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[shadowbunny1304]

GO AWAY PLS WTF

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The amount I've had to block and report

I wish Tumblr do something about

[idkxwriting]

Treacherous - Chapter Twelve

Author: idkhaylijah

Pairings: Elijah Mikaelson x Reader, Dean Winchester x Reader

Word Count: 4.9k

Warnings: none...you guys know what you’re in for if you’ve made it this far ;)

A/N: Thank you guys for your patience. It’s been a rough few months year tbh. I appreciate all the comments and messages, it keeps me going. Special shout out to @thatfanficstuff for telling me the best way through a block is to just keep writing, @dendrite-lover for reading ahead of time and the Sherlock account on ao3 that spammed me with comments and totally encouraged me to continue with her kind words! We’re coming to the end guys!

It was strange, being back home. She had left Mystic Falls behind her, never looking back, and here it was, staring her in the face. She gave a soft smile at the creak on the third step, leading up to the familiar porch. Her porch.

She glanced over her shoulder, watching as Elijah’s car disappeared down the road. He had offered to come inside, insisted, even, but she was adamant about needing to be alone. As persistent as he had been, she was twice as stubborn. He reluctantly agreed, under the condition that she’d be at the Salvatore Boarding House within the hour.

Having him in her home, their home, would be more than she could handle.

Even so, as she moved quietly into the house, she saw that his ghost was everywhere.

She sighed, and dropped her duffle bag on the couch as she made her way into the kitchen. It was strange, she thought, the way the familiar scent of home filled her senses as if the house hadn’t sat a vacant shell for years.

Stefan, she reasoned. She felt a sadness settle into her at the thought of her best friend caring for her home long after she had stopped coming back, in the hopes that one day she may return after all.

“Beautiful home,” a voice startled her.

She turned, her eyes narrowed and a feeling crawling up her spine that always accompanied the sudden unwelcome appearance of the King of Hell. “Crowley. What are you doing here?” She asked through gritted teeth.

“I’ve got to admit, I never pictured you with the white picket fence, but it suits you,” he ran his hand along the kitchen island, glancing around the room. He made his way to the fridge, plucking at photos with feigned curiosity. “Ahh, the vampire boyfriend,” he waggled his eyebrows at her, pulling the photostrip from its magnet. “Personally, I’m Team Squirrel.”

“What do you want?” She snapped, ripping the photos from his hand and placing them back.

“Oh come now, Birdy, can’t I visit a friend?”

She sighed at his nickname for her. “We’re not friends. Even if we were, there’s always strings with you…”

He rolled his eyes. “You’re always so quick to point that out, but it pays to have friends in high places, Birdy.”

“More like low places,” she retorted.

He smiled devilishly at her, turning his attention back to the pictures on the fridge. “I understand you need a certain blade. One I’d be happy to procure for you.”

“What do you know about the blade?” She asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

He opened the fridge, rifling through ingredients with disappointment. “I know you need it to kill Empusa.”

“And you just happen to have it?”

Crowley rolled his eyes and moved from the fridge to the cabinets, opening and closing doors until he found what he was looking for. He picked up bottle after bottle, reading the labels with vague disinterest. “I’ve always preferred Glencraig myself,” he mumbled, placing a bottle of bourbon she recalled swiping from Damon’s personal stash back down.

“Why would you offer me the knife?” She asked skeptically. “What’s in it for you?”

He shrugged, straightening out to look at her. “You need the knife, I need Empusa dead, it’s that simple.” When she didn’t reply, he sighed. “Empusa is bad news for everyone, Hell included.”

“Hell or you?”

“The situation in Hell is...delicate. I don’t need Empusa roaming free, building an army…”

“Challenging your seat on the throne?”

“Regardless of my own selfish reasons, it doesn’t change your position, love. You need the knife.”

She pursed her lips, her eyes narrowed as she studied the demon before her. She didn’t trust him, she never had, but she needed him. Still, she knew him and even with selfish motives, it wouldn’t come without a price. “What’s the trade?”

He poured himself a glass of bourbon, scoffing at the label internally, but it would do. “I get you the blade, and you do your part.”

She nodded, the fear gripping her chest again. She knew what she needed to do, but knowing and doing were two different things. “You know, then…that I have to die in order to release the soul stone?”

“I know,” he nodded grimly, and she wondered (not for the first time) if the demon was capable of genuine emotion. “So do we have a deal?”

She swallowed and cleared her throat. “We have a deal,” she whispered.

Crowley smirked. “Well then,” he pulled a knife from the inside of his jacket, holding the handle out towards her. She gripped it, but he held onto it. “You understand how a certain Moose and Squirrel may make this more difficult?”

“I know what I have to do, Crowley. Give me the blade, and I’ll get it done. Sam and Dean don’t have to know the details, only that I’m the one that needs to use it,” she said, trying to pull the blade from him once more.

He continued to keep a sturdy grip, tugging her towards him. “And what of your vampire boyfriend?”

“Elijah won’t be a problem.”

“Just do your part, Birdy.” He said and released the blade.

She stared down at the seemingly ordinary knife in her hand. As the metal warmed in her palm she felt the magic that rested within the blade - within her. She glanced up to find Crowley had disappeared once more, leaving her to contemplate her life.

And death.

She knew what she had to do - that the only way to stop Empusa and save her friends was to sacrifice her own life. And she would do it, gladly, but --

“Y/N?” Sam’s voice interrupted her, staving off the rising panic in her chest.

She placed the knife in the back of her pants, tucking it away carefully before rubbing at her eyes. “Hey,” she smiled sadly.

“What are you doing here?”

She shrugged nonchalantly. “Oh come on, you didn’t expect me to sit this one out, did you?”

Sam chuckled softly at that. “No, I guess not…”

“Alright, Sammy, Cas is headed back with Freya. They want us to head over to the Salvatore’s in…..” Dean stopped, caught off guard by the woman before him. “What are you doing here?”

Y/N’s eyes locked with Dean’s, and she wondered what kind of life they may have had if she didn’t have to die. If he hadn’t been a hunter, and she hadn’t loved a vampire. If maybe they had just been normal.

Sam looked between the two, shifting uncomfortably. “Umm, I’m just going to...be somewhere else…” he said awkwardly before making his way past Dean and back out the front door.

The door shut, the noise bringing them both back to the present. Dean cleared his throat, breaking eye contact. “What are you doing here?” He asked again gruffly.

She breathed a laugh in an attempt to lighten the mood. “Oh you know, just the usual end of the world stuff…”

His green eyes snapped to hers, and she knew he was angry. “I thought Sam told you to stay away from Mystic Falls until we had a plan.”

She rolled her eyes. “Dean, I’ll be fine. In fact, a few days ago you had no objection to me coming with you. Besides, I couldn’t leave you two and the Salvatores to come up with a decent plan all by yourselves. You need me,” she teased.

Dean moved toward her until she was just out of reach, his eyes locked on hers. He inhaled deeply - as if he hadn’t been able to breathe since he left her in that motel room, and suddenly he was coming up for air. When he released it, he broke eye contact, fixing his stare on the floor. “Yea, I do,” his voice was heavy, but his breath was shaky and he cleared his throat. “We need you,” he corrected, meeting her gaze once more, knowing she saw right through him. She always had.

“Dean....” she breathed. He didn’t need her. He couldn’t need her, because she had to leave him. She had to leave all of them. The realization of what she had to do hit her suddenly. She wasn’t afraid of death, she knew it would come for her eventually and probably sooner than most. But the thought of leaving everyone behind, of losing them all, was crushing. It stole the air from her lungs and the weight of it all was suddenly too much.

He stepped into her, his hand on her cheek grounding her.

“Damon called. They’re waiting on us,” Sam interrupted from the front door.

Dean dropped his hand suddenly, putting some distance between them, and Y/N nodded, shoving the thought of leaving Dean, leaving Elijah and Sam...Cas...everyone. She took a breath, focusing on the task at hand. “God forbid we make Damon wait,” she sighed, side stepping Dean and following Sam out the front door.

*****

Arriving at the Salvatore Boarding House felt like stepping back in time, into a life she hadn’t known for ages, and Y/N found she had missed it more than she could have imagined.

She was greeted by Damon, first, who had kindly reminded her just how stupid it had been to come back. The raven haired man scowled at her, but she knew he was happy to see her when he wrapped his arms around her anyway, tucking her into his side. “If you disappear like that again, Buffy, I’ll kill you myself,” he whispered into her hair. “Welcome home.”

He stepped aside and gave Sam and Dean a once over, not entirely pleased with their presence, before turning his attention to the figure approaching from the end of the driveway. “How was Bambi today, Stefan?” Damon teased, referring to the feeding trip his brother had just gotten back from.

Stefan ignored him, his eyes locked on Y/N, his face brooding, and she wondered just how angry he was with her. Her cheeks flushed as the guilt crept up once more, knowing her best friend had deserved more than a disappearing act without a trace.

It seemed Elijah wasn’t the only one she had hurt.

She bit her lip, and when he broke out into a soft smile, she grinned, running to him at full speed and launching herself into his arms. He caught her with ease, hugging her tightly.

Dean watched the interaction with curiosity - the annoying, jealous pang that seemed to have taken up residence in his chest growing sharper.

“Don’t worry,” Damon startled him, appearing suddenly by his side. “Stefan’s like a big brother to her.”

“I wasn’t worried,” Dean scoffed.

“I’m just saying. There was never anything more than friendship there,” he watched them for a moment. “Which is weird, because we almost always end up sleeping with the same women. I guess she only wanted to sample one Salvatore brother,” he smirked, slapping Dean on the back roughly.

Dean coughed and glared after the vampire as he walked away, muttering under his breath. He made his way into the house. He couldn’t wait to get back to the bunker and his normal routine, where the only vampires he came across he staked.

*****

Y/N cleared her throat, sinking deeper into the plush sofa. Elijah and Dean both stood in front of her, making her feel like a small child.

Dean’s arms were crossed, and she could see even in the dim room that he was fuming, his hard stare fixed on her.

Elijah, on the other hand, was more controlled. His hands were in his pocket while he glanced around the room with feigned interest. This scared her more than Dean’s open anger. A cool, calm, and collected Elijah was simply waiting for his moment. She had seen it dozens of times, though admittedly not usually directed at her, and it often ended with him tearing out someone’s heart.

She squirmed uncomfortably in her seat and focused on the intricate patterns in the persian carpet beneath her feet. They sat in the Great Room, a collection of the Salvatore's history filling the space. Mementos of the multiple lifetimes Stefan and Damon had lived.

Damon sipped from his glass of bourbon, seemingly less concerned than the two men standing before her. “So she hears voices or whatever. Big deal. We use it to our advantage,” Damon shrugged. “Y/N knows Empusa’s move before she makes it. It gives us the upper hand. We draw her out, stab her with the fancy knife the devil gave her, and we’re home by dinner..”

“Crowley is not Lucifer,” Cas corrected. “Crowley’s the King of Hell, a demon.”

Dean shot him an angry glare, effectively shutting him up. “A demon who doesn’t give anything for free. What was the deal, Y/N?”

She shrugged. “Empusa is bad news for all of us, Hell included. Crowley needs her gone.”

Cas watched her for a moment, eyes narrowed, but he kept his mouth shut, and Y/N was grateful.

“There’s always a catch with Crowley,” Sam said quietly.

“Who cares?” Damon shouted, exasperated. “She has the knife, we can end this.”

“Damon,” Stefan warned.

His brother rolled his eyes, pouring himself another drink.

“Damon’s right,” Freya said quietly. “Castiel and I dug up everything we could find on Empusa, and this is the only way.”

“Thank you,” he smiled smugly, giving Freya an appreciative once over.

Sam furrowed his brow. “How are we going to draw Empusa out?”

Stefan sighed, stepping forward. “Empusa wants Y/N. So we give her what she wants…”

Dean shook his head. “Hell no!” He argued. “We can’t just hand her over like that. It’s too dangerous.”

“I don’t like it either, Dean,” Stefan said. “But it’s our best shot. If she thinks she has a shot at taking Y/N she’ll come, and we will protect her.”

“You’ll have an army of supernatural creatures looking for blood. Y/N’s blood…” Sam added.

“Good thing you're hunters,” Damon remarked. “Make yourselves useful.”

Freya glanced at her brother sympathetically. He remained silent, but she knew him well enough to know just how worried he was. “We can keep her safe, Elijah.”

His body tensed, and Y/N could see the look he shared with his sister, the fear in his eyes. How was he supposed to protect her from something he couldn’t protect himself from?

Before he could speak, Y/N stood. “Stop talking like I’m not here. It’s my call, and this is our best shot to put Empusa down. It’s happening,” she said definitively before storming out, leaving the rest of the group to work out the details.

***** Stefan found her sometime later out back, sitting and watching the stars. “Hey,” he whispered.

“Hey.” Y/N patted the ground next to her, and he tossed a blanket he had brought from inside onto her shoulders before joining her.

“Thanks,” she smiled. “So...you and Caroline, huh?”

He let out a breathy laugh. “We’re friends…”

She nudged his shoulder playfully. “That’s not what I’ve heard.”

He sighed. “Don’t believe everything Damon tells you,” he countered.

“So you don’t care that she’s off somewhere with Klaus right now?”

His shoulders slumped at that and he pulled his knees up, resting his arms on them. “Caroline sees the good in people, and I love that about her.”

She waited for a moment, but he was silent. “But?” She pried.

“But that means she sees the good in Klaus, too, and…”

“She’ll come back to you, Stefan. Trust me.”

He nodded quietly. “So this Dean guy, huh?” He asked after a moment, turning it around on her.

She let out an exasperated sigh and pulled the throw blanket tighter around her shoulders. “I’ve made such a mess out of things.”

And so she told him. All of it. The visions, the nightmares of becoming a ripper, needing to let go of Elijah, holding onto Dean…

“I slept with Elijah,” she finally confessed after some time. “This morning, on the way here…”

Stefan looked at her, his mouth hanging open as if at a loss for words. He had the courtesy to bite back his judgement, which she appreciated, but she knew she deserved it.

“Go ahead,” she sighed. “Tell me how horrible I am.”

He shook his head. “No, Y/N…” she followed his line of sight, turning over her shoulder.

“Dean,” she breathed, slamming her eyes shut. God, she thought. This was not how she wanted him to find out.

Dean cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably for a second before squaring his shoulders. “Cas sent me out to find you, he had a few questions about the knife…”

Stefan stood and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I should give you guys a minute,” he started.

“Don’t worry about it,” Dean said, shaking his head. His green eyes locked on Y/N’s, burning into her with fury. “We got nothing to talk about.”

“Dean wait,” she called after him. If he heard her, he didn’t respond, keeping his head forward as he made his way back up to the house. Y/N felt the pain immediately at once again hurting Dean, and she realized as he walked away just how much she needed him.

She turned toward Stefan, tears burning in her eyes.

“Hey,” he whispered pulling her in for a hug. “You just need to talk to him.”

His grip on her tightened, and she began to cry freely, burying her face in his chest. She didn’t know just how much she had missed her best friend until that moment, and the thought of leaving them all behind rushed to the surface. She wouldn’t just lose Dean and Elijah. It was saying goodbye to Stefan, and Sam. Cas, Damon, Freya, Caroline and even Klaus...the list was too long to even wrap her mind around it. She’d lose her friends, her family. The thought was crippling.

She was grateful in that moment for Stefan, for his unwavering strength. She knew he beat himself up constantly for being weak, for wanting blood, but he didn’t give himself enough credit, because he was always her strength.

Not returning his calls was one thing - Stefan was patient, she knew deep down that he was okay because he had a lifetime to find her again.

But dying? She wondered if he’d be strong enough. If she could do that to him.

She pulled air into her lungs, holding onto it for a moment, before exhaling shakily. She knew what she had to do, and she would do it, come hell or high water.

She pulled back from him, wiping at her tears. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said.

She shook her head. “No, Stefan, I’m sorry. I owed you more than silence, I shouldn’t have disappeared like that.”

He smiled sadly at her, and she knew he was hiding the pain he had felt when she left them without a word. “Y/N, being a vampire - it’s difficult. Everyday is a battle to fight off the craving. We feel everything. Anger becomes rage, when you’re sad you’re in despair. Every single day I fight to not just turn it all off, but I hold on because…”

“Because you can’t be a ripper again,” she whispered.

He nodded, his eyes gleaming in the moonlight. “I don’t want that life for you. I never did. I would have let you go.”

She teared up again, remembering the calls and texts that had gone unanswered. Remembering staying one step ahead as her friend spent weeks trying to track her down. How she had known he had been hurting, but continued to run.

“Go talk to him,” he whispered, turning her and playfully shoving her towards the house.

She turned, walking backwards so she could face Stefan. “For what it’s worth, I really missed you.”

*****

She found him in one of the spare rooms, thumbing through a stack of vintage vinyls. She stepped into the room hesitantly, unsure of what she could possibly say to fix the hurt she had caused him. She watched him quietly, and for a moment she wondered if it was better this way. If she had to die, maybe he’d fair better if he hated her.

She shook the thought away and stepped further into the room, deliberately making her presence known. “Damon went through a bit of a punk rock phase…” she said, nodding towards the vinyl. “Stefan had more of a classic rock vibe, I think.”

Dean hummed in acknowledgement. He held up a certified gold Bon Jovi album with a look of confusion.

She laughed. “Someday you’ll have to ask Stefan about his party days with Lexi, and his night with Bon Jovi.”

Dean’s eyes crinkled in the corners, a hint of a smile. “Who’s Lexi?” He asked conversationally.

“She was his best friend,” she smiled softly at the memory of the blonde vampire. “You would have liked her.”

“Vampire?” He asked.

She nodded.

Dean placed the vinyl back in the pile, shoving it back in it’s spot and shaking his head. “Then probably not,” he replied stiffly.

“Don’t be like that,” she sighed. “They’re not all bad.”

He scoffed. “Like Elijah? And Damon?”

“Damon?”

There, he picked at the scab until it started to bleed, and now it was all going to rush out. “Yea,” he said, anger rising. “Anybody else you’re fucking in this house that I should add to the list?”

Even as the words left his mouth he regretted them, but as he watched her recoil at them, he felt the guilt wrap around him and the shame that flooded his veins.

So why the hell couldn’t he stop? The anger burned just underneath his skin, begging to tear its way out.

“Stefan?” He asked. “Tell me, is it just vampires? Or are you into all of the weird shit?”

The hurt in Y/N’s face twisted into rage. “First of all, I don’t owe you a single explanation about my past, but just for my own sanity, where the hell did you get the idea that I’d ever in a million years sleep with Damon?”

“Damon told me.”

“Eww! Gross, but besides the point,” she took a deep breath, an attempt at calming herself. “Look, I’m gonna give you that one free pass, because you’re hurt, and you’re obviously pissed off, and I get it…”

“You know what,” he snapped. “You’re right, you don’t owe me a damn thing. Forget it. Whatever this was,” he gestured between them. “It’s over.”

She nodded, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, focusing on the sting of her bite instead of the pain in her chest. “Yeah, you know what, I guess it is,” she snapped.

“Great,” he agreed.

“Perfect!”

When he pushed past her, she didn’t bother turning around to watch him walk away.

*****

Dean stomped down the stairs, eager to get out of the Boarding House.

He knew he had no right to be angry. He had no claim on Y/N, they hadn’t said they were exclusive. Hell, he had slept with more than his share of women, so who was he to judge?

It wasn’t the sex.

It was Elijah, and the way he got under her skin. It was the way they looked at each other, the way that even after all this time she dreamt of him. It was the way she refused to leave his side back at the motel. How in her darkest moments, she called out for him.

Elijah.

She was in love with him. Worst of all, he had known it, and he has kissed her anyway.

So who was he really angry at? Y/N, or himself?

“Dean,” the refined voice stopped him in his tracks. “A word?”

Dean took a deep breath, trying to stave off the outburst at the tip of his tongue, the fist that wanted to swing. He turned to find Elijah, the last person he wanted to see.

He could tell by the Original’s posture there was no room for argument. Elijah was intent on talking whether he was willing to listen or not. Dean nodded, tight lipped and reluctant as he followed the vampire into a room off of the main hall. It was large, like the rest of the rooms in the house, the rich mahogany bringing a deep warmth into the space. A piano sat in the center of the pristine room, but if it was used, it wasn’t often.

Elijah studied Dean for a moment, and the hunter shifted, feeling instead like the prey. He puffed his chest a bit and raised his chin, locking his jaw and letting the vampire know he wasn’t afraid.

Elijah placed a hand in his pocket, relaxing his own stance a bit. “Did Y/N ever tell you the story of how she and I first met?”

Dean scoffed, turning his gaze towards the large windows for a moment. “I don’t think it ever came up,” he shot back.

“I was sent to kill her,” he stated, pulling Dean’s full attention back on him. “My family and the Salvatores were having a bit of a...spat...you could say. Niklaus needed to show Stefan that he was not playing games and Y/N was to be collateral damage in our feud.”

“So what, you saw a pretty face worth sparing?” Dean sighed.

Elijah showed a hint of a smile. “No, actually. Though her beauty was undeniable. She is quite captivating." He paused, lost in the memory of her. "It was her eyes," he continued. "She saw death at her doorstep, I held her life in my hands, one movement and it’d all be over,” he moved, gliding his hands along the piano, no longer able to meet Dean’s gaze. He still held a great deal of guilt and shame over their initial meeting.

“I’ve taken life more times than I can count, ripped it away without question. There’s a moment, before the end, where you can see everything in their eyes, just before the life is drained from them.” He paused, lost in his darkest moments. Faces in his mind that had haunted him for centuries. He cleared his throat, shaking off his demons before continuing. “Most fear it,” he explained. “They cry, or scream, beg for mercy. A few are brave…”

Dean glared at Elijah, and he wondered if it were possible to hate anyone more than he hated the man in front of him.

“Y/N was different,” he explained. “I looked in her eyes, and I didn’t see fear or acceptance. Instead I saw forgiveness...understanding, even.” He turned, facing Dean once more. “I’m aware of what I am, Dean. I’ve been lost in the blood and the chaos so long…” he trailed off. “I know what I am, and Y/N...she’s everything that is good in this world. It’s why I love her.”

Dean knew, because it was why he loved her, too.

“How she ever found it in her to love me in return, I’ll never understand,” he admitted.

“What’s your point?”

Elijah smiled sadly. “All of this to say, Y/N has a capacity for forgiveness unlike anyone I’ve ever known. You’d do well not to abuse it.”

Dean furrowed his brows.

“Our time together over the last few days,” he explained. “It was nothing more than closure for Y/N.”

“It’s none of my business,” Dean said angrily.

Elijah nodded in agreeance. “Perhaps. But I will make it a point to make it my business if you ever hurt her again,” he threatened.

Dean swallowed, nodding. He didn’t need Elijah to tell him he had acted like an ass, but he also couldn’t blame the guy for looking out for her.

If the roles were reversed, he’d do the same. *****

If Damon was surprised to see her, it didn’t show on his face. He stripped off his leather jacket, tossing it on a chair in the corner. “Well, I always knew this day would come…” he said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively at Y/N, who sat on the edge of his bed. “Admit it, you couldn’t resist me anymore.”

She scoffed. “You’re so gross, Damon.”

He shrugged, not bothering to deny it. “You love it,” he winked.

“Did you tell Dean we slept together?”

Damon made a show of struggling to recall the conversation. “I may have suggested it…”

She threw a pillow at him. “Well thanks a lot, he hates me now…”

Damon rolled his eyes. “Please, he’s like a lost puppy trailing after you.”

“Damon! Why did you lie?”

He threw his arms up. “I don’t know, Y/N, I thought it’d be fun to mess with him. He’s a big boy, he’ll be fine.” He sat next to her. “Besides, what are you really doing here? I mean, I’m flattered, but I’ve moved on. You missed your chance. Elena and I are very happy…”

“Where exactly is Elena?”

“She’s on a road trip with Bonnie,” he sighed.

“So she doesn’t know about any of this?”

Damon shook his head. “Look, I don’t need to be distracted worrying about Elena, too. It’s best if she’s as far from here as possible. Bonnie, too.”

Y/N couldn’t argue, but she knew Damon would be in the dog house after this.

“So what are you doing here?” He asked again.

She swallowed, her face turning serious as she played with the leather bracelet along her wrist. “I need a favor…”

He furrowed his brows with curiosity, about to ask why she wouldn’t just go to Stefan when she pressed her finger to her lips, silencing him. She glanced toward the door, pointing in the direction of the rest of the house before gesturing toward her ear.

So it was a favor she didn’t want anyone else to overhear…

“Why don’t I drive you home?” He asked.

“Thanks.”

[avengemebucky]

Acceptance

ACCEPTANCE // STEVE ROGERS X READER

for @redgillan‘s Steve Rogers’ 100th Birthday emotional writing challenge!

AN: I am so sorry but I got way too invested in this, any this may or may not be way over the max word count... i’m really sorry, but I think/hope the story makes up for it... I hope you enjoy this little fluff ball of a piece, I sure did! (not really edited yet!)

Warnings: Kissing, Sugar sweet fluff

WC: 2249

MASTERLIST

Steve didn’t enjoy filling out paperwork about missions and recons, but he made sure to never get behind in his work… meaning frequent opt-outs of fun activities like Friday movie nights or a boy’s night out to work instead. That’s why the mountains of paperwork now placed on his desk felt like a kick to the stomach. Storming out of his office towards Tony’s, he knocks before entering (though he’s angry, our man still has manners).

“What’s up, Capsicle?” Tony sat reclined in his office chair, feet on desk, staring out his floor-to-ceiling windows, doing nothing, as usual (much to Steve’s annoyance).

“Tony, what the heck is that pile of papers doing in my office? They can’t be mine… from the amount of papers I had to do last week, I shouldn’t have to see deskwork for a lifetime.”

“Sorry Cap… Barnes did some pretty heavy damage to the Kremlin during our last assignment… if you’re angry, bring it to him. He thought the best way to infiltrate was going through a century-old stained glass sky light.” Tony rubbed his forehead, feeling the impending headache coming just from recalling last week’s mission.

Steve sighs and nods. Typical. He was going to give Bucky a scolding about the importance and integrity of protecting historical landmarks the next time he sees him. He sits down in front of Tony, feeling the weight of work to be done gnaw at him. “Tony… I think I need a secretary, or someone to help me with all of this paperwork. I’m so tired... it’s exhausting working alone. I’ve missed three consecutive movie nights because of it, and I don’t want to miss another.”

A few beats pass before Tony nods in agreement. “Alright, Rogers… It’s your job to hire ‘em though.”

-

Steve never know that accepting your application as his aid would change so many aspects of his life. Sure, he knew that his workload would become much lighter with your help, but he expected your relationship to stop there. He never thought it would grow to so much more…

-

“Y/N… can you help me with my email… it’s so full of stuff that… it doesn’t make any sense.” 

Concerned, you look up from the half completed form towards Steve’s desk to find him frazzled by whatever was on his screen. It had been your third week working for Steve and you couldn’t have been happier for sending in an application. He was kind, fair and wasn’t afraid to ask for help when he needed it, making your job easier and more directed.

 You stands and makes your way towards him. “Sure, Steve! What seems to be the-” 

You interrupts yourself with a chuckle at the sight of Steve’s window. 35,678 unread emails, at least 75% being junk or spam mail advertising weird weight loss products or “investment opportunities”.  

“Steve- jesus, what did you do? Sign up for a Ponzi scheme?” You found the amount of mail he had accumulated quite amusing.

 “Well, I got an email one day from a foreign prince... he needed help, a contribution to a campaign to free him-” Steve looked so innocent trying to explain the situation.

 Silence lingers a while before you respond. “Steve, please tell me you didn’t give them money.” 

You sigh when Steve avoids your gaze.

 “He needed help, Y/N… how could I say no? Of course I did!” 

Refusing to accept that people can be conned online just like real life, you spent the next half hour trying to explain to Steve that there was no “prince that needed help” and that he had been scammed, leading to the thousand other emails that he had received because of his “donation to the cause”. The situation still to this day makes you chuckle; Captain America’s heart is too big and naive for justice. 

“I hate the internet…” Steve huffed as you began to create a new email account.

-

“Steve, you’re just going to have to accept the fact that I’m better than you at Mario Kart”, you said nonchalantly, throwing your controller on the couch after winning you 5th race against him. You and Steve had grown close from your constant working together, seeing your time shared begin to bleed into your personal lives. 

“No, no-hey! Don’t leave yet, we still have one more round of the cup!” trying to grab your wrist before you were out of reach. Unfortunately for Steve, you had dodged his attempt and headed into the kitchen. Bringing back a few sodas and snacks, Steve smiles at your care to bring his favorite (and secret) peanut M&M’s as well as the snack of your choice.

He had let you in on his secret stash of goodies when the paperwork had become especially tedious and kindly shared access to his treats whenever you needed a pick-me-up. When Bucky had seen you sneaking out a Milky Bar one day, he ran to Steve to inform him of the so-called “breach”. Steve brushed it off, saying he let you in on his stash. He would never forget the way Bucky’s jaw dropped.

“Are you serious? You never even told me about your stupid chocolate! The only way I found out was following you around a whole day after seeing you holding a Snickers wrapper” Steve wasn’t ever able to respond to Bucky, even he didn’t know how you had become such a normality in his life. He shrugged at Bucky, continuing to do paperwork, making Bucky stomp off like he usually did.

The sounds of a race starting jumped Steve out of his trance, making him scramble for his controller. “H-hey I wasn’t ready, not fair!” You laughed not even sparing him a glance away from the screen. “Not my fault!” Steve ended up losing the last race of the cup, making Y/N the victor again, for what felt like the hundredth time. You smile beamed as you did a little dance around the living room, basking in your triumph. Steve sat quietly on the couch, taking in your silly shenanigans with a warm smile. If he got to see you like this every time he lost, he could easily accept Mario Kart defeat for the rest of his life.

-

Tony’s call had startled Steve, he had almost dozed off like you had while pulling an all nighter in attempts to get paperwork in on time... though he hadn’t been doing much since you fell asleep. His stolen glances to you occupied most of his time, watching the rhythmic rise and fall of your breaths calming him like no other. 

“Hey Tony, what’s up?” his voice raspy from lack of use.

“I’ve got some good news, Cap! We’re going electronic!” Tony sounded much more excited than Steve could understand.

“Going electronic? What does that mean?”

“That means no more paperwork, pal! I knew that you would want to be the first to hear! Aren’t you siked?”

He wasn’t, not even in the slightest. Though absence of the dreaded filing and writing was going to be refreshing, all Steve could think of what was going to happen to you. His aid to help him complete all the useless crap to wrap a mission, his tech guru (you would always refute him on this), his racing opponent. His best girl.

Tony awkwardly replied to the silence “Uh, you okay Cap? Did the excitement kill you?”

Steve let out a heavy sigh, not playing along with Tony. “No… Tony, what’s going to happen with Y/N?”

“Well… we won’t need her anymore-”

“I need her, Tony”.

Silence laid on the line at Steve’s confession. “She can’t just leave, Tony! We have to find something for her here, she belongs here, I won’t accept this!” Steve’s voice was slowly raising as he became more and more invested in his conversation with Tony, conversing with himself more than he was with Tony. “Tony, if she leaves… I-I don’t know what I’d do with myself. I’d be missing a piece. I need more ti-”

“Steve?”

Steve’s blood ran cold as he turned to your now awake form across from him, looking up confused. “Tony, I gotta go.” “Steve, hold on jus-”

Steve hung up on Tony and looked down on his desk, not ready to meet your eyes. Silent was Steve’s office as you tried to read Steve to the best of his ability. You were always able to read him, knowing when he needed a break, a joke to break the monotony or just some m&m’s to brighten up his day. You had never seen him like this.

“Steve, what’s wrong?”

The storm was evident in his eyes as they finally met yours; clear was the conflict that now raged in that beautiful mind of his. “Y/N… I… I don’t know how longer you’re going to be able to work here. Tony-Tony he made this software and now we won’t have to do paperwork… If I don’t have paperwork, then… then I don’t have you, Y/N.”

Steve had never hated silence more than he did now, having to bear the quiet as you took in every word he had said to you. His heart broke as you began to collect your coat and belongings around his office.

“Y/N, please wait…” Steve silenced when he saw you turn back to him. Slowly you raised your hand to his cheek, letting your thumb run over his strong cheekbones. “Don’t worry about it Steve. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Walking towards the door, Steve rushed after you, refusing to accept your leaving if you hadn’t understood him. “No, Y/N, you don’t understand…”

You had already walked out as he followed, feet planting outside of his office as he sees your lack of pause to Steve’s pleading. “There’s nothing left for us to do now!” He shouted down the hallway. Your attitude confused Steve, quickly turning to walk backwards to throw him a chirpy

“Go to sleep, Rogers! We’ve got a lot of paperwork to do tomorrow!”

Accepting that this might be the last time he will see you, he makes it to the elevator before it closes and kisses you with such force, that you both are pushed into the elevator’s wall. First shocked at the surprise of Steve’s attack, your eyes slowly close in bliss, smiling into the kiss. Steve is about to slip his tongue into your mouth before you push him back slightly to chuckle at his flushed appearance.

“Go to bed, Rogers.” 

Y/N walks out of the elevators, leaving Steve smiling dopily as the elevators close on him, returning him back up to his office floor. Though he doesn’t know what she has up her sleeves, he knows that after that kiss, Y/N won’t leave him. 

She’s accepted him into her life just as much as he had to her.

-

Heavy knocks echo Steve’s room, waking him from his slumber. Deciding to sleep in, Steve felt no rush to get up, knowing that no work was to be done because of Tony’s new software. Getting up, letting the covers fall behind him, Steve opened his door to find a fuming Tony.

“Was this your funny joke? Because NO ONES LAUGHING. You know how much money this took? This was supposed to help you, you idiot! How stupid could you be?”

Firstly confused, Steve quickly finds Tony’s source of anger; in Tony’s peeved grasp was the chip programmed with his new software, now completely destroyed from what seemed to be melted chocolate. Tony’s rampage was quieted in Steve’s mind as he simply connected the dots. Steve chuckled, instantly knowing who the culprit was. 

“I’m sorry, Tony, I’m sure you can fix it…” 

“Well unfortunately, I can’t son, and thanks to your stunt, you’ve punished yourself with even more paperwork… so…. suck on that.” 

Tony stormed off, still mumbling about how stupid Steve was.

Quickly returning to his room to change out of his pajamas, Steve quite literally ran to his office to see if his suspicion was true. As suspected, he saw you and about a hundred or so candy wrappers waiting for him on his desk.

“Sorry Steve, but I had sort of a hankering today…” you joked as he scooped you into his arms in relief, knowing you weren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Reluctantly easing his grip on you, he found you shining, smile and eyes beaming up at him.

“You better not let Tony find out that was you, doll… I don’t know what he would do” Steve smirked down at you.

“I’ll accept the punishment as long as I get to be with you.”

Steve couldn’t contain himself as he scooped you into his arms once again, spinning you and him around his tiny little office. Both of your laughter filled the air, happiness almost being tangible in the atmosphere of the room.

Steve, in that moment knew that he was yours, you were his and neither of you would accept anything else. Letting you down, you rubbed out the wrinkles that had resulted from your embrace out of your pencil skirt.

Tucking a piece of hair behind your ear, you went to your respected table and sat, before turning to Steve, seeing he hadn’t moved an inch.

“Ready for paperwork?” You asked up at him, quizzically.

Steve smiles warmly before going behind his desk, getting out the work they hadn’t completed from the night before.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

-

-

THATS IT! AGH! My longest fic yet, hope you all liked it! Requests are open like always! 

-j