#again if you DO read Clint as creepy or whatever that's fine

[mytimeinthesun]

So this is random, but I picked up Stardew Valley for the first time this summer and have been playing almost nonstop since.

I’ve also been watching a lot of SDV YouTube content and noticed that the general consensus there seems to be that Clint is a creepy incel who needs to keep his creep hands off Emily, which surprised me because that’s not really how I read him.

Idk what the consensus is on him here on tumblr but I’m assuming it’s similar? I tend not to dive deep into fandom spaces and just do my own thing so I genuinely have no idea, BUT I was kept awake by my brain going on a wild tangent about Clint with an entirely alternate take SO here it is:

[under the cut bc slightly long][also this is just for fun if you disagree that's totally fine]

Ok so first off I should say that I don’t LIKE Clint necessarily, but I also don’t think he’s as bad as people say. I’ve seen his heart events, although I haven't gone to look at what all the options are, I only know what happens with the option I picked (which was the "treat men and women the same" or whatever one).

But basically, when I look at Clint, I mostly see a guy who feels trapped in his profession/family tradition, is deeply bored and depressed, but doesn't really realize how much of a problem that is because he's 100% resigned to his fate. He's tired and doesn't have the emotional self-awareness to realize that he can do anything different or that he even should.

Which leads me to his feelings for Emily. YES he's obsessed with her and it's a bit weird, but also, it's never read as sexual or even that romantic to me.

I think it's more idealization--she's the opposite of him, vibrant and fun and seemingly in total control of her life, doing what SHE wants to do because she can and she enjoys it.

SO HERE'S MY HOT TAKE: Clint is closet trans and mistaking his gender envy of Emily for romantic attraction.

He feels trapped in his job which he clearly hates but feels resigned to because the town needs a blacksmith, what if he also feels trapped in his gender? What if trans as an option has simply never occurred to him or he thinks it's "for other people" or something like that??

I feel like if Emily ever did agree to date him I think he'd quickly find out it's not actually what he wanted from her. I think he really just wants the freedom that she has and also maybe the gender that she has idk is that really so unreasonable a take???

Maybe it is it was really late at night when I was thinking about this but I had to get it out lol

tl;dr: I don't think Clint wants Emily. I think Clint wants to be Emily, in a trans way.

[raineydays411]

Mission In Progress

Steve Rogers x daughter!reader

Summary: Steve realizes that his past behavior may have cost him the love of his daughter.

A/n: Hello! This is the second part to my Steve Rogers series! I hope you like it and also I hope y’all get the little references I put in these lol💕

Masterlist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What do you mean Natasha taught you?”

Oh shit.

That was the collective thought between you, Nat, Clint, and Tony. It was well known among the team that Steve didn’t want his daughter learning ANY form of self defense, but those four thought that was ridiculous. She was Captain America's daughter, she definitely would need to fight off an enemy sooner or later.

“well...nat taught me the basics on how to defend myself, she said it would come in handy someday.” You say quietly, picking the thread on your sleeve rather than looking at your father.

“Romanoff, you taught her how to fight?” Steve said, fury bleeding into his eyes. “I made it perfectly clear--”

“Steve, its unreasonable for her not to know how to fight, she's the daughter of one of the worlds greatest defenders. If she doesn’t fight, she’s dead.”, Natasha said bluntly, staring Steve in the face as the other Avengers grew uncomfortable.

“She’s perfectly fine, it’s not like she leaves the Tower anyway.”

“Because if she did, you’d have someone follow her. It’s creepy, man”  Tony butts in with a roll of his eyes. By now both Bruce and Thor had silently left the room, as both of them would be useless in this conversation.

“Oh, so Tony Stark is gonna teach me how to raise a kid? Isn’t that ironic.”

“It’s not like you’re doing any better on your own. All Y/n does is stay in her room and write in that book of hers, she doesn’t even talk to people her own age.”

“It’s safer that way and you all know it” Steve snaps, refusing to even look your way. “ I set those rules for a reason, and I don’t appreciate my team mate or friends going behind my back and breaking them.”

“Look, Steve we love you, but the way you’re going about this whole parenting situation is completely wrong.” Clint finally says. “ I get that you were thrusted into this role, we all do. But man, you can protect Y/n from everything and it’s not healthy for her to be locked away in the tower like--”

“Like some modern day Rapunzel” 

“Thank you, Tony.”

“You all know the reason why she’s not allowed to leave. Its just safer that way.” Steve says, expecting the conversation to be over. “ Now, we’ll talk about this when we get back to --”

“You don’t lock me away for my protection” You say looking up with a determined face. Steve, obviously stunned you called him out like that turned to you and said

“ Excuse me?” 

“ It was never about me. If you wanted me to be safe, you would have taught me how to defend myself as soon as you could. You would have told the world about me, just to make sure everyone knows not to mess with me.” You say, your brow furrowed. “ You say its for safety, but who’s safety is it really for?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Steve says in a low, slow tone. 

“Everytime I come in a room, you tense up like I’m going to attack you.” You start to say, realizing that once you reveal what you noticed, things will never be the same. “ You monitor everything I do. You never allow me to be alone. You don’t talk to be about missions and don’t allow anyone else to.” You stand up off the couch. “ You refuse to acknowledge my mother, and won’t even let read the journal she left me.”

“That’s enough Y/n”

“No!” You shout. “ It’s not fair I don’t understand why you treat me like this.” Steve looks at you in surprise. 

“ Y/n, you don’t understand.”

“ I do. You don’t trust me.” You finally say. “ You haven’t from day one, and I don’t know why. It's not like a six year old is a Hydra agent by disguise.” 

Hearing this Steve freezes. He knows that all this surveillance was unnecessary. And deep down he knew that you could never hurt not even a fly. but that tiny voice in his head got the best of him. And even though he grew to love you more than he’d like to admit, the thought of you being am enemy scared him. 

“ You are a threat.” Steve says stubbornly. “ You came out of nowhere, with nothing but a note in the middle of the night. Your mother is nowhere to be found, and I have no idea who to even look for. You look nothing like me and defiantly don’t act like me.” 

Hearing these words is like a knife being repeatedly stabbed in your heart. It’s one thing to think that your dad doesn’t love you, it's another to hear them directly from his mouth. 

“ I have done nothing for you to treat me like this. I have done nothing to lose your trust. I didn’t ask for my mother to leave me here with you. It’s not my fault.” You say, tears starting to well up in your eyes. “ That robot asked me to go with him you know?”

The whole room freezes. You never mentioned that when Clint picked you up from the Tower.

“ He asked me to go with him, because he said I had no one. I had nothing to loose. And now” You let tears run down your face. “ Now that I know he’s right, I still wouldn’t go with him. Because I would NEVER want someone to get hurt because of me.” And with that you pushed past the group of superheros and ran outside. You didn’t know where you were going, but you had to get out of that house.

You walk into town and into a bookshop that was surprisingly open at this hour. The clerk looked at you in annoyance as you wandered the isles quietly. Picking up a copy of Romeo and Juliet, you walk toward the counter to pay.

“Tch, Romeo and Juliet?” The cashier says

“What about it?” you ask, puzzled that he cared enough to mention it. 

“Nothing if you’re thirteen and never had a boyfriend.”

“Oh really?” You say, eyes lighting up at the chance to talk to someone your own age without the gaze of an agent boring into your back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, there was a tense silence in the house. Steve left with the words you told him rattling in his brain. 

“You know, Y/n always used to come to me for help picking out the perfect father's day gift for you.” Clint said breaking the silence in the room. “ She insisted we wake up hours before you to go to the shops just to surprise you. She loved wrapping the gift and the thought of making you happy.” He smiled bitterly. “ I loved every second of it, watching her reminded me of my own family. It broke my heart to see her little face deflate when you barely acknowledged the gift and treated it like it was a bomb or something.” He shakes his head and walks out. Natasha follows him and says ‘ Its late, it's not safe for her to be out there alone, I’m going to look for her.”. Then she’s gone. Leaving only Tony and Steve in the living room. It’s quiet for a few minutes. They can hear Clint playing with his children, Lila laughing as Cooper and Clint chase her. 

“ You know, all my life I had to wonder if my dad loved me too.” Tony said suddenly. “ I guess that’s why I got along with Y/n so well.”

Steve sat on the couch and sighed. “ I guess I could’ve approached this differently.”

“That's your problem Rogers, you treat her like a mission. She’s a kid. Even I know that you can’t raise a kid that way.”

Steve exhaled through his nose. “So, what do you think I should do?”  

Tony rolled his eyes again.” Well for one, you can go look for your fourteen year old daughter who ran out in the middle of the night in an area she doesn’t know.”

Steve's eyes widened and he shot up, “ Shit, I- I have to go find her.” and with that he ran out of the living room, leaving Tony alone as he heard him shout 

“Language!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It didn’t take long for Steve to get into town. The only problem he really faced was figuring out where you might be. Almost everything was closed except for a liquor store and some bars. He started to panic, as he started to think about the possibility of you being hurt or kidnapped or--

“Hey bomb pop, over here” someone whispers

Steve looks around to see Natasha standing in front of a bookshop. He jogs up to her and asks

“Nat what are you--” “SHHH, look” she points into the window.

At first Steve didn’t know what he was looking at. All he saw was two kids flirting on some bean bags. But then he looked closer and realized that was his kid flirting on some bean bags. He got ready to burst in there and drag her out, which surprised him.

“What are you doing” Natasha harshly whispered, “This is the first time in years y/n has talked to someone her age, and I will NOT let you ruin it.”

“But does it have to be a boy” Steve whines, then he shrinks back as Nat glares at him. 

“You have no right to play protective daddy right now, you--”

“Dad? Nat? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s been about an hour since you started talking to Levi, the cashier. Even though he insulted your book choice

“It’s a play about two bratty kids who think they’re in love and then kill themselves, its pathetic”

He’s interesting. He has this harsh exterior that is refreshing to you. You liked that he didn’t handle you with kids gloves like the rest of the Avengers did. He let you stay behind after closing as long as you helped him clean, but you didn’t last long because apparently you “cleaned like a blind person with no hands” whatever that means. After cleaning you two sat and talked about music and his friends. It was nice. That was until you felt eyes on you.

Looking out the window you noticed two figures staring at you. One petite red head and a tall blonde to be more specific. Rolling your eyes, you say goodbye to Levi and thank him for one of the best nights you’ve had in a while. As you left he did something that surprised you.

“Hey brat, here’s my number.” He says as he gives you an old receipt, “ Don’t expect me to text you all night, I have a life too.” 

You just smile and say thank you, blushing as you realize this was your first friend in years. You put the number in your pocket and walk outside. 

“Dad? Nat?” You ask, cutting their little squabbling short. “What are you two doing here?” 

Nat and Steve stand up straight. 

“It was getting late and I was worried so I came to find you” Natasha said, “ But it seems to me that you were quite alright in there” She finishes with a smirk. You blush as you try to think of a retort. Before you say anything, you hear your dad clear his throat. You roll your eyes.

“Don’t worry, I wasn’t getting intel on how to kill you or whatever you think what will happen if i make friends.” You again push past the two avengers, your good mood spoiled as you walk away. You hear some harsh whispering then your name is called. 

“Y/n” your father calls, “I think we need to talk.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tag list: @angeldreineedshelp @night-thinqer @ilyimagines @vxidsti1es @big-galaxy-chaos

[high-functioning-lokipath]

Strange Times - Dr. Steven Strange x Reader - Words: 2,225

A/N: Hope you enjoy it! Sorry if Dr. Strange is a bit OOC because I'm not SUPER experienced with his character but I wanted to give him a shot! Hope you like my other fandom references 😜 Let me know if you pick up on them!

"Y/N," Hawkeye said, walking up to you. "You've got a mission." Your eyebrows raised dramatically as you lifted your gaze from the bowl of cereal you were currently consuming. 

"Me?" You asked mid-chew. Clint rolled his eyes at your manners, or lack thereof, but nodded. 

"You're ready," He assured you. Him, along with the other Avengers, had been training you now for the past few months. While your control over your power had greatly improved, you still weren't completely confident in yourself. "All it involves is catching a guy who'd been working in Research and Development on one of Stark's projects. He apparently decided he could get more money if he stole it and sold it to the other side so we need to catch him before the deal goes through. He should be landing in Madrid now. The deal is set for tomorrow morning. You have until then."

"Okay," You said slowly. "I guess I'll get ready then?" 

"Yep!" He chirped, grinning brightly. You grumbled about the lack of prep time and stalked away trying to hide your nerves. You got dressed and left in record time. The small jet you'd been assigned for your mission had the location pre-entered, thanks again to Hawkeye, so you reviewed the file during the flight. 

"Great!" You groaned, going off on a rant to yourself as you kept reading. "He's stolen an unstable prototype of a personal time travel device! How was this guy not checked out before? Matt Smith doesn't sound suspicious at all!" The computer on the jet beeped at you and you saw that you were approaching the landing site. Quickly putting the file away, you prepared for the inevitable confrontation. Once you landed you carefully made your way to the small hotel Smith was supposedly staying in for the night. Your first obstacle, of course, was persuading the clerk to let you look at the guest list. Once you did, however, you quickly snuck up to his room on the 3rd floor and went in.

"Well well well," You heard someone say once the door closed behind you. You whipped around and saw a shadowy figure in the corner. "I mustn't have made a very strong impression if the Avengers sent me fresh meat. Poor girl. You have no idea what you're up against do you?" He flicked a light on and you saw the prototype in his hand. 

"You're right. I don't. But neither do you," You retorted. Concentrating on the barriers of the room, you lifted the gravity in it while keeping yourself grounded. "You have no idea what I'm capable of," You smirked. "So why don't we make this easier on the both of us and you hand it over now?"

"Well, you make a good argument. But how about no?" He smirked back. You felt a click around your wrists and were suddenly pulled back against the wall. "I have heard of you, my dear," He sneered. "So I was well prepared for any of you." As he revealed the small propulsion device he was wearing, he started gliding towards you, no longer affected by the lack of gravity in the room. "I don't really want to hurt you," he said. "I just want you to watch as everything you've ever known is destroyed!" As he continued monologuing, you noticed orange sparks appearing behind him. At first you thought he was activating the device. But moments later, the sparks turned into a circular portal and a tall man with a red cape stepped through. 

"Hand over the proto-whoa!" He yelled as he was inadvertently affected by your gravity manipulation when he entered the room. His cape though seemed to react and started flapping, pushing him back towards the ground. "As I was saying," He said, clearing his throat and trying to regain his dignity. "Hand it over." 

"Why should I, Strange? Of what use is it to you?"

"Doctor Strange!" You thought. "That's who he is!" You'd heard of him before but had never met or seen him. While you did wonder why he was there, you were awfully glad for the help. 

"I was bored and needed some entertainment," He shrugged. "Now if you don't mind, I'll be taking that now." Strange reached out to grab the device out of the man's hand but you noticed Smith was going to try to fly away. You quickly adjusted the gravity again, keeping everyone on the ground. 

"Hey!" Smith yelled. "That's not nice!" You rolled your eyes and Strange easily snatched the device from him. Smith struggled to reach for it but Strange smirked. 

"Be a dear?" He said to, apparently, his cape. The cape flew off his back and curled it's one corner around the device. It then hovered up near the ceiling, out of reach. 

"So that's why Stark said his costume was creepy," You thought, chuckling lightly. Strange glanced at you oddly but didn't address it. 

"Could you-" He trailed off, motioning slightly around him.

"Oh! Sure!" You replied quickly, letting the gravity return to normal. Smith immediately tried to get away but Strange pulled out an odd glowy rope and whipped it around him effectively restraining him for the moment. 

"Not so fast," He said to the man. Turning to you he motioned for you to come closer. He made short work of the cuffs on your wrists before transferring them to Smith' own hands. "Ok, off you go," He said, opening a portal in front of the man. He unceremoniously shoved him through and closed it behind him. "He'll be taken care of," Strange said to you, motioning for the cape to return to him. He then handed the prototype back to you.

"Thanks," You mumbled, feeling quite silly that you couldn't handle the mission on your own. "Why did you come here anyways? Did Stark or one of the others send you?"

"No, I came on my own. You see, I keep a watch list of individuals and beings from all realms that may be a threat to this world. When Mr. Matt Smith there stole that device, he jumped to the top."

"Oh," You said. "Well, I suppose I'd better get back. I'll probably need to debrief and should probably train a bit more so I can handle myself better next time."

"You did fairly well for someone without much experience although you certainly need more training." You rolled your eyes at his statement. Having heard of his reputation for being snarky, however, you weren't all that fazed. "Perhaps you would like to come to the Sanctum with me? I'm quite sure we have a book that could help you." Now that surprised you. You didn't expect him to be nice at all. Maybe he's not as bad as Loki said he was. 

"So, is the Sanctum a fancy library and you're the fancy librarian?" You joked. He laughed and shook his head.

"The Sanctum is much more than that and Wong is the fancy librarian!" He grinned. He opened a portal in front of you that, apparently, led to the Sanctum. Before stepping through it, though, you remembered your own transportation.

"Oh! Actually I have a jet I came in. Can we take that back? I just know I'll be read the riot act if I leave it behind," You said.

"That would be fine," He replied. "Besides, it will give us more time to get to know each other better." A light blush rose to your cheeks as you followed the Doctor out. 

"Am I crazy or is he flirting with me?" You thought. "Crazy, definitely crazy." As you kept walking, your internal monologue also continued. "He is quite handsome though," you mused. "Kinda looks like that guy from the tv show BFF/N watches."

"Nice cape," You commented, trying to make conversation. The cape seemed to bristle at your comment and he smoothed it softly at his side. 

"It's a cloak, not a cape. And it's the Cloak of Levitation, an ancient relic." 

"Oh," You said quietly. "Sorry."

"Quite alright. It's easily confused to the untrained eye." He paused for a moment before adding, "And thank you." You smiled slightly and continued walking in silence.

"So what's your name?" He asked, once you got in the jet. 

"My name-name? Or my made-up name?"

"Both," He replied, entering the Sanctum's address into the computer. 

"Well, my name is Y/F/N, but I go by Andromeda Nova, or Nova for short."

"Not bad," He said, sitting down in one of the chairs. "So tell me about yourself, Nova." He'd taken off his cape before he sat and now it was hovering near him. 

"Alright," You said nervously. You were slightly intimidated by the more experienced superhero who suddenly seemed to be interrogating you but you went ahead with telling him your story of how you got your powers.

"So you went to the Avengers for help?"

"Yes. I had no idea how to control it and, well, everyone that I had been friends with before were afraid of me except for BFF/N." You giggled slightly and smirked. "I guess you could say you met me at a very strange time in my life." He laughed heartily at your pun and you relaxed a bit. As you continued telling him about your training with the Avengers, you decided to take off your own cape and tossed it over a nearby chair. Eventually, however, you got tired of just hearing your own voice since he kept asking you questions rather than speak himself. "Do you mind if I put on some music while we talk?" 

"Oh not at all!" He replied excitedly. You grabbed the tablet that controlled the sound system and scrolled through the library.

"Any preferences, Strange?"

"Whatever you want." You nodded and scrolled a bit more before finally hitting shuffle on one of your favorite playlists. "And, you can call me Stephen if you want." Seconds after the song started, he smirked.

"Waka Waka, Shakera, 2010." Your jaw dropped, eyebrows raising comically. "Surprised?" You nodded, speechless. "Let's try another, shall we? Computer, next song." The next song started and now it was your turn to grin. Just before he opened his mouth, you beat him to it.

"Ride, Twenty One Pilots, 2015. Computer, next song." He raised one eyebrow, impressed, before closing his eyes to concentrate on the next song. 

"Just The Way You Are, Bruno Mars, 2010," You said at the same time. He smiled widely and let the song continue for the moment. Seeing movement out of the corner of your eye, you got up to look, almost doubling over in a fit of giggles. 

"Should we be concerned?" You asked the doctor, who seemed just as shocked as you when he walked over to see what you were looking at. Apparently Cloak had gotten the dancing bug and decided your cape would make an excellent partner. 

"I have no idea," He replied, biting back a laugh. "It's been a while since he's been with another cape, so," He trailed off, both of you laughing once again. "Wait, is yours a cape or a cloak?"

"Whatever it is, he likes it!" You exclaimed, watching the odd waltz continue. Once your laughter calmed, you noticed he was staring at you. You cleared your throat and looked at him questioningly. "That, um, that's a lovely dress. A, uh, very nice color," He said quickly, stumbling over his words. 

"Uh-huh, sure," You said, sarcastically.

"Really! It is!" He cried, embarrassed that you caught him staring.

"Yeah, well, my BFF keeps saying it's the same color as Sherlock's purple shirt of-woah!" You suddenly were thrown off balance as Cloak flew over and shoved you toward Stephen, who, of course, caught you before you fell. 

"I'm so sorry," He quickly said. "Apparently he needs a reminder that, while he is the Cloak of Levitation, he's not my wingman." He said the last part in almost a hiss, directed at the offending object. Cloak shrugged and, if it had eyes, you were sure it would have rolled them. 

"It's quite alright," You assured him. Realizing you were still in his arms you blushed brightly. "Maybe I should-"

"The music's still playing," He interrupted.

"And?"

"May I have this dance?" He smirked. 

"I suppose," You sighed. "But only because I think you'll be a better partner than capey over there." Cloak, who was still nearby, reached out to whack you for your comment. Strange quickly whipped open a portal instead in front of the fabric and you heard a yell from the other side before Cloak quickly retreated and he closed it. 

"Who was that?" You asked.

"Cloak may or may not have just accidentally slapped Wong's backside." Cloak crossed what you supposed was his arms and had the audacity to look upset. You shook your head and chuckled lightly. 

"I have a strange feeling we'll get along just fine," You smiled, holding your hands out to him for your dance. He smiled back and took your hands, swaying gently to the music. 

"Only time will tell." 

In An Unidentified Location Only One Portal Away

Matt takes a look around to make sure no one is watching him. "Well, it would seem my work here is done," He said, grinning to himself. "Toodle-oo!"

Marvel (all characters) Taglist

@bartv21

@another-crazy-fangirl

@whatafuckingdumbass

@ladylulu143

@lokislittlesigyn

@gaitwae

[buckys-other-punk]

Why There?

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: Tony suggests a little game for everyone to play after a party. You and Bucky are partnered up and let’s just say things become heated throughout the game.

Warnings: SMUT, unprotected sex, cussing and alcohol/drunk-ish people?

Prompt: “Let’s go fuck in that closet.”

Word Count: 2.8K 

A/N: Helloo loves! Starting off the new year with a new smutty fic! This was suppose to be for a writing challenge I joined back in May (holy shit i’ve put this off for way to long..sorry), but the blog who hosted the challenge kinda logged off of tumblr...but I still wanted to write this if they decided to come back (and check it out) and also for you guys of course. This is also very much unedited (like always because im excited to share this) Lemme know if you guys wanna be tagged in future fics and what you think of this fic! Enjoy ;)

**DO NOT READ IF YOU’RE UNDER 18, BUT I CANT CONTROL YOUR ACTIONS SO THIS FINAL WARNING IS POINTLESS...**

“Fuck, how many drinks have you had?” Sam asked, looking at Bucky.

“Far too many. You think Stark’s gonna stop poisoning us?” he chuckled in reply.

“Guys we should play a game!” Tony slurred excitingly towards all of you.

“Tony, are you drunk?” Steve asked Tony. In response he ignored the captain.

You looked at Natasha who was sitting next to you on the couch. Rolling your eyes you asked the man, “What game should we play Tony?”

“I’m glad you asked my dear sweet Y/N.” he stated as he patted your head gently.

“He’s for sure drunk.” you heard Clint huff under his breath.

“Whoever said that, go suck a dick.” Tony grumbled. “Anyways we should play hide and seek! It would be so fun to play it in this big tower!” he exclaimed.

“Tony, I honestly think you’ve had way too much to drink.” Pepper chuckled at her husband.

“No, I’m fine dear. Seriously guys come on! I’ll make it fair. We can have partners!” Tony explained.

“I call Y/N!” Sam yelled getting up from his seat. 

“Dude what the fuck!” Bucky whispered, slapping his shoulder with an angry expression.

“Hey, I wanted to partner with Y/N.” Natasha pouted towards Tony and you.

“Guys, relax I’m sure Tony is the one who will be picking partners. Isn’t that right Tony?” you hesitantly said looking at Stark.

“That’s right Y/N.” Tony replied. “And since Mr. Wilson over here was so eager he’s going to be partnered with Clint.”

“Noo!” Sam and Clint both shouted in astonishment as they looked at Tony.

“Sorry boys. Nat you’re with Steve.” Tony ordered looking at the pair. “I’m with my beautiful wife of course.”

“Yeah, no I’m tired honey. Being the host of an extravagant party was enough.” she said as she kissed Tony’s cheek.

“Good night Pepper.” you said ever so sweetly.

“Thanks. Have fun guys.” she said waving goodbye to everyone and exiting the room.

“Well, I guess I’m with you Banner. I’m assuming you’re playing.” Tony asked, crossing his arms.

“Do I have a choice?” Bruce said in defeat. 

“Nope!” Tony said. “And that leaves Y/N and Bucky for the final pair.” he added looking towards the two of you. You were kind of happy to be paired with Bucky, even though you wished to be paired with Natasha, but Bucky will have to do. I mean, you and Bucky have been having an on and off thing every so often, how bad would this be? You looked towards Bucky with a smile which he returned.

“What?! How come Bucky gets to be with Y/N!? I called dibs!” Sam said angrily towards Tony.

“Because I said so.” Tony snapped which made Sam go off in the corner to sulk.  “So here are the rules; you can’t ask FRIDAY for help, each pair needs to stay together, if you are found you can’t help the seeker find the others, and this entire floor is up for grabs.” Tony explained.

“Wait, if the entire floor is good to hide, that means we can hide in people’s rooms?” Clint asked with a mischievous smirk.

“Yup, everything is clear. If everyone is ok with that?” Tony asked, looking at everyone.

“Yeah.”    “I’m fine with that.”    “Ok.”     “Sure.”

“Alright, but just in case none touches anybody’s stuff in their rooms. Oh, I also forgot to mention, you can move around if you don’t like your hiding spot.” Tony stated sounding less drunk than before. “So, is everyone ready?” he asked and everyone gave a nod towards the man. 

“Ok, Bruce and I will be the seekers. We’ll give everyone 15 minutes to hide. FRIDAY can you announce when the time is up and who gets found when we find people?” he asked the AI.

“Yes, Mr. Stark.” the AI said. “Your 15 minute timer starts now.”

With that everyone grabbed their partners and took off. Clint practically dragged Sam from the corner where he was sulking. Steve picked up Nat and carried her out of the room. Natasha was furiously yelling at Steve to put her down saying she can walk herself. Bucky grabbed your hand and you both ran towards the kitchen.

As the two of you entered the kitchen you both saw Clint try to shove Sam into one of the cabinets underneath the island table. They both felt yours and Bucky’s stares and whipped their heads towards the two of you.

“GET OUT!” Sam yelled as he tried to shimmy into the storage space. Bucky raised his hands in defeat and the two of you exited the kitchen. As you both were leaving you heard Sam yell to Clint, “Dude quit shoving me so hard!” The two of you laughed as you walked down the hallway.

You both passed the living quarters where you briefly saw red hair hiding behind a dresser. You stopped walking to look into the room, which was Clint’s, and saw blue eyes were peeking underneath a bed. “You guys are gonna be found first.” you said to the two.

“Fuck off Y/N. You guys haven’t even hidden yet.” you heard Nat say from behind the dresser.

“There is 5 minutes remaining.” FRIDAY announced.

“Let’s see who gets found first.” Steve said from underneath the bed.

You shook your head and walked towards Bucky. The two of you couldn’t find a perfect spot to hide and time was running out.

“Y/N there.” Bucky said pointing towards the laundry room. You nodded and the two of you quickly entered the room searching for a good place to hide. 

“Damn it there’s nowhere good to hide in here!” you huffed out towards the man.

“Aw come on Y/N. What about there?” he said pointing to the supply closet. “Let’s go fuck in that closet.” he said with a smirk.

“What the fuck Bucky!” you quietly yelled. “First off, no. Second, why should we hide there? Isn’t it a little too obvious to hide in a closet?” you replied with your hands on your hips.

“Hey at least I tried.” he said, raising his arms in defense. “Well it may be so obvious that the science bros wouldn’t even look there.” Bucky replied, back arms crossed.

“The 15 minute time is up. Mr. Stark and Dr. Banner is on their way.” the AI announced.

“Ugh, fine we’ll hide in the closet.” you huffed in defeat as you pulled Bucky with you towards the closet. You opened the door, shoved Bucky inside first and got in closing the door behind you. The space felt super small with Bucky’s large frame pressed up behind you. His hands were on your hips and you felt his hot breath on your exposed neck. Fuck why did Tony have to have this idea right after a party? You grumbled to yourself.

“You smell nice, doll.” Bucky whispered in your ear.

“That’s fucking creepy Bucky.” you replied back.

“What, I can’t help it. You look so fucking hot in this dress.” he started as he rubbed his hands along your frame which of course gave you goosebumps.

“Wait, be quiet. I think I hear someone.” you whispered. Bucky became quiet, but his arms wrapped around your front this time and he pulled you even closer to his body. You could feel his bulge pressing against your lower back.

“Nothing here.” you heard Bruce yell.

“Did you check the closet?” Tony asked.

“I don’t think anyone would be hiding in the closet. That’s the most obvious place to hide.” Banner said.

“Alright then.” Stark stated as the two of them exited the laundry room.

He sobered up quickly you said to yourself.

Both you and Bucky huffed out the breath you were holding. You waited a good 5 minutes before opening the closet door and pulling Bucky out. As soon as the two of you got out of that closet you heard FRIDAY announce that Natasha and Steve were found first.

“Knew it.” you whispered with a smirk towards Bucky. “We gotta find somewhere else to hide.” you added.

“Where should we go?” he asked, walking towards the exit of the laundry room, looking out into the hallway to see if the coast was clear.

“Maybe someone’s room. I don’t think that Tony and Bruce would go back there since they already found a pair.” you said shrugging your shoulders.

“Alright, let's go to Sam’s room.” Bucky said. “I’ve always wanted to mess with his stuff.” he added with a smirk.

“Tony said to not mess with the rooms, Buck.” you said as the two of you walked into the hallway towards the room.

“Fuck his rules. I’ve been meaning to mess with Wilson’s stuff for a while, but never got the chance.” he snickered.

“Whatever.” you huffed.

The two of you arrived in Sam’s room without hesitation and Bucky wreaked havoc. He went into the bathroom and messed with all of Sam’s toiletries. Sam’s bed was neatly fixed before the two of you got there, but once Bucky finished messing with his bathroom, he walked towards the bed laying down on it.

“You wanna fuck in his bed?” Bucky said wiggling his eyebrows at you.

“What no.” you quickly said.

“Fine, maybe next time.” winking at you as he stood up from the bed. You rolled your eyes as you looked around the room wondering if Tony and Bruce found Sam and Clint. About 15 minutes passed and you were getting bored. Did Tony and Bruce give up?

“You guys are giving me a headache.” you heard Tony announce through the intercoms. “New rule, if you found a new spot to hide you have to stay there.”

“Ugh, I need this game to be over so i can get out of this dress.” you said as you laid on Sam’s bed.

“I can help with that, doll.” Bucky flirted which again made you roll your eyes. “Come one Y/N. Help me get back at Sam for his prank on me. Let’s fuck on his bed.” he begged at you on his knees. You sat up as an idea formed in your mind, which would help him get his revenge.

“No, I’m not gonna have sex with you in Sam’s bed.” you said and Bucky groaned frustrated looking at the ground. “But,” you started and that made him lift his head up. You leaned forwards towards him so that your face was close to his. “I’ll fuck you in his closet.” you said looking straight into his eyes. You saw his blue eyes turn dark filling with lust.

“You’re serious Y/N? You’re not messing with me right?” he asked quietly staring into your eyes

“I’m dead serious babe.” you said confidently and with that Bucky stood up and lifted you into his arms. As he walked towards the closet his blue eyes were staring into your y/e/c eyes. He looked down to your lips then back up at your eyes. Once Bucky entered the open closet he leaned his head forward and connected his lips with yours.

The kiss was passionate and rough. Bucky closed the door slightly so just enough light could peak through. He pressed you up against the wall as he still held onto you. He deepened the kiss and the two of you moaned as your tongues fought for dominance. Your chest was pressed up against his, arms around his neck holding him close and thighs wrapped around his torso.

You felt one of his hands move from your back to your exposed thigh. He ran his hand from your thigh up to your hip, pushing your black dress along with it. Bucky withdrew his lips from yours and attached them to your neck. Unsatisfied with his thin grey dress shirt, you moved your hands to his chest and began to unbutton the fabric wanting more of him. Just as you finished unbuttoning his shirt you both heard a noise outside the closed space. 

Both of you froze in place looking towards the cracked door not wanting to get caught. You heard footsteps walk past the room and a grumble followed by a door shutting. It was probably Steve, tired of Tony’s little game and wanting to sleep the rest of the night. With that the two of you huffed in relief, Bucky looked back to you  with his lustful eyes.

“You’re sure you still want to do this?” he asked face inches to yours.

“If we get caught, then whoever catches us will have a great show.” you said smugly.

“I’m gonna fucking ruin you, doll.” he growled as he took off his shirt completely while still holding onto you. 

You followed suit, luckily your dress had no zippers, so you pulled your dress up over your head and kicked off your heels. Bucky pulled back and drooled at the sight of you. You wore a black bralette and lace thong underneath your dress. He grabbed the back of your head and pulled it forward as he pressed his lips on yours once again. Your hands ran up his toned chest to the back of his neck, you used our right hand to slightly pull at his hair which made him moan.

Bucky’s right hand moved from your hip to up your body, stopping at your left breast giving it a light squeeze. Moaning at the sensation you began to grind against his lower half, feeling his dick twitch underneath his dress pants. Bucky pushed the fabric covering your breasts down, his lips removed from yours as he placed hot wet kisses from your jaw down to your chest. Admiring your naked torso he lifted you higher against the wall so he could attach his lips on your hardened nipple as one of his hands began to rub your clit through your lace thong. You moaned, grabbing a fist full of his hair drawing his lips back to yours. 

Once your lips were attached Bucky’s, he began to unbuckle his belt and you fumbled unzipping his pants off. He pushed them down along with his boxer briefs to his thighs and his hard dick sprang free form its restraints. It was your turn to now drool at the sight of him. You moved your right hand between your bodies as you grabbed his dick and began stroking it. Bucky moved his hand back to your clothed pussy and moved your lace thong to the side. He gathered the slick juices from your pussy to his mouth, moaning harder at the taste of you and your actions.

“You ready doll?” he asked looking at your eyes and you replied with a yes. He spat in his hand and pumped his dick before slowly inserting into you. The two of you moaned at the sensation as Bucky held you close waiting for you to adjust to his size.

“Move baby.” you whispered in his ear. Bucky slowly pulled out of you and back in.His movements were torturously slow and you wanted more.

“Mr. Stark and Dr. Banner have found Mr. Wilson and Barton.” FRIDAY announced. 

Oh thank god you said to yourself. “You better make this fast Barnes.” you breathed out finally getting what you wanted.

“Oh doll, if you want fast I’ll show you fast.” he whispered in your ear. Just like that his hips pulled back almost completely and quickly thrusted back into you. You moaned in Bucky’s ear pulling at his hair with your right hand, scratching his back with the other keeping his body close to yours. His pace changed to an agonizing slow pace making you clench around him.

“Fuck Bucky.” you moaned as your head rested on his shoulder. Bucky then thrusted hard into you again. You screamed, biting his shoulder as your back was pressed harder against the wall.

“Shit doll, you’re taking me so well.” he said as he kissed along your jaw. With each sharp thrust his lips moved closer and closer to yours. Once he felt your clench around his dick he placed his lips on yours swallowing your moans. 

“What the fuck?” a voice yelled as they entered his room.

Bucky’s ears perked up and he quickened his pace fucking you harder and harder. You couldn’t control how loud your moans were. You quickly slapped your hand over your mouth, hoping Sam didn’t hear. Your legs began to shake as you felt your climax come near and Bucky felt you clench around his dick. He quickly moved his hand over to your clit rubbing the small bundle of nerves as fast as he could. You both hear footsteps come closer and closer to the closet door. 

You and Bucky began panting hard at how close you both were. You felt Bucky’s dick twitch inside of you, which made you clench around him and just as you both were at the peak of your climax the closet door quickly opened revealing Sam. His eyes wide at the sight of you naked pressed up against the wall and Bucky balls deep inside of you. The two of you groaned in each other's mouths as you both came hearing yelling in the background.

“WHAT THE FUCK?!” Sam yelled again. Covering his eyes at the scene in front of him, his two best friends having sex with one another.

A/N: WOOOOO! What did you think of this mess! Was it hot (or not)? lol Again if you wanna be tagged in future fics, have any requests or just wanna chat, hit me up! 

Tags: @lostinthoughtsandfeelings​​ @sebtheromanianprince​​​ @aquabrie​​ @who-the-hell-is-sebastianstan​ @princess76179​​​ @anbrax5553​​​ @wintersoldierissucharide​ @caplanbuckybarnes​​​ @miraclesoflove​​​ @kitkatd7​​ @saiyanprincessswanie​​​ @fandomsandxfiles​​ @hailmary-yramliah​​ @coffeebooksandfandom​​​ @thefallenbibliophilequote​

^please lemme know if you wanna be added/removed for future tags or if i forgot you^

[astharoshebarvon]

Good books

Almost a year later, I finally got Ten Count volume 6. I had to give myself a pep talk that it doesn’t matter if the bitch is part of the volume, just forget about her horrendous self.

In the end, my love for Kurose and Shirotani won and I bought it.

I am just so happy to have it in my hands!!! I love this manga so much! I can’t put into words how much I adore this series.

I also got Ameiro Paradox/ Candy Colour Paradox because I love that too. It’s funny as hell and is a wonderful read.

Did I mention how excited I am for Ten Count anime and Given movie? I can’t tell how thrilled I am that Given is getting a movie. I don’t know how many times I cried seeing Given anime, and the lyrics of the title song— just drive a knife through my heart why don’t you.

Fair warning, I am going to vent now. These are just some things which I don’t like in the slightest in stories and fandoms. If someone does, fine. Just remember, everyone doesn’t.

Let’s start with Ten Count. I saw some comments on a manga site that literally said the bitch ( I am not going to dignify her with a name. The slut doesn’t deserve it )  looked nice standing next to Kurose.

–She is cute even if she is evil.

–Yeah, I get what you mean. They look nice together.

I was shocked. I was so shocked. I was at a loss for words. Just because she is a girl some people are ready to forgive her for what she did and say ridiculous things like these. She ruined Shirotani in every way possible. How can someone even say that? I can’t put into words how disgusted I felt when I read that.

Do people even realise what OCD is? It’s not something to laugh about. What she and Shirotani’s father did, it wasn’t okay. I am glad Shirotani at least got the courage to talk to his father but that doesn’t erase the father was in the wrong too. Wasn’t he fucking a student?

My main problem is, why can’t people accept that some female characters are horrible?  What’s with this crap of not calling bad fem characters bad? And she wasn’t even good looking, she was creepy.

The girlfriend of Halstead in Kyou Koi wo Hajimemasu, she was a monster. She actually said Kyouta tried to force himself on her when he didn’t do shit. She was the one coming onto him like some slag. She destroyed two boys friendship and what, we shouldn’t say she was bad because she is a girl. She was horrible.

I adore Hinohara Meguru’s works, I really do. I love love love Secret XXX and I am definitely going to buy it next April when it’s released. I adore Itsuki and Shouhei so much !!!

I will buy Therapy Game too because I love it. I am hoping Kamisama will be licensed soon. I really want to buy it. Rin is so darn nice, he has to be with Chiharu.

But whatever nonsense that was shown between Yuka and Shizuma—it’s unrealistic.

People don’t even look at people like Yuka after they break up with them. Regardless of the fact they are in same college or work at a same place.

It’s pathetic at best the way Shizuma says he is weak to her voice.

Not to mention she was a fucking stalker and what? They are friends? Even after what she did?

She was sleeping with someone else and they are still friends. She cheated on him, hurt him emotionally, hurt his feelings and he still talks to her.

Wow.

That’s not how the world works for any relationship.

Get out of here.

She was a bitch and I have a very bad feeling she and Shizuma’s other coworkers will create problems for him and Minato in the sequel being serialised now. Minato was so uncomfortable in the first chapter.

I don’t understand why no one said this is not reality. This is stupid.

If you want to defend female characters even if they are horrible and bad, fine.

But then, you shouldn’t write things like these :  “This shows reality of gay couples.”

Pick up any tragic yaoi/shonen ai where one half of a couple marries a woman and the other is left alone. The reviews of the story have this line.

Those works are praised and applauded. Why? Is that really the reality of all same sex couples? Or are you just happy that one male got to be with a female.

If some people like reality so much, they should just go and see the news.

This reality factor isn’t present when female characters do horrendous shit (Yuka’s case). I didn’t see people saying, this is bull. Why does he even talk to her? And what the fuck does he mean by he is weak to her voice?

Dude, seriously. She cheated on you and you are weak to her voice????

This nonsense is present everywhere. Movies, books, novels, anime, manga.

Take Vampire knight for example. 

The author should have been honest and said somewhere along the line she started shipping Zero and Kaname, but since Yuuki is the main girl she couldn’t put the two boys together. Zero/Kaname is a far better ship than Zeki or whatever Airen thing the author is trying to show now. It’s laughable at best, both Zeki and Airen.

I don’t like Ai, she loved Zero and now she is after his daughter. It’s weird.

Just because Ai is yume’s daughter doesn’t mean she is wonderful. I don’t like her or Ren.

You know what, it’s not even about like. I feel nothing for them. When I saw the new cover, I was like, yeah, it’s very pretty, and it’s very sweet. I am going to save the larger version when it becomes available.

That’s it.  I could care less whether they are together or not. 

 Maybe there is a reason for Ai’s stupidity. She was raised among losers like Ruka and Aidou. Is it any wonder she ended up being weird as hell?

Ruka Souen was a horrible character, she was disgusting and I don’t understand why her husband, Akatsuki always threatened Kaname instead of talking to his oh so great love.

Dude, tell your girl to stop trying to get another woman’s man’s attention. Kaname doesn’t give a fuck about anyone except Yuuki Kuran, his love of life.

Ruka and Aidou were pathetic. The fucker even encouraged Zero to take Yuuki from Kaname, and this was supposed to be Kaname’s friend.

Yeah right. Hell, all of Kaname’s so called friends told Zero and Yuuki to get together, except, Takuma.

Have I mentioned how much I love the guy? He is the only real friend of Kaname. He had guts to say to both Zero and Yuuki what would they do if he said he had some reservations about their relationship. He brushed it off later though but at least he said it.

Except for Yuuki, Takuma and Seiren, Kaname held no feelings for anyone in this whole goddamn manga.

The only reason I am still reading this series is because I want my Yume happy ending.

Canon is shitty many times. Don’t force people to like a story or a movie. Or everything that happens in a story. Sometimes one just doesn’t like some things.

Whatever nonsense that was shown in avengers endgame (Steve–Peggy ). That was disgusting. It made my mother and me so uncomfortable that we didn’t even bother going and seeing the movie again. I saw infinity war twice but endgame – it was a horror fest.

If the movie makers wanted to show Steve with a woman that badly, well, Sharon and Natasha were right there. Why Peggy? It didn’t make sense and came off as creepy and gross. We get it, they became so scared of Stucky’s popularity that they had to show Steve with a woman. We get it.

For all three CA movies, Steve was all Bucky, Bucky, and Bucky. That’s it.

And he didn’t even talk to him in endgame. Right.

Steve/Nat was a good ship, they could have been together but what we got was some gross uncle - aunt - niece shit. Steve kissed Sharon right after Peggy’s funeral, that’s a fact. Where did his love go then?

Then again, this is the same character (Steve Rogers) who married female Tony Stark in one universe but otherwise fights with all male Tony’s.

God, could the writers get any more homophobic? Or maybe Steve saw Natasha Stark as a replacement for Peggy Carter too. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. Brunettes, women.

Yeah, that does make sense.

That’s why I hate when people genderbent one half of a slash couple. It’s inherently homophobic. Stop trying to justify your reasons. Don’t give ridiculous excuses like you wanted diversity and all that crap. You are only making yourself look stupid and dumb.

This rubbish need for diversity never arose with FM couples. So, please don’t.

Where are Female Tony and Male Pepper fics, where are Female Clint and Male Natasha fics? Oh, sorry, they don’t exist. Neither do female Tony and Pepper.

If they do, they aren’t that popular. And I am sure female Clint and Natasha doesn’t exist.

But one can find plenty female Bilbo, female Harry, female Tony fics. All these OC females paired with males. They are OFC. They aren’t real.

Some people just can’t accept them (Thorin/Bilbo, Steve/ Tony) as an MM slash ship so they change their gender.

It’s MM Slash. No matter how many times you write in fics, this is Fem Harry, this is Fem Tony, Harry is a girl. This is not slash in capitals.

Stop.

You are only coming off as desperate, nothing more.

Stop trying to undermine the MM slash ship. It’s a slash ship, it will always be slash.

Is there any female Ron and male Hermione story? Yeah, Granger wouldn’t look like a God now would she if Male Hermione attacked female Ron because Ron didn’t want to date him?

Another example.

Let’s turn Merope Gaunt into a man and have him rape Tom Riddle Sr who is a female. No one would give a fuck if Merope was abused then. Merope raped Tom Riddle Sr and I am still astounded by the fact she was portrayed as a tragic figure while Tom Riddle Sr was shown as arrogant.

Excuse me?

Nobody cared about him in the books. Did he deserve to get raped for months by Merope because he was what? A man? Arrogant? Fuck off.

Since she was abused that gave her the freedom to douse the man with Amortentia for months to make herself happy. What rubbish excuse is that?

He owed her nothing. If she was abused, that doesn’t mean he was obligated to like her or care for her. And after what she did to him, he made a wise decision to run away from her.

Merope Gaunt traumatized Tom Riddle Sr. The man never married, even after escaping from her. His fate was even worse than Merope’s.

I can’t believe that this was completely swept under the rug. No one felt sorry for the man. All sympathies were for Merope.

Many things in HP don’t make sense. Couples, characters, their decisions etc.

Its fine if many people love it but there are many who don’t like it too. Stop trying to tell everyone what they should like or not. If someone doesn’t, respect that.

Genderbending one half of a slash couple is annoying and irritating. It’s homophobic and will remain that. All the dominant male keeps on saying in those dumb fics is how much they want to fuck the female/genderment male or are enamored with her chest and body. It’s revolting to even read that.

And of course they want lots of babies. That’s a must. Hetero sex and babies. That’s the crux of almost all gender bent fics. The dominant male wants to see the OFC with his babies.

Great!

Slash haters don’t hate this, do they? Isn’t this fetishizing female anatomy? Or have you actually deluded yourself into thinking female Bilbo and female Harry exists. 

They don’t.

Harry Potter is a boy, so is Bilbo Baggins. Hell, Tony Stark is a man except for in one universe.

Steve can’t fall in love with Tony if he is a male. What did he fell for then? Fem Tony’s body?

Gender bent isn’t even crack, its worse than crack. Either these original character females are docile and nice or are BAMF’s like anything.

And don’t say don’t read if you don’t like it. Why not? Why shouldn’t we make fun of these stories?

These same people have the audacity to whine about slash ships on many platforms. Even in FM stories MM is not shown as something normal. I’ve come across many FM stories which literally made me want to throw something at the screen. Some were blatantly insulting to same sex relationships.

And let’s not forget genderbent FM stories which have this rubbish line: we are okay with fem slash, but not with MM slash.

Okay, fine. Good.

What the hell does that even mean?

Hmm, maybe that’s why genderbent FF couples don’t exist. This change is only meant for MM.

Right. Wonderful.

Yikes !

This ridiculous sentence is written on many fic writers profile and these same people changed one half of a MM slash couple into a female, with this lovely sentence at the beginning of their stories: This is not slash. It’s not SLASH. We can’t stress enough, it’s not slash!

How many times do these people  have to tell themselves that it’s not slash?

It’s MM slash and will always be that.

[the--sad--hatter]

My Big Fat Fake Wedding (Steve x Reader)

WARNINGS - IMPLIED, REFERENCED SMUT, STALKING. 

PAIRING - STEVE ROGERS X READER

I combined several requests to make this because my brain is sleep deprived and hopped up on energy juice and it seemed like a good idea. 

 8: “Oh no… there’s only one bed… whatever shall we do?” “You do realize we are dating right?” – With Steve

 9: “I know you like to make an entrance but that was ridiculous.” – With Steve, Bucky and Sam

 7: “Are you masturbating in there?” “It’s my electric toothbrush!” – With Bucky and/or Steve

My Big Fat Fake Wedding (1/2)

It all started with a simple, run of the mill mission. A group of bank robbers, clad in ridiculous rubber masks. It was hardly an Avengers level threat until one of the robbers shot green flames from his hands and suddenly the police decided that it was above their payroll and frankly, you didn’t blame them. So a small group of Avengers went in, rescued the hostages and took down the robbers. It went smoothly and was over in seconds.

 But it changed everything.

One lucky paparazzi managed to sneak a picture of Captain America, chastely kissing the lips of the Woman who’d punched the flaming robber in the face. Steve had been proud of you, and a little turned on. He’d slipped up, kissing you in public. Suddenly the word was out and the whole world knew about the First Avenger and his Bad-Guy punching, Avenging lady love.

 That was when the letters started.

  Everyone thinks he’s the Golden Boy, but he’s not good enough for you. Nobody is.

  You’re mine. Not anyone else’s.

  I know you play the hero but I see the darkness in you. It matches the darkness in me.

  Will he ever know you the way I know you?

  Will he accept you the way I do?

  They somehow made it into your fanmail and even Tony and Natasha were drawing a blank when trying to trace the sender. Whoever he was, he wasn’t ready to step out of the shadows, choosing instead to remain unseen but not unheard.

 “I can’t believe I have a stalker!” You said.

 “You’re not really famous until you have a stalker.” Clint agreed.

 “I know! It’s so cool!” You crowed.

 Steve stopped his pacing to shoot you a look of disbelief.

 “I mean creepy. It’s so creepy.” You amended quickly.

 “Please take this seriously. Please.” Steve begged and you made a zipping motion across your lips.

 “Cap relax, she’s not the first Avenger to have a stalker and I doubt she’ll be the last. Even if this weirdo crawls out of his basement to try and get to her, he has to get past all of us and you to do so. Even then, if he pulls all that off, he has to face her.” Natasha pointed out calmly.

 “She’s right, he’s just some creep with a crush. Chances are he’ll never act on this and if he does, he won’t get near her.” Sam agreed.

 “Why am I the only one worried about this?” Steve snapped.

 “You aren’t.” Bucky said, crossing his arms and glaring at you.

 “Down boy.” You said, smirking at the brunette super soldier and while his face remained impassive you saw the amusement in his eyes.

 “How about this. We’ll up security on her for a while, she can wear a tracker, take one of us with her when she leaves and we’ll have all her fanmail sorted through before it gets here.” Tony offered.

 “Do I get a say in this?” You asked, raising your hand.

 “No.” Steve said straight away and when everyone winced and backed away from you he realised his mistake.

 “Uh, I have an urgent… thing. Away from here.” Clint said and bolted, mostly everyone following him until it was only you, Bucky and Steve left.

 “Sorry pal, you’re on your own here.” Bucky said apologetically, slipping out of the room.

 Steve shot him a look of betrayal  before he looked at you warily.

 “So you wanna tag me, keep me under lock and key?” You snarled.

 “That’s not what I meant.” Steve said.

 “Really? Because that’s what it sounded like Captain. You think I’m so helpless and fragile that I’m in terrible danger from a fanboy.”

 “No.”

 “I’ve been looking after myself a long time, I can handle Hydra, Aliens, Inhumans, and Super Soldiers if I need to. I’m not now nor have I ever been helpless and you don’t get to ride in on your white horse and play Prince Charming to my damsel in distress!” You raged.

 “IT’S MY FAULT!” He shouted, breaking through your anger.

 “What?”

 “I kissed you. You were so fierce, so irresistible in that moment and I slipped up, I kissed you. I outed us and now there’s someone sending you these horrible letter because of what I did. I know you can take care of yourself, it’s why I lo… admire you so much but if something did happen, if he so much as left a tiny bruise on you then I would never forgive myself.” Steve said.

 His eyes were bright and shining, pleading with you to understand. He had all but fallen to his knees in desperation for you to hear what he was saying and you did, you heard it. You uncrossed your arms and flung yourself at him, his arms catching you automatically and his head lowering so his lips met yours. You melted into the kiss, into the feel of his warmth.

 As much as the apple pie comparison was a cliché when it came to Steve, it was accurate. He was comforting, familiar and delicious with just a touch of spice and heat. Enclosed in his arms, pressed against his chest and his lips moving in perfect tandem with yours always gave you that deeply content feeling in your soul and lit a fire in your blood.

 “Do whatever you have to do to keep me safe Steve.” You whispered against his lips.

 His fingers threaded through your hair, cradling the back of your head while his other hand pressed into the small of you back and he kissed you again, pouring all the unspoken love between you into it.

 ~~~~~~~~~~

 The letters kept coming. At first they were every couple of weeks, the weekly, then every few days until there was a new letter every day. They always carried the same message, that Steve Rogers was unworthy and you didn’t belong with him. They grew more detailed, more frenzied and dangerous in tone until the day they went too far and it wasn’t Steve that snapped, it was you.

 “I don’t care how difficult he is to find, I want everyone on this. I want this sociopath found.” You demanded, slamming the latest letter down on the table.

 Bucky stood behind you on your right side, like a dark shadow. He was the first person you had gone to when the letter arrived and his anger, while quieter and more sinister than yours, was just as potent.

 Your stalker had crossed a line, and a big one. He was no longer satisfied with just insulting Steve, leaving thinly veiled threats. He had written a manifesto, a detailed plan on the grisly ways he wanted to kill Captain America while you watched, as a punishment for your ‘bad judgment’. It was so sickening, so horrific that while Bucky had been reading it, you had been in the bathroom, throwing up.

 “We’ve tried everything, looed into every avenue and lead. Whoever he is, he’s really good at hiding. There’s nothing we can do to track him down.” Natasha said apologetically.

 “Then lets stop looking for him and bring him to us.” Tony suggested.

 “Yes!” You said snapping your fingers and pointing at Tony.

 “You and Cap have been dating for a while now, don’t you think it’s time you two kids tied the knot?” Tony suggested, smirking at you.

 “No!” You said, your eyes going comically wide.

 “Wait, no. That could work. We plan a public wedding, make a big deal out of it. It might just push this guy over the edge and bring him into the open.” Bucky said from behind you.

 You glanced at Steve who had been uncharacteristically quiet throughout the meeting and was now refusing to meet your eye.

 “Do it.” He decided, standing up.

 “What?” You yelped.

 “You told me to do whatever I had to do, so I’m doing it.” Steve said, still refusing to look at you.

 “Steve…”

 “It’s a fake wedding, we just need to put on a show to lure him out. Stark will take care of it, put on a big affair. He won’t be able to stand by and let it happen and then we’ll have him.” Natasha reasoned with you.

 “You really want to do this?” You asked Steve.

 He clenched his jaw tightly and nodded once.

 “Fine. Fine, I guess we’re getting married.” You snapped, storming out of the room.

 “Wait up.” Bucky called after you when you were halfway down the corridor.

 You looked over your shoulder and saw that he was alone. You scoffed loudly and carried on walking.

 “I know you’re not happy about this but neither is he. Steve doesn’t want a big fake wedding. It’s got to be killing him to do this but he’s doing it anyway, not because he was threatened but because you were.” Bucky snapped and you slowed down and turned back to face him.

 “He hasn’t even told me if he loves me, I don’t know if he does. And now I’ve got to marry him? To trap the physco who is threatening him? I’m allowed to be upset about it Buck and it shouldn’t be you chasing after me, it should be Steve.” You said, leaning against the wall and sighing heavily.

 “Want my advice?”

 “No.”

 “Don’t wait for him to say it. Wait for him to show it because Steve Rogers has always been better with actions than words.” Bucky suggested.

 “I know but…”

 “But?” Bucky asked.

 “He’s Steve. How can I believe he loves me when I’m so clearly not worthy?” You asked honestly.

 “You’re not Thor and he’s not Mjolnir. It’s not a case of being worthy and even if it was, you’re far too good for that punk.” Bucky said, smiling at you.

 “AW Buck, that was clever and sweet. Two characteristics nobody expects from you. You wanna sit down? Need a nap? Your brain must be hurting.” You quipped.

 “See if I’m ever nice to you again, sassy little shit.” He grumbled, stomping away.

 “Hey, old man?” You called after him.

 “What?” He snapped.

 “Wanna give me away?”

 He stopped dead and looked back at you, shocked. There was a flicker of joy in his eyes before he masked it with a scowl.

 “Fine, but I don’t do returns.” He said harshly, thought there was a flicker of a smirk on his face.

 ~~~~~~

 Over the next three weeks, Tony and Pepper went all out and put together the most over the top wedding that had ever been planned. Notices and invitations were sent, announcements were put in the newspaper, Pepper cornered you and dragged you to a dress fitting.

 “It’s a fake wedding!” You insisted.

 “But it has to look real. So you need a dress.” She told you.

 “As long as I can move in it and it has pockets, I’m good.”

 “You want a wedding dress with pockets?” Tony asked in confusion.

 “Yes…”

 “Why?”

 “For knives, chewing gum, my phone.”  You listed.

 “Fair enough.” He said with a shrug.

 Throughout the whole three weeks, Steve used any excuse he could to avoid you. Somehow, you were never in the same room as him alone. He was perfectly polite and caring when he saw you, kissing you on the cheek and smiling at you adoringly. Yet as soon as it was just the two of you, he would suddenly have something urgent to take care of. It was breaking your heart and you were sure he was pulling away.

 If it wasn’t for the flowers, the chocolate’s, the muffin basket and the little texts you would have been convinced you were over.

 Finally it was the night before the big ‘fake’ day. The whole team was whisked away the large estate in The Hamptons where the sting operation was going down.

 And Steve could avoid you anymore.

 “The Master bedroom, for the happy couple!” Tony announced, all but shoving you both through the door and slamming it closed behind you.

 You and Steve looked at each other awkwardly before you broke first and looked away first, checking out the bedroom.

 “Oh no… there’s only one bed… whatever shall we do?” You said dramatically and jumped onto the bed, striking a ridiculous pose.

 “You do realize we are dating right?” Steve asked you, looking befuddled before nervous.

 “Do you not want to share a bed with me? I can sleep on the floor.” He offered quickly, turning red.

 “Are we dating Steve? Because I haven’t seen you in weeks.” You said bitterly, fluffing a pillow up and settling back on it.

 He tentatively came and sat on the edge of the bed next to you, his back to you.

 “When I was young, I believed I would meet a girl and marry her. Then I always got sick and I thought no girl was gonna marry a guy who probably wouldn’t even survive the first year of marriage. When I met Peggy, I thought about it again but then I went into the ice and when I came out the world was different, I was different. So I put those notions behind me again. Then there was you and all those thoughts, they started popping up again and I didn’t know how to deal with them. I’m actually finally getting married, to the girl of my dreams. But it’s a sham.” He said softly.

 “Just because the wedding is fake, it doesn’t mean we are.” You told him, blinking back tears.

 “Is it something you want? I know not everyone does these days.” He asked, his shoulder tensed.

 You sat forwards and leaned on into his arm, pressing your lips to his bicep and lacing your fingers with his.

 “I want you Steve. We’ve barely begun and I don’t know where we’re going yet, but I do want you.” You said.

 He turned his head to look at you.

 “Do you mean that?” he asked.

 “Wholeheartedly.”

 For the first time in weeks he kissed you again and you felt complete. You felt at home. When he undressed you and kissed every part of you, you fell deeper into a state of bliss and when he took you into his arms and made love to you, your soul soared.

 ~~~~~~

 Even fake weddings were stressful and your wedding dress seemed to be glaring angrily at you from where it was hanging on the back of the bathroom door. You dabbed the concealer that you had begged off of Wanda onto the faint lovebites on your throat and sighed, gripping the edge of the sink tightly, trying to calm down. You felt like you were on the verge of a panic attack and all the noise and people had been getting under your skin so you had kicked everyone out, choosing to get ready alone.

 You pinned your hair up in a sort of messy but looks messy on purpose, tousled kind of look. Your make up was done, hickeies were covered, hair was styled… all that was left was the dress. You fidgeted and meandered, checking your reflection in the mirror again, looking for something to fix. You convinced yourself there was a stain on your teeth and pulled your toothbrush and toothpaste out of your toiletries bag. Just as you were starting to wonder if you even had any enamel left on your pearly whites, you heard the bedroom door open and let out a frustrated moan at the thought of interaction.

 “Are you masturbating in there?” Bucky asked bluntly through the door.

 “It’s my electric toothbrush!” You called, switching it off.

 He pushed the door open and glared at your fluffy bathrobe while you glared at his whole person.

 “Shouldn’t you be wearing something a little more bridal and less slumber party?” He asked.

 “Go to many slumber parties do you?” You asked, immediately giggling at the mental image of Bucky having his hair braided and watching Clueless while eating Ben and Jerry’s, face mask on and pink nail polish included.

 He rolled his eyes at you and plucked the dress off of the back of the door, tossing it at you.

 “Get dressed.” He instructed.

 “Make me.” You said childishly.

 He raised an eyebrow at you and took a menacing step towards you.

 “Ok, Ok, I’ll do it!” You yelped.

 “Good girl.” He said, patting you on the head and leaving the bathroom while you scowled after him.

 You pulled your robe off, muttering insults under your breath while you stepped into the dress. You yanked the door open and Bucky immediately snorted.

 “What?” You asked in a panic.

 “Steve’s going to have an asthma attack when he see’s you.” Bucky sniggered.

 “He doesn’t have asthma anymore…”

 “You’re about to bring it back.” Bucky said.

 “You know what, I’m taking that as a compliment.” You decided, turning around and gesturing to the zipper on the back of the dress.

 Bucky got the hint and stepped forwards to zip you up.

 “Really though, how do I look?” You asked seriously.

 He turned you around and put his hands on your shoulders to make sure you were looking at him when he answered.

 “Worthy.”

 ~~~~~~

 “I’m going to kill Stark!” You announced.

 You were waiting outside the hall where the ceremony was about to be held. Steve, your guests, The Avengers, they were all waiting just beyond the doors for the ‘wedding’. It was really happening, and then you had happened to glance up to the ceiling.

 “You might want to save it until you’ve killed Thor.” Bucky warned, watching the side door intently with his head cocked to the side as he listened to something that you couldn’t hear.

 You traced the elaborate set up along the ceiling with your eyes until you found the release mechanism. You glared at one of the staff.

 “You there, stand next to that rope and no matter what, do not, under any circumstances, let anyone pull it!” You ordered.

 You were so stressed and adamant that the poor girl immediately scurried over to it and stood in front of it trembling. At the same moment, Bucky suddenly released your arm and dived to the left.

 That was when all hell broke loose.

 A goat, an actual goat came bounding around the corner, bleating loudly. The girl guarding the rope jumped in fright and suddenly everything happened in slow motion.

 The doors swung open as the first notes of ‘Here Comes The Bride’ Were played by the string quartet Tony had hired, the girl lost her balance and instinctively grabbed the rope to break her fall and yanked it down. One thousand red, white and blue balloons fell down from the ceiling, showering you and floating through the open doors. The terrified goat wriggled out of Bucky’s arms and bounded away, skipping past you and straight down the aisle.

 You stood there, in shock as the whole ceremony stared at you.

 Clint was the first one to laugh, followed by Tony.

 “I know you like to make an entrance but that was ridiculous.” Sam shouted at you, from his spot next to a very awestruck Steve.

A/N This was getting stupidly long so I had to split it into two parts!

[animeheadcanonsblog]

Avengers: Take a look through my eyes. Part 1

Not important but still in the story Cast: Nick Fury

Wanda Maximoff x Samantha

Natasha Romanoff x Alexa Stark

Act 0: The Hidden Past 

Avengers Headquarters

"Sorry, for being late. Pietro was taking ages to make himself ready," Sam says as she walks in the Avengers "chilling room"(also called a living room) with the Maximoff twins.

Sam is a young, short girl with shoulder-length black hair, green eyes and a lot of scars on her face.

"Hey! It's not my fault that ve're late it's the guys fault. He parked his damn car in front of ours. So, that ve couldn't leave," Pietro says as he playfully glares at her.

"First of all...it's my car, second...the guy moved his car way faster this time than usual and he didn't even complaint this time and third for someone who can run in super-speed you are very slow in the morning, " Sam says with an almost...small smirk.

"The same guy again?" Alexa Stark asks amusingly

"More like the same guy as always," Sam says annoyed.

"Have you talked to him about it?" Steve asks her as he crosses his arms.

"Yes, every day...almost every day," She answers.

"Sam, do you want me to talk with him?" Natasha asks her.

"No, leave the poor guy alone. He's an idiot yes. But I don't think that he deserves to be scared for life by Black Widow," Sam says.

"Or by Tony Stark," Sam adds as she sees Tony open his mouth.

"Or by any other Avenger," She says and looks at the rest.

"Fine," The others say in unison holding up their hands in a defensive manner.

But Samantha (and the others) knows that her neighbour will have a visit later.

"Anyway, what's going on? You said that we should come here immediately," Wanda asks the others.

"Nicky here wants us to watch a creepy movie," Alexa says earning a few chuckles and a few annoying groans.

"A movie?" Sam asks and blinks at her with a blank expression.

"Alexa Star! Do you ever shut up?" Fury says as he glares at her.

"No," Everyone says in unison.

"Hey!" Alexa exclaims with a small grin.

"You are just as annoying as your brother," Clint says slightly annoyed but with a small amused grin on his face.

"What did you just said, Legolas?" Tony asks annoyed.

"No, she's sometimes even worse than Tony," Nat says smirking making every chuckle except for Alexa who is looking at her shocked.

"Hey! Traitor!" Alexa says as she glares and pouts playfully at Nat, who just simply rolls her eyes at her amusingly.

"Only sometimes? She annoys me more than all of you together...and that's says a lot," Samantha says bluntly.

Everyone bursts out laughing even Alexa couldn't hide her own grin,

"Whatever, sit down you three," Nick says deeply annoyed already.

The three latecomers look at each other slightly confused and with a hint of amusement, before they sit down on a couch.

Wanda sits in between Pietro and Samantha.

Nat, Alexa and Steve are sitting on one couch.

Bruce, Thor and Tony are sitting on one and Clint is sitting on the armrest.

"So, as I said earlier. Some creep send us videotapes with a letter. Basically, a creepy creep was spying on us and send us the videos so that we can change the future, which is kinda a mess," Alexa says like it's the most normal thing in the world.

"Vhat?" Pietro asks confused.

" Don't listen to this motherfucker. ("I'm not a motherfucker!") But the letter that was sent here together with the videotapes, says that the future...doesn't look good for anyone of us. A very powerful enemy attacked as and... killed most of the world population and us. The rest that is still alive is mentally done. So, there are a few tapes that we are going to watch witch are going to show as the future but the letter suggest first to watch the videotapes about the past. The videotapes about the past are going to make us understand two of our members better," Nick Fury tells them.

"And we are going to watch these creepy videotapes," Tony says bored.

"Wait, how do we even know that this person is telling the truth? It could a trap or a stupid prank from Alexa," Sam says

"Hey, my pranks aren't stupid!" Alexa says smirking,

"Yes, yes they are," Tony says as he rolls his eyes annoyed.

"No, they are not. They're amazing," Alexa argues back with a small smirk.

"Would you two, please stop acting like children?" Nat says rolling her eyes.

"Anyway, let's watch the videos already," Fury says annoyed.

Nick Fury starts the videos.

                          [Act 0: The hidden past]

New York City

Midnight

An old Orphanage

It was a small Orphanage somewhere almost hidden in the darkest alley. A small light was shining next to the entrance door. The door was painted in an ugly green almost brown colour and it has small cracks in the paint.

There was a wood sign with the name „The Hollow Woods".

Samantha gasps slightly as she read the name on the sign.

"What is it?" Wanda asks he rand looks at her slightly concerned.

The rest of the Avengers also look at her.

Samantha stares at the sign quietly before she looks at Wanda and then at the others.

"I...lived in there...I lived in the Orphanage," She says or more as she breathes it out.

"Really? You have never told us," Nat looks at her.

"To be fair, there's a lot of things that I haven't told you about me," Sam says shrugging.

"The Hollow Woods...Hmm, I have never even heard of this Orphanage. And I have donated a lot of money to different Orphanages," Alexa says.

"Well...I could tell you why you haven't heard of it..." Sam starts.

Everyone looks at her curiously.

"...But I think this would count as a spoiler, right? So, I'm not gonna tell you," She says with a small smirk.

Alexa groans slightly disappointed.

Tony rolls his eyes annoyed.

Clint, Pietro and Thor are grinning at her amusingly.

Steve and Bruce smile as they shake their heads.

Nat rolls her eyes like Tony but she also wears a small smirk on her face.

Wanda smiles slightly. She is not trying to look inside her head.

Sam hides a few things and she is not ready to tell them to anybody. She made Wanda promise her to not look inside her head unless Sam herself allows her or when it's absolutely necessary for example when she loses control over her power.

But even though Wanda doesn't even try to look inside Sam's head. She can't help herself, she still sees that the images of the old Orphanage make Sam feel a little bit homesick.

A woman covered in a black cloak walked towards the Orphanage and placed two bundles on the stairs.

A one or maybe a two-year-old little girl with black hair. She was wrapped in a warm wool blanket together with a 6 month-year-old boy.

They both cuddled together trying to find warmth.

"This is the only way to keep you safe from them. I'm sorry, my darlings.I hope you'll forgive me, One day." A female voice cried quietly as she gave a small, what seems a goodbye kiss, on the forehead to both of the kids.

Everyone looks at the scene with a sad look.

Bruce is slightly upset that the woman put the children on cold stairs but he understands that the woman was desperate to bring her children in safety.

Sam stares in thoughts at the two kids. She tries to remember if she saw them in the Orphanage. The little boy looks very familiar.

Wanda, Alexa and Natasha notice Sam staring at the two kids and the three also look at them.

"Please, take care of your brother, Sam," The woman whispered.

"Huh?" Everyone exclaims shocked and looks at Samantha who is looking very confused at the screen.

"That's....me?" She says as she looks closer at the girl.

"Well, she does have the same hair colour as you," Clint points out.

"AWW YOU'RE SO CUTE AND TINY," Thor says grinning widely.

The rest looks closer at the little girl and then at Sam.

"Aww," A few say while Sam rolls her eyes blushing.

Suddenly her eyes widen and she almost jumps out of her seat.

"Wait! If the girl is me....then the woman....is probably....my..." Sam says and stares at the woman.

No one says anything because they see the look on Sam's face.

There is a mix of excitement, curiosity, confusion and an undefined emotion on her face.

"You're strong, you will protect him. I know that our little Jacky will be safe with you,"

"Is that your...brother?"Steve asks, he and the rest looks at her.

But Sam doesn't answer, she stares at the little boy with a very sad expression.

The excitement and curiosity disappeared all that's left is a very sad and guilty look on her face.

Sam unconsciously leans closer to Wanda slightly in searching of comfort.

Wanda looks at her and rubs her back softly.

"You'll be safe here and no one will hurt you in here. This is the only way you two will survive. Goodbye, my babies," The woman sobbed and ran away without looking back. As if she was afraid, that if she would stay there any longer, that she would change her mind.

"Jinxed it," Sam mumbles under her breath.

Wanda hears it and looks at her she realizes that something bad happened to her brother.

She puts an arm around Sam's waist and kisses the side of her head gently.

Sam lies her head on Wanda's shoulder.

[A few years later]

The inside of the Orphanage looked very old. The furniture, the toys...everything looked so broken and old. This place didn't seem safe for children to be here...And yet...there are children in here. There weren't as many as in the more modern Orphanages. But still quite a number of children.

Despite the old look of the Orphanage, the old and strict looking ladies (Iknow that there is a word for that but I forgot it). The children look healthy and happy.

A little five-year-old looking girl walked into a room.

"Hey! Look that's the freak of our Orphanage," An older boy (maybe 10-12 years old) says grinning.

"What did he just said!?" Alexa exclaims angrily and leans forwards.

"Did this little shit just called you a freak?!" Clint says angrily.

"HOW DARE HE?" Thor roars angrily as he almost jumps up.

While the others didn't say anything it was clear that they were all angry (understatement).

Bruce clenches his fist he tries to hold the big (Hulky) guy inside.

Steven sighs and shakes his head disappointed but also clearly pissed.

Pietro looks almost disgusted at the little boy as he clenches his jaw and glances between Sam and his sister.

Wanda closes her eyes and breaths slowly, trying to calm her down.

There are almost no emotions on Natasha's face except for the murderous look in her eyes.

Everyone is ready to kill this boy.

Sam looks at the others she slightly gulps, she almost feels bad for the boy.

The only thing she can think of is calming Wanda. She softly rubs her arm and smiles at her softly with the hope that it helps.

It does help...Wanda relaxes slightly. (slightly is the keyword here)

"Ah, yes! Hey, freak do you wanna use your freakish power on us again?!" Another says.

"Ohh! I am a scary Monster and I will kill you all by glaring at you," A third one mocked her.

"Oh, no, you little shit. I am the one who can kill you by glaring at you," Alexa growls angrily and her eyes glow red.

Nat puts a hand on her hand and calms her down. Before Alexa melts down the screen on accident.

Nobody but Wanda notices how Sam slightly flinches at the word "Monster"

Wanda looks at her with a concerned look.

Sam looks back at her and smiles slightly at her.

Wanda smiles back at her.

The boys surrounded her but there was no sign of fear on Samantha's face.

"You know, that you'll never be adopted because of how much of a freak you are?" One boy said laughing.

"Well...actually our little Sammy is adopted by us already," Tony says smirking.

"Don't call me little Sammy!"Sam exclaims.

"Actually she is basically adopted by Nat and Lexi," Clint says grinning at both them.

Alexa and Natasha both shrug with a small smile on their lips. They both don't even try to deny it.

Which is not surprising to anybody. Both of them immediately took the parents roles them moment Sam joined the Avengers.

They are ridiculously protective over her. It's actually quite funny to see them both trying to be parents. Especially when one of them is way more childish than their "own" child. (*Cough* Alexa *cough*)

"But your little brat of a brother would have a chance if it weren't for you, you know? Many parents are asking about him but once they realize that they have to take care of a freak as well, they take another child," Another one said

The young Sam clenched her fists but still looked coldly at the boys.

"You're standing in his way, Sammy," The third one added and he sounded slightly dangerous.

"If you want him to be happy and find a family. Then you'll have to take a leap from the top of the roof. Maybe then he'll at least will have a chance to get a family," The three said and laughed.

Oh, boy. Here we go, Sam, thinks as she looks at the shocked faces of her “almost” family.

"Did...did this little...peace of shit...just said that you should...commit suicide?" Tony says angry.

" I'M GOING TO KILL THIS LITTLE SHIT!" Thor yells angry as he grips his hammer angrily.

"Get in line," Alexa says.

"I'm gonna help you with that," Clint tells her.

"Me too," Pietro adds growling.

Even though Steve is not okay with killing children or civilians in general but only this time he'd make an exception.

Bruce takes a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

"Come on, guys. You can't just kill a little idiotic boy...besides, it wasn't the first time someone said this to me...or called me names like „freak" or„Monster"," Sam says shrugging and mentally facepalmed herself.

"Sam..." Nat says with a calmly but angry and deadly voice.

Sam feels the shivers run through her body as she looks at Nat.

"Where is this sucka now?" Nat asks further.  [1]

"Ehh, probably dead," Sam says unsure.

"Good," Wanda says which slightly shocks Sam.

Natasha nods before she leans back slightly relaxed again.

Samantha looked at them angrily as they walk away laughing.

"Sam!" A young boys voice yelled her name.

Samantha immediately turned around with a smile, the anger inside her immediately melted away.

The little boy ran up to her.

"Where were you? I was looking everywhere for you," He said grinning.

"I...I was walking around...and while walking around. I found something for you," Sam said as she took a Comic out of her shirt and gave it to him.

"A Superhero Comic! Wow! Thanks!" Jack said and hugged her happily.

"Aww," Everyone exclaims.

Sam looks with a small sad smile at the screen.

"Hey! There you are. Come on, it's dinner time you two," An older lady said as she walked closer to them.

"Karla look what my sister found for me?!" Jack yelled and showed her the Comic.

"A Comic, wow. Your sister spoils you, soon you'll become a Superhero yourself and that's only because of your sister," The old Lady named Karla said and smiled towards Sam who had a sheepish grin on her lips.

"Now, go. Your sister is going to help me put the toys away right, little Sammy?" Karla said with a soft smile.

"Of course, miss Karla," Sam said as Jack ran off.

"And when I call you little Sammy you lose your temper," Tony says teasingly.

"She is the only one who is...was allowed to call me that....and I do not lose my temper," Sam says.

"So, you stole the Comic again, huh?" Karla asked Sam as they started to put away the toys.

"No, I didn't," Sam said with a small blush.

"Of course you didn't. You know usually, you would be scolded for stealing. But I'll close my eyes on it, again," Karla said and messed up Sams's hair. "Your brother is lucky to have you."

Sam smiled at her.

[At night]

"Sammy?" Jack asked quietly.

"Hmm?"Sam looked at him tiredly.

"Do you think I would be a great Superhero?" He asked her.

"You would be the best Superhero," She answered grinning.

Jack grinned at her before frowning slightly.

"Do you think we will ever be adopted?" Jack asked her.

"Someday...probably," Sam said.

"Tim was adopted yesterday and now all my friends are gone," Jack said sadly.

"Well, you have me," Sam said with a small smile.

"Sam, we always gonna be together right?" Jack asked her.

"Of course we will. I promise you that," Sam said.

[Time Skip]

"Jack?"Sam walked around the Orphanage looking for Jack.

"Hey! You little runt! Watch were you're going!" She heared someone yell.

She looked in the direction of the voice and saw how a few boys were pushing Jack around.

"Goddamit! This vhole Orphanage is full of little shits!" Pietra exclaims angrily.

"Hey! Not completely full," Sam says.

"Did the adults didn't saw this happen? And did they ever done something to stop it?" Steve asks her.

"No...or at least I was the one who was punished the most of the time...cause you know me being a freak," Sam says, "Only miss Klara was the one who believed me and who treated me as a human being and not as a...monster,"

Alexa tries to calm herself down it's very rare for her to be angry. But the things that she sees on the screen makes her blood boil.

Nat puts her arm around her.

Sam froze for a moment before her eyes turned black and she walks towards them with a deadly expression.

Sam shudders slightly at her own deadly expression. Jeez, is that how I look when I'm angry? No wonder that people call me a monster.

One boy was about to punch Jack but Sam pushed them away and stood between them.

"Don't touch him!" She said in a deadly voice.

"Or what?" They said as the took a step towards her.

Sam notices how everyone tenses up slightly as they see the group coming towards her.

"Please, tell me that they didn't touch you...or your brother," Wanda looks at her.

"Don't worry, they didn't. I mean it," Sam says softly trying to calm everyone down.

Sam glared at them with her deadly black eyes.

She growled at them and a few very sharp fangs were seen in her mouth.

The boys took a step back startled as they noticed how angry Sam looked at them.

"Sammy?"Jack called her slightly scared.

Sam looked at him and her anger melts away immediately. Her eyes turned green again and her fangs disappeared.

"Are you okay?" She asked him calmly.

"Is it me or do you seem calmer here?" Clint points out.

"I only saw Wanda being able to calm her down so fast...and that's only after they started dating," Alexa says.

"That's true before that she was only able to calm her down while messing with her head," Tony adds.

"Guys, you do know that we're sitting right here, right?" Sam asks them.

"Well, before that it was almost impossible to calm her down. She went berserk for almost a month once. So, we had to keep her closed in an isolated room," Clint says.

"But why can Jack and Wanda calm her down while no one of us can?" Nat asks curiously.

"Eh...guys?" Sam tries to catch their attention.

"Well, she loves both of them," Clint says.

"Does that mean that she doesn't love us? Or not as much as them?" Pietro says playfully pouting.

"I guess so," Alexa says shrugging. "But why though?"

"Maybe, because they're not ignoring me when I'm in the room?!" Sam says slightly pissed.

"Ahh! There's a short temper again," Pietro says grinning.

"Shut up you overgrown Sonic! I do not have a short temper!" Sam exclaims.

A few people laugh at Pietro's new nickname while Pietro looks at her shocked.

Sam crosses her arms and smirks at him slightly.

"I'm fine," Jack answered smiling at her.

"D-Did you just saw h-how she looked at us?" A boy asked.

"Y-Yeah, she is really an m-monster!" Another one added.

"More like a demon! H-Her black eyes and fangs. She is a beast!" Another kid added.

Sam looked around at the kids who now called her names like "Monster", "Demon", "Best" and so on.

Samantha looks at her hands she refuses to look at the pitty looks of the others.

"Sam?" Wanda asks her softly but Samantha refuses to look at her.

"Just keep watching," Sam mumbles quietly.

Wanda caresses Sam's arm gently and kisses her cheek.

"What's going on here?!" An older lady yelled but this wasn't Karla this Lady looked very angry and didn't have the happy twinkle in her eyes.

"Sam tried to use her powers on us. She is a monster!" The boys yelled and pointed at her.

"Again?!You little freak! I swear if it weren't for Lady Karla I would kick your ass out of here! Come on!" The lady yelled at her.

She took her arm and pulled her after her.

"Sammy!"Jack yelled after her.

"What is she doing? Where is she taking you?!" Nat asks Sam.

Sam doesn't answeres she stares sat the screen.

"Sam?" Pietro asks her.

"You'll see," Sam says in an emotionless tone.

Everyone looks at the screen highly concerned except for Sam who has an emotionless look on her face.

A loud slap was heard through behind closed door and a painful yell.

"....Sam? Vhat exactly did she did to you?" Wanda asks her almost in tears.

Sam looks at her and frowns at her expression. "She was punishing me," She says calmly.

"Punishing you? For vhat?"Pietro asks her.

"For being a freak, for being amonster....for being born," She answeres.

Everyone's looking at her horrified.

"...And the worst thing is...At some point, I even believed I deserved it," Sam says looking at her hands.

"No, you didn't," Wanda mutters quietly as she holds Sam closer to her.

The "Punishment" went for a few minutes and all of the Avengers had a deadly look in their eyes.

[At night]

It was a quiet night. Everyone was fast asleep.

Sam sat up suddenly and hissed slightly.

She looked around everyone was asleep including her brother, who was asleep next to her.

Sam sniffed a bit and her eyes widened as she saw smoke coming from underneath the door.

"Jacky! Jacky! Wake up!" She shook her brother awake.

"Hmm? What is it, Sammy? What's that smell?" He asked as he rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"I don't know... but it's smell like...somethings on fire," Sam said.

"Sam...please, don't tell me...," Bruce says worried as he looks at her.

Sam doesn't answer she's really worried that the other will flip out and smash the screen.

Suddenly a loud screaming was heared and everyone jumped up in the sleeping room.

"What's going on?" A kid asked.

"I don't know!" Another exclaimed scared.

One kid walked towards the door and opened it.

A big fire flame burst through the door setting the kid on fire.

"Oh, my god!" Everyone exclaimed as the looked at it.

Almost all of the kids yelled or squealed scared.

Panik broke out and the kids tried to run out of the door.

"Sam! What are we going to do Sam! Are we going to die?!" Jack asks her in tears.

Sam looked at the fire completely shocked by what she just saw.

"That's not the time to freeze Sam!" Clint yells at her through the screen.

"Move! Get your ass out of there!" Tony yells.

Everyone is yelling at the screen except for Sam and Wanda.

Sam looks at her Family completely freaking out even though she is right there.

Wanda tightens her grip on Sam's hand while she still stares at the screen with wide eyes.

"No, we won't! Come on, we have to get out off here!" She said as she took his hand and tried to go through the panicking crowd.

"Yes! Move your ass!" Pietro exclaims.

They both were running through the Orphanages towards the exit. Thick Smoke and big, hot flames surrounded them.

The other children were yelling and crying but the only thing that Sam could hear was her own heart beating.

She tightened her grip on Jacks's hand slightly.

Suddenly she heard a cracking sound and she looked up.

She saw a wooden beam fall towards her and Jack. She quickly pushed him out of the way.

The wooden beam fell down on them.

"NO!" Everyone exclaims loudly as a few of them jump out of their seats.

So, here it is! The first (real) Chapter.

I hope you liked it.

[1] sucka (RUS) = Bitch

Who's your favourite Avenger?

[flyingblackhawk]

Everything

Clintasha fic

1,222 words

-

“What’s this about?”

Maria stirs sugar into her coffee. She’s never understood the majority of the agency who insist that black coffee is the only way to drink it. Seems unnecessarily macho, but whatever floats their personal boats.

Natasha grips her tea so hard Hill is worried she’s going to shatter the mug. This must be something big. Maybe she’s thinking about defecting. Maybe she already has, and she’s about to launch across the table and attack her.

“Have you ever had feelings for someone you worked with?”

The question is so out of the blue that she almost chokes on her coffee. “What?”

Natasha is silent for a moment, but rephrases. “In the field, did you ever work with someone and develop feelings for them?”

“Once or twice,” Hill says.

“Did you ever act on those feelings?”

“Once or twice.”

Natasha looks surprised, and Maria grins fleetingly before her composed facade returns. “You’re only in trouble if you get caught,” she advises the agent. Natasha still looks troubled, and she softens. “Is this about Clint?” Natasha gauges her tone, and then nods.

“I’m worried that it’ll get in the way of our work.”

“He’s completely in love with you, you know.”

“I know.”

Natasha sips her tea, and Hill considers the problem. “He just thinks you don’t like him. And he doesn’t know that you know.”

“He thinks he’s subtle.”

“About as subtle as a slap in the face.”

Natasha smiles faintly. “So… it would be okay if these feelings… developed?”

Hill nods. “It’s not unusual, or dangerous for this to happen. You just let it flow, and see how things go.”

Natasha nods, and turns her attention back to her tea.

-

“You can’t keep doing this.”

Natasha sits entirely still. It’s odd for Phil, when his charges don’t fidget under his accusatory stare.

“Natasha.”

She raises her eyes to his. It’s like she’s a stubborn child.

“I just wanted to see where he was.”

“Barton’s on a covert mission. Where he is is none of our business.”

“I wanted to know.”

He sighs. “You can’t hack Fury’s computer. You just… you can’t. Okay?”

She shrugs. Phil does not feel like he’s made any impact on her future behaviour. Again, he feels like a bad parent.

“What’s brought this on?” he asks. “Do you not trust Clint? It’s not a dangerous mission, he’ll be back before you know it.”

She looks away, and he gets an idea of exactly what has brought this on. “Okay. Just… try not to get yourself in trouble, Romanoff. I might not be there to cover for you next time.”

-

Natasha can barely hear anything over the thudding of the helicopter blades. She has one hand on the gash in Clint’s side, and her other hand is holding on to something - the edge of a seat maybe - as they veer out of reach of the gunfire. Once they’ve levelled, someone hands her a headset and she scrambles with one hand to put it on.

“-give the rundown,” a voice says through the earpiece. “What happened to him?”

“He got shot,” she shouts, and it’s difficult to roll her eyes given the circumstances, but she still manages. “Clipped his arm. Hit his head on the way down. Stab wound to the thigh that I’m holding closed right now, so would you fucking grab the kit already?”

The copilot tosses a field kit to her and she gets to work. The leg wound is first and deepest, and gushing a lot of blood. She cauterises it, thankful that he’s unconscious.

“Is he going to be okay?” the pilot asks through the headset.

“He doesn’t get to die until I say so,” she answers.

-

Unconscious in a hospital bed, at another time, with another injury, Clint doesn’t hear her pacing. She has no one to talk to, so she talks to him.

“And another thing. Who doesn’t check their magazine before they dive out to shoot? Idiot.”

He doesn’t answer. She’s not expecting him to, but ranting at him helps.

“You didn’t even give me a chance to have your back. If you had, the worst you would have gotten would be a few cuts and scrapes. Now look at you.”

She sighs, and goes back to the chair by his bedside. “When you wake up, we’re going to have a serious talk about forward planning in the field. I’ll write a list of all the ways you were an idiot, and you can read them back to me so I know you understand.”

“Natasha?”

Phil has coffee. He’s the only one who hasn’t tried to convince her to sleep. Mostly because he knows that’s an argument he’ll lose in record time.

“Thanks,” she says, taking the paper cup. “The doc says he’ll be up and about in a couple of days.”

“Good,” Phil says. “I’m sure he’d be glad you’re here.”

“He’d be annoyed,” she grins. “Natasha, you should sleep. Natasha, you don’t have to be here. Natasha, quit watching me sleep, it’s creepy.”

Phil gives a little smile. “Still. He wouldn’t send you away.”

“No,” she says, looking at her partner. “He wouldn’t.”

-

“Tell him.”

“He already knows.”

“He doesn’t. Tell him.”

Natasha glares at Hill from across the training mats. “He’s not an idiot.”

“Yes he is. Tell him.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t think I can. I don’t know how to have that conversation.”

“Clint, I’m in love with you. Let’s do it.”

“God damn it, Hill-”

“Fine. Let’s spar. Winner tells Barton you’re in love with him.”

“You can’t be serious.”

Maria looks at her, and Natasha can see she’s absolutely serious.

“Do you really want him to hear this from me?” the woman asks.

“Fine,” Natasha groans. “I’ll tell him.”

“If you don’t-”

“I know, I know.”

-

Years after she tells him, after their first kiss, and other firsts, she sits by a window in a facility in upstate New York. The world is a different place now.

“I remember how things used to be,” she tells Wanda. “Right back at the start. I guess it’s more complicated now.”

“Some things aren’t complicated,” Wanda says. Natasha has to smile.

“You’re right,” she says. “Some things aren’t. But sometimes it feels like the world has changed faster than I can change to keep up with it.”

“How do you stay grounded?” Wanda asks. “When everything comes apart, what keeps you together?”

“Clint,” she says, and there’s no hesitation. “He’s my constant. Anything could happen, and I know he’d be right there with me, always. Same as the first day I met him.”

“He means a lot to you,” Wanda murmurs.

“He’s everything,” Natasha says. The phrase isn’t heavy. It doesn’t heap any responsibility on that link. It’s just light, and easy. Clint is her whole world, and she knows she’s his.

Clint is standing just out of sight in the doorway. He knows he shouldn’t listen, but he hears what she’s saying and it warms him. He’ll text her, he thinks. He’ll spare her having to apologise for being mushy, even though he would never think less of her for it. It makes him happier than anything else could, knowing he means as much to her as she does to him. Back in his apartment, he sends the message and waits for Natasha.

[jamesbvck]

change your mind | two

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader (Modern AU, High School!Bucky) Summary: Senior Year: the last year to be a somebody or a nobody. A chance to fall in love, ace that final exam and make memories. After a terrible first impression, Bucky makes it his mission to fix the mistake he made with the new girl. Will they get their chance? Warnings: swearing, brief mention of drugs, implied sex (mentioned), ghosts? A/N: Thank you for all the nice comments on the first chapter!! Just an FYI these chapters go by months so they are longer! Feedback is encouraged! :D

CYM MASTERLIST | PREVIOUS | NEXT

Happy Hogan’s Diner looked like it was taken out of a 50s movie. It was retro with a jukebox in the corner playing tunes, chairs and booths were clothed in faux red leather  and the floor was checkered. It had been a long time hang out spot for the group, you had learned. A place to get away for awhile and forget about school stress. You accompanied them more often than not. Saturday nights seemed to be the prime night. Someone was always inviting you to join along, usually it was Peggy or Steve but Sam and Clint were always enthusiastic when you joined.

You helped Sam push two long tables together and you opted to sit beside him. It was the first Saturday in October and rain poured outside. So what was better than burgers and milkshakes to cheer everyone up? Peggy, Steve, Natasha, and Bucky sat on the opposite side with Clint plopping down next to you. You couldn’t believe after a few weeks you had friends, genuine people that wanted to hang out with you. Truthfully if it wasn’t for Peggy you weren’t sure where’d you be. Probably sitting in your room doing homework and watching an old movie.

“What milkshake should I get?” You asked Sam, leaning over to look at his menu.

“Oreo, definitely Oreo,” he replied. “Or Peanut Butter.”

You hummed. There were a variety of options but Oreo did sound the most appealing. The table shared three large fries and onion rings, everyone getting their own burger. You hated to admit it but Bucky was right; the burgers were the best. You couldn’t tell him that though, he’d probably gloat and say ‘I told you so’ and would never let it go.

To your surprise he was quiet tonight. Normally at the lunch table him and Sam were the loudest ones. You snuck a peek at him. He was relaxed, arm over the back of Natasha’s chair. Some people greeted the table to chat about the football season and praise the boys for their work towards another trophy. Bucky remained cool, almost too cool for your liking. As if he knew he was la crème de la crème. After that first home game, Bucky had made you a ‘special promise’: Next touchdown will be for you, doll.

If you had rolled your eyes any harder they would have fallen out of your head.

You breathed in, glancing around at the neon signs. You tried not to eavesdrop but you were dying to know what Steve was whispering to Peggy. She was giggling and beaming. Natasha looked naeustiated and you couldn’t help but laugh to yourself. Sam stretched out, smoothly resting his arm along the back of your chair. You tipped your head.

“Can I help you with something?”

Sam was cheeky. “Long limbs.”

“Right.”

He chuckled, turning to look at you. “How was your first month of school? I kinda wish we had a class together. Maybe next semester.”

Sam was genuine, you had learned that rather quickly. When he asked how are you, he meant it. He wanted to hear stories about your four other schools and how it worked out. Turns out Sam moved to Valhalla when he was ten and one of his best friends, Riley, was attending Ria High. He said he had a hard time entering high school without Riley but it seemed to turn out pretty alright in the end.

“I survived, so I guess it was fine,” you shrugged. “Can’t complain too much.”

“Exactly. You met me, so there is no complaining allowed.”

You liked Sam. Sam was good people, especially when he could get you to laugh.

“Just wait until she actually knows you, then she’ll complain nonstop,” Bucky pushed back his chair causing it to scrape the floor.

“You just hate the fact that I am likable and the cutest one of the group, man.”

Bucky flipped Sam off, getting up with Clint. The two exited through the side door. You watched them through the window standing under the awning to shield themselves from the rain. Bucky placed a cigarette between his lips, chatting with the few others out there. Clint mimicked his actions but you highly doubted it was nicotine due to his constant bloodshot eyes.

“Do you smoke?” You asked Sam. You had never seen him smoke, but there were such things as occasional smokers.

He shook his head, “Not my thing. Just whiskey and beer for me. Guess everyone has their bad habits and that’s theirs.”

You agreed, sipping on your milkshake. Your eyes found their way back to the window. Using the toe of his combat boot, Bucky squished the end of the cigarette and yanked open the door. Him and Clint returned to the table just as the food arrived. Clint’s new stronger smell was lingering to his jacket. He leaned over and grabbed a fist full of fries. You couldn’t help but laugh to yourself. Clint could eat anything in sight.

The conversation flowed easily. Sam stole a few sips of your milkshakes when he thought you weren’t looking, although you scolded him after. A fellow student approached, Connie Anderson. You had seen her around school and sometimes you heard the boys speak of her. Connie was beautiful with soft brown hair and big brown eyes, her nose was turned up and cheeks rosy. She floated gracefully to the end of the table saying a brief hello to the group before her attention was solely on Bucky.

He was reclined, head leaned back to look up at her. Connie’s hand glided around the leather of his letterman sleeve and stopped at his hand, lifting it up to lace their fingers. You were puzzled. Were Bucky and Connie a thing? You hadn’t recalled but when did you really pay a lot of attention to Bucky? His hand rested on her hip, finger locking around the belt loop to tug her closer. She effortlessly obliged, going as far to use his lap as a seat.

You forced yourself to drag your gaze away. Staring for too long would be creepy and you weren’t in the mood for some snippy comment from Bucky. You felt a little awkward, shifting in your chair. There was an unfamiliar pang in the pit of your stomach that made you slightly unsettled. Nausea? Maybe. You scooted back, getting up and rounding the table. You caught Bucky’s head snap to watch you walk to the bathroom. Peggy was hot on your trail.

“What’s wrong?” Peggy caught the swinging door before it closed.

“Nothing, Peg,” you replied. “Just, you know, trying to go to the bathroom…”

Peggy blinked, almost unsure. “Right. Sorry. You got up quick from the table and I was on high alert.”

“Peggy,” you pushed out a laugh. “Go back. Steve will get worried about you.”

She had no counter remark. Peggy’s cheeks flushed, ducking her head before scurrying out of the bathroom. Your own smile faded as the door closed, breathing in deeply. The pang was subsiding. You rested against the subway tiled wall and mindlessly scrolled through your phone until an appropriate amount of time passed. Whatever that feeling was, it didn’t make you feel the greatest.

A few booths became occupied as you wandered back to the table. Bucky and Connie were gone from their spots. You eased back down to sit beside Sam, eyes lingering on the empty chair that was once Bucky’s. Everyone seemed to be finished with their meal having pulled out some cash.

“I didn’t get a bill.” Your brows furrowed looking at the others with their own checks.

“You sure?” Sam lifted up some napkins and looked around to make sure he hadn’t grabbed yours.

“I think Bucky paid for you. Saw him go up to the register and pay.” Peggy said.

“Why the hell would he do that?”

“Hey, don’t question it. You just got free food!” Clint patted your arm with a goofy smile.

No one seemed to have anything else to say, shrugging it off and getting up from their seats. It didn’t sit right with you. What was Bucky playing at? You didn’t need your meal paid for when you were capable of doing it yourself. You huffed quietly, following the others. The rain let up to a mist, pavement slick and street lights glowing orange. You got into Peggy’s car, closing the door and sighing. Peggy and Steve lingered in front of the doors, Steve talking and rubbing the back of his next. Peggy had her hands behind her back, nervously twiddling with her fingers.

Ridiculous, you thought. They were both absolutely ridiculous.

Peggy climbed into the chair a few moments later, starting the engine and smoothing down her hair. You were silent but gave her a knowing grin to which she laughed and reversed out of the spot.

“Is Bucky dating Connie?”

Peggy glanced over at a red light. “I won’t call it dating. Everyone knows Connie has had a crush on Bucky since the tenth grade but it’s not… well…”

You could piece the rest together. Bucky didn’t feel the same except for when it was convenient and he was down for a fuck. You weren’t sure why it surprised you. If anything it validated his lack of morale. Then again, it wasn’t of your concern as long as it was consensual. You continued to look out the window as Peggy drove back to your neighbourhood. She parked in her driveway and you jogged across the street, waving goodnight.

Evenings were quiet while your mother worked at the hospital on rotating shifts. You locked the door and left the porch light on for her, going upstairs. You settled into bed, taking the book assigned to you from your English Lit teacher to read. Your eyes scanned the words but your mind found itself drifting elsewhere.

Bucky failed to show up to first period on Monday. The desk beside you was vacant, no trace of him to be found. It was the first day it was quiet. He wasn’t there to poke at you with his pen or whisper something unimportant during Pierce’s long winded lecture. Too quiet, you thought. A strange new quiet that somehow made you feel uncomfortable. You actually wrote thorough notes, taking the time to highlight and underline emphasized words. You did, however, wonder what Bucky would say about Pierce’s continuously receding hairline.

“He’s going to turn into Skeletor.”

Your eyes rolled over to look at Bucky. He appeared quite content with his cartoon reference. He had his pen between his teeth, slouched posture with his left arm dangling off the desk.

“Does that make you He-Man?” You whispered back.

Bucky removed the pen, quite surprised you had humoured him in replying. He had a dumb grin on his face and immediately you regretted speaking.

“Only if you’re Teela.”

You scoffed, “Fat chance.”

The bell rang and tore you from you short memory. You packed up and headed to the second floor where you were greeted with Steve’s absent desk, too. You frowned, now today really was going to drag.

It came to your attention at lunch that when the boys had an away game that they got the day “off” due to travel. The bus didn’t leave until the afternoon but sometimes they’d have full morning practices. Or, as Natasha imputed, most of them would just fuck off and sleep like Clint until it was time to go. From your spot at the lunch table outside you could see the student parking lot. Bucky’s Jeep was in its usual spot so he had to be around, maybe in the weight room with Steve, you thought. The bus would be rolling out soon. The table was mute with Peggy doing homework and Natasha on her phone. You missed the chatter.

Even at dinner with your mother you were quiet. Your fork mulled over the green beans, elbow propped on the table with your palm pressed to your cheek. There were no new things to tell her about and overall you felt slightly gloomy. Perhaps it was the changing weather, that always seemed to affect people's mood. Scientific fact. Tomorrow would be better.

You couldn’t decipher if it was a hickey or a bruise from a football collision on Bucky’s collarbone. The collar of his black crew neck shirt was slightly stretched out and dipping downward to reveal the purple-ish blemish. It wasn’t massive, but it was noticeable. Besides, it wasn’t like you were going to ask him what happened, you cared a miniscule amount and if it was from Connie’s mouth then, well… She was certainly marking her territory. There was that foreign pang again.

Bucky shifted, noticing your not so secretive examination and adjusted his shirt. Your cheeks burned and you mentally scolded yourself for letting him catch your longing stare. Surprisingly he didn’t say a word, nothing snarky or witty to get you to groan. Instead he packed up as the bell sounded, shoving his books into his backpack. You scooped up your belongings and took long strides to the door, making a B-line back to your locker. In three quick twists your lock was open and you breathed out, replacing your history textbook to the top shelf. You couldn’t even recall what the last twenty minutes of class was about. Hopefully nothing dire.

You exchanged your green notebook for your red English one and grabbed the novel from your bag.

“I know you.”

You turned seeing Tony Stark casually leaning against the lockers. His arms were folded with a smirk on his lips, appraising your face.

“Correction: I think I know you.” Tony amended. “Jog my memory for me?”

You half laughed, a brow risen. “We sort of met. I’m friends with Peggy and Nat. Just moved here a month ago. Honorary new girl status. Sorry I crashed your party.”

“I wished I would have invited you myself,” he said. “Would have personally given you a grand tour of Casa Stark. There’s always next time.”

You grew intrigued. Tony must have had the resident party house. “Oh? When’s next time?”

“What’s next time?”

Bucky’s voice came from behind and you tensed for a moment. Tony looked past you, eye narrowed and crossed arms tightened. You could already feel hostility between the two.

“Run along, Barnes. Don’t you have footballs to catch?”

Bucky snorted, glancing down at you. “Is he bothering you?”

You didn’t have a chance to respond. Tony was already snapping back. “That’s rich coming from the dick who dumped his beer on her to get her into bed. Can’t expect that to work on every girl with a pretty face, Barnes.”

Your eyes darted between the two men, appalled with the accusations. Tony did know you.Your mind buzzed, slamming your locker door closed. You wanted nowhere near this conversation and your next class was going to start in two minutes.

“Hey—“ Bucky jogged around to your front, halting your brisk pace. “He’s lying. You know it was an accident, I apologized. Still trying to.”

“Bucky. Just leave me alone. I don’t care.” You cut around him. He continued to follow.

“Stark’s an ass, he’ll say anything to better himself and get a girl under him. I don’t do that shit. You don’t know him.”

“Then what is it that you’re doing? Interrupting a conversation I’m having? Stalking me down the hallway? I don’t need you to be looking out for me, I don’t need you monitoring who I talk to and I don’t need you to buy my meal. I’m a big girl. I can handle shit, too. You don’t know me.”

Bucky’s mouth formed a firm line. He shut up, but you knew he had something else to say. He opened his notebook and retrieved some loose papers and handed them to you. “I guess I don’t know that these are your study notes that you rewrite every other day. The pink highlighter means exam worthy and yellow is quick notes.You dropped them when you bolted out of class. I was coming to give them to you. Sorry for trying to be a decent guy.”

You looked at the papers in your face, grabbing them from his fingers. They were crinkled now but he was right; you’d just rewrite them another day. Bucky pivoted when the bell rang again, marching down the hallway and disappearing into the cluster of students. You sighed and folded the papers, tucking them into your notebook and heading for the stairs. Another pang bounced in your stomach, but this time you knew it was guilt.

Lunch. You dreaded the thought.

You had leftovers from the night before: pasta salad and some banana bread. You plopped yourself on the end of the two picnic tables beside Clint. Bucky sat at the far end of the other side; shoulders tight and head resting against his hand and occupied his other hand with his phone. Clint didn’t sit long, getting up for his lunch break smoke. Bucky declined but handed Clint his black lighter, threatening him if he didn’t get it back he’d kick his ass.

“You okay, Buck?” You heard Steve ask.

“Tired.” He mumbled.

You sighed, setting your fork down and closed your eyes. You did feel the need to apologize. Peggy sat across with her tray of cafeteria food, friendly smile. “Rough morning? Pierce draining your soul?”

“Something like that.”

Peggy placed her brownie in between the two of you and divided it in half with her plastic knife to share. You gave a small smile, breaking off a piece and popped the chocolatey treat into your mouth.

“Bucky! I need ten dollars.”

Bucky’s head rose from his phone as you glanced over seeing a younger girl walk up to his side of the picnic table. She wore ripped jeans and a slouchy sweater and her wavy brunette hair was brushing her shoulders.

“What happen to the twenty dad gave you yesterday?”

The girl shrugged, folding her arms. “Come on. I’ll pay you back.”

Siblings.

You had heard Bucky did have siblings, three actually. He was the oldest, only boy and the rest were girls. You watched their encounter, surveying their body language to one another. Bucky was annoyed as his little sister was nagging him for money.

“Steve, tell Bucky I’ll pay him back.” She pouted.

Steve chuckled. “I can’t help ya there, Becca.”

Becca sighed, looking back at her brother who still wasn’t budging to get his wallet.

“She’s his little sister, right?” You whispered to Peggy.

She nodded. “Becca’s a sophomore. Her and Sam’s sister Sarah are really good friends. And you know Peter Parker, the photographer for yearbook? He has the biggest crush on Becca. It’s adorable.”

You smiled. Peter was a sweet kid. You had chatted a few times but it was nothing serious. He always had a camera in his hand and a smile on his face.

Becca sat down on the bench, huffing. Natasha had an amused smirk as she munched on a small bag of plain chips. “How do you deal with him? He can’t even give his own little sister ten dollars!” Becca was dramatic with big hand gestures and exasperation.

Peggy laughed softly as Nat spoke. “We tend to ignore him more often than not.”

Bucky grumbled, throwing a balled up napkin at her from across the way. Becca shook her head, glancing over at you with newfound curiosity. “Hey, you’re the new girl right? Bucky talks about you. He is, right, you are pretty. Usually he dates girls that--”

Becca was yanked away by the older Barnes, ten dollars slapped into her hand. She had a satisfied grin plastered on her face. Pure triumph. Bucky scolded her silently, telling her to get lost.

“Goodbye friends.” She waved, successfully skipping off back to her little group of friends.

You sat in confusion. You weren’t sure why you were surprised Bucky talked about you. Everyone was bound to talk about the new girl in school to their families. Besides football and classes, you were probably the most interesting topic. Bucky appeared frustrated. His fingers dragged through his hair as he shoved his tray aside and got up, slinging his bag over his shoulder. Sam spoke but Bucky took off down the path to the east wing of the building.

“Bad News Barnes going to take his emotions out against punching bag?” Clint took Bucky’s seat. “Becca get under his skin that bad today?”

“He’s fine.” Steve got up, though. “I’ll see you guys later.”

“Guess Barnes isn’t getting his lighter back.” Clint quipped.

You watched Steve head down the same path, slipping into the school before the doors closed. You turned back to your barely touched food. Hunger didn’t exist right now. You felt bad for snapping at him and now his little sister dampened his mood more.

“I’ll see you in yearbook.” You murmured to Peggy and excused yourself from the table. Peggy frowned but let you go.

The rest of the day was slow, dragging on for what seemed like a century. Yearbook felt the same but at least it distracted you enough from feeling terrible. The halloween fair was quickly approaching and planning was underway for the event. It sounded exciting. The fair was set up in one of the farm fields of a booster parent. There was going to be a corn maze, hayride, haunted house with games and fun. Apparently it was always so extravagant. Yearbook didn’t have to run it but there was going to be a page dedicated to it through Peter’s photography skills.

Peggy offered you a drive home but you politely declined, opting to walk to clear your mind. Truthfully you were moseying around until football practice was over. You could see the team heading back into the locker room so you had time to sit around and think of something to say to Bucky. You hovered by the side door, gripping the straps of your backpack. Sam and Steve emerged, walking towards the gate to venture home. Clint trailed behind. Bucky was one of the last ones to exit, slow pace as he scrolled through his phone and headed towards the student parking lot. You breathed in and forced your feet to move.

“Hey,” you called. Bucky glanced up from his phone, arching a brow. You approached him and his car. “I um, I wanted to say sorry.”

“For what?”

“Today,” you replied. “I was kind of a bitch this morning so I wanted to apologize for that.”

Bucky shrugged. He was somber and cool. “Don’t worry about it.”

You nodded. At least your apology was out there whether he cared or not for it. Your hands slipped into the back pockets of your jeans. Silence fell over the two of you for several moments accompanied with awkward half stares and shifting.

“I gotta get home for dinner,” you mumbled. “See you in class.”

You turned on your heel, wishing you could simply teleport home from this encounter.

“I’m not like that. What Tony said. I promise.” Bucky stated. “I guess you don’t gotta believe me but…”

You stopped and looked at your shoes. Admittedly, you weren’t too sure what to believe. Both Tony and Bucky had thrown each other under the bus to make themselves look better. You twisted back to look at Bucky. He had his keys in his hand, eyes darted away as if he was nervous and wanted to jump into his car and speed away.

“Okay.” You nodded to him. It was acknowledgment.

His blue eyes shyly found their way to you, nodding too. “Okay.” He echoed.

Another set of stares, this time less awkward and more acceptance. Bucky unlocked his car and climbed into the front seat. You quickly turned and went on your own way.

At least the dust had settled for today.

A clump of sweaters lay on the floor beside your closet as you searched for the warmest one. A brisk wind was sweeping through Valhalla and you knew that being outside all night was going to get to your bones. You tugged a burgundy woolly sweater off its hanger, pulling it over your head and looking at yourself in the floor length mirror. This would do, you thought. It accompanied your black jeans nicely and you were going to chuck on a coat over top. You grabbed your Adidas and tied them to your feet just as a horn beeped outside.

“Mom! I’m going!” You called, jogging down the stairs. Your mother emerged from the cinnamon scent-filled kitchen with a wide grin and treats in her hand.

“One for you and Peggy.” She said, handing you some cinnamon rolls. “I’ll leave some here for you, and the rest I’m going to bring for the girls at work later.”

You smiled, shrugging on your coat and took the autumnal treat. “Thanks, mom. Have a good night at work.”

She opened the door for you, waving to Peggy who happily waved in return. You slid into the passenger's seat, handing Peggy the roll.

“You mother is a baking genius.” Peggy gushed, taking a bite before driving off.

You laughed and clicked your seatbelt. “No Nat?”

“She’s with Clint and Steve. They’re going to meet us there.”

You munched and looked out the window. The sun was low in the sky; orange and red swirls that matched the changing tree leaves. Peggy took backroads to the country side of the town and there were a line of cars parked on the road leading up to the farm for the Halloween Fair. Peggy pulled into a dirt lot, parking the car. You got out with her, tightening your coat around yourself as the breeze swirled around you.

There was a two dollar donation fee at the front gate and once paid, you got a Casper stamp on your hand and a sticker. It was a little silly but you liked the sticker. You trailed behind Peggy taking in the extravagant decorations. You felt like you were in a Halloweentown movie with the orange and black scheme going as far as the eye could see. There were light up pumpkins, scarecrows, and people dressed up as monsters. Hay was stacked like mountains and there were small food stands scattered around. Bobbing for apples, face painting, s’mores pit. It was truly incredible.

“Pegs!”

Peggy gripped onto your arm and hauled you towards Steve and the others. Clint already had caramel corn in his hand, munching away contently.

“Couldn’t wait?” You laughed, stealing a few pieces.

“No way, this shit is good.” Clint grinned.

“The stragglers have arrived.” Nat popped her gum with her arms folded over her chest. You followed her eyeline to Bucky and Sam. In tow was Becca and Sarah, splitting off to go find their own friends.

Bucky had on a dark grey hoodie under his lettermans jacket. His hands were shoved into the front pockets of his dark denim jeans, feet cladded in his well worn boots. He stood next to Steve, taking one hand and combed through his hair with his fingers. The wind was bound to be his nemesis for his too good perfect hair. It was annoying that he looked like a male model for a autumn line preppy campaign.

“Ready for some thrills?” Sam swung his arm over your shoulders.

You winced. “Might have forgotten to mention I’m not so good with pop outs.”

Sam gave a toothy grin. “You’re in luck, sugar. You’ve got me to protect you from any harm that comes your way.”

“A true hero.” You laughed, patting Sam’s chest.

You caught the tail end of Bucky turning away and rolling his eyes. Your teeth bit down on your tongue, starting to walk when Sam did. His arm never let up not that you really mind. Sam’s body shielded you from the cold and he was a warm person.

Peggy and Steve lead the pack. You watched as their arms bumped and hands brushed. Peggy pulled him over to one of the vendors that had apple cider and he paid for the both of them. The forever ongoing chronicles of two lovebirds too shy to make a move. It was sweet, something you thought of every so often. The thought of being longed after and those fuzzy feelings. The last crush you truly had was a few years ago back in Illinois. Freshman year, really nothing special but he was cute. You got a kiss out of it right before leaving for Indiana.

Twisting in Sam’s hold, you peered behind you. Natasha and Bucky were lagging behind in a discussion. All you could make out was Nat calling him stupid and Bucky shrugged her off, head shaking and hands deep into his jacket pockets. Something about him read agitated. Your brows furrowed but you turned forward with the gigantic barn coming into view.

The old red barn had been transformed into a haunted house. Already your skin was crawling, stomach in knots. Thankfully there was a line to wait in and gain some form of confidence. You reminded yourself that there were people under masks and everything was fake. Yet… you still had the heebie-jeebies.

“They can’t touch you, ya know. If they do, sock ‘em in the jaw.” Clint nudged. You gave him a small smile and nodded.

The line proceeded to move, small groups entering in at a time. Your plan was to stick to being in the middle that way you had people around you. Luckily you did have Sam to protect you, like he said, and upon entering you tightly looped your arm through his going into complete darkness.

Lights flickered with menacing music and shrieking audio hitting your eardrums. Your eyes darted from each side of the small pathway; a masked monster popping out at your left and a Jason Voorhees swinging from the right. Your heart raced at the frights, death grip on Sam’s arm. He, too, was jumpy. Peggy screeched with Steve holding her close and from behind Clint swore loudly.

This was a poorly thought out decision. Your own damn decision.

Your eyes squeezed shut then reopened them as you passed an open casket with a mangled body. The group turned around a corner, coming to a sudden halt. You walked into the back of Steve and searched around the pitch black room for something but nothing came into vision. Within a quick second, strobes of light were flashing illuminating the room.  An inhumane voice cackled and goosebumps shot up your spine. You leaped back as ghouls and the undead popped out. You covered yours eyes for a moment, whipping around and grabbed the air to find Sam again. A demon emerged from the darkness, stunning you backwards and a scream jumped out of your throat.

A hand gripped your arm. You latched onto the familiar leather sleeve and held on for dear life. It felt like your heart was going to explode in your chest. Your head was dizzy with gorge and horror.

“You’re okay.”

Your eyes slowly opened at the voice in your ear. It wasn’t Sam, nor Clint. It was Bucky. In that moment you didn’t care who it was you just wanted to get your ass out of the damn stupid barn. You moved when Bucky did as he found an exit. You cut between some black curtains and squeezed out through a half open door to the outside. Letting go, you stumbled before sitting down on a hay stack; head in hands and feet digging into the dirt.

“Are they going to be mad at me?”

“Why the fuck would they be mad at you?” Bucky sat down beside you. “You didn’t have to go in.”

“I know,” you mumbled. “Thought I was brave enough. Stupid really, to be scared of people dressed up.”

Bucky shrugged. “Fear of the unknown.”

You lifted your head and breathed out a sigh. You could hear screams and laughter. At least it was entertaining some people. You, on the other hand, were glad to be outside.

“Come on,” Bucky stood. “I think I saw mini donuts and hot chocolate.”

You looked up at him, brows furrowed but you rose to your feet. There was no way you could pass up mini donuts.

Cinnamon and powdered sugar donuts filled the white paper bags. You nibbled on one as Bucky got two hot chocolates and carried them over to the small round wooden table you sat at. He took the seat across and placed the paper cups on the table. Mini marshmallows floated in the steamy drink. You sipped as he dug his hand into the bag.

“When we were seven, Steve and I watched Texas Chainsaw Massacre and I had nightmares for three months. Slept with my light on, too.”

You half smiled, “That’s awful.”

“Yeah. It was the edited version too because it was on TV so most of the gory shit was cut but still. Freaked me out.” Bucky laughed at him, taking another donut. “So I don’t really care for haunted house stuff either.”

“Then why did you go in?”

His shoulders shrugged. “Changed my mind.” “What made you change your mind?” “You went in and I thought I was brave enough.” He echoed your words.

You stared at him for a few moments, although Bucky’s blue eyes danced around to everything but you. There was that shy appearance again that you had only seen once before.

“What the hell is this?!”

Clint’s voice boomed causing your heads to snap. The others wandered over each with their own amused expressions. Clint stood in front of the table, arms securely folded over his chest; impatient and foot tapping.

“Uhh,” Bucky blinked. “We’re sitting…?”

“You guys got mini donuts without me? Me! Barnes, you know I love mini donuts and you went ahead and replaced me?” Clint was melodramatic, arms beginning to wave around frantically.

You couldn’t contain your laughter as it was far too entertaining.

“Barton, relax.” Bucky shook his head. “They’re just donuts, you can go get some more.”

“Just donuts? Nat, you hear this guy?” Clint turned to Natasha, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb back at Bucky. “He said they’re just donuts. Un-fucking-believable.”

“Tragic, really.” Natasha drawled.

You reached forward, grasping Clint’s arm to turn him back. “Clint, how high are you?” You asked, offering him the paper bag.

“Not enough,” he beamed and gladly took the bag, shoving a powdered donut into his mouth. “At least someone has manners around here.” He muffled.

“Hey uh, Peggy and I are going to go to the corn maze.” Steve had a nervous quiver in his tone, pointing towards the corn maze sign. No one really said anything, simple nods as they ventured away.

“Five bucks says Cap makes his move.” Sam bet when they were out of earshot.

“Five bucks says he pussy’s out like he always does.” Nat countered.

Sam turned to look at her, “You challenging me, Romanoff?”

“What’s there to challenge when I’m already right?”

You smile to yourself, holding onto your hot chocolate that was now more lukewarm. The marshmallows had melted and it tasted more like water chocolate. Still, it was decent. You glanced over at the corn maze as Steve and Peggy disappeared inside. You hoped for the best but Steve (nor Peggy) seemed to have the best track record in trying. Looking back, Bucky had finished his drink and got up to throw away the garbage.

Natasha’s confidence prevailed and sneakily Sam slipped her a five dollar bill. She pocketed it with a wick smirk, patting his shoulder.

“You couldn’t have asked her out?” Sam hissed to Steve from behind you.

“Were you betting on me again?” Steve whispered back.

“Yeah, remind me to never do that again.”

The walk back to the parking lot seemed farther than when you originally arrived. You had lapped the fair a few times and perhaps you should have worn better shoes. Your nose was cold and you shoulders hurt from bracing yourself from the wind. Despite the haunted house, it had turned out to be a relatively fun evening. Bucky’s arm brushed against yours when he caught up to you.

“Think you’ll have nightmares tonight?”

“Don’t know. Maybe I’ll sleep with the light on.” You said.

He smiled at you, “Nothin’ wrong with that.”

“Bucky! Unlock the car, it’s freezing!” Becca yelled from the trunk of her brother’s car. She had her arms wrapped around herself and Sarah Wilson dancing around to keep warm. “Hi new girl!”

You waved, half smiling. Bucky dug out his keys from his pocket and unlocked the doors. The girls sighed in relief and climbed into the car. “She’s knows your name. Becca’s just annoying.”

“It’s fine,” you shrugged. “Guess I’ll see you Monday.”

“8:30, bright and early.” Bucky quipped.

You spun away, catching yourself softly laughing as you made your way to Peggy’s car. She was already in the front see ready to go. She had a mischievous look on her face, gripping the wheel as you settled in.

“You and Bucky seemed rather buddy-buddy tonight.” Peggy commented.

“Can’t be rude when someone buys me donuts.” Your tone was dulled, downplaying it a little. Yeah, you and Bucky were on the same page tonight and truthfully it was nice to simply be and talk. Maybe you were turning a new leaf about the guy.

Peggy hummed, not convinced but didn’t press. She started the car and drove home. It was mainly quiet. You were lost in replaying the evening and Peggy had her own distractions.

“I think I love him.” Peggy’s voice was just above a whisper, nearly hard to hear over the radio. “Steve, I mean.”

Your head rest back against the seat. “He loves you too.”

“You think?”

“I know.”

permanent bucky list: **IF YOU HAVE CHANGED YOUR URL PLEASE LET ME KNOW. @buckychrist @bvcks @lila-bard @stanclub @stardustparker @buckybarnesppreciationsociety @sweetwaterprincess @demongirl0913 @queenlydias @dontpanc @ohkingsteve @kingsebstan  @cauraphernelia @yourwonderbelle @beauty-who-doesnt-need-a-beast @bleedlikerubies @fallenaristocat @bubblybuckybarnes @solarbarnes @my-world97 @mystic-scripture @ragnarokbarnes @kali-rambles @pao-prazz @thorins-queen-of-erebor @eventyyr @abbadontherisingqueen @lovinglokiforever @justasimpleassbitch @red-wallflowers @brooklynightsky @hellaqueerangelofthelord @yknott81 @rvmanova @blame-the-russo-bros@buckybarneshairpullingkink @laurfangirl424

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[written-at-sea]

White Wolf - Stucky x Reader

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader x Bucky Barnes (eventually)

Summary: While on a mission to eliminate a new threat, the Avengers come across you, a genetically engineered hybrid that people call the White Wolf. Though many in the team are against it, they take you in to train and keep a close eye on you, rather than let you run free. But what happens when while gaining their trust, you fall for the two Super Soldiers who have been nothing but torn about you since your arrival?

Warnings: A touch of Angst, Drama, Language, mild Violence, Poly Relationship and a lot of Fluff

Word Count: 1.4K

A/N: Hey everyone ^^ This is my first time writing a Marvel Fic, so do forgive if I make small mistakes. Timeline wise, this doesn’t have a proper place, but I imagined it somewhat between CW and IW, at least after Buck joins the team. Like I said, no real timeline, and with certain people not included. This is honestly just a bit of fun for me, and an excuse to thirst over Steve and Bucky. Still, I really hope you enjoy it and that my writing isn’t as shitty as I fear.

[Pt. 2]

[Part one]

The mission was one of the easiest so far. Infiltrate the building, knock out the guards and work their way to the centre of the base. Thanks to their planning and some inside help, the team could split up without problems, Clint, Nat and Wanda combing through the west side, Tony and Sam on the top floors and Steve and Bucky on the east. Vision had opted to stay near the jet, only to be called in if needed, Bruce was back at the tower and Thor - well only Hell knew where he was currently. 

It was only when a siren went off when Bucky and Steve were trying to force their way into one of the hallways that chaos broke out. He’d heard Tony say to look out for the sensors near the labs, but they’d apparently been hidden way better than they’d expected. With a fight breaking out as soon as they entered the hall, Steve only just managed to communicate to the team what had happened. 

“We kind of messed up down here”, shielding himself from the hail of gunfire, Steve glimpsed Bucky advancing towards the next door, “They know we’re in the building now, so watch out”. 

“Great work, Cap”, he heard Natasha say, sarcasm heavy, “Not like that siren could be heard in the entire building. They’re currently coming after us as well”. 

Tony’s impatient sigh rang through the line. “Just move quickly. Does anyone have any indication to where the experiments are hidden?”

Steve opened his mouth to reply, but Clint interrupted him. “We have nothing so far. This part of the building is generally deserted; I don’t think we need three people here”. 

He thought quickly, making the last of the still firing agents as he did. “Right, Nat, come down here to me and Buck. I trust that Wanda and Clint will be fine alone”. 

“On my way”. 

The line went silent except for the occasional quiet instructions or Tony’s swears as he and Bucky managed to beat down the stream of resistance and kick open the door to what seemed to be a medical ward and or laboratory. There were lifeless, naked bodies on tables and equipment along the walls, syringes with a strange liquid in them lying on tables. A shiver ran down their spines at the sight, an air of foreboding lingering in the room. 

“Creepy, isn’t it?” Bucky muttered, reloading the gun he was holding. Steve nodded, motioning towards the doors leading off of the room. “Keep going, we should be encountering them soon”. 

“Where are you?” Tony interjected over the earpiece, sounding out of breath, “Find anything?”

“Yeah, I think it’s a room they used to experiment”, Steve focused on one of the bodies. It had cuts and injections strewn across the skin, which was a sickly yellow colour. “Nothing but dead victims. You might want to take a look at the substances they have here though”. 

“No kidding this is creepy”, Natasha’s voice made both of them jump, the redhead assassin coming up behind them. She was unharmed but for a shallow cut along her cheek and a bleeding lip. With an unreadable expression, she looked around, eyes running across the bodies. 

“Nat, can you take the door on the left?” Steve said, interrupting whatever thoughts she’d been in. She nodded, and he threw Bucky a look. “Door in the middle for yo-”

A deafening crash resounded around them, followed by a loud rumbling and what sounded like a surprised yelp from Wanda over the line. 

“Clint? Clint, Wanda, you alright?” Sam’s voice was briefly heard, taking the words straight out of Steve’s mouth. 

“We’re fine”, he heard Clint pant, “Half the ceiling in the upper west wing collapsed. Shouldn’t be too bad, but we’ll get out of here before this whole thing falls apart”. 

“Get down here then”, Steve instructed, looking up at the ceiling, “And move fast, we could probably use some help sooner or later”. 

He gave a confirming nod to the waiting Bucky and Natasha, and all three of them moved in their respective directions. Just as he gathered his strength to run down the door in front of him, Clint’s suddenly tense voice rang in his ear. 

“Cap, I think we might have found one of the experiments”. 

[Your P.o.v]

So this is how you die. 

As the ceiling collapses down onto you, you instinctively close your eyes. Metal hits the side of your head, knocking you to the ground, only to be covered in broken wood and stone debris. Dust rises to your lungs and you gasp for air, feeling hot blood run down the back of your neck. 

Everything was blurred. Your eyes wouldn’t focus properly as you opened them, your left arm trapped under the same metal that had hit you over the head. You struggled to sit up, to move, to do something as you stare up into the abyss of darkness threatening to overpower your senses. 

But maybe it was for the best. Maybe it was for the best that you died, you thought as your head fell back and you groaned in agony. Pain shot up your spine, body throbbing as you tried your hardest to free yourself, chest heaving. 

The door to your right is thrown open, rubble and dust raining down on the entering figures. You can’t see who it is, don’t know if they’re the intruders or the people keeping you here. Ultimately, it didn’t make a difference. 

They both catch sight of you, lying there, helplessly trapped. You cry out for help, not knowing or caring if it was even a good idea. The instinct to survive is pulsing through your veins, heart beating too rapidly in your chest. 

You don’t hear them making their way towards you; don’t see them until they’re bent over you, an arrow pointed to your face. Vision still foggy, you try to speak, but only hoarse, scratchy sounds exit your mouth. 

“Cap, I think we found one of the experiments”, the man says with a strained tone, arrow still directed straight between your eyes, “Female, with white animal ears perched on her head. She’s trapped in wreckage from the ceiling and is bleeding out from the back of her head, but still alive. What do we do?”

Your vision slowly clears again and you can hear every word being said over what seemed to be an earpiece. Your fingers twitched around your own, listening involuntarily. 

“Did you say animal ears?” a man says in a sharp tone, “What kind of animal do they look like?”

He pulled the arrow back and bent slightly closer to you. His face was lined and weather beaten, a strong contrast to the much younger looking girl beside him, who had her hands cautiously held out before her.

“Dog or Wolf’s, I think”, he draws back, still looking suspiciously at you. His eyes ran over what you could see of your body and, looking back up, spotted the sharp canines in your mouth. You feel the blood flowing consistently down the back of your head and know you don’t have much time left. 

“She looks like she’s been trained and her teeth mimic an animal’s as well. What do we do, Tony?”

Something that sounds like teeth grinding together sounds from the other end of the line. “Steve, what do you think?”

“Sounds like a bit of a threat to me, Stark”, a younger sounding male voice reports back, “But like you’re describing it, I don’t think she can resist or fight back”.

The coin dropped as you heard him say Stark. Those were the Avengers, coming to destroy the cooperation that had experimented on you, and probably even you.

You looked at the man and the girl again. Hawkeye, Clint Barton by name, had his eyes narrowed at you, but bow lowered. Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, still simply stared at you, expression one you couldn’t read.

Suddenly a strong pain ebbed over you, and you cried out, blackness clouding your vision once more. Wanda bent closer, long hair dangling over your face. She looked more concerned than scared, dark eyes boring into yours. 

“I think we should take her with us”, she said, and your eyes widened slightly, “Look, if she somehow recovers or someone from here finds her as soon as we’re gone, they’ll have her on their side. Its better we save her now and decide later. She’s falling unconscious with every second”. 

And that was, indeed, the last you heard. With a quiet groan, your eyes closed and your head fell back against the stones behind you. Darkness overcame your senses, and the ringing in your ears finally stopped.

[itsanerdlife]

Captivated (MC Series) 3

Pairing: Biker!Eggsy Unwin x Reader

Characters: Natasha Romanov, Merlin, Clint Barton, Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers, Scott Lang, Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy, Michelle Unwin, Frank Castle, Roxy, (Mentions of) Harry Hart, OFC Logan and Markus, Tony Stark, Charlie Hesketh.

Warnings: Swearing, creepy boss, a girl who can handle her own, stalking, creepy guy, law breaking, random hook ups mentioned, angst, sass, drama, cops involved, sexual harassment (nothing happens tho promise), melt downs, and allegations of abuse.

In your town there is a Biker club Called Kings Rebels, you weren’t a good girl and you surely weren’t a biker girl, or were you? One night changes everything in your life. You started that night out as a hostel waitress who works in Stark Tavern, one ass grab and a sucker punch later, did you just slip the Pres of a Biker Club, Eggsy Unwin, your work hours? But is MC life for you, being an old lady? When your faith is tested for the club, they follow through with everything Eggsy promised you. Will your world stay upside down since walking into the Clubhouse, or do you fit into their lifestyle more than you ever thought possible??

When the guys step into the tavern, the girl with big blonde hair, barely there shorts and wide eyes grins at them. Something about leather kuttes and tattoos made innocent girls wound up and sexual frustrated, Eggsy smirks, knowing she wouldn’t last a night in the MC life. Steve speaks up before he can, leaning on the hostess post.

“Y/N and Nat in?” He gives her a crooked grin, she flushes pink, matching her lipstick. She flips a page on her book, nodding.

“Nat’s working floor, Y/N’s bartending tonight.” She bats wide eyes at him.

“Nat’s sections fine.” Buck pats Steve on the shoulder, chuckling.

“Right this way gentlemen.” She blushes, allowing them to follow her.

“You know she’s not MC life, punk.” Buck laughs shaking his head as they sit down, Steve still watching the blonde.

“Nobody said she was old lady material. But I’m curious if she’s a real blonde.” Steve laughs, finally looking at Buck, making the table laugh.

“She’s not.” Nat rolls her eyes appearing at the table.

“Shame.” Steve laughs as Nat swats him with her order papers.

“Rules fuckers, don’t fuck with my coworkers. I don’t need MC in my life 24/7. We had a deal.” She shoots them all a look. When her eyes land on Eggsy, she winks at him, making him smirk at her. “Pitchers or shots?” She looks down at her paper.

“Both.” The table of six respond together, making Nat roll her eyes again.

“Long day ripping shit apart?” Nat snorts.

“No we worked today.” Steve laughs, winking at her.

“Why do I bother?” Nat mutters to herself, turning she walks away.

From Eggsy’s seat he had a perfect view of the bar, exactly what he was hoping for. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun on the top of her head, little strands falling around her face. Her lips were moving as she filled beer glasses, signing along to the song coming through the speakers, to herself. Her head and shoulders moved as she ‘danced’ along to the beat. Eggsy watches as Nat comes around the bar, adding something into the computer, saying something to Y/N. She nods, her lips still mouthing the song lyrics as she looks up, her eyes landing on him. Her lips curl up as they still move, before she turns sliding glasses across the bar top.

She pulls a pitcher, flipping the tap down allowing the beer to fill the pitcher while she pulls shot glasses, lining them up. She snaps her gum, still singing along to whatever new song was playing now, as she picked up the bottle of tequila, filling each glass with one hand, the other flipping the tap on the beer. Nat grabs the pitcher and beer glasses, smirking at Y/N, who rolls her eyes picking up the tray of shots.

“You better be able to drive that bike home tonight.” Nat warns Buck as she sets the pitcher.

“Can’t say it’ll be safe in the parking lot.” Y/N smirks at him, setting down the tray.

“Ain’t nobody stupid enough.” Buck chuckles.

“Wanna bet?” She wiggles her eyebrows at him, a grin on her lips.

“Lookin’ to fight?” Buck laughs, sizing her up. She wore a black T-shirt with white lettering, it read ‘First of all. No. Second of all. No.’ and dark jean shorts, a black apron tied around her hips and little black converse on her feet.

“Your boy already knows I can.” She grins, snapping her gum as she looks over at Scott. His eyes black and nose purple, from her fist. The table laughs, Scott rolls his eyes, nodding at her.

“Sorry about that by the way.” He sighs.

“You learned your lesson.” She pops her gum, corners of her mouth turned up.

“And here I thought you might learn something last night.” Eggsy chuckles sipping from his beer glass.

“I told you, I got suggestions.” She smirks at him, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, facing him.

“Something about protection my face?” He smirks.

“I could teach you a few things.” She snaps her gum with a grin. Fuck, how did she do that? What was it about her that made him forget to respond.

“Are you supposed to be working?” Eggsy chuckles.

“For tips.” She laughs, turning and walking back to the bar.

“Should we ask about that?” Nat tips her head to the side, her and the table watching him.

“Go work for your tips too.” Eggsy snorts, Nat laughs as she walks away.

“Plans tonight?” Nat grins at you, leaning over the bar watching you.

“What do you want to do?” You laugh, rinsing out empty glasses.

“Grab food after this? Maybe see what trouble is kicking up at the club?” She grins at you.

“Would this be the MC club?” You look over at her.

“Why it would be.” She laughs. “Oh, by the way, this was left for you.” She grins sliding a receipt across the bar towards you. You dry your hands, walking over you pick the paper up, folded up inside is a 100 dollar bill, Eggsy’s number written on the receipt. You shake your head, looking at both. You’d been playing eye games with Eggsy the whole time him and the crew were here. You didn’t really know what business the club was in, and you weren’t looking to be bought that’s for damn sure. You slip both into your back pocket.

“Yeah count me in.” You nod at Nat as she walks by, she wiggles her eyebrows at you, making you roll your eyes.

 You’d pulled your hair from the messy bun, shaking it out over your shoulders. You strolled into the MC clubhouse with Nat, looking around for Eggsy. He sat at the bar off to one side, you nudge Nat nodding, before you walk towards him. He turns facing you, a grin on his lips and amusement in his green eyes, you pull the 100 dollar bill from your pocket, holding it up to him.

“I can’t be bought. I’m not some tart looking to play bad girl for the night.” You lift one eyebrow at him.

“I really enjoyed the serve.” He smirks.

“Keep your cash Eggsy.” You lean forward, your fingers slipping the folded bill into his front pocket of his jeans. “I’ll keep the number though.” You smirk at him as you straighten up, he grins wide at you.

Captivated: @mo320    @rileyloves5   @irepeldirt   @travelwithwords   @letsgetfuckingsuperwholocked   @lesmiserablememelovingfuck   @taylorjacksonandtheolympians   @lovemarvelousfics   @mrskokitztelford   @live-for-the-avengers   @shamptainshmerica   @misspygmypie   @mariekoukie6661   @bluebird214   @allyp1023   @sarahp879   @nerdyandexhausted   @i-love-superhero   @supernatural-girl97   @petersunderroos   @kazuha159   @sweet-honey15   @ingridsigne    @red-writer13  

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The Suicide Squad Character Guide, Easter Eggs, and DCEU References

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This article contains major spoilers for The Suicide Squad. We have a spoiler free review here.

The DCEU is alive and well and dividing its time between Corto Maltese and Belle Reve prison. James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad gives us the most DC characters in live action in any one movie ever assembled!

OK, fine, the vast majority of them die. And a fair portion of them most folks have never even heard of. But it still counts!

And yes, there are DC Comics Easter eggs in the movie, but perhaps not as many as you might expect. So we’ve decided to split the difference. We’re gonna give you the lowdown on all the characters, especially the obscure ones, and talk about what their existence in this movie means (or could mean) for the wider DCEU. And we’ll still give you all the DC Easter eggs we were able to spot. A real bargain, even though this article didn’t cost you anything! 

Let’s take it from the top (cue the Jim Carroll Band’s “People Who Died”)

HARLEY QUINN

What else can be said about Harley Quinn that we haven’t already said a thousand times? You know who she is, you know where she’s from, and you know all about Margot Robbie’s iconic, for-the-ages performance. 

And while the DCEU is pretty loosely connected these days, this is definitely the same Harley from the 2016 movie, although somewhat less male gaze-y in her attire, and one who has definitely moved on from her relationship with the Joker (who doesn’t even get mentioned in this film!). Harley already knowing Rick Flag, Captain Boomerang, and Amanda Waller is all the proof you need that this is a sequel to that film, however loose it may be.

Harley’s relationship status and attitude means that the events of 2020’s Birds of Prey movie also definitely happened, and they’re even referenced (albeit in passing). Hell, you could even say that Harley’s grand escape and the “Harley-vision” that accompanies it comes right out of some of the weirder moments of Birds of Prey. But that’s basically it. We’d like more of Robbie as Harley on our screens, though.

Read more

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The Suicide Squad: Margot Robbie On the Enduring Appeal of Harley Quinn

By Kayti Burt

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Margot Robbie Wants Poison Ivy to Join Harley Quinn in the DCEU

By Kayti Burt

What does Harley Quinn mean for the DCEU? Harley’s intro in 2016’s Suicide Squad helped establish that of all the characters kicking around the DCEU, Batman was the most experienced, as she, Joker, and Bats shared a history dating back several years. At this point, Harley is practically the linchpin of old DCEU continuity, and one of the last remaining cinematic ties to Ben Affleck’s portrayal of the Dark Knight.

BLOODSPORT

The version of Bloodsport we meet in this film bears very little resemblance to his comic book incarnation. The comics version of Bloodsport first appeared in 1987’s Superman #4 by John Byrne, and while elements of the comics character made it to the film, the guy Idris Elba is playing is quite different from his comics counterpart. Let’s start with the similarities…

The name, both the codename and his real name of Robert Du Bois? Check. The thing about him shooting Superman with a Kryptonite bullet? Also check. The rest? Ummm…it’s a loose interpretation.

Read more

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The Suicide Squad: How Idris Elba Brings Bloodsport to Life

By Stephanie Williams

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How The Suicide Squad is Different from Guardians of the Galaxy

By Mike Cecchini

Here, Bloodsport has a seemingly never ending arsenal of high tech weapons, which fold and collapse out of each other, meaning he’s seemingly always got the exact tool for the job. But in the comics, Bloodsport was equipped with a tiny teleporter (thanks Lex Luthor!) which allowed him to seemingly “materialize” whatever weapon he needed at any given moment. The comics version of Bloodsport was much less of a “purely competent badass” and much more of a tragic, traumatized, and deluded figure…and a mass shooter, to boot.

This isn’t quite a comics thing, but when Bloodsport throws his earpiece in disgust near the end of the film after having enough of taking orders from Waller and company, it’s vaguely reminiscent of the final shot in the first (and by far the best) Dirty Harry movie, when Clint Eastwood’s Harry Callahan, disillusioned with the constraints of the system, flings his badge and walks away.

What does Bloodsport mean for the DCEU? It’s a little frustrating to know that Henry Cavill’s DCEU Superman is still out there having adventures that we’ll probably never get to see. Cavill deserves another chance in the cape, damn it! Alas, Warner Bros. seems to have different (and very cool) plans for Superman on the big screen these days.

PEACEMAKER

Peacemaker is a weird character, folks. The character first appeared back in 1966, and wasn’t a DC character…he was published by the now defunct Charlton Comics, whose characters like the Question, Blue Beetle, and Captain Atom were later acquired by DC and folded into their own continuity. And you know what else those characters have in common? They became the inspirations for the main characters in Watchmen, with Watchmen’s Comedian functioning as a kind of adaptation of Peacemaker.

Comics Peacemaker is pretty different (except in looks) to the guy we meet in this film, though. Initially a pacifist using non-lethal weapons, he was reinvented by DC in the ‘80s as a bloodthirsty character with some serious mental issues. Namely, he believed that the souls of the people he killed were then trapped in his distinctive helmet and talking to him. Uhhhh…

Read more

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The Suicide Squad: John Cena and the Secrets of Peacemaker

By Nick Harley

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The Suicide Squad: Inside James Gunn’s DCEU Supervillain War Movie

By Mike Cecchini

He’s popped up a handful of times in DC continuity over the last 35 years, but there’s no version of the character you could safely consider definitive. He’s appearing in the current (and very good) run of DC’s Suicide Squad comics, as well. Like Bloodsport, the origin explained for him onscreen here has nothing to do with his comics counterpart.

What does Peacemaker mean for the DCEU? Well, he’s still alive (as we see in that post-credits scene) for starters. He’s also getting his own HBO Max series, which James Gunn is showrunning, writing, and directing quite a bit of. And since he’s still loyal to Amanda Waller, it would seem that any future Suicide Squad sequels will rest firmly on John Cena’s broad shoulders. 

RICK FLAG

Ah, Rick Flag, we hardly knew ye. Joel Kinnnaman gives Flag a much more likeable makeover in this film, and the character is even rocking a yellow t-shirt in honor of the John Ostrander-written Suicide Squad comics of the 1980s that influenced so much of this film.

In the comics, Rick was a career military man, like his father before him (we assume this is also Rick Flag, Jr. just like in the comics). Screen Rick’s sense of duty and honor would seem to indicate that’s the case here, too. 

What does Rick Flag mean for the DCEU? Well…unfortunately, he’s dead, so not much. Unless it turns out that Task Force X has been cloning Rick Flags for use on Suicide Squad missions for years or something, we don’t expect to see him again. In any case, that sure was an epic way for him to go out!

KING SHARK

Whoever thought that a ‘90s Superboy villain would become one of the most beloved characters of the blockbuster season? The Suicide Squad isn’t King Shark’s first foray into live action (that would be The Flash TV series) but this is easily his biggest stage yet.

Since his first appearance in 1994, King Shark has been a Superboy baddie, an Aquaman villain, has fought for the bad guys in assorted Crises, a kinda ally to a different version of Aquaman, and our personal favorite, a member of the Squad-adjacent team of antiheroes and mercenaries known as the Secret Six, where writer Gail Simone delivered some of the character’s most memorable and delightful moments.

Read more

Movies

The Suicide Squad: How King Shark and Starro Were Brought to Life

By Don Kaye

Oh, and when we first meet him he’s trying to read William James’ The Varieties of Religious Experience. But it’s upside down.

What does King Shark mean for the DCEU? Well…we would very much like to see him show up in Aquaman 2, known as Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. It would be a tremendous missed opportunity if not, even if it’s just for a cameo. Don’t those weird/adorable/scary Clyrax just look like they were designed for James Wan’s Aquaman world?

 And c’mon, James Gunn’s next DC movie should absolutely be Secret Six, where King Shark is really most at home!

AMANDA WALLER

Viola Davis is a national treasure, and her Amanda Waller performance makes the character perhaps the most malevolent of all these kind of not-quite-good guys. Sure, we’ve had other live action Amanda Waller performances, but nobody captures the no-nonsense, morally gray Waller like Davis has here. 

What does Amanda Waller mean for the DCEU? At the end of the first Suicide Squad movie, we had that little tease of Amanda dealing with Bruce Wayne and General Wade Eiling. While the DCEU as a whole isn’t terribly connected these days, it would be great if we could see more of Davis’ Waller lurking in the shadows, pulling the strings, and maybe even putting events in motion that ultimately lead to the formation of that aforementioned Secret Six team…

That being said, we’re not holding our breath for it, either. Then again, it’s quite easy to imagine a world where Waller is taking a pronounced interest in someone like Black Adam coming out of hiding. 

STARRO

The villain of The Suicide Squad actually began life as…a Justice League villain! And not just any Justice League villain, the FIRST Justice League villain! Yes, Starro has been kicking around DC Comics since 1960 and the very first appearance of the JLA.

While kaiju-sized from the start, Starro’s very creepy ability to spawn spores that are essentially facehuggers didn’t come around until a post-Alien world. This suddenly made Starro a much cooler, and more in-demand threat, and despite there being 17 years between their first and second appearance, since then, Starro has become a regular pain-in-the-face for the entire DC Universe.

Thinker naming the creature “Starro the Conqueror” as a derisive nickname is a reference to how the character is referred to in the comics…and it was literally the text on the cover of its first appearance.

We get lots of imagery of group shots of “Starro zombies,” folks wearing the ol’ Starro facehugger. That’s a recurring image in the comics, and one that comes to mind is the cover of Justice League Europe #26.

Oh, and that’s Taika Waititi voicing Starro, in his second role in the film! (more on the other one in a moment)

What does Starro mean for the DCEU? Well, aside from the fact that we’ve been robbed of a Justice League vs. Starro movie now, there’s no reason to believe that we couldn’t potentially have Starro back. A spore could have escaped. Starro themself could be a giant spore of its own hivemind. 

And while it’s unlikely that we’ll get Starro as a primary antagonist ever again in a DCEU film, it would be pretty cool to see the creature or the species referenced in something like the upcoming HBO Max Green Lantern Corps TV series.  

CAPTAIN BOOMERANG

One of the few returning characters from the first film, Jai Courtney’s Captain Boomerang…dies pretty early in the movie. He’s even more gleefully over the top here than he was in 2016, which is pretty appropriate. Boomer was a founding member of the comic book version of the Squad (reluctantly of course) where he was always portrayed as the most dislikeable and abrasive of all the characters.

What does Captain Boomerang mean for the DCEU? His death here is a genuine surprise, though. Captain Boomerang has always been a pretty high profile Flash villain. And yes, we had that little cameo of him and Ezra Miller’s Flash in the theatrical version of Justice League, Courtney seemed destined to appear one day in at least a small role in some version of The Flash movie for WB. Alas, that now appears to be off the table. Ah, well…

THE THINKER

There have been so many different versions of Thinker in DC Comics history and…Peter Capaldi is playing none of them. Not a one. 

This is a brand-new (sorta) version of the character named Gaius Greeves. He looks like an unnamed version of Thinker who appeared in DC’s post-New 52 continuity in 2014, though, and that character definitely had a Squad connection.

What does Thinker mean for the DCEU? Historically, Thinker in various incarnations has been a Flash villain. Hell, a version of the character was the primary baddie on an entire season of The Flash! But like our pal Captain Boomerang, any hope of seeing Thinker match wits with the DCEU Flash are now over.

Although wouldn’t it be kinda cool if the DCEU gets around to introducing Jay Garrick and we learn that ol’ Gaius once had a beef with him? OK, fine, we’re not counting on it, either.

POLKA-DOT MAN

Poor Abner Krill couldn’t be more different than his comic book version…despite his remarkably accurate costume. Polka-Dot Man is a Batman villain dating all the way back to 1962, except there, he wasn’t the unfortunate recipient of an alien virus with grotesque polka-dot mutations and vomiting and…oh you get the picture.

Comics Abner Krill just had a costume full of trick, high-tech polka-dots. He um…he was not a major villain.

What does Polka-Dot Man mean for the DCEU? Other than the STAR Labs connection, and we believe this is the first mention of STAR Labs since the “Snyderverse” collapsed, not a hell of a lot. Abner is dead, and he ain’t coming back. Although it’d be pretty awesome if it turns out that it was Batman who put Abner away, since we know that in DCEU continuity Bats has been punching bad guys longer than anyone else.

RATCATCHER

Daniela Melchior’s Ratcatcher 2 is a brand new character created for this movie. We think she rules. However, if you’re looking for a comic book connection, we need to go back to her “dad” played in that cool Taika Waititi cameo.

Ratcatcher first appeared in a 1988 issue of Detective Comics, where he was a disgruntled former murderer who was kidnapping everyone responsible for putting him in prison, and holding them prisoner in the sewers. Oh, and he controlled rats. He was far less sweet and charming than either of our DCEU Ratcatchers. Oh, and that story has a panel where Batman vomits sewage because he nearly drowns in it. Good times.

But even that pretty malevolent comics Ratcatcher probably isn’t quite the Ratcatcher of the DCEU. After all, Ratcatcher 2 is named Cleo Cazo, and comics Ratcatcher was Otis Flanagan, and Otis didn’t seem nearly as sympathetic as Taika’s performance here.

What does Ratcatcher mean for the DCEU? Other than the possibility that this was someone else Batman put in Belle Reve? Not a lot. Although since Ratcatcher 2 lives on, we’d love to see her in another Suicide Squad movie, or make her a cornerstone of a live action Secret Six or something.

SAVANT

In the comics, as in this film, there isn’t a heckuva lot to say about Savant. What’s interesting is that he was a key player in one of Gail Simone’s earliest Birds of Prey storylines. Michael Rooker looks remarkably like his DC Comics counterpart in that wig, though.

What does Savant mean for the DCEU? Going forward? He’s dead, so not much. But in the past? Is it possible he ran afoul of Birds of Prey’s Huntress or Black Canary and that’s how he ended up in the Squad? We’d like to think so.

Also, one interesting bit about ol’ Savant. He started off as a guy who thought he could be a costumed vigilante. Of course, he was in it for all the wrong reasons and got a stern talking to from Batman and that set him on his life of crime. We’d like to imagine Ben Affleck’s Batman telling Michael Rooker’s Savant “you’re not morally equipped for this job,” just like he did in the comics!

TDK

“The Detachable Kid” is actually a riff on an obscure Legion of Super-Heroes and Legion of Substitute Heroes character named…Arm-Fall-Off Boy. I couldn’t make that one up if I tried, folks. His powers are identical, although his comics look is pretty different.

What does TDK mean for the DCEU? OK, so bear with me for a moment…what if TDK is actually from the 31st Century and ended up back here somehow before he found himself stuck with the Squad? Until they say otherwise, this is my headcanon. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go write up a headline called “How The Suicide Squad Confirms the Legion of Super-Heroes in the DCEU” which will get me hate mail for the rest of the summer.

BLACKGUARD

Blackguard is a pretty minor DC villain, mostly notable for being the baddie in the very first Booster Gold comic! He’s a much beefier, more heavily armored character than the guy we get on screen here, but honestly…not much more interesting. And yes, his name really is Dick Hertz.

What does Blackguard mean for the DCEU? Look, if Blackguard exists, Booster Gold exists. I’ve been waiting for a Booster Gold movie forever now, and it’s long overdue. It’s time. Come to think of it, this would also be perfect for James Gunn to direct.

WEASEL

Weasel was a Firestorm villain from the 1980s who…was actually a dude in a weasel suit. A disgruntled college loser who took revenge on people later in years for uh, calling him a weasel back in their younger days. The character was later revamped as a more kind of, well, traditionally animalistic/weaselly figure, but the version we meet in this film has more in common with Bloom County’s Bill the Cat than any of his DC Comics incarnations.

What does Weasel mean for the rest of the DCEU? He’s still alive! Count your children! Bring on Firestorm! OK, but in all seriousness, Firestorm would look pretty cool on a big screen budget.

JAVELIN

Javelin was a Green Lantern villain, believe it or not. See, back in the day, Green Lantern was powerless against the color yellow, hence this guy’s color scheme. Flula Borg has a remarkably accurate translation of Javelin’s comics costume in this film, and the character is pretty much exactly as he was portrayed in his early comics appearances, cool accent and all. 

Amazingly, this is the second Watchmen connection of this piece (wait, what?). You see, Javelin was created by Len Wein (editor of Watchmen) and Dave Gibbons (co-creator and artist of Watchmen). So, not quite as direct a connection as Peacemaker, but a connection nonetheless.

What does Javelin mean for the DCEU? As far as I’m concerned, this is proof that Earth has a Green Lantern, despite the fact that we haven’t seen a modern day, human Green Lantern Corps member in official DCEU continuity yet. But someone had to put him in Belle Reve, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s Hal Jordan.

MONGAL

Mongal is a member of a warlike, and immensely powerful alien race. She’s also the daughter of Mongul, the ruler of Warworld and the villain of one of the greatest Superman stories ever told, “For the Man Who Has Everything” by the Watchmen creative team of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Mongal um…didn’t live long in the comics, either.

What does Mongal mean for the DCEU? If Mongal exists, then this is proof that Mongul and Warworld exists. And once again, I am annoyed that Henry Cavill isn’t getting another shot as Superman. An adaptation of “For the Man Who Has Everything” would actually be a brilliant move for the DCEU, albeit a weird one. 

If Warner Bros. wanted to do something more traditional with the character, the Superman “Exile” story would also make for great big screen fodder, taking Superman offworld and into Mongul’s gladiatorial contests. Anyway…there’s two more DCEU Superman movies that should have happened for ya!

CALENDAR MAN

That’s Sean Gunn in a cameo as Calendar Man (yep) shouting “You fucking pussy” in Belle Reve.

What does Calendar Man mean for the DCEU? Hey, maybe we’ll get a live action adaptation of Batman: The Long Halloween one day! On second thought, maybe that’s not such a great idea.

DOUBLE DOWN

And right behind him? That would be Double Down, a playing card themed villain perhaps “best” known as a minor Flash villain.

What does Double Down mean for the DCEU? Pretty much exactly what you’d expect. Feel free to imagine he was locked up by Ezra Miller’s Flash, though.

JOTUNHEIM

The fortress known as Jotunheim here does indeed have a comics connection. It was the site of the comic book Squad’s very first mission in 1987’s Suicide Squad #1. That being said, the nature of the mission itself and even the location couldn’t have been more different than what we got in the movie, but it’s a nice little callback. 

It isn’t the only reference to that famed first issue, either! The yellow shirt Rick Flag wears throughout this movie (minus the logo) was also pioneered in that comic, and there’s also…

JOHN ECONOMOS

Steve Agee’s non-King Shark motion capture performance is as John Economos, one of Waller’s flunkys. In the comics, Economos is the warden of Belle Reve, and he also first appeared in Suicide Squad #1 which was written by…

JOHN OSTRANDER

Wait, John Ostrander isn’t a DC character! No, but he IS the person most responsible for the Suicide Squad as we know them. He has a cameo in the film as “Dr. Fitzgibbon.” This isn’t a DC Comics character, but it IS the second time Gunn has snuck a “Dr. Fitzgibbon” into his films…the other was in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie when a Dr. Fitzgibbon was treating Meredith Quill as she was dying.

SENATOR CRAY

A throwaway line in the film refers to “Senator Cray,” and this is no accident either. Senator Joseph Cray was indeed a minor Suicide Squad character, who only appeared in three stories. He was corrupt, so the idea that anyone is playing golf with him in the DCEU doesn’t say great things about them.

CORTO MALTESE

DC fans will recognize the fictional nation of Corto Maltese from its central role in Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, and Lynn Varley’s incredible The Dark Knight Returns. From there, you’ll know it from its mentions in Tim Burton’s Batman movie and various namedrops on assorted Arrowverse TV shows. The Suicide Squad marks the first time we’ve spent significant time there on the big screen.

But the Corto Maltese name goes back further than The Dark Knight Returns. Miller named the fictional country after Hugo Pratt’s beloved comic book series featuring a sailor of the same name.

It doesn’t appear that Silvio Luna, Matteo Suarez, or the Herrera family depicted in the movie have any additional comics connections, though.

What does Corto Maltese mean for the DCEU? Well, if we ever get that live action Dark Knight Returns adaptation with Ben Affleck, this place will be a movie hotspot once again!

GBS

It’s always a nice touch when we see a TV broadcast coming from a GBS network. GBS is the Galaxy Broadcasting System, one of the biggest fictional news conglomerates in the DC Universe. It’s owned by Morgan Edge, who depending on what version of the character you’re looking at has connections to Darkseid and Apokolips (paging fans of Zack Snyder’s Justice League) or Krypton (hello Superman & Lois!).

What does GBS mean for the DCEU? Not much, but it’s popped up in several movies now, and it’s one of the few pieces of worldbuilding connective tissue still holding the DCEU together. 

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Spot anything we missed? Let us know in the comments!

The post The Suicide Squad Character Guide, Easter Eggs, and DCEU References appeared first on Den of Geek.

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Worth the trouble

Please mind the tags and warnings!

-

 It’s one of those weeks again - Steve is sick. He is shaking from the cold and sweating at the same time, feverish and freezing all at once. As much as he is used to it, he’s miserable and much more clingy than usual.

 The others are there for him to bring food, tea and medicine, but most of all, to keep him company. They happily stay to provide distractions, cuddles and new mugs of tea. The downside of all of this is that sooner or later, someone catches whatever cold or stomach bug Steve managed to get at the time.

 Which leads to the issue at hand, being that Clint Barton ignores any signs of sickness in himself that isn’t a body part about to fall off.  It starts out with a scratchy throat, which is easy enough to ignore and easy to hide. Then, he starts coughing and his voice sounds like he swallowed sandpaper - great. Clint keeps ignoring all the signs and keeps going on like usual - get out of bed, help the younger kids, help with making breakfast and then he disappears to the shooting range to finetune a few of his archery tricks - it’s a routine he likes, especially since no one here yells at him or inflicts pain when he messes up a shot.

 But Clint notices that his shots get messier and messier, and he is more than a little annoyed at himself. Failure is unacceptable, after all.

 He only works himself harder and harder, and by the time he is done for the day, he is shaking and sweating, but he blames it on the hours of shooting and nothing else.

 Clint isn’t very hungry that day, and says as much when he is asked for his vote on lunch - they always get options, and to make things easier for everyone, it’s a vote every single day.

 “You’ve been training all morning. Are you sure?” Phil asks, with a concerned frown creeping onto his face. He is well aware of Clint’s tendencies to skip meals sometimes, both now and as an adult, and it is almost always a sign that something isn’t right.

 “Yeah, I’m just not feeling it right now.” He shrugs, and just to be safe and not draw any suspicions onto himself, he adds,

 “Maybe just a soup or something. You guys do your thing.”

 The others vote on pasta, and the smell is almost enough to make Clint want to leave the room. Too much at once - a wave of nausea creeps up at him and he slams the microwave shut. Clint waits for it to warm up some of that chicken noodle soup they always have in the freezer. It’s always good for days like this, and he figures it’ll keep the worry of Phil and Thor off of his back for now.

 At least for that day, he gets away with it.

 He goes to bed early that night, earlier than usual. Clint can feel Lucky nuzzling into him, licking the skin on his wrist until he gets the pets that he wanted. It feels good, having the dog close. His presence always relaxes Clint, especially when he isn’t feeling well. There is no way that dog cuddles don’t have magical healing powers - he is convinced of it, and with that thought in his mind and Lucky next to him, he drifts off to sleep.

 The next morning, Clint wakes up with a head full of cotton and a throat filled with what feels like glass shards, but he still forces himself to get up and start out the day as usual.

 Lucky for him, Steve is already feeling better and joining the others, which means that a lot of attention goes to him. The fact that Natasha is talking his ear off about something she read in a story book recently also helps - he can focus entirely on her and act like he simply forgot to eat while engaging in her excited ramble. Besides, it’s good so see how much she has flourished in the last few weeks - Clint is genuinely happy to see her like that.

 He manages to go shooting arrows without anyone catching on - or so he thinks.

 By the time he is coughing more and his hands are starting to shake, JARVIS asks him to please stop and go to bed, but he doesn’t listen.

 Phil is in a conversation with Director Fury and doesn’t catch any of it, and Thor is on an important skype call with Eric Selvig, so he catches on late as well.

 But JARVIS knows how to be effective - of course he does. Tony built him, after all, and so the AI calls for him to drag Clint upstairs.

 Tony may be a tiny pre-teen right now, but he sure knows how to get people to do things. Mostly by being annoying - all he needs to hear is that a friend is unwell and none of the adults can be reached, if he could please go down there and help.

 He does so without a question.

 “Jarvis said you’re sick and you need to go to bed.” he informs the archer as he walks onto the range, and Clint turns to him, sneezes and let’s the arrow fly on accident - it pierces into the wall next to his target and he scowls at it.

 “I’m fine.” he says with a sniffle, and gets back into position. His head is throbbing, but he ignores it to the best of his ability.

 Going to bed would be the smart thing to do - but years of being told to stop being fucking lazy and get off of his ass when all he wanted to do was crawl back to bed and sleep off a flu, keep him rooted to the spot now.

 The swordsman and Trickshot sure had gotten into his brain, and the thought of their anger, especially once drunk, is enough to force himself to keep going. It is a long standing habit by now.

 But Tony isn’t having any of it - he, too, can be fiercely protective of the other kids. He is trying to pry Clint away from the gym and upstairs to the bedroom.

 “Come on! I know you caught whatever Steve had earlier - you were near him the whole time and all you wanted yesterday was soup.” Damn it if he didn’t pay attention to what happens around him.

 “I’m not done here. Leave me alone.” it comes out a lot more grumpy than intended, but Clint is almost running on auto-pilot by now, lining up his arrows and trying desperately to hit the center.

 When he is about to grab another one, Tony scoffs and tries to pull him away by grabbing his arm - Clint doesn’t budge. He might not be taller or older by a lot, but damn if the years of archery haven’t paid off already. He might not look it, but he is damn strong for his size and age.

 Tony seems to come to the same conclusion, because he sighs dramatically and then says,

 “You may be stronger, but I’m much more annoying. Try me, bitch.”

 And with that, Tony hops on the older boy’s back, clinging like a monkey and repeatedly poking his cheek with one finger. While he does that, he keeps chanting his name over and over again.

 “Clint. Clint. Clint. Come on, go upstairs, I can do this all day long. Clint. Clint.”

 The archer sighs, heavily. Stopping his training doesn’t suit him at all, but to be fair, he really doesn’t feel great. There is an annoying scratch in his throat that gets stronger and stronger and his head feels like it is about to explode.

 But shooting is what he always does. Taking a break isn’t like him - until now, he’s never been allowed to.

 Finally defeated, Clint goes to collect his arrows. He takes a little longer than usual to pack his quiver, but once that is done, he makes his way to the elevator. Tony doesn’t give up and just stays where he is, like a stuck record. He keeps poking Clint and intends to do so until he is in a bed to sleep off the sickness.

 This is how the two of them arrive upstairs - Clint shuffling and visibly pale, with a scowl on his face, bow in one hand and his quiver in the other and Tony still hanging onto him.

 In the kitchen, Phil is having a quick coffee with Director Fury. He spent quite some time telling him how everyone is doing, how the age regression affects the Avengers. They have been discussing how possible cures might be attainable - all of those things.

 Of course it is in this exact moment that Clint is walking past the doorway, tired and  annoyed at this point and with Tony still clinging onto him while poking him in the cheek with one finger.

 “Clint. Clint. Clint…” the two of them disappear around a corner.

 “Clint… Clint… Ew! Stop biting me!”

 “Then stop poking my face!”

 Something soft hits the floor - probably an annoying 12-year old Tony. After that, the bickering fades away, too quietly to make out from the kitchen.

 Fury turns, eyebrows raised and staring at Phil with one unimpressed eye.

 “I can’t see how these two are any different than usual. Nothing. Nada.”

 Phil’s expression doesn’t change - he has been used to this for a long time.

 When Fury has left the tower again just a few minutes later, he does get up to make his way to the shared guest suite. He wants to check up on the boys, because Clint has been acting weird in the past few days - more so than he usually does.

 “Sir, I should inform you that Clint is unwell. He was training and refused to stop despite getting worse. Neither you or Thor were available at the time, so I’m afraid I had to call the nearest person to get him to move…”

 Oh. Now this makes a lot more sense. Phil curses silently, then adds,

 “Thank you, Jarvis.” and leaves the kitchen.

 He is surprised to find the suite in silence - Steve went for a nap after breakfast and a movie, and as far as he knows, Bruce is painting with Nat. A few moments later though, Tony steps out of one of the rooms.

 “Uhh, Phil?”

 “Hey. Jarvis told me. How is he?”

 “Annoyed because I dragged him up here. But I don’t think he’s okay, he’s warm and fell asleep as soon as he hit the bed… I was gonna go tell you.” Tony explains, and a shadow of worry creepy across his face. He doesn’t like it when the people around him aren’t themselves, and this is certainly one of those cases.

 “Thank you, Tony. I appreciate your help.” He shoots him a smile and accepts the half-hug from Tony, gently ruffling his hair in the process. He is beyond happy that he seems to trust and know he can safely seek out affection - god knows, he needs it. All of those kids need it.

 “How are you doing? If Clint is getting sick, some of you might, too. You were all close to each other in the last few days.”

 “I’m okay. Not feeling sick or anything.”

 “Alright, that’s good. Let us know if that changes, okay?”

 “Okay.” and with that, Tony let’s go of him and walks off to find Bruce and Nat.

 When Phil enters Clint’s room, he is careful not to spook the boy, but as it turns out, he is fast asleep. He looks pale and sweaty, and he is still wearing his workout clothes. His bow and arrow stand in a close corner, as if he’d only managed to drop them there before he made it into bed. It looks like he fell asleep pretty much instantly. Even when Phil steps around him, to get to the bathroom for medicine and a glass of water, he doesn’t stir. This is unusual - normally, Clint registers when someone comes near him, even when - or rather, especially when - he is asleep.

 It doesn’t help Phil’s worry about him at all. He places both the glass of water and the pills on the nightstand, then he leaves the room.

 “Jarvis, please let me know when he wakes up or if anything else is needed.” Phil requests quietly upon leaving and the AI reassures him that he will.

 By the time Clint wakes up again, he feels like he got run over by a train. He is absolutely miserable and wouldn’t be able to get out of bed even if he wanted to. All he wants to do is burrow back into the pillows, but then a panicked thought jolts through him like an electric shock.

 ‘You’ll get in trouble - Trickshot is gonna be pissed!’ his sickness clouded brain keeps telling him, and it takes Clint longer than it should to realize that Trickshot isn’t here - neither he, or Swordsman or Barney or Carson or anyone else is here, he is safe and he is allowed to sleep. He is allowed to be sick and rest. He doesn’t have to work through it.

 Clint’s heart is still hammering in his chest, and part of him is terrified. What if it changed? Who knows how long he slept for, maybe the rule has been changed in the meantime?

 Oh god, what if they’re mad at him?

 The thoughts keep going and going, and his breathing is shallow, but at the same time, way too fast. It hurts. His head feels a lot worse than before, too. Clint is faintly aware that he is starting to slip into a full blown panic. He presses both of his hands, shaking and slick with cold sweat,  over his mouth in an attempt to keep quiet.

 Don’t alert anyone. Don’t let them see, don’t let them hear - just hide and hope they’ll leave him alone.

 He wouldn’t be able to defend himself right now if he had to.

 Only when it is way too late to do anything - not that he could - Clint realizes that the door to his room has opened. His breathing speeds up even more, making his lungs hurt and the pressure in his head increases.

 Everything hurts, he is too weak and too panicked to do anything, and all of this terrifies him even more.

 It takes him a while to notice that someone is talking to him. Phil, he realizes and somehow, he connects that with “calm” and “safe”, contrary to what the other, messy part of his brain is trying to make him believe.

 Phil doesn’t touch him, which is good, but he keeps talking to him, trying to get him to even out his breathing. It takes a while, but it works out eventually.

 Clint still doesn’t look at him - he is shivering with cold while the back of his shirt sticks to him uncomfortably and his head feels like it’s about to explode. The headache has only gotten worse while he was freaking out and now he is attempting to hold back tears. It’s too much, but the calm and even voice next to him helps.

 “You’re safe, everything is okay. No one is going to hurt you. You’re safe…”

 Finally, the words register with him, but what comes out of his mouth is,

 “I’m sorry, I’ll do better next time.”

 A beat of silence follows - just for a few seconds, just long enough for Phil to push away the urge to go back in time to murder a few people. He only talks when he is sure that there is no trace of anger in his voice - however little it might be, he knows that the boy in front of him will pick up on it. Doesn’t matter that it isn’t directed at him - he will take it that way and slide into another panic. It’s the last thing he needs right now.

 “You didn’t do anything wrong, I promise.” He ignores the fact that Clint was hiding how sick he is and pushing through like always. Overcoming this is something that took years of support and therapy even as an adult - there is no reason to expect this from a traumatized teenager. Phil knows his story, after all - it only helps him approach the situation now.

 He isn’t sure if his words stick, but Clint nods. His breathing calms down a bit, but he doesn’t move, keeping his eyes cast downwards on the sheets.

 “There is water and medicine on the table, you should take it.” Phil tells him, and is glad that he does. Small favors.

 “Can I do anything else for you?” he asks then, and Clint just shakes his he had before burrowing back into the blankets. All he wants is to be left alone.

 Over the course of the next few days, Clint is getting worse. He doesn’t let anyone near him, let alone touch him, not even the other kids. This, of all things, probably worries them the most.

 The fact that he spent the first days ignoring his state only made things worse now. Maybe it wouldn’t have turned this bad if Clint had rested instead of pushing through training and everyday tasks as always, but as it is now, his flu turns out to be a bad boost of pneumonia.

 Breathing is hard and painful, and the only times that Clint is awake, he spends in the bathroom or vomiting. He barely manages a shower on his own - by all means, he is shaky enough on his legs that he should have needed help to keep standing, but due to various personal issues, it is not an option for him.

 As a compromise, he leaves the door half open, so that someone could come in quickly in case of an accident. Even that seems to be a lot more than he is willing to do, but he agrees nonetheless - it’s easier than arguing.

 The first few times he manages on his own, stumbling out of the bathroom and back to bed as soon as he is done. But one day, he gets dizzy while getting dressed. He moved too quickly, trying to get his clothes back on as quickly as possible to get back to bed, but then he suddenly blacks out with the long sleeve shirt halfway over his head.

 Thor is pacing the bedroom while he waits for Clint to be done. He is about to call out, asking if everything is okay, but right when he opens his mouth to ask, the sound of a body hitting the floor comes from the other room. It makes him curse out loud and sprint over to help, but Clint is unconscious and sprawled on the tiles.  

 Carefully, Thor steps closer - he knows that Jarvis is calling for medical help and for Phil, but he barely registers it.

 It looks like Clint hit his head when he passed out, and he starts checking all the vitals and then makes sure to bring him into the recovery position.

 Thor is always careful and gentle with other people, especially kids. Now, he takes even greater care, knowing that Clint doesn’t want to be touched, but there is no way to help him otherwise.

 Things get hectic after that - Phil comes running only moments after the call for help, and soon after that, they have Clint down in medical.

 The other kids are still upstairs, worried because they don’t know what is going on, only that their friend is hurt and needs help.

 Natasha especially takes it hard. She usually spends a lot of time around Clint, and suddenly everything changed again. All she knows is that he is unwell and won’t let anyone near him, and now there is some kind of emergency.

 The little girl is sniffling silently in a corner, eyes locked onto the door as if it held any answers. It takes several attempts to talk to her, and when Bruce sits down next to her, offering his hand to hold, she accepts it and scoots closer in an attempt to find comfort.

 It doesn’t take long for Tony and Steve to join them, and together they wait on any answers. Unlike usual, they don’t talk very much at all.

 Phil comes back to them after a while, apologizing for leaving them alone so suddenly. He looks tense and worried, despite his best attempts to hide it. The kids know - they feel the same.

 It saddens him to see them this upset, and he does his best to explain the situation so they know enough but not too much. They deserve to know what is going on, but he doesn’t want to scare them any further. It is a slippery slope, but he is used to delivering information in this kind of way.

 Meanwhile, a few storeys down in medical, the doctors get Clint’s temperature and symptoms under control as well as they can, but they are concerned. Along with the pneumonia and head injury from his fall, which luckily, isn’t as bad as it could have been, they have discovered something else.

 They have found that Clint has a number of both fresh and healing cuts on all arms and legs, easily hidden by clothing. Since there were no accidents or incidents that they know of, and due to the easily hidden locations, they are pretty certain that they are caused by self-harm. The even length and depth is another indicator.

 They tell this to Thor, who is very much concerned. He knows about those issues from when he read his teammates file, back when the team first got together - the doctors know about it as well, but neither of them knew it had started this early.

 “This is an issue we need to address once Clint is awake. He will not react well if any action was to be taken now. He needs to know, and he needs a choice. Otherwise, he will lose what little trust he has in us.” Thor is very certain of this, and he keeps repeating his point to every single person until the point has come across.

 Clint is out cold in the hospital bed, and Thor settles into one of the cheap plastic chairs that look comically small under him. There is nothing funny about it now.

 After a little while, Clint seems to wake up. He is groggy and confused, especially when his eyes dart around the unfamiliar room in a panic. But then his eyes settle on Thor sitting next to the bed and tries to ask what is going on, but all he can manage is a coughing fit.

 “Easy, my friend, you are safe. Here, this might help.” Thor hands him a cup of water, and it helps him enough to not hack up a lung.

 “Thanks. What happened?” His voice is barely there, but the question seems to be obvious enough.

 “You fell in the bathroom and hit your head. We had to bring you down to see the healers, and they say you will need to stay and recover here for a bit. How are you feeling?”

 “Tired.” It’s a lot more than that, but it’s true nonetheless. Without thinking about it, Clint scratches with one hand under the bandage of his right arm.

 “Why is my arm bandaged?” he asks then, clearly suspicious.

 Choosing his next words carefully, Thor asks,

 “They’re not… New injuries. Do you want to talk about this?”

 This is like a cold shower, no matter how gentle the approach - shit. Clint pales visibly and shakes his head no. He never intended for anyone to find out. Especially not like this.

 “Can you stay?” he asks instead, hating how desperate he sounds.

 “Of course. I will keep watch and when you wake up, either myself or Phil will be with you.”

 That sounds good enough to him. At least, with either of those two around, Clint knows nothing will happen to him here. And going to sleep sounds a lot better than dealing with all of those emotions, anyway.

 That same night, Phil trades places with Thor and spends the next hours in the same, uncomfortable chair next to the bed. He has been filled in on all the updates from both Thor and the doctors, and he is just as concerned.

 Phil knows about the unhealthy ways that Clint tends to cope in sometimes - some more than others. But he’d never told anyone, which coping method had started when. Phil had never asked, out of respect for his privacy and the right to disclose those things in his own time, should he ever wish to do so.

 All he knows is that his friend needs help, and he isn’t sure if or when he will accept it in this situation.

 A few storeys further up, the living room couch has been extended into a large bed where currently, all four of the other kids are curled up with each other. No one is asleep, and Thor is currently in the kitchen to prepare another thermos of tea for them. Being alone in the room, it gives him time to pace a bit without having to worry it’ll unsettle the kids.

 All they know is that Clint is sick, hit his head in the bathroom and is now in the hospital to recover from those things. They have no idea about the self-harm issue, and by the gods, he wants to keep it that way. Phil and he have agreed that it would scare and worry the children endlessly, as well as crossing Clint’s boundaries. They don’t want to do either of those things.

 Staring at the smoking kettle, watching the small lights blink until the water has reached the right temperature, his thoughts drift off for a little while. Only when the kettle suddenly plays an annyong, catchy melody (because that’s just Tony’s sense of humor, rigging the water kettle so it plays “Star Spangled Man with a Plan” whenever it is done) Thor blinks a few times and comes back to reality. Tea. Kids. Right.

 He wipes one sleeve over his face, hoping the living room will be dark enough to hide the worry and sadness in his face.

 Back in the other room, Natasha clings to Tony like a small monkey, arms and legs wrapped around him and holding on as tightly as she can. She’s been incredibly silent in the last few days, and it’s heartbreaking to see her retreat back into her shell when she only just really came out of it.

 Tony is absentmindedly combing through her hair with one hand and returning Bruce’s grip around his other hand. The younger boy is curled up behind him, face pressed into his back and holding on just as tightly. Steve is gripping the fabric of Tony’s sleeve from where he is curled up behind Nat.

 Neither of them wants to be alone right now, and luckily, despite all odds, none of them is feeling sick as of yet. Small favors.

 Thor enters the room silently, placing the thermos next to the couch on the floor. Then he sits down, waiting for Bruce to settle into him and then puts another blanket over him and his own legs.

 The kids drift off to sleep, eventually, but Thor stays awake, watching over them. He keeps his phone close - just in case anything changes down in medical.

 Phil is on his 12th cup of gross vending machine coffee when Clint stirs awake in the hospital bed. Once again, he is confused and disoriented, but he seems to be catching on this time.

 “Hey. How are you?” Phil asks him silently, and Clint takes a while to answer. He feels like his head is filled with cotton and his lungs definitely don’t feel great, but at least he isn’t nauseous right now.

 “Don’t know. Tired.” he replies truthfully.

 “Is there anything I could do to make this easier for you? Bring a book or a movie or something?” Phil asks while filling the water cup. He is desperate to do something, no matter what it is.

 “Can’t really focus. Bright lights aren’t great, too…” Truth be told, Clint would love some entertainment. But only being able to read half a page or watch 3 minutes on the TV until it gets too much, would only frustrate him more.

 “How about a book, then? I could read it to you, so you can just listen.”

 Admittedly, this takes Clint completely off-guard. He can’t think back on a time anyone would have ever read something to him - not even his parents, although Mom might have done it a few times. He can’t remember.

 After the car crash, no one would bother - he’d been too old to be read to at that point, he’d figured, and never asked. Being 14 now, even less so. Just the thought of the roaring laughter that would get him from most people is enough to make him squirm inwardly.

 But now, he is too tired and in too much pain to read himself, and Phil is offering to help out. If that offer came from anyone else, besides Thor, he’d have thought this to be a trap.

 Clint knows better now, but he can’t help but ask,

 “You would?” He hates how small he sounds, but as it is, it is hard enough to keep it together. Ironically, after everything he’s survived so far - his father, the orphanage, several foster families, Trickshot and Swordsman - it is kindness that really gets to him.

 He can go through hell and keep his walls up for a long time when no one gives a shit. But a tiny flicker of care, just a bit of kindness - he doesn’t know what to do with it, and it makes everything else harder, because what if life isn’t supposed to go like that, after all?

 “Yes, of course. Is there anything specific you would like?” Phil asks him, and it’s all he can do to shake his head in an attempt not to cry.

 Luckily, he falls asleep soon after that.

 Phil trades places with Thor quite a few times, both of them taking turns in sitting with Clint and taking care of the younger kids, but the next time Phil returns to medical, he does so with “Men at arms” by Terry Prtachett in his hand. Not only is it an amazing book that Phil himself has read many, many times, he also happens to know that it is one of adult-Clint’s favourites. Chances are, he’ll enjoy it now. If nothing else, the book is funny, and that might be enough to make this time a little bit better.

 He is right. Every now and then, the story makes Clint smile as he listens with his eyes half closed or slowly dozing off. Some parts, especially when he is more awake, make him laugh out loud. One part in particular, it results in a coughing fit for Clint, who keeps laughing even as he is hacking up a lung and while Phil is apologizing profusely while offering him water. There is a slight sparkle in the boy’s eyes though, and it tells Phil very clearly that he did something right.

 That same night though, a particularly nasty nightmare sends Clint into a full blown panic. He wakes up tangled in his sheets and screaming,

 “Barney, no! Help me! NO!”

 Phil is at his side in an instant. He still doesn’t touch - he wasn’t asked or given permission to - but he remains close, offering any kind of support that Clint wants or needs. For now, it’s mostly words.

 “Clint! You’re safe, no one will hurt you. Please keep breathing - you are safe…”

 It takes a while for him to calm down, but eventually, he remains still in bed, safe for the constant tremors running through his entire body. Phil keeps talking to him the entire time, trying to reassure him that he really is safe. At some point, Clint starts scratching under the edge of his gauze wrapped wrist and he keeps doing so more and more violently.

 “Clint. Hey, please stop, you’re hurting yourself.” He keeps going until droplets of blood start staining his left hand.

 “Clint. Stop. Please” Something in his voice must be getting through to him, because Clint actually stops and looks up at him. His eyes are huge, terrified and filled with tears.

 “It’s the only way to make them stop. I feel them all the time.”

 This is the first time he’s ever told someone this - not that anyone would have asked. But Phil is here and Phil is      safe    , and this is why he opens up in the first place.

 “It’s the only way to take back control  - I can’t -” breathing gets harder now, but he manages - barely. Phil is still by his side.

 “You’re safe… I promise, you are safe. I’m here for you. Whatever it is you need - I’m here for you.”

 The seconds are ticking away while nothing happens, until suddenly, Phil finds himself with an armful of sobbing teenager. Instinctively, he holds him close and waits for the storm to pass. This has been long, long overdue, but the fact that Clint feels safe enough to finally reach out, even in an extreme emotional situation like that, is a good sign.

 They don’t talk very much in the following hours or days, but Phil spends just as much time with him, finishing the book and bringing a new one after that - “Lords and Ladies.”.

 It makes Clint smile a few times, and he allows himself to lean a little bit into Phil while he reads - now that the ice is broken, he seeks out casual touch whenever possible. It’s something he’s been craving for years, but never really had. When Phil tells him that there are resources  available to help him with his self harm issues and to deal with his trauma, he simply nods and says,

 “I’ll think about it.” because it is the truth and he isn’t sure what else to say - it’s too much to put into words just now, but he hugs Phil again and thinks, with such a support system, tackling this might actually be doable.

     A few days later, Clint can finally leave medical and get back home. It literally makes him stop in his tracks for a moment, when he realizes that he thinks that word in the first place - home.

 That is exactly what the tower and most of all the people in it mean to him though. As strange as that feeling may be, he thinks he could get used to it.

 When he arrives home, everyone else is already waiting with breakfast on the table.

 Naturally, Natasha is the first to run towards and hug him. She barely reaches up to the middle of his torso, but she hugs his waist and buries her face in the fabric of his soft shirt.

 “Hey there - oof!” The impact isn’t very soft, but it makes him chuckle - god, he’s missed this. Natasha clings to him and he holds onto her for a little while longer. It feels good to be back. Lucky is jumping up on him in excitement - clearly, the dog missed him just as much, and Clint does his best to greet everyone at once appropriately.

 One by one, the other kids join in on the hug or wait for a free space to greet him back and it’s incredibly sweet. Clint doesn’t know what to say or do, especially since they don’t know about the details that came to light in the past few days and he would like to keep it that way.

 Besides, he’s doing okay at the moment and everyone else seems to be happy, too. No need to ruin the mood.

 After the first wave of greetings has died down a little, Clint surprises himself and everyone else as well. For the first time since the age-regression, he doesn’t hesitate in getting closer to anyone.

 Sure, he’s been okay with being close to the other kids, and he’d hugged Phil that one time when he’d freaked out in the hospital and even after that, once he truly knew he could. But now he leaps at Thor and slings both arms tightly around his waist.

 “Thank you.” he mumbles into the soft fabric of his shirt, knowing he’ll hear it.

 Thor hugs him back, gentle as always, but it’s warm and reassuring and just what Clint needs after, well, everything.

 “Anytime.” comes the quiet reply, and Clint squeezes just a little bit harder. He knows now, just how much the people around him care, kids and adults alike.

 He knows now, just how much both Thor and Phil worry about them all the time. How much they’re willing to do and give to know them happy and safe and it means the world to him.

 Clint never knew what that was like until recently, and as much as he appreciates, and yes - loves them for it - he doesn’t know how to put all of it into words.

 But he hopes that “Thank you” is enough, so he tries to put the rest of it into the hug. When he pulls away after a while, he is surprised to see that the Thunder God seems to have teared up, but he is smiling.

 It tugs at something in him, and he can’t help but smile back.

 “I am glad to see you well and back here. Come on, both of you, let us feast!”

 The table is so full of food and drinks, Clint is pretty sure they had to play tetris to fit everything.

 Once everyone is in their seats, it is just like any other morning. And yet, it is better - lighter. Safe and secure without a question.

 If a family like this is the price, opening up might be worth the trouble.

                            *+~

51 - Help me

[loki-hargreeves]

Loki, Illusions - Chapter 7

(chapter 6)

Your P.O.V.

All the Avengers were so close, all ready to attack Loki if needed. My heart was beating harder and it was obvious because the heart monitor was still attached to me. Everyone was quiet, the only sound being my heart. Thor was in front of them all and Loki was beside me, almost protectively.

''I'm not here to fight'' Loki groaned, obviously tired of people growing so tense around him. ''How can we trust you?'' Thor fought against his brother. ''You two! Stop!'' I yelled, honestly getting pissed off of this constant fighting. ''He's your brother, adopted or not you're family'' I reminded Thor seriously. I could relate to this situation.

The others changed looks silently as I stared at Thor. ''She's smart, you know'' Loki spoke up with amusement evident in his deep voice. Thor groaned and lowered his hammer, causing everyone else to relax a little bit. ''Fine'' He gave in which made me happy. ''Are you serious?'' Natasha seemed shocked and she walked up to Thor. Great.

''Yes, I am. We're going to get the tesseract and I'll take all of us back on Asgard'' Thor promised the woman who seemed like she wanted to fight Loki. That's when I looked beside me, facing the God of Mischief. He seemed a little relieved yet he was tense. ''It's okay'' I mouthed as I looked at him. As I slowly began to calm down, I began to focus on the pain once again. Luckily, it wasn't as intense as earlier. Loki's magic had done miracles on me.

''Do you remember what he did to Clint?'' Natasha asked Thor and they both looked at the man with arrows. ''Natasha, let it be. Yes, I remember it but-'' Thor attempted to speak but he was interrupted again. ''I thought we were a team'' Natasha chuckled sarcastically and walked towards me and Loki. ''You are a monster! I can't understand how you bleached a woman's mind to ever even consider to defend you!'' She let out a small outburst which wasn't the smartest thing to do.

Loki stood up and caused her to take a few steps back. Instead of getting angry, Loki smiled which was creepy for some. ''Back off, missy. Do not forget that what I've done to your precious friend, I can do to you'' He warned her with a mischievous hint in his voice. Natasha nearly gasped, which was a strange sight. Before the situation got heated, someone got in between. It was Clint. He just nodded and just like that, they walked off. The scientist guy left as well, leaving Iron Man and Thor here with me.

''Y/N, can we speak?'' Tony spoke up and his iron suit turned into a damn suitcase. He left it on the floor and walked further inside. Loki looked at Tony madly and stayed beside me which was alright. I simply nodded, not feeling too ecstatic about seeing Tony Stark. ''Look, I'm terribly sorry for what happened. It was never my intention'' He sighed and looked at his feet, crossing his fingers at the same time.

It pinched my soul as he apologized. Yes, it was an accident but he did try to hurt Loki. I had mixed feelings about this situation and it sucked. ''You better be sorry'' Loki hissed which surprised me. I never expected him to care about me personally. In the beginning, I was convinced he wanted to find me so he could use my powers later. Now it seemed like we were actually friends.

''I wish I would've hit you'' Tony fought with Loki. It all began again. ''Apology accepted, now shut up! I don't want to listen to you fighting!'' I groaned tiredly and rubbed my face with my hands. Everyone grew silent for some reason. As I looked around, I realized that they were all staring at me. It didn't take long to find out why.

My hands were glowing again and a slight purple colour lit up the room. I gasped in shock as I stared at my own hands. I couldn't control my powers at all. It's like the second I lost focus of myself, they tried to flow out of me. ''Calm down'' Thor attempted to help me. I looked at him wide-eyed and suddenly, I was afraid.

Ever since I first used my powers, they had wanted to be controlled. ''I d-don't know..how to stop this'' I admitted quietly, afraid as the light appeared around a few small objects in the room. Everyone stood up now, looking at me worriedly.  ''Loki, I think you should help her'' I heard Thor whispering.

The objects levitated in the room and I began trembling, hoping that they could just fall down. The light gathered around Thor's hammer and that's when my brain screamed at me to stop whatever I was doing. Thor's eyes widened and he probably thought I could lift it. Just in time, Loki got in front of me and he put his hands on mine, allowing his green powers to cover mine.

The objects fell down on the floor and I felt normal again. I closed my eyes and took a deep, shaky breath. ''That's it, just breathe'' Loki reminded me seriously, causing me to nod. ''That was intense'' Tony whispered from the door, probably surprised. ''We have to get back to Asgard as quickly as possible'' Thor realized and walked closer to us, allowing Tony to leave. This wasn't earth business anymore.

''She's unable to control her powers unless...We need a big space where I could teach her'' Loki told Thor. Seeing them speaking to each other was strange. They weren't even trying to attack each other yet the tension was obvious. Thor was mad at his brother and vice versa. ''Loki'' Thor said his name seriously. I listened to their conversation curiously and a little nervously.

''Do you think you're safe on Asgard?'' Thor raised his eyebrow. What did he mean? Loki smiled and huffed, almost offended by his questions. ''What do you mean?'' He then asked angrily. ''Our father is going to be mad at you'' Thor let him know. Here we go again...

I lied down on the bed and pulled the blanket above me, once again finding myself overwhelmed by my life. I had two Asgardian princes beside me, arguing. ''You don't know the truth!'' Loki defended his actions. Although I wanted to listen to them, I couldn't. All these drugs had taken their toll on me and I shut my eyes, falling into a deep sleep quickly.

***

The next morning was slightly better than I expected. I woke up alone and that's when Natasha decided to pop into my room with clothes and a towel. ''Good morning again. You're probably going to go through hell today so I suggest you take a shower'' She smiled rather kindly and put everything down on the nightstand. ''Thank you?'' I thanked her questionably. ''Thor told me about you. I guess you're not evil after all'' She then admitted and looked around.

So people thought I was evil? ''Steve has made breakfast. You can walk around after you're done'' She continued and turned around to leave but I stopped her. ''Who is Steve?'' I asked and attempted to stand up, wincing in pain as I moved but I could handle it. ''Cap'' She explained shortly and left. I assumed she talked about Captain America.

That morning I took a long, warm shower, feeling nice as I got clean. I put on the clothes Natasha gave me and I actually liked them. I got black leggings that didn't add pressure to my stomach and a grey hoodie that smelled like a man. The bathroom on this ship was simple yet it had make-up and hygiene stuff there. I did my morning routine without asking for permission to use these things.

After an hour, I walked out of the room I had been stuck in. The ship seemed super modern. Most things were grey, especially in the corridors. I followed the smell of pancakes until I found a door. It opened by itself after scanning my face and that's when I reached the kitchen. Everything looked normal, like a regular small kitchen. The Avengers were in normal clothes and they ate breakfast. Natasha, Clint, Tony, the scientist guy and Steve sat around a huge table. Suddenly, they all turned to look at me.

The doors opened again and I looked behind me, seeing both Loki and Thor walking in. ''Good morning'' Thor broke the awkward silence and walked to the kitchen island to get breakfast. I faced Loki and smiled slightly. Maybe my mind was playing tricks on me but I could almost swear he checked me out. It caused my cheeks to warm up.

''Good morning Y/N. It's good to see you out of bed'' He admitted. As he moved, I heard the sound of chains. Immediately, I looked at his hands. He had the same handcuffs as I had had yesterday. They seemed Asgardian. It hurt to see them on him. Thor didn't trust Loki enough to let him be free.

As I looked at Loki's face, his happiness was gone. ''I'm sorry'' I sighed, feeling a little guilty. This mess was partly my fault. As I looked back at the others, they were sitting down and talking about everything and anything, completely ignoring the two of us. Naturally, I felt left out but I had gotten used to it before in my life.

''I'll help you with breakfast'' I offered Loki kindly and walked to the island, grabbing two plates and two cups. Loki followed me silently, but I could tell he appreciated my help. I put food on our plates and then I poured coffee to both of us. We sat down around the kitchen island because we felt like the rest of the people here didn't want us to join them.

''Did you sleep well?'' I asked Loki as I sipped my coffee. He shrugged and started to eat. ''Did you?'' He asked me after a while. Something about this moment made me fall quiet. I just stared at the handsome misunderstood man next to me. My heart swelled with pain as I thought of his situation. I just wanted to comfort him.

A confused smile appeared on his face. ''Hello?'' He spoke again, probably reading my mind. ''Yeah, I guess. I slept like a rock'' I answered and looked away from him. Realization hit me and I giggled, finding that moment odd. What the hell was wrong with me? He was my mentor for fuck's sake.

  Breakfast passed quickly. Loki and I ate in silence as we listened to the others speaking like old friends. Once we were done, I offered to load the dishwasher, partly because Loki struggled to do anything. No one even noticed when we walked away so we could discover what the ship had on it.

The corridors were long which was fine. It seemed like a huge place. Eventually, we found a room that resembled a small library. It had some chairs and four huge bookcases. Loki and I sat down and then I sighed, deciding I could finally ask him the question that had been running through my head for a while now.

''How are you?'' I asked him and looked him in the eyes. ''I'm quite good'' He answered and gazed around us. He was lying. ''No Loki, how are you for real?'' I made myself clearer. It took him by surprise. Loki looked at me with confusion evident on his pretty face before he looked at his hands. I could sense that he knew what I meant.

It hurt me that he didn't answer my question. I was afraid I would scare him off. It seemed like it was hard to win his trust. ''Loki, you can talk to me. I'm your friend, at least I hope so. Friends support each other and I can tell you're going through much'' I continued seriously and felt how adrenaline pumped through my body. I was really nervous but I brushed off my own foolish feelings.

''You don't want to listen to me rambling about my issues, Y/N'' Loki spoke darkly, only digging his hole deeper. He tried to push me away but I wasn't having any of it. ''I do'' I answered him seriously. He narrowed his pretty eyes and we were quiet for a while. Then he sighed and shut the door before sitting down once again. ''I see you're actually serious'' He spoke up and raised his eyebrows quickly.

''Why do you want to know?'' He asked me, still not telling me the truth. I noticed how my hands were trembling now. ''It seems like you're in a lot of pain'' I admitted as honestly as I could. I was afraid to look at him and I gulped and stared at my fingers. Nervously, I played with my nails and waited for him to speak.

''Did Thor say something to you to make you think like this?'' Loki asked me a little madly. That's when I forced myself to look at him. ''I wondered about your well being long before Thor mentioned it'' I told Loki. I could almost swear that my words surprised him. If I could remember right, his mother had been the only person for a while who understood him. I wanted to build our friendship so strong that he could speak to me too. Loki seemed like he needed a trustworthy person in his life.

''Why of course, he just wants you to believe I've gone mad so you'd be on his side'' He laughed and then bit his lips together. The way he was thinking was toxic. Before I could defend myself, the doors opened. I saw Thor who was holding a strange box with a blue cube inside of it. ''We need to go'' He informed us seriously. Loki and I changed looks full of confusion, partly forgetting our earlier conversation.

Suddenly the ship shook wildly, causing some books to fall down on the floor. I gasped and held onto the chair with my hands. A few seconds later a warning beep began to play through the speakers. 'Engine two has been targeted. We're under attack' a man's voice echoed everywhere. ''Let's go'' Thor spoke again, this time quite harshly. Loki stood up and helped me up as well, taking my wounds into consideration.

''What happened?'' I asked Thor as he led us back to the corridors. ''Eh, the Midgardians want the Tesseract and Loki so they're attacking us'' Thor explained quickly and he raised his hand, making his hammer fly to him. ''We're going home'' He added after walking a while. His words sent a cold shiver to run down my spine.

I thought we wouldn't leave so soon! In my mind, I had pictured myself saying goodbye to my family. I thought I had time to gather my belongings and tell people they wouldn't have to worry about me. My heart almost shattered in my chest and my stomach felt heavy. I froze, suddenly unable to follow them. Loki noticed that I stopped so he turned around.

''Y/N, are you coming?'' He asked me, making Thor stop as well. A lump appeared in my throat and it even hurt. Would I ever see my foster family again? The realization of leaving earth hit me and I wasn't ready at all. The two brothers exchanged worried looks. ''Y/N we need to move before they're going to destroy this ship'' Thor told me harshly. I blinked and then stared at him in shock.

This couldn't be real. No, I couldn't possibly go to another planet without saying goodbye! But according to Thor, they had a one-way ticket back until they could fix the Bifrost. It was the tesseract.

Loki cursed underneath his breath and then he walked over to me, awkwardly placing both his hands behind my back so he could make me move. I walked forward a little grudgingly but soon, I decided to move and bottle up my emotions. My reality silenced as I followed them somewhere. We reached a huge area that looked like an office. People were running around in panic and the Avengers were in their hero forms.

Everyone was yelling orders to one another. We took a big elevator up until we were on top of the ship. My breath hitched in my throat and I was scared. I saw the blue day sky and the clouds around us. Military planes were surrounding the ship and lights were targeting the three of us. ''We're going to leave!'' Thor yelled to the people in the planes. I pushed myself close to Loki to seek comfort. This was terrifying!

It's a miracle the ship somehow moved slowly, allowing us to actually stand outside without falling off. Some of the Avengers climbed up as well and looked at us worriedly. That's when Thor told us to hold the tesseract. Loki and I grabbed the loop on it and Thor grabbed the other end.

''Stop right away!'' Someone yelled through a speaker from the plane. We completely ignored that demand. I wasn't sure what the hell was going on and I was scared of what would follow. I looked at the Avengers who waved at us. The cold air hit my face and made my hair flow with it. Thor and Loki twisted the loops of it surely. Immediately, a bright blue light surrounded us and I felt weightless. I gasped as the world around us vanished and we were off to somewhere.

I didn't even get a chance to realize what the hell was happening until a new world appeared around us. The blue light faded and the first thing I noticed was a golden hall. My eyes widened once I saw how huge this place was and it was all golden! My eyes travelled up to where I saw a round painting with both Loki and Thor on it with a beautiful woman and a man with a long beard. Around it, I saw several other paintings.

''Home sweet home'' Thor broke the silence and pulled the Tesseract away from us. His words confirmed my thoughts. A few seconds ago we were on earth but now, we were on Asgard. My head felt heavy and I felt like panicking and crying- but I did nothing. I was as still as a stick. The sound of several footsteps made me flinch and I saw people in golden armours holding shield surrounding us.

''It's us, don't worry'' Thor told the people I assumed were guards. My heart was beating really fast and my gut felt bad. That's when I remembered another thing. My wounds. It wasn't my gut that felt so sick but it was a real, physical pain. It stung madly and my legs began to tremble. Suddenly, all my strength vanished and with the support of my shock, I fell to my knees. My arms clenched around my stomach and I whimpered in pain, unable to do anything else.

''Y/N'' Loki breathed out my name and hurried down to my side. He touched my jaw gently so he could face me. I was in so much pain that I squeezed my eyes shut and gritted my teeth. I was convinced that transporting from earth to here had done bad things to me. ''Brother, she really needs the healers'' Loki said and his words echoed in my head.

Something was truly off now...

(Chapter 8)

[starkbarnes-lovechild]

A Little Healthy Competition (Part 1 of 2)

Summary: Bucky doesn’t know what is up with all these Avengers kissing the fella he likes. He has to do something about it.

OR

The numerous times an Avenger—who wasn’t Bucky—kissed Tony and the one time he was finally the one who kissed Tony.

1

The future (present?) never fails to fascinate Bucky. He loves how fast everything is now—from information gathering to food. He likes how transportation is faster than before and how beautiful all these new technology are. He’s always been a fan of machines but they never really had the means for him to pursue what he wants back then. But, even with his adoration for the quickness of everything today, he still prefers the slow burn of wanting to be with someone romantically, of wanting to be with someone for the long run instead of just a roll in the sheets. He still believes in wooing someone, of courting them to show them you’re serious of wanting to have them as your gal or your fella.

Which is why he has never made a ‘move’ on Tony, as the young people say.

Tony is gorgeous and smart and wonderful and he deserves to be wooed. He deserves the absolute best—nothing less.

So Bucky would leave these little trinkets at the workshop that remind him of Tony, or give him gifts now and then, like flowers and chocolates and little accessories he made. Tony always looks so pleasantly surprised and grateful.

It doesn’t take long for the rest of the residents of the tower to figure out his affection for the genius.

“You could just tell him?” Steve always says.

“No, Stevie. Tony deserves to be wooed. I’ll not have him thinking I just want him for his body.” Steve always gets a confused look on his face whenever he says this but remains quiet, nonetheless.

“Just kiss him, Barnes.”

“Yeah, dude. Put us out of this misery.” Natasha and Clint would always tag team him this way, but he just ignores them.

Lieutenant Colonel call me Rhodey Rhodes always looks at him with a certain amount of pity and amusement but just shakes his head then moves on.

He’s not sure if it’s serious or not, but they have a bet going, too.

“I’m betting on Tony making the first move.” He overhears Bruce say one night.

“I believe Sergeant Barnes would be victorious in his endeavor and will initiate the intimacy.” Thor.

“Nah. I’m with Bruce on this one.” Steve. Some best friend. “Tony may be trapped in his insecurities but with the right nudge, he’ll make the first move. Bucky’s just too stubborn.” Yep. Fuck you, Stevie.

“I thought we weren’t interfering?” Pietro.

“I think we can consider a tiny nudge in the right direction as a friendly help and not interference.” Natasha. Seriously. What is up with these people?

“Nah. I’m with Thor on this. Barnes will break first. Tony doesn’t realize when someone has the hots for him.” What the fuck? Rhodes? Is every Avenger but him and Tony there?

“Let’s just set our bets. Tony will be suspicious if me, Pietro, Peter and Vision don’t show up for the new training simulation he made.” Wanda. So every Avenger is really in that little meeting.

Bucky just walks away and tries to forget everything he heard.

(Later, he would realize forgetting what he heard was some sort of mistake. Maybe. He still isn’t sure.)

Three weeks later, after the conversation he eavesdropped on and forgot, Tony walks in the kitchen, half asleep. His hair is in complete disarray, he’s wearing a shirt twice as big, looking like he’s drowning in it somehow.

He looks both adorable and delectable. How is that even possible?

Anyway. He comes in looking all adorably rumpled and Bucky just... He just can't because Tony is the most beautiful being he has ever seen. He can write songs dedicated to Tony's beauty. He's not even a fucking writer, Jesus!

Back on the topic, though. He's also pretty sure that the shirt belongs to Steve because he remembers Nat giving it as a gag gift for his birthday last year.

(For some reason, people like the idea of Tony and Steve being in a romantic relationship. Frankly, he couldn’t see the appeal. At all. And no, fuck you, he isn’t jealous. He's the fucking Winter Soldier, damn it! He doesn’t get jealous, especially of his best friend, fuck off, Steve.)

So, yes, Tony's wearing Steve’s Ask me about my ship shirt with the Captain America shield on one side and the slash thing of Stark Industries at the top, which, with the front lifted high enough, has a print of Steve and Tony about to fucking kiss.

Deep breaths, Barnes, he tells himself. He's afraid he break something if he keeps on thinking what's on the other side of that shirt.

“Hey, Tony.” Steve greets cheerfully, placing a plate of bacon and eggs and bread, and a cup of coffee in front of their tech genius. The other man simply groans and starts digging in, moaning when his brain processes the taste of good food.

Bucky can feel his fingers twitching from the desire to touch the other man.

“Are you wearing my shirt?” Steve asks as his brain finally, fucking finally, processes what Tony's wearing. The blond's voice is fond, though, which means he doesn’t mind at all.

Tony hums. “You left it in my room.” He mumbles and Bucky is struggling to keep himself from breaking the mug he's holding.

What does that even mean?

(There's a Keep Reading since I realized it might look neater that way.)

He knows for a fact Steve has a thing with Sam (for fuck's sake, Barnes, it's not a thing. It's a fucking committed relationship, something you obviously want to have with Tony). He knows, logically, Steve isn’t the cheating kind and he knows Tony doesn’t like the idea of cheating either—whether he's the one doing the cheating or being cheated on, or he's the one being used to cheat on someone. So, yeah, nope, nothing to be—

What the?

Steve is suddenly in Tony's space, leaning down and kissing his forehead. “Keep it.” Steve mumbles, fondness evident in his voice as Tony leans into him annnnd now they're staring at him. “You okay, Buck?” Steve asks and if it’s anyone but Bucky, it sounds like there’s only concern there, but they’ve been friends long enough to know amusement is there and is more evident than concern.

The little shit knows what he's doing.

Tony's concerned frown, eyes down on the mug Bucky's holding, makes him look down and, shit. No wonder they look concerned. He totally broke the mug and now he's also bleeding. He is, unfortunately, holding the mug in his right hand. Damn.

“Fine.” He mumbles gruffly, hastily cleans his mess and hightails it out of there.

He. Is not. Fucking. Jealous. Shut the fuck up.

 2

 Bucky absolutely loathes these fucking galas. He knows it’s for a good cause but god fucking damn it! Humans are annoying. Oh, wait, that’s doing children a disservice; correction, adults (and sometimes teens) are fucking annoying.

He's in his stupid penguin suit and, it’s not uncomfortable, per se because it's a tailored one, but he still prefers his simple Henley and jeans and comfortable boots. He always feels like an impostor whenever he dons his suits, as if he’s pretending to be more than what—who he is.

He doesn’t like it. At all.

Well, there is an upside to it—Tony looks absolutely divine in a suit. His ass is always, always the highlight and Bucky can’t thank Ray enough for being a fantastic tailor. The man knows how to make the best asset just pop out. Tony's waist also looks a little slimmer, his shoulders broader.

That aside, Bucky usually stays in one corner or at the bar of there is one after mingling for a bit. He may not enjoy these events but he does know how to pull his weight.

“Help!” Bucky perks up, hearing Tony's frantic voice. He turns slightly and finds the other man with Natasha, back tense and hands shaking a little.

He's about to go over when Natasha smiles softly then cups the back of Tony's neck, pulling him down for a kiss.

It’s a good thing he isn’t holding anything this time.

He stays there for a moment, watching with narrowed eyes when they pull away, enough for Natasha to murmur something and for Tony to respond, then he’s leaning back down and. Yeah. Bucky hastily walks away, sends a group text saying he’s reached his quota of human and interaction and is going home.

Also. If he looks like he’s sulking in his room, watching Notting Hill, of all things, while wearing loose sweatpants and a loose shirt, Friday’s his only witness.

I'm also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.

Fuck this shit. Fuck Julia Roberts and fuck rom coms. That’s the last time he’s watching one.

“Friday, change the movie please.” He says, before he decides to actually throw something at the TV screen.

The movie starts playing and he assumes it would be about pirates—it’s called Pirates of the Caribbean, for Christ's sake. Unfortunately, Friday seems to have an odd sense of humor because there’s romance in it and, why? Why do they keep on adding romance to everything? Even horror movies have some sort of romance.

Elizabeth, I should have told you every day from the moment I met you. I love you.

Friday is definitely trying to tell him something.

So he just turns and covers himself with his blanket, knowing Friday will know it’s her cue to turn the movie off.

(Later, much, much later, he will find out Natasha kissed Tony because one of the brunet’s creepy, crazy one night stands was in the same gala and has been pestering Tony in the creepiest way possible. Since Natasha was the one closest to him, Tony decided to go to her for help instead.

Later, he would also find out how amused Natasha was when she saw him grumpily walk away.

That won’t happen until later, though.)

 3

 Bucky knows Rhodes is Tony's Steve to his Bucky, but it doesn’t change the fact they’re way too cuddly and handsy with each other, fuck!

Again. Not jealous. But he’s pretty sure cuddling on the couch while watching a movie is some sort of violation against the 'bro code', whatever that means.

For now, though, he’s going to make good use of the stress ball Tony gave him.

(He may or may not have broken one too many mgs every time someone gets a little affectionate with the genius.

He's also quite sure everyone’s doing it on purpose because they’re all dicks.)

So, yes, watching a movie with the team. He's pretty sure the movie's good but he can't focus on it because Tony is now halfway asleep on Rhode's chest and he just can’t, okay?

You know that place between sleep and awake? That place where you still remember dreaming?

Bucky looks back at the movie, the stress ball being abused in his hand.

That’s where I'll always love you.

Nope. He looks back at Tony (and Rhodes).

The stress ball breaks.

Rhodes' lips is on Tony's temple. Rhodes is giving Tony a kiss on the temple. That’s too intimate, isn’t it? Especially since they’re already cuddling? And for Tony to lean into the touch? Really, though. He's pretty sure only people in romantic relationships do when they’re cuddling.

(“They’re practically brothers, Buck, probably closet than we could ever be. They've been through hell and back together and they've seen the literal worst of each other.”

Steve will try to reason later but Bucky will be too busy annihilating a punching bag.)

When he looks away, he meets Steve’s eyes, the blond's eyebrows raised in amusement and since Bucky’s a mature adult, he flips the asshole off and just turns back to the movie.

 4

 Tony rarely gets sick but when he does, he looks terrible and everyone in the tower is protective of him. When he gets sick, he never does it halfway and goes straight to flu with really high fever. Sometimes, especially the first two or three days, Tony doesn’t even have the energy to move and just, Bucky feels horrible on his behalf and, as it turns out, so does everyone else in the tower.

Wanda, with the help of Vision, would cook her mother’s special soup which tastes divine and would spoon-feed the genius if needed. Pietro would bake crackers an incredibly ill person can stomach because his baking has always been Tony’s favorite. Clint, Peter and Natasha would always be around when the genius needs company or in need of entertainment or just someone to talk to. Thor, Steve and sometimes Rhodey, are there for when the genius is feeling cuddly because I’ve always cuddled with Rhodey, and Thor and Steve are the perfect size to spoon me, Tony said once when asked about it. Bucky and Bruce are kind of the all-around, in a way, since he doesn’t really have much to do unlike all the other Avengers (who all seemed to have jobs and school and charity work, for some reason—maybe it’s time he finds one, too?) and Bruce I’m really not that kind of doctor is the only person Tony trusts to check on his health.

So yes, on the rare occasions Tony gets sick, everyone in the tower is tense and worried. And when he gets better, everyone seems to start feeling better as well.

Tony’s fever had gone down, still running a little hot, but a lot better than three days ago. He can now move around for short periods of time, which Bruce says something Tony should do. Currently, Tony’s sitting by the dining room table, his head pressed against the table as everyone moves around him, preparing lunch. Steve has passed by and ruffled his hair gently, a touch Tony leaned into. They all touch him as they pass, as if to remind themselves that Tony is okay and is currently with them.

When the food is on the table—with something lighter for Tony—Bruce presses his lips at the top of Tony’s head before he sits down between the genius and Steve.

It looks so paternal that Bucky didn’t even feel a twinge of jealousy.

 5

 Bucky has been with the Avengers for almost a year and a half now (one year, three months, three weeks and six days, not that he’s counting) and is celebrating his second Christmas with them—the first where he’s celebrating with all of them present since Thor was in Asgard the year prior, Sam took Steve with him to introduce the blond to his family, Tony had an emergency meeting to attend, and Pietro and Wanda were visiting their parent’s graves.

They’re currently decorating their floor and, as per tradition, they’re doing it the day before Christmas.

(Tony still have the penthouse as a personal home, like the rest of the team have their own homes outside of the Avengers. There are two floors dedicated to the Avengers, though—one serves as a home and the other one for training—and they all usually prefer staying at Stark Tower anyway.)

He, Steve, Vision and Sam are in charge of the tree because they brought in a big one. Natasha, Peter and Clint are in charge of the decorations hanging on the ceiling. The twins and Rodes are in charge of the food while Tony and Thor are in charge of sorting the decorations and the gifts.

(He’s been told, in a way, of the disastrous Christmas when they left Thor and Tony to decorate anything. Until now, neither he, the twins, Vision, Sam or Peter knew what actually happened. All they knew was that having Thor and Tony decorate would be disastrous.)

“Mistletoe!” Peter’s cheerful voice snaps him out of his own focus of decorating the tree. He turns to look at the boy to see him hanging upside down on the ceiling, a sprig of mistletoe in hand, directly above Thor and Tony. Bucky feels his fingers twitch. Worse, he’s holding the star they’re about to place on top.

Tony’s on the fair side at the moment, his natural color returning since fall, which makes the blush on his cheeks quite obvious. Thor looks ecstatic and, really, what the fuck? He’s dating Jane, isn’t he? Why does he look so happy about the thought of kissing Tony?

“Shall we indulge our shield brother?” Thor asks with a smile. Bucky feels his grip tighten. Tony simply shrugs.

Fuckity fuck fuck shit.

Thor cups Tony’s face and, upon doing a quick scan of the room, everyone’s looking at the pair expectantly.

Double fuck.

Tony smiles shyly up at the blond and tilts his face up as Thor leans down. Their lips meet, probably for longer than is expected, the team cheering loudly when Thor deepens the kiss. The star finally breaks.

At least the cheering drowns out the sound of the ornament breaking.

(And no, his heart didn’t break along with it, okay?)

I was excited to post this, okay? I’ll try to finish the rest by this week? Hopefully?

[charactersadvocatechimata]

Law of Life: Redheads are Absolute 6

“When were you going to tell me? I’ve been calling you Winter Wolf like your some twelve-year-olds power fantasy character in World of Warcraft.”

“It didn’t matter.”

“Of course, it matters. It’s your freaking identity. What about your friends and family?”

“They’re dead.”

“Howard is alive. So is Aunt Pegs and Uncle Dummy.” Winter, he insisted he still be called that and Howard wasn’t going to argue, Anthony was doing enough for the both of them, rolled his eyes. He could have told Winter that was a mistake and to backpedal quickly, but he didn’t. Partly not to lose any brownie points with Anthony and partly because Howard was a dick. “What about Steve?” The scary girl, Natalie or Natasha, was frowning slightly and the circus kid, Clark-no Clint, was scowling fiercely. Maybe, they understood something he didn’t.

Winter tries to hold his poker face, but trepidation is shining brightly in his eyes. “What about Stevie?” Mistake number two by the way Clint’s scowl deepens.

(Beware the read more cut.)

“Oh, I don’t know. I’d be living our life together completely ignorant of who you really are, Barnes, and Steve Rogers would just show up one day asking for his Bucky.” Anthony sneers the word ‘Bucky’ and Winter flinches. “And we’d be over, just like that, while you and Captain America head off into the sunset. But I’m just the Omega, right? Keep your bed warm until the real thing shows up.”

“No!”

“No?”

“No. Because Bucky is dead-”

“Until Captain America comes back.”

“No, he is dead. Rogers or no Rogers. I will not abandon you Antoshka.”

“Liar,” Anthony hisses. “I’ve seen those goddamn movies, and I know what people have said too.” The younger man shakes his head and holds himself close. “Why’d you have to give me hope? I was fine on my own.” He runs off, and Winter quickly follows after him. Leaving Howard with the two children.

Anthony don’t abandon me with them. I can’t handle children. Howard screams internally as he tries to smile reassuringly at Natasha and Clint. “Are they always like that?”

“Они очень страстны.” Nat spoke. Howard learned quickly that the girl refused to speak English, even though she seemed to understand the language fine. Maybe, it was just around him. Makes sense with the whole doesn’t trust anyone vibe she gave off.

He turns to Clint, but the young Beta shrugs a shoulder and then huffs an annoyed sigh. “Yeah. Tones has a lot of issues so what happens most of the time is he’ll dramatical question Yasha’s dedication, and Yasha will vow his everlasting love to Tony. It’s all very romantic and really annoying.”

“Ah. I see.” And so the long awkward pause begins and stretches for far longer than Howard is comfortable with. What is he supposed to do here? Anthony had told him about their interest, maybe start a conversation with the boy. The boy at least speaks English. “Anthony told me you like archery, Clint. That’s an unusual hobby.”

“Yeah.” That’s it. Doesn’t he at least earn a sentence for trying? He’s trying. Wait, questions! Interviewers are always asking questions to get the conversation moving along.

“Why did you pick archery?”

“It was my act in the circus.” Circus? Did kids actually run away to the circus? Howard always figured that was an urban legend or something. Whatever. At least he got a full sentence out of the child this time. It’s a win.

“But you’re not there anymore. Why keep it up?” Clint stares incredulously at Howard. Was Howard not supposed to ask that? Potts often gave interviewers a list of questions not to ask, but Anthony hadn’t given him anything like that. Curses.

“I like arrows.” The boy says it all forcefully like he thinks Howard would object or something. Why would he? As hobbies go archery sound pretty healthy compared to Howard’s hobbies when he was young. Drugs are bad and make you stupid. Archery is probably good for cardio or some such shit his quake was always squawking about. “And it’s something I’m good at.”

“Find a way to turn it into a job, and you’ll be set for life.”

“Is that what you did?”

“Nope, I had to be all sensible and responsible and use my powers for good instead of greed like I originally planned.”

“You have money.”

“Yes, I do. But greed isn’t just about money. Sometimes it’s about lust and power.”

“Я хочу, чтобы власть. Много власти.”

“What?”

“Nat said she wants lots of power.” Well, that’s not creepy at all. What kind of little kid wants power? Aren’t they usually satisfied with chocolate or robots? Anthony, at least, never seemed interested in power.

“Okay. There two ways to gain power legally; money and politics, technically, you can do that illegally too. Please, don’t. Do illegal shit. Or at least don’t get caught. Anthony will probably give you the money, he’s soft like that.”

The redhead blinks and nods. “Да. Он мягок. Но он силен. Это редкое сочетание, и я восхищаюсь о нем.” Anthony was completely right. Howard should have learned Russian years ago. Like when Vanko went to the red side. But mostly he wants to understand this little girl. She reminds him of Pegs and Peggy was always worth listening too.

“Clint, please.”

“I am not a human google translate.”

“The first translators were human, so. . .”

“You’re kind of a dick.”

“No ‘kind of’ about it, kid. I am a dick.”

“Yeah, well.” Clint splutters.

“You need to work on your zingers kid.”

“You’re a weird adult. You don’t mind I like arrows, and you take Nat’s word seriously.”

“Kid. If I’ve learned anything from all my fucking mistakes, it’s not to sweat the stupid stuff, and you always take women like Nat seriously. No matter the age. That is a basic survival skill 101, my friend.”

“You are far more shrewd than many would believe, aren’t you,” Nat says. The redhead spoke English. Ha! Howard has no idea what he did right. Luck. He’s betting on luck. He’s always had good luck. Maria would be proud. “I could learn much from you.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, young lady.”

“Really? Aren’t adults supposed to be moral and stuff? Not definitely encouraging a young conqueror to take over the world.”

Howard and Natalie face each other then return to face Clint. “I’ll be a fair and understanding dictator.”

Clint snaps his fingers, his face lighting up. “Ha! You like the shadows. No way you’re serious.”

“She can just have a puppet ruler to do the whole people in the light thing.”

“What?”

“Yes, I choose Clint.”

“No! Clint is having a job with arrows and highly productive laziness. Rulers can’t be lazy! Or people will riot. I would not survive the rebellion, Nat.”

“Sure, you will. Nat will ensure it.” Nat smiles sweetly, and Howard laughs at Clint horrified expression.

“Natalie will ensure what exactly?”

“Tones! Nat is trying to make me the puppet ruler of the world.”

“Mimmo, you are fully capable of finding a willing puppet. Don’t torture your brother.”

“Yeah! No torture. Torture ain't cool. Wait. You don’t want to say anything about the whole world conquering thing.”

Tony shifts Natalie, right Natalie got to remember that, on his lap. “No starting a war with Pepper.”

“Understood.”

“There you go Clint, everything is taken care off.”

“Haha. I hate you all.”

“What happened to Winter?” Anthony glares, and Howard knows that maybe it wasn’t the right time to ask. He just wants his baby to be happy.

“What does it matter? Sooner or later he’ll walk out on us.”

“Anthony, Winter isn’t me, and you are not Maria.”

“No, of course not. Because if Captain America was found, maybe I get a Father who wasn’t drunk and lived in this century, not the last.” Nothing he said is a lie. And really, what is Howard supposed to say? All of this is on him.

“Don’t you think he’ll pick you over Steve?”

“No. Who would?”

“Winter Wolf.”

“That name is still stupid.”

“But you picked it.”

“I like alliteration!” Anthony rubs his nose, and Howard has to stifle a laugh. Because the gesture is just, so Jarvis and the mumbling under the breath is Pegs all the way down. “I am going to prove you all wrong.”

“What?”

“I’ll find Captain America when Barnes leaves me for Capsicle I’ll prove to all that I was right.”

“That is one of the dumbest things you have ever said.” Flying fucks! Did Barnes have to materialize out of the air like a goddamn spector? He was a real person again he should fucking act like it. Natalie is smirking at Howard, and he just knows she is going to make a game out of it. The evil little fey. “But I also find it adorable.”

“You are not allowed to say anything like that until I find Cap and prove myself right.”

“So I can’t call you my adorable котенок or doll until I’ve apparently run away with Rogers?”

“Yes.”

“Я люблю тебя, Антошка.” Anthony scowled hard.

“What did he say?”

“I love you,” Nat translates.

“That’s sweet.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“Anyway, Anthony. Do you have a plan for finding a man I haven’t found for decades?”

He rolls his eyes. Howard often wonders where he picked up the particular gesture from, not from him. Certainly, not Jarvis or Carter. “I’ll just find his heat signature.”

Now it’s Howard’s turn to frown and frown he does with the full force of his goddamn age. “There isn’t anything powerful enough to scan all that ice.”

“True. But there will be when I build it.”

“If I can’t-”

“Tones can. He’s a genius.” Clint smiles up proudly, and well Maria always said there was no point in arguing with a child. Probably should heed the advice now that she can’t impart her wisdom no more.

And maybe Anthony can build it. “I’ll have it done in two weeks.” Impossible.

“If I don’t leave you for Rogers will you finally agree to be my mate?”

“Ha! I’ll take that bet.”

“Sure, doll. Whatever you say.” Eh, it will probably work out. Winter looks loving, rather than annoyed, at Anthony's antics. It's a good sign. Maria had definitely loved him for his more chotic side.

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