Hi hi hi before anything else, this fic was inspired by the last picture on this post by @dilemmaart !
I love Demi's art and still can't believe we're mutuals, and it just inspired me a lot to get out of years long writer's block, but I hope you guys enjoy this fic!
Edit: I forgot to mention that this took me a while to write due to anxiety of ai, usual adhd distractions and the occasional writer's block. Also because I haven't written a fic in a long time, so this is my first one in probably years, so I'm a bit rusty. I really do hope you enjoy!
She was still half asleep when she stepped outside into the cool foggy night after the TARDIS had landed, her pink curls a mess after being buried under her thick blankets. He had always had bad timing. Had a tendency to show up at the worst possible times somehow. The whole "gone for a year" fiasco with Rose could be easily remembered in moments like this as she fixed her jacket around her form. For a Time Lord, his timing was just shitty.
She crossed her arms, fighting back a yawn as the TARDIS door opened and he stepped out, stopping the moment he saw her. Then that infuriating smile of his started to grow on his face, a type of smugness that seemed to never leave his form the moment he laid eyes on her. "Ah, there you are. Just the mutant I've been looking for; aren't you a sight for sore eyes, Stark?" He hummed as he leaned against the doorway, a warmth filling his gaze as he met her gold eyes. He missed those eyes. Missed those short pink curls, missed the way she pouted when she was tired. He missed…everything about her. Even if it was just a short week for her, it was longer for him. Time travel always made it difficult when it came to long distance…whatever they were.
The Doctor cleared his throat, one hand fiddling with his sonic while the other scratched at the back of his neck as he glanced away when he realized he was staring too hard. "Anyways, I was in the solar system around this time frame and I just thought I'd stop by, see how you doing and…maybe…pick you up?" He started as he glanced back at her, twin hearts fluttering at the yawn that escaped her lips as she pushed her glasses back in place on her nose. Stars above, he wanted to just pick her up and steal her away all over again. He let out a breath as his cheeks grew warm, a flash of determination flickering in his eyes as he tosses his sonic in the air, catching it easily before pressing the button, causing a familiar buzz to fill the air between them as he smiled down at her. He held it up to her, so the blue light washed over her features. "So what do you say, Kore? Fancy a trip in the TARDIS?"
She stared up at him with half lidded eyes, pouting slightly as a huff escaped her lips. "Do you have any idea what time it is, Doc?" His smile faltered for a moment, shifting awkwardly on his feet as she stared him down. "Uhhh, 10 o clock?" He asked with a shrug. He was caught off guard by her annoyed and tired tone as he lowered his sonic, thumb shifting from its button. "It's 3 am-" "Shit." His eyes squeezed shut as he flinched, like her response was a smack to the arm. He didn't mean to come here this late at night. "I thought I came early for once." His eyes snapped open when he heard a snort from her, head picking up to see her roll her eyes. "Doctor, the day you're early or properly on time, will be the day the TARDIS stops throwing a fit when you mess with her wiring." She sighed as she stepped closer to him, one hand reaching up to poke him on the nose. A small smirk tugged at her lips seeing him recoil with an taken back expression at the poke. "That was one time!" He huffed, shoving his sonic in his coat, pouting in a way that just made her smirk grow. His eyes darted to the side as he crossed his arms, looking more like a pouting toddler who was caught with his hand in the cookie tin than an all powerful Time Lord.
Kore sighed, patting him on the arm as she shifted past him through the door, pink curls brushing against his coat sleeve. For a second he thought she was just going to walk past and go find a spot to sleep in if she didn't go to her own room on the TARDIS. He was ready for her to say "maybe tomorrow." Then there was a tug at his tie, making him stumble after her. His eyes widened as he was pulled inside and she glanced up at him over the shoulder. "Well? Where are we going? Think I can steal you for a cuddle while we're on our way?" Kore asked with a flutter of her lashes that made his hearts stop for a split second.
A big smile tugged at his lips as he straightened up, his tie slipping from her fingers as he shifted to corner her against the console. "I'm sure I can arrange something to do during our trip there. Gotta keep you comfy and entertained don't we?" He muttered softly as one hand reached past her to press a button, the doors closing quickly as the TARDIS hums louder. "Allonsy, my Little Storm."
This is a re-upload of the original Don't You Dare lyric fic I wrote back when I originally did my self shipping on a side blog. I finally decided to edit it up some more and put it here. I only finally decided to say fuck it and finish it up recently cause I got a bit stumped on my newest lyric fic and I thought this would help. And it kinda did. Also, for those who remember this from my old blog?? HIIII READY TO BE SAD AGAIN?????
Anyways, just like before, this is before Echo changed her name to Echo. Before she became an nsr artist. But it does take place after the main events of the game. And yes, there is a slight crossover mention here because your girl is addicted to crossovers, and it's incurable.
Pink italics are lyrics like before. The song used is Don't You Dare(Make Me Fall In Love With You) by Kaden MacKay.
Anyways, tw: Self Depreciation, blood and injury mentions, lots of angst, character a not noticing and acknowledging the signs that character b genuinely likes them. And possible grammar errors because grammar was never my strong suit.
Divider by @/cafekitsune
Pro.ship and com.ship and what not, do not interact. Respect my boundaries.
Don't you dare make me fall in love with you
Kore knew better. Or she should know better. He's an NSR artist for crying out loud - she's just an assistant.
Her job is to work on security drones and new tech with her father. His job is to sing and dance and make people swoon. He was literally programmed for it, after all. Maybe that's what this was - he was being kind due to his programming. These gestures of kindness are nothing but actions from his "perfect boyfriend" programming. Nothing more, nothing less.
Don't you dare enchant me with those eyes
Yet here she was, still enchanted by those eyes. Those damn glowing green android eyes. Curse Neon J for making them so expressive. She had to give him credit, though. They almost gave her a sense that there was genuine care and curiosity in his eyes. But that could just be her mind tricking her. She shouldn't be getting close anyway.
If I fell through your skies,
There's no way you would catch me
She stopped in her tracks when a hand gently pulled her back, eyes glancing back over her shoulder in time to make eye contact with bright glowing green ones framed by green curls. Shit was all she thought, as he carefully reached for a box she was carrying, a warm smile on his face. "Here, let me help. You looked like you were about to fall." His robotic voice still made her heart soar - she hated it. Kore didn't respond. She kept a straight face and nodded before continuing on, maybe even speeding up a little. She wanted to avoid small talk as much as possible.
There's a tear in my heart,
But your patch wouldn't match me.
She wished he didn't fret over her like this. She wasn't fragile. Yes he was an android and she was...human. Yeah, human. Another reason why they couldn't be together. They're too different. It could lead to issues in the future. Besides there are better humans he could fall for. Ones that weren't as short as her, not as scarred and battered as her. Physically and mentally. Eloni deserves better than her after all.
Being near you still adds to the size of my sighs,
Kore didn't get why he insisted on being near her when they visited. The other 1010 units would stick near by but not as close him. For the fifth time that day she let out a heavy sigh as she moved her line of sight back to the circuit board before her. She couldn't focus with him being so close to her. It made her mind wander to what ifs and maybes- things that wouldn't be possible. Not with him anyways. Not him with her to be exact.
There's still seismic events at hellos and goodbyes,
She hated how her heart ached seeing him have to leave. She hated how her mind tricked her into thinking he genuinely looked disappointed that he was leaving her behind. It wasn't real. It couldn't have been real and she needed to get it through her mind that it wasn't real. They wouldn't match anyways.
She especially hated how her heart leapt when he entered the room. The way it raced when he gave her that damn smile and waved at her like he was genuinely excited to see her. He was just being nice- it's all his programming she reasoned. It's not real.
And I still need reminders of why it's unwise
To stare
Kore cursed to herself when she realized she was staring at him. She only caught herself cause they made eye contact and he immediately smiled and winked at her. She had to pull herself together- this wasn't professional of her. She had to remind herself that it wasn't wise to be falling for him. To not fall for his damn programming. Not read into it. He was just being nice. She needed to pull it together.
So don't you dare
⋅⋆∘✯∘⋆⋅
Don't you dare make me fall in love with you
Don't you dare do something so cliché
"Oh stay still." She froze as he reached up to her face, heart racing as he gently pushed back some of her hair out of her face, fingers barely grazing her skin as he pulled away, a warm smile on his face. "There we go, wouldn't want that to get in the way as you work." He teased lightly, her chest growing warm from the action.
How long had these feelings been chewing away at her? They definitely got worse over time. She hated how it got harder to fight off. When he would make silly faces across the room to try and make her smile. She hated when it actually worked. And she hated how it made her heart race when he gave her that smile every time they saw each other. She hated how he genuinely brought a smile to her face and made her laugh. She hated how it made her fall for him more. It wasn't fair.
Just get out of my daydreams,
You're an unwelcome guest
Kore jolted with a start as she realized she was spacing out again. Her thoughts had turned into daydreams of what ifs again. Another dangerous habit she's developed ever since these feelings showed up. She couldn't let them distract her this much. It was bad for her work. Gold eyes glanced down to her sketchbook in front of her, widening at the sight of a small faint beginnings of a sketch of Eloni on the corner of her work. She muttered a curse under her breath as she quickly erased it. Her cheeks warm as she got rid of the evidence of her feelings.
And stop making me miss you
'Cause you leaving's for the best
She hated how she missed him. How she longed for him to walk through the door during those long weeks. How she wished he was there to make silly faces, and send absurd memes and videos to her during meetings, anything to make her break into silent giggles or snickers. She hated how her heart ached for him during these periods of time. It lead to more distractions. Distractions lead to more errors and more errors lead to more work.
'Cause I just couldn't stand having you as my crutch
The idea of blaming him for her errors felt unfair. But the emotions he was putting her through made it feel like it was justified. But Kore kept fighting it. She kept fighting the feelings. She should know better. She knows better. She'd hold him back. He didn't deserve to be held back.
You're a simmering stovetop, I was tempted to touch
But god, did she hate how she felt how relaxed she felt when he showed up the next day. She wouldn't admit how her heart almost leaped out of her chest when he sat next to her during the meeting. She wouldn't admit how she struggled to pay attention to Tatiana, Neon J, and Tony talking over the next upgrades and blueprints. She would definitely refuse to admit how her heart stuttered for a second when she felt his hand brush against hers under the table. How she fought back the blush the grew on her face when she saw his smile grow in the corner of her eye. How part of her wanted to reach for his hand, and just hold it, but then it came rushing back. She shouldn't. She couldn't. It wasn't real. It's the programming, Kore, she reminded herself. She would never admit how her chest ached when she pulled her hand away, and how she swore she saw his smile falter when she pulled away. It was more than likely a trick of the light. Why would he be disappointed about it? It's not like he actually really cared about her. It's more than likely a game to him anyway.
If you ever return, it'll burn me too much
To bear
Another distraction was another mistake - she hissed when she pulled her hand back, tools going scattering to the table as she stood up abruptly. Her hand stung from the hot metal. Even if it was touching her for a second, it burned. As she quickly made her way to a sink in the warehouse, it reminded her of why it wouldn't work between them. She was too accident prone, more these days now that he occupied her thoughts. It would be disastrous for him to be with someone who got injured as much as her. No one would want to be stuck with someone like her. She ignored how her chest and eyes burned at the thought as she ran her hand under cold water. It was a fact, after all. And you can't argue with facts.
So don't you dare
⋅⋆∘✯∘⋆⋅
And I know it's all so shallow, but a shallow cut still stings
Watching 1010 performances and interviews made her chest hurt. Alot. It was selfish of her to feel a type of jealousy when others held his attention. She knew it was selfish of her because he didn't return the feelings. She knew this by now. He just wanted to be friends. And she had been a shallow, selfish person for falling for him and that programming of his that made him this nice. For reading into it too much. She hated it, but it stung her heart so much. And she hated how it stung.
And before my heart becomes Amelia's heir, I need to clip its wings
"Fuck fuck fuck.."She cursed to herself as she stared at the page, filled with sketches of him. This was getting out of hand. She couldn't be in love with him, she shouldn't be in love with him. He didn't even feel the same way towards her. She swallowed her heart for once and ripped the page out of the sketchbook. She ignored how her heart started to ache as she crumpled the page and tossed it out. She ignored the tears that filled up her eyes as she slammed the sketchbook shut and stormed out of the warehouse. She ignored the ache all the way back home. She ignored it as long as she could. She had to after all.
So don't you dare keep mocking me with those
Thousand little things that I adore
Eloni made it hard to ignore these feelings every time he and his brothers visited. He'd always try to stick by her side when he wasn't rough housing with his brother or talking to the other NSR artists or B2J. He'd be sitting nearby as she sat on the ground, elbow deep in a bouncer drone, immediately handing her a tool she was reaching for when she didn't ask for it. Always helping without prompting. He kept talking to her about his day or about something that reminded him of her or showing her memes and videos that he thought would make her laugh. And it always brought a smile to her face no matter how much she tried to fight it. He made it difficult when he always helped her up from the ground when she didn't need it. Everything he did....she adored it. And she hated it. It made it harder to distance herself from him. From her feelings for him.
Let me ignore you, don't let me care
She tried to ignore him. Tried to distance herself as much as possible. She ignored how it it hurt her. How it made her feel awful doing this to him. But she had to stop this somehow. It was a difficult task but she had to if she wanted to spare him from her one sided attraction. She was almost successful for the day. Until the turrent drone they were testing started to malfunction. Mostly everyone got out of the way in time- except for him. She knew he could be easily repaired but she couldn't stand by and watch.
She acted before she could think. She didn't even realize she shouted his name as she tackled him out of the way. It only sunk in what she had done when she opened her eyes too look down at him, almost in the same position they were in when they first met. This time was different. She was the one above him this time, bright green eyes staring up at her in shock. Her heart stopped for a second when she saw a red droplet fall on his face, but then she remembered. Androids don't bleed. But she does.
The adrenaline started to fade, the stinging in the back of her neck came rushing in, the feeling of warm blood dripping down her neck registered not too long after. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she stared down at him with a straight face, ignoring how her body shook as she started to push herself backwards to sit on her legs, hand reaching to cover the shallow cut on the back of her neck, fingers brushing past what was left of her hair to try to stop the bleeding.
"Guess we're even now." She stated, ignoring the pain in her neck as the blood seeped through her fingers down her back, and how the ache in her chest came back. How guilt consumed her, dread of what would come next slowly creeping in.
⋅⋆∘✯∘⋆⋅
And don't you dare leave me still in love with you
It had been a week or so since the incident. Her neck had healed a few days after it had happened, but Tony insisted she rest longer. It was probably him worrying over her as her father, but more than likely, it was to keep the others from worrying and wondering about such a fast recovery. She was grateful for the time away, though. Yet it was also hell. The aching feeling came back when she realized she missed him. Kore tried to distract herself from how much she missed him as much as possible. It worked until he started texting her. Then it got harder. He'd check up on her, send her updates on what his brothers and his day were like, and wish her a speedy recovery. It warmed her heart yet made the ache so much worse. She hated it. She hated how she was still in love with him.
Nothing's fair when love is war
She responded to the texts at first, but it made her hurt more. So she gradually started to keep quiet. It made her feel guilty. It made her feel sick. Not as sick as the thoughts of how this was more than likely him being kind out of pity. It must have been. Or this was some sort of sick game. Some bet he lost or something. It didn't feel fair though.
And I just can't endure any more of the fight
It felt like a losing battle the longer she went on. The aching pain in her chest wouldn't leave, the doubt that he ever cared dug it's claws deep in her and refused to let go.They both made it hard to sleep. Hard to focus on anything. Made it easier for her to space out and think of those damn what ifs. They got cruel over time, reminding her of how they were never meant to be, should never be and could never be. She was exhausted from it all.
When the casualties rise with my heart rate each night
Then the gift came in. It made her heart sink and race all at once. Especially when Tony confirmed it was from Eloni. Part of her didn't want to open it. The other part was consumed with curiosity and was touched by this. Yet she was hesitant to open it as it sat on her bedroom desk. Her heart felt like it would burst out of her chest as she carefully opened it. Gently removing the soft grey and green tissue paper, her eyes widened at the sight of a plush bunny. It looked familiar to her. Then she remembered. Eloni was with her when she was looking at the listing for it. They talked about it for a while - she never got it in the end. Kore claimed it probably wasn't a good idea anyway, so why give into another childish desire.
Her eyes began to water, she acted quick and blinked them away as she gingerly took the plush out of the box, as if it would fall apart if she wasn't careful, like it was an illusion somehow. It was bigger than she thought, much softer too. Her fingers ran over the grey fur, gliding over the transition to pink fur on the left side of its face. She let out a sigh as she moved to sit on her bed, thoughts of doubt starting to speedily sneak up on her again. They sunk in faster than she expected, tears filling her vision as her mind raced with the thoughts and shame for even believing something like this would mean anything more.
Though I know I'm to blame for the glances I'd steal,
For the time I kept spending pretending it's real
She knew it was her fault as the tears streamed down her face, dripping down her chin. Her grip on the plush tightened as she brought it closer to her chest, body shaking as she let out a strangled sob. This was all her fault, for believing any of her hopes of being with him could be real. That there was a chance that he truly loved her the same way she loved him. The "perfect boyfriend" programming he had did its job- it made her fall for him no matter how hard she tried to convince herself she wasn't in love. She had fallen for an fantasy and now she was paying for it.
And now that it's ending, I still have more feelings to spare
The sobs slowly started to become to much for her, she fell backwards onto her bed, hold on the bunny plush still tight as she laid there staring at the ceiling with blurry vision. Kore mentally cursed at herself for falling for him, wishing she only saw him as a friend like he saw her. She wished it didn't hurt as much as it did. That her heart didn't ache so much over him. And she dreaded how the ache would haunt her when she goes back to work, and would double every time she saw him. She wished it had been easier to ignore him, to just not care. Maybe then her heart wouldn't be broken if she had just kept her walls up.
The wishing turned into hoping as she hoped she would be able to keep this under wraps. She didn't want to ruin what they had. Even if part of her was tempted to ruin it, just for a chance to admit how she truly feels about him. She didn't want to risk it. It wouldn't be fair. But it already wasn't fair, he had made her fall for him inadvertently just by being kind to her. It was too late now.It wasn't fair for him. It wasn't fair for either of them.
But don't you dare
How dare he, no- how dare she fall for him like this. How dare she fall for someone as perfect as him when she knew the risks.
Quick little drabble cause I'm trying to calm down my stomach. Not that well done cause I'm feeling bleh.
Also, no said name for my insert cause I'm still debating her name, but there is a small mention of her nickname.
The sound of shoes skidding to a stop made her freeze, bottle clenched in her hand as she stood over the bathroom sink. She glanced up into the mirror to see the worried look on his face as his disheveled hair hung in his face. "Are you alright? I heard gagging." The Doctor asked through pants, reaching up to fix his hair as he walked towards her, eyeing her up carefully. She nodded, lips screwed shut as she quickly turned back to the bottle of rubbing alcohol in her hand and took a sniff, face scrunching up at the smell before quickly closing it and placing it down with a sharp exhale.
"I'm fine, just...needed a moment." "A moment? A moment for what?" He asked as he approached her, eyebrows furrowed together as he looked her over, hand moving to grip at her shoulder, ready to turn her around. "I just...I might have accidentally made myself sick again..." "Little bunny..." He started, his tone turning stern. "I know, Doc, I know. You know how I a- whAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Her voice pitched up as he pulled her shirt up enough to reveal her plump belly, hands moving to squeeze and prod at the flesh.
"Stay still - stop squirming -" "You stop doing that! What did I say about touching my stomach without warning?!" She shot back, jumping against his touch and pokes. "What are you even doing?" "Checking." "Checking for what?" "If it's your appendix -" "Don't say things like that! You're gonna make my anxiety worse!" She smacks his arm, making him yelp as one hand pulls away before he huffs at her and resumes his touching. "I know, but better safe than sorry... does this hurt?" He asks as he pokes the right side of her stomach with two fingers, eyebrows furrowed together in a focused manner. "No, Doc, it doesn't. It just feels silly." She sighs, with a roll of her eyes as she turns her head and reaches up to pull his head close so she can press a kiss to his cheek.
He hums at the kiss before his lips curl up into a small smirk and her starts to move his fingers quickly along her flesh. "How does this feel?" "You little! Stop that!" She laughs, hands moving to grip at his wrists, trying to turn around in his grasp to escape him. He can't help but laugh as the pink haired woman tries to slip from his hold, only for him to move and pull her close. He buried his face into her short curls and chuckled as he held her gently. "I wish you would be more careful... you worry me sometimes.." He sighed, his voice muffled by her curls as he relaxed his grip on her before pulling away with a hum as he looked down at her and at the bottle of rubbing alcohol she put away "Instead of smelling that, why don't we go get you some medicine and some rest?"
Wade wasn't expecting much when he was coming home. He was expecting to see a warm, welcoming smile on his dear girlfriend's face, though and maybe some cuddles, while they waited for Logan to come back. What he wasn't expecting was to open the door to the smell of toast and strawberry jelly. He definitely was not expecting to look over at the kitchen counter and seeing the just bought loaf of bread be dangerously close to the halfway point. Oooh, Logan or Al were not going to be happy about that....oh, who was he kidding? It's Kore they'll let it slide. But he might run to the corner shop just in case. He could hear the sound of footsteps and crackling electric faintly down the hall, growing closer.
He closed the door behind him and walked towards the source of the sound, eyebrow muscles scrunched together as the merc tried to sound calm. "Hey Sparky?? Are you okay???" He asked with a small pout, tugging at his lips as he caught sight of his short mutant girlfriend stepping out of his bedroom with what looked like a half eaten toasted pb and j wrapped in a paper towel in her hand, a stressed look on her face. If her expression wasn't enough of a sign that something was wrong, the pink sparks bouncing off of body definitely were. And the way her hair was fluffed up more than usual.
Gold eyes glance up, and her mutterings are cut short as she looks at him, a frown on her face. She quickly shook her head to shake off any lingering sparks and tried to put on a happy face and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine, why do you ask?" She asked, her tone not convincing enough for him. "Well, maybe because my favorite electrical hazard is currently pacing around the apartment and seems to have been stress eating toasted pbs. That's probably why I asked." He said with a tilt of his head, blue and brown eyes squinting at her. She sighed as her shoulders slumped, and she tried to look away. "Dammit, I knew I should've snuck off and grabbed another loaf..." "The loaf of bread is the least of my worries, I'm more worried about you causing another power outtage in the building again." That made her whip her head back around to look at him, face scrunched up as she pouted. "That was one time!!!"
I'm leaving it there cause idk where else to go with this.
