#he knew we needed an upper after the chuckle sandwich announcement

[flamingpaige]

GUYS IT’S REALLLLL THIS IS NOT A DRILL

[cali-holland]

Earned It- Loki One Shot

Pairing: Loki x Reader

Prompt: When Thor brings Loki to stay with the Avengers, the team decides to prove just how much the God of Mischief has changed by assigning you to earn his trust; but you end up earning more than that. 

Word Count: 3700

~~~

“But why me?” You let out an exasperated whine, “He knows me the least.”

“It’s not just that.” Steve nodded, “You weren’t there when he tried taking over the world, so you’re the best candidate.”

“So what? I’m chosen just because he’s never tried to kill me directly before?”

“Basically. Plus, you’re a hot, young girl that Loki would totally mess with.” Tony added, making Natasha hit him over the back of his head and you roll your eyes. “I’m just saying that you have more assets than I do when it comes to gaining the God of Mischief’s trust.”

“Thanks, Tony.” You replied in a flat tone.

“Will you do it, Y/N? It’s the best way to see if he has changed and if we can actually trust him.” Steve said.

“If I’m our only hope, then sure, but, I swear, if Loki tries anything on me, Thor, you will no longer have a brother.”

“Get in line.” Clint laughed dryly.

“Yeah, you’ll have to wait your turn for that.” Bruce said.

“Hey, now, no one will be killing my brother. He has changed.” Thor said. When the mighty God of Thunder first approached the Avengers about his brother staying in the compound with them, they were all quick to say no. Thor then went into detail about Loki’s redeeming actions while his brother walked into the room. After putting away their drawn weapons, Tony locked Loki in one of the cells, so that the team could discuss the issue at hand. That’s when Tony, Natasha, and Steve came up with the brilliant idea of using you as bait. You, the newest Avenger that has never even formally met Loki before, were chosen as the person to draw him out. You would somehow gain his trust and learn whether or not he has truly changed. If he never trusted you, then he was the same Loki as years ago; if he trusted you, then he had changed.

With your decision made, the Avengers left their meeting room to the cells. You all stood before Loki as he beamed mischievously at the sight before him. Tony opened the cell up and allowed the God to step out.

“Alright, reindeer games, we’ve got some rules that you must comply to- if you are to stay here.” Tony stated.

“Ah, rules- don’t you just love them and the chaos they bring?” Loki replied and Steve scolded Natasha as she began to curl her fists.

“Look,” Steve said, stepping up, “You’re not allowed to leave the compound unless one of us agrees to go with you; you cannot create any chaos inside or outside of the compound; you’re not allowed anywhere near the ships or weaponry-”

“I get it. I’m under house arrest. I’ve been in trouble before.” He stated, “Now, where is my bedroom? I’d like to catch up on some sleep.”

“Follow me, brother.” Thor said, leading Loki up the stairs as everyone dismantled from their protective stances. You watched as the two brother headed up the spiral staircase and you caught how Loki peered over his shoulder at you. You were quick to turn your head and invest yourself in a conversation with Steve.

~~~

That night, Loki did not come downstairs for dinner. Thor offered to take him a plate, but you insisted on doing it- that way, you could introduce yourself properly to him. Thor, knowing your intentions well, allowed you to take his place in serving his brother. You stood outside of Loki’s room and knocked lightly on the door, holding his plate of food with the other hand.

“Come in.” Loki said dryly. You slowly opened the door to find him sitting on his bed with a disinterested look in his eyes.

“I brought you dinner.” You gestured to the plate of steak and potatoes.

“I’m not hungry.” He replied and you shook your head with a laugh.

“You haven’t eaten all day. Please, eat this. Sam makes the best steaks.” You held it out to him and placed the book in his hands on his lap, before taking the plate.

“Sam?”

“Yeah, Sam, he’s the Falcon. He’s super cool and there are no steaks that compare to his- well, actually there’s a really nice restaurant in Upper Manhattan that has the best steaks. Sam’s are still amazing.”

“I’m dying to try it.” Loki replied sarcastically as he poked it with his fork.

“I’m Y/N, by the way.” You said, holding a hand out to him.

“Loki, but you already knew that.” He shook your hand almost timidly. He felt that there was something off about you- why were you so kind compared to the others? He expected Thor to be the only one to treat him as a normal person- not some random Midgardian that he’s never met.

“What book are you reading?”

“Excuse me?” Loki asked and you nodded toward the stray book on his bed. “It’s just a story my mother used to tell me. It’s a part of Norse mythology, as you humans call it.”

“It sounds interesting. I’ve always enjoyed learning about mythology.” You said, genuinely.

“Well, as good of a book it is, it does get boring after a while. I should have brought more books with me.”

“You know, Loki, we’ve got a library.”

“A library?” Loki asked, his whole stance perking up at the word.

“Yeah, I’d offer to show you it tonight, but I’ve got dishes to do. I’ll show it to you tomorrow.” You paused and then nodded, “I’ll see you later then. Good night, Loki.”

“Good night, YN.” Loki replied as you quickly retreated from his room. He looked at the plate in his hands and set it on his bedside table. He picked up his book and began to read it once more. He couldn’t help but think about you and how you were so intriguing to him. As much as he’d appreciate you showing him the library tomorrow, Loki got up and made it his mission to find the library on his own.

~~~

The next day, you went to find Loki in his room, but found that it was empty. You then decided that the library would be the next best place to look, knowing that he had shown a level of interest in it. You found him as expected; he was comfortably lounging in a chair with his nose stuck in a different book.

“I see you found Steve’s Shakespeare.” You said with a short laugh. Loki jumped, startled at your sudden presence. He lowered the book and looked over at you as you stood in between two shelves.

“It is quite entertaining to read.” He replied, glancing down at Macbeth in his hands.

“I know. It’s one of my favorite Shakespeare plays.” You nodded.

“If you’ll forgive me, I’d like to continue it.”

“I’ll be quiet, but I want to do some reading of my own.” You replied. You searched in the shelves for a book as Loki continued his reading.

This happened once everyday for the next two weeks. You would enter the library to read in peace, and Loki would already be sitting at a chair by the fire with a different book in his hand than the day before. You would both make small talk for a few minutes when you arrived. You felt, over this time period, that your feelings for the God were growing, and growing romantic. You also felt that there had been no progress on your part- Loki still treated you as if you were just another Avenger, as if you were on the same level as his brother for trust.

“Just give it some more time.” Natasha told you as you complained to her in her room.

“Time won’t do anything, Nat. Nothing is working. We just sit in a library and read as communication.” You let out an exasperated sigh and she shrugged. You watched as she focused on painting her toenails a light shade of purple almost more than she focused on your complaints.

“At least he bears being in the same room as you. He makes every meal incredibly awkward.” She replied. You remembered back to just this morning- Loki was silent, like he always was, and, as soon as he finished eating, he left the room. His presence filled the entire room with tension.

“That’s one thing, though.” You huffed.

“Aren’t you usually reading by now?” Natasha asked, peering at the clock on her wall.

“I’m quitting this mission. It’s stupid and it’s pointless. The guy has been here for two weeks and he’s done nothing. Isn’t that reason enough to trust him?”

“Look who you’re talking to and think who you’re talking about- guess again.” Natasha laughed. She had been on so many missions where she was undercovers for weeks, and Loki most likely had no problem with committing to fooling someone for long periods of time.

“That doesn’t matter. What I mean to say is this whole idea is corrupt and I’m done with it.”

“Corrupt? As in it isn’t good on Loki?”

“That’s not what I-”

“Ohhhh,” Natasha let out sinister laugh followed by a knowing smirk, “You like him, don’t you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” You tried to defend yourself.

“Sweetheart, you can lie to yourself and to him all you want, but you cannot lie to me. You are totally into him!”

“Fine, so what if I am? Why are you so happy about it?” You asked, referring to her blatant hatred of him.

“I don’t agree with you, but I think you liking him is cute. Maybe you could end up changing him.” She shrugged hopefully, “Plus, if he hurts you, it gives me even more motivation to kill him.”

“Like you need anymore of that.” You said, making her chuckle.

“Fine, if you’re giving up this mission, then you can go make me a sandwich. I’m starving.” Natasha said and you playfully rolled your eyes at her.

“Turkey or ham?” You asked as you headed towards her bedroom door.

“Turkey please!” She called from her spot.

You left her room and went straight to the kitchen to make up her snack. You finished her sandwich and then decided to make one for yourself. Just as you were about to top off your own with the final piece of bread, you heard a voice, announcing the presence of someone else in the room.

“Could you make me one too, please?” It was Loki and the sincerity in his voice was something almost unusual. He seemed quieter and mellower in his demeanor today.

“Would you like turkey or ham?” You asked as he stepped into the kitchen completely and began to watch you work.

“Either will be fine.” He said, “You didn’t come to the library today.”

“Oh, you noticed that.” You stated, awkwardly fumbling with the sliced meat before you.

“Why, yes, I did.” Loki stated, taking a cautious step towards you, “I do notice when the one person who does not alienate me leaves me alone.” You turned to him to see him being completely genuine- his soft eyes telling you everything. He looked away and took the sandwich from your hands, “Pardon my directness.” He left the room with the sandwich and without another word.

You sighed at his retreating figure. Maybe you shouldn’t quit- at least not yet. He had shown some feeling in that moment; he had shown that he cared about you. You wouldn’t jump to saying he thought of you in a romantic way like you thought of him, but you could conclude that he felt connected to you.

You took the last two sandwiches to Natasha’s room. You dared not speak of the recent events to her. She munched happily on her sandwich as you two watched reality shows and as he toes dried.

~~~

The next day was completely lovely. The sky was blue and the leaves were in the middle of changing colors. You absolutely loved it and you figured Loli would too. You quietly entered the library and saw him exactly where you had planned to: sitting in that same arm chair with yet another book.

“Loki,” You said, making your presence known to him. He peered over his book at you and offered a smile, “I was wondering if you’d like to go outside- since, you know, you’ve kind of lived in this room for the past couple of weeks.”

“Outside? You would accompany me outside?” He asked, completely thrown off by your question.

“Yes. It’s a beautiful day. I was going to visit the park and I thought that you might like to join me.” You explained yourself.

“I would like that.” Loki said. He set the book on the table and stood up. Using his magic, he changed his clothes from Asgardian wear to Midgardian casual attire. You smiled at him, admiring his change.

You took Loki to the nearest park, much to the dismay of some of your fellow teammates. Thor offered to tag along, but Natasha quickly shut that down. Thor was far too recognizable and anyone could recognize Loki if they had seen his brother. You were pleased about introducing Loki to feeding the ducks with the few pieces of bread that you had smuggled from the compound. From what you could tell, he enjoyed it. It was the simplest thing, yet it displayed Loki’s humaneness in such a strong way. He never really stopped genuinely smiling while at the park and all of it was because of you.

~~~

Loki was pacing around in his room the next day, rehearsing how he should ask you out. He wanted to take you to that restaurant that served the steak you loved, but he didn’t know how Midgardian dating worked.

“Brother!” Thor greeted, walking into Loki’s room unannounced and startling him.

“Thor, have you forgotten how to knock?” He asked with a sigh.

“I heard you pacing. Is anything on your mind?”

“Why would anything be on my mind? I’m fine.” His reply was defensive as he attempted to conceal his emotions. As the God of Mischief, he is normally much better at it, but his feelings for you had grown too great for him to easily cope with.

“Does this have anything to do with Lady Y/N?” Thor inquired.

“What are you on about, brother? This has nothing to do with her. Nothing is wrong.” Loki stated.

“Whatever you say, I shall believe, but I do think you should ask her sooner than later. Unlike us, Lady Y/N does not have thousands of years.” He spoke with a calm smile.

“Is that all?”

“Well, I was originally sent to ask if you were joining us for dinner, so will you?”

“It depends if I am hungry or not. You can leave now, Thor.” Loki said and his brother exited with his hands up in surrender. Loki looked at himself in the mirror and cast an illusion so that he was in casual clothing for the second day in a row. He left his room and headed straight to yours. As he was about to knock, he realized your door was cracked open and that you were speaking to someone in your room.

“I’m actually glad I didn’t quit.”

“I’m glad you didn’t, too.” Natasha said, “It seems to be working.”

“I learned from the best.” You laughed, referring to your best friend before you.

“Do you think he’s changed?”

“I think Loki has.” He froze hearing you mention his name. His heart hammered in his chest, “He seems kinder and gentler. I still feel bad though. A part of me wishes I gave up, but a part of me is proud that I’m going through with this mission.”

‘Mission?’ Loki thought. He felt a stinging pain build up in his heart. No, it couldn’t be. He was the God of Mischief. There was no way you, a mere Midgardian, could have tricked him- and there was no way you could have tricked him into falling in love with you.

“Going undercover is hard, but you have done it well, even if your target was the God of Mischief.” Natasha replied proudly. Loki heard you two come closer to the door, but he wasn’t quick enough to move. His feet were planted in that moment- replaying your words in his head. As you opened the door to reveal him, he used his magic to transform him back to his Asgardian self.

“Loki-“ you started. Natasha looked at you with concern, knowing fully well that he had heard the two of you.

“Don’t.” Loki spoke with a firm shake of his head. The smile that you had grown fond of over the past few weeks was completely gone. “Congratulations, you succeeded in fooling the God of Mischief.” He sarcastically raised his hands and did a partial bow for you, before he left without another word.

You watched his retreating figure in pain. You had never wanted to hurt him- that was never the plan, but, yet again, falling in love with the trickster was never a part of the plan either. You started to walk in the direction of his room when Natasha caught your hand.

“Y/N,” she sighed, “Leave him be for a bit. C’mon, we should tell the others.” Agreeing with her, you quietly followed her down the hall to the lab, opposite of Loki’s direction.

~~~

“Well, this is-“ Tony started after taking a deep breath, but was cut off by Steve.

“Bad. This is bad.” He stated. You could feel all of their eyes watching you, as you kept your eyes focused on the ground beneath you. “Thor, what do you suggest we do?”

“I do not know.” The God replied, “I have never seen my brother act the way he was with Y/N before. He showed a whole different level of respect and compassion for her-“

“Could it be that he was playing her as well?” Clint asked.

“No.” Thor shook his head, “Loki is mischievous and he is great at pretending, but not like this. I have never seen him so vulnerable.”

“You think he actually loves her?”

“I don’t know if I would call it love quite yet, but I do believe it could have become that.”

“Should I talk to him?” You asked quietly. Guilt and pain was all you could feel. Loki was upset with you, and, now, Thor believed you to have broken his heart.

“Maybe I shall speak with him first, Lady Y/N.” Thor said. “I know my brother best and I fear he is too unpredictable at the moment.”

“Very well then. Thor, go see him.” Natasha stated and he nodded. The room was silent as all of you watched Thor leave the room.

Thor entered Loki’s room to find his brother casually sitting on his bed, a book in his hand. Loki lowered the book and looked at the other God. He answered, “Yes?”

“Do you love her?” Thor asked.

“That mortal? Please.” Loki said, rolling his eyes lightly.

“Loki, drop this act. Do you love her?” He asked again. Thor stepped into the room and a bright gold burst came from the room as Loki’s magic disappeared. The seemingly normal bedroom was an illusion and shifted into the remains of a bedroom. The bed was torn apart with the mattress falling into the wall; the opposite wall had a few fist holes in it; and the bedside table was smashed, bits of it splattered around the room. Loki sat in the far corner and lifted his head from hands.

“See for yourself, brother.” Loki said, slowly looking up at the other God. His eyes were red and his hair was a mess from his recent angry motions.

“Loki-“ Thor was speechless. He had never seen his brother so broken and hurt. The last time Thor walked in on Loki in a state like this was when their mother died; and, now, Loki was broken once more.

“Surprised? This is what one look like when they are upset.” He stated.

“This is far more than upset.”

“It’s against my nature to call myself heartbroken.”

“Y/N would like to speak with you.”

“And I would not like to speak with her, or anyone for that matter, so, brother, you may leave now.”

“I will not leave you here to swallow yourself into a hole of despair.” Thor said as Loki stood.

“Despair? How would you feel if the mortal you loved betrayed you? How would you feel if you loved her and she had been lying to you this whole time?” His voice raised in anger.

“You have it all wrong, brother. Y/N has not betrayed you.”

“Leave! You know nothing of her lies!” He stepped towards his brother and Thor straightened up to his full height, preparing for any violence that may come.

“Loki,” You spoke from the doorway. Both Gods turned to you in surprise and Loki’s heavy breathing seemed to calm.

“Lady Y/N-” Thor started.

“I’d like to speak to Loki alone.” You said. The blond looked between the two of you and then left the room without another word.

“I do not wish to speak to you right now.” Loki turned his back to you and you took in his destroyed room. You sighed softly and stepped towards him.

“Please, allow me to explain myself.”

“I don’t need any further explanation. I understand your actions- you don’t trust me, none of you do.” He stated with a firm shake of his head, making you stop in your tracks.

“Loki, I can’t speak for the others, but I trust you. What I did was wrong, but I was doing what was best for the team. They wanted me to earn your trust-”

“Well, you earned more than that. Congratulations.” He said.

“If it is love that you’re speaking of, then I feel it too.” You replied and he slowly turned to you.

“Pardon me?” Loki questioned and you continued your walk to him until you were directly in front of the God.

“I love you, Loki, and I’m so sorry that I made you feel betrayed. It was never my intentions.”

“Is this the truth?” He asked and you delicately took his hands in yours. You nodded, causing a grin to form on his face. He leaned down to kiss you softly. He pulled away and whispered to you, “Good. I love you too, and it frightens me.”

“I’ll never lie to you again.”

[simplyshelbs16xoxo]

‘Better This Way’ Chapter 7: Loving You Holds Me Together

               “Just make the incision right there,” Molly told him. He began to work on the heart she was helping him experiment on. Sherlock had a lot of things weighing heavy on his mind. Would he be willing to risk her life? Would she be safer here with him or would it be better if she stayed away? He knew he would never forgive himself if she were ever put in harm’s way. At least there was a better chance of her being able to fall in love with someone else than there was of her surviving the threat that loomed over her.

               “Molly?” he ceased his experiment.

               “Hmm?”

                “I’ve been thinking,” he began, approaching her slowly, “that maybe we shouldn’t do this anymore.”

               “You mean the experiment?” Molly asked. Sherlock sighed. He knew this wasn’t going to be easy for either of them. Could he trust himself to get the words out? Or would he be selfish and abort the entire mission?

               “N-no, I’m talking about…us,” he managed to get out. “It’s better this way.” Molly was confused to say the least at his sudden statement. His tone was so gentle as he spoke that cruel word combination.

               “You don’t want me anymore?” her eyes filled with tears. Sherlock’s heart broke just as he watched hers break in front of him. He never answered her question, but pressed a kiss to her temple.

               “Goodbye, Molly Hooper,” his voice was shaky, as if he was holding back tears. Molly wanted nothing more than to just run and get lost somewhere. So that’s exactly what she did. Her feet ended up taking her to the Watsons’ after walking the streets of London for hours in the cold drizzle, tears streaming down her face that could easily be dismissed as droplets of rain.

               Another two weeks had passed and things were improving greatly between them. They fell into a regular routine and were almost back to their version of normal. There was one night that Molly woke around three forty five in the morning to Sherlock calling out for her in his fitful sleep.

               “Sherlock,” she spoke softly, “darling, wake up, I’m here.” His eyes opened slowly, adjusting to her face in the dark. “I’m here.” He hugged her tightly to him.

               “I’ll never let you go again; I don’t care how selfish it seems,” he told her. “I’m so sorry I hurt you.”

               “Shhh, it’s okay now,” Molly assured him. She kissed his forehead, followed by his lips.

               “You’ll never be alone again,” he promised.

               “You’re so good to me, Sherlock,” she told him.

               “Am I?” he asked. “I feel like an unworthy arse.”

               “William Sherlock Scott Holmes, don’t you dare start thinking that way,” Molly scolded him gently. “You have never been unworthy. Please stop punishing yourself. So, you made a lapse in judgement. You’re only human. Your heart was in the right place.” She placed her hand over the bare expanse of his chest where his heartbeat accelerated at her touch. “I love you, Sherlock.”

               Sherlock relaxed in her arms as she kissed him, her tongue slipping between his lips to meet with his. It wasn’t long before pajamas were shed and love was being made.

               “I missed you,” he whispered breathlessly against her lips as he moved with her in slow tandem.

               “I missed you too,” she sighed in pleasure. “Sherlock…” Tears sprang to her eyes as they reached the pinnacle together. He was kissing her relentlessly; first her lips, then tasting the tears of joy that fell from her brown eyes.

               As they lay cuddled close together, Sherlock pressed his lips into her hair and mindlessly traced his fingers over her stomach.

               “I love you so much, Molly,” he whispered. “My Molly.”

               “Ask me,” was her reply. It didn’t process to him at first what she had told him, but he soon understood.

               “My darling, Molly, you have always made my heart a better place. You are my home,” he confessed. She smiled at him, a twinkle in her eyes. He reached over to her bedside table and retrieved the ring. “I’m not perfect, but I promise to try to be the best husband I can be for you. I promise to always love you. Margaret Elizabeth Hooper, will you marry me?”

               “Yes,” she answered happily. “Make me your wife, Sherlock. I want to be Molly Holmes.” Her words warmed his heart as he slipped the ring on her finger. He brushed his lips over her fingertips and trailed them down to her wrist. They fell asleep eventually, Sherlock’s head resting on her breasts with her right hand in his hair, gently twisting his curls. Her newly decorated left hand was laced with his, her ring capturing the glow of the moonlight peering through the window.    

Once Molly had left for work the next morning, Sherlock prepared himself to continue the search for the last remaining threat. At his insistence, Mary was to stay home. It was only one person, after all. He opened his text messages to find one that Molly had sent to him to let him know she was alright.

               Made it to work in one piece. Don’t worry about me. Stay safe, bumblebee. I love you. –M xxx

               His heart swelled with the love he felt for his Molly. He would keep her safe no matter the cost.

               Lunch came quickly, and for that, Molly was thankful. She had three autopsies done and was quite famished by the time she was able to get food in her system.

               “Mind if I sit here?” one of the doctors asked. His gray eyes pierced her in a way that made her feel uncomfortable but she didn’t deny him a seat at the table, so she nodded, taking a bite of her sandwich.

               “Are you new here?” she asked.

               “Just started today, yes,” he replied. “You’re the pathologist here, right? Molly Hooper?”

               “You know who I am?” she questioned.

               “Yes, well, it’s not much of a secret what with you being on the arm of Sherlock Holmes in the papers,” he explained. They had both finished eating by now.

               “Mm,” she sounded. “Well, he’s no longer in the picture.” Molly began to walk out of the canteen and the man followed. Nothing more was said until he followed her into the morgue.

               “Pretty convenient that you two aren’t together anymore,” he spoke as he shut the door. “Considering your life is in my hands.” Molly tried to get around him as he began to close in. She ended up being pushed, the back of her head hitting the edge of the slab. Everything went black.

               “Sherlock,” Mycroft’s voice on the other end spoke.

               “Is this important? I’m undercover,” he hissed.

               “Look at the headlines online,” his brother told him. “There’s a man with a gun at St. Bartholomew’s.” The color drained from Sherlock’s face.

               “Molly,” was all he said before hanging up and catching a cab straight to the hospital. Sherlock hoped he wasn’t too late as he tossed a handful of notes at the driver once they reached his destination.

               “Sherlo—“ Greg began when he saw the consulting detective run towards the entrance.

               “Let go of me, I need to get to Molly! Molly!” he shouted. His voice lost its strength as he turned to his friend. “Greg, please.” His voice broke. “Please.”

               “Alright, let him in!” Greg announced. “Bring her back to us, okay? Go, now!” Sherlock didn’t waste any time, running into the hospital, taking the elevator down to the bottom floor where the morgue was.

               “Finally woken up, good,” the man chuckled.

               “You could have killed me already,” Molly pointed out.

               “I could have, but where’s the fun in that if your detective isn’t here to see it? Isn’t that right, Mr. Holmes?” he sneered.

               “Sherlock!” she shouted, happy for the distraction he provided. The man had no escape as Sherlock trapped him to the floor in a fit of rage.

               “Molly, get out of here!” he told her. She seemed to disappear from their view. A gun was being held to Sherlock’s chest as the man got the upper hand. Suddenly, the gun was kicked out of the man’s hand, sliding to the other side of the morgue. With scalpel in hand, Molly dug it into the man’s shoulder blade, catching him by surprise, even more so when she shoved him off of Sherlock, who was equally surprised. The culprit had been knocked out by the force of his head hitting the floor from Molly’s actions.

               “Text Greg,” she breathed. “Now.”

               “I’m fine,” Sherlock insisted as he was being looked over in the ambulance. Molly was being treated, the matted blood in her hair from hitting her head on the slab was cleaned. Luckily, she hadn’t needed stitches, but was told to take medication for the pain.

               “Hey you,” she smiled, sitting beside him, her feet dangling off of the edge of the ambulance. A blanket was being draped around him, which Molly expected him to shove off. “You’re in shock?”

               “Yes, well, it’s not every day you realize how wrong you were and discover that the woman you’ve been trying to protect can handle herself just fine,” Sherlock told her. Molly wrapped her arms around him, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

               “I did learn from the best,” Molly pointed out. Sherlock furrowed his eyebrows, unable to remember teaching her any of that. He had taught her basic self-defense but she possessed other skills similar to Mary’s.

               “Mary,” it dawned on him.

               “And you, well, combined with my anatomical knowledge on where to stick a scalpel,” she laughed. “Still think I’m better suited for a different life?”

               “No,” he replied. “Of course, I wish it didn’t have to be this way for you to be with me—“

               “But?” she asked.

               “But, it is a life you can obviously handle,” he finished. “I’m so sorry, Molly.”

               “It’s okay; we’re okay,” she told him. Their lips met in a passionate kiss…maybe too passionate for the public eye.

               “Get a room, you two,” Greg laughed.

               “Let them be,” Anderson glared, secretly happy to have noticed the ring on Molly’s finger.

fanfiction.net | ao3

[cisco-fics-4-all]

Lose This Number

So this was an anonymous request for: “Reader and Cisco are together, but Reader’s ex won’t leave her alone (not harassing but just continuously asking how she is etc). Cisco is jealous and finally one day he snaps and does the whole “who is this? This is Y/N’s boyfriend” cliche text message thing? And the rest is up to you. Thank you! :)“. Hope you guys like it!

*Buzz buzz buzz*

You glanced down at your phone, the screen facing upwards as it lay on the bathroom counter while you brushed your hair. The contact picture was tiny, set in the upper left hand corner of the preview pop up window, but you recognized it instantly, without even having to look at the contact name across the top. A groan left you, one of those ‘are you freaking kidding me?’ groans that told anyone within earshot you were so done with it’s cause. You set your brush down, opening the message and rolling your eyes immediately at it’s contents: From: Cracker Jack Hey Peanut, hows it going? That stuid fucking nickname. He’d chosen it for you after a cute fight you’d had with him, you had told him he was crazier than a box of cracker jacks, and he’d countered by calling you nuttier than peanut butter, and the name just stuck. It was fine for him to call you that while you had been dating, but he was you EX now, and whenever he used it these days, it just annoyed you. Reply: Cracker Jack Fine. Can’t talk right now, getting ready for work. It wasn’t a lie exactly, you were getting ready to go to work with Cisco, your current boyfriend and roommate, but working at Star Labs these days meant you didn’t really have a scheduled shift, you sorta just showed up and waited for the madness to end, or at least die to a manageable level. You didn’t even have time to set your phone down before he responded, and it took all your restraint not to throw your phone across the bathroom. From: Cracker Jack Sorry, my bad. Hey you wanna meet up for lunch later? I haven’t seen you in ages. “No I don’t want to meet up for lunch later, theres a reason you haven’t seen me in ages you idiot, i’ve been avoiding you!” you hissed as you typed out your response. Reply: Cracker JackCan’t, work has been crazy this week, gotta work through lunch to catch up. It was a vague enough answer that you hoped he would get the hint, but wouldn’t be offended by you effectively dicking him around until he lost interest. You didn’t know why you cared anymore, it wasn’t like you still had feelings for the guy, he was too clingy, and he was also kind of a wuss, you had been the one to break things off after he failed to stand up for you in a bar one night, choosing to let some creep with wandering hands intimidate him into leaving the bar altogether. It wasn’t that you had wanted him to take a beating for your honor, but it was like he had no backbone without you, and you just weren’t comfortable being in a relationship where you had to be the dominant one all the time. Still, you didnt want to out and out tell him to fuck off, because while he hadn’t been a stellar boyfriend, he hadn’t exactly been an asshole either, you just hadn’t anticipated that he’d hang on this long after both had spilt. You managed to set your phone down, and finish with your hair before your phone buzzed again: From: Cracker Jack Maybe tomorrow then? Or how about this weekend, it’s half price at that noodle place we love… You groaned again. “Oh take a fucking hint already!” you whined in frustration. “I’m going to assume you’re not screaming at your toothbrush,” Cisco’s voice came through, muffled by the closed bathroom door. You sighed, mentally groaning at the fact that he’d overheard you. “No, I’m just…it’s nothing, don’t worry about it babe,” you assured him, deciding to ignore the message, hoping that if it took you ages to reply, he’d give up. You finished getting ready, and emerged from the bathroom with a smile, hoping Cisco wouldn’t mention your not so secret outburst. He didn’t, he just smiled back at you and gave you a kiss. “I made us lunches!” he announced, holding up two paper bags with doodles of space ships and cats on them, “it’s just leftovers from last night smushed into a sandwich, with some baby carrots and apple sauce, but still you said we should cut down on how much take out we eat, so I’m making an effort.” You chuckled, taking one of the bags from him before pecking him on the cheek. “That is so sweet, thank you babe,” you said, inspecting his doodles further, “did you cut the crusts of the sandwiches too?” you teased him lightly. “Nope,” he replied with a smirk, “but I did build tiny stick critters out of the baby carrots,” he grinned, “I got bored while you were in the bathroom.” You laughed at him. “You know, sometimes I wonder, if you’re really twenty eight, or if you’re just a twelve year old with excessive growth hormones or something.” “I believe the term you’re looking for, it manchild,” he clarified, “and yes, I am one, you knew that when we started dating,” he moved in close, wrapping his arms around your waist as he whispered, “but I’ve never heard you complaining, especially in the bedroom.” You nodded, smirking back at him. “Well, that’s because, there’s nothing little about you in the bedroom.” It was Cisco’s turn to laugh then. “Ooh, nice save,” he commented quietly, “but we should probably get going, before this turns into weird porno dialogue, yeah?” You giggled, nodding in agreement. “Yeah, probably.” You both left, Cisco driving while you read off the specs for your latest project together from his tablet. By the time you arrived at Star Labs, you’d practically forgotten about your stupid EX, and you were ready to get to work, fighting criminals, and building cool stuff, just like every other day. At lunch, you discovered that Cisco’s carefuly crafted carrot critters had fallen apart somewhat, but were still pretty fun to play with until… *Buzz buzz buzz* You froze, mid attack from your carrot-o-saurus on your leftover sandwich, and glanced at your phone. Of course it was him, who else would it be? Barry was on patrol, Cisco was in the breakroom making coffee, and Iris, Joe, and Wally were having lunch with Cecile and her daughter again. Caitlin was the only one who might text you, but she was upstairs in the med lab, and was a firm believer in face to face communication if you were both in the same building. No, it had to be him. You opened the message and sighed, reading his unassumingly gentle message, prompting you to reply:

From: Cracker Jack Hey Peanut, what’s the word on noodles?

“The word is no! It’s obviously no! Why don’t you get it?! No no no!” You growled at your phone, deciding to ignore his message again, and suddenly finding yourself disinterested in your carrot-o-saurus. “Don’t like the sandwich?” Cisco asked from the doorway, frowning at your curiously as you fumed at your lunch. “What? Oh, no… I dunno actually, I haven’t tried it,” you replied as he entered the workshop more fully, “I was just…yelling at my phone.” You mumbled the last part, but Cisco heard you. “Something wrong with it?” he asked, setting a bottle of water in front of you, “I could probably fix it for you.” You shook your head. “The only thing wrong with it, is that it keeps receiving messages from people I don’t wanna talk to.” Cisco frowned again. “Who don’t you wanna talk to?” he asked, and you really didn’t want to have this conversation, but now you couldn’t avoid it or it would make things worse. “My EX,” you sighed in reply, “he’s not like…harrassing me or anything, he just…I dunno, he keeps asking me how I’m doing and stuff, which is nice I guess, but it’s literally like…every day y’know? And I don’t want to tell him to leave me alone, because he’s a nice guy, but at the same time, he hasn’t left me alone since we broke up, and it’s just -” “You want him to leave you alone so you can finally have some closure about the break up?” Cisco offered, to which you nodded vaguely. “Yeah,” you agreed, “I guess, something like that.” You pouted sofly at him, “I just feel like he needs the closure, and he’s refusing to let himself have it, if that makes any sense?” Cisco nodded. “Yeah, but hey I can’t say I blame him,” he leaned in and kissed your temple, “I wouldn’t want to let you go either.” You couldn’t help but smile at that, the irritation from your EX’s text fading away somewhat. “Well lucky for you, I’m not going anywhere,” you told him, “where else am I gonna find me a man, who will build me a tiny dinosaur out of baby carrots for my lunch?” Cisco grinned. “Well you know what they say, the fastest way to a woman’s heart, is food figurines,” he opened his own water bottle and took a swig, “I bet you’d lose your mind if I got you one of those blocks of butter carved like a turkey.” You began laughing heartily at that, and he joined you, picking up one of the other carrot critters he’d made you, and using it to attack your carrot-o-saur. It was barely past sunset when you and Cisco left for the day, deciding that you were going to try to cook dinner together as part of your plan to cut down on take out food. You made it through an entire trip to the grocery store, and halfway through cooking dinner, before your phone went off again, this time, with a very familiar ringtone. You couldn’t believe it. Well no, that wasn’t true, you could believe it, you weren’t really surprised, after all, your EX was clearly awful at taking any kind of hint whatsoever. You left the kitchen and answered, Cisco’s curious eyes following you as he continued to cook. “Hey peanut!” he greeted you, “sorry if I caught you at a bad time, but you didn’t respond to my texts, so I thought you might not be getting them-” “I got your text messages,” you cut him off, “I just didn’t respond because I thought you would get the hint that I didn’t want to talk to you!” There was a pause before he resonded. “Ok, I’m sorry peanut, I didn’t realize we weren’t on speaking terms anymore,” he said in a sad little tone, “I mean you said we could still be friends, I…what changed? Did I do something?” You sighed, already feeling guilty for snapping at him. “Look, I just…we broke up, but ever since then, you haven’t stopped texting me, and it feels like, you don’t get that we’re not together anymore. I mean its been ages, I’ve moved on, I have a boyfriend now, we live together-” You didn’t get a chance to finish your statement, a gentle hand covering yours, and taking the phone from you. Cisco put your phone up to his ear, a stern expression on his face as he asked, “Who is this?” You couldn’t hear your EX’s reply, but you were sure it was a nervous one as Cisco nodded. “Ok ‘yourEx’sname’, it’s nice that you care about Y/N, and want to be sure she’s ok, but this is her boyfriend speaking, and I’m pretty sure I can do a fine job of looking after her all on my own, ok?” There was a moment of silence from Cisco as he listened to your EX respond, then his eyes narrowed, and his lips curled up in a tight little smile. “Listen buddy, I don’t care if you think I’m a controlling asshole or not, I’ve never met you, I hope I never have to, but I’m telling you right now, if you contact Y/N again, I will be having a very long conversation with my friends at the CCPD about your stalker like behavior, and then I’ll be talking to a lawyer, who I’m sure will be thrilled to write up a restraining order for you. So if I were you, I would lose this number, and probably think about the definition of the words ‘desparate’, and ‘pendejo’. That last one is in Spanish, so you might have to translate it first, but either way, bye.” He hung up the phone and held it away from him, taking a breath before he looked at you. “Cisco, what-” you began, but he shook his head, and you stopped. “I know, it wasn’t my place to intervene, and I probably should have asked if you wanted me to handle it first,” he handed your phone back to you, “but you seemed to be really irritated by this guy, and from what I found when I looked him up, he needed a firm rejection or he wasn’t gonna stop. You blinked at him in surprise, taking your phone from his hand slowly. “You…you looked him up?” you asked, “how did you look him up? I didn’t tell you his name or anyth-” “Facebook,” he replied easily, “I scrolled through your page and saw you had a bunch of pictures with the guy, then on one of the pics it said ‘I love my Cracker Jack’ while he was kissing your cheek, so I did some minor hacking-” “You hacked him?!” You gasped. Cisco shrugged, “Only a little,” he admit, “any way, I did some minor hacking, and found out he has a restraining order against him from another girl who said he wouldn’t stop contacting her after they broke up, so when you answered the call, I figured I’d use a few buzz words to catch his attention, and scare him off.” You stared at Cisco for a moment in something akin to awe. “You hacked into his computer because he was bothering me?” you repeated quietly, taking a step or two towards him. “Well…yeah,” Cisco confirmed, “but like I said, it was only a little hack…a baby hack…like under a the serving size that this guy deserv-mm.” You muffled the rest of his words with a kiss, wrapping your arms around him as he did the same to you. When you broke apart, you smiled at him. “That is so sweet baby,” you told him, “you’re my hero.” Cisco grinned at that. “That’s my job babe,” he said stoically, “fight crime, keep Barry’s suit from falling apart, and hack the computers of creeps who bother my beautiful girlfriend.” He kissed you again, soft and sweet. You really loved how effortlessly wonderful Cisco could be. When he pulled back this time, he tapped you on the nose. “Now, what do you say we finish making dinner, and watch a movie together, hmn?” You nodded. “Deal,” you agreed, “but I get to pick the movie.” Cisco snorted. “I just got Mr. Creepy to stop texting you, I think I earned movie rights for the night sugar butt.” You shook your head at the use of the name ‘sugar butt’, wondering where on earth that had come from. But it didn’t matter, at least it was better than Peanut…