note: another kate oneshot because i love her but this one got darker than i intended it to. anyways, i have no idea how the NYC subway works but i did my best to write it as authentically as possible, feel free to correct me! <3
ꗃ pairing: kate bishop x fem!reader
ꗃ warnings: slight violence, foul language, street harassment and catcalling, creepy men
ꗃ word count: 1.6k
summary: a weirdo bothers you on the subway but your strong, protective girlfriend takes care of it
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"What do you want for dinner?" you mumbled the words very faintly, your eyes still shut as you lay your head on Kate's shoulder.
"Um...I uh...I don't know. Whatever you'd like," she replied under her breath.
Kate was awfully quiet today, she was usually the talkative one during these rides. You remained silent and didn't give it much thought. Maybe the day had tired her, it was quite late in the evening after all.
The train roared, the tracks rumbling under the coaches. You nestled against Kate's arm, squeezing it tightly with both of your hands. Subway trips during this hour with your girlfriend were a daily occurrence and one that you were quite fond of. Kate picked you up after work everyday because losing sight of you for a little more than a few hours sends her into a state of pure hysteria, so the two of you took the subway home together, it was just like any other day or so you thought.
"This is a Manhattan bound 1 train. The next stop is 231st street," the automated announcement echoed through the compartment and soon the train came to a hault. The doors opened and closed within a span of a few minutes as you heard a few footsteps shuffling out of the compartment and almost none entered back in. You didn't pay any mind, you were too tired to. Soon, the train started moving again. You hadn't opened your eyes but you knew your compartment was pretty empty. Kate shifted beside you, sliding back and forth, leaning towards you every now and then. After awhile you felt her hand grab your right thigh and she slightly squeezed it. You didn't question it, it just felt like a normal gesture.
Teasing Kate in a public place was a sight for everyone to witness so you didn't leave any opportunities that came your way.
"Oh, look, someone's in a little mood today," you whispered, softly tracing the back of her palm that was on your thigh.
"Mhm," she mumbled, not reacting at all.
Wow, that wasn't very Kate of her, you thought. She would have gotten flustered by now and probably would be showing her assertiveness. You really weren't sure what gave birth to her dry replies, so you decided to ask.
"Is everything alri-?" and before you could even finish your sentence, you felt her sit up straight as her grip on your thigh tightened.
"That motherfucker," she groaned, her muscles were rigid. That's when you looked up at her.
"Hey, what's up with you?" you asked, confused as you stared at her face. Her teeth were clenched, jaw tightened as she stared at something...or someone, angrily. You couldn't read her expression, she seemed furious but also irritated, a hint of jealousy also visible on her face. You decided to check what made her so vexed so you turned your head towards what she was glaring at, only to be horrified yourself the moment you did.
A tall, heavily built, middled aged man sat right across from you two. He had no hair, but a massive tattoo covering his head. His lips were curled into an unsettling crooked smile, almost like a smirk. His gaze was what scared you the most, it was menacing. His dark eyes stared at you through his lashes. His hand was on his crotch while the other one rested under his head, which rested against the wall.
You shuddered, trying to swallow the lump that had formed in your throat. You felt a wave of jolt run down Kate's entire body beside you.
"You know what? Fuck this," she mouthed the words. Your eyes fell upon the fist that had formed in her hand. The veins, a faint blue color, had puckered, creating deep creases on her pale skin. She shifted before trying to stand up but you grabbed her hand quickly and tugged onto it.
"Hey, hey, what do you think you're doing?" you questioned with authority even though you yourself were terrified.
"That asshole is literally begging for a broken jaw so that's what I'm gonna give him," she muttered, through her teeth.
"No, you're not. You're not doing anything," you replied, shaking your head slightly. A close, compact train really wasn't the best place to pick a fight, with zero exits, it really could get nasty real quick.
Kate turned her head towards you, her eyebrows forming into a furrow. "Don't expect me to do nothing when he's literally having the best time of his life, having the grossest thoughts about you." she said, wrathfully.
"Doing something reckless right now really isn't a good idea," you replied, intertwining your fingers with hers.
Kate was silent. Blood had rushed to her face, making it appear flushed.
"He wants attention. Don't give him what he wants, Kate," you added, wisely.
Without uttering a single word, Kate looked away. You shifted in your seat, trying to avoid the gaze of the man. You didn't realize how tightly Kate was holding your hand until it went numb due to the lack of circulation.
"Katherine, my hand is falling asleep," you whispered but Kate didn't respond or loosen her grip. Her mind was somewhere else. You tried to squeeze your fingers out only to fail so you gave up quickly.
"This is a Manhattan bound 1 train. The next stop is Marble hill - 225th street," as soon as Kate heard the announcement, she simply stood up, still grabbing your hand tightly in hers as she walked towards the doorway. The train was still moving and you noticed that the coaches connected to the one you were in were almost empty. You felt your stomach churn, your chest felt heavy.
"Leaving so soon, babe?" a hoarse, unnerving, male voice said from right behind you. You froze in place as a chill ran down your spine. Both of you turned your head towards the voice at the same time. Even though you had never heard of that voice, you knew exactly who it belonged to.
"Why don't you come with me, doll?" he continued, placing his large hand on your shoulder, his grip was firm. "You know what? I'll take your friend too," he added, smugly, pointing towards Kate.
Before you could utter a single word, Kate moved quickly. She pulled you behind her, almost tucking you like a little kid and everything that happened after was too quick for you to comprehend in that moment.
You saw her fist fly towards the man's face before thrusting into it with full force. The man groaned and fell to his knees. She landed a forceful kick to his ribs before the man fell to the floor.
Kate bent over his body and quickly grabbed his collar with just one hand as she pulled his limp body up. You felt the muscles in her bicep tighten under your moist, sweaty palms.
"Touch her again and you're dead," she muttered, furiously, under her breath.
The man was pretty much knocked out from those punches, he only slightly moaned in pain. After all, Kate was a black belt.
"I'll crack your skull open if you ever dare to think of her in that nasty mind of yours! Do you understand, dipshit?" she added, dropping him to the floor. His body slumped, falling with a loud thud. Faint gasps echoed from the direction of the only two people that occupied the compartment along with you. They were too flabbergasted to actually react to what just happened and that included you.
The train came to a hault then, the doors opened, exposing the platform outside. You stood frozen, still horrified, but Kate dragged you out the door and into the station without saying a single word. She pulled you to an isolated corner and finally spoke up. "Baby, are you okay?" her voice broke as she cupped your face in both her hands. Without replying, you lifted your hand to lightly touch the hand she threw the punches with. You very gently brought it infront of you to examine it, carefully. Her knuckles were a deep shade of crimson and the area around it a very faint purple. You traced little circles around it, trying to sooth it to your best. "Are you okay?" you asked with deep sadness in your voice.
"I'm fine," she whispered, looking down.
You placed your hand under her chin to lift it up so that you could meet her gaze. Her eyebrows were pulled close together, the inner corners angled upwards. Her lips were pressed together in a line as her sorrowful, sapphire eyes met yours.
"Thank you," you whispered ever so softly.
A very subtle, mellow smile pulled her lips slightly upwards. Without saying anything, her hand reached out to grab the back of your neck. You felt the coarse surface of her palm against your bare skin. She pulled you closer and leaned down, pressing her lips softly to your forehead. You both remained silent but the intrusive thoughts were slowly creeping into your mind. You knew you were safe with her but the utter thought of what would've happened if she wasn't with you today sent a shiver down your spine. You were certain that you would've never been able to take on that man alone. Kate quickly picked up on your body language and wrapped her arms around you, tightly. "I won't let anything happen to you, love," she whispered, running her fingers through your hair. You closed your eyes, burying your face in her chest because you knew you were safe.
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