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Warnings: none for this chapter, canon typical violence
A/N: this is the start of something i'm extremely excited about, go thank @levmada for this entire mini series. AND PLEASE THANK @peace-for-levi FOR BETA READING FOR ME AND PUTTING UP WITH MY CONSTANT ADJUSTMENTS AND RANDOMLY ADDING SCENES. pls you deserve so much for this <3
It started with nothing but a kernel of anxiety. An instinctual glance on an expedition. Well less of an expedition and more one of Hange’s insanity-fuelled capture missions. They’d somehow managed to convince Erwin to try again, despite the losses of last time’s attempt. Granted, it had taken a few hours of begging and pleading, and maybe Hange called in a few favours, but the look on their face when they’d finally pried a yes from your commander really was priceless.
“Wait… he actually said yes?” you couldn’t tame the disbelief in your tone. How the fuck Hange had managed it, you would never know, but you were impressed with their powers of persuasion. You doubted the crazed look in their eye would have helped their case, and yet here you were. Your boots echoed down the hall in an uneven rhythm, Hange borderline skipping back to the communal lounge. “So, who’s the unfortunate squad then?” you asked, a small smirk playing on your lips.
Until Hange stopped skipping, and turned to you a little sheepishly. “I uh– about that…”
You gawked. “Hange… tell me you didn’t,” though you already knew the truth. You’d made them promise before they went to their meeting that they wouldn’t volunteer your squad. Though you were more than willing to help, you knew for a fact your captain would be less than pleased. “Hange you promised! I can’t believe you did that!”
“I didn’t have a choice! Anyway, Shorty will say yes, he always does to me!” You rolled your eyes fondly, that smile returning to your face. It was a fact that Levi often had trouble saying no to Hange, and even when he did say no, he would usually end up helping whatever they were trying to accomplish. You found it rather sweet honestly.
“And how exactly do you plan on telling him?”
Hange turned sheepish again, scratching the back of their head. “Actually, I was, rather hoping you could do that for me. You know, I’m always so busy with the lab and experiments and creating new gear and–”
“No. Do it yourself.” You folded your arms, tone flat as you watched Hange’s expression turn desperate.
“C’mon, please? You know you’re his favourite!”
“He doesn’t have favourites.”
“But if he did it would totally be you!”
“Hange, I’m not doing your dirty work, tell him yourself. And stop trying to sweet talk me!” you laughed in disbelief.
“Pleeeeaaaaase? I’ll do anything!”
You paused, raising a brow of intrigue, thinking for a moment. This kind of an offer didn’t happen everyday, and you briefly entertained the multitude of possibilities. “Anything?”
“Yes, anything!”
“Take a fucking bath.” And with that, you turned on your heel, striding down the hall. It clearly took the madman a second to process what you’d said, before their loud excited shriek echoed behind you.
“YAHOOOOO! I OWE YA!” And despite the fact you’d given in, you couldn’t help your small chuckle at their antics. You could see why Levi’s will was often bent when it came to Hange. There really was something about them you couldn’t say no to.
Rounding the corner at the end of the hall, you open the door to the communal lounge, expelling a heavy breath before looking up, and realising there were four pairs of eyes trained on you, clearly having been in the middle of a card game. A bottle of half-empty whiskey and four glasses told you they’d been waiting for your return. You gave your squad an apologetic smile, before locking eyes with Eld and gesturing for him to accompany you. Your squad eyed you both a little suspiciously, but it wasn’t uncommon for you to confide in the blonde. He was the only soldier who’d been in the Special Ops squad for as long as you had. He was always the first to make newcomers feel welcome, a stark contrast to Oluo’s ‘I’m better than you’ schtick. Level-headed and kind, Eld had always been a safe space for you. And honestly, if he wasn’t a taken man, you may have tried your luck. You’d wanted to in the past.
Slipping back out the door, you leant against the wall behind you, pinching your brow between your thumb and forefinger. The beginnings of a headache had started to throb at the base of your skull, your shoulders tensing and relaxing as if trying to get rid of the ache.
“Oh, you don’t look great…” you raised your eyes to the blonde as he shut the door behind him, mirroring your stance on the opposite side. You saw him almost grimace at your appearance. Did you really look that tired? You blew out a breath. You would examine your dark circles later.
“Sooooo, we’re going to be accompanying Hange on their suicide mission.” You stated flatly. Always better to be blunt in the Survey Corps. A habit most soldiers pick up. There’s never any time to faff about on the battlefield, so conveying information quickly and bluntly was the best way forward.
Eld baulked, eyes bugging at the mere suggestion. “Why haven’t we been told? And why are you the only one who knows? Doesn’t the Captain want us to– oh.” You watched his features slack on horrified understanding. “He doesn’t know… does he?” You shook your head, eyes now trained on the floorboards in distressed thought. Sure, you’d always been able to go to Levi for anything in the past, but you weren’t worried about yourself in this situation. You were more worried about him, and how he would most likely have to disinfect his foot after shoving it so far up Hange’s ass.
“And I'm the one who has to tell him.” You finished your bad news, picking at your lips until you felt the satisfying pull of loose skin. Eld grimaced again, before blowing out a tense breath and running his hand through his sandy hair.
“Honestly, rather you than me. But I’m sure you’ll be fine, he’s never snapped at you before and you’ve been here longer than me.” You huffed a small laugh.
“Not that much longer, but it’s not me I'm worried about. He’s already got so much on his plate, Eld, I didn’t wanna add this as well. Do you ever see the man take a break? I had to take some food leftover from lunch today because he didn’t show up. He’s working himself to death and now he has to deal with this? I fucking told Hange not to volunteer us for this specific reason and now–”
“Hey, take a breath. You’re fine. Hange does what they want, there’s not a lot you can do now.” Eld’s reassuring tone put you at ease slightly, a hand on your shoulder sapping some of the tension in your muscles. You already knew there was nothing you could do, but it was still comforting to hear it from someone else. “Do you want one of us to tell him? I could ask Petra, she’s always on good terms with him. I don’t think Oluo would be a good idea though…”
“Nah, it’s okay, I’ll do it. Besides, if I don’t, Hange won’t take a bath so-” you shrugged as if it was the most obvious reason in the world.
“Uh, what?” you laughed at your comrade’s quizzical expression, before patting his hand on your shoulder.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll catch up with you guys later, gotta march to my death. Ya know, ‘Dedicate your heart’ and all that.” You gave him a mock salute, a tired, lopsided smile. Eld laughed at your display, his brow raised in amused pity.
“Not sure this is what the Commander means when he says that but good luck soldier! And let us know what happens if you come out alive!” He called after you, before laughing heartily when you flipped him as you walked back down the hallway, back to the barracks and the superior’s quarters.
Levi actively couldn’t remember the last time he stood up today. Or walked anywhere. Or looked away from the stack of papers taller than wall Maria. Since the last expedition, he’d been caged in by the almost impressive amount of paperwork he’d been loaded with. Lists of damaged equipment and endless scrawls of the soldier’s they belonged to, as well as accounts of cargo and supplies lost, wagon replacement orders and some ridiculous request for more alcohol – why drink alcohol when tea tasted better? – He hadn’t seen hide nor hair of human life today, only a soft knock on his door which he didn’t hear, until his stomach growled so loud he swore the civilians in the neighbouring city would have heard it. Ah, that was the last time he stood up. When he left to grab himself some food only to find a tray at the foot of his door. Lukewarm rice, tea that was somehow still hot, and a small bread roll.
He still didn’t know who to thank for that.
So he almost didn’t know how to respond when there was another knock on his door, though for some reason he was stressed as fuck. It wasn’t like he had done anything other than sign his name a thousand times today, so why the fuck did he feel so goddamn–
“Enter.”
It was as if someone had just soothed a cooling balm over a throbbing welt the moment you stepped through the door. Your familiar presence drawing attention to his newfound longing for human interaction. Even Hange would have been a welcome sight, but you were a blessing. Even with those almost bruise-like circles beneath your eyes. “You look about as tired as I feel.” He commented flatly, resting his elbows on his desk. Levi waved off your obligatory salute, wanting to remind you that you never needed to be so formal with him after hours. Considering how long you’d known each other, it felt a little strange.
“Trust me Captain, you look as tired as you feel.” You quipped, prompting a short huff of amusement, before he really looked at you. Shit, he could fucking smell the anxiety off you. Picking at the loose skin around your cuticles, shifting from foot to foot. Levi raised a brow.
“Well? I assume you didn’t come in here to insult my appearance. What’s going on?” whilst he enjoyed your company, your current presence was simply worsening his own stress. Seeing you fidget so much was… uncommon to say the least.
You took a breath. “I thought you should probably know we’ll be assisting Hange in their next attempt to capture a titan.”
The room fell silent. Static.
“What?” It was less of a ‘what did you say?’ and more of a ‘you’ve got to be fucking joking.’ kind of question.
“Commander Erwin just approved it and uh, it seems your squad was somewhat volunteered… by Hange.” You braced yourself. Not once had you ever seen Levi blow up, but you know it was a possibility. Though he had a tight rein on his emotions, nobody was immune to this kind of thing. Not even him.
“So why are you in here telling me instead of Four Eyes?” Levi queried, his patience for today thinning.
“A few reasons, I’d imagine. Most likely self preservation, but we struck a deal. I would be the one to tell you.”
“And in return?”
You flashed a small smirk. “They’d take a bath.”
Levi nodded in approval, as if Hange taking a bath was the only thing that would have been an appropriate deal to make. Picking up his pen, he set back to the documents in front of him, mindlessing poring over the now amorphous ink stains. “You’re dismissed.” He left it as long as he could before dismissing you, though he didn’t really know why, or whether it was just subconscious.
You nodded, eyeing the insanely tall stacks of paperwork haphazardly positioned on his desk. They were almost comically big, and you couldn’t help stifling a laugh at the thought of them actually being taller than your captain. But empathy opened your heart, watching him have to reread a few sentences before moving on with tired understanding. With a heavy sigh and one final thought to your waiting tumbler of whiskey with your squad, you pulled up the spare chair in his office and sat on the opposite side of his desk.
Levi glanced up, raising a brow of quizzical suspicion. Though there had been a few times before you’d helped him with his paperwork, usually it was scheduled, and he’d asked for your assistance. This just felt like you were either avoiding someone, or feeling some kind of guilt. And he honestly? He couldn’t think of anything worse.
“The hell are you doing?” He couldn’t keep the sharpness from his tone, eyes narrowing as you all but stole a pen from his stash.
“Literally? Committing major fraud by forging your signature on multiple legal documents containing sensitive information about Scout operations. Actually? Lessening your workload so you might actually get more than twenty six minutes’ sleep tonight.” You took the first document from the largest stack you’d split in half without looking up, instantly scanning the paper for a vague understanding of what the hell you were about to sign for him.
“Why…?”
You paused, looking up from your first document of the night with a soft smile. “‘Because you look about as tired as I feel.’” You quoted, expression softening. Levi looked at you, his steel eyes widening a fraction as he saw no hint of deception. He’d lied to himself earlier, he could think of something worse. The slight suggestion that you actually wanted to help him, or worse still… that you wanted to spend time with him.
“...It was thirty nine, actually.”
“Sorry?”
“Thirty nine minutes of sleep. Not twenty six.” Your laughter warmed his heart, and Levi found himself enjoying the sound far too much for his own good. That quirk in your lips, that soft pinch of your brow… He had to look away. This was extremely unprofessional of him.
“I wouldn’t say you’re a champion of sleep, even with those extra thirteen minutes. So let me help.” you implored, holding his gaze until he gave in. Which didn’t take nearly as long as you thought it would.
“Tch, do what you want.” Levi shrugged, going back to his own parchment that had been all but abandoned upon your sudden arrival.
“Besides, since we’re helping Hange tomorrow, we’ll need our captain at his best.” You tried to sweeten the blow with a compliment, though it seems your efforts fell short the second he jerked his head back up.
“Tomorrow?”
“Yeah… didn’t I mention that?” you chuckled a little sheepishly, and suddenly you knew how Hange felt earlier.
“No, strangely enough, you failed to mention that.” Not that Levi could be mad at you. You would probably have to straight up murder somebody for him to be angry with you, and even then he would ask if you were okay first. Either murder somebody, or track mud through his freshly mopped floors. Levi sighed, accepting his fate. “Why do you enjoy hanging out with them so much anyway?” It wasn’t an insult, not that you could tell. More like genuine curiosity thinly veiled with slight disdain.
“They’re fun, I guess, despite them being borderline clinically insane. It’s a welcome change from the melancholic atmosphere after an expedition. They help chase the shadows away.” Your eyes emptied for a moment, a ghost-like expression haunting your features, and for a second Levi could see every friend, every comrade, every brother and sister you’d lost. Something in him shifted drastically, though imperceptibly.
“We need tea.” The life reentered your eyes as you huffed a laugh, quirking your brow slightly. You didn’t realise you would be helping him for so long, but now you’re here, you can’t say you were discouraged at the idea.
“That we do.”
“You’re doing it wrong.”
“No I’m not, I’m doing it exactly how you were doing it.”
“She says; not doing it the way I did it.”
“Do you want tea or not?”
“Not if you’re gonna do it so wrong.”
You huffed in irritation. When Levi suggested getting some tea, you did not expect it to become some kind of intensive training session where he taught you how to properly steep tea leaves for fuck sakes. Slamming the spoon down on the counter, you fixed him with a glare.
“Are you going to let me do this?”
Levi didn’t back down. “It’s going to taste like pig piss, you know that, right?”
“No it won’t! It’ll taste fine, I’m doing it exactly how you showed me, look!” What Levi saw was almost the exact opposite of what he showed you. It was borderline violent, thrashing the spoon around in the brew, dunking in the leaves like you were interrogating them. What he showed you took finesse, a delicate touch. Not… whatever the hell this was. He couldn’t help but flinch with each forceful tug on the silky bag. Though your determination was something to be admired. And he couldn’t help but admire you.
“Move, let me.” Levi moved to take your place at the counter, having to bite his tongue to stifle his amusement as you grumbled, clearly disgruntled with your tea making performance. Clicking his tongue, he surveyed the absolute massacre you’d made, and his heart clenched woefully at the waste of leaves. “This shit isn’t cheap, so quit wasting it. Now I gotta start again.”
You folded your arms in petulance, pouting an apology before actually feeling bad for wasting one of his few indulgences. You knew it was more of a comfort blanket for him than anything else. Sure, the flavour was good, but nobody could love tea this much, right? You’d rarely spoken about his past; he would simply say he didn’t remember much whenever the topic arose. And you could never tell if that was the truth, or simply an excuse. A defence mechanism. The only thing you knew was that it wasn’t pleasant, and it was nothing short of miraculous that he’d made it out.
Making a mental note to pop into town and buy some more, you shuffled back over to the counter, resting your elbow on the surface and perching your chin atop the heel of your palm, now watching with renewed curiosity as Levi steeped tea like a craftsman. “See the difference?”
You rolled your eyes at the slight teasing in his tone -still a little pouty from before -until he shoved the brew under your nose and you couldn’t help but be enticed by the flowery, bitter aroma. It reminded you of his office, you noticed. “Thanks.” You raised your eyes in gratitude, only for your expression to fall flat at the slightest smug pull to his lips.
“That is how it’s supposed to taste. Not like some diluted shit-water.”
“Okay okay I get it! I made the tea wrong.” You conceded, holding your hands up in cease-fire.
“You butchered it.” There wasn’t much Levi felt comfortable enough to tease you about. Your weird habit to talk to the inanimate objects around you was one thing, and now your utterly pathetic tea-making skills. So of course he was about to run this joke into the ground.
“What do you want me to do? Go back in time and un-butcher it?”
“Pretty sure it was about to confess if you’d held it under a few more times.”
“Oh ha-ha, pick up a brush and paint me a landscape, then we’ll see who’s better than who.” You both stopped, frozen in your accidental slip up. Not a single soul in the Scouts knew of your little hobby, and you’d just fucking told your captain. You felt heat flood to your cheeks as you looked away, suddenly extremely interested in your drink.
Levi stopped to process his sudden, thundering heartbeat. How didn’t he know that about you? He made it his business to know everything about his squad, including Gunther’s affiliation for collecting the most cursed trinkets he could find in the marketplace and meticulously placing them around the HeadQuarters. But not once had this ever come up. “You paint?”
The sound you made was like nothing he’d ever heard. Something akin to that of a small rodent caught in a trap as you still refused to look at him. “No…?” You sounded almost hopeful that he would believe you, but that sharp brow raise told you otherwise. “Uh, not really. Or not as much as I used to. So occasionally. When I feel like it. Which is sometimes. I, yeah, sometimes.” You cracked your fingers, not really knowing what to do or where to look or how to escape this godforsaken situation you’d stumbled ass backwards into.
The strangest warmth enveloped his chest, his heart fluttering in weird ways at how you suddenly became very humble and bashful. He’d never seen you ramble before, never seen you lose your composure like that. It’s why he trusted you with everything when he was away. Because you could keep a level head. But this was something he didn’t think anyone had seen before. He tried unsuccessfully to squash the privileged feeling, but he couldn’t help it.
“You any good?” You exhaled an uncomfortable breath, chewing on your bottom lip slightly, still refusing to meet your captain’s curious yet sharp eyes.
“What? No! No, not really. Besides, it’s not like I have the time anyway. I usually paint most in the winter, when we don’t have expeditions to worry about. It does mean most of my canvases remain white but, ya know, less to do that way.” You joked awkwardly, finally gathering the courage to raise your gaze from your teacup, only to become trapped in his. Snared in a net of iced flecked steel, you’d never seen him look so at ease. So soft. No crease in his brow, no pout in his lips. He looked peaceful for once, and you found yourself quickly becoming addicted.
“ ‘That mean if I was to pick up a brush, I would be better than you?”
You huffed an incredulous laugh at the flicker of mischief in his eye, unable to stop your own honest grin despite your faux offence. “I wouldn’t say that…'' you folded your arms, fixing him with an accusatory glare that held no venom, but rather veiled enjoyment, almost daring him to quip back.
But his eyes freely roamed your features, only now noticing the proximity. Everything about you seemed flawless. Everything apart from…
“You’ve been picking at your lips again,” he murmured, taking note of the slight raw redness to your lips, and the way your faux glare softened away to nothing. He knew for a fact that if he were to kiss you, he’d taste blood. Though he wondered what else he would taste. What did you taste like? Probably sweet, like the smell of orange blossom, or maybe something fresher, like dewy grass. Would he be able to taste the tea you just drank? Or would you–
Wait. What the fuck was he talking about?
“Uh, yeah, force of habit,” you looked away, and it took every fibre of self control Levi had not to gently grasp your chin and turn you back to look at him. Fuck, had his heart always skipped beats like this? It was racing so fast he felt as if he had two.
“You should probably get something on them, it looks sore.” Keeping his voice steady was no small feat. Not when he felt his very soul shake with your presence so near him. He was so close to running his thumb gently over your mouth, wanting to soothe the obvious discomfort.
And he would have done, had your little moment not been shattered by a throaty cough, and the arrival of a not so subtle Hange.
“Evening.” Never in your life had you been more conflicted. On the one hand, you were so glad that the conversation was over, and that your heart could stop exploding. But on the other hand…
You were rather enjoying it.
Levi, however, couldn’t have clenched his jaw any harder. For if he did, it was likely he wouldn’t have any teeth left. Shifting his eyes to the left, he had to physically restrain himself from not lunging to throttle them. Leaning up against the counter like that, who the fuck did they think they were? “You don’t smell like the stables, special occasion?”
You snorted a laugh into your tea, jerking back as the liquid splashed slightly.
“Only if you count tomorrow’s big day! You better have told him, ``I don't want to have taken a bath for nothing!” Hange’s address turned to you, and you nodded with a sharp eye roll.
“Yeah, I told him, glad to smell you held up your end of the deal.” You raised your cup in appreciation, taking a large sip of your drink. Just as you’d suspected, it tasted exactly the same as when you would make it yourself. And you only just managed to stop yourself from bringing it up again.
Hange paused, and from their eager, cheeky expression, you knew before they even said anything they were about to cause trouble. “What were you two talking about? It looked intense. Prolonged eye-contact and all that.” It was your turn to tense your jaw, though keeping your indifferent façade, you raised a brow.
“Squad formations and pair ups. Whether Oluo and Petra would make a good team or whether she would get pissed off with his pathetic flirting attempts. Since both myself and Gunther work so well with Eld, we were discussing whether it was worth starting trio attack training.” Levi’s eyes widened a fraction as you lied so effortlessly. He couldn’t help but wonder whether you’d ever lied to him, since you did it so smoothly. Maybe that one time he’d stumbled on you and Petra having a private conversation in the corner of the communal lounge. You’d told him then you were discussing gas saving tactics… Was that even true?
Hange visibly deflated, much to your shared relief. “Oh. Well I guess that is quite intense. Care to share?” Levi’s heart did that weird fluttery thing when your smile held very little genuinity. You looked satisfied, almost smug, and it did things to him. Things he couldn’t pinpoint.
“No. You sprung the mission tomorrow on us, I think we’ll keep this til the last possible moment as well.”
“Pleeeeeaaaaaase? Levi?” Hange turned to the raven next to you, only to find a similar answer.
“Don’t look at me, not my tactics. She’s the brains behind them, not me. I just approve them.” You had to fight tooth and nail to keep yourself from smiling at that, from smiling at him.
“But I’m your favourite!”
“I don’t have favourites.”
You barked a laugh. “Told ya. Anyway, Hans, shouldn’t you be preparing for tomorrow? Getting your equipment ready and maybe checking the failsafes…?” You watched Hange hop up onto the counter, much to Levi’s visible disgust. You assumed, no matter how many times they took a bath, they would never be clean in his eyes.
“Oh! Moblit’s on it. He didn’t trust me enough to make sure everything worked properly.”
“I wonder why…” Levi muttered sarcastically, prompting you to send a ‘be nice’ glance his way. Only to be returned with a glance of ‘piss off’.
“Poor guy. You should probably buy him a drink or ten as compensation. Pretty sure he should be on some kind of medication for all the heart attacks you give him.” You leaned up against the counter behind you, resting your elbows on the surface. You kind of wished you were somewhere a little comfier but, it’s rare Levi ever joined you and your squad in the lounge, usually opting instead to hide away in his office.
“He’s fiiiiiine, he just worries too much!”
“Knowing you, Hange, I think he worries an adequate amount for his situation.” Levi muttered, the lower half of his face covered by his obscure hold on the teacup. This wasn’t exactly the evening he had planned, and despite feeling as if something had been ruined earlier, he couldn’t deny he was secretly enjoying himself. When else would he get the chance to just, spend some time away from his work… with you… and Hange, of course.
“It’s his job to worry so I don’t have to! Don’t you worry for Levi so he doesn’t have to?” they asked you, eyes wide with genuine curiosity.
“I worry about him, there’s a difference, Hans. This doesn’t lead to heart failure.”
“Just headaches and lack of sleep,”
“Pretty sure Moblit suffers from that as well.”
It was almost as if he wasn’t in the room anymore. Levi barely managed to stop his head snapping in your direction. You worried about him? How long had you done that? Why the hell did you worry about him? Did you know he worried for you too? All the damn time? And especially when you looked like you hadn’t slept in the last twenty years and your lips were bitten to shit?
“Anyway! We should really get back to work. Was nice talking to ya, Hans, even if you betrayed me today.” You narrowed your eyes in playful irritation, grinning when they shrugged with indifference.
“Come on, you would have helped out anyway, neither of you can ever say no to me. I’m just that great!”
“Great pain in my ass.”
You laughed at the quiet comment from Levi, draining your cup of tea before placing it back on the counter with a soft clink. Without having to look to your left, you knew Levi had done the same. The original plan was to take tea back to work with you, but this had been a welcome change. You would never get tired at the banter between Hange and Levi, and you completely understood why there were so many rumours about them. Hell, even you were starting to suspect something deeper ran between them. You would even believe it, if not for the fact Hange was usually tied to Moblit’s hip. Now there was definitely something going on there.
“See you tomorrow! Bright and early, I want this over and done with in the morning so I can get started on the fun part!” Hange’s eyes seemed to glaze over with some kind of deranged excitement, and you were half expecting them to start drooling.
You shivered despite yourself. Sometimes they really were terrifying.
Saying your farewells, you prepared yourself for another few hours of paperwork, stretching your fingers as you walked side by side back to Levi’s office. The silence wasn’t tense, but instead static. Like he had something to say but was holding off for one reason or another. You wanted to pry it from his lips, but you also knew that would simply discourage him from saying anything.
It took almost the entire walk back to his office for Levi to finally speak up, quelling the irritating stuttering in his chest. It was becoming really fucking annoying. “You worry about me?”
You stopped just short of his door, tilting your head with a quirked brow. “Yes? Why do you sound so surprised? Of course I worry about you,” you spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. But of course, to Levi, it wasn’t, and after his prolonged silence, you started to worry you’d overstepped a boundary. “I worry about everyone.” It was a quick fix, but believable enough. You did have a tendency to stress about your comrades.
It wasn’t that Levi was disappointed. No, that couldn’t have been it. It was natural for you to worry about everyone. It was in your nature. It was just a testament to how much you cared about everyone. So why the hell did he suddenly feel weirdly hollow?
“I see.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to–”
“It’s fine.”
Now, this was an awkward silence. You shifted on your feet slightly, having absolutely no idea how to proceed from here. Levi’s hand rested on the door handle, but he made no move to push it open. He just stared at you, scrutinising. And shit was it uncomfortable.
Levi found himself stuck in a strange limbo, so caught up in his head he didn’t realise how fucking weird he was being. He was trying to decipher you, like some impossible enigma. Trying to see your hidden messages in the valleys and hills of your face, in the confusing, swirling smoke of your eyes. It was only when you cleared your throat did he blink back to reality to see you awkwardly looking around.
What the fuck was he doing?
“Ah, we should probably get on with–”
“Get some sleep.” He said your name harsher than he meant to. He didn’t mean for that to sound like a thinly veiled ‘fuck off’, but from the way you looked like he’d just struck you, he could safely assume the real message of ‘I can’t worry about you tomorrow so I need you rested and ready’ was lost in translation. Levi didn’t know why he was surprised.
You saluted stiffly, gritting your teeth against your confused hurt. You knew later on tonight, most likely when you were in bed and couldn’t sleep, you would be going over this conversation over and over again, agonising over the exact moment you fucked up and pushed him back into his shell after working so hard to coax him out of it.
“Yes sir.” Unable to think of anything else to say, you turned on your heel and strode back down the hall, not wanting to think about this exchange until you were at least out of eyesight.
Your smooth transition from your softer, more domestic self, to the soldier he knew he could always rely on gave him whiplash. He couldn’t help but wonder whether everything that had happened this evening was either a manifestation of his own lack of sleep, or if he was seeing some kind of link between you two that simply wasn’t there. But he couldn’t explain, or shake, the stabbing twist in his chest.
Levi was no stranger to pain, but this was another breed of hurt altogether. One he’d never experienced before.
And one he hoped he would never experience again.
Hange wasn’t kidding when they said bright and early. You guessed it was sometime near 4:30 in the morning when a sharp knock rapped on your door, jolting you awake. You heard the groan of your disgruntled roommate below you, and two groggy curses from your other two roommates opposite. Swinging your head down, you saw the slightest tuft of ginger hair from beneath clean linens.
“I guess I’ll get it, shall I? We all have to be up anyway, lazy sods.” You grumbled amicably, clambering down from your bunk. You had half a mind to tear Nifa’s bed cover off her sleeping form, spill water over Petra’s submerged head and rip Nanaba’s pillow from under her. But, you decided to be nice this morning. You loved these girls dearly. Though most of you came from separate squads, you’d formed a tight knit bond with each other, and one you knew wouldn’t so easily be broken.
Padding over to the door, you cracked it open to see Eld’s own tired visage. Hair loose dishevelled, sleep still plaguing his eyes, you just managed to stop yourself from laughing.
“Mornin’ you. Ready to go catch some titans?” You wiped the sleep from beneath your eyes, sighing a long, heavy breath of discontent.
“No, and from the sounds of it, you aren’t either. How long do we have?” You asked, casting a glance back inside your room only to find all three girls, now wide awake, grinning at you slyly.
“About half an hour. When Hange volunteered us for this gig, this was not what I was expecting.” Eld ran a hand down the side of his face, before sliding it back up his cheek and through his sandy locks. You always forgot just how long his hair was when it wasn’t up in a bun. He looked strange with it down, though oddly refreshing.
“Tell me about it. Alright, we’ll be out in fifteen max. No doubt the Captain wants to brief us quickly.” You were surprised at your own venom when you said that. Even Eld looked a little taken aback, eyeing you with suspicion. You hadn’t meant to spit his name like that, it was sort of an involuntary response to the way he treated you last night. You had, of course, mulled it over time and time again before you finally managed to get to sleep, and you still couldn’t figure out where you went wrong. So you were safe to assume you didn’t. And he’s just an asshole. Yeah, that must be it.
“Gotcha, Gunther and Oluo are already up too so we’ll see you in the courtyard in fifteen, yeah?”
“Sounds good. Cheers for the wake-up call.” You slowly shut the door, turning back to the three pairs of eyes all trained on you. Even Petra - sleepy, ‘don’t wake me up or I’ll murder you’ Petra - was wide awake, as if she had been for hours. “What?”
“Just fuck him and get it over with. We could smell the sexual tension from here.”
“Gross, Nana.” Petra quipped.
“Really, it’s just embarrassing at this point.” She continued, clambering down from her top bunk.
“Even I can see there’s something between you two. Hasn’t he made any moves yet?” Nifa asked innocently, curiously tilting her head from the comfort of her blankets.
You folded your arms a little defensively. Sure, you used to have a crush on the man, you’re not immune to charm and good looks, but that was an extremely long time ago. Before you actually knew him. That wouldn’t stop him from being one of your greatest friends, but any romantic feelings you may have once felt had been squashed. He simply wasn’t your type.
“No, strangely enough, because he’s engaged and we’re also nothing but close friends.”
“Strange how you mentioned him being engaged first.” Petra wiggled her eyebrows, retrieving a shirt from your shared chest of drawers.
“You’re acting like you having been fucking Oluo on the sly. It’s normal for her to be out late, she has more duties than the rest of us,” –you nodded in mock gratefulness to Nanaba’s reference to you as her– “but for you, Pet? Yeah, obviously you’re out fucking somebody, and the only one who’s interest you’ve entertained is Oluo. So, I deduce–”
“Well, what about you and Miche? Huh? What’s going on there?” Petra fired back, not letting Nanaba finish her sentence. Honestly, you were just glad the attention was off you for a second.
Nanaba held her hands up in honesty. “What can I say? His sense of smell isn’t the only thing superior about him.” You cackled wickedly, drowning out Petra’s disgusted groan and Nifa’s quiet retch.
“I think I’m gonna throw up.”
“Don’t you have the hots for Hange?” You asked the poor girl, who instantly turned a dark shade of red.
“N-no! I just- I admire their conviction, that’s all! Besides, Moblit’s always hovering around them like a lost puppy, so there’s not much I can do anyway. I-if I liked them, that is! Which I don’t!” You exchanged knowing glances with Nanaba and Petra, wry smiles pulling at all your lips.
“Sure Nifa, we believe you.” Nanaba grinned, only to receive a pillow to the face from the blushing girl.
“It’s not like that! You’re all awful.” She huffed, finally dragging herself from her bed to start getting ready.
You were already halfway through putting on the lower half of your harness, still needing to retrieve a hoodie from your drawer. You didn’t know how Petra wore a shirt all year round. You found yourself freezing your tits off in the winter, and sweating like a pig in the summer. Your outfits usually fluctuated between thin tee-shirts and hoodies. Sometimes you would wear both, if it was a particularly cold day. You let the loose straps of your harness dangle around you whilst you started rifling through your drawers for the specific jumper you wanted to wear today, before another knock on the door interrupted you all.
“I got it last time.” You stated bluntly, but none of your roommates were as dressed as you were. With a heavy sigh and multiple middle finger flips, you pulled on your tight breast band and crossed the room again. “Eld, I thought we agreed we’d see you in fif…teen…… minutes……” you instantly regretted speaking before you even looked up to see who it was. It wasn’t Eld. Oh shit, it wasn’t Eld.
Levi found himself unable to do anything but stare blankly at you, his face betraying none of the short-circuiting his brain seemed to be doing. Why the fuck weren’t you wearing a shirt…? Why the fuck weren’t you ready yet?
And why the fuck did he find his mouth suddenly dryer than dirt parched of rain. Keeping his head seemed impossible in this situation. He’d only come to make sure you were getting ready. He found what he was looking for, sure, but why like this?
“Captain.” You felt extremely silly saluting only half dressed, but it wasn’t like your squad hadn’t seen each other before. Admittedly, Levi had never joined your games of strip poker, not even when Hange begged and pleaded, but as a result, you didn't really think much of it.
“Could you shut the fucking door maybe?” Nanaba called from behind you, clearly trying to slip on the uniform pants without a spectator. But for all the grief she gave you this morning, you were half tempted to open it wider, just to piss her off. But a sharp call of your name made your decision for you.
“Alright alright, sorry.” You called back, stepping out into the hallway and closing the door behind you. You felt strangely exposed now. Maybe that was because your retreat had now been blocked off, but goosebumps littered your skin from an invisible wind. The situation was disgustingly similar to last night, where he did nothing but stare at you for a good few minutes. It wouldn’t have made you so uncomfortable if you knew why he kept looking at you like this.
“I thought you would be ready.” Fucking hell, it had taken every fibre of Levi’s control to rein himself back from wherever he’d lost himself to. His heart was doing that irritating stuttery thing again, the one where he couldn’t think straight and his palms started to sweat. He must be coming down with some illness. That had to be the reason.
“We were only woken up seven minutes ago, Sir. Apologies.” You kept with the formalities, too confused by his behaviour last night to slip back into your informal addresses. This was so much easier anyway. He didn’t look like he noticed, or even care anyway. Though that idea felt strangely… hurtful.
Levi stayed silent for a moment, collecting himself and running through the best ways to end this conversation. He’d found himself in a conflicting paradox. On the one hand, he wanted to talk to you. But he also wanted you to put some goddamn clothes on. He would never admit to himself that he didn’t mind the view -actively enjoyed the view, even- because that would be vulgar and despicable.
Even if it was true.
“Be in the courtyard in three minutes. Petra too. I want to brief the squad on today’s mission.” You saluted again in response, nodding once before he turned and marched off. You guessed whatever sweet domesticity you’d shared yesterday was nothing but a one time thing. Or maybe nothing happened at all, and you’d imagined the whole thing. But you had grown closer last night. Admittedly you were always close with your captain, but yesterday was different. You shared something with him, and in return, he shared something with you. It was all just… so confusing.
You watched him stride out of sight, before slipping back inside your room. And you were once again greeted by the suspicious gazes of your three roommates. “Oh for god’s sake.” You chimed in, before they started singing their questions at you.
“Both of them? Isn’t that a little greedy?”
“Damn, didn’t think you could pull one, let alone both at the same time,”
“Wait, are you uh, having sex with Captain Levi as well?”
You held up your hands for a cease-fire, looking incredulously between them. “Girls, girls, please! You can’t assume I’m fucking every man and woman I happen to be in a conversation with. I’m not even fucking one of them, let alone both!” You let out an exasperated sigh, the three women still eyeing you suspiciously, before turning to Petra specifically. “Hurry up, we have three minutes.”
“I still think you should at least try. I mean, the chemistry between you two is like something you would find fizzing away in Hange’s lab!” You were barely listening to Petra’s crazy ideas as you walked. You hadn’t realised she was this desperate for you to get laid. It would have been amusing if it wasn’t so early in the morning.
“Petra, in the nicest way possible, shut the fuck up. We’re not dating, I’m not going to try and date him. He’s not my type, engaged, and we’re. Just. FRIENDS.” You didn’t know what else you would have to say or do to make her shut up about this ridiculous idea. You managed to finish dressing in one minute, and join up with your squad in the following sixty seconds. You’d just batted away her expressive hands before crossing the courtyard, your squad looking mildly irritated.
Your eyes flicked between the three men. “What’s up with you guys? Other than getting up at this godforsaken hour to catch a titan?” It was at that your companions all turned to you.
“Except that’s just it. It’s not just a titan.” Gunther lamented, fixing the clasp of his cloak tighter around his neck. You looked for further explanation, finally given to you from the less than pleased looking Oluo.
“Crazy bitch wants us to catch two. ‘Compare and contrast’ they said. ‘Measure twice, cut once’ they said. They can measure how far my blade can sink into their–”
“Shut up Oluo, we get it,” –you turned to Eld, ignoring the indignant huff from your comrade– “Does the Captain know?” you asked, but already knowing the answer from his sheepish grimace.
“Ah- we were rather hoping actually, you would tell him?”
“...you cannot possibly be serious. Isn’t it someone else’s turn?” You tried desperately to sway each of your friends, but they all looked away pretty swiftly. “Oh for fuck’s sake, you’re all a bunch of cowards. You fight titans for a living, and you’re scared to tell your captain that–”
“Tell your captain what?” Your blood quite possibly froze over at the familiar cadence and tone from behind you, and the pale faces of your comrades. You mouthed the world’s quietest ‘shit’ before turning to face him, exercising your chipper façade.
Levi instantly raised a brow of suspicion. He’d seen that look before, at winter balls when you would be cussing out some noble prick, only for them to walk up behind you and ask for a dance. It was a cover, albeit an incredibly good one. But one he’d seen far too many times before. And he saw your smile falter the moment you realised he could see right through you. At least you were clothed this time. “Something to say?”
You huffed, folding your arms. “Only because nobody else has the fucking nerve to say it. Hange wants us to grab two titans, not just the one.” Levi visibly tensed. He thought this would have all been over by lunchtime, but it seems Hange had gone a little overboard with their demands for this. The freedom to even attempt had gone to their head.
“Damnit Four Eyes…”
“Tell me about it. Not too thrilled ourselves honestly. Will it affect the briefing?” you asked, the rest of your squad gaping at you from behind whilst you proceeded to have a seemingly perfectly normal conversation with him after delivering such devastating news.
“I doubt it. We’ll just rinse and repeat for the second one, assuming we’re all still alive. It’ll just take out more of the day.” ‘That I could have used to get my paperwork done.’ You finished his sentence for him in your head, once again that stab of empathy impaling your heart. As strange as he had been acting, you still worried about him. Your expression softened slightly.
You understood.
“Guess we’ll just have to get it done quickly then. I’m glad Miche squad is joining though, that’ll cut the time in half at least. And if we work efficiently enough, then this shouldn’t take as long as we’re thinking. I’d suggest finally pairing Oluo with Petra,”
Levi nodded thoughtfully, considering the option carefully. “That’s assuming they manage to work together without slicing each other up, but it’s a solid idea. I’m guessing that would put Eld and Gunther in their usual pairing?” It was about as subtle as he got with wanting to keep you in sight at all times. On most expeditions, he didn’t even need to make sure, because you were always paired together, but on missions like these…
“Actually Sir, I’ve been working well with Gunther in training recently. We’re coordinated enough to know each other’s movements. Plus I think it would be good for him to work with someone else other than Eld or yourself.” You suggested, and your eyes must have been playing tricks on you, because there was no way Levi would have looked deflated at that idea, right? This was the best opportunity to see if you and Gunther worked with the same efficiency as you did with Petra or Levi himself. You doubted it, but it was worth a shot.
‘Absolutely fucking not.’ Is what he wanted to say. ‘The hell are you thinking, not sticking by my side?’ is what some fucked up instinct was telling him to say. Some part of his brain that seemed focused on pissing him off by filling his head with these thoughts and making his heart stutter whenever you so much as breathed in his vicinity. “Fine. But don’t fucking die on me.”
You knew that was about as good as you were going to get. Still, your very soul sung at his words. Reading between the lines came with Levi’s personality description, and over the years you’d become quite good at it. A warm, kind smile pulled at your lips, the first he’d seen on you since yesterday evening.
“Who’s worrying about who now?” you couldn’t help but lightly tease, your smile widening at his dismissive scoff. But you’d caught it, the slightest hint of amusement etched deep within his features.
If only you knew. If only you knew that he constantly worried about you, and had done for the last however many years he’d been blessed with your presence.
Levi mentally shook himself. Where the fuck did that come from? When had he started thinking like that? Certainly before yesterday, but his thoughts had never been so damn vocal about you like this. He wished more than anything he could just turn them off.
“Besides, strategically speaking, this is the best course of action. Gunther’s still fairly new, he has the skill yeah, but lacks the experience to follow through.” It seemed you had continued talking even after his mind took a short wander, and he hadn’t realised he’d been staring rather blankly at you the whole time. Did you notice he wasn’t listening? Or were you so focused on your strategy that you barely noticed him? You weren’t even looking at him…
And had either of you noticed that your squad had slowly backed away from the entire conversation and were now in a small group of their own, whispering to each other in hushed, secretive tones.
You sure as shit didn’t, at least not until Levi cleared his throat rather obviously, and you looked up, shaken from your thoughts, to find Levi looking over your shoulder, a brow raised in irritated disinterest.
You turned to find yourself alone, save for your comrades now metres away. How had they left you without you even noticing? Were you really that wrapped up in the conversation? You were strategizing, something you would get carried away with, but even so…
Sneaky assholes.
Eld shot you an apologetic look as they shuffled back over, one you responded to with an obviously faux smile, the same smile you gave Hange yesterday. Levi felt his stomach clench slightly.
But it was Petra’s expression that had you nervous. She looked innocent. Too innocent. Like she was trying way too hard to appear inconspicuous, which of course, made her look much more conspicuous. She raised her thin eyebrows to you, daring you to ask her. You grit your teeth and held your tongue instead.
“Alright, we’re pairing up. Petra and Oluo will work together, Eld you’re with me today.” Both Eld and Gunther gave you a strange look. Everyone in the squad knew it was you who would usually put together strategies and training regimes, alongside your Captain, of course. So they knew who to turn to if something didn’t make sense.
“Gunther’s with me, yeah. Thought we’d switch it up a bit.” You added, shrugging indifferently to Eld’s confused head-tilt.
“Works for me, we’ve been training a lot together recently, so this should be fun.” Your entire squad shifted to look at Gunther in morbid awe. You definitely had a different definition of fun…
“Petra, keep Bozado in order. Try not to kill him, as tempting as it often is.” Despite the surprisingly grating words, Oluo straightened and saluted Levi. You couldn’t help checking his nose for any brown staining, considering how much of a kiss-ass he was.
“I won’t let you down sir! You can count on us!” Levi winced slightly at the explosion of dedication from the man, glancing at your ever-so-subtle quirk of amusement, hidden by a strategic scratch of your eyebrow. Why did everything you do today cause his stomach to practise gymnastics? It was really getting on his nerves. Not you, just his own reactions.
“Well, you all look ready to go.” You knew that voice without even having to turn around, though you did anyway. You threw a bright smile in Nanaba’s direction, watching her wince as if you were burning sunlight directly into her eyes. “Put that away, would you? We’re not all early risers.”
“No, because I do all the early rising for you.” You muttered, rolling your eyes at her flat stare. Anyone looking in from the outside would assume you hated each other, it was only those in your current circle who knew the truth. You would do anything for each other. All of you would.
“Wasn’t it you who woke us up?”
“Take it up with Eld, I had nothing to do with it.” You shrugged, nodding your head in Eld’s faux grateful expression.
“Don’t blame me, Gunther wakes us all up with his monstrous shi–”
“Alright that’s enough. Be ready to move out at a moment’s notice, disgusting lot.” You didn’t know if it was a product of proximity to Levi as a person, or because you were literally standing so close to him, but you could have sworn he was trying his best to hold in some show of amusement.
He absolutely was. And he could do nothing but walk away, making sure the rest of the group couldn’t see his face, before he released his amused smirk.
If this was ‘everything going according to plan’ you would hate to see what it looked like when Hange’s plans failed. It was chaos from the get-go. They didn’t even stay in the formation they’d decided upon, instantly racing ahead of the rest of the squads. Poor Moblit galloped behind them, trying in vain to catch up, but whatever fucking science Hange had done on their horse, it seemed to travel much faster than any of the rest of them. You heard Miche swear under his breath, heard Levi’s cursing as the three squads tried vehemently to catch up, inevitably splitting up in the process.
And by the time you got there, it was already utter chaos. Frantic shouting from Hange with immense detail as to what titan type they were looking for, not knowing if they wanted to go for a fifteen metre or the five metre first. Not knowing what fucking hair colour they wanted. You almost screamed in frustration as you went to slice the nape of a stout five metre, only to be called back by Hange.
Irritation flared in your gut. Especially after they then proceeded to tell you to ‘actually kill that one, its nose is wonky’. It took every fibre of self control not to comment on the crookedness of their nose. But you felled the monster anyway. There wasn’t time to argue.
You’d just managed to mount your horse again, Gunther doing the same, when Nanaba called your name, racing toward you at full gallop and waving frantically. You glanced at Gunther who nodded in silent confirmation, before you both galloped to meet her halfway.
“What’s the situation?” You asked, barely slowing to a canter.
“”Miche squad’s surrounded, it’s a bloodbath out there. We need as many soldiers as we can find.” You’d never seen her look so wild. So wracked with untamed fear. Whatever the hell was happening over the hill, it wasn’t good. You turned back to your squad, the barrage of hoof-fools alerting you of their presence.
“Miche’s surrounded.” You cut to the chase as Levi and Eld were the last to join the throng, Eld exchanging a concerned look with you. But there was nothing to be done, no way to reassure him you were alright. Not whilst there was still so much going on.
Levi thought for less than a moment, before addressing the rest of his team. “We lend a hand. Quick in and out, we don’t have time to be dropping in and saving every team that lands in shit. Do what you can and leave the rest to his squad.”
You nodded in agreement when he looked to you for confirmation. The moment you set off, your squad instantly fell back into formation. You rode alongside Eld, behind Levi and in front of Oluo and Petra, Gunther took the rear.
“You alright?” you knew the question was coming.
“Yeah, as alright as one can be during one of Hange’s suicide missions. Still can’t believe they fucking volunteered us for this shit.” You grit your teeth, crouching low over your horse’s neck.
“Stay sharp, we’ve got company.” Eld nodded to his right, and you looked past him to three grinning titans. There was something about the ones that smiled. The ones who looked genuinely pleased to be devouring humanity. Their giddy delight always made you want to throw up.
“Two this side as well.” Your head whipped to your left, Petra’s voice behind you calling you back. At least those two weren’t smiling. You looked back to Levi, who stayed staring straight ahead.
“Captain?” It wasn’t like you to prompt orders, trusting him with your life. But the closer the five came, the more your nerves buzzed. But still he kept his silence. You didn’t know what was happening. He’d been off today, and you’d never known Levi to be off. Something had happened, it must have. Or he was sick… yeah, that could be it. He was just coming down with a cold. Not that you’d ever seen him sick but that was the only logical explanation.
Minutes seem to stretch for eternity before he finally spoke up. “Eld, Gunther, take the three on the right. Petra, Oluo, take the left. You, stick with me for now. We’ll regroup after Miche squad is safe.” You met Levi’s eyes as he looked over his shoulder to you, and you tried to keep the fear from your gaze. Though you didn’t know why you were afraid. You’d worked with Levi for nearly all of your Scout life. But he was off his game, he was distracted, he was–
You noticed his expression soften ever so slightly, and all doubts ebbed away. This was Levi you were talking about. When had he ever been off his game? You returned his expression with a confident nod, determination sparking back in your eyes. He seemed satisfied with your reaction, and turned back just as the rest of your squad separated. A few seconds passed before you, too, had abandoned your horse in favour of ODM gear, being much better suited to the village terrain. A lot more to grip onto than out in the open field.
It was a wonder why you ever diverted from working with Levi in the first place. You flowed together like joining rivers, movements matched, manoeuvres coordinated. Distract and dispose was your game. Though it was dangerous, you’d worked on it for so long it came like second nature.
You zipped past the eyes of a fifteen metre, feinting as it quickly grabbed for you, before allowing yourself into a freefall. It was a common manoeuvre you used, Levi showing up right on time. You held out your arm, wincing slightly as Levi used his momentum to grab it and swing you back. Titans had grown accustomed to the achor firing and usage of gas to change direction, but this always caught them off guard. They couldn’t anticipate the swift change.
You felt your entire centre of gravity shift as you were swung back, Levi’s grasp on your arm releasing just as you fired your gear into its nape. With one swift slash, the beast fell on its front, and you landed on a nearby rooftop, panting slightly. Your arm throbbed a little where Levi had grabbed you, for some reason so much harder than he usually would.
The titan count had dropped considerably since your squad had arrived, freeing Miche’s squad from the clutches of extinction. You knew your current partner was safe by the sounds of his footsteps beside you.
“All good?” You asked, turning your head to greet him as he came to your side, nodding in answer.
“Let me see your arm.” You blanched at the order, subconsciously moving it out of sight. How the fuck could he possibly know…?
“Which arm?” Now really wasn’t the time to be stalling, but you just really, really didn’t want to see his inevitable look of guilt if there was any bruising.
“The one you just hid from me. Let me see it.” Your eyes fell in acceptance, sheathing the trigger handle of your gear and holding out the arm that currently felt like it had been wrapped in tight string.
With a gentleness you’d only seen a few times, Levi rolled up the sleeve of your jacket and jumper, bunching it uncomfortably at the crease of your elbow. You couldn’t look at him as his fingertips traced the discolouring on your arm, goosebumps raised in his fingers’ wake.
But there was nothing you could do to stop the guilt he felt. Levi’s own arm pulsed in retaliation, almost as a punishment for hurting you.
“It’s fine, Levi.” You murmured lowly, as if talking any louder would break him.
You’d never been so conflicted. On the one hand, you knew him. You knew Levi better than anyone, though that may surprise a lot of people. Neither of you made it obvious that you knew each other so well, mainly because if Hange caught wind, they’d never stop crowing about it. But just because you knew him, doesn’t mean you could always decipher how he was feeling, or predict how he was going to react. Last night made that incredibly clear. You still don’t know what you did wrong, and asking him now just felt like an unnecessary, awkward conversation that you knew he would avoid at all costs.
It was a ridiculous paradox. You knew him, but because you knew him, you didn’t know him at all.
“Get some salve on that the moment we get back. Let me know if it starts to bruise.” Something cracked in your chest at his quiet tone, remorse lacing his words, dripping in regret. It was impossible, it seems, to live with no regrets. You couldn’t deny he’d done well though, but there were some things that seemed impossible to move on from. “Join up with Gunther and get this over with. I’m sick of today.” There was no further exchange before ran and jumped, gear hissing as he sped back into the much smaller fray.
You sighed heavily. Everytime you grew closer to him, he always shields himself from you. It had been a vicious cycle for a while now, and it was starting to get on your nerves. He really was impossible.
Levi’s head pulsed, aching waves of nausea hitting him periodically, throwing him off his rhythm. He could barely concentrate. Everytime his squad split up to take down the surrounding titans, his head would throb. Definitely sick, he decided. He would have to take the next few days off to recover from whatever illness had struck him. Though it was strange. He’d never been sick. Not since he was brought above ground. He had not once caught a cold, a disease, a virus -nothing. So it was odd that, now, he would be coming down with something. Not only that, but his arm ached like shit, and he was more than positive it was a punishment for hurting you earlier. At least, he hoped it was.
Not that he had the time to even contemplate these things. He wanted to throttle Hange. Again. The sheer lack of preparation was going to cost them so many lives. He knew Hange was rarely careless with human life, but it seemed that the freedom had gone to their head. Erwin had given them the go-ahead, and it had driven them wild.
“Hange!” he called, briefly breaking off from formation to catch up with the wildly galloping scientist. They’d been flitting from squad to squad, assessing the surrounding titans, sizing them up and mentally weighing their value to her experiments. They appeared to not even hear him. “Hange!” he called again, this time a little more agitated.
Hange’s head whipped in his direction, a grin of deranged delight almost toppling him off his horse. “Didn’t see ya there! How’s your squad doing? Anything exciting to report? Oooooo, maybe an abnormal?” The way Hange’s eyes flashed eagerly made him want to kick them off their own horse.
“No, but you need to fucking choose. People are dying for this, Hange. Get your shit together and–” Levi couldn’t finish his sentence; his hand quick to cushion the side of his head. His skull was splitting apart. There was no other explanation. His skull was cracking and shattering and–
Everything beyond his own head silenced into nothing. His eyes widened, but he wasn’t looking at anything. But if he wasn’t looking at anything… then how could he see you?
You and Gunther, both looking incredibly co-ordinated. What the fuck was going on? You were nowhere near him. He’d broken formation away from you to talk to Hange, you were across the field behind him… how the fuck could he–
His heart lurched into his throat. One second you were performing flawless manoeuvres with your partner, the next you were silently screaming his name, becoming a comet as you changed trajectory and swung back to him. The impact had his jaw tensing as if he himself were bracing for pain. You’d careened directly into him, the reason unknown until the giant hand swiped down and obscured you from his vision.
When he saw you again, you were struggling. Struggling and writhing in the suffocating grasp of a twenty metre. Your arms pinned to your side, you could do nothing but twist in vain. A whip cracked inside Levi’s head.
He had to go.
He didn’t even register Hange had been calling his name until he was racing in the other direction. Hundreds had died. Hundreds upon hundreds of people he’d known by name, had died, and he’d moved on. He’d had to.
So why the hell would he race so hard for you? He asked the question as if he didn’t already know the answer.
His headache was getting worse. The splitting pain had stopped, but it was a growing ache now. A sand-timer. He was acting on instinct. He knew it was a timer to your death. Whatever the fuck he’s just seen, it hadn’t happened yet. He could still get to you. He could still save you. He could still–
“GUNTHER!” Your panicked scream shattered his spiral, but he was still too far away. Everything unfolded before his eyes, your manoeuvres a mirror to what he’d just witnessed. Your swinging trajectory changed. Your cracking impact, the clanging of metal as your partner was shoved clear of the giant hand.
Levi urged his horse faster, digging his heels into its flanks. He had to make it. He didn’t have another choice. He felt winded, like fingers were pressing into his lungs as you were caught, arms pinned by your sides. What he hadn’t heard was Gunther’s scream of your name. Not until now, and it was haunting. Whether it spooked his horse, or the beast simply recognised the desperation of its rider, he didn’t know or care. A reward was in order for its final burst of speed.
He also hadn’t heard his own desperate roar of your name in his vision. It had ended before this.
Anchors fired, gas pressed, Levi’s stomach met his throat as he whipped between the titan’s head and shoulder, twisting impossibly to re-aim his gear straight for its nape. He had to kill it and catch you after. If he freed you first, the risk of being caught again was too high. And though every instinct screamed at him to tear it to shreds, he didn’t have time on his side.
His internal organs lurched as he pressed the gas again, a feeling he was too used to now. One anchor released, adjusting his arc as steel sliced through flesh and muscle, cleaving a valley through the titan's nape.
Instantly he felt the press on his lungs release. He chalked it down to relief, though it wasn’t over. You were now released.
And falling.
Levi performed another seemingly impossible twist, and there you were.
With no obvious anchor points, this was why ODM gear was so dangerous in open field combat. With no trees to hook on to, it was incredibly difficult to land without damaging anything, or at least ending up with a sprain. But once again, no other options presented themselves to him.
You turned at the familiar hiss, wind whipping your hair, but only for a second before you were sheltered by body mass. You didn’t need to look to tell who it was. You recognised that smell.
“This is going to hurt.” He told you, a hand bracing the back of your head.
“Don’t let go.” You pleaded, gripping the sides of his tan jacket.
Levi drew back, looking at you briefly in a way you’d never seen before. You didn’t realise he would hit the ground first.
“I won’t. I promise.” There was a brief moment where you regarded each other, before he brought your head back into his chest.
there’s just something about casual intimacy w katsuki that makes me so unwell. being at the point in your relationship where you feel comfortable with anything with him. no longer shying away when you change your clothes in front of him. being able to exchange soft giggles as he hops on one foot trying to get his pants off all of the way. the wide smile on his face as he whispers, “shaddup, woman” to you before exchanging soft kisses between the giggles. him looking at you with a frothy smile while you exchange your latest work gossip with him when he’s brushing his teeth. watching (and suppressing your laughter) while he attempts (and fails) to remove your intricate lingerie set from you. smacking his arm softly when he finally gives up and just rips it instead.
“katsuki! that was brand new!”
“tch- don’t act like you paid for it dumbass. ya know i’m gonna buy one to replace it anyway.”
seeing the exhaustion leave his face when he opens himself up to you. lets you wash his hair, and scrub the grime and grit of the day off of him. laying on the couch with him in silence the both of you submerged in your own worlds. him running his fingers through your hair as he reads and you watch your shows. seeing the blush spread across his cheeks when you rub your thumb over the crease between his brows. exchanging soft ‘good morning’ kisses right when he wakes up, basking in the warmth of each other.
“your breathe stinks, brat”
“well the last place my mouth was was your dick, katsuki”
“oh, fuck off”
watching the tension leave his shoulders once he enters your shared home. red eyes gleaming when he sees you, wrapping his arms around your waist. letting him press soft kisses to the side of your neck, rocking the two of you back and forth to the song your hearts have sung together. hushed ‘i love yous’, and the ones unspoken. shown in his warm embrace, soft kisses pressed to your neck, insults with no real malice behind them, hidden smiles, unshed tears, his hand in yours, packed lunches. to love and be loved.
would be thinking about you as he works in his studio- some lyric that comes to his mind that reminds him of you, or some specific note that makes him nostalgic
which would make him lose track of time as he recalls the first time he saw you or the time he realised he was in love with you
always smiles while bobbing his shoulders in happiness when he sees you before he greets you with a hug or a kiss
usually makes you sit real close to him or in his lap if he still has work to do
which often results in his hands travelling places
and then, of course, with a casual but hot comment he passes which makes you either a blushing mess or make the next move
when he kisses you, it's either really soft and slow with his hands cupping your face, smiles in between as he brushes his nose against yours playfully
or it's desperate and passionate, not sticking to one place, moving around and bumping into things as you make way to the nearest flat surface
so he can pin you down and do things to you
if you make sounds while he's kissing you, it only fuels him further and then it's hard to stop
and why would you when he makes you feel so wanted, like you're the only one he'll ever need?
he's really good with his tongue and teeth so uh you know how it is
his fingers will also be rhythmically tapping on your body if he's focused on one thing
every movement this guy makes serves a purpose so don't be surprised if he pins you or just takes a step back to scan you very slowly before he basically devours you
he's good at all positions-
when he's done with you, he'll want cuddles def and would pass out tired in your arms 90 percent of the times bc man spends all his stamina on you BYE
Seonghwa
he has two moods- sugar and devil
when he's in sugar mood, he's really sweet. he calls you, plans a date, tells you he loves you and spends way too much time and effort which just makes you feel overwhelmed with love in the best possible way
he'll hold your hand as you take a walk in a park or sth and he'll be caressing it subconsciously
will kiss you while you're excitedly talking about something which will make you surprised for a moment
but then again, knowing seonghwa, he's done that a few times before
inside dates are also very wholesome- you'll be watching netflix and at some point, you'll ditch the snacks and watching the movie
esp when his hands start rubbing circles on your thigh
and then he'll kiss you ever so slowly at first, trying to figure out how you're feeling about this
and when he's sure? devil mode turn on
we all know how uncontrollable his tongue is
he'll leave you breathless with his kisses. you're a moaning mess and your stomach doesn't have butterflies anymore- it's a fucking zoo down there
he'll literally just get on top of you and kiss you like there's no tomorrow
and then he's travelling down, down, down
you'll see stars, definitely
and the sounds he make? will turn you on, 100%
he'll switch being dom and sub so yeah when he's dom he's the devil
and when he's a sub, he'll make sure you feel the most confident in what you're doing
he's def the best at aftercare, making sure you're good and all
will hold you all night long and whisper things in your ears which will def make you feel like going for another round
Yunho
don't get me started-
it's just the way he sometimes looks at you- he's all laughs and jokes but you'll know it when he looks at you a certain way
and you'll be sure what he's thinking because his gaze is all hot and scanning your face and lingering on your lips before he goes for a kiss
it's soft. it makes you feel loved. and then he brings his hand to cup your face and it undoes something in you, makes you move and want to disappear in him
you just love it when his hands cup your face bc ugh who doesn't love his big hands and longass fingers? and you love it when he lets his finger curl your hair as he kisses you
if you have a good height difference, he'll get tired of leaning down and pick you up and make you laugh and put you on a table or sth so he can kiss you better
which will make you wrap your legs around him and basically straddle him
which will drive him crazy and result in more heated, passionate moments
he'll spend a good amount of time on your neck too before he does something else
and we all know what purposes his long fingers could serve-
he loves watching you as he makes a mess of you. it fuels him.
and when you're in bed? he'll make sure he takes care of you as he absolutely ruins you idk how it will work and how he balances it but he will
he's got control. he knows what he does. and he's fucking good at it
you'll never get enough of him, and you'll never get over how he can go from being a puppy to being a menace in seconds
but you love him, and you make sure he knows it through your actions, through your eyes, and that's enough for him
you also just love being in his arms, whether it's in a hug or in the bed ugh he's such a bear im gonna go cry
Yeosang
being with him is a rollercoaster ride of thinking that he's the most adorable and precious person to exist vs wanting to k-word him because he can be a menace
it would def be a love-hate relationship first- like best friends. he'll make fun of you, yes, but he'll also make sure you know you mean the world to him
and he'll show you in the most unexpected ways. it's like he knows things about you even you don't- like he'll bring you what you feel like eating or hold your hand and caress it if you're feeling anxious, or just simply kiss you
he always knows what you want and you adore that
he's the type to get shy in the most unexpected moments too
like he'll just come to your place and pin you against the wall and kiss the f out of you but then you'll make one comment on how hot that was and he'll be all (//////)
which is cute asf and turns you on so damn much
kissing him is a different experience. you're holding hands, caressing each other's hands or face as you make out, and it's always so intimate like you have all the time in the world
and it's always overflowing with love
it makes one of you stop for a few moments and rest your head on their shoulder because how did you get here? it's the best feeling ever
he'll always make sure you're participating as much as him and will need encouragement and will also constantly encourage you when you're in charge
but gosh does he know what he's doing
esp when he pins your wrists? he has strength, he knows when to use it and he knows it turns you on
he's also really good with aftercare, always knowing what you want and being there for you
and then he'll earn a smack when he makes fun of sth you did and you'll both end up laughing and teasing each other
and then the teasing will turn into sth else-
protect him at all costs.
San
choi mf san i could write a book.
okay so he's just really interesting in the most unexpected ways
he knows how to love. he's not afraid to express it. but boy, he never makes it boring. he's always down to try new stuff and ugh
don't even get me on how he's such a tease
he doesn't even realise it most of the time. it's just that he'll sometimes look at you with doe eyes and next second, he's shamelessly scanning you
which makes you pause bc he's... hot
a shameless flirt but doesn't realise it
loves picking you up and swinging you around while you're in the middle of something
always makes sure you're feeling good when you're with him. if you want to go take a walk in the middle of the night when it's snowing? cool. if you want to run in the summer heat? great. he's down.
loves cornering you both literally and metaphorically
and by that i mean he'll make you say it when you want to kiss him or do sth else with him
and by that i also mean that when he's in the mood, he's all about foreplay. he'll look at you shamelessly, bite his lips, talk in a low voice as he draws closer and closer to you until you have no choice but to give in
and when he kisses you, the first one is always so, so intimate that you'll feel like jelly
and then he's holding your waist and kissing you deeper
he'll love it when you hold on to him or lock your hands in his hair
he's always very vocal even with the pleasure sounds he makes which will turn you on
and he loves driving you to the edge with just the makeout alone before he decides to have you
he just makes you a mess, he knows all your buttons. he knows what makes you go crazy, what makes you feel good, everything.
he'll also love it if you decide to switch roles and he makes you feel the most loved, makes you feel the most confident
will rest his forehead against yours and just breathe. it makes you melt
will constantly tell you how much he loves you and how much he adores you
and he loves it when you just caress his face and memorise it. he'll do the same
now come cry with me
Mingi
he's a no shit type of guy. he loves having fun with you, but he's also very vocal about what he likes and what he doesn't
so being with him is very easy- ofc you have your ups and downs, but he makes everything feel simpler and you feel safe with him. like he's your home.
but he's also such a tease in the best possible way- like the way he scans you when he sees you for the first time in a while- gosh, he makes it so obvious how much he wants you and it drives you crazy
he'll say he doesn't like it when you tease him but y'all know he secretly loves it and it turns him on so bad
and the way he kisses? you'd think he returned from a war
he absolutely knows what he's doing with his mouth. he loves peppering kisses all over your face
and he also loves kissing your neck or shoulders, he'll spend way too much time on there and make sure he leaves marks
and his sharp nose is just the cherry on top omggg
so like when he goes down on you, it's his nose brushing that does it for you and it makes him scoff
he's a menace, he's a devil in bed. he'll be rough, he'll be calm, he'll be quick, he'll spend all night, but it always makes you feel so so good and loved and you wish that moment would never end
but sometimes, he's just a big softie and wants you to lead everything
you can tell when he wants a distraction, when he's feeling down, so you make sure you make him feel loved and wanted and he'll just hold you all night
and then he's back to being the same old mingi
the type to smile into the kiss, bite your lips and devour your mouth
he loves holding you by the waist or squeezing you in places too
and you love it when it gets messy with him, when he's everywhere and can't get enough of you
his movements also have some sort of a rhythmic sense to them
which just makes everything feel heightened and it's the best
knows what you want and will take care of you every moment so you always feel safe with him :')
Wooyoung
he's your best friend, your worst enemy, your mom, a kid you have to babysit... you get the deal
he takes care of you. he cooks for you. he solves your problems. he listens to you. he dances for you.
but he's also very demanding. and he's vocal about it. he's clingy. he wants you to hug him? he'll say it. he'll spread his arms and won't go until you hug him properly
he wants you to kiss him? you can't say that he can go ahead- he'll make you make the first move
he usually starts with a peck to your lips, and then he'll just know when it makes your heart swoop to your stomach. his gaze will change, and he'll look at your lips and then back at you-
and then he'll ask if you want more
and sometimes he'll tease you about it and get smacked before he kisses you back
but kisses with him always make your stomach act funny without fail- butterflies go rampant
you absolutely love making out with him because he's such a tease and you love that even tho you'll never admit it out loud
because that would just feed his already high ego
but oh god, when he escalates things? when he start kissing your neck and go down? you lose control
he practically worships you when he makes love to you and you're afraid you don't make him feel that loved but he'll make sure you know that what you do is enough
he'll def smack you i have a feeling he will
and he also has a degradation kink come on we all know he does
which just makes everything fun
like you're just casually sitting and you tease him or scold him and he just raises his eyebrows like ma'am say that again and you just know he's turned on
aftercare has been set to a whole new standard with him
but it won't end there. you have the whole night, and he'll make the most of it until you have to lock his arms in a hug and make him go to sleep
but he'll be whispering dirty little things in your ear and you're giggling and at some point he'll start nibbling at your ear and then- oops, you're doing it again
being with him is an adventure, and there will never be a boring moment. he's your best friend, and he makes you feel like you can do anything in the world.
Jongho
uhh lemme take a breath first
okay so everything he does has meaning. he holds your hand, he pecks your cheek, he gets you flowers or takes you out? he knows what he's doing
you're not spared from the dad jokes and they'll come at the most unexpected times but they always crack you up and he loves that
he's just someone you can trust with anything, be it something that needs to be done or something you need to talk about. he's the best listener, and you love that
and he doesn't even need to say that he loves you (even tho he tells you enough)- you just know with the way he looks at you or the small actions that would otherwise go unnoticed
but it'll take a while for him to open up and that's also something you'll wish you could do again- you love it when he reveals a new side of himself to you
esp when he kisses you. he can go from shy pecks to insane open mouthed kisses that leave you breathless
and he's strong, you can feel that in the way he moves against you, in his kisses, in the way he holds you like you'd break, in the way he haves you
his gaze? don't get me started. his gaze is so overwhelming that you can barely meet eyes with him and resort to kissing him instead
he has a thing for necks. he spends a lot of time kissing your neck, your jaw, earning moans all the time
he also has a thing for butts- he'll smack you teasingly and squeeze it as he makes love to you
but he's all about controlled movements. he knows what to do with you, how much he needs to do to extract a certain reaction out of it and you're amazed by that
but he's also easy to read and he loves it that you also know how to break him
he's all about intimacy, whether it's in casual things or during love making
he's also all about vocal assurances
and well, he's a bear. you love cuddling him. he loves cuddling you. you spend most of your time indoors doing exactly that- he might not be the biggest fan of skinship but he doesn't mind that
which is why you love pecking his cheek or lips at unexpected times and earning surprised shrieks from him which are hilarious
and they'll either turn into you chasing him as he tries to hide orrr him being immediately turned on and cornering you and picking you up effortlessly and taking you to the bed/couch and basically throwing you before he gets on top of you-
will sing you to sleep ;-;
this is the most unplanned shit i've ever done LMAO hope y'all enjoyed this ;-; </3 who else is crying in single today LOLL
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Summary: With the bills piling up and no way to know when you will be able to return to work. Your roommate suggests you take a call center job where you can work from home. The job? being an anonymous person for Pro Heroes to vent to.
But no amount of training could prepare you for just how quickly your first caller makes you cry.
Genre: Strangers to lovers, Pro Hero AU
Wordcount: 35.2k Part 5/6 (this chapter 8k)
♥Buy me a coffee♥
Also posted on AO3 (most of my work is hanging out there♥ please check it out!)
Your comments and reblogs are always a wonderful way to interact! I wanna know what you think♥
Warnings: use of pet names, cursing, and more sassiness!, canon typical violence, assault. Angst
Another week passed by when you got n update from your mystery hero. The mission he was on took a turn, and they had to stay longer than he expected.
But that came as no real surprise to you. You knew by now just how time-consuming being a hero really was. You spent eight hours a day listening to them say just how much their job pulled them away from their families. How they had to miss another anniversary or their child's birthday party.
And as the week dragged on, you couldn’t help but let their stories slowly sour your mood. It was one thing to allow yourself to flirt openly over the phone with your mystery hero. But it was another thing altogether to let yourself start to fall for him. It was easy enough to distract yourself with a sparse phone call here and there at the start. But now you were craving more.
And he wasn’t available to give you that time because of his job, just like everyone else.
It was a silent battle you were having in your mind. Trying and failing to keep your feelings in check about him. You missed the way his voice sounded so calm when he was tired. Or the way he would laugh at one of your stupid and corny jokes. You could feel that little strings attached to your heart. Start to constrict and force your emotions to take over.
You knew this was always going to be an issue, so why were you having such a hard time with it now?
You hadn’t even met him yet and already it felt like you were mourning the loss of a relationship. Now you knew on a certain level the stories some of the heroes told you. About how their spouses had finally had enough and were filing for divorce. Leaving them in empty homes, while their families moved on without them.
It was a well-known fact that pros tended to date and marry other pros for this very reason. Civilians just didn’t understand the time and dedication you had to have for the job. Being the person who gets left behind was a hard life to lead. Their career came first, and personal lives were always on the back burner.
But none of that could put a stop to the way you felt about him. You found yourself falling head over heels. For whatever this insane-sounding thing was you had going on. Even just thinking about him made your stomach fill with butterflies, and made you smile.
And that was all you needed at the moment to give you hope. You were forcing yourself to believe that you were better than the others that came before you. Able to withstand the long distance that his work would put between you. That you were more robust, able to take on such a hardship in the hopes of a love that was real.
It wouldn’t be easy by any means, but you could do it.
Right?
He made you feel so good, so wanted. He wouldn’t let you fall to the wayside. Not with the connection the two of you seemed to have. You were clinging to the belief that he wouldn’t let that happen to you. He mad made it clear that he wanted to take things to another level beyond just being a friendly voice, he wanted you. And even though you didn’t know what he looked like, you could tell he had already wormed his way into your heart.
To the point that even as you sat on the train. Coming back from your doctor's appointment. You couldn’t help but let yourself be consumed by the thought of him.
You hoped he was taking care of himself. Getting enough rest in the moments he could. eating, and taking care of himself. Maybe he was thinking about you while he was out there. Pushing through the rest of his mission so he could come back home and hopefully find you.
When he did contact you again you had some good news to tell him!
You were able to get the cast off your leg today! Finally, the roaming nurse whose quirk was used to speed up healing was back from maternity leave. Your doctor was able to wrangle her into his office at her first available time, which lucky for you was today!
It didn’t take her long at all to help the doctor but you out of your hybrid cast and set to work healing your leg. It tickled as she used her quirk on you. Apologizing the first few minutes because it was slow working due to being out of practice. But half an hour later you were able to walk out of the doctor's office leg healed and cast free!
The only sad part was that you donated your little scooter so the next person who needed one could have it. You hated to admit that you had grown oddly attached to it over the last couple of months. Your roommate was the first to decorate it by placing a silly little sticker on the side. Which led to both of you adding more each time you came across one. Before either of you realized it, almost every free inch of space had been used for a sticker.
It was cute, kinda quirky but it fits you so well.
But this meant that you would be able to return to your old job soon! Which meant going back to those late nights of loud music, hard-hitting base. Watching people dance the night away.
But the attachment wasn’t there for it anymore, you realized.
Sure it seemed nice to be able to have a couple of drinks and schmooze people and whatnot. But it just didn’t hold the same amount of satisfaction that you got from your current job. At least you knew taking those calls and just being a friendly voice was actually helping.
As much as it irked you to take some of those calls, it was the reason why you were able to meet him. Taking the job you were almost too anxious to do and cried the first day.
But you had him now.
You wouldn't have to keep doing this job now that you had him in your life. You could go back to those long nights of playing host. greeting guests, and solving their problems. Watching from a distance as people find love to the bass of the music on the dance floor.
Where it was too loud for your mind to wander further than how to solve the next crisis.
Even after you left the train and made your way to the front door of your apartment. The thought of going back to your old job felt heavy on your mind. So much that you didn't even see the box sitting propped up against your door. The tip of your shoe caught on the box and it made you jump a little at the threat of falling over.
"Fucking hell." You mutter as you look down at the box like it didn't just try to murder you.
Dipping down you pick it up quickly looking at it to see what it was. It was just a plain brown box, the return address from just a few blocks down from you, but it was addressed to you.
Making your way inside, letting the door close behind you you make your way to your bedroom, package in hand. Shuffling your way to sit down at your computer. Hitting the power button and starting it up for some casual gaming to fill the rest of the day.
Pulling out a small knife from a drawer, you start the process of slicing through the clear tape. Making sure to cut away from your body because you knew you were accident-prone. Ripping open the box you are met with a surprise.
Black and orange tissue paper were wrapped around the items. A gold bow adorning the outside. And on top was a letter addressed to you.
Who the hell was sending you a gift?
As your fingers shake slightly picking up the note. Pulling it from the cream-colored envelope you are met with a message that makes you almost pass out.
"Can't be obsessed with me and not have any of my merch."
The note read, written in a fine black-tipped pen. And the name at the bottom caused your whole body to rush absolute inferno.
Dynamight.
You wanted nothing more than to shrivel up into a ball and disappear. Not only did the current insanely handsome number two pro know your name, but he even had your address as well.
When he came back from that mission, you were going to strangle your mystery man. He clearly used whatever clout he had as a pro himself to convince Dynamight to play along on this prank. He must have been more popular than you thought he was. To be able to wrangle someone of that kind of popularity and anger issues into your mess.
He had to be laughing at you this whole time. Just waiting for you to receive this package. He would be the type that would enjoy your suffering. Just to get you back for a lame daydream.
Opening the decorative tissue paper you find just about everything you could think of in a PR box. A huge metal tumbler in his signature colors, and socks with tiny gauntlets on them. A pair of Slippers and a matching set of pajamas. And probably your now most prized possession is an oversized hoodie. As soon as you picked it up and your fingers grazed the fabric you were in awe at how soft it was.
Immediately pulling off your old one and shove your body into the new one as quickly as you could. It felt even better once you had it on than it did just feeling it. Thick, and luxurious feeling as you admired it. It was in the colors of his hero suit, black green, and orange. But styled in a manner that didn't make it feel like you would see it on a child. Simple solid blocks of color that didn't scream hero merch.
You had to admit you kinda liked it, like a lot. And it smelled absolutely amazing. Like you don't know if he had a cologne line or something that was in the works, but the smell was embedded into the hoodie.
Strong smells of spice and amber. Something sweet like burned sugar or honey hits your senses. It was almost intoxicating to pick apart. Masculine, but with a hint of sweetness, was the best way to describe it.
Whatever it was it smelled expensive. But you could almost bet actual money it would be worth the price tag attached to it.
You can't help yourself as you quickly strip yourself of your clothes and put on the new pajama set and socks. Pulling your hoodie back on, you set out to thank your mystery hero for the gift.
Now that you are able to move freely. You take the opportunity to run to the living room and use the large mirror you have propped in the corner. Sitting down and pose your body so you can take a cute selfie in your new clothes.
It was a lot of branded merch, but you wanted him to know what you got. The thought of just how badly most of it clashed with the hoodie made you giggle.
Taking a couple of photos you strip the hoodie off and take a couple of pics of you in the pajamas. Letting the strap of the tanktop fall down your shoulder just slightly. You smile shyly before snapping the pic.
A little giddy as you pull up your mystery man's number and attach the first photo. Sending it off with a little message.
"Better step up your game, my future husband is already sending courting gifts."
Attaching the next photo of your new pajamas you type out a more suggestive message.
"Shame I didn't get the Dynamight lingerie I heard is being made. Bet it would look cute on me."
Sending the message off you giggle again. It was a good prank and the only one you could use to fuel the fire under your mystery man in hopes he would return sooner.
You would love to actually meet him one of these days. Find out what he looked like, hopefully, find out how his lips felt on yours.
You barely had a chance to lock your phone before it started to ring. You don't even bother to look at the name on the screen before you swipe to answer the call.
"Hi," it rolls off your tongue a bit shy, but you can't hide the fact you got a phone call so quickly.
"Hi love, it's just me!"
Your mood deflates almost immediately as soon as the voice of your roommate. Letting your shoulders slump at the feeling that it wasn't your mystery hero calling you.
"Hi," you reply again, trying not to let your disappointment be known. "What's up?"
"I was calling to let you know that I won't be home until late, so you are on your own for dinner." She says with a yawn.
"Stuck at the office again?" You ask finally dragging yourself from the ground and walking to the couch.
"Yeah. But I am so happy that you got your cast off! I bet you're excited not to have the scooter anymore."
"I am! It feels nice,” you say trying to keep your voice happy.
You both carry on for a few more minutes while she has some free time during her long shift. Doing the call logging for your job was her second job. But this one was her career, and she dedicated as many hours as she could to it.
“Ok, call if you need me!” she finally says with a sign before you assure her you will and hang up.
Well, that left the rest of your evening free.
You sit there on the couch for a while idly tapping away at your phone once again. Until the sound of your stomach rumbling was enough to tear you away from your device. You had settled on just making something quick to satisfy the initial hunger. But when you walked into the kitchen you found that it was almost bare. And then you remember as you shut the refrigerator door for the third time and nothing new popped up. That it was your roommate's turn to buy groceries.
And she wasn’t going to get to it today.
You huff at the thought of having to get re-dressed just to go find food. And after debating on it for a few minutes. You decide just this once you were going to stay in your newly acquired pajamas. The sun was almost ready to set, so the chance of people looking too closely at your outfit was slim.
Shuffling on your tennis shoes you leave your apartment. Throwing your new hoodie on and shoving your keys in the front pocket. And for the first time in what felt like ages you set off on your own little adventure. Finally free of your scooter and cast it made venturing out a lot easier on you.
As you head down the street you start to pull up the restaurants close by. Deciding on the tiny Italian place that was a twelve-block hike. But this would give you the time you needed to properly stretch your legs. And walk out some of the bubbling anxiety you had been building up for the last few days.
Following the navigation, on your phone, you were lucky to find the streets were pretty clear. Not many people seemed to be out right now. Which meant that there was less of a chance that you would be seen in your Dynamight-branded pajamas. It was nice to finally be out of the house and free of your confines. It gave you time to focus on the world around you versus trying to keep yourself stable on your scooter.
The air just now starting to fade from summer and swing into fall. The air is finally chilly enough that the hoodie you wore fought off the cold. That suddenly found its way to your city. With only a block left your trip to the restaurant was uneventful.
Until the phone in your hand lit up with an incoming call.
Glancing down at the screen. You see the familiar number you had been so desperately waiting to call you flash. Not even able to contain the giddiness in your voice you answer it on the second ring.
“Hi,” you greet him, this time the shyness prominent in your voice.
"Hi," his voice sounds exhausted but still happy.
"Long time no talk." You giggle into the phone, unable to keep your happiness in check.
This was what you were talking about. Even just getting a call from him made your mood lift. Just being able to hear his voice made the world feel like it wasn't so bad. Even if he tended to be a jackass, he made you feel wanted
"I see you got my gift." He says lazily. "You look like a legit fucking fangirl now."
"I don't know what's worse. The fact I put it all on immediately, or the fact that I kinda love wearing it." You admit with a small laugh.
"What's your favorite thing?" He asks, trying to sound uninterested, but you could tell he was dying to know the answer.
"Oh, the hoodie no doubt!" You tease. "Like I can't even describe how soft it is, and." You cut yourself off.
You didn't want to really sound like some obsessed fangirl. But it was going to sound weird if you told him how good the hoodie smelled too. It sounded weird even just thinking about it.
"And what princess?"
You could hear the tinge of playfulness in his voice. Like he knew something you didn't. It was almost like he knew what you were going to say, and what it was going to make you sound like.
"Nothing." You squeak.
"Don't play coy with me now. You can tell me, I won't say anything." He coos and it makes you want to melt into the floor.
He had no business sounding like that. Cocky and so sure of himself. It wasn't even his smell that you were going to tell him about! Maybe it would get him to leave you alone if you told him that the hoodie smelled nice. And that you thought the cologne lingering on the hoodie was alluring enough. To make you fantasize about it a little bit.
"It smells." Is all you manage to get out. And immediately he barks out a laugh at your vague words.
And God did it make you feel embarrassed. He knew, he had to know that it smelled nice. It was probably a big joke between them. He probably sprayed it with some fancy-ass spray that cost more than your salary. Just to add an extra punch to your would-be crush on the hero.
"That a good or bad thing?" He asks with a laugh.
"I'm not gonna tell you now." You huff. "You're just gonna make fun of me!"
"Me? Why would I do that?" He asks amused.
"You literally call me a crybaby." You deadpan.
It didn't matter if the nickname made your cheeks heat. And it definitely didn't matter that he was the only one who could call you that either. Something that started off as an insult that he used as a term of endearment now.
"Don't act like you don't enjoy it."
"I don't." You lie.
You did enjoy the little nickname he had for you. You both knew you did, he could call you just about anything and you would swoon at this point. As long as he said it in that raspy deep voice of his.
"That so? Tell me then what do you wanna be called?" He says smoothly, his voice dripping in that baritone deepness. The one that was sure to make your knees weak.
"I don't know." You huff. "Honey, baby, sweetheart, princess, angel, sunshine, pumpkin. " you rattle off a list of names for him to choose from.
He gives a hum as you list off each name like he was debating them all. Figuring out what he wanted to call you. Once you finally run out of words to think of he chuckles into the receiver.
"You've given this some thought haven't you?"
You could feel the heat run to your cheeks. He set you up for that, making it seem like you had been daydreaming about what pet name he would call you.
"Not like that! You asked me!" You hiss at him. But he carries on laughing softly at your embarrassment.
You were at the door of the restaurant, walking in as you said it. The sounds of pots and pans clang in the background. Filling in the gaps of the soft cello and violin playing through the speakers softly. Lucky for you, there wasn't anyone in line waiting.
So your mystery man waits patiently as you are greeted and the host takes your order. She quickly taps in your order on her screen and tells you the total. You weren't expecting your little meal to cost as much as it did. But you were willing to spend a little extra money on some good food. Every review you saw about this place talked about how it was amazing.
Pulling out your card you hand it over to pay, and she hands you a receipt and card back. Letting you know it would be about a twenty-minute wait.
"I know where you're at." He says as you go to sit down in one of the chairs to wait.
"There's no way you know that." You tell him, shuffling your feet around.
But the next thing that flows out of his is the name of the tiny little Italian restaurant you were sitting in. His voice sounded so smug at your challenge. It left you searching your head. Had you told him and just forgotten or did he have some way of tracking you?
"How do you know that?" You ask after a moment.
"It's right down from my agency baby."
He slides the new pet name at the end of his words and you can feel your legs become jelly. Quickly stopping your shuffling around the legs of the chair. You just had to open your mouth and give this man more ammunition to use against you.
"You are trying to kill me." You groan.
"I got plans for us before I take you out completely, angel."
You feel your stomach flip at the use of another pet name. This man was actively trying to be your demise. Why you ever thought it smart to give him anything to use against you was a smart move.
“Will you stop?” You harshly whisper into the phone. “I can’t handle this right now, I‘m in public!”
And all he can do is chuckle.
“Oh, but it was all fun and games when you tried to tempt me with Lingerie. That hasn’t even made it past quality control yet princess.” He counters quickly.
At the same time, you try to ignore the way his words carry that teasing tone, that you hated to love. He was getting so much enjoyment out of making you squirm, even if he couldn’t see it. Even if he wasn’t being loud and vulgar towards you, he still had enough reason to bully you a little bit.
“I didn’t know you were local.” You try your best to change the subject.
Maybe if you distracted him. he would stop teasing you into a lovestruck puddle of some little restaurant.
“You never asked. Speaking of which, give me a second.”
He doesn’t even let you reply before the line goes silent. Leaving you hanging on what he just said. He was close by! Why did the thought make your anxiety rise? The thought of him being so close, and you still hadn’t managed to meet him even in passing? Did that mean he has known this entire time where you were?
You pull yourself out of your head and listen to the space around you. Hearing the other noise going on in the restaurant. The soft music fills the dead space with a soft melody. the sound of the restaurant's phone ringing, and the nice lady at the register answering it. Taking down another order. Before she hands the ticket through the small window to the kitchen, yelling at them to make it in a hurry.
A moment later the line on the other end of the phone comes back to life.
“Had to do somethin’,” He says as a sort of apology for the abrupt disruption in your conversation.
“How long have you known where I lived?” You can’t help but ask, your mind was still stuck on how he got that kind of information.
“Since that night I called and you were headed to the hotel,” He says softly like he was admitting something. “It was easy to put two and two together.”
“What does that mean? What else do you know?”
It had you a little worried. Not that he knew where you lived, but that he may find out certain things you didn’t have the heart to tell him yet. Mostly about how you were quirkless or finding out how much of a homebody you were. That your only real friend lived with you, and neither one of you knew how to cook? What kind of person doesn’t know basic cooking skills?
“I’m not stalking you or some shit, I just had to make sure you were real.”
“Of course I’m real!” you accuse him. “I’m not a robot!”
“That’s not what I meant idiot!” he sighs heavily.
About the time you made your brain focus on a reply, an older man with two bags of food approached you. Offering you a small smile and handing over your food. You can feel your anxiety start to rise at where this conversation was going. The last thing you wanted in this world was for him to think less of you, as the people in your past had.
There was no hiding the fact that being quirkless. Or having a quirk that made you look different from the normal made you out to be an outcast. It wasn’t just a difference in opinion or a hushed conversation that people had. It was still a very loud and clear message that the general public held. Against those who didn’t fit the societal norm.
Taking the bags from the old man you take your opportunity to leave. Swinging the door open too fast as it bounced off the wall as you left. You didn’t even care that it looked like he gave you an extra order, you surely didn’t get this much food. But your mind was still spiraling from his admission.
Your feet carry you down the street and back to the comfort of your apartment. The only place where you still had some kind of control over your life. Taking your time as the line stays silent, your rushed puffs of air the only thing that can be heard.
“Then what?” You finally manage to get out. Making your voice sounds calm. Despite where you were sure this conversation was headed.
“It’s hard.” He says guilt filling his voice. “It’s hard in this line of work to find someone who is real. That wants you for you, and not just your fuckin money and the fame. I’ve been through that before, and I didn’t want to go through it again.”
“I don’t even know your name! And suddenly I’m being lumped into a category with someone else?” You hiss into the phone.
Did he really expect after all the conversations that you shared. And the times you spent on the phone laughing and joking with him. That all you were after was some money and a little bit of fame? Did he really think so little of you that was all he thought you would be able to see in him?
“Just cut the act, you know exactly who I am. It was cute at first, but now it’s really starting to piss me off.” He growls into his phone, and you can hear movement on his end. The familiar sound of paper and things being pushed around a desk. “I fuckin told shitty hair this was a bad idea.” He mumbles the last part.
And all you can do is laugh, a bitter sound resonating through your chest. Of course, it was just your luck you fall in love with a faceless jackass. Only to have the threat of clout chasing being thrown around like it was a personal hobby of yours.
“Oh yeah? What else do you and ‘shitty hair’ talk about huh? The fact that you are the one who pursued me? Or how you with your stupid voice and personality somehow managed to pull me in? You know I’m quirkless right? Is this just a prank or something? One that you get to share with your buddies so you can all have a good laugh at the sad quirkless girl? Beca-”
“Hey, calm down you getting yourself wor-”
“You don’t get to tell me when to calm down, not when you are the reason why I’m upset.”
“I don’t need this shit right now.”
“And I don’t need you jerk!
You end the call before he has another chance to yell. Your heart just couldn’t take another hit at the moment. In the back of your mind, you had this exact scenario play out, each one just a little differently. Over and over you would comb through how you thought you would react to the situation, but they all ended the same.
You were always going to be alone.
The tears in your eyes stung worse than any before. For the first time in years, you let your heart lead the way and like a fool, you got played. You liked him, you really did. But you just didn’t know why this hurt so much worse than anything else in your life. Maybe it was the fact that you thought because he was such a rough man. That he would somehow be able to handle you even at your most vulnerable. That when he whispered those sweet and teasing words. Into the phone on all those late-night calls he meant it.
Shoving the phone into the pocket of your hoodie vibrates against your stomach. You refused to even look at it. You knew it was him, and right now the last thing you wanted was to have to face the awful truth.
The truth where he was just playing you, having you set up as some kind of gold digger. Only after him for one thing.
When all you ever wanted was more of his time.
“Did I hear Quirkless?” A low voice calls out from behind you.
Choosing to ignore the man you pick up your speed. If you just keep moving most of the time people will stop harassing you.
And still, the phone in your pocket rings again, vibrating as you walk. Immediately sliding your thumb over the screen to ignore the call. Before a hand lands on your shoulder. Forcing you to stop and almost fall back.
"I was talking to you quirkless! Do you think you can ignore me?"
And when the hand on your shoulder pulls, you are forced to turn around and face your harasser. It was a group of five men. All dingy looking and dangerous in a large number. It was pretty clear just by glancing at them that they didn't mean you well.
Their crooked smiles, and hands resting in their pockets. They looked like they were up to no good.
"Get your hand off my shoulder." You tell him loud enough for the others to hear, only earning you a round of chuckles from them.
"And what are you going to do about it?" He asked as the hand on your shoulder tightened its grip, digging his lanky fingers into your skin. The soft hoodie you wore was barely able to protect you from his harsh grip.
They were dressed similarly and looked to be about the same age. No doubt a group of men up to no good. Slimy and sinister smiles send instant fear down your spine. You were in immediate danger, and you had no way of defending yourself right now. Even your basic self-defense classes were lost in the moment. Unable to make your brain work with the rest of your body to counter their movements.
God, why did you have to yell at him on the sidewalk like an idiot? You could have just as easily hung up the phone and kept quiet about your lack of quirk. Now you were stuck with the looming threat of being hurt. All because they knew you couldn't defend yourself.
"I said let me go!" You tried jerking your body away. But before you could even get your body to move he quickly spins you. Throwing your body off balance and shoving you toward the large group of men.
They catch you with ease, random hands landing on your body, steadying you from falling on your face. The tallest one quickly flipped you around to grab you by the throat. Holding you with your back pressed to his chest. Tightening his grip enough to make your eyes widen in panic as he bends down to chuckle in your ear.
"What should we do with you girly?" He asked as the others start throwing out ideas.
" Why don't we take her back with us?" One pipes up.
"Yeah can't have much fun with her on the street like this."
That had your heart racing like nothing else. You quickly try to throw your body weight around to get away. But It didn't prove to be much use. All of the men towered over you. Easily placing another dirty hand on your body halting your movement again.
You were screwed, they had a firm grip on both of your hands now. So even if you could reach into your pocket and dial the number for your mystery hero, it wouldn’t do you much good. There wasn't even a guarantee that he would answer for you if you tried to call.
Your situation just seemed to be getting worse with each passing second.
"I say we get her off the street and back to the hideout before anyone sees." The one who had stopped you says. "The last thing we need are heroes ending our fun."
You can't help but let the tears brimming in your eyes fall from your lashes. You've heard the stories about how people just get swept off the street and never heard from again. You never thought it would be you though.
You were boring, you didn't go out unless someone forced you to these days. Out of all the people to pick why did it have to be you?
They were quick to subdue any of your attempts at fighting them off. Each hand that you lashed out in defense was met with a chuckle as they slapped them away. Thoroughly enjoying the struggle you were putting up.
The creep of a man who first talked to you stood close to your face, leaning in and digging something out of his pocket.
"Stop, or I'll put you in the bubble." He says, holding up a small glass bead in his palm.
You only inspect it for a moment before he closes his fist around the object.
"Let me go creeps!" You yell in his face and thrash your body around in a desperate attempt to free yourself.
But their body size and number outweigh you a ton. You were no use when compared to five grown men, all with less than pure intentions.
They were dragging you down the street and into the alley before you could get out much more. One slapped a hand over your mouth to keep you quiet while the other four shielded you from any curious eyes.
Your heart was pounding in your chest, as they forced your feet to move. Panic setting in your mind you did the first thing you could think to do. You chomp down on the hand covering your mouth.
"You stupid bitch!" The man yells as he jerks his hand away.
He lets you go long enough that you are able to duck under his arm and start running. Your own feet betray you as you stumble to get away. They were right on your tail as you quickly made it back out to the sidewalk. Taking a left and sprinting as fast as your legs would carry you.
"Help!" You cry out as you run.
They were gaining on you faster than you could make distance. It just had to be your luck that no heroes were out to ward off these thugs.
You made it a whole block before you feel something small hit your back. Just a tiny tap, but instantly all the sound from the world around you was cut off as a bubble formed around your body. Halting your movements, and encasing you from the world.
Your heavy breaths are the only thing you can hear as turn to look behind you. Those men looking at you, their captured prize. Floating just a few feet away as they smiled.
Using your free hand you quickly pull out your phone and dial the number for your mystery hero. If you were lucky then maybe he would pick it up.
Hands shaking you hit his number and listen as the line rings. Once, twice, and then going straight to voicemail.
Fuck.
This was it, you were done for. There was no way that anyone else could be able to rescue you in time. The sad realization that you threw away your best chance at love and rescue made you an emotional mess.
You did the one thing you knew to do, cry.
Big fat tears welled up and rolled down your cheeks at the fact that you were alone. And your prospect of making it out of this mess was grim.
But no sooner did the first few tears make their way down your face. Did you feel the heavy vibrations against the walls of your bubble. Heavy, shaking the world you were encased in. Starting off slow, then as they got closer you could feel them more. Strong and powerful as it seemed to be getting closer to you.
Turning back to the men behind you. You watch as the smiles on their faces drop and now they looked like the ones who were panicking. Turning to each other mouths moving too fast for you to grasp what they might be talking about.
And the next thing you know you and your bubble are thrown into the air. Pushed higher and higher as you become level with the top of the tall building you were next to.
You can't help but let out a panicked scream as your world rocks around you. Being so high in the air without anything to catch you was so scary! Your scared scream echoes around in the bubble you are trapped in, causing your ears to ring.
You close your eyes as more tears break free of your waterline. Accepting your fate that you were about to be made a permanent indent into the sidewalk. If your bubble popped from this high.
And that's when you felt it. The thin barrier you were kneeling on disappeared. Sending you plummeting at an alarming rate toward the ground. Screaming as you open your eyes for a brief second to see your worst fear coming true.
This was it, you were done for. There was nothing now but the cold concrete below to catch your body. Falling faster than you thought a person could. You close your eyes unwilling to let yourself see the moment you crash into the pavement below. Still clutching your bag of food you would never be able to eat. In a stupid pair of pajamas for a hero who was nowhere in sight to save you. What you wouldn’t give for another chance at hearing your hero's voice one last time.
You felt yourself gasp when you feel an almost violent jolt sent through your body. But it wasn’t the ground you hit, it was a pair of strong arms reaching out to catch you. Pulling you into warm and hard. The overwhelming smell of expensive cologne and burnt sugar permeates your nose. In your moment of panic, you were able to sense that it was the same smell as the hoodie you wore.
Just in a more potent form.
You couldn't bring yourself to open your eyes. Even as the arms that held you pulled you further into the chest connected to them. Letting the overwhelming heat of their body shield your face from the chilled wind. Still clutching onto your bags of food. Hiding your face deeper into the chest resting against your cheek.
You were flying through the air. For what felt like just a second until you feel your body jerk as the person that caught you lands on the ground. Quickly sitting you down on the ground. Too caught up in catching your breath to open your eyes and give your savior a proper thank you.
"Stay fucking put." He barks at you.
Or you can only assume that's what he said. It sounded close to what you heard, but your ears were still ringing from the sound of your voice in the bubble. Causing everything in the world around you to sound muffled.
Flashes of black and orange catch your attention once you manage to peek your eyes open. Watching as your hero easily dismantles the group of men. Easily knocking them out cold with a blast to their bodies. Leaving them in a heap on the sidewalk.
He really took out five grown men like it was nothing.
He wasn't even breaking a sweat as he stood to his full height. A tall mountain of muscles. Broad shoulders covered by a familiar hero outfit. Black skin-tight top, an orange X splayed over his chest. The ash-blonde hair, and blood-red eyes, that felt like they were staring into your soul.
Oh fuck. No, this couldn't be happening.
There was absolutely no way that was who you thought it was right? Clearly you hit your head and were wildly humiliating this. Absolutely no way that the current number two hero. Been the one who plucked you out of the air and carried you to safety.
"Hey, are you ok?" Comes a familiar voice. Pulling your attention away from the angry looking blonde in the distance.
Turning your head you see a pair of legs, before turning your head up towards the person talking to you. You are met with the friendly smile of the green-haired man that saved you that day when you cut your hand. He had that same awkward smile on his face as he bends down to your height. His knees pop softly as he checks you over for any signs of injury.
Decked out in his familiar hero suit, you try to focus your mind to answer his question.
"I-IM fine." You mumble out.
He gives you a soft smile, as you hear the distant sound of sirens getting closer in the distance.
"Are you sure?" He asks softly, his green curls bouncing slightly as he turns his head to examine you again.
Your ears were slowly stopping the high-pitched ringing, and you didn’t feel any kind of pain. Blinking a couple of times you look down at your hands and the death grip you had on your bags of food. They were crumpled, but they looked salvageable.
"Yes? I think the guy at the restaurant gave me too much food. But I kept it safe. " Your answer was too honest.
And he can’t help but give you a small smile.
"I think you might be a little shaken up." He chuckles. "But how about when the EMTs get here we have them check you out, just in case."
You only nod, but your attention starts to focus back on the angry blonde. Shifting knocked-out thugs around, throwing cuffs on each one before moving on to the next. Working with precision and speed subduing each one. As the police and an ambulance arrived just behind him.
He moves out of the way as two police officers start to pick up the passed-out men and load them up. Talking to another officer briefly, before he receives a pat on the back and is left there watching for a moment.
Until his eyes roam back to you.
Immediately he stalks towards you. Determined and angry as he crosses the short distance. All power and fury in each step he takes. His gauntlets were missing like he forgot to put them on. Maybe he hadn’t had time you realize, He came out mostly dressed in order to rescue you.
You can't turn your attention away from him as he closes in on you. His partner turns his head when he senses him getting closer.
"You." He barks as soon as he is within distance of you. "Are the biggest pain in the ass."
"Kacchan!" The green hair hero chides his partner, turning his head with wide eyes.
Why did that name ring a bell? You heard it recently, you could almost swear by it. But you knew that wasn’t his hero name. So how the hell would you know what his nickname would be? Your brain tries and fails to process where exactly you may have come across the name before now.
But he doesn’t even give you more than a few seconds to try and process the world around you. Before he is shouldering his green-haired friend away from you. Picking you up roughly from where you sat, and pulling you to your feet. Heavy breaths fan across your face as he gives you his own inspection.
“Can you handle the cleanup for me?” He turns his head speaking to the other man.
“Sure, I mean I guess. She needs to get checked out first. I can take he-”
The angry blonde still clutching the neck of your hoodie cuts him off.
“Me and the crybaby have some unfinished business to handle first.” He says turning his attention back to you. “Isn’t that right?”
Nothing was making sense.
And as you hear Deku’s feet crunch against the pebbles on the sidewalk. Turning away and walking back towards the flashing lights. Behind the massive and angry pro hero, your mind still doesn’t have time to process everything.
“The hell were you thinking huh?” He growls dipping his face closer to yours. “You don’t get to hang up on me like that.”
And all at once your mind clicks the pieces together in a horrible moment of realization. The world moves in slow motion as he closes the minuscule amount of distance between you. And captures your shocked lips with his. His hands lose their death grip on the neck of your hoodie. And wrap around your body pressing you against his chest.
He knew your location. His agency was close by. He just said you hung up on him. He smelled like the intoxicating scent lingering on the hoodie you received today.
He called you Crybaby.
Was your Mystery hero the number fucking two pro hero Dynamight?
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Summary: With the bills piling up and no way to know when you will be able to return to work. Your roommate suggests you take a call center job where you can work from home. The job? being an anonymous person for Pro Heroes to vent to.
But no amount of training could prepare you for just how quickly your first caller makes you cry.
Genre: Strangers to lovers, Pro Hero AU
Wordcount: 27.2k Part 4/6 (this chapter 6.7k)
♥Buy me a coffee♥
Part 1. Part 2. Part 3.
Warnings: 18+ ONLY MINORS DO NOT INTERACT
(If you would like to be added to the tag list, please leave me a comment so I know to tag you next update♥)
Also posted on AO3 (most of my work is hanging out there♥ please check it out!)
Warnings: use of pet names, cursing, and more sassiness! Mentions of drinking and partying. Phone sex, use of sex toys. fluff, lots of fluff. Dirty talk.
You were trying your best to ignore the way you twitched every time your phone made a notification. Resisting the urge to immediately grab it. Only to sadly realize it was just an email or something from one of your games.
You knew what you hoped to find as much as you hated admitting it. You were longing for him to call, text something. Anything at this point to get him to talk to you again?
But you knew it would do much good right now. The last thing you heard from him was over a week ago. He sent you a simple text that said he had a mission and he wasn't going to be able to contact you.
You were going on week two of not talking to your mystery hero, all because he had an important job or something. He didn't give you a time frame on when he would be back, just that he would contact you when he could.
You suppose it was nice of him to give you the heads up, but all it did was made you worry. It was clear from the one picture he sent you that he was built to withstand almost anything. Strong, large, and built like an Olympian God.
But you always have been the type to fret over people, even if you didn't want to.
That's why on the way back from your appointment to get the rest of the stitches out of your hand. You couldn’t help but let yourself do a little shopping. Using your scooter was so much easier now that you were accustomed to driving it. And now that you had both hands you were really moving.
Leaving the doctor's office you stop by a little restaurant on the good side of town. And when you said good, what you really meant was fancy. The streets were clean, well kept and all the buildings blended in together, unlike your own.
With the extra money, you had been pulling lately your roommate decided to tag along. Since this was the first time both of you had some extra money to blow. So she fetched the waiter as you found a nice little table outside on the patio to stroll over to.
"This place is bougie," She remarks as she sits down in the chair beside you. "I feel so fancy right now."
You laugh because it was rare that the two of you had a day off together anymore. Let alone time to actually go out and do something. Except for the week you were staying in the hotel, but last month you didn't have the kind of money you now have.
It was a nice peaceful lunch the two of you shared. Day drinking and searching the crowd for available cute men to eye up and down. But even that lost its joy soon enough because you were still missing someone.
"You know he will call when he can right?" Your roommate says eyeing you as she takes a sip from her dwindling drink.
"I know, it just sucks that I have to wait around all worried about him."
You had to vent the next morning when you woke up. Your guilty conscience had been eating away at you. From the time you saw his picture until you couldn't help but confess all your sins to her.
She kept all your secrets of course, but she was more than invested in your new love life. She promised not to tell a soul about how you had worked your way around the work codes. And managed to snag this guy's number. Or how you were convinced he was toying around with you all because he could.
She really was the worst though because she was not so silently egging the entire situation on. Begging for more Information. Asking if he had any cute single friends. Hell, she was already trying to plan the wedding!
She was also the reason why you were now standing inside this fancy-ass lingerie store. Panicking as she helped you pick out something new. She convinced you that all you needed was to spend a little extra time making yourself feel beautiful. And maybe a little sexy so you could understand how hot you really were.
But as she offered each set of matching bras and panties you couldn't help but feel anxious. This was so far out of your comfort zone. You didn't dress like this. Especially with the intention of seeing yourself dressed provocatively.
But with a little reassurance. And some help from the woman at the store you left with not one but three different styles of lingerie. And as soon as you managed to open the door. She was busting at the seams trying to get you to let her doll you up, and take pictures.
And you figured why not. It had been a really long time since you even did your hair, you could dress a little fun. And flirty for a bit.
So she began her work, fixing your hair, forcing it into a style that framed your face well. Making sure that all your flyaways were tamed and she started on your makeup.
She was always so much better at it than you were. She had years worth of experience in mixing foundations to get just the right color. and she had the most amazing trick for getting both sides of your eyeliner to line up.
And you had to admit that once you saw the final product. You were just about convinced she had made a pact with the devil himself. You looked, killer. Hair did, and makeup was flawless. But as she started pulling out your new garments from the store you almost lost your nerve.
"Why don't we start with this one?" She said holding up the most conservative-looking piece.
It was a cream-colored satin night dress. Delicate roses and other flowers adorn various places along the material. It had been the first one that you agreed to buy because it did look pretty.
She was clever in the way she had you pose. Hiding the cast from the camera with a sheet as she had you lay on the bed. Ass poking up just a touch, and legs spread enough to give yourself a bit of an arch.
And with each outfit she had you doing some wild stuff. The next one was a lot more riske. Black high-waisted panties and a barely there bra. Straps hanging and pulled taught against the curves of your body. Doing more suggestive poses every time the camera on your phone clicks.
The final piece was the one that you had the most reservations about. It was sheer completely. Only tiny little embroidered flowers are set against a burnt orange mesh. Being the only pieces that you couldn't see through. It was tight, pushing your breasts to an unnatural height. The thong firmly embedded into your backside. She got pictures of it from every single angle.
You had to admit though once you saw the results you would bang yourself without a second thought. She had a way of working angles to make every picture of you look amazing. You really had to hand it to her, she knew her stuff!
"Why don't we try some with just a sheet?" She asks as you sit on the bed thumbing through some of the pictures.
"What?" You ask turning your head up to look at her.
"Come on! Have I steered you wrong before? Besides, we gotta give your mystery man something for the spank bank." She winks at you and you immediately feel the heat rise to your face. Cheeks and ears are burning at the thought of him.
"These never see the light of day!" You bark, throwing your phone on the bed. "I will die."
"Nah, we gotta bag us that boy now."
"I like how this went from being me, To we!" You laugh.
But you are already fiddling with the clasp of your bra and letting it slide off your body. Ten minutes later she has you posed in such a way you were starting to get a backache from it. Spread on all fours. Sheet gracefully wrapped in your hands and you slid forward and pull the fabric around your body. Leaving more than enough skin to get the idea you were naked underneath. Most of your weight deposited between your elbows and knees back arched deep. Head turned away from the camera giggling like a schoolgirl.
"If these don't bag you a man, I'm still single." She whistles as she clicks the camera on your phone one last time.
You can't help but giggle at her words. She took her role as best friend seriously. Hyping you up over the most stupid and mundane things. Being supportive even when you didn't feel confident. You really appreciated the small things she did for you all the time. Even if they pushed you out of your comfort zone.
Most of your afternoon was spent in various positions on your bed, but your body felt exhausted. It was so much moving and it put a lot of pressure on your body to stay In the pose she wanted.
Satisfied with her work she finally set you free from your torture. She herself had a date tonight and she needed to start getting ready half an hour ago.
And for you? Well, you figured eating some leftovers and a nice bath was going to be the best medicine for your aching body. So as she headed out the door heels clacking against the floor as she ran. You heated up your food and ate in the kitchen.
All the while still scrolling through the pictures on your phone. And that's when you let your body move on autopilot, clicking on the one picture you really liked. The one where you were arched up at a high angle. Your legs parted and you could only see half of your face in the shot. It was of the satin night dress and out of all the pictures you had taken it looked the best on you. Just enough skin to suggest something more could happen. But it covered enough that you weren’t uncomfortable with your body in it.
Without much thought, you click and add it to the message on the still unsaved number in your phone. Typing out “thinking of you” in the message bar.
But it was only a moment later you started to lose your nerves about actually sending it. His faceless picture of his sculpted abs. Still visible from your previous conversation.
You heavily debated on if sending them was a smart idea or not. He may not appreciate your lewds the way your roommate did. You try to think of if you were in the same predicament. Would you want an unsolicited set of pictures from someone you didn’t know?
Suddenly you grew self-conscious the more you thought about it. What if your mystery man didn’t like the way you looked? What if you weren’t his type? What if he liked a girl with more class than you possessed? Someone who wouldn’t send him these types of pictures.
What if he thought you were ugly?
That was more than enough to get you to exit out of your text and place your phone face down on the countertop. Now that you were thinking about it, what would doing any of this really accomplish? You would never be able to meet him. And even if you did he was sure to ghost you once he realized you didn’t have a quirk.
With a heavy sigh, you limp your way into the bathroom and start running a bath. Nice and hot, the steam filled the tiny space quickly. Now, that you had time to practice balancing your body. It was easier to disrobe and slide yourself into the heated water of the tub. Instantly feeling your muscles relax with the added heat.
But even the relaxation of your bath couldn’t keep your mind from wandering back to him. Was he ok? Was he out there right now fighting for his life against some villain? You hoped that he was taking care of himself at least. Not being stubborn when one of his friends asked him to visit the doctor again.
You shudder at the thought that he was willing to let his injuries go untreated. Just because he wanted to be stubborn.
You spend a while just soaking in your water and thoughts. Everything from soapy bubbles to swirling emotions fills the bathroom. This is one of the reasons you think that the company you worked for was trying so hard to fight. Keeping everyone anonymous, so feelings wouldn’t get attached.
You hated that you missed him, but you hated that you could talk to him more. It was such a weird set of emotions that you were putting yourself through. Reaching for your phone you go to pull up his number again. Sending the small message you had typed out in the text bar before you hit send. Closing your phone and sitting it back down.
If nothing else you did it for yourself. You know it would make you feel better if you had been away after a long and hard work day. To pull up your texts and see that someone thought about you enough to send you a message. Even if it was small, just a few words would mean the world to you.
You only hoped he would feel the same once he read it, whenever that would be.
Dragging yourself up you pull the plug from the drain and slowly the water starts to go down. And as you pull yourself from the tub and start to dry off. Taking your time drying your body. Making sure to moisturize your skin before slipping into your simple set of old and worn pajamas. Hopping your way out of the bathroom and over to your bed. You don’t even bother to plug up your phone before you fall asleep.
Casually dreaming that your hero was ok, wherever he was.
Four days had passed by the last message you sent him. Four long and boring days of going back to your job and you are sitting at your desk. Just about to end your final call for the day. The woman you had on the phone wanted to talk and talk and then talk some more. Which was fine, but it had been three hours of her nonstop blabbering. And you were growing tired.
"And then he had the audacity to turn me down!" She whines into the phone.
Only half paying attention to her you yawn before you ask her a question.
"Which one?"
"Dynamight! Like he thinks he is all that and more. Don't let that cute face fool you, he is nothing but a menace."
"I'm sure he is." You reply.
But even you weren't immune to his charm. He was rough around the edges and attractive. You understood why people would be willing to throw themselves. At the current number two hero. If you were brave enough and had more confidence you would too. He was handsome, eyes full of fire, and a cocky attitude to match.
But if it was impossible for another pro to get a chance with him. You wouldn't even be given a single moment of his time. You didn't have a flashy quirk. Or the confidence to even order yourself a coffee at the new bakery. That opened down the street for two months. He would never go for a normal, boring person like you.
"Oh dear, there's the alarm! Thank you for listening to me!" The lady says as you hear the all too familiar siren sounding off in the background.
It was the same, no matter who you happen to be talking to. Loud and quick, able to alert just about anyone that something urgent was happening. You first heard it when you were on the call with your hero. He hung up on you without a second thought as he rushed to answer the alarm. Which was understandable, they were heroes. It was their job to do all the dangerous work that most of the population couldn’t. You couldn’t hold it against them, even if it seemed like a rude thing to do.
"Good luck, come back safe!" You tell her with a little more pep in your voice as you end the phone call.
You sit back in your chair and let yourself decompress. It felt like the entire day had dragged on, refusing to end. Your shoulders were aching and your lower back was on fire from not being able to move around much.
All you wanted to do was lay in your bed and finally get a moment's peace. That was until a soft know sounded at your door.
"Hey hun, some of us are headed out tonight, would you like to join?" She asks already half dressed.
"Nah, I'm exhausted. Think I'm just gonna call it a night."
"Ok, grandma. Don't party too hard while I'm gone." She snickers.
"I'll only do the hard drugs, and commit two felonies! I'm taking it easy tonight." You laugh as she shakes her head.
"Thank God, We don't have the bail money for three felonies!" She laughs.
"Have fun! And be safe, please. Call me if you need anything." You can't help but plead with her.
You know she has a horrible habit of getting drunk and running off if she was given the opportunity to. You had spent many nights chasing her down, shooing men away from her flirtatious words. Slowly convincing her to come back to the table and have some water.
You say your goodbyes and shortly after you hear the front door close. Well, that left you with nothing but your bed to keep you company. The house was quiet and you enjoyed the silence. After spending your days getting your ear talked off. It was a pleasant change to be able to sit with your own thoughts for a bit.
You didn't even bother to turn on the tv or look at your phone. Everyone you talked to was out anyway. But you just spend a while not bothering to let your mind think of anything in particular. Tossing yourself around in your bed, getting comfortable the longer you lay there.
It was evening, and the sun was going down. But you couldn't keep your eyes from fluttering shut the longer you lazed about. Sleep took over before the sun had even fully set in the sky. And you were sleeping well, hard even that was until you hear the quick notification go off on your phone.
But it still wasn't enough to pull you from your heavy sleep. Just as you turn your head in the other direction. Another notification goes off from your bedside table.
With a sleepy hand coming up to rub your eyes you try your best to wake up. Your eyes were still heavy from the nap and the darkness in your room now. It was difficult to make your body come alive once again. Your phone dings with a notification, and you reluctantly start to move to pick up your phone. You hadn't even grabbed and before the screen lit up with an incoming call.
Closing your eyes to shield them from the bright screen you answer the phone with a sleepy yawn and hello.
"You must have been thinking about me awful hard there princess."
It was a dream, you had to still be dreaming that he had called you. It had been so long since the last time you had heard his voice that now even in your sleep it was haunting you.
"Your not real." You mutter wiping your hand along your face.
You were still too deep in your sleep to connect the dots right away. To realize he was actually on the phone with you, berating you after almost two weeks of no communication.
"I'm real something right now. Tired, pent up, frustrated by that fucking text you sent me."
"My text?" You frown slightly at hearing his choice of words. "I thought it would be nice to see a familiar face once you were able to check your phone."
You guess you were wrong to assume that he wanted anything to do with you before he was ready to call. He sounded frustrated by your text, which wasn't the point of it.
You can Hear him growl as stuff is being moved around aggressively on his side of the line. and the sound of water running, shortly after. It took him a couple of seconds but he comes back and you could swear that you hear him in the bathroom.
"What are you doing?" You ask sitting up slightly.
"Getting in the shower, the only place I get any fucking privacy." He growls.
"Yo-, you can call me later. You didn't have to call me right now." You panic.
If he was about to get naked and climb in the shower. The last thing he needed was for your annoying ass voice to be still jabbering his ears off. With some half-asleep apology for bothering him via text.
"Think you can just send me something like that and not expect me to do something about it?"
"My text? What was wrong with it?" You ask innocently.
You didn’t have the heart for him to yell at you right now. You just wanted him to maybe wake up to a nice text is all. You didn’t expect with the way your conversations had been going that he would get upset with you over it. The thought kept ringing in your mind that you somehow had crossed some unknown boundary. That he had set without telling you.
"That picture meant for me?" He asked, a voice full of something you couldn't quite place.
And you feel all the blood drain from your face. As quickly as you could you scramble to pull up your text log with his number. And you realize in horror exactly what he was referring to. Sent from you four days ago was the text you had sent. But like a fucking idiot you had sent that fucking picture of yourself as well.
You completely forgot to delete it before you sent the message.
“I am so sorry!” You already feel the heavy tears of embarrassment welling up in your eyes. “I didn’t mean to send that to you! I was just trying to send you a nice text and I didn’t-” He cut you off mid-rant.
“Who was it for then?” He barks and you can hear the anger in his voice.
But you couldn’t find your voice at the moment, now that he wanted an answer. Was he mad because you sent the pic to him, or did he think you were trying to send it to someone else that had him mad?
You could hear his heavy pants for breath and the water as it splashed down into the shower. He was waiting on you to give him some kind of answer, but you didn’t know what would soothe his anger faster. Admitting the truth that you fucked up and should have never sent it, or lie and say it was meant for someone else.
“Answer me brat.”
And you don’t know why, but the way his words rolled off his tongue half feral and hot made your semi-awake body jolt to life. He was being mean again. But instead of the tears threatening to spill from your eyes from shame. They were welling up now because of the heat that was soaring its way through your limbs. There was no reason for him to call you a brat but sound like that as he said it.
“T, they were for you!” You finally admit. “My roommate convinced me to buy some stupid lingerie and we took some photos. I didn’t know I sent it with the text, I thought I deleted it.”
He didn’t answer you right away, and it only made you squirm around in your bed more. Listening to his heavy breath and the way he groaned as the water cascaded down around him.
“I’m sorry,” You mutter out softly.
Probably too soft for him to hear over to roar of his shower. But it took him only a moment to laugh that sinful ass laugh he had.
“Told you to stop apologizing when you didn’t do nothin’ wrong.”
"Isn't that why you're mad?" You ask confused. "Because I overstepped a boundary?"
"I'm mad because I've been hard as a rock for two fucking hours!"
If you didn't know any better you would take that as he liked what he saw. But in your mind it just wasn't clicking, how could someone like him even find you attractive? The man had the body of a God, but he found your soft body likable?
"Why?" Is the only thing you can force out of your mouth.
It was stupid really. Why of all things you could have said, was that the thing that flew out of your mouth?
"You just like playing stupid or somethin'?" He asks his voice low. "How could I not be when your face down and ass up, laying there so pretty for me?" He moans finally and you swear you feel your body melt into the bed. "Were you thinking of me when you were takin em?"
You can't help but let yourself fall back into bed. Stunned and completely turned on by the sounds you are blessed with. His pants for air coming in louder, mixing with the flowing water from his shower. It didn't last long though because you hear the water shut off. And the sounds of the curtain being ripped open on his end.
"You might have crossed my mind a time or two." You admit shyly.
"I know you took more show 'em to me."
"No." You whisper
There was no way you could show him the other ones.
"Sweetheart I'll leave this mission, and be banging on your door in less than an hour. If you know what's good for you you'll send em."
And God, if he sounded sexy when he was mad. Then the pure dominance in his voice was enough to make even the most prude of people wither away. You couldn't deny his demands, not when he sounded like that. Quickly you pull up your photos and add one of each set you did. All in different positions and angles. If he wanted to see more. Who were you to tell him no again?
The world needed saving, and if it meant that it kept him there long enough to finish his mission. Then you were just doing what any good citizen would, right?
"Fuck Sweetheart. Do you even know what I wanna do to you right now?"
You have to rub your thighs together. Failing to relieve any of the building tension growing between your legs. Your mind instantly jumps to all the things you were willing to let him do to you if he was here.
"What would you do?"
And before you even have a chance to bring your phone back yo to your ear your screen lights up with a new message. Quickly you open your texts and your eyes roll back in your head at what you see. His massive hand was wrapped firmly at the base of his cock. A small tuft of neatly trimmed blond hair sat at the base. Thick, blue veins ran up the length of him to the angry-looking pink head. Maybe you were being biased here, but it had to be one of the prettiest disks you've ever seen.
"That broken leg wouldn't be the only thing hindering your ability to walk." You can almost picture the smirk he has on his face as the words leave his mouth. "Where are you at?" He rasps into the phone.
"In bed, why?" You ask flustered beyond belief.
"Anyone home?"
"No."
You hear him open a door and start to yell into the room he just walked into.
"Get the fuck out!"
And you hear the groans of at least two other men in the room.
"Come on man, we just got back! Give me a couple of minutes." You hear the familiar voice of the guy from before.
The one who you had to help guilt trip your hero with. His happy voice sounded tired as you continued to listen in.
"I don't give a fuck, I got shit to do." He barks.
"Oh Kacchan before I forget!"
"Later!" He cuts the other familiar voice off.
You hear a slight commotion go on before a door slams shut. A heavy sigh left his lips.
"Strip for me." He says getting back to his conversation with you.
"You can't be serious!" You say refusing to move.
"Dead fuckin serious princess. You're gonna help me fix this problem you caused. Now strip."
His time didn't leave you room to argue. If anything all it did was send a massive amount of butterflies around your stomach. Placing your phone on speaker you sit it down 9n the bed beside you. Grabbing the hem of the oversized t-shirt you wore and left it up and over your head letting it fall to the side. You hesitantly grab the band of your panties, unsure if you really want to pull them away from your body.
"Those too." He remarks.
It was like he knew ew exactly what was going through your mind.
You pull them down off of your hips and sit back down on your ass, pulling the garment down and off of your legs. Clear strings connect you to the lace as you pull them away from your body.
Evidence of just how aroused you had become.
"I, I've never done this before." You say softly, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious again.
"You have the best hero here to walk you through it." He coos. "I know you have toys princess, so grab your favorite one and lay back for me."
You couldn't even be bothered to feel embarrassed as he calls you out. Reaching over you open your bedside table, pulling out your favorite vibrator. Doing as you told you lay back in bed and hit the power button. Letting him hear the soft buzzing sound come to life in your hand.
"Someone's eager aren't we?" He chuckles. "Close your eyes, and turn that shit off for now."
With a small huff, you follow his instructions, dropping the dildo to the side, and letting it roll to a stop by your ribs. Closing your eyes you wait for his next instruction.
"I want you to play with those pretty tits you keep hiding in those pictures."
It was automatic the way you let your hand roam from your sides and slowly cup your breasts. Feeling the heaviness of each one as you played around with them. Moaning when your nails dig into your nipples as you grab them. Rolling them around between your fingertips.
You can hear the soft hiss that leaves his mouth as you fondle your chest. Your hands itch to travel lower on your body. To finally touch yourself where you really wanted.
"Tell me what you're doing sweetheart."
"I'm wishing it was you touching me. Wish it was your hands exploring my body." You whine as you let your hand slip off your breasts and travel down your stomach.
"Bet you wish I was there. So you didn't have to play with yourself?"
"Yeah." You sigh as his voice carries through your room. Leading you to snake your hands further down your body, resting just out of reach of where you wanted to go.
"Bet you're fuckin soaked aren't ya?"
"Don't know. Haven't made it there yet."
"Oh but I bet you're awful close to it huh? Can't wait to dip those slutty little fingers into your cunt." He moans into the phones.
"Can I?" You ask whiny. You wanted nothing more than for him to give you permission.
"Yeah let me hear how pretty you sound when you touch that pussy of yours." He grunts.
As you feel the tip of your finger come into contact with your swollen bundle of nerves. You can't help but moan at the sensation. Relief finally floods your wound-up body.
"I'd have you screaming my name by now." He pants. "Legs pushed open as wide as they would go, bury my face right between your thighs. "
You whine as his words send a jolt of pleasure through your body. The sound of him fisting his cock was quick to fill the heated air that surrounded you. Sloppy and wet sounds echo off the walls of your bedroom. Mixing with your own wanton cries of pleasure.
"Yes," you breathe. "Want it. Want it so bad."
"Grab that toy and fuck yourself for me, baby."
Usually, you tried to prep yourself a little bit before you could take the whole thing. But right now you wanted nothing more than to fill yourself being filled. Hitting the power button you use your free hand to guide it to your leaking entrance. Your other hand still making soft circles on your clit.
"Oh fuck." You whine and your back arches as you slip the vibrating silicone inside yourself.
"You sound so pretty, baby. God, you don't know how bad I wanna bury my cock so deep inside that tight little cunt of yours."
You can hear his moans picking up along with yours as you set a fast pace. Already ready to hit that high. He had you teetering on the edge already just from his voice alone.
"Want you so bad." You moan as you hit that sweet spot inside yourself. Your walls flutter around as you kick up the speed on your vibrator.
"You gonna be a good girl and cum for me?" He pants heavily into the receiver. "Gonna let me hear you cry out for me?"
"Wanna cum so bad." You gasp as you force your hand to speed up. Fingers work your clit faster as you feel that coil in the pit of your stomach starts to wind tighter.
"I can hear how fuckin wet you are. Fuck, wanna see it in person."
"Wish you were here" You whine feeling yourself start to tip over the edge.
Your pace picks up as you hear his moans grow louder with each passing second. Both of you working yourself in tandem with the end goal to fall over that edge together.
"Wanna fill you up with my cum, let everyone know just who you belong to sweet girl."
His words started short circuit your brain. Each and every syllable is laced with heated desire and want for you. Meeting your whiny and breathy moans of need. With deep guttural ones of his own as his filthy mouth kept talking.
"Get you clawin' my back and bitin' my neck. Make you cry as your bouncin' on my cock."
The image that flashes through your mind was your undoing.
You could picture it now. Those big strong hands gripping the fattest parts of your hips, and he helps you ride his massive cock. Helping you to move when your legs start to get tired. How he would grab your ass and jackhammer himself into you from below.
While he kept a smirk on his face.
He would be the type that liked to watch every face you made. How your eyes would close and your eyebrows would scrunch together and he forced himself as deep as he could go. He would have you whining and begging for him to let you cum. All while he kept that mean sultry tone in his voice.
You can imagine the way his lips would feel as he latched onto your neck. How he seemed like he would nip and Bite at your skin. Leaving purple marks littered down your throat all the way to your breasts. Eager mouth open and ready to latch onto your nipple and suck greedily as your hands shoot into his hair.
Your body is unable to keep up with the pace you set. Your body thrown into a fast-track orgasm quicker than you have ever been able to before. Back arching off the bed as you cry out in pleasure. Hand still pumping your vibrator in and out of yourself. Feeling the slick material rub against your clenched walls.
"Have half the mind to come fuck you right now." He moans into the receiver, his hand moving faster on his cock. "Show You how good I can be to you."
"Fuck I'm coming!" You cry out, unable to keep either of your hands moving any longer. With A wet plop, your vibrator falls out of you and hits the bed, rolling under your ass. The hand at your clit falls to the side as you breathe through your high.
"Good fuckin girl!"
It was the most seductive thing you have ever heard in your life. His voice cracked from his heavy baritone brashness to an almost high-pitched whine. Breathy and full of pent up emotions as he milks himself for everything he is worth. Letting the sound carry into your mind and take up permanent residence.
Spent you rolling onto your side and closing your eyes. His heavy pants are still filling the air as you try to bring your body back down from such an intense high. The room is quiet as you both take a moment to catch your breath. A smile plastered on your face as you marinate in your euphoria.
You. A t help but giggle as you reach for the vibrator and finally shut it off. Feeling your ass land in the huge wet puddle beneath you, causing you to giggle.
"Find something funny sweetheart?" He asks as your giggle trails off.
"I made a mess." You tell him, and can't help but toss the vibrator to the other side of the bed just as your giggles kick back up.
"Yeah?" He asks. "Lemme see."
Quickly grabbing your phone, you snap a picture of the huge wet spot on your sheets. The angle at the picture was taken to where he couldn't see your most private of areas. But still got the full picture of what had just happened.
"Fuck, your gonna make me hard all over again." He moans. And you can only ramp up your giggles as you imagine his eyes closing and his head falling back onto the pillows. Willing away another painful election from him seeing the mess you managed to make.
But for some reason, you desperately wanted to see it in person. To be able to look into his eyes as he starts to fall apart so easily. That rough demeanor cracking all over little Ole you.
"It's your fault." You lightly accuse him.
"It's your fault for being a tease." He is quick to argue.
"Me? I don't tease!"
"From that first fuckin phone call you've been stuck in my brain. I can't shake you no matter what I do." He admits with a laugh. "That sweet little voice and smart-ass mouth, you know exactly what you were doing to reel me in."
Did he really think that about you? Weird quirkless little you? The one who hasn't had a date in years and has become such a homebody outside of work. Trading in your cute outfits for pajamas and slippers.
No, that just proved he didn't know anything about you.
"You forgot I don't know who you are. You're giving me more credit than I deserve."
"You still playin' dumb huh?" He asks with humor in his voice. "That's fine. Bet I can fuck some sense back into you once I get home."
"Stop!" You whine. "You can't tease me like that!"
"Tell me again how much you don't mean guys." He goads. "You can do it, my little crybaby."
"I've only got eyes for one mean man in my life." you counter him playfully.
"That so?" He muses." Tell me more about him."
You giggle for a moment while you play along with his antics. You can only describe him so much, but you remember how he tried to tease you with the number two pro hero not too long ago. Deciding now would be the perfect time to get back at him. Using angry looking blonde as payback.
"Well for starters." You say with a giggle. "He's tall."
"What else?"
"Spiky blonde hair, and these gorgeous red eyes. Looks like an asshole, but probably is a total softie." You dramatically sigh before you continue. "He's got these big hands and all those muscles! Too bad he let his friend save me the other day, instead of him."
"You like his hero costume?" He asks with a chuckle.
If he was jealous, he wasn't letting it be known. He was playing along with your little antics, and you seem to think he was enjoying it a bit.
"Oh yeah. The black and orange combo gives me Halloween vibes ya know. Not to mention just how tight it is. No wonder he has all the ladies swooning over him."
"Maybe we should get him to send you some of his merch. Bet you would look good In Something of his since you're so obsessed."
"I'm sorry! I can't hear you over the sound of the wedding bells!" You laugh. Playing up the fabricated daydream.
And wouldn't you know it, he for the first time gives you an actual laugh. Loud and he let out a snort as he gasped for air. It was actually one of the cutest things you have ever got to hear in your entire life.
"When's the date? I'll have to make sure I show up for it." He snickers.
"Oh you know I still gotta pick out the dress and choose the colors. But my roommate is handling everything else!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah, she even picked out the house with the white picket fence in the burbs. Already on her way to pick up the new dog." You are barely able to control yourself as you ramble on about your mock wedding. "And she already picked out the names for the kids!"
"Well shit, what do you need from me? Seems like it's already set in stone." He laughs.
"Could you convince him to say yes already?" You sigh. "Seems like he's a little hard to get a hold of these days."
It's funny because even on your most confident day you wouldn't even be able to look Dynamight in the face. Let alone joke with him like this.
That was part of the reason why you were so easily taken to your mystery man. You could be yourself, and he actually was able to do the same. He didn't care you had just made up a wild story about the number two pro hero. Especially right after he pulled such an intense orgasm out of you. If anything he was a good sport and played along. Still more than willing to listen to your half-baked musings, and still didn't feel jealous.
"You at least want a date first? Or are you going in for the kill?" His playful words echo in your ear.
You could get used to this. Use to this guy right here, he was just about everything you wanted out of life. He was able to meet your attitude with one just as fiery. Quick-witted and smart. Dedicated to his job and only a little stubborn.
"I mean I know he is super busy saving the world and all. But I won't turn down a date."
"How bout when I get back I'll take you on one then?"
"How dare you! I'm a taken woman!" You laugh. "do you really wanna take me out?"
"Princess, if I get the chance I'll do more than that."
And the way he said it made you shiver. You had no doubt that he would keep that promise if he got the chance. And who were you to deny such a request? The chance of finally meeting your mystery man has become too hard to ignore.
"Guess I could make room for another mean man in my life, just don't tell my future husband!"
"Good girl. Knew you'd see it my way."
In the midst of your good time, you did hear him start to yawn. You almost forgot that he wasn't home, but out in some hotel room hundreds of miles away from his own bed. He probably spent the past two weeks fighting off every villain he could find, not taking a minute to rest. Not to mention the little stunt he just pulled no doubt took its toll on his already exhausted body.
"Maybe you should get to bed, you sound tired." You say softly.
"M' always tired," He says just as another yawn wracks his body. "Call you when I get back?"
"Get home safe ok. Don't make me worry about you." You say sweetly.
"I'll be extra careful, just so I can see your beautiful face in person."
And you blush deep and hard at his words. It was one thing to flirt and make you cum over the phone. But it was completely different to hear him say something so nice. His tone still carries a bit of that playfulness. He couldn't be that sweet to you and not expect you to melt from his words.
"Goodnight and I mean it be safe!"
"Night crybaby."
It takes you a few minutes before you are able to roll yourself out of bed. And hobble into your bathroom to clean yourself up. But the entire time your head is swimming with the lingering effects of your mystery hero. He had you feeling lighthearted and giggling at the chance to finally be able to meet him in person. Learn what his name was, where he was from and every other little detail you could manage to squeeze out of him.
And as much as you feared for your previously broken heart. You were more excited for the opportunity to let it learn to love once again.
Finding a new set of panties and feeling around for your discarded shirt. You make quick work of changing your sheets and getting redressed. More than happy to fall into your bed, where you felt just a little more appreciated than you had before.
It was easy to drift off into a peaceful slumber when the thought of new love had you feeling giddy. Excited for the first time in forever.
Now it was only a waiting game until you would be able to meet him.
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Summary: With the bills piling up and no way to know when you will be able to return to work. Your roommate suggests you take a call center job where you can work from home. The job? being an anonymous person for Pro Heroes to vent to.
But no amount of training could prepare you for just how quickly your first caller makes you cry.
Genre: Strangers to lovers, Pro Hero AU
Wordcount: 13.1 k Part 2/6 (this chapter 7.7k)
♥Buy me a coffee♥
Part1. Part2. Part3.
Warnings: 18+ ONLY MINORS DO NOT INTERACT
(If you would like to be added to the tag list, please leave me a comment so I know to tag you next update♥)
Also posted on AO3 (most of my work is hanging out there♥ please check it out!)
use of pet names, cursing, and more sassiness! Violence and injury! Blood and brief descriptions of medical procedures, angst. Also a bit of flirting?
(this is my first time posting anything significant here, please be gentle with me♥)
Another week down, another week that had been a success. It had been an easy one despite the fact you had worked extra hours every day. Though you couldn't really find it hard to complain when you sat behind a desk all day. And your entire job revolved around just listening to other people talk.
You found yourself falling into a routine quicker and quicker each day that rolled by. You had finally started picking up a routine with the way you would clock in. And have everything set up and ready to go in under five minutes. To the way, you had started to prep snacks for those days when your calls dragged on. It left you unable to hobble into the kitchen and make something to eat. So you found a basket and put all your snacks there, safe and out of the way until you needed them
You always greeted your callers the same way. Offering a soft friendly greeting and asking how their day had been. Most of your morning calls were from the pros that worked overnights. Then around mid-afternoon is when you started getting the daytime heroes. The one thing you quickly realized though, no matter who called was just how tired they all were.
Most of the time you were met with a yawn before an actual hello. Each person muttering a sorry shortly afterward. It was actually kinda cute how they all did the same thing. You almost expected it to happen in most calls.
And that's how it had been for the majority of the day. Nice and easy. Almost too easy for the start of a weekend.
You roll your shoulders a bit trying to loosen the tension that had seemed to be building in them all day. As comfortable as your setup was, after hours each day you put a lot of stress on your shoulders. You stopped mid-roll when you felt the low tremble of your apartment rattle. It wasn't a lot, but it was just enough for you to be able to hear the soft clanking of items being shifted around.
Looking around you didn't immediately find the source of the disturbance. Still, before you had time to second guess if you actually felt what you did. Another wave of vibrations shook the apartment with more vigor.
You were left speechless as you watched your trinkets shake and move on the shelf in front of you. And much quicker than before you felt another vibration. This time though you moved along with the rest of the house. The shockwave that was sent through the walls made your chair move as well.
Panic instantly took over as you fling your hands to grab ahold of your desk. Looking for anything that would keep you stable. It didn't take a genius to figure out this wasn't an earthquake, but it sure felt like one. There had to be something going on in your neighborhood that was causing such a disturbance.
You use the small window of time to push your chair away from the desk and roll over to your window. Shocked to find that there was nothing on the street below. But the violent shake you felt in your apartment told you that you were gonna find out what was going on soon enough.
And how right you were when you see the flash of someone zooming by your window. Ghastly looking covered in a dark goo. It was bending and you could see the dark tendrils slurping and dripping down onto the street. Gathering up bits of trash and rubble as they dripped down onto the street. But the violent trembling and loud sound weren't coming from him.
Before your eyes comes a huge burst of light, an explosion to be more exact.
"Get away from the window!" Your door bursts open just in time for your roommate to crawl through on her hands and knees.
Jerking your head back to see her crawling across the floor over to you. Just as another Shockwave shakes your tiny apartment violently. She uses your chair to stabilize herself to look out the window with you.
"I think we have a villain attack in progress!" You say a little stunned.
"Are heroes here yet?" She asks panicked.
They were still a good bit of distance away. But you were sure the two that were flying had to be chasing after the villain on the ground.
"There!" You say sticking your nose to the glass and pointing. "I think those are them!"
Whoever they were was gaining speed and fast. Zipping through the air with ease as they rounded a corner just as you could see a firm blast emit from their hands.
Turning your attention back to the suspected villain on the ground. You watch in horror as his quirk activates and picks up a car. Slimy tendrils wrapped around the compact vehicle and picked it up. Slinging it behind him towards the pair of flying heroes.
With practiced precision they avoid it. As they get close you can make out more defining features. Both of them were massive, one with green hair. His quirk shooting out and grabbing the flying car before it had a chance to land on anyone or anything. Letting it drop to the ground before he zoomed off again trying to catch up to his partner.
The loud sound and vibrations were coming from the other man. Dressed in black and orange the top of his ashy blond hair whipped wildly around his head. As he let off another burst from his hands. He had some kind of mask covering the top half of his face. But you could see the distinct snarl he had on his mouth as he rushed through the air. They looked familiar, but in the excitement of the moment, your mind couldn’t place who they were.
This was the first time you had seen a real fight go down between a villain or hero. And maybe that was why you had found yourself so caught up in the action. That you didn't pay attention to everything that was going on. Because out of the corner of your eye you spy not just one but three other villains appear next to the one on the ground.
It all happened so fast! Your eyes couldn't even keep up. It was a whirlwind of sparks and explosions mixed with debris and leaves from the trees. But you saw him, the blonde hero. He came crashing into the wall right beside the window. The impact causes your window to burst.
You barely had the chance to shield yourself from the shattering glass. Before you could feel the apartment rattle harshly. But he was quick to push himself off of the damaged building. Flying back into the air, whipping himself around to dodge yet another attack that was sent his way. Luckily his partner was there in the blink of an eye after him. The two of them worked so in sync with each other. That the fight even with being outnumbered. Was over before you could push yourself back to the window.
Clumsily you both scramble to stick your faces out of the now-broken window. careful to avoid any large shards of glass that were still clinging to the frame. Peering down onto the street. They were fast at cuffing the villains and letting their bodies pile up in the middle of the street.
"Your bleeding!" You hear your poor roommate say as she works her way carefully to you.
Pulling your attention away from the scene below you look over at her and then down at your hands. Sure enough, you could see the cuts along your arms and shards of glass sitting in your lap. Your left hand seemed to be the worst, shielding your face from the sharp shards.
There was one big nasty-looking cut running along your palm, and embedded it it was a jagged price of glass. The crimson droplets formed along the raw edge. Before they dripped down your forearm and hit your lap.
"Oh my god." You gasp.
You were certain you weren't seeing things clearly. You would have felt something like this when it happened. There was no way that you had a huge price of glass protruding from your hand!
Instantly you start to panic over seeing so much blood. A large shard of glass protruding from your palm. The pain wasn't even there. But just sight alone was more than enough to trigger that awful feeling in your chest. As quick as your roommate could move she was rushing off to the shared bathroom to retrieve a towel. Running back making sure she avoided any broken shards or debris. That might have fallen around the room during the attack.
She wraps your hand the best she can to stabilize the shard of glass and helps you to stand. She lets you sling an arm over her shoulder and she helps you out of your room. Before you even had a chance to make it to the couch to sit down there was a tall green-haired man landing on your balcony.
"Hi, there!" He greets peering into your living room from the shattered sliding glass door. "I saw the damage to the side of your apartment! Is anyone here injured?"
He asks and you recognize him from just a few minutes earlier. He was one of the heroes that had just taken down the group of villains. Your roommate unable to find the words to speak nods to you and holds up your hand wrapped in a towel. Pulling the Terry fabric away just enough so he could see your injured hand.
"I would definitely say that counts as an injury!" He says stepping through the glassless door. "We have medics less than a minute out! Can you walk?"
"Umm yes? I, I just have to find my crutches." You say a little dumbly, looking around for your abandoned crutches.
"Oh, I don't think that would be the best idea, given your hand and everything." He gestures around the room. "I can fly you down."
Just the idea of a strange man hero or not picking you up instantly fill you with more fear than any villain could. You didn't care how strong or happy he looked to help out. There was no way that you would allow him to pick you up, let alone fly you anywhere.
"No! No, I'll be ok, I can make it!" You promise.
But it seems like your pleas fall upon deaf ears. Because he is already making his way over to you and picking you up bridal style. Swiftly kneeling down and scooping your legs off the floor. Leaving your uninjured arm to fly around his neck as he lifts you with ease.
"It's OK I got you!" He says a little shy.
"No please you don't have to! I'm too heavy for that!"
He is walking you back to your balcony with a small chuckle before he replies back.
"I've held up falling buildings, I promise, helping you down to the ground is nothing. It will be quick I promise."
He said it with such confidence that you had to believe him. And for all, you knew it was true. He was a hero after all. Most likely he had at some point lifted a car or something.
"Ok, just hang on and close your eyes." He says softly looking down at you.
And you can only give him the tiniest of nods with your head before you take a deep breath and close your eyes. You could feel yourself floating for a moment, the motion making your stomach jump. Then it was the rush of air that caught you off guard. Loud rustling forces you to turn your face into his chest to help muffle the intense sound of the air around you.
And you couldn't have been airborne for longer than five seconds before you feel him hit the ground. A lot softer than you thought was capable. You barely moved upon his impact with the concrete below. You keep your eyes closed as you feel him start to move again. Your mind still a little jarred from the free fall you just went through.
Sure enough, you could hear sirens and when you open your eyes you see the medics arriving on the scene. Pulling up to a stop just past where the two of you were.
"I'm just gonna walk you over to them ok?" He says trying to sound reassuring.
It only took a few strides from his long legs to meet the medics just as they were opening the back of the ambulance. He waits for them to pull out the gurney before he sits you down on it. Making sure to help you lie back so the medics could get to work assessing your injuries. The one on your right was the first to take a look at your hand, and unwrap the towel to see the full extent of your injuries. It didn't take them very long to look you over before the other medic was coming over to your side to speak with you.
"We suggest that you come with us so we can have a doctor take that out and get you patched up."
While he said he was suggesting it, they didn't really give you the option. Before they were lifting you into the ambulance and locked the gurney into place. The medic who talked to you was the one who hopped in beside you and started to buckle the straps to keep you secure.
"I hope everything is OK! You did really great back there too! Not everyone handles flying so well!" The hero says from the back doors.
"Thanks." You say a little nervous. "What's your name?" You ask him before the doors close.
"Deku!" He says happily waving as the doors close on his tall figure.
You weren't left waiting for long before the ambulance comes to life and starts down the road. The medic in the back with you pulled out a tablet and started rambling off a whole book's worth of questions. Marking each one off as you were driven to the hospital. After that, he ran through all the basic tests. Checking your temperature, and blood pressure, the list went on and on.
Luckily for you, he finished right as you were pulling into the bay for the ER. They quickly unloaded you and rolled you into the emergency room doors. Handing off the tablet to the nurse who greeted them. They drop you off in a room and move you to the bed in the room before they roll off and out and are back out to finish their job.
It took three hours and about thirteen stitches but you were ready to finally go home. The doctor is giving you yet another excuse to stay home from work for two days. Which made you laugh because your job was literally at home now. They were courteous enough to give you a nifty little scooter contraption. That you could put your broken leg on, and it even had a little steering wheel. Since you couldn’t use crutches with a hurt hand. This would allow you to still be mobile and keep the weight off your leg.
With some instructions and a little tutorial. You were scooting your way out the front doors of the hospital in under an hour. A prescription for some mild painkillers and tiredness in your bones. You had no choice at this late of the day but to ride the train back across town to get home. Sighing you fish your phone out of your pocket and set the GPS for the nearest train station.
Lucky for you you made it just in time to buy your ticket and board the train. Scooting yourself off and onto the train seat. There weren't many people on the train, and for the first time today, you were able to breathe a heavy breath of relief. It wouldn't be long now before you would be able to go back home and crawl into bed. But just as you exhale that breath your phone starts to buzz in your pocket.
You can only roll your eyes as you slide the answer button on your screen. And are met with the cheerful voice of your beloved roommate.
"Hello beautiful, just wanted to let you know that I got your text and we are being put up in a hotel room for the night. Police are paying for a room until they can get the windows and door fixed! Plus you need to tell me more about that hunk of a man who you had a close encounter with earlier!"
God, she was rambling, but you had no choice but to let her talk. She was just going on and on about anything and everything that she could think of. Once you were finally able to get a word in you asked her for the address of where you needed to go. She barely let you get a word in. But you also found a second of time between the endless chatter to ask her to grab some clothes for you.
"Oh, by the way." She says a little cheekily. "I have someone waiting for you, the boss said given the circumstances I could patch them over to you. But don't worry your numbers gonna stay private! Love you, see you soon!" she says all too happily. Before you hear her click the line and you pick up on the distinct voice of the last person you wanted to talk to.
"Bout fuckin time crybaby. The hell you'd keep me waiting for so long?" He says gruffly.
You know why it is before you even let his voice ring in your ears. Of course, a close encounter with a villain fight. Wouldn't save you from his annoying personality.
"I'm sorry, I've been a little busy." You bark.
You didn't really mean for it to come off as rude. But you were tired and in pain, and this guy always managed to hit all your buttons in one go.
"Yeah? What had you tied up then princess?" He coos "answering the phone too much these days?"
You have to close your eyes and count to five before you let yet another snarky remark leave your mouth. You figured if he really wanted to know then maybe he would lose the attitude and leave you alone.
"If you have to know, I just left the hospital. Don't worry though I only needed thirteen stitches in my hand and a couple on my arms."
You can almost see his faceless figure pause at your words. Like he never even considered that something could happen to you. You were a spare thought to him, of course, he didn't see you as a real person.
"Shit, what did you do?" He says after a moment of silence.
"I didn't do anything, just the aftermath of a villain attack." You say a little tired. "Some hero busted our wall with his fat ass and it busted our windows. I was just a little too close when it happened."
"His fat ass huh? So where are you now?"
"I'm on the train headed to a hotel for the night. I can’t exactly stay in my apartment ya know due to the whole widows and Door being shattered thing."
“Didn’t they teach you basic safety shit in school? If you see something like that going down, you find cover dumbass. You don’t go sticking your nose to the glass to watch.” He chided you like you were a child.
If you weren’t already tired and in pain would have made you mad. But at the moment you can barely find the energy to stay awake, let alone want to argue.
“That was my first time seeing any heroes actually doing their job. I just wanted to watch,” You admit with a yawn.
There was no point in hiding the fact that you may have been a little careless. When it came to not running away and hiding somewhere until the danger was over, but still. That was the first time you had ever been able to witness the raw power of the people you talk to on a daily basis now. Even though you didn’t care to keep up with heroes. Now that your job required you to hear the stories and kinda live vicariously through what they told you. You had to admit you wanted to see what they did. Even if you did put yourself in danger.
"You're an idiot. People with common sense would just watch that shit on tv." He scoffs at your answer.
"I don't keep up with the news anymore, or heroes for that matter. The only info I get on them comes from the calls I get." You are quick to inform him.
It was no secret to the people in your life that you had a big disinterest in the whole pro-hero thing. Even if it did make you a little jealous of the popularity and endless amount of money they had.
"They told you anything good lately?" He says softly.
"I wouldn't tell you even if I could!" You laugh at his audacity.
And oddly enough he joins you in laughing. And for the first time in a while, you just enjoy the feeling of not being down in the dumps. For a stretch of time, you forget that you are sad and tired riding an almost empty train. To a hotel because your windows got blown out. You forgot you didn't have a broken leg and stitches in your hand and arms. It felt nice to feel normal for a little bit.
"Keep your secrets!" He says after he calms his laugh down a little. "So was your first hero fight all that you thought it would be?"
"I got to fly today! Scared the hell out of me!" You laugh.
"Fly? Your quirk let you do that or something?" He asks
"No." You say softly, but you feel most of the joy sucked out of you at that moment.
It wasn't a subject you like to touch on often. When quirks were brought up you always turned yourself away from the conversation. Quick to make an excuse and leave just so you could avoid the awkward stares and judgmental looks of others. When you had to admit that you were quirkless. It wasn't that you were ashamed of it. But people still had the tendency to look at you like you were an outcast. For the simple fact, your body didn't allow you to do something that most of the population could do.
You were bullied about it all through school. And most of your relationships fell through. Once they learned about you being quirkless. Which is why when you grew up you decided to stop looking for romance. Casual hookups and nothing more. You couldn’t let yourself get your hopes up. Just for them to be crushed by someone over something so minuscule in your life.
He seemed to pick up on the way you felt. And decided to revert the conversation back to something that was less painful to talk about.
“Then how the hell did you fly?”
“I uh got picked up and carried,” You admit embarrassed. “I didn’t really get a choice. He kinda saw my leg and knew I couldn’t walk with crutches down the stairs. So he jumped off the balcony and carried me to an ambulance.”
God, now you were rambling, you knew you were. But you couldn’t help but let the excuse flow out of your mouth. You were still living in the slight embarrassment of having to be carried in the first place. And having to relive that to a stranger was just about as bad.
“The hell happened to your leg?”
“Oh, I broke it like a month ago at my other job. And since I’m useless until I can walk again I took this job until I can go back.”
You can only imagine how he looks right now. Probably regretting the fact that he called you to begin with, just for you to trauma dump on him like this. But with the stress of the day plus the added pain you were feeling you just let it all out. The man made you cry not too long ago, if anything this was payback for that incident.
“You just let strange men carry you?” He asks like you offended him.
You can’t help but let out a tiny snort at his phrasing of the situation. It wasn’t a stranger, not really. You had just seen him and his partner chase down and apprehend villains. It wasn’t like it was just some creep who saw you were injured and wanted to help.
“He was a hero! Which was the first one I have ever met by the way!”
“You really took this job and don’t know shit about it?” he laughs. “No wonder you fucking cried on me.”
“He was very sweet! I couldn’t say no. And for your information being nice gets you a lot further in life than being mean does. Maybe you should try it sometime.” You say the last part happily, letting your distaste for his attitude be known.
"Are you saying I can't be nice? I'm hurt!" You can hear the sarcasm dripping from his voice.
"All I'm saying is that I've never heard you be nice!" You say back with a small giggle.
The chuckle that he lets out sends a shiver down your spine. It was low and rumbly, far more attractive than you ever wanted to admit a laugh could be. You had to blame it on the whirlwind of a day that had you not thinking clearly. You were exhausted and must have hit your head to be finding this rude guy's laugh fucking attractive.
"I can be ok for the right people." He says finally letting his voice drop just a little bit as he speaks.
Fuck. You don't think you ever felt your body respond faster to a sound before in your life. Going from that laugh to letting his voice drop just n octave set an instant fire in the pit of your stomach.
"Guess I'm not one of those people then huh?" You say lightly, trying to pull yourself together.
"Don't know, still trying to figure you out princess."
That's the second time he has used that little nickname. And for the second time, you feel your face heat up as the words drip from his mouth a little too smoothly. He had no business calling you a name like that, and making you want to hear it more.
"I think you like me enough. This is the third time you've called for me." You reply back quickly. Letting your uninjured hand adjust the phone next to your ear.
"Don't flatter yourself. It's just easier to ask for you."
That made you laugh once again.
"Is that so?" You give a good chuckle before you continue. "And here I thought I was just special!"
"Why do you keep taking my calls then? Looks like I'm pretty special too."
Now he just sounded like a guy that got called out and was being defensive. The thought that you made some big bad hero get worked up made a small smile grace your features. It wasn’t often any more than you found anyone doing that.
"Yep. A special pain in the ass." You deadpan into the receiver.
"Ohh don't sweet talk me too much." You can almost see the stupid smirk he probably has on his face right now.
Lop-sided and a little bit lazy, pulling at the corner. He was enjoying the little snarky banter the two of you had to go on. And you had to admit even with the bizarreness of how the two of you met you enjoy it too. It was hard to find someone willing to engage this side of yourself. Normally you were used to getting in a few quick little remarks and sly words at your old job. Joking around and entertaining people throughout the night. But ever since you had been stuck at home. Most of your days had been filled with anxiety and listening to others talk.
And for whatever reason, this guy didn’t want to tell you anything that was bothering him. You noticed it in your first call with him. He avoided talking about himself and tried to focus on you. Helping you dry your tears and walking you through breathing exercises.
Even the second time you talked to him he avoided talking about himself.
Maybe he just needed some kind of escape from his own life, and you were an easy person to target. Pulling him from his hectic life as a hero and allowing him to feel a bit anonymous for a while. You talked about what you could with him, and he lived vicariously through that.
"Ugh not to be too annoying or anything but my stop is coming up. And I have to use my free hand to steer this scooter," You say with a huff.
He barks a laugh.
"A what?"
"Look it's the best way I have to describe it! I gotta put my broken leg on it and I have to use my good hand to steer it. I can't walk otherwise." You answer defensively.
They told you its proper name back at the hospital, but you couldn’t be bothered to remember it. Your mind had flashbacks to the days when you use to ride a scooter around that were just a bit different. Painfully remembering the time you smashed your ankle really well. On the metal footrest. So that’s what it was, just an adult scooter now.
"Why don't you call up your little hero, I'm sure he would be willing to fly you there." He pokes fun at your first meeting with the green-haired hero.
"It's a Shame really.” you sigh being dramatic. “I got his name, but not his number. Guess I'll have to just suck it up and do it myself."
"What's his name?" He asks a little too quickly.
"I can't tell you that." You chide him just s fast.
He knew the rules of this entire thing just as well as you did. You couldn’t tell him too much about you personally, And you couldn’t find out who he was. So both of you were forced to keep a sense of professionalism about each call. Even if he tended to be a jackass most of the time.
"What about your name then crybaby?"
"Can't tell you that either."
"Well put me on speaker. I'm not letting you walk alone." He remarks after a moment of silence.
It was clear that he wasn’t going to be able to pry any of the information he wanted out of you. So he had to take a step back and rethink his strategy.
"I'll be fine. It's not that far from the station." You tried to make him feel better about letting the call end, but he wasn’t having it. You could tell from the noise of displeasure he let slide out of his mouth.
"Tell me where you are and I'll call a local agency and find someone to walk with you."
If there was a last nerve you still had after today, this man was prodding it like it was his full-time job. He kept trying to find out where you were and who you are. Knowing damn well that your job, not his would be on the line if he ever found out.
"I can't, I'll lose my job." You remind him again. "I'll be fine, I'll keep you on the phone if it will make you feel better."
The train announces your stop with a ding and a little message. Before you attempt to stand and adjust yourself on your new ride. It took some effort but you managed to shuffle yourself out of the train and onto the platform. Looking around for a moment to get your bearings before you head off in the direction of the hotel.
"I'm just making sure you don't hurt yourself more than you already have." He says, trying to shrug off your frustration.
You were struggling to balance yourself and steering. All while continuing to talk on the phone. But you managed somehow, to get yourself down the street and scoot away in the direction of the hotel. The entire time you kept the phone balanced. But you stayed silent, and you thought he might have just hung up on you again. Before you hear his tired huff of frustration on the other line, shocking you a little bit.
"W, what are you doing?" You ask, trying to sound casual.
He took a little bit to answer you, the phone line going silent. But when you check your phone you can see that the line is still active. Looking up at the street signs you navigate the short distance across the street as fast as you can. Even if it was late you didn't want to run the risk of a speeding car. Turning the corner a little too fast and smashing you into the concrete.
The only problem was that it left you huffing for breath. Lungs working overtime to push your tired and injured body faster than you could keep up with.
"The fuck you doing?" He barks through the phone, and with his end of the line coming back to life, you can hear that he is no longer alone.
Another man can be heard talking in a low voice, although you could make out what he was saying. You can also hear the faint shuffling of papers again, and you can only assume he is in his office. Surly filing and signing off on a never-ending stack of papers.
"I rushed myself across the street." You say trying to catch your breath. "It's a little much trying to balance a million things at once."
"Shut the hell up." He says lowly.
And you sincerely hoped he wasn't talking to you like that. Because with the day you have had it would be the last straw you needed to hang up the call. And refuse to answer any more calls from him.
But it seemed like the other mysterious voice on the line kept talking and your mystery man was talking to him. You listened to the back and forth for a while, just being a silent witness to their conversation.
Between the low growls and the hushed laughter. You could hear your personal jerk was getting a little bit of his own medicine. Someone was taking a couple of jabs at him.
"I'm not going to see the damn doctor shitty hair!"
That for whatever reason made you burst out in a terrible fit of giggles. Almost making you lose your balance on the scooter.
"Find something funny crybaby?" He snaps at you with a growl.
"Good thing to know I'm not the only person in your life that has such a meaningful nickname."
You could hear the snicker of the other person and another growl from your caller.
"Both of you shut it. I don’t wanna hear another word from either of you.”
So you obliged him and listened to silence as you made your way closer to the hotel. The bright golden lights illuminate the street ahead as you zero in on your destination. A sigh of relief left you as you realize that you can finally take a shower and crawl into bed now in the future. You could smell the lingering effects of being stuck in a hospital for so long. Disinfectant, and that distinct smell of being clean. It wasn’t horrible, but the smell just didn’t sit well with you.
“I’m almost to the hotel, I’m like half a block away,” You say out loud, hoping he would hear you.
“Bout time, Thought I was gonna be ready to retire before you made it.” He says with a yawn.
As you make your way to the front door, you stop yourself before you grab the handle of the door. Since you were here that was no point in keeping him on the phone.
“Why do you need to go to the doctor?” You ask ignoring the snippy remark he gave you before.
You just came from the hospital, and if your little injury was bad enough for you to go then his had to be worse. The man was a pro, after all, their bodies could handle a lot more than yours could. They were trained from a young age on how to battle and use their quirks. So when his friend suggested he see a doctor, it had you a little worried for the jerk.
“It's nothing serious.” He tried to play off, but his friend was quick to let his voice be heard.
“He needs stitches too! Help me out here and get him to go!”
He sounded friendly whoever he was, and it was clear that he cared enough for his friend that he was asking you to help.
“Go to the hospital,” You say softly, hoping to appeal to him.
“I’m not going,” He says it like he has the final word, but you can hear the tiny twang of pain he is in as he speaks.
“You too big and bad to get checked out? You afraid of the doctor or something?”
You were poking at the bear, but you couldn’t help it. Maybe if you said it like that he would go just to prove you wrong. It was the most you could do besides downright begging him to go. And you refused to let yourself fall into that trap.
“I ain’t afraid of shit. I just don’t need to be wastin’ my time getting a bandaid and being sent home anyway. I can do that shit myself.”
The thought of this man taking a suture kit and bandaging himself up made your eyes widen in a panic. It was bad enough that you had to watch them sew your hand and arm up, and you were completely numb the entire time. But doing it to yourself and still having to feel the pain of each stitch being sewn into place made your skin crawl.
“You absolutely are not doing that,” You say firmly. “You are going to let your friend take you to the hospital, and you are going to let them patch you up. I know you think you can handle everything on your own, but it’s ok to let people help you.”
“You whine too much,” He says as you open the door to the hotel.
“Am I whiny or a crybaby?” You ask with a giggle.
“Shut up and get your ass inside before I come find you myself.” He barks frustrated at the endless beratement.
“How did you know I wasn’t inside the hotel yet?” You ask as you quickly reach out for the handle and open the door.
Letting yourself inside you are greeted by soft jazz music and the warm interior of the hotel. Bright and friendly as you slowly make your way over to the front desk.
“I could hear the traffic on the street dumbass,” He says as if you should have known.
“Please go to the hospital. I know it might not mean much coming from me. But I won’t be able to sleep knowing you refused to go and you sound like you are in a lot of pain. So take pity on my already fried nerves and let your friend take you.”
You were being sincere. You really wouldn’t be able to let yourself get a restful night of sleep if you knew he refused to at least get checked out. He might be a pain in the ass, but you still wanted him to be alive in the morning. You didn’t know the extent of his injuries. But it still filled you with a sense of fear that they may be worse than he was letting you believe.
“You gonna cry about it if I say no?” He asks after a moment.
“Wouldn't be the first time I cried because of you.” You softly answer him with a small smile on your face.
“Don’t fuckin’ remind me.” He groans. “Fine, but you owe me something.”
You try to keep the hostess at the front desk from being too loud as you greet her and check-in,
“Hello! My apartment was damaged during a villain attack and I was told to come here. My roommate is already in our room I just need a key.”
She looks at you with a smile on her face as she asks to see your id. She quickly starts to type away on her computer and you feel anxious now that you are here. You had to be quick to get him to say yes, so you could finally go up to your room and go to bed.
“What do you want?” You ask trying to keep your voice low enough for the hostess to ignore your conversation.
“Tell me your name, and I’ll go,” He says simply.
But it was far from simple. You couldn’t tell him your name, that point was very clear from the start of this. He couldn’t and shouldn’t know anything about you. You were supposed to remain a grey figure for him to vent to, and you couldn’t do that if he had a name to attach to your voice.
Before you could even stutter out an excuse again. The hostess speaks up loudly holding out her hand with a keycard waiting for you. She didn’t know anything about the conversation you were having with the mystery hero. So she didn’t know she was about to make your life that much harder when she speaks your first name. Loud enough for him to hear.
Your blood runs cold as she wishes you a good night, and you hear the satisfied grunt come from his end of the line. You were stupid enough not to mute your side of the call. And now he knew your first name.
“Get some sleep crybaby,” He says with a tone far too happy for your liking.
“Are you going to the hospital?” You ask.
If you were going to lose your job after this, you at least wanted to make sure that he was going to take care of himself.
“Your secret is safe, I’ll call you later,” He says softly, but you can’t help but let the anxiety linger in your veins.
“Thank you,” You answer softer than you meant to.
But it seems like that was all he was waiting for before he hangs up. Leaving you staring at the home screen of your phone now that the call was through.
Did he mean it when he said he wouldn’t let anyone know he knew your name? Technically you didn’t tell him. It was the loud-mouthed hostess who blabbed the information. So in a way you didn’t reveal anything to him directly.
Thinking it over more you roll your way over to the elevator and press the button. Thankful to find it empty as you climb in. Hitting the button for your floor the doors close behind you as you try to turn around in the confined space.
You didn’t know anything about him really, but you had to have a little faith that he wouldn’t tell anyone what he heard. But still, as you made your way off the elevator and down the hall finding the door to your hotel room. You can’t help but have this man still plaguing your thoughts.
Even as you greet your equally tired roommate and she helps you to get undressed in the bathroom. The shower already running, waiting for you. Your mind falls back to him. He sounded tired and a little less angry today. And as much as you hated to admit it, you enjoyed the time you spent on the phone with him.
You hated that little part in the back of your mind that was excited about the fact he said he would call you. It shouldn’t be something that you wanted, he was a busy guy. He had a million other things he had to do than talk to little old you. But another part of you wanted to learn who he was now, did he have a family? Who were his friends? Did he have a girlfriend? Boyfriend maybe?
It was stuff you weren’t supposed to know, but that line had already been crossed when he found out what your name was. You supposed that he could offer up a little something bout himself the next time the two of you speak.
Even as you got out of the shower and made your way into bed, your mind wouldn’t leave his faceless voice alone. You couldn’t help but feel your lips pull into a small smile as you remember the way he laughed on the phone with you. Or the way the conversation happened so smoothly like you were talking to a friend.
It was a dangerous path your mind wandered down, your job was very much on the line here. But as you close your eyes and your breathing started to even out. You couldn’t help but make up excuse after excuse for why you wanted to know more about him. Letting yourself fall into a dreamless slumber as you think about your mystery hero.
Summary: With the bills piling up and no way to know when you will be able to return to work. Your roommate suggests you take a call center job where you can work from home. The job? being an anonymous person for Pro Heroes to vent to.
But no amount of training could prepare you for just how quickly your first caller makes you cry.
Genre: Strangers to lovers, Pro Hero AU
Wordcount: 5.4k Part 1/6
♥Buy me a coffee♥
Part 2
Warnings: 18+ ONLY MINORS DO NOT INTERACT
Also posted on AO3 (most of my work is hanging out there♥)
use of pet names, cursing, and a bit of sassiness. But that's about it for this chapter. (Also this is my first time posting anything significant here, please be gentle with me♥)
It had to have been one of the strangest series of events leading to where you were sitting now. In the comfort of your own home, being berated by a complete stranger on the other end of a phone. Completely blanking on what you should even say to him. Your mind raced to try and come up with even a simple hello to offer him. And instead, all that left your mouth was a stuttering mess of words. That didn’t even sound close to what you were trying to say.
“I’m sorry what did you say?” You tried your best to make your voice revert back to its normal pitch, but it was already too late.
“I said, why the hell do you sound nervous?” He repeats himself a bit gruffly into the phone. “Ain't this your job?”
Oh, if only he knew.
This was your very first day on this job. You weren’t even supposed to be taking live calls today! But when your trainer had called off, your manager sent the email that you would be flying solo. You were already anxious over the fact that you didn’t really know what you were really doing. Let alone having to suffer through figuring it out on your own. None of the training you received during the past week. Had prepped you for when someone was already pissed off and ready to take it out on you.
See, this job wasn’t something you really wanted to take on. But with a small series of unfortunate events you were forced to take what you could. You loved your old job, you really REALLY did. And eventually, you would be able to go back to it. But when you slipped on a rogue chunk of ice and broke your leg in a work-related accident three weeks ago. You were temporarily stuck at home, unable to work.
Of course, you would receive temporary help from the government since you got hurt on the job. But they had been dragging their ass on getting all of the paperwork approved. A bunch of back and forth between your boss and the local office. At some point last week they even lost your application and you had to start all over. Which only meant that the time you had to wait was growing more and more each day.
The bills had started to roll in. And you were looking around every which way to try and find a way to cover everything for the end of the month.
But you loved your job. Working at one of the newer nightclubs in the downtown area. A newly renovated bank that had three separate floors and a huge dance floor. You loved the live DJs on the weekends and you really liked most of your coworkers. The atmosphere was great and you even got to drink a little while working. But most importantly it paid the bills.
Until recently.
Unfortunately, without the ability to freely move around you were all but useless at work. Your job required you to run around most of the night, dealing with people and making sure you were seen. Being the host of a sought-after club was a tiring job, but one you loved.
But with no money left in savings and no real-time frame to give your boss on when you would be able to return to work. You started fumbling around ideas with your roommate about what you could do.
And her answer was simple.
She excitedly told you about one of her friends. Who worked for a company that dealt with customer service. It was a niche crowd they catered to, but from the small rundown you were given it sounded like it was right up your alley. You could work from home, you already had the set up for it thanks to your extensive desk setup for your pc gaming.
It wasn't until you had accepted the offer and signed the NDA. Did you find out all the gory details of what it was that you signed up for.
You would be working as a sort of anonymous voice for people to call and talk to. Like a therapist, but without needing the qualifications for one. You would be there for someone to vent to and their frustration out with. And while it seemed easy enough as soon as you signed those papers. Your manager was quick to pipe up and tell you that those people would in fact be pro heroes. You were now legally bound to keep any and all information that was told to you a secret, for at least the next five years. It didn’t matter how dark or juicy the information you heard was, you couldn’t tell a soul about it. The calls weren’t even going to be recorded to protect the privacy of those who called in. You wouldn’t know who would be calling, or what they wanted until they were on the line. Waiting for you to lead them to your ear. You were told they needed to leave the call satisfied to keep your job.
The satisfied part was a kind of gray area.
That meant it was your job to talk to them about whatever they wanted. If they wanted to complain about some part of their jobs or the way their wives were yelling and screaming. Even went as far as to talk about much more private matters. Although you hoped that wouldn't be the case.
One thing was made clear to you though. You weren't able to disclose much information about yourself. And you weren't able to tell anyone about what the mysterious heroes told you. You couldn't ask who they were or pry too hard into their personal lives. You were simply an anonymous person to who they could talk to.
Maybe if you hadn’t learned about who would be calling, then your nerves wouldn’t have been so bad. But it was the fact that you could very well be talking to well-known and popular heroes. That made you shiver in dread. It wasn’t like you paid much attention to heroes or kept up with following them, but still. They were important people who risked their lives every day in order to keep you safe.
“You fuckin’ pass out or something?” The loud gruff voice on the other end of the line grumbles, pulling you out of your daydream.
“I’m sorry!” You mumble quietly.
You didn’t mean to space out, but the reality of the situation you got yourself into was doing a number on your nerves. Readjusting in your seat you take a moment to try and calm yourself down. If you couldn’t pull it together then this was going to be the last time you ever got to answer that phone. And right now you needed the money.
“Don’t apologize if you didn’t do nothin’, I hate that shit.” He barks into the receiver.
“Le, let me start over!” you try your best to collect your thoughts before you open your mouth again. “Hi, I know we don’t know each other, but i’m-”
And you stop yourself.
The stern voice of your manager over the phone started to ring in your mind. They weren’t allowed to know your name, and like an idiot, you had almost blurted it out. God, how were going to manage to do this if you kept forgetting the simple stuff? He hasn’t even been on the phone with you for two whole minutes and you have already blown this.
“Your what?” He asks, and you can hear a slight sigh of frustration leave his mouth.
“I’m sorry! I’m normally better at this type of thing,” You say lowly.
God and now you felt horrible. You just admitted to a guy, a fucking pro that you couldn’t even handle the basics of your job. Which in black and white terms should be easy as pie. But for whatever reason, you just weren’t getting it. You couldn’t make your mind and your mouth work properly.
“Told you to stop doing that shit!” He growls, and you feel yourself reel a bit from the phone.
Now, this is just great, not only were you failing at doing the job you signed up for. But you had also pissed off your first and probably only last client. With the anxiety and now the threat of losing your only job. You felt your emotions start to crack under the pressure. None of the training you went through for the past week had prepared you for this. And you know that once your manager caught wind of your fuck up you were done for.
You tried your best to cease the welling of tears in your eyes, but they were on the verge of spilling over.
“Don't tell me your gonna start cryin’, that's the last thing I need.” He moans into the receiver.
"I'm s-"
"Don't" He growls into the phone.
The way he barked at you just seems to make it worse. And with a sad little gasp, you feel the first tear break free of your waterline and slide gently down your cheek. Your skin was already heated from having such an awful first day. And now you had a man downright angry at you for doing as simple as apologizing to him.
"Do you wanna do anything other than bark orders at me?" You say with a sniff, wiping the tears from your eyes. "As you can tell I'm already having a rough enough time!"
"Course I got stuck with the crybaby." He replies with a sarcastic tone. "Listen, sweetheart, I need you to close your eyes and take a couple of deep breaths for me."
He still sounded mad, and his tone almost made you not want to listen to him. But after another soft sob leaves your mouth you decide to take the olive branch he was extending out to you. Doing as he told you, you close your eyes and take a deep breath. As if he can see your exact motions he starts talking yet again.
“Hold it for five seconds.”
And you do. As hard as it was to force your lungs to cooperate, you follow his instructions. Letting the breath out when he gives you the prompt. Breathing in again and holding it when he tells you to. He guided you smoothly through the entire process. Not missing a single beat as he softens his voice just enough to take the edge off your bubbling anxiety. You don’t know if he was doing it on purpose or not, but it was helping.
After a couple of minutes is when you noticed that he wasn’t as angry sounding anymore. If anything he was talking lower and almost softer to you. Keeping his voice smooth despite the gravelly tone he still carried. Focusing on his voice and listening to his guidance. Was making the tightness in your chest decrease. You had stopped crying and you finally felt comfortable enough to open your eyes once more. He must have been able to hear your breathing go back to normal. But he still gave you a few moments of silence before he said anything.
“You good?” He asked, his voice remaining soft.
And it kinda killed you to admit that it worked. You were no longer feeling so emotionally overwhelmed. Oddly enough felt a little bit of comfort from the asshole even if he was the root cause for your small breakdown.
"Yeah," You say softly. "Thank you."
He simply grunts on the other end before you hear the soft click of the line going dead. Leaving you sitting there listening to a dial tone completely stunned. It was one thing to critique how you handled yourself during that call. But it was another to just hang up on you without a word. Especially after going out of his way to walk you through an emotional breakdown.
Ripping the headphones off your head you hit the button to fully end the call. Pushing yourself away from your desk and forcing yourself to stand. A little haphazardly on your feet. Searching around for your crutches and pulling them to your body. You shuffle your way out of your bedroom and almost stumble into the living room. Your roommate at the kitchen counter looks up at you with a smile.
"How'd it go?" She asks brightly.
You just gave her a look that said more than you ever could. And in an instant, she was shutting her laptop and walking over to you. She slowly follows you as you limp over to the couch and flop down with a tired huff.
"I fucked it!" You moan letting your crutches fall to the floor and place your head in your hands. "Guy hated me, I'm gonna get fired!"
"I'm sure you didn't do that bad!" She tried to reassure you. "What makes you think you messed up so bad?"
Oh God, you didn't even want to admit it. It was far too embarrassing that it happened just a few moments ago. But to admit that you had a mini breakdown with a total stranger.
And fucking pro hero at that!
"I cried on him. He was being mean and I started crying" You admit after a few moments of internal struggling.
She didn't say anything for a moment longer than was comfortable. And you lift your head just long enough to catch a glimpse of her confused expression. Which in return confused you.
"I uh, hey it's OK! it was your first time! I'm sure Riko will have mercy on you." She says trying to comfort you.
But it was no use. You knew that you were about to be handed a swift kick in the ass out the door. How could you not once your manager gets the feedback from your interaction. The only thing you had left to do was go ahead and uninstall all the programs from your computer. And just wait for the dreaded call from her.
You spent the rest of the evening painfully recalling the phone call to her. Reliving every embarrassing detail that your mind hadn't blacked out. To save yourself from trauma. She took pity on you and ordered some takeout from your favorite place down the street. And helped you eventually laugh over the entire fiasco.
"I mean. He talked you through it?" She said with a giggle. "If some guy did that for me, pretty sure I would have thrown a ring at him instantly!"
“But he was so mean about it!” You tried to argue, catching her giggling fit.
“But I like 'em mean!” She laughs a bit harder as she watches your face contort into another face of embarrassment. “Oh my god! You do too!”
“Stop!” You whine, throwing your head away from her direction and falling over dramatically.
“Who do you think it was?” She asks tugging you back up into a sitting position.
You think about it for a moment, but come up blank. You didn’t follow any of the news anymore since you moved to the city. There were too many crime and horror stories playing on a loop. So you opted to just never turn on the tv unless you needed some kind of background noise. So in reality you had no real grasp on just how many heroes there were out there, nor did you know any of their names. And you liked it better that way until she had to go and open her mouth bout it.
“You know we aren't allowed to know that!” you chide. “Besides, it's not like it’s gonna matter anyway. He could be a scaly lizard man for all I care, the guy was still a jerk!”
“Are there any lizard pros out there?” She asks innocently.
And it was the way she looked while trying to rack her brain for that little piece of information. Sent you into another fit of giggles.
That night you went to bed feeling a little bit better. Yeh, you were probably going to lose your job in the morning, but at least you weren’t tearing yourself up over it as much. You might struggle for a little bit, but you could find another job until your worker's comp kicked in. That was going to be one of the first things you started to look at in the morning would be another job. You weren’t gonna let this one mistake haunt you forever.
You didn’t try to let yourself wallow in the mistake you made. But as you lay there getting comfortable under your plush sheets. Tucking your covers under your feet. You can’t help but let your mind wander over who your mystery man could have been. He seemed pretty rude to someone who was supposed to be a pro. He didn’t do anything but berate and criticize you and he even called you a crybaby!
But when he was talking you through your panic attack he did seem concerned. His voice did soften even if he was annoyed about it. He walked you through each and every step in a cool collected manner, making sure that you were ok before he moved on. Maybe it was just the years of hero training that he held under his belt. That made him revert into being a comfort for some stranger. but you hated to admit that he did succeed in making you feel better.
Even if he did just hang up on you after.
When you woke up the next morning, you immediately hobble into the kitchen and make yourself a cup of coffee. Deaf is set on finding something new for work. You check your emails on your phone out of habit. Sorting through spam emails. And checking to see if you had anything of importance waiting for you. And sent two hours ago was an email marked important from your manager Riko.
Here it was the dreaded email about how she was letting you go. She didn't even want to be bothered to call you and let you know. Accepting your fate you finally click on it and let it load.
And as you start to read she is letting you know that the mystery man from yesterday gave you a positive review. How she was glad to know that you would be a nice fit for the company if you kept up the good work!
But you blew it yesterday, why would he lie and say that you did well?
You stood at the counter in your kitchen a little flabbergasted by the email. Even more, confused as to why he would do something like that for you, a total stranger. He didn't owe it to you.
You gave yourself a little bit of time to process the fact you still had a job. Before you made your way back to your room and sat down at your computer. Turning it on and letting it start up for the day. Taking your time to fiddle with various things before you had to start work for the day. Fetching your coffee. And a small snack before you hit the button signaling you were officially online and ready for the day.
And it seemed like everything for the next two weeks went great. Your only mishap had been that first unfortunate phone call. Every other person you talked to was tired but nice.
Day after day filled you in on their lives and the things going wrong or right in them. They always thanked you for being a kind and open ear for them to vent to. And to be honest, even when they opened up about their failures. Or infidelity it wasn't as awkward or embarrassing as you initially thought it would be. You weren't there to judge, you were only there to listen.
As much as it left a bad taste in your mouth, you powered through it all. And you even started to feel more confident in your ability to do the job you had been hired for. Each phone call shows you new ways to show compassion to a group of people you didn't know needed so much support.
It was a lonely job, you found out quickly. Long hours and even longer emotional turmoil followed. The work never really stopped for heroes. Something was always taking up their time, be that a mission. Or being stuck at a scene fighting a villain for hours on end.
You understood now just how much it probably meant for them to have a place to vent. Someone anonymous person that they could spill their heart and soul to and get a few things off their chest. Which is why when they told you about the kid they couldn't save, you let them cry it out. Reminding them of all the people they did manage to save. When they admitted to sleeping that one time with a coworker you didn't have the heart to really scold them. It wasn't ok by any means but they all seemed to be touched starved and looking for an outlet.
It was a Friday evening when you were almost done for the day. You had a whopping five minutes left before you could shut down your software and clock out for the day. You had managed to fit in about six people to talk with. So it was been pretty busy for you.
But as you were about to hit the button to take yourself offline. You got the notification that someone was calling your line. And as much as you wanted to ignore the call, your wonderful roommate burst through your door.
"He asked for you! I'm sorry!" She whispered to you as you look over at her in a bit of shock.
Who the hell would ask for you? They didn't even know your name. What defining characteristics could they give the dispatcher in order to get to you? With a bit of a huff, you turn in your chair and hit the button, with your roommate standing close by trying to be nosey.
"Hello?" You greet the person on the other end with a happy tone.
"Bout fuckin time crybaby. Thought you might have quit or somethin'.”
The sound of the familiar gruff voice made your blood run cold, a shiver taking over your body. It was the guy from your first phone call. His voice had been haunting you still even after all this time had passed. Late at night when you were kiting in bed unable to sleep, tossing and turning into the night. His voice echoed in your mind. Berating you and making you feel bad all over again just for the simple fact that you freaked out.
Instantly all over again just hearing the sound of his rough voice. Forces your mind to once again fill with cotton, it was almost impossible to think.
“I, uh. Hello to you too?” You say as more of a question than a greeting.
This was a truly unexpected turn of events. You never in a million years thought that someone would ask for you, let alone be this guy again. You were sure he would have avoided you like the plague. Especially if your first interaction was anything to go by.
“So she does know how to talk.” He says a little sarcasm dripping from his voice.
It was at that moment that you knew you would punch him in his stupid smartass face. If you ever had the unfortunate chance of meeting this man in real life. He was clearly one of those people who took pride in bullying other people. Loud and obnoxious at that!
“Only when people aren’t being rude.” You retort a little too quickly. You hear the soft gasp of your roommate behind you as she inches closer to you. Her desire to snoop becomes too much to shoulder any longer. “But I can almost bet you don’t know how to be anything else.”
No, your time for the past couple of weeks had been far too easy, and this was karma coming back to bite you in the ass. What other reason would this man have for calling you up at almost the time you should be clocking out? If not for belittling you for a second time?
“Oof really got me with that one.” He stifles a chuckle at your words.
It just pissed you off more that he thought you were joking.
“I’ve got a whole lot more I could say, but I won’t because I wasn’t raised to bully people.” You try to mimic his tone.
“Calm down ya fuckin’ crybaby, it was just a joke.” He doesn’t even bother to cover up the fact that he was laughing at you now.
Forget punching him. Murder only carried a fifteen-year stint in prison, it might be worth it. Even with the impulsive thought running through your mind. You tried your best to collect yourself. Even if he was only here to rub salt in your emotional wounds, you didn’t want him to have the stratification of winning.
“Can I ask why you're calling me?” You asked. Turning on the pristine customer service voice you had perfected over the years.
You were over it already. This man had you about three seconds away from just hanging up and clocking out anyway. It wasn’t like the calls were recorded. You could easily lie and say your internet went out or something else happened. You didn’t have to sit here and take verbal abuse from a stranger pro hero or not.
“Don’t come at with that fake personality bullshit, I hate that.” He barks losing his almost giggly enthusiasm.
“You don’t like anything I do, so why would you ask for me?”
You can almost hear him pause on the other end, like the question itself never crossed his mind. Maybe he just didn’t want to admit that he called to give you a second round of grief.
“Ain’t you supposed to listen to me talk? What’s with the game of twenty questions huh?” He snarled into the line.
The fact that you seem to get under his skin even just a little bit made you smile. It was petty and small but you got back at him in some kind of fashion. His defensive tone was too easy to pick up on.
“Sure, what would you like to talk about today?” You ask sweetly. “Bully anyone new lately?”
“I wanna talk about you.”
You can’t help but roll your eyes at his answer. Like hell you were going to give him the satisfaction of knowing anything about you. Not that you could tell much of anything, to begin with.
“Like what?” You ask, trying to keep up the overly sweet tone in your voice to set him off a little faster.
“Why’d you start bawlin’ your eyes out on me the other day for starters.”
The question should have been obvious to anyone with ears. He came out the gate being mean and calling you names. Mix that with the fact you were already overwhelmed and stressed. Had led to your slight emotional breakdown. But for the life of you, you couldn’t tell if he was just trying to bait you or if he just didn’t get it.
“Isn’t it obvious?” You snap. “Thought the problem was pretty evident.”
You can hear him huff and move something on his end. Sounded like maybe he was at a desk or something and he was rearranging things on it, maybe a stack of papers or a file. But the more you listened in on the silence on the other end you could hear the faint talking of people. They sounded far enough away that he wouldn’t be heard, but still close enough for you to pick up on their voices.
“Help me out here Princess, I ain't got all day.” The words left his mouth but they didn’t carry the same acidity as yours did.
Maybe he didn’t know why you started crying on him that first day. He just so happened to be the one who lit the match.
“Are you being serious? Or is this just another ploy to mess with me?’ You ask, unwilling to let yourself fall so easily into a trap.
“Just answer the damn question!” He grumbles into the phone.
And as you think for a moment about if you should tell him the truth or not. You can hear the faint clicks of a keyboard along with the crinkle of paper on his end of the line. You ponder on what it is he has to be doing while he is on the phone with you. Letting yourself get a little distracted by the background noise you hear. You have done this for long enough that you can pick up where most people are.
If it was loud, with lots of voices and traffic noises you knew they were on their way back from patrol. If you heard clicks and soft chatter most likely they were in their office. It was rare that you ever received a phone call with dead silence in the background. Though you suppose that with their line of work nothing stays silent for long.
“You there?” He calls out softly, almost like he expected you to have hung up by now.
“Sorry, I got distracted.” You say, and before he has a chance to bark out something rude you decide to indulge him just a little. “It was my first day, and I wasn’t supposed to work solo for another week.”
“Did I make you nervous?”
You can just tell he had a smirk on his face from the way he asked. He wanted to know if you were intimidated by just his voice.
“You were being mean.” You offer as a reason, not that it made it sound any less pathetic.
You hear the soft chuckle he lets out, and the squeak of the leather on his chair as he moves.
“Is that all it takes to get you worked up?” He laughs. “Good to know.”
You had a snarky reply just itching to roll off your tongue, but you were cut off by the sound of an alarm going off close by. And it was almost an instant switch in his voice, the way he went from being teasing to serious in less than a second.
“Gotta go, catch ya later crybaby.”
And without waiting for you to reply he hangs up once again on you. Leaving you sitting there listening to the dial tone of the dead phone line echo in your earphones. And for the second time in less than a month, you are left stunned by his lack of telephone skills.
“Who was it?”
The voice behind you calls out and your shriek when you realize you haven’t been alone this entire time. Throwing your headset off your ears and jerking your body in your gaming chair. Coming almost nose to nose with your roommate.
“It was that guy.” You finally manage to get out, holding your hand to your chest. “The one that made me cry.”
She looks just as shocked as you feel. As you try to force your heart to stop hammering away in your chest from her jumpscare.
“Sounds like it went a little better this time,” She smirks a little. “And he asked for you too!”
Her smirk turns into a full-blown impish smile as she gives you a look.
“How did he ask for me?”
She gives you enough room to be able to push yourself back from your desk and let you clock yourself out. Before standing up and grabbing your set of crutches next to you. She follows you at a slow pace as you walk out of your bedroom and into the living room. Almost flopping down onto the soft cushions of your shared couch, before she joins you.
She was already pulling out her phone and clicking through the dispatch log. Before you even registered what she was doing. A sly smile still playing on her lips as he clicks on a timestamp and hands you the phone.
And as you read the quick set of dialog that they record before each call. You see the words you were dreading finding out.
‘Lemme talk to the crybaby!’
In big bold letters was staring right at you. your roommate falls over with the biggest fucking laugh you have ever heard from her. A tiny snort leaves her when she moves her head to look at your face once more.
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