t1red-twilight

[t1red-twilight]

through the ages

part 6

content/warnings: gn!reader, angst, r lies to spencer quite a bit, abusive boyfriend (not spencer)

wc: 2.6

masterlist series masterlist s. r. masterlist

prev. part

you walked the distance from your car up to spencer’s house. if you were being honest with yourself, you were quite worried on how it was going to go. the past few months were stressful; you moved in with ian, just to quickly realize that that was not the best idea. quickly your life was becoming consumed with him.

your nights flooded with complaints about dinner and how messy the apartment was, and how you were never home when he needed you. any weekends that you had off of work it was expected that you curate all your time for him. 

you were fine with that. alas, ian let you pick where you got food and folded the laundry some times. it was fine, great even. you just would have to get used to the idea of someone constantly invading your space and always needing your time. this was just how relationships worked, right? you were an adult.

it was a while since you had last seen spencer, seen any of your friends. with ian needing so much all the time, it was hard to do anything with other people. your job was demanding, you knew that. it was only fair that he got dibs on you first. and, like he always said, ‘they see you at work. i never see you.’

you reached spencer’s door and rapped your knuckles against it. almost instantaneously, spencer opened it. a large, toothless smile graced his features. the warm, dim light of his apartment backlit his lithe form. not a single overhead light on.

spencer’s apartment felt so homey, so cozy. you wished that you could stay there all the time; maybe you could watch all the seasons of doctor who with him, while he explained all the lore to you. maybe you could coax him into trying a few new foods, because you knew that he liked eating the same 6 things, two of which were coffee and tea. 

you would just have to settle for waiting months in between hangouts, when ian would hang out with his friends and not make you come with. this time, you had convinced ian that he should be perfectly fine on his own. (he did not not take it well, and rolled his eyes whilst protesting loudly. you were sure that you’d be hearing more from him later.)

“hi,” spencer said. “come in, please. i have a few movies picked out that maybe we could watch. i have some hot chocolate on the stove, if you want some.” spencer grabbed your wrist gently and ushered you inside. you wondered if he had a candle or two going with the soft musk that wafted into your senses.

you looked around, taking in his apartment. he always had books covering every surface, and would never move them. ‘a method to his madness,’ he called it once. ‘i know where every book is, so i don’t see the point in moving them.’ 

spencer grabbed your bags and placed them on his kitchen counter, while you took off your shoes and set them in the doorway. “i haven’t seen you outside of work in so long,” he started. “i was beginning to think, that maybe you didn’t want me around.” with the tone his voice was taking it seemed like he was joking, but a lilt of honesty resided underneath his words. 

you waved in apology. “sorry!” you fidgeted with your fingers. “ever since i moved in with ian, i’ve just been,” you paused, wondering how to phrase it properly. “ian has just been,” another pause. “i’m just getting used to living with someone, that’s all. its a little difficult to time manage around a whole other person.” you smiled as big as you could. 

spencer tilted his head in what seemed to be confusion. “you moved in together? why didn’t you tell me?”

the look on his face sent a punch into your gut. you hadn’t told him, had you? “oh, yeah. i moved in with him. don’t worry though, i didn’t need help transferring my stuff or anything.” you tried to keep your tone as casual as possible. truth is, ian did not want you taking much of your ‘stuff’ to his apartment. that made sense though, he already had furniture and decor. why would he need you to change what he already had?

the look on spencer’s face did not dissipate completely. “okay,” he responded, sounding unsure of himself. “well, i got out your mug and cleaned it twice just to be careful. do you want any hot chocolate?” 

your shoulders relaxed and you nodded. that sounded great. tonight you just wanted to relax and unwind with your best friend. spencer was what you really needed right now. he was always so grounding in a way that was so very comforting.

“do you have any snacks, spence? i’m a little hungry.” you followed him into the kitchen, watching him pour the hot chocolate into your mug. 

“yeah, of course. you can eat anything you find, what’s mine is yours.” he handed the mug off to you. the warmth of the ceramic heated your cold fingers, you had been so cold lately. the spring rainstorms were really getting to you this year. 

you opened his fridge and found something small that you could eat. there were extras of the item, so you wouldn’t feel guilty about eating the last of something. when you turned back around, you saw that spencer had fled the kitchen in lieu of the living room couch. 

you followed suit and sat down next to him, your feet planted on the ground as you sat. spencer murmured your name, and you turned to him. “you can relax,” he said. “you’re sitting so straight, that cannot be comfortable.” you couldn’t tell if he was teasing or not. but, you rolled your shoulders back and slouched into his couch.

spencer’s couch was so comfortable, but maybe that was just his effect on the room. any room would suffice if he was in it. from the corner of your eye you could see that spencer too had sunk into his couch, but part of him still seemed a little on alert.

he kept glancing over at you from the corner of his eye. he cleared his throat, “I was thinking that maybe we could watch…” spencer’s voice trailed off as you zoned out. your vision blurred as you became very aware of your surroundings. did you still look too stiff? had ian texted you yet? there was a possibility that he would need you to come back to his apartment and help him with something. 

spencer repeated your name, and you shook your head to free you of your thoughts. “yeah! that sounds great.” (what you had just agreed to, you had no idea.)

he proceeded to start something on his tv, and it looked to be something in the science fiction genre. you had expected doctor who, or maybe star trek, but this looked to be something completely different. “-the terminology they use within this is actually surprisingly accurate! some of the things that they cover weren’t actually discovered until after it was released, so it is very interesting and exciting that it has stayed so accurate over time.”

spencer had a habit of talking over shows and movies, especially when it was a piece of media that he liked. the last time you had come over (you couldn’t quite place the date), you picked the movie so this time it was his turn. you always looked forward to hearing him over-explain concepts and plot points. his face always lit up, and he got lost in himself. the lack of peering eyes and hypothetical jeering remarks provided for the best version of spencer. completely unfiltered, unadulterated.

“wait, i’ll be quiet for a second. this is my favorite scene.” the light from the television screen bored into your eyes, and you blinked in an attempt to relax them your eyes began to water just a tiny bit, so you rubbed at them with the palms of your hands. “are you alright?” spencer asked.

“yeah, i’m fine. i think i’ve just been up for a long time.” you smiled, and waved him off. you reached forward to take another sip of your hot chocolate and sat back against the couch. 

spencer was silent for a moment before he asked another question. “how long have you been up for?”

you scrunched your face together, sifting through your brain as you tried to remember. for the life of you, you couldn’t recall what time you had gotten up this morning. ian had needed something, was it breakfast? and he had woken you up earlier than you had wanted. “i don’t know the exact time. ian asked me to make him eggs or something this morning. he wouldn’t let me go back to sleep.”

if you had been looking at him, you would have seen spencer pinch his brow, and open and shut his mouth a few times before speaking. “he wouldn’t-he wouldn’t let you go back to sleep?”

your eyes widened and you turned to face him. “it's not like that, he just-” you swallowed quickly. “he just needed me to run some errands with him, that's all. he doesn't like grocery shopping.” 

spencer looked at you quizzically. “okay,” he said curtly. his brow was still pinched, and he began to fiddle with the tv remote in his hands. his posture had straightened just the smallest bit. you chuckled awkwardly, and tried asking him about the scene that was playing. “does he do that a lot? not let you sleep, i mean.”

your mouth went dry. why was he acting like this, like something was wrong? “sometimes?”

“what do you mean, ‘sometimes?’” it was then that you noticed he had lowered the volume of the television.

“it’s nothing to worry about,” you smiled at the tail of your statement. “his friends are important to him, so we go out with them some nights a week. he doesn’t like to leave early.” you waved it off. friends were a very important thing, and it was very crucial that ian’s friends liked you. even if they weren’t the most cordial people and called you terms you didn’t want to repeat. ian made room for your things at his place when you moved in, it was only fair you give him as many nights as he needed. 

“are you okay?” spencer’s voice was hushed, his tone almost hoarse. the look that swam in his eyes made you worry. 

you nodded as soon as he finished his question. “i’m great! i’m just still getting used to ian’s schedule, and i’m sure he’s getting used to mine.” you smiled again, but dropped quickly when spencer’s jaw clenched.

spencer’s head turned away from you and he stared at the wall, looking to be in thought. you mirrored him. “you know that you can tell me anything, right? i’m always going to be here for you.”

you paused, of course you knew that. spencer was your best friend and had been, practically since you met him. spencer’s hand plopped on the couch cushion in between you, palm facing upward. slowly and carefully, you placed your hand into his. 

his hands were soft, and if you found the right spot you could feel his writing calluses. he squeezed your hand once, and then another time. 

you sat in your thoughts for a long few moments. it had been longer than you wanted since you had last seen spencer. far too long. when would ian be demanding too much of you? you had not been immune to penny noting that you never go to the bars with the team anymore, or derek noting how much of your schedule involved your boyfriend. wasn’t this just how relationships went, though? but, how many nights had you spent thinking about him?

this silence between the both of you felt uneasy, not something you were used to. you were used to needing to fill the silence. but this, this was nonexpectant. you did not have anything to say, so you didn’t say anything.

“actually,” you broke the silence. you gulped, trying to swallow your doubts. “there’s this one thing that has bothered me.” you looked down at the floor, attempting to memorize the shade of spencer’s carpet.

he looked over at you, brow pinched. from the corner of your eye you could see him crane his neck to try and look at your face. “what?” he mumbled. you tapped your fingers against your knees, contemplating whether or not you wanted to say what you were thinking.

you glanced over at him, and took in the worry on his face. you quickly looked back down. you released your hand from his to rub at your eyes, but he gently grasped it and pulled it back down. this time, you were able muster the courage to look at him. his eyes were flicking all over your form, from your upright spine to your shaking hands.

you knew the answer to what you were going to ask him. “ian, he-“ spencer leaned in. “he wouldn’t let me celebrate my mom’s birthday.”

his brow knit even further together, if that was possible. “what? he wouldn’t let you see your mom?” he blinked furiously. “why not?”

“spencer,” you started. you clenched your fist open and closed once or twice. “spencer, my mom’s dead.” the silence from before filled the space between you, but this time it was deafening. spencer’s lips parted as he looked at you in shock. he squeezed you hand a little tighter but did not let go.

he looked down and frowned, then looked back up at you. “oh.” his voice softened. he licked his lips. “i’m sorry,” his words were short, but they were sweet nonetheless. you could tell he was being genuine, and that felt rather novice.

“ian’s friends are really important to him, and- and he wouldn’t let me stay home and make cookies or something. he said that i had to go because-“ a sob cut you off. your shoulders shook and your free hand moved to you face to wipe your tears. spencer scooted closer to you.

he let go of your hand in favor of wrapping his arms around you. you mirrored his actions, and tucked your face into his neck. there it was; his familiar calming scent. it was his laundry detergent, if you recalled correctly. you had asked once and he told you he had to get a special kind as to not irritate his skin.

spencer set his cheek on top of your head and pulled you tight to him. part of you was shocked that he was okay going this close to you, given his aversion to germs. “but spencer, germs.”

“i can manage when it’s you,” he began. “i don’t mind when it’s you. plus i know that you’re clean.” you laughed a little at that. you tightened you arms around his waist. “that’s not okay of him, no matter what you say. and i’m sorry about your mom.”

you pulled away and shook your head. “it’s fine, really. he’s not usually like that. i don’t think he realized how much i wanted to stay home.” spencer cocked his head to the side. “he’s not close with his family so his friends make up his family.” you smiled to try and lighten the heavy mood.

spencer didn’t speak for a minute. you reached up and swiped at his jawline with your thumb. “hey, don’t worry about it. if something was really wrong i’d tell you.”

his big brown eyes returned to you, and you couldn’t tell if he believed you or not.

next part

[t1red-twilight]

pt 6 sneak peek because i got 2 likes

you looked around, taking in his apartment. he always had books covering every surface, and would never move them. ‘a method to his madness,’ he called it once. ‘i know where every book is, so i don’t see the point in moving them.’

spencer grabbed your bags and placed them on his kitchen counter, while you took off your shoes and set them in the doorway. “i haven’t seen you outside of work in so long,” he started. “i was beginning to think, that maybe you didn’t want me around.” with the tone his voice was taking it seemed like he was joking, but a lilt of honesty resided underneath his words.

you waved in apology. “sorry!” you fidgeted with your fingers. “ever since i moved in with ian, i’ve just been,” you paused, wondering how to phrase it properly. “ian has just been,” another pause. “i’m just getting used to living with someone, that’s all. its a little difficult to time manage around a whole other person.” you smiled as big as you could.

spencer tilted his head in what seemed to be confusion. “you moved in together? why didn’t you tell me?”

if this gets a single like i’ll publish a sneak peek of through the ages part 6

[t1red-twilight]

if this gets a single like i’ll publish a sneak peek of through the ages part 6

[t1red-twilight]

the thing is, i KNOW yelena is ace because of how she’s being treated rn. she’s getting the core experience of an ace person: every nice/kind thing you do for someone somehow gets twisted into “oh they’re definitely in love.”

[t1red-twilight]

hold me close

content/warnings: gn!reader, fluff, cuddling, no plot oops, avengers tower new era, probably spelling mistakes (i’m falling asleep)

wc: 2k

masterlist r. r. masterlist

the rest of the team had left about twenty minutes ago to go on a mission. you hadn’t really caught onto why they were leaving, but currently you couldn’t find it in yourself to care that much. to be honest, it just sounded like: “blah, blah, blah, guns, blah, blah, blah, the power of friendship.“

bob, of course, stayed behind. and while you were always upset that he couldn’t join the team on these important missions, currently you were enjoying spending time alone with him. somehow, someway, when he was alone he was even softer and gentler than he was regularly.

plus, it helped to have a alone time with him. especially when the two of you weren’t quite ready to tell the team that you were, well, together. you knew that they wouldn’t mind. not at all, in fact. there was already some teasing on a regular basis.

but the both of you reveled in the privacy, for as long as you had it. eventually, you would tell the rest of the team. but right now, this felt perfect.

as for why you were staying behind, it was because you had gotten injured on the last mission. you had gotten shot through your abdomen, and while you insisted that you were perfectly fine the rest of the team insisted that you stay behind.

you remembered bob’s reaction when you had to came back from that mission. you had been stitched up at that point, but that did not stop him from panicking. his breath had quickened in pace, and his hands were shaking violently. it took you, yelena and ava to calm him down.

ever since then, he had been even gentler with you than before, and you hadn’t even considered that physically possible. you reassured him daily that the pain medication was working, and just him being around was medication in and of itself.

when you had told bob that you were staying behind on this one, you could tell that he was definitely upset about your injury. but, there was an underlying feeling that you both caught onto. you staying behind meant that you could have more alone time together without having to hide. his small, giddy smile, never got old.

so, the team had left quite a few minutes ago. you and bob waited just in case alexei or john had left something behind and needed to double back. after enough time it passed, you could finally be as close to him as he wanted to be.

you laid down on the couch. the plush of the couch caressed your back and provided comfort that you needed for what remained of your injury. you were fine, you swore. no one seemed to believe you, though. after some negotiating, you had successfully convinced bob to lay on top of you. if anything, the pressure on what was left of your wound was quite comforting and provided relief.

some rerun ran in the background. all you could focus on was bob’s soft breathing that brushed against your collarbone. you ran your fingers through his hair. you always found yourself able to relax when you were around him. you hoped and prayed that it was the same for him too. you knew he wasn’t asleep, just retreating into a relieved, calm state.

his arms were encircled around your waist, and you would’ve asked him if his blood circulation was being cut off, and he had casually and honestly told you that no, they weren’t, and he didn’t really care.

you felt bob inhale deeply. you were sure that if you looked at him, you could see him smiling widely. “this is always my favorite.“ he inhaled deeply again, “being with you. it’s the best part of my day.“

your thumb began to caress his cheek. “i don’t know what i would do without this. you’re always able to ground me.“

he craned his neck up to look at you. this time, you could see his smile in all its glory. “mhm. i agree completely. not in a way that i want you to think that i need you around constantly – i don’t want you to ever feel like you’re obligated to –“

you chuckled slightly and cut yourself off quickly. “you could never make me feel like that, bob. i wouldn’t want to be around you so much if i didn’t like you. you’re one of my favorite people on this planet.” you paused for a moment, then continued. “perhaps in this galaxy and every single multiverse. i’m never gonna leave unless you want me to.“ you matched his smile.

bob’s eyes softened. the slight tension in his jaw released; you caught onto the fact that he clenched his jaw often, and ground his teeth in his sleep. (not that you snuck into his room, and vice versa, and left before anyone could find out. never. there was also, never, any sort of pleading that either of you should stay longer. of course not.)

bob returned his head down on your collarbone again. his hand on your waist, dragged up to your upper back. you leaned down and kiss the crown of his head. you could’ve sworn that you felt slight shiver up his spine. you hoped that the effect that you had on each other would never lessen. you knew for a fact that his effect on you would never lighten.

all your partners before bob had not treated you in the nicest way, and occasionally his kindness and softness surprised you. bob nuzzled his nose into the spot where your neck met your collarbone. you could’ve sworn that you felt him smell you, but honest to god, you didn’t mind. after all, bob always smelled nice to you. it was flattering that it seemed that he felt the same for you.

“are you enjoying the show?” bob murmured it into your neck. the vibrations from his voice sent shivers through your body, and you tried to suppress them. he still had an effect on you, and you were trying to get used to not hiding that despite your embarrassment. the embarrassment just stemmed from a place of being embarrassed of liking him as much as you did. you had never liked someone like you had him.

you chuckled mischievously. “i’m not really watching it, to be honest.“

bob laughed with you. “yeah, me neither. i’m just too lost in how comfortable you are.“ you laughed again, louder this time. you pulled his head closer to you and kiss his forehead this time.

bob responded by pulling you closer to him as well. you traced circles on his neck with your fingertips. you sighed contentedly, it was so easy to get “lost“ (to match his phrasing). he was just so perfect for you. he understood you when you were hurting, and so did you for him.

when you first started your rendezvous, you hadn’t expected him to be so touchy. but the more time you had with him, the more you realized that physical touch was something that he longed for. you didn’t like to think how much of that he had denied himself, or that he had been denied.

and while you weren’t super fond of physical touch from other people, you craved it so very deep deeply from him. he would kill a man just for one hug from him, as dramatic as that was.

bob was just teddy bear heart. a large teddy bear, and a traumatized teddy bear, but neither of those bothered you. you’d give him all the reassurance and comfort that he needed because he returned that when you needed it.

“how long do you think it will take for them to get back?” you whispered, teetering the edge between being awake and falling asleep.

bob tried before responding. “i don’t know. i just hope it takes a while.” you snorted.

you bit your lip as you held back a smile. “so you want them to struggle? do you want them to be in danger?” you stated with sarcasm saturating every word.

bob looked up again, meeting your eye line. “what? of course, not. i just want to have as much time with you as I can.” his watery blue eyes looked at you with confusion. you couldn’t really tell if he was also being sarcastic or not.

you laughed at his response. “i’m just joking, honey. i knew that’s not what you meant. in the least sadistic way possible, i hope there’s just a tinier bit of trouble more than usual. just so i can have a little more time with you.”

you tucked his head back down again. “i figured.” after a few moments he spoke up again. “should we turn off the tv? we’re not really watching it.” his voice was dropping in decibels, sleep clouding his words.

you shrugged. “i don’t really mind if it’s on or off. if you want it off, we can turn it off though.” he mirrored you by shrugging again. neither of you had really watched the movie.

his breath began to slow, and he once again pulled you tighter to him. “eh, i don’t really care.“ he placed a kiss along the column of your throat, and grinned when he felt you shiver.

you reached to your side to grab the remote off of the coffee table. at this action, bob grunted in faux annoyance. you smiled lovingly and shut off the tv. then, you settled back in and wrapped your arms around him. one of your hands was on his upper back and the other was on the back of his head.

in the back of your mind, you knew that it wasn’t a good idea to be falling asleep on the couch. however, you didn’t really care in the moment. bob was just holding you so closely that you couldn’t focus on what was best, considering your secret arrangement.

you noticed the chill of the room. some part of you wondered if he had lowered the temperature right before the team had left so that when the time came, he would have some excuse to be close to you. you had caught him doing this before. but you didn’t mind; it was kind of cute.

it didn’t take long until sleep overcame you despite you best efforts. bob always fell asleep before you did, and at some point he had mentioned that falling asleep was easier with you around. you too felt more comfortable around him than you did alone.

-

you awoke to the sound of a shutter noise, coming from above you. “shit!” someone, probably ava, hoarsely whispered. “why isn’t your phone on silent?” her tone was filled with vitriol.

“what do you mean silent?“ another voice whisper-yelled. bucky, maybe? “i don’t know what that means. i only have this phone because you and yelena made me get it.” yep. definitely bucky.

your eyes opened just a crack. there was the team, coated in dirt and grime, and hovering above you. bucky’s phone was directly in front of his face, akin to how an old man would be holding his phone. well, that is technically what he was.

you shook bob awake. “bob, we have an audience.” he shook the sleep off, and pulled an arm out from underneath you to rub the sleep out of his eyes.

“huh?” bob looked around at your crowd. “oh. damn. i guess we don’t have to tell them now.” he looked back down at you, and he didn’t seem all that upset. and frankly, neither were you.

alexei yelled, making you flinch at the noise. “what do you mean tell us? have you been banging behind our backs? how long?”

you looked at him and confusion. “first of all, no one says ‘banging’ anymore. second of all, this is exactly why we didn’t tell you in the first place.“ while you were being honest, you made an effort to sound not too serious. bob was right though, at least now you didn’t have to sit them down and tell them.

[t1red-twilight]

bestie is collecting ALL the bobs... bob floyd AND bob reynolds !! iktr !!! (and im here to eat the fics all up too)

they’re both played by lewis pullman too😭 lewis pullman has big beautiful eyes i cant resist him bro</3

i’m continually grateful for your support pookie. you’re my favorite never forget that

[t1red-twilight]

the void

content/warnings: gn!reader, angst, hurt/comfort, ptsd, dissociation, self hatred

wc: 1.1k

masterlist r. r. masterlist

“bob?” you called out. the room you stepped into looked to be a repurposed attic of sorts. it seemed there were toys in the room, this was definitely a childhood memory of some kind.

the void had made you remember things you did not want to, things you had pushed down so deep you couldn’t recall the exact details. throughout it all, you could only think of one thing: where was bob? was he alright? what was happening in new york was definitely not him, that was for sure.

there he was, sitting with crossed legs fiddling with something in his hands. “bob?” you said, quieter this time. his eyes flicked over to you and then back to whatever was in his hands. when he didn’t say anything, you sat beside him. “is-is everything okay?”

he looked forward at the wall in front of him, a far-away look in his eyes. if you looked back down at his hands, you could see them shaking. you weren’t sure if physical contact would help him or not, so you kept your distance. “bob?” you repeated.

bob inhaled, and then you heard it. yelling was coming from beneath you. if you maneuvered yourself you could see between the floorboards, and there he was. a little boy, with the same watery eyes and distant expression as the man in front of you.

when you looked back up at him, you could see his lips moving just so. his lips matched with the shouts from below. “just wait a second,” bob mumbled. “it’ll be over in a second.” his eyelashes fluttered as he relived the moment.

bob’s eyes became glassy for a few moments, but he blinked a few times and then it was gone. he turned to look at you, but he didn’t say anything. you sat in silence, just waiting until the air felt a little less dense.

you looked him over, his shoulders were hunched over, his jaw tense. you tried to meet his gaze, but to no avail. he began to fiddle with his fingers. the more the silence prolonged, the more bob curled in on himself.

“bob?” you repeated once again. your voice was hushed, you were scared of alarming him or making the situation worse. you set your hand palm-up, on the top of your leg. you wiggled your fingers ever so slightly.

tentatively, bob set his hand in your own. his hands were shaking almost violently. you laced your fingers together with his, and squeezed his hand a little tighter. “you don’t have to feel bad,” he started, his voice wavering. “this is-it’s, uh-“ he stammered.

bob straightened his spine and a faux smile grew on his face, one that didn’t reach his eyes. that faraway look was still there, almost as if his consciousness had retreated back into his body.

you stroked your thumb against the back of his hand and squeezed it another time. the small point of contact grounded you in the moment; all you could focus on was him.

bob looked up at you, his brow pinched and bottom lip quivering. “i’m sorry, i-“ he gulped. “you don’t want to see this, i-“

you raised your other hand and placed it on his cheek, effectively cutting him off “hey,” you swiped at his cheekbone. “no, don’t apologize. i’m fine, you don’t have to worry about me.”

bob clenched his eyes shut as a tear crawled its way out of his eye. his teeth bit down in his bottom lip rather harshly and his breathing became ragged. your thumb wiped the tear away and you scooted closer to him. “cry, if you want. this is a no-judgement zone.” bob opened his eyes and a sob wracked through his body.

he leaned into your touch. his shoulders shook as he cried. in this moment you saw a side of him that you hadn’t seen much of previously; right now he just looked like a scared child who hadn’t been provided safety.

“do you want a hug?” you said quietly. “if you don’t, that’s fine too.” you attempted a comforting smile but you were unsure if that was the effect it was giving.

bob nodded against your palm. you moved your position as to make it more comfortable for yourself, and you let go of his hand and his face. the loss of contact wasn’t for long, because as soon as you were apart, he was diving back into you.

his head tucked into your shoulder and his arms encircled you as much as they could. he pulled himself closer to you, and you could feel his shoulders beginning to shake again.

one of your hands trailed up to his neck and ran though the hair there, and the other sat on his mid-back. you set your cheek against the top of his head. every couple of seconds he would cry a little harder and pull you a little closer, but you didn’t dare let go. you couldn’t find it in yourself to want to let go, even if you could.

“i thought that this would make me better, but it just made me worse.” his voice shook and broke as he spoke. “you should’ve left me behind. you should’ve just left, if i wasn’t here, then-“

you pulled away slightly, just so you could look at him. “what? no. why would we have ever left you? despite everything you think about, you still deserve a shot. that’s not you out there. why would you say that?” bob didn’t respond. your hand on his neck began carding through his hair again.

he opened his mouth to speak and closed it. his shoulders went up in a shrugging motion and he shook his head. “bob, you can’t deal with this on your own. you don’t have to if you don’t want to, i’m here if you want me to be.” bob had closed his eyes tightly again, his face screwing up in a painful expression.

“i hate remembering everything. i forget so much, but i never can seem to forget this. i can never forget the bad things.” he topped his head forward and one of his palms rubbed against his eye socket.

“and then it feels like you’re neck-deep in all the bad. like you’re drowning and don’t know how to swim,” you weren’t good at this, at comforting people. you just hoped that you didn’t sound condescending or anything like that. but, you did have some experience with what he was talking about. “brains have a funny way of reminding us about everything that sucks, huh?”

a small smile found its way to his lips. bob inhaled for a few seconds and exhaled for a few. when he opened his eyes, this time it looked like he was actually in front of you for the first time. “thank you for not leaving me,” he whispered hoarsely.

you nodded before you spoke. “of course. i don’t leave important people behind.”

[t1red-twilight]

robert reynolds masterlist

main masterlist

personal favorite: ♤

fan favorite: ♡

fluff: f

angst: a

suggestive (not smut): s

⊹ ࣪ ˖

the void - a

hold me close - f

[t1red-twilight]

[t1red-twilight]

this is insane

[t1red-twilight]

i’m here

content/warnings: gn!reader, angst, fluff, the bird strike scene’s aftermath, not a secret relationship but it’s not open to the world

notes: if this reads awkwardly, that’s because i wrote when i was quite literally falling asleep and i decided to post it anyway. keep that in mind when you pass judgement lol

wc: 1.4k

masterlist b. f. masterlist

you were at home when you had gotten the call. “bird strike,” maverick had said exasperatedly: “hospital, accident.” you dropped what you were doing, turned off the oven, and broke just about every traffic law on your way to the hospital. 

conveniently, you hit every red light within the vicinity on the way to the hospital. the drivers on the road seemed to be completely impervious to the panic that was setting into your bones.

if only you could project into the world that if you didn’t get to the hospital as soon as possible, maybe, you wouldn’t see your sweet robby again. maybe he wouldn’t be alive when you saw him.

you slammed your car door shut after parking very askew and got into the hospital as fast as your feet could carry you. taking in your surroundings, you tried to calm yourself down. the cold, sterile lighting was not helping you. you found what seemed to be the front desk and approached it. the attendant was already helping someone.

the clock on the wall pounded in your ears as you tried your hardest to look as casual as possible, but it was hard when you had no idea about the state of your husband. when maverick had called you, he did not know much about the situation. the longer you waited, the more bile seemed to rise in your throat. dear god, please let robby be okay. 

if there was any god in this world, you prayed to them in hopes that he would be alright. you’d take him in any form, as long as he was okay. your heart pounded in your throat.

finally, you were at the front of the line. “robert floyd? i’m here for robert floyd,” you nervously spat out. the receptionist seemingly took years to sift through whatever she was looking through on her computer.

the more you waited, the more time slowed to a halt. you couldn’t stand to wait. you knew that you were maybe being irrational, but you couldn’t stand to continue to wait to see if he was okay, if he was alive.

alas, pete had not given you much of a description on what had actually happened other than the bird strike.

“ah, yes. mr. floyd will just be down the hallway on the left. i take it you are the spouse?” when you frantically nodded, she continued. “pete mitchell informed us that you’d be here.“

you gave her his biggest smile you could muster with the adrenaline flooding your system, and moved as quickly as you when to the room that bob was situated in. when you arrived in the room, a woman with dark hair stood by bob as he was getting looked over by what looked to be a nurse, perhaps a nursing assistant.

the woman looked at you quizzically, perhaps unaware of who you were or why you were there. bob followed her gaze and met your eyes. bob attempted to stand, but was obstructed by the person looking him over for injuries.

relief swam over you in hurdles. thank god he was okay. at least, it looked like he was.

“bobby?” you whispered. “pete called me. are you okay?” you walked over to the bed that he was sitting on, and squeezed past the woman standing next to him. while she moved, looking confused, she was not apprehensive at all. suddenly, a look of realization grew on her face.

“yeah. i’m fine,” he stated. his glasses were off, placed beside him. his big eyes looked more tired than usual, but you caught on to how they softened when you entered the room and he saw you.

trying not to get in the way of the person doing their job, you stood as close as possible as you could to bob without being a nuisance. “what happened?” you questioned again.

“there was a bird strike,” he began. “our engines went out. had to eject.” your eyebrows shot into your hairline.

“you had to eject? did you get out fast enough? did the-“ bob cut off your nervous line of questioning.

bob looked briefly to phoenix. he gave her a small nod, in a silent urge that he needed to be alone with you right now. both for his sake, and for the likelihood that this might possibly embarrass you in the future if she stayed.

his hand reached out to yours, and laced your fingers together. his thumb traced circles on the back of your hand. “everything went perfectly smoothly, aside from the initial problem. the eject functions performed perfectly normally, and they’re checking up on phoenix and i mostly as protocol. we’ll likely have to stay overnight for observation though.”

you closed your eyes and sighed deeply. everything worked just as planned; emergency protocol worked, and bobby, your bobby, was just fine.

the nurse had left now, leaving bob free to turn completely to face you.

“hey,” he muttered quietly. his other hand ran up and down your arm in an effort to calm you. he then stood so he could look at you properly. he let go of your hand in lieu of holding your face. his thumbs softly ran back and forth along your cheekbones. you brought your hands up to hold his, and you stepped closer to him.

your eyes continued to stay closed as you inhaled him. you focused on what was real, and that he was, in fact, very real. the rough callouses on his hands, his familiar scent (although tainted with something metallic), and the soft rumble of his voice.

when you were finally grounded back on earth, you snorted a little. “what?” he asked.

“i just think,” you pinched the bridge of your nose. “i just think it’s funny that you’re comforting me right now. you could have died, and you’re comforting me.” your selfishness in the present was not lost to you.

his brow pinched together. “hey, don’t say that.” he leaned closer to try and catch your eyeline that had strayed from him. “this is scary, for both of us. you being here is what is stopping me from spiraling.”

bobby leaned in and kissed the spot between your eyebrows, followed by the corner of your mouth. even though neither of you were particularly fond of public displays of affection, neither of you cared in this present moment. he was here, you were here, that was all that was important.

you nodded, trying to reassure yourself. “yeah, yeah. okay.” you looked back up at him and smiled. “i think i just need to hold you right now.”

robby nodded enthusiastically. on days that were particularly tough, either of you looked for any possible excuse to hold each other for an unprecedented amount of time. it was something that never got old. and today it was definitely a day that called for that.

“you don’t have to stay overnight with me,” bob said. your eyes widened and your jaw became slack.

“are you kidding me? there’s no way i’m leaving.” you said it as if it was common sense. “i don’t care if i sleep at all tonight. i just want to know that you’re here, with me.”

robby shook his head in semi-comical disbelief. “if you say so, honey.”

his gentle smile returned again. bob placed his hand on the small of your back and pulled you close to him. he proceeded to hold you in an embrace for many many moments. you took this opportunity to squeeze him as hard as you could possibly manage.

slightly, just barely, you could feel him squeeze you back. his hands trailed up your back, but proceeded to still have the consistent pressure that comforted you very much.

-

back in the lobby, phoenix pulled aside the rest of the pilots to share the news that she had learned.

“guys. bob has a partner. well, i think at least.” bradley’s face was soft with an affectionate expression, and hangman scoffed. bradley promptly elbowed him in the ribs.

“ow!” hangman exclaimed. “how was i supposed to know?”

several members of the team turned to look at him as if he was dense. rooster replied, “well, it was kind of obvious. have you not noticed the ring that he wears on a chain every single day?”

“for your information, rooster, i do not pay attention to material things. i’m a man of substance,” he declared.

“well, we’re not going to make a big deal about it.“ rooster had a look of determination on his face. “don’t be an asshole.”

[t1red-twilight]

just dropped to my knees

[t1red-twilight]

yeah i’m doing fine, im just grappling with the fact that someone thinks ill end up just like my father

[t1red-twilight]

HEY BROS. ao3 was scraped for ai. set your works to registered users only because it makes it more difficult for that to happen

[t1red-twilight]

by next wednesday my finals will be over. then i’ll be able to start writing fics WAY more regularly:-)

[t1red-twilight]

masterlist b. f. masterlist blurbs

when you came to, you realized you weren’t alone anymore. the last thing you remembered was laying down on the couch to watch some tv, but you must’ve fallen asleep somewhere after that.

you turned your head to look behind you, even though you knew who it was. there was bob, who was also asleep. how long had he been home for? you had intended on waiting up for him, but clearly your plan didn’t work out as intended.

when you moved to settle back in bob woke up. “hey, honey,” he mumbled. his voice was gravelly and borderline irresistible.

you turned in his arms to face him. “what time did you get in?” you asked him. the couch was rather crowded, but neither of you minded. you nudged your nose against the column of his throat and sighed calmly. bob smelled of his eucalyptus shampoo and of home.

“i got home,” he paused to check his watch, “about two hours ago.” he placed his arm around your waist again, and set his chin on top of your head.

you sat in the comfortable silence for a few moments before speaking. “do you think we should go to bed?”

bob inhaled, “let’s just stay here for a little longer,” and kissed the top of your head.

[t1red-twilight]

guess who’s bedridden because of pain with an unknown cause 👹