#hitting shuffle on my playlists is always good ammo for fics~

[bossalphadotdocx]

[would you save me a spark? we'll light up the dark]

Pairing: Captain John Price x GN!Reader (3rd pov)

A/N: baby's first fic on this blog! Fierce is the callsign for reader. My sister may be a doctor but I'm not one and it's too late to ask her abt medical conditions by the time I'm writing this

Cw: major character death (you, as the reader), grief, medical inaccuracies

Part 2

He held their body close to his chest. Damn his vest for blocking to feel the last warmth left in their body. He could feel their blood seeping into his sleeves, his gloves. Then he saw it. The necklace he gave them fell out of their neckline alongside their dog tags.

It made a soft cling amongst the loud battlefield. And that's when his heart truly stopped.

He regretted everything. He regretted for not telling them of his feelings earlier than he should. He regretted of the missed chances. He regretted for dismissing the hints.

"Wherever you go, captain, I shall follow." Those were the last words they told him through the comms.

"Goddammit, and here you are...going to a place where I can't follow."

He sobbed. "I'm so sorry...sweetheart."

The spark of his life...now only a fleeting embers in the air.

-

They hummed a tune. One that Price often heard them humming before missions. He got curious and asked them, "I always hear you humming that, what's the title?" The sergeant looked at him with a smile and they grinned.

"The title of the song is Save Me a Spark, sir. It's by Sleeping With Sirens. If you're curious, you might want to check their entire discography."

It turned out, Price didn't like most of their songs except for select few. And Save Me a Spark was one of them. In the privacy of his office, the song often on replay.

One day, Gaz walked in without knocking and he grinned ear to ear when he heard that his captain listening to a certain sergeant's favorite song. When Gaz pointed it out, Price couldn't help blushing and yelled at him to get out. He knew he wouldn't get a good night's sleep that night because obviously Gaz going to tell Soap about their captain's crush toward one of their members. He wouldn't worry much about Ghost.

One day before another mission, the team was preparing themselves. Pulling on their gears and clipping their ammo's to their vests. Price looked at one of his sergeants, his hands still busy with his vest, shuffled on his feet nervously. "I listened to their discography, sergeant but...their music way too loud for me."

The sergeant chuckled instead. "I know, cap. Rock isn't for everyone. It's nothing to be ashamed of." They said as they clicked the last things they needed to their vest.

Price felt his ears reddened. Praying no one noticed, he asked them, "What's your favorite genre then, sergeant?" He felt like it's a silly thing to ask. As if he's going back to high school years trying to make a move on a girl who looked at him weird with that question.

The sergeant put their finger on their chin and hummed. He could hear shuffling behind him and some whispers that he knew coming from Gaz and Soap. The little shits.

"Beside the obvious rock genre, I listen to pretty much anything, sir. A bit of pop, K-pop, hip-hop, anything really. It's a hit or miss too." They said. "If you want, I can give you a playlist of my favorites?" At this, he heard some hissing behind him, "Say yes! Say yes!"

To which he nodded, a bit enthusiastically. "Yes, I would love to."

The sergeant smiled and bumped their fist onto Price's vest. "After this mission then. Hope you will enjoy some of my faves too!"

He grinned. Hard not to, afterall.

"It's a promise, then."

They smiled at Price, made a salute gesture and nodded. "See you later, cap!"

After a short while, he could hear whistles behind him. The other two sergeants of 141 and the lieutenant, most especially the former two were giving him a face of both amusement and shit eating grins. Even he could see the squint on Ghost's eyes. The three of them going to be the death of him.

--

The mission, apparently, went awry. What he thought would be a quick "get in, get out" mission went south real quick. It's a short miracle the five of them made it out alive with only minor scratches and bruises on them. He tended to his brave soldiers, all thanks to Gaz for pulling Soap and Fierce out.

Once they're in the base clinic, it turned out that Fierce got a light concussion and they needed rest. They grumbled under their breath and Price offered to bring them to their room to which Fierce nodded, head still down. Price knew they were gritting their teeth, holding in the headache that came from the concussion.

After checking the other three for the last time, Price lead the way and put his hand on their back for a second, to Fierce to move forward, signalling them it's time for them to rest in their room. They nodded and walked beside Price.

"You must rest right away, soldier. We did some damage to them before things went shit." He tried to assure them. Fierce huffed and just kept walking beside him. Price could see them trying to keep up with his pace and he slowed down for their sake. They just got a concussion after all.

For the entirety of their walk to Fierce's room, they kept silent. One which Price would raise an eyebrow at, as he knew Fierce was quiet talkative even with him. He knew they got concussion but this...is very quiet of them.

As they arrived at their destination, Price said "Is something bothering you, Fierce?". Fierce halted their movement to open the door to their room and looked up at their captain's face, only for them to look into his eyes for a second and then lowered it to the ground.

They wriggled with their fingers then shook their hands away on their sides--Price noticed the tick. "It's nothing, sir."

Price crossed his arms, his stance was a sign of patience, silently urging them to tell him what's on their mind and he would wait for them. It was obvious the captain wasn't going anywhere until he got his answers, they sighed. "I'm upset that I couldn't tell you about my favorite songs right away after the mission, sir."

Price's eyebrows went deep into his beanie. Surprised at the answer as that's not one he was expecting.

He was expecting...some self blaming and ready to give them a piece of his mind if they did. But this one made him flabbergasted.

They both stood in silence, in the hall which thankfully no one was there to witness his moment of weakness. He scratched his mustache, a poor attempt in trying to calm down the sudden thumping of his heart. He uncrossed his arms and put them on his hips instead.

He smiled and patted Fierce's shoulder.

"It's fine, Fierce. There's always tomorrow. How about this, you can come into my office tomorrow morning and we can listen to your favorites together?" He offered.

Please say yes. Please say yes. Goodness, this feeling is worse than being shot in the shoulder.

They beamed. And it was one of the most beautiful sight Price ever laid his eyes on and he subconsciously smiled too. Fierce nodded so fast, their eyes squinted from how big their smile was it made Price worry because the last thing they all need was another trip back to the base clinic.

Then Fierce clutched their head and Price quickly grabbed their arms to help them balance themself. They quickly reassured him, sheepishly, they said "It's okay, cap. I got too excited, nothing a short rest won't help." They quickly opened their door and walked into their room.

But before they had the chance to close the door, Price held it open with his hand, leaning a bit inside and quickly he told them, "John."

Fierce looked up, confusion evident on their face.

"You can call me John...when we're in private."

The sergeant grinned, white teeth on display, and nodded. "I will see you tomorrow...John."

---

Final A/N: TBH I DIDN'T EXPECT TO MAKE IT THIS LONG and make it a series to boot? Oh god forbid. This fic alone took me almost a week what with work and masters degree I'm currently having. Don't ask when the next update is, but I'm surely hooked w this fic to continue it!

[imagineabrighterworld]

Sunshine in the Night pt. 5

It wasn't often that Tokoyami encountered villains while out on a walk, especially on the rare breaks from school. It was almost ironic that he met more villains because of school than out of it. But it was Sunday night when he was thrown into a fight with several villains fresh from escaping a bank.

"Stay where you are and I will not have to resort to violence!" The Jet-Black hero in training shouts at the trio, Dark Shadow already covering him like an impenetrable armor.

The leader laughs, arms full of bags of cash. “You're scarin’ no one kid! Get outta the way if you don't want to get hurt!” From his skin, small missiles are launched in random directions, aimlessly exploding and causing havoc for the civilians around them.

Dark Shadows arms lengthen and catch the missiles headed toward the people still left in the area, crushing them into itself, not minding the explosion as it detonates in itself. It was nighttime, meaning Dark Shadow had plenty of strength to tank a few small explosions. Maybe it had Bakugou to thank for that.

Tokoyami runs at the leader, evading his missiles and weak kicks with his fluid agility. The criminal grunts and drops the money to free his arms, but he only leaves himself open as the young hero plants a well placed hit to his solar plexus, causing the villain to double over in pain.

With another hit, Tokoyami sends the leader into unconsciousness. Taking no chances, he uses his body weight to hold down the villain, his knee planted on the villains back while binding his arms in a tight hold.

“Shit!”

Tokoyami turns his attention to one of the three villains, his eyes narrowing with anger. The lackey’s fists were covered in blood, and there was no questioning where it came from.

Seeing the look on Tokoyami’s face the two lackeys merge into one, setting their sights on fleeing before any more heroes arrive. “Lets get out of here!” But as they merge and grow to a towering height, their body collides with the electrical post next to them, the wires tangling in their hair and around their neck. With a pained shriek, they flail their body and break the transmission lines, effectively sending the city into darkness.

.

He was calm.

Was.

A familiar thrum of power floods Tokoyami as Dark Shadow roars to life, gathering power from the darkness around them. It lifts the villain underneath their grasp and squeezes him in it's claws. The sound of bones grinding against each other would haunt Tokoyami forever.

“Dark Shadow- Stop this!” Tokoyami struggles to pull himself together as Dark Shadow engulfs him. He felt like he was drowning, and all he could hear were the terrified screams of the civilians he had been protecting.

Now they needed protection from him.

What kind of cruel irony was that?

He didn't know what was going on on the outside. He had no sense of time as he vaguely feels Dark Shadow lumber forward, doing who knows what. Muffled screams of fear were all that he could take count of.

It was his own personal hell being stuck inside Dark Shadow.

He felt monstrous.

Like a villain.

It was only when a flare was shot at Dark Shadow that he understood where the dark being was headed.

The familiar face of Hound Dog pierced through the dark, he could make out a flare gun in the counselors hand.

All he remembered next was how loud Dark Shadow screamed when the lights of U.A. shown upon them both, effectively sending the being reeling back into him. 

-   - -

It was silent the next day, and no one knew how to comfort their classmate. No hello’s got through to him, no invitations to lunch, no jokes or jabs even incited a chuckle. Nothing.

He looked haunted, and they knew if they didn't get through to him soon, he would be in an even worse state.

With hushed whispers, the students leave the classroom to go to lunch, leaving him alone as he stays still in his seat, his fists clenched and shaking.

But they didn't leave to escape him. No, they left to bring in a gentle reinforcement. You.

“Hey.”

Tokoyami opens his bloodshot eyes. Forcing himself to look at you, he couldn’t hide the tiredness he felt. He couldn't force himself to lie to you. But couldn't force himself to speak either.

You take a seat in front of him, sitting backwards in order to face him. The others had informed you of what happened. It was hard to imagine the normally chipper Dark Shadow to be so violent, to both Tokoyami and to a villain, but it only took a look at him to know they were not exaggerating.

“I want you to know, it's okay to be angry.”

Nothing.

“It's okay to feel angry and upset. To feel used- because I know that look. You told me about your training camp. When Dark Shadow got out of control. How you felt used, like your body wasn't your own. I understand.”

A twitch of a hand.

“But what happened wasn't your fault. You didn't cause damage to do damage. You stepped up to be a hero, and something out of your control happened. That doesn't make you a monster Yami.”

“I could have killed him.” His voice is strangled as it comes out, forced and choppy. He hisses. “I could have killed everyone there, and it would be my fault.”

You stay quiet, waiting for him to continue. But when he doesn't, you inhale and keep going, trying to find the center of what he was feeling.

“Do you see yourself as a monster?”

“Am I not one?” He looks at you intensely, eyes crazed with anguish. “Am I the cage, or am I the lion?”

There it was, the issue he had been burying since the night of the incident. You found it. His breaking point.

You reach out for his hands, using no force at all in order to open them to hold them in your own. Bloody crescents marred his palms where he had dug his nails into his flesh, but for now you ignored it.

Looking him in the eyes, you affirm to him. “You are no monster. You are a hero. You can choose what you want to be Yami, this doesn't control you.” You squeeze his hands and bring them close, hoping your warmth would warm his cold hands. It was as if his body was refusing him comfort. So you would do it for him.

“Forget about what could have been, and think of what can be. That's what is important. What you can do now.” Again you squeeze his hands. Vaguely, you feel him squeeze back. “You can train harder. You can prepare for blackouts and dark nights. You can do so much, Yami. But don't look at the things out of your control.”

A quivering exhale brings your attention to his face. He looked tired, but more at ease, if that made any sense. He squeezes your hands and brings them to his beak. He couldn't kiss, but the sentiment was there as he closes his eyes and breathes in slowly to steady himself.

“Thank you. For your words. And for being here.”

You smile and close your eyes, shuffling in closer and resting your head against his. “I told you, if I was going to be with you, I would be your anchor. You're a ship Romeo, and I’ll be here when you need to slow down and take it easy.” 

He opens his eyes and smiles at you. “I will remember that.”

You kiss his knuckles. “Good.”

Extra: 

“Im sorry! Im sorry!” Dark Shadow scrambles about, waving its arms as it wails, “Never meant to hurt!”

You pat the shadow’s head, an awkward smile on your lips. It had been apologizing profusely ever since you came to walk with Tokoyami after classes were over. “It’s okay, it’s something we have to practice but we know you didn’t mean to hurt anyone. Right Romeo?” You look at Tokoyami who was- meters away from you.

“Romeo?” You asks again, unsure of why he was so transfixed on the tree next to him.

He snaps his gaze to you, eyes full of wonder as he utters a simple phrase.

“This is an apple tree.”

You don’t know how to respond.

“How long have we been walking past this tree without me knowing?” He sounds affronted as he once again looks at the tree with admiring eyes. Even moreso than he looks at you.

Was it weird to be envious of a fruit tree?

You sigh and continue on your walk. So much for him being yours.

- - -

Tag List: @evierena , @aradias-crypt , @kisshuggay