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v4mptsuki · 4 years ago

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tutoring (k. tsukishima x reader)

genre: fluff

warnings: none

tsukishima was always an observer. he liked to analyze people, understand them. it was almost a hobby of his. especially when the people around him were intriguing. such as the strange girl who was in almost all his classes. he knew she had to have been smart, considering she was taking the same classes as him, but it never seemed like she tried very hard.

she would walk into class just as the bell rang, take a seat near the back, and zone out all period. he barely ever saw her take notes. it drove tsukishima insane. how had she not dropped down classes yet? so naturally, he did a bit more observing. the next time the teacher passed out test grades, he subtly peeked at hers. infuriatingly enough, she had gotten a better grade than him. how in the world did she manage that when she barely paid attention?

his curiosity led tsukishima to observing her outside of class too. he would find her in the hallways, and at lunch, and walking into school during the mornings. she seemed to have a group of friends, but through his observations he deduced she was more of a tag-a-long to the group. he could see it in the way she would be rambling to the girl next to her at their lunch table, before being brushed off in favor of the others. honestly with friends like those she'd be better off sitting alone.

it was only a matter of time before tsukishima and her were paired up on a project.

it was science, and the teacher announced they'd be doing partner labs. a week long project that involved experiments outside of school, and a big poster board presentation at the end. tsukishima wasn't worried about it, until he was paired with her. there was no way tsukishima would stand for her leaving this project in his hands to complete.

he walked over to her desk when the teacher told them to get started, and sat down in the now empty seat next to her's. her eyes were trained on her phone as she scrolled through social media, and tsukishima was already envisioning asking the teacher for a new partner. it was like she didn't even notice him sit down. tsukishima cleared his throat, causing her eyes to glance up at him.

"yeah?" she asked, sounding quite bored.

"we're partners," tsukishima replied, his eyes still locked with hers.

she nodded and clicked her phone off before twisting a bit in her seat so she was facing him.

"i'm y/n, you're tsukishima right?"

so she knew who he was. tsukishima was a bit surprised, since he'd doubted she paid much attention to anyone in their classes. he nodded though, and she nodded back once.

that was the start of tsukishima and y/n's unlikely friendship. they worked everyday after school, usually late at night because of volleyball, but y/n never complained about having to wait up for him. even more surprising to tsukishima was her participation. she always seemed bored with the work, but she never suggested a bad idea, or gave a wrong calculation.

"is this work boring to you?" tsukishima asked one night as they sat in his room, both working on the calculations for different trials of their experiment.

y/n raised an eyebrow, wondering if he was asking a literal question. when tsukishima didn't add anything else, she just shrugged.

"i mean sure. school's always boring," she commented.

tsukishima pursed his lips, "but not challenging?"

she shook her head, "nope."

then, it began to make more sense. her wandering thoughts in class, and general disinterest in school. it was easy for her. tsukishima then also realized, that as much as he enjoyed observing her, he liked knowing her a lot better.

the day of their presentation, tsukishima could see their poster board wobbling in y/n's hold. that explained why she sat in the back of class. without saying anything, tsukishima took control of the presentation. he gave the general explanation of their experiment, and answered all the difficult questions the teacher asked. he let y/n read the data, and made sure to give her credit for the calculations she did, so she would get a good participation grade.

the teacher thanked them, and they both walked back to their seats together. tsukishima had started sitting with y/n near the back. she gave him a small smile once they were seated, and tsukishima felt a strange sense of pride in himself. he noticed her discomfort, and made it better. clearly y/n was pleased with him, since that was the first smile he'd gotten from her. it made him feel accomplished. that day after class, tsukishima waited with y/n as she packed up her things.

"thank you," she said quietly, her eyes pointed downwards as she piled notebooks into her bag.

"of course, i couldn't have you messing up the presentation with your nerves," tsukishima replied, obvious teasing in his tone.

y/n rolled her eyes, another hint of a smile on her face as she kept her gaze down. she swung her bag over her shoulder and looked up at tsukishima.

"still, i appreciated it."

tsukishima just nodded, not sure he would be able to keep his cool demeanor if he said anything else. he parted ways with y/n at the doorway, and headed off to volleyball. just as he was thinking about seeing her after practice, it hit him. the project was over. there was no need to see y/n after practice anymore, which sent a surprising amount of disappointment through his chest.

luckily for him though, practice revealed that hinata and kageyama needed tutoring, and who better to help him than y/n, the smartest girl he knew. he promised the team that hinata and kageyama would pass their exams, and that night he texted y/n to ask for her assistance.

tsukishima felt his face heat up at her last text. he quickly shut his phone off and placed it on his night stand, trying to push the overly analytical side of his mind down. he couldn't stop himself though, and he began to overthink. what did that smiley face mean? he fell asleep with his mind on her, and the next morning he woke up excited to see her again.

they had science together last period, so tsukishima, as always, waited for y/n to grab her stuff before she left.

"hey tsukki," y/n started as she collected her pens off her desk.

"yeah?"

"could i stay during your practice? i won't if i'll be in the way, but i just thought it might be easier for me to wait than to come back up to school afterwards. if it's alright though, i don't wanna overstep any-"

"it's fine y/n. i'm sure they'll like having an audience to show off for," tsukishima said, interrupting her nervous rambling.

the more tsukishima got to know y/n, the more he began to understand the reasons behind the behavior that intrigued him so much. she wasn't as detached from school as she looked; she actually seemed to be overly worried. tsukishima didn't understand that. why would it matter what people thought? he didn't say this to y/n though, since clearly it was a topic that bothered her. he didn't want to do anything to upset her; he liked her company too much.

"ok, thanks. i'll try not to distract your team too much," y/n teased as she pulled her bag onto her shoulder.

"not much you can do about that," tsukishima replied, before realizing what he'd just implied.

y/n's cheeks flushed, but thankfully she didn't comment on it. the two walked to the gym in comfortable silence as tsukishima's mind ran on overdrive. he couldn't believe he'd basically just admitted he thought she was pretty. it was true, but it seemed so embarrassing to admit. he didn't want y/n to get the wrong idea about their friendship.

tsukishima swung the gym doors open, and let y/n walk in before him. he followed right after her, and immediately regretted not giving her a bit of a warning when tanaka and noya spotted her. the boys rushed forward, their eyes wide with excitement.

"hi!" noya exclaimed, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"what's a pretty girl like you doing here?" tanaka asked, his voice too loud and excited to come off as creepy.

y/n looked like a deer caught in headlights though, and tsukishima mentally cursed himself for not taking her anxiety around people into account before bringing her here. he stepped up behind her, placing an arm over her shoulders protectively.

"give her some space idiots," he chided the other boys, whose eyes widened further as they looked up at tsukishima.

"tsukishima brought a girl?" tanaka asked, obvious shock in his voice.

tsukishima just rolled his eyes and led y/n over to the bleachers.

"don't mind them," he muttered, hoping to take away some of her nerves, "they're easily excited."

y/n laughed lightly, and tsukishima felt himself relax. she wasn't upset with him. y/n sat down and tsukishima stood by her as she pulled a book out of her bag. she started to read, but glanced back up at him before she got too far along.

"shouldn't you be doing warm ups or something?"

tsukishima shrugged, "i'm keeping the dogs at bay right now."

y/n peeked around him and saw almost all the boys in the gym watching her. her face flushed again and she ducked her head down.

"have these guys ever seen a girl before?" she muttered, making tsukishima let out a small laugh.

"apparently not," he replied.

then, tsukishima was called into practice, and the group's attention shifted to volleyball. every couple minutes, tsukishima would find himself looking over at y/n, just to see what she was doing. yamaguchi caught on quickly though, and pulled him aside during a water break.

"what's up with the girl tsukki?"

tsukishima choked on his water, and let out a quick cough to cover up his shock.

"nothing. she's gonna help me tutor hinata and kageyama."

yamaguchi grinned like he was in on some kind of secret.

"so, how do you know her?"

"she's in a few of my classes. we did a lab together. she's really smart," tsukishima answered, once again glancing over at her.

she was still reading, looking completely lost in her book.

"aw tsukki! you should see the way you look at her," yamaguchi gushed.

tsukishima gave his friend a cold stare, and yamaguchi stopped talking about her.

practice seemed to go on forever, and all tsukishima could think about the fact that y/n was watching him play. those thoughts ran even more rampant when he glanced over and saw her watching him. then, he found himself trying harder than normal. he didn't want to look weak in front of y/n. after a particularly well done receive, he looked up and met her eyes. she gave him a quick thumbs up, and tsukishima turned back to practice before his face could heat up.

by the time daichi wrapped up practice, it was dark outside. that never seemed to bother y/n though. hinata approached him as soon as they were released, a huge smile on his face.

"is it time for tutoring tsukishima? is that why you brought a pretty girl with you? is she going to help us too? or was she here just to watch you?"

questions came out of hinata in a rush, and tsukishima found himself fighting a blush off his cheeks.

"calm down dumbass," he snapped, "get changed out of your practice clothes, and then we'll start."

hinata nodded eagerly, and rushed into the locker room with kageyama on his tail. tsukishima followed after them, but not before looking over at y/n again. she was watching him intently, a soft look on her face. tsukishima ducked into the locker room before he could think of anything to say. he changed quickly, and found himself putting on his grey hoodie just because he liked how it looked on him. stupid y/n. he never thought about things like that before.

"bye tsukki," yamaguchi said with a wave as he began to exit the locker room.

some of the other boys filed out after him, and tsukishima took his time carefully gathering his school things after putting away his practice clothes. he heard some chatter coming from the main room, and almost immediately caught y/n's voice in the mix. he sighed again, and grabbed his bags to save her from whichever boy was talking her ear off.

tanaka, noya, and hinata were crowded around her while kageyama stood a distance away. tsukishima walked over, and caught some of their conversation.

"why do you like tsukishima?" hinata asked, his voice levels louder than y/n's.

"what?" y/n replied.

"he's so mean!" hinata exclaimed.

"and scary," noya added.

y/n furrowed her brows in confusion, "he's not scary at all."

hinata's eyebrows raised, "he doesn't scare you?"

then, he noticed tsukishima approaching, and crossed his arms over his chest.

"why are you nice to her and not us?"

tanaka and noya copied his pose, while y/n gave tsukishima a wide-eyed look that said, wow these guys have a lot of energy.

"maybe if you three were as smart as y/n i'd be nice to you too. speaking of which, don't we have tutoring to do?" tsukishima responded.

"ha! you've got it bad tsukishima, my man," tanaka exclaimed clapping him on the back.

then, he scrambled out of the gym before tsukishima could clap back over that remark. noya just wiggled his eyebrows at tsukishima before chasing after tanaka.

"have fun losers!" noya exclaimed over his shoulder as they left.

tsukishima rolled his eyes, and the study session began. kageyama joined them on the bleachers, and they started with math. y/n's favorite subject was math, so he let her take the lead. her eyes seemed to light up as she worked out the problems, explaining them with just enough patience that hinata and kageyama understood easily.

then, they moved on to the other subjects. whenever tsukishima started to get frustrated with hinata and kageyama, all it took was for y/n to make a comment, or laugh at their antics for all the frustration to leave tsukishima's mind. the boys seemed to notice it too, and while they were packing up, hinata just had to mention it.

"i see why you like tsukishima now y/n. he's nice around you!" hinata commented.

y/n shook her head, "you have the wrong idea hinata. but yeah, he's nice."

hinata looked between y/n and tsukishima with a raised brow.

"wait you two aren't dating?"

"hinata shut up!" kageyama hissed, swatting at him.

hinata moved out of his way and glared at kageyama.

"what? it's a genuine question."

y/n shook her head quickly as she shoved her books back into her bag. tsukishima could tell she was getting nervous with everyone's attention on her.

"stop being so nosey hinata," tsukishima snapped.

he walked over to stand by y/n, and he helped her climb down the bleachers to leave. she waved goodbye to hinata and kageyama before following tsukishima outside. the sun was completely set, and the only light came from the lamps lining the sidewalks around campus.

"sorry about them. they're all dimwits," tsukishima apologized once they were a fair distance away from the gym.

y/n shook her head, "it's alright. they seem very different from you though. how do you manage to play together?"

"they're good players. we make it work," he answered.

they walked in silence for a few more steps. then, they reached the exit of the school's grounds. both of them paused their walking, and y/n glanced up at tsukishima to find him looking down at her.

"well, thanks for letting me watch your practice. you're better than i would've guessed," y/n said with a teasing grin.

"i'd like to see you try to play, i bet that would shut you up," he teased back.

y/n laughed and adjusted the strap of her bag.

"so, it seemed like they got the concepts i taught."

tsukishima nodded, "you're a good teacher."

"thanks," y/n said, a proud look on her face.

"you could still come by tomorrow if you wanted to though," tsukishima offered, trying to keep his voice steady.

he was far too nervous over such a simple offer.

y/n's face lit up though, "really? to tutor them again?"

tsukishima nodded, "sure, if you want, or you could just watch practice. whatever you want."

"i'd like that tsukki," she replied, a bright smile on her face.

"alright then. let me walk you home; it's late," tsukishima offered, his nerves running too wild for him to just stand there looking at her any longer.

y/n nodded, accepting his offer, and reached out to loop her arm through his. tsukishima fought off another blush as they started the walk towards her house, and a thought settled into his mind that this was going to become a new routine for the pair of them.

#v4mponeshot #v4mpfluff #tsukishima x reader #tsukishima kei x reader #tsukishima fluff #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu fluff #tsukishima oneshot

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probably-not-a-rocketscientist · 3 years ago

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calculated love and complicated confessions

summary: your time on cloverfield station has lead you to two conclusions: love is complicated and not everyone is who they seem

warnings: mutual pining, slight angst with a happy ending, mention of harm to others, one (1) german phrase that i'm pretty sure i butchered

a/n: did i write this all week when i should have been studying for my finals? yes. also, i saw this movie three years ago in chinese so i might have gotten some details wrong. english is not my first language so constructive criticism is encouraged. enjoy!

——

As an engineer, you knew the importance of trial and error. However, you did not expect for it to keep you in space for nearly three year with seven other scientist. You all found a sense of family with each other, but you couldn't help the need of being on earth grow every day.

One crew member you payed particularly close attention to was Ernst Schmidt. You noticed the little things about him; like how he would comb his fingers through his hair when it fell to his face because he insisted on keeping it long, or when he would curse in his native tongue when he got frustrated with his work.

After a while, the whole station seemed to have caught on to your fondness for Schmidt, except the physicist himself. He was oblivious to the constant teasing by the other crewmates, thinking it was only because of how close you two were as friends.

However, he wasn't the only clueless person on the station. You had failed to notice all the advances that Schmidt had made — like his hands lingering on to yours for a second more when they touched, or always insisting on being paired with you when you all were sent to do assignments throughout the deck. He found your presence to be intoxicating, but didn't push too far in fear that you didn't feel the same way.

—

The day before another test, you stayed in the dining room all night reviewing your calculations. You were almost positive that they were correct, but it would kill you if you were the one responsible for the accelerator being unsuccessful.

You were so focused on your work that you didn't notice how quiet the station was. You checked your wristwatch and it was well over midnight. Sleep wasn't a priority for you right now, but you knew you needed to be well rested for the test in a couple of hours.

Right as you were about to get up, Schmidt entered the room. His hair was messy and he was in sweatpants and a t-shirt. A pair of wire-framed glasses sat on his face, something he only wore when he forgot to put in his contacts — or in this case, retrieving an item from the kitchen at this ungodly hour. You forced yourself to look away, worried that you were starring at him for too long.

"Why are you still working? It's very late," he comments as he opens the refrigerator and grabs a bottle of water.

"I'm just nervous about tomorrow. We don't have a lot of firings left and I want to get this right," you responded.

"You've been working non-stop for the past month, I'm certain you will do just fine," he reassured with a smile. "And if not, I will take over your post."

"The last time I checked, I had one more PhD than you."

"I'll catch up eventually, you know."

He was fidgeting with his water bottle, unsure how to prolong this conversation. "Let me walk you back to your quarters, you need the sleep."

Without hesitation, you rose from your chair and began walking beside him. Walking through the halls of the station at night usually made you uneasy, but Schmidt's presence made it slightly more comfortable. The heavy clanking of your steel-toed work boots contrasted the light thumps of his sneakers.

After a few more paces, you arrived at your room. You punched in your passcode and the door slid open.

"Well, this is my stop. Thanks for making sure I got back safely," you joked.

"Of course," he responded.

You could tell that he was also tired so you didn't want to hold him for too long. "Goodnight Schmidt," you bid.

"Goodnight liebling," he responded. He began walking back to his own room before you could process what he said.

"What does that mean?" you questioned.

"You'll understand soon enough," he answered without looking back.

Even though you were confused by his response, you closed your door and locked it. Exhausted, you fell onto your mattress without taking your boots or jumpsuit off. Within a few seconds you felt your eyelids getting heavy and slipped into your sleep.

—

The control room was silent, worried that any movement or noise would cause the dial to turn in the unfavorable direction. The particle accelerator was fired less than a minute ago and the dial was slightly moving in between the red and green zones. This was first time the machine had been able to turn on and to have it successfully work would be nothing short of a miracle.

All of you held your breath as the dial began to turn again, this time in the green. Suddenly, it lowered significantly towards the safety levels.

It worked.

Cheers and laughter filled the room as you all celebrated the victory. After years of failures and dead-ends, the feeling of achievement was exhilarating.

—

You were thrown into chaos when you got back to earth. After the return shuttle landed in the Atlantic, a helicopter took you all back to mission control in London. Everyday consisted of either physical test to make sure the artificial gravity didn't have any negative effects on your body, or press conferences about how the eight of you solved the energy crisis. You couldn't turn on the news without some mention of the Shepard, but you were just glad to be home.

By the end of the month, you and the rest of the crew were burned out, both mentally and physically. You, Tam, Hamilton, and Mundy decided to stay in London and lead a team at mission control to monitor the Shepard's status. Kiel, Acosta, and Volkov were to return to their families and respective countries tomorrow. You hadn't heard much from Schmidt, but you assumed that he would return to his life in Germany. Since today was the last day all of you be together for a while, Hamilton decided to take you all to a pub downtown.

You watched the others play, or at least attempt to play, billiards closely from the bar. Your feet were aching so you decided to sit down but you were still actively encouraging them. After a couple rounds, Schmidt walked over towards you.

"Is this seat taken?" he asked politely.

"It's all yours," you gestured. He pulled out the stool and sat with his back facing the tabletop. You notice his outfit, a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a pair of dark trousers. It was a change from his usual jumpsuit uniform and a polo shirt with jeans.

The two of you sat in silence for a while, letting the soft conversations of the pub fill the empty space between you. It was almost a bittersweet moment; one of the last moments you would spend together.

Almost as if he read your mind, he answered your thought. "I'm not going back to Germany," he said.

A sigh of relief rang through your head, but you still couldn't help but be curious about his decision. "Why not? You probably have hundreds of women lining up to be with the 'German man that saved the world'," you joked.

He was unresponsive to your comment as he gathered his thoughts. His demeaner changed and he shifted in his seat so that now he was facing you. "Can I make a confession?" he asked.

"Of course, Schmidt," you replied. Now you were worried that something was wrong. He wasn't one for serious conversations so you knew this was important.

"As you may know, my country has been trying to start a war with Russia for nearly a decade. When the Shepard was built, the government sent me as a spy to prevent it from working. I was suppose to send logs of my progress back to them, but I never did. The day before we activated the device, I received a transmission ordering me crash the station into the ocean with all crew member on board. If I go back to Germany, they will have me arrested for treason."

You were shocked by his words and couldn't think of anything to say. You knew that Schmidt would never betray the crew, and apparently the cost of that was being exiled from his own country.

He was now looking down on the floor, worried that he would see disappointment in your eyes if he looked up. "Can you please say something?" he pleaded.

"Why didn't you do it? You knew this was the result, yet you still made the sacrifice? Why?" you asked. You brought your hand to cup his face, tilting his gaze so he was now looking down at you. Your thumb ran over his cheek as an attempt to comfort him.

"I did it for you. And I would do it all again if it meant I could see your smile, even for just one more minute. I understand if you want nothing to do with me after today, but you deserve to know the truth."

It wasn't until now that you realized how close in proximity you were to him. You could smell the cologne he was wearing; citrus with a hint of firewood. Flammable items like fragrance and hairspray weren't allowed on the station, but you could still identify the scent as his own.

"I guess it's my turn to make a confession, right? To even things out," you half-whispered. You continued to move closer to him slowly, seeing if he showed any sign of resistance. His eyes were now fixed on your lips, and yours to his. Deciding to take the final step, you grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him down.

The kiss was slow but filled with passion, the result of bottled up feelings for the past three year. He tasted like cigarettes and tap beer, exactly how you imagined him. His hands traveled down to your waist and attempted to pull you in as close as he could from the awkward position you both were in. A small moan escapes your lips from the contact, a sound that he found to be his favorite.

You pull away moments later to catch a breath of air. His quick breathing was in sync with yours and you let out a slight laugh of relief.

The intimate moment was interrupted by cheering and whistling coming from the billiards table. It was a mix of 'finally's and 'about time's. Your crewmates had a habit of embarrassing you and apparently it applied to public spaces as well. You put your head on Schmidt's shoulder to try to shield yourself from them.

"Should we go over there and say something?" you asked. The lighting in the pub wasn't great, but you could've swore you saw Mundy hand Tam £20.

"In a minute. I want to savour this moment for as long as possible."

#the cloverfield paradox #ernst schmidt #ernst schmidt x reader #schmidt x reader #daniel brühl #daniel bruhl x reader

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gypsydanger01 · 4 years ago

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THE STORM - Part eleven

Fandom: The Boys (Amazon prime tv series)

Pairing: Black Noir x OC

Disclaimer: I don’t own The Boys, only my OC characters and certain pieces of au plot.

Comments, reviews, constructive criticism, and other requests are always more than welcome!

Posting new chapters on Wednesday and Friday!

Mallory

The following day started out cloudy but ultimately turned out to be a lovely day. Unfortunately, though, the pale sun in the sky gave little warmth, and Sarah trudged on towards the local park, hands stuffed in the pockets of her coat.

Waking up in a fairly good mood, she decided to go for a walk, and maybe make a trip to the local park. Children’s laughter grew louder and louder until she turned the corner, and there it was. To be honest, it wasn’t much of a park, run down and covered in graffiti, but children are quick to move past that. All that mattered to them was playing, running around, and having fun.

Sarah looked away and sat on a bench, legs crossed one over the other. She checked the time and flipped open the burner phone she kept for contacting Mallory. After five minutes, at precisely eleven o’clock, she selected the only registered number and called.

“Mommy, mommy, look—look at me, mommy,” a little girl called from the swings, her mother smiling and assuring that she, indeed, could see her.

It reminded Sarah so much of her younger self calling out to her mother, and it hurt. She'd visited the playground they used to go to before the Vought trials, but it had become abandoned, all grass and rusty edges. It was sad how it'd been left behind.

She waited for the other end to pick up.

“Hello?” a voice called out, and Sarah smiled lightly.

She paused and breathed out, “Hey Mal, how are you doing?”

Mallory chuckled on the other end, “Well these knees aren’t what they used to be, but I’m okay,” Sarah heard her plop onto the sofa, “More importantly, how are you?”

Sarah ran a hand through the curly tresses that had been blown into her face.

“I guess it’s decent, can’t really complain. I’m still working as a data analyst for the labs, in bioinformatics…,” she trailed off. “But I heard a slot is opening up for a researcher in the developmental biology labs, so I’m going to try and see if they’ll hire me.”

“Please, Sarah—just be careful, keep your eyes open,” she murmured, “always vigilant, alright?”

The young woman stared out at the children crawling over the playground’s castle, tumbling down the slides, running after each other and laughing out of pure, innocent joy.

“Where are you?”

“Neighborhood playground.”

“I thought I heard children. How’s school?”

“Well, actually well, I’ll be finished with my post doc soon enough. They hired me as an assistant professor a couple days ago, I’m teaching a microbiology class for some juniors.”

“That sounds interesting, it would be entertaining to see you teach. You’re a mix of patient and impatient—don’t really know what that would look like in the classroom.”

Sarah snorted lightly, “Fortunately, they seem to be good listeners, quiet and respectful—I don’t know what I’d do if they were a bunch of little arrogant rich kids.”

Mallory too started laughing, thinking back on the young woman’s training. She was proficient in using a great number of weapons and could easily hold her own without one. In an interrogation room, she was skillful in psychologically manipulating a suspect into confessing or giving up information. She spoke multiple languages and was a natural at reading body-language. She had a good eye for meaningful details that are often overlooked. She was the perfect field agent. Mallory had a hard time seeing her as a professor, calmly explaining a powerpoint to a bunch of students.

“I guess it’ll help you further develop that patience of yours,” Mallory surmised.

Sarah couldn’t help but agree.

“Hey, Mallory?” she asked tentatively.

The older woman stilled on the couch, “Yes dear?”

“Do you remember Dr. Roberts? The doctor I saw for my…” she trailed off, searching for a better word, “for my health problems?”

Mallory pursed her lips and stayed silent on the other end.

“I need to contact him—”

Mallory cut in, “What happened? Do you need to come home?”

Worry laced in her voice, the older woman couldn’t help the string of worst scenarios playing in her head. She knew the danger correlated with the young woman’s plan and felt helpless in being left out. If anything happened to the girl, she wouldn’t be able to live with herself.

When the dust finally settled, there was nothing left but a crater and a little girl lying amid the smoke and ashes. That’s how they found her: curled in a ball, shivering with her skin covered in soot.

When the perimeter was deemed safe enough, Mallory and a team of experts approached the figure. Alive, yet on the brink of death, the little girl had slipped into a coma, and they were quick to have her internalized in a secured section of a local hospital. Only Mallory and few others had the security clearance to access the small room that held her.

Months passed and the room stayed quiet. Mallory went to gather updates from the doctors once a week. At the CIA they had many hypothesis but couldn’t seem to put together the disaster that had been the implosion of that Vought clinic. She had her underlying suspicions and didn’t trust the little girl who had survived. She had to be enhanced, she had to be a supe. There was no other explanation, no other alternative. And yet, she was the only link that would allow them to piece together the accident. The news had presented it as an explosion due to an accidental chemical explosion, but Mallory knew they were far from the truth.

It was an experimental factory for building little supes. And evidently, it had worked.

The proof of that was the little unknown girl lying in her white, pristine cot.

Mallory would look at her with detachment, knowing the child was probably a victim, and yet not feeling any remorse. She had leveled an entire building.

But then one day, as she watched a nurse report her vitals while tucking the little girl in, she opened her eyes. Afraid and trembling, she looked around wildly and fixated on the woman standing at the door.

With her height and professional attire, she was the epitome of rigidness. Blonde hair perfectly pinned back into a bun. Sharp light blue eyes guarded and alert. The two stared at each other, both with underlying dread and a sliver of fear.

And then something twisted in Mallory. Maybe it was the blatant fear in the young girls’ eyes, or maybe it was the innocent tears trailing down her cheeks.

“Where’s my mommy?”

Mallory moved forward, compelled by some unknown force.

She sat at the girl’s side, “She’s not here at the moment, okay?” she explained softly, tension visible in her rigid shoulders. She had no idea what the little one was capable of, and she didn’t want to find out.

The nurse gently took a hold of her bony wrist, taking her vitals once again. “How are you feeling?”

The little girl wiped at her face, “Sleepy.”

“Okay, and can you tell us your name sweetie?”

She looked up at the strict woman beside her, “Marianna,” she said matter-of-factly before adding, “my mommy calls me Mari.”

As the minutes passed, Mari seemed to grow livelier and more awake, her skin less pale and clammy than before.

The nurse pressed a button on the side of the bed, calling the assigned physician, Dr. Roberts.

“Marianna, I’m going to have to get a little bit of blood so we can have it tested and make sure you’re okay. Is that alright?”

The girl pulled her legs into a crisscrossed position and shrugged her shoulders.

“Okay,” she answered as if it were the most normal thing in the world. The nurse hurried to prepare the syringe and test tube, comparing her to the hundreds of kids who cry and scream in vicinity of a needle.

Marianna watched her sterilize the needle, then looked back at Mallory.

“Can I hold your hand?”

Mallory was left speechless and felt like she should distance herself before growing attached. Nevertheless, she nodded and let Marianna’s small fingers grip her own.

“Mallory?” Sarah called into the phone, suddenly worried.

The woman was brought out of her memories and focused on the task at hand.

“Why are you bringing this up now? I haven’t heard from Dr. Roberts in years.”

Sarah explained, reciting the story she’d come up with, “I know but I have some samples I took that need to be tested,” she explained. “Discreetly,” she stressed.

Mallory thought about it and let go of the tension in her shoulders, “Alright, I thought something happened with you.”

Sarah felt terrible for lying but couldn’t see any alternative. “No, I’m doing alright, I just need to contact him for these samples. I don’t know anyone else who would do it. And he’s trustworthy.”

Mallory nodded to herself, “Alright, I’ll look for his number and email—I’ll send you the info by tonight.”

“Great, thanks Mal.”

Mallory laughed lightly, “Please, you won’t let me get involved, this is the least I can do.”

They chatted for a few more minutes before saying their goodbyes with the usual promise of talking at the same time next Sunday.

Sarah stayed seated on the park bench for a little while longer, trying her best to recall details on Dr. Roberts. She’d met him only a few times at the hospital after she had woken up from the coma.

Mallory was seated on the edge of her cot, answering Marianna’s flood of questions. Mostly, she tried to avoid answering questions about her parents. Mallory’s heart squeezed tight every time the little one inquired about their whereabouts, and why they hadn’t still been to see her.

They were waiting for word on her final results, and when Dr. Roberts finally entered, they both fell silent.

“Good morning everyone,” he greeted, lively energy in his movements, “how are you doing today, Marianna?”

The little girl looked at Mallory and answered shyly, “M’okay”

“That sounds great,” he smiled, “I have your test results here and everything is looking good. Great, actually.”

He further explained certain details and made sure to indicate what medications she would need to take over the next few weeks.

Finally, he rose and excused himself to speak with Mallory. In the meantime, the little girl put on the clothes the woman had brought for her.

“She’s really doing fine, she must have some regenerative enhancement as well, because she’s healthier than what she should be.”

“And will the other enhancement manifest?”

“I don’t think so. It seems like it’s linked to the amygdala—the center for processing fear, stress, anxiety, and the likes—" he paused. “The accident took its toll, I think. And when she’ll remember, or you tell her, I think it’s going to effectively shut that part of her down.” He thought about it and added, “Think of it as an emotional wall.”

Mallory nodded, processing the information. The little one might have a chance at a semi-normal life.

“Just follow the instructions on the papers I gave you and you all should be fine. She just needs to be looked after and cared for. It’s going to be a shock when she finds out.”

Mallory agreed and her chest squeezed at the thought of the pain the girl would go through.

She thanked the doctor and headed back into the room.

“Are you ready to go, sweetie?”

She watched the little one scramble off the bed in fresh clothes, a small light blue backpack on her shoulders. It contained some items Mallory had brought her over the course of her stay at the clinic. There was a comb for her unruly hair, chap-stick, some crayons, and a small notebook.

“You remember what we talked about?”

The little girl nodded, “My name is Sarah now.”

Mallory smiled, her usually frigid expression melting away. She reminded her of her grandchildren at home.

“Come on, let’s go meet your new friends.”

Marianna, now officially named Sarah Burns, skipped along with her down a hallway and out of the building. As she climbed into the back of her car, Mallory scanned the premises for any watchful eyes. She slipped into the driver’s seat before looking back at Sarah.

“I was almost forgetting—I got you something,” she said reaching into her jacket pocket.

Sarah’s eyes widened at the Snickers bar she extracted. The little girl laughed and clapped her hands.

Sarah was pulled back into the present as a little girl ran past her—she felt the movement of air in waves. The woman stood and took her leave, heading back home.

MASTERLIST

Tag list: @ateliefloresdaprimaveraa @ellejo @dust-bun @coco724 @proximio-5 @damiminator @omegahighendpro @rpgluvr95 @sweetrabbitteamx

#the boys #the boys tv #black noir #the boys amazon #fanfiction #the boys season 2 #oc story #black noir x oc

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authorbarbie · 5 years ago

Text

Miracle

Summary: The battle of Exegol is raging on when a horrible feeling of Poe being in danger grips your heart. It’s time to find out if the Force really is always with you.

Your legs burned as you ran alongside Finn, Rose and Jannah, lightsaber in hand as you fought to keep your edge in the battle. Being unable to reach and help Rey down below, who had shown the rebels exactly how to reach the mysterious planet of Exegol, you instead used your bright blade to block blast after blast, taking comfort in the familiar hum it emitted as it cut through the hulls of enemy ships.

During a pivotal moment in the fight, sudden large bolts of lightning had come from below, frying circuits and jamming signals. All around the skirmish, the surrounding ships and freighters were experiencing the same malfunction.

Palpatine.

Within seconds, the Resistance fleet began to fail, pilots frantically flicking switches and pressing buttons in desperate attempts to regain control of their birds. Ships Poe recognised as belonging to his fellow comrades began to fall out of the sky and his own X-Wing was quick to follow behind.

With the stakes getting higher and the initial goal for the ground team of knocking out the navigation tower complete, Rose and Kaydel had quickly begun to retreat (as had several others). But with the command ship still in play and rebooting their systems, Finn couldn’t, in good conscience, follow them. And if Finn wasn’t going… then neither were you.

“What are you doing?” Finn asked as you jogged back to him after urging the girls to leave.

“You think I’m letting you do this by yourselves?” you gestured towards Jannah, who stood a little behind Finn.

“Are all Jedi this self-sacrificing?” Finn joked, though you could see the gratefulness in his eyes.

“I don’t know,” you swung your lightsaber casually, attempting a little light-heartedness amidst the terror. “After you become one, you can tell me.”

Finn’s eyes widened partially, not expecting such a comment. You were the first person he had told about being sensitive to the Force (after you admitted to having had your suspicions for a while now) but the idea of actually becoming a Jedi… It was something Finn never would’ve thought of in his wildest dreams. “Act now, talk later,” he eventually decided and you weren’t about to argue.

However, before you could take more than a few steps to follow them, something stirred inside you and locked your limbs in place.

It was different than the subtle, underlying anxiety you had been feeling since arriving on Exegol.

It was different than the anger you had once felt during your last duel with Kylo Ren.

Because this time, you weren’t fearing for your own life.

This was about…

“Poe,” you said softly, brows furrowing. Frantically, you began to search the skies for a sign of him.

Flames licked the sides of the familiar T-70 starfighter, smoke billowing outwards in dark, thick plumes as it streaked across the sky.

“Artoo, my systems are failing,” Poe told the droid desperately as the screens inside the cockpit began to fail. R2-D2 squealed in panic. “Can anyone hear me?” he called desperately into his comm as his X-Wing shuddered and rocked beneath him. His head jerked forward at the sudden motion, hitting the dash and causing an immediate throbbing to radiate from his skull.

Another starfighter passed by, crimson flames surrounding it as it flew straight into the wing of Poe’s. “Always knew I’d meet my end while flying,” he chuckled darkly, tasted blood in his mouth.

As the pungent smoke from the engine began to filter inside, making Poe’s nose scrunch in disgust, he was doing all he could to quell the growing panic in his chest.

He was well aware that each time he sat in his cockpit, he was taking his life in his hands. He enjoyed the thrill of it all, enjoyed using the adrenaline that came with flying to keep his mind on target and his movements sharp.

But this… He knew it was something he would need a miracle to survive.

It would seem there’s something about imminent danger that causes you to think about your life; to look back and analyse it— the good moments and the bad. The moments that shaped you, the people that made it all worthwhile.

As Poe’s ship grew closer and closer to colliding with the First Order command ship that lay beneath, his thoughts went to you.

You, who had come into his life like a beam of light in the darkness, challenging him at every turn. You, who trusted him with your life, letting him see each and every atom of your being and allowing him to show you his. You, who he loved, who he fought for. You, who was now giving him comfort in his final moments without even knowing it.

Exhaling a shaky breath, Poe tried his comm system again. “Sweetheart? You out there?”

Despite knowing they would be no answer, not being able to hear your voice just one last time before the end made his throat tighten and the back of his eyes sting. His eyes fluttered shut, preparing for impact as he apologised to everyone he had let down by leading them into a war that they were about to lose.

Leia. Finn. Rey.

BB-8. Rose. Kaydel.

Snap. Karé. Jessika.

You.

He held onto the image of you, keeping it at the forefront of his mind, even as everything went black.

● ● ●

If Poe had been clear headed before, he would’ve noticed how his free-falling descent through the skies had begun to slow somehow as the wing was ripped unceremoniously from his beloved ship and his body began to bruise and bleed.

He would’ve noticed how this mysterious miracle is what saved his life, for if he had hit the command ship at the initial speed and velocity he had been falling at, his chances of making it out alive were non-existent.

He would’ve noticed the panicked girl on top of that First Order command ship, eyes closed and hand outstretched as she focused harder than she ever had before — even during her Jedi trials — to make sure that he was safe.

He wouldn’t be questioning how said girl was now crouching over him inside the Millennium Falcon with wide, frantic eyes, mouth moving at a speed he couldn’t keep up with (not that he could even hear much with the ringing in his ears).

“Am… I—”

“You’re okay,” you shushed him gently, your hands on either side of his face. “I tried to stop your ship but I couldn’t, not completely.”

Poe’s brows began to furrow but the pull at his muscles made him wince in pain. It seemed every part of him was hurting somehow, from small scratches and scrapes to a twisted ankle, to a large, bleeding wound along his torso.

“It’s over, baby. Lando and Chewie are bringing us home,” you spoke softly, comfortingly, your fingers delicately brushing his curls out of the blood that ran down his face. “Help came. Palpatine and Ren are dead, and Rey made it out. We won.”

“We won?” Poe managed a whisper, the corners of his lips twitching minutely.

“Yeah,” you smiled in response, blinking rapidly to rid yourself of the tears that began to form in your eyes. “All thanks to you, General.”

Poe chuckled, though it sounded like more of a rattling in his chest than an actual laugh. The sound, coupled with Poe’s rapidly paling skin, terrified you. You turned your head to make eye contact with Finn, who was hovering nearby with BB-8, a worried look on his face. You knew you needed to act quickly.

“Hey, flyboy,” you said, hoping your voice sounded more confident than you really were. “You trust me?”

Through his hazy mind, Poe managed to look almost offended at the question. “You know I do.”

You nodded, fully aware that Poe believed in you more than anyone, and shifted your position, one hand cradling the back of his head while the other pressed against his bloody torso, uncaring of the dark liquid that was quick to cover your palm. Poe’s hand instinctively moved to rest over your own.

“I’ve got you,” you whispered, forehead pressed to his own and eyes closing in concentration.

For the second time that day, you allowed yourself a moment of silence, reaching out to the Force for the help you so desperately needed once more.

You weren’t unfamiliar with Force healing. Hell, you’d used it once or twice in the past to help some wounded creatures you had come across on missions, and Rey had even used it mere hours ago back on Pasaana. But this was the first time you were attempting it on another person — the most important person at that — and all you could do was pray to the Maker that it would work.

As you poured as much of your life force as necessary into Poe, the wound that ran along his chest and stomach began to close up, the flow of blood that dripped coming to a slow trickle before stopping altogether. His ankle began to stop throbbing, the ringing in his ears stopped, and even the pain in his head slowly dissipated.

Only once you were satisfied did you allow your eyes to re-open, gazing down at the man beneath you who stared in awe— though that look on his face wasn’t uncommon when it came to you

You took a few deep breaths, feeling the toll from your actions but not regretting them for a second. Force healing came at the expenditure of your own life, but you would die a thousand times over if it meant he got to live.

Poe slowly pulled himself into a sitting position, testing his body as he moved and feeling immense relief at the lack of pain that came with it. Now, it was his hands that cradled you. “You shouldn’t have done that,” he said quietly, disbelief coating his words.

“We won,” you repeated, gripping onto his torn flightsuit. “But if I’d lost you… A galaxy without Poe Dameron just isn’t worth living in.”

This time, Poe did laugh. It was a mixture of relief and shock and love. It was the kind of genuine, warm laugh you were so used to getting from him, and your heart lifted at the noise.

He was okay.

“Like I could ever leave my best girl behind,” he said before he brought his lips to meet yours.

Poe knew he would need a miracle to be saved.

And that miracle came in the form of you.

#poe dameron x reader #poe dameron imagine #poe dameron fanfic #star wars imagine #this... did not show up in the tags the first time so here's attempt 2 #request #mine

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elopez7228 · 4 years ago

Text

Scenic Route 22/47

Read on AO3 : https://archiveofourown.org/works/18268208/chapters/43229774

Start over : https://elopez7228.tumblr.com/post/620919089893933056/scenic-route-0147

***

"What does that give us?" Leia asked, looking over Rose's shoulder as she typed.

They were working in what could only be called a basement. Daylight crept through a dusty air vent, struggling to illuminate the room. Inside sat several tables, all of which were covered with some combination of food containers, dossiers, loose leaf papers and computer equipment.

A third member, a thirty-something blonde woman named Kaydel Connix, was perched on the used antique sofa on the opposite side of the room. Every now and then she took a sip from a can of Dr. Pepper.

“Not bad,” Rose replied. “Our videos generated some buzz online but the articles weren’t too widely shared. Ecology did a blog post on the First Order’s building projects which was picked up by WWF and Greenpeace. It was shared on Twitter a couple thousand times including by a few celebrities. But that’s not enough. The donation petition circling among university faculty will only give us ten or twenty thousand dollars at most. It’ll barely be enough to cover litigation costs if the plan falls through.”

“We will win,” Leia assured her, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. “And when we do, the damages that FORCE will be responsible for will easily cost millions, believe me.”

Rose turned to face her aging mentor. “Leia, what if we don’t make it this time?”

Leia resisted the urge to answer indirectly, preferably with a metaphor. She could tell that Rose needed something more, a moment of honesty from the heart. She closed her eyes briefly, centering herself.

“Then we start over, we seek allies elsewhere. We are the spark of hope, that will light the fire, that will burn the First Order down.”

Rose nodded, pursing her lips. The stakes were high. All their forces had been on the ground for months, setting the stage for the ultimate blow that would take this multinational corporation down. They were everywhere: reaching out to PR personnel, leading demonstrations in the streets, blasting their message on social media, speaking to local officials, and even doing international relations. Their entire strategy rested on the element of surprise and the high volume of media attention that the results of the trial would achieve. If the chain of events faltered even slightly, FORCE would have an unequivocal victory.

But as the big day approached, their little band of rebels looked ever weaker.

Their secret informant and metaphorical coal mine canary, Galen Erso, risked his livelihood every day. His true identity was only known by the Skywalkers and their lawyer, Amilyn. He was at the mercy of Hux and Phasma. They ran a tight ship; Lord knew what means they had to control every aspect of operations within the First Order. They could have already decided to monitor his every move for suspicious activity.

The Earth Soldiers legal team, led by Amilyn, also consisted of Larma D’Acy and Gial Ackbar, who along with their assistants and paralegals formed a team of twenty four. In addition, a small army of volunteers around the United States formed the basis of their campaign. It was absolutely imperative that all eyes were on the California Supreme Court in San Francisco as the verdict came out. Leia and Rose were the primary mouthpieces in the media, appearing publicly to attract large crowds.

The final piece of their plan relied on the incriminating contents of a micro-SD chip that would once and for all obliterate the credibility of the First Order. It was currently in the hands of an English tourist, who had just finished taking a proper bath and playing fetch with a small orange dog.

“What about the documents?” Rose sighed in frustration. “Are you sure this girl is going to deliver them in one piece, on time? What if she misplaces them or something?”

“We’re definitely taking a risk here. But she doesn’t seem to have any ulterior motives. All she wants to do is to get from point A to point B. The rest is up to her, and honestly her lack of itinerary is perfect for avoiding traps.”

“But..what if Kylo and his cult are on to her? That haven’t returned to the headquarters in a while, have they?”

“They’re always on the field, just out of sight. They can interrogate her all they want, it’s perfectly safe. She knows absolutely nothing.”

“Safe, even for her?”

Leia’s face fell for a moment. She had picked this girl out herself. A troubled young woman who had trusted her easily, who had jumped so readily at the task. But she had been surrounded by Kylo’s team for days now, which was worrisome indeed.

Kylo had a reputation for being cold and shrewd—he could very well decide to end this little game of hide-and-seek by robbing the girl blind and leaving her on the side of the highway—or worse yet, in a ditch. Even if he didn’t realize what she happened to be carrying, he could easily ensure that none of it arrived in one piece.

Rose (ever the realist) wondered why he hadn’t done so already.

Deep inside, Leia felt a gnawing pant of guilt: she had thrown this innocent girl to the wolves. Whatever happened, it was her responsibility now. But whether out of naïveté or foolhardiness, she chose to ignore the direst possibilities.

She carried on as though both the girl and the micro-SD were going to arrive unscathed—she had no room for error.

Rose held no such convictions, and it occurred to the young woman that Leia, mother of the infamous Kylo Ren, could never truly imagine the horrors that her own son was capable of. Did she still think of him as the awkward child that she often sang to sleep? How long could she keep living in denial? Kylo worked for FORCE, for Snoke and Hux. He had chosen his side. He had turned his back on the shining enterprise built by his ancestors in favor of fame and fortune, accusing his mother of being a miserly harpie.

Ironically, Rose was sure that Armitage Hux or Syed Ren would agree with her assessment: the compassion, nay, the complacency, Kylo had shown when it came to Rey was beyond comprehension.

Did they suspect she was an Earth Soldiers operative? It would be easy enough to get her alone and talking. Perhaps they would even resort to more aggressive tactics if necessary.

What if they saw her as no more than a diversion? They could make sure she had a healthy fear of their field agents, catch-and-release style.

If the evidence was anything to go by, Rose suspected that the great Kylo Ren was in love. And he was capable of anything.

Hux remained silent as Syed went over the details of her proposal over the phone. He certainly had a card to play now—but which one?

He had known Ben Solo since university, almost back before he rejected his name in favor of Kylo Ren. But their relationship had always been volatile.

Armitage, despite being the son of a reputable military officer, had been forced to juggle multiple jobs to pay for a potion of his studies. It was humiliating, but his father was convinced that it was necessary to “build character”. His assigned roommate was a large, melancholic oaf, the preppy sort with a family inheritance and whatnot. An inheritance which was promptly spent by the boy’s parents on charity and frivolous ideas of changing the world.

Kylo lost his father—a subject he rarely discussed—and was raised in part by his uncle as well as his own mother, who served in the military. An outsider for the most part, he got in to Harvard thanks to the goodwill (or rather the strong will) of the new head of the Skywalker family enterprise. His mother’s last name, synonymous with his grandfather’s legacy, opened many doors for him.

Personally, Armitage had always wondered what debt Snoke was keen on repaying the Skywalker family by graciously taking their problem child under his wing.

The difference between the two classmates was clear from the start. Ben Solo hated his family’s lack of interest in his life, all while still profiting off of the success of the glorious Skywalker enterprise to pay for his studies. Meanwhile, Hux worked in various service jobs, cleaning floors, stocking shelves, and working behind restaurant counters to pay for food, rent, and various educational expenses.

They walked the line between friendship and enmity. Some days they were drinking buddies, other times they competed for the attention of girls, or for academic recognition among their peers and professors. No doubt they compared test scores.

Harvard diploma in hand, Hux was ecstatic to start working as a financial manager for the First Order. Snoke, at the very least, recognized his competence and his intrinsic value. But Ben Solo—now insisting on the title Kylo Ren like the capricious bastard he was—was almost immediately promoted to Director of Operations. A highly prestigious post that not only put him outside of Hux’s chain of command, and gave him nearly absolute freedom on the field.

Once more, Kylo Ren’s accursed heritage guaranteed him a better place, one that Hux deserved but could never hope to achieve despite his hard work.

Presently, FORCE hoped to generate massive revenue from a mine in the northern regions of Hoopa Valley. On paper, they would be mining for iron ore buried deep underground while producing thousands of jobs in the region. Behind the scenes it was all Hux’s team: they kept the corruption under wraps, signed deals with local providers, and privately represented FORCE in every dealing. But of course it was always Kylo Fucking Ren who appeared publicly before the cameras, with his wind-swept hair and cool-guy demeanor.

Once again, it was Hux who had to face criticism and take the insurmountable legal risks when the matter was dragged into court, all while Ren continued to receive honors and congratulations.

But Snoke wouldn’t remain president forever. He was old and ailing, his liver jaundiced and his lungs weak from pulmonary disease. Following his termination, and the success of this mine, Hux’s achievements would eclipse the old brute, not to mention that of the prodigal son, Ben Solo-Skywalker, whose heritage would be annihilated.

Ben was a go-getter, as passionate as he was brutal. He detested strategy and calculation, preferring to jump directly into the fray. It would be easy to clip his wings when Hux assumed total control.

In fact, Hux now had the perfect justification. Kylo had committed a grave error in his most recent bout of passion: he was enamored with this nomadic girl, and according to Syed Ren, he would do anything for her.

He would lose everything.

“Syed, are you still there?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Thank you for the intel. The photos were a particularly nice touch. I never doubted your loyalty, or your competence.”

Syed waited silently for Hux to gather his thoughts.

“Kylo Ren’s mission,” he continued, “is to determine Rey Jakku’s relationship with Earth Soldiers, and take action accordingly. Are you certain, after a mere seventy-two hours, that there is no connection?”

“Absolutely, sir. The girl is a diversion, driving the Millenium Falcon around to attract our attention while Skywalker’s team is plotting. We’re wasting time.”

“And did you inform Kylo Ren of your findings?”

“Yes. He chose not to take my advice.”

Hux closed his eyes, pausing. It was time to risk it all. While the loyalty of the Knights of Ren had proven unquestionable in the past, Syed Ren seemed to have a very exploitable weakness in the form of hate and jealousy.

“Who do you work for, Syed Ren?”

She hesitated, looking for a trap in his words. The answer seemed obvious but she struggled with it. “For Kylo Ren, sir.”

“Really, are you on his payroll, then?”

“Yeah...well—no! No, I work for FORCE. I work for you, sir.”

“Very well. Now I propose a new mission, one which will determine the very future of FORCE.”

“I don’t know if...”

“You don’t have to decide now. Just hear me out, and do what you like.”

“Okay. I’m...I’m listening.”

A few minutes later, Hux hung up. He ran a hand through his hair, his tell-tale sign of nervousness. If everything went to plan, if Syed Ren was as bitter and blinded by rage as he hoped, perhaps she would finally turn on her master and her precious acolyte friends. She would work for him—he had promised her money, a veritable fortune, but most of all, a chance to exact her revenge upon Kylo Ren. She would be able to smite him for rejecting her and turning her into an unwilling babysitter.

Her wrath would be glorious.

#reylo #fanfiction #Modern AU #Scenic Route

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swanky-batman · 6 years ago

Text

Once

Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: swearing, drinking, adult situations implied.

Sooooo... this is a one shot I’ve been working on for a little bit. I got super sick the last few weeks so I haven’t written or posted anything since my return and I’m really sorry for the delay. :| I hope you forgive me!

Bucky and the reader share an interesting night when she joins the team, and it seems to bring them closer. Maybe not the way he was hoping for.

Masterlist

---------------

“Avengers- I need everyone in the living room.” Tony called. Moments later movement came from a few different directions as you stood next to him, gripping the bag on your shoulder.

“What’s this about, Stark?” Natasha raised an eyebrow as she glanced over you.

Tony had not only briefed you but gave you their files to look over, apparently more than he had given them.

“I’m only going over this once, buttercup so why don’t we wait until everyone joins us?”

A couple minutes later and the last one to pop out of the hallway was Sam. All of them, the whole team spread around and looked at you, waiting for Tony.

“This is Y/N Y/L/N-” He paused briefly to pull up your file behind him, “She’s been working in the rookie division for a few weeks but I think we better try her out in the big leagues-”

“What exactly does she do?” Sam asked, scratching his neck.

Tony smirked, looking over at you. Right- guess that was your cue.

You dropped your bag before zapping out and behind Sam, holding one of your knives right next to his neck.

“How much control does she have over it?” Steve asked with a straight face.

“More than our other trainees. She’s been trained prior in hand to hand combat, weapons training, programming… honestly if you wanna see her list, read her file. I sent it to each of you. We’re giving her a test trial for one month.” He shrugged, seeming to be done. “She’s to join training with everyone and if anyone has a problem, bring it up with… Bruce.” He smirked, patting him on the back before turning around.

You turned back to the team, still sensing some stiffness, “Anyone up for a bite to eat? I know this pretty crap bar with the best tacos.” You hoped to sound nonchalant but you were intimidated. Captain America, Black Widow and Scarlet Witch were standing closest to you and your inner dork was screaming.

“I’m in.” Sam shrugged, Wanda adding she would like to come with a small smirk, Vision nodding next to her.

“I’m gonna stay in tonight. Thanks.” Natasha crossed her arms and looked over at Bruce who looked a little sorry. Steve scratched his neck. “I think I’m going to pass, I’m sorry.”

“No worries- you both have reading to catch up on now.” You smirked, trying not to look bothered, “That just leaves you.” You turned to the Winter Soldier himself and forced eye contact. “Care for some brews and tacos?”

“Sure.” He smiled cautiously, pointing behind him, “Let me grab my coat.”

“Sounds good.” You smiled, “I should probably find my room and throw my bag in.” A voice in the house came on and stated that your room was upstairs, fourth door on the left.

“That’s next to mine and across from Bucky’s!” Wanda smiled, stepping forward to show you the way.

After grabbing your things, everyone stepped out into a car they called up. Minutes later you were there and grabbed a table. It was a Friday night so it was a little packed but you still found one off in the corner.

“It’s shot night!” Sam called, doing a little dance, making everyone laugh. “That’s the fastest way to open everyone up.” He winked.

“Then let’s do three rounds for the table.” You smirked, holding up a hand for the waitress when she had time.

Wanda rolled her eyes, “You’re an encourager I see.”

“Only sometimes.” You let a smirk stay on your lips, looking up you met eyes with Bucky. “Do you drink, soldier?”

He paused, looking you over, “I drink, I just can’t get drunk.”

Your eyebrow shot up, “Can’t or haven’t?” You waited and when he had a smile tease on his lips you nodded, “Let’s find out tonight then, shall we?”

----------------------------------

One time. That’s all it was. Two people, energies synced. Years ago- before you knew each other. After drinking, laughing, sharing a dance- the touch between you both was electric. You didn’t know how either of you made it back, or how you ended up in your room. How, it seemed, you escaped the notice of everyone when he did the walk over to his room the next morning.

----------------------------------

Neither of you had talked about it after. You both sent jokes or teasing manners over the next few weeks and then it became the thing between you. Your friendship had survived a very interesting beginning, may even be why you two are so close.

You made the cut after your trial and stayed on the team- and now here you were almost three years later. Wanda and Vision had moved out to live on their own last year and the team had accepted you as one of their own.

-------

You walked down the hall with a large cup of coffee in your hand as you yawned.

“Morning, sunshine.” Bucky greeted, falling into step next to you, “Heading towards the meeting?”

“Unfortunately. Rather be sleeping.” You offered a smirk.

“I heard about your night with Natasha.” He paused, side eyeing you. “All mission, no fun right?”

“Of course.” You snorted slightly, “Except little miss widow wouldn’t shut her yapper about her boe.”

“So you…?”

“I’m a person with little backbone, Buck. We hopped on our bikes and drove halfway through the night so she could see him for a few hours. Then we popped back on em and got here…” You checked your watch, “Maybe three hours ago.”

“I’m impressed, you’re a romantic.” He teased, opening the door to the room for you.

“My internal organs aren’t as pleased at the moment.” You winked before walking in and plopping down in a chair. Bucky sat next to you with Tony at the head.

“So business- nice work on the mission to Nat and Y/N, some nice information you brought back on our baddies. I think we’re going to have one more recon team out before the end of this week, random pairing again. On another note- Miss Y/N herself is about to pass the mark for being her for three years.” He smirked, looking over at you, “Don’t think I forgot. Which means we’re having a jumbo party this weekend.”

You snorted and raised your cup to the looks you got. He went over a few more topics and then dismissed everyone.

“Doll, it’s been three years?” Bucky faked a groan, “That must make you feel old.”

You smirked and shoved him away, “That hurts alot coming from one of the guys who was born before sliced bread.”

“Some things were better back in the day.” He shook his head, “You looked better back then too.” He stuck out his tongue and backed away from the swipe you tried. You ported over to him and threw your arm around his neck.

“James Barnes you take that back.” You called, holding him in a headlock. “Say I look fabulous!” You shouted with a laugh.

He chuckled from below you, rumbling in his chest as he tried to move away and you ported again, catching him. He turned away and you ported on his back, him slumping a little.

“Put on a little weight, haven’t you?”

You gasped, tightening your legs around his waist, securing your piggyback, “Why are you being extra rude to me today?!”

“WHY ARE TWO AVENGERS LATE TO TRAINING AGAIN?” Called Tony over the intercom and you both jumped and ran towards where you were supposed to be.

---

“Hurry up, Y/N.” Tony called impatiently from the other side of your door.

“Sorry, just adjusting… and done.” You sighed, looking at the handy work from Natasha and Wanda. You opened the door and saw him standing there.

“You clean up pretty good.” He smirked, offering you his arm. “I brought you in- now I’m taking you down. To the party that is.”

You snorted and took his arm, walking with him towards the sounds that were already happening.

He announced himself, gave you a spotlight and then led you down the stairs to join everyone.

You joined an ongoing game of truth of dare, Avengers style.

“Hey Doll, look at you.” Buck came up behind you and smiled, “You look gorgeous.”

“Really? Not old, or that I’ve put on weight?” You teased, waiting on your turn.

“I said a little weight.” He raised his hands in defense, asking if he could join in too.

When it came to you, you picked truth.

“What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you?” Wanda asked.

You paused, trying not to blush and smirk. “Jesus. Well, I’ve had a few oops moments in my time but… I think the most embarrassing- has to be when I was training my ability. I was just learning how to control the me moving through space and didn’t really understand it at all yet. I was in training with a bunch of the rookies here and… well.” You looked down, heated, “I kind of ported. And left… my clothes behind. My trainer was kinda freaked.” You chuckled to yourself.

A round of laughter hit around you and you felt a hand come up around your waist.

“How have I not heard that one, babe?” Bucky asked, clearly amused with the story.

“I don’t tend to go out of my way to tell that one.” You chuckled, giving a truth for Steve.

The round ended up on Bucky, who was egged on by Sam to pick dare. “Everyone playing has to close their eyes- tightly! Barnes has to kiss who he likes the most. On the lips.”

Everyone laughed but closed their eyes, you smirking and speaking so only he could hear, “Steve is going to be surpriseeeeddd.”

A few seconds later, you felt a hand on your cheek and a thumb trace your lips.

“Are you done, did it happen?” Wanda asked.

“I don’t think so cuz I didn’t get my kiss.” Yelled Sam, which prompted some laughter. The hand withdrew from your face.

“Yeah I’m done.”

You opened your eyes to see everyone looking around, you tried to stay calm and didn’t meet Bucky’s eyes until the next round started.

“I think I’m gonna find some food.” Bucky threw out, thumbing away from the group.

“I want some too.” You held a hand on your tummy with a smirk before turning to look for him. You spotted a shadow walking upstairs.

You ported in front of his door, in front of him.

“Jesus, Y/N.” He jumped a little, chuckling to himself. “What are you…”

“Why did you…” You gulped, not knowing how to finish.

You both stood there looking at each other for a few seconds, your eyes locked and trying to read the others.

“Can we not do this in the hall?” He scratched his neck, his cheeks a bright pink.

You stepped aside and let him into his room, following him in and closing the door behind you.

You looked at his back for a few moments while he looked out the window.

“Do you remember… your first night here?” He turned back after, his eyes darting over you.

You nodded, “How could I forget.” You smirked, your heart picking up a little at how it ended.

“I remember it too. I wasn’t out of my shell yet, but I decided to go with you guys. That night... “ His eyes closed for a second, he sucked in air, “It was amazing. The food, the times… when we got back.” He opened his eyes again to meet yours, “We clicked. Maybe I didn’t know your backstory but I knew your eyes, your smile, the way you danced, and the way you teased me. It felt like electricity between us. Tell me I wasn’t the only one who felt that.” He stepped closer, his eyes not breaking contact.

“It did feel…” You blinked and turned away, “Electric. Why do you wanna bring it up after so long?”

“I haven’t stopped thinking about it. Every time I see you in the morning, or for training. Every time you talk to me, smirk about something or tease me. Every time you touch me.” He steps right in front of you, “My skin pulses. I am so aware of you, all the time. I keep hoping you’ll see it, think it, want it to.”

“Want what?” You asked after a moment, his thumb coming under your chin and pushing up so you look in his eyes.

“Us. I want you- and me. Y/N, I love you. I think I’ve loved you since that night. I wanted to give you time to get to know my background, all of those terrible things I did. To know you shouldn’t be with someone like me, to be friends with me. Yet every time I mention them you wave them away, tell me it wasn’t my fault. Make me feel better. I know I don’t deserve you- and if you don’t feel the same…” He paused, sucking in a breath, “I’ll figure it out.”

Your heart felt like it was bursting from your chest, your eyes never leaving his through the confession. “Bucky, I didn’t know.” You answered, taking a shaky, unsure breath, “I didn’t know you felt the same way.”

His jaw opened to say something and stopped, his eyes searching your face.

You smirked and teased an eyebrow, calling him in with a finger. His face hovered close and his lips touched yours briefly, his arms wrapping around you.

“You’ll have to catch me first.” You winked before porting over to his bed, him chasing after you with a grin making you shriek a little as he tackled you.

“I love you.” He said again, kissing your lips greedily this time, arms around you instantly.

“I love you too.”

----------------

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avengerleague · 7 years ago

Text

‘Mimic’

Avengers x Female Reader

(Pairing: Steve x Reader)

Chapter 2: Three’s a Crowd but Four’s a Pajama Party

Summary: You and a few of the Avengers are quarantined after the events of chapter 1. You get to know Wanda and Peter a little better and after everyone goes to sleep, you talk to Steve into the early hours of the morning. Featuring Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Doctor Strange.

Word Count: 4346

a/n: Hello friends so sorry this took me approximately 3 decades to write but I’ve been super super busy with work before finals. It’s super long so I hope you like it, like I legit think its almost double as long chapter 1. I had a whole nother part that I thought was going to go at the end of this chapter but it was already so long so I decided to just make it its own chapter so that’ll come out next. Thanks for reading ily ily tell ya friends! (also in case you didn’t know, ‘six degrees of separation’ is a game where you have to connect one actor to another actor based on only movies people have acted together in. For example for John Krasinski to Chris Pine you could do John Krasinski to Emily Blunt in A Quiet Place, Emily Blunt to Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada, and Meryl Streep to Chris Pine in Into the Woods.)

Chapter 1 Chapter 3

---

“Hey kids, how was the drive up? Not too bad I hope. The flight was a breeze.” Tony walked into the lab room you were all in with a swagger that was unparalleled.

After you, Wanda, Peter and Steve had arrived at the facility, you were escorted through a back entrance by people in hazmat suits to enter the lab through airtight doors and sealed tunnels. They put you in four separate but adjacent, clear, cube shaped rooms. The rooms were all touching so each of you shared two walls with two other people. Wanda was on one side of you, Steve was on the other, and Peter was diagonal. The observation cells were roomy, but vacant. Pretty much all each one had was a bed, a nightstand, a chair, and a door where food could be dropped off; however, it didn’t really seem like a come and go as you please type of situation.

Steve walked up to the glass, “Let’s just say everything was much more convenient when we were still based in the city.”

“Hey Mr. Stark,” Peter said raising his hand “I have a question.”

“I thought I told you to stop it with the hand raising,”

He looked at his hand and dropped it to his side. “Oh yeah, sorry. But I was wondering how we’re supposed to go to the bathroom since we’re, you know, imprisoned in glass rooms.”

“Aw c’mon, you guys aren’t imprisoned, you’re just detained,” mocked Tony. Steve rolled his eyes. “And I think someone in a hazmat suit is supposed to come by every couple of hours to take you guys to a sterile bathroom or something. I don’t know, ask Banner. It’s his lab.”

“I’ll be honest, this situation is not ideal.” Wanda huffed. That was a nice way to put it.

“One more thing Mr. Stark,” Peter said, “I came here in my suit, it there anything else I could wear?”

Tony grinned, “You know what? I have just the thing.” He walked across the room and opened a cabinet. He pulled out an Iron Man t-shirt with matching pajama pants. “How great are these, am I right?”

“Yeah Mr. Stark, thank you…” That was obviously not Peter’s first choice of outfits.

“You know what? You’re all getting them. You can hold onto them too. They’re yours. Cap you’re gonna look great in this. What size are you, small?” he put a pile of the clothes on a table. “Just get Bruce or someone to bring these to you guys when he comes back in.” He gestured a pair of finger guns and started towards the door.

“Tony, wait!” Wanda called out and Tony spun around.

“Yes dear?”

She threw her hands up in exasperation, “Isn’t there a tv in here or something we could do to kill time?”

“This is a laboratory, Wanda, not a play room.”

“Oh come on, you’re Tony Stark!”

“Yes, thank you. Why don’t you get to know our guest, do some team bonding or something? Sing kumbaya. That’s a thing people do, right?” with a flash of a smile Tony strolled out the room, leaving no time for a response.

Your mind was completely blank. The past couple of hours had been such a whirlwind that you hardly felt like this was real life. You were locked in a room with three of the Avengers for who knows how long and nothing to do but sit in a chair and stare at the ceiling. Since for contamination reasons you guys had all been driven to the facility in separate cars, you hadn’t really gotten a chance to speak to anyone since Manhattan. You really wanted to get to know all of them but since you were the odd guy out, you were kind of hoping one of them would break the ice…

“So Y/n,” Steve caught your attention from behind you, pulling up his chair and straddling it so he was sitting on it backwards, using the back as an armrest. You obviously didn’t know the guy, but it felt out of character; like he was trying to be edgy or something. “How in the world did you end up in the middle of that fight?”

“You know, I was wondering the same thing.” You chuckled. You moseyed around the small area you were enclosed in and looked around. “I was just on my way back to my apartment when people started screaming so I went to check out what was going on and badda bing, badda boom, I’m in a glass cage next to Captain America in the Avengers facility.” You plopped down into your chair.

“Badda bing, badda boom?” Peter raised his eyebrows. “Please. I saw you help that kid. You went out of your way to save him. It was awesome!”

You shrugged it off, you were no hero, especially compared to them. “I was just trying to do the right thing; anyone would have done it.” You played with the hair tie around your wrist.

“Except not anyone would have done it, because there were hundreds, literally like hundreds, of people who ran by that kid and didn’t do anything.” You glanced up at him and back down at your hair tie. “Well what about you guys? How did you all get there so fast?” you asked the group.

“Steve and I were actually only there on business.” Wanda was sitting on the floor with her back against one of the glass walls. As she spoke, her eyes were trained on the chair – which she was levitating with her hands. That was going to take getting used to.

“Lucky we were.” Steve chimed in.

“And I was there because I live there.” You looked over to see that Peter was lying in a hammock made from his webbing. “Well in Queens at least, not Manhattan, but as you can see I have ways to get around. Speaking of, I gotta find a way to call my aunt and tell her I’m here, she’s gonna kill me.”

“I seriously can’t believe you’re the spider guy!” you said, shaking your head in disbelief.

“It’s Spiderman and what exactly is so unbelievable about it?” Peter put a hand on his chest in mock offence.

You laughed, “No, I just mean ‘cause it’s awesome. But also, like if I saw you on the street I wouldn’t be like ‘that guy is for sure Spiderman’.”

“Did you ever consider that maybe that’s the idea?”

You thought about it for a second, “No,” you shrugged, and Wanda laughed.

“But uh, Y/n,” Steve caught your attention. “Tell me about yourself.” He seemed genuinely interested. You had always heard that Captain America was such a nice guy and it really seemed like it was true. He was holding back a little smile and he had about the kindest eyes you had ever seen. And that isn’t even mentioning that he was completely beautiful and literally anatomically perfect.

You opened your mouth to respond but before you could do so, the door to the lab swung open and a man who you recognized from the Avengers as Bruce Banner walked in the room. He looked nice, but also like he’d never been relaxed a day in his life; not at all Hulk-like.

“Maybe later?” Steve said with a half-smile. You couldn’t wait until later.

“Hey guys, sorry I took so long. I had to track down Strange and –” he looked behind him and saw that no one was following him. “He was just,” he peered back into the hallway. “He’s probably coming.”

He made his way over to a cabinet. “We’ll have to start out by running a few tests and –” he opened the cabinet to reveal it was filled with t-shirts, posters, action figures, and mugs with Iron Man on them. He walked over to the wall and pressed a button, causing his voice to sound over the intercom: “Tony, would you please stop putting your merchandise in my labs?”. He walked away towards another set of cabinets when Tony’s voice came back over the speakers: “But Bruce, then I wouldn’t get to hear you complain about it.” Bruce rolled his eyes and began to rummage through a few other cabinets looking for something. He glanced up at you, “Sorry about Tony, he’s a bit of an… acquired taste.”

“That’s an understatement!” Wanda interjected with her hands cupped around her mouth.

“Anyway, I’m Bruce Banner.” He found what he was looking for and walked towards you.

“I’m Y/n, Y/n Y/L/n.”

“It’s nice to meet you Y/n. I’m sorry I can’t shake your hand but there’s the matter of the solid glass wall between us.”

Peter snorted, “Oh come on Bruce, you of all people could break through this if you wanted.”

“Steve too probably, since all he does is jump through plate glass windows.” Wanda teased.

Steve massaged the bridge of his nose, “You two are too powerful when you’re together.”

“Well actually this isn’t exactly normal glass.” Bruce continued, ignoring most of their commentary. It seemed like he had to be used to those kinds of interruptions by now. “This glass has been tested under hundreds of different circumstances that would cause most normal glass of the same thickness and size to break, and it held up. Including a trial with the other guy. So, you’re pretty secure.”

“Or we’re pretty trapped,” Steve countered.

Bruce shrugged, “Yeah.”

Out of nowhere, a large orange circle began to appear in the middle of the lab, as if it was being drawn with a sparkler. With eyes bulging you looked from Avenger to Avenger to see if they had any reaction to it. They didn’t. Apparently, this was normal too. The circle got bigger and a moment later a man in a full hazmat suit stepped out.

“I thought you were right behind me.” Said Bruce to the man.

“I was, until I wasn’t.”

Bruce scoffed it off and put what he was holding on a rolling tray table, walking it over to the man. “Y/n, this is Dr. Strange. He’s going to be running some basic tests on each of you and taking a blood sample.”

Peter’s head shot up from he hammock, “Wait a minute, aren’t you not a doctor anymore or something?”

Dr. Strange gave him a look that was Medusa level stone cold, “I’m taking your blood, not performing a craniotomy.”

“Is the suit really necessary?” Steve said, flipping his chair around so that he was sitting in it normally with his forearms resting on his knees.

“Sorry Cap, standard procedure.” Dr. Strange rolled the tray table towards the set of doors that led to your cubes.

“Oh wait! One more thing,” Peter exclaimed. “While you’re out there, can you grab one of those pairs of Iron Man pajamas for me?”

He looked over at the pajamas then back at Peter, “I suppose.”

You’d been in these clothes all day and if you’d have known you were going to be quarantined for an undetermined amount of time in the Avengers facility, you would have worn something a little more comfortable. There was a lot worse you could be wearing than Iron Man pjs; “Could you actually grab a pair for me too?”

“You know what? I could use some pajamas,” Wanda joined. “C’mon Steve, what about you? Three’s a crowd but four’s a pajama party”.

“Thank you for the offer, but that’s gonna be a hard pass. The last thing I need is Tony walking around with a picture of me in pajamas with his face on them as his phone’s lock screen for the rest of his life. Because I’m absolutely positive that’s what would happen.”

After grabbing the clothes, the doctor pushed through a couple of doors and a moment later he was clearing the airlock and entering your isolation chamber. He turned to move a few things around on his tray and before you knew what was happening, the legs of your bed grew a foot and a half like magic, so your legs were dangling off of it like a doctor’s office. Or maybe it was more like technology since you were dealing with a place Tony Stark built? But that guy did just walk into the room through a glowing circle that appeared out of nowhere…

“So that portal thing was pretty cool,” you tried to break the ice. “Dr. Strange, right?”

He pushed up your sleeve and wrapped the device around your arm to measure your blood pressure. “Yes.” He said not looking up from your arm. He was probably being short because he was busy doing your check up, but he seemed like a pretty to-the-point kind of guy anyway.

You decided to keep trying. “Do you have a first name? Or do you just go by ‘Doctor’? Is ‘Doctor’ your first name?”

He let out a small chuckle, no, less than a chuckle. It was more just exhaling a little bit more through his nose, but it was something. “It’s Stephen.”

“Stephen! Wow. Steven and Stephen: battle of the Steven’s,” you said glancing over your shoulder back at Steve, who seemed to be amused by your interaction. “So which one is the true Steven? Like the real Steven?” You looked back and forth between the two men. Dr. Strange unvelcroed the device and wordlessly tied a rubber tourniquet around your left arm, but Steve raised an eyebrow in thought. “Well, I was born first…”

The doctor rolled the tray to the bed and situated himself in front of you. Without looking at anyone he said, “Well I have a PhD.” Both were irrefutable facts but there was something about a PhD that was an argument ending power move.

“Yeah, also he can fly, and you’re just really fit.” Wanda pointed out to Steve.

Doctor Strange picked up the syringe and stuck you with the needle to take your blood sample. Getting blood taken wasn’t normally your favorite thing, but you still had so many questions about this guy that you hardly noticed. “Alright but what about ‘Strange’?” You said making an air quote with your one free hand. “That can’t be your real last name.”

Peter whipped his head around. “THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT I SAID!”

The doctor glared at Peter, “Aren’t you like, 12?”

Wanda burst out laughing.

He turned to her, “And you--”

She put her hands up in innocence, “Hey, I haven’t said one word about you today except to hype you up as the superior ‘Stephen’.”

He cocked his head, “Yet.”

“Yet.” She leveled with him.

He refaced you. “Anyway, yes it actually is my real last name. As a kid I was made fun of it constantly, so I do realize how… unusual it is.”

“YOU WERE ABOUT TO SAY ‘STRANGE’!” Peter exclaimed.

Wanda nodded her head, “He was totally about to say ‘strange’.”

You laughed at their dynamic and turned to Stephen. “I honestly do think ‘Strange’ is such a cool last name though. Especially combined with the ‘Doctor’. It makes you sound like…”

“Like a party magician.” Steve took the opportunity.

“You know what, I wasn’t going to say that out of respect for the PhD, but I’ll be honest, if I hadn’t met you yet Stephen and a magician had walked up to me and introduced himself as ‘Doctor Strange’, I wouldn’t have questioned the name choice for a minute.”

“Why can’t I walk into a room in this facility without being berated about something?” Stephen questioned removing the needle from your arm.

Wanda stepped in to answer, “We’re not targeting you Strange. Actually, the only person in this room who hasn’t been flamed tonight is Y/n, and that just because we haven’t known her long enough to find anything flame-wothy yet!”

“Flamable.” Peter offered.

“Anything flammable yet!” Wanda re-finished.

Bruce popped back into the conversation, “Yeah that’s why I’ve been staying out of this as much as possible.” He said motioning to the isolation chambers. “You can’t say anything; the young ones go for the jugular.”

Stephen put a cotton ball and a Band-Aid over where the blood was taken and put your set of tools on the bottom shelf in an airtight container. “Alright, I guess I’ll just have to start being mean,” he said pulling out what he needed to go to the next person’s room and tossing the pajamas onto your bed.

Wanda’s eyes widened, “Start?”

“Should you really be mocking the person who is about to come at you with a needle?” he warned, rolling the cart towards the door he had come into your cell through.

She made a heart with her index fingers and her thumbs, “Love you!”

---

After Bruce and Stephen left with the samples and scans (was it cool or creepy that they could take scans of you just from your being in the cube?), things had been pretty boring in the laboratory. Wanda had taken to levitating things around the lab, but there’s only so many times you can do that before the boredom overcomes you. Peter still had his webbing to play around with and he could walk on the ceiling and everything, but even that had gotten old pretty fast.

You and Wanda had played a few hand games for a bit like sticks and concentration, but you had to change the way the games were played since there was a glass wall between you. Steve and Peter talked for a while, though it was mostly just Steve answering Peter’s ridiculous questions about things he’s done over the years. You tried to get everybody to play six degrees of separation but it hadn’t really worked out since 1) Steve still wasn’t caught up on movie pop culture, 2) Wanda was from Sokovia and hadn’t seen a ton of American movies until she joined the Avengers, and 3) for a teenage who lived in one of the biggest cities in the world, Peter was about the least cultured person you had ever met (how had he never seen The Godfather?). You’d played 20 questions and the few games that Tony’s weird voice robot, FRIDAY, had in the system and after a while, the night had eventually wound down.

Peter and Wanda had gone to sleep a few hours ago so all that was left was you and Steve. You were still wired from the crazy day, and Steve said he sometimes had insomnia. As the lights dimmed to adjust to the other two going to bed, Steve had turned to you. “So, it’s definitely later, tell me about yourself. Take two.”

You had sat against the corners of your isolation chambers farthest from the other two but right next to each other, so you wouldn’t make too much noise. You were pretty sure FRIDAY made their cells turn soundproof when they went to sleep, but you still felt weird talking at full volume. For hours, you and Steve were sitting on the ground like little kids, with your backs against the glass, talking. You were really only less than a foot away from each other; if the glass wasn’t there, your shoulders would be touching.

You had been talking about everything. You’d started by telling him about the basics. How you’d ended up in the city, where you’d grown up, a little about your family, but quickly pushed the conversation to talk about him. There was nothing you could say that would be half as interesting as anything that had ever happened to him. You talked about recent events, what it was like being in the Avengers, and he told you about some of the members: their backstories, their personalities, and what they could do (“So Bucky has a cybernetic metal arm, that’s a long story. And Natasha was a Russian spy, that’s also a long story. Also Vision was created from this thing called the mind stone combining with the old version of FRIDAY called JARVIS, and he can fly and walk through walls and stuff. That one, I don’t even really know where to start”).

He’d told you he has a running list of everything that he needed to catch up on, so you’d started giving him movie recommendations (“You can’t only watch good movies, Steve. I wholeheartedly believe that bad movies are just as important to forming our culture”). Your favorite part, though, had been the little questions. Things like ‘what’s your favorite color?’ or ‘tell me about your mom?’ or even ‘if you could punch any one person in the world, who would you pick?’. You each must have asked dozens, if not hundreds. Talking to him came so easy that the hours were flying by. You we’re joking with each other and telling secrets and it was just so comfortable. He would yawn and stretch his arms and in the dim light his cheekbones looked razor sharp, you only wished the glass wasn’t preventing you from reaching out and touching him. Your eyelids were heavy but how on earth could you close your eye on this perfect person?

Steve’s eyes turned up and he whispered to the air “Hey FRIDAY, what time is it?”

“It is 2:13 a.m.” the voice responded.

“Wow, 2:13.” Steve said, shaking his head in disbelief. He turned back to you. “We’ve been talking for hours.”

“I know, it’s insane” you laughed softly. “You know what else is kind of insane? This—FRIDAY.” You motioned in the air.

“Yeah, I’d definitely say it takes some getting used to.” Steve sat up from the glass wall and scooted his body, so he was sitting crossed legged, facing you.

“You know what it reminds me of? Did you ever see—Never mind, there’s no way you could have seen it. But there was this Disney Channel Original Movie when I was growing up called Smart House and it was like exactly like FRIDAY. Well not exactly but you know.” You turned and mirrored the way Steve was sitting. “Anyway, long story short, in the movie the house basically tries to become the family’s mom and obviously chaos ensues. There’s this iconic party scene and I’m pretty sure there’s like a tornado or something in the house at one point, and its great, you have to watch it. Add it to your list.”

Steve chuckled, “Alright, well I’ll definitely add that to the top of the list.”

You pointed at him “You promise?”

He put his hands up faux-defensively, “I promise.” There was a moment of comfortable silence. He looked down into his lap, then off to the side. “Now, I don’t know how early Banner is going to be back in here, so I’d better let you get some sleep.” Steve stood up off the ground.

“Okay but don’t say ‘you’d better let me get some sleep’ like I haven’t also been talking to you non-stop for 4 hours,” You laughed, standing up.

Steve smiled and walked over to his bed, “Goodnight Y/n.”

You smiled back, “Goodnight Steve.”

You sat on your bed and tied your hair up with the hair tie on your wrist. You normally had no problem ending your nights by watching Netflix or reading a book, but ending your night talking to Steve Rogers for hours certainly wasn’t too bad either. You laid down, pulled the covers up to your neck, and turned onto your side.

“Hey Y/n,” Steve whispered, and your eyes fluttered open. It was now pitch black in the room and you couldn’t see him as you suspected that FRIDAY had adjusted the lights since everyone was in bed.

“Yeah?”

There was a pause. “Would… you want to watch it with me?”

You thanked god that it was so dark that he couldn’t see you blushing and grinning. ‘Watching Disney Channel Original Movies with Captain America’ sounded more like an answer on a dating game show than a real thing that could happen in your near future. And how insane was it that Steve would even want to hang out with you in the first place? You felt butterflies just thinking about it.

“I can never say no to a good movie,” you replied. You settled into your bed and snuggled into your pillow to, hopefully, dream about Steve Rogers.

---

You were awoken when the lights in the lab clicked on, sensing somebody walk into the room. In through the swinging double doors came Bruce, Tony, and Stephen. You sat up and sleepily rubbed your eyes. Considering this was just a bed in a cell in a laboratory, and you had gone to bed so late, you had gotten a pretty good night of sleep. Part of that could be due to the fact that you had been talking to dreamy dreamboat Steve Rogers for hours before you went to bed. You looked over at Steve who apparently (and god bless) slept shirtless. Was it possible that he looked even better after he’d been asleep for hours and had serious bed-head? You know what? Not only was is possible, you were sure he did. He looked back at you and sent you a soft smile as he ran his hand through his hair. You smiled back and quickly turned back to the men who’d just walked in. You really needed to get better at staring at people.

Wanda pushed herself up onto her elbows, “Three geniuses walk into a lab…”

Tony leaned on a counter. “Well I know I’m a genius Wanda, but these guys?” Stephen and Bruce both shot him glares, Stephen’s a little colder than Bruce’s. You didn’t think Bruce really had it in him to be all that cold to anyone.

“Let’s not play this game Mr. Stark,” Stephen said, still glaring at Tony.

“I’m sorry, didn’t mean to push any buttons Doctor, what was it, Weird? Doctor Weird?”

“Anyway,” Bruce said, stepping between the two men. “We have some good news and some neutral news.” Now that caught your attention. “What do you want to hear first?”

---

Chapter 3

---

Tagged Blogs:

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stephenmccull · 4 years ago

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Farmworker Camps to Urban Tent Cities: Tailoring Vaccine Info to Where It’s Most Needed

This story also ran on The Charlotte Observer. It can be republished for free.

Kim Wagenaar has been preparing to bring covid-19 vaccines to western North Carolina for months.

She’s signed up the community health center she operates in Asheville to receive and distribute the doses. She’s ordered a subzero freezer to store the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and transport it to rural counties. She’s also allocated her staff between covid testing sites and vaccine clinics.

But those logistics make up only half the equation, said Wagenaar, CEO of Western North Carolina Community Health Services.

Because the vaccines have a limited shelf life, “you want to make sure you’re ordering what you think you’ll be able to give,” she said. “That’s where messaging comes in.”

While many of the health center’s patients are eager to get their shots, Wagenaar said, she’s worried about other populations in the region — from communities of color to migrant farmworkers and people who live on the street — who may be reluctant to be vaccinated, even though they are more likely to contract the virus.

“It’s so important in this time to go beyond our normal education to reach more communities,” she said.

The concerns arising in western North Carolina, a region tucked between Asheville to the east and the Appalachian Mountains to the west, provide a window into the challenges facing health workers across the country. Not only do they have to transport the vaccine to vulnerable populations, but they also must address those individuals’ concerns and encourage them to take the shots.

Polls show Black and Hispanic Americans, as well as residents of rural areas, have expressed greater reluctance about the vaccine. And disparities in vaccination rates are already emerging.

Now, a host of grassroots organizations in western North Carolina are taking to the streets, to WhatsApp chats and to Zoom lunches to close that gap.

‘You Can Be a Community Hero’

When Adrienne Sigmon talks to people living on the street in Asheville about covid vaccines, she doesn’t suggest the medical system is trying to help them.

As someone who was unsheltered for two years, she knows mistrust of health workers runs deep. Many people who are homeless receive poor care or no care at all.

Instead, Sigmon frames the vaccine as an opportunity to help society. “By getting vaccinated, you can be a community hero,” she tells them.

“Giving people that ownership and sense that they can help in this small way is empowering,” she said.

That’s how Sigmon felt four years ago when she joined the street medic team at BeLoved Asheville, a nonprofit that tackles issues like homelessness and hunger. The team trains people who are currently or formerly unsheltered in basic medical skills, from first aid to wound care and overdose prevention.

“Instead of other people coming in to say, ‘I’m going to fix you and serve you,’ we learn to take care of ourselves and the community,” said Sigmon, who is now a lead street medic.

On Mondays and Thursdays, Sigmon and her team travel through downtown Asheville and the rural corners of Buncombe County to hand out lifesaving supplies like insulated tents, sleeping bags, thermal socks, face masks and hand sanitizer to those living outdoors. Now they also pass out flyers about the vaccines and ask people if they’ll pledge to get their shots.

Some refuse, Sigmon said. They may suffer from mental illness, not believe covid is real or not care if they get sick.

But more often, people have questions: Will I get sick if I get a vaccine? Is it safe, since it came out so quickly?

Sigmon assures them that the vaccines don’t contain the coronavirus and that, although the development process was quick, it built on a decade of research.

Of the hundreds of people Sigmon and her team have spoken with, about 75% have agreed to be vaccinated.

‘Think About Your Older Roommates’

Migrant farmworkers begin arriving in western North Carolina in February, when they work in greenhouses, and stay through the fall or early winter, harvesting crops and Christmas trees.

This past year, conversations about covid vaccines began in July, said Jessica Rodriguez, outreach coordinator for Vecinos Farmworker Health Program, which provides medical services to about 500 migrant workers in the region.

At the time, covid outbreaks across two farms sickened nearly 100 men. “When will this be over?” the workers asked her.

Since then, Rodriguez and her team have been updating the farmworkers about the vaccines.

Men in their 50s and 60s have generally been eager, Rodriguez said. But the younger workers, some just 18 years old, have been hesitant. They’ve received conflicting messages about the seriousness of the virus from family back home, and sometimes from their home countries’ governments.

“Think about your older roommates,” Rodriguez tells them in Spanish. The workers live in tight quarters, often old converted hotels tucked behind a main road or cabins perched on the side of a mountain, with anywhere from five to 50 men together.

“You could get covid and feel nothing at all,” Rodriguez said, “but if you pass it to someone who is older or has diabetes, he could end up in the hospital.”

Rodriguez also posts fact sheets in Spanish on her WhatsApp story, where anyone with her phone number can view them. That’s been particularly popular, she said. Since the workers’ schedules rarely allow them to check for health advisories from the White House or watch the state health secretary’s afternoon telecasts, updates from Rodriguez and her team have been crucial. Even workers she met a few years ago who now live in other countries have messaged her to say thanks for the information on WhatsApp.

Her team also provides in-person education at the camps, where they often bring food and medical supplies.

“As soon as we’d arrive, the whole crew would come out,” she said. “Some of our covid education sessions went up to an hour because the guys had so many questions.”

‘You All Are My Ambassadors’

Kathey Avery, a community health nurse, has been hosting monthly lunch-and-learn meetings for a group of 14 women for nearly a decade.

The youngest attendee is in her 50s, and the oldest is 94. Most are Black women who go to church, volunteer in the community and are in regular contact with their extended families, said Avery, who also co-chairs the Institute for Prevention and Healthcare Advocacy, a grassroots organization that addresses health disparities in Buncombe County.

“Whenever I need to get information out, I tell them, ‘You all are my ambassadors,’” said Avery, who is Black too. “That always makes them smile.”

In the past, Avery talked to them about topics like chronic disease and nutrition. During the pandemic, she’s moved the lunch-and-learns to Zoom and talks about covid symptoms, testing and, now, vaccines.

Black people’s history of mistreatment in the U.S. makes the vaccines a tough sell, Avery said. Many worry about a repeat of the infamous Tuskegee trial, in which Black patients with syphilis were purposely left untreated. Others point to the brutal response to Black Lives Matter protests and efforts to suppress Black votes.

That’s why education about the vaccines has to come from a place they trust, Avery said.

She tries to keep it simple, using a one-page document she created with answers to questions like “What is the definition of ‘vaccine’?” and “What is the definition of ‘virus’?”

It’s a matter of homing in on a couple of points and relating it to “something you know they already know,” Avery said.

Then you build on that knowledge in a second conversation, and a third and fourth.

“If you’re not talking to people and building trust over time,” Avery said, “they won’t listen.”

Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

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This story can be republished for free (details).

Farmworker Camps to Urban Tent Cities: Tailoring Vaccine Info to Where It’s Most Needed published first on https://smartdrinkingweb.weebly.com/

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gordonwilliamsweb · 4 years ago

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Farmworker Camps to Urban Tent Cities: Tailoring Vaccine Info to Where It’s Most Needed