#full stack developer course in new york

[indembminsk]

Boost Your Earning Potential: Top Courses in New York for Financial Success

New York, the bustling hub of business, technology, and creativity, offers myriad opportunities for those looking to enhance their skill set and increase their earning potential. Whether you’re looking to break into the financial district, scale the corporate ladder, or jump into the start-up scene, the city that never sleeps has something for everyone. Here is a curated list of top courses to…

[itview2024]

What is the Basic Salary of a Java Full Stack Developer?

The basic salary of a Java Full Stack Developer can vary based on several factors, including location, years of experience, education, and the company’s size. However, in general, Java Full Stack Developers are highly sought after due to their expertise in both front-end and back-end technologies, which makes them versatile and valuable in the software development field. If you’re considering a career in this field, enrolling in a Java Full Stack Developer course can provide the skills needed to land a high-paying job.

On average, a Java Full Stack Developer in India can expect a salary ranging from ₹4,00,000 to ₹12,00,000 per year. Entry-level developers with less than 1–2 years of experience typically earn around ₹4,00,000 to ₹6,00,000 annually. With 3–5 years of experience, this salary can increase to around ₹6,00,000 to ₹9,00,000 per year. Senior developers with 5+ years of experience can earn anywhere from ₹10,00,000 to ₹12,00,000 or more annually, depending on their skills and the company’s demands.

In countries like the United States, Java Full Stack Developers earn considerably higher salaries, ranging from $70,000 to $120,000 per year based on similar factors. Larger tech hubs like San Francisco, New York, or Seattle tend to offer higher pay due to the cost of living and demand for skilled developers.

A Java Full Stack Developer course equips individuals with the skills required for both the front-end (e.g., HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Angular, React) and back-end (e.g., Java, Spring, Hibernate, database management) aspects of web development, making their role essential for building robust and scalable applications. Companies value developers who can manage the entire development cycle, from designing user interfaces to implementing the server-side logic.

In addition to experience and location, factors such as company reputation, skill set, and industry can influence salary figures. Developers with expertise in cloud technologies, microservices architecture, and DevOps practices may command higher salaries due to the increasing demand for these skills in modern web applications.

Overall, the salary of a Java Full Stack Developer is highly competitive and continues to rise as the demand for versatile tech professionals increases in the ever-evolving tech landscape. Enrolling in a Itview’s Java Full Stack Developer course is a great way to build the expertise needed to capitalize on these high-paying opportunities.

[syntaxlevelup1]

What is the salary of a full stack developer?

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, full stack developers are in high demand. These versatile professionals possess a unique blend of front-end and back-end development skills, making them invaluable in building and maintaining complete web applications. If you're aspiring to enter this lucrative field, it's essential to understand the salary expectations. In this blog, we’ll explore the salary of a full stack developer course in pune and how SyntaxLevelUp can help you elevate your career in this field.

What Does a Full Stack Developer Do?

A full stack developer is someone proficient in both front-end and back-end technologies. They can design and build everything from the user interface to the server infrastructure that powers the application. This includes working with:

Front-End Technologies: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, frameworks like React, Angular, or Vue.js.

Back-End Technologies: Server-side languages such as Node.js, Python, Ruby, Java, or PHP.

Databases: SQL, NoSQL databases like MongoDB, MySQL, PostgreSQL.

Version Control: Tools like Git and GitHub.

Deployment and Cloud Services: Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, Azure, etc.

With such a broad skill set, full stack developers are often seen as a one-stop solution for web development projects.

Average Salary of a Full Stack Developer

The salary of a full stack developer can vary based on several factors, including location, experience, industry, and the technologies they are proficient in. According to industry surveys, the average salary of a full stack developer in various regions is as follows:

United States: $85,000 - $120,000 annually.

India: ₹6,00,000 - ₹12,00,000 per annum.

United Kingdom: £40,000 - £60,000 per year.

Germany: €50,000 - €80,000 annually.

These figures are for mid-level developers. Senior full stack developers with 5+ years of experience or those specializing in certain high-demand frameworks and tools can command salaries significantly higher than the average.

Factors That Affect Full Stack Developer Salaries

Experience: The more years you’ve spent honing your skills, the higher your salary. Senior developers often manage larger projects and teams, leading to higher compensation.

Location: Geographic location plays a crucial role. Developers in tech hubs like San Francisco, New York, or London often earn more due to higher demand and cost of living.

Technological Proficiency: Specialization in certain modern frameworks or tools, such as React, Angular, Node.js, or cloud platforms like AWS, can give you a competitive edge.

Industry: Some industries, such as fintech, healthcare, and AI-driven startups, are willing to pay premium salaries to attract top-tier talent.

How SyntaxLevelUp Can Help You Boost Your Career

SyntaxLevelUp, a premier training provider, offers comprehensive full stack development courses designed to give you a competitive edge in the job market. With industry-relevant projects, experienced mentors, and up-to-date course content, SyntaxLevelUp ensures that its students are well-prepared to enter the workforce as highly skilled developers.

Why Choose SyntaxLevelUp?

Industry-Standard Curriculum: Learn the latest full stack technologies and frameworks like MERN, MEAN, and Django.

Hands-On Projects: Work on real-world projects that prepare you for the demands of the industry.

Expert Instructors: Learn from experienced professionals who have a deep understanding of the industry.

Career Support: SyntaxLevelUp provides career guidance, interview preparation, and job placement assistance to help you land your dream job.

Conclusion

The salary of a full stack developer is attractive, and the demand for these versatile professionals continues to rise. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to upgrade your skills, SyntaxLevelUp offers the right training to help you succeed. With the right skill set and experience, you can expect a fulfilling career with excellent financial rewards as a full stack developer.

Are you ready to level up your career? Enroll in SyntaxLevelUp’s Full Stack Developer Program today and take the first step towards a rewarding career!

Looking for the best full stack training in Pune? SyntaxLevelUp offers a comprehensive full stack developer course in Pune, covering both front-end and back-end technologies. Our full stack developer course in Pune with placement ensures you gain the skills and job support needed to launch your career. From full stack Java developer courses in Pune to top-rated full stack classes, SyntaxLevelUp provides the ideal platform for aspiring developers. Enroll in the best full stack web development course in Pune today!

[businessa]

What is the salary of a full stack developer?

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, full stack developers are in high demand. These versatile professionals possess a unique blend of front-end and back-end development skills, making them invaluable in building and maintaining complete web applications. If you're aspiring to enter this lucrative field, it's essential to understand the salary expectations. In this blog, we’ll explore the salary of a full stack developer course in pune and how SyntaxLevelUp can help you elevate your career in this field.

What Does a Full Stack Developer Do?

A full stack developer is someone proficient in both front-end and back-end technologies. They can design and build everything from the user interface to the server infrastructure that powers the application. This includes working with:

Front-End Technologies: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, frameworks like React, Angular, or Vue.js.

Back-End Technologies: Server-side languages such as Node.js, Python, Ruby, Java, or PHP.

Databases: SQL, NoSQL databases like MongoDB, MySQL, PostgreSQL.

Version Control: Tools like Git and GitHub.

Deployment and Cloud Services: Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, Azure, etc.

With such a broad skill set, full stack developers are often seen as a one-stop solution for web development projects.

Average Salary of a Full Stack Developer

The salary of a full stack developer can vary based on several factors, including location, experience, industry, and the technologies they are proficient in. According to industry surveys, the average salary of a full stack developer in various regions is as follows:

United States: $85,000 - $120,000 annually.

India: ₹6,00,000 - ₹12,00,000 per annum.

United Kingdom: £40,000 - £60,000 per year.

Germany: €50,000 - €80,000 annually.

These figures are for mid-level developers. Senior full stack developers with 5+ years of experience or those specializing in certain high-demand frameworks and tools can command salaries significantly higher than the average.

Factors That Affect Full Stack Developer Salaries

Experience: The more years you’ve spent honing your skills, the higher your salary. Senior developers often manage larger projects and teams, leading to higher compensation.

Location: Geographic location plays a crucial role. Developers in tech hubs like San Francisco, New York, or London often earn more due to higher demand and cost of living.

Technological Proficiency: Specialization in certain modern frameworks or tools, such as React, Angular, Node.js, or cloud platforms like AWS, can give you a competitive edge.

Industry: Some industries, such as fintech, healthcare, and AI-driven startups, are willing to pay premium salaries to attract top-tier talent.

How SyntaxLevelUp Can Help You Boost Your Career

SyntaxLevelUp, a premier training provider, offers comprehensive full stack development courses designed to give you a competitive edge in the job market. With industry-relevant projects, experienced mentors, and up-to-date course content, SyntaxLevelUp ensures that its students are well-prepared to enter the workforce as highly skilled developers.

Why Choose SyntaxLevelUp?

Industry-Standard Curriculum: Learn the latest full stack technologies and frameworks like MERN, MEAN, and Django.

Hands-On Projects: Work on real-world projects that prepare you for the demands of the industry.

Expert Instructors: Learn from experienced professionals who have a deep understanding of the industry.

Career Support: SyntaxLevelUp provides career guidance, interview preparation, and job placement assistance to help you land your dream job.

Conclusion

The salary of a full stack developer is attractive, and the demand for these versatile professionals continues to rise. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to upgrade your skills, SyntaxLevelUp offers the right training to help you succeed. With the right skill set and experience, you can expect a fulfilling career with excellent financial rewards as a full stack developer.

Are you ready to level up your career? Enroll in SyntaxLevelUp’s Full Stack Developer Program today and take the first step towards a rewarding career!

Looking for the best full stack training in Pune? SyntaxLevelUp offers a comprehensive full stack developer course in Pune, covering both front-end and back-end technologies. Our full stack developer course in Pune with placement ensures you gain the skills and job support needed to launch your career. From full stack Java developer courses in Pune to top-rated full stack classes, SyntaxLevelUp provides the ideal platform for aspiring developers. Enroll in the best full stack web development course in Pune today!

[elioratechno25]

The Revolution of Online Education with Eliora Techno A New Era of Learning

In today's fast-paced digital world, online education has emerged as a game-changer. The traditional way of attending classes in brick-and-mortar institutions is evolving, and more students are opting for flexible, convenient, and affordable online learning solutions. Eliora Techno, a leader in online education, is at the forefront of this revolution, providing cutting-edge courses that cater to learners worldwide.

What Makes Online Education the Future of Learning?

The shift towards online education has been rapid, and it is here to stay. But what makes it so appealing? Here are a few reasons:

1. Flexibility and Convenience: Online education allows learners to study at their own pace and convenience. Whether you're a working professional, a stay-at-home parent, or someone with a busy schedule, online courses fit into your routine. Eliora Techno offers flexible course structures that let students access lessons anytime and anywhere.

2. Cost-Effectiveness: Traditional education comes with many additional expenses, from commuting to accommodation. Online education eliminates most of these, making it an affordable alternative. Eliora Techno ensures that its courses are competitively priced without compromising on quality.

3. Global Reach: With the internet connecting millions of learners across the globe, online education breaks geographical barriers. Whether you're in Nagpur, New York, or Nairobi, Eliora Techno provides access to the same high-quality education, giving students a global perspective and opportunities.

4. Variety of Courses: Online education offers an array of courses that cater to different interests and industries. Eliora Techno specializes in IT courses like Frontend Development, Graphic Design, Java Development, Digital Marketing, WordPress, PHP Full Stack Development, MERN Stack, React JS, and NodeJS. These courses are designed to equip students with industry-relevant skills, making them job-ready.

How Eliora Techno Enhances the Online Learning Experience

Eliora Techno has redefined the online education space with its learner-focused approach and advanced technological integration. Here's how:

1. Interactive Learning Platforms: Eliora Techno leverages modern technology to offer interactive platforms where students can engage with instructors and peers. Live sessions, recorded lectures, and interactive quizzes make learning dynamic and effective.

2. Expert Instructors: All courses at Eliora Techno are taught by experienced professionals who are experts in their respective fields. The focus is on practical knowledge, ensuring that learners are industry-ready upon course completion.

3. Comprehensive Support: One of the key challenges in online education is the lack of immediate support that students usually get in traditional settings. Eliora Techno bridges this gap by offering comprehensive student support through live chat, email assistance, and dedicated mentors.

4. Certifications and Job Assistance: Upon completion of courses, students receive recognized certifications, giving them an edge in the competitive job market. Eliora Techno also provides job assistance and internship opportunities, especially for students looking to break into the IT sector.

5. Personalized Learning: Each student has unique learning needs, and Eliora Techno recognizes this. With personalized learning paths and assessments, students can focus on areas where they need improvement, ensuring a more tailored and efficient learning experience.

Eliora Techno and the Growth of IT Education in Nagpur

Nagpur is rapidly growing as an IT hub in India, and Eliora Techno is playing a crucial role in this transformation by offering specialized IT online classes in Nagpur. The demand for skilled IT professionals is soaring, and Eliora Techno is providing world-class training to meet this demand. By offering courses that are aligned with industry standards, Eliora Techno is helping students from Nagpur and beyond secure well-paying jobs in the global IT market.

Conclusion

The future of education is digital, and Eliora Techno is leading the charge. With its range of courses, expert instructors, and a focus on providing practical, industry-relevant knowledge, Eliora Techno is preparing students to succeed in a competitive global market. Whether you're looking to upskill, change careers, or start your journey in the IT world, Eliora Techno’s online education platform is the gateway to a brighter future.

Embrace the power of online education today with Eliora Techno and unlock endless opportunities!

[syntaxlevelup]

What is the average salary of a Full Stack Developer?

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, the role of a Full stack developer course pune has emerged as one of the most sought-after positions in the industry. With the ability to work on both the front-end and back-end of web development, Full Stack Developers possess a diverse skill set that is highly valued by employers. One of the key factors that often influence individuals considering a career in this field is the potential salary they can expect to earn. In this blog post, we delve into the realm of Full Stack Developer salaries to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of what to anticipate in terms of compensation.

Understanding the Role of a Full Stack Developer

Before we dive into salary figures, let’s briefly outline the responsibilities of a Best full stack developer course in pune . Essentially, these professionals are adept at working with both the front-end and back-end of web development. This means they can handle tasks such as designing user interfaces, implementing server-side logic, managing databases, and ensuring seamless integration of various components to create a functional and visually appealing website or application are the full stack classes in pune.

Factors Influencing Full Stack Developer Salaries

Several factors come into play when determining the salary of a Full Stack Developer. These include:

Experience: As with any profession, experience plays a significant role in salary negotiations. Entry-level developers may earn less compared to those with several years of experience under their belt.

Skill Set: The breadth and depth of skills possessed by a full stack developer classes in pune can vary greatly. Those proficient in a wide range of programming languages, frameworks, and tools may command higher salaries.

Location: The cost of living and demand for tech talent vary from one region to another. Developers working in tech hubs such as Silicon Valley or New York City might expect higher salaries compared to those in smaller cities or rural areas.

Company Size and Industry: The size and industry of the employing company can also impact salary levels. Established tech giants or companies in high-growth sectors like fintech or e-commerce may offer more competitive compensation packages.

Education and Certifications: While not always mandatory, advanced degrees or relevant certifications can boost a developer’s earning potential.

Average Salary Figures

According to data from various sources such as Glassdoor, PayScale, and Indeed, the average salary of a Full Stack Developer in the United States ranges from $70,000 to $120,000 per year. However, it's essential to note that these figures are approximate and can vary significantly based on the factors mentioned above.

In addition to base salaries, Full stack training in pune may also receive bonuses, profit-sharing, stock options, and other perks depending on the company’s policies and performance.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the salary of a Full Stack Developer in Pune can be influenced by a multitude of factors, including experience, skills, location, company size, and industry. While average salary figures provide a general idea of what to expect, it's crucial for individuals to conduct thorough research and consider their unique circumstances when negotiating compensation packages.

Ultimately, the demand for skilled full stack courses in pune continues to grow, making it a lucrative career choice for those passionate about web development and technology.

If you’re considering a career as a full stack training in pune, it’s essential to stay updated on industry trends, continuously enhance your skills, and be proactive in seeking opportunities for growth and advancement in this dynamic field.

In search for top-notch Full Stack Developer training in Pune? Explore our comprehensive courses designed to equip you with the skills needed to excel in the field. With expert instructors and hands-on learning experiences, our classes cover everything from front-end development to back-end technologies. Join the best Full Stack Developer course in Pune and embark on a rewarding journey towards mastering the art of web development.

[govindhtech]

IBM Launches Quantum System Two And Quantum Heron Processor

IBM Quantum Heron Processor

The first of a new series of utility-scale quantum processors, IBM Quantum Heron, was unveiled right now at the annual IBM Quantum Summit in New York. Its architecture has been developed over the last four years to deliver IBM’s highest performance metrics and lowest error rates of any IBM Quantum processor to date.

Additionally, IBM debuted IBM Quantum System Two, the first modular quantum computer made by the firm and the main component of their quantum-centric supercomputing architecture. With three IBM Heron processor and accompanying control electronics, the first IBM Quantum System Two, situated in Yorktown Heights, New York, has started up operations.

Now that this crucial framework is in place, the company is extending its IBM Quantum Development Roadmap until 2033 with new goals to greatly improve the quality of gate operations, in addition to other advances in quantum hardware, theory, and software. By doing this, it would be possible to run quantum circuits of greater size and contribute to the full realization of quantum computing’s promise at scale.

IBM Quantum systems can now be used as a scientific tool to examine utility-scale classes of issues in chemistry, physics, and materials beyond brute force classical simulation of quantum mechanics, as proven by IBM earlier this year on a 127-qubit ‘IBM Quantum Eagle’ processor.

Since then, utility-scale quantum computing has been demonstrated more often by eminent scientists, engineers, and researchers from a variety of institutions, including IBM, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, the University of Tokyo, the University of Washington, the University of Cologne, Harvard University, Qedma, Algorithmiq, UC Berkeley, Q-CTRL, Fundacion Ikerbasque, Donostia International Physics Center, and the University of the Basque Country.

This includes trials currently underway on the brand-new IBM Quantum Heron 133-qubit processor, which the company is currently offering to consumers through the cloud. The first of IBM’s new generation of high-performance processors, IBM Heron offers a five-fold gain over the previous best records set by IBM Eagle, thanks to dramatically improved error rates. Over the course of the next year, more IBM Heron processors will be added to IBM’s fleet of systems, which leads the industry in terms of utility and performance.

The Extended IBM Quantum Development Roadmap and IBM Quantum System Two

The architecture of IBM’s next-generation quantum computing system is built on IBM Quantum System Two. It integrates modular qubit control circuits with traditional runtime servers and scalable cryogenic infrastructure. The new system serves as a foundational element for IBM’s quantum-centric supercomputing concept. This architecture uses a middleware layer to properly integrate quantum and classical workflows. It integrates quantum communication and processing with the help of classical computer resources.

This system is intended to contain IBM’s next generation of quantum processors as well, according to IBM’s recently enlarged ten-year IBM Quantum Development Roadmap. Furthermore, as part of this roadmap, these upcoming processors are meant to progressively enhance the caliber of operations they can perform, hence greatly increasing the complexity and volume of workloads they can manage.

Enhance the Simplicity of Quantum Software Programming with Qiskit and Generative AI

IBM is also presenting plans today for a new generation of its software stack, of which Qiskit 1.0 will be a turning point characterized by speed and stability. IBM is also introducing Qiskit Patterns, which aims to democratize the development of quantum computers.

Quantum developers will be able to write code more quickly and simply with the help of Qiskit Patterns. Its foundation is a set of tools for mapping classical issues to quantum circuits, optimizing those circuits with Qiskit, running those circuits with Qiskit Runtime, and postprocessing the output. Users will be able to create, implement, and run workflows mixing classical and quantum processing in various contexts, such as cloud or on-premise situations, by combining Qiskit Patterns with Quantum Serverless. With the help of these tools, users will be able to construct and execute quantum algorithms more quickly.

Furthermore, IBM is in the forefront of applying generative AI to quantum code programming via its enterprise AI platform, Watsonx. IBM plans to include Watsonx’s generative AI technology to facilitate the automation of Qiskit’s quantum code development. The IBM Granite model series will be adjusted in order to accomplish this.

“Generative AI and quantum computing are both reaching an inflection point, presenting us with the opportunity to use the trusted foundation model framework of watsonx to simplify how quantum algorithms can be built for utility-scale exploration,” stated Jay Gambetta, Vice President and Fellow at the company. “This is a significant step towards broadening how quantum computing can be accessed and put in the hands of users as an instrument for scientific exploration.”

Users and computational scientists can now reliably derive results from quantum systems as they map larger and more complex problems to quantum circuits thanks to the sophisticated hardware found in IBM’s global fleet of more than 100 qubit systems and the user-friendly software that IBM is introducing with Qiskit.

Read more on Govindhtech.com

[amnashuhail]

Learn Angular JS Course Anywhere Any Time for Your Better Outcome

TechnoMaster is the best solution for learning Angular JS online training course in USA or anywhere, where you will get the better future anywhere at any time. Course includes CSS, HTML, Java Script, Angular js basics, filters, expression, directives & controllers and so on.. With the best counselling, project submission, live training by our IT experts, access to recorded videos and attending practical internships you will get the better knowledge beyond your expectation.

All you need is to join with us for more enquiries and you will get well certified under course completion and internships attended, we also provide 100% job support under our jobsnear team where you can completely trust us and live the life happily as u wish.

For more details:

[qqueenofhades]

If you need some distraction - helnik + coffee shop AU? (If its not your thing, I'd gladly read any and every helnik prompt you feel like writing. 💙)

Everyone says New York is big. The songs, the movies, the popular culture, the overall zeitgeist -- that's what it is all about, the size of it, whether mentally or physically. The skyscrapers, the subways, the noise, the people, the way you can travel all over the world within the span of a few blocks, give as mathematically incalculable amount of a shit as possible and have the oddly comforting realization that everyone else will do the same. And sure, yes, it is big. Nina got lost three times on her first day attempting to navigate it alone, and while she can read English just fine, the insistence of New Yorkers on speaking a thousand miles a minute often leaves her trying to ask if they could just repeat themselves please, slower. Since the one thing the Big Apple hates is having to go slower, or realizing that the entire world does not run at the same manic pace they do, they usually sigh or roll their eyes or otherwise grumble about it. Thanks, guys. Helpful.

It could be worse, though. At least Nina has a place to stay, even if that is renting a tiny apartment with three other Russian girls -- Genya, Alina, and Marie -- in a recently privatized project on the Lower West Side that proudly flogs itself as "the next generation of affordable housing for New York City." (Is it really? Maybe, if you squint.) She stayed with Ivan and Fedyor down in Brighton Beach when she first landed at JFK with not much more than her backpack and the clothes she was wearing, but it's an hour-plus on the subway to get into midtown, and she wanted to get out of the Russian enclave, stretch herself, meet more American people. And maybe not be reminded every day about having to flee for her life, and not being sure if she can ever go back to her homeland. That would be nice too.

In any event, Nina has managed to get a job at a small cafe in Hell's Kitchen, tucked somewhere among the eighty thousand Irish pubs and coffeehouses, and she's working about thirty hours a week, trying to save enough for her share of the rent and figure out what the hell she's doing next. It's a nice place, homey, with an old Italian espresso machine and mismatched wooden tables, full of light in the morning, the kind of place where people come with laptops and books and settle in for the long haul, periodically buying another flat white or muffin to pay rent on their space. Nina served her time as a barista in the trenches of Skuratov Coffee back in Russia, as a student, and it's comfortingly familiar. Easy. Comfortable.

Of course, if it wasn't for Matthias fucking Helvar.

This tall blond paragon of paramount irritation turned up on her third day working there, and even more to her annoyance, he's a regular, so she can't get rid of him. She isn't sure what he does when he's not driving her crazy -- she knows something about a graduate program in international development at NYU, because he never fucking shuts up about that, but half of her thinks that he might be making it up just to sound like all the other pretentious hipster dipshits pounding the keys in midtown Manhattan. He does have a stack of books vaguely on this theme, and a Norway flag pin stuck to his backpack. Those clean blond athletic good looks make sense, then. Of course he's Scandinavian. Probably planning to Run Out And Save The World TM.

At any rate, it's a snowy evening in February, and Nina's working the late shift, the white fairy lights glowing behind the bar. There are only a few people in the cafe, and one of them, of course, is Matthias. Evidently considering that what this otherwise-pleasant situation really needs is his input, he gets up and makes toward her, handing over his empty cup for another refill of the house blend. "And make sure it's hot, please," he adds bossily. "Last time it was barely lukewarm."

Nina grits her teeth. "I just brewed the new pot," she informs him, charitably neglecting to add that she is happy to dump it over his head to check that it is warm enough for Mr. Perfect's tastes. That would definitely get her fired, and she needs this job. As if he doesn't know, she adds, "That will be a dollar fifty, please."

Matthias digs in his jeans pocket (she does not notice that they fit him rather well, absolutely not) and comes up with the exact change, as usual. He's like if IKEA made a person. Nina snatches it out of his hand and puts it through the register, takes his cup, and fills it up. She knows not to leave room for cream (too fattening) or sugar (the large-scale cultivation of processed sugar is responsible for many of the geopolitical evils in world history). Is Matthias here all the time because he's a horribly boring square who doesn't have any other friends to hang out with? That would explain a lot.

For half a moment, Nina finds herself teetering on the verge of sympathy. She knows, after all, what it's like to be alone in this city, floating along on the human tide, wondering if you're ever going to put down roots, or stand your ground, or matter. Then she shakes it off, vastly annoyed with herself. The reason that Matthias doesn't have any friends is because he sucks. Case closed.

"Here," she says curtly, handing his cup back. "It's hot."

"Thank you." Matthias's hand brushes her as he takes it, and for a moment, his eyes meet hers a little too long, a little too meaningfully. (He really is distractingly tall.) "I'm... sorry," he adds belatedly. "I'm just a little stressed. I have this big exam coming up at -- "

"NYU, yes, I know." Nina rolls her eyes. "We've heard. You are the Tesla owner of NYU attendees, Matthias."

He blinks. A little pink comes into his cheeks. "Oh," he says, almost shyly. "You know my name?"

"You come in here five days a week. How could I not?"

"Oh." He considers that, then smiles crookedly, and it does something absolutely awful to her insides, which they will never speak of ever again. "Thank you. Nina."

Nina is relieved when he retreats to his table, and picks up the rag to wipe down the self-service bar, even though it doesn't entirely need it. Just for a moment. Just to catch her breath. No reason at all.

Good thing she is never, ever going to like that guy a bit.

[kikis-writing-world]

Pregnancy Announcement HCs

Drabbles under the cut for how Pedro boys would react to your pregnancy, and how you’d share the news. Trigger/content warnings: Pregnancy (both planned and surprise,) mention of abortions as an option, talk of contraception, smut (including cum play, cock warming,) mentions of PTSD and past drug addiction, mentions of dead former partners, blood, periods, doctors/obgyns, single parent/father not wanting to actively participate. If I missed anything, please let me know! Lack of editing as usual... 

Pics are for inspiration, not always an exact replica. All take place in a sort of modern AU where there might be a social media to post pictures to.

Dave York

This wasn’t supposed to happen. Dave already has a family and he made it very clear that he wasn’t leaving them for you. When you found out, you were terrified he would demand you terminate the pregnancy - heck, you considered it briefly yourself. You thought long and hard about your options even before telling Dave.

His first reaction was about as bad as it could get: he said nothing, got up and left. He returned a few hours later when you had already cried yourself hoarse. He held you in his arms as he spoke clearly and carefully. He asked if you wanted to keep the baby, and when he said yes he almost seemed torn. You don’t know if it was wishful thinking that he was excited to have another child, but you swore you saw a sparkle in his eye… of course, it wasn’t that simple.

He told you it wouldn’t be easy for you since he would never be with you like that - you were just the nanny he was fucking. If you wanted to go it alone, he would help financially and support you as much as he could, but he couldn’t claim the baby as his and risk losing his daughters.

You were going to have to go the single mother route, and if anyone asked you’d have to either say it was a fling or the father wasn’t interested in being in the picture.

Din Djarin

In all honesty, you were surprised it didn’t happen sooner. Din loved to cum inside of you. He’d lay with you, his softening cock still inside you to make sure nothing slipped out. When he finally did, he’d watch with amazement as your body twitched as it adjusted to emptiness. Gently, he’d push any dripping cum back into your fluttering hole. His deep, gruff voice was laced with exhaustion and lust as he would talk about filling your pretty pussy, not wasting a drop…

When you started getting ill, you at first thought it was just a passing bug. It was inevitable with all the travel that you would fall under the weather. Two weeks into the churning stomach, you realized you missed a period. 

When you brought it up to Din, he changed all travel plans - the bounties could wait, he had to get you to the nearest clinic ASAP. The test coming back positive had him glowing with pride. It was hard to convince him to wait until further along to announce the pregnancy, knowing anything could happen in these early stages. As soon as you gave him the all-clear, he did everything but shout it from the rooftops. By the time the picture was posted -your headgear, his helmet, and a tiny helmet between - everyone already knew anyway.

Ezra

It was a surprise, but not a shock. You and Ezra, although you tried to be safe, definitely had a habit of being caught up in the moment and forgetting certain precautions. A walk through the forest that led to a beautiful field of flowers, a picnic on a moonlit beach - there were times Ezra was so overwhelmed by your beauty and the beauty around him that he just got swept up. It was hard not to get swept up with him.

He was ecstatic when you told him you thought you might be pregnant. He could hardly wait for you to take a test. His knee bounced anxiously as you waited the 2 minutes, holding your hand tightly in his. The positive result brought tears to his eyes as he embraced you close but gently, already scared of hurting the baby. He saw it as nothing less than a blessing. He dropped to his knees as soon as he let you go, already talking to the bundle of cells, calling them his little shining star. The nickname sticks throughout the pregnancy, leading to a beautiful space-themed nursery and all events leading up to the birth, including the announcement.

Frankie Morales

You’re absolutely terrified to tell Frankie. You knew he wanted to be a father, but the two of you had talked so much about the fears you shared about being parents. Mental health, substance abuse, financial stability - it made the concept of “starting a family” overwhelming.

Your stomach rolled the whole time you waited for him to get home from work, little plastic test taunting you from the table. What if it set him off? He’d been sober for years, but you knew every day was a new battle. You were so consumed by your own thoughts, playing out how he might react in your head, that you didn’t even hear him come in.

“Are you…” He half-asked the question, eyes darting between you and the test. You couldn’t find your voice, only nod. The facial change in him was immediate: broad smile and wonder in his eyes as he laughed, scooping you into his arms. You clung to him just as tightly as he started laughing, too much joy coursing through him. As he started crying “holy shit, I’m going to be a papa,” how could you have possibly doubted he’d be anything but ecstatic?

You each tell your closest friends and your families, but you manage to keep it under wraps for the first months until posting your announcement and shocking everyone. Toes in the sand at the beach of your favorite camping spot, imagining the sandcastles and other games you’d be playing in the near future - it was everything you could ever want.

Jack Daniels

The two of you were religiously careful. You had talked about a family, but had agreed that until Jack was ready - which may or may not happen - you were going to prevent it. But life finds a way…

You find out much later than you would have liked - nearly 3 months in, you missed the whole first trimester. Looking back, there were obvious signs of pregnancy but you just didn’t think it was possible. You and Jack find out together at a doctor’s appointment. You leave the office shell shocked with a stack of pamphlets to consider your options and an appointment for next week. When you get home, Jack doesn’t even talk about it. You try to bring it up a few hours later, but he ignores you.

Finally, 3 days later, you can’t take it anymore. You feel like you’re in this completely alone at this point as you yell at him “ignoring it won’t make it go away!” Jack breaks down and tells you he’s so damn scared. He cries in a way you’ve never seen him cry, talking about how he wants a family with you but he can’t go through that kind of loss a second time. It nearly killed him the first time and he wouldn’t be able to handle it again. You talk long into the night about all of it - both of your fears, worries, dreams, thoughts - nothing is off limits as you talk about all the possibilities lying in front of you. Even through the fear and trauma, one thing is clear: you both want this.

It’s not easy, but your doctor helps relieve some worries. She speaks frankly to you about the development of the baby along the way and suggests a therapist that might be able to help, as well as classes you can take on parenting. It doesn’t take long for the worried “what ifs” to be paired with excited “whens.”

Javier Peña

When Javier Peña walked into your small town police station, you thought you were dreaming. Sent to help with a case that your rural forces didn’t have the experience to handle, he was only supposed to be in town as long as the case took. You never imagined you, just a lowly admin, would catch his eye.

It didn’t take long for you to tumble into the bed of his hotel room. And your bed at home. And your car. And his truck. And just about any possible surface in between. What you thought was a one night stand turned to three, then four, and soon into a full fledged fling. You knew the expiry date hanging above your heads, so you kept your feelings for the charming (if a little gruff around the edges) agent locked deep away. The case took about two months, and then he was gone just as suddenly as he arrived.

A month after his departure, when you found out you were pregnant, you didn’t know what to do. He hadn’t even left you his number, so you were sure he had no plans to see you ever again. Should you track him down and let him know, or just carry on with this on your own? You spent night after night talking to the growing baby, asking what you should do.

Javier ended up answering the question for you, when he unexpectedly walked into the station once more. He asked to speak with you privately before admitting he had missed you. He told you about trying to forget you, only to spend most of his evenings telling his father about you. Eventually you cut him off with a kiss, telling him you’re glad he came back. You take his hand, placing it on your stomach when you tell him you had been thinking about him too.

Javi helps you secure a transfer to Laredo and even though you technically have your own place, you’re spending practically every night with him anyway. If anyone wondered why the move, well the recognizable mustache on your announcement answered their questions.

Marcus Moreno

Marcus doesn’t believe you the first time you tell him “I think I’m pregnant.” He remembers his wife’s pregnancy with Missy, and you haven’t shown any of those signs. You roll your eyes and tell him that every woman and every pregnancy is different, but he still doesn't believe you. It isn’t until he’s staring down at three tests, all positive, that it clicks in his head he’s having a second child.

He’s excited, but he admits he’s scared. He’s older now, what if he can’t keep up with a baby? More than that, he’s worried about Missy.

You both know you don’t want Missy to feel left out or replaced by a new sibling. The two of you have a good relationship, but of course there were speed bumps to get there. She understood you weren’t trying to replace her mother. Would she be as understanding, knowing that you weren’t trying to replace her?

You and Marcus sit her down and tell her together. Before you can even start on your planned spiel about how the family is growing and no one is getting replaced, she is talking a mile a minute about having a little sister. You and Marcus share a relieved breath and lock eyes before you have to remind her that it might be a little brother. This seems to dampen her mood a little bit, but overall she’s still excited… even if she is adamant she isn’t touching any stinky diapers.

Another way you make sure to include her, is how you announce it to your friends and family. You’re sure, with Marcus’ status, it will get out to the public eventually, but you start by sending close friends and family a picture of Missy wearing a shirt calling her a “Big Sister.” She loves the photoshoot, making all kinds of faces as you snap away on your phone. Happy, sad, pouting, crazy… they all go in the baby book.

Marcus Pike

It was only a few months after your wedding that you and Marcus were ready to start a family. You didn’t “start trying” as much as you “stopped preventing.” There were a few false starts when your period would be late or the time you caught the stomach flu, but a few weeks short of your first wedding anniversary, you were pregnant.

Marcus spent many nights laying next to you in bed, hand on your stomach as he just stared at you - to the point where you actually started to get annoyed by it. He was amazed at your body changing, at the growing child inside of you, that he was finally getting the “happy ever after” he’d been looking for all his life.

The announcement was hilarious to shoot. Marcus and you were covered in paint splotches, laughing with love shining in your eyes. You held a palette Marcus knelt in front of you with a paintbrush, painting “Masterpiece coming soon” on your stomach where the bump had just started showing with the right angle.

Max Phillips

Max knew before you did, even if he didn’t put it all together. He started complaining that you tasted different, smelled different. Not just your blood, but as he spent hours trapped between your thighs. His keen senses had him identifying a change, but neither of you knew what change it was. After all, as far as you knew, a vampire couldn’t get a human pregnant.

Max whined when your period was late - he loved your time of the month. “Best of both worlds” he would say as he feasted on you for as long as you could stand it. It had happened before, your period being late due to stress or illness, but this time it wasn’t just a day or two. A few weeks later nothing had happened. A quick trip to your gynecologist confirmed it.

“I thought you said there was no way you could be pregnant,” she teased as she showed you the results.

Max was shocked, scared, and then proud as a pig in shit. He was terrified to be a father, but he hid that behind a swagger and a “yeah, I knocked her up. Not even death can stop these swimmers.”

Even if you did try to hide it for much longer, the vampires he worked with could smell the change in you too. Put together with Max’s protectiveness over you being ramped up even more than it had been… it was easy to figure out.

You took the picture as a joke - it was supposed to be a compromise that if you took this photo, he’d take the cheesy ones you wanted - but damn if it wasn’t your favorite of the bunch.

Maxwell Lord

You know that Maxwell had a bad history with family. First his parents weren’t as supportive as they could have been, and then his ex-wife had all but used Alistair against him anytime she could. You knew he may be nervous when you shared the news, but you didn’t expect him to turn into Maxwell Lord, television personality instead of your Max.

The first question out of his mouth was “is it mine?” Which broke your heart and set a fire in your gut. You threw anything you could get your hands on at him screaming at him for accusing you of cheating on him. You had just started to calm down when he mentioned lawyers and set you off again. You knew his past, but you truly thought he loved you and that you were his future.

You left, booking yourself in at a hotel. You didn’t leave the room - not only had you not packed anything and knew the paparazzi would devour a picture of you looking so disheveled, but you just couldn’t find it in you to go anywhere. You stayed in the room, ordering room service, watching TV, and crying. In a fit of rage, you had thrown the bottles from the mini bar across the room, needing to channel your anger and knowing you couldn’t drink your sorrows away anyway. 

He showed up a few days later, having followed the credit card charges to the hotel, looking remorseful. He apologized for the way he reacted, and you heard him out despite still being upset. There was a long talk in which you reminded him that you’re not his ex or his mother. You’re not trying to screw him over or get anything from him by having his child. It takes him a long time and a lot of groveling for you to truly forgive him, but you go back home that night.

A few months later, as the two of you take a picture on his yacht, both of your hands holding your growing bump, you can hardly tell the fight had happened at all.

Oberyn Martell and Ellaria Sand

Ellaria noticed before you did. A mother herself, she picked up on the glow in your skin, the change in your body, and the complaining about aches in your back or your breasts. When she pulled you aside and suggested you were pregnant, all you could do was blink. The three of you didn’t use protection with each other, only when others were invited into your bed. You’d never gone out of your way to prevent pregnancy, so while it shouldn’t have been shocking, it still caught you off guard. Ellaria brought you to her doctor, sitting with you while you found out for sure.

You were nothing but excited to share your news with Oberyn. You knew how he felt about you, about love and passion, about the children he already had. You had no doubt that he would love your child just as much as the rest of his daughters. The night you told him was spent making love while he waxed poetic about you, your body, your child... If you hadn’t already been pregnant, you’re sure you would have been at the end of the night.

With sand snakes spread across Dorne, you struggled for a way to tell them all. Sending letters didn’t seem to do the moment justice. This may be Oberyn’s 9th child, but it was your first and you wanted an extravagant way to share the news. 

Ellaria helped you to plan gathering all the children together. It wasn’t easy, but a month and a half after finding out, you had the whole, huge family together. You posed them all for a picture with you, Oberyn and Ellaria front and centre. You were handed a sign to hold for the picture - supposedly showing the family crest. However as soon as the picture was taken, you turned to show them.

Tagging: @wickedfrsgrl​ ​ @din-damn-djarin​​ @seasonschange-butpeopledont​ @kesskirata​ @phoenixhalliwell​ @dihra-vesa​  @vonschweetz​ ​ @insideafictionaluniverse​​ @driedgreentomatoes​​ @computeringturtle​​ @spideysimpossiblegirl​ @thottiewinemom​ @mrschiltoncat​ @anaaaispunk​

[moonbeambucky]

Hey Neighbor (Part 1)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader Word Count: 1907 Warnings: none

Summary: You had a plan and then life came along with one of its own. With your future almost derailed you worked hard to get yourself back on track and finally everything seemed to be going right… that is, until your new neighbor moved in.

A/N: What started as an idea back in 2017 is finally here and I’m so excited!! I hope you love it as much as I do! A huge thank you to my wonderful beta Sam @buckyofthemyscira​ and to Allie @all1e23​​ who’s helped me keep my sanity while trying to write. Feedback is always appreciated!

HEY NEIGHBOR MASTERLIST

For an August evening it’s surprisingly comfortable, devoid of that awful humidity that leaves you choking on the thickness in the air. Yet it’s still warm enough to quickly melt the ice in your glass; condensation pooling on the outside, leaving a ring of water on the small stack of papers your drink is settled on.

Golden toned clouds cover the sky as the sun begins to fade, each day decreasing its presence by a few minutes before giving way to the darkness that would envelope the evening. It wasn’t a dramatic change, nor was it something most people would pay attention to, though it was something you had been accustomed to taking note of.

You looked forward to seeing the sun, feeling its heat on your skin as you stepped out of the office after a long day of work. As other people on the street rushed towards the subway you stood off to the side, letting your spirit recharge with its warm glow.

These days you seldom had time for yourself, moments when you could enjoy the nothingness, where you could stop and breathe, and take in the world around you. The murmured voices of the passersby, the hissing sound of the bus as it opens its doors, the soft strum of a guitar, the endless car horns and the sound of traffic that keeps this city alive like a beating heart.

The heat of your laptop warmed your thighs as you thumbed through a textbook. You ignored your rumbling stomach that begged you for a real dinner but you were determined to finish up this last part of your paper before you gave in to its whining demands.

You were working towards your Master’s Degree in Social Work but it had taken a lot longer than you expected, and juggling a full time job while taking part time classes made it more difficult but you were determined to achieve your dream.

You thought it would be simple when you first moved to New York; go to college, get your degree and find a job. Well, life has a funny way of doing what it wants despite the plans you imagined. Halfway through getting your undergraduate degree your living arrangements changed. Initially you were sharing an apartment with a few other students but your landlord hadn’t told you he was months into foreclosure and suddenly you found yourself scrambling to find a place to live.

The first instinct you had was to ask your current roommates if you all wanted to find something else together but one of them planned on moving in with a friend temporarily since she was about to graduate and the other wanted to live alone. You scoured the internet for another room rental but nothing looked safe or legitimate, and searching through Facebook groups for student rentals was fruitless. Nothing was available considering it was the middle of the semester, so you quickly began an apartment search.

Your definition of expensive drastically changed since moving to New York. Even simple things like food and coffee had an up charge; a small, no– large price to pay for city living, and rent was no different. You thought what you were paying to live in a small room was a lot, but as you searched for apartments your heart dropped. Even the smallest studio cost thousands a month.

There was one that caught your eye, the price was decent but still more than what you were currently paying. You attempted to work out a plan, thinking you could use some money from what little savings you had to make up the difference for the first month or two and hope your part time job would increase your hours. Things would be tight but there was a chance you could make it happen.

Your hope was crushed the next day when you went to see the apartment, a five story walk up that reeked of musty water. The cracked plaster walls were very off putting as were the suspicious black spots along the baseboards. The bathroom was much smaller than the photos, with hardly any room to even turn around in. Still you debated making this work as long as the suspected mold was taken care of until you opened the kitchen cupboards and screamed. A dark mass of large cockroaches scattered away from the light cementing your decision that you could not live here.

That night you texted your friend from home, Wanda, telling her about the horrible apartment and crying on the phone as she called to comfort you.

Wanda had been your best friend since you met in middle school. You always hoped she would join you in New York but you understood her reasons for wanting to be close to home.

“Wan, I don’t know what I’m gonna do,” you cried.

The clock was ticking and you still hadn’t found a place to live. Every day you searched through all the listings on Zillow, Apartments.com and Craigslist, and every day your anxiety increased. It seemed like there was no way to be a full time student if you wanted to live in New York.

You called your parents to let them know what was going on and asked for advice. Through many tears you had come to a painful decision, you needed to get a full time job. They offered to help with rent while you finished up this semester which you appreciated, knowing they really couldn’t afford the extra expense either. Your idea was to go to school part time, taking whatever courses you could at night or on the weekends. You were still reaching for your goal, you would just be taking a slower path.

A new listing popped up for an apartment in Chelsea that was about three times your current rent. Walking into the building your stomach was bubbling with excitement. Everything was bright and clean and the moment you stepped into the apartment you were overcome with joy; this place felt like home.

A smile spread across your face as you looked around the studio. Walking in there was a small kitchen to the right, with a slim refrigerator, small stove and just enough prep space beside the sink. Checking the cabinets you were relieved to know it was free of any insect roommates.

The bathroom was behind it, looking newly renovated while still emulating a classic vintage style of black and white tiles. The main room felt large with the window on the back wall letting in a good amount of sunlight. The cream colored walls also brightened the space against the longest wall of exposed, worn brick. The floors were a beautiful dark walnut that made everything feel warm.

You always thought love at first sight was a myth but you were proven wrong, you fell in love with this apartment immediately. You signed a lease and gave a deposit and suddenly everything seemed like it would fall into place. There was still the daunting task of finding a full time job but you felt encouraged.

Two weeks later you moved into your new apartment, and while you should have been studying for a test you were more interested in unpacking and decorating, making everything perfect. With a few nails into the drywall you hung a curtain rod above your bed, stringing fairy lights behind delicate sheer drapery that defined a cozy sleep space.

Laying back against your pillow you imagined what your apartment would look like eventually when you had the money to fill it with furniture, but for now it was perfect.

You had been on a few interviews and nearly had a job or two before they realized you wouldn’t be able to start for another six weeks. It was disappointing but you didn’t give up and that’s when you found yourself interviewing for Stark Industries.

A confident smile held strong on your face when you told the interviewer Ms. Parker you would be able to start when your semester was over. This led you both into a discussion about college as she told you about her teenage nephew who was interested in the STEM field and had begun looking into college options. Ms. Parker liked you a lot, and the job was yours as soon as you were ready for it.

You became the administrative assistant to Maria Hill, Director of Research and Development who worked closely with the senior staff. You had seen the infamous Tony Stark only once, popping his head out of the conference room as Ms. Hill and CEO Pepper Potts continued to chat.

From your desk you admired the women you aspired to be as confident as some day. Social work was a tough field, one where you needed to balance composure and empathy with assertiveness.

While working at Stark Industries you managed to take two classes per semester, fitting them in on nights and weekends. You wished you would have been able to do more but even this was burning you out quickly. You had little time to socialize but knew this would be worth it in the end.

A few years passed and had life not derailed your plan you would have had your Master’s by now, instead you had one last class to finish before you needed to complete 1200 hours of an internship. You pushed that off until the end, knowing it would take you some time to find a place that would accept you. Even though you would be working for free most places wanted you there at times that conflicted with your paying job.

As the sun began its slow descent the noise of the city increased and you had to shut your window to block out the sounds. All but one.

The soft guitar had increased in volume playing a familiar tune you heard every night. It wasn’t a song you’d ever heard before but your neighbor had played it often enough it was in your head. Instead of writing about a social worker’s role as an advocate for protecting human rights your mind drifted along with the melody.

It was a nice song but not one you wanted to hear every night and yet, every night your neighbor played like they were performing a concert instead of being considerate to the fact that they have neighbors, some of whom are trying to write a damn paper!

You haven’t seen this neighbor yet but you heard him moving into the apartment about a month ago. The paper thin walls allowed you to hear everything, from the instruments he played to the various women. Oh yes, he played them too, using a different one each night. Unfortunately you were able to tell the difference between each one by the sounds of the shrieks and moans that were burned into your mind until you decided to wear headphones to sleep.

Any attempts to continue your paper are futile and so you pack up your laptop and books and head down to the cafe a few blocks away that stays open late. It’s unfortunate that on top of the expensive rent and the cost of school you had to leave the comfort of your apartment to spend more money while occupying space in the cafe just to do your homework; all because of that selfish “Music Man” that you couldn’t wait to give a piece of your mind to.

PART 2

[goindownshipping]

Take me back to the night we met

Pairing: Peter Parker/Tony Stark (Starker)

Rating: Teen (T)

Notes: This has been sitting in my drafts for literal ages, so I decided to post it to give me motivation to write chapter 2... here’s hoping that happens soon y’all!

Warnings: None, meet-cute/awkward Starker. More to come in chapter 2!

Word count: 7k

Summary:

Peter and Tony are both hesitant to head back to their small town for a close friend’s wedding. Little do they know they’re from the same town, and little does Peter know that Tony Stark knows who he is. Awkward boys flirting ensues.

Or, Peter works for Stark Industries and is beyond shocked when bumps into Tony on a trip home.

Read on AO3

Peter sat at his desk, looking out the floor to ceiling windows, still unable to fathom how he got to this point in life. From his desk in the open floor plan of Stark Tower, he had a panoramic view of New York City. Every day he looked out on the skyline that people would travel thousands of miles to catch a glimpse of just one time. Thinking back on how he got to this moment, he remembers being one of those people - eager and hopeful for something more, something greater. 

He glanced down to his desk, eyeing the invitation he’d been steadily ignoring for a few too many days. Any reminder of his hometown was a bittersweet one and, for some reason, this one was particularly tough to swallow. Having left home immediately after graduating high school, Peter cut ties with too many people and burned several bridges. He didn’t regret a second of it though; he worked hard to earn his scholarship to NYU and would have never let that opportunity slip through his fingers. In the years since he moved to New York, his trips back home became less frequent and his ties to the town dwindled more than they already had. Sure, he was still close with MJ and Ned, and obviously May was still the most important person in his life. But otherwise, there was nothing left for him back home. 

With those thoughts swirling around his head, Peter looked down at the wedding invitation with a twist in his gut. May’s best friend was getting married and there was no way he could miss it. He may not be particularly close with Pepper anymore, but at one point, she was like family to him. He knew she would want him there, and so would May. There was no way he could disappoint either of them. Besides, it would be a good excuse to spend some time with MJ and Ned - he knew he didn’t get back to see them enough. 

With his mind made up, Peter quickly filled out the card indicating that he would be attending by himself. Who doesn’t love attending a wedding alone, he chuckled to himself. Yes, he’d have May and his friends with him, but that didn’t replace the longing he had for someone else by his side. Peter had worked hard and tirelessly through college and to get his foot in the door at Stark Industries. For years he told himself that he didn’t have time for anything too personal, always prioritizing himself and his career. Now that he was settled in his job, he allowed himself to want other things, other people. He had a few close friends in the city, but never sought out anything romantic. There had been a few fleeting flings here and there, but Peter always ended things before they could get serious. 

The shrill ringing of his desk phone brought Peter back to his surroundings and he shook off the lingering thoughts about his loneliness. As he chatted with someone from the developer team, he slipped the RSVP in an envelope and placed it in his stack of outgoing mail. He pulled up his group chat with Ned and MJ to let them know he’d be in town for the wedding.

Peter: Welp, guess who’s coming to Pepper’s wedding?

Ned: HELL YES! 

MJ: I’ll believe it when I see it, Parker.

Peter smiled to himself. Maybe this wouldn’t be as awful as he was expecting.

Several floors above Peter on the executive level of Stark Tower, Tony Stark himself was pacing his office, whispering into his phone at his childhood best friend. 

“Can’t I just send an expensive gift? Come on, you guys will love it. I’ll send you on your honeymoon. Where do you want to go? I’ll send you anywhere. Just please don’t make me come back there.”

“Tony, come on. You’re my best friend. I know coming here isn’t exactly your idea of a vacation, but I need you here for this. I’m getting married for fucks sake. You’re not getting out of it.” 

Tony sighed loudly into the phone, he knew Happy was right. 

“I know, I know. I want to be there for you, I really do. You know it’s not about you - you know how hard it is for me to be there." 

“I know Tones. I know it’s not the same, but, you’re family to us. I can’t get married without you standing up there next to me and embarrassing me the whole time."

Tony snorted at that. 

“Well you know I can’t pass up an opportunity like that. Just tell me when and where, and I’ll be there."

“Thank you, Tony. It means the world to me. I’ve gotta run, but I’ll send you some more details soon. Love you man."

“Love you too Happy. I’ll talk to you soon."

As Tony hung up the phone, he took in his surroundings. His floor of Stark Tower loomed higher than several of the buildings in the vicinity. He could see for miles from this vantage point. This right here was everything he’d ever dreamed of - This city, this job, this company. He rarely thought about who he was prior to all of this, but Happy’s wedding was changing that.

-

More than 20 years ago, Tony left his hometown in the dust as he sped off to MIT at the young age of 16. He’d never been particularly close with anyone back home, except for Happy, so it was easy to leave and never look back. Upon arrival at MIT, he worked harder than anyone around him, determined to prove everyone from his small town wrong, especially his parents. People in Springdale didn’t believe in leaving for something better. Everyone graduated from high school and went to the local university, only to stay trapped with the same 10,000 people for the rest of their lives. 

That was the opposite of what Tony wanted. From a young age, Tony knew he was different. He couldn’t get enough of the meager machine shop his school district had and was quickly building engines far beyond the scope of his instructors. After the engines, he got his hands on some of his own tools and resources and began building computers and robots in his garage. He never bothered with making friends, much preferring to spend time building and tinkering at home. 

All of these experiences helped him to get through high school faster than his classmates, and before he knew it, he was accepting a scholarship to MIT. His parents didn’t understand, but with the value of his scholarship, their opinions were irrelevant. The summer of his 16th birthday he packed up his most important possessions and moved to Cambridge without thinking twice. MIT was nothing like his small hometown and Tony thrived surrounded by like-minded students and faculty. He practically drooled over the technology and resources he had at his fingertips.

As soon as he could, Tony started doing research in one of his professor’s labs. There were very few research positions for undergraduate students, but Tony was nothing if not persistent and he worked hard to earn one of the coveted positions. A few years, countless sleepless nights, and several technological advances later, Tony was finishing his degree with plans to continue at MIT to pursue his Master’s. While completing his Bachelor’s degree at MIT, Tony’s trips home were few and far between. He went back for the occasional major holiday or birthday, but, for the most part, he stayed in Cambridge.

The second year of his Master’s program, everything changed. He’ll never forget the call from the local police station alerting him of an accident involving his parents. He may not have been particularly close with them, but they were his only family. Through his haze, he managed to get himself home the next day. That entire trip home was one he would gladly forget. The news of his parents passing away and the loneliness he felt was something he would never truly shake. He didn’t surround himself with many people, but the loss of his parents created a hollowness that he couldn’t have expected.

That trip back to Springdale was the last time he’d been home in the past 25 years. His friends from MIT and Stark Industries didn’t even know where he grew up. After MIT, Tony had pieced his own version of family together - he had everything he needed in those few close friends. 

The transition from MIT to New York was a quick one; Tony landed a prestigious internship with Oscorp and quickly worked his way up from there. Over the course of a few years, Tony had enough of his own ideas and resources to venture out on his own and start up a small tech company. A few of his closest friends and best colleagues from Oscorp joined him and slowly built Stark Industries into the powerhouse it was today. 

“Nat!” Tony called from his office, the door always slightly ajar.

“What is it Tony?”

“I need a flight home."

-

Several weeks later, Peter found himself pulling into May’s driveway, kicking up plenty of gravel and dirt in his rental car. Before he could bring the car to a full stop, May was bursting through the front door, eagerly approaching Peter. He pulled himself from the driver’s seat, taking a brief moment to stretch after the long drive from the airport. Seconds later he was engulfed by one of May’s all-encompassing hugs, somehow wrapping him up entirely despite the fact that he was at least a full head taller than her.

“You’re taller."

“Missed you too, May."

“Maybe you wouldn’t be so tall or miss me so much if you came home once in a lifetime. FaceTime isn’t the same, Pete."

Peter grimaced at that. He knew she was right - he didn’t come home enough despite how much he loved her. Being home was a strange mix of emotions. It was familiar and unsettling at the same time and Peter didn’t quite fit here anymore.

“I know May, I’m sorry. Work is just so busy and you know it’s hard for me to be here. I’ll try to-”

“Uh uh,” May interrupted. “No excuses. I know how hard you’ve worked for what you have out there. Just don’t forget about little old me." May cracked a grin and elbowed Peter in the ribs, just hard enough for him to know she really meant it.

“Love you, May,” Peter grinned. 

They each grabbed a bag from the car and made their way up the front steps of May’s house. As soon as they entered the hallway, Peter couldn’t help the feeling of home that washed over him. This town may not feel like home anymore, but the smell of pine and just slightly burnt bread would always send him back to his childhood.

“Shower up, Pete. You stink and we have a dinner to get to,” May called from where she was already bringing Peter’s bags to his room.

“What dinner, May? I thought things weren’t happening until this weekend?”

“Tonight is just family, and us obviously. Pepper insisted on us being there! I know you want to see Ned and MJ, but they’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

Peter trudged up the stairs to his room, finding May already hanging up the formal items he brought for the various events attached to the wedding. He didn’t quite understand why someone needed to rehearse a wedding, but, whatever.

“I can finish this up,” Peter insisted, taking the hangers from May. “When do we need to leave?”

“In about an hour. Do you need anything?” May asked as she headed for the door.

“I’m good, May, thanks,” Peter grinned at her. “Can you get the door?”

With that, the door closed with a thud and Peter let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. Hanging up the rest of his clothes, he realized the room was exactly as he’d left it when he sped off to NYU. He picked up his phone and snapped a picture of his surroundings, quickly sending it to Ned and MJ before getting himself ready for dinner.

An hour later, Peter was feeling much more human thanks to a hot shower and some fresh clothes. As he and May pulled up to Recipe, one of the few nicer restaurants in town, a swanky black Tesla caught Peter’s eye. In this town, the nicest car you usually saw was whatever new pickup truck could haul the heaviest trailer - or whatever. Peter didn’t care to know.

“May, who the hell is at this dinner?” Peter gestured out the window toward the car that clearly didn’t fit in along their historic downtown street.

“Oh, just family and maybe a couple close friends like us. That must belong to one of Happy’s friends.”

As they rounded the corner, they could hear laughter from the large patio behind the main house that was the restaurant. The patio was surrounded by large trees with strings of lights woven throughout the low-hanging branches. Peter was happy to see that this place was still here after all these years.

“May! Peter! You made it!” 

Pepper, May’s lifelong best friend, called out to them, beckoning them closer. Peter recognized nearly everyone around the large table - one of the things that comes along with a small town. The circular table was situated at the center of the patio, and he spotted the back of a man’s head that looked familiar, yet out of place here. He couldn’t quite figure it out, seemingly due to the sheer amount of time that had passed since he’d seen this particular group of people. 

Peter ducked under a couple branches and approached the table, quickly giving Pepper a hug and kiss on the cheek before finding the empty seat on the other side of May. He rounded the table and slid into his seat, interrupted by the waitress before he could even say hello to everyone else. As he turned back to the rest of the guests, he expected to be faced with Happy, Pepper’s fiance. 

What he didn’t expect was to be faced with Tony Stark - founder and CEO of Stark Industries, his very own employer. What the hell is Tony Stark doing at this table? In Springdale? For May’s best friend’s wedding?

As conversation swirled around them, Peter forgot how to speak momentarily, staring dumbly at the man across from him. Tony smirked back at him and threw him a wink while extending his hand across the table.

“You must be Peter. It’s so hard for me to believe that you’re someone’s nephew.”

Peter stared at Tony’s hand, fighting an internal battle to remember what he was supposed to do. Eventually, he reached across the table, nearly knocking over an entire glass bottle of water, and grasped Tony’s hand. He couldn’t help but appreciate the way Tony’s hand gripped his. The handshake was firm, his skin slightly calloused but soft, and Peter held on for an unacceptable length of time.

The waitress approached with his old fashioned, causing him to yank his hand back, as if he’d been shocked. He looked up to find Tony quickly averting his eyes back to the menu and Peter wished the ground would open up underneath him and swallow him whole to avoid the embarrassment that he knew was about to ensue.

The rest of dinner continued mostly uneventfully; however, Peter continued to make a fool out of himself any time Tony so much as glanced in his direction. Anytime Peter looked up, he was met with Tony’s intense gaze, but the man seemed to take pity on Peter and avoided any further embarrassment. Instead, Peter chatted with May about the city, but tried to avoid work; no one seemed to be acknowledging the elephant in the room, and Peter didn’t want to rock the boat. 

Tony Stark was not your average wedding guest, and everyone at the table seemed intent on ignoring his status. Peter knew he was missing something, but now wasn’t the time to ask why the CEO of New York’s largest tech firm and self-proclaimed “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist” was in their presence. 

Peter was certain that Tony had no idea who he was. Sure, Peter had been working at Stark Industries for a while now, but he’d only met the company’s founder once and it was by complete accident. When Peter interviewed for his first entry-level position, Mr. Stark himself just happened to be on the HR floor for another matter entirely. Peter had nearly collided with him as he exited the elevator and frantically looked around for the office number he’d been given. He could have never expected Tony Stark to point him in the right direction before heading down the hall in the opposite direction. Peter had stared at the back of Tony’s head for a moment too long that day, but headed off toward his interview before he could see Tony throw a glance back in Peter’s direction.

Now, back in Springdale, Peter was baffled at Tony’s appearance in the small town.

Dinner came to a close and Peter nearly leapt away from the table to escape back to the safety of May’s home. Before he could make a move, Pepper grabbed him and May by the elbows. 

“You two better be coming with us for drinks!” 

Peter hesitated, exhausted after a day of traveling, but May was beaming. 

“Of course, Pepper. We wouldn’t miss it,” Peter agreed with a soft smile.

Out of the corner of his eye, Peter could see Tony leaving in the direction of his out-of-place sports car. Peter felt relief wash over him, realizing he'd get a break from embarrassing himself for the rest of the evening. 

Pepper and Happy decided that they wanted to go to Barley & Vine, the only good place for drinks in their small town. It was just a couple blocks away so the four of them decided to make the short walk together. Peter and May walked together, a few paces behind Pepper and Happy, wanting to give them a bit of space. Thinking back on dinner, Peter couldn’t help but laugh at himself. May didn’t miss it and threw a sneaky glance at Peter. 

“What, May? You’re not subtle, so just spit it out."

“So that’s the hot CEO you never shut up about, isn’t it?”

“May! What is he doing here? You do realize that’s Tony Stark right? Like, the Tony Stark! And he’s here?”

“That must be the Tony that Happy mentioned to me,” May shrugged. “I didn’t know he meant Tony Stark. I guess everyone in this town forgot that he grew up here, not in some lab in New York.”

“Tony Stark is from Springdale,” Peter deadpanned. “You have got to be joking. How is that even possible?”

“You’re the one that works for the man, ask him yourself! The brainiac had already left town by the time I got to high school so I never knew him. How could I have known that he and Happy grew up together?”

Peter just shook his head as they approached the small bar. After tonight, he’d spend the rest of the trip with MJ and Ned and hopefully avoid any further embarrassment in front of Tony. He knew they would give him a hard time for the whole thing, so he could only hope they didn’t find out about his antics at dinner that night.

Barley & Vine was one of the only places Peter enjoyed visiting when he was home. The cozy interior was inviting and the eclectic furniture set the place apart from the other dives in town. Pepper, May and Peter settled into some plush chairs and couches tucked into a corner near the back of the bar as Happy grabbed them a round of drinks. Peter was grateful for the quieter atmosphere after the long and unexpected day he’d had. When Happy returned, May and Pepper were already wrapped up in a conversation that seemed to be about the seating arrangements and predicting who from high school would hook up with an old flame. 

Happy extended a beer to Peter, which he took with a grateful smile. Peter had only met Happy once before this weekend, but he seemed nice enough. 

“So,” Happy started. “It seems like you and Tony had the same idea about getting out of this town."

“I guess so. Although, I had no idea he was from here. Everyone back in New York just knows he went to MIT when he was 16 - no one talks about what came before that. Seems pretty unreal that you guys grew up together." Peter eyed Happy nervously, unsure if this was a topic he’d be comfortable talking about.

“Yeah, Tony’s a pretty private guy and when he left Springdale he never really looked back. There’s too much here that he doesn’t like to revisit. Honestly, I couldn’t believe it when he agreed to come out for the wedding." 

Peter nodded in understanding. “I can understand that. I pretty much did the same thing when I left for NYU. I don’t get home enough, that’s for sure." Peter smiled in May’s direction knowing she missed him more than she ever let on.

At that, Peter and Happy fell into comfortable conversation about Peter’s experiences at NYU and now at Stark Industries. Happy had visited Tony in the city a few times, and they swapped stories about their favorite places, discovering that Tony had taken Happy to Peter’s favorite greasy burger joint.

Before long, all four of them were chatting excitedly about the coming weekend and Pepper and Happy’s honeymoon plans. Before Pepper could continue her ramblings about some private beach they were going to, the group was interrupted by Tony’s arrival. Peter was on his second beer of the night, giving him just enough of a buzz to be less chaotic than he was at dinner.

That was before Peter realized the only empty seat was on the couch next to him.

“Sorry I’m late guys. I had to run to the house for a minute and I forgot how slow the speed limits in this town are.” Tony already had a drink in hand as he settled into the spot next to Peter, leaving a comfortable distance between the two of them.

Peter snorted into his beer. “As if you follow speed limits."

The comment seemed to catch Tony off guard and he let out an unexpected laugh. Peter told himself that the blush he could feel on his cheeks was from the slight buzz, not from making Tony laugh. Before Peter had a chance to embarrass himself any further, Happy interrupted.

“May, did you ever meet Tony before he left us for MIT’s fancy labs?”

“Ha ha, very funny Hap,” Tony said with a genuine smile. They’d been friends long enough and been through so much that Happy could give Tony a hard time for just about anything. “Anyway,” he turned to May, “no, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m sure I would remember meeting you,” Tony said with a wink.

Peter rolled his eyes. He knew the reputation that Tony Stark carried in New York, hell the reputation he carried around the world. But he also knew May and that she wouldn’t be amused by Tony’s flirting.

“Well, you sure don’t seem to remember everyone you’ve met." May narrowed her eyes at Tony. “Have you met my nephew Peter yet Mr. Stark?” May asked with a playful glint in her eye.

Peter glared at May, willing her to shut up before she said anything else. 

Tony moved back in his seat next to Peter to get a better look at him. “As a matter of fact, we have met. Peter, you’re on the implementation team, yes?”

Peter’s jaw dropped in disbelief. At a company the size of Stark Industries, there was no way Tony knew who Peter was. Peter barely came into contact with any of the executive team and had never worked directly with Tony himself. 

“I may be the CEO of the company, but I keep close tabs on who we hire. Chalk it up to my perfectionism,” Tony finished with a sheepish grin.

“I, uh, yeah. Implementation team, that’s me,” Peter stammered. He took a big gulp of beer and stared at his feet, hoping the attention would turn away from him if he just pretended he wasn’t there.

The other four seemed to take the hint and started reminiscing about growing up in Springdale along with the trouble they all got in during school. Tony chatted with them for a while, surprisingly enjoying the conversation about a town he hadn’t considered home for decades. 

“Oh my god,” Pepper laughed, “was it junior prom that you spiked the punch, Hap? I’ll never forget the lecture you got from Mr. Houser that week!”

“Hey now, it’s not my fault that I lost my touch for sneaking around after Tony left town. He was always the brains behind the operation."

Noticing that the conversation was taking a turn toward a time after he’d left, Tony retreated to the bar for another drink. When he returned to the couch, he handed Peter another beer.

“I saw you were getting low. Figured you could use another."

“Thanks, Mr. Stark."

“God kid, please call me Tony."

Peter felt the dip in the couch as Tony sat back down, sitting slightly closer to him this time. May, Pepper, and Happy were wrapped up in a dynamic conversation about some town-wide scandal from a couple years prior. Neither Tony nor Peter knew what was going on.

“So, you’re from Springdale?” Tony asked.

“Uh, yeah. But wait, you’re from Springdale?” Peter asked incredulously.

Tony let out an uncomfortable laugh and took a long sip from his glass. “Against all odds, yeah kid, I am. I left when I was 16 and hardly ever came back - haven’t been back since my folks died."

“I get that. My parents died when I was young; that’s why I lived with Aunt May until I left for school. It’s tough coming back here when there isn’t much left here for me."

Neither man really knew what to say after that; they were both surprised by their similar history with the small town.

“So,” Peter started with a grin. “Did you really build DUM-E in your parents’ garage in high school?”

For the first time that evening, Peter saw Tony’s face stretch into a wide smile, his eyes even crinkling a bit.

“How the hell would you know that?”

“The R&D team at Stark Industries tells a lot of stories about your robots. Rumor has it that you built it before you were at MIT, so, now, I figure that means you had to have built it here."

Tony only smiled bigger and shook his head before launching into the story of how DUM-E came to be. Peter listened intently, amazed at the brilliance of the man in front of him. Of course he knew that Tony was a genius, you don’t build a company like Stark Industries without being the smartest person in every room, but it was different to witness it up close. It also seemed like Tony’s hard exterior had softened enough to let his guard down just a bit. Peter was enjoying seeing a more human side to the enigma that was Tony Stark.

“There was this one time in college when I was working on new technology for engine propulsion and I had DUM-E on fire safety and the stupid thing would douse me with the fire extinguisher every single time I ran a test. He wore the dunce cap for a while after he cleaned up the mess he made."

Peter leaned forward out of his seat to take a drink from his beer sitting on the table in front of him. When he leaned back, Tony had moved closer to the middle of the cushion and casually thrown his arm along the back of the couch. At this point, Peter was fully tipsy, and didn’t think twice about setting back in, feeling the warmth from Tony’s body where they were nearly pressed against each other. Peter and Tony were so close together that Peter could barely turn his head to make eye contact with the man next to him. He didn’t let himself think about what would happen if they both turned toward each other.

Peter sat quietly for a moment, gathering the courage to ask Tony the question that he hadn’t been able to shake since he arrived at the bar. The consistent buzz and warmth just under the surface of his skin helped push him to get the words out of his mouth.

“So, how did you know who I was when May asked?”

Tony looked away from Peter, seeing that Pepper, Happy, and May were all still engrossed in their own conversation.

“You’ve been at the company for what, five years now Pete?”

“Six years in the spring, yeah."

“Sounds about right. Just over five years ago I seem to remember going down to the HR floor to sign some paperwork. Natasha was out of the office, so they hadn’t gotten delivered to my office, but the head of the department needed them by the end of the day. So, I popped downstairs for a minute to get those done. On my way back to the elevators, I was nearly the victim of a head on collision, thanks to a very stressed kid. He was lanky and had the softest looking curls and these bright red cheeks." Tony smiled to himself, and if it was brighter in their corner, Peter would have sworn he saw Tony blushing.

“Anyway, I pointed him toward the entrance to the main HR suite, assuming that he was there for an interview based on the stress rolling off of him in waves. He practically sprinted away from me, and by the time I looked back, he had already rounded the corner. A couple weeks later, I saw those same curls rising a full head above all the other new employees passing by my lab on the tour included during the onboarding process. Bummer for me, I didn’t know his name and we never seemed to cross paths again."

Peter sat quietly, slowly processing the words that had come out of Tony’s mouth. The alcohol rushing through his veins seemed to slow his thought process drastically, leaving Tony sitting in awkward silence. After a moment, Peter turned to look at Tony with a cautious smile - he was surprised to see Tony already watching him intently.

“You remember me. From my interview. When we didn’t even meet."

“Yeah, kid, I remembered you,” Tony said carefully, unsure of what was running through Peter’s mind.

Throwing caution to the wind, Peter scooted even closer to Tony; any space that remained between them was now gone. Tony’s arm that had been resting along the back of the couch came down around Peter’s shoulder, settling the younger man into his side. Their legs were pressed firmly together and Peter attempted to make himself smaller, wanting to rest his head on Tony’s shoulder. From that position, Peter turned his head just slightly, his nose now resting in the crook of Tony’s neck. The grip around his shoulder tightened, and Tony turned his face into the curls on top of Peter’s head.

Tony glanced up, seeing his friends and Peter’s aunt eying them curiously. May locked eyes with Tony, her gaze piercing for a moment. Tony held strong, so as to not alert Peter to the silent conversation they were having. Just as Tony thought was going to be forced to peel Peter off of his side, May’s eyes softened and she just shook her head with a fond smile. Tony let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding as May, Pepper, and Happy let him and Peter remain in their little bubble.

“Peter, whatcha doing down there?” Tony asked, his voice smooth and low. Peter could feel the words vibrating in his ear from where he was pressed against Tony. 

Peter thought for a moment. What was he doing? His entire body stiffened as he realized the way he’d tucked himself into Tony’s side. Before he could pull away, Tony’s hand settled on his shoulder, halting the mindless wandering it had been doing along Peter’s arm. Tony squeezed his shoulder tightly and kept him in place. Tony leaned down even further, his lips brushing the shell of Peter’s ear. Peter could feel Tony’s warm breath on his ear, causing him to shiver despite the warmth of the man next to him.

“Nuh uh, I’m not complaining. I’d like to keep you right here, actually.”

Peter could feel butterflies erupting in his stomach, and the beginning tingle of arousal just at Tony’s words and the way he whispered in Peter’s ear. As much as he wanted to just curl into Tony even more or simply climb into his lap, Peter knew that if this was going to go any further, it couldn’t happen here. Peter pulled back from Tony’s neck and took in his surroundings. Tony’s arm returned to the couch’s backrest, but his intense gaze never wavered from Peter’s face. Peter could feel the blush rising in his cheeks, burning its way down past the collar of his shirt.

“It’s late, you’ve had a long day of traveling. How about you let me take you home. Those three are bound for a late night." Tony nodded toward the other three, and Peter wondered how long he’d been tucked into Tony’s side based on the quantity of empty pints and shot glasses in front of them. 

“Yeah, okay. Let me just give May a heads up."

“Sounds good. I’ll say goodnight to Happy and meet you up front."

Peter nodded and pushed himself out of his seat, finding his legs far less stable than he expected. After a moment of catching his balance he caught May’s attention and nodded toward the door. He wove his way among the various groups in the bar, smiling at a couple familiar faces that he couldn’t quite match with a name. He reached the entrance and leaned against the wall, feeling exhaustion settle deep within his bones. 

May approached a moment later with a massive shit-eating grin on her face. 

“What in the hell was happening on that couch, Peter?”

Peter scrubbed his face with his hand letting out a long breath. “Fuck, I have no idea May. I’ve never said a word to the man before today. I have no idea what’s going on."

May reached up and ruffled his curls like she had done when he was growing up. He couldn’t help but lean into the familiar touch, comforted by her presence.

“Well whatever it was, you two aren’t subtle."

“Yeah, yeah. Anyway, Tony’s going to give me a ride home. I’m exhausted and I know you’re having a good time with Pepper and Happy."

May only smirked at that. “Yeah, sure, he’s just giving you a ride home."

“Oh my god, May, not happening. Call me if you need anything, yeah?”

“Same to you mister. Have fun."

Leaning up on her toes, May pressed a kiss to Peter’s cheek before heading back to Pepper and Happy. Tony was already heading toward the entrance and May quickly grabbed his elbow as their paths crossed.

“Be nice to him." Before Tony could open his mouth to reply, May had already moved past him, rejoining Pepper and Happy. 

Tony found Peter leaning against the wall at the entrance to the bar, eyes practically closed and looking like he was about to melt into a puddle on the floor. Tony cleared his throat softly, hoping to get the boy’s attention without scaring him too much. 

“You ready to get out of here, kid?”

“I’m not a kid,” Peter pouted as he headed out the front door and looked down the street for Tony’s car.

Tony just laughed, not bothering to argue with Peter. Tony placed a gentle hand on the small of Peter’s back, guiding him toward his car around the corner. Peter leaned into the touch, reveling in the warmth radiating from Tony’s hand. The two of them walked in comfortable silence, taking in the familiar sight of their hometown. When they approached Tony’s car, Peter paused and tilted his head back to take in the night sky.

“I forgot how bright the stars are here,” he said with wonder.

Tony looked up too. It had been so many years since he was anywhere besides big cities with all their bright lights and never ending noise. Tony closed his eyes, taking in the silence around them.

“It sure is different from the city."

When Tony opened his eyes, Peter had moved closer than he had been before. His eyes were wide, flickering between Tony’s eyes and his lips. Without realizing it, Tony’s tongue darted out, wetting his lips and he swore he saw Peter go cross-eyed following the movement. 

“Pete,” Tony whispered. “You gotta tell me what you’re thinking."

Instead of answering, Peter invaded Tony’s space entirely, fisting his hands in the fabric of Tony’s all too expensive dress shirt. He tilted his head until his nose bumped against Tony’s and he could feel the other man’s breath on his lips. Tony groaned at the feeling and wrapped his arms around Peter’s narrow waist, pulling him into his chest. Their lips were so close to touching that Tony swore he could feel them brush against his. Peter let out a shaky breath and smiled softly at Tony, nodding his head just slightly.

He couldn’t tell which of them moved first, but before he knew it Peter’s soft lips were pressed against his own. Tony swallowed Peter’s soft moan and allowed his tongue to explore the seam of Peter’s lips. One of Peter’s hands let go of its tight grip on Tony’s shirt and traveled up his chest, over his shoulder, and settled on the back of his neck, just able to wind his fingers through the strands of hair there. The move made Tony let out a loud moan as he pulled back from Peter, nipping his full bottom lip as we went.

They pressed their foreheads together, panting against each other's lips, not loosening their grip one bit. Tony could feel Peter’s face stretch into a grin and he pulled back just far enough to catch a glimpse. Tony leaned back in to press another kiss against Peter’s soft lips before taking a step back, allowing his hand to find Peter’s.

“God, you’re gorgeous. I should get you home before we horrify this entire town,” he said breathlessly.

“Yeah, you’re probably right."

Tony quickly opened the passenger door and allowed Peter to slip inside before closing the door. As he rounded the front of the car to the driver’s side, he swore he could feel Peter’s eyes following his every move.

“You’re staying with May, right?” Tony asked as he got settled into his seat.

Peter nodded. “Yeah, the house is just off the highway by the Dairy Queen."

Tony hummed in recognition and started the car. Peter, being about as subtle as a trainwreck, couldn't take his eyes off of Tony the duration of the short ride to May’s house. Watching Tony’s hands grip the wheel and grasp the gear shift should not have affected Peter the way they did, but he simply couldn't help it. After a few minutes, Tony glanced over and caught Peter staring at his right hand on the gear shift. Peter turned bright red, realizing he’d been caught, but Tony simply slid his hand over the center console and settled his palm on Peter’s thigh.

“You’re pretty cute when you get flustered, Pete." Tony squeezed Peter’s thigh and just laughed at Peter’s garbled reply.

Deciding it was safer not to speak, Peter stayed quiet until they neared May’s house. Even then, he only said enough to direct Tony down a couple quiet streets until the house came into view. Tony’s hand remained firmly on Peter’s thigh the entire time, squeezing in acknowledgment as Peter directed him. When Tony came to a stop in May’s driveway, both men hesitantly turned toward each other. 

Tony lifted his hand from Peter’s thigh to cup his face, running a thumb along Peter’s cheek. Peter’s hand reached out to wind his fingers in Tony’s hair, pulling the man closer as he did so. 

“I would invite you in, but I think I might fall asleep walking to the front door,” Peter said, disappointment evident in his voice.

“Well then I better make sure you get to the door in one piece." 

They reluctantly dropped their hands and stepped out of the car. Tony came around to Peter’s side and wrapped an arm low around Peter’s hips. Peter couldn’t help but lean into the warmth and firmness of Tony’s side as they made their way to the front door.

Tony used his grip on Peter’s waist to turn the boy to face him.

“Get some rest, kid."

Peter nodded in agreement, already slumped against Tony’s chest.

Tony chuckled and took a small step back, making sure Peter remained upright. Tony leaned in cautiously, but Peter answered the question before Tony could even ask it by pressing his lips firmly against Tony’s. They got lost in each other for a few moments, before Peter pulled back with a yawn.

“I’ll see you soon, Tony."

“Absolutely, Peter." Tony squeezed Peter’s hip before heading back to his car. 

Peter unlocked the front door and stepped inside the familiar threshold. Before closing the door, he called out to Tony. “If you thought I looked good in a suit all those years ago, just wait until you see me at the wedding." Before Tony could say anything, Peter closed the door.

Tony stood frozen in the driveway where he’d already opened the door to his car. He just shook his head and laughed, knowing he was in trouble with this kid.

[angerissue]

Confluence

House of Cards | 4,100+ words | Bruce is having trouble adjusting to life at Avengers Tower. Tony catches him at an inopportune moment.

One year earlier, when the Chitauri invasion had drawn to a close and the city was a bed of rubble and alien corpses, Avengers Tower had felt welcoming to Bruce. It was a source of temporary stability; a chance to collect himself before he faded back into the ether and progressed to the next phase of his uncertain existence. This existence had been vindicated somewhat, over the course of the team's slow formation, and his contributions (whether scholarly or otherwise) that were somehow far less ineffectual than he expected. But all the sentiment in the world didn't change cold, hard facts; in the end, his situation remained the same as ever. He was better off somewhere more obscure, and a bit slower-paced. So he reinforced the connections he made with the team, and left New York behind.

Nowadays, Avengers Tower doesn't feel too welcoming. Bruce considers it no more than a halfway house for someone down on their luck, bobbing around like a cork in the ocean until they reach solid ground again. He fits the bill for this. After his various successes with S.H.I.E.L.D. over the past year, from the developments in his research to the cataloguing of essential data on his condition, he never planned on regressing so much that he became reliant on Tony again. Unfortunately, S.H.I.E.L.D. was a little more rotten than he originally believed. He could tolerate the rationale behind Phase Two, and their intention to find applications for mildly hazardous tech, as long as the intentions remained honest, but he couldn't do much about Hydra, maddening as it was. He couldn't stop the eventual demise of S.H.I.E.L.D., or his unemployment and the loss of momentum that ensued.

Suffice to say, his options were limited.

He’s been at the Tower for a week now. Bitter about the accommodations, under the impression he shouldn't need them; he should have found a way to make do without knocking on that figurative door and begging Tony for boarding (because he refuses to believe there wasn't another option; he simply couldn't find it), he’s spent most of his time in solitude. Stuck in the liminal space between acceptance of the situation, and refusal to accept it. His status quo with S.H.I.E.L.D. had been too satisfactory to simply forget about, because it's one of the few times something had gone without a hitch for him. He was compelled to continue clutching those memories close, as if by sheer willpower S.H.I.E.L.D. would reappear with a cleaner order of business, and an opening in their research division.

Wishful thinking, Banner.

He’ll be putzing around here for a while.

In the process, he’s been excusing himself from most interactions, except when he's raiding the kitchen and passing one or two teammates on the way, or retreating to his living quarters in the early hours of the morning, at which times his teammates would not be stirring, but shut away in their own spaces, save for Tony himself, who's proven himself a night owl yet again, AC/DC on full blast. Steve has lent the occasional hand on his shoulder, and offered an understanding ear (not that the doctor's taken him up on the offer, being reluctant to unload his preoccupations on him), and Romanoff has given him a few sympathetic glances. None of these actions have been unexpected, because they both worked at S.H.I.E.L.D. with him, and he assumes they both share the aimlessness he's experiencing now. There was a predictability in the madness at S.H.I.E.L.D.; in the volatility of their everyday work. But this common thread doesn't make socializing easier.

He's been making a considerable effort to avoid Tony in particular. A week ago, when he was standing in the entrance of the building, duffel bags sagging on the floor and his posture too deflated to mean anything but weariness, Tony had subjected him to a flurry of questions, most of which were painfully direct ones about his health, diet, and whether the "other guy" was giving him a hard time. Tony didn't even pose them in a tongue-in-cheek manner; his expression made it evident that he was concerned about him. The way his gaze was poking and prodding and searching his face, like he was expecting to find additional defects in him; new lines and wrinkles that were not present before... Like he could see all the nights of debilitating uneasiness that he'd suffered. Like he was trying to find a way in. Peel back the pretenses. The scrutiny had exhausted Bruce.

Bruce never did answer his questions. He feared if he did, Tony would start following him around, under the impression he wanted the company when it wasn't the case. It would have bred resentment towards Tony, which Bruce couldn't stomach; this would not have been fair to the man. Misleading others is a familiar custom for him, dare he even call it a habit, but he tends to reserve it for the moments when it's practical and beneficial for both parties. Not the case here, evidently.

He simply bit his tongue, and allowed Tony to check him in.

This isn't to say Bruce was ungrateful for the accommodations. He was rather smitten with them, especially once he learned that Tony had overhauled certain spaces to suit his preferences. Some of the areas dedicated to R&D were soundproofed and relieved of their video surveillance, and he was even allocated his own bespoke living quarters (complete with a spacious bedroom and blackout curtains), all of which has provided a welcome and much-needed channel for his solitude. An acceptable environment in various senses. Bruce found it odd initially, knowing that Tony could decipher him so well that accurate renovations to the building were feasible; he felt more than a little exposed; turned inside-out like an old sweater, but at least it happened with Tony as opposed to a more unsavoury person. Sterns. Ross. Samson. All objectionable. Still, the renovations have been insufficient for boosting his mood. Discontentment still hangs over him like a rain cloud.

And it's been causing his symptoms to be... Rockier than usual. Earlier onset. More punishing. More difficult to conceal. Fortunately, he can be alone most of the time, and easily sequester himself in the tower's many laboratories. It's proving even more beneficial today.

Oh, especially today.

Here goes round one of trying to hide something that, if discovered, could affix Tony to his back like a kick-me sign.

Bruce crosses his fingers that someone else won't enter the lab and interrupt him, taking one last glance at the entrance before he unbuttons his shirt and removes it. With a few methodical, well-rehearsed motions, he folds it and places it down on the nearby desk stool. Then he lifts his glasses from his nose, fingers pinching the tender imprints where they'd been resting, and centers them on top of the shirt, followed by his socks. He's spent a year refining the same steps, making them more efficient and less cumbersome. The rest of the process has become easier to bounce back from as well, especially because there's no discomfort from it anymore. There's no scuffle. No tug-of-war between himself and something dark and distorted; no black ink bleeding into his mind like a swelling bruise. There was never something else in the first place, from what he’s gathered over the last year. He knows better than to believe verifiably false ideas like this now.

(Especially because it was borne of denial, which seems to be a running theme in his neck of the woods. He won’t make the same mistake twice.)

There's a forbearance, and a peacefulness to the change. By this point, it's become a routine — the muffled cracking and reforming of bones, releasing tension like a set of popped knuckles. The chill in his blood, drowned in warmth that radiates and diffuses into his fingertips, green threading and mapping itself over paling skin. Bruce reaches for the nearest desk, gripping the edge for balance as his breathing falters; stops, and under the fluorescent lights, his shadow shifts and settles into something a little less human.

It's over in seconds. He doesn't dwell on it, nor is he a host to annoyance or anger. He merely is, existing in this pocket of time with a calm awareness, albeit with ears more attuned to the surrounding space and echoes of the laboratory. For a while, he lingers in the lab, wandering around; gingerly rearranging the supplies on the desk into more organized layouts. He would keep working on the tentative linac blueprint from earlier this week, but now isn't the time. He knows his limits. Math is one of them. He won’t bother.

Then, he hears the door to the laboratory slide open. He freezes, green eyes darting to the entrance.

Tony.

Tony marches into the laboratory, staring down at a tablet in his hands. His voice is nonchalant. Unbothered. "Hey, doc, sorry to crash your party. Just gotta...” He looks up from his device, and as their gazes connect, surprise flickers across his face. He stops walking. “Oh.”

Banner simply stares back at him, his own eyes wide.

After a moment, Tony breaks the ice. His voice is casual, like a coworker walking into the office with a tray of morning coffee. “Hey, big guy. Didn’t know you were out and about.” As he talks, his eyes skirt around the room, over the desks and monitors and apparatuses, as if he's searching for proof this wasn't an uncontrolled incident. Soon, his attention catches the neatly-stacked pile of clothing on the desk stool, remaining there for a beat before he blinks and looks at Banner again, the hamster wheel in his brain clearly running full-tilt but unable to put two and two together. The look on his face screams puzzlement, and while it doesn't contain any fear, that doesn't mean much. This is Tony Stark. He must have been missing when they were handing out self-preservation and common sense, because he doesn't have an ounce of either in his body — not if Banner's previous encounters with him were any indication. Images of an electrical prod flicker in his mind, fluttering around like moths. He feels the sting in his side where it jabbed him.

Nope. No self-preservation at all.

Tony meanders toward the nearest desk and picks up a device from it, stacking it on top of his tablet. Then he looks at Banner again, still remarkably at ease. “Tell Bruce I said hi, will you?” He shrugs. “If he’s down for it, I mean. Seems a bit grumpy lately. Not that there’s anything wrong with being grumpy,” he adds, pointedly raising his hand.

Banner immediately takes offense to the billionaire's nonchalant words, because... Grumpy. That’s what he takes from this; that’s what he thinks of him? To mock him and pick on his tendencies behind his back, without realizing he's actually talking to his face, and without even bothering to read between the lines and guess for himself why he's been reluctant to converse; how abhorrent... And piteous. Surely if Tony put on his thinking cap for more than a moment, he'd learn the source of his unhappiness in the current situation; the grievances from having to depend on someone else once again. All those grievances are collecting in his brain like old and rotting bones, and if he could be elsewhere, he would, and he will; he doesn't need the invincible Iron Man to kiss his booboos better in the meantime. He’s not so weak. And he’s not ‘grumpy’. Averse to conversing, his gaze hardens, eyes acidic beneath the shelf of his brow. He straightens up and turns away, folding his arms in dismissal.

Buzz off, tin man.

But the tin man doesn’t leave. He does the opposite. Banner can hear his footsteps tracking over the tile, slowly nearing him, as if he's unsure about the situation and he wants to observe the outcome... How characteristic of him. Banner doesn’t intend on cooperating, because he doesn't want Tony breathing down his neck and puncturing his personal bubble, and he doesn't want to be treated like a doormat and a source of amusement and entertainment. This was supposed to be his own space, as Tony had claimed earlier this week, and he's compelled to defend it. Gritting his teeth, he turns his head just a little, enough to catch Tony hanging in his peripheral. Too close... Way too close. Irritation brews in the pit of his stomach and breathes into his chest like a fanned flame. When he speaks, every word is deliberate, the syllables dropping one by one with a dark rasp. "Don’t. Come. Closer.”

Tony halts. “You can talk? Jesus. Way to keep me in suspense.”

Banner stiffens, his eyes darting around the room in search of a reprieve from the blunder. His decision to speak was sloppy. Poorly considered. The less Tony knows and suspects about his condition, the less he'll bother him for conversation. But the cat's already out of the bag. No going back. All he can do is avoid revealing any more information to Tony... Which will be arduous, because Tony is persistent and doesn't take "no" for an answer; the moment he’s given even the smallest amount of leeway, the entire leash will be pulled taut until it snaps; he’ll stick his nose into matters until he’s satisfied with the answers he finds, and he’s already testing his patience; testing his nerve. Agitated by the idea, Banner turns around, chin dipping as he looks down at Tony, features bent into a frown. His lungs bloat and compress, hot air billowing from flared nostrils.

“Easy, big guy,” Tony says, beginning to back away. “I’ll get out of your hair. Before I do... You wouldn’t happen to know why Banner has a bee in his bonnet, would you? Could use a few pointers. You know, to get the ball rolling.”

A bee... In his bonnet. The second accusation of anger stings Banner more than the first, an electric shock to his confidence, and his irritation bubbles up and spills over like scalding water. He wouldn't hurt Tony because he's not a monster, and he's never wanted to be one, but he lacks the patience to let Tony bully him. He curls his lip into a poorly-contained snarl, teeth glinting under the harsh laboratory light, and he tries to contain the threatening sound that resonates in his throat, but it kicks forward at once, ragged and guttural as he leans down toward Tony until their noses are nearly touching. His words spill out, voice booming throughout the lab and blowing Tony's hair back. "I'm not mad!"

Tony staggers back and nods, trying to deescalate the situation. Then, he pauses. Skepticism clouds his features, his brow knitting. “‘You’?” After a moment of silence, his expression only crinkles more, eyes squinting as if he can’t believe his ears. “Wait a minute. Bruce?”

Banner shuts his mouth, jaw clenching as he realizes his error. Not good. He shakes his head, turning around and walking away. “Go away.”

“Nuh-uh. You can’t tell me to beat it, not after that.” Tony drops his devices onto the nearest desk. “Couples’ therapy. Now.”

Banner fumes, the beginnings of panic twisting his stomach into a nauseating knot. He knew the billionaire would stick to him like gum on the bottom of a shoe, as soon as something caught his attention enough, but he never expected their conversation to go off the rails entirely, and he needs to stem the bleeding before something more happens and he makes an even bigger fool of himself, which is imminent if he plays along with Tony's stupid games... He doesn't want Tony buzzing around him like a horsefly... No talking. No chumming around like pals at a picnic. He doesn't listen to Tony's orders and continues to trudge away, steering himself toward the entrance of the lab. He can hear Tony behind him, following in hot pursuit. Then he hears him call out.

“J, get the door, will you?”

Without any human interaction, the glass door slides closed with a mechanical click, right in Banner's face. Incensed from the sudden lack of escape, he whirls around and crouches low, staggering his stance, muscles rolling as they flex beneath sickly green skin. Ready. Waiting. He emits a low growl.

Tony crosses his arms. His feet are planted firmly, and he doesn’t budge. “Not buying it.”

Banner groans in frustration, shoulders dropping as he straightens up and kicks at the floor. There goes his bluff, and there goes the tin man's lack of self-preservation again, bothersome and impossible to maneuver around. But it doesn't convince him to cooperate, even if he's too well-mannered to smash down the doors and make his own exit; he's not going to let him win. Itching to put more distance between himself and Tony, he lumbers around the desks until he's on the opposite side as Tony is, and then he stands his ground. His breaths come in rough and forceful gusts. Every cell in his body is on the defensive, ready to move again.

Tony is unimpressed. “Really?”

“Not talking!”

“No shit,” Tony says, throwing his arms up. “Been noticing all week. Got an expiration date, for it? Because I gotta say, I’m...” He gestures to Banner's massive frame, more miffed than afraid. “More than a little intrigued, and there are about a dozen models I could use your input on. Not counting the backlog.”

The retort doesn't appease Banner, because in his mind, there is no expiration date. His openness cannot be predicted like the weather. But before he can even open his mouth and respond, Tony seems to fall pensive, and it makes Banner pause. Save for the electric humming of the fluorescence above them, and the quiet whir of devices, the room falls into an uncomfortable silence.

The silence is soon punctured by Tony, who pulls a desk stool closer with a metallic scrape and takes a seat. Mouth tightening into a thin line, he stifles a sigh and looks down at his hands, twiddling his thumbs. His earlier arrogance is gone, lost in transit somewhere.

Unsure what to think, Banner waits.

“Look, doc,” Tony begins. “Not to make this a greeting card moment, but I missed you. When you left. And I get it — you don’t want to be here. You have things you’d rather be doing.” Tony shrugs, pursing his lip. “Maybe it’s got something to do with me. Wouldn’t hold it against you.”

Banner doesn't respond. His green eyes mellow as he observes the man, because there's no frivolity in his expression whatsoever, and he cannot help the bafflement that stirs inside, because it doesn't make sense... Tony, the reason for his seclusion? No. That conclusion... How did Tony reach it? Is that how he's come across ever since he arrived; unsociable to the point of seeming cross and petty and petulant? Is it the reason for Tony's visit now? Getting answers? The room between them is quiet, but his mind is loud, spinning with questions that gain more and more speed as time ticks on.

Eventually, Banner throws a wrench into the contemplations, stopping them in their tracks. None of them matter. End results are end results, and Tony is sad. Not feeling well. Unhappy. He inhales, dispelling a sigh as he crosses his arms and looks down at his feet, toes curling in discomfort. His shadow is motionless as his awareness folds inward. It doesn't seem like a good idea, conversing with someone he never wanted to converse with, because he doesn't want to come across as a pushover; as a baby brother that Tony can boss around on a whim. Yet at the same time, it does feel like a good idea. How funny. Or perhaps not so funny.

Necessary.

Because he feels... Bad. He doesn't want Tony to tumble into his hole of assumptions again, and more self-loathing because of it. Not again. Never again. He never wanted to hurt him. To hurt people. Achieving this was troublesome at times; the "other guy" was erratic and unstable for ages, and he broke more than he built. But here, it wasn't the other guy that hurt Tony.

It was Banner that hurt Tony. And Banner is sorry.

“Not your fault,” he rumbles, still unable to meet his eyes. Then he pauses, fishing for words in the alphabet soup of his brain. He sees an intricate and profound bundle of words somewhere in his head; an explanation that could easily surface if he was less green, and he scrunches his face in an attempt to make it clearer. But the words are out of reach. “Change is... Not fun.”

In his peripheral, he can see Tony nod, appearing to process the comment. “Checks out. Thanks, doc; that’s... A load off my mind. And sorry, by the way. For calling you grumpy. Figured I was, well...” He rubs the back of his neck. “Talking to someone else.”

Banner grimaces and tucks his shoulders, disgust from Tony's earlier words sparking in his belly again. He doesn't want to hear it, and he doesn't want the reminder of how contagious his denial had been; how everyone on the team was following his lead and splitting him into halves when it wasn't so; it was a dumber and sadder time in his life and he doesn't want to relive it. But he subdues the annoyance, crushing it down like a soda can. Soon, it’s simply a nagging feeling. Done with. For the most part. He still carries the momentum from their argument, and he's not in the frame of mind to set everything to a sappy and saccharine soundtrack. He's not going to open himself up like a blooming flower. At the same time, he's not going to leave Tony out in the cold. He rolls his eyes and continues to stare down at the floor, forcing himself to respond with tact. “Fine.”

“So does this mean we’re good?” Tony asks. He stands up from his seat, stepping around the desk until he’s in front of the doctor. “Sorry — hard to tell. Not used to... This.”

He nods, still avoiding eye contact.

“Great.” Tony offers his hand. “Shake on it?”

Banner looks at him, then down at the hand. Pauses. Thinks. Too small to shake. He extends a curled fist instead, and waits.

Tony returns the fist bump, tiny knuckles tapping Banner’s own. A grin spans across his face, eyes bright. “Good to have you back, doc,” he says, reaching for his devices on the desk. “I’m gonna head out now. Give you a few. You know where to find me, if you want to say hi.” He turns around, heading for the door.

Banner stands there, shifting his feet. He’s won. Tony is leaving. But somehow, he feels like he’s lost. Because something is already missing from the room; it's like the space has broadened upon Tony's presence and doesn't want to return to normal... It doesn't want to shrink down again. Stuck three sizes too big. In that moment, Banner knows the reason. He's forgotten about the stimulating conversations and arguments and the firecracker spark that Tony exudes, without even meaning it, and after a year of its absence, he's just gotten a taste of it again. That fire. That gumption. He wants more. It felt good, to shout; to argue; to bounce off someone else. He could be brash without inspiring fear. Tony's fearlessness towards him might be dumb at times, but it's dumb in an endearing way. A tolerant way.

All those memories in his head — he's not scowling in them. He's smiling.

He doesn't want to continue everything later. Too late. Too slow. It's agonizing. He’s never been good at waiting for something he wants, least not in his body. If he were shorter and smaller; weaker, he would argue the merits of bothering Tony and taking up his time and wedging himself into a moment he didn't belong, but it doesn't occur to him. The distance between thought and action is much shorter.

He plods forward and reaches out, tapping Tony’s shoulder.

The billionaire stops and turns around again, looking up at him expectantly.

“Stay.”

Tony’s reaction is immediate. Fondness in his eyes, he starts heading toward the desks again, giving the doctor a pat on the arm as he passes him. “Happy to. Thanks, Bruce.”

[theculturedmarxist]

Public health officials and doctors in the US are warning that thousands of people infected by the Covid-19 virus will die this week. “This is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment, our 9/11 moment, only it’s not going to be localized,” Surgeon General Jerome Adams said on Fox News Sunday. “There’ll be a lot of death,” Donald Trump added Saturday.

In Europe, nearly 3,000 people died Saturday as the disease continued to burn through Italy, France and Spain. In the less developed countries of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, where large portions of the population live in extreme poverty, the death toll will certainly be in the hundreds of thousands.

The United States has emerged as the global center of the pandemic. The total number of deaths is approaching 10,000, with 1,331 deaths on Saturday alone. However, this number, according to an article posted Sunday in the New York Times, undercounts the actual number of victims.

“In many rural areas,” the Times reports, “coroners say they don’t have the tests they need to detect the disease. Doctors now believe that some deaths in February and early March, before the coronavirus reached epidemic levels in the United States, were likely misidentified as influenza or only described as pneumonia.”

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci, for his part, made clear that it would be a “false statement” to say the United States has COVID-19 “under control.”

This, to put it bluntly, is an understatement. The lack of even an accurate account of the number of dead is just one more grotesque example of a spectacle of disorganization and chaos almost defying description.

The United States still does not have a policy of testing and isolating all suspected cases, as recommended by the World Health Organization. Over 90 percent of cities throughout the country are missing the most basic supplies, including face masks for first responders and medical personnel. Ninety-two percent do not have enough test kits, and 85 percent do not have enough ventilators.

Meanwhile state and local governments continue to warn that they face an imminent shortage of ventilators. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards has said his state is expected to exhaust its supply of ventilators by Monday, while Mayor Bill De Blasio warned that New York City is slated to run out of the lifesaving devices by Tuesday or Wednesday.

The government’s combination of incompetence and indifference is personified by Trump himself, who, in his daily rambling press conferences, can hardly bring himself to express sympathy for the victims of the pandemic.

To the extent that there is any element of the catastrophe that really agitates Trump, it is the impact of the pandemic on the corporate bottom line. Fauci has said that the spread of Covid-19 can be significantly slowed, if not entirely stopped, by shutting down all nonessential businesses and maintaining a nationwide social quarantine that must likely last for several months.

But Trump himself, while occasionally paying lip service to the warnings of Fauci and the scientific community, declares repeatedly and with far greater conviction, as he did at his Saturday press conference, that Americans “have to get back to work.”

“Think of it,” he said. “We’re paying people not to go to work. How about that? How does that play?”

It would be a mistake to see Trump’s indifference toward human life as merely the manifestation of his sociopathic personality. However crudely, Trump is expressing a position that has widespread support within the ruling elite.

Under the slogan, “The cure should not be worse than the disease,” the capitalist media began arguing that the economic damage caused by the shutdown of businesses and factories would, in the long run, prove more harmful to society than the deaths that would result from a rapid return to work, even if the pandemic was not under control.

With consummate cynicism, the media presents itself as the champion of working people and the poor. For example, the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal, which has never complained when corporations slashed jobs and cut wages to boost corporate profits, now professes, in an editorial statement published Friday, to worry about the shutdown’s “psychological toll on Americans who can least afford it.”

Viewing the pre-pandemic economy through rose-tinted glasses, the Journal asserts, “The tragedy [of the shutdown] is all the worse because the main victims are the low-skilled and blue-collar workers who had been gaining the most in the last couple of years.”

Gaining the most! Compared to whom? Perhaps the CEOs and other corporate executives whose average annual salaries, not to mention bonuses and earnings from investments, are several hundred times greater than the average worker.

And for all its concern about the burdens caused by a prolonged shutdown of unsafe workplaces, the Wall Street Journal—which happens to be owned by the multibillionaire reactionary Rupert Murdoch—does not identify the section of the population that is likely to suffer the highest mortality rates from a premature return to work.

Stripped of all deliberate obfuscation, the demand to “balance” saving lives against the “economy” means nothing more nor less than sacrificing human lives for the profit interests of the capitalists.

From the standpoint of the ruling class, the process of class exploitation through production must continue. And those who die can be replaced. The single overriding concern is the growth and expansion of stock market values for the enrichment of the financial oligarchy.

In another article published Friday, Politico declared, “Yes, We Need to Measure Lives Against Money.”

On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, the same argument is being made.

In Britain, the Economist argues, “Covid-19 presents stark choices between life, death and the economy.” The weekly writes, “It sounds hard-hearted but a dollar figure on life, or at least some way of thinking systematically, is precisely what leaders will need if they are to see their way through the harrowing months to come. As in that hospital ward, trade-offs are unavoidable.”

The Economist continues: “When one child is stuck down a well the desire to help without limits will prevail—and so it should. But in a war or a pandemic leaders cannot escape the fact that every course of action will impose vast social and economic costs. To be responsible, you have to stack each against the others.”

And what does the “stacking” consist of? In column A there is a global tally, country by country, of the numbers of people who are likely to die if there is a speedy return to work while the pandemic rages. In column B, there is another tally, bank by bank and corporation by corporation, of the billions in profits that will be forfeited.

The choice, according to the Economist, is clear. The consequences of a prolonged regime of factory shutdowns and social distancing are, from a sober-minded business point of view, too terrible to contemplate: “Markets would tumble and investments be delayed. The capacity of the economy would wither as innovation stalled and skills decayed. Eventually, even if many people are dying, the cost of distancing could outweigh the benefits.” [Emphasis added]

The stone-hard heart of the nineteenth century capitalist economist and hater of mankind, Thomas Malthus, still beats in the breast of the British ruling class.

Der Spiegel, writing on behalf of the German ruling class that gave the world Adolf Hitler, declares that it is “dangerous idea” to believe that the country “can ride out a multi-month lockdown without suffering any grave consequences.” Initially “it was right to follow the advice of virologists and to shut the country down in order to stem the uncontrolled spread of the virus. … But in the coming weeks and months, we will have to continually reassess. At that point, serious decisions will have to be made about what risks we are willing to take in order to get the economy back on track.”

The “risk” that capitalist governments are preparing to take is with the lives of the working class.

The demand for a return to work on the part of substantial sections of the political establishment has emerged as a clear line of social division between the working class and the financial oligarchy.

The calculations made by the ruling class and its apologists assume that all social and economic decisions must be based on the needs and interests of the capitalist profit system. Any policy or action that undermines that system or threatens the wealth of the ruling class is illegitimate.

But the working class, as an objectively progressive and revolutionary social force, has a completely different set of priorities and interests that are fundamentally incompatible with those of the capitalists.

Last month, the major Detroit automakers were forced to close down production amid a growing wave of walkouts by workers. Employees at Amazon, Instacart, and Whole Foods went on strike last week to demand safe working conditions and the closure of nonessential production. And nurses and other healthcare workers staged protests to demand the vital safety equipment they have been denied.

There can only be one priority in this pandemic: the saving of lives. All nonessential production must be shut down until adequate testing and contact tracing protocols are in place and the disease can be contained. All essential workers, including those in medicine, transportation, and food service, must be provided full protective equipment and guaranteed safe working conditions.

Yes, the issue of economic hardship is an important one, which must be addressed. As long as the pandemic makes it impossible for workers to safely return to their jobs, they must be fully compensated. The economic resources must come from the cancellation of the multitrillion-dollar bailout of the corporations and the reallocation of the funds to support the working population.

The fight for these demands must be developed into a broader struggle to end private capitalist control of economic life, transform the large corporations and banks into public utilities democratically controlled by the working class, and thereby establish a socialist economy that is based not on the procurement of private profit, but on the advancement of the interests of humanity on a global scale.

As the World Socialist Web Site wrote last week, “the alternatives present themselves as the capitalist profit system and death, or socialism and life.”

Andre Damon and David North

[ghpastpresent1]

Beauty & The Beast

Part 2

Vincent

Central Park

To most people, Central Park was a place of recreation and relaxation. A place designed to bring a bit of nature to the concrete jungle. However, at night, it could be a dangerous place. Ruled by gangs and drug dealers, when the sun went down in Central Park anything goes, it was a place you didn’t want to linger. Which made it the perfect place to dump a body. Dark, deserted, no one would notice the dark, unmarked van creeping into a rarely frequented part of the park. It would take at least a day for someone to find her body. Anyway, it didn’t matter, they were fairly sure she was dead. If she wasn’t she would be, and if she lived, well, she got the message. They did their job.

The van opened it’s sliding door and shoved the lifeless body out onto the grassy hill and sped away. She lay there, unnoticed for what seemed like hours. Dressed in a dark coat, no one would even see her until daylight anyway, if they saw her at all..

Someone saw her.

Out of the shadows, a large man appeared. Dressed in a long, dark cloak, he created an imposing figure. He wasn’t afraid of the dark, in fact, it was his favorite time of the day. No one bothered him then. No one would dare even if they wanted to. Most people were afraid of him anyway.

He loved to walk through Central Park after dark, it one time of day when he could roam freely without worry and it always gave him a sense of peace. Until today.

He saw something lying in the grass from afar. It looked like it might be a trash bag or some kind of luggage. Until he saw a pair of women’s feet sticking out. His heart dropped into his feet. He ran towards the woman and turned her over. Fear, shock and sadness shot through his heart at the same time. Who would do something like this to a fellow human being? He felt her pulse, it was slow. There wasn’t time to waste. She needed medical attention. The nearest hospital was miles away. She’d never make it. He had no choice. He picked her up off the ground with very little effort. She very small and he carried her across the park. He walked over to a dark underground tunnel entrance and disappeared.

///////////

Cathy woke to tremendous pain and fear. She was blind. Her face hurt like Hell. She was disoriented. Where was she?

”No!” She cried out. Where was she? Still in the van? Did they blindfold her? Why couldn’t she see anything? “No!” She said again.

“You’re safe now.” A mans voice called out to her. It wasn’t the same voice as before. It was a calm and steady voice. Cathy wasn’t sure why, but she felt instantly at ease.

“A-am I in a hospital?” She asked.

“No, not a hospital. But you’re safe. No one will harm you, I give you my word.” He said softly.

“Why am I not in a hospital?” She asked suspiciously.

“There wasn’t time. Your injuries were too…”

“My eyes!” She screamed out, grabbing at her face, memories of the night before came flooding back.

“They were unhurt, thankfully.” He assured her.

“M-my face?” She asked, not sure that she wanted to know the answer. She was still so weak and weary.

“One thing at a time. You need rest. Don’t worry, you’re safe. I promise. Rest now.” He said calmly. His slow, steady voice lulled her back to sleep.

//////////

Sometime later, Cathy woke again, her head pounded and her face hurt, the bandages that swaddled her face were itchy and her body hurt. More than anything, she was terrified. Plunged into a world of darkness with only the sound of a strange mans voice to guide her. For all she knew, he was the one who did this to her. But she didn’t think so. She wasn’t sure why, she just knew.

“Hello?” She called out into the darkness. “Who’s here? Who are you?”

Nothing. She could hear soft shuffling of feet. She knew he was near, somehow, she could feel him.

“Who are you? Please.”

“Vincent.” Was all he said.

“Vincent.” She repeated back. She liked the name. She liked the sound of his voice, it soothed her frayed nerves.

Cathy moved and cried out in pain. Every fiber of her being hurt.

“Careful, you have broken ribs,” he said. “Try not to move.”

“Where am I?” She asked.

”Where no one can hurt you.” He reassured her.

”I need my phone.” She said.

“There was no phone on you. There was no purse or any identification on you at all.” He said.

“Do you have a phone?” She asked.

She thought she heard him softly chuckle. “No, I’m afraid there are no phones here.”

Cathy was confused. “No phones? Everyone has a phone these days.”

“Not here.”

“Not here? Where are we? On the moon?” She asked. She couldn’t imagine anywhere that didn’t have cell service.

“It seems like it sometimes.” He said in amusement.

“I don’t under-” Suddenly Cathy winced in pain. “Ah, my face hurts!” She cried.

”Tell me your name.” He said softly, trying to distract her.

“Cathy. I mean C-Catherine.” She said. She wasn’t sure why she wanted him to call her Catherine instead of Cathy, it just felt right in this moment.

“Catherine.” He said quietly. As if he were testing the sound on his lips. She liked the sound her name coming from him, she didn’t know why. At the darkest moment of her life, she felt a flash of giddiness go through her at the sound of her name from his lips, followed by shame. She had bigger things to contend with at the moment.

“Try to rest.” He said. “If you need anything, I’ll be close by.”

She felt him get up off of the edge of the bed where he’d been sitting and move away.

“Don’t be afraid.” He called out to her from the darkness.

A second later, she felt him move closer. “Please don’t be afraid.” He pleaded softly.

Somehow, the tone of his voice made her feel a tiny bit braver and she muttered out a weak, “I’ll try.” Before falling back to sleep.

///////////

Vincent made his way through the labyrinth of tunnels towards his father’s library. He knew he had to face the consequences for his actions. Father had shown considerable restraint all things considered when Vincent had shown up with Catherine in his arms, bleeding and nearly dying. Father said nothing, simply went to work. That’s how he was. Quiet and efficient. Always thinking of his patient first. He was a miracle worker, considering what he had to work with. He always seemed to have the right instrument or the right medicine at hand to pull his patient through at the last minute. Of course, Catherine was the most serious patient he’d had to deal with in some time, but he acted like the true professional he was and saved her life, for that Vincent was truly grateful.

Vincent slowly walked into the library, like a recalcitrant schoolboy who had been caught ditching class. However, Vincent knew his crime was far worse, the consequences for his actions could be far more monumental and could hurt a lot more people than just himself.

He had always loved Father’s library. It was warm and full of knowledge. There were books stacked high on every shelf. Shelves lined every square in of the room. There was a large, worn antique globe that Vincent spent hours pouring over. It had old names for places like Persia which is now Iran. There were maps and oriental rugs lie over the floors. Most of these things had been cast off from the world above. Things thrown away that the above world didn’t want. Down here, they were treasures. Items from museums and theaters. Everything about this world was old and theatrical and Vincent loved it. It was so different from the cold and brutal world he’d known and tried so hard to forget. He loved this life and would give his life to protect it. Which made his decision to bring Catherine here so unusual.

Father had his back to Vincent, pouring over some new medical books that were “cast off” from the world above. This was a treasure beyond words to him. Vincent delighted in his reaction to them. Father had holed up for almost a week reading the latest developments in the world of medicine.

Jacob Wells also known as Father was what was known as a renaissance man. He was a doctor to be certain. He received his doctorate at Oxford University and practiced medicine at University College Hospital for almost ten years before serving in her Majesty’s royal army as a medic. After his service was over, he disappeared for many years, his whereabouts unknown. He appeared in New York in the late eighties a shadow of the man he’d once been. Haunted and deeply troubled, Father had difficulties fitting into the real world, so he retreated once again. He found the underground world where he’d found his purpose at last. People like him, outcasts who had retreated from the difficulties of the world above, who’d found a way to coexist in harmony in the world underground. Here, he was free to practice medicine on people who really needed it. It was difficult and challenging, but rewarding. Finding Vincent, a lost soul who needed him the most was the best thing he’d ever accomplished in his life.

“Father,” Vincent called out to him from the shadows. It startled him. Vincent had a way of disappearing into the darkness. It was his way. It was hard for him to let it go, for him to remember that people found it.. uncomfortable sometimes.

“Is she awake?” Father asked without turning around.

“Yes,” Vincent answered softly. “She’s very frightened.”

Father sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, a sign he was trying to reign in his temper. “How could you. How could you bring a stranger down here, to where we live? Do you know the dangers you’ve exposed us all to? You’ve ignored our most sacred rule!”

Vincent sighed, “I know that.” He said.

“Do you know what they’d do if they caught you up there? They’d put you behind bars and make you wish you were dead.”

“How could I have turned my back on her?” Vincent asked.

Father shook his head. He knew Vincent was right, he couldn’t have left her there, it wasn’t in his nature anymore. Still, the girls presence in their world left him a host of problems. He walked over to his medical bag and pulled out two bottles of antibiotics. “Make sure she takes these to prevent infections.”

“I’ll make sure.”

“I was saving them for emergencies, in case one of us got hurt or seriously injured.” He chastised.

“Father please try to understand, how could I leave her there, alone and bleeding, she would have died?” Vincent pleaded.

Father knew Vincent’s heart was in the right place. “Alright, help her regain her strength, but the moment she’s ready to leave, get her out, and for pity sake, don’t tell her anything.”

Vincent chuckled, “Don’t worry, she’s getting stronger every day, it won’t be long.”

Father smiled, “You know, you have the heart of a doctor. You would have made one Hell of a good one.”

Father reached over and gave Vincent a kiss on the head. Vincent was like his own flesh and blood. He couldn’t have been prouder if he’d been his natural born son.

“Go on now, tend to your patient.” He laughed as he shooed Vincent out of the room. He then turned back to his medical book.

//////////

Vincent patiently fed Catherine another spoonful of soup. She tried not to let it dribble down her face. She listened to the various sounds that surrounded her.

“Vincent, tell me, where are we? Somewhere there’s an elevated train. Brooklyn? Queens?” She wondered.

Vincent laughed. “No, not Brooklyn, or Queens.

“Am I still in New York? Please, tell me, where are we?” She begged.

“I-I have to keep it a secret.” He said quietly. Vincent was torn. He could feel the fear within Catherine. In fact, he could feel her fear so strongly, it was becoming his fear. Some nights, he would wake up in a cold sweat, only to come to her room and find her tossing and turning in a nightmare. It was as if he were feeling what she was feeling at the same time. It was confusing him.

“Why is it a secret?” She prodded.

“Because. Because a lot of good people depend on this place for safety and protection. I cannot betray their trust.” He answered. He was telling her too much already, he knew that, and yet, he knew, somehow, he could trust her. He wasn’t sure why. There was so much about this woman that was a mystery to him, feelings about her that he couldn’t explain. She certainly wasn’t the first woman in his life, she wasn’t the first injured woman he’d come across, but still, there was something about her, a connection he felt to her. Like he had a responsibility for her happiness and well being, it was important to him and he wasn’t sure why. It was forcing him to behave recklessly, in a way he hadn’t for a long time.

“I’ll keep your secret.” She said as if she could read his thoughts. “A-And that tapping, it never stops.” She commented as she listened to the sounds of banging metal all around her. It frightened her.

Vincent could feel her fear. He sighed. “It’s people, talking to each other.” He said. “Tapping on the master pipes.”

“You mean like, messages?”

“Yes.” Was all he would say.

“Vincent.” Catherine pleaded. “Please tell me.”

He could hold back no longer. “We’re below the city.” He said. “Below the subways, there’s a whole world of tunnels and chambers that most people don’t even know exist. There are no maps to where we are, it’s a forgotten place. But it’s warm, and it’s safe, and we have all the room we need. So we live here. We try to live as well as we can, and we try to take care of each other. It’s our city, our own world down here. We are very protective of it.”

“What are you doing down here, why are you here?” She asked.

Vincent was silent for a moment and Catherine thought he might not answer her, then after a moment, he spoke.

“I-I lived another life, up there. Up top, in that world. A life I truly regret. It was a wasteful life, a life full of pain, hurt and anger, and so I might have continued if I had not met the man who I now consider to be my Father. He showed me a better way. Made me a better man, a gentler, kinder man I hope. I owe him a great debt. He brought me here, to this world, to a place where I know peace and purpose for the first time. Where I know love. I owe him everything.”

“I don’t know what to believe.” Catherine said. Her head was swimming with information. So much was happening to her. She didn’t know what was true anymore. She didn’t imagine Vincent would lie to her.

“Here, have some more soup.” He said from the shadows. Catherine reached out to find the spoon and felt his hand instead. A sort of electric shock shot through her and she gasped as she retracted her hand. If Vincent felt it too, she couldn’t tell. She thought she’d heard him gasp as well, but maybe she’d imagined it. Maybe all this was just a dream.

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What is the Salary of a Full-Stack Developer?

What is the Salary of a Full-Stack Developer?

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