The autumn air bites at your skin the moment you step outside, but you need thisâjust five minutes away from the conference room, away from the endless differential diagnoses and Foreman's increasingly frustrated sighs. The team is taking a break anyway, and you've earned this cigarette after the morning you've had.
You barely got the lighter to your lips when you hear the familiar thump-drag of House's cane against the concrete behind you.
"Well, well. Look who's slowly killing themselves in the great outdoors," comes that distinctive voice, dripping with mock concern. "You know, there are faster ways to commit suicide."
You take a long drag and exhale slowly, watching the smoke dissipate in the air. "Says the man who pops Vicodin like Tic Tacs."
"TouchĂŠ. But at least my addiction serves a medical purpose. Yours just makes you smell like an ashtray and gives you premature wrinkles." House limps closer, his blue eyes studying you with that calculating look he gets when he's working out a puzzle.
"Your bedside manner really is legendary," you mutter, but you couldn't help the slight smile tugging at your lips. This is just House being Houseâthe insults are practically terms of endearment coming from him.
A particularly sharp gust of wind cuts through you, and you couldn't suppress the shiver that runs through you. You've been in such a hurry to escape the stuffiness of the hospital that you forgotten how much the temperature had dropped since morning.
House notices immediately, of course. He notices everything.
Without a word, he shrugs out of the black leather jacket he's wearingâthe one he always wears when he rides his motorcycle to work, the one that makes your pulse quicken every time you see him in it, the black leather hugging his shoulders in a way that was utterly distracting and makes him look dangerously attractive instead of like the sarcastic diagnostician you work with every day.
"Here," he says gruffly, holding it out to you.
You stare at the jacket, then at him. "What?"
"It's called a jacket. People wear them when it's cold. Revolutionary concept, I know."
The leather was still warm from his body heat when you slip it on, and it smells like himâa mixture of his cologne and something indefinably House. It's too big on you, the sleeves hanging past your wrists, but it was perfect.
"This is..." you start, genuinely touched by the gesture. House isn't exactly known for his acts of kindness, and the fact that he'd noticed you were cold and actually done something about it made something warm bloom in your chest. "This is really sweet of you."
House's expression immediately shifts, his jaw tightening as if you'd just accused him of something. "Shut up before I take it back," he snaps, but there was no real heat in it. "I just don't want to deal with the paperwork when you die of pneumonia. Wilson would make me feel guilty about it for weeks."
You bite back a grin, pulling the jacket tighter around yourself. "Right. Purely selfish motives."
"Exactly." He's already turning to head back inside, but you catch the way his eyes linger on you for just a moment longer than necessary, taking in how you look wearing his jacket. "And if you get ash on it, you're buying me a new one."
"Noted," you call after him, taking one last drag of your cigarette before stubbing it out.
The leather jacket was still draped around your shoulders when Wilson finds you later that afternoon. You know that lookâthe one that says he's already pieced together some complicated emotional narrative that you weren't ready to admit existed.
"Nice jacket," he says, his tone deliberately casual. Too casual.
You raise an eyebrow, daring him to say more.
"Something you want to say, Wilson?" You challenge as you finish writing in your charts, fully aware of how transparent you weren't being.
Wilson's smirk widensâthat infuriating, knowing smile that means he saw right through you. "Not a word," he smiles, holding up his hands in mock surrender.
You roll your eyes. "It was cold. He had a jacket. End of story."
"Absolutely," Wilson agrees, his tone suggesting anything but agreement. "Purely a practical matter."
House leans against the nurses' station. His attention is entirely on you. You are down the hall talking to Chase about somethingâprobably the cardiac complications in room 314âbut House couldn't focus on what you were saying.
All he can see was how his leather jacket looks on you. The way it hangs from your shoulders, still too big but somehow perfect. The way you absently tugg at the sleeves when you are thinking, a gesture that makes something tighten in his chest. You've been wearing it for hours now, and every time he catches sight of you in it, his mind goes places it definitely shouldn't during work hours.
The jacket makes you look... his. Which is ridiculous, because you weren't his anything. You were his employee, his diagnostician, someone who happens to look unfairly good in black leather. But watching you gesture animatedly to Chase while wrapped in something that still smells like his cologne makes his imagination wander to scenarios where you wearing his clothes was a much more regular occurrence. Morning coffee in his kitchen, wearing nothing but his shirt and his boxers. The jacket discarded on his bedroom floor afterâ
Snap. Snap.
"Earth to House." Taub's voice cuts through his increasingly inappropriate daydream. "The patient? Remember him? Guy who might actually die if we don't figure out what's wrong with him?"
House blinks, refocusing on Taub's expectant face. "Right. The patient." He glances back down the hall, where you were still talking to Chase, then forces himself to look at the file in his hands. "What were we talking about?"
Taub follow his gaze and smirks. "Let me guessânothing involving differential diagnoses."
House shoots him a look. "Don't you have lab results to analyze or something equally boring?" he grumbles, but his voice lacked its usual venom. Despite his irritation at being caught, his eyes keep wandering back to you, until you and Chase walk further down the hall toward the cafeteria.
"Already pulled them," Taub replies, clearly enjoying himself. "But I'm starting to think our patient isn't the only one with heart palpitations."
"Very funny," House mutters, finally tearing his gaze away from you to glare at the other man. But even as he tries to focus on the case, he could feel Taub's knowing smirk burning into the side of his head.
A few hours later, Cuddy storms into House's office without knocking, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. House doesn't even look up from his GameBoy.
"Could you be any more obvious?" she demands, crossing her arms.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," House replies innocently, not taking his eyes off the tiny screen. "But if this is about the time I diagnosed that patient by throwing differential diagnoses at a dartboard, I maintain that was a legitimate medical technique."
"Your jacket, House. She's been walking around this hospital wearing your leather jacket for the past six hours. Half the nursing staff is gossiping about it."
House finally looks up, feigning confusion. "My jacket? I hadn't noticed." He glances down at his arms as if just realizing he wasn't wearing it. "Huh. Wonder where that went."
Cuddy's jaw tightens. "Are you sleeping with her?"
House pauses his game and lookes up with that infuriating smirk she knew too well. "Not yet."
"Houseâ"
"What? You asked a question, and I gave you an honest answer. That's what you're always telling me to do, right? Be more honest with people?"
Cuddy pinches the bridge of her nose. "This is exactly what I was afraid would happen when I hired her."
"Afraid of what? That I might actually show a human emotion? That someone might look good in leather? The horror."
"Don't be stupid," Cuddy snaps. "You know exactly what I mean. She's a good doctor, House. One of the best diagnosticians we've seen in years. I won't let you mess that up because you can't keep it in your pants."
House finally sets down his GameBoy, giving her his full attention. "You're assuming I'm the one who would mess things up. Maybe she's the corrupting influence here. It was cold. She looked cold. I had a jacket. It's called basic human decencyâthough I realize that's a foreign concept around here."
Cuddy stares at him for a long moment. "Since when do you care if someone is cold?"
"Since never. Which is why this conversation is pointless."
"Houseâ"
"Look, if you're worried about workplace drama, don't be. We're both adults. We can handle whatever this is or isn't without it affecting patient care." He pauses, then added with a slight smirk, "Though I can't promise the same about Wilson. He's been practically vibrating with curiosity all day."
Cuddy sighs, recognizing the dismissal for what it was. "Just... try not to make this more complicated than it needs to be."
"When have I ever made anything complicated?" House asks innocently.
Cuddy didn't dignify that with a response, turning on her heel and heading for the door, letting it slam closed.
The last few hours of the workday were coming to an end, and you were reviewing lab results at the nurses' station when the newbie from Cardiology approaches you, leaning against the counter with what he probably thought was a charming smile.
"Nice look," he says, his eyes lingering on your outfit. "Very... edgy. I like a woman who's not afraid to take fashion risks."
You look up from the chart, raising an eyebrow. "Fashion risks?"
"The whole leather thing. It's working for you." He moves closer, lowering his voice. "Listen, I was wondering if you'd like to grab dinner sometime. There's this great Italian place downtownâ"
"She's busy."
House's voice cuts through the conversation like a scalpel, and you turn to see him approaching. His blue eyes are fixed on the kid.
The kid straightens, clearly trying to maintain his composure. "House. I was justâ"
"Hitting on my diagnostician while she's trying to work. Yeah, I noticed." House moves to stand beside you, close enough that you can feel the heat radiating from his body. His presence was suddenly overwhelming, possessive in a way that made your pulse quicken. "Don't you have some hearts to restart or something equally life-saving?"
"Actually, I was off duty and thoughtâ"
"Wrong. You thought you could waltz over here and charm your way into her pants with your sparkling personality and devastating good looks." House's tone was conversational, but there was steel underneath. "Here's a news flash: she's out of your league."
The kid's face flushes red. "Look, House, just because you have some kind of... whatever this is... doesn't meanâ"
"Whatever this is?" House steps forward, and the guy actually takes a step back. "Let me clarify something for you, Kiddo. See that jacket she's wearing? That's mine. Has been since I bought it. Now, I'm not saying that means anything, but..." He shrugs, letting the implication hang in the air.
You feel heat rise in your cheeks, caught between embarrassment and something that felt dangerously like arousal at House's blatant territorial display.
The kid looks between you and House, clearly realizing he's outmatched. "Right. Well. I'll just..." He backs away, practically fleeing toward the elevators.
House watches him go with satisfaction before turning to you, his expression shifting back to something resembling normalcy. "You're welcome."
"I didn't need rescuing," you say, though you couldn't quite keep the smile out of your voice.
"Of course not. But watching him crash and burn was the most entertaining thing I've had all week." He glances down at his jacket on you and something flickeres in his eyes. "Besides, he was right about one thing. The leather is definitely working for you." The words hang in the air between you, heavy with implication. You stare at each other, the tension so thick you can practically taste it. His blue eyes are darker now, pupils dilated.
Your breath catches as you watch him make his decision.
House props his cane on the nurses' station and steps forward, House's hands find your face, but he doesn't move closer. His eyes keep dropping to your lips, then back to your eyes, as if he is memorizing every detail of this moment. The wanting in his gaze is so intense it makes your knees weak, but still he hesitates.
"You really want to kiss me, don't you?" you whisper, your voice barely audible in the quiet hallway.
His thumb traces along your bottom lip, and his voice was rough when he answers. "I always want to kiss you."
The admission ;eaves you feeling a lot. Your heart hammers against your ribs as you search his face.
"Then what are you waiting for?"
The question seemed to break whatever last thread of restraint he's been clinging to.
House's mouth crashes against yours with a hunger that took your breath away. There was nothing tentative about it. His lips move against yours, one hand sliding into your hair while the other gripped your waist, pulling you flush against him.
You melt into him, your hands fisting in his shirt as you kiss him back. He taste like coffee and something uniquely him, intoxicating in a way that makes your head spin. When his tongue traces along your bottom lip, you open for him without hesitation, earning a low groan that vibrates through his chest.
The sound of footsteps echoing down a distant corridor and you are pulling back with a gasp, your eyes wide as reality crashes back in.
"We're in the hospital," you breathe, your chest rising and falling rapidly as you try to catch your breath, not commenting about how that was the best kiss of your life. "Anyone could walk by and see us."
House's forehead drops against yours, his own breathing unsteady. His hands are still on your waist, as if he can;t quite bring himself to let go. "Right. Bad place for this."
You look up at him, taking in his disheveled hair where your fingers ran through it, his lips slightly swollen from kissing you. The sight makes heat pool low in your stomach, and before you can lose your nerve, the words tumbled out.
"My place. Now." Your voice is steadier than you felt. "I'm taking you home, and I'm going to have my way with you."
House's eyes darken impossibly further at your bold declaration, a slow, dangerous smile spreading across his face. "Is that a promise or a threat?"
"Both," you say, already reaching for his hand. "Your cane. Now. We're leaving."
He grabs his cane without argument, letting you pull him toward the elevator. "Bossy. I like this side of you."
"You haven't seen anything yet," you promise, pressing the elevator call button with more force than necessary.
summary: Wilson brings House an interesting case. Youâre not impressed, though.
warnings: angst, fluff if you squint, intellectual smut ig you could say, medical abuse (its house)
words: 5.5k
notes: the medical jargon in this isâŚsomething. well. i have the poetic license to hide my ignorance of the matter. hope you enjoy! xx
Chapter I: The Diagnosis
Zzz.
That is all you can hear at the moment.
Wilson and his stupid ideas. Just when you were actually getting the hang of it. You even learned signing in record time! One month. One month lying in bed with more broken bones than you could count, obsessively reading ASL textbooks and watching video classes on YouTube. It had paid off. You even made other deaf friends online. God, you were searching for anything, literally anything to convince the doctors you were fine and dandy so you could finally leave that vegetable-like state they put you under. And yet⌠here you are again. Because of Wilson.
Oh, how you absolutely despised hospitals. Even the smell of it made you sick. You wouldnât be surprised if it somehow contributed to the muteness and deafnessâthough it logically did not, since you had left two months ago and still werenât able to hear or speak shitâbut solely for Wilsonâs peace of mind, you obliged to come see this friend of his who he claims to be Jesus with a cane. Sure, he could be overly dramatic with his faith in people, however, you couldnât deny: Wilson wasnât often wrong. And despite doing your best to adjust to the new lifestyle after the accident, there was still this fragile, helpless hope in your heart to at least get back your speech.Â
âAlright, rats, circulatingâ, House huffs, waving his team off once the differential is done.
You watch the scene from the glass separating his office and their table, reading his lips. He turns around and his blue eyes find yours, narrowing immediately at the sight of you, a stranger, mindlessly playing with one of the wooden figures on his desk. You follow the trajectory of his irises and let go of the toy, standing up straight as he barges in.
House doesnât bother signing, speaking so clearly and loudly you can hear the faint sound of his voice trying to reach over the buzz in your ears, âWilsonâs charity case, I presume. What is your problem, Dopey?â
You blink, shooting him a challenging look when you sign, âyou donât know ASL? I expected more from the great Dr. House.â You stare at him for a moment, satisfied at the bewildered expression on his face as Foreman, whoâs still nearby, translates what you said with a smirk. You continue, âthanks, Dr. Foreman. And yes, Wilson dragged me here. Heâs concerned with my health, which is obviously unnecessary. Iâm just fine and dandy.â You do a thumbs up and open a tight, plastic grin.
House scoffs so aggressively it makes Foreman flinch at his side. âYou canât speak, can barely hear, yet managed to find a way to call me an idiot? Miserable and combative, youâll fit right in.â He limps closer, planting his cane between you both, his gaze sharp and invasive, âyour rigid posture screams control freak. That means youâre just picking fights with the smartest guy in the room to prove youâre still dominant because youâre terrified your body isnât doing what itâs supposed to do.â He snatches a dry-erase marker from one of his drawers and tosses it onto the desk right in front of you. âThe accident caused trauma, sure, but the sudden onset of both mutism and localized hearing loss without a massive skull fracture or total brain death doesnât add up. Write down exactly whatââ
You roll your eyes and donât even let him finish, walking decisively toward the board in the other room. You can feel his presence behind you whilst you write swiftly. âCar. Speed. Red light. Boom. Wake up at hospital. Deaf. Loud buzz. Meds. Buzz stop. Quiet hum. Canât speak. Words wonât come out. Still got voice.â You scowl at him, trying to formulate a sound to demonstrate. All that comes out is indeed an unintelligible, gibberish whimper. You point to your own mouth and raise your brows, writing one last thing, âsee?â
House tracks every single word, scanning each trace the moment the ink hits the white surface. The room is dead silent as his team appears again, gathering beside Foreman. They all read your statements with clinical attention, wincing ever so slightly at the forced sound out of your throat. Houseâs features remain cold and calculated, nonetheless, not an ounce of sympathy toward youâbut with interest.
He spins around to face everyone, his cane whipping the air to point at the whiteboard. âCar versus red light. Traumatic impact. But look at the progression: she wakes up deaf with tinnitus, they give her meds and the buzz mostly stops. Then, the kicker: she has a voice, air moves through the cords, but the brain refuses to assemble the puzzle.â
Foreman frowns, leaning forward, âhysterical mutism. Conversion disorder from the trauma of the crash.â
House sneers so loudly, again, you can practically feel the vibration. âConversion disorder is what doctors call it when they want to go home early and watch television. Next.â He looks back at you, his blue eyes drilling into yours. âYouâre too stubborn for a psychological block, your brain doesnât want to be broken. Chase, what meds did they give Dopey here in the ER to kill the âloud buzzâ?â
Chase thinks for a second, his mouth moving smoothly, âprobably high-dose steroids or IV lidocaine if they thought it was acute acoustic traumaââ
âLidocaine.â House mumbles, a lightbulb visibly going off behind the restless azure orbs. âIt blocks sodium channels and stabilizes neuronal membranes. If a nerve was firing wildly after the crash causing that roar in your ears, the meds shut it down. What if they shut down a little too much, though? Or what if the âboomâ didnât just rattle the eardrums, but dislodged a tiny piece of debris, a clot, a fat embolus from a broken bone, and sent it straight upstream? Brocaâs area handles word production. Wernickeâs handles comprehension⌠Whatâs right next to them?âÂ
Thirteenâs eyes widen. âThe primary auditory cortex, they share the same vascular supply: the middle cerebral artery.âÂ
âDing, ding, ding, give the lady a prize!â House turns to you once more, a smug grin matching the one you gave him earlier. âYou donât have two separate problems, but one small, stubborn squatter sitting right at the intersection of your hearing and speech. A localized ischemic event or a deep tissue hematoma masking as post-crash shock.â He straightens up and barks at the others, âget Dopey down to MRI. I want a high-resolution contrast scan of the left perisylvian region.âÂ
You watch their diagnosis flying around, nearly getting whiplashed by how fast it happened. Huh. Perhaps Wilson wasnât exaggerating about the guy, after all. With a sigh and a brief nod, you hand him back his marker and narrow your gaze, gesticulating curtly, âso-called geniuses should know sign language.âÂ
You leave without waiting for a response. For a split second, a look of genuine, amused surprise flashes across Houseâs features just as your hands finish their parting insult. Albeit not being fluent, he does know a few things to patch up the meaning of what you signed. Rarely does anyone get the last word in his office, let alone someone who doesnât use a voice to do it. Heâs almost impressed.Â
Almost.
Chapter II: The Pudding
Two days later, youâre back at Houseâs office, wearing thick winter clothes and frowning deeply at one of his medical textbooks to pass the time. You try to read the scientific terms with headstrong determination, but it is to no avail. You donât get shit. Your eyes are heavy from the meds heâs been prescribing you; his courtesy for the neverending buzz in your hearing. You rub your eyelids, sighing softly. Your brain feels like itâs swimming in molasses.
A sudden vibration rattles through the legs of the couch and you snap your head up. House is standing right in front of you in an instant, the fog in your mind shadowing the detail and speed of his movement. Heâs wearing his usual crumpled blazer, staring down at you with intense scrutiny. He glances at the textbook in your lap, then looks back up at your face, his lips moving with slow, deliberate clarity before he yanks the book from your hands in the blink of an eye.
âAlright, Dopey, listen up. The MRI showed a lovely little shadow near your left temporal lobe, a slow-draining hematoma from the crash, putting pressure on the auditory cortex and shortcutting Brocaâs area.â He taps his own ear, then points at your mouth. âNow, give me a progress report on the pills. Can you understand the words in your head yet, or is the gray matter still staging a protest?âÂ
You squint, as if trying to assemble your ideas into your voice again, and a raspy murmur comes out, âwordsâŚâ The moment the mumbled syllable leaves your throat, Houseâs blue irises instantly follow the movement of your lips, his head tilting like a hound catching a scent. It wasnât a whimper this time. It was an actual word. A poorly formed, exhausted word, but a word nonetheless. An excruciating pain spreads through your head when you attempt to mutter something else and you shake your head in frustration, signing rapidly, âthis is bullshit.â
Still coming down from the high of the small win, House rolls his eyes impatiently. He brutally tosses the heavy medical book onto the desk behind him. âOh, how delightfully tragic. Letâs all cue the violins for the broken intellectual who wants to go home because recovery is taking longer than a commercial break.â You try to respond with more signing, but he waves a dismissive hand and continues talking, pointing the rubber tip of the cane directly at your chest. âYou just spoke. The meds are draining the fluid. The pressure on your left hemisphere is dropping, which means the wires are finally sparking again. Be happy.â
âI canât even pronounceââ
House cuts off your signing again, pulling down your hands. He reaches into his pocket, pulls out a small orange pill bottle and rattles it vigorously, letting you feel the vibrations. âShut your fingers up for a second. Weâll double the dosage of the anti-inflammatory and tomorrow, you are going to look at me and tell me precisely where I can shove this cane, using your actual voice.â
You glare daggers at him for a long, dragging moment before showing him the middle finger, though your shoulders slacken quickly afterwards. Youâre just exhausted at this point. âFine.â You gesticulate shortly and stand back up, walking toward the exit. You shoot him one last glance, signing with one hand before leaving, âlearn it.âÂ
Away from your gaze, House doesnât move an inch. Heâs studying the exact spot where you just signed, his jaw set in a stubborn, thoughtful line. Unhurriedly, he lifts his left hand. His fingers twitch awkwardly, clumsily mimicking the shape of the last sign you made, trying to decode the motion with his own hands. He stops when a pair of nurses appears in the hallway and rolls his eyes at himself, roughly limping back to his desk.
Once inside the elevator, the doors close with a quiet thud you donât hear, cutting off the view of his office. The low hum in your ears persists, yet the weight of the pill bottle in your bag feels a little more manageable now. Words.Â
Right.Â
Later that night, Wilsonâs eating all your pudding unashamedly when you scoff abruptly and sign, âheâs an asshole.â
He pauses with a spoon halfway through his mouth, a dollop of chocolate teetering on the edge. Normally, his appeasing nature wouldâve made him chastise your language if it was about any other person. However, itâs Gregory House. From the beginning of your treatment, you both have been proud members of the House Survivalist Club with a very active channel of weekly gossip, which mainly included cursing the blue eyed doctor to oblivion in your house.Â
Wilson sighs with a sardonic smile and sets the plastic cup down on the coffee table. âHe is an asshole. Unfortunately, heâs also a medical genius. If anyone can drag your voice back out of your head, itâs him.â He then leans back against the cushions of your couch, gently nudging your knee to keep your attention. âI know it feels like hell right now, but heâs right about these things, even if his bedside manner makes you want to strangle him with his own stethoscope.â
Someone knocks on the door. You donât hear the sound, but Wilsonâs reaction tells you itâs probably a loud, incessant bang. The next minute, the front door clicks open and swings wide, unsurprisingly. House doesnât believe in boundaries, let alone knocking and waiting like a civilized human being. He barges into your apartment, the collar of his winter coat turned up against the cold, a snowflake melting into his messy brown hair.Â
His striking blue eyes lock straight onto your figure sitting on the sofa wrapped in your blankets. He limps heavily toward you, the tip of his cane thudding rhythmically against your floorâa vibration you feel right in your core. He doesnât seem angry; more like a man on a mission, fueled by a sudden burst of hyper-fixation. He hooks the handle of his cane over the back of a nearby chair and pulls a crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket, flattening it out on the table right over your empty pudding cups, and you hold your breath. Itâs a printout of an updated lab report.
House growls, leaning down so his gaze is level with yours. âThe second MRI scan came back. The hematoma isnât just draining, itâs shifting left. That means your sudden exhaustion isnât just the meds, youâre having a localized toxic reaction to the breakdown of the blood cells right against the nerve pathway.â
Your heart sinks while reading the frantic movement of his lips. Wilson gets back on his feet in a minute, his face tight with sudden panic. âHouseâŚâ
House waves him off, keeping his eyes glued to yours. âDopeyâs fine, but if we donât clear that blockage in the next twelve hours, the tissue scars, and you can officially start practicing your finger-spelling for the rest of your life.â He reaches into his coat pocket again and now pulls out a massive, terrifyingly long syringe filled with a clear fluid.
You gulp instinctively, your jaw tightening in uncertainty of whatâs gonna happen. Your hands move slowly, as if buying yourself time, âwhat are you going toââ
House looks at you challengingly, clearly satisfied at your rare display of hesitation. âWeâre skipping the pills. Direct IV infusion of a high-potency osmotic diuretic, right here, right now.â He says casually, a dangerous, thrilled glint in his blue irises.Â
Silence.
âYouâre not sticking that in me without sound proof I actually need it.â Wilson translates your signing as you continue firing silently, with a frown, âyou think you will intimidate me with needles? I want another MRI to confirm youâre not just making that up to get back at me for having the balls to expose your ignorance.â
For a moment, it feels like the living room is going to explode at the smallest shift. Wilson is the first to speak, clearing his throat while stepping between you both, his tone soothing, âHouse, maybeâŚâ
âFine. Weâll have it your way.â House grunts, interrupting Wilson. He shoots you one last glance, which feels almost threatening, before limping away without saying goodbye. âTomorrow at nine!â He slams the door shut, making you flinch at the strong vibration of the sound.
Wilson and you exchange a long look. He takes a deep breath and signs with a tiny, slightly pleased grin, âthat was good.â
You snort and shrug, gathering the dirty dishes from the coffee table and gesticulating with your free hand, âyou ate the last bite, you wash.â
Wilson only salutes you playfully. âAye, aye, captain.â
Chapter III: The Decision
The third high-contrast MRI confirms a tiny, stubborn clot in the left perisylvian region. Itâs old, organized and trapped in a precarious vascular web. Or so they keep telling you. Since pills alone arenât working, House has been trying other non-invasive methodsânot out of the goodness of his rotten heart, obviously, but per your unrelenting, unyielding requests.Â
The hyperbaric chamber around you is a thick, cylindrical vault of steel and weighty acrylic glass. Inside, the air is pressurized and completely, blissfully silent. You have no idea what itâs even supposed to do. Wilson explained it once, twice, until you gave up and decided to just go for it blindly. As if deaf and mute wasnât enough.Â
Behind the glass pane, you can see the observation room. House is pacing like a caged wolf, his expression painted with fury. He slams his cane against the floor, his mouth moving in what appears to be a rapid tirade directed at Chase and Foreman. Meanwhile, you sit cross-legged on the cot inside the chamber, casually turning the page of your book. Youâre aware your calmness drives him insane. Wilson has told you so on another occasion and right now, itâs rather noticeable. Every time you lock eyes with his giving those slow, serene blinks, a visible vein throbs in his forehead. He doesnât want your compliance. He wants a reaction. He wants you to be as terrified of your own brain as he is obsessed with it.Â
And youâre just⌠not.
Eventually, the timer clicks down. The pressure equalizes with a long, soft hiss that vibrates through your seat and Thirteen opens the heavy hatch, offering you a hand out. When you lean forward to get up, House pushes past her, invading the decompression alcove. He plants his cane right next to your foot, standing so close into your space you can smell the stale coffee on him.Â
âYouâre doing this on purpose.â He accuses, pointing a finger right at your nose. âYouâre channeling your inner Buddha just to spike my blood pressure.â
You mouth, tilting your head with mock innocence, âwhat?â
âThat clot is sitting in a vascular spiderweb, choking out your speech center, and youâre treating my million-dollar hyperbaric chamber like a day spa!â He snatches the book out of your handâsomething he apparently loves to doâand glares at the cover, then tosses it over his shoulder. âThe tissue around that clot is starting to suffocate and if it stays there another twenty-four hours, the damage becomes permanent. So, non-invasive is dead, Dopey. We have to go in. Localized intra-arterial micro-catheterization. Chase snakes a wire up through your femoral artery, into your brain and physically vacuums the clot out. Consent.â
Your eyes instinctively search Wilsonâs, who promptly comes closer and holds up a small notepad. You write leisurely and show it to House. âRisks?âÂ
Houseâs gaze darts across the page the second you lift it. He lets out a short, sharp breath through his nose, his posture stiffening. âBesides the obvious perk of permanent brain death?â He says, his jaw dancing with precision. âRisk number one: he punctures the vessel wall. You get an intracranial hemorrhage, your brain floods with blood, and you die on the table.â House steps a fraction closer, ârisk number two: the wire hits the clot and instead of suctioning it out, it breaks it into three smaller pieces. Those pieces float deeper into the tissue. Best case scenario, you wake up unable to move the right side of your face. Worst case, you lose the ability to comprehend language entirely. Wilson will be talking to you and it will sound like static.âÂ
He pulls a sleek black pen from his blazer pocket and drops it onto the notepad, right over your handwriting. You stare at it with a somber look. For the first time since this whole thing started, you feel it: the fear. Fear of never talking again. Fear of dying on the table. Fear of saying no to the procedure and living with the suffocating thoughts of âwhat ifâ.
Youâre completely aloof as Wilsonâs voice sounds decisive, loud and clear, âeverybody out.â Once the small room is empty, he pulls up a chair next to your cot, yet the small, reassuring smile doesnât quite hide his nerves. He gently takes the pen from the notebook and holds it out to you. âYou know Iâll be right there the whole time.â When you donât sign anything in return, he says more seriously, though still warmly, âsign the forms, (y/n).â
There is a long pause, then you swallow, your hands signing softly, âmaybe being deaf isnât as bad as whatever risks Iâd be taking by doing this.âÂ
 âItâs not bad.â Wilson concedes readily. âBeing deaf isnât a tragedy. People live full, beautiful, incredibly rich lives in the deaf community. If this were just about your hearing, and you told me you wanted to walk out that door right now, I would pack your bags for you.â His brow furrows slightly, a touch of gravity creeping into his brown eyes. âBut thatâs not what this is. House wasnât exaggerating about the tissue damage. It wonât just be silence. It will be confusion. You wonât be able to read the books you love, because the words wonât make sense anymore. You wonât be able to read my lips, because your brain wonât be able to translate the shapes into meaning.â
He reaches out, carefully placing his hand over yours, and you hold it back with all your might. âIâm scaredâ, you mouth, an involuntary sob escaping your throat as tears blur your vision.Â
Wilson picks up the black pen from the notepad once more and guides your fingers around it, with a fierce, deeply protective look. âI know. Do it scared.â
You glance down at the consent form, pressing the tip of the pen to the paper and signing your name as Wilson wipes your wet cheeks with his thumb. With another sob that turns into an annoyed, determined huff, you sign sharply, âif I die, House will have to learn ASL.â
Wilson laughs out loud and nods. âIâll see to it.â
Chapter IV: The Surgery
The O.R. holding area is a blur of bright, sterile white and the frantic, silent movement of nurses prepping trays. Youâre already prepped yourself, lying on the gurney with an IV line hooked into your arm. Wilson is standing a few feet away, talking to Chase, who is scrubbing in, and thereâs House. Heâs leaning against a crash cart near the door, looking entirely out of place in his wrinkled clothes among the sea of clean scrubs, chewing on a Vicodin and watching the monitors with a bored face.
While they start to wheel your gurney past him toward the double doors of the operating room, your fingers lock around his forearm. His eyes snap down to your hand, then up to your face, completely startled by the sudden physical contactâcoming from you of all people. With whatever strength you have left due to the sedatives, you glance at him dead in the eye.Â
You mouth the words clearly, your digits translating the sentiment into the air between you. âThank you anyway.â
His jaw tightens and he looks away for a split second, clearing his throat and muttering gruffly, âsave your breath for when you can actually speak, Dopey.â
Despite the harshness in his words, he doesnât pull his arm back until the orderlies delicately move the gurney forward. As the double doors of the O.R. swing shut, cutting off the view of the hallway, the last thing you see is House standing there, hands shoved deep into his pockets, glaring at the doors with unwavering focus. The anesthesia mask hovers over your face and a cool rush of air hits your lungs, your silent world fading into utter blackness.Â
Twenty-four hours later, you wake up slowly, barely able to hold your eyes open. With an unconscious shift, you grunt noiselessly, only for an excruciating pain to attack your head the next second. A powerless whimper rips your throat in reflex whilst you grasp the sheets beneath you in sheer agony.Â
Itâs a white-hot, incapacitating throb radiating from the deep center of your brain to the back of your skull, the brutal aftershock of a wire being snaked through your cerebral arteries. Your fingers claw blindly at the stiff hospital bedclothes, bunching the fabric in your fists as you attempt to anchor yourself against the wave of nausea and ache. Instantly, a warm hand caps firmly over yours, loosening your death grip on the sheets.
âHey, look at me.â Comes the soothing tone, sounding muffled, akin to traveling through a thick brick wall, but itâs there. You can hear the faint cadence of it. Through a bleary, tear-filled vision, you force your eyelids up. Wilsonâs face comes into focus right above you. He looks exhausted, his surgical scrubs wrinkled. However, thereâs a profound, overwhelming relief in his brow orbs at the sight of you awake and alert. âChase got it out. Youâre okay.â He mumbles, his voice breaking slightly as he pumps a button on the wall, signaling the nurse for immediate post-op pain meds.Â
A sudden, sharp clack rattles through the floorboards near the foot of your bed. House reaches out with his cane and unceremoniously taps the metal rail next to your body, letting you hear the metallic ding. You wince at the high-pitched soundâit feels like itâs shredding your ears, hitting your brain directly. A small, incredibly smug smile tugs at the corner of his mouth at your reaction.
âWelcome back to the noisy world, Dopey.âÂ
You whine again, tugging Wilsonâs sleeve urgently amidst a clumsy, weak sign, âit hurts.â
Wilson says softly, his voice sounding a little clearer to you now, though it still carries that strange, post-surgery echo, âthe nurse is coming with the IV dilaudid right now. Itâs going to kick in within a few seconds, I promise.â
âIf it didnât hurt, it would mean Chase accidentally lobotomized you. So, technically, your present agony is a glowing review of my diagnostic skills.âÂ
House lets out a characteristic rough grunt after his own words, leaning both hands on the head of his walking cane. His raspy texture somehow fits the image you had of him up until now. Although, his usual biting sarcasm seems to have dialed back but a fraction. Just then, a nurse steps up to the IV pole, swiftly injecting a syringe into your line. Within moments, the weighty warmth floods through your veins. That agonizing pain in your skull begins to dull, melting into a velvety numbness. Your grip on Wilson's sleeve loosens and your eyelids instantly feel three times heavier.Â
âHold on, Dopey.â House clutches your arm to interrupt your dozing off, which prompts a glare from Wilson. He ignores it and moves closer, manic blue orbs waiting for your compliance. âGive me one real word before you go.â
Wilson is halfway through cussing him out when you moan gently, each rasp making the pain in your brain hit back weakly, fighting off the numbing factor of the meds, âgeniusesâŚâ They both stop their silent bickering suddenly, waiting for your conclusion. You breathe deeply and gulp, your voice coming out strained, but clear as water, âshould⌠know⌠ASL.â
A small smirk rests on your dried lips afterwards. Wilsonâs eyes are widened in absolute, comical shock. He looks from you to House, a massive, breathless grin breaking across his own lips. He lets out a sharp, emotional laugh, burying his face in his hand for a brief second before staring back down at you with pure adoration.Â
House scoffs, his piercing gaze crinkling at the corners. With a final tap of his cane against the floorboards, he turns on his heel and limps out of the recovery room, his coat billowing behind him. Once the door swings shut, you hear the distant sound of his uneven footsteps fading down the hallway, leaving you in the quiet comfort of the room, with Wilson still holding your palm.Â
Huh.Â
There goes a whole month of learning a new language.
Chapter V: The Check-up
As the days go by, you choose to keep communicating mainly through signing. Youâve been wearing ear protection because of the present hyper-acusis nightmare your hearing is at the momentâevery clattering tray or dropped pen sounds like a gunshot, thoug it means the nerves are aliveâwhich makes your world, once upon a time so immensely silent, now bury each sound under a thick, heavy blanket. And speaking still doesnât come easy. Your brain acts as if youâre sinking a sharp knife in it every time you try to get a word out of your throat, so youâve been saving them up.Â
The sterile glare of the clinic exam room feels a little less intimidating these days, too. After finishing your weekly check up, you shoot House an attentive look. Heâs sitting on his rolling stool, idly spinning a reflex hammer between his fingers. Despite not being exactly friends, the two of you have mostly stopped arguing like epic nemesis, if only for the sake of your slow recuperation. Every now and then, however, you simply canât miss the opportunity to tease him.
You hum, pointing at the rumpled, hopelessly creased fabric of his gray blazer. âI-R-O-Nâ, your fingers spell swiftly.
The low vibration catches his eye, his gaze flicking up from the medical chart. He lets out a short, dry breath through his noseâhis version of a laugh, glancing back and forth between his clothes and you for a second. He leans back, resting his hands on the handle of his cane, his words coming with that exaggerated clarity he uses just for you.Â
âIroning is a conspiracy invented by the textile industry to make men feel inadequate.â He rolls the stool a few inches closer, assessing the way you hold yourself, checking for any subtle signs of neurological fatigue. âThe spelling is good, your fine motor skills are sharp, but youâre hiding behind your fingers again.â When he touches his own jaw, challenging you with a tilt of his head, you canât help but sneer, already anticipating his next sentence. âLetâs hear it, Dopey.â
With an annoyed sigh, you relent, wincing as your brain works overtime to thread two small words, âitâs⌠painful.â You sign this time, mouthing along with a tiny grin to ease the tension, âI got the words and you still canât sign for shit, though.â
His diagnostic eyes follow the slight tension in your chin closely when you force the vocal cords to cooperate. He doesnât dismiss it, after all, he knows the mental bandwidth it takes to rebuild those neural pathways. Still, as your hands start moving, translating the quick, sharp tease, House lets out a genuine bark of laughter. Your absolute refusal to let him have the upper hand is astonishing. You blink once, taken aback by the sight and the loud, uncharacteristic sound coming from him.
âWhy would I learn an entire language just to talk to one person?" He fires back with crisp, theatrical precision. âThatâs just a terrible return on investment. Besides, as a cripple myself, I donât really have the spare bandwidth for finger gymnastics. Look at me. My hands are constantly busy.â
âSureâ, you sign with a quiet, unconvinced snort.
House rolls the stool back over to the desk, tossing your medical chart into the bin with a thud. âNerves are lazy. If you keep signing, your brain will just let the vocal pathways atrophy because itâs easierâ, he says, his tone shifting into something almost resembling a real doctorâs advice. âTomorrow, you speak. Even if you sound like a broken robot.â
Your eyes accompany his movements when he turns back to you, your faces a few inches apart. You patiently reach out to take his palm and he freezes, the incoming sarcastic retort dying on his lips instantly. Then, you manipulate his clumsy, stiff fingers into a simple shapeâtwo hands meeting at an angle, forming the peak of a roof.Â
A house.
âThatâs⌠you.â You rasp with a smile, holding his gaze for a long minute.
House doesnât pull his hand away, much like that moment before your surgery a few days ago. He merely stares at your unbothered face, his digits memorizing the form of his own name in the silent language he pretended to despise. You, on the other hand, donât wait around for him to recover, standing up and stepping out into the white wall hallway without another word.Â
House stays behind, glancing down at his own hands. Slowly, he traces the roof-shape of the sign into the empty air, absorbed in the lesson you left. Ultimately, he also knows when he lost the battle.Â
The ghost of an honest grin paints his mouth as he grumbles to himself, reaching for his cane, âtouchĂŠ, Dopey.â
Warnings: smut, biting and blood (obviously cause hes a vampire), somnophelia, my attempt at writing old timey smut đ
You had gone looking for your brother, Renfield. Now itâs no secret heâs gone mad these past few months having taken up a residency at the local asylum. But he escaped again and you wanted to find him and make sure heâs okay. You learned he tended to frequent a castle of all places. One that seemed to be abandoned but well kept at the same time. Like some lived there but not a human.
You walked through the draw bridge and towards the two large front doors. Using the big knocker, you knocked, waiting for an answer. A few seconds later the two doors opened on their own. Which did set you back a bit, but you were determined to find your brother.
Taking a deep breath you stepped inside, your heels clicking against the floor. The castle was very grand, tall ceilings, a grand entryway and staircase. A prefect gothic fortress. After you got done looking around the entryway you jumped when you saw a man standing at the top of the stairs. He had skin as white as snow, slicked back black hair, a long black cape, white dress shirt underneath with some black pants and loafers. He looked so peculiarly handsome. Dangerous, even. But not dangerous physically. Dangerous in the way he made you feel.
âUmâŚhello. Iâm here looking for my brother, Renfield. I heard he escaped the hospital again and I was told he frequents here a lot. Are you a friend of his?â
A smile spread across the manâs face, âAh, heâs told me lots about you, Y/n.â His accent was thick and you couldnât figure out where it came from.
âOh! Well I hope theyâre all good things.â You chuckled nervously, âis he here?â As you spoke you stepped closer to the staircase.
âHeâs not here at the moment. But may I show you to a nice meal?â The raven haired man stepped down till he reached you, offering his arm for you to take.
You blushed, âSureâŚI guess I donât see any harm in that.â Oh, how oblivious you were. ďżź
ďżźyou let him lead you up the stairs into a large room with a fire place, bed, and table & chairs. There was already food on the table with two glasses of wine. The liquid in one of the glasses seemed so much dark than the other but you didnât pay any mind to it.
âWow, you mustâve already been expecting someone.â You said.
âYes. But they seem to have abandoned our dinner plans.â
âOh.â You gave a sad look, âIâm sorry to hear that.â
âItâs quite alright now I have a beautiful lady in my presence.â You blushed at his words.
After you sat down you dug right into the meal, not realizing how hungry you were. âSay, I never got your name.â You asked.
âDracula.â He responded.
You lifted your eyebrows in surprise at the exotic sounding name, âVery interesting name. Are you from somewhere other than here?â
âIâve lived in Transylvania my entire life.â He responded.
You watched as he drank his wine, slowly. It seemed like that was his meal. Odd.
After you finished your food you saw the grandfather clock in the corner, âOh, my! It is getting rather late, I must head home!â
When you stood up to head towards the door Dracula gently grabbed your arm, âIt is too dangerous out there for a little girl like you. You can sleep here for the night.â
âOh, why, I couldnât be a burden!â
âYou would be the opposite, actually.â Oh, there you go again blushing at his words.
âOkay thenâŚI guess Iâll just head to bed.â You pulled back the covers and hopped into bed, relishing in how comfortable it was. You pulled the covers over you and called out to Dracula, âGoodnight Mr-â but he always already gone.
Late in the night, you swore you felt a presence by you in your sleep. Dracula loomed over you admiring the rise and fall of your chest. Your plump lips as you snored softly. Your hair splayed out on the pillow. Carefully, he pulled back the covers, exposing your body to him.
The vampire undid your blouse and pulled off your skirt, along with your underwear. Your nipples hardened at being exposed to the cold air of the castle. He lightly touched the sensitive buds, pinching them slightly. He didnât wanna taste you-not yet-because heâd be too tempted to draw your blood.
So he rid himself of his clothes and let his hand wander down to your core. You were already soaking wet which made him grin from ear to ear. His fingers entered you expertly, pumping in and out at a steady pace.
You squirmed and moaned in your sleep, your brows furrowing as he worked his magic. âSweet little lamb.â He whispered, just as you shot awake. You were embarrassed, scared, and turned on.
âMr. Dracula! Why, what on earth are you doing?â You asked, making no effort to move out of his grasp as he continued to finger you.
âYouâre too sweet for me to ignore, little one.â The man responded, his accent making you even more turned on.
You moaned as he sped up his actions, sending you to orgasm before you even knew it. âOh!â You cried out, echoing amongst the stone walls.
He quickly lined his cock up to your entrance and pushed himself in, wasting no time to thrust into you over and over again. His calloused hands found their way to your hips, keeping you still while he plowed into you. You moaned and cried out. He groaned and rolled his eyes, muttering praises.
It was so sinful, oh so sinful. You werenât married to him! But you didnât want him to stop, it felt so good.
âFuck!â You huffed as he repeatedly hit your special spot. The vampire found himself getting closer to the edge and right as he came, he lost complete control and bent forward to sink his fangs into your neck. You screamed in both pain and pleasure, the stabbing feeling in your neck and his seed filling your womb.
You shouldâve known something was off about Dracula. He was a creature of the night. But part of you let yourself fall victim to him, letting him consume you in anyway he wanted.
AN: Thanks to the lovely nonnie that requested this scenario with the Hulk and shy/nervous Demi-god reader. I hope you enjoy this.
Not beta-read. Banner by me, but dividers by @firefly-graphics.
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Summary: Being Thorâs cousin, most people expected you to be as bold and brash as him, when in fact youâre the opposite. Your craving for quiet solitude makes it difficult to be friends with the largest and loudest of all the Avengers, despite how well you get on with his alter-ego.
Relationship: Asgardian Female Reader & The Hulk (Platonic), Asgardian Female Reader & The Avengers (Platonic)
WC: 2.6k
CW: Social Anxiety, Poorly received prank, (Tony isnât mean, he just doesnât think), Supportive Nat, Supportive Bruce, Supportive Thor, Reader has powers, Rude Paparrazi, Protective Hulk
Despite the fact that Thor was your closest and favourite cousin, the pair of you were nothing alike. Sure, like him you had more strength, better endurance and more physical resilience to harm when compared to Midgardians, but personality wise? Chalk and cheese.
Where he was loud, you were quiet. Where he was the life of the party, you were a wallflower. Where he showed off his mastery of thunder and lightning, you practised your ability, to grow and manipulate plants, quietly and privately. People knew, of course, but it was never a party trick.Â
Growing up, Thor, and to a lesser extent, Loki, had never allowed those in your mutual circle to tease you for your quiet and somewhat awkward tendencies. You joined in their adventures in your own way, lending your unique talents when needed, the quiet voice of reason when hotter tempers flared. What this meant though, was that when Thor decided to make Midgard his second home, you decided to do the same.Â
Youâd never really considered Midgardians as worth knowing â like others of your kind youâd thought them all childish and naive. However, your first meeting with his new friends â The Avengers as they called themselves â had negated your assumptions instantly. Soon, they were your new friends as well, and like those back on Asgard, they accepted you for who you were. Out of the group of them, you were drawn most to Nat and Bruce. The pair of them fully understood your need for quiet company, and when you visited, sometimes with Thor and sometimes without, you often found yourself curled up with a book on the couch in Bruceâs lab, while the scientist tinkered away on his latest project. That wasnât to say that you didnât join in with group activities â you did â but if youâd joined them on a mission or for movie night, you often found your social battery waned very quickly after.
There was only one thing about Bruce that made you nervous, and that was his alter-ego. The first time youâd encountered the Hulk in the flesh it was by accident.Â
It had been a few days into your first visit. Thor had told you about what had happened to Bruce and how the effects manifested themselves, but you were still taken completely off guard. It was Tonyâs fault, of course. The man behind the Iron Man mask was a nice guy and everything, but was also impatient, mercurial and had a mischievous streak a mile wide.Â
Bruce had been showing you his lab, having clocked your need for solitude early on, and was letting you know that you could use his space as a sanctuary, when Tony had decided to pull a prank. The billionaire awkwardly admitted later that it was aimed more at you than Bruce, because youâd turned down his nosey, scientific advances the previous day â Câmon, Poison Ivy, show me what you got â and hadnât anticipated such a strong reaction from the Green Guy.
In the middle of Bruce showing you where he kept his secret stash of cookies, the door to the lab suddenly locked, a loud siren had gone off and the space had started to fill with smoke. Bruceâs eyes had gone wide, and you swore theyâd also flashed green, as his fingers danced over the control panel.
âWhatâs going on, Dr Banner?â youâd asked, fear rising up in your breast, but he just ignored you, whirling around and running to the door, white coat flapping and nostrils flaring. He tried the handle, but it wouldnât budge, and he turned back to where you were with trembling hands. All he managed to say was âIâm sorry,â before he started to transform before your eyes. He was massive, green and loud. You were used to being around tall people â Thor wasnât exactly the smallest, and you were more than familiar with Heimdall as well â but the Hulk was big on a different scale.Â
He roared at the closed door and beat his fists upon it. Even through the smoke you could see the dent that appeared. You clapped your hands over your ears and tried to shrink back into a corner, worried you were going to be trampled. You tried to call your powers, but you were inside of a Midgardian building made of metal and glass, at least twenty storeys up in the air, and the closest plants were the dead, cut flowers in a vase in the common room.
Luckily, almost as soon as it started, it all stopped. The siren fell silent, the fans started to extract the smoke and door unlocked with an audible snick. Immediately, the Hulk began to shrink, leaving a panting â and half naked â Bruce kneeling on the floor. Thor and Nat burst in, checking on each of you, even as you heard Steve shouting at Tony out in the corridor.
âAre you alright?â your cousin asked, his large hand cupping your upper arm.
âIâm fine,â you assured him. âJust a little startled by everything.â
Thor huffed. âStark⌠Heâs not malicious, but like a child, he craves answers as soon as he asks a question.â
âItâs okay. Really.â You shrugged off his hand and gave him a wan smile. âI remember a cousin of mine was like that once.â He at least had the good grace to shake his head as he let out a wry chuckle.
âAnd I learnt my lesson very quickly after your vines suspended me upside down inside the throne room. Loki teased me about that for years. I doubt any of the others would think ill of you if a similar fate befell the Man of Iron.â
You let out a snort of laughter at that. âIâll keep that in mind.â You glanced over your shoulder to where Nat was crouched by Bruceâs side, passing him a cup of water. Appearing to sense your gaze, he looked up, his eyes catching yours for a moment, before you quickly turned away. âI think for now Iâd like to go to my room and rest. You know Iâm not good with too much excitement.â
It wasnât that you completely avoided Bruce after that â you didnât hold anything against him and he did have the best space outside of your room on Thorâs floor to hang out in â but on any mission you took part in, you chose to stay well away from the Hulk if at all possible. He was so big, loud and destructive that he just made you feel nervous, more so than other people, and you were bad enough around them. Bruce did seem to understand though, because the next time you visited his lab, tentatively poking your head around the door with a volume of a Midgardian encyclopedia in hand, you found that heâd put several potted plants around the room. However, the pair of you never spoke about the incident .
The other thing you avoided was what Tony called the âAfter-show partyâ or, in Clintâs vernacular, the âpaparazzi runâ. As an Asgardian, you were used to victories being turned into spectacles, but the scale on which the Midgardians did it was dizzying. Happily, for the most part, Tony was more than eager to bask in the light of the cameras, extolling and extemporising, with Steve playing a more reluctant back up (and retreating into his âCapâ persona to do so), but there was no way to completely extinguish the publicâs interest in you. As the only woman on the team besides Nat, and being âan alienâ to boot, there were multiple times that you found yourself with a microphone or camera shoved in your face, when all you wanted to do was retreat to your favourite couch in Bruceâs lab and let your subconscious twist and twine vines up and down the walls. You knew that part of the fascination was because you had such obvious powers, but unlike Thor, you didnât actively parade them. Your refusal to indulge the public â the same way youâd refused to indulge Tony â led to the increased interest, and you werenât ignorant of what some of the more low-brow publications said about you. The Meekest Avenger, was how one tabloid had put it, making commentary about how you scuttled away, head down at the end of each battle. How you didnât make appearances at any of Tonyâs galaâs. At least, now that you were fully integrated into the group, the others could run interference, allowing you the opportunity to slip away more often than not when the swarm descended.
However, on this day, luck was not on your side.
Dirt was smeared down your cheek as you leant against a dented car that had been abandoned in the middle of the road. The bad guys were defeated, at least for now, and you and the Avengers were catching your breath after a battle well won. Tony was standing near Steve, face plate raised and guzzling water from a bottle that had been passed over by a grateful civilian. They were no doubt working on their press strategy, as no doubt, with the threat dealt with, the buzzing helicopters would be replaced with reporting vans within minutes. Thor and Clint were chatting, your cousinâs loud laughter allowing you to pin-point his whereabouts with your eyes closed. Clint appeared to have a slight limp, and there was a cut above his eye, but apparently that was ânothingâ to the accident prone archer. Considering that the scale of this threat had necessitated a âCode Greenâ, it was a miracle that the human members of the party, enhanced or not, werenât any worse for wear. Speaking of âgreenâ...
Out of the corner of eye you could see the Hulk, crouched, with his chest heaving under the influence of adrenaline and the other chemicals coursing through his system. Nat was standing with him, her small hand running up and down his arm, helping to sooth him back into Banner. For some reason it seemed to be taking longer than usual, hence you standing here out of the way â youâd go and check in on your friends once the Hulk was firmly back in his Bruce-shaped box.
Unfortunately, because you were standing apart from the others, and further away from where the centre of the action had been, it meant you were in just the right place when the reporters arrived.Â
Youâd closed your eyes for a few seconds, to centre yourself after the stress of the fight, only for them to snap open as soon as you realised that someone was in your personal space. Unfortunately, all your eyes could focus on was the fuzzy microphones that had been shoved under your nose.
âCan you tell us who did this?â came the no nonsense question from the first reporter.
âErr.â You darted a look over your shoulder, but the other Avengers all appeared to still be in conversation, your predicament currently unnoticed.
âWhat did the villain hope to gain by attacking the people here?â another asked, stepping even closer into your face, his camera wielding colleague leaning over his shoulder.
You took a tentative step back, eyes darting and your bottom lip pulled between your teeth. âWell, itâs not really my place⌠maybe youâd like to talk to Cap, or Iron Man?â You could feel your heart pounding in your chest.
âI donât understand how youâre one of them,â the first one stated, gesticulating with his mike and stepping forward as well. âYou seem scared all the time. How do you even manage to leave the tower? Or Asgard for that matter?â
You tried to back up again, but were halted by a wall. You wanted to shout out for one of the others, but your throat wasnât working. What you wouldnât give to have the same extrovert tendencies of your cousin in this moment. Or at least Lokiâs acerbic wit. But the world was going dizzy and there was a ringing in your ears.
âYeah, come on, love. You could at least give us a smile if youâre not going to give us a sound bite.â
A ripple of laughter made its way through the group, which had now swelled in number from the original three to an imposing eight. Beneath your feet the concrete started to crack, small plants growing up from them. Your rising panic was making it harder to control your powers.
Suddenly, a powerful roar rent the air, and the ground shook under your feet, as if there were an earthquake. As one, the group of reporters cried out and scattered as the Hulk ran towards them. He stopped just in front of you, whirling around and snorting, bull-like, at the scrabbling papparazzoâs, before stomping the ground, making it tremble again and sending some of them tumbling over.
âDonât be rude!â Hulk shouted at their retreating backs, before turning back to your own quaking form. Before you even knew what was happening, he had scooped you up in one of his enormous arms and was galloping away from the scene. You continued to shake in his rigid hold, visions of the laughing reporters repeating in front of your eyes. Norns, you were pathetic. Your eyes filled with tears as your chest heaved from your shuddering breaths. Why couldnât you be strong and sure of yourself like Thor and Loki were?
It wasnât until the Hulk lowered you to the ground, that you realised that heâd stopped running. You looked around yourself in panic, trying to work out where you were, only to find that heâd placed you to rest on some grass.
âTower there,â he stated, pointing out the giant âAâ stuck to the side of the building in the not too far distance. You glanced again at the greenery surrounding you â the grass, the plants, the trees. He must have brought you to Central Park.Â
You were still shaking â from both fear and frustration â but you had to admit that the Hulk had brought you to your favourite place in the whole of New York. A place where you felt safe. âTh-thank you,â you stammered, and the big green guyâs normally angry expression morphed into one of pure joy, a broad smile splitting his face.
âHulk happy youâre happy.â
A tentative, echoing smile danced across your face unbidden, dragged into being by his sweet, earnest reaction. âThank you,â you repeated, âfor rescuing me. For bringing me somewhere that Iâd feel safe.â
âHulk like you,â he continued, only for his smile to drop once more. âNot think you like Hulk, though.â
Your own heart sunk to your stomach as you realised how affected he was by your avoidance.
âNot mean to frighten you, that first time,â he continued. âSometimes Hulk gets scared.â He dropped down beside you, making the ground tremble. âHulk not like loud sounds. Hulk not like lots of people.â
Beneath your hands, daisies started to sprout in the grass as your lips twisted up wryly. âIt seems we have more in common than I thought â Iâm sorry that Iâve been avoiding you. But for someone who doesnât like loud sounds, you sure do make âem. It makes me nervous.â
Hulkâs cheeks turned a deeper shade of green and you realised he was blushing. You reached out your hand and cupped his face. âMaybe we can hang out some time. Somewhere quiet?â
âYes. Hulk would like.â
You moved your hand down to take hold of his.
âFriends then? I have been told I have an affinity for green things.â
The guileless smile returned to his face. âHulk is very green.â
Summary: Unable to do nothing else but comply to his new love-life, you try to bury it away. Letting him go his way, till a hopeless lover wants something from you. [part 1 & part 2 & part 3 & part 4 & part 5]
His eyes made you shudder breathlessly. Your body simultaneously leaning forwards. Gaze flintert down to his lips. Reilly shifted the weight on his feet. Brushing his thumb over his clenched hand above your head. His gaze still lingering on yours when they met again.
Heart pounding against your chest, the closed proximity was like a gilded cage. One this little birdie wasnât sure wanted to escape from. Exhaling softly, there was still a lingering feeling deep inside of you. Hoping he wouldnât take it as a threat.Â
âWhere were you last nightâŚtruly.â Forming the words calmly with your lips. Drawing his attention down to it. His eyes briefly widened. Watching him choke down the words he said. âWith someone more important than me?â Inviting him to elaborate more.
To lay out his lies, knowing it would hurt, but you wanted to hear it from him. Seeing him about to break a sweat. Batting your gaze down, you still hoped for a lie. That lie that nobody could be more important than you. He cleared his throat softly, moving his arm down from above your head.Â
âCatâŚâ He mustered out. It was already known to you, but that never gave away that the truth hurt like hell. Why couldnât he lie, lie, lie. Overcome with a primal urge, you slapped him across the face. Stunned, he brought his palm up to his cheek.
Staring bewildered back at you, rushing over to your desk. âIâŚI donât understand why you are so upset?â Reilly replied. Scoffing loud, you set your handbag firmly on top of your desk. âAre you truly this daft or simply pretend to be?â Calling back to him. âIâŚIâŚY/nâŚthis doesnât change anything about our relationship.âÂ
His words almost made you gag. Relationship. As if there ever was one to begin with. There was nothing relational about it except for a chief and his secretary. The glare you shot his way, made him swallow tightly. âIâŚI, canât you just be happy for me.â Pleading with his eyes.
Fluttering your eyelashes rapidly, you batted your gaze upwards. Clearing your throat softly. âOf course, Mr. ReillyâŚâ Surrendering as there was nothing left. He exhaled content. Coming over to brush his thumb down your chin.Â
Shamelessly he had asked this of you. Not seeing your emotions open and naked. Dropping down on your chair. Numbly staring before you. The smoke coming from his office prickling your eyes more. Turning around in your chair, you stared into his office.
Watching him go through paperwork as if nothing had occurred. Shamelessly pretending. Eyes drawn to the cigarette that his lips formed around. Giving it little sucks before puffing out the smoke. Swirling and bathing himself with the scent. Curling your fingers inwards, you were shameless of yourself.Â
Needing him more than you wanted. Fingers pressing deeper into your palms. Needs more than you wanted. Heartbeat pulsating in your neck, the feeling only grew. Watching him. Imagining him close.
Wishing you were in that gilded cage once more. His arms as metal bars keeping you in place. His little birdie trapped for no one to watch but him. Despite trying so hard to hate him, you couldnât. Feelings for him like a toxin. The more you received it, the easier accepting it became.Â
With a gasp, you spun back around in your chair. The flicker of a warning his eyes were finding you. Thankful for the phone ringing to set your mind free. Day passing by in a blur.
Returning home to an empty bed. As cold as the coffee in the pot. With nothing but your own warmth to indulge in. Uncontrollably tears you had withheld all those hours. Cursing Cat Hardy. For having what you had desired for a very long time now.Â
Paved way echoed underneath your heels. Moon above, shining in puddles. Residents of rainfall early in the day. Under lamp posts danced moths to their delight. Flapping their wings for eternal light. Drawn in by the flame. Like Icarus, reaching for higher than before.
Purse swaying before you with your loose walk. Swaying numbly in your step. Moving more to the center of the street for a vent. Ground thundering underneath you. A puff of steam emerging from the vents below. Subway making sure for a safe trip homewards.Â
Heel clicking dimmed out to a complete stop. Steam evaporating with a clear view. A tall man, hands deep in his trench coatâs pocket. Hat tipped downwards for a faceless man. Heart stuck in your throat. His movement made you reverse yours.
âWhere are you going doll?â His voice carried on. Gasping loud, you recognized it. Hat rising to correct your thoughts. âI just want a chat.â Hands gesturing welcoming at you. His charming smile reflected under the light. The spots on his face rougher than smooth skin.Â
âWhat do you want?â You shouted back. Stiff at his approach. Grabbing for his hat, he held it in his hand. âYouâre the secretary, right? Miss Y/n Y/l/n.â He spoke. âHowâŚhow do you know my name?â You responded with waryness. A dry chuckle leaving his throat.
âI know a lot of things, miss Y/n.â His hands found a way to his back. Circling around you like a vulture. âLike about your boss Ben Reilly.â A glitter in his eyes upon the mention of the name. âIâŚI donât see how this is my problem?â Head turning to keep up with the restless vulture in himself.Â
His hands gripped firm at your arms. A deep throaty groan backing his stare up. âMy Cat!â He roared out. âI need him away from my Cat Hardy.â Digging his fingers deeper into your skin. Shaking you roughly. âHe doesnât listen!â Forcing his words out in a rage. The specks of roughness on his face intensified.
âIâŚIâŚI donât know what you want me to do?â Answering with a shaky voice. âHe listens to you! I need him to stay away from her!â Grip hardening on you. Glancing down at his hands they had become rough. Coarse like sand. Tiny granules rippled around with each movement. âIâŚIâŚâ Heart beating loud in your throat.Â
âI canât do anything about it.â Breathing out for it was the truth. You couldnât change anything about it. Mr. Reillyâs head was feral for the singer. A schoolboy crushing hard. Flintâs stare hardened. Wrong answer. Grunting loud, his grip released on you.
Falling with force against the brick wall. Lungs pressed against your chest, the gasp for oxygen was a trouble. Slowly setting your elbows to hoist yourself up. With little to recover, your back kissed brick once more. Flintâs grip tight on your shoulders. âTell him to stay away from my Cat!âÂ
Breath shocking with the pounding in your head. Skull touching brick from another forceable shake of him. âTellâŚtell him yourself.â Swallowing hard to maintain consciousness. Flintâs grip hardened on your clothing. Calling it out as he tossed you over his shoulder onto the street.
Rolling over till you came to a sudden stop. Muscles bruised up. âI tried to tell him numerous times.â Flint spoke, standing up. Clenching his fist more. Granules of sand coming together by his knuckles. âItâs laughable to him!â Throwing a punch at one of the garbage stands. Knocking the wind right out of it.Â
Body startled by the noise when his fist crashed into metal. Head tucked to your chin. Flint raised his finger at you. âYou! You will see to it.â Kneeling down. You tried to crawl back, but his firm hand kept you in place.
âYou will see to it.â Giving you a fairly nod hidden behind his smile. âYou are too hopeful.â You answered back, finding a bit of your courage back. âNot even I can change his mind.âÂ
Flintâs nostrils flared, knuckles up to your chin with the grip of your clothing. Fist raised to the nightless sky. âThen you have no purpose to me.â The devilish smile he devoured you with, shook you to your core. Clenching his fist more.
Jaw tensing as his eyes lost all decorum. Nothing but primal hatred pulsating through his veins. With a shuddering breath, you held your gaze on him. Here in this alleyway, you met the devil. Dead before the day is done.Â
His fist came down. Life flashing before your eyes. A series of cherished moments you want to hold dear to. To value your life with those precious moments. Unsaid things swirling in your mind. Closing your eyes, you welcomed the blow.
Slowly opening them once more upon annoyed grunts. Blinking shaken at the web that had clutched around his fist. Keeping it away from your face. âFlint, you disappoint me.â Turning your head, tears swelled up. The Spider tugged the end of the web back.Â
âBeating up an innocent lady, couldnât find anyone of your own size to throw your tantrum at? The Spider mocked with clear annoyance. Flint groaned loud, pulling his fist back. Web snapped. The Spider and Flint stumble each back from the loss of contact.
âThis is not your business!â Flint panted out, brushing his hair flat. âThat is where you are wrong.â The Spider replied with a shake of his finger. âWhat can I say, I have a weak spot for ladies in dire need of help.â Shrugging his shoulder with a charismatic gesture.Â
Flint gritted his teeth, running up to him. The Spiderâs webs swung at him. Pinning him to the ground by his feet. Jogging up, he elbowed him across the face. Flint stumbles back. âCome on! Iâm just getting warmed up!â The Spider called out tauntingly. Hopping lightly on his feet, ready for a fist fight.
Fueled with anger, Flint took several swings at him. The Spider avoided each with ease. Angering Flint even more. Puffing with frustration, he made his way to a trash can. Lifting it up his head, tossing it towards him. The Spider leaped aside. Turning swiftly from his knelt down position.Â
Eyes widening behind goggles. Flicking his wrists forwards. Web clutching to the trash can like hands. Calling it out with a hard pull. Forcing it to change course, away from you. Trash can clatter to the ground somewhere beside him.
Turning sharply to Flint, he was truly angry now. Jumping up, he fired every web he had at him. Trapping him in a tangled web. Flint raging his way out. Fists swinging around like cannonballs. Tearing free from the webs. Eyes widening at the flying objects coming his way.Â
Punching them away at every might. A rain of cluttering ruin. Just too late when the lamp post knocked him right in the face. Knees giving in, allowing him to see stars. The Spider panting loudly. âY/n!â He called out, hurrying over to you.
Kneeling at your side, he helped you sit up. âAreâŚare you alright?â Asking with urgency. Supporting your back. Your hands clutched onto his clothing. Trying to ignore the pounding in the back of your head. Aware of his touch deepening on your skin.Â
âAre you hurt?â The Spider asked, desperate for a response from you. Hazily you pulled yourself more up by his collar. There were things you wanted to talk about. Unsaid things swirling in your mind. Afraid youâll never be able to say them.
His hands holding you without hurting you. Keeping him at arms length wasnât working. Things you wanted to talk about. âY/n?â The Spider spoke, moving his palm to your cheek. Brushing his thumb upward your jaw.Â
Sucking in a soft breath, you moved your shaky hands towards his face. The Spider moving it wary back. Your fingers touched the fabric, taking it. Rolling it softly upwards. âDonât.â The Spider let out, hand firm around your wrist.
You proceeded, holding it right underneath his nose. Lips exposed. Spider taking a hard swallow. Shamelessly you gave in. Breathing in his very air before they intertwined as one. Lips settling deeply onto his.Â
cw: daddy k!nk, k!nk exploration/discovery, age gap, Benâs chronic back pain, penetrative sex (vague anatomy described for reader, as always!), creampie
18+ minors dni
The first time he heard the word leave your lips was, expectedly, in reference to your own father. Daddy issues and all that, he supposed.
It hadnât been a serious conversation, just a vague chat about your family life in the early days of you being a couple.
And yet, for reasons he can never fully understand, the next time he hears you say it is when he is inside you.
âDaddy,â you sigh, and the way the word escapes you mid-pleasure sounds so natural he almost misses it entirely.
He slows to a stop, wide eyed above you, warmth rising to his cheeks. A confusing cocktail of emotions bubble up inside him as he wordlessly watches you stiffen in shock.
Then, the shame takes ahold of you.
It had been a slip of the tongue, of course. An accident.
⌠right?
You shrivel up, mortified, hiding your face in your hands to escape his gaze. Ordinarily he would find this cute, but you seem sincerely embarrassed in a way heâs never seen before.
âHey, donât do that,â he says softly, prying your hands away from your face with a gentle grip. âItâs alright. I donât mind.â
You blink at him owlishly, expecting him to make a joke to lighten the mood, but he doesnât. He looks a little winded himself, even.
Is it possible that, somehow, you might both share this taboo desire�
âI shouldnât be calling you daddy,â you breathe, struggling to speak. âI mean, you are old enough to be my father. I shouldnât say it.â
But your words do something unexpected to Ben. Instead of the timid response youâve grown used to every time you mention your age gap, he sucks in a sharp breath. He throbs inside you.
All sense of self control leaves your body just like that.
He scans your expression before he starts to roll his hips again, thrusting deeply. He can feel you quiver around him in response, the tension in the room thickening.
âSay it again,â he says, knowing he wonât be able to last much longer.
You chew your lip, legs curling around his waist to keep him close, holding eye contact with him as you speak.
âDaddy,â you whisper, and thatâs all it takes.
He curses under his breath above you, resting his forehead against your own as he empties himself inside you completely.
Gradually, his curses turn into praise, his heavy body pinning you to the mattress. You run a hand up and down his back knowingly, already thinking about the massage youâll give him in a few minutes time.
He kisses your cheek warmly before you turn your head, pressing your lips to his.
âShould I call you daddy more often, then?â You tease as you part, warming his length even as it softens, feeling utterly whole like this.
âPlease, Doll,â he begs, chuckling breathlessly. âI donât think my heart could take it.â
i get so emotional every time i think about fanfic culture. it's just so beautiful that people are writing and anonymously posting these thousand-word stories about characters we all love and not even getting any money or public fame from it. it's literally just for the love of the game.
shout out to everyone who participates in fanfic culture, be it reading or writing fanfics. you are contributing to such a lovely thing <3
Ben doesnât usually have company on nights like this, glued to his familiar seat at the bar, talking about everything and nothing all at once to anyone who will listen.
But tonight, he had the bad idea of picking up a pretty young thing; you.
He drinks as he rambles on and on about his latest case, pausing to flick the ash from his cigarette into the half-full dish on the hardwood countertop.
A ghostly white plume of smoke escapes him as he exhales, licking his lips before he takes another hit, the scent suffocating and yet so enticing.
He knows how he must look right now. In his fifties, the hard lines of his face darkened by the bright lights overhead, someone so much younger than him clinging to his arm like a needy thing.
And yet, he canât get enough of it.
Youâre pressed against his side, head on his shoulder, your gaze never leaving him as you study his profile. He isnât used to the attention, struggling not to fluster.
He takes another sip of his bourbon, hoping for some liquid courage, before his heavy-lidded gaze settles on you.
âWant a smoke?â He asks, simply to have something to say, speaking more casually than he feels.
You nod, lifting your head as he takes another drag, his hand curling around the nape of your neck to hold you still as he blows smoke into your open mouth.
Itâs horribly intimate, especially in public, but neither of you find it in your hearts to care.
Instead, as you savour his secondhand smoke, you press your lips to the shell of his ear, whispering to him as you rest a hand on his thigh.
He listens, barely stifling a groan as you tell him every single thing youâre planning to do to him the moment you leave the bar together.
hey gangalang do you have any other ben reilly acting like a spider hcs youâd like to share I love hearing them (I also love adopting head canons)
YES YES!!!!
I've been doing some research into spiders and their fun little behaviors, so I've got a lot of stuff in mind.
spiders, when trying to be intimidating, will stretch themselves up to appear bigger. I imagine that, in a tight situation where Reilly's been fighting for a good while, he'd do that. idea below:
Reilly I think would like to bite his partners. not full on sexual cannibalism like most spiders do (he'd probably have trained himself out of that to keep things safe), but it'd still be there. he'd probably most likely have done it with Rose. just nibbles and knawing here and there.
spiders, mainly jumping spiders, tilt their heads like a dog when they're watching someone!! imagine Reilly intensely staring at someone and tilting his head to the side curiously... >o<
there's a species of spider that creates a "fake" version of itself using dead bugs and leaves and old silk for predators to attack. I like to imagine one of the ways Reilly would keep himself safe would be to create a fake version of himself to sit in his house so that people trying to track him would see the shape in his window and think that's him instead.
as I've done research, I've noticed some behaviors that are already canon that are associated with spiders from both itsv noir and Reilly, but that's for another day..ha ha