#this is single handedly making me wish i was caught up more | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

221bshrlocked · 1 month

Text

Broken and Grazed, Loved and Saved

Pairing: Crosshair x Jedi AFAB!Reader

Words: 4724

Warnings: Mutual Pining. Mentions of violence and blood. Touching Confessions! Angst to fluff because you know it. Crosshair being a tiny bit soft...just a tiny bit.

Summary: You get shot while trying to save Crosshair. He's shocked and confused as to why you would do such a thing. You both slowly reveal your feelings for each other as he patches you up.

A/N: I crawled back from my writer's block hell hole to post this. This is during The Clone Wars series folks, hence the Jedi insert. Once again, thank you so much to @cloneficgiftexchange for holding this event and single-handedly getting me to write every once in a while. This is for the lovely @arctrooper69 who inadvertently gave me a challenge with Crosshair. I hope you enjoy it babes and I hope I got his character down correctly. This is the first time I write for him. As always, let me know how I am doing in the comments please and thank you.

When Obi-Wan informed you that you’d be accompanying Clone Force 99 on another mission, you tried your best to not let your excitement come through. But one look at your old friend and the smirk on his face made you realize you may not have been as subtle as you originally thought.

“Shut it Kenobi,” you walk past him, shaking your head when you briefly glanced to the side and saw him raising an eyebrow at you. He chuckles at your embarrassment, and you’re torn between making fun of him and letting him be. It was rare to see him display such an elated emotion, and you couldn’t help but laugh along with him when finally caught up with you and patted you on the back.

“In all seriousness, do be careful out there.” A worried expression breaks through the smile and you nod at him, knowing that the sentiment wasn’t one of warning but deep concern for your safety.

“As weird as it is to admit this, I feel like I might potentially be safest with them.” You come to a stop once you reach the door of the Temple, looking around the awfully quiet space before returning your attention to Obi-Wan once more.

“I would have to disagree with you there. The rate at which they use explosives is severely higher than any other force I have fought alongside. Nevertheless, I trust your judgment. Do keep me updated, yes?” When you don’t respond right away, Obi-Wan follows your line of sight and notices where your attention suddenly lies. He groans to himself and wishes he wasn’t the keeper of so many secrets.

“Young one!?” You snap out of your momentary haze when Obi-Wan quite literally yells at you, his voice carrying across the grounds and catching the curiosity of none other than the man you found yourself barely able to stop thinking of.

“Sorry, yes?” You feign ignorance, giggling like a young padawan when Obi-Wan rubs his temples and swears beneath his breath.

“I’m only joking. Yes I will be careful, sure I’ll try my best not to get into trouble, and of course I won’t partake in Wrecker’s booming tactics. Satisfied?” You don’t wait for him to respond, already walking towards the Marauder and praying to the Force that the introvert of the group is less hostile towards you this time around. When you grow near to the clones standing at the foot of the ramp, you turn around one last time and wave goodbye to Obi-Wan, laughing when he rolls his eyes at you and heads back into the Temple. As soon as you turn around, you’re met with an incredibly energetic Wrecker, your shock turning into hysterical laughter as soon as he wraps his arms around you and picks you up.

“Heyyy, it’s our favorite Jedi!” His grip on you remains gentle even though he’s lifted you off of the ground a good bit.

“Hey Wrecker, I see you missed me as much as I missed you.” You gently tap him on his shoulder, hoping he’d put you down before any other Jedi sees how familiar you are with him.

“Wreck, put the General down.” You glance to the side and see Hunter standing with his hands on his hips, his facial expression a bit unreadable. You laugh nervously at the leader of the Bad Batch, hoping Wrecker wouldn’t get in trouble because of your friendliness.

To his chagrin, Wrecker puts you down and backs away, whispering a few apologies before returning to stand next to Tech.

“Sorry, I know I shouldn’t encourage it.” You tell Hunter as the two of you walk away from the rest of the Batch, your eyes unintentionally remaining on your favorite member of the group. If Hunter notices how you pay more attention to Crosshair, he says nothing of it and pretends you weren’t watching him like a hawk.

“No need for any apologies, General. I don’t particularly care but I know how things are on Coruscant. Wouldn’t want him to be misunderstood.” Hunter points towards the Clones standing around the Temple with other Jedi Masters, smiling nervously at you when you sigh anxiously at the prospect of being the reason behind Wrecker potentially getting in trouble.

“I promise to talk to him. And I’ll make sure to only be friendly when we’re not surrounded by…you know.” You try to laugh off the circumstances you find yourself in, only for Hunter’s body language to shift at the implications behind your words.

“I’d be careful if I were you. Even if they aren’t around, others tend to misunderstand and- well, let’s just say that things get a little heated when we finish a mission and you aren’t on-board anymore.” You furrow your eyebrows at Hunter’s response, only to follow his line of sight and see who he’s staring at. When you’re met with Crosshair’s narrowed, irritated eyes shifting between you and Wrecker, you realize that Hunter may know more than he let on.

“I- I don’t think you-” You trip over your words, unsure of how to respond now that Hunter knew of your inclinations as well.

“Save it, I’m not judging…just giving you a heads up.” He excuses himself, saying something or other to Tech as the two of them ascend the Marauder. You look to the ground as you make your way to the ship, afraid of making eye contact with any of the others out of fear of making things more awkward. Even as you walk past Crosshair, you ignore him completely, pretending to fix the lightsaber hanging from your belt so you don’t have to deal with him now. As soon as you go to the cockpit, you throw a quick hello to Echo and walk back, pushing through the supplies scattered around so you can sit in the small space at the end of the ship.

Even though you want to sit near Crosshair, you decide against it, knowing that you don’t have the capacity to deal with his passive aggressive comments now. You haven’t seen him in a long while, and there’s nothing you wish to do more than be near him, even if the two of you were to remain silent. But if the conversation with Hunter proved anything, it’s the fact that Crosshair was begging to pick a fight right now. You just didn’t want it to be with you.

Taking a deep breath, you do your best to center yourself and ignore the whispers and murmurs traveling from the cockpit. You manage a fair job for most of the flight, but the closer you get to the Outer Rim planet, you vaguely hear your name thrown around between Hunter, Tech and Wrecker. You know better than to listen to what they’re saying, and before you can decide on whether or not you should ignore them, Wrecker stands up and grumbles something louder than the others would have preferred.

“She doesn’t mind! You’re just telling me what to do because Crosshair won’t listen to you and talk to her.” Your eyes shoot wide open at his words, and as you turn around to face them, you see all of their expressions turn blank. Wrecker only recognizes just how loud he is when he faces you and sees a quizzical look on your features. He chuckles nervously and sits down as Echo makes his way towards you.

“Sorry about that, we know how much you like to meditate.” He sits down beside you, glaring quickly at Wrecker so he doesn’t accidentally give anything else away.

“It’s okay, it’s not like I was getting much meditation done anyway. You guys whisper pretty loudly.”

“You mean you- could you hear us this whole time?” Echo asks, the direct gaze you offer him letting him know that yes, you could certainly hear what they were going on about this whole time.

“You know then.” It was more of a comment than a question, but you shrug your shoulders at him regardless, unsure of whether they were telling the truth or just reading into the interactions between you and Crosshair. Before you can respond however, you feel the ship drop out of hyperspace and into the atmosphere of the planet.

“Another time Echo,” you ignore the pleading look on Echo’s face, not wanting to continue this conversation now that the mission officially commenced. Making your way to the front of the ship, you look across the yellow planet below you and sigh in irritation when you notice the storms forming just above the surface.

“Did you know that Eshil is one of three desert planets that receives frequent rain? Rain storms are often violent here, delivering up to seven millimeters per minute. It is more likely for one to drown down there than to die of thirst.” The ease with which Tech spoke made you giggle, and you couldn’t help but thank him politely for the unsolicited knowledge when you saw Wrecker and Echo glare at him worryingly.

“Don’t worry big guy, nothing will happen to you on my watch.” You pat Wrecker on the back as you begin your descent onto Eshil, and before you can attempt to calm him down a little, the Marauder begins to shake violently due to the rain and thunderstorms. In a moment of distraction, you lose your balance and fly backward, suddenly feeling a pair of slim fingers grab onto your waist to prevent you from falling. Thinking it’s Hunter who just saved you, you turn around to thank him, only to find a pair of steel, hazel eyes staring dead at you.

The faint gasp doesn’t go unnoticed by Crosshair, nor does the disappointed look you throw at him when he lets go so he can push you into one of the seats.

“Don’t hurt yourself, Jedi.” His tone is mocking in a way, but you don’t dwell too much on it and instead look around to see if anyone noticed the little interaction. Everyone is blissfully unaware of the tense moment you shared with Crosshair, and even though you can feel his eyes on you, you choose to avoid his gaze, afraid he would see how much of an effect he has on you.

It takes too long to your liking to land, not because you didn’t like the turbulence, but because you couldn’t stand being in close proximity with Crosshair any longer. An hour ago, you were excited to join the team, wanting nothing more than to try and get closer to Crosshair, or at the very least, figure out why he’s always more passive aggressive with you than with anyone else. But after the not-so-subtle comment from Hunter, and the rather awkward conversation you overheard, you couldn’t finish this mission and be back on Coruscant fast enough. Somehow, knowing that the animosity was a product of mutual feelings made things worse.

No, not worse. That wasn’t the right word.

Real. It made things real. It made things more accessible, which meant that the probability of anything happening was simultaneously high and low.

“We’re here,” Hunter’s announcement is a welcomed distraction, and you wait until everyone stands aside to review the plan before jumping out of the Marauder. The rain comes down harsher than you’ve anticipated but you take a few seconds to appreciate it regardless, knowing that it wasn’t everyday you experienced rain caused by clean, natural clouds. It was so much different than Coruscant, strangely soothing as it seeped through your clothes and kissed your cheeks.

The cool sensation suddenly shifts into a warmer breeze, causing your eye muscles to clench tightly in confusion. The feeling engulfs you almost like a hug, and you’re not sure how or why it becomes hotter with each passing second. It’s only when you open your eyes and glance to the side that you finally understand why you were being flooded with such intensity. You quickly avert your gaze as soon as you notice Crosshair’s embarrassment when he realizes that you’ve caught him staring at you.

“Alright fellas, listen up. Our mission is simple: infiltrate the base undetected, retrieve the classified intel from their innermost vaults, exfiltrate before they even know we’re there. Stay sharp and Wrecker…no explosives unless I say so.” Hunter points firmly at the bigger clone, and you almost giggle when you see the hint of a grin appearing on his face.

“Awww man!” Wrecker throws his hands up in the air, walking away and crossing his arms when he sees you approaching him.

“Don’t worry big guy, there’s always a next time.” You pat him on the back, laughing to yourself when he retorts at you like a child.

“That’s what you said last time.”

“But I really mean it this time,” you twist your head down until you can get a better look at him, and when you meet his eyes, you watch as he tries his best to not crack a smile in return. When he does, you walk past him and stay behind Hunter as he slowly moves through the barren land. The closer you get to the compound though, the more you become uneasy at your lack of cover, but before you can say anything, the rain begins to come down harder than you thought it possible, making you squint to try and see where everyone is.

“I guess that should do the trick!” You hear Echo scream from behind you, but the sentiment makes you uncomfortable. The idea of losing the rest of them before you even make it to the enemy line is disconcerting, and you make your way towards Hunter quickly. When he sees you approaching him, he stops and waits for you to catch up.

“Follow my lead and make sure everyone keeps their helmets on so they can see.” You throw the hood of your cloak over your head a little further, the action not helping one bit as the water continues to crash down on you like a waterfall.

“When we get there-”

“I’ll signal for Echo so he can unlock the doors.” Waiting until he nods in agreement, you continue your journey towards the compound, praying to the maker that the enemy’s visibility is as bad as yours. The trek to the compound takes longer than you like, but when you finally have it in sight, you turn around and wait for the others to reach you. Hunter and Tech are ahead of everyone, and you squint hard until you can see Echo and Wrecker behind them. When Crosshair doesn’t show right away, you begin to worry, afraid that the rain became less of an inconvenience and more of a trigger to him. You’re about to run past the guys when you finally see him walking through the heavy downfall, no longer holding his firearm in his hands and instead taking his time as he walks towards the rest of the team. Even though you can’t see his expression, you know for a fact that Hunter is smirking beneath his mask, and you choose to ignore him as you go back to the front of the Batch and walk closer to the compound.

“There aren’t any guards posted outside. The storm must have sent everyone back inside.” You make a note, signaling for Echo to move ahead of you while the others wait a little farther away in case things don’t go according to plan. Anxiety washes over you all of a sudden, and you glance at the only member of the Batch you know dislikes the rain more than anyone. If Crosshair notices the way you’re staring at him worryingly, he says nothing and keeps his attention on your surroundings, ready to fire at anyone who comes in the way.

When Echo unlocks the door, Tech follows after and heads straight towards the secured vaults at the heart of the compound. It’s quieter than you expect, but you figure it’s only because the storm continues to rage outside and grow louder by the second. As you move towards the vault however, you find the silence nearly deafening, and you wonder briefly if this entire mission could be a set-up. Before you can voice your concerns to Hunter, Tech gains access to the room with ease, already getting to work for the intel with Echo. You stand guard outside while Hunter and Wrecker scout the hallways and ensure you don’t have any visitors.

Using the distraction to your advantage, you slowly make your way to Crosshair and stand beside him, waiting until he acknowledges your presence with a glance before attempting to break the awkward air around the two of you.

“I hope the rain isn’t too much of a bother.” You’re not sure what else to say, and as you realize he won’t be responding any time soon, you figure it’s best to not try and fix whatever it is between the two of you now. Knowing that it will be even more uncomfortable if you walk away from him, you remain standing where you are, turning your attention to Tech and Echo to see if they’re almost done.

The abrupt sound of guns firing pushes you forward immediately, and you watch as several weapons descend from the ceiling and the walls, instantly firing at everyone in the room. You make your way to the nearest wall and burn through the small firearms with your lightsaber, watching as Crosshair hits several more on the opposite side of the wall while Tech and Echo extract the intel.

“I knew it was too quiet.” You mutter to yourself, running as fast as you can across the space to get as many of the little suckers as possible. When there aren’t any left, you sheath your weapon again and move towards the door.

“Time to head out,” Hunter screams across the hallway and as you file out, you sense movement at one of the corners of the room. It’s instinctive the way you run towards Crosshair and shield him with your body, and your curse at yourself for not ensuring that all of them were taken down. Anger seeps through your mind at what could have been a fatal mistake and you ignite your saber instantly, propelling it towards the small object and bringing it back into the palm of your hand as more smoke fills the room.

“We need to leave, now.” Your voice is stern, and even though you can see Crosshair staring at where you’ve just been shot, you don’t pay him any mind as you run through the winding hallways and make your way out of the compound. It’s somehow raining even harder than earlier, and you feel your body grow more faint with each step you take. The faster you try to run, the more unbearable the pain becomes, and it occurs to you that you would be no good to any of them if you slowed them down.

You come to a stop and haunch over, applying pressure against your stomach and wincing in pain when more blood oozes through your fingers. Thinking that they’re all ahead of you, you kneel down and allow the rain to become less of an inconvenience and more of a calming presence.

“What are you doing?” Crosshair hisses as he comes up behind you, and when you lock contact with his eyes, you regret not pushing yourself harder.

“I’m fine…go!” You hope your voice isn’t as wavering to his ears as it is to your own, and when he shakes his head, you attempt to stand to confront him, only to fall back to the ground again.

“Tech, bring the ship to my position.” You cruse yet again as Crosshair pushes a button on the side of his helmet while speaking to Tech.

“Why have you stopped?” You can hear Hunter ask through the comms, and you look at Crosshair again, silently begging him to leave so he doesn’t get hurt.

“The General’s been compromised.” He leans down and pushes your hands aside to inspect the wound, and if you didn’t know any better, you’d think that he was angry at you for getting shot…for saving him.

“You need to go to the Marauder. That’s an order.” You hiss in pain when you feel him bring your hand back to your stomach and push on it harder than before.

“You’re currently bleeding all over the floor. You’re in no shape to give me orders…General.” He’s pushing your buttons, but unlike before, when he smirked at every snarky comment he threw your way and chuckled when you retorted in likeness, his voice is laced with unspoken feelings now, as if he was silently thanking you for what you did for him.

Before you can dwell too much on the change in his behavior, the Marauder lands right beside you, allowing you a moment of respite before Wrecker comes down the ramp and takes you in his arms. The jolting movements make you cough as your stomach throbs in pain, and you take one last look at Crosshair, finding his expression as irritated as when you were on your way here.

To his credit, Wrecker does try to be more slow and soft with his movements, but when he lays you down, you can’t help but scream in agony at the wound tearing through your skin.

“S-sorry.” You shake your head at Wrecker and assure him with a smile, only to drop it when Tech comes with a medkit and asks his brother to give you some privacy.

“I do apologize General but I must cut your robe to administer the bacta spray and patches properly.” Ever the gentleman, Tech waits for your consent before taking out a pair of scissors. He’s about to cut through your robes when Crosshair walks in and stands behind him.

“If you can wait out-”

“I’ll do it.” Crosshair doesn’t give Tech a chance to finish his request, and when he stands up to argue with him, you reach for Tech’s hand and nod at him, waiting until he places everything down before moving towards the front of the ship.

You’re sure Crosshair didn’t think this far ahead because he remains standing and doesn’t once turn his sight away from your wound.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” You break the silence and push your head back as the wound continues to burn. It must be all Crosshair needs to hear because he gets right to business, not once saying anything to you as he rips through your robes and begins to disinfect the flesh around the gash. You hiss and instantly slam your hand against his thigh, digging your nails into the plastoid covering him as he sterilizes the laceration to prevent any infection.

“What were you thinking?” It’s the first time he’s ever spoken to you so softly, and you figure it’s because you’re hurt and can’t respond in likeness. But when you open your eyes and look at him, you’re shocked to find worry and fear swimming in his hazel brown orbs. It throws you off a little, and you shake the thoughts aside, knowing that you may just be reading too much into his behavior.

“At the time, I thought it was a great idea!” You chuckle only to curse out loud when he begins to apply the bacta spray on top of the wound. You think he’ll smile at catching you off guard, but when you look at him again, he’s as somber as a few seconds ago.

“And now?” Crosshair growls at you, actually growls, the sound coming as a shock to you. It occurs to you that maybe, just maybe, he was attempting to show you that he cares, but wasn’t sure how to go about it. When he stops what he’s doing and continues to keep his gaze on you, you lay your head back down and allow the subsiding pain to calm you a little.

“Maybe…maybe not so much.” He narrows his eyes at you then, the expression becoming a little too intense for you and making you turn away to face the wall. Not another word is exchanged between you and him, and as he finally places the bacta patches on your stomach, you turn to face him again, no longer able to keep playing whatever game he started.

“Thank you, for not leaving…for staying with me.” Crosshair continues to remain silent, his focus completely on the wound he was dressing.

“And thank you for patching me up.” Again, he doesn’t acknowledge any of your words, waiting until he’s sure the wound is perfectly protected before throwing everything back into the medkit. You think he’s about to leave but when he finally looks up, you notice his eyebrows relax as he lets out a deep breath.

“Why would you do that?”

The question catches you off guard, and you figure you may as well tell him how you feel because you’re not sure what will happen tomorrow.

“You know why.” The simple whisper holds a thousand confessions, and Crosshair clenches his jaw tightly as he reaches for your hand. You gasp at the warmth of his skin, and swallow the lump in your throat when he grabs a wet towel and begins to clean the dried blood. You’re not sure how long you hold your breath, but when he’s done, he doesn’t let go. In fact, he does the opposite, bringing both of his rough palms around your own and keeping it as close to him as possible.

“I- I’m not worth your-” The sentiment breaks your heart and you furrow your eyebrows at him as you attempt to sit up, not wanting him to finish whatever he was about to say. The stinging returns a thousandfold but you ignore the shooting pain and pull Crosshair towards you.

“Don’t ever say that.” You want to say more. You want to tell him that you’d gladly do it again to ensure his safety, that you wouldn’t give it a second thought because you care for him more than you’re allowed, more than he’ll ever know. But the way he looks at you makes it difficult to say anything else, and you lay back down again when your muscles beg you for some respite. Crosshair doesn’t let go of your hand. If anything, his hold on you tightens as he moves to sit closer to you.

“It was annoying.” Whatever you thought he was going to say is certainly not those three words, and the confusion etched on your face makes him crack a smile before finally looking from your hand to you.

“The rain.” You look at him for what feels like hours before you finally register what he was trying to tell you.

“Wow, it took me getting shot at for you to finally answer my question…an hour later?” The joke doesn’t sit too well with him and you apologize quickly, afraid he’d get up and leave you all alone.

“I- I didn’t think you’d…” The words die in his throat, and you look down at where your hands are intertwined, wanting to give him some privacy as he comes to terms with what he was feeling, what he was oversharing with you.

“Remember?” You finish for him, smiling when he nods quietly and begins to trace the lines across the back of your hand.

“I remember everything you tell me, Crosshair.” Once again, the simple response is laced with too many revelations to your liking, but you know you’d never forgive yourself if you didn’t use this moment to show him how much you care.

How much you love him.

He looks at you then, about to say something when he sees your face twist at the returning stinging sensations.

“You need to rest.” His voice is firm, making you wish you weren’t hurt and could actually make whatever this is last longer.

“Will you be here when I wake up?” Before, you would have been annoyed with yourself for being so vulnerable in front of him, but the question must be the one thing he needed to hear because he smiles softly at you before nodding in silence, bringing his chair a little closer to you can rest your arm better as you keep holding his hands.

“Sleep, cyare. I’ll protect you.”

#crosshair tbb #crosshair bad batch #crosshair x reader #crosshair x jedi!reader #crosshair tbb x reader #crosshair tbb x jedi!reader #crosshair the bad batch #fluffy crosshair #angsty crosshair #TBBE24

176 notes · View notes

empressofmankind · 5 months

Text

The House Always Wins

[Crocodile x F!OC]

One line, two fics.

I had the absolute delight to see the draft of @tiredemomama her new fanfic about Zeff. And I loved this brief exchange so much:

“I don’t pay you to take naps on the line.” "You don't pay me at all."

I had to make my own.

Mine is significantly shorter (~500 words), but no matter. It'll no doubt get a longer version down the line. There are plans. I just had to get this one image out of my system right now.

Featuring Crocodile and Shivs when their relationship was still a ways from wrecking on the shoals. We're at Rain Dinners, Rainbase, Arabaste, about a decade ago, just like in 'Hooked On You.' What else do you need to know? Shivs is terrible at sitting on her hands, and can often be found at the tables as a poker dealer as a result. She can, and will, toss you if you give her shit at her table. One of their high roller didn't like it and took it up with the boss. That was surely a mistake.

Tag(s): Gambling. Language. Sexual tension. Obsessive behaviour. Don't you wish his impulse control was worse than it is? I know I do.

🐊 🐊🐊

Crocodile’s gaze swept across the casino floor, effortlessly finding her table. Two rows over, near the bar - thirteen. Shivs’d single-handedly made the number popular. She was dealing to a full round, smoking, talking to their patrons as she tossed the deck. Her table was always popular, and why shouldn't it be? She was a skilled dealer, and her casually personable manner and bold cheek exerted a magnetic pull on everyone around her. Even him.

She laughed then, a rolling thing full of good cheer, sweet on his ears, and for someone else. The gluttonous creature slumbering within him stirred from its sleep.

The patrons seated at the table shifted when they saw him approach. He could tell the regulars from the fresh faces by their manner - the former reclined back in their seats, the latter leaned forward. Shivs paid him no heed, though he was not foolish enough to think she hadn't noticed.

He leaned across her shoulder as he came up behind her, his hand resting on her hip. “I don't pay you to bother our high rollers into bothering me.”

“You don't pay me at all,” she said, dealing their patrons their two cards without missing a beat.

“Are you sure?” he rumbled in her ear as his fingers skimmed the crease of her inner thigh.

“Wanna join? Leo was just leaving.” She indicated the lanky man sitting directly to her left. A smooth recovery, but not smooth enough. He'd caught the little roll of her shoulders as she suppressed a pleasant shudder. She was a needy thing, and he greedily devoured every response he could coax from her.

“Why not,” he said and straightened, giving her firm butt a good squeeze before parting. The patron vacated their seat promptly, and a chip runner came over as he settled in it.

“Don't blind bet the rest of them under the table immediately.”

On a tone like that, there was no way he wouldn't. Though he took his sweet time, lighting a cigar and enjoying its taste before pushing the stack of chips up the table with two fingers.

“A'right. Gentlemen,” Shivs said as she put the community cards face down on the board. “This is a big boys' game now. No checks. Keep up or clear out.”

Near half the table folded and made a quiet exit. However, there were more than enough willing to take their vacated seats.

“Want a new hand or think you can crawl out of Leo's terrible luck?” she said when everyone had made it through the preflop.

“Luck?” Crocodile scoffed with a huff of smoke.

“Suit yourself, big shot.”

The cheek in the glance she tossed him made him consider bending her over the table. The ravenous beast pacing within the confines of his ribcage rumbled agreement as a smile twitched around his cigar.

Perhaps in a bit, he thought as he contemplated his cards.

🐊 🐊🐊

Horny hell seat reservations - @ruledbyproblematique @littlemountainwolf @fanaticsnail

71 notes · View notes

whump-in-the-closet · 2 years

Text

so you know how i said i was into hero and villain stuff

yeah so i did a thing

TW: blood, beaten up, tries to fall off a building, general angst and foreboding (let me know if i missed anything!)

~Worth It~

Villain knew Hero was a grandiose idiot. They knew that. But this, this, was beyond stupid. Did Hero really think they could just storm Supervillain’s base? Take it down single handedly?

For crying out loud, Hero could barely take Villain on a good day. Barely. By the skin of their teeth and an underhanded blow. Did they even comprehend they were about to get the worst beat down of their life?– if they were lucky, that is. If Supervillain wasn’t straight up pissed at the intrusion.

As Villain rushed through the city, they told themself it was just to watch Hero finally be put in their place. For the satisfaction of finally seeing the smug grin wiped forever off their face. So why did their chest hurt and their breath speed up when they finally pushed through the revolving doors of base? Why did they feel like they were about to be sick?

They didn’t care about Hero. They didn’t.

Just their fights and witty banter.

If Hero was reduced to an incoherent mess, what were they supposed to do? No, no, they needed Hero alive.

They didn’t, god forbid, care.

It became a mantra as they ran up the stairs, ignoring the lackeys' snickers. There was definitely something going on the roof.

The entrance gate to said roof was cracked open and a sliver of light fell onto the staircase. It was bright. Too bright.

Villain squinted, shielding their eyes as they stepped out.

They wished they hadn’t.

They really, really wished they had stayed inside.

Two things stood out.

Hero hanging onto the roof ledge.

And Supervillain pressing their boot down on Hero’s fingers.

Villain froze. Breathing became difficult. Odd. How often had they wished they had been standing over Hero like that? Twenty times? Thirty? Over fifty.

Supervillain turned, a smile on their lips. They arched an eyebrow. “Hope you don’t mind.”

Villain couldn’t get their mouth to work. Their hands were limp at their side. Eyes never leaving Hero. They couldn’t look away.

Blood trickled down the side of their face.

Dirt was smeared into their mask.

Their knuckles a stark-white from holding on.

Supervillain removed the pressure of the boot. Their gaze was hard as they crossed the roof to Villain.

Villain struggled to grin, to try and look pleased. “Not at all.” The words came out strangled.

Supervillain heard the tension in their voice. Their expression darkened. “Finish them off, then.”

Villain cleared their throat. “My–my pleasure, for sure. Anything you say, boss.”

“Then stop rattling on and do it.” There was enough venom in Supervillain’s voice to make anyone flinch.

Villain nodded. They moved to the roof edge.

Hero had their forehead pressed into the side of the building, hanging merely by their hands.

Villain was more than impressed. That feat took a lot of strength. And they would know.

But as Villain stood there, wondering how long it would take for Supervillain to get annoyed, Hero looked up.

“Won’t let you do it,” they whispered. There was so much pain in their voice. One hand slipped. “I always win, you know that.” The other hand began to give way.

No. NO!

Villain lunged forward. They caught Hero’s hand. The sudden weight almost dragged them over the edge as well.

“You don’t always win,” Villain spat out through gritted teeth. They braced themselves, the concrete digging into their knees, and hauled Hero back onto the roof. The strain on their arms was almost unbearable.

Hero collapsed on top of them.

Villain was not expecting that.

Hero was shaking badly. They didn’t seem to be aware of where they were or who they were with anymore.

Villain held onto them. Tentatively. Was this what they were supposed to do? They didn’t know.

They were sure it was the wrong thing because Hero started crying. Softly. Quiet sobs that wracked their entire body. They buried their face into Villain’s shirt.

And Villain felt– warm. They knew this was wrong. But it felt all the better for its wrongness. They were a villain. Villain’s didn’t comfort people.

Screw that, they thought. Even if they died for it, holding Hero for a few precious moments was worth it.

They hugged Hero and told them it would be okay. Whispered meaningless things.

A shadow suddenly towered over them and the words died on Villain’s lips.

They looked up.

Supervillain snorted in disgust. They shook their head.

Villain felt fear crawl up inside them and make a nest out of their bones.

“You’re not a very good villain, are you? Maybe you’ve forgotten your instructions. Time for a refresher course, eh?”

Lackeys had come as Supervillain commanded, restraints in their hands.

Hero shuddered and Villain held them closer.

{continued here}

#hero x villain #whumpblr #whump #whump community #whump fic #whump writing #no idea what i’m doing #whumpee #villain #hero #supervillain #writeblr #writers of tumblr #writing community #writer things #kinda nervous to post this

156 notes · View notes

sat0sugu-angst · 1 year

Text

Introductions (A Fortunate Misunderstanding Part 2)

Check out pt. 1 here

pairing: prohero!bkg x journalist!reader

summary: four years before your awkward encounter with number two hero Dynamight after you were misquoted calling him "uninteresting", you and your brother were caught in the crosshairs of an organized villain attack by quirk-stealer Hijacker, and none other than Dynamight and his agency arrive on the scene to save you.

wc: 6.9k

cw: violence, reader has a younger brother, reader has an weak intuition quirk, pining and rejection

a/n: I really wanted to make things spicy this chapter but I needed time to build plot so there's minimal spice (sry) but next chapter will probs have smut so yay

characters aged up +25

MDNI

Four Years Ago

“You don’t have to take me, I can walk there just fine.”

You roll your eyes at your brother, reaching across the console to the passenger side to open his door. You were trying to be nice, though you did hate driving. “Shut up. You’ll be late since the train’s out of commission after that accident this morning.”

He sighed loudly, but got into the car. “Why are you back home, anyway? Your life falling apart already?”

You tried not to let him bother you, aided with the imagery of smacking him on the back of the head. “Just needed a break, is all. It’s not like I’m moving back, or anything.” You slid a glare his way. “No need to be a dick about it, Milo.” He chuckled. “Alright, we’re riding in silence now.” You muttered under your breath.

“Surprised you wanted to take me, is all. I know you hate it.”

You sigh. “I don’t hate the idea of you learning how to protect yourself.”

“But you hate the idea of me wanting to be a hero.” It wasn’t a question.

“It’s a lot more complicated than being a hero-hater.” You say, though it wasn’t the first conversation about this you’d had with your brother. It wouldn’t be the last, either. You just wish they didn’t happen so frequently. “I just don’t think heroes have civilian’s best interests at heart, and I don’t think it’s smart to just blindly throw our faith with them.”

“Heroes save people. They do good things, why isn’t that enough?”

You groan. “Listen, Milo, if having an educated opinion on the hero industry was as simple as saving people, there wouldn’t be reason to question it. But heroes aren’t as altruistic as we’re conditioned to believe. They have their own interests, their own ambitions and bills and lives of their own. They’re fallible, human people.”

“I just don’t understand why that’s a bad thing?”

You seriously weren’t expecting a whole TedTalk level conversation with your brother, and you were growing more exasperated and annoyed with his questions. What was he, your thesis? “I don’t understand why you care so much. It’s not like I’m going to single-handedly overthrow the hero industry. I’m not some radical like that hero killer Stain. I just think it’s important to stay critical, and not devolve into some fanboy who thinks top heroes shit rainbows.” He was quiet now, and you exhaled a breath. You felt a little bad calling him a fanboy.

When you pulled up to the dojo, Milo was quick to get out, grabbing his stuff and wordlessly waving before he disappeared into the building. As you pulled away, you sighed, hating that he was mad. You suppose you probably had been a little harsh, especially since he really did look up to the nation’s top heroes, like the up-and-comer Deku, who’d climbed to the top five just a few years after graduating from UA. But it wasn’t your job to tell your brother he could be just like him, or any of the other top heroes, it was your job to protect him, and occasionally shatter his delusions. Besides, he’d been the one asking all those questions.

It’s not like you just stumbled on the opinion and decided to pursue it blindly just to be a contrarian; you’d spent the last two years studying the hero industry. The way sponsorships were given, what heroes really had to do to become top-ranked, seeing all the ways heroes were praised for solving all our problems, when there were so many issues that could be addressed, but weren’t, because it couldn’t get a hero an action figure, or an athletic fashion collab, or an invitation to—

Thunder rang out, the force of it vibrating through the entire car. You cried out in shock, and looked into the rearview mirror to see rubble and flames in the place of the dojo you’d just left your brother in.

Your mind freezes, a million terrible scenarios running through your head, but you can’t focus on any of them. Your body continues moving without you, pulling over and throwing your car in park. Luckily, the other driver’s on the road are following suit, and you jump out of your car, your feet carrying you to the dojo before you’ve even really grasped what happened.

There’s no police, or even patrolling heroes around, and the street is eerily quiet, save for the sounds of rock crumbling and busted pipes leaking water into the street. Civilians surrounding the building are frozen, eyes flickering around the rubble, to you as you run inside with no hesitation, ignoring the lone warning of entering recklessly.

The storefront is all broken rock and dust, and you unsuccessfully suppress a cough when you step into the building. “Milo!”

He needed to be okay. You didn’t care about anything else; not the other people inside, not why this dojo just got blown to bits. He needed to be okay.

You can tell the center of the dojo took the most damage, the ceiling in the center of the room sitting in a pile on the floor, and you didn’t allow yourself to wonder if anyone, namely your brother, could have found themselves under it. “Milo!” You yell out into the quiet building again, panic surging when you don’t find him right away. He couldn’t have gotten far from the entry by the time the explosion went off. Where could he have run to?

You wonder if he’d run off after the explosion, finally getting the sense to call his phone. You hear the faint buzzing of a phone vibrating. You try to calm yourself, to slow the heart beating in your chest long enough that you can follow the low sound deeper into the rubble. When you turn the corner into what used to be a restroom, you freeze.

Standing in front of you is your brother, face pale with fear, as a knife is pressed against his throat. You feel the emotion leave your face, your muscles tightening as you look passed Milo and to the man holding the knife. “It’d be best if you just leave.” He says slowly, pressing the knife just so, so that Milo tries to shift away from it and there is no doubt that he’ll use it if necessary.

You curse your genes for not having a stronger quirk. Intuition. You got it from your mother, who had a scary sense of intuition, it was so good she might as well predict the future. You, on the other hand, might as well have been quirkless, for how well it helped you. You look at your brother’s face, you’d never seen him so afraid. You were afraid, too, body shaking with nerves and adrenaline. “It’s gonna be okay,” you said, focusing on your brother. You needed to believe those words were true.

“Please, go.” You are surprised by the way fear hitches his voice; the way he sounds much younger than he is. “There are other—” he hissed when the man pressed the knife harder against his throat, and a thin line of blood ran down his throat.

You saw red, imagining a million ways to kill the guy. “He’s just a kid; his quirk isn’t even that strong. Let him go.” You hoped the man would buy the lie.

“Nice try.” The guy said, turning his lip up in a disgusting smirk. “Is it a teleportation quirk? Pretty nifty, but whatever he touches seemed to go with him, huh?” He angled the blade of the knife for effect. “He’s the first one we grabbed, just to make sure he wouldn’t do anything…hasty.”

Your breath caught, and you fought back the emotion welling up in your throat. How long were they scoping out this place? What else did they know about Milo’s quirk? No, you couldn’t think about that right now. “What do you want with him?”

He shrugged. “Not really your concern, is it?”

You looked in your brother’s face for a moment, gauging the situation. At this point, unless a hero was on their way, you were both fucked. You couldn’t believe that right now, all you wanted was to see the gawdy outfit of some glammed up hero. But you’d eat your words for an eternity if it meant your brother would make it out alive. But as many promises as you could make to yourself, the longer you waited, the surer you were that there wasn’t anything either of you could do in this position.

The hairs on your neck rose, and a second later, you saw Milo’s eyes widen as he looked beyond you. Instinctively, you ducked, narrowly missing the butt of the gun aimed for the back of your head. You rolled out of the way, and in the heat of the moment, aimed your phone for the guy holding Milo hostage. It nailed him in the face with a satisfying whack!, and in the second that he pulled away to grab his nose, Milo disappeared. A sense of relief washed over you. “Get outta here, Milo! Call the police!” You shouted out, unsure of where he was.

People often mistook his quirk for teleportation, but it wasn’t quite accurate. He could disappear and move as if he were a phantom. Through walls, people, and objects while like that, before becoming solid again. So as long as he got himself to safety before shifting back, he’d be okay.

The guy with the gun was your priority. The longer Milo is in phantom form, the longer it takes before he can go back into it. You didn’t need your idiot brother to try and play hero to save your ass before he could get himself out. Looking behind you, you kick your foot out with as much force as you can muster, right at the man’s knee. He goes down, throwing curses at you, but you don’t have time to think that, or the way it gave out underneath your foot. He’s still holding the gun, and you lunge to grab it, panic surging when you realize that you were too slow, that he’s already aiming it at you, and you’re certain he’s going to shoot you, and your only hope is that your brother isn’t here right now.

An explosion sounds off, somewhere deeper into the dojo, but it's powerful enough to shake the ground, and a cloud of dust and rubble shakes the room. You fall to the ground with a grunt, pain shooting up your leg, but you’re so surprised to still be alive that you don’t bother to look at your leg. The dust has you coughing again, eyes watering as you try to look through the fog.

“What the—!” The man’s voice, who you recognized as the one with the gun, was cut off when another blast shook the room and a chunk of the ceiling came crashing down on top of him. Your only thought is to keep going. You see a group of figures in front of you moving around en masse, and you look around for a chance to slip away, pressing up before nearly crashing to the ground with pain shooting up your leg.

“Fuck,” You whisper to yourself, but you’re still determined to use the smoke screen as a chance to escape. Milo, you better be fucking outside right now, you think violently as you begin to drag your body across the rubble.

“Y/n!” You hear your name and freeze. God, if you both manage to make it out of this alive, you’re going to kill your brother. But before you can open your mouth to yell at Milo to get out, you feel his arms coming up behind you, lifting you up. “Can you stand at all?”

You try to bite back your anger, focusing on getting out. “I can’t put any weight on my left leg. I don’t know if it’s from the explosion or if that asshole actually shot me.” You spat out dryly.

You were hopping on one leg, leaning heavily on Milo as you both made your way to the exit. You felt the impulse to tell him to leave and come back for you with help, but you didn’t want to waste time and you knew your brother was an idiot who wouldn’t listen to reason anyway. As you neared the entrance, he shifted so you were both hidden by a large bit of rubble. You tried not to cry out in pain with the sudden movement, glaring at him before you looked around the corner to the exit. You wish you’d spoken your mind earlier, the exit was blocked by more men with guns. “Milo,” you whispered.

“I can’t shift yet,” he said, and readjusted so he was in front of you, with you holding on by wrapping your arms around his neck and shoulder. You were annoyed that he was protecting you, but didn’t say so because you knew if the roles were reversed, you’d be doing the same thing.

“How much longer?” You asked.

“I’m not sure, I didn’t time it very well. Maybe another minute or so?”

With a line of villains with guns in front of us, a minute was too long. Fuck. “You’re gonna have to put me down and make a run for it.”

“Y/n, stop—”

“No, they’ll chase after you because of your quirk. I’ll crawl away while they’re distracted. You just have to outrun them for a minute, and when you can, disappear.”

“I’m not leaving you.”

“Well, that’s our best bet. Unless you want—”

“Can you blame the kid for wantin’ to be a hero for his sister?” You both jumped, turning to look at the man behind you. Then to the gun aimed right for your face. Your blood ran cold. You didn’t think you’d get lucky twice in a row. “You wanna save her, Milo? Come quietly, and we’ll leave her alone, you have my word. Hers isn’t a quirk I want, anyhow.”

Fuck. “I swear Milo—” But he was already setting you down, and you tried to push off after him, but couldn’t fight the searing pain in your leg, and stumbled. You glared up at your idiotic brother. “I’m gonna fucking kill you.” You seethe, tears pricking your eyes.

He shot you a small smile, facing the man, standing between you and the barrel of the gun.

“Smart kid.” He says with a sinister smile. Then he’s grabbed Milo, gun pressed to the base of his spine, and they round the corner to face the rest of the villains. “Alright! Let’s move out. I’m sure the heroes have caught on by now.”

—————————————————

Bakugo was already pissed off going into the obliterated dojo. He knew should’ve prepared for an attack at any given moment, regardless of what they’d been told, and yet here they were, a whole squad of him and his sidekicks, taken off guard because the villains attacked a week early. If only that fucking train hadn’t nearly fallen off its tracks, he’d have been able to respond with better timing.

No casualties, no captives, a total win. He set off another explosion to enter the building from the rooftop, jumping down and quickly scanning the area. “Eyes, where’s the highest concentration of people?” He hissed over the coms.

“Head east, out the emergency door, there are at least twelve bodies, but I can’t see how many of them are hostages.”

Bakugo was already heading that way, skin itching to take out some villains. “Keep your eyes peeled for other civilians. And if anyone sees Hijacker, I wanna know immediately.”

He exited the building, spotting the armed men ushering a group into the back of a van. They hadn’t spotted him yet, and there were too many civilians to simply blast his way through the villains, and he rolled his eyes almost to himself as he shot off a smoke bomb.

He immediately heard a smug laugh on the other end. “Told ya it’d come in handy.”

He grit his teeth, running through the smoke to where the van was, punching and knocking out one and setting off a small blast toward the cluster of four villains, blowing them back far enough that he didn’t have to worry about harming anyone else. He picked up and dropped his shoulders, ready to take them here and now. “Shut up, Gizmo.”

He quickly finished off the villains, the smoke clearing enough that his rescue team could get in and evacuate the hostages. “Where’re the rest?” He asked quickly, heading back into the building. He wouldn’t stop until he found Hijacker.

“There’s another cluster near the entrance to the basement, though they’re blocking my reading so I can’t say how many there are. Five hostiles are blocking the main entrance, there are two bodies heading that way, at least one is injured.”

Bakugo took off. “There could be an exit from the basement. Flash, Muscles, get your asses over here.”

He turned the corner, running down the steps, finding the door already cracked open. The villains were probably on the other side. Hijacker could be there.

He blasted through the door, ready to go all out. He hears before he sees Flash, a sidekick with a speed quirk, but when the dust clears, there’s no one there.

“Eyes, where’re the bodies?”

“Hold on, Sir, something’s wrong.”

“Gina—”

“Sir, you need to get back upstairs. Bodies disappeared from the basement, and a new body has appeared near the injured. It has to be Hijacker.”

Bakugo lets out an expletive, blasting his way back up the stairs and making his way through the rubble toward the entrance. No casualties, no hostages. A total win.

When he comes upon the scene his eyes are scanning, taking in the situation, and strategizing. But he’s too late, the group of villains are no where to be seen. Only a woman, Bakugo could guess she was around his age, dragging herself toward the exit, yelling through tears. Too distracted to realize that Bakugo and a couple of his sidekicks had arrived on the scene.

He was beside her in an instance. Her eyes widened at him, and something struck him about the look in her eyes. Whoever the other civilian was to this woman, he knew he needed to bring them back to her. “What direction did they go in?”

“They split up. They took my brother that way with four others and the rest took off in the opposite direction.”

Fuck. Bakugo knew that Flash was probably the only sidekick fast enough to follow their upgraded vehicles. He took a single breath to deliberate, before blasting off in the direction of the hostage. “Rescue squad, head to the entrance to evacuate the civilian. I need everyone else on the other vehicle. Hijacker is probably in there. Flash, follow on foot and stall until the others can catch up with you. Eyes, you gotta be his support.”

“Sir, are you sure you—”

“I don’t need backtalk.”

There was a pause. “Yes, Sir.” He knew he’d have to fight with her about it later, but he wasn’t going to worry about that now. He refused to leave hostages.

—————————————————

You didn’t think you could face your parents at home, or even return there without knowing if your brother was safe or not, so when the sidekicks had offered you a ride home after your visit to the ER, you had them take you back to your apartment in the city. Your phone had been recovered from the scene, though the screen was cracked and the case destroyed. You didn’t know what to do with yourself, didn’t think you could work on the list of projects and assignments, or focus on anything seriously for more than five minutes. Not until your imagination was torturing you with terrible scenarios about what your brother could be going through at any given moment.

You turned on the news eventually, hoping to catch reports of a recovered hostage, but neither the heroes nor the police divulged anything about the attack. Headlines were only centered around the mysterious explosion at the dojo, number of injured and casualties unknown. It didn’t even seem like they were reporting it as a villain attack.

You had a friend who was interning at The Daily, a major news outlet. Well, friend wasn’t the whole truth. He was some jackass in your freshman Composition class who wouldn’t leave you alone, who was always asking you out. That is, until your friend Cara picked you up one day after class. He took one look at her, and immediately asked for you blessing. You felt only momentary annoyance at his quick stance change before you realized the psychic damage Cara could do to a man as self-important as him.

Little did you know they’d be such a perfect fucking match. Guess he’s got a kink for women who don’t want him. You couldn’t see what Cara saw in him until you saw them together, and four years later Shawn still annoyed you on a daily basis, though now he was a self-important jackass who had connections.

“Go for Shawn.”

You laughed a little at him. “You sound ridiculous.”

He continued as if you hadn’t said anything. “What’d ya got?” Must be with his boss.

“You heard anything about the dojo explosion?”

“Just that it was a coordinated attack, they won’t say who.” There was a pause, then, “what do you know?”, accusingly.

You smirked. “It’s my fish. I’ll write up something tonight. I’ll give you first dibs to the article if you show it to your boss.”

“You minx. Fine. I want it by ten. If it’s any good, guarantee it’ll be big news. Dynamight’s agency and the police are keeping a tight lid on the details.”

You sighed. Leave it to Shawn to give you homework, though you were grateful to have a distraction.

It did nothing to get your mind off it, but worrying about writing an article worthy of The Daily took enough of your focus that you didn’t feel quite so sick about Milo.

Two hours later, you were sending off the article to Shawn, a bit numb to the idea that this could be your debut as a journalist for The Daily, stomach twisting with still no word about Milo. Shawn called you less than five minutes after you’d sent the email to check on you.

“You should’ve said it was like this, Y/n, I feel like such an ass for salivating being the one to break this.”

You chuckled humorlessly. “It’s fine, you didn’t know.”

“They haven’t called you with any news?”

Sighing, you opened your mouth to respond, but the knock at the door cut you off. You froze, and your heart started racing wondering who would be on the other side of the door, what news they’d have. “Hold on, there’s someone at the door.”

You were on crutches, unable to put any weight on your leg. It took you a second to get to the door, and there was another knock, more impatient now. You raised onto your toes, looking through the peephole before gasping. “Oh my god,” You had to fight to keep from dropping the phone from between your ear and shoulder, working to get the lock and the deadbolt undone with the damn crutches. “Shawn, I’m gonna have to call you back.” Then, realizing how worrying that might be to hear suddenly, tacked on a quick, “everything’s fine,” before you hung up, pulling open the door.

You didn’t give your brother any chance to speak before you were pulling him in your arms, your crutches clattering to the floor. “You fucking idiot, I was so worried about you.” Rushed out of your in one quick breath and you squeezed him with all your might, deaf to his complaints until you were satisfied that he really was here and safe. He was banged up, mostly scratches from the scuffle and a black eye for resisting, but he was mostly unharmed.

“What took you so long? No phone call or anything?” You asked accusingly as he bent to retrieve your crutches.

“Well, the villains took my phone.”

You raised a brow, unsatisfied. “No one at the hero agency, the police station, had a phone?”

His ears turned red, and you thought it was because he was dumb enough to not think to ask, but then. “We actually…just got back. I wouldn’t let Dynamight take me in for questioning until I made sure you were okay.”

You stopped. God, your brother was so endearing sometimes. But you shot out a fist and punched him roughly in the shoulder anyway. He shot out an ow! in complaint, but you were unsympathetic. “You need to worry more about yourself, Milo. You could have died today.”

“You got shot today.”

You laughed coldly. “Yeah, because my idiot brother wants to be a hero.”

He blushed harder, and you furrowed your brow in silent question. He normally didn’t get embarrassed so easily. Then, “Does this mean we can get to the station now?”

You jumped, finally taking note of a massive figure standing five feet from your door. You looked straight into the crimson gaze of the famous up and comer Dynamight.

—————————————————

Bakugo was surprised when you didn’t immediately notice him, wondering how you thought you could’ve saved your brother if your senses are shit.

He’d asked the kid to tell him everything he saw; from the time he got to the dojo to when Bakugo caught up to the van and rescued him. Milo told Bakugo you’d rushed back to the dojo right after the explosion, he was shocked by how quick you thought up a way to free him from the villain long enough for him to turn invisible and get away while fighting a villain with a gun. As you spoke with your brother, Bakugo studied your expressions, how you scolded him harshly despite the relief of him being there. Noted how your brow quirked up when you were irritated, the soft set of your mouth. Bakugo thought you must have been skilled, but questioned all that when he saw how shocked you were when he finally spoke up. You hadn’t noticed him at all.

“What? You wanna come too? I don’t care, I just gotta get the kid’s statement.” He was annoyed; he couldn’t believe he’d let Milo talk him into taking him to see you before going to the station. Normally he would have just shut that down, tell ‘em to call once they’d gotten to the station, but then Bakugo recalled that look in your eyes when you’d thought he’d been taken. Maybe he hoped it’d earn him points. He was annoyed that he wanted it to, but more annoyed that it hadn’t. Maybe her brother was right; maybe she did hate heroes.

Forty minutes later Bakugo was standing in front of the chief of police, just finished with giving his statement and being reprimanded for failing to capture Hijacker.

“We’ve been planning this operation for weeks, and you blew it.”

He couldn’t deny he was as pissed about losing Hijacker, but “We were taken off guard. We arrested eight villains and rescued every single target.”

“You abandoned your team knowing full well you’re the only one who had the skill to catch up with those vehicles.”

“Which is why I needed to be the one to go after the hostage.”

“One civilian’s life wasn’t worth losing Hijacker.” The chief said from his chair.

Bakugo was floored by what he was hearing. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing the press ain’t here, huh? Can you imagine the headlines? Number four hero chastised for rescuing hostage by chief of police. You’re a fuckin’ moron.”

“Bakugo—!” He heard Gina scold behind him, but he didn’t care. If the asshole wanted to publish something about Bakugo’s abrasive personality, it would only be fuel to the fire. He’d still climb the hero rankings; he didn’t need some extra at the station to be his fan.

Bakugo turned to leave, and the chief stood from his seat. “Now, Dynamight, it’s not to say I don’t appreciate you keeping the people safe, but think about the weight of this operation; we’ve been tracking this guy for three years, he’s managed to capture nearly eighty heroes in that time, and he’s successfully stolen over a dozen quirks. You had the opportunity to bring this man to justice, but you abandoned your mission to rescue some teenager who probably could’ve used his quirk to free himself.”

From what Milo told him of his quirk, he might have been able to free himself. Maybe. But Bakugo had a sense of what the kid felt when he’d been taken. “I wonder where I’d be if All Might had thought that way my first year at UA.” He said, voice dripping with contempt, and sent a glare to the chief over his shoulder. The man set his shoulders, but Bakugo could tell from the look in his eyes that he was understood. He turned back to face the exit. “That all? I can leave now?”

The chief opened his mouth, but Bakugo was looking out the window of the office into the rest of the station, and he saw the two walking toward the exit. He couldn’t really explain why he felt obligated to follow them, maybe to prove something to the bastard behind him, but before Bakugo could hear what the man had to say, he was walking out of the office, striding in the direction of you and your brother.

—————————————————

“I don’t want to bug him, let’s just call—”

“Will you give us a ride home?” You look up to see your brother has completely ignored you and is facing the biggest man you’ve ever seen in your life.

And he’s asking for a ride home. Shamelessly.

You feel your face heat with embarrassment. He is such a fanboy. “Milo, not cool.” You hiss, and face the man. “I’m sure you have lots of paperwork to do, you couldn’t possibly have time.” You say with an easy smile, trying to ease who you’ve heard is an asshole as rude as they come. He already looked pissed off, you didn’t need him to hurt Milo’s feelings.

Dynamight turned to you, and you resolved yourself. You wouldn’t let this guy make you nervous. But then he was shrugging. “Gives me an excuse to get out of it. Besides, once the press start showing up she won’t want me here anyway.”

You must have given away your confusion in your expression, or maybe he only now realized neither of you would know what he was talking about. “My sidekick, she doesn’t let me do my own press.”

“I can’t imagine why that would be.” You said it flippantly, but you knew from the slight narrow of his eyes that he understood you were teasing him. He rolled his eyes, and you couldn’t help the smile tugging at your lip.

“Whatever, you wanna ride or not?”

You were shocked; was he really going to take you both home? Was this protocol? Though, you supposed it was his agency who brought you home from the emergency room. But before you could form an answer, Milo was already answering for the both of you.

You sat in the backseat, Milo taking the passenger, and he kept asking him questions about the villain, and only when I heard him say Hijacker did it click who we faced today.

You had read a little on the quirk thief Hijacker, that he would pick fights with heroes under the guise of a mugging, when they were off-duty, alone, and he’d kidnap them. It only recently came to light that he’d successfully managed to replicate quirks not just in himself, but in his gang as well. If they’d gotten Milo, he really would have been dead.

You were silently fuming in the backseat. How could he sound excited about it? If he’d ever had any doubts before, the day’s events steeled his resolve in wanting to be a hero. While you admired him for it, it scared you.

When you arrived at your parent’s house, you were going to get down with Milo and have someone bring you home tomorrow, but as you unbuckled your seatbelt, Dynamight asked for your address. You flushed. “Oh, it’s really alright, I don’t want to trouble you.”

“It’s on my way back to town.” Is all he says, looking at you expectantly for your address.

“You were just there, it should be in your history.” You say offhandedly as you close the door to the backseat, remembering just who you’re talking to as you sit in the passenger seat.

He’s hard not to notice, the way he takes up so much space in the car, how his muscles flex as he goes through his phone. “It’s not there, how do I get to history?” He asks, sounding annoyed already, but his expression remains neutral.

You lean over the console a little, just to see his screen. You hated how aware you were of the heat of his body next to yours, how if he were some guy in the library or at a lecture, you’d be drooling all over him. But he was a hero, he was a famous hero. You needed to chill out, and so you ignore the way just him being there makes your heart race as give him a few directions and he’s pulled it up. “Woulda been faster to just tell me your address, you know.”

You smile a little. “But now you have this wonderful life skill.”

He just grunts, but doesn’t say anything for a while. You bite your lip, wondering if you’ve hurt his feelings. Then again, he didn’t seem the type to easily get hurt feelings. Or maybe he was? You looked over at him to gauge his mood, but his expression gave nothing away. His brows were pulled together, but the set of his mouth was relaxed. Even his grip on the steering wheel was loose. “What’re you staring for?” He asks bluntly, and you blush, not realizing he could tell you watched him from the corner of your eye.

“I wanted to make sure I didn’t offend you.” You said evenly.

“What’d you care about hurting my feelings for? Thought you hated heroes or something.” You raised your brow, looking over at him. Now he did sound hurt.

“Milo told you I hate heroes?” He shrugged. “Well, I don’t hate heroes. They’re just over-glorified and more self-interested than what the population believes.”

“They? You mean me?” Then you stopped, realizing what you’d just said. To a hero. “Don’t have to be sorry if that’s how you feel.”

You looked over at him suspiciously. “You’re not as hot-headed as you seem in the media.”

He groaned. “‘Cause I hate interviews. The press only asks questions to get the answers that’ll suit their interests. They like me better when I’m difficult to deal with because it gets readers.”

You frowned. “The press asks questions to hear the truth. If you only ever act like a jerk in front of them, are they supposed to say you’re friendly?”

He scoffed, but before you could question him, he says, “At the end of the day, they’re as concerned with public perception as heroes.” You pause.

“Well, as a hero or a journalist, you make that decision for yourself whether you’re gonna have integrity or not.” You at least hoped that was the case for you.

“That mean you’re reserving judgement?” You turn to face him. He’d pulled to a stop in front of your building, and it was just about time to leave. Surprisingly, you found you didn’t really want to leave.

“For?” You asked, frowning. Your opinions on the hero industry haven’t changed.

“For me. Or do you think I’m over-glorified and self-interested?” His tone was curt, and you wondered if he was angry.

You flushed again. “Please don’t ever remind me I said that to you.” You plead. But he waited for you to answer. He looked pissed off, but there was something unmistakably docile in his energy, and you decided to roll with it. You looked away, sighing. “You saved my brother’s life. At the cost of your villain. I can’t imagine what position that puts you in, but I’ll never forget that you chose my brother.” You felt yourself getting emotional, the weight of that thought, of the danger your brother had been put in today, constricting your throat. But you didn’t want to cry in front of this guy, so you swallowed and looked up at him.

His expression was guarded, but he didn’t look angry. He was thoughtful as he considered your words. You couldn’t get over the contrast of his angry expressions and delicate features. He was quite pretty, you realized, distracted by the layer of dirt and grime covering him. You hated that you couldn’t deny how hot he was like this, and looked away. “Well I’ll take that as a win.” Is all he ends up saying in reply, and when you look back at him, he’s got a dusting of pink over his cheeks.

“Well, thanks again for the ride. And everything else today.” You said, wondering if, after everything that happened, this would be the way it ended. A polite farewell to top off the hectic villain encounter. “If there’s anything I can do to say thanks—”

“How about dinner?” He interjected, and you quickly looked up at him with shock.

“Dinner?” The word hangs dumbly in the air, and your brow is raised at him. “With Milo?” You hope the number four hero is not asking you out, even if a part of you wants him to.

He stops for a moment, and looks at you like he’s waiting for this to be a joke. You keep your expression neutral, because you don’t want to hurt his feelings with a flat-out rejection. Truthfully, you didn’t want to reject him, but you were confused. What have you spent the last year and a half dedicating your studies to? You’d just sent your first article to The Daily and you needed to make the right choices for your career. If you were spotted on a date with Dynamight, what would that say about you? Everything was so uncertain right now, you couldn’t risk everything you’ve ever wanted for a date with the sexy and explosive hero.

He sets his jaw, and you can tell his ego is bruised. “Sure. He wants to be a hero, right? He can learn from the best.”

You raised you brow. “You’re ranked number four.”

He curled his lip in distaste. “Yeah, well, I’m ahead of that shitty Deku anyway.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at him lightly. “My brother actually really admires Deku.”

He grumbled. “Well, maybe he’ll take the kid to dinner.” You looked over, wondering if he was serious, but Dynamight looked more like he was pouting than actually angry. “I’ll have my sidekick reach out to set up a meeting.”

You smiled softly at him. For all his grumbling, he was mostly harmless. “I really do appreciate everything.” You said, and there was a strong urge to reach over and rest your hand over his on the gear shift. You clenched your hands into fists, fighting the impulse. You quickly move to unbuckle your seatbelt and clear your head, before reaching to the back for the crutches.

"I got it." He says, already getting out of the car. You try not to blush as he rounds the car with them in one hand, and he helps you from the car with the other. His hand is rough, calloused, and you definitely blush realizing you're working to memorize how it feels in yours. "Well, thanks, Dynamight.” You said softly, avoiding looking him right in the eyes for fear that he'd see right through you.

And just like that, the taillights were disappearing down the street. You let out a shaky breath, wondering if you’ll ever see the explosive hero ever again, when you get a text from Shawn.

Boss loved it. He'll give you 10 cents a word for it. Wants to know if you have any updates on the case.

—————————————————

“I’m gonna kill you all.” Bakugo is pouting, swirling amber liquid in a crystal glass as he glares at his friends, who are currently laughing in his face.

“You got rejected hard, Bakugo.” Denki is nearly in tears, hand resting on Kirishima’s shoulder, who’s also laughing, though not quite as hard.

“Sorry, you’re right. It’s not funny.” He says, though he’s still chuckling. “So now you have to…take out her brother?”

“She was trying to be nice, give her credit for that.” Mina says from the couch. “Besides, that girl is the least of your worries, what with the chief of police up your ass about losing Hijacker.”

“Yeah, maybe if you weren’t concerned about getting your dick wet, you would’ve caught him.” Denki says, but immediately realizes he’s gone too far when Bakugo curls his lip in anger, lifting his hand and setting off a mostly harmless, albeit loud explosion in the other man’s direction, knocking him and Kirishima to the floor.

“It wasn’t about her; it was about saving a hostage. He’s just a kid.”

“You made your choice, Bakugo, there’s nothing to do about it except accept the fallout. Even if some people aren’t happy, he and his family are grateful for it.”

Bakugo recalls your earlier words from the car. You saved my brother’s life. So much happened in a span of a few hours, but he could still clearly remember the look in your eyes when Milo was taken, how it had spurred him to action.

Even though he didn’t get a date, he was content to know that he made the right call.

—————————————————

taglist: @asmaechan @animexholic @inumakicanrailme @justanothernpcartist @neonbubby @memariamsworld @iz-jayjay @xviternity @movie-enthusiast22 @ebonydumbslut

tysm for reading! If you liked it, pls lmk by interacting! Likes are always appreciated, and i rllyyyy love rbs/comments <3 part 3 is coming soon!!

if you’d like me to add you to the taglist, lmk! you must be over 18 and have your age accessible from you blog <3

series masterlist ♡ pt. 1

welcome page

#bakugo x female reader #bakugou katsuki #bakugo smut #mha bakugou #bakugou headcanons #bakugo x reader #bakugo katsuki #bakugou katsuki x reader #bakugou x reader #bnha bakugo #bakugo katuski #bakugou smut #bnha bakugou #katsuki bakugo #katsuki bakugo x reader #katsuki bakugou #bakugou x you #bakugou x y/n #mha bakugo

60 notes · View notes

vampkaashis-wife · 2 years

Text

“You know, I really hope this boosts your morale.”

You sigh, a millisecond away from snapping at the infamous Captain Kaeya. “What does?”

“My bare chest.”

Pressing the dressing deeper into the wound on his thigh, you bind it tight enough to feel his muscles tense under you. “Captain, please refrain from making inappropriate jokes at this time. You nearly died.”

He’s right that his bare chest looks wonderful in the dim light in his tent, but it would look better without the fresh wounds and splattered blood from the hillichurl camp he’d just quelled. The one he went into single-handedly before someone caught on and sent a troop after their captain as backup.

“I really didn’t, my beloved healer.”

“Captain.” Perhaps reminding him of his position would help minimize his foolhardy behaviors. Perhaps it won’t. “Don’t.”

He hates that word on your lips. For weeks, he thought he’d prefer this. That he’d prefer anything but his name on your lips, because hearing you call him Kaeya - or worse, Kai - made him too giddy for comfort. Now that you’ve fulfilled his wish, he wishes there was something else you would call him besides Captain.

Will he ever be satisfied with what he has?

The silence may kill him sooner than the many wounds he sustained, so he says the first thing on his mind. He says, “Did I look hot today too?” and regrets it the moment your eyes darken.

“You looked a fool, is what you looked like,” you tell him, moving on to dressing other wounds laced across his torso. “Were you trying to die?”

“Would you have mourned me if I had?”

“Most of Mondstadt would have, yes.”

“Would you?”

“I don’t see why it matters to you what I think, Captain.”

“Why do you keep calling me that?”

“Your title?”

“You haven’t called me Captain in nearly a year.”

“No reason. Just realized that perhaps I was letting my emotions get the best of me.”

“Is this about last night?” He winces as you drop all your instruments with a loud clatter, standing up with clenched fists and thinly veiled anger in your eyes. “Hey,” he says softly. “No need for that.”

He reaches out to touch your wrist, but you firmly step back, out of his reach.

“Maybe you’re used to this, Captain, but I’m not. I know we were both drunk last night, but don’t you think you were unfair?”

“Unfair?” His eyebrows quirk in a dark kind of mirth. “I hardly think a kiss for a beautiful woman is unfair.”

Curtly, you retort with a raised eyebrow, “You kicked me out immediately afterward and told me to curl up next to Diluc.”

Kaeya laughs a little. He remembers exactly what he said. He wasn’t as drunk as you thought he was, and every word was a calculated move to push you away. “He’s your best friend, no? A safer bedmate than the absolute snake I am.”

“Kaeya!”

His name rips through the room like a knife through a veil. It jolts him out of a pained stupor with wide eyes.

“Kaeya,” you repeat, and his name hurts almost more than the mess he’s made of himself on the battlefield. “What happened? We were okay before this. What changed?”

“An excellent question from an excellent mind.”

There’s no way he’s telling you the truth. How pathetic does he have to be to admit that he’s letting Diluc get in the way of what he wants? To admit to the list of wrongs he’s committed against the man he used to call brother?

Perhaps he ought to admit to less terrifying things first. Things like - “Have I told you I heal better when you do it?”

“I am assigned to you for a reason, Captain. I am the best there is, as far as you’re concerned.”

Ah. There’s that title again.

“Right. You know my body better than anyone… in more ways than one.”

That’s not what he meant to say, but he’s never been any other way. It’s not easy to be vulnerable, especially not to you. He knows that in the depths of his person, there are things that could drive you away. Despite his recent difficult demeanor, he doesn’t want you all that far from him. It’s been said now, though, and as always, he must reap the consequences.

“We have never shared a bed, Captain, and if you would like to imply that we have…. I have other injuries to attend to. You seem to be doing well enough.”

“You’re leaving me, then?”

“Yes.” But when you finish packing your supplies and look at him again, you see the tiredness in his one uncovered eye. The acceptance of something he clearly doesn’t want to accept. “Are you…?”

“No,” he responds quickly. “No, it’s okay. Thank you for your time and care. Come find me if Diluc is an idiot and causes you problems.”

And it’s a little too final for comfort, so you turn around and stare at him a little longer, arms crossed over your chest. “You’re hiding something from me.”

“I’m hiding something from everyone, darling.”

“This is about Diluc.”

“Everything is, isn’t it? What would Mondstadt be without his tavern? Barbatos himself enjoys his liquor.”

“Fuck, Kaeya, you know what I’m trying to say.”

And something breaks in him, and he speaks faster than he knew was possible as he says, “Yes, this is about Diluc. This is about me taking away everything he’s ever cared about. This is about me being his biggest curse; this is about how you are bound to die if you stay around me for much longer. This is about how I wanted to take down as many threats to your life as I could, and that’s what I was thinking when I stormed that camp alone. This is about how I want to do at least one good thing in my life - even if that one thing is ripping out my own heart and sending it away. So thank you, again, for your time and care, but you should leave now like everyone else does, and I can return to status quo.” With that, he flops back on the shoddy mattress and throws an arm over his eyes.

Whatever you expected from him, it wasn’t that. Sitting on the bed next to him, you tug at his arm until he pulls it away to look at you. “Why are you still here?” He asks in a small, hollow voice.

“You seem to be forgetting something or deliberately not noticing. I’m fucking in love with you. Okay? So stop acting a fool because I’m already too attached to you for this kind of talk.”

“You’re what.”

“You heard me. You’re not unlovable, and the proof is that my hands shake every time I come near you. Because every time I patch you up, I calculate how far from death you are. Diluc thanks me for taking care of you every time, because as frustrated as you always are with each other, he never really stopped caring either. Do you even realize how many people ask me about your health whenever I leave your tent after healing you? Now close your eyes and sleep, loser. I’ll stay until then and continue my rounds after.”

He doesn’t know what else to do, so he curls up with his head in your lap and - for once in his life - follows directions.

#kaeya x reader #kaeya angst #idk what other tags I would like to use #but here have this #genshin x reader #genshin angst

262 notes · View notes

pahrak-the-sinnoh-slizer · 8 months

Text

[Games in 2023: Pokemon DLC "The Teal Mask"]

*Insert screenshot of Nemona shouting “It’s TIIIME!”*

Given that Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are somewhat controversial, I’ll just get my thoughts on the base game out now. Yes, they run like shit. Yes, the most profitable franchise in existence maybe shouldn’t have this problem. Yes, I dearly hope the developers get more time to work their craft going forward. Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing Violet. No, performance issues (which have plagued Pokémon continuously since the beginning) aren’t enough to single-handedly destroy the experience for me. Yes, I think the performance issues are the only glaring flaw, and that Scarlet and Violet are otherwise excellent Pokémon games. With that out of the way…

I’m a fan of Pokémon adopting this new DLC model as opposed to creating third versions or second paired versions. It offers all the benefits of getting a revised, expanded version of the games at half the cost! (Certainly wish the old style had gone out on a high note rather than fucking USUM, but…) And in this case, the remaining mysteries surrounding Area Zero still have quite the firm grip on me. Like I said before, this is probably the first time (at least in a long while) I’ve actually sought out Pokémon theories rather than avoiding them. So I’ve been awfully excited to get my hands on Teal Mask and see if it has any answers for us!

This post will contain spoilers for base SV and Teal Mask, so tl;dr: Kitakami is plenty fun to explore and brings back some Pokémon I really like, though I’d always like more, and the story feels just a little like filler. Also, Gligar is a Scarlet exclusive and that makes me sad. D:

It seems that, like Isle of Armor, Teal Mask can open up early in the main game, and then the levels all jump after you clear…well, I’m not sure how much exactly, but after endgame stuff. This sounds neat but I’ve already beaten the game, so there’s not much more I can say on that point. After a bit of story you obtain the Teal Style Card to unlock new customization options, though only a few caught my eye personally. (You can buy Professor Laventon’s hat now!!) The boutiques and salons all have a little teal card icon next to the new stuff, which is a touch I really like, makes it easier for me to skim the new stuff rather than going through everything. I can’t remember if this was done in SwSh or not? There are also 30 new TMs available using materials dropped by the new Pokémon ranging from exciting choices like Solar Blade and Scald and High Horsepower, to…Roar? And, uh, Super Fang…huh. But of course, new DLC means more Pokémon! There aren’t too many brand new ones—four legendaries and a new two-stage convergent Pokémon—but that feels about on par so I’m not complaining. As for newly returning Pokémon, about 100 are brought back, which is…a relatively small amount if I really think about it. I dunno, each game having limits on what can be transferred in is still new so I’m not quite sure how to judge this sort of thing yet. If nothing else it makes it pretty quick to complete the Kitakami Dex, getting you a charm that increases the number of Tera Shards you get from raids. I haven’t been changing my Pokémon’s Tera Types yet but I’m thinking of experimenting once I get this.

The new map added in this DLC is the region of Kitakami, based on an area of Japan just a bit south of Hokkaido/Sinnoh/Hisui (note this, it’s important). It’s really cool to be able to go to a completely separate region like in the Johto games, even if the scale here is noticeably smaller. The map is centered around Oni Mountain much the same way Paldea is centered around the Great Crater, with some fields, wasteland, and a forest surrounding it. There’s a lot of Pokémon and items all over the mountain, plus several paths through it, and at the very top is a pool of water containing terastal crystals…interesting. The peak’s music even has a hint of Area Zero in it. (I’m going to put a pin in that for now.) If you do want to go back to Paldea, all you have to do is open your map, press a shoulder button to switch regions, and fly there—it’s wonderfully convenient! There are also new icons for the loading screen when flying: a taxi being carried by Noctowl if you’re in Kitakami, and an airplane briefly crossing paths with a Dragonite when you move between regions. It’s a charming little addition.

Now then, let’s talk about the story. Once you gain access to the Teal Mask content, you receive a call from Mr. Jacq informing you that you’re one of four students who have been randomly selected to go on a school trip to the faraway Kitakami region! Upon heading back to the academy for details, you encounter Ms. Briar, a teacher at your sister school Blueberry Academy—she’ll be chaperoning you in addition to a few Blueberry students. She very quickly brings up Area Zero and drops that she’s a descendant of Heath, pulls out the original manuscript of the Scarlet/Violet Book, and shows you an unredacted version of the passage about Terapagos. Okay. Sudden, but interesting. She’s also going through the process of getting permission to enter Area Zero herself, so I guess that’s going to be how the DLC storylines lead us back there. Her motivation of proving Heath was right interests me, there are a few potential directions it could go, but for now it’s…well, I’ll save that for later. When you arrive in Kitakami you encounter a pair of Blueberry students: Carmine and Kieran, siblings who originally grew up here in Kitakami. An overbearing older sibling and a quiet younger sibling, that’s a fine enough place to start. Your assignment for the trip is to search out signboards relating a legend about Pokémon known as the Loyal Three sacrificing themselves to protect the region from a rampaging Ogre, and midway through you attend a festival that celebrates that same legend. And, to your surprise, the Pokémon Ogerpon makes an appearance! However, she makes a hasty retreat, dropping the titular Teal Mask in the process.

This is where the story really kicks off…and it’s a rather contentious inciting incident. You see, Kieran always loved the ogre from the legend (obviously Ogerpon). But during the festival, only you the player and Carmine saw Ogerpon, and Carmine immediately decides we need to hide this from Kieran because he would be sad that he missed out…or something. It’s honestly pretty flimsy, and as you can probably guess this secret eventually comes out and causes some completely avoidable tension between the characters. From here Carmine warms up to you and Kieran develops some kind of inferiority complex (I think?), which…as a trajectory for these characters, developing in ways inverse to your initial impressions of them, is a perfectly sound idea. The execution here, though, is serviceable at best. Obviously we’re going to see more of these two in the Indigo Disk DLC, so I’m hoping they’re improved upon there; myself, I think they both need more concrete backstory as a start. I don’t really understand why Carmine is Like That, or why Kieran has such a deep well of rage to tap. I dunno, after Starfall Street and everything with Arven I had my expectations set a little higher.

One thing that did intrigue me: Carmine and Kieran’s grandfather explains that the legend of the ogre and the Loyal Three is actually bullshit! Ogerpon and a human came to Kitakami from a faraway land long ago, but the people were scared of them, so the only way they could live in peace was with the help of a mask maker. The beautiful masks he made concealed their identities, but also attracted the attention of three greedy Pokémon, who stole three of the four masks and killed the human. Ogerpon then killed the three of them, but was unable to retrieve the masks, and the people assumed she was the one in the wrong. That’s really interesting! Especially since these Pokémon were inspired by the legend of Momotaro—I didn’t expect they’d be willing to turn things around like that. In any event, the Teal Mask needs repaired, and that requires a special crystal that Ogerpon’s trainer brought here from his homeland…a crystal at the top of Oni Mountain which is confirmed by Briar to be terastal crystals…hmmmm. So I guess Ogerpon and her trainer were originally from Paldea after all? Unfortunately, this is the only thing other than Briar’s motivation that feels like an addition to the lore of the base game, which is disappointing. Not entirely a surprise, I guess, since we’re in a different region and all but…I don’t quite understand why the DLC pass as a whole is called The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero? Again, it seems like Briar will lead us back to it after everything’s said and done, but it’s weird to group our exploits in Kitakami and Blueberry Academy all under that umbrella. Well, I should probably reserve judgment for now. Anyway.

The Loyal Three come back to life, which while not properly explained, I interpreted as being Kieran’s frustration and negative energy revitalizing them. Whatever the case, the toxic trio reclaim the masks they stole from the villagers who still think they’re the good guys, and the poor saps even feed them stat boosting mochi (pretty funny tbh), so they then go after Ogerpon to take their revenge. After saving Ogerpon you then have to track the three down individually, fight them in a Titan-style battle with Carmine’s help, and recover Ogerpon’s masks one-by-one. While this is going on, Kieran actually goes and tells the town the truth about Ogerpon and the Loyal Three, and to everyone’s surprise they’re willing to accept the truth and actually apologize to Ogerpon in a fairly heartwarming moment. When it’s all over, Ogerpon wants to come with you, but you first have to fight Kieran (who wants Ogerpon to stay with him) and then Ogerpon herself. The Ogerpon battle is pretty neat: she puts on one of her masks and Terastallizes it, getting a boss health bar and everything, then when you defeat her, she pulls out the next mask and you have to beat her again, repeating until you’ve seen what all four masks can do. It’s a fun way to showcase Ogerpon’s unique gimmick, and since each mask has a different type and boosts different stats, it forces you to adapt quickly in order to come out on top. A great way to cap off your adventure!

After that, you can go battle the Loyal Three again to catch them, keep checking the new raids, hunt down the members of the “Ogre Clan” for some relatively tough trainer battles with tempting rewards…and finally, there’s one notable sidequest you can do. Almost as soon as you arrive in Kitakami you can meet with Perrin, a photographer who looks suspiciously similar to Adaman. (She also has a Hisuian Growlithe, which I like—I can believe a family descended from the Diamond Clan has been selectively breeding Growlithe to maintain its Hisuian Form throughout the years.) She has a job for you, but before she’ll tell you what it is, you have to catch 150 Pokémon in the Kitakami Dex. That, uh…I mean I can understand using that as a milestone to unlock stuff, and I can see a logic to follow, but it was a bit jarring for her to just flat out tell me to complete the Dex out of nowhere. Anyway, once you’ve done that and had a battle with her, you head to the Timeless Woods (hmm) to hunt for a mysterious Pokémon who shows up on foggy nights. (She tells you what kind of Pokémon it is, but this specimen is unique and hasn’t been properly documented or anything yet, that kind of mysterious.) You then play through a sort of minigame where you’re put in the woods on a foggy night without Koraidon/Miraidon, and need to sneak up on the Pokémon there to take decent pictures of them. It’s fairly generous, they don’t exactly have to be expert shots. Doing this allows Perrin to calibrate some tracking device even she doesn’t understand to pinpoint the location of the only Pokémon not photographed (idk), and I believe it’s here she tells you her reason for doing all this? If not here then it must’ve been a little earlier. She talks about how she’s lost her passion for her art and came after this Pokémon because she thought it’d be the inspiration she needed. That’s, uh, that’s something, honestly, hits pretty close to home for me personally, so it may be bias but I appreciate her character despite the short amount of screen time she gets. Anyway, you’re able to track down the strange Pokémon: an Ursaluna. Cool, what a neat way to justify the presence of another Hisuian Pokémon! But, wait, it’s not a normal Ursaluna…it’s bigger than usual, and walks on two legs…the mud caking its fur has changed, encasing it like armor and covering one eye…and the moon on its forehead has turned blood red. This is Bloodmoon Ursaluna! It’s a special attacker instead of physical; it’s got a signature move that’s the special equivalent of Gigaton Hammer; and it has a unique ability that combines like three other abilities into one! It swam here from Hisui long ago, awakened a mysterious power, and I guess is just immortal or something? You fight it in a boss battle and catch it, and while it’s a bit sad this is the only Ursaluna you can catch, it more than makes up for it by being so fucking cool. Ah, anyway…Perrin tells you that the shots she got of Ursaluna are too blurry to be of any professional use, but that they’re some of her favorite photos she’s ever taken. With her creative passion reignited, she heads off…I wonder if she’ll be in Indigo Disk…or maybe instead there’ll be someone there who looks just like Irida? Either’s fine. Or both. I’ll take as many of this slick character designs as I can get.

One final thing before wrapping up: I have something of a conspiracy theory that some elements of Teal Mask (or at least Kitakami) were originally conceived as DLC for Legends Arceus, but were then retrofitted for SV after some corporate meddling. Like I was saying before, there’s really very little here tying back to the main game, and Kitakami is just about the size of one of the zones from PLA. Take into account that the region is based on an area that’s quite close to Hokkaido/Sinnoh/Hisui, and the real-world mountain used as a base for Oni Mountain has an Ainu name, and there’s really only one town and no formal Pokémon Center, and the entire Perrin sidequest. An Adaman lookalike takes you to an area called the Timeless Woods, where Pokémon who don’t usually appear there suddenly spawn during a strange weather event, and you end up fighting a special Ursaluna? (The Timeless Woods also have White-Striped Basculin for some reason?) Like, it can’t just be me. Right?

All in all, I’ve had a real good time with Teal Mask, and I’m still having a good time trying out the rest of what Kitakami has to offer! It definitely adds to SV, though I wouldn’t say I was as impressed with it by itself as I was with the base game. If I were to make changes, I would definitely smooth out Carmine and Kieran’s arcs, as well as extend the Perrin sidequest and do a bit more with Briar…and have more returning Pokémon of course, heh. I’m looking forward to Indigo Disk, though I am sort of hoping it gets delayed a bit; I don’t like the idea of the devs being pushed to follow-up that quickly.

#Pokemon #Games in 2023 #Game Night

1 note · View note

keeninghearts · 1 year

Text

From the diary of Knocks-on-Wood:

Entry 1479.

Midnight. 20th, Frostfall. 1E 620

Job 72. Route: Tel Enora, Western Branch -> Duumvanzel, Vvardenfel. Progress: 24km. Wind: North-North West, 19°. Weather: light ash.

Lunch: Jellied shalk-eels and southern mushroom assortment, with egg.

Notes: Breakthrough at last.

Had thought I'd fucked it thoroughly with Vyra. Tightly wound up and clammed shut since discovery of employment by Sydras Demnevanni.

[In the margin: Don't blame her, really. What kind of fucked excuse for a father, employing some schmuck drover to spy on his favourite bastard? I'd feel hurt in her shoes]

Calmer, during the day. Has been talking to the rest of the crew politely, even Drels.

[In the margin: Think the pep talk worked. They don't deserve the shit they've been dragged into, but it's not good being at odds.]

No snapping. Good spirits. Caravan made good progress despite weather. Cargo all accounted for. Ahead of schedule. For once.

[In the margin: Maybe unfair. She's not as green as she was once. Almost competent now.]

[In the margin, again: Too mean. You won't lower yourself to her level.]

Spoke to me at the beginning of the night watch, far from the fire.

[In the margin: New moon, the stars are out. You know it's her favourite sky. You know she's sentimental for it, despite the fact that she pretends she couldn't give a damn. Not a born theatre player, our Vyra.]

"Knox," she'd said, direct. Eye contact. "Do you ever miss anything from home?"

[In the margin: First time she's asked that directly. Part of me still wishes I could have told her to fuck off the first time she mentioned home. ]

I told her that I didn't owe her an answer.

"You're on Sydras' payroll."

I repeated the fact that I didn't owe her an answer.

"So you don't care. You don't fucking care."

And she laughed like the whole world was a joke.

[In the margin: Girl's fucked in the head.]

[In the margin: No more than you, Knox.]

I told her I didn't follow.

"You don't need to. I don't owe you an answer, either. But -- I'm relieved, actually. Had wondered if you were loyal."

"To your father?"

"To Demnevanni, yes."

I responded in the negative.

[In the margin: Not false. This contract is the best pay I've got since I left the Marsh. And no more.]

Vyra laughed.

"You should have said. Would have made trusting you a damn sight easier over the past few weeks."

I responded that I wasn't aware that she trusted me at all.

"You're my drover. Have to. The rest of them can go damned to oblivion if I please but this won't work if I don't trust you."

[In the margin: Think that was a compliment.]

[In the margin: She's called everyone but you incompetent.]

"And I want to do more jobs like Fifty-Nine again. That means I really have to trust you."

I told her that was a dangerous game to play. It was risky enough the first time.

"You think I don't know that?"

I told her that she hadn't thought about the consequences for the rest of us. A black marsh exile, two ashlander vagabonds, a half-mute stable kid. What would happen to us if we got caught?

She didn't have a good answer to that.

[In the margin: Why does Vyra, a half-dwemer bastard with all the manners of a cave-dweller, give a damn about slaves? It's not guilt. It's not principled, either. It's not a sense of moral obligation -- don't know if she's ever given a damn about what's right

[In the margin: You shouldn't judge because she's dwemer Knox. You know better than that. It's probably like everything with Vyra -- way too perspnal]

But she did tell me though, she wouldn't go ahead unless I agreed.

"We're not single-handedly setting up an underground railroad," I had told her direct. "I won't be put to the torch by the Dres for what they think is property theft."

She acquiesced to that.

[In the margin: Could have twisted her arm more. Made it hurt. Why didn't I?]

"Once a year."

"Won't make that kind of promise."

"Not a promise."

"Then what?"

"What I'd hope for, almost."

"Vyra. You know damn better than to be talking like an optimist now."

She laughed. Then started telling me some crazy clan story about some old wives tale about how positive thinking can demagnetise some tonal circuit or whatsit. She'd stopped to ask me if I knew what a magnet was half-way through.

[In the margin: She doesn't think you're an idiot, Knox. She's the idiot here.]

The next hour was trading old horror stories from our old lives like we used to during cornerclub days, when Vyra and I did nothing but talk.

[In the margin: I don't know how I feel about forgiveness. I don't know how I feel about Vyra, either.]

0 notes

spice-chan · 3 years

Note

IDEA. Soulmate AU where Bakugou lashes out at y/n, he goes over the top, and hurts y/n. Through the argument, he’s too caught up in his anger to realize that the string between them has severed in two.

- bumble anon 🐝🍯

Broken dreams and promises.

Soulmate au, where bakugo becomes so accustomed to your unconditional love that he takes it for granted. Word count: 700

Warnings: angst, verbally hurtful things.

Note: Gosh, I haven’t updated in so long. I’m going to try to work on requests and get back to writing again! Thanks for the support despite my inactivity. Heres a lil somethin, sorry if its poorly written

A childish, naive grin marked your face at night as you dreamily moved your pinky, tugging at the string tying you and your soulmate, head fuzzy as though cocooned in cotton candy, hoping the syrupy, yet warm and welcoming feelings could reach your fated one at the end of the string. Sometimes you longingly caressed it, cherished it as if it’s your most prized possession, it was certainly your most precious.

After meeting your fated, however, innocent, unexpectant grins turned to strained smiles. thin, weary, and cautious. You were however persistent enough to maintain them at night, for you were persistent to maintain your soulbond, to one day reach his heart, to sit nestled there comfortably. Hoping his guarded walls would lower to allow you to peek through. To caress the rough ridges and the soft spots, to get to know it all. If only he’d let you.

And eventually, you thought he did.

Like the late-night kitchen runs where you thought you bonded together.

“You like spicy noodles too?” You questioned curiously, somewhat desperate to find a common ground to converse on with your volatile soul mate.

“Tsk, why would I make it if I didn’t like it?” He answered you, arching up a blond brow. You couldn’t help how your heart jackhammered at how pretty he looked even when he was looking at you judgmentally.

“I’m just surprised you got good taste is all. It might be too spicy for you…” you were trying a different approach today.

As if he swallowed a sour plum, he turned to you with a ferocious look, like a threatened bear.

“Haa? You think your soulmate is a loser who can’t handle it?! Dumbass I’ll show you who can’t handle it.”

You two ended using all the chilli in the dorms, unwilling to relent to the other. It was awkward to explain the situation to Kirishima who walked in on you two with flaming faces and snot-filled tissues.

But you let your guard down.

Because you thought this was it.

You didn’t think he’d shred your heart to pieces, not when he had your body close, his arms caging you to him as he cried and shed his pains and sorrows. Not after he let you kiss his tears away and promise to allows be there for him.

Now, here he stood, your other half, with a knife in his hand, stabbing your heart unrelentingly, mercilessly. Did your feelings not reach him? Did he not know that if he were the sun, you’d be willing to burn just to touch him?

“Useless” the word rang in your head like a mantra. Why would such a hurtful thing come from your one true love unprovoked? You didn’t even do anything to warrant such poisonous wrath.

“You keep clinging to me, as if you think I actually want to be with you” all the memories you shared with him became tainted with doubt, did you really mean so little to him? You tried your hardest, so why is it that Bakugou Katsuki is always out of reach? Why is it that he let your fingertips graze him enough that you’d be filled with hope for more?

“I didn’t even want a soulmate, but to be mated to you is humiliating. Go, leave, and don’t speak to me again.” This wasn’t anger. This was bone-chilling, frozen hate. He found it revolting to even be around you. If this is what it means to have a soul mate…then you never want to experience it ever again. You wish you never had a soul mate, never got to know Bakugou Katsuki, only to have him tear your heart like this.

The silky, red ribbon tied at your pinkies slowly strained in the middle, and when you turned away and left, the ribbon no longer stretched infinitely. It tore, and Bakugou looked in horror as the red ribbon that was now more loosely than ever wrapped to his pinky slowly but painfully darkened to pitch black as the end of it laid severed in front of him. Bakugou had single-handedly torn his soul in two, and now there would be a million things left unsaid, even though his mouth never seized its assault on you.

He sank to the floor, red orbs wide in disbelief as they glistened, but Bakugou paid no mind to the tears as he brought the string to him, regretfully caressing what he destroyed. It would be a testament to his hate, but how can that be when he loves you as much as his awkward heart can love?

And for you? Well, childhood filled daydreams of your other half were no more.

#bumble anon 🐝 🍯#bakugou x reader #bakugou katsuki #bakugo #bnha fanfiction #mha bakugou #bnha #bakugou #bakugou angst #angst #soulmate au #katsuki bakugo

2K notes · View notes

izukuisbaby · 2 years

Text

秘密 - HIMITSU part 2

(dabi x reader in a secret relationship angst)

info : I heavily recommend reading part 1 before starting this, dabi and reader are in a secret relationship

warnings : none

A/N : 1.6k words, let me know if I made any misspellings

masterlist | comment and reblog if u enjoyed !

You were tired of it. The feeling of your heart falling inside of your chest every time you thought about him with another one. The constant crying, no matter what you did to cheer you up, nothing was working. You had lost your lover, the one you gave your heart to, the one you thought would fix it. You thought after getting it torn one too many times, this relationship would finally be the happy, healthy one you truly deserved. But it was nothing like it.

▪︎

You were aware the bond between you and Dabi was toxic. He was not made for relationships. He neglected you and your feelings. He was not taught how to love, but you thought you could change that, you thought you could change him. But people do not change, no matter how cared for you make them feel, it is never enough. Sometimes two people just do not work together. But if so, why do you miss him ? Why do you crave his warmth, his hugs, his smooches, his embrace ? Why do you keep looking at the door as if he would barge in any moment ?

▪︎

Although, he never did. No matter how much you hoped, prayed for his name to pop up on your phone, he never texted you. You wanted him to apologize, you wished he would just call you, tell you how much he loves you, how sorry he is and that all he needs right now, is you. You struggled to even fathom someone loving him the way you did. You tried so hard to convince yourself that the love you gave him was unique and the most intense he would ever receive. But you lost hope, day by day. And it's always when you expect it the least that things start happening.

▪︎

You were right, he missed you, so terribly. He could feel physically hurt whenever his mind wandered to his dear memories shared with you. The mere thought of you hating him shattered him into a million pieces. All he felt his entire life was hate, rejection, disgust. You saw the beauty in him, his good sides. He claims he has a lot of flaws but being with you made him believe that he was born to be your soulmate.

▪︎

As soon as he fell in love with you, five months ago, he assumed he would never find someone who would love him the way you do. Hence, why he tried so hard to keep you. Once again, he ruined everything. Single-handedly ruined his one last chance at happiness. He consumed a good person's heart and endured such strong guilt on a daily basis. Maybe someone better than him would have deserved your love ? But that is precisely why he left you : he deemed you deserved better. And you did. He knew that. His intentions were never wrong, all he ever wanted was for you to be happy whether it be with him or without him. Not knowing how you lived with him out for your life poisoned him, did he go through such pain for nothing ? He had the right to know. He considered texting or calling but he assumed you blocked him so his final decision was to visit you at your apartment.

▪︎

"Hey Y/N" he simply started. You looked him right in the eyes and answered

You were watching TV and eating ice cream in the desperate attempt at drowning your sorrow when you heard a knock on your door. No one ever visited you and you were still so desperate, even after trying to move on for two months, that your mind immediately went to dabi. You knew talking to him would not be a good idea because you were well aware of the fact that letting him in would result in you forgiving him. It was as if your legs walked by themselves, leading you to the door without even being sure of who it would unravel. Once more, opening the door caused your heart to slump inside of your chest as soon as your eyes caught a glimpse of the light's reflection on familiar staples. Your hands started shaking and an overwhelming sensation took over your entire body, a mix of anger, pain, sorrow and happiness. Yes, happiness. Seeing him standing outside of your apartment, with the soft reflection of the moon's glow glimmering behind him through the building's window, seemed unreal. After yearning so long for him, he stood in front of you and finally hearing his voice again made every single one of your cell tingle at the sound.

▪︎

"Dabi... I didn't expect you here..."

"May I come in ? I think we need to talk." he said sternly, his tone catching you off-guard. You stepped aside and thoroughly opened the door, letting him walk inside of your home. Tears were already threatening to slip from your eyes, you decided to let them be. You were tired of being strong for others, you needed to feel the pain in order to move on if this conversation was bound to end painfully. Your overthinking caused a weird lull for Dabi, but it went unnoticed to you. He caught you looking thoughtful and decided to eventually speak up.

▪︎

"Listen Y/N, I know I f*cked up. Really f*cked up. To be honest, I did not think you would open the door, so thanks for that. I appreciate you letting me explain myself-"

▪︎

"Make it quick." you interrupt him, surprising both him and yourself. You staunchly desired for this to end as soon as possible, regardless of the outcome. The past two months without him have been utter hell to you and you are not willing to go through that unbearable pain ever again.

▪︎

"Fine. That girl meant nothing okay ? Of course she meant nothing. How could you have possibly thought I would love her ? You said it yourself, I do not love people, I just destroy and hurt them." His words were like merciless knives cutting through your heart as you remembered the outburst which caused you two to be apart. You remembered every single word you said that night, regretting most of them. You experienced Dabi's good sides many times, you were probably the only one. Although, all you did that night was remind him of his traumas. Your thoughts were once again cut short by Dabi who continued to speak.

▪︎

"I made some mistakes throughout my life. I mean what's new ? You know all that already, I told you about them. You know why Y/N ? Because I trust you. You're the only person I've ever trusted. I mean… I trust you with my life. Truth is, I was so afraid of depending on someone's love and affection that I chose the easy way and betrayed your trust. I honestly think some part of me wanted you to hate me so that I could forget about you forever and move on with my life. It's way easier to be emotionless than to admit I care about someone, about you. This woman I hooked up with was just a way to convince me I was a piece of sh*t and comfort me into my decision of leaving you, you deserve better than me Y/N. Yet, I can't explain it but something bonds us together. I can't stay away from you, I can't live without you. You're the only thing that made me feel close to happiness. I tried to think of other times where I was happy. I was not until I met you. You changed my life Y/N, I know no monologue will fix things but damn, I want you back, I need you back into my life."

▪︎

As he spoke, all you did was listen, letting the tears silently run down your cheeks. You raised your head to look at Dabi, his gaze was soft, loving, as he caught your glistening orbs. The shimmer in his eyes full of tears was the first time you ever saw him truly display his emotions, only to enhance his heartbreaking -yet sincere- aforesaid speech. How could you not forgive him ? You sighed as an attempt to collect your thoughts. You wanted to forgive him, but did you have to think with your head or with your heart ?

▪︎

"Dabi, there's no way I could put into words the pain and suffering I've undergone because of you. The past two months have been the most excruciating time of my entire life. I kept thinking : "Why was I not enough for him ? I gave him my whole and yet he still cheated. How could he do that after all I did for him ? I hosted him, fed him, comforted him, loved him." I want to hate you so bad and you'd deserve it. But you're right, you and I have a special bond and I can't explain it either, it's just how it is. I believe that every relationship needs to be lived to the fullest so as to never regret anything. Maybe we will end up breaking each other or maybe we will die holding each others' hand but I'm tired of overthinking. I don't want to make a so-called wise decision if it's to cause myself more pain. I want you, Dabi, that's all I need to know."

▪︎

As soon as those words left your mouth, you felt Dabi's lips gently yet passionately touch yours and put his hand on your cheek while his other arm rested on the small of your back. You leaned into his touch, letting his warmth permeate you completely, feeling fireworks exploding in your chest. It felt like all your past bottled up negative emotions melted away as Dabi kissed you. Once you two were out of breath, his cerulean eyes met your e/c ones and let out the most heartfelt words that he ever spoke "I love you too Y/N".

278 notes · View notes

captains-simp · 3 years

Note

hiii can you please do a 1) Angst with Nat where shes the one saying 'please dont go' because she pushed u away out of fear of either unreciprocated feelings or fear of her feelings for u?? and then there's a happy ending???

"Please don't go."

Warnings: oral, fingering, thigh grinding, hints at overstimulation, rejection, violence and some majorrrr angst

6.8k words

[ masterlist ]

Buy me a coffee ☕

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Natasha Romanoff was the thing of many people's nightmares. Cunning, stealthy, ruthless. Those were just a few of the things that came to mind when describing Natasha in the field. It was what had earned her the Black Widow name, and rightfully so.

But behind that front was someone very different. It took a long time to find that person. It was hard to gain the trust of an assassin, much less the friendship. You had gotten there eventually, what you found was entirely worth every second of the wait.

Natasha had been your closest friend for as long as you could remember. You trusted her above everyone else and knew the feeling was mutual. A lot of things were with you two.

You came to the same conclusions in missions, spare of the moment and planned. You knew the best ways to comfort one another. You could even read each other like your favourite book when it was impossible for others.

It seemed almost predictable that your feelings for Natasha had been growing for a long time.

She was fiercely protective of the ones she loved. The relationships she developed were ones she held close to her heart and would do anything for. She never said it because she didn't have to.

While not being one for comforting words, Natasha would appear at your side in an instant if she thought you had been hurt in a mission or even training. Everything from checking in on you genuinely from time to time to let you rant about whatever was going on in your head to memorising your order from every kind of take out place made you feel cared for more than she could ever understand.

Maybe that was why you had fallen inlove with her.

"You are single handedly the best partner I have ever had." Natasha sighed as she laid back on her bed with her eyes trained on you. Oh how you wished she meant that in a different context.

"Likewise." You grinned as you poured some more wine into your glass and took a tentative sip.

"You usually work on a team." Natasha pointed out. "You haven't had your fair share of God awful partners yet."

"I can still recognise a good partner." You reminded and glanced down at the glass resting on your crossed legs.

Saying Natasha was good was the understatement of the year. No matter what she seemed to think the redhead was the reason for your success on the mission. All you had done was follow her instructions and reenact everything you had trained.

"Still, that was one of the best missions I've ever been on."

"You make it sound like you enjoyed it." You teased.

"I love my job." Natasha smirked as she took her glass from the bedside table and swirled the liquid around.

"I bet you do, must be easy when you're one of the best." You complimented more easily with the help of the alcohol.

"I like a challenge every now and then." She said as she sat up and tucked her legs under her. She downed the contents of her glass in a second and went to pour some more. Your eyes widened slightly but you accepted when she held the bottle out for you and poured a little more than you would have, finishing the bottle.

"You can challenge yourself in safer ways you know." Even if Natasha was one of the most feared agents on the planet she was still human. You worried about her a lot and tried to voice your opinions on mission files to ensure she did things the safest ways. She was always more set on doing things the most efficient way.

"Like what?" She enquired.

"I don't know, get a hobby." You laughed, hardly joking. A hobby was something everyone on the team needed, there was hardly ever the time.

"A hobby." Nat repeated, playing around with the thought as she said it. "I don't think I have time for that." You hummed understandably. "Do you want one?" She asked as she watched you.

"I barely have time for socialising." You scoffed and sipped on the alcohol.

"You live with us." The redhead pointed out, clearly missing your point.

"For work. When was the last time we had a movie night?" You asked. Natasha thought back to try and pinpoint a date but you kept going. "All of the parties are basically part of the job. Our schedules are all off so we rarely eat dinner together. We never really hang out anymore." You reflected with a pang of sadness.

"We're hanging out now." Natasha pointed out.

"We are." You couldn't help the smile that crept onto your face.

"So let's make the most of it." She said as she reached under her bed to retrieve another bottle. You barely questioned why it was there.

She poured more of the drink into each of your glasses and you clinched them together. You took a sip of yours and Natasha watched you as she raised the glass to her lips then paused for a second.

Her eyes trailed to your lips as you licked them to wipe away the traces of the drink. Your cheeks heated up under her far from subtle gaze and a lazy smirk played across Natasha's lips in her signature way.

It wasn't uncommon for Nat to flirt and tease you, she did it with everyone after all, but that night it seemed like a genuine interest, you just didn't want to fool yourself into thinking that.

You stretched your legs out infront of you simply to do something with yourself as Natasha continued to watch you mirror her position. You were startled when you felt on of her hands grip your calf and pull you up the bed towards her.

She silently took your glass from your hands and placed her glass down on the table with yours.

"What are you doing?" You asked with a smile as you tried to ignore your rapidly beating heart from having her hand on your calf and having the strength to pull you with the one hand just a second ago.

"Making the most of our time together." Natasha said simply as her hand dropped back down to your leg. Her fingers lightly ghosted up your calf again as a small smirk continued to stay on her lips.

You gulped, your mouth suddenly feeling very dry as you watched Natasha's slender fingers wander in a seemingly innocent way.

As if your dumbfounded and blank expression wasn't enough for her, Natasha suddenly sat up more and slowly lifted her leg over yours as she gave you some of the most intense eye contact you had ever experienced and straddled your lap.

You searched her face for anything and all you got was a mischievous smirk; nothing past that, no implication as to what was really happening.

"Cat got your tongue?" She teased as she ran her hands down your bare arms making you visibly shiver.

"I..." You whispered, having no idea what to say in response. Natasha lowered her head to the side of your neck and breathed lightly against the exposed skin, curtsey of the loose bun she had done for you.

"Maybe I should try steal it back." Her lips grazed your sensitive skin as she spoke. All sense escaped you when her lips pressed ever so lightly against your neck.

Her hands moved to your waist to hold you as she planted soft kisses along your neck that started to become less light. Her teeth nipped at your skin making you yelp slightly in surprise. Natasha grinned against you as her hands moved round to your stomach and pushed you down flat on your back on the mattress.

Seeing her straddling your stomach above you with an illegally attractive smirk made something undeniable go straight to your core. You clenched your thighs together subconsciously, not realising how telling the gesture was to Natasha.

She slowly leant down and hovered her face inches above yours as her hands trailed up to your own and pinned them above your head. Your breath was shaky and you just knew your friend could tell from your close proximity.

A million things buzzed around your head. Until you caught sight of an especially bright spec of green in Natasha's eyes and found yourself haulting all your questions. That was when you pushed all of your worries and questions to the side to focus on what was infront of you. Or rather who was ontop of you.

You closed your eyes and lifted your head, finally reciprocating in the way you had wanted to a while. Her lips met yours in an instant and felt even softer against your own than you had ever imagined. Your lips moved in perfect sync that you found yourself getting lost in as well as the taste of Natasha that you thought might stay with you forever.

You gasped and parted your lips when she pinched your inner thigh unexpectedly and was quietened when Natasha's tongue met yours. She sucked on it for a brief moment and grinned into you when she felt you moan.

Her lips left yours and started to kiss across your jaw before you could protest then dipped down to your neck. You tilted your head back to give her further access as you held onto her back and tried to steady your breathing.

While one hand held your waist the other stroked along your bare thigh under your dress. You closed your eyes as you struggled to competly focus on any one of the movements. You especially failed when Nat placed one of her muscular thighs between yours, forcing them apart and pressing down on a sensitive area.

You gasped as you felt her apply pressure to your aching clit with her thigh and bucked your hips against her. She chuckled lowly into your ear and held down your thigh and waist with strength that only feuled your growing arousal.

"Tasha." You moaned when the redhead bit down on your neck. Simultaneously, her hand wandered further up your thigh to explore the wanton part between your legs. She sighed deeply into your neck when her fingers brushed against wet spot on your panties.

You whined lowly when she withdrew her fingers only to flip you onto your front and straddle your back. Her slim fingers held the zip on the back of your dress dress swiftly pulled it down along with the rest of your dress.

Her hands ran along your bare back and she unfastened your bra with ease, throwing it somewhere neither of you cared about. She brought her hands back to you and caressed the exposed skin on your sides and leant down flat against you as her hands cupped your breasts. She kissed your shoulder blades as she started to pinch your strained buds. As much as you enjoyed the way she handled you, you needed attention lower down and was becoming impatient, resorting to rocking yourself against the bed in search of something.

"You're a needy thing, aren't you?" She husked, noticing your actions in an instant.

You whimpered into the bed and was suddenly moved onto your back again and stared up at the redheaded beauty who was taking in the sight of your bare breasts.

"You've got me all worked up too, baby." She said as she pulled her own dress down and flung it across the room. Unlike you, she wasn't wearing a bra under her dress giving you the sight of her perfect set. Your own eyes lowered and your breath hitched at the sight of her bare pussy. For a moment you questioned if she had it all planned, but she was straddling your face before you could think about it anymore.

She certainly wasn't lying when she said she was worked up, she was soaked.

With a burst of confidence, you grabbed the back of her thighs and lowered herself onto your tongue that swiped through her folds. You hummed at the initial taste that enveloped your senses and sucked momentarily on her throbbing clit.

"Fuck." Natasha moaned as she pulled on some loose strands of your hair. You pushed your tongue into her awaiting cunt as far as you could go and retracted it to repeat the motion, all while your best friend grinded down on your face.

"Such a good mouth." She praised as you focused your tongue on her soaking channel.

You brought one of your hands up and rubbed Natasha's clit with your thumb as your tongue started to increase it's pace. The redhead's inner walls started to clamp down on your muscle and you took this with a new vigor.

It didn't take long for her thighs to tighten around your head and for Natasha to ride out her orgasm in desperation as you eagerly lapped up all of her cum until she got off you.

"Suck." She instructed only slightly breathlessly as she held her fingers infront of your mouth. You opened in an instant and licked up the length of her fingers before taking them in your mouth as you kept your eyes trained on Natasha.

"Good girl." She praised with a smirk when she withdrew her fingers. She straddled one of your thighs as her fingers danced down to where you needed them the most.

Her fingers slipped inside your pussy with ease. They slowly edged further until they curled against your sweet spot that made your head drop back against the bed. Natasha repeated the come here motion everytime her fingers returned but her pace remained slow and teasing.

You whined in protest but was shushed by the redhead when she pressed herself into your thigh. You gasped as you felt her slick along your thigh and the small rotations of her hips to grind herself against you.

As the pace of her hips increased so did her fingers that were returning to you at twice the pace. You moaned together as everytime Natasha's fingers hit your special spot she angled herself to brush her clit up against your muscle.

The Russian started to dig herself deeper against you and her movements became much more frantic. Her fingers became rougher and faster, never failing to make your head spin when she angled them perfectly.

"Fuck, Nat!" You moaned as your bucked your hips up against her hand.

Her movements became less coordinated as she chased her release and consequently managed to extend her fingers deeper within you making your walls clamp down harshly.

"You feel so good against my pussy." Nat moaned until she came undone on your thigh soon followed by you.

She spread her arousal across your thigh as she rode out her orgasm and kept her fingers deep inside you making you squirm under her.

Her eyes were still glazed over when she looked back down at you and saw you unsuccessfully trying to move away. An evil glint appeared in her eyes as a smirk played on her lips and she leaned down to hover over you again.

"Oh, malysh, we are no where near done."

You woke up to a stream of sunlight flowing into the bedroom and onto the bed. You instinctively went to shield your eyes and turn over but when you did you noticed the body laying peacefully next to you.

You let your eyes adjust and brain start to kick in until you saw the mess of red hair on the pillow next to you. You smiled widely when the memories of the night before began to come back to you.

You were both laying naked in bed with the duvet barely covering you. Natasha had her back to you so you reached out and gently stroked a finger across her shoulder blades. Her shoulders tensed slightly as she gradually woke up and you were reminded of how much you pushed your bodies to the limit. You were feeling kind of sore too.

"Good morning." You greetee with a tired continuous smile and scooched over closer to her only for her to sit up without looking at you.

"Morning." She replied stiffly. You frowned a little in confusion and glanced over at her alarm clock to see how late it is and go to get up too. You had a team meeting that morning that you definetly couldn't miss.

You didn't really know what to say to her when you were finding your clothes. She didn't say anything either but the silence didn't feel right. Not awkward, just not right.

You kept glancing over at her but she never faced you when she was quickly getting changed into clean clothes.

You looked over at the clock again nervously. Half an hour until the meeting. Need to have a shower, clean clothes, breakfast? No, no time. Talk to Natasha?

You really had no clue what to say to the redhead you had spent the night in and it definelty didn't help that your brain hadn't fully kicked in yet.

"So I'll...see you later then?" Smooth, y/n.

"Yeah." Nat said back as she searched for something in her drawers. You nodded and awkwardly pointed to the door and practically ran towards it. The moment you were on the other side of the door you smacked yourself on forehead and started to think about what to say to your best friend.

Throughout the whole of the team meeting Natasha didn't look at you once. Even in the most important meetings she would shoot you a smile every so often or kick you lightly if she knew you weren't paying attention. But she never even acknowledged you in that one.

Granted, the mission brief was one of the most important ones the team had ever had while you had been there. It wasn't for a couple of weeks because an operation like that one required a lot of planning, preparing and paperwork to fill out before it had even started.

It was the single biggest Hydra base there was. It was the heart of all Hydra operations and that meant there was a lot to do. All Hydra agents needed to be captured or killed, all data and information they had needed to be taken and the place needed to be destroyed.

The meeting dragged on for a long time and eventually you were all told to leave and continue as normal until the mission. You planned to walk out with Natasha but she had disappeared before you got the chance.

It was like that for the rest of the day. You never saw your friend and everytime you asked someone where she was she was never where they said. It felt like you were going on a wild goose chase for her between training and eating.

Eventually though, you finally found her in the kitchen late in the evening making herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She saw you approaching and tensed up without you noticing as you nervously approached, practising what had decided to say to her over in your head.

"Hey." You smiled, eyes trailing to the snack she had prepared as you remembered the time you lectured her on doing it wrong and corrected her. She had insisted you couldn't make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich wrong, but always did it your way after that.

"Hi." She said as she cut the sandwich in half and went to make a swift leave.

"I've been looking for you all day." You half laughed as you moved to stand infront of her.

"I've been busy." She replied and went to move around you.

"Yeah." You laughed nervously again as you followed her.

You had never really been one to shoot your shot or make the first move. It was awkward and uncomfortable even if you ended up lucky. You had never wanted to risk screwing everything up.

You could manage the bottled up feelings most of the time. You always chose that over some form of confrontation. Those were just small, passing crushes. Natasha Romanoff was far from that. And given everything that had happened the night before, you were sure you had a chance - more than a chance.

"So last night was great. More than great actually." You corrected as you managed to keep up with her fast strides.

"I'n glad you enjoyed it." She said simply.

"Did...did you?"

"Yes."

"Cool, so um I was thinking- well I was wondering if you would want to go out sometime." You started as you fiddled with your fingers. "I know you're busy so it doesn't have to be right away- or at all of course! Totally up to you, we could just get a drink or a meal." You rambled, going completly off script. You could feel your heart beating rapidly in your chest as you caught sight of Natasha's room. She stayed silent for a while and you started to suspect you should have kept your mouth shut.

"Look, y/n." Oh God. "Last night wasn't...we were drunk." She started.

"No we weren't." You instantly said and winced at your frantic reply. "I mean we were tipsy at the very most." You corrected and hoped it overruled your desperate comment prior.

"Right, but it wasn't anything serious." Oh fuck. "We were just messing around and celebrating." She said slowly as she reached her door and grabbed the handle, clearly wanting to leave the awkward convosation.

"Oh...yeah of course. I knew that." You lied. "I just thought...yeah never mind- sorry." You rambled again and scratched the back of your neck.

"It's alright." She said looking at her door longingly. "See you tomorrow, y/n." She finally said.

"Yeah, goodnight, Nat." You said back and heard the door shut as soon as you turned around.

Fuck!

Natasha was a generally very mature person. That meant she could put aside personal differences for her job and move past disagreements and resolve tension for the sake of the friendships she developed and treasured. It seemed that didn't apply to you.

You understood that the redhead would want space for a few days. Time was the best thing you could give to allow yourself to pick up the pieces of your heart to reassemble eventually and for Natasha move past what you said.

A week past and Natasha still avoided you like the plague.

That drastic change was one you had never prepared yourself to adjust to. You had been so confident that Natasha felt the same way, it was the one time you didn't plan for rejection. That made it even harder. One moment you and Natasha were practically joint at the hip and the next you were rarely in the same room.

Everytime she went into a room and saw you there she made some excuse about forgetting something and didn't return. If it was you who arrived in a room she was already in she would mutter something about being busy and having things to do.

That meant Nat started doing things like training in the evenings or early night just to avoid you. It was a miracle if she ate a meal with the others too. Her whole schedule changed drastically.

The others noticed pretty quickly. All of it. Natasha's strange routine was just as clear as her separation from you. No one really wanted to say anything, thinking that any issues you and Natasha had could be solved by yourselves. But with the mission fast approaching and there being no signs of things returning to normal, Steve decided to talk to you.

You knew it was Steve at your door by the softness of his knock. Everyone on the team could determine who was outside their door by their knock, it didn't seem possible but it was your equivalent of knowing which family member was coming up the stairs.

"Come in, Steve." You called as you flicked through Netflix. It was late in the evening and you were trying to unwind before bed but you were still haunted by the memories of screwing up your friendship with Natasha.

"You alright?" He asked as he closed the door and joined you on the bed that sunk a little under his weight.

"Never better." You said sarcastically before smiling a little at him, you knew he meant well.

"What's going on with you and Nat?" He asked. You paused you mindless scrolling through the TV as you felt the pain in your chest return.

"I messed it up, Steve. I messed it all up." You admitted as you started to shake.

"Hey." He comforted as he saw tears form in your eyes. He put his arms around you and let you lean into him and rest you head on his shoulder.

"I don't know how to fix it." You babbled.

"Fix what?"

"Us. I think she hates me."

"Nat could never hate you." He assured making you cry a little harder.

"She won't go near me." You argued

"What happened?" He asked again patiently.

"She knows. She knows I like her." Steve chuckled softly and continued to hold you.

"Y/n we all know. It doesn't take a spy to work it out." You sniffed with a smile and wiped the tears away as you leant away from him to look at the blonde.

"I asked her out." You said.

"That was a brave thing to do." He defended despite clearly knowing how it turned out for you. You decided to leave out the reason you worked up the balls to do it.

"I don't think she thinks so." Steve sighed as he looked at the TV in consideration.

"Maybe, but she will eventually."

"How long will that be?"

"It's hard to say with Nat, but eventually. You could try talk to her again?" He suggested.

"Have you been missing how she avoids me like I'm her worst nightmare." You deadpanned.

"You let her know you care about her a lot, you're not far off." You thought for a moment about how right Steve was. Nat never did like intimacy, but she never had a problem with it if it was you. "And she may be a spy by we have a security room." He pointed out and you smiled again.

"Okay." You agreed. "Tomorrow." You decided, knowing there was a lot higher chance of you actually going through with it if you had already told Steve you would.

"Okay." He smiled back and stood up from the bed and went to leave.

"Have you talked to her?" You suddenly asked.

"Seems like she's avoiding everyone."

You surprised even yourself when you found yourself in the security room the next day in the late evening. It didn't take you long to flick through all the cameras and spot Natasha training with the holograms.

You made your way down to her quickly, trying to figure out at least the outline of what you could say to her. Nothing really came to mind when you tried to piece it together.

When you arrived she was focused on throwing an onslaught of punches at a punching bag that honestly looked like it was on the verge of being torn in half. It made you strongly consider backing out when you saw her like that. You just hoped that state of mind wouldn't come across in your convosation.

"Hey." You croaked making the redhead spin around with her guard still up. "Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you." You assured as you took a tentative step towards her.

"You didn't scare me." She defied, annoyance present in her voice.

"I guess if you can be pranked by Clint that many times and not be scared nothing will scare you." You joked in a futile attempt to lighten the mood. It didn't work.

The redhead stayed silent as she adjusted the straps on her gloves. You thought she would pack up her things and leave but she went back to the punching bag and blanked you.

"Are you gonna ignore me forever?" You sighed. She paused her punches for a second before turning to look at you for the first time in over a week.

"I'm not ignoring you."

"We haven't talked in a while." You said, choosing not to argue over the fact that yes she definetly had been ignoring you.

"I've been busy." Her expression was stoic as she looked at you and it made you uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry for making things weird. But we can move past it. I can so you definitely should. Just because you don't want to date me doesn't mean you get to treat me like this, it's not fair on me and its not fair on the team." You breathed deeply when you finished and averted your eyes as you grew more uncomfortable from the confrontation.

"That's just the thing, y/n." Natasha said as she started to take her gloves off. "You're not going to move past it. I know you, and I know you're not going to be over it in a week." You frowned at her blunt response and took a few more steps towards her.

"Get over yourself, Nat." You sighed in frustration. "It's not like I declared that I was inlove with you. And don't forget that you came onto me that night."

"Exactly, y/n. It was one fucking night. It didn't mean anything but you decided to make a big deal out of it." You struggled to push aside the ache that came from her words and the bitter way she delivered them.

"You're never intimate with anyone. So yes when you fucked me and let me fuck you I thought there might be something more to it. It's not a crime to want something more."

Nat's jaw clenched at your words. You had brought in something personal about her and she was inevitably about to put up her walls in the most hurtful way she could. You knew that, but it didn't help you prepare.

"Why can't you accept that you were just a good fuck?" She spat as she glared at you. "Definitely one that I regret." You gulped as you took in the harsh reality of her words.

"Regret?" You whispered.

"Yes, y/n. I regret it. It was a mistake, every fucking bit of it." A mistake?

You didn't say anything in response to that. You were sure that even if you could think of something it would just come out as a squeak. Nat continued to glare at you in a way you couldn't hold. You glanced down at the floor, then the walls, then the punching pad and nodded quickly. You turned around and wandered aimlessly out the room as tears fell silently down your cheeks.

Needless to say things didn't get any better after that encounter. The only difference was that you were mutually avoiding each other. It hurt. A lot. You never thought you would avoid Natasha like you were. You never thought she would break your heart either.

The day of the mission didn't change anything. You and Natasha were sat as far away from each other as possible.

Only the anxiety over the mission was able to overpower the tension in the plane.

Steve had gone over the brief once more in full detail on the plane and you replayed all the information in your head until you landed. Once the quinjet had engaged its cloaking tech it landed in an open area in the surrounding forest.

You all left the quinjet in a concentrated silence as you surveyed your surroundings. It didn't take long to find the first patrolling agents in the forest that were swiftly taken out as to not alert anyone else.

The whole team was scattered across the forest from four planes in a circular layout that advanced towards the Hydra base. Even some of the best S.H.I.E.L.D agents had been brought in to assist. Steve was the first to infiltrate the base and in the least subtle way. You could hear the glass smashing and loud grunts in your coms that made you wish, not for the first time, that you could adjust the volume on those things.

You knew your route. You had it memorized clearly in your head and you also knew that some of it overlapped with Natasha's. You spotted her in your peripheral as you turned a corner to shoot at two charging agents. You leant back against the wall to reload and glanced to your left to see Natasha advancing. Stay focused. You reminded yourself.

You took a quick glance behind the corner again before looking back at Natasha who had her gun raised at you with a flightly fearing expression. Your eyes widened and you went to shout at her to stop messing around but she had already fired the gun. You heard a loud grunt and a body collapse to the floor tight behind you. You swivelled around to see a Hydra agent laying in a pool of his own blood with a handgun next to him.

"Thanks." You breathed out and started around the corner. Natasha had to take another left to the supposed data room where she could collect as much as much as could. You had to keep going but felt the sudden urge to ensure that she was safe. You looked over your shoulder as she opened the door and fired two shots before swiftly entering the room with her gun still raised.

You listened out for any more shots and heard none. She's fine. She knows what she's doing. You assured yourself as you went on.

Half an hour later the building had been cleared of all Hydra agents. Many had been captured and were had many hours of interrogation ahead of them while others hadn't been so lucky. It always weighed on you for a while when you killed as many people as you did on that mission. It was hard but it was necessary. It was the job.

The price of freedom is high. You reminded yourself. The price of freedom is high. The price of freedom is h- "Agent Romanoff is down."

"What?!" You spun around to face the building to see the room Natasha was in. It was in the center of the left side because of course you remembered exactly where she was meant to be.

You instinctively started sprinting back to the building when there was a sudden bright orange and yellow light followed by a deafening boom from the exact room Natasha was meant to be in. The explosion was quick but you got a chance to get an estimate of the scale of it and if Natasha was still in there...oh God.

"Has anyone got eyes on Romanoff?!" You demanded as you stared up at the building, finding yourself rooted to the spot.

"I got her." Steve coughed painfully. "I need a medic." He announced as he ran through the building and out the nearest exit with Natasha unconscious in his arms.

Everything else faded into the background when you saw her. The building still needed to be destroyed but you couldn't care less about the mission.

You stayed at Steve's side as he carried the readhead to the plane and laid her down gently on the bench. A medic was already there waiting and was checking Nat's vitals in an instant.

You dropped down to your knees next to her and watched her face for any signs of consciousness. When you couldn't find any you gently took ahold of her hand and laced your fingers together. You took a great deal of comfort in how warm they were and how warm you were determined for them to remain. You would kill Nat if she died on you.

Yes, she had hurt you. But you were pretty sure you were inlove with her.

You didn't let go of Natasha's hand for a long time. You held onto it tightly throughout the entirety of the flight home. You kept your fingers laced together when she was being taken to the medical wing. You held her hand for a while when they had finally settled her into a bed. She looked so peaceful in that state, you hoped it felt like that for her. She was still so beautiful too, even when she had dirt and smoke all over her before you had cleaned it all off.

You only let go when Steve practically dragged you out of the room to get some proper sleep in your bed.

You had been assured by multiple people that Natasha would be fine.

She had already been unconcious when Steve found her and was able to get her out the room before the bomb went off. It still had an impact and threw them both against a wall, but they were okay. She was okay.

You visited the redhead often but never stayed for long. As much as you wanted to, you knew she wouldn't want you there when she woke up. She had made it clear before that you had lost what you had with her, you were sure the mission hadn't changed that.

One day when you approached her room you peered around the door and saw that she was already sat up and looking around. She spotted you at the door instantly.

"Sorry." You apologised and went make a swift leave but stopped in your tracks when she spoke.

"Please don't go." She called out. You slowly turned around to face her and saw a pleading look across her face that you had never seen in her before.

You hesitated for a moment until you timidly made your way to the chair next to her bed. She watched you do so silently and anxiously, like she expected you to run out any second. You honestly thought about it, thinking another lecture was coming.

"You've been out a few days." You told her without meeting her eyes. "I was worried." You mentally scolded yourself for saying it as soon as you did, thinking that wasn't what she wanted to hear.

"I'm sorry." She surprised you by saying.

"It's not your fault, you didn't throw the bomb at yourself." You smiled nervously.

"Not about that." Nat said quietly. "About everything else. I treated you so badly." The regret couldn't have been more clear in her voice. "I was just scared- and that's not an excuse! It's just the truth." She explained nervously. You listened intently as you stared at her duvet.

"I lied when I said it was a mistake. I lied when I said I regretted it. I lied when I said it didn't mean anything. It meant everything to me, y/n." She explained wholeheartedly as tears started to form in her eyes.

For a moment you couldn't quite comprehend what you're seeing or hearing. Natasha was letting down her walls competly. She was being vulnerable to you.

"I care about you so much. More than I've ever let myself care about anyone. I pushed it aside and tried to ignore it for the longest time but that night I caved and I...I don't know I wasn't thinking about anything other than how much I wanted to show you I cared for you. And when I thought I finally figured out a way to do it I couldn't face it after.

"You never did anything wrong, y/n. It was all me. I couldn't face my feelings but I can't stand not being with you. Is there..." She gulped as her hands trembled notably. "Is there any possibility of a second chance?" She whispered almost fearfully. You finally looked up at her and saw the tears running down her cheeks as she gazed at you like you were the only thing of any importance in the world.

You took her shaking hand in both of yours to steady it and yourself as you spoke. "No more running off?" You asked.

"No more running off." She confirmed.

"No more lying to me?"

"No more lying."

"No more being a pussy." You half joked.

"Definelty no more being a pussy." She laughed weakly.

"Okay then. Natasha, would you like to go on a date with me?" You asked with a smile you couldn't hold back.

"It would be my pleasure, y/n." You grinned and leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on her lips as you kept ahold of her hands. She smiled against you and when you moved back you saw the glint of happiness in her eyes.

Sure, you had done things in the completly wrong order. And yes, the journey to get there had been far from easy. But you swore that day that you would make sure everything after it was done perfectly.

It was a few weeks later on the night you shared your first 'I love you' that she confessed she had sworn the same thing. And it worked.

#natasha romanoff imagines #natasha romanoff imagine #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff smut #natasha romanoff #black widow imagine #black widow #natasha romanoff fluff #natasha romanoff angst

930 notes · View notes

virtual-insanity28 · 2 years

Text

Ethereal

Chapter I

Scaramouche Balladeer x Reader

Warning - not proofread, quick-read

yo, people of the internet! i’m doing this as a quick first chapter just to see if i like writing actual stories(of fan fiction) on here! nothing too special unless you guys want more~!

Eternity. A fragile wish that none achieve so easily. No god nor mortal has graced their fingertips across the infinite wonder. It is the keeper of desire, the bringer of demise, and the corruption of life. It is unending, grueling, yet pleasing. Eternity is the loop of mankind, the everlasting want for sameness. It makes room for hope in lost souls, only to demolish their kiddish dreams of honing its power. Obtainable, some call it. Others say it is something meant to be alone. In the end of it all, though, Eternity is ethereal.

The wind was lukewarm. It blew in a single direction every few moments. Pushing through the rocks and valleys of Liyue, it passed by a particularly lonesome girl sitting on the top of a tall boulder. The large mineral stuck deep in the white sand, and listened along with the girl to the subtle crashes of the sea’s waves. It was as peaceful as a life in Liyue could get. Nature was the best sight to see in any part of Teyvat, yet it was especially beautiful in the middle regions.

With her hair having to be swiped behind her ear so she could see, the girl sighed solemnly to herself. A book rested in her lap; closed and waited to be opened so she could start where she left off. The edge of its pages glimmered with gold, making it clear that it was some book related to magic. Now, the girl was nowhere near to being a catalyst. If anything, she would be a regular swordsman, but even then, she was too sensitive to fight like a knight in Mondstadt.

Her mind pondered outside of the simplicity of the book below her, though. She directed her gaze to the setting sun which rested above the ocean. Its reflection scattered on top of the waves, settling in for a relaxing scene often described in poems. The girl’s left hand was behind her, keeping her propped up, as her right hand swiped random specks of dirt and sand off the rock she sat on.

Liyue was far different than any other place she had heard of. The traditional outcome in the port city was overbearing, yet it remained as proper as could be. The people living at the harbor were kind, genuine, and determined for their work. It was a free region that believed in having order. It was opposite from Mondstadt, the region of freedom, claimed by the anemo archon. In Inazuma, Snezhnaya, and other remote locations of Teyvat, they were just as different.

Out of all of the locales in the world, Liyue single-handedly lived up to be the girl’s most favored one.

“The sky and stars are nothing but false imagery.” A voice interrupted the serene moment the girl was having, causing her to turn her head to see behind her. Nothing but pillar stood where she looked. Was she going insane? “Speak to me, illusion. What do you tell?” The voice sounded distant and unfamiliar to her. Her (e/c) eyes darted across the area. She searched high and low, left and right till a figure came to view above her. A young-looking man stepped close to the edge of the small cliff behind her. She couldn’t make out his face. His large hat and indigo hair was she could see. Even then, she did not want to be caught peaking at a stranger. He drew closer to the edge and eventually sat down on the ground. His legs clothed with shorts and long socks dangled over the cliff’s peak.

From what she could see, the girl found him to be daunting. He seemed as though he cared about his image, his appearance, more than to acknowledge someone listening into his personal conversation. He glanced down and gasped as he finally saw the girl.

“I-I’m sorry,” the girl mumbled. She averted her gaze and grabbed her book off her lap. Sliding down the rock, she didn’t expect the man of indigo to leap from the cliff’s edge and land behind her. Her body tensed when she heard his feet slam into the sand. Was he going to kill her? She knew that bandits and enemies of many lurked by the walls of Liyue Harbor. Even if she was quick to run, she found herself paralyzed; not by fear, but by bewitchment after hearing the man’s voice, calm and high, speak up.

“You study alchemy?” The tone he had was soft like a child’s. The girl looked at her book glittering in the resting sunlight. She moved her head over her shoulder, and gasped quietly when coming eye-to-eye with the stranger. For a man, he was placed on the shorter side in height. She rivaled his height, actually. In spite of that, the stern expression he had was enough to let her understand he took no joke. He seemed to recognize his natural expression as well, for, when he saw the girl look at him and flinch, he loosened his furrowed eyebrows and frown.

As he reshaped his outlook, the girl was facing him completely. She held tight to her book but spoke back nonetheless. “I’m…I’m reading this to pass time. Nothing makes much sense to me, though…”

The man of indigo stepped forward. “But you’ve read it?” He pressed.

“Y-yeah,” the girl answered.

A wave of silence feel between the two. It was awkward for the girl, yet the man was thinking too hard to pay attention. His large hat covered the thoughtful look on his face with his hand under his chin, but the moment he came to a conclusion, he looked up and demanded the girl as if they were acquaintances. “Come with me.”

In shock, the girl stood still, unsure if she should trust the man, a stranger. He was focused and obviously knew what he was doing; something that the girl couldn’t bring herself to trust too well. People had their own goals, their demotions that allowed them to strive farther than they expect, yet the girl had only just met the man by an accidental and random encounter. How could she possibly go with him to who knew where for who knew what? She shook her head and stammered backwards once the indigo-colored man glimpsed over his shoulder.

“I-I can’t. Not with…Not with somebody I do not know,” she girl declared.

At that, the man quirked an eyebrow, the side of his lips curving into a smirk representing his dumbfounded moment, and turned to face her completely. He felt like a doll being dragged by a child with how much he had to hold her hand in explaining his situation…despite not telling her what his intentions were in the first place. “Aha, how big of a fool I must be for not introducing myself,” he chuckled.

The girl swallowed a dry clump of spit down her throat as she listened to him ramble. “Who are you, then?” She questioned with a bold tone that made herself flinch.

The man lifted his head to stare at her with a sharp and threatening gaze. It was obvious that the grin on his face was not out of joy, but out of spite and irritation. It scared the girl to here core to have met a stranger who was that intimidating. Although he was selfish in making her wait for his name, he had eventually came to claim his title as ‘Scaramouche’.

“But around here, the people call me…the Balladeer.”

#genshin impact #genshin #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin story #scaramouche #genshin impact scaramouche #genshin scaramouche #scaramouche x reader #genshin impact scaramouche x reader #genshin scaramouche x reader #ethereal chapter 1 #ethereal scaramouche #ethereal scaramouche x reader #ethereal genshin impact #ethereal genshin #ethereal scaramouche x reader chapter 1 #yes

38 notes · View notes

3rdgymbros · 3 years

Text

— title; when is a monster not a monster? (oh, when you love it).

— pairing; zhongli x reader

— summary; in which zhongli loses control and turns into a dragon, but you manage to bring him back.

— notes; i don’t play genshin, so i hope it’s not too ooc !! special thanks to @yuebloom and @degenerate-yandere and @teyvatstories for their support !! if anyone is interested, the song referenced in this fic is called asking the zither and can be found here !!

Screaming.

The sound that sears itself into your ears is like nothing you've never heard before, the hoarse scream of an enraged animal that vibrates through your whole body, scraping over your skin like claws.

With much effort, you finally manage to open your eyes. It's excruciating. Your eyelids feel like they're made of lead. Squinting against the sudden light, you try to sit up, but can only groan as your body erupts into joint-wrenching pains. Your face is wet, and dampness runs down into your collar.

"Ow." You say; at least, that's what you try to say. It comes out as more of an indistinct moan. You have to resist the urge to sink back into that suffocating blackness, somewhere far away, where the pain can't reach you. "Where –"

Another scream. Closer this time. Sounding almost human. Wearily, you raise your head, push yourself onto hands and knees; there’s pain in each of your ribs, one by one, like a xylophone breaking as it plays.

Wind rips at your robes and branches fly by. Dirt and bits of grass are rising and dancing chaotically as though enchanted. Trees fall with a shudder that shakes the earth. A deafening roar sounds above your head, and you look up, amazed, to see a dragon, his silhouette dark against the sun. His scales are a dark, burnished shade of brown, his eyes and horns and spinal plates a bright, vivid amber. The dragon throws back his head and screams, blowing out golden flames with his next exhale.

Even as far away as you are, you can still feel the searing heat, washing over your face, and bringing with it memories, roaring through your mind with vicious velocity. You remember falling to the ground in a bloodied heap, burgundy poison staining your robes. You remember hearing an awful, strangled cry from Rex Lapis, as though he had been the one in pain. And then – nothing.

Staring at the dragon's familiar amber eyes, it isn't so hard to surmise what had happened, how things had taken the worst possible turn.

Now, as a dragon, Rex Lapis has single-handedly managed to turn the tides of battle. Archons and humans alike are turning and fleeing, a mass exodus intent on escaping from this unstoppable force of nature. The dragon lands on the scorched earth, unleashing flames and teeth and claws. You watch his head crane around at the end of that long serpentine neck, watch as his tail lashes sideways and catches a man making his escape, breaking him in two. You have to choke back the urge to vomit, swallowing back your own fear. Blood, and sticky smoke clings to you.

“Rex Lapis!” You scream, unsure if he can hear you. “REX LAPIS!”

His head turns. Smoke rises between his teeth. He sweeps his tail again, sending up a choking storm of dust and sand. You stumble into the cloud of darkness and smoke with a cough. He snaps, flashing razor sharp teeth and claws. The black teeth close inches away from your face.

No, you want to say. Not me, no, no, don't you remember me?

Your chest constricts tightly, practically squeezing your throat shut with panic. The sand is in your eyes now. Stinging, blinding, filling them with tears. Stumbling back, you tumble to the ground once again. Your back and head absorb the brunt of the landing. Warmth drips down your cheeks. You aren't sure if it’s blood, sweat, tears, or a mixture of all three fluids.

Rex Lapis roars, a sound of fury, daring anyone to challenge him. The sound fills your ears. A furnace wind engulfs you. The dragon’s long scaled neck stretches out towards you. His eyes are molten. Panic shivers up your spine. Your mouth is dry, no matter how often you swallow, but you can't – don't dare to – look away.

For the first time in your life, you're scared of Rex Lapis.

He's known to all as the God of War, and you've lost count of the number of times he's personally brought his enemies to their end, but he's always treated you with a guarded tenderness, and you've never felt anything but safe in his presence, as though nothing else in the world had existed but you and him.

Now, Rex Lapis roars full in your face, his breath hot enough to blister skin.

"Rex Lapis." You choke out, barely able to catch your breath. Ash and cinders scorch your throat. “Rex Lapis. It’s [ NAME ]. You remember me, right?”

In the smoldering pits of his eyes, you can see your own reflection. How small you look, how weak and frail and scared. Rex Lapis is looking at you, but he isn’t seeing you. As if sensing danger, your skin prickles, power calling to you. It buzzes through your heart and mind. You imagine vines and thorns erupting from the ground, the green tendrils consuming everyone and everything in their path. For an instant, you think about ending the battle. Enough blood has been shed. You're tired of fighting. You could do it; it would even be easy. But then you look into those eyes, lakes of molten gold, and a lead weight settles upon your shoulders. Your heart gives up, exploding, bursting like a balloon.

Not on him, you think. You can't hurt him. Not when he’s like this; scared, in pain, reeling.

Rex Lapis roars again, the sound full of fear and fury, full of pain. His teeth snap at you, inches away from your face.

“REX LAPIS!”

The dragon jerks his head back.

“Stop!”

Behind a fence of sharp black teeth you glimpse a furnace glow, the shimmer of a sleeping fire. Wisps of smoke spiral upward from the dragon’s nostrils. You can barely see through your tears, but you stare at Rex Lapis until he meets your gaze again. Your legs are quivering, but you fear that if you turn and run now, he truly will be lost to you.

“It’s okay. Rex Lapis, it’s okay. I won’t let anyone hurt you, so please –” You can't finish as your voice breaks, and you're reduced to coughing, trying to clear the sobs caught in your throat. You've expected the terror to abate at your words, or your heart to stop shattering, but it doesn't. It just makes it worse. "Please –"

Please come back.

Come back to me.

His long serpentine neck bends like an archer’s bow, preparing to rain down hellfire again. You swallow past the fear, past the lump of waterworks wedged deep in your throat.

"I used to sing to you. In the gardens, in the afternoons. When you were taking your tea." You say, quietly, quietly, even as something in the pit of your stomach falls away. "Do you remember?"

The dragon looks at you, his gaze lingering for the span of three long heartbeats. You think you see a flicker of awareness. Brief, but it's there.

It feels as though all the air has been squeezed out of your lungs, but still, you sing. You owe it to him, to this god who extended his hand to you in friendship, who offered you warmth and companionship and protection, a home to call your own. Your voice is soft, softer than you've ever heard it.

The night is tender, cold springs ripple. Memories surface in my reflections. I play a song, you smile once more in my dreams.

The words are like a silk shawl, light and cool. You can smell wild roses, fresh-cut hay, bonfires. Grass springs up between your toes, and the earth warms beneath the soles of your feet.

Yours is the only voice that you can hear, the shouts and screams and the world falling away into nothing. Nothing exists except for this, except for your song, the rawness of your throat, pushing the words and a shaky melody out into the still, warm air.

And the dragon listens.

He bends his dark head, and with a last hiss, coils himself around your body like a great serpent, resting his head upon your lap. You can feel him relax, feel him sinking into the earth and into you. His scales are hot to the touch, like armor left too long in the sun.

Still, you continue singing, gentle and reassuring as your hands stroke over his scales, tracing the ragged grooves of his horns. You wish for your touch to be enough, for your voice to bring him back. The dragon slips away from you with a deep exhalation.

You're still holding him close, until long after the sun sets, when the glossy dark scales have melted away, and Rex Lapis lies upon your lap, a man once more.

#zhongli #zhongli x reader #zhongli imagines #zhongli headcanons #zhongli reader inserts #genshin impact headcanons #genshin headcanons #genshin impact reader insert #genshin reader insert #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact imagines #genshin x reader #genshin imagines #genshin impact #genshin #♥ || sam writes.#;; hahahahah the more i stare the worse it gets

933 notes · View notes

brywrites · 3 years

Text

Gifted

Spencer Reid x Reader. Summary: All his life Spencer Reid has been told he’s gifted. And all his life he’s wondered what the point was of those gifts that felt like curses. Until her.

--------

Though he holds so many memories in his mind, Spencer Reid isn’t quite sure who the first person to call him “gifted” was. It was probably his mother, he thinks. Certainly not his father, who thought he was strange. Perhaps a teacher, or maybe even his Aunt Ethel. All he’s certain of is that he’s lost track of the number of times people have praised the so-called gifts he possesses. His eidetic memory, his autodidactism, his absurdly high IQ. His mind, they say, is a gift. But it’s felt more like a curse for most of his life.

Those same things that helped him skip grades and earn the praise of adults brought him years of bullying taunts and miserable adolescent trauma. They isolated him from his peers. His companions were library books and stories and mathematic proofs – nothing with a beating heart. They plagued his nightmares, for his mother had been brilliant too and what had that done for her? And those gifts came with a tremendous burden of pressure, they demanded use in a powerful way. Reid was always terrified he’d fail to live up to that impossible potential, proving himself unworthy of such great and terrible gifts.

By the time he’s thirty-six, he wonders why he was ever given such gifts in the first place. Clearly he’s squandered them, spent them on chasing monsters he thought might be human. They turned out to be hydras – for each one they catch, two more take its place. He’s let his mind waste away on drugs, on grief. In shacks and in prison and in grudges he just can’t let go of. He’s saved lives, he knows, but his team do that same thing without the gifts he’s been cursed with. What’s the point of him? Of any of the talents or tricks he possesses?

And it’s that question on his mind as he walks into a Virginia library to interview a witness to the latest in a string of serial arsons. Her name tag says Y/N. She’s clearly nervous, a little shaken, but she manages a smile when a child runs up to interrupt and ask her how to find The Magic Tree House books. And when she turns back to look at Reid, that smile still lingers – her eyes so bright it catches him off guard. She takes him back to the area of the library that was burned to talk about the crime scene, and she off-handedly asks if he has a favorite.

And when he says, “Oh I could never choose just one favorite. I love books too much for that,” that smile returns, unexpectedly bright.

“A man after my own heart,” she says. “Tell me a few then.”

So he rattles off a handful, hoping at least one of them will keep that light in her eyes. They do. “Bradbury is one of my favorites, too. I just love Dandelion Wine. Sorry, I probably should focus on the fire. I try to distract myself when I feel stressed, and well, remembering what happened that night doesn’t exactly help with my anxiety.”

“It’s okay,” he tells her. “I tend to ramble when I’m nervous. Or excited. Really, I think I just talk a lot.” Another smile, one that crinkles the corners of her eyes. Over the course of the investigation, the BAU has to ask her to come to the station twice. By chance, Reid finds himself interviewing her both times, and both times he finds himself rambling a little more than he means to – because he finds himself inexplicably a little nervous and a little excited in her presence. It’s that smile, the one that lingers long in his mind after she leaves each time.

There’s something about her, about the light she seems to carry, that draws him in. That compels him to say yes when he shows up at the library to inform her they’ve caught the unsub and she asks, “Could I buy you a cup of coffee to show my appreciation? If that’s not too much, of course.”

“I think that would be perfect,” he says. And as they sit at the café across the street with lattes in oversized mugs, he’s never been so grateful for his vast knowledge of literature. Each title is a start into a new conversation with her, and they swap stories about stories – the ones they have lived and the ones they have loved. When she disappointedly announces her break is over, she adds, “But maybe we could do this again sometime?”

“Yes,” he says. “Please.”

“How should I get in touch with you if you’re not showing up at the library to interrogate me, Dr. Reid?” she teases.

He hastily withdraws his cell phone from his pocket and offers it to her. She begins to type in her number. “You, um, you can call me Spencer,” he tells her.

She grins at him and something in his chest shifts at the sight. “I’ll definitely call you soon, Spencer.” He’s never liked the sound of his own name more. And he thanks that eidetic memory of his for allowing him to replay it again and again in his mind until he can see her next.

They get coffee again the first chance he gets. And then again. When she asks how he has time to read so much and he tells her about how his mind works – about his memory and speed-reading and quantified intelligence, all the things that have been called gifts – she thinks for a moment before saying, “That must be lonely.”

The relief he feels at her understanding is immense. “It is sometimes,” he admits. “But it’s felt less so lately.” They go to a park together. Then out to dinner. By the time he realizes he’s falling, he’s forgotten what it feels like to be on solid ground. Fortunately, he isn’t the only one at the mercy of gravity. She feels it too. And when she laughs at his joke as he walks her home from dinner, he just can’t help himself. He leans in and cups her cheek to pull her to him, pressing his lips to her still-smiling lips. The taste of wine still on her tongue. And though he doesn’t drink anymore, the sensation of her is enough to make him feel utterly intoxicated.

Slowly, his life fills up with her. His sabbatical arrives with the perfect timing to allow him evenings and weekends with her. He picks her up after work. She meets him for breakfast. He takes her to the planetarium. She falls asleep on his couch. He tells her it won’t always be this way and she assures him that’s okay. But it gives him the chance to build the foundation their relationship needs. It’s in that time that he begins to catalogue her smiles in his memory. The dazzling ones she sends his way when she spots him at a coffee shop. The soft, shaky ones she wears after a long kiss. The coy ones that twist the corner of her mouth when she’s teasing him. The nervous one that slowly grows when she meets his team for the first time – not as a witness, but as his girlfriend. A title she declares like a badge of honor. He holds each smile in his mind, picture perfect thanks to that eidetic memory. When a case has been particularly tough or he’s away for longer than he’d like, he flips through them in his mind, trying to remember the cause of each one, trying to hold on to that light until he can hold her in his arms again.

He surprises her with flowers on her birthday. “You remembered?” she gasps, her eyes wide. “And these – these are my favorite. How did you know?”

“I could never forget,” he laughs, but she stares down at the bouquet and clutches them to her chest.

“I don’t make a big deal about my birthday, so people don’t usually remember,” she says quietly. “And nobody’s ever gotten me flowers before. Thank you, Spencer.” A pause, and then, “I love you.”

He grins from ear to ear. Forget the sound of his name, those three words are the most beautiful thing he’s ever heard. “I love you, too.” It’s a first for both of them. And one week later comes another first – witnessing her panic attacks for the first time. She’s shaking too hard to tell him what she needs, so he tries to do what would help him. He sits down next to her on his living room rug and wraps her in his arms. He rests his head on her shoulder and murmurs the words to her favorite poem. She seems to breathe a little easier and so he recites another one she loves, and another until her breathing finally steadies and she unclenches her fists to wrap her arms around his neck, burying her face in his sweater.

Suddenly it doesn’t feel like such a curse to remember everything he reads when it means he can give her the words she loves when she needs them most.

The first time they sleep together is only the second time he’s been intimate with someone and he feels more awkward than he wishes he was. But he commits himself to studying, to remembering what she likes and what she doesn’t, and the next time he proves to be the quickest of learners when he succeeds at making her come within a matter of minutes. He discovers a new smile of hers, one of dreamy bliss and kiss-swollen lips. He loves it. He loves her, adores every single part of her she’s shared with him and every piece yet to be found. And to his continued surprise and delight, she loves him just as much.

He tries every day to be worthy of that love. He makes time for her. He goes to meet her friends and he shakes their hands even though he hates touching people, even though she insists, “You don’t have to. They won’t mind.” He does it because she’s the only person in the world whose touch he actually craves.

When she swoons over a dress Penelope has shown her on Instagram, he makes a note of it. She’s utterly enamored by it by her smile falls upon checking the price tag. It’s far out of her budget. So the next week when he’s out on a case in Atlantic City, he swings by one of the few casinos that doesn’t have his picture framed on the wall of their security office. He wins more than the cost of the dress in an hour and leaves before anyone can get suspicious. The dress arrives at his apartment the same day he gets home, and he invites her over to surprise her with it. When she opens the box, her eyes go wide.

“Spencer, this is… this can’t be. It’s… do you know how expensive this is?” Y/N asks.

Bashfully, he replies, “Now might be a good time to mention I’m banned from casinos in almost every state for my card counting abilities.” It’s well worth the little effort he expended to see the way her face lights up at the sight of it. And though he’s never been a gambling man, when he sees her wearing it for the first time he considers trying his luck a little more often.

At times he worries he’s doing too much, but how could it ever be when the way she loves him has been so much more than enough? For the first time in his life, he feels like maybe he’s enough. When she says, “I love you,” he believes it. When she says, “I’ll be back,” he trusts her. He’s given another person more of his heart than he ever has before, and for once he’s not afraid of it breaking. She doesn’t mind the strange hours he works or heaviness he sometimes carries with him. When he wakes up from a nightmare, she holds him close and keeps him grounded. He sends postcards from each city he visits and she makes his favorite food when he comes home and home is suddenly a place they share. She moves into his apartment and it feels like it was never complete without her there.

Not long after, there is a case in Boston. Their terrifyingly intelligent unsub taunts Reid as he leaves the interrogation room. “Judge me all you want, Dr. Reid. But I’ve used my mind to change the world. You’ve done nothing with yours.” The words haunt him on the flight home. He sits on the back of the plane lost in thought. What has he done? Sure he’s saved lives, but could he have done more? Could someone else have used those gifts he’s been burdened with in a way that was better? Why does he have any of these talents? Why has he acquired any of these skills?

His phone chimes. A text from her. Brought home a new book from the library I think you’ll love! Can’t wait to see you, dearest. And it hits him.

It’s her. All along it’s been her.

The answer echoes in his head as he races home to her. Everything in his life has led him to her, has let him be the person she needs. He can memorize all her favorite songs and poems to recite for her when her anxiety gets the best of her. He can remember every date that matters to her and everything she adores. He can read her favorite books overnight to talk about them with her in the morning. He can profile from her body language and her microexpressions when she’s having a bad day and needs him to be there for her, even when she’s too afraid to ask for what she needs. When she asks absurd questions out of the blue, he can give her actual answers with the useless encyclopedia of knowledge he’s obtained over the years. When she needs a distraction his rambling finally proves useful. It’s all for her.

She’s the reason his mind doesn’t feel like a curse anymore. How could he ever think of it with disdain when it’s the reason he can picture every smile she’s ever let him see? When he can catalogue every wonderful word from her lips, every inch of her skin, every action that drives her wild.

Reid can’t seem to open the door to their apartment fast enough. When he finally steps inside, she’s sitting on the couch. She turns away from the book in her lap to smile at him. “Welcome back,” she says. Then, tilting her head, “Is everything okay?”

An unshakeable grin spreads across his face and he knows he must look like a madman right now as he crosses the living to sit beside her. “Everything’s perfect. I just… I had this epiphany. All the things I hate about myself, you love. And all the things I can do let me love you better. It just feels like everything – everything has led me to you. Even the bad things, I mean, being in prison forced me to take sabbaticals and if I hadn’t we wouldn’t have had that time together early on and maybe we wouldn’t have worked and I don’t believe in fate,” he says, taking a breath. “But I can’t help but feel like for the first time, I’m right where I’m supposed to be. With you. Like that’s where I was meant to be all along. And I… I just thought you should know.”

His long-winded rambling is rewarded with one of his favorite smiles from her – one that makes her eyes soft and puts sunsets to shame. The kind she wears when she is incandescently happy. Her fingers lace through his and they are a perfect fit in his big hands. “There is nowhere else I’d rather be,” she says, leaning in to kiss him.

All his life, Spencer Reid has been told he is gifted. But this time, he thinks it might actually be true. He holds the greatest gift the universe has ever granted him in his arms and knows that no part of him is a curse if he is loved by her.

#spencer reid x reader #criminal minds fanfiction #spencer reid #fanfiction #gifted #brywrites #spencer reid fanfiction #reid x reader

661 notes · View notes

i-lovethatforme · 2 years

Note

Jealous peter for the promptmas?

promptmas.. forgive me. also mj is a stripper now? ty!

me: just write a drabble

also me: canny shut up we know that xxxxxxx

The chairs look softer in this strip club than any of the others he’s been in and he's not sure if that's a good or a bad thing - he chooses not to think about it. The music is a little loud but the lights are low enough that his senses level themselves out.

It’s guys night. One of his favourite nights of the month because while he’s out with his friends who can barely look at a girl without their phones blowing up from their partners, Peter can let whoever he wants sit in his lap. It’s not like he minds that no one is calling him. He just never likes anyone enough to let them get close enough to want to call him.

Not that it stops his dirtbag friends from getting lap dances anyway. Harry more often than not comes out of a private room clearly having just come in his pants. Peter doesn’t care - it’s not his problem if Liz is willing to turn a blind eye once a month.

He does kinda wish he could be the one to get off though but there’s never been a girl who can get him there. His advanced senses make it harder to come than he would like - and some grinding from a hot girl through his slacks isn’t really going to do it for him.

But it’s fun all the same.

He scans the room, looking to see if there’s a girl he might like to entertain for the night and that’s when he sees her. The girl he dreamt about, the girl that was single handedly the only person he thought about whenever he jerked off. The girl who plagued his dreams both asleep and awake. The girl that barely said two words to him.

“Fuck.” Would MJ find it weird that he was here? Would she feel uncomfortable? Should he leave? Would she even recognise him?

“You alright?” Harry asks, leaning back against the bar.

“I know her,” Peter says, watching Harry follow his eyeline until he whistles. Peter doesn’t love it.

“That chick?” Harry asks, his brows high. “She’s hot.”

“I was fucking in love with her in high school,” Peter laughs. And probably kindergarten and all through his childhood if he’s being honest. He’s not sure the feeling ever completely went away with how he feels a little bit like he’d easily fall straight back into it if she only looked at him.

“Oh shit, she’s your ex?” Harry asks, choking a little on his beer.

“Nah, I was never that lucky. She never looked at me twice.”

“I mean, no offence man, but I can see why. Maybe I’ll get a dance from her,” Harry says, glancing at his ringing phone only to silence it with an eye roll.

Peter doesn’t get jealous. Jealousy is not a thing he does because he doesn’t care about people enough to want them to himself. But with Harry’s words and the way the guy talking to MJ is staring, he thinks he might be the jealous type.

“Not a chance,” Peter says, attempting to be neutral but he’s not sure how well it comes out.

Peter scans MJ’s body, the legs he’s thought about an embarrassing amount of times, the curve of her arse he never thought he’d get to see out of baggy gym shorts. Fuck she’s so hot.

“Peter?”

Oh shit. He’s been caught. She walks over and he can feel his dick twitching at the sight of her and God, this is the best night of his life.

Lucky for him he’s learnt a little bit since high school and he’s pretty sure he can talk to her now without stuttering in her face. Maybe. She’s miles taller than him now, the heels she’s wearing leaving him in the dust but he doesn’t mind. He never minded looking up at her.

“Hey, MJ,” he says. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“I can’t say the same, Peter. Always knew this is where I’d need to go if I needed you.”

“So you need me now?” he asks, enjoying the way she scrunches her nose as she looks away from him.

“Did you just stare at me so you could be mean to me?” she asks, frowning at him as she laughs.

“You just caught me checking you out,” he says with a small smile, enjoying the way she bites her lip. He’s not sure if it's nerves or just something she does at work but it’s really working for him.

“It’s payback for high school,” she says, tucking her hair behind her ear though it falls back over her shoulder.

What? Did she catch him checking her out in high school as well?

“High school, huh,” he says, reaching to twist a curl between his fingers.

“You aren’t allowed to touch me,” she says and he drops his hand like a hot potato. Obviously, anything he thought was flirty was just her doing her job and obviously, he shouldn’t just reach out to touch her because he’s wanted to do nothing more since preschool.

“So - sorry.”

“Peter,” she laughs - a little pretty thing. “It’s just a club rule, you’re not going to get killed.”

“Oh… well you didn’t need to say it like that!” he says, the widest grin on his face that he’s had in a while.

“But messing with you is so fun,” she replies, her lip caught between her teeth.

“Mich -” he starts but then music drops and her name is called over the speaker and he already misses her presence and he thinks if he has to watch her dance for someone else he might combust on the spot.

“I’ve got to go on stage,” she says, leaning closer to him and he can pick up the scent of cherry chapstick. The same one he obsessively watched her reapply in school. “I better be able to see you when I get there,” she whispers.

Peter uses his strength to worm his way through the crowd, elbowing some of the patrons who clearly enjoy watching MJ on stage.

He sees why when the music starts. The bass thumps through his body, his dick hardening as he watches her strut on stage. Her hips sway perfectly in time with the music, her hair swinging as she twists and he’s utterly hypnotised.

There’s a guy on stage, sitting in a chair with a Chesire smile on his face and Peter’s not sure how he got there but he wants to pull him from his chair and take his place. He won’t. Obviously. But there is deep jealousy coursing through his veins that’s battling his lust for dominance as MJ runs her hands over the guy's chest.

But then she locks eyes with Peter, her mouth curling into a smirk that has him groaning against his glass.

Watching MJ on stage while he can hear the leers and the hushed whispers from people on the floor is a bizarre experience. One he’s not sure his heart would be able to take again - yet he knows he’ll be back here next week if she only hinted that she wanted him there. He’s immensely proud of her and yet he wants to gauge everyone’s eyes out.

He watches her move, her smile bright and confident and he can’t help but smile back. She’s not even looking at him but there’s just something about her that makes him act like a fool. That makes him want to change everything about the way he lives and the way he loves - so he can keep her.

He watches as she slaps her arse, gripping her cheeks slightly as bends her knees, almost sitting on the lap of the guy behind her and Peter’s glass cracks in his hand. But then she arches her back instead as she barely grazes his crotch, the guy's hands clenching the arm of the chair as MJ goes back to standing.

Peter places his broken glass on a tray, signalling for another drink. The music dwindles and the crowd erupts, Peter included as he throws all his money on the stage.

MJ walks over to him, her chest heaving slightly though she’s clearly trying to keep it subtle. He’s never been able to miss anything about her.

“Hey,” he says, tucking a bill into her underwear.

“I’m surprised you have any money left with how much you threw on stage,” she laughs. She ushers him back over to his table, urging him to sit down.

“Well, you were amazing, MJ,” he says, his heart racing as she blushes.

“Thanks, dork,” she replies, looking anywhere but at him. She tucks her hair behind her ear, the shyness he was used to from her peeking back through and God, it’s a wonder he ever got anything done at school with her so close.

“I thought you might want to keep some, you know in case you wanted a dance from one of the other girls or something.”

“Michelle,” he scoffs and she smiles at him like she knew what his response would be but she needed to hear it anyway. As if he hasn’t been following her like a puppy the entire time. “How much do I need to pay to get you to stay here all night?” he asks.

“Oh, I don’t know, Peter,” she laughs, spinning on the spot in heels that are so utterly ridiculous he’s going to be thinking about them for weeks. “How much do you think I’m worth?”

“Whatever I have, you can have it,” he says, the promise so evident in his tone he’s surprised she hasn’t called him out on it.

She looks like she might but then someone comes over, their hand against MJ’s arm as they lean to talk to her. Peter misses whatever they’re saying because he’s eyeing the dimples at the base of MJ’s spine and the way the lace of her thong looks under the red lights.

He’s brought out of his trance by MJ sitting on the arm of his chair, her legs resting against his. It’s the first time she’s touched him at all and he’s still acutely aware he’s not allowed his hands on her.

“Why is he allowed to touch you?” Peter asks, his hand desperate to linger on the small of her back but he won’t.

“I like him,” she whispers, a smirk playing at the corner of her lips as her fingers trace his collar. Sometimes her skin touches his neck and he feels like he’s burning up, his dick getting hard by the mere thought of her properly touching him.

“You don’t like me?” he asks, cocking his head. There’s a playful tone to the way he asks but he’s sure she sees right through it. He’s sure by the slight furrow in her brow that she knows he’s just aching to know the answer. She was always the smartest, most observant person at high school and he’s sure she’s got even more so with time. He wants her to figure everything out, he wants to tell her anything she wants to know.

She shakes her head, her fluffy curls falling over her shoulder. She leans in and he can’t think because she’s so close. The smell of her skin intoxicates him far better than the alcohol sitting uselessly in his glass.

"Why not?" he breathes.

Her nose brushes his ear and he’d be a fool to even attempt to hide his erection now.

“You never called me back,” she says, her breath hot against him.

“What?” he asks, trying to get his breathing under control lest he starts panting at her. She pulls back, a dark look in her eye as settles her features into a frown.

“It hurts my feelings that you can’t remember,” she pouts.

“What do you - what?” he says, forgetting to feel embarrassed that he’s been around for her all of about four minutes and he’s reverted back to the mess he was at sixteen.

“Do you know how many times I called you in ninth grade?” she laughs and it’s his favourite sound. It’s always been his favourite and somehow he forgot and he’s determined to never let it slip his mind again.

“Ninth grade?” he asks, his brows furrowing. “Why were you calling me then?”

“God, you’re clueless,” she says, pushing her hair over her shoulder.

“MJ,” he stresses.

She rolls her eyes at him, pulling her lower lip between her teeth. “You’re clueless,” she repeats, leaning closer. “But you’re cute too. You always were.”

“You thought I was cute in ninth grade?”

“Are you having trouble understanding me?” she asks, her eyes bright. “Or do you just want me to tell you I had a crush on you since we were in kindergarten and I barely managed to figure out how to talk to you in high school and you still never even called me back?”

“Are you joking because it’s not funny,” he says, desperate as anything as his eyes track the movement of her face just in case. So he sees her brows furrow and then her eyes widen with a smile.

“You are the only person in Midtown that didn’t know I was completely gone for you,” she replies, her smile blinding.

“Ned stopped talking to me for a week because I wouldn’t stop talking about how pretty you were,” he says quickly, feeling nervous admitting it even now. MJ seems like she’s having the same reaction he’s still having but then her features settle.

“I guess I can forgive you. Seeing as we were both dumb,” she whispers, sliding off the arm of the chair and into his lap. He grunts at the contact of her arse against his dick and she wiggles slightly and he thinks it’s just so she’ll hear it again.

“Careful,” he replies, his hand against the arm of the chair where she was just sitting.

“And why do I need to be careful with you?” she asks, her hand against his chest. He’s sure she can feel his heart thundering, maybe she can even hear it over the sound of the music. She takes his drink from his hand, the only thing keeping his hand from running up her leg and it’s almost painful to keep away. “What if I don’t want to be?”

“You can do whatever you want to me, MJ,” he promises.

“And what do you want?” she asks as she pulls the cherry from his glass, popping the whole thing in her mouth and Peter gulps as she looks at him. Her jaw moves and he tracks the movement of her tongue behind her lips and everything in him is screaming that he’s insane for not telling her all those years ago how badly he wanted to just be able to talk to her.

He’s pretty sure his eyes are heart shaped as he looks at her and he can’t bring himself to care when she slips the knotted cherry stem between her teeth.

“You are driving me fucking crazy,” he groans, reaching to pull the stem from her lips. He’s careful not to touch her even if it’s obvious she wants him to.

MJ stands up abruptly, her heart racing and Peter thinks maybe he’s messed up. But then she holds her hand out and he links their fingers together as she pulls him through the club. There’s an urgency to the way she moves and he’s right there with her, the urge to pick her up and throw her over his shoulder becomes stronger with every person they have to manoeuvre around.

The black velvet curtains close around him and it’s just them. She’s all he can see, not that he’s been able to take his eyes off her all night.

“Peter,” she whispers, pulling him closer by his shirt. “Do you want to touch me?”

“Yes… fuck yes. But I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

He can see by her face that she’s weighing up the pros and cons of just brushing her lips against his. She huffs slightly and she’s so fucking cute he might die.

“What about,” he starts, shoving his hands into his pockets to stop from touching her. He pulls out a hundred dollar bill and she rolls her eyes at him with a smile.

“You give me a dance now and then I’ll take you home.”

“I don’t finish until five,” she murmurs, though she follows him as he walks back towards the sofa.

“Then I’ll be here until five.”

#spideychelle #petermj #jess shut up challenge #lmao at me completing promptmas prompts in feb i am a joke xxx #ask

54 notes · View notes

americancowgirl19 · 3 years

Text

Eyes of the Devil

Summary: Pietro finds someone faster than him and you find your missing piece.

Warnings: violence, curse words, angst?, fluff

Reader: I wrote this with the reader being a male but it could be read as gender neutral; Male Vampire Reader

Pairings: Pietro x Male Vampire Reader (Gender Neutral); Laura Barton x Male Vampire Reader (Platonic)

Word Count: 3,312

A/n: Reader speaks Slavic. According to Google Translate = Moja duša - My soul. Malá holubica - Little dove. Malý - Little one.... I plan on doing more one shots in relation to this one. I wouldn’t really call it a series just a collection of random one shots with Pietro and this type of reader. Let me know if you wanna be tagged in them or if you have a request for a specific one shot you wanna see. This one shot was really just a starter for those future one shots coming.

Masterlist

If you were being honest, you didn’t know how old you were. You knew you were at least a few millennia’s old but after the first thousand years, who cares to keep track?

You also knew that life could get very boring if you didn’t spice things up a little bit. Being a part time Avenger did just the thing for you. You didn’t care enough to help out full time but you were there if they were dealing with something extra tricky. Like an alien invasion or enhanced individuals.

It had been a hot minute since you had seen the rest of the team and was pleasantly surprised to get a call from them. Apparently Hydra had managed to pass abilities from Loki’s scepter onto humans giving them powers. One of them had an ability you shared thus pushing the Avenger’s to call you in.

Of course, you had a life of your own (surprisingly) and couldn’t just drop everything to help them. Although, once you managed to push your responsibilities to a loyal friend you left to track down the team.

This lead you to a seemingly abandoned factory. Shocker.

You stayed in the shadows, undetected by everyone on the lower levels. You listened to the exchange between your team and the large robot. Your eyes then fluttered to the two that stood on the robots side. You deducted that those were the special individuals the team had called you in for.

You took in a deep breath, separating their scent from the others. You could sense the power coursing through their veins. While they had both gotten their abilities from the same source, you knew that they were very different.

If you gambled you would bet that the man was the speedster that Clint had complained about. Apparently he was a cocky little bastard. You didn’t have to know the guy to know he was arrogant. He stood tall, his chest slightly puffed out and his chin high.

The talking didn’t last long before a brawl broke out. Your eyes followed the male as he zoomed around the room. While it would be impossible for the others to see him moving at such speeds, it was as if he were walking to you.

He started coming your way, oblivious to the fact that you were even in the building. When he got close enough you stepped out and slammed a punch in his jaw. The force knocked him out of motion and over the railing. You watched as he fell to the main floor.

He groans, rolling onto his side as you land silently in front of him. Your entire body is covered making it impossible for him to see what you look like. Even your face, head and eyes were covered by some form of cloth or glasses.

“What? You didn’t see that coming?” You ask, smirking behind the face covering.

You had to admit, with Clint’s description of him you were expecting him to look different. Instead he’s older and more attractive. The arrogance clung to the air around him and it only drew you in.

“Welcome to the party, Y/n,” Clint greets from somewhere in the building. You didn’t respond knowing he wouldn’t be able to hear you like you could hear him.

“Who are you?” The man asks, standing up on his feet. The Sokovian accent thick on his tongue.

“Someone you don’t want to piss off,” You warn fairly. He scoffs, causing your smirk to deepen. “Wood of advice, stay out of the way, Moja duša” You said, the name rolling off your tongue so casually you didn’t realize what you had said at first. When you do realize, the weight of the situation falls onto your shoulders.

You stare at the man in front of you, his eyebrows furrowed. You knew that he could translate the words but he did not know the true meaning of them. Before he could ask anything, you sped out of sight.

You help out the rest of the team whilst keeping an eye on the speedster. After a few minutes, you noticed the others slowly begin to drop. Natasha stopped responding, Thor was muttering to himself and Steve looked lost. You could hear Hulk going on a rampage with Tony trying to stop him.

You snap out of it when you sense a presence behind you. It didn’t take a genius to figure out it was the witch that had single handedly taken down the team.

When she got close enough to you, you whipped around and wrapped your hand around her throat. Her eyes widened and she becomes panicked. Her hand claws at your wrist as you lift her a few inch off the ground to become eyelevel with you.

“There is no nightmare you can show me that I haven’t already lived,” You hiss, tightening your grip around her. “Be careful, little witch, or you’ll find a fight you can’t win,”

You see, out of the corner of your eye, her brother speeding to her rescue. You hold onto her for a moment longer before dropping her to the ground and wrapping that same hand around his throat. While your grip is firm, it doesn’t constrict his airway. You take a moment to admire how he looks with your hand around his throat. An unseeable grin comes to your lips.

“Are you mentally challenged or do you just not listen?” You ask, tilting your head. He glares and fights your grip but it’s iron tight. “Take your sister and run far away, Moja duša,” You tell him, the name slipping your tongue once again.

“Who are you?” He asks, once again.

“Someone who will get you killed,” You tell him. You hand slowly leaves his neck. He stands there, observing you pensively. When he blinks, you’re out of sight.

...

You stuck around with the team. You got caught up on what was going on and what had happened since you last saw them. They asked if you would stay for a bit longer and your agreed.

You spent the night at Clint's with the others. His children hanging off of you as if you were a jungle gym. You tossed them into the air as many times as they pleaded you too. You also sped them around and played games with them. Even if you didn’t want to admit it, the children had you wrapped around your finger. They have since they were born.

When you weren’t entertaining children, you’re mind lingering on the male enhanced. You had learned their names through Steve. Wanda and Pietro.

You found yourself whispering his name as the night rolled on. You would smile a bit but it never lasted. You knew what he was to you and you to him. You also knew nothing could come of it, no matter how much you desired.

“You’re up late,” Your head snaps to the side to see Laura waddling into the kitchen. You winced when she flicks the lights on. She mutters a small apology.

“I don’t sleep, remember?” You reminded her.

“Ah, right,” She whispers. “In my defense, I have pregnancy brain mixed with morning brain,” She admits. “I’m forgetful,”

“I’ve known you since you were a child, how could you forget me?” You question, smirking at her. “I feel as if I’m quite unforgettable,” You admit, watching as she reaches for a glass to fill with water.

"I can’t forget you because you continue to pop up in the most random moments demanding for attention,” Laura tells you, slowly lowering herself into a seat at the table.

“I may be an isolated creature but even I need some socializing,” You tell her. She motions for you to sit as she sips on her water. “You should go back to sleep, Clint will be leaving in the morning. You need your rest, malá holubica,” You whisper to her.

“You leave as well and who knows when the next time you’re going to pop in,” She says, patting the spot beside her. Her eyes pour into yours. Without the threat of the sun, you didn’t need so much covering. You stayed in your trousers and vest but your arms, neck and head were exposed. “Don’t make me beg for you to sit next to me,”

Sighing, you give into her wishes. You glide across the floor and sit beside her. She shifts so that the both of you are face to face. One of her hands rest on her stomach while the other falls onto your lap. You smile a bit, holding her hand within yours.

“Something’s on your mind,” She mutters.

“Something’s always on my mind,” You whisper back, keeping your gaze on her hand. It’s significantly smaller their yours. It reminds you how fragile she is compared to you. “Its nothing for you to worry about,” You assure her.

“Well, we can still talk about it and make conversation,” Laura smiles.

“There’s plenty of other things to talk about, it’s been a while since we've seen each other,” You said, finally meeting her gaze. She doesn’t say anything for a moment as she stares into your eyes. She’s always been fascinated with them. They’re so inhuman. It always amused you how she found something about you, that struck fear and panic into so many, so beautiful.

The color of your iris’s are different shades of red. The red around your narrow pupil is bright and rich before transitioning into a deeper, darker red. The dark red seemed the slowly blend into the blackness of your sclera. Although, at the moment your eyes are significantly darker than normal as your throat continues to ache with hunger.

“You need to feed,” She tells you. “When was the last time you ate?”

“Dinner was lovely,” You comment. Her eyes narrow. “I’m fine, malá holubica,”

“You need to take care of yourself,” She scolds.

“What will happen if I don’t? I’ll die?” You growl, your hand clutching her a smidge too tight. Your anger vanishes when you notice her subtle flinch. “I’m sorry,” You whisper, gentle massaging away the ache you had caused in her hand.

“What happened today?” She asks. “Did you get affected like the others?” You smile, laughing quietly.

“No amateur witch can sneak up on me, you should have more faith in me than that,” You tell her.

“Then what’s going on?” She asks you. “You’ve been distant, lost in your own world. You snapped at me, you never snap at me,” She playfully pouts.

“I apologized, malý,” You practically whined. She smiles giving your hand a squeeze.

“I know but it just shows that something is bothering you... I won’t be able to sleep unless we talk this out,” She threatens. You narrow your eyes at her. “Like you said, I’ve known you since I was a little girl. You can’t intimidate me,” Your glaring snarl turns into a pout. “Talk to me,” Sighing, you give in.

“Moja duša,” You whisper. Laura stares at you.

“My soul,” She mumbles under her breath. “Dimitri?” Your dead heart pangs at the sound of his name. Her face softens, her hand gripping yours in comfort.

“Pietro,” You correct her.

“Pietro?” She questions. “As in..?” You nod. “Maybe this is fates way of using you to get him and his sister on the right path,”

“Or it’s way of cursing me into another heartbreak,” You growl, withdrawing your hand from hers. You stand and return to your spot by the window. “The fates are cruel and hateful,” You snap.

“You don’t mean that,” She whispers. “She never meant to bring you more pain. She only wanted you to find unconditional love during a heartless time,”

“She should have kept to herself,” You growled. “Should have left me to my isolation. If she had she would still be alive and I would be-”

“Alone,” Laura cuts you off. “Your sister didn’t want you to live alone. She knew she couldn’t live as long as you. She knew you would outgrow everyone you knew,”

“Way to cheer me up,” You mumble. Laura sighs, pushing herself out of her chair. “Point is, this wasn’t supposed to be a curse... She had the right intentions,” She mutters, rubbing your back gently.

“I miss her,” You whisper, closing your eyes tightly.

“I know but you have me for the time being,” Laura whispers, hugging you tightly. You wrapped your arms around her, resting your chin on the crown of her head.

“Have I ever told you how similar your soul is to hers?” You whisper. “It’s what drew me to you... It’s like I have her back through you,”

“I just want you to be happy, she would too,”

“Can you women just let me find my own happiness on my own terms and stop meddling with things?” You grumble. She laughs quietly.

“We can’t help it,” She whispers. “I love you, Y/n,” She whispers.

“I love you too, malá holubica,” You whisper, kissing her head. “Now, you’re caught up on the drama’s of my life. Please, go get some rest,”

“Fine,” She sighs. “But do me a favor,” You sigh as she steps away from you. “Think about the good that will happen if you let Pietro in instead of pushing him away. Then remember all the times you tried to push them away but ended up holding them close,”

“Why am I so open with you about my past?” You sigh. “All you do is throw it in my face,” She laugh, gently tapping your face.

“Think about it,”

...

In the morning, you left with your team. You gave the kids extra long hugs before giving an equally tight hug to Laura. She scolds you for not visiting more and you promise to change that before climbing onto the jet.

When you find Ultron, you stick with Steve. The two of you fight the large robot to keep him occupied. While Steve managed to push the tin man around a bit, your punches managed to dent his plating.

Ultron began to put his focus towards you, which you found flattering. You took the brunt of the punches while Steve basically danced around him. The both of you were managing to fight off the robot when Ultron got a hand on your hood and ripped the jacket off of your body.

You screamed as your arms, neck and face began to burn under the sun’s rays. You barely register Steve tackling Ultron into a train. You fall to your knees feeling your skin begin to catch on fire.

Your mind pushes you through the pain. You look for shade but before you can run for cover your being grabbed and put onto the train. You lean against the wall, away from the sun.

You breathe heavily, your eyes opening a little to see Pietro kneeling in front of you. There’s concern in his eyes and despite the pain you’re in you smile.

“Perfect timing, Moja duša,” You pant.

“Y/n, you alright?” Steve asks, standing beside you. You just give him the thumbs up. “Lost sight of Ultron, there’s civilian’s in our path,” Steve say looking to Pietro knowing that your body is too focused on healing to help.

“Go,” You whisper, seeing his hesitance. Pietro nods and speeds off. You groan when the train goes off the rails.

“You sure you’re going to pull through?” Steve asks, once the train stops. While the burns on your skin were to a lesser degree they were still red and you were still sore.

“Just help me up,” You grumble, holding out a hand. Steve grips it and hauls you to your feel. “Fucking robots and trains... I miss the days when humanity didn’t have fucking technology,” You grumble, following Steve off the train.

“-need to take a minute,” Pietro pants.

“I’m very tempted not to give you one,” Steve snaps, marching up to him.

“The Cradle, did you get it?”

“Stark will take care of it,” Steve assures them as you speed past the sun and back into the shade. Pietro stares at you for a moment before disappearing only to reappear with a sweatshirt. He hands it to you.

“Thanks,” You mutter, pulling it on to shield you from the sun.

“Don’t mention it,” He smirks.

...

Vision’s introduction was dramatic, to say the least. You stayed out of the drama. The only reason you continued to stick around was for Pietro. Although, you weren’t sure if that was a good thing or not. Death follows you wherever you go, even more so than the Avengers.

You knew you needed to make a decision soon before the bond got to the point where you couldn’t leave. It didn’t help that Pietro didn’t respect the distance you were putting between the two of you. He followed you around like a damn puppy.

“What are you?” He asks.

“Take a wild guess,” You say, looking through the fridge for something to drink.

“I can only think of myths and legends... Stories to scare children,”

“You believe in talking robots but not me?” You ask, turning towards him with a blood bag in hand. He watches as your fangs extend and sink into the bag.

“So, you are real...” Pietro mutters.

“Unfortunately,” You mutter, tossing the empty bag to the side.

“What does Moja duša mean?”

“You know what it means,”

“I don’t think I do,” He says moving toward you. “I think it means something more to you,”

“Stop,” You tell him but he doesn’t until you’re toe to toe.

“My grandmother would tell my sister and I stories about you... or your kind,” He tells you. “Said that certain people were cursed to be stuck with your kind for eternity,”

“She’s right... it is a curse,” You tell him.

“Doesn’t feel like it,” He tells you.

“Candy, bread, beer, it all tastes good but they’re not necessarily good for you,” You tell him. “Think of this on a much bigger, much deadlier scale,”

“Sounds exciting,” He smirks. You sigh pressing your lips together. He raises his hand toward the glasses you had yet to take off. Your hands shoot up and wrap around his wrist.

“Turn around and go back to your sister,” You demand. “Forget you ever saw me,”

“You’re unforgettable,” Pietro whispers. The two of you stay still until Pietro begins to move his hands again. They slip from your wrist as you allow him to take the glasses off. “Oči diabla,” He recites the line that is in all the stories. “Eyes of the devil,” He translates. “Who would have thought the devil would be so attractive?”

...

“If I see another Goddamn robot after this, I’m going to blow a gasket,” You hiss towards the end of the battle against Ultron and his multiples. You run around the city killing robots and rescuing civilians.

Eventually, ships come to the edge of the city to evacuate everyone. You run through the city multiple times in order to make sure nobody is left behind. You return to the ships in time to see Pietro go to save Clint and the child he’s protecting.

Your instincts over take you. Your by his side faster than a heart beat. Your arms wrap around him. You speed out of harms way without missing a beat. When you’re out of the way, you rip a door off a car and launch it at the spaceship sending it to the ground before turning to Pietro.

“Are you alr-” Pietro cuts you off with a kiss. The simple kiss amplifies the already strong bond between the two of you. Your hand instinctively rest on his hips and pull him against you.

“Thank you,” He mutters against your lips. You smirk, returning your lips to his.

...

I plan on doing more one shots in relation to this one. I wouldn’t really call it a series just a collection of random one shots with Pietro and this type of reader.

Let me know if you wanna be tagged in them or if you have a request for a specific one shot you wanna see

491 notes · View notes