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avengers-and-jedis · 2 years

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Together in the end Part 2 — Ben Hargreeves

read part 1 here

Warnings : panic attack (mild, don’t worry), abit of angst (but lots of fluff to balance it out)

Summary : Things don’t just fall perfectly into place with Y/N and Ben after they had shared their first kiss. It takes an encounter with Harlan to resolve some awkward tension between them and for the two to begin falling in love again.

Word Count : 2.5k

Note : Wow thanks for the love! Here’s a part 2! If you’d like to request some writing/TUA fan art, you can support me here!

As you waited for Luther to join the Sparrows in the hall, you got acquainted with the rest of Ben’s siblings. They were familiar with the other Y/N so it wasn’t difficult for you to win them over. Honestly, there was some awkward tension between you and Ben, so you tried to avoid any eye contact with him across the hall.

After your “first” kiss in this timeline, it wasn’t as if everything else had magically fallen into place for the both of you. He wasn’t exactly the Ben you remembered, and neither were you his. It was difficult to assess where the both of you stood in this “relationship” — you didn’t want to appear too eager, and you definitely didn’t want to get hurt again. You did, however, sneak glances over at Ben. You couldn’t help it, especially after your kiss, it was difficult to ignore the deep voice, chiseled cheekbones, adorable smile — you could go on listing for hours. This new hair cut, the scar, honestly even the douchey attitude and snarky remarks were growing on you. But you really really didn’t want him to know. He seemed oblivious to your quick glances though.

Ben was quiet, seemingly observing the room but not actively contributing to discussion. Every muscle in his body seemed tense. It made you a little sad, because you’d hoped he’d think the same way of you as you did of him.

Fei and Jayme, of course, observed the entire exchange, the way Ben and you took turns to sneak glances, but quickly looked away, nearly missing eye contact each time. How could they have not noticed when you’ve made your affections painfully obvious? You weren’t a hundred percent invested in conversation with the 2 women, and Jayme found it mildly vexing that she had to pull you back into the discussion whenever your eyes drifted towards Ben.

If only you saw the longing in his gazes towards you, how his jaw stopped clenching, his fists stop gripping the furniture so tight, how his heartbeat picks up just ever so slightly whenever your lips drew into a smile at whatever Jayme and Alphonso were sharing about. He hasn’t felt these emotions in a long time, ever since he had lost you. It was uncomfortable, especially when he had spent a decade creating this stoic facade, pretending he didn’t care. He was conflicted, mostly because he didn’t know how long he could pretend he doesn’t notice the glisten in your eyes when you talk about something you’re passionate about, or how easily you blush when you spoke too dramatically. The list of things he found endearing about you might just put your list of his to shame.

“Relax. You’re free to go.” Ben finally broke the silence.

“Why?” Luther was suspicious.

“Gesture of goodwill.” Ben’s eyes flickered towards you for a brief moment and you felt your stomach flutter. You pray he couldn’t tell. Gosh, if only you knew how hard it was for him to hide it too.

“But I want you to pass on a very important message to your family. Let Marcus go.” Ben insisted, despite the fact that you told him your family had nothing to do with Marcus’ disappearance. It seems there’s still some mistrust between the two of you. That’s normal right? You knew this Ben would be a hard shell to crack.

Ben and Fri proceeded to unload his threats onto Luther and you, but it felt like they were mostly directed towards Luther. It was scary to see how different Ben acted when it wasn’t just the two of you. Maybe you weren’t as important to him as you thought.

“Don’t forget your tote bag.” Ben passed you your bag himself, and that was the second time you made eye contact this night. Your fingers brush across each other a few seconds longer that they should, and you froze. You shouldn’t have been as nervous as you were, but Ben looked and sounded way more attractive than you’d like to admit, and there was nothing you could do about it. The heart wants what the heart wants, isn’t that right?

Ben noticed the tinge of pink that burned across your cheeks, how you scrambled to look to the ground. “Control yourself” was the only thing he chanted on repetition in his mind. He didn’t like how easily it was to lose his composure around you, how a smile was tugging dangerously at the corner of his lips, how much he wanted to kiss you goodbye. But damn, knowing how nervous he could make you feel was making it extremely difficult for him to keep his cool. It was only until you left the mansion that he could exhale in relief.

As expected, none of your siblings noticed your disappearance. You caught up (definitely really happy for Viktor’s coming out). You stayed behind as Allison and Viktor cut a deal with the Sparrows — they were worried your newfound affections for the Sparrows might get in the way. So, you passed time with Luther and Diego instead.

“Holy shit! You kissed Ben?” Diego’s eyes widened in surprise and maybe even a little pride.

“sshhhh Diego! Not so loud!” You shut him up. “I swear it’s not as bad as it seems.”

Your siblings’ facial expressions were soft, and their eyes shared an emotion you couldn’t really make out. Pity, maybe? They knew how hard it was for you when you were mourning Ben’s death. Viktor pulled you into an embrace, he had a mischievous smirk plastered across his face, as if he was amused, maybe impressed at your audacity.

“Oh shit! They’re early!”

You immediately got up to meet the Sparrows. Of course, your eyes shot straight the Ben, clad in his skintight Sparrow uniform. You’d be lying if you didn’t think maroon looked amazing on him, and that smoulder. You felt guilty though, admiring Ben when it wasn’t the right place of time to do so. You tried to suppress the burning you felt rising to your cheeks. His eyes scanned the room in immense concentration, before they landed directly on you. You saw how they softened, how his gaze lingered then faltered, as if he wanted to look away and focus on the task at hand but couldn’t bring himself to do it.

The rest of the events were hard to recall. You remembered a wave of paralysing fear hit you as you fell to the ground. You definitely didn’t remember the hurt on Ben’s face as he watched how Christopher tortured you and your siblings. You vaguely remembered crying out for Ben, but there was no response and you assumed he hadn’t cared enough. But you definitely didn’t see how the moment you cried out for him was more than enough to push him over the edge to call everything off and run to your embrace. Then, there was another wave of intense pressure and heat from behind, and Ben ducking on top of you to shield you, before you blacked out completely.

You woke up to Ben and Fei. You were back at the Sparrow’s mansion yet again, except this time, you were met with eyes of distrust and anger from the Sparrow siblings. You searched Ben’s face for any sign of concern, but you couldn’t find much. Then again, they had just lost 2 more siblings so he must’ve been too overwhelmed to be concerned about you.

“Who was that old guy?” Ben spoke up, his voice laced with anger and threat, so much that you almost couldn’t recognise him anymore.

“I don’t know. i’ve never seen him before, i swear..” You defended. Your voice was soft, weak, and your head hurt.

Ben approached you, tentacles emerging from his chest, as if to threaten you. You never thought he’d use his powers against you. You were beyond confused, and scared, because you knew if he wanted to hurt you, you wouldn’t have it in your heart to use your powers against him.

Under his ruthless exterior, Ben only felt pain and heartache. He’d assumed you’d only used him to get the upper hand. It hurt him that he loved you so much even when the old man with powers showed up and killed 2 of his siblings, it was instinctive that he dove over to protect you instead of them. He was angry that after you’d betrayed him, he couldn’t look past the pained expression on your face. He still wanted to hold you and tell you things would be fine. He wanted to wipe the tears of your cheeks and hold your hand until you were calm. It made him feel guilty that despite what your siblings had done to Jayme and Alphonso, he couldn’t hate you, he couldn’t even bear to raise his voice at you again.

“You make me sick.” Ben’s voice was softer now, still stern, but softer. It hurt him to see you so afraid of him when he raised his voice earlier.

“I really don’t know. Please believe me.” You begged. You begged not because you were fearful for your life, but because it hurt you too much to think Ben trusted you so little.

“Please..” Your voice trailed off. Ben turned away. He didn’t want you to see his expression falter. He loved you too much to continue interrogating you. He knew that seeing your pained expression a second too long was all he needed to break and give in. Ben squeezed his eyes shut, exhaled and prayed his eyes would stop watering.

“Y/N, don’t make us ask you twice.” Fei took over.

Then, Christopher’s trilling was followed by an intense sensation of fear, so paralysing you fell onto the ground once again. This was almost more painful than what you experienced earlier in the hotel lobby. You couldn’t even hear the shriek you let out as you cupped your palms over your head.

“PLEASE! BEN! Please stop! I don’t know anything!” You were screaming desperately, grasping at your head and your years, you tried anything to make it stop.

“Christopher! Stop it! STOP!” You heard Ben’s voice, shouting in desperation and urgency. He couldn’t bear to see you in pain. His tentacles knocked Christopher off and you were released from his paralysis. You gasped for air and cried out as you tried to gather yourself. Ben stood in between you and his siblings, tentacles extended as if to shield you yet again.

“GET OUT!” Ben yelled at his siblings. “Let me handle this.” he spoke softer.

Everything was a blur. The sound of the doors opening and slamming close indicated the siblings had left. You heard footsteps pacing towards your slouching body on the ground.

“Please… just stay away from me.” You pulled your knees towards your chest and lowered your forehead onto your chest. You squeezed your eyes shut as you whimpered. Whatever had just happened was overwhelming, to say the least. You wanted nothing more than to curl up alone and wait until everything felt calmer.

Ben broke at the sight of you. He didn’t know if it was your screams, or your crying now, but all the rage and frustration he felt earlier were no longer there. All he felt was pain and guilt, because now he knew you weren’t lying. He didn’t know what it was that made him believe you, but he just knew you weren’t lying. He didn’t know what to do, or whether you hated him now. But his heart ached so hard it physically hurt for him to stand. So, he kneeled down and gingerly approached you.

“Please.. please don’t.” You rejected the hand Ben extended towards you. Ben was at a loss of what to do. He wanted nothing more than to hold you until you were okay, but you had just rejected his touch.

“Please leave.” He didn’t leave.

“Please! i’m begging you. Please!” You felt more agitated and you found yourself gasping for air as your heart rate picked up. The skin on your left arm went numb and your chest started to constrict.

“I… I can’t breathe.” you found yourself chanting repeatedly, arms grasping at your chest even though it did nothing to was your panic.

Ben pulled your arms down before pulling you into his embrace. You felt his toned arms hold you firmly in an embrace, and heard his shushing in the background. You melted further into his chest, still gasping for air as you sobbed.

“Breathe with me.” He lulled, just like how who used to comfort you when you were kids. Then, you found yourself taking breaths following his rhythm.

You didn’t know how long the two of you stayed in that position. Ben didn’t want to move. He let his heart savour this moment, reveling in the intimacy the both of you shared. It probably would’ve looked funny to anyone else — with you seated on Ben’s lap, face buried into his chest, and his head resting on top of yours.

“I’m sorry, I should’ve trusted you.” Ben placed a soft kiss on the top of your head.

“It’s okay, I understand, I’m sorry about your siblings too. My family would’nt have killed anyone like that.” You answered. It must’ve been hard for Ben to trust you, given how ridiculous the situation was. And it was hard. But Ben knew deep down that even if you had betrayed him, he would’ve still chosen to trust you, and he would’ve still thrown himself over you to protect you, because he loved you too much to lose you again.

“Do you still want me to leave?” Ben pulled away. His eyes met yours. They were full of concern and pining, and they looked like they were begging for you to say you wanted him to stay.

“Can you hold me a little longer?” You answered and pulled him back into your embrace. You felt Ben exhale with relief.

“I’ll be alright.” You assured him. “and we’re okay?”

“We’re more than okay.” Ben answered, before placing a finger cautiously under your chin, and pulling you in for a kiss.

“I love you.” you spoke in Korean, in an attempt to lighten the mood. You had taught each other how to speak your languages when you were kids. Ben laughed lightly. It seemed he shared the same memory with his Y/N too. And at that moment, it seemed Ben’s heart grew 10 times its size, and he found himself falling in love with the girl in front of him all over again, just like he did 2 decades ago.

“I love you, really.” So much more than you will ever know. He wanted to say the second part too, but he was afraid it would come off too intense. Before he lost you, he had been toying with the idea of proposing. He’d kept the ring after that, it’s still sitting in a drawer in his room. He would’ve told you this too, but he figured he’d save it to tell you another day.

#ben hargreeves fluff #ben hargreeves imagine #ben hargreeves #ben hargreeves x reader #sparrow!ben x reader #sparrow!ben #umbrella academy #umbrella academy imagine #justin h min

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avengers-and-jedis · 2 years

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hello I loved your story together in the end, it's really good, can you write more about Ben, it's rare to find one so well written !!!

thank you! this is so sweet 😌😌 i do wanna write more but i’ll have to find the time to do it! i think it’s hard to see your own works as well-written but it makes me happy that someone thinks so ! ❤️❤️

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avengers-and-jedis · 2 years

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support a starving artist <3

hello! i’ve been pretty inactive on this account in the past but i’m looking to post more often after seeing how much love i’ve recieved for my last fic (ben hargreeves x reader here). if you’d like to support my writing you can do so on my ko-fi (and leave some fic requests / prompts, i’ll try my best to to them! as well as some art requests). I do draw during my free time too!

support my ko-fi here !

and here’s a sketch of season 1 five hargreeves because we love him <3

#art #aesthetic #ben hargreeves fluff #ben hargreeves imagine #ben hargreeves #ben hargreeves x reader #five hargreeves x reader #five hargeeves #umbrella academy imagine #umbrella academy #the umbrella academy #sparrow academy #sparrow!ben x reader #drawing #support #artist #artists on tumblr

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avengers-and-jedis · 2 years

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damn i just woke up and saw the amount of love my last writing received 🥹 i don’t normally write well unless i feel really passionate about the piece, so it warms my heart to see your reactions! y’all thank you 😭😭😭

read together in the end here :)

#ben hargreeves fluff #ben hargreeves imagine #ben hargreeves #umbrella academy #umbrella academy imagine #ben hargreeves x reader #sparrow!ben x reader

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avengers-and-jedis · 2 years

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Together in the end — Ben Hargreeves

part 2 up now !

Pairings : Sparrow!Ben Hargreeves x Umbrella!reader

Warnings : nothing much, just a little angst

Summary : While the Umbrella Academy lost Ben Hargreeves some 17 years ago, the Sparrow Academy lost you instead. Set in Season 3 ep 1-2, you share an emotional reunion with the new Ben Hargreeves.

Word Count : 1.7k

Note : I rarely write anymore, but Ben Hargreeves has my heart. Maybe I’ll do a part 2! support my writing here !

“Dad, who the hell are these assholes?”. You recognised Ben’s voice. It had been over 17 years since you’ve heard it (oh the things you would’ve done to hear his voice one last time). This time, it was slightly different though, slightly deeper, and at a lower register. Nevertheless, you’d never forget the voice of someone who meant so much to you.

The last time you had “spoken” to Ben wasn’t long ago, through Klaus. You had gone with Diego to pay the cult leader a visit. Little did you know, you would have shared your last emotional embrace with Ben. It felt odd, almost desperate even, speaking to him through Klaus, but it had been so long since you had been held in Ben’s arms. When he left, he told Viktor to remind you that he loved you. It hurt to recall the events of the past few days, especially because you knew there was nothing you regretted more than not telling Ben you loved him before he died. Everyone in the family knew you harboured affections for each other — it was difficult to date in secret when some of your siblings were so nosy. The two of you had shared your first kiss just days before he passed. You were both teens, and there was so much more love you had for him, so many “I love you”s you had saved for him, all of which you never had the chance to give him.

“Ben?”, your voice was shaky, and you felt your eyes become glassy. Now wasn’t the time to get emotional, especially since the mansion was crowded with super-powered (and potentially dangerous) strangers. Ben looked different — the scar on his cheek, the way he styled his hair. It scared you that he had changed, but what scared you the most was the look in his eyes. You couldn’t read what was behind his dark eyes, not like how you could with your Ben. The old Ben was sweet, and very very messy. The man before you looked scheming, angry, and the way he spoke reminded you of an asshole. You did notice his facial expressions soften when his eyes landed on you.

“Y/N?” His voice was just as shaky as yours.

“Ben, compose yourself.” The woman who could manifest crows warned him.

“Is that really you, Y/N?” The brunette (you would later know as Sloane) interjected. She seemed like the kindest of the bunch.

How could they have known your name? You weren’t the brightest Hargreeves sibling but it didn’t take much for you to come to a conclusion. If Ben was alive in their timeline, perhaps you were the one that had passed. While the Umbrella academy grew up without Ben, the Sparrows had done so without you. You didn’t have much time to process this though, since things escalated pretty quickly between the Umbrellas and Sparrows. Before you knew it, you found yourself caught between Five and the sparrow sibling with hallucinogenic spit. She snarled and hurled her dark spit towards you too quickly for you to react, but it was swiftly deflected by a tentacle you never imagined you’d see again.

“You okay?“ Ben approached you cautiously.

“How do you all know my name?” You asked him. He didn’t look as cold as he did earlier. Instead, his facial expressions were replaced by a mixture of confusion, concern, and even a little bit of hurt. You saw the edges of his lips move, as if he were about to say something, but you never got a chance to hear his reply as the rest of your siblings dragged you away.

The second time you saw him was just as unexpected. You had gone on your usual morning jog with Luther before the sparrows kidnapped the both of you. When the both of you woke up, you followed closely behind Luther. You thought it best to be silent in case the Sparrows could see through your facade and detect your anxiety. Luther could sense your fear, which was why he held you close and did the talking on your behalf while you sat next to Sloane.

“Has your Y/N always been such a coward? Can you not speak for yourself?” Ben gestured towards you in a mocking tone.

“Ignore him.” Fei comforted you. You couldn’t deny you felt hurt. Your Ben was not nearly as much of an asshole as he was.

“Our Ben would’ve never spoken to us like this.” Your voice trailed off towards the end. You weren’t looking for a fight.

“I’m not your little boyfriend, Y/N. My Y/N was never this pathetic.” Ben retaliated.

“Ben! That’s enough!” Fei interjected. Ben’s eyebrows furrowed and his eyes softened once he saw your hurt expression. You could tell he regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth, but you stormed out of the room before he had the chance to say anything else.

After his interrogation with Luther, Ben left him to his meal. Fei followed him out to confront him.

“You still have feelings for her.” Fei knew her brother well enough to tell that he had been distracted the past day.

“She’s not our Y/N, Fei, she’s the enemy.” Ben defended himself, but he knew that some part of him cared for her more than he’d like to admit.

“You should talk to her, you only get that kind of love once in your life.” Fei encouraged. Ben stayed silent as she walked away. He pinched his nose bridge and squeezed his eyes shut. It had been difficult to maintain a stoic expression in front of his siblings, especially considering the overwhelming sense of confusion, melancholy and relief he had to hide for the past day.

Ben entered his room to grab his jacket, although he’d be lying to himself if he said he wasn’t also hoping to find you there. In his timeline, you died a few years after Ben did in yours. This meant that the both of you had been together for a few years before he lost you. He knew you’d come to his room to cry whenever something upset you.

To his relief, Ben did find you curled up in his bed.

“I came to grab my jacket.” Ben lied. You immediately jolted up and tried to wipe away your tears as subtly as you could when he barged in.

“Stop… crying on my bed, emo. It’s gross.” He tried to sound detached, hoping you couldn’t tell that his heart actually clenched at the sight of your pitiful expression. He was angry at himself for hurting you, but he was even more confused about his feelings towards you. You were supposed to be the enemy, yet he wanted nothing more than to apologise and hold you in his arms.

“I’ll leave, I’m sorry” You hoped he would be a little kinder to you after the hurtful things he said earlier, but you had to remind yourself that this was not the same Ben you loved.

“Wait…just stay for a bit.” Ben’s voice was much softer now, almost as if he was pleading.

“You used to come in here when you were upset” He explained.

“You told me I could always come to your room to cry whenever our siblings upset me.” You added.

“Tell me about your Ben...” Ben gently sat himself next to you. You scanned his face. His eyes were glassy, his eyebrows creased and you swore you saw his lips quiver. It took a lot for Ben to keep himself together at the moment. For a brief second, you saw a hint of warmth, kindness and love in his eyes, just like the Ben you knew.

“Um… I loved him, but I never got the chance to tell him… For some time, Klaus could speak to him. He told me you loved me back.” You stifled a sob and covered your face with your hands as you cried. You felt Ben’s arms hold you tightly, so you melted into his embrace and let out a sob into his chest. He only pulled you in closer. Ben needed this as much as you did, he felt desperate for your touch. If only you knew how hard he had wished to hold you one last time since your accident, how many sleepless nights he had because his heart yearned for you till it physically hurt.

“I never got to hear him tell me he loved me back. Klaus reminds me he does, but I’ll never hear his voice saying it.” You whispered, hoping Ben would understand.

“I love you. I love you more than you can imagine.” Ben whispered back without missing a beat. You sobbed louder into his chest. It’s confusing, finally hearing the words you had wanted to hear so badly after waiting 17 years.

“I might not be your Ben, but I love you, and it hurts too much to know you never heard it back.” Ben pulled your head towards his, resting his forehead onto yours. Your noses lightly brushed against each other, and your lips were dangerously close.

“I love you too. There is no old Ben or new Ben, just you, you are my Ben.” You assured him. You don’t know exactly when, but by now, Ben’s cheeks were also streaked with tears. He shut his eyes tightly, attempting to regain his composure.

“You have no idea how physically painful it was to not be able to hold you like this, to not be able to kiss you.” Ben’s breathing was erratic, you could tell it was taking a lot of effort for him to stop himself from crumbling.

“I do.” You replied softly, as you raised your thumb to wipe his tears.

“Can I kiss you?” Ben pleaded. His eyes were full of longing. This man in front of you is exactly the Ben Hargreeves you knew. Perhaps the childhood he shared with the Sparrows, and the sorrow he experienced after losing you made him act like the asshole he was a few hours earlier. You heart ached thinking about how much he had been through.

You closed the gap between your lips, running your hands through his hair. His palm held the back of your head firmly but gently, as if he was afraid of losing you again.

Even if the universe was about to end for the third time, you had never been more thankful that you found your way back to Ben Hargreeves in the end.

#umbrella academy #ben hargreeves x reader #ben hargreeves #sparrow academy #sparrow!ben hargreeves x reader #sparrow!ben #the umbrella academy #sparrow!ben x reader #one shot #umbrella academy imagine #ben hargreeves imagine #ben hargreeves fluff #justin min #justin h min

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avengers-and-jedis · 3 years

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ink blots

Beth Harmon x reader Words: 1600+

You’re an artist looking for inspiration. Once you see Beth Harmon in a bar you can’t stop yourself for falling for the chess champion.

You sat at the bar in the hotel, your skirt hanging from the stool, puffed by the many layers of petticoats you wore. The condensation rolled down your glass and pooled on the bar, so close to dampening the pages of your sketchbook. If you waited any longer the water would consume the ink, pencil, and paper of the book and much every drawing into one blob. Part of you wanted to shove your book into the water, see what kind of pseudo-psychiatric ink blob you could make. However, it would ruin the many hours of work you have put into your book. However, the longer you sat at the bar, staring at the blank page, wishing for any kind of inspiration; the more tempting it became. People moved around you, mostly men, who were gathered for a chess tournament or something. You were lost in the frustration for yourself you didn’t notice the stool beside you being pulled out, until an arm bumped yours and someone exclaimed an apology.

Before you stood the most beautiful girl you think you’d ever seen. She had beautiful auburn hair, cut and curled perfectly to hang above her shoulders. Her lips were defined and pronounced, and her eyes. God, her eyes. They were dark, intelligent, and simply gorgeous. You only got a glimpse of this woman before she sat at the stool and buried herself in a book. Your heart raced, your cheeks felt warm, and your palms sweaty. She was magnificent. That moment was more than enough to cement her as your muse for the time being. That brief moment of eye contact had you rushing to the elevator, trying your best to memorise every aspect of her face. You rushed back to your room and flung your art supplies on the floor. There was no delicacy, just a feral desire to record the woman’s face onto your pages so you could keep it forever.

It had been a long night, and the sun now shone slowly and gently through the window. It took the soft grey haze out of the room and replaced it with a warm light. All around you lay pages, the women’s face and profile staring up at you. But it wasn’t her. Try as you might, you couldn’t capture that beauty. You’d tried every kind of paint, watercolour, pen, and pencil. No matter what, they never seemed right. Her eyes were never bright enough. Her smile never beautiful enough. Her curls never tidy enough. Toward the more desperate hours of the night, you had taken a tube of lipstick to the wall above the mirror. A huge mural to her smeared in your bathroom. You stared at it now. Sitting at the foot of your bed, surrounded by pages and pencils. Staring through the bathroom door at the giant face. It was a particularly bad rendition of her, and the reason you gave up for the night. What good was it being an artist, when you couldn’t even get a face slightly right. You sighed and leaned back against the bed. The images around you slowly got blurrier before you finally fell asleep. Dreaming of the women at the bar with her book about things unknown.

When you woke it was time for dinner. Usually you would throw on some lipstick and slippers and make your way down to the restaurant. Tonight, there was the possibility of the woman seeing you. So, you hoped in the bath scrubbing yourself down under the lipstick stained tiles. You slipped on your favourite dress, a respectable pair of shoes, and a subtle amount of make up before steeling yourself to get into the lift. It was a bit ridiculous. She might not even be there. Still, you continued holding onto a tiny amount of hope. She wasn’t leaning against the balcony or at the bar when you walked past to get to the maître d.

“A table for one please.” You tried not to act too distracted as the man walked off, but you were hoping that you might be able to get a glimpse of her.

“Apologies ma’am, but our tables are full.” He did seem sorry, but you guess it wasn’t really his fault. “There is, however, space at a table with another woman. If you would be comfortable dining with her?”

You considered just walking away and coming back tomorrow for breakfast, but the slow rumble in your stomach made you nod. Maybe they would place you with some old lady who would stare disapprovingly at your slightly fashionable clothing. Or it would be middle-aged woman, in hiding from her husband for a few nights of fun in a hotel. Before you could ponder anymore, you were led to a table to the back of the restaurant. There she sat, in all her glory. At a table for two with only her there. The dim lights of the room with the soft glimmer of the candlelight highlighted her cheekbones. It took a few second to realise the waiter was talking to her and gesturing you to the empty seat at her table. Perhaps this was heaven, you’d drowned in your bathtub earlier and this was the angel to greet you. Very cheesy but that’s how you felt as you slid into the seat opposite her. She was reading another book, different to the one last night. She had the same look of concentration, with her brows slightly furrowed and lightly biting her lower lip. If you had to sit through and entire dinner of her biting her lip you think you might die.

“Sorry, it’s a bit rude of me to keep reading but I have to be prepared for tomorrow. It’s the last day of the tournament and I need to be prepared.” Her voice was, otherworldly. You’d never believed in love at first sight, but goodness you believed in it now. It took a few moments to comprehend her words while trying to process that she was actually sitting in front of you.

“Oh, you’re here for the chess tournament.” You hoped your voice didn’t shake too much. Or that your voice was too high. Or too low. Compared to her, you thought, you were probably the rubbish next to the diamond. She quirked her eyebrow at you. Oh. You’d said something wrong.

“You, don’t know who I am, do you?” The waiter put glasses of wine in front of you and asked for your orders, giving you a moment to gather your thoughts.

“Am I supposed to?” You asked, dearly hoping you didn’t offend her.

“Beth Harmon,” She stuck her hand out to you, neglecting the book to the side of the table. “Pleasure to meet you. I’m a chess champion and playing in the final of the tournament tomorrow”

You maybe recognised her name, maybe you’d read a news article about her somewhere.

“Y/N L/N, I’m an artist.” You didn’t really know what to say to her revelation about being a chess champion. It made her more intriguing. Those dark eyes bore into yours and you could feel yourself becoming even more attracted to her.

“What’s an artist doing in a hotel in a city that is not known for it’s art?”

“I’ve come to look at a few art exhibitions. I’m getting a spot in a gallery in New York and I need inspiration.” You hoped you didn’t sound too pretentious. There was a little bit more small talk before your meals were placed in front of you. You were both starving and dug into your meals with little conversation. Between every bite you would glance up at the radiant woman in front of you. You thought meeting her might ruin the spell, but you only found yourself getting more and more enchanted. What you didn’t notice, was her also staring up at you every few bites as well. Mesmerised by your face, your hair, and your eyes. You both had a few glasses of wine with your meal and once your initial hunger was satisfied began a rousing conversation about your opinions on the latest fashions. Occasionally a star struck man would make his way over to your table, have a few lines of conversation with Beth before she would turn back to you and start a discussion on books, or music, or Paris. Time flew by and you were both slightly tipsy.

“Come back to my room.” Beth asked you as you stood up, grasping your hand. “I don’t want to say goodbye to you yet.” The alcohol had made her honest. A fact that you were slightly grateful for.

You both lay on Beth’s bed. Her legs dangling off the left side and your dangling off the right. Your heads beside each other in the middle. You were both loosely holding hands. You weren’t quite sure about how it happened, but you weren’t complaining about the feeling of her soft hand in yours. She sat up, resting on her arm, to stare at your face. “You said you came here to find inspiration.” She looked into your eyes. “Did you?”

You hesitated for a moment, taking in the entirety of the woman in front of you. You nodded before you crashed you lips into her. She grasped at you, your hair, neck, and chin. You were both desperate for each other. You both found something in each other.

The next day, you sat front and centre of Beth’s chess game. Softly drawing the contours of her face that you had mesmerised with your eyes, hands, and lips last night. You found it hard to believe that she saw something in you, but the soft wink she sent you once she won made your heart flutter.

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avengers-and-jedis · 3 years

Text

I Will Be There

A/N: Okay, this is kind of a trial run. I forgot how gay I was for Negasonic Teenage Warhead, so I decided to post one of my reader insert one-shots on tumblr to see how this goes. This story is a NEGASONIC X READER. Please leave a comment to let me know how I did!

When you want to avoid the rest of humanity, you typically take refuge in the attic of the X-Mansion, armed with nothing but your guitar. It’s cold and musty, but it’s quiet, which is a nice change from playing in the den, with people swarming all around you, chattering so loudly that you can’t even hear the piece from Le Carnaval des Animaux that you’ve been practicing. Shivers break down your body. Spider webs hang like tinsel from the ceiling and a thick coat of dust makes your nose twitch. You try the light switch. A lamp emits a soft glow, one made even dimmer by the dense layer of dust on the shade. Heavy masculine chairs are scattered around, and easels of stretched canvas with half finished landscapes on them face the windows. The back wall has built in shelves filled with dusty old textbooks, and the stash of novels that you’ve smuggled out from the library. You sit on the stuffed chair and unpack your instrument. Callused fingers gently caress the wood and its bridge, which years of playing have worn smooth. You fumble your way through “The Swan”, playing until your fingers are blue and stiff from the cold, and then you keep on playing. Until you are lost in the music. Until you become the music – the notes and chords, the melody and harmony. It hurts, but it’s okay, because when you’re the music, you’re not you. Not sad. Not afraid. Not guilty. Not desperate. You finish playing “The Swan”, and are shakily strumming your way through “Yellow” when you hear the soft tread of rubber, muffled by the thick red carpet underfoot. Instantly, the song flowing out from the tips of your fingers stutters to an abrupt halt. Tensing, your eyes dart nervously about the room, wondering if you can duck into a quiet corner to escape whoever has invaded your little sanctuary. Then the door eases open, spilling a wedge shaped patch of light inside, and you see a pair of black motorcycle boots hovering at the threshold, as if debating whether to come in. Your gut rings the itty-bitty panic bell. The girl who strides inside is unfamiliar, considering that you’ve only been here for about two days or so, and have yet to meet all the staff and students who reside in the mansion. She’s of average height, about a head or so taller than you, with soft, milky skin, and bright hazel eyes ringed with kohl. A Dresden doll in witch’s clothing, she’s wearing a black sheer T-Shirt over a worn gray thermal undershirt; and under that, a pair of jeans that look like they will fall apart with one more wash cycle. Her dark hair is close-cropped, shaved close to her head, and numerous earrings glitter in her ears. You watch her with eyes of prey, wide and frightened, ready to bolt at a moment’s notice, instinct wanting you to ensure that you can escape any situation. She says nothing, merely parks herself on a chair at the other end of the room, her thumbs tapping out a series of beeps on her phone. You assume that she’s playing a game; deeply engrossed, the girl doesn’t look up, contemplating the reflective surface with a frown. A pucker appears in between her forehead, and frown parentheses bracket her mouth. Your spine is ramrod straight. Maybe she won’t notice you if you stand still. You try to blend in with the furniture. You take shallow breaths. That’s how rabbits survive; they freeze in the presence of predators. She isn’t going to notice you. You’re not here – she can’t see you standing here in your raggedy thrift-store clothes. But of course, your luck doesn’t hold up. She tips her head towards you, breaking the silence as she snaps her gum. “Know any other songs?” Panic claws at your insides, forcing your powers that sleep deep within to the surface. A crack begins to slither down the skylight before it shatters, shards of glass raining down onto the floor. Clean, cold air pours into the musty room, and the girl blinks, the only sign that she’s been caught off guard. The bunny bolts, practically leaving a trail of dust in its wake. It isn’t until that you’re hidden in a quiet corner that you realize you’ve left your guitar and music scores behind.

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