brand new blog! my name is hekate! if youâre new here welcome :) iâm going to mainly be writing fics and wips on here as well as Ao3 because i love writing chapter by chapter works BUT I love a good wip here and there! I love animes like Jujutsu Kaisen and Attack on Titan (If I write it will be AU) ! I also dabble in Marvel, Star Wars, Batman (Matt Reeves/Rob Pat. Batman) and honestly a bit of everything! I write a lot of OC fics and ships BUT I also do love y/n and self insert fics! Glad to have you here >;3
summary: after a nasty breakup, you find your name plastered on the front page of the daily planet, courtesy of no other than your ex, clark kent.
warnings/tags: female reader, angst, slight smut (mdni), make-up sex except clark gets blue balled, kitchen scene inspired (aka dry-humping), sub! clark if you squint, battinson sister, maybe a little ooc in terms of the dc universe but suspend belief for me, inaccurate descriptions of legal processes, reader is lowkey tortured (she gets it from her brother), em dashes but i just love using them sorry, very loosely based on sue me by audrey hobert, happy-ending!!!
wc: 3.2k words
Billionaire Heiress Flees Gotham Amidst Flood
The headline flashes in your face as your friend shoves the latest edition of the Daily Planet at you.
Ever since you were a kid, your actions have been carefully scrutinized by the public. Your birth was commemorated with a special edition of the Gotham Gazette. When you were 17, you got into your first wreck, and despite your pleas to Bruce for help, you became tabloid fodder for The Inquisitor. It's safe to say you've developed tough skin. Especially now with your brother out of the public eye, you're low-hanging fruit for the press.
But this time it was different. As your eyes scanned the byline, wondering which of your usual critics you could owe thanks to, your breath suddenly hitches in your throat.
Clark Kent.
It's been nearly two months since you ended things with Clark. You had met at Wayne Enterprises' annual New Year's Eve charity galaâone of the rare events where your brother would make a public appearance. This also meant that the Gotham Museum would not only be swarmed with pretentious benefactors but also scrappy reporters itching for a quote. You hated both, but you had to keep up appearances.
It was nearly midnight, and the party was still in full swing. You spent the last couple of hours dodging reporters with half-truths and shooting fake smiles at billionaire donors. You needed a moment alone, away from the social climbers, the opportunistic tabloid writers, and the unremarkable men trying to woo you with the promise of a New Year's kiss. Bleh.
Quietly, you slipped away to the rooftop. Looking over your shoulder constantly to make sure no one was following you. The cold air hit you like a knife. It's sharp, but you don't mindâyou liked remembering that you're human. You made your way through the fake turf and obnoxiously bright fairy lights toward the ledge of the roof. You paused to take in the Gotham skyline.
You thought about how much this skyline had changed since you were a kid. You thought about the trips to your parents' loft in the city center whenever they had business that they knew would take a while. The ride over in the car, as your parents had to stop you and Bruce from killing each other. Your favorite was when your parents finally had a moment to themselves. They would take you and Bruce out on the balcony and point out the different buildings that littered the sky. Many of the ones that you had known when you were younger no longer stare back at you today. You weren't sure when you started crying, but you knew when you stopped.
"I hope you're not thinking of jumping from there."
Your head shot back to look at who was speaking, and in the process, your heel caught on the train of your gown. Suddenly, you're falling face-first toward the ground. But you never hit the floor.
You found yourself being hoisted up by a big pair of arms. For a second, you thought it was your brother. You looked up and were instead greeted by piercing blue eyes staring at you through black-rimmed glasses. He was tall, very tall, but not intimidatingly so. He flashed you a nervous smile, and you watched as the dimples formed in his cheeks. He was cute. A cold breeze passed between you two, making you realize how close you actually were to him.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said, letting out a soft chuckle.
"It's alright. Luckily, I had my knight in shining armor to save me," you said, lightly punching his bicep. You cringed at yourself; you were still a little bit drunk. You changed the subject, "So you're a reporter, right?"
He looked at you, dumbstruck. "How'd you know?"
"I mean, the place is swarming with either donors or reporters, and your off-the-rack suit and crooked frames tell me that you're not one of the former. So, who are you with? The Inquisitor?" Your last question had more bite to it than you intended.
"Ouch. No, I'm with The Daily Planet." He reached out his hand and flashed you a crooked half smile. "Clark Kent."
You stared at him for a second and watched how the moonlight lit up his face as a curl hung perfectly over his forehead, swaying ever-so slightly in the breeze. You swore that even in the cold, you could feel the warmth radiating from him, like he was the sun.
"I know you." You took his hand and shook it, trying to ignore the warmth rising in your chest the longer your bodies made contact. "You're always on the front page with a new Superman article. I hope you know that scoring exclusives with your super buddy doesn't mean that you'll be able to get one with me."
"Oh, yeah. I sort of expected that, but I'm not here to report on you."
You shot him a quizzical look.
"I'm working on a piece on LuthorCorp. Lex Luthor is funding one of your major donors here tonight, and I'm just following the money." His gaze softened as he leaned in a little closer, "Besides, I told my editor that the Wayne siblings liked to fly under the radar. Y'know, I learned a bit from my pal Superman about respecting privacy."
Suddenly, the conversation was interrupted by a chorus of cheers. It was midnight.
You looked up innocently at Clark. "Hey, I've got a question for you, Mr. Reporter."
"Mhm," he hummed.
"D'ya got a girlfriend?"
He nearly choked on his spit as he tried to utter a simple, "No."
Smiling, you pulled him in closer by his collar and whispered into his mouth, "So, no one would mind if I did this?"
You closed the distance with your lips and waited for him to reciprocate. You felt his body ease into yours, lips moving in tandem. Your fingers snaked into his hair as his right hand cupped your cheek while his left hand made its way down to the small of your back.
You pulled away first. His once gelled hair was now a tousled mess of curls upon his head. The ghost of your red lipstick faintly lingered upon his lips. You smiled at the sight. "Happy New Year's, Clark."
After that night, you two were practically inseparable. Your apartment in Metropolis, which was once furnished with just the bare necessities, became filled with mementos of Clark. The street art you commented on in passing on a walk one day with Clark? He surprised you with it that weekend at dinner. The time you refused to let Clark visit because you didn't want to give him the flu? The weighted teddy bear and heated blanket he left in a care basket outside your door still live on your bed. When the newest season of Great British Bake-off dropped, and you were obsessed with honing your baking skills? Clark saved up to surprise you with an all-new stand mixer in your favorite color for Christmas.
But it wasn't the gifts that won you over. It was the thought and love that Clark put into them. You were used to receiving gifts from men in your past, but they tried to impress you with things they assumed you wanted. Jewelry, art, cars, whatever they thought fit the Wayne image, but it wasn't you. Clark, however, saw past your last name, and you loved him for it.
That's why that night hurt so much. You were sprawled out on the couch in a Smallville High School sweatshirt, many sizes too big for you. Anxiously, your eyes darted back and forth from the door to your phone. It had been three hours since Clark said he would come over, and he was still nowhere to be seen. No text, no call, nothing. He had begun to make it a habit of no-showing and cancelling at the last minute, but you always took him back. He would show up at your door the next morning with flowers and coffee, flashing his big puppy dog eyes at you. Each time, you folded.
But you could only take so much. In the year that you dated, you felt yourself grow closer to him than anyone else in your life, while also growing farther and farther apart. Your abandonment issues could only take so much, and Clark knew that. Yet, despite all your pleas for honesty, he never budged. You knew something had to give.
The next morning, when he inevitably showed up with flowers and your coffee made just right, you let him in without a word. Not looking him in the eye as you broke his heart.
"Clark, I can't do this anymore. You say you love me, but you don't show it. At least, not anymore." You can't look at his face, but from the way his body tenses, you can imagine his expression. Your voice started to quiver, "I love you. So much. But I need stability. I need someone who I know won't leave me like my parents did, like so many people have."
"Darling, c'mon," he pleaded.
"Clark, I'm serious," you said, avoiding his gaze. You could almost hear the tears as they welled in his eyes.
"I owe you an explanation. Please just let me give you that much," he desperately cut through your words.
"Clark, if I let you do that, then I'm just gonna end up taking you back, and I can't let that happen. Not this time. I can't hurt myself anymore. I'm sorry."
Clark didn't fight back, although a little part of you wished he did. He accepted defeat and choked out, "I'm so sorry, love," as he made his way out the door.
And so there you were, alone, wearing Clark's sweatshirt, in your apartment full of memories of what once was.
Now you were in that same apartment, mementos of Clark shoved in a box in your closet, as you clenched the latest edition of The Daily Planet in your hands. Memories and feelings that you were trying to bury for the past two months threaten to resurface.
"This article is such a cry for attention, I mean, what happened to journalism?! You should sue him," your friend says bluntly.
You blink at her.
"I mean for slander, or libel, or whatever the print version is. Maybe throw in a little defamation for good measure."
"I couldn't do that to Clark," you push back.
"Oh, god," your friend groans, "have you FORGOTTEN what that man put you through the last couple of months of your relationship. Shall I pull out the notes app list I made, recording every time that he stood you up?"
"No, no," you said, swatting her phone away. "I don't know, it feels way too harsh, and we're currently going no contact anyway."
"In case you don't remember, you're the one enforcing no contact. Loverboy has been calling, emailing, texting, carrier-pigeoning you nonstop since the breakup." Your friend lets out an exasperated sigh. "Just get one of your arsenal of lawyers to serve him!"
You don't say anything. You just shoot her a look and move on, but the conversation sticks with you. You sit in your bed that night, looking around your room, and the memory of Clark still lingers. The Mighty Crabjoys poster hung above your record player? It came with the record that Clark got you as a consolation gift for missing the concert he had given you tickets to. The Lego flowers sat neatly upon your nightstand? You and Clark built them together during a date night at your place after he flaked on going to the movies the night before. The half-empty perfume bottle collecting dust on your vanity? Clark had gotten it for you after an awful fight about his unreliability. He said it was so you would always have a reminder that he was with you, even when he wasn't. Even in his worst moments, he still managed to be the most thoughtful man alive. It infuriated you.
So, you took your friend's advice. You spent the week in Gotham consulting with your lawyers and ignoring the wary looks Bruce gave you. After a week of endless meetings and "well, maybe I shouldn't"s, the lawsuit was ready to be filed, and you had the honor of serving it.
That's how you end up outside the door of Clark Kent's apartment on a Friday evening. You can hear the faint sound of pots rattling as he cooks along to a recipe video on full volume. You remember all of the times you would yell at him to turn down the volume because "surely you can hear it just fine with the volume just halfway up." But you weren't there to scold him anymore.
You hold your breath and close your eyes as you hold out your hand to knock, when all of a sudden the door swings open. You were face-to-face with Clark.
"Hi," you let out breathlessly, like all the air was suddenly squeezed out of your lungs. You always let your guard down around him, even when you hate him.
"Hi," he says back, cautiously. "What are you doing here?"
You're brought back to reality. Clearing your throat, you tell him, "I'm suing you. You've been served," as you hand him the stack of papers.
He gives you a small smile. "Do you want to come in?"
"Clark, I'm suing you. Can you give me any hint of a reaction? Pleaseâ"
Clark drags you inside anyway.
"Clark, are YOU crazy? I'm leaving right now, and you should be glad I don't add a kidnapping charge to your case. God, you're insufferable." You're on your way out when you're stopped in your tracks.
"I'm Superman." He says bluntly, but there's a sincerity in his voice that stops you from laughing in his face. The same inflection that Bruce had when he finally came clean to you about Batman.
The air in the room is heavy as you turn to look at him. His face lit up in the moonlight the same way as it was that first night you had met him, except this time his glasses were off, and suddenly, you understood.
Clark makes his way toward you as you drop your hand from the door handle. He stops two feet away, his eyes begging for you to close the distance. So, you do.
He wraps his arms around you tightly, like he can't bear the thought of you getting away again. Leaning down in your ear, he whispers, "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I was so caught up in the idea that I was protecting you that I didn't realize I was hurting you until it was too late. I haven't been able to forgive myself since."
His breath is hot against your skin. Your hand is on his chest, and you can feel his heartbeat. He's a nervous mess. Superman is a nervous mess. All because of you.
You move his chin so you're looking each other in the eye. "Is that why you wrote that article, Clark?"
"Yes." A blush forms on his cheeks. "I know you enough to know that you probably didn't realize that the salacious headline didn't match the way I defended your character in the actual article. I know you would want to find a way to hurt me the way I hurt you. I knew you wouldn't have spoken to me any other way."
You're stunned. All you can do is make a slight "oh" sound with your mouth.
Clark continues, "I'm sorry, love. I know it doesn't change the past, butâ"
It was your turn to cut him off as you shut him up with a kiss. It's angry, aggressive, and passionate. It's everything you've been feeling for the past two months being released in one moment.
It doesn't take long for you and Clark to return to a familiar rhythm. His lips rest on yours, and he bites your bottom lip in a way that makes your knees weak. His tongue makes its way into your mouth as he tastes you for the first time in months, letting out a soft moan against your lips.
Your hands are in his hair, it's all so messy and so primal. The harder that he bites, the harder that you pull his hair. Strands of black curls threaten to escape from your fist. Your free hand rests on his chest, as you feel the way his breathing goes up and down, up and down. He puts his hand on yours and brings it down as he traces your curves.
When he reaches your ass, Clark lifts you up without breaking the kiss and walks you over to his kitchen counter before setting you down. You pull away for a second and just take him in. His curls are a dark mess on his head as they stick out every which way. His eyes are glazed over with a mixture of love and lust. His face is flushed with sweat, though you can't tell if it's his or yours. He looks beautiful like this.
Your lips crash onto his, and he bucks into you. His grey sweatpants do little to hide how hard he's getting, and you thank him for it.
"Clarkâfuck," you moan breathlessly.
You grind yourself onto him, desperate for something you've been starved of for so long. You feel his cock twitch through his sweats, and memories of him pounding into you with his huge cock flood back. You remember thinking he was going to split you in half as he had you an overstimulated, dirty mess, and now you knew why.
His back arches as he tries to close the distance even more, letting out soft grunts in your ear; they're only for you to hear. Your hand snakes its way up underneath his shirt, feeling your way up his abs. He sighs happily at the sensation, immediately taking off his shirt.
Slowly, you begin to kiss your way down his neck, not caring how rough you are. You know he can take it. "My perfect boy. My gorgeous, gorgeous boy. My Superman," you moan out in between kisses.
Clark's a mess next to you. Your hand moves from his chest down to his waistband. He shivers and moans your name as you pull on his sweatpants.
"Missed me so much, you're a mess, and I've barely even touched you." Your fingers trace along the waistband of his boxers as you feel his abs flexing with every breath.
"Gonna make me cum right here if you keep teasing me like that," Clark moans into your mouth.
"Is that a promise?" you ask innocently as your hand slides down into his boxers.
"Yes, baby, ohâ"
BEEEEEEEEEP
Your heads shoot up toward the smoke alarm going off, then down to the smoking, charred concoction now sitting on Clark's pan. You can't help but laugh.
"Aren't you supposed to have like heightened senses or something?"
"Well, I was a little distracted," he said, gesturing to you while running to fan the smoke away from the alarm.
And that's how you found yourself in Clark Kent's apartment on a Saturday morning, wearing his high school sweatshirt, calling your lawyers to throw out the lawsuit while Clark made you breakfast.
a/n ahhh i hope you guys enjoyed this!! it's the first fic i've written in a while tbh i usually use this account for lurking LOL, so any feedback would be awesome!! let me know if you guys like wayne! reader <3
For my next Bob Reynolds x reader fics would you guys prefer smut OR an angst filled chapter? I love writing angst but iâd love to dabble in some Bob smut! My main thing is making sure i donât lose the Bob vibe for the smut!
Paring: Robert Reynolds x Fem!Witch Reader! Past Avenger! Â
Summary: After a few months of living with the New Avengers you have found solace in the quiet moments and Bob couldnât agree more.Â
Warnings: SPOILERS FOR THUNDERBOLTS* (Post Thunderbolts*), Fluff, talks of mental health and trauma, depression, anxiety, some language. Short talk of self harming/destructive tendencies (just fighting lol nothing crazy chat)Â
Word count: 2.5k
AN: BOB! BOB! BOB! This is part 2 of my series and will definitely introduce the dynamic with Bob! Maybe some fluff. Maybe some confessions. Maybe some cuddling! :3 luv u (I didnât have a beta for this part so pls pardon minor mistakes)
part one!
xoxo
Song for the chapter: https://open.spotify.com/track/77KnJc8o5G1eKVwX5ywMeZ?si=5616af3c21274b54Â
âCan you just pass me the remote y/n,â Walker argued. His brows furrowed in annoyance.Â
âSuck my balls walker, Iâm tired of watching your military propaganda movies,â You argued back, âSomeone back me up here!âÂ
âI second that,â Ava said, tossing herself on the couch next to Yelena who just nodded to agree with you.Â
âItâs not military propaganda. Itâs just war movies from the American perspective.âÂ
âGah! Let us watch this documentary about the Soviet-âÂ
âNo,â Yelena cut her father off in a heartbeat. You couldnât help but laugh, âWho picked last time?â
The group looked around. Bob was sat reading a book in his usual corner uninterested in the movie night taking place. âBob hasnât picked,â Walker said, noticing your gaze on him. You turned to walker and shook your head in a âwhy the fuck would you do thatâ way. He just shrugged with a shitty smirk on his face.Â
âN-no itâs okay guys,â Bob called, now looking over at where you all were sitting, âI donât know any good movies, just letâŚâ He seemed to think for a second, his eyes locking on yours before he quickly looked down at his hands, âBucky pick.âÂ
âOh god that's worse than Walker,â You groaned. Bucky threw a pillow at you while you werenât looking, but quickly threw your hand up to use your magic to stop it, you threw it back at him, âI was joking..â You say throwing your hands up, âWalkers still worse.â Bob laughs from his corner.Â
Walker scoffs and stands, âYou think thatâs so funny huh Bob?âÂ
âOh god,â Yelena says.Â
You turn and look at Bob with an amused smirk. He looks at you for a brief moment, a rare tight lipped smile brushes his face but itâs gone before you can even appreciate it. He immediately looks back down to his book with blush spreading down his face. You sigh, turning back towards the TV when you catch Bucky looking at you with a weird look, the smile falling from your face. âWhat?â You ask him telepathically. He just shakes his head, grabbing the remote to put something on.Â
That's how you all find yourselves an hour and a half into Silence of the Lambs. Alexie is snoring loudly. Walker left about 20 minutes into the movie and Yelena and Ava went to spare. Leaving you, Bucky and Bob in his corner. You sigh to yourself before standing.Â
âWhere are you going?â Your friend asks, his eyes still trained on the screen.Â
âYou arenât my mother,â You say before grabbing your blanket and walk over to where Bob sits, still engrossed in his book from earlier. âCan I join you?â You see his shoulders tense, âOr not itâs okay I don't want to intrude,â You ramble.Â
He looks up at you with sad eyes, âN-no youâre not intruding. I just..didnât hear you come over,â He explains.Â
You exhaled a quiet laugh through your nose, âThatâs hard to believe coming from someone with superhuman everything,âÂ
He laughs and shakes his head,âYea, sure if thatâs what you want to call it,â he mutters, âW-what did you want anyways- I donât mean that in a bad way that's- I didnât mean for it-âÂ
âWhoa whoa whoa,â You wrap your blanket around yourself before sitting in front of the brunette, âBob, donât work yourself up okay,â You place a hand over his. His skin is boiling under your palm, you donât mean to tense but the temperature difference is scalding, âI just wanted to see how you are?âÂ
âIâm okay other than the constant internal reminders of what I did a few months ago, Iâm fine.âÂ
You look at him with raised brows, âCome on,â You stand back up removing your hand from on top of his. He just looks up at you timidly.Â
âWhere are we going?â He doesnât make a move to get up, actually it looks like heâs melting into his chair even more than before you came over here, âBucky doesnât want me to go out.âÂ
You extend your hand for him to take, âEveryones gone to bed, letâs watch a movie.âÂ
âBut I donât really know of any good movies,â he reminds.Â
âPlease,â You drop your sarcastic and fun facade for a second, âI-I havenât been sleeping well and this is the only time I can find peace out here.â Now you feel stupid. Why are you confiding in him anyways? No one cares about your lack of sleep, itâs not like it affects the way you fight.
âDonât think like that,â He cuts in, sitting up. You return your hand back at your side before walking away completely with a sigh. He can hear your thoughts. âWait y/n Iâm sorry I didnât mean to,â Bob mumbles something to himself before sinking back into his seat.Â
âDrop it,â You say, snapping. How could you let your walls drop like that? Over something so stupid. You head to your room, using your magic to close the door behind you before tossing yourself face first into your bed with a groan. âGod damnit,â You whisper to yourself.Â
You arenât sure when it happened but shortly after moving into the tower you found yourself trying to get Bob to open up to the group. Maybe it was the fact he reminds you of yourself when you first joined the team. You wouldnât let anyone close to you besides Wanda and on rare occasions Bucky and look where that got you. Alone. Scars littering your body from throwing yourself into fights you should've won just to feel something. You didnât want to see him fall down the same path so you tried and tried to invite him to cook meals, watch movies, workout in the training facility, all of which he turned down. Tonight felt like the nail in the coffin after months of trying you couldnât get to him and you just let him in your head instead. The only person he seems to enjoy talking to is Yelena and she couldnât explain a reason for why he was avoiding you.Â
Three soft knocks on your door took you out of your own head. You sat up and stared at the door. But you crawled back on your bed and curled into a ball under your covers, having no intention of answering. You simply flicked your wrist and all of the lights dimmed. You closed your eyes trying to find sleep when it wasnât going to come.Â
âY/n, please Iâm so sorry,â It was Bob, âIâm so sorry,â His voice broke like heâd committed some heinous crime against you. He knocked twice more very softly. You sighed before you opened the door with your magic and let him in. You untangled yourself from your sheets and sat up against your head rest looking at him in the dimmed light. You could see lines of tears down his face. You closed the door behind him once he had fully entered your room. âI didnât mean to read your thoughts, I want you to trust me.â Your heart cracks painfully in your chest hearing his voice. âI just, I donât-â and he stops talking. You pat your bed in front of where your sitting ushering him to come over, âI canâtâÂ
âWhy?â You whisper.Â
âI donât want to hurt you again,â He said. You just blinked at him, you couldnât think of a single time Bob had ever hurt you, âWhen...he took over, your room, the way you were screaming,â He started to cry and your heart sank even more because you knew he couldnât control it. Hell, he didnât even remember what happened until you showed him, âI just canât put you through that again.âÂ
âI-â you started, but words failed to amount up to what you needed to say to him so instead you would show him. Gently you placed your palms to cup his face. The pad of your thumb wiping away his tears, âItâs okay,â you whispered. His skin felt like fire under your hands and his cheeks were growing with blush as you continued to hold him.Â
âItâs not though,â He said before pulling out of your grasp and turning away from you, âI really hurt you, the way you were screaming, I canât do that to you, of all people, you,â He confessed. Your face grew hot. You crawled out from under the sheets and placed your palm on his cheek forcing him to look at you. Tears were pooled in his eyes, threatening to fall if you said the wrong thing and he refused to meet your gaze, âI want you to trust me.âÂ
âI do trust you, Bob. Probably more than anyone here,â You said admittedly, âIf it were to be anyone that could get in my head Iâm just glad itâs only you.âÂ
His eyes came up from the floor and locked with yours, âHow can you trust me so fast? I ruin everything I come in contact with. Iâm a walking disaster ready to happen.âÂ
âI donât care, take me down with you,â You whispered.Â
âWhy? Iâll ruin you.âÂ
âIâm already ruined,â You confessed, âI have spent the last few years pushing everyone I know away until theyâve died and I canât bring them back. Then I sit and think about every single word Iâve ever said to them and it haunts me. Every night.âÂ
âIâll just make it worse by being around you. What happens if the void takes over and I canât stop it. I canât see you hurt like that again,â The confession of his feelings towards you were on the tip of his tongue.Â
âI can handle myself,â You tease, âI can help you. Can I show you?âÂ
âW-what are you talking about?âÂ
You remove your palm softly from his cheek and he almost looks desperate for your touch again, you smile weakly at him, âDo you trust me?âÂ
âYes,â He answers immediately. You nod at his answer. Slowly you place your hands in his hair, running your fingers gently through it until he shivers under your touch. Slowly you feel the energy coursing through your arms till it reaches where the tips of your fingers gently caress the back of his scalp. He hums and closes his eyes as the feeling of peace takes over him. When you first started working with the Avengers, some of their thoughts would keep you up from how loud they were. That's when you created a spell that works almost like a calming drought on whoever you would use it on. Did you have to have your hands on them, no. You just know how tormented the man in front of you is and youâd do anything to soothe that. âWhat did you do?âÂ
âItâs a spell I created that calms down your mind,â You carefully massaged his scalp while the spell set in, âIt can last up to 8 hours, but thatâs the most I could get.âÂ
He slowly opened his eyes, âHow come you havenât tried it on yourself? You mentioned that you havenât been sleepingâŚIâm sorry for bringing it up.âÂ
You shook your head with a smile, âWhen I wrote the spell it was specifically one to use on other people, Iâve never been good with magic that would actually help myself. Not really my thing,â You laughed, trying to cope with your inadequacies.Â
âLet me help you,â He said softly, âPlease y/n you donât know how much it would mean to me. You-â He cut himself off, closing his eyes once more. Almost so he didnât have to see the look on your face, âI want to protect you, Iâve never wanted to do something so badly. But I am so terrified of messing up and hurting you.â You knew exactly what he was trying to say, âLet me keep you safe, please. I know Iâm no use now but please.âÂ
Your fingers came to a halt as you felt the spell finally sink in, his body physically relaxed. Slowly you moved your grasp back to holding his face between your palms. âOkay,â You whispered, his eyes widened, âOnly if you let me take care of you in return.âÂ
He nodded earnestly but he faltered, âIf I ever hurt you though y/n you have to leave me.âÂ
âNo,â You countered, âIâm with you no matter what, okay? Iâm a big strong girl, I'll be fine.â He didnât look too convinced, âBob, I promise you will never hurt me, and if there ever comes a day where that could happen weâll cross that road when we get there, okay?âÂ
âOkay,â You smiled and he smiled back, blush creeping its way back onto his face, âDo you want to try to sleep, itâs late,â He said looking at your clock on the dresser. 3:47am.Â
You bit your bottom lip between your teeth and removed your palms from his face. His body leaned into where your touch had just been, âCan you stay?â You asked timidly. He looked taken back by your question.Â
âOnly if you want me to,â He said. You nodded in response, âYou have to say it, please, for me.âÂ
You felt heat spread across your face, âStay with me.âÂ
âOkay.âÂ
You two spent the next 10 minutes getting ready for bed together in a peaceful silence, exchanging small smiles that would ignite that butterfly feeling. Bob went and retrieved his toothbrush and a fresh set of pajamas before coming back to your room. The two of you carefully climbed into your bed together, you could feel him shaking softly next to you, âAre you nervous?â You teased.Â
âYes,â He laughed, âHow can you tell?â He joked before crawling under your sheets with you. Carefully you scooted closer to him and placed your hand gently on his chest and he lifted up his arm for you to rest on. His heart was fluttering beneath your fingertips and his body radiated a comforting heat you had never felt before.Â
âThank you,â He said softly.Â
You smiled against his chest, âOf course.â You felt your eyes grow tired and you quickly raised your hand to turn the lights off fully. You let your eye close and felt Bob wrap his arm tighter around your body.Â
âIs this okay?âÂ
âMhm,â You hummed. And for once the both of you drifted off into a dreamless sleep.Â
âLook at how cute, they look like baby seals cuddling together,â Alexie said rather loudly.Â
âShut up,â Yelena whispered.Â
Bucky hummed. The rest of the team stood crowding your doorway which they took upon themselves to open just a sliver.Â
âGet out of my room,â You said in a sing song voice, before you closed to door. With your eyes still closed you pushed yourself deeper into Bobs grasp.
âDo you think theyâll be upset?â Bob asked, you could tell he was getting nervous. But with you carefully tucked in his embrace, he relaxed once again.Â
âWe arenât!â Alexie shouted through your closed door.Â
Paring: Robert Reynoldsx Fem!Witch Reader! Past Avenger! Â
Summary: Bucky asks a favor of you and ends up getting you entangled with one of Valentinas ploys.Â
Warnings: SPOILERS FOR THUNDERBOLTS*, talks of mental health, depression, anxiety. Some violence (bc its marvel), some language. Trauma. Angst. Decent amount of Hurt/ With some comfort!Â
Word count: 2.7k
AN: Hi! Welcome to my fic! this is probably multi part idk my plans yet. I'm leaning more towards multi-part bc I'm usually a chapter by chapter writer so there isnât a lot of Bob in this one but I hope its a good intro to maybe a 2-3 parts. I literally fell in love with Bob's character during Thunderbolts and this man gave me motivation to write again. I didn't have a Beta reader for this one so pls forgive any grammer or silly mistakes. Forewarning (y/n)âs powers based off of the Marvel character Morgan le Fay just to throw that out there, sheâs definitely not Wanda but definitely not Morgan. Think morally gray/ hates everyone except like 3 people/ witch trained by the past avengers. Next part will have more Bob I promise, just wanted to introduce the story here >:3
Song for the chapter: https://open.spotify.com/track/09fDemXgXzRReTfb7UWxjD?si=7e0b5d606b824813Â
You sighed heavily before responding, âHello to you too Senator Barnes!â You heard the man grumble from the other phone line.Â
âYou know I hate when you call me that,â Bucky said.Â
âWellâŚwhat do you want, Buck?â You said, rolling your eyes. You look around your empty apartment for something to fidget with while Bucky chews your ear off about calling him another stupid nickname.Â
âY/N, Valentinaâs got this guy apparently named Bob-âÂ
âBob?â You ask, cutting him off. Who names their kid Bob in this day and age?Â
âYes, Bob! Iâm with Natâs sister and she said we have to go get him because heâs part of some Sentry project,â He explained, voices yelling at him in the background of the phone call. âCan you just meet us at the tower?âÂ
A wave of nausea rolled over you, âThe tower? Bucky, I don't go around there anymore.âÂ
âI know, but I wouldnât be calling you if I had anyone else to call.âÂ
âHow nice,â you taunt. You were never any of the Avengers first calls. To be fair you werenât sure if it is because they were scared of you or your lack of social skills. âAlso Natâs sister?âÂ
âLater,â Which means he says heâll tell you later but in reality heâs never going to bring it up again unless you find the answer yourself.Â
You sigh, walking over to the bookshelf in your apartment thatâs filled with books, both regular and magical, and pictures. Your hand brushes across a photo of yourself, Steven Strange, and Wanda, âI donât fight anymore Bucky. You couldnât just ask Sam?âÂ
âHeâs uhmm..busy,â He answered, âI know how youâre feeling y/n.âÂ
âYou donât,â You interrupt. How could he possibly understand how youâre feeling when he barely reaches out to you unless he needs something. Him and the rest of the remaining team abandoned you, after Wanda, you had no one to turn to. You felt the all too familiar dull ache in your chest. You chewed on the skin around your nails waiting for Bucky to respond.Â
â I think we need you for this one.â Which means in Bucky terms that whoever they are fighting is a mutant and something he canât fight.Â
âFuck,â You mutter to yourself.Â
Ever since Wanda vanished you refused to step back out on the field.She was the only one that truly knew what you were capable of considering she was the one that found you all those years ago. Not even Thor, a god, could hold you back during training sessions and the only avenger to understand your pain was Wanda. And now sheâs-Â
You closed your eyes and took a deep breath to ground yourself. You havenât been able to sense her magic anywhere. No matter what realm you went to, you couldnât find her.Â
âShe already knows weâre here,â You try to explain to the group in front of you. Bucky gave you and the rest of the team a run down of Sentry and what Mel, Valentinas assistant, told him about Bob. That doesnât stop them from driving a truck through the lobby destroying the front of the building in the process, âAwesome,â You have no choice but to join the fight to defend the group. Defense only, you tell yourselfÂ
While Walker has his back turned, a soldier on the ground fires a few stray bullets, you toss your hand up and redirect the shots to the wall behind him, âWatch yourself walker,â You growled. Before he could reply you went back to the fight. Using your magic to cast illusions into the minds of the soldiers fighting to give the group an advantage when attacking.
âI just had that drywall put in. You can just come up, you know that right.â Valentinaâs voice rang out over the intercoms, âBut I know you knew that already y/n. Come on up!âÂ
Yelena and Ava looked at you, knowing you had previously stated that and they had just refused to listen. You just rolled your eyes at them before motioning them to go in the elevator.Â
âYou are not coming,â Yelena asked as the group of 5 squeezed into the elevator.Â
You shake your head before pointing up. You close your eyes and feel the familiar stomach reeling feeling of teleporting to where the penthouse once was. Where you shared few but long lasting memories. Your eyes wander across the empty walls and fairly empty room before you look at Val.Â
âAh! Y/N, so lovely to see you darling. You see Iâve always wanted to work with you,â The woman said.Â
âCanât say the same,â You said in a sarcastic tone.Â
âHmm, well maybe heâll change your mind.â You just raise an eyebrow.
You donât have the chase to question her because Bucky and the team come through the elevator doors ready to arrest her for crimes. You look between each person and back to Valentina, honestly not sure what is going on.Â
That's when you feel it. A humming. Power. You look around only to notice no one else in the âThunderboltsâ, as Alexie is calling them, notices it. You try to pinpoint a mind to tap into to find where this power is from but you canât, a black shadow blocking you out. Shit.Â
âMeet Sentry.âÂ
You look up to where a man is clothed in aâŚugly suit, with unnaturally yellow blonde hair.Â
âHey guys,â He greats. You study him for a second, the power dripping off of him but there's something else there, something all too familiar. You try to invade his mind but there's something keeping you out. You pull and claw at the black void keeping you out.Â
âY/n.â You vacate the attempt on his mind and meet his eyes. You cock your head to the side, he knows what you were doing, âThat wonât work,â his voice coming out cautious.Â
âTake care of them Robert,â Valentina orders.Â
âI donât want to hurt you guys,â Bob says, looking around at all of them in front of him, âPlease just give yourselves in.âÂ
âWait-â Yelena tries to interrupt.Â
Alexie yells before running towards the man. Instead of following the rest of the team you stand back and observe. Everything they throw at him gets blocked or countered. Teleportation. Flight. Strength.
Bucky shoots at Bob only for the bullets to be sprayed back at him and Walker. You hold your hand up blocking the bullets and directing them towards the already broken window. Thats when Sentry notices you.Â
âI knew I liked her,â Walker says to Bucky, getting ready to fight again.Â
âWandaâs not here to save you this time.âÂ
You barely move after hearing the voice in your head when the rest of the Thunderbolts move to attack Bob. You shake your head as if to clear your thoughts but you feel his eyes on you. Instead of the blue you saw earlier, Bobâs eyes have a golden hue.Â
âShe left you, just like you told her to.âÂ
âStop,â You whisper to yourself, rage boiling beneath your skin.Â
The fight breaks out and you watch as Bob grabs Bucky's Arm.Â
âGod damnit,â You whisper, before running towards the two to save Bucky. Bob tosses Bucky to the side, his arm now torn off. You shot a blast of energy towards him only for him to teleport out of the way. I donât want to hurt you, You try to telepathically tell him.Â
âYou canât hurt me,â He says aloud.Â
âSays who,â You taunt. Your feet leave the floor before you canât register your rage taking over. Blast after blast and nothing is hitting him.Â
He teleports in front of you and grabs your neck. What he doesnât expect is to look behind you and see a beach. A sunset. He furrows his brows as he looks around in confusion.Â
That gives you enough time to grab his wrist and teleport out of his grasp.Â
The illusion collapses around the two of you as you lose contact. With every fight youâve been in, usually your opponent will be thrown off once coming out of the illusion but BobâŚHe raises a hand before you can counter and you slam into the concrete wall of Avengers Tower, the wall cracking behind you.Â
 You feel an arm hook under your shoulders and begin to drag you to the elevator which you see is already occupied with the rest of the team besides you and Yelena. âGet off of me,â You grumble. You teleport out of her grasp and out of the tower completely. Your knees are wobbly beneath you and you assess your surroundings. Guard still up.Â
âAre you hurt?â You turn and see Bucky running towards you, the rest of the Thunderbolts following in suit.Â
âYou know Iâm not,â You used your magic to heal yourself immediately after the hit, âI tried to help Buck but Iâm not strong enough anymore. Iâm leaving.âÂ
âNo, let us regroup and we can go back in,â Alexie tries to argue.Â
âAll of you just got your asses beat, you especially-âÂ
âWell I am just rusty but now I am ready to go,â The older super soldier bellows.Â
You see Yelena put a hand over her eyes. You just laugh out of disbelief and begin to walk down the street.Â
âWait y/n,â Bucky follows after you, âJust wait-âÂ
You turn, he can feel the rage dripping off of you, âWhat!â You shout, âWhat do you want from me?âÂ
He just stares at you, âI was going to ask if you were okay.âÂ
You laugh, âAm I okay? God, you should've asked me that when Tony died. Or when I lost Vision and then lost Wanda. Or Nat. Or Steve.âÂ
âYou acted like you didnât even care about half of the team, what did you expect me to do?â He argues.Â
âI didnât want to hurt any of you!â You exclaim, letting your emotions run wild on the streets of New York, âIf you think that up there I used all my power, you're wrong. I didnât want to hurt any of you so I stayed away.âÂ
âBut Wanda-âÂ
âBut Wanda understood me, more than you or Tony or any of them. You donât understand what I went through, what Iâve done. Bucky, you donât know who I really am.âÂ
There was commotion behind you, taking your concentration away from the conversation. Citizens were pointing up towards the sky. You and Bucky exchange glances before running to where you could have a clear view of what they were looking at.Â
A shadow of man floated above Avengers Tower. You watched as he raised a hand and all of a sudden a helicopter came crashing into a crane. Concrete and rubble began to fall from the buildings that were hit. People were screaming.Â
Typical avenger in New York occurrence.Â
You and Bucky split off to protect the people from being crushed. You used your magic to stop concrete from crushing a family and urged them to get into a building.Â
âYouâre alone,â You turned to see the man closer to you now. You recognized the voice from just minutes ago, Bob, âYouâve always been alone.â You just stare at him, âIt eats you alive doesnât it, y/n.âÂ
People are screaming, you turn to look behind you and see shadows of people spread across the floor in dark black smoke. You heart drops, what the fuck is this guy.Â
âThe pain goes away. Just come with me,â Bob captures your attention once again, âI can make it go away.âÂ
âHow?â You whisper. He reaches a hand out to you.Â
âY/n! Stop!â Bucky shouts behind you but something in your mind is telling you to go. Telling you that everything will stop if you accept his hand. Everything will be quiet. Will the pain finally go away?Â
âY/n,â The distorted voice urges.Â
Thatâs when you close your eyes and walk into the void.Â
You open your eyes and find yourself in an all too familiar room. One lined with archaic symbols preventing you from escaping. Your heart drops because you see yourself, younger, wounded, broken standing on the other side of the room.Â
You know this day, you recognize it by the energy alone. This was the first time you killed someone. The first time you disintegrated someone's body and brain.Â
âY/N, Before you is a man who is being convicted of crimes against countless women, including your own mother,â You watched as your younger self balled her hands into fists, âYour task is to eliminate him.âÂ
Younger you nodded.Â
âN-no,â You ran over to where you stood and wrapped your arms around your younger self, âyou donât have to do this,âÂ
âGet off of me,â Your body is thrown a few feet away from your younger self. That's when you feel it, the pain of a curse of 1000 sharp white-hot knives digging into you, you scream and writhe on the floor. That was your punishment when you were captured, if you ever disobeyed or failed, they cursed you over and over.Â
âStop,â You sob, the curse diminishing, âStop,â You whisper, tears falling onto the floor beneath you. Your mind whirls and your limbs ache, like youâre gripped by a fever that burns through you like wildfire.Â
âY/n?â A male voice.Â
You look towards a doorway where Bob stands, not Sentry, not Void but Bob. You squeeze your eyes shut to stop crying.Â
âOh god, I-Iâm so sorry,â He runs over to you, âI-I canât stop it,â He apologized.Â
âI donât understand,â Your voice comes out as a whisper, âWhat is this?â You finally sit up and watch the rest of the scene play out in front of you.Â
You watch as younger you raises her hand towards the man and he begins to scream in agony. You watch as his skin flairs and melts.Â
âDonât look,â Bob urges, grabbing your arm and pulling your attention from the memory. There are tears in his blue eyes. He has brown hair now instead of the fake gold that Val gave him. Heâs clothed in a sweater and tan pants. He honestly looks like heâs going to pass out. âI canât do anything right, Iâm so sorry,â He mumbles, âI-I donât even know you and youâre stuck here with me. Itâs thisâŚvoid.âÂ
âHow do we get out?â You ask, looking down to study your shaking hands.Â
âI-I donât know. Thereâs different rooms and each one just gets worse. Iâm so sorry Y/n,â He begins to cry. Your heart shatters for a moment thinking about what he must go through if he deals with this constantly, now with the serum it must have fully taken over him.Â
âLetâs just get out okay,â You place your hand on his thigh and he tenses beneath you. You squeeze his leg in reassurance before standing up, âP-please donât tell anyone what you saw, I-I canât. No one knows.âÂ
âI wonât, Why would I tell them?â He asks sincerely. All you can do is nod, âY-you can trust me.â Once again, you just nod.Â
âDo you think everyone else is in here?â You ask, trying to change the topic.Â
âM-maybe,â He saying, shrinking in on himself.Â
âHey, itâs okay, Iâm fine. Weâll all be fine,â You soothe, âLetâs just find them.âÂ
Thats how you ended up finding the team, fighting Bob in a chicken outfit, and getting out of the void. Only to have Valentina throw a new title on the group right after.Â
The New Avengers. Including you. Awesome.Â
And thatâs how you ended up here, living in the tower after some much needed renovations. Bob didnât remember anything after the Void incident but something told you to tell him. So you showed him through your magic. He apologized profusely to the team and kept his distance since then. Honestly, he reminds you a lot of yourself when you first joined the Avengers with Wanda. But you refuse to let him fall into that dark of a hole like you did.Â
You want to save someone for yourself, for once. You want to save him.Â
people are making edits. everyone is getting shipped with everyone. there was cheering at the post credits scene. avengers tower fan fiction is being written. marvel is SO BACK
Request: anonymous said: "I was wondering maybeeee if you could write some protective bf Tyler ( because i would be swooning ) maybe either someone keeps hitting on her so he steps in or someone maybe in another storm chasing crew is being mean so he steps in and defends her <3 idk"
Word count: 3.9k
Warnings: language, mild fighting i guess?? slight angst
A/N: sorry I haven't been posting as frequently! I started work up again and ya girl has been BUSY. Anyyywayyy, thank you for reading! please keep the comments coming! I love to see all your requests and I promise i'm getting to them as quickly as i can :)
âNeed anything?â Tyler asked, leaning against the hood of the truck in a way that shouldnât be as adorable as it is.Â
âIâm good,â you said, offering him a gentle smile before brushing a few loose strands of hair from your sticky forehead.Â
âYou wanna come in with me then?âÂ
You shook your headâ the idea of sitting in a stale diner with no AC was just about as unbearable as the thought of driving another second. âNo, I think Iâll stretch my legs out here.â
âOkay,â he said in a tone that indicated youâd be missing out. He gave the truck a pat before adding, âWe wonât be long.â
âTake your time,â you assured him.Â
He offered one final nod before turning and following Dani, Boone, and Lily across the parking lot. Dexter also stayed behind. Instead of shitty diner food, heâs opted to take a nap inside the RV accompanied by his noise canceling headphones and a fan blasting right at his face.Â
You were exhausted, down to your bones. You and the rest of the team had driven nearly six hours that day tracking a cell that hadnât ended up amounting to anything. You were stiff and tired and irritableâ just like everyone else. But you hoped that some time alone outside might help at least level out your mood.
You extended your arms over your head, groaning when you felt something lightly pop in your back, before craning your neck from side to side. The air was stiflingâ thick and humid with little to no breeze for any sort of relief. The heat hadnât broken in nearly a week, and unfortunately for just about everyone, the truckâs AC didnât work as well as it used to.Â
The parking lot to the diner was relatively empty. Aside from the crewâs RV and truck, there was an SUV parked in one of the front spots and a small sports car with a steady cloud of smoke pouring out the cracked window. Â
You let your eyes wander past the diner parking lot at the sprawling field across the road. The windmills were agonizingly still in the stale airâ like even they were desperate for some reprieve.Â
Your eyes fell shut as you took a few deep breaths, trying to get your bearings.Â
Your peace lasted for about thirty seconds. And then the sound of blaring music and screeching tires had you turning your pulsing head. Instantly, you rolled your eyes at the sight of the familiar vans pulling into the lot beside you.Â
Merrill Anderson and his crew started chasing in the area almost thirteen months ago. You knew because each and every moment that youâd known about their existence had been more painful than the last.Â
Anderson was a meteorologist out of Texas that wore a cowboy hat almost as big as his mouth and an inflated ego to match it. He made sure you and everyone else around him knew that he had a PhD, and therefore, in his opinion, was automatically more entitled to chase. Him and Tyler had hated each other from the moment they met while chasing an EF2 in Arkansasâ their feud only grew each time their paths crossed.Â
Anderson was grinning at you through the window as soon as his van rolled by. You did your best to avert your gazeâ hoping that lack of eye contact would avoid any sort of conversation.Â
Unfortunately, you werenât so lucky.Â
âThere she is,â he announced, boots scuffing against the dirt parking lot as he hopped out from the driverâs seat.Â
âNow what're you doinâ out here all by yourself? Your team finally leave you behind? Realized they didnât need two uni drop outs on their team?â he asked, tone already dripping in sarcasm.Â
He was an antagonizer who got off on provoking others. And although you and Anderson had your fair share of unpleasant exchanges, you knew he only ever bothered you to get under Tylerâs skin.Â
Tylerâs biggest weakness was that he was endlessly protective of the people he loved. You saw this particular trait as a strengthâ but you knew that Anderson fed off Tyler's anger, which you could only imagine was his intention now. Thankfully Tyler was in the dinerâ hopefully gorging on raspberry pancakes as you spoke. Because if he were to see Anderson talking to youâ you knew this whole interaction would escalate quickly.Â
âAnderson,â you sighed, leaning casually against the hood of Tylerâs truck. The smile you forced on your face was almost painful. âSo lovely to see you, as always.â
You hoped if you withheld from his taunting, he might move on quicker.Â
Instead, to your despair, he backtracked from his van to stand across from you. âYou guys go ahead,â he instructed his crew. âIâm gonna spend some time with my friend here.â
They nodded before heading towards the diner, leaving the two of you alone.Â
âYou should teach that hillbilly- boyfriend of yours some manners. If I remember correctly, last time I saw him, he drove through a puddle to splash me.â
You bit back a grin as you recalled the moment he was referring to. âIâm sure it wasnât on purpose,â you lied (it was absolutely on purpose).Â
Anderson chuckled. âYou knowâ I donât know if weâve ever had a conversation just us, without him lingering around. Youâre much more pleasant. Both in conversation and in looks.âÂ
You felt a chill run down the length of your spine at his wordsâ but the way he was looking at you was infinitely worse. You watched as his eyes flickered from your face to your chestâ currently more exposed than you would like in the tanktop you wore in the stifling Oklahoma heat. You wished you had grabbed a shirt to cover up inâ but they were all either dirty and packed away somewhere in your duffel.Â
Clearing your throat, you stood up straight and crossed your arms, attempting to shield yourself from his lingering gaze.Â
âOh, hey now darlinâ, donât cover up. Iâve been stuck in the van all day with these jokers, this is the most action Iâve gotten all summer.âÂ
You could feel the blood rushing to your cheeks as you tried desperately to remain level headed. Anderson was a jerkâ and heâd definitely make you uncomfortable⌠but you couldnât imagine that heâd ever actually do anything to harm you. Â
Then again, youâd never interacted with him for longer than a minute or two with Tyler and the rest of the crew at your side. This was uncharted territory that you didnât care to explore. You felt your earlier determination to handle him on your own fade away with uneasiness. Â
You turned your head towards the diner, hoping you might catch Tylerâs gaze through the window or something. Of course you were too far away for thatâ all you caught was the glare from the sun.Â
âYou know Iâm not used to seeing you in clothes like this, usually youâre all covered up,â Anderson whistled.Â
As soon as he took a step closer, you instinctively moved too. Except your legs collided with Tylerâs truckâ preventing you from actually going anywhere. For some dumb reason, you felt obligated to hold your groundâ to not let him see how uncomfortable he was really making you. But with each passing comment, you grew more and more fearful.Â
Anderson now had his body angled towards you with a look that could only be described as predatorial. âGod, itâs true you donât know what youâre missinâ til you see it. We should have these heat waves more often if it means I get to take a look at this every day.â
You tried and failed to remain stoic. You wanted to yellâ to tell him to shut the fuck up. But for some reason, your body and brain werenât connecting.Â
âCâmon, where is she?â he taunted. âYou know, your sweet side has its perks. But I much prefer âem a little spicy.âÂ
He took another few steps closer to you. It was subtle, but you noticed. Anderson was so obviously getting a kick out of whatever the hell he was doing here, and you were doing a piss-poor job at withholding from it, like youâd originally planned.Â
âWhy donât you come on back in my van with me,â he winked. âIâm not sure how your hillbilly does it, but I can show ya a real good time.âÂ
Get away from me, you wanted to scream. But your mouth wouldnât moveâ your voice was lost somewhere inside of you. And all you could get your body to do was lean away from him slightly.Â
âDonât be like that, darlinâ,â he cooed. He was so close that you could almost smell his breath. Your brain told you to fightâ to shove or kick or do something to get him away from you. But all those previous instincts you had to fight back faded into paralyzing fear.Â
Anderson reached across the space between you to move a loose strand of hair from your face as you began to tremble. âAnd donât be afraid, baby doll. I donât bite⌠too hard. Owens ainât gotta knowââ
âAnderson!âÂ
Your head snapped at the sound of a familiar voice⌠Not just any familiar voiceâ Tylerâs voice. He was currently storming across the parking lot with a look of pure hatred across his face. The second his eyes landed on youâ undoubtedly and obviously terrified, that anger only intensified.Â
âGet the fuck away from her,â he demanded. His eyes were narrowed and shockingly darker than their normal shade of sage.Â
âHere he is!â Anderson taunted. âHer douche bag in shining armor.â
You couldnât help but notice Anderson didnât step away. In fact, if anything, he looked like he was about to step closer, just to really test his limits. But then, to your relief, you saw Boone, Dani, and Lily storming out of the diner in Tylerâs wakeâ all coming to your rescue.Â
In an instant, Tyler was there, stepping between you and Andersonâ forming the protective barrier you needed to finally feel safe again. Without thinking, you fisted the back of Tylerâs T-shirt for good measure.Â
âEasy, Rambo,â Anderson sneered. âI was just tellinâ your sweetheart here how much I enjoy her new look. Who knew she had all this hidinâ under those baggy shirts? That the reason you keep her hanginâ around, Owens? I knew she had to be good for somethingââ
But Anderson didnât get a chance to finish his sentence. Because before you knew what was happening, Tyler was lunging forward and connecting his fist with Andersonâs nose.Â
The crack as it broke was deafening, you released Tylerâs shirt to cover your mouth in shock. Tyler hit him with enough force that he went staggering back a few steps, his hands instantly moving to cup his face.Â
Tyler was still shaking off his hand when Anderson stood up straight, blood pouring out of both nostrils.Â
âDamn, that bitch must be as good as she looks if sheâs worth all this,â Anderson continued to taunt. Even with a broken nose, he didnât back down. Â
Without even hesitating, Tyler moved to strike again. But as soon as he did, Boone and Dani were both stepping in front of him to break things up.Â
âEasy, Tââ Boone said.Â
âStay the fuck away from her,â Tyler snarled in warning, pointing his finger over Booneâs shoulder. Youâd never quite heard his voice so malicious or threatening before, and even though it was in your defense, it sent shivers down your spine.  Â
Suddenly, Lily grabbed your hand from the side, causing you to flinch. âItâs okay,â she said, tugging you a few steps away from the chaosâ like she knew how badly you needed space from everything. âYou alright?â
You nodded, flustered. Â
âNext time you want to settle this without your little army of strays, you let me know, Owens. And next time you want a good time, Y/N, you know where to find me,â Anderson said, offering you a wink that churned your stomach. With that, he wiped some blood from his nose and began sauntering back towards his van.Â
âIâm gonna fucking kill him,â Tyler snarled, still being physically held back by Dani and Boone.Â
âYeah, and heâd deserve it. But heâs not worth catchinâ a charge,â Boone said. âItâs been a slow season and we donât got the kind of money to bail you out of jail.â
âTake a breath, T,â Dani said. âHeâs walkinâ away. Take a breath.â
You watched Tyler slowly come back to his body. He listened to Dani and took a deep breathâ his shoulders visibly relaxing when he exhaled. It seemed to be enough for his friends to finally release him.Â
As soon as he was free from their grasp, Tyler turned aroundâ his attention landing on you. âAre you okay?â he asked, his previously menacing voice now laced with so much care and concern. He stood in front of youâ his body blocking all views of Anderson and their vans. His hands moved to cup your cheeks gently.Â
âIâm fine,â you said, attempting to convince yourself more than anyone else. But even you knew it didnât sound convincing. Your voice subtly cracked on the final word.Â
Tyler stroked his thumb along your skin. The look on his face told you he didnât quite believe you as his eyes flickered down to your trembling hands. Thankfully he didnât ask more.Â
âI gotta say that was a nasty right hook, T,â Boone said, clapping Tyler on the back as he approached. âI didnât know you had it in ya.â
âWhatâd that asshat say to you?â Lily asked. âYou looked really shaken up when we saw you out the diner window.â
âNothing,â you mumbled, too embarrassed to repeat his taunts. You were shocked by how self-conscious you suddenly felt with everyoneâs eyes on you. Andersonâs previous words had made you incredibly aware of every inch of yourselfâ like there was an electrical current humming underneath the surface of your skin.Â
âJust the usual shit,â you tried to brush it off. Â
You felt grateful when they didnât push.Â
Eventually, the crew disassembledâ everyone focused on getting their stuff together to hit the road again. Anderson didnât reemerge from his van, but as you sat idly in the passenger seat of Tylerâs truck, you didnât take your eyes off from where it was parkedâ like you were anticipating some sort of retaliation.Â
You remained hidden from the teamâ feeling so awkward and uncomfortableâ like you didnât want to be perceived or noticed by anyone. And you hated that Andersonâs words were the ones to make you feel that way. You couldnât find any shirts in your duffel bag that werenât disgusting. And currently you didnât have the time or patience to dig through your second bag in the RV. So instead, you wrapped your arms awkwardly over your chest, trying to make yourself as small as possible just as Tyler climbed into the front seat.Â
âEveryone else is riding in the RV, itâs just us,â he said, eyes lingering on you.Â
âOkay,â you said, trying your best to sound casual. You wondered if he ordered everyone in the RV so that youâd feel more comfortable. You made a mental note to thank him for that later, he was always so good at reading between the lines. Â
Tyler instantly noticed your uneasiness. âBaby, whatâd he say to you?âÂ
You shrugged, refusing to meet his gaze out of sheer embarrassment. âI mean, I think you caught the gist of it at the end there⌠Just a lot of that.â
You heard his loud exhale. âJust say the word and Iâll barge into that stupid van and kill him right now.â
The corner of your lip tugged into a small smile. âI just want you to stay here,â you admitted.Â
He nodded solemnly. Without another word, Tyler passed you something he had scrunched up in his fist. It was one of his T-shirtsâ like he knew you wanted to cover up without even having to say it. You took the shirtâ the thanks you wanted to offer him remained stuck in your throat, but Tyler didnât seem to mind.Â
Instead, he pretended to fiddle with the radio while you silently slipped the shirt on. Almost instantly, you felt like you could relax underneath the fabric of his clothes.Â
You curled your arms around yourself and tucked your knees to your chest. When Tyler asked if you were ready to head out, you nodded without another word.Â
âŚ
It was only seven when you arrived at the motel. Tyler went into the lobby to book the rooms while everyone else hung back. Boone and Lily were going on and on about using the pool later that night, but once youâd grabbed your bags from the truck, you sort of tuned it all out.Â
Tyler found you sitting on the curb once heâd passed out everyone elseâs room keys. He picked up your duffel from the ground before speaking for the first time in almost an hour.Â
âYou ready for bed?â
You nodded, offering him your best attempt at a convincing smile. Â
âCâmon,â he motioned his head to the left. âWeâre upstairs.â
Tyler led the way to your roomâ and even though this was a dingy motel, youâd never seen anything more perfect. The shades were dark, the AC worked, and there was a single, plush-looking queen bed in the middle of the room just screaming your name.Â
Tyler let you shower first. And when you emerged from the bathroom, all the sweat and grime finally washed from your skin, he was gone. But in his place, heâd laid out one of his T-shirts and a pair of his boxers on the bed for you to use. You almost teared up at the sight of just how thoughtful he was⌠Still reading between the lines.Â
Youâd spent the entire duration of your shower trying to convince yourself that what had happened earlier wasnât that big of a deal. Anderson was a jerkâ of course he was going to say some jerk-ish things. It shouldnât have been a surpriseâ and yet, you couldnât shake the discomfort you felt. It was like all the words heâd said to you had nestled underneath your skin and made a home for themselves.Â
In an attempt to shake the thoughts away, you quickly shrugged on Tylerâs clothes before sitting on the edge of the bed and wrapping your arms around yourself.Â
Almost as soon as you sat down, you heard the front door to the motel open up. Tyler stepped into the room carrying his own bag and a couple of water bottles he mustâve grabbed for the two of you.Â
âBetter?â he asked, handing you one.Â
You nodded and cracked it open. âMuch.â
Tyler sighed before joining you on the edge of the bed. âBaby, are you sure youâre okay?âÂ
âI-â you started and then stopped. Your hands were shaking, but you jumped when you felt Tylerâs hand close around yours, steadying them. His touch gave you just an ounce of courage to speak.Â
âIt wasnât even anything that badââ you admitted. âI meant it earlier, you heard the worst of it⌠I just, I don't know, I can't explain it. But everything he said made me feel so gross⌠and dirty, andâŚâ And, well, you didnât quite know what else. Words were hard to come by tonight.Â
âOh, baby,â Tyler exhaled. He released your hand to wind his arm around your shoulders, tugging you to his chest instead. Â
It wasnât until he shushed you that you even realized you were crying, but it came out in a rush. You clung to him, instantly impressed by his ability to just make you feel so much safer.Â
âIâm sorry,â you said.Â
âYou donât have to be sorry,â he assured you, only squeezing tighter.Â
âI donât know why this bothered me so muchââÂ
âBecause Anderson is an asshole and he intentionally said some gross shit to shake you up,â he answered for you. âYouâre allowed to be upset by that.âÂ
You exhaled against his shirt, and when you licked your lips, you tasted salt.Â
âIâm the sorry one,â he said.Â
âWhat?â you shook your head. âYou donât have to be sorryââ
âI should have been there.â
âYou were there,â you reminded him. âUnless I blacked out or something and I was really the one who punched him in the noseâŚâ
Tyler chuckled softly, you felt the vibration against your chestâ instantly soothing you.Â
You sighed after a moment, trying to decide if you wanted to share what was really bothering you. You bit the inside of your cheek. It was so tempting to keep it to yourself, but more tempting than that was the idea of finally feeling a little more at ease again after just telling Tyler the truth.Â
âI justââ you paused again. âIââÂ
âHey,â he said. You looked up at him briefly. âItâs just me.âÂ
That was the problemâ it was Tyler. And you didnât want Tyler thinking less of you because of what had happened.Â
âI didnât fight back,â you said quietly. âI just froze upâ it was like I couldnât even think straight. And he kept going and going, and I just stood thereâ taking it.â
Tyler ran his hand up and down your arm reassuringly. âWhat are you talking about?â
âIt just felt likeâŚâ your voice tapered off.Â
Tyler waited a moment before asking gently, âLike what?âÂ
âIt just felt like I didnât do anything to stop it,â you whispered so quietly you werenât even sure heâd heard you. âLike I let it happen.â
âBaby,â Tyler sighed. âBaby, no. Anderson is such a jackass, it wouldnât have mattered what you saidââ
âBut I could have told him to get the fuck away from meââ
âYou were just trying to keep yourself safe. Baby, we canât control how we react when weâre scared. Itâs fight or flightââ
âOr freeze,â you mumbled, embarrassed.Â
âOr freeze. Iâm pretty sure fawning is one too, now,â he said. âBut it doesnât matterâ what matters is you canât control that you froze. Just likeââ
âJust like you couldnât control punching him in the face?â you asked.Â
You glanced up just in time to see Tylerâs lips tug into a smile. âExactly,â he said.Â
âI just wish my fear reaction was a little more effective,â you pouted. âFreezing didnât do much.â
You let your eyes fall shut when Tyler tugged you closed to his chest. âI guess itâs a good thing you have a douchebag in shining armor to come help whenever you need it,â he smirked.Â
âThanks for protecting me,â you said quietly.Â
âIâll always protect you, you know that,â he said, planting a soft kiss on the top of your head.Â
You smiled against his chest. You really did know that. âAnd thanks for punching him in the nose.â
Tyler snorted. âAndersonâs had that coming for a long time.â
