could I request headcanons of Raiden getting flirted by M!Reader but reader is following Johnny's (horrible) advice because he doesn't know how to flirt?
HC Flirting With MK11 Raidens (M!reader)
Welcome back! I'm glad you decided to ask again and with another fun prompt too!! This made me laugh so much while writing. Hopefully, I did your prompt justice!
Warning: Cheesy pick up lines ahead, mentions of blood for the last part in Light Raiden story.
Disclaimer : English ain't my native language. Mistakes might be found in this. I apologize for them, I'm trying my best.
Enjoy!
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Dark Raiden
You’ve had a crush on the Thunder God for a while now but never acted up on it
The reason why? You’ve never been in a relationship.
You have no clue how to flirt.
One day as you sat next to Johnny in the meeting room, the superstar catches you staring at Raiden.
“You have a crush on Edge lord over there?”
Shushing Johnny, afraid the god could hear him, you’d confess to the man that yes you do have romantic feelings for Raiden.
Prepare yourself to have a class on how to flirt, courtesy of one Johnny Cage.
It’s filled with cheesy and sometimes cringy pick-up lines.
You are willing to try tho.
If the ex-narcissist Johnny managed to court the stoic Sonia with those, maybe it could work on an even more stoic God.
Boi, how wrong you were.
O0o0o0o0o
Attempt number one :
Sitting inside the main tent at the special force camp, (Y/n) glanced toward Johnny. The tent was mostly empty, the soldiers having been dispatched early on, leaving him, Lord Raiden, Johnny and a few other soldiers inside. Following the superstar’s advice, (Y/n) approached the thunder god nervously.
“Is it hot in here or is it just you?”
A smack echoed in the background but the man ignored it. He was starting to regret this when Raiden turned in his direction, his face unreadable. Cold red eyes stared at (Y/n).The man swore he could hear crickets outside with how silent the room became.
Opening his mouth, Raiden was cut short when Sonia and Cassie entered the tent, stealing the attention of the god away from him. Thanking the Elder Gods, (Y/n) took the opportunity to retreat.
Attempt number two :
It took a lot more convincing on Johnny’s part for (Y/n) to stop avoiding the god. After the failed attempt, he wasn’t able to show his face in front of Raiden.
Taking a break from their sparring, Johnny clapped his shoulder.
“You know, you need to be more confident when you're flirting.”
Rolling his eyes, (Y/n) took a sip from his water bottle.
“Oh sure I’m sure it’s only my lack of confidence that’s in the way.” Observing the other soldiers training further away, (Y/n) wondered why of all people did he fall for the god. “I’m sure that if I go back to him and tell him ‘ Hey Lord Raiden, have you been sitting on a pile of sugar, because you have a pretty sweet ass’ with confidence the man will fall for me.” He said sarcastically.
At that moment, someone cleared their throat behind the two men. (Y/n) only needed to see the face Johnny made when he turned around to know who was standing behind them. Panic settled inside him. Every ounce of him wanted to run away, to go hide in shame somewhere else. Hoping for a miracle that the god wasn’t standing there the whole time, (Y/n) dared to look at him.
“I require the assistance of you two.” Raiden said sternly, his eyes fixed on (Y/n).
After a small debriefing, the two men were sent to retrieve something for the god. Did Raiden hear him say that stupid pick-up line, well (Y/n) would probably never know.
Attempt number three :
Night had fallen on the special force camp, basking its surroundings in the beautiful silverish light of the moon. After two failed attempts, one being involuntary, (Y/n) decided to stop listening to Johnny. At this point, he was sure he made a fool of himself in front of the god. Heck, it seemed like the whole settlement was made aware of his feelings for Raiden as he now fell victim to the enceasent teasing of Cassie and Jackie.
Sitting just outside the camp, (Y/n) looked over some documents General Blade had sent him. Unaware of the approaching god, he startled slightly when Raiden spoke.
“(Y/n).”
Sighing, the man turned toward the god. Exhaustion was clawing its way through him, spending the week going on mission after mission would do that to someone. Truth to be told, he only accepted the mission in order to avoid, once again, the god of thunder. Now, he kind of regretted it.
“Lord Raiden, is there something I could do for you?”
“ May I join you?”
Perplexed, (Y/n) glanced toward the rock he was sitting on. The rock was big enough to hold two people but that wasn’t the reason why he was confused. Did the god really ask permission to sit with him? Unsure what to answer and frankly too tired to feel ashamed or shy, he nodded. It was difficult for him to focus back on the documents in his hand. Heart beating fast, he was almost certain Raiden could hear it. However, the god remained silent. Minutes passed by in silence until finally the god spoke.
“If being beautiful was a crime, you’d surely be guilty as charged.”
Mind blank, (Y/n) tried to process what the man had just said. Bursting out laughing, he tried desperately to regain his composure.
“Does this truly work on earthrealmer?”
Shaking his head, (Y/n) put down the documents beside him. His sides were hurting from laughing too much. Mind you, he wasn’t laughing at Raiden, but at how unexpected the situation he was in was.
“Can’t say, you are the first person I’ve tried to flirt with.”
Realising that he’d just confessed to the god his attempt to flirt with him, (Y/n) scratched the back of his neck nervously. To the netherrealm with all this, Johnny told him he needed to be more confident if he wanted this to work. Taking a deep breath, (Y/n) glanced at Raiden’s hand before looking into the man’s eyes.
“Hey, your hands looks heavy, would you like me to hold them for you?”
He tried his best not to wince at how cringy this was. Raiden remained silent for a few seconds before slowly extending one of his hands toward him. Well, even if the advice Johnny gave him were bad ones, it seemed it worked in the end. Hands intertwined, (Y/n) and Raiden spent the rest of the night stargazing.
Light Raiden
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Same as dark Raiden, you’ve been harbouring feelings for this god for a while.
The slight difference from his dark version is that he’s more approachable.
Taking refuge in the Fire Garden with everyone else, you end up spending more time with Raiden than usual.
Young Johnny catches your hidden crush on the god.
How he managed to figure it out is a mystery.
But the superstar offer his help
You are sceptical at first, but seeing as you’ve had zero experience in love, even more so in flirting, you reluctantly accept.
You instantly regret it.
0o0o0o0o0o0
Attempt number one :
This is, from the start, a disaster. Calmly enjoying the beauty offered by the Fire Garden, (Y/n) and younger Johnny were having a conversation about movies when out came Raiden, followed by Liu Kang and Kung Lao. Spotting the god, Johnny forced him up and pushed him slightly toward the thunder god. The movement attracted said man’s attention and (Y/n) found himself standing in front of Raiden. Like a deer caught in headlights, the man blurbed out the first thing that came to mind.
“Are you made of lightning? Cuz you’re shockingly beautiful.”
(Y/n) wanted to disappear and never come back. No one said anything for a while, probably too stunned by the situation. Behind Raiden, Kung Lao clapped a hand on his mouth, trying desperately not to laugh at the poor attempt. Thankfully, everyone was saved from further embarrassment when Grand Master Hasashi rounded the corner asking for Raiden. Excusing himself, the god followed Hanzo, leaving the other four men behind.
“That was…something” Liu Kang teased, tapping his shoulder in a comforting way.
“Shut up.”
Finally unable to restrain himself, Kung Lao burst out laughing.
Attempt number two :
Days later, (Y/n) found himself training with Grand Master Liang. Everything was going well until the thunder god decided to come and observe the fight between the two. The moment his eyes landed on the god, (Y/n) was reminded of the stupid thing he'd done. His attention elsewhere, he completely missed the block of ice flying toward him.
Wincing as he opened his eyes, (Y/n) was confused for a second before remembering where he was. Cold hand helped him to sit upright.
" Are you well (Y/n)"
Came the voice that definitely did not belong to Master Liang. Vision, still a bit fuzzy, (Y/n) turned toward the voice only to realise who it was.
" Yeah, guess I just got stunned by your beauty."
He swore he could feel Johnny Cage give him thumbs up from miles away. However, (Y/n) wasn't proud of himself for that one. In fact, both of his attempts were catastrophic. Both ended up embarrassing him more than anything. If the lack of reaction from the god wasn't a dead giveaway already.
Once again it seemed like the Elders Gods took pity on him. Before any words could leave Raiden's mouth, Sonia appeared out of nowhere demanding help from the god. For a brief moment, Raiden looked torned between following the general or voicing his thoughts to (Y/n). When the woman pressed on, the god gave in and left.
" So…Raiden huh?"
Completely forgetting that he wasn't alone, (Y/n) groaned. Not only were Liu Kang and Kung Lao made aware of his crush on the god because of his stupid mouth, now Kuai Liang was thrown into the mix.
“If I could give a piece of advice-“ Frozen hand landed upon his shoulder, the chilly touch sending shivers down his spine.
Kuai Liang glanced up at the sounds of someone approaching.Pink leaves fell from nearby trees brushed away by the gentle breeze. Master Hasashi quirked his eyebrow as he halted near the cryomancer. Head titled slightly, he wondered what could have possibly happened for (Y/n) to be in such a position. Kuai Liang smiled at the pyromance, his eyes never leaving the other man as he spoke.
"- don't follow Johnny's advice. Sometimes, being forward is the best solution."
" How did you know Johnny gave me advice?" (Y/n) asked, glancing between the two grand master with a knowing smirk.
A rare chuckle left the cryomancer's mouth. Under the warm sunlight, his eyes seemed to crackle. Even the pyromancer attitude seemed relaxed.
"Who else can come up with bad pick up lines if not him?"
Attempt number three :
Wooden planks creaked in protest under the weight of uncertain feet.Through ragged breath, (Y/n) weakly staggered his way around the fire garden. A trail of blood followed the wounded man behind.Disoriented, he stopped and leaned against the paper walls in hopes to regain the last remaining strength in his body. Unfocused eyes surveyed the surroundings to no avail. His vision, a blurry mess of colours. He had to keep moving, just a little further. The words were chanted like a mantra in his head as he forced himself off the wall.
(Y/n) buckled under his own weight, unable to even make a step forward.Back pressed against the wall, he fought his hardest against the drowsiness settling. Despite the warm weather of the sunlit afternoon, (Y/n) shivered. His clothes were soaked in blood just like the hand pressed against the wound in a meagre attempt to keep himself alive.
Early in the day, those who were still present in the new found refuge were given missions said to be crucial to defeat the titan of time. His mission had only required one person as it was supposed to be quick and easy. To his own bad luck everything had turned south the moment he'd arrived on location. Sustaining major injuries, the man had pushed through the pain nonetheless to complete what he was there for. A part of him regretted not putting his own safety first.
"By the Elder God!"
Rushed footsteps jolted the wounded man awake. A large hand covered the wound on his side applying pressure to it. Wasn't he doing just that moment ago? Struggling to raise his hand, (Y/n) guessed he must have stopped the moment he had lost consciousness. Another hand gently cuddle the side of his face.
A warm sensation spread around the wound, batting away the sharp pain. Electric blue eyes studied him, searching for other injuries. Beside bruises and scratches, he had none as life threatening as the one Raiden was desperately trying to heal.
Coming back from their own mission, the god of thunder had not been expecting such a worrisome sight. Upon seeing blood stains on the walls and floor, Liu Kang and Kung Lao hurried toward the infirmary while Raiden followed the trail.
For a moment, Raiden focused on the shallow breath, watching the slow rise and fall of (Y/n) chest to calm his racing nerves. When shallow turned even, the god let a relieved sigh escape his lips.
“Raiden?’’
Peering at the man before him, (Y/n) focused his attention on the god. Black spots danced across his eyes, threatening to pull him back into unconsciousness. He placed an unsteady hand on top of the one putting pressure on his wound. Raiden seeing as (Y/n) was on the edge of unconsciousness, spoke the first thing that came to his mind.
“I was told Earthrealmer had a particular way of courting someone”
Rubbing his thumb over Raiden’s hand, (Y/n) hummed. Of all the things he expected the god to say, that wasn't on the list.Feeling his strength coming back, he made himself comfortable against the wall.
“Johnny’s awful advice are not what I would call courting.”
Raiden had yet to remove his hand away from (Y/n) side. The wound had been fully healed some time ago, however, the god found he enjoyed the contact.
“I was also subject to Johnny's questionable advice.” Raiden's voice seemed unsure which picked (Y/n) foggy mind’s curiosity.
“He suggested that I ask you if you were truly an earthrealmer.”
A smile grew on (Y/n) exhausted face which Raiden answered with one of his own. Squeezing the hand at his waist, (Y/n) encouraged the god to continue.
“And that I should answered with ‘because you are out of this world’ after
Someone groaned loudly beside them. Coming back from the infirmary with bandages, Liu Kang and Kung Lao stared at them bemused. Chuckling, (Y/n) winced from the mouvement. His injury still hurting.
Raiden helped him stand, some times later, his arm securely wrapped around (Y/n)'s waist while the other hold on the arm around his neck. Even in this new position, the god's hand had remained on his side. It was a tremendous task to move the wounded man to his own chamber. As the group walked passed the main entrance, (Y/n) glimpsed at young Johnny, who appeared to have just come back from his own mission.
“No one tells young Johnny his shitty pick up line ended up working, understood?” (Y/n) said jokingly, glaring at the two shaolin monks. Eight pairs of eyes fixed the unknowing young superstar.
“That man doesn’t need a bigger ego." Kung Lao replied before the group continued on their way.