Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien, J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth Legendarium & Related Fandoms
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Ecthelion of the Fountain/Glorfindel (Tolkien)
Characters: Ecthelion of the Fountain (Tolkien), Glorfindel (Tolkien), Sexual Tension - Character
Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Humour, Sexual Tension, Pre-Slash, First Aid, Catchy First Aid Rhymes, TW: Wound Care
Summary:
“Well then,” said Glorfindel, “can you tell me more about this very minor injury that you fear may keep you out of battle? As in, what is it, and how did you come by it?”
“It was an accident. A ridiculous one.” The corners of Ecthelion’s mouth turned downwards. “I was walking past the archery butts when, quite suddenly, I was struck by a stray arrow.”
“Where?”
“In the northern corner, just past the Balrog-shaped targets.”
Fandom/Ships/Characters: DCU (any verse) - Clark Kent & Lex Luthor, Clark Kent/Lois Lane
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 772
Warnings and Tags: pre break up, old friends, friends to enemies, enemies to lovers, pre slash, prison visits, chess, communication, lex knows who superman is, Lois knows who superman is
Summary: Clark visits Lex in prison instead of going home.
Written for the @dc-hero-villain-fest for the prompt(s): "I know you better than anyone else."
Author Notes: Yesss more heroes and villains! This time a bit of a preslash situation.
Happy Reading! I appreciate every like, comment, and reblog! ❤️
Read, I Just Needed to Talk, Rated Teen, in full below or on my Ao3.
*note, this story (and all of my others) on Ao3 is locked for registered Ao3 user.
I Just Needed to Talk
“What are you really doing here, Clark?” Lex asked fingers toying with his pawn. “And don't say it's for chess, god knows you are horrible…”
The brunette frowned at the chessboard between them. He never won against Lex, but it really wasn't why he came here. Why did he come here today to talk to the other man? It didn't feel like his typical excuses for visiting. So often he came here in hopes of helping Lex find himself again, find the redemption he didn't seem to want. Clark couldn't give up on him, didn't want to give up on him. No matter how many times Lex had tried to kill him, the Kryptonian could only remember the days when they had been best friends.
Lex looked up to him leaning on his hand. “Is something the matter?” He asked, taking in the other's expression.
Clark frowned, eyes flickering up to the bald older man before returning back down to the board. “It's your turn Lex.” His voice was a mumble as he looked at the board knowing the other would put him in check soon enough.
“Oh, I'm well aware, Kent,” he sighed, watching him and lifting his finger from his piece. “I am also well aware that something is troubling you today. More than usual when you deem it fit to grace me with your presence.”
Clark frowned at the board, glaring at it as Lex sat back from it.
“Lex-”
“Come now, Clark. I am not playing if you won't talk,” he crossed his arms over his chest. “Out with it. I know you better than anyone else, I know when you are holding something back. When something is bothering you."
Clark hated how true that was, how much Lex still knew him and how much he desperately wanted to talk to him. To talk to anyone about it, especially someone who could hope to understand what he meant. His eyes looked at Lex sighing at the interest he saw and the concern he found in blue eyes.
“I…” Clark shrugged, pushing up his glasses and rubbing a hand down his face. “I just needed to get away from the apartment. Lois…”
Lex's lips parted in understanding a small sound leaving him. “I take it that things have not been going well?” he ventured, finally moving a piece as Clark began to talk.
Clark rubbed his eyes, groaning, taken back to the days where he would go to Lex to talk about his relationships. “No,” he frowned thinking about. “It's going fine. Same as it always is, but,” he bit his lip it sounded so foolish.
“But?” Lex pressed as he watched Clark finger at his knight.
“But,” his head tilted to the side, “You know her, knew us before…” his hand waved to the prison they were sitting in and Lex released a hum. “Does she… does she love me —Clark, or…?” Clark winced at his own words, at the question and doubt in it. He sounded so childish to complain about something so small.
Lex watched him, studying the discomfort that radiated from the alien across from him. He frowned. It wasn't the first time he had wondered about it himself. “Ms. Lane has always enjoyed a good story far more than the one reporting it,” he answered diplomatically. “Perhaps it is something best raised with her.”
“I've tried, Lex, but she just… it's stupid isn't it?”
Lex took a breath before answering, pushing away his own complex feelings regarding Superman and Clark. “Far from it,” he dissuaded. “I often struggled living in the shadow of Superman, it's not a surprise you do as well,” he pushed out a sigh. “Just another thing we have in common, I suppose.”
Clark frowned at the board as Lex took his turn. “You think I should try to talk to her again?” He questioned, wishing that Lex would give him some other advice.
“Yes, Clark. Communication and honesty is key,” he said, looking at the other who seemed dismayed by his advice and the memories it dredged to the surface. Lex smiled, his point made. “If it is worth anything, I have always hated every part of you equally, farm boy. Check,” he added as he moved his bishop with a huff of a laugh.
Clark chuckled, taking in Lex's teasing grin. “Not always,” he reminded, returning the smile.
The older man nodded, reluctant to remember the memories of friendship and near romance that was now bathed in distrust and hurt feelings.
“No," he sighed softly, looking back to the board. "No, not always,” he admitted in a hushed whisper.
Will groaned as he was dragged to the door, his best friend and enabler Beverly Katz grinning in her gold lace mask that matched the very expensive dress she’d saved up all year for.
“Don’t look like you’re going to the slaughter, Will. Come on. It’s the Masquerade! Everyone is dying to get into this thing and we finally did!”
He scratched his face under the mask she’d gotten for him, a silver wolf-like design that itched like crazy, and sighed.
“Bev, I never wanted to come at all.”
She rolled her eyes. “Everyone wants to come to the Masquerade, Will,” she said, as the couple in front of them gave WIll a look of disgust, “The vampires only pick fifty people in the whole world and this year it’s in Baltimore. You don’t even have to be a donor, you can just….I dunno….vibe?”
He laughed. “Have you ever known me to vibe anywhere at all at any time?”
Beverly frowned. “No, but….” she grabbed his lapel, plain black and ‘too boring’ according to Bev when he’d insisted, fixing it, “That’s why I put in for us both, you know? I might find a hot vampire lover and you…I dunno….might actually have a good time? Just for a bit?”
Will’s chest tightened, “”Bev….”
She put an arm around his waist and leaned on him. “Think of it this way,” she said, “If all else fails you can be my bodyguard.”
He laughed again and wrapped his arm around her waist in return. “Ok.”
They were silent as the line started to move quickly, excited murmurs from the rest of the line around them making Will annoyed, and as they got to the front they showed their invites along with their check-in QR codes. The man at the door smiled, showing his fangs, and Bev just stared openly as he said, “Come on in.”
Bev looked back still as they walked inside, the music what Will imagined it would be: classical violin gothic doom and gloom tunes that he barely recognized.
“So, what do….”
Out of nowhere a woman with blonde hair and red eyes grabbed Bev’s arm. The stranger eyed her with obvious interest, and Bev just stared open-mouthed as the very obvious vampire undressed Bev with her eyes. “Would you like to dance?”
“She really….” Will started to say just as Bev said, “Yes,” and was dragged off leaving him alone in a room full of over a hundred people - mostly vampires - and annoying music.
Will lost them fast as he tried to keep up, worry settling in, and he cursed taking out his phone but Bev didn’t answer.
“Do you need some assistance?”
He turned in time to see a vampire wearing a black and white striped suit and an elaborate black stag mask embossed with flecks of gold beside him. The vampire had ash blonde hair, perfectly styled, and his red eyes were surprisingly not looking at Will like he was dinner.
“I…..my friend…..some vampire woman…..”
The music made it hard to hear much, but the vampire came closer as he touched Will’s arm so he could.
“What did she look like, this vampire woman?”
“Um,” he whispered, blushing, “Blonde hair, red…eyes….she was wearing a black dress. I think…”
“Bedelia,” the vampire said, shaking his head, “”I assure you, your friend is perfectly safe other than possibly being forced to endure a lecture on psychopathy. She takes consent rather seriously.”
Will frowned. “How can I be sure you’re telling the truth?”
Continued in:
AuGust Writing Challenge 2025 Day 7: Masquerade Ball
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
A string of missing children. Red Robin kept trying to debrief him on it - apparently there's a heap of similar cases across Gotham. All he wants is to find the kids, alive preferably. Human trafficking in the Alley was largely ignored. No one cares if a few poor vestiges of society go missing.
Red Hood cares. The Alley is his and he's made this his problem. Which is definitely a higher priority than wasting time, letting tense and uncomfortable silence fill the space between himself and his “family”.
-------
Or: King Phantom helps the Batfam solve a series of missing children cases, with a side of helping Jason with his feelings.
God no. No no no no no, Eddie needed it to stop. He wasn't there anymore and he knew that. He knew that, he knew that, so this was so stupid of him, but he couldn't stop himself.
He couldn't stop himself from skidding back and bashing his skull against the wall either when he saw something appear in front of him.
"Hey, hey, it's alright," he heard through the panic.
Eddie didn't know who the voice belonged to yet but one thing he did know is that it was safe.
Suddenly Steve had an armful of nervous shaking metalhead. He tried not to, but when Eddie collided with his still healing wounds on his chest he hissed. Eddie started to skid backward again and so Steve did the only thing he could think of.
He held on.
"Hey, hey, no Eddie, it's ok," he repeated, "I'm ok Eds."
Slowly Eddie untensed as the nonsensical sounds continued to wash over him. Before he knew it he had fallen forward with his head resting in the crook of Steve's neck.
Steve continued to murmur out his reassurances as he felt Eddie loosen up fully, until eventually he felt Eddie's breath tickling his neck at an even rate. Controlling the shiver trying to make it's way down his spine Steve slowly reached a hand upwards, hoping to keep the frightened metalhead calm. Taking a risk he put his hand on top of surprisingly soft curls.
Eddie sighed and burrowed farther into Steve's neck. Smiling in response Steve started slowly scratching Eddie's head through his curls while telling him about the latest shenanigans the kids they somehow had shared custody over had gotten into.
Eventually Eddie became aware of a hand playing with his hair the way he hadn't had since his mom had up and left. Unsure whether he wanted to give into the soothing motion it provided or pay attention to the soothing voice that was still speaking he hummed in contentment.
Steve paused waiting to see if he would continue but Eddie was content as he was and so he merely continued farther into his story of trying to shove three bikes in his car with three overgrown at this point teenagers.
An unknowable amount of time later Eddie started to pick up key words from the voice. Henderson was mentioned several times and Eddie smiled rubbing his nose into the neck he was ducked into. As he did so he picked up the leathery scent of the hair products Steve always used.
Feeling Eddie tense Steve stopped his tale and glanced down as far as he could to try and read his friend.
"Eds?" he tried, "You back with me?"
"….Steve?"
"The one and only big boy," Steve replied hoping to get a laugh out of throwing Eddie's commonly used phrase for Steve back at himself.
Not receiving one in reply Steve waited for Eddie to untense or pull away but when neither happened he chose to take a risk and started up with scratching at Eddie's hair again.
Eddie's eyes widened for a second before he huffed in amusement.
"You know you could've left me man," he mumbled into Steve's neck. Steve merely laughed in reply.
"I know."
For a minute Eddie thought that was all he was going to get before Steve opened his mouth once more.
"But I mean," he continued, "I don't mind. You know, sometimes…"
Steve peetered out and clenched his hand in Eddie's hair for a second.
Humming inquisitively Eddie tapped his hand twice against Steve's side where he'd had his hand clenched in the shirt.
"Come on big boy," he said, "don't hold out on me now."
Unclenching his hair Steve huffed in amusement but continued.
"Sometimes it makes me feel safer to be able to do something. You were," he paused before choosing to continue, "there was so much blood by the time we got to you Eddie. At least if I'm doing something you're not…"
He removed his hand from Eddie's hair to gesture nonsensically hoping Eddie would get the point.
"Ok Steve," Eddie said in reply.
Surrendering the rest of his weight he flopped fully down on Steve making him stumble backwards and ended with them both laying on the ground.
"But I hope you know if you get me used to this treatment I feel like we have to swap nicknames at this point. It's required, sorry, the reign of King Steve is over."
Laughing fully Steve moved his hand from Eddie's arms to wrap both his arms fully around his back.
"It was an overrated title anyways," he chuckled.
Eddie finally removed his face from where he had it hidden in Steve's neck and pushed up to stare down at Steve, causing Steve to move his arms from around his back lower down to his waist. This of course meant that Eddie blushed and started the process of trying to untangle his limbs from Steve's.
"Your safety is my highest concern," Steve continued smirking when he finally caught Eddie's eyes, "my liege."
Eddie's eyes widened and he blushed harder as he continued trying to remove his arms from where they held himself up. Fumbling he only ended up falling once again, this time smack on Steve's chest.
Steve laughed once again and rolled them over so he was leaning over top of Eddie instead.
"My king," he said poking Eddie's side. Covering his face fully now Eddie tried to slap Steve's hand away ineffectually.
"My most honorable."
"Steve-"
"My most kingly of kings."
"Steve man, you gotta-"
"My most courageous of-"
"Steve!" Eddie said as he slapped both hands on Steve's face. "You've gotta stop saying my man."
"But you are mine," Steve replied. Eddie opened his mouth several times before finally managing to make it work.
"Uh, what?"
"You're my friend. At least," he said looking concerned at what he was saying finally, "I mean, that whole talk in the woods, I thought we'd become, you know-"
Eddie scruffed up Steve's hair cutting him off.
"Yeah, yeah, you're mine too Harrington."
Steve smiled back down at Eddie and Eddie knew he was fucked. Groaning he let his hand flop back down onto his face.
"Can you let me up now that we've declared our everlasting bond of friendship like weirdos?"
"Whatever you'd like my king," Steve fired off one last time before getting off of Eddie to let him up.
God, so fucked.
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I will probably continue and flesh this one out more as well eventually in a larger fic with several other scenes but for now I'm just posting this scene.
@steddielovemonth I'm sorry this is coming so late in the day
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 33/33
Fandom: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers
Characters: James "Bucky" Barnes, Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson (Marvel), Natasha Romanov, Tony Stark, Jarvis (Iron Man movies), Pepper Potts, Clint Barton
Additional Tags: Humor, I hope humor anyway, cursing, Protection, Strong feelings about coffee, slightly off-canon, Steve is sassy, sam is sassy, Bucky is sassy, Everyone has their sassy pants on, just accept that grilled cheese is the perfect food, old people are Team Bucky
Series: Part 1 of Infinite Coffee and Protection Detail
Summary:
The mission resets abruptly, from objective: kill to objective: protect
