. It was almost as if the branches, thick and thin alike, came in close to form a protective cocoon around her. One that would block out all the sadness that the outside world made her feel. Nothing existing beyond the tightly woven branches and leaves could hurt her anymore. Even later, when she met Cody and they were inseparable, whenever one or usually both got in trouble, they ran up a tree to hide until things cooled down.

Feeling uncharacteristically nostalgic and in a good mood, Rogue walked over to the tree with the shortest trunk in the bunch. Shortest trunk meant the shortest climb up.

After two failed attempts, she stood back, hands at her waist, and wondered how best to get up there. It probably didn't help that she was wearing a pair of ballerina flats that had little to no traction. Kitty had tossed them at her trying to be helpful.

"Just put these on and let's go!" the petite brunette had said.

Well, much good they were doing her now. Rogue exhaled loudly, blowing a few strands of hair out of her face. Climbing trees had seemed so easy when she was young.

"Need a hand?"

Rogue did not need to turn her head to know who was walking up behind her. She was torn between her initial reaction (leave without replying and head up to Storm's balcony) or the latter (actually allowing him to help her, ugh!).

She's still not sure why she disliked him so much. Many of her students, hell, many of the X-men irritated her more than Gambit and yet she'd written him off faster than she could say his name. Sure she'd missed him at her table for a like a second, but she got over it real quick and was soon back to not giving a damn about whatever he said or did. Something about him just got to her. And that was despite the fact that there were X-men who were far more annoying.

Kurt was sweet with his kind understanding and deeply thoughtful words, but sometimes they were just too much to take and still, they had grown pretty close. Bobby's latent mutant power - pulling obnoxious pranks - had Rogue at wits end and yet, they too were still friends despite that messy break-up. Then, there was Logan and Kitty and really she could go on and on. The point was she'd decided to give Gambit a chance. If only to prove Jubilee wrong.

"He's nice and you know it!" Jubilee had insisted over an ice cream sundae. "And, girl, how do you expect your students to listen to you preach about getting along when you can't get along with your teammate?"

Rogue hated when her friends made sense.

Reluctantly, she turned to the Cajun. "Might as well make yaself useful," she said and noticed the way his expression changed to that of surprise for the briefest of seconds, but his trademark smirk was back soon enough.

"Just one hand, if ya don't mind," Rogue clarified. If the Cajun got grabby, she would be anything but nice.

"As the lady wishes," Gambit replied, tipping his head. Rogue could almost see the hat he could be wearing when he did things like that.

It took two of Gambit's hands, a knee, and two strong shoulders, but Rogue made it up. She couldn't stop smiling as she took in the thick branches, the many, many leaves, and best of all, straight above, a clearing wide enough to see every meteor that shot across the night sky if Storm kept it clear like she promised she would.

It was as if she had traveled back in time and was currently hiding up in a tree along the Mississippi. If only the air wasn't so cold and the sounds reaching her ears were different...

"You okay, chere?" Gambit called up and Rogue blinked in surprise, coming back to the present. She'd nearly forgotten he'd helped her up. Would it be rude if she replied, "Ah'm fine! Now get!" It would, she sighed. After all, she was attempting to be nice.

"Just peachy."

She'd just finished saying the words when he bounced up into her tree and nearly into her. Rogue lost her footing trying to step back, but Gambit caught her easily enough.

"Thought you said you were 'just peachy'," he grinned, "And here you are stumbling about." Rogue rolled her eyes. "You're lucky I was here to catch you," he added, still keeping his arms around her.

"It's ya fault Ah almost went over!" Rogue argued.

"Technically, you lost your footing, so I say those shoes are to blame."

He was right. She didn't admit it though.

"Ya can let go now, Cajun," she said instead.

"Just being helpful," he replied, then moved away and around her with such ease, as though they weren't up a tree in a tight space. "A gentleman always helps out a lady," he winked, sitting back on a branch. Rogue followed his movements with lidded eyes. He stretched like a cat and she turned away at the first flash of tan skin just about his jeans.

"Know when this gentleman will be arriving?" she asked, managing to make her voice and expression the definition of innocence. The blush that rose to her cheeks only helped.

"Chere," his hand clutched dramatically at his heart, "You wound me."

Despite herself, Rogue snorted in amusement. When she caught herself smiling at him and hoping he'd stretch again, she cleared her throat and moved to sit on the branch furthest from him. Luckily, it was a big enough tree that she could sit comfortably and still be far enough away.

The last bit of sunlight faded fast. To pass the time and try to ignore the way he was looking at her, Rogue took out the knife she started carrying in her back pocket only a few short months ago. It was the knife Logan had slipped into her bag without her knowledge sometime before she left the school. Apparently, he'd anticipated her runaway plans before she had. Rogue found the knife while emptying her bag in the third motel she stayed in. The knife itself was beautiful, a chrome blade and a black, smooth handle. The knife came in a narrow, black box with green velvet lining the inside and it was pretty, too, but it was the note that finally broke the dam and had her crying all night.

Don't forget who you are, kid. And remember that once you're ready, you have a place
to come home to. In the meantime, here's something to help keep you safe.

It was the first thing anyone, including her parents who never had a whole lot, had ever given her something just because and Rogue could feel the tears begin to fill her eyes now even in the safety of the tree. She spoke to keep from crying.

"Back home, Ah climbed all the time. Didn't need no help either." Gambit sniffed, she ignored him. "We climbed dang near everything in our path, we were like two bullfrogs high on caffeine." When she laughed seeming to remember an old joke, he watched her in amusement and smiled along. "Wanna hear our silly plan?" she asked without looking at him, her gaze was fixed on the branch she sat on and whatever she was carving into it with her knife.

"Sure do," he replied, wanting to find out more about this 'us' she was talking about. He didn't want her to stop smiling like she was; he'd never seen her look so happy. Remy took a mental picture unsure he'd ever see her this way again. The thought made him feel somber suddenly, but Rogue missed the frown that marred his handsome face.

"We were eight at the time, maybe nine, and we wanted to write our name on every single tree lining the Mississippi."

Gambit could almost picture a scrawny, little Rogue, big green eyes, and that happy childlike smile that both lightened up her face and made her look prettier than a magnolia after it rained.

"That right?"

"Yeah," she went on, her accent getting thicker with each word. "Cody and Ah had a wager goin' on, too. Whoever owned the most trees got ta keep the brand new bike we found near the river bank. It was a pretty bike, too. A metallic green with white handles and a white seat. It still had those colorful streamer things new bikes used to have, ya know, on the handles?"

Gambit nodded to let her know he knew what she meant. After a few minutes passed and she didn't say anything else, he asked, "So who ended up getting the bike?"

She looked up at him, a strange expression coloring her face. It was as though she'd forgotten he was there or rather, like she didn't recognize him.

"Chere?"

She shook her head and when she looked at him again, she was smiling wistfully.

"Cody wasn't his real name." Rogue's not sure why she kept on talking, but she did. She had a faraway look in her eye and Remy stayed quiet, listening intently to everything she said. "His name was David, but he didn't like it. Said there was too many, but between you and meh, Ah have never, to this day, met another. Anyway, one weekend he went with his family over ta your neck of the woods." Gambit gave her a small smile when she looked up at him. "And Cody said there was a singer at this restaurant they had dinner at. Cody Armstrong. He sang like a bird. And danced like one, too," Rogue laughed. "Cody sang and danced like his namesake all the time. Even wanted me to learn piano, so Ah could join his band which Ah did..." She grew quiet then, even the knife in her hand stilled.

Gambit didn't like the sorrow that filled her eyes. Where did her bright, contagious smile go? It had made him want to smile along as she told her story.

He leaned forward to draw her attention.

"So, if I head down to Mississippi tomorrow...?" green eyes turned to him expectantly, "You're telling me I'll find all the trees with Rogue or Cody written on 'em?" He doubted she'd written 'Rogue' on any, but he was bothered to realize he didn't know her real name. Secretly, he was hoping she'd correct him and say, "Not Rogue, ya fool, but..."

She forced the frown away from her face, he could tell, and then she sighed, "Yeah, something like that." She grew quiet again and seemed to draw in on herself until she looked smaller than usual there perched on her branch.

The sky was completely dark now, but he could still see that the happy, childlike smile was gone, the brightness in her eyes had dimmed, and her brows were furrowed together in deep thought. Gambit watched her, wanting to know more of her, more of the small, happy Rogue running along the Mississippi getting mud all over her tiny feet and jeans. He was tempted to ask for more, but he knew better than most that there were things not at all easy to talk about.

"You done with that artwork of yours?" he asked instead, pointing at her branch.

She looked down at it.

"Yeah, Ah guess."

Out of thin air, a playing card appeared between his thumb and forefinger. Rogue nearly rolled her eyes at him, he was such a show off. Momentarily, she wondered if he'd always been. Maybe he had been a cocky eight year old, flirting with girls twice his age. She wouldn't doubt it. The thought made her giggle.

"What's so funny?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow in suspicion, but secretly glad she was smiling again.

She considered lying. "Ah was trying to picture ya as a little kid."

Gambit grinned, but he's not sure it was convincing enough to cover up the unease he felt suddenly. Unlike Rogue who at least had that boy Cody, Remy had had no one at eight years old.

"Ah'm sorry, Ah didn't mean anything by it, Ah just-"

When he looked up at her, she stopped talking. Her green eyes were wide and very afraid.

"Gambit," she swallowed. "Sugah?" she was trying to sound calm, "Ah think ya charging up the tree."

Somehow, he hadn't noticed the glowing fuchsia tree underneath his fingertips. For a moment he had been back on the streets of New Orleans, alone and cold and hungry, trying to fend for himself.

"Merde." He pulled the charge back and turned to her, "Desole." He stood quickly. "Best I be going," he muttered, his hair falling to cover his face. He needed a drink.

Rogue didn't want him to leave, especially since somehow she made him so upset he hadn't realize he was charging the whole dang tree!

"Wait!" she grabbed his hand to stop him.

Gambit looked down at her looking up at him, then at her hand holding his. Since returning to Xavier's and meeting Rogue, he had never seen her initiate contact with anyone, not even Logan. Perhaps that was why she looked nervous, sounded nervous, too, when she spoke.

"Ya can't leave without..." He could've sworn she was blushing. When she tried to pull her hand away, he held on. "Here," she managed to smile as she handed him the knife with her free hand.

"You gonna share your tree, chere?" Her hand felt so small in his and without giving it much thought, his thumb travelled back and forth over her fingertips. When he felt her tug her hand away again, he let go.

Rogue shrugged, "Ya did help me up, so..."

He took the knife, snapped the blade back into the handle, and returned it. "Got my own," he grinned, his finger glowing a soft fuchsia.

"Show off," she muttered and he winked at her while he crouched down closer to her branch to read what she wrote.

"Rogue was here."

She smiled, a little embarrassed, when he looked at her. She should have just let him leave.

Pressing his finger to the bark with enough charge to singe the tree but not charge it up, he began. Rogue watched the bright pink light play across his features. The glow brightened and ebbed causing small shadows to dance on his face. His eyes were intense, focused on whatever it was he was writing. The sharp angles of his cheekbones softened in the light and his lips looked so incredibly soft. He was beautiful, she thought with a smile.

"There."

He smiled up at her and she felt the flutter of something in the pit of her stomach. Quickly, she looked away from him and down at the branch. Rogue tried to make out what he wrote, but without the light he had provided earlier, everything blended in together in the darkness.

As if reading her mind, he held up a charged card to help her see better. His writing was so neat, it could be on an invitation. It only made her chicken scratches above his perfect penmanship look the more out of place. In her defense, she used a knife she had little practice with while wearing a new pair of gloves she had yet to break in. Oh, well, she could live with it.

"Looks really good," she admitted.

"Sure does," he replied, still looking at her. The strange fluttering in her stomach was back. She had meant his writing, but she got the impression he meant something else entirely. Before she could continue that train of thought, he spoke again, "Think your show's startin'."

She looked up through the clearing in time to catch a light flash across the sky before it faded off to a faraway place. Gambit sat down on the branch next to Rogue's. His coat brushed the side of her leg and she tried not to think about it as she watched the bits of light appearing and disappearing above them.

...

Later, when Rogue was in bed unable to sleep, she thought back to the few minutes she spent with Gambit. It had seemed longer than a few minutes. Maybe because she had talked and talked and told him things she'd never shared with anyone at the school, which was surprising in and of itself, but even more so, he'd listened. Hell, she'd even offered to share her tree. Now that might've been one of the nicest things she'd ever done. Not once in all the time she knew Cody did she ever offer to share a tree with him.

Rogue sat up in bed abruptly. Why had she done that? She stared at Kitty's side of the room, but it held no answers. With a groan, she fell back on her pillow.

She couldn't, could she?

Rogue thought back to what she wrote and then to what he added: Rogue was here, with Gambit. That strange fluttering in her stomach returned.

"Ah can't," she mumbled into her pillow. She shut her eyes tight. "Ah can't. Ah don't."

"You don't what?" Kitty asked, sounding groggy.

Great, now she woke up her roommate. They had an early morning Danger Room session and it would do no one any good if they both showed up tired and sleepy.

"Nothing, Kit. Sorry."

"'S okay," the girl mumbled. Soon her roommate was fast asleep and a light snoring filled their room.

Ah don't. Ah don't. Rogue repeated it over and over. She finally fell asleep trying to convince herself that she could not and did not, in any way, shape, or form, like Gambit.

texting fun, part III!

whipsy — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:22:27 GMT

Characters: Remy/Tim, Jason
Rating: PG
AN: for darthbatgirl!

Characters: Dinah/Babs
Rating: PG
AN: for modestroad! Follows events from here! =)

Characters: Peggy/Steve
Rating: PG
AN: for pervyficgirl! Pretending they had cellphones, hee.

texting fun, part II!

whipsy — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:51:10 GMT

Characters: Tony/Pepper
Rating: PG
AN: for mwffj!

Characters: Bruce/Selina, Dick
Rating: PG
AN: for kittybats!

texting fun, part I!

whipsy — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:41:25 GMT

From this meme. So I didn't write a drabble or a ficlet, instead I made these...

Characters: Rogue/Gambit
Rating: PG-13
Warning: high school humor?
AN: for scribble_myname! But I couldn't find the text message, so I just kinda went with the prompt only! ;)

Characters: Huntress, Oracle, other BoP mentioned
Rating: PG-13
Warning: CRACK!!
AN: for mirage_delgado!

ETA: I don't know what happened to the size!!!! /o\ Nothing I do fixes it! =( If it's hard to read, please let me know. =(

Halloween meme drabbles

whipsy — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:17:11 GMT

For a Brief Moment | movieverse!Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers | G | 295 w

The base was having a Halloween Party to help boost morale. As an officer, Peggy was given an order to attend. Luckily for her, one of the girls was able to lend her a rented fancy, strapless dress along with the matching high heels. Peggy had a pair of elbow length opera gloves to add and the Hollywood Starlet costume was rather an easy one to create.

"Peggy?"

She turned to see Steve dressed in a white toga.

"Bucky helped me," he said as her eyes wandered along his impressive and exposed physique. He smiled sheepishly, "It's just a sheet and rope. But you," his eyes traveled down the length of her dress until he caught himself and his gaze returned to meet hers. "You look...so...really nice."

"Thank you," she smiled at him. "You look really nice as well."

He wanted to ask her to dance. All the couple on the floor looked like they were having lots of fun, but he didn't know how to swing and he'd hate to ruin her night because she had a terrible dance partner. He scratched the back of his head.

"I'd ask you to dance, but-"

"We can go for a walk?"

"You would be okay with that?"

She took his arm and led his outside the large tent. They could still hear the music, but it was low enough that they were able to carry on a conversation. Peggy asked him about Brooklyn, he asked what she did before the war, and when Steve held her hand in his and she smiled, he smiled, too. For the next few hours they were able to pretend a horrible war wasn't going on and they were simply a man and a woman getting to know each other.

On The Same Page | Batgirl!Barbara Gordon/Robin!Dick Grayson | G | 245 w

Batgirl punched the last of Penguin's thugs. Robin tied him up with all the others.

She had given their Halloween plans a lot of thought over the past few nights and finally, she said, "I don't think this is a good idea."

Robin laughed, "But it was your idea."

"I know! It's just..." She looked over at him. They were friends now and she didn't want to ruin that. If they tried... dating... and it didn't work out, rooftops were going to be awkward.

"We're not going to ruin anything," Robin insisted, as if reading her thoughts. "We're always going to be friends, you and I. This is just something fun we can do. As friends if you want!" he added quickly. He might have a crush on her, but he truly liked this redhead beyond that. Besides, patrolling was so much more enjoyable with her than with Bruce.

Yes, Barbara thought, they could be mature about it. Well, she could, anyway.

"When you'd get so smart?" she teased, her hands on her waist.

"I've always been wise beyond my years," he replied, grinning.

That's one thing she liked about him, he was the picture of modesty.

"Okay," she smiled, "I'll see you at the Wayne Halloween Party."

"Great! Try not to be more than a little fashionably late!" he winked and swung away.

Now that that was out of the way, Batgirl still had one more problem; what costume was she going to wear?!

A New Experience | Golden Age!Wonder Woman/Steve Trevor | G | 215 w

It was her first such event in man's world. She had been looking forward to the night and finally, it arrived. Etta helped with her costume, making Diana look exactly like a dime novel detective, fedora and all.

Diana walked in through the large entryway and it was as though she had been teleported to another world. One where witches were laughing along with glittering fairies, where Dr. Frankenstein smiled and drank with his monster, and where police officers danced with gangsters. Vampires and cowboys and wizards joined them.

Diana was transfixed by with the sights and sounds before her.

"It's almost like a dream," she whispered.

Steve leaned in close, "Wait until you try the pumpkin bread. Oh, and the punch is delicious!"

"Shall we try them now?" she asked, feeling suddenly like a child again. Diana couldn't help but be in awe of everyone and everything. She tried to memorize all the faces and every taste of the various treats so she could relay every single thing to her sisters when she returned to Paradise Island.

"Thank you, Steve," she said, "For inviting me."

"Thank you, Angel, for accepting."

Later, Diana bobbed for apples, carved a pumpkin, and listened in on a few scary stories. All in all, she had a wonderful time!

After All That Planning | Stephanie Brown!Batgirl | G | 240 w

After many weeks of looking for the right material, the perfect shoes, and the exact hair, she was finally done! Since Steph was in the privacy of her own home, she did a happy dance! She hadn't been this excited in forever, especially since she had put the costume together all by herself. Sure she could have purchased one from many of the Halloween warehouse stores that pop up this time of year, but sixty-five bucks seemed kinda steep. Not to mention the material made her itchy.

Instead, Steph decided to make her own. She even convinced her 6 year old next door neighbor to lend her a little brown terrier as a special prop. The material she found down in the garment district for one dollar a yard was warm and soft. She ended up using three yards. The red shoes she bought in a thrift store for only four bucks already came with a bow and sparkly beads. The most expensive thing was the wig. She could have gotten the used one for only six, but she decided on the new one for twelve.

Once she was out of the shower and dried her hair, she pulled it back into a tight ponytail, so the wig would fit. Next she sat down to do her make-up, nothing too heavy. And finally, Steph was ready for her costume: Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.

That's when Oracle called. Trouble downtown. Harley and Ivy, apparently.

Steph sighed and wondered out loud, "There are after-Halloween parties, right?"

Happy Halloween, Everybody! =D