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mint-yooxgi · 29 days

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One Love - Mingi X Reader

Part of the CODN Spring Event - The Language of Flowers

Genre: Mature, Angst, Non-idol!AU

Pairing: Mingi X GN!Reader

Words: 1,129

Rating: E for Everyone :)

Warnings: Big Sad, I don't want to spoil the reveal but it's angsty.

A/n: Thought I would take the meaning of this flower prompt and give it a little twist, so I really hope you enjoy! I'm still on hiatus, but it's nice to take a break once in a while to write something different for a change. I might have a few more of these up my sleeve, so stay tuned! As always feedback is greatly appreciated! Enjoy!~

Summary: The ones we love never truly leave us, do they?

Yellow Tulip - Unrequited or One Sided Love

Listen to: One Love - Marianas Trench for the full effect.

The soft brush of grass beneath his feet echoes alongside a gentle breeze which ruffles the leaves of the few trees surrounding him. The air is cool against his skin, chilling his bones despite the brilliant warmth the sun’s rays provide. A few clouds drift lazily through the sky as he trudges along the path, his head downcast and expression sombre.

“Today of all days…” Mingi sighs, pausing momentarily in his steps to squeeze his eyes shut.

Shaking his head, Mingi reaches up to pinch at the bridge of his nose while pushing up his glasses. The familiar sting of tears builds behind his eyes, sniffling lightly as the scents of spring assault his nose. He can feel the pollen of fresh buds from his garden still tickling his nose, the subtle sound of birdsong filling the empty space around him. Various bouquets line the dirt path around him, and their vibrant colours only serve as a beacon for him as he blinks his gaze back open.

He lets his hand fall back to his side.

Slowly, steadily, he continues on down the path until he finally reaches where you are waiting for him.

Where you’ve always been, and will always be waiting for him.

He checks his watch, smiling softly to himself.

“Made it just in time.” He hums, shifting his gaze towards you.

Mingi swallows thickly as you remain silent. Not that he had been expecting you to answer him, anyways.

“I missed you.” His throat works as he swallows, wishing you would look at him one last time. “Maybe it’s better to say that I miss you. I still do.”

Again, you don’t respond, not even being able to acknowledge that he’s there.

His one hand tightens on the bundle of flowers in his grip.

“I kept thinking about what I would say to you when I came today, but now that I’m here, everything I had planned keeps slipping my mind.” He chuckles lightly, bringing his free hand up to rub at his nose, sniffling gently. “There’s so much I want to tell you, that I want you to see, but I know that’s impossible now. There is nothing I can say to you that will bring you back to me.”

You continue to remain silent, unable to respond. You haven’t been able to respond to him in a long time.

Not since the day you left him behind.

His eyes squeeze shut, the tears he had desperately been fighting back finally spilling over his cheeks. Another shaky breath escapes him, chest stuttering with each inhale as he falls to his knees before you, wishing you could just simply look at him one last time.

All that stares back at him is a grave.

“I wish you were here.” He chokes out, voice stained as he clings that bundle to his chest. “I wish I could give you these in person.”

His hands tighten on the yellow tulips he holds so desperately.

“You’d probably smack me with them, given their meaning.” He lets out a pained filled laugh. “You were always good at that: picking out different flowers and telling me what they meant. I know I acted like I hated it, but I miss our yearly visits to the botanical gardens. It’s why today is so special-“ his voice catches as another tear falls down his cheek. “We’d always go for coffee before walking through all the flowers. You’d always point out your favourites to me, and then act surprised whenever I would bring you him bouquets of them just to see you smile.”

A brief pause as the breeze drifts passed.

“It just isn’t the same without you, now.”

Softly, Mingi settles himself onto the ground before your grave.

“I know these aren’t like the red roses I brought you last year,” he begins, his throat working as he struggles to get out the words, “but I wanted to bring you these, not just for you, but for me.”

The bundle of flowers are placed gently onto the bottom of your grave. The stark yellow of their petals contrasts the simple red string tied around them to keep them together, Mingi making sure they’re settled perfectly before pulling his hands away.

“You were always so proud of our front garden-“ his throat constricts, a fresh wave of tears stinging at his eyes. “I took up looking after it when you left. I could never bring myself to get rid of it. I always have a piece of you at home with me, now. Though, I will admit, the tulips are a new edition.”

Another airy laugh leaves him, the sound full of longing and pain.

“It’s been years since you’ve been gone, but I could never forget you. I’ve tried to move on, but no matter how hard I try, I can’t.” He swallows. “I won’t.”

His eyes shine as he stares at your grave, reaching out to place his hand on top of the stems, directly over that red string tying them together.

“I will never stop loving you, even if you can no longer love me back.” He whispers, his gaze falling to those yellow flowers. “Not in this life, or even in the next.”

Mingi takes a deep breath in, attempting to steady his nerves.

“No one will ever come close to being you; you’re all that I want, all that I’ve ever needed.” His hand tightens over the stems. “I miss your laughter, and the way we could just share a look and both have the other in stitches. I miss your smile, and how you used to look at me. There is nothing in this world that could ever come close to that look of love on your face whenever I caught you staring at me, and I only wish I could see you one last time-”

His words get caught in his throat, bringing his free hand up to cover the lower half of his face.

“There is no me if there is no you.” Mingi chokes out, voice strained and muffled.

He collapses forward, his shoulders slumping as his body shakes with more sobs.

“Come back to me.” He begs, desperate and broken. “Come back to me, so I can hold you in my arms and have you tell me that everything will be okay.”

Tears spill over his cheeks, flooding the earth below as he attempts to reach out to you one last time. In any and every way he can.

“I can’t keep living like this.” His breath stutters as he attempts to calm himself despite the deathly longing that settles within his very core. “I need you here with me. I can’t do this alone!”

His heart squeezes painfully inside his chest..

“Please…”

#cultofdionysusnet #code: spring24 #mingi x reader #mingi scenarios #mingi drabble #ateez x reader #ateez scenarios #ateez drabble #kpop scenarios #kpop x reader #kpop drabble

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lupinus-bicolor · 23 days

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i love listening to marianas trench's music cause all the songs are a solid 7/10 but then CERTAIN PARTS just blow you away like 15/10 style. and then its over in a few seconds. like they shifted the curtain that's hiding god just to give you a peep then closed it again to continue playing rlly decent pop punk

#or maybe the contrast of genres in these snippets is what makes them seem so much better?#Marianas Trench

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haveyoulistenedtothisalbum-poll · 15 days

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Tracklist:

Say Anything • Decided To Break It • September • Alibis • Shake Tramp • Low • Push • Far From Here • Vertigo • Alive Again • Skin & Bones

Spotify ♪ Youtube

#hyltta-polls #polls #artist: marianas trench #language: english #decade: 2000s #Emo-Pop #Alternative Rock #Pop Rock #Pop Punk

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fuck-you-upmusicbracket · 4 months

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I'll Cover You, Reprise (Rent)

Live in my house/I'll be your shelter/Just pay me back/With one thousand kisses/Be my lover/And I'll cover you

"If you know (have seen Rent) then you know. But to take the same lyrics as their joyful love duet earlier on the show and turn it into a solo funeral dirge?? His lover has just died in the most horrific way imaginable and no one cares because the struggle of a gay poor poc in the aids crisis is just a statistic but to him it was so real and so firey and to watch the love of his life go from the most joyous person to ever live into a corpse is just. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"

The Killing Kind (Marianas Trench)

If madness overtakes us both/Then nobody would be alone/The ghost of us can linger hereForever not to disappear/Stay, stay near/Oh, stay/We could be together here/Forever with/Together bound in madness

"Where to even start, holy shit. It's the final song of a concept album themed around being haunted by someone you used to be in a relationship with. So many Edgar Allen Poe references. It's orchestral, it's cinematic, it's epic. You Will Get Goosebumps. Upon first listen, you won't be able to describe what you just heard. It's like an auditory hit and run. Listen to it again. It is now stuck in your head. You will be singing it for days. You're welcome. (Also, it starts out a little quiet. For best results, use headphones or crank up the sound, but it does Not stay quiet, so keep that in mind.)"

"It's a descent into madness over the course of nearly 7 minutes. It revisits several of the musical themes and motifs from the rest of the album and the band's previous work. The instrumental really does the fucking me up more than the lyrics."

The Killing Kind submitted by @thegayknee

#fuck you up bracket #tournament #polls #rent #marianas trench

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dragon-kazansky · 2 years

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Good to you

Gender neutral reader

Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw x Reader

Inspired by the song - Good to you by Marianas Trench

Song choice by @i-still-dont-like-your-face

Waiting for Bradley to come back off a mission was never an easy task. Having him in your arms again was the only relief.

♡♡♡

There was nothing you wouldn't do for that man. Bradley was everything to you. Through thick and thin you would stick by his side, always ready to back him under any circumstance. He loved you for it. He loved you for everything you did for him. There is no doubt in his mind that he would be lost without you in his life.

There wasn’t ever a second where you didn’t worry when Bradley was on a mission. His work was so very important and so very sensitive. You would always be near when he took off, and always there when he landed that plane. You would spent every moment he was gone in fear. Though you knew he was one of the best pilots out there, you knew things could still go very wrong.

You trusted him, but that didn’t mean it was easy. Rooster never left for a mission without making it known to you that he loved you. He loved every second of every day. When he was up in the clouds, he would think of you.

You sit and fiddle with the ring around your finger. He should be coming back any moment now. Your heart was racing, your leg was bouncing, every thought you could possibly have was running through your head.

You missed him. You wanted him.

There’s a song playing distantly on the radio. It’s quiet, but you can hear it. You try to focus on the words. As you do, your leg stops bouncing. You stop fiddling with the ring. Your thoughts are still of your Rooster, but they’re not as worrisome.

And I do want you know I hold you up above everyone And I do want you know I think you'd be good to me And I'd be so good to you

Bradley Bradshaw was the best thing that had ever happened to you. You could say that so happily and freely. You’re the best thing that happened to him. You know that.

He will come through that door any minute now. He will smile at you and you’ll attack him in the biggest hug you can give him.

Before the ticking of the clock felt like it as taunting you, but with this song playing in the background, you find yourself a little more relaxed.

Your head snaps up when the door opens. Pilots come flooding through, but you’re only looking for one. You stand up and wait. As others pass you, your breath catches.

Bradley comes through the door and you smile.

His eyes find yours and he’s smiling to. No words are needed as he opens his arms up to you. You grin as you ran at him and jump up, arms around his neck, his around your waist and bum to hold you up. You kiss him like it’s the last day on Earth. He holds you tightly, melting into your kisses.

He’s home and he’s safe.

Eventually you have to let go of him. He drops you gently back onto your feet, but his arms don’t move from around you.

“Hi honey,” he grins.

You laugh and pull him into another kiss.

Ignoring the cheers and taunts from his fellow pilots, he loses himself completely in you.

He won’t tell you until later that this had been a really tough mission. That he was very close to being in some very serious danger, but he’s here. He’s alive and he’s here with you.

He takes your hand in his and you guide him out of the hall.

The song is coming to an end, but you stopped listening ages ago. Bradley is home now. You can relax once more.

#bradley rooster bradshaw #rooster x reader #rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw #top gun maverick #top gun

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lightscamerabitchsmileee · 7 months

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In honor of Marianas Trench Day I'm reposting some pictures of the 2 Marianas Trench concerts I went to in St. John's back in 2012 & 2015 ☺️☺️ oh to go back and listen to them live again they are so good ☺️☺️

#marianas trench #marianas trench day #concerts #throwbacks #so many memories

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the-priestess-of-dawn · 3 months

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but you still matter: (grima x chrom) because the whole story turns on the memory of a friend

Tracklist + thoughts under the cut

1. Hollow - Cloudeater

I stay empty, I feel the hunger So simple when I was younger I awaken with the thunder A bold statement to end my slumber

2. Valentine's Day - Linkin Park

And the ground below grew colder As they put you down inside But the heartless wind kept blowing, blowing

3. Black Sun - Death Cab for Cutie

How could something so fair be so cruel When this black sun revolved around you?

4. When I Watch The World Burn All I Think About Is You (Demo) - Bastille

Oh, lay me down in ash again And watch the world crumble Oh, oh, oh, oh All I think about is you

5. Youth - Daughter

And if you're in love, then you are the lucky one 'Cause most of us are bitter over someone Setting fire to our insides for fun To distract our hearts from ever missing them But I'm forever missing him

6. Back to You - ROMAN

I hear your voice like a crash but It's only a whisper, it’s already fading I yell so loud at the world I'm lost in the shadows It's already fading

7. Echoes of You - Marianas Trench feat. Roger Joseph Manning Jr.

You know I tried to make it vanish I just want to make it vanish But the notes of an old mistake Still ring louder every day

8. Asking for a Friend - CHVRCHES

'Cause I filled my bed with my regrets But it hasn't killed me yet None of it mattered None of it mattered And the mess we made on Fridays Gave me Sundays on my knees But you still matter You still matter

Enjoy crying over Grima :::)

No but see, I was listening to my (large, disorganized) main Chrom/Grima playlist when I started thinking... you know, I could divide some of these songs into sub-categories... make some curated playlists focused on a particular theme...

So I decided to go with "Grima's eternal longing for their dead other half."

There's kind of a... not exactly a narrative, per se, but... a progression, I guess, with these songs. Starting at the beginning with Hollow, we have Grima's feelings of emptiness, of hollowness... and that's it. And then we have Valentine's Day, where it's like, okay, sure, Grima took note of Chrom's burial, but it's not THAT important. "The heartless wind kept blowing." (and what does it say that Robin was the wind at Chrom's back?). Moving on to Black Sun, we get to the idea that okay, maybe it was important, actually. Chrom was the center of Grima's world. His death was cruel. With When I Watch The World Burn All I Think About Is You we see a further concession. Fine, so Grima thinks about him constantly. They're destroying the world but he's what's on their mind. No big deal. But then we have Youth, and the reveal that burning the world down is really just "setting fire to our insides for fun, to distract our hearts from ever missing them." Then we have Back to You, where Chrom's voice is fading, Grima's very sense of self is fading, and no, it's not what they want. It's not. Echoes of You is a swelling of guilt. The remnants of memory, the echoes of Chrom, won't actually go away. And then, finally, we reach Asking For a Friend. Nothing that Chrom and Robin fought together for mattered. They made a mess of the world and failed to create peace, failed to save anybody at all, only brought ruin... but even though their story was a failure, it still mattered. To Grima, Chrom still matters. He never stopped mattering.

I remember reading a post here on tumblr a few years back (and I'm sure I'll never find it now, because well, you know how tumblr search is) about the value of tales that end in tragedy. How these stories tell us that even when our heroes fail, their journeys, their lives, nevertheless mattered. That they had an impact worthy of being shared.

And of course, me and my 24/7 Grima brainrot immediately thought...

Damn, did Grima ever ensure that Chrom mattered.

#chrom x grima #chrobin #fire emblem awakening #fe13 #fanmix #playlist #hope you enjoy this one 'cause i sobbed for hours putting it together

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skymaiden32 · 3 months

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Bad News

AO3 link here

Fandom: Thunderbirds, Stingray

Tagging: @dragonoffantasyandreality @thundergeek59 @janetm74 @katblu42 @liseylou @amistrio @uniwolfcorn @idontknowreallywhy (Please ask if you would like to get alerts when I update or post new stories.)

I thought I was done with this story. Brain said no and gave me three extra chapters.

Recommended you read some of Mariana Trench first, plus the first chapter since it's been a while.

Enjoy! ^^

Continuity: TOS

No matter how hard he tries, Gordon can't get his conversation with Shore off his mind.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

Gordon sighed, watching as the hole in front of him was finally sealed. “That’s the last of it, Virg.” He updated his brother, who circled the damaged ship on the surface of the water. Gordon grimaced when he thought about how much the vessel was leaning. “I’m afraid it’s taken on too much water to remove by ourselves, but at least there’s no casualties. I can pull it back to the base myself.”

The USS Rodgers, a brand new ship named for the late Colonel Gregory Rodgers, a senior officer of the United States Navy who’d died valiantly in the line of duty. And when Gordon said brand new, he meant brand new. This was supposed to be her maiden voyage. And she’d already had her first taste of danger, attacked senselessly by an unknown submersible. The ship had been carrying vital cargo, the nature of which International Rescue wasn’t under any circumstance permitted to know.

Gordon huffed. A hole the size of Australia had been ripped into the side of the Rodgers when she’d been attacked. He’d been surprised that she hadn’t sunk. It had taken him a good hour to seal it up. He guessed he should count himself lucky the attackers were nowhere in sight. “Are you sure Thunderbird 4 can take that strain, Gordon?” Virgil’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Not really.” He answered honestly. “But what other choice do we have?”

Gordon could hear Virgil’s frown across the airwaves. “We have more choices than you think, Gordon…”

“I just feel like I have a duty to do this.” There was silence. It was Gordon’s turn to frown now. “Virgil, are you there?” Still nothing. “Virgil, you’re really worrying me here.”

After a few more tense seconds, his brother answered his calls. “Sorry for that, Gords. I just let the others know about your …idea…”

“And?” He listened closely.

He started listing the verdicts. “Brains says there’s no way, Dad said - in his words - 'Hell no', Scott’s probably glaring at you from One, John’s losing his mind up there…”

“Okay, I get it. You’re all freaking out.”

Virgil ignored him. “And Alan did a legitimate spit take all over the new upholstery. Grandma did not look happy…” He chuckled briefly, sobering up almost immediately. “If you try to pull that ship, Gordon, Thunderbird 4 will get ripped to shreds. I know you know that.” The aquanaut bit back a hiss. He should’ve known Virgil would figure him out. “And you know what else?”

Gordon inwardly groaned. “What?”

“You’ve been reckless.” Wow, Virgil was going right for the gut today. “More so than usual. The plans you’re coming up with on missions are getting more and more risky, and we’re getting worried.”

“What’s it to you?” Gordon grumbled.

“What’s it to me?” Virgil shot back. His voice sounded further away, as if he’d stood up from his seat. “What’s it to me? You’re my brother, Gordon! We’re family! And the thing about family is that we all look out for each other no matter what.” His voice grew quieter still, although the soft rustling let Gordon know Virgil was sitting down again. “So tell us what’s gotten you so worked up.”

The aquanaut watched the watery expanse in front of him for a few moments, trying to work up the courage to talk about it. Chances were it wasn’t just Virgil who was listening, but that was good. What was haunting him cut deeper than he thought it would, and he didn’t think he’d be able to talk about it twice. He sighed. “You know when Commander Shore called me the other day?”

“Yeah, I remember.” Virgil answered. “Whatever he said, it really shook you. It wasn’t him working out you were International Rescue, was it?”

“What?!” Their father’s shocked and angry voice interrupted, almost echoing through the comms. Gordon and Virgil both froze. Guess this confirmed the whole family was listening.

Scott quickly came to their rescue. Virgil could practically feel his older brother’s face palm. “Father, he figured it out on his own. Nobody told him.”

“I know that, Scott. That’s not the point. In fact, it might be worse! If someone like Commander Shore can figure out who we are, anyone can.”

“Dad, chill.” Gordon folded his arms, eyes still on the ocean ahead. He thought he saw something flash in the distance, but brushed it off. “I know how it sounds, but he said himself that he worked it out because he knows me and he knows how I operate submarines. He won’t say anything.” Jeff Tracy fell silent, but Gordon could tell that wasn’t the end of the conversation. “Besides, that’s not what he said that has me so tense.” Okay, that time he definitely saw something. “Huh, that’s weird. Wonder what that is…” He muttered, trying to get a better look.

“What’s what, Gordon?” Scott asked, instincts on high alert.

“I saw something.”

Jeff spoke up again. “Return to the Pod, Thunderbird 4. It might be the attackers. The Navy is on their way to retrieve the USS Rodgers.”

“FAB.” Gordon confirmed, already turning his ship in the direction of Pod 4.

“And don’t think we won’t be finishing our talk.”

Gordon rolled his eyes fondly. He’d been expecting that. “Yes sir!” The radio clicked off, leaving the aquanaut to continue speeding just below the surface of the water to his rendezvous point with Thunderbird 2.

“Gordon!” The radio crackled to life again, his eldest brother’s urgent voice getting his attention. “You’re being tailed!”

Thunderbird 4 jolted as she was hit with something. Gordon looked behind him. His eyes widened in shock. That was a Terrorfish. Right behind him. He swore. Even out of WASP, there wasn’t any escape from the war below the waves. But it didn’t make sense. International Rescue made a point to never get involved with this sort of thing. Why was Titan targeting Thunderbird 4?

He shook his head. He couldn’t think about that right now, or it was over before it even really began. He’d already been outrun, so his only option was to outmanoeuvre. In the blink of an eye, Thunderbird 4 dived, spun round, and fired. Gordon smirked when the Aquaphibian vessel was blown to pieces. He quickly pulled on his diving suit. Once he did so, he slipped out of the submarine to assess the damage. “Thunderbird 4 to International Rescue. Target successfully destroyed.”

He could hear the relief in Scott’s voice. “FAB, Thunderbird 4. Head back to Pod and return to base.” As IR’s Field Commander gave his orders, Gordon plucked a small black mass off of his ship’s otherwise untarnished hull.

Gordon shook his head, rolling the object around in his fingers. “No can do, Scott. I was hit by something earlier.” He growled. “I know a tracker when I see one…” The implication hung in the air, and the idea of Titanica knowing the location of International Rescue’s base was terrifying. The aquanaut decided right then and there that it wouldn’t happen.

“Well,” Virgil sighed, “what do you want to do, then?” He asked.

“If they want me, they can have me.” Outrage. “I don’t mean like that! I’m saying I set up a little welcome committee for them…”

“‘I’? Who is this ‘I’ you speak of?” Scott scoffed. “These people just tried to kill you! We’re coming with you.”

Oh no, Gordon thought. Absolutely not. “There’s no way either of you are coming with me. Look, you probably wouldn’t believe me, but that vessel belonged to an undersea race at war with WASP. I’m the only one in this family who knows what they’re really capable of. And there’s no way I’m letting you two get involved. Titan and his Aquaphibians are dangerous. I can’t lose anyone to him or his forces.” Silence followed.

“Maybe so.” Virgil agreed. “But we can’t lose you either. Let us come too, even if it’s just to watch and step in if it gets too serious.”

“We’ll leave it to you, Gords. We just wanna make sure you come home in one piece…” Scott added.

Gordon sighed. “Fine. Let’s pick a random island where I can wait for whoever’s coming, and you two can stay hidden…”

#thunderbirds #thunderbirds 1965 #thunderbirds fanfiction #stingray 1964 #stingray fanfiction #thunderfam #gordon tracy #virgil tracy #jeff tracy #scott tracy #sky writes stuff

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ronearoundblindly · 2 years

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Ever thought of a deep sea mermaid reader coming to the surface the first time only to be caught by sheild and in a holding area . While all that is going on bucky and steve went to the area where evidence is at to check for info based in their mission steve saw reader who is there mad caught momentarily head tilt when she sees the two and bangs her glass lettinf her out bucky found his buddy and saw reader whos now scared instead of dangerous . Steve stayed while bucky tells tony about this and they get to know eachother . Reader can communicate only bit frm low Contact(the deep sea mermaid here came from the mariana trench . Darker green skin with bright eyes and parts of her tail glow and parts of it have the same ability as an electric eel yet more stronger . This mermaid is from the deep cold ocean 😯)

Hope it is not confusing

Pretty much no more lead in needed...warnings for...idek, long-windedness? more uselessly thought-out details? Still no real editing in sight. Lots of fun with this one though because it's basically Steve Rogers needs a hug.

The Raft holds the worst of the worst: villains, inhuman, and aliens too dangerous to ever leave. Rehabilitation is not the goal. Containment is.

It's usually during the first few days or weeks after a prisoner arrives that most useful intel can be extracted, and Steve understands that process is necessary. Extraction, however, isn't supposed to mean certain types of torture.

The deep, hollow thudding turns him away from Bucky as they make their way down the hall. Steve stops cold to listen. The noise could just be distorted boots on the metal walkways and stairs. Echoes do strange things in this floating isolation tank.

The sound doesn't stop. Instead, it's coupled with an enormous, gargling scream. Last time he checked, they don't extract information by almost drowning prisoners.

Damn it. He warned Tony to keep an eye on Ross and his henchmen. He knew they'd try to skirt the rules.

The bubbling stops as Steve stomps down a dark corridor, searching, until he can hear from the echoes and airflow that he's reached an end room. Automatically, his hand swipes the wall for the light switch.

It's a tank, ten by ten, built against the far wall so that three sides are visible through thick plexiglass, and you're...covering your face, curled by a fake edge of rock and flicking your fins in order to push you farther from the light.

Steve immediately hits the switch again. "Sorry."

He has no idea who he's apologizing to or what he's apologizing for because he's in the Raft. The things in here are imprisoned after all. People above his paygrade have deemed it necessary for you to be housed here, and that should tell him all he needs to know.

Still, he says it again. "I'm sorry." They're words that rumble in the dark, and he realizes that you can't understand him, possibly can't even hear him through the gas, solid, and liquid between you two He hopes his presence, maybe even his body language, tells you he is not here to harm you, no matter what you've done to earn a spot here.

He can faintly hear Bucky greet the guard for the inmate they came for, and he knows his friend can handle whatever the very-much-human prisoner dishes out. Good. Steve can't look away right now, not as his superior eyes adjust to the black that is not black anymore.

The thick, braided muscles within your tail shimmy you back toward the center of the tank, and as each small scale lifts in the current, pale light shines beneath, a hint of a hint of green glow that spreads over the dark skin of your body, covered in patches by a sea moss striping your torso.

The glow is so faint that all else looks black. Like a forest lit by the moon, you survive in shadow. He can see your winding, swift movements, the rippling pull of long hair dancing through water, and Steve realizes you are studying him, too. Well, he's doing his best to study you, but it's simply too dark. He wants to see more.

"Cover your eyes--" he gestures with his elbow raised over his face "--I'm gonna--"

He stops himself. You can't understand him.

Steve lumbers to the far wall, ticks on the flashlight of his phone, and props it to face the wall. The light is still so dim, especially what little hits the tank, that the average human would still grope around for the door.

Lavender. With irises that take up your whole eye and pin-prick pupils despite the near-black, he can see the colors of you. Your eyes are lavender, and there's deep violet tones wafting in the graceful, floating mane surrounding you.

"Hello," Steve mouths softly, lifting a hand to the glass.

Your head tilts curiously, inspecting the lines on his palm. His flesh looks so different from yours. He's pale and rosy. Fragile. You can see heat radiating off of him like rocks warmed by the sun. Fascinating.

Your hand raises parallel, fingers with thin green webbing splayed open in a questioning greeting.

"Never seen her do that before," Tony Stark's voice rings out over an intercom above Steve. "Now can you get her to take a freaking nap?"

You can hear the voice based on your frantic gaze darting around the top of your tank. Panic rips across your face. Your mouth opens to resonate with the same gargled shriek that drew him to you.

"I'm only trying to help," Tony's mechanical voice continues.

The solid top of your tank slides back to reveal a fake beach sort of landing upon which stands Iron Man. It's still dark except for Steve's phone in the corner and the exceedingly bright arc reactor on Tony's chest.

You're cowering again, even while Tony jokes lightly, "but you can't eat another guard. Them's the rules, honey."

Steve cocks an eyebrow at that. Did you really eat a human?

Iron Man turns to Steve. "Well, if she likes you, you may as well come on up."

Steve finds out that you've been at the Raft for nearly two weeks, growing more and more irritable (which Tony accepts makes sense) but refusing to sleep (which Tony argues at you loudly doesn't help your irritability). They found you in the Mariana Trench while the newest Stark vehicle was tested for pressure security before a space launch. He has no idea if you're one of a kind or an entire, undiscovered species.

Tony keeps throwing sassy insults your way, watching you peek your squinting eyes over the water's surface.

"Water's the right temp. 'Bout cold as we can make it without actually freezing her." Tony opens the helmet when it's clear you're not aggressively swiping for his legs, as he explained you regularly try. "Don't let her fool you. She can breathe the air. She's fine. She's just cranky," he squats to yell at you.

You wince at the sound and swim 'away,' which is at most six feet farther than you were.

"Cap, have you ever tried to explain the H.A.L.T. method to a mermaid? It's so simple. She's either hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. My money's on tired, and since that's a lot of money, I know what I'm talking about."

Steve's had an idea, and he instantly reacts, kicking off his shoes and heading straight for your tiny shore.

Despite the still bright glow of the arc reactor, your eyes are now wide and skeptical.

He's wading into your pool. The scary big thing with a split tail and bound fins makes his way right for you, smiling like he did with his hand up.

"Uh, hold up now, Rogers," but Tony's too late. "Wasn't joking about the guard."

Steve hisses as the cold water envelops him.

You bare your teeth at Steve in an awful green grimace, but he keeps coming. You hiss back, bubbles bursting at the corners of your mouth, but he keeps coming.

And then he grabs for you. And then he pinches you against him. And then he...and then it's...

Your head plonks back down to the water's surface, slippery form sagging against his arms and legs spaced around your back evenly.

Steve presses his chin to your crown, not worried about drowning you because, well, he can't.

"Pressure, Tony. You said it yourself."

"Yeah, but--"

"Astronauts have to train to sleep in zero-G, right?"

Tony grumbles noisily for a while, pacing around the shore's edge. "...can breathe air then she can handle normal air pressure...thirty thousand feet down and anything in between...probably some mating ritual on land if there's more of..."

After his mumbling goes quiet, Steve swivels your floating bodies in Tony's direction. "How about you go fix it before I freeze a second time, pal. What the hell is she even doing here?"

Tony shrugs. "Proximity and rooms designed for all types of...beings. Also Chuck." The heavy boots of the suit echo off the wet metal and stone. "I'll tell Barnes you'll be a while, huh?"

He'll stay as long as it takes, as long as he can stand it. Tony's called Steve a wet blanket more times than either can count; they just didn't know he was a weighted wet blanket that would come in handy one day.

Steve absently wonders whether he can float you both to a ledge so he doesn't sink while you sleep...and whether Chuck was his size and left a spare uniform onsite...

I couldn't think of a title anyway, but I love the little ideas about what alien/semi-alien life would behave like and need in an average human environment. So much fun to think about. Onwards to more fantasy!

If you enjoyed this work, please consider reblogging, and thank you so much for reading. 💚💚💚

Teeny humor follow-up here.

#steve rogers fic #fanfic #steve rogers #steve x reader #steve rogers fanfiction #steve x you #fluff and feels #captain america fluff #captain america #captain america x reader #mermaid!reader #Fantasy Friday asks #ro answers

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