#shang-chi imagines

[happypopcornprincess]

Chapter 1 || I Can See You

Pairings - Joaquin Torres X fem!Reader

Premise - At a glamorous gala, Y/N's life intertwines with Joaquin's. A pact ensues, while a dangerous mission looms.

Word Count - 4.5K

Warnings: SMUT, Angst, Mentions of blood, domestic violence

a/n - This story is based between the events of Endgame and Brave New World. In this AU, Tony Stark survived and the New characters of the MCU are on the way to be the new recruits of the Avengers. Hope you guys like this <3

Series Masterlist

Avengers Compound, Post Endgame

If it wasn’t for Pepper to quite literally threaten you to attend her Annual Charity Gala, you wouldn’t even be here. The atmosphere around you was straight out of some high society drama. The grey walls of the newly reconstructed avengers compound were covered in silver tones, a huge silver chandelier hanging in the middle of the hall, there was laughter in the air, and everyone was dressed to the nines. 

Just how a party was supposed to be… when the host was the one and only Pepper Potts. Tony was there too, even though his hand was still recovering from the snap, but he was cheery and loud as always.

You sipped your champagne in silence, standing far away from the dance floor. 

You were chosen by Sam from MIT to help the Avengers. You had trained with the new recruits, Kate, Peter… They were good kids. Training with them was… well, it was something. Sam was great, and helped you all adjust. Honestly, the Avengers? They were intimidating. superhuman intimidating. But you had your strengths. Sharpshooting was always your thing. And you threw yourself into the training, every single bit of it. They told you it was for intel missions, to keep you out of direct harm's way. But that wasn't enough. You wanted more. Because you were not aiming for 'safe.' 

You were aiming to be an Avenger.

Your job was to figure out how Kingpin just vanished into thin air after Christmas. The task has taken over your daily routine after you met Kate Bishop. It’s been months of interviewing eyewitnesses, going on the streets undercover, nights of no sleep with a shit ton of coffee, and just when you think you’re about to solve it… you meet a dead end.

“Trying to hide behind the curtains again are we y/n?” Bucky’s voice made you look to your right, and there he was. Standing next to you wearing a sharp three-piece black suit, his hair slicked back.

You finally understood what Steve meant when he would say girls back then would throw themselves at Bucky.

He turned to you in disgust, “Are you checking me out?”

“You wish, asshole.” You mutter in your glass.

You and Bucky had developed an unlikely friendship after the blip bought him back. He was pardoned, and moved into a quaint apartment complex deep in the city, unknown to the fact that you lived right next to his place.

On a stormy night after the nightmares won’t let you both sleep, sharing one bottle of whiskey between you was all it took for you to spill your life to him. You have turned into each other’s best friends and occasional love life advisor, although it was kind of a package deal.

Which is why you knew the reason he was so dressed up for the first time since you met.

“You see Sam anywhere?” he asks you nonchalantly.

You give him a sly smirk, “Why? Can’t wait to shove your tongue down his throat?”

Bucky gives you a sideward glance, and goes back to looking at the crowd.

He was still figuring out his feelings towards both men and women, especially towards one man.

Returning from the Flag Smashers situation, he would not shut up how ‘annoying’ and ‘frustratingly righteous’ Sam Wilson is, how his smirk makes him want to ‘strangle’ him.

You asked him one evening if he was having a ‘full-on-bi-panic’ and he threw a pillow at your face.

“y/n! there you are!” Sam bellows as he walks towards the two of you, wearing a crisp grey suit over a white button up, looking as dapper as always.

“Sam!” you laugh, giving him a tight hug. He was your mentor, someone you looked up to. And hopefully your bestie’s future boyfriend.

“You look absolutely gorgeous!” he threw you one of his classic smiles as he retreated.

You look down to the pastel pink knee length dress you were wearing.

Hustling the life of an avenger straight out of MIT, it was the only dress you owned. And after paying for it out of your own pocket you realize fancy dresses cost a hand and a leg, and you refuse to part from it.

“Thank you Sam I-” you were about to thank him but stopped once you noticed him absolutely gawking at Bucky.

“Hey Bucky.” He smiled.

“Hey Sam.” Bucky gave him a nod.

You almost roll your eyes at the exchange, wondering when they will move on from the weird talking phase.

“Hello.”

An angelic voice interrupted your train of thoughts. Looking away your eyes meet a pair of the warmest brown eyes. He was standing behind Sam. A tall, tan-skinned man, wearing a crisp black suit stood in front of you. His curls fell on his forehead, and his smile was intoxicating.

He looked like a high surf tide; calling out for you to test the waters.

You extend your right hand, smiling at him. “Hey, I’m y/n”

He held it with his right, it made your heart race when he brought your hand up to his lips and kissed your knuckles, his hands warm and his lips soft, sending a jolt through your body.

Oh, he’s mischief alright!

You were left speechless when he straightened, a smirk thrown out your way as Sam spoke up, “This is the guy I told y’all about! Lt. Joaquin Torres.” He slapped a hand on Joaquin’s back, smiling with pride.

“And this is y/n y/l/n, fresh transfer from MIT. She’s our tech genius, and a walking journal on film recommendations.”

Laughter followed as your eyes couldn’t help but stay trained on Joaquin. Thinking back on the time when Sam told the team about the new Falcon joining them after a while, you somehow manage to speak up at that moment, “Welcome to the circus.” You take a deliberately long sip of your float, never breaking eye contact.

He gulped nervously, eyes wide, clearly startled by you flirting. 

“You haven’t had a drink yet Lieutenant? Let’s get you something.” you smile involuntarily.

He stands back for you to lead the way, “Sure. And it’s just Joaquin, please.” he laughs just after, his honey laced voice paired with your tad bit hazy mind doing wonders to your imagination.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/--/-

They keep watchful eyes on us So it's best that we move fast and keep quiet You won't believe half the things I see inside my head Wait 'til you see half the things that haven’t happened yet

“Wait a minute…” you smiled, “you cannot possibly think Love Actually is better than The Holiday?”

“It’s the perfect rom com!” Joaquin laughs, “it covered basically every rom com trope under the sun.”

“But, listen to me, but…” you say, your slightly tipsy self leaning on the wall behind you, as Joaquin stood in front of you, holding his own glass of whiskey, “Quantity never matters in front of quality. All characters in The Holiday are well written with meaningful backgrounds and great character redemption arcs. And it’s got Jude Law.”

Joaquin raises his hands, “Jude Law.”

“Jude Law.” you laugh, at how he was mocking a defeated pose.

“When Sam told me I can’t lose a movie debate with you, I couldn’t believe him.”

You try to curtsey, “thank you.”

“Wanna get out of here?” Joaquin blurted out abruptly.

It took you a while to gain your consciousness, and a laugh left your lips at what he just said. You saw his eyes traveling to your lips, and how his breath fastened as you took a deliberately long sip of your drink.

You smirked, “sure.”

—/—/—

You find yourself sneaking through the backdoor and upstairs towards the living quarters of the Avengers compound as you drag Joaquin by his coat as you slip into an unassigned room. The furniture was still uncovered, but there was a couch in a corner right next to the opened windows where moonlight pooled in.

Perfect.

The alcohol surging through your system gives you newfound courage, and seconds later Joaquin was being thrown on the couch by you. His pupils dilated, his gaze trained on you and his scent lingering in the air, you straddled him without hesitation.

 “Are you good?” His breathy voice went straight to your core, and without a word you crashed your lips on his.

He’s gonna be the death of me.

The taste of expensive champagne hit your mouth, Joaquin’s tongue slipping in your mouth sliding in with fervor. Your gasp is swallowed by his lips, his hands travelling south towards the zipper of your dress.

Your hands fumble with his coat, taking it off of him and raising his shirt just enough to slide your hands underneath. Warm, toned muscles met your hands, and the way he sucked your lips made you forget everything. You couldn’t breathe, but couldn’t move away from him either, entirely lost in taking him in.

Joaquin jerked back all of a sudden, making you whine.

“Wait, wait…” He breathed out, his breath cooling your skin.

“Just kiss me.” You exhaled, grabbing his tie to pull him in, but he leaned back.

Joaquin gently held your wrists, “y/n… hey, look at me,” he breathlessly said, “look at me for a second.”

You do, at his messy hair, puffy lips, and blown out pupils.

He holds out his hand, “how many fingers am I holding up.”

You scrunch your brows in confusion, eyes drifting to his fingers in front of your face. You get the tunnel vision every time you’ve had a bit too much whiskey, you see double.

Concentrating hard on your answer, you slur out, “four?”

Joaquin closes his eyes, looking up and huffing out a breath, “you’re very drunk.” You feel his hands on your waist, and he carefully sits you down on the couch next to him.

You whine at the loss of his touch as he gets up from the couch. He returns a minute later with a bottle of water, sitting next to you and making you drink the entire thing.

“Can we go back to the part where you kiss me until I forget my name?” you breathe out.

Joaquin laughs out, settling down next to you and leaning back on the couch. You straighten your dress, and sit with your shoulders touching. You steal a glance his way.

His coat was gone, his tie hung loose on his neck, his white button shirt straining on his arms…

Someone works out…

The faint moonlight hitting from behind him made the outline of the veins on his neck visible.

I want to lick it...

You scrunch your eyes as soon as you hear that inside your head.

Wow, he’s right, I am drunk.

“As much as I’d like to do that,” he looks your way, “I can’t. You’re very drunk.”

A smile itches on your face, and you ask, “so what should we do then?”

“Talk?” he suggests, turning to you, resting his head on the backrest and looking you right in your eyes. “I know nothing about you. You know nothing about me. Let’s talk.”

You laugh out loud, “okay,” the smile refusing to leave your face, “what do you want to know?”

“Anything.” he says with a warm smile on his face.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

You wake up in an unfamiliar room and a blinding headache, on a mattress too soft for your liking, the sunlight hitting your face with full force.

Grunting, you sit up, rubbing your forehead.

Something slips off your body, and you look down and find someone has covered you with a black suit coat while you slept.

The man with the warm eyes and gentle touch.

You laugh, rubbing your head at the absurdity of the situation.

You wear it over your dress and walk out of the room, after last night’s party everybody would be sleeping in. You can sneak out unnoticed.

You swiftly call an uber, and shove your hands inside the pockets of Joaquin’s coat.

The feel of rough paper makes you stop in your tracks, you take it out of the pocket to see a torn piece of labeling paper inside, a note greeting you.

9546-555-6783 See you soon, I guess? (Take care of my coat till then? It’s my favorite suit.) -         Joaquin

-/-/-/-/-/-

You brush past me in the hallway And you don't think I, I, I can see ya, do ya? I’ve been watchin' you for ages And I spend my time tryin' not to feel it

Joaquin joined the team a week later. He chose to stay on the compound, and soon blended in with the new avengers. Peter and Kate grew especially fond of him. When Shang-Chi joined the ranks, he, too, was welcomed into your close-knit circle.

You spared during training, made breakfast together, had constant debates on cinema and stories. He loved the classics, and you had a nick for science fiction. You should have cancelled out each other, but your differences only made your bond stronger. The differences weren't a barrier; they were a bridge. You shared tech skills learned during your time at  MIT, revealing the details of coding and circuits. In return, he shared practical knowledge from his air force background; survival techniques and tactical strategies.

Your apartment, though smaller than the compound's common areas, became the gathering spot for your group. Lazy weekends of your teams were spent at your place, you'd watch old movies, host game nights, and then collapse on any available surface.

Peter had a habit of entering your apartment through your window, and Kate never got used to it. Takeout was a foreign concept with your friends. Instead, Shang-Chi and Joaquin would take over the kitchen, making a mouth watering combination of asian food and mexican food, that could best possibly win them masterchef if they ever could.

These people, this band of young individuals navigating life… they became your chosen family. They were your support system, your confidantes, your partners in crime.

No one seemed to notice the stolen glances, the lingering touches, the quiet conversations that stretched late into the night. Or perhaps they did notice, and simply didn't care. 

-/-/-/-/-/-

But what would you do if I went to touch you now? What would you do if they never found us out? What would you do if we never made a sound?

Clouds grumbled above, as angry raindrops splattered on your apartment window. You were sitting on your couch with three devices settled in front of you: a laptop and two tablets running algorithms and analytics for locating kingpin. Kate had gathered intel that he still had someone in the states giving him updates and keeping him safe. But where?

That was a question you were determined to get answers to. Which is why you had made it your mission to get to the base of this.

Amidst the thunderous rain outside, you hear a knock on the door, and from the corner of your eye you witness Joaquin enter, carrying takeout containers.

“You’ll have to use the fork for the noodles, I just ran out of chopsticks!” you shout, without even looking at his direction.

“Y/n” Joaquin huffed out in frustration, “please tell me you didn’t ‘sense’ Thai food from me.”

“I did.” you laugh, looking at the bewildered Joaquin standing in your kitchen. He had jeans and a sleeveless gym shirt on. Involuntarily your eyes went to his toned arms, and you did a quick diversion of your thoughts to the TV.

”I come bearing sustenance. Chow Mein and Thai green curry, extra spicy, just how you like it.” he says, followed by the scrunching of the takeout container.

You sit up straighter with a smile itching on your lips, your favorite food just when you were low on inspiration. “You're a lifesaver, these logistics are killing me.”

Joaquin sets the containers on the coffee table. He sits next to you, close enough that your thighs brush. He huffs out, “Tell me about it. Sam's been drilling us on contingency plans all day. I swear, he's got a backup plan for the backup plan.”

You laugh, “That's Sam for you. Always prepared.”

You open the containers, the aroma of the curry filling the room, and digging into the food in comfortable silence for a few minutes.

“You got something on your…” Joaquin speaks, and you look at him with a particularly big bite in your mouth. 

“Hmm?” you mutter.”

He reaches out and gently wipes a bit of sauce from the corner of your mouth. The gesture is intimate, lingering a moment too long. If you don’t count your sparring training, this was the closest you had been since ‘that’ night at the charity gala. Your hands grab his arm on their own.

It feels… good. Too good. It's been so long since anyone touched you like this. Desired you. Like you mattered. Like you weren't just… a disappointment. You… you want this. You want him. 

But what if you mess it up? What if you push him away, like you did with… 

Your heart almost leapt out of your chest as he gently cupped your face in his hands, your gaze locked on his warm brown eyes. He leaned in towards your lips, a silent question in his expression. You paused, a flicker of hesitation crossing your face, and gently pulled back.

He too leaned back, respecting your space. The tension remained, but now it carried a hint of gentle inquiry.

Looking down, you fidgeted with your hands, "It's not that I don't… I just… we need to be sure about this." You huffed out in frustration, trying to articulate your tangled thoughts.

"I want you," he stated, his voice low and sincere. You looked up at him instantly, his pupils dilated, his chest rising and falling with deep breaths. "I want you in ways you can't imagine, y/n. And I will walk out of here right now if you don't want this. We can forget this ever happened."

Thunder roared in the skies above, and lightning illuminated his face through the window as he paused, his expression open and honest. "But," he gulped, his eyes searching yours, "if you do want this… then…"

He left the rest unsaid, giving you the space to make your own choice.

Your internal conflict finally tipped towards action.

Oh, fuck this… 

His words were lost as soon as you crashed your lips on his.

—/—/—

You stumbled into your room, Joaquin’s lips didn’t leave yours as he threw the two of you on the bed. Pulling you under him, his hands were everywhere. Your mind could only catch up with a few, as it was too busy taking in all of him.

Joaquin made you feel like your entire body was on fire. Your hands flew straight to his hair, a moan leaving his lips. You did quick work on his clothes, leaving him in his boxers as he got busy removing yours.

No words were exchanged as he moved low, kissing and sucking your skin in all the places that made your vision hazy. You could only whine and gasp as he grabbed your legs and rested them on his shoulders.

And then he stopped.

You look down to see a mischievous grin plastered on his face, his pupils blown wide.

“Joaquin…” you breathe out, “stop teasing me.”

His eyes darken as he let out a low murmur against your skin and without warning dived in, a loud moan leaving your lips as pleasure rushed through your body.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-

And I could see you being my addiction You can see me as a secret mission

“So… what is this?” you ask, lying next to him covered in sweat, panting. You rolled away next to him, completely exhausted from your acts that lasted three blissful hours.

“You’re asking this now?” he mutters, eyes fixed at the ceiling. “I’m pretty sure fraternizing between teammates is not allowed here.” He groans.

You close your eyes, trying to think about if that rule existed among the Avengers. As far as you knew nobody was involved with each other here. “We can be friends.” You suggest.

“What!” you feel the mattress shift and open your eyes to him leaning over you.

 “No, just… think about it.” You shift to lean on the headboard, gathering the sheets to cover your chest, “you’re new to the team.”

Joaquin takes a pillow to cover himself and sits cross-legged in front of you, “okay.”

You stop for a second, staring at his abs.

Y/n stop it! Focus!

“We can’t just go ahead and announce that we’re sleeping together, or dating. They will never let us live this down. Especially Bucky. And Kate. Maybe Sam…” You state, matter of factly.

“Wait, wait! Stop!” he gestures, eyebrows scrunched, “You want to date me?”

“No! I don’t like you like that!” almost scream out, “do you wanna date me?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Then I don’t see a problem with… this!” You throw out your hands.

“What is this exactly?” Joaquin pointed between you two.

You groan, “ugh, you’re as thick as it gets!” You adjust the sheets around your body to free your hands, “what did you think of me the first time you saw me?”

“At the gala? Huh…” he thinks, “That you have the prettiest smile.” he shocks you with the last part, but then he adds on, “also you looked hot in that pink dress.”

There we go.

“Well, I thought you had a great voice, and your eyes were really pretty.” You truthfully admit, “also you looked like trouble… and I have a thing for bad boys.”

“I’m twenty-five.”

“Whatever.”

“You swear you don’t want anything other than sex with me?” he asks you.

You nod, “Yeah. You?”

“I don’t.”

“Okay.”

“Okay!”

Joaquin gets up from his place, picking up his boxers and putting them on, “So just to be clear… we’re friends.”

“Yep!” you catch your sweatshirt that he throws your way.

He puts on his shirt next, “With benefits.”

“Absolutely.” You say, debating whether you should get up the bed or not, exhaustion rolling over your senses.

“And you promise you won’t fall in love with me.” He points to you.

“Oh please, if anything you’ll be falling first.” You say through a yawn.

Joaquin laughs putting on his pants, “well, I’m gonna go get something to eat. You want something?”

“Do you mind if I take a nap? I’m tired.” You grimace.

He smiles at you, “Go ahead.”

You fall back on the bed, as you hear his footsteps going away… the sweet embrace of sleep following you next.

—/—/—

Few weeks later

Your place or mine?

Your screen lit up with the message from Joaquin. You smirked

Yours? In an hour? You press send, and let out a laugh as you see the blue tick instantly.

Done.

Before you could ask him the reason he got so worked up, you hear F.R.I.D.A.Y’s automated voice - Scan. Complete.

A low hum filled the operations center as you meticulously analyzed the fragmented data streams scanned by F.R.I.D.A.Y. Dozens of photographs presented infront of you but your eyes instantly locked in on one in particular. Your focus narrowed on a grainy image emerging from the static. 

Broad shoulders, crisply pressed suit, gold rings on the fingers… could it be…

“Y/n!” Kate and Peter shout in unison as you slapped a stack of files on the kitchen table. Sam, Bucky, Shang Chi, Joaquin, all who were just about to eat, whipped their heads towards the commotion.

“I think I've found him,” you announced, pointing to the figure.

Sam and Bucky shared a look, and rushed towards you as you opened up a holographic display on your tab. Joaquin and you share a look, he was amused, a small smile on his face letting you know he was excited for what you found out, you smirked and quickly look away trying to focus on the scene infront of you.

“All this time I was searching for him here… but…” Cross-referencing facial recognition, thermal readings, and satellite data, you enlarged a section of the display, revealing a stark desert landscape. “The terrain, the temperature… it all points to one place... Mexico.”

A collective sense of surprise filled the room. 

'Mexico?' Peter questioned, 'What's he doing down there?' 

You zoomed in on a satellite image, enhanced thermal readings revealing a network of hidden structures. 'I don’t know, but he's planning something,' you stated, a sense of urgency creeping into your voice. 'Something big.' The implications hung heavy in the air. 

“This changes everything.” You nodded, your gaze fixed on the display. 'We need to move fast.”

To Be Continued...

A/N - Thank you everyone for sticking with me till the end of this fic! if you liked it please let me know through the asks and the comments. Next Chapter will be up soon... Love y'all, Take Care!

Taglist

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[eternalslover]

Where are all my Shang Chi lovers like come on

LIKE LOOK AT HIM, HE IS SO POOKIE BEAR BBG, AM I THE ONLY ONE THAT LIKES HIM!?

I NEED MORE SHANG CHI LOVERS, WRITERS, REBLOGGERS

[realtalkswithfinn]

“Are You Wearing Mismatched Socks?”

Shang-Chi x widow!reader

summary: Shaun sees a new game circling the internet and decides he HAS to challenge his girlfriend to a round.

warnings: violent play fighting, very brief mention/ joke about DV (no actual domestic violence!!), very brief mentions of Shang-Chi and Readers times as trained assassins, sex joke at the very end.

authors note: I have never written any sort of fight scene or action before so this is very new to me, but it had to be done. Also, I requested this idea to another creator here on tumblr before deciding I wanted to give it a go myself. If they write their own version, I’ll tag them so you can read that version as well!

“BABE!”

“WHAT?”

“COME IN HERE!”

“WHY?”

“JUST COME HERE!”

You sigh, blowing a strand of hair out of your face. You roll off the edge of your bed, clicking your phone off in the process, and saunter down the hall toward the sound of his voice.

Shuan stood in the center of… what used to be your living room? Both recliners and your big green couch were pushed flush up against the walls. You could see your coffee table stacked on top of your dining table in the next room over. All your blankets and knick knacks were scattered throughout the space. On the bookshelf, counters, window sills - anywhere but where they belonged.

He was looking down at his phone with an amused smile on his face.

“Done some… redecorating, have we?”

He glanced up, excitement clear on his face. “I’ll put it all back later. Give me one of your socks.”

You stared at him. “Give you… one?”

He nodded, jutting his palm out. “Yeah.”

“… why.”

“I found this game, it looks super fun!” He said, walking over to where you stood. He held out his phone, which was playing a video of what looked to be a set of twins. Each girl wore one white sock. “The goal is to rip the other persons sock off and keep yours on!”

You watched the girls tickle, tackle, and wrestle each other until one emerged victorious, sweaty sock in hand.

“I don’t know Shaun, I’m not sure I wanna play a game where I have to free your dawgs.” You teased.

“Hey! My ‘dogs’ aren’t that bad. Yours on the other hand-“

You smacked his arm. “Hey-“

“That’s the spirit!” He said, tossing his phone on the couch. “Now, give me a sock.”

“Get your own so- HEY!”

He yanked your right leg up by the back of the knee, quick but careful to make sure you didn’t fall, and slid your sock off. “See, next time, you’ll try to make sure I don’t do that.”

Oh, it’s on.

“Fine.” You sigh, trying to seem unamused. In reality, you were rather excited to play. The game looked fun enough when the girls played, but a round between two ex- child assassins? Things were going to get interesting fast.

Shaun beams at you and slides the sock onto his own foot. He looks at you, then your remaining sock, and raises an eyebrow. “Are you wearing mismatched socks?”

“Do you want to play or not?”

He backs away, hands raised in a surrender motion. “My bad, my bad, I should know better than to question you.” He moves a good three feet in front of you and reaches out for a handshake. “May the best man win.”

You yank his hand forward and flip him over your shoulder, slamming him down hard onto the cushy carpet. You twist and dive, aiming for his pink striped sock, but he rolls away quickly, jumping to his feet.

“That’s totally not fair! We hadn’t started yet!”

“Sorry, I didn’t realize you made all your opponents wait for your mark before fighting.”

He scoffed. “I was trying to be civil with you.”

“Don’t.”

He kicked out with his bare foot, leaving the socked one on the ground. The impact set you back a bit, but you regained yourself before slamming into the TV.

“Watch the furniture!” He teased, diving down toward your feet.

You dove over him, rolling and landing on your feet far on the other side of the living room. You crossed your arms and tapped your socked foot impatiently. “Gee, I thought the great Shang-Chi would find this game tedious. Assumed you would’ve won by now.”

Shaun rolled his eyes before running toward you again. You attempted to jump out of the way, but he snagged you by the waist. He tackled you to the floor as carefully as he could. Sweet, but his mistake. He only held you with one arm, using the other to stop your fall, making it easy for you to wiggle out of his grip.

You rolled slightly to the left and knocked him face first into the carpet. You crawled toward his foot, forgetting to keep your own feet away from his hands. You yelped when you felt him grabbing at your ankles and started kicking violently. He managed to tug your sock a bit, but lost his grip quickly.

You yanked yourself away from his hands, curling your feet under yourself into a crouch position. Shaun wasted no time crawling toward you, laughing as he went. You scuttled backward but came to an abrupt stop when you slammed into the couch.

He was closing in. You didn’t have anywhere else to run, so you took the offensive route and thrust yourself forward, sending the two of you sprawling across the carpet. The force of you landing on him was unexpected and totally knocked the wind out of Shaun. While he laid there catching his breath, you swung around and reached for his sock.

Of course, he regained his breath too fast. He sat up and grabbed you, pinning your arms to your sides. “Not cool y/n.”

“I can be less cool.” you panted. He started to say something, but you thrust your arm back and elbowed him in the ribs. You snaked out of his grip and ran across the room yet again.

Shaun stood up slowly, rubbing his rib. “Come on!”

“Sorry baby.” You laughed. You stuck out your bottom lip in a teasing pout. “I’ll kiss it better after I win.”

“Oh no, I can’t let you win after this.” He chuckled.

But you had a plan.

…Hopefully, the TV wouldn’t pay the price.

You ran at your boyfriend, gathered at much momentum as you could, jumped up, and wrapped your legs around his neck. He stumbled, but managed to regain his balance.

“Aw dude!” His voice was muffled. “Can a guy get a warning before getting a crotch to the face?”

He started smacking his own back, desperately trying to grab at your sock. But ultimately he couldn’t reach your feet at the angle. You laugh and let yourself fall backward. You dangled yourself from his shoulders and looked through your eyebrows to locate which foot had the striped sock.

Honestly, there were a million ways Shaun could have escaped this position. But all of them would’ve been pretty painful for you, and you knew he would never actually hurt you for a game. Or anything, for that matter, but especially not a game. So he continued to reach and grab for your sock.

You reached down and tickled his right leg. He kicked out a little, as that was the last thing he expected from you. He stopped reaching for your sock and grabbed your thighs instead, trying to keep you from falling while he lost his balance.

You took the opportunity to snatch the sock off his foot.

“BOO!” Shaun complained.

“Whats that?? I can’t hear you over the sound of me WINNING!”

You reached your hands down to the floor and unhooked your legs from behind Shaun’s head, gracefully kicking down as if out of a handstand, and waved the sock around in victory.

Shaun stared at you. “I can’t believe you just black widowed me.”

You shrugged. “I can’t believe you talked such big game just to be taken out by a little tickle.”

“And a crotch to the face?”

“Whatever.” You rolled your eyes. “So… what do I win?”

A mischievous grin spread across your boyfriends face. “Who said you won? We gotta do best two out of three.”

“What? No! I won fair and square-“

Shaun ripped the sock out of your hands and took off down the hall. “BEST TWO OUT OF THREE!”

————

You padded into your bedroom with a glass of water and a handful of ibuprofen. Shaun was already under the covers, but you could see bruises sprouting up around his exposed upper body. You weren’t much better — you had a nasty spot right on your cheekbone, as well as littered all over your body.

“Hey,” you greeted gently, sitting on the edge of the bed.

He set his phone down and looked up at you with his beautiful brown eyes. “Hey.”

You took his hand and dumped a few ibuprofen into it. “Maybe we should play a little gentler next time.”

He smiled before popping the tablets into his mouth. “Maybe.”

You passed him the water glass and he took a swig before passing it back to you. You took your own dose and set the glass on the nightstand. Shaun pulled the covers up for you to crawl under, to which you happily did, curling right up against him.

He ran his fingers over the forming bruise on your cheek. “Aw dude. Does it hurt?”

“I’ve had worse.”

“People are gunna think I hit you.”

“You kinda did.” You laugh.

“Not on purpose!” He defended. He moved his hand to cup your face before sending you a pointed stare. “You, on the other hand, had malicious intent.“

“And who won all three rounds?”

Shaun glared at you but couldn’t argue. He leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to the bruise. “Thanks for playing with me.” He said softly.

You reached up and rested your hand over his. “Anytime. Thanks for putting the couch back.”

He chuckled, closing his eyes. “Anytime.”

————

“Dude, what happened to you?” Katy asked gawking at Shaun, who had stiffly shuffled into work covered head to toe in bruises. “Bad guys?”

“Y/n.”

Katy curled her lip in disgust. “Didn’t need to know that dude.”

“What? Oh my god Katy, no, we were playing the sock-“

“Nope. Too late. Image is already there.”

“KATY.”

[clarrize0596]

[zymruk]

All the ways we sabotaged it. [Shang-Chi x reader]

Inspired by skinny dipping by Sabrina Carpenter. Ever since I've heard the song, I couldn't get this fic out of my mind. So why not write it?

Warning: Angst, angst, so much of it. Shang-Chi hiding things. Lots of misunderstandings, break-up. Happens six months after the events of Shang-Chi.

Summary: Six months after the break-up, you and Shang-Chi cross paths in a café downtown.

It had been six months. Six long, hard, agonizing months since you and your ex, Shaun, broke up. It has been a long process but with the help of your family and friends, it seems less hard than if you had to do all of it alone. You just started to move on. Yes you still loved him; but in retrospect, you and him wouldn't have lasted. There were too many things happening at the time and honestly, neither of you were mature enough for a relationship.

It had been a Wednesday when you had decided to go out. Just spend your day with your own company. It had been a while since you'd been to this café specifically because of some guy. You really missed their lattes. Once you placed your order, you had searched for a seat and then sat down. Appreciating the calmness of the place. You would start writing on your computer, letting your fingers dance on the keyboard. The place has given you writing ideas that you were more than excited to write about.

ϟ

Everything was going perfectly until a familiar voice had stopped you in your frenzy. A voice you hadn't heard for so long. At first you thought you had misheard. Maybe it was someone that sounded like him. It couldn't be him right?

So the logical thing to do was to go back to what you were doing in the first place. It was just your imagination playing tricks on you. He couldn't be here. You'd heard from a mutual close friend that he had to fly back home. Where was "home"? You hadn't known, he'd never told you about his home country. "Family business. I swear!" She had told you.

However, when you looked up, you're surprised to see the same face attached to that voice. The same smile, and the same hair. All in all, the guy that had taken your heart six months ago. He was there right in front of you. And it seemed like he wanted to talk to you.

"Hi." He almost whispered when he had arrived in front of your table. In an instant you couldn't think of a proper salutation, so you opted for a simple "Hi. How are you?" And soon, a conversation bloomed. You two would catch up to whatever had happened since the separation. It was nice, talking like no time had passed; no separation happened. To be honest, you kinda missed those sort of days. When words would just fill out of your mouth, and you being unable to stop them.

And very soon, minutes would change into hours. Niether of you would notice. In those hours, Shaun had told you that he was actually grateful you had broken up with him. At first it stung a little; but then he told you the reason why. It had opened his eyes; he was reckless, had lied to you so many times, and hid so many things. His words. In retrospect he couldn't understand how you had put up with it. The gall of the man. He even had lied to you about his name!

Your response to it should've been to be angry with him. To yell at him about lying about his name. Understandably you were upset, you two shared a life together, though short lived, you felt he should have felt safe enough to tell you about it. After everything that had gone down after your departure, was explained to you, you understood. You would've probably done the same in his shoes. I mean, did it sound crazy? Yes. Did you wonder how that concerned you in any way? Heck yes. Were you still worried about the guy? Yes.

So in the end, you still listened to his crazy-not-so-crazy story. In the end, you still had a little bit of concern and empathy for this guy.

You decided to go home when the sky changed hues. You had spent a good day in his company in this café. But now it was time to go home. As soon as you two parted ways, you questioned yourself on why you two didn't work.

Yes, he had lied and hid things. But at the end of the day, your delusional mind thought that it could've been salvaged somehow. It rattled on past opportunities of reconciliation and the multiple ways you would have been more than happy to be supportive of him and journey. However, you ultimately came to the conclusion that if it hadn't worked, it probably wasn't meant to be.

Really, that day had just been a reafirmation that you two had had a good run, but like all good things it was time to let go and move on. you were more than ready.

[happypopcornprincess]

The Heart's Gambit

You never saw him coming... and you'll never be the same.

Amidst an imminent lurking danger in the distance and finding your place in the world of heroes, you found solace in the arms of Joaquin… but buried pasts and unspoken fears haunt every stolen glance, every tender touch. Is there any truth hidden in the whispered secret, or will heartbreak claim its due?

Pairings - Joaquin Torres X fem!Reader

Word Count - 

Characters - Y/N, Joaquin Torres, Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes, Peter Parker, Shang Chi, Kate Bishop, Tony Stark... more to be revealed as story progresses

Warnings: SMUT MINORS DNI, violence, gore, mentions of death, domestic abuse and neglect

a/n - This is based in an AU after the events of Endgame and TFATWS and before Brave New World. This story has been due for long and I had the time of my life writing this. The chapters are somewhat inspired from Taylor Swift songs and the topics will reveal them. I hope I did justice to the characters. I hope you, reader, find love and happiness in this world and I hope you enjoy reading this.

SMUT marked with *

Chapters

I Can See You*

Illicit Affairs

TBA

TBA

TBA

Epilogue

Headcannons/Requests/Drabbles and Moodboards

Headcannon/Drabbles requests for this series

[wenellyb]

As someone who enjoyed Endgame, I don't understand MCU fans who act like it was some kind of cornerstone movie.

Endgame was good because it had nostalgia and references to previous movies, all the characters were there and the fight scenes were really good, but why is everyone acting like it's one of the best Marvel movies out there...

The worst, to me, is when people say that the MCU hasn't had any good movie since Endgame... I can think of at least 5 post endgame movie that I liked better than the movie.

Again, I liked Endgame but why are some people acting like it's the best MCU movie ever?

[creamecafe]

Dating Xu-Xialing Would Include...

🚨 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐑: 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞. 𝐈𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐨 @editfandom and @gagalacrax 𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 🚨

Pairing: Xu-Xialing x GN!Reader (No pronouns used)

Warnings: none just fluff and a bit angst

Author's Note: I meant to post this when I was 14 almost 3 years ago in 2022. So here it is. So I'm sorry if it's bad.

• Her treating like the absolute queen/king you are

• Will threaten, hurt or kill anyone who disrespects, hurts, or makes you uncomfortable in any way

• Her drawing portraits of you

• Some days you would lay your head on her lap and she'll draw you.

• Her being overprotective of you.

• Especially since she has lost her mother, her father, and her brother never came back as he promised.

• Not really to show affection in public with other people.

• But with private, it's the complete opposite.

• She loves cuddling with you so much.

• Some nights, she'll be the big soon, but if she has trouble sleeping or nightmares, you offer to be the big spoon and hold her. (Not to mention she sleeps with a knife under her pillow, just in case anyone tries to break in)

• You being good friends with Shang-Chi and Katy of course.

• Sometimes she gets flashbacks of her childhood, especially her mother when she was alive, her father loving her, and when her brother didn't have to leave her.

• You comfort her by giving her cuddles, kisses and just holding her.

• She gets afraid that something bad could happen to you, you could die, or you might leave her one day.

• You always reassure her that nothing bad will happen to you or you won't leave her, and you'll always stay by her side no matter what.

• Training with her some days.

• Her teaching you how to use weapons and martial arts

• Sometimes when your training, and Xialing sweeps your feet and you hit the ground, you like to pretend your hurt and make her feel guilty

• And it really does work on her.

• She feels bad and walks up to you, but when she gives you her hand so you could get up, you take her hand and pull her to the ground

[your-soul-is-m1ne]

So what happens now..?

I do not know, it's been a very.. dark time, since.. that incident happened. I'm just not certain, I haven't heard much from Quan Chi besides that message. I really do miss him quite a bit. My heart can't help but ache for his love. It's almost as if he's the only one that can heal it. Even if.. he doesn't love me anymore, I will always still love him. I still wear this ring and I don't think I'll ever take it off. Maybe I'll improve myself so that he can love me again, and maybe.. just maybe, everything will go back to the way it was with us. -- From yours truly, Shang Tsung. :)

[spasmsofthought]

currents swept you out (high tide came and brought you in) [shang-chi x fem!reader]

Almost a year later, but the muse came. (Sorry but also not sorry! xo)

I love all the melancholy and weight in Shang-chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. It's something I tried to explore here but I'm (of course) unsure if that was conveyed well.

Also shoutout to the sweet anon who asked about a part 2 to i'll be getting over you my who life many months ago! It kept some of my motivation for this up and kept me from deleting the draft.

Anyways, I love Shang-Chi and I would love to see more writing for him!!!

Please like, comment, and reblog! xo

+++

You think you catch glimpses of him throughout the years. A mirage of his figure around the corner, in a shadowed hallway. When you lay outside among the trees, you swear you see a vision of his face as the sun shines down on you. In the brief moments where the quiet becomes too much at the compound, you glance over your shoulder to see if he’s waiting for you, like he did before when you would sneak around for a quick word or a forbidden touch.

But Shang-qi is not there anymore, not here at all, and you don’t see him anywhere. He feels everywhere but you also know he is nowhere you can reach. Nowhere you can go. He cannot appear to you, even when that’s the only thing you want.

He is a ghost that lingers, but he is a ghost nonetheless.

And when you finally escape the compound and head for Ta Lo, you resolve to leave his ghost where it belongs: in the past.

You aren’t expecting to see Shang-qi in Ta Lo when he finally comes. You aren’t expecting to see him at all. Nan had told you that they had prepared for both his and Xialing’s arrival, but you doubted that he would ever come.

You are not even part of the welcoming group when his company rolls up in the car. First treated as a hostile group, then welcome like family. Your duties keep you physically away but the longing in your heart pulls at you no matter the distance you happen to keep from Shang-qi or Xialing.

You long to see his face, to watch as his eyes light with recognition (if, in fact, he did remember you at all). An ache deepens, and the pulling in your heart becomes slightly painful. You decide you don’t know what will be worse: living with the pain in your heart and leaving him alone or being in his presence after fifteen years of absence and wondering and grief.

When you feel your heart has gathered enough courage, you go to find him. Though the scenery is much different, for a moment you are reminded of when you would look for him at just fourteen years old, willing to risk what felt like it all at the time just to see him transiently.

The teenage love you for him that felt so all-consuming now just makes you feel forlorn.

You sit down next to him and greet him, "Shang-qi."

He turns his face and looks at you. It takes a second but there is a little surprise amidst his recognition. There is something else, too, something deeper. Something that you may not have words for but you understand all the same. A tenderness and vulnerability is there, but also shadows and fog. The rawness of what he felt fifteen years ago has dimmed with age and grief

"It was a long time ago when we last saw each other..."

"I didn't even know if you were still alive." He shakes his head and clasps his hands together on his lap.

"I found my own way," You smile, leaning in to his space before retreating.

There is a brief silence that elapses. One filled with a strange, awkward sense of peace. Or maybe comfort.

"I have heard you are trying to find your own."

"That's one way of putting it." His brow furrows and his eyes take on a different kind of shine. It's not as light as it was.

There is a gap of fifteen years in which you both lived without each other. Whatever innocent little thing you shared with him before he left to make another life for himself has been overshadowed and forgotten for things far more substantial.

For a moment the teenage girl in your heart cries. She wonders if you will ever know his lips on yours or his hands in your hair or a smile meant only for you. It is all she has ever wanted. Adult you, however, knows that the chasm between then and now is something that may not ever be able to be bridged between the two of you. And though Shang-qi is sitting beside you now, you recognize that you may never get to find what was lost so suddenly fifteen years ago.

Shang-qi may never stop being a ghost that haunts all your what-ifs and maybes.

“You were so heavy,” Your hands close around his. “So hard. Brittle. When I was younger, until you left the compound, all I wanted was to help you bear your burdens, but I know now that you wouldn’t have let me. If I asked you now, I think you still wouldn’t let me.”

Shang-qi doesn’t say anything, but you can tell from his eyes that he’s listening. He’s always listening. But his muscles are still tense, his shoulders tight. Still listening but withholding at the same time. Always withholding.

“I know I can’t solve this for you — whatever it is you are trying to fix. I can’t do any of this for you; you must do it for yourself,” You remove your hands from their place over his and expel a deep breath. “But I hope you know you can lay some of what you carry down.”

It is still quiet when you stand from your seated position next to him, but the quiet has transformed. It’s no longer peaceful for comfortable or familiar, but solemn and weighty. No matter how much you may wish to, you cannot untangle Shang-qi’s knots for him. You cannot bridge the gap between the present and past for the both of you. You can only decide to do it for yourself and and hope that he meets you halfway.

“Shang-qi,” It takes a moment, but he tilts his head up and his eyes meet yours, “I know who you are. I’ve never forgotten. But you seem to have, and what we — I — want is for you to remember.”

[formerheroeswhoquittoolate]

the cycle continues and I'm back on the Thinking About Lin Lie train and also on the Thinking About Siblings train and uh yeah brace yourself cause I got thoughts and I make no promises as to their coherence.

because like. lin feng. lie's blood brother. he vanished with their dad and came back years later, super evil and corrupted and trying to free chiyou. he wants lie to join him he might have tried to kill him that one time (he definitely kidnapped him). he threatened to kill lie's friends. he destroyed k'un lun. but also, he looked after lie when they were small. he taught him about archaeology and they snuck into their father's study together. they were brothers, so they are brothers.

and then there's shang-chi. who took one look at lin lie and was like "wow, you're terrible at everything. come on, let's make sure you don't get yourself killed before you can find your dad." and he trained lie and looked after him and made sure he didn't get his sword stolen by ares or die during the war of the realms and taught him how to spy on people during the whole pan thing. shang-chi had nightmares about lie killing him and still trained him-- not only that, he still poked fun at lie and helped lie calm himself down after he lost the sword. (the fact that shang-chi hasn't been mentioned except once in passing alongside two other members of the agents of atlas since lie's death is driving me nuts. if you couldn't tell.)

and like. if you asked me pre-iron fist, I'd have said that they're brothers. they check all the Accidental Sibling Acquisition boxes. hell, I'm pretty sure lie even lived with shang-chi for a bit.

what feng was to lie before feng vanished and coming back evil, shang-chi was to lie before lie died. they taught him how to work smarter, not harder. they got into trouble with him and looked after him and bailed him out when he was in over his head. god I've got so many thoughts about this.

lie calls shang-chi "uncle shang" at one point in war of the realms. they've effectively just met and their longest interaction so far in the comic has been shang-chi knocking the sword out of lie's hand and telling him he needs to learn how to wield it. it's not super serious then, but by the time lie dies, shang-chi is probably one of the closest to him out of the agents of atlas.

grabs you by the shoulders. when lie came back, shang-chi was in charge of an ancient and historically super evil cult of extremely deadly warriors. the avengers think he's becoming a bad guy, and he's not super successful in convincing them otherwise. and it's all going downhill from there. he's got the ten rings and they're also super evil. he's participating in the gang war over new york city like he's the head of a crime family (he. kind of is.) he's largely pulled away from the agents of atlas and is almost solely concerned with the five weapons society, the siblings it turns out he suddenly has, and the insurmountable legacy of his generally evil father and predecessor.

feng left and came back evil. lie died and when he came back shang-chi kind of seemed like he was on his way to getting there. do you see what I'm saying? do you think lie thinks he's cursed? do you think he's even going to bother with trusting danny rand after the last two people who were supposed to help him and train him and look after him, the last two people he trusted like that, turned out to not be everything he thought they were. this is why you can't have nice things. (don't get me started on mei min's parents. by the way.)

do you think that's why he didn't tell shang-chi he was alive? because I'm starting to. once is chance two is coincidence and all that. and repeatedly getting your trust in people broken because you don't see them for a bit and they go dark side in the interim is a pretty big pattern to ignore. or something.

[mysticcrownwolf]

Something I am trying to convey in my fic is that Bi han feels unfulfilled in the Lin kuei like yeah he was trained since childhood to be one of the best assassin in the world and he probably killed hundreds if not thousands in his line of work judging by how brutal the Mortal Kombat world is but that's just it he didn't get anything from it.

He is told he is the earth realm protector and the most nobal cause he can serve is that he keep killing people and play pretend when Lui Kang needs to recruit farmers to represent earthrealm. Imagine how demeaning it must have felt for him to be one of the most powerful people on earth specifically trained to protect it but Lui Kang picks farmers and actors as his champions.

Like the thing is he never sees any outcome for everything he has done in his life he trains, kills people and Lui Kang tells him that's what he was meant to do for the rest of his life it's an endless cycle where the only person who loses is Bi han because rather than being his own person with wants and needs he is just a Lin kuei assassin.

He could find joy in this job many people enjoy mundane work without any thanks or recognition for their specific job (doesn't mean they aren't happy to be appreciated just that's not a major requirement for them) it's clear Kuai Liang and Tomás do but the thing is he didn't have a choice he was expected to be a grandmaster since he was a child.

He didn't experience childhood like he wanted to or rather wasn't allowed to, all he was allowed to do was be a perfect assassin, a perfect grandmaster, a perfect Lin kuai and he is but that's all he has being a Lin kuei, his sense of self worth, his being, his whole existence is tied to being a Lin kuei grandmaster which at the end of the day is a thankless job. I need him to break out of it and just be Bi han

[thoughtfulzombienerd]

imagine Shanggmacchi introducing themselves to someone lol

Like :

Shang Tsung: this is my partner Quan Chi and his partners Ermac.

I think it's funny because no matter who ends up with Ermac, the relationship will be polyamorous anyway

[make-me-imagine]

Camera Roll: Shang-Chi celebrating Día de los Muertos with you

Camera Roll when spending Día de los Muertos with Shang-Chi

Requested by @youngcroissantturkeyworribler; hope you like it~

General Taglist: @criminaly-supernatural, @imaginesfire, @onuen, @rexit-mo, @witchygagirl, @alexxavicry

Marvel+Shang-Chi Taglist: @aquariuslavenderhoney, @trashywritestrash, @groovy-lady, @marvelouslyme96, @supersourlemon13, @mochamoff, @simsiddy, @gay-and-ready-to-cry, @flourishandblotts-inc, @spuffyfan394, @agent-catfish-kenobi, @cs-please, @soultrysworld, @a-lumos-in-the-nox, @creativitybeware, @that-marvel-simp, @gatefleet, @skylions-den, @dominos-palast, @pockyandme, @merlin-dahlia, @oliviah-25,

[zymruk]

Can you stop? [Shang-Chi x Reader]

AN: I received this request and honestly thanks for asking me to write it. I don't know how much it's gonna take me to write it, but I'll try. sorry for any grammar mistakes

Y/A/N: Your agency's name

Warning: none, really.

Synopsis: Shaun wasn't always a door guy. He used to work as a bodyguard.

I'm probably gonna follow up with a one-shot

It was Tuesday third of October, when you woke up to the sound of pounding at your door. It took you a while to remember the cause of the noise. You had an appointment today for a promotional ad for some cream. And judging by the time you were late.

"Come on Y/N, you don't want another one of Lelie's scoldings!" Said Shawn outside your door. Shawn was the bodyguard you'd gotten since the renewal of your contract at Y/A/N. The previous one had just closed down, so you were in dire need of a new one, fortunately, Les still wanted you as a client. The both of you, then, decided on holding your own fort. Still, you needed a bodyguard, the previous one had been hired by someone by the time you'd found a compromise with Les. Coincidentally, Shawn had all the qualifications, thus, was hired.

Leslie was your agent. She could be a bit cranky on bad days, but the worst ones were when you were late to your appointments. And you were. In less time than you planned, you had been showered, dressed and ready to go. After all, you would change once again at the shooting set when you' would 'd arrive. The clothes you were supposed to be wearing already picked out by dear Leslie.

"Thanks. I think I forgot to put on my alarm." You turned to Shawn, whom had already bought you coffee. You would need it today. Not only did you have to shoot an ad, later in the day you were needed at the inauguration of a theater funded by the Stark Relief Foundation.

You'll smile, take pictures for two hours and even go through four more hours watching a documentary on the creation of the Stark industries. Apparently, the theater director had insisted on it being projected during the inauguration, though many had wanted to watch something else. Thanks to Leslie, however, you wouldn't suffer alone, as she'd been able to snatch another ticket for Shawn. He would watch the terribly long documentary with you. Not that he really had a choice. I mean, he was paid to do it.

Now in the car, going to the set location, you couldn't help but get lost in the sights of the road. You often didn't have the time to stop and admire what was around you. More often than you'd want, you needed to be at ten places at the same time. It was tiring, but, like everybody, you had a job to do and your mouth to feed. Also, your job wasn't as terrible as it could've been. You were lucky. You had, comfortably, a thing that few could claim and, money. In terms, you couldn't really complain.

"What are you thinking about?" Shawn's voice took you out of your reverie. He was looking at you through the rearview mirror. You'd almost forgotten him with how quiet he'd been.

"Everything and nothing at once. Why?" Now that he was looking at the road again, you could observe him without any restraint. He was a handsome young man, the same age as you if you were not mistaken, maybe a bit older. But handsome, no less. He'd seen a lot of things with you in this one year of 'partnership'. He'd protected you from weirdos trying to break into your changing rooms, had shielded you from someone trying to snatch you at a signing event.You'd been vulnerable with during this year, he'd seen you break down more times than you could count and still found it in himself to be comprehensive about it. You were safe with him, so much so that you'd considered him an ally; a friend, if you will.

¸

Once the shooting was done, you two were on your way back to your hotel, where you'd go back to your respective rooms and change clothes. You were given a y/f/c garment that complimented your body in the best of ways. You could thank Leslie and the stylist she'd gotten you for that. Though you weren't feeling the event as much as you should've, you still felt better knowing you wouldn't be alone. Shawn would be with you.

"Hey, are you ready?" You could hear his voice outside your door as you were staring at your reflection.

"Yeah, I'm coming." You were content with the way you looked. Plus, you wouldn't stay all night. After the screening, or during, you'd find a way to take your leave without anyone noticing. You had faith in that.

Once out of the room, you almost bumped with him, by how close he was to the entrance. The suit he was wearing was remarkably perfect in him. It was as if he was the one blessed by a fairy or something. Also, it was worth noting that his faced had been done. Probably Leslie and her need for every picture to be perfect. You were all the more enthralled by his eyeshadow.

Or rather, his eyes, to be more precise. Whomever Leslie had hired had truly mastered their craft. All in all, the makeup suited him, you'd go as far as to say it really complimented his face.

"Maybe we should get moving." He said, his voice above a whisper. You hadn't realized the two of you had been standing in this hallway for a while now. You didn't know what could've happened if anything had happened in the tiny moment.

"Yeah, definitely. Do you have any plans after tonight?" The words escaped your mouth before you could even hold them back. It was true that Shawn would be free later in the night. He'd be done with his shift. Elsa would take hers right after him. You didn't know why you needed a nocturn security guard; but Leslie knew what she was doing, you trusted her too.

"No, I was planning on watching a movie and falling asleep to it." You felt stupid for even asking the question, obviously the guy wanted to relax and chill after this day of running around.

"Do you have any plans for tonight?" You hadn't even gotten the time to engage with his answer that he'd already asked you a question.

"No, I'm probably gonna stay in my room late and wait for sleep to find me."

"Why don't we both watch a movie and fall asleep to it then?" You had to agree the suggestion was appealing. You wanted to have fun and maybe that would be the one fun thing you'd be doing this week. In less than a minute you'd made your mind.

"Yeah, sure. Did you have movie picked out already?" The both of you had already taken the direction of your room. It was in all honesty the biggest of the two.

"Yeah, I had an inkling for ratatouille by scary movie is also kinda good." He'd say his hands in his pockets. You couldn't see it but her was smiling.

"I'm more of a scary movie type of gall." You said turning your head towards him as you were unlocking your room.

[guardianofthedawn]

The Black Glass Collar

(This is me playing about with a concept in another story, however I’m using fanfiction to put it to context.)

(Game: Mortal Kombat 1, 2023. Alternate Universe.)

Shang Tsung smirked from his throne. Today was going to be a good day.

Quan Chi presented a purple box approximately the size of a record sleeve, its depth approximately one third of its width. The necromaner opened the hinged lid; the sorcerer clapped his hands together and let out a little chuckle.

“It’s perfect,” he proclaimed. “But who should I test it on?”

“Why not test like for like?” Quan Chi offered. Shang Tsung hummed in affirmation as he pondered the necromancer’s words. He reached for the open box, green magic swirling from his fingers as he muttered a spell. The magic faded almost as quickly as it illuminated, whispers of the spell still lingering in the air between the two objects. Quan Chi closed the box and mirrored Shang Tsung’s triumphant expression with one of his own.

The doors to the throne room were busted wide open, revealing a rather angry cryomancer stalking in. Icy footprints showed the path he’d taken to to get to his destination.

“Always a pleasure to have your company, Sub-Zero,” drawled the sorcerer.

“You lying bastard!” Bi-Han snarled, his vaporised breath puffing through his mask

“No hello?” Quan Chi quipped.

“You swore that she would be unharmed!” The sorcerer’s smirk grew. So that’s what this was about. “You have breached the terms of our agreement!”

“Are you finished championing yourself?” He sounded almost bored at the accusations levelled against him, despite the fact that they were completely true. “I did swear that she would be unharmed, however that only extended to my own hand.” Through the open doors came a group of Shao’s loyalist soldiers, two of them dragging a familiar figure between the. Shao himself and Reiko brought up the rear, the lieutenant carrying a pike with a bloodied head.

“It must be a requisite for all sorcerers to have sharp tongues,” said Shao. “She responded rather poorly to our…method of questioning.”

“Ask something smarter next time, jackass,” Tora spat, looking up toward the throne. “Hello, bitch.”

“A vision of loveliness as always, my dear,” Shang Tsung said, mocking a bow. The smears of blood on her face really brought out the ire burning in her eyes.

Bi-Han growled and stepped forward to reach the female sorcerer, but only managed a few steps; hands colder than his own gripped at his wrists and elbows to force them behind his back. Looking over his shoulder, the cryomancer saw Quan Chi holding out a single glowing hand, the shadows of chains linking the two of them together.

“You’ll go nowhere, boy,” said the necromancer.

“Let him go, death breath!” Tora exclaimed, writhing against the grip on her arms. Shang Tsung slowly looked between the female sorcerer and the cryomancer, pieces falling together in his brain. He looked to Quan Chi and flicked his head; the necromancer twitched his glowing hand in response. Bi-Han’s wrists pulsed with energy, making him cry out in shock and pain. Quan Chi twitched his hand again and more spirit chains wrapped around the cryomancer’s legs to force him to his knees. Shang Tsung flicked his head a second time, and a series of magical pulses made Bi-Han suppress a yell.

Golden eyes spat fire at the male sorcerer. “Stop it, Shang Tsung!” He raised both eyebrows at the use of his real name, more pieces falling into place.

“Interesting…” he mused.

“I’ll do you a deal,” Tora said. That intrigued him. “If I can guess something about what’s in that jewellery box of yours, you let Sub-Zero go.”

Shang Tsung fixed a stare at the female sorcerer. “Why this box, specifically?”

“Because Dead Hand Dick over there hasn’t let go of it since we got in. In fact, I’d say he’s actually held it tighter.” The necromancer offered a half-hearted shrug at the pointed glances he received. Shang Tsung called the box over to his hands with a small tug of magic and held it expectantly.

“I accept, my dear. Please release the dear so that she can make her guess.” Shao grunted, and the two guards complied with the male sorcerer’s request. Reiko moved forward to protest, but the warlord held him back with a pat on the shoulder.

“We will get our chance,” he reminded the lieutenant. Tora threw a side glance at the two warriors as she shook out her arms, blood returning to her extremities. She chanced a look at Bi-Han, who strained against his own binds and fixed her with a searching look, and returned her eyes to the box.

She finally sighed. “I don’t know what shape it’s taken, but I know that it’s made of black glass.” The silence that descended around the room was enough to smother a wildfire.

“You know of black glass, then?” Quan Chi asked.

“Every spellcaster worth their magic knows of black glass. Most never experience it,” replied the female sorcerer.

“Then I guess today will be your lucky day, my dear.” Shang Tsung’s lips curled into a devilish smile as he opened the box, revealing an open ring of obsidian nestled on a white satin cushion. Tora had only seconds to register that she was correct before it lifted itself of its own accord and flew toward her, clasping itself around her neck.

“Tora!” Bi-Han’s eyes widened and he pulled harder on his restraints. Tora’s hands flew to her throat and clawed at the collar newly fastened around her neck; green rings began to glow around it as the magic Shang Tsung had bestowed earlier began to take effect. This new magic flooded her system and clashed with her own and caused silent screams to rip themselves from her throat as the pain burned all over her body. Sinking to her knees, one hand barely supporting her struggling system, she managed to lift her head and glare at the male sorcerer.

“What the hell have you done to me?!” she grit out.

“For someone so knowledgeable in black glass, I am rather disappointed you do not recognise the enchantment.” Shang Tsung shook his head and clicked his tongue disapprovingly. There was a shit-eating grin on his face that the female sorcerer wanted to blast off…if she could move…or…

“You blocked my magic?!” Another wave of pain caused her elbows to tremble; each movement she made was costing more energy as time went on.

“While you are more useful to me alive, I cannot have you in a position of advantage,” said the male sorcerer. He turned to Shao and Reiko. “I believe that Sub-Zero would make a fine top-tier kombatant in your new arena, yes?” Tora scrabbled at the ground as she frantically tried to stand up. Bi-Han leaned his body forward to try and move himself toward the female sorcerer.

“You…” The collar acted as a counterweight to her plan of straightening up. “You…” Her vision began to swim. Shang Tsung placed a gentle hand on her head, a warm magic emanating from it and causing her eyes to droop.

“Rest, my dear. You will need your strength,” he cooed, watching as she slowly fell into unconsciousness.

“You snake!” Bi-Han roared. Reddening lines appeared on his arms where the shackles held him in place, ice creeping over them to make them visible. Quan Chi dismissed the restraints and chuckled as the cryomancer nearly faceplanted with the momentum of his movements. As he began to right himself, Reiko rushed forward and pointed the bloody pike at his throat.

“Grab him.” The two soldiers that held Tora raced forward to grab Bi-Han and drag him the rest of the way to his feet.

“I am inclined to believe the sorcerer regarding my arena,” growled Shao.

“Remember, he must remain alive for the pact to remain active,” Shang Tsung pointed out as the warlord prepared to leave the room.

As he was dragged past the male sorcerer, the cryomancer glared at him. “If you spill even a single drop of Tora’s blood, I will be the one to kill you,” he hissed, the soldiers quickly shuffling him away.

Quan Chi scoffed. “Better to have him die in his servitude.” Shang Tsung carefull lifted Tora into his arms, ensuring her head was propped against his shoulder. The obsidian collar around her neck gleamed in the light of the room.

“Their deaths would be unnecessarily excessive,” he said. “Besides, it will be hard to lure the other fighters to Shao’s arena with their corpses.” Today was going to be a very good day, indeed.