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nyandereneko) wrote2019-12-20 08:00 am
nyandereneko) wrote2019-12-20 08:00 am
Entry tags:
A Simple Touch
Word Count: 1,376
Summary: The longer Nova contemplates it, the more she realizes the one thing she desires most is also the one thing she can never have.
Author’s Note: A prompt I’ve been thinking about based on this post, first fic in a while but I’m trying to get back into the groove of things for the New Year. Expect lots more self insert fics but also x readers, because I’m trying to branch out in my writing a little.
The office was unnaturally quiet--a rare feat compared to the bustling and busy nature it typically exuded. Despite the strong afternoon sun not much light filtered in through the windows, blocked out by the drawn blinds. The seemingly calm, ordinary setting was actually anything but, considering the types of people and events that tended to fill these desks and pace these halls. The sole young woman currently occupying the space was further proof of that claim. Stashed away in an unassuming cubby she’d made for herself beneath one of the desks, trying to make herself as small and unobtrusive as possible. The empty office was unconcerned with her presence, of course, and she’d retreated here for a reason that was entirely unknown, entirely petty…entirely personal.
Nails dug into her knees as she pressed her ears flat against her head, fueling her own misery. Her soft tail was coiled tightly around her legs, and her knees were tucked up under her chin, imitating the form of a ball as much as her limbs would allow. The sensation of her own touch sent a current arcing up her spine and through her veins--quite an unpleasant one. It was yet another vexing reminder of the problem that’d put her in this predicament in the first place, the train of thought that had her folding in on herself as much as her physical limitations would allow.
An image of his face flashed through her mind, making her flinch. The sound of his teasing voice, his lighthearted laughter echoed in her ears, provoking the slightest tremor in her bones. He was here, he was so close, and yet always so far away…too far away, almost as if he was on another plane of existence instead. When it came to her, he kind of was, and would continue to be for the remainder of her aimless, empty existence. She’d known from the moment she arrived that her time here was just a detour, a distraction and respite from the ever looming threat and influence of the Guild she’d narrowly managed to escape.
The only reason they’d allowed her to live this long was because she was useful to them; one of a kind, an experiment they couldn’t risk losing. If it wasn’t for her unconventional existence, they surely would have done away with her the moment they realized she was missing. She knew that upon her inevitable return, she could expect her life to be exponentially worse than she ever could have imagined or experienced before. Of course she wanted to stay here, and she wanted to be useful in any and every way she could for these supernatural strangers that’d shown her a kindness she’d thought could only truly exist in fairy tales. On top of that, one particular individual had succeeded in awakening a love within her that she’d never felt before, and that she was beginning to understand she wasn’t prepared to handle in the slightest.
She wanted to touch him. She wanted him to touch her. Not necessarily in any intimate or risque sense, but just so she could feel that he was real, and he could help her feel the same. She knew she wasn’t, and that was part of the reason it hurt so much, part of the reason she yearned for his attention and acceptance like it was the only thing sustaining her. She’d received an abundance of approval from everyone else, been gifted with hoards of their own hugs and pats and caring caresses. The more she thought about it, the more those very touches had started to yield pain instead of comfort, although she was distressingly cognizant of the fact that the reaction was all in her head.
Simply because the one touch she desired above all else, she could never have. Not if she wanted to live to see another day. A power that was priceless, that’d saved the Agency and several others on more than one occasion, an ability that they relied on more than perhaps even they understood…also happened to be the danger that could make her vanish in an instant. At first it hadn’t been an issue, just another facet of the man she’d been trained to fear simply through hearsay. He was unpredictable and capable and fierce, or so she’d been told. But the more time she spent around him, the more she got to know the softer side of the agent she’d been cautioned to avoid. The closer they grew in their hearts, the greater her ache to grow closer in proximity, at least once, also intensified.
But such development was never to come to fruition, not as long as she was just another faulty, fortuitous product of a power that had never been stretched to such limits before. Her existence was only able to persist as a result of Poe’s ability, the very ability that she was a mere extension of. And for the man whose ability nullification was permanent, designed to cancel out any other ability with a simple touch…he was one of the most dangerous people she could ever encounter. One of the most inauspicious targets her love could claim.
“There you are.”
She bumped her head on the underside of the desk with a pained groan. His voice had startled her, rattled her, and as her gaze sought him out, she noticed that he was dangerously close. Bending down to peek under the desktop he was leaning against, she scrambled as far back as she could, shoes scuffing against the slick tile floor.
“Weird place to be hiding out, you know?” His self-evident observation made her roll her eyes. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. But I have to say, this is one of the last places I would have expected to find you.”
“Then how did you manage to find me?”
He smirked, slyly raising a finger to his lips. “If you knew all of my secrets, what would be the fun in that?”
“Quit messing around.” His smile pricked her heart with needles. “Get to the point. What did you need me for?”
“Do I have to need you for something other than just wanting to make sure you’re alright?” He was still playing this charade as if he was just stating the obvious. “Everyone’s out enjoying their day off and here you are, hiding out in this dull, dark office, sulking away about who knows what. If nothing else, that’s not a very productive use of your time.”
Without bothering to explain any further, she knew he really must have been worried. If she wasn’t with him, she was usually with Atsushi or one of the other Agency members, trotting along at their heels as they went about taking care of business. If he’d contacted everyone and still hadn’t seen or heard hide nor tail of her, it was only natural that he would grow concerned. She was a wanted fugitive that had claimed sanctuary in their midst, after all. If he had anything to say about it, he’d never let her be drug back into that tortuous existence she’d barely managed to claw her way out of ever again.
“I’m sorry for worrying you,” she conceded, and he stepped back as she shimmied out from her hiding place. Extending a helping hand out of reflex, he quickly snapped it back to his side once he realized his mistake. No, he couldn’t help her in that way, not yet. But if everything panned out, and the plan he’d been mulling over for a while now actually proved viable, he might not have to wait forever.
“Apology accepted,” he granted teasingly, and she valiantly fought the urge to smack him in response. “Now, how about you come with me and we try to make the most of however much of the day we have left?”
Outwardly, she sighed, but internally her heart fluttered at his generous proposal. As much as it hurt, being around him was also a reward, her saving grace from the moment they’d met whether either of them were aware of it or not. “I suppose I owe you for all the time you spent looking for me. Fine, let’s get going. What did you have in mind?”
Summary: The longer Nova contemplates it, the more she realizes the one thing she desires most is also the one thing she can never have.
Author’s Note: A prompt I’ve been thinking about based on this post, first fic in a while but I’m trying to get back into the groove of things for the New Year. Expect lots more self insert fics but also x readers, because I’m trying to branch out in my writing a little.
_____
The office was unnaturally quiet--a rare feat compared to the bustling and busy nature it typically exuded. Despite the strong afternoon sun not much light filtered in through the windows, blocked out by the drawn blinds. The seemingly calm, ordinary setting was actually anything but, considering the types of people and events that tended to fill these desks and pace these halls. The sole young woman currently occupying the space was further proof of that claim. Stashed away in an unassuming cubby she’d made for herself beneath one of the desks, trying to make herself as small and unobtrusive as possible. The empty office was unconcerned with her presence, of course, and she’d retreated here for a reason that was entirely unknown, entirely petty…entirely personal.
Nails dug into her knees as she pressed her ears flat against her head, fueling her own misery. Her soft tail was coiled tightly around her legs, and her knees were tucked up under her chin, imitating the form of a ball as much as her limbs would allow. The sensation of her own touch sent a current arcing up her spine and through her veins--quite an unpleasant one. It was yet another vexing reminder of the problem that’d put her in this predicament in the first place, the train of thought that had her folding in on herself as much as her physical limitations would allow.
An image of his face flashed through her mind, making her flinch. The sound of his teasing voice, his lighthearted laughter echoed in her ears, provoking the slightest tremor in her bones. He was here, he was so close, and yet always so far away…too far away, almost as if he was on another plane of existence instead. When it came to her, he kind of was, and would continue to be for the remainder of her aimless, empty existence. She’d known from the moment she arrived that her time here was just a detour, a distraction and respite from the ever looming threat and influence of the Guild she’d narrowly managed to escape.
The only reason they’d allowed her to live this long was because she was useful to them; one of a kind, an experiment they couldn’t risk losing. If it wasn’t for her unconventional existence, they surely would have done away with her the moment they realized she was missing. She knew that upon her inevitable return, she could expect her life to be exponentially worse than she ever could have imagined or experienced before. Of course she wanted to stay here, and she wanted to be useful in any and every way she could for these supernatural strangers that’d shown her a kindness she’d thought could only truly exist in fairy tales. On top of that, one particular individual had succeeded in awakening a love within her that she’d never felt before, and that she was beginning to understand she wasn’t prepared to handle in the slightest.
She wanted to touch him. She wanted him to touch her. Not necessarily in any intimate or risque sense, but just so she could feel that he was real, and he could help her feel the same. She knew she wasn’t, and that was part of the reason it hurt so much, part of the reason she yearned for his attention and acceptance like it was the only thing sustaining her. She’d received an abundance of approval from everyone else, been gifted with hoards of their own hugs and pats and caring caresses. The more she thought about it, the more those very touches had started to yield pain instead of comfort, although she was distressingly cognizant of the fact that the reaction was all in her head.
Simply because the one touch she desired above all else, she could never have. Not if she wanted to live to see another day. A power that was priceless, that’d saved the Agency and several others on more than one occasion, an ability that they relied on more than perhaps even they understood…also happened to be the danger that could make her vanish in an instant. At first it hadn’t been an issue, just another facet of the man she’d been trained to fear simply through hearsay. He was unpredictable and capable and fierce, or so she’d been told. But the more time she spent around him, the more she got to know the softer side of the agent she’d been cautioned to avoid. The closer they grew in their hearts, the greater her ache to grow closer in proximity, at least once, also intensified.
But such development was never to come to fruition, not as long as she was just another faulty, fortuitous product of a power that had never been stretched to such limits before. Her existence was only able to persist as a result of Poe’s ability, the very ability that she was a mere extension of. And for the man whose ability nullification was permanent, designed to cancel out any other ability with a simple touch…he was one of the most dangerous people she could ever encounter. One of the most inauspicious targets her love could claim.
“There you are.”
She bumped her head on the underside of the desk with a pained groan. His voice had startled her, rattled her, and as her gaze sought him out, she noticed that he was dangerously close. Bending down to peek under the desktop he was leaning against, she scrambled as far back as she could, shoes scuffing against the slick tile floor.
“Weird place to be hiding out, you know?” His self-evident observation made her roll her eyes. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. But I have to say, this is one of the last places I would have expected to find you.”
“Then how did you manage to find me?”
He smirked, slyly raising a finger to his lips. “If you knew all of my secrets, what would be the fun in that?”
“Quit messing around.” His smile pricked her heart with needles. “Get to the point. What did you need me for?”
“Do I have to need you for something other than just wanting to make sure you’re alright?” He was still playing this charade as if he was just stating the obvious. “Everyone’s out enjoying their day off and here you are, hiding out in this dull, dark office, sulking away about who knows what. If nothing else, that’s not a very productive use of your time.”
Without bothering to explain any further, she knew he really must have been worried. If she wasn’t with him, she was usually with Atsushi or one of the other Agency members, trotting along at their heels as they went about taking care of business. If he’d contacted everyone and still hadn’t seen or heard hide nor tail of her, it was only natural that he would grow concerned. She was a wanted fugitive that had claimed sanctuary in their midst, after all. If he had anything to say about it, he’d never let her be drug back into that tortuous existence she’d barely managed to claw her way out of ever again.
“I’m sorry for worrying you,” she conceded, and he stepped back as she shimmied out from her hiding place. Extending a helping hand out of reflex, he quickly snapped it back to his side once he realized his mistake. No, he couldn’t help her in that way, not yet. But if everything panned out, and the plan he’d been mulling over for a while now actually proved viable, he might not have to wait forever.
“Apology accepted,” he granted teasingly, and she valiantly fought the urge to smack him in response. “Now, how about you come with me and we try to make the most of however much of the day we have left?”
Outwardly, she sighed, but internally her heart fluttered at his generous proposal. As much as it hurt, being around him was also a reward, her saving grace from the moment they’d met whether either of them were aware of it or not. “I suppose I owe you for all the time you spent looking for me. Fine, let’s get going. What did you have in mind?”
no subject
Poor Nova tho, seeing her upset makes me sad too. Hiding under the desk like aaaa I'm glad you have Dazai !!!
and aaa him having a plan!! I love it!! Of course I know what happens but :3c