Calm Before The Storm - [Waterboy x Civilian!Reader]
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masterlist
Context
You are just a civilian with insanely bad luck. After being saved multiple times by the same hero, Waterboy, you have a nice and cozy encounter with the goofy hero.
(y/n)
(Sorry there isn't much hair color, eye color stuff)
This is entirely from your pov!
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(y/n)
If bad luck were a superpower, I'd be a certified black cat in a human body. You could place me next to the luckiest man alive and I'd drag his stats straight into the negatives.
Last month, I got caught in a bank fire drill that turned out to be an actual gas leak. Last week, a delivery drone mistook my latte for a landing pad.
OH— and today? Today I'm walking in the middle of the street with a reusable bag of groceries while an actual car — MID CAR CHASE MIND YOU — barrels toward me.
"Seriously? Again?!" I shout to no one.
People scatter. Tires screech. The Kia Soul fishtails, shadowing every direction I try to dodge. I step back— only to slip on a rogue orange rolling from my bag. Of course.
Gravity wins. Per usual.
A sharp hiss splits the air, then a splurge of water bursts out between me and the car, glimmering under the streetlights. The car slams into it like a wave hitting glass. A pursuing hero leaps onto the hood, rips the driver's door open. Damn she's strong— and honestly? Stylish as hell.
I land on my ass, soaked, blinking up at a very familiar figure in yellow and blue.
Waterboy kneels beside me, water dripping from his gloves, his hair, literally everywhere. His smile is warm and apologetic.
"You okay? No boo–bruises? Concussion? Or, uh, medical.. injuries?"
I stare up at him. "You again."
He points at himself like he's double-checking the situation. "You remember me?"
"Hard to forget the guy who saved me from a crazy, cyborg creep and then tripped into a fountain immediately afterwards."
His ears instantly flush. "That was—uh—field conditions?"
"Sure it was," I say while squeezing water out of my hair. "You've got impeccable timing though. Every time something catastrophic happens to me, you're just... around. At least it seems that the SDN subscription is worthwhile." I joke, checking myself for any bodily harm.
He lets out a nervous laugh and rubs the back of his neck. "Guess I'm your point of–emergency contact n-now."
I look up at him — tall, dripping, ocean-blue eyes, that awkwardly charming smile. "Could be worse."
His comm crackles a bit. A low and monotonous voice emerges from the earpiece "Target apprehended. Nice catch... Kinda shocked. How's the civilian?"
He cringes at the jab. "It–I–they're fine," he blurts, glancing at me. "Totally fine."
"Barely traumatized," I say brightly. "Ten out of ten rescue. If you ever need me to talk up SDN— I'm your go-to." I throw in a playful wink.
He laughs softly and offers his hand. The moment I grab it, the puddle beneath us ripples and splashes over our ankles.
"Sorry!" he panics, steadying me. "Still getting the hang of uhm, dripping. Less."
"It's fine," I say with a laugh I can't suppress. "I like my rescues a little spontaneous."
Before I can thank him, another hero descends — a woman in a sleek black bodysuit with gold lines and a vibrant, split dye of pink-and-blue hair.
"Waterbitch!" she calls. "Are they hurt at all?"
"Uh, that's not—They're good–Civilian damp but conscious."
Prism smirks at us. "You've got a type, huh? Wet damsel in distress energy?"
Waterboy groans. "Please don't start."
My face heats instantly.
"I'm just fucking with you Pissboy," Prism cackles, raising her phone.
Before either of us registers what's happening, there's a camera click and she's already typing. Their dispatcher's voice crackles from Waterboy's earpiece, audibly scolding her.
"You two look like an old couple already," she teases before taking off, heels clacking as she goes.
Waterboy exhales, defeated. "She's never gonna let that go."
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He insists on walking me home— something about "standard follow-up protocol," which I'm 80% sure he made up.
The city cools after its daily chaos. My shoes squish, but his presence makes everything feel strangely grounded.
"So," I say, nudging him and brushing against his damp elbow, "how many people do you rescue in a week?"
"Hm. Uh, counting you?" He lifts his eyes like he's doing honest math. "One... very specific person, repeatedly." He gives a small, guilty shrug.
I grin. "Lucky me."
He turns pink but amused. "Maybe you're just in the wrong place at the right time."
"Or maybe the universe keeps sending reminders that chivalry still exists—in neon spandex."
"It's tactical gear! Not—okay, yeah, there's some spandex."
I burst into laughter. "Relax, puddle boy. It's a good look."
His mouth opens, then shuts, then curves shyly. "You... really think so?"
"Would I tease you if I didn't?"
"Um... possibly? Yes?"
I can't help laughing again.
We reach my porch, the light flickering like it's conspiring with the insects. Waterboy looks around the neighborhood kind of, concerned? Then he shifts awkwardly, dripping steadily onto my welcome mat.
"Well," he says. "You're safe for now."
"For now," I echo. "Until next Tuesday's disaster."
He chuckles. "I'll keep an eye out. For you–incidents–future incidents."
There's a beat of quiet.
He fidgets. "I, uh, should go—"
"Or," I offer, stepping closer, "you could come in for tea. Surely, you need to rehydrate after using so much water to save me?"
He freezes. "Heh, that's not how my po–Wait. Are you—uh—flirting with me?"
I tilt my head. "Is it working?"
His blush is immediate and devastating. "Possibly. I'm... new at thi–"
"OH MY GODD– I TOLD YALL HE WAS WITH THAT ONE CIVILIAN FROM THE CAR CALL!"
We both whip our heads toward Prism and two other heroes loitering on the sidewalk. Prism's phone is recording? Oh boy.
"What are y– Why are you all h-here?" Waterboy squeaks, shrinking like a startled turtle.
"Roberto wanted us to check on you— but it seems you have everything taken care of," the bat-guy mutters, snickering.
A red lady– A demon-looking woman with an Aussie accent steps forward. "Yeah, and I just came to make sure Sonar didn't go off and huff drugs with Prism—"
"'Scuse me bitch, I don't know who you think you're talking about but I don't do drugs," Prism snaps. "...Anymore."
"Regardless," the demon woman sighs, "it is the end of shift and I think we should give these two lovebirds some time alone, eh?"
Waterboy mouths a grateful "thank you." to her as she scolds the other two.
As they wander off bickering, he turns to me and exhales hard.
"Sorry about them. Uh, they are very–"
"Nosy?" I offer.
"Rude, but that too."
A small silence settles. I fiddle with my fingers, then meet his eyes again.
"Would you like to come inside for tea?" I ask softly.
"I would like–love to," he replies, cheeks warm. "Sorry, I am a bit new at this."
"Same," I whisper. "But I think we're doing okay."
Lightning from a distant storm flickers behind him, reflecting in his eyes like lightning in a bottle.
"Okay," he murmurs. "Just one cup."
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Hours later, rain taps the windows. We sit shoulder-to-shoulder on my plastic-covered couch — inherited, not chosen. Steam rises from our mugs.
He talks about the Z-Team, about Prism's chaos and the bat-guy's weird Vanderstenk obsession. His voice is calm, warm. The opposite of everything he deals with daily.
I listen.
For once, nothing is falling apart.
He glances at me. "You okay?"
"Yeah," I say. "For the first time in a long while."
He nods. "Guess storms can wait."
"Guess they can."
Thunder rolls softly outside.
My cat materializes like a cryptid.
"Oh wha– who? Is this?" Waterboy asks, staring at the sphynx-like creature beneath him.
"My cat—his name is Beerus."
He blinks. "Wait, black cat?"
"Yeah, he used to have fur, but the second I picked him up—lightning struck him specifically. He survived though. Now he just... vibes."
"Like straight out of a cartoon," Waterboy mutters, fascinated.
I laugh. "I named him Beerus after an anime character."
He wiggles his fingers at Beerus. "My uh, grandma— I live with her—She loves cats. I like them too, just... can't really touch them. At all."
Before he can finish processing, I plop Beerus directly into his lap.
Waterboy's hands shoot up like he's being arrested. "Why would you—he's gonna get so—"
He freezes as Beerus rolls onto his back, meowing dramatically.
"Why is he..." Waterboy gently pets him, completely spellbound.
"Beerus loves baths and water," I say.
He keeps petting, smiling like sunlight.
I look at him — really look. If he can be this earnest, this kind, this hopeful... What excuse do I have not to try living life a little more?
"(y/n)?" he asks softly, waving a hand in front of my face.
"Yeah, sorry. I'm fine," I say. "Just admiring a superhero."
I rest my hand lightly on his knee, meeting those hazy blue eyes.
"Would you like to come over and hang out with Beerus more often?"
His breath catches. "Y-Yes! Please—Absolutely!"
He beams.
Maybe he's exactly the kind of hero I need.
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God, it's early.
I wake to the smell of honey and tea.
Not my tea.
His.
I arise from the crinkly couch and look around, hoping he hasn't left yet.
Waterboy stands in my tiny kitchen in his suit — surprisingly not dripping water much, at least what I can see from his face — and he's staring at my electric kettle like it personally offended him.
"Oh—uh—good morning!" he says, scrambling, almost slipping from how damp he still is. "I was... trying to make tea... but the instructions are uh... cryptic."
"It's not plugged in," I inform him.
"Oh."
He stares at it like it has betrayed him on a spiritual level.
Beerus hops onto the counter and meows loudly at him.
"I think he wants you to make breakfast," I tease.
"He thinks I can cook?"
"He thinks you're tall and therefore competent."
Waterboy looks deeply flattered by this unbreakable logic. Slightly blushing and petting the beast screaming at him.
He laughs sheepishly, then hands me something.
A laminated card.
"Emergency Contact: Waterboy."Under it: his real number. Not the SDN hotline.
"You don't... have to use it," he says quickly. "I just— I know weird things happen around you and I figured— I mean— not that you're weird— I just—"
I place my hand lightly over his, stopping the spiral.
"I'm glad you gave it to me."
He goes bright red.
Beerus, sitting on the counter still like a smug gremlin, meowing at Waterboy approvingly.
Waterboy smiles. "I, uh... I like hanging out with you."
I smile back. "Yeah. Me too."
A soft rumble of thunder rolls overhead — a familiar reminder.
But this time?
It doesn't feel like a warning.
It feels like the start of something.
We spend the next hour making tea incorrectly, talking about small things, big things, nothing. When he eventually leaves for his shift, the doorway feels colder.
But he promises — awkwardly, sincerely — "I'll come by tomorrow. If... if that's okay."
It is very okay.
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(y/n) sends a call to SDN for a cat babysitter and specifically requests Waterboy when they have a last-minute job interview.
Also (y/n) and Waterboy/Herman actually went to the same high school, they just never noticed each other– also they live like down the street from each other so. yeah.
Lowkey I forgot I was writing in gender-neutral terms for a second and for Sonar wrote "Damn, what if she lets him see her boobs? Lucky."
from my wattpad story Waterboy Imagines || Waterboy x Reader.
In honor of the last episodes, do we want that villain reader x waterboy smut or naw?
YES YES YES YES
Ew. Tf bih
Idgaf
DO OTHER CHARACTER FAN FICS
