#does clint/tony have a ship name?

[cowboylikeyouu]

why does everybody hate mcu clint so much??? i’ve read his comics but i still love jeremy renner’s portrayal of him and stuff :(

like i can understand being disappointed in some ways about how the character was changed for the movies, but i can’t understood all the hate for him

for me, personally, it's not that mcu clint is a bad character per se, it's really just the fact that he doesn't feel like clint barton. give him any other name and he's a fine character, but compare him to comic clint and they're in NO WAY the same person.

on one hand you have that responsible, serious husband and well adjusted father of three, who cracks a joke here and there but takes everything pretty serious most of the time, who has his life under control, while everyone else on the team is a mess. he doesn't have that much of a personality, no weird habits or (dis)likes, he really fades in comparison to other team members like tony, who's lines are always on point and who gets a back story and everything.

on the other hand there's this 6'3" disaster of a human being, who lives for coffee, dogs, tv shows and nothing else, is obsessed with purple for no reason at all, grew up in a circus after he escaped his abusive dad, can't take anything seriously and cracks the funniest joke all the fucking time, even makes fun of captain america on a regular basis (at least in the early avengers comics), runs away from himself and responsibility, fucks up nearly all of his relationships because he really sucks at emotions, but then forms those really precious bonds with people like kate, and who's just kind of an asshole really, but simultaneously a fucking ray of sunshine. plus he's deaf and we always love some representation. oh, and mcu clint is like the straightest guy ever, and then there's comic clint who is just so easy to headcanon as this bisexual disaster, and we all know how much fandom loves a queer coded character.

so, the mcu basically took away every fun part of the awesome character that is clint barton and it SUCKS. i really don't hate movie clint as his own character, i just hate hate HATE the fact that he's supposed to be THE clint barton because he IS NOT, and he'll never be. i'm sorry, but jeremy renner just can't pull it off, i'll never understand how they saw bigger-than-steve, blond-mess, purple-loving, coffee-addict comic clint and where like: "oh yeah, let's cast 5' 9" jeremy renner and give his character a huge, healthy family, and no mental health problems, that's just perfect😍"

it's just so sad to be aware of the awesomeness of comic clint and then watch the movies because you're constantly thinking "oh what could've been..." if they did comic accurate movie clint, he'd definitely be a fan-favourite and we'd have tons of edits, and ships, and merchandise, but NO, most mcu fans just forget about him or don't find him special or entertaining (bc his mcu version really really isn't) and he gets left out of all the casual merchandise you can find in random shops (i literally have an album on my phone that's dedicated to photos i took of cheap avengers merchandise with the "o6" avengers sans clint lmao)

you're obviously allowed to love movie clint and jeremy's portrayal, that's great!!! i was an mcu fan way before i even knew just how different comic clint was, and i loved mcu clint so much back then! but after reading the comics and thousands of fanfiction, i'm just really really angry that there isn't a good live action on screen representation of my all time favourite fictional character, and i think many people feel the same :(

okay, i think i'm done lmao.

anyways, shout out to avengers assemble clint, my one true love <3 the mcu should take notes.

[raghhhhhyperfixations]

Tony’s in denial

Harry Osborn X Peter Parker ship (guys i don’t know their ship name HELP??) sort of prompt idea? sort of not, just a funny thing that came to me.

Watch me not post anything for a few weeks and now watch me throw a ‘Peter parker X harry Osborn’ at you nerds.

So, Peter is gay, or bi, or pan or well he’s figuring it out but what he does know? he really, really likes the teen he met at a science convention who’s as geeky as he is but perhaps got all the looks and more.

Then they meet again at some other science thingy maginjy and odin above Peter can’t help the way his cheeks flush everytime he sees this guy.

They finally get one another’s names because at the convention it was a quick ‘hi’, a smile, Peter was awkward, hands in pockets.

Before Harry asked about his invention and who he was with and he started going on (“I’m with my dad and aunt may.”) totally ignoring he called Tony his dad.

And yeah.

Harry likes this guy.

A lot.

So when they see each other, Harry doesn’t realise Peter parker is the same (‘Peter parker— a nobody adopted by Tony Stark?’ from the daily bugle) and when Harry introduces himself, Peter doesn’t Harry osborn is the son of one of Tony’s mortal tech enemies.

And they hit it off.

They get each other’s numbers. (my grammar and spelling disappeared here ignore it)

Peter’s going out on sundays to hang out with Harry not realising it technically IS a date? And Harry well.. he’s swooning, hard, he gets excited the more they hang out.

It starts slow.

Slow brushes with their fingers when walking.

Staring at one another when they aren’t looking at each other (Harry becomes so distracted at one point Peter has to shake him from his daydreams of 32 hamsters)

Nudging their knees together under the table.

It’s a nerdy first crush, like either of them hadn’t been in love before (Ned and MJ are totally freaking out and waiting to meet and approve of this harry guy)

(Until they learn it’s Osborn.)

Ned: “So when can we meet him?”

Peter: “I don’t know, he’s pretty busy working with his dad most days…”

MJ: “His dad?”

Peter: “Yeah Mr Norman.”

MJ: …

Ned: …

Ned: “ARE YOU DATING HARRY OSBORN?”

Peter: “well not yet-“

MJ: “Like harry osborn, son of mortal enemy to tony stark?”

Peter bluescreens.

Peter: “What.”

Ned: “Dude how can you not KNOW, Norman and Stark have been at each other in the stock industry since Tony debuted.”

Peter: “oh…”

MJ: “Wait for it.”

Peter: “My god, i’m dating my dad’s mortal enemies, son.”

Ned: “Thought you weren’t dating him?”

Peter: “YET.”

Now they have to break the news to Tony.

Poor.

Unfortunate.

Tony.

Now, Tony had recently adopted Peter, their relationship as Father/Son was sky rocketing and Peter was finally coming around to calling Tony ‘dad’ and calling Pepper ‘mom.’

It was a long talk with aunt may, he hadn’t been exactly comfortable for a while since she was like her mother but in a way they both agreed it wouldn’t take away from their relationship and May likes Pepper anyway.

And back when he and MJ were dating tony had said (“Keep the door open.”) but hadn’t exactly been too controlling.

However dating someone who’s got the blood of an enemy he despises? It might be another thing entirely.

So hence Peter trying to awkwardly go over the situation.

-

Peter: “Dad…”

Tony working away at the lab and humming tunes: “Yeah kid?”

Peter: “So you know how me and MJ broke up?”

Tony: “You get back together?”

Peter: “What? No!”

Tony: “Okay then.”

Peter doesn’t get Tony’s attention again, he seems too distracted so he tries for another time.

-

Peter: “Tony.”

Clint laughs in the background because (“Ooooh full name Stark, what you done now?”

And Peter realises he sounds a little like may or Pepper.

Tony turns around, cereal box in hand like a caught puppy: “What i do now kid?”

Peter: “No uhm, it’s just— i want to talk to you-“

Clint’s laughter is still echoing and very annoying.

Peter: “About my boyfriend.”

this time.

It’s Tony’s turn to bluescreen.

Clint’s laughter comes to a dead stop, choking on a little giggle. :

Tony: “Do i need to give you the talk already?”

Peter’s embarrassingly red.

Peter: “NO?”

Tony: “Good cause i’m not licensed for that, cap on the other hand…”

Tony looks to clint

Tony: “He did those drug PSAs a while back didn’t he?”

Peter: “Mr stark stop.”

Clint: “Yeah i think so.”

Tony starts tapping away at his phone and Peter’s already trying to dart out the room.

Clint yells as he goes: “Use condoms!”

God they couldn’t be more embarrassing.

Loving.

But embarrassing.

Perhaps…

The worst way for his father to find out is when Peter actually establishes a relationship with Harry and suddenly their relationship just got a whole lot more lovey dovey.

Like, kissing in his room lovey dovey.

And yeah it doesn’t help half the avengers have super hearing or are just nosy. So when they return the first thing they do?

Point and laugh)” As clint cackles out.

After that embarrassing scenario he’s sat on a chair being scolded to high ends of the earth, Tony going through a dilemma.

Tony:” Norman osborn’s son! I didn’t raise you like this!” He cries.

Tony: “You could have had anyone, heck even used my money for love!”

Pepper: “Don’t use money for love Peter.”

Tony: “I would have… i don’t know? it would have been better if you were dating that ted kid but HARRY OSBORN?”

Tony: “No, i will not have this scandalous thing in my home!”

Steve: “Don’t you think your overreacting-“

Tony: “NORMAN OSBORNS SON! STEVE.”

Pepper only shakes her head and lets Peter go.

Tony still interrogates peter everytime he���s going out or even acknowledge the fact he’s dating an osborn.

(Mj: “Overdramatic much?)”

(Pepper: “You’d think.”)

(No green goblin mention here folks)

[nekoannie-chan]

Operation: Birthday candles 

Title: Operation: Birthday Candles.

Fandom: Marvel, The Avengers.

Ship: Avengers & Maria Hill.

Word count: 654 words.

Square: I5 “Birthday cake”.

Rating: Teen.

Summary: The Avengers planned something special for Maria’s Birthday.

Major Tags: Fluff, angst.

Additional tags: My entry for the @marvelrarepairbingo Marvel Rare Pair Bingo Round 4 (Card MRP-066).

Links: Wattpad, Ao3, Spanish version.

@saiyanprincessswanie

My native language is Spanish, so I wanna improve my writing skills in English. Please let me know if you notice any mistakes, and I will correct them.

I don’t grant permission for my fics to be posted on other platforms or in other languages (I translate my work) or for the use of my graphics (my dividers are included in this). I created them exclusively for my fics; please respect my work and refrain from stealing it. Some people here make dividers that anyone can use; mine is not this type, so please look for the other people's dividers. The only exceptions are those I gifted 'cuz now belong to someone else. Please let me know if you find any of my works on a different platform and are not one of my accounts. Reblogs and comments are always welcome.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Marvel's characters (unfortunately), except for the original characters and the story.

Add yourself to my taglist here.

My other media where I publish:  Ao3, Wattpad, ffnet, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter. 

If you like it, please vote, comment, give me feedback to improve my skills and reblog.

Tags: @sinceimetyou @unnuevosoltransformalarealidad @navybrat817 @real-fbi @caplanbuckybarnes @hallecarey1 @nana1000night @talia-rumlow @azulatodoryuga @endlesstwanted @patzammit @kmc1989

Maria Hill had never celebrated her birthday before.

Not for lack of reasons.

Nor for lack of people who esteemed her.

It just wasn't her style.

Birthdays were distractions.

And distractions killed. That's how she was trained.

Since joining S.H.I.E.L.D., she had adopted a low profile even on personal dates. By the time she turned 30, she was running an operation in South Africa. At 35, he evacuated a burning base in Ukraine. The year before, he had coordinated the rescue of civilians in a war zone while completely ignoring the “happy birthday” messages Nick Fury sent him with self-edited memes.

But this year...

This year, someone had noticed.

“Did you know Hill's birthday is tomorrow? “asked Tony, lying on his back on one of the lab tables.

“How do you know? “Bruce asked, without looking up from his microscope.

“I'm Tony Stark. I have access to databases, biometric systems... and your vaccination card.”

“That's illegal.”

“And aren't we all when we work with Fury?”

Natasha, who was quietly cleaning her daggers, looked up.

“Hill hates celebrations. She hates being surprised even more.”

“That makes it more fun,” Tony replied. “Let's throw her a party. Nothing ostentatious. Something elegant. Discreet. With cake.”

“Are you going to bake? “asked Clint, entering the lab with a coffee in his hand.

“Me? No, Barton. We're going to bake. This is a class S mission. Code name: ‘Operation Birthday Candles’.”

“What if he gets mad? “Sam asked.

“Hill gets mad with or without reason. At least now she'll have cake while she does it.”

They all looked at each other. Steve crossed his arms, hesitant.

“She deserves it,” he finally said. She's been in every damn mess with us. She saves our asses more than we'll admit.

“So, do we do it? “Tony raised an eyebrow.

Training began at 06:00 a.m.

Jarvis provided the recipes. Wanda used her magic to stabilize the mix (when Clint accidentally dropped a bag of flour on Steve). Bruce took care of the exact chemistry of the dough. Tony led the decorating.

“No rainbows. Nothing that says “happy birthday” with little hearts. Hill is a minimalist style with elegant overtones. Think more elegant menace.”

The resulting cake was a dark chocolate sponge cake, with raspberry filling and glossy black ganache frosting. On it, in sober lettering, it read:

“One year closer to controlling the world. Congratulations, Maria Hill.”

“And the candles? “asked Peter, who had been snuck into the operation without knowing why.

“Just one. Red. Tall. Make it look like a satanic ritual, but fancy,” ordered Natasha, very convinced.

The plan was simple:

Lure Hill into the briefing room with a supposed security threat.

Have the cake ready on the table, with all the Avengers present (minus Fury, who “wasn't authorized to participate because he's a nutcase” according to Tony).

Saying something that didn't make her uncomfortable.

Hill entered the room, unsuspectingly. She carried a tablet in her hand, a hard look, and tense lips. Ready to solve another global crisis. But she stopped. Because what she saw was:

Clint was dressed in an apron that said “Ganache Queen.” 

Steve, with the red candle in hand, was waiting for her signal to light it.  

Natasha was sitting, smiling as if she hadn't committed crimes in 27 countries.  

Wanda is slightly levitating the cake for drama. 

And Tony, wearing a birthday hat, for no reason.

“What the hell? “muttered Hill.

“Surprise!” they all said, at different speeds. There was a second of dead silence.

“Is this an ambush? “she asked.

“No. Well, yes, technically, but not in that sense,” Sam replied. Hill narrowed his eyes.

“Who authorized this?”

“I did,” said Steve.

“And I designed it,” added Tony. “Look at that cake, Hill! It's just like you: elegant, strong, and full of dark chocolate.”

She stepped forward. She looked at the cake. Then she looked at them. And sighed.

[themculibrary]

Barista!Clint Masterlist

Brewing Romance (ao3) - niennavalier steve/bucky, clint/natasha G, 1k

Summary: Bucky really liked working at this place. Stark Cafe was nice; classy, but not overly ostentatious, and surprisingly warm and welcoming (although he did have suspicions that design choice had more to do with the owner’s wife than the rather flamboyant owner himself). Honest, it was a nice change of pace from studying structural engineering at Shield University for sure; the clientele was pretty laid-back and open, as was the manager Natasha, who ran a tight ship, but was always up for some teasing jokes at her employees’ expense. And, extra plus, the place was a pretty popular hub for study groups. Most of their regulars were fellow students at the university, as were most of the baristas, for that matter. Sharon Carter, nursing student. Sam Wilson, aerodynamics major.

Steve Rogers, art student.

AKA: Stucky College and Coffee Shop AU

Coffee (ao3) - romanoff steve/tony N/R, 10k

Summary: Coffee shop AU that’s not an AU.

In which Clint works behind the counter, Tony is a regular and Steve is the new guy who only goes in for one cup but can’t stop coming back for the coffee. He says it’s the coffee. Spoiler alert: It’s not. It’s Tony.

“Why do you come here?”

Tony thinks.

“It’s small. Tucked away. No one notices it. I like that,” he smiles, laughs a little “I like that it’s kinda just… ignored. You only notice it when you really need it.”

“Like when you need shelter from the rain,” Steve says

“Or coffee.” Tony finishes with a smile.

“Or coffee.” Steve finishes with a sigh.

Gonna Marry That Boy (ao3) - haveufoundwhaturlookingfor clint/tony G, 6k

Summary: Clint runs a coffee shop with his best friend Natasha, and he has a crush on one of the customer’s, but he’s never actually talked to this boy. He’s awkward enough as it is, and things get even more difficult once he learns who the customer is.

Hello, Mr. Hot Stuff (ao3) - Akira_of_the_Twilight bucky/clint/steve/tony T, 4k

Summary: Tony is a flirt.

Tony knows this. His boyfriend Clint knows this.

Now the cute blond who just moved into the area knows this, and soon Blondie’s boyfriend will know it too.

And what’s one of the many ways Tony flirts? By scribbling pet names onto his customers’ coffee cups.

And really? Can anyone blame him for writing “Mr. Hot Stuff” on Blondie’s cup? It would have been a crime not to.

Hit the Spot (ao3) - pherryt bucky/clint G, 17k (WIP)

Summary: Clint's an Ex-Carnie, highschool drop out who can barely read, working in a coffee shop on the night shift. Bucky's a disabled vet going to college, becoming a night time regular at the cafe when his nightmares keep him awake.

Somehow, they form a bookclub. Clint's best friend Nat and Bucky's therapist would both be so proud...

I’d Like To Order a Husband, Please (ao3) - orphan_account clint/tony G, 3k

Summary: Clint leant over the counter, the rush hour not enough to stop him from leering at the young man who’d just entered the store. He was achingly beautiful, vibrating with energy, and his laugh was enough to light up the whole shop as he read one of the cartoons on the wall.

Now was the time for his pick-up line… Cute and funny. Simple.

“I think I’m going to marry you.” A pause, “Yes. I think I will.”

It's All In The Grind (ao3) - hawksonfire bucky/clint G, 1k

Summary: Clint keeps meaning to put his number on Hotty McHottersons cup. Really, he does. He just gets distracted every time because the guy is so damn pretty!

Luck? Never heard of her... (ao3) - starwolvie bucky/clint M, 3k

Summary: Nope, Clint does not believe in luck. Not at all.

Clint has found his calling as a barista in the Rise and Shine Bakery Cafe.

Rise and Grind (ao3) - NotEvenCloseToStraight bucky/clint/tony M, 2k

Summary: Tony and Clint run a coffee shop.

Bucky is their favorite beefcake customer.

The usual shenanigans.

Starbucks Can Suck It (ao3) - humanedisaster, miss_music666 (orphan_account) steve/tony, bucky/natasha M, 16k

Summary: Clint is just living his life. He owns his coffee shop, he hangs out with Steve, Natasha, and Bucky and ignores that little bit of his heart that tells him he's lonely. But when a foodie comes into his shop and makes it his life goal to pick out his favorite drink on Clint's ridiculously long list of ridiculously titled beverages, Clint falls a little in love. But things keep getting in the way of, what Clint is sure to be, their awesome romance.

The Garbage Man (ao3) - Noxnthea bucky/clint T, 1k

Summary: Clint is great at words – except for when they matter most.

[lazywriter7]

Cap-Ironman Rec Week - Wonderous Wednesday

Strap in for some AU’s everybody! My favourite part of this theme might be that every fanfic is technically someone’s alternate universe, and boy does this ship have some absolute knockouts. one foot in (and one foot back) by kehinki

This isn't the worst thing that's ever happened to Tony, but it's in the top five.

Notes: This feels like one of the first soulmate AU’s I ever read for this ship, and a really formative one. Love the world building, the character progression, and there are a couple scenes that have stayed incredibly clear in my memory over the years of going back to it over and over again. Bulletproof by foxxcub At age fifteen, Steve Rogers had been in love with Tony Stark. By age twenty, he’d (mostly) gotten over it. And then he promptly became Tony Stark's fuck buddy. Notes: It takes real talent to keep the characterisation on-point and the magic alive in a no superpowers AU, but the world and its people is so richly depicted in this fic that it just feels true to Steve and Tony. An old favourite, and one I have much joy revisiting. 

Genesis by teaberryblue

Reluctant to make the truth about their secret weapon known, the American Government tells the world that Captain America is a man named Steve Rogers. According to public record, he died, tragically, in 1945, and he became legend.

In 1998, the Avengers find a body trapped in ice.

She's alive.

Her name is Eve.

She has Captain America's shield. Notes: Like the best kinds of AUs, Eve in this story is so beautifully and identifiably Steve but also different, in such a compelling way. Her journey into the modern world is itself worth the ‘price’ of entry, but then Tony enters the picture! Just love, love, love. The Ghosts of War by scifigrl47 Steven Rogers never wanted to be king, but he knows his duty, and he does it well. Lord Tony Stark, the king's appointed consort, does his duty as well, even though he'd enjoy his duty more if it actually involved sleeping with the king. As it doesn't, he's just resigned. The war that made Steve king and cost him nearly everything may be over, but a meeting of old enemies might stir up some ghosts none of them are prepared for. Notes: Ooh, kings and sorcerers, what’s not to love? I love how well each character here ‘slots’ into their designated role, and how we get some lovely superhero style identity porn but set in this world instead. And of course, both Steve and Tony are note-perfect. Big recommend! Counterpart by sara_holmes coun•ter•part [koun-ter-pahrt] [noun] 1. a person or thing closely resembling another, especially in function. 2. a copy; duplicate. 3. one of two parts that fit, complete, or complement one another.Just because Hydra used the DNA of a Captain America from another dimension to create a lab-grown, six-year-old super-soldier, it doesn't mean that said six-year old super-soldier is biologically Steve's, right?(Where Steve wants to ban Clint from bringing things home from alternative dimensions, until he doesn't.) Note: I love this fic’s take on accidental kid acquisition - Steve goes through so many understandably mixed feelings here. Steve and Tony are an established pair who navigate the trials as well as the rewards of parenthood, featuring an excellent supporting cast, and it’s just a lovely read overall. Slipping Off The Page Into Your Hands by Sineala Soulmates have their first words to each other written on their wrists. This should make it easy. For Steve and Tony, it is anything but. Steve's problem is that the future he has awoken into is nothing he was ever expecting: he has a soulmate now. Who might be a robot. And if his soulmate is Iron Man, how can he be so attracted to Tony Stark? It should be impossible. Tony's problem is that he is Iron Man, his soulmate is a man whom he in no way deserves, and he is going to fight everything in his heart and do his best to make sure Steve never, ever finds out the whole truth. Notes: Soulmate AU plus identity porn, oh my oh my :D This is just a rollicking ride with all the feels, pining, dumb decisions and sweet catharsis you could ever hope for. Man I love AUs so much. This Is My Least Favourite You by Kiyaar In Steve's fantasies, he never travels to the future because Tony never violates him. Tony never violates him because there are no incursions. There are no incursions because there are no Avengers. There are no Avengers and so there can be no love and no pain and no heartbreak. You can’t miss what you’ve never had. Notes: Look, I love canon divergence fix-its. Thrive on them. This is not that - this is when the only thing you can do with the twisted corpse of canon is make it much, much worse and then revel in the pain. Great writing, A+ pain, no regrets. Issues by  so_shhy In which Steve has a crippling crush on Tony Stark, Tony is oblivious and obnoxious, and Bucky expresses his disapproval via passive-aggressive comics. Notes: An absolutely delightful modern/no abilities AU in which Steve and Bucky write some comics featuring a superhero team called the Avengers, and Steve can’t help himself from... ahem, being a little too loving in his artistic depictions of Iron Man. So entertaining, I cackled multiple times, and Bucky’s outsider POV is particularly great. Looking for Heaven by  foxxcub

When young Lord Anthony Stark learns Steven Rogers has enlisted in the army, he thinks he's seen the last of his tiny, headstrong, haughty stable boy. But four years later, Lord Stark gets an unexpected visit from Steve, whose mother has fallen gravely ill and into financial ruin. Even more unexpected, Steve agrees to a shocking proposal: they will marry, giving Steve the necessary funds to save his mother, and Tony the much-needed reprieve from harassing would-be suitors. It is a business arrangement, nothing more. But as time goes on and circumstances arise, Tony begins to learn that keeping his heart away from his husband is easier said than done. Notes: This one’s another wonderful trip down nostalgia lane. Regency meets marriage of convenience, with all the trappings that premise would entail and a delight from start to finish. Not Such a Compromise by  Pookaseraph The death of her brother, Lt. James Barnes, has placed Miss Stephanie Rogers in the difficult position of needing to find a husband to see to it that her and her mother are taken care of. Miss Roger was not built for such a compromise, but perhaps Mr. Anthony Stark will not be such a compromise after all. Notes: Yes, it’s another Regency AU, what about it? :D Despite the trappings of gender and class, Stephanie remains so very Steve in how she moves through the world, and the premise enhances the miscommunication between the two, but in a way that is a joy to see resolved. Just a thoroughly enjoyable read. 99 problems (and the dice ain't one) by  kellifer_fic Tony's life is almost perfect. He lives in a converted warehouse full of friends (and one frenemy), has a job that leaves him plenty of time to think about other things and a regular Friday night campaign. If his best friend, Steve Rogers, hadn't moved away to New York and left him behind, then perfection would've been achieved. Tony can roll with the punches though and he's almost all the way over that little bump in the road (shut up Bruce, he totally is) when Steve moves back, looking taller and broader and more confident than ever and Tony's left with a converted warehouse full of friends (and one frenemy), a job that leaves him plenty of time to think about other things, a regular Friday night campaign and the uncomfortable realization that maybe he's in love with his best friend and has been since he was sixteen. Notes: I call this the sitcom AU if only because of the setup, but the general themes of Tony trying to cope with changes in his life and status quo are funny as well as really resonant to all those (us) who aren’t superheroes. And a fantastic ensemble to fill the world out <3 And that’s that. Shower all the authors with some love and well-deserved compliments!  

[izzysarchivedblogs]

more clint verses + notes

if we ship, and you want a verse mention i'll add ya :)

affiliate verse // 616 // good people are like candles they burn themselves up to give others light (crisispider / thefleetsfine / hopeburns) // entangled to a loser like me (crisispider)

616 verses in which Clint is always in a relationship with @/crisispider

same notes as 616

always open to interacting in this verse as clint loves his peter b parker and wants to tell people

Clint and Peter live together in Bed Stuy

They just got engaged

Clint is the bonus stepdad to Mayday Parker

Clint and MJ hang out sometimes

Eventually Clint and Peter'll be adopting a baby Ashley too after they get married

Wurm :))

Peter follows events of the Spider-verse films so that's all canon

actually read this post goes into extreme detail on the Affiliate Verse

616 au // how can i watch you fade (crisispider)

a blindspot inspired au

clint's going blind and not enjoying it

clint's sorry he breaks peter's hearts all the time

616 divergent // ship verse with @/biitchcakes // how many more chances can i have with you (biitchcakes)

open for interacting in this verse

after their first break up due to clint's infidelity as seen in 2012 fraction's

Clint and Jessica would get together again shortly after working together in Secret Avengers (2014)

They would take their next big break, after a heavily canon divergent Civil War 2; Clint still kills Bruce and goes on trial. They kind of break-up / take a break, cause that was one of his girlfriend's best friends

Post Civil War 2, Clint tours America, drinking often and trying to right wrongs with Red Wolf via vigilante justice; while he does this he does call Jessica here and there, sometimes drunk and guilty

Eventually, he returns to New York with a few revelations, and one of them comes at recognizing an alarming relationship with alcohol ; while he back in New York, he asks Jessica and a local superhero doctor Leonard Mccoy (had to sneak him in okay) to help him with sobriety

Kate calls Clint from LA to ask him for his help with something, which leads to Clint deciding while he was in LA to move there and to take the next big chance. ASK JESSICA OUT AGAIN. Now just that, but skip a few steps and ask her to move out to LA with him. She says yes.

Kate's WCA happens, and Clint and Jessica have their own west coast superhero business; they adopt a runaway Beverley Hills kitty cat whose name is Leftovers or LT, they've got a place together, and quite some time

The next "break" that Clint and Jessica take is when they move back to New York, during the time of Devil's Reign and Mayor Fisk; the events of Freefall, Clint's grudge war with the Hood, and taking up the Ronin mantle leads Clint to relapse and realize that he hasn't exactly buried all his issues

Jessica is there to help him in the aftermath, along with Clint's friends that he manages to not burn bridges with

Clint becoming a T-Bolt under Luke Cage, is what leads to round 4 at a relationship with Jessica Drew, and gosh they got Lucky and Leftovers (their two "kids") he should maybe do something about a relationship upgrade with Jessica right?

LEFTOVERS IS CLINT'S SECOND FUR-SON and his favorite cat in the world, Leftovers is also just as much as a Cryptid as his mom JDrew :)) clint has had many a heart attack when these two LOOM over him waiting for food

616 closed // ship w/ @/mr-tony-stark // who shares your burdens (mrtonystark)

a closed 616 verse, inspired by a long running thread (i am getting back to)

where tony stark and clint barton, have a multiple times fling, and tony's the who clint calls at the end of freefall and helps clint with recovery, is his sponsor (and boyfriend) because they are messy

clint and tony are dating, after a 1000 reblogs

tony is raising brandy (that is going well for now)

gonna be exploring tony's relapse

and possibly the tony - emma sham wedding

616 closed // ship w/ @/mr-tony-stark // can we have a chance at this finally (mrtonystark)

a verse where tony and clint adopt an alien baby after her pod reaches earth

vaugely based off our first verse

let the boys be happy

616 closed // ship w/ @/blindbastard // do not hear do not see but know how to feel (blindbastard)

clint and matt !!

centered around hawkeye: freefall

clint knows matt is DD

has to walk the careful dance of not letting his boyfriend know he's ronin

while his boyfriend is actively hunting for ronin

[magicqueenmelmedarda]

I don't have all the Marvel movies memoriced, but as far I remember:

The Avengers iniciative existed since the 90s(it had's the name of Carol's ship). Tony was approached in IM2 , but ends as consultant of SHIELD, not recruited by them. That's why we see him talking to Ross in The Increible Hulk, all of it explained in the Consultant one-shot (the whole thing of "We are putting together a team" is a plan to keep Abomination under SHIELD power, not to create the Avengers).

Fury approached Steve's in Avengers when he is Steve, but we don't know if Steve is under SHIELD there, or if he is a just a soldier answering the head of the national security who request for his help since the Tesseract was involved.

Fury explains the concept of the Avengers as an idea after Couldson dies in Avengers (he tells that Tony knows about the idea, but nothing more, he isn't a member of it). So until that moment, NONE of them is part of the Avengers team. And again, because they decide to be addressed like the Avengers doesn't mean they answer to Fury. Natasha and Clint does, as he is their bosses, and for Steve as a soldier , Just as you say that if we doesn't see Fury ordering Steve's around doesn't mean he isn't Steve's boss, the other side also works, just because Fury can order around Nastaha and Clint,doesn't means he is also Steve's boss.

Then the Sokovia's accords happens, and they are addresed as a team without nobody controling them around. And Ross not only mentions Sokovia's, which is the only conflict that happens after Shield doesn't exist, but he also addresses New's York attack and the Winter Soldier's catastrophe. They are addressed for their career as Avengers because there isn't a point until that moment where the Avengers answer to the goverment. It's the whole point of the scene. They had been out of control since their creation.

"Getting a pardon does not equal letting the government tell you what to do forever and government support is not control."

I didn't say anything of that. Bucky's perdon doesn't mean the goverment completly controls him. It means he must stay as civilian if he doesn't want to be prosecuted by his crimes as Winter Soldier. That's why he becomes congressman. He cannot help as a super hero, so he does as politician. And that's why he doesn't go after Valentina directly, and listen to the other politician, trying to follow the legal process, until Mel's request for help because something is going to be wrong big time.

And I didn't say Bucky is stupid. Of course he is going to try and get his team to do things their own way That doesn't mean it's the goverment who doesn't give the orders, and again specially because some of the members are allowed to act as superhero because the goverment say so. He would had end in jail, and Ava's may would had been judged too by her crimes as Ghost in other countries.

But well, we will see in Doomsday what's is the real reason...

I can’t believe this has to be said but… you know Sam is upset at the thunderbolts* because he doesn’t want the avengers to be controlled by the government, right? That’s why he was on team cap in civil war. Do you know that? It’s important to me that you know that.

[oldfangirl81]

So I have this idea for a Teen Wolf/Marvel crossover that has been bouncing around in my head since around '19. The only concrete ship I had was eventual WinterHawk. But the Young Avengers were going to mix with the Teen Wolf crew so lots of possibilities. This would take place in S1 of Teen Wolf. I do have casting pics on my laptop because even Kate hadn't been confirmed yet if memory serves when I started writing. I know America definitely wasn't or Patriot.

Clint cursed hitting his head yet again on the shelf in the back of his closet. He really needed to fix that as his brain probably couldn’t take much more damage and he managed to hit it every single time. The option would be find a different place to hid some of his weapons but that would be too logical. Moving quickly Clint continued to shove items into two different purple colored duffel bags. It was for the best that Tony didn’t know about these particular weapons. It would cause too many questions.

“Clint, where are you? Lucky and I are back.” But as he walked into the room Bucky paused spotting the last weapon Clint as shoving into his bag. “What is going on? Where are you going? Steve didn’t say anything about a mission when we passed in the hallway.”

“Hey, yeah, want to pretend you didn’t see me shoving weapons in a duffel bag?”

Bucky just stared at Clint with a raised eyebrow.

“Look, it isn’t a mission. Just something personal I need to do. Nothing for you to worry about,” Clint tried his best to give off an air of innocence.

Bucky got a slight hurt look at hearing something personal requiring weapons was happening and Clint didn’t ask him. Bucky had really thought they were starting to get closer. Steve certainly teased him enough about his obvious crush on the archer.

“You have clearly been hanging out with my dog too much given the puppy dog eyes you are giving me right now. Look it is seriously complicated. Like seriously complicated,” giving a heavy sigh Clint stared at the other man trying to figure out how best to break certain things to Bucky.

“Does the complication have anything to do with creatures who howl at a full moon?”

“You know about weres?”Clint’s mouth dropped in shock. The supernatural world kept away from SHIELD as much as a possible. To extent most agents never even knew it existed. There was a small division of a couple of agents who worked strictly with supernatural issues.

“Huh, guess Steve never told you why we decided on the name the Howling Commandos. That is a story for another day. What is going on, Clint?”

“Don’t think I won’t be asking about that. Look, I met this pair of siblings a few years ago. The majority of their family had just been wiped out by hunters who didn’t follow the rules. I took out the ones that followed them to New York. They went back to their hometown recently. The problem is I haven’t heard from either of them since they reached the town. I’m concerned other hunters may have finished the job. So I’m using vacation that I never take to go check on the situation.”

“Do I have time to pack before the flight?”

“First, of all a SHIELD jet is dropping me off on the way to Hawaii. Second, you are not coming with. There needs to be an adult here to keep an eye on the kids.”

“Steve is here. So is Sam. They can take over the training for a bit. I’m going with you, Barton. End of story. I thought Steve and Stark were the only ones I needed to lecture on bringing proper back up. Now where are we going so I know what to pack?” Bucky crossed his arms giving Clint a stare down that he had no chance of winning.

"Beacon Hills in northern California."

"Hale Pack territory?"

[keylumm]

I don't know if this is 'shopped or not but please someone write a fic of Tony strutting to an avengers debrief, late, holding a Starbucks, and wielding this much sass.

[kangofu-cb]

things you said [make your own] - 'after taking off my clothes' (Ironhawk)

I’m really enjoying these prompts guys, keep ‘em coming! Also you don’t have to be shy and anonymous? I mean we could be friends? (We should definitely be friends, with prompts like this) 

Anyway here is your prompt response, lol.

“Goddamn, look at you,” Clint mutters, and he thinks it’s too low to hear.  

Unfortunately, he’s always had kind of a fucked up sense of how loud anything is.  Damaged ears and all that.  Even the latest and greatest Stark tech aids - tweaked to his exact specifications by none other than the man himself - can’t give him the sort of depth and range that nature had intended.

“Look at me,” Tony says in disbelief, “more like look at you.” He gestures wildly at Clint’s nearly-naked body in a sort of self-evident, all encompassing motion that makes Clint turn red from his neck to his ears.

The thing is…

The thing is that Clint is always exactly what anyone expects to find underneath the tac gear and weapons.  He’s been a carnie and an acrobat and an assassin and now a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, and he fights with a bow and arrow for both tactical and sentimental reasons.  He’s got shoulders for days and biceps he knows look good, and hard-earned muscle everywhere else.  No one has ever taken his clothes off and been disappointed.  

The disappointment usually happens in other departments.  Like of the maintaining relationships sort, or the opening his mouth and saying something stupid kind.

Tony, on the other hand.  Well.  It’s not like Clint wasn’t aware that Tony looks good.  Of course he looks good.  He’s been on the red carpet with any number of starlets, been in the media spotlight for his entire fuckin’ life and cultivated a playfully sexy, devil-may-care attitude that is as casual and easy as it is attractive.

And he spars with the team - Clint knows because he spars with Clint. Cap’s orders.  In fact, that’s what started this whole debacle today, Tony and Clint sparring in the gym and getting a little too into it.  So he’s seen the whip-cord muscle of his biceps and the strength in his forearms, but Tony exercises in short sleeves and pants, and he takes his clothes off for sparring exactly never, no matter how sweaty they get, so Clint is more than a little pleasantly surprised by what he finds underneath.

Beyond the biceps are hard-earned, sculpted chest muscles, surrounding the ARC reactor - which, Clint suspects, is the entire reason Tony doesn’t take his clothes off - surrounded by scars, which actually might be more of a reason, he decides in his hindbrain, as his hands reach out to trace over the fine, white lines.  Below that are taunt stomach muscles, ones that make Clint want to lick something off of them, and he’s not too fussed about what.  They aren’t Cap’s abs, but then again, no one can compete with that shit.

They’re Tony’s abs, and that’s much more appealing anyway.

“Jesus,” Clint continues, still running his hands over hot, exposed skin before flicking his hands down to unsnap Tony’s jeans and then slipping back up quickly, as though he’s going to get caught, as though Tony’s going to tell him no at any moment.  The peek of tight black underwear - boxer briefs or just briefs, Clint wonders, and can’t help the grin that curls his lips as he realizes he’s going to get to find out.  “What does your back look like?”

Tony’s laugh is surprised, and bright, and honest, and a million other things that make Clint’s heart twist up inside his chest so sharply it’s almost painful, before it ebbs away to the dull ache he’s gotten used to in the last few months.

“I can turn over, if you’d prefer,” the other man says, face still amused.  “I’m open to a variety of propositions here, Barton.”

Clint snorts his own amusement as he tugs Tony’s pants down and over his hips, and yep, boxer briefs, though they’re so brief that they’re skirting the definition a little.  And Jesus fuck, his thighs.

“Maybe.  For round two,” he says, once the jeans are tossed aside and Clint’s leaning down to press his mouth to the smile on Tony’s face, itching to feel it pressed against his lips.  

“You’re feeling pretty optimistic for an old guy,” Tony says, breathless.

“Shut up Stark, you’re older than me.”

“Make me.”

Clint does.

[bulkyphrase]

Winterhawk Rec List

I don't post much about this ship, even though I love it, so have a rec list!

Afterimage by mariana_oconnor (@mariana-oconnor) (Teen And Up Audiences, No Archive Warnings Apply, 26,351 words)

Summary: Clint Barton's seen ghosts since he was a kid and they've always been the same: hollow empty things, right up until you draw the circle and light the candle. These days, he uses that talent to earn a living. After a seance goes wrong, he meets a ghost that isn't like the rest, a young man going by the name Bucky Barnes, who died in the Second World War. Confused by how Bucky manages to stay so aware, when other ghosts fade away, Clint goes looking for some answers.

Also available as a podfic read by GhostCwtch tumblr: @ghostcwtch

Be All You Can Be by flawedamythyst (Teen And Up Audiences, No Archive Warnings Apply, 45,554 words)

Summary: Clint had a horrible, sinking feeling. “And, by ‘go in’, you mean…?” Hill gave him a beaming smile. “You’ve both enlisted in the US Army, boys. Time to be all you can be.” Clint was aware that he'd been acting like a dick since Barnes joined the Avengers, but it felt like the asshole had taken over everything that Clint contributed towards the team and left him feeling useless. He couldn't help wondering exactly when he was going to be officially replaced and lose the closest thing he'd ever had to a real home. So of course SHIELD decided to partner them together for a long-term undercover mission in the US Army. This was going to be hell.

More below the cut!

Can't You Hear Me Knocking? by mariana_oconnor (@mariana-oconnor) (General Audiences, No Archive Warnings Apply, 2,682 words)

Summary: With Natasha moving out, Clint can't afford his rent on his own, luckily her boyfriend Sam has a friend who needs somewhere to stay. Barnes is surly, unhelpful and works irregular hours, no matter how much Lucky seems to like him, Clint isn't sure the situation's working out. But there might have been a bit of a misunderstanding.

ghost in the machine by squadrickchestopher (@feedmecookiesnow) (Explicit, Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, 74,410 words)

Summary: Clint looks around at the team again. He sees the pain in their eyes, the way Natasha is rolling his arrow between her fingers, the general sense of depression over the room, and suddenly his question from earlier is a lot more morbid. Who died? “Crap,” he says, watching Tony silently drink his whiskey. “I think I did.”

Historic Features by flawedamythyst (Teen And Up Audiences, No Archive Warnings Apply, 19,254 words)

Summary: “Electrical surges with no source, and music coming from the air, and that damn baseball game no one was watching, and I swear I sometimes hear voices right on the edge of hearing when I should be alone,” said Tony. “What does that sound like to you?”  “Sounds like-” said Steve, then hesitated. Tony gave him a pointed look. “Sounds like a haunting,” he finished, reluctantly.  “Oh no,” said Clint, in tones of mock-horror. “Ghosts!”  Bucky laughed and kissed him. “Man, I hope they’re friendly.”  Clint and Bucky are haunting the new apartment that Tony bought in Brooklyn to try and impress Steve.

I'll Keep You Safe Here With Me. by sara_holmes (@captn-sara-holmes) (Mature, Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, 110,566 words)

Summary: Yes, Clint is avoiding the other Avengers. No, he does not want to go back to New York. But then again, he didn't exactly want to be kidnapped by the Winter Soldier either. Really, he just wants to go back to bed.

In The Wake of Your Sunrise by squadrickchestopher (@feedmecookiesnow) (Explicit, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, 184,368 words)

Summary: Last night I died I was reborn this morning in the wake of your sunrise A better man -Christopher Pointdexter  Clint Barton has spent his whole life running away from things, long before he was old enough to understand why. Then came SHIELD, and the Avengers, and he thought that for once, he could learn how to stay instead. Could learn to trust, instead of hide. To live, instead of just survive. When Hydra takes over SHIELD, running isn't an option. But Clint isn't so sure he wants to this time. Because now he has something to fight for. Now he has family, and friends, and a potential ally in a brainwashed super-soldier with pretty blue eyes and a questionable memory. Now he has a home. And he's going to do whatever it takes to get that back.

Lost & Found by mariana_oconnor (@mariana-oconnor) (Mature, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, 89,972 words)

Summary: Clint Barton’s got a bag full of stolen money and a burning desire to stay under the radar. His old friends in the Carnival will be looking for him and they sure as hell won’t be happy. In a desperate attempt to stay off their radar, he ends up in Timely, a small town so far off the beaten track he’s surprised he even found it, and waits for Barney to comes and get him. Because Barney will be coming. Clint knows he will. But there's something about the town. Maybe it's the strange wolf that watches him from the trees, and the way people finish conversations when he enters a room. Or it could be the bartender, Bucky, who decided to hate him on sight. Something’s going on in this small town, and Clint’s not sure if he’s jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Nameless by AvaKelly (Mature, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, 101,582 words)

Summary: A gun is pointed at him before he can even move from his position, the Soldier's metal arm steady in its aim. Clint sighs. "Nemo," Clint says. "It's tattooed on your wrist, right here," he lifts his right hand and taps his left index finger where his palm ends. The Soldier's eyes widen. "How do you know this?" "I put it there."

Play With Fire by Kangofu_CB (@kangofu-cb) (Explicit, No Archive Warnings Apply, 27,887 words)

Summary: Agent Clint Barton, one of SHIELD's top-level spies is at the top of his game. He knows how the spy business works, can beat the enemy at their own game, and has yet to fail a mission. Then he meets a mysterious handsome stranger on a sunny beach in Italy, and everything changes. Now he's questioning everything he thought he knew about SHIELD, their loyalties, and what happened to the last Agent in his position - James Barnes.

Silhouette by mariana_oconnor (@mariana-oconnor) (Mature, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, 105,874 words)

Summary: After a mission in Mexico goes wrong, SHIELD Agents Barnes and Rogers are given the job of hunting down the notorious Hawkeye and the Black Widow, the only problem being: no one even knows what they look like. On the other side of the law, Clint's enjoying messing with their new SHIELD shadows, especially seeing how close he can get to Agent Barnes without him realising, but he makes the mistake of getting attached, and that makes everything more complicated.

Something Just Like This (Somebody I Can Kiss) by IndigoNight (@jeminamoonnight) (Teen And Up Audiences, No Archive Warnings Apply, 23,546 words)

Summary: Bucky and Clint get caught up in a trap meant for Natasha alone and receive an unexpected chance to revisit their teenage years. While the rest of the team track down the bad guys, the boys are left in charge of Tiny Assassin Natasha... They really are the worst babysitters ever.

something magic, something tragic by squadrickchestopher (@feedmecookiesnow) (Mature, No Archive Warnings Apply, 55,480 words)

Summary: After making a fatal mistake on a mission, Clint Barton vanishes into the depths of the Midwest. What he wants is to be left alone for a bit, to take a couple weeks of peace and quiet and get his mind straight. Instead, he finds himself caught up in a nationwide game of cat-and-mouse with a brooding, metal-armed vampire. Natasha’s right. He’s got the worst fucking luck in the world.

The Ghost of a Chance by atothej (Teen And Up Audiences, Major Character Death, 2,341 words)

Summary: The Asset's only constant companion is the ghost that haunts him.

The Other Man out of Time by sara_holmes (@captn-sara-holmes) (Mature, Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, 97,310 words)

Summary: Also known as Time Travelling Clint Wrecks the Universe. Due to The Time Stone having a great day screwing around the fabric of reality, Clint finds a copy of himself thrown back into Normandy, 1944. Cue Clint 2.0 meeting Bucky Barnes, the Howling Commandos and a pretty different version of Steve.

This is Not a Date, it's a Kidnapping by sara_holmes (@captn-sara-holmes) (Teen And Up Audiences, No Archive Warnings Apply, 50,504 words)

Summary: The first time Bucky kidnaps Clint, it's to blackmail Steve into backing off until Bucky's ready to be found. The second and third and fourth times, however...well. Bucky has his reasons.

What do you mean we left Clint on Mars? by sara_holmes (@captn-sara-holmes) (Teen And Up Audiences, Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, 24,537 words)

Summary: “What do you mean we left Clint on Mars?” Cap’s incredulous voice cuts through the stunned silence of the cockpit, loud and shocked. He’s standing there with his cowl in hand, gaping at the holo-screen at the front of the jet. Next to him, Tony is standing with his hands on his head, mouth hanging open in a similar fashion. Over on the other side of the cockpit is Jane, who has both palms clapped across her mouth like she’s trying to hold back hysterical giggles. For his part, Bucky is just staring at the screen like he can’t quite believe what’s going on.

[saiilorstars]

Ch.25: From the World’s Eye

Steve Rogers x OFC fic

taglist: @ocappreciationtag​​​​​​​​​​ @arrthurpendragon​​​​​​​​​ @anotherunreadblog​​​​​​​​​ @maaaaarveeeeel​​​​​​​​​ @stareyedplanet​​​​​​​​​ @gloryekaterina​ @averyhotchner​ @foxesandmagic​​​​​​​​​ @lenonizi​​​​​​​​​

Story Masterlist // Seren’s Masterlist​​

If you’d like to be a part of this OC’s work/edits, let me know!

The world had finally caught up to the Avengers. The battle of New York was finally finding some type of ending with the reconstruction of the city being more than completed. It was in part to Tony Stark's fruitful idea of a new organization taking care of the aftermath and it helped pave the way for a shift in the media's focus.

Seren couldn't believe her eyes when she saw Stardust amongst the other names that'd popped up in several newscasts, magazines - the internet! She was astonished to see all the new photographs coming to life now that everything was seemingly returning to normal. Her favorite picture had to be the one that captured her in the air before blasting a monumental radiation attack to take down several of the Chitauri ships. The flames of different colors made her seem like an actual shining star, at least that's what Natasha had jokingly said.

What warmed Seren's heart beside the obvious reasons was that it wasn't just her being recognized, it was everyone else too. People had taken great notice of everyone who'd fought on their behalf and though there were of course those against them, most of the public was grateful to have their saviors.

"I'd show Clint too if he bothered to show up," Seren folded the newspaper in her hands. She was having the time of her life going through the media, including the old-fashion reports on them. Natasha said nothing of the absence of their friend and merely shrugged. Seren was too wrapped up in the latest newspaper to notice. "He's been gone for the whole month. Where does he go? He's like Chloe sometimes, you know."

"Oh, God, please tell him that when we see him next," Natasha had herself a little laugh. They came down to the debriefing room and grabbed the first open seats.

Seren was careful when she carefully placed the newspaper on the table. Her hands smoothed the papers out so no part of it was wrinkled in the least. "Sure, just let me know when he decides to come back."

"He's taking the vacation that none of us were smart enough to take."

"Yeah, but he does that a lot," Seren leaned against her chair. "Where does he go?" Natasha merely shrugged. The disinterest she often carried did get annoying sometimes but Seren learned a long time ago not to let it get to her.

A short moment later, Steve found his way into the room. He greeted both women cordially, as was his usual style. (Natasha may have made several jokes about it already).

"Have you seen the newspaper?" Seren asked when he sat down beside her. "They're still spinning stories."

Steve smiled lightly after picking the newspaper from the table. Unlike Seren who was absolutely fascinated with the attention, Steve was a bit more abashed. He was never one for attention - he rarely had it in the past - and now suddenly everyone was turning an eye at him.

"People definitely are aware that Captain America is good and alive," Seren shot him a smirk, one that unfortunately Natasha shared.

"I heard the fangirls have already started the clubs," the redhead was quick to comment.

Steve averted his eyes from either woman's gaze. There was nothing he'd like to do more than take control of the flushes and blushes of his face. "I...wasn't aware."

Natasha folded her arms across her chest. Her back leaned against her chair as she settled a sharp look on the man. "Right. You weren't aware that people all over the country are fawning over you? Please. I know you're from the 40s but you're not that naive, are you?"

"Natasha," Seren's light-hearted scold only made the redhead grin innocently.

"What? You haven't picked one of the pretty ones already?" Natasha's eyebrow did a subtle quirk that still got a decent blush from Steve. One of the best new things about her job was being able to crack simple jokes like this around Steve Rogers. It was simply too easy and, frankly, quite fun.

"You're too much," Seren shook her head in disapproval.

"It's alright, I'm beginning to get used to her now," Steve said, leaving the newspaper on the table. He cleared his throat and tapped the newspaper. "And it's including everyone, by the way. I saw the 'Stardust' mention there a couple times." His smile on Seren elicited a sheepish one from her. "I suspect these are going to go on for a while, maybe even forever."

Natasha rolled her eyes at the pair. It was like she suddenly wasn't even in the room. It seemed like the Captain had already picked somebody, he was just the last one to find out.

All conversations ended when Fury entered the room with Maria Hill on his trail. Fury didn't waste time getting to the point of the debriefing. As it turned out, there he didn't have to say a lot for them to get the gist that it was urgent.

Seren was the first to react. She'd been going through the file quicker than the others and was appalled at what she was finding. "Wait, you think that there's unaccounted Chitauri weapons in the hands of criminals?"

"I thought Stark came up with an organization for the clean up of the city," Steve said as he went through his own copy of the files.

"He did," Fury nodded. "And while it definitely helped the city, it's still not possible to collect all of the weapons and standalone technology left behind."

That answer unsettled Steve. He gazed up to meet Fury, the latter seemingly expecting it even before it happened. "So you were counting on it?"

"I didn't 'count on' anything, Captain. I was simply thinking logically."

It still wasn't any better than the last answer. "If you suspected that something like this would happen, then why didn't you alert us before? We could have been out searching for the weapons before they ended up in the wrong hands."

"With all due respect," Maria spoke up for the first time, directly meeting Steve's look, "I don't think we should focus on what should have been done. The fact is that the weapons have landed in the wrong hands and we cannot allow that. A lot of people could be put in danger if the weapons are used."

"Have there been any reports? Any possible sightings?" Natasha was taking the situation calmly as she went through the details. It was almost alarming to Steve if he didn't already know enough about her to begin with.

"Just tips," Fury said. "But that's not stopping us. I need a full recovery of the weapons."

"How do we even know the number of weapons are out there?" Seren closed her file in front of her.

"We don't."

"So you're sending us in blind?"

"Wouldn't be the first time, Agent Soul."

Seren nodded in agreement.

"How to weed them out?" Natasha enquired.

Before Fury could answer, Seren started spewing out suggestions. "We could cross-reference any recent homicides and robberies where weaponry has been used. Backtrack it to about two weeks ago. It would take a human a lot of time to figure out how to use anything Chitauri."

"I can start that for you," Maria announced. She moved over to the nearest table and picked up a tablet.

"Thanks," Seren said as the woman walked out.

"I trust you can gather up your own team?" Fury's look was the first honest sarcasm Steve had seen in the man since they met.

"Right," Seren nodded. Silence fell over the Agents when Fury left. The only sound was that of Maria's fingers tapping by on a tablet.

"Where would we even begin to search?" Steve asked after a moment. He'd been going through his own thought process and that question was one of the things that he couldn't answer.

"New York," Natasha said without a second thought. Her eyes were glued to the open file in front of her. "It's like Seren said, it'll take a long time for the weapons to be functional in the hands of humans which means they won't sell anything until they know the right price value for each one. And in the meantime, they might commit some petty crimes."

"So we're assuming that the weapons are still in the hands of the people who originally found them. Any particular criminals you're familiar with?"

At that question, Natasha side-glanced him with a teasing smirk. "What are you trying to say, Rogers?"

"Uh, nothing, I just…I just meant…" Steve trailed off when he realized Natasha's tricks. He inwardly sighed. He would really have to get better at noticing those. It would be a life saver. "So, any leads?" He tried again though his gaze lingered more on Seren who was dutifully going through the files again.

"This isn't the first time we're collecting...lost toys. We'll come up with a decent profile before we start heading out," Seren pushed herself up from her seat. "We should probably take Dallas, Morgan, and Pipes." Her eyes flickered to Steve. "The first two are top skilled in weaponry. They'll be good with the identification and possible functions. Pipes has a real good eyesight with the unusual. She can see things that we can't. She can literally see in the dark. I'm an alien and I can't even do that."

Steve chuckled while she made faces of disbelief as if she was just now learning the fact. "Some people just really have good talents. But you don't need to give me explanations, I trust your judgement."

"Well we're a team and I like for everyone on the team to be on the same page. That includes knowledge of each member's most prominent ability."

"You want to know what mine is?" Natasha simply could not help herself from asking the question.

Seren turned around to face the redhead. "One of these days…"

Natasha smirked and got up from her seat. "I'll get the others," she said and walked out.

Seren waited until she was gone to sigh. "She has this really good combat move — her signature move, I should say — where she swings around your neck. If she does that to you, you're a goner."

"I'll keep that in mind," Steve nodded. He had no doubt of Natasha's deadly skills and he would be an idiot to ever put himself on the receiving end of her wrath.

~0~

Maria reported back to the agents a couple hours later. She pulled a couple of tabs open for the entire team to see but waited for the other agents Seren recruited to show up.

Agent Dallas was a tall brunette man with dark brown eyes and a prominent crooked nose. He smiled most of the time but as soon as he walked into the briefing room, everything in his demeanor shifted into a professional style. On some level, he reminded Steve of Seren. It was like a switch was flicked the moment they stepped into a room.

Agent Morgan was a shorter man but well built. His dirty blonde hair was neatly combed to the side. He carried himself with a more aloof demeanor, something that shifted between good and bad depending on the situation.

Agent Pipes was a light brunette with hazel eyes. She was pale in complexion but there was a strong hold in her eyes. Like Seren, she was busying herself with the screens Maria presented them. Up until now, she hadn't said anything.

"I cross-referenced any homicides and robberies that happened recently in the area. I only searched through the immediate areas, though," Maria was saying.

"That's good," Seren assured her. Her eyes were trained on the screens behind Maria. She was absorbing as much information as she could. "These weapons are top-notch so they wouldn't risk parading them through city lines for other potential criminals to take. If I were them…"

"They would take them on a ride themselves," Natasha finished for her and exchanged a mutual smile with her.

Maria nodded subtly. "I thought the same. There've been no robberies but there have been a string of strange homicides lately."

"Why do you say 'strange'?" Steve felt like he would dread the answer.

Maria cleared her throat as she regarded a tab hidden behind another. As soon as it was up for them to see, they understood.

"Jesus, is that a hole?" Dallas crinkled his nose.

The corpses they were 'lucky' enough to see had holes through their chests. It was the same exact hole in each corpse.

"That's definitely made by an alien weapon," Morgan said.

"Or two," Pipes said quietly, almost making it so that no one would hear her.

Seren was the first to glance her way, like she knew that whatever was about to come out of Pipes' mouth was going to be vital for the mission. "What do you see?"

Pipes' head dragged one way and the other as she followed the screens. "The holes are extensive—"

"I'll say, they go right through the bodies," Morgan frowned.

"Shhh," Seren motioned him to be quiet until Pipes was done.

As it seemed, Pipes hadn't even paid the man attention. Her eyes were still going from one picture to the next. "If you can zoom in, Agent Hill…" Maria quickly did so on the first screen. "Thanks." She rose up from her seat and moved around the table to the screens. "You see how some of the holes have a bit of, um, uh, leaks around the edges?" No one wanted to say that they didn't necessarily want to look at the corpses that deeply. She glanced back at them and saw their mutual crinkled expressions. "Sorry, but it's important."

"Keep going," Seren instructed her.

Pipes nodded and returned her gaze to the screens. She dragged her fingers over the holes, stopping at the specific spots where tube injury seemed to have an extended part. "See, if these weapons made a clean hit, then there wouldn't be these parts here that seemed to be of a different blow. It's like something fired once and it didn't take so they used another weapon. Two weapons."

Steve's eyebrows raised together, impressed. Now he understood what Seren had meant when she talked about Agent Pipes' eyes. They were indeed sharp.

"So they've already figured out how to use some of the weapons," Natasha concluded. "That should make things interesting."

"We need to figure out where they're coming from. Who has the weapons," Steve said and had Maria nodding with him.

"I think I may have that answer," she told him. "All the recent homicides have been against one particular gang. It's like they're cleaning house."

"So it's the rival gang," Steve said. Some things would really never change even with the decades. "Do we know where to find them?"

"Finding them won't be the problem," Morgan gave him a sharp look. "It's how we're going to get the weapons out of their hands is going to be the problem. One shot from one of those things and we've got a hole in our chests."

"We'll be fine," Seren told him. "We have each other's backs, don't we?" She looked around, expecting a full agreement from all of them. Once she had it, she motioned Maria to get on with the location. If all went well, they would all be home by ten tonight.

~ 0 ~

Seren was perched on the ledge of a rooftop overlooking the building across the street. It was a rundown two-story building with partially broken windows. She had Agent Pipes right beside her, studying the hell out of the building. Every now and then they could see people crossing the windows but not one of them ever thought to peek out. If they did, they would see the two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents readying themselves to storm the building.

"They're too preoccupied with the weapons to notice anything from the outside world," Pipes theorized after a decent time of studying.

"So does that mean we should go in now?" Agent Dallas was quick to ask through their earpieces.

"Don't you dare," came Natasha's cool voice a moment later. The redhead was across the street with Steve, both of them eyeing the main entrance of the building.

"If they're not paying attention—"

"It's a no, Agent Dallas," Seren's voice had hardened, leaving no room for the agent to even try and persuade her.

Natasha switched her earpiece off and glanced at Steve. "I told you," she said.

Before saying anything to her, Steve switched his piece off too. It would be a one-way connection for now. "I like to give people a chance, alright?"

She rolled her eyes. Before coming along, she had warned Steve that Agent Dallas was just a bit impatient when it came to the stealth parts of the missions. "I bet if Seren had said it, you'd agree."

It was Steve's turn to roll his eyes. He switched his earpiece back on, prompting her to do the same.

"I don't think we should stress ourselves coming up with an elaborate plan," Pipes glanced at Seren. "They're still trying to figure out those weapons. If we surprise them, they'll be too busy scrambling to reach a weapon that—"

"It'll be an easy win," Seren agreed and cast another look at the building. "I think Agent Pipes is right. No need to stress ourselves. We want the weapons, we just get them."

"So we go now?" asked Dallas.

"Hold on," Seren said, eyes narrowing as she watched one particularly big man walk along two of the upstairs windows. "I count about six people — 4 men and 2 women — and of course the biggest one has to be the leader. Who else, right?"

"Six is incredibly easy, Soul," went Morgan. "What the hell are we waiting for?"

Natasha rolled her eyes at the man. It wasn't the first time Morgan impatiently demanded from them. Steve, however, was close to an outrage for that type of behavior.

"I'm waiting for you to be quiet and listen to my orders, Agent Morgan," Seren snapped eerily calmly.

Steve smirked. Morgan had nothing to say after that. Served him right for talking to her like that.

"Alright," Seren started, "Agent Pipes was right. We don't need to cause trouble when the situation doesn't call for it. However, we're not going to be messy either." The sharpness in her voice was well directed towards the impatient Agent and everyone knew it. "We need to get every last weapon they have in there, even if the weapons are in pieces. You never know what savvy tech genius might be able to reconstruct something out of them." She'd seen that before and she wasn't interested in seeing it again. "We'll use the main entry point as a diversion.

"Any specific way you want to do it?" Natasha asked as she peered around the building to give one last check at the entry point.

Seren smiled. "Free game."

Natasha smirked. "My favorite way."

"Your move," Seren said.

Natasha exchanged a glance with Steve who was wondering whether or not to be nervous of her look. Without saying a word to him, Natasha took the lead towards the building. "Wait for our mark."

"How do you want to play this?" Steve asked her as he swiftly fell into her pace. Natasha very clearly eyed his SHIELD resting on his back. He rolled his eyes. "Why do I even ask?"

Natasha shrugged, her smile an amused one. "I don't know."

The two double set doors never knew what hit them when the SHIELD barreled through it. Attention was driven in 2 seconds flat.

"There they go," Agent Pipes said as she and Seren watched several of the crew inside run down for the doors.

"And now here we go." Seren glanced at the woman. "Ready?"

"Yes!"

Seren fired a jet of energy at one of the windows, shattering it in one go. She then carefully picked Agent Pipes up and flew towards it. They made a clean entrance and found themselves in a cluttered room.

"They've been trying to rebuild working weapons," Agent Pipes was the first to make the connection. It was hard to tell the scrape from alien tech at the first glance. They would have to carefully go through everything.

Seren saw the task impossible for the short amount of time they had on their side. "We don't have time to search for the parts we need — bag it all. We'll take it all."

"Now who said we'd let that happen?" A big burly man had come in through the door, flashing dangerous smirks at the pair of women.

Seren audibly groaned. "Agent Pipes, take care of the parts. I'll take this one."

The man scoffed at her. The condescending attitude was nearly dripping from his face. "Take care of me?"

Seren rolled her eyes. She thrust a hand forwards and fired a jet of colorful flames, knocking the man flat on his back. "Men, ever so cocky." She heard Agent Pipes' light 'ha!' behind her.

The man's eyes snapped open from the ground. "Fine, you are strong like they said."

"Who said—"

The man took Seren's brief surprise as his advantage to strike back. He pulled out a small gun from the inside of his leather vest and shot in Seren's direction. Seren barely had the time to make a temporary shield for herself but primarily to take the heat off Agent Pipes in the back. The bullets and the ensuing fight afterwards drew the attention not only from the rest of the agents on the first floor, but the other crew members.

Natasha found a moment to talk after thoroughly knocking out one of the crew. "What's going on up there?"

Agent Pipes was working fast to get the pieces of weapons into a collective pile. She would worry about getting a bag later (or in a bit). "Agent Soul is engaging with one of the crew!" she answered Natasha. "But I hear more people coming and a lot of the weapons are in pieces which means—"

"You'll need help, got it," Natasha exchanged looks with the others.

"Two more just came in!" Agent Pipes screeched over the comms., forcing everyone connected to wince in their respective spots.

"We need to move," Steve made a swift backwards punch to take his opponent down. "Now." He didn't wait for anyone to agree or at to make a good plan, he took off.

"So we just let him go like that?" Agent Morgan gestured after him incredulously.

"Yeah, just like that," Natasha sarcastically nodded. "It's not like he needs the backup, right? Besides—" she stopped just as a bullet rang past her, forcing Morgan to duck to the side. Natasha spun around to see a smirking woman across. "We have our own targets to deal with."

~ 0 ~

Seren hated that her inability to subdue all three of the crew had forced Agent Pipes away from her task. She jumped on one of the men while Seren took care of the other two.

"Not going to blast us, are yah sweetheart?" One of the men sneered at her after pinning her to the ground.

She glared at the man holding both of her wrists together. "The only reason I haven't is because there's another agent here." As the man's smirk widened, she sat upright. "But do not confuse that with me going easy on you." She matched the man's smirk with her own.

Seconds later the man felt an insane flame of heat between his hands and her wrists. He yelled in pain as his skin sizzled until he was forced to let go. As soon as he did, Seren let that heat emanate into a direct fire against the man. She scrambled to get up before she was attacked by the second man.

With a heavy breath, she rose from the ground — ignoring the pain she felt on her back — and prepared herself for another round. From the corner of her eye, she saw Agent Pipes struggling to get back to the weapons when she had her own opponent. Seren took on the second man and managed to grasp his arm when he tried to directly punch her. Sometimes it truly worked to her advantage that most opponents thought her small stature meant she was weak. With one quick grip, she was able to swing him to the ground flat on his back.

Just as quick as she was, she hurried to Agent Pipes. She lunged on the third man's back and clapped her hands on the sides of his face. "I got him, Pipes! Get back to the weapons!"

"But—"

"Go!"

Agent Pipes had no choice but to follow the order. She turned and ran back for the mass of weaponry pieces.

The man grabbed Seren's left leg and pulled her to the ground. She yelped when he saw his massive fist coming for her and quickly turned her body to the side. Raising her head allowed her to see that the second man she pinned down was regaining consciousness.

"Dammit," she muttered, dropping her own fist to the ground to stand up. The man was already waiting for her and as soon as she was up, she tried to direct a couple punches. In return, the man revealed a small weapon that he fired when she withdrew her fists from his face.

The energy collided with her chest and threw her back. She heard a ringing noise in her ears and somewhere in there Agent Pipes' scream for her. Groggily, she sat upright but the damage was done. Every part of her torso raged with pain. She would definitely have some trouble sleeping tonight but that was a problem for later.

She pulled herself up, albeit wobbly, with an arm wrapped around her stomach. Sucking in a breath gave a whole new rush of pain.

"Guess it's not true what they said about you," Seren heard behind her. She turned around to see him grinning triumphantly. "You may be a freak from another world but you're not strong."

"Ha," went the third man on her other end. "it'll just make them want to get you even more."

"Get me?" Seren made a face. "What do you mean 'get me'?"

The man sneered. "You're an alien. You don't belong on our world."

Seren glowered, but she wouldn't deny that her heart was beginning to race under her chest. This is exactly what her parents had tried shielding her from, and it was what she had always feared. "I am human," she said, but the man snorted. "I am. This is my home too."

"Really? With that alien power you got? Please. You're a disgusting half breed."

Seren swallowed hard. "I'm not—"

The second man she'd honestly forgotten about charged towards her from behind with all the intentions of bringing her down. Seren heard a loud clang of metal colliding with something followed by a recognizable thud. Steve was quick to collect his shield and run towards the last man. Seeing him made the man fire again. Seren put her hands together to attack but felt a hard grip around her waist pull her to the side. Steve had grabbed her and shielded them both for the duration of the fire.

"I got it," Seren said to him and for the sake of the situation, he wouldn't even comment on the breathless tone of her voice.

"I have it—" he tried to say but as soon as he lowered his shield, she fired star bolts at the man. Steve winced with the numerous bolts she fired. He didn't want to admit it but it felt like it was a bit over the top. Plus, he didn't like the face she had on either. Her eyes were so cold, her expression dark...almost like when she had been brainwashed by Loki. "Seren!" he called to her. "Seren, stop! Seren, c'mon!"

The star bolts died seconds after Steve's yell. Seren lowered her arms to her sides but her right arm wrapped around her stomach. She swallowed the pain and turned her head in Agent Pipes' direction..

"I-I think I got it," the agent gestured to the pile she had managed to collect. "But are you—"

"Yes," Seren nodded then checked for the other agents' status. All of the gang had been subdued. "Pack it up," she gave the final order.

~ 0 ~

Agent Pipes had deposited all of the weaponry in one of the labs. She thanked Steve for the additional help.

"I think the scientists will have a field day with all this," she chuckled. "I'm so happy we managed to get it all."

"Yeah," Steve said rather quietly. He was studying the pieces scattered in front of him and though he hadn't said it, Agent Pipes had a good idea of what was running in his head.

"Would they answer you?" she suddenly asked. Steve's head snapped in her direction. "If you asked—" she elaborated, "—them what their plans were for the weapons, do you think they would answer you honestly?"

The fact that she was asking him spoke volumes about S.H.I.E.L.D. to Steve. Once again, his thoughts and feelings for the place went into turmoil. He just couldn't make up his mind about it. "I...don't know," he said quietly.

"Really?" she let the disappointment lace her words. "I mean...you're Captain America, wouldn't they sort of owe you the honest answers?"

Steve smiled. "You'd think."

Agent Pipes matched his smile for a few seconds. She then sighed and set her hands on her hips. Her gaze went back to the weaponry pieces. "I have worked at this place for almost ten years and I'm still on a need-to-know basis for most of my missions."

"Doesn't that bother you?"

Pipes' hazel eyes met Steve. She smiled again but Steve could see the strain behind it. "It used to," she shrugged. "A lot."

"But not anymore?"

"You get used to it. We all do. We know that what we're doing is for the better good. Today we saved the streets from what promised to be a bloodbath with these things," Pipes nodded to the weaponry. "I'm going to sleep well tonight. I hope you do too."

Steve nodded as she walked out of the lab. It was a perfect answer but he was unsure if he could ever reach the same one. He thought about the many years that the other agents had at S.H.I.E.L.D. — Seren, Natasha and even Clint — and wondered at what point did they become used to the way S.H.I.E.L.D. worked. He realized he didn't really want to know the answer. With a sigh, he walked out of the room.

~ 0 ~

Seren stretched her body side to side, pushing through the pain she felt. Natasha watched her from the end of the locker room with an amused smile.

"Shut up," Seren warned her, but it only made Natasha's smile widen. She had utterly refused the medical room when they returned. No blood meant that there was absolutely no reason she needed to see a doctor of any kind.

"You could have at least gotten checked," Natasha walked over to the woman.

"I'm fine," Seren waved her off and stretched one more time. The pain would soon make her sore and then slowly fade. No reason to see a doctor. She fixed her shirt then her hair and walked out of the locker room with Natasha in tow.

"You'll still have to take a few days off," Natasha said.

"Whatever, how are the weapons?"

"They're going to be examined."

"One mass done, a whole other mess to account for," Seren sighed.

Natasha side-glanced her and noticed the worry line over her forehead. "What else has you sighing?"

Seren felt ridiculous admitting the problem. "I've, uh, been digging into the internet—"

"Oh, first mistake," Natasha began to shake her head.

Seren playfully rolled her eyes. "Some of the things that the men back there said to me made me wonder if the news was really that kind to us."

"And?" Natasha lifted an eyebrow.

Seren sighed. "It's not. A lot of people loved the Avengers and what we stood for but there's also so many people against us. And it's getting a little personal for me. Many people see my origins as an issue."

"I bet they do," Natasha shrugged, "But who cares, Seren."

"I do," Seren said, "It's—it's everything I've been afraid of since I was a kid. People are scared of me, angry about my whole existence. What am I supposed to do with that?"

Natasha planted her hands on Seren's shoulders, looking at Seren dead in the eyes. "Not care," she said slowly for Seren's benefit. "Honestly, who the fuck cares what people say? You know that you did something good and incredible. That's all that matters."

"It doesn't bother you at all when they talk about your, uh, obscure background?"

"No," Natasha shook her head, "Because after everything I've been through, I'm really not going to care if some random dude on the internet doesn't like me."

When Natasha put it like that, Seren felt silly with her worries.

The two women soon headed out to the hallway to finalize their mission and on their way they caught Steve. Like everyone else, he asked about Seren's condition. And just like she had to everyone else, she assured him there was no need to see a doctor. She really hated doctors and anything medical-related. Steve learned quickly not to push that button.

"All I need is to see my bed," Seren said instead. "Knowing that those men are either in jail or dead makes me feel a lot better."

"They are," Natasha said, smiling knowingly. "And Agent Pipes sends her gratitude for saving her behind earlier."

"Right," Seren took in a breath at the reminder. She purposely waited for Natasha to leave so she could speak with Steve. If anyone would tell her the truth, it would be him. "Listen, that guy that I...star-bolted...how bad was he?" She hated admitting that she barely had recollection of the aftermath with all the pain she felt in her body.

"Um…" Steve rubbed the back of his neck, clearly wanting to avoid that subject.

"It's alright Steve, you can tell me."

He met her pleading eyes and suddenly felt like he had to spill everything. "He was...he didn't make it."

Seren stiffened but she couldn't say that she was surprised. She'd gone pretty hard in the last round. "Oh God," she sighed. "I don't let that happen, you know." She started for the entrance doors, she needed air quickly.

"What?" Steve went after her.

"My powers — I train hard. Part of the training is learning to control them because…" Seren pushed the doors open and immediately sucked in a deep breath. She turned slowly to Steve. "My powers are literal star mass. If I harness it to its maximum…"

Steve nodded, understanding what she was trying to say. It wasn't like he hadn't suspected it already. "It's deadly."

Seren swallowed hard. "I've seen the destruction my grandmother did during her training. I-it's happened to me too but I try my best to keep it at a sufficient level when I'm out in the field. These people we fight, while horrible, they're still just humans and I don't like using my full biology as an advantage. There is no need to be that violent."

"I get it," Steve assured her. He felt like she was trying to justify herself directly to him, like he would have judged her if she hadn't explained.

"I just...I got mad, well...he just said something that really got to me," Seren admitted, and only because she was dead afraid of what Steve would think of her if she didn't explain why she lost control.

"What did he say?" Steve asked her.

Seren bit on her bottom lip. Saying it out loud was a bit harder. "Apparently, not everyone likes me for the fact that I'm, uh...not entirely human." Her smile was weak. "In his words, I am a 'disgusting half breed'." She swallowed hard. "Which is exactly what I didn't want people to think about me."

Steve was shocked, to say the least, and little by little he became angry. He really wished he could've had his turn with that man. Knowing what he knew about Seren and her past, he was sure that the man's words hit the weakest chord in Seren. It was her biggest fear and in her eyes it must have seemed like it came true. "Seren, that's not true. You're not a-a...that." He was not going to repeat those words, not in this lifetime. "Seren...?"

She wouldn't look at him. "A lot of people think I am," she mumbled quietly. "I've looked on the internet again. Steve, there are so many people who are either angry or scared of me. And if they found out that I killed a guy who called me a half breed, they would think I'm a monster. I got mad and-and I couldn't control my powers. Stardust isn't a hero."

"That's where you're wrong," Steve said. He hooked a finger under her chin and lifted her head so he could see her eyes, her beautiful eyes with colorful flecks. He couldn't help but smile at her. "Stardust is a hero. Seren is a hero."

Seren felt her face light with fire with those words, but no more than being under Steve's soft gaze. Were his eyes always that blue? Suddenly, her mouth felt very dry. "You're just saying that...because...because you're my friend."

Steve would ignore the little ache he felt out of nowhere. He didn't know where it came from and right now he didn't have the capacity to wonder where it came from. "No, I'm saying it because I've seen it. You saved all those people. You've been saving people from a very young age. Do you know you even saved me?"

"But I never did anything..." Seren knew that their battle in New York did have various moments where they had each other's backs, but that was what a team did. They protected each other. She never actually saved his life like he claimed.

And yet Steve seemed very sure of what he was saying. "You were the first person I saw when I woke up in this world. I was very rude to you, actually..." His light smile brought one out of Seren and that counted for millions. He loved seeing that smile on her. "But you were still so kind that day. You spoke to me in a way no one has spoken to me in this world. I felt safe with you, and that's why I specifically asked Fury for you."

Seren now felt like her heat powers had been enhanced tenfold. Her entire body felt warm and she wondered if Steve could feel it since he still held her chin. She would move away from him but her feet were glued to her spot. She felt like she was in a trance watching him speak so close to her.

"If I had been there when that guy said what he said, I would've knocked him out. You are nothing close to that. You're...you're amazing, Seren."

Seren swallowed nervously. "I, uh...I'll take that as a special compliment. I mean, you are the famous Captain America, right?" She wanted to joke and lighten the atmosphere between them before she really went all red.

Luckily, Steve did laugh with her. He let her go in the process but his eyes never lifted from her. "I think Stardust is way better."

Seren blushed. "Well, I did sort of win our last match...not that I'm looking for a rematch."

"Oh, neither am I," Steve said, raising his hands in front of him. "I would much rather fight alongside Stardust than against her. We make a good team."

Seren nodded. "We do."

A few minutes of silence passed by in which they both felt their faces so incredibly warm.

"Thanks, Steve," Seren eventually said. Steve nodded at her.

"Can I take you home?" he asked her.

How could she deny such a request. "Yes..."

Steve offered her his arm and he smiled when she curled her arm around his without seeming to have to think about it. For someone who could literally kill if she got angry, right now Seren seemed like the most delicate woman in the building. Especially with that smile of hers. Totally innocent. Who would ever think she could harm a fly?

Steve gulped when it was just them in the elevator. Seren still held his arm, not knowing — how would she know? — what thoughts ran through his head. What have I done? He kept thinking about it all the way to Seren's place and even when he left her later in the night. He was in huge trouble...

[sallyidss]

I have just stumbled upon the ship that is science boyfriends and I was wondering if you have any recommendations for good fics?

First of all, welcome to the small yet devoted science boyfriends fan club! :D Secondly, I’m incredibly flattered that you asked ME for fic recs!! 🥰 And thirdly, boy do I have some recs! Though I tend to read a lot from relatively few authors lol, so you'll see a few repeated names here. Also, all are explicit unless otherwise stated :)

Long Fics (10k+)

Canon divergent (stays true to the movies up to a point):

Dark Memories by @trammelsb – The fic that really sucked me into science boyfriends. Do heed the tags though, as the fic does have some potentially distressing themes. But it’s mostly about healing, love, friendship and support. It’s not fully complete yet, but I know the author and she has the entire fic mapped out down to the last chapter, so there’s no risk in starting it even though it’s a WIP!

Irreconcilable Differences by determamfidd – One of the most celebrated science boyfriends fics of all time. Basically required reading for anyone interested in Hulk Rights™. Not explicit until the second last chapter.

I'll Keep You Warm by @trammelsb – Five fluffy chapters of Hulk and/or Bruce protecting Tony and keeping him warm.

Something New Every Day by ifitwasribald – The fic that inspired pretty much all the kink negotiation that I write in my science boyfriends fics. Seriously good stuff.

One, Two, Three Heartbeats by SongAboutExiles – Tony helps Bruce to be able to have sex without hulking out, and of course they catch feelings for each other along the way :D I just remembered the existence of this fic while searching my bookmarks for fic recs for this post, and I think I have to read it again soon. The writing of Tony's character is absolute perfection.

No-powers AU:

Basically anything by @ellewritesfiction or @twentyghosts. These 2 are the monarchs of the science boyfriends AU, and I love pretty much all their work! Here are a few of my faves:

Play by @ellewritesfiction – An AU where Tony is a lawyer and Bruce is a professor and they meet at a sex club and start a D/s relationship. On the surface it seems like it will just be a fic about fun and sex, but man, the feels, the FEELS. And the TRUST, and CARING. I’ve reread this fic probably more than any other fic.

Sorry if You're Starstruck by @twentyghosts – The first science boyfriends AU I ever read, and I LOVED it. An AU where Tony is a filmmaker and Bruce is a reclusive author. They get off to a bit of a rocky start but we get to watch their friendship and relationship evolve over a year while Tony recovers from an addiction. Not explicit.

Something Just Like This by @ellewritesfiction – A painful breakup, a road trip to Miami for an impromptu vacation, bonding, a wee awakening on Bruce's part, getting together, meeting Nat and Clint, a fight and temporary falling out, and a happy ending. This fic was like watching a movie. I loved it so much.

Short Fics (< 10k)

Canon divergent

Getting What He Wants by ifitwasribald – A very well-written, very hot non-con roleplay fic which was the inspiration for one of my fics.

Pampered by @celtic7irish – 2500 words of fluffy, gentle relaxation (and sex :P) as Bruce takes care of a very tired Tony.

Getting Better All the Time by @twentyghosts – A perfect balance of whump and fluff. Featuring Peter Parker! Not explicit.

Peter Parker and Bruce Banner's Guide on How To Make Iron Man Sleep by @xxx-cat-xxx – A fluffy sickfic filled with comfort! Not explicit.

No-powers AU

Dog Person by @ellewritesfiction – Elle wrote this as a gift for me! And damn is it ever good. Tony meets Bruce, who's a lot different from the other people he's been with. For one thing, he likes camping. For another, he has five (5) dogs!

Grease by kristophine – Tony’s car breaks down and he gets it towed to Bruce’s garage. Kinky sex ensues 😂 Also this fic has really great sensory descriptions (not just visual, but sound and smell and touch). It’s hard to explain, you’ll just have to read it to see what I mean lol.

And last but not least! Virtually any science boyfriends fic by @ashnapalm (CrumblingAsh on AO3). My faves include Seconds to Sunrise and The Autumn Effect (both of which feature standalone chapters that vary between canon compliant, divergent, or AU)

This is just a small sample of all the fics I've read. There are SO many amazing fics out there for this pairing! Check out my bookmarks for more of my faves! And thanks so much for the ask!!!

[themculibrary]

Pre-Canon Masterlist

A Broken Promise (ao3) - greatgigintheskies T, 2k

Summary: After part of his crew had returned from another mission being out somewhere in the galaxy and eventually dragged along Peter to it, Yondu finds the little Terran all injured and beaten up in the ship's hangar. Now, how do one actually handle a situation like this - or at the very least - do comfort a crying 8-year-old?

AKA Odessa (ao3) - sirendoom T, 3k

Summary: Natasha was given a mission years ago to escort an engineer but encounters a mysterious enemy along the way.

An Old Friend (ao3) - bitofageek G, 1k

Summary: A bit of a backstory to explain how T'Challa and Everett Ross are "old friends" even though we only saw them together the week prior at the Sekovia Accords where T'Chaka was killed.

as we were, no longer, not be at all (ao3) - 100demons T, 1k

Summary: Some days, Sam shakes his shoes upside down before he puts them on, feeling imaginary scorpions scrape against the tips of his fingers and the aching grit of desert sand seared into the backs of his eyes.

A Warrior's Scar (ao3) - Cos_mic G, 6k

Summary: Battle scars and the tales that accompany them are the pride of a warrior, everyone knows this. Thor especially takes pride in his own. His brother Loki, however… The poor soul has naught a scar to his name.

Baby Don't You Want To Go (ao3) - Saelind pre clint/natasha T, 5k

Summary: Natasha does not like Chicago. But Chicago helps her, in so many small ways, to understand Clint Barton.

bah humbug (no that's too strong) (ao3) - writerkenna pre clint/natasha T, 2k

Summary: Clint decides to help Natasha celebrate her first Christmas with SHIELD. Natasha’s not too sure about the holiday yet.

Cold Winter Mornings (ao3) - dante_baby T, 17k

Summary: It wasn't even 6am when Thor came into Loki's room and declared bluntly "I want to hunt a bear."

control what you can (confront what you can't) (ao3) - spideysmjs may/ben T, 2k

Summary: Richard and Mary are gone.

Peter is still here, still here, and he’s hers and Ben’s responsibility, one that—for as little as they are prepared to raise a child—May knows she’ll hold at the center of her core today, and every day after that.

Happy Mother's Day, Aunt May.

Don't Have to Be Cool (ao3) - emopeterparker (theliteraltrash) G, 1k

Summary: The day after Sam graduated from high school, he got his ears pierced. This is what happened.

For a Decade (ao3) - BGSparrow pepper/tony T, 7k

Summary: Pepper tells Tony about their upcoming anniversary at his Fourth of July party, but his intoxicated mind misinterprets her entirely. The morning after is no picnic either. Pepperony fluff. Pre-IM.

Have Your Back (ao3) - withthekeyisking T, 2k

Summary: Clint Barton is a mercenary, and has no interest in the (many) attempts at recruitment from all the letter agencies that try to catch up with him. But it turns out he just needed the right person to make the right pitch.

Goddammit.

here is my hand that will not harm you (ao3) - andibeth82 clint/laura T, 18k

Summary: It starts the day they assign him to Laura Morse.

It starts as something he wants nothing to do with.

And then, it becomes something more.

Lost Weekend (ao3) - rexluscus T, 1k

Summary: Pepper turns her head for one second, and look what happens.

Man's Best Friend (ao3) - tuesday G, 2k

Summary: "Can we get a dog?" Tony asked his parents when he was six years old. He'd heard all about man's best friend by then and really wanted one of his own. He had drawn up a whole plan for caring for it. He would walk it. He would feed it. He would play with it until it exhausted itself and curled up on his lap for naps. He would be the best possible dog owner.

In which Tony builds himself some friends.

Respite (ao3) - MantaI305ApollosChariot T, 923

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Wanda and Pietro spend an afternoon resting together in their small cell-room in the Hydra base.

Thanksgiving (ao3) - fishspeakers G, 2k

Summary: Natasha celebrates Thanksgiving with her new family.

The Beacons (ao3) - boopboop M, 7k

Summary: To be great, a man must first be broken.

James Falsworth has extensive experience when it comes to taking good soldiers and making them great. His methods have been proved time and again, and though harsh, they always get results. He's never failed to break a man, never failed to prepare him for the horrors that await.

Until Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes throws a spanner in the works.

The Sound of Silence (ao3) - Jac_Danvers ana/edwin T, 24k

Summary: On the eve of the German invasion of Hungary, Anna Zellner was a Jewish shop girl who wanted nothing more than to keep her head down and her family safe. She never thought that selling a tie would draw her into a dangerous world of secrets and spies. A world where her only hope is a bumbling British attache. The story of Edwin and Anna Jarvis, featuring a healthy dose of Howard Stark.

The Stranger at the Door (ao3) - flipflop_diva, lattice_frames, Port clint/laura T, 7k

Summary: The last thing Laura Barton expected to find on that sunny Saturday morning in May after her husband had told her he would be there in an hour was opening the front door to find said husband covered in dirt and blood and holding an unconscious redhead in his arms.

And so went the first time Laura Barton met Natasha Romanoff.

[acciotherapists]

Far From Home (Chapter 22: Where is She?)

Loki x Reader

Y/n Y/l/n never thought her past would come back to find her. After all who would look for her on Midgard? But one day in the small town of Puento Antiguo her world is turned upside down when an old friend turns up, threatening everything she has built and the people she’d fought so hard to protect. What happens when the life she left behind finally catches up with her? What happens when the old flame she thought had burned out reignites within her?

Warnings: language (sorry, Steve), eventual smut (slow burn), angst, some mentions of torture (most things won’t be detailed but anything that gets a bit more specific will be warned at the beginning of the chapter)

Warnings for this chapter: angst, mention of dead character

A man called Coulson.

Phil Coulson was dead along with several agents Loki didn’t know the names of. My breaths became shallower as the air refused to reach my lungs.

“Y/n, please… d-.”

“Please what, Loki!? You killed him! He was practically a brother to me and he’s dead because of you!” I shouted.

“Darling, I’m sorry… I-I didn’t know. H-He was in the way and I didn’t have a choice.” “You had a choice, Loki! You could’ve ended all of this but instead you chose to hurt people I care about!”

He took a step forward, lifting his hand but I quickly backed away from him.

“I will never forgive you for this,” I hissed.

“I can fix this, love. I promise I’ll fix this.”

“You can’t fix this, Loki! He’s dead!” I shouted as the tears streamed down my face.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, pulling me into a hug. I struggled against his grip but it was pointless. I knew it was wrong and I should hate him for everything he’s done but I couldn’t ignore what I felt with him. His lips slowly moved to my ear as he murmured a thousand apologies, his voice breaking with each one.

"Loki, stop," I whispered, my heart clenching at the sound of his broken voice. 

"I didn't want to kill him," he whispered into my hair, his grip tightening around me. 

"I know, baby…. I know," I soothed, fighting back my own tears as Coulson's face flashed in my mind. He was gone and the man I loved was responsible for his death.

***

I sat in a guest room in Stark Tower, one that seemingly hadn't been used in a long time. A green dress lay untouched on the bed, familiar Asgardian armor sitting beside it. 

"Put this on, darling," Loki had said to me before locking me in the room, saying he couldn't trust me not to run away yet. 

“This is Agent Y/l/n. Does anybody copy?” I asked through my comms, though I knew it was a futile attempt if no one was in range, but I had to try nonetheless. There was nothing. No voice, not even the faintest crackling sound. It was simply dead air. I sighed before realizing there was no point in stalling any longer. I slowly put the dress and armor on, not wanting to anger Loki, and knocked on the door. The lock turned and the door opened as Loki’s face came into view.

“You look stunning, darling,” he whispered in awe before taking my hand and leading me out of the room. “Come with me. I’ll show you our army.”

***

A medic team carried away Phil Coulson’s body as the remaining banged-up Avengers heard the news the agent had not survived. A silence fell over the helicarrier as the news of his passing settled.

Somewhere among the chaos Clint Barton was waking up, sweat dripping from his forehead as the adrenaline and the effects of the scepter wore off, Natasha Romanoff sitting by his side.

Bruce Banner lay in a pile of rubble miles away from the helicarrier with a massive headache and no memory of how he got there.

The scattered Avengers gathered themselves as they picked up the broken pieces of the team and prepared for a fight they didn’t even know if they could win. What they weren’t aware of yet was just how far they’d be willing to go when a member of their team– and the world– is in danger.

***

“I’m not marching to Fury’s fire,” Tony spat, looking down at where Loki’s cell had been ejected from the ship.

“Neither am I,” Steve retorted. “He’s got the same blood on his hands that Loki does. But right now we’ve got to put that behind us and get this done. Loki needs a power source. If we can put together a list…”

“He made it personal,” Tony interrupted.

“That’s not the point.”

“That is the point. That’s Loki’s point,” Tony argued. “He hit us all right where we live, why?”

“To tear us apart.”

“Yeah. Divide and conquer is great but… he knows he has to take us out to win, right? That’s what he wants to beat us and he wants to be seen doing it… so why allow himself to get captured only to break out? Why come here at all?”

Their eyes widened as the realization seemed to hit them at the same time.

“Does anyone have eyes on Agent Y/l/n?” Steve called into his coms, receiving several ‘no’ answers in reply. 

“Sure, he came back here to weaken us but he wanted her, too,” Tony explained as he began running, Steve following closely behind. They made their way to Fury's office as Tony spoke.

“I don’t know how we didn’t see it sooner. We just assumed they were siblings because of Thor but did you see the way Loki looked at her? I think Loki's in love with her."

"But do you really think he'd risk getting captured just to get her back?" Steve asked as they reached the door to Fury's office.

"The right girl makes even a guy like that do insane things."

"I suppose you're right," Steve answered, seeming lost in a memory, before Tony continued. 

"We need to find out where he took her." Without knocking Tony swung the door open, being met with Fury's confused and slightly enraged face.

"What is the meaning of this?!" he hissed, closing the file in front of him. 

"We need you to pull any surveillance footage from the attack," Tony said as he and Steve moved towards Fury's desk.

"You want to tell me why you're bursting into my office making demands?" Fury hissed.

"We think Loki may have taken Agent Y/l/n. We need to find out how and hopefully where,” Tony answered.

“Agent Y/l/n, report in!” Fury called into his comms as he began typing on his computer. A crackling sound filled his comms before they went quiet. No response came.

Fury’s typing increased as the silence in his comms became deafening. Fury turned the computer as a video began playing. Agent Y/l/n stood near the stairs leading to Research Level Four.

“That’s Agent Brown,” Fury explained, pausing the video. “He was taking her to Thor… said he’d been badly injured and requested her.”

“What happened next?” Steve asked and Fury resumed the video. 

A man appeared behind her, injecting an unknown substance into the side of her neck. Her body went limp and the unknown man carefully lifted her off the ground, taking extra care not to hurt her. Agent Brown said something to the man but they couldn’t hear what it was.

“Is there audio?” Tony asked.

“No but SHIELD has pretty extensive lip reading software,” Fury answered before typing once more. The video rewound and the lip reading software worked in the background as a robotic voice spoke.

“Careful with her. She’s a good agent… plus, the boss will kill us if she’s harmed.”

“Where would he go?” Steve asked as the video ended.

“He wants an audience,” Tony murmured as he began pacing the room deep in thought. “Loki’s a full-tilt diva. He wants flowers. He wants parades. He wants a monument built to the skies with his name plastered…” Tony’s eyes widened as he trailed off. “Son of a bitch.”

“Stark, what is it?”

“I think I know where he is.”

****

Taglist:

@purplekitten30 @lokisprettygirl22 @huntress-artemiss @lokis-little-love @lokis-tigress

[aurumacadicus]

If you want: Maria/Rhodey/Carol (does this ship have a name? I kind of want to call it Marvelous Warbirds) and Purse Pet.

I've never considered this ship before so forgive me if this is a little......... lackluster. But also somehow this is all my writing all over again.

Purse Pet

"You brought home a dog?!" Maria burst out. "Carol! You know none of us have time for a dog! Even Monica finally admitted it!"

"I did not bring home a dog," Carol said calmly.

Maria stared at her, stone-faced. The Pomeranian at her feet did a dainty little circle and sat down beside her. Carol began to sweat, even though it actually hadn't been her who had brought the beast onto the premises.

"Calm down," Jim sighed, coming in from the kitchen with a bowl of water. "I brought the dog home."

Maria took a long, slow deep breath. "Jim. Why did you bring a dog home."

"Because Tony called me in a panic and said that his meeting was running over and he wouldn't make it to pick her up from her doggy daycare on time," Jim replied. "She's not staying. She's visiting."

"Oh," Maria said, fight draining out of her as she watched him set the bowl down. The Pomeranian trotted over to it and began lapping it up with a dainty little tongue that didn't spill a drop. "Okay."

Carol, on the other hand, had questions. "When did Tony get a dog? Why? How did he get it so well-behaved when he, himself, is not? Tony's feral," she added, mostly to herself. "I saw him bite an alien once when it had disarmed him. He turned blue for three days and he didn't regret it. Also I imagined him with a Great Dane or something when I imagined him with a dog at all..."

"Six months ago, he'll say he got jealous of Clint's dog if asked but in actuality he was just super lonely, and he took two weeks off to take a training course because he wanted his dog to be welcomed in other people's homes because he knew he'd be too attached to leave her alone," Jim replied, and motioned at the Pomeranian as it walked away from the water bowl to curl up in a delicate ball next to the couch. "Also he told me he wanted to figure out why you carry him around in an IKEA bag so he got a dog that can fit in a purse."

"Are you still carrying Tony around in an IKEA bag?" Maria scolded Carol immediately. "You said you'd stop."

"What? No," Carol scoffed, crossing her arms. "I did. I don't even remember the last time I carried him in an IKEA bag."

Maria crossed her arms as well and stared at her, raising her eyebrows skeptically. Carol began to sweat again.

"She carried Tony in an IKEA bag last month when he asked her to come and look at some alien tech and she wanted to go get coffee," Jim said helpfully.

"Jim!" Carol cried as Maria rolled her eyes and sighed. "You tattletale! Why would you expose me like that?!"

"Because I'm dying to finally show Maria the picture of you carrying Tony in an IKEA bag while he carries his dog in a purse," Jim said, pulling up the Twitter post.

"He's got the dog in a purse in the bag?" Maria asked, immediately curious.

"No, he's holding her outside of the bag so that everyone can see her."

"Oh my god," Maria said, holding the phone closer. "That's surprisingly adorable. Did he actually buy a purse specifically for his dog?"

"He owned the purse before he got the dog," Jim corrected.

Maria stared at the picture a long time before she closed her eyes and sighed. "You told me that Tony would be weird. You told me. I'm not surprised because you told me."

"You can still be surprised. He bit an alien and turned blue for three days," Carol told her helpfully. "That's weird. He's weird."

Monica opened the door and stepped inside, turning to hang her backpack on the rack. She saw a leash where her backpack usually went and gasped, dropping her backpack onto the ground. "A dog!" she cried, spinning around to look for it. When she saw it by the couch, she ran over to the Pomeranian and dropped down to her knees beside her. The dog just blinked at her placidly. "What's her name?" Monica asked, delicately petting the Pomeranian's tiny head.

"Carol," Jim said.

"DO YOU MEAN HE NAMED HIS DOG AFTER ME," Carol bellowed as Maria began laughing so hard she almost dropped Jim's phone.

Maria insisted that they refer to the dog as Carol and Carol as human-Carol. She said she deserved it for carrying Tony around in an IKEA bag. Carol insisted that she was there first, not the dog, so she should be Carol and the dog should be dog-Carol. Jim put his hands up and said 'leave me out of it' when they both turned on him.

"Tony, did you really name your dog Carol?" Monica whispered when Tony came to pick her up.

Tony blinked at her, absolutely boggled even as he whispered, "What? No. That's the name she came with. She's four years old. I wasn't going to change her name. Why are we whispering? Why's everyone yelling?"

"Tony, I need you to understand how hilarious this is, but I am going to respectfully tell you to leave before Mom and Carol drag you into this," Monica whispered back firmly. "Please show me the purse you carry her in."

Tony gaped at her, then sort of shook himself, setting a square leather bag on the ground. Carol padded out of the house to spring into it, turning in three delicate circles before she sat down and smiled up at them, panting. Tony secured her with a clip, then picked the purse up, carefully putting the strap over his shoulder and reaching down to run his thumb between her little eyes.

"Is that Tony?!" Carol barked, and began stomping for the door.

"RUN, TONY," Jim bellowed, not looking up from the magazine he was reading on the couch.

Monica watched, mouth dropping open, as Tony did as ordered without a second thought, turning on one heel and sprinting away from the house. He bypassed Happy entirely and kept sprinting down the sidewalk, jacket and tie flying behind him. Happy sighed and got into the car to follow him.

"Look what you did," Maria scolded as Carol gaped in the doorway. "You scared him."

"Me?!" Carol exclaimed. "Jim's the one who told him to fucking book it!"

"You know that Tony's scared of us," Maria continued.

"I wasn't going to yell at him or anything, just threaten to carry him in the IKEA bag again!" Carol argued.

Monica left them to bicker in the doorway, instead going to the couch to flop down beside Jim. "Did you do this on purpose, Jim?" she asked, pulling her chemistry book closer on the coffee table.

"I thrive on chaos and it was getting a little too chummy around here," Jim answered, which was obviously a yes. "Tony says you can visit Carol at any time, so long as human-Carol and Maria say it's okay."