#Archer is very jealous that's why he is grumpy

[trustymikh]

I just wanna stop by real quick to say that I really adore your Gio art, especially the little scenes with Persian... They're so good and you draw them so distinctively, they're all visually so full of character <3 Thank you!

awawawa thank you!!! :D

to me Giovanni is a perfect combination of that villain trope, 'horrible person who treats their pet better than anyone else' and someone who I can project my cat ownership experiences onto

I imagine she looooves to snuggle with him and every morning Giovanni cannot get up without giving her 'good morning' kisses first

[need-a-new-hobby]

raising hell

figured id keep going so s1 ep 04 here we go

kay first off, noone moves that much in their sleep.

also slightly creepy that she wakes up and simon’s just watching her

somehow, i'm starting to see a similarity in simon and alec, a sentence i never thought i’d say. it’s interesting how they’re both trying to protect against their ‘better half’s’ trusting nature;

simon blames jace for the craziness

alec blames clary for the craziness

yay! magnus bane!

oh nooo, simon don’t leave

am i the only one wondering why jace has training equipment in his room? i mean the institute is filled with this stuff, why does he need a personal one?

so first clary barges into jace’s room which btw is super clean, just like canon, sees him shirtless and apologises (yay for human decency) and then turns her back for him to put his shirt back on? like she’s already seen him, what’s the point? and clearly this is not just me. just look at jace’s smirk.

captain america ha! i should just make a list of all the pop culture references simon makes about jace. also him yelling at jace to do his own homework, pent up rage issues anyone?

‘i’m not saving his ass a second time’ well, he does get kidnapped a lot

‘i think these are my people.’ really? so she’s just gonna turn her back on simon who’s practically her family? for what, the chance to be a shadowhunter? on a further note, how can she expect simon to just stay at the institute all day? i mean won’t his mom be super worried about him?

omg, david guetta’s a vampire. ha!

‘can you focus? this is not a joke?’ yeah, alec needs to meet his future husband.

did izzy just say alec needs to get slayed or laid? because for the latter, he needs to meet the guy first

i can’t help but be irritated every time jace takes the lead in season 1. let me see leader!Alec :(

‘warlock gets around.’ please tell me he isn’t slutshaming a warlock.

hahah. ‘how is it that my most effective asset is the one who’s comatose?’ whoever writes the lines for villains is a god.

also did the fair folk seriously send seelie scouts to chernobyl? ooh, tongue twister! seelies send six scouts spying on chernobyl! ha!

did valentine smell them or something?

oop pangborn dead! oh noo

we stan two positive girls slaying!

jace giving her another blade, let’s hope she remembers to use it this time

‘i was alive when the dead sea was just a lake feeling a little poorly.’ eek! book quote!

reference to tessa gray! yay!

i always hate how guys can get away with a dress shirt and jeans but girls have to wear dresses to parties. but my grumpy archer boy cleans up well.

hahaha. ‘at least now things are interesting.’ imma let alec explain

valentine is alive and actively seeking the mortal cup

he threatens our entire world

we’re helping his daughter (who by the way, we have no reason to trust and who showed up out of nowhere)

we’re gonna end up overpaying some warlock (my future husband) who may or may not have information we need

thus, alec does not find this interesting and does not feel better now (okay, maybe a li’l)

point to be noted: feelings can explode, and not the fun kind of explode according to izzy

simon’s home! also he’s acting like every pasty 15 yo gamer boy who stayed up to late and is now allergic to the sun.

mrs lewis is not ‘one of those moms’.

also maureen is very relatable with her whole ‘i’d like to date you.’ honestly very realistic.

so if all downworlders hang out at hardtail, is it just demons that hang out at pan-demon-ium? ‘cause if so, maybe it means demons love their damned puns

‘Iz, with a body like yours, everything is your colour.’ WE STAN ONE POSITIVE FRIENDSHIP!!!

‘most men like it when i admire their jewels.’ cue jace’s smirk, alec’s eyeroll and clary’s grin

‘magnus bane. so you’re the one who stole my memories.’ she doesn’t have to be such a dick to him. he did it at her mother’s request.

really? ‘i have to confirm it’s authenticity’. jace honestly fell for that?

again, she’s such a dick to him. ‘now it’s your turn to pay up.’ i can’t believe her.

really? dot’s dead? after all the times that woman should have died, i need to see a body

‘i won’t offer again.’ classic magnus. still love him.

‘who are you?’ why, your future husband of course. sorry, i just ship malec so hard. and this whole scene gives me book!malec vibes

“If Jace was gold, catching the light and the attention, Alec was silver: so used to everyone else looking at Jace that that was where he looked too, so used to living in Jace’s shadow that he didn’t expect to be seen. Maybe it was enough to be the first person to tell Alec that he was worth being seen ahead of anyone in a room, and of being looked at longest. And silver, though few people knew it, was a rarer metal than gold.”

the bane chronicles | the course of true love [and first dates]

‘you’re my only hope.’ should’ve treated him as that then. reason #15 why i dislike clary fray

hahaha, the irony behind the cat eye button.

how do they keep murdering circle members? not that i don’t appreciate alec’s timely rescue, but do they never take people alive?

‘we have to go’ jace moves to leave. cue clary just sitting down on a table.

‘i’m catching my breath.’ from what? she literally just got out of a nightclub. this matchstick is killing me.

‘we have risked our lives again and again for this girl and where has it gotten us?’ angry!archer time. also his eye roll when clary goes, ‘hey, i am right here.’ imma just do several dot points on this one scene, cuz it really pisses me off.

‘hey, i am right here, i don’t care about you damn jewellery.’ spoiler alert, neither does he, but chances are that necklace is worth thousands of dollars (a 1857 london townhouse for that matter). that kind of bargaining chip doesn’t come cheap and in exchange for it, they’ve gotten nothing.

‘i’m sorry you’re gonna look bad in front of your bosses.’ damn right he is. alec has a responsibility to bear and she should be glad he isn’t yelling at her. in fact he’s never yelled at her thus far. second, he’s liable for derunement and exile, not to mention the severe humiliation his parents will receive.

‘my mother is still missing and my last chance at finding her just disappeared into thin air.’ i mean, magnus did almost just die from that circle member if alec hadn’t shot him. and second, she should show a little less attitude to the people that are risking their lives and their jobs for her.

‘people are dying because of me. magnus will never come out of hiding again while valentine’s still after him and i will never get my memories back.’ first of all, the only person that died for her is dot (and even that’s unconfirmed). magnus came out of hiding for the necklace, and hotch isn’t dead yet. simon is about to be but clary fixes that anyway

ooh, emeraude’s accent makes a comeback. 

PARABATAI TRACKING!!!

‘of course they are.’ bitch, is she jealous? whaat? ‘this whole parabatai thing seems oddly intimate, if you ask me.’ literally noone asked. also, she could look a little happier that they’ve found a way out of this mess. second, i feel like that’s borderline homophobic, but that might just be me overanalysing again.

‘magnus lives in a warehouse?’ hahaha, the notion that magnus ‘dramatic bitch’ bane lives in a warehouse is insane. he bought a necklace with his townhouse for crying out loud.

also, why do they keep dragging her into these missions? she’s a liability with no training and she’s apparently the most un-athletic matchstick in the world considering she lost her breath exiting a nightclub. then again, clubs are exhausting.

sadistic shadowhunters. that’s nice.

future husbands fighting together warms my soul

were magnus’s first words to alec seriously a steak pun? ‘well done, more like medium rare.’ i love these dumbasses so much.

awww, alec’s first real smile. and the stuttering. it makes my cold, dead heart melt. AND THEN HE RUNS AWAY! GAAA

okay, so this whole magnus and clary thing has more than a few points, can’t wrap it up as neatly as the others but:

first off, he’s giving clary sole credit for saving zoe’s life when really it was all of them. technically she kicked his ass while izzy grabbed him and jace threw a knife in his back.

second, if she hadn’t called him out of hiding, this situation wouldn’t have even come onto him. and as much i hate to stomp on magnus, if he hadn’t been reckless enough to answer the call, they wouldn’t have been in danger.

third, clary is exactly like jocelyn, but for all the wrong reasons. clary uses people, offering them false promises she doesn’t have the capacity to deliver, and exploits anyone who gives her the most basic human decency, refusing to understand the cost at which they do so. (see alec)

fourth, she’s not a real shadowhunter, not without training or experience. that’s like calling a newly enlisted soldier an officer. sure, they’re part of the system, but you can’t send them into battle without an ounce of training. clary barely knows how the chain of command works. so saying, she’s not like the other shadowhunters is ridiculous. obviously she isn’t considering shadowhunters grow up in a society where downworlders are looked down upon. so when she’s introduced to this new world, obviously she looks at them as decent human beings.

‘normally, i love a dirty lair...’ ALEC’S FACE AT THAT HA!

also where’d all the warlocks? because it’s literally just the 5 of them. otherwise, imma have to assume they’re dead.

‘about Alec, is he more of a flower or cologne man?’ magnus’s subtlety is killing me.

‘pretty boy’ alec’s little smile and shrug though aaaa

‘trust no-one, especially the clave’ i mean, i get it but how’s she meant to protect it on her lonesome?

why does jace look so wounded? i’m starting to think he’s a little jealous of not getting hit on. oh nvm it’s cause he has to burn her flesh.

‘this might sting.’ cue clary screaming. i know, i know, i should feel worse about this but if any of you have seen the behind-the-scenes footage from matthew daddario’s twitter profile, you’ll understand. when they were shooting this scene, harry shum jr (magnus bane) was dancing outside and lip-syncing to kat mcnamera’s (clary fray’s) screams. it’s hard to get out of your head.

that pentagram is the most beautiful thing i’ve seen. i never thought i’d say that.

again, subtlety is not magnus’s strengths and i love him for it.

michelangelo

i aspire to be as dramatic as magnus bane is leading a demon-summoning ritual

aww izzy loves alec the most, clary and her mom obv, oh noo, alec and jace, that’s not good

also why does jace look so injured by it?

alec’s panicking, alec’s panicking, ALEC’S PANICKING

f*ck her memories, save jace. im assuming this whole thing is just a plot device to keep stuff spicy and to give clary credit for killing a greater demon.

i have to point out 4 things, you can skip this bit where i just talk about the team as people and how their reactions reveal stuff about them.

alec’s panic over injuries is very controlled which i think says a lot about him as a person where he has to control his reactions, but you can see he feels guilty

izzy instantly looks for any injuries, says a lot about her being more active and level-headed

clary, naturally, panics and looks to magnus for help

magnus sort of strolls over and brushes off his shirt. clearly apathetic about shadowhunter but expects that they’ll ask him to help and is his very cynical self (‘I don't know. Does he normally just lay like that without moving?') which naturally results in a very obnoxious face made by clary

somehow in this moment i feel worse for alec than jace. (maybe cause the latter is loud, arrogant and annoying) the guy’s terrified that he’s been out-ed, guilty about almost killing his parabatai and angry at himself for releasing the demon. and in typical alec fashion, instead of addressing his problems, he watches from a distance and then leaves.

okay, so jace has almost died from that demon, yet he’s the one asking clary if she’s okay?

vision time

okay how does valentine keep seeing stuff he’s not meant to see?

alright something i gotta point out. almost every angsty show/movie i’ve seen does the same thing where the girl gets frustrated at a necklace (usually a gift), rips it from her neck and throws it away. shouldn’t that have broken said necklace?

well, that’s the end of that. malec made all the difference in this ep. much more excited about magnus and alec finally meeting each other. till the next ep.

[ask-emilz-de-philz]

FANFICTION BY: ''You know who you are ; ))'' AU: #actorAU PAIRING: MIKHAIL x ARCHER (aka HS!AU Adult Emilio's actor and HS!AU Adukt Abel's actor) RATED SPG HAHAHAH (( no really so those under 17 y/o look at sommin else hahah))

((A/N: The moment I saw Mikhail and Archer my brain immediately made this story up. Sorry if they’re OOC or something, it’s only been a few times that Mikhail appeared and Archer only appeared once so far. It might be a lil steamy for some, but I really tried to tone it down I promise 😂))

((Milo’s here too, sorry again if he’s OOC 😅))

—-

On a shooting for a special limited edition blu-ray release, a very intense kiss scene between the couple, Emilio and Abel.

Archer softly moaned in between the kisses, “M-Mi….” he gets interrupted everytime by a very excited Mikhail, who noticed that Archer is already calling out his name, and not his character’s name. Mikhail shut his mouth by deepening the kiss and caressing his back, hands slowly inching its way lower and lower. Archer tightened his embrace. Mikhail lifted him up and put him on the table. Archer squeaked in surprise, but did not move his lips away. Archer subconsciously raised his legs and crossed them together, making Mikhail even closer than before.

Mikhail, caught up in the passion, breathily spoke while his lips were on the other man. “I love you, A–”

The director yelled, “Cut!”

The lively crew applauded and began to talk about how hot the scene was, and all that crap that Mikhail could care less about. They were too caught up in their conversation that it would take some time for them to remember the two actors who were still glued together.

The instant Mikhail heard the cue, he backed away reluctantly, grudgingly. Anyway, it was not the right situation to confess, better do it when they’re off camera, in private, as Archer and Mikhail, not as Abel and Emilio. He smirked when he noticed that Archer moved a little bit forward, as if to chase after him, but stops and blushes all the way to his ears when he realized what he’s doing. “G-good work,”

Mikhail looks down at Archer, whose gaze remained on the floor. They were still a bit out of breath, and Mikhail relished the heat. He took in Archer’s scent, the red flush on his soft cheeks, his teary eyes still glazed with desire. Mikhail shivered in arousal, licking his slightly swollen lips that were still wet.

Mikhail couldn’t resist. He carried Archer up again, with the excuse of helping him get down, and subtly kisses his neck that even Archer doubted whether it was intentional or accidental.

“Good work.” Mikhail spoke lowly beside Archer’s ear, and he enjoyed watching Archer’s cute little ears tremble from his voice.

‘So cute, so sexy. He’s like this because of me. I want to see him like this everyday.’ No one, not even Archer who was the closest in proximity to him, noticed Mikhail’s warm gaze on Archer. The people who knew Mikhail personally would hardly describe him as a good person. Just like the dragon on his body, he was known to be cold and ruthless, especially to 'pests’. However, they couldn’t deny that Mikhail was fiercely loyal, and that once he considers you one of his people, he will surely protect you.

Even so, if they saw how Mikhail looked at Archer, as if he were a man lovingly watching his cherished lover, they would probably wonder if they needed a prescription from an optometrist. Mikhail did have a few friends, people he would always protect, but none that he treated so preciously. Because Mikhail was cold. Mikhail was ruthless. Just like the dragon on his body.

Alas, the dragon found his one and only Treasure.

It would be a mistake to consider the Treasure his weakness; rather, if there was anyone thoughtless or brazen enough to harm or steal his Treasure, they would be touching upon his reverse scale.

His Treasure seemed to be a bit afraid of him, but that’s okay - everyone was. Mikhail will just have to slowly but surely creep into his heart, and by the time Archer notices that he’s in love with him, he’ll be ready with a ring.

Noticing his gaze, Archer, who had been reading the script, turned to Mikhail and asked, “What is it, Mikhail?” he said with a polite [read: nervous] smile. After that intense kiss scene from back then, Archer seemed to be more nervous around Mikhail, yet at the same time more defenseless.

Mikhail chuckled, thinking to himself, 'Ah, I’ve got a long way to go.’ but he replied without missing a beat, “Just admiring the view. It’s beautiful.”

Archer blushed and buried his face in the script. “Thanks.” He said it in such a quiet voice that if Mikhail didn’t have better hearing than the average man, he would have failed to hear the next words: “You too.”

Mikhail’s eyes wided before he laughed, which made Archer even more flustered. 'Maybe not so long after all.’

While Mikhail was busy planning how to make Archer his wife, Archer was lost in his thoughts. 'Geez, I got swept up by Mikhail’s pace again! Archer, you have got to be strong, don’t be swayed by his sweet words, his thoughtful gestures, his warm eyes, his k-kisses….. AAAAHHHHH STOP THINKING ABOUT HIM!’ Archer scolded himself for being too easily swayed.

Despite the chaos in his head, he still managed to maintain an unperturbed, gentle expression. 'Well, it’s not that I’m easy,’ Archer thought. 'It’s just that it’s hard not to love Mikhail.’ All of a sudden, he sighed as the excitement rapidly drain from him. 'Whatever, Archer. Don’t feel down, it’s just a crush. He wouldn’t like me in that way.’

——

A point in time after their marriage.

“What do you want.” Mikhail grumbled. It’s late. There were hardly any cars on the road, but Mikhail was still careful as he drove. He figured the phone call would help keep his focus, otherwise his thoughts would just go back to the man waiting for him at home.

The voice on the phone chuckled. “Why, can’t I just be a nice senior checking up on my junior? How’s the married life, Mr. Grumpy?”

Mikhail had no patience for nonsense. “If you’re calling for such a stupid reason, I really should have cut off your tongue and fed it to the pigs.”

“Oh my, how cruel! You still can’t let that incident go? Even your wife didn’t mind, how petty of you.”

That man was getting on his nerves. How could it be possible to hear his smirk through a call?

But….. hearing people refer to Archer as his wife……

“What, were you that happy I called him 'your wife’? Haha, how adorable!” Milo teased.

“Shut your trap, pretty boy. What do you really want?” Oh how he wished he could sew Milo’s mouth shut.

“Well, I’m just letting you know about that one time I visited your shooting….”

… … …

'There was such a thing?’ Mikhail didn’t even remember. He grinned, thinking of a good idea. 'Well, I should make up for that…. right?’

When he opened the door, the lights were still on. Archer was snuggled up in blankets on the sofa while reading his script. An empty cup and a pen were on the table.

Mikhail embraced his wife from behind the sofa, “Hey babe, I’m home.”

Archer jolted in surprise, taking off his headphones as he looked behind. “Mikhail! Welcome home, dear. Would you like me to heat up dinner? Or would you rather take a bath first?”

“I prefer the third choice.” Mikhail gave his wife a kiss. It was the beginning of his 'compensation’.

Archer was a bit flustered, but he was used to it. Mikhail was unexpectedly clingy, and even after getting married, he was still the same devoted and loving husband.

“You know that you’re the only one for me right?” Mikhail used his ultimate weapon: whispering lowly right beside the ears.

“Ah, hm, yes, um, you want dinner? I’ll prepare dinner!” Archer hurriedly escaped to the kitchen, wondering what got his husband riled up.

Had Archer looked back, he would have realized from the look on Mikhail’s face that the 'dinner’ would be thoroughly eaten up tonight.

The couple woke up at noon the next day. Thankfully, they both had the next few days off. It was Mikhail’s turn to cook because Archer was still in bed. It was rather difficult for him to get up due to their 'dinner’.

Archer got a call from a person he didn’t expect, but wanted to talk to.

“Good afternoon Mr. Grumpy’s little wifey~”

“Milo! Why did you say that to him?” Archer rebuked, though it could hardly be considered an angry tone.

“What? That you were jealous when a young and bold crew member was blushing and hovering around Mikhail like a high school student in love?” Milo made an effort to sound innocent, as if the culprit wasn’t him.

“I-I wasn’t even–” Archer’s cheeks flushed. He really wasn’t jealous! He even told Milo how cute that girl was around her idol, Mikhail!

“I can tell from your hoarse voice that you had a good time. Hope you liked my ve~ry special gift for you two!” from the other side of the line, someone was calling for Milo. “Well, that’s the last of my 10 minutes. Enjoy the rest of your holiday,”

Archer turned to lay on his stomach, burying his face on the pillow.

The door opened soundlessly, but Archer knew that Mikhail was there, just staring at him. Or probably his butt.

“Is food ready?” Archer asked.

“Mhm.”

“Can we eat here?”

“Mhm.” Mikhail laid on his side beside his wife.

Archer faced Mikhail with a look of curiosity, “Well, where is it?”

Mikhail opened his arms. The deadpan look on his face was obviously saying, 'Food is served. Eat well.’

Archer was stumped. This was the man he used to be afraid of? All he could do was laugh and indulge his sticky husband, moving closer to cuddle with him.

——-

(A/N: This is what I would have asked had I gotten the chance to XD I thought hard about what to ask Archer, but I ended up running out of time lol, but that’s okay bc it’s become a fuel for my fantasy) (this isn’t in a proper story format like the ones above, just saying 😂)

'NEVER HAVE I EVER treated my co-actor like I would treat their character on screen

Question for: Archer’

Archer: Hmmm, so far, never. While I and most of the people I’ve worked with get so immersed and emotionally invested in our role, I believe I do a good job of separating my emotions from my character’s. Similarly, I can separate my co-actors’ characters from their off-screen selves.

*Mikhail walks in on the set, speaking out of the camera’s view* Mikhail: Hey babe, I bought some sandwiches. You like the one with mayo or nah?

A: You don’t like mayo, right? I’ll have it. And next time, please don’t disturb the set when there’s an ongoing interview, alright dear?

*walking away already* M: Mmkay. I’ll take you home, I’ll wait for you to finish.

*turning back to the interviewer as if nothing happened* A: So yes, where was I?

Interviewer: Um, didn’t you just … .

*Archer realizes what just happened, internally screaming because oMG I WAS SO RUDE TO MIKHAIL WHAT IF HE GETS MAD AAAHHHH BUT NO WAIT WE’RE HANGING OUT ON OUR FREE TIME, AND WE’VE GOTTEN QUITE CLOSER ALREADY RIGHT?? HE WOULDN’T MIND RIGHT??? I WOULDN’T JUST WAKE UP SINKING IN THE OCEAN RIGHT?!?! TTATT* Archer: Hm, well, we’re on good terms, it just became natural. *gives his best sparkly smile to stun the interviewer and quickly escapes after some greetings*

[janeykath318]

Pike x Tilly Old West AU

Old West AU: Person A’s parents sent them out west to marry person B, who is the only sheriff in the area.

Sylvia emerged from the train feeling tired, dusty, and shaky with nerves. Clutching her bag tightly, she looked around the platform for the man who was supposed to meet her. It was not a very busy station compared to the one back home, so she didn’t have to worry about getting lost in the shuffle, thankfully.

She didn’t have any idea what her soon to be husband looked like, just that he’d be wearing a sheriff’s badge. How she hoped he was handsome! Her parents had assured her he was a very honorable gentleman, and his letters had been very nice, but it would be nice to live with someone you could actually stand to look at.

[[MORE]]

She’d only waited a few minutes when she saw a man approaching her, sunlight glinting off of the badge on his chest.

She instantly grew nervous again. This was him. This was the man she’d traveled cross country for. Sylvia hopes she didn’t look too bedraggled.

“Miss Tilly?” He asked.

“Yes. Sheriff Pike?” She squeaked out through a throat that suddenly didn’t want to work. One of her wishes had definitely come true, It appeared. He was very good-looking.

“At your service,” he said, giving her a smile. The dimples that appeared made her heart skip a beat. Oh, my.

“Welcome to California. Is this your luggage?”

Tilly managed a nod.

“Yes. One trunk and two bags.”

“Very good. My wagon is nearby and we’ll have them loaded shortly, if you don’t mind waiting a moment. There’s a bench over yonder.”

He pointed toward said bench and Tilly nodded, not looking away from him. Pike was.....in a word, stunning. Despite his longish greying hair and beard, his face did not look old and was generally very pleasing to look at, especially his very striking blue eyes. Now that, she could get used to. He was tall and lean and carried himself with a cool command that obviously garnered plenty of respect, judging by the way people greeted him in passing.

She watched from the bench as Pike and another man loaded her trunk and bags into his wagon, then he returned for her.

“I hope your trip was uneventful?” He asked as he gave her a hand up into the wagon.

“It was,” she confirmed. “But very long. I resorted to attempt to Sherlock Holmes my fellow passengers, with mixed results.”

Pike cracked another smile.

“An admirer of the great detective?”

“Very much,” she declared. “I have all of Doyle’s works packed away in my trunk.”

“So that’s why it was so heavy,” he said, a teasing glint in his eyes.

“What can I say? I am a woman who loves literature,” she replied cheerfully. “My mother was exasperated with how many I packed, but I had the room, so in they went.”

“A good hobby to have,” he replied. “I too, enjoy a good book, though sadly I rarely get the time to indulge.”

“I imagine dealing with scoundrels and outlaws is quite taxing, especially having to cover such a large area.”

He shrugged.

“It can be. Some days are worse, some are quiet. It’s not a heavy populated area, so the crime rate isn’t out of hand. I don’t think your father would have allowed you to come out here otherwise.”

“Certainly not,” Tilly sighed. “He’s very protective of me. I wanted an adventure though, so he put me in contact with you. He trusts you.”

“Quite significantly.” Pike looked at her gravely and she sensed he considered her coming quite momentous.

Tilly went quiet for a bit, thinking over the whole “about to get married” part of the journey. He was certainly putting her at ease about it, but still, it was a life changing event. A few townsfolk waved at them as they passed, greeting Pike with a “Howdy, Sheriff!” And staring curiously at Sylvia.

“Do they know?” She asked.

He nodded.

“Yep. Word spread faster than a prairie fire. I did my best to dissuade them from overwhelming you with calls, but I can guarantee that once we’ve been before the judge they’ll pour forth to congratulate us. I love them, but they’re nosy as all get out.”

Pike shook his head with a fondly exasperated smile and drew the horses to a stop in front of a simple white house.

“This is it,” he said, alighting from the wagon to tie the horses up. “Home sweet home. I had a wise woman make sure it was acceptable to house a lady. Being A long time bachelor, I admit was rather careless in certain areas.”

“So you mentioned in your letters,” Sylvia said with a laugh as he handed her down. Her breath caught a bit as he locked eyes with her in that moment. “By the way, please call me Sylvia. After all, you’re about to be my husband.”

Her cheeks went pink saying it and Pike’s gaze softened.

“Sylvia. A very lovely name. It suits you. I go by Chris.”

Once her trunk was unloaded, he showed her over the house, which though much simpler than she was used to, was really quite well designed and cozy. She appreciated the little touches that gave it a more homey air, such as a vase of flowers on the table and dainty curtains over the kitchen window. All in all, it was a very nice place in which to start a household.

“It’s lovely, Chris. I think I’ll be happy here,” she told him.

“I know it’s a far cry from what you’re used to, but I’m glad you like it.” Pike looked very relieved at her reaction.

“Oh, I do. Speaking of which, what plans did you have for the ceremony?”

“I have already alerted judge Archer and As soon as you’re rested and refreshed, we’ll have it done. Is that agreeable?”

“Yes,” Sylvia nodded, pulse quickening at the prospect. The sooner they got it over with, the better, and she could start relaxing again.

“I will leave you to it. Una, my sister-in-law, is coming over to make sure you have something to eat. Is there anything else I can get you?”

Sylvia shook her head and removed her bonnet, feeling unruly strands of fiery red hair spring up. Chris’s eyes got a bit wider.

“Yes, Chris. It is as red as I described to you. And no, I don’t need anything else right now, thank you. I will see you later!”

She grinned at him and disappeared into the bedroom, Chris staring after her with a highly amused look on his face. She was going to shake up his world, and he was actually looking forward to it.

After Sylvia had eaten, washed, and dressed in the elegant blue gown she’d brought for the wedding, Una helped her do her hair. Taming the wild red curls was not an easy task, but they managed to succeed, with a multitude of pins.

She donned a pearl necklace from her mother and then critically inspected herself in the mirror, making sure everything was tidy.

“You look beautiful, Sylvia,” Una told her with a smile. “Christopher will be charmed.”

“He’s been so kind to me. He certainly seems to be taking getting married in stride,” Sylvia observed.

“Oh, I think he’s been gradually falling in love with your soul through your letters and now that he’s met you, well, the spell is complete. Just three years ago, he would have never agreed to this, now.....well....he’s singing a different tune.”

Sylvia giggled. She liked the thought that she’d been able to show Chris that marriage wasn’t misery or a burden. She opened the small brown box she’d just taken from her trunk and smiled at the contents. For better or worse, they were going to be joined in matrimony.

When Chris came to collect her, she smiled brightly at him, heart thumping at how handsome he looked, having donned a dark suit for the occasion.

“You look beautiful, Sylvia,” Chris breathed in her ear, making her shiver a bit and blush again.

“Thank you,” she responded, taking the offered arm. “You look extremely handsome yourself. It really isn’t fair to the other men around town because Nobody else is even worth looking at when you’re around. They must be very jealous.”

Chris chuckled.

“I wouldn’t go that far, but thank you. Ready to be wed?”

She held up the little brown box.

“Even down to the rings father sent with me. He said they belonged to your relatives.”

Chris’s eyebrows rose and he took the box and carefully opened it.

“Oh, my. He found my parents’ set,” he said softly, admiring the gold bands within. The smaller one contained three tiny pearls. Sylvia thought it was very romantic that they would be using family heirlooms, and was glad the pearl ring had fit her (yes, she’d tried it on).

“Your Father is very thoughtful. I wish he were here to thank him. I thought these had been lost in the estate sale.”

“He hopes to come visit us this summer,” Sylvia told him. “I know he was thrilled to be able to recover them.”

“As am I,” Chris sighed. “Well, we don’t want to keep the good judge waiting. He gets crotchety if he’s behind schedule.”

He winked at Sylvia and she grinned back as she took his arm. Let the adventure begin!

Judge Archer was not grumpy after all and he greeted the bride and groom quite cheerily.

“So you’re the lucky lady! Pleased to meet you, Miss Tilly. You’re getting a fine man in our Christopher. Very good man and the soul of integrity.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Sylvia managed, fingers tingling from the handshake.

“And you, Christopher, take good care of her. She’s come all this way for you.”

With this admonition, the judge proceeded to begin the ceremony. It was short and simple, witnessed only by Una and her husband. Sylvia felt a little shy during it, but it was a nice feeling to have his hands in hers while they made their vows.

The rings were exchanged, and then Archer declared them husband and wife.

“I didn’t know whether to leave out the kiss the bride part, but you’re free to now should you so desire,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.

Chris looked at Sylvia, who had turned a bit pink, but was looking back at him hopefully.

“Well?” He asked.

“I’m game if you are,” she responded.

“Happy to oblige,” he murmured, and leaned down to place a gentle kiss on her lips. Considering they’d only just met in person, he was stunned by how right it felt. He pulled away for a moment to look at her earnestly, admiring once again her beautiful smile.

“That was nice,” Chris murmured. “We should do that more often, Mrs. Pike.”

“I agree, Chris,” Sylvia whispered back.

[demialwrites]

A Servant, In Every Sense of the Word Ch 2

You loved your regal, blond pet. You really did. He was gorgeous, strong enough to fight all the other servants, and had fantastic stamina in bed. But what he wasn't, was the best submissive. It was pulling teeth to get him to do any housework. He preferred to be yelled at and abused a bit before he would do anything. It was fun, but it was tiring sometimes. And then when he did any work, he did it badly. Which you couldn't blame him for because he wasn't used to it. On top of that, he had a habit of assuming everything you owned was also his. Especially your sweet treats and alcohol. And your house. A couple times you caught him yelling at your neighbours to keep their distance or be struck down.

He was an exhausting submissive.

A solution for the housework problem presented itself in the form of the lancer servant, Cu Chulainn. Gilgamesh slaughtered his master. You, still in possession of all your command seals, made a pact with the lancer.

"I am impressed that you have enough mana to supply two servants, Master," Gilgamesh said.

You gave a mock bow. He turned his attention to the kneeling lancer.

"Do not dare to let my master down as you did yours, Mongrel," Gilgamesh muttered venomously.

"If you're grumpy, go back to the house," you told him. While you didn't care about his attitude yourself, you didn't want these two fighting amongst themselves.

"Hmph." He dematerialized into golden flecks of light, which disappeared into the breeze.

"Master, do I really have to deal with him?" Cu complained.

"I'll keep him in check. Don't worry."

He was wondering how you were going to do that when you put a halt to his train of thought by burying your fingers into his thick, blue hair. For such spiky hair, there was no gel. Just silky strands giving under your fingers. He had a moment of confusion before his expression went slack, loving the scalp massage.

You giggled. "Close your mouth, Honey. You can take me back home."

Cu proved to be a much better housemaid than Gilgamesh. He already knew how to clean and was a hard worker. Gilgamesh did not take this personally. He left Cu to his work or pointed out that housework was for the common folk and left. Cu didn't find it demeaning. He welcomed a strong woman as his overseer, feeding him a constant stream of praise.

He pleased you so much that it revved you up and you had to reward him.

"I'm here to give you a break," you announced.

"Thank god."

You led Cu to the living room to sit on the sofa where it was comfortable. You wanted more time to get to know Cu Chulainn. And he was cute to look at. Gilgamesh lounged on the opposite sofa with one of your last cherry danishes.

You lay Cu's head in your lap and dug your fingers into his scalp. When he was sufficiently relaxed, you bent down to kiss his lips. He made it very easy for you to seduce him, returning the kiss immediately.

Gilgamesh bored holes in the both of you sucking face with his red gaze. The danish was forgotten, still in his hand. You moaned quietly and he wrinkled his nose. The lancer glanced at the archer.

"Ignore him," you said.

"I can't," he groaned.

You burst out laughing and gave him a kiss when it died down.

"He won't hurt you while I'm here. Look." Still smiling, you waved Gilgamesh over. "Come here."

He came to stand close. You pushed his cheek to the side to reveal his neck and tugged on his red collar to show the lancer.

"Ahhh, now that explains why you're such a good boy." Cu snickered.

Gilgamesh growled. Cu continued to laugh. Then he found his family jewels being gripped firmly and beginning to painfully twist. He curled up from your lap, screaming. Gilgamesh sneered at the lancer's agony until you shouted at him to stop. He let go of Cu's crotch and back away, still simmering.

"Don't harm him without my permission!" you yelled.

He bowed his head, turning his anger to the floor.

"What's with him?!" Cu asked loudly, still hissing in pain.

You studied your other servant, still glaring at the floor. Then you smirked.

"He's jealous!" you proclaimed. "Isn't that cute?"

Cu laughed. "He's jealous of me?"

"Mongrel!" Gilgamesh snarled and started towards the lancer, but he was too quick. He jumped across the room and behind an armchair.

"I'm not falling for that again," he said, his arm straight and pointing at Gilgamesh.

You pointed at the door. "Out," you commanded.

"Yes, Master," he seethed. And he left the room.

You turned your attention back to Cu, who you waved back over to the sofa. It surprised you how hungry you both were during the next kiss, some teeth sneaking into the action.

"Would you like to take this elsewhere?" you purred.

"Yes, please, Master," he answered with an equally husky voice and a small grin.

He carried you to the bedroom where you could really break him in.

Gilgamesh sat against the door outside the bedroom, his head resting back. He was doing his best not to burst into the room and demand you stop riding Cu. To stop bouncing on the lancer's cock and moaning shamelessly and loudly. He had taken to being your second pet in all ways quite quickly. Gilgamesh wrinkled his nose just thinking about it.

He sat there and counted the orgasms Cu gave you. It was just as many as he gave you and his lips parted in a silent snarl. The moaning came to a crescendo and then finally stopped. He huffed, stood, and went to go eat and drink everything sweet in the kitchen.

A couple days went by and Gilgamesh was still being a brat about sharing you with another pet. Which was a huge problem, because it could mean death if they bickered during battle. Not that you were about to give up Cu. You collared him as soon as you got your hands on one that matched his signature blue. Gilgamesh did not approve.

"He's not good enough for you," he stated.

"Really? And whose decision is that?"

"Only I am-"

"The answer is 'no,' Gilgamesh!" you snarled in interruption.

"Yes, Master," he said, blushing a pretty pink and bowing his head. Nonetheless, you caught him throwing a sneer to the side at Cu.

"What was that?" you demanded to know, pointing at his face.

"He is not my equal!" he said to the floor. "You imply that he is! No man is."

"I'm sick of your ego, you child!" you yelled, slapping his face. "On your knees."

He slumped to the floor, knees apart. His eyes squeezed shut to hide to the humiliating tears in his eyes. You put the sole of your foot against his erection that was beginning to bulge.

"Go take care of yourself. I want you to show proof that you did after you've done so."

His face darkened because you ordered him to stoop to masturbation when he believed he was above it. He got up and sulked off to obey. You turned to Cu with a smile.

"Hey, Honey," you cooed.

"Whoa, Master."

He was taken aback by your sudden change in demeanour and scrambled back from your attention being turned to him.

"Oh. He likes it when I'm mean to him," you explained. "What do you like, Honey?"

"Uhhhh...Beer and good food."

"I can work with that. I like food, too. Let's order in and I'll show you one of my favourites."

He brightened up at that. You didn't order anything for Gilgamesh. He ate enough of your food as it was. Plus, after he showed you his palmful of cum, that lovely blush still on his face, you had him lick it up. That was enough for now.

Still, he protested, yet again. Where was his food? You laid him flat on the sofa and sat on his back to eat your takeout. He was still being such a brat. You pondered what to do, while munching on your food.

"Baby," you asked him.

He grunted.

"How would you describe my other servant? Besides 'mongrel.'"

"A stupid, blue mutt of a dog from a backwards, filthy country," he muttered.

Cu shoot you a look, hoping to catch your attention and get permission to retaliate somehow. He wasn't getting it.

"You can do that on command, right?"

"...do what? State the truth?"

"Uh, yeah. Whatever."

"Of course!"

That night, you were going to give Gilgamesh an outlet for his brattiness of your choosing. Otherwise, you would have to be meaner.

You took them both into the bedroom at the same time. You were pleased that Cu agreed to play with pain that night. He was pleased that you were pleased and also eager to show off how much pain he could endure.

"Unlike you, I trust our master," he said to Gilgamesh, who sat on your bed in his casual wear.

He wrinkled his nose.

You prepped Cu, explaining what would happen and showing him what you were going to beat him with.

"That's it, Master? You got something bigger than that?" he asked.

Which made you laugh. Gilgamesh continued to steam by himself at the side with his arms crossed. He did, however, remain silent like a good boy and refuse to meet your eyes.

"Now, these," you said, patting one of your large, tall bedposts, "are for more than decoration. I'm going to tie you to one, Honey."

Cu removed his clothes. You chose some comfortable cuffs for Cu's first time and bound him with his back facing outward. He already understood that he was not to use his strength to get himself free.

Gilgamesh eyed Cu closely as you brought the cane down on his back the first time, ready to judge him for being a wimp. That didn't happen. Cu loved the pain. He loved showing you he could bear it.

Cu gritted his teeth, grunting.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No! Harder!"

That was music to your ears.

"Baby?"

"You take that cane like a bitch," Gilgamesh stated with a maddening grin.

He was one to talk.

However, he played his part nicely. He lashed Cu's ears with insults until his face was as red as his ass. His cock rose in his pants but he ignored it for all the fun he was having running his mouth.

You painted Cu's backside with long red welts. He lurched forward each time the cane landed. The trail of precum dangling from his cock flicked through the air until it attached tenuously to his stomach. Every so often, you had to work the dildo back inside as it had inched out.

"More, Master!" Cu shouted each time you took a short break.

You did so and as the hits continued to land, Cu's shouting faded. He still took the cane well, but his pleading for more was now harsh babbling. His sweaty cheek was smushed against the bedpost. His back bowed and his chest heaved.

"More...Master..."

"No, I think you're done."

"But-"

You took hold of his rock hard cock. A couple of easy jerks and he came, groaning. His forehead hit the post. Slowly, you pulled the dildo from his poor ass. You took off the cuffs and he went straight down to the floor. You took a blanket from the bed and covered him with it.

"Fuck, Master." He gave you a tired grin. "That was great."

You kissed his forehead like you were tucking him in for the night. You had intended to come back to him but he went to sleep almost immediately.

You turned around to face Gilgamesh.

"As for you..."

As soon as Cu went to sleep, Gilgamesh dropped his attitude for something more demure, more needy.

"Master," he said. "Please."

He was already blushing with the effort of saying the word, let alone following it with the words, "mount me and fuck me until I can't think anymore." He wasn't stupid. He knew that's what was coming next.

"Clothes off!"

His clothes dematerialized instantly, his cock popping free.

"That's cheating. Next time you're going to strip for me."

"Yes, Master."

He stared hard at you with his unspoken question still in his eyes, his fingers squeezing his thighs instead of wrapping around his erection. You answered his needy stare with some heat in your own, stalking towards him and leaping onto his lap. He caught you, his hands coming to your waist.

"Who said you could touch me!" you suddenly snarled.

"Master," he whimpered, his arms falling to the bed.

The bed creaked from you leaning closer to drive your words home.

"If you so much as sass me once, I'm going to use you, leave you here unfinished, and with a command seal preventing you from touching yourself. Get it?"

"Yes, Master," he squeaked.

[imaginetonyandbucky]

Tony has terrible nightmares, but because of the chair Bucky no longer gets dreams at all (which makes him feel less human). Cue trying to support each other even when they are kinda jealous. Also, you guys are fabulous!!

A/N: I thought this would make a lovely short angsty-turned-fluffy ficlet…then I realized it’s me and that’s never going to happen. So it’s a bit of a Hulk-sized fic with enough angst to down an Asgardian demi-god, but enough fluff and fun to - hopefully - make it all worth it ^^ It takes place post-WS movie *glares fiercely at CW* and is entirely from Bucky’s POV. Enjoy the ride!

~Lantia

Dream a Little Dream of Me Ch1/4

I shuffle into the kitchen, nodding at the two early-bird occupants ingreeting.

“Morning to you too, grumpy,” Clint rolls his eyes and extends his hand tome, holding a large pot of coffee. “Here, try the Stark Potion of Life.”

I sit down, glaring at the offering. It’s a nice gesture from the archer,but the sight of the sloshing dark black beverage turns my stomach. And tothink he called it a Potion of Life.

Ridiculous.  

“Yeah, good decision, dude,” Sam clasps a firm hand on my shoulder and ittakes all of my regained self-control and then some to not flinch away or worse– murder the birdman where he sits next to me. “That thing could kill anAsgardian demi-god with the caffeine high it induces. No idea what Stark putsinto it but it should come with a biohazard warning.”

“True, but it can also revive dead people,” Clint shrugs, putting the potback on the far side of the table. “Tony resurrects with it every morning.”

“S’what he gets for staying up so late in the workshop. JARVIS should set acurfew for him,” Sam suggests and removes his offending limb from my arm so hecan continue to munch down on his sandwich.

“I assure you, Mister Wilson, I havesuch protocols to execute, if needed,” JARVIS replies and this time I doflinch at the unexpected sound.

Even after months spent in the Tower, I still can’t shake off thejumpiness. At first I – and everyone else – thought it was just because it’s anew place for me, full of unknown things just waiting to catch me off guard. Sothey said it’s completely normal and fine, that I’ll get used to it.

But I’m not getting used to it.

No matter how comfortable I feel around the other Avengers, the moment oneof them breaks into my personal bubble, I all but physically shrink and have towill myself not to push them away – or straight up run away.

JARVIS’s disembodied voice never fails to startle me no matter how carefulthe AI is with me – I appreciate that he at least noticed my anxiousness andalways tries to announce himself first somehow, in a lowered voice too, but itdoesn’t seem to make a difference to my fried brain.  

The Avengers on the other hand have little regard for my personal space orthe discomfort they cause with breeching it - mainly because Steve doesn’t andmainly because I don’t have the heart to stop them. I shrugged Steve’s friendlyhand off my back once and the face he made? I’m not quite ready to see that oneagain.

Everyone is just so nice to me even if they have all the reasons not to be.I don’t wanna ruin that even if it’s starting to threaten the bits and piecesof my remaining sanity.

“Sweet! What was it about?” Clint brings me out of my reverie with hisexcited whistle.

“What do ya think,” Sam wiggles his eyebrows.

“Oooooh, dirty dreams. Tell me everything,” Clint folds his handsflat on the table in front of him, leaning closer. “Who was it?”

(Read-more ahead!)

“Nah uh! I ain’t kiss and tellin’!” Sam pouts, leaning away from the table.

“A-hah! So there was kissing!Alright, now we’re getting somewhere!”

I watch the two bird men – as Stark affectionately calls them – trying tolook neutral. Although the idea of fleeing the room without a word is an optionI’m starting to consider.

“You’re married, dude. You don’t need frisky dreams, you’ve got real life!”

It’s Clint’s time to pout, but he aims it my way. “Married…so what? It’sgossip! Friskier the better, right? Soooo?” he adds, regaining his mischievousgrin.

“So?” I repeat and let a little bit of the Winter Soldier creep into mystare, despite trying to avoid everything connected to the HYDRA-made assassin.I know what Clint’s up to – he has this discussion with the rest of the teamevery morning, but I always manage to dodge it. Not today it seems.

Where is everyone this morning anyway?!

“What about your dream? Anything gossip worthy?”

Sam leans back on the table in apparent interest and that’s where Iseriously think about the run and hide maneuver.

I would love to answer his question, in high details, I really would. I’vegot issues, I know that. A little bit of small talk between guys is not one ofthem though.

Only if it wasn’t this damn topic.

“I…don’t remember,” I reply, hoping the lazy shrug gives my statement morecredibility than my voice.

I remember. Every little detail – in fact. The empty, dark nothingness thatare my dreams is not that difficult to remember.

“Boooring,” Clint groans and buries his head back into the cornflake bowl.

I didn’t lie to him completely, to be honest. I don’t even remember thelast time I properly dreamt. It was way before HYDRA, that’s for sure. Butsince my scattered memory is being difficult even at providing me with namesand faces of my long lost friends, remembering dreams or the process ofdreaming itself was out of the question.

I tried all kinds of things to coax my subconscious into dreaming. Just oneshort silly dream. Hell, even a nightmare, just something.

Instead, I close my eyes and see nothing. I fall asleep and see nothing.And when I wake up, that’s how it makes me feel.

Like nothing.

It’s what HYDRA wanted me to be and the sons of bitches succeeded. Afterthe chair, the conditioning, the mistreatment - there were no dreams. Even whenthey put me under and let me frozen to be used later for weeks, months and evenyears, I still dreamt of nothing. And it served as a perfect reminder of what Iwas – the Winter Soldier. An empty shell of a weapon for HYDRA to wield andnothing more.

I don’t know why this particular thing bothers me so much, but it does.It’s like HYDRA decided to take everything away from me – everything that made mehuman. Even the smallest of things like dreams. So now that I’m trying to takecontrol of my life back, I can’t seem to piece my humanity back together, nomatter how far I reach. And everyone around just reminds me how broken beyondrepair I really am.

They laugh, joke, hug and bicker playfully with each other.

Dream at night.

And I can’t do any of that, not without faking it. How do I even begin tofake dreaming?!

“Jeeeez…I think I’ve just seen all the way down to your bowels, Tony, whatthe hell?” Clint cringes, looking over my shoulder.

I glance behind me just in time to see Stark finish what must have been ahuge yawn and his admittedly exhausted face then twists into a squinty glare,burning through Clint’s head. It quickly melts away though when Clint onceagain makes the coffee offering.

The engineer’s eyes light up at the sight and in two long strides he’s bythe table, letting Clint pour an unhealthy amount of the black liquid into hislarge, crimson mug.

“Resurrecting twice in one day? Did you have that bad of a night?” Clint asks, putting the pot once again as farfrom them as possible, as if the coffee is a hazard just by proximity.

Stark halts his gulping for a second there and stiffens. With a nonchalantshrug he then rounds Clint to sit down near the coffee pot like nothinghappened but I notice the momentary slip. “How about three nights…Fury’s goddamn project is giving me a headache,” heexplains further and something about it just doesn’t feel right. Both Clint andSam just chuckle, clearly not finding anything wrong with his explanation.

“What does the Lord of the Kinks want now?” Clint snickers, but Starkdoesn’t seem to share his amusement. And that’s a red light right there.

I don’t know the man very well – from all the Avengers I probably knowStark the least – but whenever he graces the team with his presence, even inthese early mornings, he never fails to brightly smile and respond to Clint’sjokes in kind. I was trained to notice these things – or rather, the WinterSoldier was. Paying attention to the surroundings and the people was vital tomissions, after all. And it’s probably the only part of the Soldier programmingI don’t mind, because it allows me at least some insight while my social skillsremain to be questionable.

“What do you think? He leveled threehelicarriers with the ground. I would tell him to go demand new ones fromHYDRA, but I doubt they would indulge him…as if they even could with their nextto nonexistent technical skills,” he snorts into his mug, taking another longgulp. His eyes travel across the table, resting on my left hand with a frown,but at the same time with a spark of interest.

Steve warned me right away that the engineer will try to get his hands on my hand as soon as I move into the Tower. To be honest, I dreadedthat more than meeting Natasha – again. But contrary to Steve’s warning, Starkmerely offered me the option to come down to the workshop for repairs if neededand made no attempts to touch or handle the metal arm in any way since, clearlysurprising everyone.

Now that I think about it, it’s not just the metal arm but the whole of my personthat Stark stays clear from. Not that he would outright walk in gigantic circlesaround me or simply not even walk inside a room I’m in, but unlike the rest ofthe Avengers, Stark doesn’t touch.

No clasping on the shoulder like Thor and Sam, no half-hugging like Steveand Clint, no sudden – albeit gentle – hand on my forearm like from Natasha orBruce and not even any prompt for high-fives like from Rhodey. Stark partakesin the hugs and such with the others but never with me, specifically.

I’m grateful, really. But at the same time suspicious as to why. Maybe hedoesn’t like me, hates me…is afraid of me? But other than the touching, theengineer doesn’t behave any different around me, isn’t ignoring, glaring orotherwise mean to me.

It’s so confusing.

“You gotta save me and my gossip fix for the day then!” Clint demands afteranother minute of simply complaining about Fury. “Sam refuses to share hisfrisky dream with me, this dude doesn’t remember his and Nat said she wouldtell me…but would also have to kill me afterwards so…you’re my only hope, man!”

Stark does the thing again – pauses mid sip for enough time for a trainedeye to notice, body tensing and face neutral before falling back into the act.Because that’s what I recognize it as – an act. And here I thought I corneredthe market on acting.

“Sorry, bird-brain. Haven’t done much sleeping, remember? The doubleresurrection,” he adds, pointing at his second big mug of coffee this morning.

“Ah…damn! What now?” Clint whines, moving the half-empty cornflakes bowlaway.

“Wait for Thor to wake up,” Stark suggests casually. “He will definitelyhave some frivolous magicky dream story for you.”

Clint groans and finally collapses onto the table, head buried in hishands. “Never again,” he raises his head only for a moment to squint at Stark.“Last time he spent an hour telling me how he talked to a toaster in his dream.A toaster. A talking toaster.”

“And then he tried actually talking to this one,” Sam chuckles, nodding atthe toaster on the counter.

“So much for that…and I’m not waiting for Cap to tell me all about hisvanilla walk in the park or whatever, seriously. His dreams are more boringthan his war stories.”

“Hey now,” Sam glares at him. “Those are pretty funny!”

“The first time around. After a dozen it gets a bit…repetitive,”Clint returns the glare.

The two of them start discussing the other Avengers’ dream stories, whileStark quietly continues to sip on his coffee at the other side of the table.

I’ve had enough.

After yet another dreamless night I really don’t need to sit here listeningto this. So I get up without a word and leave, hoping perhaps a run could settlemy thoughts.

I catch Stark’s frown following me on my way out but try not to think toomuch about it.