Lucky Day

Lucky Day

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader (College AU)

Summary: Bucky, your childhood best friend, takes you to a baseball game to thank you for helping him with his chemistry class. However, between bets and kiss cams, luck seems to be the real game being played. 

Word Count: ~800

Warning(s): nothing really it’s just a whole lot of fluff 

a/n: Here is a little fluffy drabble I’ve had in my drafts for quite some time. ❤️ Likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated!! 💖 

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      “ Y/n, I caught it!” Bucky yelled grinning from ear to ear. Cheers erupted from the seats around you as he waved the baseball he caught in the air. “ There’s no way,” you grumbled staring at the baseball Bucky was twirling around in his hands. You placed a bet with Bucky earlier on whether or not he would catch one of the stray baseballs from the game. He would routinely complain about coming here and never catching one, so you thought this would be a good opportunity to make a few extra dollars. Unfortunately, for your bank account, luck was on his side today. 

     You reached into your wallet and took out a twenty, handing it to him annoyed at your loss, “Here.” Bucky was grinning smugly as he took the money from your hand, a twinkle of satisfaction in his eyes, “ Maybe you’re my good luck charm, Y/n. You should come to these games more often with me.” You glared at him playfully,” And have to do more of your chemistry homework? No thanks.” He laughed at that, stealing a cheesy nacho from the container on your lap.

     “ Not chemistry. Next time it’ll be algebra.” 

     “ In your dreams, Barnes.” 

     “ Oh, so we’re on last-name terms now? Well, L/n, to cheer you up I’ll buy you some of that cotton candy you wanted. Although, technically, you’ll be buying it,” he cheekily remarked calling over one of the snack vendors and buying a pink fluff of candy floss with the twenty you just gave him. He handed it to you and you gladly took it,” Whatever, Barnes,” you replied holding back a grin. It was nice to see how excited Bucky was to have finally caught a baseball from his favorite team. You knew he wanted one for a long time, and no doubt would stay after just to try and get it signed by his favorite players.

     Even though you lost the bet, you were glad you came to the game with him. You usually don’t come to outings like these as you’re usually busy with coursework and Bucky tends to invite Steve or Sam to these kinds of things. However, when he was falling behind in chemistry, you helped him complete some assignments and study for an exam he ended up acing thanks to your tutoring. Tutoring is not your specialty, but when the request came from your childhood best friend, there was no way you could say no. You can’t remember the last time you genuinely said no to Bucky.   

     The people in the seats surrounding you suddenly started to get rowdy breaking you from your thoughts. You scanned the stadium confused as to what everyone was getting animated over. You knew there was a current break in the game, so it couldn’t be that. Hearing the romantic music being played over the speakers brought your attention to the giant screen in the stadium. Your heart skipped a beat as soon as you saw who was on it. 

     It was you and Bucky. 

     There the two of you were on the jumbotron with the words ‘KISS CAM’ plastered on the screen surrounded by a scatter of red hearts. You froze in your seat never been put in a position like this. You felt the heat rise to your cheeks as the people around you encouraged the two of you to kiss—including the announcer. You weren’t a stranger to any sort of public displays of affection, but this was something else in its entirety. 

     “ Y/n, you know we don’t have to do this. They’ll just switch to another couple. Relax,” Bucky spoke up from beside you, his voice gentle and kind. He must have noticed how nervous you had gotten as soon as you two showed up on that screen. You turned to him, the word couple bouncing around your mind with mixed emotions. However, as soon as you locked eyes with him the emotions were no longer mixed. 

     You wanted to kiss him.

     This came as no surprise to you, and most likely no surprise on his part either. There was a constant flirtatious dynamic between you and almost everybody you knew assumed you were a couple. It’s not like they would be wrong to assume that since there were a few times you almost crossed the line between friend and lover, however, neither of you ever took the step to fully cross it. Stolen glances, lingering hugs, and near kisses were no strangers in your friendship.

     “ But I want to,” your voice came out quieter than you expected, and yet Bucky had heard you. His demeanor changed from earlier, a hopeful yet almost shy look overtook his face. A sheepish grin replaced the confident one from earlier as the reality of what could and would most likely happen, set in.

      “ You sure?” He asked coming in closer, his right hand taking your left in his as a comforting gesture. You were so entranced by the moment you only managed to nod your head before he leaned over and kissed you. You kissed back, your right hand dropping the cotton candy and instinctively holding onto his cheek. As the stadium erupted with cheers, he used the hand that was holding yours to pull you in closer by the waist.

     Today turned out to be a lucky day for both of you. 

Tranquility

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Avenger!Reader

Summary: On your day off from saving the world, you decide to have a date in the park with your boyfriend Bucky.

Word Count: ~400

Warning(s): none really, just lots of fluffy goodness!!

a/n: The end of the semester is approaching, so I am swamped with final projects and essays. Here’s a little fluffy drabble in the meantime inspired by the four blissful summerlike days my hometown got before the snow visited us once more 😭 Yes, you heard me right. SNOW IN APRIL!! 🥲 Thank you for reading! ❤️ Likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated!! 💕

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“ I wish this day would last forever,” you let out a long sigh, finishing your last spoonful of cookie dough ice cream. The sun was setting, leaving the most lovely hues of orange and yellow across the sky. The sound of flowing water accompanied by the chirping of birds made your stroll in the park with your boyfriend almost dreamlike.

Bucky returned your sentiment with a soft smile, “ Forever would be nice.” He rubbed small circles into your left hand, planting a kiss on your hair simultaneously. To have days so tranquil like today were rare. The only time the two of you spent together lately involved any missions you were partnered on. Stopping madmen from taking over the world wasn’t exactly your idea of a romantic date. 

You intertwined your fingers with his and pulled him toward a stone bridge. It overlooked a gently flowing river with a perfect view of New York City beyond it. You weren’t tired, but you wanted to rest for a moment, hoping the world would let you bask in the sunlight for a few more minutes before disappearing into the night. 

With a quick hop, you sat on top of the bridge railing and patted the spot next to you for Bucky to sit. He shook his head and instead chose to stand between your legs. One hand resting at your side, the other holding his rocky road ice cream cone. There was a look in his eyes you recognized very well. His eyes twinkled with mischief warning you he was planning something. 

“ You got something on your face, darling,” Bucky motioned to your face lazily, not highlighting a specific place. 

“ Where?” Your brows furrowed, dabbing your hands across your face trying to find the something Bucky mentioned.

“ Right there,” Bucky, in a quick swoop, smeared a dash of rocky road ice cream on your nose. Your mouth flew open in playful disbelief, “Buck! My nose is all cold now,” your hand lifted to wipe it away, but he stopped it midair,“ I’ll get it.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss on your nose. “ Better?” He asked after pulling away. You shrugged, failing to suppress a smile, “ Maybe just a little bit.” He laughed, looking at you with adoring eyes, cradling you in warmth and love. 

This time he wiped a tiny bit of rocky road on your lips before replacing it with his own. The kiss was gentle and tasted of velvety chocolate and sugary marshmallows. 

Now this was your idea of a romantic date.

A Rainy Rendezvous

Pairing: Steve Rogers x CIA!Reader

Summary: On a rainy night during a mission in Poland, you "bump into" someone who held a very important place in your heart in the past.

Word Count: 3.6k

Warning(s): brief mentions of CIA operatives / a bit of angst / a sprinkle of fluff / the one that got away vibes / mentions of being followed / mentions of a gun / stays within the marvel guidelines of action + fighting

requested by @espinosaurusrexex

a/n: Hello everyone! ❤️ Thank you for being so patient with me on these requests! ❤️❤️ Life has been very hectic lately between starting an internship, being a senior in college, and my dog passing away...it's been a lot. 💔 I’ve mentioned this before, but many of the requests are close to being done. I only have a few final touches and edits to add, so look forward to that in these upcoming weeks! ✨

sequel drabble 🤎 // birthday bingo masterlist 🤎 // main masterlist 🤎

“ I’ll check out the other location tomorrow. For now, I’m calling it a night,” you hung up the call, the simple click relieving some of the tension in your shoulders. Most days as an agent were tedious, but today had been another extreme of it entirely. Your informant double-crossed you, causing your undercover identity to be potentially compromised. 

You spent the majority of the day chasing dead-end leads as to where your informant had gone to hide away. The soles of your feet ached and the rainy chill of the night was bringing in no added comfort. You buttoned up your denim jacket, stopping the icy wind from seeping itself further into your chest.

You walked the unfamiliar streets of Kraków in the general direction of the hotel you had been stationed in. As exhausted as you were, it was your first time in Poland and it was small opportunities like this one where you could take in the beauty of the countries you worked in.

After your wasted efforts of the day, you weren’t going to waste a second of this.

You weren’t alone on your nightly stroll. Locals and tourists alike bustled about, enjoying what the city had to offer—despite the weather. 

You passed by multiple local businesses and restaurants before stopping at one of the stalls near St. Mary’s Basilica. An elderly couple was selling braided bread and mulled wine. Your Polish needed some work, but you knew enough to keep up in conversation with the couple. 

Their presence was the right kind of warmth for a night like this. They bickered in a way only old married couples did. The kind of back-and-forth friendly matches you can only have with the love of your life. Little simplistic arguments ending in tight hugs and peppered kisses.

They reminded you of the time you had loved so intensely to the point of considering—for the first time in your life—growing old with someone. You pushed the memories away, deciding there was no need to revisit ghosts from the past. You could do that at some other time. 

You excused yourself, taking your bread and mulled wine, and continued your route in the opposite direction of where your hotel was located. The saltiness of the bread dissolved on your tongue while the mulled wine left you in delightful confusion as you tried to decipher the ingredients within it. There were hints of apple cider, cinnamon, and a citrusy fruit. 

You decided to enjoy your treats and what you had left of this peaceful night while you still could. 

In your field of work, being on high alert every second of an operation is crucial. In many instances, it could mean life or death for any of the parties involved. The best agents in the organization could detect danger from the most peculiar places. 

You were one of them.

You realized you were being followed the moment you stepped into St.Mary’s Basilica. Within the shadows of the night, there was one in particular that stayed trained on you. Since the uncertainties arose over whether or not your undercover identity had been compromised, the person following you could be anyone. 

As to not raise suspicion, you kept your pace the same and continued to savor your treats as if you were any other tourist. Internally, your alarms were ringing and you were trying to locate the best place to have an advantage over your pursuer, so you wouldn’t end up being cornered by them in case a confrontation occurred. 

The rain was only but a drizzle now, and the moon was high in the sky. The more you walked the fewer people there were around you. Many of the businesses you had passed earlier were now closed and you realized it was likely you might end up in a position where you were left alone in the night with the mysterious stranger hot on your trail.

This stranger was now using the roofs of the buildings across the street to continue his pursuit of you. You had to admit that was clever of him and if you had been any other agent you might not have noticed.

Your only option now was to go on the offense before the man—you had concluded was a man from his broad silhouette—ever got a chance to.

You discarded the remnants of your Polish delicacies in a nearby trashcan before dashing over to the other street, underneath the building the stranger was standing on. You knew he could either maneuver his way to the tops of the buildings on the other side of the street or decide to meet you at the bottom.

You were hoping he would meet you at the bottom. 

The building you had run to had an intricate pathway aligned with arches all across it. You used the columns of the arches to make your way to the side of the building where you would be able to get a better view of which direction the man would decide to go. If you used the shadows from the columns made by the city lights and the moon, you would be able to sneak up on the man and have the upper hand. 

  Of course, the gun hidden on the inside of your jacket would help with that as well.

You bent down and angled your body so you had a clear view of the street while still keeping yourself hidden. Adrenaline began to make its way through your body giving you the added energy you would need in the fight. 

You concentrated on the noises around you, causing you to pick up on incoming footsteps. They were light, letting you know this person must be highly trained for them to know how to mask their steps. If it weren’t for the sporadic puddles on the ground from the rain, you might not have heard them. 

You weren’t sure what organization you were dealing with, but you knew you had to be as careful and calculated as you could. Due to the possibility of your undercover identity being compromised, the person after you could be from one of many organizations you had crossed in the past.

The steps were inching closer, and yet, there was no sign of the man. You could have sworn you chose the best location to spot him, but it seems you were mistaken. Your only choice now was to concentrate on the direction his footsteps resounded from and pinpoint his location with that. 

From the sound of it, he was just to the left of you and merely a few feet away. With every inching step he took, you realized it was now or never to act. 

“ Don’t move any closer! Identify yourself!” You sprung up, pointing your gun directly at the man. He was using the shadows of the night to hide himself as he approached you, so it was difficult to distinguish his features from where you stood. 

The man froze, his hands slowly raising to a peaceful stance, “ I figured I shouldn’t have snuck up on you, Y/n.” You faltered for a second at the sound of his voice and your name dropping from his lips. It was as familiar as a déjà vu was. In your heart, there was a memory of it and yet you couldn’t pinpoint when was the last time you had heard it. 

Perhaps it might have been when he broke your heart. 

Or maybe when you had broken his. 

“Steve?” His name dropped from your lips in a whisper. A part of you thought you were losing it. Had you been so lonely these last couple of years that you were now projecting your last lover onto random strangers? 

The man stepped into the light confirming what your heart already knew. The man who had been hiding in the shadows and following you was your ex-boyfriend Steve Rogers. Although, this Steve in front of you was foreign to you.

He had grown out his beard and his hair, which was now a darker shade of blonde than you remembered. From what you could see, his face and hands were adorned with new scars and scratches untouched by your hands. There was also a gloominess behind his blue eyes he couldn’t hide away.

He dawned on a black leather jacket as opposed to the brown leather one you were used to. You had borrowed that jacket many times in the past as it became a comfort to you whenever he was away on a mission. It always smelled of his sandalwood aftershave and the smoky bergamot cologne you had given him on the first Christmas you spent together. 

It became his signature scent and you loved it.

However, the Steve in front of you resembled nothing of the Steve you once loved. How much had his life changed in the years since the two of you broke up? How much had it changed him? 

“ Hey…it's been a while,” he spoke up cautiously, glancing over at the weapon in your hand before looking into your eyes. You lowered it slowly, feeling as though you were in a dream, “ Yeah, it has. Last I heard you were in big trouble with the United Nations. Technically, I should be arresting you right now.” You said the last part in a playful tone hoping to ease the tension between you.

The night seemed to have gotten colder ever since he stepped in front of you. 

Thankfully, easing into things was the right call as a small smile appeared on his lips, “ Technically, you're right, but you would have to catch me first,” he pointed out. 

“ Oh, that would definitely not be a problem,” you boasted. 

“ Half of the Avengers tried and failed,” he informed you, holding back what looked like a somber yet smug expression.  

“ Yeah, but I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve not even Tony would think of,” you stated confidently, placing your gun back into a pocket on the inside of your jacket. Now that you no longer needed it, you didn’t want it to hinder the pleasant mood that was now finding its place between you. 

“ I’m sure you do,” he responded, a fond look adorning his features. You were sure you had a similar expression, as you ruminated on past memories of playful exchanges with Steve. Many ended in far more romantic exchanges than this conversation would.

Getting past what once was, you needed your curiosity satisfied,“ What brings you to Poland anyway? And why were you following me? I don’t know how they did it in the 1940s, but in modern times we use a thing called a cellphone when we want to contact an ex,” you teased. 

He laughed at that, a sound you recognized all too well. It made you realize that although the Steve in front of you was different, you still knew him. Deep down he still had to be the man you had fallen in love with. 

There was a conflict of emotions stirring within your heart as a result.

“ Okay, I get it. Like I said, I shouldn’t have snuck up on you. I just thought you wouldn’t want to see me,” he confessed before continuing, “ Those of us who didn’t sign the Sokovia Accords are on the run. We’ve been moving to a new city every few weeks. Right now we’ve been stationed in Kraków for two and are relocating to Tarnów next week. Sam told me you were on a C.I.A. mission here and I had to come see you before we left,” he admitted, scratching the back of his head in a sheepish manner. 

You couldn’t blame him for coming to see you. At this point, you would have to hold yourself back from “bumping into him” in Tarnów. 

 “ Sam told you? How did he know?” You asked, still not seeing the full picture. Steve cleared his throat before speaking, “ Vision was a big help with that. Between him and Sam, they were able to rework an old laptop to pick up on different signals and monitor specific ones we chose. It was by chance he picked up on a phone call you were having with an agent named Clarke a few days ago,” he explained, causing your confusion to dissipate and in its place discomfort made a home.

Knowing that what Steve said was true, that meant that Sam and Steve had heard the very awkward and uncomfortable conversation you had with your mission partner Agent Clarke a few days ago. 

Clarke had taken an interest in you ever since you were first partnered up on a mission a few months back. You never had taken a similar interest in him and always kept things professional. Unfortunately for you, this caused Clarke to think you were “playing hard to get” and this ensued a plethora of attempts to charm you.

His latest attempt was a few days ago where he insisted on your undercover identities being a newly wedded couple having their honeymoon across Europe. You politely declined and were grateful your mission supervisor disagreed with the idea as well. The conversation was overall uncomfortable and to outsiders it could have insinuated there was something going on between you and Clarke. 

The outsiders in question here, unfortunately, were Steve, Sam, and anyone else in their group who had heard the conversation. You were mortified, to say the least.

“ Oh, you heard that? About that…,” you trailed off not knowing where to start. 

Steve shook his head,“ You don’t need to explain anything. I get it. You moved on and you have every right to. This whole moving on thing, I just—I still feel like I’m stuck in time sometimes and I can’t help revisiting the past,” he stated sincerely, his eyes wandering to the ground. He frowned at it, searching for something else to say.

At the same time, his statements had brought you out of your embarrassment long enough to register what he had said. 

“ Surely you’ve moved on?” You asked him, not comprehending if you had interpreted what he said correctly. 

It took him a moment before he got the courage to lock eyes with you,“ Have you?” 

You paused, not having a straight answer to his question. Before meeting him today to anyone else you would have said you had—even if deep down you knew it wasn’t the whole truth.

You broke up with him months before the whole Ultron disaster and since then you haven’t looked at another man with romantic intentions. 

You couldn’t count that as moving on. 

Your mouth parted, but no words came out. You were still unsure of what to say. Your heart was jumping out of your chest trying to answer for you and the look he was giving you was making it impossible not to give in and let it. He was pleading with his eyes, a hopeful shimmer that maybe somewhere within you there were still feelings for him lying dormant waiting to be awakened. 

His gaze made it difficult for you to think, so you averted his eyes and looked down at a slightly large puddle on the ground. It was the only thing separating the two of you, with both of your reflections lying inside of it. You stared at the reflections, hoping to collect your thoughts better this way. 

You could see him shuffling uncomfortably through the reflection,“ I think a part of me always knew you had. I should’ve known when you didn’t respond to any of my letters,” he continued, taking your body language as confirmation you had moved on. 

At his revelation, your eyes shot up and locked on him, “ You wrote me letters?” 

He looked taken aback by your surprised expression, “ I did. Every month for a year after we broke up. There was a lot I still had left to say—and that I wanted to say to you. When I didn’t get a reply back I assumed you wanted nothing to do with me,” he admitted, his expression softening. 

You were gutted at the mental image of Steve waiting nervously to hear back from you only to receive silence in return. You spiraled at the thought of what could have been if you had read just one of those letters. Truthfully, your breakup with Steve was unwanted on both ends. However, due to the pressure and demands both of your professions required of you, you grew apart. 

For months, you were lucky to catch a glimpse of each other on the weekends before receiving your next mission or task. Evil didn’t stop, so the good guys couldn’t either—and the Avengers took up almost all of Steve’s time. The loneliness of the constant nights alone waiting for your boyfriend to come home became too much for you.

So much so, that you ended things when loneliness turned into resentment. There was only so much the mind could understand before the heart took over. 

You boiled it down to right person, wrong time. 

“ I never got them,” you finally spoke up, “ If I had, Steve, I promise I would have called you. Right after we broke up I was stationed in London for a year and I rented out my apartment to a young couple. They never told me of any letters,” you explained, feeling betrayed by fate and your tenants. 

Steve gave a chuckle, one laced with disbelief at the situation, “ No, it's on me. Letters are kind of old school, aren’t they? I should’ve picked up the phone and called you.” He shouldered the responsibility, something only Steve would feel the need to do. 

You disagreed, shaking your head at him,“ The phone works both ways, so it's on me too. And I like old school. There’s a charm to it you can’t find anywhere else.” 

You hoped the deeper meaning of what you said would get across for Steve to understand. 

It seems it did, as a comfortable silence fell between you. You stared at one another, searching for your past selves in each other's eyes. There were so many questions and things left unsaid that were waiting to be discussed.

You were eager for him to confess to you everything that was written in the letters and he was just as eager to hear your response to all those unanswered questions he had sent you more than a year ago. 

As neither of you could decide who would get the conversation started, fate decided to intervene once more. However, fate this time went by the name of Sam and his little bird-like drone Redwing.

When you spotted it approaching you, your hand instinctively placed itself on top of the gun hiding on the inside of your jacket. Upon seeing your reaction, Steve bolted over to you and placed himself in front of you as protection. The action caused your heart to flutter.

As soon as Steve spotted Redwing, his guard went down. 

“ Don’t worry about the drone, it’s Sam’s. I think that’s his way of telling me I need to be heading back,” he informed you, your guard dropping as well at the explanation. 

“ I should be heading back too. I have a lot of investigating to do in the morning,” you pointed out. 

“ Want me to walk you back?” Steve asked you in a way that gave you full control over the decision. 

As much as you wanted him to, you had to decline, “ I want to say yes, but you can’t. The hotel I’m staying at is heavily monitored and you're on the run. It would be too risky. It’s safer for you and your group if you don’t go anywhere near it.” You were disappointed at the reality of the situation and from the look on Steve’s face so was he. 

“ I figured, but I still wanted to ask,” he took a step back, making you realize how close you two had gotten when he rushed over to protect you. There was no longer a large puddle of water in between, and if you reached your hand out you would be able to touch him. 

“ Steve, that old laptop can track down any signal right?” 

“ From what I understood, yes. Why?” 

“ Well you have mine now, so I’m counting on you to keep in touch,” you let him know before planting a quick goodbye kiss on his cheek. His beard was scratchy against your lips, but you were surprised to find out you didn’t mind it.

He was stunned for a moment before a grin quickly replaced it. 

“ I will. I promise,” the sincerity in his tone and expression was all you needed to walk away knowing the story wouldn’t end there. 

“ Goodnight, Steve.” 

“ Goodnight, Y/n.”

How lovely it was to hear those words again.

The next day a package was delivered to your hotel room containing a burner phone inside and a note that read: 

I always keep my promises. :) 

The phone contained only one number on the contact list you soon found out belonged to Steve. Throughout the course of the next two weeks in Poland, you spent every night talking on the phone with him. 

You both poured your heart out to one another. Your losses, your fears, your hopes, and any other topic that came to mind. There was so much to catch the other up on that there were never enough hours in the night to get through it all. 

With every conversation, the connection you once had was slowly building itself again. A little over two years had gone by since your breakup and the people you had become since then were getting to know each other once more. 

Maybe now the timing was finally right. 

Daredevil / Charlie Cox in the She-Hulk end credits

Staring Right Through Me

Pairing: Matt Murdock x Nurse!Reader

Summary: After getting caught in the crossfires of the dangers in Hell's Kitchen, Matt decided to teach you how to defend yourself.

Word Count: 1.8k

Warning(s): mentions of past injuries / fighting techniques / fluff / slightly suggestive tones

requested by anonymous

a/n: this is request #1 of my birthday bingo celebration!! ❤️❤️❤️ The original post of the birthday bingo card can be found here. Likes, comments, and reblogs are much appreciated!! 💗💕

birthday bingo masterlist 🩵 // main masterlist 🤍

“Matt? Are you in here?” Your voice echoed across the seemingly empty boxing gym. You closed the door behind you hesitantly, unsure if you were even allowed to be here during such late hours. Matt made it clear it was perfectly fine, and since all your shifts at the hospital ran into the night, this was the most convenient time for Matt to teach you some basics in self-defense. 

You knew of the dangers plaguing Hell’s Kitchen, and working in the emergency room at Metro-General Hospital you saw the consequences of those dangers every day. It wasn’t until last week that you yourself were caught in the crossfires of such dangers. You shuddered at the memory, knowing that if it weren’t for Matt or rather Daredevil, you might not be standing here right now. 

“Matt?” You called out again, your voice a little louder this time. You heard a shuffling sound in return, “Y/n, over here. I’m just getting this bag set up.” Matt’s voice perked up from behind the boxing ring. You followed the sound and found Matt setting up a separate punching bag from one that was already hanging from the ceiling. 

“We’ll start you off with this one, it's made for beginners so it's lighter than that one,” Matt explained as you placed your tote bag on the ground by the boxing ring. You tried getting a good look at him, but the lights in the gym were so spotty it was hard to make out any details from where you both stood.

 “ Got it. So, what are you teaching me today, Mr.Murdock?” You asked, saying his last name in a playful manner. This brought a smile to his face, “ We’ll start with the basics today by teaching you how to throw a proper punch.” You mocked offense at the implication of his words, stepping closer to him, “ Hey, I’ll remind you I knocked out a guy with a punch last week.” You pointed out. Matt stepped closer to you too, coming into the light, giving you a better look at him. 

He was shirtless, his upper body glistening with sweat. A pair of sweatpants was the only piece of clothing on his body. He wasn’t wearing his glasses, so it was obvious he had gotten in a workout prior to your arrival. You had seen Matt shirtless countless times before, as you frequently treated his vigilante wounds, however, this time in the solitude of the dim gym, something felt different. 

You felt different. 

“ You did, but you also injured yourself in the process,” he reminded you, taking your right hand into his. He gently ran his thumb over your knuckles which still had a purplish hue to them. You stared at the gesture, a warm feeling settling in your heart. 

“ I’m okay, though. I promise. I had it x-rayed and everything. No broken bones, just a few bruises,” you flipped his hand over and placed your own above his and gave it a few squeezes so he could feel how perfectly fine your hand was. His worried features softened.

“ I want you to know that even though I’m teaching you how to defend yourself, I’m still keeping my promise,” he stated, his tone determined. 

The promise to keep you safe. One he made many months ago when you first started patching up his injuries. The catalyst to establishing a beautiful friendship. 

You smiled fondly at the memory,” I know you will.” 

You hoped Matt wasn’t using his heightened senses right now. If he was then he would be able to hear how fast your heart was beating and sense how jittery you were at the proximity of your bodies. Even so, you didn’t need any sort of superhuman abilities to sense the intensity of the tension in the room. 

Your eyes darted around for a fan, suddenly feeling a little faint. 

You cleared your throat to compose yourself, “So. . .to throw a proper punch. What do I need to do?” You moved the direction of the conversation back to the purpose of tonight’s rendezvous. If Matt could sense your nervousness, he didn’t say anything and instead followed your lead. 

“ First, you need to start with a proper fist,” he instructed, using both of his hands to fix your fingers into a fist. “ I could tell you knew how to position your thumb and pinky, but you need to work on the tightness of your fist and making sure you lock it in with your wrist.” He showed you by making a fist of his own. 

He continued on, giving you pointers until he was sure your fist was in proper form. He did this by continuously having you punch the palm of his hands to feel the progression of your punches. 

From there he moved on to posture. He showed you his own stances, and using the heavier punching bag he threw a few to show you what the entire body was supposed to look like. Once it was your turn, you tried your best with the lighter punching bag, but you could tell something was off about your stance.

“ Your fists are too low. You want to keep them level with your cheeks to make sure your face is protected,” he came over to you and moved your arms a little higher. “ Make sure your elbows stay slightly bent too,” he touched both of your elbows and moved them into a slightly angled position,” There. Now try again and take a deep breath. You’re going to cut off the circulation in your fingers if you’re too tense,” he advised. 

You stood there frozen for a second. The entire time he had helped you with your stance you were holding your breath. You were suddenly aware of just how much Matt could actually see. You knew his heightened senses had to be extraordinary to be able to fight like he did, but right now being the sole object of those senses made you feel almost naked in front of him. There were things Matt could sense and figure out that no one else could. You felt like he was staring right through you into your soul where all your secrets lay hidden. 

Like the one where you absolutely and irrevocably had feelings for him.

You did as he said and took in a deep breath trying your best to relax your shoulders and relieve some of the tension your body was holding onto. You didn’t need any of your secrets revealed tonight. 

You continued to assault the punching bag, adjusting anything Matt told you to. Unfortunately for you, the more he helped you, the more focus you lost. All of his touches on your body were lingering and leaving the desire for more. Your heart had skipped a beat way too many times you were almost convinced it would stop eventually. 

It didn’t help when he would demonstrate proper form over and over and all you could stare at is the way his muscles would flex with every hit. There was so much power and confidence in the way he went about it that made him a hundred times more attractive in your eyes.  You weren’t sure how many sessions of self-defense Matt had planned to give you, but you knew you wouldn’t be able to keep your feelings hidden for long when he was so close.

“ You almost got it. Your defensive position needs to complement your stance. Your legs should be an inch farther apart and your hips should be more like this,” his hands landed lightly on both sides of your hips causing a tiny gasp to escape your lips. There was no way he didn’t hear that. 

“ Everything okay?” He asked concerned, his face mere inches from your own. 

“Sorry, I can’t focus when you look at me like that,” you confessed, tired of fighting your own emotions. The attention he was giving you had become too much to handle. 

He frowned, confusion etching his features, ” Like what?” 

“ Like that—” you stepped away from his touch,” like with all your heightened senses. It’s like you can tell, like you know—” 

“ Like I know what?” His tone indicated he was catching on to what you meant.

Silence followed his question. 

“ Like I know what?” He repeated himself, enunciating every word while closing the gap between you once more.

“ The effect you have on me,” your voice was reduced to a whisper, but you knew he could hear you. 

It was his turn to freeze in his spot, the dots connecting in his head. 

“ I understand. You’ve had that same effect on me since the moment I met you.” It was his turn to confess. You looked at him surprised, his words giving your emotions permission to run wild once more. 

He grabbed your hand and placed it on top of his chest, right where his heart was. You felt how fast it was racing beneath your fingertips. You weren’t sure whose heart was more uncontrollable—yours or his. 

“Matt. . .” your voice trailed off not knowing what to say. What was the right thing to say in a moment like this?

Apparently, nothing said could come close to explaining the emotions that were lying within your hearts. However, actions tend to speak louder than words, so all Matt could think to do was kiss you. 

It seemed you had the same idea, as you both leaned in for a kiss at the same time. You were unprepared for how quickly the intensity of the kiss grew. Soon you were plopped up on the base of the boxing ring, Matt standing in between your legs as one kiss grew into dozens. You were both insatiable for each other, with each kiss causing the yearning for one another to become uncontainable. 

“ I think that’s a wrap for today’s lesson,” Matt suggested, pulling away to catch his breath, his hands resting on your hips. You untangled your hands from his hair and rested them on his shoulders instead, “Yeah, that’s a good idea.” A shaky laugh escaped you, as you caught your breath as well. 

He rested his forehead against yours,“ I know we should go, but I really don't want to.” You placed a quick peck on his sappy smile,“ I don’t want to either, but you have a case to continue tomorrow and I have a shift to attend.” You reminded him even though you were extremely tempted to call off work in the morning.

“ Just one more kiss then?” He requested with the sweetest look on his face. 

There was no way you could say no,“ Just one more.”

With that said, you went back to kiss him one more time confirming what you had thought previously. There was no way you could’ve hidden your feelings from Matt for long. 

You were genuinely happy you couldn’t.

If I Loved You Less

Pairing: Peter Parker x Reader (College AU)

Summary: A simple moment of reflecting on being in love with your best friend.

Word Count: ~600

Warning(s): none. little fluffy piece.

a/n: saw this little quote on pinterest from the book Emma by Jane Austin and it inspired me to write this little piece here <3 like, comments, and reblogs are much appreciated!! <33333333

“If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more. . .”

You laid the book in your hands down on your lap as you let the weight of the sentence sink in. Never had a sentence encompass a sentiment so perfectly that had been gnawing at you silently for so long. Albeit, a silence that had been louder than anything you had heard before.

The grass beneath you danced as you maneuvered your way into sitting in a criss cross position. The sun was almost completely set, and a few students were finishing setting up the screen for the outdoor movie night your university was hosting. The bustling conversation of your fellow university students lounging on the grass around you was the only thing keeping your mind from wandering too far. 

You were in love. You knew this. This intensity of the sentient wasn’t up for debate nor could anyone convince you it was but a simple crush. Maybe you weren’t in the depths of love, but you sure as hell didn’t feel as though your feelings could be summarized by a simple I like you. 

The worst part is your feelings were so overwhelming you had no idea how to even put them into words. Your sentiments falling to stolen glances and the accidental brushing of hands that meant more to you than him you were sure.

With only one person in your heart and on your mind at all hours of the day, how could it be anything other than love? 

“ Hey, you haven’t been waiting long, have you?” Peter’s voice spoke up from behind you, breaking you from your thoughts. As he approached, you noticed he had a blanket in his hand, his backpack hanging lazily on his shoulder. You smiled at him, his hair messily windblown, a childlike smile on his face, and his forehead littered with sweat. You figured he had to have rushed over to his dorm to get the blanket before running to meet you here. 

Just look at him. How could you not fall in love with your best friend?

You shook your head, “ Not at all. I got some reading done in the meantime.” You motioned to the book in your hands as Peter laid out the blanket beside you. He slumped down onto it, patting the area next to him for you to sit. You shuffled your way over, making yourself comfortable on the blue linen beneath you. 

“ What's that? Romance book number three of the month?” Peter asked in a teasing tone, his hands searching for something in his backpack.“ The fourth actually. I have to make up for my lack of love life somehow,” you pointed out, your best friend no stranger to your literary tastes. He rolled his eyes playfully at your response, taking out a brown paper bag from his backpack. 

“ I managed to get some food from Nonna Cecilia’s before it closed. Thought we could use some good food before the movie started,” Peter explained, handing the bag over to you. You couldn’t hide the giddy smile that appeared on your face, your heart warming at the gesture. Peter knew your favorite place to eat at was Nonna Cecilia’s and you didn’t even need to open the bag to know he got your favorite meal from this place. He always remembered the little things about you—down to the smallest detail. 

No, seriously, how could you not love him? 

You had to take a moment to calm the fluttering of your heart. Turning to put your book away into your tote bag and giving yourself that moment to compose yourself. Little did you know in the soft glow of the projector screen, Peter was stealing glances at you too. Watching as the remaining remnants of the sunset cascaded across your face, casting a warm glow across your features. He would stare at you in that moment with longing eyes and a fond smile. 

Because when your beauty captivated him like that, how could he not love you?