Bro
Hood
Hood doesn’t really do the hero thing anymore. That died when he did. He gets criminals in his own way, through fear, power, and death. More effective than anything the Bat ever did. But Hood is still, sort of technically, good, so he’s not gonna sit by and watch while four guys rape some girl. They deserve the bullets that take them down like animals.
The girl is smart, curls up in a ball. She’s dark skinned, her black hair long and tangled. He sees that she’s not bad looking, nose maybe a bit too big, lips too thin, but pretty. Her bones are prominent, delicate wrists crossed over her knees.
The clothes she’s wearing are too big on her, badly patched in places. Homeless, then. He remembers being homeless. He hated it. Her smile is big and brash, though, eyes lighting up. They’re hazel. He’s always liked hazel eyes.
“Bro, that was the greatest motherfucking rescue I’ve ever seen.”
He freezes. Those words. Those are his words. When he comes back he figured they’d be gone, that he’d be unmarked, but the first mirror he looked in showed that they were still there. Different words, same handwriting. His hand automatically goes to his gun and her smile fades. Shit. He’s gonna mess this up, just like he’s messed up every other thing that he’s done.
“What the fuck did you just say?” he says without thinking, and her eyes widen. They really are pretty.
“I…oh my God. It’s you!”
She stands with her hands on her hips. She’s a little taller than average, and she’s reached the kind of skinny that models are jealous of. He’ll feed her until she’s healthy, he’s finally found his soulmate and his mind is reeling.
“Yeah, I guess it is me.”
“Are you gonna run away? Cause that would be really uncool.” She’s all bravado and confidence, but he can see the fine tremors in her hands. She keeps biting her lip. Of course he’s not gonna leave her. He’s gonna bring her home and find out what she tastes like. He’s gonna not fuck this up.
“What’s your name?”
“Laney. Lane. Kaddoura. Lane Kaddoura.” She stumbles over her name, and he’s smiling now.
“You sure about that?”
She’s getting her bravery back, looks him straight in the face. “Yes. I’m just really excited to meet you!” He can’t believe this. He expected a soulmate who would freak out as soon as they realized who he is, what they’re getting into. But she’s grinning at them while dead men cool at their feet.
“Uh huh.” She frowns. Shit. He’s such an idiot. Then she’s giving him a long speech about his emotional availability and his death, but he keeps focusing on her crying herself to sleep. Goddamn, every day he hates Joker a little more for what his life has become. And her words have changed. His have, too.
They used to say, “Dude, I am beyond lost. I have perfected the science of lost. Lost is my best friend.” He gets the feeling that he’s going to laugh a lot more now that he’s met her.
“What’d they say before?” he asks, instead of saying how sorry he is, how fucking sorry.
“They said, ‘Hi, I’m Jason. Are you lost?” God, he used to be so polite. She pokes a finger into his chest. Her nails are sharp. “So, Jason, what are we gonna do?”
They’re gonna go home and he’s starting self-defense lessons, that’s what they’re gonna do. Then he’s gonna fuck her. He wants to see her mark, though. She gives him a happy little smile when he asks, rolls up her sleeve to show his words, then makes a weird up and down gesture. “Alright, your turn.”
He’s not comfortable showing his face, his scars, to anyone. He’s not handsome, not anymore, and his identity is pretty closely guarded, but this is his soulmate.
“Look, I have to take off my helmet to show you. This is a big deal, okay? You can’t go telling people my name, or what I look like. Ever.”
She crosses her arms over her chest. “You’re implying that I can’t be trusted, and that’s hurtful.” He risks a glance at her, nervous, but she doesn’t see too angry. They’ll work on the trust thing later. He takes the helmet off and waits for her reaction. Her cheeks flush, and he’s seen that heavy look in other people’s eyes. She wants him.
He can’t hide his smile when she wolf whistles, cause he expected his soulmate to be fun, but he figured that once she met him, she’d get nervous. He turns his back to her, which is harder than it should be, he hates being vulnerable, and the cool air makes his skin prickle. “Yep, that’s mine. Is this the part where you drag me back to your lair and we have glorious sex for hours?”
Jesus fuck. He’s gonna take her apart. He’s gonna have her screaming. She hooks her arm through his and grins. She’s light enough that he could carry her with one arm. He has to be the serious one here. Kind of.
“No. This is the part where we go back to my place and discuss the terms of our relationship.”
The terms being that he is hers, he finally has someone who is unarguably his, and he will hold onto that as tightly as he’s held onto his anger. “Totally not fun,” she grumbles, bumping a hip into his, and he laughs.
“Then we have glorious sex for hours.” Her muscles tighten and she walks a little faster, glancing up like she’s hoping he won’t notice.
“I rescind my previous statement.”
The girl is smart, curls up in a ball. She’s dark skinned, her black hair long and tangled. He sees that she’s not bad looking, nose maybe a bit too big, lips too thin, but pretty. Her bones are prominent, delicate wrists crossed over her knees.
The clothes she’s wearing are too big on her, badly patched in places. Homeless, then. He remembers being homeless. He hated it. Her smile is big and brash, though, eyes lighting up. They’re hazel. He’s always liked hazel eyes.
“Bro, that was the greatest motherfucking rescue I’ve ever seen.”
He freezes. Those words. Those are his words. When he comes back he figured they’d be gone, that he’d be unmarked, but the first mirror he looked in showed that they were still there. Different words, same handwriting. His hand automatically goes to his gun and her smile fades. Shit. He’s gonna mess this up, just like he’s messed up every other thing that he’s done.
“What the fuck did you just say?” he says without thinking, and her eyes widen. They really are pretty.
“I…oh my God. It’s you!”
She stands with her hands on her hips. She’s a little taller than average, and she’s reached the kind of skinny that models are jealous of. He’ll feed her until she’s healthy, he’s finally found his soulmate and his mind is reeling.
“Yeah, I guess it is me.”
“Are you gonna run away? Cause that would be really uncool.” She’s all bravado and confidence, but he can see the fine tremors in her hands. She keeps biting her lip. Of course he’s not gonna leave her. He’s gonna bring her home and find out what she tastes like. He’s gonna not fuck this up.
“What’s your name?”
“Laney. Lane. Kaddoura. Lane Kaddoura.” She stumbles over her name, and he’s smiling now.
“You sure about that?”
She’s getting her bravery back, looks him straight in the face. “Yes. I’m just really excited to meet you!” He can’t believe this. He expected a soulmate who would freak out as soon as they realized who he is, what they’re getting into. But she’s grinning at them while dead men cool at their feet.
“Uh huh.” She frowns. Shit. He’s such an idiot. Then she’s giving him a long speech about his emotional availability and his death, but he keeps focusing on her crying herself to sleep. Goddamn, every day he hates Joker a little more for what his life has become. And her words have changed. His have, too.
They used to say, “Dude, I am beyond lost. I have perfected the science of lost. Lost is my best friend.” He gets the feeling that he’s going to laugh a lot more now that he’s met her.
“What’d they say before?” he asks, instead of saying how sorry he is, how fucking sorry.
“They said, ‘Hi, I’m Jason. Are you lost?” God, he used to be so polite. She pokes a finger into his chest. Her nails are sharp. “So, Jason, what are we gonna do?”
They’re gonna go home and he’s starting self-defense lessons, that’s what they’re gonna do. Then he’s gonna fuck her. He wants to see her mark, though. She gives him a happy little smile when he asks, rolls up her sleeve to show his words, then makes a weird up and down gesture. “Alright, your turn.”
He’s not comfortable showing his face, his scars, to anyone. He’s not handsome, not anymore, and his identity is pretty closely guarded, but this is his soulmate.
“Look, I have to take off my helmet to show you. This is a big deal, okay? You can’t go telling people my name, or what I look like. Ever.”
She crosses her arms over her chest. “You’re implying that I can’t be trusted, and that’s hurtful.” He risks a glance at her, nervous, but she doesn’t see too angry. They’ll work on the trust thing later. He takes the helmet off and waits for her reaction. Her cheeks flush, and he’s seen that heavy look in other people’s eyes. She wants him.
He can’t hide his smile when she wolf whistles, cause he expected his soulmate to be fun, but he figured that once she met him, she’d get nervous. He turns his back to her, which is harder than it should be, he hates being vulnerable, and the cool air makes his skin prickle. “Yep, that’s mine. Is this the part where you drag me back to your lair and we have glorious sex for hours?”
Jesus fuck. He’s gonna take her apart. He’s gonna have her screaming. She hooks her arm through his and grins. She’s light enough that he could carry her with one arm. He has to be the serious one here. Kind of.
“No. This is the part where we go back to my place and discuss the terms of our relationship.”
The terms being that he is hers, he finally has someone who is unarguably his, and he will hold onto that as tightly as he’s held onto his anger. “Totally not fun,” she grumbles, bumping a hip into his, and he laughs.
“Then we have glorious sex for hours.” Her muscles tighten and she walks a little faster, glancing up like she’s hoping he won’t notice.
“I rescind my previous statement.”