#YAY I WROTE SOMETHING

[archangelgabriellives]

Obligatory eclipse ask! I think maybe he needs to take Sam on a fabulous date to the best view possible

*april 9 2024*

there is no way that gabriel would let sam watch this eclipse in any other way than 1000% over the top. sitting on the hood of a car? wearing those little paper glasses?? no. that is how the rest of the populus can “enjoy” this eclipse. sam is dating an angel. a freakin ARCHANGEL! Gabriel is going all out. jusst a touch of his grace and sam is the only human on the planet who doesn't need flimsy cardboard glasses to see the moon move across the sun. a snap of his fingers and sam is being hand fed his favorite snacks. by gabriel of course. a flap of his wings and they can watch the eclipse from any place they want. and no sam. you're not going to the civic center in lebanon. i don't care how many of the old ladies in town invite you to bingo. you don't owe them your gorgeous face. let your boyfriend spoil you. theres a secluded cabin in the smokey mountains that has his name all over it. there isn't another human for miles. the view is unobstrucked and the clouds have mysteriously blown overto reveal the bluest spring sky of the year. 

there is a blink and you'd miss it moment where gabriel thinks sam has a bit of panic during totality. when the sun vnishes behind the moon it gets dark. unnaturally dark. the cold rolls up fast and its like you're in another world. gabriel can see sams face pinch at the edges, fear creeping in like the ice cold of the cage, and the faint cackle of archangels rattling around in his mind. it takes only a touch to pull him back, warm grace covering sam like a blanket. protecting sam from the things that haunt him. the hunter sighs, fingers intertwining with gabriels. it only takes another moment for the light to start to return. for sam to loosen his grip slightly and tug gabriel into his lap. he takes advantage of the mock twilight and their lips meet in a tender kiss. 

[gumnut-logic]

Doubts

I wrote something! Many thanks to @onereyofstarlight for sending an ask from the Little Whump List. Her request was 'sore feet'. And I also owe her thanks for reading it through for a sanity check :D

It didn't stay little, though, and there are warnings for submersion in turbulent water and poor Johnny having a bad day, but hey, fic! 2000 words worth :D Yeah, I got that from 'sore feet'. I'm a basket case, obviously :D

So a little whump!John fic (yes, I wrote John, its a shocker). I hope you enjoy it anyway.

-o-o-o-

John had doubts.

Doubts about himself.

Doubts that if he mentioned them to his brothers they would be shouted down with buckets of reassurance.

But they were doubts nonetheless.

He was good at his job. In space, if he was honest, he could probably rate as one of the most experienced astronauts on the planet. He knew he was smart. He knew he had what it took to do what he did far above the sky of his planet.

But his doubts didn’t lie there.

They were solid and terra firma doubts that woke him in the night.

He watched his brothers save lives every day. Heroes, every one of them. John’s part was crucial and he had his own challenges that he had confidence to meet.

But every now and again, and possibly more often if his brothers could wrangle it, he had to return to Earth.

And he would join his brothers in those hands-on rescues.

He was good. He was fully trained and had the experience. He was as much a member of International Rescue as any of his brothers.

But down in the thick of things, he sometimes had doubts he could live up to their example. Be as good as Scott, Virgil and Gordon who tackled this stuff every day while John floated far above and kept his hands clean.

He was physically adept, despite the jokes about gravity and clumsiness. Once acclimated to Earth, he was well muscled and had a brain that could run circles around the majority of the planet.

Yet, still, in the depths of his soul, those doubts sat and nibbled at his confidence.

It was stupid and it annoyed him, but they were there. Perhaps remnants of a time in his past where the school bullies had said so many things until an older brother or two shut them up permanently.

Whatever. He hated the doubt, but had to acknowledge its existence.

So when his foot got caught in the disintegrating floorboards of a collapsing house, all those doubts came out and celebrated being right.

The shock on Virgil’s face as his brother spun as John was swallowed by under-mined timber and dragged into a flooded river, was enough to imprint on John’s mind before grey and dark muck swallowed him whole.

Japan. Typhoon aftermath. A dull day full of roaring river and undermined banks. Evacuating a whole town perched on the edge of oblivion. John had been helping Virgil and an elderly couple who had become trapped by floodwaters. They got them out. But John was too slow, stepped wrong and now he was in the river.

Dark and bruising, his world was a tumultuous mess and for a moment all his breath was stolen from him, panic rearing its ugly head.

This was it. This was proof he really didn’t have what was needed on the ground. Now he needed rescuing, further complicating the job.

But he had training. Tumultuous was nothing new. It usually didn’t involve water, but the mechanics were the same.

Calm.

Assess.

Act.

It became clear that his foot was still caught in whatever had snagged it in the first place and there was pain. He shunted it aside as less important and focussed more on steadying his motion.

He couldn’t see a thing. Though he could feel the flotsam all around, hitting him, herding him…but his helmet and uniform were designed to take it. He was still dry.

Still breathing.

“Thunderbird Five, report!” Scott’s voice had every ounce of command his brother possessed, and it wasn’t until then that John realised his brothers had been calling him through the roar of angry floodwaters.

“Uh-“

Something hit him in the stomach and knocked all the air out of his lungs.

“John, I’m coming to get you. Hang on.”

John unclenched his eyes and finally sucked in a breath at Gordon’s voice. He was in the water, of course it would be Gordon.

Time spun away for a moment, along with his trajectory, bouncing off so many hard things. He forced himself to focus.

Calm.

Calm brought clarity to the chaos.

Assess.

He noted the direction he was travelling - in the majority - this had to be the current. He curled himself up and tried to put himself feet first, floorboards and all, into the current to protect his head and body as much as possible.

Surface. He had to locate up and down.

Space did not have up and down, but it did have direction. In this case gravity was hard to identify between the current and the churning, but there were moments enough, heart in his mouth, teeth clenched to keep it safe, to give him a hint of the right direction.

But he was still snagged, tied to the remains of a wooden floor of the house travelling with him.

The horror on Virgil’s face flashed across his mind again.

Doubt and panic loomed.

But something snagged his baldric and he was being dragged against the current. His foot screamed and he yelled.

“Sorry, sorry! Virgil, get down here! We need your heavy lifting!”

“FAB.”

He barely heard his brothers above the roar. But for a split second, the murk cleared and grey sky lit up his helmet. A glimpse of Thunderbird One, a cable and Gordon in all his glorious blue and yellow perched on wooden remains as if surfing.

That was more a Scott trademark move, wasn’t it?

But then the murk swallowed him up again and Gordon was swearing through his comms.

Ironically, his brother’s voice, no matter how strained, was enough for John to focus on and keep his sanity.

“Thunderbird One, just nudge it slowly. Over there out of the main current.” He could hear his brother’s breathing. Whatever Gordon had snagged him with, it was still tugging at his baldric. But something else was also at work, because the current calmed, the world righted until he was able to float easier and the chaos started to calm.

“Thunderbird Two, get this house off him. I’ll get in there and detach the major stress points so you can lift it off.”

Virgil’s baritone confirmation was lost in the roar of Thunderbird and water.

It took forever, but the entire time, Gordon was speaking to him, his tone light, almost cheery.

“Johnny, you have officially joined the BUB Club. ‘Brother Under Building’ Club. Thought you would escape that one. Scott has had at least three buildings land on him-“

“Keep it sharp, Thunderbird Four.”

“Sure, Thunderbird One. Sharp and to the point, sir.” And he kept talking, totally ignoring the command. “Virgil is the Big BUB, though, with no less than six heart attack inducing buildings landing on our heavy lifting bro. Pissed Scott right off, every time.”

“Gordon!” That was definitely an annoyed baritone.

“Hey, it comes with the job. You lift and sometimes get buried. We pull you out every time. Frequent burial points should be a thing.” There was silence for a moment and then…”Okay, Thunderbird Two, lift it off our brother.”

And there was suddenly light and the blurry outlines of green and silver, quickly followed by blue and yellow.

“Heya, Johnny. You’re a bit stuck.” Their helmets touched. “Hang in there, big bro, just a little longer and we’ll have you out.”

Gordon disappeared behind him and John twisted to follow.

“Hey, don’t move. I’ve got this. You’ll be smotherhenned in no time.”

The distraction worked. Oh god, his foot was probably going to have him off his feet and on the ground for who knows how long with two big brothers hovering…and Grandma. His eyes widened. Oh, hell.

But he was suddenly floating free. Gordon appeared beside him and wrapped an arm around his waist, pushing the both of them towards the surface. “I gotcha, Johnny.” I was said softly and with heart.

Then followed the expected hauling up into Two and that frown on Virgil’s face that was always there when a brother was hurt.

The diagnosis was lots of bruising and a hairline fracture in his right foot.

He wouldn’t be going anywhere near space anytime soon.

He didn’t have enough expletives in any language to fully express his reaction to that news.

“I should have stayed in space.” He was sitting up in bed in the infirmary, watching Virgil fasten a splint on his aching foot.

A dark eyebrow arched in his direction. “And let all those people die in that river?”

“You had that all well under control whether I was there or not.”

Virgil straightened and stared at him. “John?”

It was as if his brother had a radar that picked up on what family wanted to hide.

“What?” Okay, it was a touch petulant. Maybe Eos was rubbing off on him.

“You did a good job today.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Uh, no. We saved an entire town and I know you know that. You were there.”

“I fell in the river!”

“And we pulled you out. It happens.” Virgil turned back to securing the splint. “You did good. We did good. Shit happens. We deal with it.”

“You sound like Gordon.”

Virgil snorted. “Funny about that. Could be because we’re related.”

“Ooh, did I just here an acknowledgement of siblinghood? Didn’t know you had it in you, Virg.” Gordon waltzed into the room and tapped Virgil on the back, not enough to disturb what he was doing but enough to drive his comment home.

Virgil grunted and turned away as if to deny any relationship to the fish in the room.

“Hey, Johnny.” Gordon continued his waltz around the bed and dumped himself lightly beside John. “How goes the bruises? Virg driven you insane yet?”

“Don’t call me Johnny.”

“Oooh, wow, that’s a definite sign of improvement. The snark is back. Eos will be happy to hear.”

John blinked. He hadn’t heard from Eos since before the…accident. “Eos?”

“Ohh, she’s speaking with Scott. We had to kill her access to your comms when you went down.” Gordon wasn’t looking at him.

John straightened where he sat, only to shift his foot enough for it to protest. “Why?”

“Uh, she was worried. But don’t you worry, Scott talked her down. In fact, they are still chatting.”

Gordon’s nonchalance only tightened the sudden knot in John’s belly.

“I want to speak with her.”

“She’s fine. She and Scotty finally hit it off. You might regret that in the long run, but its good. Things are good.”

“Gordon-“

But it was Virgil who interceded. “Eos is okay, John. She has agreed to wait to speak to you until I say so. And I won’t say so until I’m finished here. I won’t be long.”

John stared at him a moment but couldn’t find any words that might work. Gordon yes, Virgil…might as well try to persuade a brick wall.

Fine.

“You did good today.”

Now Gordon was sounding like Virgil. Those two spent far too much time together.

John grunted.

“No, I mean it. You did good in the water. We tracked you, you know. I could see your reaction and I can say from experience that you did good. That was no small accident. Water can kill as much as space, if not more. You reacted in the best way possible.”

John looked up at his little brother. Really?

“Don’t look at me like that. I know it’s not often you get to play in my bathtub, but I was proud of you today.”

Again with the softly and all the heart.

Virgil had stopped working and was staring at him, his expression agreeing with Gordon’s words.

John cleared his throat. “Really?”

Gordon snorted and grinned. “Really. And now we have one extra person on the housework roster.”

“Hey, I’m injured.” It was weak, but he wasn’t at his snarky best apparently.

“You can still do dishes on one leg.” Gordon’s grin widened.

“Gordon, get out of here.” Virgil, ever the sanctuary of sanity.

“No, I’m hanging with Johnny who is down from orbit for some brotherly housework time.”

Virgil rolled his eyes as Gordon snuggled into John’s side like the cephalopod he was.

John found himself smiling.

And as Virgil smirked and winked in his direction, he realised that was the entire aim of everything.

No doubt at all.

-o-o-o-

[mcfiddlestan]

Staying the Night Prompts

❝ i don’t have nightmares when you’re there. ❞ (Loki/Bucky)

“We should probably get some rest.”

Bucky managed a lazy grin and an equally lazy nod at Steve’s words, but made no effort to rise from the long sofa in Stark’s penthouse lounge. The tower wasn’t exactly home, but it was the place everyone came to recuperate and get a warm meal, especially after returning from a mission. Bucky and Steve had only come back a few hours ago from their latest mission, providing some not necessarily needed support for Shuri and the Wakandans. Who knew stopping human traffickers could cause so many body aches. A slight shift on the seat to sit up and he knew there was definitely a bruised rib somewhere. 

“I’ll head back in a bit.” He said with a soft groan, falling back against the cushions.

“Aren’t you tired?” Steve questioned from beside him. When he frowned the cut above his eyebrow stung and he tapped a finger to it a few times, pulling his hand back to look at it. Not bleeding anymore. 

Bucky nodded even as he verbally answered, “Yeah, exhausted. I just wanna finish my beer.” He gave the bottle a little shake. “It’s nice to be back within four solid walls though.” And to sit in front of a fire he didn’t have to start or worry about putting out, he thought, as he stared at the flames in the hearth before them.

“Sure is. No rough blankets on the ground tonight. Well,” Steve sighed after a moment. He reached out and clapped a hand to Bucky’s shoulder. “Thanks for covering me out there. You saved my ass.” Bucky lifted bright blue eyes to his, narrowed an eye. “Again,” Steve conceded with that boyish smirk.

Bucky chuckled, nodded, and wished Steve a good night as he brought the Budweiser bottle to his lips. Steve slowly rose with a groan and walked directly into the waiting elevator.

It still amazed Bucky that Stark willingly allowed this ragtag group of vigilantes, spies, a former winter soldier, and others to freely come and go from his tower, using it as a makeshift Avengers Hotel. The billionaire himself kept a small apartment among the smaller bungalows at the place he’d once used as a homebase for his company, but, for the most part, Stark slept in a room off his lab, never too far away from his work — if he slept at all. But everyone left that to Bruce and Rhodey to deal with.

Finishing off his beer, Bucky pushed himself to his feet, careful not to strain any more muscles than he already had, and after rinsing it out, deposited the bottle into the recycle bin. Judging by its nearly full capacity, the tower’s rooms must’ve been equally full tonight. Too wiped to think about who might be milling around in the morning, Bucky headed for the elevator, stifling a yawn. He watched the numbers slowly descend to his floor — the same as Steve’s, but on the other opposite side of the building — contemplating how long he might let himself sleep before he got started on his report the next day.

He was planning it all out as he walked to his door, absently pulling out the key, and unlocking the door. The moment he stepped inside he sensed something was different than when he left it. The apartment assigned to him was larger than the one he kept in Brooklyn, but it was just as sparsely decorated. In his line of business, it wasn’t exactly ideal to plant roots or get attached to anything. The room here and now was lit only by the pale blue moonlight streaming through the tall, wide windows displaying the city and off in the distance, the Brooklyn Bridge.

Bucky wondered if he should’ve just gone home as he scanned the room and moved silently to the bedroom door. It was less than a half hour by subway. Pulling his gun from its strap, safety off, Bucky listened for any sounds even as his eyes scanned the area before pushing the door open and aiming the gun at his bed. 

Seeing the hint of pale fingers rising in a surrender gesture in the shadows of one corner, Bucky locked and re-holstered the gun with an exasperated noise. 

“What the fuck, Loki?”

Dressed in his usual casual outfit of a green tunic and black pants, Loki emerged from the corner and crossed his arms. “I was only awaiting your return. I didn’t realize you’d come in guns a-blazing like — what do they call them? Cowboys?”

Bucky scoffed and began to remove his gear, dumping it on the dark tufted chair beside his dresser. “What are you doing here? How’d you even get in?”

It was Loki’s turn to scoff. “Hello? I’m a god, remember? I can go anywhere I please. Your human locks are like Odin’s fatherly approval to me: nonexistent.”

Bucky jerked his head back. “Well, that got dark fast,” he muttered, finally dropping the last of his weapons. He gripped his shirt, tugging it free from his pants, then reached for his belt. “Is there something you need? ‘Cause I just got back from—”

“A mission in Wakanda, I know,” Loki finished, his voice lowered. “How is Shuri? I’ve missed…talking shop with her. Her technology is impressive. Even to an As—well, a former Asgardian.”

Bucky kicked off his second boot and stopped, watching Loki with more focused eyes. “What’s wrong?”

Loki raised his head, lifting a brow. “Must something be wrong? Are we not friends? Can’t I simply wish to welcome you—“

“Lokes.”

Loki took a long beat before he smirked, chuckling a little, and lowered to the foot of the bed. “Nothing’s wrong. Honestly. I was just…eager to say hello. Thought you might want to talk. Maybe shake off the mission. You must be hurt. I can hear you trying not to groan with every movement.”

Bucky went still then, realizing Loki was right, he moaned a little as he let out the breath he’d been holding. He was really feeling the aches now. As if his body knew the bed was so close. “I’m fine, Loki. It’s just taking a little longer for me to heal, that’s all. But, really, I’m just looking forward to collapsing into bed.” He moved to the dresser behind him to grab a pair of sweatpants and a fresh shirt from the drawers. 

“Oh, well, don’t let me get in your way.” Loki crossed one leg over the other, seemingly planting himself in that spot.

Bucky, with his back turned to Loki, grinned a little to himself, unbuttoning his pants and kicking them aside once they dropped. “We said we were gonna stop,” he said as he slipped on the sweatpants.

The silence was blaring behind him. To give Loki whatever time he needed, Bucky stripped off his shirt and slipped a clean one over his head, and piled his soiled clothes in the corner along with his socks.

“I know what we said,” came the reply finally. 

Tying the drawstring on his pants, Bucky turned to face Loki. He noted how Loki wouldn’t meet his eyes, turning his face away, toward the windows. The moon shone brighter at this angle, lighting up the part of Bucky’s room open to the windows. And Bucky could see Loki’s face now, that it was paler than usual, with dark circles under his eyes and his cheeks a little hollower than usual. 

Sensing his appointment with sleep was about to be delayed, Bucky crossed over to sit beside Loki on the bed. “So what’d you get up to while I was gone?” he asked casually.

“Not much,” Loki answered with a shrug, still looking out the window. “Worked on some spells, conjured up some new tinctures. Avoided Thor.”

Bucky laughed quietly, the bed shaking with the movement. “He was here?”

“Only for a few hours, Hail Frigga,” Loki said with a dry laugh that grew more genuine when Bucky chuckled too. 

“Loki,” Bucky murmured after their laughter died down.

Loki’s smile faded, and he lowered his eyes. “Please,” he all but whispered. 

Bucky grinned lopsidedly, but bit his lip. “You said no more.”

“I know. I lied.”

Bucky snickered and dropped his head on Loki’s shoulder. He was just so tired. “You told me not to let you anymore,” he whispered.

Loki turned his head, nuzzling his cheek against Bucky’s nose. “You shouldn’t listen to me. I’m an idiot.”

“Lokes,” he snorted. Bucky slipped his hand into Loki’s, felt his cold skin cool against his warm palm. “You’re not an idiot. And I wouldn’t be a very good friend if I didn’t listen to you.”

Loki nudged him with his elbow. Bucky only groaned softly and closed his heavy eyes, comfortable enough in Loki’s presence to let his guard down. 

“I’m barely hanging on here, babe. You should probably go back to your room.”

Loki turned his body toward Bucky’s, clutching his hand tightly between his own in his lap. “I don’t want to. Just one more night, James. Please? I know what I’m asking…”

“Do you?” Bucky sat up and released Loki’s hand, so he could balance himself.

For the first time that night, Loki met Bucky’s gaze. Even through his tiredness and the pale moonlight, Bucky could see Loki was equally as exhausted as he. He hasn’t slept, he realized with a spark of concern. Hard as he tried, Bucky couldn’t stop himself from worrying about Loki.

“Look, Loki—”

He held up a hand to cut Bucky off. “No, I know. I know I don’t make this any easier for you.” He uncrossed his legs and turned away from Bucky. “I don’t mean to be selfish, you know. I don’t mean to hurt you. It’s just that…”

Bucky waited for the answer, but none came. “What?” he urged, nudging Loki’s arm with his fingers.

Loki inhaled deeply and turned his eyes to Bucky’s again, and with a quiver to his voice, he said, “I don’t have nightmares when you’re there.”

Bucky swallowed thickly. “Oh.” The revelation was one thing. They’d initially bonded over their shared experiences with torture and brainwashing. Few, if any, of the others could relate. But the tears clinging to Loki’s long black lashes was quite another. Bucky hadn’t seen Loki so vulnerable before. He wasn’t at all sure what to do, but to scratch at his head with the metal fingers, searching for the right words. “Um…”

Loki shifted and Bucky saw the moment he shut down and that cool mask slid into place. His dark emerald green eyes cleared instantly, his lips, already thin, thinned even further. “Forget it. Forget I said anything. Forget this ever happened. I’ll go.”

“No!” Bucky shouted the word, grasping for Loki’s arm as he rose and tugging so hard, the sleeve of his tunic ripping cut into the silence between them. “Shit!” Bucky shot up to his feet, but only stammered out an apology and held out the torn piece of his tunic to Loki.

Loki took it and clenched his jaw. “James, I’m getting rather mixed signals from you.” In one long sweep of his hand, Loki’s tunic was repaired and the ripped piece disappeared. “You won’t allow me to have a restful night’s sleep in your bed, yet you seem eager to quite literally rip my clothes off.”

Bucky slapped the non-metal palm to his face. “I swear, I didn’t mean to do that. And I was going to tell you that it’s fine, you can stay here. I just got a little thrown off by the tears in your eyes.” He started to turn away, but decided he had more to say. “And you know what? Speaking of mixed signals, what kind are you sending to me exactly? I mean, you know very well how I feel about you and you continuously torture me by coming to my room and begging to sleep — just sleep! — in my bed, beside me, all long legs and silky hair, and I’m doing my damndest to be a gentleman and be understanding because we are friends, but it’s fucking killing me when I wake up and there you are, just causally wrapped around my—“

It took Bucky’s brain a good five seconds to compute that his epic rant had been cut short by Loki, and that he was now currently being lovingly and tenderly kissed by the longtime object of his affection. As Loki’s lips pressed against his, Bucky slowly sank into the kiss, taking the opportunity to deepen it and pull Loki’s body against his.

Needing the air to breathe, and realizing what he was doing, Bucky took one giant step back. 

“What is happening right now?”

Loki swiped a finger across his bottom lip. “Well, something that was a long time coming, I think. Don’t you?”

Bucky relaxed, glared. “Don’t be a dick.” Loki cocked a brow, this time in confusion, and Bucky scoffed. “Don’t act like you don’t know what I mean. You’re practically BFFs with Stark and he’s the sassiest bitch in this place. So I know you’re learning some shit.” He looked up and caught the smile lighting up Loki’s face. “What does this mean?”

Loki’s expression turned thoughtful as he closed the distance between them and ran his hands up Bucky’s chest to wrap around his neck underneath the dark brown strands of his hair. “I think what it means, darling, is that your love is no longer unrequited.”

Bucky gawked at Loki. “Really?” he asked, his voice soft. Loki nodded and leaned in to kiss him again. But just as their lips touched Bucky sprang back. “Is this just because of the nightmares?”

Loki laughed, throwing his head back. “No. Well, not entirely.” He breathed out a sigh, as if a weight had been lifted from him, and kept his hands at Bucky’s chest. “I suppose it took me a little while to realize how stupid I would be to keep denying what I was feeling.”

Their eyes met and Bucky felt his stomach flip at the expression in Loki’s gaze. “But why—?”

“I’m not very good at this, James. Physically, it’s not difficult to navigate. But everything else that goes with it…” Loki turned his face again and nearly stepped away from Bucky. But Bucky was there, keeping a tight grip on him. “I ruined whatever it was between Fandral and I, and I—I ruined him. He can barely stand the sight of me now. I don’t want that to happen with you.”

“It won’t.” Loki skeptically angled his head and Bucky grinned. “I’m not great at this either, okay? Back in my day, I couldn’t do this. Not without major consequences. And I never really knew anyone I was willing to risk it with. Until you.”

“How romantic of you,” Loki murmured with his signature facetiousness.

“Shut up, Mischief. I’m saying, we don’t have to sneak around anymore, right? We also don’t have to rush into anything neither of us isn’t ready for. So…” He ran a finger down the side of Loki’s face. “How ‘bout we just see where it goes, okay, doll?”

Loki fluttered his lashes, swooning. “I do love it when you call me that.”

This time, Bucky let the kiss happen, wrapping both of his arms around Loki and holding him tight. He laughed against Loki’s mouth when the nimble god leapt up and wrapped his legs around Bucky’s waist.

“Um, off to bed then?”

“Hm, I thought you were tired?”

Bucky let out a low growl, near purr, at Loki’s fingers carding through his hair. “I might’ve gotten a second wind.”

---------------------------------------------------------------

Sorry that took a minute. I had the idea as soon as you sent the ask, I just wasn't able to get it down until last night (Wednesday) and I didn't get to read what I wrote at three o'clock in the morning and edit until tonight (Thursday). Felt kinda nice to write some WinterFrost again!

LMK if y'all want me to post this on AO3. Then I might have at least one fic posted this year, lol.

xoxo

[diluviium]

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ @solere submitted an inquiry ㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ❝ i will not say that you are welcome. nor will i deny that i have hoped that you might come. ❞

❛ You do get quite the joy out of speaking in rather roundabout ways, Don't you? ❜ A lofty sigh comes from you as he spoke those words. Ever the difficult man; not wishing to just clearly say "I am happy to see you, thank you for coming!". Not that you would say that either if they roles were reversed. You three are never ones to be clear cut, or simple. If you are, the situation is usually one that had been dire. Have you ever been in such a dire situation that called for any of you to say something like "I am glad you are alright" or "Thank goodness you are here"...?

Well, it's certainly something you can envision happening, but you can't recall a time it has happened.

❛ Well, unlike someone, I can speak clearly~ I am happy to see you and I am glad that I came at such a time where we could meet~ ❜ You say this as if you are proud of yourself. A smile on your features as you look at him confidently. ❛ Now, since we are here together, I do hope that you will come to admit you had hoped I'd arrive. It is rather cute when you avert your eyes when you confess something you deem "embarrassing". ❜

[bluewolfangel01]

Man, there's so much that I want! But most of all, I wanna hear you say "Happy birthday." C'mon, I'm waitin'. Whenever you're ready. -Mammon's birthday notification

Context: Mammon and Mc are in Mc's room watching a movie Mammon picked, while he lays his head in their lap while on their bed

Mc:"Hey Mammon..."

Mammon:"Yeah?" He says while looking up towards Mc's face

Mc: leans down close to his head with a soft smile on their face "Happy Birthday" then kisses Mammon on his forehead

Mammon: silent for a moment but afterwards gently guides Mc so he can cuddle and be the big spoon

Mammon: "y-yeah yeah, just watch the movie."

...

Mammon: "thanks"

Mammon then holds Mc even closer, kisses their shoulder, and the pair continue to watch the movie till they fall asleep.

Happy semi-late B-day Mams🎉

Credit to @sister-lucifer for divider

[calmbigdipper]

What you mean to me

[blackrosesandwhump]

#17 Poison

From this Gothic whump challenge.

CW: vampire whumper, poison, blood

The vampire ripped his fangs from his victim’s neck. Just a little more. But he knew, gripping the man’s limp form, that a little more always meant death.

Gently, he laid the human down.

“I’m sorry,” he said, wiping blood from his mouth. Just a little more. Please. “It’ll wear off after a while.” He glanced at the man’s body, then took off his own coat and spread it out over the cold ground. He placed the human on top. The man lay motionless, his breathing shallow, eyes wide and terrified.

“I’m sorry,” the vampire repeated. A useless refrain.

His fangs throbbed as he slipped into the night. Their venom burned at the corner of his mouth. The same venom that now coursed through his victim’s paralyzed body.

I’m sorry.

[vee-lociraptor]

I DID IT I DID THE THING

[extreme-unorthodox-cuddles]

Hello I have returned from the eldritch void pit to provide something that some Evil (but still safe) Thoughts™️ led to the creation of

Overly possessive pred and less than enthusiastic prey that isn't particularly fond of them

Safe vore, halfsize, unwilling prey

Almost out now, nearly to the door. Just a little further to freedom. He snuck through the house in the dead of night, his small size in comparison to everything around him making it easy to move about undetected.

He reached up to the handle, attempting to open the proportionally huge door, but it wouldn't budge. He twisted and pulled it harder, nerves beginning to heighten.

"Now, where are you going at this hour?"

His heart stopped. He flipped around and pressed back hard against the door, eyes fixed on Wulfric directly ahead of them.

"W-wait, please, I just- I just want to leave." Andrew stammered out, heart pounding in his chest. "Ple- please just let me leave."

"Oh, but why on earth would I do that?" he answered, approaching the quivering would-be escapee, "The world out there is so cruel, but I'm keeping you safe here. You have everything you could ever want here."

Wulfric stopped right in front of him and squatted down slightly to have their faces be a bit closer together. In a fit of panic, Andrew flung his arms at them, but he caught them with ease and wrapped his fist around both of his wrists and hoisted them up to have their faces be level with each other.

"Now then," Wulfric stated, a menacing grin on their face, "I'd better put you somewhere nice and safe so that you won't be tempted to wander off again~"

Andrew's heart plummeted. "N-n-no, wait, please! I'm sorry, please don't, I'm sorry!" He wriggled about, trying to free himself of Wulfric's grip, but it had no effect, and his pleas were quickly muffled as his head was stuffed into Wulfric's gaping mouth.

A mixture of tears and saliva covered Andrew's face as his arms were freed briefly before being pinned to his sides as Wulfric began to swallow him down, his legs writhing in a futile escape attempt. He felt gravity shift as he leaned his head back to swallow him easier, and Andrew felt his powerful throat muscles pulling him deeper in, still silently crying.

Wulfric gave a few more gulps, hauling him further down each time, until Andrew's feet finally disappeared, and he let out a deep, satisfied sigh. He looked down at the bulge in their torso and gave it a couple firm pats. "There we go, much better~"

Andrew jolted slightly with each impact he felt on his back, curled up in a fetal position. They could hear Wulfric's voice all around them. "I do love when my meals are active~ But that doesn't matter now, you're all mine, my delicious little prey~" His words sending shivers down his spine. His quiet sobs were drowned out by the groaning of the stomach they were trapped in.

Andrew felt the telltale shifting of walking before feeling his gravity change again, now with stronger pressure on his front. A hand glided up and down his back, no doubt Wulfric revelling in the sensation of being full. "I'll let you out after I get up, so you better get comfy in there~"

Another night spent in this fleshy prison. Sure, it was safe, but still far from preferable. But Andrew had no say in the matter, so he had to reluctantly accept his temporary fate.

He cried himself to sleep again.

[cyncerity]

First story of the Hiraeth AU!! i go back to uni tomorrow so i wanted to get one more story out before then lol

no tw!! just a short intro story (i’ll get into other characters and worldbuilding later, this au is more for funny sitcom scenarios than angst or lore. feel free to send asks!)

Ranboo did not remember it being this god damn cold when he went to bed. Sure he had cracked the window a little bit for some fresh air, but in the few hours he’d been asleep, a blizzard must have hit. He quickly got out of bed and slammed the window shut, still barely awake. Enderchest meowed at him, large yellow eyes glowing in the darkness of his dorm room. Poor cat, the cold must’ve woken her up, too. He shuffled over to her bed and pet her, receiving happy purrs as she belatedly fell back asleep. She’d been up half the night calming Ranboo down after a particularly stressful day, so she deserved good rest as much as he did. Ranboo checked the clock. 4:17 am. Great.

He sat back on his bed, flopping onto his back with a tired groan. He laid his head against the pillow, trying to calm his thoughts enough to fall asleep. He laid and counted forwards to a hundred, then backwards, then forwards again for good measure for who knows how long until-

he heard something shuffle.

It was quiet, he hadn’t have heard it if he was fully asleep. So he waited a little while longer…until he heard more shuffling. Great. Fucking awesome, was there a rat in his dorm room? Did his dorm room have an infestation? Fantastic. Well, he was already awake, might as well do something about it. Maybe he could catch it for Aimsey, they would love to see a wild rat, there was a reason they were studying animal sciences.

Ranboo waited a little longer, closing his eyes and pretending to be asleep. He heard the shuffling move around a bit more before moving closer and closer to his bed. He heard a quiet scratching, and then all of a sudden he heard something climb onto his bedside table. He felt around until he found something to catch it with; a blanket that sat folded squarely near his hand. Perfect. Couldn’t be easier.

Ranboo sprung, throwing the blanket over the desk, sweeping up not only the rat but his alarm clock and charging phone. But he caught the rat, that he was sure of. The creature was clawing and screaming in the blanket he was holding, so it probably couldn’t stay in there. Ranboo walked to Enderchest’s carrier in the dim moonlight as he grabbed the moving thing from outside the blanket, dropping his other items to the floor before throwing the creature into the carrier and zipping it shut. It could stay in there until morning before he could get it to Aimsey.

The thing eventually stopped screaming when it wasn’t being held anymore. In the darkness of the room, Ranboo vaguely saw a tail exit the blanket and pointed ears stick out another end. Great, a rat, he was right. He turned back to go to bed, tired of being awake for so long until-

“Hey!!” a higher voice rang out and Ranboo whipped around. Nothing. No one. He could have sworn it sounded so close. Maybe he was just hallucinating from lack of sleep. Professor Sneeg had been assigning more work and Ranboo had been losing sleep to not fall behind, but-

“Hey, wait!” There it was again. “…hello?” Ranboo whispered, unsure if he was actually hearing someone or if it was all in his head. “Hey dickhead! Let me out!” “…what?” Ranboo questioned, looking around. “Down here, dumbass.” Ranboo looked down, only spotting the carrier on the ground. “No, no..” he muttered to himself, sighing. “The rat’s not talking to me, i’ve finally lost it.” “Who are you calling a rat?!” The thing, apparently not a rat, shouted. Looking closer, Ranboo could see eerily human paws (hands?) pressed against the front mesh of the carrier. “…No fucking way.”

Ranboo kneeled down, picking up his discarded phone and looking closer at the carrier. He saw a silhouette of something in the carrier, eyes reflecting back and looking back at him. He took a deep breath and turned his phone flashlight on.

Ranboo had to slap a hand over his mouth to keep from yelling. Whatever was in that carrier was not a rat, not by a long shot. “Try not to freak out.” The thing said a little sarcastically, and oh god, it really can talk. Ranboo fell backwards, scooting away from it. “Wh..what the fuck??” He whispered. God knows the last thing he needs on top of this is a noise complaint. “Can you let me out?” The thing asked again, looking annoyed with its vaguely humanoid face. The top half of its face was covered in blonde fur with darker fur under its eyes and on its nose, somewhat reminiscent of a raccoon. Its clawed hands were fur covered, and Ranboo noticed a disproportionately long tail coiled on the ground near its animalistic feet. It’s eyes were pure black, and behind long rounded ears he could see a long puckered scar and shorter fur on the back of it’s head, like it had been shaved down a while before. But that wasn’t even the weirdest thing. The weirdest thing was that it was clothed. It was wearing layers of dirty, sewn rags and bandages with stitches too little to be done by human hands. It had made itself clothes. Plus, the way this thing carried itself? The way it moved and spoke? It was undeniably, eerily, human.

“What the fuck are you??” “That’s for me to know and you to not find out. Let me go.” “No.” Ranboo said, inching back closer to get a better look at it. “The fuck you mean no?! You can’t trap me here!!” It responded, getting louder in its frustration. Ranboo hurriedly shushed it, the creature’s ears perking and head quirking in confusion. “Quiet! Why are you even in my dorm room?” “Have you seen what it’s like outside? I don’t have the supplies to survive a storm like that. Your room just happened to be the easiest to break into.“ “So you break into my dorm and complain about getting caught?” Ranboo asked, and the creature slumped in defeat. “This has never really happened before. I’m normally sneaky enough that I’ve never even spoken to someone else.” “You mean a human?” “Uh, yeah…definitely. And i’ve certainly never been caught, either.” The creature said, a smug grin forming on its face. “You said to be quiet, huh? How about if you don’t let me out, I scream so loud it’ll wake up everyone in this whole building.” “Try it and i’m throwing the cat carrier outside.” The creature’s grin fell immediately.

“Aw, c’mon man! I told you, I don’t have anywhere else to even go! It’s not like i’m leaving here in a blizzard!” “If you’re not leaving, then I’d like to know where you are. I don’t want you roaming my dorm while i’m asleep.” Ranboo said with a sense of finality as he stood up and walked back to his bed. He checked his phone. Almost 5 am. Only about 6 hours till his next class. Maybe he could skip, he’s sure Charlie would understand. “Wh- how am I even supposed to sleep in here?!” he heard the creature shout, despite the fact that he could no longer see it from his bed. “Shush. You have a blanket.” He could practically see the creatures disgruntled look as he heard it mutter curses to itself before finally using the blanket that had been used to capture it as a makeshift bed.

Maybe it was the exhaustion making Ranboo take all of this far too well, but Ranboo honestly couldn’t care more about this weird new little species at the moment. He just needed the sleep. And who knows, maybe he’d wake up and the cat carrier would be empty and he’d know he was crazy. He didn’t care right now. Though, right now he knew it was real, and he felt a little bad that he was keeping a clearly sapient creature in a cat carrier. He also felt a little bad that he was just calling it ‘the creature.’ “My names Ranboo, by the way. Uh, i’m a guy but i also use they sometimes, i guess?” He introduced awkwardly. There was silence on the other end for a few seconds, before it answered. “Tommy.” it said, sounding resigned. “My names Tommy, I don’t really know but I guess i’m a guy cause. Why not.” Ranboo couldn’t help but laugh slightly at that. “It’s nice to meet you, Tommy. Sorry i threw you in a cat carrier.” It, or he, Ranboo supposed, laughed in response. “Well, let me out tomorrow and we’ll see if I forgive you.” “I can do that. Good night, Tommy.” “Night, Ranboo.”

Yeah, Ranboo thought as he fell asleep, If Tommy really isn’t a hallucination, tomorrow is gonna be weird.

[necrotic-nephilim]

What's so fun about BruJay as a ship is Jason's sheer obsessive devotion to Bruce. Jason is possessive over Bruce, to the point he doesn't care about the deaths of others so long as he has Bruce's attention. A part of the UTRH arc this isn't talked about enough is that Bludhaven fucking explodes mid-way and Jason won't let Bruce see if Dick is alive.

batman (1940) #650

A lot of discussion about UTRH paints Jason as this anger-driven cold, calculating machine up against Bruce when it's so clear that his love for Bruce is what drives him at his root, even if he won't acknowledge it. He says it himself, he would've done anything if it was Bruce who'd died instead of him and his anger is rooted in that possessive devotion not being reciprocated.

batman (194) #650

BruJay as a ship always to be, to some level, unrequited. Even if Bruce loves Jason back in that way, he'll never be that obsessed with Jason. Jason will always view Bruce's love for Dick or Tim to be a distraction, proof that Bruce isn't dedicated enough to him. Jason has the need to always have Bruce's attention, even when it could come at the cost of Bruce's other loved ones. Something something cannibalism as a metaphor for love in how Jason wants to consume Bruce's whole existence. He can't let Bruce leave him again, can't let Bruce love or grieve anyone else. Forcing Bruce to choose between Jason and the Joker isn't just about confronting Jason's killer, it's about confronting the other person who exists as this duality with Bruce and consumes so much of Bruce's life. That's the role Jason wants to fill, calling himself Red Hood and forcing Bruce to look at what he's become. But still loving Bruce and wanting more than anything for Bruce to reciprocate that love in the way that Jason understands. I just think it's good soup and rife with Dynamics that are underexplored with them.

[enchantedchocolatebars]

An Opportunity To Change

Inspired by this comic here.

Tagging: @talisman975.

Luz watched with uncaring eyes as her enemy's slime started to form and assemble into a form much smaller than his original one.

As soon as she saw a broken little boy wearing a mask appear before her, Luz's serious expression quickly turned into one of shock.

Her dark pupils, surrounded by gold irises, immediately widen, taken aback by Belos's choice to come into view that way.

'Why did he choose to take on that form?' she wondered.

'Why didn't he just turn back into an old man?'

Given his current state, she was unsure about his ability to control what he turned into.

"... It's not fair," she heard him utter in a low, venomous growl.

His voice resembled that of a small child as Philip held his fists tightly while on the ground, his body starting to quaver.

"It's not fair," he slowly said, repeating his statement.

As Luz continued to stare down at him, she sent Belos a glare.

'This has to be a trick,' she told herself to keep from feeling any smidge of sympathy for him.

She was completely repulsed by his behavior.

'He's lied to me countless times before. What's stopping him from doing so again?'

Luz wouldn't fall for this childish act that Belos was clearly trying to pull.

"It's just not! None of it is! It's not fair!" Philip roared, rage emitting from his voice.

"I just wanted him back!" he reveals through his shouts, slamming his fists onto the ground in pure frustration as he continues his tirade.

He threw his mask off.

"YOU-!!" he squeezes his eyes shut as tears spill from his glands, his fists clenching tighter.

"YOU TOOK HIM FROM ME!" Philip screams, directing his accusation at various factors, but more specifically at the witch who took his brother away, who was no longer alive to hear him.

Speaking of Caleb, that's the only person he can currently think about and see in his mind as memories of them living peacefully together in Gravesfield begin to play.

...

"It's going to be fine, I promise," Caleb had told Philip, who had an unsure expression on his face.

The blonde then tried his best to shine a smile that didn't look too forced. "We will get through this together, Pip."

...

"With this mask," Caleb began, his voice trailing with playfulness as he smirked, slipping the brown mask he had carved for his brother on.

"Witches are going to be afraid of you!" he beams, his triumphant tone filled with heroism and a sense of eeriness while holding up a claw hand.

Philip started to giggle.

He loved his new gift.

...

"They're doing another witch hunt!" Philip, now a preteen, exclaimed with great excitement as he quickly approached his brother while holding his mask.

"Please take part in it with me, Caleb!"

However, Caleb didn't seem to have the same enthusiasm for the hunt as Philip did.

"Oh- I'll sit this one out," the blonde told him, troubled by the news.

Philip's excitement quickly waned, leading to a sad expression.

"... But we always go together," he whispered, slipping on his mask to hide his tearful expression.

Caleb felt bad about his decision to decline the offer, but then a smirk appeared on his face.

"What. You still scared of going alone, Pip?" he asked, causing Philip to quake with anger.

"I'm not!" he shouts, greatly offended by the teasing. He then releases a huff. "Fine! I'll go by myself!"

"You'll be fine!" Caleb said with a chuckle as he watched Philip walk off.

...

"All of you witches...," Philip spat, glaring at Luz with tears in his eyes. "You can't win... I won't let you!"

...

".. Caleb?" Philip quietly said as he turned around to see his brother sneaking off into the woods.

He decides to follow him, leaving behind the mob of townspeople who are going in the opposite direction, holding their pitchforks and torches high in the air.

...

Crouching behind a bush, Philip silently watches Caleb have a sincere conversation with the same wicked witch he had warned his brother to stay away from.

He suspected that the two were secretly seeing each other.

...

"You took him," Philip murmured, looking down at the ground.

...

Philip watched his brother leave through the portal doorway and removed his mask, revealing his crestfallen face.

Holding out his hand, he prayed desperately for his brother to come back.

...

"Because he never would have..." Philip finally collapsed to the ground, his fists still clenched in agony.

"Left me," he whispered to himself, silently crying.

The sight of Belos broken like this left Luz speechless.

She soon realized that he wasn't trying to manipulate her with tears, as the tears racing down his cheeks were genuine, and so was the dejected state he was in.

Although it was strange to witness Belos crying, Luz understood that he was a human just like her.

He was still salvageable, right?

"Hey," she began in a stern but soft voice, causing Philip to look up to see her offering him a hand.

"Listen, people are bad, and you're probably the worst of the worst after everything you've done..."

Philip growled at her as he sniffled.

"But," she sighed.

"They can always improve. No one is destined for evil, not even you. It's never too late to change. So, what do you say?"

Inhaling saliva at the back of his throat, Philip attempted to spit at Luz, only for said spit to land on his cheek.

"Ugh!" he snarled, furiously wiping away at his face with his sleeve.

Luz frowned at this. "Dude, I'm trying to offer you a second chance here. You should really take it."

She could have easily had Eda, Raine, and King just step on him for his refusal.

"And you should really just die," Philip grumbled.

Luz had to refrain from calling him multiple swear words in Spanish.

"You mentioned someone while you were crying. A he. I'm gonna assume this dude meant a lot to you based on how you talked about him, and probably still does. Would you at least be willing to change for him? I'm sure he'd want you to," Luz told him.

'Caleb...,' Philip thought to himself.

He had so much regret inside for ending his brother's life as well as the lives of his Grimwalkers.

'How could such a close, brotherly bond end in flames and bloodshed?'

Would taking Luz's hand and offer for change cleanse him of the sins of his past?

Although Philip was uncertain, there was only one way to find out.

He sighs and extends his hand to Luz, silently expressing his desire to improve.

It will take time and hard work, but he wants it.

He wants to be better.

A small smile appears on Luz's lips as she helps him up from the ground.

[queerdiaz]

A small little 6x02 coda

"I'm worried about Buck." It comes out in one breath, breaking the comfortable silence between him and Chimney as they eat their breakfast.

Chimney nods. "Yeah, me too. And Hen. I know she's had a lot on her plate and losing someone on the job is always hard."

"Yeah." He takes a sip of his coffee and mulls it over.

The way Buck looked so devastated, the way he was so quiet on their way back to the station, is haunting him. They've had dozens of bad calls before, but this feels different, like one of those special calls that hits just a little too close to home. He doesn't know what the guy had said to Buck, but he does know Buck, and could tell how much it affected him.

He knows Buck is focusing on himself right now and just needs his space, but Eddie just wishes he could grab Buck by the shoulder and tell him that he's here. He doesn't have to go through this alone.

Chimney points a fork toward him. "What I don't get is why aren't you currently with Buck right now?"

Eddie furrows his brow. "He declined the offer to go to breakfast, remember?"

"Yeah, but why isn't he with you? Don't you guys usually hang out at each other's place whenever there's a bad call?"

Eddie fights the urge to squirm in his seat. "Yeah, but Buck needs his space."

Chimney studies him for a moment. "Maybe he does. But maybe he's just in his head to ask for help."

"Yeah. But…I just –" Eddie sighs, and looks down at his food, the truth crawling up throat and barely escaping his tongue. "I'm not sure that I'm what he needs right now."

Chimney snorts which makes him lift his head up to meet his gaze. Chimney then clears his throat. "Sorry, I thought you were joking. Eddie," he then gives him a soft look, "you're always going to be what Buck needs. Anyone who knows you two knows that."

Eddie gulps.

"Look, I know a thing or two about fear, but don't let that stop you. If you want to show Buck that you're there for him, show him. The kid's smart and all but he needs that reminder."

Eddie huffs out a laugh. "Don't I know it." He then smiles. "Thanks, Chim."

Chimney smiles back. "Of course."

***

"Knock knock." Eddie proclaims as he opens Buck's door.

Silence greets him.

He slips off his shoes and immediately heads upstairs.

Just like he thought, Buck is buried in his covers, back facing Eddie.

Eddie can't help but just stare at him for a moment, lost in the way his curls are sticking out or how even with a hoodie, his muscles are popping out through the fabric. He looks so soft like this and all Eddie wants to do is shield him from the world.

"Alright, scoot over."

Buck turns his head and squints up at him. "Eddie? What are you doing here?"

"To spoon you. Now scoot over."

Buck doesn't say anything and instead lets out a small smile before scooting further in the bed.

Eddie takes that as his cue to crawl in bed. Once comfortable on his side, he wraps an arm around Buck and pulls him closer against him.

"You don't have to be here you know."

Eddie scoffs. "I know I don't have to. But I want to. I'm always here for you, Buck."

Buck links their hands together. "Thanks, Eds."

"Anytime."

[hereforlou]

the jealous kind 10k

Pat is sure that Pran’s never, ever mentioned an ex before. It’s disorienting to find out now, after everything.

Read Here

[empresskaze]

🌨 for an old Camp Libriel member?

🌨️ Stuck in cold weather

I think it's this one, anon if you see this feel free to correct me cuz the emojis aren't totally the same for me.

~~~~

Gabriel Lane Herondale loathed the snow. From the slush that covered his loafers, to the dampness that matted his hair, to neverending chill that seeped into his bones from the weather, he despised it. His dearest claimed it was pretty, and perhaps it was, but only when enjoyed inside surrounded by working heat, warm tea, and no reason to leave.

Today, though, he found himself waiting at a bus stop while large billowy flakes coated his hair and aggravated his already tumultuous cold. One gloved hand clasped across his body as it tried desperately to retain the bit of warmth his coat brought; the other clutching his soddened handkerchief, which hovered mere inches from his red nose.

Sniffling, Gabriel's droopy tired eyes staring forward, trying not to think about how cold he was waiting for this god forsaken bus.

His breath hitched hard, his eyes squeezed shut as wet congested sneeze erupted into his waiting handkerchief. He'd not even had time to draw another breath before a second then a third followed, each ripping the back of his throat. Gabriel cupped his cloth around his nose, giving a clogged blow that brought little relief.

It was then Gabriel released he no longer felt snow patting his hair. Looking around, a well dressed man in a black coat was next to him holding an umbrella over Gabriel's head. The professor blinked in exhausted confusion.

The man smiled, "I know it isn't much but it seems any break from the snow might help you."

"Oh!" Gabriel felt a hot blush rush across his face stopping at his ears. "I-I appreciate it, b-but please don't...leave yourself..." Gabriel turned away catching another horrendous sneeze. "Exposed at my own expense." He finished sheepishly.

"I'm fine, I'm sure the bus will be here soon." The man replied.

Gabriel nodded, it did feel nice to be shielded from the persistent snow for now. "I normally stay hidden in my apartment," He paused to rub at his nose, "But my dearest partner is quite ill...as well..." He gave a disheartening sigh. "So I ventured forth for his med..." Gabriel’s face slacked, "his...med...me....ah..." Pinching at his nose did nothing, Gabriel bent forward desperately sneezing twice. As he straightened he felt another embarrassed blush fill his pale face but the man only blessed him.

"Well I hope you both feel better soon." He said as the bus finally approached.

"Yes...thank you and for the shelter." Gabriel said as he climbed aboard, taking a seat near the back so he wouldn't disturb anyone.

Closing his eyes, he leaned against the window, a poor attempt to get some rest before his stop, which he almost missed as he'd drifted off.

Back in the warm of the loft building, Gabriel rushed as best as his lungs could take him to the elevators, he wanted to be back home before Liam realized he'd been gone.

His dearest did so much for him, even though he felt awful, his poor Liam was worse and if helping him meant fighting the winter snow, Gabriel would do it every time.

[bleedingoptimism]

If you're looking for Steddie prompts, I've been dying for a fic where Murry does his whole thing trying to get Steddie together, but Steve just gets pissed off at home for sticking his nose where it doesn't belong so he goes off on Murray. Your choice of Steve and Eddie are already together or not, bonus points of he brings up Murray encouraging Nancy to sleep when Johnathan before they broke up

... the room is silent, deadly silent.

Nancy is hiding her face in her hands, Jon just- got up and left the room murmuring "Not this again"

Eddie's legs are shaking so much he's practically vibrating and he's looking at where Jon just disappeared like he wants to follow.

And Steve, Steve is glaring at Murray because they had come to see him about some information they needed, and the man, after a few minutes had just come out and, unprompted, out of nowhere and so out of place, said:

"The tension between these two is worse than what you guys had before, uh?" And had pointed at him and Eddie.

And he wants to actually get up and punch the man in his smug face but, unfortunately, they do need his help right now so Steve just takes a deep breath and moves his hand on top of Eddie's knee, squeezes it once to calm him down and slowly and purposely moves it higher up his thigh, palms wide to encompass as much as he can while still glaring at Murray and says,

"You are a sad, creepy, and meddling old man, you know that?" he spits at him and moves a little bit closer to Eddie, "And there's no tension between us. None."

To his credit, Murray smirks and nods at Steve like he agrees with him. And the conversation continues as if nothing happened.

But inside Steve is freaking out because his hand is still on Eddie's thigh and he can feel the heat coming out of him, he is sitting so close and Eddie is kind of melting beside him and shit guess they need to talk about this, uh?