#anyway she is very sad internally but on the outside is very umm. polite and soft spoken and nice

[lavellane]

so nobody asked BUT my mindblind oc's name is [redacted] and i already love her MORE than life itself and. hhhhh. ive decided shes probably gonna smoonch ambrose bc ahah 🤪🤪 ummm hehe ahah 🤪 um aha 🤪🤪🤪

[cheeseburgersstuff]

Hi can u pls write steve rogers x barnes!reader like(enemies to lovers trope) modern au plsss

Hey, nonnie!! Thank you for requesting this! 💕✨ I hope you like it :')

LOVEABLE

Steve Rogers x Barnes Reader

Warnings: language, asshole reader, mistakes, shitty writing:') 

Master-list

You rolled your eyes for the 10th time. Nat, your best friend and not to forget the girlfriend of your brother gave you an annoyed look.

"C'mon why do you hate him so much? He is such a sweetheart." She said, taking a sip of beer.

You looked at her incredulously, "sweetheart? He is a fucking asshole! He always talks shit…" you were about to express your feelings about him when Nat cut you off.

"And what about you? You gave him respect?" You frowned at her words, why was she defending him.

You opened your mouth to reply to her but she didn't let you speak.

"I think you should date him, it's shocking you are not together knowing each other from your childhood." You kept looking at her with an open mouth.

She looked at the corner and got up from her seat.

"Consider what I have said," she said and walked off, probably to your brother, bucky.

You scoffed, shaking your head. You can't stand that blondie, from the start. The moment that guy became friends with your brother, you started to dislike him. 

Bucky stopped spending time with you, it was always about Steve from then. 

He is coming for dinner. Sorry tiger, Steve and I are going to the movies.

Your plans with bucky were ruined because he had to take care of that cute little shit who got beaten by some bullies.

You didn't know why he looked cute to you even with his small fragile frame, he was just so perfect for everyone. So polite, so respectful.

But you knew the truth, he was a shithole, who always found it amusing to annoy you, he knew your dislike for him so rather than doing something to make himself a bit lovable for you, he started to irritate you.

Those annoying mimicries turned into snarky comments and remarks throughout the years.

And that cute little shit was now a big hot asshole you have ever met.

You still couldn't stand him. If it wasn't your big brother's birthday party, you wouldn't tolerate standing beneath the same roof as him. This was how much you hated him.

You sighed again, checking the time waiting for your boyfriend, John.

You looked around to see if he came but there was no sign of him.

Suddenly your gaze fell on a blond girl, throwing herself on Steve, who was quite enjoying her company.

It looked like he felt your gaze and looked towards you. He smirked at your eye contact. You rolled your eyes and turned your back towards them.

You were getting bored when he came beside you.

"Hey, sweetness." Again that teasing tone.

You ignored him thinking he would leave but of course, it was steve grant rogers, he never took a hint.

"Why so lonely huh? Your idiotic boyfriend is not here." 

That made your blood boil. You turned and pointed a finger towards him.

"Shut the fuck up. Do not talk to me and don't even dare to call him an idiot." You hissed at him.

Steve only chuckled and grabbed your finger gently pulling you towards him. You looked at him with wide eyes and tried to pull your finger outta his grip.

"You gotta keep your eyes open girl or else you will keep waiting for him in every party and he will be enjoying with some—"

"Shut up rogers" she yelled and pushed him away. A few people stared at both of you but you didn't care.

"Just because you were fooled by your  fiance doesn't mean everyone is out there cheating on their partners. Not everyone is like Peggy carter" you whispered those words pure-hearted but as soon as those left your mouth, you regret them. 

Your breath was heavy with all that emotions. You looked up at Steve and felt more guilty.

His jaw was clenched. You expected to see hate and anger in his eyes but you saw the worst, sadness. 

He didn't say anything just looked at you for a few seconds and walked away. 

You ran your hand from your hair in frustration. You crossed the limit you knew, you just wanted to make him angry.

Your eyes fell on bucky and nat, they gave you a disappointed look before running outside towards Steve.

~

It had been a week since that disaster and your guilt was doubled in those days.

You just couldn't forget the emotions you saw in those beautiful baby blue eyes.

You were thinking to apologize to him, it was difficult, very difficult but necessary.

But you didn't see Steve after that night. Mat and buck weren't talking to you, just a few words here and there. 

You felt like a criminal. You remember the day when Peggy broke the engagement, three years ago. He was so sad that day, you even heard him cry in bucky's room.

You remember how happy he was on his engagement day. The way he looked at her, the love in his eyes, you felt so weird that day. 

You didn't even want to attend his engagement party but of course bucky forced you. That little shit trapped you to come along with him, saying you were just jealous. 

You would have broken his head hearing if Nat didn't come between you two siblings.

Anyway, you still were thinking about his red puffy eyes from all the crying session when suddenly you buzzed bringing you out of your thoughts.

You looked at your phone. It was a text from an unknown number, with an address and time, along with a picture of your lovely boyfriend with some girl. You couldn't see her face clearly.

You frowned seeing that message. Now you wanted to know whether steve was true or not. 

A part of you believed him, yes you disliked him but still, you knew him from. your childhood.

He would never try to create misunderstandings between you and your boyfriend just to annoy you. 

"Still you talked shit about his love life huh" your inner self made you feel more horrible.

You groaned and fell on the bed with a thud. 

You decide to go to that address and then you would apologize to Steve as well.

~

It was a small cafe, you arrived a bit earlier than the time mentioned.

You didn't know who texted you and who's gonna bless you with their presence there. 

You kept waiting outside the cafe. Some time passed and no one appeared and you started to think it was some silly prank on you. But suddenly you saw John coming out of his car with some bimbo.

She was clinging to him. They didn't notice you and were walking inside the cafe when you marched in front of them.

The expressions on John's face, you would have laughed in any other situation with that moment you were furious.

He called your name with shock, of course not accepting you there. 

That girl just looked at you with confused, annoyed expressions.

You kept looking at him with anger, not knowing what to say.

That is what happens with you, always saying wrong things at the wrong time and when you have to say nasty stuff, nothing comes out of your mouth.

This was your anger.

"Who is she Johnny" that girl with her annoyingly high-pitched voice.

You cringed at her, "his girlfriend" you glared at her.

She got shocked at the revelation, "which I assumed you didn't even know about" you added.

And then it was two of them, she started to fight him ignoring you and the other people around you.

And strangling you were enjoying it. And suddenly she slapped his face. You covered your mouth with shock and to control your laughter too.

She walked off still cursing towards him. John glared at you. His eyes were filled with eyes. And that moment you thought why were you with that asshole.

Suddenly he grabbed your arm and forcefully dragged you towards the corner.

You freed your arm from his grip. You opened your mouth to talk but he cut you off.

"She slapped me in front of everyone because of you. How did you even get here huh" you were beyond shocked at his words.

And this is the guy for whom you talked shit to Rogers. She groaned internally.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now? You are the fucker who is cheating on me and still have the audacity to blame me! Like wow," you yelled at him.

He grabbed you again, this time with much more force, "do not talk with me like that" he murmured.

"Let me go, you idiot. Steve was so right about you, I was so stupid to defend you!" You hissed still fighting to pull him off.

"Oh, so suddenly Steve is all good and I am bad huh? Maybe you are the one cheating on me. Are you fucking that— 

Suddenly he got pulled off of you and was on the floor with a bloody nose.

You looked up and saw an angry Steve glaring at your now ex-boyfriend.

For the first time in your life, you were so happy to see that hit asshole.

John got up for the floor and tried to hit Steve but blocked him by grabbing his fist.

"Don't even try with me, Walker." He freed his hand with a force.

John glared at him and then you, "you will regret this, bitch" he hissed and then walked off.

You sighed in relief and looked towards Steve.

Suddenly you remembered your words and felt awkward. 

"You here?" You asked timidly. Steve was amused by your tone but didn't say anything.

"Umm..yeah. Buck called here" he said.

"And here I am" suddenly bucky came out of nowhere.

"I just wanted to show her how wrong she was to defend that guy," Bucky said looking at you still with disappointment.

"And things she said— he was saying but Steve interrupted.

" seriously buck. I told you to leave that matter." He sounded annoyed and you wanted the ground to swallow you.

Steve sighed and started to walk away. You could feel tears forming in your eyes. Bucky cleared his throat causing you to lookup.

He was giving you, go after him idiot, look. Steve lived near that area, so you ran towards the way his house was. 

Bucky smirked and pulled out his phone. 

"All done" he texted Nat. Finally, their plan to set these idiots up was about to fulfill.

Soon you found him walking on the side road with his hands in his pockets.

"S...steve" you called hesitantly. He turned around to look at you with a bit of a shocked face.

You walked closer to him. "I—" you looked around there were only a few people but still you didn't feel comfortable.

So you grabbed his hand and pulled in the corner, a small alley. 

 He raised his eyebrows at you, making you feel weird in the stomach.

"Steve about that night" 

"It's o—" he was about to say.

"Please let me speak," you said pleading yet a bit annoying tone.

"What I said was horrible, I should not have, no matter whatever the reasons were. Steve, I am so sorry about that. I didn't even mean those words, I don't know why I said those things" you were rambling when you felt his thumbs cleaning the tears from your face.

You didn't know when you started crying. 

"It's okay sweetheart" his voice was soft, just like his eyes. A worried frown was on his face, you wanted to smooth out with your fingers but controlled yourself.

"I surely was sad but I wasn't mad at you. So stop crying now" you nodded but still feeling bad.

Suddenly out of nowhere, something came into your mind which you blurted without thinking.

"Maybe you should come for coffee tomorrow at my house. It will make me feel better and—" he raised his eyebrows encouraging you to speak.

"Maybe we could take a long overdue but necessary fresh start?" You pulled out your hand for him.

"Truce?" She smiled. 

Steve chuckled and shook your hand.

"So it's not a date?" You knew he was annoying you. You rolled your eyes but then bit your lip.

"Umm. Well if you want…" you said looking up at him.

Suddenly his gaze fell onto your lips and then to your eyes. Your heart was beating violently.

He grabbed your face with both of his hands and started to lower his face.

His lips felt so soft against your, so perfect. They molded perfectly as if meant to be together. 

He kissed you softly and slowly, savoring that moment. Loving the feeling of them against his. 

His kiss literally took your breath away and you inhaled deeply after being apart.

"That was long overdue too" he whispered, resting his forehead against yours. You chuckled kissing the tip of his nose.

You couldn't believe you just kissed him. That hot asshole you claimed to hate suddenly seemed all loveable to you...

[poppy-pelican]

Darkness on Fire (chapter 4/5)

Rating: Explicit

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist

Chapter Summary: Shit hits the fan, y’all.

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26692747/chapters/66250873

Chapter 4

At sunset, the party of six piled into Barry’s truck. Trisha had tried the phone again to call her husband with no luck. The first stop was at a market for more supplies, then to gas up the truck before driving nonstop to Barry’s safe house.

Riza was offered the seat of honor beside Barry, but she forced Al into being the buffer to sit between them. The other three road in the back, enjoying the warm summer wind in the open air. Ed fell asleep, his snores reaching even over the sound of the truck. Al’s head flopped onto Riza’s shoulder not long after, but at least he didn’t snore.

She was once again hit by how wonderful the family was. It was unlike the usual assignments she had working with Mustang. This time it was about protecting life directly rather than protecting life by taking another.

Not for the first time, she wondered at Selim Bradley’s interest in the boys. Was it worth the cost of the two vampires they had killed at Barry’s home? She could only hope that after foregoing the tunnels, the family would be safe until they reunited with Hohenheim. Unless he had not dealt with his sire. Then they would need to strategize again.

They arrived at Barry’s safe house. House was a bit of a stretch. It was more of a shack, hidden away in the woods much like his other home.

“Take care, kids!” Barry said. He needed to hurry back by sunrise. “I’ll try giving Ol’ Van a call, too. Maybe I can reach him at some of the addresses I have.”

As they waved goodbye, Mustang waved a rude gesture that made the boys laugh while Barry returned the same gesture out the window as he drove off. Riza shared an exasperated look with Trisha. She was probably wondering how an immature buffoon like Mustang had been entrusted with her sons’ lives.

Stepping inside the shack, Riza wrinkled her nose.

“It smell like rotten meat to anyone else?” Mustang asked.

“Oh dear. I bet this is one of Barry’s old haunts from…his human life,” Trisha said, covering her nose.

“Like…where he used to chop people up?” Al asked, the question more of a squeak.

“Maybe you kids should go play outside while I…clean this place up,” Trisha said.

“I’ll help. Mustang can keep watch outside,” Riza offered. He was better suited for looking after wild vampire boys in the dark than she was.

“I still don’t think I’ll want to sleep here,” Ed said. Riza privately agreed.

“It’s probably haunted,” Al said. His eyes darted around the bare walls in fear. He looked more afraid of the supernatural than he had the very real dangers chasing after them.

“This really isn’t fun anymore,” Ed grumbled.

“When was it ever fun?” Trisha scolded, but she laughed.

“All this because that guy thinks our blood is special?” Al asked her quietly.

“He’s a desperate creature searching for a way to play god,” Trisha said. She kissed the top of Al’s head. “And while you two are very special, it’s not in the way Selim thinks.”

Roy opened a window, not looking at anyone as he asked, “There are other vampire children. Why is Selim so set on these two?”

“Van is a very old vampire—from Xerxes. A vampire his age has never had children before.”

Riza was stunned. And Selim would use the brothers like a specimen, like Barry and countless others. Her stomach churned.

“That’s…that’s very old,” Mustang said. Riza was surprised he didn’t know Hohenheim’s age either.

“There are those centuries older than Van, but they have no interest in having children,” Trisha said. “I just hope he can convince Selim this is nonsense.”

“If not, you have our support,” Riza said. She knew Mustang wouldn’t mind her speaking for them both. He’d probably bring the whole team in if they needed to.

Trisha gave her a watery smile before shooing the boys outside to escape the disturbing smells of the shack. Riza couldn’t help thinking Trisha needed a break from having to put on a brave face for her sons. Riza wasn’t around the boys as often, but even she had grown weary from constantly monitoring what she said around them. She wasn’t used to censoring herself all the time. Even when the boys were out of the room, their sharp hearing could eavesdrop.

“We’ll stay within hearing range,” Mustang promised, following the boys out the door.

Riza and Trisha went to work, finding some soap and buckets to cleanse what they could. There was an old dusty bed, but Riza was positive no one would be caught dead sleeping on it. They would just make do with the floor.

While they got to scrubbing, Trisha working twice as fast as Riza, she found herself burning with questions.

“So how old is Hohenheim then? He has to be at least…” She tried to remember her history lessons about the fall of Xerxes, but the dates were muddled.

“He’s not really sure. Over four hundred, at least,” Trisha said.

His eccentricities were beginning to make sense. How many lives had he lived? Riza felt unbearably sad at the thought. She was quite content with the one life she had. She couldn’t imagine how many people he had grieved for.

“I’m incredibly curious how you two came to be married,” Riza confessed. Talk about a May-December romance.

Trisha gave a secretive smile. “The traditional way people fall in love, mostly. It was love at first sight for me. And for him…I suppose love at first bite.” Her eyes sparkled.

“So you knew he was a vampire from the beginning?”

“Yes. It was kind of a whirlwind courtship. We were married after knowing each other less than a year.”

“Why such a whirlwind?”

“I suppose that was Van’s doing. He understands better than most how short life can be. Until I got sick, he planned to age himself beside me until I died. We weren’t sure if he would try to change me or not. He’d lived a long life, and I was ambivalent about immortality for myself.”

“You ended up a vampire anyway.” How very sad it would have been for Hohenheim if his wife had died prematurely. Hundreds of years and finally settling down…only to lose them…

“I’m very grateful for that. Humans and vampires can’t have children together, as you know, and I so badly wanted children. It was my only regret when I married Van. I thought we’d be childless,” Trisha scrubbed a suspicious stain so hard the wood beneath it cracked loudly.

Riza frowned at the broken floorboard. “We should just have Mustang burn this place down.”

 #

 Roy had been tuning out the conversation between Hawkeye and Trisha in favor of listening to possible intruders as the boys climbed every tree they could find. They had spooked several sleeping squirrels and dozens of birds already. While Roy remembered having a lot of energy as a boy, these two seemed to have more than twice that. He was weary just watching them play.

When he heard Hawkeye mention his name, his attention was drawn to the women in the shack.

“The boys would love that,” Trisha said. “They want to see the flame alchemist in action.”

“They are so clever, I wonder if they won’t work it out themselves,” Hawkeye said.

“They take after their father that way. I wonder if it’s all his blood I drank during pregnancy,” Trisha mused.

Roy watched Ed leap from one tree to the other, twenty feet in the air. He followed after them as they circled around the shack, Al shadowing his brother through the trees. Roy remained distracted. Like Hawkeye, he was incredibly curious about how the boys had come to exist.

“And how…how did you become pregnant? If you don’t mind my asking,” Hawkeye asked, her voice hesitant and polite.

“What do you know about blood bonds?” Trisha asked.

“Umm…very little.”

Roy almost stopped in his tracks as Trisha explained. “For us, it began when I was human. At first, he just fed from me occasionally. Then to maintain my health and blood supply, he started giving me his blood. When I became a vampire, it began a circle of blood sharing until it seemed I had as much of his blood in me as my own, and vice versa. And…I wanted a baby. Badly. And I guess, just like a vampire can will themselves to age, well, I realized my fertility had returned. I hadn’t had a period since I became a vampire.”

Roy felt his cheeks warm, and thought about walking farther away, but he’d promised to stay nearby, and the boys’ hearing didn’t seem to be as far-reaching as his own. They were absorbed in their game, regardless.

“The rest was done…the usual way,” Trisha laughed. “But during the pregnancy, I had to drink a lot of his blood. I craved it more than I ever had before—no blood but his would do. And I was very clingy.” Trisha seemed lost in happy memories as it grew quiet for several moments. “And with those two boys, I’m perfectly happy, and my fertility seems to have gone dormant again.”

“That’s convenient,” Hawkeye said.

“Yes, for most vampires manipulating the body takes concentration, but for me it was instinctive.”

Instinctive. The word shook through Roy along with a painful epiphany. He replayed Trisha’s story. Love at first bite. Sharing each other’s blood. Hadn’t he always wondered why no one’s blood tasted as good as Hawkeye’s? He’d attributed it to being his first taste of blood as a vampire, but that didn’t explain the animalistic urge to drink from her and have her drink from him. Those urges only grew stronger the more he tasted her.

He had no idea how dangerous his desires could be. A blood bond was for vampire lovers. Not Roy and his human assistant. Bonded vampires were rare, and creating and maintaining the bond took effort. All the same, he would need to be more careful in the future with taking blood from her.

“And you got two wonderful boys out of it,” Hawkeye continued.

“They are wonderful, aren’t they?” Trisha gushed.

“I adore them.”

Roy was so caught up in his internal distress that he almost missed the vampire lurking in the trees. A familiar vampire at that. The greasy-haired flunky of Selim’s he’d seen skulking around Central a few times.

Roy didn’t hesitate, not even warning the boys before he snapped. The black night was lit with a wall of flames, the wall erected in place between the boys and the enemy vampire.

Within seconds, a gunshot rang through the air. And the vampire was hit in the head. Roy smiled darkly at Hawkeye’s perfect aim before he incinerated the body, angry that two young boys had been endangered again.

He turned to find them frozen up in the treetops, gaping at Roy. He hoped he hadn’t frightened them too much—

“That was crazy!” Ed said, completely stunned.

“Wild,” Al whispered.

Maybe they were more resilient than Roy gave them credit for.

Trisha appeared, lips thin with worry.

“What is going—” but she couldn’t finish her question before more shots rang out, followed by masculine cries of pain.

“Incoming!” Hawkeye shouted from a distance.

“Stay together, keep behind me,” Roy said. The boys jumped from the trees, joining their mother.

Roy tried not to panic when he couldn’t find Hawkeye. He pinned her location with his blood still pumping through her system, and he guessed she had never left the protection of the shack.

A single shot echoed through the trees, followed by a gasp and the thud of someone being slammed to the ground. The sounds of a struggle made it difficult for Roy to hold his position, but his goal was to protect the Elrics, not Hawkeye.

Trisha must’ve been thinking the same because she patted Roy’s shoulder.

“Boys, stay with Roy,” she instructed. She rushed off before Roy or her sons could protest. Roy cursed under his breath.

A savage growl caused the hair on the back of Roy’s neck to stand up. It was Trisha. The sounds of tearing flesh filled the quiet wood around them. It didn’t smell like Trisha’s blood, but as he was scenting the air, the fragrant perfume of Hawkeye’s blood reached him. He had to imagine his legs were buried in cement to keep himself from running toward her in a rage. Instead, he gestured for the boys to be quiet and follow him. Silently they tracked through the trees, making their way to the other side of the shack.

“Ah, there you are,” a cheerful voice greeted. Another one of Selim’s favorites. His sire must be desperate if he was sending out his best lackeys. This one always wore a headband and strutted around Central feeding indiscriminately—sometimes draining humans dry just for fun.

He was holding Trisha in a tight chokehold, her mouth dripping in blood that wasn’t hers. Two muscular humans stood beside them, clearly not compelled. One held Hawkeye with a knife to her throat. She looked furious.

Stepping out of the trees, Roy hissed for the brothers to remain right behind him.

“I don’t think you’re a very intelligent vampire,” Roy said, projecting a calmness he didn’t feel. But the confidence was real.

“What? You don’t want to trade? Not even one boy for these two women?” the cocky vampire sneered. “We only need one.”

Trisha thrashed in his arms while Hawkeye remained still, patient.

“And you think you have room to negotiate with me?” Roy asked. He wanted to boil the vampire’s eyeballs.

Roy considered every possible direction this encounter could go. The vampire was the more dangerous target, but Hawkeye was the more fragile hostage. And Roy could never sacrifice one woman in favor of the other.

Then Edward stepped forward. “Fine. I’ll go with you. Just don’t hurt anyone,” he said, surprising everyone.

“Brother!” Al whimpered, grabbing Ed’s arm. “Let me go instead.”

“No, I’m going. Then I’ll kick that bastard grandpa sire’s ass,” Ed said.

And then Roy saw it, in the confusion of the boys’ argument, Hawkeye reached under her jacket where she kept another gun holstered. Her eye twitched to the vampire holding Trisha.

The rest happened almost in unison. A snap. A crackle of gunfire. Hawkeye shot the man holding her and flung herself out of his grip while Roy sizzled the vampire from the inside out—to prevent Trisha from being caught in the flames with him. The vampire didn’t even have a moment to scream. Hawkeye whirled on the second human, holding him at gunpoint before Ed and Al tackled him to the ground.

Trisha coughed, rubbing her neck, but otherwise seemed fine. The boys ran to her. She fawned over them for being so foolishly brave, and he dimly overheard her tell them to head inside as Roy set to work compelling the men to stay silent and gave the injured one his blood, although Roy thought he deserved to heal slowly and painfully.

“There were two others,” Hawkeye said. “The first is around the corner, and Trisha got the other just over there,” she said, nodding to a headless vampire corpse beneath a tree.

“They’re increasing their numbers,” Roy said.

“And not using compelled humans for backup anymore,” Hawkeye said. “I think it’s obvious now how they keep finding us.”

“Barry?” Roy asked optimistically, but he knew it wasn’t what she was thinking. And Roy’s gut knew it too.

“We know I haven’t been compelled,” she said. “Someone must have spiked one of my drinks with vampire blood.”

“Who?” he asked. Barry would be easier to blame.

“Anyone in Central. A compelled human. It could have been at the Rockbells, on the train—anywhere. I could even be dosed with multiple vampires’ blood. It doesn’t take much to be able to trace a human.” She sighed, defeated. “It’s impossible to know how, but we can’t ignore that it has happened.”

He couldn’t argue with her when he knew she was right.

 #

 “I’m so sorry,” Riza apologized to the Elrics, after the humans had been interrogated and sent on a slow walk to the nearest town. “I’ve put you all in danger.”

“No, Riza,” Trisha said, taking Riza’s hand. “I’m the one who is sorry. My husband’s sire did this. You’ve done nothing but protect us.”

Riza couldn’t agree, but she didn’t want to belittle Trisha’s apology. Riza should have been more circumspect with her drinks.

“The best I can do now is take the first train out and get as much distance between us as possible,” Riza said.

“Out of the question!” Mustang barked. “They’re still tracing you.”

Riza stood straighter. “I’ll regroup with the team in Central as soon as I can,” she said, hoping to appease her superior.

“Better idea, you stay with us until we get to Central, then we separate when you have protection,” he said through his teeth.

“We might not make it to Central at all if we do that,” she said. “They attack at night, during the day—whenever. We got lucky tonight that they didn’t have time to compel me. I could’ve killed you!” Again. Didn’t he know what that would do to her?

Mustang maybe didn’t know explicitly how much she feared hurting him again, but he knew it was why she had become so rigid about his safety. She feared nothing more than being compelled to hurt the ones she loved. She’d rather die.

“Not to interrupt,” Trisha said gingerly, “but I agree with Roy. We couldn’t possibly live with the guilt if something happened to you on our behalf.” She paused and pointed accusingly at Mustang. “Don’t look so smug yet. I also agree with Riza. My sons’ safety is important. It’s why I think it would be best if I leave with Riza. We can meet you in Central. Then she has at least one vampire with her, and my boys are safe with the Flame Alchemist.”

Riza didn’t like it. Mustang didn’t like it. The brothers didn’t like it. But compromises rarely made everyone happy.

 #

 With sunrise pressing down on them, they had no choice but to hunker down in the “Chopping Shack,” as Ed called it.

They all slept in the same room for added safety. The boys slept on either side of their mother, the only two sleeping somewhat peacefully, Riza noted. Trisha slept fitfully, awakened by the quietest noises. Riza barely slept at all, the adrenaline of the fight still coursing through her.

She would generally say she held her own on her assignments with Mustang. She was capable and used her advantages in the sun as much as she could. But what was supposed to be an overly cautious bodyguard job had turned into an all-out war. A human was nothing but a burden with just the two of them on the assignment.

She didn’t want to be a liability to Mustang. Her eyes drifted to him. He was sitting against the wall by the door, dozing off occasionally, but trying to keep watch all the same. He’d refused her offer to take the watch. His clothes were askew, his hair was an even wilder mess than usual, and the scruff on his face was longer than she had ever seen it.

He still looked insanely handsome.

Riza was glad there wasn’t a mirror, because she probably looked like hell.

She rolled over onto her side, putting her back to Mustang, when he whispered to her.

“Hawkeye?”

“Yes?” she whispered back just as quietly.

“Maybe you should drink some of my blood again. And maybe Trisha’s too—before you go.”

“Haven’t I had enough of yours?” she asked. He would be able to track her for several weeks—probably longer with how much she’d had. Although remembering its heady taste made her stomach flutter with interest. Then she remembered what Trisha had said about blood bonding. Was it strange for them to be sharing so much blood with one another?

“Just to be doubly safe,” he said. “And you must have cut yourself again because—” He stopped and inhaled, and she saw his fangs glistening.

She shivered.

It was a bad idea, but she couldn’t tell him no. Maybe his feelings didn’t run as deep as hers. It didn’t matter. She would have to leave him at sunset, and if she could take even more of his blood with her for the journey, she would.

Trying not to wake the others, she crawled over to Mustang on her hands and knees, her eyes locked with his. A charge flared to life between them, her blood singing for him almost as much as his called to her. Her mouth watered.

Knowing things couldn’t go too far with the Elrics right there made her confident. Mustang grazed his fangs across his wrist and held it to her lips. She was immediately overwhelmed with its taste. Then she did something different—feeling bold. She tilted her neck toward him, leaning against his chest with his arm between them so he could feed from her neck simultaneously.

She heard the faintest rumble as he held her close and stabbed his fangs into her neck. It felt so good, all of it. His taste, his mouth, the flick of his tongue against her neck, his free hand squeezing her hip.

Her consciousness grew dreamy then. A protective, worshipful yearning seeped into her soul. There was also a strange thirst. And languid desire.

None of those feelings were her own.

They jerked away from one another at the same time, Riza unable to look him in the eye. She was reeling from the intensity of it just as much as she wanted more. It was only the fear of what Mustang could feel from her that held her back. Or what he might have already picked up on. She couldn’t bear it if he had to turn her down gently, like a schoolgirl with a crush on her teacher.

“Is it time to get up yet?” Al’s sweet voice asked through a yawn.

Riza jumped back even farther from Mustang, hating that she was blushing.

“Not yet,” Trisha said. “Go back to sleep.”

Riza stood and tiptoed back to her place on the floor, legs wobbly. She didn’t dare look at Mustang again.

 #

 “Be good for Roy. He’ll tell me how you behave without me,” Trisha said, dropping a kiss to the top of both boys’ heads.

“We will,” they agreed sullenly.

The frustration of being a burdensome human reasserted its presence. But Riza was a soldier, so she kept her face neutral, even as her mind summoned a memory of her own mother. She’d been holding Riza’s hand as they walked, chatting happily, when the vampire had slammed into her mother. The momentum was so powerful that Riza’s shoulder had been dislocated, and she’d fallen to the ground. It was hours later, after the military police had dropped by the house as they collected the many bodies the vampire had left behind, that the adrenaline faded and Riza noticed the pain.

Until that point in her life, her father had always coddled and spoiled her. That night, he seemed to forget she existed. She sat up in bed for hours, waiting to be tucked in by him and her mother. She was never tucked into bed again.

Mustang nudged her.

“It’s only until we make it to Central. If we get there without delay, we should all be reunited tomorrow,” he said.

“I hope so.” Her gut told her it would be longer. Mustang looked apprehensive, so he probably secretly agreed. “How do you think you will handle being Uncle Roy all on your own?” she asked, hoping to lighten the mood.

He snorted. “I’m going to keep an extra close watch on my ignition gloves, that’s for sure.”

Riza’s lips twitched as Edward turned to stick out his tongue at Mustang. How she wished to be a fly on the wall to observe how Mustang handled babysitting. She had never seen him around children before.

“We better get going,” Riza said. “We need to get as far from the boys as we can.” Her heart constricted with guilt.

She was touched when Al and Ed each gave her a brief hug goodbye. Mustang gave a restrained goodbye of his own—without so much as a handshake. Then Riza hopped onto Trisha’s back, again feeling like a hindrance, but it was just until they made it to the road where they hoped to hitch a ride. Trisha felt thin and misleadingly fragile as Riza tried to find a comfortable position, unlike Mustang who she had molded against with ease.

As they rushed through the trees away from the shack, Riza tried not to think about how lost she felt leaving Mustang behind.

 #

 Riza and Trisha walked on the side of the road at a leisurely human pace in the moonlight. A few cars had gone by without stopping, and Riza had made an effort to look less intimidating by removing her jacket and fluffing her hair around her shoulders.

“I hope Roy is having an easier time of it than we are,” Trisha said.

“He probably is.” Now that Riza wasn’t summoning vampires to their location. The reminder of the beacon she had become sent a shiver down her spine. She wondered if this was what a fox felt like as bloodhounds tracked it. Her fear only grew as she watched Trisha chew on her lip nervously, eyes darting around the darkness.

“Maybe you should run ahead,” Riza suggested. “Scout out a car.”

Trisha gave her a withering stare. “You seem all too eager to martyr yourself on my behalf, but I won’t allow it.”

“I’m being practical. If things get bad, and I tell you to run, please—please—run. It’s very possible we could both die, and what would be the point of that?”

Trisha was quiet, gathering up an argument, Riza suspected.

“I can’t do it. Not if there’s a chance I can help you.”

“Trisha,” Riza said sternly. “I was a soldier. I’ve killed more people than I can count. I was trained in the militia to quickly calculate what to do in a skirmish. If I’m telling you to run, I promise, it won’t be something I say lightly. I don’t want to die. I don’t…I don’t really want to be a vampire either,” she admitted. She loved watching the sun rise and set. She loved spreading out on a blanket and soaking in the sun while she read a book. And beyond that, the fear of living as long as Hohenheim terrified her. To outlive all her human friends would be unbearable.

“So you’d have me run off like a coward?”

“Not a coward. Like someone who has a family who needs you.”

“Doesn’t Roy need you?”

“Not like Edward and Alphonse need you.” Riza glanced out into the night, her paranoia growing. “I know what it’s like to grow up without a mother. My mother was killed by a vampire with blood rage. And while my father did his best, it wasn’t the same. He fell apart without her. She was the love of his life.” She wanted to force Trisha to think of what she would be taking away from her family if she died: a mother, a wife, the backbone of the family.

Trisha pursed her lips and looked up at the stars. “And aren’t you the love of Roy’s life?”

Maybe Mustangs was Riza’s, but he was a passionate man, easily caught up in the moment. He could move on. She was more steadfast, unchanging. His feelings were a flash fire, ignited and extinguished almost as quickly as it began. Hers were the embers burning long after the flames died out. She’d seen evidence of this with his many girlfriends over the past two years. Riza’s own dating experience had been sparse in comparison.

“No,” she said. “And even if I was, we don’t have children together. It’s different.” Riza knew she was right, but perhaps it was easier for her, as a former soldier, to rationalize who should live or die—who should take the risk or play it safe.

“I’m not going to leave you on your own, and that’s that.”

They were at an impasse, and fortunately at that moment a car’s lights appeared at the top of the hill, heading toward them. It stopped almost as soon as the two women came into view, and when the man’s eyes lingered too long on her chest, Trisha gave him a look. His eyes went vacant, body relaxed.

“We’re going to borrow your car,” Trisha told him politely. “We’ll return it to you as soon as we can.” The man cheerfully stepped out of his car, even shutting the door for her as she took the driver’s seat. Riza went around to the passenger’s side, unholstering her rifle. As soon as she sat, Trisha floored it, leaving the perverted driver in the dust.

“How’s the gas?” Riza asked, leaning to see for herself even as she spoke.

“Not much.” They wouldn’t make it to Central without stopping for gas, which would give more time for Selim’s people to catch up with her. Riza wouldn’t feel safe until she was with Mustang again.

“There should be a fork in the road eventually,” Riza said, pulling out a map from their bag. “It would probably be best if we go the more indirect route. We can throw them off, and there’s a small town in that direction. We can get gas there, too.”

Trisha agreed with the plan, and Riza felt minimally better now that they were speeding down the road. It would only be a few more hours until they reached Central. They might have to stop at a closer safe house than the one Mustang and the boys were going to, but they could reconvene the next night.

Trisha was tense as she drove, her knuckles white as they gripped the steering wheel, but she drove smoothly. The countryside flew by in a blur of darkness and shadows from the moon.

The fork in the road came just past a long curve that edged the side of a steep hill, so the roadblock ahead surprised even Trisha. She slammed on the brake, jolting Riza forward.

“Winry!” Trisha gasped, bringing the car to a complete stop.

She was right. There in the headlights stood Winry, ominously motionless. Her blue dress was wrinkled but clean, and even her ponytail remained tidy. She seemed unharmed.

Except Solf Kimblee’s hand rested threateningly on her shoulder.

“Damn Kimblee,” Riza said, adjusting her rifle.

“You know him?”

“He defected from the militia after he became a vampire.” And tried to intimidate her when she’d gone to meet Raven about Selim’s whereabouts. She’d wanted to blow his head off, and apparently she should have. Kimblee’s allegiance was always in question, and tonight it was not in Riza’s favor. Beside him were five well-armed humans. And Winry was the perfect little hostage. Kimblee could snap her neck so easily. If Ed and Al were here…

“He’s also an alchemist,” Riza said. She didn’t need to say aloud that they were immensely outclassed.

“We just want to make a trade,” Kimblee called out.

“It’s different now,” Riza whispered. “We do whatever we can to get her home to her parents. Agreed?”

Trisha nodded, and her expression twisted into the same fury Riza had seen her use when she had decapitated the vampire outside Barry’s shack. Riza swallowed back the same fury, knowing she needed to keep a cool head—to find that same state of numbness that helped her strike down her oldest friend.

They stepped out of the car, approaching Kimblee slowly.

“Hohenheim’s sons aren’t with us, as you can see, so what do you want?” Riza asked bluntly, keeping her rifle limp at her side. The five men with Kimblee had enough guns aimed at her, she didn’t have a chance if this went badly.

He sniffed the air. “Hawkeye, you positively reek of the Flame Alchemist.”

“What are you doing kidnapping little girls?” she countered.

“I’m on a hunt for the secret to immortality,” Kimblee said breezily. His eyes focused cruelly on Trisha. Angry tears fell down her cheeks. “Will you be more forthcoming than your husband?”

“My husband has already told his sire the truth, over and over. There is no universal guarantee to become a vampire”

Kimblee wound a finger around a lock of Winry’s hair. “But he has another theory, doesn’t he? Selim wouldn’t tell me that part.” He tugged on her ponytail just enough to force Winry’s neck to be exposed. “I want to know what that theory is.”

Trisha’s hands trembled. “I’m not sure I’m the best one to explain.”

“Does it require an alchemist?” Kimblee asked.

“No.”

“Then explain. Now. Or I take this girl to Selim.” And then his gaze slid away from Trisha, and Riza felt the moment it landed on her. Every last trace of anger and fear melted away in an instant, and her fingers almost dropped her rifle, she was so relaxed. Faintly, she was aware that he was compelling her, but it felt like a dream.

Then her focus was back as she was filled with an urgency to point her gun at Winry. Steady. Don’t pull the trigger. Not yet.

“Stop it!” Trisha snarled, taking a step forward.

“Hold it, Mrs. Hohenheim. That’s the best shot in Amestris.”

“You didn’t even give me a chance to explain. It’s not like his theory’s a secret. It’s just difficult to prove.”

“What do you mean?”

“Can’t you have her put the gun down first?” Trisha asked, her voice desperate. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”

Before Kimblee could reply, a shot was fired.

 #[HB1] 

 “It’s so crowded here,” Edward said, looking at Central with wide eyes. “So many buildings.”

“Aww, look! She seems lonely,” Al said, suddenly holding an orange and white cat in his arms. The cat struggled for freedom, clearly displeased with his new benefactor.

Roy was baffled as to where it had come from.

“Put it back,” he said. “We’re trying not to call attention to ourselves.”

“But she needs a home!” Al said, squeezing the wriggling cat.

“Then we’ll come back for it later.”

If only it had been as simple to get rid of the cat as the rest of the trip. They had made brilliant time. The boys kept up well with him until they reached the city, and then had slowed to a human pace. And with that pace, they had also become incredibly distracted.

Of course, Roy was also distracted. He had no right to judge.

Ever since he and Hawkeye had shared blood, he had been catching waves of emotions that weren’t his own. It had been overwhelmingly strong when his fangs had been buried inside her, but it remained at a more muted level even after they parted. He’d felt her fear and desire, her worry over the family, her exhaustion…the precious devotion whenever she looked at him.

Roy had taken the cowardly way out and not told her he was privy to her most intimate feelings. Clearly she felt something while drinking from him, but as a human, that vanished when she pulled away from him.

And now, separated by miles and miles, he could still feel Hawkeye’s hunger and exhaustion. She was more tired than she acted. Always silently suffering.

“There, it’s right outside a fish market. It will live a life of pure happiness,” Roy assured Alphonse.

“Yes, cats love fish,” Ed enthused, also ready to be done with the cat detour. Roy was prepared for Al to give a lengthy goodbye to the cat, but the cat darted away, putting Roy and Ed out of their misery.

It was lucky that the fish market was on the way to their destination. They continued with a leisurely stroll, Roy watchful for anyone following them.

“So where are we going?” Ed asked, kicking a tiny rock back and forth with his brother.

“It’s my aunt’s place. There are enough vampires I trust there at any given time that it should be safer than anywhere else in Central. And with some luck, we can reach your father and he will be able to meet us tonight.”

“Your aunt’s place has lots of vampires? Is she a vampire too?” Ed asked.

Roy tugged at his collar. “No, it’s more of a…bar for vampires.” He was not going to explain the shadier sides of the business.

“We’ve never been to a bar,” Al said, perking up.

“Can I try some wine?” Ed asked.

“Definitely not.”

The boys peppered him with questions until they finally arrived. Roy took them in through the back, hoping to keep a low profile. He led them down the hall to Chris’s private kitchen.

“Vanessa?” Roy asked quietly, knowing she would hear him. “Send my aunt to the kitchen for me?”

A moment later Vanessa appeared, dressed impeccably and making the three of them look even more dirty than before.

“Chris is on the way, but I heard children?” Vanessa smiled brilliantly, but her eyes were crinkled in concern. The last child to step foot in his aunt’s establishment had been Roy himself.

“Yes, this is Edward and Alphonse,” Roy said, avoiding last names. He had told the boys to act as human as possible, as had their mother. He hoped they listened.

“You boys hungry?” Vanessa asked. Those were the magic words. They were wrapped around her finger already.

Chris arrived later, her eyes full of questions when she saw the Elrics stuffing sandwiches into their faces. She yanked Roy into the hallway before he could get a word in.

“Where’s Elizabeth?” she asked, her voice the lowest whisper.

“She’s still busy,” he said, keeping his voice casual. “She’s supposed to meet me later for a date.”

“I’m worried about her. I may have given her an expired drink, last time I saw her. I can get so forgetful about those things.”

Roy felt like he’d been punched in the gut as he worked out her meaning. How many steps ahead had Selim been? He knew Hawkeye would come here.

“Yes, she was feeling very sick the past few days,” he said.

“And it may have been…a mixed drink,” Chris continued. More than one vampire’s blood. “I hope it didn’t cause her much trouble.”

Roy didn’t want to tell her the truth, but his aunt could likely read into it herself. He was dirty and unkempt with two boys in tow. The assignment had gone to shit.

He concentrated and reached for Hawkeye, the connection so strong he could almost feel her blood pumping through her heart, or was it his?

“She’s—” fine, he almost said, but then a rush of anger and determination that wasn’t his own slammed into him. And fear.

“You don’t look well,” Chris said. “Do you and the boys want a room for the day?”

“Yes, thank you,” he said. “But I need to use your phone right away.” He knew he sounded distracted, but it couldn’t be helped. He went around the corner to the phone, his mind only half present as he made plans to call his team in for backup, then going through the round of phone numbers Trisha had written down for him.

Roy reminded himself he had been entrusted with the lives of the Elric brothers by both parents, and that came first. He could do nothing for Hawkeye now.

Still, he halted in the shadows, falling against the wall as the connection to Hawkeye went blank. No—he was wrong. It was her emotions that were eerily vacant. He could still feel that vague, strange sensation of her heart beating.

Someone was compelling her—to do what, he could only guess. She’d been afraid shortly beforehand. His resilient Hawkeye, afraid. He wanted to reach through their connection to burn whoever had compelled her.

And then he had a thought, as he gripped onto that powerful thing that had been growing between them with every taste of blood. He’d always likened compulsion to manipulating the laws of alchemy. One is all, all is one. Vampires understood the potent properties of blood better than anyone, and if Roy could just take control of the bond to Hawkeye, he could maybe—if he focused—

He held his breath, hoping it was enough.

 [HB1]It was a mistake Mustang never would have made. Military training was not something Trisha had. She thought only to protect, not to utilize Riza’s sharpshooting. Trisha pulled her behind the phone booth.

“Vampire down the street. I’ll be back,” Trisha said hoarsely, pulling a revolver from her bag that Riza had no idea she’d been carrying. Then Trisha was gone.

Riza followed the trajectory from the bullet. She spied the shooter easily. He would’ve made a shoddy sniper during the uprising.

Riza aimed for for his head, scanning the area for other attackers but several shots went off in quick succession.

Riza only realized she was hit when she felt the warmth of her own blood. She’d been shot in the chest. Twice. She tried to gasp for air, but her lungs felt like they had shrunk. It wasn’t enough oxygen to get by with.

Angry at being caught by surprise, again, she shot at the sniper on the roof, her aim unsteady. It wasn’t a fatal wound. Unlike her own.

Then the vampire hunting them appeared. Zolf Kimblee. Once a member of the militia, the moment he awakened as a vampire he turned on his comrades, then went underground for the rest of the uprising. He was also a terrifying alchemist.

He dragged a limp Trisha behind him, a waterfall of blood staining her skirts and the street. It was enough that even a vampire’s life could be at risk, but she must be alive if Kimblee was carrying her.

“Where are the Elric brothers?” he asked, compelling Riza with a honeyed voice.

“With Roy Mustang,” Riza said, the words torn from her throat like knives. It was becoming more and more difficult to breathe.

“Where are they going?”

“Central.”

“Where in Central?”

“Only Mustang knows,” she rasped out. She had been kept in the dark in case of this very thing.

“How useless you are then,” he said. He made to leave, releasing the compulsion he held over her mind. He was moving quickly, still dragging Trisha behind him.

Kimblee had always thought himself superior to his fellow humans, and as a vampire he had only become more arrogant. He would never imagine a human could get a shot out fast enough to kill him.

Riza thought of Al’s sweet golden eyes, and Ed’s bravery when they had been in danger. Summoning all her anger and concentration, she picked up her gun one last time. She had little satisfaction at watching Kimblee’s head splinter into chunks across the sidewalk. Weakly, her gun dropped from her fingers, and she let her body relax.

“Hang on, Riza,” Trisha whimpered, clumsily shuffling to her side. “We need to get you to a doctor.” She slashed open her wrist with her fangs, though she was still bleeding herself.

She held her wrist to Riza’s lips, but she couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t swallow. Everything was going dark.

She thought of Roy, despairing of ever seeing him again.

Her heart gave a final thump and went silent.

[vivxwrites]

What’s Wrong With Your Face?

*not my gif*

Word Count: 1899

Summary: Carol ends up at the hospital where you work after she gets into a fight. 

Pairing: Carol Danvers x Reader

A/N: This fic was suggested to me in a little post I sent out like a week ago by the lovely @aesthetiff. I hope you like it, it was a lot of fun to write. It’s longer than expected but I like it! <3 :)

“Auntie Carol what’s wrong with your face?” Monica stood in front of the door with her brow scrunched up adorably. 

“Nothing I can’t handle Lieutenant Trouble. I just need to go see your mom real quick.” Carol stepped past Monica and stumbled into her best friend’s house. The gash on her eyebrow hurt like a bitch but she pushed the pain away. She found Maria in the kitchen wiping down the counter and called out to her, “Hey Maria, do you think you could fix up my face for me.”

“Well well well Danvers, I knew the day would come when you realized that your looks are inferior to mine.” Maria bantered before turning to face Carol. She gasped and recoiled in shock at the mess that was Carol’s face. Her cheek was bruised and her eye was starting to swell shut. She had minor cuts scattered across her face but the main concern was her eyebrow. The entire eyebrow was split in two by the huge gash. Blood trickled down Carol’s face from the wound and her hair was matted against her face due to the mix of fluids on her face. “Are you insane? What you need is a hospital.” Maria spoke with wide eyes as she stared at Carol’s face in disgust.

“No, there’s no need for that. This is nothing a few band-aids can’t fix. If you could just clean it for me that would be-” Carol was cut off by Maria latching onto her arm and dragging her back outside. She tried to pull away but Maria’s grip was strong on her arm.

“You’re crazy woman. I’m taking you whether you like it or not. Monica grab my keys for me, we’re taking your crazy aunt to the hospital.” Maria threw open the passenger door and shoved Carol into the seat despite her adamant protests. “Buckle up. You’re telling me what happened on the way.” Carol rolled her eyes at her best friend’s mama bear attitude but buckled up anyway. Monica hopped into the backseat and Maria started the car and drove to the hospital.

Carol grumbled to herself under her breath but upon receiving a pointed glare from Maria promptly shut up. She sighed and began to tell what had happened. “I was walking along and minding my own business when I saw two men harassing and cat-calling a woman and I couldn’t just stand by and watch. She was completely defenseless so I approached the group and the men didn’t like that very much. I distracted them and she got away but once they realized that they were very angry.” 

Maria shook her head. Of course Carol would try and be a hero. “I can see how angry they were. Did you at least win?” As bad as Carol looked, Maria knew her friend well enough to know that Carol was a very proud, stubborn woman. Even if she did have the shit beat out of her she’d continue fighting until her last breath.

Carol gave Maria a cocky grin. “You know it. Give me some Monica.” Carol held her hand out for a high five and Monica returned it with a smack from her own hand and a giggle. Maria shook her head but found herself chuckling at Carol’s antics. She parked her car and they all headed into the hospital. Once Carol was checked in with the receptionist they were led to a room and were told to wait for the doctor. Maria and Carol chatted idly while Monica explored the room. She was busy putting on a pair of rubber gloves when a knock sounded at the door. She ran over to Maria and hid her hands behind her back. 

Today was a slow day at work for you and your coworkers. You were busying yourself with paperwork, glad for no emergencies when you got a page from the secretary requesting you to administer stitches on a patient. You glanced at it, happy for a distraction and headed toward the medical supply closet to grab whatever materials you might need. You then made your way to the room where the pager said the patient was being held in. You knocked politely at the door and then entered upon hearing a soft “come on in.” 

You entered the room with a kind smile and pulled your medical cart in. “Hi everyone, I’m Doctor (Y/L/N).” You paused as you took in the occupants of the room. There were two women sitting close together on the medical bed and a young girl standing with her hands behind her back. You caught a quick glimpse of the blue medical gloves on her hands and smiled to yourself. Almost every kid tried a pair of gloves on when they accompanied their parent. You turned to the young girl, “Are you the one needing stitches today?” Of course you were only teasing, you had seen the jagged gash on the blonde woman’s eyebrow, but the way the child’s eyes widened in fear was priceless. 

“No ma’am, that would be Auntie Carol today.” Monica pointed at Carol but quickly put her hand down when she remembered the gloves she was wearing. You pretended not to notice again. “She beat up two men all by herself.” Carol felt herself blush at Monica’s statement. As soon as you had walked in the door she felt her chest tighten. You were gorgeous, even in the hospital issued medical scrubs that you were wearing. Carol’s heart skipped a beat or two and she was glad her heart-rate wasn’t being monitored. She straightened in her seat a little and smoothed out her shirt. It took practically all of her willpower not to flat out gape at you like some sort of fish.

You turned to the woman, Carol, and really looked at her this time. She was beautiful even with her face all beat up. Her chocolate eyes were bright and her natural blonde hair framed her face perfectly. You felt butterflies in your stomach and did your best to push them away. God, you thought, what the hell am I going to do while I’m stitching her face? You ignored your inner monologue and prayed that you could stay professional. 

Monica saw the looks you and Carol were sending to each other all while being completely oblivious of the other. She smirked to herself and came up with an idea. “Monica, why don’t we go find something to eat. By the time we come back Auntie Carol should be back to normal.” She didn’t miss the wide eyes Carol sent to her and sent her a discreet thumbs up in response. Carol flipped her off and she held in her laugh.

After she and Monica left the room you busied yourself with actually doing your job and not gawking at a pretty woman. While you were setting yourself up Carol was trying not to panic. She was all alone with you and you were about to be touching her face. Peachy, just peachy. 

“Ok, Carol was it? I’m going to start off with the minor cuts, just clean them out and bandage them for you. After that I’ll stitch up that eyebrow gash and you can be on your merry way. You were injured in a fight, correct?” At Carol’s nod you continued, “How are your knuckles looking?” Carol presented her knuckles to you and you looked them over. “They’re slightly bruised but you’re lucky they didn’t split. They should be fine, you can apply ice to minimize bruising.” 

Upon hearing your medical talk Carol’s heart felt as if it were fluttering all around her ribcage. You sounded so hot, assessing all of her injuries. God what she wouldn’t give to- Carol groaned at herself internally. You were her doctor for god’s sake, she should not be thinking like that. 

You had just finished applying a water based solution to a Q-Tip when you turned to Carol. She had a light flush on her cheeks and you shook off the confusion you felt at seeing it. “This might sting a little.” You reached up to her face and gently swiped the Q-Tip over the minor cuts. When she flinched you couldn’t stop the apology that fell from your lips. You then applied small bandages to the slightly bigger ones. “Ok, time for the hard part. Have you ever had stitches before?”

Carol was so busy internally freaking out at your closeness to her face that she almost missed your question entirely. “Umm, no? Not that I can remember at least.” Carol felt herself blush deeper this time. 

“Alright, I’ll go easy on you this time.” You panicked as that fell from your mouth. What the hell is wrong with you, throwing out a flirty line like that. You were so busy screaming at yourself inside your head that you missed Carol’s entire face and neck going completely beet red. 

An “ok” was all that Carol could come up with to squeak out in reply. Was that meant to be flirty or just like platonic teasing or something? She didn’t want to become too hopeful at your statement but that sounded kind of flirty.

You decided to just keep your mouth shut as you worked on stitching Carol’s face back up. For her first time she didn’t flinch very much and she wasn’t freaking out at having a needle so close to her eyes either. You were able to finish in a good amount of time and began packing up your supplies, knowing that you probably wouldn’t see this woman, Carol, ever again. “You’re as good as new. You’ll need to come back in about two weeks to get those stitches removed but other than that you’re good to go.” You gave her one last smile and turned to leave the room, a little sad to part from Carol.

“Uh, Doctor (Y/L/N)?” Carol wanted to facepalm at not knowing your name. She had decided to bite the bullet and just ask for your number because she may never see you again anyway.

You turned around to face Carol, wondering what she might need. She rushed out and said something that you couldn’t understand. “Sorry, what was that?” You tilted your head to the side to try and make sense of what she said. 

Carol sighed and willed herself to slow down, “I was wondering if maybe, uh if maybe I could have your phone number, maybe?” She was trying but failing to keep her voice from wavering as she asked you. She held her breath as she awaited your response.

You were shocked, to put it lightly. You technically weren’t supposed to give your number to a patient but how could you pass on this opportunity? “Yeah, yes you can. Just don’t tell any of the other staff. I think I’d really enjoy seeing you again, under different circumstances, of course. Oh and I’m (Y/N), by the way.”

“Cool, I would like that as well.” Carol beamed at you and you beamed back. You stood on your tiptoes and gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek. She blushed heavily and you smirked. After you exited the room she gave herself a fist bump and celebrated. She winced in pain a little but continued her quiet celebration, glad to have something good come from something bad.

A/N: Hey, I hope you liked it. I know next to nothing about medical stuff besides stuff I’ve learned through the twenty episodes of Grey’s Anatomy that I’ve watched so feel free to insult me in the comments. Feel free to check out my other stuff as well. Thanks. Viv :)

Part 2