#WHEN I LAY MY HEAD AND HAVE POWERED OFF MY TOOLS???? | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

cthulhus-curse · 8 days ago

Text

Webbed Hearts

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff

Word Count: 12,091

Warnings: Smut, Fluff, Spider-Person!Reader, Doctor!Wanda Maximoff | 18+ Minors DNI

A/N: If you remember this…hi :)

All that came crashing down was red when you saw her.

Pain had crashed through your body when laying sprawled across a gurney that was wheeled into the emergency room at the Presbyterian in Lenox Hill. You clung to your side that lacked any red spandex. Humming a tender song, your eyes came to close. Although you carried immense superhuman strength, nothing could prepare you for the wave of criminals rummaging through the streets of the city with a pitch black sky and lights beaming to enlighten it.

You had been quick enough to finish off the last batch for the night. With Kingpin behind bars all you had left were trinkled men of his scouring through the island of Manhattan in search of trouble. Rather than garner a good night’s sleep for your class early the following day, you decided to go after them.

“The doctor will be right with you,” the nurse told you once she secured your side knowing the bruise upon it wouldn’t be fatal. She surveyed your hooded eyes that showed no fear. It wasn’t the first time you had been through it. After countless visits to hospitals that surrounded the city, far away from home due to anonymity, you settled for the first one you could easily swing to without having to deal with the bruised ribs of yours or hiss your way to Brooklyn.

Since high school you have tasked yourself with protecting the city. Once bit by the spider, upon losing your uncle, you knew that with the great power you held came great responsibility. Surely the remaining heroes across the world, the Avengers whose tower stood proudly in the midst of Midtown, were far too busy to take on your shroud of the friendly neighborhood Spider-Person.

The stench of lavender filled your nostrils as a peculiar redhead donning a white lab coat approached you. Her hair was made into a bun held on the back of her head by a pen, reading glasses perched on her nose as she read the clipboard in her pristine hands with perfectly manicured black nails. Albeit beautiful, you didn’t miss the bags which formed underneath seemingly tired green eyes. Sympathy was sent her way. The last thing you wished to do was keep the woman by your side longer than you had to.

“A bruised rib, huh?” Her voice was smooth as honey. Such a sound would not be easily forgotten by you. “It’s 12:34 am on a weekday. How did you manage to do that?”

“The subway?” you sheepishly shrugged.

“What, did you jump in front of the moving train or something?” When she giggled, you swore your wound had been cursed. “You know, if someone did this to you I am legally obligated to tell the police. So tell me,” her eyes flickered over the papers on the board. “Y/N, what happened to you? You seem like a healthy and fairly intelligent young woman. I doubt you did this to yourself.”

The way your name rolled off her tongue, voice thick with what you pin-pointed as a Sokovian accent, made you shudder with warmth. “It really was stupid. My friend and I were messing around at his apartment and I kinda fell off the fire escape,” you lied. “I know it sounds really weird, but I am not really the sharpest tool in the shed.”

“Oh honey this is New York. This isn’t nearly the worst or dumbest thing I’ve seen in the past hour.”

“Really?” You raised your eyebrows at that.

The doctor hummed at that, leaving the clipboard by the foot of the bed to walk towards the side where your bruise kept growing. The noise from the busy ER was nowhere to be found. Instead you put all your focus on the older woman. Watching as she carefully lifted your shirt, pushing your shaking hand away, you swore your breathing ceased. Having her in such close proximity was a true pleasure.

“I had a lady come in a few minutes ago for an ear infection. She went to her doctor earlier today, was prescribed antibiotics, took a few and swung by because, as she put it, ‘I still feel like shit, doc.’ Sometimes I wonder if all those years I spent in medical school were really worth it. But then I get patients like you and I remember that helping people is why I exist,” she explained. Gentle fingers merely ghosted your skin that began showing in an angry light red hue. “Then of course there was a young man who was dared by his very intelligent friends to jump off a building and grab onto a flagpole. It’s still unclear to me if he knows about this wonderful thing called gravity.”

Laughing made the pain worse, but you couldn’t help the amused sound that came from the depths of your throat. Tears sprung from your eyes as you wondered whether they came from the stinging of your wound or the humor of it all.

The doctor made lighthearted small talk with you, telling you more of the enjoyable stories from her job to keep you from thinking about how much it all ached. There wasn’t much she could do given your pain didn’t elicit any severe symptoms upon you. All Wanda brought you was the comfort of painkillers that you knew wouldn’t have much of an effect upon your superpowered being. Well, unless you took four at once.

“So are you married or…?” The innocently asked question floated through the air forcing a smirk from your doctor who, upon further review, began filling out the paperwork for your medicine.

“Happily divorced,” she replied. There was no animosity within her words. If anything the divorce had built up since the first day they got married. “And not looking to have a mid-life crisis with someone younger than me.”

“Ouch,” you laughed it off, winking at Wanda who teasingly brushed her hand upon your bruise. “Ouch, fuck!”

“Stay still, darling.”

The redhead took her sweet time filling out the forms. Although with a frenzy of patients waiting for her until the shift ended, spending time with you was the highlight of the night she never knew she needed.

“Any kids?”

“A lovely pair of twins,” she was quick to answer, her face lighting up at the mere thought of her children. Although quite the devious youngsters cared for by their father when she took late hours of work, she loved them more than life itself.

Twins, huh? It was a lot, but you didn’t dare mind the information. “Huh, that’s cute. Fraternal or identical?”

“Why are you so insistent in asking questions? I barely know anything about you,” she tilted her head.

“Well my name is Y/N Y/L/N and you know that I have a fucked rib.” The pain of it all and exhilaration faced by being around such a beautiful specimen made you much more talkative and confident. “I’m also really good at baking brownies. You?”

“Wanda,” she mumbled. “Dr. Wanda Maximoff, quite literally at your service. Unlike you, I don’t have a cracked rib.”

Although you had only spent less than half an hour together, you desperately craved her presence more often.

///

Wanda Maximoff, how cute.

“So I met this girl.”

Sitting beside your best friend and roommate over the couch of the living room you shared, you broke the silence. The two of you had stuck to watching reruns of whatever Gordon Ramsey show you could find. You always brought up the fact that Julia Child was much better, hell even Rachel Ray, but Peter was insistent that the one true culinary god was Ramsay himself.

“Yeah?” His gaze didn’t break away from the television that she hypnotically stared at while plopping another mouthful of popcorn into his mouth.

“Well, this woman,” you were sure to correct.

That piqued his interest as he turned. The two of you were rather honest and open about who you dated, Peter having stuck by MJ’s side ever since high school as you found yourself more laid-back to the whole ordeal. Never had you gone for anyone older than a few years. “Oh?”

“She’s really pretty and I want to see her again. I mean she’s a doctor and works at the ER. We’re seeing each other again at some point given my career choice. More like a side hobby I guess.”

Peter was the first person who you told about your newfound powers back in your sophomore year of high school. He was quite surprised and unbelieving about it all, but as soon as you began crawling through the walls and ceiling before shooting webs from your very wrists, he was in awe. Only him, MJ, and your aunt knew of your not-so-secret identity.

“Wait, she's a doctor? How old is she?” He seemed worried at first, shutting off Ramsay as he yelled at yet another contestant of his show.

“Umm I’m not sure,” you shrugged, the ‘nor do I care’ going missing. “I don’t think people like being asked that. All I know is that she’s divorced and has twins! And she’s crazy pretty. I mean she had to touch me to do her doctoring job and I think that might’ve single-handedly healed me.”

“Dude you really shouldn’t go for that. She’s got a full life already with kids! You’re a superhero. What if you put them in danger?”

“Pete, I’m barely a hero, let alone super. Is it really that bad that I want to start dating around? Ever since I graduated high school I haven’t been able to do shit. Now I’m leaving college in a few months and I just…want to be happy for once. I don’t want to keep being this savior of the people for the rest of my life. Eventually I want to be with someone.”

Peter was unamused when he monotonically spoke. “With your mystery doctor who could be twice your age?”

“Yup!”

In theory it wasn’t a great idea, nor generally, but you couldn’t shake off the connection you felt with Wanda. Regardless of Peter’s ideals, you’d be sure to try and find your happiness. Lo and behold you’d regain a normal life after years of chaos.

///

With the next few months passing, you carried on about your life normally. During the day you were the average college student who breezed through the final weeks of the Fall semester, while at night you took the mantle of a spider-theme vigilante. Although rest was a commodity you weren’t keen to, keeping those across the city safe sated your need for a thrill, making them happy along the way.

Several visits back to the emergency room at the hospital Wanda worked at had proven to be rather fruitful from time to time. Although with most occasions she was nowhere to be found, the older woman who carried a fire in her eyes not having a set schedule, you were hit with a surge of joy whenever you feasted your eyes upon her – even if it meant watching from afar as another doctor tended to your wounds.

Many moments had the two of you shared silent gazes. Never did you dare stop thinking of her upon your return home. Wanda plagued your dreams as well as your waking life. And yet you couldn’t dare complain.

Another weekend in the island of Manhattan meant busy work ahead of you. Once tugging on your red and blue latex suit, you threw yourself off the window of your shared apartment with Peter, promising that you’d bring him back pizza for him to share with you for breakfast. You’d only be young once in your lifetime after all.

Swinging across the buildings in the city brought you a loving sense of freedom. The power and responsibility that came with your nightly activities was pushed to the back of your mind as you flew from skyscraper to skyscraper. No one could enjoy such an adrenaline-inducing activity quite like you. Especially not Peter who had nearly barfed all over your suit the first and last time you took him swinging around.

The night went by smoothly. Each crime you stopped gave you a high sense of fulfillment. They weren’t major, mainly petty criminals in desperate need of cash raiding stores across the island, bodegas at times in surrounding boroughs. Most nights you could take breaks at the top of a building, crack open a cold bottle of water that you had to press against your sweaty forehead upon taking off your mask, then gnawing at a grilled cheese sandwich from Mondo’s Eatery – quaint little shop in Queens frequented by one Spider-person alongside their much more normal alter ego.

All went by quickly, at least until someone that caught your eye was put in the line of danger.

You weren’t stalking her per se, you truly made yourself believe that. If anything you watched over your faithful emergency room doctor whenever you could, checking out if she got home safely each night across the island. Wanda, you found in a self-assured not-so-creepy-manner, lived by herself in a minimalistic apartment you envied. It was much bigger than your own, one that you could barely pay as it was, and grimaced for a moment at the thought of how much she spent per month to keep living there.

As she made her way across the street to reach her building, her eyes were downcast and upon her phone chatting away with the father of her children who agreed to bring the twins over the following week. Their relationship was amicable, and yet she carried disdain in secrecy at the venom she had been spewed so long ago.

When a car at full-speed made its way down the road Wanda waltzed through, all you saw was red.

“Look out!”

Swinging down the edge of a building, you threw a web across the adjacent one, aiming towards Wanda. You grabbed her swiftly mere seconds before she was to become one with the asphalt. As much as she screamed clutching her phone and staring across the city, you never once let go.

You settled for setting her down gently at the roof of her building. Knowing it was never easy for first-timers, you helped her lay on the floor, clutching your latex suit tightly as she attempted to catch her heavy breath. Being in such close proximity to her, your arm wrapped around her waist while tapping gently upon her skin, made you drool beneath your mask.

“That was a close one,” you awkwardly said, grimacing as you never knew how to break the ice after quite an event. “You should really be careful next time. New Yorkers are no joke when it comes to driving. I wouldn’t want you to be flattened by a 4x4.”

“Holy shit,” was all Wanda could muster. She turned to you, wide green eyes seemingly staring through your soul even if yours were covered. “You saved my life. I almost died and you-”

“Yeah it’s kind of my thing. Don’t worry, I do it a lot. It goes with the whole hero thing, you know?”

Wanda was able to let out a shaky laugh, although deep down you knew she still attempted to ground herself. “I don’t assume you’d like to come over for tea as a thanks. Spider…person?”

“That’s me, but no I have a rule about not fraternizing with the people I saved.” It wasn’t a lie, but for Wanda you’d always make an exception.

“Yeah? Did Tony Stark come up with that for you? Or was it the buff guy in red, white, and blue pajamas who likes destroying the city with the weird frisbee?” Wanda raised her eyebrows.

“Oh I wish. I’m not on the level of the Avengers yet. I’m just a friendly neighborhood Spider-person.”

When the redhead tilted her head as though it was her trademark move, you froze. “You are very friendly indeed. So, about that tea? I can even do coffee. It’s late and I almost died, why not make it a pizza?”

“I live and breathe pizza. It’s my favorite thing ever,” you smirked even though she couldn’t see it. Pizza. Pizza? You frowned at the familiarity of it, but upon a peculiar ringtone blasting through your phone, you cursed beneath your breath. “Oh fuck, Peter’s pizza!”

“Who?” Wanda questioned with amusement.

“Uh nothing, nevermind! You have a lovely evening miss- ma’am?” Although you wanted nothing more than to remain in place, sit down and chat further over a large pizza that you’d eat most slices from, you had a duty to the city and your friend. Waving off to the doctor, you jumped on the ledge. “See ya later doc! Try not to die!”

Wanda was taken aback. Although still stressed, she was able to pull herself off the floor and run towards the edge of the building where she watched you swing away as quick as you had appeared. Shrugging, she found it quite odd. Never had she told you she was a doctor.

///

Seeing Wanda across the city had become a daily habit of yours, an obsession as Peter put it. You had watched her from afar, intervening when required, and simply went off as though nothing had occurred. Upon your arrival at the emergency room where you saw one another differently, you began noticing a rather deliriously beautiful smile upon her features you had yet to see present.

“If I didn’t know any better I’d say you were stalking me.”

It would typically make you jump, and yet after countless times of saving Wanda from the very same fate – nearly being run over – you weren’t sure if it still surprised you. The banter the two of you shared, the unspoken bond that had settled between both you and the hero she looked up to, was nothing you wished to rid yourself from.

“Me? Stalking you? Oh no no no!” A lie. Another faithful night at the top of her apartment building had you leaning against the ledge. “I’m just your friendly neighborhood Spidey. I’m obligated to save a pretty girl when she’s in trouble.”

Wanda brushed the dirt off her slacks, shaking her head with amusing disbelief. “Girl?”

“Er, woman? Sorry.”

“I’m kidding. Gosh, you’re so easy to tease.” She was much more relaxed than at the hospital, a demeanor you had seen was saved for her children. “Who knew the spider vigilante was so cute?”

You ignored the blush that set upon your cheeks, thankful that your mask was on to hide your delicious embarrassment.

“Well I have to-”

“Go. You have to go. Again.” The final part was mumbled almost solemnly. Wanda wouldn’t admit it, but she had taken quite a liking to being saved by you. “Will I ever get to see what my knight in colorful spandex looks like?”

“Uh maybe,” you shrugged. “It’s just a secret identity for a reason. It’s not like we know much about each other.” Another lie. You had spent the better part of the last few weeks chatting amicably with the older woman, exploring different aspects of your individual lives in the safety of the rooftop. As much as you wished to tell her, you didn’t wish for her to react badly. “So, see you later?”

“Yes, darling. Until the next time you save me.”

To your dismay, you didn’t get to save her again in the coming weeks.

///

Although you didn’t get to see Wanda when donning your suit, you still had your ways. Ever so often you’d meet enemies who’d take quite the crack at you, leaving you needing minor stitches or an examination from the doctor. More often than not that task was given to your favorite redhead who began working much more at night.

“Would you still think I’m cute even if I was that swinging arachnid?” You questioned one day. In your defense your confidence and boldness was fueled by the medication running through your veins as she sutured your arm. “You know, the person with the red and blue suit.”

“I never said you were cute.” Her features gave her away fully as she beamed, not even keeping her joy hidden away.

“Well you didn’t say I wasn’t cute.” Watching intently, your eyes flickered upon Wanda’s as she patched you up. The blue from the latex gloves had become a favored color of yours. “Now answer the question.”

“Considering my children are obsessed with that buffoon of a hero, then yes, I would still think you’re cute. They saved me once anyway.” Wanda paused. “Well, a few times. But who’s counting?”

“Yeah?”

“Yes, darling.”

Taking a deep breath, you knew it was now or never. Talking it over with Peter had led you to believe that it was a bad, terribly thought-out idea according to your friend, but gazing at the beauty before you, you couldn’t find it to be true. Each day Wanda consumed your thoughts; each night Wanda consumed your dreams. Honesty was a first step you were willing to take, albeit risky.

“Well good thing I am them.” Your voice was shaky. The last time you had told someone about your secret identity had been years before. “Nice to see you again, Dr. Maximoff.”

Wanda shook her head and let out a howl. The mere thought, the amusing humoring, of one of her most regular patients being the Spider-person was too good to be true. “Sure, and I’m Black Widow.”

Rolling your eyes, you knew you’d have to show proof. After having looked around to make sure no one looked in your general direction, you shot a web from your bare wrists towards the small table beside you, pulling it to you with agility. Wanda wasn’t quite sure of what her eyes saw, if they deceived her, but as you shot yet another web towards the ceiling, she was left with her mouth agape.

“Y/N?”

“It’s really been awhile since we last saw each other. Well, when I was in my suit at least,” you chuckled. “So, uh, do you think it would be appropriate to ask you out now? On a date I mean. I can swing us to the top of a building or even take you somewhere. Just not too expensive because, you know, college student here. But I’d like to get to know you better if that’s alright.”

With her bewilderment still intact, Wanda involuntarily found herself nodding, deep down feeling relief that the two objects of her affection were one and the same.

///

There were a limited number of places you could take Wanda without Peter losing his mind about you spending a fortune, and yet as you left the apartment in silence, you didn’t care to tell him where you were headed. It was easier to swing there anyway, and you doubted he’d find it suspicious if you went out wearing your suit, instead arriving at Wanda’s apartment building only to change on the roof, leaving your backpack webbed to the ledge before making your way down.

You had found it difficult to move past the door that Wanda opened, smiling at you as she allowed you to feast your eyes upon the tight, black dress she donned. Suddenly it was your favorite piece of attire and color. Giving her a bouquet of flowers you had picked up along the way, you didn’t expect much, and yet the kiss placed upon one of your shining cheeks had you blushing for the entire dinner.

“So, uhm, you just shoot webs out of your wrist?”

If there was something you should know about Wanda, it was that she got right to the point. There was no hesitation within her as took a slice from the pizza she had made herself, handcrafting the dough and everything during the little spare time she had between her job and kids.

“Yup!”

“That’s…very interesting. Do you shoot them out of anywhere else?”

At the innuendo you blushed, turning away so Wanda couldn’t catch sight of your embarrassment. “No, no. It’s just the wrists. I promise I am perfectly normal otherwise. Well, except for the superhuman strength, durability, a weird healing thing, agility, the wall thingy, and the Spidey sense.”

“A what?”

“Spidey sense! I’m not sure how to explain it, but that’s just what I call it. I guess it’s like an improved gut feeling,” you explained. Unless she experienced the same as you, she lacked the depth to understand it. At least that’s what you thought until she nodded, seemingly pleased with your response. “Thanks for the pizza by the way. I didn’t peg you for a margherita kind of gal.”

“Well, I have been wanting to sit down and have dinner with my savior for ages now. The least I can do is get you something you’d enjoy.”

Hesitating to take a bite from your third slice, you stared at her. “Do you just see me as the person who saved your life or-”

“Oh gosh no, darling. To me you’re Y/N, the very interesting patient who always makes my nightmares at the ER quite enjoyable.” The warmth in her beam did not go missed. “And of course I have to take into account the fact that you enjoy throwing yourself off buildings in your spare time. It doesn’t matter what you do. I find you to be a very interesting specimen, sweetheart. And if you’ll allow me, I’d love to get to know you better.”

You settled for that response, not noticing the glint in Wanda’s eyes as she watched you look down to attempt to hide a mad flush upon your cheeks. Numerous insecurities came crashing against her at once. She was much older than you, a mother of two children, a divorcee, and most importantly a doctor who had a very demanding work schedule. Her priority was to serve others, but she mused that so was yours. Together you were quite perfect for one another.

The two of you remained seated over the dining room table, the apartment silent let alone for the voices which boomed with the other. You hadn’t felt as relaxed as you did talking to her in comparison to anyone else, not even your best friend and roommate.

“What about your kids?” You decided to ask once Wanda had brought up your family. “Twins, right?”

“Yeah, my boys,” her face lit up at the instant mention of her beloved children. “Billy and Tommy. They’re my whole world. Both are ten right now, which is a very tricky age as you know. But they’re really the sweetest kids ever. And their father he…”

You waited for an answer, but when she didn’t give you any, you pushed on. “What about him? If you want to talk about it I mean.”

“It’s fine,” she brushed it off. “It happened years ago anyway. We got divorced when the boys were two. Everyone assumes the two of us are okay and to a certain extent we are, but it wasn’t pretty. There was a lot that went on between Vis and I. I just…I haven’t allowed myself to be with anyone else since the divorce. I’m not sure how to properly date someone.”

With raised eyebrows you found yourself giggling. It took Wanda aback, of course it did, but you quickly explained your amusement. “It’s not really rocket science, Wanda. We’re just getting to know each other. We talk, we laugh, and we enjoy the other’s presence. I like you, a lot actually. Just relax, take it easy.”

“I don’t think I’ve been able to relax since I graduated high school, but I’ll try,” she snorted.

The evening was quite peaceful. For the first night ever you allowed yourself to take a break, to enjoy the little time you had with Wanda, to sit beside her on the couch and snicker as she put on her favored sitcoms – learning she adored them was a rather endearing fact you’d forever remember about the woman.

The New York City skyline would never carry the same beauty as did Wanda. Although her eyes darted out the window watching the sunset intently, yours were on her god-like appearance. You couldn’t even begin to count your stars at the mere fact of being there.

“I’ll miss you,” Wanda said when it was time for your departure. The half-eaten pizza was cleaned up by you as she stood back, your appetite gone as you focused on being beside her, stubbornly having attempted to stop you from tidying up. “But I know that duty calls. Time for you to save lives, honey.”

Never would you stop the ends of your mouth from rising at the pet names. “I’ll miss you two. I had a lot of fun tonight. I really can’t wait until we do this again.”

That night when you swung around the city, not a thought filled your head other than Wanda.

///

Each passing day you sent Wanda a new picture of yourself, not knowing she adored saving them all into a little folder on her phone meant for just you. Winter was upon you, meaning the hours she put into the work at the hospital were shared with the moments she spent rummaging through the city in search of gifts for the twins. For that entire month, she was a gift-giver, only Santa on Christmas Eve.

During her break at the hospital, she found herself searching through her phone for gifts, all while smiling at the ding of a new message from you. Opening it up, she found you wearing your trademark suit, pointing the camera over yourself as your other hand held a pole in the midst of the sky.

Wanda: Where is that?

You: Top of the Empire State Building. I should really take you here someday.

Wanda: No thank you, my little spiderling. I haven’t recovered from the first few times you took me swinging. It’s freezing out anyway. Not all of us have been bitten by radioactive spiders.

You: I’ll find the spider again and make it bite you. That way you can be Spider-girl!

Wanda: Spider-woman**

Wanda: Were you able to find the Lego sets?

Another image was sent, only this time it was the inside of your backpack which carried differing sets of Legos from Harry Potter: one was a Gryffindor themed one while the other was Ravenclaw.

You: Here they are. How come you need them so soon anyway??? Christmas isn’t for a few weeks.

Wanda: But Chanukah is next week, my darling. The twins have been begging for these. Now I just need to find a new chanukiah. Last year Tommy was running around the apartment and ended up breaking it. I can’t tell you how much that little boy cried.

You: I didn’t know you were Jewish.

Wanda: I am. This season always puts a dent in my bank account. The twins celebrate both Chanukah and Christmas from their dad’s side. It’s hell trying to not spoil them but also get them enough gifts for them to enjoy.

Wanda: Now I have to go, sweetheart. We both have lives to save. Stay safe and warm!

You: Try not to fight any patients. I know some people are dumbasses but one of us needs to have a stable job. Bye, miss you already <3

You tightened the scarf around your neck after having shoved your phone into your backpack. Wanda refused to let you carry out your vigitanlism if you simply wore your suit with nothing to keep you warm. So in her motherly mannerism, she wrapped a scarf around you, guided a beanie over your head with earmuffs, and handed you a coat. She hadn’t been quick enough to get you to wear warm layers over your legs or a sweater. The last thing you wanted was to run around the city wearing a full set of warm gear with only your mask to show off your heroic identity.

Swinging through the city knowing Wanda was there to wait for you at the end of the day, being able to drop by her apartment even if the children were around and finding time to sneak a few loving moments, made it all worth it.

///

Since you became official with Wanda, visiting at the hospital seemed to have lost its meaning. So rather than drop by the emergency room for her to stitch you up, more often than not you found yourself crawling across the walls of your girlfriend’s apartment building, sliding the window she left unlocked just for you before making your way inside to the warmth of the room.

“Wanda,” you whispered. There was no correct way to wake her up, you had found. Either way she’d scream her lungs out, still not used to seeing her partner hovering on the ceiling by a web hoping to get some medical attention. “Babe, I know you need your beauty sleep because you got a demanding job and some gremlins running around, but I could really use your help.” Even then she didn’t budge. Well, at least until you not-so-carefully shook her awake. “Wanda!”

Although ridden with fear, Wanda was adorable when she sat up immediately. Her eyes were wide, forehead coming in contact with your own covered one for a rather heavy hit. You were fine of course, but the same could not be said for the average human who rubbed her face while hissing with pain.

“Baby there is a door for a reason,” Wanda groaned, droopy eyes coming in contact with your figure. “And other doctors at the hospital.”

“Well you’re my doctor,” you mused.

“I’m also your very tired girlfriend,” she retorted. As much as she pretended to dislike being awoken in the middle of the night, Wanda beamed when eyeing you. She would forever find herself in awe with your presence. “What happened this time?”

“It’s nothing bad, just a little fall down a building.” At your words Wanda snapped her head up. “Don’t worry, doc. I’m superhuman, remember? Nothing hurts, but I wanted you to check it out just to be really sure.”

Wanda sighed, shaking her head with disbelief. She had yet to understand how your biology worked and differed from her own, but knew it was best to not ask many questions as you didn’t even know yourself. She was fascinated by the hero, but even more so by the angel that hid behind the mask and knew she’d be more worried if you didn’t say anything.

“Let’s see.” Wanda allowed her hands to run across your mask, finding the edges of it that attached to the rest of your bodysuit. She tilted her head upon meeting your eye line with raised eyebrows. “May I?”

“Go ahead.”

Pulling your mask down, Wanda licked her lips. You were freezing to the touch, but she knew you didn’t feel the cold as intensely as she did. Fingertips ran across your flushed cheeks, the mask being left halfway on as she studied what she saw.

You didn’t pull back as Wanda inched forth, her lips ghosting over your own. “I missed you, little spiderling. I only wish you’d visit me other than when you need a doctor’s gift.”

Before you could dare muster a reply, her mouth crashed against your own. She kissed you hard as though you hadn’t in days, because with the winter season taking full-force, her time mostly spent working and celebrating Hanukkah with her children, you rarely got to sit down and be with one another. There was nothing normal about your relationship, but you both wished to reach for it regardless.

Holding your head in place as you remained floating from the ceiling, Wanda made out with you. The children had long resided sleeping in their beds, far too gone within Sandman’s realm to dare interrupt the delicious moment. When she slipped her tongue past your welcoming lips, you wondered if you had the willpower to stop this from growing. She was far too intoxicating, you being drunk in her, to deny her.

“There’s challah in the kitchen,” was the first thing Wanda said as she pulled back, her face sharing a similar hue to your own. “And as much as I’d like to keep going, I really want to make sure you’re not about to die on me.”

“Yeah that’s fair. Can I, uh, sit on your bed?” You questioned.

“You don’t even have to ask, sweetheart.”

Being nuzzled close by Wanda once you had shed your suit and mask away wasn’t a rare occasion. Instead you found joy in your skin being analyzed by the physician, relaxing as she ensured that no major damage resided on your body. She had stocked up on bandages, gauzes, and enough hydrogen peroxide to cure a small army for your sake. If anything, she adored the little moments she got to play doctor at home with you by her side.

When it came down to just you and her, life was peaceful for once. No longer did either of you have to worry about patients, citizens in need of help, or even children that she dearly loved. It was just you two sharing the sweet moments you’d never easily get rid of.

“I don’t mean to be rude, but do you have anything other than bread? I kinda skipped breakfast…and lunch…and maybe even dinner,” your voice got lower by the second. Wanda had long ago reminded you of the importance of eating, but being busy with finals and heroism, you barely got time to shower at night.

“You really have to take better care of yourself, honey. You may be a hero, but you’re still a person. Basic self-care shouldn’t be alien to you.” Wanda held herself back from reprimanding you. It’s not like you were one of the twins, and yet she couldn’t help but care for you in such a close manner. “But yes, Dr. Lewis brought a delicious matzo ball soup. I think you’ll like it.”

“Darcy?” Wanda raised her eyebrows at that – it didn’t go missed by you. “When you weren’t around she was the one to nurse me back to health. After doing my stitches for a few weeks and talking about the best pizza in the city, we’re now on a first-name basis.”

“Hmm well she’s a wonderful doctor,” Wanda pointed out. She took a pause before allowing her insecurities to get the best of her. “Younger.”

Although mostly oblivious, you could sense the hint of venom and sadness in her voice. Wanda gave a lot of thought to the difference in your ages.“I guess, but you’re the only doctor I got my eye on. Really the only person I care to kiss.”

“That is very sweet of you.”

When Wanda didn’t smile, you did it for her. “Well, it’s true.”

Once you were all checked out, your side merely patched up with little scrapes that would soon heal, Wanda guided you towards the kitchen. She still found it amusing how you pranced around in what she called ‘a very colorful and stretchy pajama bodysuit.’ Teasing you was truly the highlight of her days.

While you took your seat on a stool in the kitchen island, Wanda set off to find the remaining food. She found it heartwarming that although you didn’t share her beliefs, you could appreciate them alongside her culture. Throughout many dates you called restaurants ahead of time to ensure proper dishes for your girlfriend who always pecked you on the cheek for being so sweet to her.

As you fed yourself a mouthful of the dish, you suddenly piped up. “Oh I finished my last final today!”

Wanda shook her head at the childish manner of yours to speak with your mouth full, but her exhausted face was fueled with pride. “That’s wonderful, baby! Physiology, correct?” You nodded. “How was it?”

“I think it went well. I dunno, I just hope I didn’t entirely fail the class.”

“You are a very smart and capable person, okay?” When her features turned serious, you knew Wanda was about to give you the pep talk of a lifetime. “You’d never fail at anything. I am very proud of you for even having done the exam. Now don’t you dare put yourself down, my dear. You sell yourself far too short when having such a big and beautiful brain.”

“You think my brain is beautiful?” Eyebrows raised, you took another mouthful of the soup. “Gross.”

“It’s so sexy.” You and Wanda shared a lighthearted laugh, ensuring that you weren’t loud enough to awaken the twins you had yet to meet. “Now be good for me and eat up. I’m not letting you go back home in your condition. There’s an extra spot in my bed for a reason.”

Although there wasn’t anything wrong with you apart from a faint bruise, Wanda was having none of it. That night you slept better than ever after having showered, wearing oversized pajamas she had given you before laying by her side. You only hoped she wouldn’t comment on the way you awoke with both arms wrapped around her waist as you mirrored a koala – for Wanda, that is what a perfect life was.

///

Wanda: Would you like to meet the twins?

You stared down at your phone when you received the message. It had become a custom for you to always immediately look at it when the distinctive sound of Wanda’s texts came through. She could need you, or be in mid-emergency. Whatever it was, hers were always the first messages you saw in the morning.

You: Yeah! That would be awesome actually.

You: Wait Spidey-me or me-me?

Wanda: Whatever you feel comfortable with, angel. I just thought we’ve been together for two long months. And it’s almost Christmas so they’ll be far too busy with their dad after the 24th.

You: I guess it can’t hurt for them to love me because I’m their favorite superhero.

You: I am their fav superhero, right?

Wanda: 🤐

You: WANDA!!

Wanda: Yes, bubala. You are their favorite. What matters most is that you’re MY favorite!

You: So cute. I’ll call you later tonight and we can work something out. Now go save some lives, Dr. Maximoff!

Wanda: You too, b'shert. Keep warm for me.

Each message she sent you made you smile more than the last. Nothing, no one, had allowed you to feel in such a wondrous manner. Wanda was a breath of fresh air. She was the calm, serene cool breeze on a Spring morning after having woken up to open the window — so beautifully rejuvenating you with life.

You’d never let her go.

///

You weren’t sure what to bring to meet a pair of ten year old boys, but perhaps bags of candy Wanda would surely confiscate and the surprise of meeting a superhero would be enough. The day in which Wanda invited you over caused you great stress, your hands shaking at each given moment, only increasing once you left your home.

“You’ll be fine,” Peter had told you. “They’re just kids. Plus, if it doesn’t work out then you can always, you know, take advantage of the whole superhero thing.”

It was wrong, but you realized he had half a point. Perhaps it wouldn’t be as horrible as you thought given that they were Wanda’s children, but you feared that if they disliked you, that perhaps you’d break up with Wanda — or worse, you’d get between their relationship.

As scared as you were at first, upon seeing the curious eyes of the twins you could only smirk at them, offering the candy you brought as a peace offering while Wanda threw a hard gaze your way.

“Are you Y/N?” One of the twins, Tommy as you recognized from the pictures Wanda had sent and shared with you, questioned.

“Are you dating our mom?” Came Billy’s blunt curiosity.

“Billy!”

You threw Wanda a sympathetic gaze at Wanda, stooping to the boys’ eyeline. “Yes to both of those questions. I hope it’s okay that I’m seeing her. Your mom is a wonderful warrior of a woman and I couldn’t be happier by her side. I’m sure the two of you are just as amazing as she is, huh?”

“Maybe,” Tommy shrugged as she attempted to keep his amusement down.

The four of you sat around the dinner table, you across from Wanda who failed to keep her joy of you being there down. She eyed you every once in a while as the children chatted about the eventful weekend they had with their father. Although seemingly a good parent, you had your reservations about that extending to his persona.

You couldn’t help but find the similarities in Tommy and Billy alongside their mother. They both carried her charisma, the glint in their eyes as they passionately spoke about their favored topics. You learned that not only were they avid comic book readers, but that from their own words their own shared bedroom was solely dedicated to their favorite heroes – you wondered if that extended to Wanda’s heroism.

“Boys, Y/N actually has something they’d like to tell you. It’s about that…swinging spiderling,” Wanda couldn’t pass up the opportunity to tease. “Honey?”

“Oh, uh, yeah. Well, I guess there’s not really a way to sugarcoat this, but I’m the Spider-person,” you flashed them a toothy grin, but as content as you were relaying the information, they only stared at you blankly.

“Like for Halloween?” Billy asked as he turned to his brother.

“No, I mean I’m the person behind the mask. Swinging around the city and stuff like that.”

The boys eyed their mother, silently questioning your sanity without muttering a word. They had met their fair share of bizarre girlfriends their father had, but never did they imagine their mother to have stooped to such a level.

“Okay fine, look,” you rolled your eyes, raising the sleeve of your warm sweater to point it at the wall. “Sorry, Wanda.” Upon your apologies, you shot a web towards your partner, reaching her fork before pulling it towards you. “Ta-da!”

Although surprised, the boys still weren’t sold on it.

“Anyone can do that. We got web-shooters too, you know,” Billy said.

Sighing, you couldn’t help but stoop to the lowest levels to impress them. You pointed at your bare wrists, showing them off so that they could see the lack of shooters on them. “But I don't have- never mind. I’m just gonna borrow your ceiling real quick.”

“Knock yourself out, darling,” Wanda laughed, making sure that her boys were eating while enjoying the show you put on.

After crawling through the walls and ceiling for long enough, nearly breaking half of Wanda’s decorations at that, you were sure it was enough for the twins to tell what your heroic identity was. You knew your girlfriend wasn’t too keen about you rummaging through her home without walking on your two feet upon the floor, but even she chortled when you hovered from a web above Tommy and Billy, the twins elated to find that their mom’s partner was their favored hero.

From then on, on days which you could visit, at least once a week, you found yourself planted over Wanda’s couch. Your job was to bring the snacks and popcorn while Wanda provided the movies. Together you bonded much better with the twins, and for the first time in your life you didn’t mind being seen as a parental figure.

///

The holidays alongside Wanda went by with ease. You didn’t have much of a family, always celebrating Christmas with MJ and Peter, at times even Ned and May. Although missing them, you found solace beside your newfound girlfriend.

“How do you light it again?” You questioned, eyes darting across the chanukiah sitting before you. The last thing you wished to do was to tarnish such a valuable part of her religion. “Babe, I’m scared to set your place on fire.”

“Hush. You light it from left to right. ‘Left to right, that’s how you light’ is what I tell my boys,” Wanda explained as she stood behind you, her hand guiding your own. “Always light the shamash first then light the rest with it.”

Doing as you were told, you lit the candle in the middle, carefully making sure none of the fire landed over the table. Usually the boys were there to properly help your inexperienced self, but now that you were alone by Wanda’s side, there was no hiding behind the pair of ten-year-olds.

“And don’t you dare break my chanukiah either. Pietro bought me this one and I love the design,” Wanda told you. “Look at that beautiful crystal.”

“Please focus on me and not the crystal. I know it looks fucking awesome, but I think I’m about to accidentally desecrate an entire culture,” you whined as your hand began shaking, the candle merely hovering over a fresh unlit one. “I’m so sorry Wanda, I-”

“HaShem will forgive you, sweetheart. And you are doing great. Here, let me help.” Wanda guided her hand atop your own, letting it run across a candle that she helped you light. She remained there for a few seconds before pulling it away to carefully light the rest on their proper other. “Did you know that the central candle represents HaShem’s light? This chanukiah is a symbol of enlightenment.”

You hummed at that, pressing your back against Wanda’s front. Turning slightly, you didn’t miss the glint of pride she received upon eyeing the candelabra. “Thank you for teaching me about this. It’s really important to you, so it’s important to me too.”

“Hmm how sweet,” she hummed.

Hugging you from behind, Wanda’s lips found your own. It began as a sweet peck, simply embracing all the unspoken love she held for you. As much as she adored her children, the redhead couldn’t be happier that she had uninterrupted time by your side while on a lengthy break from work.

The two of you have lacked the loneliness to be together. After nearly three months of becoming official, the desire you had for the other had reached its boiling point. It was only a matter of time before said volcano erupted.

“You look beautiful tonight,” you whispered against Wanda’s lips. Turning around, you got a full view of her outfit lit up by the six candles. It was a simple cardigan alongside warm yoga pants, and yet you couldn’t help but see her as the most beautiful specimen across the galaxy. “Such a pretty thing.”

“I could say the same about yourself, zeeskeit.” Wanda pulled you close, her hands running down your deeply clothed body which shielded you from the blizzard being carried across the New York skyline. She let her fingertips travel beneath your hoodie, an area she only halfway explored during your lengthy make-out sessions over her bed after your patrol sessions. “May I touch you? Am I allowed to…make love to you?”

“Make love to me?” You raised your eyebrows because beneath the charade of being older and wiser, Wanda was nothing but innocent when it came to lust. She blushed slightly at your institution and attempted to pull back, but you held her face close, thumb running down a reddened, warm cheek. “Yeah. You can do anything you’d like, Wanda. Anything just for you.”

Closing in on you, Wanda allowed you to feast upon the warmth she exuded. Her lips teased your own with small grazes, her eyes darting to them before wetting her own with her tongue. “Come here, my love.” Becoming one, she grabbed your hands tightly, forehead pressed against your own as the oil from the chanukiah burned brightly. With viridescent eyes closed, she breathed out. “Tzu gezunt, tzu leben, un tzu mazal.”

You were dragged to her bedroom by excited arms which simply begged you for fun. Wanda’s giddiness matched an immaturity you held as a young adult, throwing herself over the edge of the bed in sitting position before pulling you over herself. The life in her eyes was lit with the fire in the living room.

“I don’t tend to do this, you know?” Wanda muttered against your lips, taking them in control again, kissing you tenderly. “But I’m happy to make an exception for you, pretty one.”

“I’m honored. I can’t believe I’m the only one who gets to have you like this,” you told her, your mouth dropping a flurry of endearment across her face, merely hovering over her ear with hands that tugged at her clothes. “May I?”

“Knock yourself out.”

As though she mirrored a porcelain doll, you began undressing Wanda. Each article of clothing was shed little by little, her cardigan merely inching up her skin in a slow tempo as the two of you made out. There was hesitation in her body that froze at times, but melted when your lips guided her.

There too was uncertainty in you. With superhuman strength you could easily lift a car and not bat an eye, meaning hurting Wanda wasn’t completely off the table. You didn’t allow your hands to stay long upon her midsection as you removed her top, instead substituting them with your sight that didn’t leave your girlfriend’s upper body which lacked a brassiere.

“Holy fuck,” you drooled at the sight of her bare breast, far too afraid to break such artistic beauty. Praxiteles only wished his Aphrodite matched your own. “There’s no way you’re this pretty. It should be illegal because fu-

A finger landed over your lips successfully shushing you.

“You swear like a sailor, sheifale,” Wanda giggled and you swore you could only see a goddess before you. “Let me help you out of your clothes. It’s not fair if you only get to see me.”

The pout she threw at you was enough to make you inch back, immediately grabbing your clothes and throwing it off. You nearly fell against the bedside table and the pants that pooled at your feet. At least until success met you halfway and you simply stood there with nothing but your underwear on, embarrassed as you noticed the little dogs with Santa hats on.

Looking down at yourself, you didn’t dare face Wanda. “Yeah, sorry about this. It was a gag gift from last year’s Secret Santa. May gets really into Christmas and she loves dogs so…”

“And here I thought you couldn’t get more adorable.” Wanda shook her head with amusement, her room dimly lit and yet you could see every ounce of happiness upon her. “Now come here. I miss you already.”

You helped Wanda off her pants, shifting her so that she’d lay with her head against the fluffy pillows you found to be wildly comfortable after having crashed over for various nights. Her legs were smooth against your touch, so adorably responsive as your partner squirmed at the slightest caresses. You ran your hands up until you grabbed her backside, squeezing it as you pulled her in for a kiss.

Fingertips merely grazed her lacy black panties, yanking down the edges before-

“Wait stop.”

As soon as she spoke, you followed. While on top of Wanda you fully drew yourself back, breathlessly staring down with confusion. Her arms covered her chest, insecurities arising as she closed her eyes, hair coating her face to give her an extra sense of privacy.

“What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?” You questioned with furrowed eyebrows, inspecting Wanda in search of any pain.

“No, no, I just…” Wanda felt shame rising through her nude body. “I’m scared.”

“Me too,” you sympathized with her, you really did. Fear was nothing new for you. Ever since you got bit by that spider, not a day went by where you didn’t feel as though it would be your last. With enemies only increasing in size and powers, it was only a matter of time before the friendly neighborhood Spider-person was bested. “I’m scared to hurt you,” you admitted solely. “What are you afraid of?”

Wanda held your hands with her own, brushing her thumbs against the back of them before throwing you a reassuring smile that instantly turned bitter.

“I’m scared that maybe you won’t like what you see. Honey, it’s no secret that I am older, you know this,” she couldn’t help but say with dismay. “I have kids and I’m pushing 40. After the pregnancy Vis could barely even look at me. I’m not as pretty as the other girls you probably see on campus. Your friends. I’m…old and weird. I have stretch marks and I’ve never even been with someone who wasn't him before or after-”

At that you frowned, unbelieving the words that had spewed from her mouth. Surely you understood the fact that her job and children took up most of her time, but Wanda’s beauty shone across the galaxy brighter than the sun itself. “You haven’t?”

“No, sweetheart,” she felt humiliated to not be as experienced as she believed she should be. “I met Vis in high school. It’s always been him. I was supposed to grow old with him, not by myself…”

“Shhh it’s okay. I don’t mind.” You admitted, nuzzling your forehead against her own. A kiss was placed upon the tip of her nose, her face even more dashing without an ounce of make-up covering it. “And you’re not alone. Never with me.”

“But I’m ugly,” Wanda practically cried, unable to tear away the knot in her throat.

“Baby, what? Where is this coming from? You’re not ugly at all. You’re a warrior. You have given birth to not one, but two kids! Look at how far you’ve gotten in your career. With, again, two kids!” Seeing her in such disarray over untrue facts she spewed tugged at your heartstrings. Why couldn’t she see herself for what she was? Perhaps not all goddesses knew of their wondrous powers. “You’re perfect.”

“But honey, my body…” Wanda tried to muster out, but you shushed her to quiet down. Fingertips trailed across a raised scar on her abdomen, exploring the brutal force it had been made with. “Tommy came out fine, no trouble when I was giving birth to him. But Billy he…he was a c-section. The doctor didn’t think he’d make it, but he pulled through at the last second. It was the only way to get him out. As much as I love him, this,” with teary eyes, Wanda touched the marking on her skin. “Ugly scar, it cost me my marriage and my beauty. Vis couldn’t even look at me afterwards. A mutilated wife.”

You shared the sentiment, your own eyes filling up with tears. “If I ever meet him, I’m shoving my foot so far up his ass, it’s coming out his throat. That fucking idiot…” you whispered, a bout of bile rising up your throat.

Wanda didn’t react. She had long been told the same things from her friends, from Dr. Lewis who even once threatened to castrate her ex-husband with a scalpel from her operating room. She couldn’t find the truth in the statements. Vis rolled his eyes whenever she attempted to surprise him during anniversaries, the dreaded August 23rd. He would never lie to her.

“Can I see you?” You questioned, your eyes darting to Wanda’s tender ones raw with tears. “Only if you want. We can sit back on the couch and watch a movie or something. I could swing around and get us some food. Margherita pizza for the lady?”

Remaining silent, Wanda shrugged off her arms from her body. She allowed her hands to sit atop your shoulders, fingers exploring the bare area lovingly. Even without sight she could craft your body blindly, hands contorting to form you into a sculpture.

“Touch me,” she gave in. “please?”

You stared down at her stomach and all that met you were rolls sprawled across her midsection with stretch marks upon every inch of her skin: upon her breasts and along them, on her slightly swollen tummy you’d forever worship – you longed to kiss on her thighs that remained pushed together until you carefully pried them apart, and even by her hips which perfectly presented the markings. It felt alien to you. Staring at Wanda’s body, you wondered how she could ever describe herself as ugly when all that your eyes saw was excellence.

Without hesitation you carefully removed your underwear, garnering Wanda’s undying trust. She whimpered slightly when she saw your full nakedness, giving you the power to take off her own pair down her luscious legs. There was a golden Star of David which hung around her neck, one that she refused to take off ever since she was a child – her parents had given her one, another silver necklace for Pietro.

“Relax, baby,” you muttered towards her, leaning in to graze your lips against her chest. Kissing between the valley of her breasts, you allowed yourself to explore her entirely. “Thank you for trusting me.” you grabbed one of her hands, squeezing tight as you alternated between both soft mounds to place kisses on. “If at any point you want to stop, tell me. Don’t forget that, okay?”

“‘Kay,” she husked out. “Now get to it. I don’t like being teased, detka.”

“Impatient, how cute.”

Wanda was flushed against your body, her own reacting in the most adorable ways imaginable. Nipples stood hard and proud for you as your tongue swirled upon them. Leaving wet trails of saliva behind you, you made sure to give them both the similarly delicious treatment. While you lightly sucked on a hardened bud, the other was pinched and tugged lovingly.

“Fuck, that feels good,” Wanda moaned, back arching at the warm feeling she had never experienced in her life. A confusing wetness formed between her legs, aching as she rubbed her thighs together. “Oh Y/N…”

“Beautiful,” you said against the swell of her breast, kissing the stretch marks you found. “You’re a fucking goddess.”

Fingers began teasing her cunt, loving the dripping mess it had become for mere minutes of foreplay. Wanda adorably mewled in response. She wasn’t used to being so aroused, not even all by herself. Folds were parted as you traveled up and down her slit. When you so much as found her clit with a mere touch, she nearly lost it.

You dipped inside, unable to keep the desperation you felt to yourself. Wanda was hot against you. She wasn’t sure how to react, instead alternating between gripping the bed sheets and scratching at your skin. Slight tenderness caught her by surprise. Even in the times previous to having the children, Vis had never treated her in such a way. But then again, she couldn’t dare compare the two of you. Either way you’d come out on top.

The sole finger of yours twitched within Wanda’s velvety walls which hugged you tightly. It explored the unknown, coated entirely by slick juices and love. You sloshed it slightly, smirking against your lover’s skin as wet sounds filled your ears. She was an unbelievable mess, slightly tight given how tense she was – although after reassurances whispered hotly by her ear, the redhead found it in herself to take a deep breath and melt against the bed.

“I can take more,” she admitted. Her hips sloppily moved against your own slow thrusts, urging you to go faster. Never had she longed for someone so deeply. Wanda hugged you close with a newfound sense of confidence. Her lips found your own, kissing you hard with the utmost amount of love she silently threw your way. “Come on, b'shert. Give me all you got. I want it all,” she slid her tongue against your own, never daring to break eye-contact. “I. Want. You.”

It was enough to release the monster from deep inside. Although you refused to harm her, you slipped a second finger inside her hole, filling her cunt up with digits that urged to bring her to the brink of an orgasm.

“Yeah, that’s it. There’s my good baby.” Wanda’s nipples crept upon your skin. She met your own movements with phlegmatic ones, legs wrapping themselves around your midsection. “I don’t think I’ll last long, sweetheart. Oh honey!”

Surely the last time she dared receive such immense pleasure was beneath her. You curled your fingers deep inside Wanda once she had adjusted to them, thumb circling her clit. She fell apart in your arms that held her tight, swearing loudly in the three languages she knew for the entire borough to hear.

You let her relax for a few seconds, kissing her flushed face, mouthing only the sweetest compliments. “You did so well for me, Wanda. Such a good girl.”

Those words brought her a surge of happiness she had long wished to own. She couldn’t help but smile against you, eyes droopy with adoration as your fingers remained deep within her slick, puffy cunt.

Without a word you began drifting down. Her confusion was clear, but she refused to question you as you placed your kisses all over the rolls upon her stomach, the swollen tummy being adored without a hint of hatred.

Wanda let out a strangled sob as you casually flicked your tongue over her pussy. She had never experienced that, always the same monotone sex with Vision who didn’t dare venture down as you did. The feeling of your mouth upon her dripping slit was far too enjoyable for her to ever wish to let go.

“You taste amazing,” you told her, already drunk on her flavor. “So fucking good.”

That night you didn’t stop until Wanda was a slumped, ragged mess over the bed. She cried to be allowed to return the favor, but with her exhausted voice and heavy eyelids, you couldn’t ask for anything. Instead you picked her up and dragged her to the bathroom, cleaning her up, allowing her to rest against you as you changed the sheets, and kissing her forehead to sleep.

It wasn’t the first night you felt love for Wanda, but it would be the last you left it unspoken.

///

On the night of Christmas Eve, you swung around to save the day.

Vis had urged the twins to visit him on that day rather than Christmas, leaving the small children to agree upon the promise of candy and half of their gifts being opened a day early. Although Wanda disapproved, knowing it was her day with the boys, she didn’t dare fight it. After all, their joy over seeing their father couldn’t be dissuaded. Whatever issues she had with her ex-husband were between the two of them, never daring to involve Billy and Tommy who reeked with innocence.

To say she was surprised to find you throwing one of her windows open and jumping through it would be an understatement. She had settled on a date with her television and leftover chocolates she had laying around the house, perhaps some wine to tone down her sadness. The apartment was horribly quiet without two little menaces running around and begging to be fed nothing but greasy, fast-food.

“Sorry I’m late! I swear I must’ve swung across the whole fucking city just to get you these,” you exasperated, closing the window behind you as you shook off some snow from your covered body. “But I’m here!”

A break had to be taken from patrolling, instead letting the cops take over for a night as you and your newfound protégé, Miles who volunteered at M.I.L.E. alongside Peter’s aunt May, his mom having run for city council and won, a father who you once attempted to save but failed, also spent his Christmas Eve alongside family and friends. Eventually you’d tell Wanda about him, but not until you were sure he’d be a good fit – child endangerment was not something you took lightly.

Your girlfriend frowned at you, more importantly the object upon your hands. She rose from the couch and, to her dismay, ignored her floor being drenched with melted snow. She placed her wine down on the coffee table and walked towards you. “Are those…babka rolls?”

“Yeah! I tried recreating this recipe I found online, but then I got too carried away wrapping your gifts,” you used a hand to point behind you, backpack filled with gifts that overflowed. It was the perfect time to remove the warm beanie and earmuffs that shielded you from the cold, given how warm Wanda’s apartment was. “I nearly set the apartment on fire. Peter Googled a few places for me and, uh, I may have used my Spidey status to get this dude to make it for you.”

“What did it cost?”

“A selfie and video to send to his friends,” you mumbled. It wasn’t that you didn’t love taking pictures with the public, of course you did. But all that adorned your body was one of your old, beat up suits you merely carried around to cover yourself from the freezing weather. The fancier ones were saved for heroic work and better encounters with people. “Maybe an autograph too.”

You didn’t notice Wanda was in such close proximity until she urged you to drop the babka rolls on the coffee table beside her half-full glass of wine with silent hands.

“Take off your mask,” Wanda breathlessly ordered. You did as you were told, setting down the wrapped babka along with several horribly-adorned presents. When standing up straight, your mask off and thrown to the side, your girlfriend didn’t hesitate to lean in. Hands tenderly cupped your freezing cheeks, but she didn’t care. Having you close was good enough for Wanda. “I love you.”

Nothing could ever keep the thousand-watt smile from forming upon your face. You didn’t care that you were covered in snow, that your heavy boots Wanda had urged you to wear left wet trails as they stomped across her hardwood floors. All you could think about was her – pulling Wanda as close and ever to take her lips hostage.

“I love you too,” was all you said upon pulling away much to your disappointment. “Like, so fucking much. It’s kind of crazy how much I love you actually.”

“Hmm I’m glad, baby.”

Wanda nuzzled herself against you, ignoring the wetness from your suit and coat – she was glad to know you at least stuck to her pleas of keeping warm. She held you tight as though you’d leave by the following day, but until she told you otherwise, you’d spent all your waking time beside the woman you adored.

“So, uh, I brought a few DVDs,” you said. “I know it’s old fashioned, but I thought we could hook up the twins’ PlayStation in the living room’s television to watch Home Alone.”

“I would love that.” Wanda placed a kiss on your chest, most importantly over the spider crest that lay there. “My little spiderling. Please tell me you at least brought a change of clothes. Although you know I’ve been keeping extras just for you. And maybe Santa has brought you something for you to have here.”

“Yeah?”

“Maybe,” she teased. “Perhaps someday you won’t have to leave anymore. And we could make this…permanent.”

“I would love that.” Hugging her close, you promised to forever love and care for her, for her sanity, her children, and anything she desired. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Wanda stooped up to kiss you again, this time lingering upon your freezing lips carrying nothing but amour and desire. “Now go take a shower, sweetheart. You smell like a sewer rat. Get yourself all warmed up. I need my cuddle buddy.”

“Anything for you, Dr. Maximoff.”

Without the kids she was miserable, but her misery turned to happiness with you by her side. Wanda was thrilled to not only fall asleep with you hugging her tight from behind, but also awake to find herself half on top of you, face nuzzled against your chest. Although she had never officially celebrated Christmas let alone for her children’s sake, she could surely get used to a very excited superhero tearing open gifts and flashing them towards her.

As you stared back at Wanda that morning, promising that your gifts were for her own celebrations and not Christmas, you noticed the similarities between the scarlet wrapping paper and her hair. It was then you realized that loving Wanda, holding her heart in your hands, would forever be red.

#cthulhus’ fanfics #wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff x you #wanda maximoff x y/n #wanda maximoff smut #marvel #marvel smut #wanda maximoff #scarlet witch #scarlet witch x reader #scarlet witch x you

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dracowars · 2 months ago

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devil's lair | annatar

pairing: annatar x ringsmith!elf!reader

word count: 4,4k

summary: where annatar shows particular interest in a certain ringsmith

a/n: i couldn't help myself, the need to write for this man was unbearable 🙏🏻 the second season was incredible! a quick disclaimer: i'm not too deep into the lore of the whole lord of the rings universe. i've only seen the movies a few times and never read the books. either way, i tried making it as accurate as possible and did my research!! hope you enjoy, feedback is always appreciated <3

warnings: angst, manipulation, violence, mentions of blood

universe: the rings of power

With careful, delicate movements you decorate the shining ring in front of you, surrounding the blue crystal with golden decorations. While you were working on this specific ring, you completely lost track of time, entirely absorbed in your work, and didn't even notice that the others had already put down their tools for the day. Because of you being so utterly concentrated, the tip of your tongue sticking out on the side of your mouth, you also don't notice that you are being watched right now.

With his arms crossed, he stands on the gallery on the other side of the forge, his gaze never leaving your figure as he watches your every move. Annatar has seen many hardworking elves over the decades, but such great dedication and drive for perfection surprises even him. He couldn't take his eyes off you even if he wanted to. You mesmerize him.

A slight smile pulls at the corners of his mouth as he watches you examine your creation, the wonder that is the result of the finest of elven arts.

Not entirely satisfied with your work, you reach for the next tool, but flinch when a hand is suddenly placed on top of yours, preventing you from picking it up. The moment your hands touch, a spark shoots through your body. A feeling that you can't quite describe flows through your veins. It is the same feeling you experience every time he enters a room. Startled, you look up at his face, his eyes flashing maliciously for a moment, and breathe a sigh of relief.

"I didn't mean to startle you, my lady", Annatar says softly, his tall and broad frame almost hovering over you as he stands so close to you.

"Oh, you.. didn't. I just thought I was alone. I didn't think anyone would still be here. Except for Lord Celebrimbor, of course", you answer, feeling a blush creep onto your cheeks beneath his unyielding gaze. You lower your head, not sure what reaction to expect from him as he just stares at you from above.

The hand that lays on top of yours slides across the table to the ring. You watch as he slowly and carefully removes the ring from its holder and finally brings it in front of his face to examine it up close. Not sure if he is pleased, you nervously play with your hands and don't dare to look at his face.

"Breathtaking", you finally hear his soft voice say in a whisper, which makes you look up and, to your surprise, he looks directly at you. With a genuine smile, he nods at the ring he holds between his thumb and index finger. "You've done a wonderful job. Celebrimbor is lucky to have you in his forge."

"Oh, you think too highly of me. I appreciate your words but Lord Celebrimbor himself did most of the work. He is the master of this forge and the maker of these rings. I just gave this one the finishing touches."

"And you did an impeccable job", he marvels, an unmistakable sparkle in his eyes.

These words make the slight blush spread further across your face. Annatar gently reaches for your hand and guides it upwards so that he can carefully place the ring on your palm. With a frown, you observe this movement, feeling how the tips of his fingers slightly graze your palm as he places the ring inside. Once more, you feel that sudden pull, not overpowering but distinctly noticeable.

For a few seconds you stare at each other without another word, your hand remaining in the same position. The slight smirk that surrounds his lips, the wrinkles that form around his eyes because of it - all of this makes your heart beat faster for some inexplicable reason. You need a moment, a moment he clearly enjoys, to break free from your trance. In an attempt to escape this situation, you look in all directions while smoothing down the fine fabric of your dress, desperately searching for something to say or do.

"I- I think I should get back to my work", you finally say at the exact same time as Annatar softly whispers: "You have the face of a queen."

"W-What?", you ask, surprised and not sure if you heard his words correctly. He stares straight into your eyes for another moment before lowering his head with a smile, his long hair falling from his shoulders in front of his face as he takes a step back and hides his hands behind his back.

"Keep up your good work and one day you will be as great as your master", are the last words he says before he turns around and slowly leaves the forge. You watch him go, hoping that he will turn around once again and tell you more, but he just disappears through the large doors. What remains hidden from your sight, however, is the wicked smile he wears on his lips upon leaving.

"A queen?", you whisper quietly to yourself once the doors close behind him. You look around, meeting the eyes of Celebrimbor who is currently looking down at you from his gallery with narrowed eyes. Softly smiling at him, you turn back to your workbench and look down at yourself, shaking your head in denial.

You must have misheard.

════════════

The darkness that surrounds you is frightening. The small flame that suddenly appears in front of you seems to attract you, but the closer you get, the bigger the flame becomes. Eventually it turns so big that a monstrous creature rears up in front of you, letting out a deafening scream. Its flaming skin blinds you, its merciless eyes searching for prey. Helplessly, you grab the first objects you can find in an attempt to defend yourself against this dark being.

Until, suddenly, you stand in front of Celebrimbor, one of the rings created for men in his hand. You gasp for air and stumble back a few steps, hyperventilating as you are in complete shock. As you back up, trying to escape from everyone's stares, you bump into someone and if it weren't for him placing his hands on your arms to steady you, you would have fallen over. Meeting Annatar's gentle eyes when you look up to identify your saviour, a certain calm flows through you immediately. He looks down at you, his brow furrowed as he sees you in such a distraught state.

"What happened?", Celebrimbor asks you, his hand reaching out in a hopeless attempt to calm you down, but you flinch away.

"I was in a place similar to this one. But.. shrouded in mist and utter darkness. I saw.. flames, a huge fire. At first, I thought it was the forge, but.. it was alive. Tall, and its skin was made of flames. I-It was surrounded by death. I was surrounded by death. I looked into its eyes and.. and saw..", you try to make sense of the otherwordly experience, walking around in dismay, finding Annatar's face as his concerned gaze meets yours. "I think it's been here among us, all along."

For a split second, Annatar seems to be taken aback by your statement. However, his face shows immediate concern again as he steps closer to you, slowly, careful not to scare you away.

"You are with us now. There's nothing to fear", he states, giving you an encouraging smile. "Look around. All is well."

Staring at him, you have to blink several times to realize that everything you saw wasn't real. That the ring just overpowered you. And yet, your body bears the scars of it. You look around, see the faces of the other elves, of your master, of your friends, all of who are looking at you with such concern as if you were about to die on the battlefield. Feeling weak, you take another staggering step backwards and lower your head in the process, your hand on your chest where your heart is still trembling violently. You fight back the tears as you slowly sink onto the steps behind you and feel grateful that Annatar is answering Celebrimbor's justified questions about how things could have gone so terribly wrong in the first place.

From the distance, you hear him explaining that you used more mithril in order to protect the men from the immense power of the rings. Deep down, you knew that it wouldn't work, and yet Annatar convinced you all to try it regardless since Celebrimbor wouldn't offer his help in forging the Nine.

You only look up again when everyone has dispersed, leaving the forge after the eventful evening. Everyone except for Celebrimbor and Annatar. The Lord of Eregion kneels down in front of you and when you try to get up quickly because you never meant for him to fall to his knees for you, he gently pushes you back down. It is apparent that he doesn't know what to say, so he just forces a smile, full of pity and regret, onto his face and gives you several encouraging pats on the shoulder before standing up again, ascending the steps to his gallery.

You look after him, your eyes still glassy, and when you turn around again, you are slightly startled by the hand that is now hovering right in front of your face. You can still see worry flicker in Annatar's eyes, even as you take his hand and let him help you up.

"I'm sorr-"

"You are very brave", Annatar interrupts you immediately, making your eyes widen in an instant. How can he say that when you can barely stand upright even now? But all you can see in his eyes is that he is telling you the truth, that it is actually what he believes.

"Some who behold the Unseen world are never quite at home in this one again", he tells you, looking down at your trembling hands that you quickly hide behind your back.

"Have you seen it?", you ask in Sindarin, wondering why he seems to know so much about it. As an answer, Annatar nods with a sorrowful smile.

"In its light, things appear as they truly are. Beings of differing shades of light. And its darkness", he continues, his hand gently moving down your arm, bringing your hand to the front again. "It pains me to say, for what you saw, I did not wish for any of you to see until I had helped him to heal."

Briefly distracted by his surprisingly tender touch, you watch as he wraps his larger hand around yours to prevent it from shaking. Once you have processed his words, however, you gasp slightly and search his eyes for any signs that what he says is true.

"You mean.. You speak of.. Lord Celebrimbor?", you ask in disbelief, looking up at the gallery where he just disappeared to. You hear Annatar only from afar, telling you how 'vulnerable to the shadow' Celebrimbor is.

"Promise me you will speak to none other of it. Including him", you hear him say more clearly now as he uses Sindarin, a language he usually does not speak to you.

"I promise", you nod, feeling the warmth spread through your body from where his hand is holding yours tightly. You look at him as he gives you another smile, something he seems to do a lot around you lately, and force one onto your own lips as well. His sharp features are illuminated by the warm fire of the forge on one side, the other is shrouded in darkness. The fire, crackling and peaceful, however, does not warm you at all, only his thumb, which gently runs over the back of your hand, manages to do so and it seems like the light is now meeting the entirety of his face.

Unable to hold his soft gaze any longer, you turn away. You look around the forge, worried about Celebrimbor. If what Annatar is telling you is in fact true, then..

You desperately want to help Celebrimbor, but you don't know how or if you are even able to. So you tell yourself that it is probably better to leave this task to the Lord of Gifts.

While you are deep in your thoughts, you suddenly feel Annatar's fingers on your chin, guiding your face back to his so you look at him. With his other hand, he tucks a strand of your long elven hair behind your pointed ear, his eyes fixed on yours.

"You needn't worry, my lady", he says in a low voice, his hand cupping your cheek.

"I'm not a-"

"You are to me", he interrupts once more, not letting you finish, and you feel his face getting even closer to yours. His eyes focus on your lips as he comes closer and takes in all your senses completely, your thoughts are silenced and you close your eyes. When you open them again a little later, suddenly feeling a bitter cold, you see him standing far away from you, at the doors to the forge.

"Stay here. Keep an eye on him while I'm gone", are his last words before he leaves, leaving you cold and speechless, your thoughts and feelings a complete mess.

════════════

You can't recall how long you have been working on these rings. After what happened to you, Celebrimbor thought it would be better to banish all other elves from the forge so as not to cause any more damage. He wanted to send you away too, but Annatar convinced him otherwise. And Annatar told you that you are safe here, in the forge. Although you have to admit that you are wondering from what exactly you are safe. Because watching Celebrimbor step further into the darkness each passing day is far from any kind of safety. At one point, he even forgot your name.

You are utterly exhausted and have not left the forge for weeks, partly out of fear for your master.

A sudden loud clattering noise jolts you from your position. Looking around in confusion, you notice that you seem to have fallen asleep at your workbench, one of the rings for men glittering in front of you. Another loud noise reminds you why you were woken up in the first place and you quickly run up the stairs, gripping the fabric of your dress in your hands so you don't trip on it. Once at the top, you search for the source of the disturbing noises and finally find Celebrimbor sitting on the floor, motionless. Startled, you stop dead in your tracks and only approach slowly when he shows no reaction to your arrival.

"Lord Celebrimbor?", you ask into the void, but he just stares at a spot on the ground. "What happened?", you continue, seeing Fëanor's hammer lying on the ground next to him, some vessels broken on the ground.

You carefully walk towards him and finally sit down right next to him, not knowing what to do or say. You speak to him several times, but each time you are greeted with silence. As you look at him worriedly, you can see tears that are threatening to escape his eyes, his hands trembling. Placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, you feel utterly helpless.

Until you suddenly notice movement out of the corner of your eye and are surprised to see that you didn't hear Annatar enter the forge and come up here.

The sight of him finally gives you hope. Your heart beats a little faster, just like every time you met since that one faithful day where you got so dangerously close. You can't explain what he does to you, but he has enchanted you and you feel an endless emptiness when he isn't with you. His appearance in the forge is the highlight of your day, when you create the rings together and exchange loving glances here and there. You can't describe your feelings, but secretly you hope that he feels the same.

Annatar's gaze wanders first to you, then to Celebrimbor, obviously upset that he is not working on the rings like he should.

"The rings. Are they finished?", he asks in a serious voice, his gaze fixed on the elven smith. In response, Celebrimbor only shushes him.

"Wait for it", Celebrimbor whispers with a smile on his lips that sends a shiver down your spine. Exchanging a concerned look with Annatar, you place your right hand around Celebrimbor's forearm as if this could somehow bring him back to his senses. Whatever is going on, you absolutely do not like it.

"Wait for what?", Annatar inquires to know and Celebrimbor points to the spot he has been staring at all this time. There, you are surprised to see a tiny mouse making its way across the floor, its nose in the air, probably searching for something to eat. His finger remains pointed at the small creature as he comments its scurrying with a humourless chuckle. As if expecting some kind of reaction, he finally looks up at Annatar who meets his unusual behaviour with a smile. Meanwhile, it has you even more worried.

"Captivating", is all Annatar says, his hands behind his back as if he observed such strange behaviour every day. Briefly, he looks over to you, his gaze apologetic but there is even more to it. This quick glance also reminds you of what he indicated at before: that Celebrimbor's mind is, slowly but surely, descending into dangerous territories. Memories of raging flames enter your mind and you remove your hand from him as if you burned yourself.

"It is a pattern", Celebrimbor continues, looking at Annatar until he apparently doesn't get the reaction he wanted and therefore decides to address you instead. "Do you not see? A cycle. Repeating itself at intervals throughout the day."

"I..", you start, but clearly Celebrimbor isn't finished yet.

"And there is more." With that, he abruptly gets up and goes to his workbench, rambling on. However, you have trouble following his words because nothing he says makes sense to you: You have seen this mouse for the first time today, the coal is almost completely extinguished by now and the candle has also mostly burned down. But Celebrimbor looks at you with such conviction that you feel incredibly sorry. You desperately want to believe him, but all that is repeating itself in your head is what the ring showed you.

You don’t know what to say and Annatar has trouble calming the blacksmith down as well. Finally, you decide to carefully approach Celebrimbor who is now standing in front of some of the rings on his workbench, his shoulders hunched.

"Lord Celebrimbor.."

Before you can reach him, however, he turns around angrily, the table he's leaning on rattling from the force.

"What have you done to me?!", he shouts at the Lord of Gifts, tears threatening to spill over. There is enormous hate and anger in his voice, but all you can hear is fear. He repeats his words over and over again until he suddenly picks up a hammer and misses Annatar by just a few inches. The tool breaks the window behind him with a loud shatter. In complete shock, you look at your master with wide eyes, only to realize that he suddenly seems paralyzed.

You use this opportunity to approach him again and slowly walk towards him, but his gaze is fixed on the broken window behind Annatar. You gently grab Celebrimbor's arm, but your touch suddenly tears him out of his paralysis. He violently pulls his arm away from you and stumbles to the doors to the balcony, opening them to let in the bright light of day.

You want to go to him again, wanting to find out what got into him, but this time a hand closes around your wrist and pulls you back, stopping you. When you look back, Annatar shakes his head in pity. So you both watch as Celebrimbor begins to silently sob on the balcony. His whole body shakes and as he backs away he almost stumbles to the ground. He looks around the entire forge and looks like he's about to lose his composure entirely.

"Lord Celebrimbor. Please, tell me what's wrong. I don't understand..", you ask, worried, and, despite Annatar's warning, walk towards him, your hands on your chest, over your aching heart.

"You don't hear it?" Only now does he seem to notice you again, to really see you.

You blink several times at this strange question. Right now, you find it very difficult to follow his words and although you really did not believe in what Annatar told you until now - you didn't want to believe it - everything seems to point to exactly that: the creation of the rings has driven Celebrimbor's mind into the dark abyss. Because the only thing you hear is the peaceful chirping of birds outside and the crackling of the fire still burning.

"I don't hear anything", you say in a low voice that breaks at the end. Seeing him like this and not being able to help deeply wounds you. At your words, Celebrimbor's glassy eyes widen almost imperceptibly and he lets out a shaky breath, stumbling closer to you.

"Y-You.. You don't?", he asks, now directly in front of you, his voice trembling. You shake your head apologetically.

"But.. But the debris almost killed you! Look, it hit right where you were working just a moment ago. T-The whole forge is in ruins. And you are.. You are bleeding", Celebrimbor rambles on, tears running down his cheeks upon seeing your incredulous expression. He swallows hard as he gently strokes your forehead with his thumb as if he were wiping something away. But the next moment Annatar is standing right behind you, forcefully grabbing Celebrimbor's wrist and thus stops him in his movement.

"Don't dare touch her", he says through gritted teeth. "You can't be trusted in your current condition, friend."

Celebrimbor's hand, which Annatar has firmly in his grip, is right in front of your face and you notice that there is no trace of blood on his finger. Unintentionally, you rub the spot he just touched and feel absolutely nothing.

"But she's bleeding! What have you done to us?!", Celebrimbor suddenly defends himself vehemently and in an attempt to free his hand from Annatar's grip, he uses so much force that his hand suddenly collides with your face. The hard blow and the force behind it make you stumble to the side, your hand placed on your now throbbing cheek in shock. Tears sting your eyes and you look up in fear, right into Annatar's enraged face.

"I wish you hadn't done this", he says with so much wrath in his voice that it makes you shudder. He rolls his shoulders before turning to the Lord of Eregion with these words. Celebrimbor, however, looks just as shocked as you.

"I- I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to hurt her! You have to believe me!", Celebrimbor sobs violently and reaches out his hand to you, but he doesn't get far because Annatar immediately pushes him in the opposite direction, bringing him to the floor. While Celebrimbor scrambles to get up, Annatar is stomping towards him with determination in his eyes, his fist raised. But once he hears your soft, trembling voice, he instantly pauses.

"Don't!", you cry out in despair. Annatar looks at you, sees the fear hiding in your eyes, and finally makes a decision. He lets go of Celebrimbor and quickly comes back to you, helping your trembling frame to stand upright.

"Everything is going to be alright. He can't hurt you anymore", he comforts you, his eyes searching yours for any signs of how you are feeling. Carefully, he lifts your hand, which is still on your cheek, only to find a red bruise that makes the anger inside him boil. Snorting heavily, his nostrils flaring, he tries to suppress this anger. You, however, try to look past him to catch a look at Celebrimbor, so Annatar takes your face in his hands and forces you to look at him.

"Look at me. You don't need to be afraid. You're safe with me", he reassures you and you nod slowly in response, your eyes still full of tears. Annatar gives you a small, sympathetic smile and tucks your hair behind your ear before he runs his thumb over the spot on your forehead that Celebrimbor had already touched earlier. His fingertip softly strokes your skin there, his face concentrated as he does so, but there is still no blood when he pulls his hand away. He then leans forward and places a feather-light kiss on your forehead, distracting you from the throbbing of your sore cheek.

"I'll take care of him", he finally declares, one hand gently stroking the back of your head, smoothing down your hair, the other hand holding yours. When he turns around to turn his attention back to Celebrimbor, however, you are both surprised to see that he is gone, the doors to the forge wide open. Annatar wants to immediately follow him, but your hand is still tightly entwined with his. Before you can say anything, he beats you to it.

"Do. Not. Follow. Us", he says urgently, emphasizing each word so you get the message, squeezing your hand. "Go to your chambers, but do not, under any circumstances, leave this tower."

The vehemence in his voice makes you nod, even though you're not even sure what he's protecting you from. His eyes are screaming at you to trust him, to obey his words, so you do. Smiling softly, he lifts your intertwined hands and places a kiss on the back of yours. Before he can turn to leave, however, you gather all your remaining courage and quickly grab his face, stand on your tiptoes, and kiss him. You have no idea what this cruel world has in store for you next, which is why you wanted to at least let him know how you feel. Since he kisses you back after overcoming his initial surprise, you assume that the feeling is mutual, mending your shattered heart a little.

For a moment, you think you hear something, someone shouting, screaming, but when you finally let him go and watch his tall frame leave through the doors, you are met with silence once more.

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kremlin · 1 year ago

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"This event ends the moment you write us a check, and it better not bounce, or you're a dead motherfucker" -- Big Bill Hell

There was a time when you'd see little old ladies paying for the groceries with a hand-written personal check, holding up the line, causing an immediately-forgiven slight sense of annoyance with those behind her. Buddy. Those days are over. They've been over. What, did you think you were going to just pop a couple extra zeroes on the end of your paycheck there? Maybe scan your paycheck, open it in photoshop, make a template, print em out all nice? You think you're the first to think of that, dipshit?

It takes the law a long time to catch up with the state of the art. You're reading this on the internet, which means you never use checks. The law has caught up. Your ass will be going to prison immediately and you will see zero return.

You can't even kite checks anymore, and hell, nobody under 40 will even know what that means, due to the blazing fast, two day settlement on all ACH transactions. Let me paint you a picture.

You get paid on Friday, but it is Monday, and bills are due on Tuesday. And you're broke: $0 in the bank. Goose egg. Pop open your checkbook, go to a store, "buy" some things, write a check for the amount. The cashier takes it!

Now take those things you "bought", across town, to another store location, and return them for cold hard cash. Sweet. Bills paid. Friday rolls around, and you just make it to the bank to deposit your paycheck before it closes. After the weekend, the checks you wrote finally post, and they don't bounce! You've kited a check. You've surreptitiously taken a zero-interest loan. And we know your broke ass. The interest rate on that short-term payday loan should have been straight up usurious. We're talking 29%. That makes predatory fuckers like us horny for sex. We're so mad. Now you are going to Federal Prison. For a good minute. Fuckface.

COST: $0.10 (With banks offering free checking accounts + Bic pen)

"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor sleet, if you fuck with the mail, we'll rip your nuts off" -- Ronald Mail (Inventor of Mail)

Many people have this misnomer that the most powerful people in politics are democratically elected. The president, of the United States, of America, is a stupid cartoon hotdog. All of them, I don't care. Way less clout than you'd think. Brilliantly, it is the people that the hotdog president appoints who are actually doing anything significant. The director of the CIA. The fucking chairman of the Federal Reserve. Probably the, like, most senior, uh, general of the military, and shit too. I don't know, we don't "do" army here at Bloomberg. You probably don't even know their names! I don't! These are the ones you should be seeing in your sleep.

There's another position like that. Appointed directly by the hotdog. The Postmaster General. That's a real title. He's the CEO of the mail, and buddy, what he may lack in political power relative to the director of the CEO, he makes up in raw sexual energy. Total Tom Selleck energy. Like an airline pilot. We're talking Donald Sutherland in Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I'm tentpoling in my black business slacks just writing this, and all my Bloomberg newsroom bros are peering over my shoulder and also tent-poling. We're not gay though, and especially me, I'm probably the least gay, but sometimes I just lay awake for hours at night what that mustache would feel like pressed against my lips, the unbelievable and utter, total sense of security I'd feel burying my head into his hard chest.

You get it. He's your dad. And if you fuck with the mail, you've fucked with the tools in your dad's garage. And dad's been drinking. You're in for it, bucko, you are in trouble. Do you think the United States Postal Service actually makes any money? Hell no. It costs like five bucks to mail a box basically anywhere I can think of and they give you the boxes for free. You can just walk in the post office and take them. I do that, and then just throw them away, I don't know why, some kind of compulsion. Being able to move shit around like this, quickly, cheaply -- Jesus H, I've got a huge amount of money in my bank account, probably tens of trillions of dollars (due to financial knowledge gained from reading Bloomberg articles) and I could probably mail every single person ever something and still come out in the black.

No way pal. They've thought of that already. The Postmaster General is going to know every time, and he's going to grab you by the shirt collar, wearing his cool as fuck hat, and you're going to get your pants pulled down, and your bare ass spanke...I need to go use the restroom real quick.

We rely on the mail system to get important shit done. It's not something to be taken lightly, and it isn't. Trust me. This is why, like almost every other person who receives mail in this year 2023, I just fucking put a wastebasket under my mail slot. I don't even shred that shit anymore. I just burn it. Takes less time.

COST: $0.63 (Postal stamp)

"Can call all you want, but there's no one home // And you're not gonna reach my telephone // Out in the club, and I'm sipping that bubb // And you're not gonna reach my telephone" -- Lady Gaga

I read something wild that the children of today do not know what a dial tone is, because of how fucked up and stupid they are. Isn't that super fucked up?

While it's not really our style, allow me to fill you in on some ancient, arcane knowledge about the telephone. You can turn it on, and then you can punch in numbers. Any numbers. Random ones, or maybe not random ones. If the ten numbers you punch in are the same as the numbers in someone else's telephone number, their phone will ring, and then you are talking to them. This is called "Phreaking".

Here's the kicker: You can tell that jackass anything you want. "Oh, Hi, Yes, I am Reginald Sumpter calling from Avalon Consulting LLC, we are just following up on the invoice we sent you. Please remit to ###### routing ###### account."

BOOM! Your name isn't Reginald whatever and that company doesn't exist, but you just received a deposit. It's fucking beautiful. What have you done wrong? It isn't your responsibility to handle who your business' clients/etc are, it's their's. If they want to just pay you money for no real reason, well, that's kind of on them, isn't it? I haven't stuck a pistol in your face and demanded everything in the register.

Well, it's too clever. It's too slick. This is the United States of America. It's one thing to commit a felony like armed robbery, it's another thing to piss off someone in charge of the accounting division who uses a special bathroom you need a key to get into.

You can do it on the computer too, I use a PC Computer at work and send email, so you can see how it'd work there. You can make a document that is indifferentiable from a real invoice and, straight up, 1/3 of the time they will pay that shit. Lmfao.

It's called wire fraud because, uhh, duhhhh, there's wires. What do you think that thing is strung between the telephone receiver and the dialer? And computers? Give me a break. There's so many wires with those.

COST: $0.25 (Coin for payphone)

"People calculate too much and think too little." -- Charlie Munger

It is insane how dumb the common man can be when it comes to our world of expertise. I hear this same sentiment, like, ALL THE TIME:

"Durr hurr I will buy an insurance policy for my car or house or whatever so that in case something happens to it I will get money". And then that same person proceeds to drive safely or not burn their house down. Dumbest crap imaginable.

Let me break it down for you. Insurance is a two player competitive game. There is a winner and there is a loser. Go take out an expensive insurance policy on your American sports car. Buy a neck brace, a football helmet, and pack that bitch with throw pillows. Then get in the left lane of a major highway at like noonish, let it rip and then SLAM on your brakes. Hit from behind! Your fault! Congratulations. You have won insurance. How this gets past people is beyond me.

You can only do this once or twice before the insurance companies catch on. Then they don't want to fuck with you. It is also..I don't know man...something feels off about taking a car or a house, which like, some guy had to build and just destroying it, but that is only a weird emotional thing, since you're making money, more than whatever the destroyed thing is worth, so in reality you've built that house plus some extra. You've contributed.

COST: $106.00 (Average monthly car insurance payment)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

SUBSCRIBE TO MY WHATEVER FOR PART TWO, COMING SOON. i'll post it later today probably. whatever time frame will juice the numbers. have a sneaky peaky

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zeroslashsix · 7 months ago

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Following my Gambit post, I love love love the way Rogue's powers are handled in X-Men Evolution. Like Gambit, Rogue tends to have a certain set of 'roles' when she's in a show/movie: she's focused on inner torment about her powers, on being a Spicy Southern Belle, or her romantic connections. Which is to say, her stories are usually about emotions and relationships, which is fine, I love those parts of her as much the rest. But if she's not fighting, her powers are only really viewed through a lens of how she feels about them, and how they impact her ability to connect with others.

And here's X-Men Evolution, fully leaning into the fact that Rogue’s power is one of the most dangerous in the entire show. I love the s3 ep "Self-Possessed" so much because it takes the brakes off her, and really commits to the idea that stacking powers is catastrophic when you consider she can wield multiple omega-level powersets at the same time. Her main limitation is that she doesn't want other personalities in her head, she limits her power usage because she just doesn't like it, and yeah, totally fair, but Rogue could absolutely wake up one day, go through the mansion and decide to be an omega squared. X-Men Evolution is about teenagers who are still figuring out their abilities, even at the end of the series when they're a year (two years?) older. By the finale, they have more control and training, but they are absolutely still growing into adulthood and have not reached full potential.

Which is why I think "Self-Possessed" is such a fascinating look at Rogue's powers. Every iteration of Rogue imposes a time limit on her absorption, meaning that any powers she absorbs will only stay with her for a short time. But in that episode, when she's succumbing to all those personalities in her head, her time limit stops existing. She can access powers for months, maybe even years after the initial absorption. Mystique's powers couldn't have given Rogue that ability; the only way Rogue could do such a thing is if that potential already exists inside of her. This implies that when she absorbs a power, that power stays inside her as long as the personality does, and her "time limit" is just a matter of control, or lack thereof.

This seems to be backed up by the s3 finale, where Mesmero and Mystique mind control Rogue to gather powers, and Rogue proceeds to SWEEP the X-Men, Brotherhood, Acolytes, and Magneto in less than 24 hours. By the end of it, she seems fully capable of using any and all their powers at will, ignoring any sort of time limit. Mesmero can mind control others, but he can't enhance them. He cannot give someone powers they don't already possess. The only reason Rogue could do all that is because she was already capable of it, and the fact Mesmero could mind control this out of her seems to imply that Rogue's limitations are entirely self-imposed, mostly mental/emotional, or maybe a lack of experience. (Similar to the season four finale where Rogue seems to use Leech’s power better than he does, probably just because he’s a little kid and she’s an adolescent so has a better grasp on powers in general)

Like, no wonder Mystique and Destiny wanted her powers. No wonder Magneto was so thrilled to have her in the ranks in the first season. No wonder so many people in the world want to use her; she is the all-mutant, the living multi tool that can gather multitudes of power in one place and then combine them. The only reason she isn't considered omega-level is pure technicality; in terms of destruction she could actually lay down, Rogue is absolutely as dangerous as plenty of omegas. The requirements for an omega are 1) infinite power, and 2) limitless power. Rogue has the first one; she can stack an infinite number of powers. But she lacks the second; all her powers must come from the outside, and she cannot generate them herself. But if she has access to multiple omega powersets like she does in Self-Possessed, that technicality kind of stops mattering once the punches actually start flying.

Which all leads into Rogue's main emotional journey through X-Men Evolution, which is perhaps my favorite she's ever had: being used. That's why she was adopted. That's why she was raised being unable to touch, being lied to by both her moms. That's why she was taken into the Brotherhood, and it's why Mystique will never leave her alone. Extra fascinating because after the reveal in season one that Mystique is Kurt's mother, Mystique leaves Kurt completely alone for the rest of the series, while simultaneously stalking and manipulating Rogue. Why the difference? Because Kurt is not a useful tool. Not compared to Rogue. And I think Rogue sees that difference, which makes for such a juicy dynamic when Kurt is so interested in actually loving Mystique, for insisting that Rogue should forgive their mother and 'let hatred go,' because he genuinely thinks that anyone can be saved with enough love. Whereas Rogue, who has seen Mystique's 'love' up close for her whole life, is desperately trying to get away from that, with good reason.

One of the reasons I wish we’d had more seasons, or at least more episodes in the last season, is how seamlessly Rogue’s feelings about her powers flowed into her feelings around being used, her feelings around family, and being dehumanized to the point of mind-wipe by her own mother. Yes she’s sad about the no-touching thing, but that’s nothing compared to being seen as a literal object in the eyes of others, because her powers are utterly perfect—for someone else to use. Which flows into questions of bodily autonomy, of who her powers “belong to” vs. who they “should belong to.” Especially considering that Rogue is only at full power when she loses control/is under someone else’s control, which could lead someone to conclude, “Well of course Rogue should be under someone’s control, preferably mine. She’s so powerful when someone else is controlling her, and so weak when she controls herself. It’s honestly such a waste for Rogue to be her own person when she could be so much more. She needs to be used to reach her full potential.”

In a perfect world, we’d have way more X-Men Evo than we got. More seasons, more episodes, more time to explore whatever the hell Rogue had going on. And if I was allowed to pick, I would have loved to see Rogue with a character arc of self-ownership. In particular, it would be so cool to see her powers develop to the point she can have a “Self-Possessed” crisis and control it, fully aware of herself and all the powers she holds. I’d love to see her use those powers for her own benefit, on purpose, independent of both her mother and the X-Men. I’d love to see a self-serving Rogue in the XMenEvo. Not necessarily evil (though it would be a fascinating villain arc) but a Rogue who chooses selfishness as an act of rebellion. Who can use all those powers simultaneously, consciously, and disobediently. Vengeance, maybe? Or something that heightens humans’ fear of mutants? I’d love to see Rogue become inconvenient to the X-Men, at the very least, either physically or philosophically. Certainly nothing so dire as the Phoenix saga, but something that uses her powers to their fullest extent. (Damn could you imagine Rogue as the Horseman of Death if this went in the opposite direction. How fucking overpowered would Death!Rogue be, how the hell would the X-Men deal with that)

Anyways. Fanfiction is the folklore of the now or whatever. And XMenEvo was already a crazy high school AU anyway.

#x-men evolution #rogue #anna marie darkholme #fanfic #mystique #nightcrawler #kurt wagner

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lavender-romancer · 9 months ago

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Push it Down

Astarion x GN Reader

Everyday it got worse, the longing stares interrupted when La’zel would curiously catch your eyeline always straying to Astarion. Or how you would always inextricably walk next to him regardless of the goal ahead. Shadowheart would often question if Astarion had to open “every lock we find” at your request. But you couldn't help it, being near him, with him was all you would think about

AN: Astarion brainrot is a real condition people. Lots of lovely fluff.

You're a squishy wizard

*°*°•.˜”*°•.˜”*°•.˜”*°••°*”˜.•°*”˜.•°*”˜.•°*”°*

“Do you have to make your feelings so obvious that it's painful?” Shadowheart asked as you looked through some random boxes you found in what remained of moonhaven.

“Do you have to bring this up again?” You jabbed back with a smile. “I'm not ashamed of it, but I will never outright admit it.”

“Lady of Sorrows guide you, I don't know how you're able to stand with your debilitating lack of a spine.” She raised her eyebrow and you simply rolled your eyes “Here, go give these to your boy-toy.” Handing you a few thieves' tools Shadowheart walked to another side of the room and continued looting.

You scampered outside, only realising when you were in front of Astarion how desperate it must have looked to run up to him like a dog wagging its tail excitedly. He was unlocking a chest that was one in a big group La'zel and Karlach had put together for him to deal with.

“Here,” you held out the tools with a smile that was much too big for such a small token.

“Thank you, darling.” He smiled up at you. “You're looking particularly overjoyed, what's got you so energetic?”

“Uh… looting.” You never were good at lying.

“Thank the Gods you never became a politician because your inability to deceive is one of your greatest qualities.” He opened the chest he had been working on.

“I suppose. But I wish I was better at more things like that, it just makes me so nervous to not be honest.” You fidgeted with your hands.

“Well, for starters you need to be better at improvising, it is adorable to see you try and lie to anyone and fail miserably. I'm convinced you should just be completely honest and people might not believe you.” Standing up he brushed the dust off his trousers and you were now face to face. Given, a few steps apart but it still made you smile and your feet shuffle anxiously.

“The tadpole has definitely made me better at lying, you have to at least admit that.” You were practically beaming, staring at him in awe.

“Still, you carry most of your emotions in your eyes and your inability to stop smiling. You'll get there eventually my friend, probably, I mean probably not but it's very sweet that you continue to try. Anyways, we should head back to camp for the evening I am positively spent.” Astarion walked past you to pick up his backpack and you internally groaned.

It was so deeply embarrassing when you couldn't keep your emotions hidden. A problem you had usually put down to anxiousness, but realistically it was just something you had to learn to live with. You were an open book with almost no air of mystique about you. Maybe that was why Astarion seemed so utterly uninterested in seeking anything but friendship or a quick night of passion.

As you lay in your tent, you conjured a mage hand to throw books at you to try and practice your telekinesis but it was going dreadfully. Whilst your magic was growing back to it's former strength before the tadpole you were still plagued by poor reaction times to basically anything. One quite powerful throw from the conjured hand hit your arm and you yelped, sure that it would leave a bruise.

“What mischief are you up too now?” A voice suddenly asked, distracting you from the task at hand as a book hit you square in the face.

“Fuck!” You exclaimed, dismissing the mage hand and rubbing your nose.

“Are you trying to be agile again? You know how that ended up last time.” Astarion joked as he entered your tent and sat down opposite you.

A funny but painful memory entered your mind when you had tried to climb over a very small wall to surprise some goblins and had instead ended up on your back in front of them. If falling over in front of some goblins wasn't bad enough, you had also slipped in grease that was extremely easy to avoid alerting the whole horde to your party's location. The bollocking you got from La'zel after that encounter made you promise to work on your ability to not be “such a fucking Wizard” whatever that meant.

“No, surprisingly I was failing at something else.” You quipped back at him, “anyways, did you want to feed or-”

“No, well yes but, I wanted to talk to you.” He licked his lips absentmindedly and seeing the slight glint of his fangs off the light of your candle made your eyes grow wider. You never knew you'd have a thing for vampires…

“Oh! Do uhm, talk away.” You cringed at your inability to string a sentence together.

“I- look. I know that I am beautiful and wonderful darling, but have you been looking at me slightly differently lately?” he asked, you could almost sense that he was nervous but you weren't sure why.

“What do you mean?” You responded with your eyes fixated on your bedroll on the floor as the alarm bells rang in your head.

“With more longing behind your eyes?” You hadn't noticed that same longing in his eyes which was often present in your gaze.

“Who- I- why did you get that impression?” You fumbled through your words and began fiddling with your robe.

“Oh, I…” he trailed off and you finally looked up, sensing his dejected tone you cocked your head.

“You sound disappointed.” Your tone was soft in an attempt to stop him from running away from the conversation.

“Disappointed? Darling if I wanted you I could most certainly have you.” Having returned to his snarky sense of security you frowned.

“Is that why you seem so annoyed? Because I rejected you before?” Your mind went back to drinking red wine with him, the sour taste filling your nose all over again. It wasn't that you didn't want him, you just didn't want the first time you could spend the night with him to be clouded with alcohol and regret. Maybe it had bruised his ego but there were so many reasons to try to let your bond grow overtime.

“You think that wounded me? I have laid with thousands and I'll lay with thousands more before I am hurt by that!” He exclaimed but you could see the hurt in his eyes that he struggled to hide.

“I didn't want it to be like that. Something that you might feel like was a mistake, a drunken mishap you'd rather forget. I didn't- I don't want you to think I did it because I did not want it. Under different circumstances things would have been different for me.” Clasping your hands together you tried to reach his gaze but it was so accusatory that it was making your heart pound.

“I- I don't think I've ever been rejected as tactfully as you did.” Astarion almost laughed with a far-away look in his eyes.

“It didn't feel genuine and I couldn't allow myself to be swept up in all of it knowing that we weren't on the same page with our feelings about one another.” Smiling sadly you looked at the book that had previously hit you in the face, pushing it to the side you moved a bit closer to him. “I'm sorry that you felt like you had to do that, that night I mean. Correct me if I'm wrong, please.”

“I'm not sure how you know me so well that it's almost concerning.” His voice sounded strained as he departed from his snarky performative notes.

“You've become my favourite distraction through all of this shit we've dealt with. I really like being around you, it will be a shame when it all comes to an end when we get to Baldurs Gate.” your voice didn't show your true sadness but your eyes certainly did and Astarion could tell.

“I was hidden for so many years within those city walls, imprisoned and kept as a loyal pet before the nautiloid. A grim reality was the only way to escape the even worse life I was living and… I never thought I'd make friends let alone feel connected to someone. But you, you're thoughtful and sweet and respectful and too perceptive for your own good but so silly and honestly so bad as hiding that it's hilarious. Finding someone who understands you is a great gift and I would not like to squander it.” Astarion reached out his hand and it shook slightly as he showed his true vulnerability. You looked from his hand to his face, it was genuine and really from everything you could gather, it seemed like he was being the most honest he'd ever been with you.

“You want to stay together?” Your voice was so hopeful as your head told you that you were an idiot.

“Yes. You fool. Was that not clear. Now hold my hand so we're not both fools.” He rolled his eyes and you hurriedly held his hand. Your clamminess was immediately obvious given his hand was ridiculously cold. “God you mortals are always sweaty aren't you.” He gave you a cheeky smile and you had to laugh or you'd descend into an anxiety ridden madness.

“Do you want to stay here tonight? I would enjoy a cuddle.” You asked.

“Just a cuddle Darling?” He flirted but there was still that look behind his eyes that was there after the tiefling party. The look you had come to understand was the dogma drilled into him to seduce, sleep with and then sacrifice all his conquests. Sex wasn't the same in Astarion's head as it was in yours but you didn't mind, it wasn't important to you.

“Just a cuddle.” You smiled in a way that you hoped was supportive and whilst he looked surprised he didn't seem disappointed. “Come here,” you lay down on the pillows and invited him to chest.

Whilst tentative he rested his head on your chest and slowly placed his hand on your arm. You without warning wrapped your arms around him in a squeeze of a hug that would probably suffocate someone who wasn't already dead. But he seemed to appreciate it as he nuzzled under your chin and his body began to relax. You stayed like that for a while until you began to snore and Astarion peeled himself from your embrace. He sat up and started to read, every so often glancing down at you. How an earth had he allowed himself to fall for a Wizard?

Astarion Taglist:

@anukulee

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imagionationstation · 27 days ago

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if youre still taking prompts, could i request 19 with 12!donnie and metalhead— i’ve been missing those two a bit haha

19 = ⚡️-> High voltage

“Hey bud.”

Metalhead chirps as Donnie pats his head, speaking through a yawn. “Yeah, I’m back up. Robot’s not gonna built itself.”

Metalhead trails him to his desk. Donnie picks up the sketchbook, carapace scratching the wood as he sits down beside it. The pen taps his cheek mindlessly. He leans the paper towards the watching companion, asking, “Look good?”

Metalhead raises a hand and touches the paper.

Donnie sighs, “Yeah, me neither.”

He taps the sketchbook against his forehead a few times before he stands. “Back to work.”

Metalhead is there when he stumbles, providing a head for him to catch his balance on. A soft chirp as he goes over to the generator on his desk, but Donnie only opens his toolbox. “Don’t worry about it. Just been a long night.”

He stops at his side to peek over the desk. Then he looks at Donnie. His creator nods drowsily, “Fine, long nights. Really, Metalhead, I’m perfectly capable of missing a few hours.”

When he reaches over, his hand bumps the toolbox and knocks it to the floor. He stares at it, shoulders slumped, as Metalhead begins picking up the tools. Metal hands offer the red container.

Donnie takes it. “Thanks. Gotta watch what I’m doing.”

He places it on his desk and pulls out a screwdriver. Metalhead watches him work for a while, catching every mistake and fumble, patient when his hands shake. His creator slams his fist on the desk and it knocks the pile of the books off the other side.

Metalhead sets a hand on his arm. He takes a deep breath, brushes at his eyes, and says, “I can do this.”

Metalhead takes his word for it and shifts his attention on the mess. He walks away as his creator pulls out a pair of pliers, examining the machine. He picks them up and turns, a danger symbol taking over his vision when Donnie moves to cut the active wire.

The hardcovers hit the floor, the pliers start to slice through, and then Metalhead is ramming his shoulder into Donnie’s plastron. His creator hits the ground, crying out in anger, and Metalhead’s hand closes around the grips, accidentally finishing the job.

The power surge hits his systems all at once. His screen goes wild, decorated in Human and Kraang, and then everything shuts down-

-to power back up a moment later in suboptimal condition.

His fuzzy vision slowly sorts itself out, fingers glitching when he tries to turn his head. His chirp crackles when he tries to speak, frantic screen failing to get a lock on his creator’s expression.

“I did it!” He gasps, shaky hands cupping his head. “Oh, buddy, you’re okay. I cannot believe I was so- but I can fix this. I can fix this.”

Metalhead’s voice box crackles. Donnie smiles, eyes covered by a sheen of liquid. “You scared me. How long did you know it was on?”

He tries to speak. His leg lifts in an awkward position.

Donnie wipes away the gloss and pulls out his tools. “Right. Right. Priorities. I’m sorry, bud. This was my bad. What was I thinking?”

He continues to ask rhetorical questions as he works. Metalhead answers once his voice box functions properly, helping to recode his processor. Once they’re finished with major repairs, he chirps a command and starts walking.

“Metalhead?” He hesitates. Metalhead does not stop. “Where are you…?”

He leaves the lab and goes into the bedroom. He waits in the dark until his creator creeps in, looking around blankly. “What’s in here?”

He points at the bed. His creator sighs. “Metalhead…”

He goes to pull back the covers. He looks at him expectantly.

After a long beat of consideration, Donnie comes over. He lays down reluctantly, eyes already half shut, and says, “I have too much to do.”

Metalhead tucks the blanket over his shoulders.

“I’m going to let them down.”

He pats his shell as he’d seen his brothers do.

“I can’t…” He trails off. Metalhead plants himself by the bed.

He remains there until the evening. Any creature that attempts to cross the threshold is reminded of the extensive weaponry that he bears. After all, Metalhead is made to help and protect.

And sometimes a creator needs protection from himself.

Thinking about Metalhead Rewired. Emotions all over the place. I didn’t know I needed this pain today. Thank you!!! 💜💛

#ImagionationStation’s Ficlets #tmnt 2k12 #tmnt 2012 #teenage mutant ninja turtles 2012 #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt fandom #donnie 2012 #tmnt donnie 2012 #tmnt 2012 donnie #2012 donnie #2012 donatello #tmnt metalhead #metalhead 2012 #2012 metalhead #2012 tmnt #donnie tmnt 2012 #tmnt fanfiction #tmnt fic #ask game

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newkatzkafe2023 · 11 months ago

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Can you please have the Monkey Kings reacting to their monkey S/O (gender unimportant) who's super motherly/fatherly/parental towards any kids they cross paths with? Like SWK's knew his S/O to be a fierce sharp-tongued warrior, now he's seeing them playing with human kid and monkey cubs like they were their own...

Baby fever incoming!!!!!🤯🤯🤯🤭🤭🤭

(Lmk Wukong) He couldn't believe his eyes. You With the ability to put the fear Of god into your many enemies. You are over here caring for the baby monkeys like you are their mom. I've been doing that for many years being together with him , but sometimes it still baffles him. One time you were caught away. What are the long keys that wouldn't stop crying? And the second he was in your arms. He was at peace again. It was like you were meant to do this while being a powerful warrior. He tends to daydream about. What would it be like when you guys have your very own cub. God never fails to put a blush on his face. He is really wondering if you are trying to tell him something???

(NR Wukong) He has been noticing does something's going on with you. You who can beat the crap out of demons Enemy is left and right You've been getting side tracked by the children of the city. You would watch all of them like a hawk and made sure they don't get into it any trouble. One time a little human girl almost ran into the street and you with your inhumane reflexes got her by her arm before a Motorcycle can hit her. You even treated Li like He was your son making sure he ate healthy got plenty of sleep even go As far as washes clothes or bandage up his bruises. He's starting to wonder if you yourself wants to be a mother. But he's nervous to ask cause last time you broke his mask While he was wearing it. But between you and me you will love to be mother

(HIB Wukong) He noticed how You are much more attentive to Liuer then he is. Not just with him but with all the village children. He has seen you viciously rip the head Of a demon that was messing with the tool of you. But the next moment you're helping a young mother calmed down her new born baby. Like you were the mother of that child as well. It probably doesn't help out a lot of the Village children dubbed you as mama (Y/N). As you were always protecting them along with protecting Liuer If this doesn't get it through Wukong's Thicks Skull that you want a child then I don't What to tell you.

(Mk Reborn Wukong) He seen you like that with fruity. You lay watse to demon armies for a living yet You find yourself attending to a tiny baby fruit fairy??? You clearly don't seem Mind but it's confusing to him a little. He would always tease you about it and you would always cave his face in. Even with the monk in the village , the children would rather talk to you than to him. Your answers to things are funnier , but it makes more sense to where they even they'll understand. Then they will come and ask more questions what's your patient enough to answer. He could not believe his eyes. Usually when people are annoying, you would already rip their heads off their shoulders. But then again, these are just children that are talk into you. They're no real threat or annoyance they're just being themselve. When this whole journey thing is over , he'll wanna pull you to the side and ask if you want to start a family. You know wanna you won't kill him.

(Netflix Wukong) He is already aware of how popular you are with the village children. One moment you're caving in the face of a invader Is demon who dared to attack Your home. The next moment you're on your helping a small child who scraped their knee. You even kissed it better to be sure does there no longer in pain. You also get protective Of my inner things falling objects treacherous walk ways Do we even take the time to explain to the children That there are some tools they are far too young to use yet Such as kitchen knives. You don't even like them running around with sticks they found on the ground You watch every single one of them like a hawk just like a mother would. A lot at a time he will be on the side blushing of already imagining the family you would probably have In the late future.

FEEL FREE TO REBLOG

#monkey king netflix #monkey king reborn #monkey king x reader #nezha reborn #lmk monkey king #monkey king hero is back #x female y/n #Mother

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vivwritesfics · 1 year ago

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Everybody Wants To Rule The World

Chapter Two - Proving Her Worth

Oscar Piastri worked for a criminal organisation. It wasn't the life he wanted, wasn't the life he had chosen for himself. But, like those before him, he didn't have any other choice.

He was just a rookie in the Verstappen organisation. He got stuck with the shitty jobs, like watching over Verstappens latest intake, a petty criminal who makes stealing cars look hot.

1.5K

Warnings: drugs mentioned (not taken)

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The man with the rings on his hands let go of her. She glanced at Verstappen just once before striding into the garage. Show me what you got, Verstappen had said. So, she was going to do just that.

The classics would have been easier to get open, Y/N thought as she picked up a tool that would allow her to open any of the cars with no problem.

She walked over to the super car, the Lamborghini Sián, and worked to get it open. It didn't take her very long, a minute at most, but she knew she could get it done quicker. If only she didn't have so many goddamn eyes on her.

Slow claps came from the other side of the garage. Verstappen strode over and came to stand in front of the car. "Start the car," he said as Y/N opened the door.

He kept his eyes on her as she climbed into the car. She'd never been in a car as impressive as this one. It wasn't as easy as the one she'd hotwired earlier in the night, but she got it done, started the car and revved the engine. Not going anywhere, not when one of the most powerful men in the city, maybe the country, was leaning against it.

She killed the engine and climbed out of the car.

"That was impressive," said Verstappen as he locked the car once again. Y/N just kept staring at him, not quite knowing what to do next. "I want to hire you," he suddenly said. "Put your talents to good use."

Oh no. Oh fuck, oh no.

But then she thought. She thought hard. Maybe there was an angle to this, a way she could use Verstappen to pay off her debts.

"If I work for you, what will I be paid?"

But Verstappen only laughed at that statement. The man with the rings began laughing too. "Do you hear that, Charles?" Verstappen called the to the ringed man. "She thinks she's going to be getting paid!" But the laugher stopped and the smile dropped from his face. "You will be working for food, shelter and protection from the police only."

Shaking her head, Y/N leaned against the Lamborghini. The very expensive Lamborghini. "Sorry, Verstappen, but that just won't do." She checked her nails, picking out the dirt that lay beneath. "But, I suppose I could take my services to another boss. Maybe Hamilton needs my services."

Her heart pounded in her chest as she said it. It was a gamble, a real gamble. Even mentioning Hamilton was risky.

But it paid off. Because Verstappen couldn't have somebody with her talents working for the likes of Hamilton. "Fine," he said quickly and she moved away from the Lamborghini. "Food, shelter, protection, and minimum wage."

She nodded her head and the ringed man walked off. Verstappen let a sinister smile cross her face. "Perfect. I'll have my cars moved to a different storage facility and this can be your work place."

"And what do you actually want me to do?" She asked as the ringed man, Charles, walked into the garage once again, this time with another man behind him. She glanced to the side, just briefly looking at this new persons face.

She recognised it instantly. He was the one who had put the bag over her head, with his dark, pretty eyes and soft lips.

"You'll have Oscar looking after you," Verstappen said, waving the new person over.

Oscar let out a huff. It was only small and Verstappen seemed to not notice as he walked over. "Yes boss?" He asked, staring directly at Y/N, at the girl he had just kidnapped.

Verstappen placed his hand on Oscar's shoulder and moved him forward. It wasn't quite a push, just slightly more gentle than that. "I want you to look out for our new car jacker. Show her to her new room and get her started fixing Pierre's car," he said.

With that, Verstappen walked out of the garage with Charles, leaving Y/N and Oscar to it. "What's your name?" He asked as she looked around at each and every car Verstappen had in the garage.

"Doesn't matter," she said as she looked through the window of an older Porsche 911. She let out a low whistle, moving onto the next car.

Oscar couldn't stop the look that crossed over his face. His eyebrows crunched together and he wore this sort of snarping frown, lip curling, sure Verstappen was punishing him for something.

She clapped her hands together and turned towards him. "Right, Oscar," she began, using his name just to toy with him. "Where's Pierre's car?"

"Out in front of the garage," he said.

Y/N grabbed polish, cloth and sandpaper while Oscar opened up the garage, revealing the car that she had scratched. She walked out of the garage and over to the car. She let out a low whistle, observing the damage. "I actually feel sorry for it," she said, referring to the car as she began cleaning the area around the scratch.

Oscar watched, leaning against the garage wall, as Y/N walked. She pulled her lips between her teeth as she sanded down and buffed out the scratch. "I'll have to get some touch up paint tomorrow," she said as she went around to the other side of the car.

But Oscar shook his head. "Boss isn't going to be happy with that," he said.

She waved him off as she worked on the opposite side of the door. Oscar couldn't see what she was doing; he just had to trust she was actually working on the car and not pulling out some concealed weapon or something. And trust wasn't something Oscar came by easily.

"It's fine," she said as he walked over to the other side of the car. "I'll give it a proper tune up. This Pierre guy won't believe how nice his car is going to run," she said as she put the last of the polish on the car.

"Okay," Oscar said as he sighed through his nose. He took Y/N back through the garage, showing her to where Max kept the car jack.

He was silent as he watched her jack up the car. Taking some tools with her, she climbed beneath and took a lot.

She was under the car for maybe a minute before she emerged, a package of white powder in her hands. "Uh, Oscar?

Oscar hissed under his breath as he took the white package from her. "Fucking Hamilton," he hissed and tucked it under his arm. "Come on," he said and began walking away from the car.

At first, Y/N didn't go with him. Why should she? He wasn't the boss of her. But, as she went to get back beneath the car, Oscar grabbed a hold of her arm and dragged her after him. He was a lot stronger than he looked, she realised as he dragged her back inside.

There was no way Oscar was leaving her on her own. Not while at the compound anyway. Because that's what it was, a compound. Gates surrounded several large buildings, each built for the purpose of housing Verstappen's men, weapons and vehicles.

Oscar took her along the corridor and up several flights of stairs. The stairwell had men on different levels, each of them smoking out of the window, too lazy to go all the way downstairs for a cigarette.

At the very top floor, Oscar took her along another corridor. He took her to the furthest room and knocked on the door.

Oscar stood patiently as he waited to be allowed into the room. Y/N, though, she wasn't so patient. She leaned against the wall, staring at Oscar as they waited. After a good minute and a half, she tipped her head back, hitting the wall. "What's taking so long?" She complained, looking at the dim lights overhead.

"He's Verstappen," he began. "He'll call us in when he's ready."

At last, Verstappen called them in. Oscar strode into the room, with Y/N following closely, and threw the large bag of cocaine onto his desk. "Sorry to bother you, sir," he began, "but she found this under Pierre's car."

There was a moment were Verstappen just stared at the cocaine. He picked up the bag, felt the weight of it, and passed it to Charles, the man stood behind him. "Under Pierre's car?" Verstappen repeated.

Y/N stepped forward, getting in Oscar's way. "Taped to the bottom of it, actually," she said with a grin and stepped back again.

Suddenly, Verstappen let out a laugh. "That bastard Hamilton doesn't know I control the police," he said. "He really thinks he can get my men arrested."

His eyes moved from the bag of drugs to the girl standing in his office. "You're proving your worth already. Well done..."

"Y/N," she said, standing tall and proud. "My name's Y/N."

A pretty name, thought Oscar as he spared a glance at her. But that didn't matter. Where she was proving her usefulness to Verstappen, she was proving to be a pain in the ass to Oscar.

"Oscar, show her where she's sleeping and put Pierre's car in the garage," Verstappen said and went back to what he was doing before Y/N and Oscar interrupted.

Oscar gritted his teeth.

TAGLIST (OPEN): @biancathecool @graciewrote @measimp @sbella13 @sam-is-lost @topguncultleader @formulaal @ibanstro @kassieesworld @smexysarah @queenofmanydreams @celesteblack08 @aexitizen @mclastri @golden-flora @hollie911

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finniestoncrane · 5 months ago

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2.5k Event Request - Paladin Danse x Fem!Reader word count: 950 a/n: lord help me, there's very little i want more in this world than for danse to bend me over his knee and spank me. i don't think it's too much to ask for ;-; cw: daddy kink, spanking, my god he's so awkward but he's TRYING 🔞minors dni🔞 • masterlist • kofi link • tag: finnie2.5k (to follow or to block)

You were well aware of the fact that you were bothering Danse, but when he had asked if you would like to accompany him to his quarters on the Prydwen, you’d thought it might be the beginning of a more interesting relationship between the two of you. Instead, he had needed your help passing him tools as he tinkered with some old tech he had found on your travels that day. For a while, you’d been able to stave off the boredom just by watching him, admiring his body out of his power armour, finding him even more attractive in the grease-stained vest and waisted overalls than even in his tight, burnt orange jumpsuit. But even that had lost its intrigue when you realised that you weren’t going to be seeing what was underneath. Not unless you did something about that.

It began with some playful teasing, asking too many questions, taking his tools from him when he needed them, sitting next to him on his bed, far too close, your hands laying on his thigh or on the back of his neck as he tried to focus. You’d thought a few times that you were getting through to him, but he wasn’t having any of it. And you reached his final nerve, watching him place the hunk of junk down on his side table and turn to you, stern look on his face, dak, thick eyebrows narrowing into a scowl.

“Are your intentions to drive me to the brink of insanity?”

“No… but come on, Danse! We’re on downtime. There must be a little bit of you that wants to let loose.”

“I can assure you, there is not.”

“Oh my god, it’s like hanging out with some strict parent.”

“Maybe if you could behave, I wouldn’t have to act like your father.”

A twinge travelled down your spine, excitement fizzing in your chest as the implications of his words settled over you.

“Oh… my father? My dad? Maybe I should be punished for all of my misbehaving then?”

“Maybe you should.”

“R-really?”

Your words were quiet, pushed out with a little whimper of excitement, and Danse noticed the change in tone. He looked up at you, confused about the slight smile on your face. It was as though you actually wanted him to punish you. And while your little grin, and the notion of dishing out the repercussions for your actions, brought on a little tingle in him, he wasn’t sure how to follow through on the threat. So, he grunted and turned his eyes away from you.

That just meant that you would have to keep this line of thought going.

“I think you should punish me, daddy.”

The word had an almost primal effect on him, his pupils widening as the way you let it slip over your tongue echo in his head.

“Does that sound good? It does to me.”

Swallowing the lump of nerves in his throat, he coughed before he spoke.

“That sounds counterintuitive to the idea of punishing you, given that you seem excited by the idea.”

You reached for him, your palm pressing against the thick bulge that had begun to form at the front of his pants.

“I think you’re a little excited by the idea too.”

Danse caught his breath, releasing it slowly as he decided to try and indulge you.

“Well. How do we proceed?”

You hadn’t considered that this would be a little bit awkward for him. He was so firm and stern, it seemed like it might come naturally. But he needed a little bit of encouragement. He needed someone else to be forthcoming.

“I don’t mean to be so forward, but…”

You pushed your pants down, positioning yourself over his lap, cheeks in the air feeling his cock twitch against you as he took in the curve of your rear.

“… maybe you should spank me. Just to start.”

The idea was definitely appealing to him. He had always been a firm believer in corporal punishment as a method of getting the squires in order. And though pain should have been the first thing on his mind, given this was not a reward, he couldn’t help himself. He let his palms glide over your cheeks, gripping them firmly, your flesh soft and warm, so pleasant to touch. Your soft moan reminded him of what he was really doing, though, and he lifted both hands from you, one of the resting on your hip to hold you still as he raised the other.

And then brought it down with a loud, sweet smack.

Then another, relishing in the way your whole body twitched and then relaxed, the way his handprints marked your skin like he had branded you.

Another.

Until you were squealing with delight, and likely a little in pain. At which point he decided to check in, not wanting to actually do too much damage to your soft skin.

“Did my- uh… daddy’s punishment teach you a lesson, then?”

It was sweet, the way he was trying to say what he thought you wanted to hear.

“Yes, daddy.”

“Good girl. Now, do you think you can behave? I can reward any good behaviour going forward.”

“Of course, daddy. Anything for you.”

He stood up, lifting you from his lap as he did so and then pushing you down onto his mattress. As you watched him, a rare smile forming on his thick lips, he dropped himself down onto you, a flurry of surprisingly passionate kisses covering your neck as he let his hands explore your curves. The idea of punishment had gone entirely from his mind, it was only pleasure he sought from you now.

#finnie2.5k #paladin danse #paladin danse x reader #fallout 4 #fo4 companions #fo4 #fallout fanfic #fallout 4 fanfic #paladin danse fic #finnie writes #x reader

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blackenedsnow · 14 days ago

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Hi, I hope you're having a good day! It's my first ask ever, so I apologize if I do it wrong.

I would like a Hanzo Shimada x fae!reader! I have an overwatch character that is a fae tampered with by humans, with a lot of angst in them, and a general hatred of humans. I can provide a lot more context/info if needed but I don't think it's what I'm supposed to do? Again, so sorry if this is NOT the way to ask, I have no idea what I'm doing, I'm just really aching to see some pieces of writing between Hanzo and my fae that is not from me :(

Have a good day ✨

bound by thorns

WARNING: Angst, themes of mistrust and human cruelty (implied)

PAIRING: Hanzo Shimada x Fae! Reader

NOTE: Hi anon! First of all, you did absolutely nothing wrong, I promise. Your ask is super clear and so, so interesting—thank you for trusting me with your first one! You’re doing great, and I’m wishing you a wonderful day. Take care of yourself!

SUMMARY: In Hanamura’s quiet snow-draped forest, Hanzo crosses paths with a fae whose hatred for humanity is as sharp as their beauty.

Snow fell like a quiet exhale in the forests of Hanamura. The air was crisp, the scent of pine and cedar mingling with the soft crunch of boots against the frost-covered earth. Hanzo was no stranger to this place; its serenity provided a much-needed reprieve from his burdens, a space where he could meditate and momentarily lay down his guilt.

He had not, however, expected company.

At first, it was only the sensation of being watched—a prickling on the back of his neck, the sharpness of an unseen gaze. Hanzo paused mid-step, hand reflexively brushing the bow slung over his shoulder.

Then, a voice. Cold, musical, laced with venom.

“Another human,” it murmured, disdain rolling off each syllable. “What do you want in this place? Haven’t your kind taken enough from the world already?”

The figure who emerged was otherworldly, breathtaking in a way that defied mortal comprehension. A fae. Your sharp features glowed faintly in the dim light, your eyes alight with an unearthly hue. The frost seemed to gather around you as if bowing to your presence.

Hanzo’s breath hitched—not out of fear, but awe. “I did not come to take,” he replied, his voice steady but quiet. “I seek only solitude.”

You snorted, your wings flicking behind you in irritation. “Solitude? From what? The chaos you humans wreak upon each other?”

Your tone sliced deeper than intended, and Hanzo’s expression faltered. A flicker of something—pain, regret—flashed in his eyes before he lowered his head slightly, as if in apology.

“You are not wrong,” he admitted. “Humans have done terrible things. Myself included.”

You stiffened, clearly caught off-guard by his honesty. You tilted your head, at him with suspicion. “You admit it so easily,” you said, though your voice lacked its previous sharpness.

“I have little choice,” Hanzo replied, his gaze meeting yours. “To pretend otherwise would be a lie.”

It wasn’t the last time you met.

Despite your initial wariness, you found yourself drawn back to the forest again and again—if only to test the peculiar human with his quiet demeanor and self-loathing aura. Hanzo, for his part, never pushed. He would greet you with a solemn nod and continue his meditation or archery practice, leaving you to decide if and when you would speak.

Days turned into weeks, and your exchanges grew longer, more personal. You spoke of your disdain for humanity, recounting the horrors you had endured at mortal hands. Hanzo listened without interruption, his face unreadable but his eyes filled with a quiet understanding.

“I was tampered with,” you confessed one day, your voice trembling with anger and pain. “Humans tried to twist my power for their own gain, as if I were some tool to be bent to their will.”

Hanzo’s hands tightened into fists at his sides. “That is… unforgivable,” he said softly, his voice tinged with anger—not at you, but for you. “No one deserves such cruelty.”

“And yet it happens,” you replied bitterly. “Why should I trust you, a human, when your kind has done nothing but take from me?”

“You shouldn’t,” Hanzo said simply. “But I will remain here, should you ever wish to try.”

Trust was not easily won, but over time, you found yourself lowering your guard. You began to notice the little things—the way Hanzo always left offerings of fruit or flowers in the clearing, how he never intruded on your space uninvited. He moved with care, his actions deliberate and respectful, as if he understood the fragility of the bond you were very slowly building.

One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the forest in hues of gold and amber, you approached him with something akin to hesitance.

“Why do you come here?” you asked, your voice softer than before.

Hanzo glanced up from his seated position, his bow resting beside him. “To atone,” he admitted. “For the lives I have taken, the pain I have caused. And perhaps… to find peace.”

You regarded him silently, your expression unreadable. “Peace,” you murmured. “Do you believe it is possible?”

“I do not know,” Hanzo replied honestly. “But I must try.”

For the first time, you didn’t respond with sharp words or skepticism. Instead, you sat beside him, your wings folding delicately behind you. The silence that followed was not uncomfortable—it was a tentative truce, a fragile beginning.

#hanzo shimada #hanzo shimada x reader #overwatch #overwatch 2 #overwatch x reader #overwatch fanfiction #overwatch fanfic #x reader #ask #fanfic #request #oneshot

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dumbbitchenergy17 · 1 year ago

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Clan of Three - Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen: The Foundling

Plot: A Mandalorian, an infant with a history of the jedi, and a teenager with similar powers and a heavy role to bear. Now reunited their journeys across the galaxy are just beginning to complete their final mission.

Word Count: 5.7K

Pairing: Father Figure!Din Djarin x Platonic!Teen!Reader

Warnings: fighting/violence, injuries, some wholesome moments, father-daughter moments, Din being a protective father

------

Another day with the covert another day alone. Din seemed to notice your aversion to the Mandalorians when he tried getting you involved in training and no one wished to challenge you. They knew better following your fight with Durk, he was still healing from his permanent injury and you grew used to the looks and glares he would send your way in passing. So with nothing else to do, you did what you did best and work away at your ship. You had stripped your cloak to not overheat as you lay underneath the ship working at the hyperdrive. Your shoulder healed fine just a bit of soreness and the burn across your neck wrapped in bandages.

“R4 aimed the light a little to the left,” You ask the droid as it shifts slightly, “Stop! Right there.” You say before holding your hand out, “Can you pass me the fusion cutters.” A hand holds out the tool as you grab it absentmindedly not even realizing it.

“Thank you,” “You’re welcome.” A voice responds back as you jolt in surprise your head slamming into the metal with a groan.

“Are you alright?” They ask as you pull yourself from the under the ship holding your forehead, “Dank farrik.” You curse looking up and are greeted by the copper and white Mandalorian from a few nights before. You had seen him in glimpses at the group meals during training with the others which you avoided. But he hadn’t come up to you at all since and you truly thought you came up with the conversation in your state of loneliness.

“It’s you.” You comment rubbing your temple as he holds a hand out which you reluctantly take as he pulls you to your feet with surprising strength and ease. He looks past you at your ship and you can sense the awe in his voice,

“I’ve never seen an X-Wing before, especially a T-65B model. I thought those were only used for the New Republic,” He comments and you look at him in surprise he knew the model and make of the ship.

“Well, not really these are more antiques as they are being replaced by the T-70” “T-70” You both finish your sentence as you look at him in silence not expecting him to know this much about ships, New Republic ones at that. A beep stops you from speaking as R4 comes between the two of you as he beeps giving a shake as he introduces himself.

“Okay, maker…this is-” You start reluctantly but the Mandalorian kneels down to R4’s level, “Nice to meet you R4, I’m Kaz Vyst.” The man-well Kaz introduces himself as R4 beeps happily and Kaz pats his head as you watch.

“You know binary..?” You ask and Kaz looks up at you with a slight tilt of his head, “Enough to get me by on Concordia when trading with some droids.” He explains as he rises to stand and you now notice the height difference between the two of you, he was probably taller than Din by a bit.

“Did your parents teach you?” You question instantly noticing the crestfallen feeling coming off him, “I’m sorry I didn’t mean-”

“You’re alright,” He reassures, “I knew them well enough before they passed. But yeah…they taught me a lot of things. Being a part of the covert and with others helped me…they became my family.” Kaz says and you nod understanding what he meant you had thought you had nothing until you met Din and Grogu creating this small family of the three of you.

“I understand what it’s like losing someone dear to you.” You say and he nods in respect before a call is given out and you realize it’s mid-day meaning lunch. You sigh already readying yourself for the looks and whispers. You might as well skip. You are sure you have some rations in your X-Wing. You’ll just hand back and relax with R4.

“Are you coming to lunch?” Kaz says looking back seeing you haven’t moved, “I’m just going to stay back. I’m sure I have some rations here.” You point behind you and he steps closer to you holding his hand out and you stare at it.

“I’ll have lunch with you.” He says and you look at his hand and then back at him. Dank Farrik he better not screw you over. You ignore his hand but walk past him grabbing your cloak from the ground and he quickly joins your side.

“This doesn’t make us friends.” “That’s fine.” You weren’t allowing this to go any further. Just ignore him until he leaves you alone but how wrong you were of the unlikely friendship made.

Proving yourself wrong you weren’t sure how he managed to weasel his way into your life. It was him following you around keeping a bit of a distance before he soon found himself side by side with you, he would sit beside you at the shore as you meditated while he sat silently, or when you were working on your ship he would help to pass a tool if needed or shining light if none of those things he would talk to R4 as you would work away but you were slowly started listening in. Soon one-sided conversations became you adding your few thoughts and before you knew it Kaz was a daily part of your life in the covert. Meals spent together finding solace eating on the ridge you first met as you both talked about anything, the galaxy, your travels, your lives.

Din knew something was up he spotted you working away at your ship and he usually gave that time for yourself. He knew the nerves of being around a bunch of people who weren’t really fond of you would make anyone stressed. Though you reassured him you were fine he knew you well enough already you were saying that for his sake following your confession at the ridge. He was going to go over and offer some one-on-one training to spend some quality time together when he saw you and heard your laughter. Assuming it was something that droid of yours did he hadn’t expected you to come from behind your ship with another person and a boy no better. You and the Mandalorian at your side didn’t seem to notice Din’s heated stare as he watches the two of you walk towards the covert R4 traveling on your other side leaving you in the middle. He couldn’t hear what you were saying but you were speaking quite animated using your hands a wide grin on your face as the Mandalorian nods. Din was certain he saw red when he sees this boy resting his hand on your shoulder.

He was about to go over at ripped the two of you apart. Who did this boy think he was touching his daughter like that? “Woah slow down there Din…keep glaring and you’ll burn a hole through the beskar.” Bo-Katan’s voice pulls him out of his thoughts of putting the fear of the Maker into this boy. “Looks like she’s got herself a friend.” Bo-Katan was happy for her grand-niece to have some form of friendship that didn’t come from any adults, green infants, or droids.

“He shouldn’t be touching her…who does he think he is?” Din growls and if looks could kill that boy would be six feet under or through Maker knows what kind of hell Din would put him through. Bo-Katan laughs seeing the protectiveness coming from the bounty hunter. Knowing that he was willing to put his skills as a feared bounty hunter to scare off some boy who was talking to his daughter.

“Calm down…I’m sure those two are only friends,” Bo-Katan reassures him as the adults watch the two speak to each other before R4 spins around adding his opinion producing laughter from the two of them and Din’s blood boils seeing the Mandalorian rests his hand on your arm to stabilize himself as he bends over in laughter. “And if not…be glad that he’s only touching her shoulder.” It wasn’t the best thing to say to a very protective father watching his surrogate daughter be friendly with a man who may have intentions. Din didn’t like it at all.

Kaz the sly bastard he was turned out to be good company and soon a close and pretty much your only friend. The covert while not the greatest with whispers behind your back and some glares the copper and white Mandalorian seemed to distract you from all of it. Sitting on the shore the water lapping by you as Grogu sat before you fiddling with some stones, Kaz sat beside you as you traced patterns in the sand watching the small child. Grogu reached out for the ‘rocks’ as they shuffled away from him as he babbled trying to reach for them but they continue shuffling.

“You’re saying he’s older than you and can use the force as well?” Kaz says looking at the small infant that looked younger than the foundlings of the covert but you explained that Grogu was fifty when you met.

“Yeah, he was a part of the Jedi Temple during the Clone Wars, this little guy’s been through a lot.” You say caressing Gorgu’s ears between your fingers producing a giggle as he finally grabs one of the rocks that hold a crab inside it. You hear footsteps as the sunlight is blocked and you look up spotting Din as he looks down at the three of you.

“Put down the rocks, kid. It’s time that you learn with the other foundlings.” Din says as Grogu drops the stone crab with a sad noise before he’s pulled into Din’s arms, “Come on cyar’ika,” Din holds out his hand for you and you accept it letting him pull you to your feet. Wiping some of the sand off your cloak as Kaz joins you in standing.

“Din this is Kaz Vyst, my friend. Kaz this is Din Djarin, my dad.” You introduce the two of them and while Din should be scaring this punk who was around you he was thrown aback by his title. ‘My dad’. He was silent for a second before registering a hand in front of his vision.

“It’s nice to meet you, sir. You have a lovely daughter,” Kaz says and you shove the boy slightly in the arm from his comment. Din stares at the hand like it’s a foreign object before he’s turning his arm around your shoulder pulling you with him as you glance back behind seeing Kaz as you give him a confused look. “Playtime’s over. I’m gonna need you two to focus.” He says ignoring the younger Mandalorian as you’re brought to a sparring between foundlings.

“Next challenger.” He places Grogu on the ground as the battle between the two foundlings continues before Ragnar, Paz Vizsla’s son wins.

“Winner!”

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Bo-Katan comes up beside you as the three watch the small child look confused on the sand. “If he is ever to rise from foundling to apprentice, he must learn. Judge! He challenges.” Din calls out and the Judge looks at Grogu before shaking his head,

“He is too small.” “I am his ward. Proceed.” Din retorts as Grogu coos playing with the sand.

“What weapon?” The judge asks and Din gestures to Ragnar, “Let the challenged decide.”

“Darts.” He decides and the judge calls in the training darts while waiting the boy looks at Grogu before speaking up “Why doesn’t he wear a helmet?”

“He is too young to speak the Creed, and so, too young to wear a helmet.” Din explains and the foundling crosses his arms, “Then he’s too young to fight.”

“One does not speak unless one knows. Is that not the Creed?” Din questions knowing he was right the boy is slightly embarrassed as he retorts, “Well, I know.”

“Perhaps this lesson is for you, then,” Din responds as a Mandalorian return with the darts

“Fighters, arm yourselves.” The Judge says as the boy attaches his dart launcher to his wrist. Bo-Katan takes the launcher kneeling down to Grogu whispering to him as she latches the buckle around his wrist. The object looks too large on his small arms. “Hey, what was that whole thing with Kaz about?” You whisper to Din and you see him stiffen.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He responds before Bo-Katan returns the conversation dropped as you stare at the side of his helmet trying to read him but coming up with nothing.

“Each has three darts. You may fire the darts in any order. Each direct hit scores one point. A mark must be visible to score. One round. The highest score wins.” The judge says and Grogu looks back at the three of you with big eyes.

“Squeeze your fist to launch the darts,” Din says crouching down producing another confused noise from Gorgu, “You’ll be fine.”

“He doesn’t know how to fire darts?” Bo-Katan asks as he rises to return to her side as Grogu turns forward to the other foundling, “He’s got this. Trust me.” He says glancing over to talk to you but comes up with nothing. His fatherly sense goes off before quickly spotting you sitting on a crate to watch the fight and beside you that boy as the two of you talk to one another. He would have gone over and challenged the boy himself but the fight with his other child has already begun

“Ready. Begin!”

Ragnar sents a dart splashing green paint staining his small robe, “Point!” Grogu turns looking up at his father his clothes stained producing a sad expression on his face. “Don’t look at me. Look at him.” Din gestures to his opponent.

“Ready. Begin!” The boy once again first a dart producing a grunt from the child as another splatter of paint stains his coat, “Point!”

“Grogu, I’ve seen what you can do. It’s okay. Show them.” Din steps forward looking down at his son before Grogu turns around to face Ragnar. “Ready. Begin!” Ragnar fires a dart but Grogu flips over the boy’s head landing behind him and fires all three darts the blue paint splattered on the boy’s clothes.

“Whoa!” “Three points. Winner!”

You smile from your spot as the crowd applauds Din coming over to Grogu Bo-Katan beside him, “That kid can jump.” Kaz says in awe seeing what the Force can really do and influence.

“Come on,” You hop off the crate to go over and congratulate Grogu when a large screech fills the air and a large flying creature snatches up Ragnar pulling him into the sky. Din pulls out his blaster to take aim but Vizsla forces him to lower the weapon, “No blasters, it will kill the child. Follow it to its lair.”

“Go on I’ll catch up!” You yell to Kaz as he nods taking for the sky with his jetpack following the other Mandalorians, “R4!” You’re sprinting towards your ship spotting the droid who already knows you are going to ask already staring up the ship, you catch Bo-Katan entering hers as you pull yourself onto the wing sliding into the cockpit. You and Bo-Katan are departing quickly to follow after the creature in your ships.

The few Mandalorians chasing after the creature soon run out of fuel as they land watching the creature fly off, “I’m out of fuel. It always gets away.” Vizsla says as Din and the others watch the creature leave with the foundling. The air suddenly kicks up as an X-wing flies past them seeing them continue after the creature and the arrival of Bo-Katan’s ship that goes to pick up the Mandalorians.

Returned to the covert the Mandalorians exit Bo-Katan’s ship as your X-Wing lands you climb out followed by R4 who follows after you. The crowd gathers as you stand between Bo-Katan and Din, “I kept a high altitude and followed it to its lair. I know how to get there. We should gather up a hunting party and go after him.” You explain as R4 moves forward revealing a hologram showing the terrain of the creature’s nest. “R4 was able to scout where it lives and mapped the location. There.” You point at the highest peak of the mountain, “The nest.”

“It flew a long way,” Din explains and you nod, “The mountains are too high. If we use jetpacks, the beast will hear.” Vizsla states.

“It would kill the child.” The Armorer says the worse scenario possible, “These are no higher than the peaks of Beggar’s Canyon. I used to climb them as a child. I’ll fly to the foothills, and scale the rest of the way on foot.” You say. Most wreckages of ships and bikers were mainly in Beggar’s Canyon, especially during podracing season. You scaled those cliffs throughout your childhood getting scraps and parts to sell the Jawas.

“I’ll join you.” Din says looking at you, “Paz Vizsla, enjoin the Shriekhawk Training team to accompany you. I will pack extended lariats for your launchers. We must avoid explosives and blasters for the safety of the foundling.” The Armorer orders as the decision of this party made. Din comes over to you as you stand watching the Mandalorians come together for this hunting party.

“You okay?” He asks and you nod rubbing your sweaty palms on your pants trying to get rid of your nerves, “Just surprised they’re fine working alongside me given everything.” You state your concern as the party assembles their weapons and gear. His hand rest on your shoulder calming your nerves.

“Come we should get going.” He says and you nod as you watch the group begin to board Bo-Katan’s ship you notice Kaz coming over to you, “Looking real professional talking to everyone.” He says and you elbow his side hearing the modulated laughter coming from him.

“Pretty sure I blacked out over there, not sure if I made a fool of myself.” You admit and his arm wraps around your shoulder pulling you into his side. “You were horrible they’re actually planning to feed you to the creature.” You shove him off you as you climb into your X-Wing R4 following behind you as you lean over in your seat looking down at him.

“You’re really funny.” You roll your eyes and you notice the new gear on him, “You’re coming?” Kaz nods and he shows his pauldron with the Shriek-Hawk signet.

“Yeah works out I’ll make sure you won’t make a fool out of yourself.” He says and you power up the X-Wing droning out his teasing.

“Sorry can’t hear you!” You yell over the sound of the engine, “Better get on the ship before it leaves you.” You point to Bo-Katan’s ship and he rushes to the ship as you chuckle closing the canopy.

“Bo everyone ready?” You ask as you begin your takeoff, “Ready when you are.” Bo-Katan responds as the two ships take off the small infant watches from the shore as his family heads off. Following the coordinates R4 set before finding a canyon, “Let’s land here.” You say through your comms as you both land all of your departing from the ship.

“Stay here R4 and watch the ships. I’ll call you in case I need you.” You say handing a commlink to your droid as he beeps standing guard and you grin before taking the disc of the map created from his memory. Turning to the group as they depart from Bo-Katan’s ship, “We’ll continue on foot from here. Any closer, and it will hear the ships.” The sun is high in the sky as your trek begins by the time you reach the rock formation it’s sundown.

“The target is on the top of this peak. If we tuck in under this outcropping, we sleep out of the line of sight, and climb at first light.” You explain pointing to the large tower that is above you all that holds the nest.

“We will make camp,” Vizsla says as you all begin to make camp for the night. The fire from bits of branches and scraps burns in front of you all as you sit between Din and Bo-Katan as the others talk amongst themselves. You see one of the Mandalorians begin passing small trays of food to each one of you and you glance at everyone confused.

“How do you guys eat when other people are around?” You ask Din as you see others begin to stand, “You don’t. When you get your food, you go off to find a place where you can take off your helmet.” He explains as he receives his meal standing his hand smoothing your hair out before he leaves and you stand to join Din, you could sit back to back but Vizsla stops you.

“You are the leader of the war party. You have the honor of staying by the fire,” You can hear the disdain in his voice but tradition out rules how he feels about you, “This is the Way.” Soon you’re left all alone the only sound being the crackling of the fire as you look at your meal before slowly eating it.

“I hope you don’t mind if I join you, leader of the war party?” You hear Kaz’s voice and you turn to spot him standing right outside the light of the firepit. A small smile graces your face and you pat the spot beside you, “Your leader grants you permission.” You joke and his chuckle fills the air as he comes to your side both of you turning back to back already used to eating with the Mandalorian. You hear the hiss of his helmet coming off his head and the thunk of metal being placed on the ground. It’s quiet between you two but not an uncomfortable silence.

“Can I ask you something?” He asks and you hum placing the now empty container to your side as you lean against his back looking up at the stars that grace you. “Would you do anything for someone knowing it was against something you were raised to believe in…” You wanted to turn and look at him but refrain knowing he still had his helmet off. His voice was smooth and crisp without the modulator. His question left many things open for you to assume. You assumed the part of being raised by being his Creed.

“I mean it all depends on how you feel about the person. I mean…I turned away from the Jedi to stay with Din. I guess I’ve never had a code or creed to keep me from acting on instinct,” You say. There wasn’t anything in this galaxy that could stop you from being beside the silver Mandalorian. You were willing to tear the galaxy apart to remain with him. “There’s nothing in the galaxy that could keep me apart from my family….from my friends.” You say and your hand reaches behind you feeling it come into contact with his and he quickly wraps your hand with his own.

“Why do you ask? Got a crush you need help with?” You remark in a joking tone and his chuckle feels like a fresh breath of air as his thumb runs across the scarring of your knuckles tenderly. “Not sure what it is…just confused over love.” He says and you let out an airy laugh.

“Love? You must have it bad then…sadly I can’t be much help in that department.” You say and you hear him shift slightly and you can feel his gaze on the back of your head, “Why not?”

You shrug continuing your gaze on the sky, “I’m not sure I know what love is. I’ve been alone most of my life and the times I was with people they were either too old or too younger. I didn’t really interact with people my age until now I guess so I never had a crush or felt feelings for anyone.” You say as it grows silent, “I would like to know what it is though…to be in love. To have that one person that means everything to me.”

“Really,” He says and you nod though he couldn’t see you, “They would just have to be ready to deal with a very protective bounty hunter of a father and a small green infant that can move things with his mind.” You say laughter fills the air from the both of you before the silence settles over you two it was warm but not from the fire beside you two.

“Ni guuror gar mesh'la.” You hear him say squeezing your hand and you frown not understanding what he said except hearing the word ‘you’ in the sentence.

“What did you say?” You ask and you feel him pull away from you hearing his helmet get put back on you turn around to see the beskar helmet covering his face. The two of you watch each other and you couldn’t deny how much it annoyed you that you couldn’t read him. You sense no hidden emotions through the beskar helmet. Din and the others were very animated with their emotions but Kaz..it was like staring at a blank wall.

His hand rises pushing a stray piece of hair out of your face before he speaks up, “Don’t worry about it.” You didn’t get to push him more as the war party returns Kaz standing moving towards his team as Din and Bo-Katan rejoin your side. Bo-Katan gives the other Mandalorian a look over your shoulder both noticing you staring at the other boy. Din and Bo-Katan had only caught the last glimpse of him pulling away from you but it was enough to send the bounty hunter’s blood boiling. Din could read Bo-Katan’s expression through her helmet, ‘Relax’.

You sigh leaning against Din’s side and he doesn’t hesitate to wrap an arm around your shoulders tucking your closer to his side. “Everything alright cyar’ika?” He asks and you nod your mind still thinking about your conversation with the copper and white Mandalorian. You had a thousand questions, who did he like? Why was this person so important he was willing to break his Creed? Was he going to stop being your friend if he found a lover? Why did your chest burn and why did you feel like crying over it? It was stupid you felt childish worrying over small things as if he would leave and you lose your only friend. You nod looking away from the boy bringing your gaze to the fire.

“Yeah I’m fine…just some stuff on my mind.”

The next morning at first light you leave the outcropping standing beside the large rockface, “The raptor’s lair is atop the highest peak. Now, our hope is that the child is still alive so we have to make sure not to fire on the raptor.” You say pointing at the large climb you all would have to take,

“It will kill the foundling if attacked. It has happened before when it has taken others.” Paz Vizsla states and you nod,

“Our best bet is stealth. Your jetpacks will alert it to our presence,” You explain before heading towards the rockface, “Let’s move.” The sunrose as you climbed up the pillar of stone using grappling hooks. The height was a bit daunting the higher you went but you were able to climb Beggar’s Canyon as a child and that had been without a grappling hook at all for safety. Mid-day greets you as you reach the peak seeing the large branches that make up the nest. Looking to make sure the creature isn’t there before you turn to wave the others to follow you,

“It’s not here. Let’s find the kid.” You say as the others join you and you see Din scanning around, “I see a heat source there.” He points further to the back of the nest and Vizsla is already climbing over the branches entering the nest.

“Wait until we clear the area.” Bo-Katan hisses and Vizsla barely glances back, “He’s my son.” Entering further you all join as he shouts, “Ragnar?! Ragnar! Ragnar!” Suddenly three chicks appear from resting in the nest screeching wildly and trying to bite at Vizsla. While they were babies they were much taller than any of you alerting its mother as it appears regurgitating Ragnar as he screams out

“Help me!” “He’s alive!” His father yells out scrambling to help his son when the raptor grabs Vizsla by the mouth dropping his son to take him in his claws. They suddenly are pulled into the air and you’re rushing forward firing the grappling hook as it digs into the neck of the creature as you jump off the cliff.

“Kid!” “Y/n!” You hear voices call out as you are pulled into the air the creature flying off, retracting the cable in you’re pulled forward landing on the creature's back. It senses you trying to shake you off but the cable is dug in and you hold tight to the cable. You hear the blaster fire of the Mandalorians as they try to grow close but the raptor continues to shake them off. Pulling your saber off your belt the blade a brilliant glow as you stab it into its back producing a wild screech and releasing Vizsla from its mouth. The other Mandalorians fire their lariats trying to attach them to the creature Din getting on wrapped around its wing and throwing it off-balance. The sudden change almost sends you sliding off but you hold tightly onto the cable. Seeing an opening you rush forward releasing the cable as the saber runs down the front of its body it roars in pain releasing Ragnar as your body collides with the child holding him in your arms as you fall. His screams fill your ears and you spot Din racing toward you,

“You’re gonna be alright kid!” You yell before pushing him off you while throwing your hand out with a force push putting him right into Din’s arms as he flies by, the two landing on the cliffside. Your rapid descent with the creature crashing into the water. You see the large dinosaur turtle appear and you close your eyes waiting for the inevitable when arms wrap around your waist and you are pulled back into the sky. Seeing copper and white armor you tighten your grip around his neck as Kaz pulls you away from the danger.

“Maker are you always this reckless!” He yells breathlessly over the rushing wind as you fly to safety. “On a daily basis!” You shout back as you rejoin the group and the saved foundling. Touching the ground your feet settling onto the ground from Kaz’s grip you’re instantly pulled into a bone-crushing hug from Din as a mumbles rapid prayers and curses.

“You’re going to give me a heart attack one of these days.” He sighs pulling back and checking over you seeing you just look tousled by the wind and he smooths your hair back.

“I’m fine Din,” You reassure him as he continues looking over for even the most minuscule injury, “I’m not the one that was kidnapped.” You say looking over at Vizsla as he speaks to his son keeping him in a tight embrace.

Returning to your ships with the foundling you quickly arrive back to the covert seeing the crowd waiting for your arrival. Exiting your ship R4 follows behind as Bo-Katan’s ship opens revealing the group and the crowd claps and cheers seeing the returned foundling. You see the Armorer appear from the mass standing before you, “Y/n Kryze, you have honored your House and all of Mandalore. You have done the highest honor of the Creed. Saving a foundling.” She says and you nod in thanks unable to stop the wide grin appearing on your face.

“This is the Way.” You say and she nods approvingly repeating your words, “This is the Way.”

“And we have brought you three more foundlings in need of care and training.” You say and the Armorer tilts her head slightly, “Is that so?” The screeching from the hatchlings appears from Bo-Katan’s ship guided by two Mandalorians holding a hunk of meat on a stick. The crowd exclaims as the large raptors try eating the meat. Bo-Katan and Din come to your side the man patting your shoulder and you could feel the pride coming on him same with your grand-aunt.

“You’re in need of a repair. Come with me.” The Armorer notices the missing pauldron on Bo-Katan’s shoulder and she’s soon being led away leaving you with Din and Grogu whom he quickly pulls into his arms. You look at the large crowd that gathers around Vizsla and Ragnar thankful for seeing him returned. Your gaze meets the brash Mandalorian as he gives a sharp nod in thanks and you return your own one back. Din saw you grow before his own eyes when he first met this skittish smart-mouth kid who wanted nothing to do with him but now he looks at a young still smart-mouth woman who has matured and is becoming a true leader. You made your house proud with your actions and also your small clan of three. Din felt pride in being your father figure knowing he guided you and raised you to become this smart, independent woman. You were the person to rightfully wield the Darksaber and lead their people he could see that.

“I’m proud of you kid,” Din says and the grin you send him could melt Hoth with its warmth. You felt like you were on cloud nine as he stepped away with Gorgu who coos happily to see you. Mandalorians come up to you congratulating you, patting your shoulders, or saying the phrase ‘This is the Way’ and you repeat it back. You felt like an outcast coming here but you had proven to the others. Leadership, loyalty, and compassion are the signs of a true Mandalorian the one you are slowly becoming to be.

#star wars #star wars fanfiction #the mandalorian #clan of three #clan of three series #din djarin fanfiction #din djarin #din djarin x reader #din djarin x teen!reader #din djarin x jedi!reader #din x reader #din djarin x y/n #mando x reader

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frostironfudge · 2 years ago

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Keep My Secret - (Bucky x Reader x Steve)

Summary: The search for Bucky and Steve is shrouded in darkness, will you find the light and the loves of your lives?

my entry for @the-slumberparty 's week one i spy challenge, i had the theme isolation and setting fairy tale and this is what i came up with, hope you enjoy it! ‘Leather cuffs’ and ‘bouquet of flowers’ were also prompts.

Word Count: 1.4k

Warnings: dark setting, allusions to future dub-con (none explicitly described or stated), isolation, kidnapping, dark magical elements, dark character and one soft dark character (i'm not saying who is who because i don't want to give it away), allusions to torture, wounds mentioned, mind control, power dynamics, dark fae magic.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x F!Reader x Steve Rogers

Main Masterlist || AO3

The scent of rain soaked mud slowly clambers up the endless walls. You do remember the word for it, the grogginess around your mind isn’t clearing. Otherwise you’re sure you would know.

A rumble in the distance followed by a louder boom. You hear a cough followed by a groan. The presence is familiar. The darkened room seldom aids your half mast gaze.

Dull aches finally register along your temple and cheekbone. When your fingers reach out the remembrance sets in, leather cuffs. Binds that tie you to this fate. Another groan, your head lols towards it. You whimper as you recognise him despite the state of his body.

“B-bucky?” You call out, his head snaps up, then he groans yet again.

Bucky shakes off the pain, enhanced vision allowing him to trace you across the circular room. Strands of his now long hair fall back. Months. Months spent locked in this tower. Months since he was gone and asked you not to follow.

His brows furrow, there was something different today in the tower and it wasn’t the petrichor. Cobwebs still decorated the ceilings, dust settled in around objects. The table with familiar tools is the only clean surface, and there lay coated in the softest of dew drops—bougainvillaeas. Tied with a leather string. Bucky’s eyes find you again. The flowers held meaning to you. Currently the bouquet symbolises you.

“Malyshka (baby).”

You look back at him from the floor. The flash of lightning outside illuminates him. Blue eyes full of worry, crimson coats his skin. It felt as if eons since you heard the endearment from his lips.

“What have they done?” You beg to know, “Bucky, where have you been? I, I—,”

“Malyshka, I told you not to follow me.” He sighs, on his knees making his way towards you. The chain tugs on his arm when he attempts to touch your face.

“You were gone, you promised and you were gone. Just like he did. I had to find you. We’ll get out.” You assure him, you had a plan, you had the tracker. Sam would find the two of you. “Then we’ll find him, we will all return home.”

“Malyshka, we are—,”

The door opens, cutting off Bucky’s reply.

Fresh flame torches carried in by the soldiers in black and red replace the burnt out ones on the walls. The stone illuminated with an orange glow. The flames flicker as the only window allows wind into the room. They leave the door open.

A larger figure walks in, a mask covering his face, a mane of dark hair surrounds him.

“Did you like my present?” he questions, the voice carries an echo of foreign familiarity, his large palm moving to cradle Bucky’s head, fisting in his hair. Bucky’s jaw clenched.

“Hmm, this hair suits you better. A reminder of glorious days.” The man hums.

“I have no need for presents.” Bucky spits out and the man tsks.

“The gift of flowers was for her, you need to be more appreciative. I remember you being more affectionate.” The man sighs, fingers running through Bucky’s hair, almost intimate. Your brows furrow. The brunette turns his head away away, then a slap echoes through the room, “Be respectful, Soldat.”

Bucky spits out the iron laced saliva pooling in his mouth.

You look at the flowers, one of your lesser known favourites. Only two people knew the meaning the flowers held for you.

Your eyes widen at the HYDRA symbol on the man’s back. He turns to you. The mask hides his identity and unease pools in your stomach as you stare at the void blackened eyes of the mask.

“Tell me then,” the man squats before you, gripping your chin harshly, you cry out as his gloved fingers dig into the cut along your jaw, “I asked you a question, did you not like flowers, mo chridhe (my heart)?”

Bucky closes his eyes as your accusing gaze meets him, then back to the masked man. The dark laughter echoes around the room and cracks your heart into pieces.

He squishes your cheeks together, your tears pool over his fingers, trailing down the glove to his wrist.

“Ste-Steve?” You ask, he shakes his head, taking off his mask. The beard on him familiar, his hair longer, indicating the time of him being gone. However the blue eyes you fell in love with and saw your future in are now surrounded by a thin ring of silver.

The lips belong to Steve but the smile is no longer warm, it only sends a cold chill through you.

“B-bucky, what—,” You sputter, Steve’s grip tightens.

“Are you going to tell her, baby?” He quirks a brow, lazily looking back at Bucky.

Bucky’s shoulders shake, lips trembling. He meets your eyes with tear stained cheeks.

“He isn’t, he isn’t our Steve.”

Your widened eyes move back to him, no, it can’t be, Steve is, Steve is supposed to, what has HYDRA done to him?

“Oh mo chridhe, your shared Steve’s long gone, but fret not. I will make sure the two of you are cared for, like my own sweet little pets. I remember everything your Stevie did and had done to him by the two of you. Mmm, wrapped around me, wrapped around Bucky. You are quite the sight.” He smirks, eyes alight with a mirth you cannot find yourself in this bleak tower.

“Who are you?” You question as he releases you, “you aren’t Steve, Bucky, this isn’t, no. Please we have to fight him! We have to find Steve!” You plead.

Steve shifts, you then see it, Bucky’s missing arm. How had you not noticed? You look around the tower. Flashes pass through your mind, the forest, the mist, and the torn wings. The sobbing man. Pleading for help.

The flash of blonde and blue. The call of help from brunette and azure.

You gave the hunched over man in pain your name.

“Why, I’m Steve Rogers of course. He’s James Barnes and you are Y/N Y/L/N. You should never give the fae your name but shh, my little play things,” Steve cups your head and Bucky’s, “Those little soldiers outside know me as Hydra Supreme. So let's keep this little secret between us three. Hmm?” He raises a brow, then chuckles at your hurt expressions, eyes crinkling and reminding you so much of your Steve.

“Oh cmon, you look at me as if I killed your little Stevie. Maybe I did, but I will make you forget, I’ll let you rule, well atleast beneath me.” He leans closer, lips brushing against Bucky’s chapped lips and then your busted one, he licks the stray traces of blood humming, “What do you say then my pets?”

“If you think for one second we’re going to agree with you you second rate, fucking asshole—,” Bucky’s eyes glow silver, his words cut off, “I want to rule under you, Sire.”

“Please, not Bucky, please, don’t we, Steve, please we—we will rule under you, Sire.” Your words aren’t your own, you watch on as Steve smiles pleased with the two of you.

“Such good pets, I will allow the two of you to feel pleasure tonight but after I’ve had my fill. It’s going to be a long night.” He turns away, releasing the glamour from Bucky.

Bucky blinks, the silver disappearing for a moment from his eyes. He stares down at his arms, both flesh and metal and then at you with your eyes gleaming silver.

“Steve.” He says in warning, “She doesn’t deserve this, please reconsider. I know we wanted her all to ourselves but I can’t strip her of her will.”

The blond clicks his tongue, eyes narrowed at his lover, “I do not appreciate you disregarding every single bit of my sacrifice for you two, James. Do not force me to stoop low for you too.” He turns walking towards the table, picking up the flowers.

“You already have,” Bucky shakes his head, gently cradling your face, your eyes vacant, “I’m so sorry, Malyshka.”

Steve’s jaw clenches, anger coursing through his veins. The flowers fall to the floor, stems broken, petals scattered. Bucky turns, reaching for the gun in his holster.

“You shouldn’t have given me your name, James Barnes. You little humans, your love shall be your undoing.” Steve waves a hand, Bucky lands on his knees.

Dust rising around the two of you, gleaming collars forming around your and Bucky’s necks, chains attached and held in Steve’s palm.

“Now, crawl to your king, my pets.” His menacing smile widens as you both fall on all fours.

-x-

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secret-fiction · 9 months ago

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Sonic Boom: Those Who're Made Fools

As April Fools day is upon them, Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends must content with a series of pranks that go a little farther than they would like.

Below is a oneshot Sonic Boom Fanfiction that I started and finished today, April fools day 2024. I have not time to edit because my scope for this got out of hand, so I'll share it now as to release it within Apr 1st my time. I'll release an edited version later this week. _________________________

While Sonic the Hedgehog would usually be sleeping in, the cool breeze blowing through his hut and swaying the hammock he lay on beckoned him awake. He declined this request to wake up at a normal time and curled up further. However his body began to shiver and his mind was dragged into enough consciousness to realize that the cool breeze was actually a freezing wind. His eyes shot open, seeing a light flurry of snowflakes blowing over him, already building up drifts in his beachside hut.

“What the f-, flakes? Snow??” said Sonic as he wobbled while standing up.

The warm light of sunrise was peering through his windows and the island outside looked as tropical as it should. The culprit, Sonic deduced, was likely the large yellow painted machine that looked like a window air-conditioner if it were on an industrial scale.

A letter lifted off of the pile of mail he kept strewn on the ground and into his face. It was the invitation to Amy’s birthday event this evening. Thus, it was also April Fools day.

“Either Tails actually got his sleep schedule in check just to get me first, or I need to have a chat with him about staying up all night again,” said Sonic aloud, ears turning to listen for any unseen listener.

The wind then picked up, and the snow flurries began to sting as they struck him. In fact it was more of a semi-frozen rain now. Everything in Sonic’s hut was quickly being coated with bits of water and ice which then turned into a slick layer over everything. He grumbled and shivered, then dashed to his door to find the off switch. The machine however blocked the entire doorway, and there were no controls on the side facing Sonic.

“Aw what the heck?!” Sonic tried to push the machine out of his door but found his feet slipping on the frozen and wet floor. “TAILS! I don’t wanna break your new toy here, but I will!”

Sonic heard no response aside from the torrent of wind and freezing rain, which grew strong enough to send him slipping onto his face and sliding away to the far wall. He grumbled, stood up, and placed his feet on the wall. With one strong kick he spin-dashed into the machine, sending pieces of it flying as it fell out of his doorframe.

“Brrr, jeez,” said Sonic as he stood up and looked around, seeing no sign of Tails, “don’t tell me he already ran off to prepare another prank. This one was already a bit much… Guess I’ll have to teach him a lesson on restraint…”

With resolve filling his eyes, Sonic the Hedgehog took off running across the beach in a blur. The machine was left behind on his front porch, a problem for later perhaps.

A potential problem for Sonic immediately descended from a hidden perch in the trees of the jungle to the machine. They fluttered with insectoid wings and had a green colour to match the jungle canopy. They landed atop Tails’ machine, and yanked a kunai dagger out of the machine's control panel before returning heading for their next target.

____________

The drone of power tools echoed throughout Tails’ workshop as usual while he assembled a new gadget. Progress was going good by his insane standards of pacing, so he took a step back to look over the device. Lifting the goggles off of his eyes, which bore a giddiness bright enough to almost hide his dark eyebags. This projector he was modifying would surely be perfect for setting the mood at Amy’s event this evening. All he needed to do now was program a remote for ease of use, something he was learning other cared about when using technology, and then-

A swinging sound from his mail chute on the door pulled Tails’ attention away. Could it be Sonic’s counter attack already? He chuckled to himself, picturing Sonic popping out of a pile of harmless snow with a dumbfounded look on his face. Upon approach however he saw that it was clearly from Amy. It bore fancy calligraphy for the address and her custom rose wax seal which was slightly cracked, likely from its journey.

“Oh, she must be excited,” muttered Tails to himself before biting the letter to open it with his teeth.

Tails immediately regretted his lazy choice of letter opening when a pink cloud of a gas blasted from the letter and filled the workshop, and his mouth. The taste of floral air freshener made him gag and spit. Then the overwhelming smell filled his nose. It should smell pleasant, but the flower scent was so overwhelming and suffocating that Tails had to cover his snout. He then scrambled for the nearest window.

“What The FLYING FFff-!” Tails gritted his teeth and compressed his fit into a soft growl.

One by one Tails swung each window open. Then he opened the garage door of the hangar portion of the workshop. That didn’t dilute the air freshener smell fast enough so he turned on every industrial fan he could. Soon he resorted to his emergency eye and face wash station, shoving a pile of boxes that surrounded it out of the way. The torrent of water on his face face made his eyes stop stinging so bad and got most of the taste out of his mouth. But his nose was still completely overwhelmed.

“I can’t work like this!! Why should I work like this?!” said Tails as he shook the water off of his head.

The ring of his doorbell drew Tails’ irritated red eyes to the door. Opening it revealed a fast food bag of which he couldn’t smell at all sitting on his welcomemat. This was definitely another prank, and the fact that he was hungry now that he thought about him annoyed him more. So he leaned forward and kicked the bag away before turning to slam his door shut.

“Hey woah!” said Sonic, jumped down from atop the workshop roof, “what’s up? Not hungry?”

Tails glared at Sonic, and glanced at the bucket of ice and snow in Sonic grasp.

“Okay to be fair you really-” Sonic coughed and waved a hand in front of his muzzle, “wow bud isn’t that a bit much air freshener? It’s kinda distracting.”

“Yes! And I guess Amy thinks that’s funny, since evidently you had a much more lazy prank in mind,” said Tails.

“Amy?” said Sonic, “She usually doesn’t take time for anything more elaborate than what you can buy at the joke store.”

“Yeah, except when she asks for help with her party tonight.” Tails walked to his work table and plugged his nose with tissue paper before pushing the projector project aside. “Let’s see how she likes my help now, heheheh…”

“Tails you’re getting a bit maniacal,” said Sonic, “seriously, don’t go overboard again. It just smells a bit too nice in here.”

“You don’t mess with someone's sense of smell and get off easy,” said Tails.

“Okay, well, can I ask your opinion on something first?” said Sonic

Tails turned to face Sonic, only to get a bit of half melted snow in his face.

“I’ll ask for your help fixing my house later!” said Sonic before dropping the bucket and dashing away.

Tails grumbled, wiped the snow off his face, then grabbed any errant material he had lying around to build his revenge on Amy. After a moment or two he started thinking about what Sonic had said.

“...Fix his house? What?”

In his state of sensory overload and anger, Tails failed to notice a figure move from the jungle canopy outside a nearby window. It stood tall, then began leaping between trees toward the village.

____________

The hum of Amy Rose’s voice trailed through her house as she happily prepared for the rest of the day. Her daily twenty-four step quill-styling routine was now ready, she was dressed, and every surface of the room was covered in decorations and snacks to be assorted. Sure she always had a bit of anxiety about the fact her birthday falls on the first of April, the day of fools fooling other fools. But that worry was now barely present after living the last couple years dealing with attacks from Dr. Eggman at any random time.

Working out a block of time in her schedule to deal with an inevitable attack or crisis meant Amy had all the time she needed to still have a fun birthday. She smiled to herself while looking over a stack of colourful papers she had printed, it was hard to suppress her enthusiasm at having her friends over tonight. Truly the real power of one's birthday was the leverage it put everyone else to try your favorite forms of entertainment.

“Alright, let’s get this next part right,” said Amy to herself as she organized the papers, character sheets. “This is my one chance this year to convince the other that this’ll be fun. And this time I’m right.”

Amy’s smile faltered slightly as she remembered her failure to convince Sonic and the others that playing out her favorite musicals was fun. Really she should’ve known that’d be too much. This time though, a simple role playing game, she can get them to agree to do this more often.

A knock on her door made Amy jump and gasp with a smile. She waved her hands a bit to lower her giddiness, taking a deep breath. Then she skipped over to the door.

Greeting her outside was a basket with a bow on it, sitting just past her welcomemat. Amy’s heart skipped a beat, but she quickly recognized Knuckles’ handwriting. “Hope you like these colourful rocks!” It wasn’t a romantic gesture from Sonic, but still nice. With a sigh and a soft smile she stepped forward to see what varieties of polished stones Knuckles had-

Her boot fell through her welcomemat, and Amy stumbled into the hole the had been hidden just under it. It was a short fall, but she landed on her face and splattered some liquid all over herself. It took a few seconds of sitting still to process what just happened.

“What the F-Ow…” said Amy, as she stood up, eyes stinging from the oily fluid coating her. “What is this stuff?”

The smell, and once her vision cleared, the black colouration showed Amy that this was actually just oil. Used oil, most likely motor oil, from a motor, filled with gunk, that was now in her quills… and her whole dress.

“Are, You, SERIOUS?!” shouted Amy, “isn’t this a bit much!?”

Amy sighed, but tried not to let this ruin her mood. It was meant as harmless fun, even if it was ruining her morning. It wasn't usual for Knuckles to be that deceptive though, even though signs pointed to him being involved with how good he is at digging. Perhaps Tails put him up to this, considering the use of engine oil. But why would he? This is usually a thing between him and Sonic.

After a moment to glower, Amy decided to climb out of the small hole. The dirty motor oil made this tricky however, as she fell back in several times. By the time she heard the swishing of Tails’ tails mid flight, and a nefarious chuckle, she had worked through her patience.

“TAILS! Get down here this instant!!”

Amy heard a gasp, then the patter of footsteps. Tails leaned over the hole and looked at her with a strange squint. She in turn gave him the most stern look she could.

“This is really obnoxious, especially for you!” said Amy.

“Yeah, like you don’t know a thing about obnoxious pranks,” said Tails, glancing away from Amy’s eye contact.

“There’s Motor Oil In My Quills Tails!!” said Amy.

Tails leaned out of Amy’s sight, she heard him put something down on her deck, before he leaned back over the hole. “Who put a hole full over motor oil here anyway?”

“...It wasn’t you?”

“No! This is lazy, and just mean!” said Tails as she gestured energetically, “I’d at least be way more creative for something this mean! Or just less mean if I don’t have time to be creative.”

“Okay, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to insult your… prowess with pranking methods,” said Amy, “Please get me out of here.”

“Oh yeah, sure.”

With ease, Tails lifted Amy out of the hole and dropped her on the deck before landing himself. She pretended not to notice him immediately kicking a really haphazardly thrown together looking device out of sight.

“Uh, Amy,” said Tails as he rubbed the back of his head, not noticing the oil stain he was leaving there from his glove, “do you happen to know anything about the perfume filling my workshop.”

“What? What happened?” said Amy.

Tails made eye contact with Amy, a look of anger quickly fading to regret. “I-I’m sorry, someone else must’ve put that perfume bomb in my mailbox then.”

“...Probably Eggman, right?”

“He… He’s not good at all at being that sneaky though…” Tails squinted as he looked at the hole, “And this does look like it was dug by claws, natural or those glove things people can get. And I guess Knuckles can be sneaky sometimes?”

“Okay but how would he do this without your help?” said Amy.

“...I dunno, could’ve gone to a mechanic,” said Tails, “But this is something he’d try to do to Sonic for April fools, not you.”

Just overhead, as Amy & Tails started talking about their problems, a sneaky individual leapt and flew away from the top of a palm tree.

_________________

It was much easier for Knuckles to find specific rocks when they were in the ground. The polished stones he’d put in a gift basket for Amy evaded him in a way most minerals couldn’t. He’d been forced into retracing his steps to the best of his ability, now out on the jungle trails just outside of the Village. However all he could find was litter and Sticks’ traps.

“Oh come one gift basket, where’d you go?!” said Knuckles aloud, “I need you to be a good friend to Amy!”

The gift basket didn’t answer, only the rustling leaves did. Of course Knuckles could quickly gather some neat looking plants, but it wouldn’t have the same meaning to it. He slapped himself on the head trying to remember where he could’ve left the basket. After the week he spent picking out the perfect colourful stones it sickened him to just lose that gift.

Searching the edges of the trail closely, Knuckles came across a tree with a nook inside it. The colours inside excited him for a moment, until he realized that it was only foraged fruit and not his basket of rocks. His stomach grumbled now, and the smell and look of the berries there enticed him. Then when he noticed a doodle carved in the bark next to the nook in the tree, depicting a simple Sticks the Badger giving a thumbs up, he smiled.

“Oh! Awesome! I really gotta thank Sticks for these snack stocks she leaves out.” said Knuckles

As Knuckles stepped close enough to reach into the nook of this tree, something snagged on his leg. He instinctively kicked, and felt something wrap tight around his leg and pull him upward. He gave a yell as the complex and well hidden snare trap hung him upside down from the top of the tree, several feet out of reach of the collection of berries.

“Ah dang! I set off one of Sticks’ traps again…” said Knuckles as he folded his arms. “Wait, why was there a trap there, when there was a friendly and welcoming sign?! That’s like, the opposite of making sense!”

Knuckles grumbled to himself. If it took Sticks too long to find him then he’d have less time to find his gift basket. Then even less time to beat Sonic & Tails in the April Fools prank war.

“Wait, I think I know what’s going on…. Sticks is trying to make me an April Fool!” said Knuckles, slapping his face in shock. “Oh man I’ve never had to deal with a prank battle involving her before.”

“Knuckles! What’re you doing up there!” shouted the voice of Amy Rose.

“Amy?!” Knuckles looked down to see Amy with several paper towels in her hands and a bag over her shoulder. “Thank goodness you’re here! Sticks got me in a prank-snare thing! Who knows what she’ll do next!”

Amy’s eyes widened, then squinted. “Knuckles, Stick doesn’t do April Fools day!”

“Oh wait, really?”

“No, she stays in her burrow all day, remember?”

Knuckles thought about that. He did begin to recall Sticks’ distaste for the idea of April Fools day the first time it was ‘explained’ to her. That was one crappy day, Sonic only barely survived.

“Oh yeah!” Knuckles leaned up and grabbed the robe tied to his legs, then ripped it apart with his raw strength. He landed on his feet next to Amy and sighed in relief. “I was worried I’d have to stay up there all day. Good thing this rope doesn’t actually belong to Sticks.”

“Hey, I had a question for you,” said Amy.

“Oh yeah, I was gonna ask you about the oily smell but I can wait,” said Knuckles.

“...Yeah you didn’t dig that pit in front of my house then.”

“A pit?”

“Yeah, sorry, I thought you tried and succeeded to prank me.”

“Oh wow! If I were you I’dve like, punched me in the snoz,” said Knuckles as he looked over just how messed up Amy’s quills were, “man, I’m glad you’re so reasonable Amy, it’s nice knowing you have faith in the rest of us.”

“Heheh, yeah,” said Amy, tucking the bag over her shoulder behind herself. The spice-laden cupcakes inside will have to wait before burning someone's mouth up.

Seeing where Amy and Knuckles’ conversation was going, the hidden figure in the canopy fluttered away. Only one more member left to find.

_____________

No amount of fresh air from outside could alleviate the tension in Sticks the Badger’s nerves. She’d just managed to will herself out the door of her burrow, knowing that the number of traps and practical alarms she’d placed around would warn of any intrusion. None of the others were going to mess with her this year, she knew that, they assured her and she trusted them. She desperately wanted to just trust them.

“C’mon, you promised Amy you’d go to her party…” Sticks muttered, glaring down at her boots.

The sound of a bell jingle made her ear twitch and her body stand even more tense than before. She glanced over, seeing no sign of anyone there. That upset her more than anything she could’ve seen prowling toward her burrow. Her teeth clenched together hard enough to become sore again.

Sticks looked in the direction of the other makeshift alarms, and more broadly the edges of the jungle near her burrow. To her relief and wraith, someone was here and it wasn’t only her. That camouflaged figure staying perfectly still in the trees evidently didn’t realize to what extent Sticks had memorized the area around her living space.

Being sure to not look to close in the direction of the figure, Sticks started walking into the jungle. The peripheral view she had gave her enough information about the size and shape of this stalking figure that she was confident about what to listen for. After only a few steps she heard the sound of it sticking to a new tree, a light thud very subtle but distinct from the tropical woodpeckers.

“Heh, see, It’s not any of your friends,” Sticks muttered, trying then to steady her breath.

Based on the pace of when the figure hopped between trees, Stick knew exactly which snare to pass under. With a hand on her boomerang she listened as she walked. In short order, the figure fell into the trap as Sticks heard the snare suddenly tighten above her. She turned on her heel and threw the boomerang, letting herself snarl just a bit.

The sight of a scarf and large insectoid wings is all Sticks could see of the figure through a cloud of blue glitter as they were pulled away into the air. Sticks heard a snap from her rope, and saw the figure dodge the boomerang and duck behind a tree. Then the boomerang came back and knocked the figure down, triggering a chain reaction among Sticks’ traps.

Nets and leaves went flying throughout the air as several trees sprung loose from the ropes of the traps. Sticks dived behind a safe tree and tried to watch the figure, but they managed to escape her sight and each trap they triggered. Eventually she heard the drone of their large wings as they disappeared into the jungle. The only sign they left behind was a spot of blue glitter on every tree they’d touched.

“Sticks!” shouted Knuckles, “What was all that?! Are you alright”

“I’ve only heard legends, but if my guess is right… some sort of Ninja,” said Sticks.

Knuckles gasped, “a Ninja?! AWESOME!”

“Wait you’ve heard of ‘em?” said Sticks, “The rest of you hardly ever know what I’m talking about.”

“Well when you watch enough tv you learn what a Ninja is,” said Knuckles.

“TV? Darn, I should’ve known…” said Sticks as she walked out to find her boomerang, “wait, why’re you out here?”

“Oh yeah, Amy wanted me to find you. We have a problem.”

_________________

“Hoh Hoh Hoh!” laughed Dr. Eggman as he sat in his room of many monitors. On the largest screen the unfortunate situations of Sonic and his friends played out on loop. His assistants, Orbot and Cubot, waited patiently for him to get his fill of laughs in. As did the green Preying Mantis Ninja standing with their arms behind their back.

“Look at his face as he slips on his face!” said Dr Eggman, hitting his control panel and laughing, “he’s helpless against a bit of wind and freezing rain! I gotta remember that!”

“Uh boss,” said Orbot, “now that we’ve played these recordings on loop 20 times, perhaps we ought to worry about what Sonic and the others are going to do to retaliate?”

“Oh yeah, what did you build for Sonic to blow up today boss?” said Cubot.

“I didn’t build anything for today,” said Dr. Eggman.

“But eeh… that means they’re gonna break something else,” said Cubot.

“No you nincomputer!” Dr. Eggman stood up from his fancy swiveling chair, “they don’t even know who’s responsible for the appropriation of their pranks! It’s genius you see!”

“But sir, who else would antagonize them like that other than you?” said Orbat.

“Why this mischievous freelancer of course!” said Dr. Eggman, putting one of his hand on the Mantis’ shoulder and giving them a friendly shake.

“I did in fact sabotage their joy today,” said The Mantis, standing stiff and waiting for Dr. Eggman to release them.

“Yes you did! And you got four out five of them! That's four stars out of five in my book! I knew I wouldn’t regret hiring you out of that catalog.”

“Oh yeah, you were like ‘I better not regret this!’” said Cubot, taking up an Eggman-like pose.

Dr. Eggman glared at Cubot, then coughed and turned to look down at the Mantis. “Your contract said I’ve got your services for the whole day, yes?”

“I am standing here for that reason, yes,” said the Mantis.

“Good, now let’s show them who’s really responsible for their misfortune! I’ll even let you partake in gloating with me!” said Dr. Eggman.

“I do not have ‘gloat’ in my skillset. Thus I would perform poorly at that task,” said the Mantis.

“...I can teach you a bit about it on the way.”

___________________

“Alright team, if we’re going to have fun during my birthday, and Sonic & Tails are gonna have a fair ‘battle of annoyance,’ we gotta deal with that person who's trying to ruin our day!” said Amy Rose to the rest of Team Sonic. They had assembled at the Teams agreed DPZ, De-Prankified Zone, the Meh Burger dining lot.

“Who, other than Eggman, would go to these lengths anyway?” said Tails, “that’s what’s really bothering me. Have we done anything to someone recently?”

“Well there’s people who get ‘parasocially angry’,” said Sonic with finger quotes. “Could be literally anyone who doesn’t vibe with our brand of swagger and has no life of their own.”

“Ninja’s are notoriously without a life,” said Knuckles.

“And good at blending in…” said Sticks, turning and eyeing a family sitting at a nearby table with suspicion.

“That I have seen,” said Sonic.

“Oh yeah, did you manage to hire-” started Amy, before the attention-demanding voice of Dr. Eggman rudely interrupted her.

“MUAHAHAHAH!” bellowed Dr. Eggman from his flying eggmobile. His threatening presence caused the other patrons of meh burger to steadily flee, after only gathering their food, napkins, and food packets. “Have you had misfortune today Sonic?”

“Are you going to have some misfortune?” said Sonic, leaning forward but staying seated.

“Not today, Hedgehog! For you see, I have the upper hand.”

Some patrons scooted by the teams table as Tails said “Have you actually built a badnik we haven’t seen before, or are you just trying to hype up Mega again?”

“Grr, I don’t use that one that often!” said Dr. Eggman

“Uh, yeah, you kinda do,” said Sonic.

“It’s frankly embarrassing how often you pull out the same badniks on us,” said Amy, “the people of this village can’t even be bothered to put energy into fleeing from you anymore, that’s how stale you’ve gotten.”

“Yeah, and you use the same robots all the time!” said Knuckles.

“Yeah, okay, so maybe I can’t churn out new super badniks at an insane rate, but I’ve got standards for my health! I’m not gonna crunch my schedule if you lot won’t even respect what I build!”

Sonic turned and stared at Tails for a moment, who took a bit to notice. “What?”

Sonic titled his head and raised an eyebrow.

“What??”

“Does Egghead actually have a better sense of self care than you these days?” said Sonic.

Tails folded his arms and looked away from Sonic.

“If you all could be bothered to pay attention for more than a second!” shouted Dr. Eggman, “You might notice-”

The crash of a soda cup hitting the ground drew everyone’s attention to Sticks. She’d turned round and snarled as she tightly gripped the wrist of the Mantis Ninja, who appeared to have been attempting to tie a small wire to Sticks’ leg.

“Well, colour me impressed,” said Dr. Eggman with a widening grin.

Sonic recognized the smile and immediately dashed toward Dr. Eggman. Then Eggman pressed a button, and something tightened on Sonic’s leg. He fell onto his face then saw that a thin wire tied to his leg led to a small round black badnik with the shape of a spider. Three more wires protruding from this badnik were tied to Tails, Amy, and Knuckles, who were all sent to the floor by the momentum of Sonic’s dash.

“Ow FUCK!” shouted Tails.

“Tails what the F-! You can’t say that!” said Sonic.

“Actually,” said Knuckles as he pushed the dining table off of himself, “I’m with Tails, this fucking hurts.”

“I’ve had enough of Eggman’s shit today too,” said Amy.

“Goddammit, could you guys at least try to keep the Team PG?” said Sonic.

“It’s no use anyway,” Said Sticks, still grippin the Mantis, “It’s not like we’re getting fucking renewed anytime soon.”

“...What?” said the Mantis, with the second emotion to appear on their face being sheer bafflement.

Sticks responded by punching the Mantis in the face. The force allowed them to pull out of her grasp and dart away, diving behind the counter to the despair of the service worker there. Still Sticks gave chase, throwing her boomerang.

The Mantis responded with a flying kunai that struck Sticks’ boomerang and changed its trajectory. Truly Ninja’s are as dangerous as Sticks worried, as she found it hard to follow the boomerangs flight path. She only saw it just before it was about to strike her in the face.

Then a second kunai hit the boomerang, deflecting it away from Sticks. Everyone looked over to see a floating hand. Actually, it was attached to a well blended figure, whose colours changed from that of the background to purple.

“Chaotix agency, Espio,” said Espio the Chameleon.

“Oh he’s good,” said Amy, “how much money did Vector want?”

“Not too much,” said Sonic as he stood up and struggled against the wires of the spider badnik, “they said if we were actually dealing with another Ninja we’d get a discount.”

“That… doesn’t make sense,” said Tails.

“The honor of testing my skills against another trained in these arts,” said Espio as he stepped closer to the Mantis, “is worth a quarter of my boss’ revenue.”

The Mantis nodded, “so be it.”

“What is even happening anymore?” said Dr. Eggman, “this was supposed to be when you all cower at the genius of my Tripping-bot in conjunction with my competent hiring judgment!”

“Well Egghead, you’re not the only one who gets the ‘spies and assassins’ catalog,” said Sonic.

“That’s it,” said Sticks, “two Ninja’s is too much for me to worry about! I’ve got something more important to be doing!”

Sticks the Badger proceeded to leave… without her friends even. Sonic and the others exchanged a glance and shrug.

“Alright, no more delaying! Ninja, attack!” shouted Dr. Eggman.

“Go get em Espio!” said Sonic.

The two Ninja’s locked eyes, raised their kunai, and charged at each other. Just before an intense clash of blades, both Espio and the Mantis dodged toward different directions, hiding behind different tables.

Meanwhile Knuckles managed to get a footing against tension of the wire from the Spider Badnik. Seeing this, Dr. Eggman attacked team Sonic with the base missiles and laser on his eggmobile.

Two epic battles played out over the next few minutes. One where Team Sonic steadily overcame the problem of being tied together. At Amy’s suggestion, Knuckles took the lead of which direction they would all move, and even threw the other within range of Eggman. Via taunting Tails tricked eggman into blasting the cord tying him to the others, and started flying interference.

Eventually Tails lured Dr. Eggman close enough to the ground for Sonic, Amy, and Knuckles to time a jump together and all land on Dr Eggman's vehicle. Just in time too, as he had finally grabbed ahold of Tails and was about to throw hands. From there all four of the team beat up Dr. Eggman and his eggmobile until he finally admitted defeat, which took an impressive amount of blows to make him do.

All the while the two Ninja’s engaged in the most intense battle of their lives up till now. The Mantis used their flight advantage to duck behind elevated positions and look for Espio. However Espio knew this and compensated with his camouflage and speed. From the perspective of everyone else and each other however, they both remained completely out of sight. Some customers even started returning to the meh burger, unaware of the intense battle going on between tables and booths.

“...Are either of them still here?” asked Amy.

“ I literally can’t tell,” said Sonic.

“Well one of those ninja knives just appeared in my shoe, and I’m sure it wasn’t there before,” said Knuckles.

“They must be so fast!” said Tails.

“And sneaky,” said Sonic.

…

“This is so boring,” said Sonic as he sat down in a chair.

“Yep,”

“I’m afraid so,”

“Maybe I could build a Ninja tracker?” said Tails.

“If this fight takes that long, I think we’re better off-” Sonic leaned back in his chair as he talked, and to everyone's surprise tripped the Mantis Ninja who stumbled out into the open.

The Mantis immediately opened their wings to take flight, but were stopped as Espio charge out of nowhere horn first into their torso. The two Ninjas tumbled to the ground with the sounds of struggle. Once everyone managed to realize what was happening Espio had his kunai at the Mantis’ neck.

“Damn,” said the Mantis.

“Yep,” said Espio.

The two stood up and dusted themselves off. Espio quickly went to retrieve his scattered ninja weapons while the Mantis adjusted their scarf.

“Apologies Doctorate Eggman,” said the Mantis, “I was bested in the duel. Here is an adjusted invoice. Call my number if you have questions.”

“Right…” said Dr. Eggman.

Sonic and the others went over to Espio to congratulate him. Though the chameleon kept a stoic pose, Amy at least could tell he seemed to appreciate the praise.

“For the discount,” said Epsio and he pulled a pocket register out and started typing into it, “please write down all the thoughts you had about my performance for my boss to see.”

“Yeah I’ll tell vector you did a good job,” said Sonic.

“How will you be paying?”

“I have a card,” said Amy.

“But it’s your birthday!” said Knuckles.

“Yeah, we can cover it, right Sonic?” said Tails.

“Uh… yeah, I’ll just… hafta to buy a smaller gift for Amy,” said Sonic.

“D’aw,” Amy smiled warmly at Sonic, that comment fully recovered her mood from earlier, despite the battle damage to her dress and quills. “Don’t worry Sonic, having more money for later is a perfect birthday gift.”

“Oh, yeah, sure thing Ames,” said Sonic.

______________

While his mood was a bit soured, Dr Eggman took some pleasure in knowing he at least inconvenienced Sonic and his friends today. That was worth something. Now he just needed to figure out how best to word that to Orbot and Cubot as to make it sound like he didn’t lose.

That train of thought was halted when Dr. Eggman got within view of his lair. Smoke poured out of several portions of the structures, and loose wires threw sparks all over the place. Several of his defensive badniks were flying and walking circles around the base in full alert, but it was clear they had no idea where the culprit of this mess was. Dr. Eggman grumbled and flew in closer to evaluate the damage.

“No who had time to do this?!” Eggman said to the badniks.

From behind a rock, Orbot and Cubot peeked out and pointed to the top of the base, Orbot saying “she did…”

“Wha-” Dr. Eggman was cut off by Sticks the Badger landing on his Eggmobile and driving an obsidian shortsword into its control panel. He screamed in genuine terror as they crashed to the ground.

Dr. Eggman felt himself tumbling until he lay flat on his back, then Stick jumped onto his chest and bared her teeth, putting a hand on his collar.

“I have WAY too much to worry about, without dealing with this damned ‘Fools Holiday!’”

“Wait, I-” muttered Dr. Eggman.

“Shut up!”

Dr. Eggman shut up.

“When I hafta to worry just that much more, it actually hurts! And I’m not willing to spare you that pain!” Sticks took a few heavy breaths and made sure Eggman was looking her in the eyes. “Now, are you EVER, going to make me hafta to worry about an ‘April Fools’ again?!”

“Well… when you ask so nicely…”

Stick growled like a wild badger.

“No no of course not! Jeez! I’ll leave you alone if you leave me alone!” said Dr. Eggman.

Sticks’ posture immediately softened and she released Dr. Eggman's collar. She let out a sigh and said “thanks,” before stepping off of Eggman’s chest and lying on the ground.

“Uh… don't mention it,” said Dr. Eggman.

“Yeah, of course… Sorry I hafta be so mean…”

“I'm going… to go inside, and hide.”

Sticks gave him a thumbs up and continued to just lie on the ground in front of his base's door.

#Sonic Boom #Sonic the Hedgehog #Tails the Fox #Sonic Fanfiction #Sonic Fanfic #Sticks the Badger #Amy Rose #Knuckles the Echidna #Sonic #Dr. Eggman #April Fools Fanfiction #Fanfiction #writing #My art #Secret Person

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