#Bruce has been told normal Mario is basic

[idontwannatalkboutitok]

Who each member of the batfam would main in Mario kart with no further explanation (switch edition)

Dick : Rosalina

Jason : Peach and DK

Tim : Todd and Luigi

Damian : Link

Cass : Shy guy

Steph : Bowser and Waluigi

Duke : Yoshi

Bruce : Metal Mario

[give-me-back-my-rhodey]

The Trio is Back - AUgust Day 7

Title: The Trio is Back

Author: Purple_ducky00

Rating: Teen

Warnings: N/A

Relationships: Bucky/Nat/Tony, Bucky/Tony

Square Filled:  N2: Didn’t Know They Were Dating Link: Read on AO3

Summary:  Natasha, Bucky, and Tony have been friends since childhood. Everyone speculates that Natasha will have to choose between the two of them. Little do they know she might just choose both.

+++++++++

Tony, Bucky, and Natasha have been friends since toddlers. The Starks, the Barneses, and Natasha’s adoptive parents were a close-knit bunch who played bridge on Thursday nights, usually at the Stark mansion.

 As children, the three would run through the house playing superheroes, Super Mario characters, jedi, etc. The Stark butler, Jarvis, always made sure nothing valuable was broken. They would often rope him into their play. As they got older, they calmed down somewhat. Natasha taught Tony to braid so he could braid her and Bucky’s hair.  Both would push him to get more intricate braids. Bucky would recommend books for the others to read, and they had a book club group chat where they would discuss plots and theories. Tony lets them in his lab and teaches them about science.

 When the three turned ten, the adults would joke that Natasha might have a hard time choosing between the two handsome boys. Natasha’s fathers said she should be able to do whatever she wanted. Natasha never paid them any mind because Tony and Bucky were her friends. Why did she need to choose?

The three were inseparable until middle school. They never had a falling out, per se. They just stopped hanging out. Maybe they were tired of everyone trying to figure out who liked who, or maybe they just wanted more friends. No one actually knows. Tony became close with his lab partner James Rhodes, who he dubbed Rhodey. He also roped Virginia Potts into his trio as well. She became known as Pepper almost overnight. Natasha basically adopted the “school nerd” Bruce Banner and Carol Danvers, the girl most of the guys hated because she was “too feminist.” Carol, an avid lesbian even at a young age, didn’t care. Boys were a waste of time to her. Bucky was fast friends with Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, and Sharon Carter.  Every once in a while, all ten of them would hang out, but it seemed like the legendary trio was over.

 As they reach puberty, the comments about them increase. Instead of being smelly boys, Tony and Bucky both grow into handsome young men. Both realize as they grow older that they were kind of into boys and girls. Sure, Natasha is beautiful, Bucky thinks, but so is Sam. He doesn’t know how Tony feels about Nat, and since one of them was “destined” to get her, he decides he will step back and let Tony ask her out. He takes Sam on a date, and they are steady for a couple of months. They split on good terms at the end.

 Tony has the same line of thought, and he dates Tiberius Stone for a while. Both Bucky and Natasha hate him, but Tony doesn’t know why. Ty is cultured and handsome, a real catch. So, what if he verbally abuses him and guilt-trips him? That’s the way his father always treats him. Isn’t it normal?

 Natasha doesn’t date. She doesn’t care to. If people want to speculate, she doesn’t care. She’s only sixteen, why does it matter if she doesn’t have a partner? Her fathers tell her to take her time, and if she never wants to date, that’s her say.

 When they graduate, Tony goes to MIT. Natasha gets in at Stanford, and Bucky’s parents can only afford for him to go to NYU. Tony offers to pay for a better college, but Bucky won’t let him. They keep in contact and see each other every break. Tony finally breaks up with Ty in his freshman year, but he becomes a party animal. Rhodey does his best to keep Tony out of trouble, but even he fails sometimes. When he graduates summa cum laude, he takes his place at Stark Industries. Natasha studies to become a lawyer, and she passes the bar easily. Bucky graduates NYU and saves up enough to buy his own auto repair shop. All are successful and don’t have much time to spend with each other or anyone else, to be fair.

 ++++++

Jan, Tony’s stylist, sets him up on a blind date with a Jimmy because he “works too much.” He shows up at the restaurant she picks out to only find Bucky sitting at the table to which the maître d leads him. “Bucky?”

 “Tony? What are you doing here?” Bucky stands.

 “I’m as confused as you are.” Tony sits at the table. “Jan told me I’d be meeting a Jimmy. Who the hell calls you Jimmy?”

 “Well, she called you Anthony. I can’t believe you let anyone call you Anthony.”

 Tony shoots him a glare. “I don’t. Not sure why she told you that you’d be meeting an Anthony… unless she did this on purpose.”

 “What? The parents figure that if Nat doesn’t want to date either of us, they might as well put us together?” Bucky’s eyes snap.

 “I don’t know.” Tony shrugs. “But it all seems very suspicious, you know? What do you propose we do about it?”

 “I think we should eat dinner and go have fun. We both go home to our own houses afterwards and never try to date again, just to screw ‘em.” Bucky smiles sharply.

 “I like that. Deal.”

 Tony wakes up in Bucky’s bed the next day. “Well, I guess that plan didn’t work out.”

 “Yea… I’m torn up between kicking you out now just to fuck our parents or actually fucking you again,” Bucky comments. “Damn, Tones, you’re amazing.”

 Tony colors. “Yea, I had a lot of experience in college. People still like to say they spent the night with me even though I haven’t slept with someone else for months now. I’ve just been busy.”

 “Same. Who has time to date anymore?” Bucky shakes his head. “It’s a shame because I would love to have nights like last night more often.” He straightens completely and raises a finger. “I have an idea, and you may not like it, but here me out. What if we were each other’s booty calls? Just whenever we need a quick smash, we text the other?”

 “James Buchanan Barnes, you are a fucking genius. I would kiss you right now, except my PA’s probably calling my dead phone, wondering where the hell I am. Can we rain check the next session?” Tony hops out of bed, pulling on his pants. Once quickly dressed, he heads to the door to leave and blows Bucky a kiss on his way out.

 Using his watch to ping his driver, Tony heads home to get changed before going to work an hour late. Howard doesn’t berate him as much for being late for work, so Tony wonders if he knew something about his date with Bucky. The thought leaves his mind as he gets started on his day. He doesn’t have time to think about dates or meddling parents.

 As the months go by, both Tony and Bucky text in claims to their booty call agreement. Tony is happy to do so, but he finds himself catching feelings for Bucky. He wonders if it’s because Bucky is the only one that he’s in close contact with, which he mentions to Rhodey when they get lunch on Rhodey’s first day on leave.

 “I mean, I don’t think it’s a good idea to be fucking the only person you have a steady friendship with.” Rhodey steals one of Tony’s fries.

 Tony pouts. “Don’t be like that honeybear. You and Pepper are my friends, too.”

 “Yea, but I’m in the Air Force more than 80% of the time, and Pepper works for you. It’s different.”

 “You’re just jealous that you’re not getting any.” Tony decides.

 Rhodey just smiles. “Says who?”  Tony begins to assault Rhodey for details, the topic of Bucky forgotten.

++++++

“Hey, Natasha’s moving back to New York, apparently.” Bucky informs Tony one morning. “My mom just texted me.”

 Tony groans. “If this becomes another ‘Why don’t you date her?’ thing, I swear I’m going to move to Tahiti and not accept any long-distance calls. You’re welcome to come with if you’d like.”

 “I think we should take her out to dinner one night when she gets settled, just to catch up.” Bucky muses. “Then our parents can’t be mad because we didn’t try.”

 “Yea, I wonder how she’s been. We haven’t talked in so long.” Tony agrees. “I wonder if she got a partnership here or something. I hope so. That’d be good for her.”

 “Nick and Phil will be glad to have her back. If only my parents were as supportive as they are. You should have seen my dad when I told them I was opening my own auto shop.” Bucky smiles that unhappy smile.

 Tony laughs mirthlessly. “I’d be happy if my parents talked to me at all. But being that Howard’s always cranky anymore, I guess it’s best that he doesn’t.”

 ++++++ Natasha moves back less than a month later with a short, sandy haired man in tow. They move into an apartment on the Upper East side. Once she’s settled, she agrees to meet Bucky and Tony for dinner. About ten minutes in, she asks them, “How long have you two been together?”

 “Did someone tell you that we’re together?” Tony demands. “Because they’re wrong. We’re simply booty calls to each other.”

 She shakes her head. “No, you’re not. You might like to think that, but you’re in love with each other. No one told me; I can see it from here.”

 The two men shift in their seats, not daring to look at the other. “So how have you been?” Bucky asks her.

 “Busy. Jenn and I are setting up our own partnership. We’ve gotten a lot of cases lined up, and we need a secretary.  There’re two lawyers working pro bono mostly down in Hell’s Kitchen. We might add them to our firm and pick up their secretary as well. I saw them in court for the Punisher trials, and she seems to have her stuff in order.” She takes a sip of her drink. “Sorry for not keeping up with you guys. I barely even talk to Bruce and Carol.”

 “Mom told me you brought a man home with you,” Bucky says. “She didn’t seem too happy about it. Are you two dating?”

 “Clint? No, he’s just a friend. I’m too busy to date, honestly. I’ve tried a couple times in LA, but it turns out I’m very selective of those with which I choose to hang out. Most men are idiots, and I’m tragically straight. You see my problem, right?”

 “We don’t feel your pain, but we understand,” Tony says. “Well, what we should do is make sure the three of us hang out at least once a month. If we want to bring our other friends, I don’t care, but I’ve sorely missed you, Nat. And Bucky, maybe we should spend more time together with our clothing on.”

 “You say that now, but what about tonight when…” Bucky begins but stops when Natasha gives him her death glare. “Okay, that is still as frightening as ever. Is that how you win all your cases?”

 “No. I’m skilled enough that I don’t need to use that.” Nat flips her hair. “But I’m glad it works on you.”

 Tony stick out his tongue at Bucky. “She’d never kill me. Who would give her those amazing scalp massages?”

 “Now that you’ve brought it up, I demand one once we leave the restaurant.”

 Natasha goes home that night realizing that she missed out on a lot of Tony and Bucky’s lives. If she were being honest, and she is, she kind of relied on their parents’ hope that she would one day marry one of the two. She always acted the way she did because she was equally attracted to both of them, and she would never be able to choose. So, she moved away and let them get on with their lives. She never thought once that they would choose each other and leave her out. She tells this to Clint when she gets home.

 “Talk to them. Maybe they’ll share.” Clint suggests before he falls asleep on the couch.

 She rolls her eyes. “You have a room for a reason.” Natasha knows he’ll still be there when she gets up to go to work the next morning.

 ++++++

The trio meets up at least twice a month. Per Natasha’s goading, Bucky and Tony start to actually date. She’s happy for them but seeing them sometimes is bittersweet. She just wants to go back to the times where they didn’t have to worry about feelings. All feelings have done for her were made her sad.

 One night, they’re eating takeout in Tony’s kitchen when he says, “You can kill me if we’re wrong, but I want to proposition something with you.”

 Natasha raises an eyebrow. This ought to be interesting. Tony proceeds. “So, Bucky and I are very happy in our relationship, but it could use one more thing… you.”

 “Me?”

 “Yea. We both really like you, and we kind of got the feeling that you like us, too. Are we wrong?” Bucky bites his lip worriedly.

 “No, you’re not wrong. I really like both of you. I have since we were kids. I just never wanted to choose between the two of you. When you got together, I was happy for you. I never thought that you’d both want me as well.”

 “Why wouldn’t we want you?” Tony asks. “We love you so much. Obviously, we’ll have to talk about how this is going to work. I hear communication is key to any good relationship. I should know.”

“Also, if we all date, that’s one way to make sure our parents don’t get exactly what they want. Instead of you choosing one of us, you chose both.”

 Natasha grins. This is a fine arrangement indeed. “I would invite you back to my place, but Clint’s there. Would one of yours work?”

 “It’d have to be Tony’s. I just moved in two weeks ago.” Bucky jabs his thumb at his boyfriend.

 ++++++

Natasha’s parents are overjoyed when they hear the news, Bucky’s parents don’t say anything, but Bucky knows they are a little wary of his relationship. Tony’s parents, on the other hand, are very vocal. Howard has a yelling fit, screaming at Tony until he loses his voice. Maria asks him why he vexes his father like that.

 When Bucky and Nat try to comfort him, he shrugs them off, saying, “That’s the first real conversation I’ve had with either of my parents since I was a kid. Don’t worry; I always knew Howard would have a problem with it.”

 “It still sucks,” Bucky tells him. “No matter what, you’ve got us.”

 Tony knows he’s happy when both his partners cuddle around him in the middle of their California King bed. Throughout all odds, the trio is back together.

[grandthorkiday]

Mob AU “Playthings” Part 21

[Link to mob!au anon’s “Playthings" fic tag]

[Start at Part 1]*

(*Note: Link is editable for other parts, just change the number. For mobile users, tag is “playthings part1”)

“I still don’t understand,” Tony says through a bite of salad. They finally decided to bring food to these meetings. “I don’t get why Gast has six different…,” he snaps his fingers searching for an appropriate word choice.

“Department heads,” Val suggests over her cheeseburger.

Thor made an excited noise, unable to speak through his own food. When he finally swallowed, shaking his head, he said, “Think of them as levels.” He scrambled to his backpack and pulled out a large pad of paper and a pen. He flipped through the pages and found a blank one and began to make a large pyramid with six layers. “Think of it like a feudal society. You got your serfs and basic townsfolk,” he used the pen to point to the bottom two levels. “They have a representative but Gast never knows their day to day. He knows how much money he made and spent on them. Your next two are your knights and vessal lords. Minor players but now he knows more. They get privileges may know actually see the Grandmaster from time to time. But they still have their reps. Top two are basically your nobility and they represent themselves. There’s really Game of Thrones style of backstabbing going on, but Gast loves it. He sometimes incites disagreements just to start a feud.”

“That sounds chaotic and dangerous.”

“That’s why he has the penthouse crews. Peacekeepers and enforcers.”

“Crews? There’s more than one?” Bruce asked.

“He’s got more than one penthouse. But they all answer to Mario.” He wiped his chin. “Technically speaking, I’m part of one of the penthouse crews.”

They all stared at him, unsure how to proceed with the next question. Questions about his brother since the incident with Odin were usually met aggressive if evasive responses or the interview being shut down completely. Finally, Natasha asked, “Is Loki as well?”

Thor didn’t blink at the question, thankfully. “Yes and no. Loki’s really good at gathering intel and he can act if pressed, so Grandmaster likes to use him more for political purposes. You gotta be strong to be part of a crew, though.”

“Were you forced?”

“It’s not like I could really say no.” Thor laughed as though it was obvious.

“Thor,” Val nervously looked around at the others at the table, “you do know that when uhm Loki spoke to us, he told us you killed someone. A cop.”

Again the blonde didn’t seem surprised. “Okay.”

“You can be charged.”

“Are you going to charge me?”

Tony blew out a sigh. “Not up to me.”

[read more cut]

“Is that the only person you’ve…dealt with for Gast?” Natasha tried to be delicate with the question.

Thor said nothing, looking away from all of them. “What happens if you charge me?”

“Well, you’d be arrested for one. We could leverage a deal with you to testify against Gast-”

He shook his head. “Not gonna happen.”

“You’re going this far! Why not go all the way?!”

Thor again shook his head. “I can’t do that to Loki.”

“I know he’s your younger brother, and we want to protect him too, but you can’t do that if you-”

“He’s more than my younger brother now,” Thor gave their general direction a cocky if apologetic smile.

“Thor,” Val reached out to his hand. She was pleased when it was yanked away. “What that bastard forces you guys to do, that can-”

“He only forced us one time. All the other times, without him present, have been us consenting to one another.”

The ADAs and detectives stared at him in confusion and unease. “We know about Loki’s support groups, from when he was younger. We know he had a uhm crush on you.” Bruce explained.

“He wasn’t the only one. But mine was more a lust. When Grandmaster forced us that first time, he showed Loki my internet history too. I tried to tell you, that one time you brought my Dad. I had all these porn sites, fuck it was disgusting. About brothers. And I would follow any person who looked just a bit like Loki. I’d had that crush since I was sixteen. Once I turned eighteen, I tried desperately to get rid of it, grow out of it. Loki was younger than me and he was actually doing a better job in that department! Those support groups…if I had known….well, Grandmaster would have just found those too.”

Val didn’t retract her hand nor did she recoil at his words, though she could see Natasha doing that in the seat across from her. Tony seemed nonplussed, though he had a look of sympathy. Bruce seemed about ready to punch something, but she knew it wasn’t directed at Thor. Most likely it was directed at Gast or even Odin.

“Y'know, when I imagined sleeping with Loki for the first time, I thought it something special. I thought it would be while we’re on vacation or when the apartment we rented was empty of roommates. I didn’t imagine….I couldn’t relax enough to do it. And Gast kept saying these awful things. Loki pleaded for something to help me. I think he hoped for weed or something. But we got that. Loki had done it before, I hadn’t. Fuck, it was so fucking weird…”

“You said Loki was blue,” Tony said, almost to himself.

“He looked like a fae creature when I was high. Blue skin, red eyes. I thought he was so beautiful. But I was so fucking high I didn’t prepare him completely….he bled. Just a little but still. Gast loved it. Loki kept saying he was fine but I never wanted to hurt him again. I never touched the stuff after that. But after the first time, we were free to do whatever we wanted with one another. We both knew now. And it’s nice, to be touched by someone who….actually loves you.”

“I can understand that,” she said, hoping she could convey how much she felt for him. “But you have to realize, this relationship you two have, it isn’t healthy.”

Thor stared at her hand and didn’t reply.

“You guys have been abused for ten years, I can understand wanting to feel loved. To be with someone who understands what you have been through, completely. And I’m sure you two love one another, but you both deserve to have a normal healthy relationship.”

“I love him so much.” Thor said quietly. “He’s my everything. I call him my moonlight y'know, because even when I don’t see him shine, I know’s he’s there. And he calls me his sun…”

“That’s very sweet. But after this…all this…don’t you want him to move on? And you too? Imagine it, three years from now, Gast is rotting in a cell and you two with partners who can help you heal from this.”

Thor’s eyes were watering as he smiled. “We’ll still be together. We promised. We promised one another. Until death do us part and even after that.”

“Come one, kid,” Tony said. “It isn’t like you married him!”

Thor laughed, tears rolling down his face.

~2013~

“Same last name! That makes things easy! Very unusual with a name like that,” the county clerk giggled conversationally as she typed on in their information.

“It’s very common from where are families are originally from,” Loki explained, leaning his lead on Thor’s shoulder. He was smiling broadly, the first time in a long time. A genuine smile that made him look so beautiful. But then again, to Thor he was always beautiful.

“How long is this going to take?” He asked, trying not to sound too much like they were in a hurry. When the clerk stared at him in confusion he replied, “We already booked our honeymoon.”

“Oh!” She winked. “I’m almost done. Where are you going to go?”

“Paris!” It wasn’t a lie. Gast had business in Paris in two weeks and they were going to go with him.

“Smart thing you guys are saving a fortune by doing everything here and not having a huge to do! Some couples blew their entire savings once the law passed.”

Thor didn’t respond. He nervously fidgeted, hoping that their ‘babysitters’ were still circling the block wondering which building they had gone into. He wasn’t sure how Gast would react to what they were doing, but he wouldn’t put it past him to be angry. Or punish them. But he didn’t care.

“Alright, now you sign here and you sign here,” the clerk announced passing them a pen. “And just like that, it is my honor to pronounce you two married! You may now kiss the groom!”

Loki had barely finished signing before Thor gathered him and kissed him deeply. The county clerk’s office clapped and cheered! There was one old man who booed, but he was shushed.

“Have fun in Paris!” the woman called as they left. He thanked her, but his eyes were only for his husband.

“Oh my god!” The brunette said as they walked outside. “Is this a dream? Am I dreaming this?”

“No. We’re…married.” He felt so happy and yet so terrified. “Do you want to wear your ring?”

“Yes! Can I wear it on my left hand?” He had given Loki his ring nine months ago, but had only let him wear it on occasionally or in the evenings alone in their room and only ever on his right hand. The Grandmaster got jealous and any time the ring was worn two or three days consecutively, he began to ask questions, making wild accusations about anyone and everyone in the penthouse crew. While the older brother was more than happy to watch the mobster decimate his entire crew over petty percieved ‘rivals’, he was didn’t want Loki endangered in the process.

He took out a small tin container that once contained mints from his pocket. It now carried about forty dollars and two small gold and silver bands he had stolen from one of Gast’s hotel jewelry stores. He placed the smallest and most intricate on Loki’s finger and kissed his new husband’s forehead. “You hungry, babe?”

Loki wiped his eye as he placed the other ring on Thor’s finger. “Yeah, please honey.”

There was a small cafe a few blocks away. They were out of New York City and in a small rural county of the state. They had pleaded, begged, and bartered for this time away from the city. Gast, a devoted urbanite, had agreed on the condition they bring several 'escorts’ and return within the week. Thor was already ready to agree to go back after they had accomplished what they came to do, but he didn’t want to tell that to Loki just yet. He didn’t want to dampen the mood.

Once in the small restaurant, Thor ordered them both a glass of wine, as well as a sandwich and a piece of cake to share. He only had the forty left after all, discounting the credit card he had taken from one of the thugs when they weren’t looking. He had used it a few times for small things like more pencils and movies, but he knew it was going to be shut off soon. He didn’t want it to be now. Loki didn’t seem to care. He looked like the sandwich was the best thing he had eaten in his whole life. And when the cake came, he playfully made a comment about 'their wedding cake’. Thor beamed ear to ear.

It was round the time they were asking for a round of waters before they left that Mario and his crew found them.

“You two have a lot of fucking nerve losing us like that!” He growled as he leaned over their table. “What you two do with the two hours? You fucking squeal, you brats?!”

“We went looking at shops,” Thor said simply, sipping his drink safe in the knowledge that they were in public and the older man couldn’t do anything to them in public.

“You went looking at shops?” Mario looked at him skeptically.

“Our Mom used to go to small niche towns like this and spend hours going through shops.” Loki explained, looking very authoritative in that moment. “We missed that. And we didn’t want you breaking something or causing a scene, like you are now.”

The thug glanced over his shoulder at the patrons staring at him. Unlike New York and the establishments Mario usually frequented, these people would not look away or hesitate to call the police. He turned back and glared at them, but said nothing.

“If you feel uncomfortable with what happened,” Thor couldn’t help but enjoy sounding like he had more power in this situation, “Loki and I will agree to leave this evening back to New York.”

Mario looked shocked at that. “You…. you serious?”

“And we won’t even mention you lost us,” Loki smiled mischievously at him.

He could tell the thug was having a hard time believing it. “Give me your cell.”

“What?”

“Give me your cell. You won’t believe us unless I do this.”

Nervously, the older man fished his cell from his pocket and passed it Thor. The waitress skirted by him and dropped off the two younger men’s waters before retreating, staring all the while as she did.

Thor thumbed through the contacts of the cell phone, making a passing comment about using more security on the device. He reached out to Loki’s hand, who gently squeezed his showing his support and understanding. He found the number and clicked 'call’.

There was a out three long rings, Thor smiling like an idiot all the while. Finally, on the fourth one, the familiar voice answered, “Yes?”

“Hi Daddy,” he said brightly and sweetly into the phone. Loki looked ready to burst out into laughter or tears of satisfaction and Mario looked just dumbfounded and rooted in place.

Gast’s voice immediately switched from business to his playful purr, “Hey Sparkles! What are you doing calling me, I thought you wanted a vacation?”

“I’m bored,” he whined, dramatically pouting for effect. The brunette mimicked him as he nodded to other man. “And so is Loki.”

“Thought you wanted to go to enjoy some peace and quiet?”

“We did. Now we’re bored. Is it okay if we come home tonight?”

“Of course, sweetheart! Of course! You come home tonight and we’ll go to a nice late dinner, have a few drinks, and then I’m going to have you two on your backs and begging for my cock. How does that sound?”

“Wonderful, Daddy!”

“Pass me to Mario please.”

Thor did just that grinning ear to ear after that. While Mario nervously prepared their journey home, recounting their time in the small town sans the two hours they had gone missing, the couple ordered another piece of cake and glass of wine. Today, they had beaten the odds and survived.