#❛ ― memes. / wakanda whatever.

[livstarlight]

In a future hypotetical serene all-funs-and-games time for the Wakanda-Talokan squad where they start a betting game on which disney movie would be Namor's favorite, and the answers would vary from something more obvious like "The Little Mermaid", or a more thought-through answer like "Atlantis", or why not, even "Beauty and the beast" as a joke (" BITCH PLEASE IT'S OBVIOUSLY THAT" "No it's not, Riri")

And Shuri is like "Guys no" but they are obviously not listening to her, until one day she can’t take it anymore and just outright asks him because whatever she is curious too sue her and Namor just looks at her funny and tells her with a shrug that is Moana ("Was it really in question?" "Please just shut up")

[free-for-all-fics]

Sweet and Stupid Prompts for Namor/Tenoch! Pls tag me if you’re inspired by any of these and write something, I’d love to read it! 💜

1. You take Namor to Disney World/Disneyland and since Disney owns Marvel, they’ve opened a Black Panther section. Namor comes face to face with the character actor of him and it’s like that Spider-Man pointing meme. What happens?

2. You and Tenoch go to Disneyland/Disney World as part of a special event/meet and greet and autograph signing with fans. During your photo op, you and Tenoch take pics and selfies with the Disney face actors dressed up and portraying Namor and your character.

3. You and Tenoch are married, having met years before you were both cast in Wakanda Forever. After all the swimming lessons with floaties, Tenoch is so proud of himself for being able to hold his breath for 5 minutes that he mentions it all the time in interviews. What you mention all the time in interviews about your experience in that large pool on set is that Tenoch did “mating dances” like a fish with you underwater during rehearsals to “seduce” you. You’ve had to swim back up to the surface for air so you could laugh.

4. You and Tenoch go to a wax museum with the rest of the Black Panther cast. It’s a private party so it’s just the cast and their plus ones; the museum is closed to the public. You take selfies with the wax figures. Either you’re also an actor and have your own wax statue of your marvel character, or you’re Tenoch’s date/plus one. Tenoch has a Namor statue and pretends to be jealous, pouting when you hug and take kissy face selfies with his wax Namor statue. Why won’t you give him hugs and kisses when he’s right there? The real thing is a million times better than cold wax :(

5. You and Tenoch surprise fans at a wax museum by pranking them. You both pretend to be wax statues, standing perfectly still in your best outfits or marvel costumes while people talk about how lifelike you both look. They take selfies and pictures with you. When the fans least expect it, you and Tenoch scare the living crap out of them by suddenly moving and yelling, “LÍIK'IK TALOKAN!” or “¡HOLAAAAA!” Most of the fans jump out of their skin from your prank, but are so shocked and excited to meet you and Tenoch that some of them cry. You have a great time taking pictures, signing autographs, talking to fans, etc.

6. Mark Hamill inspired: You and Tenoch have been in a sort of social media war, doing all sorts of things to see who could get the most followers. Tenoch once suggested that you and he should go to Madame Tussaud’s wax museum and pose with your wax figures after it’s closed for the night. He’ll pose with your marvel character, and you’ll pose with his Namor. The fans would go nuts and the internet would explode once you post those pictures to social media. You were unsure, citing schedule conflicts - but you promised you’d get back to him if things changed. Later, Tenoch checks his social media to see if you’re gaining on him in followers. And there you are at Madame Tussaud’s, posing with his Namor statue, posing with Hulk, posing with your marvel character, etc. He’s so mad. He goes to your trailer to confront you and you play dumb. “You stole my idea, and you didn’t even invite me!”

“What are you talking about?”

“I thought it’d be a great idea if we went to Madame Tussaud’s and posed with our wax figures!”

“Oh that’s a great idea, we should do that!”

“But you just did it!! It’s too late!” He groans in exasperation. Why is he friends with you? Why does he love you? Because you keep him on his toes with antics like this.

7. Nobody can remember a time when Juan’s taco truck was not parked in the old lot. Everyone agrees that his food is the best around. Tenoch gets tacos from the taco truck after a movie premiere or other special event. It’s late at night, so it’s the only place close by that’s open. He’s surprised to see it’s not Juan managing the truck, but you, his daughter/sister/friend, whatever. He flirts with you, even if he’s with his cast mates. When you give him his order, he gives you a good tip and maybe even his phone number.

8. Reader and Tenoch having long conversations while in the makeup chair. You’re either the makeup artist working on him or are a fellow actor getting made up at the same time he is. Either way, you have lots of time to get to know each other and maybe even take silly behind the scenes mirror selfies together. Or to make it funnier, you and Tenoch do a “Boyfriend/Girlfriend does my makeup”-esque no mirrors challenge where you record a video of trying to do each other’s makeup without being able to see what it looks like in the mirror. You then take pictures of the results.

9. Hiking trip AU: You go with Tenoch as a couple’s vacation while you’re both on break from work. You have at least a week to yourselves on this getaway and make the most of it, renting a cute cabin that only has one bed. He holds your hand to help hoist you up or keep your balance and get past difficult spots on hiking trails like steep paths or rocky terrain. You hike through mud, dirt, sand, and water, and get covered in it if one or both of you accidentally slip and fall on your butt. You’d help each other get back up and laugh about what a complete mess you are. Good thing both of you wore plain/casual clothes you don’t care much about. (You might shower together later to rinse off all the mud and dirt). You spend hours sightseeing while enjoying that neither of you have phone service and just take in the beauty of nature.

You take selfies and all kinds of photos together, ranging from cute to silly. For example, you may go horseback riding on some nature trails and take lots of cute horse photos while Tenoch looks like a handsome cowboy. But you’d also take photos of Tenoch where he ducks down in little caves and pretends to lift up the large rock-side of a canyon like a super strongman, or ones where he’s hanging precariously off a “cliff” but he’s actually standing on an unseen ledge and the “drop” height is only a few inches. Optical illusions through photo angles are so fun. For extra chaotic energy, Tenoch sends the latter photo to his mother as a prank. Other hikers may pass you by and recognize Tenoch, but neither of you mind and enjoy taking selfies with and talking to fans.

10. Start the day by trying to get a wild alligator stoned. After that go shopping cart surfing on the freeway, holding onto truck bumpers. Then there's an attempt at skiing on cast-iron frying pans, but that only works on pavement. Being from Florida is Awesome, Amazing, and Incredibly Stupid. Namor/Tenoch is very scared of you and your chaotic nature. Going to war with the surface world was a mistake. Abort mission. The surface is already doomed if Florida is part of it.

11. You got invited to a house party and arrive to the most insane rager you’ve ever seen. You ask Namor, who appears to be the host, “This place is getting trashed, aren’t you upset?” He laughs and says,

“It’s Loki’s place and he has no clue. But he does appreciate a good prank, so it’s cool.”

12. In an effort to stave off boredom, the god of mischief decided to teach the other gods on how they can pull off pranks in their own unique way. Things quickly get out of hand when Namor learns the art of pranking.

13. You are highly skilled at breaking into secure facilities, but only to play pranks on the occupants inside. You are Loki’s daughter and take after your father in many ways. Perhaps too many, some would argue. You’re also Namor’s wife. Describe a day in your life as both the daughter of the god of mischief and chaos, and the Queen of Talokan.

14. You have the power to change the age of anything you touch. You try to change the age of your sleeping partner as a prank since he knows of your power. But it doesn't seem to work, no matter how hard you try. Namor wakes up and says, "Gods don't age, dear."

15. In the underwater city of Talokan, a certain mutant lies in wait, utterly bored as he waits for eons to pass by or to be drawn to the surface by humanity, whatever happens first. To pass the time, he has no better idea than to prank call humanity.

16. The house you inherited comes with an undergound lake in a cavern. The will instructs you to throw a couple of big chunks of meat in the water daily but doesn't explain why. After months of feeling silly while wasting meat, you decide to stop. Namor is upset because he’s hungry and where did his delicious sweets go? Squid livers were his favorite! Pls bring them back. :’( Okaaaaaaaay, so the will left out the part about the daily ritualistic offerings to a literal god in their backyard in exchange for...what, exactly?

17. Frog Prince AU: You thought the curse was broken. When the frog turned into a prince, Namor/Tenoch, you thought you’d live happily ever after. But you, the first love of the Frog Prince, quickly learned that he was cursed for a reason and there’s more to it. Your happiness was short lived as you realized that your husband remained exactly the same while your hair slowly grayed. While you inevitably moved forward, he was frozen in time. You still remember the day you laid on your death bed as he held you in his arms. In that state of unbearable sadness and anguish over your death, he turned back into a frog. He’s cursed to repeat the cycle: Kiss, transformation, lover’s death. Now you’re a ghost and trying to undo your husband’s curse, with the help of someone living.

[igniting-quill]

rules: tag 9 people (or so) you want to know better and/or catch up with, then answer the questions below! — I was tagged by @jimbothy-magma from this post and @yarn-dragon from this post. 

They both tagged me in the same post meme format whatever, and one person tagged my @uc-beepboop account. Since I am just the same lil guy as my UC side blog, I thought I would do both here (they are more or less the same). Thanks for tagging me!

last song: “Do U Really?” By Lyn Lapid (with Ruth B.) ← This song has been something I’ve been listening on repeat I love both of them.

three ships: (1) Nephila Mori x Laz Malidity from Arc 8 of Unprepared Casters: I love them and it is a toxic-ish relationship + acknowledge that they have issues WHILE Nephila being one-sided in love with her AND Laz has boundaries while being Nephila’s firmest ally. (2) BakuKiri: Bakugou and Kirishima because they can actually withstand each other lolz and (3) Raeda: Eda x Raine from the Owl House. Old friends back to lovers sometimes hits hard.

currently reading: Okay I got two for you. (1) Our Missing Hearts by Celest Ng and damn… it’s this dystopian future that borders too close to our own, and as someone who’s Chinese American, there’s quite a bit to think about there! (2) In the middle of “You are coming down with me, hand in unloveable hand” written by the wonderful @silly-goofy-mood and @yarn-dragon (the same person who tagged me!). I haven’t had time to finish because of classes and work meetings but I’ll read it once I’m finished writing this post.

last movie: Guys I don’t watch movies a lot I watch TV shows lol ;-; I don’t want to keep saying Wakanda Forever, so I’ll say a TV show instead: Stranger Things Season 4

craving: for my work to be over please why are there tests on this stuff

tag time: I’ll tag some people sure (you are not obligated at all!): @silly-goofy-mood, @tianshiisdead, @marigoldmorrigan, @adventuresofahufflepunk, @amywontkillyou, @lordsardine, @peonycats, @urmomsstuntdouble, @princefaux

[themculibrary]

Peter & Shuri Masterlist

5 Times Shuri and Peter Quoted Vines and 1 Time They Didn't (ao3) - MysteryElle T, 5k

Summary: Exactly what the title says. Might do another one if this one gets good reviews.

Children Of Tumult (ao3) - nhasablog G, 509

Summary: T'Challa watches Shuri and Peter interact.

Clever (ao3) - Rivulet027 T, 1k

Summary: Shuri takes a break and tries to help the group get Groot to stop pouting.

Difficulty Breathing with Peter, Shuri, Tony, and Bruce (ao3) - Some_weird_queer_writer T, 1k

Summary: Trans!Peter is an idiot (affectionate) and binds while doing exercise, has a panic attack, isn't out to Tony or Bruce, but is out to Shuri. Happy ending

Gobbledygook (ao3) - kjstark steve/bucky G, 3k

Summary: Peter didn’t think it’d turn into a thing. Not an active thing, at least. With ten months well into the compound and his so-called training (after a few very awkward first months as Mister Stark and the Captain slowly made peace again and his team of “rogues”, as Peter had begun calling it, were welcomed in), Peter was already adjusted to being the only kid around. Well—him and technically Vision, but the robot doesn’t really count.

So, it starts off as breezy as breathing.

How Peter Parker met Shuri (ao3) - Georgiah G, 394

Summary: Basically how Peter and Shuri Met

Iconic (ao3) - denyingmyselfalways T, 3k

Summary: In which Shuri and Peter keep quoting vines and driving Tony and T'challa insane. The rest of the team is just confused.

(Except for Nat.)

More Adventures of Peter Parker and Shuri (ao3) - aceschwarz222 pepper/tony G, 142k

Summary: Peter Parker and Shuri are science bros for life. It's been a year since they first met, and with the second summer upon them, it's time for more crazy shenanigans. And what better place to start those shenanigans than with a wedding in Las Vegas?

Never Let Peter and Shuri on YouTube (ao3) - Climbergirlio G, 4k

Summary: It all started innocently. Peter (as Spider-Man) and Shuri film a Q&A video about The Stark Intern to answer some of the public's burning questions and debunk a couple conspiracy theories. But after watching the video the people of the internet start shipping Spider-Man and Shuri.

Peter and Shuri annoying everyone (ao3) - orphan_account peter/shuri N/R, 2k

Summary: Shuri and Peter being annoying to the Avengers :)

Peter and Shuri's Not So Boring Day (ao3) - Artemis_Day G, 3k

Summary: Peter never thought his Saturday would end with an actual princess in his apartment, but sometimes, you just have to roll with it.

Peter and Shuri Solve A Mystery (ao3) - odd_izzy pepper/tony G, 4k

Summary: Inspired by aceschwarz222's brilliant Vegas storyline in More Adventures of Peter Parker and Shuri, I have written what started out as a one-shot featuring the kids attempting to unravel the events of the night that almost all the adults they know got very very drunk and couldn't remember any of. A tiger cub may have been stolen.

Peter Parker and Shuri Prank The Avengers Team (ao3) - myheartisoverseas mj/peter, clint/natasha, gamora/peter, steve/bucky T, 37k

Summary: Peter and Shuri are just adorable and like freaking their friends out with pranks.

take me back (ao3) - jaybaybay T, 47k

Summary: Peter and Shuri are kidnapped by a gang of bandits who demand ransom money for the princess of Wakanda. They’ll soon find out that they have more than one prize in their grasp.

The Adventures of Peter Parker and Shuri (ao3) - aceschwarz222 gamora/peter, pepper/tony G, 92k

Summary: T'Challa must spend two weeks at the Avengers Compound working on an agreement with Tony Stark in light of Wakanda opening its borders and resources. He brings along his sister, Shuri, who meets the equally nerdy Peter Parker.

Basically a bunch of short, fluffy drabbles about a fantastic friendship between two adorable dorks.

Whatever It Is, Peter Started It! (ao3) - sdottkrames G, 1k

Summary: comfortember Prompt 26: Junk Food

Peter and Shuri meet. Hijinks and memes ensue

[lokigodofaces]

hey so i've been busy and as such on hiatus not from tumblr but also like not paying attention to movies and series as much for the sake of time so i just kinda wanted to ask for some thoughts (specifically from my mutuals because they would know my opinions on things more but anyone can respond) on different things I know have come out so i know if it's even worth it to watch it or not

marvel. like is any of it worth it? tbh i already was behind before my hiatus. so i believe i am asking about: loki season 2 (i imagine i already know...), guardians of the galaxy (christmas and 3), echo, quantumania, wakanda forever, what if s2 (& more, if there are more seasons), ms marvel, i am groot, secret invasion, & the marvels. also have not seen she hulk and thor love and thunder but...yeah i can imagine how it went...

percy jackson! (i hope it's good i hope it's good i hope it's good i hope it's good)

dune 2 (also have not yet read the book so "it isn't like the book" wouldn't affect me all that much if this is a concern)

like anything star wars ever since like kenobi i am so behind guys

dc movies? idk what dc has done lately but they any good?

idk don't even remember what movies/series/music exist kkkkkk

idk if y'all want to give non nsfw suggestions like i accept but idk if will have time

oh yeah disney/pixar/other animation! anything cool there?

also super random question but what tumblr nonsense/meme/etc have i missed?

idk mutuals want to recommend fanfic they think i'd like

idk what this is anymore

someone write me a list like steve rogers had in tws

ain't even going to tag it so that i don't get diehard current mcu fans on my back

so idk if anyone'll see it but if y'all would like to respond i'd appreciate it!

also this format is weird like i feel like i should be rambling in the tags but i'm rambling in bullet points whatever i dont care about crap anymore

also if there are new tesseroki fics pls let me know

[regrettablewritings]

So the other night, I went to go see Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

It was a very last minute decision, especially considering that I actually had been dreading the idea of seeing it. But part of me thought that wouldn’t be fair, and that maybe actually seeing it might give me a sense of closure or catharsis of some kind left by the raw wound I’m still trying to heal even two years after Chadwick’s sudden passing. But I also went for another reason.

Let me preface this by saying that this post isn’t a review or analysis regarding my thoughts and feelings about the film, be it personally or critically. But if Youtubers can start at Point A just to get to an eventual Point D, then so can I. Just . . . be warned, this is going to be all over the place, per the @regrettablewritings way.

Years ago, before 2020, before even Endgame, I decided that whatever the sequel to Black Panther was, it would be the last Marvel film I would try to see or have any real feelings on. I’ve never been quiet about it, but I also don’t think I’ve been necessarily vocal about my growing disinterest and frustration with the franchise. But I mean, there’s already a metric crapton of Youtube and Tumblr essays on why the MCU “sucks now”, so go look at those. (Though my personal growing lack of interest was based on how suffocating the franchise was becoming by the end of Phase 2 for me, what with the expectation that you keep tabs on every single film but I digress.)

The plan, despite my emotional hesitancy following Chadwick’s death, had always been to eventually see the movie and let that more or less be the end of my “relationship” with Marvel (god that sounds so needlessly dramatic but whatever). By extension, though, this would mean bringing a close to the writings I did for characters from the MCU.

And to a degree, I was fine with this: I barely wrote for them, the ones I did write for never really got requested when I did headcanon memes, the others I tended to get requests for belonged to lines I just couldn’t keep up with for one reason or another. The final few I still had on my Who I Write For list were predominately characters from Black Panther, so they existed within a sort of holding pattern until the sequel came out anyway. And while, yes, I did have plans for fics and perhaps some headcanons regarding a few of them, I couldn’t honestly say when or even if those would ever see the light of day. It frankly just seemed for the better to just call it a day and let things be.

Not everything needs to be written or written for, after all.

But as I mentally prepared myself for that, I also couldn’t help but keep thinking about it. A mental spring cleaning, if you would.

By the end of it, I was left with piles: A pile for things I no longer wanted to write for, a pile for things I wish I had the focus or energy to write for, a pile of things I just don’t know how to feel about, and so on.

And the thing is, these piles have all existed for far longer than even the trailers for Wakanda have been out. All seeing the movie really did was make me have to confront them, and what doing that meant was coming to the following conclusion:

I know I’ve said it before, but I genuinely mean it when I say here right now that I don’t know how much longer I’ll be doing this for. Writing on this blog, that is. Potentially writing at all, really.

I know: Hell of a time to come out and say it but the truth is that I’ve been feeling this way for a long while now.

I haven’t really enjoyed writing the way I used to. Every time I try, it comes out like garbage or it feels like it’s a bird trying to fly on broken wings. But every time I thought about just going on a regular hiatus, I’d start drafting up new ideas. So I stuck it out because I thought maybe all I needed to do was muscle through but . . .

And yeah I know to some, this is a hilariously small number to have in one’s drafts. But remember: I tend to write very thoroughly and verbosely for even things meant to be small, like preferences or headcanons. I’ll own up to it and admit that that played a part in my downfall, and that my perfectionism and the high expectations I place on myself aren’t any more helpful, but that doesn’t fix the fact that this is where I’m at for now. Even trying to reel it back and keep things simple makes me feel like I’ve hit a wall. I mean, look at all I’ve written so far just to come clean about something as simple as “I don’t know if I want to keep doing this anymore”!

Gonna be real, the uptick in followers I’ve gotten these past few weeks has had me telling friends “It’s like finally starting up a Twitter account, only for Musk to buy out the site right after.” (Too soon? Too funny.)

But on that note comes the question of what happens next. And the answer is: I have no idea. I really don’t. I’ve battled with that question for at least half of to possibly a full year now. There have been days where I wanted to just delete the blog and move on. I’m too noncommittal to stick to just ghosting. And, like a pack rat, I’ve convinced myself that some of these fics might even eventually get posted. But the truth simply is that I don’t know what the future of this blog is, yet I still wanted to come clean about how I’ve been feeling about it.

I’ve humored the idea of just starting from scratch with a new blog but without alerting anybody because I think I might miss those days where there weren’t any expectations. After all, I never once thought this blog would get as many followers as it has now: I started Regrettablewritings as a literal dumping ground for the headcanons and oneshots I would give to other blogs over anon because that was how I showed admiration. Writing is one way I show love; so it’s frankly a little devastating to me at times that lately I just don’t enjoy how I’ve been writing. But what’s also pretty amazing is that it got this far at all. And I have y’all to thank for that, so . . .

There’s really not going to be a way I can truly express this: Thank you for sticking around even when there were dry spells, even when my perfectionism meant taking longer to complete a request, through my ranting, my obsessing, etc. The fact that for five years, there were people who would think that my stuff was halfway decent will never cease to amaze me. Truly!

So to whatever comes next: Let’s hope it works out. Cheers!

[littlewakanda-blog]

tag dump.

[tsuraiwrites]

Can I request “Stay there. I’m coming to get you.” for WinterIron or FrostIron? Thank you! Love you!

💜 thank you for the prompt as always, Mar! much love! 

for this prompt meme. title from “Shelter” by Broken Bells. 

Fic: Until the Morning Comes

Bucky finds out Wanda volunteered for HYDRA. His confrontation with Steve over it doesn’t go well, leaving him with one person he can turn to for shelter.

When Bucky comes back to himself, the Winter Soldier sinking under the surface again, it takes a long moment for the enormity of his memories to come back – and they do, slamming into him with the force of a truck. He slumps back against the brick of the warehouse, trying to let the patter of rain on the cheap roof above calm his suddenly racing heart. 

He thinks, a little wildly, that his Accords-assigned therapy team is going to have a field day with this – his time in Wakanda may have scrubbed him of the triggers, but the Soldier is too much a part of Bucky to be completely washed away. These days, it takes a hell of a lot of stress to bring the Soldier out. 

Bucky knows why his other half took over, why he ran, but not why the Soldier brought him from the Compound back to New York City – this’ll be the first place Steve thinks to look for him. 

That rules out Natasha, too. He can’t predict her on the best of days and the last thing he wants right now is her ratting him out to Steve. Even the prospect of it causes prickles of discomfort – the Winter Soldier rousing with a murmur from his hindbrain that pegs the Black Widow’s volatility as a threat. Bucky breathes through it, lets that protective rage wash through him before it flows out and away. 

He has options. He can go on the run again – not ideal, not with the life he’s been trying to build as a legal citizen and an Avenger. His other option is to get help – and Bucky needs help from someone he knows is going to stand up to Steve; someone he can count on to, if not side with Bucky, then to at least listen to what he has to say. 

The Soldier anticipated what he’d need. When he searches the pockets of his dirty jeans he comes up with a cheap, black flip phone and a handful of crumpled dollar bills. He can only hope the phone was purchased somewhere instead of pickpocketed, even if Bucky knows he had no cash on him before the Soldier fled the Compound. It’s a simple matter to dial in the number Bucky’d memorized, even if he never thought he’d put it to use. The line, slightly staticy with bad reception, only rings once before FRIDAY’s cool voice answers: 

“Dr. Anthony Stark’s private line. To whom am I speaking?”  

“Uh, this is Buck- James Barnes.” 

There’s a pause, then the line clicks and just like that, Stark speaks.

“Barnes. You sound… cognizant.” 

Shit. 

“Steve already called you,” James realizes, heart sinking.

“Not so much, but FRIDAY is installed in the compound. I get alerts.” 

“Then you know why I had to leave.” That’s almost a relief – he won’t have to explain-

“See, not so much. No microphones or cameras in the bedrooms, remember? Whatever you and Steve get up to is your business until someone gets put through a wall.” Stark’s tone is mild, but Bucky can hear the strain in it. 

“Yeah, not my finest moment,” Bucky tries for levity, but it falls flat. “Look, I- the news was talking about the anti-Avengers protestors and they mentioned Maximoff. That she- did you know? That she was HYDRA?”

There’s silence from the other end, then a crackling over the line as Stark swears viciously for a long moment, then sighs. 

“I’m sorry, Barnes. I’d have told you if I thought for a second you didn’t know,” the man promises, sounding grim. Bucky feels something in the pit of his stomach unwind, startled to recognize relief – relief that at least one person in his life wasn’t purposely keeping him in the dark. He and Stark have only spoken a few times since they apologized to each other, but Bucky can admit to himself their sparse interactions have mostly been due to him avoiding Stark, still feeling awkward. He can’t afford to feel awkward now, has to move forward. 

Move on from Steve’s automatic defense of Maximoff, the claim that she’d been a kid who didn’t know what she’d been getting into. He’d felt the anger rising, and when Bucky made to leave before he lost his temper, Steve reached out to stop Bucky

The Soldier was the one who turned to meet him.

“Are you still there, snowflake?” Stark asks, and Bucky realizes he’s been silent too long. 

Bucky laughs at the question and the nickname both, and it’s too bitter with recent memories, but he can’t help it. 

“Yeah, still here. I just- it was too much to hope, wasn’t it. That there wasn’t one more thing Steve was keeping to himself.”

Stark snorts, tone wry, “Well, now we both know how that goes.” 

Such a blunt comparison should sting, but instead it emboldens him enough to blurt: 

“You don’t owe me anything, but I have a favor to ask.”

A pause, and even over the crappy connection he can hear the deep breath Stark takes. 

“Ask.” 

Bucky lets out a breath. “I need somewhere to hunker down a few days. It doesn’t need to be the Tower, just, if you could get me some breathing room…” he starts, but Stark interrupts.

“The Tower? Barnes, are you in the city right now?”

“...Yeah, yeah I am,” he admits. 

“You know what, I don’t want to know. Do you need- of course you do. I’m having FRIDAY triangulate your location. Stay there, I’m coming to get you.”

That makes Bucky sit up ramrod straight, mind skipping right over the why and you don’t need to that would be his automatic response in any other situation. “You flying around the warehouse district is going to attract attention,” he protests – every sighting of Iron Man eventually makes it to social media, and Natasha will be quick to pick up the trail of any unusual activity.

“Good thing I was planning to send a car then. No armor to sweep you off your feet this time,” Stark replies, and Bucky finds his mouth pulling into a smile against his will, unable to decide if the reference to their fight is in bad taste or not. 

“Okay,” he agrees, to both the car and the unspoken offer of help. Tension he’s been holding in his back finally unknots and Bucky climbs to his feet, metal hand against the brick to steady himself. “I’ll wait for you.” 

-

When he steps outside the warehouse to find a sleek black car idling in the rain, he only hesitates a moment before one of its tinted windows rolls down and he’s treated to Stark’s raised eyebrows. 

“Don’t just stand there getting soaked, Winter Wonder. Happy packed towels just for you.”  

The words are enough to jolt him forward, and Bucky opens the door and slides into the seat before his hesitation gets the better of him. He nods to the driver – the vaguely-familiar Happy looks surprised but nods back – and the Soldier in the back of his head takes in the man’s broad shoulders and the holster beneath his suit jacket and dismisses him as a threat in a single glance. Stark, on the other hand, stares at him for a long moment before he turns, gesturing Happy to drive. Somehow, he’s not a threat either, and Bucky finds himself relaxing back into the seat.  

The car is warm where the warehouse and outside are cold, and as good as his new arm is at not leeching heat and the serum never lets him be affected by the weather, he still prefers the warmth. Warmth is not the bunkers and labs and the Chair – warmth is the Wakandan sun on his face after the triggers are removed, the blankets of his bed in the Compound, Steve’s hand on his shoulder- 

Bucky shudders, and Stark must take that as a shiver because the man drops a large red and gold towel in his lap. 

“At least take care of your hair, you’re dripping on the upholstery,” Stark says, and when Bucky turns to look at him Stark has already turned back to his phone. 

“Thanks,” Bucky croaks, clearing his throat when that gets the man to meet his eyes. “For all this, I mean. I don’t want to be any trouble.”

Stark sighs and massages his brow, but shuts off his phone. “You’re not the trouble, Steve is. No one realized you didn’t know about Wanda.”

“I’m… not going to be taken off the team?” As far as he figures, throwing a teammate through a wall is probably an infraction of the rules of the Compound, if not his actual pardon. Hope is a weak thing when it blooms in his chest, and it wilts a little when Stark fixes him with an incredulous look. 

“You want to stay on his team?” To his credit, at least Stark’s tone is neutral, and that’s enough to make Bucky pause instead of giving voice to the automatic ‘of course!’ sitting on his tongue. 

The Accords Council allowed the rogues back with a full pardon in order to fight Thanos, but their pardons’ conditions placed their team under Carol Danvers’ command. Bucky hasn’t had any issues with Captain Marvel, but the Scarlet Witch is one of the heavy hitters on her team. Bucky won’t – can’t – work with someone who volunteered for the same organization that made him the Winter Soldier. He’ll never be able to trust her at his back again. 

Most of all, he doesn’t know if he can trust Steve; twice now he’s kept major secrets from the people he called his friends, and Bucky- Bucky remembers that Steve wasn’t always big on the whole truth, but he’d never lied to his friends, not before. 

He doesn’t feel like he even knows who Steve is anymore. 

“No,” Bucky finds himself saying. “I don’t think I want to.” 

Stark watches him, his gaze steady, almost reassuring. 

“I’ll make some calls in the morning then, see if we can’t swing a case for the Council. They’ll probably reassign you to Rhodey’s team.” 

The same team Stark himself works on. 

“Wait, in the morning?” The city is bright with lights under a black sky when he looks out the window, and Bucky suddenly realizes he has no idea what time it is.

“It’s around 3 a.m.,” Stark says before Bucky can pull his flip phone out to check. He holds up a hand when Bucky opens his mouth to apologize. “Don’t. I was awake and in my lab anyway, against FRIDAY’s advisement,” he adds with a quirk to his lips. 

The phone in the man’s hand lights up.

“You have a meeting with the board in six hours, boss. I just suggested that more sleep might make it easier to deal with them.” It’s the most Bucky’s ever heard the AI say in one go – and he’s never heard that playful, chiding tone either – he wonders if it’s reserved for her creator. 

Stark only shrugs. 

“With enough coffee I can run circles around them. And Happy is used to my weird requests at this stage.” There is a grumble from up front but their driver doesn’t otherwise protest. “Anyway, not the point! Don’t you worry, Barnes, we’ll get you squared away at the Tower until things are ironed out. Sound good?”

“Call me Bucky,” he says, instead of an affirmative, or a thank you, or any of the million better options that could come out of his mouth. Stark blinks, any surprise quickly wiped away by a small smile, more genuine that anything Bucky’s seen on the news or tabloid covers. 

“Well Bucky, I guess you can call me Tony,” he says, and offers a hand – his left, so when Bucky reaches out in return he has to shake it with his metal hand. Stark’s, no, Tony’s hand is warm and firm as it grips back unhesitatingly. They shake, then part, and Bucky finds himself missing the contact instantly. 

Nevertheless, it feels like a step in the right direction – towards safety – and that’s all Bucky can really ask for at the moment. 

Chapter 2

[rebellconquerer]

oooh, could we get 9 (you're in love with her) for the prompt meme. bucky and sam talking about sarah?

Here you go Anon, angst and feels. Will be crossposted to AO3. Technically a missing scene from In The Woods Somewhere, it'll be a little confusing if you haven't read that. Also it's a bit long.

Sam is worried. He’s trying very hard to hide it as he saunters down the gleaming walkway that leads to the Wakandan apartment they have set Bucky up in for his recuperation, but the fact remains that he is just a bit…worried.

The after had been worse than he expected. After Sarah had left, after Shuri had figured out the deprogramming, after they had started the process. He'll be honest, he hadn't been around much the first time. A mix of him not really knowing or trusting Bucky when this happened before (and vice versa), combined with Steve's almost obsessive need to shelter and protect Bucky then.

Still, the deprogramming had gone about as well as could be expected and Sam had remained with Buck until midway through the first week when major cities across Europe had started to be attacked by some weird environmental monsters. Hill, and then Fury himself, had reached out to say that the kid, Spiderman or whatever, had the situation under control and that they would call in reinforcements if they needed it. So Sam had stayed with Bucky for the first couple of days after the deprogramming as they were testing it to make sure it took, then some tv nutjob had leaked the kid's name.

Very few of the Avengers bothered with secret identities, but the kid was like 15 or something, so Hill had requested Captain America come help out with PR, ensuring that no one believed a teenager could be one of the Avengers.

Sam had said no initially, obviously, but Bucky had insisted he was fine and didn't need a babysitter. Had even managed to say it without that crazed, trapped animal look behind his eyes he got sometimes, so Sam had jetted off to New York for a few days. He had gotten exactly two texts from Bucky during that time. One that said 'I'm fine, mom' on day one and a thumbs-up emoji on day three.

Then Sarah had called him, trying to be all relaxed and casual as she fished for what the hell was going on in Wakanda cause Bucky hadn't spoken to her or responded to her since she left. As ancient as the dinosaurs though Buck may be, he damn well knows how to use a phone, and him deliberately cutting himself off is… concerning.

He comes to the right apartment number and knocks, then waits, then knocks again. Still no response. Sam frowns. He knows he's in there. Shuri told him they've still been monitoring his vitals and that he had requested a bit of time to himself in the aftermath, but he wasn't in the clear yet so she knew where he was.

Sam pounds on the door again.

"Buck, it's me. You gonna open up?"

Silence.

"Ok, Bucky, here's the thing, you either let me in or I'm calling Ayo or Shuri to override this lock… come on, man. Please." Sam whispers at the door, knowing Bucky's advanced hearing will pick it up.

He doesn't want to call in reinforcements and doesn't want to invade Bucky's space if it's not necessary, but as he mentioned before, he's worried.

He waits for one, then another overly long minute before the door finally opens.

Bucky looks like shit. His hair is messy and greasy. His blue eyes stand out as bright spots in the pallor of his face, broken only by the intense, almost bruise-like dark circles under his eyes. His cheekbones don't stand out as much as they did when Sam left so at least he was gaining back the weight he had lost, but he's standing with a blanket around his shoulders, hunched in and holding himself like the feral creature he hasn't been in years.

"Buck?-"

"You wanted to see me, you've seen me. Can you go now?" Bucky says flatly, eyes glinting with the acerbic 'fuck off' his lips haven't yet formed.

Oh hell no.

Sam slips his foot in the door just as Bucky goes to close it, preventing it from shutting. When Bucky pulls the door back open, Sam slips inside, pushing past Buck as quickly as he can.

Bucky growls, closing the door behind him and turning a glare on Sam.

"No please, come in. I'm definitely in the mood for visitors." Bucky says sarcastically.

Sam glances around the room. It's a lot like the first apartment they all stayed in together. Floor to ceiling windows cover one whole wall, the kitchen is immaculate, clearly unused, like most of the rest of the space, save for the couch where the cushions have been left haphazardly on the floor.

"Buck. What the hell is going on here?" Sam asks, voice coming out much softer than he intended. Bucky'd been in rough shape when he left, but he had been clearly on the mend. That was the only reason Sam'd even agreed to go help out.

"Nothing. I'm fine. I don't need you here." Bucky grits out, that muscle in his jaw flexing.

Sam stares for a minute then sighs. He's starting to get it, the lines of pain that seemed to carve through Steve whenever Bucky had pushed him away. It's hard for Sam to see the desperate way Bucky is holding himself while still pulling away, and Sam hasn't been his lifelong best friend.

"Look Buck, you're entitled to a couple bad days, but I'm going to need you to convince me that this is a par for the course breakdown and not something worse 'cause we've had a monumentally rough couple of weeks," Sam says clearly.

Bucky holds his gaze for a long moment before the harsh lines of his face seem to soften and he ducks around Sam, heading back to the couch.

"Like I told you, I'm fine." He mutters as he moves. "It's just… the come down from the deprogramming is a bitch, ok?"

Sam frowns, following him to the couch and sitting next to him.

"Would you like to elaborate, Buck?"

Bucky sighs, scrubbing both hands through his messy hair.

"Best as I understand it, it's like coming down from a high or something. There are a lot of biochemicals involved in the process and the washout… well it sucks." He shrugs. "Plus the process itself is like opening Pandora's box up here," he mutters, tapping the side of his head. "It leaves me… what I mean is it makes me-"

"Your nightmares get worse." Sam finishes for him. Bucky doesn't look up, doesn't say or do anything really.

Sam huffs. "Why didn't Shuri tell me? I expect this bullshit from you, but from her?"

Bucky goes very still, continuing to avoid eye contact. It finally clicks.

"She doesn't know, does she? You never said and… neither did Steve. That's why the two of you were hold up on that little farm for so long after. For god sake, why the hell didn't you say anything Buck?"

Sam doesn't try to hold back the frustration bleeding into his voice.

"That child has more than enough of my pain on her hands. She doesn't need any more. And I'll remind you… I never expected to have to do this again." Bucky finishes softly. Sam's anger deflates as suddenly as it started.

They sit in silence for a minute, Sam watching Bucky, Bucky pretending that Sam isn't watching him until Sam finally breaks.

"Is this why you haven't spoken to Sarah? She called me, you know, said you'd been ducking her calls."

Bucky's expression changes minutely then and if Sam hadn't known him as well as he does, if they hadn't been basically living in each other's pockets for the last year, he wouldn't have recognized it: a quick flash of guilt.

"Buck, what's going on in that head of yours?" Sam asks seriously. "Didn't I tell you if you break her heart I'd break your legs?"

Bucky huffs out a bitter laugh. "Actually the last I heard on the matter you said you'd kill me if I hurt her but we'd be ok. Way to send mixed messages by the way buddy."

Sam can't sit still any longer. This whole experience is surreal. God, he needs a vacation. He strolls over to the kitchen, filling a glass with water for himself and another for Buck. He places the second glass in front of Bucky and backs up to lean on the counter, careful not to hover.

He takes a long drink, draining half the glass in one go as Bucky just stares at his.

“How was New York?” Bucky eventually asks.

Sam shrugs. “Went okay. No one is quite ready to call Captain America a liar to his face, even that piece of shit blowhard.”

That earns him a small smile from Bucky. “You think it’ll hold?”

“Well, they’ve got Pepper, Rhodey, Hill and Fury against them. I’m not sure much could stand up to that team long term so I wouldn’t worry about it.” Sam replies. Bucky isn't going to succeed in changing the topic, but maybe going the long way around will help.

They drop back into the silence. “I think Shuri is gonna let me go in a few days. The deprogramming seems to be holding.” Bucky finally says, still staring unblinkingly at his water.

Sam sighs. “You ready to come back to Delacroix?”

Bucky makes an uncomfortable-looking face, a strange cross between constipated and in pain. “I-I was actually going to go back to New York. Haven’t been home in a while, you know,” he says carefully.

Sam frowns.

“Alright Barnes, cut the crap. My nephews have been worried about you, Sarah is worried about you. What are you thinking-”

“I’m thinking that maybe this is the time to let it… let it die.” Bucky interrupts, eyes flicking up to Sam, a hard look on his face.

Sam just stands there, gaping at him for a minute.“The fuck do you mean, let it die?”

That unearthly stillness that Bucky usually carries in his frame starts to fray. He stands up, pacing to the window. “Sarah and I had a fight the night before I agreed to let Shuri do the deprogramming,” he says, then just leaves the sentence hanging.

“Yeah, the whole goddamn world could have guessed that." Sam prompts. "You’re stubborn as hell. If she got you to reconsider it wasn’t with sweet nothings whispered into your ear.”

Sam watches the tips of Bucky’s ears go a little bit red as he ducks his head at that. He really doesn’t want to know any details about whatever memory that triggered. Bucky still doesn't continue.

“So what, are you angry with her?” Sam asks.

“What? No! Of Course not!" Bucky responds, turning to face him. He still looks weary and a little… lost.

"She said… she said she didn't think I wanted this life. That I hadn't gotten to choose it and so I was too comfortable throwing it away." Bucky mutters staring at the floor.

Sam frowns in confusion. That was harsh. Probably entirely truthful, but harsh nonetheless. And Sarah said he was tough on Buck.

"Ok…" Sam prompts again.

"She said I needed to think about what I wanted to live for. What future was worth fighting for because without that I'd always be … stuck." Bucky goes quiet again and Sam's frown deepens.

He doesn't get it. Doesn't get what Bucky is trying to tell him. "Ok, so you did that and decided that she isn't in that future?" Sam tries, keeping his voice as flat and without judgment as possible.

Bucky doesn't look at him, just keeps staring at the floor between them, the expression on his face pained. Sam watches him clench and unclench his teeth, the muscle in his jaw jumping. But still, Bucky says nothing.

It's Sam's turn to pace. He pushes up off the counter, walking closer to Bucky as he rubs at his temple. He's tired and stressed and he's been through too much in the last 3 weeks to play decoder with Bucky and his-

He comes to an abrupt stop beside the couch. The gears in his mind grinding to a halt so suddenly he thinks you should be able to hear them shrieking.

He turns to face Bucky, eyes tracing over the tight lines of his body as astonishment slides in under his skin, under his breastbone, and behind his eyes. How had he not seen it before? How had he not noticed?

“You’re in love with her.” he breathes out, the acknowledgement hitting like a brick. Bucky goes absolutely still as Sam stumbles back a few steps, sitting heavily on the arm of the couch.

“That’s what this is about. You’re in love with her and you’re afraid.”

“Look at me Sam, look at me?!” Bucky's voice is raspy, hollowed out. Sam lifts his gaze and meets Bucky's eyes.

“I’m a mess. On a great day, I’m a fucking mess. Most days I feel like I'm barely holding on to who I am because of what I am. On a bad day?” Bucky looks back out the windows, eyes going unfocused. “I shouldn’t be in love,” he whispers flatly. “What right do I have to get this after all the carnage I have caused. What right do I have to bring someone else into the hell that is my life.” He sighs then and leans back on the window, sliding down the glass to sit on the ground. The movement is slow, achingly so, making him look every one of his 107 years.

Sam slips from the arm of the couch coming to sit on the ground facing Bucky.

“This isn’t you Buck." He whispers. "This is the deprogramming and the night terrors. This is the lack of sleep and bone tiredness talking. This isn't you."

Bucky laughs, the sound empty. "Isn't it? Are you sure about that? Because I'm not."

"The two of you have been going great. You haven't been afraid before now, is this all fallout because of what happened, because Buck, you can't let that asshole Novikov take her from you."

Bucky lets out a slow breath, tilting his head back against the glass and staring at the ceiling, face blank. "Too good. It's been too good." He mutters and the last piece of the puzzle falls into place for Sam.

"She told you, didn't she? She told you she loves you."

Bucky's eyes flick down to his, expression sharp. "She told you what she was going to do?" Bucky asks, suspicion clear in his tone.

Sam shakes his head. "She didn't have to. You forget I've known her a lot longer than you have. I know what my sister looks like when she's in love."

He has one of those moments where he wishes Steve were there because he feels he would know what to say to help. But that's not really true. He'd watched Steve stumble through enough of these conversations to know he would be just as lost. Not that it matters. Steve's gone now. Left them both.

"It was fine when it was just you, right? When you'd be the only one risking anything? But it’s different now you know that she’s as far in as you are.” Sam mutters.

Bucky’s staring at the ceiling again, face blank. “That’s not it. I’m not afraid. I’m just seeing things clearly for the first time in a long time.” he mumbles.

Sam’s lips twist into a rueful smile. Clearly? Bucky hasn’t been this muddled in a year. “You know I almost flunked out of Pararescue training?” Sam asks, trying a different tact.

Bucky looks over at him, frowning confusedly. Sam nods slowly, looking down at his hands.

“I got referred by my prior C.O. Spent 2 days in the air over the course of the first week and decided it was not for me. I mean, it was madness, right? Jumping out of a plane with nothing on but some wings someone else had made?”

Bucky smirks. “That’s real hard to believe, Sam. You’re a natural.”

Sam shakes his head. “Nah, Riley was a natural. Took to the skies like a duck to water.” Sam can still hear the excitement in Riley’s voice after his first jump. How he could barely catch his breath to talk because all he wanted to do was laugh and grin.

“Went back to my C.O. Told him thanks for the recommendation but… I couldn’t do it. He fed me this bullshit story about how some scientist somewhere had done some experiment, right? That they gave a group of people some glasses that flipped the world upside down.” Sam looks up at Bucky to find him staring back at him, blank look retreating, intense blue eyes focussed.

“The first two days everyone was walking around bumping into things, begging to be let out of the experiment, but by the end of the third day, they had all adapted. Their world was normal again. He told me to give it three days, and I did.”

Bucky purses his lips and looks away, letting the meaning of the words sink in.“You realise you’d already been there for more than three days, right? You said it was the end of the first week.”

Sam huffs out a tired laugh. “Man, do you ever get tired of being a pain in the ass?” he asks.

Bucky slips into that small, sad smile he wears so well. “All signs point to no,” he mutters back.

“It’s been a long fucking month, Buck. I’m not saying you’re wrong or you’re right, but… just give yourself a moment to adapt to your new normal before you go making any drastic decisions.”

Bucky doesn’t respond for a while, but then he nods slowly, still refusing to look at Sam.

“And honestly, Buck, no jokes this time. Whatever happens, I’ll still be here. You don’t have to be alone.” Sam says as clearly as he can.

Bucky finally looks back over to him. “Guess Steve was right leaving me to you.”

It’s Sam’s turn to look away, laughing. “Nah. He left us to each other,” he replies easily.

“We’re probably giving the punk too much credit. Like he ever thought ahead in his whole stupid life… but… the same goes for you, you know. I’ll be here as long as you need me, for whatever that counts as.” Bucky says.

Sam looks up at him, their eyes meeting and he can’t help but smile, relaxing the tension a little. “So you love her, huh? You realise she’s just a less pretty version of me. This is tantamount to you declaring your undying love of me.”

Bucky lets out an honest to God laugh. “You ever get tired of being so in love with yourself?” he fires back.

Sam shrugs, pushing himself up off the ground and reaching a hand out for Bucky. He looks at it a moment before he grabs on and Sam pulls him to his feet, wrapping one hand around his shoulder and leading him back to the couch.

“Well honestly, someone has to be.” Sam jokes.

Bucky laughs again

[bulkyphrase]

For the ask meme: mcu!

blorbo (favorite character, character I think about the most) - This is probably obvious, but Steve Rogers! The First Avenger was the first MCU film I saw in the theater, and I have loved the movie and the man ever since. He is just so beautiful and so good.

scrunkly (my “baby”, character that gives me cuteness aggression, character that is So Shaped) - Scott Lang! I really love characters who are just really good, normal people, and he's like the best regular-type dude in the MCU. Also love characters that are very funny without being too snarky or cruel.

scrimblo bimblo (underrated/underappreciated fave) - Definitely Okoye. I always have a deep weakness for sensible side-characters, and she's the perfect mix of principled, no-nonsense devotion and service to Wakanda, and a loving and playful relationship with T'Challa.

glup shitto (obscure fave, character that can appear in the background for 0.2 seconds and I won’t shut up about it for a week) - Justin Hammer. Anytime I watch IM2 I am mostly just waiting for Hammer to come back onscreen, I adore it when he shows up in fics, and I am very hopeful we'll see him in Armor Wars.

poor little meow meow (“problematic”/unpopular/controversial/otherwise pathetic fave) - Howard Stark was an irresponsible, social-climbing weapons dealer and a bad father, and I love him. There is just something about a weak/cowardly/greedy person who wants to be good but can't quite manage it that gets me. Especially when they have genuinely 'good guy' friends that they love and admire. Basically, to me Howard is a poor man's Grantaire or Sydney Carton.

horse plinko (character I would torment for fun, for whatever reason) - Loki. In the metaphorical sense that I love watching him suffer in the MCU, and also in the literal sense I think it would be a lot of fun to watch him in full regalia be tossed into a giant plinko machine.

eeby deeby (character I would send to superhell) - Peter Quill. "Manchild learns (some) responsibility and gets to be the hero even though he is still kind of a dick" is my least favorite superhero type, and Quill is just the worst. At least Tony Stark has some interesting mental breakdowns.

Thanks for the ask! The original meme post is here. I realized after I posted it that this is pretty much a one fandom blog, but if anyone wants to ask about things I watch/read but don't post about, I'd be happy to do one of these for any of these fandoms:

Any pre-Enterprise Star Trek (especially DS9)

Chronicles of Amber (Corwin cycle only)

Homestuck

Stargate SG-1 or Atlantis

The Librarians

Forever Knight

Highlander (the tv series)

The Locked Tomb series

The Murderbot Diaries

[sunflowerseraph]

HEEHEE! hits u back with the character game uhh thor or bucky :33

!!! I'll do... BOTH >:D ! It'll be long tho so I'm putting em under cuts :}

Here's the ask game btw!

Thor!

How I feel about this character: OH he's such a bi disaster. But he's trying his best. Textbook himbo. Crushed under the weight of his father's expectations of him alot of the time. Probably struggles with self worth nowadays too,with the battles and family he's lost! Also he's very much like those memes abt dudes/dads where they'll mention some horrible childhood trauma and then have some funny song playing in their head like nothin even happened.! I feel like he cares very deeply for the friendships he's made and the found family he's gained with the warriors three [rip] and the avengers! Overall? Kind himbo who respects women and forgets how smart he is sometimes.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: honestly this is such a hard question cause im sure if u presented me with like,good reasons for most people then I'd be on board. But so far one of my Main ships for Thor rn is Bruce and Thor <3 GammaHammer makes me happy :} I've seen thor n valkyrie stuff too which is like aight they're all bi4bi t4t prolly,but honestly a polycule or some shit w Bruce Val and thor would be Inch resting :} I'm not sure tho! Oh and Jane Foster I Guess but she's not rlly up there.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: OH absolutely thor and loki ! Brothers 🤍 I rewatch the thor movies the other day and seeing them fight together and hang out as kids made me so 🥺❗ yknow? I also think Thor n Darcy are a fun pair! Thor and the warriors three make me :} as well bc they're all buddies! That's his little family yknow!! Or. Was.

My unpopular opinion about this character: listen i know I just called him a himbo but he's smarter than people give him credit for I think. But also he's pretty cocky at times with his fighting ability and I feel like that's his greatest downfall. He tends to sorta think he can do everything on his own,and he doesn't rely on others until he really needs to and it ends up w him or his companions hurt :(

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.: ough I wish we could've gotten more time to see him experiencing earth stuff! In other like shows n such (like one of the animated series) its funny to see him interacting with mortals and I feel like we don't get that enough. Like sure we got the "another!" Scene and if you watched the YouTube mocumentary he obviously doesn't understand money or jobs. But it's still funny and I'd like to see him go "I don't understand what that means :D" like an optimistic puppy yknow :]

Uhmm yeh that's for thor! OK Bucky time 🤍

Bucky-

How I feel about this character: I feel like. They should do more w him in the mcu! But that's just bc im a kinnie ig but it makes me sad that he's just viewed as Steve's Sidekick when he's got a personality and works so well as Sam's partner in TFAWTS! I like the representation he can bring to the table though,regarding disability (I mean even though. He's an enhanced person but yknow.) And mental health! He also shows that your past doesn't need to define you and you CAN be free and work past old mistakes.! I feel like he's a little out of touch sometimes bc of the time shifts and mental stuff goin on,but I'm not saying it's a bad thing,its just compelling to meeee

All the people I ship romantically with this character: I USED to ship stevebucky I won't lie,but I much rather prefer SamBucky bc its just better LMAO Sam is much cooler than Steve in many regards and to me Sam is a better influence on Buckys life ig? Like. Idk how to explain it well enough but their banter is better and they compliment eachother rather than one of them taking the reigns all the time. I just like the level playing field where it still feels like Bucky can be a Sidekick but his partner at the same time rather than Just Bucky Barnes. Idk if that makes sense but !

My non-romantic OTP for this character: honestly I'm not sure? I feel like if they could both get over association's with like...almost killing eachother Bucky and Nat could be friends :] both were molded to be Weapons and have to deal with their traumas and mental health. Obviously I also wish Steve would've stuck around bc I hate that he like.LEFT his best friend and new family,but whatever.

My unpopular opinion about this character: I think bucky is sort of a dork actually. Alot of people make him very stoic and Winter Soldiery but that's. Not all he is! He's a complex person who's been used and weaponized and its annoying whenever people try to say he's a stoic person or whatever. Like no bro ur thinking abt the winter soldier. Ofc the winter solider was/is part of him and that doesn't just shut off but I think it's bs to boil him down to Killing Machine Assasinator Ooo Scary! When he was also a soldier during. Fucking Ww2! He was also like shown to be a bit of a dorky guy who liked to dance and be with chick's n shit lmao,like he mustve been a charmer. And even after,like during tfatws he's shown to still have bits of that personality. He messes around with Sam's nephews and offers help without prompting and just overall wants to live a more peaceful life while still managing to be social and humorous. ("How old are you anyways?" "106.") Anyways I think what I'm saying is ppl tend to forget to split him and tws.!

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.: this is sort of similar to the Thor thing but discovering new age shit! Like I wanna see him be bad at tech or be confused by new slang. Also wanna see him like, get annoyed at how the tech is where he's at vs. The wakandan tech. That shit probably blew his socks off and then he had to go hang w Americans and went :(?? How do i use a flip phone. The beads were so convenient in Wakanda HFNEBDB. I also wish we could've actually seen how bucky Healed in Wakanda?? Like however he was helped yknow? I'm sure they (mcu) can't like do much besides say he was Magically Cured Of Mental Illness so I guess I'm glad they left it up to whatever but. Still 😔

Anyways uhm yeah! Sorry this is so long sjdjf it prolly doesn't make much sense but 👍❤

[sdottkrames]

Whatever It Is, Peter Started It!

@comfortember Prompt 26: Junk Food

Summary: Peter and Shuri meet. Hijinks and memes ensue!

Notes: This is just simple fluff and humor. I hope you enjoy! I am a millennial, so hopefully I do gen Z humor right :P Thank you thank you all for the love and support. It continues to amaze me every single day.

Read On AO3: Here

Tony knew getting Peter and Shuri together was a bad idea. 

The princess had come with her kingly brother to smooth out things with the accords, which had of course been deemed stupid and unnecessary in the wake of Thanos and the subsequent forgiveness from both sides of the “civil war.” He had tried to impress upon Peter the need to be respectful, and that no matter how many references to pop culture he thought the princess would know, he couldn’t just quote a whole bunch of vines (was that the word? Branches? Twigs? Something like that) just because they were funny.

“King T’Challa,” Tony said, shaking the man’s outstretched hand. “Welcome! This is my intern, Peter.”

“Yes. We have not met in person, but I have heard great things about you,Spider-Man.” T’Challa turned to shake Peter’s hand. “And this is my little sister, Princess Shuri.”

The princess greeted the others, shaking their hand as well. And, of course, Peter being Peter, he muttered the most cursed sentence Tony had ever heard.

“I like your accent, where you from?”

“Peter!” He elbowed the kid in the side.

“I’m Liberian,” Shuri said, in a strangely deep voice.

“Oh, my bad,” Peter said, his face breaking out into a huge grin. “I like your accent, where you from?” He whispered.

Then both teens laughed, and Tony just knew he would have a headache by the end of the day. But it was Peter, so Tony decided it was worth it.

He shook his head. “Kid, why don’t you take the Princess around the compound, huh? You know the rules in the lab, so be careful. Don’t do anything I would do-”

“And don’t do anything you wouldn’t do,” Peter said, grinning.

Tony ruffled the kids' hair affectionately. “That’s right. Grey area.”

And then the two ran off.

Tony took the king on a short tour of his own before joining the rest of the avengers. It got tense for a second when T’Challa shook Bucky’s hand, and Tony’s hand was very close to his nanosuit activator. But T’Challa simply shook the Winter Soldier’s hand, assured Bucky of his knowledge of the man’s innocence, and they all took their seats.

Tony breathed out a sigh of relief, and settled in to endure a couple long hours of being in a stuffy meeting,

***

The first stop on Peter’s tour was the lab. It was his favorite spot, by far, and he just knew Shuri would like it. Even if she probably had tech a thousand times cooler and more advanced.

“I bet this all seems pretty mundane compared to Wakanda,” he said. “I’d love to come see the tech you got in your lab!”

“Well, all I can say is,” Shuri paused before pointing at Dum-E and U and shouting, “What are THOSE!?

Peter couldn’t help laughing again. “I’m so glad they have Vine in Wakanda. You know, Tony called Vines branches the other day. I almost disowned him.”

Shuri patted his arm in sympathy. “I told T’Challa that I would die for him the other day, and he just said ‘I’d never let that happen.’ I threw my fork at him.”

Peter and Shuri goofed around in the lab for a while. He showed his web shooters off just a little, and Shuri helped him create an entire new web combination.

“This is a little different from what I usually work with,” Shuri admitted, beakers lined up in front of her as she and Peter mixed and tested the various formulas. “I feel a little like Bill Nye the Science guy.”

“Bill, Bill, Bill, Bill!” Peter chanted immediately, making them dissolve into laughter again.

“Well, white boy, test it out!” she said once they’d gotten the formula right. Peter slipped it into his shooters and shot a couple test webs. They were amazing! Smoother, quieter, and stronger than he’d ever been able to make.

“Shuri, this is sweet!” Peter said upside down as he hung from the ceiling on the web

“Well, did you expect less?” She rolled her eyes.

“No, absolutely not!” Peter flipped back to the floor. “Ooooh! Let’s go to the training room and test it out!”

Peter might have fallen on his face once, not paying attention to where he was going.

“Shuri!!” he yelled, but he was laughing, so the princess wasn’t too worried.

Until she saw the blood.

“Spidey, your nose!”

So they raced to the kitchen, Peter pinching the bridge of his nose, and grabbed some paper towels. The bleeding stopped quickly, Peter’s super healing not to be deterred by the mundane-ness of the injury, and since they were in the kitchen, they were soon debating the best snacks.

“Well, bleach obviously,” Shuri said.

“What? You’re the princess of Wakanda. I didn’t expect you to be so basic. The best snack is obviously tide pods.”

Shuri gave a wicked grin. “We should ask Stark.”

“Oh, I like how you think,” Peter agreed, taking out his phone. “Done,” he said after typing for a second. “You should text T’Challa too!”

Shuri waved her phone. “Way ahead of you, colonizer.”

***

Tony’s phone pinged, distracting him from the meeting, and instantly filling him with trepidation. There were only two people who’s texts would be pushed through while his phone was in meeting mode, and that was Pepper and Peter. He glanced down and nearly groaned.

He stood up, glancing at T’Challa. “Sorry. I, uh, I need to go.”

T’Challa looked down as well before excusing himself, too, and the two heroes raced down the hall to find their teenagers.

“Whatever it is, I’m sure Peter started it.”

“You don’t know my sister, Stark.”

“Friday, where are they?”

“Kitchen, sir,” the AI answered, and the two heroes raced to the room.

They skittered to a stop when they saw the two teens, no bleach or tide pods in sight, laughing by the sink. The only thing concerning was a paper towel with some red on it that looked suspiciously like blood but the kids looked intact, so Tony took a breath as he leaned heavily on the kitchen island. 

“Peter Benjamin Parker, what the heck did you do that for?” Tony demanded.

“Do what?” Peter asked innocently, and Shuri couldn’t stop laughing.

“Shuri,” T’Challa warned. “Was this your idea?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, brother,” she giggled.

“Let’s go, Stark,” T’Challa said, shaking his head, content that there was no danger.

“No funny business,” Tony added.

“Wouldn’t dream of it!” Peter said, eyes deceptively innocent. 

Tony rolled his eyes and hurried to the meeting.

“See, Shuri, I made a mentor,” Peter joked once said mentor was down the hall.

“No, you ruined a perfectly good superhero is what you did. Look at him, he’s got anxiety!”

***

The teenagers turned their attention to raiding the cabinets. They pulled out the enormous bag of candy left over from Halloween, popped popcorn (shooting it into each other’s mouths. Peter won that little contest, but not for lack of effort or enthusiasm on Shuri’s part), and Peter pulled out both the Red Vines and the Twizzlers. He grunted in false disgust as Shuri immediately went for the Twizzlers.

“You are a disgrace,” Peter said. “Tony’s bad enough with the Twizzlers, but c’mon. Red Vines are where it’s at.”

“You are wrong. Twizzlers, all the way. And I like the black ones too.”

Peter gasped in mock shock. Luckily, the argument halted as Shuri saw a container of oreos.

“Spider, did you ever see the cookie challenge?”

“Are you kidding me?!” Peter said, already pulling them out.

And that’s how the adults found them, black crumbs all over their faces as they twitched and shimmied trying to get the chocolate cookie from their forehead to their mouth without using their hands. Shuri cheered as she triumphantly munched on her oreo. 

“Eat cookie crumbs!” She shouted.

“I call a rematch! Oh, hey Tony!” Peter said, trotting over and curling easily into his mentor’s side.

“Shuri, we should be leaving for Wakanda soon,” T’Challa said.

“You always ruin my fun, brother. I was just going to suggest a rematch with all of you,” she said, holding out a cookie to each adult.

T’Challa shook his head good naturedly as he accepted the treat. “I suppose we have time for a rematch. Just as long as you’re prepared to lose, sister.”

“Excuse you, your majesty, but I will be winning this contest,” Tony interjected, taking his own cookie. “Friday, count us in!” He called once the kids had their Oreo’s ready, as well.

“On your marks, get set, go!”

Shuri won again, and T’Challa muttered something about getting a big head as they started toward the jet.

Shuri and Peter hugged goodbye, promising to send each other memes every day (they’d exchanged phone numbers much earlier) and he waved until they could no longer see the Wakandan planes.

[autisticpeterparkerheadcanons]

An anon put the idea of Shuri and Peter and stim toys in my head, so here we are. Dedicated to that anon (anons? possibly, ha) and also @iamnotasexbot123 for an idea I used in here as well! ^.^

Peter tries not to be too disappointed when Tony tells him he’s going to be gone for a week over the summer.

He’s going to Wakanda to collaborate on a project with the princess herself, and Peter has to admit he’s maybe a little bit jealous, as well.

When Peter tells him to ‘have fun, you’ll have to tell me all about it when you get back’ is when Tony realizes he left out an important bit of information.

“I won’t have to. You’re coming with me. If you want to, anyway. I already talked to May.”

Peter almost falls off his chair in surprise, and Tony laughs.

“You...want me to come with you?”

“Obviously.”

“Why?”

Tony levels a look at him that he has no trouble reading (it’s one he’s seen a few too many times), and he slowly nods, a smile creeping up. “That sounds really great, Mr Stark. Thanks.”

The second week of July comes much more quickly than Peter anticipates, and while he wants to be excited, he finds himself nothing but anxious. Tony had already given him a rundown on what to expect, but he doesn’t really think that helped at all now that he’s boarding the jet to leave.

It’s a long flight, and that coupled with his near-panic levels of anxiety, he decides half way over the Atlantic that if he doesn’t move right this moment he will definitely implode.

Tony does what he can to help, but the space is limited. It definitely forces him to get creative. (He had known from the start this might be rough.)

Somehow they make it, and by the time they land in Wakanda, Peter at least isn’t sitting on the edge of panic anymore.

T’Challa and Shuri are waiting to greet them, and it’s like someone flipped a switch. He’s not anxious anymore, just excited.

(Tony can practically feel Peter vibrating next to him. And he’s definitely glad the anxiety has been replaced. It’ll be a good week, he thinks.)

They spend the afternoon being shown around, then eat with T’Challa and Shuri that evening, and retire early so they can start early the next day.

The next morning, Peter debates even bringing a cube with him to Shuri’s lab. Tony, of course, encourages him to bring it -- just in case, with a Shuri isn’t going to judge you Pete seriously -- so he does.

There’s not much hands-on stuff to do the first day -- just a lot of planning and schematics and adjustments -- and Peter starts to get restless before noon even hits. He’s glad now Tony convinced him to bring his cube, and out it comes.

And, just like Tony said, Shuri doesn’t say a word about it. If he hadn’t seen her gaze flick to it, he wouldn’t have been sure that she had noticed at all.

The week flies by, and suddenly it’s Saturday and time to leave. Shuri and Peter had really hit it off in their down time (what little there was), and exchange numbers before parting ways.

A couple of weeks pass, and Peter’s not really sure how to start a conversation now that they aren’t face-to-face, but he’s starting to wonder if he should. He really likes Shuri, likes talking to her, but he doesn’t really know what to say.

He’s working in the lab with Tony late on a Friday night, when he gets a text. He’s half distracted as he pulls out his phone, but then he sees who the message is from. Shuri.

And she’s sent him a meme.

And he has to remind himself that, yes, they are about the same age and members of the same generation even though they live on opposite sides of the world, so of course she’d send him a meme of all things.

He replies with another meme.

It quickly turns into a meme war. Memes only. For days, they speak in nothing but memes.

This, he realizes much later, was the start of a beautiful friendship.

Months pass, and they’re on a video call when the inevitable happens: Shuri says something and Peter just...doesn’t get it. It goes over his head completely. 

She gives him a weird look as she clarifies, and its after she finishes that he says it without thinking: “Sorry, that’s just the autism for ya.”

It takes him a second to realize what he said, and then he can feel his face heating up because he hadn’t meant to say that but he is kind of tired which explains everything, but still.

But all she does in response is to smile and move on with the conversation. (She picks her words more carefully, he notices, but it doesn’t seem like it bothers her at all to do so.)

Just like with everyone else who has ever found out, he quickly finds that nothing has changed. (He knows it shouldn’t surprise him at this point, but it still does for some reason.)

She’s easy to talk to, and since she occasionally brings stuff about it up herself, it quickly becomes easy to talk to her about everything related to autism as well.

(On Shuri’s part, she knows about as much as Peter had starting out, but she does her research and asks intentional questions because she can tell he doesn’t mind answering them and she learns. The more she asks, the more he opens up and allows her to get to know him.)

Just before Christmas, he gets a small package from Wakanda. Inside is a ring with a note to go with it scrawled in Shuri’s handwriting.

This ring is nanotech made from vibranium. No more breaking your fidgets. ;) It can do pretty much whatever you need it to. Merry Christmas.

When he shows it to Tony, the man isn’t surprised. “Yeah, she asked me about it a couple of weeks ago. We thought that design would probably work the best out of her ideas. Looks like it came out great -- no surprise there, obviously.”

He vaguely remembers ranting to her about just how many things he’s accidentally broken, and he smiles.

(The next time they video chat, he goes off for at least five minutes about how awesome it, and they talk for some time more about how she made it and the other designs she’d thought of, and Peter is certainly grateful -- for more than one reason -- that he’s found a good friend in Shuri.)

[maladaptive-ninja-returns]

The Bad Guy

Bucky x fem!Reader

Theme: It's a good day in New York City for Bucky Barnes, who seems to feel right at home till his morning is disrupted by a bad guy. Maybe New York isn't the same place after all.

Series: I don’t know if this is a series.

Chapter warnings: swearing. so much swearing.

A/N: @writing-prompt-s​ once gave a prompt last year that stuck with me...I don’t remember the exact wordings but it had something to do with the reader/writer being the villain having a crush on the hero, always finding excuses (or crimes) to meet them. One day they are getting their ass beat and you decide to jump in and save the day. This one is same but with a liiiiiiiitle twist

Word Count: I cannot believe there are days when I wish I can poop at will, like my brother, and not just sit there constipated. Today has been one of those days.

MASTERLIST in bio, love. Tags are open

“Get the fuck outta my face, you asshole!”

The anger rushed through the burning veins to press on the car horn for as long as that bald guy could; or till other vehicles standing there impatiently started cussing at the boomer to hold it together. To add fuel to the fire, a flock of pigeons made sure it got to do its business right in the middle of newly washed windshields. A woman stood by the crossing, watching everything unfold through her bloodshot eyes as she smoked the scene away in broad daylight while a stray dog peed at the lamp post she supported herself on. A man walked by, catcalling the same woman with the kind of smile you do not want to witness; but when you do, it is difficult to remove from your brain. “Slut,” the man spewed when he did not get anything for his manly advances. “Boo-hoo,” uttered the woman with pure disinterest, going back to looking at the woman standing across the road, trying to balance her grocery bags in her arms while deciding the right moment to cross the road.

Ah, yes. It was just another day in New York City.

It did not feel normal till the exhaust fumes filled up your lungs when you stepped out into this articulate maze of a city to go about your day, just like anyone else. That rusty smell of iron and concrete along with a splash of dust in the alleys, the stench of piss in those missed corners in the back alleys and parks, the howls and so-called greetings by the men at every woman passing by that caught their eye.

Some things never change. That’s what Bucky lamented this morning, feeling himself caught off guard for a split second as two women walked by with a knowing smile just for his blue eyes. Never indeed.

So, he still had it, didn’t he? Feeling like the same Brooklyn boy before the war, catching secretive gazes and moans of all eyes alike, greeting the elderly, petting a dog and stroking a cat as he felt a skip in his step. It was so good to be outside.

Two weeks. Two weeks since he had come back from Wakanda, deciding to join Steve, Sam and Stark in whatever little shenanigans they had running at the compound in the city outskirts; saving the world and all that. It had been a good start since the whole Hydra and Snap events. He had settled pretty well with the rest of the Avengers. Turned out it isn’t that hard to live with people who are just the same amount of weird as him. But the relief came from the fact that he wasn’t the only ex-assassin in the house. That redhead was super rad. I should maybe ask her out if she and Steve aren’t a thing already…though I doubt that.

But just because he had come home did not mean he forgot about the previous one. He would still get occasional memes in his inbox from Shuri and he would try to use them- what he thought- the right way, peppering them into conversations as much as possible. 

I wish Shuri was here, Bucky sighed as he looked at the Times Square announcement for the Young Leaders Summit happening this weekend, smiling to himself in gratitude for that young scientist making him well enough to enjoy the bustling crowds again.

The walk through this massive city was no joke. But the Winter Soldier took his sweet time to watch the life of the loudest and the quietest corners before he decided where he wanted to get his coffee from.

Just by the corner of the University was a little shop with the cosiest ambience- everything furnished in wood, old advertisements for wall decorations and some good old jazz music playing on the vinyl satiated his soul just the right amount.

“Coffee and uh…eggs and bacon, please,” he requested with a slight smile as he settled on the stool, trying to ignore the snickers and giggles coming from the booth behind him.

“Oh my gosh, he’s so hot,” his sensitive ears caught, forcing him to clear his throat and grab the newspaper kept on the counter.

“So fuckable,” another whisper came. Okay, some things have changed, he shuddered, gladly turning his attention to the police sirens in the distance instead of having to hear what a couple of strangers had to say about him.

“I wonder if he goes dow-“

A crash and a peal of horrendous feminine laughter drowned out everything else, breaking open the can of fight or flight instincts- neither of them containing the ‘go back home, its none of your business’ choice.

Stepping out, Bucky was greeted with one end of the street bustling with cars and people getting out of them to witness a woman stand over one with a bag swinging in the air as if to mock whoever who was standing opposite her. Bucky could not get a clear view thanks to the tree line in his view.

“I said put that down,” a commanding voice said out loud. Wait a second…

“Good Lord! Would you relax!” the woman called out, her back still to Bucky. By the casual pose, he could tell she was not scared of whoever was standing in front of her. “It’s just a smoke grenade in one hand the most expensive painting in New York in another. Also, the shittiest,” she shrugged before taking the piece out of the bag and forcing a gasp out of everyone, “I mean, who decided to pay a hundred mil for this stupid looking square drawn over a circle?”

Bucky moved along the tree line, right where her blind spot was, reading the scene to realise she was some idiot out to cause chaos in the streets. I guess the police have it cover-are you kidding me?!

“As much as I would love to agree with you,” a very tired Steve announced, his shield resting on his arm, “I’d rather make sure Tony gets this back in one piece.”

“Well, he can pay my student loans and I’ll draw him a better one,” you negotiated, almost making Steve laugh.

“Yeah,” he chuckled, “that’s a good one. Now come on. I don’t want you to get hurt. Give that ba-“

“Why not?” You tilted your head at him, making the Captain pause. Bucky stood behind an SUV, furrowing his brows at Steve and the woman.

“Wh-“ Steve was left with his lips in a confused pout, not really understanding the question while the summer sun made that soft blonde glow like a truly lost boy in the jungle.

“Why wouldn’t you want to hurt me?”

Bucky could swear by that colour of hurting emotion in her voice that she was looking at Steve as if he had betrayed her. Holy cow, she’s good. But then again, it’s Stevie.

“I..uh-“

“It’s okay. You have my consent. We should keep a safe word though.”

“O…kay I think that’s-“

“How about…Shield?”

Bucky nearly gave up his position with the involuntary snicker that left the back of his throat. Nonetheless, he had a perfect view of watching his best friend choke on embarrassment till he was red.

“’ Cause, you know, it’s safer to use protection.”

Steve was lucky. Really lucky the first time for having the street evacuated so as not to face the public embarrassment of being broken by a woman in a leather jacket and black jeans. That’s it. No weapons. He turned lucky the second time when an explosion in the art gallery behind him turned all the attention away from this weird one standing on top of a car and flirting with Captain America.

But Bucky was not going to let Steve forget this. Ever.

“Nat, what was that?” He called into his comms.

“Aw! Come on! I was just starting to get to know you!” She groaned. “Okay, I won’t burn this trash and we go on a date. What say?”

“We’re done here,” Steve declared before turning towards the three policemen standing behind him for aid, looking at him for further instructions, “cuff her up.”

Bucky moved next to the police car, taking the spare windbreaker resting on the front seat to walk towards the woman without giving away his identity. Not that there was much to give there.

“SO IS THAT A YES ON THE DATE?” she shouted in Steve’s direction while the cops cuffed her up. One of the policemen was quick to figure out the man doing the murder walk in their direction was not a part of the team.

“Hey, excuse me. What do you think you’re doing?“

Bucky tried to raise his hands to signal him to keep it quiet but something else was already catching his attention. That something being Steve body hurled out of the glass building like a rag doll.

It was a split-second reaction of him catching the arms of the cuffed-up woman. “Hey! You’re not going-“he broke as the face turned towards him, that weight in his voice slowly dissolving in those angry eyes- “anywhere.”

.

You had your share of bad luck. Who didn’t? It was New York fucking City. The whole place was a mess. So, it was a given that today was going to be just like any other day. Because who gets to rob an art studio and have their crush come and personally arrest them only to be called off by some other douchebag robbing the same place.

Now, it would have been great had things just halted there. But as fate would have it, embarrassment hit right when you got cuffed, watching the man of your fantasies being thrown out of glass and landing on the pavement with a groan.

No one hurts him but me, you growled, already trying to make your way towards Steve before a pair of hands wrapped themselves around your arms to stop and turn your around. “Hey! You’re not going-“

Oh, now what! You turned around to lock eyes with deep ocean eyes turning fifty shades lighter. “-anywhere.”

You did not know where that jawline came from but if he hadn’t been so beautiful you swore you would have punched the lights out of him right there and then.

Who is he, a part of you was purring.

Gunfire sounded behind you, making you break out this ten-second bliss to turn back to Steve hiding behind his shield from…was that a sniper you just saw on the roof?

Trying to walk towards Steve again, you were once again stopped by that blue-eyed guy.

“Let me go,” you declared, “he’s in trouble.”

Bucky scoffed. “That’s Captain America, doll. I think he can handle himself.”

You scrunched your nose at him, making him wonder it was Steve he was talking about. “Doll? What century are you from?”

Bucky stopped short of saying something. Let’s just not go there, darlin’.

“Let me go, he clearly needs help.”

“From a thief?”

“She tried to threaten a crowd yesterday,” one of the officers spoke, earning a death glare from you.

“And I am threatening to kill you right now if you don’t let me go,” you announced ever so softly to the officer, who walked backwards with every step you took in his direction, his hand resting on his gun, ready to take it out as soon as you were to become a legit threat.

“Lady, I am telling you to calm down,” he declared, his friends backing him up.

“Okay, no need to get-“

Bucky’s words were drowned by another explosion and before anyone could make sense of the situation, you were already breaking out of the handcuffs with one good yank, running straight towards the explosion, jumping over the cars to land on the concrete grounds of the studio.

“Uh…this is on the new guy,” the officer stressed, pointing at Bucky. Bucky looked at him with judgmental eyes before running behind you, trying to catch up as you disappeared behind the smoke, landing on the ground from the cars just in time to miss a screaming man that came flying in his direction; or rather, he missed a man that was thrown in his direction.

“What in the-“ Bucky walked into the smoke cautiously to hear the impact of fists made with ribs and bodies being thrown into walls and grunts coming from something wild trying to fight those men in tactical vests.

The chopper above cleared the smoke in time- thanks Natasha- for the Winter Soldier to witness you blocking an attack on Steve before crushing the attacker’s wrist and knocking him unconscious with your elbow right in his face.

“You okay, Cap?”

“They’re not with you?”

“Wha-Who? These Chads and Hunters? Not even if I was being paid for it, no.”

Steve apologised for the quick judgment, looking around at the men lying on the ground groaning in pain. “You know you’ll still be arrested for the theft,” Steve stated with heavy breaths, trying to wipe off the blood from his lips.

“Eh,” you shrugged, looking in Bucky’s direction, “I’ll live.”

For a second Bucky lost all sense of direction as you walked towards him, your eyes stuck on his. And was that blood on your cheek? Were you really hurt? How does someone look just as…pretty when half their face has been smashed? Everything ran in his mind like a freight train- which came to a deafening halt right what you stopped in front of him, drawing your hands up, palms out.

“Okay, now you can cuff me.”

Steve was a bit confused by the interaction while he stood outside this bizarre bubble between his best friend and this crazy woman who apparently had the hots for him. What was more surprising was watching Bucky lose all that made him ‘Bucky’ and stand there like a mute fool while you waited for him to do something with your hands.

“Oi!” you tried to snap the man out of whatever daydream you thought he was running through, “we going or what?”

Bucky never turned his gaze away from your y/e/c eyes as he tried to find the zip ties that he had on him, taking them out and securing your wrists in them, not bothering with the judgy brow Steve was throwing at him right this moment. He could deal with that later.

“Oooh,” you cooed at Bucky as he turned you by your arm towards the police cars waiting for you, “looks like someone is always ready for some action. I like that.”

Bucky was about to open his mouth to say something cocky back when he felt you push him back to grab the knife and the hand holding it, twist and break it before kicking the tactical vest guy in his knees. “Stay down, punk,” you commanded. And at that very moment, one more person in the universe started believing in something called ‘the one’.

.

“Why did you steal the painting?”

“Sweety, can we do this at the station. I’m tired and I could really use a quiet ride.”

Bucky licked his lips as he walked you back, not really content with the answer. You knew it too. It was hard to miss when Bucky’s hands on your arm changed the intensity of the hold. Not to mention the walk back was getting awkward the more distance was covered towards those pea-brained cops.

“…that painting could sell for millions online, ruin the name of this shady studio and win me a date with Cap.”

Stopping right next to the car, you turned and smirked at him, making Bucky wonder about this strange feeling in his stomach. “That’s all you get, pretty boy.” With those last words, you got inside the car, the cops driving you away as Bucky stood there alone for a few moments, replaying all of them back and questioning what exactly he had done today to have led him to this.

Just as the car disappeared from the view, Steve came to stand next to him, looking in the same direction.

“So, zip ties, huh.”

“So, a pretty stalker, huh.”

“She’s the bad guy, Buck.”

Bucky was still looking far out with this little last hope of you coming back. “…really?”

.

“First she impersonates an ambassador’s daughter to get access to the military secrets of three countries, then she crashes two military drones, and when that wasn’t enough thrill for her she comes after me!”

Pepper closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. “It was a painting, Tony.”

“Well, today it was!” He stated matter-of-factly. “Tomorrow she’s going to try and steal one of my cars. Or maybe even Steve.”

Steve- who had an icepack pressed to his swollen cheek- rolled his eyes.

“Oh, definitely Steve,” Natasha agreed before passing a smirk at an irritated Rogers.

“It’s not funny,” Steve muttered.

“She said something about the Studio being shady.”

All eyes turned on Bucky. The unwelcome chill down his spine told him he was being questioned quietly till he could come up with something more.

“Tony, you said this painting was shipped yesterday.”

Tony nodded. “It was supposed to be delivered here today.” He turned and looked at the canvas covered in brown paper standing in the corner, waiting to be attended to.

“Could she have been after the studio?”

“Wow, he’s really not stopping today, is he?” Tony uttered to Steve.

“I’m standing right here.”

“Why would she go after the studio?” Pepper questioned. “What are they, some drug dealers or traffickers?”

Everyone stared at each other in silence for a second before Tony called Friday to run diagnostics on the painting and give him everything.

Within five seconds, the results were up.

“There’re traces of unsanctioned medical drugs along the outer frame. I have also found a microdrive that contains in total seventy-five identities. On running a deeper search through the internet, I have found these seventy-five identities belong to the girls that have been missing for the past one year from the middle eastern countries. All these girls have a codename next to them. Would you like me to run a further search on this, sir?”

Silence.

“Yeah, you do that.”

Tony watched in contemplative silence as Bucky crossed his arms across his chest, waiting for the call.

“How do we know she’s not with the bad guys who have these girls?”

“We can always send Steve in to question her,” Pepper suggested.

“You too Pepper?” Steve felt betrayed by the one person in the room he thought was not going to get in on this. “And I don’t think I’ll be of much help. She never talks sense around me.”

Natasha chuckled, pouring herself some whiskey from Tony’s bar. “That’s true.”

“And Nat’s not going to talk to her because the last time they were in the same room she tried to kill her dog.”

“You had a dog?” Tony gasped. “When?”

“I just pushed him away a little hard from the fighting…with my leg. And it was Y/N’s dog,” Natasha stressed.

Y/N. Bucky ran that name inside his head again and again till it settled like a layer of his own skin on him.

“That’s called a kick,” Steve chimed in blankly.

“That’s definitely a kick,” Tony added, narrowing his eyes at the Black Widow, earning an eye roll.

“I can talk to her,” Bucky volunteered, “she doesn’t know I’m with you guys. She thinks I’m a civilian. I could get in her good books and find out what she knows.”

A brief moment was taken to put some thought into it. “I like that idea,” Natasha finally spoke. “If she’s the bad guy then we can put a stop to whatever she’s up to.”

“If she’s not…” Bucky began.

“Then Cap can finally go out with her without having to think of the greater good,” she concluded with a smug grin.

So, it was settled. Bucky was going undercover to find out the truth. Quite possibly the easiest mission of his life. But if it was this easy, then why was his heart bubbling with this strange sensation? Maybe because it was his first mission after so long. Maybe it was something he was yet to discover.

___

So...what do you think?

[knightofameris]

the calm into the storm — infinity war

Setting: Immediately after the snap in IW Gender: None? Or Neutral ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Contains: Lots of death (teenagers, adults) blood, I guess the stuff I wrote counts as OC’s. Word Count: 3.5k

Summary: The world was calm, it continued to exist as the UN hid what happened to Tony Stark to the world and what was happening in Wakanda. But people continued to live life, knowing that whatever was happening, if something was going to happen, the world would be alright as long as they had the Avengers. Or at least whoever was left over. However, the repercussions of the Avengers’ loss would be felt by the people of the world, and it was too late for them to even realize.

a/n: Let me know if there are any mistakes! (rest at the end)

Enjoy! [respot from old account]

❝ i like these calm moments before the storm. it reminds me of Beethoven ❞ — gary oldman

Stars. The shining dots that brighten our sky in the darkest of nights. No matter what the time of day is, they’re always there, always with us. They shine bright or they’re hidden from our own star’s light. There’s beauty hidden behind each of them; an unknown story that has yet to be told. From their gaseous births to their flickering deaths. The stars are wondrous things; as are the moons and planets and just about everything in this universe.

Stars. That’s all Valkyrie could see. That’s all she hoped she would see as her and the other escape pods set off towards Earth.

Her stomach was filled with emptiness and uneasiness. Her jaw clenched as she thought about what most likely happened to Thor and Loki. The ship had exploded; no one could’ve survived that. She didn’t even receive any calls from the two brothers and it’d been days.

Perhaps she should’ve told them her name, her real name. Brunnhilde. She figured they’d know who she was, that she’d be able to fight what’s-his-name and save Asgard.

“This isn’t about fighting and winning,” Thor responded to Brunhilde’s want to fight. “This is about saving the people of Asgard and ensuring their safety. I trust you to keep them safe.”

Brunnhilde shook her head at the memory. She turned around to face the people only to bump into a solid body of rocks.

“Whoop, sorry there,” Korg said. “At least I didn’t step on you, otherwise you’d be dead.” Brunnhilde rolled her eyes at the comment before walking around him. Uneasy Asgardian eyes looked up at her and something pulled at her in her chest. The amount of pain and battle these Asgardians had gone through the past few weeks have been more than any normal civilian should be going through. But they did.

“You know, I think they need a little something to be uplifting,” Korg motioned towards the people. “After their planet being blown up and their king most likely dead, they do need a new leader.”

Brunnhilde turned to face Korg with a stern look etched on her face. “But I’m not a leader. I’m a Valkyrie. All I need to do is keep them safe until we reach Midgard.” And she walked off into the crowd of people.

But something set her off when she felt a chill go through her. All the talking on the pod ceased but pained gasps and short screams replaced it. The sudden imagery of people fading into ash, it stunned Brunnhilde. Her people’s population was already at a low, how could this happen to them?

She gripped her sword on her hip and began to run towards Korg.

“Korg, what’s happening?”

***

“Pass the salt!” The teenager growled at her younger brother for the fourth time. The boy stuck his tongue out before shoving the salt into the girl’s hand. She could only roll her eyes in response but mumbled out a ‘thank you’ after. The sounds of her mother scolding Christian, her brother, filled the air.

The smells of homemade food on the table caused the family dog to dive under the table, hoping for a little snack from one of the family members. Christian glanced at the people sitting down and quickly snatched some of his dinner off his plate for his dog. The furry tail of the golden retriever smacked the legs of the table loudly.

But when the click of the front door opening and closing caused the family dog to bolt towards the it, the family stopped talking to see who the newcomer was. The parents exchanged looks, they weren’t expecting anyone else at the table. With a smile, a man in his early twenties holding a luggage and a few other bags entered the dining room. The family dog circled around his legs and barked.

“Michael!” The girl smiled and jumped out of her seat, the table shook and a few of the drinks in the cups spilled out. The bags fell to the floor when Michael opened up his arms.  

“Hey Amy!” Michael’s arms surrounded the young girl as he lifted her up in the air. Sounds of laughter became more apparent in that household. The dad of the house ended up preparing another meal for their newcomer and conversations between the small family brightened up.

“So, how’s life with you and your boyfriend?” Christian asked his older brother. But instead of a reply that one would expect, the clattering of silverware on the table and a veil of silence appeared. The remnants of their oldest brother were left behind by a pile of ashes. Even the sounds of their dog panting disappeared and upon looking under the table, you’d only be met with more ashes.

“Honey?” Their dad looked down at his hands in disbelief before disappearing himself. Amy gripped onto her mother’s arms the moment she felt there was something wrong.

“Mom?” She croaked out before she ended up turning into ashes. Christian and his mom were left sitting there for a few moments before she rushed over to him and hugged him as tight as she could.

“Mom? What’s… What’s going on?”

***

The monitor sounds in the operating room beeped every so often, each one signaling the heartbeat of the patient. The surgeon and nurses were decorated in the typical blue hospital attire while a few students watched from an operating theater. Nurses walking around to grab certain tools, nurses holding parts of the patient’s surgical wound open, and others holding a light made the surgeon’s job easier.

“Miss, we’ll have to hurry this up or he’ll be needing a blood transfusion soon,” one of the nurses stated. The unsoundly noises made by the bloodied gloves of the surgeon caused a few students to gag.

“Have we been given permission to do so?” The surgeon asked, never once looking away from her hands.

“Yes.”

“Then get it ready.” Immediately, other nurses flooded around to ensure that their presence didn’t clog up the room. They were to be made useful. Students in the operating theater hands flew across their papers as they observed how surgeries were done.

The sound of a clipboard falling onto the floor caused all of the students to turn towards the origin of the noise, only to be greeted by an empty chair. Brows furrowed and they looked back into the operating room, goosebumps forming on the arms of all who watched. The surgeon was nowhere to be seen and the nurses left in the room scrambled to save the patient’s life even as they faded themselves.

***

The rising sun met the joggers hazel eyes as she adjusted her earbuds, moving her curly hair out of her face. It was still really dark out and she was hoping she didn’t have to deal with any leftover muggers since it was her first time running this early. But she smiled as she saw people starting to leave their apartment buildings to head into the subways, buses, or taxis, signaling that she should be safe.

The jogger looked down at her phone on the arm and quickly changed it to a radio station to catch up on the news.

“In other news, Tony Stark is still reportedly missing. Colonel James Rhodes, or also known as War Machine, has yet to make a statement.”

“It feels like the UN is hiding something from us, I just have a bad feeling.”

“Is this why you were so against the signing of the Accords?”

“Well, yeah, but that was two years ago and now we…”

Each step the runner took was easy for her. But the ongoing argument between the two radio reporters made the woman frown. She no longer stayed focused on where she was running and who was around her. So when a man grabbed her by the arm and yanked her into an alleyway, she could only stumble and fall on her side.

She yelped and her phone fell out of her arm band and slid away from her. Slowly raising her head up at her attacker, her eyes widened when seeing the gun in his hand. She could feel the stinging on the side of her leg and arm but ignored it as she watched the barrel of the gun being shoved in her face, not even realizing that his hand was shaking.

“Y-You’re gonna come with me,” the man stuttered out. “You’re my hostage, and yo-you’re gonna help me.” The sounds of the radio filled their ears when they both realized the earbuds left the headphone jack after the fall. He scoffed. “How ironic, those heroes aren’t even here to save you.”

But then the sounds of one of the news reporters panicking about how the other person just disappeared brought the woman out of her daze. But the sound of the gun clattering to the floor caused her to scrunch up her face in confusion. Her attention was brought back to where the man once stood but she could only see ashes. Slowly standing up, unsure of what was going on, she reached for her phone. She looked down at her phone, putting the earbuds back into the headphone jack when she walked back out into the city sidewalk.

“Watch out!” She looked up only to see a bus with no driver coming towards her.

***

The ocean waves crashed onto the sandy beach. Screams of joy came out of a small teenager as she ran away from the waves alongside her friends. A scrawny boy in glasses put his arms down to the side, laughing. The pictures he was able to take for his friends ended up being meme-able, especially when they ran away from the waves.

“Don’t get wet, Violet. We’re leaving soon,” the scrawny boy called out.

“I’m already wet, Avery. Wink wonk,” Violet replied, tossing her head back in laughter.

Avery gagged in response, “Gross, tell that to literally anyone else.”

“Yeah, but Serina doesn’t like it when I flirt with her.” Violet looked over at her friend with her eyes squinting in accusation, but the girl was just busy talking to the other dark-skinned girls. “But never stops to flirt with Sam over there, or even kissing Kiara that one time. One day, Avery, one day.”

Avery could only laugh at his friend before heading towards the other males of the group, who sat in the sand. Even though he fit in more with the girls, he still wanted to take pictures with them. To put the memories in concrete; to solidify it. Avery put his hand on the one male without glasses and started to tug on him.

“Come on Tom, you need to take pictures with your girlfriend,” Avery urged. Then he promptly called over Sam a few times who jumped and looked over at the two. Her beaming smile and wavy hair caused Tom to smile back, the feeling of bubbles, like her personality, rising in his chest. Then Avery walked in front of the other two males.

“Elijah!”

The oldest of the group shook his head as if he was taken out of his thoughts “Huh?! What? What’s up?” Elijah made eye contact with Avery who only gestured towards the rest of their friends. “Oh, right, come on Harry let’s go.” Elijah set his hand on the boy’s shoulder next to him and the two promptly got up to join the rest of the group.

The shared moments between the new high school graduates was a highlight for all of them. It’d be one of their last few moments before college hit. They all knew it, and the painful thought that they’d all slowly stop being friends was etched in the back of all of their heads. But that didn’t stop them from laughing, from having fun. Especially as teenagers. Occasionally getting in trouble, getting caught up in teenage drama and angst. They couldn’t do much besides live. With all the near catastrophic events happening in almost the last decade, the teenagers made sure they could live to the best that life let them.

The last sliver of the sun began to fade into the water. The teenagers stood at the edge of the pier watching it after a few games and eating a small dinner watching the sun say its goodbyes. They were cracking jokes with one another as the ocean waves hit the legs of the pier. Once the sun disappeared and all they could see was hues of bits of yellow, orange, pink, purple, and then the night sky, they took that as a cue to head off for home.

Violet shot towards one of their two cars they drove in to get to the beach, quickly calling shotgun. Harry, Elijah, and Kiara followed behind as they entered the car. Harry being the designated driver. Next to them, they could see Avery asking Serina to drive for a bit since he was tired. It was evident that Serina’s voice was coming out rushed and high-pitched but she quickly gave in. Avery smiled, thanked her, then danced over towards the passenger seat.

Serina waited for Harry to back out first then continued to follow him from behind. Avery popped in Kpop into the stereo and Tom argued against it, claiming it’d get stuck in his head for the rest of the night. But Serina was too focused on the road to deal with them arguing for what kind of music to be played (with the few innuendos Sam kept making).

“Sam, stop!” Serina shouted jokingly. But instead of being greeted by Sam making another one of her sexual remarks, she just heard Tom freaking out.

“Tom?” Avery turned around to see what was going on. “What’s wr-…” And stillness filled the car. Serina glanced to the side and in the rearview window and her eyes widened at the fact that her friends disappeared. She wanted to freak out, she wanted to scream and figure out what was going on but her other friend’s car in front of her veered off to the side and crashed into a light pole, hard. Serina shoved her foot on the breaks and quickly looked at her side mirror to see if she could get out of the car to check on her other friends. She was lucky, it seemed as if there were no other cars on the road.

The fear that her other friends might’ve disappeared, or could be dead from the crash was all that raced in her mind as one foot went in front of the other towards the car. The windows were tinted black and she knew it’d most likely be locked but her hand reached towards the handle and it opened. But there was no one in the driver’s seat and no one in the back seats. Just Violet, with her head against the cracked window, eyes shut, and blood dripping down her head and forearms from the windshield breaking into the car.

“Holy fuck,” Serina whispered out.

***

Xandar was desolate and bleak. The planet was in mourning and the events that occurred weeks earlier would be forever etched into the history of the Xandarians. The Nova Corps that was settled on the planet was practically purged from the works of Thanos. Cries of loved ones still searching for their lost ones never stopped. There were few good stories that were told, loved ones appear out of nowhere and some even surviving the damage done on the planet.

Irani Rael sat on the top floor of the ruins of the Nova Corps headquarters. Her eyes held emptiness as she watched the planet before her still burning. She should be thankful that she was alive. But she wasn’t. God she wished she was dead. She wished she died with the other half of the Xandarians if it meant another civilian would be alive. But that’s what Thanos left her with. That was her curse to hold, to be the one alive and to be the ones to watch her people struggle.

There was nothing to be done, no one knew what to do. How were the Xandarians supposed to get back up after the destructive force of Thanos swept through them?

Few of them ran through the ruined planet, handing out supplies and spreading the word of shelters. Others kept smiles plastered on their face, to keep the optimism they sorely needed.

Rael knew of the stories. But she was never able to leave the ruins. Even when a few Xandarians tried to convince her to join them. She just wanted to rest, take a few moments; all the moments.

In the distance, a toppled building exploded, catching the blue eyes of Rael. Her brow furrowed and she slowly rose out of the seat. Her clothes were battered. Not like she could change into anything, this part of Xandar was destroyed after the fierce battle against Thanos and his Black Order. She could only wonder what the rest of the planet looked like.

She eyed specks of people rushing over towards the building. Most likely wanting to help those who may have been hurt. A small smile grew on her face, it was in moments like these that made her proud to be Xandarian. It was home to thousands of different species. And Xandar had been that type of planet for eons so it never mattered what one was born as. It was through those differences that united them and to see them still united as one to help others, it was a sight to behold.

A female dug through a pile of concrete even though the fire raged on. But her species allowed her to withstand thousand degree heat. So she worked through it as she found bodies, dead and alive, and handed them carefully to other helpers. Slowly, the fire began to die down and it wasn’t until hours later that they saw that the fire was gone and they rescued those who needed rescuing.

The female sat on the side of a destroyed road drinking out of a bottle, recovering from the work effort done.

It was calm, they all shared food, blankets, whatever they could.

“You know, the rest of Xandar could be in total and utter chaos,” a Krylorian said, his pink skin glowing as the fire in front of them kept them warm.

“Probably, but I’m glad I’m in this area,” a Xandarian native replied chugging another bottle of what was alcohol.

Another looked at her in disbelief, “You kidding me? After the shit Thanos did to all of us. No way, if I was in another area I’d try to help them out to bring order.”

The Xandarian shrugged, “We’re still lucky. Alive and well.” But they all took a moment and looked at their surroundings.

“At what cost?” Another asked. They stayed quiet for a few more moments, the night brought them a sort of chill.

“I just hope that the Guardians are able to stop Thanos,” a Centaurian spoke up. The others eyed the one who just talked wearily. It’s not that they were against what he suggested. Just that they wished the Guardians was there to save them in the first place. But they weren’t. And what could the small group do against him and his army? The Black Order would be able to stop them in one go.

No one else spoke, no one wanted to. The silence was comfortable. The heat radiating from the fire comforted them. The presence of those around them comforted them.

But the silence was broken by a gasp and someone wondering what was happening. The fire began to be covered up by the ashes. They all looked at one another, appalled at the sight before them. The gasps and the dreadful voices asking for help was all that was heard throughout Xandar. Each one of them scrambling for one another only to hold ashes in their hands.  

The heat-resistant female clambered over towards what was left of the group, her mouth parted in distress.

No one else spoke, no one wanted to. The silence was no longer comfortable. The fire no longer radiated heat, it was buried in the ashes. The presence of those around them was no longer there. So what was the point?

***

The universe was quiet. The very moments after the unforgiving snap was eerily tranquil. As if the moment of silence was being taken earlier for the silent screams of those taken by the snap. The silent screams was only greeted by the mute horror of a now smaller universe. A universe that was in pain. Shockwaves of the snap would﹣will﹣continue for years to come. Lives lost after the snap from those in the middle of surg­ery, driving a car or ship, or even those who take their own life from the heartbreak of losing loved ones.

Yes, the universe was suffering. Resources would continue to be used up, but to what extent does this help? Without suffering, one cannot know what is good. One can create a world without war, without alcohol or drugs, without hate or jealousy, but then it wouldn’t be the world one lived in. Nothing would be learned, nothing would be gained. Species would have no motivation to advance, only to devolve. [1]

And so the universe only suffered more.

Then, there was you. [2]

a/n: READ #2 TRUST ME. This isn’t the normal fanfic (looool) with the Marvel Characters (ish) or even an OC/Reader insert. Kinda had an idea of what it’d be like to write about normal people of Earth. Then this came to mind. Also included a story on Xander and exploring the theory on whether or not the snap halves populations that’s already been halved by Thanos himself, which includes a small tidbit of what I think could have happened with Valkyrie and Korg!

[1] - This was a reference to the comics Avengers (2010) #12 when Tony wielded the gauntlet. It’s definitely something that’s been around on Tumblr but if you haven’t seen it you can find the comics online!

[2] - Way back when I posted this 2 years ago? i put out the suggestion to let people request if they wanted me to write their own oc into something like this or you or just something. i’m not doing that anymore. though i dont think anyone would want it since no one wanted one before LOL

[jtodd-whomst]

Honestly, Fuck Endgame

So yea they all live in the tower. After Avengers 1, they’re like “o fuk Loki was being mind controlled and we can prove it” and they’re like “the best way we can keep an eye on him is for him to stay with us, fuck you Oversight Committee” and they keep him around in the tower, and eventually he becomes an honorary Avenger. It gets episodic after that, because now that there are superheroes, there are super villains too. They may have accidentally created their own problem?? Oops. Anyways, Steve moves to DC for a while to work for SHIELD and then CATWS happens but not so crazy, in reality it’s like “well shit we can’t trust SHIELD now cause they’re all HYDRA, but thank god we had a clean split and we can definitely trust who’s left.” So, basically it’s Fury, Maria, and Coulson (who is not dead) running the picture now, and HYDRA is on the run. Steve moves back into the tower, before leaving to look for Bucky. He takes Sam with him, and it takes a year but they find him. Meanwhile, Thor and Jane and Loki leave for a minute for TTDW, then they come back just fine (no death lol). Avengers 2 never happens lol, and they meet Wanda and Pietro while taking down HYDRA goons, rescue them, and then fun shit. Meanwhile, a kid named Peter starts hanging around Tony a lot under the premise of a “Stark internship” but really he’s a spider kid! Steve and Buck are back in the tower, Bucky is recovering (though he still has awful days) and things are going fine. No CACW!!! Then Thor and Loki are gone yet again for a minute to deal with Hela, and Thor gets Kickass lightning powers (but he still keeps his hammer for shenanigans). Then Hank Pym is like “hey tony meet my daughter and asshole son in law” and they’re like “holy shit you can shrink” and they communicate (but don’t live with them yet). Then they’re like”o fuk villains are using magic now??” And then Doc Strange is like “Yo” and the team is like “this might as well happen.” He doesn’t live with them, but he’s an honorary avenger. Then Wakanda is like “heyyyy um we’re actually hella advanced, but we hate all y’all and we’ll only work with the Avengers because we have a legacy of heroes in this country also they answer to no nation, so we like them bc they won’t put up w colonial bs” and the avengers are like “wow we fuckin love Wakanda, how about we be allies because holy shit your king is a cat” and Shuri was like “please T’Challa I wanna meme w Peter” so they’re allies now. Then the GOTG show up and are like “yo watch out there’s this purple dude in a chair tryna collect rocks” and then Carol shows up like “yo watch out there’s this purple dude in a chair tryna collect rocks and also I’m GAY” and so the avengers like like “hell no” so they fight thanos and Clint shoots Scott up Thanos’s ass and he expands and he dies in a big purple goop explosion!!! And he dies, and they return the infinity stones to where they belong (aka they put the tesseract back in the place the Red Skull found it, they put the Aether back in the weird rock, they give back the time stone to Strange, they Yeet the soul stone back into hell where it came from, they give the power stone to Peter Quill for safe keeping because he’s the only one who can touch it w/o vaporizing because he’s basically half ancient cosmic entity (also he didn’t lose his powers with the death of Ego), and they keep the mind stone). So then Tony and Shuri and Loki are dicking around in the lab and accidentally use a combo of science and Magic and the Mind Stone and suddenly JARVIS has a body??? Aka Vision is born and JARVIS learns how to be a person and a computer at the same time, and sort of falls in love with Wanda along the way.

Or, the AU in which Loki and Bucky are best friends and little shits and prank the fuck out of everyone, Steve is Tired Team Mom and also an Angry Feminist, Shuri and Pete are baby avengers and meme bros, Thor is actually a smart dude and not entirely played for laughs even though he still waxes poetic about pop tarts, Clint lives in the Vents with Sam and they’re bird bros, Nat is sneaky as fuck and shares Team Wine Aunt duty with Pepper (who still has her lit af fire powers), Carol and Fury laugh about the crazy kids, Tony and Bruce are Science Bros, Tony lives off of caffeine and his love for Peter and Bruce is team doctor and also the only reasonable one here, Strange makes a few appearances from time to time with wise words of advice, Rhodey supervises from the background, sometimes the guardians pop in, and it’s all good and no one has to hurt too much, even though there’s angst, but everyone lives and they all get a happy ending.

Also if you all think I forgot about Morgan Stark you’re dead wrong, she’s a darling girl and all her aunties and uncles and non-binary caregivers love her very much.

Also because I’m gay and I rub my queer hands all over fandom, Steve is Bi and has been gone for Bucky since the 20’s and they’re practically married (and probably literally married by the end of the work), Loki is gender-fluid like in the comics, everyone is feminist as fuck and pretty darn liberal, Clint is the Ace rep we deserve (the thing for purple is a dead giveaway), Nat is bi af, and so was Peggy, also Valkyrie is actually shown to be bi and not just implied because of stupid Disney and their stupid rules, and all the relationships (straight or gay or whatever) are built on mutual respect and trust and they actually talk out their issues like rational people instead of causing excess drama. They’re extra, but not that extra.

The only things I’m keeping from Endgame are Nat and Carol’s cool new hairstyles, and Professor Hulk. Also the “America’s Ass” comments because damn. That’s a nice booty.