Scarlett Johansson | One-Shots (1)

Flinch

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Callie:
"I'm gonna kill you!" I joke, running after my wife who just smacked my ass rapidly like she was playing the drums. She knows I hate that.

I chase her through our mansion all the way into our bedroom where I corner her in the walk-in closet. We get into our play fight positions as we face each other with huge smiles. She tries to trick me by pretending to go one way but quickly going the other but I grab her by her waist. I pick her up as she flails her limbs in an attempt to get out of my grip. I toss her onto the bed where I climb on top of her and straddle her stomach to keep her down.

I evilly smirk down at her before swinging a fake punch, obviously not making contact with her face. She swings a pretend punch of her own to my side. I pretend to get hurt and collapse to the side of her on the bed with a laugh. She gets on top of me and straddles my lap, laughing the whole time. We throw fake punch after fake punch, pretending to get hit. Pure happiness fills my body. That is until I get a sudden memory of my youth.

Scarlett:
Straddling Callie, I place a hand on her chest and cock my arm halfway behind me, about to throw another fake punch when she flinches. I immediately drop my arm, causing her to flinch again. She quickly continues to laugh underneath me but I stop my laughter.

"What?" she questions my emotions that changed, a smile still on her face. I slowly get off of her and stand to the side of the bed. "Babe, what is it?" She sits up in bed and turns to face me.

"Are you okay?" I ask, cautiously backing away from her.

"Yeah, why?"

In the 10 years that we've been together, this is the first time this has happened. She's never flinched at my movements. I quickly grow upset but I don't want to show it so I run out of the room.

Callie:
"Scar?" I call after my wife as she stumbles out of the room.

I immediately follow her to wherever she's going. She's fast so I lose her before I reach the staircase. I stop in my tracks at the top step. Something doesn't let me go any further, as much as I want to. I sit on the top step until I hear the back door sliding closed.

A minute later, I see Scarlett appear at the bottom. She hesitantly comes up and takes a seat next to me. We stay silent for a while, not even touching each other.

"I'm sorry," she says finally.

I turn my head to look at her. She looks back with puffy red eyes. "Where'd you go?"

"I know you think I didn't notice," she sniffles. Unfortunately, I know exactly what she's talking about. And she's right, I thought she didn't notice. I was hoping she didn't.

I sigh and look away.

"We've been together for ten years. You know I would never, right?"

"I know," I whisper.

"Do you? You had pure fear in your eyes."

I can't stop the tears so I let them fall. Scarlett doesn't comfort me, probably too scared to touch me. To tell her it's okay, I lean my head on her shoulder and rest my arm across her thigh. She finally wraps her arm around my shoulders.

"I don't know what came over me," I finally admit.

"Callie, you're safe with me. You've never talked about your youth, and you don't have to if you don't want to, so I don't know what you've been through. I just can't express it enough that I will never, ever, hit you. I am so sorry I put you in a situation where you thought I would."

"I know, Scar. I do. You're perfect and I know you wouldn't. I'm sorry for–"

"You have nothing to apologize for. You never have to apologize for the way you feel."

"I really like when we fake fight like that. I've never had a flashback like that before so I don't know where it came from."

"Can I ask you something?"

"You can ask."

"What'd you see that made you so afraid?"

I lift my head from her shoulder. I wasn't expecting that question. After a nervous breath, my hand retreats to my own body. I tuck my knees in and hug them to my chest like a child.

"You don't have to answer that. I'm sorry. I don't mean to pry or make things worse," Scar apologizes.

I ignore her apology and think back to why we're sitting here in the first place. Why I flinched. I want to cry but after my stupid flinch, I can't willingly make shit worse. My wife already thinks I'm scared of her so crying would make her feel like she's the reason for my tears. She is not the reason for any of my pain.

"I saw my dad," I finally admit. "He was a mean drunk. Blamed me for a lot of his life problems even though it was the drinking that did him wrong. Occasionally, I'd make the mistake of talking back. That's when he'd get physical. Oliver always took the worst of it 'cause he's older and wanted to protect me but when he wasn't around, my dad only had me to go after. So I saw my dad in one of the worst moments when I flinched."

"I'm sorry, Cal. I am. That's horrible."

"Nah," I shrug it off and wipe a tear that happened to escape. "He's in prison now. Life sentence without parole for first-degree attempted murder."

"Jesus," Scar mumbles.

"Yeah. I saw prison coming for him. I just didn't fully expect him to go for attempted murder. But he was an abusive dickhead so I'm glad he's put away."

"I'm glad he's put away too."

We stay silent for a while. Scarlett lets me lean against her while I catch my breath and relax. It takes a while. When I do, though, we stay at the top of the steps and make careful conversation about regular wife things. It's nice to have her in my corner. I wouldn't want it any other way.

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By the time I post this, it won't be anymore but when I'm writing it, it is.

Happy fucking birthday to the one and only Scarlett Ingrid Johansson. You have saved my life countless times. I appreciate your existence. Thank you for being here. I love you.

~ Karina & Callie