#i was thinking if anyone would make Solo Leveling with a fem lead.

[faededaway]

Would any Shonen author dare to use a fem lead? Or would that be too unrelatable???

[im-in-vin-ci-ble]

Bestieee~ This is long but can I request a Mark x fem reader where he’s dating eve and readers a strong solo hero who happens to catch his eye after finding out she works with cecil and they officially meet when Cecil sends her out to help Atom eve and Mark with a villain and after instead of helping his gf he introduces himself to reader and gets all nervous and she finds and calls him really cute so she asks if he’s taken and he says no and she tells him to give her a call if they ever wanna go out together, eve asks what was that about (she didn’t hear the convo) he says nothing and they go home and sooner or later reader and mark hook up leading to them falling for each and catching feelings and one day they took it to the next level and it’s was very heated and they end up confessing and having another heated make out session only for eve to come and find them in the act and she’s heartbroken and argues with Mark infront of reader, eventually eve storms out but mark doesn’t go after her he apologizes to reader that he lied and she’s okay with it and they stay together

(It can be as explicit as you want and can Marks parents really adore reader and they also go to the same school, I’m sorry this is so long 🥲)

A/N: omg hey bestie so sorry this took a while! this was loooooong and is the last request in my inbox before Love They Neighbour 2!

Pairing: Mark Grayson x Fem!Reader

Rating: Explicit AF

Warnings: smut!! on!! smut!! cheating, swearing, angst, etc

Summary: You captivated Mark the moment you swooped in to help, but he should have been more honest with you before things got intense.

As you landed the final hit on the last Mauler twin standing, you watched as he fell on the pavement and created a crater around his gigantic blue being. You let out a sigh of exhaustion when your feet touched back on the ground, relieved that it was done and over with.

"Excuse me?"

You turned around and saw Invincible hovering towards you, his blue and yellow suit tarnished from the action.

"Hi, sorry, I should have introduced myself before I jumped in," you said, walking to where he landed. "Cecil sent me here."

"Oh... so you, uh, work for the GDA," he replied feebly.

"I do, just started actually," you informed him.

"That was..." he pointed at the knocked out Mauler twin, "that was a nice blow."

You crossed your brows, "I'm sorry?"

"Sorry! No! I meant... I meant..." he stuttered. "Like that was... t-that was a good... hit! A good hit!" Mortified, he placed his hand on his forehead and shook his head, and you could swear there was a tinge of pink creeping up on his cheeks.

You laughed at the boy, who is one of the strongest people on this planet, as he fell apart in front of you. "Thank you," you simply replied, keeping it short to keep him from feeling more embarrassed. "Anyway, I should report back—"

"I'm Invincible," he cut you off, reaching his hand out.

You looked down at his hand that was trembling, then back up to his face that still had that smile on. "I'm Y/N," you replied with your superhero name, shaking his hand slowly.

"Shit, I just realized I cut you off," he suddenly said, placing his hand on his forehead again. "I was gonna say thank you for helping Atom Eve and I out with the twins but I just got so caught up in my own thoughts that I..." he trailed off, "that I started rambling. Shit, sorry."

"Don't worry about it," you responded with an audible giggle, "I'll let it pass because you're cute."

His lips formed into a wide smile, "You... You think I'm cute?"

"I do," you nodded, biting your lower lip. "Are you seeing anyone?"

"No!" he exclaimed almost immediately. "No, no, I... I'm not."

"Well do you maybe wanna go out some time?" you asked. "Our dating pool is quite limited and I think you're probably the best catch out there right now."

"I-I would love to," he stammered as he fumbled to get his phone, which is miraculously still in tact, out of his pocket. "Give me your number, I'll text you!"

As you typed your phone number on the screen, you looked up at his face that was beaming with so much excitement, his mask could have melted off. You swiftly returned his phone and winked, "Call me," and you flew off — that was a good exit.

His eyes followed you as you zoomed away, and his head began thinking of all the things he can/should say in his first text to you.

"Mark," a female voice broke his daydream, "what was that all about?"

He turned around and saw Eve, his girlfriend, standing there with an unsuspicious look on her face. "Nothing," he lied, clearing his throat. "Let's go home, I'm ready to just lay on my bed."

— — —

After going out on two (secret) study dates together, Mark finally accepted that he was in deep shit. He paced around his bedroom as he waited for you to come in through the window, internally panicking at two things: one, that he's catching real feelings for you and two, that Eve will find out.

"I can't lie to Eve forever, she'll know something's up," he mumbled to himself as he walked back and forth.

A soft gust of wind caught his attention and he looked up to see you gently closing his bedroom window. You cheerfully greeted him but the smile on your face quickly disappeared upon seeing the worried look on his.

"Is everything okay?" you asked.

"Yeah, I'm just, um..." he trailed off, looking up at the ceiling, "stressed about art class."

"Well I don't know how your class does it but it sounds like they're really giving you guys a tough time out there," you replied, moving close enough to him to wrap your arms around his neck.

He responded by placing his arms around your waist and pulling you closer. "It's a killer," he lied.

"Well you look like you need a stress reliever," you said in a low voice, leaning in to give him gentle kisses on the neck. "And I think I know just the thing," you added in a whisper.

Your lips on his neck sent shots of electricity up Mark's spine and his grip around your waist tightened. He used one hand to move your face back up across his and he immediately began kissing you, each one more deeper and more passionate than the last. He guided the both of you to his bed where you landed in synchronicity, and his hands were quick to pull up your shirt and unbutton your shorts.

"Mark, hey," you pulled away. "Are you okay?"

He took a deep breath, "Mmhm, I just need you right now."

The redness and look of restraint in his face was, admittedly, driving you crazy too; you resumed kissing him and proceeded to take off his clothes — which were luckily just a T-shirt and shorts — and his hand moved up and down your back until he decided to unhook your bra. He pulled away from your lips and dived down to your chest, sucking on your perky nipples as his one hand rubbed circles over your damp center. He was sending you into a frenzy and when you finally found the strength to speak, it was just his name.

"I need you right now," he repeated as he placed himself on top of you and stripped you of your last article of clothing.

Mark reached over to his bedside table and rolled down a condom in what seemed like mere seconds. Lining himself up to your entrance, you caught a glimpse of his throbbing cock as he fully slid himself inside you. A low moan escaped from both your lips while you adjusted to his length, and he slowly began picking up a rhythm and a steady pace. He leaned down and gave you a sloppy kiss as he moved with more force and speed, his fingers tangling with yours while you both lost yourself to each other.

"I need you," he moaned, "I need you right now."

You kissed him once more and replied breathily, "I'm right here. Fuck, Mark, I'm right here."

Keeping his forehead against yours and his speed and strength building up, he said the two words that brought you crumbling:

"Cum. Now."

The force, the rhythm, and the authority in his voice pushed you over edge. Your thighs tensed then weakened as you entered a whole new state of euphoria, and your soft moans together in the air sounded like a warm, harmonic song. Mark felt himself let go inside you and his pace slowed down to sporadic thrusts until he rolled over next to you, the both of you panting from all the emotions.

"Holy fuck," you said shakily. "That was..."

"Insane," he finished for you as he pulled the condom away and threw it to what he hoped was his trash bin.

"Mmhm," you whispered before turning your head to look at him.

You watched as Mark caught his breath, his sweaty and toned chest moving up and down. He extended his arm above you and you scooted closer, resting your head on his shoulder and placing your hand on his heaving his chest. You laid there in silence, the only audible noise being the humming of the air-conditioner.

"Y/N, I need to tell you something," Mark finally said.

"Yes?" you asked, tracing circles on his chest with your fingertip.

"I don't know how to say it," he started. "So I'm just going to. Don't freak out, please. And if you do, will you let me know so I can—"

"Mark," you cut him off, "just tell me."

He took a deep breath, "I think I'm falling in love with you."

"Really?" you giggled.

"Yeah, really," he replied. "It's cool if you don't... you know, feel the same way or whatever."

You chuckled and planted a tender kiss on his lips. "I feel too, you know," you said. "But I'm glad you said it first."

"Why?" he asked with a smile.

"Because," you shrugged. "If somebody asks, I can tell them you were the first one to break."

Mark laughed and began attacking you with kisses — on your neck, your cheeks, you forehead, your ears, your nose, anywhere he could plant one. You giggled as you tried to get away, feigning weakness while you enjoyed the moment. He finally managed to land a long one your lips, and that one kiss re-energized the heat you were just feeling earlier. His one hand gently cusped your breasts in turns, and you retaliated by rolling on top of him and moving his hands down to your ass. You moaned as Mark gave you a gentle squeeze, and he guided your hips to slowly move against him.

"God, I need you so bad," he said in between kisses.

"I'm all yours, baby," you responded quietly. "All yours, alw—"

"Mark?"

His focus shattered as that familiar voice rang in his ear. You quickly rolled off him, covering yourself with the blanket and looking up at a hovering Eve. Mark grabbed his shorts and quickly put them back on before walking towards Eve, extending his arms out in an attempt to keep her calm.

"Eve, before you say anything—"

"I can't believe you!" she yelled, the tears starting to roll down her cheeks. "I can't believe you would do this to me! I trusted you! I trusted her!" she added, pointing at you.

"Eve, she didn't know. Leave her out of this," Mark replied sternly, lowering his arms. "This is between you and me."

She slowly landed back down on the floor but didn't move a step; Eve was paralyzed with anger and sadness, bu mostly the former. "Why?"

"Look, Eve," he turned to look at you and returned his attention to his sobbing girlfriend. "I'm sorry I lied to you. But the truth is I just... I just stopped loving you. I haven't... loved you for a while now."

"And you couldn't be honest with me?" she asked.

"No, I couldn't," Mark answered, "and I'm sorry you had to find out this way. This is on me, okay?"

Eve sniffled, "Why did you stop loving me?"

"All we did was fight, Eve," he sighed, "all we did was fight and yell at each other until we got so tired of yelling, we'd just fall asleep. Then the next morning it's like nothing happened."

She sniffled and shook her head, still refusing to believe this was happening.

"We never solved anything. We never apologized to each other. It's like we were just staying together for the sake of it, or so that no one in the team could shit on us if we broke up," Mark added. "I'm sorry, Eve. I never meant for it to play out like this."

Eve looked up at him with a stone face, her eyes red and puffy. "I'm gonna fly out of that window, And if you don't follow, it means that you don't wanna solve this," she said, sniffling and pointing at his open bedroom window. "Make your choice, Mark."

He watched as he left her bedroom, the soft gust of wind flipping some of his comic books open. Mark walked towards the window and stared at Eve, who was now flying further and further away. When he could no longer see her silhouette in the sky, he shut his window.

"Mark, aren't you...?"

"No," he shook his head, "I didn't mean for this but I meant what I said to Eve."

He turned around and sat on the edge of the bed, keeping his eyes glued to the floor. "Y/N, I owe you an apology too," he sighed. "I should have told you about Eve. I should have broken it off with her before I started anything with you."

"Mark..."

He finally looked up at you, "I'm sorry, Y/N. I didn't want you to get caught in the middle of this." He sighed again, "I understand if you want to go and never talk to me again because I'm a total piece of shit. But please know I didn't want this to happen."

You sat there and stared at him — Invincible didn't look so invincible right now; he was ashamed and angry at himself. The teenage boy arrogantly flying through the skies like it was no big deal was sitting across you, defeated from the stupid decisions he admittedly made. There was a mixture of fear and embarrassment and sadness and guilt in his eyes, and he was ready for you to just get dressed and leave.

"I'm not going anywhere."

"W... What?"

You shook your head and moved next to him, keeping the blanket over your chest. "I forgive you," you explained to him. "What you did was shitty, yeah, but we all make mistakes. I know I've made my fair share."

"But this was a really big mistake," he said.

"I know," you replied, "but at least you can admit to it and learn from it."

He sighed, "You know, I meant what I said to you earlier... about me... you know, falling in love with you."

"I believe you, and I meant it too.”

You lied back down on the bed and patted the empty space next to you. Mark took up your offer and wrapped you in his arms, his nose buried in your hair as he kept you close to him.

“I promise I will never hurt you like this,” he whispered.

“I know.”

[procrastinatingsapphictrash]

Can’t get over her

Word count: 5010     

Genre: A little angst with a little fluff

Pairing: Natasha x fem!reader 

Warnings: Little bit of swearing (let me know if I need to add more)

Summary: Reader has always had a bit of a crush on Natasha but it’s unrequited. She lets Tony and Wanda take her to a club and Nat starts acting differently.

A/N: This is not a request, I just felt like writing this story. I’m super nervous about this because I’m not sure if it’s very good but I thought I would post it in case anyone is interested. This is my first x reader fic and first Natasha/Marvel fic so I wasn’t sure how to write it. That being said I hope you enjoy, and if you do, I’m always open to take requests! Btw this is completely unimportant but even though this fic is a medium length, it’s the longest story I’ve actually completed so I feel proud of myself for that!

“Y/n!” A voice rang out loudly disrupting your sleep. 

“Ughhhh,” you groaned, “what do you want?” Instead of an answer the door to your room gets thrown open loudly, allowing all the light to come in. You bury yourself under the blankets, partly to stop your eyes from seeing the light and partly to hide the fact that you were wearing Avengers themed pyjamas. 

“Rise and shine sweetheart!” You hear Tony’s voice mock. Reluctantly you poke your head out of the blankets just enough so you can see and squint at your best friend/mentor just in time to see him rush off, probably to wake up another unfortunate avenger. When you first joined you never expected to like Tony at all, much less consider him your best friend or look up to him. You had heard rumors of him being inappropriate with women and while his jokes most certainly were and you did occasionally catch him staring at your boobs he never did anything creepy to make you uncomfortable and inside he was a good man, way more so than you expected.

All that in mind you decide to get out of bed to see why Tony woke you up because he (probably) wouldn’t wake you up for no reason. Taking a minute to change out of the avenger pyjamas and into some clothes as well as brush your hair you wander downstairs. On the way down you bump into Clint who unlike you has made absolutely no effort to look presentable and looks like he just rolled out of bed. You say a quick hello but he just grunts in return, not even looking at you. Inwardly laughing about how much Clint hates to be awake in the morning you continue downstairs to meet up with the rest of the avengers who are varying degrees of awake. Most seemed to be like you; awake and fairly alert but not happy about it. Clint was probably the most asleep and Tony the most awake considering he was practically bouncing off the walls. Looking around you see everyone except for Thor and Natasha. Thor wasn’t there very often because he wasn’t from earth and Natasha usually avoided group activities at all costs to your displeasure since you had a secret (not very secret) crush on the assassin. 

“So why did you wake us up, at an ungodly hour may I add, and bring us down here?” You ask Tony, curious.

“That information is above your clearance level.” He replies somewhat sarcastically. 

“Does anybody else know what is going on?” you ask. “Or did Tony wake me up for no reason, in which case I’m going back to bed.” They all shift guiltily on their feet except for Clint who seems to be still too tired to pay attention leading you to believe they are all up to something you wouldn’t like. Nobody answers your question so you glare around the room, your eyes landing on Steve. He almost squirms under your gaze and eventually seems to give in.

“I’m sorry Y/N, this wasn’t my idea and thinking back on it we probably shouldn’t-”

“We are giving you a makeover and finding you a date.” Tony cuts Steve off.

“Seriously??!??!??” You half shout. “What makes you think I want to go on some random date you guys set up? If I want to go on a date I can find one myself.”

“Y/N…” Wanda says softly, reminding you to stay calm.

“Don’t Y/n me,” you say, still angrily yet quieter, “I can find my own dates, thank you very much.” Tony gives a small snort of laughter in response to this.

“Sure you can kid. I mean it’s not like you haven’t been on a date in over two years. Or that you’re harboring a crush for our resident scary assassin that prevents you from dating others.” You glare at him but stay silent because all of what he said is true. In your head you excuse the not dating off as being busy because you are a hero yet almost everybody on the team is dating someone and it all seems to be working out fine.

“Look Y/n,” Tony says softly which is a rarity for him, “I know you wish something could happen between you and Romanoff but it hasn’t happened yet and likely never will. You need to get over her and back out there. Besides we weren’t planning on choosing your date for you, we were just planning to go clubbing later with you.”

“Ok,” you agree begrudgingly, “I’ll do it, I just don’t see the need to wake me up at 7 in the morning if we aren’t going out until tonight. Also does everybody need to be here right now?” 

“I second that,” Clint says in a voice still rough from sleep, “just because I helped planning a little bit does not mean I had to wake up early to have this conversation. I’m going back to bed.” 

Wanda rolls her eyes at him before turning to you, “No not everyone has to be here right now, Tony just got a little over excited. As for you, as we said we are giving you a makeover which means we have to go to the hair appointment I set up plus I was thinking we could go shopping since we almost never have time to. Besides Natasha gets back from her solo mission sometime later today, so we wanted to talk with you when she wasn’t around.”

“Ok,” you respond with a little bit of excitement, “when do we leave?”

“Right now! We can have brunch while we’re out!” 

“Yes and then we can go get our nails done and gossip!” Tony says in a fake voice. Both you and Wanda turn to look at him exasperated. “Ok fine, maybe not but I am coming and we are gossiping. Also I need to find a good birthday present for Pepper’s birthday next week.”

“Well that’s good you’re coming because unless you want the same reaction as last year, you’re going to need a lot of help.” Wanda replies. You laugh a little as the three of you leave the tower, Wanda and Tony continuing their mock argument about Tony’s gift giving skills. 

Five hours later and you severely regretted going along with their plan. You were already exhausted and still had so much to do before going clubbing. You had already bought an outfit plus a few others which wouldn’t be so bad except Wanda and Tony made you try on what you believed to be the whole store before they seemed satisfied with your look. You had also gotten your nails done and were currently finishing up a lovely brunch which consisted of waffles, maple syrup and some fruits. That would have been enjoyable if not for the fact that Tony and Wanda alternated between nagging you about not chipping a nail and teasing you about your pathetic love life. It was a well known fact in the tower that while they didn’t hate each other, Tony and Wanda didn’t usually get along well but that was probably for the best since together they were ruthless. They seemed to have decided that the time for brunch was over so sighing you followed them out of the restaurant after Tony paid the bill. That’s the one positive at least, all of it was free for you thanks to Tony. 

Another five hours later and you could honestly say you were looking forward to the night more than you thought you would. You were currently looking in the mirror in your room and although usually you tended to be indifferent towards your body, sometimes even insecure, you had to admit that you looked pretty hot. The dress was in the perfect colour to bring out your eyes according to Wanda and although it was the perfect balance between classy and slutty, revealing a bit of skin and showing off your assets while still leaving it to the imagination. You also were carrying a black purse which matched your nails and shoes. Your makeup was perfectly done, naturally showing you beauty but adding a little extra glimmer. The thing you were most proud of however and the most noticeable change you had made was your hair. Before you had hair that when completely straight could reach your waist but now it was barely long enough to tuck behind your ears. When you first got to the hair salon you were planning on just trimming it and straightening in it but when you got in the chair something came over you and you just decided to chop it all off. 

BANG! The door to your room barges open and Wanda comes flying in. 

“Damn girl! You look hot as fuck!” You blush profusely at her words managing to stammer out a thank you. You have never been good at taking compliments because you always get a little shy and awkward. 

Tony pokes his head around the doorframe and gives a whistle. “You are smoking hot Y/n, I mean if I didn’t have Pepper I would be all over you. You ready to go?” Not waiting for an answer he turns and starts towards the elevator. You follow but not before exchanging an eye roll with Wanda about Tony’s words. The elevator ride is short and smooth thanks to Tony’s engineering so you don’t have enough time to succumb to the urge of placing your hands on the bars and pushing while lifting your feet. The elevator beeps, Jarvis informing  you that you’ve reached the ground level and the doors open. You step out ready to get on with your night but the sight of Natasha just back from a mission freezes you in your tracks. 

“Hi,” you say lamely, “I thought you were supposed to get back earlier today?”

“We had some intel that wasn’t fully correct but luckily it didn’t take too long to fix. You look different, where are you heading off to?”

You glance at Tony and Wanda for help because for some reason you feel awkward telling her but they don’t seem to know what you want so you answer anyways. “We’re going clubbing, I’m kinda nervous since I haven’t been in awhile but Wanda helped me get ready-”

“Hey I helped too!”

You ignore Tony’s protest and continue to speak. “-and I think it should be fun. Also there will for sure be hot girls there which is always a plus.”  

“Seems like it should be fun,” she responds in her monotone ‘I don’t care’ voice that you hate, “Good luck with the girls though, because your hair looked better long, I don’t like it like this.” You don’t usually get offended easily but you feel tears spring to your eyes at her comment. The only good part is that she doesn’t notice because she’s already walking away, swaying her hips, either not knowing or caring that she hurt you.

Tony and Wanda rush over to you. “Oh sweetie,” Wanda comforts while wrapping an arm around you, “don’t listen to her, that’s not true at all!”

“Then why would she say it?” You ask, careful to keep your voice from cracking because you hated showing when you were upset.

“I don’t know and honestly I don’t give a fuck.” Tony replies. “Just don’t think about it too much, the whole point of this night is to get over her anyways.” You give him a small smile at that. Tony is good with words which translates into being good at comforting people. You know he’s right so although the comment is still upsetting you do your best to push it out of your mind. Locking arms with both Tony and Wanda you pull them towards the door and into the waiting limo. You couldn’t help but smile at the way Tony ruffled your hair as you stepped in or how Wanda kept running her fingers over her arm in an attempt to be reassuring. You had the best friends. 

The ride over seemed way shorter than it was supposed to be and before you knew it the limo was stopped to let the three of you out. You take a deep breath and wipe your sweaty palms on your dress before smiling and stepping out after Tony and Wanda. Nobody seems to have noticed the three of you yet which was a good thing. Being Avengers Tony and Wanda were pretty much celebrities and often got swarmed by groups of fans. Technically you were an avenger as well but like Natasha and Clint it was only because you were a Shield so while you did get recognized it wasn’t as often and only tended to happen if you were with other avengers. You make your way inside, splitting from Tony and Wanda at the door. The plan was for them to go to the bar and look over you from there while you went straight to the dance floor because you preferred to be anonymous tonight and they would ruin that and also you didn’t feel like getting drunk. That was the plan at least but you suspected that they would get too drunk to continue watching over you because it had been stressful lately with a lot of paperwork and they needed to unwind. Wanda had practically confirmed that fact when she gave you permission to leave without them. 

You step over to the dance floor glancing around to see if there looked to be any single women already there. The reason you had chosen this club was because although it wasn’t lgbtq+ exclusive, it was open to everybody and therefore frequented by many members of the community. 

Just as you were glancing around you felt a tap on your shoulder. “Wanna dance?” You spin around to find the most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen, apart from Natasha. It bothers you that you’re using Natasha as your standard and comparing other girls to her but you brush that off. 

“I would love to!” At your response she takes your hand, pulling you into the crowd and starts to dance. You dance as well and slowly you lose track of time as you loosen up and your dancing with the girl becomes less and less innocent. You can feel yourself caring less about what Natasha thought although as great as this girl seemed to be you knew you weren’t ready for a relationship so you hoped she wasn’t looking for one. After what could be a couple of hours because you’ve completely lost track of time, you and the girl whose name you still don’t know head over to a corner of the room and take a seat on two of the stools that were provided. 

“Hi, I feel like I should know your name by now, I’m Y/n.” You introduce yourself. 

“Wait I thought you looked familiar!” She exclaims. “You’re the Y/n that’s a part of the avengers right?” 

You awkwardly give a nod and gesture towards the bar where you can see Tony and Wanda who have obviously had at least a few drinks each. “Tony and Wanda came with me. They are just over there but I didn’t particularly want the spotlight tonight so I split from them at the door.” 

“I understand, I must admit I have no desire to be famous. I’m Jamie by the way” She says with a cute little giggle before her mood seems to be more solemn. “I can’t believe I’m saying this to a literal avenger and if my friends find out they are going to kill me but I’m sorry if you’re looking for a relationship but I just got out of a serious relationship and am not ready for another one quite yet.” 

You let out a relieved sigh. “I’m not looking for a relationship either, because I’m trying to get over my feelings for a friend.” 

“Phew!” She replies. “But tell me more about this ‘friend’ of yours.” You take a minute to think before deciding that Jamie could be trusted. You begin to spill all about your feelings for Natasha and how she didn’t seem interested and what she said to you on your way here. Jamie listens sympathetically the entire time before telling you all about how she thought her ex was the one but it turns out she was emotionally abusive. Even though you just met you talk like old friends, offering advice on serious topics but also chatting about random things. You have 3 more drinks each and after every drink your barriers crumble more and more. Eventually you exchange numbers so you can meet up again although you both agreed it would be a platonic meetup. Just as you were giggling about a joke you couldn’t even remember, you saw Jamie tense up and a second later you felt a hand on your shoulder. You turn your head in anger expecting it to be some creepy guy trying to hit on you but it turns to confusion when you see Natasha. 

“Can we talk?” She asks, giving Jamie a dirty look. “At the tower. Without her.” 

“Why?” You ask. “I’m having fun here Nat.” You specifically say her name as you speak so Jamie knows who you’re talking to. 

“Just come home.” She says not answering your question, instead tugging at your wrist lightly. You sigh not knowing what to do so you glance at Jamie for help. 

She shrugs and then says, “I have a ride home planned if you want to leave, but I wouldn’t mind staying longer if that’s what you want.”

You make a quick decision in your head before responding, “Ok, we’ll go back to the tower but there better be a good reason.” You then turn to Jamie, “Text me when you get home so I know you’re safe, and then we can figure out when to hang out.”

“Of course,” she agrees leaning forwards to hug you while whispering in your ear, “good luck but remember not to let her treat you badly just because you’re in love with her.” You pull back from the hug and smile at her as Natasha’s hand moves down to your own as she starts walking, pulling you along with her. You can barely think straight, you have no idea what is going on with Natasha or why she’s acting so weirdly. You glance over to Tony and Wanda to see if they’ve noticed what’s going on but just as you suspected they were drunk out of their minds. If they were normal friends you would have worried about them but you knew Tony’s drivers would get them home safe because although Tony was more responsible with Pepper around this was not the first time they’ve had to haul his drunk ass back to the tower. 

Natasha continues to pull you out the door and over to her parked motorcycle where she hands you a helmet and one of her leather jackets. Still not speaking she hops on and motions for you to get on behind her. You swing your leg over the side somewhat awkwardly and scoot forwards so you can grab onto her waist. Once she’s sure you’re secured properly she hits the gas, the motorcycle roaring as it starts. You’ve never been on her motorcycle before so at first you are a bit nervous but after a couple of minutes you start to feel more comfortable. At this point your only nerves come from holding Natasha and wondering what she wants to talk to you about and not the motorcycle ride. Compared to the ride over to the club, this ride feels like it’s taking forever as you start to go over all the important reasons Nat would want to talk to you. You still didn’t know how to feel about everything because she insulted you earlier and now is making you feel important. To protect your feelings you tell yourself that there is probably a mission or a meeting that came up last minute and this isn’t just Natasha wanting to talk. It’s improbable because if that was the case she would have outright said so but you can’t think of any more plausible reasons off the top of your head. Luckily before you can analyze her strange behavior anymore you reach the tower and after parking underground you follow Natasha upstairs into the main living area which is obviously deserted as it is now between 3 and 4 am. 

“So why did you want to talk?” You ask, breaking the silence as you take a seat on the couch. 

“Why did you go to a club?” She asks, also sitting down on the other end of the couch, avoiding your question. 

A surge of anger floods through you and while you don’t shout, you raise your voice a little. “Answer the fucking question Nat. Or did you bring me all the way back just to ask that?” 

She looks somewhat surprised that you raised your voice but she keeps hers even. “I just wanted to know. It looked like you were having fun with whoever that girl is.” 

“Yeah I was.” You respond, still confused. “But how do you know that?” 

Natasha avoids eye contact looking everywhere but you. “I was watching you.” 

“YOU WERE WHAT?” You shout before lowering your voice to avoid waking up the whole tower. “Why the fuck were you spying on me?”  

“I- I wasn’t.” She replies seemingly caught off guard by your tone of voice. “I wanted to make sure you were safe.” 

“Tony and Wanda were with me.” You respond confused. There’s something she’s not telling you that’s making her act weird. She knew you could handle yourself so she obviously was not telling the truth, or at least omitting details. She hasn’t responded to your last statement, instead choosing to look at you in the weird way she does that makes you feel like you’re being interrogated. You decide that if she isn’t going to talk, you won’t either so you pull your phone out of your jacket to check it. You see a text from Jamie saying she got home ok with a little smiley face at the end that causes you to smile. You type back a quick reply, just saying you’re glad she’s safe and that you were with Natasha right now and were probably going to bed soon so you’d text her tomorrow. She wished you luck and goodnight with another little smiley face that made you smile again. Putting your phone away you look back up at Natasha only to find out she’s glaring at you. 

Unsure of what could have changed her attitude towards you, you ask, “What?”

“Who were you talking to?” She asks ignoring your question for the second time tonight. 

You sigh, “I don’t see how it’s any of your business but if you really must know I was just saying goodnight to the girl from the club, Jamie.”

“So that’s her name.” She says wrinkling her nose. Now you’re really confused as to what Natasha is thinking. You couldn’t tell on normal days but usually she acted rationally and never was like this. 

“Why do you say it like that?” You ask. 

“I don’t like her.”

“Why don’t you like her?” 

“I just don’t.” She answers, offering no explanation. Although you do want to find out why Natasha doesn’t like her you’re too tired to spend the time asking questions so you stand up to go to bed. 

“Where are you going?” She demands. 

You sigh for what feels like the thousandth time of the night. “I’m going to bed. You wanted to talk to me but won’t actually talk, and when I ask you questions, instead of responding you insult my new friend.”

“Friend?” She questions.

“Jamie.” You say confused because you thought the answer was obvious. 

“Oh.” She responds, “I’m sorry, please stay.” You think about it for a second, deciding to stay so you go to sit down again, but before you do Natasha scoots over to your end of the couch pulling you down into her side. Your entire body freezes up because you’re so unsure of what to do. Natasha never initiated physical contact of any kind but now she was practically hugging you. Seeming to realize how uncomfortable you were, she quickly moves away.

“Sorry,” she mutters, “That was stupid.”

“No, no, it’s fine, you can come back.” You respond quickly. As much as you were uncomfortable, it felt really nice to have her by your side. She somewhat shyly shifts back over to you but this time instead of wrapping her arm around your shoulders she nuzzles into your side, maneuvering your arms so they wrap around her. You have no idea what’s going on right now but you can’t help but smile as you look down at her. She looks cute and relaxed, with her hair covering parts of her face. Thinking about her hair reminds you of her opinion of your new haircut. You bite your lip nervously as you debate asking her about that or not. You definitely don’t want to ruin the cuddly mood that she’s in now but the comment still bothers you, not to mention you never actually found out why she took you home from the club.

“Um Natasha?” You ask in a timid voice. “Is my haircut really that bad?” 

“Of course not, I think it suits you.” She responds smoothly. “I lied to you earlier.”

You smile at that. “Thank you but why?”

She takes a deep shaky breath before speaking. “Promise this won’t change anything between us first, that we will stay friends.” 

“Ok,” You respond, earnest but confused, “I promise.”

“I didn’t like the idea of you going clubbing and coming home with some one night stand or even worse a girlfriend because I have feelings for you. So I was childish and took out my frustrations on you by pretending I didn’t like you. I’m sorry.” She’s looking up at you now, the most nervous you’ve ever seen her. Your mind is exploding with this new information and your heart feels so happy you can’t even believe what is going on. 

“Is that why you were watching me with Jamie at the club and then told me you had to talk to me?”

“Yeah”

After a few more seconds of shocked silence that feels like hours to Natasha you finally speak. “I know I promised that this wouldn’t change anything between us but I don’t think it can be the same.” She starts to pull away from your side but before she can you lean over and press your lips against hers. At first you are hesitant but once she starts kissing back you gain confidence, the kiss getting more heated. After a minute or two you both pull away to catch your breath, smiling at each other. 

Natasha lightly swats you on the arm. “You’re evil.” You giggle a little in response. “I was so worried for a second there, I thought you would be weirded out by that.” She continues also giggling slightly. 

“I’m surprised you didn’t know that I had feelings for you,” you confess to her, “it was actually Tony and Wanda’s idea for me to go out because we all thought you didn’t like me so they thought it was a good idea to get over you.”

“Well that plan failed,” she says smirking, “I guess you can’t get over me.” 

You look at her and yawn. “No I guess I can’t.” 

At your yawn she glances at the clock. “We better get you to bed, it’s almost the time Steve wakes up for training.” You would like to spend more time with Natasha but you’re too tired to argue so you just nod and follow her as she pulls you up and leads you to your room, holding your hand the whole way. Inside your room she sits on your bed while you change, politely looking away. Once you’re in pyjamas you hold a pair out to her and she looks at you confused. 

“Do you want to stay the night?” You ask her. She eagerly nods, accepting the pyjamas as you open your covers and crawl into bed. As soon as she’s done she turns off the lights and hops in behind you, spooning you. You sigh as you feel her plant a kiss on the back of your head. You can barely keep your eyes open and although you still haven’t talked about exactly what your new relationship with Natasha was yet, you were excited for what was to come. Your last thought before you drifted off to sleep was complete bliss as Natasha kept planting soft kisses on the back of your neck, head and shoulders. 

The next morning you hear a loud pounding at your door. You groan and slowly gain consciousness, smiling as you remember last night and the redhead still cuddling you. Just like yesterday Tony doesn’t bother to wait for you to answer and instead barges straight in. His eyes widen when he sees the two of you spooning and he starts to splutter. You laugh at him with Natasha until he shouts for the other avengers to come. Multiple pairs of footsteps make your way to your bedroom and you see the shocked faces of a few of the other avengers, including Wanda, Steve and Clint. 

“What,” Natasha says speaking up, “can’t a girl cuddle with her girlfriend in peace?” Steve immediately apologizes, ushering everyone out of the room and closing the door. 

You raise your eyebrow. “Girlfriends?”

“I assumed so, if you want.” She responds. 

“I like the sound of that...girlfriend.” You both smile at each other. You definitely did not complete your goal of getting over Natasha and instead fell further in love but you were totally ok with that.

[maria-scribbles]

we’re just like kevin bacon!

prompt: for @bricksatanakinswindow​ ‘s halloween writing challenge! this was initially inspired by "mortal enemies accidentally showing up in matching costumes every fucking year" but once i started writing it kind of snowballed from there and i ended up with this lmao

ship: jj maybank x fem!reader

word count: 4.6k+ (i think this is the shortest thing i’ve ever written lol)

warnings n stuff: childhood enemies to lovers, swearing, mention of underage drinking, halloween shenanigans, makin' out, smut (not too explicit but i still think it's spicy enough to need an 18+ warning), jj and the reader being cute lil nerds and quoting movies back and forth, the author blatantly using some of her personal favorite movies/shows as inspiration for costumes, the author also making her opinions on ghostbusters clear (instead of the human trash can peter venkman, stan the adorable dork known as ray stantz for clear skin)

a/n: this was hella fun to write and i already have so many more halloween fic ideas bouncing around in my head (it's spoopy season, y'all!). title of this fic comes from guardians of the galaxy 😊

Of three things in life you were certain.

One, you loved Halloween more than any other holiday of the year; after all, you and your twin brother Mason were born just after one AM on October 31st so you could say a penchant for all things spooky was in your blood.

Two, Sarah Cameron was your best friend. Being neighbors your whole lives, the two of you were thick as thieves and spent almost every day together, much to the annoyance of both your brother and hers; as much as you loved Mason, sometimes you wished Sarah was your twin instead of him and you knew without question the blonde girl would trade Rafe for you in a heartbeat (with little to no guilt, in fact.). 

And three, you absolutely hated JJ Maybank. You'd been at the top of each other's shit lists ever since you were both six years old, when he made fun of you for the stutter you'd had back then and you dumped a full milkshake over his head as payback, and even as time passed and you grew out of your stutter, your disdain for the blond pogue only grew stronger. He was infuriating, plain and simple, and the mere mention of his name made steam come out of your ears. 

The boy was just good at being annoying and seemed to love pushing everyone's buttons, yours especially, and always found ways to get under your skin without fail every single time your paths crossed (which was way too often for your liking, but running in the same friend group made it hard to avoid each other). It became an unspoken thing, the great Y/L/N-Maybank feud, with both of you trying your hardest to piss the other off until one of your mutual friends or your brother broke it up and pulled you to opposite corners of the metaphorical ring to take a breather before the next round.

You'd never admit it but deep down you kind of liked it. You liked being at the center of his attention (granted, it was antagonistic in nature but it was attention all the same), his bright blue eyes following your every move whenever you were within his sights and you liked that you were in his thoughts even when you weren't around, a fact proven to you by the tiny notebook Kiara carried around in her pocket recording how many times he mentioned your name. Knowing you lived rent free in his mind brought you an embarrassingly high level of satisfaction that you'd absolutely deny feeling if anyone ever asked, just as you'd deny the fact that he lived rent free in your mind, too.

...At least for most of the year. Everyone, including JJ, knew that to you Halloween was a damn-near sacred time. He knew never to mess with you during the weeks leading up to the holiday and definitely never on the day itself, lest he want yet another milkshake dumped over his blond head. He knew that, the whole damn island knew he did and yet...somehow, some way, he managed to get your blood boiling every. single. year. And you, like a masochistic idiot, let him. 

It all started when you were twelve.

You, Mason, and your friends were finally old enough to go to the annual youth party held on the sprawling lawn of the Island Club, an event you'd been looking forward to attending every Halloween since you were eight. Of course, you were excited for the dancing and games and food but the thing you couldn't wait the most for was the costume contest, a chance to show off your skills and prove to everyone on the island that Y/N Y/L/N was the undisputed queen of Halloween.

So what if your hopes were a little too high (considering you were only twelve and going up against kids ranging from your age to fifteen), you were still gonna give it your all; you spent weeks perfecting not only your costume but your brother's as well with your mom, helping her cut fabric and sew zippers, styling wigs and painting props until everything was perfect. 

"Oh my God, Y/N!" Sarah, dressed as Cinderella, yelled from the passenger seat of her dad's SUV when they swung by to pick you up. "You look amazing!"

"So do you!" You said, slipping into the back seat in between a miserable-looking Rafe as Sarah Sanderson ("I lost a bet," he explained with a scowl) and Mason, holding your mini R2-D2 on your lap. Was it kind of cheesy, dressing up as the most iconic twins in movie history? Probably, but you really didn't care because Leia Organa was a total boss bitch and Mason was practically over the moon that he got to be his ultimate silver screen hero and swing around his very own lightsaber as Luke Skywalker.

"The Force is strong with you two." Ward joked, earning an eye roll from both of his children as he drove to the Island Club to drop you off. Rafe immediately disappeared into the crowd to meet up with Topper and Kelce and the three of you went off to find your own friends, skirting around the edge of the party toward the snack tables, also known as the most likely place for them to be.  

You spotted Kiara first, looking like an actual princess in her Tiana costume and waved, smiling when she waved back and beckoned you over as she said something to Pope, dressed as Albert Einstein, that made him start laughing hysterically.

"What's so funny?" You asked, reaching between them to grab two handfuls of pretzels and immediately dropping one into your brother's outstretched palm, careful to keep the sleeve of your white dress away from the bright orange-iced cupcakes on the table. 

The two of them exchanged a look that instantly made you realize something was Up™ but before either of them could answer, Mason asked around a mouthful of pretzels, "Where're Tweedledee and Tweedledum?"

"J, why didn't we think of that?" John B's voice came from somewhere over your shoulder and when you turned to face him, you nearly dropped both the droid cradled in the crook of your elbow and the snacks in your hand. Not because of John B and his hilarious Chewbacca costume but because of the fact that JJ Maybank, the one person you hated the most on the whole entire island, was dressed as Han freakin' Solo. 

"Yikes." Someone muttered behind you -it sounded like Sarah but you weren't really sure- and Mason nearly choked on his pretzels as he tried and failed miserably to keep himself from laughing. 

"You've gotta be kidding me." You huffed, rolling your eyes as JJ crossed his arms and glared in your direction, blaster hanging from the holster on his hip.

"Listen, Princess, I'm not too happy about this, either."

"Oh, shut up, you nerfherder."

"Who you calling-" Mason and John B cut in and pulled you both in opposite directions before either of you could turn it into a shouting match, your brother physically grabbing you around the waist and carrying you off while the latter caught the back of JJ's vest and dragged him away. Despite their best efforts to keep you apart, you ran into each other more times than you could count and spent a minute or two squabbling like cats and dogs each time until one of them intervened once again. It was childish, it was immature, and it was fun, even though you'd never, ever admit it. Ever.

You didn't win the costume contest that year in the way you'd imagined at all. Still, first place in the group category was a win in your book and it felt good, even if one of the members of your unintentional Star Wars posse was someone who tested every bit of patience you had. The four of you split the cash prize and you went home 25 bucks richer, stashing it away for next year's costume and pushing the thought of accidentally matching with your mortal enemy from your mind. 

You had no idea this thing was only just beginning.

The next year, you let Sarah and Kiara convince you to match with them and the three of you rolled up to the party as the Pink Ladies -you as Rizzo, Sarah as Sandy, Kiara as Frenchy- only to run right into the boys, your brother included, dressed as the T-Birds. John B, perfectly in character as Danny, immediately whisked Sarah off to dance while Pope, the most adorably awkward Doody you'd ever seen, went to grab some snacks with Kiara, leaving you stuck with the bane of your existence as, of course, fucking Kenickie (Mason, as Sonny, dipped sometime before then without you noticing). The two of you spent the whole evening glaring at each other and hurling insults back and forth at breakneck speed, more in character than either of you'd ever want to acknowledge and for the second year in a row, you won first place in the group costume category.

At fourteen, you went as Princess Buttercup and JJ showed up as Westley, fake sword in hand as he followed you around all night like an annoying fly, sarcastically drawling "as you wish" every time you so much as glanced in his direction. Your brother, dressed as Inigo Montoya, nearly pissed himself laughing and you wanted to snatch both of their prop swords and shove them up their asses. You came in first again in the group costume contest and begrudgingly split the prize three ways. 

At fifteen, you worked hard on a Dr. Ellie Sattler costume from Jurassic Park, he strolled in as a disheveled Dr. Alan Grant with mud splattered boots and tattered clothes, and you really regretted not taking the offer to be the Tai to Sarah's Cher and Kiara's Dionne. Once again, Mason laughed so hard his face turned red and you were tempted to grab the sword he was holding and beat him over the head with it, not just for laughing at you but also for the completely atrocious Jack Sparrow costume he wore. To your absolute horror, you and JJ won the contest in the duo category and you wanted to melt into the ground when they called you onto the makeshift stage to collect your reward. 

When you were sixteen, you and your friends "graduated" to the party held for the older teens inside the club itself. With costume rules a little more lax than they were for the younger kids, you decided to go as (an only slightly sexy) Janine Melnitz, complete with a prop telephone you answered every so often with a loud "Ghostbusters, whaddya want?!" much to the embarrassment of Mason, who was once again dressed as Luke Skywalker, this time in the fatigues he wore while training on Dagobah in The Empire Strikes Back.

You strutted into the party in your heels and pencil skirt only to nearly fall flat on your face when you caught sight of JJ in a terrible black wig and glasses, proton pack strapped to his back and 'Spengler' printed on the front of his jumpsuit. Your brother winced when you all but screeched "Again?!" right into his ear and grabbed your elbow, dragging you over to an empty table and depositing you into an open chair.

"There's no way this is a coincidence anymore! He could've picked Venkman, with all the womanizing and lowkey being a creep and thinking he's God's gift to mankind? It would've been the perfect choice! He's not nearly adorable or dorky enough to be Stantz or sassy enough to be Winston-"

"Jesus, you have a lot of feelings about Ghostbusters," Mason muttered, rolling his eyes when you shot him a withering glare.

"Shut up! Listen to me, there's no way in hell Maybank randomly decided to be, out of alllll the 'Busters, Egon fuckin' Spengler, okay? He had to have somehow known I was coming as Janine and did it just to piss me off!"

Your brother heaved a deep, heavy sigh that made you want to smack him and fixed you with a deadpan stare. "Or, have you pulled your head out of your own ass long enough to think that maybe you're just becoming...predictable?"

You really did smack him then, hard on his exposed shoulder and he yelped, scowling as he rubbed at the red mark you left behind. "Ow! What the hell, bitch?!"

"Don't you dare call me predictable, you dickhead! I pride myself on my costumes being very unique and unexpected -you know, out of the box!"

"Hate to break it to you but they're not really out of the box if Maybank shows up in a matching one every single year." He said with an infuriating, shit-eating grin, patting your shoulder before straightening the plush Yoda strapped to his back. "I'm gonna go get some food, wanna come with?"

Still miffed at his comment, you shoved his arm away and glanced down at your lap, ignoring your brother's sassy "your loss" as he headed toward the snack tables. Not even a minute passed by before his empty seat was taken and you groaned when you looked up to see who it was, your eyes meeting a pair of bright blues behind tacky, oversized glasses. 

"Hi, Janine."

"...Egon."

The two of you sat in silence after that, watching the dancing crowd under the flashing neon lights and sparkling disco ball until you saw him turn to face you out of the corner of your eye.

"Why Janine?" 

"Huh?" You turned to face him, too, one eyebrow raised in a perfect arch as he gestured toward your costume.

"Why did you dress up as Janine, Y/L/N?"

"I've always liked her sassiness and 'I like to play racquetball.'" You offered a casual shrug of your shoulders and carefully stuck a finger under your wig to scratch an annoying itch above your ear. "Why'd you pick Egon, Maybank?"

"He's my favorite." He answered simply with his own shrug, shooting you a genuine, real smile that you, for who knows what reason, found yourself returning without a second thought. "Smart, hilarious -plus, 'I like to collect spores, mold, and fungus.'"

For the first time in your life, your eyes rolled out of amusement and not annoyance at something that JJ Maybank said and, to your complete surprise, it kind of felt...right. "Really? I'd have pegged you for a Venkman stan."

"Are you kidding? He's the worst!" 

Never in your wildest dreams did you ever think you'd sit across from your hated enemy, not only having a civil -hell, downright enjoyable- conversation but actually smiling right along with him, laughing at his jokes and doing your best to ignore the sudden flutter in your stomach each time you caught sight of his slightly crooked teeth when he grinned. You didn't even notice when your brother returned with Kiara, dressed as Moana, at his side and two heaping plates of snacks in his hands until his chair scraped gratingly across the hardwood floor. 

"Kie, are you seeing this? Pigs must be flying 'cause they're actually smiling at each other." Mason said, cackling as Kiara turned to squint out the window.

"Yeah, I think I see one or two soaring around out there." She giggled and sent a mischievous wink in your direction. With your face feeling like it was on fire, you flipped them both the bird and took off, disappearing into the crowd and leaving all your traitorous, confusing thoughts about JJ behind with the boy himself; it was Rafe's last party at the Club and he owed you a dance anyway, but even as your best friend's older brother, cute as hell in his Thor costume, playfully twirled you around the floor to the Ghostbusters theme song, you felt more than your partner's blue eyes on you.

To no one's surprise, you and JJ won the duo category for the second year in a row and when you joined him onstage to collect your prize and didn't feel like you'd rather die than be up there by his side, you suddenly realized you were only certain about two things in life instead of three. 

At seventeen, you were confident you and JJ wouldn't be matching for once (after last year, though, you were kind of thinking it wouldn't be that bad of a thing). You'd gone cult classic for your costume, pulling inspiration from your mom's favorite move, 1999's The Mummy, and put together a screen-accurate Evelyn Carnahan in her iconic black dress, including a handmade Book of the Dead and matching key. You blackmailed Mason with pictures of him, drunk as a skunk and dressed in your Janine costume from the previous year, and got him to go as Jonathan, complete with a pith helmet and prop bottle of The Glenlivet.  

But, as always, JJ managed to surprise you. You literally ran right into his chest and if it wasn't for his arms instantly wrapping tight around your waist, you would've bit it hard.

"Whoa, careful there," He said, one hand keeping you close while the other moved to help you hold the book in your arms. "'The Book of the Dead? Are you sure you wanna be messing around with this thing?'"

Of course he'd make the perfect Rick O'Connell, you thought as you playfully raised one eyebrow and curled your fingers around the strap of the gun holster draped over his shoulder. "'It's just a book. No harm ever came from reading a book.'"

Mason was a little too in character as well as he dramatically rolled his eyes and wandered off, muttering "puh-lease" under his breath and shooting Sarah a conspiratorial wink that you didn't see. The blonde girl glanced between the two of you -arms still around each other and identical smiles on your faces- and grinned. The party flew by in a blur of movie quotes, laughs, and more dances than you could count and by the time you made it home, 50 bucks in the pocket of your dress and another group costume win under your belt, you were almost positive you never actually hated JJ Maybank in the first place.

Now at eighteen, you pulled out all the stops for your last party at the Island Club. You'd spent the last few months slaving over your costume, sewing custom pieces, hand-crafting your prop, and spending way too much money on body makeup and a wig but when you saw the final product in the mirror, you knew it was all worth it. You were ready to slay the competition this year and take home first place for the final time.

Mason, indifferent as always about the contest but willing to do anything to keep those pictures from seeing the light of day, didn't protest one bit when you forced him into the matching costume you'd made for him -in typical Mason fashion, he liked that he didn't have to wear a shirt and could show off his muscles- and spent a few hours perfecting his makeup.

You felt on top of the world when you walked into the party that night as Gamora, a replica of her Godslayer sword in hand and skin painted a perfect shade of green, followed by your brother as Drax, already flexing for anyone and everyone looking his way. The rest of your friends came to win as well: John B and Sarah as Flynn Rider and Rapunzel, Kiara as Eleven, Pope as T'Challa, and, of course, JJ as Peter Quill, Baby Groot perched on his shoulder and twin blasters at his hips. 

"Lookin' good, Gamora!" He called over the music, shimmying his way over to you with some dance moves that would impress Star-Lord himself.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Quill." You replied in a sing-song voice, even as you took his outstretched hand and let him pull you into the crowd of bodies hopping up and down to some terrible EDM beat under the twirling disco ball.

"It got you out here with me, didn't it?"

You rolled your eyes and hooked the sword to your belt before stepping closer and draping your arms around his neck, twirling your painted fingers in his hair. "Just remember, 'I know who you are, Peter Quill. And I'm not some starry-eyed waif here to succumb to your pelvic sorcery.'"

You should've known you spoke too soon the second you saw the spark in JJ's eyes that all but screamed 'wanna bet?'

And that's how you found yourself in the middle of the single hottest make out session you'd ever had the pleasure of participating in an hour later: back pressed against the locked door of someone's deserted office, legs wrapped tight around his waist and his hands hooked under your ass, both your sword and his blasters abandoned on the floor at his feet, and he was either a sinfully good kisser or trying really, really hard to blow your mind.  

"I'm not gonna end up green after this, am I?" He mumbled against your mouth before trailing his lips along your jaw and you breathed a laugh, tightening your grip on his hair.

"This is professional makeup, dumbass. It's gonna take more than some kissing to smudge it."

"I'm down for some smudging if you are." 

You pulled him back for another kiss in response and gasped into his mouth when he walked across the room, one strong arm reaching out to sweep whatever was on the desk to the floor before setting you down on it.

"Confident, are we?" 

JJ smirked at your breathless question and the way you hooked your ankles around the backs of his thighs to pull him closer. "So is that a yes to the smudging?"

"Just shut up and kiss me." 

He did -very well, you might add- and you kissed him back, untangling your hands from his hair to slide them under his jacket instead; you helped him push it off his shoulders and it had barely hit the ground along with poor Baby Groot before your fingers were tugging his shirt from the waistband of his pants.  

"Someone's impatient." He teased, leaning back just far enough to let you pull it over his head and toss it somewhere behind you.

"Someone doesn't know how to stop talking." You whispered your reply low in his ear and then trailed your lips down his neck, smiling in satisfaction at the tremble in his voice when you kissed the purple mark you'd left behind earlier.

"N-never was very good at that." 

"'You should've learned.'"

"'I don't learn, it's one of my issues.'"

One of his hands gripped your wig, pulling your head back a little roughly -you'd have so been into that if it had been your real hair he pulled- and you winced at the way the bobby pins holding it it place tugged painfully at your roots. "Ow, not so hard!"

"Wait, what the fuck? I thought you were wearing a wig!" 

"I am but it's still pinned to my actual hair!"

"Sorry, but how the hell was I supposed to know that?"

The sight of JJ's face slowly turning red made the butterflies in your stomach go haywire and so you just shook your head, mumbling "don't worry about it," before pressing your lips to his once again. He was gentler this time with the pulling and you dug your nails into his bare shoulders at the thrill of his mouth against the exposed column of your throat, leaning back further and further until you laid flat on the desk.

His fingers had just unbuttoned your pants when your phone started to ring from your pocket, blaring the Star Wars theme you had set as your twin's ringtone. 

"Mason's timing is impeccable," JJ said sarcastically, chuckling as you clamped a palm over his mouth and answered the call.

"What the hell do you want?"

"Jesus, no need to be pissy!" Mason loudly replied over the applause crackling through the phone's speaker. "I just thought you'd like to know that we just won best group costume with Maybank. Again." 

The blond winked at the mention of his last name and pulled your hand away from his mouth, pinning it to the desk beside you with one of his while the other started tugging your pants down over your hips.

"Oh, that's cool, Mase-" You inhaled sharply when his lips touched the edge of your underwear, so close to where you wanted him most but at the same time so far away, and your fingers held your phone in a white-knuckled grip. "But I-I'm kind of in the middle of doing someone -something!- right now."

"Smooth," JJ said, not even trying to be quiet as he released your pinned hand to finish pulling your boots off, along with your tight leather pants that he casually tossed aside. "And I knew you weren't green under these!" 

Your laugh quickly turned into a gasp when his fingers hooked under your panties and pulled those off, too, and the touch of his tongue against the skin of your inner thigh sent white-hot lightning racing through your veins; the phone slipped from your grip, falling with a clunk onto the desk as your fingers tangled in his hair and he lifted one of your knees over his shoulder.

"Okay, I'm hanging up now! I already know you're getting laid but I don't need to hear it." Mason's loud grumble drifted up through the speaker and if you weren't so preoccupied with the boy between your thighs doing some downright wicked things to you with his mouth, you might've noticed that your brother didn't actually sound that grumpy before he ended the call and your phone's screen went dark, right as you lost control of your voice.

"Fuck me."

"Funny, I thought that's what I was doing?" You felt more than heard his response against you and a shiver ran down your spine when his bright blue eyes flicked up to met yours in the dim light of the office.

"You know what I meant, Maybank."

"Trust me, Y/L/N, I know. Question is: where do you want me?"

You tugged on his hair, grinning wolfishly at the way his eyes fluttered closed and a low moan rose from his throat. "Everywhere in this damn room, starting right here."

"I was hoping you’d say that.”

- Back at the party, Mason looked up and met Sarah's gaze, both of her eyebrows raised expectantly as she asked, "Well?"

He took his time slipping his phone back into his pocket before giving her a quick nod, grinning triumphantly when she immediately burst into gleeful giggles.  

"Yes! I just knew they had a thing for each other! Mortal enemies, my ass."

"I think that was the very first time in my sister's life that she didn't give a shit about the contest." Mason said and reached over to snag a cookie from her plate, chuckling when she pushed his hand away from the chocolate chip ones and toward the peanut butter. "We couldn't have pulled this off without you. I mean, making sure they showed up in matching costumes every year? Genius, Sarah. Absolutely genius." 

The blonde girl grabbed her own cookie with a wink. "Think they'll ever figure it out?"

Your brother just threw his head back and laughed. "I hope not! I wanna save that story for my best man speech at their wedding."

taglist: @sinkbeneathwaves @cordeliascrown @maysbanks @jjpogueprincess @jiaraendgame @alexa-playafricabytoto @sexualparkour @agirlwholovescoffee​ 

[ba-responds]

Catharsis (Villain!Deku x Fem!Reader) Chapter Eleven

A/n: After months of nothing, finally, here is a new chapter! Now this chapter does switch point of views a few times but should be easy to understand.

Now, when the next chapter will be out...I’m not sure. I will try my best to get it up within the next month, since there is some real action, but no guarantee. 

This story will contain dark themes! Please read the warning!

Summary: An unexpected death of a loved one can lead to a sudden influx of emotions. Those same emotions can become repressed, as denial and disbelief comes into play. In this time, one would seek a means of catharsis, a release from those strong, repressed emotions. But what would you do if that means of catharsis, the same release you sought so hard for, becomes addicting? To the extent, that you feel you can not live without it? What if it can’t live without you?

**WARNING: This story MAY contain; bullying, suicide, depression, torture, manipulation, mentions of sexual assault, and MORE! You have been warned.

Masterlist

Prologue II Chpt 1 II Chpt 2 II Chpt 3 II Chpt 4 II Chpt 5 II Chpt 6 II Chpt 7 II Chpt 8 II Chpt 9 II Chpt 10 II Chpt 11 II

Chapter Eleven: Suppressed Emotions and Intrusive Thoughts

Standing on one side of Shigaraki, you could feel dozens of eyes on you. Shigaraki was making a few minor remarks to the group of low level villains who stood before you, all reeking of anticipation. In only a few minutes, Kurogiri will be opening a portal into USJ, where you will find All Might, and destroy him. Everyone in the warehouse was excited, all had been waiting for the day that their names would go down in history; who wouldn’t remember the names of those who took down the Symbol of Peace? It would be revolutionary! The start of a new era!

And yet, your stomach churned with guilt.

Even taking a longing glance at the love of your life, who stood protectively on the other side of Shigaraki, didn’t fully erase the budding guilt that seemed to plague you.

You shouldn’t feel guilty.

Why the hell should you? Who cares that you shared information of everyone’s quirks in class 1-A? You barely knew them anyway, it's not like you made best friends with any of them.

No, your best friend was right here. And you were doing exactly what he wished: protecting Shigaraki, while also causing a bit of chaos.

And so, you decided to push all the guilty feelings you had in you, into a little box and throw it out the window; metaphorically of course. It was all that you could do, ignore it. It's all that you have been doing with any other feelings you didn’t want to think about. 

Block it out.

Why worry about it when there was an even more fascinating and addicting feeling to come. 

With that thought, your hand came up to caress the collar around your neck, taking comfort in its weight and coolness. Soon, the collar would be connected to Izuku’s shadows, bestowing upon you the most wonderful feeling you’ve ever experienced. And, with how excited Izuku seemed to be, you surely would be getting the most pleasure from it you have had yet. This caused a smirk to come to your face, giving you the confidence to raise your gaze to the eager crowd below.

You, Shigaraki, Izuku, and Kurogiri stood on a platform, ensuring that you were seen by all; as well as displaying your dominance over everyone else.

You were the League of Villains, you shouldn’t be looked down upon by anyone. 

“Ready up! The game begins in 2 minutes!” Shigaraki called out, the crowd erupting in giddy cheers. Despite Father covering most of it, you could see the exhilarated grin that was plastered to his face, causing you to playfully roll your eyes and bump him with your shoulder.

“This level should be exciting,” You muttered in terms he would usually use, the smirk on your face turning playful as both Shigaraki and Izuku turned to you with wide smiles. Over the course of the last few days, your relationship with Shigaraki changed from barely tolerating each other, to what you guessed you could call friends. While most of the time you still annoyed each other, after becoming an official member of the League, one of higher ranks too, the both of you seemed to settle your differences for the sake of Izuku, and yourselves. 

It was like you both came to the same agreement, without actual words needing to be said. You both were possessive of Izuku, and you both would protect and befriend the other, in order to keep Izuku happy. It was a silent deal that seemed to work in both of your favors; he was able to play videogames with Izuku, while your head was in Izuku’s lap; you were able to cuddle with Izuku on the bed while watching a movie, and Shigaraki would be right there on the floor, making stupid comments about whatever was happening. During the times that Izuku was out causing havoc as Deku, you would annoy keep Shigaraki company while he played a solo game, or he’d bother watch you browse the internet. 

“It’s time,” Kurogiri’s deep voice seized all of your attentions, making you grin eagerly at Izuku, who then crossed in front of Shigaraki to get to your side. His hand clasped yours, giving you a small squeeze.

“Show time, Love. Let’s show them the result of all the training you’ve been through,” He murmured, before pressing a quick kiss to your lips. Eyes shining brightly at the given affection, you nodded, feeling butterflies settle in your stomach. Izuku’s shadows came out to cloak his face, some of them moving towards you to connect.

Peeking over to Kurogiri, you could see him readying his warpgate, with Shigaraki preparing the Nomu to enter. Shigaraki would enter first with the Nomu, followed by Izuku and you, then finally the rest of your people.

Eyes going back to Izuku, now officially Deku, you met his glowing green eyes, before the shadows made their connection with your collar. Your vision immediately went black, all of your senses dulling considerably. As the first rush of pleasure took over you, you could feel just how thrilled and nervous he was; it sending you to your knees in an instant, a low gasping groan leaving your lips. You could feel your body quiver at the feeling, your jaw clattering as if you were freezing; and it somewhat felt as if you were, as if a frozen fire was running through your veins instead of blood.

“We must go, my love,” a voice---no, no, Deku’s voice whispered in your head. Shakily raising to your feet, you let the connection lead you to wherever Deku needed you to go. Feeling the air shift around you, you knew you just stepped into the warpgate.

Show time.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Bakugo’s jaw clenched at the sound of his carefree classmates having loud conversations on the bus. School was only back in session since yesterday, and it seemed as if most of the class just ignored the disappearance of one of their own. 

No, no that was a lie, and Bakugo knew it. The class hasn’t been the same since the disappearance; today was the first day in which everyone seemed happy in class, it was their first class trip after all. Most of the class used (Y/n)’s the disappearance as a motivator to become even better heros; to save those they called friends. 

But the thought of her caused Bakugo’s chest to tighten, the weight seeming to get harsher. So, Bakugo ignored it. Everyone in class could clearly see how the disappearance affected him; he was even more malicious and explosive than before, and the dark bags under his eyes had gotten darker since the video emerged. But, they knew not to ask him about it; Kirishima did the day before, and that ended in disaster; Kirishima should be thankful for his quirk, or else he probably would have gotten hurt. Still, Kirishima sat beside Bakugo, making sure that he was never alone.

“All right class, we’re here,” Aizawa announced, drawing the attention of everyone on the bus. Bakugo was the first out of his seat, ready for whatever task they’d be doing for the day. Stepping out of the bus with Kirishima on his side, Bakugo marched eagerly towards the door, ignoring whatever spiel Aizawa was going on. The large doors to USJ towered over him, his eyes examining it, before turning to gaze upon the faces of his classmates. They all watched Aizawa with determined, excited looks. It made Bakugo’s heart clench.

She should have been here.

She would have been here.

Not my fault.

Bakugo clenched his teeth, closing his eyes with a deep breath to rid himself of the thought. Movement happened around him, alerting him of the classmates who were now passing him to enter the building. He scurried forward, ensuring his place in front of the crowd, Kirishima never leaving his side even as he shoved past their classmates aggressively. 

Bakugos gaze fell upon another figure, a person in a large space-suit looking hero costume, who he assumed to be the extra teacher Aizawa mentioned in class earlier. Half-listening to  the lecture the person, who he heard was named Thirteen, was giving,  Bakugo let his attention shift to the different contrasting environments that encompassed the building. 

Rescue training. He could do it. His quirk was compatible with nearly all the environments he could see, except for the large body of water that he spotted. As long as his hands didn’t get completely soaked, his explosions should----

“--Is that a part of the training?” Kirishima spoke out next to Bakugo, his hand raised to point off in the distance, catching the blond’s attention. Bakugo let his gaze follow Kirishima’s pointing, seeing a growing purple splotch hovering in the air near the center of the room. Curiously, he stepped forward, attempting to see the shape better, his eyebrows furrowing. 

“Wait!” Aizawa called, stretching his arm to block both Bakugo and Kirishima from stepping closer, his gaze steeled as a hand escaped from the purple portal. “Those are villains.”

Time seemed to slow as everyone registered what he had said. The portal opened larger and more of the body was able to be seen, until finally, a full figure stepped out.

“Thirteen! Gather the students,” 

A man stepped out, covered in what looked to be disembodied hands. Next came a hulking, grotesque figure which towered over the hand man. 

Then came a site that rendered class 1-A and its teachers immobile for a few seconds, as shock and fear clawed at them

Bakugos eyes widened. His throat seemed to close, as a rough cry tried to escape his mouth.

Not my fault.

There she was.

Not my fault

On her knees, mouth agape, drool dripping from the corner of her lips; her head teetering every which way, her eyes clouded black. Her body was quivering, her hands clawing around her own chest as if trying to force herself to get a grip on reality, like some drug addict trying to grasp onto something, anything, that was real. Her chest seemed to heave as a few tears managed to escape her clouded eyes. A large collar sat around her neck, a black shadow tentacle connecting her to the person by her side 

She looked utterly pathetic.

NOT MY FAULT.

And next to her, the owner of the shadow tentacle, was the bastard Deku.

NOT MY FAULT.

NOT MY FAULT.

Not my…

It’s my fault.

It’s my fault.

It’s my fault.

IT’S MY FAULT.

IT’S MY FAULT.

IT’S MY FAULT.

IT’S ALL MY FAULT.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Toshinori Yagi, better known as All Might, trudged his way closer to the door of the townhouse he has frequented often as of late. His body ached and was tired from doing the duties of the Number One Hero, but he ignored it in favor of knocking gently at the door. As he waited, he glanced down at the watch on his wrist, wincing a bit at the time it displayed.

He was late. He was due at USJ in any minute, and yet he wasted his time limit to stop petty criminals. And now that he could no longer face the class as All Might, he decided it was the optimal time to pay a visit to a friend, where he could hopefully get at least a bit of rest. 

Speaking of, the door finally cracked open, to reveal that friend, Inko Midoriya. She looked much better than she had the first time he had visited her, and has been looking better with every visit he made. Her hair looked as if she recently brushed and washed it, and despite she was still in pajamas at such a late hour, she looked healthy. And happy.

Her green eyes widened at the sight of Toshinori, her brows furrowing. 

“Uh--Toshinori, w-what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”

“Uh, yeah, but the principal let me take the rest of the day off, so I figured I should stop by for a few…” Toshinori muttered, a light blush forming on his cheeks. Inko paused, hesitating for a minute as she looked past him, before opening the door wider with a smile.

“Oh, o-of course, come in,” She encouraged, allowing him to pass her, before she closed and locked the door. Toshinori made his way through the familiar living room, to the spot he would usually take. He glanced around as he did so, taking note that it looked as if Inko had made a major improvement in cleaning since he last was there. 

“Would you like some tea? Or something to eat?” Inko questioned, smiling at Toshinori. He hesitated, shocked at the smile that she had given him. She barely smiled before now, she must have made a major improvement in her mental health.

“Uh--Yes please, to both. A-Anything is fine,”

Inko nodded as she made her way into the kitchen. Toshinori smiled weakly to himself, a warm feeling blossoming in his chest. He wasn’t sure what helped her get over the wall that was her depression, but he hoped he was one of the reasons she kept pushing on. 

Breathe.

“Did that trip to USJ get cancelled? Is that why you were allowed to get the day off?” Her voice called out from the kitchen, catching Toshinori’s attention.

“Uh, no. Actually they should be there now. I just--I had a long morning, so Principal Nezu allowed me some time off. I’m not really needed there anyway, the other teachers are still going,” 

“Ahh--Well, that’s good! As long as the other teacher’s are there, I’m sure the children will be fine. You told me before that All Might is going too, right?”

“Y-Yeah, he’s still going I-I think,” Toshinori lied, wincing at the way he stuttered. The question about All Might caught him off guard, he had momentarily forgotten that he told her that before.

“Good!” Inko said cheerfully as she entered the room with a tray. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ojiro felt his heart clench at the sight of the girl he had once befriended. He could feel tears well up behind his eyes, his breath coming short and his knees felt weak. He could feel Hagakure grasp his arm, as she tried to balance herself from the shock.

Was this what being a hero will be like? To have to witness the destruction of a person? To witness the inevitable fall of a friend? To know someone will never recover from what had happened to them? Was this what it meant to be a hero? To be too late to stop the trauma from occurring, only helping after it already began?

He’s too young for this. He signed up to be a hero, not to become a victim. Not to witness a friend being tortured.

Was this what they called the real-life hero world? 

If it was, he was utterly unprepared.

I’m not ready.

The class around them was silent for a good few moments, no one daring to move, as if if they stayed still long enough, this sick reality would fade away. It wasn’t long before Aizawa finally called out gruffly.

“Thirteen. Get the class out of here. Kaminari, try to signal for help.”

Ojiro was finally able to tear his gaze away from (Y/n), finding his gaze landing upon Aizawa as he strode forward, an aura of pure rage surrounding him. Nobody protested when he leapt from the platform they were on, making a speedy descent towards the rushing group of villains who let out gleeful cries as their opponent approached.

“Let’s go,” Thirteen called quickly, stepping forward to usher those closest to the front towards the door. However, Ojiro felt as if his feet were glued to the floor, his gaze locked back onto (Y/n), who was now shakily getting onto her feet, her body jolting and swaying as she did so. With every jolt and shake her body struggled with, he felt as if a piece of his heart shattered, the pit in his stomach deepening. 

Before he could see what was about to transpire upon her standing, the hold on his arm jerked him backwards, snapping his attention to Hagakure. 

“L-let’s go. If we leave to get help, that’ll give Thirteen the chance to come back to help,” She muttered, pulling him after his reluctant classmates.They didn’t make it far though, as a portal opened up not far from them, out stepping the creator of the warp-gate, Deku, and a shaking (Y/n).

Ojiro’s heart felt as if it would beat out of his chest. 

I’m not ready.

“Hello, we are the League of Villains. So sorry for impeding on your lesson, but we’ve decided to invite ourselves to this event. Isn’t this the most fitting place for the Symbol of Peace to meet his downfall?” The warp-gate said almost tauntingly, forming his body from the portal he once was. Deku stood next to him, the shadows he used to cover his face doing little to help hide the wide, manic grin plastered on it, nor did it hide the gleaming, glowing green eyes that bore into the students with excitement.

And finally, standing so close to Deku that it almost seemed intimate, was (Y/n). She stood more stable than before, though the dazed, nearly pained look on her face didn’t leave, nor did her hands stop from running up and down her arms and across her collarbone; fingering grazing at the thick, dense, metal collar wrapped around her neck. Her head still swayed in random directions as though her head was too heavy to keep upright, but the amount of quaking her body did seemed to slow significantly; her body only jerking slightly every handful of moments.

A blur suddenly shot past Ojiro, the explosion that rang from it only registering moments later.

“No!” Thirteen yelled, attempting to stop Bakugo as he shot forward. 

For a split second, it seemed as if everything had slowed. Ojiro could clearly see the pure unadulterated rage that enveloped Bakugo, his gaze solely focused on Deku. Bakugo’s face was scrunched in pure fury, his gauntlet covered hands rising mid-air to aim at the villain, a bright light forming from within it as he prepared his attack. Deku, in return, stood straighter than before, ready for whatever blow was being thrown at him; his grin widening even further, his eyes filling with a spark that almost seemed playful, full recognition in them, as if he spotted an old friend heading towards him in a crowd.

Ojiro had heard the rumors. The ones that said that it was Bakugo who caused Deku to become who he is. That Bakugo and Deku were once childhood friends, and Bakugo then became Deku’s own personal living hell, therefore becoming (Y/n)’s as well. Paired with the knowledge that Bakugo was the reason that (Y/n) ran from the school into Deku’s attack, as well as witnessing first-hand the hatred (Y/n) held towards him, Ojiro felt a deep-seated sense of resentment towards the fellow blonde, despite seeing the pain the boy had been through throughout the last couple of weeks due to guilt. 

And frankly, Ojiro slightly hoped that Deku would hurt Bakugo right then. Hurt him for being the cause of all of this. Hurt him for hurting (Y/n). End his career before it all began, because the world didn’t need a ‘hero’ like Bakugo. 

Because Bakugo was far from a hero. He was the villain in (Y/n)’s story.

And that thought.

That silent wish.

Scared Ojiro more than any villain could ever. 

Was this what being a hero was truly like?

I’m not ready.

~*~

[karajaynetoday]

everybody's got their demons, even wide awake or dreaming | part two

Photo credit: Jess Gleeson

Hello friends! Hope you’re having a lovely day. It’s time for part two of this series! Lizzie takes her opportunity to interview Calum one-on-one in this part. If you need to catch up on Part One, you can do that here. Onwards! 

(This is a fem!OC story)

Word count: 3.2k

Warnings: none? i don’t think? 

More writing here | send thoughts/feedback/suggestions here | if you’d like to be on my taglist go here

The day or so leading up to Lizzie’s one on one interview with Calum was a blur, as Lizzie tried to fix her body clock and orientate herself with how to get around LA. Her boss had offered her the opportunity to hire a rental car, but the idea of driving on the wrong side of the road was too much for Lizzie to stomach, so Ubers were the go. 

Her body sometimes overslept, sometimes woke her up at 4am, so Lizzie had downloaded a yoga and meditation app to try and sort herself out. She might’ve almost given herself a concussion after toppling over while trying to do a particularly tricky pose, but no one needed to hear about that. The bruises on her elbow were embarrassing enough. 

Danielle had sent Lizzie a text the morning of her lunchtime interview with Calum, confirming the time and place as they’d discussed. Lizzie had handwritten some notes for her questions, trying to contemplate what she could ask Calum that would differ to the others. Or maybe she should ask them all the same questions, and then in the piece she could compare and contrast responses? It was so hard to know what would make the best piece, especially with interviewing Calum in particular. Lizzie knew from watching other interviews, and in her group interview with all of the band the other day (and from back in their school days) that Calum was a man of few words. When he did speak, it was usually with purpose and thought, and made for some great content, but he wasn’t always particularly forthcoming. Which is why it had surprised Lizzie that Calum had volunteered for the first solo interview, but given Michael’s behaviour, she was glad to be continuing with the profile piece at all. 

It was a really warm day, so Lizzie had to forego her usual blazer and jeans in favour of a long green dress with blue and white flowers on it. Her hands were sweaty as the Uber pulled up to the café Calum had suggested, and something in the back of Lizzie’s mind suggested it wasn’t just from the weather. She’d always been an anxious person, but she’d gotten a handle on it recently; this whole LA debacle had brought it back with a vengeance. 

Calum was waiting for her just in front of the café, dark wayfarer sunglasses covering his eyes and his phone in his hand as he leant up against the brick wall beside the café door. He was wearing a grey hoodie and jeans, and nobody coming in or out of the café seemed to pay him any attention; but then again maybe people of Calum’s level of fame were just part of the furniture around here. It was near to Hollywood, after all.

“Hey, thanks for agreeing to meet me.” Lizzie’s voice wasn’t overly loud, but it still made Calum jump as he looked up from his phone at her.

“Of course, of course. I know I sound like a broken record, but we really are excited for you to do this piece. The new album era is something I’ve been looking forward to for a while, and - “ Calum began, smiling warmly at Lizzie, who cut him off by pulling open the café door.

“Before you start getting all meaningful and quotable on me, shall we get a coffee and take a seat?” 

“A woman after my own heart. Let’s do it. Pro-tip, the brownies here are to die for.”

The café was bustling, but most of the patrons seemed to be lining up for takeaway orders. Calum stepped ahead of Lizzie and slipped into a booth towards the back, near a frosted window, greeting the wait staff by name as he went. Lizzie scurried after him, apologising as she accidentally bumped into a tall man with her shoulder bag in her haste and he glared at her. Guess not everyone was as friendly as Calum, then. She slid into the booth opposite Calum, pulling out her notebook and phone as she went. 

“Is it okay if I record this? I’m not very good at taking notes.” 

“Straight into it, LL? At least let a man have his coffee first.” Calum deadpanned, and Lizzie felt her face fall before she realised he was joking with her.

“Of course, sorry. Let’s order. The brownies, you said? How big are they?” Lizzie pasted a smile onto her face, grabbing for the menu on the table in front of her.

“I have it on good authority that they’re perfectly Lizzie-sized. Calum-sized, too - a real multipurpose snack.” Calum was teasing her now, but also being completely serious, as he got the attention of a waitperson who came over to welcome them and take their orders. A skinny latté for Lizzie, an iced coffee for Calum, and a warmed up chocolate brownie with a side of coconut yogurt for them each. They fell into easy conversation, about the weather, and Calum’s neighbourhood, and the other pieces Lizzie had written, almost forgetting why they were there in the first place. When their order of coffees and brownies arrived, Lizzie suddenly snapped out of her feeling of ease when she had to push her notebook and phone over on the table and remember that she was supposed to be interviewing Calum Hood, 5SOS bassist, not catching up with Calum Hood, her Year 9 science lab partner. 

“Now that you’ve got your coffee, can I start recording?” Lizzie asked timidly, as she took a bite out of her brownie and audibly groaned at how heavenly it tasted.

“Depends. Will your brownie orgasm be mentioned in the article?” Could Calum say anything that wasn’t teasing her? Damn it.

“Maybe. Perhaps I’ll do a twitter thread of my trip food highlights, given that the profile piece will be under embargo until the album comes out.” Lizzie deadpanned right back, earning a smile and a small chuckle from Calum.

Lizzie hit record on her phone’s voicenote app, sliding the phone into the centre of the table. She flipped open her notebook to the page marked “Calum”, and she could see Calum trying to read her writing upside down.

“No spoilers, mate. I’ve got a strategy here.” Lizzie mused, angling her notebook so it was harder for Calum to see as he raised his hands in mock surrender.

“Well then, Ms Lawson from Junkee Australia, do your worst.” He flashed her a grin, before taking a sip of his coffee followed by a bite of his brownie (sans any groaning… that must only be a first-time brownie thing).

“So, in our chat yesterday, it was mentioned that this next album is, in some ways, a letter to your homeland, and a reflection on your journeys so far as individual artists as well as being 5SOS collectively. For you, as Calum Hood, what’s the main contribution or perspective that you feel you’ve brought to this album, and the band?” Lizzie saw a flicker of something in Calum’s eyes as she shifted into journalist mode easily, but he only paused for another sip of coffee before answering.

“I think at this point, my main contribution is balancing the collective contributions in the room. I have a lot to say, and I do a lot of songwriting, but I also think the others would agree that I’m also quite observant, so I can read a lot into things they’re saying, or not saying, and bring it out of them into the music. We’ve known each other for almost half our lives at this point, so we know each other better than anyone else, but when we work with other co writers and things like that it can be hard to feel entirely comfortable with the vulnerability you need to bring into writing a song or telling a particular story that day. I’ve got the rep as the strong, silent, shy type, I know - “ Calum paused and returned the soft smile Lizzie was giving him, as she nodded encouragingly. 

“But in interviews, when I’m being asked to explain myself and validate my artistic choices, I’m immediately more defensive and protective of it, because there’s something magical about the writing room, and the vulnerability that can only exist in that context when we’re songwriting, and creating that art. The end product, which is the song or the album or whatever, conveys the emotions in a way that I could never say them with words, and the beautiful thing is that so many people can listen to it and relate to it in ways that I’d never considered before. But that’s the power of it, you know? We make these songs to express ourselves, and fulfil our creative outlets, but it extends beyond that, and that’s the part that gets me.” Calum finished speaking and reached for another sip of his coffee.

“Right. The magic exists in the studio, and on the stage, and in individual people’s lives when they listen to the music wherever they are in the world, and it’s the connecting thread that brings you together with your fans, a moment that you can share even if you never meet.”

“Exactly, it’s the universal experience, and everyone has their own interpretation of what it means to them. Pisses me off when people try and dig to find out who we wrote a certain song about, or whatever. Sometimes it is a specific person or a moment, other times I make shit up to suit the vibe of a chord progression or a concept someone’s brought to the table. It’s a juicier headline if we name and shame, but it’s not fair to the person I’m writing about, especially if they don’t have a similar outlet for a right of reply, and it’s also irrelevant, because my meaning behind a song could be completely different to yours, but that doesn’t make it less valid.” Calum shrugs as he speaks, his tone calm and nonchalant. 

“Makes sense. The music can exist as art, and be open to interpretation, like everything in life. And with this album, and reflecting on your homeland… what does that mean, for you? Because 5SOS have lived almost their entire adult lives overseas, so I know it must be hard to self-determine a cultural identity that’s so strongly linked to somewhere you haven’t lived for so long.” Lizzie asks, munching down another bite of brownie.

Calum cocks his head to the side and rolls his bottom lip into his mouth, and Lizzie feels a lump rise in her throat. Had she phrased the question wrong? Was he mad? Had she struck a nerve? Fuck. 

“Sorry, we don’t have to - I mean, we can keep discussing the album in a different way if you’d prefer -” Lizzie started babbling, and she froze when Calum reached across the table and rested on hers reassuringly. 

“Breathe, Lawson. I just need a minute to think about a deep and meaningful response to your question. You’re fine.” Calum was speaking softly, and there was an apology of sorts in his eyes when Lizzie glanced over at him. She was about to ask him something else, when a waitress came over to check on how everything was going with their orders and offered a second round of coffees and Calum withdrew his hand from the table as he ordered another iced coffee to go, times two. 

“If you could have it ready to go in about an hour, that’d be great.” Calum flashed the waitress a smile, and she shot him a wink as she headed back to the counter to update his order.

“A whole ‘nother hour? You spoil me, Mr Hood.” Lizzie joked, downing the last of her coffee and desperately hoping to avoid any awkwardness in her remaining interview time with Calum. 

“Anything for a fellow Australian, mate. To answer your question, it’s strange, because yes I’ve never lived there full time as an adult, but there’s something about your home country and your hometown that stays with you, no matter where you go or how long you’re gone. Obviously, for me, my sister lives overseas, and neither of my parents were raised in Australia, but it still means a lot to me, because it’s home, you know? The industry there is… interesting, but I still think that if we didn’t have the background we all have as individuals and the band, there’s certainly a lot of decisions we’ve made and ways we’ve gone about things in our careers that are heavily influenced by our upbringings and the mindsets we all have from that experience.” 

“Home is where the heart is, right?” Lizzie offers, thumbing her notebook absently. 

“It’s true. But it’s also refreshing to go back and escape it all a bit, you know? None of my friends at home really give a shit about Calum from 5SOS. They just like hanging out with Cal, which is nice.” Calum shrugs, clasping his hands together on the table in front of him.

“Just Cal? Not cool guy Cal? C Dizzle Swizzle?” Lizzie bit back a grin, remembering the multitude of nicknames Cal had garnered over the years.

“Look, cool guy Cal is just my constant state of being. C Dizzle might make an appearance if I’ve had one too many, but either way, they’re just happy to see me. Or happy to tell me some home truths that I haven’t heard, or wanted to hear, so that’s important too. You can’t live in LA for as long as we have without having a good support crew to keep us grounded, you know? Even if some of the ones who mean the most to us are on the other side of the planet.” There was something in Calum’s eyes again as Lizzie looked at him, and she could tell it was more than what he was trying to say for the sake of the profile interview. 

She swallowed down one final bite of the heavenly brownie, and turned the page to find her next question. Lizzie couldn’t entertain the idea of asking Calum why Michael was mad at her, because it would break the air of professionalism she was desperate to maintain; also, she wasn’t entirely sure he’d even tell her. Calum and Michael had been inseparable in their school days, and Lizzie knew that their bond and sense of loyalty no doubt ran even deeper now than then, given all of their shared experiences, trials and tribulations to date. But Calum had always been so kind and patient with her, whether she’d accidentally ruined their Year 9 science experiment, or she’d nearly thrown up on his shoes at the Year 11 formal after party, or when Michael had stormed out of the studio a few days ago and he offered her his time for the first solo interview. Lizzie brushed off the train of thought, and continued with her interview questions for Calum.

The conversation flowed easily, and Lizzie could already feel the profile starting to come together in her mind. She jotted down a handful of notes on how to adapt her questions for Luke and Ashton based on Calum’s responses, and before they realised how long they’d been chatting, the waitress returned with Calum’s two takeaway iced coffees. 

Lizzie asked the waitress for the bill, but Calum waved her off. 

“I’ve got it, Lizzie. Don’t stress.” 

“But I can expense it! I have a receipts app, and everything!” Calum laughed at how excited Lizzie seemed at the concept of submitting a work expense claim.

“Okay, fine. You win this round.” 

Lizzie pressed stop on her phone recording, and reached for her bag to slide her notebook in. The waitress returned with the bill, and Lizzie handed her travel bank card over, drumming her hands absentmindedly on the table while she waited for the waitress to come back with her card and the receipt. 

“Lizzie?” Her head snapped up as Calum spoke. 

“He’s not… I know it seems like he’s really mad at you, but he’s not.” It took a moment for Lizzie to register what Calum was saying.

“He’s not mad at me? He refused to speak to me and stormed out of the room the first chance he got, but he’s not mad? Right.” Lizzie couldn’t help but sound bitter as she spoke.

“I can’t speak for him, but I know him. He’s not mad, he’s just hurt about everything.” Lizzie could tell Calum was being very careful with his choice of words, and she eyed him curiously across the table.

“What does he possibly have to be hurt about? He’s the one that -” Lizzie catches herself halfway through her sentence, and squeezes her eyes shut as she inhales deeply.

“Here’s your receipt and your card back, miss. Thanks so much for visiting us today, have a lovely day!” Lizzie blinks and squints up at the waitress, who hands back her card and a paper receipt. Lizzie mumbles her thanks, and goes to stand up and slide out of the booth, and Calum follows her out of the café.

“Lizzie, I didn’t mean to upset you -” Calum’s apologetic tone had Lizzie spinning on her heel to face him once they’re through the doors of the café. 

“You didn’t, Calum. It’s fine. I’m here to do a job, and I appreciate your time today, I really do. Michael and I… I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it, okay? I know it won’t be easy, but for now, I just want to focus on getting the best interview content I can from you all. That’s why I’m here.” Lizzie wrings her hands nervously, and she can feel how sweaty her palms are.

“Is that the only reason you’re here?” Calum’s tone isn’t teasing, or harsh. It’s genuine, curious, soft. He’s not moving as he stands in front of Lizzie and gazes down at her from his full height. 

Before Lizzie can answer, Calum’s phone starts to ring, and he casts her another glance before stepping away to answer it. While he’s chatting to whoever’s on the other end of the line, Lizzie decides to order herself an Uber and make her way back to the hotel so she can make a start on transcribing the interview with Calum. Because that was why she was here, Lizzie told herself in her head, stubbornly. Didn’t matter about the feelings in her stomach, and the tightness of her chest. She was there to write a profile about a band, nothing more, nothing less. 

“I’ve got to go and meet Ash at the studio, are you all good from here?” Calum’s question broke Lizzie out of her internal dialogue. 

“Yep, all good. Thanks again for your time, Cal. I really appreciate it. I think it’s going to be a great piece, and I’m intrigued to see what comes out of the other interviews. All of them.” Lizzie’s pointed tone isn’t lost on Calum, and he grimaces slightly at the fire he seems to have ignited. Ah well. Lizzie and Michael had to sort their shit out sooner or later, right?

Right? 

Calum was trying to convince himself as he strolled down the street towards his car, pondering if he’d made things better or worse between Michael, his best mate through almost his entire life, and Lizzie, the girl that he’d been sure Michael would love forever, but had walked away from in a shadow of hurt, betrayal, and disbelief. The girl that apparently had no idea Michael felt that way, or that if he did, it wasn’t justified. Someone’s side of the story just wasn’t adding up, but Calum wasn’t sure whose it was. Not anymore.

Taglist: If there’s a line through your name, I couldn’t tag you, so please message me to let me know your new URL or what the go is!  @suchalonelysunflower @blackbutterfliescal @redrattlers @loveroflrh @spicycal @notinthesameguey @metalandboybands @cheekysos @ashton-trash  @another-lonely-heart @queenalienscherrypie  @becihadshawn  @allthestarsandthemoon​ @wheniminouterspace​

[flightlessangelwings]

What a Human Deserves

13 x fem!Reader

Word count: 3.6k

The TARDIS felt very quiet with just you and the Doctor there. The rest of the fam all decided to take some time to be with their family and friends for the day, which left just the two of you on a solo trip. Although, you had your suspicions that Yaz, Ryan and Graham had another motivation for leaving you alone with the Doctor…

You thought you were discreet with your crush on the time lord, but apparently you weren’t. One time, Ryan had caught you staring at the Doctor while she was piloting the ship, and he hadn’t stopped teasing you since. And ever since then, every time your gaze lingered on the blonde, or you bit your lip while she talked, or got flustered when she stood close to you, one of your three friends would rag on you for it. Thankfully, the Doctor seemed not to notice. Or if she did, she didn’t say anything. You weren’t sure if you were grateful for that or not.

“You ready?” her voice broke you out of your thoughts. The Doctor stood at the controls with her hand on the main lever.

“Ready,” you smiled at her and you felt your heart jump when she smiled back. The way her blonde hair framed her beautiful face made her look like the sun. You watched as your brow furrowed as she focused on the lever and switches. And with no one around to poke fun, your thoughts drifted off into your own little fantasy land.

You didn’t even notice that the TARDIS had landed until the Doctor’s face suddenly appeared right in front of you. Her face was just inches from yours as she spoke your name.

You jumped as you brought yourself back to the present, “Sorry, what did you say?” You tried to keep your face from blushing.

She couldn’t help a soft chuckle, “I said we’re here,” she took you by your hand, “Come on, let’s see where we ended up!”

This was something new; the Doctor never took your hand like that unless she was pulling you out of a dangerous situation. You tried not to think too much into it as you let her lead you out of the blue box and onto an alien planet.

The planet was absolutely beautiful. It was night, and the first thing you noticed was that there were two moons in the sky. The extra light made the planet much brighter than Earth was at nighttime, and all you could see was blue tinted mountains along with some lakes and rivers. There didn’t seem to be anyone around and you and the Doctor took a few minutes to take in the surroundings.

“It’s beautiful,” your voice was no louder than a whisper. You were so entranced by the planet that you didn’t notice the time lord stare at you. The look on her face mirrored the look you had when you looked at her. If only you noticed.

It was then at you realized she was still holding your hand. Your breath caught in your throat as you tensed suddenly. “Sorry,” you mumbled as you pulled away and shuffled in embarrassment.

The Doctor didn’t say anything, but she was amused at your behavior. It was nice for her to not be the only awkward person in the room. “Care to explore a bit?” she offered.

With a nod, you followed her over one of the hills toward what looked like an abandoned settlement. She scanned the area with her sonic and explained that you were in the far future on a planet not too far out from the solar system. It looked like there was once a mining colony, and you guessed that this was once a big and thriving city. Now, all the stood was ruins save for one large building in the center of the ghost town.

It was that building that the Doctor led you to. She resisted the urge to take your hand again, and opted just to stay close to you. There was something about this place that gave her a bad feeling, and that feeling only grew as you got closer to the large structure. This place looked different than the rest of the planet: like it was the only place where something still lived.

Yours and the Doctor’s footsteps and conversation were the only sounds in the entire town. As you got to the entrance of the large building, she perked up with curiosity and bolted around the room. You watched with admiration as she inspected the dormant technology and the architecture.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” she said with wonder in her voice as she practically bounced around the room.

You lingered in the doorway and watched her with what you were sure was a stupid smile. But you didn’t care, the others weren’t here to tease you right now. The room was grand and made mostly of some type of stone. In the moonlight it almost sparkled, and the way the light reflected against the time lord made her look ethereal.

The floors had some type of design on it: overlapping circles and star-like shapes decorated the entire space except for the first few feet at the entrance. Something about it tugged at your own curiosity and you took a few steps into the room to check it out.

That is when the atmosphere in the room completely changed.

As soon as you reached where the designs started, the room shook as if it started to come alive. The Doctor quickly spun around and looked at you in fear. Not fear for her own life though, but for yours. She shouted out your name as she tried to rush over to you. But she was too late. The floor underneath you shifted and pulled you down as you screamed. It was as if the solid floor suddenly turned into quicksand for a few moments to pull you down before it turned solid again.

She reached you just a second too late and you were gone. The time lord landed on the floor and yelled your name again. Panicked, she scanned with her sonic for any trace of you.

Nothing.

Her breath became ragged as the room started to come to life around her. Large 8-foot-tall creatures with silver and blue skin seemed to emerge from the walls and surrounded the time lord. They had human-like features but they looked like they were made out of stone. The Doctor got to her feet to meet with the planet natives, and she hoped that you were ok.

“Who are you to trespass here with a human?” one asked in a deep voice. He seemed to be the leader.

The blonde collected herself, ready to bargain for your life, “We’re just travelers. Just passing through,” she kept her voice level. They didn’t immediately attack, so maybe they could be reasoned with. “Where is my companion?”

The leader snarled, “The human is on the other side of the planet by now. And my best hunter is preparing to track her down and kill her.” Anger lined his words, but there was also a hint of sadness and hurt there as well.

Right now, the Doctor’s main focus was to save you. Once you were safe, then she could work with this species and get at the underlying reason for their behavior. “I supposed there’s no possibility you could just let me take her and we go on our way is there?”

He seemed offended at the question, “Absolutely not. The human must die, as is the punishment for any human to step foot on this planet, in these halls.”

She thought for a moment. There had to be a way around this. Then, she came up with an idea. “How about a race then?” she offered.

The leader cocked an eyebrow, “A race?”

Good, she got his interest, “Yes,” she paced around to address everyone in the room, “Me against your best hunter. I win, we leave this planet and I make sure no humans ever come here again. I promise you that.”

Murmurs ran through the small crowd before they turned to their leader for his decision. “Very well,” he said after several minutes. “If my hunter gets to her first, however, she dies. This is my bargain.”

“Fine,” she gritted her teeth. She didn’t like this at all, but there was no other choice. The crowd parted to let her through, and the Doctor ran as fast as she could. “Hang on,” she whispered your name to herself, “I’m coming for you,” I’m not going to let anything happen to you, she added in her head.

Meanwhile, you regained consciousness after the fall knocked you out and found yourself at the bottom of a large pit. Your head pounded as you tried to push yourself up. The task proved harder than you expected, and you looked down and realized that your hands were bound together in front of you by a heavy chain. The chain was connected to the floor, and there wasn’t much slack so your movement was very limited. Slowly, you were able to get yourself into a standing position. That is when you noticed you were being watched.

“It’s useless to try to escape, human,” the guard was one of the natives of the planet, and he carried multiple weapons on him. You also could make out some kind of communication device on his hand. Obviously, these people were very technologically advanced. That was probably why they were able to hide themselves so well, but you wondered why they would have to hide on their own planet.

You rubbed your temples to try and calm your head, “I believe you,” was all you said in response. You let out a heavy sigh as you wondered what happened to the Doctor. You hoped she was ok. “Do you mind if I ask your name?” you turned up to him.

He seemed caught off guard. The guard hesitated before he answered you, “Neygan,” he finally answered.

You gave him a little wave from your bound hands as you told him your name, “So Neygan, what is all this? Why did the floor suck me in like that? Why am I chained up at the bottom of a pit? Where is the Doctor?” The questions helped to keep your mind from completely panicking. You figured the worst you could do in the moment was annoy him; it’s not like your situation could get any worse.

He did seem annoyed, but he also seemed curious as well. So, he indulged your questions to an extent. “Humans are forbidden on this planet, especially in the royal palace,” his tone was bitter as he spoke, “I’m here to guard you until the winner of the race gets here. Which will be our champion, not your…Doctor.”

“Race?”

He sighed, “Your…” he couldn’t come up with what to call her, “Friend. She challenged our best hunter to a race to get to you. She wins, you can leave. She loses, we get to watch you die,” the way he ended his explanation sounded like an unspoken “which is what you deserve.”

Your heart caught in your chest. The Doctor was willing to risk everything to race across an alien planet to save your life. Tears threatened your eyes from the emotions that filled you, but you fought them back. The last thing you wanted in that moment was for this guy to think you were weak.

The guard looked at you, clearly confused as he studied your reactions. He stayed silent, however.

After you collected yourself, you broke the silence. You couldn’t let your mind get away from you. “Is this the first time you’ve talked to a human?” you asked.

Neygan tried to ignore you, but for some reason he felt compelled to answer. “Yes,” was all he said.

You shifted to sit down on the ground. The chains were starting to get too heavy for you to hold up. “Hey,” your voice was soft, the question on your mind wasn’t an easy one but it was one that you felt needed to be asked, “Why do you hate humans so much? Did something happen?”

That sparked a fresh wave of anger in him as he snapped back at you, “Did something happen?!” he repeated your words in a mocking tone that made you flinch, “Everything happened! We offered peace and trade to humans, and they took everything from us! They stripped our land bare when they realized how valuable the minerals were! They hunted us for sport! Humans are cruel creatures that do not deserve to live!” the ground almost trembled with his bellowing shout.

Terrified, you curled yourself up as your shook from his words. You felt as if he beat you with his words alone. You buried your head in your arms as you listened to his deep breaths of anger. After a few minutes, he seemed to calm himself down and you slowly uncurled yourself to look up at him. It was then you saw the sadness in his face, and guilt overtook you.

“I’m really sorry,” you spoke in such a soft voice that you weren’t sure if he heard you. You watched him for a moment and saw him slowly drop his shoulders before he looked you directly in the eyes for the first time.

The anger in his eyes faded, and it seemed like you and the alien came to a wordless understanding. “I have to admit, you’re not what I expected,” he said.

You gave him a soft smile, and it looked like he was about to give you one in return when his communicator beeped. His face dropped as he turned his back to you to answer. You scrambled to your feet in an attempt to listen, but you couldn’t hear anything. When he turned back around, his face was unreadable. He raised his arm to activate a remote switch and told you, “I’ve never said this to a human before, but I truly am sorry,” before he pushed the button and the pit you were in started to fill up with water.

You gasped as you nervously looked around for a way out. You tried to pull the chains and tried to climb out of the pit, but it was no use. The water filled the space quickly and before you knew it, the water was already at your knees. You looked up at Neygan desperately, but his face was stoic. You let out a scream as your whole body shook in panic.

Over the sound of the rushing water, you thought you heard a familiar voice call your name. You looked up from the water, which was now at your waist, and shouted back, “Doctor?!”

The sound of your name again confirmed it was her. You called for her again and hoped that she would find you before the water completely engulfed you.

Tired and out of breath, the Doctor ran as fast as she could. She dove head first through all the obstacles the planet threw at her in order to reach you. Sweat lined her brow and her legs threatened to give out in exhaustion, but she pushed through it. She didn’t want to think about what would happen if she didn’t reach you in time. She managed to stay a step ahead of her opponent throughout the race, and she was so close now. In the distance, she could see the one who guarded you in your pit, and she sprinted towards him.

Her thoughts were only on you as her hearts pounded in her chest: I’m coming, I’m almost there. Just hang on.

By the time she reached the top of the pit, the only part of you that wasn’t underwater was the top of your head. She locked eyes with yours before they too disappeared under the water. The Doctor wasted no time and quickly shed her coat off before she dove in after you. The pit wasn’t too deep and she reached you quickly. You were barely awake, and you were struggling to hold your breath.

She cupped your face to reassure you before she pulled her sonic out of her pants pocket. A onceover on the chain was all it took to unlock them, and she grabbed you tightly to pull you up to the surface. She gasped and grunted as she pulled your now unconscious body out of the water and onto dry land.

“Come on, wake up,” she pleaded with you as she started compressions on your chest. Her hands shook with fear as she chanted your name and begged you to wake up.

It was only a few seconds, but to the time lord, it felt like forever until you woke up with a cough. She dropped her head and sighed in relief as you opened your eyes.

“Doctor,” you whispered as a weak smile grew on your face.

She held back tears of relief as she cupped your cheek, “You’re ok. It’s ok,” she sounded out of breath, but she still gathered her strength to help you up. She grabbed her coat and wrapped it around you once you were steady on your feet.

The hunter ran up to you then, followed by the leader and a few others from the palace. The Doctor swiftly pushed you behind her and shielded you with her body. “It’s over,” she told them, “I got to her first fair and square. Now you let her go and I promise no humans will ever bother you again.” She spoke to them with authority as she fiercely protected you.

The group looked disappointed as they turned to their leader. He definitely looked angry and disappointed that his champion didn’t win, but he was a man of his word. “Very well,” he said, “But just know, human,” he addressed you directly, “You don’t deserve to leave this planet.”

That angered the Doctor, “How do you know that? You don’t know anything about her, and yet you decided she deserves to die! What is your grudge against humans anyway?”

Before the leader could snap back, you intervened, “Wait!” you slid around to place yourself next to the Doctor. She looked at you with concern, but you squeezed her hand in silent reassurance. “You’re right,” you started but paused when everyone let out a gasp, “I know why you hate humans so much, and honestly I can’t blame you. Humans have done terrible things, even to our own people,” you scoffed before you continued, “I know none of this is personally my fault, but if we don’t start to take responsibility, nothing will change. So, for what it’s worth: I’m sorry.”

The natives all looked shocked and had no idea what to do. The leader took in your words before he waved you and the Doctor off, “Just get out of here.”

Before she turned to leave, the Doctor added, “You have my word. No humans will bother you again,” and with your hand still in hers, she led you back to the TARDIS.

“Are you alright?” the Doctor frantically checked you over once you were safely inside the ship.

You answered in a shaky voice, “I’m fine,” you looked up to meet her eyes and it almost didn’t register how close she was to you. The control room was silent for a minute as neither of you knew what to say next.

It was the Doctor who broke the silence, “You’re wrong you know.”

“What?”

“About what humans deserve,” she clarified, “Sure, there are humans who hurt and destroy like you said. But you don’t give yourself enough credit. Humans are amazing, wonderful people who are capable of so much good,” she looked at you tenderly before she cupped her hand on the side of your face, “And one of my favorite people in the entire universe is a human.”

Your eyes went wide as your breath caught in your chest. You could feel your heart pounding and you were sure you were blushing hard.

She then added, “And all I want to do right now is kiss my favorite person,” she bit her lip as her eyes glanced down at your lips, “If that’s ok.”

You swallowed hard before you answered, “Then why don’t you?” you wrapped your arms around her waist and pulled her against your body.

With your blessing, the Doctor placed her soft lips on yours in a sweet kiss. She wrapped her arms around you and held you tightly, as if she was afraid to lose you. You immediately deepened the kiss and parted your lips so that her tongue could enter your mouth and dance with yours. The control room glowed a warm amber as you and the Doctor shared your first kiss.

You reluctantly broke away for air, but stayed locked in the Doctor’s arms. The feeling of her wrapped tightly around you couldn’t compare to anything else, and you never wanted this moment to end. Both of you broke out into a soft laughter as the rough events of the day melted away and all that mattered was each other.

“Wait here a sec,” the Doctor seemed to remember something as she ran to the console. She explained as she worked that she was setting up a barrier on the planet so humans wouldn’t find it. Then she set a course for home, “Shall we get back to the fam?” she asked as she held out her hand.

With a smile, you happily took it. “I have the feeling someone is winning a bet when we get back,” you nuzzled against her as you both burst into laughter and headed home.

~

Notes: This really got away with me and ended up much longer than I meant for it to be lol! Next up will be a Thirteen smut piece, so if anyone would like to be tagged in any future 13th doctor stuff, feel free to let me know :)