(ISWM ficlet, Noir x Reader. Reblogs are hella appreciated!)
Your first thought after stepping out of your pod into the newly colored world is one of continued confusion as to what the hell is even happening. Your second thought, as Mark casually exits his, is Oh...he looks good. You almost want to go over and adjust his tie just so you have an excuse to get closer, but you’re startled to hear what sounds like his thoughts clear as day. You lift your glass that is somehow in your hand on reflex to mirror him, and but you’re too distracted between the fact that you’re hearing him, plus just how gravelly his voice is, to take a drink.
“Whatever it was…” He draws out the word in a way that can only be described as inadvertently sultry, “at least the company’s nice.”
Huh?!
“Well…seems like that didn’t work out so good for us, eh, Captain?” He’s actually talking, this time, and his voice sounds the exact same as in his thoughts. You half expected his normal voice, perhaps hoping the spell on you would be broken. “Oh well.” He chuckles. “You can’t win them all.”
He hits the control panel, and the computer system starts talking. You half pay attention to what it's saying; perhaps it’s important, but you’re a bit distracted right now. You continue looking up at where the speakers presumably are, but keep glancing at him out of the corner of your eye. It doesn't seem like he can hear your thoughts like you can hear his, which you're grateful for. He doesn't need to be listening in on this.
You've always been fond of Mark; he can be a massive dork at times, but it's endearing. Frankly, your memories before joining him on this voyage are a little fuzzy, but you’re sure it doesn't really matter. He's well-meaning, despite his pitfalls, and sometimes he's pulled off acting smooth in the past, although with varying degrees of success. Certainly at least made you giggle.
But now? Now he's suddenly consistently much more suave, and it's really throwing you for a loop (pun not intended). You're assuming and hoping that, thanks to the sepia tinge the world has taken, any color in your cheeks is unnoticeable. It doesn't help that he's inadvertently flirting with you in his inner monologue— And what was that about a date?! He's actually interested in you back?! The warmth in your body gets worse when you realize he's looked you up and down before taking a sip of his drink.
Somehow, you get the feeling in the back of your mind that you knew this already, that he wants (wanted? Did?) go on a date with you, but then he's talking in that smooth voice again and you lose your train of thought. In fact, it takes you a solid thirty seconds to realize something happened and he's asking you a question. Thankfully, it seems you appear more collected than you feel, so it seems he didn't suspect anything.
“Or are you just happy to see me?” That’s what he said last, you realize, and you swear there’s an undertone, but it’s probably just the way his voice is now. Was his voice always capable of doing this? Has he always been capable of affecting you like this?
This is ridiculous. You’re the captain, he’s the head engineer, and anyway you’re in the middle of a dire situation that requires your immediate attention. Losing your head won’t help you now.
…even though you’d really like to.
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OC Kiss Week: Sloppy Spellwork
wrote this prompt for day 7: sloppy! may not have been able to finish the other prompts like i was planning, but at least i got this one :'>
featuring my boys henry and eden <3
--
“You’re doing it wrong,” Eden says abruptly from where he’s sitting across from Henry. Henry can feel Eden’s eerie amber eyes boring into him, but he doesn’t look up from the spell circle he’s drawn in chalk on the ground, nor does he set down the stick of white chalk he’s holding.
“What is it this time?” he asks drily, tapping the fingers of his free hand against the hardwood floor. After a moment, he glances up, shooting a teasing smirk Eden’s way. “Am I missing a sigil? Did I draw the circle a little too wide? Oh, did-”
“Can you take this seriously?” Eden snaps, clearly not amused. “The fuck is wrong with you?”
“A lot.” Henry shrugs, his smirk still firmly in place. When Eden’s answering scowl doesn’t budge, he sighs as his smile falls. “C’mon, clearly this magic bullshit is beyond me. I’m too fucking stupid for this shit.”
Henry smiles again, though it’s a bit more bitter this time as he adds, “Maybe you should just give up and we’ll leave the spell-casting to you.” Though he keeps his tone lighthearted, he’s sure his frustration is bleeding through.
Eden rolls his eyes and leans forward, snatching up Henry’s hand and redirecting it. His hands are small and warm in a way that feels pleasant against Henry’s cold, calloused skin. With surprising gentleness, he moves Henry’s long, knobby fingers into a different position, adjusting his grip on the chalk.
“You’ll get it,” he says firmly, his eyes locked on Henry’s half-finished circle. “You’re not stupid--you’re just being sloppy.” It’s probably the closest thing Eden’s given him to a compliment since they’ve met. Despite himself, Henry cracks a smile.
“Awww, you’re getting soft on me,” he says teasingly. “What happened to the Eden who calls me a dumb fuck every time I do something stupid?”
“He’s still there,” Eden replies easily, “but you’re not doing something stupid right now, so he’s taking a backseat.” He looks up, locking eyes with Henry, and though his expression is hard, there’s something almost soft in his eyes. “You just need to practice.”
Henry’s mouth feels dry as he watches Eden’s face, taking in the other man’s sharp features. Up close, Eden’s eyes look like molten gold, bright and shining as they stare at him. For a moment, they almost look like they’re shimmering in the afternoon light filtering through the window. All Henry can think is, God, he’s beautiful.
The moment passes quickly, though, and Eden looks away, back down at their joined hands. “You did miss a sigil,” he explains, his voice oddly strained and expression unreadable. “Just- here, let me.” Still being surprisingly gentle, he presses Henry’s hand down, guiding him through drawing a sigil in the corner of his spell circle.
All too soon, Eden lets go of Henry’s hand and sits back, tucking a lock of curly blond hair behind one ear. A little grin spreads across his face as he clasps his hands in front of him.
“Okay,” he says. “Remember what I told you?” When Henry doesn’t answer right away, Eden lets out a soft exhale. “Close your eyes and hold out your hands.”
Henry nods, his mouth still feeling oddly dry as he forces himself to stop staring at Eden, instead looking down at the circle of runes and sigils before him. He sets aside the chalk and takes a deep breath, closing his eyes. His heart is beating a frantic, stuttering drumbeat in his chest, and he can feel his hands trembling as he holds them over the circle.
“Relax,” Eden says. His tone is far from soothing, still an abrupt barking order, but it does the trick, and Henry nods stiffly as he tries to relax his shoulders.
“So I just… imagine what I want to happen, right?” Henry says. “Like, form the spell in my mind, you said?” He hates how hesitant he sounds. It isn’t like him to be so nervous, but he so desperately wants to do it right this time.
“Something like that,” Eden says, and Henry can hear the smile evident in his voice. “This is a set spell, so it can’t do whatever you want it to, but your thoughts and intentions will guide what it creates.” Henry hears him shift, the sound of painted black nails tapping against the floor. “Focus your thoughts on one specific thing, and then place your hands down on the circle.”
Henry does just that. His mind is racing with thoughts of brown, sun-kissed skin, of curly blond hair tumbling over bony shoulders, of a teasing smirk revealing jagged little teeth, of pools of melted gold that glimmer in fiery sunlight.
He puts his hands down on the circle, and he feels a sensation like he’s never felt before. A burst of white-hot warmth snakes down his arms and through his hands, startling him into opening his eyes just in time to see a flare of gold light erupting from the circle. It twists and turns in the air before him, letting off white sparks before it disappears in a flash.
For a long moment, neither man speaks. Henry looks at Eden to see that he’s staring at him, mouth agape and eyes wide.
Then, Henry smiles sheepishly. “How was that?” he says.
Instead of responding verbally, Eden lunges forward and wraps his arms around Henry’s shoulders, tugging him down and slamming their lips together. The kiss is at an awkward angle, and it ends far too quickly for Henry’s liking, as Eden pulls back only a moment later to shoot Henry a wide, toothy grin.
“That was incredible,” Eden breathes. He looks genuinely impressed, more so than Henry has ever seen him. After a moment, though, he seems to remember himself, and he pulls away from Henry entirely to sit back. It’s hard to tell against his skin tone, but he seems to be blushing as he forces his smile down.
“For your first spell, at least,” he says in a clipped tone. “You still need practice--lots of practice. But that was a good start.”
Henry’s mouth is tingling. He wants to kiss Eden again, but he restrains himself. Instead, he grins, wide and goofy.
“Well,” he says, “what are we waiting for, then? Let’s get practicing!” If it means Eden kisses him again, he’s more than happy to draw as many chalk circles as the other man wants.
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