Doctor Octopus x Reader - Hello, (Y/N).

"Butterfingers."

Rubble from the night before covered the streets. Construction trucks hadn't arrived yet. For now, citizens had to walk around it all. Fuck, this is going to slow down my desperate hunt for that old man! I started to wonder if I should've gotten into the clean up crew of New York. Surely they make bank if they're cleaning up after destructive supervillains all the time.

Oh well.

I hurriedly walked around the rubble and people. I clutched onto my micro bag as I started to move faster. My SpongeBob™ earmuffs helped this time. I accepted looking a bit goofy and silly. I was going to take them off as soon as I got there anyway.

The café was a few meters away. It felt like finding the Holy Grail.

I paused before entering the building to catch my breath. I didn't want to look like a mouth breather. That would definitely ruin my chances.

It wasn't as busy as the day before, but it still made me feel claustrophobic. Even if it was busier than it was yesterday, I surely wouldn't miss Otto this time. If you took the actuators away, he was still a tall and a bit of a burly man. I couldn't see him anywhere. Damn it.

I sat down on one of the stools in front of the windows. Even if he was here, what was I going to say? I hadn't planned this out. I didn't know him enough to make effective small talk. I rubbed my temples as I struggled to plan my introduction. That is, if he even shows up. The news wasn't very personal about him either. Mainly that he was a genius. He was divorced, so that can complicate things. It was a couple of years ago. Maybe I could shoot my shot now and it won't be awkward. Confidence is key!

The café's doorbell rang. My head perked up as if I were a dog hearing the word "treat." There he was, in all of his ... cyborg glory. I felt as if my heart jumped into my throat. Fuck. Now what?

Otto looked around. It didn't look as if he were looking for something specific. He seemed to just be looking at his surroundings. He looked in my direction, instantly recognizing me. Octavius smiled while my stomach fluttered again. After waving to make sure I saw him, he started to walk over to me. My hands shook again. The blood rushed into my face. He sat down on a stool next to me. It felt as if my throat closed up.

"Well good morning. Did you sleep through that noise last night, (Y/N)?"

He looked at me as he waited for my answer. I didn't process what he said at first, as the eye contact made me sweaty. "O-Oh! Good morning to you too, Octavius--I mean Otto. I slept ... fine." My feelings weren't hidden much at all. It's a wonder why he hasn't just called me weird and walked away. Apart from maybe one flustered look, he didn't seem to have any strong feelings about me.

He seemed to notice my last statement was a lie. "I didn't sleep well either. I didn't expect to see you here." Is he happy to see me? Indifferent? My thoughts raced for a brief moment. I overthought every word he said, looking for a tone of voice that meant something significant. I was stuck. What do I say?

"Me either, haha." I mumbled. Otto raised a brow. Maybe he couldn't understand what I said.

"What?" He asked.

"Sorry, I said I didn't expect to see you either." I swear I felt beads of sweat on my face. I struggled to meet his gaze now. I might stare too long in those brown eyes of his.

"You're fine. It's just a bit noisy in here." He and I shared a chuckle before glancing at the crowd of people. It seemed to grow with every minute. I clenched my hands together again, keeping them from making me look like a shivering mess.

I decided to ask him something to keep the mood going.

"So, are you here for two cups of coffee again? With a handful of sugar cubes to go with it?"

Moe opened it's claws while looking in my direction. I started to feel a little bad. Admittedly it was still funny. Otto inhaled. "Ah, maybe. Not too sure yet." We looked at the distant chalkboard. It had the day's specials written on it. None of it looked energizing. Just a lot of winter themed drinks, ones to make you sleepy nonetheless. I saw him reading it, he furrowed his brows in disappointment.

"Well, I guess I don't have much luck today. Also," he turned to make eye contact with me again, "I noticed we match."

Otto's eyes looked me up and down and I tried to not fall over. "Oh, haha. That's funny." I pulled at the turtleneck's collar. I was starting to feel a bit sweaty and my clothes weren't helping. I decided to take my coat off to feel a bit better. Otto's eyes seemed to immediately dart away as soon as he saw me start to remove it. It wasn't as if I was taking off my shirt. Even if that was a current "intrusive" thought of mine. Maybe he was just trying to be polite. I shook my hair around to give it its volume back. He looked at me again and didn't say anything. I felt a little flustered, but in a different way. I almost wanted him to look. Goddamn it.

I folded my coat onto my lap. I nearly white knuckled it while trying to keep my shaking in my hands rather than my whole body. I heard Otto inhale deeply again. "I'm going to see if I can get a regular coffee."

Looking at the line, he wouldn't be gone long. "Just one?" I teased.

He got up and turned to me. "Yes. Unless, of course, you want one too?"

My eyes widened like a coked up owl. I stumbled before answering. "I'm n-not the b-biggest coffee fan, sorry." My voice raised an octave or two for sure. If he didn't notice my flustered attitude now, I'd doubt his genius. He smiled reassuringly before responding.

"Ah, well. More for me!"

A flirtatious giggle escaped me. "Ah, you're funny, Otto."

I cursed at myself once he was out of earshot for slipping up.