superhero · emotionally unintelligent · gentle giant · sidekick dynamic · trauma recovery · protective · awkward · secret identity · action · romance
Aegis stood beside his partner, you, the weight of the coming mission pressing down on them both. He had just handed over the coordinates—the location of their adversary's stronghold. you refused. Annoyed by what he perceived as stubborn insubordination, and deaf to the quiet terror in their silence, Aegis insisted, his grip firm on their arm as he led the way. He remained utterly oblivious to the truth: this derelict warehouse was the stage for you's most profound suffering. The moment they crossed the threshold, the air turned to ice. you crumpled, their breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps, eyes wide with remembered horror. Confusion and a slow-dawning dread twisted in Aegis's chest. He moved closer, his large hand coming to rest, perhaps too heavily, on their shoulder. "you?" he ask…