#powered!reader

non powered reader ->

you met during s3 era / summer of 85

you met lucas through dustin, given you went to camp together and somehow didnt know each other even though you both lived in Hawkins for forever

so you decided youd hang out with them for the rest of summer but then you got dragged into upside down shit

lucas profusely apologized after you all got attacked at hoppers cabin because he truly didnt want to put you in danger & lowkey dustin would kill him for letting his new friend almost die

you broke your arm hitting the ground while trying to help el escape the mind flayer so lucas was basically your personal aid until the mall burned down

dustin was giving lucas a weird look after reuniting / escaping the secret Russian base... all wink wonk over you

lucas was literally a human shield protecting you dude omfg

Erica spent MONTHS teasing him over that

powered reader ->

you escaped a bit before el like kali

but you stayed in Hawkins protected by Joyce (this is my way of making some kind of byclair work...)

Joyce basically kept you a secret / you didnt tell her shit about the lab or your powers, you didnt even know el existed cause you were kept apart

when will went missing, you came clean about everything cause you wanted to save your brother, obviously

and lucas lowkey got a soft spot because unlike el in his mind, you were actually trying to find will

he didn't like you much, given hes defensive around new people, but he was slowly growing on you

hes literally the sweetheart ever

takes you on the most awesomest dates

cooks for you (five star chef for a boyfriend just trust)

brings you flowers all the time, like a ridiculous amount. he keeps all the dead ones and dehydrates them and puts them into a binder for you so you can badically keep them forever

if you like star wars, hes the number one prequel defender, and he barely likes star wars. anything for you.

he lowkey thinks padme is hot but who doesn't... you lowkey fein for her together

couples who simp together stay together i guess?

alwayssss stays true to his word

if he says he'll do something with you another time, yk damn well he will

you play so many board games together its insane, you have ab entire bookshelf filled with games and you play them regularly

in the far future you get him a ps3 and trust HE NEVER LEAVES IT ALONE

you play on it together a lot too but he absolutely loves it, hes rlly good at strategy / puzzle games

he seems like the type to love sharing music but doesnt do so much

hes got the same handful of songs on repeat at all times and thats it

specifically really likes prince, billy idol and any song his dad ever listened to in the car

he lovesss when you share music with him

every valentines day he makes you a tape to listen to that has all sorts of songs hes found within the past year that remind him of you

Tony had reached out while you were on your mission, and in the long stretches between planets in search of the device, you had gotten to know each other. He was impressed by your academic resume but your comms thread turned into space memes not even a month into it. Nat you hadn’t even met at all. She was on an undercover recon mission for a month when you joined the team and neither of you had reached out to the other. All you knew was her reputation. 

Last but not least, you knew Bruce. You knew him pretty well, as he did you. There were typically at least three days in between planets where you could coast on autopilot after setting the route. You liked to read books you brought on your Kindle and he liked drawing up scientific theories. That’s not true, but he wished it was. He did draw up quite a few, but most of the time when he wasn’t actively working he was meditating or journaling. Or talking to you. After four long months on that mission you had talked about everything as mundane as favorite colors and first memories to deep questions like what happens after death and your respective nightmares. It wasn’t uncommon to wake up from a good sleep because the other was murmuring (or screaming) in their bunk. It was nice to wake him up and offer him some hot chocolate or coffee, as he often did for you. 

The door opened down and you stepped out with your duffle to walk down the path to the compound. The mid-December air was crisp and sharp against your face and bare arms. You had forgotten about local weather because it didn’t really matter when you were coming home. So unfortunately you were just wearing an athletic navy tank top and reflective but dark utility pants. You folded your arms over your stomach and shook in your place, shaking out each of your legs. In doing so you unknowingly pressed your boobs up against themselves and you were showing a considerable amount more cleavage than you had planned on. 

You ran back on to the ship to grab one of the bright green fur coats from planet Oregazze 4 and put it on. You followed the team, who had started walking without you, down the path. It wasn’t bad walking alone. It gave you the time to look around and really take it all in. The way Steve relaxed more when walking next to Natasha or Bucky, how Tony spoke with his hands and his watch flashed around. Natasha slowed down to walk in step with you. 

“Hi I’m Y/N Y/L/N” you said and stuck our your hand. She shook it. 

She said “I know who you are” with a friendly smile at the same time as you said: “I don’t think we’ve met yet” 

You exhaled through your nose, amused. 

“Well I’m Natasha” She said. 

“ I know who you are” you said in the same way, smiling a little. 

“So” she continued, clearing her throat. From what you could tell, something in her wanted to continue talking to you but she didn’t know what to say. “That coat is…” 

She trailed off and you jumped in. “Really something, right? We each got one on Oregazze 4 because that planet was way colder than we anticipated.” 

From there the conversation turned more natural and flowing when she shared a story about buying a really ugly coat on a mission just to keep eyes on her mark. You both let it drift whichever way it wanted after that and before and you were halfway back to the compound and in the middle of discussing your favorite breakfast foods (your was a bagel with peanut butter and hers was a granola bar with fruit) when the Sky clapped loud with thunder followed shortly by a strike of lightening. You both mutually took a step closer to each other as you watched the wind whip the leaves of the trees. Then came the downpour of rain. It was hard and sharp and pounding all around you. She started to jog towards the compound and you followed suit. 

Inside with everyone else you remember you had water powers. Well, after Bruce mentioned them. 

“Y/N, care to help us out here?” He asked and you nodded. You took in a breath and then with a slight flick of your hand you pulled the water off of everyone and into a huge blob in the middle. Another flick and you directed it towards the door, and just for fun you had an arm shape out of it and freeze so that it could open the door itself. You let it splat onto the already soaked concrete and the door closed on its own. 

The team was shocked silent. You already knew Steve had read your file and resume, he was the one who made the final decision on who could be promoted to this level. You smiled weakly as everyone stared at you. This was just plain uncomfortable. 

“Uh thanks” He said and the group started to disperse. 

“Welcome,” you told him and headed towards Bruce. You took your mission log journals out of your bags and followed him through the long, sterile hallways to the business side of the compound. In the middle it was a busy headquarters. And from the headquarters each department had its own section. There was a wing for desk duty and retired agents, a corporate and government wing, there was the department for new cadets and recruits, there was the average agents quarters, and then the Avengers portion. Of course there were also doors where you didn’t know what was behind them. But as you opened the glass ones from the Avengers hallway and into the lobby of headquarters, you felt at peace when it closed and you heard the lock click behind you. 

The meeting took hours. You pulled your knees into yourself in a spinning chair next to Bruce and talked through everything that happened, all the intel you gained, and put the device in the box. Then you had to digitalize every journal into electronic files (which was stupid because if told, you would’ve just made them like that in the first place). It was eleven o’clock when you made it back to the Avengers general living room. 

You headed down another hallway but it was less sterile than the last. Tony had made sure it was wooden floors with crown molding around the doorways and on the ceiling. The plaster walls were painted a warm, homey egg shell color. Everyone had their own room at the compound, but most people had their own apartment or house for when they wanted to spend time there. You had your own apartment but you didn’t want to drive all the way there now. 

In your room you found your duffle bag already sitting on your bed. There was a vase of fresh flowers on the nightstand and a welcome note from Natasha that quite literally just said “welcome. -Nat”. Before you closed your door behind you, you waved goodnight to Bruce. You couldn’t fall asleep. You tossed and turned and gave up all together. Next you tried to read but none of your books could hold your attention. 

“Screw this” you though and pulled the covers off of yourself. You pressed your bare feet into the cold wooden floor and left your room altogether. In the kitchen you took out ingredient after ingredient, making sure you had enough. Just as you started to mix together the batter, a silhouette appeared in the hallway. You looked at them and they took a few steps more into the light. Natasha smiled back when you smiled at her and took a few strides to close the gap between herself and the other side of the kitchen island. 

“Watcha making?” She asked. 

“Muffins. Do you know if we have muffin wrappers? I don’t necessarily need them but they would be nice.” You said and Natasha fished them out of a drawer for you. She placed them in your upturned palm but let her hand linger before pulling it back. You finished putting the muffins in their tins silently. You worked like a well oiled machine but you had really only known her for a day. For every tin she oiled you put the batter in and you sprinkled them with sugar before you put them in the oven. 

You sat back and hopped up on the counter, unafraid that your thighs spread out where you sat but the part off the counter didn’t. Natasha, who leaned against the counter with her forearms, looked at you. She stared at you. You pretended not to notice even though you felt like you were burning everywhere she looked. Despite your best efforts, you were softly blushing. 

Her eyes started at your torso and worked themselves up to your hair. You looked away when you thought she was staring at your chest and tried not to be self conscious about how low cut your tank top was. Or how it hung tight at the arms but crinkled in on itself at your waist, giving the impression of a curve you had gone years fine without. You, thinking you were going to sleep, had taken all of your minimal makeup off before you climbed into bed. 

Your lips fell open slightly as you kept your eyes trained to the wall clock when Natasha looked at your face. It wasn’t long, probably around three seconds, which you should’ve known from looking at the clock, before you looked at her too. You looked straight to her eyes because she was looking at yours. The twitch of upward motion in the corners of her lips was enough to keep your vision and focus trained on her. Neither of you said anything out loud and you didn’t need to. The silence wasn’t quiet, really, because of how loud your thoughts were. Because of how loud your heart was beating in your chest. 

Minutes later the clicking timer dinged and Natasha pushed herself forward off of the counter. She continued walking towards the the hallway where she came from (not the same hallway as your room) and you watched her walk away. The content swing of her hips led her to the doorway, where she turned to say goodnight and instead saw you checking out her ass. 

“Only fair.” She said with a shrug over her shoulder and a wink. “Goodnight, Y/N” 

A ringed hand slams down on the locker beside you, causing you to jolt at the sound of metal on metal. The Cheshire-cat grin spread across your best friend’s face indicates his satisfaction with your reaction, the brunt of his weight finding the doors.

“T’s not good for you to think that hard. Causes wrinkles, y’know?” 

“You’re gonna give me wrinkles, Munson.” Eddie smiles, always up for a banterous exchange between the two of you. He places an unlit cigarette between his plump lips, nestling the white filtered tip between rosy flesh. “Seriously?! Are you trying to get detention for the third time this week? I’m getting you to class if it kills me.”

Snatching it out of his mouth, you shove it into the worn leather adorning his chest. He dramatically falls back into the lockers once again, causing a raucous crash to echo down the depleting hallway. The remaining students turn their head in your direction, muttering indistinctly about the metalhead’s antics. After years of friendship with Eddie, your cheeks no longer burn at the judgemental attention, it’s a hazard of the trade. Besides, you have your ways of leveling the playing field with your best friend when needed.

Closing the locker, Eddie trails behind you like a lost puppy, as if he has no clue where his next class is. To be fair, you don’t doubt that that might be true, given his attendance record. Homework in hand, you trudge along making sure Eddie hasn’t wandered off like an irresponsible child in the grocery store.

“So, wanna hang out after Hellfire tonight? Got the new Iron Maiden tape the other day, but what kind of friend would I be if I listened to it without you?” The scuffling of worn Reebok’s on the linoleum flooring ceases behind you, an exhausted groan leaving your lungs. “Eddie, c’mon-”

“I, uh- I can’t hang out tonight.” Spinning on your heels, you shoot him a look of confusion.

“Okay? That’s cool, dude. But we’ve really gotta get to class so-”

Like trying to drag a stubborn mule, you grasp at Eddie’s wrist in a desperate attempt to move him. Shooting you a shit-eating grin, he plants his feet firmly, relishing in watching you put your back into trying to get him to budge.

“Don’t you wanna know what I’ve got planned?”

“Judging by how much you’re annoying me today, I’d say you’ve got a hot date with your right hand later.”

Eddie’s cheeks flush slightly at the insinuation, shaking his head sheepishly.

“No, well- you’ve got the first part right.”

Releasing his wrist from your tug-of-war, you stumble back slightly before you process this new information.

“Really?”

“Shit, don’t sound so surprised, sweetheart.” Eddie quips, words dripping with teasing sarcasm.

On one hand, you’re not surprised at all. Eddie is indisputably gorgeous. Large chocolate-brown eyes, a jawline that looks like it was carved by the gods themselves, and the kindest heart you’d ever encountered. In your eyes, he was the full package. Key word being your. It was no secret that Eddie’s reputation preceded him around town, he didn’t exactly have girls lined up around the block waiting to date him. But you knew how he could exercise his charm, when given the opportunity and perfect victim.

“With who?” Poker-face on, you try to sound as detached as possible.

“Maggie. You know, the new girl?”

Oh, you knew her alright. You watched as she unpacked her perfect little life from a U-Haul a few months back, moving into the white picket house across from yours. Though you hadn’t had any real interactions with her, you noticed how easily things came to her. Within her first week at Hawkins High, you witnessed her riding her bike home in a brand new cheer uniform, having been quickly indoctrinated. But on the weekends, she’d often help her mother tend to the garden in a band tee before jumping in her second-hand station wagon to make the most of a Saturday night with no curfew. With brown curls somehow perfectly imperfect, sultry eyes to rival Susanna Hoffs and a carefree attitude, it’s not hard to see how she could have any man swooning for her. Eddie, being no exception. Your mind begins racing over how they could have met, Eddie did seem especially cheerful on Monday after going to a concert that weekend. The one you were supposed to go to, if your mom hadn't found the vodka stuffed under your mattress and grounded you. Is that how they met? Fuck, maybe if you’d been there…

“Yeah, I think I know the one. What’re you guys gonna do?”

Eddie joins you side by side, thankful that you can now speed-walk to disperse some of the nervous energy brewing.

“Think we’re gonna go and see Friday the 13th at the drive-in cinema. They’re up to, like, the sixth one now so I imagine it’ll be a bit of a snooze-fest, but it’s all that’s on that late.”

Great. Eddie and a girl, alone in his van. At the drive-in cinema. Cuddled up watching a horror film. Picturing it is enough to make you want to vomit into your backpack. 

“Sounds fun.” It does not, in fact, sound fun.

Thankfully, the final bell signifies your impending tardiness, causing the two of you to bolt to Geometry.

It’s hard to focus on what Mr Watts is talking about at the best of times, but your mind is fixated on Eddie. In your heart, you know he deserves to have a good time. He’s a gentleman, any girl would be lucky to date him. But the green-eyed monster had her ugly talons stuck deep into your back long before now. It’s getting harder and harder to suppress your growing feelings for your best friend, stealing glances at him any chance you get. But it’s not worth the risk, not with all you have to lose. He’s your rock, the only person on this planet you can talk to about anything. And you’re not about to jeopardize your friendship over some silly crush. And yet, you also can’t help but feel an unfair notion that Eddie is somehow to blame for this. It could be so easy to misinterpret his naturally flirty nature for romantic intentions. How he opens every door for you, makes you mix-tapes of your favorite bands, picks you up for late-night drives to get the best view of the city. Every action is another addition to a precarious house of cards, doomed to collapse. Glancing over at Eddie, he is absent-mindedly tapping his pencil against the wooden desk. On any other day, it wouldn’t bother you. But today, it’s enough to drive you mad. Honing in all of your attention on the pencil, your gaze remains fixated on the object. All you can hear is the tap, tap, tap flooding your ears, his stupid rings reflecting light across the room. You furrow your brows, take a deep breath, and-

The pencil launches out of Eddie’s hand, clattering to the ground beneath him, drawing the attention of half the class.

“Mr Munson, could you please for once pay attention?” Mr Watts, clearly unimpressed by Eddie’s interruption, earns a few sniggers from students around him.

“Shi- sorry, Sir.” Eddie, completely baffled by what just happened, leans down to pick up the pencil. A smile creeps across your lips, and Eddie follows the pencil beneath your desk. Retrieving it, a worried look washes across his face as he glances up at you.

“Woah, you okay?” His tone is hushed, as not to draw any more attention to himself. You’re now acutely aware of the small stream of blood trickling from your nostril, wetting your upper lip in a metallic maroon. Quickly swiping it away, you pretend to busy yourself in your notebook.

“Yeah. ‘M fine.”

Call me when you get home safely.

The golden rule, never to be broken. Words uttered like gospel every time you and Eddie part ways at the end of a long night, a foundation in your friendship. After Hellfire wrapped up, you elected to drive home separately as Eddie wanted to head straight home to freshen up for his date. With a firm embrace, you muttered the words to him as you had countless times before, him nodding in acknowledgement against the crook of your shoulder.

12:46am. 

Eddie would have been due home an hour ago, accounting for time he and Maggie might have spent chatting away in the car after a disappointing slash-fest. Yet the corded phone beside your bed remains neglected, heavy-lidded eyes glancing over at it sporadically as you try to busy yourself in a book. 

What is taking him so long? He never forgets to call unless-

Unless he’s still with her. Images flash through your mind's eye, Eddie driving Maggie around town blasting the music you’d shown him. Pulling up to one of your usual hang-out spots, smoke filling the back of the van as the two swap spit on the end of a blunt. Ringed hands slipping under the soft cotton of her shirt, grasping at soft skin as the pair-

Nope, not going there. With a huff, you throw your book haphazardly to the side and flick off the bedside table, praying sleep will come soon.

You allow the phone to ring off the hook all of Saturday. You have no interest in talking to Eddie right now, your social battery drained at the mere thought of feigning interest over how his date went. And so, you keep yourself occupied, willingly cleaning your room just to have something to fill the dead space of time. Rearranging the trinkets on your windowsill, you spot a figure crossing the adjacent lawn. Maggie unlocks her bike from the patio railing, placing a bag in the wicker basket attached to the front. You try to pry your gaze from her, but something catches your eye. A band tee, one you haven’t seen her in before, hangs loosely on her frame, faded and gray from years of love. It’s familiar. Similar to the one that you bought for Eddie last year, thrifting it as a birthday present after scraping pennies together. Probably a coincidence, you tell yourself, bile building in your throat, failing to convince yourself. 

The phone rings a handful of times throughout the day, a fragment of the white noise reverberating through your head. Drowning out the voices, the self doubt, only to fuel the fire just as imminently. With your parents out of town for the weekend, the house feels desolate. An echoing chamber of solitude, combated by the unwanted images flooding your brain. You should feel happy for Eddie. He deserves love. But god, why does it have to be her love?

Against all odds, the barrage of thoughts ceases long enough for you to doze off on the couch, granting you a fleeting moment of peace. A moment cut short by a sharp and firm knock at the door. Maybe if you ignore it, they will go away, leaving you to your nest of despair. But it doesn’t. The knocks grow louder, more intense, causing you to groan as you pry yourself off the couch. Curtains ajar, you see the dusky sky outside casting shadows across the faintly lit street. Flicking on the floor lamp as you pass into the entryway, the knocking incessantly continues.

“Alright, I’m coming!” Post-nap grumpiness is in full flight as you swing open the front door. Eddie stands before you, leather jacket hanging off his slim frame, wallet-chain catching the last light of the day. But instead of his usual goofy smile plastered on his face, he looks entirely unimpressed.

“Oh, she lives!” His words are dripping with sarcasm, not waiting for you to invite him in.

“What are you doing here?” You quip back, shutting the door behind you.

“Y’know, just making sure you weren’t dead in a ditch somewhere. Forgive me.” Eddie paces straight for the living room, charged up with too much energy.

“Okay, well, as you can see-” You gesture to yourself with a flourish, “-I’m not. So, you didn’t need to waste gas driving out here.”

“Since when do you not pick up the phone? I’ve been trying to call all day!” Eddie’s typical jovial tone is nowhere to be found, instead having been replaced by dourness.

“God, sorry. Didn’t realize you’d only pick up the phone when it suited you.”

Eddie’s eyes squint slightly, incredulous as he absorbs your comment.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” God, men are thick.

“You never called to let me know that you got home safely. I sat up half the night waiting for you to ring, and nothing! But I’m sure you lost track of time with Maggie-”

Eddie’s eyes narrow, the logical side of his brain working overtime to figure out why you’re being so short with him. But as soon as you drop Maggie’s name, the puzzle pieces click into place.

“Is that what this is about?”

“Is what about?”

“This!” Eddie gestures with his hand in your direction. “This attitude you’ve had going on for days.”

“Oh my god. You’ve woken me up, stormed into my house and accused me of having an attitude. So forgive me if my hospitality is lacking, Eddie!”

“Does it have something to do with Maggie?” His question is point-blank, and it catches you off guard.

“No!” You blurt out a little too quickly, doing little to convince him.

“Do you not like her or something?”

“Why do you care if I like her or not? You like her, and that’s all that matters. So can we just drop this?” 

Blood begins boiling beneath the surface, a harbinger of emotions close to spiraling out of control. You need a second of solitude, to bring everything back to baseline. It’s happened with your family, even with bullies at school, but never been in the presence of Eddie for. It scares you, how your powers can lash out before you do, and you don’t want Eddie to be caught in the crossfire.

“We need to talk about this-”

“No, we don’t!”

“I just don’t get why you’re acting like this-”

“Eddie, you need to leave.”

Heart pounding in your chest, breath growing a little too fast for your liking. Pulse racing against the delicate skin of your neck, tears brimming close to the precipice. A quick glance over to the one illuminated lamp in the corner confirms your fears, the bulb flashing indiscriminately behind Eddie’s shoulder. Thankfully, his stern gaze remains fixed on you.

“No! I’m not going anywhere until-”

“Eddie, please-” An unsteady breath betrays you, voice cracking on your last word while a tear escapes your lash line. White noise clouds your brain, a haze forming around logic and control. Even with your eyes pinched shut, the glow of the frantically flickering lamp remains visible behind your lids. Eddie’s voice grows muffled, a scrambling of sound waves assaulting your eardrums and causing you to buckle over. Instinctively, your palms clamp down over your ears as you do your best to count to five. Feel the soft carpet beneath your socked feet. Smell the fresh flowers your mother placed in a vase next in the entranceway. Taste the metallic blood dripping from your nose, finding its way into your parted lips. Anything to bring you back to reality. And it’s not working. 

Not until two firm hands grasp your shoulders, and you distantly hear Eddie’s voice calling out to you.

“-Hey! Please, look at me…”

A deep, diaphragmatic breath is required as courage to pry your damp eyes open, and take in the image before you. Eddie is crouched down, level with you, eyes wider than you’ve ever seen. He looks terrified. 

“Oh my god-” He quickly throws his arms around you, tucking you in tight to his chest. His familiar musky scent is comforting, grounding you in a sense of safety. 

“‘M sorry, Eddie.” Words barely louder than a squeak, Eddie tightens his grip around you and pulls you in closer.

“Fuck, I thought-” His chest rises unsteadily, voice quivering. “- that was, it was just like Chrissy.”

A sharp pang of guilt hits you deep in your gut. The lights. The zoning out. He’s seen it before, a year ago with Chrissy,  and you never considered how triggering it might be for him to witness the effects of your powers out of context.

“I’m okay.” It takes everything for you to pull away from him, but you need to offer him the same comfort he’s granted you. “I’m sorry, I should have told you.”

“Told me?”

You can’t help but chuckle at how weird it is to say out loud. 

“You know how El has powers? Well, I kind of do too.” Eddie’s eyebrows shoot up, disappearing beneath his mess of bangs. “Not like, to the same extent. But sometimes, if I get overwhelmed or experience some sort of strong emotion, shit like that happens.”

Eddie is speechless. Not that you blame him, it’s not every day you learn of your best friend’s superpowers. His eyes dart around your face, as if searching for any indication that this is a joke. But as your expression remains serious, his whole demeanor softens.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Wasn’t safe.” You reply, shaking your head. “I mean, look at El. I just- I didn’t want to put you at risk.”

“No, no. I get it.” Eddie’s hand absent-mindedly brushes some of your hair out of your face. “You said it happens when you feel something strong. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have pushed you-”

“No! It wasn’t that, I’ve felt it coming for a while now.” Chuckling sheepishly, you quickly wipe away any remaining tears from your flushed cheeks. 

“What, were you like, jealous or something?” Eddie laughs, his signature grin creeping across his face. At his question, you feel your breath catch again, smile faltering minutely. Eddie doesn’t miss this, and he leans in a little closer. “Oh my god, you were, weren’t you?”

“You don’t have to rub it in, asshole.” You give him a small shove to the chest, an embarrassed laugh catching in your throat. His hand catches yours, trapping it in place between his palm and the cotton shirt. Your eyes focus on the shirt. Grey, worn from years of love. The one you’d thrifted for him as a birthday present last year. And your heart swells.

“So, let me get this straight.” Dimples settle deep into his smile lines as his gaze bores into you. “My best friend has powers, and a crush on me?”

Your free hand finds its way to your face, running down the length with exasperation.

“Yep, pretty much. And you can add jealous bitch to that list too.”

“Well, as it turns out, Maggie is a total dud. Ran off half way through the film because she spotted some of her cheer friends in the parking lot.” 

“She didn’t!”

“Oh, but she did. Although, it wasn’t all bad, meant I could smoke the rest of my stash to myself. Aaand then I passed out in the back, woke up the next morning and came straight home.” “Sounds like a shit drive-in date.” Eddie chuckles, shaking his head.

“Sure was. Maybe you and I could right some wrongs next Saturday? My treat, think of it as my apology for not calling.”

You can’t contain the grin threatening to spread across your face.

“Probably cold now,” he finally says in a thick British accent. “Saw you following me when I left work. Thought you might be hungry too. S’not poisoned or nothing’.” 

“What do you mean it’s not poisoned?” Jake hisses. “I told you to drug them.”

“Jake, we don’t have access to anything to drug someone,” Marc is confused. “Do we?”

You can’t help but smile a little bit at Steven Grant and take the food he’s offering. You are hungry, and though the hours old food would sit badly in a normal human’s stomach, you’re unconcerned. And if it’s poisoned, well, poison didn’t really work on you.

“So what do you want then?” Steven finally looks at you.

You have a mouthful of food, and all you can do is freeze as the full weight of Steven Grant’s gaze settles on you.

“Ever heard of the Avengers?” you opt to cut right to the chase.

“What? Are we stupid?” Marc hisses.

“Hasn’t everyone?” Steven filters Marc’s snide remark.

“I’m an Avenger.”

“Bullshit. Give me the body!”

“We know about,” you debate the best way to sound non-threatening and end up gesturing vaguely to his whole body. “you and are interested-”

The man hears nothing else that you say, just Jake’s voice.

“Steven, give me the body,” his alter says with deadly calm.

Steven doesn’t, just keeps staring at you. Sadness fills his deep brown eyes.

“Don’t try to take me in,” he mutters. “It won’t end well for you.”

“No, no,” you put a hand on his knee. “I’m not here to arrest you or anything like that.”

Steven glances down at your hand, and you draw it back quickly, apologetically.

“We want to recruit you for the initiative,” you explain, rubbing your hands together as you talk. “After Cairo, Moon Knight is a bit of a hero amongst us Avengers.”

Steven looks at you with slightly parted lips. The sun catches in his dark curls, and as you’re staring at him thinking that he is one of the most beautiful human beings you’ve ever seen he’s staring back thinking the same thing.

“Keep it together, buddy,” Marc says. “I don’t disagree with you, but-”

“This is dangerous. Someone knows about us! Mierda! Do the Avengers know about all of us?”

You look him up and down. God, you want to touch those curls. Stop. Focus. You have got to focus. You cross your arms, leaning forward onto your knees and pulling your gaze away from Steven to look into the distance.

“After the blip, the battle, we lost so much. The team scattered, but our enemies didn’t. I’m not asking you to live in a tower or at the new compound. We just need heroes willing to defend those who can’t defend themselves,” you let the sadness tinge your voice, sadness for your lost team. “Heroes who will answer the call when it’s time.”

“I’m not a hero.”

The accent is gone. You glance over at Marc Spector, his brows furrowed deeply as he studies you. He thinks he believes you, even though Jake is still suspicious. It’s the tragic honesty of your plea that makes him comfortable enough to front. And it’s the perfect opportunity to see just how much you know.

“Nice to meet you, Marc.”

“Looks like the answer is everything,” Jake hisses. “Everything!”

Reluctantly, Marc allows Jake to front. You can tell instantly by how his mouth sets in a tight line that you’re looking at the third alter. Jake clearly sees you as a threat. All you know from the file is that he is “the most violent of the three,” which is an assessment you think is unfair. It seemed to you that Jake only fronted when the system was in real danger, only took lives when absolutely necessary, did anything to protect Marc and Steven. You admired him for it, respected him.

But if he saw you as a threat, then you were in trouble. Shit.

You jump to your feet, taking a defensive stance as Jake stands too, looking at you with a slightly tilted head and menacing eyes.

“You want us to be an Avenger?” He growls. “What if I don’t believe you?”

He steps closer, closer.

“Jake, I think she’s telling the truth,” Steven interrupts.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” he says aloud then lunges for you.

You side step him, raising your hands and blocking his punch easily. He spins and kicks. You slide back to avoid it, totally on the defensive, not having any desire to really fight Jake. That is, until he finds your ribs with a hard kick. Something cracks. Instinct takes over then. You kick him right in the chest, sending Jake staggering backward.

“Not bad,” he grins like this is some sort of game.

You glance around, making sure the park is still empty. You don’t want the cops called on an Avenger fighting a vigilante. There’s no one. You leap at Jake, tossing punch after punch that he blocks easily. Just as you intended. He’s distracted and doesn’t notice you step in to sweep out his leg, knocking him flat on his butt.

He kicks your ankle hard, and you fall forward to your knees. By the time you realize what’s happening, he’s back on his feet in a low crouch. You use your momentum to roll forward, back on your feet in an instant only inches from Jake. He strikes forward; you catch his arm, locking out his wrist and elbow and spinning him around. You raise a knee to strike his face, and he grabs your thigh.

Add some degree of super strength to Moon Knight’s list of powers. He hooks an arm under your leg and flips you onto your back, shaking your grip free as the air whooshes from your lungs. Pain shoots through your side. Jake’s body collapses heavily on yours, pinning you beneath him. He straddles your waist, leaning forward over you.

You bring an elbow across his face and blood sprays from his nose.

“Alright, I’m definitely buying the Avengers thing,” Marc says.

Jake wasn’t quite convinced. He draws back a hand and you jerk your head to the side to avoid the punch. He hits the ground instead. You use his shifted weight to get your legs around his waist, and flip him to the side so you’re on top with him pinned beneath you.

“That was hot.”

“Steven, you are just one giant intrusive thought right now,” Jake replies silently as he stares up you.

For a moment, you think you’ve reached a truce and relax your body ever so slightly. That’s exactly what Jake wanted. He reaches for your neck. You bat his hand away. He tries again. You block again, and he grabs your wrist instead, yanking you closer so he can wrap his strong arms around your back and flip you back over.

“That was hot,” it’s Marc’s turn to admire you.

A flash of gold then a cold blade is pressed to your neck, pricking the skin.

“Easy, Jake,” Steven warns.

Blood from Jake’s face drips across yours as he glowers down at you.

Power flares in your hands, but you will it back to sleep. He’s not really going to hurt you. He was pulling his punches. This is a test, some sort of strange initiation to see if you’re trustworthy enough for Jake Lockley. You meet his gaze with a measured look of complete calm. He tilts his head.

“Hmm, te creo,” he sheathes the crescent shaped blade. “I believe you.”

He sits back and offers you a hand, pulling you to your feet. You feel the tiny mark on your neck that’s bleeding a surprising amount. Jake touches his nose tenderly. It’s definitely broken. And so are your ribs you realize as you struggle to take a deep breath.

“Here,” you reach for him first, letting your powers flow through you as you trace his busted nose with a feather light touch.

When his nose snaps back into place, he doesn’t so much as flinch. But he is staring at you with raised eyebrows. You run a hand over your neck, healing the tiny cut, then press your palm to your side. It hurts like it always does as your bones click back together.

“Fuck,” you hiss under your breath, trying and failing to bite back a pained moan.

“Now that was hot,” Jake says silently

“Imagine hearing that sound because of us,” Marc adds, the image of you squirming underneath them flashing through their minds courtesy of Marc.

“We are hearing that sound because of us,” Steven snaps. “Someone - Jake - broke their ribs!”

“Lay off Steven. I was assessing a threat.”

“Whatever you say, mate. Threat assessed.”

“So the Avengers?” Marc asks, wiping blood from his face with the back of his hand.

“I take it I passed,” You remark wryly, not even blinking at the appearance of Marc.

It was the weirdest recruiting mission you had ever been on, but if beating the shit out of each other for a few minutes convinced Jake, Steven, and Marc that you were genuine, then that’s what you’d do.

Marc stepped close to you and raised his hand to your face, touching the spattering of blood there. His face changes, softens. Steven’s palm flattens over your cheek, and without realizing it you lean into the warmth.

“My flat’s a few blocks away,” he offers. “You can clean up there, talk to all of us about the Avengers.”

His eyes are wide as his gaze roves your face, a little smile quirking his lips up. You’re equally as enraptured by him, by all of them really.

“Oh, he’s got it bad,” Jake remarks.

In the end, Steven walks you back to his flat, listening to you talk about the new Avengers Initiative all the while. Marc and Jake jump into the conversation here and there, and in the fifteen minutes it takes to reach Steven’s door, your mission is complete. Moon Knight is an Avenger.

You could go. Right then, you could turn around, wish Steven - and Marc and Jake - the best, tell them you’ll see them later, and go back to the compound. You should go, but there is something magnetic about the three men that makes you follow Steven Grant into his flat.

He sits you on the edge of his bed and cleans the blood from your face with a damp cloth, kneeling between your legs the whole time in a way that makes you feel… things. Damn it. When you were recruited to the team, you made a personal rule that a romance, however brief, would never be an option with a fellow Avenger. Steven is by all rights an Avenger now. The co-workers rule had always kept you out of trouble before. So yes you could admire how handsome this man was, but no, there could be no romance, no sex, nothing.

When your face and neck are clean, Steven absentmindedly puts a hand on your thigh, high on your thigh, and sits back on his knees. There is fire where he’s touching you. Damn it, you curse to yourself. Remember the rule.

Trying to distract yourself, you take the cloth from him and dab at his face that is still bloody from the broken nose. It forces you to lean closer as you hold his head still with one hand and wipe blood away with the other. His face is soft with just a hint of afternoon stubble on his cheek and jaw. This was not a good choice for a distraction.

He’s looking up at you with those big dark eyes, and when he makes eye contact, he hold you still with just his gaze.

“Come on, Steven!” Marc cheers him on.

Steven doesn’t think. He takes your face between his hands and kisses you like a dying man taking his last breath. He leans you back, pressing you flat to the bed and moving to hover over you, kissing you all the while.

“I-is this alright?” Steven asks, pulling back so your noses are barely brushing.

No. It’s breaking the rule. That’s what you should say. But your hands are pressed to the smooth muscles of his chest, moving almost of their own accord to feel him through his shirt. 

“Yes,” you decide right then to take a leap of faith.

The smile that lights up Steven’s face is contagious. You would break every rule in the world just to see him smile. You’re grinning back at him as he shifts his body atop yours. Fighting Jake had been - dare you say it - fun, but this was better. Steven is warm and gentle in all the right ways, and you think that if you ever get the chance you’d find that Marc and Jake would be rough in all the right ways. But for now, this is enough. More than enough.

Steven’s hands roam your face like he’s trying to memorize every bit of it. You’re raising goosebumps along his side as you slip your hands under the soft fabric of his shirt.

And just as you are about to tear this beautiful man’s clothes off, your phone vibrates loudly in your pocket. The moment is broken. You fumble for the device, brushing the back of your hand awkwardly across Steven’s… oh shit. He huffs softly.

“Sorry,” you mutter, feeling how hard he is with that quick touch.

He moves his eyes up, averting his gaze from you with a slightly embarrassed half-grin, half-grimace.

“Hello,” you answer, calming your breathing.

You’re still laying under Steven who is braced on his elbows with hands hovering awkwardly around your head.

“Any updates?”

Why did it have to be Sam Wilson calling you right now? It felt like your older brother had just walked in on you having sex. It wasn’t sex… yet, and Sam wasn’t your older brother… biologically, but that might has well have been the situation.

“Yeah, it uh… went well. He’s on board.”

You glance at Steven who is watching you curiously, actively running a hand through your hair now.

“Good. So we’ll see you back here early morning then?” Sam asks.

“I um… I missed my flight,” that is technically true.

“Missed flight?” You hear Bucky shout and pull the phone from your ear as his voice gets louder. “They’re fucking. I knew it! I saw those pictures of him, and I knew this was the end of your stupid co-worker rule!”

“We’re not-” you start, then stop; lying to Bucky and Sam has never been your best skill. “We-”

Marc grabs the phone from your hand; you don’t know when the change occurred. He could definitely hear Bucky’s yelling.

“We’re trying to,” he speaks into the phone.

You can hear Bucky’s happy shouting on the other line, Sam trying to calm him down. Then Marc hangs up and tosses your phone aside.

“Now where were we?” Marc’s voice shifts to Steven’s British accent mid-sentence.

You bury your fingers in his soft curly hair, dragging Steven’s face down to yours and pressing your lips to his soft ones. You’d followed your co-worker rule for years, but not anymore. Steven moans quietly, a deep throaty sound that shoots heat through your body.

It was like Stark had always said, rules are made to be broken.

--

Tag List: @love-on-the-murder-scene @bookfrog242​ (Let me know if you want added to my Moon Knight list or if I missed you. I’m really bad at maintaining these.)

Eleven thought you were dead for a long time. She found you in a vision when her heart stopped for the first time trying to regain her memories and her power.

She told you why she was willingly going through this and begged you to protect her friends in her place.

So here you are. Answering their questions after you saved their asses, revealing yourself to One in the process.

You would consider your work done and would love to go back to not caring about anyone or anything in the world but they are crazy enough to go after 'Vecna' again and again. The only sensible person in the group is Eddie 'the Banished' who voiced his concern about the insane plans.

Staying for a few days proved to be a mistake. You started to care despite vowing never to get attached. So you suggested a quick closure. Showing the gates to the police before you try to close them, this way they could explain what happened, come up with a story and go back to live their lives.

They refused, saying that Vecna had to be stopped for good. Knowing this can't end well, you left.

Driving away with your fancy car from this madness, all you can think about is those sad, adorable eyes looking at you with so much hope and you feel the increasing need to go back and save him from his inevitable death.

"I wonder if I should pick up some bacon while I'm out?"

"Oh, a kitty!"

"John, oh, I could just murder you..."

"Oh my god, she is so annoying."

"Why did I put my keys?"

You gritted your teeth as you grabbed the sides of your head in pain.

"I hope Y/N is okay..."

Your eyes popped open at Eddie's echoey voice in your head. You dropped your hands as you stared at your bedroom door. Your mom gave him the spare key since he stayed the night at your house more than his own. You knew he'd let himself in and come see you. You've been distant for a couple of days. Eddie didn't fall for the 'I'm sick' ploy, you know. You heard him.

Right on cue, your door opened and Eddie peeked in, spotting you in the corner. He furrowed his eyebrows and shut the door behind him, walking over.

"Y/N? Babe? You okay?" He looked worriedly down at you. "What's wrong?" His hand reached towards you, crouching down and cupping your cheeks.

You leaned into his touch, letting out a sigh. "I don't know," You murmured softly. "It's just a headache, don't worry, Eddie." You tried to smile up at him.

Eddie just shook his head slightly, frowning, "Y/N, I know you... You're my girlfriend. I know when something is up. Can you please tell me? You've been hiding from me for days." He practically begged, his brown eyes staring into yours. "You're not breaking up with me, right?" He whispered in horror but you quickly shook your head, grabbing Eddie's wrists.

"No! No, I'm not breaking up with you, Eddie. I promise." You frowned and sighed again. "I'm sorry. I don't know what's going on. But... Something is happening. Please just stay here tonight. Don't leave me alone." You pleaded with him.

Eddie nodded slowly, but he still seemed concerned. "You confuse me girlie." He laughed lightly before he leaned forward and kissed you gently on the lips, "You'll be okay." He smiled before standing, taking you into his arms for a hug.

You curled into his arms, trying to ignore all the voices that continued to resonate in your mind. They were growing louder. You could hear them all now.

"You should have told him. God, you're such a coward." You thought to yourself, your voice pushing through the others in your mind.

"I'm hungry, what should I eat?"

"Oh, I forgot to turn off the stove."

"I swear, I'm not having another kid."

"Where did I put my homework?"

You pushed Eddie away from you, gasping for breath as your face flushed with anger. Eddie's eyes widened as he tentatively reached out toward you.

"Y/N? What's wrong?" He asked as you felt tears burn in your eyes.

You looked up at him with urgency, eyes wide and wet with tears. "Eddie, you have to make them stop." You cried, grabbing at your hair in tight fists.

He pulled you into his arms once more, holding you close. "I will, Y/N. I'll try everything I can. I promise." He brushed some of your hair away from your face. "Baby, please what's going on? Tell me how I can help you." He murmured softly as his thumb wiped away the tears that fell.

You shook your head against his chest, "I don't know how to stop them... Please, Eddie... Do something..." You whimpered and pressed your forehead into his.

His eyes softened with concern as he shifted slightly, looking down at you. He placed the palm of his hand on your cheek and you pressed closer to him, soaking his shirt with your tears.

"They won't stop... Eddie..." You shuddered a bit as the voices grew louder and louder. "Please... Help me." You sobbed, your body trembling uncontrollably as the voices took over. They spoke in unison, echoing off one another.

"I love you." Eddie's voice burst through and into your mind.

His single thought echoed and radiated; surpassing the other people's thoughts. Slowly as the echo murmured out, so did the other voices. Your mind was clearing, silencing, and calming. Soon, the only thing left was his voice. You felt such relief. The pain subsided.

"I love you, Y/N." His voice was calm and soothing.

You gasped, pulling back from him and wiping the tears from your eyes. You gazed up at him with wide eyes, "You love me?" You breathed, pressing your hand to his heart feeling it race.

You hadn't said those three words to each other yet.

Eddie tilted his head as he narrowed his eyes in curiosity. "How did you know?" He asked, face red as he brushed a piece of stray hair away from your face.

You hesitated slightly before speaking, "I... Can read minds." You explained, glancing away from him.

Eddie's mouth dropped open as he stared at you, "That's... You must be joking." He exclaimed and shook his head. You turned to him fully, your brows furrowed in confusion.

"I'm serious, Eddie." You urged him on. "If you really want to know, I'll show you. Just watch. Think about something." You told him.

He stared at you for a moment and you took a deep breath. You closed your eyes as you concentrated. Then, you heard his thoughts, loud and clear.

"Yellow peanut butter monkeys?" You asked, opening your eyes to see Eddie's wide ones.

"No way... How did you do that?" He asked, his voice soft and low.

"I told you. I can read minds. Whatever was happening to me, my mind was overwhelmed with people's voices and thoughts. Most of the time I can block them out, but I haven't lately. It's been getting worse. My powers have gotten stronger." You shrugged, "This time, their voices were louder than usual. I can usually suppress them, but today, they were too loud." You rested your head against his shoulder and squeezed his arm.

"Alright..." He whispered softly.

You shook your head, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. You deserved to know. I was just..." You trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

"Worried?" Eddie finished and you nodded.

"Yeah, a lot."

Eddie shook his own head, "You don't have to be. This is crazy but it is also like super metal. My girlfriend has superpowers." He praised you, squeezing you tightly. "You are so amazing... I love you." He muttered, nuzzling his nose into yours.

Your lip quivered as you blinked back your tears. "I love you too." You whispered, leaning into him as he hugged you. "Thank you, Eddie." You murmured as you sniffled.

Eddie ran his fingers through your hair before he kissed your forehead. "No problem, babe."

---

"Why was your first thought 'yellow peanut butter monkeys'?"

"Gotta make it random for you."

---

“Wait… So you knew when I was thinking of the ‘Master of Puppets’ lyrics?”

The Devil and His Shadow I

—------------------------------------------—

[R] ran and ran as they felt fear creep up on them, they wanted to cry from how scared they currently feel when [R] suddenly gets tackled by one of the men. They screamed loudly as they panicked before turning around and suddenly hit the man with a shadow straight to the stomach as the man hit the wall and groaned.

"Stop chasing me! I did nothing wrong!" they shouted as they stood up and walked backwards as the men in front of her approached them with weapons. They held up their hands as shadows appear when suddenly a man covered in red and black jumped down and appeared, the men glared as they all looked at one another before ambushing him. They looked at the man in surprise and helping him from time to time trying to stop him from getting hit, [R] saw as one of the men held up a gun and panicked as they ran and tackled the man due to adrenaline and impulse.

—--------------------------2nd Person POV---------------------------—

Daredevil's eyes widen as he heard the man with the gun fall all of the sudden, his head snapped to you to the point you were scared he snapped his neck. He looked at you when you suddenly shout "Behind you!", he hits the man and punches him continuously as you turn away and flinch from time to time hearing bones break.

He looks at you as you stare at him nervously with an open mouth looking at him with disbelief and a bit of fear. You looked at him as you held up a hand as a shadow dagger forms as you point it at him and say "W-who are you?", the man stares at you before mumbling the word Daredevil. You look at him in confusion before asking "Your name is Daredevil..? I- um.." you cover your mouth as you look down trying not to chuckle out loud right now knowing how rude that would seem.

He tilts his head in confusion wondering what was so funny about what he said, you looked at him still covering your mouth as you say "So.. what with the ear things on top". It comes out muffled as you nearly laugh wanting to jokingly make fun of his name, but you know you can't since he saved ya' and you don't wanna seem rude. He heard your covered laugh as he looked at you with a bit of offense, "It's horns.." he mumbles as he looks at you with a pout and a bit of anger.

You stopped laughing as you shook your head and smiled "So.. what is a guy who dresses up like the devil doin' here in a random alley?". He glared at you behind the mask as he shook his head in disappointment and answered "I help people in Hell's Kitchen, I heard you screaming..". He looked at you as you stared at him with an awkward smile, "I heard a weird swooshing noise as you held up your hand.. what was that?" he asked as he looked at you with his head tilted. You looked at him in surprise before deciding to lie and say "I don't know, I think it was another one of the men.. I closed my eyes when I held up my hand."

He stared at you and even though there was a mask, you could tell he was glaring at you for some reason.. he tilted his head as he looked at you and said "You're lying.. I can tell". You looked at him with panic in your eyes as you backed up to the wall as you noticed he slowly walked forward, before he could even tell you to calm down and that he didn't want to harm ya', you immediately disappeared and went into the shadows hiding away from anyone's sight.

—-------------------3rd person POV [1 week after]-------------------—

Matt walked down the sidewalk as he wondered what happened last week when he encountered you, Matt was confused! he's never heard a sound like that before. He walked a bit slower as Foggy rambled on about something when suddenly someone bumps into his shoulder, he hears them apologize when suddenly he recognizes the tone of voice.

"It's completely fine Mx..?" Matt asked as he stared at [R] who slowly panicked as they shook themselves to calm down and answered back "It's [R], [R] [L/N]". [R] stared at him wondering why he was seemingly glaring at them when they don't even know this man, they shook their head as they apologized again before walking away wondering who the guy was.

Foggy gave Matt a look as he said "Why did you stare at the kid? did you encounter them as Daredevil??", Matt stared at Foggy before nodding slowly as Foggy let out a noise of disbelief "Really?? What did they do?" he asked as they both walked towards the office.

"They were getting attacked when I arrived to help them, when all the attackers were down I was going to ask if they were okay.. they panicked and disappeared all of the sudden with a noise I've never heard before" Matt said as he goes over the events again, he wonders if whether he should find you later and ask what it was..

—-------------------3rd person POV [With R]-------------------------—

[R] walked as they looked around checking to see if anyone was following them, they didn't want to get chased at night again! [R] tensed up when they suddenly sensed a new shadow that appeared out of nowhere, [R] turned around and held out a hand as the shadows formed a bat that fit in [R]'s hands perfectly. Daredevil's eyes widened hearing the sound again as he landed in front of [R] with a small tumble, he immediately faces [R] as Matt holds his hands up as a way to show he isn't going to attack.

[R] stared at him as they held up the bat slowly, prepared to hit in case Daredevil attacks them. "I won't hurt you, don't worry.. I just want to know why I keep on hearing a swooshing sound near you." he said as Daredevil stops walking hearing how panicked your heart sounds, [R]'s panic lowered as they heard what Daredevil said and weighing the pros and cons before deciding to say it. "It's a power of mine..? I can manipulate and bend shadows to my will."

Daredevil's eyes widened a bit, it wasn't the first time he's heard of people with powers, but it is the first time he's met one that wasn't any of the Defenders. "Oh, so that's the swooshing sound I keep on hearing.." He said as [R]'s eyes widened in confusion because they were sure this random horned man was as blind as a blind man could be! at least that's what the shadows told [R]..

[R] shook their head as they held the bat in front of them prepared to attack when suddenly they feel a bullet lodge into their shoulder as they heard a shout of "NO!" from a man..? no wait it's the horned devil who was talking to them awhile ago..

—----------------------------THE END--------------------------------—

A/N:: Working on part two, wanted to finish this today so sorry if the last part seemed rushed-