#connection: thaddeus

[autisticcassandracain]

I really. Should sit down and figure out what to do with Shilo in my Fourth World canon

[call-me-strega]

Dc x Dp Prompt #10: Inter-Dimensional Bake-Off

Alfred was checking the mail the manor had received that day when he found it. In between bills, fan mail, and company missives was a regal purple envelope addressed to one Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth. Intrigued, Alfred set aside the rest of the mail and sat to open the letter.

Inside was a high quality cardstock invitation of a metallic silver color decorated with luxurious midnight green script. It declared on the front:

“You Are Cordially Invited”

Alfred raised an eyebrow and flipped open card.

Dear, Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth You have been cordially invited to participate in the first annual inter-dimensional bake-off to celebrate the coronation of the young, King Phantom, age 21, Ruler of the Infinite Realms, the Great One, Protector of Souls, Keeper of Peace, The Perfect Balance, The Infinite King, Ancient of Space and Reality. We have discerned that you are among the top 25 bakers in the 11 most stable and prominent dimensions with an open connection to the Infinite Realms. Thus, we would like to offer you the opportunity to show off and test your skills against talented competitors. Should you accept, all transport, accommodation, amenities, materials, and potentially needed medical care shall be provided by the King and his court. If you would like to bring any specific ingredients or tools you are welcome to file a request for them when you arrive and they shall be summoned to you at the start of the competition. You are allowed one plus one either as an assistant or moral support. Should you have any questions please write them down and place them on the sigil on the next page and recite the incantation bellow: “bonvolu respondi mian demandon” The event shall occur in a fortnight upon the weekend before the kings official coronation ceremony. In order to confirm your participation in the competition please burn this letter with one of your most recently made baked goods. In order to decline simply dissolve this message under running water. Please confirm your attendance or absence within a week’s time. Kind Regards, the Council of Ancients Advisors to the Good King Phantom

Well, it seemed like Alfred had earned a place in a rather prestigious event. ‘It seems a finally have a reason to make use of all those vacation days Master Bruce keeps insisting I must utilize.’ He smiled to himself, tucking the letter into his pocket. ‘I wonder if Master Jason would be amicable to accompanying me for a weekend of baking in a magical dimension?’

~ Just in case anyone has trouble reading the letter:

Dear, Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth You have been cordially invited to participate in the first annual inter-dimensional bake-off to celebrate the coronation of the young, King Phantom, age 21, Ruler of the Infinite Realms, the Great One, Protector of Souls, Keeper of Peace, The Perfect Balance, The Infinite King, Ancient of Space and Reality. We have discerned that you are among the top 25 bakers in the 11 most stable and prominent dimensions with an open connection to the Infinite Realms. Thus, we would like to offer you the opportunity to show off and test your skills against talented competitors. Should you accept, all transport, accommodation, amenities, materials, and any potentially needed medical care shall be provided by the King and his court. If you would like to bring any specific ingredients or tools you are welcome to file a request for them when you arrive and they shall be summoned to you at the start of the competition. You are allowed one plus one either as an assistant or moral support. Should you have any questions please write them down and place them on the sigil on the next page and recite the incantation bellow: “bonvolu respondi mian demandon” The event shall occur in a fortnight upon the weekend before the kings official coronation ceremony. In order to confirm your participation in the competition please burn this letter with one of your most recently made baked goods. In order to decline simply dissolve this message under running water. Please confirm your attendance or absence within a week’s time. Kind Regards, the Council of Ancients Advisors to the Good King Phantom

The Esperanto translates to “please answer my question"

Edit: now with possible contestants

[valiantverses]

Tremors

Ghoap X Reader

Summary: A therapist's waiting room wasn't exactly the place to have the most engrossing conversations. People were usually jittery, tense, or straight-up despondent. Somehow, you manage to strike a strange sort of connection with the retired military couple that had the Thursday slot just after you anyway.

Trigger Warning: Angsty. Discussions of Soap's injuries, the reader has mental health struggles and everyone has communication difficulties to some degree.

A/N: Scuttling out of the woodwork after having a pain flare, a breakdown, a career shift and getting some life altering surgery. Here's a new series while I rework all my previous writing!

Comments, questions, requests and constructive criticisms are welcome. Hate is boring and will go unacknowledged.

_

Maybe therapy wasn't for you.

Baring your soul to a total stranger and unearthing your life to be scrutinised by somebody. Then having that somebody turn around and drop you as a client because you were 'beyond their scope' and recommending you to someone else. It left an acrid sort of burn at the back of your throat as you settled into the sofa in the cheery waiting room of your hastily found counsellor.

Tick.

The leather underneath your fingers was squeaky. Static-y. The kind of leather where the grooves of the well-worn parts of the couch were buttery smooth and a slightly darker shade of black until it reached the bits that weren't quite as worn.

Tock.

The sound of papers shuffling and a low voice calling out a name drew your attention. It wasn't yours. Wordlessly, you watched a woman to your left stand up. The rubber of her cane cracked across the linoleum as she she signed her name on to the clip board at the desk, murmured her greetings to the therapist and made her way inside, the door shutting with a soft click.

Tick.

St. Jude-Thaddeus Hospital's Rehabilitation and Pain Management Clinic had the honour of being the only facility of any sort in your area that offered psycotherapy services. Affordable ones, anyway. Something to do with being integrated into the Ministry of Defense Hospital Units for disabled veterans- but you didn't need to know, so you didn't ask.

You'd take what you could get.

Tock.

You glance up at the clock once more, seeing that you were now close to 10 minutes to your first ever appointment with this therapist. A part of you wanted to fast forward the next 40 minutes of your day. Maybe the next few hours. Get to the point where your obligations were done and the first meeting was over and done with.

Tick.

When the door opens next, you don't look up this time. You try to contain the shake of your hands and focus on that squeaky leather underneath you. The thumps of footsteps don't register before the slight sink of the couch does. When you glance up, it is to the bluest eyes you could imagine.

He was handsome, a part of your brain helpfully informed you. Dark eyelashes framing a sort of azure blue, shards of indigo flecked about like sleet in the rain. His tanned skin had that slight leatheriness that could only come from working under the sun, the hand jutted out towards you littered with callouses-

"-hnny MacTavish, haven't seen you round here before."

Your hand moves mechanically to accept his handshake, mouth producing syllables you knew was supposed to be your name.

Realising the beat of conversation had stretched on longer than it should and it was now your turn to fulfill your part of the social contract that the stranger had looped you into, you broke eye contact and glanced back down at the worn linoleum.

"It's my first time."

There was a snort to the other side of you, from a bulky man sat diagonally from the line of chairs you and Johnny were sat in.

You quickly ammend your statement "-with this therapist. Just moved in."

His bulk seemed to carve away the space of the room, hulking shoulders leading to a thickly corded neck, lower face covered in a black face mask and his eyes a thin ring of deep ocean blue. What little skin you could see of his face looked sallow. Drained.

"Ignore tha' git. Insists on tagging along with me like I'm a wee wain and wreaks havoc of all sorts." The voice from your left supplied as you quickly began reassessing the relationship between the two strangers you found yourself in the middle of.

"You two know each other?"

There was a rumble to your left, a deep bass-y sound you realised was laughter. "Could say that, ma'am. "

"My partner," Johnny supplied, eyeroll evident in his voice as you turned to look at him once more. It was a little overwhelming having to keep turning your head to and fro because of the way the chairs were positioned, and your fingers dug into the leather once more.

Slippery, smooth. Pebbled with some long indentations.

"That's Simon. We've been at this shrink for give or take four months now-"

"Fifteen weeks."

"*-would'a noticed a bonnie lass like you on our weekly, enlightening visits." His quip was cheery, but there was an element of sarcasm you couldn't quite place.

This conversation felt like navigating a field full of landmines. Couldn't ask about his condition, why the weekly visits rather than the gold standard (That is, the national healthcare coverage) of every two weeks, why fifteen weeks- so you asked the only thing you felt you could.

"She any good? The counselor, I mean."

Johnny blinked, head tilting and making eye contact with his partner - Simon - there was a flash of something twisting across his face as the wordless conversation happened in a split second.

It was fascinating. The sort of communication that only happened when two people had an intimate well of knowledge of the other person.

Then dawn broke across Johnny's face and he turned back to you with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Aye, lass. Not afraid to crack into your brain and really dig around. Well good laugh too, great to interact with given I've really only spoken to four people or so since I retired an' all."

You tried not to read between the lines. Tried not to stare at the way he leaned back to rub at the jagged line across his scalp, the puckered edges evident under the peach fuzz of dark hair. He was giving you what he could without dragging a stranger into his own vortex of struggles. You could relate.

"Retired? From military service?"

Regret looked different on people's faces. For some, there was a grimace. Maybe a slight widening of the eyes in realisation, or a hitch in their breath. Self-reproach for bringing it up in the first place. For Johnny, it appeared to be a slight furrowing of his brows and a darkening of his sky blue eyes as he edged backwards.

A cough and the scraping of the chair behind you drew your attention, looking to your right to meet the cold stare of the blond. Briefly, you felt like a cornered animal. Your hands grew still. His gaze was assessing, stony face giving nothing away except the overwhelming vibe of back the fuck off. His eyes flicked over your shoulder and then back to yours.

"Sounds like they're finishing up in there. You should sign in."

It appeared you had clambered out of the field of land mines only to immediately fall into a sinkhole.

Stuttering your goodbyes, you make to stand up, making the same trek the young lady had towards the desk. You fought to control the tremors of your hands. One stayed tucked deeply in a pocket as the other wrote your name down through sheer muscle memory. Sure enough, the door opened and the woman walked out with her mobility aid, a cheery voice calling out your name from inside.

As your shaky palm took hold of the doorknob to twist it so you could enter the room, you caught snippets of the conversation happening behind you.

"Bothering you-"

"-Ost, It would have been fine-"

"Your hands were shaking again-"

"Ach- I had it under control!"

"You don't owe strangers anything. Not after everything you've-"

"Please- I just- I need to have a feckin' conversation about it without breaking down-"

The door shut with a click.

As you sat down in front of your new therapist, you resolved to try and move your appointments to a different day.

[ghouly-boiiiii]

Does Max give anyone else major twist villain vibes???

Okay I haven't talked about Max much yet, but I think it's kinda wild to see people talking about him like he's just this sweet innocent cinnamon roll when my read on his character was the COMPLETE opposite.

I mean yes, he does seem very sweet. He's very soft spoken. Naive in a way like Lucy, but not as much. Kinda vulnerable. Got a killer smile. And some of the moments with him and Lucy are super cute and adorable. But damn if he doesn't have a DARK side!

Like I've heard people say that Max is stupid or that Aaron Moten's acting is bad, but hell no. Aaron Moten sold me on his acting during the interrogation scene. Max was scared shitless and I FELT that. I think Max was meant to be played as a character who lacks understanding about certain things and seems disconnected from people due to both being brought up in basically a cult and having an inherent lack of empathy.

You think about the fact that he admitted he wanted Dane to get hurt, someone who's supposed to be his best friend. How he coldly sat there and watched Titus die. And before that stood there and watched him get mauled by a bear, almost like he was fascinated by it and wanted to see what was gonna happen. The fact that he tried to kill Thaddeus the moment he became a threat, even though the two of them had appeared to have bonded and developed a genuine friendship. And let's not forget he was willing to let all of Vault 4 get plunged into darkness just so he could keep playing with his power armor.

Max wants to be a knight, he wants to be a hero. And I think he tells himself he wants it for the right reasons, but I think what he REALLY wants is power and recognition. Which is really what every (okay maybe not every, but a lot) good villain wants, right? Because at the end of the day Max wants what Max wants. He's selfish, even though he doesn't think he is.

And sure, he's nice to Lucy. And he went balls to the wall to save her when he thought Vault 4 was gonna execute her. But she's a pretty girl who helped him and offered him a safe home. When she gave him the proposition that if she helped him bring back the head, he would have the Brotherhood lend her some knights to save her dad, he KNEW he couldn't make that promise. But he made the deal anyway. So he doesn't REALLY care about her or what she wants.

And that blank stare he gets when he gets mad? ACTUALLY terrifying. The guy's got serious psychopath vibes. Literal anti-social personality disorder, if you ask me. In fact the first thing I thought about when Max let Titus die is this kids going to end up going to the dark side lol.

And I think that would work really well thematically if they plan on giving The Ghoul a redemption arc beside it. There are so many parallels between Lucy and The Ghoul, and they have such a strong connection to the beginning when the bombs dropped. I get that Max is there to represent the Brotherhood and he's from Shady Sands, the town Hank destroyed, but it felt weird that he didn't seem to be AS important in the grand scheme of things compared to Cooper and Lucy.

But if Max turned out to be a badass twist villain to thematically contrast Cooper's redemption arc, while Lucy remains steadfast to her commitment to goodness and the golden rule I feel like that would really round it out. It would make sense if you consider a lot of people have pointed out that Lucy, Cooper and Max all seem to represent different play styles and different moral alignments. And I think it'd be pretty crazy if the writers of the show set out to make it seem like Ghoul is a bad guy and Max is a good guy, but then it ended up being the opposite.

I mean, there are definitely hints all over the show that The Ghoul isn't as bad as he may seem. And Max has already done some pretty messed up stuff, so I'd say the possibility is totally there, and I'd be here for it!

Who's with me???

[preservationofnormalcy]

(Pictured above - a map showing the current segmentation of the Burroughs, the People Below's sections of political territory, with annotations showing the leaders of each. Which Burrough do YOU reside over?)

Public Information File 55661: The Molemen/The People Below.

The Office provides this information to the extranormal public in order to educate about our neighbors Below. Let's learn about the Molemen - together!

The Molemen first appeared on the Office's radar in 1965, when one Thaddeus Marsh, an expert in soon-to-be illegal genetic engineering and anatomy manipulation, began to talk to colleagues in the extranormal sciences community about retreating underground. Fearing nuclear annihilation in the Cold War, many of his associates agreed with him.

Using currently-classified anomalous technology, they created a series of self-replicating bunkers deep underground, starting with small rooms that expanded into massive complexes that gradually connected via long tunnels. Railroad systems were established in these tunnels, and by 1971, enough work had been done that Thaddeus Marsh felt confident moving people underground.

The work was quick, but the other scientists, hired workers, and civilians drawn by the promise of safety had not expected Marsh's mental deterioration. All of the personnel who moved underground were trapped and subjected to extranormal genetic and anatomic manipulation to "better adapt" them, in Marsh's belief, to a life underground.

From 1971 to 74, Marsh, now known as the Underking Murmur, ruled with an iron fist. His territory expanded under the lower 48 states, and parts of Canada and Mexico. His madness seemed to grow with his power, kidnapping cavers, miners, and other surface-dwellers to induct them into his army. Developing unimaginably vast factories, he created digging machines capable of moving anomalous amounts of dirt. By 1974, his plan to invade the surface world with these machines became widely known among the People Below.

The organizing body responsible for the incredibly complex logistics of moving so much earth, the Miner's Union, fomented a revolution in the Underground in mid-74. After three months of vicious fighting, the loyalty of the Underking's minions was tested and found wanting. Underking Murmur was deposed, and in its place the Union members created a council. The Underking's territory "balkanized" into 12 loosely-allied "Burroughs" that the Office recognizes as the political authority of the People Below.

With recent diplomatic efforts, the Office for the Preservation of Normalcy has welcomed the People Below to the surface under our Legal Extranormal Persons program.

[brunchable]

𝐌𝐫. 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭'𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 | 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 | Stucky x f!reader.

Part Two | Four Pairings: Bucky Barnes x f!reader, Steve Rogers x f!reader | Daughter of Thaddeus Ross (Red Hulk) Words: 5.8K Themes: Forbidden/Off-Limits Reader, Love Triangle, M for Mature, 18+ , Post-Endgame, AGE GAP (24y/o reader). Summary: Steve and Sam discuss Steve’s lingering thoughts about the mysterious woman he danced with at a party, while Bucky continues his therapy sessions with Y/N. Y/N ends her engagement with Ethan, leading to a tense confrontation with her father, Thaddeus Ross, who pressures her to maintain the arrangement for political reasons. Y/N’s growing connection with Bucky becomes more apparent, but her father's expectations weigh heavily on her, leaving her conflicted about her future. A/N: Steve's song can be One Kiss by Dua lipa lmao.

taggies: @astrelz @pattiemac1

Steve and Sam had just finished their usual morning run, both catching their breath as they walked toward a bench, sandwich in hand, their usual routine after.

Steve’s hair was still damp with sweat, and Sam wiped his forehead with the back of his hand as they found a park bench. The park bustled with early morning energy—people in suits rushing, joggers taking a break, and the steady hum of traffic in the distance.

"You know, you’re getting slower, Cap," Sam teased, flashing Steve a grin as they sat down.

Steve smirked, settling on the bench. "I thought I’d take it easy on you."

Sam chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, right. Three days ago, you were out there dancing like you had moves I’d never seen before, and now you’re holding back on a run?"

Steve sighed, "You’re not gonna let that go, are you?"

"Nope. You’ve been quiet since that night. A little too quiet, if you ask me."

Steve avoided Sam’s gaze, watching the pigeons on loitering around. "It was just... a one time thing."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Just a one time thing? Come on, man, I saw you two. There was something going on out there, and it wasn’t just the music."

"I don’t even know who she is." Steve finally looked up, a small smile tugging at his lips. 

"Doesn’t matter," Sam replied, shrugging as he took a big bite. "You don’t need to know her to know that something clicked. That’s why you’ve been all broody these past few days."

Steve sighed, leaning back in his chair and looking out at the city as it buzzed with life around them. The memory of her—of the girl he’d danced with—had stayed with him, playing in his mind over and over. Her smile, the way she moved, the way it felt like the rest of the world had disappeared for those few moments.

"I don’t even know her name, Sam," Steve finally admitted.

"So what?" Sam shrugged. "You’ve got instincts, right? If it felt right, you should do something about it."

Steve glanced over at him. "And do what? Ask around for the girl I danced with at a party I didn’t even want to go to?"

Sam grinned. "It worked for Cinderella."

Steve rolled his eyes, but Sam didn’t let up. 

"All I’m saying is, you don’t get moments like that every day. Whatever happened on that dance floor, it’s been on your mind for three days. That means something."

Steve opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, a cyclist zoomed past them, so close that their Sam almost dropped his sandwich. Both Steve and Sam jerked back in surprise.

"Whoa!" Sam shouted after the cyclist. "Watch where you’re going!"

"This city..." Steve shook his head, laughing softly. 

"You know, you could’ve used that super-soldier strength to tackle the guy." Sam pointed.

Steve gave him a deadpan look. "Yeah, that would’ve gone over real well. Captain America assaults cyclist—makes headlines."

Sam laughed, but the seriousness returned to his voice a moment later. "Look, man, I know you’ve been out of the game for a while, but you deserve to live a little. If that girl gave you even a glimpse of something good... you should try to find her."

Steve stared into the distance, the thought hanging in the air. Could he really track her down? Did he even want to?

"Trust me," Sam added, "might be worth a shot."

Steve sat in silence for a moment, thinking it over. Sam’s words weighed on him, the idea of taking a chance—of finding her again—slowly growing in his mind.

Before Steve could say anything, a group of women walked past their bench. One of them glanced back, her eyes widening as she recognized him. She stopped in her tracks, tugging on her friend’s arm.

"Oh my God, aren’t you... Captain America?"

Steve sighed inwardly, but a polite smile spread across his face. "Not anymore," he said smoothly, pointing to Sam, "he is."

The women turned their wide-eyed stares to Sam, and for a moment, there was stunned silence. Sam blinked, his expression somewhere between amused and baffled.

"Oh... um..." one of the women stammered, clearly caught off guard.

Sam shot Steve a playful glare, then broke into a broad grin. "That’s right," he said, leaning back in the bench with exaggerated confidence. "I’m the new and improved model."

The women giggled, their surprise quickly turning into admiration. "Can we get a picture with both of you?" one of them asked.

Sam didn’t miss a beat. "Only if you tag me as the real Captain America."

Steve chuckled, shaking his head. "Come on, let’s get this over with."

The women quickly snapped a picture, and after thanking them with enthusiasm, they moved on, still buzzing with excitement. As they walked away, Sam shot Steve a mischievous grin.

"You know, I really should start charging for these appearances," Sam said.

Steve rolled his eyes but smiled. "Maybe you should."

As Steve sat back down, Sam shook his head, laughing. "Man, even when you’re trying to lay low, you can’t avoid the spotlight."

Steve gave him a half-smile, but his mind was elsewhere. He stared out at the busy street, Sam’s words echoing in his head.

"Maybe you’re right," Steve said quietly.

Sam raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

"About finding her," Steve said, his voice firming up, “I mean. . . my life has been feeling a bit dull.”

Sam grinned, slapping Steve on the shoulder. "Now that’s what I like to hear."

Steve shifted on the bench, a new determination building inside him. He didn’t know how he was going to do it, but Sam was right. 

× × × ×

Back at the mansion, Y/N barely had time to settle in when her father stormed into the room. Thaddeus was not a man easily angered, but when he was, the entire house felt the weight of it. Today was one of those days. His presence loomed large as he stood rigid in the doorway, his eyes cold and piercing.

“I just got word that you ended your engagement,” Thaddeus’s voice was sharp, each word cutting through the air. His hands clenched into tight fists at his sides as he took a step forward. “Without even telling me.”

Y/N’s heart raced, but she stood her ground, refusing to shrink under his gaze. “I didn’t need your permission, Dad. It was my decision.”

Thaddeus’s eyes narrowed, his face hardening. “Your decision?” His voice rose in fury as he closed the distance between them, looming over her. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? This wasn’t just some personal arrangement, Y/N. This was a political move—a way to solidify alliances. And now, you’ve destroyed it.”

Y/N could feel the tension radiating from him, but she refused to let his anger rattle her. “There was no love between us, and you know it,” she snapped back, her voice steady despite the pounding in her chest. “I wasn’t going to marry someone just because it suited your politics.”

Thaddeus’s expression darkened, his jaw clenched. “This isn’t about love. This is about duty. This is about the family, about what we stand for! You’ve always been reckless, thinking you can make decisions like this without understanding the consequences.”

“Oh my gosh! Duty? So are we some part of the royal family?,” Y/N shot back, her voice trembling but resolute. “I couldn’t live a lie anymore.”

Thaddeus’s laugh was bitter, “You’ve never had to live the life I’ve lived, Y/N. You’ve always had everything handed to you, protected from the real world, from real responsibility. Well, guess what? Life isn’t about what you want. It’s about what you have to do. It’s about playing your part.”

Y/N felt the weight of his words sinking in, but she wouldn’t back down. She’d made her choice, and for the first time, she’d done it for herself.

“You better take it back,” Thaddeus ordered, his voice low and menacing. “Call him. Fix this. The engagement is not over.”

Y/N blinked, stunned by the sheer audacity of his demand. “Take it back?” She let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “You want me to go back to Ethan? To a man who’s still in love with his ex? That’s what you want?”

Thaddeus didn’t flinch. “It’s what’s necessary.”

“Necessary for you,” Y/N said, her voice rising as the frustration bubbled over. “You’re already president! What more do you need? This is my life, Dad. Not another political maneuver you can use to your advantage.”

Thaddeus’s gaze sharpened, his lips thinning into a hard line. “You don’t understand how the world works. You’re my daughter. Everything you do reflects on this family, on me. You think you can run around making decisions on a whim? That’s not how this works.”

“I won’t go back to him,” Y/N said firmly, her voice steady with defiance.

Thaddeus stepped closer, his voice low but dripping with cold authority. “You don’t have a choice. In a month’s time, I’ll be introducing you to the world. The daughter of President Thaddeus Ross. You will stand by my side and play your part, whether you like it or not. You’re not just my daughter. You are an extension of everything I’ve built.”

Y/N felt the suffocating weight of his words settling over her, like a blanket she couldn’t shake off. She had always known that being Thaddeus Ross’s daughter came with expectations, but now, more than ever, she felt like she was nothing more than a pawn in his grand political game.

“I won’t be part of your plans,” she said, her voice quieter but laced with firm defiance.

Thaddeus’s eyes bore into hers, his face hardening into a cold, unreadable mask. “You already are,” he said simply, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Without another word, he turned and stormed out of the room, leaving Y/N standing there, her hands trembling as the enormity of his expectations pressed down on her shoulders. The life she wanted, the freedom she craved—it all seemed further away than ever.

× × × ×

Y/N sank onto the couch, her mind racing. Ending things with Ethan had felt like the right decision, but her father’s reaction made her question everything. Could she ever escape this life? Could she ever truly be free from her father’s control?

Her gaze drifted around the room, settling on a framed photograph sitting on the mantle—one of the few pictures she had of her mother. It was old, faded at the edges, a reminder of a woman she never got the chance to know. After her parents had separated when she was just a baby, her mother had disappeared from her life completely. All Y/N had were secondhand stories and a face in a photograph.

Her father never talked about her mother, and Y/N had stopped asking questions long ago. But sometimes, like now, she couldn’t help but wonder what her life might have been like if she’d had her mother around—someone who could have balanced her father’s rigid expectations, someone who could have shown her what it meant to live freely.

But that life had never been an option. Her mother was gone, and her father was all she had. As much as she tried to carve out her own path, the weight of being Thaddeus Ross’s daughter was always there, pulling her back in.

Her thoughts drifted away from the heaviness of her family and back to her recent encounters with Bucky. There was something about him, something different from everything else in her life. He didn’t push, didn’t demand. He just... was. And that simplicity, that calmness—it was starting to mean more to her than she had anticipated.

Her thoughts shifted to Ethan when she noticed a missed call from him. She stared at her phone for a long moment. They hadn’t spoken since she called off the engagement, and part of her wanted to ignore him. She had made her choice—there was nothing more to say. But curiosity tugged at her. What could he possibly want now?

With a resigned sigh, Y/N tapped on his number and brought the phone to her ear. It rang twice before Ethan picked up, his voice cool and calculated, as always.

“Y/N.”

“Ethan,” she replied, her tone cautious. “I saw your missed call. What do you want?”

There was a brief pause before Ethan spoke again, his voice more measured than before. “I’ve been thinking about everything that happened. About the engagement.”

Y/N’s defenses went up instantly. “There’s nothing more to talk about. I ended it.”

“I know, and I’m not calling to argue that,” Ethan said, his voice calm. “I get why you did it. I’ve been thinking about what you said. Maybe you were right, but that doesn’t change what’s happening around us.”

“What are you getting at, Ethan?” Y/N pressed, her voice sharp. “Why are you calling me?”

“Look, this isn’t easy for me to explain over the phone,” Ethan replied, his voice dropping to a more serious tone. “But we’re in a complicated situation right now, both of us. And it’s not just about us—it’s about our families and that event your dad wants to hold.”

Y/N sighed, already feeling exhausted by the conversation. “I know all of that. But I’m not going back to the way things were, Ethan. I’m done.”

“I’m not asking you to go back to that,” Ethan said quickly, his voice becoming more urgent. “Just... hear me out. I have a plan, a way for us to manage this without blowing everything up.”

Y/N frowned. “What kind of plan?”

“It’s hard to explain,” Ethan replied, his voice vague and careful, almost too careful. “But I’ve been thinking. There’s a way to do this... to make sure we both come out of this in one piece. But you’re going to have to trust me.”

Y/N’s stomach churned. “Trust you? Ethan, I ended things because I didn’t want to keep pretending. You want me to trust you with something you won’t even explain?”

“I know it sounds like I’m asking for a lot,” Ethan admitted, his voice softening slightly. “But trust me when I say I’m looking out for both of us here. I’m not going to let this get messy—for you or for me.”

Y/N clenched her jaw, frustrated by his vagueness. “You can’t expect me to just go along with this without knowing what you’re planning.”

Ethan sighed heavily. “I get it. I do. But right now, I can’t give you all the details. It’s just... complicated, I’m arranging plenty of things okay? And I need you to trust me on this. You don’t want to deal with the fallout if we handle this the wrong way.”

Y/N bit her lip, her mind racing. The idea of trusting Ethan after everything felt absurd, but something about the way he was speaking, the way he kept insisting, made her pause. She hated the thought of going along with anything Ethan was plotting, but part of her wondered if he was right—if handling things the wrong way could make everything worse.

“And what exactly am I supposed to do in the meantime?” Y/N asked, her voice low, testing the waters.

“For now, just... we act like we did before,” Ethan replied, sounding almost relieved that she hadn’t hung up. “Just let things settle. Your dad becoming President is a huge deal.”

Y/N sighed, feeling the weight of it all pressing down on her. “I’m not going to pretend forever, Ethan.”

“I’m not asking you to,” Ethan said, his voice firm. “But this is bigger than us right now. Just... trust me. I promise you, it won’t be like this for long. I want out as much as you do.”

Y/N sat in silence, conflicted. She didn’t trust Ethan—not completely—but the idea of making things messier, of causing a scandal in the middle of her father’s presidency, made her stomach churn. She didn’t know if she had it in her to make things worse for everyone involved.

“I’ll think about it,” Y/N finally said, her voice hesitant but tired.

“Sure, think about it, but don’t dwell on it too long.”

Y/N ended the call and placed her phone down on the coffee table, staring at it for a moment. She had always thought that ending the engagement would free her, but even now, it felt like she was still trapped, still playing a role in a life she didn’t want.

Her mind drifted to Bucky, to the quiet ease of their encounters. There were no plans, no demands, no complicated webs of politics and expectations with him. He was just... Bucky. And right now, more than anything, that simplicity was what she needed.

× × × ×

Session 2

Bucky sat with his arms crossed over his chest, his body tense. The room was quiet, save for the soft ticking of a clock on the wall, and the distant murmur of voices outside the door. He glanced around the room, his eyes landing on the notebook in Y/N’s hands. She was back in her professional attire—hair neatly pulled back, glasses perched on her nose, and her demeanor all business.

Therapist mode.

It felt strange to Bucky now. Over the past few days, he’d run into her outside the office—at the market, at the coffee shop—and each time, she had been different. Relaxed. Playful, even. It was hard to take her seriously now, after seeing her “real” character, the carefree woman who laughed easily and joked around. This version of her felt stiff, too controlled.

“So,” Y/N began, her voice calm and measured, as she glanced up from her notes, “let’s talk about the list.”

Bucky frowned. “The list?”

“Your amends list,” she clarified, looking him directly in the eye. “The one you’ve been working on.”

Bucky shifted in his seat, his eyes flicking to the window. “Right. That.”

Y/N remained unfazed, her gaze steady as she waited for him to continue. “You’ve made some progress,” she said, glancing at the file on her lap. “But there are still names on that list, aren’t there?”

Bucky hesitated, then shrugged, leaning back in his chair. “Yeah, there are names.”

Y/N nodded, her expression neutral. “How does it feel, working through it?”

Bucky sighed, glancing back at her. “Honestly? It feels like a damn chore,” he muttered, not hiding his frustration. “I’m sorry, but I’m finding it hard to take this seriously.”

Y/N raised an eyebrow, clearly expecting more. “Why is that?”

A smirk tugged at his lips. “Well, it’s a little tough taking therapy advice from someone who I’ve seen spill her coffee and laugh about it, or humming ‘80s pop hits while picking out apples at the grocery store.” He shrugged, the smirk widening slightly. “It’s like... therapist by day, party animal by night. Hard to keep a straight face after that.”

Y/N stared at him, her expression completely unchanged, the silence in the room growing heavier by the second.

Bucky’s smirk faltered slightly as the silence in the room dragged on. He shifted in his seat, suddenly feeling like he was under a spotlight. 

“Tough crowd,” he muttered, letting out a short laugh.

Y/N didn’t budge. She kept her gaze on him, unblinking, before calmly responding, “It’s not about me, Sergeant. It’s about you and the work you’re doing here.”

Bucky’s smirk faltered. He hadn’t expected her to call him out so bluntly. He looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, I guess.”

Y/N continued, her voice steady but a little softer. “I get that it might feel strange after seeing me in a different context. But here, this is the space where we work through things. You can joke, but the process still matters.”

Bucky’s jaw clenched. He wasn’t used to this version of Y/N. Outside, she had been easygoing, someone he could joke with. But here? She wasn’t giving him any leeway.

He sighed, his hands resting on his lap. “Yeah, well... it’s not just that. The whole list... It feels pointless sometimes. What’s the point of making amends when none of them will ever forgive me?”

Y/N’s expression softened, though her gaze remained steady. “It’s not about them forgiving you, Sergeant. It’s about you finding a way to forgive yourself.”

Those words hit a little too close to home, and Bucky shifted uncomfortably in his chair, his gaze dropping to the floor. “Easier said than done.”

Y/N leaned back slightly, giving him some space. “Of course it is. But you’ve already started. You’ve been facing those demons. You’re not running anymore.”

Bucky met her eyes, feeling the tension in his body slowly ease. 

Y/N flipped to another page in her notes. “You said you’ve crossed a few names off the list. Tell me about them.”

Bucky hesitated. He wasn’t used to opening up like this, but something about Y/N—therapist mode or not—made it a little easier to talk. “There’s this one... Yori. His son... I killed him. Not on purpose, but... it happened. I still haven’t told him the truth.”

Y/N stayed quiet, giving him the space to continue.

“I’ve been spending time with him,” Bucky went on, his voice quieter now. “He doesn’t know why I’m there, though. He just thinks we’re friends. And I—” He stopped, his throat tightening again. “I can’t bring myself to tell him. How do you do that? How do you tell someone that you’re the reason their son is dead?”

Y/N’s gaze softened, but she didn’t offer easy answers. “You don’t have to rush that conversation,” she said gently. “You’re allowed to take the time you need. But when the moment comes, you’ll know. And it’ll be the hardest thing you’ve ever done. But it might also be the first real step toward healing.”

Bucky clenched his fists in his lap, the weight of her words settling over him. Healing. It felt impossible sometimes.

For a moment, there was silence between them. Y/N scribbled something in her notebook, then glanced up at him again. “You’ve done more than you realize. You’re facing these things head-on, even when they terrify you. And that... that takes courage.”

Bucky scoffed softly. “Courage, huh?”

Y/N smiled faintly. “Yes, courage. You’re here, aren’t you?”

Bucky met her eyes for a long moment, something unspoken passing between them. He wasn’t sure what it was, but it felt... different. Like she understood him more than most people ever could.

“Yeah,” Bucky said quietly, glancing down at his hands. “I’m here.”

And for now, that was enough.

× × × ×

After Bucky's session, Y/N sat at her desk, absently scrolling through her emails. A new message popped up, and her heart sank when she saw the subject line: Event Details – Ross Family Introduction.

She hesitated for a moment before clicking on it, her stomach churning as she read through the formal invitation. In a month’s time, her father was planning to host a grand event where he would officially introduce her to the public—his secret family, finally revealed. It wasn’t just a casual introduction; it was a spectacle, one that would change her life forever.

The ornate wording of the invitation made her feel even more trapped. There was no escape from this. Her father expected her to be perfect, to play the role of the ideal daughter, to smile and wave and uphold the pristine image of the Ross family. 

Her phone buzzed, pulling her attention from the email. It was a text from her father: We’ll go over everything soon. Be prepared.

Y/N stared at the message, the weight of it all hitting her again. She was being groomed for a life she didn’t want, expected to conform to an image she didn’t recognize. 

She leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples, her mind drifting away from the impending event. Her thoughts wandered back to earlier that day, to her session with Bucky. She had kept her cool, remained professional, but one thing from that session stood out more than the rest: the moment Bucky had called her a party animal.

The comment had caught her off guard at the time, and now, thinking back on it, something about it gnawed at her. A faint, fleeting thought crossed her mind, one she quickly dismissed—but it returned just as fast. Could Bucky have been the guy she danced with at the party?

Her heart skipped a beat at the memory of the man on the dance floor. No, she reasoned. It couldn’t be him. The guy she kissed looked different. His hair was shorter, his face was less familiar. And yet, something about the way Bucky had looked at her earlier, the way he had joked about seeing her outside of therapy, lingered in her mind.

But Bucky couldn’t be the same guy. Could he?

She sighed, shaking her head. She was overthinking it. There was no way Bucky was the mysterious man from the party. The man looked different, acted differently. And yet, the thought wouldn’t fully leave her.

Y/N glanced back at the screen, at the email detailing the event that awaited her. The weight of her father’s expectations pressed down even harder now, but her mind remained distracted, circling back to Bucky and the lingering feeling of familiarity she couldn’t quite shake.

× × × ×

It was late afternoon, and the air was warm with a gentle breeze as Y/N jogged along the park’s winding path. She loved this time of day—when the sun was low in the sky, casting everything in a golden light. It was the perfect time to clear her head, especially with everything weighing on her lately. Her thoughts kept drifting back to the event her father had planned, but out here, she could forget about it for a while.

Dressed in a sports bra and yoga pants, she moved easily along the trail, her ponytail swaying behind her as she ran. The beat of her music thumped in her ears, the rhythm of her steps in sync with the song. She was feeling good, maybe even a little confident—until she noticed two figures up ahead.

She slowed her pace slightly, squinting as she recognized them. It was Bucky and Steve, both casually walking along the path, deep in conversation. For a moment, Y/N considered veering off onto another trail, but it was too late—Bucky had already spotted her.

“Y/N?” Bucky’s voice called out.

Y/N slowed to a jog, then stopped a few feet in front of them, catching her breath. She pulled out her earbuds, her skin glistening slightly with sweat. 

“Hey, Sergeant Barnes,” she greeted with a teasing smile, her breath still coming in short bursts. She gave a quick nod to Steve. “Captain Rogers.”

Steve smiled, his eyes flickering briefly over her before meeting her gaze. “Just Steve, please.”

“Didn’t expect to see you out here.” Bucky seemed momentarily distracted, his gaze lingering on her a little longer than usual.

“Same. But I try to get a run in whenever I can.” Y/N grinned, leaning down for a second to catch her breath, aware of how her outfit might look. 

Steve, ever the polite gentleman, stepped forward, hand reaching for a shake, “Nice to meet you. You must run a lot to be out here in this heat.”

“It’s my way of staying sane.” She flashed a smile, quickly shaking Steve’s hand.

Bucky’s gaze hadn’t left her, and she couldn’t help but notice the slight flicker of something in his expression—was it surprise? Amusement? She couldn’t quite tell, but it gave her a bit of a thrill. 

“So, are you two just out for a walk?” she asked, wiping the sweat from her brow, subtly glancing at Bucky again. She couldn’t help but recall the lingering thought from a few days ago—could Bucky have been the guy from the party?

“Yeah,” Steve answered, a light chuckle in his voice. “Bucky’s been showing me the less crowded areas. He likes to keep things... quiet.”

“Like I said, no need to be recognized every five minutes.” Bucky scoffed.

Y/N chuckled, catching her breath fully now. “Smart.”

There was a brief silence, and Y/N couldn’t help but feel a little awkward standing there in front of them, especially with how intensely Bucky was watching her. She shifted slightly, not entirely sure why she felt so on edge around him, especially after the last session. The whole party animal comment still gnawed at the back of her mind.

“So... how’s the list going?” she asked, throwing the question at Bucky, more as a distraction than anything.

“Even on a jog, huh? I thought we weren’t in therapy mode right now.” Bucky smirked, raising an eyebrow.

“Just curious. But if it’s confidential, I’ll back off.”

Steve glanced between them, an amused smile creeping across his face. “Looks like you two know each other. . .well?”

“Yeah, we’ve crossed paths a few times.” Bucky shrugged, still watching Y/N. 

“More than a few,” Y/N added playfully, though her heartbeat seemed to stay quickened. 

Steve gave a nod, his curiosity piqued. “Interesting.”

“Well, I’d better get back to my run. You guys enjoy your walk.” Y/N straightened, glancing between the two of them. 

Before either of them could respond, Y/N turned and jogged off, feeling their eyes on her as she went. She could almost sense Bucky’s gaze lingering a little longer than it should have. Her mind raced, that same nagging thought creeping back in: could it really have been Bucky at the party?

As she rounded a corner and left them behind, she couldn’t help but glance back, catching Bucky’s eyes one last time. No, it couldn’t be him. Could it?

× × × ×

Bucky watched as Y/N jogged away, her form disappearing around the bend of the path. She was hard to ignore—especially dressed like that, with her confidence and energy radiating off her. It was a stark contrast to the calm, composed version of her he’d seen in their sessions. 

What made it worse, though, was the fact that he knew. He knew Y/N was the woman Steve had danced with, the one he kissed at the party. Steve hadn’t figured it out, hadn’t made the connection. But Bucky had. He’d recognized Y/N after seeing her many times, her face too familiar to forget. But he hadn’t said anything. He didn’t know why he kept it to himself—maybe because it wasn’t his business.

His mind wandered back to what she said earlier—about the list. Even outside of the office, she seemed to care about his progress. But Bucky had to admit, something about seeing her like this, away from their usual serious conversations, made it harder for him to keep things professional in his head. Especially with her jogging off like that.

“You’re staring, Buck.”

Bucky blinked, forcing himself to look away. “No, I’m not.”

“You are. And don’t try to deny it.” Steve chuckled.

Bucky shook his head, trying to play it off. “I wasn’t... I was just—” He trailed off, unsure how to finish the sentence.

“You were just... admiring the view?” Steve teased, a knowing smile creeping across his face.

“Shut up, man.” Bucky shot him a glare, but it lacked the bite. 

Steve’s grin widened. “I get it. She’s... hard to miss.”

Bucky exhaled, his jaw tightening. He hated how obvious he must have looked. “It’s not—She’s... she’s my therapist, kinda. It’s complicated.”

“Oh, so it is like that.” Steve raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’ve got a thing for your therapist?”

Bucky shot him another glare. He DID NOT have a thing for her, but ever since the first time he ran into her outside of their sessions, he’d been struggling to reconcile the two versions of Y/N—the professional therapist and the carefree woman he kept bumping into. And now, seeing her like this? It wasn’t helping.

“No, I don’t,” Bucky said, though it sounded more defensive than he intended. “She’s just... different than I thought. That’s all.”

Steve chuckled again, shaking his head. “Whatever you say, Buck. But from where I’m standing, it seems like she’s gotten under your skin.”

Steve watched as Bucky’s eyes lingered on the spot where Y/N had disappeared around the bend. He could tell Bucky was trying to play it cool, but it was obvious—Y/N had thrown him off his game. Steve knew Bucky well enough to recognize when something, or someone, had shaken him.

“You know, she seems pretty cool,” Steve said casually, watching for Bucky’s reaction. “Smart, confident. You don’t see that every day.”

Bucky grunted in response, still not looking at him.

Steve smirked, deciding to push a little further. “So, how long have you known her?”

Bucky shrugged, clearly trying to downplay it. “Not long. We’ve just run into each other a few times. Nothing major.”

Steve wasn’t buying it. There was more to this than Bucky was letting on. 

“Uh-huh. And you didn’t mention her before because...?”

Bucky finally looked over at Steve, his face guarded. “Because there’s nothing to mention.”

Steve gave him a look, the same one he’d been giving Bucky since the ‘40s whenever Bucky tried to avoid a subject. “Right. You’re just staring after her because... nothing.”

Bucky let out an exasperated sigh. “Look, she’s a therapist I’m seeing for some stuff. That’s it. I didn’t bring it up because it’s not a big deal.”

“Not a big deal. Well, she clearly left an impression on you. The way you were watching her jog away... if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were interested.”

Bucky frowned, throwing his arms in the air. “I am not interested, Steve.”

Steve smiled, leaning in a little. “You sure about that? Because it seems to me like maybe it’s a little more complicated than you’re letting on.”

Bucky shook his head. 

Steve’s smile softened, and he gave Bucky a nudge. “Look, man. I’m not saying you have to do anything about it. But maybe... don’t ignore whatever you’re feeling. You’ve been through a lot. It’s okay to let someone in.”

Bucky didn’t respond, his jaw tightening again. Steve knew he wasn’t going to push it any further for now, but he could see it—Y/N had definitely gotten under Bucky’s skin, whether Bucky was ready to admit it or not.

As they continued their walk, Steve glanced over at Bucky, a small grin playing on his lips. He’d keep this little observation to himself for now, but he’d definitely be keeping an eye on this whole situation. Something told him this wasn’t the last time Y/N was going to cross their paths.

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

[lucky7h1rt3en]

A Fallout Theory

So, first off, I actually don't have any issue with the Ghoul lore changes in the show. I think they're actually pretty valid for a TV setting, and considering how spotty and often contradictory Ghouls are throughout the games, what's a little more?

That said, let's go off what we *do* know about Ghouls and their likely feral fate. It's not an inherent inevitability. We know that, although it can happen at random for some, it is often kept back by human interaction and made worse with extreme radiation contact. But even that doesn't make it a guaranteed fate. There are even a couple cases of glowing Ghouls who have their functions intact(Jason Bright and Oswald the Great). And while many Ghouls do down all the chems they can get their hands on, that's not the case for all, so it's not like the chems keep the feral rage away. So what *is* that serum?

Well, I think it's all to do with our favorite loony, chicken-loving snake oil salesman. He's creating his own supply and demand. Whether he's the mastermind behind it all or not is yet to be seen, but I'm sure he is at least in on one giant scam. Either way, he targets the injured, sick, and desperate, and turns them into Ghouls, then they hear through the grapevine, via other Ghouls, that there's a way to stave off that horrible fate all Ghouls fear...But there's a cure! Or at least a way to ensure it stays at bay. The problem? Stop taking it, and you WILL turn. It's its own medicine. It essentially infects any unwitting Ghoul, making them turn feral, but it keeps them from turning if they take more in time. In essence, any Ghoul unfortunate enough to be fooled and take that first dose is doomed already, and the only way to avoid being feral is by taking more. But any Ghouls who have not will go about their day like they would otherwise.

Whether that serum is the *same* one that turned Thaddeus or not is also a bit up for debate. If it is, then I would bet that any Ghoul turned by the serum is inherently doomed to turn feral sooner than later, which just means there are more who spread the rumors about the stuff that can save them from turning feral. If it isn't, and it's instead the weird experimental drug Hancock took that turned him into a Ghoul in Fallout 4, I really don't know. I feel the former is more interesting.

I obviously haven't fully fleshed this out, but it is something that hit me suddenly while trying to figure out what's going on with that serum, and I made the connection to the snake oil salesman, and now I can't shake that I might be onto something. That, or I need to lay off the mentats and maybe swap Hancock out for Nick for a little while. Either way, it's something I am starting to think through, and I'm hoping we actually do learn more.

[cryptocism]

I’m losing my mind over this and maybe it’s already like common knowledge in the fandom but like. Did they really come up with Thad’s name by flipping “bart” around and adding a line to the r. I’ve included a diagram. Like there’s no way this is a coincidence right.

listen you have no idea the kind of deep dive i went down looking up the origins of the names Bartholomew and Thaddeus, wondering if the writers purposely named them after the two apostles that brought christianity to armenia, looking up a bunch of stuff about saints because i know very little about christianity, getting WAY too deep in the weeds seeing if i could write some kind of thematic connection into Frequency, and then realizing this exact thing and being like

oh

[punkeropercyjackson]

Red Hood and The Outlaws rewrite

Co-made by me,@insomniac-jay,@moonage-gaydream,@mayameanderings,@theautisticcentre and @refrigeratedboombursts.It is a BIG ASS FUCKING MONSTER

Starts in 2010 and ends in 2020 with 120 issues

The lineup is,in joining order:Jason Todd(Red Hood and briefly a Star Sapphire),Eddie Bloomberg(Red Devil),Rose Wilson(Ravager),Summer Kent(Ignite and brierly a Black Lantern),Pepper Jackson(Star Sapphire),Thaddeus Thawne(Inertia),Kahali Roy(Bloody Mary),Duke Thomas(Robin),Imani Javiera(Panthress),Kyle Rayner(Green Lantern),Artemis Grace(Artemis of Bana-Mighdall),Venus Sparks(Star Sapphire),Mathew Wayne(Batboy and briefly a Green Lantern),Lilith Morningstar(Hex)and Daisy Hilliard(Paradisia),Jennifer Williams(Batgal) and Azriel Morningstar(Ghoul)

Jason,Eddie and Rose are the 'Original Outlaws Trinity' and them and Summer are the 'Dark Core Four'.Jason is the founder and leader and Summer his right hand man who takes over when he can't

Almost all trans and autistic with Pepper as the token allistic and Mathew the token cis.Jason is afro-dominican,Rose and Artemis are brownskin and brown eyed,Summer is a half white afrolatina(dominican),Thaddeus is half black too,Kahali is indian(sindhi-bengali),Imani is afro-puerto rican and Venus,Lilith,Azriel,Daisy and Jennifer are monoracial black women.Jason,Summer,Imani and Lilith are also fat and Jaysumm is tank4tank

Sometimes a found family can be 17 crazy ass vigilantes who some of weren't even vigilantes at first

The series is very goofy and silly often and in it's fundemental spirit but equally dark and layered in the same sense and is heavy on gags,jokes,violence and social talk.It also takes place over 3 in-universe years

The canon couples are Jason/Summer,Eddie/Lilith,Rose/Pepper,Thad/Azriel,Kahali/Tim Drake,Duke/Luna Vasquéz,Imani/Vicia López,Kyle/Venus,Artemis/Daisy and Mathew/Jennifer.The other adult Outlaws view eachother with very strong platonic love that can be taken as polyamorous love except Summer and Imani who are sisterly and the kid Outlaws are seen as younger siblings by them with Thad also being considered their adoptive son-By Summer especially and he straight up views him as his mom

Jason is goth punk,Eddie is a metalhead,Rose is goth butch,Summer is pastel punk,Pepper is y2k,Thad is a skater,Kahali is whimsigoth,Duke is a fashionista,Imani is black y2k,Kyle is losercore-i mean distinct,Artemis is a jock,Venus is ghetto fabulous,Mathew is weirdcore,Lilith is scenemo,Daisy is a softgirl,Jennifer is a prep and Azriel is kidcore

Summer is the Team Mom and Jason the Team Dad and they're nicknamed 'Supermom and Dadhood' as a teasing joke that they only embrace post getting together(And yet somehow this dosen't stop Jason from saying Summer is a milf with complete honesty and zero hesitation)

Their base is called The Fortress-named by Summer obviously-and it's an old abandoned huge residence that they started living in after exorsicing it due to investigation leading them there and the moving in decision was made because the beings in it agreed to bless it with eternal running water and electricity as a thank you for helping them move onto the afterlife at last.Everyone has their own room with their own tricked out aesthetic but it's common for them to share their beds and Imani refuses to actually sleep alone,not that any of them mind after a while despite her unconventional sleeping habits

Small note:Kyle is in the same age group as Jason but because i feel he's even more interesting if he starts out being a power ring bearer as a teenager and it adds extra tragedy and opportunities to his plots.And they don't actually meet until adulthood-Their mutual connection is Kyle and Summer having been a thing for a short time when they were both teens and Jason being Summer's childhood best friend since they were 11.This notion also applies to Artemis,she gets introduced as a teen hero too instead of that oversexualization bs and keeps her history but just adjusted so she's still Artemis Grace!!

As stated,Jason,Eddie and Rose were the original trio and Jason got them to become Outlaws pretty easily thanks to Eddie having been sidekick besties with him and Summer too and Rose is always up for moral grayness(and is coincedentally another one of Summer's exes-His first ever girlfriend in fact!)and Summer joined post Ember/Red Hood thanks to him and Jason reuniting in Utrh and the series being about them reconnecting as he unintentionally influenced him to become more sardonic and brutal like they were as a kid so the Metropolis media framed them as 'evil all along' and that hurt them so much combined with smear campaign Lex did against them as a kid he worked so hard to disprove for so long that they finally ran away from home and joined The Outlaws like Jason wanted him to so they'd be a team again.He gifted him a black domino mask as 'giving him a piece of himself' to finish off the new costume Summer made.After a decent while of just The Dark Four Core,Pepper came along as the fifth member because of her crush on Summer she'd gained due to their flirtatiouns back in Metropolis that he still both returned and they accidentally rescued Thad from dying in a chaotic and quick incident and took him in since he had literally nowhere to go

Pepperose was just a natural thing that happened-They flirted on first meeting mutually and Rose was shellshocked Pepper actually hit on her back and then kinda became obsessed with in a non-creepy way her LMFAO She acts like a booktok bf💀Peps is very happy about it though and they're 'gal pals' for about 50 issues before sealing the deal and doing the official girlfriends thing.Rose calls her Pinkie Pie and Pepper calls her 'my favorite rose'.Pepper dosen't really change all that much other than improved self-eestem and getting stronger but she also kills Slade for good out of love for Rose and that's when Rose kisses her,no holding anymore and they're married by the 2nd to last issue and Rose's codename dosen't stay Ravager for the whole series as she eventually uses the 'Willow' mantle and her arc is a heavy but good one that's all about her being human despite what others say

Kahali was gruesomely murdered by The Joker as he filmed the whole thing and sent a physical copy to Summer with a note that said 'history repeats are as sweet as you,Dearie Em'.Summer was catatonic but also stuck in his dragon/Kryptofang form and when he snapped back to conciousness,he flew to Gotham before his cremation ceremony to dunk him in the Lazarus Pit,knowing it's exact location thanks to Talia helping out The Outlaws now and then as Jason's adoptive mom.Kahali came back with Pit Powers that were much stronger than Jason's and he rubs it in his face,along with it having turned his hair completely white but he still dyes it red and Summer mother hen's him more than ever for obvious reasons(well those and the additional one is Summer also got killed and ressurected by a Gotham Rogue as a sidekick)and Kahali updated himself to 'Blood Maker'.Tim and him were a very atypical couple on every level but that only made them happier with and better for eachother and Tim entered his villain era as 'Dove' over what happened because he believed Kahali was his soulmate and saviour and even had plans to marry him despite not asking him out yet and ironically enough they reunited on the battlefield without recognizing eachother at first until Tim did first and unmasked himself in shock just like Jason and Summer.Time stood still until they rushed up to kiss in relief and disbelief in Tim's case and they started a secret long distance relathionship after that

Artemis joined for reasons that are a bit complicated to match her origin story but the jist of it is she was living in the normal world and deemed them worthy of her companionhood despite how annoying she found them(especially Jason)and they helped her out with her emotions and better translating her mannerisms and technically turned into a goddess permanently(and willingly)and Kyle had a lot of crazy ass Lanterns shit happen that had him be forced by his mentors to take a breather and he choose a crosscountry roadtrip and he met his teammates by almost running Eddie over because he was trying to eat freshly made ramen and it got in his eyes.He a bit of morals trip with his new friends and old ex boygirlfriend he's still mutually flirty with sometimes to say the least(and ends the run a White Lantern).There's heavy featuring of his parents and past in this because hooooooo boy,he is a character of all time!!

Duke is the 5th Robin because of Summer's involvement and he got a year in pretty good but then him and Bruce nearly broke apart over a fight and he got so scared of being fired as Robin because of being only a 12 year old technical orphan(jokerized parents)he followed Summer's footsteps by ditching Gotham and that was how he meet Jason,who introduced himself as his true identity to him because of Summer's positive talk of him and accepted Duke's ask for shelter and so Duke was now an Outlaw.He wasn't forced to kill but he did become pretty harsh in fights and this caused him angst only for a bit as he was reassured by the older members.Duke says to Jason in issue 110 '.....I was never a real Robin.I've been with you guys way longer than i ever was with Bruce-' and Jason cuts him off with 'Yeah,no shit you were never Batman's Robin.You're The Outlaws' Robin-You're my Robin and you always have been and you always will be' and Duke breaks down so Jason comforts him and that's when Summer walks in with their Dairy Super and Batburger double flight orders and asks what happened but helps before either even get to explain with Duke thanking him for being the reason he got to take the first step to heroism to which he gets platonically bubbly and flattered and tells him he's the perfect Robin and Duke does a toothy happy grin that takes up most of the last panel in that issue

Duke is also a reality warper because of Gnomon so he stopped the N52 from existing in his Robin run🙏🏼Duke is our god,please praise him

Imani gets hired because of her reputation as a leathily effecient spy and she fits right in,crying herself to sleep a few times after they'd been together long enough to call eachother family.She's a gremlin from the start and influences Mathew to be the same and she's close to everybody but Summer and her are interdimensional sisters soulmates a la Percy Jackson and Hazel Levesque and he was the first one to break down her walls and they go out of their way to defend the other nonstop and this helps Summer's eldest daughter syndrome trauma.Catblooded/Vimani starts in a remastered Gotham War which is about them and The Watchers and lest to say they're perfect together and Jason,Kyle,Mathew,Lilith and Jennifer NEVER let them live it down.Lilith's intro is a parody of Batman 357-Instead of stealing his tires,she hacked Jason's computer to leak his old Undertale chats and he begged her to join in humiliating ways only for it to be revealed she only did it for fun and came to join because Summer and him were close friends in their teen years but got seperated due to Hell bussiness.She made sure to take pictures 'to send to Summie of his cringelord ass hubbie'.None of these words are denied by anyone at all

At the same time this was happening,Artemis,Azriel,Thad,Pepper and Duke were on a mission and Artemis was almost fatally wounded but Daisy came in as her angel with healing oitments made with her chlorokinesis and Artemis saw her with a glowing pink halo around her head,too enchanted by her to care about almost dying.Daisy was a duo with Lilith and had the same reasoning as her for being there but they got seperated thanks to a villain attack and they're the team hacker and team medic.They picked Venus up at a party she was DJ'ing and she started as only an ally but joined them officially in a parallel to Teen Titans 2003!Tara Markov after an angst arc and it actually took her and Kyle a hot sec to get officially together due thinking their attraction was purely physical and her and Pepper did a toon girlypop squee sequence after she got the official Outlaw title as Star Sapphire solidarity.Mathew kept getting told by Gotham City-The sentient city itself-he needed to leave for now since Jennifer was missing so he gave in and he was welcomed with open arms,platonic kisses,food and appropriate training

But in a mini arc called 'Batboy's Breakout' the adult Outlaws go on mission without him despite him being the eldest and it makes him feel not good enough after the buildup of not being able to protect the other kids a few times before so when he hears of a breakout at Blackgate at bedtime,he sneaks out,stops it and kills Penguin(his birth parents' murderer)and stops an Arkham breakout too and then goes solo after leaving a note at the Fortress.They're super upset but almost all of them trust him to take care of himself with Summer as the exception thanks to how maternal he is and how he was the only one other than Kahali who was really close to him pre-Rhato.Mathew is a solo hero for roughly half a year and defeats Slade during his run before he comes back to The Outlaws and tackled in the world's biggest group hug and showered in words of love and reminisced sadness and he's misty eyed touched because he missed them too after the resentment wore off.His new hero name is 'Bladebat' for his magic sword he crafted himself while on the run

Jennifer was missing because she'd been given Lian's teleported across time and space multiple times storyline due to an accident that happened while on a quest for Solana Banks to restore her lost home dimension Helioas because she thought she'd found an articifact that would but misenterpreted it's powers.Lucky for her,her journey only lasted 1 year instead of multiple and she found her way back to Mathew's spot-Her safe spot.She wasn't ready to live normally again just yet so she stayed in the Fortress and became an official member as a result under 'Batika'.And to complete our family,Azriel had the easiest and most simplistic one-Lilith asked Jason to let her join them because of how strong she is and not having many friends so he accepted and she's actually the goriest of the Outlaws beating even Thee Red Hood in it and this is part of her demonic nature and carries no secret undertones to it.Like Flowergrace,Thadzriel was love at first newbie sight and they have such a sweet middle school dating dynamic

Luna appears in a significant amount of issues but since she's Aquafam she sticks to her own territory most of the time and her and Duke are purely platonic with love not blooming until Duke becomes The Signal and leads a new team he made called The Lights with Luna joining as 'Moonguide' and they have a slowburn that spans until their adults years as Eris(Duke)and Selene(Luna)

Jaysumm's dynamic is childhood best friends and sidekick partners > Enemies only in the technical sense > Best friends again but Jason flirting with Summer constantly and Summer not buying Jason isn't joking because of their history together > Being insuferably obviously in love and Summer's literally the ONLY one who dosen't know > Fwb who act like a couple already with Jason still only knowing it on his side and angst for him as a result > Sneaking off to take Jon off trick or treating in opposite costumes(fairy and werewolf)and Summer's epiphany finally happens so he confesses when they make it home and Jason confesses back so they make out > Official couple when exactly 11 issues remaining in a 120 part series LMFAO

🎶They don't give a damn about their reputation🎶 < Had to make that joke,mb kings.But yeah they generally don't care about perception from normies and ARE here to unteach propaganda as they fuck around and make people find out the systems are fucked.It's very embarrasing for certain superheroes that the eco-terrorists without the no kill code are better parents to their kids than they are to theirs and their legacy stays even post quasi-disbanment(They keep in contact forever ofc,it's just the plot needed them elsewheres and there's common reunions and video calls)

Culturally fused team,both race and species.Afrolatino and brown latino,kryptonian and amazonian,speedster abonimation and macabita demon,human and meta and so forth.Subculture fused too as they frequently participate in eachother's aesthetics and interests and they're all multilingual.Clashes between them occasionally but never too bad

The genre is like.Superhero comedy but also horror but also fantasy but also sci-fi but also urban fantasy but also surrealism but also romance drama but also psychological thriller????????It's the Homestuck of DC,everything ever happens in Red Hood and The Outlaws 2010-2020.This includes the catgirls and the hyperspecific lore and the weird ass art that's somehow good and the-

The covers always fuck NO exceptions,Summer does meta commentary telling fans to not buy their merch officially and to instead get it secondhand or they'll be dissapointing him but Pepper full on breaks the fourth wall,it has it's own official opening on the official DCAU channel and a few shorts and this includes a pride video like the Bubbline one by Cartoon Network and it stars Jaysumm,Pepper is the most well-known and beloved trans DC character,they're SUPER popular in in Latin America and with latino-americans,it has multiple lego sets and The Outlaws Girls even got their own doll line and they have crossover mini series with Young Justice that's 24 issues and called 'Just Us,No Laws'

[thatsmzbitchtoyou]

My Queen Chapter 5

Steve Rogers is the newly inherited Duke of Brooklyn, struggling to fix the mistakes of his parents while enduring an overbearing, matchmaking mother.  He has no intention of anything romantic in his future, but will a forced love connection with the Queen change his mind?

Warnings: smut, slight domestic violence, minor character death

Previous chapter Next chapter

Steve came home late from another date one night to find his mother waiting for him.  “Goodnight, Ma,” he yawned, walking past her briskly trying to avoid a conversation.

“Steve, wait,” Sarah called after him, her slippers squeaking against the floor.  “You need to tell me how it’s going!  That was your eighth outing with her—“

“Eighth?  Are you keeping tabs on me now?” Steve accused, his eyes piercing as he looked at her.

“Of course I am, you’re dating the QUEEN, it’s my job to know what’s going on.  Have you talked about marriage yet?  What about combining your homes and families?  Children?  Have you had sex with her yet?”

“Ma!” Steve yelled incredulously.  

“You need to seal the deal, Steve!  Secure our future!” She wailed, clutching at his shirt.

“WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?” Steve bellowed, shoving her hands away.  “My relationships are none of your business, no matter who they’re with!”  He stepped back, holding his hands up when she tried to speak again.  “Ma, you need to find a new place to live.”

Sarah scoffed.  “Excuse me?”

“I can’t do this anymore,” Steve said, rubbing his eyes and his face roughly.  “Go shack up with Lord Pierce for all I care.  As awful as he is, he seems to be your flavor of the week.”

Sarah gasped and tried to slap him, but he caught her wrist roughly.  His eyes were murderous as she stared up at him in fear.  “Get out of my house,” he growled before shoving her hand away and walking to his room.

The next morning he woke to the sound of his phone buzzing repeatedly.  He grabbed it and saw multiple missed calls from Y/N.  He quickly answered.

“Hello?” He grumbled and cleared his throat.

“Steve,” Y/N whispered harshly.  “Why is your mother here claiming you hurt her last night?”

Steve jolted up in bed.  “What?!”

Y/N sighed.  “She is here, crying and wailing about how her son twisted her wrist last night and kicked her out of her own house.”

Steve groaned at the audacity of the woman he called mother.  “Oh my fucking god,” he spat.  

“You need to get over here now,” Y/N said quickly.  “The Prime Minister wants to try to use this as a way to get rid of you.”

“What?  Why?”

“The Parliamentary takeover,” Y/N said angrily.  “He’s suggesting that I don’t know how to find a good match to be my prince consort, and if my judgment is bad here, then it will be bad for the government.”

“Shit,” Steve grunted.  “I’ll be there soon.”

Y/N didn’t answer, the phone going silent.  He quickly dressed to make himself presentable for the palace then drove like a bat out of hell to get to her.  When he arrived he was quickly ushered into what looked like a study.  Y/N sat at the desk with Sam standing next to her.  She stood when he walked in.  He bowed to her and then gave a slight head bow to the Prime Minister, a stern man named Thaddeus Ross, who sat on a chair next to the desk.  His mother was sitting across from Y/N at another chair, looking at him fearfully when he walked in.  

“Your Majesty, Prime Minister, Mr. Wilson,” he greeted them then looked at his mother.  “Mother.”

Sarah shivered dramatically.  “Stay away from me.”

Steve sighed quietly, trying to keep his wits about him.  He couldn’t lose his cool, not here, as much as she brought his anger out of him.  Y/N gestured for him to sit at a seat closer to her.  “Now, let’s figure this out,” Y/N said gently.  “Mrs. Rogers, how about you start from the beginning.”

Sarah gasped, sucking in her bottom lip as she looked at Y/N pitifully.  “Oh, Your Majesty, it was awful.  He came home and I was asking him about his night with you, and he yelled at me,” she said sniffling.  “Then he insulted me and my character and twisted my wrist.  He bruised me!”  She lifted her wrist, a deep purple bruise showing, shaking it at Y/N and Ross.  Y/N narrowed her eyes at Sarah’s wrist then turned to Sam and whispered something to him.  He nodded and quickly left the room.  “Then, he screamed at me to get out of my own house.  The gall!  I raised him,” she cried again, hiding her face in her arm as she sobbed nonexistent tears.

“I see,” Y/N said, trying to sound sorry.  “Your Grace?” She turned to Steve.

Steve nodded.  “I came home last night and my mother started asking me inappropriate and personal questions about my time and relationship with Your Majesty,” Steve rattled off the events of the previous night like it was a mission report.  He kept his eyes focused on the desk.  “I will admit I lost my temper, I did yell at her when she asked me something highly sensitive, and when I told her to stop and that it was none of her business I did tell her to find somewhere else to live.  My relationship with my mother has never been…a good one,” Steve glanced at Y/N for a moment.  Y/N nodded, her eyes looking sad for him.  “We fight often, and I did insult her by telling her to go, I believe I said, ‘shack up with her flavor of the week,’” he tightened his lips to stop himself from smiling bitterly.  “That’s when she tried to slap me, and I stopped her by grabbing her wrist.”

Y/N watched him for a moment before nodding and looking at her desk.  Just then the door opened and Sam walked in with another man.  “Ah, thank you Sam,” Y/N stood, shaking the newcomer’s hand.  “Dr. Banner, thank you for coming.  I’d like you to check on Mrs. Rogers’ wrist,” she said, gesturing to Sarah.  Sarah’s eyes bulged as Dr. Banner turned to her.  

“Of course, could I just see..?” He reached for her wrist.

“No!” Sarah slapped his hand away.  

“Mrs. Rogers we must make sure that you are not more seriously injured than it looks,” Y/N insisted, leaning against her desk, her head tilting while looking at Sarah.  

Sarah lifted her chin defiantly.  “Please Mrs. Rogers, this is serious,” Ross interjected, his eyes flicking back to Steve repeatedly.  

Sarah hesitantly lifted her hand up to Dr. Banner who gently grasped her fingers and inspected her wrist, turning it slightly.  Sarah winced unconvincingly as his thumb rubbed against the bruise.  He pulled his thumb back and a smudge of purple was on his fingertip.  “Is this…makeup?”

Sarah ripped her hand away from him.  Y/N took a long breath then sighed and rubbed her temples with her fingers.  “Mrs. Rogers, may I ask why you chose to lie to the Crown and waste my time?”  Sarah’s jaw kept moving but no noise came out.  “Right, well, Sarah Rogers, you are hereby stripped of your title.”  

“Your Majesty!”

“You are to collect your things and leave Brooklyn House.”

“You can’t do this it’s my house—“

“You LOST the house the moment your pathetic husband died!”  Y/N exploded, standing to her full height and towering over Sarah who shriveled against the chair she was in.  “Your son is the Duke and inherited that house.  And if it wasn’t for him, you would have lost everything.  And now by your own idiotic actions, you have lost everything.”  Y/N glared at her.  “You will leave this kingdom, and never return.  Do I make myself abundantly clear?”  Sarah nodded as tears streamed down her face.  “Sam?”  Sam moved quickly, gathering up Sarah and bustling her and Dr. Banner out of the room.  “Thaddeus,” Y/N turned to the Prime Minister.  He looked terrified after watching her actually yell at someone.  “If I hear any talk, any whisper, any shadow of a doubt in my abilities, my judgment, my decisions, or of a Parliamentary mutiny again, I will show you and the rest of your decrepit cronies the full potential of my wrath and power in this government.  Do I make myself abundantly clear?”  He nodded.  “Good day.”  Ross stood, bowed, and left the room quickly.

“Steve,” Y/N turned to him, his name sounding more like a sigh.  She looked like she was physically deflating.  “I’m sorry.”

Steve stood and walked over to her, his hands reaching up and cupping her face.  “You have nothing to be sorry about,” he said, his thumbs caressing the skin along her cheekbones.

“I do,” Y/N kept her eyes closed and nuzzled her cheek into his palm.  “For sending your mother away.  For Ross being an ass.  For having to subject you to some bullshit investigation that I knew was false from the start—“

“And that’s why I love you,” Steve said, leaning down to rest his forehead against hers.  “Because you knew I wouldn’t do that.  Because you believed me and stood up for me from the beginning.  And you threatened the second most powerful person in the kingdom just to keep me around.  Not gonna lie, that was pretty hot,” he chuckled as he kissed her forehead.  

“Oh really?” Y/N giggled.  “You like it when I’m being mean?”

“I wouldn’t say mean, but authoritative, no-nonsense, self-assured, confident, badass,” he scrunched his nose and nuzzled it against her nose.  “Okay, maybe a little mean.”

“Masochist,” Y/N teased him, smiling wider as her hands wrapped around his waist as he continued holding her face.  “Did you just say you love me?”

Steve stiffened, realizing what he’d said before.  “I…yes, I did.”

“Did you mean it?” Y/N asked, her tone becoming softer.

“Yes,” Steve breathed.  “And I know it’s too early for me to say that, and I don’t expect you to feel the same–”

“But I do,” she interrupted him, tightening her hold around him.  “I love you, Steve.”

He closed his eyes as he rested his head against her forehead again, exhaling the breath he didn’t realize he was holding.  When he opened his eyes he saw her looking up at him with the fire in her eyes that he loved, a deep want that was screaming at him to do something.  “Y/N,” he whispered, his eyes moving from her eyes to her lips.  

Y/N gave him a slight nod, and he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.  She responded quickly, her lips pushing back against his firmly as her fingers gripped his shirt at his back.  Their breaths became heavier as they kissed, Steve’s hands roaming from her face down to her neck then her mid back, pressing her body against his.  He suddenly lifted her up and onto the desk, making her legs open for him to stand between them.  Y/N hands moved to his front, her fingers skimming from his stomach up to his chest.  Steve nipped at her bottom lip, making her open her mouth and giving him the opportunity to lick along her lip and taste her.  She whimpered as she tasted him back, sucking at his lower lip.

A knock came at the door, making them both stop and Steve stepped away from her.  Y/N closed her legs and patted down her hair.  “Yes?”

The door opened to reveal Sam.  “I apologize Your Majesty—“ he stopped, looking at them both fidgeting with their appearances and Y/N sat on top of the desk.  “Um, did I interrupt something?”

“What is it Sam?”  Y/N ignored his question, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

“Your lunch appointment is here,” Sam said.  

“Right.  I’ll be there shortly,” she nodded.  When he closed the door again Steve let out a little chuckle.  

“Duty calls,” he said before stepping toward her again.  He leaned down and kissed her nose.  “Go.  And I’ll text you about when I can see you again.”

Y/N hummed and gave him a smirk.  “You owe me more kisses, Your Grace.”

Steve smirked back at her. “As Your Majesty commands.”  

@jenniferpendragon

[blueshistorysims]

November 17, 1922, London England

Giselle set the newspaper down and turned to her lover, who was still reading it. “Why the fuck do I find out everything about my brother’s love life from the London Daily Times?! I can’t believe it.”

“The divorce or that he didn’t tell you?”

“Oh, anyone with common sense could see the divorce coming from a mile away the moment Byron became Duke of Feldsbury. I feel for Stella, but my lord, this is not something you keep secret from your own goddamn sister!”

Without a second word, she stood and marched over to the telephone, telling the operator to connect the line to her brother’s phone and waited for someone to pick it up. After several rings, the phone finally answered, and she heard a heavy sigh.

“Yes?” Her brother’s voice asked tiredly.

“Am I going to have to find out about all of your romantic excursions through the fucking newspaper, Byron?”

He sighed again. “I’m sorry. It completely blanked my mind.”

Giselle paused, her annoyance melting away from how sad he sounded. “You sound awful.”

“I feel awful too.”

“...Look, I was going to yell at you about you being a right idiot… come to London. Stay with me and Francesca for Christmas. Mama will be here, and most of the house is finished with renovations. Being alone in a big house won’t do you any good. And I won’t take no for an answer.”

Henford-on-Bagley, England

Giselle was kinder to him than he deserved. In his wallowing self-pity, he’d ignored everyone that he didn’t have to legally speak to. He moved into Walshstone Park quickly, leaving the remains of Stella’s things in trunks in the empty ballroom, gathering dust as he had yet to hire permanent servants. Someone other than his soon-to-be ex-wife would come to pick them up so they wouldn’t have to see each other. As far as he knew, she was already back in America living in her old apartment with Toussant. He missed the cat. 

The doorbell rang loudly, shaking Byron from his thoughts. He sighed and set the bottle of wine he’d been holding on one of the trunks before walking to the foyer and opening the door. He’d expected it to be a moving company or at least an acquittance of Stella’s, but to his surprise, he saw Samson Gardenhouse standing in front of him. 

“Samson?”

“Hello, Byron.” He stepped inside. “Nice house. Heard you used to be in a castle.”

He swallowed. “It was too expensive. Stella sent you to get her shit?”

He nodded. “She thought it’d be better if Thaddeus or me did it since we’re friends. …She doesn’t want to hurt you any more than she has to.”

“She should’ve thought of that when she fucked Campbell and left me,” he answer bitterly.

Samson frowned. “I’m sorry, Byron. I really am.”

“Will there be people coming tomorrow then?”

“Yeah.”

He huffed. “...Well, want anything to drink? Lord knows I have plenty of that.”

Samson shook his head, eyeing the stairs behind the Brit. “Would you rather have sex?”

Byron was quiet for a brief moment. “Yes.”

“You’re depressed,” Samson said as they basked in post-sex haze. It wasn’t an accusation or question. It was a statement.

“Who wouldn’t be in my situation?”

“Fair enough. …How does it feel to become a duke and get divorced in the same year?”

“Feels like bloody shit. I’ve been Duke of Feldsbury for about seven months, and I’ve already been in more scandals than most peers in their whole lifetime.”

He laughed. “It’s only been seven?”

“Imagine how I feel.”

“I can guess.”

Byron sighed. “I’m 27, I’m a fucking duke, I’m divorced, and I’m known to say republican sentiments in the House of Lords. No one in the hoity-toity British aristocracy likes me.”

“You’re also a decorated army captain, you hold two master's degrees, and a doctorate, and you speak almost twenty languages.  I can barely speak English.”

He leaned on Samson’s shoulder and smiled. “God, don’t with the flattery.”

“I think the problem is, Byron, is that you don’t have friends here in Britain. You’re lonely, and instead of doing the things you enjoy, you’re sulking and shut in your house.”

“I have friends.”

“Who?”

He was quiet for a minute. “...One of my neighbors’ daughter. …But I haven’t spoken to her in a few months.”

“Of course you haven’t.”

“I’m walking scandal, Samson. It’s different here in England.”

“Then associate yourself with people who don’t care that kind of stuff.”

“...You’re much smarter than me, Samson. I may have all the degrees, but my social smarts could be greatly improved upon.”

He smirked. “And what happened to the guy who went to jazz parties, screwed a new person every week while still writing their dissertation?”

“I got married,” He answered truthfully.

Byron closed his eyes as Samson looked away. 

“Byron?”

“Hmm?”

“I think this will be the last time we will have sex.”

“Unfortunately, I’m inclined to agree. It doesn't feel right.”

[tallmadgeandtea]

Turn Week 2024

Crossover

Fly Like A Jet Stream: A Top Gun AU with @ms-march

California, 1971

The United States Navy Fighter Weapons School, colloquially known as TOPGUN, is in its early stages. Only the navy’s young, best, and brightest pilots are selected for the chance to enter a new era of aviator warfare.

Recent college graduate Elizabeth Walker uses her father’s connections to earn a position as a civilian instructor at TOPGUN. She’s even given her choice of candidates: the brilliant Adrienne Fairfax, the only female pilot desperate to prove herself after a targeted accident; the arrogant draft-dodger (well, almost) Thaddeus Kosciuszko; and Benjamin Tallmadge, a soft-spoken, bookish Long Island boy with blue eyes Elizabeth can’t look into for too long.

But California’s beaches and off base bars barely conceal the cutthroat, high stress environment TOPGUN thrives on. Will they make it through without breaking any rules, or will their careers- and their personal lives- crash and burn?

[sjsmith56]

That’s What Friends Are For - A Private Man, Chapter 4

Summary: Sam comes to visit. Bucky confides in him about his concerns about several things.

Length: 4.3 K

Characters: Bucky, Rebecca, Sam, Amina.

Warnings: Bucky’s self doubt and anxiety is always there.

Author notes: The connections between family, friends, and people who care are explored more in this chapter.

<<Chapter 3

🪽 🎶 📘

Bucky's intervention in the robbery made it to the late news as the young woman told the TV reporter about Bucky Barnes being the only one with enough balls to stop a robber. They bleeped out the word "balls" but her account of what he did was graphic enough that some reporters came to the house to talk to him the following day. It was a surprise to him as he had been working at the docks while the late news was on. Even Rebecca hadn't seen the coverage, already being in bed, asleep. Bucky was polite but declined to be interviewed saying he was just a private citizen who did his civic duty. As the footage from the security camera in the store was played on the TV news for several days the reporters began showing up at the docks, hoping to talk to him as he arrived at work or when he was leaving. They finally gave up but he was referred to as a "reluctant hero" who obviously didn't want to be singled out for doing what any good citizen should. Several stations showed companion segments outlining his past and how he had redeemed himself with the Avengers. A couple of the stations also asked why the Avengers were not active any more. It must have made the news elsewhere because he received phone calls from several former Avengers, including Scott Lang, Clint Barton, Colonel Rhodes, and Sam.

When Sam arrived late Saturday morning he was in a good mood. After ringing the doorbell and coming in the house he kissed Rebecca on the cheek, sitting on the couch near her.

"So, how does it feel to live with a reluctant hero?" he asked.

"I've always been proud of him," she replied. "About time other people saw what I see."

"You know Buck, that story showed up on the Washington newscasts," said Sam. "A few people in the Department of Defence asked why you weren't taking on contracts for some missions."

"I hope you told them why," replied Bucky. "I can't depend on the odd contract. Not when I have responsibilities."

"That's what I told them," said Sam. "I guess Rhodey has been advocating for the Avengers to be reformed as a full time quick response team. That's why I was there this past week; to try and convince them that we're needed."

"And?" asked Bucky.

"They're interested but not enough to put funding behind it. There is a rumour that Thaddeus Ross is organizing something, but exactly what is a mystery."

Bucky smirked. He wouldn't willingly join up with that man, not when he was pushing to have Bucky shot on sight when they thought he did the bombing in Vienna in 2016. Sam turned back to Rebecca.

"Tell me about this agency that's been helping you."

"The nurse that Bucky likes, Tracey, contacted them," replied Rebecca. "They help new immigrants and refugees get used to living here. Within a couple of days we had enough people to stay the nights with me. They're ever so nice. I consider them my friends."

Bucky nodded in agreement. "They are good people. Did you tell them you asked Sam to make an appearance?"

"I might have mentioned it," laughed Rebecca. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all," replied Sam. "I can fly over there while Buck drives the rental car. When do we go?"

After lunch Sam geared up while Bucky took the wheelchair and put it into Sam's car. He carried Rebecca out of the house and placed her in the front seat, buckling her seat belt. He gave Sam the address so he could input it into his GPS on the suit. When Bucky pulled up in the car there was a considerable crowd of people waiting out front. Like before there were no shortage of volunteers to wheel Rebecca around and they had already lifted her out of the front seat by the time he brought the wheelchair to them.

"Where is Captain America?" Kafeel was tugging on Bucky's sleeve. "I thought he would be in the car."

"Why ride when you can fly?" Bucky smirked as everyone's face looked up to the sky.

Suddenly Red Wing appeared above the crowd and Sam's voice came out of the speaker.

"Why don't y'all move to the back of the building where there's more space?" he asked. "I'm going to arrive in style. Bucky, go park the car. I'll wait until you're in place."

There was laughter at that last part and Bucky shook his head with a smile. He drove the car to an open spot and headed towards the back of the building. Searching through the assembled people he found Rebecca, surrounded by her caregivers and their families.

"Mr. Bucky, good, you're here," said Amina. "You don't want to miss this."

He looked up and from the west he could make out Sam approaching. A line of red smoke trailed behind him and he watched amused as Sam did all sorts of aerial maneuvers above the crowd. It was almost like watching a fireworks display as the people in the crowd gasped and cheered at the different moves Sam made. Finally he ended up hovering above them then slowly descended to an open space as the crowd parted for him.

"How y'all doing?" he asked. "I'm so glad to be here today to meet the people who have been helping my friends Bucky Barnes and Rebecca Proctor."

Bucky watched with a smile as Sam began shaking hands and doing selfies with everyone. He always was more comfortable with the recognition. To Bucky that aspect of the job always made him feel uncomfortable, like an imposter, considering that between World War II and Thanos he was regarded as something evil by most of the world. It must have shown on his face as he felt a hand slip into his. Looking down at his sister, he saw her smiling softly at him.

"It's okay," she said. "I know the truth about you. You are good, Bucky. Believe that."

He squeezed her hand and watched as Kafeel had a selfie with Sam. Then the boy looked at him and came over.

"Can I have a selfie with you?" he asked. "Could you make it look like we're arm wrestling with your metal arm?"

Rebecca took the phone as Bucky pulled his long sleeve up then he and Kafeel posed as if they were arm wrestling. When the boy looked at the picture he had a big grin on his face. Several other kids came up and Bucky obliged them as well. Amina called together the volunteers who worked with Rebecca and asked someone to take a picture of all of them with Bucky and Rebecca. Sam came up and asked to be in on the action. Standing behind them all he opened his wings to their full extent behind everyone. She texted the picture to Bucky so he could share it with Sam.

When the event began to wind down Bucky asked Rebecca if she was ready to go. She nodded, as she was ready for her afternoon nap. He brought the car around and lifted his sister out of the wheelchair, placing her in the front seat. After placing her wheelchair in the trunk he looked at Sam.

"See you back at the house?" he asked.

"You bet," replied his friend. "See you shortly."

Ten minutes later Bucky pulled up in front and carried Rebecca into the house. When he came out Sam was at the trunk taking the wheelchair out and Bucky locked up the car. After helping his sister lie down for her nap Bucky brought out a couple of beers and headed outside where Sam joined him after changing into his civilian clothes.

"They were nice people," said Sam. "Reminds me of the neighbours in Delacroix. Helpful, thoughtful people."

"They are," agreed Bucky. "If you want to go out tonight a couple offered to sit up with Rebecca."

"I'm good," replied Sam. "I was out a lot in Washington, schmoozing and trying to bend anyone's ear to fund the Avengers. It was like pulling teeth. I don't know what the issue is."

"It's funny, but the first time we went to the newcomer centre I jumped onto the roof to retrieve a soccer ball," said Bucky. "They all asked why I wasn't an Avenger still. They seemed disappointed that the government wouldn't fund us. I had no answers for them, me the unlikely Avenger."

Sam leaned forward and put his hand on Bucky's shoulder. "Oh man, don't say that. You were in Wakanda, you were in the Battle of Earth then you and I fought the Flag Smashers."

"Yeah, we did but I pissed the Wakandans off to do it. I got to watch John Walker get a big money contract to be U.S. Agent and I'm working night shift on the docks barely making enough to pay the bills. It's ... disheartening."

"I hear you," replied Sam. "I've only had a few military contracts since the Flag Smashers. At least the fishing business is picking up. I met Jasmine. Tell me more about the nurse. You have a picture?"

Bucky pulled his phone out and looked through his photo gallery. There was a picture of them from the Sudanese gathering, showing them together looking at a display. Amina sent it to him. He handed the phone to Sam. With a smile he looked closely.

"She's very nice looking," he said. "What's her name?"

"Tracey Harris," said Bucky. "She's divorced, quiet, but a good listener. I feel comfortable with her. She's in Belize, doing volunteer work. Said she didn't think she could stay away during the cooling off period. She's been gone three weeks."

"Have you ...?"

"No," said Bucky quickly. "One kiss, when she said goodbye. But she's the one who made the first move. Asked to be removed as Rebecca's nurse. I dreamed of her. A nice romantic dream of us dancing."

"To one of your 1940s songs?"

"No, it was another song, newer. I don't know the name but there's Rudolph Valentino and Greta Garbo in the lyrics. It was nice."

Sam looked up the lyrics on his cell phone and found several songs. He picked the first one and began to play it. Bucky leaned forward and listened, his face breaking into a smile.

"Yeah, that's it! What's it called?"

"Right Before Your Eyes by a group called America," said Sam.

Bucky looked it up and saved it to his playlist. Sam smiled softly at his friend's excitement. This nurse must be a very understanding person for Bucky to feel a connection to her. A thought occurred to Sam.

"I might be out of line but if you haven't been hooking up with anyone how are you going to handle seeing Tracey when she gets back?" asked Sam. "That's a long drought. When was the last time you were with anyone?"

"I don't want to talk about it," said Bucky, tersely. "If it gets that far I'll be a gentleman about it."

"Alright," replied Sam. "Fair enough. You're a private man. I just thought you might want to talk about it with a friend."

Bucky took a drink of his beer and gave out an audible breath. Damn Sam and his counsellor tactics. He had been thinking of it, ever since he kissed Tracey. It was going to be hard enough to show her what he was packing, never mind keeping control, and a part of him imagined her backing out of any relationship with him once they became intimate. He looked over to his small garden trying to come up with something, anything to explain his turmoil.

"Buck," said Sam, gently, noticing the anxiety on Bucky's face. "I know it hasn't been easy for you. For as much as I tease you I do care that you're alright. It's not something I'll gossip about; I can assure you of that. All bullshit aside, you're my friend and I'm here for you."

Bucky took another drink of his beer. "The last time I was with a woman was in Wakanda, before the Snap," he admitted. "It was a kindness that was offered by a local woman, no strings attached. I've had a few other ... encounters since I started living with Rebecca. I'm not proud of them but it was just a way to get a release."

Sam considered Bucky's words and realized what that admission probably cost him. As a man of an earlier time it was probably something he would rather not have spoken about. Sam took a drink of his beer and looked his friend in the eye.

"Thank you for trusting me," he said. "There's no judgement from me because I know how hard it is for you to connect with people. I'm genuinely happy you've found someone to have a relationship with. She'll be involved with a man that I consider to be kind, loyal, and honourable."

Bucky nodded his head in acknowledgment and drank his beer. It was still a difficult admission to make and he was silent for some time.

"I was thinking of stringing some lights up in the trees," said Bucky hesitantly at first, "and getting a nice patio table with a couple of chairs. Could even get one of those outdoor speakers that connect to the phone so we could have music back here. I'm still not comfortable going to a restaurant but I could make something and serve it to Tracey back here. I think I've made this back garden look pretty nice."

"It is a nice garden," agreed Sam. "You've kept it up well. I could help you before I have to leave tomorrow night. You could have a nice date back here."

Bucky smiled in appreciation and finished his beer. He asked Sam if he wanted another and went inside. Rebecca was awake and he helped her into the bathroom while he picked up three beers and took them out to the garden. He brought another lawn chair out from the shed and returned to the house to get his sister, carrying her out in his arms, and placing her in the third seat. Sam told her about Bucky's idea to string lights around and get a nice table so they could eat a meal outside.

"That sounds wonderful," she replied. "It already looks good with all the flowers you planted and the lights would make it look so pretty at night. We could sit out here and enjoy the fresh air. Why don't you call one of the volunteers to sit with me while you two go to the garden centre?"

Half an hour later Sam and Bucky were on their way to the garden centre while Amina sat with Rebecca. She brought her children with her and they played a board game on the grass while the two women had tea. In the car Bucky gave Sam directions and tapped his finger to the music playing on the radio. It was tuned to an R&B station, with some older Motown that was sprinkled throughout the more modern offerings.

"You should compile a playlist for that date," said Sam. "You have that first song but there are others you could play to set the mood."

"I'm not trying to seduce her," said Bucky. "I want a relationship, not just a, what do you call it, a booty call."

"I know, but she is a modern woman," replied Sam. "You need the right songs. Do you know any of her friends?"

"Just the other nurse that took over from her and I don't know if they're actual friends. I think Tracey's like me, solitary."

"Okay," said Sam. "I would say to go for soft jazz, maybe even some songs from your era." Bucky looked at him, expecting some criticism from Sam. "Don't give me that look. There's some good music from your era. Hell, you probably listened to Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, all of those legends. Am I right?"

"I saw a few in the clubs," replied Bucky. He thought for a moment. "There's a song that came out in the late 30s, The Nearness of You. Hoagy Carmichael wrote it but Glenn Miller Orchestra performed it. Danced to that a lot."

"I think I've heard an Ella Fitzgerald version," said Sam. "We can look that up when we get back to your place. What other songs were your "go to" songs for romance?"

Bucky made an audible sigh as if he couldn't believe Sam was making him do this. "Harbor Lights, sung by Frances Langford. The Man I Love. I saw Billie Holiday sing it live; she poured her heart into it. Saw Lena Horne sing it live as well. She was from Brooklyn."

"You saw Billie Holiday and Lena Horne, live, back in the day, no shit?"

"No shit," smiled Bucky. "Sam, I went to a lot of jazz clubs, not just in Brooklyn but in Harlem, too. Incredible music. Good people."

"Damn, we've known each other what, eight years?" smirked Sam. "You still surprise me."

"Eight years minus the five of the Blip," replied Bucky. "You never asked before."

Sam chuckled then pulled into the parking lot of the garden centre. They found the lighting section and began looking at their choices. They settled on a combination of white fairy lights for the trees and coloured fairy lights that could be strung along the fence and bushes. Sam also suggested a couple of lanterns that could be placed on the ground for extra mood lighting. They picked out a café table that could fit three and took three chairs, one for Bucky, one for Rebecca and one for a guest. Just before they went to the cash register Bucky stopped and looked at a pergola.

"That might be nice for shade during the day," he said, then looked at the price tag. "I don't think I can afford it."

"Maybe they have a payment plan," noted Sam, who looked for a sales person to ask.

The sales person confirmed that they had a no interest payment plan. They would also deliver it to the house as the package it came in was quite heavy, which made Bucky smirk. After several seconds considering it he nodded his head and they began to enter the information. As they looked up Bucky's credit record the sales person turned to him.

"There's no credit record for you," he said. "Um, it's not really a problem but I can't offer the no interest plan. I have to charge 5%. It will add about $10 a month but the good part is that you'll get a credit record from it and as long as you make your payments it will serve you in the long run."

Bucky could feel the anxiety building inside of him as he looked at his hands, feeling almost helpless. Sam put his hand on Bucky's arm and nodded that it would be alright.

"Okay," breathed Bucky. "I'll agree to that."

A passerby dropped a package and Bucky leaned down to pick it up for them, revealing his metal arm. The sales person saw it and gave out a little breath.

"You're him," he said. "I saw the news story about you stopping that robber at the liquor store. They had another segment on you, about your past life. That's why you don't have a credit record. Man, you went through so much." He reached into his shirt pocket and took out a business card, writing a phone number on the back. "Listen, these pergolas can be tricky. Call me on my cell. I can come over and help. My grandpa was in the 107th, after you joined the Howling Commandos but he only had good things to say about you."

The man extended the business card and Bucky smiled, taking the card, but feeling slightly embarrassed at the recognition. They finished the paperwork and the man gave him a slip for the cashier. On the way out to the car with their purchases Sam watched Bucky's face, saying nothing.

"Nice man," Sam finally said. "You should take him up on his offer. You're going to need two sets of hands for some of that."

Bucky nodded, feeling a little overwhelmed by the man's attention and his offer. Sam put the radio on and they drove back to the house in silence. When they brought everything into the back yard Amina's kids asked if they could help put up the fairy lights. At first Bucky was hesitant but Amina assured him they had done something similar at their house so he nodded. Both Amina and Rebecca watched as Sam and Bucky got the lights out and unravelled the strings. Kafeel began to climb the bigger tree to begin stringing the lights in it.

"Amina, are you comfortable with that?" asked Bucky.

"Yes, he climbs trees all the time," she replied. "Besides, you would catch him if he fell, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah, but what if he falls when my back is turned?"

"Then he learns to be more careful," was her answer. "Mr. Bucky, my children were born in a war zone. Danger has been part of their lives until we were accepted as refugees here. I'm not going to stop my children from climbing a tree."

Kafeel gave Bucky a big grin and climbed up to the first set of branches, taking the string with him. Sam helped the other two children with stringing the coloured lights on the fence. By the time Amina was ready to leave Kafeel had fully strung the biggest tree while Bucky nervously monitored him from below. The other children and Sam finished stringing the coloured lights along one fence and the bushes at the base of the fence. After they left Sam and Bucky assembled the table and unpacked the chairs. Bucky started up the barbecue and went inside the house where he had steaks marinating while Sam sat with Rebecca. Pulling out some baking potatoes he prepared them to go on the grill and set them on the rack. Then he made a big salad. Sam came in to get another beer for himself and a glass of water for Rebecca. They both relaxed as Bucky handled the cooking.

The sun was almost setting when they finally sat down for supper at the new patio set. Sam set up the patio speaker and synced his phone to it, bringing up a soft jazz playlist. As it got darker the sensor on the power source activated and the lights turned on bringing a glad cry from Rebecca.

"Oh, it's looks so pretty. I really like this Bucky. That was such a good idea."

Bucky looked around at the lights. "It does look nice, doesn't it? You know, with these lights we could probably host a little gathering with the volunteers. It was nice having Amina and her kids here. They were helpful."

They ate their meal in the glow of the lights, enjoying each other's company and by the time they finished Rebecca was yawning. As Bucky prepared her for bed Sam cleaned up. Then Bucky came into the kitchen with what Sam would call a shit eating grin on his face.

"She wants you to read her a bedtime story," he said. "I usually read to her every night but with you here ...."

"What should I read?" asked Sam.

Bucky gave him an even bigger grin. "She already has it picked out."

The two men walked to the bedroom and Rebecca handed Sam a slim paperback that looked like a children's book. When he saw the cover he laughed out loud, then gave the old woman an incredulous look.

"You really want me to read this?" he asked.

"Hell yes," she said, then gestured at Bucky. "He won't. I paid good money for that book. Ordered it online. So someone is going to read it to me."

"Alright then," said Sam, sitting on the edge of the bed as he opened it. "Go the Fuck to Sleep, by Adam Mansbach."

Bucky watched from the door as Sam read the entire book to Rebecca. By the last page they were both giggling and Sam could barely say the words as he couldn't help laughing but he toughed it out. He looked back at Bucky with a big grin then leaned over Rebecca and kissed her on the forehead.

"You are the coolest younger sister I've ever met," he said. "You're way cooler than my sister, Sarah. Don't ever change, you hear me?"

"I hear you, Sam," she said, smiling mischievously. "Can I have some water?"

"No," he laughed. "Go the fuck to sleep."

They both laughed hard, and he kissed her again then Bucky came over to kiss her, taking the book and putting it on her dresser. After fixing the covers so they were perfect he followed Sam to the door and stood by the light, gazing at her with fondness.

"You know I love you, right?" he said to her.

"I know. I love you, too."

He turned off the light and closed the door. Sam was sitting on the living room couch and watched Bucky come out of the hallway. It was understandable why Bucky was devoted to Rebecca. Even Sam found it hard to contemplate ever living separately from Sarah and the boys. Rebecca was Bucky's anchor to normal and he needed it, needed that connection to people.

Chapter 5>>

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[kittygirl2210]

Adderwing and Doverbreeze find Applekit and Scorchkit (Good Omens WC AU)

This'll definitely be more fleshed out if I make a comic or fic BUT the jist is, Adderwing misinterprets a sign from StarClan when the pair find the kits (his connection to them hasn't been severed, he still receives signs + prophecies from SC but he usually misinterprets them), making him believe that Scorchkit (Warlock, also named by Adderwing) is the prophesied cat. He and Dovebreeze take Applekit to ThunderClan to be raised as there are no nursing queens in RiverClan (and Dovebreeze has a lot on his shoulders anyway) and Adderwing doesn't want to risk Scorchkit being turned away from ShadowClan. Scorchkit is cared for by Adderwing and his adoptive parents, Harestrike (Harriet) and Eagleheart (Thaddeus).

[wellpresseddaisy]

Saints for whom Snape has a particular fondness:

St. Joseph - the father who loved his child as his own despite the whole Son of God thing. I always thought Snape would take comfort there.

Mary - I don't think I know a Catholic who doesn't have any kind of personal connection to Mary. She's comfort and understanding and an intercessor in troubled times. Huh...I may have had enough vodka tonight to make a parallel between Eileen and Mary in re: their function in the Church and in Severus' life.

St. Joshua - the patron saint of spies and intelligence workers. I like to think Dumbledore (despite being raised in a hand-wavey Anglican sort of household) had a St. Joshua medal commissioned for Snape at some point.

St. Michael the Archangel -

O Michael of the Angels and the righteous in heaven, Shield thou my soul  With the shade of thy sword. Shield thou my soul  On earth and in heaven.

From foes upon earth, From foes beneath earth, From foes in concealment, Protect and encircle  My soul 'neath thy wing,   O my soul with the shade of thy wing. (I can see this being a bit of a ritual for Snape before heading into a DE meeting)

St. Jude Thaddeus - patron saint of desperate situations and lost causes. I feel like that one is a bit of a no-brainer

Now, though, I've made myself sad thinking of canon Snape dying with no one there to administer Last Rites.

Good thing there's fanfic!

[brunchable]

𝐌𝐫. 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭'𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 | 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫

Part Three | Five Pairings: Bucky Barnes x f!reader, Steve Rogers x f!reader | Daughter of Thaddeus Ross (Red Hulk) Words: 6K Themes: Forbidden/Off-Limits Reader, Love Triangle, M for Mature, 18+ , Post-Endgame, AGE GAP (24y/o reader). Summary: Looking for her own answers, Y/N couldn't help but deviate from Bucky's original therapy plan. Steve takes interest at Y/N after bumping into her in the clinic, just before he and Bucky go out for a drink. A/N: Let the love triangle begin.

taggies: @astrelz @pattiemac1 @mrsevans90

Session 3

Bucky sat quietly on his side of the couch. He wasn’t really sure how to start off the session. He's almost certain they're going to talk about that list again. Then again, he couldn’t help but notice that something was a bit different this session. Though Y/N was in therapist mode—something he could never get used to, now—her posture seems a bit stiff.

He could sense it—something about the way she glanced up at him, the way she seemed a little too intent on keeping things professional. He shifted on the spot, trying to push away the thoughts creeping in from their last couple of run-ins outside the office.

“Not wanting to share today?” Y/N asked, breaking the silence as she scribbled something in her notebook. Her eyes flicked up, meeting his blue dilated ones.

Bucky shrugged. “Just... thinking.”

“About?”

“Nothing worth talking about here.” 

Y/N studied him for a moment, before she glanced at his file. “Last week we talked about your amends list. How’s that been going?”

“It’s fine. Not much progress has been made, but it's fine.” Bucky exhaled slowly.

The sound of the ticking clock on the wall filled the space between them. For the first time, Y/N didn’t know how to even continue. She’s feeling a lot of pressure. Maybe it was the fact that she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him since their last session. Or maybe it was that nagging suspicion in the back of her mind.

She wasn’t supposed to pry, wasn’t supposed to deviate from the plan, but her curiosity was getting the better of her. The more she thought about it, the more she wondered. Could Bucky be the man she kissed at the party? Could he really be the one who’d left her heart racing that night?

She cleared her throat, glancing up at him. “And outside of the list? Your personal life... how’s that?”

Bucky’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

Y/N hesitated. This wasn’t part of the session’s plan, but the words were already tumbling out before she could stop herself.

“I mean, outside of the list. Your relationships... intimacy... things like that. Have you—have you been able to connect with people?”

Bucky’s expression darkened, but not in anger—more like curiosity. He leaned forward slightly, his eyes narrowing.

“Intimacy?”

Y/N stood, moving slowly from behind her desk as if pulled by an invisible thread, her body on autopilot. Bucky’s eyes followed her every step. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as she stopped in front of him. Without a second thought she lowered herself onto his lap, her legs straddling him as she settled against him. 

Bucky didn’t flinch. He didn’t move, but his hands found her hips naturally, his grip firm, as if he had been waiting for this, too. His eyes, locked onto hers, but there was no confusion in them—only heat. Her heart raced, faster than she could keep up with, and her breath became shallow as her hands moved to rest on his shoulders. 

She hesitated for a brief second, scanning his face—the sharp line of his jaw, the softness in his lips, the intensity of his gaze—before leaning in. Her lips hovered over his, and she felt a spark. When they finally touched, it was soft at first, a hesitant exploration. But the second he kissed her back, it was as if all the tension, all the uncertainty that had been building between them, broke free.

His lips were warm, firm against hers—experienced more like, and the kiss deepened, igniting something inside her. His hands tightened on her waist, pulling her closer, and her fingers threaded through his hair, tugging gently. She wanted more—needed more—and for a fleeting moment, she felt like she had found the answer she’d been searching for. 

She pulled back slightly, breathless, her forehead resting against his. "It was you, wasn't it?" she whispered, her lips brushing against his. "The man at the party..."

Bucky’s grip on her tightened, his voice low and rough. "Y/N—"

"Y/N?"

Bucky's voice, sharp and real, sliced through the haze. She blinked, reality crashing back in with brutal clarity. 

She wasn’t on his lap. She was still on the couch across from him, notebook clutched tightly in her hand, her knuckles white from the pressure. Her breathing was shallow, heart pounding in her chest. 

Bucky was watching her from his seat, head tilted, concern etched into his features while waving his hand to catch her attention.

"Y/N?" he repeated, voice soft but questioning. "Hello?"

Her heart dropped into her stomach. She blinked again, forcing the heat flooding her cheeks to disappear. It was a daydream... just a daydream, why did it feel so real?

She shifted in her seat trying to ease the heat she's feeling in her core, clearing her throat, trying to hide the fact that her hands were trembling. 

"Yeah, sorry, uh. .  " she muttered, quickly looking down at her notes, her mind racing to catch up. "Just... lost my train of thought."

The room felt smaller and though there was only Bucky's pair of eyes staring at her. She felt a dozen other ones, staring like the know what she just daydreamed about.

Y/N felt her heart skip a beat, her mind racing with regret. She shouldn’t have brought this up. This wasn’t part of their professional dynamic, but she couldn’t let it go. The thought of him—of whether or not he had been the man from the party—had been gnawing at her. . .badly.

“Anyways, yes—um intimacy, I mean... have you been able to—well, feel connected to anyone?”

Bucky hesitated, his eyes narrowing slightly. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He simply watched her, his blue eyes searching hers, as if he was trying to figure something out. 

“Why do you ask?” There was a subtle melody with the way Bucky said it.

Y/N swallowed, trying to maintain her composure. “It’s just... an important part of healing. Being able to open up, to trust someone.”

Bucky’s lips curled into a slight smirk, though there was no humor in it. “Are we still talking about healing?”

“Yes. It’s—it’s part of it. . .” Y/N felt her face heat up, her grip tightening on the notebook in her lap. 

Bucky studied her for a long moment, then frowning. “You don’t seem convinced.”

“I’m just asking,” Y/N said quickly, her voice a little too defensive. She was starting to feel exposed, like Bucky could see right through her. This wasn’t about the session anymore, and they both knew it.

“I haven’t... been with anyone,” Bucky finally said, his tone more guarded now. “Not since... before everything happened. It’s not exactly easy when you’ve been turned into a killing machine.”

Y/N’s heart pounded in her chest. Her thoughts were spinning, and all she could think about was that night at the party—the kiss, the way he had held her so close. She needed to know. “And... do you want to be? With someone, I mean.”

Bucky raised an eyebrow, his gaze sharp. “Is that part of the therapy session?”

Y/N opened her mouth to respond, but the words wouldn’t come. She couldn’t admit what she was really asking—she couldn’t let him know that she had been wondering if he was the man from that night. But she couldn’t stop herself from pushing.

“I think it’s important,” she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. “To know what you want.”

Bucky leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving hers. “What do you think I want?”

She didn’t know. She couldn’t answer that. But something in the way he was looking at her made her question everything she had been telling herself.

“I don’t know,” she finally whispered, her voice unsteady. “I don’t know.”

The silence stretched between them again, thick and suffocating, and for the first time in their sessions, Y/N felt completely unmoored.

Bucky’s gaze softened, and he let out a quiet sigh. “You’re so much better than your mentor, you know that?”

Y/N blinked, her cheeks flushing. “What do you mean?”

Bucky leaned forward again, his voice low. “You care. You’re not just asking because it’s part of your job. You’re asking because you actually care.”

Y/N felt her throat tighten, and she couldn’t bring herself to look away. “Maybe.”

Bucky nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. “I'll think about what I want, maybe we can talk about that in the next session.”

× × × ×

Y/N pushed open the door to the women’s bathroom, her footsteps echoing in the tiled room as she hurried inside. The moment the door swung shut behind her, she let out a long, shaky breath, the tension she had been holding in unraveling. She stepped over to the sink and braced her hands on the cold porcelain, her knuckles still tight and pale from the grip she’d held on her notebook moments before.

She dared to look up, eyes meeting her reflection in the mirror. Her face was flushed, cheeks stained pink, and her hair looked slightly disheveled from the way she had run her fingers through it during the session. But what caught her attention the most was the wide-eyed, almost haunted expression staring back at her.

What the hell was that? she thought, biting her bottom lip.

She straightened up, fingers dragging through her hair again, trying to smooth it down, but the action only made her frustration grow. Her mind spun in circles, replaying the daydream—the way she had straddled him, kissed him like she couldn’t get enough, like she needed to know. 

And in front of him. In front of Bucky.

She let out a small, strangled laugh, though it wasn’t funny at all. She had fantasized about him, for crying out loud—right there in the session, with him watching her the entire time. The worst part? He probably noticed something was off. He had seen her spacing out, seen the tension in her, seen... something. 

She groaned, pressing her hands to her face, trying to smother the memory, the heat creeping up her neck. 

What is wrong with me? she thought, her mind racing. I'm his therapist. He’s my patient. He’s been through hell, and I’m here thinking— She stopped herself, shaking her head. She wasn’t even supposed to think about her patients like that. It was unprofessional, completely out of line. 

But no matter how hard she tried to shake it, the image of Bucky—the feel of him, the intensity of his presence—clung to her like a shadow.

She paced for a moment, the sound of her footsteps reverberating in the quiet space, her fingers curling into her palms as she tried to steady herself. 

"This is ridiculous," she muttered to her reflection. "You’re a professional. You can’t be thinking these kinds of thoughts. Essentially about him."

Y/N leaned in closer to the mirror. Her whole body trembled with the weight of the existential crisis she was battling. She wasn’t supposed to feel this way. She wasn’t supposed to find someone like Bucky attractive, someone so complicated, so old? 

But she did.

She pressed her forehead against the cool glass of the mirror, squeezing her eyes shut, willing herself to calm down. “Get it together, Y/N," she whispered. "You can’t do this. You can’t think like this. Don't be one of those ‘I can fix him’ type.”

But the truth was, the more she tried to push him away, the more his presence seemed to seep into her thoughts, her every waking moment. She wasn’t sure how to face him again without her heart racing and her mind betraying her.

With one last glance at her flushed, conflicted reflection, Y/N took a deep breath and turned toward the door. The existential crisis would have to wait—she had a job to do, and more importantly, she had to find a way to keep her mind off Bucky Barnes. 

Easier said than done, she thought, her stomach twisting with the weight of what had just happened.

Y/N took one final deep breath, bracing herself as she pushed open the bathroom door. The hallway outside seemed quieter than usual, but the mess inside her head was anything but. She needed to shake this off, to focus, to—

She wasn’t paying attention. Her mind was still swirling, and as soon as she stepped out, she collided with something solid. The sudden impact threw her off balance, and she gasped, her hand instinctively reaching for the wall, but before she could even register what had happened, strong arms caught her.

“Whoa, easy there.”

The voice was smooth and deep. Y/N’s heart lurched in her chest as she looked up to see Steve Rogers standing in front of her, his hands gently grabbing her arms to keep her steady before she could fall.

Her breath hitched, the embarrassment of her near fall mixing with the embarrassment of everything that had just gone through her head minutes ago. Of all the people she could have bumped into…

“Steve—I mean Captain?” she managed to breathe out, her voice shaky.

“Steve is fine, you okay?” He gave her a small smile, his grip still firm but gentle, making sure she was steady on her feet before he let her go. 

Y/N blinked up at him, her pulse still racing from the shock. “Yeah, sorry—I wasn’t looking where I was going,” she mumbled, trying to regain her composure, though the heat in her cheeks wasn’t helping. 

Steve’s brow furrowed slightly, concern flashing across his features. “You seemed a little out of it there.”

Great, she thought. Just what I need—Captain America catching me at my worst moment.

Y/N quickly straightened herself, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, trying to act like her entire world hadn’t just been flipped upside down in the last twenty minutes. “I’ts nothing. Just... long day.”

Steve nodded, his blue eyes studying her carefully, but he didn’t press. He stepped back, giving her a bit more space, though the warmth from his hands still lingered on her arms.

“Well, I’m glad I was here. You almost took a dive there,” he teased lightly, the corner of his mouth quirking up into that boyish smile of his.

She tried to return it, but the proximity to Steve wasn’t helping. First, she’d been daydreaming about Bucky, and now she was literally falling into Steve’s arms. Could this day get any worse?

“Thanks for the save,” she replied, fiddling with her necklace.

Steve’s smile softened, and for a second, he just looked at her, his gaze more thoughtful. 

“You sure you’re alright?” he asked again, his voice lower this time, more serious.

“Yeah, I’m good. Just… some stuff on my mind.”

Steve’s eyes lingered on her, as if he wasn’t quite convinced but wasn’t going to push her any further. 

“Alright,” he said finally, stepping back fully now. “Um. . .did Bucky leave already? He wasn’t replying to my texts.”

Y/N blinked at the mention of Bucky's name, her stomach doing a little flip. Of course, Steve was here for Bucky.

She nodded, trying to keep her voice steady.  “Yeah, he left a little while ago. I’m not sure where he went, though. He seemed… really keen to leave.”

Steve’s eyebrows knitted together with concern. He ran a hand through his hair, clearly thinking. 

“That sounds like him,” he muttered under his breath, then looked back at her with a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “He’s been a bit off lately, but I guess you’ve noticed.”

Y/N forced a tight smile. "Yeah... something like that."

She had definitely noticed. After that therapy session, where she'd practically thrown professionalism out the window in her head, there was no way she could not notice Bucky. The way he looked at her now, the way his presence filled the room even when he wasn’t trying—everything about him had her all twisted up inside.

“Mind if I ask?” Steve’s voice cut through her internal monologue, pulling her attention back to him.

“Hmm?” she asked, blinking back into focus. “Ask what?”

Steve shifted his weight slightly, rubbing the back of his neck—a nervous habit, she realized. 

“What’s on your mind? You seem... I don’t know, like you’ve got something weighing on you. If it’s something about Bucky or—”

“No!” Y/N blurted out a little too quickly.

“Steve.”

Y/N's heart thudded loudly in her chest as she turned slowly, her body stiffening at the sound of Bucky’s voice. Bucky was walking towards them, his figure tall and imposing. His presence always had a way of commanding attention, whether he meant to or not. And now, with him walking toward them, every nerve in her body seemed to be on high alert.

Steve offered a small smile, clearly relieved. “Buck, there you are. You weren’t answering my texts.”

Bucky’s eyes flicked to Steve briefly, but then, almost immediately, they landed on Y/N. She could feel it, the weight of his gaze settling on her like a physical touch. Her stomach twisted, and her breath felt caught in her throat. She averted her eyes, focusing on the floor, the knot of tension tightening in her chest.

“I was busy,” Bucky replied.

Steve crossed his arms, glancing between the two of them. “Busy? You could’ve let me know. Thought you might’ve disappeared again.”

Y/N shifted on her feet, she could feel the awkwardness radiating off her in waves, and avoiding Bucky’s gaze was getting harder with every passing second. The memory of her daydream flashed through her mind—the way she had imagined being so close to him, the way her body had responded in ways it never should have. 

I can't do this right now, she thought desperately, her pulse quickening.

Bucky was silent for a moment, and Y/N could tell he was still looking at her, probably noticing how rigid she had become. She willed herself to move, to say something, but she felt trapped, her embarrassment from earlier still clawing at her.

Finally, Bucky spoke, his voice softer than before. “I wasn’t planning on disappearing. Just needed some air.”

Y/N could feel Steve glancing between the two of them, probably trying to figure out what exactly was going on. She swallowed hard, still refusing to meet Bucky’s eyes, and cleared her throat, trying to force herself back into the present.

“Well,” Y/N said quickly, her voice tight and shaky. “I’ve got... a few things to take care of. Nice seeing you both, again.”

She stepped back, her heart racing as she turned on her heel. She couldn’t stand there for another second. Not with the weight of Bucky’s gaze still burning into her, not with the reminder of her unprofessional thoughts swirling in her mind. It was too much.

“Y/N,” Bucky’s voice stopped her in her tracks. Her breath hitched, and she stood frozen for a second, her heart pounding so hard she was sure Steve and Bucky could hear it. She swallowed hard, her mind racing. Please, not now.

She didn’t turn around, not yet. She couldn’t bring herself to face him, not after everything that had happened in her head, not with the heat of her embarrassment still simmering under her skin.

But then, she forced herself to respond, her voice shaky and soft. “Yes?”

There was a brief pause, a beat too long, before Bucky spoke again. “You dropped this.”

Y/N frowned, confused, before glancing down at her hand—only to realize her notebook was missing. Of course. Her face flushed as she realized she must have left it in the therapy room, completely distracted by her own spiraling thoughts. She slowly turned around to find Bucky standing there, holding the small notebook in his hand, his expression unreadable.

“Right. Thanks,” she mumbled, walking back toward him, though every step felt heavier with the awkward tension that lingered between them.

As she reached out to take the notebook from him, her fingers brushed his, and she quickly pulled her hand back, feeling the heat rush to her face. Bucky’s eyes lingered on her for just a moment longer, but she couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze. She clutched the notebook tightly, taking a small step back.

“I, uh… appreciate it,” she said, her voice quiet.

“No problem,” Bucky replied, his tone casual.

“Nice meeting you again, Y/N.” Steve smiled.

She gave them both a quick nod, forcing a small, tight smile before turning on her heel once more, this time making sure she didn’t leave anything behind as she hurried away.

As Y/N disappeared around the corner, Steve’s gaze lingered a little too long, his brow furrowed in thought. Bucky, standing beside him, noticed the way Steve was still watching, and his jaw clenched tighter. 

After a moment of silence, Bucky finally spoke, his voice low and a bit sharper than he intended. “You’re staring, Steve.”

Steve blinked, tearing his eyes away from the hallway and glancing at Bucky, a flicker of amusement crossing his face. “Was I?”

Bucky gave him a pointed look, his blue eyes narrowing slightly. “Yeah, you were.”

Steve’s lips curved into a small smile, clearly unfazed. “Didn’t realize it,” he said lightly, though there was a teasing edge to his tone. “But now that you mention it, she is... easy to stare at. She looks very familiar now I see her up close, actually.”

Bucky didn’t say anything, but his expression tightened. He could feel the tension creeping up his spine, and for some reason, hearing Steve say that only made it worse.

Steve, sensing the shift in Bucky’s mood, raised his hands in mock surrender, still grinning. “Hey, don’t get all worked up. Just saying what I see.”

Bucky exhaled through his nose, trying to keep himself calm. “She’s my therapist.”

“Sure,” Steve replied, the teasing smile still on his face. “But don’t act like I’m the only one noticing.”

Bucky shot him a look, not bothering to hide his frustration. “Drop it.”

Steve chuckled, but he didn’t push further. “Alright, alright. Consider it dropped.”

Steve may have been teasing, but Bucky knew there was a kernel of truth in his words. And the fact that Steve had picked up on it only made things more complicated.

For the rest of the walk, Bucky couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling gnawing at him. He didn’t like how this was getting under his skin—how Y/N was getting under his skin. And now, with Steve’s attention on her too, it felt like everything was starting to blur in ways he hadn’t anticipated.

× × × ×

“Thanks for coming out, Buck,” Steve said, taking a sip of his beer.

Bucky shrugged, swirling his drink lazily before taking a sip. “Figured you could use the company.”

“It’s been a while since we’ve been here, huh?”

Bucky grunted, though his gaze wandered around the bar, his attention only half on the conversation. It was like he was avoiding something.

“So,” Steve started, deciding to dive in, “remember that girl?”

Bucky’s fingers tightened slightly around his glass, but his face stayed neutral as he raised an eyebrow. “The girl? Yeah, kinda hard to forget.”

Steve chuckled. “Sam’s been all over me about it. He thinks I should try to find her.”

“Oh, yeah?” Bucky asked, his voice smooth as ever, keeping the conversation light. “Sam’s full of great ideas, isn’t he?”

“He’s not wrong. I mean, until now it wont leave my head so there must be something about her, you know?” Steve laughed sheepishly.

Bucky smirked, taking another sip of his drink. “Different how? Did she float?”

Steve snorted. “No, smartass. It wasn’t like that. I don’t know... there was just something about her. I can’t explain it.”

Bucky hummed, feigning interest as he leaned back, his glass spinning lightly in his fingers. “Huh. Sounds like a case of party goggles. One kiss and now she’s stuck in your head forever?”

Steve shook his head, the smile fading a little. “Nah, it wasn’t like that. It’s just. . . I don’t know, it’s hard to explain.”

Bucky nodded along like he was giving the whole thing serious thought. “Yeah, I get it. Girl shows up out of nowhere, sweeps you off your feet, then poof—vanishes into the night. Real fairytail stuff.”

Steve frowned, realizing Bucky was being more sarcastic than usual. “You don’t believe me?”

Bucky grinned. “Oh, I believe you. I just think maybe you’re making it a bigger deal than it is. You don’t even know her name, man.”

“That’s part of it,” Steve insisted, leaning in. “I don’t know why, but I can’t stop thinking about her. There’s something there, something I’ve gotta figure out.”

Bucky tilted his head, letting out a slow whistle. “That deep, huh?”

Steve nodded. 

“Well,” Bucky shrugged, “you ever consider that maybe you’re chasing a ghost? People have a way of looking more perfect when they’re a mystery. Could just be the party messing with your head.”

Steve narrowed his eyes, watching Bucky closely. “You really don’t think I should try to find her?”

Bucky shrugged again, a casual grin on his lips. “I’m just saying, you can spend your life chasing down people you’ll never see again, or you can move on. It was a party. People dance, they move on.”

Steve studied Bucky for a moment, feeling like something was off but unable to pin it down. “You’re not telling me something.”

Bucky looked at him, his expression blank, and for a moment Steve thought he might be onto something. But then Bucky just leaned back in his chair and gave him an exaggerated look of confusion. “What, me? I told you, Steve. Party goggles. Happens to the best of us.”

Steve frowned, leaning back in his own seat. “You’ve been quiet since. You sure there’s nothing going on?”

Bucky gave him a slow, amused smile. “Me? Nah. I’m just enjoying the show. You chasing a mystery girl is way more fun than my life.”

Steve let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair. 

Bucky gave a light chuckle, raising his glass. “Well, here’s to the hunt. Hope you find your princess, Cap.”

Steve rolled his eyes, but the smile returned. “Yeah, yeah.”

As they sat in silence for a moment, Steve’s mind continued to spin. There was something about Bucky’s tone that felt... off. But he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

“Anyway,” Steve said, breaking the silence, “thanks for listening.”

“Always here for a good mystery,” Bucky said with a wink, finishing his drink. “Just don’t expect me to go full detective with you. I’ve retired.”

Steve shook his head, smiling despite himself. “I’ll take that under advisement.”

The conversation turned to other things after that, more relaxed. But Bucky knew Steve wouldn’t drop the mystery girl anytime soon.

And Bucky? He wasn’t about to make it easy for him.

× × × ×

Y/N sat across from her father in the grand dining room, she tried to focus on his words, but her mind kept wandering. She nodded at the right moments, gave the expected responses, but her thoughts felt slippery, like trying to hold water in her hands.

Thaddeus’s words faded in and out, and at one point, Y/N realized with a start that she hadn’t been listening to him for the last several minutes. She blinked, trying to recall what he had just said, but her mind was blank.

"Y/N?" her father asked, his sharp voice breaking through her daze. "Did you hear what I said?"

Her heart jumped in her chest, and she forced herself to nod. "Yes. Sorry, just... distracted."

Thaddeus narrowed his eyes at her, clearly not buying her excuse. "You seem more than distracted."

Y/N quickly shook her head. "No, I’m fine. Really.”

Thaddeus cleared his throat, setting his fork down with a sense of authority. “We need to talk about the event next month.”

Y/N glanced up from her plate, already feeling the weight of the conversation. “Mhm, go on.”

Thaddeus nodded, his face serious. “Yes. In a month’s time, the world will know who you are. The Ross family will finally be complete in the public eye.”

Y/N let out a short, almost bitter laugh. “Family? It’s just you and me, Dad. Doesn’t really scream ‘family’ to me.”

Thaddeus’s eyes narrowed slightly at her comment, “This is about perception, Y/N. The country needs to see that I have a family standing behind me. Strong, united.”

Y/N shook her head, still smiling humorlessly. “You’ve kept me hidden for years, and now you want to play the ‘family man’ for the cameras?”

Thaddeus’s face hardened. “It's necessary. The public needs to see stability, especially with everything that’s happening politically. You’ll be introduced, and people will see that I’m not just a leader—I’m a father. A man with family values.”

Y/N couldn’t help but roll her eyes, pushing her plate away slightly. “Family values,” she repeated, the words tasting bitter. “What family values? You’re always working. I barely see you.”

Her father’s expression didn’t waver. “That’s why this is important. You’ll solidify the image. You’ll be the proof of my commitment, not just to the country, but to my family.”

Y/N shook her head, feeling a knot of frustration building in her chest. “I’ve lived outside the spotlight my whole life, Dad. I didn’t ask for any of this. And now you want me to just... smile and play the perfect daughter?”

Thaddeus’s gaze sharpened, his tone cooling. “It’s more than just smiling. You know that. This is about duty, Y/N.”

“Duty,” Y/N scoffed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Of course. It’s always about duty with you.”

Thaddeus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You don’t understand how important this is.”

“No,” Y/N shot back, “I do understand. Now I realize that you’re using me for your image, and I’m supposed to just fall in line.”

“This isn’t just about you. This is bigger than either of us. The people need to see that I have a strong, supportive family. It gives them confidence.”

Y/N clenched her fists under the table, her heart racing with frustration. “But what about me, Dad? What about what I want? You’ve made all the decisions for me up until now, and I’ve gone along with it.”

Thaddeus leaned forward slightly, his tone growing more insistent. “You knew this was coming. We’ve talked about this before. You’ve had time to prepare.”

Y/N shook her head, her voice softening. “Prepare for what? To lose my privacy? You don’t care about what this means for me—you just care about how it looks for you.”

Thaddeus’s face remained impassive, though his tone was clipped. “That’s not true. I care about you, Y/N. But I also care about this country and what’s best for it.”

Y/N let out another hollow laugh, her frustration bubbling over. “Right. Because nothing says ‘family man’ like dragging your daughter into the spotlight when she’s never wanted to be there.”

Thaddeus didn’t respond for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly. “You will do this, Y/N. It’s not just about me. It’s about this family, the country, and the image we need to uphold.”

Y/N stared at him for a long moment, her shoulders sagging under the weight of his expectations. She knew she couldn’t win this argument. Her father had already made up his mind, and she was just another part of his larger plan.

After a long pause, Y/N’s voice was quiet. “And after the event? What happens then?”

Thaddeus leaned back in his chair, his expression softening ever so slightly. “After the event, we’ll take it one step at a time. The public will get to know you gradually. It won’t all happen overnight.”

Y/N swallowed hard, the knot in her stomach tightening. “I don’t know if I want to do this.”

Her father’s gaze softened, if only for a moment. “You’re stronger than you think, Y/N. You’ve always been.”

Y/N nodded, though her heart felt heavy. “Fine,” she said quietly. “I’ll be there. But don’t expect me to be happy about it.”

Thaddeus gave her a small nod, satisfied with her response. “Good. We’ll go over the details as the date gets closer.”

Y/N pushed her plate further away, her appetite long gone. As the conversation shifted to less intense topics, she couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that had settled in her chest. The event was a month away, but it already felt like it was looming over her, threatening to swallow her whole.

With a quiet sigh, she dabbed her napkin at her mouth and stood up from the table, her chair scraping lightly against the polished floor. “I’m going to go,” she said softly, her voice strained with the weight of the conversation.

Thaddeus looked up, his brow furrowed slightly. He hadn’t expected her to leave so abruptly. “What about the engagement?”

Y/N froze for a moment, her fingers tightening around the edge of the napkin. The conversation with Ethan flashed through her mind, the vague promises, the unspoken truths. She sighed, letting the napkin fall back onto the table.

“Me and Ethan are going to talk,” she said, her voice firm but distant. “If that gives you some peace of mind.”

Thaddeus’s eyes lingered on her, his expression unreadable. “Good,” he said finally, though there was little warmth in his voice. “Make sure you do. It’s important.”

Y/N didn’t respond. She gave him a small nod, turned on her heel, and walked out of the dining room. The ornate hallways of the White House felt colder tonight, the grandeur and elegance offering no comfort as she made her way back to her room. Her father’s words echoed in her mind, but it wasn’t just the upcoming event that weighed on her—it was everything. The engagement, the pressure, the constant feeling of being trapped in a life she hadn’t chosen.

× × × ×

As Y/N walked out of the dining room, the ornate hallways of the White House felt colder tonight, the grandeur and elegance offering no comfort as she made her way back to her room. Each step echoed off the polished marble floors, but something felt off. Her mind, which had been racing moments earlier, now felt strangely... blank. She frowned, her fingers brushing along the wall for balance.

Halfway to her room, she paused, looking around as though she had forgotten where she was going. She stopped in her tracks, staring at the portraits that lined the hallway—portraits she had passed a thousand times. Yet, tonight, the faces blurred.

Y/N blinked hard, trying to shake the strange feeling creeping over her. Where was I going again?

For a split second, the thought slipped away, her mind drawing a blank. It was disorienting, like waking from a deep dream and not remembering where you were. She took a slow breath, pressing a hand to her temple. The faint throb there wasn’t new, but it was persistent, as if her brain was working too hard to pull thoughts together.

“Get it together,” she whispered to herself, glancing around the hallway. The elegant space seemed suddenly unfamiliar, foreign, even though she had lived here for years.

Y/N shook her head, trying to dismiss the uneasy feeling that was building in her chest. It’s just stress, she told herself. It’s everything happening at once. The event, the engagement, the media. It’s all just... too much.

But deep down, she knew it wasn’t just the stress. It has been happening more often lately—small, almost unnoticeable lapses. Forgetting where she put her phone, struggling to recall the names of people she had just met, moments of disorientation that she’d brushed off. They weren’t constant, but they were enough to make her wonder.

Still, Y/N pushed the thought aside and continued down the hallway, her fingers trailing along the wall for grounding. She reached what will become her room and pushed the door open, exhaling a sigh of relief as she stepped into the familiar space. The tension in her shoulders eased slightly, but the lingering unease from the hallway stuck with her, sitting heavy in the pit of her stomach.