#(lets ignore the snowflake vision thing on his belt)

[can-i-go-home-now]

Yknow when you don't know how to draw the other eye?

I did that to Chongyun

... He's also apparently Dendro now? Like, most of my sketches in green instead of red, because my rough idea is red and than the rough details are the opposite colors

My boys green and emo now

[kyber-kisses]

Here In The Dark

Captain Rex x Jedi!Reader

Summary: while on a scouting mission the Reader and Rex are forced to find shelter when an unexpected blizzard hits.

Warnings: minor injuries, mutual pining😈, Rex being his socially awkward self-

A/N: this is purely self indulgent and it’s probably crap but enjoy!

“Yep it’s decided. I’m gonna kill him. I’m gonna kill Anakin.”

“Little dramatic dont you think?”

Shifting in the knee deep snow, you turned to give Rex and icy stare that rivaled the weather around you. “No. All I think is that when we make it back to base camp I’m gonna force throw him into the nearest sun.”

It was supposed to be a simple scouting mission across the northern ridge line. Blue skies and warm weather the whole time. Nothing to worry about.

At least that’s what Anakin had told you.

And what a fool you were to think he was right.

Because now the sun had long since set and a horrific blizzard was bearing down and you and the captain as the both of you struggled through the almost waist deep snow. Your comma had long since lost contact with base camp now leaving you and Rex completely alone on the darkened mountain side as sheets of heavy snow slammed into you with even stronger winds.

The only positive was that at least you were with Rex. If you were with anyone else you probably would have buried them in the snow somewhere. For example: Anakin.

If Anakin were here you would have buried him the the powder a good few miles back.

“You know stomping around all bitterly isn’t gonna help the situation.” Rexs voice cut through the wind slightly as he trudged besides you.

“Says the one with the helmet on that protects his face from the wind and the cold.” You grumbled, feeling snowflakes stick to your eyelashes as you blinked. “Can you hand me your nightscope?”

“Sure thing.” Once the device had been procured to halted in your tracks, ignoring the way the wind and snow whipped your hair around your face as you looked through the night vision scope.

You had hoped for better quality but with the heavy falling snow and winds the screen was a mess of fuzz for the most part. You were still practically stumbling around blind.

“Let me have a try.” Extending his hand once more, you dropped the scope back into Rexs possession watching through squinted eyes as he surveyed the land with the scope.

“Anything?”

“Two clicks to the east.” The captain spoke, pointing his finger into the dark before passing the scope back to you.

It wasn’t much but it was something. Through the fuzzy landscape you could just barely make out a dark blotch against the side of the ridge. “Cave maybe?”

“Here’s to hoping. We don’t really have any other options.” Rex shrugged, clipping the scope back onto his belt before moving forward with you in tow.

You and Rex stuck as close to eachother as you could in fear of losing one another in the white-out conditions. Cold bit at every inch of your body wether it was exposed or not, it seeped into the cradles of your boots and made its way in the fabric of your gloves. No part of you was safe.

“Commander, here.” At the sound of Rexs out of breath voice you picked your eyes up from where they had been focusing on the ground, only to find he had stopped, extending his hand to help you up the steeper incline. You took it graciously, allowing him to keep the two of you tethered the remainder of the way.

The two of you were practically in the cave before you knew you had even reached it. One moment you were at the mouth and the next you were sliding through it. The cave led ever so slightly downward a few feet before flattening out completely, Rex assisting you down as the two of you moved away from the howling winds and ice pellets that battered the mountain side.

Before you could even reach for your own flashlight, Rex was clicking his on, a bright beam of cold white light cutting through the darkness as he scanned the inside of the cave, his hand hovering over his blaster.

“No one’s here Rex. I can feel it.”

All you could feel in the force was you and Rex, along with the dull vibrations of the rock and dirt beneath you. There were no other life forms. As the beam danced across the cave walls you made sure to make note of everything. It was small, the cave ceiling on three or four feet above your head and it’s entire size couldn’t have been bigger than your quarters aboard the Resolute.

Shrugging off the survival pack that had been on your back you dropped it to the floor, fingers still too cold to do anything that mattered.

“I’ll get a fire going.” Digging into the bag himself, the captain pulled out a cinder kit.

“I can help.”

Kneeling down on the cave floor next to Rex, you helped set up the small device. Normally all it would take was one small click of the button but of course said button was broken.

“You’re lucky you got stuck out here with a Jedi with my abilities.” Musing lightly you cupped your hands and brought them to your lips, warming them up in whatever way you could before rubbing them together. When you finally got a small spark you let out a sigh of relief before sharply snapping your fingers together to produce a small flame. “Aha still got it!”

“When we’re you gonna tell me you could do that?” Besides you, Rex watched the tiny flame dance across the top of your finger tip in wonder.

Shrugging slightly, you brought the flame down to the cinder box and a moment later a much larger flame leapt forth, brightening the cavern exponentially. “Right now.”

“Can all Jedi do that?”

“No unfortunately. It’s a skill only a handful of us possess.”

“Well nice work Commander.”

A small smile tugged on your lips. “Thank you.”

If someone had told you this morning that you would be spending the night holed up in a cavern on the side of some mountain int he middle of a blizzard with Rex you would have laughed. . . Yet here you were.

And honestly there were worse places you could be.

“You doing alright commander?” Standing up from where he had been knelt on the floor, Rex wiped off his gloves before giving you a concerned look.

“I’m fine all things considered. You?”

“Never better.”

As the heat of the fire filled the cavern you peeled off your boots, your socks following suit as you laid them out next to the dancing flame. The fire would do l it take to help you if you were sitting around in soaking wet clothes.

And at that thought you began peeling of the layers of your Jedi robes, oblivious to the fact that Rex had flushed a deep red before averting his gaze from you. When you were done all the remained on your body was the solid black undergarment you wore. It was once peace and didn’t have any sleeves but it went down to your mid thighs in a way that made it look sort of like a unitard. It was the only dry piece of clothing you had left.

You were half way through pulling out both of the therma-blankets from the pack when you realized Rexs back was turned to you, his hand awkwardly on his hip as he face the mouth of the cave.

“Rex? Are you alright?”

His posture straightened ever so slightly at his name. “Of course commander! Just wanted- just wanted to give you some privacy that’s all.”

His words hit you suddenly as you looked down at your much more exposed body, now understanding. “Oh.”

You hadn’t even thought about how Rex might react to that. You had been friends with him for so long you didn’t even think twice.

Wrapping one of the reflective therma blankets around your shoulders, you padded across the floor of the cave, reaching out to gently grab his shoulder. “You don’t need to worry about that. I don’t mind. Just be glad I’m not walking around full on nude.” You joked lightly, once more unaware of the deepening red creeping up Rex’s face.

When he didn’t say anything you felt a slight frown slip across your features. He was acting weird. Very weird.

“You should get out of that armor. This type wasn’t meant for the cold climates such as this.” You waved your hands, gesturing to the weather beyond the mouth of the cave. “Add that to the list of reasons on why I’m gonna kill Anakin when we get back. He should of had us prepare better.”

At that you got a light chuckle out of Rex, the clone captain turning slightly to look over his shoulder at you.

“I’ll be fine commander.”

You sent him a warning stare. “As both your superior and friend I’m telling you if you don’t get out of that armor right now I will start peeling it off you. You need to stay warm and this?” You knocked your hand against the plastoid armor, your teeth chattering slightly as you spoke, giving away the fact that you were still cold. “This isn’t gonna help you.”

At your words the captain let a heavy sigh before raising his hands to undo the clasps of his chest plate which you took gently from him before sitting it against the wall next to the pack. You repeated the action several more times until all his armor was stacked neatly to the side.

“See? I bet you’re warmer already?” You mused, looking up at him with a small smile as you gently rested your hand against his chest momentarily.

Beneath your touch Rex shivered, the feeling foreign to him enough to elicit a physical response. If you had felt it you didn’t say anything.

In truth, you had Rex wrapped around your finger. (Not that you knew). From the moment you joined the 501st as its other Jedi- commander you had Rexs complete loyalty and respect. You came walking on the bridge with your kinda smile and even kinder eyes and Rex swore he melted.

And now here he was in some cave with a half naked you.

Force, he had a way of always ending up in weird and awkward situations.

“You hungry? I know there’s like a weeks worth of ration bars int he front ouch of the pack?”

“I’m alright commander, but thank you.” Moving past you, Rex lowered himself to the ground in front of the fire, leaning back against the cave wall behind him with a heavy sigh.

Beneath his gloves he squeezed his fingers into a fist, repeating the action several times before it caught your attention.

“Your hands are cold aren’t they?”

“Nothing I can’t deal with commander. I’ve been through worse.”

At his words you rolled your eyes before sitting down in front of him and tucking your knees to your chest. “Why must you clones all be so stubborn?”

“I am not stubb—“

Rexs words felt flat as he suddenly felt your hands gently taking his. Turning his head he watched once more with a sudden blush on his cheeks as you carefully removed his gloves and tossed them to the floor.

Your fingers danced over the calloused skin of his palms as if memorizing every bump and scar before you cupped his hands and brought them to your lips before breathing a gentle plume of hot air into them. Curious brown eyes watched you as you placed a gentle kiss to his finger tips before shifting to grip his hands fully in your own.

“And it’s Y/N by the way.”

Rexs brain seemed to have short circuited because he had no clue as to what you were talking about. “. . . What?”

“Back on base it’s Commander this and Commander that. Here? I’m just Y/N. No need for the formalities. I call you Rex don’t I?”

“I mean, yeah I guess?”

You nodded slowly, dropping Rex’s hands as you moved to adjust the blanket around your shoulders when a shiver ran through your body.

“Still cold?”

“A bit. These therma- blankets only do so much.” You explained, look down at the reflective material that you currently had wrapped around you.

“ I can agree with you on that.” Rex sent you a small grin as he paused. “We should stay close together though. It will help contain our body heat.”

It took everything in the poor captain to not stumble over his words at the thought of staying so close to each other.

“Good call.” You nodded before standing back up and walking across the cave floor to grab the other therma-blanket at the two compact bed rolls that you had also carried with you.

The only problem was you couldn’t get the damn packaging opening. Though your own hands had warmed exponentially your fingers were still shaky as you tried to break to wrapping on the sleeping pads. After a moment you let out a string of curses.

“Kriffing hell, who in the force packed these damn th-“

“Here, let me try.” An arm suddenly reached over your shoulder, taking the package from your hands.

Letting out a defeated sigh you nodded as you turned. “Thank you, Re-“

If there were any other words you were supposed to say they no longer existed as you came face to face with Rex’s bare chest. The clone pausing in his action when he saw you had turned, almost instantly the red returned to his cheeks.

“My Uh- my shirt was still wet. Thought it would be best to let it dry with everything else—“ he stuttered slightly, apparently oblivious to the pink that had now graced your cheeks as well.

Another shiver went up your body along with a small choked sound departing your lips.

At that Rex frowned, suddenly kneeling down to grab the other therma-blanket and wrap it snuggly around you. “Still cold?”

Oh. Oh your sweet, awkward, oblivious captain thought the shiver was from you being cold. Kriff, he was gonna be the end of you.

You went sure if it was how tired you were or whatever was happening in front of you but out of nowhere your knees buckled and you went down. . . Or you would have if Rex hadn’t reached out and caught you, warm study arms securing you safely to his chest as he lowered you softly to the ground.

“Oops.”

“Comman- Y/N? Are you alright?”

“Just a little case of jelly legs.” You laughed awkwardly, Rex looking at you with a concerned gaze.

“Stay here.”

Humming a response you settled onto your butt ont he floor of the cave, watching as Rex peeled the sleeping pads out of their packaging, the pads instantly beginning to inflate.

You didn’t even get a chance to move once they were full before Rex was suddenly picking you up yet again and settling you down on one and securely tucking the therma-blankets around you.

“That better?”

You hummed a response, watching Rex with a new type of wonder as you did.

“Get some sleep. I’ll take watch tonight and we can head out at first light once the storm has moved passed.” He explained, standing up to move away.

You could see goosebumps prickling his skin as he moved away and before he could get any further you had gotten up from your sleeping pad and quickly gone after him. He had barely turned around before you were wrapping him in a hug, the warmth of his skin flush against your own as you did.

At this point Rex had lost track of the amount of times you had gotten him to blush, the sudden contact of you against his body making his goosebumps more apparent.

“You need to stay warm too.” You spoke softly, pulling off one of the blankets as you did before moving to wrap it snugly around his broad shoulders. Once that was done you grabbed his hand once more and tugged him back across the cavern, onto pausing once to nudge the two sleeping pads together with your foot.

“What are you-“

Collapsing onto the first one, you parted at the vacant spot next to you. “C’mon. Don’t worry about keeping watch tonight. Nothings out here. . . Except us.”

Rex gave a concerned glance towards the mouth of the cave. He didn’t like the idea of no one standing guard. . . But at the same time he was cold and tired and he wanted nothing more than to fall onto that sleeping mat next to you.

The captain let out a sigh of defeat as he did just that, a sort of shy smile crossing his lips as he did. With his back resting against the smooth stone of the cave wall, he settled onto the sleeping mat, inhaling deeply when you moved closer to him to the point in which the skin of your arms were flush against eachother.

“You’re like a walking furnace you know that?” Letting out a relaxed sigh, you rested your head against Rex’s shoulder, curling up closer to him as you did.

“Heh, I don’t really feel like it.”

Everything in Rexs body wanted to shiver at the contact of your skin against his, but he belt fast. Instead trying to focus his attention on the firelight dancing across the caves walls.

There was a few good minutes of long silence which allowed Rex to believe you had fallen asleep, but after another moment you spoke up.

“Rex?”

“Hmm?”

“Can I ask you a weird question?”

“You ask me weird questions all the time.”

You let out a tired laugh, picking up your head to look at him. “Have you ever been kissed before?”

At that Rex fell silent, glancing awkwardly around the room. “No offense but that not what I was expecting.”

Sitting up properly you fiddled with your fingers. You could face down Sith Lords and swarms of droids and remain unfazed. . . But this? This was the thing that was making you awkward. Funny how the universe worked.

“I just, I really wanna kiss you l. I know we’ve been friends for years but how could I not get feelings for you because your so kind and patient and caring and loyal and I just- you’re brilliant in every way imaginable and here we are in this cave in the middle of nowhere and I don’t know if I’ll get a chance lie or his again and I think maybe you feel the same about me and I-“ you paused, look over at the bewildered look on Rexs face. “I’m rambling aren’t I?”

“I- Uh. . . Yeah maybe a little-“Rex spoke slowly, clearly showing he was trying to wrap his head around everything that had just come out of your mouth.

“See, and now I’ve made everything awkward!” You wailed, your face falling into your hands as you did.

“No! No-“ sitting up besides you, the captain reached towards you, pulling your hands away from your face before awkwardly reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. “I just- I’ve never really kissed anyone. I don’t want to do it wrong or anything-“

This time both of your were blushing, red cheeks inches from each-other as you looked at Rex with wide eyes.

“That doesn’t matter to me. You’re just so brilliant and amazing and the force feels warmer when I’m around you and-“

Neither of you had realized how you had both slowly begun navigating towards each-other, your nose Alamo touching as you looked at each-other, eyes wide and curious.

“Y/N.” Rexs voice was soft. Softer than you had ever heard it, but it captured you all the same.

You didn’t know how he did it, but Rex had reached into a place deep inside you and brought something forth you had yet to think about. A realization in a way.

“I have so many names now that I think about it.” You whispered, almost as if he had put you in a trance. “Padawan, Knight, commander Y/L/N, Y/N— but here?” You voice grew quieter. “Here in the dark, with you? I have no name. I am just me. Entirely me.”

Both set of eyes flickered downwards and you and Rex closed the gap between you as equals. It was a shy kiss but when Rex slowly deepened it you couldn’t help the small gasp of surprise that escaped you before you melted further into him. His hands were warm now and they cradled your face so delicately and beneath your palm his chest radiated heat. He was like being wrapped in pure sunlight.

He pulled back slowly after a moment, looking downward somewhat shyly. “Was that ok?”

“Everything you do is always more than ok-“ it was as if you had been put into a dazed state by his lips, your body settling against his as you sunk lower onto your mat, your head against Rex’s chest. Beneath your ear his heartbeat thumped rhythmically and for the first time that night you both felt warm.

Maybe you wouldn’t kill Anakin when you got back to base.

[ceealaina]

Out in the Cold

Title: Out in the Cold Author: ceealaina Rating: T Square Filled: G3 [Snowman] - @winterironbingo​ Y2 [Butts, Biceps, and Barnes] - @buckybarnesbingo​ Pairing: WinterIron Summary: Avengers press events are one of the worst parts of the whole superhero gig. But getting paired with Barnes (the man he just happens to have an unrepentant crush on) for an afternoon of snowman building? Tony’s had worse days. Link: AO3

Tony drew in a deep breath, preparing himself as best he could before the elevator doors opened and he was met with the rest of the team, looking up at him with hopeful, expectant faces.

“Sorry guys,” he told them, watching their faces fall one by one. “It’s a no go. We’re roped into this one, no excuses.” 

“Aww, come on,” Clint protested, slumping back into the couch cushions and pouting as he folded his arms across his chest. “But I don’t wanna.” 

Nat smacked the back of his head. 

Steve was the first to rally, because of course he was. “Come on, team. This is important. Like it or not, public relations is an important part of what we do.”

It might have been more believable if he wasn’t wincing like the words caused him physical pain. Beside him, Bucky rolled his eyes so hard it looked physically painful. Tony felt his lips twitch as he fought back a laugh, but of course Bucky noticed, giving him a wink that made heat flare low in his belly. The crush he had on Barnes was really getting ridiculous. 

“But it’s a freaking snowman building contest,” Clint whined. “What is this, the Christmas fun fair? We’re superheroes!” 

As per usual, everyone ignored him, reluctantly accepting that they weren’t getting out of this particular PR event and breaking up to do whatever it was that superheroes did on a Tuesday afternoon. For Tony, that meant brewing a fresh pot of coffee. He was leaning over the counter, inhaling the smell (it had been a very long morning) when he suddenly realized that Bucky was beside him, leaning back against the counter and looking down at him. Tony managed to keep himself from jumping, instead slowly raising his eyes to meet Bucky’s and waiting. 

“So.” Bucky gave him a grin, nudging him with a shiny metal elbow. “Wanna be partners?” 

Tony arched an eyebrow at him, straightening up again. “Partners?” 

“For the snowman building thing. We’re supposed to pair up, right? I’m calling dibs.”

Tony fought back the pleased looking grin that threatened to split across his face. “Moi?” he said instead, fluttering his eyelashes ridiculously until Bucky snorted and gave him a gentle shove. “Kinda figured you’d be pairing up with our fearless leader there, Buckaroo.”

Bucky looked so incredulous that Tony found himself fighting back a laugh. “ Stevie ?” he asked. “Nuh-uh, no way. I know how ridiculous that idiot gets over ‘art.’”

“Snowman building is an art now?” 

“It will be to him. He’ll get all particular and bossy... Nope, Sam can have ‘im.” 

“Oh well, in that case.” Tony held out his hand, beaming when Bucky grabbed it and gave it a firm shake. “You’ve got yourself a deal, Snowflake. Let’s win this thing.” 

***

The day of the competition dawned bright and clear. It hadn’t snowed in three weeks, but they’d brought in a snow machine special for the occasion. It was being held on the compound, giving the public a chance to see first-hand the private lives of their favourite superheroes, or some other public relations nonsense that had them all cringing a little. Ticket holders would get a tour of the more public areas of the compound before watching the snowman building competition and then there would be hot chocolate, cookies, and mingling inside. All the ticket money was going to charity, which explained away the sky high prices -- and, unfortunately, also explained away the number of rich, society-climbers who were attending. 

Tony, however, with the help of Friday and some carefully crafted aliases, had managed to buy about half the tickets himself, giving them away to underprivileged kids from the city, with free transportation included. It made them all feel a bit better about how weirdly invasive the whole thing seemed. 

Spectators had started arriving hours before it was due to start, and by the time they all trooped outside for the actual competition, they were wound up and cheering. 

“Oh boy,” Tony muttered, quiet enough that only Bucky would hear as he put on his brightest press smile and waved with mitten-clad hands. “No pressure or anything.” 

Bucky grinned and, when they’d turned out of view of everyone, winked. “Come on, Stark. We’ve totally got this.”

Tony grinned up at him. “Fuck yeah.” 

***

One hundred and fourteen minutes later, he wasn’t so sure. They should have had it in the bag. Three entries down from them, Wanda and Vision were making a fucking ice sculpture, which, what the fuck? Whatever, they’d lose on a technicality -- it was a snowman competition, not an ice man competition, thank you very much. Nat and Peter had given up about ten minutes in, and Nat had spent the entire time showing Peter her favourite moves on the lopsided snow block that they’d created. Clint had ended up pairing with Bruce, who had bowed out at the last minute due to rage issues (they all knew he was faking it). Clint had built the most cursory snowman ever and then wandered off in search of a warm drink and hadn’t come back. 

The problem was that Tony kept getting distracted. Barnes’ pants seemed extra tight today, or maybe it was just the cut of his new ski jacket, but either way his ass looked phenomenal today. On more than one occasion, Tony had had to shake himself out of a temporary, butt-induced stupor. And, like most super soldiers, Bucky had a tendency to run hot. Hot enough that at some point he’d stripped out said ski jacket, leaving him in that tightly fitted red Henley that featured in many of Tony’s favourite fantasies, biceps bulging as he lifted heavy mounds of snow. 

Not that ogling Barnes’ butts and biceps (and thighs, and back, and face…) was a bad way to spend an afternoon necessarily. But while Tony had been distracted, Team WinterIron’s (Bucky’s idea, but Tony had to admit the name was growing on him) snowman had come out looking kind of… aggressive. He had a frown, with angry eyebrows, and Tony was pretty sure that Bucky was putting the finishing touches on a gun belt around the snowman’s waist. It looked especially bad next to the all-American Christmas scene that Sam and Steve had built beside them, complete with a bald eagle, because Sam thought he was hilarious. (He kind of was, but Bucky wouldn’t let Tony give Sam the satisfaction of knowing that.) 

Tony frowned at their entry speculatively, trying to figure out if there was anything else they could do in the six -- no, five minutes remaining. “It looks like it could kill someone,” Tony announced, poking at it haphazardly. 

Bucky shrugged, offering him a grin over the top of the snow-ssassin’s head. “That’s kinda what I like about ‘im.” 

“No!” Steve wailed behind them. “That line has to be at 45 degrees, Sam. Fourty. Five! Not fourty six!” 

Tony caught Bucky’s eye and the two of them burst out laughing. 

***

They lost, because of course they did, but it was hard to feel too bad about it. They’d had a great afternoon, laughing and throwing snow at each other, and Tony at least had all but forgotten about the adoring public watching their every move. Sam, on the other hand, looked ready to punch Steve’s teeth in, and had spent the afterparty thus far studiously avoiding the other man. Tony would take Team WinterIron’s second place standing in a heartbeat. 

The party was, at least, going better than Tony had expected. They’d been able to avoid the most annoying of the donors by hanging out with the kids the whole time -- nobody could really call them out on it unless they were an irredeemable asshole, and while there were one or two of those present, a stern lecture from Captain America on the reason they were all really there had been enough to deter them from making a fuss. There were Christmas trees and lights decorating the area, and Pepper was an absolute angel who’d managed to arrange for a Santa Claus to come and give out gifts to all the kids. Even Clint had warmed up to the event, and they all seemed to be actually having a good time. 

Tony had slipped away for a breather and was standing half hidden behind a Christmas tree, sipping on warmed apple cider, when he felt someone looming up behind him. Lips curling up in a smirk, he glanced back at Bucky. 

“You’ve gotta stop sneaking up on me there, Bucky Bear.” 

Bucky grinned back at him. “But where would the fun be in that?” 

Tony rolled his eyes. “So, did you get a chance to see Santa? Tell him what you want for Christmas?”

“Well…”

There was an odd tone to his voice, and Tony glanced at him to find… was he blushing ? He blinked at Bucky, who bit his lower lip and seemed to steel himself. 

“All I want for Christmas is you.” 

Tony stared at him a minute, and then he started to laugh, pleased and delighted. “Are you…Is this a joke?” 

Bucky shrugged, looking shy but hopeful. “Delivery, maybe,” he admitted with a crooked grin, voice a little hoarse. “But not the sentiment behind it.”

Tony beamed at him and then, after a quick look to make sure nobody was watching them, he darted forward to plant a quick kiss on Bucky’s lips. 

At least, it was meant to be a quick kiss. Bucky’s hands came up faster than he’d expected, gripping his waist and pulling him in close, deepening the kiss. They were both breathing a bit harder when they pulled away. 

“Yeah,” Tony admitted, having to clear his throat when his voice came out a little more high-pitched and giddy than he’d intended. “Yeah, that sounds like a good Christmas gift to me.” 

Bucky positively beamed at him, giving him another quick kiss, a little more needy this time. Tony hummed softly, and was just wondering how long they’d have to stick around before they could reasonably slip away, when another thought occurred to him. 

“Wait, aren’t you Jewish?” 

Bucky just shook his head and laughed. “Shut up, Stark.” 

[gigi-sinclair]

It’s @ferrame‘s birthday!!!!!!

If you don’t know, this is the author of the definitive John Irving/Tom Hartnell modern AU, I dreamed of the fine deep harbour I’d find, as well as the entire Another New World series, which is A-MAZING.

As a little birthday gift, I have the first part of an untitled Irving/Hartnell plane crash AU I will likely never finish, and which was going to be super sad if I did. (Hint: Tom’s brother died of cancer several years before the story is set.) Rated M for a bit of naughtiness. 

Happy Birthday @ferrame!

Tom arrives at his parents' house just as the snow begins to fall.

Betsy is the only one of the kids still at home, but their parents still decorate as much as they always did. The same wreath—faux pine branches with Styrofoam apples and wall-eyed wooden birds—is on the front door. The same string of multicoloured bulbs hangs from the eaves. There is a new addition: a wire-framed reindeer lit up in the middle of the front garden, snowflakes landing on its back, its antlers, its festive red scarf. With a smile, Tom raises his hand to ring the bell.

It seems the polite thing to do, given he no longer lives there. When there's no answer, he slips his key into the lock. The hall is in darkness, but firelight flickers from the direction of the front room. It sends out shadows, dancing on the floorboards and on the opposite hallway wall.

“Hello?” Tom hangs his coat on a hook, and puts his scarf on top. He kicks off his boots, then lines them up carefully against the wall. He didn't live with his mother for twenty-one years without learning something.

“Tom? We're here.” A voice comes from the other room, where the firelight glows. Tom follows it, his socks sliding on the wooden floor.

This room is also decorated, of course. The tree is short and scraggly as always. Betsy is the type of person who chooses that type of Christmas tree. Its spindly branches sag beneath the weight of half a dozen childhoods' worth of handprint ornaments and painted baubles and twinkling lights. Up top, an angel with a paper cup body and a golf ball for a head surveys all.

“Hey! What took you so long?” Tom's brother Johnny says. He's lounging on the sofa in tracksuit bottoms and a T-shirt, his feet up on the coffee table and an open tin of Quality Street chocolates on his knee. Tom stops. He can't quite remember why, but he didn't expect to see him here. His presence is a surprise, but it's not the biggest one.

“John?” At the other end of the sofa sits John Irving, formal and tidy, his feet on the floor. He's dressed nicely as always, in a knitted jumper and corduroy trousers. “Like you're fifty years old,” Tom often teases him, but in truth, he likes the look. It suits John. Tom can't picture him wearing anything with an elastic waistband. “What are you doing here?”

John and Tom weren't going to be together over the Christmas holidays. They decided that weeks ago. “I have to go to my dad's,” John had said.

“Maybe you could drop by our place on Boxing Day,” Tom offered. “Or I could come to you.” It was worth a shot, even though John's reaction was exactly as Tom had expected it to be.

“I'm so sorry, Tom.” He seemed it. “It's not that I'm ashamed of you.” Tom knew that was true. “It's complicated.” That was also true. Tom knew he was lucky, as far as families went. They drove him mental most of the time, but there had never been any question of acceptance. From the earliest days, Tom knew there was nothing he could do, no one he could be, that would make his family love him any less.

John, it seemed, couldn't say that about his father and stepmother.

“You didn't tell me you had a posh boyfriend,” Tom's brother accuses, unwrapping a chocolate from its crinkly purple paper.

“I'm not posh,” John protests.

“Oh, no. Of course not.” Johnny laughs. “'I say, old boy, would this happen to be the residence of one hot piece of arse known as Sir Thomas Hartnell, Esquire'?”

“Shut up, Johnny.” Belatedly, Tom's heart soars. “I can't believe you're really here, John.” He goes around the sofa to sit beside him. “What made you change your mind?”

John licks his lips. His cheeks are pink, from the fire or from embarrassment. Tom knows John well. It's probably embarrassment. “Christmas is about love. I decided I wanted to spend it with the person I love the most.”

Tears prick at the back of Tom's eyes. He has more questions: does that mean he came out to his parents? How did they react? Tom's not sure he wants to hear the answers, or if John wants to share them now. Instead of asking, Tom kisses him. His hands go to John's strong shoulders, his thigh presses against John's. John kisses him back, softly and sweetly, with all that natural talent that made Tom doubt, the first time they did it, that John was really as inexperienced as he claimed to be. “Why would I lie about being a virgin at my age?” Was John's counterargument. Tom didn't have an answer for that one.

“Right, then. If it's going to be like that, I'm fucking off out of here.” Tom hears Johnny stand up. “And I'm taking my chocolates with me.”

“Bye,” Tom says, his lips still against John's.

“Don't come on the sofa,” Johnny warns. “Mum will kill you.” John's cheeks go from pink to scarlet, even as Johnny leaves the room.

“Ignore him,” Tom advises.

“He's...”

“An arsehole.” But Tom loves his older brother. He can't believe he's here, and John as well. It's going to be the best Christmas ever. “He likes you.”

“How can you tell?”

“He only takes the piss out of people he likes.”

“Oh.” John's eyebrows furrow, adorably. Tom kisses the spot between them. He lets a hand slip beneath John's jumper, tracing the muscles of his abdomen and his chest. That was a very pleasant surprise. Tom knew John was kind, and sweet, and as handsome as fuck from the moment they met. He hadn't known John was built until the first time they had sex. Which had happened to be John’s first time. 

John presses closer as they kiss again, exploring Tom's mouth as he slides his own hands up the back of Tom's hoodie. Tom pauses just long enough to pull it off, tossing it aside. The fire pops. John startles a little, and Tom laughs fondly.

“He's right though,” Tom admits. “About the sofa.”

“Oh. I, I, I...”

“So I'd better swallow.”

“Tom!”

Tom wishes he had a bearskin rug. John deserves decadence like that. Instead, Tom kneels on the beige Berber carpet, urging John to slide his hips forward. Gratifyingly, his cords are tented already. Tom reaches for his belt, and John lets out a groan that goes straight to Tom's own cock.

“Tom,” he repeats. John unzips him. The fire is hot at his back, warming him. The lights on the Christmas tree cast a festive glow on John's cock. “Tom,” he moans.

“Yes.”

Again, “Tom. Tom, stay with me.”

“Always,” Tom promises. He shivers as he takes John's cock into his mouth. And shivers, and shivers, and shivers.

“Tom!”

First, he notices the smell. Fire. Real fire, burning wood, not like the odourless gas fire at his parents' house. The cold is next. He's lying on his back, wearing a coat that doesn't feel like his own. It's big and bulky, but still, the cold permeates, making him shake.

The dark is the last thing. He opens his eyes to see nothing but black.

“Tom.” The voice says again. He doesn't know it. “Are you awake? Thank Christ.” Whoever it is sounds genuinely relieved. A pinprick of light pops into Tom's field of vision, cutting through the darkness. There's a man beside him, standing over him, holding up the overbright light of a mobile phone. He's got blue eyes, and a large gash on his forehead. Tom doesn't know him. There's a polar bear pin on his jacket. That, Tom recognizes. He can't think why.

“Where am I?” Tom's voice is weaker than he expected. He clears his throat. “Where...” It doesn't help.

He's lying on a bench of some kind, an uncomfortable sofa or chairs, but he's not inside a building. It's far too cold for that.

The man sighs. He looks tired, that's obvious even in the thin light. Tom feels tired, too. Maybe he should go back to sleep.

“You need to stay awake,” the man says, as if reading Tom's thoughts. “ What do you need? What can I get for you?”

Then, Tom remembers. Everything comes back in a flood, the dam broken by those few words. Tom wishes it hadn't been.

***

“What can I get for you?” The flight attendant smiled at Tom from behind his drinks cart. He was good-looking, Tom noticed, in his navy blue suit and red tie. His name tag read “Thomas”, and there was a pin on his lapel shaped like a little polar bear.

“Coke, please,” Tom said. He glanced beside him, to where John slept against the airplane window. “And a water for him.” He would want something when he woke up.

Thomas shovelled  a scoop of ice into a little plastic cup and poured half a tin of Coke on top. He passed it over, carefully avoiding the man on Tom's other side, then gave him John's cup of water and two packets of biscuits.

“And for you, sir?” Thomas turned his attention to the other man in their row, the one in the aisle seat. He was dark-haired, with thicker sideburns than Tom had seen on anyone for a long time. He’d spent most of the time watching what seemed like a home improvement show on his tablet.

“I'll have a gin and tonic.”

“Certainly, sir.” Thomas poured the drink as Tom fought to open his biscuits. Thomas gave the other man his cup, followed it up with a quick kiss to the man's forehead, and continued down the aisle.

Tom didn't say anything. Growing up in a big family, he'd become an expert at minding his own business. Still, the man beside him said, “That's, ah, that's my, um, my husband.”

“Ah.” Tom nodded.

“We're going on our honeymoon.”

“Congratulations.” Tom didn't really want to continue the conversation, but he said, “In Toronto?”

“We're flying on from there. To Nunavut.”

“So are we.” It was a longstanding dream of John's to see the northern lights. They'd talked about going to Finland or Sweden, but he wanted to do it in northern Canada. It was a big trip, and an expensive one, but the look on John's face when Tom agreed to it made it all worthwhile.

Almost. There was an engagement ring burning a hole in the pocket of Tom's carry-on bag. That would make it extra worthwhile, but he wasn't sure about it. Rather, he wasn't sure how John would feel about it.

Tom wasn't sure what else to say, so he put his earbuds back in and picked up his phone.

Tom hadn't flown that much. Of the two of them, John was the more experienced traveller. He didn't seem nervous when the plane started to shake. Nobody did. Thomas' cheerful voice came over the intercom informing them Captain Crozier had turned on the seatbelt light, and asked them to return to their seats. John, who had been in line for the toilet, came back grumbling, but he didn't appear worried. Obediently, he buckled his seatbelt, a moment before the plane dropped what felt like a hundred feet in one go.

That was when John started to look a little nervous.

As a concerned murmur ran through the crowd, the man on Tom's other side unbuckled his seatbelt and stood up.

“Thomas!”

“You should probably sit down,” John advised.

“He's married to one of the flight attendants,” Tom explained. Thomas had likely been standing up. He might have been hurt by the sudden drop. Tom wouldn't have been that inclined to sit down if John was in that position.

“Still,” John insisted, “you should...”

Another drop, although this one was less severe. Someone screamed, then someone else. More than a few began to cry. The man beside Tom stumbled, and sat down again.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Thomas' voice returned on the intercom, as smooth as before. So he's okay, Tom thought. He was glad of that. It would suck to be injured on your honeymoon. “Please stay in your seats. We'll be making an emergency landing in Gander.”

The murmuring didn't abate. John reached for Tom's hand, and squeezed. “That's not so bad.” John’s voice was calm, reassuring. Steady. “We saw 'Come From Away', right?”

[lokikingofasgardslover713]

Judas Kiss {Oneshot}

Masterlist

Loki Laufeyson x Jotunn Plus Size Reader

Warnings: Cursing, Angst

Summary: This is my entry for @marvelandotherfandomimagines writing challenge! The reader and Loki have an established relationship. Loki stumbled across the reader when she was traversing between Jotunheim and Asgard, the god having taken to her when he realized she was nothing but a Jotun slave. The intrigue of finding her had Loki deciding she was to be brought to Asgard so that he could assure she was safe from her own people.

A/N: (Before the events of Thor) We pick up after Ragnarok and before the invasion of the Statesman from Sakaar to Midgard. This is my first time writing first person, a thing that I usually do not do. I hope this is coherent and not a complete and utter train wreck!

Thank you to @starscreamloki for the help!

Prompt: 76.) “So, this is what betrayal feels like.” in bold

Words: +2,600

I always have seen through his disguises, his lies, but… he was telling the truth this time. This must be what betrayal feels like. My chest kept growing tighter and tighter. Vision going red the longer I kept focus on Loki and the story he was spouting about Thanos, the attack on New York, the Tesseract. His words still droning on about what this meant for not just the entire ship and what was left of the people of Asgard, but of the relationship between us or in this case, what we once had.

My fist were balled so tight my short nails cut into my palms. All of the sudden I felt as if I was in too close of a proximity to the son of a bitch. Teeth clenched so tight they were about to shatter, deciding it was a good idea to nip at my lip with fangs that threatened to rip his throat out if he looked at me one more time.

Oh gods, this was real, he had… how had he kept this hidden for so long? Had he gotten better at it? Or was I just that naive, that desperate to believe we were all right? That we were going to make it out of the recent Hel intact and have a fucking life? What was happening?

Nervously my mind paced as my body remained stock still beside of the one known as Hulk, the giant beast shifting nervously next to me - I didn’t realize it at the time it was my mood that was affecting him. The shuffling must have gotten Loki’s attention because it wasn’t long before his gaze fell on me. It made my skin crawl. Those emerald orbs I had once loved to feel dancing over my thick curves even when bare before him made me lock his gaze, my own boring into his soul, wishing to burn him from the inside out.

The god, the arrogant bastard he was, made a move to step towards me which made everyone else turn to focus on me. All of the sudden I was self-conscious of all focus on me, the only ones in the room where myself, Loki, Thor, Heimdall, Hulk, and the Valkyrie Brunnhilde, but why were they? Cold wetness sliding down my cheek told me why, forcefully I reached up to wipe it away.

“Are we done here,” I snarled.

Yes, it was meant that hate filled, that vicious and aimed at Loki. A quiet nod from Thor confirming it as I didn’t hesitate to turn and leave, the Valkyrie at my back sure to give me room. Choosing to ignore to the voice speaking to my subconscious, shutting him out completely as I hurried to our shared quarters.

The grumbling under my breath keeping me sane. I suppose, while jerking what had been salvaged from Asgard into a canvas pouch before hurrying out to the cargo hold of the ship. It may be cold but like it really mattered.

A quick look down the corridor telling me he was still occupied with details of the evacuation but didn’t mean I couldn’t start getting the few escape pods readied with supplies. The least I could do for the people of Asgard since concealing the fact the All-father had been hidden on Midgard in a rest home, while I enjoyed my time with the Loki I thought dead.

The Loki I thought I loved. The one that left a cold ache in my suddenly frozen heart. It left me wishing I had never allowed him to coax be back from Jotunheim when I had begun to make my way back through the mountain pass that held a doorway no one knew of but me.

I was shocked the old All-father had approved of me coming to Asgard. Surprised Odin kept my secret from Thor and I was allowed to follow Loki. The only thing stated to me staying in the realm was to hide my heritage but that was understood.

What hopes of survival could a Jotunn slave have in a realm of Aesir, a runt at that. Though it was all revealed why it was allowed when the old king fell into the Odinsleep. It was a shock, but it made since why I was allowed to pursue Loki, he was Jotunn. There was no harm in hurting one of my own.

A jarring of the craft brought me out of the little pity party I was throwing to realize we were under attack.

“Shit,” my voice rasped out to the open cold of the cargo bay.

Throwing the bag in my hand to the floor as I reached into it to pull out the twin swords that had been mine to use on Asgard. Losing no time to throw the belts over my shoulders to latch them quickly as another explosion rocked the ship causing me to stumble slightly. Regaining my balance to hurry towards the doors that opened to the ship to be bombarded by evacuees.

Immediately  I ordered them to board the escape pods. Locating one of the gladiators that had survived the battle, making sure he knew to get all he could onboard, taking off around the people to see where else I could help but froze. In the chaos that seemed to still my gaze locked on none other than that bastard Loki.

Shaking my head, I cleared my mind. Pushing forward through the panic, ignoring him. Thrusting past Loki but the bruising, burning cold grip on my bicep made me stop to meet angered gaze. Harshly I was jerked into the room that we were next to.

Not knowing when to shut up, I cursed the god with every breath. Drawing a blade as he forced our heritage to show. The door slamming shut as he disarmed me and slammed my body against it, crimson gaze meeting my own.

“Y/N STOP,” Loki growled in my face.

The tone chilled me to the core for once, he had never taken this cold of a tone with me. A fire burning in ruby orbs as he bared his teeth, making me do the same before I began to snarl back at him.

“I should have gone back to Jotunheim! Back to my master! She would have whipped me, placed me in the breeding pen to learn my lesson but at least…,” I tried to growl just as hatefully back but it earned me another slam into the door to stop me. “Just like a Jotun male! Doing what he feels will shut up a female! You're all beast all…”

​“That is enough! I never told you to protect you from him! From Thanos! If he ever knew of you, how I care for you… you have to leave with Brunnhilde. Get on the craft and help our people survive! Is that understood,” Loki snarled in my face.

Both keeping our blue tint, the air cold and freezing around us as his hands gripped bruises and making me squirm. This was the first time he had truly hurt me.

“I…I…Loki, I just can’t abandon you,” I finally whispered. Loki must have realized he was hurting me because his grip loosened yet he did not let go.

Who the fuck was I kidding, I wasn’t about to leave him to face this alone. I was a glutton for the pain, the punishment.

His crimson orbs glittered in the dim light as he searched my face as I done the same worriedly. Loki had forgotten I could feel his fear as the ship rocked again, mouth opening to protest but in an instant his lips were on mine. The hands on my biceps releasing so I could wrap my arms around his cool neck to pull flush. The cold between us a welcome sensation as he didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around my waist to pull me tighter.

“It will be OK my little snowflake,” his lips ghosted over mine as we parted, both gazing into each other’s crimson orbs that burned like firebrands, “go help Brunnhilde, take the craft, get everyone to safety. Thor and I will be along shortly.”

“You're lying Loki. I want leave you, not like this,” my voice rasped as he released one arm to lace deep blue fingers into my hair, my eyes going wide. I knew what he was getting ready to do as I shook my head for him to stop, pleading with him not to, trying to fight him. But I am too young, to inexperienced with my seidr, though it was powerful I still lacked the discipline as I held tight to him.

“No, no, please don’t,” my voice quivered, cursing myself for sniveling like a child. My seidr fighting his for control over my own body, a losing battle as I felt it coursing over my nerves like cold fire, numbing every ending as it went. “Loki, stop.”

“I will find you, and we will have us a beautiful place on Midgard. Away from all this. You will be safe, cared for, no more lies, I promise my queen,” was the last words I heard pass his lips. Loki had taken my hearing, but was allowing me one last look, one last memory of him before I was to never see him again.

This was his goodbye. My eyes fluttering shut to the vision of a home in the middle of a clearing, nothing for as far as the eye could see but open fields and a tree line in a distance. I could feel my lips still moving as I was bombarded by this vision, having made up my mind to fight this until my last breath. No way was I going to let him suffer this alone, not when I had cursed Loki like I had, but the moment he had me, the moment my body finally shut down I heard him speak one last time.

“I love you Y/N. Care for you more than you know. You will survive and that is enough for me to carry through with saving us all,” was the last words his voice spoke, before silence took over my being to plunge my senses into nothingness.

Silence for what felt like an eternity trapped in darkness. A freezing cold darkness that made me wonder if I was back in Jotunheim, if I was back with my mistress who had handed me over to the breeders, but the metal digging into my ribs told me no. Nothing metal on Jotunheim existed without having a layer of ice over it. A low rumble around me, a jerk of my arm making having disoriented body sitting up, gasping for air while folding my legs under me. Sensing I wasn’t alone with no clue who was around me and scared shitless when someone dropped next to me.

My body jolted hard as hands grabbed my shoulders to keep me from falling back into the panel behind me. The sharp edge would have surely cut my head open and in this addled state I wasn’t sure it would be beneficial as I finally focused on the one before me.

“Brunnhilde,” my hoarse voice gasped out, realizing it felt as if I hadn’t been breathing as the Valkyrie jerked me to my feet to slam me back into a white padded seat.The action had me cringing at how harshly she flung my muddled body into it.

“Thank the gods! I thought Loki had killed you,” the Valkyrie spoke worriedly, come to think of it my head spun, and stomach lurched.

“Loki,” I gasped when I found my voice, meeting the warriors cognac gaze, knowing I could trust Brunnhilde to be honest.

“The ships destroyed. You’ve been out for over a week… we had a transmission from Thor…,” she began to explain. I knew what was next, soul in denial as I pushed the bronze warrior away to get to feet that had to yet regain their feeling and fumbling at the controls to… to…

“I don’t know,” I uttered, falling into the pilot seat.

My clean hand hovered over the controls to pull up the last communication that had to have been Thor. Swallowing hard, cursing Loki for lying to me, hands balling into a tight fist to smash the control but tanned fingers wrapped around them to pull them to cross over my chest. The Valkyries arms wrapping around me, pining me back into the chair as her head laid to my shoulder.

“We are on our way to Midgard. The people are safely behind us. You did what Loki asked. You survived. We are going to make this right, but our job isn’t done and that means you continue to survive. I am here to make sure that happens. It is my duty and I will see it through,” the Valkyrie spoke into my ear, evident Loki had spoken with Brunnhilde about the matter, my body going limp in the seat for her to finally release me and take the other seat.

“We are less than 30 minutes from earth,” the Valkyrie spoke, my chest aching as Loki’ last words bounced in my skull.

My head beginning to ache, at least until that part of me shut down. Trading my Aesir form for the Jotunn. It was fitting since my soul began to harden, spreading from the ache in my chest while I gazed off into the blackness, crimson orbs picking up on the blue orb far away.

“Hey, you with me,” Brunhilde called out making me cock my head at the warrior that hinted to the change in the hue of once Aesir skin, calmly I nodded to her that I was indeed with her.

“Yeah. I'm done hiding,” I admitted, “there is no longer any reason for the waste of seidr to keep up the appearance. Don’t worry, I want burn anyone if they touch me.”

Damn, my voice was dead, but the Valkyrie nodded to me before going back to the controls. If anyone knew how I felt, what I was going through, it was her. Brunnhilde would know the emptiness, the hollow used up and damned feeling of a shattered soul.

“When we reach Midgard, I want you by my side in this fight. You are the only one I trust to have my back”’ was all Brunnhilde spoke the rest of the trip, my mind turning over what it meant.

Was this a ploy to keep me from doing anything stupid? Or did she truly trust me? A look over to the warrior had me noting the readout from the ships trailing behind us. Something looked off about them, the pods weren’t full so to say, how was that so?

“You have to leave with Brunnhilde, get on the craft and help our people survive! Is that understood,”  Loki’ words cut through my thoughts like a hot blade. Forcing my eyes shut to stop the flow of tears threatening to spill while taking in a ragged breath. This would have to be enough for now, see myself through this, opening crimson clear orbs to gaze over to the Valkyrie.

“Understood. I’ll fight by your side until neither of us has breath left. Is that enough,” my voice spoke calmly, some life edging back in as she smiled at me, cognac orbs sparking with fight.

“Aye, that is enough,” Brunnhilde spoke, holding her hand out for me to place a blue lined one in hers to grasp it firmly.

Yeah, this was my place no. The fire igniting in my chest, this is what I was born to do, this was what I needed to do before I could enter Hel with my head held high and claim my rightful place at Loki’ side.

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[dannyphantomisameme]

~ Chapter 5 ~

(Click for prologue, chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, chapter four part one, chapter four part 2, and fan fiction link)

The morning was cold. The sun was barely out with its small crescent over the horizon. Within the woods it was freezing. Even Daniel felt frigid under his t-shirt and jeans. The sky has decided to let loose another blanket of snow, the snowflakes drifting onto his jet-black hair.

He was alone within the confines of the trees and probably brushing his teeth in one of the most oddest places. Even after washing his mouth with the water he boiled, the minty aftertaste stained his mouth. Last night, he had one of the greatest slumbers of his life. Sleeping around 13 hours, he felt refreshed and prepared for the new day. Quickly washing his hands and face, he returned back to the apartment.

He craved for some froot loops for breakfast, longing their savory, fruitful flavors along with the wash of milk. However, he didn’t have a refrigerator to keep the milk from spoiling. The best he could do was eat a cereal bar. He was fine with the light breakfast anyway.

While chewing on the cereal bar, he gathered the papers and supplies he had bought yesterday: a notebook, folder, and pencils. It didn’t cost him too much, so he was fine using $5. He reached into his backpack and took the wad of cash out. He quickly counted how much he had left.

10, 20... 50… 100… 1200…

$4,326

Not too bad… so maybe he could survive until April. He just needed to conserve as much money as possible. He took out $30 and stuffed it into his jeans pocket. He hid the rest of the money in a pocket of his backpack. Zipping up his backpack with all the supplies within, he slung it onto his shoulder and wrapped his gold watch on his wrist. Checking around the room for anything else he needed to take, he noticed his weapons peeking out from under the pile of wood. Quickly shuffling the wood around so no one would notice, he stood up, dusting his palms in accomplishment. With one final check, he transformed and ascended into the morning atmosphere.

The morning sky was filled with vibrant colors of orange and pink, mixing to create one of the loveliest things he’d ever seen. From the mansion view, the sunrise was boring and usually hidden behind the trees. But here, he felt mesmerized to be encompassed by the dynamic hues of the heavens.

Finally he descended into an alley once he neared the school. He didn’t want to get to close, in fear of students seeing him transform. There were too many of them in the open courtyard that he couldn’t watch out for all of their eyes. Even if he transformed invisibly, an unknown teenager popping out of nowhere would seem suspicious.

Screening the area for people, he exited the alley. He didn’t look out of place today, although he didn’t have a jacket.

Shit. People are going to think I’m dumb for walking out in winter in a t-shirt.

He never thought about his actions ahead of time. It was one of his biggest weaknesses. He didn’t know much about Minnesota anyway, he was for sure to be seen as an outcast. Although the temperature must have been around 3 degrees, he hardly felt it. Grimacing, he continued down the sidewalk, passing by small street stores. Those inside the cars driving by stared at him and his stupidity. He sighed, his breath fogging the air in front of him.

His objective was to keep quiet and lay on the low. He didn’t need people keeping tabs on him, especially when he was bound to disappear in two weeks. He just needed to be seen as the quiet, background kid. No friends, no talking unless he had to.

Finally he entered the school and into the hideous green surroundings. Students still glared at him as he walked down the halls. It was as if he was under microscopic inspection, their eyes scrutinizing the new student. Some students were conversing with friends while some were looking at their phones. He never understood the importance of having your own device at all times, it just seemed like a waste of money and time. He didn’t need immediate internet access at all times, he could just fly to the library in a matter of minutes. Taking a right down the hall, he looked down at the class schedule in his hands.

Locker 724. Alright.

Upon reaching his locker, he frowned at its appearance. It was the worst locker in the entire hall. Its rusted presence with questionable stains made his stomach feel like releasing its contents. There wasn’t anything he could do about it now; the principal had said that the school was quite packed with little space for newcomers. Glancing around, he noticed students placing their notebooks and textbooks into their lockers. So that’s what they’re used for. He didn’t want to touch the unappealing storage container, so he decided to find his first class. He also didn’t have any supplies to put into the locker.  He would be gone in two weeks anyway, he could survive without a locker.

Before he could turn and find his classroom, he was shoved against the filthy locker. Disgusted, his stomach churned nauseously, but his attention was focused on the figure in front of him.

“Hey look it’s a newbie.” A blonde boy taunted. He wore a red and white letter jacket, black t-shirt, and skinny jeans. Other guys stood behind him with matching jackets, laughing at Daniel like a pack of wolves congratulating their alpha.

Daniel tried not to get agitated, but he couldn’t help himself. Heat rose to his cheeks, giving them a slight pink tint. He glared at the other teens, eyes meeting at the same level. They looked about his age, maybe even in the same grade. They were also his height, although few of them were a bit taller than him. He could tell they had built up bodies just from eyeing their broad figures.

“What’s your name twerp?” The blondie ridiculed. His voice had a sort of nasally tone to it, annoying Daniel further. A smirk played itself across is face as he began dusting his shoulder from the dust that accumulated after contacting the treacherous locker.

“What’s your name, asshole?” Daniel retorted with as much sass as the boy. The others behind him ‘ooh’-ed at the sudden infringement of the social hierarchy by the new student. Daniel had a feeling that he had overstepped his boundaries and already made enemies. So much for being the low-life, new student. The first thing he did at his new school was create drama. Fuck.

The blonde boy was infuriated and with his mouth twisted into a wicked grimace. Suddenly his hand outstretched and grabbed Daniel by the neck, pinning him up against the vile locker. “What did you just call me?” the boy growled. His eyebrows were furrowed and his violet eyes dead set on the prey in front of him. A crowd began to form behind him. Daniel faintly heard him shout something else as his mind suddenly went blank.

The icy wall was blanketed with a sheet of ectoplasm, splattered everywhere, dripping down onto the white carpeted floor. The gash on his shoulder pulsated with pain. His mind felt like it was swimming in a pool of molasses, thoughts disorganized and floating around slowly. The voices in his head were increasing in amplitude by the minute. The giant monster panted loudly as drips of ectoplasm trickling down his ice horns. Both ghosts were worn out, tired of fighting each other.

Daniel couldn’t move his upper body with the giant paw against his neck. But there was one thing he could do.

Swiftly he kicked forward, contacting the ghost at his core. The unsuspecting specter tumbled backwards into the snow. Daniel swiftly unlatched the thermos from his belt and aimed it at the large abominable figure whose eyes had widened with realization.

‘I let you into my kingdom, teach you everything I know, and this is how you repay me?’ the husky voice bellowed. The ghost looked so helpless as he was held against his liking. His destroyed robe fluttered behind him in the breeze. The voices were clouding Daniel’s mind, incoherently muttering nonsense.

Daniel didn’t want to reply, but he also didn’t want to uncap the thermos. Frostbite was like a father to him. He taught him how to control his ice powers when he was younger. In his weakest moment, the far frozen king blasted three icicles at the unfocused ghost. Daniel dodged each icicle with ease, heir tips plunging into the white igloo behind him. Reluctantly he uncapped the thermos and aimed the bright blue beam at his father figure. The beam sucked him in, and all was quiet. The voices stopped.

Frostbite was gone.

Daniel didn’t know what to do as his eyes fixated on the furious boy ahead of him. He felt his heart accelerating quickly; lungs bawling to be set free. With one nimble move, he grabbed the jerk by the arm, twisted him around to face the others, and held his arm behind his back. The blonde boy cried out in anguish as everyone around the two took a step back.

After realizing what he had done, he released the boy and backed up into the locker. His hands were in front of him as if he had been caught by the police. The buff teen fell to the ground, groaning from his strained arm.

“I’m sorry.” Daniel muttered under his breath as his eyes shifted to look at everyone. They all gawked at him like he was a freak, nonhuman, a monster. His vision was hazy, but he sped off. He didn’t know where to go, he just knew he needed to get away. He heard someone shout after him, but he continued ahead, ignoring the call behind him. Everyone was now whispering about him, ogling at the new boy who already mustered up a scene. Their voices entrenched his mind, chaotically screwing up his already disordered thoughts. Noticing a sign for the bathrooms, he slammed the door open and ran into a stall. He locked the stall door behind him and turned to face the toilet.

Unexpectedly he threw up into the porcelain bowl, wrenching his guts until they were free of everything. He sat back onto the dirty floor, weakly leaning against the stall door. His body was trembling. He had another one. He thought he could have escaped them once he’d been free of his father, but there was always the threatening thought looming in the back of his mind that his father was watching. It nerved him down to the bone.

The aftertaste of bile stung his throat as he stood up. Wearily walking out of the stall and to the sink, he looked at himself in the mirror. He did look different from the last time he’d seen his reflection back at the mansion. The bags under his eyes had disappeared and his clothing was of a different style. His skin didn’t look as gloomy as it used to, and his crystal blue eyes shone under the ceiling lights. He washed his hands and splashed water onto his face quickly, dried himself, and exited the bathroom.

Using the paper with his class schedule, he wound his way through the student traffic and to his first class, literature. He had to go up a flight of stairs just to get to the English department. This time, all eyes were on him, but he didn’t return the contact. Hunching, he scurried up the stairs.

Once he’d found the classroom after a bit of roaming, he looked in only to find a bald teacher sitting at his desk. Quickly checking his watch, he realized it was only 7:35, so he was early. Go figure. Entering the classroom, he waved to the teacher who hadn’t noticed him yet.

“Um, hello?” Daniel said hoping to gain the attention of the teacher who was occupied searching something on his computer. The bald man turned around to look at the unfamiliar voice. “I’m Daniel Masters, the new student.” he said extending his hand to shake.

“Ah yes, nice to meet you Mr. Masters. You can call me Mr. Lancer. Welcome to Casper high. Have you been finding your way around easily?” he said caringly while shaking Daniel’s hand. He seemed like a pretty nice teacher.

“Yep.” he replied, popping the ‘p’. Just splendid.

“That’s good to hear. You’re very early. Unfortunately I’ve got some work to do so you may take a seat in the back for the time being.” Daniel nodded and Mr. Lancer returned to his computer. Daniel worked his way through the row of desks and sat in the back. Setting his backpack down and his head against the desk, he sighed. Today was already off to a bad start. He was even getting hungry from hurling what little breakfast he ate.

The classroom was painted in a light blue color. Posters with books and other motivational writings lined the walls. In the front was a large whiteboard and some giant screen. The desks were a boring, bland porcelain color, matching the atmosphere of the room. Other students began trickling into the classroom in groups of two or more. It seemed as if everyone had a companion except him.

Ten minutes later, the bell rang and Daniel lifted his head from the desk to look at the teacher. Mr. Lancer stood up from his desk and walked around. Clearing his throat he began to speak. “Hello class. We have a new student, Daniel Masters. Daniel, please stand up.”

Daniel stood up and smiled sheepishly. All eyes were once again him.

Awe fuck.

The blonde, muscular boy from earlier was giving him the death glare from across the room. Just my luck. He’s in my class. He was going to get beat up for sure once the blondie got the chance. Daniel sat down slowly and everyone turned back to the teacher. He sunk lower in his seat.

“As you all know, today’s Tuesday, which means your receiving your projects today. In a moment I will be pairing you in groups of three and then giving you the topic. So once I say your name, please get together in your groups.” Mr. Lancer paused, retrieving a sheet from his desk. “ Mikey, Nathan, and Leo. Brad, Star, and Lacy. Then Dash, Kwan, and Paulina.” Mr. Lancer listed as students stood up and shuffled around. The blonde kid must have been Dash since he stood up when Lancer called his name. Dash, huh? “... Tucker, Samantha, and Daniel. And finally Katie, Rachael, and Trevor.” Grabbing his backpack, he stood up and looked around the room. Tucker and Samantha, ok. Now I just have to find them…

“Psst, hey.” a feminine voice perked up. He swiveled around to find an African American boy and a goth, Caucasian girl sitting together. Daniel sat in an open desk next to them.

“That was a great show in the halls today.” The african American boy said shifting his glasses up his nose. He wore a red beret, a yellow turtleneck, and camo joggers. Daniel’s cheeks flushed a shade of red as he sunk a little in his seat at the mention of the mornings fiasco.

“Hell yea it was. It’s time someone put ‘the king of high school’ back in his place.” the goth quirked up. Her black hair flowed at her shoulders. Her bright purple lipstick and matching eyeshadow contrasted her pale skin. She wore a black tank top, black and green checkered skirt, purple leggings, and black combat boots.

“Don’t remind me. Everyone keeps staring.” Daniel said shaking his head.

“So what?! Dude you’re already famous. You can achieve popularity in a snap.” The boy presumed to be Tucker exclaimed.

“Fuck. I didn’t want any of this.” Daniel said rubbing his face in his hands. The teacher chose this moment to begin speaking again.

“For your assignment, your group must make a presentation on the book I assign. The presentation requirements are on google classroom. I will come around and assign the books and then you will need to go to the library straight after and get your book. Got it?” Mr. Lancer’s voice bellowed through the room in monotone. The class nodded in reply and returned to conversing with each other.

“Well the name’s Foley. Tucker Foley, but you can call me Tuck.” The boy said as he relaxed back into his desk. He crossed his arms behind his head.

“And I’m Sam. You call me Samantha, and your shin will be bruised and broken.” she threatened, glaring at him. Daniel widened his eyes at the immense intimidation from the petite girl.

“You probably already know this, but I’m Daniel. And I don’t have a nickname.” he shrugged. He never thought about a nickname for himself, it just didn’t pop into his mind. He had more pressing matters to deal with his entire life. His father had called him ‘little badger’ when he was younger, although he always despised the name.

“Pfft. Everyone has a nickname. Plus, Daniel sounds too sophisticated.” Tuck said as he looked at Daniel, scanning his features. “Uh… Danny. Danny’s good. U look like a Danny too.” he quirked as a group of students got up and exited the room, presumably off to the library.

“Danny?” Daniel was confused. Did they just give me a… nickname?

“Yep that’s your new name. No ifs and,or buts.” Sam chimed in, a smirk playing itself across her face. “So where you from, Danny?”

“New York.”

“You don’t have the accent though.” Tuck retorted.

“You’re from Minnesota and you don’t have an accent.” Danny interjected sarcastically. Another group of students left the classroom.

“Touche. What do you think about Casper high?” Tuck asked.

“It’s good. I wish I hadn’t screwed up my reputation the second I entered the door though.” Danny said, running his hands through his hair. The subject was still in his mind. What if someone recognized him? He always considered the impossible because in reality, his existence was an impossibility.

“Relax Danny. You’ll be on Dash’s hit list, but with moves like yours, you’ll be fine.” Sam said.

“Those moves were reflexes. I wasn’t thinking at the time. I can’t fight for the life of me.” Danny whined into his palms. Yes, he lied to them. He didn’t want people thinking he had super strength or some shit. He needed to lay low from now on. At the time, he just… panicked.

“Well you’ve got good reflexes, but you’re screwed if you can’t repeat that display from earlier.” Sam suggested. Danny groaned. Mr. Lancer chose that moment to join the trio and assign them their book.

“Looks like you all have gotten acquainted,” Danny timidly chuckled, rubbing his neck. “You three will be reading Frankenstein, got it? Mr. Masters I expect Mrs. Ishiyama led you through your school google account?” Danny nodded. “Very well then, you three can join the others in the library.” The trio stood up and headed out to the library. Mr. Lancer locked the classroom and trailed not too far behind, but out of hearing reach.

“I’ve actually read this book before.” Danny said out of the blue. The other two turned to look at him questioningly. When he was 13, he would go to the library almost everyday and read some of the most famous books. It was one of his favorite past times at the time. Frankenstein was actually a very interesting book, considering that the scientist was the real Frankenstein as opposed to the monster.

“Dude, if Lancer finds out, he’s going to make you switch to a different group.” Tuck chipped as he jabbed his thumb over his shoulder at the ignorant teacher.

“Relax. He won’t find out. This way, I’ll have less homework.” Danny replied crossing his arms. Tuck shrugged in response. The trio proceeded walking into the library where all the other students were waiting. The large area reminded him of the library he had visited on his first day in Amity Park. The set up was similar, except the computers sat at the edges of the room instead of the center. Some students had books in hand, while others were searching for their book through the multitude of stacks.

Sam guided them through the room partly using the signs posted on the shelves and partly using her memory. She seemed to know this place quite well, maybe she was an avid reader. Entering the racks of books with authors that have last names starting with the letter L, the trio began searching the shelves. Tucker called out to the other two once he had found the book. Handing each of them a copy, the three headed towards the front desk and checked out their books. Once Daniel had received his book, the bell rang, prompting students to leave at its ring. He now had 8 minutes to get to his next class.  

“Hey Danny, what class do you have next?” asked Sam. He reached into his pocket and produced a wrinkled schedule. Squinting to read the small font, he brought the paper close to his face, but Sam impatiently snatched it out of his hand.

She scanned the sheet while Tuck looked over her shoulder, scanning the sheet as well. “Well we have art, gym, and bio together” she said handing the slip back to him.

“And we have pre-calc, gym, and bio together.” Tuck said grabbing some gadget from his pocket. “And pre-calc is next so we gotta go.” he quickly said, grabbing Danny’s hand. He led his new acquaintance through the crowded halls, bypassing many students in the tight halls. Danny couldn’t even utter a word through all the movement.

The boy with the red beret was shorter than him, but only by an inch or so. He pulled Danny into the classroom. It looked the same as the last one, except the posters on the walls illustrated formulas and inspirational quotes instead of quotes from books. Danny introduced himself the to teacher and then proceeded to take a seat next to Tuck. He recognized a few kids from the previous class, but he couldn’t recall their names. As he took his seat, he noticed Tuck preoccupied with some silver gadget in his hands

“Hey, what’s that?” Danny said eyeing the contraption in the other boy’s hand. It had several buttons on it. He’d never seen anything like it before.

“This is Shelly.” Tuck said in a matter-of-fact tone. He held up the device like a prized possession. Danny just stared at him blankly. He had no idea what a Shelly was. “It’s my PDA.” Oh. He still didn’t understand.

“What’s a PDA?” Danny asked questioningly. Tuck gasped loudly and glared at him like he had committed the worst treason in the world. Daniel was perplexed at what he had done wrong.

“Only the most beautifullest thing in the world! It’s like a phone, but only better! Jeez man, you must be a real gen z if you don’t know what a PDA is…” Tucker rambled on. Danny could tell that Tuck had a thing for electronics. Just the way he talked about them and how even gave them names as if they were human. He seemed like a technology geek to Danny.

The bell rang, interrupting Tuck in his talk. The teacher began instructing the class about trigonometric functions. Danny had some difficulty understanding the concepts, joining late in the semester did that to one, but Tuck helped him through the calculations. Tuck turned out to be a genius in math, and Danny was surprised that he wasn’t in some higher level class.

By the end of class, Danny had somewhat achieved mastery of the subject. The teacher assigned a page of homework right before the bell rang. The entire class groaned simultaneously, hoping they could have evaded the treacherous endeavors of doing homework. At least they don’t have to endure father’s assignments.

Tuck once again led Danny through the hallways to gym class, a class the trio would be reunited in. He realized he had become quick friends with them. The openness between Sam and Tuck suggested that they were close friends, but there was a hint of mistrust between the two, almost as if their friendship was missing something. Danny could never see the two being friends if he hadn’t personally met them before; their personalities just seemed incompatible together. Somehow, they still managed to keep contact.

Tuck brought him into the boys locker room, showing him around. The underground room was lined with dark green tiles with rows of navy blue lockers. The area was dimly lit, like the lights were too old to be repaired. Boys were changing out in the open into red and white uniforms. Danny felt like he should have averted his eyes and given them privacy, but Tuck didn’t seem to be bothered by the sight. He was glad to have someone helping him through his first day. He would have been a complete mess without Tuck and Sam.

Danny received a gym uniform and a locker from the locker room supervisor. Luckily, both of their lockers were situated in the back corner right next to each other, and away from majority of the other boys. Tuck began to unlock his locker, and Danny followed suit. Tuck then removed his clothes one by one, however, Danny didn’t want to change out in the open. The amount of scars that criss-crossed his body would be noticeable in a second. He searched his surroundings and then turned around to face away from Tuck. Removing his shirt, he quickly replaced it with the gym uniform. Next he removed his jeans and slipped on his gym shorts. No one seemed to notice the abnormal amount of scars on his body. He sighed in relief.

Tuck had put on his shorts and now he was pulling the gym shirt onto his head. The boy was very scrawny, although he wasn’t as skinny as some of the nerds Danny had seen earlier. Danny looked marginally better in size compared to the African American boy, and Danny’s body had a light built to it from all the work he’d done. At one point in his childhood, if one could call it that, he had been in a phase of attaining the ideal body. He would workout on a daily basis, and eat a diet based on protein. He continued for two years or so, until his assignments became daily and took up his exercise time.

Danny placed his clothes and backpack into the locker and shut it closed. Tuck finished after a minute, and the two exited out to gymnasium together. Few students were already there, including Sam. She wore the same uniform as them, instead of cropping her uniform like the other girls. Danny noticed Dash sitting on the bleachers and talking to some latina girl, he shuddered. He hoped he wouldn’t have to face him again. The two boys accompanied Sam in the back of the bleachers.

“Nice of you two to join.” Sam said sarcastically as the two sat down next to her.

“Hey there’s two of us and one of you.” Tucker defended pointing his finger.

“Not unless your dressing each other.” Sam snorted. Danny chuckled. It seemed like these two joked quite often. Tuck crossed his arms in agitation. For some unusual reason, Danny felt a sensation of cold in his chest, radiating from his core. He brushed off the odd feeling, believing it to be his core overreacting from his panic episode earlier.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how do you two know each other? You just seem like polar opposites.” Danny questioned. Sam snickered at something, although he didn’t know what.

“This jackass had the audacity to try and debate with me on food preferences. You see, I’m an ultra-recyclo-vegetarian and he’s a meat lover. I was at the Produce Party and Tuck was at the Meat-Meet, and both for some odd reason were situated in the same building. We got into a fight and I tackled him to the ground. Beat his ass till he was screaming mercy.” Sam smiled as she recalled the memory.

“Hey! You left out the part where I slapped that steak on your face!” Tuck clamored.

“Then you left out the part where I tickled out with a lettuce leaf.” Sam snorted as she wiggled her fingers  in a tickling motion.

“Sam!” Tuck grumbled as both Danny and Sam laughed. Tuck didn’t seem like he was having much fun being ridiculed by the goth.

“But that still doesn’t explain how you two got close.” Danny said. Although their stories seemed humorous and interesting to hear, Danny wanted to know why the two who came to be friends. Unfortunately, the gym teacher decided to walk into the gymnasium at that moment.

She had short orange hair, although it was oddly mullet-styled. She wore a white polo and knee length red shorts. Her physique was very built as well, people could easily understand that she worked out quite often. Mrs. Tetslaff, right? She blew her whistle to gain everyone’s attention.

“Listen up kids! I’m going to take attendance, so say ‘here’ when I say your name.” her harsh voice boomed through open space. She began listing kids as Danny sat with his chin in his palm, bored out of his mind. When she called his name, he said ‘here’ just like she had asked. A cold sensation rumbled within his chest, something he’d never felt before. It was felt as if a storm was brewing inside of him. Suddenly a gasp of blue smoke released itself from his mouth. He immediately placed both palms over his lips. Nobody seemed to notice his disfunction.

What the fuck is happening?!

Another breath of blue air escaped his mouth through his fingers. He was panicking. He had no clue what was happening. Someone was bound to notice at some point. Another puff of smoke set free from his lips. His hand shot into the air, catching the attention of the teacher. Mrs. Tetslaff sighed, accepting the students question.

“May I go to the restroom?” Danny urgently asked. He needed to get away before anyone noticed.

“You should’ve gone before class. But go quick, I don’t want to hear this next time.” Mrs. Tetslaff bellowed. Danny nodded and dashed down the bleachers and back into the locker room. The blue breath had started come in quick succession, almost every second. He stared at a mirror, hands gripping the porcelain sink for stability. His knuckles were turning white with his taut grip. He was shivering. Shivering. He never got cold. Other than the time he had discovered his ice core. He could barely stand with the sudden freezing sensation. He felt like jumping into a pit of lava to feel warmth.

With his supernatural hearing, he heard a soft noise behind him. Looking through the mirror, he noticed a large figure standing right behind him. Before he knew it, he was tackled to the floor.

Goddamnit.

The mirror shattered, echoing through the open room.