#and thanks to Agent Viper

[zelda7999]

All of the doodles for the Palette challenge! :D I enjoyed doing these immensely, they are a lot of fun!! 

You can find the post for the palette challenge I did: here! 

[nyctophiliq]

Wanted to know your take on Valo women reacting to fem reader wearing their clothes! Can be nsfw or sfw! Whatever you’re more comfortable with, was hoping for skye, sage, and fade (anyone else if you’d like)! If that’s too many the first too would be appreciated!

✮ ┆ WEARING THEIR CLOTHES. skye, sage, fade, viper, deadlock

based on the request above. CONTENT WARNING.           18+ only, minors dni. SUGGESTIVE/SFW CONTENT UNDER THE CUT; female-bodied reader, stealing clothes, suggestive touches/dialogues,  | ~1k words A/N.                   i don’t normally write for skye but writing this might have just made me put her up on the list guys, i love her <3 anyways, hope you guys liked it, and thank you for reading! apologize for the long wait...

SKYE.

hiking with skye was always something to look forward to, even if one or both of you kept tripping over the fallen branches of the trees. you were waiting for kirra on top of a hill, sitting the the cool grass while keeping your bags safe, waiting for her to get back from whatever it was she wanted to check out at the end of the trail. you felt a shiver run through you, and remembered that you didn’t pack an extra sweater for yourself, you peeked into kirra’s bag to take the one she probably had. you just about pulled it over your figure when you heard skye’s bulky boots approaching. she gaped, her eyes widened and lips parted softly in surprise. “look at you all cozy.” she grinned eagerly, sitting down next to you and taking a good look at you in her sweater. “got a little chilly sitting and waiting, sorry.” you murmur as you lay your head on her shoulder, looping your arm with hers. kirra just chuckles contently, her free hand coming up to caress your cheek while placing a kiss on top of your head. “you look like eye candy, we must pick some more out for you back at base.”

SAGE.

even the protocol had to have a bouge, fancy, get together sometimes to keep morale up and at least have the sense of a normal life. with some important papers to hand in tonight, you had to be late for the party and in the middle of all of it, you forgot to pick out what to wear. hoping that sage would have some idea what to put on you ran to her room, but there was no sign of her anywhere. looking down at your watch there wasn’t much else for you to do but grab one of her dress shirts and run to the event. sage only notices that you have taken her shirt when some of the other agents point it out. “you’re late, bao bei.” she hums behind her champagne glass, taking a sip out of it and you don’t miss the way her eyes give a quick look over you before she puts the glass down on the counter, her pearly whites visible even in the dim lights. “paperwork kept me busy.” you sigh, watching her glide along the counter, letting little distance between the two of you, and hiding her face in the crook of your neck. “looks like i will be some overtime on you.”

FADE.

you knew that fade wasn’t too keen on sharing; she wouldn’t even let you take a sip from her morning coffee when you were too lazy to brew your own cup. which prompted her to when she went out to get a cup for herself, she also got one more for you. you just stepped out of the shower, stuck with the dirty shirt you brought with you or to take something from hazal’s wardrobe. you were gonna take your chances with her clothes and once you finally found a suitable shirt you got back into bed. a couple of seconds ago fade came back, a strange look on her face. “watcha looking at?” you ask, not realizing that her weird expression is all about the shirt- she moves one of her hands in front of her face, trying to hide her blush behind the mug. “doesn’t matter, not important.” she mumbles before climbing into bed next to you, offering you a mug which you gladly took. you feel her hand rest on your hip, fingers clutching the hem of the shirt before leaning to kiss your cheek. “you should keep it…” she hums, voice raspy, and you can feel the smile that pulls on her lips.

VIPER.

at first, you were scared to take a piece of clothing from sabine’s closet, firstly because you weren’t sure if she’d be okay with it, and secondly because when you first opened her closet the way it was so neat and organized scared you. the moment when she spots you in one of her shirts or cardigans she can hardly fight the smile tugging on the corner of her lips as she walks up to your side. you’re ready for her to complain when you realize, stammering out excuses of why you were wearing what’s hers and you are surprised how she grabs you by the neck of the clothes and pulls you to be face to face with her. “sabine!” you yelp in surprise. “you look… good enough to eat, darling.” she murmurs, in that smooth voice of hers that has your heart to pick up an extra beat, pushing her chest closer to yours. you roll your eyes a little at her words though, your hands climbing onto her shoulder to get a little space but she doesn’t let go so easily. her lips are running along your jaw, down your neck, a single finger pulling on the neck of the shirt you stole from her, and her teeth sink into your skin. “what am i gonna do with you now, hm?”

DEADLOCK.

that one green shirt that she always wore and loved so much, that was what you eyed yourself in the mirror. you couldn’t help but try it on, you were always curious what she liked so much about this shirt, why she had so many of it and you kind of understood- soft fabric, the nice stitching, and how the temperature felt just right around you. so lost in the technicalities of one shirt, you didn’t notice iselin stepping into the frame behind you. stammering something, you attempt to take the shirt off but the blonde stops you. “no, keep it on.” she hums, settling her around you, letting one finger trace under the fabric of the shirt, running along your tummy before she settles them on your hips, pulling you against herself. her lips brush against your ear, a featherlight kiss behind it before she talks again. “picks up your scent that way, i’d like that.”

[nicolethered]

Every time Pedro dies onscreen, suggested by @lokischocolatefountain (spoiler follow):

Eddie, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 4x01 The Freshman (1999)

Kevin “Kip” Green, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, 8x08 The Glory That Was... (2009)

Special Agent Greer, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, 12x24 Smoked (2011)

Liam, Nikita, 3x08 Aftermath (2013)

Oberyn Martell, Game of Thrones, 4x08 The Mountain and the Viper

Agent Juan Badillo, Graceland, 1x09 Smoke Alarm

Max Phillips, Bloodsucking Bastards (2015)

Jack “Agent Whiskey” Daniels, Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)

Dave York, The Equalizer 2 (2019)

*Thank you to @xxhypersomnia for reminding me about Dieter's overdose in The Bubble (2022)

Dieter Bravo as Gio in Cliffbeasts 6, The Bubble (2022)

Santos The Penis Collector, Drive Away Dolls (2024)

[brights-place]

Omen dating Headcannons

Pairings: Omen X Reader

Warnings: Fluff, Cursing, Anxiety, Angst

A/N: GOSH I LOVE OMEN HE IS SO CUTEEE

- He knits to relax! So he would knit you some things for exammle sweaters, scarves, and plushies for surprises! one time he made you an scarf for icebox that were his color scheme which you love - His love language is Physical touch and Quality time - He tries his best to make every single second with you count - He is amazing at baking, would bake some sweets for you - When your relationship grew and you both got more comfortable with each other Omen would be more open about PDA. - He hides in the shadows and appears behind you whispering an "Boo" in his montone voice as you screamed (like finn from adventure time) - This man doesn't need to sleep! he's a phantom for fuck sakes but you still force him into bed to cuddle - He’s quiet like REALLY QUIET! but will do his best to give you advice when you need it - He might not talk much at first but he will make sure you know that he’s there for you - Man is so fucking gentle towards you it isn't funny it's so cute - Omen is VERY protective of you I mean come on! He’s already protective of his fellow agents and it’s only doubled when it comes to you! - He would scare away any threats that dare try and intimidate or even hurt you! He has no problem killing for you if he has to - if you get an graze from an enemy this man would go wild! He doesn’t need the physical protection from you but he does like the comfort to know that you’re just as committed as he is in portecting eachother! - he hates crowded places so he would go behind your back pressing his chest against it which was one of his ways of saying 'I don't feel comfortable' - Tried to teach you how to knit !! it was fun at first but then you gto stuck... You mentally and physically wanted to scream since you snapped the tip of the needle (I have doe it before and my Lola stared me down... Angry Filipino grandmothers are scary!) - If you both succeed on knitting it becomes his favorite time of the day is to knit with you. he's very proud of your progress after you learn pretty much everything from him - When phoenix pointed it out he went to tell him it relaxes him but he glances at you on the team as you giggle lightly - On a mission he saw another him... "There is another of me? How many times did I get ripped apart? How many times did I die?" omen gripped onto his gun as you placed an hand on his forearm giving him an pitiful look as he sighs - Omens to make sure you don't mess anything up because one of his hobbies is cleaning but he doesn't want to clean up any of your messes sometimes... cause if your like an party animal he would be drained - In my opinion he is not really shy you could say? he is simply overwhelmed by the presence of other people - yeah it's known Omen has a very strong case of amnesia like REALLY BAD! He can't remember his true self... - When he trains you stare at him biting your lip - If you show him affection randomly he keeps his composure since he isn't really one to show his emotions outwardly 

- It seems like he doesn't really care when you show him affection but he does thank you and the is just some sort of tenderness in his voice. He could become embarrassed if you kiss him and then also give him a lot of praise for doing so well 

- If you know him well enough though you would be able to hear the embarrassment in his voice everytime if you show affection or other agents do something nice for him - You and Viper made a pack - You both would help Omen regain his memories... or so you thought. - When he gained some of his memories back he was filled wiht rage yet kept his composure but yelled at Viper - Sage stared at you dead in your eyes when you would be eyeing your boyfriend "(Name) your boyfriend is a phantom" Sage said teasingly as you shushed your healer "SHHHH! I know! but he is handsome!" Sage laughs at you - omen is an amazing partner and loves you with his whole heart as long as he is with you he feels safe

reblogs + comments are appreciated ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

©brights-place 2023 — do not repost on another platform, copy, translate or edit my works! if you fit my DNI list please don't interact

[starshinegarcia]

Into You - Aaron Hotchner x Female Reader

Season 4, Episode 9 “Pickup” - Reader is in place of Emily in the first scene, then she goes in alongside Emily later on (part 2) as bait, instead of Jordan.

Thank you so so much to @cerisereids for the prompt, and to @ilikw for bringing it to my attention!! I hope i did it justice!

“I’m so into you, I can barely breathe”

As you stepped into the sleazy bar, you suddenly became very hyper aware that you were the only female in a few-mile radius who wasn’t wearing a low cut something-or-another. You trailed close behind Morgan and Hotch, as you all made your way to the monologuing misogynist hidden away in the back corner of the bar. Viper’s voice carried through the air- saying something that, you’re sure would’ve made your blood boil, had you been paying any attention- his poisonous eyes landing on you and smirking. A shiver went down your spine as you subtly shifted your gaze over to Hotch, who was watching Viper intently- but his eyes softened when he glanced back at you. “Agent, you alright?” You nod, avoiding his gaze as Viper finishes talking- in fear of your cheeks flushing if you look directly into Hotch’s eyes again. You feel his gaze on you, until it shifts and you instead look up as Viper walks towards the three of you.

“So, what, you think this guy, this unsub took one of my classes?” “He copied your ‘the camera adds 10 pounds' routine verbatim.” Hotch replies. Viper smirks. “Yeah, that’s a good gag.” You bring your eyes up to meet him, speaking for the first time, “If you could just give us your attendance lists, it might help us find him.”

Viper toys with it for a minute, before a defiantly sassy “No.” “No?” You repeat. “My clients expect a certain amount of confidentiality. I won’t compromise that.” Hotch then continues to banter with him about warrants, then something about outwitting “alpha males like you” to Morgan before you speak up, “What club were you at last night?” Hotch’s jaw has been clenched slightly this whole time- he shouldn’t have had you come along on this particular questioning. With every passing second, he became less and less in control of his actions, as jealousy clouded his judgment. The way that that man was looking at you, all that he wanted to do was grab your waist and show that stupid snake man who you really belong to. But, no, you weren’t even his, regardless of how inappropriate that would be if you were. He grins, very obviously checking you out as his eyes travel up and down your body. “It’s a legitimate question.” Derek counters, watching his body language.” “Firstly, How many times do you have to rely on your badge to score, baldy? Secondly-” He turns to Hotch, standing opposite you while Morgan follows him intently with his eyes. “Here, in this harsh light, you may have the advantage..” Viper suddenly takes a step towards you, inching his face so close you can smell the tobacco on his breath, “But meet me on my turf, and ohoho, the things I could make you do..”

A flame erupts inside you, wanting more than anything to cuss him out- but a tall figure is in front of you before you get the chance to respond. Hotch’s voice rang out, cold as he passed the man a business card. “Call us with any questions. And, if you do, I can be certain that if you talk to my agent like that again, it won’t end this peacefully.” You could hear the anger in Aaron’s voice, and you scoffed. As if you couldn’t fucking protect yourself. You feel Derek’s hand on your shoulder, indicating towards the exit. “You okay, blondie?” You shake your head, muttering under your breathe, “All he sees me as is a fucking child, I can protect myself.” Derek furrows his brows slightly, letting you walk to the SUV ahead as he lays back and walks in pace with Hotch. “How much longer are you going to pretend that you don't want to kiss her, boss man?” He winks at Hotch, before hopping in the passengers seat. Hotch’s hands clench the wheel as he drives. That stupid guy. The things that I could do to him, I’d make him regret ever letting his filthy face near her’s. She needs my protection, she hasn’t learned how to calmly react yet, that’s it, she’s new, that’s why I want to protect her. His eyes flick up and find yours in the backseat, as you sit there with your arms crossed, quickly shaking your head and looking out the window when you feel his eyes on you. Every fucking time. He never lets you stand up for yourself, never lets you fight back, half the time he finds an excuse to make you stay out of the unsub crime scenes. Who the fuck was he to defend you? His stupid, handsome face.. Morgan observes you both with a slight smirk, shooting a text to his baby girl that says something along the lines of “I think Blondie and Hotch may finally realize something’s up between them.”

“Been waiting, and waiting for you, to make a move”

As soon as the SUV pulls into the Georgia Field Office, Hotch gets out, with a curt “Agent. My office, now.” before slamming the car door behind him. You grumble and shoot an angry look in his direction, before following him into the Field office, and into his makeshift headquarters. As soon as the door shuts behind you, you start, “Do you not think I’m strong enough for this team, sir?” He sits down, folding his hands and watching you intently as you pace. “I do.” “Is there something weak about me? Do I not make it clear that I know how to deal with suspects and criminals?” “I do not see you as weak, and I certainly know your ability to argue-” You interrupt him, “Then what, sir, what is it? Every damn time, you just cut in front of me as if I’m your daughter or something, I mean, come on, I know I’m younger than you but I-” “That isn’t why I do it, you haven’t worked here long enough to get your footing yet, I’ve done it with Prentiss, Reid, when they first started-” “Then why do they look so surprised every time? It’s like I’m some special pearl, I can only ask questions but never actually interrogate or go catch unsubs-” You’re both yelling by now, and Hotch has stood up and made his way towards you, “Agent, I do not appreciate your tone with me right now.” “Well I don’t appreciate your- your- your weird, jealous, overprotective-” Your stop, chest heaving as he towers over you. You thought he would be angry, on the verge of dismissing you, but instead, his eyes have gone soft as he gazes down at you. Suddenly, you feel his lips on yours. You’re kissing your boss, and it feels so beautiful, so good, so right, as he wraps his arms around your waist and you bring yours around his neck. He pulls away, immediately trying to step back, sputtering apologies, but you grab his hands and kiss him again, with more passion than before. He gives in, for a moment, but pulls away firmly after a few more seconds, and as quickly as it had happened it was over. “Tha, uhm, that will be all, Agent. Thank you” Hotch says breathlessly, motioning towards the door as he resumes his seat at the paint-chipped desk.

Well, fuck.

“A little bit scandalous, but baby, don’t let them see it..”

Keep your eyes peeled for part 2…only if it’s wanted, that is ;) Also on AO3 under the same name!! i’m @/pumpkinspicedtheatre on there :)

[criminalmindswhore]

Morgan has another sister?

When you were growing up, you know how your mom always told you to bring a jacket just in case? Yeah well, apparently I didn't learn anything. Because I am currently freezing my ass off in the middle of this fancy ass neighborhood because Derek sent the wrong address and won't pick up his phone. I start to get back in my car when my phone buzzes, "Derek Morgan I am going to beat you-" "Woah sis, calm down. Turn around," I slowly turned around, "There ya go." I saw him standing in the front yard of a house and hung up. I walked to him and he engulfed me in a hug. "How's my only single sister doing?" I pulled away and slapped his arm, "Shut up! I didn't have time you know becoming one of the best security analyst in the country." He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and led me inside. He opened the door to one of the nicest houses I've ever seen and led me to the kitchen. "Everyone I want you to meet Y/n, my youngest sister." I glanced around the room and smiled as I waved. "You've already met Garcia at the awards, that's JJ, her husband Will, Rossi, Hotch, Spencer, and Emily." Emily had this look of adore in her eyes and Garcia quickly caught on and gave her a wink. "Why did I have no idea you had another sister?" I walked to stand beside Emily at the counter, "Well it seems as though every time you guys are in Chicago I was either at school, the academy or on assignment." Emily quickly responded, "The academy? You're an agent?" I looked at her and smiled, "No, I'm a security analyst for the Navy, but I'm hoping to get this job at homeland security. I had my interview last week and I should know soon." She nodded. "That's impressive, and I'm assuming that's how you met Garcia?" Garcia beamed at me, "Lemme tell them!" I giggled and nodded, "You know how I nominated for that amazing award last year, well she won it! Derek was so torn up because I lost but so much more excited that his baby sister won." She high fived me and I laughed loudly. "I'm telling you she got all the brains and I got all the beauty." Derek said proudly and I shoved him, "We all know Cindi got that." Everyone laughed and we ate.

Emily's POV

After dinner we all sat by Rossi's fire outside and drank various beverages. "And then, he fell so hard, the entire house shook and mom was pissed. I swear Derek was going to get killed. Mom came downstairs yelling," In her best mom impression, "Derek James Morgan I am going to beat you senseless, why were you on my coffee table." She laughed with everyone and I swear it was music to my ears. I've had an attraction to this woman since she came in the house. She's so smart, and gorgeous and her laugh is the cutest. "Emily, Derek told me that you had a story about a guy named Viper?" I cringed at the thought and sat up to tell the story. "It was a case in Atlanta, and this guy taught a class on how to make women like you. After we asked him some questions he tried to make a move on me and basically say he could out smart me into sleeping with him." She chuckled at the story, and it made me smile bigger, "So when I went undercover in a club, he seriously gave it a shot and thought I was interested. An old agent and I basically called him out and left." Everyone laughed and Derek stood up, "Alright sis, if you're riding with me, I'm leaving, I have to teach some newbies at 6 am." Y/n groaned and looked at him, "But no one else is leaving and I wanna hear their embarrassing stories about you." She gave him an innocent smile and my insides lit on fire. She was killing me, "If you wanna stay longer I can give you a ride to Morgans later." I didn't realize what left my mouth until it did, I was terrified of being alone with her. "Thank you, Emily, now get going so they can embarrass you." He said his goodbyes and we kept telling stories.

"Thank you, Rossi!" I waved at him as we walked to my car. "It was nice meeting you! He's so nice. All of you are." I unlocked the car and walked around to the driver's side, "Trust me, when it comes to psychotic killers, we get mean real fast." She laughed and got in on the other side. "Thank you again for taking me home. I just haven't had a night out of my room, office, or a library in awhile. I don't think I've been to anything since grad school." I let out a chuckle, "Seriously, you're Morgans's sister and you didn't party in grad school?" She nodded, "Seriously. Morgan was the only one who got that gene. I got the tech nerd who came out on accident gene." She laughed and I smiled big. She's gay. "I'm sorry if this is wrong for me to ask but, what is that look in your eye when you look at me? It's like a look of adore." I was shocked that she noticed and gripped the steering wheel a little harder, "I just- you're-" I pulled up to Morgan's," You just amaze me. I mean in walks this incredibly talented, brilliant, really attractive woman and you expect to not like you?" She looked at me and smiled, "You just described yourself Miss Emily Prentiss." She opened her door and got out, "You should walk me to the door and protect me from any bad guys." I smirked and got out locking my car. We entered the apartment building and started up the stairs, the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Back to the reader's POV

When we reached my brother's door I got the key out from under the mat and turned to face Emily. I wanted to kiss her so bad but was it too early? "I had an amazing time tonight with your team and you. Thank you for taking me home again." She took a step closer to me and her eyes kept flickering between my lips and my eyes. I could tell she wanted it too. I took a final step towards her and grabbed her collar pulling her lips into mine. She immediately kissed back and backed me into the door, her hands finding my waist as mine draped over her shoulders as our lips moved in sync. She pulled away and pecked my lips once more, "Goodnight Y/n. I'll see you later." I smiled and bit my lip, "Goodnight Emily, drive safe." I watched her walk down the hall and onto the steps. I unlocked the door and opened it expecting Derek to be asleep. "Holy shit Derek!" He was standing in the doorway with a smug look on his face. "Why are you awake?" He took my purse from me and sat it on the counter as I hung my keys up and slipped off my shoes. "I was waiting on you to make sure you made it safely. Anything you wanna tell me swollen lips?" I blushed but kept a smile from forming, "Nope. Guest bedroom in the same place?" He chuckled and nodded, "Goodnight Derek." I started to the room, "Goodnight kissy face."

[offbranddrpepsi]

Hi hi it's me again >:] ! Could I Request Reyna X reader, how would Reyna react whenever reader would just randomly say she's beautiful (in general any compliments), hug her or just give her a kiss even while they are in a meeting reader would just hold her hand or compliment her (sorry if anything didn't make sense my brain was lagging and I didn't want to reread this again) anyways there might be some more requests coming today for Reyna X reader

Absolutely! This falls into such a big HC i have for Reyna and its that she adores casual affection so i hope you enjoy.

Reyna is usually the one giving physical affection freely, kissing the tops of her cherished friends heads or tussling their hair. While not a stranger to being on the receiving in it still surprises her. Compliments surprise her less, however she is always flattered. She thanks you and tells you that you're too sweet, the smallest bit of pink on the edge of her cheeks. More specific comments pull more color to her face and occasionally make her laugh. She makes it very obvious how precious she thinks you are as you tell her sweet nothings and words of affection.

When you come up and just hug her or give her a kiss on the cheek she is surprised but reciprocates, usually returning what ever affection you gave. Occasionally she picks you up when you hug her and spins you around, nuzzling her self into your hair. Surprise kisses are met with a smile you can feel as she returns the kiss and typically a few placed on your face as well as a loving glance. During meets she likes to be focused, poised, the intimidating woman she is but she can't keep that up when you give her passing affection. Her face stays stoic as you rub your finger over the back of her hand, a squeeze in return acknowledging you and that she appreciates the gesture. A hug or kiss causes her stone carved expression to break, a small smile and look of love crossing her face as she softens, mumbling terms of affection at you before she returns to her usual demeanor. Other agents are both impressed and terrified at how just one touch from you manages to turn her into an entirely different person. From the vicious viper lurking and watching her brood to the softest of rabbits that would put an angora to shame, her hardened heart is soft for only two people with you being one of them.

[zaewriteshere]

Let me show the world how much I adore you

AO3 Link

You were never a big fan of PDA, struggling greatly with reciprocating or even accepting it.

It didn’t seem to deter Sova though, who was just head over heels for you, especially since your relationship just blossomed into a romantic one.

This man was going to be the death of you, wasn’t he ?

---

Despite having known Sova for a year – and having a crush on him for months – you were still getting used to the new status of your relationship, and most importantly…

You were still getting used to being the subject of PDA. 

You were way too shy to reciprocate the attention, always turning into a blushing mess whenever he held your hand, kissed your cheeks…

Especially when he would just surprise you and kiss you lovingly.

In your own private area, you were more at ease, however.

But the hunter was very eager to show everyone that you and him were dating, and didn’t want to leave room for interpretation.

The development of your relationship had ruffled some feathers, but since Killjoy and Raze were already dating, it was easier for Brimstone to accept it.

You were glad that Viper couldn’t care less.

You were brought back to reality when you felt a kiss on your temple, which made you freeze.

You heard a light chuckle next to you, and when you turned your head to your boyfriend, he just looked at you with a lovingly amused expression.

It only made your blush deepen. 

“Sasha…” You whined, burying your face in your hands.

“Yes, my love ?” He replied innocently.

You were about to say something to him, when Cypher interrupted you.

Your lover’s features immediately fell to a neutral stare.

“Good morning, you lovebirds. I’m sorry for interrupting, but I was wondering if you wanted any warm beverages ? I’m about to make some tea,” The agent explained, his tone light.

You took a moment to consider, but your thoughts scrambled once again when Sova put a hand on your thigh and scooted even closer to you.

“No, thank you,” He refused in your stance, still inching closer, not tearing his beautiful eyes away from the sentinel.

“Alright, I’ll leave you to it, then,” Cypher replied, leaving you two to be.

You were about to say something to him, to lightly berate him on his temperament towards the tea lover, but you stopped yourself.

He probably already knew, and you already were aware of his reasons.

You also knew that if you asked him to stop his gestures, he would.

… But you did like it.

You were pretty sure Sova knew that, too.

Which was why he did it so often, probably.

“What are you thinking about ?” He whispered into your ear after kissing your cheek.

A chill ran down your spine.

“You,” You replied, honestly.

He smiled gently at you, his features softening.

You knew he loved your honesty and bluntness. 

He did admit that it was the main reason he fell for you in the first place.

“May I know what specifically ?” He enquired, rubbing his hand gently on your thigh.

You tried your best to not get distracted by the touch.

You failed.

It took you an embarrassingly long amount of time to give this simple answer : 

“I… Forgot…” You admitted, sheepishly.

He chuckled, clearly amused by how flustered you were by him and his actions.

“I didn’t know I had such a big influence on you, my love,” He said lovingly, bringing his free hand to caress your other cheek.

You almost leaned into the touch, forgetting you were in the lounge area.

You were quickly reminded by Jett’s voice.

“Shee, get a room,” She said, clearly not meaning anything bad.

It still made you tense up and jerk away from the touch, and you panicked internally.

Oh no.

Did you offend Sova by doing this ?

You didn’t mean for it to be mean, it was just your knee jerk reaction

Shyly glancing at your lover, you saw no hurt, only amusement and love in his eyes and expression.

The duelist giggled, not saying anything else, and going to the kitchen.

After making sure that she was out of earshot, your partner asked, a slight worry in his eyes : 

“Do you want to go to our room ?” 

You thought about it.

Finally, you shrugged. 

“Do you ?” You replied, tilting your head. 

He didn’t say anything, and instead got up from the couch.

You were about to do the same, but he scooped you into a bridal carry, which made you shriek in surprise.

“H-Hey !” You stuttered. “I can walk-”

He shut you up by lightly kissing your lips, already starting to walk towards your common room.

You fell quiet, not knowing what to do with yourself.

Should you wrap your arms around his neck ?

Should you just remain in this position ?

You didn’t have the time to even answer your own questions that you were already in your twin sized bed, Sova already cuddling you and kissing you everywhere he could reach. 

Checking with a glance if the door was closed, you relaxed when you realised that it was.

Finally feeling comfortable to reciprocate the gestures, you turned around to face him and giggled when he grew more insistent with his kisses.

You kissed him back when he finally landed on your lips, scooting ever so closer to him, his hands nesting themselves on your waist.

You both continued to cuddle and kiss each other lovingly, before your stomach grumbled rather loudly, making him smile through the kiss.

“Let’s get something to eat,” He announced, finally separating himself from your body, but not making any movement to leave the room.

He was just admiring you, and your probably dishevelled look after so much cuddling and kissing.

You nodded, slowly getting up to fix your appearance in the mirror.

“What are you doing ?” He questioned, looking at you.

You could feel his eyes roaming your body, before landing on your face’s reflection.

“Fixing my looks a bit,” You replied.

It was his turn to join you, wrapping his arms around your stomach.

“But you look stunning no matter what,” He whispered to you, his lips right at your ear.

You froze mid movement, feeling your face heat up. 

“C’mon,” You answered after a while. “They’re gonna think we were doing something else entirely…” You continued, somehow blushing harder.

“I don’t see what’s wrong with that,” He stated, still whispering, moving his hands between your torso and belly.

Despite having been together for a week, you still didn’t do anything like that.

Touches like this was where it was at.

You wanted to take it one step at a time.

And you especially wanted to be able to reciprocate his PDA before making love with him.

You knew he was patient, and willing to wait until you were ready.

You were very lucky to have him as your lover.

Once you deemed you were presentable, you turned to him, wrapping your arms around his neck, your eyes locking onto his lips.

Sova didn’t make any movement to close the gap between the two of you, only smirking slightly.

He knew what you wanted.

Even though you were more comfortable behind closed doors, initiating was always a struggle for you.

Taking a deep breath, you closed the gap yourself, bringing him instinctively closer to you.

You could tell he was surprised, but with how he deepened the kiss, turning it to a more passionate one, you knew he was appreciative.

You stayed like this for a little bit, enjoying the kiss and the touch, before your stomach growled again, even louder this time.

Parting away, he chuckled.

“I know someone’s impatient to eat,” He stated, lightly poking at your belly.

You shrieked in surprise and pulled away slightly, which made him laugh.

You pouted, just a bit.

“Alright alright, let’s go,” He announced, letting go of you and going for the door.

Following his steps, he opened the door for you, gesturing you to go out.

Chuckling, you did as told, and he closed the door behind you, immediately choosing to hold your hand.

You blushed furiously, glancing at him.

He only held your gaze and smiled, proud of himself.

You sighed as you both started walking towards the kitchen, trying to control your expressions.

One thing you knew your lover adored was how easy it was to read you. 

It made everyday life easier, but your job was way harder than it needed to be.

Good thing your job wasn’t to be a spy.

Entering the cooking area, you noticed that only Jett was present, focused on cooking her own meal.

She noticed your entrance, and her eyes immediately darted to the joined hands.

“Oh my god, you’re holding hands,” She gasped dramatically. “So dirty, so explicit ! Get a room before I see your ankles !” She continued, gesturing wildly.

She looked further down, and since you were just wearing some shorts, she shrieked.

“Oh my goodness gracious, you did not !” 

Sova only chuckled, while you smiled a bit, still blushing.

You knew she was trying to help you – you did confess to her your want to have an easier time reciprocating his gestures, after all – and it did help you feel more at ease.

You just wished she could be a bit quieter…

Everyone was now either chuckling or smiling at you both, and you had to admit that you hated the attention.

Your partner – bless his soul – noticed your discomfort and physically shielded you away from the prying eyes.

You smiled at him, thankful, and he only squeezed your hand as an answer, looking around to make sure that by the time he stepped away, those same glances wouldn’t be on you.

After a couple of minutes, he kissed your forehead, and stepped away as he was letting you go, opening the fridge.

It took you a moment to join him in looking for something to eat.

“Anything catches your eye, my love ?” He questioned.

“How about I cook something ? What do you want to eat ?”

“How about Grenki ?” He replied after thinking for a moment, not before closing the fridge.

You nodded, familiar with the Russian breakfast.

He did teach you how to make some of his favourite meals, after all.

You opened the fridge again, taking what you needed from it, and since your lover refused to let go of your hand, he helped you carry what you couldn't with only one limb available.

As he let go of your hand, you started to prepare the food.

You weren’t really as surprised when he went behind you and hugged you as he looked at your actions over your shoulder. 

You still stopped mid-movement, trying to control the creeping heat of your face.

Once you judged you had it enough under control, you resumed your actions, and Sova was wise to not distract you any further when you started to heat up the pan.

He didn’t let go of you however, but his touch was comforting, reassuring.

You realised that the more exposed you were to his PDA, the easier it became for you to just…

Accept it, you guessed ?

A week ago you couldn’t even let him touch you for longer than a couple of seconds, always jerking away.

Now, you were comfortably cooking while he was hugging you from behind.

You were proud of yourself, and you were also pretty sure that he noticed the changes, too.

Soon enough, you were done cooking the meal for the both of you, and he lightly kissed your neck, making you shiver and blush.

“Thank you, my love,” He said, before looking at the plate. “Looks delicious,” He continued, detaching one of his hands to grab one plate.

“Thanks,” You replied. 

You hadn’t really found a nickname that suited him, or that you were comfortable using.

You weren’t big on them to begin with, but since he was so adamant on using them, you couldn’t really say no to that.

It did feel nice when he used it, though.

Sitting at the table next to each other, you started eating, sighing pleasantly when you swallowed your first bite.

You were quick to finish your portion, feeling filled.

You glanced at your partner, watching him slowly eating his meal.

“Do you like it ?” You questioned.

“It’s delicious, good job,” He praised, beaming at you.

You smiled at that, and waited patiently for him to finish his portion.

Once done, you took care of the plates, and he went to lay down on the couch.

You were about to sit at his feet, but thought about it for a bit longer.

Suddenly feeling very shy, you could feel your face heat up with embarrassment.

“Can I… Uh…” You started, fidgeting.

He snapped his attention to you, waiting patiently for you to form your words.

“Can I lay on top of you ?...” You finally asked, tearing your gaze away from his own.

He didn’t answer immediately, and you saw out of the corner of your eyes the pure surprise he was displaying.

“I- Of course you can, my love,” He stuttered, still recovering from the shock.

Nodding, you slowly climbed on top of him, chest against chest, and for the first time all week, it seemed like Sova didn’t know what to do with himself.

“Are-are you okay ?” You questioned, looking up at him.

His cheeks were slightly red as he looked down on you, but he smiled warmly.

“I am more than okay, my love,” He reassured, bringing one of his hands to cup your cheek and caress your cheekbone. “I just didn’t expect you to be so forward, or at least, this soon,” He continued, chuckling a bit.

You smiled, relieved.

You could feel your heartbeat fasten as you thought about kissing him like this, in the middle of the lounge, where anyone could walk in on you two.

He arched an eyebrow as he studied your face, clearly seeing that something was going on in your mind.

As you felt your heart pump through your chest, you slowly closed the gap between your face.

You stopped only a few centimetres away from his lips, and you stared into his slightly widened eyes.

Before you got cold feet, you closed your eyes and went in for a kiss, ignoring the footsteps closing in on you.

Your boyfriend’s surprise didn’t last very long as he parted lips to deepen the kiss, his hands roaming your body, not leaving one place untouched, not one he could reach at least.

Once you parted, you were both breathless, and he was looking at you with a newfound love.

He whispered your name, as if said any louder, it’ll break whatever bubble was around you.

“Yes ?” You answered in the same tone.

“I love you so much,” He said, which made your heart flutter and gave you butterflies in your stomach.

“I love you too, Sasha,” You barely had time to say his name that he was kissing you again.

For the rest of the day, Sova didn’t let go of you for one second, and if he couldn’t kiss your lips, he would kiss somewhere else until he could.

You weren’t complaining at all.

[l0serloki]

Cooking with Valorant Agents!

(Chamber, Sova, Fade, Viper)

CW : OCD? (Chamber), Eating, not much else

A/N : I am so hungry but I really just don’t want to get up. This was an idea I had a few days ago but just now wrote up. Per usual, if there’s mistakes… no there isn’t. ALSO, I wrote this one on my phone so the text might be different.

Chamber :

I feel like he would be one of two things. Either a really good chef, or not know how to cook.

Look, he loves expensive food that fits his palate but with that money…

You think he’s cooking that lobster himself? Maybe. It depends on his mood! If he wants to cook and be alone, he can. If he really wants an amazing meal - he gets someone to do it.

He knows how to cook basic meals but that won’t do for my sacred mans tongue.

If you ask him to cook, he will join you. But expect a lot of complaining. He wants to keep everything super clean!

“Vincent, I love you but this is so unrealistic.” You could only sigh as your boyfriend frantically sweeped.

You two had been baking for not more than ten minutes when his little ‘cleaning mode’ had started. There was a bit of flour dusting around the table, and some egg shells laying out to be tossed. It wasn’t much and not really a priority of yours while you were cooking but to Vincent… It was the end of the world.

“Oh my. The counter will probably be stained! How did I not notice this sooner?” The mans shrill voice echoed throughout the room. You could only stand and chuckle, watching the scene unfold.

“Like I said. It’s not the end of the world. This is about us, not some egg shells.” You reassured him, lips smothering his face in kisses. His body eased under your touch, breath slowing.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. Let us finish up and then we can relax.” Chamber’s arms wrapped around you, lips kissing at your temple. You hummed under the affection, glad that he was over his fit.

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

Sova :

He cooks a lot! I feel like his Grandma taught him dishes and he loves sharing them.

Sova will be the one to ask you to cook! He wants to see your favorite foods & spend time with you!

This man LOVES desert. (It’s supposed to be a secret though! Hide some chocolates for him <3)

Overall, he loves to be in the kitchen and will gladly serve you OR cook with you!

“Oh, Y/N! This was so fun!” Sova smiled, arms setting down the hot pan. The two of you had spent the evening cooking per his request. You had not expected it to be as exciting as it was. Sova had taught you a lot and still made you feel smart.

“Mm, this was fun. We will have to do my idea next time.” You kissed at the mans cheek, sneaking a bite of the food.

His hand wrapped around your wrist, snickering at your embarrassment.

“Yes, we should. But what did I just say? The food is hot! Now shoo! I’ll bring it to you, minx.” Sasha teased, pushing you away from eating more. You grinned, making your way into the living room.

“You better! If you eat it all yourself, you’ll have to make more!”

Fade :

I feel like she’s iffy on cooking. Don’t get me wrong, she cooks all her meals. She just doesn’t get super excited about it or anything.

But, if it’s something you love or enjoy then she will pitch in!

She’ll be your little helper! She sets up all the ingredients and makes sure to measure things ahead of time.

Fade also has a big appetite and will be glad to have a nice meal!

“You are really good at this.” Fade’s voice whispered as her arms wrapped around your torso. The two of you had been making some snacks for the base. It was an idea you had to spend time with your girlfriend and still get stuff done.

“You’re too kind. Can you grab me some sugar, love?” You asked and the woman had already departed. It was cute how rigorous she was. All the ingredients were at your disposal within seconds, her hands working to help you in any way possible.

“Here.” Fade sat down the sugar, lips caressing the nape of your neck. You rubbed your fingers over her hand, murmuring a quiet thanks.

Maybe you should ask Fade for help more often!

Viper :

WOW.

She shocks you at how good she cooks! Occasionally she will make dinner and it’s always amazing.

“I just followed the instructions. I’m good with measuring. It’s what I do with my poisons.”

“That’s so reassuring, babe. Thanks.”

If cooking is what you want to do, she’s got the apron strapped on.

She’s the type of girlfriend to lick stuff off your face or finger just to fluster you. Better watch out!

Not even two days ago you had mentioned how you were missing a good meal. Well, your girlfriend never ceased to surprise! As you got home from work, Sabine had dressed the table for dinner. The meal looked and smelled delicious. You slumped, delighted at such a treat.

“Baby, this looks amazing. Thank you.” You grinned, giving the woman a kiss as she settled next to you.

“You’re welcome. Eat up.”

You did as told, digging into the food. It was more than good. The best way to describe it would be comparing it to an expensive restaurant. Who knew Viper could cook this well?

“Sabine, this is mind-blowing. Since when did you cook so well?” You raised an eyebrow. Viper only snorted, waving her hand in nonchalance.

“I am not that good. I simply followed the recipe. You know, getting ingredients is a lot like my poisons. Maybe that’s why it ended up so well.”

You choked at the comment, not expecting such an answer.

“Wow babe, that’s so reassuring.”

[meowmeow-motherfucker]

Covenant- Chapter 15

Summary: With the five year anniversary of the attack on New York approaching, Odin and Fury come to the agreement that an arranged marriage between Asgard and Earth would show good faith toward all future interactions. When Odin refuses Jane’s candidacy, Agent Coulson is tasked with finding a suitable wife for the prince of Asgard.

Pairing: Loki x OFC Claire Fisher

Word count: 12k (prepare drinks and snackies as always)

Chapter warnings: Thor being a good bro, Loki being a jealous turd, arguing that turns into a fist fight, idiots in love, angst, Claire and Loki both being toxic, witchcraft, gummy bear murder

Taglist: @lokisgoodgirl @gigglingtiggerv2 @icytrickster17 @mysteriouslyfriedjellyfish @lokislilkitten @justjoanne242 @amlocked @ddmariegirl @mags-04-blog @sharris8 @meepycheep @iamlokisgloriouspurpose @the-fantasy-loving-angel @jaidenhawke @smolvenger @ladymischief11 @huntress-artemiss

Please let me know if you'd like to be added to the taglist! Thanks for coming along on this journey with me! Buckle up gang :D

Read it on AO3 here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51197938/chapters/129363727

If Ragna’s move into her new quarters upset her master, there was nothing to suggest it. As the days passed, Claire watched each member of the court like a hawk, determined to suss out who deserved her ire. So far no suspects had revealed themselves.

Things with Loki were as pleasant as a pit of vipers.

He kept sending her notes, which she kept feeding into the fire. How could he possibly think notes would fix the problem?

Asshat.

Claire hissed as the needle pricked her yet again, sucking the tip of her finger into her mouth with a curse. She was tired of this class, tired of pricking her fingers, tired of pretending to be someone she wasn’t.

Looking down at the doily in her hands, Claire had to admit she had done a good job. The pattern she’d made with her stitches was almost elegant. She wondered if Frigga would approve, if she would like it.

Passing thoughts of giving it to her as a gift made Claire feel warm. It would be a nice gesture, and it would even more nice to have a good relationship with the only maternal figure she had.

Then Claire remembered Frigga was just another cog in Asgard’s machine, and decided she wouldn’t be giving Frigga gifts any time soon.

~~~~

“Your Majesty?” a guard said softly as he approached the council table to address Loki.

“Yes, what is it?”

“I’ve been sent to fetch you, Your Highness. There’s a problem with Her Majesty the princess royal.”

“Problem?”

“Her instructor insists you come at once.”

“By the Norns,” Loki sighed heavily. “Very well. Father, have you any further need of me?”

“We can finish this session without further input from your office,” Odin replied. “Go tend to your wife.”

“Please excuse me, gentlemen,” he gathered his things and left, following the Einherjar from the council chambers. What has she done now?

Several minutes later he entered the lesson room in which Claire and her instructor were sequestered. He found a roomful of animated young girls talking amongst themselves and an incensed instructor lecturing his wife, who sat alone sulking in the corner.

“What is the meaning of this?” he asked loudly, gaining the attention of all the room’s occupants.

“Your Majesty!” the instructor said eagerly. “Thank you for coming. I’m sorry you had to be bothered with such a trivial matter.”

“Explain.” Loki demanded impatiently.

“Your wife thought it would be appropriate to embroider profanity on her doily,” The instructor sighed. “Your Highness, I understand your wife needs educating in this area, but this is hardly the sort of example a woman of her stature should be setting for the younger students.” She looked to an unrepentant Claire, and demanded she show Loki her finished doily with an imperious gesture. Rolling her eyes, Claire lifted the offensive doily for Loki to see. Despite his best efforts, a burst of laughter escaped him at the sight of it.

The outer edges of the doily had undoubtedly beautiful needlework, bordered with a dainty chain of roses and clusters of tulips. The lettering in the center, however, did not mesh with the respectable border. Claire had elected to proclaim her distaste for embroidery by stitching the words ‘This is fucking stupid’ in black, bold lettering.

The instructor looked from Claire’s doily to Loki, her face a mask of stoic anger. “You understand my unwillingness to allow her to return.”

“Indeed,” Loki sighed. It was funny, but highly inappropriate. “Come along darling.” He gestured for Claire to exit with him. The instructor crossed her arms over her chest, puffing up with self importance.

“Perhaps Her Majesty can return when she displays the appropriate remorse for her actions.” she suggested.

“Not fucking likely.” Claire scoffed, eliciting gasps from the young girls in the room.

“Claire, that’s enough,” Loki said. “Wait for me in the hall.”

“Why; so you can discuss how to best discipline me like a problem child? No!”

“Claire-”

“You know I’m right!” Claire accused Loki. “You know this is a bullshit skill! What service will learning how to cross-stitch do these girls? They should be learning useful skills like diplomacy, history-”

“These girls are far too fragile for such nonsense,” the instructor interjected. “They are being taught the necessary skills for their lives.”

“And their lives will be what- sitting around waiting for their husband to tell them what to do and think?”

“Yes, and you’d be of far better use to me and everyone else if you’d been raised in such a way.” Claire slapped Loki across the face, and everyone froze in stunned silence.

“Fuck you,” She ripped her arm from Loki’s grasp and turned to leave, stopping short when the Einherjar reached for her. “Back the fuck off unless you wanna get slapped too.” She snarled, making the guard recoil from her as though she’d burned him. Pussy.

Claire slammed the door on her way out, leaving Loki and Miss Priss in her dust. Fuck them. Fuck all of them. She’d show them.

~~~~

It didn’t take long for Claire to find out she could not, in fact, show anyone anything.

The university refused to allow her to study. The headmaster had all but laughed her out of his office.

The Gothi was at least kinder in his rejection.

“You are a wife now, Your Majesty. You have duty enough.” he’d said when Claire told him she felt she had a responsibility to serve the people in some way. I have skills, she’d pleaded. Let me use them.

Every door she tried closed in her face.

~~~~

“Apologies, Your Majesty,” Astrid began, making Loki's heart sink. Claire wasn't coming. Yet again, she was refusing his invitation. “Her Majesty asked that I inform you she is busy.”

“Busy?” He scoffed. “What in Odin's name does she mean, she is busy?” What in Bor’s name could that woman be up to? It has been a week.

“I'm not sure, Your Majesty. Her Majesty simply sent her regrets.” Astrid replied sheepishly. Truthfully, the princess hadn't seemed sorry at all. She'd cackled like a witch when she'd read her husbands letter, but Astrid didn't dare let that be known.

“She cannot keep punishing me like this,” Loki huffed. “What would you suggest I do?”

“Me?” Astrid asked in surprise.

“As you are the only other person in the room...” Loki replied. Astrid fixed him with a glare, to which he shrugged.

“Perhaps a gesture? It need not be grand.”

“A gesture?” Loki raised his brow skeptically. To what purpose? To reward her for acting like a sullen child? He shook his head. “Absolutely not. Let her sulk. We've a state dinner in two days’ time, and we shall both be required to attend. She won't be able to say she is busy.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

~~~~

The following morning, Ragna and Astrid met as usual to gather breakfast for their respective royals.

“What did he say?” Ragna asked eagerly when Astrid joined the throng of servants in the kitchens. It was early morning, and Ragna knew her mistress would have slept fitfully. She had grown to the limits of her cage, Ragna feared, and was beating herself against its bars. While Ragna desired to think of Claire as limitless, she knew very well there was only so much influence any woman could wield without a husband’s assistance. Until the rift between the newly married royals was healed, Claire’s position in the court was dubious at best.

“I suggested a gesture,” Astrid reported. “His Majesty declined.”

“What? Why?”

“’Let her sulk’ were his exact words,” the older woman rolled her eyes. “The stubbornness in that boy, I swear to Odin.”

“Was he simply angry that she refused his invitation yet again?”

“I believe so, but he’s difficult to read at times. I used to know that boy so well,” Astrid sighed, giving a sad shake of her head. “I had such high hopes for them.”

“As did I,” Ragna said sullenly. “Perhaps they did too. Perhaps they just need help!”

“Help?” Astrid scoffed. “You must be very naive to think-”

“You said His Majesty is stubborn. So is Her Majesty. What if they’re both just denying their feelings?” Ragna suggested. “We should make a gesture on His Majesties behalf.”

“What sort of gesture could we hope to make, child?” Ragna folded her lips, unable to give an answer. She glanced around the room, ignoring the older woman’s heavy gaze until an idea popped into her brain.

“I’ll be right back.”

Astrid watched the young woman scurry out of the kitchen, and set about gathering breakfast for the prince and princess. It wouldn’t do for their morning meals to be late just because some girl had a flight of fancy.

She was just putting the finishing touches on the trays when Ragna returned, sweat dotting her brow and cheeks dark pink with exertion.

“Well?”

“Ta da!” Ragna presented a single flower, freshly plucked from the queen’s garden. She understood why the princess was fond of the expression now. It was quite joyful.

“Put that away! What are you thinking?” Astrid hissed, smothering the flower with her palm to hide it from prying eyes. “It is illegal to steal from the queen’s garden!”

“Not for His Majesty, it isn’t,” Ragna placed the flower on the tray just so, fanning out the delicate petals so none were crushed. “There. Do you think she will like it?”

“Why are you so invested in this? Your job is to serve the princess, not ensure her happiness.”

“I owe her my life,” Ragna hissed. “And if I have to risk punishment to make her happy, then so be it. Go be grumpy with your grumpy prince.” she huffed in annoyance, plucking the princess’ tray from the buffet.

“I hope that it works.” Astrid muttered as Ragna disappeared into the corridor.

~~~~

Claire had taken one look at the flower and thrown that into the fire too. She’d then taken her plate into bed and rolled herself into the blankets, her hand snaking out to grab the flaky pastry before it too disappeared into the void.

Ragna had let her sulk while she oversaw the cleaning of the chambers, but at Ragna’s insistence, Claire had allowed herself to be dressed and escorted to the great hall for the midday meal.

As she was halfway through picking at her food, Thor, Sif and the warriors three entered. Though they hailed her, Claire could only muster a wave before returning her focus to her plate. Volstagg attempted to go greet her, but Thor stopped him. Directing his friends toward a table of their own, Thor made his way over to Claire.

“Good afternoon sister,” Thor greeted her softly, taking the seat nearest her. “Does your food offend you?”

“No, I’m just not very hungry.” Claire replied sullenly, not even bothering to look up from her plate.

“I see,” Thor frowned. He’d known Claire was struggling, but clearly he’d misjudged how much. “I saw your needlework,” he remarked with a grin. “It will revolutionize the craft.”

“Oh my god, shut up,” Claire snorted, letting her fork drop with a clatter. At last her blue eyes strayed from the table to meet his. “You should give it to Jane,” Some of the light faded from Thor's eyes and Claire winced. “Sorry.”

“It's fine,” Thor replied. “I will give it to her when next I see her.”

“Sometime soon, hopefully?”

“We shall see,” Thor said with fake enthusiasm. “Claire, I wished to speak with you.”

“Um...okay. What about?”

“My brother, he...” Thor tapped his foot impatiently, his eyes darting to the cobblestone terrace beneath their feet. “He is not treating you as befitting a princess of Asgard.”

“I mean I give as good as I get-”

“I realize, but it pains me to see you treated thus. I thought you and Loki were well suited; everyone did. But now...I can tell you are unhappy, do not deny it-”

“I'm not!” Claire said baldly. “Look...” she paused, fingers drumming as her mind worked. “Your brothers a dick. So what. I mean what other option did I have except to break up you and Jane-”

“Would you be equally unhappy if things were different?”

“I can't answer that,” Claire huffed. “We talked about this, Thor. You're cool and all but it's a moot point,” she argued. “I made my choice and I stand by it.”

“Which Jane and I are grateful for, but it pains me to see you suffer! I would not treat you thus and it is disgraceful that Loki does.”

“What do you want me to say, dude? I’m not your responsibility,” Claire huffed angrily. “You would be miserable if we’d gotten married and you know it. This is a shitty situation any way you flush it.”

“But I would not be cruel,” Thor insisted. “I will have words with my brother.” He said, his tone resolved as he got to his feet.

“Okay, your funeral.” Claire grumbled to herself, resuming her salad stabbing when Thor strode off.

~~~~

“Ah, Thor. How delightful to see you,” Loki rumbled when Thor darkened the doorway of his study. “What do you want?”

“I would have words with you, brother,” Thor said gravely as he stepped inside the austere room. “I come to champion your wife.”

“Oh do you?” Loki asked lowly. “What concerns have you to level at me?”

“You neglect her, and when you don't you mistreat her-”

“She has a full staff, immaculately appointed chambers, stately clothing, as well as all of my wealth and status,” Loki barked, the heavy tome in his hands hitting the desk with a loud thud. “In what way does that constitute neglect?”

“You known what I mean-”

“Do I?” Loki challenged. “Do I abuse her? Beat her?”

“She is wretched, Loki, because you refuse to have anything to do with her!”

“Me?!” Loki scoffed. “She has ignored all my missives for days-”

“Because you ignored her first!” Thor insisted. “All of Asgard knows how childish you both can be, but Odin's beard, Loki. I would never have treated her this way-”

“Oh NOW we come to the crux of the issue,” Loki laughed darkly. “You refused her hand, Thor. You have no say in what befalls her now.”

“I only meant that-”

“YOU THINK THIS TO BE A GAME?!” Loki shouted over him. “You dare speak to me about my wife as if you have ANY right-”

“You dishonor her!” Thor slammed his fist on the desk between them. “You are meant to be her closest companion! Instead she sequesters herself in her chambers, she hasn’t spoken to Mother in days- when is the last time you’ve even laid eyes on her-” Loki reached across the desk and grabbed Thor by the collar, pulling him bodily from his chair.

“You will listen and you will listen well, brother. If you so much as look at my wife again-” Thor faltered, convinced he was seeing things. He could have sworn Loki's eyes changed from green to black, whites flooding red. “I will take your eyes and feed them to you.”

“Loki-”

“Do. You. Understand.”

“I...yes.” Thor relented. Loki released him, all but shoving him back into his chair.

“If that is all, I have work to do.” Loki gestured for Thor to leave, eyes hard as steel as he watched Thor go.

~~~~

“Does this look okay?” Claire asked Loki as she stepped out from behind the folding screen. It was late in the afternoon, and though their guests for the state dinner had already arrived, the couple would not be greeting them until they arrived at dinner. This was Claire’s first time attending such a formal event and she wanted to make sure she looked presentable before they made their entrance.

She wore a floor length halter-necked gown in a dusty shade of lilac with golden thread along the hems and bust, and two ropes of the thread dangling from the belt. Her golden armband was already in place on her bicep and her hair was braided, the same way Loki had braided her hair on their wedding day (Frigga’s idea). Her hair had grown since she’d arrived, the curled ends now brushing mid-way down her bare back.

Everyone in the palace was under strict instructions to make no mention of the tense relationship between the prince and princess royal- which had led to Claire, her staff, vanity and gown being brought to Loki’s chambers to get ready. Being shoved into shared space had both of them on edge, like cats with their tails puffed and claws out.

“I suppose.” Loki replied coolly, not even sparing her a glance. Claire clenched her jaw in anger; she was so tired of his attitude.

“Would it help if I painted myself blue? Maybe then you would have an opinion.” She said venomously. Loki’s head snapped up and Claire smirked in satisfaction as his eyes became mottled with rage.

“My opinion, wife,” he sneered. “Is that you are a vindictive little creature that would serve me better in a grave than in my bed.”

“Have you looked at yourself lately?!” Claire hissed back at him. “You’re not exactly in line for the ‘Nicest Person of the Year’ award!”

“At least I do not prod at other people’s insecurities as blatantly as you.”

“Oh please,” Claire scoffed. “You do that to me every fucking day, Loki. You know how to hurt me and I know how to hurt you and we are just fucking perfect for each other!” She yelled.

“Like Hel we are,” Loki growled. “Mark my words, little wife. If I could get away with it I’d wring your neck myself!” He snarled viciously, his hands bunching the fabric of her collar.

“I want to stab you in the face.” Claire seethed, shoving against him angrily. Loki had the gall to laugh at her.

“Oh, I could do infinitely more damage to you than you could to me.”

Oh can you? Claire punched Loki in the face, hard. His head shot back and he staggered back a few feet. He glared at her in anger and surprise, his bottom lip split and bloody, and he scoffed when she smirked. In an instant they were exchanging blows. Loki immediately gained the upper hand, seeing as he was stronger, but Claire managed to kick his feet out from under him. They toppled to the floor, each of them grappling for control, grunting and snarling like animals as Astrid raced to the door.

Fabric ripped as Loki shoved Claire off of him and she hit the floor, her breath whooshing out of her painfully. Angrily she swung at him, a quick jut of her knee catching him in the chin when he blocked her arms. Loki growled, pinning her beneath his weight as he moved to crush her windpipe. Claire wrapped her legs around his arm, feet braced against his chest as she pushed against his hold. Black dots clouded her vision as she clawed at his face, and she was never more grateful for having manicured nails than when she cut across his cheek bone. His hold slackened, his weight shifting as he shielded his face in the crook of his arm.

The doors to the room flew open with a loud clang as Odin and Thor strode angrily into the room. Claire’s knee struck Loki between the legs, and he released her in huff of pain, collapsing on top of her.

“Stop!” Odin thundered as Thor pulled Loki off of Claire by his collar. Claire rolled to the side, coughing and wheezing as she cradled her throat.

“Are you alright?” Thor asked, pulling her to her feet.

“Awesome,” Claire croaked, flashing a weak thumb’s up.

“It seems we arrived just in time,” Thor shot Loki a heated look. “What were you thinking?!”

“We will not discuss this here,” Odin barked. “To the council chambers, all of you!”

“Great, another pow-wow.” Claire hissed as Thor herded her and Loki out into the hallway.

~~~~

The ‘pow-wow’ was a full on family meeting with Thor, Frigga, Odin, Loki on one side of the table and Phil, Maria Hill and Director Fury on the other. Claire had been seated awkwardly in the middle between Frigga and Phil, both of whom were fussing over her blooming bruises and the state of her dress.

“Now then, let us discuss this calmly.” Odin sighed from his side of the table, glaring pointedly at Loki.

“Why do you assume that I started the fight?” Loki spat. “Go on; ask the little wench who struck first.”

“Loki!” Frigga chided her youngest son. “That is no way to speak about your wife.”

“You’re just mad that I caught you off guard!” Claire hissed at him.

“Silence; both of you!” Odin shouted. “Is this true?” he asked Claire.

“Yes.” Claire sighed.

“Claire…” Phil groaned beside her. “Why-”

“He threatened to wring my neck!” Claire shouted.

“She threatened to stab me in the face.” Loki shrugged when everyone glared at him.

“You started it you psychopath; all I did was ask your opinion!” Claire’s chair fell to the floor as she sprung to her feet.

“Sit down and shut up Agent Fisher,” Fury finally spoke. “Loki, will you explain what the hell happened-I will get to you in a minute! I asked him.” Fury silenced Claire when she made to protest.

“She asked my opinion of her current attire. We have important guests coming this evening and she wished to make a good impression.”

“And then what?” Fury looked over to Claire.

“He was very rude and condescending. I…may have suggested that he would have a more amicable opinion if I were blue.”

“Ah, but that’s not what started it,” Loki shook his head, leveling his gaze on Claire. “Tell them what you said next.”

“That we’re perfect for each other because we know exactly how to hurt each other.” Loki threw up his hands in victory.

“My wife, the shrew.”

“Piss off, runt!”

“Enough!” Odin silenced them. “This is what prompted you to hit Loki?”

“That’s when he offered to strangle me,” Claire replied. “I offered to rearrange his face, then he said he could do more damage to me.”

“Then she hit me.”

“You deserved it.” Loki smirked at Claire’s words.

“Is this funny to you?” Phil glared at Loki. “Look at her neck! You could have killed her.”

“Yes, I very well could have. But thank Odin, I was interrupted.”

“Clearly this animosity is not resolving itself as I had hoped,” Odin said sternly. “I have no choice but to separate the two of you, after our guests have gone home. I will conceal your injuries while our guests remain but you will wear them with pride until they have healed. Pride is what caused this quarrel so it is only fitting for the punishment. Is this sufficient or have you any suggestions?” he peered over at Fury.

“What about recidivism?” Fury asked. “How do we ensure this doesn’t happen again?”

“If it does, Loki will face my wrath. I will be adding some wounds of my own.”

“Surely Claire will have a consequence as well.” Loki muttered.

“I cannot threaten her as I threaten you-”

“He has a point though,” Claire said. “Maybe…that’s what we need.”

“You would not withstand it,” Loki spat. “Do not agree with me simply to save face.”

“I’m not! We obviously need a buffer.”

“Very well, I will select a resident of the palace to act as said buffer until you are capable of acting like adults. Thor will stand in for the time being.” Odin decreed.

“What of Claire’s consequence?” Phil asked.

“I have already sent a son to the dungeons. I am not above sending a daughter if need be.” Loki looked at Odin in surprise, frowning as he slumped in his chair.

“Is this agreeable to you?” Fury asked Claire, who nodded lamely.

“S.H.I.E.L.D. would like to send a representative to meet with our love birds,” Fury said, glancing to Claire and Loki who were making threatening gestures to each other across the table. He cleared his throat loudly, and both parties looked at him guiltily. “Someone to help them...act like adults.”

“When can we expect your representative?” Frigga asked politely.

“He will need to be briefed, but we can send him within the next few days.”

“Wonderful,” Frigga smiled. “We will have chambers made ready for him. Now we must be getting ready for our guests to arrive. Will you be returning to Midgard or would you prefer to stay?”

“I would like to stay, if that’s alright.” Phil said.

“Fine by me.” Fury replied.

“Very well, we will have chambers prepared for you as well. You may act as a second buffer this evening,” Odin nodded. “Thor, please escort our guest and your charges to their respective chambers.”

“Yes Father.”

~~~~

The great hall was packed with nobles from near and far. Music floated on the air, overlapping conversations making the room buzz as wine and mead flowed like water.

Dinner had been boring, the nobles all tripping over themselves to toast Odin and the royal family and blah blah blah. Even though Phil sat at the table with her and Loki like a babysitter, Claire was glad that at least the food had been good.

Now they were at the “mingling” part of the evening and Claire was just counting the minutes until she could disappear. Frigga had been very clear that even though she and Loki had just tried to kill each other, appearances were still to be kept and they were expected to stay until a certain point in the evening. Many of the nobles in attendance had been at their wedding, but some had not, and they were expected to play the part of newlyweds until their guests left.

She and Loki had done their best so far, and their best was simply pretending the other didn’t exist.

“I’ve always hated events like these,” the woman sighed as she approached Claire. Her eyes were glassy and her breath reeked of wine, and Claire did her best not to show her displeasure on her face. She’d hoped to hide away in the corner until she could slink away and nurse her wounds in private, but instead she plastered a fake smile on her face as the woman continued to complain about the accommodations. “-linen is scratchy and the staff!”

“I have wonderful staff.” Claire replied pleasantly, sipping at her wine. Rich people complain about the weirdest shit.

“They should teach mine how to treat their betters,” the woman replied, one hand fussing with the deep orange of her gown. “Perhaps I could borrow them?”

“They’re people, not books,” Claire wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Things could be worse. You could be doing it yourself.”

“My husband would love that,” the woman chortled, casting a derisive look across the great hall. “Gods, I can’t stand that man. If we had a second home, I would take up residence there.”

“You don’t like each other?”

“We were an arranged match. We wed not long after the king and queen. Our children are grown and duty is fulfilled, but that is all we’ve ever been to each other.”

“That’s...really sad.”

“That is the cost of privilege,” the woman finished her drink, snapping her fingers at a passing servant for a refill. “Don’t be surprised if the same happens to your own marriage.”

“Lovely to meet you.” Claire murmured, leaving the drunk woman to her fresh glass of wine. Determined to shake off the woman’s warning, she passed through the crowd, exchanging false smiles so sweet they made her jaw ache. After several minutes, her eyes landed on Loki's familiar form, and she wove through the crowded room toward him. Loki was deep in conversation with an older man as she approached, giving her a slight smile as she tethered herself to him with an arm around his.

“-wouldn't believe the nerve of these people. They’re rioting in the streets like animals,” the man bemoaned, wine spilling on the deep orange sash he wore as he gestured wildly. Claire’s eyes narrowed as the stain bloomed like blood from a wound. “Everything we've done for them and they have the gall to demand more.”

“Have you considered giving them what they want?” Claire asked.

“I beg your pardon?” the man asked, looking at Loki with derision. “You allow your wife to speak to men so boldly?” Loki’s jaw flexed angrily.

“I-”

“You said your people are rioting. They clearly have a need of which you are either ignorant or uncaring and they feel they have no other choice. Perhaps if you listened to them-”

“I must say you are quite eloquent for a Midgardian,” the man interrupted Claire, completely ignoring her. “I've always thought them to be rather dull.” He added to Loki, as though speaking about a cow instead of a person.

“I can read and write too, if you can believe it,” Claire sneered. “God, you're condescending. It's no wonder your wife can't stand you.” Loki laughed nervously, his hand closing tightly around her elbow just before she could dart out of reach.

“Excuse us, please. Sorry.”

“Don't apologize to that pompous twat!”

“Stop talking,” Loki hissed as he steered her away. “You can't say things like that-”

“The hell I can't!” Claire ripped her arm from his grasp as they neared the small stage the musicians occupied. “I'm not going to let some dickhead talk down to me. I'm not an idiot-”

“I know you're not-”

“How would you know?!” Claire laughed. “Knowing someone requires spending time with them, not pretending they don't exist.”

“I don't-”

“The hell you don't. I get it, you have buyer's remorse. Well tough shit, pal, it's too late to send me home now!”

“Come outside,” Loki pleaded softly, obviously trying to placate her. Even though the music was muffling their argument, the people nearest to them were starting to stare. “Please.”

“I'm not going anywhere with you.”

“You are causing a scene.”

“And you are hurting me,” Claire ripped her hand out of his grasp. “Leave me alone.”

“This stops now, do you understand?” Loki hissed under his breath. “You are acting like a spoiled child!”

“I know you are, but what am I?” Claire started giggling as his jaw clenched. “Ooo you are mad. What are you gonna do, huh? Ignore me some more? Or send me another single flower? Oooo or maybe you’d like to choke me more! That'll show me!”

“What are you talking about?”

“I got your dumb flower on my breakfast tray. You think that's all it's gonna take to win me over, after the way you've treated me? Baby, you're gonna have to try a LOT harder to saddle this brood mare.” Claire splashed her wine in his face and spun on her heel to leave. The room spun violently and she stumbled. She heard several women gasp as strong hands grabbed her by the waist, keeping her upright as they steered her out into the hall. “Leave me alone!”

“You shouldn't be on your own-”

“I'm not going anywhere with you!” Claire snarled. “Just leave me alone; you’re great at that.”

“What are you talking about?!”

“I’m talking about the fact that you abandoned me! The second we got back from our honeymoon you dropped me like a hot potato and I have had to navigate all of this-” Claire gestured wildly to the party they’d just left. “-Alone! You promised me I wouldn’t have to; you promised, Loki. You’re meant to keep your promises and the second you had the chance, you broke them.”

“What in the hell is going on out here?!” Phil whisper-shouted as he leaned out of the great hall.

“GO AWAY!” the married couple shouted in unison. Phil slipped out of the great hall, gesturing for the guards flanking the double doors to close them. Claire saw several guests inside trying to spy on them as the doors closed.

“Things changed.”

“What changed?!” Claire shouted, shoving Loki angrily. “You made me feel like you cared about me, like you loved me,” she wiped her face with the back of her hand, cheeks flaming as she sobbed. “I thought we were happy, that we would be okay! Then as soon as we got back to the city you tossed me aside like trash. And I've never understood why. Why; what did I do?! I-” she stopped herself and took a deep breath, pulling up the proverbial drawbridge as she wiped her tears away. “If you don't care about me, you don't want me around- fine. But I will not live like this, do you hear me? You might as well just knock me up now, because the sooner I have a baby, then the sooner I can move far away from the city and be with people who actually care about me.” Loki stopped short, doubt clouding his eyes as he looked down at her.

“I thought you wanted to wait.”

“Yeah, well- that was then,” Claire snapped. “When I thought we actually had a future. When I thought we could be happy. But now?” Claire laughed sarcastically. “That was our future we saw in there, Loki! That guy you were talking to? His wife hates him. They don’t care about each other; they only care about duty,” she sneered. “How long do you think it’ll take before we’re just like that?” she swallowed thickly, new tears threatening as she looked away. “I didn’t want us to be like this.”

“Claire, you're drunk. We will talk about this more when you're thinking clearly.”

“No! I wanna talk about this NOW!” Claire shoved at him again with all her weight, nearly making him stumble. “You don't get to just throw me away and expect me to come running whenever you call! I'm not your pet, you ass, I am your WIFE!”

“Alright, fine, I apologize,” Loki hissed hurriedly. “Will you please stop shouting?”

“NO! I gave up EVERYTHING for you AND I WILL SHOUT IF I FUCKING FEEL LIKE IT! AND I DO!!”

“At least-”

“NO! I am SICK of you-” her finger poked him in the chest angrily. “-and your dumb handsome face and that dumb distracting thing your jaw does when you get mad-” she blanched, her face going pale. “Oh no.”

“Claire?” Loki asked hopefully. Phil moved in to help, both of them grimacing when Claire doubled over and vomited all over Loki’s boots.

“I yelled too much.” She said pathetically.

“Yes,” Loki frowned. “Clearly, that was the problem.”

“We have lots of problems,” Claire groaned. “Let’s just cut our losses and have a baby now. Fuck it. It works on Earth, right?” she asked, her laughter bordering on hysterical. “How much worse could it possibly be here?”

“Is that really what you want?” Loki asked.

“No!” Claire shoved him away, wiping her mouth on her sleeve. “I want the Loki I fell in love with. I don’t even know you,” she snarled, staggering away as guards approached to diffuse the situation. “Leave me alone. I can walk.”

Loki chased after her, leaving a trail of vomit-y foot prints in his wake. He was determined to make her see reason if it killed them both. Phil followed, ready to step in the second things went too far.

“Will you- STOP!” Loki shouted, jerking Claire back with a hand around her bicep.

“Let go!” She fought against his hold, feet slipping in the mess at his feet. “Let GO!” She shrieked, shoving at him hard enough to knock him to the ground. Loki landed in the mess with a disgusting splat. The guards in the hall looked on in shock, Phil stifling his laughter with a hand over his mouth.

“Are you happy now?” Loki asked angrily, his wounds from their earlier altercation reappearing as they grew far enough away from the great hall and their guests.

“Happy? You think I'm happy?!” Claire shouted. “What part of ANY OF THIS would make you think I'm happy?! You should have let me leave when I had the chance instead of tricking me into staying, you selfish! Fucking! ASSHOLE!” Claire accentuated each shout with an angry kick to Loki's leg. A guard finally stepped in to separate them, but a feral glance from Claire and the sudden appearance of the knife she carried stopped him cold. “You put a fucking hand on me and you'll lose it,” She turned back to Loki, color high in her cheeks and tears in her eyes. “Look at me!” She demanded. Her throat felt hoarse from shouting and her neck was sore. Claire knew her wounds had returned as well. She held her arms out angrily, glaring down at him where he still sat. “This is what you wanted, Loki. I hope you're satisfied.” She turned on her heel and left Loki behind once again.

She made her way through the opulent hallways, feeling the walls closing in from every direction. Gunnar eyed her with concern as she finally reached her rooms, flashing her a sympathetic smile as he opened the door. Claire tore off her dress, tears falling freely as she pulled on comfy sweats and a ratty t shirt. She didn't have the patience to undo her hair, so she left it. She collapsed onto the soft bed and let herself sob.

“Your Majesty?” Ragna’s concerned voice made her jump. “Your uncle is outside.”

“Let him in please.” Ragna nodded, disappearing from her blurry vision.

“Claire?” Phil called, his footsteps sounding as he made his way to her bedroom. “Hey.”

“Hi,” Claire said wetly. “Aren’t you glad you stayed? I sure am.”

“Are you trying to convince me or yourself?” Phil asked as he sat on the bed gingerly.

“Both, I think,” Claire hiccupped. “God, this is so fucked.”

“What the hell happened?” Phil asked as Ragna breezed in with a tray of food and a pitcher of water. “When I left, you two were all over each other.”

“I wish I knew,” Claire shook her head. “Thank you, Ragna. Will you help me fix my hair?”

“Of course,” Ragna crossed the room, grabbing a silver hairbrush from Claire’s vanity before sitting behind her on the bed. “I brought your favorite cake from the kitchen.”

“You’re amazing, thank you.”

“Of course,” Ragna smiled as she began to pluck the pins from Claire’s elaborate hairstyle. “His Majesty is a fool.”

“And to think, I married the smart brother.” Claire quipped, the two women sharing quiet giggles as Ragna brushed Claire’s hair.

“So what, Loki’s a hostile again?” Phil asked. “Was he just pretending this whole time?”

“I don’t know,” Claire shook her head. “Something isn’t adding up. Things changed when we got back from our honeymoon; up until then he was basically a declawed kitten.”

“It’s true,” Ragna offered. “Both of them were quite amorous on the trip.”

“Yes, thank you,” Phil grimaced, his stomach turning at the thought. “Do you have any theories?”

“Nothing concrete. The biggest contender is Yrsa,” Claire spat the name. “She and Loki used to be a thing, and she’s been telling the entire court that he’s bored of me and only wants me to have his babies.”

“And you believe that?”

“I mean, what else am I supposed to think? He barely spends more than ten minutes at a time with me, and usually half that time is taken up with us fighting.”

“More than half,” Ragna muttered under her breath, shrugging when Claire and Phil both glanced at her. “Am I wrong?”

“Ugh, no,” Claire agreed. “I can’t ignore the possibility of Fandral being involved too. He’s been barking up my tree since I got here.”

“Is he allowed to do that?” Phil asked.

“No one is allowed to do that, except Loki. Not that he wants to,” Claire rolled her eyes. “Honestly, I could see Yrsa and Fandral working together.”

“They have been seen walking together,” Ragna reported in a scandalous tone. “Yrsa’s father is furious, if palace gossip is to be believed.”

“You’re kidding,” Claire scoffed. “That’s just great!”

“Why would her father be furious?” Phil asked.

“Because Fandral is a huge skeeze,” Claire replied. “Like if you looked it up in the dictionary, you’d find a large picture of him next to the definition. Not to mention, he’s a huge step down in rank from the prince royal. I’d be pissed too if she was my kid.”

“You’d be pissed over rank?”

“Not so much the rank, but Loki is much cooler than Fandral in my opinion.”

“He made you cry.” Phil said flatly.

“And I will stab him in due time, but I would much rather be married to him than Fandral.” Claire shuddered at the thought.

“I can go stab him right now-”

“Absolutely not- as his wife, I get first dibs! The rest of you can form a line behind me,” Claire argued. “What the fuck am I supposed to do? I can’t live the rest of my life like this.”

“I am once again recommending stabbing-”

“Stabbing isn’t going to solve all of my problems!” Claire shouted. “I need actual advice that won’t land me in prison.” Phil sighed heavily, adjusting his seat on the bed.

“Look, this place is insane, but I have never known you to let another person define you. You always said there were things you would want to do if you were in a position of power, and now you are. Stab Loki, don’t stab Loki; the choice is up to you. But I think you should focus on something else for now.”

“Your uncle has a point,” Ragna agreed. “You should not spend your days hiding. It doesn’t suit you.”

“Take the night and process...all of this,” Phil gestured to Claire. “You have to admit that was a lot, and I wasn’t even technically part of it.”

“Ugh, fine,” Claire rolled her eyes. “At least tell me about the shrink they’re bringing in.”

“We can talk tomorrow. You need to eat all these treats, sober up, and get some sleep,” Phil swooped in and kissed her forehead, something he hadn’t done since she was a preteen. Claire’s nose wrinkled in response, but she allowed the affection. “And no sneaking out to stab anyone.” Phil flashed the ‘I’m-watching-you’ signal before letting himself out.

“Would you like me to stay?” Ragna asked gently.

“No, Ragna, go get some sleep,” Claire got up to retrieve the tray of food. “I have some work to do.”

“Please don’t hesitate to call for me,” Ragna got to her feet to leave. “After all, I am right next door now.”

Claire watched Ragna disappear through the door adjoining their chambers before turning her focus onto the food in front of her. She was still full from dinner, but the tiny cakes were too pretty to resist.

As she ate, Claire thought back to Loki. Clearly resolving things wasn’t going to happen any time soon. Something had to change. But what?

“What am I supposed to do?” She asked the empty room pathetically. “I can't live like this.” Claire got to her feet, wiping her swollen eyes delicately on her sleeve. She rummaged in her armoire for her hidden snack bag. Claire seized a package of peanut butter crackers and the pitcher of water Ragna had left for her. Claire took her offering out onto the terrace, setting the crackers and pitcher on the railing. Stepping back, she slid down the wall to sit on the cold stone floor. “Hekate, please...help me. I don't know what to do.” Exhausted and drained, Claire quickly fell asleep where she sat, tumbling deep into the realm of dreams.

She dreamed of an unseen dog howling, and a deep but feminine voice whispering to her.

“Feelings pass,” the voice promised. “Greatness calls.” Claire saw Ragna and her other ladies, and a hundred thousand silhouettes behind them. Ragna smiled, and Claire jolted awake, her mind suddenly and blissfully clear. She was still upset, but the hurt felt...dulled, almost. Still there, but less central. Claire knew that, even though she still held hope for a good relationship with Loki, there were more important things she could do with her new life.

So Loki was a dick. There was more to life than...well...dick. Claire felt resolved. She would dedicate her life to using her position to help others. But a little mystical warfare couldn’t hurt...

Claire rummaged through her things until she found what she needed. Typically she would prefer a lemon hex, but she didn’t want to arouse suspicion by asking for anything. A jar would suit Loki just fine.

She lit the black candle, sitting at her desk to let it burn down. She wrote Loki’s name on a slip of parchment three times, folding the paper away from her as she focused her intention into it. She stuffed the paper into the bottom of the small jar and added vinegar to it. She added a smattering of red pepper flakes, a dash of black pepper, and a mountain of chili powder.

Brushing off her fingers, Claire sat back and considered the jar. It felt incomplete. She could always pee in the jar, but that felt unnecessary. For all her anger, she might forgive Loki if he stopped being a massive prick.

Claire stepped out onto the balcony for some fresh air. The early morning sun made her eyes water as she squinted at the mountains, enjoying the cool crisp breeze that ruffled her hair. She let her hands wander across the stone balustrade, the small pock marks in the stone rasping against her skin until she bumped into something unusual with her hand. Claire looked down, eyebrows raising as she realized what it was.

A dead wasp.

Yellow legs curled in the air above the wasps’ thorax, as if reaching to the sky for comfort. Claire couldn’t recall seeing any wasps in her time on Asgard, but she’d never been one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

“Thank you,” she murmured, eyes darting upward as she collected the dead wasp from its resting place. Inside, she dropped it into the jar and inserted the cork plug. “Until you do right by me, everything you touch will crumble. So mote it be.” Claire tipped the black candle, sealing the jar and her intentions in inky wax. The candle was snuffed, and the jar found a new home on the small altar she’d concealed in her armoire.

Exhausted, Claire dragged her feet all the way to her bed, where she collapsed on top of the blankets. Her eyes fluttered closed, willing the sun not to rise any further so she could get some decent rest.

A sudden thought had her reaching for paper and a quill. She wrote quickly, desperate to get her thoughts on paper before she fell asleep.

~~~~

“Good morning, Your Majesty,” Ragna called as she stepped into the princess’ bed chamber. The princess lay sprawled face down across the mattress in her night clothes. One slipper clung desperately to the ball of her foot, the other lay on its side halfway across the room as if she’d thrown it. One of her arms hung over the side of the bed, fingers curled loosely around a quill. A dribble of ink had dried along one of her fingers, pinning a scrap of discarded parchment to her fingernail with black ooze. “Perhaps not so good,” Ragna cringed. Her neck would probably be very sore when she woke. “Your Majesty?”

“I’m up!” Claire bolted upright, her spine crackling loudly at the movement and paralyzing her with pain. “Owfucknevermind,” she wheezed, collapsing back onto the bed. “Hi.”

“Hello,” Ragna chuckled. “Shall I draw you a bath?”

“Yes please,” Claire moaned as she tried to burrow into the blankets. The crinkle of parchment made her flinch, gazing at the parchment stuck to her hand in bewilderment. “Is there something stuck to me?” she flapped her hand to get it off, flapping harder when it stayed stuck in place. “Whatthefuck?!”

“It’s alright,” Ragna rushed to help her, carefully unsticking the parchment from her nail bed. “It’s just a bit of parchment. It looks as though you were...oh.”

“What?” Claire asked. “What is it?” Ragna appeared to be holding back laughter as she handed the parchment to Claire.

“I didn’t realize you were artistically inclined. It’s...lovely.”

On the paper, Claire had created a rough sketch of the poop emoji, squared on top of a sloppy rendering Loki’s shoulders.

“Oh yeah, I remember now,” Claire snickered. “Get it? He’s a shit head.” she and Ragna burst into hysterical laughter, throwing them completely off task and making Claire late.

As she was hurrying to the great hall, she accidentally bumped into Thor when she turned a corner, dropping her notebook and the parchment onto the floor.

“Shit, sorry! It’s been a...a rough morning.” Claire said as she stooped to gather her things.

“It is no trouble, sister. I assumed it would be a difficult morning for you.”

“You heard, didn’t you?” Claire asked flatly.

“Dear sister, I believe everyone heard.” Thor offered sympathetically. Hogun, Sif and Volstagg wore matching grimaces on their faces.

“Cool, I love that for me,” Claire groaned. “I didn’t exactly plan on making a scene, it just happened.”

“What is this?” Volstagg asked, bending low to collect something off the ground. Claire’s stomach rioted violently as she recognized the parchment.

“I believe this is-” Sif blanched, her brows furrowing as she brought the parchment closer to her face. “Is this...excrement?”

“He’s a shit head.” Claire said quietly, hugging her things to her chest. The warriors laughed raucously, new peals of laughter beginning with each pass the drawing made around their semi-circle.

“I think you captured him perfectly,” Thor cackled with glee, wiping a tear from his eye as he gazed down at the drawing. “Well done!”

“Thanks, can I get it back please?”

“BROTHER! COME SEE YOUR WIFE’S ARTISTIC RENDERING OF YOU!” Thor bellowed down the hall.

“Thor, no,” Claire begged. “Don’t be that guy, come on, let me have it back, he’s gonna be pissed- okay, more pissed.” She really didn’t want to see Loki right now and she especially didn’t want him to see her making fun of him with Thor and the others. They really didn’t need any more bad blood between them.

“Peace, sister, he will never harm you-”

“That’s not- just give it back, please give it back-”

“I shan’t! Not until Loki sees it!” Thor cried, holding it high above his head. “You cannot possibly reach this high-ack!” Thor found himself sprawled on the floor as Claire tackled him to the floor, arm straining to reach the parchment as Thor fought to hold her back. A familiar (freshly cleaned) pair of boots came into view and Claire’s stomach sank.

“Mother fucker.”

“I beg your pardon?” Disdain dripped from every syllable out of Loki’s mouth. “What is this?” he asked pointedly. “This is low, even for you.” Claire wasn’t sure if he was talking to Thor or her. She cringed as she realized how this must look- they were sort of tangled together. Claire found herself unceremoniously dumped on the floor as Thor jumped to his feet.

“Just a bit of sport! Claire wanted you to see-” Thor collapsed as Claire kicked his leg out from under him, sending the parchment fluttering out of his meaty hand.

“I did not, you big dumb liar!” Great insult Claire. Thor will need ice for that burn. “I was trying to get it back-”

“I care not about your petty squabbles. I am however, rather offended by your artistic liberties.”

“Oh?”

“You are missing quite a bit of detail in my armor, for one,” Loki said pointedly, green eyes flicking up to meet hers. “And secondly, I am disappointed that you neglected to add stink lines. Hardly an example of compelling storytelling, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Thank you very much for the critique, Picasso,” Claire snatched the parchment from his open hand. “I’ll be sure to give you my edits.” she stomped off toward the great hall.

“First thing tomorrow!” Loki called after her, allowing a smirk to grace his features when she flipped him off over her shoulder.

“Loki-”

“Do not speak to me,” Loki rounded on Thor, eyes gleaming with vitriol. “You mean to test me? Do not touch my wife again.”

“I meant no harm-”

“I do not care what your intent is, do not touch her again!”

“But she-”

“ENOUGH!” Thor flinched. “Heed me, brother. Or on my honor as a Prince of Asgard, I shall be forced to demand recompense” Thor’s eyes grew wide with fear.

“You have my word, Loki. I truly meant no ill will.” he said nervously.

Loki stalked away, following his wife’s footsteps toward the great hall. Claire was already seated at their table, doodling in a notebook. Loki said nothing as he approached, watching her write words and circling them before connecting the circles with lines.

“What are you doing?” he couldn’t help but ask.

“I’m making a word web, to brainstorm.” Claire said absently, scrawling the words ‘hjemlos’ and ‘agriculture’ on her paper before drawing a line between them.

“And what is the purpose of this?”

“I’m trying to figure out how best to spend my time and influence,” Claire made another note as Ragna brought her a goblet of juice. “Thank you Ragna. What do you think about this?” she tapped the paper, the two women falling into quiet conversation as Loki looked on.

“You’re plotting with servants now?” he asked when Ragna stepped away.

“I’ve got to do something that doesn’t involve waiting for you to get your head out of your ass,” Claire replied calmly as she scratched something out and added something in. “If you don’t have anything constructive to add, please let me work in peace.”

“Suddenly you care about peace,” Loki laughed sarcastically. “I’m sure our guests last night would have much preferred this new peaceful version of you. Think how quiet the evening would have been without you making a scene.”

“And who pushed me to make that scene?” blue eyes flicked in his direction accusingly.

“I would wager it was the entire cask of wine you consumed. How is your stomach this morning?”

“Funny.”

“I try.” It was clear he had no intent to let her focus on her work, so Claire closed her notebook. She nestled her pen in the metal rings before rounding on him.

“Since you’re so desperate to chat, let me share some things I’ve learned about you in the past few weeks-”

“I do not care what idle observations-”

“You have issues with commitment.”

“This is your world-shattering observation?” Loki scoffed. “I hope you have evidence to support your claim.”

“Oh don’t worry, I kept all the receipts,” Claire patted his arm in a pseudo comforting manner. “Let’s see…you failed at being a king, you failed at defeating your brother, then you failed at conquering my planet, which led to this disaster which you also failed at! In conclusion-”

“Do you have a point?”

“I do, thanks so much for asking. My point is you are really, really great at starting things, and really, reallybad at finishing them- for the love of god, do not make a sex joke right now!” Claire hissed when Loki opened his mouth to argue. Loki’s face wrinkled in disgust.

“I wasn’t,” he grumbled. “The last thing I want to think about at this moment is having sex with you.”

“Oh goody, we’re in agreement!” Claire replied cheerfully. “Now, I’ve had some time to think about your little problem-”

“Have you considered speaking less?”

“Have you considered throwing yourself off the bifrost?” Claire asked. “Oh wait- you already did that! Back to what I was saying-”

“Your theory, whilst entertaining, is wrong.”

“Oh?”

“Very. Whatever our personal climate, the alliance still stands which means it is a success.”

“I couldn’t give a rats ass about the alliance right now. I’m talking about you and me. I stayed here for you. We were building something amazing and you threw it away. You can’t stand to be vulnerable- that’s your real problem.”

“Stop talking.”

“Make me.”

“I could, if I wanted.” his dark eyes glinted with anger.

“So do it. There’s a knife right there,” Claire’s eyes dropped to the knife on his place setting before she met his gaze. “We both know you won’t, Loki. Yesterday aside, you enjoy not being in prison too much to do any permanent damage.”

“I’m so grateful you have me figured out.” Loki said flatly.

“Oh you bet your ass I do,” Claire seethed. “You manipulated me, plain and simple. You made promises you clearly have no intention of keeping, in order to convince me to give up my entire life for you,” Claire set her silverware down, taking a long pull from her goblet. “But it doesn’t matter now. I’m here, and whether you or anyone else helps me I’m going to find a way to use my power and privilege to help people. So see you later, have a terrible day, and suck my dick.” she pushed away from the table, leaving the great hall without another word.

He let her leave, pretending he did not see the look of disappointment Frigga cast his way as he drained his goblet and left in a completely different direction.

~~~~

By mid-morning, Claire had made much more progress on her list of ideas with Ragna’s help. The list of social issues was long, and disheartening, but Claire was determined to pick at least a few that she could start to tackle.

“I think with the stores the palace has, we could easily-” a knock on the door disrupted the women’s conversation. “Come in!”

“The crown prince, Your Highness.” Gunnar announced.

“Thor!” Claire brightened, getting up from the desk to greet him. “This is a surprise! What can I do for you?”

“Hello sister,” Thor said, very obviously not looking in her direction. “I came to apologize for my behavior earlier this morning.”

“Apologize? You mean for showing my drawing to Loki?” Claire chuckled. “I didn’t really mean for him to ever see it, but it was pretty funny. I’m not upset about it- are you okay?”

“Perfectly fine.” Thor nodded, eyes firmly locked on the decorative vase on the mantle.

“Thor?”

“Hmm?”

“Why aren’t you looking at me?” Claire looked at Ragna, hoping she had an explanation. Ragna looked just as baffled as Claire.

“Forgive me, sister, I simply do not wish to further court your husband’s ire.”

“Why not? I enjoy pissing him off,” a mental image of steam coming out of Loki’s ears made Claire laugh. “Did he say something to you? Because I’m really not upset- I don’t even know why he would-”

“My brother has always had a possessive streak, something which you seem to inspire even further- not that he should not-” Thor babbled. “I mean- he should defend you, you are his wife- I have no desire to duel with my brother, so if I have offended you-” Claire hadn’t heard this tone from Thor before. He actually sounded panicked.

“Thor-”

“Yes?”

“Would you like to stop talking?”

“Yes please,” Thor pleaded, distress evident in the hunch of his shoulders as he covered his face in his large hands. “I should...I should take my leave.”

“Um...okay,” Claire said. “But just to be clear, whatever Loki’s issue is, is not mine. I’m not mad at you in any way, shape, or form. Capisce?”

“Yes, I...capisce,” Thor gave her an awkward little bow before turning and headbutting the door. He recovered quickly, but Claire and Ragna cringed all the same. “Fare thee well, sister. And...young lady.” Gunnar closed the door behind him as he left, leaving Ragna and Claire completely baffled.

“What the hell was that about?”

~~~~

Confused by the days goings-on, Claire adamantly refused to leave her chambers again. Instead of dinner, she was consuming an unhealthy amount of sugar and fat in the (somewhat) privacy of her own home.

Until Loki showed up.

“What do you want?” Claire asked flatly as Gunnar opened the door. Loki opened his mouth to answer, but was distracted by the orange powder on her bosom. His gaze dropped against his will to her generous chest, prompting Claire to look down and hastily scrub the offending dust away. “Well?”

“I…” Loki’s well-rehearsed apologetic speech vanished into the ether as she glowered at him. Even dressed down with mussed hair and sugar crystals on her lower lip, she was radiant.

“Loki?” The anger in her gaze softened, vulnerability shining through like a ray of sunshine through darkened clouds.

“I came to be sure Thor hasn’t been bothering you.”

“Yes, because he’s such a bother,” Claire scoffed. “He won’t even look in my direction! What did you do?”

“Why do you assume I did anything?” Loki balked. “Everyone is forever blaming me for whatever foolish things that oaf does-”

“Oh, will you stow your younger sibling bullshit and just answer the question, Ron Weasley?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Oh! I didn’t tell you. I’ve decided to start calling you Ron Weasley.” Claire announced, wheeling away from Loki to snag a Twizzler from her array of snacks.

“Why?” Loki huffed as she took a large bite of the confection. “What could I possibly have in common with that miserable gutter rat?”

“Because you have the emotional range of a teaspoon!” Claire shouted, her half-eaten Twizzler striking him ineffectually in the stomach.

“Stop throwing things at me,” Loki demanded, beginning to pace back and forth in front of her door. “And when is Ron ever described as such?”

“In ‘Order of the Phoenix’, you ass!” Claire cried angrily. “Which you would know if you actually read the books instead of just pretending to actually like them to- I don’t know, make me like you more or something!”

“I do like them!” Loki shouted back defensively, resuming his pacing. “This is what you wish to shout at me about?”

“There are a LOT of things I’d like to shout at you about; this just happens to be on my mind at present!”

“By all means,” Loki threw up his hands in defeat. “Well? I expect you have a list prepared of all my sins?”

“Not at the moment,” Claire conceded, folding her arms over her chest. “But if you wait a minute-”

“I’m not here to fight-”

“Then why are you here?” Claire scoffed. “What can I possibly do for you at this moment in time?”

“I had hoped we could resolve our...miscommunication.”

“Miscommunication,” Claire repeated. “That’s what you’re calling it?” Loki shifted impatiently, an angry huff escaping him.

“What would you call it then?” he asked heatedly.

“Why is Thor suddenly terrified to look at me?” Claire demanded to know. Loki’s jaw clenched as he turned away sharply, the muscle flexing as his eyes burned holes in the marble floor.

“That oaf has no right-”

“To look at me?” Claire angrily broke off a piece of a KitKat bar, the crispy wafer crumbling between her molars. “He mentioned a duel. Did you threaten him?”

“There are things you do not understand-”

“What was it about growing up here that was so bad? Hmm? Sure, Thor casts a pretty big shadow but you cast one of your own. Incredibly powerful sorcerer, smart as a whip. So what was it? Did he steal your girlfriend or something? Did you not get enough hugs?”

“No, I didn’t! Is that what you want to hear?!” Loki shouted. “I have always been the second choice, the after thought. Everyone treats me that way, but I will not be second place to Thor- not with you!”

“Who said you were?!”

“I am not going to debate this with you; I saw you this morning. You were all over him!”

“I was trying to get the drawing back-”

“I don’t care. This ends now. Am I understood? If he looks at you again I will gouge out his eyes!”

“WHAT?!” Claire shrieked. “Who the fuck do you think you are?” Claire shouted as she began to pelt him with gummy bears. “You don’t get to decide who gets to look at me!” Loki dodged many of the small sugary projectiles, shielding his face with his arm as they bounced uselessly off of his armor.

“I’m the only person who gets to decide!”

“I don’t want to talk to you anymore. Go away.” At her command, Gunnar barred the door with his spear, earning an angry look from Loki.

“You cannot ban me from your chambers!” Claire growled angrily as she realized her bag of gummy bears was tragically empty.

“I can do whatever the fuck I want, you arrogant twat! I can’t believe I wasted my last bag of gummy bears on you,” she groaned. “You don’t even like gummy bears!”

“No, but now I can do this!” Loki’s boot stomped down on a defenseless blue bear, Claire looking on in horror as an ugly electric blue smear was streaked across the floor.

“No, not the blue ones! Those are my favorite!”

“Oh how rude of me!” Loki stomped on another blue gummy bear, a matching smear joining the first. “Oops!”

“You did that on purpose!”

“Yes, I did! What are you going to do about it?!”

“Oh you’d better run,” Claire snarled. “Before I figure out a way to smear you across the floor!”

“I’d like to see you try!” Loki turned on his heel to leave, stomping on another gummy bear for good measure.

“Oh that- mother fucker!” Claire howled with rage, leaning out of the doorway to shout after him. “I’m calling Bruce Banner!” There. Let him sweat about that.

The following day

Fueled by spite and still mourning the loss of her gummy bears, Claire set about her plans for the day. Having dealt with the most pressing matter of making sure Ragna was safe, it was time to pivot to another project: starting a care program for the hjemlos.

Per her instructions, a small group of serving women had gathered in the kitchen with supplies to make a collection of food baskets.

The project was well underway when Loki arrived, seemingly determined to distract Claire from her work.

“Unless you’re here to replace the gummy bears you murdered, I’m not interested.” she breezed past him, depositing the apples in her arms in the baskets.

“Clearly you are still upset.”

“I am not.” Claire said simply. “I’m annoyed, not upset.”

“Fine. You were upset, and I came to see what I could do to alleviate your suffering.”

Claire burst into a fit of laughter, making Loki angrier. How dare she laugh at him!

“Wait- did you-” Claire cackled, taking a deep breath to calm herself. “You think I'm sad? Loki, I have a thousand things better to do than sit around and mope over some dumb ass boy,” Claire sneered. “What did you expect me to do, fall to pieces? Wait around for you to give me a crumb of affection? That's not how this works.” Loki looked taken aback.

“But- you were upset,” he backpedaled. “You were, you were upset-”

“I got over it, obviously,” Claire illustrated her point by gesturing toward the baskets of food she was assembling. She picked up an armful of bread loaves to distribute between the baskets. “Look, you're clearly used to people hanging on to your every word and living and breathing for the smallest morsel of your approval. I am not one of them. If you decide to gift me with some half-wilted flowers and a lackluster poem, great. If not, then by the grace of Freyja I will survive.”

“Half-wilted? LACKLUSTER?!” Loki looked insulted, gaping at her dumbfounded. He composed himself with a scoff, straightening his vambrace as his wounded pride made his chest puff up. “Woman, when I decide to woo you, I will not make pathetic, ill-conceived gestures. You will be beside yourself with wanting me.”

“Ha! Excuse me if I don’t hold my breath. Now move, I need to finish these. People are hungry.” She breezed by him, depositing a bread loaf into each of the baskets. Loki gaped after her, astonished at how easily she dismissed him.

“Woman! You- you-” he found himself tripping over his words in a way he hadn't in centuries. “Do not dismiss me as if I were an errant child!” He shadowed her footsteps, crowding her against the wall when she turned. “Do you remember our wedding night? Our honeymoon? How sweetly you begged me to give you release, how you trembled in my bed?” Loki sighed, eyes falling closed with satisfaction. “I could give you that a thousand times over if you would simply stop being ridiculous.”

“Wow, that's so generous.”

“I can be! Let go of this ridiculous charade and-”

“So you would have me earn your affection like a dog?” Claire pushed him back with a snarl. “You're thinking of a pet, not a partner. Now do you mind? I'm on a deadline,” Loki growled as she elbowed past, rebuffing him in full view of the serving staff. “Let's start packaging these for distribution.” Claire spoke to the nearest servant, drawing a circle in the air above a group of finished baskets.

“Do not ignore me- I am your husband and I will be respected!” Color high on his cheeks, Loki lashed out with his seidr, upending several baskets in front of Claire.

“Are you kidding me?” She shot him an ireful glare that would kill a mortal man. The servants looked concerned as she rounded on him with fury in her steps. “If you wanna act like a child I will treat you like one!” She grabbed him by the ear, taking him by surprise and managing to pull him to the door. She shoved him gracelessly out into the hallway, making him stumble and nearly fall on his ass. “Get out!” She slammed the door in his face, rattling the door frame with the force.

The servants were stunned when she turned away from the door.

“Are you alright, Your Majesty?” one of the cooks asked.

“I am fine. I apologize that you had to see that,” Claire replied, releasing the tension in her body with a sharp exhale. “Let’s fix these back up.”

With Loki banished from the kitchen, the group of women made quick work of repairing the baskets. A cart was brought for them to be loaded onto, and Claire enlisted two of the women to help her distribute them. As they were loading the last of the baskets, an Einherjar appeared to escort them out of the palace.

“It is an honor to serve you, princess.” the Einherjar said as he knelt, fist over his heart.

“Please, there’s no need for formality here,” Claire awkwardly gestured for the man to stand up. As he reached eye level, Claire thought he looked similar to Gunnar. “You must be Gunnar’s brother! Agnar, right?”

“I- yes,” the man gasped. “I’m honored you thought to remember me.”

“It’s no trouble. I’m grateful to you for escorting us.” Agnar’s cheeks flushed and he dropped his gaze to the floor.

“Everything is loaded, my lady.”

“Wonderful, thank you. Shall we?”

The small group made their way from the kitchens and through the gate, joining the throngs of people in the marketplace. People bowed and curtsied as Claire led the group through the rows of vendors, and Claire greeted them in turn, happy to be out in the sunshine on such a beautiful day.

Beyond the market, the crowds thinned out. Agnar took the lead, guiding them to the slums where they were more likely to find hjemlos.

As they came across a small group of people, Claire put all thoughts of Loki out of her mind. It felt good to have something else to focus on, however small.

For now, that was enough.

[mrssabinecallas]

Strawberry Lemonade

Sabine “Viper” Callas x Wife!Reader

In which Viper takes a liking to your new drink concoction

⚠️ warnings! ⚠️ fluff, kissing, mentions of alcohol, sfw, lowercase intended, female pronouns

not my gif, creds to owner mentioned here ^^

it was a friday night, missions for the week were over and the protocol was having a nice night off. sage had cooked everyone a nice meal for dinner, and agents were littered around the common area in a slur of conversation that would be overwhelming to anyone walking in the room.

of course, sabine never joined them. she had better things to do, more research to be done. of course, she was hungry and aching for a break, but she was never one to sit with her comrades and socialize. absolutely not.

she did know, however, that when the cookout was winding down, you would come to visit her in her lab with a plate of food and a good story about the week. those were the nights she looked forward to. as much as she hated to admit, she deeply envied your social skills and relaxed vibe, being able to connect with everyone and create relationships easily. that was something she never mastered, though she never truly cared to. she had you and that was quite enough in her eyes.

and as predicted, you stauntered into her laboratory, tipsy from the drink in your hand, with a plate of food for your wife in the other. anyone could notice the love in sabines eyes, such a foreign look from her usual cold demeanor. as you knocked on the metal paneling on the wall, she gave a small smile in your direction, taking in the sight of your relaxed state.

“i brought you dinner, bean,” you quipped into the comforting silence, happiness adorning your features.

“thank you, darling. care to join me?” she replied back, setting down her clipboard and taking off her gloves. she capped the beaker full of toxins and turned the dial on the buret to closed. as you sat on the stool next to her lab bench, you set down the plate of food and kissed her on the cheek.

“how was your day?” she asked as she took a small bite of the salad on the plate. she hadn’t been able to see you all day. both of your schedules were booked full with training and work, and she missed hearing your voice.

“it was pretty good, i helped killjoy in her lab for a bit to expand the radius of her swarm grenade, and omen and i went to training. he taught me a new trick on covering angles and rotating off of..” you trailed on, as sabine was only half paying attention as she admired your face. this state of viper wasn’t seen often, only by those she’s truly comfortable with (which was really only you).

you paused to take a sip from your drink, and sabine kissed you as soon as you set your cup down. unexpected, but she hadn’t kissed you all day and was in much need of some physical affection and privacy.

she could instantly taste your drink on your lips. sweet and sour, strawberry lemonade, infused with some kind of spirit that was making you tipsy. rum, maybe? she didn’t care. she just craved the taste.

she pulled you in again, pausing longer to take in the flavor. she found it odd that the taste almost, matched you? like it’s what she imagined you tasted like all along.

“what’s in your cup?” she whispered.

“strawberry lemonade and rum,” you whispered back.

called it, she thought, as she kissed you again.

pulling away with a sparkle in her deep green eyes, she said, “whatever it is, i like it.”

and every cookout from that day forward, you always drank strawberry lemonade.

thank you so much for reading! if you liked this content or would like to give some constructive criticism i would greatly appreciate it!

more viper content coming soon!

xo,

-vipers official legit wife

[zelda7999]

“ hey, i know it’s really late, but… i didn’t know who else to call. “

This sounds like it can be very cute and yet hold a bit of angst

: )

have a nice day dear

:D!!! Thank you Agent Viper!~

Found Family Loading... drabble coming up! Ver small <3

Untitled | 400 Words | No Spoilers

You didn’t even know if this would work, if they could pick up… But you didn’t know what else to do. Who else would be awake in the dead of night? No one… That’s who. Unless… There was someone who didn’t need to ‘sleep’ exactly.

 The dial tone taunts you as it continues on, you could swear that each tone was going to be the last, and that no one would pick up. You were almost ready to end the call too… To end it and not wait for the small hope you harboured to be squashed.

 Your thumb hovers over the end call button, but a sharp click and “Starlight?” is quick to catch your attention.

 You press the phone to your ear and the tears start falling, finally breaching the dam you had built.

 “Moon… Moon I’m sorry… I know it’s really late, but… I didn’t know who else to call…”

 You hear the click’s of him moving through the speaker, the silence almost making you regret calling. You wouldn’t want to talk to you this late either.

 “Starlight? Are you... Okay?”

 You weren’t, you really weren’t. Your tears threaten to close your throat, barely managing to squeak out an answer, the smallest “no.”

 A confirming hum comes from Moon’s side, “I see… Did we ever tell you about Sun’s lemon incident?”

 You nearly stop crying, a couple hiccups coming through as you messily wipe your face. Rough sniffling sounding as you wetly reply, “Lemon incident…?”

 A raspy giggle sounds from Moon, a couple clicks come across and then a soft fwump sound.

 “So… Sun had been told to clean the daycare and…”

 Moon tells the story of how Sun spilled a whole jug of lemon scented cleaning supplies on the play mats. It was so strongly scented they needed to close the daycare temporarily while a team was brought in to replace some mats and remove the scent. Sun was mortified, and Moon still holds it jokingly above his head. It only makes you giggle more when he mentions how much Sun didn’t want you to know about it.

 You finish your giggle fit and wipe some more tears off your face, “Thanks Moonie… That makes me feel better… but… Can we still talk about it tomorrow?”

 “Of course. Now, sleep Starlight. Even Stars need rest.”

 “Goodnight Moonie.”

 The call clicks off and you slip into bed.

[nyctophiliq]

i have an idea! may i request viper stealing kiases from reader throughout the day? viper is not the pda type but i'd like to think she would sometimes find ways to be affectionate. Thank u!!!

✮ ┆STEALING KISSES. sabine ‘viper’ callas

based on the request above.

CONTENT WARNING.           SFW CONTENT UNDER THE CUT; female-bodied reader, kissing, making out, pda, affectionate viper (bit ooc), mention of other agents, | ~1.2k words

A/N.                   I TOOK SO LONG IM SO SORRY, valorant hasn’t been on my mind for reasons and for other games popping up on the radar- but now i am here, thirsting for valorant, hopefully i got your req right anon so please enjoy !!!

it wasn’t often and if you were quite frank, it never happened that sabine would just so bluntly say affectionate words to you in front of the other agents. she liked your relationship to be heard but not seen, for them to keep guessing about whatever was going on between the two of you and only shared it with a couple of agents who were mature enough to not run their mouth.

late mornings were among the few instances when she hardly tried holding her fondness of you back.

“good morning.” she whispers as she steps next to you at the counter of the shared kitchen, glancing at you and watching as you wait for the toast to pop out of the machine. she smiles at your concentration on such a small task before reaching for the shelf above to take out her coffee and start brewing a cup for herself.

“it’s not like you to be coming out of your lair this late, viper.” reyna chimes in as she walks behind the two of you, holding a mug in her hand and waiting for her turn at the coffee machine. sabine just shrugs, weighing her coffee grounds while taking a glimpse of you trying to catch the toast as it flies out of the machine.

“well…” she trails off with a big inhale, turning to you but still talking with reyna. “late nights equal late morning.” she picks up her mug with the now fresh coffee swirling in it, a step closer to you to easily take your chin between her free fingers and turn your head, stealing a quick kiss from you with a gentle caress to your cheek.

“see you in our meeting.” then she walks off, hiding her wicked smirk behind the mug as she leaves you and the other agents who were watching from the different corners of the kitchen to their surprise.

then there were the movie nights she dreaded.

neon, jett, and gekko were in the movie room, going back and forth between movies, arguing about what the few that have gathered up for the ridiculously loud get-together as viper liked to call it. she found it unnecessary to be weeping over make-believe characters, root for their love to bloom, or for enemies to fall. being dragged to these little events was gonna be the end of sabine, but sitting next to you, sharing a blanket, and secretly holding hands were making it up for her.

“they are awfully loud.” viper commented as you scrolled through your phone, waiting for the movie to start. you look up briefly, glancing over your shoulder as the trio argues over the movie. “you will enjoy the quiet when the movie starts.” you give her a toothy smile before your attention is back on the screen in your hand.

somewhat of a defeated sigh leaves sabine as her head falls onto your shoulder, her hold on your hand getting a little tighter. you intertwined your fingers, a reassuring squeeze or two before her free hand that was holding the blanket over the two of you before taking your phone out of your hand, her head dipping as she kissed you.

it was short, sweet, and a bit teasing as she pushed against you before pulling away. “just so i can keep calm until it quiets down...”

at the end of difficult missions.

there was nothing more rewarding after a difficult mission than to be on the vulture, heading back home to the base for a much-deserved hot shower with some music included. the shared sleeping area was nothing short of the basic needs- the mid-grade mattress, two pillows with a blanket that was just big enough to cover you and keep you from freezing.

“are you sure you don’t wanna share?” you mutter, peaking your head out from your little pod-like bed to look at viper. she shakes her head as she closes her book and puts it under the pillow. she shakes her head before stepping next to your bunk, lowering herself to your level.

“little tight in there.” she mentions as she looks inside the bunk like she hasn’t seen it a hundred times before. you roll your eyes, it was never a problem before for her to get in bed with you and now she was just thinking about it.

“we will have to be extra close then.” you propose, already scooting to be up against the wall of the bunk to make some space for her to comfortably have her own side while still being able to cuddle you.

“you can hold me to that,” she says, running her fingers down your arm before continuing. “when we get back.” sabine looks tired as she keeps looking at you, holding eye contact while the other agents complain about the lights being still on, the two of you still speaking your lovey-dovey stuff, and some (like phoenix) loudly teasing viper despite being afraid of her how gooey she was with you.

you watch her roll her eyes before she leans in to plant a kiss on your lips, making it a bit sloppy, a pinch loud just to rub it in for all the eyes that might be looking over. “goodnight now.”

in the medbay after being seriously injured.

whether it was joining in a shoot-out despite being ordered to ambush the targets, taking a bullet for her, or hesitating to go up against her mirror version she did not enjoy the sight of your blood staining through bandages, stitches tearing your skin up, and pills being forced down your throat for pain relief. 

“you are an idiot!” she yells as she bursts through the door of the medical wing, and if looks could kill you would have been dead by now. she was back in her casual clothes now, waltzing over to you with hands balled into fists.

“hey, ‘bean…” you say nervously when she steps next to your bed and you don’t know whether to ask for a kiss or shield yourself from potential blows. she looked pissed, no wonder, you got grazed with not one but two bullets as you were shoving her out of the way, almost turning into cold meat right there and there.

“do not.” she cuts you off, knowing very well that you were just going to run your usual line of excuses. you try to start again, try and reason with her that it was necessary because you’d rather be in this bed arguing with her than watch her refuse any kind of treatment because ‘she can take it’.

she grips your jaw, her face scrunching up with doubt that you deserve this kiss she is about to give you because you really deserve a smothering for what you did rather than a small reward like that, not to mention that few nurses that were inside tending to the other agents who were bearing their weakness out on stretchers. there was a conflict in herself, but she gave in after the storm of arguments inside her was getting too loud and leaned in to kiss you.

she doesn’t do it long enough to deepen the kiss, only long enough for you to notice how she tasted like mint gum and toothpaste as she pulled away and let your head fall against the pillow as you tried to catch your breath again. she pulls back to stand over you, her hands still gripping at your jaw, before she lets her body collapse onto the chair beside the side of your bed and rests her head on your chest. “you’re an idiot.” 

[valorant-drabbles]

Hi! Can I request an Jett x gn!reader?

Reader is Iso’s radiant older sibling, and they keep it a secret they are siblings. Reader joined the protocol at same time as Jett. Reader has similar abilities to Iso.

So Iso just joined the protocol and reader is sharing headphones with him and listening to music with him in the kitchen and cooking with him. Jett also sees them training together a lot. Jett (not dating reader yet) gets jealous because reader is cooking and training with someone else.

Thank you!

So Sorry I've been MIA. Being sick really sucks the motivation out of you. But I hope I've made up for it! Enjoy!

Gender neutral reader!

Word Count: 3.5k

Warnings: Mild Cursing

Radiant Jealousy

Reader x Jett

The unstoppable duo. That's what the younger agents of the protocol had started to call your team. The team consisting of Jett; the swift, air-riding daredevil... and yourself. The terrifying, defensive master of the battlefield. Together, your abilities meshed perfectly- your ability to counter bullets with your shield when timed correctly, as well as your ability to teleport out of trouble before the enemies' very eyes... only for you to be replaced with Jett, who's always ready to deal with the agents you teleported her to. It was definitely advantageous. You were able to swap the place of yourself with any one of your teammates if they needed a quick escape; and it proved extremely valuable many, many times.

Any mission with the two of you was bound to be an adventure, and often left the other duelists on your team scrambling for kills to make up for how many you and Jett had managed to get together. As expected, there were a few sore losers who dreaded being teamed with this unstoppable duo; namely Yoru, Neon, and even Phoenix on a bad day. Occasional jealousy would brew, but at the end of the day, as long as everybody survived, and as long as the mission resulted in a success... no one could really complain too much.

On a day like any other, the protocol found itself welcoming their newest agent, hailing from China; Iso. The Dead Lilac. Known for his skill with swift assassinations, cleaning up loose ends, and appearing virtually unstoppable from the outside view, And today, that man stood before all the other agents, as Brimstone gave his usual speech regarding the welcoming of new team members.

"Everyone, this young man is Iso. I expect all of you to be courteous towards him, and make him feel right at home."

Brimstone simply gestured to the male, who appeared to have an earbud in, listening to music. Jett couldn't help but let out a slight huff, only to raise her hand.

"Hey, don't we have a rule against wearing earbuds n'stuff during meetings and whatever?" Jett's voice piped up from the crowd of agents, who all exchanged similar nods of agreement.

Upon hearing this, Iso simply plucked the earbud from his ear, and stuffed it into his pocket without much of a fight. After all, it was his first day; getting off on the wrong foot with everybody for something so small wouldn't be the best.

You, however, currently standing beside Jett, jabbed her in the side with your elbow, and gave her a scolding look. "Don't single him out like that. How's he supposed to know? It's his first day!" Narrowing your eyes at your partner, Jett feels a slight flush of embarrassment rush to her cheeks.

"Ah- s... sorry." She apologized gently, though she clearly meant the apology more towards you, not to much towards Iso. But he didn't appear to mind. Brimstone cleared his throat, redirecting attention to himself once more.

"We do have rules like that for a reason, yes. Though we have discovered that Iso is able to preform just as well- perhaps even better- when he's listening to music. So, we've allowed him to bend that rule, as long as it doesn't cause distraction during missions. If any of you wish to get a pass to do the same, you will have to pass a few tests that Viper and myself have designed... just to ensure that you won't get yourself killed in the field if you aren't able to hear the enemy behind you."

Brimstone's eyes had met a few other pairs of eyes within the crowd of agents... mostly those who had proven they weren't able to multitask in such a way in the past. And in short, those agents were the reason Brimstone had initially administered the ban on music on missions in the first place.

"Y/N." Brimstone called you out from the crowd. "I'm going to ask you to show Iso around the headquarters. The training hall, his room, you know the drill."

You nodded towards him as you were instructed to show the newbie around. At the opportunity, Jett's eyes lit up with excitement. Hell yeah, her duo was given a big responsibility! She was so proud. "I'll tag along with you guys! Plus, I'd love the chance to spar with you, Iso!" She'd beamed, only to be cut off from approaching by Viper.

"Jett. Last time you were in charge of showing somebody around, you went so fast that they ended up getting lost for a week. And anytime they asked for directions, you accused them of not paying attention during your tour." Viper had raised an eyebrow disapprovingly, her tone proving to be rather... irritated. More so than usual.

From the crowd of agents, Gekko kicked at the floor with a quiet huff. "... she talks so fast, she may as well be speaking another language." He muttered, mostly to himself. You gave the poor guy a sympathetic look over your shoulder, before turning your attention to your eager duo partner, hand on her shoulder in reassurance.

"I'll be honest, J... Tours aren't your strong suit. But once Iso is more settled, I'm sure he'd be happy to spar with you." You shot her a smile, reassuring Jett despite her mild disappointment at being rejected. Sighing, she simply crossed her arms across her chest, and stepped back into the line of agents. "Fiiiine, do it your way. But if it takes longer than an hour, I'm hunting you down and helping, whether you want it or not!"

You couldn't help but smirk at Jett's impatience. It was always a trait you'd found quite endearing. Irritating at times, sure, but endearing nonetheless. You'd lost count of how many times Jett had gotten herself into a dangerous situation because she didn't want to wait for backup. She was always looking to prove herself, always eager for the opportunity to ace. It was a lot worse when you and her were fresh recruits. And you'd saved her ass dozens of times before she saw the merit in the two of you working together. You couldn't say you hated her impatience, because truthfully? It was the trait of hers that helped bring you two closer together. And it was always oddly cute to watch her bounce in place, twirling her knife in her hand as she was forced to wait.

"If that's settled... everyone is dismissed."

-------------

You'd been at the protocol for quite awhile; longer than most agents, actually. So the tour with Iso didn't take much time at all, much to Jett's relief. Jett who... may or may not had been following you and Iso from a distance. You hadn't noticed her initially, but once you did, decided not to embarrass her in front of the new recruit, and let her follow you like a puppy.

Though the tour did indeed only take an hour, Iso had quite a few questions regarding some of the agents, and how the training facilities worked... so, you decided to dedicate the rest of the day to answering any and all of Iso's questions. You even showed him around the kitchen, so he'd know where everything was if he ever needed to make himself something to eat.

Suffice to say... Jett... didn't like that. At all.

Jett was basically the in-house cook, and only trusted a few select people to help her if offered. You were one of those people. Hell, she'd let you take over cooking if she was sick, and have faith you'd do her dishes justice.

And there she was, glaring daggers from around the corner at Iso. Who was taking notes on where Jett kept the kettle, strainer, spices... Even though usually Jett could appreciate someone taking kitchen care seriously, she couldn't figure out why seeing Iso there with you in the kitchen made her skin crawl.

Maybe it was because, aside from training, the kitchen was where you and Jett spent most of your time. Even if it was just being sat on the counter, drinking coffee late into the night, because insomnia haunts most of the younger agents. And seeing you hop up onto the counter, offering to make Iso some tea how he likes it... Ugh. She hated it, she hated it, she hated it!

"Whatever." Dismissively, Jett had let out a stubborn huff of irritation, and headed towards the training hall. Training was always a good way of getting her mind off of things... though you were often on her mind if you weren't by her side training as well. Okay, so maybe you were always on her mind. She couldn't help it! She always just figured that was the cost of having a kick-ass duo; always worrying, thinking about how to improve your guys' performance... wondering why you were so damn chummy with Iso-

God. Jett needed to let off some steam before she imploded.

------

The next few hours of her free time was spent perfecting her knife throws, as well as some general aerobatic moves that you had been brainstormed for her. Ways to use her radiant power more without causing too much destruction. Last thing the protocol needed was a tornado within its walls.

Though the hours passed mindlessly, Jett still couldn't figure out why the hell she was so agitated by Iso's mere existence. She was always hyped when a new duelist joined their ranks, to the point where she'd try and take them under her wing if they needed help discovering their fighting style. She took a lot of pride in her ability to help her fellow agents, and yet...

As if summoned by the mere thought, Iso happened to enter the training hall, you following by his side, explaining one thing or another. Jett wasn't sure. She hadn't been close enough to hear your conversation- but she didn't like it.

"Oh- you finally here for that spar?" She'd flashed a grin in the direction of Iso. She was itching to put him in his place- though that thought alone was quite a strange one for her. Put him in his place? He hadn't done anything-... had he?

Iso himself looked quite surprised to see Jett in the hall, and had held his hands up in a faux surrender, showing he had no interest in sparring. "Oh, you were serious-- I mean, we can totally do that another time. But Y/N was going to train with me. To help me figure out how to best use my abilities in combat, maybe using them in combination with someone else's abilities......"

Iso's voice had quickly been drowned out by Jett's own thoughts. You... were going to train with Iso? What, alone? Doing what she usually did with her duelists? Finding his fighting style?

You could see the displeased look on Jett's face, as she wasn't the best at masking her feelings for too long. Flashing your partner a nervous smile, you approached Jett. "I know Iso's abilities pretty well myself, so finding his style probably won't take too long- but we can train elsewhere if you're busy here-?" You'd offered quietly, not wanting to further upset your duo. But it was a bit too late for that.

Grabbing your arm, Jett forcefully pulled you towards the door. "Get some target practice in while I have a chat with your 'trainer'." She'd growled towards Iso, who looked more confused than anything. But he didn't question further, and definitely didn't want to witness an angry Jett in action- so he'd grabbed a gun and started shooting some targets to warm up.

Dragging, dragging, dragging on; You couldn't exactly do much to escape Jett's grasp- her upper body strength was impressive for someone of her size. "Jett-- Jett!" You call her name, trying to get her to stop dragging you, but to no avail. She didn't stop until she knew you two were completely alone. In an empty hallway.

"Jett, what the hell is up with you today? You're being more of a jerk than usual." You scolded in a hushed tone once Jett had finally let go of you, moving to fold your arms over your chest. Your body language was enough for Jett to know you were beyond irritated, but you were holding it together for her sake.

Jett just turned to glare at you, fists clutched as she struggled for a few moments. Trying to find the words to articulate how she was feeling- Feelings were difficult for her to explain most of the time. So before she could open her mouth, you held your hand up to stop her. "And I'm not going to listen if you start yelling."

God, she wanted to punch you for saying that. But it was a boundary you'd set with her after the first few arguments you two had. Things would just escalate and escalate, and neither of you would listen. Talking over each other so one of you could be heard. And even if she was angry, Jett always respected your boundaries. Which meant in this case that she wasn't going to shout.

"Right. Right right right right right." Jett exhaled deeply, and began to shake her hands in a bit of a stim. Shake the anger out, that's what she often did. And more often than not, it didn't help too much. It only subsided how much she wanted to punch things. But it would at least get her through the conversation.

"You're kind of... how can I put this lightly... driving me crazy. In a bad way." Jett articulated slowly, though was quick to see your displeasure from the look in your eyes once she'd said it. Huffing, she continued. "You're, like... being all nice n' shit to Iso, which is fine or whatever... But you were crossing some lines."

"... I'm sorry, how the hell was I crossing lines? I was showing Iso around, like Brim told me to?" You furrowed your eyebrows slightly in confusion, not knowing if you should still be irritated or not. What was going on in her head...?

"Okay, uh, example. You were showing Iso around the kitchen. My kitchen. You didn't think to ask me if I wanted to show him around the kitchen at least? Show where I hide the good flour?" Jett urged, though you couldn't help but snicker slightly.

"Jett. It's the Protocol's kitchen. And it's pretty small. There's not much to really show him. There just wasn't enough to show to justify bringing you in."

"Fine! Okay, that's fine. Just don't cook any of our meals with him, and we're fine. See? I'm being reasonable!" She had a forced smile on her face, but it was quite clear she was struggling to keep her composure. It felt like she was jumping all over the place with her logic, and she'd just started.

"Another example! You... were going to train with him."

"... Jett. I train with everybody." You shot her down almost immediately, to which you could only raise an eyebrow in mild amusement. She was really grasping at straws here for excuses to be angry, and none of them were really... viable?

"But you said, and I QUOTE-- … okay, I can't remember exactly what you said, but you mentioned something about helping Iso figure out how to use his abilities in combat." Her teal eyes bore into yours, and there, finally, you could sees a glimmer of the real problem.

Conflicted. Hesitant. Envious.

"That's my thing. No, Not just my thing. It's our thing. You were the one who inspired me to figure out unique ways to use my radiant powers in combination with other peoples' abilities. To figure out my fighting style, and helping others find theirs! That's how we became a duo! And sure, I took credit for it a lot of the time... but you were the reason I started helping people in the first place! To the point even Viper trusted me to help recruits figure out their style!" She'd began to pace back and forth as she spoke, another mild stim. If she kept her body moving in some way, it helped her thoughts flow a lot smoother.

"So why-" Jett suddenly turned to you, pinning you to the wall with both her hands on either side of your head. "Why did you try to do it without me? Were you going to... I don't know? Be his duo? The way we do things is really, really efficient, it doesn't need to change! So... Don't you dare think for a second that you're replacing me for that-- that..." Her voice trailed off, as she noticed a smirk slowly rest on your features. "Wh... What the hell are you making that face for?"

"You're jealous."

Those two words were enough to make Jett fly back a few feet, as if it physically impacted her, blasting her away from you dramatically. And as the realization slowly dawned on her, Jett's face slowly grew a bright red shade. That... would explain a lot about how she'd been feeling. She gripped her own shirt, eyes locked on the floor, suddenly all out of things to say. Rendered genuinely speechless.

"Wh... What am I jealous about?" She asked after a few moments, looking towards you for answers. Jett really didn't know why she was jealous. And you couldn't help but find that... oddly adorable, despite how scared she looked with this information out in the open.

"I don't know if I can answer that for you, J." You admitted with a slight smile, slowly approaching as if she were a startled dear in a beartrap. "But... If I had to guess, you're jealous that... I'm spending all this time with Iso, doing all the stuff you and I usually do?"

Jett's gaze remained glued to the floor tiles, hands stuck to her side. The burning feeling on her face wouldn't go away. She was completely embarrassed. Something so simple... made her upset? Groaning, she covered her face with her hands, turning away from you to hide her shame further. "M... Maybe. I think that... isn't too far off." She didn't want to admit it... though she kind of had to if she wanted you to know why she was upset.

"Jett..." Your smile softens on your face as you take a few steps towards her, raising your hand to hold her cheek. Your thumb caresses her cheek as her eyes flick towards yours. "You're an idiot. You really think I'd replace you like that? After our years of experience together?" The question caused Jett to gaze down at the ground again, taking a moment to clear her throat a bit to find some kind of rebuttal.

"You were just... I don't know. You got along really well with Iso, and clicked pretty fast." She let out a soft sigh, absentmindedly leaning against the hand to her cheek, almost affectionately. You couldn't help but compare her to a cat in that moment.

"Of course we get along well. He's my little brother. Showing him around was the best way to help him feel acclimated, after all-"

Jett felt her thoughts grind to a halt.

"Your... brother?"

You could see the mix of realization, embarrassment, and relief in her eyes. It would've made you laugh at how cute it was, but decided that, for Jett's sake, you'd hold back.

"Yeah. I told you my little brother would be joining the protocol a few months back. Did you forget, or were you not paying attention?" You raise an eyebrow in sheer amusement, as you watch Jett's expression freeze and then scramble to find an answer, to which, she couldn't find one.

"I... I am so sorry, Y/N. I completely forgot." She whispered, grabbing both of your hands within her own, holding them tight. "I'm such an idiot- and I was going to yell at you over this? Please, please, please forgive me!" Jett practically pleaded, to which you couldn't resist laughing anymore.

This precious idiot, you thought. You let out a content sigh, squeezing Jett's hands for a moment as you take a step closer. "Drill this into your head, okay, dummy? You're irreplaceable. Nobody is ever going to take the place in my heart that belongs to you."

Before Jett could even consider thinking too much into your words, you'd leant forward and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. From such a quick action, you could swear she was about to float off or launch into the air like a rocket. Frozen, but shaking.

"Jett?" You called out softly with a slight grin across your face, the cogs in her brain whirling, trying to catch up with what was happening. And the second everything clicked, Jett got the biggest, goofiest smile on her face as she proceeded to grab your face and pepper it with as many little kisses as she could before you'd push her away, laughter filling the hollow halls.

You promised Jett to spend the rest of the evening with her after training with Iso, to make up for the time she demanded back.

And fell asleep, wrapped in blankets, watching movies on your laptop. The following days, the other agents swore they'd never seen Jett so happy.

[monin1ca]

Hello!:) May I request for an angst with Chamber x Reader (might end up happy haha) but was thinking in a way of a reader having a crush on the agent but seeing him flirt/or getting flirted with another agent - seeing them and closing off to Chamber! (Hopefully it is not super complicated! and of course if you don't want to that is okay <3)

Thank you!! Your stories are a really nice read:> and sorry if it is a bit confusing english is not my first language and it is my first time sending a request haha >.>

Word count: 1.3k

Warnings: Cursing, Slight Red Flag Chamber ( But that's ok, hes a red flag and were the flag poles... *wink wonk*), sad and tired reader (female), I didn't really follow some parts of the request forgive me≡(▔﹏▔)≡

Synopsis:"A-are you sure? I thought you had eyes on Viper-" "I don't know why I do these things; perhaps it's my bad habit." The male lies; he knows why.

"Viper, you must let me take you out sometime. Dinner, dancing, I know the perfect place~" 

"Chamber, I would rather drink my own poison."

You were in the distance, watching this interaction go down; The French man’s thick and caramel-like voice rang through the earpiece.  Your heart aches; you want to be in Viper’s place. Receiving all the flirting and playful banter, you’ve thought of millions of responses to all his classic pick-up lines. It sounded like you were a lovesick puppy following its master because it was true.

You clutched the ghost in your hand; the thing would break in half if you weren’t aware of your strength. Neon immediately noticed your mood gone sour, she looks over at the place you're staring at and rolls her eyes. "Hay nako (Oh my gosh), don't mind him. As much as you fawn over him, you need to focus at the mission on hand." The duelist remarks, "Get to your position," she points her lips to the backsite. "We're about to start." You trudged slowly to the area, setting up your gadgets.

Unbeknowest to you, Chamber was watching your reaction. He left his earpiece open for you to hear. He chuckles at his actions, he shouldn't be showing signs that he didn't want you. It was the opposite. He wanted you badly, so badly. Chamber himself was confused why he was doing this. Perhaps it was the habit of this fake persona he's made.

"Many sightings of enemies going to my site, please send reinforcements." Your voice pierced through the earpiece, catching everyone's attention. "Roger that, your 'lil gadgets should hold 'em back right Y/N?" Phoenix jokes, "Shut up and get over here." "Woah... Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed."

The mission took forever the finish, you were sleepy and tired. Your backpack was extra heavy, because your gadgets were destroyed by the enemy team; plus the samples Killjoy begged you to put in your bag. You were practically stumbling on your way back to the helicopter. " You alright, Y/N?" Phoenix inquires, "No," You whine. "I'm so sleepy and tired and-" You slump down on the floor, "My bags extra heavy! I can't move anymore..." Neon sighs, "Akin na bag mo (Give me your bag)." You drag the heavy bag to Neon. She lifts it up without much effort, "The fuck? What's in here? Rocks?!" "I'll carry you then, after all you held down an entire site on your own! You deserve it!" Phoenix hums, as he lends you a hand. You mumble a small thank you and grab the mans hand. He carries you piggyback style, and the team continues to walk to the designated rendezvous point.

"Brimstone said the 'copter wasn't clear for take-off," Viper sighs, "Why, tho?" Phoenix chimes. "Let me finish my sentence." The controller states coldly, "The reason why is because there was 'air traffic.' Bullshit." "Ah, Viper! My offer still stands," Chamber hums, "I know this place very well. Let me treat you guys to dinner!" The Frenchman pulls out his phone and promptly orders a cab for all of you.

You all arrive at a great place with gold and diamond chandeliers intricately decorated on the ceiling. Rhythmic music plays in the background, setting the mood. Loud chatter and laughter overlap with the music. "Uh- I feel underdressed." You say as you gawk at the place; many beautifully dressed females with pearl necklaces and expensive purses eyed your party with judgemental eyes. With only Chamber dressed for the occasion. "Don't worry, I do too." Neon groans, "I think we all do." Phoenix sighs. The waitress comes and helps you with your table; you sit beside Chamber because "coincidently," there was no other chair available.

One look at the menu and you wanted to faint. "20 DOLLARS FOR ONE TINY LOBSTER??!" You screeched in shock. Chamber snickers as he wraps an arm around you. "Don't worry my friend, It's my treat after all ~" "This is a scam, fam..." Phoenix breathes out shakily, who was also flabbergasted at the prices. You all hesitantly order your food, and some small talk begins at the table.

"So that's how your tattoos work?!" You say, intrigued at Chamber's abilities. "But- Does your trademark also work the same way?" You stop; Chamber was staring at you. With a soft smile on his face, you immediately cover your mouth. "I'm Sorry- I must be annoying you-" "Ah, don't worry, Cheri. After all, I love talking about myself." He giggles as he places his hands on his palms. Chamber feels a slight tap on his shoulder, "Uhm- Hey there, sexy," A well-dressed woman drawls. You internally cringed at her approach, "my friends and I thought you looked absolutely ravishing... We were just wondering if we could get your number?" You thought Chamber would allow his ego to get stroked and entertain them, but no. He turns them down politely and looks back to continue explaining his abilities. The lady looked like she was bitchslapped across her face, clearly not accepting Chamber's rejection. "I will have you reprimanded, young man! Do you know who I am?" "You're an entitled bitch that can't handle rejection." You scoffed, and Chamber was surprised. He hasn't seen this side of you before; perhaps you didn't like how she flirted with him. "Now, excuse me, you're blocking the way of my food." You dismiss her, waving your hand away to shoo her off. The embarrassed woman runs back to her seat, holding off tears. The whole table laughs, and you begin eating.

The night ends well, and the helicopter arrives soon. You all leave the restaurant and go back to the pick-up point. You were at the back of the group with Chamber. Relishing the feeling of being with him, your fatigue catches up with you, and your legs begin wobbling again. Chamber offers to carry you, and you accept graciously. 'Chamber smells so good.' You thought you felt his muscles flexing under his suit and tie. You were gushing so much over his figure you didn't even notice he stopped walking. You only came to your senses when he said, "Cheri, I like you." Panicking at the sudden confrontation, you buried your head in the crook of his head. The air was cold, yet you felt so hot. You shakily breathed out, "A-are you sure? I thought you had eyes on Viper-" "I don't know why I do these things; perhaps it's my bad habit." The male lies; he knows why. "But I'm willing to do anything to make it up to you." That's the truth; he would burn down this godforsaken world for your happiness. He puts you down and faces you, slowly caressing your cheekbones.

"You think they're alright?" Phoenix whispers to Neon as he stares at the two sentinels at the back. "Yeah, I'm sure they are." She chuckles as she witnesses the party kiss. "Jeez, she took long to say it; I don't know how long I could bare their tension." Viper gags, and the firebird shouts. "Ay! Could yall hurry it up?! I know you're having a moment, but Brim says the 'choppers there now!"

Author's Note: HEY AGAIN, JUST GONNA FINISH MY REQUESTS FROM LAST YEAR!! I SWEAR I'M GETTING IT DONE... (I'm lying im trying to farm for Yelan ok（；´д｀）ゞ) ANYWAYS SEE YOU AGAIN TILL THE NEXT ONE<333

[mezzy-1]

A Bunch of WHOLESOME Valorant Headcanons

Damn I shoulda posted these a week ago but here goes. Also thank you to @eviethelesbian for coming up with the prompt. Gotta give credit yknow.

Neon

Is always challenging people to race her or beat her in some way.  Competitive as hell but just likes the thrill of it

Misses her old home, but brought a lot of her mementos along and has a story behind every one of them in her room

She’s worried about her powers acting up, but Sage and Reyna helping her out has given her a little more confidence.  She’s grateful to both of them

Sleeps like a rock after a hard day, to the point where it's usually impossible to wake her and not get shocked in the process

Has big sister energy with most of the other young agents and lightly teases them if they lose to her.  Always lets people rechallenge her and may or may not let them win 

Complete menace to the fridge because of the calories she burns running so fast, but shares the food she preps.  

Gets excited when she meets dogs and will absolutely lose her mind if someone lets her pet their dog

Brimstone

Despite being the leader and ex-military he’s not really harsh on any of the younger agents

They still hate him for the PT he makes them do, especially because he knows how to bring out the best of them.  

Usually it's reminding them about not letting someone close to them down, but other times it’s about proving themself

A lot of personal records have been set thanks to Brimstone, but the aches and pains from intense exercise are the price of hard work

He is always there for agents when they have self doubt or regret.  A hand on their shoulder, giving them some time to themselves, or a quick story from his ‘younger days’ that manages to provide some guidance

Him and KAYO sometimes take a few extra minutes after a briefing to go over ‘potential strategies’ or ‘advanced tactics’ but everyone knows it's for them to talk about something pleasant before getting back to work.  

When agents return from a successful mission and are unharmed, the look on his face is of pure relief

Killjoy

A lot of her ideas come from something someone says or suggests, she’s always listening to people intently because of this

The chicken design on the turret was in reference to a chicken she kept after her school did one of those agriculture/biology programs.  She named it ‘Gelbie’ and the turret shares the name.

She may build her gadgets, but she prefers to have people weigh in on the colors (hence Raze helping her out a lot).  She lets people pick out some of the colors of things

She’s the tech support for a lot of people and likes using it as an excuse to get to know people.  Also has left notes for people who don’t understand tech as well, signed with little doodles 

Can and will outdrink other agents, and loves dragging people to go clubbing.  If whoever she brings isn’t the most social, she’ll keep close if they need it and encourage them to try dancing with someone

Huge nerd for everything and somehow part of every fandom.  Will definitely rewatch or replay things with fellow agents.  Enjoys talking about the nerdiest stuff with anyone 

While working for Kingdom, she’d hack the coffee machines and vending machines to spit out free drinks for her favorite coworkers.

Absolutely loves her jacket, and it was a gift from one of her friends back in Germany and she does her best to keep it in the best condition she can, despite the firefights

If an agent is a little shaken from the last fight, she’ll lay her jacket on them if they need it or if they’re sleeping.  She sees it as extending a bit of good luck.

Blushed a lot when Raze joined the VP and stayed up late to help her with any kind of work.  She’d make excuses for it too and try to avoid letting people see how red her face was.  It made it even more obvious

Deadlock

Didn’t realize how serious she seemed at first and used to scare some of the younger agents, much to the amusement of Viper.  Apologized a lot after she realized it

Has moments where she drops her formality and everyone kinda stops what they’re doing.  When she isn’t restraining herself to monotone or quiet it’s really noticeable

Nobody knew she could laugh at first but it came out once.  It’s one of those really loud and tearful ones that she can barely breathe through.  Borderline snorting laugh

On occasion she’ll tell people how they remind her of her ‘sisters’ 

Will sit in with the other agents while they watch dramas and whatever else, despite her obvious confusion.  

Is blunt, but tells people what they need to hear to get things done.  Never leaves any room for miscommunication or anxiety at all

Understanding and observant with the other agents, and is often able to bring an element of calm to tense situations

Kept the tags of her Staljaeger unit and has them in a locked box in her room, along with a group photo

Enjoys doing her weapon maintenance because she can sort of lose herself in the work, but doesn’t mind doing it with others

Wears a ton of sweaters, like absolutely lives in those ultra-comfortable ones that are constantly warm

Gekko (+ Wingman)

Wingman will grab people’s hands and try to lead them to things.  It’s always the fridge cause he isn’t tall enough to reach the handles

Wingy will bring things to his favorite people, and most of the time its things from Chamber’s room cause of how shiny they are

Neon loves that Wingman steals from Chamber and lets him into Chamber’s room for the hell of it

If asked to grab things by anyone other than Gekko, he brings the wrong item most of the time.  Cypher once asked for a soldering iron and Wingman brought back a minifridge that let cans and food everywhere

Dizzy passively floats in Gekko’s room like a helium balloon and is usually found on the ceiling.  All curled up and sleeping like a cat.

Thrash will follow a laser pointer around and yes there’s a video of it 

Gekko may not have a lot of battlefield experience but he’s always ready to charge in to save someone.  

He also gets along great with everyone by keeping things light and throwing compliments around.  Phoenix and him brighten up a room, and behave like brothers

Loves having dinner with the protocol, it feels like the dinners his familia would have 

Will attempt to do challenges from the internet with other agents.  Most of the duelists are usually game but getting Brimstone to try something makes his day

Discussed working with the protocol with his mom before leaving, and sends her little postcards from the places he’s visited.  The radivores sign them with paw prints

Will help people dye their hair no questions asked and knows all the places to get tattoos and dye in LA.  Loves showing his home to the agents.

Loves getting together with people and hitting up food trucks, doesn’t matter what kind of food either

Protocol Wide Headcanon

One time someone (Neon or Jett take ur pick) put a Jalapeno in someone’s (Harbor’s) food as a prank.  When he ate it no problem, that’s when some other agents chimed in saying that Jalapenos aren’t spicy.

This began a debate as to what is and isn’t considered spicy, and to test their theories more chiles, peppers, and habaneros were eaten.

This led to almost the entire protocol having a contest to see who could eat the spiciest food.  A lot of people were either trying to prove a point or show how tough they were

It got so heated that Brimstone stepped in, and decided to make a point as to who knows spicy food the best

He made a chili the next night that had people turning red, downing milk and chewing ice, and generally rolling around in pain

Undiluted spice hell

Brim said he used a family recipe and that nobody would ever be able to handle the chili his grandpa came up with

Viper had poured straight capsaicin into the chili the night before, she just wanted to stop the contest and since capsaicin is a neurotoxin she had a ton of it lying around

Brim still thinks it was his cooking

Now from time to time, small contests of spice tolerance break out over dinner but not enough to get the attention of the higher ups, fear of the chili haunts them