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fandom-imagines-stories · 12 hours ago

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Bonding Exercise Part Two

Robert Reynolds x Reader

Words: 3142

Summary: A hike during the team’s camping trip triggers some of the reader’s memories. They all band together to help her through it…even if they aren’t great at it at first.

Notes: I have loved writing these two imagines because they are kind of the perfect mix of humor and angst for me. I really enjoy the sweet moments between her and Bob, the witty moments between the team, but also the comforting moments between all of them. I hope you guys have enjoyed them too!

Part one and more Marvel imagines: HERE

He wasn’t expecting to find you back in the tent. When he unzipped the opening and climbed in, he jumped like a loud noise had gone off, finding you sitting up in the corner.

“Jesus, Y/N,” he squeaked, putting a hand over his now racing heart. Bob took a breath. “I mean, hey.”

You curled up, tucking your knees under your chin. “Hi.”

He crouched down so his head wouldn't brush the tarp-roof of the tent and knelt in front of you.

“I brought you some chocolate,” he said, digging the bar from his pocket. “They started making s’mores, and you mentioned that you wanted one, but I figured it would melt in my pocket, so.” He held it out to you. A peace offering.

You took it, peeling open the wrapper to take a bite. The semi-sweet richness was enough to help you unwind the tension built up in your legs and arms. You must have sat like that for almost an hour, running the day’s events through your head over and over again.

Yelena wasn’t wrong. What right did you have to trauma you couldn't even remember?

“Walker says we’re all going hiking tomorrow,” Bob said.

You scoffed. “Who put him in charge?”

“Uh… Walker.” Bob shifted so he was sitting beside you. “I don’t think it’s a bad idea, though.”

“Right. Because all of us getting lost again, surrounded by mosquitoes and getting sunburned seems like a swell time.” “I think it will give us all a chance to just take it all in, you know? Have some quiet time together.”

“You make us sound like a really lame book club.”

“I wanted to start one, actually, but nobody else joined.” Bob looked forlornly at his lap, like a puppy with no one to play with.

You smiled and grabbed his hand. “I’ll be in your book club, Bob.”

His lips tugged up into his crooked smile. He brought your hand to his mouth, gentle kisses peppering your knuckles, then your palm, then the inside of your wrist. He did this whenever he could tell you were upset. You’d told him once that your anxiety always manifested most in your hands, whether it was shaking or fidgeting or digging your nails so deep into your palms, you had crescent shaped scars. He didn’t have to say anything. He would just hold your hand, kiss your skin, and whisper reassurances until you calmed down.

“Yelena feels bad,” he said quietly.

You leaned your head against his shoulder. “I know.” You’d known the second her face fell and she called after you. “I just need to be alone tonight.”

“Do you want me to leave?” He tried to not sound dejected, but it didn’t work.

You laughed lightly and nuzzled in closer. “You don’t count.”

“Oh.” He liked it when you tucked your head under his chin like this, fitting like you were always meant to be there. “Good.”

The two of you stayed like that for a while before shifting to lie down. You’d managed to find an extra large sleeping bag you could both fit into, holding onto each other like life preservers.

“You know,” Bob started, peering down at you with a slight glimmer of mischief. “We could piss off Walker and pretend to have sex.” You raised a brow. “Why would we pretend to have sex, Bob?”

“Because it would be funny,” he beamed. “And tomorrow, we’ll say we have no idea what he’s talking about.”

Pulling back as much as you could, you looked up at him, Bob’s arms still locked around you. “Are you saying you want to gaslight a guy with super soldier strength?”

Bob nodded.

You shrugged. “Alright.” And you let out the most pornographic moan you could muster.

Well, he was right about Walker being pissed. The next morning, the former Captain America replacement looked ready to tear his head off. But Bob, finding no small amount of satisfaction in frustrating Walker when he was being a bully, just smiled and said good morning. You did the same, but decided to poke the bear a little more.

“Sleep okay, John?” You asked. Bob hid his snort behind his hand.

“You know I didn’t,” Walker hissed. “You are both so unprofessional, lacking in self-control and-”

You cut him off. “I’m sorry, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

His face turned red. “I heard you two sickos last night.”

��Last night?” Bob looked at you with feigned, innocent confusion. “You didn’t even come back to the tent last night, did you?”

You shook your head and mimicked his sweet little deer-in-headlights look. “I camped out under the stars. Needed all that fresh air after such a long car ride.”

“Do you think I’m stupid?”

You crossed your arms. “I don’t think you want me to answer that.”

“What’s going on?” Yelena asked, eyes flicking toward you.

You tried to ignore the still stinging stab of her words and carried on with the joke.

“I heard the two of them… committing the act last night,” Walker whined, sounding so much like a teenage douchebag you had to hide your face behind Bob’s shoulder to keep from laughing.

Yelena sighed. “We are adults, Walker. You can say the word sex.” She glanced between you and Bob, and you saw a flash of understanding. “I didn’t hear anything.”

Walker’s mouth opened and closed, the redness in his cheeks spreading all the way to his ears. He glared daggers at the two of you.

“You know what? Forget it.” He grumbled, starting toward the trailhead. “Freaks.”

With him gone, you and Bob gave each other a high five and burst with laughter. He leaned over with wheezing breaths mixed with that bubble giggle you couldn’t get enough of.

“I’ll admit, it was funny,” Yelena said. “But did you have to fake it so loud?”

You took a second to catch your breath. “Sorry.”

“Wait. How did you know we were faking?”

Yelena rolled her eyes. “Because I am a woman, Bob. I know what a fake orgasm sounds like.”

His cheeks turned pink, lips forming a line. “I thought it was pretty convincing,” he muttered.

You patted his shoulder. “It’s the only time. I promise.”

“And this is not a conversation I want to be part of.” Yelena turned on her heel, fingers in her ears. “Goodbye. Weirdos.”

You slipped your hand into Bob’s, grateful for his warmth. Giving him a small smile, you tugged him forward to where the others were waiting. Walker, of course, was decked out in full hiking gear- walking stick and all. The rest of you just had slightly more comfortable versions of what you wore for missions. Bob had his blue sweater and the rare pair of jeans tugged over his hiking boots.

“Are you wearing shorts?” Ava’s nose wrinkled in disgust at Walker’s outfit.

“When all of you are begging to cool off, I don’t want to hear it,” he huffed, turning to the rest of you. “Alright, everybody, listen up. I have selected two potential hikes for today. One is a technical, ten-mile round trip that will push each of us and improve our ability to maneuver in the wilderness.” He stared each of you down like a drill sergeant. Landing on Bob, his shoulders slumped like he already knew the answer. “The other is two miles to a waterfall.”

The group exchanged a look, speaking all together.

“Waterfall.”

Your not-so-merry band of seven marched along the decently marked trail with just a few steep inclines and tree roots to climb over. All in all, it really was a beautiful day. The sun wasn’t too hot, a breeze carried the smell of late blossoms in the air, and birds sang their songs back and forth over your heads. It was the first time since you’d left the city that nobody bickered.

Walker lead the group with you and Bob taking up the back, pausing every once in a while to look at a flower or a bird or, once, even a deer. Everything here seemed more vibrant, more welcoming. In the city, you were lucky if you saw a pine outside of the park. You’d forgotten what it was like to just stop and appreciate the world instead of constantly trying to fight it.

“I read that you aren’t supposed to pick the flowers out here,” Bob said, leaning so only you would hear. “But I would get you that one.” He pointed to a small bunch of bluebells. “Blue…water… I think it fits.”

“Okay, maybe we really are nauseating,” you groaned, leaning into him with your arm around his waist. “But you are adorable, so I'll let it pass.”

“We could be worse,” Bob reasoned, a laugh teasing his voice. “We could have actually had sex last night.”

“Don’t tempt me, Reynolds.”

He always looked cute when he blushed.

The two of you trekked along behind the others, more at ease than you’d been in a long time. It was more than just peaceful. It was… familiar.

But that didn’t make any sense. The file Valentina gave you indicated you were a runaway from Nevada. Not a whole lot of tranquil forests in the desert. Still, something about this path reminded you of something. The more it did, though, the more that peaceful feeling faded, replaced by a fear you hadn’t felt in a long time. Like a child waiting for a monster to jump out of the dark.

“If you need a break, you have to tell the rest of us,” Walker scolded. “This is how people get left behind and get lost, Y/N.”

You hadn’t even realized you’d stopped walking. Everyone had turned back on the path, each confused, a few annoyed. It was Bucky who figured it out. Maybe because he recognized the look in your eyes, or maybe it was because he knew how it felt to have your mind not be your own.

“What is it?” He asked at the same moment Bob took your hand.

“You okay?” His soft, sweet, typical tone brought you back to the moment, but it was Bucky’s watching eyes that made you nod.

“Yeah. Fine,” you said, ploying forward. “Let’s keep moving.”

You hiked ahead, leaving Bob at the back of the line to receive the rest of the questioning looks from the others. He ducked his head, avoided their gaze, and scrambled to catch up with you.

You reached the waterfall first.

The second you saw the rushing water, you were glad they couldn’t see you yet. Your knees buckled, lungs filling up with a past memory as your mind flooded.

It came in flashes, like scenes in a broken film reel, sputtering and flickering in front of you. What you remembered most was drowning. Over and over, the water filled your lungs until you would wake up to a pair of eyes like ice hovering over you. A smile, twisted by selfish pride sent shivers through you.

When it all stopped, you were standing beneath a waterfall. Not the same one, but the roar of both filled your head as you shoved Dr. White’s form under water, channeling the crash of the falls into his mouth until that frigid stare closed forever.

And then you were back. The waterfall was still in front of you, crashing into the river that led back to the lake. You couldn’t breathe, the memory of being held under again and again filling your lungs with a phantom current. Your knees hit the ground. You gasped for air.

Dr. White. You finally had a name for the face that haunted the nightmares that always faded too quickly. The head scientist of Project Rain. The man who turned you into the monster that killed him.

Your hand clawed at your throat. You waited to cough up a lakeful of water, but there was nothing. It was like your powers had turned against your body, and the two were caught in battle inside you.

“Y/N? Oh my god, Y/N!” Bob ran to you, kneeling by your side as the others rushed to join. He reached for you, but didn’t want to make things worse, so his fingers only lightly grazed your cheek. “What is it? What can I do?”

“Get out of the way,” Ava snapped, pushing Bob aside. Her pale green eyes bore into yours. “I know what’s happening.”

Bob’s voice broke. “Then do something!” He pleaded.

“Don’t let them overwhelm you,” Ava said. She took your face in her hands to steady you. “You are in control, Y/N. You are in control.” The force of her words broke through the tempest inside you. She let you go as the gulps turned to shudders. “Now breathe,” she said. “Just breathe.”

Whatever she did, it worked. Bob watched your body relax at least enough to take several slow, deep breaths. You sat back on your calves. He wrapped an arm around your waist to keep you from falling over.

“I've got you,” he whispered, kissing your temple. You nodded weakly against him, lowering your head to avoid everyone’s stares.

But Bucky wasn’t watching you anymore. He was watching Bob, a combination of understanding, and a more than a little guilt, washing over him.

“This will only lead to more problems. More bad memories.” He’d said during that stupid, stupid fight. “For both of you.”

But seeing the two of you together now, James Barnes had to admit that he was wrong. This was a fling to distract both of you. It wasn’t a trick to make you both feel normal. It was real.

“Alright, let’s give her some space,” Bucky said, still observing the way Bob had changed. He wasn’t the nervous, quiet man he usually was. He was steady and held onto you like he was keeping you from drifting away. All this time, Bucky had assumed you were Bob’s anchor, the thing that kept him grounded. He’d only ever seen the one side, thinking that was what was going to hurt you both in the end. He never considered that he was your anchor, too. That Bob was your Sentry.

The group dispersed, each choosing a section of the river to sit by. There was a small pond shooting off from the stream that Ava and Yelena decided to swim in. Alexia cannon-balled off the waterfall, splashing both of them. Walker got in, too, eventually, and Bucky sat by the bank, arm glistening in the sun. Bob never left your side. He held you no matter how hard your body shivered against him. Each quiet whimper from you was like a bullet to his chest- or how he imagined a bullet would really feel.

“I’ve waited for years to remember,” you said, voice muffled against his shoulder. “W-why now?” You pushed back, taking in another long look of your surroundings. None of it was familiar and yet you knew it was connected to you.

“Are you sure you haven’t been here before?” Bob asked, still reaching out for you even as you stood.

“Not her,e no.” That much you were sure of. “It was a lab. It was designed to look natural. It was supposed to test my abilities.” Saying the words did little to help you. It still felt like you were watching someone else’s life. And you still couldn’t remember who you were before.

Bob’s fingers interlocked with yours, the chill of your skin worrying him.

“Maybe we should go back.”

You stepped away from his hold, shaking your head. With a swift series of motions, you pulled your shirt over your head and stepped out of your cargo pants until you were in your sports bra and underwear. Then, you took a few steps forward… and jumped

“Y/N!” Bob’s voice was overpowered by the crash of water around you. For the first few seconds, it was like trying to swim through ice, every muscle in your body screaming in protest. By the time your head broke the surface, though, the water felt like it was a part of you.

Bob stood on the bank, half-stripped down in case he needed to jump in after you.

“What are you doing?” He exclaimed.

A laugh bubbled up from your chest, genuine and warm. “What does it look like?” You did a somersault in the water. “I’m swimming!”

You’d forgotten what it felt like, to embrace the water rather than fear it.

Maybe that's why your mind let you remember. You finally felt safe enough to face it.

“Come on!” You called to both Bob and Bucky. They were the only two left on land.

“I’ll pass, thanks,” Bucky mumbled.

You frowned, raising your hand above the water. With a flick of your wrist, you sent a large wave splashing over the side of the pond and all over the buzzkill Winter Soldier.

Everybody froze, anxiously awaiting his reaction. For a long, perilous second, he just stared at you, hair dripping. Bucky stood calmly, gaze never faltering and expression hard.

“This means war, Y/N,” he said and took off running toward you, jumping into the water close enough to send a great wave in your direction.

“Hey wait!” Bob called, diving in as well.

Thus began the water war of the New Avengers. Of course, nobody really took into account that they were battling someone who literally controlled water. At one point, you just created a wall encircling you and Bob and let the others tire themselves.

The barrier of water sparkled in the sunlight around you, reflecting in Bob’s crystal eyes.

“God, I love you,” he awed.

You grinned, throwing your arms around him and pulling his lips to yours in a kiss that said ‘I love you too.’ With your focus broken, the wall fell in sheets that perfectly caught the sun, turning each drop into a rainbow.

“Oh gross!” Walker exclaimed, but even he was smiling.

“Get a room,” Alexei teased, adding with a wink, “or maybe just a tent.”

“Don’t even think about it,” Walker said, which made Yelena snort.

With everyone gathered around you, you couldn’t help the affection you felt in the sting of welling tears.

Bob’s face morphed with concern. He brushed a soaked strand out of your face. “What is it?”

“Nothing, I-” Your voice cracked as you looked at each member of your team. Your family. “This is what I want to remember.”

A warm quiet filled the circle. Bob wrapped his around your middle and kissed your cheek.

“Wow, Y/N,” Bucky said softly. “That’s really- I mean, that was just…” He trailed off, distracting you enough to send a massive splash your way with his metal arm.

You squealed and laughed and the water war started all over again.

#lewis pullman imagine #marvel imagines #lewis pullman #comfort imagine #thunderbolts #bob reynolds #robert reynolds x reader #thunderbolts imagines #robert reynolds

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fandom-imagines-stories · 20 days ago

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It'll Pass

Robert Reynolds x Reader

Words: 2881

Summary: During a depressive episode, the reader tries to play off that everything is fine. Her boyfriend sees right through it.

Notes: I know that I probably right the same tropes over and over just using different characters, but comfort imagines are how I cope with the real world, okay? As always with these, this is based on my own experience and I can only hope it helps some of you through something similar (or that you just have fun and enjoy cozy, comforting Bob) I also accidentally started and finished this today… oops. But like I said, I write what I need in the moment and for the last few days, a Robert Reynolds hug is what I need.

More Thunderbolts and Marvel: HERE

It started in the mornings. Sometimes it would take a while to settle in, but days like today, from the minute you opened your eyes, you could feel it. Empty. It was more than just exhaustion, though if anyone asked, that’s what you always said.

“I’m just tired.”

It wasn’t a lie. You were. You were tired of every movement, every thought, and every breath. It seemed even the smallest steps took insurmountable amounts of effort. But you could grin and bear it another day. You knew you could.

You sat up, the blankets of your bed bunching at your waist. Your alarm hadn’t gone off yet–wouldn’t for another hour, but you didn’t see yourself getting any more sleep. Gently folding the corner of the comforter back, you slipped out, careful not to make too much noise.

He slept soundly, arm still stretched out where he was holding you through the night. A curl of honey-brown hair had fallen into his face, tickling his nose. You smiled to yourself and tucked it back, a spark of something in your chest fading as quickly as it had come.

Bob muttered something in his sleep, but didn’t wake up.

You padded toward the bathroom, stretching your limbs as you walked. The morning rolled over you in waves, like the muscles rippling under your skin with every stretch. The sun wasn’t up yet–or it was just too cloudy to see, leaving everything pretty dark. You didn’t mind, though, knowing everything well enough by now to make your way around–even if it wasn’t your room.

The pit stayed through your shower and through getting dressed. It didn’t go anywhere when you made your way to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. It remained, buried in your stomach. You almost wished it hurt, at least then it would feel like something. Instead, it filled you with a nothingness you couldn’t shake.

It was worse than yesterday, deeper, like you’d been pushed further underwater. No, that wasn’t quite it. It was more like the barrier around you was thicker, taller, and harder to see over. There were days that you felt like you were treading water, but those days you still felt like you were moving. Today would just be different.

There was one thing you could feel through that dark, deep pit.

Guilt.

What reason did you have to feel like this? You were finally in a good place in your life. You had people. You had a purpose. You had a boyfriend you loved and who loved you like you were made of sunlight. So why, on days like today, did it feel like you’d never be excited about anything again? That you’d never be happy again?

You sipped your coffee in front of the big windows, catching a glimpse of your reflection. You looked the same, but somehow, you could tell something was different. The Blue Flame had lost her spark.

You turned away. Now you were just being dramatic.

“You’re up early,” Walker said, finishing out the pot you made into his mug. “Thanks for making coffee.”

You leaned against the back of the couch. “You’re welcome. What are you doing up?”

He shrugged. “I’ve never been one to sleep in.” Steam wafted up around his face. “Where’s Bob?”

“We aren’t joined at the hip, you know,” you shot back, looking down at your drink, adding in a low voice, “he’s still in bed.” The dark liquid swirled around in your mug. You’d forgotten the cream. “We have anything on the docket for today?”

Again, Walker just shrugged. “Not that I know of.”

You nodded.

He nodded.

That was the extent of your relationship with Walker. Not unpleasant–most of the time–but not particularly close, either. He seemed that way with everyone on the team, though, and you couldn't help but wonder if he wasn’t closing himself off as protection. Hell, it was something you were all pros at.

“I’m going to go for a run,” he said, setting the coffee down. “Do you… want to join?”

You shook your head, and he tried not to sigh with relief.

The rest of the morning you spent alone, sitting in the living room with your back to the penthouse. You watched the clouds outside and the slow movements of a city waking up. It was nice. Or it would have been, if you could feel anything beyond the darkness in your chest.

A form jumped over the back of the couch and landed next to you. “Why are you being weird?”

Yelena asked, blonde hair askew from just waking up.

“What?”

“You’re sitting in front of the window all broody. Why?”

“I’m just sitting.”

“Yes. Broody.” She narrowed her eyes, leaning toward you. “This isn’t like last time, is it?”

“No, Yelena. Bob did not accidentally get into my mind and witness my worst moments, but thank you for bringing that up.” Your voice remained flat despite your attempts at teasing. “I’ve only been awake for, like, an hour.”

“You are more than just–what’s it called?”

“Exhausted?”

“Grumpy,” she said. “You are not just grumpy.”

“Are you always like this this early?”

“I’m going to get burritos. Do you want a burrito?”

You started to shake your head, but the sound of your stomach growling answered for you.

“I’ll get extra salsa.” She leaped back over the couch and started for the door. “When I come back, feel better!”

You gave her a mock salute in a false promise.

Great. Yelena could see through you. The last thing you needed was for everyone to make a deal of this. Some days you were just… this. Whatever this was.

When everything in you felt trapped inside and completely empty all at once. All you wanted to do was lie in bed and stare at the wall until you fell asleep in the hopes that you would feel better when you woke up.

A little, nagging reminder of that thing you’d been told about not so long ago. Depression. But you had nothing to be depressed about, so you weren’t going to call it that.

You were tired. That’s all.

By the time Alexei and Ava get around, you picked up a book from one of the dozens of shelves Valentina stocked for ‘aesthetic purposes.’ You couldn’t really focus on the words, but at least it gave you something to do with your hands.

“When did you take up an interest in Alaskan crab hunting?” Bucky stood in front of you, brow raised.

You looked at the cover.

It was Great Expectations.

He shrugged. “Just wanted to see if you were paying attention. Judging by your face, you weren’t.”

“Good morning to you too, Barnes.”

“What’s wrong?”

You let the book fall into your lap. “Why does everyone keep asking me that?”

He held up his hands and walked away, casting you another knowing look before retreating back toward the halls. Bucky passed Bob on his way back, the latter rubbing his eyes and yawning.

“Morning,” Bob muttered.

Bucky brushed by him with a short nod.

He shuffled his way out to the living room, eyes lighting up when he saw you on the couch.

“Good morning,” he said, a little brighter now.

You plastered on a smile that didn’t reach your eyes and waved, pretending to be very invested in your not-crab-related book. He kept glancing over at you as he made himself some breakfast–simple toast with butter and cinnamon. He made you some, too. While there was nothing outwardly different, he could tell something was… off about you. When he held out the toast to you, you barely even realized he was there.

“Thanks,” you said softly, taking a few small bites and setting it aside. “Did you sleep okay?”

He nodded, curling up beside you on the sofa with his legs tucked up under him. You could feel him looking at you in that way he did when he was trying to figure you out. So you did what you could to smile bigger and ran your fingers through his hair.

“Good. Yelena is also picking up burritos, so I guess we’re having a big breakfast today.”

“Oh.” He looked down at the plates. “Sorry.”

“You made me food, Bob,” you laughed lightly. “You never have to apologize for that.” You made a show of taking another bite even though eating left you feeling emptier than you had before. You laid your head on his shoulder, hoping the contact would do something. It did, a little, but not enough to shake the nothingness.

“Hey,” he said, shrugging a little to get your attention. “You okay?”

You hummed, eyes staring out at the grey. “Yup.”

He tensed next to you, unconvinced. You weren’t sure you had much more energy to do anything about it, so you stood from the couch, kissing his cheek as you went.

“I’m going to get some work done,” you said.

“Oh, uh, okay.”

“Let me know when Yelena gets back.”

“Yup. Okay.” Bob watched you go, brows furrowed. He was sure things had been going okay. He hadn’t had any more incidents like the two of you had a few months back, so it wasn’t that. He always stayed up a little later than you to make sure you got to sleep okay, and he was a lighter sleeper, so he’d have known if you had any nightmares the night before. So what was wrong?

He took another big bite, getting a little bit of cinnamon on his nose, pondering the question.

“Are you going to eat that?” Alexei pointed at the plate you’d left on the arm of the couch.

Bob sighed and shook his head, the older man immediately snatching up the snack and scarfing it down. Alexei walked off to look over more advertisement options while Bob stayed on the couch, thinking about you and what could be going on in that beautiful mind of yours.

Sometimes, things would get better as the day went along. You would start to feel more like yourself. Keeping your head up wouldn't take so much effort. But even as the sun went down, it felt like you were still sitting on the couch, looking out over the city, unable to switch on something inside you, like a light that had burnt out.

It’s not like you weren’t trying. You’d spent the whole day acting like everything was normal, hoping it would just be normal. You worked out–spending hours on the treadmill letting the repetitive motion of running put you in a trance that let you shut out everything, just like the walls built inside want you to. You ran until your legs could barely move, and even after that, you walked for another hour. Lungs burning and limbs shaking, you made your way back to your room to take another shower.

When you got out, Bob was waiting. At least he wasn’t hidden in the corner giving you a heart attack this time.

“What’s–” He inhaled sharply. “Something is wrong. What’s wrong?” Bob held up a hand before you could pretend. “And don’t tell me nothing because I know something is. I don’t know how, but I do. Whenever you’re upset, I can just tell and I really hate not knowing how to fix it and–”

“Ren,” you cut him off, keeping your distance between the two of you even though you wanted to tackle him in a hug. “You don’t have to fix anything.” With a low, accepting break, you let your shoulders slump. “It just is.”

He stood up, closing the space between you when you couldn't. Bob ran his hands over your shoulders, down to your hands. It didn’t take anything else than that. He knew just what to do.

“It’s just kinda all… empty, right?” He asked, voice quiet and touch gentle. “Like there’s something that didn’t switch on and now everything just feels shut off?”

You blinked back at him, the surprise of the moment the first thing you’d really felt all day. Bob gave you a small, sure smile and shrugged.

“I get that too, sometimes.”

“You do?”

His hands slipped around your sides to the small of your back, pulling you closer. “You do remember the scary shadow monster I turned into, right?”

“Yeah, but this isn’t–” You shook your head. “This isn’t that. This is nothing. Everything is going well. I feel fine, normally.”

“Just because things are going well doesn’t mean you are always going to feel well, Y/N.” He leaned his forehead against yours, his warmth encompassing you so much that it relieved the tension in your arms and legs. He pulled back, brows furrowed. “When was the last time you cried?”

“What?” You snorted.

“I’m serious.” Bob’s fingers splayed across your back, running up and down. “When was the last time you had a good, solid, snot-nosed cry?”

“You make it sound so appealing.”

He pursed his lips in that pretend-mad way that was too cute to shrug off.

“Okay, okay,” you conceded. “I don’t know. Probably a couple of months?”

Bob’s fingers returned to interlace with yours and pulled you toward the door. “Then I know what we’re doing tonight.”

“Are you sure this is going to work?” You huffed, sinking further down into the sofa. There was a separate room from the living room with a big TV that nobody ever used, which was perfect for your purposes tonight. You didn’t want anybody witnessing you if you were going to end up blubbering like an idiot over a movie.

Bob held up the plastic case. “Oh. This is going to work. Whenever I was feeling down and just needed to let myself feel it, I would put this on. Had me crying every time. It’s about these two kids–”

“I know what Bridge to Terabithia is, Ren.” You crossed your arms, trying to remember if you ever watched it growing up. Your dad didn’t exactly have his lab stocked with movies. “I just hope you're right.”

With a lot of persuading and puppy dog eyes, Bob convinced you that having a night to let yourself cry over something as silly as a film would maybe help you start to feel normal again.

He put the disk in the player and sat beside you, laying a hand on your cheek. “And if you’re still feeling like this tomorrow, we’ll figure out what works. Sometimes, it’s just time, but it’ll pass. I know it will.”

You could have broken down right there, but it still felt like everything was being held up behind a barrier inside.

As the movie played, you could feel yourself loosening in his hold a bit, relaxing and melting into him. Bob kept an arm around you, the other occasionally feeding you popcorn. In any other circumstance, it would have been a pretty nice date. Maybe, despite everything, it still was.

It was getting toward the end when you felt it–the first tear. It slipped down your cheek silently compared to Bob, who was already a sniffling mess. A few more, and your breathing turned into sobs. Bob’s hold on you tightened, letting you lean against him. Maybe it was the movie or maybe it was the weight of everything crashing out, but god, it felt strangely so good to let it all wash over you.

By the time the credits rolled, you were both crying hard, but he’d seen it enough to be able to pull himself together pretty quickly. He wrapped you in his arms, pulling you into his lap, and let you cry on his shoulder for as long as you needed.

Sure, it hurt. The sobs wracked your body and the tears made your cheeks sticky and it was hard to breathe. But you could feel it all. That’s what mattered.

Bob pulled back a little, wiping your cheeks with his thumb and pushing your hair out of your face in the same soft motion.

“So?” He wondered.

You leaned into him, pressing a short, sweet kiss to his lips. “I love you.”

“That’s good,” he muttered against your lips. “Because I pretty much broke out the big guns with that one.”

“Oh, the big guns, huh?” You teased.

He shrugged. “It broke through your cold, black, tough-woman heart, didn’t it?”

You playfully punched him and he kissed you again.

“I love you too, Y/N.” He whispered. “I love you so much. That will never pass. But this will.” You settled against him and Bob lifted you up, carrying both of you back to his room.

He was right, of course. It would pass, eventually. Whether or not that was tomorrow or the next day or the next, the emptiness and dark would leave way for something better. Something bright. And you would be okay.

“Ren?” You said, the two of you sprawled across his bed. He tucked the comforter up around you before pulling you back to his chest.

“Yeah?”

You rested your chin on his chest, looking up at him. “Do you want to watch another movie tomorrow?”

Another smile played on his face. “That sounds great.” You cuddled up to him again and, as you fell asleep, you felt. You could feel it all.

#marvel imagines #lewis pullman imagine #robert reynolds x reader #bob reynolds #bob thunderbolts #thunderbolts imagines #thunderbolts #lewis pullman #comfort imagine #written in a day

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