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floralcyanide · 11 months ago

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ʙᴏʙʙʏ's ɢɪʀʟ

(joe rantz x fem!reader)

Joe has a major crush on you, but you're Bobby's girl. Or so he thinks.

✣ warnings: cursing, mentions of fighting

✣ word count: 1.4k

✣ author’s note: I wish I had more time to work on this, but I've been busy with work, and a friend has been in town so ): I will definitely post more Joe though. hopefully it'll be better quality lol I just wasn't sure of what to write for Joe specifically so this is sort of a brain dump.

masterlist | divider credit: @cafekitsune

this fic has been cross posted to ao3.

ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴄᴏᴘʏ, ʀᴇᴘʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴇ, ᴏʀ ᴄʟᴀɪᴍ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴀs ʏᴏᴜʀs ᴏɴ ᴛᴜᴍʙʟʀ, ᴀᴏ3, ᴡᴀᴛᴛᴘᴀᴅ, ᴏʀ ᴀɴʏ ᴡᴇʙsɪᴛᴇ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴘᴇʀᴍɪssɪᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ᴜsᴇ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋs ɪɴ ᴀɪ ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀs ᴏʀ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀʀᴛɪғɪᴄɪᴀʟ ɪɴᴛᴇʟʟɪɢᴇɴᴄᴇ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴀʏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴜsᴇ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋs ᴛᴏ sᴇʟʟ ғᴏʀ ᴀs ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴏᴡɴ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛɪᴏɴ.

Joe Rantz has a major crush on you, but you’re Bobby’s girl- or that’s what he thought.

The first time Joe sees you is when the team meets Bobby, their new coxswain. You had tagged along as you followed Bobby everywhere he went, as he did you. The two of you were as thick as thieves. It made Joe a little jealous because he thought you were attractive, and Bobby didn’t seem like the type to have a girl on his arm all the time. Don’t get him wrong, Joe respects Bobby. But he seemed more focused on other things rather than dating. Joe watched you that whole day when his attention wasn’t on rowing. As the weeks of practice continued, the more the boys got to know you. Plus, the more they improved, the more you cheered them on. You took pride in getting the boys in the boat to do better than before. And the more you pushed them from the dock, much like Bobby did in his seat, the more they showed out for you, especially Joe. Joe would catch you smiling at him, and he’d smile back but would quickly recover. You’re Bobby’s girl.

After the team’s first win, you’re glued to Bobby’s side at the celebratory party. Joe tries to keep his eyes off you and your stunning outfit but fails most of the night. At one point, you separate from Bobby to converse with Don and Chuck for a little while. Then, you find Joe, who is tucked away in the back of the gymnasium. He quickly looked away from you, not to give himself away.

“Enjoying the party?” you ask, nursing your punch glass.

“Not really my scene,” Joe shrugs.

“Oh,” you nod, “What is your scene, then?”

“The library, usually. Or the boat, of course.”

“I’d say so. You’re great at rowing. I love watching you all.”

Joe blushes at that, “I’m glad.”

Suddenly, Bobby pulls the needle off the record player on stage, forcibly introducing Don as the live music for the night. You and Joe watch, amused, as the boys shove Don across the stage and to the piano bench. Don dug his heels into the stage floor the best he could, to no avail. He nervously looks out at the crowd before beginning to play.

“Wanna dance?” you ask Joe.

He hesitates for a moment before answering, “Sure.”

The two of you dance along to the music, singing along as well. Joe tries not to let himself get too deep in his head about how close you are to him. You sense this, trying not to get too handsy despite your inner desire to. You leave room between the two of you for it to be casual. When the song ends, you kiss Joe on the cheek and go to find Bobby. Joe’s cheek burns the rest of the night as he reaches up to brush his fingers across it a few times. He wanted to make sure what had happened was real.

Bobby encourages you to tag along with the team to the East Coast. This race was significant for the boys and would throw them off if you weren’t there. Bobby especially- Joe even more. On the train there, you sit with Bobby. You’re mid-conversation about the paper he’s reading when suddenly, Joe lunges at Chuck. You hurry to stand from your seat and pull them apart, following Joe to the other side of the train when he hurries away from the group.

You stand there momentarily as Joe catches his breath, his face beet red.

“What was that all about?”

Joe brushes you off, not making eye contact. You sigh and sit next to him.

“Chuck probably didn’t mean it like that, Joe,” you put a hand on his shoulder, “Even if he did, you know his jokes are shit anyway.”

Joe cracks a smile at that, glancing over at you without moving his head, “Yeah.”

Before you can say anything else, Chuck comes to apologize, and you get up and leave them to it. When you return to your seat, Bobby is smirking knowingly.

“What?” you ask, already knowing what’s gonna come out of his mouth.

“Nothing,” Bobby says, returning his eyes to the paper he was still reading.

“Just say it,” you sigh.

“You guys should kiss already.”

You snort, “I don’t think Joe likes me like that, Bobby.”

“It’s so obvious,” Bobby slams his paper down on his lap, “He’s so obvious, you’re so obvious. Just get together!”

But of course, it’s not that easy. Joe keeps his distance, so you keep yours out of respect for him.

Securing the win to head to the Olympics meant preparing to go to Berlin. So, training and practice is never-ending. The stress is, too, and it bleeds into you and Bobby’s usually chill dynamic.

Everyone had already left the gymnasium except Joe one day after strenuous practice. He decided to piddle around for a little while. He had nowhere else to be, anyway. Joe sees you and Bobby getting into it by the boat and hangs back to eavesdrop.

“You have got to get your head in the game, Bobby! Stop worrying about everything else and keep your focus on the team.”

“It’s kind of hard when he’s making mistakes because he can’t stop thinking about you. It’s becoming a problem, and I think you need to fix it.”

Joe’s ears perk up at that. He couldn’t possibly be talking about him, right? That’s when you shove Bobby into the water. You wish he’d realize it isn’t that easy to solve.

Bobby resurfaces, pushing his hair from his eyes, “You bitch!” he squeaks in shock.

You start laughing like a maniac at his expression, and Joe is left wondering what is really going on between you and Bobby.

“What’s going on here?” Joe steps out, walks to the dock, and offers Bobby a hand from the water.

“Typical sibling banter,” you wave Joe off.

“Sibling?”

“Yeah,” you say, “I’m Bobby’s adopted sister.”

Joe’s face is one of shock. Bobby is behind the blonde, keeping him from throwing you into the water next.

“Makes sense now,” Joe chuckles, blocking Bobby, “If I were you, I’d skedaddle.”

You make a run for the gymnasium quickly, Bobby trailing just a little behind. Joe shakes his head, relieved that you aren't Bobby’s girl. From then on, he paid more attention during practice now that he wasn’t plagued with thoughts of you and Bobby together.

The Olympics come quickly, and you’re nearly as nervous as Bobby. Berlin is an interesting sight, considering every surface is covered in Nazi propaganda. You can sense Bobby’s nervousness about it and try your best to ease him. Being someone of Jewish descent in a place like this was not easy. Don isn’t doing too well health-wise when you all arrive and skips out on the opening ceremony. You watch the USA walk with pride from the stands, your eyes on Joe the whole time.

You’re a ball of nerves during the qualifying race, but of course, that goes away when Bobby pulls his magic stunt, and the boys win yet again, making an Olympic record. You’re beyond proud and can’t wait for how they compete for Gold.

The day comes for the final race, and when Bobby starts off delayed, your heart jumps out of your body. You’re on pins and needles the whole time, urging the boys to push. When the results of who won aren’t immediately apparent, you hold your breath and hope and pray, even, that your boys won. And sure enough, the USA takes the gold. You shoot up from your seat, cheering louder than anyone else around. When you finally are able to meet up with the team, you slam into Bobby full force in a bone-crushing hug.

When you pull away, Joe immediately approaches you and wraps his arms around you.

“You did it!” you grin.

“We did it,” Joe smiles, “But we couldn’t have done it without you and Bobby.”

You and Joe stare at each other momentarily, and Joe seems to be deep in thought about something.

“Just kiss me, Joe,” you blurt, your arms still around his neck.

Joe throws caution to the wind and kisses you in front of the whole world, finally able to breathe with you pressed against him. The boys cheer, and Bobby stands there with his arms crossed, shaking his head with a smile. Finally, you have taken your leap of faith. But you were a stubborn Moch, after all.

#joe rantz #the boys in the boat #joe rantz x reader #joe rantz x you #joe rantz x y/n #joe rantz fanfiction #joe rantz fanfic #joe rantz fic #joe rantz imagine #the boys in the boat fanfiction #the boys in the boat fanfic #callum turner #callum turner x reader #callum turner fanfiction #callum turner fanfic #callum turner fic #callum turner imagine #floralcyanide writes

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bellaxgiornata · 1 year ago

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The Devil at Your Window |1: Snowed In|

Pairing: Matt Murdock x Fem!Reader Word count: 8k

Warnings/Tags: 18+; fluff, flirting, sexual tension, light angst, pining, eventual smut, identity reveal, and lots of black suit Matty

Series summary: In the middle of a New York City blizzard, the Devil of Hell's Kitchen accidentally lands himself on your fire escape–quite literally. When he accepts your invitation to warm up inside your apartment, you're surprised at how well the conversation flows all night with the curious and attractive masked vigilante. He's intriguing, though what you find even more intriguing is his unexpected returns to your window after that night–and his flirting. But when it seems like you're not the only one beginning to develop real feelings, he pulls back and you're left wondering two things: Why did he disappear and who really is the mysterious Devil that you've inevitably fallen for?

a/n: Just a short collection of one shots that I'll update whenever the ideas strike. It'll be told in a style like Falling for the Devil but it won't get nearly as long (unless y'all end up loving it, too). I just couldn't deny giving us all the fantasy of black suit Matt reappearing at your apartment window and all the flirting, sexual tension, feelings, and naughty things that might ensue... The installment list for this little series can be found here and feedback is always appreciated!

Tag list: @danzer8705 @darkened-writer

Picking up the steaming mug of tea you’d just finished making from off the kitchen counter, you cradled your other hand around the warmth of the ceramic and drew it towards your chest as you turned and headed back towards your living room. The small spot of heat against the front of your sweatshirt caused a shiver to run down your spine as your sock-clad feet padded along the cold hardwood floor and back towards your couch.

It was freezing inside your apartment tonight and the blustering snow storm raging outside in Hell’s Kitchen wasn't helping. Thankfully your office had already announced its closure for tomorrow before you'd finished work earlier this evening. The snow had already started to dump from the sky before you’d even left the office, falling heavy and wild as it accumulated in a cover of white that blanketed everything in the city. It would have been beautiful if you hadn’t needed to walk home afterwards in the frigid mess–especially with the way the large clumps of snowflakes pelted and battered you in the face over and over, the cold stinging at your skin.

The city was expected to get a whopping eighteen inches of snowfall minimum over the next twenty-four hours, so you were grateful that your boss wanted as little to do with making it into work tomorrow as you did, especially because you couldn’t afford to do anything but walk to the office. The last thing you wanted to do was trudge through all of that mess and slip on a patch of ice, inevitably falling in a massive pile of snow and leaving you stuck in damp dress clothes all day.

No, you'd rather stay dry and cozy at home enjoying a lazy day off of work.

You were just hoping the power in your apartment building remained intact throughout the fury of the winter storm. You didn’t want to think about losing the heat in your building in the middle of all of this. Another shiver ran through you as you pushed the thought away–hopefully not something you’d need to worry about tonight.

But since you didn’t have work first thing in the morning, you had every intention of enjoying your night. You’d immediately come home and thrown off your dress clothes before settling on something comfortable–soft sweatpants and a cozy sweatshirt sans bra underneath. Then you’d made dinner and cleaned it up fast before claiming your ‘spot’ for the evening on your couch. Which consisted of both of your blankets and the television remote while you binged a guilty pleasure show that you hadn’t had time to catch up on for the past few weeks. Tonight you were intending to stay up a bit late, cozy up beneath your blankets, drink some hot tea, and lose yourself in the plot and romance of the show before eventually dragging your tired ass to bed in the hopes of sleeping in tomorrow to make up for staying up late.

Eyes focused on the paused television screen as you moved, you rounded the side of your couch while drawing your steaming mug up to your lips. You sipped at the warm liquid, reveling in it for a moment before you swallowed it down. You could feel it heat you from the inside out as a pleasant sensation washed over you. Your eyes closed briefly for a moment–it was the first time you’d actually felt warm today.

Opening your eyes, you continued towards the couch and began to lower yourself down onto the cushions while trying not to spill any of your tea from the mug. Just as you were about to sit back down on the couch and cocoon yourself in both of your blankets, ready to settle in for more of your show, something outside the window to your right caught your attention. Your head spun in the direction just as a flash of black dashed past the window and a loud bang reverberated through your apartment.

A frightened yelp slipped out of you at the sound and you clutched your mug tight to your chest, your heart thudding heavily in terror. Whatever had just literally dropped onto your fire escape had been large, especially with the sound of that impact. Sucking in a breath, you held it as you stared transfixed at the window, almost ridiculously terrified it would be some sort of wild animal–like a bear or a wolf–on your fire escape.

Though, more realistically considering you were in New York City, you knew it was probably a burglar. Who else would be traversing fire escapes late at night? Especially dressed in all dark clothes? Except…that also seemed a little ridiculous, too. There was a literal blizzard happening outside, meaning everyone would be home. In their apartments. Making it impossible for a burglar to break into anyone’s place unseen. Plus, it was insane outside, what criminal would risk dealing with that right now?

So what the hell had just fallen onto your fire escape?

Another thought struck you soon after and your lips parted in shock at the idea as you blew out the breath you’d been holding. With trembling hands, you very slowly reached out, carefully placing your mug of tea onto the coffee table before you without taking your eyes off of your window. Gradually, almost nervously, you rose to your feet before taking hesitant step after hesitant step forward. Another sharp, surprised gasp flew out of you when you saw the dark figure sit upright on your fire escape, bent in half as if they were in pain. Which made sense, considering the fall they’d just taken.

But your body froze up instantly at the sight of the man dressed in all black bent in half and dusted in white patches of snow. He wasn’t a burglar at all. With the black cloth tied over his head and the form fitting shirt he was wearing, there was absolutely no mistaking who he was. You'd certainly seen enough images of him plastered across the media.

The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen had just fallen onto your fire escape.

Eyes widening in shock at the infamous vigilante attempting to pull himself up to his feet, one of his gloved hands holding onto the metal railing of your fire escape, you were suddenly overcome with the urge to check on him. To make sure he wasn’t seriously injured from that fall.

Without thinking your actions through, you crossed the last few steps to the window and unlatched the locks before pushing it up. The masked figure immediately spun towards you at the sound as a bitter gust of wind burst its way into your apartment, chilling you instantly while those thick snowflakes once again assailed your face. For a moment you locked eyes with him–or at least, it seemed like you did despite the fabric covering half of his face–as your mouth hung open. You suddenly found yourself at a loss of what to say in the moment. And considering the way his lips thinned out along his face and the way he remained silent, he clearly wasn’t going to strike up a conversation with you, either.

Eyes darting down, you saw he had one gloved hand clutching at his right side as if it hurt him. His shoulders were hunched in on himself as his back faced the violent winds blowing snow relentlessly. Seeing him in person for the first time ever–something you’d never expected in your life considering how elusive the media made him out to be–you realized just how thin and unprotective his clothes really were. Especially tonight considering the cold weather. He had to be freezing.

An icy wind whistled loudly, another flurry of heavy snowflakes pelting you right in the face and breaking you from your thoughts. Blinking the snow from your lashes, you finally found your voice.

“Are you alright?” you asked hesitantly, unsure how one should approach the masked man. “I just–just saw you fall. It looked like it hurt.”

He gave a curt shake of his head, wincing before he turned more towards the railing. “I’m fine, don’t worry about me,” he replied.

Something warm flooded your veins at the gravelly tone of his voice. It suited him somehow, even if it sounded fake. Like he was pitching his voice lower to sound like someone else in order to hide his identity. Not that you'd probably have recognized him anyway.

With his back partially to you now, especially this close when there was barely a few feet of space between the pair of you, you could see just how incredibly muscular this man was. His black shirt clung to him like a second skin, the toned abdominal muscles on his upper body clearly visible even from just his profile. Even the pectoral muscles of his chest were well defined and visible beneath the sheen of black. His arms were thick–far too big for just one of your hands to wrap around. And as your gaze lingered lower, you fought back the thoughts that entered your mind at the sight of how large his thighs were in those tight pants–and how pleasant a profile his ass also had. You wondered briefly if he'd gained all that from working out or if it had more to do with his nightly activities.

Though when you saw him grab onto the metal railing of your fire escape with both of his gloved hands, the movement drawing your attention away from observing him as he attempted to swing himself over it, you nearly screamed as you lurched forward. You lived on the fifth floor, was this man really about to fling himself off of the fire escape from all the way up here?

But the scream died in your throat the moment he cried out in pain, his feet slipping from off of the railing as he fell back onto your fire escape. He let out a hiss of pain as he clutched at his clearly injured side.

“Holy shit,” you breathed out, shoving the window open wider despite the cold and snow and leaning further forward. “You’re clearly not okay. Do you need something? An ambulance or something? Is there someone I can call? Or–or something I can do to help?”

The man rolled off his injured side and onto his back, gradually turning towards you as he lay on the fire escape. You hadn’t expected the amused and pained chuckle he emitted while the snow accumulated on the entire front of him, lightly covering the thin layer of his black shirt. Which you’d noticed had ridden up, revealing a small sliver of skin just above the dark, form fitting pants he was wearing. You tried hard to not keep glancing back at that patch of skin as it slowly rose higher and higher, unsure why you were so distracted by it.

The sound of his amusement soon drew you back to the moment and you cringed. Why the hell was he laughing?

“Are you alright? Did you…hit your head?” you asked him cautiously. “Maybe you have a concussion…”

Another amused sound slipped out of him, but that was quickly followed by a pained groan as he tried to once again rise up onto his feet. “I don’t have a concussion,” he assured you.

“You sure?” you asked, an eyebrow arching onto your forehead as you crossed your arms over your chest to stay warm when you began to shiver from the cold. “Because this doesn’t seem like a funny situation to me.”

“Well,” he grunted out, wincing as he drew back up to his full height, “normally I’m the one offering assistance, not the other way around. So yeah,” he continued with a faint shrug, your eyes once again catching the way he was holding his side, “it’s kind of amusing. In an…irritating sort of way.”

Your heart sank to your stomach at his words. “Oh, sorry,” you muttered, heat rushing up to your face instantly. “I didn’t mean to be annoying. I was just concerned–”

He took a half step forward, cutting you off as he waved a hand between the pair of you. He shook his head, letting out a slight huff of laughter. “No, I didn’t mean you were irritating. Just…this situation. The–the snow and the falling part.” In a quieter voice he added, “And having an audience for it.”

Chewing the inside of your cheek, you stood there studying him for a moment. He was injured and wearing barely anything at all in the middle of a blizzard. He looked like he needed help even if he seemed like the type not to ask for it.

“Do you want to come inside?” you blurted, unable to stop yourself. “I mean, to get warm and maybe sit down for a moment? I could call an ambulance or–or a taxi or something to bring you to a hospital.”

Another amused huff of laughter slipped out of him as he shook his head. “No hospitals, please. I’ll be alright. But…if you’re offering, I wouldn’t mind a moment to warm up.” His gloved hand lowered, pinching a bit of fabric from his shirt as he glanced down at it. “Admittedly this doesn’t offer much protection from the elements.”

You eyed the thin material between his gloves doubtfully. “Doesn’t look like it offers much protection from anything,” you told him.

A surprised bark of laughter peeled out of him, the sound drawing a smile onto your face. You’d made the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen laugh. Now that was something you weren’t going to forget anytime soon. He didn’t seem like the type to break character easily.

“You wouldn’t be wrong,” he agreed, his laughter subsiding.

Taking a step back from the window, you waved a hand towards him, gesturing for him to come inside. “How about you come in so I can close this window and we both can stop freezing?” you suggested, surprised at how bold you sounded considering who it was you were speaking with. “I’m shivering already so I can only imagine how cold you must be.”

You watched as his lips curled up into a charming grin at the corners, just beneath the black fabric of his mask. It was impossible to deny that he had a handsome face–at least, from what you could see of it. You imagined the rest of it to be just as attractive beneath that cloth and a sudden intense curiosity to know what the rest of it looked like overtook you as you watched him carefully climb through your opened window. He moved slowly, wincing in pain as he made his way inside. Despite his tough act, that fall must’ve really hurt his side and you frowned, wishing he’d accept your offer to help. There was no way he was as fine as he claimed to be, surely he needed medical attention.

“Takes a special kind of person to just invite me into their home so readily,” the Devil’s rough tone came out as he turned his back to you, shutting the window after himself. “Normally people prefer to avoid me.”

“You’re not dangerous,” you replied almost instantly.

The window closed with a sharp clack before his masked face turned over his snow-dusted shoulder, his attention fixed on you. “Oh?” he asked curiously, a smirk growing over his lips. “I’m not?”

Your eyes were drawn to his mouth, though it wasn’t like there was anywhere else to look when you spoke to him with that mask covering most of his face. The smirk appeared teasing, and for some reason that had the hair on the back of your neck bristling. You suddenly became very aware of the fact that you weren’t wearing a bra beneath your loose sweatshirt and it was now cold in your apartment. Quickly your arms wrapped over your chest, hugging yourself tight. His lips almost seemed to curl ever higher in response.

“I mean, you are ,” you amended, “but to, you know, criminals.”

You swallowed hard when he remained still, gazing at you over his shoulder wordlessly.There was something almost predatory in the way he was studying you. It was easy to see how this lone man terrified the criminals on the streets of Hell’s Kitchen, striking fear into them. He certainly had a presence. Goosebumps rippled beneath the sleeves of your sweatshirt at his continued silent stare.

“Right?” you asked tentatively, voice softer.

His smirk vanished as the other corner of his mouth curled upwards into what felt like a warm smile despite you being unable to see if it reached his eyes. He nodded gently, turning slowly back towards you as he did.

“That's correct,” he agreed, brushing the snow from his broad shoulders. “I’m only dangerous to criminals. So unless you’re hiding any dead bodies or have some outstanding charges…?”

You laughed, though abruptly you snatched your bottom lip between your teeth in an attempt to quiet the noise instantly. He was witty and funny. You weren’t anticipating that. Or the way your reaction to his quips seemed to please him, like he was trying to charm you. Which seemed even more curious, considering who he was and what he spent his nights doing.

“Can't say that I do,” you said. “I'm probably the most boring person in Hell’s Kitchen.”

“Well now,” he replied teasingly, “don't sell yourself short. I'm sure you're not taking that title all by yourself.”

That charming smile was back on his face and it had your stomach fluttering. Tearing your eyes away from him, you noticed the television was still paused on your show. Paused on a scene where the two actors on screen were clearly about to kiss. Cheeks burning, you hurried over and grabbed the remote from the couch and turned it off.

“You can make yourself comfortable if you want,” you told him, trying to keep the embarrassment out of your tone. “I've got a couple of blankets you can use to help warm you up.”

His heavy boots thudded with each of his steps as he crossed the room and made his way to the couch. You bent over, grabbing both blankets from your place on the couch where you'd previously been curled up as he passed behind you. The moment one of his cold gloves brushed against your back, you froze.

“Sorry,” he whispered.

“No it's–it's fine,” you replied.

He passed behind you before settling onto the opposite end of the couch from where you had clearly taken residence. You forced a smile onto your face as you turned and leaned over, holding out the blankets towards him.

Pull yourself together , you internally chastised yourself. Just because it's been a while since you've had a man here doesn't mean you need to react to every little thing. That's not what this is, obviously.

“Thank you,” he said, accepting the blankets from your outstretched hand.

You nodded before sitting back down on the opposite end of the couch, keeping space between you and him. Curling your legs up under yourself, you watched as the Devil wasted no time throwing both blankets around himself, beginning to visibly shiver beneath them as he tried to warm up.

“Are you sure you don't want me to call anyone?” you asked him.

“No one to call,” he answered. “And a hospital would defeat the purpose of trying to remain anonymous.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” you muttered, glancing away and spotting the forgotten tea on your coffee table. “Would you like something to drink at least? Some water or some hot tea, maybe?”

His masked head tilted curiously to the side at your question, a grin returning to his plush lips. “Playing hostess?” he asked.

“Well I'm sure you've got to be thirsty running around Hell’s Kitchen and fighting criminals all the time,” you explained. “I always sort of wondered if you stashed water bottles around the city or stopped for water breaks somewhere–not where you live, I imagine. Since you're trying to keep your identity hidden.” Your eyes narrowed as you added, “Or do you just let yourself get dehydrated every time you're out? Because that's not good for you, you know.”

The Devil's grin grew wider as he shifted on the couch, facing you even more from his place on the cushions. “Oh?” he asked, curiosity in his tone. “You've thought about me before, have you?”

Eyes dropping down to your lap, you smiled sheepishly as you shrugged. “I mean, I've had some theories circulating about you ever since you kept reappearing in the news,” you admitted awkwardly. “Sort of hard not to.”

“Well now you have to indulge me,” he teased. “Enlighten me on some of these theories of yours.”

Tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, you continued to avoid his covered stare. “I mean, they're not that interesting…”

“Oh come on,” he tried again. “It's not like we don't have the time. And maybe I can confirm or deny some of them for you. Besides, I admit I’m curious to know what you think of me. Especially being so willing to offer help like you did.”

Chewing your bottom lip, you glanced up at him from beneath your lashes. He looked far less intimidating beneath your blush pink blanket now. What would it hurt if you told him a few of your ideas about the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen? Maybe he might laugh at them, but would hearing that sound again be all that bad? And it truly would be interesting to learn more about the mysterious vigilante, something you'd probably never have the opportunity to do again.

“Okay,” you agreed with a nod. Straightening up on the couch, you turned to face him more fully. “So I've always thought with the way that you fight that you were trained by some sort of secret ninja assassin organization.”

A hearty chuckle filled your living room at your first theory. The pleasant and resonant noise left you grinning as your stomach fluttered in response. You briefly wondered how often the Devil actually laughed when he was out.

“I cannot confirm nor deny that,” he responded.

The playful smile that kept appearing on his face was beginning to further disarm you. You found yourself enjoying his company, soon becoming used to the way half his face was hidden from sight with that ridiculous fabric. And for some reason your unexplainable attraction to him was only growing.

“Next theory,” he prodded, the smile on his face apparent even in his voice.

“You're not wealthy,” you stated, leaning forward and grabbing your tea from the coffee table.

“Oh, ow,” he joked, playfully recoiling back from you on the couch. “What makes you say that?”

You waved a hand at him across from you as you settled back into the cushions, mug in hand. “Because you wear clothing that is obviously not meant to protect you very well in a fight,” you answered. “I imagine if you had money you'd have something…nicer. Meant for what you do. And,” you continued, pausing long enough to drink down some of your now barely warm tea, aware of him focused on you, “you protect Hell’s Kitchen. Only Hell’s Kitchen. This part of the city isn't exactly filled with the wealthiest people. And with how dedicated you are to everyone here, I assume it's because you probably grew up here yourself. Most likely still reside here, too.”

The Devil hummed appreciatively when you'd quieted, his masked gaze still on you. You swore you could feel it as you drank down more of your tea.

“You're observant,” he mused. “Maybe I need to watch myself around you.”

A surge of pride swelled in your chest; you hadn't expected his praise. Or the way it would make you feel. And apparently, you'd guessed something right about him.

“You're also not married or in a serious relationship,” you blurted before you could help yourself, wondering what more you could learn about him.

“Poor and unlovable?” the Devil asked with a surprised laugh. “That's what you think of me?”

“No,” you disagreed, laughing a little with him as you shook your head. “No, but I mean, I imagine you don't have time for someone else. And I figure most people wouldn’t like their partner going out and doing what you do. Putting yourself in danger.”

“Mmm,” he hummed out, shifting on the couch and making himself more comfortable. “A partner would certainly be…a distraction. A liability. One I couldn't really afford to have. So no, you're not wrong, I don't have one.”

You glanced down at your lap, your fingers fidgeting with the mug in your hands. Half of you was hoping to hear that he wasn't with anyone–though you refused to admit to yourself why that mattered–but the other half of you had heard the way he'd said that a partner would be a distracting liability and you’d felt a sad pang hit you in the chest. Considering how much he seemed to be enjoying your company when he didn't even know you had you guessing that the Devil was a lonely man deep down.

But that wasn't a theory you felt comfortable sharing.

“Any others?” he asked, breaking through your thoughts.

Clearing your throat, you focused back on him across the couch from you. His smile had disappeared, his lips now downturned at the corners just a bit. His posture had changed in your silence, the same as his mood, as if he'd picked up on the subtle change in yours somehow.

Strange.

“I imagine you're the kind of guy who's fridge is always empty,” you answered.

A ghost of a smile reappeared on his face as he huffed out an amused breath. You couldn't fight the smile returning to your own lips at the sight of his again.

“Well hey now,” he countered lightly, “there's usually beer. Sometimes orange juice and eggs.”

You giggled, unable to stop yourself. “Who'd have guessed the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen is just your average bachelor?”

“Average?” he repeated in mock offense, his head tilting to the side. “I'm just average now?”

Quirking a brow at him in a challenging manner, your own head cocked to the side. “Maybe tell me more about yourself and I could say otherwise,” you boldly teased back.

“Well obviously,” he began, grinning at you in a way that had your body heating, “I can't exactly do that now can I? Defeats the purpose–

“Of remaining anonymous,” you finished for him. “I've picked up on the importance of that.”

A silence soon settled between the pair of you, one that slowly began to cause your nerves to grow with the way he kept smiling at you. Once again you desperately found yourself wanting to see the rest of his face, curious to know just how handsome he really was under that black mask. Though you settled for studying what you could see, your eyes tracing the soft curves of his pink lips, noticing the way they very minutely twitched under your scrutiny. Eventually your gaze dropped down, following the hard lines of his stubbled jaw. As your eyes trailed further down, they lingered on the part of his neck that wasn't covered by the blankets he’d wrapped around himself for warmth. A heat burned in you as the urge to reach out and just touch him, just to see if he was real, suddenly grew within you. It didn't help that it almost felt like you could feel the weight of his own eyes fixed on you beneath the mask, once again making you very aware of your lack of bra beneath your sweatshirt.

Catching your lip between your teeth, you noticed the way his throat bobbed with a hard swallow. Had he been having similar thoughts? Observing you, too?

Inhaling a sharp breath through your nose at the idea, you knew you needed to stop this line of thinking and stop it fast. There was absolutely no way the Devil would be interested in you. Certainly not like that. That was absurd.

“Would you like something to eat?” you asked, trying to calm your pulse. “If your fridge is empty all the time I'm guessing you could use something to eat.”

“I mean, I suppose if you’re–”

He stopped short the exact moment that the lights died, throwing the pair of you into almost complete darkness. You sucked in a breath, turning to look out the window just to your right. It was eerily dark outside, a sight that was rare in the city. Even the buildings across the street had been thrown into darkness. There was nothing but the howling wind and snow outside.

“Guess it was too much to hope the power wouldn’t go out in this mess,” you breathed out.

“I suppose so,” he replied, his tone just as soft.

Reaching blindly forward, you set your almost empty mug onto the coffee table before you. For a moment you reached around on the surface until your fingers brushed against your phone. You picked it up and unlocked the screen, grateful for the bit of light it shed in the dark as you turned on the flashlight function.

“So I can’t offer you a nice cooked meal without power,” you told him, rising to your feet, “but I can get you an apple and a couple of protein bars? If you’d…like?”

“You don’t have to, but I’d appreciate it,” he said.

“It’s the least I can do for the man who does so much for the rest of us,” you told him, maneuvering around the couch and navigating your way to the kitchen by the light of your phone. “I’d feel awful leaving you hungry and dehydrated.”

Wrapping one arm around your chest to try to fight the chill that had been steadily creeping into you, you headed towards a cabinet near the sink. Reaching up, you grabbed a glass from out of it before taking a moment to fill it beneath the faucet before setting it along the countertop. Then you plucked an apple out of a fruit bowl on your counter, taking a moment to rinse it off first. The moment you’d turned off the faucet you heard his voice from across the apartment.

“You’re cold.”

For a moment you found it odd how his words hadn’t come out as a question but more of an observation, though you quickly shrugged the strangeness of that aside. You set the apple down on the counter beside the glass of water before sliding a step to your right and opening up another cabinet.

“It’s alright, I’m fine,” you answered, trying to shine the light from your phone into the cabinet to read the labels on the boxes. “I wasn’t the one out in that snowstorm wearing barely anything at all.”

“You say that like I was out there naked.”

His voice had unexpectedly come from just behind you this time and it jolted your heart in your chest instantly. His sudden proximity mixed with his word choice had you startling on the spot. Your hand that had been about to pull the box of protein bars out of the cabinet accidentally bumped it instead, causing the entire box to slip off of the shelf. But before it could tumble to the floor and spill its contents, a black gloved hand darted out beside your face, catching it before it had barely fallen six inches.

You stood there rooted to the spot, his hand just brushing your arm as his held the box of protein bars. The hair on the back of your neck had risen, aware that he was standing barely a foot behind you now. Slowly, you turned over your shoulder to look at him. Your pulse quickened further at how close his face was to yours. He was looking at you, too. Or at least, he was facing you. Eyes dropping down, you couldn’t help but notice that mouth of his again.

“I apologize,” he said, your eyes watching as his lips moved. “I didn’t mean to startle you. Sometimes I forget how quiet I can be. I just wanted to give you one of the blankets. No sense in me using both when you’re cold.”

“Oh,” you whispered, unable to form any other response.

With his attention still on you, he reached up and slid the box back onto the shelf. Then he seemed to take a purposeful step back from you, his lips set in a straight line. You wondered what was going on in his mind right now, because you were sure there had to be something. Had he felt the tension you’d just felt? Or were you just ridiculous and overly hopeful?

And why did it even matter? You were never going to see this man again after tonight anyway.

Blinking a few times, you returned your attention to the shelf. Reaching up, you slid your hand into the box that had nearly taken a nosedive to your kitchen floor and pulled out two protein bars. Keeping your eyes actively focused away from the Devil nearby, you closed the cabinet and slid a step back to your left, grabbing the glass of water in your hand with your phone and the apple in the same hand as the bars. Though before you could turn around, you felt something gently drape over your shoulders. Looking down, you noticed it was the pink blanket he’d been wearing.

“Like I said,” he repeated, “there’s no sense in me using both.”

“Right,” you whispered, pulse pounding in your throat.

Turning on your heel, you stepped past him and made your way back to the living room by the light of your phone. This time you heard the heavy steps of him following after you. You assumed that was intentional.

“So why were you out in this blizzard tonight anyway?” you asked him, making your way around the couch. You hoped having something to talk about would distract you from whatever it was he kept stirring inside of you. “Surely there aren’t a lot of crimes being committed in this weather?”

The Devil let out a light laugh as he accepted the offered glass of water and food from you. One of your brows quirked curiously onto your forehead at his reaction as you sat back down in your original spot on the couch. Though you noticed as he took a large drink from the cup while lowering himself onto the cushions that he’d sat closer to you than before. You watched as he ripped open a protein bar and tore off a large bite next, but he didn't answer until a moment later when he’d swallowed the bite down. Internally you noted he must’ve been hungrier than he let on with the way he was devouring that bar and you’d wished you’d had more food to offer him with the power out.

“You’d be correct,” he told you. “And yet I still stupidly made my way out into this storm tonight in the hopes of catching a lead on something. Instead all I got was my ass frozen and my side bruised.”

You watched as he took another large bite of the protein bar, chewing it almost contemplatively as his head canted to the side. You could still see him in the beam of light from your phone which you were still clutching in your hand. Somehow this lighting made him even more appealing as it cast sharp shadows along his jaw.

“Though I suppose unexpectedly meeting you was a highlight,” he added, causing your cheeks to flush. “But you know, you never did give me your name.”

“Well you never exactly gave me yours,” you immediately quipped back.

Those beautiful lips of his curved upwards yet again as he chewed the last bite of the first protein bar. What you wouldn’t give to see if that smile had reached his eyes.

“Alright, point taken,” he replied.

Tearing your gaze away from him, you focused on your phone. If you kept the flashlight running the battery would die in no time. And who knew how long the power might be out for, you might need it later. You supposed you didn't need it on just for a conversation.

“I’m going to turn the flashlight off on my phone for now, if that's alright?” you told him, fingers darting across the screen to do just that. “Might need the battery on this later.”

“That’s alright,” he replied, sounding as if he was chewing another bite of food. “I don’t need it.”

He’d made the comment just as you’d leaned forward to set your phone back onto the coffee table, but you’d paused as the words processed in your mind. Your eyes narrowed again as your mind raced. Something about the way he’d said that sounded as if it had another meaning to it. But before you could put too much thought into it, he’d changed the topic.

“You’re still cold,” he pointed out. “That blanket alone isn't helping.”

Brows furrowing together as you slowly sat back, you wondered how he could possibly know that. The pair of you were in almost pitch black again with your phone flashlight off. It wasn't like he could see you and you hadn't been shivering, though there were definitely goosebumps dotting your skin. How could he possibly know?

“I’m fine,” you said, pulling the blanket you had on tighter around yourself. “It’s bound to get colder here with the power out now.”

“And with how long you had your window open earlier,” he added. “The temperature is going to drop in here faster than it would have if you hadn’t helped me.”

You sighed, frowning in his general direction. “So much for being able to help you warm up,” you muttered. “Sorry.”

“No need to apologize,” he assured you.

It felt as if he was shifting on the couch nearby. Your brows knitted further together as you tried to make out what he was doing through the dark. All you could see was a faint mass of black that seemed darker than the rest of the blackness. Then moments later you felt a blanket being draped over your lap.

“No, uh uh,” you said, shaking your head and immediately grabbing the blanket. “There’s two blankets, we can clearly share.”

“You’re freezing,” he countered.

“And you’re not cold?” you shot back.

“Doesn’t matter, you’ve already been far kinder than I deserved this evening,” he replied.

You grabbed the blanket in your hands and stubbornly tossed it back in his general direction. An audible sigh sounded through the darkness to your left.

“You know I can just leave, right?” he told you. “Which would leave you with no reason to not use both blankets.”

Your eyes narrowed in the direction of the sound of his voice. “But then you’d be allowing more cold air into my apartment, which would only make the temperature drop faster in here,” you argued back. “Then I'd really be cold.”

He breathed out a laugh and you imagined the smile on his lips at the sound. You smiled triumphantly back at the dark shape of him because you knew you had a good point. Even though really, you could just layer on more clothes.

“Okay,” he relented. “That’s true. So how about…we share?”

The smile on your face quickly disappeared at his suggestion. Mouth dropping open, you felt your heart skip a beat in your chest. It took you a few seconds to regain the ability to respond.

“Share?” you asked.

“Body heat would certainly keep us both warmer,” he answered. “So would sharing two blankets instead of using only one.”

“Oh, uh, well,” you stammered, your mind racing at the thought of your body pressed up against his. “I–I–”

His deep laugh rumbled towards you through the darkness, the sound causing your lips to clamp shut.

“I’m not suggesting anything immoral,” he assured you. “Simply a possible solution to the very real problem of us freezing in here. Unless, of course, you’d prefer me to leave?”

“No!” you exclaimed.

Immediately your eyes widened in horror at how quickly you’d responded to that. And judging by his chuckle, he’d also noticed, too. Your face scrunched up as you mentally scolded yourself for sounding so eager to keep him here in your apartment.

“Well in that case, we could share the blankets and our body heat,” he suggested again. “Because the temperature has definitely dropped a few degrees already and it's only going to continue if the power stays out.”

Nervously your tongue slid out, licking your lips. You were trying hard to control the racing of your heart, positive he could hear it with how hard it was beating now. Of course you weren’t going to pass up a chance to basically cuddle the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen for warmth during a snowstorm. You just needed to find a way to not sound so eager to accept his offer first.

“I suppose you…have a point there,” you said slowly, trying to keep your voice even. “That’s–that’s usually what people do in survival situations. Use their body heat to keep warm.”

An amused huff came from him and you realized he’d scooted even closer to you on the couch. Your breath caught in your throat the moment you felt his thigh bump against yours.

“So are we in agreement with sharing both blankets, then?” he asked.

“That–that appears to be the most logical solution to the problem,” you answered. “So yeah, I guess we…share the blankets.”

Despite the lack of light, the Devil seemed to move with ease and fluidity through the darkness, something you were paying close attention to as he gently sidled his way up against the side of you, managing to wrap both blankets around the pair of you. All the while you’d sat pin straight on the couch, aware that he was flush to your side from your shoulder all the way down to your knee. You clasped your hands in your lap, unsure of where else to place them. Truthfully, you had to admit you were already much warmer like this, with his body heat enveloping you beneath both blankets.

“Am I making you uncomfortable?” he asked, his tone far gentler than it had been all evening. “Because that's not my intention.”

“No,” you answered with a light shake of your head. “You're not.”

He chuckled softly, his body shaking yours slightly with the movement. Your head turned towards him and you wished you could see at least the part of his face that was visible right now.

“Then why are you so tense?” he questioned.

“I'm not tense!” you lied.

He laughed again, this time louder. The movement jostled you somehow further into his side, though your hand flew out and landed flat on his very solid chest as you tried to stop yourself from falling further into him. Your eyes widened in horror yet again, but before you could push yourself away you felt his arm wrapping around your shoulders and allowing you to sink even more into him. Heat was very much creeping up your neck and reaching your cheeks now in embarrassment.

“You're very tense actually,” he teased. “If you're uncomfortable I can move, but we aren't going to be sharing much body heat if you don't actually sit next to me.”

Slowly you removed your hand from his chest, lowering it to your lap. Though with the way you were sitting facing partially towards him now, your knuckles were brushing against his thigh.

“I am not tense,” you grumbled. “And you aren't making me uncomfortable. This is just…awkward. I barely know you and you don't know me.”

“Okay,” he conceded. “How about since you've guessed a few things about me, I think it's only fair you tell me a few things about yourself now.”

“I told you I'm not very interesting,” you reminded him.

“Ah, well,” he replied with a shrug, “I think I'd like to decide that for myself.”

Biting your lip, you turned your burning face and buried it into his shoulder, glad he couldn't see how nervous he'd suddenly made you. It was hard to tell if he was flirting with you or if that was just his vigilante persona–when he wasn't beating people, of course.

With your nose pressed against the fabric of his shirt, you noticed he smelled surprisingly good. There was the hint of his sweat, but there was also a faint clean detergent scent. You closed your eyes and tried to relax, inhaling a deep breath in. Even though he was still a stranger and a vigilante, he seemed kind and safe so far. And he also hadn't thrown you off of himself for getting even closer to him, either. Maybe you should just do what he seemed to be doing: relax and enjoy the unexpected cuddles tonight with an unexpected acquaintance.

“Alright, what do you want to know?” you whispered, eyes still closed as you focused on his scent.

Eyes fluttering open, you felt yourself waking from a deep, comfortable sleep. Though your eyes instantly snapped closed against the bright light that immediately assaulted them. Slowly you blinked them back open, trying to adjust to the surprising sunshine pouring through your living room window. Gradually you began to push yourself upright, realizing you were laying with your head on a couch pillow, both of your blankets snuggly wrapped around you. For a moment your face twisted into a look of confusion as you hesitated, staring down at the two blankets. Why had you been asleep on your couch?

But then flashes of last night came back to you. The masked man falling onto your fire escape. The joking and constant banter between the pair of you. Darkness when the power went out and the feel of his warm, muscular body wrapped around yours as he tried to keep you warm. The scent of clean detergent and his sweat. The feel of his spandex shirt against your fingertips and your cheek as you rested your head against his shoulder.

Had that all really happened? Or had you just fallen asleep on your couch and dreamt it?

Your attention shifted towards your coffee table and your sluggish brain processed the sight of your almost empty mug of tea, left abandoned all night, and an empty glass of water. Pushing yourself the rest of the way upright on the couch, your head turned over your shoulder. The lock on your living room window was undone.

The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen really had been in your apartment last night. Which meant the pair of you really had cuddled together for warmth when your power had gone out. And you really did meet him. At least, somewhat.

“Oh my God,” you breathed out in awe. “He was really here.”

But just as the rush of excitement at meeting someone you’d always secretly admired filled you, it quickly vanished. Because you must have fallen asleep on him sometime last night when the pair of you were talking, and then he must’ve slipped out of your apartment before the sun came up, probably when the power had come back on. Which made sense, considering he wouldn’t want to be seen sneaking back to his own apartment in such a conspicuous outfit.

But what was upsetting you was the growing realization that it wasn’t just the first time you’d met him, but it would most likely be the last. And you’d gone and fallen asleep through part of that meeting.

Stupid stupid stupid.

#matt murdock x reader #matt murdock fluff #matt murdock x you #matt murdock series #matt murdock #daredevil

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janmisali · 5 months ago

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making an alternate version of this poll as a dedicated post so it shows up in tags, so hopefully it'll reach more people who have an actual opinion this time

#jan misali #polls #ace attorney #gyakuten saiban

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one-piece-aus · 6 months ago

Note

Hi there! I’m glad you’re still doing Whumptober, so I’m here again to get my annual dose. (hope you’re doing good too!)

May I ask for Day 23 & Trafalgar Law? I’ll leave it up to you if you’d prefer to write it yandere or not. Thanks in advance and may you have a lot of fun with this year’s prompts! 💙🌹

Of course! My apologies for the delay Michelle, and I do hope you enjoy the story ^-^

Whumptober Day 23

Yandere Trafalgar Law x Reader

"Father's a fool if he thinks I'm going to marry," you mutter under your breath as you tread carefully through the woods. Holding up the lantern, your path can be seen even in the dark of the night. "Hopefully I can get far enough so they can't find me when they notice I'm missing in the morning."

"So who can't find you?"

"AH!" You jump, startled by the male voice. You wave your lantern, trying to find the source. "Who's there?"

Blast, here you were fleeing through the woods in the middle of the night, escaping the arranged marriage your family set up for you, and someone already discovered you. Dread weighed your thoughts of being dragged back home. Frustration clenched your jaw.

"Show yourself!" If you were going to be taken back, you'd at least like to know who to resent.

"I'm right here, [Y/n]-ya." The male's voice purrs right in your ear.

You flinch, turning around and raising the lantern, highlighting the ravenet man. Silver and gold eyes shine as they peer down at you. Stepping back to properly gander at the tall man, you notice the strange circular golden earrings and the carefully trimmed & small beard (goatee).

"Wait... you're the doctor by the outskirts of the town."

"Dr. Trafalgar." He bowed in greeting. "Though I've been your family's doctor for a long time now, you may call me Law."

"Law... right," you said averting your eyes and moving the lantern away from your face so he doesn't see the blush forming around your cheeks. Oh, how you wish your heart didn't flutter so much when looking at his face.

"What are you doing out here at night?"

"I- I was just about to ask you the same," you said, unsure if he was here because of your family.

"Me? I'm just out here collecting a few herbs. A few... patients of mine have gotten sick. I need to cure them from everything."

"O-oh... I see." You wanted to question further, like 'Why would he collect herbs at night?' Alas, you held in your tongue in hopes he would do the same. "I'm- I'm running away. I need to get far enough or else it's gonna get me by the end of the night."

Law hummed in a tone that sounded pleased, perhaps your ears are playing tricks on you. He places a hand on your shoulder, smiling down at you. "If you need a place to stay, [Y/n]-ya, I have a place suited to your needs."

"...You won't tell my family will you?"

"Not to worry, [Y/n]-ya. It'll be doctor-patient confidentiality."

And just like that, you're in his arms, thanking him. He places the herbs he collected into his bag and begins escorting you away to his place. You're not aware the herbs he was collecting were nightshade, unaware of the plague doctor mask he has at his hip, and unaware you made his job of taking you all too easy.

His darling won't have to worry about being found, by tomorrow, there will be no one looking for his darling.

Tags: @bookandyarndragon

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claudemblems · 1 year ago

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Cat's Out of the Bag | Moriarty the Patriot

Summary: It looks like you've been rudely interrupted mid kiss with your (secret) lover. Suffice to say the situation is quite awkward...

Content: SFW. Sherlock being Sherlock. Jokes about some characters reading too much into the situation but there is no mature content going on. Please don't tag this as anything but SFW!

Characters: Sherlock, Louis, John

Notes: Let me kiss them on the foreheads please 🥺

Sherlock Holmes

Well, this is certainly surprising. Mycroft didn't suspect that his routine "wellness check" (code for his surprise paintball gun fights) would end up with him walking on his brother sharing kisses with a lady

(He was sure he told him to beware of women once...)

And really, in the living room of the flat for anyone to walk in on! It was as if Sherlock would show no shame in being caught (true)

But...Mycroft didn't remember any woman catching his little brother's eye. It seems that this was a well-kept secret indeed

"Sherly, if you are going to show your affections to a woman, there are appropriate places to do so. Out in the middle of the sitting room with the door unlocked is not one of them."

"What do you want?" Sherlock hissed, running a hand through his messy hair. "Why do you always have to show up at the most inopportune times?!"

"Because I care for you, Sherly," Mycroft answered with a smile. Then his gaze drifted over to you, your cheeks growing pink. "My apologies for not properly introducing myself. You may call me Mycroft. I am Sherly’s elder brother."

"No one asked, now get out," Sherlock huffed, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes. "You've spoiled the mood."

"Why didn't you inform me that you had a lover? You'll be needing all the advice I can spare if this relationship is to be maintained. Besides, do you even know basic biology?" Mycroft sighed, shaking his head. "You have a terrible habit of only absorbing information that interests you. It's to be assumed that you have no inclination of the topic of se–"

"All right, that's enough!" Sherlock exclaimed, leaping out of his seat and pushing his brother towards the door. "Please, my dear, darling older brother, do not come back without an invitation. Bye!"

And before Mycroft could formulate a witty response, the door was promptly shut in his face, locked with a key for good measure.

"...Sherlock?"

"Don't mind him. He's always this irritating." Sherlock huffed, returning to his spot beside you on the sofa. "I'm sorry if his visit resulted in embarrassment for you. Now you can imagine what I have to go through on a regular basis."

"Pesky older brothers," you laughed. "I suppose it's fortunate I don't have one of my own."

"Truly. If you did, I have a feeling that they'd be grilling me on my reasons for courting you. I don't need any more sibling drama than I have now."

"Well, at least he's gone now, right?"

"And hopefully he won't be back for a long while."

"I'm guessing his display just now is the reason you didn't tell him that we're together?"

"Precisely. Now, I'm afraid we'll have to be careful about him barging in again. He can be quite stubborn in that regard."

"It'll be alright," you said, placing your hand atop Sherlock's. "At least now we know what to expect."

"Well, next time he can 'expect' the nearest object being tossed at his head."

Even Sherlock gets so embarrassed you thought, smiling when you noticed the red tips of his ears.

“You’re blushing,” you said, unable to resist the urge to tease him. It wasn’t often Sherlock got so flustered, after all.

“I am not.”

“You do realize that you scratch the back of your neck when you’re lying, right?”

Sherlock tsked, playfully rolling his eyes before pulling you into his arms. “You’ve picked up on too many of my tactics. You’ll pay for this!” Your laughter echoed throughout the flat as Sherlock tickled you mercilessly until you confessed to your ‘crime’.

However, a few kisses of recompense bribed your way out of a guilty sentence. Maybe that favoritism made Sherlock guilty, too, but he wasn’t opposed to the two of you being partners in crime.

Louis Moriarty

Well, well, well. Who knew sweet and innocent Louis would be caught with lipstick stains on his face?

Moran knew he shouldn't be so delighted at the sight in front of him, but it was almost like...he was seeing a little brother become a man

Besides, Moran didn't count on any of the brothers having a secret relationship. To say this was a surprise was an understatement. Perhaps the others would like to know…

"Sorry, Louis. Was I interrupting something?" Sebastian asked, unable to hide his toothy grin.

"Just what on earth are you doing entering the room without knocking?!!" Louis' glasses weren't enough to hide the blush creeping on his face which grew more and more noticeable by the minute.

"Didn't think you'd be so busy," Moran replied, wriggling an eyebrow. "The evidence of the crime is all over you."

"There was nothing indecent going on here!" Louis his face in his hands, internally plotting a million ways to get rid of Moran without arousing suspicion.

"You shouldn't have to say so if that were the case."

"Moran!!!"

"Okay you two, calm down, all right?" you sighed, trying to salvage the last bit of decency between you and Louis. "If Moran came in here, he probably needs something from us. What can we help you with?”

"Well, I was just dropping by to say that the last mission we discussed is still on. William's already moving forward with the plan. However, if you also need me to get the manor empty for a while, let me know. I can pull a few strings."

"Whenever you speak with William again,” you said through gritted teeth, “can you ask him to teach me how to get away with murder?"

"Oh, that's quite a specific request. Care to elaborate?"

"I'll elaborate when I put you six feet below the ground, Sebastian."

Moran put his hands up in the air in surrender, though the grin never left his face. "I was just joking around. Besides, if Louis gets this embarrassed just kissing you, there's no way he'd be able to–"

Moran jumped as a knife whizzed past him and embedded itself into the wall.

"If you get so caught off guard just by running your mouth, there's no way you'd be prepared for a surprise attack by an enemy."

"Aaand would you look at that, it's half past tea time! Better go help the others with the details of the plan."

You didn't think you'd ever seen Moran run out of a room so quickly.

"Louis, please don't threaten him. I know he's an idiot sometimes but..."

"Nevermind him. Shall we continue where we left off?"

You blinked, taken aback by Louis' sudden boldness. "O-Oh. You...want another kiss?"

Louis' lips turned upwards in a wicked grin. "Put them where your lipstick will be visible. I want Moran to remember how he barely escaped this situation with his life."

John Watson

Oh, uh…huh. Sherlock didn’t think twice about bursting into his dear friend’s room to excitedly inform him of the success of his new experiment and ended up…well…seeing John mid kiss with a woman he’d never met before

He couldn’t help but stare slack-jawed, completely oblivious to the mortified expressions of his companion and “friend”

But Sherlock had seen far stranger things, so he was able to quickly regain his composure and snap back to his usual self

“John, you should have told me you were going to have a lady friend over! I would have made sure to stay out of the flat for a while.”

“N-No,” John stammered, his tanned face flushing, “I wouldn’t make you leave so that…I…”

“It’s quite all right to want some privacy! Kissing someone is a very intimate affair after all, and I’m not about to ruin my dear Watson’s chances at romance!”

“I–”

“So, whaddya think of John?” Sherlock asked you with a wink. “He’s quite the catch, isn’t he?”

“Sherlock! I thought you just said you were going to give us some privacy…”

“Oh, I agree,” you replied, leaving John and Sherlock wide-eyed at your honest confession. “To be honest, I didn’t expect John to be so…good at his craft.” You winked back at Sherlock, the two of you exchanging smiles. It seems you were already well on your way to gaining the detective’s approval.

“[Name]!” John cried, burying his face in your shoulder. “Don’t start teasing me, too.”

“But you’re so cute when your face turns all red~” you laughed, lifting up his chin with a finger. “Besides, I can tell you like the fact that I take the lead in this relationship.”

Poor John was going to end up as red as a tomato if you and Sherlock kept on like this.

“Well, I’ll be going now. I’ll return in a couple of hours–got some detective work to do and all. Enjoy your kissing. Goodbye!”

As soon as the door clicked shut, John breathed out a ragged sigh. “I was not expecting all this attention today.”

“Shy are we?”

“Please, I don’t know how much more my poor heart can take.”

You laughed, wrapping your arms around John’s neck. “I’m sorry. You’re just so cute when you’re like this.”

John pouted his lips, pulling you in closer by your waist. “I’m the one who’s supposed to be saying that.”

“Then say it.”

John’s eyes flickered down to your lips and back to your eyes, silently asking for your permission. You answered his question with a nod and smile, and soon enough, his lips were back on yours, bringing you to a state of unending bliss, whispering sweet nothings reserved just for you.

“Yes,” he said against your lips, unable to hide his smile, “you are quite adorable, darling.”

#guess who's back (for now) :3 #moriarty the patriot #moriarty the patriot x reader #sherlock holmes x reader #louis moriarty x reader #john watson x reader

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saryasy · 2 months ago

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tagged by @butchdiaz for a 2024 fic roundup but I'm copying them and adding my edits in there too 🥰 this is the most I've written in a year (and by a huge margin) by virtue of me writing my longest two fics ever back to back. so hopefully next year goes similarly because I already miss writing 😭😭

May:

sounds like forever (5k)

No, he doesn't remember falling. He just remembers looking at his best friend one evening, cooping up a sleeping Christopher into his arms, murmuring ‘I got this’ to a half-asleep Eddie who'd made to carry his own son instead. He'd watched as Buck walked quiet but confident steps to Christopher's room, depositing him in bed with a whispered ‘goodnight’, and thought, in his sleepy haze, I love him.

my very first buddie fic!! wrote it a few days after finishing the show for the first time. was still finding the characters voices but it'll always be special to me

August:

Season of Hope (After the Flood) (58k)

Eddie's summer of missing his son, unrepressing more than just his sexuality, and realizing that somewhere along the way he's fallen in love with his best friend and forgot to fall out of it.

And maybe that's okay.

I genuinely still can't believe this fic exists. and the fact that it does is all thanks to @livingincolorsagain. my longest fic ever yet I wrote it relatively quickly. and I still think back on the writing process fondly. getting to figure out where the story's headed. the chapter titles. all the lovely feedback. it was such a lovely journey even the parts where it fought me lol

September:

slow motion, double vision in rose blush (20k)

Eddie has kissed a man.

Eddie Diaz. His friend. His Eddie. Has kissed a man.

Which is strange because Buck is sure as hell he'd remember kissing Eddie. OR Buck is very normal about his platonic friend's kissing habits.

this one was literally a haze. I had an idea for them watching their first kiss through the screen and absolutely ran with it. I think that one scene in there is 12k on its own which is kinda insane. also only realized after posting that's it's my first published E rated fic

November:

merry christmas please don't call

MY VERY FIRST EDIT. my baby. I'd been thinking about getting into editing for a bit back then. but was way too intimidated to take the first step. then I heard this song on tiktok and was possessed by the ghost of shannon. and here we are

my heart is buried in venice

I still don't know how I made this one in such a short period of time. but also not complaining. loved putting the opening montage together so much

futile devices

I do. love you. yeah

December:

drawn to the blood

okay this is the first idea for an edit I ever had! idk how close I got to what I had in mind. plus it gave me hell. but it's out there now so!

What do you do about a haunted house.. (600)

a little tumblr ficlet I wrote half asleep because I was so happy I finally felt like writing again I couldn't let it slip through my fingers and risk forgetting it in the morning

so you are tired

my last edit of the year!!!! wasn't gonna post it but a told me to lol. initially it was more buddie focused. but the song is so buck I had to make some adjustments. absolutely loved cutting the song as I please lol

not to get too sappy at the end here but getting into this fandom and getting back into creating and getting to create new things and making new friends has been so so fun. thank you so much to everyone who's read and watched and said a nice thing in the tags and comments 💕💕💕💕💕

no pressure tagging @livingincolorsagain @sibylsleaves @buick118 @userbuddie @confessionseddie @chronicowboy

#tag games #my writing #sary edits

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silenzahra · 14 days ago

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☀ Clear morning: a Mareach short story ☀

💝💞💘 Happy Valentine's Day! 💘💞💝

This is a very short Mareach story that was inspired by the song that you'll find below. I highly recommend to check it out before or while reading, be it just the translation or the entire song, as hopefully it'll enrich the reading experience ❤️🩷

Hope it's okay that I tag some Mareach lovers that I think might enjoy this, needless to say you're free to ignore it if you're not interested, of course! @vulpixfairy1985 @smokszyvverstar @bberetd @itsavee4117 @pepperycar @peaches2217 @stripetkattelalala54-gf @eleventhhourfactor @doodleydoo101 @multicolour-ink @elitadream @pinkcreamypeach

youtube

Translation available here.

Hope whoever gives this a chance will enjoy it! 💖💖💖

PS: In case you're also into some Luaisy sweetness, you may want to check out my very first Luaisy fic which was posted exactly one year ago today 🎂🥳

☀ Clear morning ☀

Dawn has yet to crack when Mario reaches the bridge leading to Princess Peach's castle.

He hears the gentle chirping of birds all around him, waking up and preparing for the new day ahead. He observes the dew-covered flowers that adorn both sides of the bridge, waiting for the sun to finally rise to shine in all its splendor and welcome the spring. The sky, like an immense curtain behind the castle, is slowly clearing up, daybreak approaching with each passing second.

And Mario, standing in front of the bridge, but not yet wanting to cross it, stands, his gaze fixed on the balcony above the main door of the castle.

The balcony of the princess, on which the majestic stained-glass window that represents her beauty and delicately captures her purity stands out.

Mario swallows, anticipation devouring him from the inside. He puts a hand to his chest as he notices that his heart is dashing, as if it had turned into a hummingbird. A nervous giggle escapes him, unable to believe that he’s doing this, that he ran away from home in the middle of the night and raced toward the castle in the hope of witnessing something that he’s not entirely certain will happen.

Even so, he wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Just in case. If it finally happens, he doesn't want to risk missing it.

Still, he feels bad about Luigi. The day before, his brother welcomed him back with immense joy after his umpteenth adventure rescuing Princess Peach from King Koopa's clutches. He showered him with attention and food while Mario couldn't stop thinking about the princess, about her safety, about how she might be feeling after Bowser had captured her in her own home. He was barely able to listen to Luigi, which he feels very guilty about, but he just couldn't get her out of his mind.

She’s taken over his soul to such an extent that she’s even crept into his dreams.

Mario can’t remember the details clearly, but he has etched in his memory the image of Peach, as beautiful and radiant as ever, leaning out on her balcony and waving to him as the sun rises over the horizon, her hair flowing in the morning breeze.

It was such a vivid, magical dream, and at the same time so reassuring after having rescued her, that when Mario woke up, he knew immediately what he had to do.

In a way, Peach is his muse. The one who, while he slept, showed him a vision and inspired him with that crazy plan that Mario set in motion without wasting a moment. He didn't care in the slightest that it was still the middle of the night when he left the house, although he is concerned that Luigi, who must be about to wake up now that dawn is approaching, will be scared when he discovers that his not-at-all-early-riser older brother has not only gotten up before him, but has also left the house excessively early. And without having breakfast.

But Mario can't pay attention to his growling stomach at the moment, and he trusts Luigi will understand when he explains his dream to him. He just hopes his little brother won’t worry too much.

The sound of birdsong, which has become louder, makes him turn his head for a moment towards the nearest tree. Mario smiles when he notices a small white bird, with a tiny pink crest, flying out from the branches and fluttering around his head for a second, making him chuckle. The plumber follows it with his gaze...

... And his heart skips a beat.

Just like in his dream, the first ray of sunlight shines directly on Princess Peach's balcony, causing the white stone to gleam with an almost blinding brilliance and drawing colorful sparkles from the stained-glass window, which only serves to enhance its magnificence.

But what takes Mario's breath away is to behold the person represented in that window. The very owner of that balcony, of that castle, of his rampant heart.

Contrary to what he expected given the early hour, Princess Peach has left her chambers. Silently, Mario watches her smile as the little bird flutters around her, and the sound of her laughter, soft and cheerful like the most delicate glass bell, floods his ears and sinks to the depths of his soul. Mario wants to bottle up that sound, take it home with him, listen to it all the time, when he wakes up in the morning and when he goes to bed at night. He could never have enough of Peach's laughter, not even if he lived a thousand lives.

Nor could he have enough of the heavenly image before his eyes, which he wants to capture in his memory forever: his beloved princess, leaning out on her balcony, her figure trimmed against the stained glass behind her and the rising sun making her shine and stand out even more. Her dazzling golden hair dances in the wind, and her elegant pink dress appears somewhat lighter in the dawn light, which brings out sparkles in the turquoise brooch on her chest and in the earrings that adorn her ears. The little bird on her finger, whose melodious song makes her smile, is an addition that only serves to further enhance the vision that Mario has dreamed of.

And yet, the plumber feels as if he were still inside that dream. As if he hadn’t managed to wake up completely, or as if he had fallen back to sleep as soon as he opened his eyes. This is much better than all those times when he’s even daydreamed about her, imagining that she’s in front of him and that he can look her in the face, as happens whenever his eyes, by accident or not, linger too long on the picture of the princess that hangs above the stairs in the house that he shares with his brother.

All that, those visions, those dreams… only take place in his fanciful mind.

But this… this is real. This he can see with his own eyes. And it’s much bigger and more magnificent than his imagination could ever conjure up.

He feels small, like the hummingbird that has nested in his chest. He feels tiny, like a mere mortal kneeling at the feet of the most radiant and majestic goddess. He feels undeserving of contemplating such beauty, for who is he, but a small, humble man who interrupts the peace of the queen of his soul?

The rising sun bathes Princess Peach in its golden light, and Mario wonders if this is the sun's way of declaring her, the most dazzling of all creatures, as its equal.

Certainly, Mario feels that his whole life revolves around her, that he orbits around her like a planet, that his heart would stop if her light were to be extinguished one day. He gasps as he stares at her ecstatically in the bright morning light, realizing that Peach has been slipping into his soul little by little, with every intense gaze, every kind word, every shy smile, every moment when she has taken his hand or kissed his nose or cheek in gratitude. Mario treasures each and every one of those moments in his heart, which she has undoubtedly taken over.

And he wouldn't want it any other way.

Suddenly, the little bird flaps its wings, and Peach extends her arm to encourage it to take flight. The bird heads towards the sun, which has almost fully risen, and as she follows it with her gaze, the princess suddenly notices the presence of the plumber at the foot of her balcony. Mario jumps, his face suddenly reddening, and wonders what he should do, how he should act. He tries to smile, but all he can manage is a grimace that must look ridiculous, which is in keeping with how he feels inside. What did he expect to achieve, standing there like a fool in front of the home of such a deity? Only to give the impression of a pathetic stalker, of course...

However, all his doubts are silenced when he notices how Peach's lips widen and the sparkle of joy that blossoms in her sapphire eyes, as well as a soft blush that covers her cheeks and makes them seem even more adorable and pure. Since she still had her arm raised, the princess begins to wave it gently in his direction, not without a certain shyness, but also clearly happy and pleased to see him.

And so, in a matter of a second, Mario feels, once again, trapped in a dreamlike fantasy from which he never wants to wake up.

Somehow, his arm moves. Somehow, his smile becomes more stable and confident. Somehow, his eyes connect with Peach's despite the distance between them. Somehow, he manages to return the greeting to the light of his life on this clear morning.

His day couldn't have started better.

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grievedeeply · 2 years ago

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Hi I hope your day has been well! I’m so excited one of my favorite writers is writing for atsv!! May I request a Hobie x gn!reader headcanons where the reader is super crafty (ex. crochets, sews, or other creative stuff) I thought the idea was super cute especially if they crocheted a little spiderpunk plushie for him! —spidernonnie

favorite writers 🥺🥺 it means the world to hear that even after my inactivity. thank you for the request and the kind words!! i really hope you enjoy even if it's short! i decided to make these romantic, so hopefully that's alright! :) and let me know if you want to be tagged for my spiderverse works in my inbox!

gn!reader | no tws!

hobie brown with a crafty s/o headcanons

your biggest fan, no doubt about it. even if you don't show anyone your latest projects or works in progress, hobie is right by your side cheering you on

he wants you to feel loved, so he compliments your work whenever you decide to show him what you'd been finishing up

if you make him a spiderpunk plushie, he keeps it in his room where it's visible to him all the time. he adores it and you, so it has to be kept somewhere where it'll be safe

your interests don't really align, but hobie does not care. he'd even learn to sew or crochet a little bit from you even if it's incredibly out of character for him to do it

just imagine he gets a rip in his jeans or something and he sews it back up, thinking about you the entire time he does it

probably encourages you to make an etsy shop. you're talented and the world deserves to see it! he's all for supporting you no matter what you decide to do though

your biggest supporter just in general. he loves you, he cares for you, and he's really big on expressing it so he's constantly telling you how talented you are

he'll ask about how you got into your hobbies and listens super intently, keeping eye contact the entire time. he just wants you to know he appreciates you

this dude.... definitely brags to other people about you and your talents. he's SO proud of you and he makes it super obvious to other people

he's lucky to have you in his life at all. and you make him clothes? you make stuff specifically for him? he's head over heels. he's a sucker for homemade anything, but if it comes from you.. 😮‍💨

overall, the sweetest and most supportive person to have by your side!

#across the spiderverse x reader #across the spiderverse #hobie brown #hobie brown x reader #spider punk #spider punk x reader

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agi-ppangx · 2 years ago

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💭when you find out you're pregnant with minho

pairing: lee minho x fem!reader

word count: 622

tags: non!idol au, estabilished relationship, fluff

warnings: mentions of pregnancy, mention of pee (it's nothing weird i promise, the reader is just taking a pregnancy test), a bit of crying, being scared of whatever is gonna come in the future, happy ending

author's note: hii guys, i hope youre having a nice day/night ‹3 today i offer you a soft minho drabble, hopefully you will like it !! totally not proofread lol anyway, feedback and reblogs highly appreciated 🫶🏽

part two | part three

minho returned home with a bag full of pregnancy tests and placed them on a counter in the kitchen. you got up from the kitchen chair to grab them and rushed to the bathroom. "you want me to go there with you, baby?" minho asked quietly, sensing your nervousness. "min, baby, i love you, but i don't want you to see me when i pee on a plastic stick," you responded, trying to lighten the atmosphere in the room. minho chuckled at your words. "fine, i'll be here by the door in case you need me." you nodded and entered the bathroom, locking the door behind you.

when you woke up in the morning, you felt that it was the day you should finally tell minho that your period was late. you were stressed for the past two months, you thought it was maybe because you were overworking yourself and it just caused your period not to show. you tried to relax for the past few weeks, but at this point you knew it wasn't just because you were overworked. you told him and his first impulse was to hug you and then go to the store for pregnancy tests. he seemed calm, like it wasn't a big deal. but inside, minho was terrified. you two didn't plan to start a family right now, you talked about it sometimes, but in your imagination it was supposed to happen much later. but apparently life wanted to surprise both of you.

when you finished and placed all three tests on the sink, you set a timer, then unlocked the door and quietly called minho. you sat by the bathtub, legs placed by your chest. your breathing was uneven, short, shallow breaths escaping your lungs. minho sat next to you, hugging you tightly and rubbing circles on your back with his hand. "how long do we have to wait?" he whispered. "around 15 minutes," you mumbled, hiding your face in the crook of his neck. minho hummed to let you know he heard you and placed a soft kiss on your head. "what are we gonna do if i'm pregnant?" you asked suddenly, looking him in the eyes. you didn't cry, but minho could see you were scared. he thought about it for a while and then responded "if you are pregnant, everything's gonna be fine. i'll support you, whether you wanna keep it or not. but either way it'll be okay baby, i love you and i'm sure we can deal with it," minho said, his words causing you to tear up a little bit. you exhaled shakily, your eyes now focused on your hands fiddling with minho's hoodie. it was when the timer went out, signalling both of you that 15 minutes passed. you looked into each others' eyes at the same time. "you ready?" minho asked you and you nodded. he helped you get up and together you went to the sink to check the results. all three tests were positive. "i'm pregnant…" you whispered, tears starting to fall down your cheeks. minho hugged you once again, rocking you gently in his arms. when you calmed down a bit, you looked up at him and smiled. it was when minho teared up as well. "you're going to be a dad, baby," you whispered and kissed him deeply and slowly. when you pulled out, minho placed one more kiss on your nose. "does it mean you're gonna keep it?" he then asked, still quite unsure what you're planning on doing. you hesitated, but then whispered quietly "yeah". were you ready for parenthood? of course no. you were terrified, worried and nervous. but with minho by your side you knew it's gonna be okay.

#skz #stray kids #stray kids fluff #stray kids headcanons #stray kids x reader #skz au #skz comfort #stray kids imagines #stray kids scenarios #stray kids comfort #lee minho #lee know soft hours #lee know soft thoughts #stray kids lee minho #lee know fluff #lee know x reader #lee know comfort

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athanza · 11 months ago

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Starlett - Final part

Cooper Howard/fem!OC (not self-insert)

Tags: Hurt/comfort (sort of?), non-allowed romantic connection, lots of tention, pre and post war drama, romance, some fluff

Warnings: Mentions of domestic abuse (no graphic scenes or descriptions of that nature), angst, canon wasteland violence

This branches out from canon but I thought it was a cute story idea so I had to write it. Enjoy! ♡

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

2077

That night, after dinner, Irene found Cooper on the sofa with Janey asleep on his lap, watching an old noire film with the volume down low.

"Thank you very much for dinner Mr. H- Cooper." She corrected herself, speaking low so as not to wake Janey. "It was lovely."

He looked up as she walked over. "It was no trouble at all. Janey loved having you here."

She smiled at his daughters sleeping face as she sat down on the edge of the sofa. "You've got a good kid there."

He looked down at her proudly. "Yeah, I sure do."

"She reminds me of my baby sister, she lives with my folks in Sacramento. I don't get to see her much anymore with my work and everything with Frank and Lee. It'll be good to see her again."

"How long has it been?"

"Almost 2 years. I know my sister resents me for how much I'm away, but hopefully that'll change now that I'll be away from Frank, at least until the divorce proceedings." She sighed with uneasiness.

"You'll be fine." Said Cooper encouragingly. "You're stronger than you think."

"Ditto." She smiled warmly. "And don't worry about Janey, you both love her so much. She'll understand when she's older, I promise."

He smiled, touched by her words. "Thank you."

She looked into his eyes and saw something she never had, a good man, a man who loves unconditionally and stands up for his family.

She, just for a moment, imagined what it would be like if he was her husband instead of Frank, if Janey were their daughter, if this was her life and not the daily abuse she had been going home to every night.

She could feel emotions begin to well behind her eyes and she snapped out of it before she embarrassed herself.

"Well, I should get some sleep, I'll be leaving early tomorrow. Thank you again."

The warmness that emanated from her was a welcome comfort in the midst of everything that had happened in the last few months. He almost didn't want her to leave, but he couldn't let himself fall, not now, not for her. They were meant for another time, another world, not this one.

"Irene?" Said Cooper, stopping her before she left. "This whole thing with Vault Tec...something's happening, something I'm not sure we'll ever come back from.

You're free from it now. Whatever's coming...it won't be worth giving up your happiness."

What he said about Vault Tec concerned her, not that it was surprising, but he was right about her happiness, he was right about everything. She wasn't going to be held back any longer.

"Thank you." She said, smiling softly.

2296

The sky was still dark when he left the cave. He'd covered Irene with whatever he could find to try to conceal her from raiders, hoping nothing else would find her while he was gone.

He knew there was a clinic in this area somewhere but whether it had anything left in it was a gamble.

As he made his way hastily through the area, he couldn't stop thinking about her and it just made him angry, 219 years of trying to become the monster that he had to be in order to survive, only for her to show up and remind him of that warmth that he'd long since forgotten. It made him weak, but he couldn't let her die, not now.

He heard movement up ahead, two men laughing drunkenly as they stumbled to find somewhere to relieve themselves.

Raiders.

The cages and skewered bodies around the building were a dead give-away and their little base just happened to be the clinic he was looking for.

Jackpot. They definitely had a stash in there somewhere.

The two men separated to find somewhere to piss but just as one got comfortable, Cooper blast his head off and took the other one out just a split second later.

"Oh HELL no!" Came a voice from the doorway of the clinic.

Without hesitation, Cooper shot him too, a bloody mess left on the door frame behind where he had been standing.

He stormed inside, his pump-action shotgun in hand, willing to use up all of his ammo to get what he needed.

Bullets and wood chips were flying every which way, and he took a bullet or two, but it took him no time at all to obliterate every person in that building.

He searched hastily for supplies, and when he found a first aid box full of stimpaks and cotton thread, he grabbed it and left, picking up several blood packs on his way out.

2077

The next morning, Irene was up early, her bag already in her car when Cooper came out to meet her.

"You weren't kiddin' about leavin' early." He said, the clock in the hallway reading 7:12am.

"I thought it'd be best if I left earlier rather than later."

He knew why. He didn't argue.

"Give this to Janey for me, would you? I noticed she liked it and I know it'll be in good hands."

She handed Cooper a silver locket with a daisy engraved delicately on the front.

He looked at it a bit surprised. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I don't much care for it anymore. It'll be more appreciated with her." She smiled.

She did one last check of her purse to make sure she had everything and the tention in the air was starting to thicken. When she knew she had everything, she looked back up at him.

"Cooper?" She asked. "Do me a favour and don't let the world harden that heart of yours, ok? That part of people is important, even if it makes us feel weak, always remember that, ok?"

She leant forward and kissed his cheek. "See you 'round cowboy."

She smiled at him one last time before getting in her car, and as he watched her drive away he felt his heart ache a little. He would miss her, her warm smiles, and how she made Janey laugh, but it wasn't meant to be, and he knew that.

2296

He pulled off the foliage covering her now pale body and opened the case.

Her breathing was shallow and laboured, a puddle of blood underneath her that had started to coagulate.

He used one of the stimpaks, then another, then another until he had used all six, then pulled out the thread and started sewing up the deep gashes on her side that were sticky with blood.

He remembered the last time he saw her, her smile, the kiss. He remembered watching her drive away and wishing she hadn't. He remembered the last things she said to him.

"...don't let the world harden that heart of yours, ok? That part of people is important, even if it makes us feel weak..."

When he finished sewing, he hung up one of the blood bags and attached the long tube to her arm.

He was still and focused, hoping he wasn't too late, his hands now covered in her blood.

When she woke up after only a few minutes, she saw him sitting by the fire beside her and smiled sleepily.

"Hey there cowboy."

The End

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maladaptive-ninja-returns · 3 months ago

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It’s The Avengers (04x11)

Loki x Reader Avengers The Office AU (Slowwwwww Burn)

Season 4 Episode 11: Good While It Lasted

Series Summary: Living in the Avengers facility post-apocalypse in a better timeline Tony Stark has decided to capture every moment by pulling The Office on the Avengers. All of the housemates are pretty used to the idea except for you, who had just come here to finish her degree, and the newest member- Loki.

Warnings: a little breakdown, a little surprise

Word Count: I'm tired as fuck. But I like my cozy bed.

MASTERLIST in bio, darlings. Tags are open (check bio)

A shuffle is heard off-screen before a familiar figure comes to sit in front of the camera Loki: *adjusting himself in the seat* *finally gets comfortable* *looks at the camera* *sighs* Footage cuts to the same recording room but this time it is you in a familiar white shirt over a tank top and booty shorts You: Hey Javi *sits down* Long time no see *smiles at the camera* ~ Loki: Uhhh *scratches his chin* I was not expecting to see Y/N on the mission. I mean, none of us were. But *raises his brows while looking at infinity* there she was *camera takes the liberty to focus on Loki's pale hands before panning in to show them pressing and scratching each other* ~ You: *licks lips* yeah I knew the boys would be there. I just could not fathom that *raise your hands to point at nothing, in particular, next to you* all the boys would be there. *takes in a long breath* *camera zooms in on your face* You: *nod* *in a whisper* I was not expecting Loki to be there *scratches an itch on your neck* ~ Loki: She looks *adjusts the zero prescription glasses he is wearing* fine. *nods* she looks good. ~ You: *chuckle* *scratch an itch on the back of your neck* *silence*…he looks well. *blink* The tattoos look nice. ~ Loki: uhh…*adjusts himself in the seat* yup that’s pretty much it *adjusts his glasses again* hopefully she doesn’t get into any trouble *chuckles* *camera zooms onto his busy hands again*

The Teflon Mansion: Leo's Office The security guy was using every last ounce of his strength to choke the life out of you. Sam, at the other end of the hacked CCTVs, was perspiring in the worst possible sense. "WHERE THE HECK IS EVERYBODY?!!" A figure threw itself on the guard as if on cue, knocking him off you. You turned on your side, wheezing for air before turning to see Loki punching the lights out of the guard. Loki never bothered checking if the guard would get up. Instead, he turned to you. "You okay?" You nodded. "We need to get those prints out." You stopped Loki short in his steps towards you, diverting his attention towards the glass case of blueprints. "Right," the God replied. You got up with the support of the desk. All the while Loki had his eyes on you. "Do you think it'll break if we throw it down from this floor?" Loki furrowed his brows for a second. "We need to keep the prints intact." "Oh," you nodded and shrugged. "Had to ask," you whispered before taking a little laser keychain out of your pocket and raising it to eye level. "That's not a laser laser," Natasha's voice crackled through the earpieces. "Then why do I have it?" You fumed. You stepped away from the desk only to feel like you lost your footing, your body wobbling while your hands looked for support. Loki was quick to grab one of your hands while his other hand went to your upper back to help you stand straight. "Easy. Easy," he announced softly. "Your brain is trying to adjust to the scare it just got. Take long breaths. In......out.....that's right. One more time."

On the other end of the camera, Sam and Natasha inhaled along with Loki's words. "And out." Both of them let out a lungful of air before the former opened his comms to the other channel. "What is taking you guys so long?" "Oh shut it, Wilson. It is hard running on cement tiles in these godforsaken sandals and fucking tight shorts. "The shorts are not tight, you just have a big butt!" Peter chimed from behind. Natasha switched the cameras on the side screen and watched Scott, Peter and Javi running parallel to the garden porch before reaching the poolside. "Okay, what's our exit strategy?" Scott asked the guys in the chair. "You still don't have the prints," Sam stressed, running his hands over his face. Scott looked at Javi's necklace spy cam with all shades of exhaustion.

Scott: *angry* What have Loki and Y/N been doing all this time? *closes his lips* *blinks* *furrows his brows* *softly* What have Loki and Y/N been doing all this time?

"I'm good. I'm good," you announced before you and Loki awkwardly shifted positions, standing a considerable distance away from each other, unsure how to proceed. "Should we-" you tapped the glass case, not sure why you did that- "take this whole thing with us?" "Take what?!" A familiar voice walked in from the door, making you and Loki take a step back. Leo witnessed his security lying unconscious while Loki and you stood on either side of his desk with the glass container out in the open. He stood there for one stretched moment before breaking into a chuckle. "God, all this time I thought you were just a baddie who was into torture kink. But you were playing me to get to this." You stood there mum, not sure how to respond to that sentence. "And was this beautiful dude in on this?" Loki was about to break into a smile but Leo drew out a gun from behind him. "Leo, drop that," you commanded him, "be a good boy and drop it. Now." Loki looked at you in confusion. So did Sam. "F***! Don't do that to me. You know I love it when you dominate me like that." Leo's voice broke. Loki did not know whether to judge the manchild or you. Both looked at each other before eyeing the glass case. Loki turned his head further to look at the French glass window behind the desk. You followed his gaze and nodded. "But I'm sorry, baby girl-" Leo raised his gun and switched off the safety before pointing it directly at you, "-nothing's more precious than daddy's money." "NOW!" Loki screamed as he picked up the case and threw it at the window, letting the strengthened glass shatter the window to make way for you to jump. Loki followed behind you.

Down on the ground, the boys heard the glass shatter. Javier's camera recorded a glass case coming down towards the pool before disappearing into a void. Then came you. And then Loki. Loki grabbed you midair, letting his back hit the water first. Peter grabbed the floaties by the pool and threw them towards the splash point. "Boys, your ride is here," Natasha declared. "There's a back gate by the pool hedge. Go. go. go." Javi and Scott grabbed your arms while Loki raised you up to help you out of the pool. Peter, meanwhile, shot a web at the shattered window, stopping Leo and his guards from raising an alarm regarding the trespasser's location.

Twenty Minutes Later A piece of cloth wiped the lens before Javi's content face came into focus. The camera turned around to the group sitting around a table in a booth inside a dimly lit restaurant. There were barely any customers during the midnight hour. The waitress came up with the coffee jug but no one dared have any. "Do you have a cheeseburger?" Scott asked the waitress while the camera focused on you coming out of the washroom and Loki getting up to make room for you to sit. "Here," the God offered you the shirt he was wearing, making the camera focus on the split-second stare your eyes shared with the lens before you and the camera looked at the bare shoulders in that white tank top. "Thanks." You wore the shirt as soon as you got it, scooching towards the bay of the booth and looking out at the quiet night. "Great," Scott chimed before turning towards everyone else, "what will you guys have?" "Wait," the camera turned away to look at the bewildered waitress staring at Scott, "all that food was just for you?" .

One Hour Later The camera recorded you wrapping your arms around yourself at a distance outside the restaurant, watching a couple of teenagers walk down the road while doing a TikTok dance. "Tea?" The camera panned in on Loki offering you a takeaway cup while keeping one for himself. You took the cup and leaned over the lone motorcycle standing in the parking in front of the restaurant. Loki stands there too, his hands messing with the instrument cluster of the motorcycle. "Nice tattoos," Loki subtly pointed at your arms. "They are temporary," you acknowledged, "I was just experimenting with the persona for the mission." "Oh," Loki nodded, raising the cup to his lips and smiling. "Uh, so are mine." The camera turned to watch Scott and Peter come out of the restaurant arguing. Peter stopped right by the door and slapped Scott in the chest. The Ant Man let out a tiny ow before slapping Peter in the chest. Peter’s irritated face whipped towards Scott and pointed at you and Loki before slapping his arm his time. Scott let out a muted gasp before taking Peter’s arm and slowly moving away- and out of the frame.

"You look like you've lost weight," you wondered out loud, making Loki look down at himself. "Me? I think you are the one who has lost weight," Loki quipped. You looked down at your stomach. "Well, that's not a good thing. I like my chubby body." Loki nodded in affirmation, taking another sip of his tea.

There was a ten-second moment of silence. “Are they talking?” The camera jumped and wobbled before turning to Scott and Petter crawling next to it from inside the bushes.

Javi: *signs* we were right across the road from Loki and Y/N. *stares into a camera and shakes his head*

“So they’re finally taking you on missions.” You broke the silence and gulped the last bit of the tea before tossing the biodegradable cup into the bin. “Surprisingly, yes.” Loki nodded. “Though Barton stares at me without blinking the entire ride.” You snorted before letting out a giggle. Loki turned to look at you and the camera panned in on his face to record the soft smile eroding on his lips. "Yeah, I can imagine that quite clearly," you chimed.

The camera could hear Scott’s whine from outside the frame while Peter tried to shush him.

"Maybe-" you shrugged and raised your hands in front of your chest in contemplation- "Barton likes you. And he's obsessed with you." The camera panned in on Loki just as the tea went down the wrong way and the God ended up coughing his lungs out. "By the Norns!" He tried to wipe the spilt beverage off his face. "If this is his obsession I wonder what he'll do when he finally falls in love with me."

You chuckled. Loki joined you. The camera turned away from the two of you for a moment to watch Peter and Scott squatting beside Javi with their face in their palms; smiling till their eyes closed.

Turning back to get you two in the frame, the lens caught a taxi coming and stopping in front of you two. "Wanda is going to love your take w-" "My ride's here," you announced, cutting Loki short, catching the God- as well as the eavesdroppers- off guard. The smile that once glowed on Loki's face tonight diluted. "Are you not coming ho-are you not coming over to the facility?" You took the loose strands of hair coming in front of your face and tucked them behind your ear. Your eyes no longer met Loki's gaze. "No. I'm...tired. I should go home." The camera zoomed in further and saw that your smile had evaporated. Your chest rose to take in a lungful, and you pursed your lips. "Bye, Loki," you stated softly with a gentle wave, gradually taking steps away from him. Loki stood there for a moment, blinking. He too breathed in one long huff of air. "Bye...Y/N." The camera watched you sit inside the taxi and the yellow vehicle took its time to ride away. And just as it became out of focus, Scott and Peter stood in the frame. "Wait...wait wait wait wait wait." Scott held his head with both hands, trying to understand the situation. Peter stood next to him with mouth agape and a shade of disbelief being coloured in the arms of sadness, staring periodically between the lone figure of Loki looking into nothingness and the taxi which suddenly had its break lights on a few meters away. "What the hell did they just talk about?" Scott was still trying to process the moments that had passed. Peter's gaze was stuck on the taxi that had stopped now. The spider boy tapped on Scott's shoulder, trying to get his attention. The camera, for the time being, only focused on Scott's inevitable breakdown. "But everything was going so well!" Scott gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "They jumped in the pool together, Loki took her out of the pool. Loki dried them both with magic-" Peter tapped at Scott's shoulder again as the back door of the taxi opened- "and then they had dinner together. They even laughed at the mac and cheese portions! What the hell went wrong?!" An out-of-focus figure ran from the taxi back towards the restaurant front.

Now, the camera whipped away from a sulking Scott towards Loki being grabbed by his arm from behind him. "Loki," you tried to breathe his name, never letting go of his arm. Loki observed that and so did the cautious zoom of the camera. "We have to go." The camera was too quick to pan in on the God's flawless face. Loki's brows furrowed. But his pupils widened just a little. The arm being was held by your urgent touch- almost reacting on its own- let his hand graze your elbow. His fingers secured you in front of him in a light hold, not letting you go. "Where?" is all he asked. "Home-" your voice nearly broke- "Pepper's water just broke."

#loki x reader #loki x you #loki x y/n #loki fanfic #loki fluff #loki smut #loki fic #maladaptive ninja returns #It's The Avengers

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