#space train visitors come and go

[tablefourtyone]

It's day 2 and Doc is still standing next to Himeko just like yesterday when last I saw him. He really likes to socialize with Erudition-aligned types. Or, he really likes Himeko's brain. ❤️

[manmuncher777]

PASSED AROUND

- when the reader gets passed between Toji and Shiu like a blunt. After all how are they going to thank her for looking after them so well?

- 18+ SMUT, threesome, oral f+m recieving, unprotected sex, spanking, pet names. The tension in this is yummy. THIS ART HAS ME FERAL

a/m - Hi my loves, I worked super hard on this and would really appreciate if you could show some love!!!!! Reblogs, likes and comments are so welcome. I hope you enjoy. p.s MY REQUESTS FORJJK/AOT ARE OPEN <<33333

Three knocks on the door, a sound that has become so familiar to you. Most would be startled to be getting visitors at this sort of time, but you knew every time who it was going to be. You’re lying on the sofa scrolling on your phone, sighing gently as you get up

You glance over at the clock. It’s just past midnight, and the silence of your apartment feels almost deafening. You’re already stretched out on the couch, half-watching the flickering screen of an old movie when you hear it. The knock. The familiar sound that tells you everything you need to know.

Another round of favors, you think with a sigh. You don’t mind, of course. You owe them both, but more importantly, their company has become something you’ve grown… accustomed to.

You don’t bother with much—just a quick glance in the mirror to make sure you don’t look like you’ve rolled out of bed, though you kind of have. You’re wearing your usual sleep shorts, barely covering the top of your thighs, and a baggy t-shirt that hangs loosely off your shoulders. It’s comfortable, and you know it’s exactly what they’ve come to expect.

With a soft groan, you push yourself off the couch and make your way to the door, not rushing. No need to hurry. You swing it open without hesitation.

Toji stands there first, tall and imposing as usual. His eyes are cold, almost too unreadable, but the faintest glimmer of amusement lurks beneath. His gaze sweeps over you like he’s cataloging every detail, his lips curling into a half-smile that speaks volumes. All of a sudden, you were more conscious of how you were dressed as he glanced over you.

Shiu stands just behind him, his posture slightly more relaxed but no less commanding. His eyes are trained on you, intense, sharp, but with a subtle warmth that flickers beneath the cool exterior. You can already tell his attention is on you—his focus unwavering.

“Late night?” Toji’s voice is rough, casual, as if he hasn’t just barged into your life with that smirk of his.

You lean against the doorframe, keeping your arms crossed, the corner of your lips curling up in a smile. “You two really know how to pick your timing.” You glance at the clock over your shoulder. “Another job gone south?”

“Toji’s always getting himself into trouble,” Shiu drawls, his eyes narrowing with a glint of amusement. He takes a step closer, his eyes flicking over your outfit, lingering a little too long on the way your shirt clings to your body.

You arch an eyebrow, not missing the subtle shift in his gaze. “What, no ‘thank you’ this time for saving your asses?” you tease, though there’s a slight edge to your tone.

Toji grins, a dark, knowing look in his eyes. “Maybe we’re just here for the company this time.” His gaze slides over you once more, and there’s a lingering heat that makes your breath hitch. “And for the treatment, of course. We wouldn’t want you to think we only come around when we’re hurt.”

You can’t help the slight smirk that tugs at your lips. “Of course not. You two have been here enough times, I’m starting to think you have a permanent spot in my fridge.”

Shiu chuckles lowly, glancing over at Toji. “Don’t pretend like you don’t know we have our place here. I think we’re entitled to that fridge space by now.” His voice is smooth, almost possessive, as if he’s been here a hundred times before. And, well… maybe he has.

“Got a spot just for your beers, huh?” you reply, sarcasm laced with the faintest hint of something else, something more charged that you can’t quite put your finger on.

This whole thing started a while ago. You needed some help feeling with some unsavoury people, just the business the men were well versed in. You went to them seeking out their assistance, and of course they obliged when you told them you didn’t care how much.

And at first, thats all it was, business. But when you were discussing… business with both the men, you let slip you’re a nurse, a healer. Luckily for Toji and Shiu, they were in need of a new one.

So they offered you a deal, a discounted price for your services.

So each time after a mission, they would come to you, get patched up and be on their way.

At least thats how it started, business, then acquaintances, their 1 hour patch ups turning into hour long nights spent with chatter as you sipped on a beer, then movies and drinks when they needed to unwind

Then it formed into this, some kind of friendship. You now kept mens shower gel in your bathroom for the first time incase they were staying, you had a few small items of spare clothes they keep at yours, even a toothbrush each. Some nights they just needed to lay low, and you had a spare mattress and a pull out bed. It suited you. It actually was nice for your apartment not to feel so lonely. Sometimes you found yourself making extra serving of your dinner, anticipating the hungry mens arrival.

Toji steps forward, pushing the door open wider without a word, his large frame blocking the hallway as he moves past you, his shoulder brushing against yours in a way that’s deliberate, yet casual. You try to ignore the way the contact makes your skin heat up. You tried to ignore hoe his muscles looked in that black shirt. You tried to ignore how he towered over you. You tried to ignore how the cuts on his face and knuckles made him looks so sexy.

Shiu follows behind, his gaze lingering on you for a moment longer than necessary. He walks with a quiet, steady confidence that makes it clear this is his territory too. You tried to ignore the way his suit clung to his board back. You tried to ignore the way he looked so good with that toothpick in his mouth. You tried to ignore how intoxicating you found that aftershave he wears is, loving when it lingers in your apartment after they leave. The apartment’s small and cozy, the kind of place they’ve come to know better than some of their own living spaces. Shiu makes a beeline for the fridge without a second thought, pulling it open and reaching for the beer—his beer.

“Toji’s right,” Shiu says, his voice smooth and steady, though there’s an undercurrent of something darker there. “You’re getting comfortable with us. We might start expecting dinner, too.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve fed you both,” you respond dryly, crossing your arms over your chest and leaning against the counter. Your eyes flick over to Toji, who’s now making himself at home on your couch, his long legs stretched out lazily. The way he sprawls on the furniture makes it clear that this isn’t just a place for occasional medical attention—it’s theirs now.

You watch Shiu twist the cap off a bottle, his eyes flicking to you briefly before he takes a swig. “We’ve gotten used to it.” His voice lowers slightly, the words heavier than before. “Used to you, too.”

The air in the room shifts as Toji turns his head slightly, glancing at you with that familiar, dangerous smirk. “Yeah. We like it here. So, you think you can patch us up, or are we just gonna relax tonight?” He shrugs, but the look in his eyes tells you he’s not just talking about bandages.

Shiu takes another long sip from his bottle, his eyes never leaving yours. “You’ve been a good little host to us. We’ll return the favor one of these days.” His words are laced with something that makes your pulse quicken, a promise that’s too heavy to ignore. You were convinced they both knew what they were doing, blurring lines. A small blushed danced over your cheeks as the men shared smirks.

You swallow, suddenly aware of the thick tension in the room. You should be getting to work, tending to their injuries—but instead, your body betrays you, heat pooling low in your stomach at the way they both watch you. You can feel the pull between you all, the simmering chemistry that’s only getting harder to deny.

You clear your throat, trying to sound unaffected. “You two are going to get too comfortable if I don’t set some boundaries.”

Shiu leans in, placing his beer down on the counter, his gaze intent on you as his lips curl into a slow smile. “Maybe we already have.”

Toji smirks, leaning back on the couch, his eyes scanning you lazily. “Don’t act like you don’t enjoy it. We both know you’re not here for just the drinks, either.”

The air feels heavier now, thicker, the unspoken words hanging between you like a taut wire waiting to snap. You’re not sure how much longer you can keep pretending like nothing’s happening.

But for now, you settle in, because you know this game—they know it too. And it’s only just beginning.

The atmosphere was almost suffocating. As much as you tried to busy yourself, to focus on your usual routine, the presence of Toji and Shiu in your apartment made it near impossible to think straight. Every glance they threw your way, every subtle brush of their hands as they moved past you, sent your heart racing.

You grabbed the first-aid kit, clutching it like a lifeline as you approached the couch where Toji was sprawled out. His broad frame took up most of the cushions, his legs lazily stretched out, one arm draped along the backrest. He looked up at you with an amused smirk, his sharp eyes gleaming with something almost predatory.

“Come to patch me up, sweetheart?” he drawled, holding up his hand where a shallow but jagged cut ran across his knuckles. The injury didn’t seem to bother him in the slightest; if anything, he looked far too entertained by your flustered demeanor.

You sat down beside him, keeping your focus on the first-aid kit as you opened it. “It’s nothing serious,” you muttered, your voice betraying the flutter of nerves in your chest. “You’ve had worse.”

Toji chuckled low, the sound rumbling deep in his chest. “And you’ve been there for every one of them. Gotta say, I’m starting to like having my own personal nurse.”

You rolled your eyes, though your cheeks burned at the way his gaze lingered on you. “Stay still,” you said, dabbing antiseptic onto a cotton pad. His hand dwarfed yours as you took it gently, the heat of his skin almost searing against your palm.

Shiu wandered over from the kitchen, beer in hand, his sharp gaze landing on the two of you. “Getting the royal treatment, huh?” he remarked, his tone light but laced with amusement. He leaned casually against the armrest of the couch, his proximity making you even more aware of how outnumbered you were.

“Someone’s gotta take care of him,” you replied, trying to sound unaffected as you began cleaning Toji’s wound.

Toji chuckled again, his voice a low hum. “Yeah? What about him?” He jerked his head toward Shiu, who raised an eyebrow in mock offense.

“Don’t drag me into your mess,” Shiu said smoothly, though he was already rolling up his sleeve to reveal a shallow scrape along his forearm. “But since you’re offering…”

You sighed, trying to keep your composure as Toji’s laughter filled the room. “You two are hopeless,” you muttered, finishing up with Toji’s hand and reaching for another antiseptic pad.

“I think she likes it,” Toji teased, his voice dropping just enough to make your pulse skip. “She likes taking care of us. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”

Your hand froze for a split second before you quickly resumed cleaning Shiu’s arm. “You’re delusional,” you shot back, though your voice lacked conviction.

Shiu smirked, watching you intently as you worked. “Delusional, huh? You keep letting us crash here, patching us up, stocking your fridge with our beers… Sure doesn’t seem like it.”

His words hung in the air, the teasing lilt of his tone making your stomach flip. You refused to look up, focusing instead on the scrape you were treating. But the heat of their gazes was impossible to ignore.

“Careful, Shiu,” Toji chimed in, his grin widening. “You’ll scare her off.”

“Scare her?” Shiu replied smoothly, his eyes flicking to Toji before returning to you. Twirling the toothpick that sat prettily between his lips. “She’s not scared. Look at her—she’s used to it by now. Aren’t you, doll?”

You tried to muster a sharp response, but the endearment made your breath catch. Instead, you busied yourself with wrapping Shiu’s arm, your fingers trembling just slightly as you secured the bandage.

“There,” you said, a little too quickly. “All done.”

Shiu caught your wrist as you moved to pull away, his grip firm but not unkind. His eyes met yours, and for a moment, the teasing faded, replaced by something deeper, heavier.

“You’re good at this,” he said softly, his voice a low rumble that sent a shiver down your spine. “Taking care of people.”

Your throat felt dry, your words catching before you could respond. Toji leaned forward slightly, his elbows resting on his knees as he watched the exchange with an amused smirk.

“She’s a natural,” Toji said, his tone teasing but his gaze sharp. “Like our own little housewife.”

Your cheeks burned, and you yanked your hand back from Shiu, glaring at them both. “You two are impossible,” you muttered, standing up abruptly.

Shiu chuckled, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction as he leaned back against the couch. “What? We’re just saying what we see.”

Toji leaned back as well, his grin downright wicked. “Yeah. Don’t get all shy on us now.”

The tension in the room was thick enough to cut, their words lingering in the air long after they were spoken. You turned away, trying to steady your breathing as you put the first-aid kit back in its place. But even with your back to them, you could feel their eyes on you, the weight of their attention pressing against you like a physical force.

It was infuriating. It was intoxicating.

And you knew, deep down, that you didn’t want it to stop

You busied yourself with the first-aid kit, shoving bandages and cotton pads back into place with more force than necessary. The heat of their gazes lingered on your back, and no amount of focus on the task in front of you could chase away the pounding of your heart.

“Something wrong?” Toji’s voice was a low drawl, laced with amusement. You could hear the smirk in his tone.

“Nothing’s wrong,” you replied quickly, your voice tighter than you intended.

“Really?” Shiu’s voice joined in, smooth and teasing. “Because you’re looking a little flustered there, doll.”

You snapped the lid of the first-aid kit shut, spinning around to face them. “I’m not flustered,” you shot back, though the heat rising in your cheeks betrayed you.

Toji was leaning forward now, his elbows on his knees, watching you with a lazy smirk that made your stomach twist. Shiu was still reclining, one arm draped casually over the back of the couch, but his sharp gaze was locked on you, studying your every move.

“You sure about that?” Toji asked, his grin widening. “Because you’re looking pretty red right now.”

You opened your mouth to retort, but before you could say anything, Toji stood up. His sheer presence was overwhelming, towering over you as he closed the distance between you with slow, deliberate steps.

“You’ve been so good to us, sweetheart,” he murmured, his voice dropping an octave. “Taking care of us, letting us stay… It’s cute how you think you can hide how much you like it.”

You took a step back, only to bump into something solid. Shiu had moved behind you, his arm brushing against yours as he leaned down slightly, his lips close to your ear.

“He’s right, you know,” Shiu said, his tone soft but no less commanding. “You’re always so sweet to us. Always so ready to help. Makes us wonder what else you’d do for us.”

Your breath hitched, your pulse pounding as they effectively caged you in. Toji in front of you, his intense gaze pinning you in place, and Shiu behind you, his presence warm and unyielding.

“I-I don’t…” you stammered, but the words wouldn’t come.

Toji chuckled, low and deep, as he reached up to brush a strand of hair from your face. His fingers lingered just a second too long, the touch sending a shiver down your spine. “See? Flustered,” he teased, his smirk turning almost predatory.

“Maybe she likes it,” Shiu murmured from behind you, his voice a smooth hum that made your knees feel weak. “Likes us.”

The words sent a jolt through you, and you turned your head slightly to glance at him. His eyes were sharp, yet there was something softer flickering beneath the surface, something that made your heart skip.

“I don’t—” you started, but your voice faltered as Toji leaned in closer, his eyes locking onto yours.

“Don’t what?” he asked, his tone deceptively casual. “Don’t want this?” His gaze flicked to your lips, and your breath caught in your throat.

You couldn’t answer. You couldn’t think. The space between the three of you was charged, every inch of it humming with tension.

And then, Toji closed the distance, his lips brushing against yours in a kiss that was surprisingly gentle, almost testing. It didn’t stay that way for long. The heat built quickly, his hand coming up to cup the side of your face as he deepened the kiss, his body pressing closer until there was no space left between you.

When he finally pulled back, your chest was heaving, your mind spinning. You barely had a second to recover before Shiu’s hand was on your shoulder, turning you slightly to face him. His gaze was darker, more focused, but there was a softness to the way he cradled your jaw, his thumb brushing lightly over your skin.

“Don’t think I’m letting him have all the fun,” he murmured before his lips captured yours. Shiu kissed with the same control he carried in everything he did—slow, deliberate, but no less consuming. His hand slid to the back of your neck, holding you in place as he took his time, savoring every second.

When he pulled away, you were left breathless, your head spinning as you looked between the two of them. Toji was smirking again, his arms crossed over his broad chest, while Shiu’s lips curled into a satisfied smile.

“Looks like you’re not so confident now,” Toji teased, his voice low and gravelly.

Shiu leaned in closer, his gaze locked onto yours. “That’s okay,” he murmured, his tone softer now, though no less intense. “We like you like this.”

The air between you was thick, heavy with the promise of something more, something inevitable. And as you stood there, caught between them, you knew you were done pretending.

They repeated their actions, sharing you in a heated kiss once again.

Toji’s lips brushed against yours first, slow and deliberate, as if daring you to pull away. His hand cupped your jaw, holding you in place, his rough palm warm against your skin. The kiss was confident, a little rough around the edges, just like him. You barely had time to catch your breath before Shiu’s presence at your side shifted, his fingers gently turning your face toward him.

Shiu’s kiss was different—softer, slower, yet no less consuming. His lips moved against yours with a deliberate patience that made your knees weak, his hand firm at the small of your back, grounding you in the moment. When he pulled away, his gaze met yours, dark and heavy with unspoken words.

“Well,” Toji said, his voice rough and teasing as he glanced between you and Shiu. “Didn’t think she’d give in so easily.” His hand slid down to your waist, tugging you closer as if to prove his point. “Not that I’m complaining.”

Shiu smirked, his thumb brushing your lower lip as if to trace the remnants of the kiss. “Maybe she’s been waiting for this as much as we have.” His tone was calm, but the way his eyes lingered on you made your stomach flip.

You opened your mouth to respond, but the words got caught in your throat as Toji leaned down again, his lips ghosting over the corner of your mouth. “You’re not pulling away,” he murmured, the amusement in his voice barely masking the heat beneath it. “Guess that means you don’t want us to stop.”

Your hands, trembling slightly, found their way to Toji’s chest, the hard muscle beneath his shirt grounding you. You could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat under your palm, a stark contrast to the chaos of your own.

“I…” you started, your voice faltering as Shiu leaned in closer, his hand sliding up to cradle the side of your neck.

“You can say it,” Shiu murmured, his lips brushing against your ear in a way that sent a shiver down your spine. “Or we can just keep going. Your choice.”

The tension was unbearable, the weight of their combined attention leaving you breathless. Your hands curled into Toji’s shirt, your body leaning into Shiu’s warmth at your back. Every touch, every look, seemed to echo the unspoken promise hanging in the air between you all.

“I don’t want you to stop,” you finally admitted, the words barely audible but carrying enough weight to shift the atmosphere entirely.

Toji grinned, his teeth catching his lower lip for a brief moment as if savoring your confession. “That’s what I wanted to hear.”

Shiu’s chuckle was low and rich, his hand sliding down to rest lightly on your hip. “Smart choice,” he said, his voice laced with a possessive edge that made your pulse race.

Toji leaned in, his lips capturing yours again with more urgency this time, as if your words had broken whatever restraint he’d been holding onto. His kiss was all-consuming, his hand gripping your waist to anchor you to him. Shiu’s fingers traced slow, deliberate patterns against your hip, his presence at your back steady and sure.

When Toji finally pulled away, his eyes met yours, dark and intense. “You taste good,” he murmured, his thumb brushing against your cheek. “Knew you would.”

Shiu’s hand tightened slightly on your hip, his lips brushing against the curve of your jaw as he spoke. “Toji’s right,” he said, his voice low and smooth. “You’re everything we thought you’d be.”

Your breath hitched, your body caught between the two of them, their touches and words weaving a web you couldn’t escape from—not that you wanted to. The heat between you all was undeniable, every moment building on the last, the tension a live wire ready to snap.

You let out a shaky exhale, your head tilting back against Shiu’s chest as Toji’s hand trailed lower, his touch leaving a trail of fire in its wake. “What are you two doing to me?” you murmured, the words slipping out before you could stop them.

“Exactly what you want us to,” Shiu replied, his voice a low murmur against your skin.

Toji’s laugh was rough, a little breathless. “And we’re just getting started.”

The air was thick as Toji’s freshly bandaged hand danced along the hem of your shirt before tugging it up over your head. You were without a bra this evening, your nippled perking as the cold air brushed against them. You felt utterly submitted to the men caging you in, their gazes predatory, hungry.

Ship’s hands moved next gently cupping your breast, letting a gentle groan out at the feeling of your soft skin. The men moved in turn, practised. It was kind of freaky how well they took turns with you, sharing you so well. “So beautiful sweetheart, cant believe you were hiding all this from us.”

A small gasp escaping your lips at the contact, Shiu’s fingers moving to tweak your hard nipples, rolling them gently between his fingers, pinching them as your skin prickled with goosebumps.

His nose dragging up your exposed neck as your head lolled onto his shoulder. Your pouting lips now caught between your teeth as you tried not to squeal.

Toji’s hugs hands had grip on your waist, caressing gently up an down your sides as he watched your face, smirking at your expressions as Shiu played with you. His hands trailing lower… and lower. Teasingly slow until they reached your waistband of your shorts. dragging them along with your panties down your legs, allowing you to kick them off into the distance

There you stood completely bare and these two men had their way with you. You didn’t have a chance to feel self conscious before Toji was lowering himself to his knees, hiking one of your legs over his shoulder. You were glad you had Shiu behind you to hold you up because that first lick from Toji had your knees buckling.

Shiu's hands gripped your hips with a possessive steadiness, pulling you back against his solid frame. His body was warm, his breath tickling the shell of your ear as he leaned in. “You’re trembling,” he murmured, the edge of amusement in his voice unmistakable.

Your response was swallowed by a soft gasp as Toji was just getting started,his movements deliberate, his focus razor-sharp. The intensity of his attention left your mind spinning, your body caught between the steady push and pull of their combined presence. Toji’s tongue was flicking up on down on your clit eagerly, slurping all the juices you were giving him.

“You taste fucking heavenly doll” he practically moans into your already soaking pussy. His comment making you release a whimper.

“Can’t handle both of us, can you?” Shiu teased, his lips brushing the sensitive curve of your neck. His voice was a low, molten drawl, carrying a note of wicked satisfaction that sent a fresh wave of heat through you.

Your hands gripped the fabric of Toji’s shirt, knuckles whitening as you tried to ground yourself against the overwhelming sensations. Shiu chuckled, the sound vibrating against your skin. “Sweet little thing,” he murmured, his lips pressing a soft kiss to the base of your throat. “So responsive.”

Toji’s muffled laugh rumbled below you, the sound dark and teasing. “You should see her face, Shiu. She’s not sure whether to fight it or give in.” His hands tightened their hold on your thighs, a silent encouragement that only added fuel to the fire. His tongue now travelling deeper, diving into your core. His nose bumping against your clit making you jolt. You couldn’t even try to hide your moans anymore, your eyes fluttering shut as your mouth hangs open in pleasure.

Shiu’s lips parted against your neck, and the sharp nip of his teeth made your breath hitch. His tongue followed, soothing the sting before he latched on, sucking at the delicate skin just below your jawline. His movements were deliberate, each pull of his lips a silent declaration of possession.

“You like this, don’t you?” Shiu murmured against your skin, his tone shifting into something darker, something that felt like a promise. His hands slid up your sides, his fingers brushing just under the hem of your shirt. “Having us both like this. Makes you feel wanted, doesn’t it?”

Your head tilted instinctively, giving him better access as his teeth grazed a particularly sensitive spot. His chuckle was soft, almost smug, as he worked the skin, leaving no doubt that his mark would linger long after this moment was over.

“Look at her,” Shiu said, his voice thick with satisfaction. “Already melting for us. You’re enjoying this a little too much, sweetheart.”

Toji’s hand slid up your side, his fingers splayed possessively over your ribs. “She’s not complaining,” he pointed out, his tone dripping with amusement. “Think she likes being the center of attention.” Every time he spoke from between your legs you couldn’t help but squeal from the vibrations of his deep voice. You couldn’t believe a man like Toji was on his knees in front of you, eating you out like you were his last meal. His hands on your hips managing the rolls of your hips against his face. He was basically making out with you cunt, leaving sloppy kisses all over, sucking on you clit.

You tried to form a response, but the words caught in your throat as Shiu’s lips moved lower, his tongue trailing along your collarbone before his teeth found another sensitive spot. The sharp sensation sent a jolt through you, and he chuckled again, his grip tightening on your hips.

“You’ll look good with my mark,” Shiu murmured, his voice laced with quiet satisfaction. “And his,” he added, his tone dropping further as he nodded toward Toji. “You’re ours tonight.”

The heat between the three of you was suffocating, the air thick with tension and unspoken promises. Shiu’s hands slid back down to your waist, holding you steady as his lips worked against your skin, leaving a trail of heat in their wake.

Toji’s low growl of approval only added to the pressure building inside you. “Don’t go too easy on her,” he said, his smirk audible in his tone. “She can take it. She’s already dripping for me and I’m only warming up.”

Shiu pulled back just enough to catch your eyes, his smirk matching Toji’s. “Oh, I know,” he said softly, his thumb brushing the edge of the mark he’d left. “She’s tougher than she looks.”

You could barely breathe, the weight of their attention leaving you lightheaded and completely at their mercy. The tension between you all was thick enough to cut, the unspoken connection weaving tighter with every passing moment.

Your Hand now moving to Toji’s hair, needing something to grip onto with the pleasure he was giving you right now You were close and both on the men could tell, Shiu’s hand speedily returning to your nipples, giving them a squeeze causing your back to arch off his strong frame. You were dripping down Toji’s chin, his tongue eagerly lapping up every drop he could.

“Think she might be close” Shiu spoke, his deep voice flowing through your mind, Toji only humming at him in response, licking thick stripes up your whole cunt.

You couldn’t hold yourself back any longer, Cumming all over his face. That band in your core snapping. You moaned out loudly, unable to control the bucking of your hips as both men rode you through your high, Shiu gently talking you through your orgasm

“That’s it sweet girl, Cum for us.” he kissed against your ear as you shook against him “feels good yeah?”

You did your best to nod in response, trying to focus on catching your breath. Toji finally making his way up, kissing up your body before he rose to his full height, kissing you hard on the lips. You could taste yourself on his tongue. The erotic nature of the kiss had you whining. Finally he lets you out for breath

Your head is spinning, and your body feels like it's still humming from the intensity of what just happened. You're not sure when you lost control, but now, standing between Toji and Shiu, you're completely at their mercy. Every breath you take seems to send a wave of heat rushing through you, your skin still tingling from the aftermath.

Toji watches you with that damn smirk of his, his eyes glinting with something dangerous and amused. "Look at you," he drawls, his voice slow and steady, the words dripping with a mix of satisfaction and something darker. "Completely out of your element, aren’t you?"

Your face burns, and you can barely meet his gaze. You're standing between them, completely vulnerable, and the way they look at you now sends a shiver down your spine. It's as if they're seeing something no one else ever has, something they've claimed and marked.

You swallow, your throat dry. Every word feels like it’s pulling you deeper under their spell. "I..." Your voice falters, and you feel ridiculous, like you’re failing to hold onto whatever little bit of dignity you have left.

Shiu tilts his head, his fingers lingering on the curve of your neck as he watches you closely. "You’re so cute when you’re flustered," he whispers, leaning in just enough that you can feel the heat of his breath on your skin. "Like you can't decide whether to hate us or beg for more."

Toji’s gaze flicks from you to Shiu, a dark smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "I think she likes it," he mutters, his voice teasing but with an edge of possessiveness. "Doesn't she, sweetheart?"

Your chest rises and falls with shallow breaths, and you're trapped between them—neither of them needing to say anything more. You can feel how tightly the tension holds between the three of you, and they both seem to be drinking in your reactions like a cocktail they can’t get enough of.

"You're not fooling anyone," Shiu says, his lips brushing against your ear, sending a shiver down your spine. "We both know how much you like it. Especially after that little show you just gave us” You can hear thr grin on his face. Toji wiping your orgasm from his face with the back of his arm. You gulp

Your lips part as if you were going to protest, but the words get stuck in your throat. They’re right—there’s no denying it anymore. You’ve given yourself to them, and they know it. It’s almost humiliating how easy you were to break, but the thing is... you don’t mind.

Toji steps forward, his hand coming to rest on your lower back, pulling you closer, his large frame looming over you as he leans down to murmur in your ear, his breath warm against your skin. "You’re not in control anymore, sweetheart. And you love it."

Shiu steps in, his hand coming to rest on your side, his touch firm but not forceful, just enough to remind you that you’re completely surrounded. His voice is smooth as he speaks, his lips brushing against your neck. "You’re ours now. We’ve claimed you, haven’t we?"

You don’t answer, because you know it’s true. Every inch of you is burning, still aching from what just happened, and you can’t deny the way your body reacts to them, how desperately you crave their touch, their attention.

They don’t need your answer—they already have it, and that’s all they care about. Toji gives a soft, mocking chuckle as he looks down at you. "You can’t hide it," he murmurs. "You’ve been ours for a while now. We just had to make sure you knew it." He’s slowly removing his shirt, revealing his huge muscular form. You can hear shuffling from behind you also, Shiu removing his suit jacket, then his tie. Soon fingers stating on his dress shirt

Your breath catches in your throat as you try to pull yourself together, but the air around you is so thick, so saturated with their presence that it’s impossible to ignore. Every part of you is trembling under their gaze, and there’s no escaping them now.

Shiu’s lips find your neck once more, his mouth hot against your skin as he sucks lightly, marking you again, making sure you remember who you belong to. His voice comes out muffled against your skin. "No one else is ever going to touch you like we do."

Toji steps back slightly, his eyes never leaving yours, enjoying the flush that’s spread across your face and neck. "And you wouldn’t want anyone else," he says with a smirk. "Not after we’ve had our way with you."

The realization hits you all at once—you’re utterly, completely theirs, and in that moment, all you can do is surrender to it.

You don’t even think about fighting when Shiu pushes you onto the couch. manhandling you until your on all fours. Part of you is upset you can’t see him anymore. He’s disappeared behind you. You could’ve sat there and just stared at both the shirtless men in awe, but you resisted.

Your heart jumps when you hear the clinking of a belt buckle, Toji chuckling at your reaction. You were waiting patiently, feeling the couch shift behind you as Shiu aligns himself with you. You could feel his hard tip poking at your entrance. The suspense making you squirm

“Stop teasing the poor thing Shiu, she looks like she’s about to cry” Toji says, hes sat down on your armchair now, watching the both of you. His grey sweats doing nothing to hide the bulge in his pants. He’s palming himself shamelessly as he watches intently.

“Awh you poor thing” Shiu coos teasingly, not giving you a chance before sheathing himself inside you completely. “Is that what you wanted doll?” he chuckles.

You jolt forward, not expecting to feel so full so quickly. Jesus christ he was big. Your poor arms already wobbling, you let out a sob. He slid right in, you were absolutely soaked. Your walls welcoming him greedily.

“Holy fuck! Shiu oh my god-“ You sobbed out pathetically. He hadn’t even started moving yet, but you hadn’t been this full in a while. he felt amazing wrapped in your walls. One of his hands grabbing at the fat of your ass as he finally starts thrusting inside of you. It’s like you were seeing stars, the sounds of your skin slapping together echoing through the room as he fucked you. Small grunts escaping him each time he bottomed out inside of your greedy pussy.

“Shit sweetheart, you’ve got a perfect little pushy. so pretty-“ he grunts from above you. God he sounded so good, that voice dripping in sex as he tried to control himself. Shiu was struggling to keep His composure as he watched the way you arched so nicely for him, giving him deeper access. The way your ass recoiled with each slam of his hips. And those delicious little noises you made when he hit a paticularly deep spot.

You were slowly pushing him to the brink. He was doing all he could to resist the anamalistic urge of just fucking you hard and fast, finishing in mere minutes. But he wanted to take his time with you, to savour how beautiful you looked at her mercy. Lord only knows how long he’d wanted to do this. “Shit baby, sucking the life out of me.” Moaning as he slams back into you. Your pussy gripping him so well you could feeleach vein on his cock.

You had never felt so perfectly full before, Shiu was hitting you at such a good angle you were almost voiceless. Running out of breath to cry out for him anymore. In the corner of your eye you watch Toji raise from the arm chair. He was sat the jerking off while watching you both, but now he was joining in again.

He’s in front of you now, both men at either end of you “I know that pussy of yours is perfect doll, how about that mouth?” He grips your face with his huge hand as he talks to you. It’s like he knows your fucked out and can hardly speak by the fact hes speaking so gently to you. His other hand was jerking off his thick cock. He had already rid himself or his grey sweats.

You were on fire. You felt like you were feeling everything at one Shiu fucking you so good, your orgasm nearing once more, and seeing Toji in front of you right now had you squirming.

You couldnt even process words to speak in that moment so you just opened your mouth up pathetically.

Toji groaned at the sight of you welcoming mouth, slipping his leaking tip in eagerly, hissing at the feeling of your tongue sliding over his slit. He gripped your hair gently, guiding you down his cock further and further until he was hitting the back of your throat before letting you back up again, he knew he wouldn’t last as long as he hoped. Not with the way you sweet little moans were vibrating against his cock. He was painfully hard from eating you out already.

You couldn’t quite believe your circumstances, sandwiched between the two men as they fucked both your holes. Shiu’s hands slapping at your ass now as he cursed to himself. Every thrust he gave you sending you further down Toji’s length. His considerable size leaving you gagging around him so sweetly. You moaned at the taste of his salty precum, drooling over his cock.

The men couldn’t believe it themselves to be honest. They had spoken about this moment many times, after all those nights spent staking out targets can lead to some interesting conversations. They were just shocked it was happening now. Not that either of them were complaining. Seeing you so vulnerable in front of them, god it was a dream come true.

You would be lying if you said you hadn’t imagined this before, on lonely nights. Nights where the men were sleeping just down the hall from your bedroom door, when the beers you drank had gone to your head and thoughts filled your mind. First it was just innocent imagining, I mean they basically lived with you, but then it turned heated. Your fingers getting you off to the thought of them having their way with you.

You could feel your impending orgasm, squeezing around Shiu’s length. Your legs shaking pathetically as his movements, if toji wasn’t basically holding you up by your hair you were sure you’d be crying into he cushions on your couch.

“Shit you close already sweetheart?” Shiu chuckles, but you can hear the strained pleasure in his cocky voice. He was close as well.

You moan on Toji’s cock as Shiu’s pace increases to an impossible speed. Your moan turning into a pathetic cry. Hot tears streaming down your flushed face, drool trailing down your chin.

“Shhhh, come on doll. let go for us.” Toji groans, he removed his cock from your mouth, giving a chance for you to catch your breath. You previously muffled noises now sinfulling ringing clearly in the room.

“So f-fucking good.” your body gleams as you writhe between the two men

“I know, I know sweetheart.” Toji speaks now, softer than before. The hand that was gripping your hair gentle caressing it instead, lulling you smoothly into your orgasm.

You cum over Shiu’s cock, juices gushing over the moan who moans in awe above you. You were fucking shaking as waves racked over you. Your orgasm more intense than the first one. Shiu didnt stop, fucking you through it as his tip hit that sponges spot inside of you.

“Holy fuck..” He couldn’t stop himself either, that sight alone has him cumming deep inside you, hips not stopping until he’s sure hes fucked his seed deep in you belly. He pulls out, watching as you clench around nothing, Hi cum leaking out of your used hole. Before you can move, the men have switched. Toji’s positioning himself behind you and Shiu is in front, assuming Toji’s post of stroking your head.

Toji slowly pushes inside you, muttering to himself about needing to finsh in you. He’s already close from the head you’ve just given him, but he cant resist dumping his load in your sweet little cunt.

He doesn’t go easy on you, as soon as he’s fully in you, he starts a brutal pace. Hips snapping into yours. Both hands gripping your ass, giving it a few slaps before grabbing the skin once more. His eyes trained on the ring of white forming around the base of his cock, his eyes not leaving where he enters you. Like he’s entranced.

You’re whining from the overstimulation, Toji was slightly thicker than Shiu, and you could feel him stretching you. “Still so tight baby, youre fucking perfect.” he grunts out between thrusts.

All you can do is take it while Shiu coos at. you sweetly, muttering about how well your doing, how beautiful you look.

Toji didn’t last too long, soon finishing in you as well. A guttural groan leaving him as he empties his balls. He doesn’t still until he thighs are shaking, ensuring he’s all in you. Pulling out, just to finger the cum back inside of you. God he was filthy. You loved it.

For a moment you all just lay there, squashed on the sofa, strewn across the giant men while their cum leaked from you. When your breathing finally slowed and you stopped shaking, they carried you into your bathroom. You couldn’t stop the giggle and Toji sweeping you up bridal style and Shiu opened the door to your bathroom. Both of them cleaning you up oh so gently with a washcloth, kissing your head gently, before taking you to your bedroom.

For the first time (but certainly not the last) you big bed didn’t feel so lonely when they both joined you. Cuddling against them both as you had some of the best sleep of your life.

A/n: YALL IM BEGGING YOU LIKE A REPOST!!!! PLEASE!!! this is probably one of my favourite works yet and I really hope it gets the love it deserves, I slaved over this, it is my baby.

AND THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL THE LOVE ON MY RECENT FICS

MY REQUESTS FOR JJK/AOT ARE OPEN!!! I esp love writing small drabbles so please any cute ideas just let me know, it doesn’t have to be smut 💜

[ramp-it-up]

Mood

Call Me Captain When I…| Captain. My Captain

Summary: You and Steve were “special” friends. Until something that happens on one of your training missions puts Steve into a mood.

Word count: 2.7K

Pairing: Early CATWS era Captain Steve Rogers x SHEILD Reader

Warnings: 18+ Only, Minors DNI. Not Beta’d. Read at your own risk. S MUT! Early CATWS Steve, talk of hurt, ambush, implied assualt. Angsty, moody Steve, Steve with the urge to kill for you, possessive Steve, Steve pining for reader, idiots in love, Dom Steve, fuck buddies to relationship, fluff, Captain and Sir kink, dirty talk, edging (but not quite), begging, body worship, nipple play, raw p in v, female receiving oral, emotional sex.

A/N: This can be seen as adjacent to the fic Call Me Captain When I..., but can be read as a stand alone. I was in a mood when I wrote it, so here we are.

I no longer have a taglist. Please follow @rampitupandread and turn on notifications to learn when I post! 😘

NOTICE: I Do NOT Consent to my work being reposted, translated or presented on any other blog or site other than by myself.

------

After you checked yourself out of the hospital against doctor’s orders, Steve Rogers steamed as he waited for you to get out of the shower. He wanted to be in there with you, but decided to give you some space, and give him some time to cool down.

The fact that you were standing at the visitor’s entrance, in your hospital gown and combat boots as he drove up to sit with you, was the latest thing to get him riled up.

When he saw you, he parked in the fire lane and got out of his car, hands on his hips as he questioned you.

“What the hell are you doing out here?”

He eyed the bandage on your forehead and the one on your cheek, fingers trembling as he brushed his thumb over your bruised face.

The rage had not subsided for him over the past three days. 

Even after he and Sam beat the medivac to the scene and transported you to the best ER in the area.

Even after he was assured that you were ok by the doctors at the hospital. 

Even after you protested that he was overreacting when he set up a security detail at your door headed by Sam. 

Even after he’d found who did this to you and… well, seeing you bruised countenance again reignited his emotions.

He wondered how you got around Sam who was posted up. But then, your cunning and skill was a big part of how he felt about you. So was your kindness, intelligence, and beauty.

But you didn’t know exactly how Steve felt about you. And perhaps he didn’t either. Until you were ambushed on a routine training mission with your troops.

You lifted your chin and squared your shoulders as Steve shook his head. 

“I’m fine, Captain. I want to go home. I’ve been in the hospital for four days. And on the training mission for 10 days before that. I was due to be discharged in the morning anyway.”

You looked up at Steve. He couldn’t resist those eyes.

“I want to rot on my couch, sleep in my own bed.”

Steve grunted his assent, although the thin line of his lips indicated his displeasure with you.

“How’s your head feel?”

You met his eyes and focused, if only to prove how healthy you were.

“I’m fine, Steve. I just want to go home.”

Steve stared at you, wanting to just take you into his arms, but not doing it. Then, he stared around the parking lot, scanning the perimeter for anyone watching.

“Get in.”

He moved next to you and picked up the plastic bag that had your belongings in it, and put his hand on your back to guide you toward the sportscar.

“But my ride...”

Steve looked down at you as his jaw clenched, the blue fire in his eyes threatening to burn you.

“Get in before I take you over to that bench and spank the hell out of you, Lieutenant.”

You swallowed a gasp and grew warm at the threat.

“Yes Sir.”

You climbed into the passenger seat and sat back as Steve buckled you in, then waved at Sam, who’d come running out of the hospital just as Steve drove away.

You were along for the ride of this mood of your superior, friend, and fuck buddy Captain America, Steve Rogers.

—-

You stood before Steve, wrapped up in your soft, fluffy white robe that he had put into the dryer to warm up and left on the hook on the door of the shower. It was such a sweet gesture that contrasted his cold, harsh demeanor on the way to your place.

You felt as if you were about to be punished, but you didn’t care. You were exhausted. And just a little bit spooked. But that last part was lessened, because Steve was with you here in your quarters. You looked at him, wanting to ask him to stay, but you didn’t.

Steve stalked toward you, and you noticed that he was barefoot, which seemed to indicate that he wasn’t going anywhere soon. You smiled as you dragged your weary eyes up to his face. You decided to go for it.

“Are you staying?”

Steve grunted at you again.

“Just try and get me to leave you alone.”

His deep bass rumbled through you, and you whimpered, despite the fact that he wasn’t even touching you. Something seemed off as he moved toward you, pulling you closer by the tie on your robe.

“I’ve been riding on the edge of insanity ever since that day.”

Steve’s hand was in your hair, gently massaging the exposed scalp between your braids as his eyes took careful stock of your face.

You were shook.

“I’m okay, Steve.”

“I’ve got to see for myself.”

All he wanted to do was to take inventory of you, his rough fingers moving over every inch of your naked body to make sure that every bit of you was okay. He’d almost lost you and was experiencing an almost feral urge to consume you. You could feel the guilt radiating off him.

“Steve. No one could have known. Shit, I’m head of intelligence and I didn’t know.…”

Steve put his finger to his lips, and then yours. He gently stroked your cheek as he kissed you tenderly, carefully.

“Why do you always taste so good? Like you smell. Like sweet coconut…”

He leaned in to kiss you again, groaning as every gentle stroke of his tongue was met with a bolder one of yours. The passion increased until he pulled away and leaned his forehead against yours. You could tell that he was holding back. 

What was wrong with him?

“I know that no one could have known that the mission was a trap. But I feel like I should have.”

His hands moved from your neck, to your torso, down your belly, to the juncture of your thighs. He was sitting on your bed as you stood before him, warmed by the shower, but goosebumps raised on your flesh and your nipples formed into tight peaks as he examined you.

“I’ve never felt the urge to kill as much as I did when I tracked them down. It only took a day and a half to find them, and then a day and a half to get close enough to… “

Steve stopped short of revealing what happened to the people who hurt you and just looked into your eyes. The fury you saw as he looked up at you was chilling, yet arousing. You wanted to ask what he did to them, but you couldn’t. You just looked at his hands to find evidence that you knew wouldn’t be there because of his super soldier healing.

“Steve?”

He didn’t respond to you, just continued to stare at your most intimate parts.

“Captain-”

He looked up at you then.

“What I said at the hospital earlier. I-I have a serious desire to give you a good and proper spanking for almost losing your life, although it wasn’t your fault.”

You started to laugh, but he was serious. The look in his eyes was unlike anything you’d ever seen before.

“I can’t give you up. I can’t.”

You shook your head.

“Steve, I’m fine-”

He pulled you to him by your thighs, his large hands grabbing you, gently but firmly, and bringing your crotch close to his mouth. He looked back up at you.

“I know we’ve never talked about this, but…You are my anchor.”

You ran your hands through his hair as his breath tickled your clit.

“I had the barest control while Sam and I were flying to get you, and only a small bit more when I learned you were okay. And now I have to verify that you are ‘fine,’ as you say. I need to see it with my own eyes, feel it with my own hands, taste it ….”

The unspoken part of that statement caused you to shudder as he went back to examining you, His hands moving down your legs, while listening for any sounds of discomfort from you as his skin slid along yours with a gentle but firm pressure, then standing up and depositing you on the bed as he examined you to the soles of your feet.

He placed one of your feet on his pelvis, next to what you’d discovered was his rock hard cock housed in his jeans, and one foot in his hand, beginning to massage it. Steve knew how a sensual foot massage made you wet. He grunted in response to your whimpers, but only turned you over as he examined the back of you.

Steve palmed the globes of your ass and pulled them apart, and you could feel his eyes at the crease of you for a full minute. Then, his palms slid upwards to your spine, smoothing over each vertebrae as he moved up to the back of your neck.

He was on the bed now, between your legs, and pulled your hips up to meet him as he gently circled your neck with his fingers, bringing you up slightly as his other hand rolled and pinched your stiff nipples. 

“How do you feel?”

His gruff whisper, full of need and at the shell of your ear elicited a groan and caused you to roll your hips on his rock-hard erection.

“Steve.. I… Please!”

You incoherently pleaded for more as you moved against the stiff fabric of his jeans, making a mess there. Steve looked down and rolled his eyes, his hand rubbing your ass as his palm itched to smack it.

“Mmmmmm. You have no idea how much I want to give you this cock. But you need rest.”

You reached back and slapped your own ass, pulling on your asscheek to enable him to push deeper between your legs to feel how wet you were.

“We also need to talk…”

Steve shuddered at the sensation of you rutting against him, and with every gasp and moan from you his control was dwindling. 

“I need it Sir. Please, Captain…”

“Fuck. Maybe just one orgasm. Then you can rest.”

You leaned down to give him that arch and he licked his lips. His cock was in full control of him now.

“Best idea ever, Captain.”

His hand moved to your core, and his fingers were instantly soaked with your arousal.

“Jesus. Looks so good.”

Steve’s dick throbbed and he gritted his teeth against the wave of lust, yet he stood up and took off his own clothes. He watched your empty pussy clench around air and he had to taste it. The minute his lips were wrapped around your clit from behind was the moment you started keening for him.

“God, yes….right… fucking…right there!”

Steve carefully inserted a finger into your cunt as he suckled your clit, trying to be gentle. You bit your lip as he pulled off and started to withdraw his finger slowly.

“So soft for me. But so tight.”

He watched your face as he added another digit, causing your eyes to squeeze shut and your mouth to hinge open as you worked your hips on his hand for some relief.

Your eyes popped open and you blinked rapidly, but he didn’t speed up to the insistence of your hips. When he curved his fingers and found that bundle of nerves inside, pressing gently, you broke apart as he stroked over and over again.

 "I–God. I'm going…" 

You bowed your body, and Steve watched in awe while your pussy clamped around his fingers.

“Oh yeah. This was what I needed to see. Give it to me.”

Steve rolled his thumb over your clit to extend your orgasm. You open and completely out of control, with no thought of hurt or danger, was the sight that he loved.

 And he wanted to make you do it again and again.

“Jesus, you are beautiful. I want to...” 

He was fisting his cock and watching your wet, creamy folds as he squeezed your ass for a better view.

“Want more. Please!” 

“Hmmph,” He grunted. “Don’t want to hurt you.”

You leaned over again and presented yourself to him, giving him a view of your fingers working your clit and sliding inside yourself. 

“Fuck me, Captain. Please…”

Steve actually whimpered. His cock was drawn to you magnetically.

“Are you sure…?”

“Need it.” 

Steve cupped your ass harder and guided his cock to your slick, heated cunt and groaned.

“Oh shit. You fucking own me.” 

Your eyes widened in shock, and then you looked over your shoulder, locking onto his gaze. You relaxed, causing Steve to sink deeper inside you. You both hissed and Steve’s eyes closed. 

“I’m never leaving. Could stay inside you forever. Wanna see that beautiful face.”

Steve grabbed your leg and shifted you down and around, maneuvering you onto your back. His eyes raked up and down your form as his hands found your hips and drew you closer to him and his cock deep inside you again. He leaned down and captured your lips in a heated kiss as you arched your chest against his. 

You dug your nails into his shoulders, his name a chanted mantra between kisses. With each slide and retreat of his stiff cock in your slick channel, both of your groans got louder. Steve’s gaze occasionally dipped to where you were joined, watching his cock slide in and out of you. You arched your back again, and he dipped his head to draw one of your nipples into his mouth. 

"I. Yes. Harder. Oh God. Oh my God." 

Against your nipple he muttered, "Let me hear you. So good.”

But he didn’t fuck you harder like you asked. Your response was to tug on his hair, and Steve chuckled around the flesh of your breast. 

“I love the sounds you make.”

You moaned loudly, very wet now and very frustrated. The sound of the slick squelching of your act was such sinful music. Steve groaned, his jaw ticked tight from holding back.

“Please!”

But Steve just continued at the same languid pace.

“Later, when you’ve rested, I have plans for these babies,” Steve flattened his tongue and licked around both areolas. 

“Gonna lick, bite, kiss, fuck them. Be rough.”

You shuddered as he leaned up and blew on them, causing your nipples to draw up into hard peaks again and your pussy to shudder around him. Steve leaned up and stared at your breasts as they bounced with each thrust and he shook his head as his pace faltered. You clenched around him again and he spoke, his voice broken.

“I know you’re close. Feel so good around me.”

Steve looked into your eyes as he snapped his hips, and your mouth went wide again as he worked his hand between you and found your sensitive clit. 

Your eyes crossed as your slick walls clamped around his cock and milked him. 

"That's it. Cum for me. I'm so addicted to the sight." 

With three more pumps, Steve was coming apart, his control falling away. Another orgasm rolled through you and you tightened around him once more, causing a groan from Steve as you rode out the wave. 

“Holy fuck.” 

He kissed you again, licking into your mouth as he continued to thumb your clit. Good Lord, it was impossible to think at all when he did that. You were a whimpering mess as you begged him again.

“Please Captain. Give me your cum, Sir. Cum inside me.”

Steve buried his head in your shoulder as he sped up incrementally, his cursing muffled against your skin. You rolled your hips to meet him, making him groan again. You turned your head to bite, then whisper in his ear.

“I’m gonna cum on your thick cock again. Just fuck me. A little harder. Just three more pumps and I’m there. Pretty please, Sir.”

You wrapped your legs around his waist as Steve finally let go and gave you three hard, deep pumps, but as you predicted, he could not stop there.

Steve cursed and fucked you hard, stroking at the devil’s pace for at least a dozen more times, roaring as you stiffened and clamped down on his cock as you came.

“G-g-g-geeez! Fuck!”

Steve was a drooling, practically sobbing mess as the forcefull spray of his cum shot against your cervix, so much so that it leaked out almost immediately. Steve stopped and watched the sight, gasping, mouth open. Then, he looked back up at you.

“Everything about you, about us is so damn perfect. Especially this. We almost lost it. I love you, Libby.”

Your heart surged with emotion, finally understanding what had gotten into him.

“I love you too, Steve.”

You smiled and wiped the tears that were forming at the corner of Steve’s eyes as he softened inside you. 

“Shhhhh. Steve. It’s okay. I’m okay. Let’s take this one day at a time. Right now, we both need to sleep. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

Steve nodded and sank down into your arms as you held onto your super soldier and rocked both of you to sleep.

——

Read Captain. My Captain.

If you liked it, hit Reblog! 😊

[lovelyyandereaddictionpoint]

Favorite Guest | Yandere Twisted Wonderland

Visiting the controversial but fascinating zoo: Twisted Territories is something you finally got around to doing. Usually satisfied with the attached aquarium and petting zoo; it’s a bit of an adventure going into the very popular exhibit. 

“Here is our exhibit for our Nagas! If you don’t see them don’t feel bad they are a little shy. So if you like you may look up at the screen where we have some footage of our training with them–”

The zookeeper kept talking as the crowd made a makeshift line along the glass of the giant enclosure—moving awfully quickly because of the lack of action. Letting yourself fall into the back of the line you took your time admiring the grand enclosure. Much larger than any you’ve seen it was likely they could’ve been in plain sight camouflaging with the foliage inside it. Finally telling yourself to move on you take one last look at a specific spot in the bushes. Doing a double take you try to see if you saw the shimmer of someone’s eyes. 

“Mommy, when will I get a chance to see?”

Hearing the child’s whining you decide your time at the glass was up, writing off what you’d seen as an especially shiny plant in the exhibit. Pushing it to the back of your mind, the memory fades with the attraction of the merpeople and the wolf-hybrids who were much more present. It’s good enough to encourage you to come back, once again giving the Naga exhibit a chance. 

Spending a little while looking at the unreal nature, hoping you’ll find some hidden pattern of scales or a tiny bit of movement that reveals where the Nagas may be. It didn’t take long before your eyes were drawn to the open space right behind the glass. Only having time to look befuddled before a crowd of people started to form around you. 

“Look that snake-man came right up to the glass! Quick get your camera!”

As so many voices began to point out, a pale upper human half with a silver tail coiling behind him was right up against the glass. Hands-on the glass with his dark eyes trained on you, this Naga with a choppy bowl cut didn’t seem keen on moving. His intense eye-bags made it hard to tell if you were angering him or just entertaining him. You weren’t keen to find out. 

It took a while but you let the crowd take your place struggling to get through them to move on to the next exhibit. Taking advantage of the crowd’s excitement, when you looked back you couldn’t see the Naga which you could delude yourself into believing it was pure coincidence. Trying to enjoy the rest of your trip to the zoo, once again you tried to push your weird encounter into the back of your head. When that doesn’t work you settle for calling yourself ‘lucky.’ Who else has gotten such a close view of one of the illusive Nagas in the enclosure? 

This is why you internally scold yourself when you find a special invitation to that part of the zoo again. The email claims it's a prize for being such a frequent visitor and it makes sense that they offer a discounted price. If only to shake away the memories of the odd encounter you do again this time avoiding that exhibit for last, with plans to go at the end of your stay. You try to hurriedly rush through the path without incident.

The sound of a glass being banged and a muted hiss has you turning to look at the nagas exhibit. This time there are two–the grey one who’s tail was still on the glass and the other whose tail is a vibrant blue with hair to match. The blue one was coiled in on himself practically hiding behind the grey haired one–but he was also looking at you. Both leaning in tandem as you tested going further down the path. Once again the crowd was in an uproar surrounding the spot. You could see the blue one hurriedly retreat into the bushes of the exhibit while the grey one lingered. Through the surrounding crowd you found yourself locking eyes with dark grey ones. The glare was the same as before—a demanding sort of stare that weirdly made you feel guilty for turning away. 

Well…you were never coming to this zoo again.

__________________________________________________________

“Hi, can you please please come to the zoo again? I’m asking personally because legally that wouldn’t be right but there’s this neat grey area where I can–”

Cater couldn’t help but ramble as he spoke to the former frequent guest of the zoo. Tasked by his superiors to do whatever was needed to get the Nagas corporation. Since uniting the three specimens their murderous tendencies had increased. For a time there were vague signals of in-fighting but that quickly died down and suddenly their scientists and zookeepers were turning up dead. 

It seemed like there was no end to the carnage. 

Until (Y/n) came along.

In the zoo’s database, they were listed as a common face. An annual pass and accessories to match it was a matter of time before they visited the new mystical exhibits. What no one expected that it’d be them who got the Nagas to be active. With cameras placed on the ceiling and some trees, the scientist smart enough not to go inside could watch. But the Nagas were smart they knew precisely where they were and their intense strength didn’t help. Taking advantage of the terrain that didn’t need to be changed the Nagas made their supposed nest in a cave which meant that no scientists could see them even at rest. 

So it shocked everyone when they saw multiple dashes across the screen at the fifth big crowd of the day. Unlike some of their other creatures who had fun toying with the guests and were rewarded for it. The Naga s were never a part of this group usually ignoring guests or making themselves completely unseen on purpose. But now they were rushing to the edges of the forest without a care for the cameras or the eyes of amazed onlookers all to look at one person in particular.

“That one human. When will they be here again?”

Cater was the unlucky understudy who was finally spoken to rather than immediately suffocated for simply delivering food. He was shaking like a leaf as he promised to find out for them. It was a wonder they spoke at all let alone the biggest one of all. 

The creatures Twisted Territories had gathered were oddly enough quite close to one another. Already having split themselves into factions and hierarchies that fit with their species. But the greatest predator and the most feared was none other than the rumored dragon. Illusive and feared the only reason he hadn’t decided to end the organization was because he was looking for something specific. 

He said this after leaving nothing of an army of men and women. 

No bones. No blood. No survivors to speak of.

This is why it was a miracle that Cater was able to return to the guffawing scientists with a message at all. Bringing this up to the Superiors he was praised and tasked with making sure that their requests were fulfilled. 

Did these creatures have a type they liked to kill?

An interest in specific blood types or was it something else?

Was it a mating interest?

Competition?

The possibilities were endless and those superiors of his were hungry for answers. Granted it would come at the cost of this poor person’s life but he wasn’t in a position to argue. Not when he told the dragon he’d find you himself.

“I’m not really interested in returning anytime soon.”

That wasn’t going to work.

“I…actually would like to offer you an exclusive look at one of our exhibits. We’ll give you a free meal and some extra merch–”

“I’m sorry but I really don’t want to. Those Nagas really put me on edge.”

Cater’s heart sunk even deeper into his stomach. Letting his mind wander to the consequences of failing to get the subject to come willingly. His superiors would no doubt go to the extremes– buying the land around them, blackmailing, entrapping their family. It would be so much worse than a simple call. 

“I shouldn’t be saying this but the next time someone calls you about coming…there will be dire consequences.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know if they’ve already heard me…just pack a bag and come, please. I don’t know what they’ll do.”

Cater hung up the call, his heart aching in his chest. Looking at his feet he was acutely aware of the shadow that stretched in the doorway near them. 

He thought he was safe.

He thought he was essential.

The first one to speak to The Dragon without being dead.

Perhaps he wouldn’t get to deliver the guest to the dragon himself. 

Maybe you’d be better off on your own.

__________________________________________________________

“Welcome (Y/n) (L/n) to your official behind-the-scenes of Twisted Terrain. Is there anything I can get you before we start?”

“The guy I was talking to…where is he?”

“.....Right this way honored guest.”

You didn’t like how they deflected but it prepared you for what you may be dealing with. Despite the media denouncing it, you’ve been looking at the forums. Written off as hurtful conspiracies to zoos they provided their speculation about the zoo’s latest additions and how far their willing to go to keep them. Sadly it aligned with everything that’s happened so far; more people with suits surrounded you as you further traversed into the maze of staff-only doors. It didn’t make you feel so bad about scheduling a post about this thing. They’d take it down eventually sure but if you were never coming back it’d be best to warn others about this wolf in sheep’s clothing. 

“So here is the private extension of the Naga exhibit, where our scientists do their best to learn while taking care of our reptile friends.”

Seeing where this part of the exhibit expanded from the one the public saw was shocking. From a previous perspective, it already looked like a small forest, this larger part just made it so much larger. You realize this makes the Naga’s interest in one specific side of the glass that much weirder.

“Now if you’ll do me a favor and step up to the glass so you can have a closer look at their habitat?”

It wasn’t really a question, the slight inching of the others in suits said so. Adjusting your hold on the strap you were holding some luggage with, you step forward. In your heart of hearts, you almost hope that nothing will happen. That this would all turn out to be some ruse that happened to be triggered by the environment or the color of the clothes you wore. 

Like the feeling of realizing something so uncomfortable, so nightmarish, happening to you, and when you blink your eyes, you are not dreaming. The whole wood seemed to rustle as a long green tail much larger than the other Nagas’ you’d seen reached for the glass between you two. Almost caressing the glass. 

“Spectacular! I would’ve never believed it if I hadn’t seen it! Alright, let’s get them in there! Get those cameras ready I don’t want to miss an angle–”

“What?! Ahhh!”

The people in suits held you tight, maneuvering to a vault-like door where they took you and your bag inside. Feeling the bruises on your skin you tried to regulate your breathing and it was proving hopeless. The gaggle of people surrounding you in lab coats with cameras and notepads, it seemed as though they truly were prepared to feed you to these Naga. The feeling really sunk in when you were slammed into the dirt watching from over your shoulder as thousands of people watched like an audience of Colosseum—practically cheering for your massacre. Breathing in and out, you tried to ignore the burning ache of cuts on your hands and knees. You squeezed the handle of your bag as you walked into the forest, a glance back showed the gaggle behind the glass groaning and whining that you didn’t stand in the clearing the gate opened up.

You thought about flipping them off but this would have to do.

The second you stepped past the forest’s edge it was that same green tail that gently wrapped around your back guiding you through the forest. It was alarming but oddly comforting that the muscles underneath those evergreen scales were somehow softer than the humans who brought you here. 

“Where are you taking me?”

You continued to follow its light pushing and support over more rocky terrain. It eventually stops at the mouth of a cave, the tail disappearing into its darkness. Popping out again to imitate a finger calling you to come in.

You patted your pockets for your phone; coming up empty they must’ve swiped it while they were manhandling you into the enclosure. Figuring you’re better off relying on another sense you let your hand drag along one side of the cave, leaning on it as the ground dipped as you got even farther. 

“I can’t believe they brought you.”

Turning to the left of you, you were sure you heard a voice there. Looking in the darkness for any kind of movement you continued along. After that, you make sure to listen for some kind of sliding equated with the sound of Naga s slithering but you hear nothing. 

“D-did they put any wires on you?”

Turning again and seeing no one you put your back to the wall. Hoping that this will eliminate the directions someone can come at you. Shimmying along the wall you debate with yourself about how to react to these voices around you, whether you’d respond or swipe if only to prove you weren’t going insane. Before you could decide you felt something swiftly pull at your clothes.

“Ah!”

“S-s-orry it’s just that they did put something on you.”

“Uh, thanks?”

Whoever was the owner of this shaky voice made a sound you’ve never heard before. It sounded close but when you dared to reach a hand out you found nothing again. Continuing on your way, you wondered how far you’d get before you reached wherever you should have gone.

A cool sensation spread across your waist, making you jump. Thinking it was water or something you sent a speculative finger down to check finding what stopped you in your tracks was a Naga tail. It pulled you from the wall into a warm and lean chest; for good measure matching pair of arms wrapped around you trapping you against what you assumed to be one of the Nagas you were meant to meet. Seeing as the coils that wrapped around you were only moderately squeezing you figured you could let your guard down. 

“To think you had to be with those nasty humans this whole time makes me sick.”

That voice was the first you heard. The voice was smooth authoritative and a little snobbish you wondered which of the Nagas you’d seen was the owner. 

“Um, can I ask some–AcK!”

“Don’t squirm, I’m checking past these infernal coverings.”

The hands inspecting you were just as chilly as his tail which was maneuvering you in all sorts of ways to help remove the ‘infernal coverings.’ Trying to push the hands away proved to be nothing but a nuisance to the Naga who casually slapped your hands away to continue trying to remove your clothes.

“Wait don’t—”

“Stop whining! I can look better if you just stop–”

“Rollo, please.”

The voice that spoke from somewhere unusually close was deep, a baritone that practically shook the air of the cave. A command that had the Naga holding you stopping their attempt at removing your clothes, letting you rest in their coils.

The light draft of the cave became more intense, wafting against your cheeks in a cold thrush. A light brush became an intense whirl, making you shut your eyes from the dark expanse of the cave. There was the sound of something cackling like a fire and then the faint wave of light reaching through the cover of your eyelids. Opening your eyes to a whole new cave, a green flame burning on a torch being the main reason.

“You must be gentle. Their eyesight is much different than ours it makes sense they’d be  disoriented.”

The owner of the deep voice was a pale man with hair as long and dark as the cave, you’d entered. With a pair of horns on his head and evergreen scales trailing from his cheeks down his unclothed chest blending with the length of his tail. His tail was hard to see for its true color with the glow of the green flame but accounting for it you recognized the scales for the evergreen ones that guided you into the cave. Looking at the now illuminated ground it was that same evergreen tail that seemed to curve and coil all around. Trying to pinpoint the end of the tail to its beginnings led you to meet its owner. Resting on one of many coils of his, with a fanged smile you could feel the heat rising from the pit of your stomach as slitted evergreen eyes looked deep into your own. 

Taking a gulp you tried to speak,” You led me here right?”

 He was still smiling at you, making you wonder if he planned to respond to you at all. Unable to hold his gaze you found yourself looking away. 

“Haha, I did!”

His laugh reverberated through the cave sending shivers up your spine. When you dared to look again he was much closer. Seconds ago he was leagues away now barely a hair from your nose, it only served to make you turn away again in embarrassment.

“I am glad you found a way in here considering how dark it is for you.”

“T-thanks.”

“I don’t see what that has to do with checking you for wounds.”

The snobbish voice of your captor reminded you that he was there, finally looking over to put a face to the voice. He was the gray-haired Naga with tired eyes that you recalled glaring at you through the glass. 

“You!?”

“Is there a reason you're pointing at me like that?”

“You were the one who was glaring at me that one time I came.”

He sighed exasperated as though it was tiresome to recount the frightening experience. He crossed his arms upturning his nose at you as he turned his head, all the while keeping those grey eyes trained on you.

“I wasn’t glaring. I was watching.”

“Why’d you slam against the glass then!?”

“You weren’t looking, it was just a light tap to get your attention.”

“And the hissing?!”

“Well, I think it was wrong of you to just ignore me like that, especially after you left last time.”

“You freaked me out! Of course, I left!”

He rolled his eyes at you, “I don’t see why this is still important.”

The one with the black hair came close again, tilting his head in your direction. 

“First impressions are very important Rollo. If you scared them you have to take responsibility.”

“Y-y-yeah!” 

The Naga with the grey hair—Rollo rolled his eyes again bringing the tip of his tail to cover the bottom half of his face. Very badly hiding the sneer on his face.

“Whatever. You’ve been dodging the topic of those injured of yours. I think whatever I’ve done in the past doesn’t quite matter now.”

You immediately wanted to protest as the green-eyed Naga beside you gently grabbed your hands and opened them to reveal scratches from bracing your fall. Trailing up your wrist and to your arm gently caressing the bruises you could feel forming. 

For the first time since you’d met him, he wasn’t smiling. A neutral expression on his face but the sharp twists and twirls of his tail said otherwise. You turned to Rollo who was still holding the tip of his tail over his mouth, this time hiding a subtle act of gritted teeth. His tired eyes were also on your arms where the other Naga was still caressing. 

“Those in the coats did this to you?”

“Uh yes.”

Rollo spoke up again, his tail wrapping around you tighter, “Despicable humans! They can’t do a single thing right!”

Shooting him a look, he brought the tip of his tail down to fold his hands in front of him. 

“Don’t get me wrong. I adore you all the same. It’s just all other humans.”

As if that was any better. 

A flurry of sparkling lights flooded your vision bringing your attention to the Naga who was solemnly guiding the lights on your wounds. The dull ache coming from them began to dissipate as the open scratches closed themselves and the discoloration from the bruises faded away. 

“I think this is reason enough.” 

“I agree. I’ve been wanting to tear those humans apart the day they brought us here!”

“If I can take their tech that’s fine with me!” 

The third voice came from behind you, revealing the blue-haired Naga you saw shyly poking out that one day. Now he was smiling happily, slithering closer to the other Naga as he looked at your arms. 

“If they did that there’s no way they’ll be living another day.”

A lot of things were being said and they all pointed to an uprising against the scientists. There was just one glaring issue. 

“But why?”

It was like the scratching of a record. They all turned to look at you like you’d grown a second head. Rollo’s face looked almost offended. The blue-haired Naga’s jaw was dropped. Even the one with the horns had his green eyes widened in shock.  You feel your cheeks burn in embarrassment. Closing your eyes to block the image of their judgment being cast. 

Feeling the cool tips of fingers and elongated claws lightly caress your cheek and jaw; tilting your face upward, goading you to open your eyes. Doing so slowly you were face-to-face with the ethereal face of the Naga who healed you. Eyebrows knitted together with sorrow in his eyes, it felt wrong to look away.  

“You are our mate.”

Searching his expression, hoping he’d elaborate it didn’t look like he was going to. 

“Like imprinting?”

Rollo scooched closer to you lightly tugging you from the other Naga’s grip to put you in his own. Nuzzling his nose into your own, holding you firm when you naturally attempted to back away.

“Deeper than that. It’s destiny that you’re mine.”

“Ours.” The black-haired Naga corrected. 

Rollo huffed,” Ours.”

Coming close to him was the blue-haired Naga. Practically snuggling into Rollo’s side he let his tail coil on top of his, lightly shifting you into his hold. Bringing you close to him, he encouraged you to wrap your arms around his neck. Hugging you tightly with his arms you finally got to see his face. Framed by his wild blue tresses, golden eyes, and matching blue lips that were spread in an awkward smile.

“We were waiting for you this whole time.”

“Me? Are you sure?”

Rollo leaned into the blue-haired one this time, batting at some hair that got in his way. Turning to you with a smirk.

“We told you, didn’t we? You are ours. Guess that human side of yours has a problem with accepting the truth.”

Feeling a kiss on your neck, then a nudge of someone resting their head on your shoulder. 

Looking down the Naga’s green eyes practically glowed as he spoke, “Then we will have to fix that. Right, (Y/n)?”

__________________________________________________

“So what’s the plan?” 

After getting some much-needed introductions and a vague talk about the biological herrings of mates. You would like to be the voice of reason when it comes to this uprising they planned to do. 

Malleus took his head off your own to cutely tilt his head, “Plan? Do we need one?” 

Rollo’s claws dug into the sides of his hands which were folded on top of his coils. 

“I was going to just go for the ones that disrespected me the most.”

Idia let out that sound you equated with happiness, now that you could see his blue tail wiggle about in excitement.

“I’m so glad you asked–”

He held nothing back as he rambled on and on about the plan he had. While you were following for the first half you couldn’t keep up after he mentioned opening an interdimensional portal. Feeling the vibrations of laughter on your back you looked to Malleus who was doing just as you felt. Perching his head back on the top of yours, he squeezed you closer to his chest turning his head to whisper just above your ear.

“Can you tell now? We really do need you.”

You couldn’t help to chuckle along with him. Noticing that Idia had run out of breath and was panting over the schematics he’d drawn in the dirt. While Rollo looked disgusted that he was heaving so heavily. Clapping your hands to get their attention they turned to you. 

“Alright, so this is the plan….”

More!

[averagewriter-inthedark]

Fire & Ice 🔥🧊 | MCU!Johnny Storm Imagine

Link to my Marvel masterlist

Characters & Pairings: JosephQuinn!JohnnyStorm x enhanced!reader (romantic), the Fantastic Four (platonic), The Avengers (platonic).

Content Warnings: fluff, profanity, mentions of canon violence and death, canon divergence, light angst | female!reader (she/her) | wc: 7K

Requested 📨 yes/no

Premise: Earth-616 is no stranger to the multiverse. Since the defeat of Thanos in 2023, the Avengers have had their fair share of visitors from other worlds and know what to expect when they do. But when a man wearing the same face of their late comrade arrives, the Avengers are in for the shock of their lives when a group of heroes tailing the individual fall through the portal behind him. And for the flying, fire-wielding, and sometimes charming Johnny Storm, he meets his match in the form of a woman whose power and reputation matches that of her cold, steel, heart.

Note: Happy 2025 everyone! To kick off the year I am gifting y'all this damn idea that's been stuck in my head the past two weeks. Now if you've been following my work since I started, then you know I was pumping out Marvel fics back in the day. Phase 1-4 of Marvel have my heart, and unfortunately the disappointment of Phase 5 (with few exceptions) had me lose interest. BUT if there was one thing I absolutely loved when I was a kid, it was the OG Fantastic Four movies with Chris Evans, Jessica Alba, etc. I watched those literally every day and before the Avengers/MCU I rolled hard with the FF, Blade, & X-Men (I've got another idea involving Deadpool & Wolverine cooking). So I have a lot of expectations for FF: First Steps especially because the MCU has had so many misses the last two years. I love Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, and Joseph Quinn, I haven't watched The Bear, but I've heard great things about Ebon Moss-Bachrach and I look forward to his and the rest of the cast's portrayal of the FF.

I've been a fan of JQ since 2022 because like majority of people I discovered him by his performance as Eddie in Stranger Things. I'll admit I haven't seen much of his filmography, but I did watch A Quiet Place: Day One and he was phenomenal. And don't get me started on Gladiator II. I was pleased to hear he'd be playing my first love Johnny Storm and I know he'll do amazing, not to mention he has said that he was a fan of the OG movies and Chris' version of the character. Whenever I hear an actor is a fan of the source material, I know they're going to deliver.

The movie hasn't come out, neither has the trailer, so I don't have much to work with. But we know that FF:FS is following the origin story of the FF and will feature the Silver Surfer. AND it's rumored to be where RDJ's Doctor Doom will debut, setting up Avengers: Doomsday and he will be the big villain of the MCU. This obviously is diverging from canon and pretty much an AU story, remember that please. SO here's my treat to my fellow Johnny Storm lovers to feed y'all since we still got months until FF:FS. Enjoy.

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

The blinding light of the sun peaking through the curtains pulled Johnny from his sleep before the alarm was set to go off. Had it been any other day he’d be upset. Wishing nothing more than to curl into the comforter and get the extra minutes of sleep. But thankfully it was Sunday--the day reserved for rest. No agenda. No training. No missions. Completely free and dedicated to recoupling after a week filled with non-stop action. 

And if there was anyone who would be displeased at waking up earlier than needed, it was the woman lying beside him. Fast asleep on her back with one hand curled beneath the pillow and the other clasping his on her chest. Body cooler than the average person, which made the atmosphere of the room comfortable considering Johnny’s was hotter than the average citizen. Figuratively and literally. 

Johnny smiled, happily tucking himself further into her space, chin leaning on her shoulder as he snuggled against her side. Allowing his eyes to flutter close and accept the slumber his body itched to claim. The fresh scent of shea butter from her shampoo and body wash filled his nostrils, and he sighed in content. 

This was what life was worth living.

But just when Johnny welcomed the darkness, the annoying, blazing sound of their alarm clock echoed against the walls, disturbing the peaceful moment and making him flinch and groan. “Dammit,” he rolled onto his back, arm reaching to slap at the air until his fingers grasped the device. Snoozing it asleep with a press of a button. 

Now he was fully awake.

Flinging himself back onto the mattress, he felt her body shift before letting out a soft chuckle, “Had you turned it off when you first woke, you’d have spared yourself this torment.” Her voice was laced with tiredness, and Johnny turned his head to find her eyes still closed but clear amusement painting her visage by the smirk on her lips. 

Rolling his eyes, he moved to lay on his side and brought his arm around her waist, “Why didn’t you? Seeing as you were also awake.” 

“Too comfy.”

“Well, so was I,” he sassed, mouth hovering over her jaw before leaning down to kiss the skin, the coolness sending a chill along his spine. She hums, nuzzling into the touch, seeking it.

“The alarm is also on your side.”

Johnny smirks against her cheek, mischief coating his gaze, “you could’ve reached over me, you know. Saved us both the hassle.” His hand reached up to stoke her jaw, trailing to tangle his fingers in her hair. Soft and silky. He takes a moment to appreciate the beauty before him. From her thick eyelashes, to her lips. Her cheekbones and kissable lips. 

“Oh you would like that, wouldn’t you,” she challenged with no actual bite to her tone, one eye peeking open. “Me on top of you in the morning.” He didn’t even deny it, flashing a toothy smile

“Very much so.” 

Instead of replying, Y/n moved to push the man onto his back, throwing her leg over his waist to lay herself on top of him. Johnny’s hands immediately grabbed her, keeping her body pressed against his with one hand on her back and the other firmly on her hips. The heat radiating off his complexion clashed against the frostiness of hers. Two polar opposites coming together in an explosion of love and devotion. 

Johnny welcomed it with open arms, bringing her mouth to his in a tender kiss. Chuckling as she fought away while mumbling about morning breath to which he didn’t care. He kissed her like his life depended on it. Like they were the only two people in existence. For there was nothing sweeter on the planet than the taste of her lips on his. 

And thanks to the fire that consumed his veins, Johnny was spared from getting frostbite.

“Happy?” She asked while pulling away, but not getting far as Johnny cupped her jaw in his hand to keep her close. Kissing her once more after mumbling, “exceptionally.”

The tale of the Human Torch falling in love with the Ice Princess begins long ago, three years to be exact, when the Fantastic Four find themselves sitting across the table of Earth’s mightiest heroes, the Avengers. 

Everything leading up to the moment was still a blur to the young Johnny Storm. One moment he and his team, the Fantastic Four as they called themselves, were fighting the formidable Doctor Doom in their 60s-style futuristic Earth. And the next they are pulled into another universe while tailing the bastard to prevent him from bringing utter destruction to the world. It hadn’t even been five minutes and the Four were surrounded by armored trucks and individuals donning costumes similar to their own. 

“Hands where we can see them!”

“State your name and purpose!”

“Who are you and where did you come from!”

Johnny’s heart pounded against his chest. The anxiety piling up like a volcano ready to explode as he took in the scene before him. There were guns pointed at him and his friends. A man in a blue tunic and red cape with his hands raised in defense next to a young girl wearing a brown tunic. Another man in a red, white, and blue tactical suit with wings who landed in front of them. His shield reflecting off the light. Next to him was a man in a similar attire with wings but in grey. Then there was a woman in all purple, bow and arrow trained on the Four. A man with five golden rings on either wrist. A masked individual in a bright red and blue suit with spider webbing detail crouched on top of a car. And finally, a woman in a striking gray tactical ensemble stood closest to Johnny with a cold look in her eyes. 

Upon making a flame with his hands, ready to defend himself and his friends, Johnny watched her face shift to amusement. Raising her brow as though unimpressed by the trick, “Don’t even try, hotshot.” And without taking her eyes off his, her palm raised up to form an icicle in the shape of a dagger. Her other arm extended to show her skin turning completely into ice. 

Yeah, Johnny wasn’t sure if it was fear or arousal that consumed him. He often confused them at times. All he knows is there was a pretty woman before him with ice powers with cold eyes ready to strike him down with God knows what laid in store for him should he dare tempt her. 

But now wasn’t the time to flirt. There were more important matters at stake. Like the fact they were surrounded by highly advanced, highly enhanced, people with an army of soldiers at their command. In a place that looked like New York but lacked the 60s style he was accustomed to. 

“Cuff them and begin transport to HQ!”

“Find me Banner and clear this area at once!” 

The Four were at a loss. Outnumbered and confused, none able to process what the fuck was going on. They lost Doom. He was God knows where and they were not a match against these strangers. So they took their loss and compiled as they were restrained by agents.

“What the fuck is happening, Reed?” Johnny demanded, struggling against the cuffs on his arms and ankles. His power seemingly unable to melt the damn things which both intrigued and terrified him. 

“I don’t know?”

“Where are we?” said Sue from beside the genius, expression full of confusion and slight fear. The last thing she remembered was falling through a glowing yellow-orange light in the shape of a ring and the feeling of nausea hitting her full force. Giving her whiplash. 

But before anyone could answer, the blinding light of the sun hit them as the door whipped open and agents ushered them out of the vehicle. Clashes of voices, cameras flashing as news crews desperately tried to breach the barrier guards had formed and even a helicopter flying above. Johnny glanced up to take in the chaos, gaze falling onto the large building before him with a giant ‘A’ 

The Four are led to a large glass encased room, still cuffed, and ordered to sit and wait while armed guards post themselves outside. Expecting someone to come in and interrogate them, they take the moment to assess the area. Noting that the glass room sat perched above a large space, like a bullpen, where people were rushing to answer phones, type on computers, or stood watching the vast tv screens splayed on the wall. The news channels played footage of what transpired on the streets moments prior. The Four tense when they see an image of Doctor Doom, disappearing after falling from what appeared to be a portal in the sky. 

Just like they did. 

The sound of the glass door opening captured their attention, turning to find the man in the wingsuit and the woman in gray. Their body language showed they were on high alert, analyzing the Four for any potential threat, and they exchanged a look before the man set down his shield on a free chair while the woman placed a stack of files onto the table. 

“I’m Captain Sam Wilson, this is Agent Y/n L/n,” The man spoke first, cutting right to the chase, “You’re not from here, are you?”

“Here?” Reed repeated, perplexed.

“Earth-616,” Y/n answered, locking eyes with each of the Four, lingering on Johnny before falling onto Reed. “At first we suspected you’re with Hydra, or part of the team Fontaine has been cooking up. But ruled those possibilities out once we saw the footage of your friend who preceded you in the portal.”

The Four processed her words, unable to identify the names she spoke of. 

“Hydra?”

“We don’t know who this Fontaine person is, but we can assure you we’re not involved with them.”

“You saw Doom? We have to find him immediately!” 

“I’m sorry, did you say Earth-616?,’ Reed reeled back to her initial answer. Y/n crossed her arms over her chest with a nod.

“I did,” she then turned to Sam, lowering her voice but they were still able to hear everything, “This isn’t going to be easy, Cap. They obviously hadn’t discovered what we know and that makes them a liability.”

“We have no choice. Whoever traveled with them is still out there and they know what we’re up against. We need them.”

“And how exactly are we going to send them back to where they came from?”

“We’ll figure it out like we always do,” Sam’s tone grows stern, but Y/n holds her ground and doesn’t reveal any ounce of intimidation. “Strange and Banner can find something.”

Johnny, having had enough of them talking about them as though they weren’t right there, spoke up with annoyance, “Can you two please tell us what the fuck is going on? What do you mean “send us back where we came from,” and that we hadn’t discovered what you apparently know?”

Reed pitches in, “Sounds like you’re suggesting the theory of the multiverse is real and that we’ve somehow breached the gap between space, time, and reality and have fallen into a parallel universe,” the genius scoffs, gaze flicking between the two as though waiting for them to say, ‘Sike!’ only for his stomach to plummet in fear as he saw how serious they were. “Oh my God.”

Reed’s reaction to the implication was enough to cause the same in his friends. Sue’s face paled, Ben froze, and Johnny felt a sudden urge to throw up. They were in another universe.

 They watch as Y/n removes a device from her utility belt, stiffening as she points it at the man, a buzzing sound emitting from its speakers causing her brows to furrow and the man leaned over to read whatever it was on the screen. “You’re human, like us, and your DNA appears to be altered with enhanced biological traits.” Glancing up from the screen, her head tilts with suspicion, “but that’s not the interesting part…..your readings indicate you obtain multiversal particles.”

The revelation sent the Four into hysterics. All denying at first the inevitable truth, speaking over each other, struggling against their cuffs--which Sam removed once they calmed down. Reed was dealing with shock and excitement, for the scientific discovery was something he always theorized was true. Meanwhile the others were more fearful of what this meant for their world and the one they were in. 

For hours after the initial shock wore off, they stayed in that room until all information was exchanged between the groups. Sam infomed the Four they were at Avengers campus, headquarters for the Avengers. A team consisting of biologically or technologically enhanced individuals responsible for the safety and order of Earth-616 against domestic, international, and intergalactic threats.

“Well now we can add multiversal to the mix,” Y/n crossed her arms over her chest, seemingly annoyed with having to deal with another damn enemy after they’d finally defeated an adversary not long ago.

Part of Johnny wanted to laugh at her irritation, but that probably would’ve made things worse on his end. So he kept his mouth shut. 

Sam and Y/n were soon joined by the man in the tunic, who introduced himself as Doctor Stephen Strange. A Master of the Mystic Arts who had experience traveling the multiverse, and had even met a variant of Reed years prior. 

He didn’t go into detail obviously of how that ended.

Not long later he was followed by a large man who’s physique rivaled Ben’s and was green. “Dr. Reed Richards, meet Dr. Bruce Banner,” Y/n did not look up from her tablet, full focus on the screen. “You two will surely get on well with figuring out what the fuck it is this Doctor Doom wants with our world.”

While they didn’t join the group, Sam explained who the other team members were that helped attain the Fantastic Four. Stephen’s protegee, America Chavez, who had the power to travel the multiverse--which had Reed’s eyes bulging from his head. He definitely wanted to have a conversation with her. There was Kate Bishop, the purple archer who trained under former Avenger, Clint Barton. Sam’s wingman, Joaquin Torres, and Shang-Chi, who possessed the Ten Rings. Lastly there was Peter Parker, the boy donning the red and blue webbed suit. 

They mentioned the Thunderbolts, another team of enhanced individuals who were more anti-heroes and had once been adversaries of the Avengers but are now allies. Then there was the Guardians of the Galaxy. A team of intergalactic heroes traveling space and protecting the galaxy from threats not on Earth. The Norse Gods of Asgard, now living on Earth. Shuri, Scott Lang, Hope Van Dyne, and the Marvels. Lastly, they touched on former Avengers. Ones who retired, like Barton, and the ones who perished. 

Finally, when things seemed to settle, Johnny decided to lift the mood by saying, “So do you guys have nicknames? Or like code for when you’re on missions?” Sue shot him a look that read, “For the love of God, Johnny.”

Y/n lifted her eyes from the tablet, giving him a once over, “Are you serious right now?”

“What?”

“Aye, take it easy, L/N,” Sam pitched in, waving a hand for emphasis. “Can’t blame the kid for being curious.” All he receives is a mock scoff. 

“Okay, Captain America.”

Johnny’s ears perked up as he looked at Sam with interest. Boyish grin plastered on his face, “You’re called Captain America? That’s really cool.” He motions toward the suit and shield, “Should’ve guessed as much though with the colors of your suit and stars.”  

“I used to be the Falcon, but Torres has taken on that mantle. Strange is just strange,” Y/n snickered under her breath, causing Johnny to bite back a smile. “We call America, Miss America.”

Ben nods his head in approval, “fitting.”

Sam continued listing off the aliases of the team, finally coming to Y/n who narrowed her eyes with a frown as he said, “And she’s the Ice Princess.” 

Honestly she should be grateful for the nickname and that it sounded quite regal in comparison to other ice related names. Hell, they could’ve dubbed her Frost. Or Snowflake. Or God forbid Icicle. At least with the Ice Princess it made her sound both menacing and dauntless. Still, it was too on the nose. And it didn’t help that before the accident that granted her the powers and the Avengers, she was a socialite in America. Before they died, her parents were wealthy investors and friends with the late Tony Stark.

Johnny didn’t try to hide his grin, “The Ice Princess,” earning a glare from the woman, obviously not amused by the nickname nor his delight from it. 

“And what do they call you, hotshot? Firestarter? Flame-man?” 

He shrugs sheepishly, cheeks a tint red, “Human Torch.” Now that has Y/n’s lips curl, fighting back the smile as she hums.

Setting the Four up at campus, they were given rooms and full access to the labs and training facilities. Reed and Ben immediately joined Banner, while Johnny and Sue decided to observe the Avengers and learn from them. Their dynamics. Their history. The way they train and how they come together to develop strategy. How they are able to make a team consisting of individuals with different levels of abilities, experience, and ethics work. 

Johnny would be lying if he said he wasn’t the most curious about Y/n. Not only was she the most beautiful, and quite terrifying, woman he’d ever met, but he was drawn to her aura. The power she held, both physically and on the team. She was extremely intelligent, a mentor to the young members, witty. Unafraid to go toe-to-toe with Sam or Strange. 

And her powers….they were exact opposites. Fire and ice. Hot and cold. Where he controlled flames, she manipulated glaciers. He turned himself into a human torch, she transformed to a human icicle. 

Talk about opposites attract. 

Days passed, and the two teams merged together with the goal of locating their common enemy. By keeping up with the news and reports of suspicious activity, they were able to narrow down the search for Doom. Suspecting him to be hiding somewhere in the New England area. 

The day before planning to scour the location, the teams trained with each other, none holding back. Showing off what they were made of. An enthralling experience considering the Fantastic Four had only been a team for a couple years in comparison to the fifteen plus of the Avengers. Banner being the only founding member there, Sam and Y/n not far behind. 

“I like her,” Sue whispered to her brother when Y/n sideswiped Joaquin and put him on his ass. The group made a circle around the matts in the gym and were taking turns going against each other. Sue caught the way the man’s gaze followed the Avenger. Mesmerized by her skill and ability. And Sue always knew when her brother had a crush. “You should go next when it’s her turn again.” 

Johnny didn’t respond, but the look on his sister's face, a cheeky smirk told him he wasn’t being conspicuous as he thought he was with his feelings. “Shut up.” 

The most tense, and nearly destructible moment, came when the Four discovered a photograph of Tony Stark on the wall of a different debrief room alongside the founding Avengers. Who bore a striking resemblance, well actually he was identical, to Dr. Victor von Doom. The man they were after. 

There was screaming. Accusations thrown at each other. Of course suspicion and confusion from the Four. Up until that point the Avengers only saw Doom with his cloak and mask from the footage, and the Four hadn’t described his appearance. And while the Avengers mentioned Tony Stark, they didn’t show any pictures. 

It calmed when Strange had to remind them about the existence of variants. He met Reed’s when traveling to Earth-838. Peter Parker met two of his. It was completely possible that their Victor von Doom was a variant of their Tony Stark. Were they the same man? Not really when one thinks about it. But they shared a face. The Reed Richards Strange met looked nothing like the one standing in front of him. While in Earth-838, Strange met a young lady who worked with Christine, that world’s version of the Ice Princess, who was not Y/n. Peggy Carter was their Captain America!

Oh, and there was the big detail in the fact that Tony Stark was dead. 

When the commotion settled and the two groups lost their steam, Johnny noted the deflated appearance of the Avengers. All falling quiet with unreadable expressions. Peter excused himself, “I-I don’t feel good. I’m gonna go lay down,” but the blonde saw the way his lip trembled and eyes watered. Rushing out of the debriefing room on a mission to get away from everyone before he burst into tears. A feeling of guilt suddenly consumed Johnny, glancing at his friends who shared the same concern. 

Banner was quiet, as was Strange. The others, who didn’t know Tony personally, shuffled on their feet and quietly excused themselves as well. Sam had his back to everyone, a distant look in his eyes as he gazed down at the bullpen below. 

And then there was Y/n. Sitting in silence with her hands clenching the arms of her chair, white knuckled and jaw so tight he swore he saw a vein protruding. Her breathing was shallow, eyes staring blankly at the wall. 

Johnny felt unease, unsure of what to do. Should he say something? Should they leave the room? Nothing felt right at that moment. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that this new revelation changed everything. This was no longer just containing a multiversal threat, this was personal so to say. 

He was spared the ordeal when Sam finally spoke, only to be interrupted by Y/n, “You know you don’t have to--.”

“Do not finish that sentence, Sam.”

He turned away from the window to look at her, tone serious, “I’m trying to look out for you, Kid.”

“What’d I tell you about calling me that?” 

“And Peter,” Sam continues, not letting up, “No one will fault you two for wanting to pull out of this.” 

She scoffs, offended by the insinuation as she stands from her chair. The atmosphere in the room heated up again, and Johnny tensed, watching the woman step forward so she was nearly chest to chest with Sam. “There is a multiversal madman out there and you’re suggesting I stay grounded?” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing, “What the fuck, Sam?”

“This is different, Y/n,” his voice was steady, willing her to understand. He wanted the best for his team. And their situation was unlike anything they’d ever dealt with. “You have to realize that. This Doom is--.”

“Not him, Sam! Y/n threw her hands up, yelling as the anger she had tried to contain began to unleash, “I’m not fucking stupid! For Christ’s sake, I know that’s not Tony and I’m not going to compromise this team because the man we’re up against has the same face as him!” 

“Y/n--,” Strange attempted to intervene but she shot him a look and he immediately backed down. 

“If you think Peter and I should back out, then so should Banner,” she pointed to the man who had yet to say something since the news of Tony’s variant was revealed. “Him and Tony founded this team. And let’s not forget your history with the damn Accords. Should I go call Rhodey and see what he thinks?” 

‘Accords? Rhodey?’ Johnny thought to himself, not familiar with the term as he thought back to the lessons on the Avengers. They must’ve omitted that detail, assuming it was a rather dark part of their history. A confirmation he got from the reactions of Banner and Strange, who’s expressions were complete shock and appalled. 

Sam’s demeanor shifted to that of hurt and exasperation, her words hitting him like a bullet from a gun. “That was low, even for you.” Yeah, whatever it was they were references, the Four gathered it wasn’t good. 

Y/n stepped back as though he struck her, a flash of regret in her eyes but she kept her head up, willing herself not to break. “I’m an Avenger. I took an oath, the same as you, and made a promise to Tony that I’ll do whatever it takes to protect this planet against any and all danger. I will not break that promise, and nothing you say or do will stop me.” Y/n backs away, moving toward the door, “I’ll see you on the quinjet tomorrow, Cap.”

An eerie silence remained as the door slammed shut behind Y/n. Nobody moved. Nobody made a sound. The air was thick, and full of tension. The Four glancing at each other with uncertainty. 

“Wings up at eight,” Sam announced, voice strong with authority as though the last five minutes never occurred. Or didn’t bother him, though Johnny noted the pinched look of his brows.

The Captain then departed the room, Strange and Banner following out with a nod to the Four. Left to their own devices, the Four spent the next hour in the debrief room watching footage of the Avengers. Particularly ones with Tony Stark, the Iron Man, and the several catastrophic missions he dealt with alongside the Avengers. Provided with the mountain of videos from news channels and social media of people who experienced it first hand. 

New York 2012. Ultron 2015. The Superhero Civil War of 2016. That’s where they learned of the Accords Y/n referenced and how she and Sam were involved. The two on opposite sides of the scale as Y/n pledged allegiance to Tony while Sam supported former Captain America, Steve Rogers. Witnesses flying a private plane around the airport captured the fight between the two teams. 

Johnny watched with a frown as Y/n battled against her colleagues and friends. He could tell she was holding back on using her power to the highest degree, not really wanting to hurt them, but enough to send a message. For example, when Steve and Bucky attempted to flee to the hangar, Y/n created a layer of ice on the pavement, causing them to tumble and fall. Then she made a wall of ice to contain Scott Lang in his giant form. But that was a failure, as the wall wasn’t thick enough allowing Scott to break free, sending chunks of ice toward the ground, knocking the hero unconscious when one collided with her head, blood spilling from her temple. To prevent her from being crushed, Tony flew in a record speed to gather in his arms and rush her to safety. 

Later that night when Johnny was wandering the building, he found Y/n on the balcony overlooking the main grounds. A hue of orange and pink painting the sky as the sun set on the horizon. The dark blue of nightfall taking over lurking in the background. She was out of her suit, dressed in casual clothes consisting of a hoodie and sweats. A faint expression on her visage as she stared out in the distance. 

Gathering courage, Johnny took a deep breath before gently sliding back the door, the cool breeze hitting him in the face as he closed it behind him and approached the woman. Her head tilted slightly, acknowledging that she heard him, but made no move to address. 

They stayed like that for a minute. In silence, basking in the peace they were afforded before the impending danger they were to face. 

“I’m sorry you all had to witness that,” Y/n eventually spoke, tone neutral as her expression. “That was unprofessional of me.”

Johnny shook his head with a shrug, “You don’t have to apologize. I can’t imagine what you and your friends are feeling. And I’m sorry we jumped to conclusions--accusing you guys of--.”

“Considering what you told us of Victor von Doom,” She sent a pointed look, her voice one of understanding, “you had every right to be cautious. Plus,” she sighs, gaze flickered down to the railing, “you four are still new to the Multiverse. We’ve known about it for five years, and I remember that feeling of confusion and uncertainty. America told us all about her experiences traveling through various realities.” Y/n’s frown deepened, shuffling on her feet with unease. “In one world, she met a version of me that hated the Avengers--and tried to destroy them.” Her body shudders, and not from the wind, “That stuck me for a while. I couldn’t imagine a world where I was the enemy. Whose goal was to hurt the people I cared about. Steve, Nat, Tony.” 

Johnny nodded, leaning his elbows on the railing as he pictured it. Surely there were versions of himself out there in the multiverse. He wondered what they were like. Did they have the same power? Did they get to live a normal life like he once thought he would? Was he a hero? Or was there a version of Johnny who went against all he stood for? 

He too, refused to imagine a scenario where he’d want to harm his sister and friends. It saddened him to even think about such a thing. And the way Y/n said Tony’s name, showed him she felt the same.

“Was he your father?” the question left his lips before he could stop it. Immediately regretting upon the distant look that encompassed her visage along with the glossiness of her eyes.

“He was the closest thing I had to one after my own died,” Y/n bit her lip, scoffing lightly, “actually even when mine was alive. Met the man when I was five--my father invested in Stark Industries and the two were good friends. I have fond memories of going to Stark Tower and watching Tony’s expos.” A small smile appeared, but it soon turned to a frown. “My parents profited off the sciences and technology, but didn’t really care to understand it.” There was a bitter taste in her mouth as she spoke, and Y/n was a bit surprised she was being so open with Johnny. A rare feeling, for she was hardly this vulnerable about her past with her teammates. And she’d known them for decades almost.

“I was always smart growing up but they never acknowledged or praised me for it. Told me college wasn’t necessary since we were wealthy and what good would higher education be when we were well set. Mind you,” she shoots a glance at Johnny, who was watching her intently. “My father went to business school in Chicago and my mother was a journalist before they got married.”

“The pot calling the kettle black,” he muses, tone laced with disappointment on her behalf.

“Exactly,” she sighed, shaking her head as she looked back toward the city. “My father laughed when I told them I wanted to pursue physics at MIT. Told me if I was going to go to college then I should do business where the money was at--as if I needed more fucking money,” Johnny heard the frustration and sadness in her voice, picturing a young Y/n with dreams who just wanted the support of her parents and was denied. Thinking about it made his heart strain.

“Anyways, Tony was the one who helped me get to MIT. It was my freshman year he got kidnapped and became Iron Man. Barely saw him after that because his partnership with my dad ended.” Fiddling with her rings, Y/n closes her eyes briefly while taking a breath, then shrugs nonchalantly, “My folks were among the casualties in New York, my accident happened not long after….” she straightens up with a sniff, “Tony Stark helped me find purpose. Told me there were greater things for me--and my powers could be a tool to help people. He took me under his wing when the government advised him not to. I owe everything to him.” Turning to lock their eyes, Y/n’s gaze is filled with determination. 

“As he died I promised him to continue his legacy. I intend to keep it, until my last breath.”

Defeating Doom proved itself to be the most defining moment for the Avengers and Fantastic Four. Lasting months on end, for each time Doom was in their grasps he managed to get two steps ahead of them. Thankfully the integrity of space, time, and reality didn’t seem to disintegrate with the Four in Earth-616. Something the geniuses of the team were concerned about. 

When it was finally over, Doom neutralized and the multiverse saved, the Avengers and the Four--bloodied, bruised, and covered in grime, dragged themselves to a nearby shawarma joint to pig out. Beer flowed, music sounded from the jukebox beside the round table they took claim to. 

And after months of tip-toeing around feelings, Johnny and Y/n finally said ‘fuck it,’ falling into step together as a unit they both craved. The Ice Princess seated firmly in his lap with her head tucked under his chin, eyes fluttering closed as the exhaustion kicked in. 

For Johnny, he’d been crushing on the woman since he first laid eyes on her. Keeping his affections hidden as he knew deep down it would be unwise to pursue anything with someone who 1) was from another world; and 2) he needed to focus on the task at hand. 

The same went for Y/n, who realized her fondness for the blonde about a month after he arrived. She’d be lying if she didn’t find him attractive during that first meeting. Anyone with eyes would agree. But she knew better than to be involved with him given their predicament. 

Yet, by a power greater than universe, the man of fire melted her frozen heart. He wasn’t put off by her cool attitude, unlike most people when they first meet Y/n. Yeah he got under her skin with his boyish charm and flirtations, but he never crossed any lines. Always respectful. Always mindful. 

Neither were sure when things changed between them. Maybe it was when Y/n pushed him out of the way of a line of fire from a Doombot causing her to take three bullets to her back and nearly bleed out right there in the middle of the street. Or when Johnny spent a week in a coma for exposing himself to a deadly dose of radiation to prevent Y/n from doing so. Whatever it was, the two could no longer beat around the bush. And the night before the final battle against Doom, they confessed their feelings on the balcony overlooking Avengers campus. Sealing their promise to stay alive with a kiss.

“You sleepy, darling?” Johnny murmured against her hair after finishing a conversation with Shang-Chi. Tightening his arms around the woman when she nuzzled his chest before laying a sweet kiss to her forehead. 

“Just resting my eyes.” His finger brushed her cheekbone, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, making Y/n sigh in content. 

“Rest,” he told her, not buying it at all, and by the tone of his voice she knew he was smiling. “I’ll wake you when we’re ready to leave.” All he received was a hum, the man beaming as he carded his fingers through her hair. And when Johnny lifted his gaze he met his sister’s, who’s expression was full of fondness, shooting him a wink as she gestured toward the sleeping Avenger in his lap. 

‘Told you so,’ Sue mouthed, grinning at his pink tinted cheeks. 

‘Shut up,’ he mouthed back, though he returned the smile. 

In the days following their victory, one question remained: Will the Fantastic Four return home? America was their ticket out. All she had to do was open a portal. It may take time, but eventually she’d shuffle through enough realities until she found theirs. Luckily in the months they’d been away, the fabric of reality remained intact. 

In all honesty, that fact alone is what made them contemplate leaving. 

The Fantastic Four didn’t belong in Earth-616 having landed there by mistake, but it had been almost a year. Integrating themselves into the Avengers and developing bonds. Besides the romantic feelings between Johnny and Y/n, the remaining Fantastic Four were not sure if they wanted to leave. Reed and Ben enjoyed working with Banner and Strange. Sue longed for female companionship, and found that with Y/n and the other women of the Avengers. And Johnny connected with the guys. They all became friends.

They became a team.

And since they weren’t leaving anyone behind in their world, what harm was there by staying? The Avengers could use more allies. And who knows another high level threat would appear. Threatening the existence of the universe. They needed a strong team, and defeating Doom proved they were one. 

Yeah, it was a no brainer. 

Now here they were two years later. The Ice Princess and Human Torch cuddled in their bed, in their apartment in Avengers campus, on their day off where they could enjoy the peace as no new threats had emerged in the last two months. 

Johnny groaned when Y/n pulled away from the kiss, moving to sit up so she was straddling his hips. The comforter falling behind her as she fought against his firm grip when he attempted to pull her back down. 

“Sorry, hotshot, no sleeping in for me today. I have to get ready.”

He tilted his head, partly confused, partly offended, “For what?”

“I promised your sister I’d have breakfast with her.”

“But it’s Sunday,” He sat up, hands gripping her waist as he moved to press kisses on her neck. “We don’t do anything on Sundays. Except sleep….” he trailed off, pulling away to give her a cheeky smile, “and give each other some lovin’.”

Y/n chuckled, tilting her head back as his plush lips captured her chin, trailing down her jaw until he found the place behind her ear. “Baby, I’ll give you all the loving this afternoon until the sun sets and the moon rises,” she feels him shudder against her, smirking in satisfaction. “But I’m a woman of my word.” 

Lifting herself off him, she leaned over to her side of the bed to grab her rings off the nightstand. Returning to his lap as she placed them on her fingers. Her college ring on her right hand, and the beautiful Cartier stack consisting of her engagement and wedding rings. Once all were placed on her finger, Johnny lifted her hand to press a kiss to her knuckles just below. His own wedding band shining against the sunlight peeking through the curtains. 

“Don’t keep me waiting too long now,” Johnny flirted, chocolate eyes sparkling while pressing her hand to his chest where his heart laid. Heat radiated off his body. “I might come looking for ya.” The words earned him a playful glare.

“Behave,” she scolded without any bite. “Or I’ll punish you.”

“I want you too,” Johnny challenged, winding his arm around her waist to hold her closer. 

All she did was shake her head, laughing at his behavior while he continued his assault on her neck, allowing him a few extra kisses before she really had to get up. “You are something else, Johnny Storm.” 

“And you love meeeee.”

“I do,” she breathed out, tilting her head down to meet his lips halfway, hand cupping his jaw. He sighed in victory, chasing her mouth each time she pulled away, causing her to giggle. “Johnny! The sooner you let me leave, the sooner you get to have me all to yourself.” 

He groaned again, loosening his hold but not completely letting Y/n go. “Fine,” he mumbled, pouting, but smiled when she kissed his cheek. “Bring me back a coffee, please?”

“Of course, my love.” 

With that he reluctantly let go of her waist, allowing his wife to get up from the bed. But before she could make her way to the bathroom, Johnny caught her hand, making her turn back to him with a raised brow.

“Some say the world will end in fire.” He begins to recite the famous poem by Robert Frost. What started as a joke between the two because of their abilities, transformed into something far more intimate. The poem itself was about human emotions, and their power to lead to self-destruction. Fire was fast, Ice was slow. Together they were each other's strength and weakness. And despite being complete opposites, they both played a role in dismantling humanity. 

But for Johnny and Y/n, they managed to do the impossible. They bridged the gap between fire and ice.  

Y/n smiles affectionately, lifting her free hand to the back of his neck to scratch at the nape of his hairline. “Some say in ice.”

“From what I’ve tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire.”

“But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate, to say that for destruction ice.”

“Is also great,” They both recite, leaning in to capture each other's lips as they whisper the final line of the poem. 

“And would suffice.”

[sugarcoatednightshade]

thinking about how Humans Are Space Orcs stories always talk about how indestructible humans are, our endurance, our ability to withstand common poisons, etc. and thats all well and good, its really fun to read, but it gets repetitive after a while because we aren't all like that.

And that got me thinking about why this trope is so common in the first place, and the conclusion I came to is actually kind of obvious if you think about it. Not everyone is allowed to go into space. This is true now, with the number of physical restrictions placed on astronauts (including height limits), but I imagine it's just as strict in some imaginary future where humans are first coming into contact with alien species. Because in that case there will definitely be military personnel alongside any possible diplomatic parties.

And I imagine that all interactions aliens have ever had up until this point have been with trained personnel. Even basic military troops conform to this standard, to some degree. So aliens meet us and they're shocked and horrified to discover that we have no obvious weaknesses, we're all either crazy smart or crazy strong (still always a little crazy, academia and war will do that to you), and not only that but we like, literally all the same height so there's no way to tell any of us apart.

And Humans Are Death Worlders stories spread throughout the galaxy. Years or decades or centuries of interspecies suspicion and hostilities preventing any alien from setting foot/claw/limb/appendage/etc. on Earth until slowly more beings are allowed to come through. And not just diplomats who keep to government buildings, but tourists. Exchange students. Temporary visitors granted permission to go wherever they please, so they go out in search of 'real terran culture' and what do they find?

Humans with innate heart defects that prevent them from drinking caffeine. Humans with chronic pain and chronic fatigue who lack the boundless endurance humans are supposedly famous for. Humans too tall or too short or too fat to be allowed into space. Humans who are so scared of the world they need to take pills just to function. Humans with IBS who can't stand spicy foods, capsaicin really is poison to them. Lactose intolerance and celiac disease, my god all the autoimmune disorders out there, humans who struggle to function because their own bodies fight them. Humans who bruise easily and take too long to heal. Humans who sustained one too many concussions and now struggle to talk and read and write. Humans who've had strokes. Humans who were born unable to talk or hear or speak, and humans who through some accident lost that ability later.

Aliens visit Earth, and do you know what they find? Humanity, in all its wholeness.

[ew-selfish-art]

DP x DC AU: Bruce is the one to invite Constantine over, and no, it's not to improve his tenuous working relationship with the asshole. It's the opposite of that.

---

Danny had become a frequent visitor of Wayne Manor in the last few months, and Bruce had to admit that while the kid was certainly a bit ominous for his liking for a partner to Tim, he was a generally kind and happy soul. They'd been dating for a lot longer than the Bats knew of- Kon had been the one to let it slip to Jon who told Damian and so on- and since the relationship was no longer secret, Tim brings him to family functions.

The thing about Danny is... He's dead. More than half of the time. Which again, is not Ideal for Bruce's wishes for Tim's future husband, but it also means that he reviles in being alive. Danny is downright joyous about using his time left on earth properly. He makes Tim eat real food, enjoy real sleep and generally live a more fulfilled life than he had been. The whole family noticed the changes in Tim, and it made them like Danny even more.

So after a particularly grueling day of dealing with Trigon and therefore the JLD's lack of coordination and sensible planning- Bruce gets the idea. John couldn't fucking contain himself admonishing Bruce, and perhaps it was vindictive, but Bruce figures that John should meet Danny. Sans context of course.

...

John is really over dealing with Batman's prissy, over complicated and perfectionist attitude. Come to the Cave he'd demanded, as though John didn't have a favorite bar to get back to, deal with a ghost he ordered like John didn't have other priorities than some random shade.

When walking into the space however, the second his teleportation portal closed, John knew something was deeply, deeply fucked. The shadows were growing longer, the second hand on his watch ticked slower, the air smelled of sulfur and... Red Robin was sitting working at the computer like nothing was wrong. But what was wrong, was the kid was marked by The End. Marked by The Infinite. FUCK.

John knew Death, the Endless, and knew she could pick favorites just like her siblings (Dream's immortal drinking buddy comes to mind). But this wasn't her work, this was something other.

"Mate- the Bat said there was a ghost?" John feels like he might throw up, the eerie atmosphere complicating what should have been a simple request.

"Uh, obviously." The kid didn't even look over from his screen or pause his typing.

John slowly approached, looking over each shoulder a few times, turning in a few circles as the shadows appeared to dance and echo within the cave. He could see his breath, the air became so cold so suddenly. And then, with the gentleness of a pin drop, a new agonizing sound appeared with a Kid walking down the cave stairs. The aura of the room turned dark, every cell in John's body screaming to run, that this was basically the little girl from the ring crawling through the TV as the young man walked down the steps.

"Babe, your grampa says that dinners going to be ready in a second. Oh, uh, hey dude." The creature speaks, turning his eyes to John for only a moment to study him. It feels equivalent to a butterfly being pinned by its wings.

"Y-y-you, you're, you're one of the Endless?" John stutters, his body reacting in fear despite the nonchalant posture of the Beast. The young man rolls his eyes.

"Nah, one of the Ancients but like uh, I'm new in town. And hon seriously don't be late, A made tiramisu for dessert and you're not allowed to have any if you're late and I don't want to deal with you pouting."

"You had me at Tiramisu!" Red stands up from his computer and then turns, "John, what are you doing here again?" Red Robin finally looks over at him, completely confused.

"Just leaving." John mutters, his eyes still trained on the ANCIENT.

---

Bruce could barely hide his laugh when Tim reported the Magician meeting Danny in the cave.

That'll show the asshole to question Batman's knowledge of the occult.

[stunie]

OASIS IN SPACE! — sfw ﾉ first time meeting ﾉ umemiya hajime x shy!f!reader ﾉ entry for @interstellar-inn’s help wanted collab ^ ^ <3

Taking the ticketing position at your local planetarium seemed like a good idea until you found out you’d be thrown into your first shift with essentially zero training. Your only chance at having anything remotely close to a successful first day is to swallow your nerves and just ask the 6’2 usher for some help!

“Excuse me… is this where we scan tickets?”

If the man you’re trying to talk to hears you, he doesn’t respond. You clear your throat— as quietly as you can to avoid disrupting what you assume is the planetarium show’s usher crouched down in front of you.

He looks pretty from behind, and it takes a forced blink or two to stop staring at the way the muscles of his back bulge against his shirt with each little movement he makes.

You think he looks around your age too.

The way his body also blocks the only entrance to the planetarium— which is where you think you’d probably need to be— doesn’t really help your situation much either.

“Um…” you hesitate a bit, heartbeat suddenly much louder in your head when you try and muster all the courage inside you to lightly poke his shoulder— except he doesn’t seem to notice that either.

There’s a moment of silence that feels much longer in your head before you’re suddenly jolting back when the sound of his gasp reaches you. “I love this song!” You hear him say to himself before he starts humming a cheerful tune, head nodding up and down as he goes back to work, rummaging through the box in front of him.

He hasn’t even acknowledged you yet, and you already felt like you were a bother. A part of you wishes you had just begged your boss for clearer instructions earlier, but it was too late for that now.

“Excuse me…” You try and raise your voice and jab your finger a little harder into his shoulder this time, and he finally gasps. Loudly. The sound of his voice has you stumbling back a couple steps, the back of your hand flying to cover your mouth, and you feel no different from a deer caught in headlights.

“Eh?!” He’s jerking upright before he turns to look at you, and you’re frozen in place. “You scared me! How long have you been there?” He starts laughing, “You’d do pretty good in a ghost movie, huh? What a skill to have.”

Your first thought is that his eyes look kind.

Your second thought was that your day wasn’t as unlucky as you thought. Umemiya Hajime— you later learned that this was his name— was more than happy to lead you to your table while going over what the other ticketing hires usually did for shifts like these.

It sounded simple enough in your head. Just point your scanner at the tickets and welcome the visitors, right?

He stays by your side the entire time, and you’re too focused on making sure your voice comes out loud enough that you miss the way his eyes soften each time you greet a visitor, lips tugging into a small smile. You were just way too cute like that.

The shift seems to fly by once you get the hang of the angle you need to point the scanner at, and you start catching onto just how many times the two of you seemed to make eye contact within the last few minutes. Each one has your cheeks heating up a little more than the last, and you’re sure he notices from the way his eyes linger on you even after you turn away.

You reach your breaking point when your scanner flashes red at the last guest, “error!” displayed across the entire screen, and you can practically feel the sweat forming on your temples. Why wouldn’t this one read?

Of course it was the last guest in line too.

Your mind starts to race as you stand up to get a better look their ticket, the person in front of you furrowing their eyes a bit at your obvious confusion. You’re only a second away from mumbling a string of apologies before you feel Umemiya’s chest suddenly press against your back, strong hands caging you against the table as he takes a look at his ticket for you.

If you weren’t feeling hot before, you were now.

“Ah! You’re showing the receipt, sir. There’s a second ticket you have with the scannable part.”

He laughs when the guest starts chuckling sheepishly, but he doesn’t miss the way you awkwardly chuckle and fiddle with the device. It’s okay, he thinks, you wouldn’t have known that on your first shift anyway.

You stiffen as soon as you feel his hand wrapping over the one you’re using to hold the scanner, easily enveloping your own as he raises it up to try again, and you briefly wonder if the darkness in the room is enough to hide the expression you’ve got on your face.

The remaining bit of your shift goes smoothly at least, minus the way you’ve been doing everything in your power to avoid making eye contact with Umemiya again. You can feel him still smiling at you, probably oblivious to the events of earlier, and that makes it even worse.

“We should watch the planetarium show together!”

The way you immediately perk up is enough of an answer for him. “Mhm,” He’s answering the question that pops up in your head, “They’ll let us. Though… they usually want you to stay here a few minutes into the show to wait for the latecomers.”

The way your lips puff out into a pout is just too cute.

“Don’t worry— hey, don’t frown like that. I was planning on saving you a seat, so look for me when you come in, okay? I have white hair!” He points to his head with a big grin.

“…I know you have white hair.” You plop back into your seat with a huff, turning away from him to hide the heat flooding back into your cheeks. His smile just.. does that to you. Watching an entire show beside him seemed a little too good to be true too.

Maybe you did feel a little giddy about it.

Your eyes widen as soon as you feel his hand land on your head, patting you a couple of times with a loud laugh and a “See you there, yeah?” before he leaves you all alone in the lobby, your ears smoking with heat and heart now thumping loudly against your ribcage.

[heliads]

promise me - cato hadley

Cato promises you he won't volunteer for the Hunger Games, and then he does. When Plutarch Heavensbee offers you a chance to get back at the Capitol for taking your boyfriend away, of course you're going to say yes.

masterlist

Cato is dying. So they say. You haven’t been watching. 

It sounds bad. It is bad. But you had made your boyfriend promise that he would stay as far from the Games as he could, and you’d actually believed him when he said he would, that he’d live to old age with you. Cato has been wanting the Games as long as he’s been alive, but you’ve been wanting him to stay with you for about that long, anyway. It took forever to wear him down enough for him to say he’d give up his dream of being a Victor, and just when you felt sure of yourself, he’d gone and volunteered.

It was stunning how quickly everything fell apart. You’d heard the representative from the Capitol read out the name of the male tribute, and when you didn’t hear your boyfriend’s name, you thought you were safe, you were fine. Another year guaranteed. Before you could even take another breath, though, a familiar voice rang through the town square. In your nightmares, you’d seen Cato volunteer a hundred times over. It was fitting, somehow, that when he volunteered in real life, it was exactly like every other time you’d seen it.

He’d looked at you from the stage, tried to find you in the crowd. You weren’t smiling. And, when they’d asked for the last visitors to see the tributes before they were shipped off the Capitol to die in glorious combat, you’d never even had the chance to talk to him. You’d tried to go to him, but the small holding room was swamped with adoring fans. You know Cato saw you over the heads of all the people saying how proud they were, how they were so sure he’d win. He saw you, and he saw you shake your head at all the people cheering for his imminent demise, and he saw you go.

You regret it half the time he’s been gone, leaving so early. It wasn’t like you would have been able to talk to him anyway; by the time you were turning around, the Peacekeepers were already starting to usher people out, and Cato, breaking another promise, hadn’t kept a space clear for you to find him. But, at the end of the day, you didn’t just leave because it was impossible to get to him. You left because you couldn’t stand to hear everybody praising him for going to his death, and you couldn’t stand to hear one more word about how his betrayal would make him a better man.

At the end of the day, you almost saw it coming. Winning the Hunger Games is Cato’s big dream, and it has been since you were kids. Even when you were small, you remember him staying late to train. He was proficient in the sword before most kids got their first kiss. You had always hoped that he would love life enough to stay away from that arena of death, but the last of your hopes were gone when he volunteered.

You don’t watch a second of his Games, you can’t stomach it. You try to picture watching your boyfriend die live on camera, your own falling face broadcasted live to the Capitol. Would your neighbors approve of your reaction when the love of your life was run through or shot or poisoned? It makes you want to throw up, so you stay at home and try to stay away from the screens, but nothing works. Even clamping your hands tight over your ears doesn’t stop you from hearing the roars of the crowds outside when something happens. 

You have to assume Cato is doing well, but recently, people have been saying it looks bad. When Clove died, the mood shifted in the entire district, and that sense of jubilation over a seemingly guaranteed District Two victory has never returned. They say Cato is hurt, maybe. They say Katniss and Peeta are going to kill him.

Night falls when someone gets you, tells you that you have to head to the square, now. You get there just in time to see Cato on top of the cornucopia in the dark, trapping Peeta with the baying hounds below him. Katniss shoots. He falls. The cannon rings, and you’re dead along with him.

You’re numb for days. You don’t even remember the laments around you, strangers you’ve seen on the street telling you how sorry they are as if that does a damn thing when they pushed him to this. You get home, apparently. You get to bed. Somehow, you live when he doesn’t. You wouldn’t know how it happens. You don’t know a thing at all.

You stop leaving your room. You don’t want to see anyone, or have to witness the awkward guilt when they recognize who you are and why you look like the whole world has burned to ash around you, because to you, it has. Your parents try to bring you food, and you eat it, tasting nothing. You drink water and wonder why you bother when it just lets you cry again hours later.

When someone knocks on the door, you don’t bother answering, assuming it’s your family. The knock sounds again a few seconds later, smart and unavoidable. It doesn’t really sound like the tentative rap of your parents, so against your better judgment, you rise and answer.

There’s a man looking back at you, one you’ve never met before. He’s in his forties, maybe, his hair an early white. He looks Capitol, but you can’t fathom why he’d be here. He invites himself in, taking a seat at your desk and looking back at you once he’s settled himself.

“You should close that,” he says, gesturing to the door.

You’re not really energized enough to start arguing, so you do as told and sit down on your bed, hands clasping at nothing in your lap.

“Who are you?” You ask, voice scratchy from tears and lack of use.

The man glances once at the windows, once again at the door, and finally a quick scan of the room before he speaks quietly. “My name is Plutarch Heavensbee. I’m going to be the new Head Gamemaker.”

You eye him dolefully. “I didn’t realize the Head Gamemakers did personal apology tours for the dead tributes.”

He chuckles dryly. “We don’t. To speak plainly, I’m here because I need something.”

His honesty, however brutal, is a relief after all the saccharine half-meant apologies from the rest of Two. “What could I possibly give you?”

Plutarch steeples his fingers together, thoughtful. “Your unwavering loyalty.”

You laugh, now. It’s a far colder sound than his. “You and your Games killed Cato. Why would I ever follow you again?”

Plutarch’s eyes lock onto yours. “I may make the Games, Y/N, but I do not believe in them.” It’s a radical statement, and he lets it hang in the air for a few seconds before he continues. “We have a possibility of taking a stand against the Capitol. I’m looking for inside sources. You’re the perfect fit.”

You arch a brow. “I have no connection to the Games. How could I possibly help you?”

“Your lack of connection is the exact reason we need you,” Plutarch argues. “You’re not on the Capitol’s radar as anything more than a grieving ex-lover. Two is valuable to us.”

You lean back, considering this. “You want me to be a spy so I can get revenge on the Capitol for killing Cato. That’s it?”

“That’s it?” Plutarch scoffs. “You have no idea of the risk we all suffer just by meeting. Let me be clear, Y/N, what I am about to ask of you is dangerous to you and everyone you have ever known. The Capitol will butcher you and display your rotting body as a lesson. This is not something you pick up to pass the time. This will become your life, or you do not join. I want you here because you want to get back at the Capitol as much as the rest of us, but I will not permit you to be near us if I suspect you are not fully committed to the cause.”

His voice is steely, and it cuts through the haze of your grief like one of Cato’s knives. Briefly, the anguish gives way to fierce, bitter pain. You miss Cato with everything you have. There were a thousand things you were supposed to do, places you were meant to visit together, people you were supposed to become. You have been robbed of everything in the world. This is your chance to get the Capitol back, and you– you are going to take it.

“I’m in,” you say before you can stop yourself. “I want Snow gone.”

Plutarch’s thin lips curl into a smile. “I’m glad to hear it.”

He stands, but pauses before he gets to the door. “We’ll be in contact. Keep your eyes open, and stay safe. Spies don’t have a long life expectancy. We’d hate to lose you before you even start.”

You nod grimly. “You as well.”

He almost smiles, then sweeps from the room. You can hear the distant sounds of him thanking your parents for the visit, and expressing his sincere sympathy for the loss of Two’s tributes this year. Then he’s gone, and you’re left wondering what you’ve done to yourself.

Your parents are thrilled when you get a job offer from the Gamemakers later that week. You’re able to pass off Plutarch’s visit as a last interview/congratulations before your new position begins. You’ll work in Two, mostly, deep within the district government, but you’ll have weekly meetings in the Capitol to update the Gamemakers on your progress.

In reality, you’ll be gathering everything you can and checking in with Plutarch once a week. The first time you take the train to the Capitol to meet him, you can’t help but wonder if this is how Cato felt, too, watching home rush away from him, knowing that success or death would await him in the Capitol. Your throat burns by the time you get there, torn raw with unshed tears.

Plutarch is careful, always careful, but as the weeks wear on, he trusts you little by little. He confesses eventually that having a spy in Two was crucial to his future endeavors. He won’t mention what those future endeavors are, not completely, but you understand why. It’s too risky to spill everything to someone he’s only just met.

You don’t know that Plutarch is truly certain of your loyalty, though, for another three months. By now, you’ve had several close run-ins with curious Peacekeepers, and transmitted enough information to feed Plutarch’s flames for years. As a reward, he takes you down to a secret room in the hidden headquarters of the rebellion, and in those cool, dimly lit rooms, he says something that transforms your life completely.

“We have Cato.”

At first, you think they mean the coffin. He was buried in the Capitol, they all were. There’s a broadcasted ceremony every year for all the tributes. That one, you watched. They wouldn’t let you or his family come. No one was by his side when he entered the earth. You sobbed for hours.

Plutarch shakes his head, though. “He’s still alive.”

You have to lean against the wall to steady yourself. “Impossible.”

“Not impossible,” Plutarch says. “We grabbed his body before rigor mortis set in. He’s been in a medically induced coma for months while our medical staff stitches him back together. It’ll be a while before he’s even conscious, and longer before he can walk and talk, but he’ll be back.”

You feel dizzy, head rushing from loss of blood. “They would have noticed,” you fight to say. “He was dead, Katniss shot him. The Capitol would never let him go.”

“They don’t care about the dead,” Plutarch says. “Not yours, not mine. I collected him.”

You glance up sharply. “You wanted him as a bargaining chip, didn’t you? If I didn’t agree so easily, you would have told me that you had my boyfriend.”

Plutarch nods, paying no mind to the storm in your heart. “I would have done anything to secure a spy in Two. You know that. I would go to any lengths to do it. Even, yes, hold Cato over you. That was the whole point.”

Of course it was. Clever, plotting Plutarch, would always have a second option. If he had doubted your loyalty back in your house in Two, he would have ensured he had a safety net to stop you from going to the Peacekeepers the second he left. You hadn’t needed it, so he’d kept his ace up his sleeve until now.

“Why tell me, then?” You croak. “You don’t care what happens to Cato. What do you want from me now? I’ve given you everything.”

“Not everything,” Plutarch muses thoughtfully. “Not your life, not yet. The time may come. But you’re right, Y/N, I do want more. You’ve been with us a long time. Long enough to grow complacent. I want to ensure that you will remain just as sharp as ever. As we draw closer to the Quarter Quell, our plans will accelerate. I need to know that you will guarantee our success.”

“I would have done that without you threatening to kill Cato a second time,” you spit.

Plutarch just sighs. “I can’t guarantee that.”

You can’t stop staring around the room, trying to find a curl of blond hair, a wicked smile, any sign of the boy you’ve loved for so long. “Where is he? I want to see him.”

Plutarch nods, gesturing for you to follow him. “I wouldn’t expect you to just take my word for it.”

He leads you through a series of locked doors to a small care unit. There’s a body encased in a blue cell, the encircling glass walls just large enough to thread the limbs and chest with tubes pumping some sort of liquid throughout. Through the misty aqua glow, you can make out a face.

You stumble. You’d know Cato anywhere, even almost dead, even almost back to life. You stare at him, eyes wide, and a tear falls from your face and drips onto the glass. You didn’t even realize you were crying again. You didn’t think you could, anymore, but this hope– it brings you back to life along with him.

“When will he be awake?” You ask, breath harsh in your chest.

Plutarch straightens up from where he’s been glancing at a nearby readout. “A month or two, perhaps. He’ll be functional by the time of the next Games, which is good. If all goes well, we will need to run.”

You look up at him. “Tell me what you need me to do and I’ll do it. Anything.”

His lips curve up into a smile. In the ghostly blue light of Cato’s healing cell, he looks like a phantom. The ghost of Games gone by, perhaps. The ghost of the tributes to come. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

With that, you let the rebellion consume you. Not a day goes by that you aren’t traveling between districts, gathering information, and spreading contraband from rebel group to rebel group. Plutarch keeps you busy. Most nights, you don’t sleep for more than a few hours at a time, any rest caught in brief snatches between train rides. If you ever had a home, it’s no more than a memory now. You don’t stay in any place long enough to remember it. You’re certain Peacekeepers have been following you for days now, but maybe you just can’t tell the difference between the white-armored soldiers in every district.

You’re stopping by the rebel headquarters in the Capitol to bring news of the developments in Thirteen when Plutarch asks you to stay a while longer. You assume he wants you to take on another project, but instead he tells you that Cato has woken up. He couldn’t risk mentioning it through the usual comms, but he remembers his promise just as you’ve remembered yours.

You fly down the stairs to the med center, flying around the corners until you’re back in the care unit. The blue glass cell is gone, replaced by a hospital bed. A patient is sitting up and arguing with one of the doctors. You notice he’s been cuffed to the rail of the bed, and can’t help a small smile. That’s your Cato, isn’t it? Always a fighter.

He falls silent when you enter, eyes wide. For a moment, you wonder if the healing damaged his brain, if he might not remember you, if anything would ever be the same, and then a tentative hope enters his voice as he says, “Y/N?”

You’re across the room in a moment, and then you’re in his arms again, and maybe everything will be okay again. His free hand, the one that isn’t cuffed to the bed, is pressed against your back, drawing you ever closer to him.

“Y/N,” he says in a choked whisper, “Y/N, I died.”

“No,” you murmur, drawing back so you can see his face. It’s the same face, somehow. Still him. Still Cato. “They brought you back. You’re going to be okay.”

“How is that possible?” Cato asks, raising his free hand to touch your face lightly as if he can’t believe it’s you.

“Don’t ask me,” you chuckle weakly. “All I know is that you’re here. That’s all that matters.”

Cato glances warily at the doctors, then returns his gaze to you. He looks more carefully now, taking in the hollows under your eyes, the scars and scrapes on your arms. “What have you done, Y/N? What did they make you do?”

You choke on a laugh before you can stop yourself. “The star tribute is asking me what I did? I haven’t been in the Games, Cato. I’m not the one who signed themselves up to die.”

“I don’t think that’s true,” he says. “You’ve got– you look like us now.”

Dully, you realize what he means. There’s a sort of innocence in the faces of people who haven’t had to take a life. Even the hardiest of the careers still have it if they haven’t been in the Games. Cato sees it now in you. The last year has destroyed you.

You let out a slow breath, taking his hand in yours. “Losing you destroyed me, Cato. I had to do what I could.”

Cato looks around the room again, his hunter’s eyes taking in the details of the workers, the sparse decoration of the room. “We’re not with the Capitol anymore, are we?”

“No,” you admit, “we’re not.”

Something savage twists his face. “Good.”

You weren’t sure how he would take the news that you were working with the rebels, but surprisingly, Cato is in favor. He’s mad about what they did to secure Katniss’ victory. The whole point of the Games was that the strongest would win, he says, but they interfered. All that hard work to get to the Games, and then the Makers cheated him out of it.

What Cato doesn’t realize is how deeply entrenched you are in the workings of the Rebels. Cato isn’t allowed to go back to normal, obviously, Panem thinks he’s dead, but he hadn’t counted on you joining him in that fate. They find Cato a place in Thirteen where he can help train the soldiers; it’s good for him to stay busy, and he tries to work his body to the limits so exhaustion will fight off the nightmares of dying for him, but Cato wants you there with him.

Only, that isn’t the case. Plutarch didn’t give you Cato back so you could stop working with the rebellion. If anything, it makes you work even harder. Now that you have Cato, you finally have the brief, glimmering hope of a better life, but you won’t get it if the Capitol still exists.

By now, you’ve been clued in to Plutarch’s master plan for the Games. The rules for the Quarter Quell were announced a few days ago. The dominoes have started to fall. All that’s left to do is make sure the ruin runs where you want it.

Cato doesn’t see it that way. Every time you’re at Thirteen, you make time to see your boyfriend, but it’s never enough. It never will be, not until the Capitol is gone, not until the war is over. For Cato, though, he’s already died. He wants to stop running.

You’re with him now, tucked into his arms on his bunk with your back up against his chest, pretending that you won’t have to leave again in just a few hours. He’s tracing absentminded circles on your forearms, and when he speaks, his breath buzzes against the top of your head.

“Stay with me,” he says. “They’re going to kill you if you keep this up. Stay here.”

“You know I can’t,” you sigh. “Not until it’s done.”

Cato blows out sharply, annoyed. “Let them die, not you. You’re better than that.”

“All our deaths are the same,” you contradict. “Might as well be me.”

Cato’s grip around you tightens possessively. “I’d let all of them die before you.”

You shift slightly so you can look up at him. He’s frustrated again, jaw tight as he tries to control himself. “I have to do this. All of our work depends on the Games going in our favor. If we give up now, it was all for nothing. I can’t let that happen.”

Cato shakes his head tersely. “Promise me you won’t get hurt. Promise me you won’t die for them.”

The twisting guilt of deja vu curls around your stomach. You can’t help but remember a similar moment, a similar promise, almost a year ago exactly. You had said almost the same thing to Cato when he was talking about volunteering. At the time, it had seemed so easy. All Cato had to do was stay with you, and he would have been safe. But Cato had to go, it would have killed him not to go. And it’ll kill you to stay. Both of you know this. It doesn’t make it any easier.

You kiss him once, twice. For past and present. “I’ll see you soon.”

You won’t. You’ll be in the Capitol until after the Games at least, and although Plutarch has promised he’ll get you out with the rest, there’s always the small chance that it won’t work out.

Cato pulls you up in his arms so you’re eye to eye. “Soon,” he says.

“Soon,” you repeat. This close to him, you’re sure he can feel your pulse thundering in your veins, carrying with it the weight of this lie. He would know how to sense it, too. All that time in the arena, he’d know how to tell when someone was about to die.

Cato doesn’t want to let you go, but he has to, piece by piece, second by second, letting you go in the bed just to crawl off and hold you by the door, then walk you to the jet, then hold you again one last time before you’re taken away. You watch through the window as he shrinks away to nothingness, one arm still raised. You’ll see him again, or never at all.

Plutarch is waiting for you in the Capitol. “It’s time to play,” he says.

“It’s time to win,” you return. 

He smiles without meaning it and turns back to his screens. There’s a lot of data to get through. Some of the tributes you weren’t expecting, but you have who you need. Finnick knows, Johanna knows, but you can keep Katniss and Peeta in the dark for as long as possible.

Thus, the Games begin, and, electrifying as an arrow in the night, they end. You watch Katniss looking down her bow at Finnick, then turning her weapon towards the sky. Plutarch slips away from Snow long enough to get you, and the two of you hurry towards a transport that will take you back to Thirteen in the dead of night. Voices are hushed. The tributes get out, but not all of them. Peeta, you think, was left behind. Johanna too. Still, it’s a better collection than you’d hoped.

And, when the jet docks in Thirteen, there’s someone waiting for you in the hangar, your golden boy. Cato comes running over before the landing gear is even fully tucked away. He waits, impatient as a coiled spring, while the doors open, and then he’s rushing inside and pulling you into his arms.

“No more separation,” he says against your temple. “We fight together now.”

“Together,” you whisper back, and you mean it, too. 

Whatever happens after this, the cards are all on the table. Cato can come back to the public eye. You’ll fight in the war side by side. If you die before the rebellion wins, you’ll do it together. Some would call that tragic, but all of this is a tragedy. At least you’ll have him. Two is gone to you, so too is any dream of normalcy, but Cato– Cato, you will always have. That, at least, is your victory.

hunger games tag list: @w1shes43, @ilovexavierthrope

all tags list: @wordsarelife, @supervoldejaygent

[leahsgf]

MEETING – leah williamson

leah williamson x child!reader

based on this request | bubba masterlist

love love love writing for this lil universe so please keep the requests coming

the first few weeks of your life were spent in complete bliss, leah happily soaking up every single moment between the two of you in your own little bubble - before she'd have to introduce you to the chaos that was the rest of the world.

despite the eagerness of those around her to meet you, she had strictly said no visitors until she was ready, bar her own mother, who had moved in temporarily as you both settled into this new life.

-

you had just hit three weeks old when leah had finally felt ready to allow a few more people into your space, having settled a little more into the swing of things and also not having the energy to turn offers down any longer.

it started off small - with her nearest and dearest, her dad, brother, grandma, and friends, of course including keira, and then gradually branched out to perhaps the most impatient of the lot, your rather large flock of aunties - also known as her teammates.

due to you being born mid season, the arsenal girls were going to be the first ones to meet you, much to the dismay of some of the lionesses especially georgia, keira obviously not helping the cause whatsoever by endlessly boasting about the fact she'd met you before any of them.

(leah would never tell a soul that keira was so nervous when she met you that she had barely held you, and instead timidly patted your head, and said it was 'nice to meet you' whilst shaking your tiny hand)

she had originally planned on hosting the weekly team night at her apartment and letting the girls all meet you there, but then went against it when she realised just how cramped her living room actually was when it held an entire very eager football team inside, alongside the fact that going out and getting some fresh air was something she desperately needed, and an escape from the newborn chaos that had taken over her home.

so, she had instead settled for arranging with jonas a day where there wasn't an awful lot of training to do and only the odd meeting or two, where she'd bring you into the training ground and introduce them to you there as a mini surprise.

-

after what had felt like a year of trying to get ready to leave the house, leah still adjusting to just how much stuff and preparation was needed for such a tiny little human, she finally pulled into the car park and got you both out, praising her parking job and getting you both there alive before having what felt like the battle of her life with the pram whilst getting it out.

kim, the only one of the girls who knew she was coming, and the unofficial mother figure of the team- met her outside, marvelling over you in an instant, before leading the way to the meeting room where the rest of the team were.

-

a collective gasp travelled across the meeting room as leah entered, with you bundled into her arms, the focus immediately off jonas’ attempted distraction ramble and all on you.

“is she seriously in an arsenal kit lee” alessia giggled, letting you clasp one of her fingers in your hand, as the rest of the team gathered around the pair of you in absolute awe.

“of course she is less! gotta teach her young haven’t i, my little gooner! especially when she’s got an uncle and grandad who are dead set on making her a spurs fan - so who wants a hold first?” the blonde replied, switching the conversation and ignoring the laughter and the teasing remarks about her passion for her club, instead letting them fight over who got to hold you first.

-

you had been pretty fussy in everyone’s arms apart from your mother’s, not being a huge fan of the unfamiliarity and all of the sudden movement when being passed around the room, until beth had insisted on viv holding you despite how nervous she had been, and your grizzles had settled almost instantly, and your frown which was the carbon copy of your mother’s faded.

“hi schatje, i’m your auntie viv, we love you so much already.” she murmured, stroking your cheeks ever so softly as you stared back up at her, still in the phase where you were fascinated by the world around you.

you beamed as she tickled your nose, your first official, non wind related smile that leah had been desperate to coax out of you for weeks now.

“looks like vivi is a natural! even baby williamson can sense that she’s a goat!” katie grinned, forever the leader of the ‘miedema fan club’, leaning on the dutch woman’s shoulder and poking her tongue out at you.

-

“welcome to the one of your forever homes my girl. you’re so so loved already.” leah whispered to you, cradling you and embracing the moment of peace she had after stepping away from the chaos in order to settle you down in your pram - allowing kyra and vic, who you’d undoubtedly overtake in maturity at some point, to take you on a walk around with steph’s supervision for your nap.

[reasonsforhope]

By the time Sue Shusterman turns away from the bench at the overlook and back toward the trailhead, she knows the paddleboarders are out in force 300 yards away on the gleaming blue surface of Chatfield Reservoir.  

She knows the high runoff waters have flooded the roots of Chatfield’s willows and cottonwoods, and that the first spring-green layers of the foothills rise to the west like soft fabric. 

How she acquired these life-affirming memories is at first a mystery, since Shusterman is blind and is heading back toward the parking lot making her usual sweep of the path in front with her ever-present white cane.  

But then a friendly voice emerges from the phone that Shusterman is pointing toward the path from her other hand.

A little to the left to stay on the paved path. Looks like there’s a trail all the way down to the beach, about 75 yards, if you wanted to go. I’ll just be here watching, let me know if you need anything. 

The voice is from a live, trained human guide FaceTiming through Shusterman’s phone camera on the Aira ability-assist app. Sight-impaired people have been using Aira’s guides to make it easier to do anything from navigating an airport to filling out an online job form. Now, all 42 Colorado state parks like Chatfield are geofenced to allow any visitor to use Aira for free to stroll the trails with a helpful set of eyes. 

The Aira guides seemingly effortlessly offer what a blind hiker either needs, or wants. If there’s a dangerous steep drop-off on the right, they warn. If the hiker would rather know if the sneezeweed is in bloom or the sailboats are luffing through a turn, Aira offers that instead.

For Shusterman, trying Aira as an outdoors adventure for the first time, the allure was simple: “Independence.” 

“So she’s doing, I think, a phenomenal job of including the necessary safety things, but the perks of the scenery, too,” Shusterman said, as she paused during a conversation with an Aira guide based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. “She’s doing great.”

State accessibility officials recently announced the expansion of Aira to state parks grounds, after previously providing Aira free for other state-related functions such as navigating a government building or getting help on an online site or filling out forms. Colorado cannot control the cellphone signal, though, so parks officials encourage visitors to try Aira at a familiar or close-in park space before ranging farther afield with it. Popular parks like Staunton or Golden Gate contain pockets where signals are not strong. 

For consumers buying access on their own, Aira costs about $50 for 30 minutes of assistance a month. Private employers and governments often buy package access to Aira and other accessibility apps for all employees to use. State accessibility coordinator Theresa Montano, who is blind and accompanied Shusterman on her Chatfield walk, said Amazon buys access so that sight-impaired shipping center employees can navigate steps to pack orders.

Montano uses Aira at her state job, saying the guides on the app can share her computer screen and help her get through an online task in 30 minutes that might take her four hours without help or through older accessibility tools. 

Adding Aira for state-owned lands was wrapped into the overall $250,000 budget for free Aira use on state property and with state websites. The additional utility is an obvious plus, Montano said. 

“This gives blind people the same opportunity to come and enjoy it by themselves or with their family if they want to, and be independent,” she said...

Shusterman walked away taking more from the big picture experience, rather than any particular scenic detail. 

“For me, it was, you know what, I could go for a walk on this path, and I could feel completely safe, and I would enjoy a nice walk and get some exercise, in an unfamiliar area,” Shusterman said. “It’s definitely a real confidence boost for me.”  

-via The Colorado Sun, June 11, 2024

[hazymoonlinh]

ye ask and ye shall receive *pulls an idea out of my random box*

ok picture this the reader is mydei soulmate who just so happens to be of the many researchers at herta's space station,known to be distant and cold a woman of pure intellect and cool headed the opposite of mydei.

who occasionally accompanies the astral express crew sometimes on missions,she happens to accompany them to amphoreus and even after finding out that she and mydei are soulmates she still goes back to herta space station to which infuriates mydei who somehow with the trailblazer help goes to the space station to drag her back.

sorry if it's so long I got really excited writing this tehe

Hehe…thanks for requesting again, you have really great ideas btw <3

Someone please save me from Tet, I’m so frickin busy…

Anyway, I had fun writing this lol.

The scientific way of falling in love

(Against your will)

“A Cold-Blooded Soulmate? Unacceptable.”(Mydei x Researcher!Reader | Soulmate AU)

Mydei too in love to let you go.

I think Mydei is a bit ooc…

Also this takes place when everything is over, Amphoreus is saved, March is too.

The revelation should have meant everything.

Soulmates—an undeniable, unshakable truth woven into the fabric of fate itself. It was supposed to be a moment of clarity, of absolute certainty. And yet, when she—the brilliant, cold researcher from Herta’s Space Station—discovered her bond with Mydei, she did something unfathomable.

She left.

Without hesitation, without the emotional theatrics most would expect, she simply turned her back on him and returned to her work, as if destiny itself was nothing more than an inconvenient hypothesis that had yet to be proven useful.

And Mydei? He was furious.

“She left,” he growled, pacing inside the Astral Express. “She looked me in the eye—looked her own soulmate in the eye—and just walked away.”

Trailblazer and March exchanged nervous glances while Dan Heng remained as impassive as ever, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. Welt, however, simply sighed. “She has her duties,” he reasoned. “Not everyone reacts the same way to soulmates.”

“Hah! Duties?” Mydei sneered. “What’s more important than fate itself? What’s more important than me?” He slammed his hand on a nearby table, the sheer force rattling the surface. “She’s supposed to be mine, but instead, she just—” He clenched his jaw, fuming. “Left.”

“I mean, to be fair, she is kinda known for being a bit… emotionless?” March offered hesitantly. “She’s super smart, but not really the sentimental type, y’know?”

“She must be absolutely fascinating to talk to,” Dan Heng remarked dryly.

Mydei shot him a glare before turning his sharp eyes back to the group. “It doesn’t matter. She doesn’t get to ignore this. Ignore me.” He straightened, his golden armor gleaming under the train’s light. “If she won’t come to me, then I’ll bring her back myself.”

March blinked. “You… you’re just gonna go there and kidnap her?”

“Not kidnap,” Mydei corrected with a smirk. “Retrieve.”

Trailblazer, ever the agent of chaos, grinned. “I’ll help.”

—

Herta’s Space Station was a place of knowledge, of logic. And, most importantly, a place that had absolutely no patience for Mydei’s dramatics.

Yet that did not stop him from storming through its pristine halls, his presence utterly alien amidst the quiet, sterile environment. Researchers and staff gave him a wide berth, whispering about the golden warrior whose very aura reeked of dominance and battle.

“I’m looking for her,” he declared to the nearest assistant, practically vibrating with indignation.

“W-We don’t disclose personnel locations to random visitors,” the researcher stammered.

“She is my soulmate.” Mydei’s sharp grin was anything but friendly. “I’m not a random visitor. Now, where is she?”

The assistant pointed immediately. “L-Laboratory 3B—”

“Good.” He turned to Trailblazer, who had accompanied him. “See? Cooperation. Very simple.”

Trailblazer just shook their head, hiding a smirk as Mydei marched toward his goal.

—

She was exactly as he remembered her—poised, collected, exuding an air of absolute intelligence as she focused on the holographic schematics before her. Not once did she glance up, not even as Mydei stepped into her space, a presence impossible to ignore.

“You left,” he said, voice low and sharp.

“I had work to do,” she replied simply, fingers gliding over the display.

He scoffed, stepping closer. “We are soulmates, and your first instinct was to return to your research? Not even a second thought?”

“I did give it a second thought,” she corrected. “I just found it irrelevant to my immediate objectives.”

Mydei narrowed his eyes. “You found fate irrelevant?”

She finally looked at him then, her cold, calculating gaze meeting his fiery one. “Fate is an unproven theory. A biological response due to specific resonance frequencies between individuals. I fail to see why I should let it dictate my decisions.”

Mydei stared at her, utterly dumbfounded.

“…Are you serious?”

“Completely.”

For the first time in his life, Mydei was at a loss for words. He had faced countless warriors, led armies, and commanded battles with ease—but this woman, his supposed soulmate, was treating their bond like a research paper to be reviewed.

His eye twitched. “You’re coming with me.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Yes. You are.”

She gave him a mildly exasperated look. “I have no reason to.”

Mydei exhaled sharply, placing his hands on the edge of her desk and leaning in, voice dropping to a near growl. “Listen to me, you stubborn little researcher. I don’t lose. I don’t get rejected. And I certainly do not let my soulmate ignore me in favor of—of data analysis.”

She arched a delicate brow. “And what exactly do you intend to do about it?”

Oh, she shouldn’t have asked that.

Mydei grinned.

—

The entire space station was in chaos as Mydei carried his soulmate—over his shoulder—marching toward the docking bay with utter confidence.

“Put me down,” she ordered, expression still remarkably neutral despite the absurdity of the situation.

“No.”

Trailblazer, following behind, was barely holding in their laughter.

“You are behaving irrationally,” she informed him.

“No, you are,” Mydei shot back. “Running away from me? Denying fate? Tsk, tsk. How shameful.”

“Fate is a construct built on—”

“—Irrelevant.” He smirked, tightening his grip. “You belong with me.”

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You do realize this is effectively an abduction?”

“Retrieval,” he corrected.

A long pause. Then, with a soft sigh, she murmured, “I suppose I can finish my current project remotely.”

Mydei stopped mid-step, blinking. “…What?”

She looked at him, entirely unaffected by their position. “I will accompany you. Temporarily. To observe this ‘fate’ you seem so adamant about.”

Mydei’s grin returned, victorious. “A trial run, then?”

“If you must label it as such.”

“Fine.” He smirked. “But you’ll see, dear soulmate—there is no escaping me.”

Trailblazer snickered. “I give it a week before she starts liking it.”

She adjusted her glasses. “Unlikely.”

Mydei just laughed, carrying her onto the ship. “We’ll see about that.”

And so, the game began.

[novaursa]

hi , can u write something with helaena , after aegon takes the throne she decides to take her children and go to dragonstone bending the knee to rhaenyra and she falls in love with the reader who is the eldest daughter to rhaenyra and it kinda ends with them being happy and like no war cause they help prevent it or something like that please and thank you in advance

Dragons of Peace

Requests are closed!

- Summary: Helaena bends the knee to your mother, Queen Rhaenyra.

- Pairing: niece!reader/Helaena Targaryen

- Rating: Mild 13+

- Tag(s): @sachaa-ff @alyssa-dayne @oxymakestheworldgoround

The wind howls against the stone walls of Dragonstone, carrying with it the salt of the sea. You stand on the balcony overlooking the courtyard below, where dragons roost and soldiers train in preparation for the inevitable war that feels as close as your own breath. The tension of it has woven into the very fabric of the island. Your mother, Rhaenyra, is deep in council with her allies, planning to reclaim the throne that was stolen from her by your uncle, Aegon. Yet, despite all the grim preparation, something inside you stirs—an instinct, a sense that today something will change.

It’s when you hear the distant roar of a dragon that you turn your gaze upward, eyes narrowing as a shape appears through the clouds. A dragon, its pale wings glinting faintly in the sunlight, approaches. Your heart skips as you realize it’s Dreamfyre. And Dreamfyre only belongs to one person: Helaena.

The courtyard erupts in movement as soldiers and servants rush to meet the unexpected visitor. You leave your post at the balcony, hurrying through the halls until you emerge into the courtyard, where the dragon lowers her massive head, allowing Helaena to descend. Her silver-gold hair gleams in the sunlight as she helps her children down, one by one.

Her eyes meet yours, a mixture of uncertainty and determination filling the space between you. It’s then you realize—she’s come to Dragonstone not as your enemy, but as something else.

“Y/N,” Helaena calls, her voice soft but resolute, holding your gaze as you approach.

“Helaena,” you reply, your own voice steady. “Why are you here?”

Her children cluster around her, their wide eyes taking in the surroundings, but it’s Helaena’s gaze that holds you captive. She breathes deeply before speaking again. “I’ve come to bend the knee to your mother. To the rightful queen.”

Her words hang in the air, thick with the weight of their meaning. Helaena, your uncle’s sister-wife and mother to his children, has chosen to stand with you, with your mother. You take a step closer, searching her eyes for any sign of falsehood, but all you find is sincerity—and something more. There’s a vulnerability in her gaze that you’ve never seen before, as if this decision, this act of defiance, has left her exposed in ways even she didn’t anticipate.

“I couldn’t stand by and watch Aegon claim a throne that isn’t his,” she continues, her voice trembling just slightly. “I had to protect my children. And... I had to protect you.”

The last words leave her lips in a whisper, but they strike you like a storm. You and Helaena have always shared an unspoken understanding, something deeper than politics or family ties. But now, that understanding feels like a tether pulling you toward her.

You feel the weight of her decision as if it were your own. “You’ve risked everything,” you say softly, taking another step closer. “Aegon... he won’t forgive this.”

“I know,” Helaena admits, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “But I couldn’t let him destroy what’s left of our family.”

There’s a pause, a charged silence between you, before you finally reach out, placing a hand gently on her arm. She shivers slightly under your touch, though whether from the cold or something else, you’re not sure.

“Come inside,” you tell her, your voice gentler than you intended. “We’ll keep you safe.”

She nods, and together you guide her and her children into the warmth of Dragonstone’s halls. As you walk side by side, you feel the tension slowly unwind from her body, and the way she leans just slightly toward you doesn’t go unnoticed.

Later, after her children have been settled into their chambers and Helaena has been brought before Rhaenyra to make her pledge of loyalty, you find her alone in one of the many stone-walled rooms of the keep. The firelight flickers against her pale skin, casting shadows that dance across her face, but the weight of the day has settled into her expression.

You step into the room quietly, but she turns at the sound of your approach, her eyes softening when they land on you.

"Thank you, Y/N," she murmurs, her voice barely above a whisper.

You shake your head. "You’re the one who risked everything. I should be thanking you."

She offers a small, tired smile before turning her gaze to the fire. “I’ve always admired you,” she says after a moment, her words catching you by surprise. “The way you carry yourself, the way you protect those you love. I wish I could be as brave.”

“Helaena,” you start, but she shakes her head, silencing you.

“I’ve never been brave,” she says softly, her voice tinged with sorrow. “Not like you.”

Before you can respond, she steps toward you, her presence suddenly filling the space between you. Her hand comes up, resting gently against your cheek. The contact is electric, and for a moment, neither of you speaks.

“I was scared when I came here,” she admits, her thumb brushing against your skin. “But I’m not scared anymore. Not when I’m with you.”

Your breath hitches at her words, and without thinking, you place your hand over hers, holding it in place against your cheek. "You don’t have to be scared, Helaena," you tell her, your voice thick with emotion. "Not here. Not with me."

For a heartbeat, the world falls away, leaving only the two of you in this moment. And then, slowly, she leans in, her lips brushing against yours in a kiss so tender it feels like it could break you. The weight of the war, the throne, the realm—it all fades into the background, leaving only the undeniable connection between you and her.

When you finally pull apart, her eyes search yours, as if asking for permission, for reassurance. You give it with a soft smile, your hand still resting over hers.

“We can stop the war,” she whispers, her voice filled with hope. “The two of us.”

And in that moment, you believe her. Because with Helaena at your side, the world seems just a little less broken.

[salty-autistic-writer]

Buck's dog meets Tommy's comfort cat On a Sunday in winter, three things happen at the same time. 

Max barks. Buck startles awake on the couch. A knock on the door - probably not the first one - makes him grimace.

Ugh. He didn’t forget about an appointment or some social event, did he?! While quickly running his fingers through his hair and hoping there aren’t any stains anywhere on his clothes, Buck scans through his mental notes, trying to find something he might have missed.

Nope. He’s not expecting any visitors today. Today. On his free weekend. Which he spent sleeping away for the most part. Wrapped in warm blankets. Because why not?

Getting up, shivering and suppressing a yawn, Buck pats his chocolate coloured labrador's head. “It’s okay, I’m sure a burglar won’t knock first,” he says teasingly. “Go and sit, tough guy.”

Max gives him a worried side-glance, but he does obey and sits down, his ears perked up and his tongue lolling as he stares at the door.

Buck opens it.

And almost closes it again, a sharp gasp escaping his throat. He double-checks because for a moment, he’s so sure his mind is playing tricks on him.

Tommy.

It’s Tommy.

Tommy is standing in front of the door, looking like a deer caught in the headlights of a truck, his mouth slightly open and his eyes widening in stunned realisation.

Buck blinks. And Tommy is still there. And … He doesn’t know what to say. Or do. His heart falls, then jumps up again, beating too fast.

It’s Tommy who breaks the silence.

“Uh. I was in the area. And … I thought I could give a key back to Eddie,” Tommy says, his shoulders hunched up and his fingers fidgeting with the key. His eyes flicker from Buck’s face down to his robe and his slippers. “I … I’m sorry. I should have texted or called first. I didn’t think you would -”

Before he can finish his sentence, Max comes running with a happy huff, his tail wagging wildly. He bumps headfirst into Tommy’s knee as if he’d never thought he might be a burglar or the postman. Buck isn’t surprised. He can train Max as much as he wants. There’s always going to be a big teddy inside him that wants to be cuddled and loved by every new human.

“You have a dog,” Tommy says, surprised. “Yeah,” Buck scratches his head and smiles. “I was … lonely. It’s a big house. I moved in a while ago. After Eddie went back to Texas for Chris.”

Tommy nods in understanding, watching as Max sniffs at his shoes and legs, cough-barking once, before abruptly stepping away, giving Tommy a long glance with his head tilted and his ears perked up. That must be the closest a dog can come to giving a side-eye. 

Finally, Max trots away. He slumps in his dog bed, curling up and putting his head on his paws, giving them a look that could either be interpreted as confusion or extreme annoyance.

“What was that about?” Buck wonders. This is not typical Max behavior. He would have expected his dog to roll on his back and stretch his legs, allowing Tommy to rub his belly. “I guess he noticed all the cat hair,” Tommy says with a shrug and a crooked smile.

“Cat hair - You have a cat?!” Buck blurts, stunned.

“You weren’t the only one living in a big empty house,” Tommy says quietly.

They continue to stare at each other.

“Do you want to come inside?” Buck finally says, his lips dry. He licks them. Not failing to notice how Tommy’s eyes follow the movement.

“Yeah,” Tommy says. “I’d love to.” *

How do broken pieces find each other? They collide.

Buck and Tommy collide in every sense of the word. They burn in words, in looks, in touches. Desperate, hesitant, but fierce longing. It’s palpable in the space between them.

“I’ve never felt this way for anyone,” Buck says and means it. Tommy winces. “Still?” He asks quietly. “Forever,” Buck says without hesitation. Because it’s the truth. He knows that now.

Tommy exhales. “I feel the same,” he admits. Finally admits. “And it scared me. Scares me still. But I can try. If you let me. If you -”

Buck silences him with a kiss.

It’s quite easy to get back together. To fall into a rhythm again. Of course, there are new nuances to their relationship now. Everything feels a little more tender, a little more precious. They know what feeling apart feels like now, after all. So they work on something that grows stronger every day.

The real challenge starts when they decide to let their pets meet each other.

Buck is nervous about it. Tommy isn’t.

“Animals bond fast,” he says with a reassuring smile. “It will go well. You’ll see.”

It doesn’t go well.

Day 1

Buck isn’t sure if Max has experience with cats. But with the way he stops breathing and just stares at the cat that just slapped him vigorously in baffled horror, before whining and hiding behind Buck’s legs, trembling, this seems to be the first cat his dog meets.

“Cinnabun,” Tommy says, tudding and picking his cat up. “I told you. You can’t slap your way through life. Not every problem can be solved with violence.”

Cinnabun stares down at Max, unimpressed and starts to lick her paw.

“What the hell is wrong with her?!” Buck asks angrily, crouching and hugging Max protectively. “He was just being nice! And your cat slapped him!”

“She’s a cat, Evan,” Tommy says flatly.

“She’s not just a cat. She’s an orange cat, everyone knows those are nuts! At least I gave my dog a normal name,” Buck mutters, patting Max’s head. “Who in their right mind calls their pet Cinnabun?!”

Tommy shrugs. “It’s what she looks like.”

Buck frowns. But when he looks at the purring cat, which looks tiny curled up in Tommy’s arms, he can’t fail to notice the light swirl of white in her orange fur. “You see it, don’t you?” Tommy asks, smirking.

“Just because you mentioned it! And it doesn’t change the fact that she attacked my dog for no reason at all.” "She isn't used to dogs. And don't forget that cats don't like when their familiar surroundings and routines change all of a sudden. They will get along eventually. Just give them some time," Tommy reassures. "She needs to learn to accept the love."

Buck sighs. "Alright." He suppresses asking Tommy if he's only talking about his cat or also about himself.

Day 2 

“Ouch!” Buck yelps when Cinnabun jumps into his lap, digging her claws into his thighs cruelly before landing on the floor and running away like a flash of orange lightning, her tail raised straight in the air and her meow sounding like the laughter of a madman. “Your cat is crazy!”

Tommy looks up from his book, his reading glasses making him look way too adorable considering the mood Buck is in right now. “She is just having her funny five minutes, Evan. Every cat has them.”

“You don’t need to tell me that. I know everything about cats!” Buck rubs at his legs with a grimace. “But it still feels like she’s doing this on purpose.”

He smiles fondly when Max approaches him with wide, concerned eyes and a wagging tail. 

“See? A dog would never do such a thing,” Buck says, only to watch together with Tommy as Max stops right in front of an abandoned slipper. It belongs to Tommy. Max grabs it, growls, and shakes his head furiously, absolutely tearing the slipper apart. He drops it when he seems satisfied with the level of destruction and sits down beside it, looking at Tommy with his tongue lolling.

Tommy raises a brow. “Wow. This seemed so personal,” he says dryly.

Buck swallows. Uh oh.

Day 3

Buck’s back hits the wall, and he gasps in delight as his lips collide with Tommy’s. They are all over each other, so turned on they can’t stop touching, kissing, pressing and pushing. Somehow, they make it into the bedroom. With one hand, Buck pulls the door shut behind them.

They fall into bed, and Buck starts to pull impatiently at Tommy’s pants. Tommy chuckles, raising his hips to help, his cheeks flushed and his hair tousled. He looks gorgeous. He looks like a feast. Buck wants to bite him. He wants to - Max starts howling on the other side of the door.

Tommy freezes. "Seriously?!" He asks.

"Uh." Buck sits up, surprised, blinking at the door and scratching the back of his head. “I … He’s never done that before.”

Max whines and frantically scratches at the door. He doesn’t stop. Buck looks at Tommy helplessly. “What do we do?”

“Let him in before he digs his way through the door …. I never thought I would get cockblocked by a dog one day,” Tommy sighs, head falling back into the pillows. “We have to find a solution for this.”

“Yeah. Sorry,” Buck says sheepishly, letting Max in, who immediately jumps on the bed, curls up there and puts his head on his paws, glancing at Tommy as if he’s trying to say: My house. My bed. My human. Mine.  Day 4

“No,” Buck says, glaring at Cinnabun. “No, you won’t. Not again.”

Tommy’s cat stares at him with her green eyes, not blinking once, moving her tail from side to side slowly. In front of Buck’s disbelieving eyes, she sneaks her paw closer to the glass and pushes at it once more until it’s close to the edge of the table.

“You really are doing this on purpose, aren’t you?” Buck asks, narrowing his eyes. “You hate me. You want to go back home. So you’re trying what you can to sabotage my relationship with Tommy? Do you think we will break up again just because you destroy three or four of my glasses? It will take more than this, Cinnabun.”

“Are you arguing with a cat again, Evan?”

Buck sighs. “She’s trying to turn us against each other.”

Tommy chuckles. “Is that really what you think?”

Buck shrugs. “I’m just tired. I want them to get along. I want … I want us to be a family.”

Tommy’s eyes soften. “I want that too. Come on. Let’s cuddle on the couch. Maybe we can be a good example for them. Show them how nice it is to cuddle.”

But while they try to watch a movie together, Cinnabun hunts a whining Max through the whole house, and finally, they manage to destroy a vase. Buck sighs. He doesn’t have the energy left to scold. Max looks up at him sadly from where he is standing in the mess of scattered shards, leaves and earth, while Cinnabun climbs a closet and looks down at all of them triumphantly.

Day 5

They try everything. Even consult an animal behaviourist who gives them a lot of advice.

Tommy sits on the floor and gives Max dog treats while also combing through his fur with a brush that is covered in Cinnabun’s hair. They are supposed to get used to each other’s smell. After eating the treats, Max grabs the brush, pulls it out of Tommy’s hand and goes to bury it in the garden.

Buck tries to play with Cinnabun, but while he offers her a dozen different cat toys, she just loafs on the floor and stares at him boredly. Only an hour later, Buck finds cat puke in one of his shoes.

“At this point,” he says numbly while cleaning it, “We should just make a comedy about our life. Hey, want to give Taylor a call?”

* Ironically, it’s fear that makes them all bond.

It’s New Year’s Eve.

Fireworks are going off outside. Again and again. Close. Loud. Scary.

Tommy flinches in Buck’s arms, his eyes focused on the TV, but it’s clear something’s pulling him somewhere else. Back to the past. To memories he has just shared recently. Sometimes, Tommy’s hand wanders to his mouth, and he starts to bite at his nails, but Buck gently takes it, squeezing. Holding.

Max is trembling, laying on Buck’s feet, as close to his legs as possible. And in front of Buck’s surprised eyes, Cinnabun stalks closer, but not to cause trouble this time. Instead, she first bumps her head against Tommy’s knee, then curls up next to Max, snuggling against his side. The dog allows it. And Cinnabun starts to purr, closing her eyes.

Huh. 

Buck smiles. “Look at them,” he whispers, nudging Tommy.

“Aw. Almost looks like they are mirroring us,” Tommy says, leaning his head against Buck’s shoulder. “Told you. They just need time.”

Time.

After some more time, Buck enters the living room one morning and sees Max curled up on his dog bed, with Cinnabun on his back, her eyes closed. But she opens one of them when he takes a picture, giving him a look that seems to say: This doesn’t mean I love him. He’s just a good bed. 

Buck chuckles and sends the picture to Tommy.

(AO3 Link)

[namism]

🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷KOBY🩷

little things | koby

➳ categories: college au, gender neutral reader

➳ word count: 3k

➳ summary: It's no surprise when your friends' significant others swing by to drop off snacks and drinks for sustenance as you pull a much needed all-nighter for finals, but while everyone else is being looked after, who's looking after you? Enter Koby, the guy you never expected to care for you.

➳ notes: thanks for the request @mibso! ur like the best koby fan i know 🗣️

➳ cross-posted on ao3

"I... I think I'm gonna be sick."

Usopp tells you that he's on his third Red Bull as a dumb excuse for taking an unhealthy dosage of caffeine in a span of 18 hours because Nami has taken over four energy shots to power through the rest of her materials. She did it for the sake of passing Physics 189, an elective class on atmospheric physics that she stresses on too much because her love for it exceeds the exosphere, but she's starting to tweak (in Gen Z terms) because she has no fucking clue what's going on anymore.

Her head falls on the table of your study room—rightfully booked, not stolen, because your friend group is deferential compared to those study room squatters who don't even do any studying—and immediately, you and Usopp turn toward her in concern, the bags under her eyes being telltale signs of her surrender. It isn't Nami to give up on Physics 189 because she loves it more than anything, probably more than the weatherman in your local news, but in her defense, she hasn't slept in 31—going on 32—hours, and her body is giving into exhaustion despite the energy shots.

You stand from your seat across from her, reaching forward to gently shake her awake, but Nami is down like a snoozing puppy. Usopp groans when he realizes that he's going to need to carry her back to the girls' dormitories, while you thank your beliefs silently that she has finished enough of her materials to pass the exam she has to take the following morning.

"Sucks to be a physics major," Usopp mutters to himself as he pats Nami's head one last time before going back to his devices. He says that pitifully as if he isn't pitiful himself this finals week; he's a fine arts major because he likes being creative, likes putting things together, whether it be digital or traditional works of art, and if that isn't tiring enough, he also minors in engineering for fun (but maybe it isn't so bad because he has actual written exams he can study for instead of submitting a subjectively okay-tasting spaghetti due at 11:59 PM—only Sanji has to worry about that kind of shit in your circle).

Nevertheless, the grind never stops. You train your eyes back to your laptop, regaining your focus as you continue the assignment you've been working on the past hour. Once done, you hurry to the comfort room to take a quick break and arrive back at the study room to continue working.

By the time you arrive, however, more people have entered the small space, visitors from the neighboring rooms on the upper level. It turns out that they've come to visit your friends.

"Oh my god, um, is she okay?" Nami's girlfriend Vivi tries to shake her awake, causing Usopp to tell her softly that he tried to wake her earlier but to no avail. Distressed, Vivi puts down the small container she was holding and embraces Nami from behind, tilting her head toward her girlfriend's sleeping face and trying to talk her into waking up.

Usopp's girlfriend, Kaya, is the next to make her presence known by skipping over to the man, patting his head, and offering a bag of goodies and a PET bottle of lemon iced tea she got from the vending machine a few floors down. She smiles at you, and you reciprocate, not until the doors open to yet another sickly cute couple that makes you want to depressingly barf.

Sabo and Koala appear at the entrance of the study room with Sabo holding the door open for his girlfriend to come inside. She tells the two girls that study break is over, which promptly gets them moving. Vivi tells everyone that she has to bring Nami home, or else she's waking up to a grumpy girlfriend tomorrow morning, while Kaya obediently lets go of Usopp and helps him pack his things. As Sabo and Koala disappear, Usopp shyly apologizes.

"Why apologize?" you ask with a shrug.

"Because!" He gestures to the once-messy table where you, he, and Nami spent the past 15 hours studying. Now that Nami is being carried back to the dorms and he's leaving with Kaya, you'll be left alone with no one to look after you.

You shake your head. "I appreciate the concern, but everyone has to fend for themselves this season. You know the joke, 'Is it finals week or is it my final week?'" The couple bursts out laughing. "So really, you shouldn't be worried about leaving me here. I've survived the past few years in college, so this is easy shit!"

"Well, if you say so," Usopp says with a doubtful tone, but he takes it back because he's just playing with you. When he gets his things packed neatly inside his bag, he helps you and Kaya transfer a snoozing Nami on Vivi's back for a shameless piggyback ride to the dorms.

Once all is settled, your friends shuffle out of the study room, and the place is finally quiet.

Lonely and quiet.

Loneliness creeps up your shoulder as you lean back on the armchair with a sigh. Your chest feels empty, and it becomes more evident the longer you sit in quiet without the sound of Usopp's confused whispers or Nami's silent cusses. You're just alone, without your friends or any lover to bring you food to cheer you on. While everybody else is being looked after, no one is looking after you, and you'd be lying to yourself if you said that it didn't upset you.

There's always that unwanted feeling of jealousy that boils in your stomach whenever your friends and their lovers appear in front of you. They act so sweetly cute toward each other that it makes you yearn for a love as real as theirs, and now that finals season is rolling in, you need someone else's company more than ever. Kind of like aftercare, since college is kicking your ass and beating you into a pulp, so it makes sense to seek comfort. Unfortunately, you aren't graced even with the smallest bit of romantic interaction, so you just sit alone, sad, single, and most importantly, jealous.

As you wallow in silence, your stomach growls, and you realize that you haven't eaten or drunk in a while. You think back to the food Vivi and Kaya brought their lovers, and your heart sinks as another wave of loneliness crashes onto your pitiful single soul.

It feels nice to be loved, doesn't it? You think to yourself in jealousy as you look at the home screen of your cellphone.

"Shit, it's one o'clock?!" Yelling to yourself, you correct your posture on the armchair and shake your head to ward off grogginess. No wonder why Usopp and Kaya decided to leave; Kaya has strict guardians, and she only gets to hang out with a select few because she still has a curfew at her big age. It seems like she's broken that rule tonight, though.

Opening your laptop, you're notified that the battery is low. You roll your eyes as you angrily retrieve the charger from your backpack.

Unfortunately, it isn't there.

You look around your bag frantically, believing the device to be there even though it isn't. As you ransack your bag, tears of anger well in your eyes at the unfortunate event, your patience running thin by the second. You look through every pocket, hole, and nook and cranny, but the charger isn't there. When your laptop screen goes black and the stupid low battery icon flashes in the middle of the screen, your eyebrows automatically knit in fury as your hands clench into a tight fist.

Not only were you left alone, but you also can't find the one device that will get you through the night.

Having had enough, you slam your hands on the table in anger, letting the sound echo in the room and the pain settle on your skin. Fuck this shit. Fuck tonight, actually. You feel so alone and stressed by school, and to top it all off, you can't find your dumb laptop charger that you just want to—

"Ugh! I want to punch someone!"

"Okay, I'll just leave then!"

Your head spins toward the door in surprise. A guy with light pink hair peeks through the small opening like a lost dog, his hands a little shaky and his mouth forming a frown. You recognize him: Koby, one of the guys in your classes, who you got to spend a month-long group project with because the other people in your group weren't helping. Koby is calm and sweet, and you may not be close, but you vibe with him just right.

"Um, did you need something? Sorry for the noise, by the way." You sneak in an apology at the end of your question because you're not sure how Koby feels about witnessing an acquaintance-almost-stranger blare out about wanting to punch someone. Like you said, Koby is calm and sweet—it would be bad to give the poor guy a heart attack.

"I-I was going to ask if I could share the room with you since, w-well, you seem to be alone, and I saw your friends come out earlier—"

"Just come in."

Koby ignores the heavy sigh you let out in fear of ticking you off even more. Entering the room, he doesn't know why you're so stressed since you seemed to be having a good time earlier with your friends. The walls are made of glass, so he's been scouting the area like a hawk to hopefully score a vacant room to spend the rest of the night in. Helmeppo left the study hall hours ago in defeat, so he had to fend for himself alone.

Thankfully, you don't seem to be too bothered by his presence. He doesn't mean to be cocky, but maybe it's because he was a good group mate to you in the past.

Koby settles on Nami's vacant seat across from you, putting his bag down on the chair beside him. You watch him with bored eyes, and Koby swears he feels a chill run down his spine when he realizes that you're eyeing him intensely. Even then, he decides to mind his business and begin setting up his materials on the table.

Koby being Koby, unfortunately, he ends up breaking. "Sorry for the interruption," he says after feeling too embarrassed.

"It's okay. Sorry for staring," you mutter. Koby nods, disregarding your tired tone. Justifiable, he thinks. It's one o'clock in the morning, and everybody in the hall hasn't slept much besides him. He mentally pats himself on the back for deciding to sleep before coming there to study—good job.

Suddenly, he notices you groaning to yourself quietly, like a silent cry for help because you're too embarrassed to ask for it. Koby decides whether or not he should ask, seeing that you were already enraged to begin with, but he decides to just go for it because what could possibly go wrong with just asking?

"Are you okay?" he asks.

You roll your eyes. Koby hopes it wasn't meant for him.

"Yeah, yeah, I am— well, not really. No, I'm not okay. Do you have a Type C charger?"

Koby's lips open in slight shock. He's starting to get scared, like you're a ticking time bomb that can detonate any second now. Even then, he slowly nods and reaches for his backpack again to come and collect the charger you're asking for.

"Here." He pushes the device toward you, and you all but leap across the table to grab it. Koby notices your desperation when you crouch on the ground and plug the charger into the wall socket and hastily get your laptop back up and running. He gulps.

Once the screen lights up, your face brightens. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Uh, you're welcome!" Koby awkwardly replies through a nervous laugh, delighted to see that you aren't angry anymore.

"You're my savior," you tell him. "You don't know just how sad I was today. I mean, my friends are gone, and my laptop just died on me, but I didn't bring a charger and all that shit. Worst of all, I'm literally—"

Your stomach growls.

"Starving," you finish. Koby keeps the same expression on his face, lips quirked up into an awkward smile as he listens to you ramble. You place a hand on your tummy and you rest your head on the table. "Sorry, Koby..."

He's glad to hear his name, though. It's nice to know that you still remember him despite your foggy brain and tired system. Looking into his backpack again, he grabs a small pink eco-bag and pushes it toward you.

You tilt your head up at the noise. The bag is right in front of your face.

"What's this?"

"You said you were hungry, so..." He nods to the bag and almost jumps from his seat when you snatch it with your quick hands. You look inside, then you scatter the contents on the table. Koby motions to the array of snacks: yogurt, milk, chocolate bars, peanuts, coffee-flavored candies, chocolate malted powder, and two bottles of probiotics. Realizing just how much food he had with him, he scratches his nape shyly. "Um, I always have food with me, but you can have these. I think you might need it because you've been here since morning."

You blankly stare at the assortment of snacks in front of you. Your heart pounds in your chest, and your lips form a pout.

Koby notices and assumes that you're staring at the milk.

"Sorry," he says meekly. He's kind of panicked, thinking that he brought the wrong flavor of milk. "Do you hate strawberry?"

"What?" you ask, then later on realize what he's talking about. Oh, poor innocent Koby—he thought you were upset with the milk, but really, you're just moved by his generosity. He's so kind. Do you even deserve this after scaring the guy? "No, I was just, like, thinking to myself, that's all."

"Oh," he says. "What were you thinking of?"

"I'm wondering if you're my guardian angel." His ears perk up and his cheeks start to turn pink. You pick up the strawberry milk he was talking about and inspect it closely. Then, you hold it in front of his face and make a side-by-side comparison. "Your hair and cheeks are pink, just like the milk."

His face flushes even more.

"And now you're blushing harder," you point out. As you observe the snacks on the table, many of what Koby bought seem to be strawberry-flavored, and it warms your heart to think that he seemingly has a natural attraction toward anything pink, like his light fluffy hair (and his seemingly squishable cheeks). It then crosses your mind if his hair is all-natural or if he dyes it regularly because it's the kind of pink that doesn't look real, but at the same time does. Koby catches you staring at him longer than socially acceptable though, so you snap out of your trance to avoid the awkwardness.

"I don't want to assume and waste your study time, but it seems like you're the one all entranced now," he mutters the last part because he realizes that he isn't bold enough to be making such moves on you, so he keeps his head down in embarrassment. When you don't reply, Koby opens his textbook, fixes his specs, and reads.

Your stomach aches another time, so you grab the yogurt and eat it like you haven't eaten in years. One by one, the snacks on the table disappear as you eat in silence, giving yourself a well-deserved break.

Suddenly, it hits you. Loneliness is washed away by a feeling of comfort, and, ugh, it feels so good to feel this way. Truth be told, you're still sad that your single self doesn't have a special romantic support person like your friends do, but even if you never saw Koby in that light, his company almost feels similar to it. Maybe it's the bitter jealous pang in your chest after seeing couple after couple be so lovey-dovey during finals season, but whatever it is, it's eased down a bit because of Koby. The kind guy, Koby. The oh-so-generous guy, Koby. The pink-haired guy who might be a modern-day superhero in secret, Koby. Just how many people has he done this for? Is it just you? How kind is he to share his cute pink bag of snacks because he sensed that you were hungry? What about the charger he probably needs for himself?

As you chew on an energy bar, you realize something.

Since when did Koby look this cute?

"Hey, what are you— are you crying?! Are you okay?!"

You nod your head. You didn't even realize you were crying until Koby looked up from his textbook and pointed it out. You cover your eyes with your arm.

"I'm fine, just, um, ignore me and keep studying! Gosh!"

In panic, he reaches inside his backpack for a fresh pack of tissues. He rises from his seat and walks over to you, offering it.

"Was it the candy? What's wrong?"

You reject the tissues. "No! It's just, like, about you and stuff—"

"Wha— I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry!"

"No, you got it all wrong! I'm thankful for you, not the other way around." You smile through your dramatic tears. "You're just so sweet to me. You lent me your charger and gave me food when I needed them most."

He blinks slowly.

That's it?

"W-Well, I'm glad that you're... happy... about it... I guess..." he replies questioningly. "Do you still need...?"

"Tissues? No, I'm okay." You wipe your tears with your hands and shake your head. You feel energized. "Thank you, Koby..."

...for being here.

There it goes again: the slight shock on Koby's face has a hint of confusion as he tries to make sense of your actions, but he's more understanding than judgmental given your circumstances. He doesn't know what got you all annoyed in the first place, but if you're okay as you claim to be, then that's good enough for him.

Koby smiles at you genuinely. As he goes back to studying, you make a mental note to befriend him once this is all over.

[pearlescentparade]

THIS IS SO CUTE i hope i can do it justice🫡🫡

triple trouble 🟥🟦 red & blue o older sibling! reader 💝

it's early. the blue morning sky is incredibly pale in contrast to the vivid yellow-orange light emitting from the sun. sleepy bizville is bathed in a warm yellow tint, contradictory to the cold breeze of the early hours that sweeps through the town. at this time, most people are asleep like they should be. you are "most people".

until your sleep is interrupted by an small yet rapidly enthusiastic rapping on your door.

"ughhhhh..." annoyed and unwilling to rise, you turn over in your bed in the hopes that your visitor will leave with time. whoever it is, they can buzz off! who's even awake at this hour?!

"WE KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!!! COME OUT AND TRAIN WITH US!!" "..pretty please!"

evidently, red and blue are. and you know they won't leave until you face them. so, with another groan, you toss your blanket off and drag yourself out of your bed to get the door. the pair is completely geared up and beaming with energy that is nigh impossible to be summoned by any adult, in contrast to your messy sleepwear and overall tired appearance. they seem to light up at the sight of you nevertheless.

"c'mon, get ready!! we gotta practice a lot if we wanna be as strong as boss!" with no regards to your personal space, red takes a great step forward into your doorway while yelling like he wants to wake the neighbors.

"then why not go and bother him instead of me? i don't remember signing up to babysit you goobers.." seriously, noobador needs to pay you considering how often you have to look after them. you go to close the door, but pause when you hear blue meekly pipe up.

"the.. the boss is out today... we'd be home alone, and he was worried that something could happen to us... so we said we'd be with you..!" you draw out a long sigh, "i'm not really interested in hanging out with babies this early. and besides, you guys have each other, you'll be fine.. now shoo!! i'm trying to sleep!"

you attempt to slam the door on them, but once again you are stopped. this time, by the sound of.. sniffling. slowly creaking the door open, you are met with the duo on the verge of bawling.

"aauaaa..." "uwaa....."

red and blue peer up at you with round eyes shining with tears and trembling lips, ready to start blubbering.

you grimace at the sight. ugh, they always knew how to get you. "..fine!! i'll get you ice cream after training if you don't cry, you two have ugly crying faces and i don't want to see them!" as you offer the compromise, you retreat back into the house and pull a hoodie over yourself to try to look more presentable before you go out with them.

"YAY!! big sib is the best!!", they cheerfully exclaim together from outside. embarrassed, you stammer out, "i-i'm not related to you goofballs! quit acting like i am!"

you keep your promise and take red and blue to an ice cream truck after training. however, they seem like they're struggling with deciding on what flavors to get.

"rocky road.. or mint chip... hrmm...." red studies the menu printed on the side of the truck, as if picking a flavor of ice cream is a life or death decision.

"uwa... there's too many to choose from.. what are you planning to get?" blue curiously looks to you and gently tugs on your shirt to grab your attention.

nonchalantly, you shrug, "ehh, probably cookies and cream-" "OOH, cookies and cream is good! let's get it!!" getting the attention of the ice cream seller, red stands on his tippytoes to reach the window. "three cookies and cream ice creams!!"

you protest at your immaculate taste being stolen, "wh- HEY, don't get it just because i am!! freakin' copycats.."

"well if big sib likes it, it HAS to be good!!!" "yea!" they don't even look the tiniest bit ashamed for blatantly taking your idea... but it upsets you less when you think about it like putting them onto elite ball knowledge. as long as it isn't pistachio, right? "cookies and cream is good, so i'll let it go... but stop copying me and get your own taste next time!! and i'm NOT your big sibling!!!"

a few days have passed since then. you're trudging home from visiting roadtown, struggling to keep yourself up after getting severely jumped in the meadows by several noobs. they were especially aggressive today... you clutch your aching side, which you earned after getting headbutted by a helmet noob hard. your feet drag after one another, but you gain a little second wind and speed up when your happy home comes into view.

just patiently waiting outside your house however, are red and blue. they just can't seem to leave you alone... if they see you like this.. "HEY LOOK!!! they're finally home!!" of course, red has to open his huge mouth and point you out. they excitedly run to approach you, but their joyful expressions quickly transform into ones of shock when they notice your beaten state as they get closer. red goes to support you from the left, and blue does the same on your right.

"w-what happened??! are you okay???"

"ugh, some chumps got the better of me, that's all... i'm alright you two, i just need to get home and rest." even speaking, it's obvious you're weakened judging from your labored breathing and how you croak with every word.

the two share a look, seemingly sharing a telepathic agreement. then without warning, they sandwich you in a small hug. "nobody can beat our big sibling!!! it'll take more than some randos to keep them down, WAHAHAHA!!!!"

"you're the coolest, big sib! don't let them get you down..!"

you can't help but snicker at their words of encouragement. they're dumb kids, but they're your dumb kids. and unfortunately, you've become too attached to these nerds to the point where you can't imagine your life without them. roughly, you pet both of their heads with one hand on each one, the duo yelping in surprise and giggling.

"yea yea, just get me home, ya little dorks."

(parade postscript: i'm actually a younger sibling so hopefully the dynamic feels realistic esp with the copying cus i was the biggest culprit of that n my sisters HATEDD me for it teehee)