New Horizons (Arthur Curry x Reader)
A/N: Requested by @dantes-devil-huntress. I can't believe this is my first Aquaman fic! This was so much fun to write, I hope you enjoy!
Premise: Trying to figure out his place in the world as the newly crowned king of Atlantis, Arthur meets someone who may just help him find the answers he looking for.
Description: Arthur Curry/Aquaman x Fem!Reader (Human), meet-cute fluff! | Warnings: alcohol, mild language | Setting: AU w/o Mera endgame, before The Lost Kingdom | Word count: 3,468
Edit: here's my Orm Marius x Reader fic for my fellow Orm girlies ;)
Gif credit: user jasonmomoaonline
Imagine Arthur giving you shelter when you're stranded in a storm, and discovering his true identity
Getting stood up for your date had been the worst part of the night, until the moment you got into your car. Instead of the engine turning over and sputtering to half-life like usual, it only stalled.
"You have got to be kidding me," you say, gripping the steering wheel and turning the key until you thought it might snap, "Come on, come on, come ON!"
Throwing open your door, you pop the hood and stumble back out into the chilled night. You mutter curses under your breath as you survey the labyrinth of steel and hoses before you.
"At least nothing's on fire this time," you mutter, rolling your eyes.
You step back and stare at the bucket of bolts the salesman had called "like new." Besides coming to this bar, buying this car was quite possibly your biggest regret. It wasn't quite a lemon, but it wasn't a Rolls either. And most of all, it was all you could afford.
You exhale, glaring up at the flickering light of the bar's neon sign. The last thing you wanted to do after waiting nearly two hours alone like a fool was show your face inside again. You retrieve your phone from your back pocket, just to see the blinking bars in the top corner. No service.
"Wonderful," you groan.
Like a bad joke, thunder rolls in the distance. You look up to see the lightning flashing on the horizon across the bay. The brisk, salt air rises up from the water and cuts right through you.
"Could this night get any better?!" you lament, an angry shriek escaping your lips as you kick the front tire.
"Excuse me, Miss?" a voice from behind interjected.
You jump and turn to see a man approaching, nervous smile on his bearded face. You appraise him wearily: tall, dark, and not at all lacking in style, clad in both leather and jewelry. He looked a sight better than the drunken fishermen you'd observed stumble about the bar, which you concluded was about ninety-percent of the clientele. Even from where he stood, he certainly seemed to smell better.
"Uh, I don't mean to interrupt, but you sound like you might need some help," he offers hesitantly.
Despite your initial scare, something about him puts you at ease.
"Oh, um...yeah, actually" you smile embarrassed, tucking your hair behind your ear, "My stupid car won't start. Again."
"Mind if I take a look?" he asks, pointing.
"Would you? That would be great, honestly," you say, folding your arms against the cold, "I just had it in the shop last week. I have no idea what's wrong now."
He pats the fender as he circles around to the front, "Let's see what's got you all clammed up here, buddy."
"Your guess is as good as mine," you say exasperated, stepping to stand behind him a ways.
He chuckles and pushes up his sleeves, ducking underneath the hood. You take note of the intricate tattoos, realizing this friendly stranger was becoming more interesting by the minute.
"Hmm, nope. Not that," he says, craning his neck, "Not that either."
You bite your lip and sway on your feet, silently praying he could find the source of the problem. Any easy fix was probably too much to hope for, but your fingers stayed mentally crossed nonetheless.
"Ooh, maybe- no, definitely not," he says, followed by a clinking sound, "That should not be there."
"I really appreciate this," you say after a moment, peering over his shoulder, "I can change the wipers and put on a spare if I have to, but that's about the extent of my car expertise."
"No shame in that," he grunts, his voice strained, "Oof, now that might be a problem."
"Did you find something?" you dare to ask.
"These spark plugs are kaput. Like, 'not even a necromancer can bring them back' kind of kaput."
"The guy said they were fine!" you exclaim, "I knew I shouldn't have gone back to that place. Probably just took my money and laughed."
The man finally stands up and winces.
"And your alternator is on its last leg," he says with a grimace, "Even if you could get it to start, I wouldn't go more than five miles in this thing."
"Great. That's just wonderful," you sigh, shaking your head, "Well, thank you for looking. It'd have taken me forever to figure that out. Google only goes so far."
"No problem, wish I had better news for ya," he says, wiping his grease-tinged hands on his jeans before extending one towards you, "I'm Arthur, by the way."
"I'm Y/N. Nice to meet you, Arthur."
"Nice to meet you too."
Despite your frustration, you couldn't help but grin. As Good Samaritans go, he was quite a handsome one. Something in the back of your mind whispered that you had seen his face before, but you couldn't place when or where.
Before you could speak again, a bolt of lightning strikes just across the harbor, followed swiftly by a crash of thunder.
Arthur looks off to the darkened horizon, his expression souring with concern.
"Storm's coming in fast," he observes, the sea breeze blowing through his long, sun-kissed hair, "Do you have someone you can call to come pick you up?"
He turn back to you, and only now do you notice just how rich and golden eyes his eyes are. For a few dizzied seconds, you forget to answer.
"Uh, not really. I'm pretty new to the area. I don't know very many people," you reply, feeling shy all of a sudden, "I can just call a Uber or something. If my service ever picks up."
"Yeah, definitely," he nods, clearing his throat, "They have a phone inside."
"Thank you again for helping me, Arthur," you say, starting to walk towards the door.
"I didn't really help, though..." he trails off, disappointment in his voice as you step past him.
Your hand is almost on the handle when he pipes up.
"Uh, look I know you don't know me, but my dad's place is just down the road from here. He's the lighthouse keeper. Him and my mom are actually away on little retreat, and I'm watching the place for them," he explains, "It's dry, warm, and definitely has a lot less drunk guys. You could wait there while the storm passes, if you wanted."
You turn back to him, trying to conceal your renewed hope, "I couldn't impose on you like that."
"Oh you wouldn't be. It's just me and the dog. He's probably getting sick of me at this point. He could use a visitor," he chuckles, "But I understand if you'd rather stay here. Strange guy at a bar invites you to a lighthouse on a dark and stormy night. Sounds like a horror movie, I know."
You laugh, and so does he, bringing some much needed levity.
"I'll bring you right back if you change your mind, just say the word," he adds, sounding truly sincere.
Almost everything in you was saying not to trust a man you'd just met, but your gut was telling you otherwise. There was more to the warmth in his eyes than just the color.
"Well, it does sound like the dog could use some company," you say thoughtfully.
Arthur smirks. "Oh yeah. There's been a Hell's Kitchen marathon on for days, and I'm pretty sure he's sick of listening to my Gordon Ramsay impression. I can't resist, love that guy."
"I might have to hear that for myself."
"Let's get you out of this weather, and we'll see what I can do about that, then," he says with a wink, "My ride is just over here."
Not even the chilled wind could overcome the warmth of your cheeks. The excitement in your chest grows with every step as you follow him across the sandy lot. The ride in question, however, soon comes into view, and the knot in your stomach tightens all the more.
"Oh boy," you say, staring at the motorcycle.
"You're not scared of bikes are you?" he questions, stepping alongside it and reaching into the black saddlebag.
"Not exactly," you hesitate, "I've just never been on one before."
He pulls out a red, half helmet and offers it to you.
"Don't worry, I won't let you fall off," he replies, amused.
You look between him and the headgear a moment before taking it.
"Besides," he says, swinging his leg over the seat, "All you have to do is hang on."
With no argument to make, and rain drops beginning to sprinkle down, you pull your hair back and fasten the helmet on. You nearly lose your balance trying to throw your leg over, having to grab his shoulder to steady yourself. He didn't seem to mind; you could have sworn you heard him snicker. You settle into the seat, heart racing from being so close to him. More anxious than ever, you lightly place your hands on his back.
"All good back there?" Arthur asks, a smile in his voice.
"All good," you repeat, unconvincingly.
"Alright then," he says, turning the key.
Seconds later, the motorcycle roars to life as he revs the engine. Arthur eases the bike back slowly, pivots out of the lot, and eases it up to the main road. The instant he accelerates, the force kicks you backward. You throw your arms around his torso, pulling yourself against him. Over the noise of the machine, you weren't sure if the rumbling in your ear that followed was thunder or laughter, but you figured was the latter.
With the bar now behind you, and the rain coming down harder with the increasing speed, you bury your face into his back and hold on tightly.
♆
The lighthouse comes into view just as the skies open up. Arthur maneuvers the bike up the slippery, sand driveway and quickly shuts it off. He gives you his hand as you climb off and leads you toward the house.
The helmet offers some protection from the downpour, but the wind blows the spray into your face as you squint to see. Lightning above illuminates the world like daylight as you scramble up onto the porch.
Arthur throws the front door open and lets you in first as you stumble inside the dark house. You take a few blind steps forward as he slams it shut behind him, thunder making the windows rattle.
"Man, someone must have really pissed off Thor," he laughs. His relief, however, is turned to exasperation as you hear a clicking sound followed by a sigh.
"Power's out. Awesome."
Still trying to catch your breath, you pull out your phone, struggling with wet fingers to use touchscreen. Finally the flashlight turns on, and Arthur throws his hand up over his eyes as you accidentally shine it right at his face.
"Sorry," you pant, pointing it down.
"No worries. That's a good idea, actually. I always forget about this thing," he remarks, grabbing his own phone and doing the same, "One second, I think Pops has some candles in the kitchen."
You nod as he disappears into the next room. Now remembering the dripping helmet on your head, you release the strap with your free hand and set it down on the mat beside the door. A shiver goes through you from your soaked clothes. You point your phone about the shadowy room to get your bearings, admiring the otherwise cozy living area. As you sweep the light downward, something large and metallic glints on the coffee table in front of the sofa and catches your eye. You move closer to get a better look, and then your heart drops to your feet. Lying beside a bag of jerky and the TV remote is a massive, gleaming trident of gold. A memory flashes through your mind of an article you'd seen weeks ago, with a fuzzy photo of an alleged aquatic hero holding a weapon just like it. The pieces come together all at once as you realize the identity of your host.
The very next second, you hear Arthur's approach. He returns with a lit candle in each hand and a blanket under his arm, only to find your expression of complete and utter shock.
"You...you're..." you stammer.
"Oof, I knew I forgot to put something away," he cringes, "My bad."
"You're the Aquaman," you gape, finding the words.
"Surprise," he says in a sing-song voice, flashing a nervous smile, "Yeah, I never really know how to bring that up.
You stare at him dumbfounded as he places the candles on the coffee table. "I can't believe it. Aren't you supposed to be like...well, in Atlantis or something?"
"I was, earlier this morning. Just about died of boredom in council meetings," he says matter-of-factly, proceeding to talk as if he had a desk job, "I'm kinda part-timing right now, between land and sea. It's complicated. I'm still new to the whole 'king' thing. Don't have all the kinks worked out yet."
"I'd imagine," you breathe, your mind still reeling.
"Here, figured you need this." He holds out the blanket, completely unphased by the previous subject, "Do you drink tea? I can make some for you."
You take the blanket and chuckle in bewilderment. "Um, sure. That would be great," you answer, "Thank you."
"One tea coming up," he smiles, "Uh, just make yourself comfortable, I'll get the fire going here a minute, after I find the dog. Pretty sure he's hiding under Pops' bed upstairs. He's terrified of storms. Ironic right? Lighthouse keeper's dog afraid of a little water."
"I don't blame him this time," you say, wrapping the blanket around your shoulders, "I think you were right about Thor."
As if on cue, another boom of thunder shakes the walls. You both burst out laughing.
♆
A few minutes later, you find yourself sitting on the floor in front of a roaring fire with a warm mug in your hands, finally beginning to feel dry. Having been unsuccessful in coaxing the dog into joining him downstairs, Arthur settles down beside you crossed-legged, damp hair tied up, trading the tea for a can of Guinness. Your thoughts rage like the storm outside as you stare into the flames, agonizing about what you should say.
Arthur speaks a moment later, saving you the trouble.
"Sorry about the power. I'll call you that cab as soon as it comes back."
"That's okay, I'm not in a hurry," you reply.
You look over at him hopefully, meeting his piercing gaze for as long as you can. Mere seconds pass before you bow your head, heart racing while you repress a smile.
"I'm uh, sure you've got some questions about all this," he ventures, rubbing the back of his head.
"Honestly, with the night I've had, meeting 'Aquaman' is par for the course," you smirk.
"I didn't mean to spring it on you like that. I guess you can understand why I don't lead with the whole King of Atlantis thing. Kinda makes it hard to keep a conversation going once people know you 'can talk to fish.' They don't really see you the same after that."
"Yeah, I think I'd probably keep that to myself too," you agree, the awe returning full-force, "Still, it must be amazing. I mean, you're basically ruler of the ocean, right? Or is it just Atlantis?"
"Eh, I mean there's the other kingdoms-"
"There's more?!" you blurt out, wide-eyed.
"Oh yeah. Xebel, the Fishermen, the Brine, a couple of defunct ones no one wants talks about. We got a few."
"And you're the ruler over all of them?"
He shrugs. "More or less. I mean, they each have their own ruler. But then I'm also over them? Kinda? I'm still figuring crap out, they didn't exactly give me a rule book on my first day. Plus I have answer to this royal council and they've got sticks up their butts about everything I do and say," he groans, rolling his eyes, "I like to consider myself more of a 'protector of the deep' than a ruler. Sounds more cool, and less like an old fart with a crown."
You giggle, hanging on every his every word.
"And with this bad boy right here," he says, reaching behind him and patting the trident, "I command all life in the sea. The animals anyway. Between you and me, that's the best part."
"You definitely have a cooler job than me," you beam.
"It definitely has its perks. But most of the time, I'd rather be here," he sighs, punctuated by a swig of his beer.
A visible sadness washes over him as he looks into the fire.
"You aren't from Atlantis?" you question.
"No, I was raised by my father. My parents met on accident. My mother was queen of Atlantis, and she ran away from her not-so-nice guy fiancé. She got lost in a storm, and my father rescued her. They've always said it was..."
Arthur stops and turns his gaze towards you, realization in his eyes.
Your heart skips as you understand. "Fate?"
He nods thoughtfully. "Something like that."
You blink, letting him go on.
"Anyway, I know I have a calling to the sea, but the land is always going to be a part of me, you know?" His expression softens. "Here, I've always found everything I need."
His words linger in the air between you. You look down at your hands, your chest pounding.
He clears his throat. "Sorry, I know that was a lot of info."
"Just a little bit," you reply teasingly, "But your secret's safe with me, Arthur. I promise. I've got no one to tell anyway."
"Don't worry, I trust you," he says, waving his hand, "It's actually nice to have someone else to share it with."
"I'm honored that you did. I know it's not the same, but I do understand what it's like to feel that you don't belong," you confess, "I didn't fit in my 'kind' either. Moved out here to start over. I guess you could say I'm still trying to figure some crap out too."
He pauses in thought second before responding, "Do you mind if I ask you something, Y/N?"
"After everything I've asked you? I'd say it's definitely your turn," you chuckle, taking a sip of your forgotten tea.
"I saw you at the bar before you went outside. I couldn't help but notice that you were there by yourself..."
"You noticed correctly. I was supposed to meet someone for a date, but after saying he was on his way, he never showed. I tried to text him, but he blocked me. I don't even know why."
"Nothing like being stood up at some backwater bar," he concludes, frowning, "Well, screw that guy. He's a bum."
"Yeah, I figured that out too late," you agree, then give him a knowing look, "The evening wasn't a total loss. I did meet you, after all."
"That's true," he concedes, playfully stroking his beard, "I may be a half-breed rookie king, but I'm not a bum."
You snort and gesture to the television set on your right, "So much for your marathon though, huh?"
"Ah, that's alright. They were all re-runs anyway."
You raise your eyebrow. "Think I could still hear that impression?"
He holds a finger to his chin in mock deliberation, "Hmmm, have I had enough to drink for that?
"I don't know, have you?" You lean in with anticipation.
He flashes a sly grin. "Of course I bloody have," he declares in the most hackneyed attempt at a British accent you'd ever heard, "And you better listen up, because I'm about to tell you everything there is to know about how to cook a bloody good flounder."
Your sides ache with laughter as he continues to go on a tangent about how to properly sauté shallots and season the perfect demi-glace. The voice sounded nothing like the infamously tempermental chef, of course, but you still thought his attempt was cute. By the time he was yelling at his invisible staff for serving him raw fish, the storm outside had passed, and neither of you noticed.
As Arthur went to light the stove to warm up some "gourmet" SpaghettiOs, still boisterously carrying on as Chef Ramsay, your excited thoughts returned to the story about his parents. You couldn't help but wonder about your own stormy night, the man you had met, and how much of a hand fate had played in it. The horizon seemed so much brighter than before, and for the first time ever, you were grateful to have bought that car.
171 notes
·
View notes