⌕ DC COMICS • richard grayson.

COMPANY | Spoke

synopsis: Bring your girlfriend to work day.

The scent of motor oil and warm steel clung to the air, mingling with the distinct musk of leather and sweat. The shop wasn’t busy today—just the hum of neon lights and the occasional clatter of a wrench as Spoke worked on a half-assembled bike.

You perched on a worktable, legs swinging idly, watching him with rapt attention. He was in his element, sleeves pushed up, forearms streaked with grease.

"Aren't you going to be bored?" Spoke asked, glancing at you before turning back to the skeletal frame of the motorcycle.

You tilted your head, a smirk playing on your lips. "Not with this view."

He let out a short chuckle, shaking his head as he wiped his hands on an old rag. "Well, aren’t you flirtatious today?"

You shrugged, playful. "Maybe I just like seeing you work."

Spoke exhaled, rolling the lollipop between his lips before tossing the wrench into the toolbox. "Yeah? You like watchin’ me get my hands dirty?"

Your gaze dipped, taking in the grease-streaked lines of his forearms, the way his shirt clung to his frame, damp with sweat. "Something like that."

The air in the shop seemed to thicken as Spoke casually peeled his shirt off, tossing it aside with a practiced ease. The low light caught the faint glint of muscle beneath his skin, and you couldn’t help but linger on the way his back flexed with each movement.

"I'm back with the food!" Hugo’s voice boomed through the garage. He appeared from around the corner, several bags in hand, followed by Watari and Kai, both carrying drinks and more food.

The charged silence shattered. You blinked, quickly shifting your focus as if the moment had never existed. The heat in the air dissipated, replaced by the easy familiarity of their arrival.

Hugo flashed a grin as he set the bags down, his gaze flicking between you and Spoke. "Don’t tell me I’m interrupting something. Spoke lookin’ like a snack again?"

Spoke, unbothered, shot him a sidelong glance but didn’t respond. His attention was already back on the bike, his posture relaxed, rolling the lollipop between his lips with absent ease as he wiped his hands on a rag.

You smirked, rolling with the shift in energy. "Maybe you’re just late," you teased, grabbing a drink from one of the bags.

Watari bumped Hugo’s shoulder with a roll of her eyes. "Move it, nosy nelly," she muttered.

Kai chuckled, setting the last of the bags on the table. "Yeah, quit being nosy."

You slid off the worktable, making your way over as Watari opened one of the larger brown paper bags. The rich scent of food spilled into the air, pushing aside the lingering motor oil.

The air in the shop seemed to thicken for a moment, but before it could settle, Spoke grabbed a clean shirt from a nearby stool and pulled it over his head in one fluid motion. The fabric stretched momentarily before settling into place, obscuring the toned lines of his torso.

You slid off the worktable, making your way over as Watari opened one of the larger brown paper bags. The rich scent of food spilled into the air, pushing aside the lingering motor oil. The moment had passed—but you couldn’t deny the ghost of a smirk still playing at your lips.

Everyone settled in, pulling up stools and crates around the makeshift dining area. Hugo passed out sandwiches wrapped in brown paper, while Kai popped the lids off a few glass bottles of soda, the soft hiss of carbonation filling the space.

"You actually got my order right for once?" Watari teased, unwrapping her sandwich and inspecting its contents.

Hugo scoffed, taking a dramatic bite of his own. "Of course. I’m reliable."

Spoke leaned against the worktable, his shirt now slightly wrinkled but still fitting him well. He bit into his sandwich with one hand while the other lazily twirled the lollipop stick between his fingers. His eyes flicked toward you briefly before returning to his food.

You took a sip of your drink, letting the cool fizz settle on your tongue. "So what’s the plan after this?"

Kai shrugged. "Depends. Shop’s closed early today. We could head to the docks. Might be a good breeze."

Watari hummed in thought. "Or we could just stay here. I like the sound of not moving."

Hugo grinned. "That’s because you’re lazy."

She pointed a fry at him. "Efficient."

"Right" Hugo drawled, sipping on his drink.

The conversation drifted into easy chatter, the kind that only came with familiarity. The warmth of the meal, the company, and the lingering scent of grease and steel wrapped around you. And through it all, your eyes found Spoke again—casual, collected, rolling the lollipop between his fingers like he had all the time in the world.

You pushed off from your seat and wandered toward him, stepping into his space as he remained perched on the worktable. Resting a hand on his thigh, you leaned in slightly, catching his attention.

"What kind of juice did you get?" you asked, your voice laced with curiosity.

Spoke glanced at you, the corner of his lips quirking as he lifted his bottle. "Pineapple," he replied simply, taking a slow sip before meeting your gaze again. "Want a taste?"

You tilted your head, watching him take another slow sip. The way his lips lingered against the rim of the bottle sent a flicker of something warm through your chest—not that you’d admit it.

"Maybe," you mused, reaching out before he could react. Your fingers brushed against his as you took the bottle from his grasp, feeling the cool glass against your palm.

Spoke didn’t protest. Instead, he simply watched, the faintest smirk dancing on his lips.

You took a sip, the tangy-sweet flavor of pineapple settling on your tongue, mixed with the faintest trace of something else—something undeniably him. Lowering the bottle, you met his gaze, your expression unreadable.

"Not bad," you said, handing it back.

Spoke’s fingers lingered against yours for half a second before he took the bottle, setting it beside him without another word. But his smirk deepened just a fraction, as if he’d caught onto something unspoken between you.

Before either of you could say anything else, Hugo’s voice cut through the moment.

"Oh, come on. If you two are gonna eye-flirt, at least be more subtle about it."

You shot him a flat look, but Kai snorted, and even Watari smirked behind her drink.

"You're seeing things," you said smoothly, leaning away from Spoke with an easy shrug.

Hugo waggled his brows. "Uh-huh, sure. And I don’t have impeccable instincts."

Spoke just took another bite of his sandwich, unfazed.

Kai leaned back in his seat, stretching his arms over his head. "Anyway, about the docks. If we’re going, we should head out soon before it gets too crowded."

Watari sighed, tossing her empty sandwich wrapper into one of the bags. "Fine, fine. But I’m calling dibs on the best seat."

"Doesn’t work like that," Hugo said, standing and stretching. "First come, first served."

You glanced back at Spoke. His gaze lingered on you for a second longer before he finally pushed off the worktable, lollipop still twirling between his fingers.

"will you be fine on your own?" he shoots the question to them, washing down the food with more juice. "I still have a few upgrades on the bike"

Watari pulls up her hair. "what about you" she smiled

You shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "Not in the mood for running errands."

Hugo shot you a knowing grin but didn’t press. "Suit yourself. We’ll be back in a bit—try not to get into trouble kids"

You rolled your eyes as he and Kai stepped out, laughing between themselves. Watari lingered for a moment, giving you a long, considering look before she smirked. "we'll be back in a few."

With that, she turned and followed the others, the door swinging shut behind her.

The garage was suddenly quieter, the absence of chatter making the hum of the city outside seem distant. You turned back toward Spoke, who had barely acknowledged the exchange, still crouched by his bike, focused.

For a while, you didn’t say anything. You just watched—watched the way his hands moved with practiced ease, the way his fingers skimmed over metal, the furrow of concentration between his brows.

"You don’t have to stay," he finally said, voice even, but there was something underneath—something unreadable.

"I know," you replied simply, stepping forward. "But I want to."

Spoke exhaled softly through his nose, shaking his head as he wiped his hands on a rag. "Suit yourself," he murmured, but you didn’t miss the way his lips quirked slightly before he turned his attention back to the bike.

You settled onto the worktable, watching as he worked, the scent of grease and metal mixing with the faint, lingering sweetness of his lollipop.

For a while, the only sounds were the faint clinking of tools and the occasional soft scrape of metal against metal. The garage had a rhythm of its own—steady, methodical, almost soothing. You watched as Spoke adjusted something near the engine, his movements sure and precise.

"You always this focused when you work?" you asked, your voice breaking the silence.

Spoke didn’t look up. "It’s a machine. Give it what it needs, and it won’t fail you."

You tilted your head, studying him. "That why you like bikes?"

He finally glanced at you, another lollypop rolling between his lips. "Something like that."

There was something about the way he said it—something that hinted at more, but he didn’t offer an explanation. Instead, he turned back to his work, tightening a bolt with a slow, deliberate twist.

You hopped down from the worktable, stepping closer. "Need help?"

He scoffed lightly but didn’t immediately dismiss you. "You know anything about bikes?"

"I know how to ride one," you said, crossing your arms. "That count?"

Spoke smirked, shaking his head as he handed you a wrench. "Hold this."

You took it, fingers brushing his as you did. His skin was warm, slightly rough with callouses from years of working with his hands. The brief touch sent a flicker of something through you, but you ignored it, watching as he gestured toward the frame.

"Here," he murmured, guiding your hand. "Tighten this bolt, but not too much, or you'll mess up the alignment."

You followed his instructions, turning the wrench carefully. Spoke watched, his gaze flicking between your face and the work you were doing.

"Not bad," he murmured.

You grinned. "High praise, coming from you."

He huffed a quiet laugh, shaking his head before reaching for another tool.

The air between you felt different now—not as thick as before, but charged in a quieter way. You fell into a rhythm, passing him tools, watching him work, stealing glances when you thought he wasn’t looking.

Non Mc! Reader & Mentor!Rafayel [Sfw]

Thinking of writing a fic where you’re a young artist who gets sort of mentored taken in by Rafayel, years before he reunites with Mc. You spend almost every day with him, learning new skills both in and outside of art. You’re still young and timid, but Rafayel’s penchant for never pulling his words, forces you to match his energy. He makes you honest. You’re trying new things, going new places, comfortable in relying on Rafayel to keep you confident. Despite all the back and forth, the sass that isn’t spared on you, you find it’s far too easy to fall in love with him.

And for the most part it’s also easy to keep that part of your heart secret.

I get the vibe that Sylus isn't really a "public sex" kinda guy

After NoS he definitely seems like he prefers privacy while making love to you. He doesn't get off on being in open or public spaces. Your body is for his eyes only, your sounds are for his ears only. And I'd say his favorite place to fuck is in his home. The kitchen, the living room, the shower....THE BEDROOM (we all saw that bed right? lordy) And not saying you can't tease him a little in public, but he will tell you to restrain yourself🤣🤣

but you know who does love public sex.....

Dont tell me this boy ain't about that freaky life. He's an exhibitionist ONE HUNDRED PERCENT🙌🏻🙌🏻

@navi-s-shitposting would u look at that

ocean memories : prelude's elegy.

synopsis. the last elegy dedicated to the past, never to be forgiven and always to be remembered... for now.

pairing. rafayel x fem! non mc! reader

warnings. talks of hatred and allusions to death oop, reader is a pianist but idk much abt that so i tried to be vague abt the process LOL ?, rafayel being rude bc why is he ignoring his aunt ?! /hj, slight spoilers of rafayel's anecdote (anecdote 3... and it's literally just a line LOL). if there's anything i should add, please let me know!

genres. angst el o el !

rating. rating. pg-13 😟

w/c. 1k

a/n. REVIVED JUST TO POST THIS !! i will HOPEFULLY be able to post this weekly heh 😜 NAWT PROOFREAD BTW !!!! also, i would like to say that the series does have spoilers to rafayel's overall lore but is different to how the fandom has come to piece together the timelines. for the sake of the series, the abysswalker myth is set in the past and therefore there will be minor changes to rafayel's lore HFOAIHWEFIAHE anyways. i hope you all enjoy this !!

How I feel after crying over a literal x reader fanfic

I really felt like playing around with picrew this morning so thought I’d make a little tag game out of it!

Make a little you using this picrew - https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/2069970 and share the results!

Here’s mine!

No pressure tags for @spieluhrzeit @dandysnob @wizzardclown @boy-oneder @helinyetille @franwikema if you fancy it! 🥰

Also, why does the default character look like Paul Landers?

thank you for the tag sonic!!!

there was no "baggiest pants known to man" option so have a cute skirt instead gender is a construct

they just me fr

no pressure tags for @marimayscarlett @mann-gegen-mann-in-real-life @manngegenmann @truthwithlight @morgana-lefay @franwikema @helinyetille

Thanks so much for the tag @spieluhrzeit :D

I'll tag @shobolanya @cicada-candy @polskasroka :)))))

Thanks so much for the tag! <3

@aoioozora @holy-mother-of-whumpers @akaittou @tunguszka20 @solivagantingrebel @ellilyre @shouldertheskies @leynaeithnea @loresung @masterofthewarcry @silaslich @ihavehomework2dobutimhereinstead @12timetraveler and anyone else who'd like to join!

Thank you @polskasroka for the tag!

Tags open to all :)

I love these so much!:)

@gunnrblze @stargazing-sapphire2 @lemonqii @howtotwirlaknife22 @pyxis-stellae @fw-priyanshu @snurtsnurt @onlyroach

If not comfortable, don’t worry just know that I was thinking bout you!!!😌💞

Thanks for the tag! I loved doing this

@lobotobell @fleshqounds @yell-hound @adlersoldspice plus anyone that sees this!!

tags are open to all ‼️

@amaichou @dyfavorable and everyone else lol

Hell yea

Tagging: @xxylan @anticapitalistclown @peacetingyawaka @ventivente @omniryu

Tagging: @rainondeeznuts @derurude @/anyone