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#safety zone was an immediate favourite in that it really felt like a continuation of that story
hopeinthebox · 2 years
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burnt in blue
a blue side x safety zone playlist
features: blue side - j-hope // teardrop - hayley williams // suga's interlude - halsey ft. suga // white flag - clairo // forever rain - rm // delicious things - wolf alice // wildfire - eric nam // rolling stone - brent faiyaz // slide away - miley cyrus // breezeblocks - alt-j // see you again - tyler the creator ft. kali uchis // safety zone - j-hope // + more
listen on spotify
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hyucks-archive · 3 years
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blue.
word count: 2,666
genre: angst, female!reader, ex-boyfriend!mark
member(s): mark, jaemin, jeno
warning(s): none
author’s note: did you know that blue is supposedly the #1 ‘favourite colour’ in the world? :o
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“Why are you seated here alone?”
You turn in the direction of where the voice had come from, looking up to meet eyes with Jaemin, who is looking at you with a tender, sweet smile. “Mind if I join?” he asks, to which you shake your head, patting the spot next to you. He seats himself down beside you, dipping his legs into the chlorine-filled pool water. You kick your legs gently, watching as your subtle movements form gentle ripples on the surface of the light blue water.
“Shouldn’t you be with your girlfriend?” you ask. Jaemin’s smile widens at the mention of her; would the mention of you, put a smile on his face too? You scoff internally – in what world would that be possible? There’s a reason you’re seated here alone. “She couldn’t make it today,” Jaemin shares, taking a sip from his blueberry mocktail. “Why aren’t you hanging with the boys?” he questions. You have your eyes fixed on the blue water in front of you.
Johnny’s Suhmmer Party has always been an annual tradition for you and your friends. Every year, Johnny would host a massive summer party, welcoming the start of summer at his beach house. While you aren’t one to dig parties, you’d still attend, just because it’s a friendship thing. And, even when you’d sit by the pool, away from the crowd, you wouldn’t be alone. You’d be beside him. But this year, marks the first year, that things are different. You had considered skipping out on attending the party altogether, but you knew that it’d only invite unwelcomed questions. You didn’t want your friends worrying for you, at least, not after how much you tried to convince them that you were fine.
Instead, you made sure to arrive early, and steer away from the main house, where most of the guests would be. That probably makes it a thousand times clearer that you’re avoiding something. But Jaemin is the sweetest boy out of the lot, the only one who’d be willing to play dumb and act as though he doesn’t already know your answer to his question.
You smile, turning to make eye contact with him. “It’s stuffy inside,” you lie.
Jaemin leans forward, looking at the area surrounding you. “You didn’t even get yourself a drink?” he asks. You wouldn’t risk it. Jaemin lifts his legs out of the pool, pushing himself off the ground, into a standing position. “I’ll go get a drink for you. What drink do you want?” he offers. You maintain the smile on your face, replying with, “Blue lagoon.”
“Non-alcoholic?”
You nod your head. “I’ll be right back,” he says, turning on his heel to head back into the main house to get your drink.
You refocus your attention on the pool water beneath you. There’s music pumping in the background, but all you seem to be able to capture are the subtle sounds the water makes as it dances with the gentle summer breeze. You breathe a sigh, eyes travelling upwards, towards the night sky. The night sky is always said to be a dark shade of blue, but all you see, is a blanket of black. You wonder if it’s just you, or if the blue is just not striking enough to the naked eye.
Taking in a deep breath, your eyes continue to travel around, browsing through your surroundings. You smile when you spot Jungwoo in the distance, showing off his ‘perfect’ re-enactment of that one move he loves from Tom & Jerry. The group of friends he’s with bursts into laughter, and despite the shy smile on Jungwoo’s lips, you know how smug he’s feeling inside, having succeeded in being a comedic relief to his friends.
Then, unexpectedly, or perhaps, with a tiny sense of hope that it would happen tonight, your eyes land on the one being that would make up the sole reason as to why you’d get up and make a beeline for the main house. Yet, you remain still in your position, eyes lingering on his silhouette for far too long. He turns his head to look at Yuta, granting you the perfect view of his side profile. Even from an angle, you can still see the sparkle in his eyes.
The sparkle, that was once solely elicited by you.
You’re still able to recall the first time you had met Mark. He was loud, but he was also shy. He giggled often, and laughed at almost every little thing Johnny would say. When he met eyes with you for the first time, you couldn’t deny the jittering feeling that spread throughout your entire body. He was charming, to say the least. And when he introduced himself to you, you were pretty much sold on how ethereal he seemed to be. At least, in your eyes, he was.
Looking at him from a distance like that, you’re only affirmed that Mark Lee is indeed, and will always be, that ethereal being in your heart. Nothing can change that.
“What are you staring at?” Jaemin’s voice interrupts, bringing you back into reality. You shake your head, reaching for the beverage in his hand, “Nothing,” you lie, again. Jaemin glances in the direction of where you were looking, his eyes immediately meeting Mark’s. Jaemin reclaims the seat beside you, jumping straight into conversation, to ensure that he engages your attention. He knows that it’ll only leave you overthinking, if you knew that Mark’s staring.
“What are you going to do over the summer?” Jaemin begins, drawing up a topic of discussion. You hum in thought, “I haven’t really thought about it,” you say, pressing your lips into a thin line. “I was thinking, laying in bed and rotting my days away,” you inform, a proud smile punctuating the end of your sentence. Jaemin chuckles at the information.
“Come on, you have to get out of the house,” he says.
“And do what? Rot under the sun?”
“I don’t know, maybe spend a peaceful reading day by the beach? You love to read, don’t you?” he suggests. Your mind goes blank at the word ‘peaceful’. Indeed, sitting by the deep blue sea, under the clear blue sky sounds extremely pleasant and tranquil. Yet, all your brain seems to be able to think about at the mention of a peaceful day, is Mark Lee.
Mark has always been your peace. On days that you were overly anxious for your final examinations, his presence alone served in every way you needed, to calm you down. On days where it felt as though the world would cripple and fall down on you, his presence alone provided you with the serenity you sought for. Mark was always like your personal, bright sky – he was always there for you, no matter where you were. You’d look up, and you’d see him smiling down at you.
Mark Lee was always like the light blue hue of the sky; he was peace, and he was serenity.
At least, he was all that, when he was yours.
Jaemin waves a hand in front of your zoned-out face. “Hello?” he calls out. You snap back into your senses once more, meeting eyes with Jaemin. “Sorry,” you murmur. Jaemin’s shoulders sink slightly when he sees how you immediately reach for your blue lagoon, sipping at it as you continue to be lost in thought.
“Hey,” Jeno greets, taking a seat beside Jaemin. “What’s going on?”
Jaemin tries to send a signal to Jeno, by gesturing towards you with his eyes. Jeno frowns, raising a brow. “What?” he mouths. “Do something,” Jaemin hisses, nudging Jeno. Jeno blinks a few times, still failing to grasp the situation. He calls for you, and you turn to face him. “Let’s go get a drink. An alcoholic one, this time,” he says, flashing his signature eye smile at you. Jaemin nods his head enthusiastically, encouraging with, “That sounds like a good idea, doesn’t it?” He places a hand on your shoulder, smile sincere as he urges for your agreement.
You shake your head, forcing a small smile. “You guys go ahead,” you say.
It’s weird. It’s funny how dependent you’ve become.
In the past, you could drink as much as you want, because you knew you had someone to fall back on, someone who’d ensure your safety, someone who’d take care of you. You’ve gotten so used to having that pillar of dependability, that you’re no longer able to drink, without knowing that he’d be there for you. Now that he isn’t, drinking will never be an idea you’re able to go along with. Sounds ridiculously stupid, but no one would understand something like this, unless they’ve been put in the same situation themselves.
You stare at the bright blue, medium hue blue lagoon mocktail in your hand. If it contained alcohol, and if you were drinking it a year back, in this very spot, Mark would’ve rushed to your side, chiming at you to watch your alcohol intake, because of your low alcohol tolerance. You chuckle bitterly; it’s as though you’re able to see the reflection of Mark so clearly in the drink – somehow, someway, Mark always seems to be able to plant himself at the back of your mind.
Mark resembles what medium blue is supposed to represent – dependability.
“Mark!”
You whip your head around – damn, the reflection in the glass was an actual reflection of Mark.
Jaemin and Jeno exchange looks. “What are you doing here?” Jaemin begins, laughing almost too awkwardly.
You remain in your position, eyes on Mark. Perhaps a part of you wanted this encounter to happen. You can’t just erase a person from your heart when they walk out on you. Then again, perhaps a part of you isn’t ready for this at all.
Cold. That’s the only word you can use to describe Mark’s gaze.
Mark always looked at you with nothing but love and affection in his eyes. When you needed assurance, all you had to do was look at Mark, and he’d send endless messages of reassurance and security through his gaze. Mark’s presence used to be like a blanket of security; his eyes would resemble the dark blue of the night sky – no matter how late it might be, no matter how alone you might feel, you can always trust that he’d be there for you.
Mark was your dark blue all this while; the most trustworthy presence in your life.
Yet the same pair of eyes that once looked at you like you were the most precious thing alive, is now looking at you, like you’re no different from the grass that people trample on day and night. You swallow. Mark keeps his eyes locked on yours, as he answers Jaemin, “Saw you guys hanging over here. Thought I should stop by to say hi.”
From what point, did Mark lose his warmth?
Blue was always your favourite colour. To be under the dark blue sky, a bright, medium blue beverage in hand, with your feet dipped in the light blue pool; blue is supposed to make you feel at peace. But somehow, tonight feels unsettlingly cold. Is it because you lack the one most important blue in your life?
“Can I sit?” Mark asks. You can feel Jeno and Jaemin’s stare, so you turn towards them. With a soft smile, you reassure, “I’ll be fine. You guys go ahead, okay?” Jaemin makes sure to leave an encouraging squeeze on your arm, whispering, “I’ll run back here if you need me,” before taking his leave with Jeno. Mark takes a seat on your right. He mirrors your position, dangling his legs over the edge of the pool.
“I didn’t think you’d be here tonight,” he says, almost too gently. He isn’t wrong. Former you would’ve refused until the end, unwilling to show up at a party where you’d potentially bump into your ex. But present you was too attracted to the colour blue, that you couldn’t stay away. You miss having the sense of trust, the sense of loyalty, and the mutual understanding that required no words at all. You smirk pitifully; it’s all still here. At least, it is for you.
“I didn’t think you’d come and talk to me. I guess we’re both full of surprises tonight, huh?” you say, mustering the courage to look at him. He’s staring at you with his doe eyes, except, they don’t light up the way they used to. It serves as a reminder – the Mark before you is different from the Mark you’re used to. The Mark before you, is cold and distant. At what point did Mark become like that? It still baffles you ’till this day.
“How have you been?” he asks, showing too much concern for your comfort. You wish he had that in him when he was minutes away from walking out from your life.
“I’ve been fine,” you lie, for the nth time tonight. “What about you?”
“I’ve been busy,” he replies, looking away. “So much has changed, it’s nice to be able to come back and see all these familiar faces.”
You take a pause, mentally dissecting his words. Furrowing your brows, you question, “You moved?”
Mark looks back at you, a soft smile on his lips. “I moved,” he says. “Why?” you ask. “We both know why,” he tells you. Your brows knit together. Do you?
You shift your gaze to your feet that’s distorted because of the water. You were both young, with your own goals that you were individually working towards. While you were passionate about achieving your goals, Mark was tenfold as passionate as you were. He worked hard, day and night. It got so serious to the point that he was barely there for you. But you didn’t mind. The process of reaching one’s dream is never easy. What mattered was that the two of you were still supportive of each other. When he was present, he was still the same sweet, dependable, trustworthy Mark.
But to Mark, he was a good-for-nothing. Who cares if he had a dream, a passion, when he can’t even make his significant other happy? He knew you were struggling. He wanted to put an end to that.
At some point in the relationship, you began to feel sad. You felt lonely. Far from peace and tranquillity.
But Mark was always your blue. He was the blue that spread in your heart, that made you feel understood, that made you feel security. You understand why they say blue is wet now. At what point, did the blue spread so much, that it began soaking your heart? Too much blue results in feelings of melancholy, negativity, and sadness. At what point, did Mark become so overwhelmingly blue?
Mark left because he knew he was too much for you. He couldn’t find the right balance. You deserved someone who could.
Unknowingly, the two of you have been sitting by the pool, staring into each other’s eyes.
Was blue always this depressing of a colour?
“Did you move permanently?” you ask.
Mark nods his head. “I’ve settled down,” he says.
You’re about to probe further, but both of your attentions are captured by the sweet voice that yells, “Mark!” from a distance. You look in the direction from where the voice had come from.
“That’s my fiancé,” he informs, voice soft. He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly.
Your lips part slightly at the revelation.You can’t even pretend that you didn’t see the way his eyes brightened up at the mere sound of her voice.
That’s right. A heart that’s gone, can never be caught again.
You force a smile. “Congratulations.”
“We’ll catch up again?” he says, already getting up.
“Sure,” you manage out, feeling the sting in your nose as the tears begin to well in your eyes.
Maybe it is time to let go of the colour blue.
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into the night (bakugou x reader) - Chapter 2/?
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Summary:
You were born to die.
It is a fact you’ve known since your quirk first manifested, and one you have been denying for just as long. You refuse your supposed fate and try to live the best life you can while remaining undetected.
But maybe fate has another plan. A chance encounter on a mountainside changes your life forever.
Chapter One
MATURE : MINORS DO NOT INTERACT // 18+
The village has not changed much since you last visited. It almost makes you feel as if you never left. For many, this would be a comfortable thought; however, you left to get away from this sort of monotony. The city is always moving, always changing and updating, for better or for worse. You hadn’t even realized that your favourite dessert place had moved until one week you went and walked into a new bar. While you mourned the desert place, the bar had been a welcome addition to the area.
You noticed early in life that most people didn’t leave the village. Maybe it was the comfort of monotony, maybe it was the money it took to actually leave. Nobody in the village was rich, and it took you saving every yen you could for too many years to be able to leave. Most of the kids you went to school with remain here, working in local shops or restaurants. So when you walk through the village with Dad, everybody wants to come to say hello.
Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, you would spend more time talking to each person, but your nerves about the mountain pull you quickly from person to person until finally the small store comes into view.  An old man sits on a chair outside, seemingly staring into nothing. He looks over at your arrival, startling a bit with a large smile forcing its way onto its face. He calls out your name.
He looks the same as you remember him, but watching him struggle to pull himself from the chair is new. You frown slightly, rushing towards him to help him up. Your help immediately turns into a hug. “Welcome home my dear.”
“Thank you, Tanaka.” You reply happily, hugging him back. “How have you been?”
“Oh, just great dear.” He pulled back from the hug. “And you? Have you found yourself a husband yet?”
You hold back a frustrated sound. This shit again?! Dad coughs behind you, struggling to hide his laughter. “Not yet.” You reply, slightly more patient with Tanaka than your father. “I have to find the right one, you know?”
“Well, you better hurry up now. You are not getting any younger!” He says, as if his words are not a punch to the gut. “When you find him, make sure to come visit. I know your mother would-”
“Tanaka.” Surprisingly, it’s your father that interrupts. “I believe she has something to ask you?” He gestures at you.
“Ah, yes!” You reply quickly, thankful for the quick change in subject. “Do you have a guest at Fuccanchi?”
The old man blinks a few times, seemingly confused about the change in topic. But he gets it after a moment. “Oh, yes I do, dear.” He stops there. You wait a moment, but no more information comes. Alright then.
“Is there any chance it is a guy around my age?”
“I would think so.” His head tilts to the side, considering. Then his eyes open wide. “Oh, I see. I don’t know if he is single, but he didn’t come with a wife. I will ask him next time I see him.” Single? Uh-
“Ack, no, nope!” You immediately shut that down, hands flailing uselessly in front of you. “That is not what I meant. I saw him on the mountain and I was just concerned for his safety.” You pause. “Just to make sure, is this guy a blond? Um...he looked strong? But he was super quiet.”
“Yes, that sounds like him.” Tanaka taps at his face. “Such a strange young man. Maybe it is for the best that you don’t get married. A husband like that is no good.”
“Tanaka!” You groan, running your hand down your face. “I just want to make sure he is okay. Have you seen him around today?"
He takes another too-long pause, but you wait it out. Then he replies. “I saw him this morning while I was putting out food for the cats.” He continues. “Chico has been so naughty recently, I don’t know what to do about her. And Haru got into the brambles, it took me forever to get him clean…”
You let Tanaka's voice fade to the background as he spoke about the cats. Your mind was on more important things. This morning, he saw the guy this morning. You let out a long breath of relief, that nagging feeling in your gut finally releasing. If he was here this morning, he is fine. The mountain didn’t swallow him up. You didn’t have to go to the police. You can forget all about him now.
Finally.
After letting go of the asshole on the mountain, the rest of your day is calm and peaceful. Dad stays to chat with Tanaka, so you filter through the various small shops, buying items you don’t really need just to help out the owners. To stimulate the local economy.
You meet up with a few childhood friends for dinner at a family restaurant. It is a bit awkward at first, as are all conversations where you haven't spoken in years, but it soon gets moving. They ask about the city and your life, often replying ‘ I could never do that' or ‘I could never live there’ to your stories. You don’t answer that you feel the same about their lives.
It is only when you are done eating, and you are partially zoning out while one of them tells an extremely long story about a new television show they are watching, that you hear something from the mountain. You perk up at the odd sound, but nothing looks out of place or weird.
“Is there something happening on the mountain?” You ask, rudely cutting off whoever was speaking at the time. They go quiet, and you listen closely. You hear it again, faint from distance: a booming sound. It sounds like a demolition, maybe. Are they taking down one of the huts on the mountain? But that wouldn’t need a full demolition.
“What are you talking about?” Saneka asks.  
“The noises.” You reply, frowning when you meet three other confused faces. “Do you guys not hear them?” They shake their heads.
“I think I heard something last night.”  Nakamura puts forward. “I was up late reading. It is the best time to read, you know, with the quiet. But there was suddenly this loud banging sound-”
“You sure that wasn’t coming from your mom's room?” Ito smirked.
“Hey! Take that back!” Nakamura frowned, slamming his hands down on the table. The conversation quickly deteriorates into jokes, the topic dropped entirely. You try to push it from your mind, deciding to have an extra look tomorrow when you head out.
The dinner ends relatively quickly after that, the three of them headed in one direction and you in the other. You exchange phone numbers and promise to keep in touch. A promise that none of you are planning on keeping. You head home, casually listening for more sounds in the mountain that don’t come. The lights are on when you make it back.
“I’m home!” You call out, toeing off your shoes.
“Welcome back,” Dad calls out. You find him in the living room, watching some show on the television. He looks up at you with a smile. “How was dinner?”
You shrug. “Fine.” Plopping down beside him on the couch, you change the subject. “What are you watching?” He gives you a look, knows when you are deflecting, but still goes off on an explanation you only partially listen to.
You don’t want to tell him how that dinner just reinforced your decision to leave the village. You don’t want to tell him that every word from your old friend's mouth was so boring and slow that you felt like you were going insane. You cant tell him how your heart screams for the hustle and bustle of your city and your job.
Dad falls asleep early nowadays. You place a blanket over him, turn off the television and lights, and head upstairs. It’s an early night for you too. Or, it is supposed to be. You need to be up early to tackle the mountain.
But your mind keeps returning to your childhood friends. How did you all grow up to be so different? What happened? Saneka, the beauty queen of your class, who swore she would be an American actress, decided to marry Nakamura, the class weirdo who once ate glue. Is Ito, the man who wanted nothing more than to prove his worth by moving to the city, really happy working at a store in this village? They all had such big dreams. Did they give them up to live a quiet, peaceful life? Are they really happy like this?
“Move to Makkari?”
Your father's quiet plea rattles around in your brain. Could you be happy here, like them? Could you give up everything for a quiet, peaceful life? A safe life? What would you even do? Get a job with Tanaka and Ito at the storei? Find love amongst the minimal prospects and live a slow life? Your heart hurts at the thought. You look out your window from your bed. It isn’t a good angle to see the mountain, but the sight still does not disappoint. Stars dot the cloudless sky, constellations you once knew dance above your head. It is beautiful here. Beauty that cannot exist in a city.
You let out a frustrated groan and turn over to bury your face in your pillow. This train of thought will keep you awake for hours, you need to stop. Reaching over to the nightstand, you grab and your phone and find your music app. It takes a moment, but you find some nice background music to hopefully drown out your thoughts and put your earphones in. The sounds are able to relax you and give you something else to focus on rather than your own problems.
Luckily, you fall asleep not too long after.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
You scream awake, sitting straight up with hands reaching up to cover your ears. Holy fuck that is loud. When your ears hit earphones, you grab them harshly and yank them out. The sound instantly gets quieter, distant now as they rest in your lap.
Well, that's a shocking way to wake up. Your body feels weird after waking up so suddenly, buzzing a bit as if you are in danger. You give yourself a few moments to just breathe until your body calms down, your brain mentally going through everything you need to do before your hike today. You are not planning to make it to the top, but you are hoping to make it at least further than the rocky ledge of yesterday.
Despite the sudden awakening, you feel sluggish as you finally make your way out of bed. It takes you a bit longer than normal to get everything done, but you still make it out the door within your desired time. You stop in at the local cafe, grabbing a large coffee, and heading out to the mountain. The coffee kicks in by the time you make it there, body buzzing with caffeine and excitement for your day. You park your car in its regular spot, an unassuming area with the smallest hint of a trail, and head out.
The sun is getting high in the sky by the time you pass the forest and reach the foot of the mountain. With the days getting shorter, maybe you should have tried to come earlier, but as it is you will have enough time for what you want to do. You make a quick reminder to start even earlier next time and begin the trek up.
It's a nice day, honestly, and you are enjoying yourself immensely as you climb. The trees have lost a lot of their leaves already, but there is a beauty in that as well. You hum quietly to yourself as you walk, eyes continuously scanning the surrounding area for any threats. With the trees as bare as they are, it’s actually pretty easy to keep an idea of your surroundings for most of the trail; however, up ahead it takes a rough corner through a group of rocks. The rocks completely obscure your view, and you are prepared to take that area slower than normal.That's when it happens.
You flinch as a figure rounds the corner ahead, coming into view quickly. A man. Your hand instinctively goes to fiddle at the clip for the spray. It takes you only a moment to recognize him as he turns, also pausing a second as he sees you.
It’s him. The asshole of the mountain.
He looks like he is on his way down, which is a bit odd considering the time of day. Did he stay overnight on the mountain?
You look over his outfit. It's slightly better than before. At least he is wearing a jacket, although it looks too light for the climate. But you still don’t see any protection items. He scoffs, bringing your attention back to his face. He starts to walk down the trail towards you, hands relaxed in his jacket pocket despite the rough terrain.
“You really should wear more protection if you are coming up to the mountain.”  The words are out of your mouth before you can stop them. Maybe from a childhood of warnings and scary stories, of seeing people go up the mountain to never return, or possibly just frustration from your job at people who do not take the measures to protect themselves.
Your words are a bit sudden, sure, but the man doesn’t even acknowledge them. His eyes flicker to you briefly before he continues his descent. You are thrown off, made awkward at the complete lack of acknowledgment. What the? Who just completely ignores someone when they are talking? It’s obvious that you are talking to him, right?
“Hey, uh, sorry if I insulted you or something the other day.” You attempt, forcing a small smile. You reach for the spray at your hip and unclip it, offering it out. “But you really should take the bear spray. One of the villagers saw one the other day and…” You trail off as the man walks by you, completely ignoring your words.
Once again you are left standing holding out bear spray. What the absolute fuck. Your hand clutches the spray harder in anger as you spin to face his back. Well, fuck you too then . You narrow your eyes and raise a middle finger to his back, grinning when it goes unnoticed. Hah, take you fuck-
You hit the ground. The world spins wildly around you. The air is knocked out of you immediately and you gasp in the cold autumn air. Your hands grasp at the ground as if trying to steady you.
What happened?
You push yourself up a bit, glancing down at your body. Your right foot rests awkwardly on top of a tree root. You hadn’t seen it, too preoccupied with trying to one-up the asshole without him knowing. You move your foot a bit, but it doesn’t feel injured. It's a lucky break, honestly, as getting injured up here could spell a lot of trouble for you.
But you don’t feel too lucky as you lock eyes with the only other person on the trail. He has stopped walking, looking over his shoulder at you. You attempt the most prideful glare you can from your back on the ground. His eyes narrow briefly, but he turns to continue his walk down the mountain.
You wait until he is too far to see before letting out a loud groan. Your head rests back on the ground for a moment. Fuck. Of course, he saw that. Of course, the world wouldn’t give you this one win. After another moment of self-deprecation, you pull yourself up and wipe angrily at the dirt on your clothes.
In theory, the rest of the hike goes by peacefully. Nothing else happens, and normally you would be excited looking around at the nature surrounding you. In reality, you spend the entire time grumbling about a certain blonde. You make it to the same rock ridge you had been on the other day and climb up. The rocks are cold under your ass as you sit, a break. Part of you wants to give up for the rest of the day, your mood is already horrible. But you need to push forward if you want to make it to the top by the end of your month here.
After taking a quick look around the area, you reach into your pack and grab your sandwich and water bottle. Extremely basic, but you couldn’t be bothered to put more effort in this morning. You eat slowly, your brain unfortunately, stuck on the blond from earlier. What is his deal anyway? You chew angrily.
Once done, you shove the sandwich container and water bottle back into your pack, careful not to leave anything on the trail. You stretch and slide down the rocky ledge back to the trail.
A sound to your right. Something is there. Your head swings towards it, eyes focusing immediately on a potential threat.
It’s actually not a man this time. It's a bear. Fuck.
You reach down to your hip. Your hand grasps at just air. The spray is gone. Where the fuck did it... oh. You had been holding it when you fell, after offering it to the asshole. It must have rolled away. You didn’t even notice, too preoccupied with your anger.  
“Fuck.” You back away slowly, quietly, hoping it hasn't seen you but unable to properly see its face in the trees. Another sound. Shit. It’s definitely walking towards you. You begin to take quicker steps backward, abandoning quietness for speed and distance from the creature. Reaching backward, you try to get a hand into your pack to grab the spare spray.
It charges, and against all things you know you should do, you panic. You let out a scream and turn, running into the trees.
Your heart pounds in your chest, breath catching harshly as you bolt through the trees. You dart between trees in hopes that the bigger animal can't maneuver as well. You don’t know where you are going, or exactly how far the bear is. But you can hear it. It is there. Getting closer every moment. Fuck. You can’t outrun a bear.
You’re gonna die. Fuck fuck.
There is a loud sound in the distance. A bang.
You can’t afford to think about it. You run,
A boom. You run.
Even closer now.
You run.
A boom behind you, large and wild, is all you hear before a powerful gust of hot wind rams into your back. You trip immediately, falling harshly to the ground and rolling into a tree. A cough rips out of your lungs. Your eyes snap open immediately after, hands pushing yourself up. Experience tells you not to stay down when danger is imminent. But the scene in front of you is not what you expect.
The area directly in front of you is destroyed. Where trees once stood are now scattered remains some smoking. In the middle of the new clearing is the blond. He stands with his back to you, looking into the trees. Your eyes immediately follow the direction he is looking to see a brown figure disappearing into the trees.
“What the fuck…” You whisper, blinking wildly. You lean back against the tree for support, closing your eyes briefly to focus on your breathing to calm down. Going into shock would not do you well right now. For a moment there is silence, the only sound being your deep breaths and the occasional snapping of a tree.
“Oi!” You open your eyes. The blond turns towards you, looking you over for a moment. “What happened to the fucking bear spray, idiot?” That unimpressed look appears on his face again, a scowl that sends shivers down your spine.
Fuck you. That is what your instincts tell you to say to that. But, he did just save your life. You grit your teeth together and force out a quiet ‘thank you’. You are not too sure if he heard you, but he doesn’t say anything. He turns, sliding his hands in his pocket to walk in the direction that you came from.
A second. He stops. “Well?” He looks back, intense gaze focused on you. “Move it, extra.”
Your eyes narrow, anger at being called an extra threatening to boil over. A calming breath and you pull yourself into a standing position.  “Right.” You follow.
The walk down is quiet. You follow the blond a few feet behind, looking around the forest as you go. There is no more movement around you, the forest dead as if nothing had ever happened. But what had happened? You look at the man in front of you, biting your lip. Obviously, this had something to do with the blonds' quirk, right? How did he even get up there so fast?
Wait. Is that the noise you’ve been hearing from the mountain?
Eventually, you reunite with the trail, only a bit before the mountain merges into a flat forest. He stops, taking a step back and gesturing with a grunt for you to begin walking down. You pass him beginning the trek, but he isn't following. You pause, looking back. The blond stands there, hands in his pockets, watching you with those intense eyes.
What the hell is he doing up on the mountain? Why is he here? You narrow your eyes, considering him.
“What?” His gruff voice sounds muffled. “Y’wanna fuckin autograph or somethin’.”
Huh?
“Huh?” You repeat your thoughts. “Um, no, I just…” You trail off. In the end, he doesn’t seem to be doing anything bad up on the mountain. “Listen. Thank you for, uh, saving me.” You speak more confidently. “But you can’t be using your quirk like this without a license.”
His eyes widen, light eyebrows rising in surprise. “Hah?!”
“I mean, you are not the first person to come here thinking they can practice on the mountain without anyone knowing.” You continue. “Not only does it pose a huge risk to the local wildlife and mountain as a whole, but if you got hurt there would be nobody to help you.”
“Help me ?!" That gruff voice got louder, angrier. His shoulders tense. You put your hands up in a placating gesture.
“I won’t say anything, promise. I owe you one after that.” You continue. “But I can hear you from the village, and I’m sure others will too. I’d hate for someone to call the police or the heroes on you.”
A brief silence, where the blond looks a weird mix of shocked and completely pissed off. You take that as your opportunity to leave before he gets really angry, turning on your heel and beginning the rest of your hike. Your hand runs over the extra can of bear spray now solidly clipped to your hip.
You make it through the bottom of the mountain quickly with no further incident. The sight of your car on the side of the road fills you with relief. Honestly, you were not sure if you’d ever see it again. You run your hand over the hood thoughtfully as you walk around to the driver's side.
A booming sound echoes from further up the mountain. You look up, but see nothing. A few more sounds after. Then quiet.
“Fucking idiot.” You muse, turning on the engine.
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buckyreaderrecs · 4 years
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So Far Away: Chapter 1/?
Summary:  Bucky Barnes doing what he does best. Saving. Loving. In this particular case, the object of both is you. (Bonus: Bucky Barnes happy, healing, doing really well!)
Pairing: Bucky Barnes/reader Characters: Bucky Barnes Additional tags: mostly canon compliant (Infinity War and Endgame didn’t happen, Stark Tower still exists),  possible future smut (who knows, not me), she/her pronouns, more tags/characters to be added with future chapters, hero Bucky Barnes, canon typical violence, warzone/disaster zone setting Warnings: possible triggers for anxiety, PTSD, grief
Note: I don’t know where I’m going with The Girl With Too Much Power (ideas welcomed) so here’s my other series. Feedback always encouraged and welcome. Thank ya’ll! xo Rhi
Tag list: just @darlingtholland lel
So Far Away Chapter 1 / ?
The city was crumbling and between the crashing sounds of buildings toppling, screams and cries were painfully audible. That wasn't the most terrifying part though. It wasn't the lifeless bodies lying in the streets or the sight of your mangled hand that were causing you to panic. It was that everything was happening somewhere else. The crumbling and screaming seemed so far away. If the action was elsewhere, so were the heroes.
Nobody was coming to save you.
For almost half an hour they'd ripped through the city unchallenged; nobody really counted the unified effort of the first responders. They never stood a chance against the enemy from above. It took ten minutes for The Avengers to hear about it. They were en route within another ten. Even with all that Stark tech though, it still took them just over eleven minutes to arrive, landing and launching into action.
You'd watched the heroes bounce off buildings and fly through the sky. They represented hope, but they couldn't save everyone.
The evacuation wasn't fast enough and whole blocks of the city were wiped off the map. By the time you'd crawled out of the rubble of yours, the trucks taking people to safety were long gone. In their wake, tire tracks in the dirt and dust, and bodies left behind to save room for the living.
You could walk, but terrified that someone… something… would circle back around, you dropped down behind a car that had been violently propelled across the street. Making yourself as small as possible, pulling your legs up to your chest and burying your face in your lap, you just listened. Thinking was too hard, and your thoughts were sure to be only dark and anxiety-inducing anyway.
It all seemed so far away.
Then, the tell-tale sound of trouble. No no no no no! you screamed in your head, covering your mouth with your hands to not let the terror out.
It was moving fast, but tearing everything up as it went. The sound coming from it was alien, but it still someone seemed like speech. It was communicating with the others. Then, you realised, it was looking for something. Sitting in a pile of bricks and glass, all you could do was hope to god that creatures from literal outer space didn't come to Earth in search of an old Ford.
Bits of debris came from over the car, rejected by the creature and cast aside. First, rocks and chunks of cement - too big for any human to throw so easily. They hit the building in front of you and shattered. A bad situation got worse when it dug deep enough to find the people who had been trapped under fallen buildings. Bodies flew over you, sometimes in parts.
After what felt like minutes but was only seconds, your entire body was shaking with abject horror. On the very cusp of losing consciousness from fear and blood loss, you heard one foreign sound. It was almost like a gunshot… but more… Star Wars-esque. It was immediately proceeded by silence.
Run! the voice in your head told you, but you were completely immobile.
"This thing's too damn light… Feels like a fuckin' toy," a human voice spoke. A pause for, presumably, a reply you didn't hear. "Yeah, it worked. Not the point." Another pause. "Call me that again, Stark and I'll-" The speaker abruptly stopped his conversation.
You hadn't heard him arrive. Unsurprisingly, you did not hear him as he walked through the destroyed street to the car you were hidden behind. To any other person, you were silent. However, he could hear the slight crunching of gravel beneath your feet, the air being inhaled and exhaled from your nose, and the tiny squeaks you were making entirely subconsciously.
Moving slowly, he made his way around the side of the car using footsteps that would make noise, announce his arrival. Don't scare her. You could feel him standing just metres from you. He spoke, but not to you.
"I got a friendly… She's out of the evac zone." The pause for reply was long. "It's a ghost town here. Nobody's gonna be coming through for-" He was interrupted. "Don't care. Gonna bring her in."
Again, he moved slowly.
Your face was still buried and although you knew it was somebody good crouching in front of you, everything was all too overwhelming to respond.
"Hi… I don't need ya to move just yet. Gonna have a look at your hand, if that's alright?"
His voice was calm. Far beyond the point of being in shock, it didn’t hurt when he gently took your arm. As he tightly wrapped your injured hand, you began to unwrap yourself. Lifting your head and opening your eyes, everything came into focus. Mostly, everything you could see was war. But, there he was. Easily recognisable, Bucky Barnes was finishing first aid on you.
His eyes lingered on the bandage for a moment, and you wondered where he'd stashed it before it stopped your bleeding. Did he have pockets of band-aids?
When he looked up at you, you were already looking back.
"Hi," he said.
"Hi," you replied, your voice weak.
"Reckon we should get out of here. What do ya think?" As soon as you nodded, he mirrored the response and stood, helping you to your feet. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"
"N-no," you told him. That wasn't strictly true, but you were mostly numb. Deep, dark bruises would bloom all across your body over the coming days. How you managed to escape otherwise unharmed was magic or a miracle.
"Stronger than you look, huh?" he said, smiling. How he could smile in an environment like that was also magic or a miracle. "I know a couple people like that, so you're in good company. Always my favourite type of people,"
"I didn't… didn't think you'd talk so much," you said. It kinda just came out, the same way the thoughts of little kids do.
Bucky's left arm was around your waist, holding almost all of your body weight. He was making carrying you through a warzone seem easy. Giving you a bit of a casual shrug, Bucky said, " I don't… Trick to keep ya conscious. Don't want you passing out on me,"
"I'm not gonna pass out," you said, more in defiance than anything else.
Bucky scoffed. "Alright. So, what's your name then? What do you do?"
He'd obviously seen them before you, so by the time you clocked the creatures scrambling through broken buildings and rubble in their search, Bucky had already taken you off the road. Backs to the wall, he didn't appear in the slight bit concerned about the situation. He even looked to you, waiting for a reply before making his next move.
"Y/N," you told him.
"Y/N. Good to meet you, Y/N. I'm Bucky,"
"I know,"
"Yeah… Everybody fuckin' knows… Alright. Gonna need you to stay here for just a second, okay?"
As he went to peel away from the wall, you grabbed him with your one working hand. "Please don't leave me!" you begged in a harsh whisper. Tears had been streaming down your face since the first building went down, but a fresh flood started to sting your cheeks.
Bucky cupped your face with his gloved hands and looked you dead in the eyes. "I'm not leaving. I promise. I fuckin' promise you."
Slowly, you nodded. As soon as you did, he swooped off the curb and brought a reckoning down on the creatures. They hadn't seen him coming. Bucky moved with grace and ease, like he was born to fight. Later, when you were safe, you'd think about that moment, about the way he moved, and it would make you sad.
Back, Bucky wrapped himself around you again. And, that's how you got through the city. It was slow, but Bucky continually refused offers of help from whoever was in his earpiece. Resources were needed elsewhere, he said. He had you, and he'd get you to safety.
Time once again warping, fifteen minutes later you could hear voices and see human movement. It felt like you'd spent hours in Bucky's arms, watching him take down threats and crack bad jokes to keep you awake.
Before you realised what was happening, people were carrying you away from Bucky, pouring water down your throat and yelling at you that you were safe. Although you understood you were safe, it felt the opposite. "No! Please, please, please," you yelled, pushing free from the helpers and clinging back onto Bucky. All your words were rammed together, scared and needy.
Bucky let you hold him, wrapping his arms around you with the perfect amount of pressure. He hushed you with soft, "Shhhh," sounds. Using his teeth as a vice, Bucky pulled the glove off his right hand, then ran his fingers through your hair. "You're okay, Y/N. You're safe. You gotta stay here and have someone look at your hand. I gotta go help."
Although you nodded into him, you made no attempt to move. You'd been safe before it all happened, but it happened anyway. There was nothing to say that as soon as Bucky left, more creatures wouldn't arrive.
"Y/N. I got Captain America in one ear and Iron Man in the other. They can't do shit without me," Bucky joked. It made you laugh, looking up at him. "I'll come back when this is done. Bring ya flowers in the hospital,"
"I'm scared,"
"Yeah. Aliens are invading. It's scary. But it's kinda cool too, right?" he said with a wink.
He gently led you to one of the makeshift medical tents set up. When you were sitting down, he ruffled your hair in a weird gesture that confused you both, then left the safe zone. As soon as he was gone, you started to cry.
Chapter 2. 
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britesparc · 4 years
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Weekend Top Ten #450
Top Ten Characters with the Best Star Trek: The Next Generation Episodes
As I’m writing this, it’s officially Star Trek: Discovery day; the first episode of the new season is up on Netflix and ready to watch. Given how little time I manage to find for watching anything that I want to watch, I’m cautiously optimistic that I can get to see it this weekend, but we’ll see; my lovely wife might want to finally catch up with Star Trek: Picard first, which for some reason she never finished. Regardless, I’m excited, and I wanted to write about Star Trek again.
The new Star Trek series have been a bit of a roller coaster, because whilst they’ve both generally been very good, they’ve certainly had their odder and more controversial moments, and neither of them has consistently felt like classic Trek. If I had to be critical, I’d argue that there are plenty of darker adult-tinged sci-fi shows at the moment, including ones set in space, but not that many that follow the day-to-day travails of a starship crew, which as always been Trek’s raison d'être. However, both shows have succeeded in giving us some compelling stories and – especially in the case of Discovery – a fantastic cast of new characters to celebrate. Great characterisation has been the cornerstone of Trek since the beginning, and no doubt one of the reasons why it still resonates to this day, from the “Holy Trinity” of Kirk, McCoy, and Spock, through to the wonderful and insanely empathetic Saru in Discovery and Captain Sexpot Rios in Picard. The fact that we’re now in a new time period, with no established history to try to tie the narrative to, means Discovery 3 is in a great place to give us some great new stories.
Anyway, to celebrate all of this – the new season of Discovery and my overall love of Star Trek characters – I’ve decided to go back to the Next Generation well and talk about just that: characters. TNG famously hit its stride when it started focusing each story through the lens of the different characters on the show, so that we tended to get a “Worf episode” or a “Riker episode”; even the best eps, the biggest and most epic, really had a tendency to hone in on one or two characters specifically, such as the all-time classic “The Best of Both Worlds” really being about Picard and Riker, or “Yesterday’s Enterprise” being a much-belated Tasha Yar episode.
But which characters have the best episodes? That is, if you know an episode is focused on a particular character, how likely is it that it’s going to be a belter? Can you reasonably say one character was better served than another in terms of the quality of “their” episodes? Well, yes. Yes you can. That’s this list. That’s the whole thing.
So this list is basically which characters have the best episodes, or are more likely to. It’s not a list of my favourite characters, or even really a list of the best episodes overall; it’s just, well, who got to chew scenery the most on the bridge, basically. Now, I really feel like I should end this blurb with an appropriate Star Trek quote, but I must have used “Make it so” and “Engage” before, so I’m not sure what else to say.
May the Force be with you, I guess.
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Picard: Yes, of course; he’s the star, he’s the stand-out actor of the bunch, he gets the best episodes. If it focuses on the captain, you can rest assured you’re in for a treat. Whether it’s an epic mythology-enhancing saga or – even better – a slower, sadder meditation on life, Picard’s episodes are engaging. Chortle. Also if there’s room for a classic Picard Monologue, all the better; I don’t know if you’ve noticed this about Patrick Stewart, but the guy can chew scenery. Key episodes: The Best of Both Worlds, The Drumhead, The Hidden Light
Worf: Worf’s complex backstory offers a lot of opportunities for great stories, with the caveat that pretty much all of them focus on Klingon history or the contrast between his heritage and his place in Starfleet. Issues of familial loyalty rub up against quasi-Shakespearean dynastic dramas, often with high adventure. You can assume a Worf ep is a good one, despite the fact that quite a few of them are also about Alexander. Key episodes: Sins of the Fathers, Redemption, Birthright
Data: everyone’s second-favourite emotionless nerd on Star Trek, Data’s eps are almost uniformly great, and often poke at what it means to be alive. There may be a bit of ground retrod as we examine the notion of humanity, or sentience, or emotion, but his episodes are always interesting, and often very funny, and Brent Spiner is a continuing delight. Key episodes: The Measure of a Man, The Offspring, Brothers
Q: is it cheating to include a recurring guest star? Maybe, but I don’t care. John de Lancy is just phenomenal as Q, one of the best Trek characters, and so good he became a My Little Pony. He’s arch, he’s hilarious, he can take the show into new directions; he raises questions of fate, or of the concept of divinity; and underneath it all there’s a malevolent streak, a genuine sense of danger exemplified in his first appearance. Pairs very well with Picard, naturally. I didn’t like the Robin Hood episode, though. Key episodes: Deja Q, Encounter at Farpoint, Q Who
Riker: he’s a Kirk-esque horn-dog ragamuffin with a heart of gold and a fist of steel, so there’s always a lot to love when William T. takes the helm (see what I did there?). Often issues of loyalty, or duty versus personal wishes, arise; he’s frequently putting his life on the Enterprise above his career. But he’s also a very moralistic character, so quite often he’ll be trying to do the right thing in tough circumstances. Key episodes: The Pegasus, Future Imperfect, Frame of Mind
Crusher: always a stand-out supporting character, Crusher has some great episodes focused on her too; usually quite a self-righteous sort who puts the immediate moral obligation above her own safety or duty to Starfleet, which raises lots of interesting, thorny questions. She’s a smart cookie, exemplified in the astounding Remember Me; her relationships with her son and with Picard are good to explore too. She also shagged a ghost, but let’s try to forget about that. Key episodes: Remember Me, Attached, Suspicions
Wesley: pigeonholed somewhat unfairly due to a few ropey first-season episodes, Wesley Crusher is actually an interesting character whose stand-out storylines offer a good deal of nuance and intrigue, as well as exciting hi-jinks, insights into the Federation, and – should you go that far – weird magic Jedi stuff. He gets a nice romance with Ashley Judd, we unpeel his relationship with Picard over multiple episodes, and the bloom comes off the rose in spectacular fashion when he gets to Starfleet Academy. Wil Wheaton was a good young actor and was sadly underserved by the show, but at least we get these eps. Key episodes: The Game, Final Mission, The First Duty
Pulaski: say whaaat? Yes, she’s only in the show for five minutes, but Doctor Pulaski gets a few crackers under her belt in that time. A bit like Crusher would later, she often excels when standing up to authority and presenting herself as a moral arbiter. Interestingly, she’s not always right, and it’s a fun dance to watch. She’s also been round the block a bit, adding facets to her relationships with other characters, particularly Riker. And, of course, she flirts with a bunch of polygons when Geordi and Data cock up the Holodeck. Key episodes: Elementary, Dear Data, Unnatural Selection, The Icarus Factor
Troi: sadly suffering in the face of a bunch of soppy romances and storylines involving her mother that are, shall we say, an acquired taste, Troi still gets some good stuff, mostly later in the series’ run. Taking her out of her comfort zone, making her a spy or an investigator, or giving her some proper dramatic meat, works wonders. Also once she was a cake. Key episodes: Face of the Enemy, Eye of the Beholder, Dark Page
LaForge: oh, Geordi. I love Georgi, but he kinda got done dirty a little bit. Always an interesting and dependable secondary character, unfortunately the bulk of his episodes as a primary character tend to revolve around him being a bit of a jerk or a bit of a creep. Obviously the most heinous sin is making a computer program based on a real person and then, well, trying to shag it, but he also has a tendency to be a dick to anyone new in Engineering. He’s even a bit of a dick to Scotty! I sometimes think the writers never quite had a handle on Geordi’s character; is he a young tech genius with poor social skills? Is he supposed to be arrogant? A wannabe lothario who’s just really unlucky? Anyway, like I say, I still love the guy to bits, and LeVar Burton is fantastic, but of all the main ensemble, his are the flakiest solo episodes. That said, the three listed here are all belters. Key episodes: The Next Phase, The Enemy, Relics
Anyway. There we are. I’ve still, as of going “to press”, not watched Discovery season 3, and my wife’s still not watched the end of season 1 of Picard. Any day now…!
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thegrimllama · 7 years
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problematic powers
AO3  -  PT2
If you asked Kara Danvers about her most problematic superpower, she’d lie.  
It wasn’t that she wasn’t grateful for her abilities, how could she not be?  The allowed her to save countless lives on a daily basis.  It was just… Sometimes super-hearing could get a little awkward.
Usually Kara could block these things out.  She could just… tune into a nearby radio or television.  She was still following the problematic relationship between Eric on the third floor of her building and his boyfriend Dwayne, honestly they really just needed to sit down and have a conversation rather than sniping at each other over kale smoothies.  
Unfortunately for Kara, her ability to block these things had severely diminished over the last few weeks.  
It started innocently enough.  Kara subconsciously zeroing in on Lena’s heartbeat before she fell asleep.  To be fair, she didn’t even know it was Lena’s, just that it was familiar, steady, and left her feeling warm and full.
After a week, she finally clicked as to where the sound was coming from, her focus slipping slightly as the sound of bare legs on silk sheets tweaked at the edges of her attention span.  She quickly put a stop to that thought, knowing exactly where her mind would go, it had been nearly eight months since her last relationship, and her best friend was hot.  There was no denying that.
Somehow, her brain had decided that Lena’s heartbeat was the perfect thing to focus on when everything seemed too much.  Which wouldn’t usually be a problem, a steady heartbeat was a solid grounding device for Kara.  It reminded her that Lena was safe, Lena was alive… And now it was telling her that Lena had an elevated heart rate.  
The first night she’d noticed it, she’d been relaxing in front of netflix, a little earlier than usual, when she noticed the rhythm slowly changing, elevating at a gradual pace.  Maybe Lena was at the gym.  That was a plausible explanation.  
Only Lena had messaged her earlier, on the way home from the gym…
Kara, poor innocent Kara… She decided that Lena’s safety was paramount, so she focused that extra little bit, pausing the movie, only to hear the familiar slip of skin against silk and a soft sigh fall from her best friends lips.
Oh.
Kara nearly dropped the remote in her haste to hit the play button, forcing her attention back to the television, her heart racing.
Kara wasn’t a prude.  
Not at all.
She just knew that what Lena did in the privacy of her bedroom was none of her business.  And if Kara happened to be entirely too worked up to fall asleep later that night?  What she did in the privacy of her own bedroom was her own business.  
***
It got worse.
Worse, as in Kara accidentally putting her hand through Alex’s front door, when she realised that she was once again invading Lena’s privacy.
Worse, as in snapping three pens during a fifteen minute CatCo staff meeting, spraying James in blue ink because Lena was attempting to offset a stressful morning.
So it wasn’t surprising, to Kara at least, when, just four days after the pen incident, Supergirl was caught on camera, seemingly losing concentration, and flying straight into a building.
Alex was out of her mind with worry.  She’d immediately demanded Kara fly to the DEO for a once over.
It was awkward, sitting in front of Alex, pleaded that she was fine while her sister switched on the red sunlamps and began to prep the ECG machine.  
 “Alex, I’m fine!”
Alex rolled her eyes, “You always say that.  Kara, you just hit a building for no apparent reason!”
Kara felt her face flush, hoping that Alex wouldn’t notice the redness blossoming across her chest, “I…”
 “Kara?”  Alex folded the cords and tucked them back into the holder, she rounded on Kara, arms folding across her chest.  
Crap.
 “Alex?”
 “Wanna tell me what happened?” Alex switched of the sunlamps and took a seat next to her sister, picking up on her embarrassment.  
 “Not really.”
 “Tough.  You’re not leaving until I know why the DEO now has a $40 000 repair bill.”
Kara huffed, “Lena.”
Alex stopped, her hand landing on Kara’s arm, “What did she do?  Kara…?”
Kara spluttered and jumped away from Alex’s hand, “Alex… She didn’t do anything to me… She… She was…”
Alex must have been able to sense Kara’s discomfort from across the room, “She was what…?  Did you accidentally see her naked while flying past?  Is that it?”
 “Rao, I wish that was it…”  Kara slapped a hand across her mouth as Alex’s eyes widened, “No! Not like that!  I’m just… gonna say it.  Sometimes when I’m really relaxed or just zoned out�� My hearing locks onto her heartbeat.  Sometimes she might be relieving herself of certain urges, sometimes… I might hear her… doing that and I just… It’s done, I’m sorry it happened… Can I go home now?”
Kara looked up to see her sister staring at the ceiling, attempting to control her breathing, “So… you’re telling me that you heard Lena… servicing herself… and crashed into a building?”
 “Yes.  Yeah, okay!  That’s exactly what happened.  And now I can’t stop thinking about it, oh my God…”
Alex laughed.  A full blown, stomach clutching, belly laugh.  “Oh my God!”
 “Alex, please…”  Kara screwed her eyes shut, embarrassment still warming her face.  It was bad enough that Kara was being unintentionally pervy, but telling her sister about it?  That was a dumb move on her part.  
Alex sucked in a breath, “Okay, I’m sorry.  Wait… does she… know?  About you?”
 “God, no and I hope she never finds out because I swear to Rao that I won’t be able to look her in the eyes again.”
***
It got worse.
As in… Kara waking up to the sound of Lena’s quiet moans, the sound of Lena’s body moving against the sheets, the slick movements of Lena’s fingers as she brought herself closer to release.  
Kara let out a gasp at the throb of heat that raged through her body before she had a chance to drown out the sounds that had woken her.  Why was it so hard to drown it out?  Kara lay staring at the ceiling, the wet fabric between her legs taunting her as she steadied her breathing.  
This needed to stop.
***
For the second time in the space of two weeks, Kara had woken up, face flushed, underwear drenched, her hand between her thighs.  She groaned, removing her hand as soon as she realised what was happening.  She could still hear Lena, still hear the quick, solid thumps of her heartbeat… Fuck Kara, stop it! Kara crossed her legs, hoping to relieve some of the pent up pressure that was still teeming inside of her.  She ground her teeth, Lena’s moans still loud and clear.  If Kara tried, she could probably imagine Lena, hair splayed across the sheets, face shining with… NO!
Kara sped out of bed and into the bathroom, stripping out of her clothes.  She stepped under the shower head, turning the cold water on fully.  
***
It was a week before Kara was comfortable being face to face with Lena.  She knew that Lena needed to know, and she needed to know sooner rather than later, because the longer Kara dragged it out, the creepier it seemed.
She created the plan.  She was going to execute the plan and Lena would hopefully not hate her for listening in on her…  
Lena had texted Kara, earlier in the day, asking her if she was free for dinner after work.  Kara had promptly agreed to dinner and told Lena to be at her apartment for takeout and netflix.  
When Lena agreed, Kara dialled Alex’s number and told her the plan, “No Super business… For the love of Rao, just one night off.”  Kara could hear Maggie cackling in the background and suspected that Alex had already filled her girlfriend in on Kara’s predicament.  
By the time 6 o’clock rolled around, Kara was completely ready.  She’d psyched herself up, practiced her I-Am-Supergirl speech and picked up a bag of Lena’s favourite donuts, as well as an assortment of chinese food.  
Unfortunately, Kara had overestimated her readiness.  Lena was five minutes late, due to traffic, and every minute that Kara waited, her resolve waned.  
Her hands shook with anticipation as she followed Lena’s heartbeat, listening to it speed up as she got out of the car.  
Lena seemed nervous.
Kara was already waiting by the door when Lena knocked.  She barely waited a second before swinging the door open and pulling Lena inside.  
 “Hi!”
 “Were you waiting by the door?” Lena asked, toeing her heels off, and leaving her coat on the chair.  Kara shrugged and placed Lena’s bag down on the bench.
 “I just… I missed you this week.”
Kara wasn’t sure if it was a trick of the light, but she was pretty sure Lena blushed.
***
It had now been nearly two hours since Lena had arrived and Kara had still not spilled her secret.  She looked down at Lena, sprawled against Kara’s side, smiling at the jokes being made on the television.  Kara reached over her and grabbed the remote, hitting the pause button, leaving Lena looking slightly confused.  
Kara steeled herself, “I have a confession to make.”  She felt Lena rearrange her body, so she could see Kara’s face.  She nodded, encouraging Kara to continue.  “I’m an alien.”
Lena’s face stayed blank, her defense face, the one she used at L-Corp, “You’re telling me now because…?”
Kara sighed, “Because I want you to know.  I don’t want to have secrets from you, if I have to fly off mid…”
 “Wait… Fly off?”
Kara shrugged, “I’m Supergirl?”
She watched Lena’s face blanch for a moment, “You don’t sound so sure about that.”
 “Oh, I’m definitely sure…” Kara blushed.  “Are you okay?”
Lena chuckled slightly, taking it in stride, “Now that I think about it, I’m not surprised.  Not at all.  And I appreciate you not wanting to keep secrets.”
***
She didn’t tell Lena.  
The Girl of Steel chickened out.  
And now she was lying half awake in bed, listening to Lena finish her evening routine.  She’d almost fallen asleep when she heard the zip of Lena’s dress drop, followed by the soft sound of fabric hitting the floor.  Kara felt her body respond immediately to the thought of Lena in her underwear.  
A few seconds later, Lena was sliding into bed, and before Kara knew it, Lena’s heart was beginning to race.  She could hear Lena getting herself into a comfortable position, the silk sheets slipping down her body as her hand… The sounds Lena made…
Oh Rao...   
Kara could hear it all.  She knew there would be no stopping her if she continued to listen in, so she panicked and picked up her phone.  She heard the familiar ringtone, and an amused grown from her friend.
 “Yes, Kara…”  
Kara sucked in a breath, her voice a barely restrained whisper, “I know what you’re doing and I need you to stop.”
She heard Lena shift slightly, as if she was sitting up, her heartbeat still fluttering.  “And what is it you think I’m doing Miss Danvers?”
 “I can hear your heartbeat.  It’s… almost frantic…  I can hear everything...”
Kara heard Lena slip out of bed, the click of a latch soon followed.  “Everything?”
It was overwhelming, how aroused Kara was, she was horrified at herself for even entertaining the idea that this phone call might end in anything other than Lena hanging up in disgust.  
 “Kara? Still with me?”
 “Yeah…” She let her head hit the pillow as Lena climbed back into bed, “I can hear your legs against the sheets… You’re not wearing pants.”
 “Hmm…  Can to take a guess at what else I’m not wearing?”  
Kara bit her lip, stretching herself out as quietly as she could, “I heard you undress.  That scrap of fabric you call underwear is on the floor, next to your bed.”
Lena’s laugh was taut, desperate even.  “Come over?”
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