#and poor Tony works upstairs and he was the only one up there aw he comes down like 'are you all partying?'

[fazcinatingblog]

Also when Sophia was telling really guy about the lightbulbs he needed to change and putting the bins out, I was behind sophia but really guy saw me laughing so he's like "Laura's laughing" shhhhhh quiet

[moonlit-imagines]

New Idol

Peter Parker x Stark!sib!reader

warnings: *insert frowny face here*

a/n: this is a stark!sibling imagine!! PLATONIC. if i keep writing postmortem fics are you guys gonna be okay

prompt: after the death of tony stark, few people felt what peter was feeling and fewer could help him out down the line

The death of Tony Stark was felt around the world, but others couldn’t have imagined the way his family had been affected by this tragedy. He was your only brother and he did a damn good job at it, you owed him.

“Hey, Pepper.” You walked into the cabin with grocery bags in each hand and kicked the door shut behind you. Pepper turned around and let out a grateful sigh.

“Thank you so much for going shopping for us, it’s just been so stressful ever since...” Your sister-in-law began to explain, but trailed off before saying anything else just in case Morgan was nearby.

“It’s no problem at all, Pep. I understand.” You set the bags down in the kitchen and heard little footsteps from above that moved across the upper floor and down the stairs.

“Aunt/Uncle Y/N!” Morgan rushed down the steps, nearly slipping before jumping off the last two and barreling towards you with a sweet little giggle that seemed to be contagious.

“Morgan, what did I tell you about jumping down the steps?” Pepper gently inquired while your niece gave her an innocent frown.

“It’s dangerous...” She mumbled as you leaned down to hoist her up on your hip.

“What’s up, Squirt?” You poked her on the nose and watched her face scrunch up. “Anything exciting going on today?” You asked.

“I had a tea party in the backyard.” She told you. “But it started raining.”

“Oh, no! Is everyone safe?” You went on and watched as Morgan quickly nodded, but you looked over her shoulder to see Pepper appear to be waiting for you. You slowly set your niece down on the floor and gave her a kiss on the head. “Why don’t you go upstairs so Mommy and I can talk for a minute? I’ll meet you there.” Morgan complied and raced up the stairs while you went to go sit with Pepper on the couch.

“Can I...ask another favor?” Pepper hesitantly said, piquing your interest. You cocked your eyebrow and waited for her to go on, but sometimes she was distracted by how similar you and Tony acted. “Right, well, he told you about Peter, right?”

“The Spider-Boy, yeah.” You followed along with a nod and let her go on.

“Yes, him.” She took a sip of her coffee and quietly smacked her lips. “I was wondering if you could maybe help him out. He needs a mentor and he...he took my husband’s death pretty hard. Tony told me he had just lost his uncle a few months before they had met.” Pepper teared up at all of her racing thoughts and covered her face as she began to cry. You leaned in to comfort her, rubbing her back and agreeing to the favor she had asked.

“I can do it, Pepper. You don’t have to worry about it. Just focus on you and Morgan, for now. I’ll be here whenever you need me, okay?” You assured her and let her cry on your shoulder. “I miss him, too.”

—————

You showed up to an apartment building in Queens, searching for the correct door to knock on. Here it is.

It wasn’t like you Starks to get uncomfortable before social interaction, it was supposed to be your strong suit, but the invincibility that you used to feel had faded away after you lost your brother. You finally raised your fist to give the door a few taps and waited for it to open. You heard the chain and deadbolt unlock and were greeted by Peter’s aunt. She recognized you immediately, but still fell speechless.

“Hi, Ms. Parker. Is Peter home?” You politely smiled and watch her open the door all the way, trying not to trip over her words.

“He—yes, Peter, he’s here.” She shut the door behind you and paused. “Peter!” She shouted. “You have a visitor!” Shortly after that, Peter ran out of his bedroom and looked puzzled at the sight of you.

“Hi.” His voice got really quiet.

“Hi.” You replied. “Pepper asked me to come see you. I was wondering if we could have a little chat?” You watched Peter exchange a look with his aunt, who gave him an “okay” nod.

“Yeah, that’s cool.” The young hero led you over to the new couch they’d gotten after everything they had was lost in the Blip. It was pretty comfy, you were wondering where you could get one like that. “What did Miss Potts—I mean, Mrs. Stark...want you to come here for?” Peter curiously asked, leaving you to contemplate your answer. You didn’t want this to seem like some sort of charity, pity to Peter. You genuinely wanted to be there for him. You had some qualifications after your short time with the Avengers and your many years of being Tony’s sibling. You could do this. You could do this.

“I...wanted to know if you’d be open to the idea of...” You stopped to look at Peter’s concerned expression, it really did remind you of Tony. God, he touched so many lives, how could this get any harder? “Would you consider letting me around for your ‘spidering?’” You tried to put it the best way you could, trying not to cringe at yourself. Peter didn’t react right away, which kind of freaked you out a bit.

“Considered.” Peter simply stated. “Mx. Stark, I look forward to working with you.” The teen held out his hand and you gave it a shake, but Peter didn’t stop there. He actually leaned forward and wrapped his arms around you to sneak a quick hug. “Sorry, I just like hugs. I didn’t get too many in when...Tony was here.”

“It’s not a problem, kid.” You ruffled his hair a bit. “Are you hungry? Ms. Parker?” You asked each of them.

“I could eat.” Peter nodded and looked over to his aunt.

“Honestly, I really didn’t want to cook tonight.” May answered with a chuckle that you joined in on, you clapped and stood up from your seat.

“Epic, let’s go grab some dinner. Discuss the future. I hate living in the past, don’t you?”

—————

Months went by and you and Peter really formed a healthy relationship. You, the solid mentor who seemed to have all the answers—Peter, the impressionable student who was starting to get the hang of it all. But Peter also started to see you as a parental figure, and you cared for him like he was one of your own. Hell, you and May even became good friends. You got to hear all about Happy from her and her from Happy. You were kind of rooting for them, to be honest.

Tony wasn’t brought up as much anymore, but you did think of him a lot. You wondered what he would say to you right now.

“Aw, y/n/n, you’ve gone soft! Look at that, I was worried you were gonna turn out like dad...”

The ringtone on your phone snapped you out of your thoughts. It was the middle of the night, who dared to call you this late? You grabbed your cell and looked at the caller ID.

Spider-Kid

“Hey, what’s up?” You answered the phone and waited for Peter on the other end.

“I can’t stop thinking about him.” Peter sobbed into the phone, causing your heart to drop. If there’s one thing you hated, it was a crying kid. “I miss him, y/n. I hate pretending like I don’t, like I’m over it!” He went on.

“I do, too, Peter. I really wish it were different.” You tried to keep a level head while talking to him, but everything he said was exactly how you felt. Just keep it together, y/n. “I try to remember all the good memories I have, try not to dwell on what could have been. Does that make sense?” You asked as you heard Peter sniffle into his microphone.

“You have more memories than I do. I wish I had more time with him.” You heard Peter’s voice crack a bit, he was trying so hard to keep it together, it wasn’t working. “Can you tell me something about him? Something I don’t know?”

“Yeah, I can do that.” You paced around, trying to find some kind of memory to share that would make both you and Peter feel better. “Oh, okay! So, when Tony was a teenager, his friends dared him to hack into the Pentagon. The FBI ended up showing up to our house and Tony proudly owned up to it because he knew he was untouchable. He never knew this, but even our dad was impressed.” You reminisced, hearing Peter chuckle a little. That made you feel a lot better about the situation.

“That sounds like Tony.” Peter said. If you hadn’t noticed, he’s on a first-name basis now. You were glad he was more comfortable with that.

“Where are you, Peter?” You were concerned with his whereabouts, he seemed better than he did a moment ago, but you didn’t want him to be alone.

“I was patrolling, but I’m not really feeling up to it right now. I think the coast is clear for the night.” He sighed and shut his eyes as he felt more tears fighting to surface.

“Do you want to wait, like, twenty minutes for me and we can go get some food? You can choose the place, I don’t mind.” You offered, which delighted Peter. He was still holding in those tears, poor kid.

“Yeah, sounds good, see ya!” He quickly hung up the phone and burst into tears at the building he was perched on. Peter just couldn’t keep it together sometimes, but he didn’t know what he’d do if you hadn’t stepped in when you did.

Meanwhile, you had just started letting out all the emotions that had built up during that call. No one told you that you’d have to keep it together for the kid, but you swear you’d do anything to help him out, just like your brother before you. You sat on your floor, leaning against the side of your bed as you wailed into your hands. You hadn’t cried this hard in months, it was bound to happen sooner or later.

You looked up at the picture on your nightstand of Tony and you at one of his extravagant parties, you really missed those crazy days. But you just have to keep telling yourself that you can’t live in the past anymore or else it’ll break you. What you can do is cherish the parts of your past worth remembering and honor those who are no longer with us. Peter will learn that soon, you just have to be patient.

taglist: @alwaysananglophile // @rorybutnotgilmore // @locke-writes // @sweetheartliz07 // @queen-destenie // @natasha-danvers // @allthecreativeonesaretaken // @frostedgiant // @emygirl // @lotsoffandomrecs // @johnmurphyisbisexual // @teenwaywardasgardian // @pappydaddy // @captainshazamerica //

[good-as-i-am94]

Secret

Peter was relieved when the bell rang and he could leave. He just wanted to get outside and breathe fresh air. The school had been redoing the parking lot and smell had lingered heavily in the building the whole day until all Peter could think about was the smell and his pounding headache. He hadn’t been the only one complaining about it but he had been the only one with super sense to have to put up with it for that many hours.

Peter saw Tony’s car right when he stepped outside. It was extremely hot on this sunny Monday. Peter slid into the car and asked his mentor, “Can I open the windows?”

“I have the AC on, Pete. Besides you always complain that the wind messes up your hair and you’d rather have the AC on.” Tony signaled before pulling out into traffic.

“TONY, LISTEN I NEED FRESH AIR! I NEED AIR!” Peter wasn’t kidding either.

Tony glanced at him at a red light before turning off the AC and opening the sunroof. Peter took that as permission to open his window too. He just leaned his head back and breathed the fresh air willing his headache and upset stomach to go away.

“Sensory stuff?” Tony asked.

“It’s complicated.” Peter mumbled not opening his sleepy eyes.

At that moment it dawned on Tony, “The parking lot. Oh, Peter. You should have called May or I. You probably feel awful.”

“Yeah but everyone did.” Peter knew it was rude to keep his eyes closed but he didn’t want to throw up in this car and he was focused on calming his body down.

“You want me to pull over?” Tony asked worried. He knew he should be worried that all of the kids had suffered for 7+ hours in that building with that smell but the only one he could be worried about was his own.

“No. I want to go home.” Peter answered before grabbing his noise proof headphones from his bag and slipping them over his ears. Tony passed him his sunglasses and Peter put those on too.

~

Tony had tried to convince Peter to come inside but he had insisted that the fresh air was helping and he was currently laying outside on the grass. He had thrown sunscreen at him and let him be. He knew what being around that smell for a long time did to a person. Peter had senses dialed up to ten compared to Tony so he winced at what Peter must be feeling.

“You know Peter’s laying on the grass?” Pepper asked coming inside.

“He wants fresh air.” Tony glanced over at his fiancé.

“Is he okay?”

“Parking lot is being redone at school.” Tony explained.

“Poor kid. It’s probably going to be bad the next few days.” Pepper grabbed a water bottle from the fridge.

“I need to call May. We can’t send him to school with that smell. I know she’ll agree. I’ll figure out getting a doctor’s note out of Dr. Cho if I have to.”

~

Tony’s phone rang the next day while he worked in the lab. He glanced at the caller ID and answered when it showed Peter’s school. He wasn’t sure why they were calling because Tony and May had agreed to keep Peter home, but maybe she had forgotten to call him in.

“Hello?”

“Umm. Hello. May I speak with Tony Stark?” The man on the other end requested.

“For the time being you can—At least until I get bored.” Tony rolled his eyes.

“Well I’m calling because you are listed as Peter Parker’s emergency contact and he is complaining that he doesn’t feel good.”

“Wait a second.” Tony put his tools back down on the table in front of him,

“Peter’s at school?”

“Umm. Yes, sir. School is five days a week you know?”

“Gee. Thanks for that clarification. I’m coming to pick up the kid, Okay?” Tony grabbed his keys. Why the heck was his kid at school?

Tony walked into the school and found Peter in the nurses office, “Sick?”

“Smell.” Peter responded. Tony didn’t miss how pale he was or the fact that he looked about ready to throw up.

“Let’s go. I signed you out.” Tony wrapped an arm around the teen and Peter didn’t even argue that people might see them.

Tony didn’t say anything until Peter was on the couch sipping some water with the balcony doors open letting in fresh air, “May should have called you into school. I talked to her last night.”

“She did.”

“Excuse me? What did you just say?” Tony sat down next to Peter.

“I waited until she left for work and I went to school.” Peter avoided his gaze.

“Because you like feeling awful?” Tony was having trouble understanding.

“My friends were going to be miserable too. They weren’t allowed to just skip school. I wasn’t even sick so the note from Dr. Cho was a lie. I just thought I’d be fine!” Peter moved his arms so that he could cross them over his chest.

“Pete, buddy. I love that you are looking out for your friends, but they don’t have super senses. You do. The note from Dr. Cho was a gray area. You weren’t sick at the time but May and I knew you would be sick if you went to school and look what happened! You have to learn to trust us! If we say something it’s because we care and we want what’s best for you!” Tony knew he shouldn’t raise his voice but Peter constantly put himself at risk for other people.

“I do trust you both!” Peter argued.

“Do you? BECAUSE I CAN’T TELL!” Tony got up and walked out of the room.

Peter sighed. He pulled a blanket over himself and laid on the couch. Tony would be back after he cooled down. He always got heated when Peter got hurt or sick. Peter had talked to May about it one night because he thought Tony was mad at him. She had set him straight.

~

Peter walked into the apartment and slammed the door, “He’s just unreasonable! DO AS I SAY NOT AS I DO!”

May was staring at a casserole that she had pulled out of the oven, “I can’t believe I burned this!”

“I mean it’s crazy talk! I don’t want you to be like me, I want you to be better!” Peter continued to mock his mentor.

“Maybe I can scrape the top part off and it’ll be fine.” May thought out loud.

“I don’t even know why he has me come over if he’s just going to yell at me any time I do something that he doesn’t agree with! I’m not stupid!” Peter huffed sitting down on the couch in the small apartment.

“Dang it. We’re going to have to order take out I think.” May sighed.

Peter laid down against a pillow and screamed into it.

“Are you thinking pizza?” May asked.

Peter glanced over, “Are you hearing me? I don’t think you were listening.”

“No. I heard you talking crazy talk so I thought I’d join in.” May winked.

“Crazy talk? You’re taking his side!” Peter stood up and yelled.

“Hang on. I’m not taking anyone’s side. Let me run something by you, okay?” May reasoned and Peter nodded.

“Tony got hurt last month. He went into a mission and he ended up in the MedBay all week. You remember he cancelled on you, right?” May asked.

“Wait, is he okay now? What happened? How did he get hurt? Why wouldn’t he have called me! I could have helped! HE LIED! He SAID HE HAD A MEETING!” Peter started to pace.

“Well he really thought he had it handled until he got in over his head and figured out that he didn’t. It was too late. He was worried you’d be upset with him if he called for help.” May explained.

“That’s crazy!” Peter argued.

“Yeah so he went into surgery and it was touch and go for a while. All because he threw himself in harm’s way for someone else.”

“But is he okay now?” Peter asked worried.

“Does it worry you that he got hurt?”

“YES! Now is he okay?” Peter groaned.

“Oh. He’s fine. That never happened!” May shrugged.

“MAY! That’s mean! I was scared!” Peter didn’t understand how his aunt could lie about something like that.

“That fear you just felt? Tony lives with that fear for you every time you put someone else’s well being before your own. Remember that before you jump to the ‘he’s unreasonable and angry conclusion.’” May ruffled his hair and grabbed her phone to call for a pizza.

~

Tony came back upstairs after a couple of hours and found Peter still laying on the couch half asleep. He played a game on his phone, “Sorry, I should have stayed calm.”

“I’m sorry I went to school. I’m sorry the call from the school worried you.” Peter locked his phone and set it next to him on the couch.

“How’d you know it worried me?” Tony wasn’t sure when the kid had started to read him so well.

“If I got a call about you being sick or hurt I’d be out of my mind with worry.”

“You would?” Tony asked with wide eyes.

“Of course! I—-Umm—Ya know…I think you’re great.” Peter fidgeted with his blanket.

Tony got this weird feeling and he wasn’t sure what it was, “No. I’m not. I’m kind of okay.”

Peter sat up at this, “Kind of okay? Nope. Best ever in my opinion. Don’t get weirded out at this, but I kind of, might, sort of…UGH. WHY WON’T THESE WORDS COME OUT? I just umm. Love you or whatever.”

There was that feeling again. But what was it? Oh. Yeah. Love. That weird feeling is love for another human. Tony reached over to ruffle his hair, “Yeah. Love you too, Bubs. Now are you hungry?”

“I’m always hungry.” Peter started.

Tony and Peter said at the same time, “THAT’S MY SECRET!”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/25042219

If you like this--PLEASE leave a comment and KUDOS!

[ashsblurbs]

Impostor

“Wait you won’t be home again tonight. That’s the fourth night in a row.” Tony crinkled his eyebrows and crossed his arms over his chest. Steve had been acting weird ever since he came back from his mission in Russia and Tony couldn’t figure out why. Steve was often gone a lot without telling him. He wasn’t sleeping either which was odd for Steve. Tony was worried about him.

“I was hoping we could spend the night just you and me. We haven’t been able to and I miss you.” Steve came over to Tony and pulled him in close. Slowly ran his fingers along his arms. Tony laid his head in the crook of Steve’s shoulder missing the warmth that would spread throughout his body. Steve leaned down and placed a kiss in his grease smeared hair.

“Rain check?” Tony looked up and saw dark shadows had appeared under his eyes. Tony rubbed along the area wondering when was the last time he slept. He ran his hand slowly down Steve’s face until he stopped at the base of his jaw. There was a bruise. It wasn’t new, mostly a few days old but Tony wondered why he never noticed before. Once Steve realized that Tony had found the hidden bruise he stepped back with a smile.

“I promise when I get home there will be cuddles and tomorrow movie night.” Tony decided not to question it and just assumed that it was from training. Tony pulled Steve back down for a kiss. He leaned his head to Steve’s.

“I will hold you to it. I love you.”

“I love you too darling. See you in the morning.”

Tony sat in his lab working on Natasha’s new spider bits, but something was working on his mind that wasn’t allowing him to concentrate on his task at hand. Steve’s behavior was unnerving. He was keeping secrets and had unexplained wounds. His uniform had more blood on it than normal, almost like he had killed several people. As Captain America, he had a strict no-killing policy. Tony got up and went upstairs to Steve’s office. He trusted his husband more than anything in life and what he was about to do would break that trust. Tony had to know that nothing bad was going on.

Tony looked through several papers that were spread on the desk. Most of it was mission reports, some were notes like names and dates and there were a couple of sketches. Tony held up one that was disturbing. It was an unmarked hand holding up a bloody head. Tony through it back on the desk and pushed away from the desk in shock. A chill went over him. The hair on his arms stood up. Steve only drew memories, lovely things, or his feelings. Was Steve feeling that photo?

After taking a deep breath and collecting is composure he moved to Steve’s computer. He typed in his password, but it said incorrect. How was this possible, Steve’s password had been Brooklyn17 ever since Tony helped him set it up?

“Friday, can you type in the correct password?”

“Sir, Mr. Rogers-Stark, made it very clear you are not allowed to access his computer.” Tony didn’t understand what she was saying. Like he said before they didn’t have secrets.

“Override, 5417.” Friday did as ask, and the computer came to life to show the screensaver. It was a photo of them during their honeymoon. Steve’s eyes twinkled so brightly. They didn’t anymore. Tony played around trying to find anything unusual. A normal human being would think everything was fine but Tony was a computer genius. If I were Steve where would I hide a super-secret file, I wouldn’t want anyone to find, Tony thought. Tony clicked on Steve’s file that read everything I need to catch up on knowing that Steve had that list written down in his journal.

The filed popped up to show the hydra logo. Then a video came to life.

“Captain, we have given your orders. Why haven’t you completed your mission?” Tony could only see a Hydra agent and no one else but who spoke next, he knew actually the voice that was speaking.

“I haven’t found the right opportunity, but it will be carried out by the end of the week.”

“If you don’t then we will. Hail Hydra.”

“Hail Hydra.” Tony switched off the computer not wanting to know any more information. He stared at the black screen not understanding what he just saw. Not understanding what Steve was doing. That wasn’t Steve, right? Tony placed his hands in his head trying to sort out all of his thoughts which resulted in him not hearing the footsteps behind him. In the blink of the eye his world went dark.

“Tony, I’m sorry.”

The light slowly trickled into the room leading Tony to open is eyes. Everything was blurry for a minute and there was a pounding in his head. He looked around in confusion not recognizing where he was. Then tried to focus really hard on the object in the corner. Tony knew the outline of the shape. The broad shoulders he would lay against early morning after waking up while the person that is attached to those shoulders were making breakfast. Tony tried to move his wrist and found they were bound by rope. So were his ankles.

“Hey, cap is it too late to use a safe word. If you wanted to get kinky, I would have said yes. No need in kidnapping me!” Steve whipped around with a knife in his hand. Tony always felt safe with Steve. Steve would never hurt him. Steve always had his back. The man standing in front of him was not his Steve. This man had rumpled clothes. There were specs of blood on his cheek as well as a small amount on his right hand. The closer he got the more Tony could see the darkness grow in Steve’s eyes. Steve twirled the knife making Tony nervous, but he kept his composer.

“Nice knife, did your new friends give it to you?” Steve looked up giving Tony a sorrowful look. He goes back looking at the knife running a finger along the blade. Tony’s breath was caught in his throat.

“They want me to kill you. They say I won’t because of the feelings I have for you.” Steve walked closer placing the blade to Tony’s Adam’s apple. Tony gritted his teeth. Steve leaned down close to his ear. He could feel his breath tickle the inside of his neck. Any other time he would be turned on but tonight he just wanted to close his eyes and wake up from this nightmare.

“Maybe those feeling were never there.” He pushed the knife deeper causing a trickle of blood to run down into his collar.

“Or maybe I’m so in love with you that.” Steve bent placing a hard kiss on his lips. He took the knife and sliced the bounds off setting Tony free. Tony swings a hard left into Steve’s jaw making him back away. Tony ran straight for the door and paused watching Steve. Steve looked up and Tony notice a flash of confusion cross Steve’s eyes. It was as if he didn’t know where he was himself. Damn, he thought, I really do love him. Tony walked back over and wrapped his arms around Steve liked he always did when he woke up from nightmares or panic attacks.

Steve looked up at Tony wanting answers but for some reason, his voice wouldn’t work. It was like someone was controlling him and each second, he was slipping back to whatever was controlling his mind.

“Steve, you’re okay. What did they do to you? Answer me!” Steve twisted around, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and pulled him down closer. Tony could see the light flick back and forth like Steve was struggling to stay. The darkness engulfed his eyes once again.

“Hail Hydra.” He grabbed whole of the knife that was discarded to the side and plunged it into Tony’s side. Tony let out a scream and fainted by the sudden pain.

Tony was jolted awake by a splash of cold water. He expected to see Steve staring back at him but this time it was some Hydra goon. Another face of the terrible organization. There was pain shooting up his side. He could taste blood too. That was new.

“Where is Steve!” Tony shouted trying to get free. The goon just laughed.

“We knew your precious husband, no matter how much we controlled him, wouldn’t be able to kill you. So, we are going to do it ourselves.” Tony rolled his eyes knowing he could easily get past the guy. All he cared about was his Steve.

“I’m not going to ask again. Where is Steve?” The goon wrapped a hand around Tony’s neck. He smirked thinking this was defiantly not the first time this has happened to him. “Yeah, I can do harder.” He dropped his hand real quick not liking Tony’s remark. Tony saw a window and took it. He kicked his legs out knocking the man down. He twisted and ripped the poor a tempt of bondage and ran. All he knew was he had to get Steve.

Steve laid in a clear box unconscious like a lab rat. After he did what he never thought he would ever do, hurt Tony, the mind control was broken. He held Tony in his arms screaming, crying. He killed Tony. Steve knew he should have carried them out to safety. Ran as far as the eye could see. He was paralyzed and the next thing he knew he was laying in a box not knowing what they did to Tony’s body.

Tony ran and ran looking through every room and down every hallway with no such luck until he found himself looking at a sleeping Steve. Tony ran to it banging on the box, but it was solid. He really wished he had his suit right now. He looked around looking for anything that could crack it. Bingo, he grabbed a pair of scissors and aimed for the corner resulting in the glass to shatter all around, thankfully missing Steve. Tony ran over and bent down to Steve trying to wake him up. Steve shot up like he was coming back to life. He rapidly looked around like he was searching for something. Tony placed both of his hands on his shoulders forcing him to stop and look at him. Steve reached out and placed both of his palms onto Tony’s face. He was in awe that he was with him and semi-okay.

“Tony, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” Steve buried his face into Tony’s shoulder and started to cry. Tony rubbed his back trying to comfort him.

“It wasn’t you sweetheart. We can have the best I’m sorry sex we ever had when we get out of here alive.” Steve smiled against his shoulder and looked up with determination in his eyes.

“Let’s kill these sons of a bitches.” Tony smiled loving that he finally got his husband back.

[rogue-barnes-16]

THE PROTEGE (part XVII/?)

Summary: The reader is captured by Hydra in the middle of WWII, when she was a child. Whilst being put through experiments with the tesseract, she briefly crossed paths with Sergeant Barnes. Little did they know they would meet again.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x enhanced!Reader

Genre: angst (with some fluff)

Tags:

The protege: @shane-knight @dormousse @nicholasbich @mscoloneldanvers @spooky-scary-spiderling @lovenaturefirst @marydragneell @bubblycypress87 @eminem-owns-my-asshole @annielovebug22 @gucciofthenorth @thetimidsarcasticcat @k-n-e @existingovertherainbow @superhero2552 @goth-pigeon @daniellajocelyn @to-the-road @shirukitsune @n7siha @the-ayo-lit @v3nusc3 @calwitch @booboobella01 @extisi @michellebarista @ayannaboo1111

Permanent taglist: @notexactlythatgirl @thisismysecrethappyplace @sofreakinmanyfandoms @pizzarollpatrol @bubblycypress87 @1a-girl-has-no-name1 @loislp @lovenaturefirst @dyanna-corona @2ptonpt @goodnightmode @disneyprincessbuffyannesummers @mannls @cutie1365 @catch22inareddress @mybooradley @sebastianisasnack @butifulsoul125 @unlikelygalaxygiver @angelh1 @randomparanoid @welovecaptainamericaass @gabbie-is-sad @amisutcliff @andy497

Warnings: language and fighting (?)

A/N: slowly picking up the pace, I think I already have an ending and it's definitely not pretty lmao.

The protege masterlist

Due to the immense chaos that had been caused no one really stopped Natalia to ask her who the hell I was in our way to the place where she and her friends were heading before their unfortunate brief encounter with me.

"What happened?" The redhead inquired, stalking as fast as she could to reach a tall, blond haired woman.

"Power went off." The woman responded "probably was a pulse, not sure though." as we walked out of the control room, she gave me a double check with a confused glance.

"She's with me." Natalia clarified. "What about Barnes?"

"The boy's causing serious trouble down there." the man who I recognized as Tony Stark replied, jogging towards us and consecutively motioning the three to follow him.

"Tell me you brought a suit."

"Yes, I did." the billionaire replied. He was lying. "And it's a lovely Tom Ford three-piece two-button." Okay maybe he wasn't lying. "Who the fuck is this-"

His stop made the blond woman bump into him and consequently, made me and Natalia stop.

"You."

"What?" I questioned, appearing to him as confused as possible.

"You're the girl- she's the girl" he bumped the redhead's arm. "What's she doing here- What were you doing with her? What the fuck-"

"There's no time for this." I spoke, walking past the three people. Though before I could take the first step, the brunet gripped my forearm. "let go."

"Tony-"

"She's here to help him escape." he spoke, digging his eyes in my form. "She could've done this."

"Tony," Natalia put her hand on Stark's shoulder and gave him a gentle yet firm tug. "she's here to help. Let go of her."

"Listen to your friend or I'll break your arm."

"Yeah that sounds super friendly to me." his sarcasm sounded like poison to me. "What do you think Carter?"

"We really don't have time for this." The blond agent replied. "But after this you're coming with me." She added. "C'mon now."

Not even three minutes passed before we could hear the shots, hits and the screams.

"Okay Romanoff, with Carter, trouble girl with me." we moved fast in order to stay as covered as possible until we could easily get close enough to James without getting killed in the crossfire. "your name?" I shot him a glare. "what? Give me something girl."

"Y/n." I replied, getting my gloves out of my pockets to put them on at the same time as he turned his watch into a hand weapon.

"I hope you know that I have questions."

"Too bad you won't get answers." I responded staring at him with the ghost of a grin in my gaze.

"you worked with him?"

"You could say so, yeah." I lifted my chin, prompting the billionaire to look behind him. "You first, Ironman."

Stark's fight was good enough to keep up with The Asset's training for the time that it took me to get ready.

Stark was down, Carter entered the game.

I knew the Black Widow had the intention to follow her colleague's lead, but she took a peek at me first and gave me the cue to accompany her in the task.

Her knee went straight to his abdomen, pushing him back. She kept moving, well aware of the fact that the moment he caught her she was done.

I slid in their direction with my foot before me; Natalia twirled out of my way just in time for me not to break her leg.

The Asset fell back and I rolled a couple of feet away to be able to push myself up without getting knocked out by him.

The blonde, in an attempt to lend a hand, kicked Him in the back, just for his metal fist to grab her leg and violently slamming her against one of the tables.

Stark got up and stalked to the Soldier in order to get him off the poor girl, but Natalia —I supposed she had caught up on what I was about to do— threw herself over her friend.

"Y/n do it!" She shouted.

When my name was heard, the soldier turned around so fast, almost as if he remembered me.

Did he?

Not the time for that, I reminded myself planting my feet firm on the cold floor and getting both my hands up.

"мне жаль" I murmured an apology, hardly loud enough for him to hear.

With a groan, I brought my hands to my chest as the sphere formed between them, and in a split second, my arms shot the concentrated energy to the Soldier and threw him yards away from us.

To my luck, that was just where the stairs were.

"What the FUCK?" the billionaire yelled, looking at me in awe and fear at the same time. "What are you." in the meantime, The soldier had recovered from the impact and was currently moving upstairs.

I ignored his question, running upstairs, chasing after the soldier.

I lost him for a couple of seconds, which led to take the wrong turn.

The fact that I ended up in the same rooftop he was in, didn't make it any better; not only had he gotten a helicopter, but we now were accompanied by a very stressed out Steve Rogers, who, apparently, had no common sense. Before I could sprint to try to stop the soldier, Rogers grabbed the goddamn helicopter and tried —and shockingly seemed to succeed, somehow— to pull it back to the rooftop.

"Rogers!" I shouted his name when he started to look like he was about to get ripped in half. "Let go!"

The blond man, more confused than anything else, relaxed his muscles, but right when I was about to pull the helicopter back, the soldier lashed out against the captain.

My first instinct was to focus on the propeller and, using the energy, pull them towards me right before making a small energy rift appear just a couple steps before me.

Before the propellers could reach me, I threw myself on my knees and quickly slid into the rift, teleporting myself to Steve's side, who looked at me quite shocked.

"We need to get him out." I spoke attempting to make him react. "My name is Y/n, and I want to help James as much as you." That seemed to slap him out of the surrealistic moment he had just witnessed.

"Okay... Okay, help me open the-" he was cut midsentence when a metal arm crashed through the glass in front of us to choke the man besides me.

I was just getting my hands between the two men in an attempt to pull them apart when I felt the helicopter falling off.

I let go and jumped back to the rooftop, but they obviously didn't. "Fuck..." I muttered to myself, getting up to see the helicopter sinking in the water. "Okay..." I looked behind me to check the door didn't open while I took a couple of steps back, so I could be able to run up.

I literally took a leap of faith and prayed for me not to die in the fall.

Once in the water, considering that Steve had just managed to get an unconscious James out of the aircraft, it all went pretty smooth.

I only had to grab them both and throw them with me into one of my rifts.

I hadn't counted on the effort that would supposed to drag two people with me through a rift I had to create under the water, after a free fall.

When we crashed against the pavement in the shed I was planning on teleporting after all of this had happened, I felt myself dizzying very quickly.

I planted my hands firmly against the pavement as I tried to regulate my breathing. "Hey you okay?" Steve's voice sounded distant to me, even though he was right besides me. "Y/n? Are you alright?" I felt a pair of strong hands helping me incorporate and guiding me to sat with my back against the wall.

"I'm fine." I assured, this time with words. "I just- it was a lot and I didn't do that since... I don't know." I closed my eyes and opening them again when finally managed to control my breathing. "I just need a moment."

"Listen, I don't know who you are." Steve started, taking a look at James, who was still unconscious. The blonde had laid them against the opposite wall to us. "But you put your life on the line for us twice in a day." he sat in front of me with crossed legs. "I don't know how to thank you."

"Don't worry." I simply replied with a shake of my head. "we have to tie him to somewhere before he wakes up."

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

"Did you call your friend already?" I inquired from the inside of the shed loud enough for Steve to hear while he got back inside."

"He's nearby but stopped to get us some clothes." he informed me, stopping in the gates from were he could check up on his friend.

"what happened back there?"

"Someone wanted really bad to have a talk with Bucky."

"Bucky." the nickname rolling out of my tongue felt as if I was naming an old friend that I had never really met.

"How do you call him?" The curiosity had to come out at some point, I thought.

"James."

"For... For how long have you known each other?"

Wow, the questions were going to be one hell of a headache.

"Uhm... For as long as I can remember." the answer was a vague one, yet somehow very accurate. "he... Kind of trained me."

"You're like him?" I denied and he nodded, and then we fell in another heavy silence. "I... I have to ask. Did he... Uh..."

"Remember you?" I finished while my brain buzzed trying to order my damaged memories. "I, myself, can't remember much but I think he mentioned you a couple of times."

I was lying, but it was a white lie- the whitest lie I would ever tell. His face lit up when I said it, and that somehow made a spark of happiness lighten my dark, cold heart.

"What you did back there- was it Hydra?"

"Yeah." I confirmed, staring at my gloves that now rested on an item belonging to the place we were in. "The tesseract. They experimented with it and... this came out."

Another heavy silence.

"Steve?" both our heads spun to the entrance, where a man was standing with a bag in his hand.

"Sam." Steve turned around to walk towards the third man, who also stepped in Steve's direction and consequently, in mine. "He's still unconscious, she's with us." He pointed at me. "Her name's Y/n."

Once the sun stopped hitting his backs, I was able to see the stranger's face, who was already looking at me with a frown.

"Wait, I know you." He stated stopping Steve by his arm. "She was at the helicarrier back in Washington."

[imagine-loki]

Gifted

Title: Gifted (Sequel to Giftless)

CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: 42/?

AUTHOR: nekoamamori ORIGINAL IMAGINE: 

Imagine that you are Stark’s niece and you secretly share a strong relationship with Loki since he entered the crew. One day you get hurt so bad during a mission that you are about to die.  Loki knows a spell that will save you and share his immortality with you but you and he will be linked forever sharing thoughts, pain, emotions…

RATING: T NOTES/WARNINGS:  Also on AO3 click here

You were stuck out in the cold for far too long. It took forever for the fire department to clear the tower after the ‘fire’. Fury didn’t want to tell the cops, or the press who had arrived about Balder attacking you.  

When they finally let you back inside, you and Loki tried to sneak in among the crowd. You didn’t want to talk to Fury, Tony, or Bruce. You had a feeling there would be daggers drawn the moment any of them tried to talk to you right now. You weren’t particularly pleased with any of them.  Unfortunately, Fury caught you trying to sneak in. Tony caught Pepper and flung her over his shoulder while Pepper yelped indignantly. Tony was glad that she was ok and wanted to make sure she stayed that way.  “Stop that. You’re not hurt,“ Tony scolded her, worry in his voice. "And if you try to guilt me over your poor cat ears from the fire alarm, and my niece…” Pepper had cat ears, quite a lot of the time as she was learning to control her powers. 

"Geez, Tony. Like I’d do that,” Pepper grumbled. “Now put me down,” she whined.

“Nope. You’re safe where you are,” Tony replied. She stood no chance overpowering Tony, though she could usually keep him in line, except when he was that worried.  Tony was worried now.  

“All of you, Veronica, you too,” Fury signed his words as he spoke. “My office. Now.” He pointed a finger at you. You hadn’t even done anything this time.  “Don’t you even think about disappearing. My office.“ you glared at him and pointed to the tape on your mouth. "We will discuss it in my office. Move your asses,” Fury ordered. You clutched your blanket more firmly around yourself and Loki wrapped a protective arm around your shoulders. Tony led the way to Fury’s office with Pepper still draped over his shoulder.

“Your uncle picked up bad habits from Thor,” Pepper complained. You shrugged miserably. You knew what happened wasn’t your fault, but you still felt bad about it.

“Darling, it is not your fault,” Loki reminded you, sensing your emotions. Fury growled. Loki turned and glared at him. “It is not,” he told Fury firmly. “You cannot blame a victim for being attacked,”

“It’s still her power that caused all of this,” Fury insisted. You heard the hesitation in his voice, though. He just wanted something to be angry with. You filed in to Fury’s office. There were only two chairs besides Fury’s in the room. Veronica got one of them without question. The rest of you had an extremely polite argument of 'no you take the other chair’. “Kat, just take the damn chair,” Fury growled at you when he got tired of the argument. You sank into it, but shrank back from his anger. Fury was about the only one here you wouldn’t and couldn’t stand up to. He had basically been your dad for the last five years you’d lived in the tower. He was also always so loud and drill-sargenty. Loki stood behind your chair, his hands on your shoulders, a reassuring presence.  

“Tony! Put me down!“ Pepper whined. Tony shifted Pepper so she was cradled in Tony’s arms instead of thrown over his shoulder. "This isn’t better,” Pepper grumbled, but hse was purring, so her argument was invalid. You tried really hard not to laugh. You couldn’t laugh properly right now anyway, so it really was best not to try.

“Soldiers,” Fury snapped. You all looked at him again with equal looks of embarrassment and shame. “Report,” he ordered, staring straight at you. You huffed, grabbed his keyboard off his desk, and turned his computer monitor. You typed a lot faster than you signed. So you typed up your report while Fury and the others watched the screen. Loki occasionally added a detail or two. Veronica signed her part of the evening’s events. Fury took in everything that was said. “Kat, I know this isn’t your fault, but this curse is a danger to all of us, especially if Balder can attack you even with Loki’s magic. There’s a solution. No one in this room is going to like it, but I don’t care. You’re all going to agree to it anyway, or Kat will have to spend her time in a detainment room downstairs until R&D or Loki’s people come up with a permanent solution,” Tony, Loki, and Pepper all growled at that suggestion. The detainment cells were awful. You were not getting locked up for something you couldn’t control.

“What is your solution?” Tony asked, trying to keep his voice calm. You knew it was only intense training that kept his temper in check.  

“There is a safehouse outside of the city. It’s miles from anyone…” Fury started.

"No!” Tony yelled. “You can’t send her out to the middle of the nowhere alone,”

“You will not send her anywhere alone,” Loki added, though his voice was calm.  It was the dangerous sort of calm that only he could pull off.  

“It’s a precaution. I’m not going to stop you from going to class, or even from coming here to work in the infirmary, as long as Loki’s with you, but you cannot sleep where you’ll be a danger to others. It’s too dangerous. That rules out both here, and your apartment. So here are the options. Either you agree to stay in the safehouse, or I’m locking you in detainment right now until R&D comes up with a solution,”

[Safehouse it is] you signed.

“Then I am going too. I am not leaving you alone, especially while Balder is after you,” Loki insisted.

“That is a stupid-ass decision,” Fury replied. “Balder has already proven he can get through your magic,“ he reminded Loki in a growl.

"I can protect myself,” Loki grumbled.

“Fine, but I take no responsibility for your decision,” Fury grumbled. He gave you more stupid rules that you only half paid attention to. Something about only leaving the safehouse for class and healing people in the infirmary. The adrenaline of tonight’s adventures was wearing off. “Go pack a bag, both of you. I want you at that safehouse before she crashes again.” You glared at him, but he was right. He was also unaffected by glares.

[Take this stupid tape off] you signed at him angrily. He shook his head.

“Can’t. It dissolves in 24 hours. Bruce hasn’t figured out how to make it dissolve any faster. That is why it is a last resort.” You glared at him and somehow managed to summon a fireball and sign angrily at him.

[This was put on your face after I woke up]

“You knocked out half of the compound before Veronica hit the alarm and no one knew why or how, especially since Loki was one of the ones you incapacitated. Of course I’m sorry now that I know the whole story, but I had to act in the entire tower’s best interest. Now both of you get out of here. All of you are dismissed.” You all rushed out of Fury’s office. No one liked being there and you were pissed.

“Kat, are you going to be ok?” Tony asked. 

You nodded. [I’m fine, Uncle Tony. Stop being overprotective. I’m not even going to be alone] you signed at him quickly, grumpy with lack of sleep and this stupid punishment. You still gave him a grudging hug. And would have kissed his cheek, but circumstances…

“Do you need you to kiss his cheek since you cannot?” Loki asked with a glint of mischief in his eyes. You tried to laugh, it wasn’t a great laugh, but they got the point.

“That would be a firm no,” Tony grumbled with sarcasm in his voice.

“I’ll do it for you,” Pepper volunteered, and proceeded to kiss Tony’s cheek.

“An elegant solution. Come, darling, we need to pack so we can get going. Fury wants us to drive there,” Loki reminded you of part of the conversation you had zoned out on. You nodded and headed upstairs. You didn’t care much about packing clothes. You and Loki could both summon new clothes whenever you felt like it. You were more interested in making sure you had your laptop, phone, a few books, and various chargers. You also packed a few clothes, just in case. Loki’s bag looked pretty similar, but also included the handheld game system you had bought him a couple years ago. You handed him your car keys. You didn’t feel confident driving right now and he didn’t argue.

Tony and Pepper were waiting for you at the front door. You said your goodbyes to them and Loki summoned some real clothes for himself, just in case you were pulled over. You highly doubted that would happen, and the cops would probably be more concerned as to why you had unremoveable tape over your mouth than what Loki was wearing. You still kept your head down, hiding behind your hair as you walked out to your car. Luckily, all of the cops and firefighters had left.

You zoned out for the drive to the safehouse, but managed to stay awake. You also didn’t get pulled over. The safehouse was a little two bedroom house in the middle of nowhere. You trudged into the house and looked over both bedrooms and picked the one with the larger bed.

“Darling, before you even try the self-sacrificing, not sleeping thing, remember that we are safe for the night because of that tape, which I will be killing Doctor Banner for,” Loki told you as you set your bags down. You nodded. He was right. You couldn’t hurt him and you could handle nightmares. “Are you sure you’re ok?” Loki asked before you could crash in the bed.

/I’m fine/ you replied simply. /Just tired, and still pissed at Fury, Tony, and Bruce. It’s been a long night and I need some real sleep. Balder gutting my friends constantly and then harassing me in my dreams is really draining/ you whined. 

He chuckled. “Very well”

The next day was awful for both of you.  You still had classes, and had to keep an illusion up all day so no one would see the stupid tape. At least they were all expecting you to sign everything all day anyway. You and Loki both didn’t eat all day. He refused as it would be rude. You told him repeatedly that he was being stupid, but he wouldn’t listen. The end result was you both being hangry on your individual ends of the couch until about 4am when the tape finally dissolved and you gorged yourselves on pancakes. Somehow the little hole in the wall pancake place was open at 4am and they fed you as many pancakes as you wanted. Neither of you questioned why they were open at 4am, or why a bunch of supers in costume were eating there at 4am, looking like they just got off patrol.

The next two weeks were also hell. You tried to sleep as little as possible. You didn’t want Loki in danger. After a week of your refusing, and his having to soothe you through more than one depressive episode over the whole situation, the isolation and helplessness of the whole situation was getting to you, he promised to leave the house for the night as long as you promised to get some sleep and let him shield the house. You agreed out of desperation and passed out the second he was gone.

You were both grateful a week later when Frigga called you to return to Asgard. She had found the cure at last.

[keeroo92]

Be My Nightmare Chapter 13

Behind the Masks

Warnings for gore and murder, but there’s a bit of fluff at the end for once :3

Word count - 4,121

~~~~Previous Chapter~~~~

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

---V---

He woke to the sound of cursing. Bright light shone through his closed lids and a faint aroma he vaguely recognized teased at his nostrils. Comforting warmth enveloped him, the product of a bulky knitted blanket. He was horizontal, how did that happen?

More importantly, where am I?

More cursing. Heavy steps, someone pacing. That voice, he knew that voice…

“What the fuck, what the fuck, I’m gonna go to jail. What the fuck?!”

Dark lashes parted, painfully slowly to give his pupils time to adjust. Plain beige walls greeted him, tasteful art placed in strategic positions throughout the space. Modern furniture dotted the room, arranged to make it seem more spacious than it was. He was lying on a couch, black leather and minimalistic. To his right, a modest TV hung upon the wall beside a small desk with a laptop resting on it. The accursed beanie rested on a coffee table nearby.

“Shit, what the fuck, I’ve lost my mind! What was I thinking?”

The artist sat up and tugged the offensively itchy fabric back into place on his scalp, struggling to organize his thoughts. This must be your home, but how did he get here? The last thing he remembered was the museum, and then…

He licked his lips. What a sweet memory. After such a display, it wouldn’t be much longer before he filled you with more than his fingers.

“V! Finally!” 

His smirk turned to a frown as your quick footsteps brought your worried face into his line of sight. “What do you mean, finally?”

“You’ve been unresponsive for three hours. How do you feel? Let me check your vitals,” you began, already pulling a small flashlight from your pocket to shine in his eyes. 

The artist flinched away, batting at your arm with an annoyed huff. “I’m fine, there’s no need.”

It was sweet of you to fret, but the only lingering effect he noticed was a slight fatigue, and perhaps an irritating itch of deja vu. Nothing alarming, and nothing worth showing weakness, even to you. 

She forgets her place. 

He hummed as you sat back, attentive eyes watching his every move. Vergil was wrong, you didn’t forget your place at all. In fact, he might even say you were where you belonged for the first time.

At his side.

Lithe fingers lifted to dance across your cheekbone, stealing a quiet sigh from your lips. So responsive, so lovely and delicious. His hand drifted lower, his thumb curling to wrap around your slim neck and pull you closer. Your pulse fluttered under his touch even as you instinctively resisted, like any prey facing its predator.

His mind went deliciously blank as your lips met his. Your small hands pressed against his chest as if to fend him off, but with each shift of his mouth, your attempts weakened. Leather squeaked as he leaned closer, shifting his body to curve over you. Another way to assert his dominance.

Yet you still rebelled against his will, stubbornly refusing to lower yourself to lie beneath him properly. True, you would be his equal if he had his way, but for now…

He tightened his grip on your neck until you succumbed. It was a delicate balance to cut off the blood supply to your brain yet to leave your airway unencumbered, and his fingers itched to clamp down and claim his prize. 

How exquisite you’d be, flaying your first victim and carving your way to the truth. Splashes of scarlet on your smooth skin, glimmering silver in your palm and a smile on your face. Oh, how delightful it would be to bury himself in you in the aftermath, when you were still drunk on discovery. 

He pressed his hips into your thigh, letting you feel the ache you woke with a soft groan. The same hands that once pushed him away now danced under his shirt, feather soft touches caressing his skin. Heavenly.

The fires of lust in his cock turned to ice as a sharp knock rang from the wooden front door. Surely you hadn’t betrayed him? Jade eyes searched your expression, digging beneath the panic and confusion to find any hint of disloyalty hidden beneath, yet he saw only more of the same. No, you clearly didn’t expect company.

A second knock, more insistent than the first. Whoever it was, they lacked patience.

“Shit, uhh… fuck,” you mumbled, extricating yourself from his grasp. “It might be my dad… fuck.”

He didn’t like the look on your face, not one bit. “Would you like me to remove him?”

“What?! Have you lost your- no, I do not want you to ‘remove’ my father!”

Yeesh, it was just a question!

He didn’t quite understand. It was a simple offer, you didn’t need to make a fuss. Besides, if the man’s existence brought such an expression, he clearly needed to be dealt with. Perhaps you’d change your mind?

“Look, just… I’ll handle it, you go upstairs and keep quiet,” you said. “Fuck!”

The artist frowned but did as you asked, climbing the narrow staircase to crouch behind a conveniently placed shelf. Blood pounded in his ears, a clammy film coating his palms. If ever you would betray him, now was the moment. When no blade waited in his hand for an offering, when he had no chance of escape. His fate rested in the choices you made over the next few minutes.

The door opened to reveal two figures, though the angle was poor and he couldn’t discern any details. It didn’t particularly matter who they were; none could know he was here.

“Oh! Officer Redgrave, Officer Goldstein, what can I do for you?”

Officers? They’re cops?! You gotta get outta here!

Yet he ignored the avian voice. Why bother telling him to hide if you were turning him in? It didn’t make sense, something else was going on. More information was required before selecting a response.

A low voice replied, though the words were a mystery. You widened the opening and gestured for the strangers to enter, shooting a surreptitious glance his way. The artist ducked lower, just in time as the two figures entered.

“Sorry, it’s a bit of a mess.”

“Aw, this ain’t nothin’. You should see my place!”

The wooden chairs surrounding your dining table creaked as the strangers made themselves at home. As the duo exchanged pleasantries with you, the artist couldn’t resist peeking around the edge to get a glimpse, now that he might be able to spot a useful detail. He needed to assess the threat and possible outcomes, as if he had any control.

Of course, his eyes went straight to your face to find a stony expression, far too frozen to be natural.

The other two didn’t seem to notice. Fools. How could they ever hope to catch him, when they didn’t even notice he was in the same apartment? It would've made him laugh outright if not for the need for silence.

“So, we got the paperwork finished. You are officially a police consultant, doc. Congrats.”

“Just in time for the next body to drop, too. We’re headed to the scene now, wanna come?”

The artist grinned. Surely you wouldn’t miss the meaning behind his work if you saw it in person? How perfect, he couldn’t have planned it better. 

“Yeah, uh… okay, I’ll just need a few minutes. Can I meet you downstairs?”

The two cops exchanged a look but stood, the female stretching her arms as if she’d been sitting for hours instead of minutes. 

“Sure, just be quick. Every minute counts!”

He ducked back to hide as you escorted the two to the door. The moment the lock slid into place, a deep sigh slipped from your lips. 

Huh, look at that. She didn’t rat you out.

“As if there was any reason to doubt,” he replied quietly. 

I can think of a few!

He rolled his eyes and stood, descending the stairs to find you frantically gathering your things.

“Stay here, okay? I don’t- I don’t know how long I’ll be but you need to stay put, got it?”

He scratched his scalp and nodded, mind already focused elsewhere. It was difficult to focus with so many new things to examine and so much to learn, here in the place you called home. Didn’t most people have photos of loved ones? Where did you keep yours, if not on the walls?

“I’m serious, V. God, this is unbelievable… what am I doing?”

The artist hummed, lips curling in amusement. Watching your metamorphosis was such a delight, what a perfect companion you’d become. 

“You’re doing what you want to, instead of what others expect.”

Your lips pursed, a sharp glare lacking any true weight glittering in your eyes. “Stay. Here.”

---Reader---

Outside, Nico and Tony waited by a standard police sedan. Surely they’d let you drive yourself; they wouldn’t make you sit in the back like some kind of criminal, right?

Even though I’m aiding and abetting one…

But this wasn’t the time to think about the murderer currently lounging on your couch. You needed to focus, keep up the appearance of normalcy. Just a little longer, you’d figure this out. All you needed was time. 

“You wanna hop in the back or follow us?” Tony asked.

A nervous laugh spilled from your lips. “I’ll follow, thanks.”

Nico grinned and held out her palm to her partner. “Told ya. Pay up, old man.”

He groaned and slapped her hand back, mumbling curses under his breath as he hopped into the patrol car’s drivers seat. 

Nico paused, watching as you turned to unlock your car. 

“You drive that thing? Are you sure it ain’t gonna explode on the way?” she commented, her eyes wide and locked on your rickety beast. You hadn’t even turned it on yet, no doubt she’d have more to say once she heard it. Better have the music nice and loud, then. 

“Hasn’t failed me yet,” you replied.

The look she gave you made you want to scream. Disdain or pity, maybe a hint of condescension. As if driving a car like yours made you inferior. If only she knew the murderer she was hunting currently occupied your apartment.

He’d better still be there when I get back…

---------

Tony was easy to follow, even with the anxious fluttering stealing your focus.What would you find at the latest scene? What monstrosity had V created now? And how were you going to manage to balance looking like you knew your stuff and covering his tracks?

You sighed. 

As much as you wanted to unravel the mysterious artist, he’d rapidly made a total mess of your life. It felt like being trapped in a spider’s web, watching and waiting as your doom crept closer to consume you. Like you were a fly, desperately flapping your tiny wings as if there was any hope of escape. 

You shoved the thought aside as Tony slowed, pulling into an empty spot in front of a small home currently lit in red and blue from the swirling police lights. Yellow tape cordoned off the small yard, a few stern looking officers milling about to dissuade the neighbors from getting too nosy. 

It was a nice area, if cramped. Colorful homes stood mere feet apart. Shrubs and small trees filled the front yards, adding a layer of refinement absent in most of the city. V chose his location well. A murder in such a luxurious neighborhood would set the entire upper class into chaos.

Not even your fancy security gates can keep you safe from him…

Back in high school, kids from these types of homes were the bane of your existence. A little fear might do them well. At the very least, it might distract them from bullying others for a while.

You turned down the volume to a respectful level as you pulled into an empty spot on the curb, cringing as the engine loudly rattled. Maybe you should’ve ridden in the back, just to hide how crappy your car was…

Oh well. Too late now.

Tony and Nico waited by the driveway, chatting with another officer as you approached. You couldn't put your finger on it, but the woman’s uniform seemed different somehow. 

“Lieutenant, this is Dr. Waras, the consultant I told you about,” Tony said, gesturing towards you.

Her angular features and rigid posture reminded you of a stereotypical drill sergeant, but at the introduction her face relaxed into a grim smile and a hand extended to shake yours. 

“Good to have you, doctor. CSI’s already finished, but try not to disturb anything just in case. Booties are by the door.”

---------

Scarlet droplets marked the artist’s path from the front walkway inside. Small yellow tags sat by each fallen drip, each with a number etched in black. The colors contrasted with the shiny oak floor and you couldn’t help but be amused by it, that all the wealth and status of this home did nothing to protect it from V’s creation.

Nothing can protect you from the horror of reality.

You stepped carefully around a few yellow markers, past the elaborate kitchen and polished granite countertops to follow Tony further inside. Smiling family photos dotted the walls and one of those fancy voice-activated devices sat on a hall table. By all appearances, a young and happy family lived here.

Tony led you to the master bedroom and paused at the door. “I’d recommend you breathe through your mouth. You haven’t eaten recently, have you?”

You rolled your eyes. After seeing Ken’s melted arms and smelling death from the orderly he’d murdered, you weren’t worried. Besides, scent was easy to ignore most of the time. It was a matter of will power.

Beyond the door was a tableau of mutilated meat. Spread out amongst the sturdy furniture and tasteful decorations, the artist had arranged sections of what could only be human flesh. A muscle here, a tendon there… There was blood, of course, but the scene wasn’t as drenched as you would’ve expected from the artist. 

Tony stayed in the doorway and watched as you wandered through the room. It was clear in his eyes that he wanted to vomit or shoot someone, but you ignored him. Far more interesting was the strange display.

Which muscle was that? How did all these pieces fit together to make a person? Humans really were just meat, when you came down to it. Hunks of steak with the rare ability to create and imagine. 

But why had V done this? He always had a reason, he said so himself. Why go through the trouble of carving up some poor soul and hauling their carcas here to arrange this way? 

You stared at the scene for what felt like hours, searching for meaning in the macabre. There had to be something, there just had to be. All you had to do was find it.

It wasn’t until you tilted your head that the design became clear. From most angles, the spread of tissue lacked any rhyme or reason, but now?

Now all the tendrils of tendons and filets of flesh came together to form a single letter.

V.

Yet there were still pieces that didn’t fit the pattern. Outliers, strewn about like so much garbage. 

“We managed to ID the fucker. Name’s Michael DuPonte. Known rapist that we never managed to charge with anything. Guess it’s a moot point, now,” Tony explained from the hall. 

He deserved this, then. 

Who knew how many women he’d made his victims? Even one was too many. You’d worked with sexual assault victims for a while in school, part of your thesis on criminal behavior. Their stories hadn’t been easy to hear.

Mostly because they kept using all the tissues you brought, but one or two told tales that hit too close to home. If it wouldn’t contaminate the scene, you’d have enjoyed spitting on his cock. Or dancing on it, perhaps. Maybe both.

Stay focused, come on! It still doesn’t make sense. Maybe another angle?

With careful steps, you navigated the room and examined the gruesome display at every angle imaginable. At last, you found it - the viewpoint that brought it all home. 

Again, the remains created a single letter, but it was a different one. 

W.

This, this was his point. Not a single nugget was left out, the perfect reformation of a person. Nothing wasted, all to build a message meant for the world.

But why W?

It seemed arrogant to assume it was a reference to your name, but you couldn’t think of another option that made sense. Winter, warrior, wendigo, watershed…

No. It stood for Waras.

The realization sent a shockwave through you. There was no denying the madman had a disturbing fixation on you, especially after the incident in the museum. But to see it laid out for all to see, if only they were clever enough to look, forced you to face it head on. No more hiding. This went way beyond professional curiosity now.

What am I going to do?

Your heart pounded, goosebumps prickling your skin. Blood rushed in your ears and the urge to laugh almost broke free. Of all the people in the world to have interested in you, you got the serial killer. 

Shit, and what about me? Am I interested in him?

Despite his flaws, it was comforting to know someone truly cared. Loneliness was a constant undercurrent in your life and you’d long ago accepted that. You were a freak, incapable of connecting on a deep level like everyone else did so easily. Others couldn’t be trusted, and if they saw beneath your facade they’d surely run away screaming.

But he wouldn’t. The artist already saw past your mask and he was still here. That fact alone brought a smile to your lips and warmth to your heart. Not to mention he was clearly more fucked up than you. For him to run would be the height of hypocrisy. Maybe this was your chance to have it all. Maybe he could finally ease the isolation.

Maybe you didn’t have to be alone anymore.

---V---

To his credit, he tried to be respectful. He really did. It seemed immoral to abuse the trust you placed in him, by leaving him alone in your home. Not that there’d been much choice, but that wasn’t the point.

Yet inevitably, his curiosity overpowered his reason. There was so much he might learn about you, who knew what secrets he’d uncover?

First, he pawed through the kitchen drawers. Nothing of particular interest; only the usual collection of kitchen utensils met his wandering hands. 

Next to draw his attention was the hall closet, where he found cleaning supplies and coats. A few pairs of boots and stylish heels, a box fan and a crate of basic crafting supplies rounded out the packed shelves.

C’mon, there’s gotta be something interesting here!

I’d prefer something useful…

He had to admit, he was disappointed by the mundanity of your home. He’d imagined it to be a more truthful reflection of your personality, but instead it was simply another layer of falsehood to peel through before he could expose your true value. So many masks, why did you bother with them all? It must be exhausting. 

On to the bedroom. Maybe he’d discover a secret hoard of filthy novels or a box of buckles and straps. He certainly hoped so.

But no, even your bedroom lacked any glimpse beneath the surface. It was infuriating, to imagine the circumstances which led you to hide your true self even in your most private of spaces. He would shred whomever built your cage, tear them to pieces as slowly as possible. Drawing out the process wasn’t something familiar to him, but surely it couldn’t be that difficult to keep someone alive and in excruciating agony.

It was in your bedside table that he found it - a stack of photos showing you and several recurring faces. There you were, graduating college. And there, a birthday. Another showed you planting a kiss on an older man’s cheek. Was that your father? You had the same nose. Perhaps the meaning behind your earlier expression hid in the image. 

He took a seat on the bed and examined every pixel of the photo. A drink sat by the man’s hand, a haze of drunkenness evident even in a simple snapshot. Sheets of paper kept the half-full glass company, some kind of form if he had to guess. 

And you… though your lips pressed against the man’s cheek in an unmistakable gesture of love, your eyes remained on whomever took the photo. Worry tainted your lovely eyes and your body angled away from the man, as if you craved an escape. The dark artist wondered why you kept this photo when it was so clear you didn’t want to be in it. 

The man must have forced you. Reprehensible; he’d never hold you back. 

He would set you free.

You should do something nice for her, Van Gogh. Show your good side for once!

The artist frowned and flipped to the next photo, where you played with a dog. A retriever?

“What would you suggest? I can’t exactly go out and buy her flowers.”

Right… maybe… uhh…

V rolled his eyes and looked at the final photo, where a childish version of you stood in a large group of children. A class photo? 

Oh, for heaven's sake! Cook something!

Ugh, cooking… he hated cooking. Some compared it to art, but why bother creating something if it will only be consumed moments later? Food lacked the lasting impact his paintings held.

It might still make a nice gesture, though..

He sighed and carefully set the stack of pictures back in your drawer. What would he even cook? Did you have ingredients? If only he had the freedom to visit a grocery store himself, but it wasn’t worth the risk. 

In the end, he found some pasta and vegetables. A pair of chicken breasts and a jar of sauce rounded out the meal. Simple, but enough to deliver the message. Truthfully, he was a bit excited to see your reaction. This might be the most normal thing the two of you ever shared; at the very least, it was so far.

He set the table and lowered the heat of the stovetop, keeping the meal warm until you returned. 

Now what?

There wasn’t time to figure it out, as the click of a key in the door signaled your arrival. The artist grinned and stirred the pasta, sending waves of savory scent wafting through the air. He hadn’t been this excited for something other than art for years.

“What the…” you murmured, stepping through the doorway with a weary look, shoulders drooping. 

“Welcome back,” V replied.

“You… did you cook?”

He smiled and nodded, gesturing at the spot he set for you. “A token of my gratitude, for all you’ve done for me.”

The corner of your lips twitched, a sound he couldn’t translate slipping through. He’d never seen your face with this expression, what were you thinking? Did you find his message? Perhaps he hadn’t been clear enough, but he could try again soon enough. 

“Alright. I give up, this is too much.”

You kicked your shoes off and dropped your bag, striding toward the table and taking the indicated seat. Perplexed, the artist didn’t move. 

“You give up?”

“Yup. This can’t possibly be my life.”

That… is not the reaction I hoped for.

Chuckles bubbled from your throat as you stared at him, intensifying with each heartbeat. The artist’s heart warmed; he’d never heard you laugh like this before. Choking, holding your stomach and tears forming on your eyelashes. You’d never looked so lovely.

He smiled and took his own seat, the pasta forgotten on the stove. It didn’t matter, he’d rather enjoy your face right now. 

At long last, you managed to calm down, though an occasional snicker still broke through. Slim fingers wiped away the moisture leaking from your eyes, lips still twitching. “It’s insane, hehe, the hands responsible for what I saw tonight also made me dinner. It’s hehe, it’s goddamn surreal.”

With that, you broke down in giggles once again. Something about the sound of your laughter and the wide grin on your lips summoned snickers from V as well, and within moments his own chuckles mixed with yours. When was the last time he laughed, truly laughed?

He didn’t know. He didn’t care. Right now, all that mattered was the flickering joy in his heart.

~~~~Next Chapter~~~~

[hopelessromanticspoonie]

To Keep You Safe

Title: Well my heart is gold, and my hands are cold

Chapter: 9/?

Author: hopeless_romantic_spoonie

Summary: Life as the assistant to Tony Stark was busy, but boring. All of that changed when I touched something I shouldn’t have and woke up with strange new abilities. If I thought that trying to figure out my new place in life as an Avenger was tough, I had no idea what was in store for me once I ran into the frustrating God of Mischief, Loki.

Rating: E (later on)

Notes: Friendly reminder that this is un-Beta’d, so please excuse any typos or grammatical errors I no doubt missed during revisions!

Also on Ao3 here :)

Warnings: Language, blood

~~~

For just a few moments, everything was wonderful. I melted into his tight embrace and just breathed him in, comforted and held and safefor what felt like the first time in forever. The steel bands of his arms around my back and middle felt like they were tethering me to him and would never let me go. And that was just fine in my book. I could stand here forever basking in the warmth that his cold body against mine created inside of me, but of course Loki had other ideas.

With a soft kiss to my forehead, he moved his hands to latch onto my waist and pull me away from him just enough to look down at me. I kept my hands firmly clasped behind his neck, unwilling to let go of him for fear that he was going to suddenly change his mind and disappear for another two weeks.

“I meant what I said, little one. Choosing to stand by my side will not be easy,” he warned, clearly giving me an out in this relationship that had only just begun. I could almost see him preparing to erect another set of walls between us at my expected rejection.

I traced idle circles on the back of his neck, earning a small hum of approval from him. “No, it won’t. I’m not going anywhere, though. Are you?” I did my best to hide the apprehension I felt, but it didn’t seem to work too well by the sadness that darkened his eyes.

“Your Avengers will not approve,” he reminded me, ignoring my question.

I frowned. He was definitely killing the happy buzz we had earlier. “You’re right, they won’t. But they’re also not in charge of me, not even Tony. And he knows that now. But I’m not going to let go of something that could be great because it could also be hard. If you are really concerned about it, we could keep it between us for a while. They’ll find out eventually, but we could let ourselves get used to… whatever this is before we let outside opinions in. Would that make you feel better?”

He puzzled over my offer for a few moments before nodding wordlessly. One of his hands left my waist to glide up my arm and cup my cheek. I leaned into his touch despite the combined chill of his skin and the cold weather sending a shiver through me. He was always so cold. That shiver made my legs shake, and I felt a bit of a breeze over my thigh by my holster. I lifted my head from his grasp to look down, and only after I had seen the scratch I’d given myself in Tony’s lab did I feel the sting of it. With all of the emotions and chaos, I hadn’t been paying attention to how I felt externally, which just felt silly now. It looked worse than it was with the amount of blood that had soaked into my leggings, but I was still too content to care too much about it. My superhuman healing powers would take care of it in a few days.

Loki must have followed my gaze because he abruptly knelt in front of me and took my thigh into his large hands. His thumbs barely touched the split fabric on either side of the long cut as he examined it closely. It was a heartwarming sight to see the god kneeling before me, cradling my leg as if any touch stronger than a caress would further injure me. Just as suddenly as he had knelt he was standing up straight again, his body as tense as his voice as he ground out, “Who did this to you?”

“I missed my holster earlier when I got pissed. It’s already scabbing over, it’s fine,” I assured him with a shrug.

He grabbed my hand and tugged me toward the Compound at a brisk pace that I had to scramble to keep up with. For each step he took, I had to take two because of his long legs. “Loki, it’s okay! I’m not that fragile.”

“It could become infected. Your bodies are so prone to illness. I will not risk it with you,” he said gruffly as he stopped to turn to me. “You are mine to care for. Allow me this.”

How could I say no to that earnest face? “Okay, but we don’t have to sprint upstairs. I won’t bleed out or get some super-bacteria between now and then. I’m tired,” I admitted with a short, weary laugh. I hadn’t been getting very much sleep lately, and with how emotionally draining the day had been I honestly just wanted to take a nap.

Apparently he took my admission as me saying that I couldn’t walk anymore, as he easily lifted me into his arms and proceeded to the Compound. I would have to pick my battles with him and this was one that wasn’t worth it. Besides, it was nice to have an excuse to nuzzle my nose into his neck and wrap my arms around his shoulders. I briefly wondered what the others would think when they saw us like this, but after we went inside and passed several interns and various techs without earning even so much as a glance, I lifted my head to pin Loki down with a questioning look.

“Just between us,” he said simply, hugging me tighter to him as he passed through the doorway into his suite before depositing me carefully onto his bed. Ahh, magical creeper Loki had made an appearance again. Or, rather, made a disappearance. Terrible joke.

I took advantage of him disappearing into the bathroom for the first aid kit to take in his room. It had the same bones as mine, but he had done much more to customize the space than I had. The entire wall on either side of his door was covered in overstuffed bookshelves, with more piled up on his coffee table. One nightstand also had several thick tomes, some of them in languages I couldn’t even begin to identify. A thick green blanket was draped haphazardly over the couch, and it was the only comforting personal item in the room other than the sinfully soft black duvet beneath my kneading hands. He even went to the trouble to switch each doorknob, drawer pull, and metal fixture from the standard stainless steel finish found throughout the Compound to gold. Even the stitching in the blanket beneath me was golden. Nothing less than opulence for the Asgardian Prince.

Unbridled desire flashed in his eyes as he returned to me carrying the first aid kit. “How long I’ve waited to have you in this position, darling,” he smirked, eyes raking over my body as he settled beside me on the bed.

“Watch that silver tongue of yours,” I warned as I felt my face and neck heat up beneath his appreciative gaze.

“Don’t tempt me, darling,” he winked. He made to tend to my leg, but it was difficult to reach through the thin tear in my leggings. He raised his brow as he looked up to me. “What do you suggest we do about your bottoms?”

“Um, do you have any shorts? These leggings are trash, but I’m not going pantless,” I said, adding in the last bit when a mischievous glint shone in his roving eyes.

A truly mischievous smirk crossed his sharp features that sent my heart racing. I was about to tell him to wipe it off of his face when the slightly cool air of the room washed over my legs and I got thoroughly distracted by watching my leggings shift into a pair of indecently short shorts in a wave of green light. It was an odd sensation to have the fabric slithering over my skin, and his magic tingled as it traveled up my lower half. I couldn’t even be mad at the length of the shorts for how in awe I was at his powers.

“Well, that’s cool as hell,” I breathed, gathering a fist of the material experimentally. Still felt like clothes, so that was something. What did I expect them to feel like? Paper? Idiot.

A low chuckle pulled my attention back to him. It was pleasant to listen to, especially considering how he was normally laughing at the expense of others. This was a good change of pace. He pulled my leg into his lap and raised his darkened eyes to mine as he dragged his fingertips slowly up my leg until they had reached the edge of the holster high on my thigh. His dangerous smile only grew when I captured my bottom lip in my teeth, biting down on it to stop myself from gasping as his nails lightly traced the edges of the sheath. I’m pretty sure that I forgot how to breathe and my heart thudded erratically in my chest. Did he know what he was doing to me? His rough, calloused fingers rasped deliciously at my skin as they followed the band around my thigh to remove it. With exaggerated slowness, he pulled the holster down my leg and sat it beside me on the bed.

“Damn,” I breathed. “You have no right to talk about temptation.”

He winked at me with smug satisfaction before finally turning to the task at hand. The actual cleaning of the scratch was much less drawn out, and my poor frazzled nerves were grateful for it once he was done. It hadn’t even needed a bandage, but he had still slathered it with antibiotic ointment. Probably just to watch me squirm beneath his firm ministrations. I wasn’t sure how much more I could take of whatever the hell that had been without spontaneously combusting.

When he was finished, he banished the supplies back to his bathroom before turning his attention to the holster resting beside him on the bed. I moved to take my leg from his lap, to give him space and myself a chance to breathe properly, but he stopped my attempt wordlessly with a hand on my calf. He rested his elbows upon my shin to hold my leg to him so he could use his hands to expertly unsheath the pitch-black dagger.

“Have you any training with this?” he asked, weighing the dagger in his palm.

“Um, no. Nat is just working with me on fighting. I was working on controlling my actual powers with Wanda, but that hasn’t exactly panned out with her being gone. Tony gave it to me after, well...” I paused, rubbing at the hidden mass of scar tissue beneath my sweater. “Since it’s rock, I can control it. It helped at the club. But I have absolutely no clue what I’m doing.”

“That is unacceptable. A weapon in untrained hands is more dangerous than in the hands of an enemy.”

“Hey!” I said indignantly, swatting his arm.

He raised a brow at the cut on my thigh.

“Point taken,” I huffed.

Sheathing the blade, Loki set it back down at his side and looked to me, determination setting his jaw. “I will instruct you.”

“You’ll what?” The words blurted from my lips sounded pretty ungrateful, but to be fair, he was a thousand-year-old god telling me that he was going to be my knife fighting teacher. What reality was this that that was going to happen? Tack on the fact that he was currently holding my leg in his clutches because he wanted it there, had admitted that he had some sort of romantic or fond feelings for me, and let me tell him off without reprimanding me and this day was becoming just a little too surreal for me to contain my incredulity.

“I’m an expert combatant, even more so when it comes to dagger work,” he stated, thrusting an arm out at his side and conjuring a dagger into his palm. He traced my leg with the flat edge of the dagger, the smirk on his face growing minutely when my breath hitched at the touch of the cold metal.

“I’m not to have you brandishing a weapon that you cannot command proficiently. After you finish with Natasha, we will work together so that you are just as lethal with this dagger as you were the other night,” he stated, leaving no room for argument.

My blood ran cold at his reference, and I dropped my eyes to my hands as they twisted together in my lap. I had been living in the comfortable, if not exciting, small world that existed in his bedroom as he took care of me, but his words brought up a bloodied, slack face to the forefront of my mind. The more I tried not to think about it, the more I did. It felt like my head was swimming and I vaguely put together that that was most likely because I couldn’t remember how to take a deep breath.

“And if you had not been as brilliant and acted as you did with this beautiful weapon, more damage could have been done to your precious body before I could stop it. I will always be there at your side to try to protect you from the harsh realities of this life you have been thrust into, but it would lessen the burden on my heart if you were more prepared for combat,” he urged, the dagger disappearing from his hands. He moved his hands to firmly knead my calf muscle, which made my heart race for an entirely different reason than the images that plagued my waking and sleeping mind at the worst times.

“Jen?” F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s voice pulled me out of my derailing train of thought. My eyes focused on the impossibly handsome man caressing my leg as I tried to lengthen my shaky breaths.

“Yes, F.R.I.D.A.Y.?” I asked, grateful for the distraction.

“Mr. Stark would like a word with you if you’re available.”

“She isn’t, you insufferable machine. Is it an emergency?” Loki asked, his grip tightening on me possessively.

“It isn’t.”

“I’ll talk to him in the morning,” I replied bitingly. Even though he had been the catalyst for my current position in bed with a god, it didn’t mean that I wasn’t still pissed at him for thinking that he could control my life as he had.

“I’ll let him know.”

I reached out and covered his hand with mine, loosening his tight hold on me. I could feel myself shaking as I brought it up to my lips so I could place a tender kiss to his palm before I lost my nerve. “I’ll do it,” I murmured, allowing my lips to brush against his skin with my words. It only made sense that I should learn how to use the weapons at my disposal. He had been right. I was more likely to hurt myself with my knife than actually protect myself. Beginner’s luck could only work for so long. And how could I say no when he had said that teaching me would ’lessen the burden on his heart’? That was heart-melting material coming from his silver tongue.

A fire flickered to life beneath his gaze as he watched me carefully. He extracted his hand from mine and rested on my hip, curling his long fingers into me. “My greatest desire is to keep you safe,” he admitted, his other hand brushing a stray hair behind my ear. His hand lingered on my cheek, allowing his chill to seep into my heated, pink skin.

I closed my eyes to the intensity of his stare and pressed my cheek into his hand with a shaky sigh. His hands lifted from me and the bed pitched as he moved around to position himself behind me. I opened my eyes to watch his long legs spread out on either side of mine. An arm wound around my shoulders and pulled me back until my back was flush to his chest. There was nothing sensual about the movement or the way his body encompassed mine, nor in his words, but that didn’t stop my heart from stuttering. “I will do everything in my great power to keep you safe,” he vowed, pressing his lips to the shell of my ear. “You are mine.”

We stayed that way for some time, listening to each other’s breaths. I took the opportunity to at least rest my eyes since I wasn’t going to get much sleeping done with one of his hands absentmindedly stroking the smooth skin of my stomach that peeked out between my shirt and shorts. I gripped the arm around my shoulders with both of my hands and let my head fall back to rest beneath his chin as I tried to wrap my head around all that had changed in the past few hours.

I had never been good at relationships. Before I lost my family, I hadn’t ever had a truly serious boyfriend. Nothing lasted more than a few months. Besides, I was practically a baby when New York happened. And afterward, opening my heart to someone else never seemed worth the possible heartache it could bring about. There were a few flings here and there, one night stands or truly terrible blind dates, but I never went into it intending to find a long-term partner.

But knowing what I did about Loki, this wasn’t going to be just a little fling. If that was all that he had been interested in he would have approached me before now to get it out of his system; he wouldn’t be holding me now when we could be getting up to much more interestingactivities alone in his room. No, he had said that I was his. Which the strong independent woman in me balked at, but the warm fuzzy feeling that spread out inside of me overruled that. That could quickly change if he decided to be an asshole about it, but I didn’t see that happening. I felt reasonably certain that I understood the realities of pursuing a relationship with a god. At least I thought I did until I phrased it that way.

Loki was all intensity, all the time. Even in the quiet moments, every touch and look was charged with emotion or meaning. Now all of that intensity was directed at me. Could I handle that? Could I handle his anger and mood swings and penchant for getting into trouble? Sure, half of the time the darker side of him wasn’t directed at me, and when it was, it wasn’t because he was upset. He lashed out at people to protect himself, and he may not like my systematic chipping at those barriers to get to the real Loki.

I rolled over against him so that my side was curled against his front and wrapped my arms around his waist, wedging them in between his rigid body and the pillows propped up behind him. He readjusted his grip to encircle me once more, one hand tugging lightly on the ends of my hair as it spilled down my back and the other circling my hip bone idly. I barely registered his contented sigh against the crown of my head before I gave into my exhaustion and sank into a deep sleep in the safety of his arms.

~~~

I woke up to a cold hand cupping my cheek. I grumbled against the unwelcome sensation and tried to burrow away from it, but I was met with an equally freezing hard body beneath mine. My heavy eyes blinked open to take in the unfamiliar dark room around me before I tilted my head up enough to look up at the source of the chill. Loki was staring down at me with a kind expression softening the harshness of his features. Lit by the blue moonlight filtering in through the windows of his room he was quite a stunning sight to behold. He pulled the blanket covering me--he must have summoned it from the couch--tighter around my curled up body when I shivered from his thumb caressing my cheekbone. That was only part of the cause for my reaction, but I wasn’t going to let him know that.

“I hate to wake you when you are sleeping so peacefully in my embrace, but your stomach was growling quite loudly and you missed both lunch and dinner,” he said with an amused smile.

My stomach grumbled loudly as if it had heard him. I unraveled my arms from around him with a groan, the muscles protesting the movement after staying in one position for what I assumed to be hours, judging by the stars twinkling in the sky. “Food should probably happen, yeah. Sorry for passing out on you.”

He shook his head and tipped his chin down just enough to capture my lips in a quick yet thorough kiss that left me breathless. He left another soft kiss on my forehead before leaning back against the headboard, allowing me room to get my bearings. “Never apologize for that. I enjoyed it immensely”

I blushed and scrambled up into a sitting position. Sometime during my nap it seemed that I had wiggled my way around so that I had sprawled as much of myself across him as possible, even my legs had tangled up with his, and the intimacy of that combined with his low gravelly voice was making it entirely too warm in here. “Oh, okay then…” I babbled, grateful for the darkness to hide how much that statement affected me.

The bed pitched again as he followed suit, tucking his legs beneath him so that he was balanced on his knees beside me. He slowly leaned forward over me and trapped me between his arms as his hands propped his upper body up next to my hips. I was forced to lean back as he crowded me, my stomach clenching from the strain of staying upright and his body towering over mine. Just when my abs were about to give out, he snaked an arm around my back and held me upright so that I wasn’t given any other choice but to reciprocate when he kissed me, working his soft lips expertly against mine. I couldn’t help but arch my back into him and clutch my grasping fingers into the fabric of his shirt between his shoulder blades as I tried to hold myself up against the desire that threatened to make me lose complete control of my body.

I sighed into his mouth, and he lifted his body from mine and easily untangled my hands from around his neck, keeping a firm hold on one of them as he tugged me off of the bed. I stumbled slightly, still reeling from the intoxicating kiss and then his sudden backing off. Irrational fear sent my already racing heart to race faster as my overthinking brain created scenarios for why he would stop. I’m a bad kisser. I have morning breath. He isn’t interested in me. He wants to get rid of me. I’m boring him. This was all a bad idea.

“I can see you thinking, love. Relax,” he chuckled, brushing a quick kiss across my knuckles and instantly silencing my fears. He peered out of the open door before leading me to the kitchen, our path illuminated by a scattering of low lit lamps around the large open living area. It was oddly domestic to watch him putter about the kitchen, carrying on as if he hadn’t just kissed me within an inch of my life on his bed.

I momentarily forgot that I was supposed to be getting my food I was so entranced watching him. Only when he paused in the reheating of his leftovers in the microwave--that was an odd sight in itself--to quirk an eyebrow at me did I snap out of my daze and get to it, avoiding looking back at him to hide my blush at getting caught staring. I busied myself with making a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich and pretending not to be very much aware of the Asgardian as he finished his task and stalked up behind me. His arms wrapped around my waist to hold me to him while I spread strawberry jam on a slice of bread. He didn’t say anything as he held me; his nose buried itself into my hair and he just kept me close while I worked.

“Ahem.”

Loki jerked and took several steps away from me quickly at the sound. I whipped my head up and dropped the glass jar, sending sticky glass shards everywhere. Shit. The source of the sound was Nat, who was also known to have difficulty sleeping. She was leaning against the kitchen table several feet away, a knowing smirk on her face and her arms crossed over her chest.

“Oh, don’t mind me. Just wanted to grab a snack. I think I’m good, though…” she winked at me before strolling casually away down the hallway and out of sight.

Nat’s unexpected interruption briefly stopped my heart, but after getting over my shock, I burst out laughing. I stifled it behind my hands, propping myself up against the counter as I just lost it. I had been so wound up all day. Now that I let loose I couldn’t stop. Through the blur of the happy tears streaming down my face, I watched Loki easily collect the broken glass with his magic and toss it into the trash can.

“She set a fire under your ass,” I teased, doing my best to imprint the image of his shocked face and hands held up in the air in my memory forever. He looked like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

“You mock me, love?” he asked, his voice taking on a dangerous timbre and his eyes gleaming wickedly.

“Yep,” I replied, popping the last ‘p’ for full sassy effect, putting my hands on my hips for full mock-serious effect.

“Don’t you know that it’s dangerous to mock a god?” He stalked towards me with a predatory grace that sent a wave of electricity through my body straight to my core. Hot damn.

I took a shaky breath. “You won’t hurt me.”

“Oh, little one, do not get ahead of yourself. I may no longer wish to bring you harm, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t give you pain,” he hissed, his delicious deep voice dripping with sin.

He pressed his chest against my own, forcing me to walk back until I was pinned against the counter. His fingers moved to the small area of exposed skin at my hip where my sweater had ridden up, and he pinched it sharply. I squeaked in shock, about to ask him what the hell his problem was when he followed the brief moment of pain by shoving his hand fully into the side of my shorts, effectively turning my protests into a harsh gasp instead. His calloused fingers dragged along the stinging skin, rubbing away the pain.

“Oh,” I breathed, realization fully dawning on me. It would make sense that the God of Mischief was into that sort of thing.

My reaction must have pleased him judging by his seductive smile. “Did you enjoy that, darling?” he whispered hoarsely.

Lust lit up his penetrating eyes and rendered me mute. He stooped down and claimed my lips for his own with a growl. His hands gripped my hips beneath the shorts tightly, pulling me against him and making me feel the hard evidence of his desire against my thigh. With every stroke of his fingertips and breath straining against my chest, he never ceased his relentless assault on my lips. His lips fought for purchase against my own, taking everything I gave him with relish and demanding more. I finally broke the kiss when I thought my lungs would burst, panting against him as he took the opportunity to drag his mouth down my neck.

At the first touch of his teeth dragging just hard enough against my skin, my legs grew weak. His cool velvet tongue following the scrape of his teeth made me cry out his name softly. “Loki…”

His mouth pulled away from my pulse point and left a steady, dull throb in its wake. Had he just given me a hickey? How old were we? His forehead fell heavily onto my shoulder and the bruising grip of his fingers on my hips lessened as he stroked them gently instead. “We both need to get some rest…”

“Yep,” I said quietly, unable to think of anything more eloquent to say than that. He had thoroughly driven all rational thought from my mind as soon as he forced me against the counter. I didn’t know that I had liked that side of intimacy, but hell he was he sexy as hell when he got all dominant.

He chuckled and extricated himself from my grip--at some point my hands had latched onto his unyielding backside. “Goodnight, little one.”

And he swaggered away with all the confidence of a man who had purposefully left his woman wanting for more. If my legs worked I would have chased after him and demand he finished what he started, but I was worried I might melt into a puddle if I moved. He was certainly living up to his namesake. Damn God of Mischief was a tease.

Gathering myself together, I grabbed my sandwich and headed to my room, thinking about the weird turn the day had taken as I ate my quick late dinner, went about my bedtime routine, and clamored into bed with a tired smile on my face.

“Lights off, F.R.I.D.A.Y.”

[onewaywardwitch]

Just A Typo (6/?)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Hacker!Reader

Summary: It was a simple challenge between a very competitive group of friends. A challenge that ended very differently than anticipated.

Warnings: Language

Word Count: 2275

A/N: I’m so happy to finally get to post this part! I’ve been most excited for this one. Thanks for all the love on the previous parts, enjoy part 6!

If someone had told me a month ago that I'd be spending my days working as the security analyst for Stark Industries and my nights chatting with the Avengers, I'd have asked how much they had to drink. It's amazing how an illegal act can completely turn your life around, and not in the ‘sent to prison’ sense.

Fortunately for me, Wanda took me under her wing. She was determined to have another female presence around in a tower overflowing with testosterone and I wasn’t complaining. I appreciated her company just as much as she did.

Everyone was far more welcoming. Well, almost everyone. Natasha still seemed adamant on ignoring me. But with Sam constantly joking around with me, it was easier to forget about it. I had become a common visitor of the residents upstairs and I loved getting to know their actual personalities rather than the superhero personas the world had grown so used to seeing. Like how Tony won’t speak to anyone before his morning coffee. Or how Bruce has to be brought food throughout the day, or else he would simply forget to eat.

But Bucky remained an enigma that I couldn’t crack.

It wasn’t that we didn’t spend time together. We did. And many times, I enjoyed being near him more than some of the louder Avengers. We were never hanging out alone, though. He was a lot quieter when I was around, but I didn’t take it personally. He was obviously still a bit nervous being around anyone other than his teammates, but I liked to think that I was growing on him. At least he sat down and talked to me with everyone else now, instead of just running out of the room. And I adored having more than just two friends. The top floor had quickly become a second home to me.

~~~~~

I ran my hand through my hair for what felt like the seventh time in five minutes. For some reason, the system I was planning on installing for Stark Industries was not cooperating with me. I was forced to keep changing around the algorithm and every new sequence was rejected, not working in the slightest. It didn’t help that I had already gone through a full pack of Haribo and had none left. Timothy, one of my co-workers with a strange love for the worst movies ever made, kept glancing at me every time I let out a frustrated groan. Whenever he looked over, he opened his mouth as if to ask me something, before closing it again. It didn’t take long for me to snap.

“If you’ve got something to say spit it out. You look like a fish doing that.” I should have felt bad for snapping at him. He was a nice enough person, and I had been informed by the secretary down the hall that he harboured a small crush for me. Unfortunately for him, I was prepared to pick a fight with anyone. He just happened to be on the receiving end of it.

“I, um, I was just wondering if you... if you needed a hand with whatever you're working on?” he asked me, nervously wringing his hands.

I stared blankly at him. My lack of response caused his expression to change from slightly hopeful yet nervous, to absolutely terrified.

Stop it, don’t be a bitch, he’s just being nice. You can do this, politely decline his offer. There's no need to make a scene.

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

Well, that didn’t work.

“Am I not capable of doing it myself now, huh? I can do it perfectly fine. The system is stupid, that’s all. I don’t need your help because you'll end up pissing me off even more than you already have.”

Wow, ok, enough. Close your mouth. Bite your tongue. Walk away. Do anything other than talking to him.

“And also, you are literally the only person in the world who actually likes ‘Sharknado’.”

Why? Why would you say that? You absolute idiot.

I turned back to the computer that I was incredibly close to smashing as I ignored Tim’s deflated expression. He moved back to continue on with whatever he was working on himself. I typed in new lines of code on my screen, praying that these would work. While I waited for the outcome, I started to feel a bit guilty. I was stressed about my job that I was really desperate not to lose and I was taking it out on whoever was closest to me, which just so happened to be Tim.

“Oh shit!”

The second I turned to apologise, I felt hand on my shoulder, scaring the absolute crap out of me.

“Sorry! I called your name and you didn’t answer. You looked deep in thought,” Bucky said uncertainly. I instantly relaxed in his presence and chuckled.

“It's ok, my fault anyway. I should have been paying attention to what was going on around me. It just gets interesting up here sometimes,” I tapped my head as I spoke.

Great, now he thinks you're a lunatic.

Bucky offered me a small smile, which I had come to expect from him. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Tim. I tried to ignore him. I really did. When he first saw Bucky come over to me his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. That look of awe turned to one of amusement when he saw me make a complete fool out of myself. I stared pointedly at him until he got the message and returned to his computer. Bucky raised his eyebrows at me, and I shook my head in reply.

So much for Tim’s apology.

Bucky cleared his throat. “Um, Tony sent me to get you. He wanted to talk to you about, er… something computer related, I think.”

“He could have called me, you know. You didn’t have to come all the way down here.”

“He wanted me to get you in person. Plus, I had to talk to someone down in communications anyway.”

I nodded and got up to leave with Bucky, completely forgetting about the system that had me wound up only minutes ago.

~~~~~

Why does elevator music always make everything so uncomfortable and awkward? I was desperately searching for a way to fill the silence but for once in my life my mind was blank. I heard Bucky mumble something, seemingly to himself. I brushed it off before he spoke up more confidently.

“I like your jumper.”

I swear, I had never turned red so quickly. It felt like my whole face was on fire. How did everything he say make me feel so giddy?

“Thanks! But it's actually my friend, Angie’s. She left it at my apartment a few days ago and I haven’t had a chance to return it yet. I don’t know why I said that, it's a lie. She forgot it at mine over a year ago and I really like it.” I didn’t think I could blush any harder. I was wrong.

“You're really close with your two friends, huh?” Bucky questioned. I relaxed quickly. I always found it easier to talk about anything that wasn’t about me directly.

“They're complete idiots, but I love them. They're my family. I'd be lost without them. I mean, Becca’s good fun and Angie is our designated babysitter most of the time.”

He let out a low laugh. “I guess I know how she feels. I'm always running around after Steve, trying to make sure he doesn’t get himself killed.”

“Really?”

Bucky also seemed more at ease with the direction the conversation had taken. “It was worse back in the 40’s though. He was picking fights left, right, and centre. There was no super soldier serum to help him back then. He was just a kid with good intentions and twig-like arms.”

The ding of the elevator interrupted our chat. We stepped out, but I paused before we walked any further. Bucky turned to question me, and I stared open-mouthed at him.

“God, I was such a bitch to Tim!” I exclaimed suddenly, Bucky looking at me in surprise. “He was just trying to help me, and I-.“ I couldn’t even finish my sentence as I was overcome by fit of giggles. “I told him that nobody likes ‘Sharknado’ except for him!”

“Shark what?”

“Have you never heard of ‘Sharknado’? We have to watch it! It's a terrible film.”

“If it's so bad why do I have to watch it?”

“Because, it's a good bad movie. You watch it knowing it's going to be terrible and then you just give out about it afterwards. The full 21st century experience,” I explained to a very perplexed superhero. “Let’s go, best not to leave his royal highness waiting.”

~~~~~

Turns out Tony had summoned me to ask a single question about my work, before requesting advice on the nicest cafés in the area to bring Pepper to. We spent nearly an hour arguing over which is nicer, pancakes or waffles. He refused to accept the fact that pancakes are clearly superior and resorted to folding his arms and huffing like a child.

I finally made a move to leave when Tony told me he had some Avengers business to attend to.

“Next time you want a chat,” I said to him as I put on my jacket,” just give me a call. You didn’t need to send poor Bucky all the way down to me. He probably has better things to be doing.”

Tony snorted. “You’d think so, wouldn’t you? He volunteered to get you. The second I mentioned I needed to talk to you, he all but ran off to find you.”

I scoffed and chose to ignore what Tony had said. “Bye, Mario!” I yelled back to him, making sure to close the door on his sounds of annoyance.

~~~~~

Some people can sense bad things just before it happens. Hairs standing on the back of your neck, chills down your spine. Some sort of sixth sense, I guess. Unfortunately, I wasn’t one of those people.

I was sitting in my empty, broken bathtub with my laptop, as you do, when I heard the crash. My head shot up immediately, staring at my bathroom door that I had left slightly ajar.

“It's nothing, you're imagining things.” I tried to convince myself I was hearing things until I heard what I assumed was one of my mugs crashing to the ground.

I could feel my heart thumping in my chest, and I willed myself to calm down. Placing my laptop carefully aside as quietly as I possibly could, I crawled out of the bath and creeped my way towards the door.

I peered my head out, nervously chewing on my lower lip. It was only a matter of seconds before I gasped and closed the door in panic. I made sure to do so silently and I held a hand over my mouth to control the ragged breaths that I could no longer control.

With shaking hands, I locked the door and took out my phone that felt stuck in my pocket. My only focus was calling the first person that popped into my head.

“Come on, come on,” I muttered, begging for a small ounce of luck.

“Miss me already?”

I sighed in relief. “Tony, there’re people in my apartment. Can you- can you send someone over please. I'm kind of panicking.”

There was a momentary pause and a sharp intake of breath on the other side of the phone before-

“Y/N listen to me. You need to get out of there right now. We’ll be there as fast as we can. Can you get to your front door?”

“I can’t, they’ll see me.”

“Shit,” I heard Tony breath out. “Alright, odds are they’re looking for your laptop so hang tight, hopefully they won’t be looking for you.

I groaned internally and stared at my laptop that I had forgotten about in the bath. Just my luck.

“Yeah, that’s not going to work. My laptop is with me.”

“You bring your laptop to the bathroom?”

“Some people bring their phones, I bring my laptop. Stop judging me.”

Tony decided to ignore my last comment, instead informing me that they were on their way. He asked if I could still hear the people in my apartment.

“Um, no, I don’t think I- “

The bang on the bathroom door made me jump and I clutched the phone tighter. I covered my mouth with my hand, willing myself to stop shaking. A second bang, and I took a few steps backwards slowly. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the door that I knew wouldn’t withstand much more. It took me a few seconds to realise that Tony had been shouting my name.

“Tony,” I whispered,” please tell me you’re nearby.”

I could hear him talking to someone else, his impatient tone not doing anything to reassure me.

“Still 10 minutes out, kid.”

Before Tony could even finish his sentence, the door came crashing down. I screamed, trying to shield my eyes from the splintered wood.

A man dressed entirely in black tactical gear made a move to grab me, and I dropped my phone in a panic.

“TONY!” I screamed. My attempt to remove myself from his grip was futile. He had grabbed my body and dragged me to where the rest of his team were waiting in my now destroyed kitchen. I was so distracted that I didn’t notice the fist that flew towards my face before everything went black.

Taglist (open):

(if there’s a strike through your name it means I couldn’t tag you)

(if I forgot to tag you just send me a message)

@amybarter15 @imperialoath @throw-some-music-my-way @mamaraptor @marbleowl @lydklein1 @wantingtobekorra @alysawrites @uhholyhazza @ladymelissastark @sarcasm-n-insomnia @foxylupines @myrabbitholetoneverland @amazingficsthatididnotwrite @markusstraya @padfootormoose @worldofchoices @just-some-stuff-in-life @colie87 @catsandbooksinafarawayplace @littleblackdressxx @thequirkypeach @astronomicparker @asguardiansoftheavengers @awesome-alysia @sebbystanlover-vk @unknownwonder @wowstiless @d-eracine

[druigswhores]

“It’s called a WHAT?” (Thor Odinson x Reader)

Summary: In which you go Ikea shopping with Thor for furniture for your bedroom.

Word Count: 1545

Warnings: Thor being a dork and reader giving him all her uwu’s.

Pairings: Gradual Thor x Reader? I guess

A/N: I saw this post on Instagram that inspired me to write this

Dedicated to: @hcneymel

MASTERLIST

"You do realise I can just ask someone to order the stuff for you online?" Tony chuckles as he brings the coffee mug closer to his face to take a sip of the decaf.

You just asked Tony if it was fine for you leave the headquarters for a couple hours, making sure there wouldn't be any unexpected missions that you would have to go to as it has happened for the past few months at the most horrible times.

You shake your head trying to forget the moment Steve walked into your bedroom to inform you about the mission, just as you got out of the shower, the poor guy couldn't look you in the eye for the next week because he was so embarrassed.

"What's the fun in that? Being at IKEA is the best thing to do." You joked as you turned to the refrigerator to grab a water bottle, closing the door of the fridge to be met with Thor leaning on the cabinet beside it, looking at you in confusion.

"What is IKEA?" He asks you as he follows you to the seats next to the counter, you popped down on one next to Tony as Thor stood beside you.

"Hey I got an idea, why don't you take Point Break with you and if any missions turn up, he'd be able to bring you back." Tony states, looking at the two of you.

"I am perfectly capable of coming back home on my own." You scoff.

"Oh I know." He says as he gets up from his chair, placing the mug in the sink and walking off into the direction of the labs.

"So, shall we?" Thor asks and you nod your head and began walking with him to the direction of the garage.

Thor and you had a couple conversations on the drive there but nothing that lasted long, you've had the slightest (slightest meaning huge) crush on the Asgardian but of course never said anything because you didn't think he'd like you back and because of work, you didn't want it to distract you from your duties.

But that didn't stop you from absolutely adoring all of Thor's little stories he told you on the drive, staring at him in admiration before quickly turning back to the road whenever he looked back at you.

"He did what?" You burst out laughing, head tilting up as your eyes shut close in amusement for a couple seconds, thankfully you were at a red light. Your hand was clutched on your stomach as your laughed, some of the stories he told making your stomach actually hurt.

"I know! It was very surprising at the time." He chuckles lightly, not being able to take his eyes off you.

Thor felt a warmth in his chest as he saw you laugh at his joke, getting the urge to always try make you laugh so he can hear the laugh that makes the butterflies in the pit of his stomach flutter.

He hasn't really had the time to really get to know you despite being on the same team for a couple years, him moving back and fourth from Midgard and Asgard made it difficult for you to build a strong friendship with him, although whenever he is around you've shared a few conversations that didn't lead to anything interesting, mostly about his time at Asgard or what show you've been binge watching now, him always making the promise to watch an episode with you one day but both of you knowing it would never happen, simply because you guys never really saw one another.

Minutes later you both arrived at IKEA, grabbing one of the carts and headed inside, although seconds after entering Thor offered to push the cart for you, which you agreed to.

People looked at the two of you in shock and admiration as they saw two avengers walking around IKEA casually, some even asking for a picture with the two of you with you both said yes.

"You hit him?" He gasps as you both turn right into the bedroom area, you nodded your head as you laughed, quickly hopping onto the bed next to you and laying down on it.

"Wow this is comfy." You shuffle your body a bit, putting your arms beneath your head.

"Y/N.. what are you doing?" He asks, laughing at your position as he leaves the cart next to you and stands at the foot of the bed.

"Testing this bed out, come join me." You laugh, patting the space next to you, to which he reluctantly agreed, attempting to lay on the bed although his entire body didn't fit on it so his legs just hung off of the bed. He laid beside you just staring at the ceiling above.

"I think... this bed is too small for me." He says, biting back a laugh.

You get up to see what he meant and immediately laughed out loud at what he meant, looking at his awkward position, you couldn't stop laughing, hand and head falling his stomach as you let out your uncontrollable laughter.

He looked you, chuckling softly as he stared, the place where your hand met his stomach causing that part of his body to burn up, spreading out to his entire body as the butterflies sparked up once again.

You got up a couple moments after and pushed the cart into the aisle before walking to Thor's side and stretching a hand out for him to which he gratefully took as you pulled him up (but obviously he didn't need the help.)

But as he was pulled up from the bed, he was suddenly standing extremely close to you, you felt your knee bump into his leg as you gulped at the sudden change in atmosphere.

He looked back at you with an indescribable look on his face, causing you to step away and move back to the cart, him snapping out of his thoughts.

"Let's go check out the plants they have!" You exclaim, changing the subject as you began pushing the cart not bothering to see if he was behind you, only to feel his arm wrap around your shoulder seconds after.

"Hmm this one's cool." You point towards a potted plant.

"It seems to be called 'Phalaenopsis." Thor says and you gape at him. "Im sorry, it's called a WHAT?" You looked at him as he looked back at the paper besides the plant and repeated himself.

"Phalaenopsis."

You look at the paper he was looking at, not even thinking about attempting to say the name of it.

"Cool, lets get it." You say as he picks up one from the rack and places it inside the cart besides all the little bits and bobs you got and stuff he found cool to look at.

"So is this a thing most people do with friends and coworkers?" Thor asks as you continue walking down the aisle, passing the baby section which causes you to stop and look at them, awwing at the stuff there.

"Well... its not common between coworkers, and I guess you can go here with friends, but most of the time it's couples and parents who come here." You say, pointing to all the couples around the two of you, shopping.

He nods his head but doesn't say anything.

You both decide you were done for the day and made your way to the counter, who looked at the two of you in surprise when you pulled your cart towards the till, after paying you made your way to the car and packed everything in, beginning to make your way home.

"That was fun, maybe next time we go we'll be a couple like the rest of the people who go."

"W-what?" You ask looking at him in shock as you both sat in the car which was parked in the garage.

"I didn't know how to say this to you Y/N but I really like you and enjoy your company." Thor says, bring his hand up to rest on your cheek.

"I really like you too- and enjoy your company." You say softly, looking at his storm coloured eyes. He scoots closer to you, hand still against on your cheek.

"Can I kiss you?" He asks and you nod your head quickly after, pressing your lips against his own, you felt the butterflies in your stomach erupt as your lips moulded together, wrapping your arms around his neck you pull him closer as his free hand goes to your waist, you both pull away after a couple moments to catch your breath, the sounds of your hammering hearts and deep breaths only audible in the car.

"Holy..." You say, looking away from his swollen lips.

“Hopefully in near future we can do that more often.” He laughs as you playfully hit him in the shoulder, laughing with him.

“Like when we go upstairs?” You ask and he looks back at you, pressing his lips to your forehead before getting out of the car and going to your side of the car and opening the door for you, reaching his hand out for you, smiling.

“My thoughts exactly.”

[sureuncertainty]

A Dark And Stormy Night: Ch 4

Overview: A modern day retelling of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, reimagined as a ghost story in an old mansion in the middle of nowhere.

Words: 2200

Warnings: nothing really comes to mind 

Author’s Note: The part where more gay shit happens. Previous chapters: one, two  three Ao3 link

To be honest, Antonio and Sebastian were not worried enough about the fact that the large front doors to the mansion were completely unlocked. After knocking a few times, they tried the doors and to their surprise, they swung right open.

“Hello? Anybody there?” Their voices echoed in the rather large entryway as the three men stomped their boots and shivered in the relative warmth and dryness of the house. Staring around, they saw that it was clearly very old, but seemingly well enough maintained.

“Someone has to be living here,” Alonso said, his voice trailing off as he examined the entryway. “Otherwise, why would it be so clean? But why was the door unlocked?”

Antonio and Sebastian glanced sideways at each other, shrugging.

“Why are you not concerned about this?”

“Sir, maybe we should focus on finding a phone or something,” Sebastian said slowly. “Or we try and find the owner of this house.”

“It’s very quiet,” Antonio muttered, glancing around uneasily. “I’m not sure how much I like this, guys.” He subtly slipped his hand into Sebastian’s, but Alonso didn’t even notice. He was too busy examining every inch of the place. The ceiling was tall, there was a tall coat rack next to the door, and it led off into a large hallway with blue patterned carpeting.

“Do you think Fernanda’s going to be okay?” Alonso said nervously as they made their way into the hallway, not bothering to take off their sopping wet shoes. “I’m beginning to wonder if letting her wait in the car was not the best idea…”

“She’s in the car,” Antonio said. “She’ll be fine. It’s not like the car is any more likely to be struck by lightning than this rickety old house.”

“Why did I even bring her…” Alonso lamented. “I wanted to give her poor mother a break… the child is the definition of a handful….  But I don’t know why I thought it would be a good idea to bring her along on a business trip. And now she could get hurt, and it’s all my fault. I really am a pretty terrible excuse for a father, aren’t I?”

Sebastian sighed. “No, you’re not. You’re doing what you think is best. Also she has Stephanie waiting in the car as well.”

“Passed out drunk in the car you mean,” Antonio put in.

They had passed the hallway now and entered into a large dining room. Several tall portraits hung on every wall, and the almost comically large table was spread before them, empty except for placemats. A large chandelier hung above the table, and it was very dark, and just slightly foreboding. Alonso felt a strange chill go through his body, and he shivered ostensibly.

“Are you… okay, sir?” Sebastian asked, glancing sideways at him.

Alonso straightened. “I’m fine.”

“This place is pretty impressive if you think about it,” Antonio mentioned. “I wonder if there’s a way to turn on the lights.”

“Maybe whoever lives here just isn’t home,” Sebastian suggested. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind some visitors.”

“Or perhaps he’s waiting to catch us…” Alonso said. “Waiting to jump out and accuse us of intruding, and call the cops on us! Also the longer we dawdle here without fixing the van, the longer we are away from Chicago.

“The storm is still strong,” Antonio pointed out. “We’d never make it to Chicago regardless. If we’d stopped at the rest stop like I suggested…”

“Or not taken your stupid, clearly faulty shortcut…” Sebastian continued.

“Enough!” Alonso said. “I feel terrible enough as it is without you two making me feel even more awful. I know, it’s my fault we’re stuck here and it’s my fault that Fernanda came as well. I don’t need you to remind me, all right?”

To his mild surprise, Sebastian and Antonio shut up.

“Here, look there’s another room off to the left,” Alonso said, motioning for the others to follow him into the side hallway, and into a larger sitting room of sorts. This room was actually lit, with an old fashioned lantern sitting on the table, and a few candles on shelves nearby. Several large couches sat nearby, and the carpet was lush. It seemed like the pinnacle of luxury.

“This is insane…” Alonso muttered.

“Hello?” Sebastian called out. “Is anyone here? Anyone at all who can help us?”

Invisible, Ariel observed their conversation with only the smallest hint of amusement, one eyebrow raised skeptically. Still not sure why Prospero couldn’t seem to bear to confront the men himself, of course, it was up to Ariel to do everything. He sighed without breath, closed his eyes, and reluctantly made his way towards the three men, waving an invisible hand above Alonso’s head.

Alonso suddenly yawned widely.

“I’m suddenly… quite sleepy…” he murmured, finding his way to one of the couches and sinking down into its plush pillows. “It’s been… quite a long night. Perhaps I should just rest here for a while, and then when I awaken, we can…we can figure out what to do… find the owner of this house and borrow a telephone or something…”

He closed his eyes, and within seconds, had passed out and was so fast asleep that he was already snoring profusely.

Sebastian and Antonio stared at their fast asleep boss.  

“That’s… weird,” Sebastian said quietly.

“I can never fall asleep that quickly…” Antonio said, with a hint of jealousy. “But how can the man sleep at a time like this? We have to figure out something! Find someone! There’s gotta be someone in this house, the door wasn’t just randomly unlocked.”

“Unless…” Sebastian said, staring at the candle and the lamplight, which cast eerie shadows on the wall. “I don’t know, Tony, I’m getting a very very weird feeling about all of this. It’s very unsettling, you know? It almost feels like…” He trailed off.  

“What?! What does it almost feel like? Sebastian, get a grip on yourself!” Antonio grabbed his boyfriend’s arms. “This isn’t some… some weird ghost story, okay? Everything’s fine! Everything’s normal!” He forced a laugh but it seemed like he was trying to convince himself.

“Hey. Calm down.”

“I am calm! You’re the one who’s freaking out about… unsettling houses or whatever. This house might be unsettling but it’s also pretty damn expensive. There’s literally no way someone would just leave a giant mansion like this in the middle of nowhere to be abandoned. And someone must have lit the candles and the lamp! There’s literally no way we are the only ones in this house, okay?”

“Yeah, but you gotta admit, it seems like the beginning of a horror story or something…” Sebastian said. “How abandoned the place seems… how Alonso just fell asleep like that… You gotta admit this is mildly terrifying.”

He was acting braver than he actually was, Antonio could tell. He put his arm around Sebastian and squeezed him tightly.

“We’re okay, all right? We are totally okay. Alonso’s just tired. It is the middle of the night, and he had been driving for a long time. I really don’t blame him. There are no such things as ghosts, Sebastian, and I can’t believe I’m explaining this to you…”

“Hey, you’re scared too,” Sebastian accused.

Antonio glanced around the lavishly furnished sitting room. “This place is seriously impressive,” he said. “It’s huge. If someone’s here, maybe they’re just like… upstairs or something. We haven’t even found a staircase yet. This place is positively massive.”  

“Probably not as big as Alonso’s house,” Sebastian said, glancing sideways at the man, sprawled out on the couch, his mouth agape. “He’s crazy rich, you know. C.E.O. is a pretty lucrative position.”

“Oh, and you’re one to talk, Mr. Second in Command,” Antonio said. “Alonso’s been great to you, he treats you amazingly.”

“Keeps everything for himself more like,” Sebastian said. “I’ve worked for him for nearly six years now and what do I have to show for it? It took me forever to even get this far! And just because I’m his assistant doesn’t mean I enjoy any of the benefits he does. I’ve worked hard for this company, if anything, I’m the one who should be the C.E.O., not him.”

“Why are we even talking about him?” Antonio said, with a trace of bitterness. “What did he ever do for us, huh? Him and his stupid no office romance policy. Constantly having to hide… act like we’re nothing more than coworkers.”

Sebastian glanced sideways towards his boyfriend. “Well… he’s not awake now, is he? And no one does seem to be around…”

“God, Sebastian, is now really the time?” Antonio said, glancing around nervously. “What if he wakes up?”

Sebastian took a step closer towards the slightly shorter Antonio, placing his hand on his shoulder and tracing it down his arm slowly. “Come on, I need a distraction… Besides I haven’t been able to kiss you this entire trip, do you know what kind of torture that is?”

Antonio really didn’t need as much convincing as he let on, and so he didn’t protest when Sebastian leaned down and kissed him firmly on the mouth.

They pulled apart, and Antonio stared at him for a few seconds, before giving in. It was as if a dam had broken within him, and all of the feelings he’d been suppressing and pushing back for so long flowed forth… It was as if all of the stresses and fears of this mysterious mansion, the strangeness of it all, and the stress of the business trip melted away as he leaned forward and kissed Sebastian again. It had been far too long since the two of them had been able to be in any way affectionate towards each other, lest Alonso discover their hidden romance. God, Antonio had missed it.

They began to kiss harder and more passionately, as Sebastian pushed Antonio onto a second couch, straddling him, and bending down to lightly kiss his jawbone. Antonio moaned softly, trying to remain as quiet as possible, so as not to accidently awaken Alonso. Then Sebastian leaned in, very close to Antonio’s ear.  

“Let’s just ditch Alonso,” he whispered.

Antonio’s eyes flew open, and he sat up slightly, much of the passion he’d been feeling died away at the mention of Alonso’s name. “Wh-what?”

“Ditch him. Leave him here. It doesn’t matter. We go back to the car, wait till the storm dies down and then we can get outta here. Say he, I dunno, died in the car crash or something.”

“What are you…?”

“I can be the new C.E.O. and we’ll be rich and finally be able to stop hiding our relationship.”

Antonio considered this. It didn’t sound half bad.

“I suppose… that’s not a terrible plan… but what about Fernanda? She’s sixteen years old. Is she really ready to lose a father?”

“Does it really seem like Fernanda loves her father very much?” Sebastian said. “I mean look at how she talks to him.”

“Yeah, but all teenagers are like that,” Antonio said. “Deep down I’m sure she cares about him, how could she not?”

“She’ll manage, I’m sure. If she even managed to wait in the car like we told her to. Knowing her she’s probably come barging into the house already.”

Antonio wanted to do what Sebastian was suggesting. He, too, was quite tired of Alonso breathing down their necks all the time, living in fear of him finding out about their forbidden relationship.

“No office romance is such a stupid policy anyway…” Antonio said. “I mean, what kind of policy is that? If people are working together, of course they’re gonna hit it off!”

“Exactly! He’s leaving us no choice with his ridiculous work policies. I’d be a far better C.E.O. regardless, you know I would, you know me!”

“That’s true… also it was Alonso’s fault we even ended up in this mess in the first place. If he hadn’t taken the shortcut or stopped at that rest stop, we’d still be on our way to Chicago and none of this would have ever happened! It’s his fault, so he’s the one who should have to pay the penalty.”

“Seriously! What a total jerk! That’s what we can just tell people. We tried to warn him, you know, we couldn’t help it. Come on, let’s go!”

“All right. All right.” Antonio got up, slipping his hand into Sebastian’s, squeezing it tightly. “Let’s go before he wakes up.”

Ariel, who had been watching, invisible from behind the couch on which Alonso lay with very little amusement on his face (but relieved they weren’t making out anymore), sighed again, leaning forward to whisper something in Alonso’s ear.

Alonso sat up groggily.

“Hm? What? What’s going on?”

Antonio and Sebastian froze.

“We were just, uh, going to check and see if someone was home!” Antonio said quickly.

Sebastian nodded, noticing Alonso glance at their hands, their fingers locked together. Seb quickly pulled his hand apart from his boyfriend’s. “Uhhh, Antonio was scared.”

“Well, that’s quite enough dallying, I’m coming with you, I’m feeling much more refreshed now,” Alonso said, yawning and stretching before standing up.

“You were asleep for maybe ten minutes…” Antonio muttered, too quietly for Alonso to hear him.

“Come on,” Alonso said. “There’s gotta be someone here we can find. I refuse to believe that nobody lives here. Let’s go.”

Antonio and Sebastian glanced at each other helplessly, before following Alonso out of the room.

[overlycaffeinatedwarmage]

RtS 21-24

These chapters should come with a trigger warning. They do feature some harsh scenes and some sexual assault, though it is from afar. I don’t dwell on those parts during my analysis.  Some are mentioned in passing, but the focus is on Cassie’s doings.  Each chapter is labeled with the type of trigger that it contains.  I would add page numbers, but ebook page numbering is different from the print book so they wouldn’t match for everyone.

This is another long one!

 Ch 21 *trigger warning, assault, slaver camp chapter*

We pick up directly after her battle with Gertie on the cart.  And poor Cassie winds up right back where she started with the slavers. Last chapter, the power told her that the cart driver was supposed to die, but Cassie choose a different route and he ended up not dying.  She considers the implications of that now.  The power again didn’t flare or stop her from changing time.  We know because there is a big ass battle coming up shortly that pretty well decimates the area and likely kills a whole bunch of people.  Anything Cassie messes up now, can be taken care of later during that battle.  She doesn’t know that yet for sure, but she’s starting to wonder now.

 Now Cassie and Rosier make it to the actual slaver camp. Cassie sees what’s happening to all of the women and it’s finally too much for her.  She starts to break away to help.  Rosier calls her back and reminds her that all of this has happened 1500 years ago from her point of view.  It’s all over and done with and all of the women and their children are dead now. He’s right and she knows that but she hates standing back and doing nothing.  I wonder if she’s thinking of how this almost parallels her own life. People have been taking her, without her consent, her entire life.  First Cassie was taken from her parents by Tony.  Then Mircea took her from Tony, in a way.  Next, after she finally thought she broke away from that life, she was taken from her chosen life by the Senate.  Now Mircea’s trying to take her again.  Jonas has been trying to steal her away too.  Everyone wants a piece of Cassie and no one asks her opinion on the matter.  I am so glad to see Cassie start to take back her power from all of these people and refuse to be taken anymore.  

 We meet the 6th century Witches. They remind me a lot of their 21st century counter parts.  With some hair dye and some modern clothes, I bet you couldn’t even tell the difference.  I love the “Come at me bro” attitude.  

 Cassie about the power’s lack of response even though she was actively participating in and screwing up the time line, “If I had to use a word to describe the overall response, it would have been “meh.” We’re going to have to work on our communication, I told it grimly.”

 Ch22 Trigger warning, still in the slaver camp

Cassie chats with the coven witches.  Their “man inside” is Pritkin, of course.  We find out that the Green Fey are the ones behind the slave trade.  We knew that, more or less, through some context clues, but actual confirmation is nice. Ah, it’s the Green Fey who are at war with the Dark.  Baby!Pritkin has a seemingly good relationship with the Dark Fey.  But it also seems he has a decent relationship with the Green (except Nimue) I wonder how that works with them being at odds with one another. It’s hard to tell his relationship with the Blue but it doesn’t seem awful.  His relationship with the Svarestri is trash, but they hate half breeds so that makes sense.  Interesting. This is something I need to consider further.  

 Anyway, the witches explain Nimue’s plan to steal more women to bring her numbers back up after her war with the Dark fey.  (Side note does Nimue make it out of all of this alive?) As the Witches talk about their plan Cassie realizes that their boy is Pritkin, lol, she's getting pissed.  And then he finds them.

 I love the visual of him running into the tent, thrashing around like crazy, confused as shit, running out head whipping back and forth before he sees them. The Pritkin of today is so calm under pressure, having centuries of practice. This one is new and raw still. All his elements are there, we see it, they just aren't finished yet. I love that KC lets us see character development in this unique way. No other story line can give it quite like this.

 Cassie slaps him, he acts hurt, she yells at him. "It's mostly my feelings-" I mean really, lol. In his mind it was perfectly logical to stash her with the slavers and tell her nothing. He's annoyed that she doesn't share the idea that it was a brilliant plan.  I mean, on some level it makes sense I guess.  But he simply cannot see it from her point of view either.  

 Then we have the Witches reactions.

W: “Friends?”

P: “Friends” C: “it's complicated.” And then they reverse it

W: “I've had friends like that”. They get the right idea all right.

 Ch23, the fey assault Cassie scene

The bracelet is serving as magical weapons mule again.  I love that the bracelet is seeing serious use this book after being sidelined for 2 books. It’s put to a good use too, not just used for killing.  Since it always comes back to Cassie, both she and Pritkin use it with that property in mind.  I also like the throwback to CbS, with Pritkin using it as a magical charm bracelet again (or for the first time, damn time travel).

 According to HtM the Green Fey have thrown in with the gods.  It seems the Svarestri have too. Jury’s still out on Blarestri.  I can’t see the Dark turning to them, especially after the Fey Blessing Radella gave Cassie.  More things to think about.

 Pritkin and Cassie start to get personal here because Cassie is stalling for time. It’s interesting.  Pritkin trusts her, even though no one else does. He doesn't know why he trusts her but he does implicitly and right away. Pritkin knows her even before he knows her. He just trusts her. Big difference from Mircea from EtN when Cassie shifts to the past, he didn't trust it was her at all. It took FOREVER for her to convince him.  Even when Cassie accidentally shifted to Pritkin early in TtS he trusted her from the start.  It was only after he checked the spell he placed on her that said she was upstairs that he just got suspicious. It took little convincing after the slamming that TtS Cassie was who she claimed to be. These two are damn soul mates. Their souls just know. (Side note soon after Cassie says she hates his fake eyes she talks out loud again accidentally).

 Pritkin brings Cassie into the hall as his prisoner. The fey make her strip. Pritkin doesn't want to allow it but Cassie relents quickly, knowing it’s the least risky course of action. Then the fey turn even more asshold-ish Ugh, I hate the fey. Welcome to one of my triggers.  Fuck you neighborhood boys who thought I was their play thing. Yuck yuck yuck. At least Pritkin comes to her rescue

 Ch 24, Cassie Pritkin sex scene

Then we have a Casskin sex-scene, depending on your definition of sex.  Even though the sex will get them out of trouble and Cassie is more or less willing, Pritkin is Not On Board. Not even a little. This is the first time the tables are turned. Usually Pritkin does oral for Cassie. Now it's switched. While this scene is coerced it doesn't bother me too much. They had other options and this is the path Cassie choose. She could have done a lot of other things. Plus, she admits she would have minded doing this under other circumstances. She loves and wants him (as she says later). The feedback loop kicks in and it saves their asses. She finally gets to see his O-face.

 Pritkin uses the power and distraction to throw a fireball. And then we have chaos.  It’s practically their signature style at this point.  “Chaos by Casskin” available at all major department stores and Augustines. Awwwwww Pritkin learned the word “Shit” from Cassie.  And he uses it in the proper context too!  I’m almost as proud as when my 5-year-old learned the word “Fuck” from me and used it in the proper context.  (He told me to “get those fuckers” while I was playing Zelda.)

 The tapestry scene, omg. I should not read this at work....This the first time they have gotten close where they weren’t immediately pulled away. That's why we have this big after effect this time! Every other time they have been interrupted and taken away from each other. Interesting!

They agree doing this is a bad idea and do it anyway, lol.  Yeah, been there, done that guys.  He needs her name here so bad, he won't do it without her name, just in case. Sweet in its way.  We find out why later.  

 TMI time, read at your own peril: I both loved and was frustrated by this scene. Loved it because it's hot as hell. Getting it on in the face of danger is hot!! In public, where you could get caught (and they do). Frustrated because I wanted penis in vagina goddammit! I mean I get that later, but still. Their angle of the action and the kissing sounds a bit awkward though. They are so close to the same height that it wouldn't work so well. I mean, ow!  Not that I know from personal experience or anything. Shut up! I hear you snickering in the back.

 Yeah, um yeah….

[winter-soldier-writer-blog]

You Need A Maid? Chapter 5

Fandom: Avengers / Marvel Rating: PG13 Warnings: Swearing / Romance Disclaimer: I don’t own Marvel, blah legal stuff. Don’t sue me, I’m poor. Songs:  Next Year - Two Door Cinema Club

Chapter Menu

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Things had been calm in the house for several months. Everyone seemed to have put the awful six-month celebration behind them and moved on. The team was a little kinder to you and seemed to appreciate your work a little bit more. Finally, the day you had been waiting for arrived, your birthday.

"Oh yes, I'd love to ride the horses with you, Fabio. Your hair is so long, can I touch it..."

You were startled out of dreamland by the knocking on your bedroom door. You turned over, away from it with a groan. The night before you had taken a sleeping pill, guaranteeing you the ability to sleep in. You peeked at your phone. 6:45. This better be good.

"What?" You heard the door click open, and feet shuffle inside. You brain woke up a little bit more and you got excited. Wait, it was your birthday. Birthday surprises?!

"Y/N?" Natasha stood in your room, hands on her hips. She looked slightly worried, but only slightly. You sat up, looking a little too excited. "Yes?"

"Are you okay? You didn't get up this morning for breakfast. The guys sent me in to see if it was.." she laughed a little, phrasing it the way they did."...lady problems." You frowned. She didn't remember. You huffed and fell back into the mattress, pulling the covers back over yourself. "It's my day off. Tony sent out a memo." Natasha didn't need much to get the hint and you heard the door click behind her as she left. You slipped back into the dream world for a little bit longer, ignoring the small pang of irritation.

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

You woke up a few hours later, glancing at the clock and determining that 10 was an acceptable sleep in time. You drew yourself a bath and tossed in a bath bomb, opting for glitter this time. It was your birthday after all. Soaking in the tub you toyed with your phone, smiling at the few birthday wishes you received. You weren't close to very many people, and on days like this, it sometimes made you a little wistful. There was nothing from Mom, but that was to be expected. Still, you had that sliver of hope every year. At least she was good for something, a 100% track record for being a disappointment.

You finished your bath and dried off, pulling on your usual jeans and t-shirt. You really weren't one for running around the facility in pajamas. You thought for a little while on what you wanted to do. A whole day off. The world was your oyster. You could go shopping, go to a movie, do anything. You stomach grumbled. Birthday lunch sounded like a good step one.

You headed into the kitchen and grabbed a frozen pizza out of the freezer, popping it into the oven. Just as you were setting the timer Steve walked in. "Afternoon Miss." He still hadn't listened to you about the name thing. Baby steps. Tiny, red white and blue, baby steps. "What's planned for lunch?" You wrinkled your nose, a little upset. Did no one read the memo? You turned to him and shrugged. "Whatever you cook Steve. It's my day off." He cocked his head, confused. "Oh, alright. Guess I'll go see what Buck wants to do. Tony and Sam are on a mission." He disappeared, looking for Bucky.

You decided to take your pizza up to the library, a room you had finally gained access to when Tony had given you the bracelet. Originally you didn't understand why you had been locked out in the first place. Then J.A.R.V.I.S happened.

"Afternoon Miss [Y/N], and happy birthday."

"Thanks, J.A.R.V.I.S. I'm glad someone read the memo."

"I made the memo, Miss."

You laughed and grabbed the book you had been reading the last few weeks from the shelf, and settled into a chair.

--------

Once you had gained clearance to go to Tony's workroom he started requesting meals and other items be brought up on a daily basis. Often you found him talking to various machines, scolding them for being stupid, but the only voice that ever talked back was J.A.R.V.I.S. It startled you at first, but Tony, and J.A.R.V.I.S, explained.

You had thought that J.A.R.V.I.S was only in Tony's workroom but when you had gone into the library for the first time and received a warm welcome that almost made you wet yourself, you understood why Tony hadn't allowed you access right off the bat. Now you had become fond of the disembodied voice.

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

You yawned, finally peeling your eyes away from the page long enough to look at a clock. God, you had been lost in your book for ages. You stomach grumbled at you, reminding you that it was again food time. You wondered if there were any plans for dinner. Your hopes were still up. J.A.R.V.I.S. had sent out the memo, there was still plenty of time to read it. They must have been planning dinner all along. That was it, the big secret! Those sneaky Avengers had remembered after all. You trundled downstairs with a bounce in your step.

Bucky had planted himself in front of the television again, watching a rerun of some old show. You walked in and settled down next to him, a big grin on your face. "So what's the plan? For dinner?" He just looked at you, blankly. "Come on, you can tell me. I'll still be surprised." You urged him on, but he just looked confused.

"That would make two of us."

"What?" Your smiled faded. He was just playing, right?

"I don't know what you're talking about. Don't you make dinner? I don't know how to cook. I don't even like the microwave. Fucking thing zaps me whenever I touch it." He flexed his metal fingers.

Your heart sank. No one had read the memo. No one had remembered your birthday.

"It's my day off. You'll have to make your own dinner." You stood up and sighed. Bucky turned back towards the TV, flicking through the channels. "How'd you get the day off?" He asked, as you slowly started to shuffle towards your room.

"It's my birthday."

---------

Bucky heard your door click shut, and once he was sure you were gone he returned to his show in peace. It took him several seconds to process the exchange. Then it finally hit him.

When it finally hit him he froze and his eyes grew wide in disbelief. They had forgotten your birthday. That was kind of a big deal to most people. Birthdays were something they didn't really do around here, seeing as he and Steve wanted to avoid the how old are you question, and getting older really just made you think about your mortality. But you weren't like the rest of them. Birthdays mattered to you. God, he didn't even know how old you were. He carded a hand through his hair and sighed. The Avengers could save the world but they were horrible fuckups in everyday life. Damnit team, mission failed.

He shut off the TV and made his way down to the gym, where Steve was doing a number on a punching bag. Seeing Bucky enter he stopped, sitting down to sip at a water bottle and talk. Bucky explained the situation, hoping Steve could figure out how to fix it. They made a plan and went upstairs to find Natasha.

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

You sat in your room nibbling on a piece of chocolate you had stashed in your nightstand, the label reading 'for emergencies only'. You felt like this was a good enough emergency. You were hurt, but somehow not completely surprised that the team had forgotten about you. Things had improved, but maybe not that much. You thought about going to bed early and putting the day behind you, but before you could unzip your jeans there was a knock. You shuffled over and opened the door.

Steve, Natasha, and Bucky stood in the hallway, Steve held a plate of stacked toaster waffles, a single birthday candle glowed in the center. "Happy Birthday Y/N." He smiled and nudged the plate your way, urging you to blow out the candle. You did and then stepped back, letting them into your room. "We're sorry we forgot. We don't really do birthdays around here." Natasha explained, perching herself on your chair. You shrugged and shook your head. "This is great you guys." You took the plate of waffles from Steve. Some were burnt, and others still half frozen. Man, they really didn't know how to cook. "The waffle cake was all Bucky's idea." Steve grinned, and Bucky tried to hide in the corner. That explained the state of the waffles. But still, Bucky being thoughtful? You just about died.

"We ordered a pizza, and figured we could rent a movie." Natasha stood up and walked towards you, putting a hand on your shoulder. She smiled, just a small smile, but it still felt like a big win. You had gotten a great birthday present.

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

Later that night, with your belly full of pizza, you sat at your desk, typing something out on the computer. There was a soft knock on the door, and the click of it opening. "Y/N, you awake?" It was Sam, back from his mission. "Hey, yeah. Come in." You walked away from your desk, meeting him to sit on your bed.

"Did the mission go well?" You asked, scanning him for signs of injury. He seemed to be fine. Internally you sighed with relief.

"Yeah, it was just a quick in and out thing. I'm sorry I wasn't here today for your birthday." You saw him fidget with something off to the side.

"It's alright. Thank you for remembering, though." You smiled.

"I got you something." He offered you a box, neatly wrapped in gold paper. You tried to hide your childish grin; it was silly to get worked up over presents. You ripped into the paper carefully and opened the box, letting out a gasp. Inside was a book on constellations. He knew you loved to look at the stars.

"Aw Sam. You know me so well." You leaned over to kiss him on the cheek He turned his head and your kiss landed on his lips instead. You both pulled away, surprised, but your eyes remained transfixed on each other, your minds working on the same question.

"Sam...that was--"

"None of that. Just say thank you."

"Thank you."

His eyes twinkled with something, a glimmer you had never seen before, and it called to you, pulling you in. You leaned in, your lips barely brushing his. "Sam," You whispered, and he closed the distance, melding his lips with yours, his kiss sending shivers down your spine. His lips were soft, and he tasted faintly of oranges, something that made you smile into the kiss.

Slowly you pulled away, and you darted your eyes to the floor, suddenly shy. "I better get to sleep." You mumble, biting your lip. Sam nodded and stood up."Yeah, me too." He walked to the door and opened it. "Good night Y/N." You could hear the joy in his voice. The door clicked shut behind him and you fell backward on your bed, completely in awe.

-------

@thatweirdgaygirl

[theguzzzler]

Only pics I have of the day. No picture of stout but ye know what it looks like ye fuckers ye! G-G-G-Guzzzle for G-G-G-Galway!!! Finally after 29 years! Galway are All Ireland champions! What a day! Some tension! Jesus I was down the Nally. The nerves! Guzzzling and match day go hand in hand. Pre drinks. Losing pints. Winning pints. Emotional pints. My day started early. I worked first and was out by 1:30. Didn't have the head for work but had to be done. I zipped over to Croker with my flag and whistle in the pocket. I asked herself to load up the hip flask earlier with some jemmy. In fairness to her she didn't try to talk me out of it. Jameson is a solid go to match day belly warmer. I had a few fancier ones at home but they would have been lost on me in that tension. I didn't have time for a pre pint which is probably a first. The sun was out after a pissy morning. We met up with who needed to be met up with. Got in with only 10 mins to go in the minor. What a game we were missing. We got our bearings. It was pure boilin in the Nally and we were surrounded by Waterford. Feck it we were here. The minors won! They ran down to the hill an shlid along the grass. Feck they're only kids I thought to myself! I popped open the cheap gammy flask. (Must invest in a proper one. My birthday is soon...😜). Herself doesn't like whiskey but himself does so myself and himself threw a nip into us. Mmmmm! So warm. Instant excitement. Game started. Those first 4 points in the first 4 minutes were pure sensual lovemaking hurling. The sliotar glided silently. It went were it needed to go every time. We were all in awe. What a start. Waterford were too and they were very nervous now. Then BANG! Waterford goal! The place went fuckin cracked around us! The roar was unbelievably loud! Hairs on the back of the neck. Game on that goal said. Sexy time is over it's time to grind. We were always ahead up to half time. The nips went back and forth. Half time. Jesus this is torture! Sick! This lad stands beside us. He's been up all night definitely. A Galway man. He's so fuckin drunk! Pure rubber face on him. His face paint is smeared all over his face. He gives herself a wink. She's been attracting the weirdos today for some reason. I chuckle. We don't engage and he finally moves on. A lovely tribute to Tony Keady was up on the screens. Second half Tension on tension wrapped in a ball of tension! The acceleration of hip flask nippage increases. A nice warm fuzz now is only slightly helping the nerves. I don't remember much. Just the pain and torture. I was sure Waterford would get their 3rd goal. They didn't. They didn't! We won! Finally! Game over! It took me a few minutes to realise really. Almost like we had to look at each other to celebrate. Most the Hill weren't born when we last won. Yeeeeeesssssssssss!!! We embraced. Guard down. Hug it out! Yesssssssss!!! The speech. The lifting of the cup. Chants of Tony Keady. N17 blasts out of the PA. Never realised how much I loved that song. It was perfect for the occasion. Smiling from ear to ear we evacuated. Round the corner to Gills. Pints! It was Guinness all the way. It's the perfect session beer on a match day. If ya could get craft this was no time for it. We all came in in dribs and drabs. The first one went down. The second one went down. The third one went down. Three pints deep before I realised I'd had three pints. Jesus! They were like nectar! Soup! So smooth and light and perfect for the occasion! We were fuckin wallopin them down! The smiles for bigger. It was class. Yep these were victorious pints. They taste the best and ya swamp them much faster. They kept comin. The round system gets messed up in these situations but manages to sort itself. It alway does. Small bit of banter with some Waterford heads. The Waterford team bus passes pub and stops at red lights outside. The fans applaud. Galway fans join in. Some of the players look devastated. The light stays red for ages. Poor bastards. I stop lookin at them. No need for it. They finally move on. Tough night ahead. We keep swampin. Bout an hour later the Galway team bus comes along. The victorious Galway team bus. They're wavin the McCarthy like fuck out the window. They're leapin about! We're leapin about! I'm blowin my whistle like fuck hangin over the pub barrier. A Garda escort whips them through the lights. They're off... Celebrity news!!! OMG!!! Enda Kenny walks by in a suit. (Your not Taoiseach Enda why so formal?). He embraces Dara Ó' Briain. A Jaysus get a room I think to myself. An Antifa lad roars abuse. Fair fucks. A while later I nod hello to Mary Lou from Sinn Feinn. Ya know the way ya nod howya to someone before ya realise ya only know them from the telly. I did the same to the edge from U2 one day in town. Anyway she was with friends of friends. We taxid down town anyway to Marlborough st. A newish pub there called The Pipers Rest. A GAA bar with trad and craft beer I hear. Sound! In we go. It's gettin late at this stage and whistlin is easier than talkin. I'm not that bad of a state yet but ya know it's just easier to whistle. I order their stout. I think that Four Provinces brewery run this pub. I order the house stout. I remember it to be light and a lot like Guinness. Forget it's name. I go back to Guinness after cos ya know the way your just in the zone at that stage.I'll try it again sober some time. Dublin Legend Dessie Farrell is at the bar. He looks hard as fuck. He's with a few heavies. I just missed Nicky English. A local of his I hear. We used to hate him as kids. He ruined many a Galway day. Ah he's a ledge though. So anyway we kept sippin and slidin and whistlin and poundin all the way up to whelans. Don't know what I drank there. Great blues on and some nice techno upstairs. It's a decent Sunday night spot. Taxi home then at some stage. What a day! Victorious! Some saucin that was.

[stardust2003]

Madferit: The Novel - Chapter 16

           "Some Might Say" – the little ditty Noel wrote that sounded as uplifting as "Live Forever" – was officially released. People loved it so much it shot straight to number one, giving the boys another one of their many firsts.

It came as no surprise how happy they were. Noel's happiness was quite an odd sight for a couple reasons. One: it always seemed to take a lot to make him smile. Two: he was actually being nice to Tony for a change.

The band was set to play the song on Top of the Pops. The atmosphere of the dressing room before the show was thick with a strange feeling. Noel seemed too happy as he rattled off all the great things he and the others had accomplished. Add to that how he kept his eyes on Tony while he said all of it and the awkwardness just kept coming. The others stayed quiet, even Liam who just stared off looking half guilty. Like he'd just driven his scooter through his mother's flowerbed and mowed down all her tulips.

But the show was amazing. Liam's hair looked perfect and I couldn't wait to run my fingers through it when we got back home. The rest of the band looked great too. Even Noel. You couldn't deny their stage presence no matter how hard you tried.

After the show, Kelly, Tony, Liam, and I rode back to Manchester with BigUn who was nice enough to offer us a ride. The car was eerily silent. I thought maybe the boys were just too tired to talk. But Liam's eyes told a different story. The guilty look from before hadn't left them yet and he appeared rather pensive. He went to say something to Tony but stopped himself before he did. He just grabbed my hand and held it tight as he gazed out the window.

I was happy to be back in Manchester. I missed it so much. It had a different vibe than London. Sure, it was another big English city but it had its own personality. I liked London for sightseeing but I liked Manchester for living. I was kind of glad Liam wasn't in a hurry to move.

Liam actually wasn't in much of a hurry to do anything. At least, not in those next few days after TOTP. He hung about the flat in a daze that wasn't induced by drugs and I started to worry.

"Are you okay?" I asked as we sat together on the couch one rainy afternoon.

"Yeah." He replied softly.

"Okay. You just seem quiet."

"Well I'm allowed to be, aren't I? I like it quiet sometimes. Especially when it's just me and you."

I smiled at him in reply.

He did the same although his was much smaller and more reserved.

We relaxed together for the rest of the day and I had to agree with him.

I liked it in the quiet with just us too.

The next few days sped up though, with Liam insisting we go here, there, and everywhere Manchester had to offer. Pubs, friends' houses, his mother's. We pretty much only went to the flat to sleep.

I got so caught up in all the running around, I forgot we hadn't seen the others since we came back to Manchester. Noel was in London of course but the others had all went north. Bonehead was probably with Kate. Guigsy was probably with the flight attendant. And Tony and Kelly were probably together in Levenshulme spending time with Tony's little girl.

Liam didn't have a phone in his flat so there was no way of reaching out. I suppose I could've used a payphone but I really wasn't that arsed. I figured we'd all catch up eventually at a party or the band's next gig.

The month of April ended and May began with the boys doing another gig on Top of the Pops. They were playing "Some Might Say" again and the audience was ready to hear it for a second time.

We milled around backstage and I was starting to get nervous as Kelly and Tony still hadn't arrived. 'Maybe there's traffic or something.' I thought. They hadn't ridden with us from Manchester and I didn't think anything of it until we got to the studio.

It had to have been traffic. Or car trouble. Something had to be up.

I stayed close to Liam and tried to busy myself with taking care of him.

"Does my fringe look alright?" He asked.

"Yeah." I replied.

"Ya sure?"

"Yes."

He'd been paranoid all morning about having a cowlick and spent most of it in the bathroom combing his hair down before we left. I was ready to go before he was. Not that it was too surprising.

I ran my fingers over top his bangs to assure him they were as smooth as they could be. It was kind of fun playing hairdresser.

I stood there smoothing it out for the next couple minutes, tuning everything out around us until I heard Noel speak.

"Alright, Alan!" He said.

I didn't bother to look up and see who he was referring to.

"This is Bonehead and Guigsy." He continued. "Our Liam's over there."

I expected some snarky remark about me fixing his hair but it never came. He just kept talking, his voice sounding really chipper.

"Gettin' your feet wet good and proper, eh? Bet it won't matter though. You'll do a hell of a lot better than the other geezer."

I perked up slightly at that last part. It was one of many names Noel used to refer to a certain someone since their real name was apparently too hard to remember.

"Poor sod couldn't drum to save his fuckin' life."

"Drum?!" I exclaimed as I looked over at Noel and went to walk towards him but Liam grabbed my wrist to keep me from doing so.

"My fringe, yeah?" He said calmly as he looked right into my eyes. "Gotta make sure it looks good for the cameras and you're the only one who knows how."

I sighed and got back to it.

"He was good enough for the first album." Noel said. "But would've fucked up the new stuff."

"That's it!" I yelled as I hurried towards him, too quick for Liam to try and stop me. "Where the fucking hell is Tony?!"

"Sacked him." Noel said flatly with a shrug.

"You what?!"

"Fired him. Told him to get lost. Got the new album comin' and his drummin' won't work for it. But Alan's will."

I glanced over at this Alan. He looked nervous as he stood there quietly. He seemed nice enough but I was too pissed off to find out any more about him.

I turned back to Noel to see him grinning like an old possum.

"Don't worry about your little friend, Adds. He'll be alright." He said. "He'll go back to that butcher shop and everyone'll forget his name just like before. It's pretty forgettable if ya ask me."

"YOU ASS!" I screamed as I sprung at him.

"Whoa!" Liam yelled as he and Bonehead grabbed me and held me back while Guigsy and Steve jumped in to protect Noel.

"You're such a dick!" I cried as I tried to wriggle out of their grasp. "He's the one who started this band in the first place and if it wasn't for Liam, you wouldn't even fucking be here!"

"Oi! Liam!" He yelled. "You better get a hold of your fuckin' bird before she hurts herself!"

"You fucking-"

"Addie that's enough!" Liam screamed as he squeezed me tight. "Calm down. There's no need for this shit!"

"Yeah, Addie." Noel said. "Listen to your boyfriend. He's actually right for once."

He smirked at me and I thought about spitting at him but held back. He turned around and walked across the room with Guigsy and Alan.

Liam and Bonehead released me and I felt myself relaxing just a little bit...but definitely not all the way.

"YOU COCKHEADED SON OF A BITCH!"

My black ballet flat flew through the air and landed right on the back of Noel's neck.

"OI!" He bellowed as he turned to face me. "What the fuck-"

"I'm an American!" I reminded him. "It's what we do, innit?"

"You fuckin' bitch!" He stomped towards me.

"TOUCH 'ER AND I'LL FUCKIN' CURL YOU UP!" Liam exclaimed as he jumped in front of me to block me from Noel. "Just fuckin' calm down and let's do the fuckin' gig!"

I barely paid any attention to the song or the performance this time around. It wasn't as fun anymore. My best friend wasn't there to enjoy it with me and I was so pissed off. I guess the one good thing that came from it was the fact Liam's hair looked flawless. Better than nothing I suppose.

"I didn't even know Our Kid sacked him until I read about it at breakfast." Liam said as we rode on the train back to Manchester. "That morning when ya fixed us them eggs and that mega sausage. We had orange juice too and...it's not gonna be the same now he's gone. That bloke that replaced him. He might be a better drummer but his clothes are fuckin' dreadful. Ya can tell he's from London. They all fuckin' dress like that."

I didn't know what to say so I didn't say anything. I just stared out the window admiring the English countryside as we passed it by.

The door knocker felt ice cold as I wrapped my fingers around it and pulled it back. It only took a few taps before the door opened and the owner of the house appeared.

"Hi Mrs. McCarroll." I said. "Is Kelly and Tony in?"

She told me they were and showed me upstairs where they were hanging out in Tony's bedroom.

"Hi." I said quietly.

"Hi." Kelly replied. "How was Top of the Pops?"

"Awful. I'm so sorry! I didn't know." The tears flooded from eyes. "They didn't tell me until we got there."

"It's alright, Adds." Tony assured me as he came over and put his hands on my shoulders. "It was a long time comin'. We all knew that."

"But it's so shitty what they did to you! You started that band and then it became all about Liam and Noel-"

"And that's how it's supposed to be. They make it about them. Noel makes it about them. He knows what to tell the papers to keep 'em in it. He plays everyone. It's what he does."

I sniffed at my tears and the room fell somewhat silent.

"So what now?" I asked. "Are you gonna sue them or something?"

He chuckled quietly. "Don't know yet but for now I think I'd like to travel a bit. Kells and I are goin' to Florida. Ain't that right, love?"

"Yeah." She replied with a smile. "Tony's never been to Disney World so I bet you can't guess where we're going first."

I smiled a little. "I should go with you." I said. "I like Disney World and I've always wanted to go back."

"And we'd love for you to come with us but your place is here, with Liam. He'd be devastated if you left."

"She's right Addie." Tony said. "Liam needs you. He always has."

I thought about it. Liam was pretty needy.

But I couldn't help thinking about how much I needed him too.