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coughsyrep · 2 years

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Cold Climates

Summary: You're a Ph.D. student doing research in entomology, or the study of bugs. Your work has you moving to Manhattan, where you help a girl with a bow and quiver of arrows hide from a group of people who are chasing her, and as thanks she takes you to visit Central Park so you can try to examine any insects you find.

2082 words

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Cold Climates - traviswrites - Marvel Cinematic Universe [Archive of Our Own]

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When people heard that you wanted to be a zoologist, they always assumed that you wanted to work with mammals, or birds, or something that had at most five limbs including the tail. It wasn’t until you would proceed to tell them that your doctorate research was in entomology that they gave you a strange look – bugs? Why bugs? But you didn’t tend to mind their various looks ranging from confused to disgusted, because your studies of the behaviors of them was your passion. And it was what led you to Manhattan, to compare said behaviors of beetles in cold climates versus those in the conditions of Texas and New Mexico, where you had previously studied.

For several days since you landed and made it to the apartment that you would spend the next year in, it was quiet. Your boxes you had sent with your belongings had shown up, so along with organizing your research you also began unpacking, your clothes hung in the orderly fashion that you preferred and electronics that you couldn’t fit in your travel bag set up. In the end, it was as close to a home as you could get, and with the work done your stomach rumbled, reminding your that you had forgotten breakfast. Again.

As you go to grab one of the ramen cups you had picked up on your first trip to the supermarket, a crash makes you duck down instinctively. Shouting comes from downstairs, and the sound of running comes from the stairwell.

“I’m an idiot,” you whisper as your curiosity get the better of you, and you make your way to the door, looking out the peephole just as the footsteps stop, a brunette wearing a ponytail whipping her head around in a panic. “I’m really an idiot.”

Before you can think twice you unlock and crack open the door, the creak making her spin towards you. You wave your hand towards you hurriedly as more footsteps from the stairs get louder, and with only a moment’s hesitation she slips in, locking it and placing an ear on it, eyes closed in concentration. You hear shouting as they stop outside your door, holding your breath as whoever was chasing this girl shout before taking off again, both of you sighing when you can’t hear them anymore.

“I really owe…” She pauses when she turns to look at you, mouth parted before clearing her throat and standing up straighter “…owe you one.” You can’t help when your lips quirk up as she blushes, her eyes darting away as she fiddles with the…

“…Why do you have a bow?” She looks down at it, as if she’d forgotten and chuckles nervously, slinging it over her shoulder next to a quiver loaded with arrows. Her eyes flick around the room as she searches for answer, opening and closing her mouth before sighing.

“Well, I…” Her eyes still, squinting at your wall and your question completely forgotten about. “Wait, is that a butterfly on your wall?” You look over at the pinned butterfly framed on your wall, smiling brightly as you walk over to it.

“Yeah! It’s a Papilio palinurus, or an emerald swallowtail. My friend gave it to me as a gift before I came here.” You smile as you lightly trace the frame, almost forgetting the woman behind you until you hear the floor creak below her as she steps forwards to take a closer look.

“It’s beautiful,” she murmurs, and you can’t help but beam at the compliment towards it, nodding your head as you step away. “So you like butterflies?”

“Oh, I like all bugs.” She glances over, though you don’t look back out of fear that she might be looking with disgust, choosing instead to carry on. “That’s why I’m here actually, to study different beetles and their behaviors in colder climates.”

“You could have some luck around Central Park,” she says with a shrug. “I could show you around a few places that I think could help?” You huff in amusement, nodding as she starts to fiddle with her shirt.

“Sounds like a date,” you say, your grin blooming when she starts stuttering, glancing around the room again and her blush becoming redder than before.

“I didn’t mean… I mean I’d like, but only if… I mean, yes.” She nods her head, breathing out shakily with a nervous smile. “It’s a date.” You nod as well, standing there awkwardly as she taps her foot. “Could I… erm, borrow your phone?” You can’t help but laugh as you pull it out, causing her to as well, adding her contact before passing it back over, Kate and an emoji of a bow and arrow as her contact name.

“How does tomorrow sound, Kate?” She giggles happily, backing up towards the door.

“I’ll see you then, Bug.” Before she has the chance to get to the door she stumbles on the couch, catching herself and placing her hand on it as if nothing had happened, though you can see how flustered she is. “I meant to do that.” You laugh again, biting your lip as she leaves and staring down at your phone, an excited smile on your lips.

You were earlier than what you and Kate had agreed upon, a trait you had picked up on from college. Usually this wouldn’t be such an issue, but going from a state where cold meant sixty degrees Fahrenheit to one where sixty meant swimsuit season meant that you were freezing your ass off, huffing into your hands and bouncing on your toes to try to hold off the incoming hypothermia. It was when you saw the brunette, this time with her hair down and in a much more casual outfit, that you felt yourself warm up. Along with her was a golden retriever who she had to keep waving away from her pocket, its persistence making her roll her eyes fondly.

“Kate!” You wave to her when her head snaps up, and she gives a bright smile and waves back, pulling the leash gently and making her way towards you. “I didn’t know we’d have a friend coming with us?”

“I’m sorry,” she says, a hand immediately reaching up to brush through her hair, “I was about to go out, but he started whining and he gave me the puppy-dog eyes… eye… and so I thought maybe since we were at a park it’d be okay. I should’ve asked before, I’m really-” You put a hand on her shoulder, trying not to chuckle but not able to hide the hint of a smile at her endearing behavior. “Right,” she murmurs, “run on sentences. Don’t do that. Uhm, this is Lucky!” He looks up at his name, his head tilting as she pulls out a Ziplock bag from the pocket he had been sniffing at before.

“Is that pizza?” She looks up as he takes the piece from her hand, nodding.

“Uh huh. It’s his favorite.” As he finishes eating the piece she waves the two of you forwards, Lucky setting the pace though with the occasional redirection she takes you all where she plans. You glance around you, considering the different types of bugs you could see. It’s not too cold for winged insects to be out despite how frigid you feel, and is definitely warm enough for arthropods to be active. You worry your bottom lip, not noticing when Kate looks over at you, and definitely not when her stare stays until you two almost pass your destination.

“Oh!” You look over to see her stop abruptly, Lucky huffing in annoyance when you come to a set of gates. “Here, this is the conservatory garden. It has a lot of flowers and… yeah.” She pushes her hand through her hair again, humming as she grimaces. “Bees, flowers. You know?”

“This’ll be perfect,” you say, and she looks down bashfully as you start to walk in, only turning when you get past the gate entrance. “You coming?” You languidly start walking, eyes focusing on the leaves surrounding on the flowers as well as the bushes standing behind those. It takes time but you eventually pause, kneeling down and pointing, turning your head to where you know Kate is.

“Here,” you say quietly, as if not to scare it, “this is an ambush bug, from the subfamily Phymatinae. They can sit still for hours until they find their prey, and can defeat insects much larger than themselves.”

“How did you even see that?” You lean forwards to get an even clearer look, chuckling slightly when you feel her hand on your shoulder, keeping you from getting any closer.

“The brown gave away this one’s camouflage. There tend to be certain flowers that they camouflage better with certain flowers, and on a leaf with rot it’s much more possible that it’d be better hidden.” You shrug, about to stand when you spot another insect, shifting so you can see it.

“And then that one is the Harmonia axyridis, or the Asian ladybeetle.”

“Oh, so a ladybug!”

“Close,” you say, smiling at the idea that she’s so interested. “Ladybugs, or Coccinellidae are always red. This one,” you nod towards it, “is more orange. Plus they bite.” It suddenly flies away, making Kate leap back, but you just watch it before standing and letting your knees pop.

“Okay, never touching either one of those again,” she breathes out, making you laugh. “Okay, so-” she freezes, her hand halfway held between you two when another insect lands on her, and you giggle as you cup it in your hands before she freaks out. “Uhm, what was that?”

“A Lampyridae, and depending on where you’re from there’s several names for them, like firefly or lightning bug.” You gently push it off of your fingers onto the grass, walking back and putting your hands in your pockets. “Their light comes from a chemical reaction so that they don’t lose energy.”

“I’ve never seen one during the day,” she says sheepishly, looking over at where you put it. As she looks away you can’t help but notice the way the light strikes her skin, her hair the perfect contrast to her warm complexion. When she looks back you feel yourself getting lost in her chestnut brown eyes, trying your best not to look down at her lips when she takes a deep breath in, steeling herself to speak.

"I want to ask if- Lucky!” She stumbles backwards as Lucky tugs on his lead, getting loose and sprinting out of the gate. You glance at each other before taking off after him, you both calling for him as you avoid the other visitors. He races down the path, ignoring even Kate’s offers of pizza until he reaches a arch made of large stones, both of you breathing heavily when you finally catch up. She immediately takes his lead again, holding on tightly as she faces away from you.

“I’m sorry,” she says quickly, shaking her head as her shoulders sagged, “I really didn’t mean… I just wanted, I mean… I just, I’m sor-” You don’t let her finish before turning her around by her shoulders, gently pressing your lips against hers. She squeaks before letting hers meld to yours, sighing as her timidness soon slipped away, an arm wrapping around your waist and the two of you becoming breathless until you have to pull away. You put your forehead on hers, breathing in deeply as you relax into her.

“Okay?” You whisper, and she nods, a giggle being drawn from her when you kiss the tip of her nose. “Good. And if you still feel sorry, you can make it up to me next time.”

“Next time?” She glances up, and you quirk an eyebrow. “You mean, you’d like to go on another date? With me?”

“Kate, why would I not?” Her eyes sparkle at your words, and she nods quickly with a grin.

“Okay, Bug.” A whine comes from next to you, and you look over to see Lucky sitting, pawing at Kate’s pocket. “No, you absolutely did not earn any pizza.” He whines again, laying down and looking up.

“He really does know how to beg,” you note, and she sighs with a nod.

“Yeah, he does.” You giggle, placing a kiss on her cheek as she pulls out the Ziplock bag, and despite the playful side eye she gives you, you relish the smile that plays on her lips.

#kate bishop #kate bishop x reader #kate bishop fic #marvel #marvel mcu #marvel cinematic universe

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