First Aid pt. 1 | Valko x Fem!Reader/MC
Masterlist
Summary: You find Valko bleeding on your balcony and you try to help. In the morning he makes you breakfast.
Author's Note: With everything happening with Valko from Love and Deepspace, I couldn't help myself. So this is for all of the Valko girlies. I'm planning a part 2 where Valko takes care of the reader. This one doesn't have plot. I put some vague mentions to protocores and whatnot but it's just backdrop for cutie Valko stuff.
I'll be back with another Luca fic soon!
Warnings: Vague mentions of injuries and blood. Werewolf-y things. And discussions of food.
Words: 2,033
You heard a crash on your balcony. The sound made you jolt. You'd been curled up in bed, watching a video on your phone. You tried to scramble out of bed but found yourself tangled in your blankets.
You heard a thud against the window and moved faster. You stumbled a little before finally opening your bedroom door and peering out cautiously. Through the darkened room and outside your window you spotted a slumped over figure you recognized.
Valko?
He was leaning against the window, palms flat against the surface, head tilted down. He looked unlike himself. It had been less than a month since you’d met and you’d only just come to an agreement to work together recently. You’d seen him maybe a handful of times in total. And you’d had to fight him at first, his snarky demeanor making you worry you’d run into another obstacle. But he softened to you so quickly it felt like whiplash. He’d wanted to help and with everything going on: your protocore, the issues with Caleb, the weird reactions of your own Evol; you'd found yourself only getting closer to him.
But none of that explained why he would be on your balcony.
You rushed to the door and opened it. “Valko?” You called, softly. Not wanting to alert the neighbors. Part of you worried Xavier would hear and come up to investigate.
Valko groaned and then you saw the blood. A gash that cut through the dark fabric of his trousers. Blood had seeped out and dripped onto your balcony. His arm had cuts too, and you spotted redness across his cheek that was quickly turning dark with a bruise. “What happened?” you asked, stepping forward, voice pitching up in fear. He seemed on the edge of losing consciousness and barely reacted to your question or your presence. His gold eyes met yours and he seemed to melt a little, leaning towards you thoughtlessly.
“Valko,” you grunted, as you practically caught him in your arms. “You're a little heavy,” you murmured as you tried to keep him standing. He was awake enough at least to stumble along as you guided him inside and onto your couch. You laid him down. His pained grimace and heavy exhale made you wince. You could tell it must be even worse than you could see. In even the short time you knew him you know he would usually be making a joke, playing things off.
You quickly ran to grab your first aid kit; rushing to clean and bandage his leg wound. He'd seemed to slide closer and closer to unconsciousness. You tried to keep him awake, voice shaky as you kept trying to get him to focus on you.
“You’re okay. Just stay awake, all right?” you repeated. You worried you were making the wrong choice by not bringing him to the hospital. You only knew so much first aid. But you didn’t know what he had gotten himself into and you didn’t want to get him in more trouble. You wished you had listened to more of Zayne’s lectures on how to wrap an injury. Usually you’d just go to him and make him do it.
Valko’s eyes shut and you checked his pulse with a shaky hand, your own heart racing frantic in your chest. His heart rate was still steady. His complexion was a little paler but he didn’t look like he had lost too much blood.
You looked him over again and saw more blood. His shirt was sticking to his chest.
You swore under your breath. You knew you should have checked more thoroughly for any other injuries before starting to treat his leg. You were making mistakes, all of your training forgotten.
You frowned to yourself as you quickly unbuttoned his shirt. Luckily the cut wasn't bad and you breathed a sigh of relief. Your eyes skated over the hard planes of his chest and you tried to ignore the heat on your cheeks. It wasn’t the time.
You carefully cleaned the wound, pressing the bandage softly so as not to cause him anymore pain. Still you felt him flinch under the pressure.
“You're ok,” you murmured softly, eyes meeting his as he blinked up at you. The lamp you turned on near your couch bled soft warm light making his eyes look like liquid gold.
His whole body seemed to relax as he saw you. Your shaky hands got back to work. “Are you hurt anywhere else?” you whispered. “I bandaged your leg and now your chest.” You finished with his chest wound and found his skin so warm to the touch you wondered if he might be running feverish. You placed your palm down more fully on his chest, feeling the heat, brow scrunched up in concern.
You felt a rumble in his chest and froze for a second as he let out a soft growling sound. “It's ok. It's just me,” you were quick to whisper, trying to calm him. But he didn't stop. The soft grumble strangely started to calm you instead, your muscles relaxing, the fear slowly seeping out of you. You'd been so worried about him you had barely stopped to breathe.
He was drowsy. Valko was fighting to stay awake, looking at you through bleary eyes. He seemed unable to answer your question. But that strange growling noise was still happening. You had a thought for a second that it almost sounded like he was purring. But wolves don't purr.
You reached up to press your hand against his forehead to check his temperature. Warm but probably not dangerously so.
You couldn't help yourself, you traced your palm from forehead to his scalp to gently trail your fingers through the soft strands of his hair. He turned his face into your palm, the grumbling getting louder for a moment.
You started to pull your hand away, embarrassed you’d given in to the temptation.You hadn't meant to do that. But something kept drawing you towards him. And whatever it was pulled you even harder with him here, injured on your couch, snuggling into your hand. Before you could move away he gripped your wrist. He sighed and pressed your hand back into his hair.
“Valko?”
“Don’t go,” he whispered, voice raspy.
You gave in and returned to softly scratching your fingers through his hair. He melted under the touch and his hand dropped from your wrist. You heard the same grumbly noise from before. You sat cross-legged in front of your couch and decided you’d stay just a little longer.
You woke to the sound of Valko whispering your name. His hand was warm against your shoulder.
You squinted and rubbed your eyes, confused. Valko was sitting up, his hand pulling away from your shoulder where he was gently nudging you awake. You realized what must’ve happened. You’d fallen asleep leaning against the sofa petting his hair. Your face heated at the memory. Then you remembered why he was in your apartment in the first place.
“Are you okay?” you asked, sitting up straight.
“I’m fine. Thanks to you,” he added. And he seemed fine. His voice was warm and soft again. He was smiling.
“You seemed really hurt,” you said, a little doubtful. Looking him over again. The bruise on his face was somehow almost completely faded. It had looked bad only hours before, like it should have stuck around for days.
“I heal quickly,” he explained. “See,” he pulled the bandage off from where you’d placed it on his chest. You looked at the clear skin underneath, relieved.
“I’m all better,” his grin seemed to grow as you reluctantly pulled your gaze away from his chest and back to his eyes. “Let me make you breakfast,” he offered. He stood and reached down to help you up too.
You stumbled, a little lost and still drowsy from sleep. He caught you, his hands on your shoulders. You looked up at him a little dizzily. Heart skipping a beat at his sudden nearness.
“Wait, what happened to you last night?” you asked, forcing yourself to focus on the issue at hand.
“That protocore we were looking into. I got a tip about it. And rushed in a little recklessly,” he grimaced, rubbing the back of his head. You stepped back a little, pulling yourself together. Still you couldn’t help but look over his messy hair, his sleepy disheveled appearance. Something about it made you feel so painfully fond of him.
You felt his eyes on you and you realized you were only wearing your comfy pajamas. “I’ll go change,” you blurted before going to try to straighten yourself out quickly. Still a little thrown at the change of events.
He was whistling and making pancakes in your kitchen when you joined him again. You watched him for a second. Standing in your kitchen in the early morning light. Your heart picked up its pace.
“Watch this,” he said, excited as he shook the pan lightly before thrusting it up and forward, flipping the pancake in the air. It landed mostly in the pan, a little batter splatting off of the pan and onto the stove. You failed to hide a laugh behind your hand.
He hadn’t completely changed.
He laughed along, cheeks tinged a little red in embarrassment. “That was the practice round,” he said.
“I have a question,” you blurted as he flipped the pancake again, more successfully the second time.
“Yeah?”
“Last night, you were–” you hesitated. “It sounded like you were growling,” you said finally. “Or something.”
“Growling?” he asked, turning fully away from the stove. “Did I scare you?”
“No,” you answered quickly, shaking your head. “No it wasn’t an angry growl. To be honest, it almost sounded like a purr,” you said, quieter. A little embarrassed to say it out loud, knowing it must have sounded silly.
“I don’t– I wouldn’t–” he looked confused for a second before something seemed to click. “Oh.”
“Oh?” you asked, intrigued by the sudden change in demeanor.
“It’s just a comfort thing,” he said quickly. He plated a pancake and pushed it towards you, along with some fruit and warmed syrup. “Eat,” he urged. Clearly trying to distract you. But the smell was enticing and you didn't even really know what you were asking so you acquiesced.
You sat down at the table and took a bite, a little thrown off by how closely he was watching you. His eyes barely left you even as he prepared his own plate.
“It’s really good.” You took another bite, not realizing how hungry you’d become. “Thank you,” you added.
“You should come over for dinner after work tonight. I’ll cook for you,” he responded. He took a bite and then continued. “And I’ll be getting you more groceries, you hardly had anything for me to work with,” he said, like he was already planning your next week of meals.
“I usually just get take out after work. Or buy some instant noodles.” You explained your empty fridge between bites. Your heart warmed at his concern.
He frowned.
“You can’t eat instant noodles,” he grumbled.
You laughed, ready to defend yourself before his phone buzzed. He looked at it and then back up at you.
“I can give you a ride to work if you’d like,” he offered.
“You don’t have to do all of this,” you said, voice soft and a little confused.
“You saved me,” he pressed. Nudging the bowl of berries towards you as if he decided you hadn’t eaten enough yet.
“You don’t owe me for that. I wanted to help,” you pushed back, taking a berry and placing it on his plate instead.
He seemed to turn a little red at that, eyes searching yours for something you didn’t quite understand.
“Just humor me, okay?”
You gave in after a moment, nodding.
He smiled and the weight of the moment passed. He started talking about what he planned to cook later, gesturing with his fork. His warm presence filled your apartment in a way that surprised you. It was like he belonged. You smiled and ate another berry.
It felt like something had changed between you. Something important.
