Heyy, how about a HC of Victor with an MC being followed/stalked home (her calling him in worry about it possibly)? Thank youu 💞
Hope you don’t mind, Anon, but I decided to turn this one it to a bit of a 100 follower celebratory ficlet!
Dark had fallen over Loveland City hours ago, and now only streetlights and the occasional passing car lit your way as you walked home from work. A tired but satisfied sigh left your lips as you thought back on the hectic and tiring, yet incredibly productive day you just had. Victor had requested a last minute proposal write up for a new show that was barely in the concept phase, and you'd stayed very late to get it done. But it was all worth it when the email had come back, in the CEO's normal perfunctory tone.
"This is fairly well put together. Good Job."
8 words that had lit up your eyes and your heart, so despite the late hour and your own approaching exhaustion, you decided to walk home and allow yourself to bask in the feeling of a job well done.
You took your time, meandering from the business district till the street was lined with more residential apartments and townhouses.
It was right around then that you noticed the person walking behind you. Nothing too out of the ordinary, even this late, you assured yourself. Until you stopped to rummage through your bag for your phone, and noticed his pace slow down to match yours. That was when you felt the bit of unease stir in your stomach. Gripping your phone lightly, you watched behind yourself as unobtrusively as possible, the glow from Victor's hard won praise melting away as you were followed for the next block.
"Ok", you thought to yourself, "I can deal with this."
Just as the thought crossed your mind, a movement from the opposite sidewalk caught your attention. There, matching you step for step, was another man, a veritable giant who looked as though he could bench a small car. Mind racing faster even as your steps slow, you raised your phone to your ear, thumb easily dialing the number you'd memorized long ago.
"I hope you have a good reason for calling me so late, especially since I'm about to leave the office."
Victor's voice had never sounded so beautiful to you as it did right then.
"I think I'm being followed." Your voice was small in an attempt to keep quiet.
The sound of footsteps that had echoed from Victor's end of the line stopped, then sharply picked up. You heard the slamming of a car door.
"Avenue C and Broad Street. I think - Oh!"
As you had talked, the man across the street had pulled ahead of you, and you could see him crossing the road at the end of the next block, his dark, hulking form outlined clearly in the streetlights. He jogged across to your side of the street, and began to walk in the same direction as you, only about a block ahead. But what scared you the most, causing you to clutch your phone even more tightly, was the simple fact that, as he turned onto your side of the street, the ever present streetlights began to fall dark, one by one, as he passed them. Penned in both front and back, it left you with a path of darkness that lead only towards him.
"-ok? Talk to me. Tell me what's happening."
Victor's calm voice brought you back to yourself, and you took a deep breath.
"There's one just under a block ahead, another half a block behind. I noticed the first one about 2 blocks ago. I… I think one of them might be an Evolver. The streetlights are going out behind him. " though you struggled to keep your tone calm and steady, an undercurrent of nervous fear was beginning to show through, and you silently cursed yourself.
"It's ok, MC. I promise you're going to be safe. I'm 3 minutes away."
You swallowed, slowing your pace even more. This time the man behind you didn't slow, but began to catch up with you, slowly, but inevitably. As you watched him in the reflection of a homes windows, something seemed to slide out of his sleeve. He caught it, and gave an almost idle swing, tapping it against the ground as he walked. The smallest of blue sparks jumped from the tip, but quickly disappeared into the darkness that was beginning to feel almost oppressive.
"Victor" you whispered, swallowing hard against the sudden dryness in your throat. Your free hand wandered down into your bag, scrabbling idly till you found your keys and gathered them into your fist.
"1 minute. Talk to me, MC. What do you see?"
Even you could now hear the tightness in his voice, and underneath that, the sound of a car engine, revving higher and louder.
You trailed off. You'd reached the spot where the streetlights had been extinguished.
"I'm going to need both hands." You finished, voice small, scared, but steady, and slowly lowered your phone into your bag, making sure not to end the call. Victor's voice echoed tinnily from the speakers.
"Please, MC, I'm almost there."
But you'd already stopped, choosing to fight in the tiny pool of light left.
The giant stepped out of the darkness, chuckling in a gravelly voice. He towered, but you didn’t waver, instead meeting his stare defiantly with your own.
“Heh. So I suppose you think you’re going to fight, try ‘n scratch me with those keys, hm?” He almost chortled, eyes sparking with suppressed mirth.
“I do.” The man behind you had almost caught up, and from the corner of your eye you could see him raise the stun gun. But you were already moving, swinging with all your might at the one in front, shifting your weight to follow through on the punch. Unsurprisingly, as you managed to connect, slamming your fist into his jaw, you felt a raw, blinding pain begin on your left side.
Then every thing but you shuddered to a halt, and you stumbled forward, gasping, struggling to keep your balance as your left leg threatened to give out on you. Before that could happen there were arms around you, and you were pulled against a broad chest. Dazedly, thoughts rattling and sparking from the zap you’d taken, you looked up, only to see Victor’s face, pale and tight with worry, staring back at you.
“Oh thank you.” He muttered as he gathered you to him, “Thank you thank you thank you…” You weren’t sure who he was thanking, only that he was here, smelling lightly of sandalwood and fresh laundry, and you could let go now. Every ounce of tension from the last few minutes seemed to leak away, and the last thing you felt was the light press of Victor’s lips moving against your hair.
You sat up with a gasp, his name the first thing on your lips. The dim recognition that you were in your apartment, on the couch, came and went, lost in the confusion of waking somewhere different from where you’d last been. It wasn’t to last for long, however, as the man himself was instantly in front of you, hands rubbing up and down your arms. You sighed in relief.
“Dummy. What did you think you were going to do?” His voice was strained, and he briefly touched his forehead to your own.
“I don’t know. Fight. I won’t go down easily, I refuse.” Another small sigh, and you offered up a sweet smile. “I need something to drink, if you’ll excuse me?”
“Oh no,” Victor’s voice was stern and forceful, though a smile tugged at his lips. “You were literally electrocuted. I had the doctor here, you’re not to get out of bed.”
You blushed, stammering objections till you tried to move a little to quick, and then you felt the effects of last night lance through your side with a stinging pain. Gingerly you lifted the edge of your shirt up, eyeing the nasty bruise with furrowed brows. Huffing in indignation you leaned back.
“But I’m hungry…. And thirsty…” The pout in your voice was obvious, but Victor just chuckled and brushed a stray hair away from your face, then disappeared into the kitchen. A moment later he was back, bearing a tray laden with breakfast was presented to you, bringing a big smile to your face. You tucked in happily, and when you were done you rested back into the pillows. The food and warmth had you happy and content, and Victor’s presence kept your mind from turning the events of last night over and over in your head. Your eyes drifted lower and lower, so that you heard, rather than saw, Victor walk back into the room. The bed next to you settled a bit as he sat down, and a hand casted lightly through your hair.
“Thank you.” You felt him stiffen a little, then chuckle.
“Dummy. I told you I would be right there. You should have some faith.”
But you were already asleep, breathing steadily, surrounded by a sea of pillows and blankets. Victor stood carefully and bent down, brushing a gentle kiss against your forehead. Exceedingly carefully, he tugged up the blankets, tucking them in.
