Work Text:
A (big) little misunderstanding
— Don't make me regret this, son. — Shipwreck listens before closing the office door and giving Hawk a quick salute. Thank goodness Polly wasn't around because otherwise he would have been repeating over and over again the "don't make me regret this, son". He loved that bird but sometimes he liked silence and Polly didn't always respect that. Or rather, she never respected it.
Whistling quietly, he walked down the halls already thinking about possible names for his book club. Cover Girl, the second member of the club, and he exchanged books, and he had to admit that she liked really spicy books. Some he wouldn't even have the courage to say the name of or read in public without blushing like a little high school girl. And from this strange fact, she gave the idea of creating a book club. It would be good for the soldiers, mental health, etc.
The third member of the club was Flint, or to his friends Dashiell R. Faireborn, who liked classic literature more, maybe because of college? Anyway, there was also Scarlett, but she was very reserved even when it came to her books. Cover Girl once mentioned that she also liked to read and had a collection of books hidden somewhere. Red hadn't been formally invited to our club yet, he needed to talk to Cover Girl about it. The more members, the more interesting it would be.
And speaking of the devil, there was Cover Girl herself walking towards him but focused on her Kindle to the point that she didn't notice him coming towards her in the same hallway.
— Hey! Good news. — Shipwreck obviously startles her since she had her eyes glued to the Kindle, looking really interested in what she was reading. They both stop in the middle of the hallway and Shipwreck starts talking. — Our book club was authorized by Hawk himself. He said it would be good for the soldiers to have a meeting on idle days and that it would help with their mental health and those other things you told me to convince him. Hey! — Shipwreck waves his hand in front of the pretty face of the former model who had gone back to paying attention to the Kindle in her hand, completely ignoring him.
Whatever book she was reading, it seems to be a masterpiece. Shipwreck then changes position in the hallway where they were standing like two bums and peers at the screen of the device.
“They had overcome the heat of battle, they were brothers in arms, or rather they should have been. But there they were, lost in the snow with no hope of rescue and having to warm themselves with each other's bodies. Sarah felt the commando's body behind her and avoided having dangerous thoughts at all costs. There were rules and they knew them and anyway the commando wasn't interested in her, even though they had a lot in common like martial arts. After all, he was a ninja.”
—Wait a minute, Cover girl. — She had slid her finger to go to the next page. — I was still reading.
She quickly looks away from the screen and presses the Kindle to her chest to hide it, as if he didn't already know the kind of books she reads anyway. Cover Girl makes an angry face but it wasn't that scary on her while the sailor rolls his eyes.
— It seems you're interested too. — She gives him a mischievous smile right after realizing that glaring at him wouldn't do much good.
— Actually, it looked like there were going to be some hot moments there. By the way, was there a ninja in the story? — Cover Girl looks around and takes his hand, pulling him to a more empty hallway while asking him to lower his voice with her hand.
— Exactly, that's actually what caught my attention. I was looking for reading suggestions for the club and this one was recommended based on my old readings.
— Were you reading stories with ninjas or soldiers? — Actually, she had already read the stories with soldiers, and of course there was a lot of sex involved. Apparently, the life of a soldier took a toll on even a former model, to the point that she was experiencing romances through books just like him. But he wasn't a model, so it must have been easier for her than for him.
She lowers her voice and approaches her companion. Anyone passing by the hallway might get the wrong idea at that moment.
— So, I started reading out of curiosity because the cover had a ninja on it and I had never read a novel of that kind with ninjas and you won't believe the story. — Shipwreck was so curious that he didn't even consider answering. — They are a group of special soldiers and they have to fight against evil businessmen who want to dominate the world, fascists, terrorists, etc. The focus of the book is the female character Sarah who was raised in a family of martial artists and then she is recruited into this group and guess what? She meets another character from this group who is an excellent fighter and then discovers that he is a ninja when his clan discovers his whereabouts and starts hunting him because of a misunderstanding.
— Wait, are we still talking about the book or Snake Eyes and Scarlett? Because apart from a few details, it seems to me…
— Exactly! — She interrupts excitedly and even raises her voice, but then lowers it when she realizes that someone could hear her. — That's why I got curious, and I'm only halfway through, but it's really good.
— Have you shown this book to Scarlett or Snake Eyes? — Shipwreck especially would give anything to see the ninja's face when he finds out about this book. Well, everyone at Pit bets that they have a relationship or that it will happen, today's readers call it a slow burn. It's like watching those two friends where everyone notices the chemistry in the air, but no one takes the initiative. Which was tiring sometimes, to tell the truth.
— No, I discovered it today, but I'm thinking about whether to show it to Red or Snake. Forget it, I'm definitely not going to show it to Snake Eyes. — She shakes her head as if the idea was absurd, she wasn't afraid or anything, but she was more intimate with Scarlett, so they would probably laugh about it and the subject would be closed...
Shipwreck then thought a little more about the possibility of all this. What are the chances of it being just a coincidence, an unbelievable coincidence?
— Cover girl, what's the author's name? — The question makes the blonde stop her excited ramblings for a moment and start fiddling with her Kindle again.
— Funny, I didn't pay the slightest attention to the author's name. — She goes back to the cover and gives a tense smile. — Scarlett Wood. Apparently she started writing fanfiction and this is her first published book. Interesting.
Shipwreck waits with her arms crossed as she leans against the clean wall of the Covergil Pit for her moment of discovery. She looks back at the Kindle, widening her eyes, finally having the same reasoning as her colleague.
— Scarlett? No, I mean, she never said she wanted to write or at least I don't remember her writing anything. — Cover girl now went through all the conversations she had with the redhead and at no time did she remember her talking about writing a book, writing something down or commenting on anything about it. But is it possible that she has a friend who is a published author? That would be amazing! But wait a moment... does that mean she was writing about herself and Snake Eyes then?
— Shipwreck, do you think that's possible? — she asks while her companion shrugs in front of her, as curious as she is.
— My clubmate, maybe we should investigate this further, don't you think? — she smiles at the blonde and extends her hand for her to shake in a clear sign of mutual agreement.
-
Scarlett was not in a good mood. Snake Eyes was away on a mission without her, which made her worried. Second, she was looking for a clue about the whereabouts of the Baroness and so far she hadn't gotten anything. And just today, Cover Girl was acting strangely.
First she stared at her during the briefing and then she started asking strange questions about the publishing market that she had no idea how to answer, since she didn't understand anything about it. Maybe she should ask her sister-in-law since she had recently been published and, in honor of Scarlett, adopted a pseudonym just like hers.
If her sister-in-law had adopted Scarlett's family name, they would probably think she was the author. Not that she would run that risk, of course. Which is positive since Scarlett saw the new book and feels a certain pride in being part of its composition. And she had only let them publish it because she knew she wouldn't run any risk, imagine if it leaked through the Pit?
The cafeteria was at least empty and Scarlett could enjoy her time drinking coffee in the silence of the place. She had spent the whole night awake writing and couldn't stand looking at a monitor anymore, but sometimes that was exactly her job.
Out of the corner of her eye, two figures talking in a very strange way caught her attention. It was Cover Girl and Shipwreck. They had gotten even closer after they discovered their love for books, or rather, for erotic literature exactly, although they both denied it. They would probably try to recruit her for their book club. According to the Pit's latest gossip, they had gotten Hawk's permission.
Speaking of literature, Scarlett remembered that she would soon have to talk to-
— Hey, Red? — Cover Girl walked into the cafeteria alone, leaving Shipwreck behind. He thought he was well hidden, but Scarlett could still see the tip of his boot on the curve of the wall, in addition to his shadow being projected on the floor. They had to work on his stealth clearly.
—Yes, Cover Girl? — Shana O’hara smiles because even though she was in a bad mood and knew she was temperamental, she didn’t like to treat her friends badly, especially for nothing.
The blonde sits next to her with her Kindle as if she was purposely covering the screen and was afraid someone would see.
— I wanted to show you something I found earlier today. — Scarlett lets out a sigh already imagining that it’s just another pile of work coming her way.
— Well, work is work. — She puts the mug aside and waits for Cover Girl to continue talking.
— It’s nothing about work actually. — Her friend bites her lip fearfully and this piques Scarlett’s curiosity even more. Then she hands the Kindle to the redhead and Scarlett can’t help but gasp in fright when she sees the book cover. — Have you seen this book? — Actually, yes, but Scarlett decides to pretend she hasn’t.
— No, but I admit I didn’t know you were interested in romance with ninjas — Scarlett raises an eyebrow at her who quickly shakes her head in denial.
— It came to me as a suggestion and I thought the characters' story was strange. — Of course you did! Scarlett thought about it and she warned me that this could happen. She knew it was a mistake to have let them publish it. But now she had to prevent it from spreading, she needed to play with the information Cover Girl had given her and pretend she had no idea what was going on. That's why she searched her Kindle as if looking for information she didn't already know. Finally she sighed and handed the device back to her friend who was watching her closely.
— It's a bizarre situation, indeed. — Cover Girl just nodded in agreement and quickly stood up.
— Well, it's as I imagined. Shipwreck thought you were the author but I told him I didn't think you were, but then what...?
Cover Girl left the cafeteria, thinking to herself while Scarlett heard Shipwreck and her talking in the distance and then walking away. Maybe this was the end of it, but she still needed to take some measures. Thank all the saints that Snake Eyes was away on a short spy mission and wouldn't witness this. It would be embarrassing.
Shana quickly grabs her phone and types a few messages hoping they'll answer her soon.
-
—Okay, it might not be her, although the name is suspicious. — Shipwreck and Cover Girl were walking along the same corridors as before until he suddenly stops.
—It could be someone else in the Pit.
—Shipwreck, maybe this isn't a good idea…
— Think about it, Cover girl. It's not just a coincidence, could it be that our ninja has some taste for literature? — Cover girl shakes her head from side to side, not believing in this possibility, not to mention that Snake Eyes was really reserved.
— You know he keeps things to himself. Do you think he would write a book to expose his feelings like that? — Shipwreck just shrugs but doesn't seem to take her comments seriously and this infuriates Cover girl a little, who rolls her eyes.
— Not just to expose feelings, there's more there. After I bought my copy and saw the scene in the dojo, I'm rethinking my concepts. I mean, everyone has their own taste and fetishes, but it would be amazing to find out that Snake Eyes has these fetishes.
— Whose fetish? — Clutch appears in the hallway, giving them a big scare. Cover girl drops her Kindle and because of the surprise appearance of her other colleague, she is too slow to catch it in time before it hits the floor. Cluch's eyes widen as he picks up the Kindle that slid toward him with the screen facing up and sees the cover.
—Ninja romance? That's news to me. — He scrolls down the page and reads the synopsis carefully. — Are you guys going to read this for your book club? Because now I'm really curious. By the way, doesn't it look a little like Red and our ninja? I mean, just look at the cover, the main character is a bit of a redhead. — He turns the Kindle around and increases the brightness of the screen to get a better look at the cover. "And there's a ninja dressed in black behind it." Shipwreck and Cover Girl quickly snap out of their trance and she snatches the Kindle back from Clutch's hands before he can stop her.
— I found it by chance, and I shared it with Shipwreck, that's all. — Cover Girl tries to make things better and make him not pay too much attention to the book.
— I don't know if I would read a book like that. — Clutch looks up as if remembering something. — I would be sad to see the character who looks like Scarlett paying attention to the ninja and not to some other handsome, blond and good-natured soldier.
— It would remind you too much of real life, wouldn't it? — Shipwreck scoffs, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
— It's a matter of time. — Clutch doesn't let the obvious disdain get him down. Cover girl and Shipwreck look at each other, already knowing that the result would be the same, their blond companion doesn't stand a chance against Snake Eyes. Anyone with eyes could see and realize that Scarlett only had eyes for the ninja.
— Anyway, forget what you saw here. — Cover girl warns him seriously and makes a point of pointing her finger at him.
— Why? — He shrugs and by his body language he wasn't taking the matter that seriously.
— Because this could cause problems. — She tries again. He just waves his hand in front of his face but considers the matter closed.
The book club founders watch their companion walk away and disappear down the hall.
— Do you think he'll keep quiet about this? — Shipwreck asks Cover Girl, who was strangely having a bad feeling.
-
Lady Jaye and Flint ambush Shipwreck the next day before he can even leave his room.
—Excuse me? Can I help you? — Flint nods for him to go back into the room as he closes the door behind him.
—Do you realize what you've done? — Lady Jaye and him were strangely serious and standing in front of him with their arms crossed. He didn't even open his mouth and was already being lectured.
— You better specify exactly what the problem here is. — Shipwreck sits on the bed while they both remain standing and staring at him as if he had signed up to work with Cobra. Polly was taking a tour of the base, which was a good thing, because he felt that things today might not be so good.
— Yesterday, you and Cover Girl were walking around the base with an indecent book that apparently resembled two members of the Joes — oh man, Cover Girl was going to kill him. They definitely should have let it go, but of course his curiosity got the best of him.
— Look, let's leave it alone. — He raises his arm as if he was surrendering and in a way he was. — We only asked Red because we found it a bit suspicious, but that's it.
— That's it?! The whole base is talking about it! — Lady Jaye raises her voice and he goes silent.
— Wait a minute, we didn't tell anyone and we didn't show it to anyone. Only… — Shit! Clutch, that gossiper! — It was Clutch! But he picked up Cover Girl's Kindle when it fell to the floor and ended up seeing the cover of the book and read a bit of the synopsis. We had nothing to do with it, it was an accident!
Lady Jaye put her hand on her forehead as if she felt a headache coming on, in fact it had already apparently arrived.
— Let's go. — Lady Jaye goes ahead and opens the door, waiting for Shipwreck and Flint to come out after her.
— Where are we going? — Shipwreck asks anxiously as he gets up from bed with trepidation. He quickly tries to remember if they had spoken to anyone the day before besides Scarlett and the meddler Clutch, but he can't remember anything. Cover Girl also made sure he kept his voice low in the half-empty hallways. It could only have been Clutch in the end.
He would settle the score with him later…
-
Cover Girl was going to kill Shipwreck!
As she looked from one side to the other in General Hawk's room, she was slowly shrinking as more people arrived. However, the main person had not yet appeared… Scarlett would not talk to her anymore, not after all this.
Flint and Lady Jaye went to get their partner and she didn't need to be a psychic to know that it wasn't going to be good. Sitting in the corner, she looked around, writing down the names of those she saw one by one.
Rock ‘n’ Roll, Tunnel Rat, Roadblock, Mainframe, Dial Tone, Helix, Clutch, Stalker, Storm Shadow, Ace, Duke, Ripcord, Breaker, and Beach Head were already in the room. In fact, the place was so crowded that some people were sitting on the floor while they waited for Hawk and the others to arrive. Some of the people there were really a surprise to her, actually, she was expecting Ace but Beach Head was unexpected.
Well, at least Snake Eyes was on a mission, so maybe everything wouldn’t go so wrong in the end, thought Cover Girl trying to console herself.
The door opens and a surprised Snake Eyes enters the room to see most of his companions there. If what they told him is true, the entire base yesterday and today were gossiping about the book, so those who are here were certainly pointed out by each other as the ‘informants’.
She was so screwed. And worse, she had no idea how she had leaked the information. Clutch’s face quickly passes before her eyes and then Cover Girl remembers the incident in the hallway. What a gossipy guy! He was totally screwed.
— Snake Eyes, stay here. The others will be here soon. — Behind the ninja command, General Hawk appears. He was deadly serious. Cover Girl didn't know if everyone instantly went quiet because of the ninja or the general, maybe because of both.
Covergirl watches as the ninja walks towards his clan brother, Storm Shadow, who seemed to be trying not to smile, and he starts to seriously fail when his brother starts making hand signs. Covergirl didn't need to see much of the signs he was making to understand that he should be asking why all this.
— Wait and see for yourself, brother. — Snake Eyes looks from one to the other inside the room who suddenly seemed mortified to look at him. They would be wise to at least gossip behind his back.
The door to the room opens once more after almost five minutes and Scarlett arrives at the same time as Flint, Lady Jaye and Shipwreck.
Automatically Covergirl and Shipwreck look at each other, knowing that they would both be screwed soon.
— Attention. — Hawk says and everyone salutes him, those who were seated obviously stand up and now everyone is standing and waiting. — I would like some explanations about a certain book that is circulating around the base.
A loud noise sounds and everyone turns to look at Scarlett who had slapped her forehead so hard that everyone heard it.
— Okay, I think that first Cover Girl and I should defend ourselves here. Sir. — Shipwreck was at least taking the lead and not leaving Cover Girl alone or trying to blame her. He had earned some good points with her. — We didn't go around spreading anything around the Pit unlike some people. — He doesn't even try to hide it when he looks at Clutch who looks away looking genuinely sorry.
— Sir. — Everyone looks at Scarlett curiously. Everyone's heads turned so quickly from one to the other that it was dangerous. — Let's just settle this between us. We can find the culprit very quickly without having to resort to so many people.
— The issue here, Lieutenant, is that those who were called were not only commenting, but sharing the book. — General Hawk answers, looking at each one. Snake Eyes was near the wall with his arms crossed, trying to understand everything from the fragments he heard and turned his head in the direction of whoever was speaking, paying full attention.
— But the book is really good. — A low voice sounds and everyone tries to identify who it was, but they soon looked back at the general who didn't seem to find it funny at all. However, Covergirl realized that it was a female voice. Helix?
— First, making certain types of comments about your comrades is disrespectful, and second, did none of you think about the implications that certain types of comments can have? — Cover Girl looks across the room to where Shipwreck was, and he seemed to have finally realized this.
— Jokes between comrades are common, sir. No one was really taking it seriously. — Beach Head answers and some nod their heads in agreement with him.
— Still, did any of you think about your colleagues' feelings? — Cover girl nodded her head, just agreeing with everything the general said.
A silence fell over the room while everyone seemed to think or just didn't want to fight back to defend themselves, since they would lose anyway.
— Anyway, — Scarlett started to say. Cover girl had to admit that she had courage, because in Red's place she would probably be very embarrassed and that was exactly why she didn't want the news of the book to spread. Even more so because maybe she really was the author and having her desires and wishes exposed like that wasn't cool. — I contacted the publisher and they're going to take the book down soon.
Covergirl was surprised by this, how did Scarlett have the power to make this kind of demand to the publisher? Unless... oh man, was Shipwreck right then?
A chorus of voices quickly rose up complaining.
— I haven't finished reading it yet, Red!
— Just when I get to the good part, what now?
— I'm at the dojo part! Now the really good part begins!
— Silence. — Hawk silences them. Snake eyes looked at Scarlett curiously. — Alright, you've been warned. I don't want to hear about this anymore, this matter ends here. Oh, and because of this little inconvenience, I've separated some special tasks for each of you here. Except for you, Snake eyes, and Scarlett, of course. You're dismissed.
One by one, they left the room, and with just a look and a nod from the general to Shipwreck, Covergirl, Snake Eyes and Scarlett, they already knew that they would have to stay in the room after everyone left. They already knew the general's signals.
The others didn't even dare complain about the punishment and were probably running after their tablets and Kindle to finish reading the book before it went offline.
Only the four of them were finally left in the room in a few seconds.
— Now that we're alone. Scarlett, how did you get the book taken offline? — Hawk gets straight to the point and she answers promptly.
— I know the author. — She avoids looking at anyone, except the general, but mainly, she avoids Snake Eyes' gaze, who still didn't know exactly what his participation in all this was. He kept looking for Scarlett's gaze, but she never returned it. They would probably have this conversation in private and everyone preferred it that way. Who knows, maybe there would finally be some progress in their relationship.
— I knew it! — Shipwreck points his finger at her excitedly while looking at Cover Girl who signals him to stop with her head.
— I said I know her, I'm not the author. Idiot! — Everyone could see the desire Scarlett had to kick Shipwreck and it wouldn't be Cover Girl who would stop her. In fact, she was thinking about helping her.
— Calm down. — Hawk puts control in the room before things got worse. — It doesn't matter anymore, it's already taken care of. And before I forget, Shipwreck your book club is canceled.
— What the-
— And someone, please inform Snake Eyes what happened while he was away. Dismissed.
-
Scarlett was going to kill Shipwreck, Clutch and maybe Covergirl, even though her friend had apologized to her profusely all day in person and through messages. In fact, she didn't care about gossip, she already knew that everyone was talking about her and Snake Eyes, it was positive for her, especially because she couldn't stand clueless men hitting on her. The problem was Snake Eyes, he was very reserved and that would make him very upset. Not to mention the whole issue of the book's content that could make him uncomfortable and she didn't want that.
She might have been in love with him practically since she met him, but that didn't mean she would make him go through that kind of thing. Especially because she knew he didn't reciprocate her feelings and that was also very humiliating because everyone could see how she felt about him.
And now it was up to her to explain what happened. Shipwreck and Cover Girl disappeared after they left the general's office. And Scarlett knew she had to be mature and knock on his door to tell him what had happened, especially since she had promised she would do so since the catalysts for the confusion were gone.
Late in the afternoon, after saying she would meet him in his room after he rested, she went to him. Maybe after all it wouldn't be wise to meet him in his quarters, but there wouldn't be a quiet place without outside eyes now. Everyone was watching them closely.
Letting out a long sigh, Scarlett knocks on his door which quickly opens revealing the ninja wearing an outfit that few had seen on him, a sweatshirt. And without the mask, just the way she told him a while ago that she preferred.
— Hey, Snakes! — he nods and motions for her to come in as he quickly closes the door. He's always been very organized, but she always noticed that he especially tidies up his room when she comes to visit. She could swear he even lights scented candles before she arrives. It's cute. It makes her heart skip a beat just thinking that he worries about nonsense like that because he wants her to be comfortable.
Without waiting, Scarlett sits on the bed while he stands next to her as if he's busy fiddling with something or doesn't want to get too close. It's always like that.
— Okay. — Shana says, leave your romantic nonsense for later. She picks up the tablet she was carrying and hands it to him, who moves his head to the side asking a silent question. — You'll understand when you pick up the tablet and see what's on the screen.
The ninja carefully picks up the tablet as he leans against the small table in his room and the screen lights up. Watching him without the mask was interesting because he could be very expressive when he wanted to, but without the mask it was even more so.
The redhead watches as he frowns and moves his eyes on the screen, probably changing pages. A good five minutes could have passed while she observed the room with feigned interest. He wasn't reading the book, right? She hoped not with her there...
"So is this the book they were talking about?" He puts the tablet on the table to make hand signs.
— Yes. And they thought I was the author because of the name. Covergirl explained to me that it was recommended by the app and she thought the synopsis was funny and how it looked like us. The cover doesn't disappoint either. Shipwreck started it all. — She gives an awkward laugh, but Snake Eyes seemed to be thinking deeply. Was he upset?
"Did they think you were writing about us?" he asks, his face still furrowed in thought.
— Exactly.
"But it wasn't you."
— Of course not. You know I wouldn't do that! — she quickly denies it and he grimaces — You're a reserved person, of course you wouldn't like that. Besides, the book is very explicit. It would be disrespectful to write something like that about a... teammate. — he twists his mouth quickly, but soon changes his expression. Shana would really like to know what was going on in his head at those moments.
“Explicit?”
— Yes, there are some explicit sex scenes.
He looks back at the tablet, looking curious.
“And do you really know the author?”
— Yes, she's my sister-in-law. — He looks at her much more curiously now. — Look, she wanted ideas to write and I may have told her some things, but not with the intention of her being inspired by us. Sometimes I confide in her and she took it and turned it into a romance novel. A very good one, actually. I need to tell her about Pit's feedback.
“Wait, did you tell her about me?” A very valid question. And she obviously wouldn't mention that one day she was drinking with her sister-in-law when she started talking about the mysterious commander and how she would love to show him some moves on the mat, things she made sure to include in the book.
— Sometimes I talk about some things, but I know I have to be careful with that. I only mention a few people reasonably well and I may have mentioned you once or twice. — Actually, she talked a lot about him, but there wasn't much to tell. She was lucky that her sister-in-law didn't take the idea of ninjas too seriously, which is actually positive, but that's where the idea for the book came from. And she also wouldn't mention that she had also helped with the ideas for the sex scenes.
Snake Eyes seemed to be taking it all in calmly. Scarlett took the opportunity to leave. There had already been enough awkwardness for one day and she couldn't risk letting more information out than she should.
— Okay, the information has been passed on. — She gets up from the bed and pretends to fiddle with something in her cargo pants to avoid his gaze.
Snake Eyes stopped her with his hand before she reached the door.
“Can I have the tablet?” She pointed to the device that was still on his desk. Scarlett noticed that he was also a little shy about asking about keeping the tablet, but it was normal for him to be curious.
— Do you want to read it? — Shana O’hara was prepared to see the ninja commando reading most of her wishes for him written by her sister-in-law, who wanted to participate in a romance tournament and ended up winning and being published? Well, why not? She was already in hell anyway.
— Sure. And don’t worry, this version I have is out of the system, so it won’t disappear when they take it down. — Her sister-in-law had emailed it to her last month and Scarlett didn’t even want to admit it to her, but she had already read it about five times. And he imagined her and Snake Eyes every time.
He nods to her in thanks and Scarlett says goodbye quickly. Sure, he knew she had a version of the book to read whenever she wanted, but if everything went well, he wouldn't realize it was because she liked to read the scenes and imagine what would happen to the two of them someday.
Well, it wasn't that bad. Now he would hope there wouldn't be any consequences the next day.
Consequences:
The next day.
Snake Eyes was... disconcerted, but not in a negative way. He had stayed up all night reading that book and now he really understood the fuss.
Especially the scene of the characters training, and what happens later during their training until it turns into an explicit sex scene. Adding the fact that the characters reminded him and Shana a lot.
And the cherry on the cake was that she had actually participated, implicitly, in the creation of that book. After all, according to her, it was the source of inspiration for her sister-in-law. Did she help in more ways than she had said?
The masked ninja sighs again as he thinks about the cold shower he will have to take to somehow try to make his body stop thinking about that. But how could he leave the room in the state he was in? Quickly glancing at his hip, he could see the effect the book had on him. His imagination ran wild to the point of seeing the characters in the book as himself and Shana in that dojo.
And now he would need to give the tablet back to Shana and look into her eyes without trying to convey to her what he felt while reading that obscene book. Did she like that kind of reading? Who did she think about when she was reading that kind of scene that left him so disconcerted?
Anyway, she would never imagine him as the main character. A guy who wins over the girl and then has a happily ever after.
Snake Eyes knew he would gain nothing from that kind of thinking and so he gets out of bed, ready for another day.
-
— Hello, brother. — Storm Shadow tries to be sneaky as he approaches, but Snake Eyes notices him approaching before he can even reach the cafeteria. The silent Ninja continues walking down the hallway until he reaches the cafeteria and his brother follows him at his side.
Snake Eyes sensed that he didn't just approach him to greet him and so he just nodded in acknowledgement of his presence. Obviously, Thomas Arashikage didn't give up and followed him until he got part of his breakfast and sat with him at the table in silence. This was new, but he knew it wouldn't last long. He was planning something.
— Yesterday was quite a day. — Snake Eyes lets out a tired sigh. Of course he would tease him about it. Thomas loved to tease him about his possible romantic relationship, or lack thereof, with Scarlett.
“Hawk warned us to forget about it.” Before starting to eat, Snake Eyes makes hand signals before lifting his mask up to his nose and eating calmly. He hoped that this would make his clan brother shut up once and for all and forget about the matter.
Which strangely worked, but Snake Eyes soon realizes why he had shut up so quickly.
— I managed to finish reading it. I had to stay up all night, but apparently it's already down. — Someone whispers near them at another table on the side. Snake Eyes prefers not to know who is commenting. At least for now.
— We have to thank Covergirl and Shipwreck, the book is sensational.
— I never imagined myself reading something like this.
— I had to take three cold showers after I finished reading chapter twenty.
— Hey, keep your voice down! Snake Eyes is right there.
— But he won't hear us, will he?
— He's a ninja!
— Exactly, a ninja isn't Superman. Do ninjas have super hearing by any chance?
— I wouldn't doubt it.
— We shouldn't be talking about this. Damn, and there's no book club left to discuss the book and I loved it! I wanted to discuss my theories. I really think the book should have a sequel.
— Me too. Not to mention the main characters' devotion to each other, the plot, the slow burn…
— They really are just like Snake Eyes and Scarlett. Although they said she has nothing to do with the book, it was a strange coincidence.
— Are they just like the characters even during the private training they do in the morning?
— Shh!
— They would be disappointed. — Storm Shadow diverts his attention from the whispered conversation with his comment. — I've seen your training and it certainly doesn't end that way, much to Red's dismay, because I think she would like it.
Snake Eyes drops his cutlery and starts signing a series of words, some quite offensive, to his brother who just smiles maliciously back.
— You're blind, brother, but we're not. And I know you'd also like it to end the same way as the book. You can deny it, but I'm your brother and I know your soul, just as you know mine.
"You read the book too, didn't you?
— Of course, did you really think I wouldn't? And I bet you read it too, didn't you? — Snake Eyes doesn't bother answering him.
He remains silent, knowing that there would be no point in lying to his brother. And he felt that it was the same with Scarlett, she somehow understood him in a way that no other person could, not even Storm Shadow.
At least they weren't making mean comments about the redhead who takes over his thoughts day and night, although the playful comments about the two of them apparently increased after this unusual event.
Throughout the day, some other Joes made small comments like Spirit, Gung Ho and Heavy Duty. Snake Eyes remembered that they and others hadn't been called to Hawk's room, but not even they escaped the story about the book.
— When they showed me the book, I thought it best not to get involved. I didn't know exactly and I didn't want to hurt you or Scarlett. — Spirit commented to him quickly and Snake Eyes thanked him with a quick nod — But I think I was wrong. Apparently you're quite popular with the female audience now. Well, the book left a lot to the imagination...
Snake Eyes didn't exactly consider himself shy or demure, he was just very reserved. But he had his moments of shyness and demureness and this was one of them.
His hands stood still in the air, not knowing how to respond, and in the end he just rubbed the back of his head, not knowing how to react. At least Storm Shadow had the decency to stay quiet while observing everything with attentive eyes.
He was still having fun with the whole situation and making random comments from other people that he heard when he was hidden around the base.
A soldier told another that she was developing a fetish for ninjas and Storm Shadow happened to be there and overheard her. Snake Eyes just shook his head from side to side when he told him this after training some soldiers, who they were both in charge of training. This would surely reach the ears of the others in Japan, Tommy would make sure of it. Jinx and Kamakura in particular would be the most curious about it and wouldn't leave him alone when they saw him again.
If it had been someone else who had said this, Snake Eyes would have really been interested in this conversation.
And thinking about the devil...
There she was, beautiful and giving Clutch a good kick, who was now curled up in agony on the floor.
It was well deserved and Snake Eyes couldn't hold back his smile, but he was wearing a mask so it wasn't a problem since no one would see.
The ninja was afraid of meeting her around the base and luckily they barely crossed paths throughout the day. He didn't want to make things worse for her and end up making things awkward between them, but apparently neither of those things were happening.
— Snakes! — When she saw him, she smiled big and beautiful. At that moment he wondered if it wasn't possible... no, better not. Anyway, even if it were possible, after everything that happened to the people he cared about, she would be just another target and he couldn't bear to lose her and he knew it.
The redhead quickly approached while Clutch got up unsteadily and walked towards anywhere but there. Little did he know that Covergirl and Shipwreck were still after him, seeking revenge, but first, they would both have to be released from their kitchen duties. He nods to her as Storm Shadow surreptitiously walks away, leaving them alone. Snake Eyes was counting on him not to be alone, but of course he would leave them for that very reason. Quickly looking around the room, Snake Eyes realizes that most of the soldiers had already left. There were only a few left who were obviously pretending to do something to observe them and then spread more information around the Pit.
— Scarlett! — Lady Jaye appears in the hallway, calling her and waving her arms energetically. Before Scarlett even had more than a minute to exchange more than a few waves, she quickly says goodbye to Snake Eyes after being called. They both seemed in a hurry.
— Ah,— Scarlett quickly turns towards the ninja and quickly approaches him again. — Later, I'd like to have one of your wonderful teas. The cafeteria will be empty tonight, is that okay with you? — she asks quietly so that no one can hear and exactly for that reason the curious looks increase.
Snake Eyes nods positively and she gives another bright smile that would be able to blind him, if he wasn't so enchanted by her bright eyes looking at him with affection. He watches her leave as quickly as she appeared.
— Did you see that? — the ninja hears the whispers start as soon as Scarlett walks away with Lady Jaye.
— I always knew there was something more there than friendship.
— What were they talking about?
— They must have been planning to have crazy ninja sex.
— Ninja sex?
— Yes, just like in the book.
Snake Eyes lets out a long sigh. It wouldn't be worth facing the gossipy green shirts. He wishes they would stop so as not to embarrass Scarlett, although she said she never minded, but that's just how she was, she was afraid of hurting people.
Okay, he's thinking too much about all this. Maybe he should talk to Shana today about these new comments. But first Snake Eyes needed to meditate and clear his mind.
He needed more than ever to keep his mind balanced, since his body and heart seemed to want the same thing desperately.
-
Scarlett didn't expect to have a girls' night, but that's what was happening.
Lady Jaye was by her side and Cover Girl was in front of her and they both stood still without talking about everything and hadn't mentioned at any time what happened yesterday. At least they were in an empty room to talk in peace. Cover Girl was afraid that Scarlett might be upset with her, and the redhead really had been, but maybe there was something good coming after a little embarrassment. And Scarlett had already forgiven her.
Soon she would meet Snake Eyes for tea in the cafeteria and she was looking forward to meeting him, as she always felt when she knew she would meet him.
— Okay, you can stop pretending. — Scarlett interrupts the previous topic and both of them look at her. Jady Jaye had one leg on the table and Cover Girl managed to cross her legs on the chair that wasn't very comfortable.
— What? — Lady Jaye asks curiously. Cover Girl also looked at her.
— This little meeting isn't a coincidence, what do you want to know? — Scarlett crosses her arms and waits.
— Actually, Cover Girl was afraid that you would never talk to her again so she asked me to call her for a little girl-only chat. — Lady Jaye starts to tell. — And since you accepted, you're clearly not mad at her anymore.
— That's true. — The redhead agrees but quickly looks at Cover Girl who seemed to shrink. — She deserved it, but Shipwreck hasn't yet, and Clutch is certainly far from getting my forgiveness.
— Well, if it's any consolation… — Cover Girl changes position in the chair to look at Scarlett. — I, and shipwreck, made sure he got cold food, and with the worst meats available. And that's just the beginning.
— Excellent, Cover girl. — Scarlett smiles. — With you in the kitchen, revenge will definitely be better. I've already done my part, but I think I can do something more in the future.
For a few minutes they think of ways to get revenge and some laughter rings out in the room.
— Did you tell Snake Eyes what happened? — the blonde asks Scarlett who lets out a painful sigh.
— Yes, since you two disappeared after we were dismissed. — she pouts her lips in annoyance.
— But you talked about the book, didn't you? And what did he think? — Lady Jaye approaches wanting to know too.
— Well, he asked to read it and I haven't talked to him about it yet, and it doesn't matter anyway. But my sister-in-law loved the feedback from the base and apparently was thinking about a sequel.
— I need to know what happens when they get to Japan! — Lady Jaye slips out of her run with so much excitement.
— Wait, you read it too? — the redhead asks in surprise.
— Of course. And the funniest thing is that it seems to be a hit with the female audience at the Pit. Especially the hero of the book who looks a lot like our Snake Eyes.
— Who would have thought that Snake Eyes would be our sex symbol. — Cover Girl comments without any bad intentions, but Scarlett makes a face at her.
— Don't worry, he's yours. — Lady Jaye raises her hands in a sign of peace. Everyone knew that she and Flint snuck around the corners of the base.
— Everyone realizes that you're jealous of Helix, but I think it's totally unjustified. — Cover Girl comments.
— I'm not jealous! — Scarlett gets up from her chair quickly.
— Uh-huh. — Lady Jaye and Cover Girl look at each other with smiles on their faces.
— I have to go find him, I'm almost late. — Actually, there were still a few minutes left, but she wanted to escape that conversation. She didn't like knowing that others were looking at Snake Eyes with different eyes now. And they shouldn't have. And the fact that they remembered Helix had really irritated her.
Nothing against her partner, but Helix is very competent and she knew that sometimes Snake Eyes chose her to go with him because of her skill set and not because of feelings, but Scarlett still didn't like that at all.
Was it jealousy? Yes, and she knew it, she just didn't want to admit it and hated that she let it show so much to others.
—Okay, go find your ninja boyfriend. — Lady Jaye waves her hands as if she was shooing her out of the room.
Scarlett thinks about fighting back, but just waves at them and leaves the room. She had liked the phrase and didn't want them to see her smile.
-
Snake Eyes arrives early to prepare tea in the cafeteria, but Scarlett is there at the same time. He doesn't want her to notice how anxious he is to meet her, but apparently she is also very early.
— Well, you're early —she says with a big smile.
"You too." Snake Eyes grabs his tea box and starts filling the kettle while Scarlett follows him to the inside of the cafeteria where the stove and other utensils are.
She watches him calmly prepare the tea and pour it into her mug. There was something meditative about watching him prepare the tea, his presence was exciting but relaxing at the same time. Did it make sense? She couldn't say yet.
He fills his mug with tea too and they watch as the water absorbs both tea bags inside their mugs. Apparently neither of them knew how to start a conversation at that moment, and it wasn't just another comfortable silence that they had. They both wanted to say something but didn't know how to start.
— So, what did you think of the book? — Scarlett had always been impulsive and didn't mind going after what she wanted. Which explains why she didn't mind taking the lead in the conversation.
Snake Eyes almost lets the mug slip from his fingers before he sets it down on the counter and starts signing with his hands.
"Interesting." Scarlett waits, but he finishes his sentence. Meanwhile, he looked at the cafeteria as if he was observing it for the first time just to avoid looking at her. He was shy, and Shana had known him long enough to know when that happened.
— That's it? — She was standing next to him with the counter in front of them while she let the tea cool a little more. She leans her body on the counter as she watches Snake Eyes look increasingly shy about answering her.
"What did you think of the book?" He returns the question and looks at her through the visor of his mask.
— It's a very good book. My sister-in-law is talented, I have to admit. — Scarlett takes the mug and sips some of the tea slowly so as not to burn her tongue.
“I agree.”
— And it didn’t bother you? — Scarlett finally asks the question. She puts the mug back on the counter, waiting for her answer.
“Why would I bother?” Snake eyes asks the question again. She couldn’t see his face, unfortunately, because she would really like to watch his reactions.
— I don’t know, maybe because the character was obviously inspired by you? And I know you’re pretty private about your things. In fact, I should apologize to you for sharing some of your things. — Snake eyes shakes his head in denial before she even finishes speaking.
“If it were someone else, I would probably be bothered, but from what I heard from your sister-in-law, I don’t think it’s that serious. Although it’s good to be careful about what we say outside of here with civilians. In a way, you helped her create a career as a writer.”
— You helped her too. — Scarlett counters.
“I didn’t help her write the book.”
— Wait a minute, I didn't help write anything. — The redhead is quick to retort.
“You were her inspiration too, weren't you?” — He was obviously joking with her but Scarlett hadn't realized it yet.
— Right, looking at it that way... and she's apparently such a good writer that she has several women at the base crazy about this book and about you. — She twists her mouth for a moment, unable to hide the jealousy in her voice.
Snake Eyes, who had lifted his mask a little to drink the tea, spits part of the liquid on the counter in front of him.
“What? You heard that too? Tommy said he heard some green shirts talking about it and I didn’t know if I believed him, but I can see he was serious.” Snake eyes seemed surprised through his body language.
— So? How does it feel to be the darling of the women on base? — Snake eyes could swear he heard jealousy in his voice, but he didn’t want to fool himself.
“It’s all an idealization based on another idealization your sister-in-law created.” He shrugs. “It’s not real and they’ll soon forget.”
— Of course you would give that kind of answer. — She mumbles as she looks at the mug.
“It’s the truth.”
They remain silent for a few long seconds as they look at the empty cafeteria just enjoying each other’s presence.
— So, you really weren’t upset?
“No, actually I was worried about you and the comments that would come from that.”
— You know I don’t care, Snake eyes. — Deep down she liked it and hoped he would realize it once and for all and get the courage to react more in line with her flirting.
“Yes, but now they could be tougher on you.”
— I’m glad you think of me, but it’s unnecessary. I can take care of myself. You know that. — He sighs, making it clear that he had given up arguing with her, especially when he went into overprotective mode.
“Why did you think I would mind, Shana?” He abruptly changes the course of the conversation when he remembers that she was also worried about him.
— Well, considering what’s in the book, I thought you wouldn’t like people making weird comparisons and other types of comments that were much more… explicit. — Snake Eyes had been worried about the same comments, but they were about her.
It was funny that they were both worried about each other and how they would react to the other’s comments, and in the end neither of them really cared or had any reason to. Snake Eyes knew that, perhaps in another group of disrespectful people, they could have more aggressive comments about the situation. For better or worse, the Joes were still a family. It was a very dysfunctional family, but it still worked well. And that reminded him a lot of his other family, in Japan.
“They weren’t crazy enough to do that.” The ninja turned to look at her now. They were at a safe distance, but Shana sometimes moved a little, getting closer to him. “Did you get bothered by that? By people’s reactions? The character on the cover looked like you.”
— No, but thinking about it now, maybe some pervert might actually start imagining things after this book. — Scarlett had thought quickly about Clutch, but Snake Eyes was standing there like a statue, wondering if she knew what he was thinking when he was reading the book the night before. — But maybe you should worry about the women on this base now. Maybe they thought about you while they were reading the best parts. — Snake Eyes rolled his eyes. To her ears it sounded like a joke, but to Shana there was a hint of flirtation there.
“I don’t see myself taking that risk, Shana.”
— That's what you think, when I was reading-
Scarlett quickly stops herself when she realizes that she almost admitted that she imagined him while she was reading the book. With wide eyes, she looks at her almost empty mug and realizes that it was time to end this conversation before she ends up talking too much. His moment was ending and it saddened her, although she knew that tomorrow she would still find him ready to go train with her.
— Well, my tea is over. Time to go to bed. By the way, you still need to return my tablet, Snake eyes — Scarlett reminds him and she could swear he was blushing. Unless he didn't want to return her tablet…
Grabbing her mug, Scarlett prepares to make her way to her room, but before she can get out of the ninja's sight, she quickly turns around, tossing her red hair over her shoulder. She couldn't miss this opportunity, one last flirtation.
— If you want, I'll send you a copy to read when you're bored, just ask me. And if you want to imagine me as Sarah, well, I'll let you. — she winks at him and turns around again to leave. She didn't miss an opportunity for these little flirtations, they were the only ones she allowed herself without running the risk of losing his friendship by being too direct and at the same time telling him that she was there and interested. With her heart in her hand, Shana walked faster and faster down the hallway to her room. Thank goodness there was another copy on her phone for him tonight.
Meanwhile, Snake Eyes was standing in the middle of the kitchen with his empty mug in his hands thinking about those last seconds while he quickly put his hand to his face to lower his mask. His face was definitely red and not because of another injury. Thank goodness Tommy wasn't here to see that or he would never let him forget that either.
Was it his imagination or did she almost say that she thought about him while she was reading that book? Could it be... He was definitely going crazy, she was driving him crazy and now he wanted to go to his room and read the book all over again.
Snake eyes hoped with all his heart that there would be a sequel to this book.