shegoesbyarose

[shegoesbyarose]

Samcedes. That’s what I’m writing next. Gotta do another part for Clark Kent, as well.

[shegoesbyarose]

𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒍𝒍 𝑨𝒔𝒌 𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝑴𝒆 ⟨𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑘 𝑘.⟩

Words: 4.5K

Warnings: Some angst and intense scenes

Song Inspo: You’ll Ask For Me by Tyler Hilton

A/N: Lemme know what you think. I have two specific scenes for this pairing in my head. Not much more after that. This is a “whim” fic. OC is a WOC. 

❖❖❖

“Do you really live on a plane?”

Artemis smiled as she tucked the brown carry-on into the overhead bin. If only she had a dime for every time she received that question.

Securing the bin, she placed a hand on her hip and wiggled her brows. “Maybe.

His green eyes widened. “Do you have your own room? I share mine with my brother.”

She feigned surprise. “You do?”

“Uh huh.” He nodded enthusiastically. “Do you have a brother?”

She paused and smiled. “I do. He’s around your age, actually.”

“Really? What’s his name? Does he like Pokemon?”

Artemis chuckled. Kids and their litany of questions, not to mention the constant bouncing back and forth between topics.

“His name is Kalep,” she answered, bending down to tap his nose. “And he loves Pokemon.”

“Awesome,” Bailey smiled, revealing the gap between his two front teeth.

Lana walked over and placed her hand on Artemis shoulder. “Bailey, just when I thought we were gonna be best buds. You switching out on me?”

Bailey grinned. “I like a lot of buddies.”

Lana and Artemis shared an amused look.

“You heard him. Stop being selfish,” Artemis taunted. “Be right back.” She moved down the aisle, answering a few questions here and there.

Artemis then moved onto checking the overhead bins. Rest assured, a couple would be incorrectly shut. As she reached for the third bin that needed to be properly secured, she first glanced down to notice that the passenger was being over, digging in a bag.

As she finished closing it and looked back down, she met striking azure eyes crystallized between black, thick rimmed glasses, and a warm smile.

“Sorry,” he apologized.

She returned his grin. “First time flying?”

“You could say that.” He chuckled. “That obvious?”

“Naw.” She shrugged. “I’m just pretty good at reading people, and you, sir, have the look of someone who’s never been privy to being 30,000 feet in the air. You’re in for a treat.”

“Well, thank you, ma’am—”

“Oh god, please don’t. Artemis, my name is Artemis.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Artemis. I’m Clark. Clark Kent.”

Her grin diminished as a flyer placed his hand on the small of her back, quickly shifting it downward to her ass. He gave a light squeeze before continuing his walk to his seat.

She retained an eye roll and resurfaced her grin, even as Clark’s dimmed.

“Nice meeting you too, Clark.”

“I’m sorry.” She paused, confused. He looked surprised too, only for a second. “The overhead bin,” he quickly added.

“Oh.” She waved her hand. “It’s the least of my problems.”

“I’ll bet,” he murmured.

“Let me know if you need anything—”

“Artemis!” Bailey stood on the seat, leaned over so he was grasping at the passenger in front of him headrest. She looked back at Clark. “Or any of us.”

He nodded. “Will do.”

That was the first time they met.

The second time would be under similar but very different circumstances.

❖❖❖

Artemis was a ready reserve for Lana who was set to fly a special first time joint venture with the air force. Artemis didn’t mind. Lana had a family emergency, and they were friends. That’s what friends are for.

The speaker was a bit of a bitch, but that didn’t bother Artemis. She’d come across so many different types of individuals, some nice, some not so much. It never mattered, though, as long as she got her paycheck.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly. Even with the kids on board. She didn’t quite understand why in the hell they had minors on board, but not many things made sense to her when it came to Metropolis.

She was chatting with one of said kids who was fascinated by her name. Apparently, it was the same as one of his favorite characters from some book series. She prepared to ask which one when everything went dark.

Artemis looked around. She’d been trained to respond to countless scenarios, but this was different. She quickly excused herself and stood up, moving down the aisle to correspond with the other attendants.

She knew something was wrong. Hell, she could feel it. This was something that just oozed of malfunction. That much was obvious. However, she felt all of the young, frightened eyes on her. Even though she was concerned, she refused to show it. She had to remain calm, not incite panic among the kids.

Artemis helped  children get strapped in. At one point during the flight, they were all secured and yapping among themselves. Somewhere between the taxi and takeoff, they maneuvered out of their seats and moved about.

However, that plan went to hell at the same time the power went out again, and this time, it didn’t come back on shortly after. No, conditions quickly deteriorated. One minute she was helping the children secure their seatbelts, and the next, she was holding them against her body as the plane began to violently jerk.

In the event of turbulence, there was training. There was training for everything, but the fact that she just knew that this was beyond turbulence didn’t help. Still, she managed to keep her emotions at bay. Better than the other attendants who failed to hide their concern.

They too realized that something had gone terribly wrong.

And it only continued to worsen. Infrequent jerking transitioned into abnormal shifts in directions. The plane was moving about like a rag doll, simultaneously, forcing Artemis around and against various seats, walls, and armrests. She bit back her groans and moans of pain.

Help now.

Feel later.

Screams, shouts, beeping, and all sorts of chaos occurred around her. Still, she remained calm. In the kids, she saw Kalep. What if he were there? She’d want whoever was in charge to help him remain as calm as possible, no matter how grim the outcome appeared.

But, things only exacerbated.

The plane was angled almost entirely upward, and Artemis felt the absolute brunt of the trajectory as she continued to be tossed about the plane. Her shoulder was dislocated and the red liquid coating her fingertips after feeling on her abdomen told her that her injuries were becoming more severe by the minute, second, even.

Still, she couldn’t shake the terrified expressions of the children whose cries only increased in volume and intensity.

Even the adults were becoming choked up.

It was utter madness and chaos beyond comprehension.

For a second, she contemplated the most dire and maybe realistic outcome.

Is this how she would meet her maker? Thousands of feet up in the air, bloodied and battered, completely helpless to do nothing but make everyone as comfortable as she possibly could given the circumstances.

When was the last time she FaceTime’d her family? Purchased Kalep a game off of the Playstation Store?

Hell, she hadn’t seen the inside of her apartment for almost a month.

And now, she never would.

It was all a culmination of feelings and thoughts. Regrets at what could have been. Sadness at what would never be. Anger at the finality of it all.

Death.

And then a thought, if this truly was the end, did it mean the beginning of something else? A reunion she’d longed for for over a decade?

If only she knew it would happen like this.

Her eyes slammed shut as wetness pooled and spilled. Consciousness was a battle she was gradually losing.

But nothing had ever come easy, nothing that she really wanted, anyway.

She would hold on as long as she possibly could, as long as was possible.

And she’d spend the last of her energy making the children as comfortable as she could, even if it was only a fragment of comfort.

Plastered against the back of the plane, Artemis turned to the window. Everything was whipping by with such abnormal speed, red heat and flames of the fire lashing against the side of the plane.

She didn’t even want to imagine what the outside looked like, given the bedlam transpiring inside.

But what did still her was the quick flash of something that came and disappeared in under a second.

It was far too large to be a bird, much smaller than a plane, but the speed at which it moved…… It was almost beyond human comprehension.

I think hallucinations are a sign of pending death.

A macabre thought, but not entirely inappropriate.

Her eyes fluttered moments before her body dropped, moving in an unnatural manner. At that point, she’d managed to block out the searing pain that traveled through her body. What point was there in trying to address something she couldn’t fix?

It was meritless and a waste of time.

And energy.

The ability to remain coherent enough to guesstimate just how much time they had left waned with each struggle to keep her eyes fully open. Even when they were opened, she kept looking toward the children. As if she could will them to meet her gaze. Maybe then she could try to assure them that they were going to be okay.

She took a deep swallow.

That was such a lie, but she’d rather their last minutes be filled with hope, even if it was an empty box.

They didn’t need to know that.

As her body dropped to the ground, she took a sharp breath and managed to flex her fingers. They seemed to be the only thing she could use.

Voices called her name. She briefly recognized them as belonging to the attendants.

She lifted her head and saw black shoes and sheer stockings covering tan skin moving closer.

She moaned. “I’m f—fine.” Something caught up, and Artemis choked up something. She blinked. Red. Blood. “Kids. H—h—help them.”

The walking ceased. “Art—”

“No,” she growled, fisting her hand against the ground. Seconds later, she was shifted again, thrown forward, her head colliding with something hard. She blinked several times. Her vision was good and hazy. Artemis was almost certain that she was seeing duplicates.

The descent was steady this time, downward, and fast.

Every breath felt struggled against the invisible weight of the trauma that suffocated her body. Her fingers flexed and wiggled. If only she could bring her arm into her body.

The chain around her neck, the tiny cross that hung tucked into her blouse. Not that it would do anything to help her, physically.

But the emotional comfort, the connection is reminded her of, it would dim everything.

So she attempted to pull her arm inward, a burning shooting through that immediately ceased all movement.

So much for that.

That was when the tears continued. One could only remain strong for so long.

And just like that, everything stopped.

The movement, at least.

Everything was so still.

Too still.

Was this it? Was this how it was? A noticeable void of everything that being alive represented.

It was……subpar. Far from what she’d always imagined the afterward would be.

Halfway unconscious, Artemis missed the noticeable gasps and harsh whispers that spread through the plane as the door was easily ripped and tossed aside.

The question of if everyone was alright followed by heavy footsteps and a shadowed darkness that covered her back.

Hands moved to her side, gently turning her on her back. She gasped violently, becoming somewhat aware of her surroundings.

Eyes. Warm yet cool eyes bore into hers. However, her involuntary reaction was to fight. She struggled, mustering as much strength as she could, attempting to push the person away.

Then she heard it, the quiet whisper of her name.

“Artemis.” She stilled and tried to focus her vision. Everything was just so foggy. “It’s alright.” Artemis continued to moan and groan, determined to fight, so he continued to reassure that it was fine.

But, it wasn’t.

She was dead.

……Wasn’t she?

Artemis calmed herself down enough to stop moving. The stranger took that moment to speak again.

“You’re hemorrhaging internally, and If I don’t cauterize this bleed…..” He trailed off. If Artemis was in the right frame of mind, she would have cursed him. That certainly wasn’t the extent of her injuries. She didn’t like being lied to.

Her brows furrowed. How. Who. What.

All unasked questions he somehow detected.

“I can do things that other people can’t.” She shut her eyes and gasped. If breathing was difficult now, it was unbearable now. “Hold my hand.” He didn’t wait for her to respond, placing his over hers. She calmed down, ever so slightly. “This is gonna hurt.”

It wasn’t as though she was any position to speak, and even if she did, the scream that left her mouth seconds later spoke volumes more than any word could.

To her credit, the pain only lasted for a few moments, having lost the battle to consciousness.

❖❖❖

Hospitals sucked.

Of that, Artemis was 10000% sure of, to the point where she was prepared to defend it to the very end.

Every wall, floor, building, everything about it reeked of death. If not for you, for someone you knew.

Rarely anything good came from visiting one, let alone being admitted. Sadly, that was the case for her.

She’d been stuck at Metro General for over a week, and each day brought her that much closer to seeing if she could make a break for it.

Even though, deep down, she knew that was ridiculous.

She’d been significantly injured. Artemis lost count of how many times she was told that she was lucky to be alive.

More than she’d like to count.

Really, the fact that there were no other fatalities was enough for her. Sure, there were injuries, but nothing as severe as hers. From her knowledge, she was the only one still being held hostage.

And even if the hospital itself wasn’t bad enough, the damn people were just as bad.

Maybe not the doctors and nurses, and the staff. She admired them.

No, the damn people who visited her every hour on the hour, she felt like.

Lana had been at her beside from the moment she was rushed into the OR.

Guilt, she figured.

Artemis focused her gaze on the vase of flowers on the side of the bed. They were different from the one’s she received just this morning. However, the change wasn’t what circulated her mind.

No, it was the reason she was still alive.

Him. Her rescuer. She barely remembered what occurred, but she distinctly recalled his eyes, the way he looked at her, her name on his mouth.

Who was he? What was he?

She’d first thought she’d been dreaming. How could another person do what he’d done?

Flew up into the sky and separated a damn shuttle from a plane, stopped the plane from crashing, cauterized her wound, flew her to the hospital, and who knew what else.It was all too unreal, impossible to be reality.

But everyone else had saw him.

And Artemis heard him.

Whoever, whatever, he was, he knew her name.

And he’d saved her.

She was alive because of him.

For that…..she was beyond thankful. Still very much confused, but thankful.

Unfortunately, the world was also confused, and as the only person to have such direct contact with him, she was highly sought out.

Not to mention, everyone was praising her for being so “heroic.” Whatever that meant.

Reaching over the bed, she grabbed the card and flipped it over to see two letters followed by periods. Initials.

C.K.

Artemis frowned. Who?

A knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts. She prepared to give the same scripted reply to the nurse on duty. She then paused as she was met with the same warm smile she’d first encountered a few weeks ago.

She leaned back against the pillows and paused. “Hi.”

“Hi.” He stood in the doorway. “Is it alright—”

“Oh, yeah,” she waved him in, sitting up as much as she could. Her eyes then fell on the bouquet in his right hand. “Please tell me those aren’t for me.”

He squinted. “What happens if I say yes?”

“Add em’ to the rest,” she sighed and smiled. “Thank you. They’re beautiful. I just don’t know if I’m going to have any room in my apartment if I receive anymore.” He handed them to her. She sniffed and closed her eyes. Lillies. Her favorites.

“Clark, right?”

He nodded. “Yeah.” She leaned and placed them on the remaining free space oo her side table. They were smaller than some of the others, but she wanted them to be the closest to her.

“I’d ask you how you’re doing but—”

“I’m sick of hearing that question,” she finished for him with a small smile. “How did you—you’re a reporter.” The bag on his shoulder, the almost embarrassed expression when she said it, it was obvious.

She prepared to send him away as she did the rest, but there was something different about him. Something genuine.

Artemis was willing to give him something. Not much.

“Look, all I know is that I owe him my life. Me and everyone else on that plane. I don’t know anything else.”

Clark crossed his arms. “I’m sorry?”

“That’s what you’re here for, right? The mystery hero?”

“Not my story.” He smiled and adjusted his glasses. “I’m actually here for you.”

She stilled. “Oh.” Well, that was unexpected.

“I work for the Daily Planet. We’d like to do a story on you. The mystery hero wasn’t the only one who saved lives. They say a lot of those kids are alive because of you.”

She shrugged. “I just did what anyone else would have done.”

“Not everyone.” He frowned.

Artemis picked at the hospital bedding. “You have any siblings, Clark?” He shook his head. “I do. Two. My brother’s name is Kalep. He’s ten. The sweetest and most annoying kid ever.” She smiled softly, remembering his big brown eyes in the FaceTime camera as Artemis reassured her father that he didn’t need to fly down.

Unnecessary money.

“Did you know that the youngest kid on that flight was eight?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “Eight-years old. Hell, you haven’t even started to live when you’re eight. I can’t imagine it all ending so soon. I’ve seen enough of this world. I would have been okay. No matter what happened.” She looked out the window and licked her lips before looking back at him. “I wouldn’t change anything I did. Not a damn thing.”

Clark said nothing, chuckling softly. “Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I am doing the story on the hero.” A beat. “But she’s not a mystery.”

Artemis caught his gaze. There was something both familiar and comforting about him. She couldn’t place her finger on it, though.

“Okay, they sure do know who to send to get a story.” She shifted again. These beds were so damn uncomfortable. “I do hope they find him, though. He deserves it. I won’t even bitch if they throw him a parade or some shit. It’s well deserved.”

They both laughed as Artemis looked down, nodding slowly. “I just want to thank him, you know.”

“You’re not scared?”

“Of him?” She laughed. “No. Why would I be?”

“I mean, a guy who can fly. You don’t see them everyday.”

“There are a lot of things to be scared of in this world, Clark.” A beat. “He’s not one of them.”

❖❖❖

Artemis had never been so grateful to be home.

It was one thing to be away because of work. It was another to be away because she was physically unable to be home.

Thankfully, she’d been cleared and discharged. That was a few days ago, but each moment was more than appreciated.

She’d dusted, rearranged, hell, even cooked more than she had in all the time she’d been in Metropolis. Even whilst ambling around in a boot on her right leg.

Near death experiences tend to have that effect.

Not one for much television, she’d even started to rewatch One Tree Hill and was halfway through Homecoming. However, too much time in front of the screen triggered headaches, so she decided to switch out programming for a book on her wall of books.

She had so many that she’d purchased, started, yet never finished.

One of her new resolutions was to change that.

She loved to read.

It was one of the many fond memories she had. Being read to as she lay in bed, forcing herself just to stay up because no one told stories in such distinct voices as her.

Artemis settled on The Chaos of Standing Still. She noticed a bookmark toward the beginning and pulled it out. She could barely remember the plot, let alone the little that she’d read.

She scratched at her hair and made a mental note to order the bonnets that were waiting in her Amazon cart.

Ooh, she also needed to pay her cell phone bill. Maybe automatic payments weren’t so bad, because if she garnered one more goddamn late fee—

Artemis turned around and nearly fell flat on her ass. Thankfully, the book took one for the team, stumbling on her carpet. The bookmark laid next to it.

Across her room, close to the backdoor that led to the small balcony, he stood, cape lightly flowing behind him. The lighting was dimmed, but even with the lack of illumination, he stood out in the darkness. Representative of who he was, whoever that was.

“Umm, hi,” she blurted, placing her hand on her forehead. “How did you—” Her eyes shifted to the backdoor. “Never mind. Stupid question.” She got the feeling that whether she welcomed him in or not, it made little to no difference.

“Hi.” She waited for more. Nothing else came.

“Can I—get you something to drink?” She asked. “Do you even drink?” Artemis wanted to slap herself. What the hell was wrong with her? Since when did she get so easily flustered?

Maybe that was another side effect of almost dying.

“I do.” He smiled and stepped forward. She remained where she was. “But, I’m okay. Thank you.”

“Okay,” she murmured. “How—why—what are you doing here?”

“I read the interview you gave.”

“You read?” She blurted.

He shrugged. “In my free time.”

“Thank you.” She cleared her throat. “For—for saving me, and everyone else.”

He lifted his a hand. “Don’t. You never have to thank me for that. No one does.”

She tilted her head. “What are you?” She continued. “I mean, you’re not human. I dated my high school’s quarterback, and we were all impressed by his ability to push his truck. Yet, you’re out here lifting planes?” She hadn’t meant to babble. It wasn’t in her nature, but she was so damn intrigued. Not to mention, everyone had been searching for the man who stood a few feet away from her, only for him to find her.

“What I am isn’t important. It’s what I do….that’s what matters.”

“What exactly is it that you do? Save people? There are occupations for that.”

He chuckled. “I think we both know it’s a little more complicated than that.”

“Touche,” she whispered and danced her fingers against her legs. Artemis looked him over. He was solid, muscles rippling against the formfitting material of his….uniform? Costume seemed inappropriate. Costumes were for people who feigned what he really was. A hero. “What’s the S stand for?”

He looked down and then back up. “It’s not an S. On my world, it means hope.”

She bit on her bottom lip. Artemis wanted to ask him where exactly his world was, but she had a feeling he wouldn’t answer. “Well, here, it’s just an S.”

He chuckled. “Noted.”

Her next question was instant. “What’s your name?” He stared at her. Artemis kept his gaze, willing herself to affirm her assertiveness. She was never one to shy away, to back down, to retreat. That couldn’t change. Not even for him. “You know mine.”

His gaze softened, something that didn’t bypass Artemis.

“It’s Kal.”

“Kal,” she repeated, accentuating each letter, despite the shortness. Artemis smiled. “My little brother’s name is Kalep.” She cleared her throat. “So am I your first or last stop?”

He tilted his head. “I’m sorry?”

“You know, on your grand entrance to the world.”

He offered a small smile. “No. What I do….who I am….it’s not of importance.” A beat. “I’m not yet ready to reveal myself to the world.”

She quieted. “But you did with me, and I’m nobody special.”

“I wouldn’t say that. To those kids you saved, the ones you risked your life for, you’re the hero.”

She straightened one arm and grabbed her elbow, shrugging. “The cape takes the cake. Kids are fickle like that. Besides, I just did what was right. No need to make a big thing out of it.”

He nodded slowly, stepping forward. Artemis inhaled subtly. He was so big. “And that’s why I’ve told you….and only you.”

His voice lowered toward the end of his sentence as his gaze focused on her, meeting her eyes. At that moment, she understood. She didn’t know why or how, but he trusted her. Kal trusted her.

“Got it.” A beat. “Okay, I just have to ask. Is this like a disguise? I mean, your….skin….” His eyes crinkled in amusement, tiny lines forming. “You’re not really….like green or something, are you?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Okay, good, cause then that would be really….weird.”

His smile deepened. “You have a good night, Artemis.”

She chewed her bottom lip. “You too, Kal.”

He nodded and prepared to leave.

“Hey, Kal.” He turned to face her, eyebrows lifted. “I—uh—I’m out of work for a while. Recovery and all. So, um, if you ever want. I mean, if you’re ever around.” She pushed her lips together and pushed a hand over her curls. “I’m just here.”

He said nothing, just a smile, and a second later, he was gone.

[shegoesbyarose]

𝚁𝚄𝙽 ⟨⟨𝐒.𝐑.⟩⟩

warnings: angst, strong suicidal themes | words: twoK | pairing: au billionaire steve rogers x black!oc //not proofread//

The crisp leaves crunched under the bottom of his $300 sneakers, various colors obliterated with each heavy footstep of the 6’2” 240lb CEO. Equally expensive headphones that he’d received in a gift bag at a party thrown by Harold Steinbrenner a few years back, filled his ears with a playlist off Spotify that claimed to be calming.

Bullshit.

Almost 45 minutes into his walk and he still felt the same amount of anxiety that plagued him as soon as he stepped foot out of his gated home.

Striking, blue eyes focused on the sidewalk that he walked on as he made a mental note of his surroundings, realizing that he’d once again passed that old tree that simply refused to die for the sixth time. Or maybe the 7th. He’d maybe, just maybe, lost count.

It ranked rather low on the list of things that consumed the young billionaire’s mind these days.

Steve Rogers continued to walk, momentarily thinking about pulling his phone out of his pocket but eventually deciding against it as he knew it would prematurely end his walk. He’d placed it on Do Not Disturb for a reason.

Reaching an intersection, Steve opted to deviate from his typical path by taking a shortcut through a small wooded area, increasing the number of leaves and greenery he smothered in the midst of his walk.

After exiting the grassy area, he stepped back onto the sidewalk, making a couple hundred steps when he reached an old bridge that dwellers of the small but affluent town rarely used anymore given a newly constructed bridge not even a mile away.

However, the forgotten bridge wasn’t what captured the majority of his attention, it was the person on the bridge that stopped him, the first thing to interrupt his continuous movement.

A body, hunched over slightly, sat on the old, rusted railing of the bridge that was a good hundred feet over a manmade lake. For a second, he contemplated continuing to walk, moving past the person without so much as a small hello.

And then he looked closer. He saw how suspiciously close the person was to the edge of the railing, their body leaning closer to the water that streamed below as opposed to the cushion of the sidewalk.

He didn’t want to believe what his gut was telling him. He really didn’t, but the moment his feet brought him close enough for the person to realize that they weren’t alone, and cloudy brown eyes met his blue ones…..he just knew.

It was a woman, Steve immediately noticing the dampness and redness around her eye area, the quivering of her full lip, the sounds of her sniffles, and the way her right hand immediately lifted from the metal to rest on her stomach.

“What do you want?”

Steve’s eyes moved to the sway of her legs, the movement indicating that she was readying to jump.

And not onto the sidewalk.

“Hey.” He instinctively lifted his hands in a surrender gesture. “I’m not gonna hurt you.”

“I wouldn’t feel it anyway.”

He wasn’t sure why, but the quiet chuckle that proceeded her reply….it made him wince. Still, he continued as he realized his initial guess was most definitely accurate.

He eyed her closely, noticing that her right hand remained planted on her abdomen. “What’s your name?”

Her head turned back to the water. “It doesn’t matter.”

He swallowed, trying his hardest not to expose how unnerved he was by this whole thing. He’d gone out for a walk to clear his head and had somehow walked onto a potential, harrowing tragedy.

“Sure it do-“

“13.”

“Excuse me?”

She lifted her chin, her eyes closing in slightly. “13 people have walked by me since I got up here.” She looked back at him, a fresh set of tears rolling down her face. “You’re the first to approach me.”

He frowned. “Good thing I did.”

She laughed softly, and Steve had never in his life heard such an ironic contradiction. There was nothing even remotely comical about her laugh or even the acrid smile that graced her face.

“It doesn’t make a difference.”

“I don’t believe that.”

Again, she looked over at him, closing her eyes and shaking her head. “Please, just….go away.”

Taking a determined breath, he also managed to inch closer to her, stopping when he saw her eyes dart to his shoes. “I can’t do that.” As she rolled her light brown eyes, Steve was allowed a better view of the stranger. He took in the large jacket that covered her upper body, seeing that it was unzipped and finally realizing why she hadn’t moved her right hand.

“You’re pregnant…..”

Again, a laugh. “Just when you thought I couldn’t get any more selfish, huh?” Steve vehemently shook his head and prepared to object when she continued. “You can save your judgment. I’ve heard it all already.”

“Why would I judge you?” He asked quietly, not thinking about his next statement until it left his mouth. “I don’t even know your name.”

“When has that ever stopped anyone?” She posed the question in a way that alluded to it being rhetorical. Still, he responded.

“When has that ever made it right?”

“Seldom few things are right,” she quietly countered. “My life included.”

“You don’t-“

“Would you just leave me alone, please!” She snapped, raising her voice until it cracked and she looked away.  “I just want to be alone.”

He remained unmoving. “No one wants to be alone.”

“No, they don’t, but no one ever notices until it’s too late,” she barked back bitterly, Steve recognizing that he was venturing into the fragile territory. “Everyone always talks about how they lit up a room as soon as they walked in it, but no one ever talks about when that light starts to flicker when it’s about to go out.” A beat. “Until it’s too late.”

“That doesn’t make that right either,” he gently responded, inching forward ever so slightly when he noticed her move away, still, her hand not moving. “But you know that, don’t you…..”

“Why should I give you something when you’ve given me nothing?”

For some reason, he felt like her question had more than one meaning and multiple recipients.

“Steve,” he supplied. “Steve Rogers.”

She was quiet, eying him over warily. “You look like a Steve.” She cut her eyes, avoiding his intense gaze. “Brooklynn.” He stilled and bit back a smile, something she noticed. “What?”

“That’s where I’m from.”

She continued to watch him with skepticism. “How did you end up here?”

Steve was thoroughly surprised that she seemed genuinely unaware as to just who he was, and that was something that he actually enjoyed. Everywhere he went, he was met with the smiles and often faux friendliness people who only saw a potential investor instead of, well, a person.

Brooklynn clenched her jaw and turned away. “Please, just go.”

“You asked me a question.”

“And now I’m asking you to leave.”

He didn’t even flinch. “I can’t do that.”

“God.” Her eyes shut as she tilted her head back, Steve watching as she foolishly tried to hold back her tears. “You’re wasting your time.”

“Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever been involved in something so important in my entire life.”

He noticed the pause before she spoke. “There’s nothing important about me.”

“I don’t believe that eit-“

“Why do you think I’m here!” She shouted, eyes narrowing and jaw trembling from the strain of trying to hold it all together. Physically and emotionally. “I have nothing to offer the world! I am nothing! I’m doing everyone a favor!” She looked down at her stomach, her hand moving in slow, circular motions. “Especially her.”

He focused in on the only positive part of her decree. “It’s a girl?” She said nothing. “I bet she’ll have your eyes.”

“You know what she will have?” Again, her gaze returned to the water. “Peace.” She sniffled and tearfully delivered. “That’s the only good thing I have to give her.”

“No, no.” Steve shook his head and wondered why he hadn’t pulled his phone out to call 911 even though something told him doing so would only cause her to finish what she’d come there for. “There’s so much you have to give her, Brooklynn. To give to the world. To give to yourself.”

“Oh, really?” She snapped, once again raising her voice with piqued rage and pain. “I have no money! I lost my job! I was evicted because I couldn’t afford my rent! My mother wants nothing to do with me because of my baby even though it was her husband who did this to me! And I-“ She broke down in a sob when she brought her left hand to her face. It was a bit of a blur after that, but next thing Steve knew, he had her in his arms, tugging and securing her into his embrace.

“Let me go! Get off me!” She screamed, legs flailing as he pulled her off the railing forcing her to stand before her legs started to give, forcing her down, Steve going with her. “Get off of me!” She continued to fight him as Steve managed to subdue her with one arm while reaching for his phone to make the call.

“Yes. I need an ambulance—“

“No! She screamed with more emotion than rage as Steve continued his request and a brief description, recognizing when her hits started to let up, the anger in her voice also dying down. “No, no, no,” Steve’s responses to the dispatcher stopped as he paid closer attention to the way she sobbed into his chest.

Though he’d never been in such a position, basic humanity drove him as he tightened his embrace around her, whispering encouraging words into her ear while wondering just what exactly he’d just involved himself in.

———

Steve stood outside the hospital room, his eyes focused on the sleeping woman whose wrist was bound as she slept peacefully despite the chaos that had proceeded her visit. He hadn’t let her out of his sights, sans when she was taken in the back for evaluation.

“When you said you needed time to yourself, this isn’t what exactly I pictured you doing.”

The CEO turned his head to look over at the man with a chart in his hand, arms crossed, and a grim expression on his face.

“How is she?”

Thor sighed, the doctor joining his childhood friend as the two looked through the thick glass. Physically, fine. She and the baby are healthy. Again, physically.”

Hearing that both Brooklynn and her child were alright relieved him of a thin layer of his concern. “Tell me about her.”

Thor exhaled deeply. “You know, I can’t-“

“Thor.”

The blonde shook his head. If it were anyone else, he’d have called security, but this wasn’t just anyone. And Steve had in fact saved this woman’s life. “Brooklynn Dove Hawkins. 26. 4 months and two weeks pregnant. When we put her name in the system, an emergency contact popped up. It was her mother. We reached out.”

“And?”

Thor frowned. “Told us to remove her name from the list and to never call her again.

Steve froze. “Are you serious?” Thor nodded sadly. “No wonder she….” He stopped himself. “How long does she have to stay here?”

“Until I release her, which I won’t do until I am confident that she’s no longer a risk to herself or the child,” Thor responded firmly. Friend or no friend, he still had a duty and an oath to fulfill. “Steve—“

“She’s staying with me when she gets out.”

“What?” Thor’s eyes widened slightly. “Rogers, you don’t even know this woman-“

“And?” Steve countered. “She needs help, Thor.”

“Yes, extensive. Medical for the baby, psychological for herself-“

“Get me the best psychiatrist you know so we can get her an appointment. An OB-GYN too. What else-“

“Rogers—“

“And as soon as she can, I want her moved to a private room.”

Thor paused. “You’re serious about this.” The Norwegian native released another sigh. He didn’t know why he was so surprised. As long as he’d known Steve, the man was never able to turn away from someone in need. This, however, this woman was a total stranger, and yet his friend seemed determined to help her as much as he could.

“Steve....” He stepped closer to the businessman. “If this is about Sharon-”

As Brooklynn’s eyes started to flutter open, Steve slapped his friend on the arm, welcoming the interruption. “Get on it.”

Before Thor could reply, Steve entered the room and carefully approached Brooklynn’s bed.

Running his hands over his face, Thor ran his hands over his face and decided to give the two a few minutes before he went in there, walking down the hall to make a few calls. 

“Hi.”

Steve spoke quietly, watching how Brooklynn took a few seconds to look around the room, most likely taking time to take in her surroundings, the last few hours playing back in her head. 

“Great,” she whispered and bit her lip. “More bills I can’t afford.”

“Don’t worry about that,” he quickly dismissed. “I’ll take care of everything.”

Brooklynn chuckled bitterly and shook her head. “Yeah, right.”

He frowned. “I’m serious.”

Brooklynn looked over at him, studying his face, his eyes, the confused way that he was looking at her. “Why would you do that?”

Steve grew quiet and walked over to the seat near the hospital bed when he noticed that she tried to move away. Ignoring her resistance, he took a seat and clasped his hands together. “Listen.....Brooklynn.”

“You need help, and I can provide you with that help.”

“And in return?”

“Nothing,” he affirmed. “I-I have a pretty large house, 8,000 sq. ft.. My younger sister, Nat, she’s around your age, she stays with me. So does Peggy, a live-in maid-”

“You have a live-in maid?” Brooklynn interrupted. “What do you do?”

He chuckled. “Not much these days.” When she continued to eye him with confusion, he continued. “What I’m saying is that it wouldn’t just be you and me, there are other people in the house.” 

Her gaze softened. “What?”

“You can take the time you need to get on your feet and whatever else you need-”

“Why are you doing this?” Her voice was quiet and soft, the softest Steve heard since they’d met in the strangest of circumstances. “You don’t even know me.”

“I don’t have to know you to want to help you.”

And for the face time that day, Steve saw the faintest hint of a smile on her face. “That’s not a very good reason.”

He shrugged and quipped a brow. “It’s been a long day.”

She mirrored his eyebrow quirk and motioned to her wrists to which he sheepishly muttered a quiet, “sorry.”

Brooklynn was quiet again, eyes focused on her stomach, her eyes watering as she whispered. “Are you serious?”

He nodded softly. “Yes.”

Again, a brief silence fell over the small hospital room, Steve wondering only for a brief second if he was making the right decision. He knew he was doing what he needed to do, what was right.

“Okay.”

His eyes lit up. “Yeah?”

She avoided his gaze and asked. “Your sister lives with you, yeah?”

He shook his head. “And Peggy.”

“The maid.”

“You catch on fast.”

Steve was warmed at the sight of her small smile when she spoke again. “Thank you......Steve.”

The billionaire nodded and dropped his head before matching her smile. “You’re welcome, Brooklynn.”

[shegoesbyarose]

All I Ask | Two

A/N: This is my take on Endgame Thor. Obviously, if you haven’t seen it, DO NOT read this. Really. You’ll spoil so much.

This is very very very late, but alas, it is finally here! It includes smut as requested by the lovely @coldmidnightlights ! I really tried! 

Part 1

Weakly proofread | GIF found via Google

Pairing: Thor x Black!OC | Song Inspo: All I Ask by Adele

Words: 3.3K | Warnings: Smut, Angst, PTSD, and Mental Health

tags | @kreolemami @chaneajoyyy @kpizzletrash @letsshamelessqueen-m @marvelmaree @nina-sj

All I Ask

Folding up a red, sleeveless shirt, Naomi roamed her bed that was consumed by a mountain of various clothing garments, and she spotted a pair of denim shorts. Leaning over, she grabbed them, pulling it up to her figure, noticing how her thighs peaked past the sides.

She sighed.

She knew that she’d put on a couple pounds over the past few months, but it didn’t really bother her. She’d never been a universal puzzle piece among the other ladies in her career. She was naturally thick, and no amount of training and diet changed that. And as long as she was able to keep up, which she certainly could, she saw no issue.

Pairing the two items together, she placed them in the open suitcase that sat on the floor near her the window. Straightening back up, she pushed her hair behind her ear.

Looking around the room for favorite pair of sandals, her eyes fell on the photo frames located across her dresser.

She licked her lips, instinct carrying her feet over to the reminders. Naomi grazed her hands over the first photo. It was of her and Nat, one of their first missions together as partners. Nat’s hair was still long and curled, and Naomi’s was freshly cut into an asymmetrical bob.

Both ladies were in cocktail gowns, and neither wore a smile. At least, not with their mouths. Naomi detected the lighthearted relation in their gaze, the pride that accompanied their successful completion of a rather difficult assignment.

Naomi pushed her lips together, swallowing the uncomfortable lump growing in the back of her throat. She then transitioned over to the next photo.

Again, just one look, and she returned to that moment in time. It was the night that they’d secured the tesseract from Hydra. Of course, they’d also lose it again later that night, but when the photo was taken, they were still oblivious to Stark and Banner’s secret project that would lead to the creation of Ultron.

A shot glass of alcohol pressed against his lips, one arm around her waist, her hand pressed against his chest, and a playful scowl on his face. He was enthusiastic that evening as was she. They’d planned to go on a brief getaway to celebrate the demise of a two-year-long mission. He’d spent his time traveling the nine realms both fulfilling his royal duties and assisting in the repair of the damage inflicted from Loki’s attack.

Namely, she also spent her time searching for the tesseract as well as dealing with the fallout from SHIELD. Their time together was limited, so there was ardent excitement at being able to leave without worrying about what occurred during their absence.

Licking her lips, she tasted the familiar salt. Sighing with frustration, she angrily wiped at her tears.

She sighed, going back upstairs to finish packing. She went to grab a few bras when she heard the creaking of the floorboard.

"What’s up, Korg?"

"I-" Naomi spun around to see Thor standing in the doorway, his eyes immediately going to the dresser beside her, the pictures.

She paused, unconsciously crossing her arms. "Hey."

"Hi." He cleared his throat. "I don’t mean to bother you-"

"You could never bother me, Thor," she interrupted quietly, opening and closing her mouth as she moved closer to him. "Come. Sit."

Recognizing the lack of available space, she immediately moved to push her pile of clothes toward the top of the bed. "Sorry."

"It’s-" he stopped, allowing her to finish. He waited for her to stand back up when she instead stayed seated, moving up, crossing her legs over each other.

Naomi licked her lips. When he made no effort to move, she patted the spot beside her. "Please."

For a few seconds, he did nothing, and Naomi considered standing back up. However, just as she straightened her back to get up, he made two short strides and gradually lowered himself onto the mattress.

Sitting across from him, Naomi forced her hands to remain at her side. It was hard for her to converse with him without there being any sort of physical contact.

And then she remembered why there was an additional layer of tension surrounding them.

The fight….

She turned her head, allowing her eyes to focus on a small, black, dress which she immediately connected to the last event she wore it for.

Date night…

"I’m sorry." She broke the silence, still determined to not allow their eyes to meet. "I-I should have talked it over with you first."

"Would it have made any difference?" There was an almost sarcastic tone to his voice that was also doubled with irritation. "Would it have affected your decision?"

She closed her eyes. "You know it wouldn’t….."

Diverting her gaze, she stared down at her lap, raking her nails over her brown skin. "He’s my brother, Thor."

"I understand that, Naomi."

"Do you?" She questioned softly, finally willing herself to look at him. "Because if you were in my situation, and if it were Loki-"

"Don’t." He immediately silenced her, his voice carrying the heavy weight of finality.

Naomi straightened up and contemplated her next statement. If this were a conversation that took place before the Snap, her response would be something entirely different from what she planned to say. They were different.

"I’m sorry," she relented and licked her lips. "I just-" Looking away, her throat tightened. She cursed. "I watched him kill my parents,-"

"I kno-"

"No," she interrupted. Naomi was doing everything in her power to be understanding, to be patient, and she was, more than anyone else left in Thor’s life. But she had her own trauma she was trying to manage, trauma she’d been neglecting because she was so focused on him. "He tortured them in front of me, all the while, telling me that I was next, that when he was done with us, he’d go after Sam." Her voice broke. "And that’s exactly what he’s done."

Thor’s gaze softened. Naomi was never one for tears, so seeing her so fragile before him stressed the depth of her pain. "Naomi-"

"My mom, my dad, my best friend-" her jaw trembled. "And I feel like I’m losing you too." It was something she absolutely hated admitting aloud, but it was the truth. She knew he still loved her, but she also knew that you could love someone and not want them around for a variety of reasons. "So, don’t-don’t sit here and tell me that I’m wrong for wanting to do this."

"I don’t think that you’re wrong, Naomi." He sighed, shaking his head. "I-" Now it was his turn to figure out if what he wanted or would say would be the truest testament to how he felt. "It’s dangerous. He is dangerous."

"I can do this, Thor. You know I can."

"No, I don’t, Naomi."

She leaned over and pressed her fingers against her temple. "Thor-"

"You know what I do know, though?" He didn’t wait for a response. "Every person that I have ever cared about, always, without a doubt, ends up hurt or dead."

"Thor-"

"Despite all of my efforts to keep them safe" As his eyes glazed, Naomi reached her hand out to grab his, surprised when he didn’t jerk away from her touch. "Nothing works. They leave or they die."

"Thor, that’s not going to happen to-"

"It already did, Naomi!" His volume increased to a level where she was sure Korg, Miek, and anyone within 100 yards of their home could hear. However, she remained still, watching as his anger quickly dispersed into another emotion, one he worked meticulously to hide but was always visible to her. Pain.

"I lost you." He whispered in a devastated voice. "For five years, five long fucking years, I’ve spent every day regretting everything I did and didn’t do because they all led up to what happened-"

"It wasn’t your fault-"

He waved her off, turning his head as the frustration started to return. "You keep saying that-"

"Because it’s true!" She interjected, emotion imbued in her voice. "I-I would give anything, anything to take away your pain, and I know that I can’t, but-" she also shook her head, jaw shaking as she realized she could no longer filter. It was time to lay it all out. "I am doing everything I can to let you know that I am here for you, that I love you with all that I have, but-" she allowed her tears to fall. "I’m hurting too, baby. I-Nat was my best friend. I loved her, and I also love you, so much, and I wish you would just give me a chance, something, because I need you, but I need you to need me back." She broke, covering her hands with her face as she took a deep, shaky breath that left her stomach quivering from the intensity of her emotions. "And I’m trying to be strong, for you, for me, for everyone, but now I may lose Sam, and I can’t-I can’t lose him too, Thor. I-I can’t."

The Asgardian’s head dropped. He knew that Naomi was trying, and yes, he too continued to struggle, but in the midst of his dwelling on his loss, he continued to take advantage of what the universe had granted him. Naomi was alive, she was real, and she wasn’t asking much from him, just a chance. Just for him to show her that he still cared for her, that he still wanted them to be together, that he still loved her.

Naomi felt both shame and frustration. The last thing she wanted to do was have a breakdown, let alone in front of him. She was supposed to be there for him, be strong for him, and yet….

"I’m sorry." Berating herself for being so vulnerable, she twisted her body to get up from out the bed and relocate her mini-breakdown into the privacy of her bedroom. However, just as she went to rise up, he stopped her.

Naomi looked down with uncertainty, her eyes never leaving his as he gradually pulled her toward him. Before she could even reassure herself that he was offering what she thought he was, she pushed herself into his side, directing her tears into his shoulder.

Eyes closed as she silently cried into him, he allowed his arm to move around her body, his hand on her hip. "I’m sorry, Naomi."

As he spoke into the top of her head, Naomi struggled with her emotions that were already all over the place. This was what she’d been craving for so long, to be close to him, to be near him, to be with him. She’d tried her best to give him the space that he needed, to allow him to initiate when he was ready. Of course, things rarely happened as they were supposed to.

Calming herself down for a few seconds, she looked up at him, her eyes and face damp with her tears. Mouth slightly parted, she watched as he met her gaze, his eyes briefly dropping to her lips. She was unsure as to how much, if at all, she would regret what she did next, but at that moment, she couldn’t care less.

She needed him.

Pushing up, she pressed her lips against his, her hand going to palm his face. She felt his initial resistance and responded with further molding of her body against his, and when his hand near her hip moved to graze her ass and the underside of her thigh, she moaned.

Placing her other hand on his face to deepen their kiss—God, she’d missed the feel of his lips on her—she sat up and swung her leg over his lap so that she was straddling him. His stomach created a slight barrier between them, but nothing that could hinder the intensity of their kiss that was becomingly increasingly heated by the second.

He finally broke it, eyes closing. "Naomi…"

"Please," she whispered, pressing her forehead against his. "Please, baby." She inched away from him to reach for the bottom corner of her camisole, lifting it over her head and tossing it on the floor. "I need you. I-I need this."

Hands moving down his shoulders, she panted slightly while trying to push down his cardigan. "I’m not going anywhere." A beat. "Pl-"

Naomi was suddenly on her back, Thor hovering over her, his mouth latched to her neck, her mouth ajar, hands exploring his body. From there, desires were blurred. He wanted to savor this, each second of exploration reminding him how much he’d missed this, missed her while Naomi was yearning for his touch, for the familiar stretch that left her clawing his back until she drew blood.

They both wanted the same thing but had different ideas on how to attain it.

"Please," she panted, pushing up against him to remove her bra when he reached behind her, snapping it off with one swipe. She moaned, pulling his lips back on her as he disposed of his cardigan only for him to trail his lips down her face, neck, and latching onto her nipples.

Moaning and writhing against the pillow, her fingers pushing at the waistband of his sweats. "Stop teasing me."

"I’ve waited too long. Let me savor this moment.”

The anticipation was grueling but his sentiments were reciprocated except the god above her possessed a greater amount of patience and restraint. Naomi was restless, eager, ravenous for his touch, to feel him in a way she’d been starved of for far too long.

“Thor.” A breathy whisper as her fingers crawled down to feel him, her nails grazing his thick shoulders. “Say it.” Eye closing as she pressed into his skin like her loved pushed through his walls. “I-I need you to hear you say it.”

Thor was teetering into complete surrender to his desire as well so he dumbly questioned, failing to see past mere words. “What?”

Naomi lifted her eyes open to ensure she grabbed at his beard, forcing his vivid blue eyes to stare into her warm brown orbs. She licked her lips, nerves trying to get the best of her. “Tell me you love me.”

It wasn’t even the request that startled him. It was the emotion. The vulnerability. The sentimentality. The fear. Naomi rarely bared her emotions, so this blatant display of transparency created unfamiliarity within the god.

A few additional seconds of longing was enough to increase her anxiety, prompting her to sit up, hands still gripping his shoulders. Thor offered no objection as she repositioned them so that she was straddling him, her eyes clenching shut at the feel of his hardened member grazing her seeping core.

Typically, foreplay preceded penetration, but this wasn’t a typical sexual escapade. This was lovemaking in the form of the purest and most innocent level, a higher form of intimacy where intertwined bodies conversed and conveyed feelings and emotion that word failed to accurately embody.

Starvation clouded her sentences as Naomi welcomed the almost vaguely familiar stretch and fill as she guided his thick length inside of her weeping opening. Her essence saturated both of them.

Low profanities slipped past her pressed lips. She’d almost forgotten what this felt like, what he felt like. It still amazed her how she was able to take all of him as she did.

Thor kept his hands on her hips, helping to guide her, his eyes never leaving her face, searching for any indication that she wanted to stop even though he knew that stopping was the last thing on her mind.

Naomi placed her hands on top of his and squeezed. As she finally acclimated to his girth, forbidden words were replaced with pleads. She wanted, needed to hear him say it. For her own sanity.

“I love you, Naomi.” His eyes never left her face, watching the scrunch of her brows, nose, and the tremble of her lips as the declaration finally escaped the depths of his fear. “I love you.”

She sniffled, moving her hands to his belly, stabling herself as she welcomed a slow pace. Back and forth. Gradually, finding her comfort and basking in the comfort of confirmation. She hadn’t realized that despite her best attempts at self-pep talks, she needed him to verbalize it.

She needed to hear it.

“I love you, Thor.” Her voice cracked in conjunction with the bed beneath them creaking from the steadily increasing pace as she rode him. “P-p-please don’t leave me.”

Clarity replaced clouded judgment as Thor recognized the latent content of her heartfelt request. His ability to recognize underlying meaning improved with each statement that left her full lips. Their fears were one and the same, just masked with different packaging.

He feared to lose her, again, in a physical sense. She feared to lose him in an emotional sense. The same outcome. Different paths. One result.

Heartache.

They both were fighting for and against something not realizing that their actions were playing into what they feared the most.

Loss

Grabbing her arm and pulling her down against him, Naomi moaned into his soft kiss as he lifted his hips, amplifying the depth and speed of the thrusts.

“I won’t leave you,” he vowed as she brought her hands to either side of his face, her forehead pressed against his, eyes clenched shut. “I promise.”

She swallowed back a scream. The love, verbal and physical, it was all so overwhelming. She finally receiving the comfort and intimacy she’d desired for so long. And much like his opening decree, Thor enjoyed every minute of it, every stroke, every touch, taste, and feel of her soft body against his. He savored their time and her like it was his last day in Valhalla.

Likewise, Naomi cherished him, his love, him, up until her body couldn’t physically withstand anymore.

When all was said, done, and depleted, she curled up beside him, arm across his core, her hand softly caressing circles on his stomach.

He kept her close to him. Proximity was everything to the king these days. Silence was okay for a short amount of time, but Naomi recognized that there was still a conversation to be had.

“You know I have to go….”

He sighed, kissing the top of her head. “I do.”

She peered up and smiled sadly. “I’m coming back, Thor. With Sam. I’ll be okay.” She added. “Bucky is going with me.”

“The one-armed man?” Naomi muffled a giggle. She missed this. His humorous naivety. “The one who shot you?” His hand instinctively moved down to the scar left from a mission that left her facing off against the Winter Soldier.”

“He’s better now, Thor. And he won’t let anything happen to me.”

“Neither would I.”

“I know, baby, but this isn’t exactly a Stormbreaker worthy mission. It’s a rescue mission, and it’s-“

“Personal,” he finished for her, lightly rubbing her back. A few seconds of silence. “If you’re not back in three days-“

“You’ll burn down everything to come find me,” she smiled shyly, lifting her hand to his face and gently pressing her lips against his. “I will come back, Thor.”

He kissed her palm. “You better.”

Eyes watering at the love she felt and saw in his eyes, she warmly exclaimed, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

He pressed his lips against hers, soft and sweet, transitioning into hot and steamy. Naomi went to shift so that she could move her legs over him when the door swung open.

“Hey, Ms. Naomi, do you know what station Lifetime i—oh my god!"

“Korg!"

[shegoesbyarose]

I’m sorry. Ya’ll know I love angst. 😭😭😭💐🌷🌸🌺

@ghostfacekill-monger

Rapid Descents | T.U.

warnings: angst | words: twoK | pairing: t’challa x reader (black)

You would never forget your first meeting.

Keep reading

[shegoesbyarose]

THANK YOU SO MUCH OMG! Yes, ma’am! She didn’t survive it. 😭😭And you’re absolutely right! She is definitely the only person who can relate to him and get through to him at this point! It’s just hard for Sam because he doesn’t want to see his sis hurt, ya know 😭😭😭UGH. When he asked her to stay, MY HEART! 😭Thank you so much, hun! It was really hard making sure I accurately depicted his characterization because it’s such a stark contrast from the Thor that we all know and love! 😭Of course, I can tag you! I have the second part like 75% done, so be on the lookout for it within the next two weeks! 

💐🌷🌸🌺

@chaneajoyyy

All I Ask

A/N: This is my take on Endgame Thor. Obviously, if you haven’t seen it, DO NOT read this. Really. You’ll spoil so much. 

AGAIN, DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN ENDGAME!!!!!!!!!!!

Words: 3.5k

Weakly proofread

Pairing: Thor x Black!OC 

Song Inspo: All I Ask by Adele

Warnings: Angst, PTSD, and other elements relating to mental health

TAGS: @kreolemami @letsshamelessqueen-m @marvelmaree @nina-sj @kpizzletrash

All I Ask

“How is he?”

Keep reading

[shegoesbyarose]

idk if you’re still taking these but :’can you stay with me tonight?’ paired with ‘what’s another day?’

Well, this shit is wayyyyyy longer than I intended. 1.5K. Clearly, I missed the concept of a prompt 😭😭😭

Welp. I hope you like it! 😅😅😅

@honeyybey

————

Naomi wasn’t one for sentiment and emotion. In her line of work, those two things could typically end up being the single cause of elimination.

She’d worked hard to maintain her infamous poker faces. Few could read her, and even fewer snuck their way past her steel exterior.

Unfortunately, Thor was not one of the few.

She’d met him because of her job, herself, Nat, and Clint being assigned to Director Fury’s Avenger initiative. She’d heard about the “alien,” a self proclaimed God, from another planet who’d practically leveled a small town in New Mexico, but it seemed far fetched.

Yet when she finally met him, she finally understood. He was massive in size, his pure strength and power emanating from his being something she felt as though she could see surrounding his imposing figure.

But…..he was kind. His smile was small, gentle, a stark contrast to the devastation he’d caused in New Mexico. Granted, it was at the expense from protecting the innocent. In SHIELD’s book, he was still dangerous, and they were right.

Which was why they wanted him on their side.

Thankfully, seduction of a god wasn’t something that Fury required of her.

No…..that…..that just happened spontaneously.

She met him on a Monday, interacted with him on and off by Tuesday, and on Wednesday night, he had her on all fours, screaming and crying in a way no man she’d been with ever had.

Or could.

Initially, she was upset with herself. She had a rule. No mixing business with pleasure. She’d never dated or hooked up with anyone from work for fear that it could eventually cause problems, and yet she’d allowed Thor to fuck her within a week of them even meeting.

Granted, it was the best damn sex of her life. She’d never had a man treat and listen to her body as he has, not to mention, well, a god he most certainly was.

“Is that supposed to go in me?”

Naomi chuckled at her blunt statement from that night, that night that felt like so long ago, but was only a matter of weeks.

Except, so much had occurred in the time since. Thor spent his time between Asgard and Earth, Midgard, as he called it, and each visit to Earth included a visit to Naomi’s place where they’d engage in mindblowing sex that had her bed bound some days and overtly excited on others.

And then he’d leave. It was nothing personal. She understood it. He had obligations, and plus, this unofficial arrangement of theirs was nothing more than two people letting off steam in a sexual and raw manner.

She got hers, he got his, and they were good.

At least, that’s what she tried to tell herself.

However, even she noticed the way he’d look at her, shy glances as she left the bed to clothe her figure. He imitated more conversation, often asking things about her that not even her longtime companions at worked inquired about.

He just seemed interested in her for more than just what lies between her legs, and she hated that shit.

She hated it because she too would ask him certain things about himself, about his home.

“I shall take you there one day,” he boldly declared as he helped her hook her bra.

She chuckled and commented that she’d believe it when she saw it, to which he informed her that he never broke a promise.

So, little things like that made Naomi frustrated that she’d found herself on this slippery slope with the god of thunder.

A knock on her door broke Naomi from her thoughts and tore her attention away from the photograph she’d stumbled across while cleaning.

It was a photo of herself, Sam, and their parents. A Christmas photo. The last family pictured they’d take as half of the Wilson family would be found dead less than a month later, their mutilated corpses rotting next to an unconscious Naomi who’d been forced to watch her parents execution, Sam only being spared because of an away game that weekend.

Naomi’s past was something she didn’t talk about. Period. And as she wiped at her eyes, realizing that she was fighting tears, she was reminded just why.

It was one of few topics that could bring her to tears, and everyone knew how much she hated those.

So, hearing the loud knock that she knew belonged to a certain blue eyed alien lifted her spirits, even if for a little.

She hated being alone sometimes because it allowed that troubled head of hers to wander, which was not always and almost never a good thing.

Cleaning up the items, she returned them to the shoebox and shoved them back in her closet.

She wasted no time making her way across the tiny apparent, unlocking the door, being met with Thor’s soft smile.

“Hello, Nao-”

“Hi. Fuck me,” she quickly demanded, grabbing his armor and forcing their lips to connect.

And, of course, forever the obedient gentleman, he did just that.

Hours later, spent and nude, she was sprawled on top of him, ignoring the voice in the back of her head telling her that she should move because he would soon have to leave.

But, for some reason, that only made her tighten her grasp on his, her fingers lazily trailing across his defined chest while his fingers played with her hair.

“Naomi.”

“I know, just,” she sighed, further pushing her body into him. “Give me a minute. I think the feeling is starting to return to my vagina.”

He smiled for a moment before quietly clearing his throat. “Whatever is bothering you-”

She frowned, her eyebrows furrowed as she lifted her head to look down at him. “What makes you think something is bothering me?”

He brought his hand to her face, his thumb caressing her bottom lip. “I can sense it.”

She rolled her eyes. “You the god of foresight now too?”

He frowned. “Surely, it must be wearisome.”

She mirrored his expression. “What?”

There was a brief pause before he gently whispered. “Having to always be the strong one.”

Naomi swallowed and stared at him. She….she didn’t know how to respond to that. A part of her wanted to snap on him. What was wrong with being strong? Her strength was a major reason why she was still alive, why she hadn’t succumbed to her injuries all those years ago.

Just who the hell did he think he was trying to fault her for being strong?

But then, another part of her, the rational part recognized the intent behind his statement. The authenticity of his concern, and it unnerved her.

It scared her.

Slowly pulling away from him, she turned on her side, back toward him, pulling the think sheet up to her neck. Again, she both wanted him to say something else while leaving her the fuck alone.

Such contrasting desires.

Naomi heard him release a heavy sigh after a few moments of tense silence before she felt the bed start to creak. He was leaving.

“Thor.” She spoke without even thinking about it, her head mentally screaming for her to abort mission while her gut, her heart, coaxed her into continuing. “Can you stay with me tonight?”

Silence. Naomi wanted to jump out of bed, run, and Iock herself in the bathroom until he left. She felt stupid. Why would he stay with her? He was just trying to be nice for the sake of being nice. That didn’t mean he was trying to be her comfort blanket.

“Never mind. Forget it,” she quickly tried to backtrack, ignoring the ball in the back of her throat that let her know she was fighting tears. “It was a st-”

Naomi silenced when she felt strong arms wrap around her, pulling her body into an equally strong chest. Her eyes shut as Thor’s face moved to the side of her neck, his soft lips pecking the exposed, smooth skin of her collarbone.

“Of course, Ástvinur,” Naomi ignored the fluttering in her stomach at his Norse term of endearment that she knew meant something along the lines of ‘my beloved.’

Clearing her throat, she nervously licked her lips, keeping her eyes on the wall as his burned into the side of her face. “You sure the prince of Asgard isn’t needed-“

“Yes, he is,” he interrupted with a slight chuckle, grazing his lips along her shoulder. “Which is why I’m here.”

She looked at him over her shoulder. He winked. She rolled her eyes, moving her hands over his arm as he secured his forearm over her chest.

“Yeah, well, if the end of the world ends up happening because the self proclaimed protector of the realms decided to be needed….elsewhere….I’m snitching.”

“All will be well, Naomi.” He laughed, kissing her temple, tugging her even closer. She closed her eyes. She’d never felt so safe with another person since….since ever. “As will you,” he whispered, smiling softly. “Besides, what’s another day?”

[shegoesbyarose]

"sometimes i feel like i can’t trust anyone" for thor please

Soooo, I hope you don’t mind, but I wrote this using the All I Ask storyline, just focused around the Ultron debacle 😭😭😭 Also, I apologize for any mistakes, I did it on my phone 😭😭😭

@mareethequeen

————-

“Sometimes, I feel like I can’t trust anyone.”

She looked over at him, this ethereal creature, this god working with and among men, as though he didn’t far exceed everyone he encountered in Midgard in almost every aspect.

The whole team sans Clint was struggling with various visions conjured by the Maximoff girl, and while no one had yet to share just what the witch resurfaced from the memories, it was evident that the memories were debilitating.

Especially for Thor.

Pulling the flannel shirt over her chilled body, she quietly asked. “You’re referring to your brother?”

Thor visibly tensed. “It seems as though for all of my attempts to make things right, there is no recourse.”

“You’re not responsible for what he does, Thor.” She pointed out, reaching out to touch his forearm. “Your brother is….troubled. That’s not your fault.”

He chucked, looking down at his boots. “You did not know the old me.”

“No, but I know you now. I know that you’re a good person, and I also know that no matter how much we want to….we can’t change the past.” Her head dropped as memories of her trauma tried to resurface. That damned witch. Hours later, and she was still haunted by the visions.

“We can only focus on the future,” she cleared her throat, feeling Thor’s gaze on her. “And now.”

“You speak as though it is easy.” Out the corner of her eye, she spotted the faint hint of a smile. The first one she’d seen since their encounter with Ultron and the Maximoff’s.

“Well,” she shrugged, playfully nudging his shoulder and shrugging. “I am a spy. We tend not to dwell on things for too long. Constant missions and whatnot.” His smile transitioned into a low chuckle. “Gotta keep the focus.”

A brief blanket of silence befell them before Naomi scooted closer to him, her denim shorts scraping against the wooden steps of Clint’s house.

Grabbing his arm, she laid her head against his bicep. “Thor.”

He looked down at her, tormented blue meeting vulnerable brown.

Licking her lips, she quietly informed, “you can trust me.”

For a second, she regretted saying anything. It was awful timing. Wasn’t it? Why would he believe her? Of all people? Her secrets had secrets. She was another Natasha.

And yet, she watched as Thor lifted his arm, instead placing it around her, pulling her into his side. She naturally molded her body into his as he pressed his lips into the top of her head.

“Thank you, Naomi.”

[shegoesbyarose]

‘how did you find me’ w/ thundadaddy🥰

Sorry it took so long 😭😭😭 Y’all know I tend to go overboard, and this is no different. 😭😭 It’s a bit heavy and angsty, but that’s really all I see in this prompt 😭😭😭 Hope you like it, boo! 😭😍

@honeyybey

—————

Everything happened so suddenly. One minute she was on an extraction mission, instructing her team as they prepared to approach the scientist being held captive.

And the next thing she knew, her men all had their weapons aimed toward her.

She never even saw it coming.

Reacting on basic instinct, she tried to fight them off, but more agents suddenly came in, ambushing her. Her own men. Brothers in SHIELD, and here they were, kicking and stomping on her.

Bloodied and battered, she woke up chained in a dark room, stripped down to her bra and underwear.

Naomi foolishly tried to break from the chains only to scream out as she realized her wrist was clearly broken. Still though, she refused to cry, and kept her head high and face straight as a man came in and explained everything.

The collapse. The deception. SHIELD was really HYRDA all along. At that, she couldn’t even help her shock. She’d been fighting the same enemy she was really working for? It was a tough pill to swallow.

Fury was dead, Steve and Natasha were on the run, the latter of two being the sole reason she was still alive.

They wanted to know where Captain America and the infamous Black Widow were, and they believed that Naomi, second to only Natasha, could tell them.

And while Naomi had an idea where they could have possibly gone, she’d endure weeks worth of torture and be killed before she betrayed them.

Her will was strong, and that was something that was painfully evident to her attackers.

They left her in a dark room for hours, no food, no water, nothing.

Finally, someone walked in, and Naomi scoffed.

“Hydra sure doesn’t set the bar very high.”

Rumlow smirked. “I could say the same about you, beautiful.”

She grimaced. “If you don’t mind, I’d much rather we get to the nail pulling part. Less painful.”

“You’ve got heart,” he commented, moving closer. Naomi hissed as he grabbed her by the back of her head and forced her to stand up.

She forced herself to look at the wall as his eyes burned into her. “What.”

“Just taking in this-” she jerked back as he ran his finger down her cheek. “-pretty face of yours.” He shook his head. “It’s a shame what it’ll look like when we’re done with you. Well, what’s left of it, that is.”

Gathering the saliva in her mouth, she spat on him, snickering at his groan as he moved away from her and wiped his face.

“Fucking bitch,” he growled, and Naomi braced herself for a slap, kick, punch. Some type of retaliatory motion. However, she could only cry out in pain as he fired at her. One bullet. In her lower stomach.

She felt like she was on fire, looking down to see blood pouring out. From what she could garner, it wasn’t anything fatal.

Unless….

“I’ll send someone in a bit to stop the bleeding, but until then-” he shared, clearly satisfied with the visible pain plastered over her face, giving one last look. “Suffer.”

“Bastard,” she growled, trying to sit up, screaming when she felt the enflamed feelings intensify. “Shit.”

Licking her lips, she tasted the salt from her tears as they settled on the outside of her lips. Naomi hated this. She never cried. It took a lot to bring her to such a point, a point she realized she’d reached as they continued.

She tried to remain optimistic. This wasn’t the first time a mission hadn’t gone as planned, and she always managed her way through. However, this was more than just a botched mission. This was….a collapse.

A betrayal at the ultimate level. She had no backup, no extraction plan. Fury, the same one who’d sent her on this covert mission, was now dead. He, the only one who probably had her location, was gone.

Could Steve and Nat find her? Probably, but not in time though. No, she was convinced that they’d find nothing but a mutilated corpse by the time they’d located her.

And Thor.

She shut her eyes. The last conversation they’d had was over a week ago. They’d gotten into a petty argument over something she couldn’t even recall. Everything in her told her to call and make up with him before she left, but her pride.

She hadn’t listened, and now, she may never get the chance again. She probably woundnt get the chance.

“I’m sorry,” she sniffled, noticing that it was becoming increasingly more difficult to stay awake. She was losing consciousness.

She knew that they wouldn’t let her die yet, no, not until they attempted to break her, but the thought of being unconscious around such vile people, people like Rumlow, it made her want to vomit.

However, the bullet that she’d finally realized went straight through her, was clearly doing some severe damage, and the pain was becoming unbearable.

Sleep….was inevitable.

However, just as her lids started to flutter closed, she heard the sound of rapid gunfire. Brows squinted, she tried to straighten up her back only to cave in pain. Men shouting in foreign languages, the sound of bodies being thrown around.

Naomi gulped and tried to brace herself as she heard the sounds become clearer….near.

But she could barely keep herself awake and eventually had to just close her eyes, immediately regretting so as her body unconsciously started to drift off.

The sound of something crashing almost directly in front of her wasn’t even enough to break her from her daze.

“I’ve got her!”

Naomi stirred as heavy footsteps proceeded a growl, clanking, and her wrists being freed.

“I should have been here sooner,” he breathed, cupping her face and pressing his forehead against hers.

Naomi moaned, weakly lifting her hand to his shoulder. “Thor?”

“Shhhh,” he comforted, taking a quick assessment of her condition. She was in bad shape. If he’d arrived perhaps even an hour later, he feared what he’d find. “You’re safe, my love.”

“How did you find me?” She whimpered as Thor ripped off his cape to place it around her exposed frame.

“Heimdall. He told me something was happening here on Midgard with SHIELD, and I asked him if you were alright….” he trailed off, realizing he was wasting time. She could barely keep her eyes open. She needed medical attention.

“Come on,” he kissed her temple, carefully taking her in his arms. “Can you hold onto me?”

It was hard, but she did, forcing her hands to stay on his armor as he carefully wrapped one arm around him.

“What-“

Thor lifted his hammer as Heimdall summoned the bifrost. This wasn’t how he planned to introduce the woman he loved to his home, but it would have to do.

Her life depended on it.

[shegoesbyarose]

❛  i think … i think i might be pregnant . ❜ prompt for Thor please!

“I think … I think I might be pregnant.”

Thor looked over at Naomi who was laying beside him, sheet pulled up to her chest, eyes glued at the ceiling fan.

He paused and then smiled awkwardly. “W-what?”

She closed her eyes. “You heard me.”

He stared at her. “Wait.” Sitting up, he watched her turn over on her side. “Naomi. Are you sure?”

“I don’t know, Thor. I’m just-” She closes her eyes. “It’s been two months since I last had a period. The latest I’ve ever been is a week. I threw up while training last week, and yesterday, I could barely get out of bed because I felt so sick.”

“If I’m not pregnant, something is definitely wrong.”

To be honest, Thor was still stuck on even the possibility that she could be pregnant. He struggled with a response. “We-you have to get a test then. I-I shall go-”

“I already picked one up yesterday.”

He stilled. “You did?” Silence. “Why have you not taken it then yet?”

“Because if I do,” she swallowed, opening and staring at the wall. “And if it’s positive…..that makes this real.”

Thor frowned. “You speak as though it would be a bad thing.”

Naomi turned on her back, allowing Thor to see the evident trepidation in her beautiful brown eyes. “I’m a spy, Thor. An assassin. I kill people for a living and don’t twice about it.” A beat. “Does that sound like the makings of a good mother? No. A monster.”

His frown deepened as he laid back on his side, placing his arm over her, hand resting on her hip. “Naomi, you are not a monster. You kill, yes, but only when it is required, when the lives of the innocent hang in the balance.” When she continued to marinate in her silence, he continued. “Have you any idea how many people I’ve killed?”

"But it was for a purpose,” she refuted. “You always knew why, did you not? I kill because it’s what’s written on a piece of paper, because someone tells me. I don’t question it.”

“It’s your job, Mi, a job that you love, a job that you trust,” he spoke softly. “You have no need to question it because you know it’s for the good of humanity. That requires a degree of conviction that I could only hope to achieve.”

“Now you’re just lying to me,” she muttered, turning her head away. Naomi pouted slightly when Thor brought his hand to her face, forcing her to look at him.

“Naomi,” he whispered, gradually lowering his hand down her face to her chest, gently cupping the swell of her breast before settling on her stomach. “You are kind, caring, thoughtful, loving. You put others before yourself without a second thought. You always do what’s necessary for the greater good, and you a protector. It’s in your nature. You are going to make a wonderful mother, whether it be now or later, it truly makes no difference. Our child will be honored to call you, mother.”

Naomi licked her lips and swallowed deeply. Why did he have to be so perfect and unproblematic? “Odinson, I swear to god, if you make me cry.”

“I will,” he spoke vaguely. Naomi frowned, only to bite on her bottom lip as he moved his hand further down, thick fingers brushing the lips of her pussy. “As only I can.”

She moaned as he started to insert one finger only to abruptly pull back, eliciting a groan from the SHIELD agent. “Why-“

“After you take the test,” he finished with a kiss to the corner of her mouth.

Her eyes widened. “You-“

“The future king of Asgard needs to know when his future heir is set to arrive.”

She groaned. “You just had to ruin-Thor!” She squealed as he moved to off her out of the bed, throwing her over his shoulder.

“Come,” he spoke, slapping her ass. “There is still time should the test come back negative.”

“Thor!”

[shegoesbyarose]

😭😭😭😭😭 I told y’all that it was going to be angsty 😩😩😩😩

@kpizzletrash

All I Ask

A/N: This is my take on Endgame Thor. Obviously, if you haven’t seen it, DO NOT read this. Really. You’ll spoil so much. 

AGAIN, DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN ENDGAME!!!!!!!!!!!

Words: 3.5k

Weakly proofread

Pairing: Thor x Black!OC 

Song Inspo: All I Ask by Adele

Warnings: Angst, PTSD, and other elements relating to mental health

TAGS: @kreolemami @letsshamelessqueen-m @marvelmaree @nina-sj @kpizzletrash

All I Ask

“How is he?”

Keep reading

[shegoesbyarose]

Thank you! 💐🌸😊 @sarcastic-sunshines

All I Ask

A/N: This is my take on Endgame Thor. Obviously, if you haven’t seen it, DO NOT read this. Really. You’ll spoil so much. 

AGAIN, DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN ENDGAME!!!!!!!!!!!

Words: 3.5k

Weakly proofread

Pairing: Thor x Black!OC 

Song Inspo: All I Ask by Adele

Warnings: Angst, PTSD, and other elements relating to mental health

TAGS: @kreolemami @letsshamelessqueen-m @marvelmaree @nina-sj @kpizzletrash

All I Ask

“How is he?”

Keep reading

[shegoesbyarose]

Thank you! I really tried to show the mental battle and oscillation from anguish to faux happiness that he seemed to be trying to handle in the film. 😭😭😭 Thank you for reading! 🌸💐 @marvelmaree

All I Ask

A/N: This is my take on Endgame Thor. Obviously, if you haven’t seen it, DO NOT read this. Really. You’ll spoil so much. 

AGAIN, DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN ENDGAME!!!!!!!!!!!

Words: 3.5k

Weakly proofread

Pairing: Thor x Black!OC 

Song Inspo: All I Ask by Adele

Warnings: Angst, PTSD, and other elements relating to mental health

TAGS: @kreolemami @letsshamelessqueen-m @marvelmaree @nina-sj @kpizzletrash

All I Ask

“How is he?”

Keep reading

[shegoesbyarose]

I tried, sis. 😭🌸💐 Thank you for reading! 😊 @nina-sj

All I Ask

A/N: This is my take on Endgame Thor. Obviously, if you haven’t seen it, DO NOT read this. Really. You’ll spoil so much. 

AGAIN, DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN ENDGAME!!!!!!!!!!!

Words: 3.5k

Weakly proofread

Pairing: Thor x Black!OC 

Song Inspo: All I Ask by Adele

Warnings: Angst, PTSD, and other elements relating to mental health

TAGS: @kreolemami @letsshamelessqueen-m @marvelmaree @nina-sj @kpizzletrash

All I Ask

“How is he?”

Keep reading

[shegoesbyarose]

All I Ask

A/N: This is my take on Endgame Thor. Obviously, if you haven’t seen it, DO NOT read this. Really. You’ll spoil so much. 

AGAIN, DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN ENDGAME!!!!!!!!!!!

Words: 3.5k

Weakly proofread

Pairing: Thor x Black!OC 

Song Inspo: All I Ask by Adele

Warnings: Angst, PTSD, and other elements relating to mental health

TAGS: @kreolemami @letsshamelessqueen-m @marvelmaree @nina-sj @kpizzletrash

All I Ask

"How is he?"

Naomi stilled.

She hated that question. Absolutely loathed it. What was the reasoning for it? Really. She wanted to verbalize the mental question but decided against it and continued stirring the unblended coffee.

"How’s training?"

Sam sighed and leaned forward, elbows on the table. "I could ask you the same thing."

She rolled her eyes. "Don’t start."

"Naomi."

"I don’t want to argue with you, Sam."

"I don't want you to argue with me either. I just wanna have a discussion."

"A discussion that will, no doubt, end in an argument." She scoffed, bringing her coffee to her mouth before adding. "I can’t believe that you, of all people, are questioning why I’m doing this."

"Oh, I know the why. We all do. It’s the how."

She leaned back and narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

The Avenger mimicked his baby sister’s motion and leaned forward, lowering his voice. "Helping me was one thing, Mimi-"

"Yeah, and I did it," she quickly countered. "Why is this any different?"

"Because the stakes are higher," he stressed. "We’re not talking about a Vet, sis. This is, hell, a god-"

"No," she shook her head. "This is a man in need of help. A man that I love and am not giving up on."

"No one says that you have to. We just want you to be careful. I want you to be careful."

She turned her head and chewed down on her lip. Sam meant well. She wouldn’t be sitting there if she thought otherwise. It’d always been in his nature to look after her. He was the stereotypical overprotective older brother who was still struggling to accept that his nearing 30 sister was no longer in need of his protection.

She was a grown woman, a former S.H.I.E.L.D agent who’d worked her way up to Level 7 clearance before the infamous collapse. She’d sparred with Natasha, fought alongside the same team her brother was a member of.

She was far from inexperienced from many things in life, and helping someone suffering from PTSD was no exception.

After all, she’d done it for him. When Sam returned from Afghanistan, he was a shell of himself. Haunted by the horrors of war and survivor’s guilt, nothing could have prepared Naomi for the blowback of the trauma her only sibling had faced.

Sleepless nights, episodes of screaming and nonsensical rambling, Sam was a far cry from the jokester she grew up with, but she fought with him, for him.

Every appointment, every therapeutic assignment, every counseling session, she was there every step of the way, determined to help him find his way back, and he did.

Few people knew about Sam’s darkest period, but Naomi did. All too well. She’d lived through it with him, and she’d been successful.

Just how she was going to be with-

"You should at least have some backup there with you-"

She impatiently tapped her natural nails against the wooden table. "Backup? I don't need backup, Sam. This isn't a mission, and I mean, Korg and Miek are there."

"What the hell are Rocky and Bullwinkle gonna do?"

"Sam!"

"Sorry." He lifted his hands. "I just want you to keep your options open."

"What options?"

"Have you thought about bringing somebody else in?"

"Somebody like who? No one else can get through to him like I can."

"Is that a hope or a fact?"

"What do you want from me? I can’t-" She turned her head and swallowed deeply. The sob in the back of her throat was desperately trying to push its way to the surface. "I won’t give up on him."

"I know you won’t," he sighed, his eyes filling with sadness. "But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t given up on himself."

••••

I understand Sam’s concern, and on one hand, I’m grateful. It’s nice having someone who cares. Or, rather, knowing that someone cares.

Naomi sighed, lifting her head and tapping the pen against the paper. The breeze swept past her body, splashing her curls against her face. The sound of seagulls and the gushing waves of the sea served as background noise for her journaling.

I know he still cares for me, that he loves me. I feel it. It's just, it’s hard for him to express it, and I don’t fault him. How can I? It may have only been a matter of minutes for me, but it was years for him. Five.

I’m trying to help him work through five years of marinated guilt and trauma, all of which he’s deeply suppressed and "treated" in a number of inappropriate ways.

"I’m going for a walk. Would you like to join me?" She already knew his answer, but that didn’t stop her from asking.

His eyes lit up for a second, and her hope lifted. Typically, he declined right away, but there was a brief second of contemplation, and she took it. Even the most minute signs of progress were worth acknowledging.

"No, that’s alright," he politely objected, chuckling awkwardly as he rubbed at his arm. "I-uh-should stick around in case the cable man shows up."

"Of course," she smiled softly, shrugging her cardigan over her tank. Naomi moved closer to him, taking note of how he swallowed as she placed her hand against his cheek, his untamed hair lightly scratching the inside of her palm. "Well, I won’t be long."

For a brief second, I thought about kissing him. I wanted to. God, I wanted to. It’s....hard. I crave intimacy, to be close to him, to be one with him again. Sleeping in separate rooms is hard enough. I suppose the intermittent distance between us should have helped, but there’s a difference between physical distance and emotional distance.

Everything happened so suddenly. One minute, she was in Wakanda, coming to consult with T’Challa, and the next, she was on a jet going to help rescue Wanda and Vision.

Naomi received a brief rundown from Nat. Something had attacked New York. Something not from Earth. Tony was unaccounted for, and Bruce, who’d been missing for years, called and said that they needed help.

Thanos, some extraterrestrial being, was apparently planning to attack earth. His endgame? To wipe out fifty percent of all living creatures. Obviously, there was no hesitation to suit up.

And then....the notification.

"Good to see you, Bruce," she shared, going for a hug when she felt him tense. "Everything alright?"

He looked down. "There’s-theres something I need to tell you. All of you."

She frowned. "What is it?"

He hesitated, causing Steve to speak up. "Banner?"

"It’s Thor."

Completely oblivious, Naomi’s eyes lit up. "Yes?" It’d been a few weeks since she’d spoken to him. He’s contacted her to inform her that Loki was apparently still alive and had banished Odin to earth, hence him being in New York. It was a brief conversation, but he’d promised to explain everything once he returned.

Except, he never did. However, it didn’t startle Naomi. She was used to him disappearing and coming back. It was just his thing. Hers too. Not many understood it, but they did, and that’s all that mattered.

"When Thanos attacked us-"

"Wait, you were with him? Thor?" Bruce reluctantly nodded as her frown deepened. "I don’t understand. Why isn’t he here then? You are."

"Heimdall, he-he helped me, well, the big guy, escape," he responded before adding on a quiet. "Before they killed him too."

She gasped. She’d met the gatekeeper a few times when Thor had taken her to his home, and each interaction was nothing but pleasant. Even more, she knew how close her boyfriend was to the kind man.

"It was bad, Naomi. We never saw it coming...he never saw it coming."

Her head snapped up. "Where is Thor, Bruce?" He looked down. "Bruce." She watched his eyes and his hand close.

"I’m sorry."

"No." She backed away, shaking her head. "No." As her back was toward everyone else and her normally acute awareness was nonexistent because of the growing ache in her chest, she jumped when Nat and Sam came on each side of her. "H-he’s not."

"We tried, Naomi. Thanos is just-he was too strong."

"Don’t tell me that," she croaked, hunching over as she placed one hand over her stomach, the other covering her mouth. "Oh, god."

Nat comfortingly squeezed her shoulder while Sam wrapped his arm around her waist, trying to console her.

I don’t like talking about those few days. Even with them being low in quantity, I’ve never experienced such heartache. Honestly, the only thing that kept me going was knowing that I had to finish what he started. I could not allow Thanos to win. This....this was personal.

And then, right when hope was all but gone, creatures clawing and attempting to ravage my battered body.

The kaleidoscope of colors, a flying ax, and.....restoration.

I almost didn’t recognize him. The haircut. Stormbreaker, the tree and raccoon on either side of him, but I knew. I just knew.

As the ground around us shook, I watched him shout his demand for Thanos, felt the intensity of the thunder, and gasped at the magnitude of his strength, his power, as he took down more enemies in a matter of seconds than we’d done in the near hour we’d been battling.

God, how I wanted to make my way through the fighting, to be in his warm embrace, but I knew that we had a job to finish. It could wait. At least, I tried to.

She’d impaled yet another creature and lifted her Wakandan staff to kill another when she was grabbed and lifted into the sky.

"What the hell, Sam!" She shouted at her brother, trying not to look down. She wasn’t a big fan of heights. "What are you-"

They lowered to the ground and he released her, Naomi almost stumbling from the drop when she heard-

"Noticed you’ve copied my beard."

Her head snapped up. "Thor."

How he heard her, she knew not, but when he turned around and their eyes met, her feet couldn’t carry her fast enough.

"You’re alive," she gasped, arms clasped around his neck as he held her up with one arm.

"You’re welcome!" Sam shouted, completely ignored by the couple, before flying back up.

He set her down on the ground, hand still on the small of her back. "I’m sor-" Before he could finish, she took her staff and hit him on the side of his armor. "What-"

"Don’t you ever scare me like that again!" She warned, hating that small smile on his face. "Do you have-"

Thor quickly pulled her into his side and lifted his ax, decapitating a monster.

"And what is th-why are your eyes two different-" she straightened her staff, killing the creature that was attempting to attack from behind. "I can’t deal with this right now."

When Naomi went to walk away, he easily grabbed her arm and pulled her back into him, stealing a kiss, all while lifting and lowering Stormbreaker to incinerate a squadron of outriders.

"I love you," he breathed as she carefully hid her smile at how he cupped her face with concern. "Be careful."

"Says the man walking around with an ax," she teased, forcing herself out of his grasp despite her desire to stay with him. "We’ll talk later."

"Is that what we call it now?"

"Hush," she laughed, walking away to join Nat and Okoye.

"Oh wait, love, this is a friend of mine, Tree!"

That was the last time I saw him. The next time we’d interact would be five years later, and nothing could have prepared me for what awaited.

It’s been difficult adjusting. When I was "snapped," it was 2018. I was in a serious relationship with a klutzy but lovable god while managing to stay under the radar because of my status as a wanted fugitive following the Sokovia Accords fallout.

Now, it’s 2023, and I no longer have to live in hiding, but my relationship...can I even still call it that? I’m not sure, but I will because while a lot has changed, my love has not.

My heart still beats for him. I lost my father. My mother. Now, my best friend, whose death I still haven’t truly accepted. I have Sam...and Thor. I’ve been given a second chance at life, a chance I will not take advantage of.

She’d just exited the shower, her plush towel wrapped around her nude, damp body, the silk wrap around her edges still secured around the perimeter of her head.

Walking over to the dresser, she started to dig around for a sports bra and biking shorts, her preferred sleeping attire.

"Dinner is almost-" Naomi turned around. Thor’s mismatched eyes started on her face but quickly trailed down her practically exposed figure.

The darkening of his irises sent tingles up her spine. She’d missed that, the hungry way he’d look at her right before throwing her on the nearest flat surface and making her scream his name until her throat was raw.

"I’m sorry-I should have-I’m so used to not having to," he nervously babbled, making his eyes look everywhere except at her. "Is the water hot? Perhaps I should take mine now."

"Perhaps I should have waited then."

Thor finally looked at her, Naomi naturally chewing on her bottom lip. She especially missed that.

He coughed awkwardly and tried to move back, accidentally knocking a picture frame over. "Yes, well, it, probably won’t be hot anymore-"

"I don’t think heat will be an issue." She was coming on strong, and it wasn’t intentional. Truly. But she’d been doing a hell of a job with acting as though she wasn’t craving intimacy. Not even sexual. Just laying in bed together, laughing, and discussing the most random of things, that closeness.

To be with someone and not be able to really be with them....it was brutal.

"I should-"

"Hey, uhh, Ms. Naomi," Korg yelled from downstairs. For some reason, he insisted on prefacing her name with a ‘ms’ despite her multiple attempts to get him to stop.

Walking over to the door, she purposely brushed her arm against Thor’s. "Yes?"

"Which one of heating boxes did you say we couldn’t put the foil aluminum in?"

She smiled and shook her head. "The small one, Korg."

"Cool. Thanks."

"You’re welcome," she shouted, angling her body so that she was leaning against the other side of the door, facing Thor. "What-"

"Naomi." The quietness in the way he said her voice caused her to straighten her shoulders. "You shouldn’t be here. This-this isn’t what you deserve."

"I’m where I want to be, Thor," she whispered. "With who I want to be with." A beat. "What about you? What about what you deserve?"

She had a feeling what his answer would be, but still, she wanted, needed to hear it. To see where his head was.

Starring at her, he replied with a low and solemn reply. "Not you."

Shaking her head, she stepped closer. Her hands went to his face. "You’re wrong," she murmured, eyes glazing over with unshed tears. "So, so wrong."

"Thor, I know that things are different. That time has not been kind to you, that it’s been much longer for you than it has for me, but I want, I need you to understand that I am just as madly in love with you now as I was then." She licked her lips, moving closer to him, her stomach fluttering when his right hand moved to her hip. "And I am here for you, okay? Whenever. Whatever. It doesn’t matter. You may not be human, but just like us mere midgardians, you had a breaking point, and that’s okay, Thor. We can get through it, together. I’m here for you. Always."

She saw it, the turmoil in his eyes. She felt the struggle between closing the gap between them or running away. His fingers flexed against the towel, unconsciously pulling on the material, dangerously close to causing the knot to become undone.

Naomi wanted with everything in her to rid them both of the turmoil, but she couldn’t. That would be selfish. This wasn’t about her or what she wanted. This was about him. She had to meet him where he was, and if he wasn’t ready, then he wasn’t ready. She couldn’t force it.

He closed his eyes. "Naomi, I-"

"Uhh, Ms. Naomi." Korg interrupted, clearly yelling from at the bottom of the steps.

Yet, she didn’t move, her eyes glued to Thor’s."Yes?"

"You wouldn’t happen to know where the fire extinguisher is, do you?"

Her mouth dropped. Didn’t she just...

"I should go help them," Thor cleared his throat, pulling away from her, the spy successfully hiding her pain at the separation. "I’ll-uh-yes." Without another word, he exited the room.

Sometimes, I do have moments where I wonder if I’m doing this for him or myself. I want to be with him. So, so, so much, and I just don’t want that to interfere with my desire to want to help him. I just have to wonder if I can do both.

It was late, the middle of the night when she felt someone over her. Sure enough, as soon as she opened her lids she saw Korg standing over her.

"Wh-"

"No."

Naomi instantly sat up as she heard his voice from down the hall.

"He’s doing it again," Korg informed as she kicked the blankets off and pushed the pillow away. The pillow that was a poor attempt at tricking her into thinking that she wasn’t sleeping alone.

"I’ve got it," she assured, not even bothering to slide on her slippers. "Go back to sleep."

Shuffling down the hall, she slowly pushed the cracked door open and allowed herself in. Sure enough, he was laying in the middle of the bed, twisting and turning.

"Loki, no."

Her stomach dropped. It was this nightmare again. No matter how many times Loki betrayed his brother, there was no doubt that Thor loved him, and seeing him be murdered was just another trauma on the list of heartache that consumed the Asgardian.

"Thor." Naomi moved closer to the bed, crawling on the side and lightly caressing his forehead. "Baby, it’s alright."

"I can save you," Thor murmured in his sleep, fisting the blankets.

"Thor," she raised her voice, moving one hand to his shoulder to try and shake him. "Baby-"

"NO!"

Years of intense training and countless near-death experiences taught Naomi the art of calmness, something that truly carried her at that moment.

In a matter of seconds, Thor was awake, his hand wrapped around her neck as he pinned her down, one hand outstretched as he summoned Stormbreaker.

Starring down at her, she watched him pant, his eyes blinking several times before his shoulders dropped. "Naomi…."

Instantly, he released her, Naomi naturally coughing from the deprivation of oxygen.

Thor stumbled back, falling off the bed, to which Naomi immediately responded.

"Hey," she whispered, still a bit hoarse but just as concerned not for herself, but for him. "It’s okay-"

"I’m sorry. I-I could have killed you," he spoke more to himself, and Naomi hated the absolute disgust she could plainly see he was feeling with his actions. "I didn’t-"

"I was a SHIELD agent for over ten years, Thor," she reminded, walking over to him and bending down as he threw his ax on the other side of the room. "Do you really think-" She stopped as his hand reached out to graze his fingers across her neck, no doubt searching for any signs of injury other than the bruising that was probably already somewhat visible.

"I hurt you." He swallowed, shaking his head. "I hurt my people. Everyone who is around me always ends up hurt." Her eyes watered from the increasing amount of emotion, vulnerability, and pain in his voice. "I-I am a destroyer."

"No, no, no." She shook her head, ignoring what her head was telling her and climbing onto his lap. "This," she placed her hand over his that was still on her neck. "This is nothing. An extraction mission, at best."

She pushed her lips together, cupping his face, her thumb caressing her cheeks. "You are hope, Thor. How many times, how many people, have you saved over the years? You went from being a selfish and arrogant asshole to one of the most selfless, kind, and caring people, hero, earth and every other planet out there has ever had the honor of being protected by."

She closed her eyes and sighed through a closed mouth. "It’s not your fault, Thor. Do you hear me? None of it. You can’t keep blaming yourself. I don’t. Steve doesn’t. Val doesn’t…and they wouldn’t."

She wiped away the tear that fell down his face and pressed her forehead against his. "You’ve lost more than any of us, and you’ve been strong for so long, but it’s okay to not always be strong. It’s okay to not always have the answers, or make the right decisions. Nobody is perfect, and no one expects you to be. You don’t owe anyone anything else, except to yourself. To heal. To grow. To forgive.”

Naomi released a shaky breath as he wrapped his arms around her, the boldest act of affection he’d extended her way since her return.

“Stay.” She looked down at him, the sincerity in his eyes. “Please.”

She wasn’t sure if he meant for the night, or in general, whatever the intention, her answer was still the same. She was with him to the end.

“Always."

[shegoesbyarose]

😭😭😭You always have the kindest words to say about my works and writing and that always just means a lot to me to receive such kind feedback on my morose little works. 😭😭😭 

I honestly don’t know what brought on this idea for this fic, but I’m really so thankful for you all being so receptive!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

@justanotherloveaffair

Rapid Descents | T.U.

warnings: angst | words: twoK | pairing: t’challa x reader (black)

You would never forget your first meeting.

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[shegoesbyarose]