#asking others to sheild you from your own feelings is wild

[sweet-like-hypoglycemia]

I think the worst part of tumblr has become all the entitled donuts who think it's your job to tag every little thing that makes them uncomfortable.

It's unreasonable, not our job, and probably mentally unhealthy to attempt to shield yourself from ever having to deal with or put up with ANYTHING you don't "feel like."

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

Mission of Mercy: One

“Where’s she headed?” Bucky asked watching the woman loading the back of her small SUV with a duffle bag and assorted odds and ends.

She was a friend of Sam’s, one from his days at the VA, Bucky knew, but he couldn’t remember her name. Sam had got her the gig with SHEILD. I guess he figured they all needed counseling. Or a team mom. Or whatever it was she did. Outreach, Bucky figured. Generating good PR. 

“Looks like a mission of Mercy,” Sam said with a small, slightly sad smile. Bucky looked at him for explanation and Sam sighed, instantly looking sadder and a few years older. 

“She’s a third generation Army Brat,” Sam explained. “Dad never came home from Desert Storm and Brother didn’t come back from… whatever the fuck he was doing. Mom was a VA nurse before she retired… So Y/N knows a lot of grumpy old fucks that don’t like to leave their houses. She makes rounds a few times a week still, for the people she’s known since she was just a kid. Friends of her dad’s, some cousins twice removed.”

Bucky exhaled slowly and nodded. That he hadn’t known. He’d never really paid that much attention to you. But now he looked again. You were packing down styrofoam coolers with what looked like milk, eggs, cheese, and assorted lunch meat. And you had a few labeled boxes of cans. A couple cases of beer… That made Bucky smile a little. And he could respect what you were doing. 

“Y/N!” Sam called across the motor pool, “Who’s on your list?”

“Joe, Rocky, and Cooksy, at least for today,” you answer, “Mac and Wild man are still in the nursing home for rehab.”

“Joe, huh?” Sam said walking over, Bucky trailing after him looking confused.

“You wanting to go along?” you ask, smiling, tightening the ratchet straps that held the styrofoam coolers in place.

“That old man still owes me a rematch,” Sam said grinning. 

“Rematch in what?” Bucky asked, catching a case of beer that had started to slide of it’s perch and slotting it carefully into an open space for you. 

“Dice,” you snort, “Sam swears he cheats.” You give Bucky a smile of thanks and slot a small gift bag in next to the case and Bucky has to look away from you. His face feels hot and he feels like you’re looking through him. So he looks at your hands. Work roughened. Nails bitten to the quick. Useful hands. Not just ornaments at the ends of your wrists. Efficient. 

“He Does!” Sam’s voice breaks through Bucky’s distraction and jolts him back to the world. Back out of his head. And for that, Bucky is momentarily grateful. And a scolding gasp from you immediately makes him too aware. 

“Get off my bread you fucking heathen,” you grouse, only half playing as you give Sam a shove away from a bag.

“My bad,” Sam said, quickly, holding his hands up in surrender, “You got a minute though?”

“Yeah,” you sigh, “Go get your stuff. I don’t want to wake Joe up before he’s ready.”

Sam gives you a grin and trots off and Bucky sighs, mentally trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his day. He didn’t want to assume he was going. 

“Joe did intelligence work during WWII,” you tell him, “You guys can always swap some bullshit stories… If you want to come.”

Bucky looked at you. You aren’t looking at him, instead you’re leaning on the bumper of your car and looking somewhere not quite the middle distance, but at something, anything else. And he can’t decide if you’re nervous or just awkward. And he can’t decide how he feels about making you nervous. He was nervous. His palms felt clammy and the rolling in his stomach couldn’t decide if it wanted to be butterflies or hornets. 

“Joe won’t mind?” Bucky asked. 

“A friend of mine is a friend of his,” you say, and Bucky can see that the corner of your mouth is upturned in a smile. “He’s a cousin… kind of.”

“Kind of?”

“He’s a cousin of a friend of my mom’s… He used to look after me sometimes when mom had to run a night shift.”

Bucky nodded, “That-” he couldn’t decide if that was “nice,” or “Cool,” or “weird.” 

“He taught me how to draw in three point perspective, gamble, and make a decent martini,” you say, and Bucky can hear the fondness in your voice. “Most importantly I guess, he never let me be a weirdo by myself.”

Bucky let himself chuckle. And when you chanced looking up at him, the rolling in his stomach decided it was butterflies. 

You were smiling. The kind of smile that would be seductive outlines in red. But right now? With no make up on and your hair falling out of a haphazard ponytail? You looked like a kid about to cause trouble. And he wanted to see what trouble that was going to be. 

Sam retuned before Bucky could formulate something flirty to say. Something that wouldn’t sound too dirty or too corny. Something that might make you swoon a little... though. As you swore at Sam across the motorpool telling him to hurry the fuck up, Bucky doubted very much that you had ever swooned in your life. But he could absolutely see that having a grumpy old man baby sit you had had some other amusing outcomes. 

Swear words didn’t look like they fit you. Your mouth was too sweet looking and the words were too blunt and ugly. It looked like they would fit wrong and come out worse. But. The way you said them was so casual. As if you had never not said them. And that… For some reason, tickled Bucky. He likes smart girls. He liked girls with a temper. And listening to you bicker with Sam just… It definitely burst some more butterflies out of their cocoons. It was nice, Sam having to put up with a smart mouth instead of being the one to dish it out. 

__________

The drive was fine. 

Sam didn’t even complain about the music you played. A blend that gave Bucky whiplash and something of a headache behind his eyes. But. That wasn’t your fault. A lot of the music past his own time did that. 

The Audio bombast of discordant sounds and coded meanings of the ever evolving slang was… a lot. So he mostly focused on the scenery. The cars. The people. The sky. The architecture. That helped. Some things about New York would probably never really change. There were more people now. Fewer dresses and more people in pants… And fewer roving packs of kids. But. It felt the same.

It wasn’t until he was standing on the doorstep. He and Sam looming over you like bodyguards that he noticed differences. The lack of washing hung out to dry. The consistent low hum of multiple air conditioners. The lack of kid noises. The lack of… community. The way everyone was together, and apart simultaneously. 

But when the door swung open slowly, and Bucky was greeted by a little old man. One with thick glasses, a bald head, and stooped shoulders. A neck that made him look like a turtle… A sudden warmth washed over him. 

“There’s my favorite ray of Sunshine,” he said, pulling you into an unembarrassed hug. The kind men in his time reserved for their mothers and beloved children. “And my second favorite pain in the ass!” he said, rasping a laugh as he clasped Sam’s hand in his. 

“I moved up a spot,” Sam chuckled.

 “Eh, the neighbor’s dog died last week,” Joe said, giving Bucky a steady, appraising look.

“Aww, Bear died?” you say sadly, “poor old man… How’s Irene doing with it?”

Joe turned back towards you and chucked you under the chin gently with a small smile. Bucky didn’t miss the tears that had welled up, and evidently, neither had the old man. “She’s heart broke,” he said, “But, she told me to tell you he loved the blanket and it made his last couple weeks more cozy.”

Joe stepped back and ushered you into the house, letting you pass him to go and quietly pull yourself back together, Bucky figured. The butterflies in his stomach catching a sudden chill. 

“Who’s he?” Joe asked, arms folding across his scrawny chest as he straightened himself to his full height… or as close to it as he could manage.

“Winter Soldier,” Sam said grinning, clapping him on the shoulder before going to get the stuff you had for him out of your trunk.

“No shit?” Joe said, adjusting his glasses.

“No shit,” Sam answered, calling over his shoulder. 

“Well Son,” he said to Bucky, “Come on in. I gotta add a bottle of Jack to my grocery list… it looks like I lost a bet.”

And Bucky can’t help it. He laughs.

In the Hall, just inside the door, Bucky  can hear you rattling around. It sounds like dishes being done. And maybe a broom being used and Joe shakes his head. “She’ll make someone a nice wife some day, but fuck if I know what kind of man could handle her.”

Bucky wasn’t sure if that was for him to hear or just Joe Musing to himself out loud, but he smiled anyway and followed him inside. On the walls, there were pictures. Covered bridges, flower gardens, portraits… Presumably of people that the old man knew. Or had known. And the smell of dust and old paper. Decades of smoke from meals cooked and packs of cigarettes. It smelled like age. A sepia tone that mellowed and dulled all the colors around him. But somehow there was nothing harsh. Or forbidding. 

“Will you sit down?” The old man groused, “I have a broad that comes in and does all that shit.”

“Then you’re paying her too much because she ain’t been doin’ it right, old man,” you tell him over your shoulder as you rinse a plate. 

“Bah,” Joe said, flapping his hands at you. Clearly realizing that this wasn’t a fight he could win as he lowered himself into his spot at the kitchen table. “Siddown, son,” he said to Bucky, “Take a load off and let these stupid kids do the grunt work.”

“Kids,” Sam scoffed, putting boxes on the counter with an eye roll as he nudged you.

“I hear him,” you snort. “Careful old man,” you tease, “You’re cruisin’ for a bruisin and at your age, replacement parts are hard to come by.”

“Listen Heifer,” Joe said, eyes dancing behind his thick glasses, “If you wanna kick my old ass, you better pack a lunch.”

You shake your head, and pull the top off a styrofoam cooler, “I got your lunch meat and some eggs. That was it right?”

“Yup,” Joe said, “How much do I owe you?”

“A Dr. Pepper,” you answer over your shoulder, making Joe give you a stern look. 

“Young Lady-”

“You’re not giving me money, ya old coot,” you say, more fond than scolding as you kiss the top of his bald head.

“The hell I’m not-”

“I’ll tell momma and she’ll have both our asses. Me for taking the money and you for payin’ me.”

“She’s got you there Joe,” Sam said, grinning. 

“You shaddup,” Joe said grumpily, eyeing your back. And Bucky could see he was trying to gauge how likely it was that he could slip you some money without you knowing you’d been given any. Bucky grinned and Caught Sam’s eye before bumping the table with his knee to get the old man’s attention.

Once the Old man’s sharp eyes had fixed on him, Bucky glanced meaningfully towards the coat rack. Where your jacket hung so conveniently.And Joe followed his gaze, he grinned and touched his nose in acknowledgement. 

“Don’t you fuckin’ do it,” you say not turning around. 

And Joe made a silent “rats” gesture, before sticking his tongue out at your back

[haloshornsinkstains]

Shiratorizawa Snowball War [Tendou]

ngl, I actually really like this one.  pre-relationship Tendou Satori x GN!reader , fluff and snowy nonsense

“Ushi you can’t spike a- Holy Shit! Did anyone else know you could spike a snowball?”

Shiratorizawa is a prestigious school, the entrance exams are difficult and the students it produces are some of the best in the prefecture (even outside of the volleyball club). It means long study hours and a lot of time spent on extra-curricular activities. All of which sometimes makes it easy to forget that you’re all still teenagers, especially now you’re a third year with college prep and the looming threat of graduation, of potential separation from your closest friends. You want nothing more than to cling to the moments of happiness and childish fun while you still can, to indulge in the wild whimsy your best friend can bring out in you with his infectious grin and spontaneous ways. The best friend you’ve been falling for since you met him. Winter presents an unexpected opportunity for hijinks in the form of a sudden heavy snowfall.

You awake to the sound of your phone buzzing, the world outside your dorm carpeted in white. Groggily you lift the phone to your ear, answering the call. “Hello?” “Y/N, my favourite non-volleyball playing partner in crime, have you seen outside?” You perk up at the sound of your best friend's voice, already picturing the wild hand movements he’s probably making while talking to you. With a hum you peer through the gap in the curtains before nearly dropping the phone in shock. “Woah… white.” Tendou cackles on the other end of the line. “Snow! Y/N-chan, we got snow!” Your lips tug up into a grin. “You thinking what I’m thinking Tori?” “Snowball fight?” “Yes! Round up the team, let’s have a war.” You laughed, already picturing the kinds of mischief you could get up to. “It’s on cutie. Meet you at the gym in thirty minutes.” You flushed at the name but just about managed to choke out a confirmation before hanging up, dashing around your room to layer yourself up in preparation for the cold outside. You’d probably end up cold by the end of it anyway, the wet snow no doubt soaking through your layers, but at least you could start the day warm. Checking in the mirror one last time, fiddling with your hair in an attempt to look maybe a little more attractive for Tendou, you dashed out of the door and towards the gym.

“What are we doing here you menace?” “Aww, Shirabae, don’t be like that!” You laughed, stepping into the gym with a broad smile. “Morning guys.” “Don’t call me that, I hate you.” Shirabu huffed, glaring at you and then Goshiki as the first year bounded across the hall towards you. “L/N-san! Tendou-san didn’t say you were coming!” “He didn’t give us any reason as to why we were here at all.” “Don’t be like that Wakawaka!” Tendou pouted, shaking his head at the captain. “I thought it would be obvious.” “It was not.” Ushijima frowned. “It is good to see you again L/N.” You laughed, untangling yourself from Goshiki and walking over to stand beside your best friend, leaning slightly against his warmth as he automatically brought an arm around your shoulders. “So, why did you drag us out here in the cold?” Semi sighed. You and Tendou exchanged giddy grins before replying in unison “snowball fight.” “No. Absolutely not.” Shirabu huffed. “Will it improve our volleyball skills?” You smiled at Ushijima. “You can practice your aim.” “Then I will agree.” “Y/N is spouting nonsense!” Shirabu huffed. “All that’ll happen is we will get cold and wet and miserable.” “Lighten up Shirabae. You’re allowed to have fun.” Semi huffed, having picked up on the nickname quickly. He shot a glare at you and Tendou cackled.  “Worried your aim isn’t good enough to get the rest of us?” He laughed, breaking into a tune, his hip bumping into yours. “Shirabae is a coward, too scared to hit us with snow…” “Fine! I’ll do it.” You cheered, grinning happily at the boys as they all nodded in agreement. “It’s war!”

War was a pretty good description for the snowball fight that followed. Volleyball players are, unsurprisingly, excellent shots. Although with their size they also made for great targets, especially the tall and broad shapes of Ushijima and Semi. Tendou was a menace, his intuition allowing him to easily dodge most of the snowballs sent his way (once he stopped instinctually trying to block them). Even Kawanishi was wearing a small smile by the time things really got going. You used your smaller stature to your advantage, ducking and diving out of the path of as many snowballs as you could, and using others as sheilds where possible. You spotted Ushijima tensing up as a well packed snowball flew towards him, aimed by Semi. “Ushi you can’t spike a- Holy Shit! Did anyone else know you could spike a snowball?” The momentary distraction created by the shock of watching the captain spike a damn snowball right into Yamagata’s back was your undoing. Tendou barreled his way towards you, tackling you to the ground and rolling through the snow. You shrieked as you tumbled down, the snow working its way down your neck and chilling you to the core. “Tori! That was playing dirty!” He grinned down at you, his body pinning yours against the ground. “All’s fair in love and war sweetcheeks.” With a huff you grabbed a handful of snow, shoving it in his face. Tendou cackled, the two of you scrabbling about in the snow, much to the amusement of the rest of the team who had stopped fighting to watch you. Finally you admit defeat, laying back in the snow, face flushed from exertion and maybe a little a lot from the pressure of Tendou straddling your hips with a wild grin on his face. You hope he’s too caught in the thrill of victory to notice how flustered you are, at least he doesn’t mention it. You just lie there, staring up into his face and maybe, secretly, hoping this is the moment your life becomes a shojo manga and he leans down to kiss you. To tell you that warm glint in his eyes means he feels the same way you do. He is leaning down though, and you’re almost sure you’re dreaming as he does.

“I think we should go inside now.”  The sound of Ushijima’s voice snaps the tension and you bite back a sound of disappointment as Tendou pushes himself off you, extending a hand to haul you to your feet. You brush the snow from your clothes and start to follow the others back, but now you’re no longer running around the chill starts to seep through you, the damp snow soaking your clothes only making it worse. You shiver, rubbing your hands down your arms in a futile attempt to warm up. At least it’s not far to the dorms. “Cold?” You jump at the voice, turning to shake your head at your best friend, even as you teeth chatter and betray you. He rolls his eyes, hands fiddling with the zipper of his own jacket and you shake your head wildly. “You can’t do that Tori! Your noodle arms will freeze off without a jacket.” He pouts a little, though the effect is lost with the affectionate way he smiles at you. “I have a better idea!” You watch in confusion as he unzips the jacket and opens his arms wide, as if asking for a hug. Slowly you step forwards, letting him pull your back against his chest and zip the jacket up around you. It’s ridiculous and awkward but it is warm. The pair of you shuffle along awkwardly behind the rest of the team, Shirabu looks at you like he thinks you’ve both gone completely insane before marching off away from you. Any other day you might think to be offended, but you’re too busy trying to hope Tendou can’t hear your heart racing, or the way the blood rushes in your ears.

They sneak you into their dorms with ease, it’s not the first time and you doubt it’ll be the last, and Tendou finally releases you from the jacket to rifle through his drawers. He throws some clothes your way with a thumbs up. “Change! Or I’m not helping when you get sick.” You flash him a thumbs up in return, ducking out to the bathroom to change before he starts stripping and gives you a nosebleed, or a stroke.  By the time you return the boys have set up camp in the common room, wrapped in warm blankets procured from various rooms, mostly Tendous if the various anime prints are anything to go by. He grins at you from his seat, pulling his blanket up and gesturing for you to sit beside him. Gratefully you settle next to the warmth of his body, letting him pull you into his side and wrap the blanket around you both. The exhaustion of a day spent running around in the cold finally starting to settle over you. Somewhere you could hear someone preparing tea, probably Ushijima and Shirabu, they were the most sensible. With a yawn you let your weight fall against the body beside you, closing your eyes, floating somewhere between sleep and wakefulness.

Semi watched carefully from his position across the room, shuffling a bit closer and elbowing his teammate in the side once he decided you were asleep. “Are you ever going to tell them?” He sighed, gesturing towards you. Tendou shook his head. “I can’t. We’re just friends, I can’t lose their friendship, they don’t-” Semi cut him off with a scowl. “For someone who’s usually so good at reading people you’re an idiot. Friends don’t look at friends like that.” Tendou raised an eyebrow.  “They look at you like you hung the moon. And don’t think I missed you nearly kissing them earlier. Just tell them you idiot, watching the pair of you pine after each other like lovestruck idiots is disgusting.” Your breath caught in your throat, you knew you shouldn’t have let them think you were asleep but you had to know. And now you did. Covering it with a yawn and faux return to wakefulness, you blinked slowly at Semi, watching as Ushijima and Shirabu appeared from behind him carrying warm drinks, with instructions that you should return to your own dorm once you were warm in case someone found you. 

You decided you were going to tell him how you felt on the walk back.

[gotmeringinghellsbells]

Sing Little Song Bird

Fandom: Pokemon Sword and Sheild

Characters: Guzma, Piers

A/N: This is a tickle interrogation story, just a heads up. Inspired from this video. I love the crack ship idea of Guzma and Piers and I can not stop listening to the story. This is based on the aftermath of the fight, which from other audios hints towards Guzma being the victor (doesn't mean he will be). Also Piers's laugh is the cutest in this I can't even.

Description: After winning against the dark type gym leader, Guzma holds Piers to their little wager. Luckily for Piers, the Alolan gangster seems to have taken a liking to him.

_

A bet was a bet, but that didn't mean Piers couldn't be bitter about it's outcome. He sighed as he looked in the motel mirror, staring into his stress filled eyes. This guy was insane, the power he had behind him made him even more concerning.

Now he was stuck as a tour guide for Mr. Alola out there, being dragged around by an invisible leash. Thankfully Guzma hadn't taken him seriously when Piers added the part about actually being lead around by a leash to the steaks at risk. He seemed crazy, yet reasonable at the same time.

He wasn't out to humiliate the rock star it seemed, he truly wanted company for his travel; but Piers felt there was something more. Why go to him for help? Well, why force him to help is the real question. Just becuase he didn't Dynamax? Just becuase he was a gang leader too?

I mean that would make sense. This guy seems a bit broken, maybe he was looking for comfort in familiarity. Letting out another sigh, the black and white haired male shook his head before splashing more water on his face.

What the hell had he gotten himself into?

"Yo, rock star, you done in there yet?" Piers jumped before sighing. Patting his face dry he opened the bathroom door, looking up at the taller. The guy still gave the dark type gym leader a bit of a chill after seeing Guzma's more wild side, but the bags under his eyes showed the other probably wasn't looking for a fight.

"All yours," he said cooly before strutting past the other. At least he had some personal space for the night. Sleeping in the same room as this weirdo made him uneasy, but at least he had his own bed.

As the bathroom door shut, Piers reached into his bag and retrieved a pokeball. The comforting company would be nice right now. "Come on out. He's gone," the leader of Team Yell whispered softly. A light appeared before vanishing to reveal an Obstagoon.

The pokemon looked around before back at it's trainer with a look of worry. "He won," Piers sighed. A look of shame and defeat came over Obstagoon's face before it sat, leaning into Piers. Piers sighed, brining a hand up to gently comfort the pokemon. "It's not your fault. Please, don't be upset."

The Galarian held his partner closer, trying to relax himself. His hair was still damp from his shower; brining a comforting smell to Obstagoon. It gently reached for the long, thick hair, and ran it's fingers through it. Piers shuddered before sighing a bit. "Probably should brush it out, huh?"

There was a nod before the only, dark type gym leader chuckled. He grabbed a small brush he had time to grab when Guzma permitted time to get supplies for their journey. He handed it to Obstagoon, before it moved so it was against the wall, sitting on the bed.

Piers moved, sitting infront of it as the pokemon started to brush out his insanely long and thick hair. "Thanks," the rock star sighed as he gave into the relaxing feeling from the brushing. It felt so nice, something the two had done since the beginning. It was just a comforting nostalgia.

Grabbing another small brush from the bag, he started to brush out the shorter hair that was eassier to reach. It didn't take long, and the source of destruction was still in the bathroom. Peirs hummed. He didn't mind showing weakness around Obstagoon, but like hell he was going to let that mad man see any sign of it from him.

Gently taking one of his feet, he began to massage it; wincing now and then from sharp pains shooing up his feet. He'd worn these shoes for months, but for some reason the constant walking was really taking a toll on him.

A noise came from behind him as the brushing stopped. Piers turned, his eyes growing a bit heavy. "Ah, I'm fine. Just a bit sore is all." The pokemon nodded before starting to brush the trainer's hair again, making Piers slowly fall more into a sleepy state. He hadn't noticed the bathroom door open as he switched feet; hell he didn't notice anything moving around until a familiar voice interrupted his tranquility.

"Anyone ever tell ya, ya got hair like a Mareanie?" Surprised, wide eyes glanced to the source of the voice before relaxing as the former gym leader let out a sigh. "No? How does my hair look like a Mareanie?" Guzma pointed to his own hair, pulling it about. "Your little spikes, Rapunzel." Little Rock Star, Rapunzel, what, Cookies and Cream next for nick names?

Piers rolled his eyes. "How old are you again," Piers asked just to know how many of these half hearted dad jokes he was going to have to deal with. "What, think I'm too old for you or something?" Piers scoffed with a laugh. "You think I'd be intrested in someone like you?"

Those were fighting words. "I was just wondering how many half hearted dad jokes I had coming." Guzma narrowed his eyes a bit before smirking. "Plenty my Little Rock Star." The Alolan gangster stood up before walking over to the side of the other bed and crouching down.

"And I'm sure after some time you'll see, you and I, could get along pretty well." Piers rolled his eyes. "Phat chance." Guzma shrugged. "Whatever sweet heart," he said before looking behind the trainer. "Glad to see your friend feels better." Obstagoon had been glaring at him since he came out of the bathroom.

It finally stopped brushing when Guzma squatted beside the bed. "What are you planning to do anyway," Piers finally asked, massaging his foot again. He felt confident enough with the other right now as to not worry about weakness. "Told ya cutie. I'm gonna tear apart the constitution this region stands on."

Piers glanced at the older, barely facing him. "But how do you plan to do that with challengers running around, various stronger gym leaders, and Leon?" Guzma leaned closer, a look of intrest on his face. Trump the gym leaders, take them out somehow, that was fine; challengers were another issue. But Leon? Who was Leon?

"Mind telling me about this Leon, and why he's not grouped in with the other two?" Guzma stood up, sitting on the bed. Piers looked a bit uneasy from the gesture. "He's the champion of Galar. Kept the title since he was ten." Guzma smirked.

He was able to get information in more than one way from people. Brute force on this cutie wasn't really something he was in the mood for. Gently taking the recently put down foot, he started to massage it.

"W-What are you doing?" Piers pulled gently at his foot. "Relax a bit. I'm not gonna hurt ya. I went easy on your Obstagoon, even let you heal it. If I wanted to hurt you, I would have hit where it would hurt the most." Marnie. Piers was hit with a sudden, horrifying realization.

"What are you... mmm... going to do with the challengers?" Guzma quirked a brow before slowly stopping. "Pretty focused on those kids, aren't ya? What's your intrest in them, then maybe I'll answer." Piers found the room to be quite awkward, his heart rate accelerating and pulls dilating.

"I just want to know what plan you have for them. They're kids. And the gym leaders, what about them?" He was a bit worried about Rahian. "Figure it out when we get there." Guzma went back to massaging the foot, moving to hold both feet in his lap.

"You... mmm... don't h-have a plan yet?" It felt good yet awful at the same time. Obstagoon was hugging Piers now, knowing it would get it's butt kicked if it tried to help him. If he couldn't save him, he'd comfort him. "Frankly, I wasn't sure how step one would go, so I didn't bother to plan past it."

Piers was shocked. "You came to conquer, yet had no confidence or plan?" He lost to this guy?! Guzma smirked, before gently running a finger up his guest's sole. Peirs squeaked in surprise, covering his mouth quickly. His eyes widened as he froze. Was.... was this guy trying to mess with him?

"Heh, well, now that I've got your attention, I still have questions to be answered. I have a few ways of getting what I want my Little Rock Star, and a boot on your cute little neck isn't my ideal; ya know? So, why don't you tell ya boy what he wants to know; otherwise, this little birdie is gonna be sining me some soft little tunes. I heard your laugh back at the fight, something I could really get used too."

Piers's face turned pink. This guy was nuts! "Get off me pervert," Piers huffed, trying to pull his feet free, but he had no luck. "Pervert," Guzma asked in surprise. "I'm not looking for anything lewd cutie, just your laugh. But then again, that's only if you refuse to comply." He glanced back at Obstagoon before smirking.

"And just to make sure all goes smoothly. Golisopod." A flash of light revealed the pokemon from before, one Piers would rather keep keep of sight. But he knew the other was taking precautions, much to his distaste.

"Now, let's start with the easiest first, huh? Who is this Leon?" Piers furrowed his brows. "The champion." Guzma tsked before rolling his eyes. "Besides that. I want to see into your mind, what do you know about him Little Rock Star.?" Piers made a face before sighing.

"Extremely obsessed with battling, finds too much pride in it, friends and family orientated, can't find his way anywhere for the life of him." He shrugged. "I'm not exactlly close to him, sorry." Guzma quirked a brow before gently dragging a finger up one of the hostaged soles again.

Piers covered his mouth slightly, toes curling. "What... what are you," Guzma cut him off. "Is it just a known fact the champion of Galar is a family man who can't handle directions?" Piers nodded. "Everyone knows t-that!" He turned his head, face heating up more.

Guzma smirked, gently scratching the foot. "Tell me more then. Family man, he married?" Peirs shook his head. "So family man how? He serves for the honor of his parents?" Another finger joined. "Thaha....haha!" Guzma smirked, the way Peirs's laugh would shift was absolutely adorable. High pitched, silent, deep laughter. Piers was cute on top of that too. "Come on little song bird. Sing it out."

Peirs nodded. He wasn't sure about the whole honor thing, but he wasn't going to through Hop's name out there. He knew Leon would protect his brother as Piers would his sister. "Hmmm.... so his weakness, his folks?" The tickling stopped breifly, allowing Peirs to breath a bit. "I.... I have no clue. I've never plotted like you before."

He was calling Guzma a coward, calling him out. The other wasn't as dense as he seemed. "Look pretty boy, I got my ways of handling things, you got yours. Now unless you want to really sing for me, I suggest you talk." Peirs huffed. "I don't know him, I don't know his weaknesses."

Guzma nodded before humming. "Siblings, partners, romantic other, friends?" Everyone knew Leon had a brother. If this jerk found out Piers was lying, he'd be in the dog house. "I don't keep up with celebrity gossip." Guzma smirked before looking to his partner. "Phone please."

He looked back to Piers with a disturbed grin. "Really? So who is this with you then?" He flashed the other the phone. Raihan and his social media obsession! It was a selfie of all three of them. "May not keep up with it, but they keep up with you my Little Rock Star. So, which is Leon?"

Piers sighed before pointing to the right side of the picture. "Purple hair." Guzma pulled the phone back with a nod. "Alright. Good boy. He really don't look like mich more than a billboard though. Pretty face, nice smile. A cape, really?" Guzma snorted before shaking his head. "So who's the other with you and Mr. Poster Boy?" It was hard to tell if he was testing him and knew the information or was trying to get information; or not. "Dragon gym leader." A few tickles to his foot had him giggling all over again. "Name sweet heart." "Eeehahahaha! Rhahahaihan!" Guzma smirked a bit. "You close with him cutie? He your boyfriend? The way he's got his arm around you, how close he's got you.... pretty loving."

Peirs shook his head, wiggling his feet. "You sure? He's got more photos of him hugging you. Ooh, even Obstagoon." Piers started hiccuping and snorting as fingers moved to his toes. "Eep! Nahahao, we're frheheheinds!" Guzma hummed, finger still playing with the toes softly. Piers fell back, limply into his partner as he squirmed around. "Sthahahaop!" Obstagoon frowned, holding Piers close as he glared between the other human and his pokemon.

"I don't know cutie. You got some nice laughs." He didn't keep the teasing for long, quickly letting up before smirking. "Now, back to Mr. Poster Boy here."

Piers quirked a brow between pants. "What do you mean?" Guzma passed the phone to the younger. Raihan had so many selfies, but compared to the other people on his pages Leon was there the most with him. "They an item?" Piers made a face before shrugging. "I really don't know." Guzma smirked. "You like to sing, don't ya?" Confussed by the question, the other made a face before squealing.

"Taha...haha! S-Sthahahop that! N-Nhahao!" The phone fell to the bed as Piers hunched forward, holding Obstagoon's arms that were wrapped around him. Guzma was tickling between his pinkie and ring toe, making him berserk.

"No? Maybe a new spot would be better?" Guzma started behind the ankles, earning almost silent giggles as Piers fell back into his partner again. This guy was a real life tickle monster. "Is he dating the dragon man?" Piers shook his head. "I...I don't know!" Guzma sighed.

"Alright, well, how about this. He showed the phone to Piers again, who was calming down. Hop, it was Raihan and Hop. "I ain't gonna hurt no kids, rest assured. I mean, look what I'm doing to you." Tickling was a rather soft form of torture and he wasn't bring that mean about it. He wasn't here to torture people, and he wouldn't if he could help it. Tickling was nothing, or at least the way he was doing it. It actually left Peirs with some attention to be desired.

"Leon's brother, " he said softly. Guzma nodded. "Noted. Here's the family orientated part, right? Baby bro wants to be the champion some day? Leon's protective?" Piers huffed. "You know, why ask?" The Alolan smirked. "I'm assuming. Your confirming for me. Now, last time, are Leon and dragon boy, an item?" It was better than going after the kid to hurt him.

Piers made a face before nodding slowly. "Good boy," Guzma chuckled. "Now, for a harder question. What do you think I should do with the gym leaders? Hide them away like your little groupies, or maybe have some fun with them? How would I make them just... leave the sport until it's too late."

Peirs blinked before shrugging. "How would I know that?" Guzma started behind the scrawny knees. Piers actually wheezed before snorting and giggling hysterically. "Gym leaders talk, I want the dirt on all of 'em later. Black mail. Got it?" Peirs nodded, gently kicking his legs.

Guzma smirked again. "Alright, now fianlly, why are you so concerned about the challengers?" Piers tensed. He furrowed his brows, pursing his lips tightly. "Oooo struck a nerve, huh? Well, tell me, that poster girl back at your sorry excuse for a gym.... she a challenger?" Piers wanted to lunge at him, to lay into him and scare him away; but it was pointless. Fun time was over.

"Not talking? Alright. Well given that age gap, if she ain't your little sister, she's like one, huh? If she's close with you, don't sweat it," Guzma moved to Piers's ear, "Cause as long as I got you, she shouldn't be an issue."

Both Piers and Obstagoon were frozen in place, neither knew how to take that. "I won't hurt your baby sis, even if she tries any heroic crap. Worst comes to worst, you'll be keeping a real close eye on her. Another party member to keep you company wouldn't be so bad, right?"

[hans-writes-things]

Fairy Dust - Chapter 7

I waited until I was down to the parking lot before fishing the sunglasses out of my pocket. I hadn't wanted to put them on in Barbara's office, stubbornly holding onto the foolish idea that I wouldn't need his help. I didn't want to need his help. I didn't like needing anyone's help, not really. I stood and mulled over his words. The schedule, sent down from on high, ordering me see him daily for a minimum of 30 minutes at a time, until such a time as Barbara decided he could do no more for me. "If you had nothing to say, nothing at all, you wouldn't have said anything." He had reasoned, and I had been unable to refute the logic, so I had been forced to agree to the schedule, both because it was captain's orders, and because, despite my feelings to the contrary, I apparently still needed to talk.

I unfolded the arms of the sunglasses and slipped them on, thinking to myself of the irony of how they were shaped, that they would probably make me look like a blind man. Every last muscle in my face and along my scalp immediately relaxed and the wave of relief that washed over me almost knocked me off my feet. I hadn't realized how much tension I was holding, how much squinting I must have been doing, but the moment that my new eyes were sheilded from the brightness of the world, all that washed away. The sunglasses dimmed the light of the world, and muddled the bright colours, rendering everything a little darker and a little grayer. I closed my eyes behind the shade and basked the comfort. When I opened them again, Sam was there, the car running in front of me, waiting for me to get in.

"I looked into your sister's tips" she started, but suddenly stopped, I could see her clenching and unclenching her jaw. It took a few moments before she continued "as far as I can tell, Bakder's is a small time shipping company, servicing but a handful of coastal towns. It looks all above board and clean and simple and I hate it. It's too simple." "How so?" I prompted. She clenched and unclenched her jaw a couple times more before she answered. "It's a clean surface." It was a gnomish phrase that I had heard her use several times. Gnomes were not so fond of clean surfaces. Anything alive and substantial, anything that truly existed and did anything, generated some mess or another. A clean surface could suggest something so new it's value and purpose was not even known yet, but more often than not, a clean surface was simply a falsehood. When a gnome called something a clean surface they were in fact calling it a lie. "And Ork Door?" I eventually asked. "Worse!" She exclaimed. "They own a little bit of bloody everything as far as I can tell. Apartment buildings, shares in several different companies, a couple of shops, none of which sell any of the same things, even a gym!" She gestured at the air around her as she spoke, taking her left hand off the wheel. "In my neighbourhood no less!" I blinked at that. "Really?" "Yeah tall boy. I don't like it. I don't like it at all."

I leaned back a little further in my seat as she went on about the two companies, taking in the information. Bakder's Shipping had offices down in the harbor district, to no surprise to anyone, but Ork Door apparently had it's offices over in dust town, three buildings away from the scene of murder we had been called to investigate the other night. The place where we had fought a creature no one thought anyone would ever see again. The place where the duster died at the hands of one of the few remaining trolls in existence. The place where tortured wild fairies had clawed my eyes out, something which should have rendered me permanently blind, with nothing but a pair of gaping holes where my eyes used to be. My stomach turned at the mention and I felt the bile rising in my throat. I clenched my fists so hard my fingers ached and I tried to bite back on the terror that the mere mention of the place had sent runing through me. It hadn't been my first brush with death, we had had our close calls before, but this time it was different and it had changed me, in more ways than one.

We sat in silence then, Sam in her gnomish booster, driving a car big enough to hold a pair of half orcs with ease, and me pressing my fingertips into the palms of my hands, a cold sweat running down my spine, every hair raised on the back of my neck, teetering on panic. I don't know how long that moment lasted, but after I while I started to realize we weren't headed in the direction of dust town. We weren't heading for the docks either. We had driven in a meandering manner, taking what could be considered the longest route possible to somewhere that was only three blocks away from the castle. I licked my lips and cleared my throat, coming more fully to my senses, and with more than a little effort I unclenced my hands and jaw. "So, where are we heading?" I finally asked, my voice coming out raw. Sam sighed and gave me an apologetic glance. "PAR"

______________________________________________

Another short chapter. 

Mind you, you’re all just getting the RAW first draft here... some day I’ll go over, adjust, rewrite, fix, adjust more, clean up, add stuff, remove stuff, go over it again, and then... put it out there, all finished and pretty.... 

....yeah.... some day.... 

IF I make it that far! Wanna buy me some writer fuel?

[felicismagic18873]

Beyond the Blaze (6)

Summary: 4 Years old, Alyssa Potter finds her life taking a magical turn as she steps into a world of cute green giants, talking robots and misunderstood aliens. All of it is almost enough to make her forget the probable destruction of her own world.

"What are you doing!!!!"

"You...YOU FREAK!!"

"Aunt, You're hurting me"

Alyssa shivered a bit and snuggled back into the couch. An absent hand caressed her arm where her Aunts grip had left a bruise, it felt like it'd been such a long time ago but the memory was still fresh and haunting. Her Aunt had never been particularly gentle with her, unlike her uncle, but that day, that day she meant to hurt her. She wanted to hurt her and Alyssa could almost feel how much she wanted to.

It was horrifying.

It was horrifying and heartbreaking. Because at the end of the day she was her Aunt. She was Alyssa's Aunt. Yes, She didn't love Alyssa and Alyssa didn't love her. Alyssa didn't love her like she loved Melina but she trusted her on some level. Even knowing that her Aunt wanted her to live in a cupboard, some part of Alyssa still trusted her and that horrible day it broke.

Her trust broke and some part of her, some bright bubbly part of her was tainted with a splash of fear. Not of her powers but of the consequences of using them. A fear of harsh hands and judging eyes. A fear that made it difficult to breathe when she saw the gun-like thing inside Tony's hand. No. It was actually the suppressed anger on his face that made her realize what she'd done.

She'd broken the elevator. She'd disobeyed Jarvis and she could have seriously injured him.

Alyssa's lip wobbled, "A...Are you okay, Mister Jarvis?" She looked at the ceiling, imagining that that's where Jarvis lived.

"I am perfectly alright, Miss Potter."

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" She rushed on, " I didn't mean to do that, I swear! It just...it just happened. Things like this happen to me sometimes."

She waited with bated breath and wide eyes. A second passed, then another.

"You didn't hurt me, Little Miss. Rest be assured I have many safeguards to protect me from real threats."

A breath of relief escaped her lips, Alyssa wrapped an arm around herself. With her other hand, she touched the screen, flinching a little when it turned bright white instead. It was like the gun-like thing Tony had had.

There had been something in his expression at that time, a sort of fear that'd convinced her to hide that she'd done it. So, She had kept her mouth mum trying not to bring attention to herself.

But then, he'd knelt in front of her and she'd understood. She'd realized that Tony was fearful for her not of her. And that changed things, he was worried. Only Melina had ever been really worried about her. So she'd decided to tentatively trust him.

And so far, it seemed like it was the right decision. He'd talked to her and he'd listened. Even when he was a little scared when she told him that she was from somewhere else, he didn't scream. He didn't hurt her. He just waited for her to explain and accepted her answer when she gave it (even though she could tell he didn't believe it) and that made all the difference.

She looked at the elevator door through which Tony had left, she was starting to severely dislike the said door because it allowed Tony and Bruce to leave her alone. Not that she needed someone to babysit her, No. She was a big girl and she could take care of herself. After all, she did so when uncle or aunt left her alone.

It should work out the same way here but it wasn't. Maybe it was because she was in a strange place, she just really wanted someone to stay with her.

Alyssa shook her head and ran her delicate fingers over the projection again. The white color disappeared and various boxes popped up instead. They looked like the channels on the telly but smaller and silent.

She pressed her finger on one that looked like the channel her uncle used to watch but there a blonde man fighting some weird animals. The screen slipped from under her finger and flew over to the other side of the couch.

Alyssa groaned a little, she didn't really know what she was doing. She still had to learn how to use the flying screens but she wanted them to work already.

She crawled across the couch and touch the box again, a lot more gently this time.

The box grew larger and took over the whole screen. Alyssa leaned back to watch.

"It was at this point that the order to fire the nuke towards NewYork was issued..."

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

Bruce still wasn't fully comfortable at the tower. It wasn't a surprise, he wasn't comfortable anywhere. Not in the small hospitals in India nor in the big lavish laboratories at Sheild. Still, the tower was better than the aforementioned places. It wasn't that Tony didn't try or that Bruce felt uneasy around him, him being around actually helped a lot.

It was the constant paranoia that stayed with him, the constant anger about what he'd become and the constant fear of hurting someone that made him uncomfortable. Though it helped to know that right now there was someone in the tower that could at least hinder him, hinder not stop because nothing could really stop the other guy.

The only reason he hadn't packed his bags and left immediately was the decision to allow Loki to regain his strength while Thor made sure that all the weapons made by the Tesseract had been destroyed. They needed everyone here to make sure that one Loki stayed put and two to stay ready in case Loki had some other hidden card to play.

But while he was here, he wanted to make sure that the kid Hulk had dragged into this mess made her way home. The same kid who technically didn't exist. On records that is. Yeah, it was baffling but it was what it was. The kid had no record, Alyssa Potter didn't exist anywhere. The face search result showed some 30% to 40% matches but they weren't her.

Alyssa Potter had no birth records, no dental records, no missing report and even the town Tony had put down ( probably after asking her) didn't exist. Either it was all some complex convoluted lie or there was something deeper going on. Maybe she was a part of some witness protection program?

"BFG, your Sophie is a dimension traveling elevator blowing wizard mutant."

-or it could be that.

"What?" Bruce turned his chair towards the resident genius who'd also been sitting in his chair going through all the data JARVIS had computed.

"You heard me," He threw the wrench in his hand in the air, catching it midair. "She is a dimension traveling mutant. It either that or she is simply a few screws short a motherboard."

Bruce almost pointed out that the expression wasn't quite right but thought better of it. A dimension-hopping mutant?

Somehow that wasn't entirely impossible to believe. Thankfully  Tony decided to explain. Unfortunately, Hulk didn't like that his newest friend had been in danger. Halfway through Bruce had to hold up a hand to stop Tony and take in a few deep breaths before allowing him to continue.

Tony being the weirdly knowing guy pulled up a projection showing Alyssa's zoomed-in face at the end of the wild incidence that had taken place while Bruce was busy playing in the lab.

Bruce nodded his head and Tony swiped the screen away.

"So she said that she was from a different Earth and that her friend had to send her away to keep her safe?"

"To keep her 'gift' safe but pretty much yeah. "

"Okay," Bruce pushed his glasses upwards, leaning back into the chair. " Do you think there is a chance that that's the explanation she made up in her mind. Kids do that sometimes to overcome traumatic experiences."

Tony looked thoughtful, "That actually...makes so much more sense." He then groaned, "Why didn't I think you that! I knew there is a reason I loved you, Brucey bear."

Bruce smiled a little, " I thought that was because of my- and I quote- 'work on anti-electron collision'"

"That too obviously," Tony waved a hand in the air. " So you think she made it up?"

"It could be true. From what I observed in my limited interaction, I think she might have been mistreated for being a mutant." Seeing Tony nod his head in agreement, he continued. " Maybe Melina was some family friend was saw the opportunity and decided to send her away but couldn't come with for some reason."

"Makes sense." Tony turned away to fiddle with some sort of design displayed on the work table, "What do we do now?"

"We wait I guess." Bruce said thoughtfully, " And when the things settle down a little then we can come back to what should be done."

Tony hmm'd in agreement. That was that. Now what to do with Loki. He left his suit guarding Loki so that should work for now but they needed to fix shifts, there was no way he was letting the kid near Loki again.

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

With Thor's arrival came a wave of conflicting emotions, hate, rage, loathing, disgust, betrayal and....and a disgusting amount of longing.

"Brother," Thor inclined his head towards him, sorrow and conflict coated the word.

Loki looked away, he couldn't even bear to look at him. It was too much of a struggle to figure out what he felt.  What was real and what was the result of the destruction the mad titan wrecked in his mind.

For a second he wished he hadn't snapped out of the entrance when the green beast slammed him on the floor, at least then he didn't have to deal with this painful process of trying to recover his own mental faculties. Pathetic.

"What is the Man of Iron's suit doing here?"

Loki saw the archer move towards him, he could almost feel the anger in his soul. It was delicious. "And where is Natasha? Jarvis?"

Loki almost rolled his eyes, he wondered if they realized how stupid it had been for them to leave him with the spider as a guard. The enticing woman had slipped away after threatening him to stay put. As if she could stop him if he wanted to leave.

At least Stark was smart enough to leave his suit on guard, it was almost insulting how much they underestimated him.

"Miss Romanov exited the building soon after your departure, Sir issued the order for the suit to stand guard after our little guest managed to find her way to Mr.Odinson."

Barton let out a string of curses, Thor's hand tightened on Mjolnir. Loki felt a little spark of amusement at the situation. If he wasn't in a tremendous amount of pain already, he would've considered-provoking them. Instead, he just chose to relax his muscles as much as he could and tried to enjoy their panic.

They raved a little about what could have induced the spider to take such an action then they threatened him again-boring- before deciding to go talk to Stark. And they left him alone. Again.

Dunderheads the lot of them. With these sorts of decisions, it was a wonder their planet wasn't overtaken yet.

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

Once they knew Romanov skedaddled it didn't take long to find out exactly what happened. Apparently, Thor decided that he'd changed his mind about leaving the scepter on their greedy old Earth and took Barton with him to get the scepter back.

They left Romanov in charge who made a run for it after she got a call from Shield asking for immediate backup.

Tony felt smug and made a show of it, he knew someone messed up and for the first time that someone was their resident spider. Now she didn't get to lecture him about him being unresponsible. Pot, Kettle.

"Sir, it is almost time for lunch."

"And since when did I program you to become my mother, Jarvis?'"

"Since you asked me to remind you of lunch so Little Miss Potter doesn't have to eat alone."

Tony cursed, "Right, the kid. Okay em, What did she do in the past...how many hours?"

"Four hours. She played with the projections for some time, took a nap and as of now she is busy looking down the balcony"

His fingers stilled on the screen he was working on, "Looking down the window? What the hell does that mean?" He could almost imagine the kid dangling on the side of the building, thrown through the window,- No, Loki was locked downstairs.

"She is looking through the camera view, sir."

He grinned, "Oh, right. Never should've doubted you, buddy."

"It is perfectly alright sir."

Tony stretched out his arms, taking the opportunity to push the smoothie Dum-E made off the table into the trash, it had a weird texture to it that just screamed motor oil.

"Nah, it really is not. Let's go see what our resident Giant and pixie wants to eat. Tell Bruce to take his beautiful ass to the penthouse would you, he's down in the bio lab."

"Consider it done, Sir."

Tony hummed standing up he cast a last look at ideas he had for damage control, the city was pretty much trashed and it could use some help from Stark Industries.

The vague plan for a department for help was slowly solidifying into something concrete in his mind as he made his way to the penthouse.

The kid was sitting cross-legged on the floor, huh she seemed to really like sitting on the ground, Tony had on idea why. A projection was playing on the ground, he couldn't see what she was looking at until he got a little bit closer.

"The hospitals, of course, faced an overload of patients this last week but we are happy to announce that the survivors of midtown building leveling are making a steady recovery. Experts are of the opinion that if it wasn't for the actions of Iron man the death count would be in millions not Hundreds. Tony Stark self-proclaimed genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist-"

"Not really sure you should watch that Lilo, pretty gory stuff on there" Tony announced his presence, casually signaling Jarvis to change the channel to a list of Disney movies before the clip of him carrying the nuke into the blasted hole played again.

Alyssa tilted her head a bit, "Mister Jarvis said it was okay. It's em cens-censored?"

Tony made an agreeing noise at the back of his throat falling on the couch, his eyes still fixed on her.

Alyssa stared down at the screen with a frown rubbing a hand over a particular title, Tony leaned forward. "Its 'Lilo and stitch', I presumed you haven't seen it since you didn't understand why I called you lilo."

There was no answer, after a while Alyssa raised her eyes to meet Tony's. "Can I ask you something?"

Tony raised his eyebrows, "Sure?"

The kid opened her mouth before closing it, she looked thoughtful for a while before her shoulders relaxed," I was wondering what a playmobile was."

Tony's face must have conveyed his confusion because the kid rushed to explain."The woman on the news channel, she called you a playmobile f-lan-to-pist?"

Tony heard a distant wheeze, ah Bruce must have arrived. He kept his gaze on the kid, "Ä Philanthropist," He stressed, " is a person who helps humanity by a generous donation of money to good causes.

"And what about a playmobile?"

Tony suppressed a smile, "Aaah, let's leave that alone until you're let's say...fifty." There was a laugh from behind them, Tony turned his head a little and winked at Bruce who had a hand over his mouth.

Alyssa humphed," But I wanna play mobile, what is it?"

Tony looked around trying to find something to get out of the situation, it was like a bulb lit up in his mind or rather in his case an arc reactor. He took out his phone and handed it to her, "That's a mobile."

Alyssa turned it over in her hand casting a critical glance over it looking unimpressed, "So you play with it? Like one of Dudley's games?"

"Yep, "Tony answered, mentally cataloging the new name she had provided.

Alyssa scrunched her nose," I like books better."

"It has books on it,"

Alyssa looked at him with incredulity, "Books on this?" Tony nodded. Alyssa made a face, "I don't think so."

"Well your loss, Kiddo."Tony tried to take back the phone only for the kid to hold it away from him looking suspicious as if Tony was trying to trick her.

"I'll make you a new one, come on Kid. I'll even make it pink. Gimme back my phone."

Alyssa sucked on her lip handing over the phone, "I like red and gold."

Tony grinned almost seeing the face Bruce must be making, "We'll get along juuust fine, Kid."

Bruce sat on the couch next to him his face still holding some mirth, "Don't let it get to your head."

Tony leaned back with a smile, "Too late, it already did."

[fernandothefox]

Consider this.

The Winter Soldier isn’t loyal to Hydra. He doesn’t really know what loyalty is, what it means, what it feels like. And after every wipe (he knows there’s been more then one, he knows) he is brainwahed into being a weapon, (a gun that they shoot and shoot until the clips empty and then they just pop out the clip and insert a new one, same gun new person)but not a loyal one.

And one day he knows, rather this wipe or the next or 5 after, that he will finally be able to shoot the hand that aims him. He knows this as he knows he isn’t loyal fo Hydra.

——

Consider this.

Bucky Barnes was extremely smart, the best sniper in his time, a mathematician in his own right. And so it is right to assume the Winter Soldier is just as smart, if not a little smarter. He is cunning and cold and smart, so he waits. Winter doesn’t remember his days of Before, he knows he has them, because why would they sit him in the Chair, but he doesn’t remember anything concrete. No feelings or anything hazy. Just a vague since of something being there that he can’t reach.

But of all the things Winter is, patience is so far his best quality. So he waits. He stops fighting as hard to get out, and in turn Hydra’s wipes get more and more spread out. So he watched them, the scientists who don’t belive in anesthesia, the soldiers who believe themselves superior, and his Handlers who think they own him.

Winter may not know what loyalty feels like, but he can guess what Freedom tastes like and—

Oh, how he hungers.

——

Consider this.

One day when Winter has watched and watched like a jungle cat in the bushes, when he has learned how to take care of his arm from watching the doctors, and how to blend in from the soldiers, and how to kill from the Handlers, he escapes. He swiftly kills every Hydra agent in the bulding, he takes what he need and what he wants, and he escapes.

Hydra gluttoned themselves on their apparent victory over him and the one’s outside, complacent in the way they handles him.

He hasn’t been wiped in a year.

Winter kills the Hydra base with ease, his “betrayal” a surprise to everyone but him. He walks into the harsh Russian snow, the cold barely bothering him as he is used to the bone deep cyro that he once lived in. He walks into the snow, belly and mind filled with Freedom.

He is free in a sense, and he has no idea what to do.

——

Consider this.

He lives in an abandoned apartment, in a vacant town. Killed off by the snow , wildlife, or both. He is miles away from any Hydra base, and so he is in his apartment thinking. Planning.

What do you do with Freedom? Winter has never had so many choices offered to him before, what should he eat? Wear? Have?

He decides to make it simple and wear black, eat bland, and have whats needed.

Winter is still cold, still slightly brainwashed, and still not loyal.

He is lost in this new Freedom, no purpose. No way in his now Free life.

——

Consider this.

He fixes a broken small tv he found a floor below, hooks it up to the still running electricity, and watched the only channel available.

The news.

He watches and he learns, about the way civilians live, the way they think, morals and the such.

He learns and decides he wants that.

He wants what they have.

Winter doesn’t now this, but this is the first thing he actually wants.

Freedom he needed, like air and water, but morals? No, thats something he wants.

And so he heads out into the small town with it’s small library, and he reads.

And reads.

And reads.

——

Consider this.

Winter isn’t Bucky Barnes, he has half filmy memories from Before, laughter and light and warmth. No faces, no voices, no names.

Winter isn’t Bucky, but he still hunts down Hydra. In his path to find something he wants, he decides that Hydra is bad. As he learned they tortured him, and according to his books on morals, that is bad.

Winter wants to be good. He wants to be good so, so much. He wants to be like Iron Man, Black Window, HawkEye, he wants to be good.

In a childlike manner, Winter copies the teachings of the books to heart, killing is wrong but Hydra is bad, so this is ok.

Winter is still a ghost, still barely known to anyone, even those in Hydra. So taking down base atfter base is easy, when the blueprints to everyone is copied down in your brain.

——

Consider this.

Winter had a well worn morals book that he keeps on him at all times, the cover is slightly bent but every page is still prestine. He reads it over and over and over again, a personal bible that he worships in his own way.

He reads it when he wakes up, he reads it when he stakes out, he reads it while he eats. The Winter Soldier learns what love is, as he loves this book.

He has read every book in the very small library twice over, from fiction to fact he knows what each book is about. He has learned he likes math textbooks, hates drama books, and loves romance. Psychology and Sociology (as few of them as they are) help him learn how to help himself.

He doesn’t now if Before him likes Romace books or math books, he doesn’t now if he is like Before him. For once the thought of that doesn’t make him feel nauseous.

——

Consider this.

Eventually Winter has to leave. He runs out of food and he has stayed in one place long enough. He packs up and heads to another town.

Moscow is very popular. He is homless in a sense. No credentials and never working a “real” job before leaves him homless. He is okay with that though, he has his books (his morals one, two favorite math books, and pretty much every romance book), his suitcase, and the few blue scarves he managed to still.

He finds himself living under a bridge, other homless people flocking to his dangerous arura that keeps the thugs away.

For the first time Winter has found himself friends(?).

——

The homless know that Winter isn’t normal, for one who names their child Winter? And two, noone carries that many knives and guns on theire person. But he’s sweet in his own way, teaching them how to handle a knife without them asking, sharing the game he find with the rest of them.

He’s kind if not a little weird. The quirks he has are bizarrely funny in the face of his monotone being. The morals book a 10 year old kid, brave girl that one, asked him about it.

“I want to be good. Good people have morals. I am learning.”

Was the answer, baffling in it’s simplicity. And the way he rubbed his hands on his scarves when wearing them, “i’ve never felt anything as soft before, i’m not used to cloth like this.”, the romance novles he read in the open “i enjoy the emotions explained in them, they have taught me much in the way of human interaction.” And even the way he only wore blue and black.

Winter was weird, but he was kind, a wild bear who decided to befriend you kind of person.

But all good things must come to an end.

——

Sheild found him, eventually.

Threatening the homless friends (family?) he gained, he packed his bag, left a knife with the brave 12 year old girl who so long ago asked him questions about his books, and left quietly with the Black Widow and her agents.

They handcuffed him, stripped him of every weapon the could find, and had him watched as them went through his belongings.

Black widow commented on everything she found, from scarves to books she had something to say.

“Scarves?” “I was not allowed pleasure items.”

“Math?” “I enjoy it.”

“Romance?” “I do not understand emotions.”

Until finally she reached his favorite book, his morals books.

She looked at it a long time, face black as she flipped through the well loved pages.

“Why do you have this.” Winter looked at her for a moment before looking back at his book. “I do not remember anything from Before, they took many things from me, Hydra did. I want to be good not bad, but i do not understand morals. What are they? And so i learn.”

Black Widow looked at him, searching for something, he knew not. Whatever she found must have satsfied her, as the rest of the plane ride was in silence.

——

Consider this.

Winter is broght before sheild, in a glass box ment to contain monsters, and he is questioned. Winter has learned from his book that lying is bad, and so he doesn’t. Anything they ask is answerd truthfully or not answerd at all.

When the questions are done he makes one simple request “May i have my morals book?”

They give him his morals book adn he sits in silence and re-reads the book over and over again.

In another room the Avengers and Nick Fury watch him in quite disbelief. This quite man was supposed to be the heartless killer Winter Soldier?

They didn’t know what to do as they watched Winter read his book.

——

They let him out with the conditions he became an Avenger, something Winter was unprepared for but accepting of. He wanted to be good.

He met them all, Natasha, Bruce, Tony, Clint, and Steve who was watching him in disbelief.

“Bucky?”

Winter frowned, “Who the hell is Bucky?”

And so the truth came out, as it is wont to do.

——

Consider this.

Winter lives in the Avengers Tower with Tony Stark. Unused to everything, he seeks him out.

Tony who is working on an un-brainwashing tool is too busy to notice Jarvis letting Winter in.

Winter marvels at the future, a new romance novel held in his hand. He sits on the floor besides Tony’s desk, cracks open his book, and gets lost in the words as much as Tony is lost in his schematics.

——

Consider this.

“Why are you here!?”

“I wished to spend time with you, i find your company more enjoyable to the others. You do not mind that i am Winter and not Bucky.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?? I could have brought you a chair or something Freezer-burn, jeez!”

“I am ok sitting here, i do not require a chair. Would you like to hear about my Romance novel, A day in the Woods?”

“-sigh- You know what? Sure Deep Freeze, let me here it”

——

Consider this.

Two men wanting to be good are brought together from unlikely circumstances, different but similar, they become fast friends. Maybe in the future lovers? Maybe not.

Winter is happy, a well work book always on his person as he learns to be good.

——

Ok idk where this came fron lol. You can continue this if you want lol,, just credit me please! But yeah i’m bad at writing dialogue if you havn’t noticed... very chunky... ;P

Anyway i just had a thought “what if Bucky escaped early and reads a morals book?” And yeah here it is haha!!

[winterphantom]

Muse: Chapter 2

Chapter 1 

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

You move into the tower, and get a little more familiar with some of its residents.

Read HERE on Ao3!

A/N: I’m actually going on vacation for the next 2 weeks, so this will be the last update for a while, but once I get back this should continue with (hopefully) weekly updates. Feel free to send me some requests to work on when I get back. Also, I have no idea why it took me this long to write Sam Wilson.

Warnings: Awkwardness?

-

You glide your pencil across the page absentmindedly, thinking about meeting the Avengers. Today was the day you were moving into the tower.

Despite everything going well when you were all introduced, you were nervous about living with the team, since you’d never actually worked with them before. You’d only been on a few covert missions supervised by Steve or Tony when your particular skillset was required. You felt a bit out of place; after all, you weren’t a badass spy, a super soldier, a demigod, or any sort of genius. Sure, you were intellectually sufficient and well-trained in combat from your time with SHEILD, but your main power was just… disappearing. Turning invisible didn’t seem quite on par with the rest of the team’s skills.

Your power was interesting. In theory, it was easy to control. Basically, if you wanted to turn invisible, you would. However, in reality that feeling occurred far too frequently. Just being nervous was enough to do it sometimes. That’s what the drawing helped with; keeping you grounded and making sure you didn’t vanish. If you got overly distracted, it was easy for your mind to drift away, and your physical form along with it. Holding something, feeling something real was key to keeping you visible. Funnily enough, it was easier for you to disappear than not to most of the time.

For far from the first time since your first meeting, your mind wanders back to Bucky. You couldn’t seem to get his gaze out of your head. He was so striking, and yet so good at being unassuming. You’d never seen someone vanish that easily who didn’t have the benefit of invisibility. Although, come to think of it, stealth must have been vital for an assassin. No. You push the thought from your mind. Clearly Bucky wanted to put his past behind him, so you shouldn’t be thinking about it.

Sighing, you glance down at your page. While you had been thinking, your hands had continued drawing of their own accord. Staring back at you were a pair of eyes, sketched roughly but clearly recognizable as those of none other than Bucky Barnes. Of course. You stare at the picture for a while, then rip the page out and throw it away. You’d have to be more careful. If you were going to live under the same roof as the team, you surely couldn’t be caught drawing pictures of your colleague. You get up from where you’re sitting to finish packing your bags.

-

“This all you got?” Tony asks, pointing to the few bags you drag out of the elevator.

You nod.

“Geez, remind me to give you a bigger paycheck so that you can splurge a little.”

You chuckle at him, and he grins back.

You turn to bring your bags to your room, and spot Steve sitting on the couch. Next to him, of course, is Bucky. Those captivating eyes meet yours once more. You tear your eyes away to glance at Steve, who is now standing up and strolling towards you. He greets you, and to your surprise, Bucky moves to follow him to where you’re standing. However, he stays a step behind him.

“Welcome home,” Steve declares, smiling warmly at you. “Need some help with those?”

He gestures to your bags.

“Uh, yeah, if you wouldn’t mind…” you reply sheepishly.

“I’m sure our two hulking super soldiers won’t mind helping you out with that,” Tony assures you. “I’ll see you all later.”

With a wave, he’s gone.

Steve chuckles, shaking his head at Tony.

“He givin’ you a hard time?”

“No more than usual,” you respond, smirking.

He grins back, before picking up a bag like it weighs nothing at all. You swear you see a flicker of a smile cross Bucky’s face before he does the same, and the three of you head towards your room.

-

“I guess we’ll leave you to unpack, then?”

Steve lays the last of your bags next to the bed.

“Thanks Cap… Bucky,” you stammer, nodding in their direction. Bucky nods back at you.

“Don’t be a stranger,” Steve answers back. “Once you’re settled in, we’ll be around if you need anything. The rest of the team too.”

The friendly smile remains on his face. You appreciate how nice he’s being to you, but honestly, the last thing you need is to be surrounded by everyone on your first day there. So you simply nod again, and Steve leaves you be with Bucky sauntering out behind him. You can’t help but watch him as he leaves.

When the door closes, you let out a breath and let your posture relax. There was something so captivating about Bucky; the way he moved, the way he looked, and that quiet intensity that seemed to follow him wherever he went. For only meeting him a few times, he’d made quite the impact on you. But he made you nervous, and probably not for the reasons people might expect. You weren’t totally sure how to interact with him. Not yet.

You rummage through you bags and pull out your sketchbook and some pencils. To keep your anxiety down, you start sketching while sitting at the desk tucked in the corner of your room. You had to admit, Tony Stark had style. The accommodations were far more luxurious than you were used to. There was a giant bed in the middle of the room, a closet that you couldn’t even fill up halfway, and a wall of windows with a great view of the city. And, of course, each room had its own bathroom, which was much nicer than even the fanciest of hotels. Again, you wonder if you really fit in here.

You turn your attention to the page in front of you and try to focus on what you’re drawing lest you have a repeat of what happened earlier. You forcefully push Bucky’s face out of your brain.

-

A knock on your door breaks your concentration. You’re not sure how long you’ve been sketching, but the pages in front of you are almost totally covered.

“Hey, it’s Steve. Can I come in?”

You shoot back a “sure” as loudly as you can, and Steve opens the door.

“Hey,” he says, leaning against the doorframe.

“Hey Cap,” you respond, shutting the sketchbook and turning to face him.

“You can just call me Steve, you know,” he tells you, laughing.

You can feel yourself getting flustered again.

“Right, uh, Steve, what’s up?” you say, attempting to sound as nonchalant as possible.

“Just checking up on you. I figured you might want something to eat at some point today.” He smiles that perfect smile again.

You check your phone. You had been cooped up in your room longer than you’d realized.

“Um, yeah, I guess I probably should…” you reply timidly.

“Me, Sam and Bucky are ordering pizza, if you’re interested. Otherwise, I think Tony and some of the others are going out for dinner…”

Your face must have given away how you feel about that option, because Steve chuckles at you again.

“Okay, what do you like on your pizza?”

-

Steve had texted you to inform you that the pizza had arrived, so you’re currently making your way down the hallway towards the kitchen. You overhear some voices, which you assume belong to Steve, Sam and Bucky.

“She’s cute, huh?” You think that’s Sam.

You hear someone scoff, and assume it’s Steve.

“Seriously. What do you think, Mecha Man?” Sam again.

You hear someone grunt but you don’t hear an answer. You wonder what they’re talking about.

As you turn the corner into the room, the three men all turn to look at you. Bucky’s eyes seem to widen slightly when he sees you, but his mask of stoicism falls back into place in an instant. Steve sits at the head of the table, Bucky sitting to one side and Sam on the other. Man, that’s a lot of pizza, you think to yourself. Boxes are strewn haphazardly across the table, some empty and others looking like a pack of wild animals had mauled the contents. You stifle a giggle. You guess it shouldn’t surprise you, given all three were huge guys, two being freaking super soldiers. They probably went through a lot of food.

“Hey! She finally decides to show herself!” Sam shouts at you, smirking. Steve offers you a wave while Bucky nods at you, just as you did to him earlier.

“Hi guys,” you greet, approaching the table tentatively.

“Take your pick,” Steve says gesturing to the mess around them. “Sorry, we might’ve gotten a bit carried away.”

You giggle as Sam continues to smirk at you. The corner of Bucky’s mouth twitches upwards. You scan the table and make your choice, picking a plate up from the end of the table and throwing a few slices onto it.

“You want a drink?” Sam asks, raising an eyebrow at you.

“Sam, please don’t try to get the new recruit drunk before her first training session tomorrow,” Steve sighs, shaking his head.

Sam raises his hands defensively.

“Hey man, I was just gonna offer her some water.”

“Sure you were.” Steve laughs, standing up. He walks to the fridge, grabs a bottle of water and tosses it to you.

You grab it midair, and Sam responds with an appreciative whistle.

“Good reflexes. That’s a plus.”

Bucky looks rather unamused while Steve just shakes his head, smile never faltering.

“So,” Sam continues, “besides the quick reflexes, what’s your thing?”

You freeze up for a second. You weren’t really fond of discussing your powers. Your fingers twitch, anxious for a pencil or anything to occupy themselves with. You try to think of how to answer while also trying to focus on not immediately giving him a demonstration. Bucky’s piercing eyes land on yours for a moment, as if he can sense your discomfort.

Steve, however, being more familiar with how your brain works, swoops in to save you again.

“Quit being impatient, Sam. You’ll find out tomorrow,” he chastises him.

You shift uncomfortably, not knowing whether to sit with them or take the food back to your room.

“Fine, keep your secrets for now,” Sam states, waving a hand dismissively. “But tell me this… you like movies?”

The question knocks you off guard for a moment, but you nod, feeling the smile creep back onto your face. Sam beams back at you.

“Good. I’m trying to catch these senior citizens,” he gestures to Steve and Bucky, “up on all the best ones they missed. Tonight’s Star Wars night. You up for that?”

You hesitate for a moment, but ultimately agree.

“Sure.”

-

Steve and Bucky were sitting on the couch in the middle of the living room. Sam had opted for the chair next to where Steve was sitting, so you took the one across from him, putting you next to Bucky. You had spent the first few minutes of the movie trying not to stare at him, and you’d caught him turning his attention towards you more than once. After a while, though, you’d gotten wrapped up in the movie playing in front of you. Sam occasionally piped up, providing some clever commentary and making you laugh. By the end of the movie, you were the most relaxed you’d been in a long time.

Just as the credits start rolling, Tony and the rest of the team amble from the elevator out into the common room. You unintentionally let out a squeak, causing Sam and Steve to burst out laughing. You see Bucky try to cover his mouth with his hand as he looks away, but he’s not quick enough to hide the fact he’s laughing too.

The team members greet the four of your and head to their separate rooms. You wave and mumble a few hellos. Soon Tony is the only one left, taking in the sight of the group of you.

“Have fun, kids?” he quips.

“Star Wars is always fun,” Sam retorts, earning a grin from you.

“Well, you managed to get that one,” he points to you, “out of her room, so you must’ve done something right.”

“Maybe we’re just better company, Stark,” Sam states, causing Steve to chuckle.

“Alright, enough of this. It’s getting late and we’ve got training to do tomorrow,” Steve says, using his best Captain America voice.

Tomorrow. You gulp, already getting nervous. Bucky glances at you. Oblivious, Sam rolls his eyes at Steve.

“Why you always gotta ruin our fun?”

“I’m actually with the Captain on this one. Bedtime, children. See you bright and early tomorrow.” With that, Tony leaves the room.

Steve gets up, causing Sam to groan as he follows suit.

“Fine, fine. We’ll have to watch the next one some other time.” He turns to address you. “You’ll watch that with us too, right?”

You nod, evidently satisfying him. You and Bucky stand up at the same time, blocking each other from walking around the couch. You feel your eyes go wide and your face heat up.

“I-uh, sorry,” you manage meekly.

Bucky just takes a step back, gesturing with a hand for you to go first. You walk by as fast as you can without actually running, Bucky just a step behind. He stays that way, as the group of you walk towards your rooms. You notice that he seems to have positioned himself between you and Sam. Unfortunately, he’s just far enough behind you that you can’t discreetly steal a glance at him, so you keep your gaze locked ahead. As you approach your room, Sam and Steve wish you goodnight and turn to their own rooms. Bucky lingers for just a second, and for the first time that night, you hear his voice.

“Night,” he whispers simply, his voice quiet and raspy.

Before you can even turn to respond, he’s already making his way back down the hall.

-

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