#i did not do them yesterday. i did wash 2 mugs and 1 bowl as i made some grilled cheeses

[orcelito]

ive got an exam in a bit over an hour and im cramming for it bc i spent all of yesterday thinking about trigun instead of studying. whatup

[frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe]

A Recipe for Disaster (Chap. 7)

Pt. 1 | Pt. 2 | Pt. 3 | Pt. 4 | Pt. 5 | Pt. 6 | on AO3 here

y'all. this was 17 pages on google docs by time I was done. 🙃

Waking from a restless sleep early the next morning, Steve rolls over and scrubs his hands over his face. He reaches for his phone, 5:04am.

“Fuck.” He scrubs his eyes again but decides to just get up, not thinking he’d be able to go back to sleep anyway.

He slides his glasses onto his face (he usually wears contacts, but he’s not awake enough for that yet), gets out of bed and pulls on some joggers and a shirt. Slipping on the god awful lime green Crocs Robin ordered for him for his birthday and grabbing his phone, he starts down toward the kitchens. He’s hoping to have some time alone to grab some coffee and maybe pilfer some sort of breakfast before he’s swept up into getting ready for the parade.

He sees a couple security guards and doormen on his way down, but otherwise doesn’t run into anyone until he enters the kitchen and who would be there at the small table but one Edmund Muñoz.

Steve didn’t actually register him being there until after he’d grabbed himself some coffee (black this morning, too lazy to put anything in it) and an apple. He’d turned to find Eddie sitting, frozen, and staring at Steve already. There was a mug of something and an empty bowl and spoon sitting in front of him on the table.

“Good mor–” Eddie’s voice is low and thick with sleep, which may or may not have a significant effect on Steve at that moment, but he stops to clear his throat before continuing. “Good morning Your Highness, sleep well?”

Steve stares at the other man. His hair is pulled back into a loose messy bun and he’s wearing some sort of band tee that is so faded that only the ghost of the band’s logo remains, the decal itself long washed away. The collar is stretched out and loose around Eddie’s neck and without knowing why, Steve just knows that if he could see the other man’s legs, they’d be in some sort of plaid patterned lounge pants.

He’s been quiet too long, Eddie is starting to fidget, looking slightly cowed and nervous. “I can go, I don’t want to intrude on your breakfast.” he stands and starts to gather the notebook and loose papers scattered on the table in front of him.

“No! Please, stay.” Steve puts his hand up that’s holding the apple, remaining fingers held up placatingly while still grasping the fruit. “I don’t want to interrupt yours either.”

Eddie gives a small nod and sits back down; an awkward silence settles over them for a moment before Steve asks “Do you mind if I sit with you?”

Eddie shakes his head immediately, a surprised look on his face, but gestures to the seat next to him, along the side of the table to his right.

“Thanks.” Steve sets down his mug and shuffles onto the stool next to Eddie (His pants are actually red and black buffalo check print, not plaid, but close enough). Eddie returns to his journal and Steve pulls out his cell. 

“I like your glasses. They um..really suit you.” Eddie says in a small voice that Steve almost didn’t hear. 

Steve blinks at him, still writing something in his journal. The parts of his cheeks Steve can see are turning pink. “Thank you.” is all he can stutter out.

They sit in a surprisingly comfortable, still slightly tense silence after that; Steve is scrolling through Twitter and purposefully scrolling a bit quicker past any mention of him or the palace’s garden party yesterday. But to his dismay, it’s all people are talking about. Only one picture someone had managed to snap of him walking back with Dustin to the palace was circulating like crazy. The sopping wet state of his suit did him many favors, if he was not a person in the public eye already. This picture was taken right as he’d stretched his arms up to flip the towel he was given around his shoulders, and everyone was speculating on what had happened. Some chalked it up to him just being that clumsy and that he’d fallen into a pond on the grounds (no one had assumed the fountain, thankfully), but the majority were talking about Steve himself, and what had now been left with little to the imagination.

Steve audibly groans and clicks off his phone, putting it face-down on the table and takes an angry bite out of his apple, scowling down at the grain of the tabletop in front of him.

“I’m sure the parade today will give them something else to talk about.”

Steve hmmm’d around his bite of apple in response, still looking down at the table.

Eddie sighs and puts his pen down into the spine of his journal. “Ste–Your Highness, I have to apologize.” He corrects himself, not wanting to step over any lines. “If I hadn’t goaded you on like that yesterday, that picture wouldn’t have even existed for the masses to gawk at.”

Steve is stunned and looks up at Eddie, who is now looking down at his hands curled together on the edge of the table.

He swallows the remaining fruit in his mouth. “Oh, uhm. Thank you..Eddie”

Eddie’s head slowly comes up, meeting Steve’s eyes. Then he smiles. It’s a small thing, but it’s so warm and genuine that the bars Steve built up around his heart to keep Eddie out, instantly melt away into nothing.

Steve smiles back and goes back to his apple. Takes a bite and looks at the papers scattered across the table in front of him.

He’s about to ask about them when Eddie says “Is your side okay?”

Steve had taken a look at the damage yesterday and made sure to register any other odd feelings in the future in case he’d actually hurt something, but he hadn’t even thought about it since waking up. He stretches and twists…ow. Yep. That’s definitely going to stick around for a while. He lifts his shirt, the side he’d landed on the spout is closer to Eddie, whose breath hitches when he sees it.

The bruise is dark purple, almost black at the center, with webs of lighter blues and purples fanning outward from it. Now that he’s looking at it, It’s about the size of Steve’s palm, spanning out a bit more than when he’d looked at it in the mirror yesterday.

“Steve, I’m so sorry.” Eddie absentmindedly reaches forward and places his palm over the bruise, covering it completely. He snatches his hand away when Steve sucks in a sharp breath at his touch. “Sorry, sorry..” 

“It’s okay, you didn’t hurt me, your hand is just really cold.” Steve chuckles softly when Eddie reaches for his mug and wraps his slender fingers around it as if to warm them. Steve drops his shirt, “And it wasn’t your fault, anyway. I was the one who pushed you…sorry.”

“No need, I’m the one who kissed you.” Eddie’s eyes bored into Steve’s.

“I think we both kissed each other.”

Eddie smiles, “Yeah, I think we–”

“Good morning brochacho, Royal Brochacho.”

Steve and Eddie both jump in their seats and snap up straight, both of them having been leaning in toward one another without even realizing. Steve’s face burns in embarrassment and looks away towards Argyle.

“H-hey Argyle, good morning.” Steve greets the chef.

Argyle was definitely a character. If you ask him, he would tell you he just wanted a change in life when he’d moved overseas from California, but he was actually making the rounds as a viral sensation in his own food truck. Making all sorts of funky and delicious creations that landed him (highschool drop-out stoner and freshly 18) on a variety of Travel Channel shows. He’d impressed even the most stubborn of the world's best chefs and had somehow earned his food truck a Michelin Star. 

Then he’d closed up shop, saying he needed a change, and moved himself overseas. He originally applied just to work in the palace kitchens, but the chefs that came before him knew who he was and quickly shot him up the ranks to take over as Head Chef when the previous retired only about a year before.

“What are we up to this early, my dudes?” He hikes up his brightly colored pants a bit before straddling the stool directly next to Eddie and plopping down. His hair wasn’t up in his normal braids yet (how he’d wear it in order to keep it out of the way and out of the food), and his extremely long hair bounced a bit with the movement.

“Writing up some ideas for my next campaign. The various royal and non-royal gremlins really liked the one-shot we did, so we’re gonna try making a whole campaign.”

“Is this that Gargoyle game that Will and Dustin like?”

“Dungeons and Dragons.” Steve cuts in without even thinking about it.

“That’s the one, thanks royal bro.” Argyle snaps a finger gun at him.

He expects Eddie to continue, and looks over when he doesn’t. Eddie’s staring at him, eyebrows high on his forehead. 

“What?”

“You know D&D?”

“Oh, um. Kinda? Dustin talks about it a bunch, and so did ‘Lady Applejack’ when we danced at my birthday ball. Plus I saw your, what’d you call it? Oneshoot?”

“Oneshot.”

“Oneshot..the other day when I was passing by. You guys seemed like you were having a lot of fun.” Steve’s embarrassed to be telling Eddie this but he wants him to know? Like he wants to impress the other man.

Eddie continues to stare.

Steve clears his throat, “So, you making new characters or something?”

That shakes Eddie out of it, “Yeah, I am. Trying to come up with new NPCs, a couple locations too.” he shrugs.

“Very cool, my man. Would love to hear all about it sometime.” Argyle slaps Eddie’s shoulder then stands, heading over to the hook on the wall where his white coat was hanging. 

“Yeah, sure man.” Eddie rolls his eyes with a smile and gathers up his papers. 

Steve takes that as his que to leave as well. “You are going to the parade today?” He stands and busies himself with emptying his half-full mug and tossing the core of his apple, feeling stupid for hoping the answer is yes. 

Eddie had just finished stacking his papers away into his journal “Of course, I’ll always be there for you, Stevie.” and gives him a wink and a small smirk before turning to head up the stairs from the kitchen.

Steve’s brain takes a minute to reboot after that, but once it does Steve covers his face with his hands and grins stupidly big.

“Damn, that was smooooooth.” Argyle croons from one of the stoves.

--

Steve walks back to his suite in a daze. He knows his face still has that stupid goofy grin on it since Eddie left the kitchens but he really can’t help it. No, really. He tried to school his face back to normal and the grin would grow across his face once more.

He had just flopped down on his bed when Robin bursts in “Dingus, I’m in love.”

“Jesus Chr–Why the hell are you up so early?”

She barrels on. “Chrissy is the sweetest person in the whole world and I swear she was flirting with me yesterday…” Robin rants for a bit, and Steve just lounges back and listens to her. “I invited her to join in the parade but she said she was already going to be there, outside the orphanage. The orphanage Steve! She tutors orphans!”

Steve feels ashamed he didn't get that when he was busy peacocking Nancy around in his and Edmund’s weird fight yesterday

“Wow… that’s actually really amazing; Eddie and I were being asses yesterday so I didn’t really get to talk to her much…”

“Oh it's Eddie today, is it?”

“Shut up,” he rolls his eyes then rolls onto his side, propped up on one elbow. “So you’re in love that quickly, huh?”

“No faster than you, Dingus.” She’s got him there.

She starts rambling on about Chrissy again. And continues to rant while he gets ready; and continues some more after she starts getting ready.

“I really think we could work out Steve, she’s–help?” Robin’s stuck halfway out of her hoodie so Steve moves to help her out.

“Okay stop talking for just a few minutes so you can safely get out of your shirt now, ‘kay?”

“You know what? I’m going to talk even more now. And louder.” She steps into his walk-in closet and starts yelling through the door. “As I was saying, I think she could be it.”

“Oh yeah? Does she like boobies as mch as you do?”

“Ugh, please don’t say boobies, and..I don’t really know..”

“Well I hope for your sake she does.”

-

He and Robin are wearing coordinated outfits today, Steve in a sunflower-colored ensemble from his own closet, and she is in his suit from his birthday; they’ve swapped bowties and she wears her sleeves rolled, otherwise, they’re a matching set.

“One of these days we’ll manage to convince people we’re actual twins.” She comments when they’re fixing themselves in Steve’s big mirror.

“The outfits will definitely help.” he agrees as he fixes his hair for the fifteenth time. Getting the perfect polished prince look while not looking stuffy is a hard mark to hit.

“Careful kids, you don’t want people vying for Madam Robin to become Genovia’s next queen.”

They turn toward Hopper’s voice. He’s wearing his all black uniform as usual, and it’s a stark contrast to Dustin’s. Each piece of his suit is a different color. Navy slacks, light blue shirt, yellow bowtie, burgundy shoes, and a deep purple coat.

“One, rude; Two, Dustin, really? What the hell is that outfit?” Steve directs at Hopper then Dustin.

“If you’re gonna be rude Your Highness, I’ll just leave and take this gift with me.” he turns toward the door but Hopper’s large hand grabs him by the shoulder and turns him back around before he can even take a step. He’s grinning his signature gummy grin when he is.

“Damn, why are you always getting the gifts around here? Some of us poor people want to get gifts too, you know.” Robin grumbles half-heartedly

Steve opens his mouth to snark back at her but Dustin cuts in before he can “Her majesty got this for Robin, actually.”

“Oh my god! Gimme!” Robin snatches the box out of his hands and starts fighting with the ribbon.

“You didn’t answer my other question Dusty, what’s with the outfit.”

“It’s all the royal colors! Duh, Steve.”

“Genovia’s royal family usually sticks to only burgundy, gold, and purple though.”

“Well yeah, Nancy’s colors are light and dark blue. Sue me for waiting to be inclusive.”

“Hey, help me with this Dingus.” Robin interrupts.

“Sure, I got you.” he takes the box from her.

“We’ll meet you outside in five.” Hopper says, dismissing himself and Dustin, who follows him immediately

Steve starts fighting with the ribbon. “I kissed Eddie yesterday.” he admits, and Robin gasps and slaps a hand over her mouth. “Almost kissed him again this morning.”

He finally pulls the ribbon loose and passes the box over to Robin.

“What does that mean? Just yesterday you weren’t his biggest fan.”

“Yeah, well, turns out I may have capital “F” Feelings for him” He clears his throat. “So, what did Dusty bring you?”

“Steve..”

“It’s fine Robin; we’ll talk about it later, I promise.”

He could tell that she really didn’t want to let this go, but she relented and opened the box.

“Well, I know what crown you’ll be wearing.” She tilts the box towards him and there was a small replica of his favorite golden crown, just a small thing that robin can pin into her hair to match him better.

Steve chuckles, “She knows us too well.” 

He plucks the small crown from the box and pins it around the artfully messy bun Robin had pulled her hair into on the top of her head, turns to his closet to retrieve his crown (and two pairs of matching sunglasses for them), and the two of them step out into the hall where Dustin and Hopper were waiting.

-

Once they get to the beginning of the parade route, Steve walks with Robin ahead of the carriage a little ways to his beloved BMW.

He had found the burgundy convertible 1986 325i Cabrio for pretty cheap back home (before he knew he was a royal) and had been working off the debt from the repairs that were needed when Joyce came back into his life and was kind enough to pay off the balance. He made sure to have it shipped with him back to Genovia when he was, and now she’d be in the parade line, all shiny, clean, and pristine. Nancy will be driving her through the route, Robin called shotgun as soon as she knew the car would be in the line, and Dustin and Claudia in the back seat, following Wayne who will be marching on foot.

Nancy is there already, chatting with Wayne and Claudia 

“Just promise you won’t run me over, your highness. I am not as fast as I used to be.” Wayne muses, earning him a lighthearted slap from Claudia.

“Oh hush. Ignore him, Your Highness, he’ll be just fine.”

Nancy’s in a sky blue, short-sleeved pantsuit and low strappy heels today, a silver crown in her hair “Of course not Prime Minister, I’m just glad they’re allowing me to drive it myself!” 

“You guys talking about my baby?” Steve says in greeting as he walks up with Robin.

“Good morning, Steve.” Nancy gives him a kiss on each of his cheeks. “And yes, if your baby is Prime Minister Henderson here.” She smirks.

“Absolutely.” He returns, and Wayne throws his head back in a full belly laugh, shaking his head before walking off with Claudia to talk to Hopper.

“You two look great!” Nancy steps back a bit from him and Robin, giving them an appraising look. “Did you get any pictures yet?”

“I’m sure Jonathan will get some, or do you mean for ourselves?”

“Both!” Robin answers for them and pulls out her phone “Nancy, will you take a couple of us?” 

Nancy smiles and takes Robin’s phone from her and she and Steve start in on their usual poses, three or four practiced poses that they always got together. They got two shots of the exact same pose, one where Steve is leaning on the windshield of his car throwing a peace sign, with Robin hunched slightly, hands on her hips, then the same pose but in front of the nearby storefront, where Steve leans on nothing instead.

Nancy’s laughing at the two of them the whole time, but soon says “Okay, okay, get a couple actual professional looking ones, you two.”

“We’re always professional, Nance.” Steve rebukes as Robin starts digging through his jacket pockets.

“Here you go, Dingus,” she hands him one of the two pairs of glasses and puts on the other. “What’s more professional than sunglasses, right?”

After one more super professional shot (Steve with his arms crossed against his chest, Robin with her hands clasped in front of her), Robin takes the glasses from Steve’s face, “Okay, now let me get one of the royal couple.” She takes the phone from Nancy, who moves to Steve’s side.

He wraps his arm around her shoulders and pulls her into his side, throwing off her balance a bit so she rolls into him slightly and catches herself with a small hand on his chest. He plants a kiss on her temple before pulling back and giving a regular pose for Robin.

Robin lowers her phone and steps up under Steve’s other arm to show the other two the photos on her screen.

“These are great Robin! Send them to me?” Nancy laughs at the one she took of Steve and Robin next to the beemer. 

“We look ridiculous, you have to post that on your Instagram, Robs.” Steve says. “Your fans will love that one.”

“Pfft, they’ll only like it ‘cause they’re thirsty for you.”

She scrolls to the one of Steve kissing Nancy on her temple “This one would be a great one for Jonathan to get posted across the palace’s social media.” Nancy comments.

“Only if he buys it from me, this’d go for some good money!” Robin gestures to her phone and the other two laugh easily before Hopper steps up to the three and Robin slides her phone back into her pocket.

“Highnesses, Madam Robin, are you ready to go? We are still waiting for her majesty, but as soon as she arrives we’ll be on our way.”

“Yep, we are good to go Hop.”

“Good.” He goes over the parade route once more before he heads back to the carriage where Steve and Joyce’ll be seated.

“Hello your highnesses, Miss Robin.” Jonathan steps up as soon as Hopper leaves, a warm smile on his face, and the screen of his camera turned toward the three of them. He’d captured a shot of the three of them together from a few minutes previously while Hopper regaled them with the parade route info, Steve’s arms still slung over the two ladies. 

“Wow Steve, you’re quite the ladies man.” Robin teases with an elbow in his ribs (thankfully, just above his bruise), making Steve drop his arms from the two women while Nancy stifles a laugh.

“Okay, okay, leave me alone. Alright,” Steve claps his hands together. “Let's get you ladies situated.” He sticks out his arm for Robin to take at the same time Jonathan extends an arm to Nancy. Steve walks Robin around to the passenger side of the car while Jonathan escorts Nancy the short way back to the driver’s side.

As soon as he shuts the door on Robin with an eyebrow wiggle to her and a glance to Nancy’s still red face even after Jonathan had stepped away to head down the route a bit farther, he jogs over to Dustin and Claudia.

“Hey Hendersons, we are about ready to go. Dustin, will you help your mother to the car?”

“Of course,Your Highness,” he puts on his fake haughty voice, and sticks out his elbow “Allow me to escort you to your steed, m’mother.”

She shakes her head at his antics with a smile, but takes his arm and they head off.

“He’s such a goof.” Steve says aloud to Wayne.

Wayne makes a sound of agreement “I’m glad he has friends like you and those other kiddos around, especially with the less than normal life he’s had since I became Prime Minister.”

Steve nods “He’s pretty great, like the little brother I both always and never wanted.”

Wayne gives him another warm laugh and claps Steve on the shoulder, “You and Eddie both.”

Steve’s brain stutters to a stop “Eddie?”

Wayne looks at him, confused for a moment, then his eyebrows raise in realization. “Yes, Eddie is my nephew. We really only just recently reconnected, so I haven’t told Dusty yet, but he’s already been a friend to him and I’m glad for it.”

“Oh.” is all Steve can muster.

Wayne gives him a slightly concerned look, but gives him another pat on his shoulder and a slight nudge back up the line.

‘So that’s the family Dustin said Wayne hadn’t wanted to be associated with when he married Claudia…Eddie’s his nephew…’

Steve sinks into the far seat of the carriage’s bench still reeling from the news when Hopper steps up onto the lip behind him.

“So, how are we feeling this morning, highness?”

“Honestly Hop, not that great.” Not anymore at least.

“Would it make you feel better if you called me ‘Jimmy’?”

Steve smiles, feeling some of the weight lift from his shoulders when he turns to smile up at Hopper. “I’d never do that to you, Hop.”

Hopper smiles down warmly at him and gives his shoulder a comforting squeeze. He faces forward once more when Hopper steps off to greet Joyce as she arrives, and Steve realizes the two horses that’ll be pulling them along are Sandy and Danny.

‘Of course.’ he thinks, and smiles at the little nips Sandy gives Danny’s neck. He flicks his tail into her but then nuzzles his snout into her neck in return. ‘Are these damn horses making me jealous now? Pathetic..’ Steve thinks to himself.

“Come along Hop, we’re already late.” Joyce says, and steps up into the carriage with the help of another guard. “Can’t keep the people waiting!”

---

Eddie reluctantly sits beside his father in the roped off section along the route for the local and visiting dignitaries.

“Ah, about time I see you again, boy. You avoiding your old man now?”

“Of course not.” He returns curtly.

He scoffs, but it seems to satisfy his dad and Eddie turns his attention to the teens in the row in front of him. 

He leans forward, “How is Will the Wise?”

Will turns around in his chair, and smiles “Hey Eddie, I'm doing great!” Eddie catches his glance to Mike in the seat next to him, who is turned to talk to another teen on his other side. “How is the campaign coming?”

“You only like me for my D&D prowess, I knew it.” Eddie places his hand over his chest in fake hurt, “You wound me.” 

“No, no, of course not! But Lucas and Erica are here for a couple days for Independence day, and I’d love to get them in on a session.”

“Ah, I see, This is Lucas then?” He says a bit louder which catches the attention of said Lucas.

“Hi, yeah, I’m Lucas Sinclair.” The boy on the other side of Mike reaches his hand behind Mike’s chair to shake Eddie’s hand.

“Pleasure, Lord Sinclair, I’ve heard a lot about you. Let me guess, Ranger?” he points at Lucas with a raised brow.

“Yo! How’d you know?”

“Eddie’s actually a mind reader.” Mike cuts in.

“We told him about yours and Erica’s characters already so he could plan the full campaign.” Will corrects.

Lucas nods in understanding.

“So, are you interested, Lord Sinclair?”

Lucas glances to Will and Mike, who each give him a slight nod in return.

“Yeah, I’m in.” he grins at Eddie

“I am too, not that you were gonna ask.” Eddie looks over to his left and down at Erica in the chair next to him.

“You’re correct, I wasn’t going to ask since I just assumed Lady Applejack would make an appearance?”

He can see her cheek lift in a smile while still looking down at her screen. “You assumed correct.” 

The parade procession rounds the corner up the road from them then. There was a marching band leading the charge, a selection of the Leapers of Libbet, then he could see Wayne round the corner just behind them. Eddie smiles at his Uncle, waving the little Genovian flag he’d be given and whistling at him as he passed.

The car just behind Wayne is a beauty, being driven by Nancy, surprisingly (he chuckles a bit at the sight of a whole-ass princess driving an 80s something beemer). Robin is in the passenger seat, Mrs. Henderson is behind her, and Dustin is sat behind Nancy. Eddie wonders whose car it even is, but his question is answered by Will.

“Who’s car is that?’ Lucas asks excitedly.

“It’s Steve’s!” Will calls over to him over the noise of the band, “He bought it in highschool, back in the states, and had it shipped over here!”

They all wave excitedly at Dustin in the BMW’s back seat, and Eddie clocks Ellie leaning forward over the rope a bit more to do so. Interesting.

He looks back up the procession to where he can see Chrissy standing outside the orphanage on the corner of the route.

She has a smiling infant on her hip and she’s turned to face up the road further from there the parade is coming from. She’s got the baby’s little arm in her hand and is making the baby wave its hand at something coming up the road.

That’s when Steve and Joyce’s carriage comes into view, pulled along by Danny and Sandy. He focuses solely on Steve, looking like pure sunshine in the sunflower yellow suit he’s chosen, and laughs as he does a small baby wave for a bit too long at the kiddo Chrissy’s holding.

---

Looking forward again after waving a bit too long at Chrissy and the infant she has in her arms, Steve can see the section of the crowd where the palace’s appointed guests sit along the route.

The Sinclairs have arrived for the celebrations; Erica is ignoring the festivities, fully invested in whatever game she’s got on her phone, while Lucas is also ignoring the parade in front of him to stare at Max from across the section.

He sees Max is sitting up straight and attentive, hands clasped in her lap, seeming nervous, but is smiling at the Hendersons, who are just passing that section now, a ways ahead of his and Joyce’s carriage.

Ellie is on Max’s left, grinning much bigger and leaning over the rope a bit to wave excitedly at Dustin.

On Ellie’s other side is Will, seeming to enjoy whatever it is Mike is saying from his other side; and Mike must be telling some grand story because he’s gesturing wildly and is turned completely in his chair towards Will.

And Eddie. 

Eddie’s there, just behind Mike and Will, and Steve’s brought back to their first meeting. Eddie’s hair is pulled half-up, half-down, and he feels the urge to swoon at Eddie’s crooked smile.

He sees them all, registers them, but then his attention is pulled back from somewhere behind the carriage. Since they’d turned the corner, the orphanage that had been on the right is now behind them and to the left, exactly where he’d heard something. He looks back, and sees Chrissy looking away from the event to a small boy on the other side of the steps from her, face laced with concern. Steve follows her line of sight and…

It’s him.

It’s him?

It was a small commotion that called Steve’s attention to the little boy with long, shaggy, auburn hair and lots of freckles he’d somehow not seen initially. There were two bigger boys pulling on his hair in turns, hiding their hands after they would, feigning innocence. Even from his distance, Steve could see the boy’s face scrunched up in a familiar way, one of his small hands pulling on a lock of his own hair for comfort.

Without thinking, Steve jumps from the carriage and walks around the back of it toward the orphanage.

“Halt!” he hears Hopper bellow at the procession, and he steps up to the kids on the curb, crouching down to their level.

“Hello, everyone.”

They respond with a scattered mix of shy and excited “Hello”s, and jumbled “Your Highnesses”. Steve hears one voice call “Hi Prince Steeb!” excitedly.

“Are you enjoying the parade?”

“Yeah!”

“I’m glad! Now can you excuse me? I need to talk to Miss Chrissy.”

The sea of children part, and approaches the boy he’d seen from the road, standing next to Chrissy now, giving her a small ‘hey’.

“Hello!” He says softly, squatting in front of the boy..

“Hi..” It’s barely a whisper.

“What’s your name?”

“Martín..”

“And did I see you two messing with Martín?” Steve directs over the boy’s shoulder to the two older boys that had been tugging on his hair. The boys faces drain of color and they jump down off the steps and run to hide behind Chrissy, who just shakes her head at them.

“They were tugging on my hair..They said it is too long. Like girl’s hair…” Martín says sadly.

“Well, my hair is long, and I say I am a boy.” Steve assures the boy. “What do you say you are?”

He thinks about it for a moment, adding in a ‘hmmmmm’, before answering “I’m a boy.”

Steve smiles at his assertion “Well guess what, I declare that today you are also a prince, just like me. How’s that sound?”

“But I’m too little. I’m only four.” Martín holds out the hand that isn’t tugging on his own hair, four fingers spread wide.

“That’s the perfect age to be a prince! In fact, I think you all are the perfect candidates for Princes and Princesses today.” he stands, speaking to all the curious faces around him.

He beckons a nearby vendor to him, an older man selling plastic tiaras. “Can we please get them all a crown?” He asks him quietly as the kids around them are screaming and yelling in excitement.

“All? Give them all free tiaras?”

“I’ll take care of it.” Steve pats the man on the shoulder.

The man is relieved at that “Thank you, Your Highness!”

Steve grabs a gold crown for Martín, and crouches down in front of him once more while Chrissy and the vendor help the other kids with crowns and wands of their own. “Would you like to walk in front with me?”

Martín nods excitedly and Steve places the crown on his head. He stands, holds out his hand for Martín to take, and leads them to the front of the pack.

He lets his hand go once he’s at the front, on the curb and moves a couple steps away to address the kids.

“Okay, everyone,” he calls, and all the kids fall silent to listen “You are all, now, Princes and Princesses.” He paces in front of them like they’re an army battalion. “So you gotta walk the way you think a prince or princess should walk. So… stand up straight, shoulders back,” he pauses to face them directly again, smiling at the way they all fixed their posture the best they could “and just have fun. You ready?”

“Yeah!!” they scream. 

Steve steps up next to little Martín, and holds out his hand for him to take. Grasping his little hand, Steve waves his other to Hopper.

Hop gives him a nod and says something into his earpiece as he turns and hops back up onto the back of Joyce’s carriage.

“Drumroll, Please!” Steve calls, knowing the drummaster was nearby, marching at the head of the group of soldiers that were behind he and Joyce previously. There’s a call back of ‘Give the prince a drum roll!’ from the man who’d been calling the directions for the soldiers, and as the procession begins to move in front of them, he takes the first step forward with Martín.

They march down the road a bit, and he looks back. All the kids are off the curb, and the soldiers have started to follow. He looks forward again and smiles, waving at the crowds with his free hand, and marching closer and closer to where his friends are sitting.

Steve looks down at Martín, who is smacking his free hand back and forth from his mouth and out to the cheering crowd around him. He also seems to already be losing steam, so Steve scoops him up onto his hip to spare the boy’s little legs.

“Whatcha up to bud? Blowing kisses to your adoring subjects?” he says once he’s settled on his left hip.

“Ya! Just like Queen Joy!” he answers brightly, and smacks his palm to his mouth once again.

Steve’s confused for a moment, but as soon as he looks up, sure enough, Joyce throws out a light kiss from her fingertips to one side of the road, then turns and waves to the opposite.

“You’re so right, that’s a great idea.” Martín’s smile when Steve starts blowing kisses with his free arm is going to be burned into his brain forever.

---

Steve and his new hoard of children are slowly marching toward them down the road and Eddie is fully in love.

Steve’s got one of the smaller boys on his hip at the front of the group and the little boy looks so much like a little version of the prince that Eddie thinks he could easily be his son. The shaggy length of his auburn locks, the freckles a good substitute for Steve’s moles, the bright smile.

The boy is smacking out clumsy kisses from his whole palm and when Steve says something to him, Steve nods and also starts blowing kisses to the crowd around them.

There are excited, high-pitched screams that erupt from the masses and Eddie rolls his eyes. He’s seen more and more Prince Steve fanpages crop up online recently, and he just knows that the photos and videos being taken right now will be at the forefront of peoples’ minds for a long time.

Steve’s nearly across from them now, waving to the opposite side of the road. When he turns his attention to their side once again, and sees the teens, he bounces the boy on his hip and points them out to him. The little boy beams and waves excitedly at the cheering teens in the front row. 

Even Erica and Mike seem to be excited to see the two, and give a smile and wave to their friend, and Max and Ellie are cooing at little Steve. 

Steve locks eyes with Eddie as they are about to round the corner and out of sight as they continue on, and blows a kiss directly to him.

Eddie’s hand jumps up to his heart and gives a fake swoon that makes Steve laugh and shake his head as he continues by.

Eddie glances around and it seems like no one caught the action, most likely thinking that Steve's thrown it to Max and Ellie who were giggling uncontrollably. 

His father is faced away from him so he didn’t catch his son’s movement, and is still grumbling about Steve letting the children join the parade being some “low, despicable, political trick”.

He risks a glance behind him. Erica is giving him a shit-eating, knowing grin, and Will is looking at him in awe and surprise. Eddie brings a finger to his lips in a mimed shushing, giving the both of them wide, serious eyes. They both nod in sync and turn back to the rest of the parade.

Eddie feels lighter than he has in months.

Part 8 here!

I love you all! @henderdads @steveshairychest @sidebarre @resident-gay-bitch @kaspurrcat @melkene @livewondrousss @sadcanadianwinter @steddieasitgoes @mightbeasleep @princessstevemunson @totallybitchin @potentialheartofdarkness @spectrum-spectre

[nastybuckybarnes]

Wicked Games  -  Four

Pairing: Bucky x Reader Soulmate AU

Summary: Everyone in the world has a soulmate. And until they meet that soulmate, everyone in the world stops aging at 25. Wrongfully accused of a horrendous crime and on the run, you happen to bump into the man who’s been avoiding you for the past seventy-five years.

Warnings: Language, Fluff? Rape and Abuse mentions

Word Count: 2.1K

A/n: I’m really tired rn and idk how good this chapter is. I just wanna write the spicy stuff lmao

MASTERLIST 1  2   3 Series Masterlist

~*~

“Eat.” You startle awake as a bowl of mush is tossed into your lap.

“Why?” You ask, not understanding why this cop hasn’t turned you in yet.

“Because if you don’t you’ll die,” he says matter-of-factly. You roll your eyes and struggle into a seated position in the bathtub. “It’ll kinda be hard to eat with my hands stuck behind my fucking back,” you snap, not bothering to try and stay on his good side.

“Jesus Christ,” he murmurs, leaning down and carefully uncuffing one of your wrists only to cuff it again in front of you. “Now eat. Then we talk.” You roll your eyes but scoop some of the mush up on your fingers and carefully bring it to your mouth, tasting it with the tip of your tongue then shovelling it into your mouth.

Bucky watches you with a disgusted look on his face as you scarf down the food.

“Why did you kill Rumlow?” He asks after a minute of you eating. You look up at him then back down to the bowl of food. “You’re not legally allowed to question me until I have a lawyer present,” you inform. He rolls his eyes and crosses his arms over his thick chest. “I’m not in uniform. I’m asking you as the man who saved your life. Maybe the only man interested in actual justice and not revenge. If you’d tell me why you killed him this would all be so much easier.” You chew slowly then shake your head.

“I’ve learned not to trust cops,” is how you reply. It’s more than enough to clue Bucky in.

“C’mon. Get up. You’re gonna take a shower and get changed and then you’re gonna give me the reasons as to why you’ve been on the run this whole time. If you listen and you’re good, I’ll be able to help you. Got it?” You nod slowly, allowing him to carefully pull you to your feet.

“I’m gonna let you out of your cuffs and lock the door. Just know that I’ll be waiting outside with my taser and pepper spray, should you get any ideas about escaping. You’re stuck here with me. Towels are in the cabinet and there’s body wash in the shower somewhere. I do advise cleaning all this blood up first though.” he nods to the sticky substance coating the floor and walls of the bathtub. You nod and let him help you out of the tub.

“You have twenty minutes. There are no windows in here and only one door that I can lock from the outside. You have no way of getting out so don’t even try.” You slump your shoulders but nod again, rubbing your raw wrists after h takes the cuffs off.

“Twenty minutes start now.”

He leaves the bathroom and locks the door. After standing there for three minutes, you turn the water on as hot as it goes and let it wash away the blood dirtying the tub. Once the tub is clean you strip off your clothes and grab a facecloth from the closet. It takes a moment to find your courage, but you’re glad you do because the hot water feels absolutely incredible on your aching skin.

The pressure is perfect and cleans the mud, blood, and grime of the past few days right off of your skin.

You enjoy the warmth for a moment then get down to business; ignoring the pain in your wrists as you begin washing your body with the mahogany body wash.

You feel clean and refreshed, your hair finger-combed and washed with an expensive looking shampoo that smells like lilac.

Once you're finished you step out of the shower and wrap yourself in a fluffy white towel, looking around the room and pondering what to do next. You know you can’t escape, so there’s no point in trying.

Something inside of you is telling you to trust this cop. That he’s not like the others and he'll actually help you. He won’t be like Rumlow.

The still-prominent bruises and cuts all over your body remind you of just how awful Brock was, and you shudder.

“Are you decent?” He asks through the door, snapping you out of your haze. “I... you didn’t give me any clean clothes,” you say softly, afraid that he’ll take advantage of your vulnerable state.

“I know.” The door opens and you scream as he walks in, terrified and cowering in the corner. “Please don't! I-I’ll do anything! Please don't!” He freezes in his tracks, curses twice, then tosses a bundle of something at your feet and dashes out of the bathroom, locking the door behind himself.

You wait for a moment, tears streaming down your cheeks as your heart races, then end down and inspect the pile of stuff. He’s given you a t-shirt, a pair of boxers with the tags still on, and a pair of sweatpants that look three sizes too fucking gigantic.

Nevertheless, you put the clothes on then sit on the floor across from the toilet, your eyes focused on the door as you hear the lock click.

“(Y/n)... I... fuck. I won’t touch you, okay? Not... not like that. I won’t take advantage of you or anything. I promise. Okay?” You wipe your cheeks and watch as the door slowly opens. Bucky looks at you, all curled up in a ball on the floor, and his heart breaks.

“He touched you, didn’t he?” You don’t look up at him, nodding your head yes.

“(Y/n) I’m going to be very blunt with you now, you have to answer me truthfully because this will change the entire case. Did Brock Rumlow sexually assault you?” You nod once more, biting back a sob.

“Fucking Hell...” He trails off and scratches the nape of his neck. “I always knew he was a bad guy, but I never thought...” he looks at you then takes a deep breath. “Do you have any cuts or bruises from him?” You glare up at him and shake your head, not liking where this is going.

“I’ll stay right here. I just... I need to see them. It will make everything a lot easier for you.” You take a deep breath and carefully pull the shirt off, feeling embarrassed at being shirtless in front of this stranger. But some strange part of you is telling you that this is fine.

He sucks in a sharp breath when he sees your torso.

Your ribs are darkened, stained with bruises from either cracks or full breaks to the bones. You have multiple deep cuts that look like they’ve been stitched together by a three-year-old, and other fading bruises that cover the rest of your body. Around your neck are still very prominent bruises in the shape of fingers, indicating that you’ve been choked, and he can see similar bruises on your hips.

“C-can I put it back on now?” You ask, your voice wavering. He nods and looks away as you pull the shirt back on.

“Jesus. Come out here. I’m gonna make you some tea and you’re gonna start talking, understand?” You nod your head yes and follow him out of the bathroom, fighting tears the whole way as you realize you’ll have to relive everything that awful man did to you.

~

Bucky’s quiet as he boils the kettle, mulling over everything he’s just found out.

You most likely killed Rumlow in self-defence, called the cops to tell them that, then hung up because you remembered that they probably won’t take your side over their dead buddy’s anyway.

He slides a steaming mug over to you and you stir in a spoonful of honey. “Thank you, officer.” He shakes his head at you. “James. My name is James.” You nod and keep your eyes down. “So he hurt you, huh?” You don’t answer, taking a sip of the hot beverage and trying to block out the painful memories.

“Well... this changes things. I’m almost thinking we should hand this case over to a different police department because ours is too personally attached to the case. But Pierce would never accept that. Fuck, this is a mess, isn’t it?” You nod, not looking up from the speckled grey countertop.

“Hey, I’m not gonna hurt you. Relax. You’re safe here with me, I promise. Hell, this is the safest you’ll probably ever be. Nobody will hurt you here.” You nod skeptically and take another sip of tea, letting the liquid burn your tongue and throat on the way down.

“What’s gonna happen to me?” You can’t stop the words from slipping out, but he doesn’t seem to hate the question. “You’ll stay here for a little while. Get better while I see who at the station is open minded. Then... I don’t know.” You nod, biting your bottom lip.

“Do you know why he did that stuff to you?” He asks softly, wanting to figure out why on earth Rumlow would want to harm someone who looks so delicate and fragile. You look up into his eyes for a split second, displaying that you have information that he needs and wants, then look back down to your tea.

“I don’t expect you to tell me everything right away, but you will need to come clean and confess at some point. Okay?” you nod, understanding that much. “Good. Now I-” knocking on the door cuts him off and you snap your head up. “Buck? It’s me, Steve. Open up.” Your heart drops as you recognize the voice of one of the cops who chased you through Walmart.

“Go up the stairs into the first room on the right. It’s a guest bedroom that nobody ever goes in. Hurry!” You discard your tea and run as fast and as quietly as you can up the stairs and into the room, closing the door halfway and sitting on the floor, one hand covering your mouth as you try to slow your heart rate.

“Hey Steve,” James’ muffled voice says from downstairs.

“Thought I’d see how you were doing. You were pretty heated at work the other day and pretty distracted yesterday. I just wanted to make sure you’re alright.” That’s the second man, Steve.

“I’m... tired. Confused. Frustrated. I just want this case to solve itself. I mean, it doesn’t make sense for her to just kill him, there must’ve been a reason. And there was clearly a fight between the two fo them. What if she was the victim but got the upper hand somehow? What if he's been abusing her this whole time and she finally had enough?”

Steve whistles, “you’ve been thinking about this a lot, haven't you?” You hear James sigh. “Yeah. I’ve had to. I don’t want to send an innocent person to jail, Steve. There’s just so much we’re missing from the story and I want to have it all figured out already.” You hear them moving around below you.

“I’m sure we will, Bucky. But it’s gonna take time and patience. But we'll figure this out. I promise.”

You hear someone sigh again. “I just... what if she’s hurt? What if Rumlow... what if it’s him who’s the bad guy in all of this and she’s just.... innocent?” You hold your breath as you wait for Steve’s response.

“Then we’d better find her and help her.”

~

The door gets slowly pushed open and you watch as James walks in. He sits down across from you on the floor and stares at you.

“Steve’s gonna be seeing who at the station is open-minded, and from there we’ll decide what to do. If things are really rough, we might send you to a different. police station to confess. But until then you’re gonna be staying here with me. I’m the only one who knows you’re here and I’d like to keep it that way.”

You stare at him as he stands up and offers you his hand, hesitating for a moment before putting your hand in his and letting him pull you to your feet.

The feeling of his skin against yours sends a spark of electricity racing down your spine, a shiver of pleasure following right after it.

His eyes widen for the briefest of moments and you swear you see genuine fear in them, your own eyes widening as warmth spreads from where your hands are touching.

He drops your hand quickly then motions for you to follow him out of the room, leading you back downstairs to the kitchen to grab a snack and finish your tea.

~

TAGS: PERMANENT TAGS:

@smolbeanbucky @wildefire @inumorph @impalatobakerstreet @nanna022 @mummy-woves-you @m-a-t-91 @wtfholland @bookgirlunicorn @beautifulwisdom2001 @deep-sea-glitter @mrhiddles-81 @iamwarrenspeace @bitchacho25 @escapetheshackles @i-know-i-can @buckyssoul @avnngrs @swoonhui

MARVEL:

@fallenangelfangirl @look-to-the-stars-and-wish @maladaptive-ninja-returns @cliffordasparagus @april-14-blog @potteritis

Wicked Games:

@lilypalmer1987 @bisexualfangirlsblog @i-am-always-famished @clarysthing @starkxpotts @e-wolf-98 @i-run-on-green-tea @nerd-without-a-cause @jamesbuckybarnes13 @theonelittleone @bradfordsgreekgod @littledeadrottinghood @ashlebetty @izhetbean @mu-mu-rs @bruisedfaye @bisoueffleurer @itsphinee @spnsquirrel @my-suga-kookies

Bucky:

@chuuulip @nerd-without-a-cause @natashasnight

[splendidlyimperfect]

Sting’s life has been a mess ever since he was eleven years old and Rogue told when he’d promised to keep a secret. Now Sting is an adult, and the only way he knows how to cope is by getting drunk and forgetting the world. When drinking nearly kills him, he gets a chance to turn his life around, and maybe become the kind of man that Rogue deserves to love.

Chapter Summary: Sting moves in with Uncle Wes.

Chapters (6/?): 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Rogue Cheney/Sting Eucliffe, Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster, Sting Eucliffe & Natsu Dragneel, Sting Eucliffe & Weisslogia Characters: Sting Eucliffe, Natsu Dragneel, Rogue Cheney, Gray Fullbuster, Weisslogia Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Past Child Abuse, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Trans Character, Trans Sting, Friendship, Childhood Friends, Sting-focused story, Sting is a disaster, Natsu’s a great friend, Rogue tries to do what’s right, Tumblr: FTLGBTales Series: Part 2 of i’m still standing

-----

ca·su·al·ty | \ ˈka-zhəl-tē noun : a person or thing injured, lost, or destroyed

.

iv summer age eleven

.

When Sting wakes up the first day after the hospital, he stays in bed under the blanket for a long time before sitting up and rubbing his eyes. The room is dark, and when he looks down and sees the teddy next to his pillow, he scowls and throws it on the floor.

Sting curls up again and drifts in and out of sleep until there’s a quiet knock on the door. He blinks at the clock – it’s 10:37 a.m.

“Abbey, would you like breakfast?”

Uncle Wes’ voice is gentle – Sting remembers him as being loud and booming, but Sting’s never been scared of him. Now, he’s not sure. Uncle Wes is bigger than Dad, and stronger, but Sting feels safe with him.

“Abbey?”

Sting pushes himself slowly out of the bed and wobbles, catching himself on the side table as a wave of dizziness washes over him. The alarm clock cord catches on his fingers and it falls to the floor with a bang.

No, no, no.

The door flies open and Sting flinches, falling backward onto the floor and bringing up his arms to cover his face. “I’m sorry,” he whispers, tensing in anticipation of a loud voice or angry hands.

Instead, Uncle Wes crouches down next to Sting and says, “it’s okay, it was an accident,” in a gentle voice. “I’m sorry,” he adds. “I didn’t mean to scare you – I thought you’d fallen.”

“I’ll fix it,” Sting says, peeking up at Uncle Wes. He doesn’t look angry, but Sting’s not completely convinced. Maybe he’s saving it for later.

Continue reading on AO3

“It’s not broken,” Uncle Wes says, picking up the clock and examining it, then setting it back on the side table. “And even if it was, it’s okay. Are you hurt?”

Uncle Wes reaches out a hand and Sting hesitantly accepts it, letting Uncle Wes pull him to his feet. His arm aches and his head pounds, sharp throbs that slam against the inside of his temples. Other things hurt, too – a scrape on his back, a bruise on his shin, the bottoms of his feet where he’d run over the rocks on his way home from Rogue’s house.

Rogue, he thinks, squeezing his eyes shut. Hurt and anger fill his chest, and he holds his breath to keep himself from crying.

“You must be hungry,” Uncle Wes says, interrupting Sting’s angry, confused thoughts. “Most of my cereal is boring old-man stuff, but I think I’ve got some Reese Puffs hidden in the back of the pantry.”

Sting looks up, not saying anything but following Uncle Wes out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. A bright beam of sunlight falls across the room, making it seem warm and inviting. Sting lets Uncle Wes help him up onto one of the bar stools next to the counter. He winces – everything hurts, and it’s harder than he expected to do things with a broken arm.

Sting’s eyes roam over the pictures on the fridge while Uncle Wes gets the cereal from the pantry. There’s a photo of Sting in grade one with chipped teeth and freckles and curly hair. There’s another of Grammie sitting with Wes and Dad when they were little boys – Sting looks away from that one quickly.

Most of the other photos are of Uncle Wes with a man in a wheelchair that Sting doesn’t recognize. He’s got short black hair and dark brown skin, and a soft, kind smile. In one picture, Uncle Wes is kissing him.

Something funny flips in Sting’s stomach.

“That’s Muhammad,” Uncle Wes says, setting down a bowl of cereal in front of Sting. It’s followed by a glass of orange juice, and when Sting looks down at Uncle Wes’ hand, he sees a wedding ring.

“Is he your husband?” Sting asks. Yukino has two moms, and a lot of the kids in their classes teased her about it. Sting had told them to shut up, once, and they’d called him names too.

“He was,” Uncle Wes says in a soft, sad voice. “He died last year.”

“Oh,” Sting says quietly. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Uncle Wes says, squeezing Sting’s shoulder and sitting down across from him. His bowl of cereal is twice the size of Sting’s, and he digs into it right away. “Muhammad had a sickness that made his heart very weak.” He looks fondly back at the picture. “We spent a good few years together – I’m glad we had what time we did.”

“I didn’t know,” Sting says softly, poking at his cereal. “Dad didn’t…”

“Your father didn’t approve,” Uncle Wes explains. He takes a sip of his coffee and studies Sting over the top of the mug. It takes Sting a minute to realize that it’s a silent question.

“I do,” he says quickly, looking down at his bowl. “I mean, it’s… fine, I don’t…” He scowls at his spoon, trying to figure out why he suddenly wants to tell Uncle Wes. He’s about to say, I think I like boys too, when he realizes that Uncle Wes thinks he’s a girl.

Sting has never told anybody that he’s a boy – not even Rogue, who was his best friend.

Uncle Wes sits up, reaching over and grabbing the bottle of Tylenol from the counter. “How’s your arm?” he asks, and as soon as it had appeared, the tension in the room is gone. Sting shrugs, staring down at the cast. They’d asked him what color he’d wanted, but he’d been too overwhelmed to answer, so it’s pink.

He doesn’t answer the question, but he takes the pills from Uncle Wes and swallows them down with his orange juice. After a minute, he asks, “is dad going to jail?”

Uncle Wes sighs, and it almost feels like he’s going to take Sting’s hand but decides against it. “I don’t know yet,” he admits. “Officer Kelly is going to come by in a couple days to ask you some more questions, but your father is being held by the police right now.”

Sting doesn’t say anything. His feet don’t touch the ground, so he kicks his legs back and forth.

“Did he do this to you?” Uncle Wes asks gently. Sting keeps his eyes on the table, but he knows Uncle Wes is talking about his arm and his head.

He wants so badly to say no, to tell them that they’re all wrong because his dad loves him. But yesterday was the worst it had ever been, and Sting’s still terrified.

He nods.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Uncle Wes says, sighing sadly. “I’m so sorry. I wish I could have been there.”

Sting shrugs.

The kitchen is quiet for a few minutes as they finish eating. Uncle Wes takes their dishes and piles them in the sink, wordlessly offering Sting more juice before putting it back in the fridge. Sting stares out the window – there’s a planter outside full of bright flowers, and an apple tree beyond that.

“I’m not going back?” Sting asks after a while. Uncle Wes settles down across from him again, leaning forward on his arms, but Sting doesn’t look at him. “To dad,” Sting clarifies. “I can’t go back to live with him.”

Uncle Wes shakes his head. “No,” he says gently. “I know this is overwhelming, but you’re going to be staying here now. Officer Kelly is working with someone called a social worker – do you know what that is?”

Sting shakes his head.

“It’s someone who helps people – and families – solve problems,” Uncle Wes says. “They’re going to help us with lots of things, and one of those things is figuring out if you’re going to be staying here for good.”

“Do I have to go to a new school?”

“Probably.”

“Oh.” Sting thinks he should be angry about that, but the space where he’s usually mad or sad is filled with nothing right now. He rubs his face, then looks up at Uncle Wes.

“It’s a lot to think about,” Uncle Wes says gently. “Officer Kelly will explain more when she comes to visit, okay?”

Sting doesn’t want to cry again, but he can feel his throat doing that funny thing that he hates where he can’t quite breathe. None of this seems real, and he can’t tell if he’s angry or scared or relieved. Maybe all of them at the same time.

“I need to go to the grocery store,” Uncle Wes says, pulling Sting out of his thoughts. “Do you want to come with me? I’m not sure what kind of food you like, so maybe you can help me pick out some things.”

Sting chews his lip uncertainly, looking back down the hallway to the guest bedroom.

“If you’d rather stay here, that’s okay,” Uncle Wes reassures him. “We don’t have to go anywhere. I can ask Helen next door to pick us up some things, or we  can go later when you’re feeling better.”

“Yeah,” Sting says quietly. He still doesn’t quite feel real, and leaving the house seems like too much. If he goes outside, he’ll see the rest of the world going on like nothing happened, and he’s not sure he can handle that quite yet.

“Okay,” Uncle Wes says. “Why don’t you have a shower, and then we can find a movie or a TV show to watch?”

Showering is hard because Sting can’t get the bandage on his stitches wet, so he ends up wetting his hair in the sink and rinsing it with a cup instead. Standing under the hot water feels nice, though, as long as he keeps the plastic bag wrapped around his cast.

Eventually he’s clean and dressed in a set of pajamas that are size too big for him. Sting curls up in the corner of the couch and wraps a knitted blanket around him, watching as Uncle Wes flips through channels on the TV. Eventually he hands the remote to Sting.

“I have no idea what kind of shows you like,” he admits.

Sting flicks to the cartoon channel and eventually finds an episode of Pokémon. He’s seen it before, but when the theme song starts to play, it relaxes a little bit of the anger and confusion in his chest.

After a few minutes, Sting realizes that Uncle Wes is still sitting on the couch with him. He’s far enough away that he couldn’t reach Sting without standing up, but he’s still there, leaning back with his arms behind his head and watching the show.

“You don’t have to stay,” Sting says, looking back at the TV. Guilt washes over him, suddenly – Uncle Wes probably has better things to do than sit with Sting and watch some stupid TV show.

Uncle Wes looks over at him. “I want to,” he says simply.

Sting frowns but doesn’t say anything else – just burrows into the blanket and listens to Team Rocket scheme about kidnapping Ash’s newest addition to his team.

[hymn2000]

Chiquitita - MCU AU fanfic - C22

Story summary: Something strange is happening. Someone from space has made their way to Earth, armed with a strange weapon. Targeting teenagers, their ray gun, when fired, turns the victim into a toddler. The Avengers set out to stop this, and find a way to reverse the effects. However, they don’t all come out of the battle unscathed.

Previous chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Part of my Frostiron and Spiderson series.

Warnings/themes: de-aging, family stuff, corporal punishment (early chapters only), mental health stuff, hurt/comfort, hospital/medical stuff

Chapter 22 - Old Friends

-

“The last few months feel like they’ve gone on for years” Tony said one quiet evening.

Loki looked up from his book, and sighed. “I know what you mean”

“Your brother hasn’t been in touch for ages”

“I know. He said he was giving us false hope by coming back so regularly”

“What’s taking them so long? Was Kindsprengen really from somewhere so complicated that they can’t figure out his gun?”

“Maybe. I haven’t really been thinking about it. Not to that extent. I just think they’re bound to find a reversal eventually. There’s nothing we can do to change things, or speed them along”

Tony sighed. “I know. Just it’s been three months, and I didn’t think it would even be as long as three weeks”

“I know darling, I know” 

“Wait, Loki? Where’s the kid?”

Loki looked over to where Peter had been a few minutes earlier.

“Oh” he said. “Peter!”

There was no response. They heard something, and looked at each other.

“Was that the front door?”

“It can’t be Peter; there’s a seal at the top of the stairs” Loki said, standing up. “I’m going to go and have a look”

“MUMMA!” 

Loki and Tony looked at each other and rushed out to the corridor, where they found Peter in Carol’s arms.

“Carol! Wh-what are you doing here?!”

Carol smiled at him. “I had a bit of free time, so I thought I’d stop by. I’ve gotta say, I didn’t expect him to still be tiny”

“I’m not tiny!” Peter said, pouting. “I’m big!”

Carol kissed him on the nose. “Alright baby, you’re big”

“How long are you gonna be around for?” Tony asked, coming over and taking Peter from her, tickling his tummy.

“Hey! Daddy!”

“I’ll be around for a bit” Carol said, touching Peter’s cheek gently. “So, how are you doing?”

“Why don’t we go and grab a drink?” Tony said quickly. “Then we’ll talk”

-

Carol sat at the breakfast bar, bouncing Peter on her knee. 

“Hey baby, I’ve got something for you” she said, handing him a marshmallow lollipop.

“Oh! Thank you!” Peter grinned, taking the lolly and pulling the wrapper off.

For once, Tony chose not to complain about it. He sat a mug down in front of Carol, and then sat down on the other side of the table with Loki. 

“So” Carol said, stroking Peter’s hair. “He’s still a toddler”

“Yeah” Tony said. “They haven’t managed to make the reversal yet”

“Must be something more complex than any of us expected” Carol said. “How are you finding it with this one, then?”

“I think he’s great” Loki said. “He’s so sweet and funny and happy. He’s fun to have around. We’ve settled into a routine now, and we know what we’re doing, so it feels quite natural now”

Carol looked at Tony. “How about you?”

Tony looked at Peter, who was happily gumming his marshmallow.

“Well, it’s much easier than it was” he said. “I love the little thing. Loki’s right; he’s a funny little thing. It’s been quite fun at times, but I’m still gonna be relieved when the reversal is ready”

Carol nodded, and looked down at Peter. “What about you, baby? How are you doing?”

“I fell in the pond at the park!”

“Did you? When was that?”

“Um. Last week, I think. Last week..? I scared the ducks!”

“You scared me too!” Tony said. “He went all the way under, you know. Poor thing”

“He thought it was hilarious” Loki said. “After he’d gotten over the initial shock, anyway. You should have seen him! Screaming with laughter, he was. It wasn’t the reaction I expected. He toppled in so heavily”

“I wasn’t allowed to go on the swings” Peter pouted. 

“You were soaked through, chick” Tony said. 

“It just had to happen on the one day that I didn’t bring a change of clothes” Loki sighed, shaking his head.

Carol laughed. “Sods law. Were you hurt, little guy?”

Peter shook his head. “I dropped my ice cream”

“Oh dear! That sounds like you had a bit of rubbish day”

“He laughed about it pretty quickly, especially when he realised his rocket hadn’t succumbed to the water” Loki said. “Still, we had to take him home and put him straight in the bath. All that filthy water... I think the other parents round the pond were more scared than he was”

“Bless him. How have the press been?”

“My press manager has been surprisingly good” Tony said. “So we haven’t had too much hassle. People do keep trying to get us to meet up with other people affected by Kindsprengen though”

“I’m guessing that’s not an idea you’re on board with?”

“Nah, I’d rather just get on with it as a family. We’re fine just being the three of us. Most of the time, anyway. Still get a bit of help from friends and stuff sometimes. We don’t need to meet the other de-aged kids”

“Some of them have met up with each other though” Loki said. “Some people at the hospital showed me a few articles in some tat-mags, and apparently there was a documentary the other week. I didn’t watch it though”

“Can’t say I blame you. I don’t think I would have watched it. I might have read the articles though”

“Tragically, Loki doesn’t allow tat-mags in the house, otherwise I’d probably have some to show you” Tony said. “You could always look online. I read a few of them”

Loki looked at him. “You did?”

“Yeah, it was interesting. It’s all the same kind of thing. Like, them not having memory memories, but remembering their likes and dislikes, and some people. There's this one kid who knows their mum, but not their step-dad. How weird is that?”

“How long had they been together?” Carol asked.

“About five years, apparently. That’s still a bit weird”

“Yeah, but Peter doesn’t remember May” Loki said. “Or Liz. Maybe it’s just a bit of a pick-and-choose oddity”

Peter looked up at Carol. “Daddy said I can have a garden”

“A garden? Really? That sounds... lovely”

“It’s just an idea” Tony said.

“It’s a stupid idea. How are we supposed to have a garden? If this house was made with a garden, fine, but it wasn’t” Loki said. “There’s no provision for it!”

“Wait, how did this come about?”

“Well, yesterday when we were out, he kept asking for one of those kids climbing frames they have displayed in toy shops” Tony said. “And I said no because we don’t have a garden, and he asked for a garden, and I was like, uhh, no. But then I started thinking about it, and I thought it’d be a cool project, making a garden”

“I admire your ambition, but you can’t really have grass inside, can you? Don’t you need specially adapted spaces for indoor gardens? And aren’t they basically just greenhouses?”

“I was thinking of using one of the balconies, actually”

“Not my balcony!” Loki said.

“No! No, one of the other ones, the ones we don’t really use” Tony said. “I started drawing up some plans last night. Peter gave me some input, didn’t you, chick?”

“Yep! We’re gonna get one of them big benches that swings! AND we’re gonna have a little pond!”

“No, sweetheart, I never said a pond” Tony said. “Especially after you fell into the one at the park! Maybe a water feature”

“So what are you gonna do? Make a huge soil bed to stick grass on?”

“Maybe. I’ll show you my plans if you like” Tony said, standing up. “I left them in the other room”

Carol shook her head fondly as Tony went off. “He’s having one of his creative spurts”

“Hm, maybe” Loki said. “Our balconies are big, but I think making a full garden is a bit too ambitious. I just don’t think it would work”

“Well, I don’t see how you could do it either” Carol said. “Maybe just something that looks like a garden, then?”

“I’ll humour him” Loki said. “I just don’t want him doing something stupid. You can’t really make a garden on a balcony, especially not one that would support a big play area thing with swings”

“Wouldn’t it be a bit of a waste?” Carol said gently. “I mean, he’s not gonna be like this forever. What are you gonna do with a kids play area dealie when he’s big again?”

Loki didn’t say anything. Luckily, Tony came back into the room at that moment, shuffling some papers.

“Here, look at these. I’ve drawn the grass in, but I’m not sure how it’d work yet” 

Carol looked at his carefully drawn plans. Peter put his lolly stick down and pointed to bits of the drawing.

“This bit is all big plants! And this bit goes against the glassy bit. Daddy said it’s safer that way” he said. “This is the swinging bench! Daddy said we can get a slide too, that’s what this is! It’s a, um... daddy, what is it?”

“It’s a novelty slide”

“Yes!” Peter grinned. “Oh, oh! Daddy, water!”

“Water?” Tony said. “Oh, are you thirsty?”

“Water! Water!” 

Peter scurried down from Carol’s lap, running over to the sink and pointing.

“Water, water, water!”

“Ooh, you wanna play, don’t you?” Tony smiled, getting up.

Carol watched while Tony filled the washing up bowl and set it on the floor. She watched him handing the toddler some plastic cups and little rubber bath toys. Tony knelt on the floor, rolling Peter’s sleeves up to stop them from getting too wet. 

“It looks like you’re doing well” she said to Loki. 

“Yes, well, it took some getting used to” Loki said. “Tony was rubbish the first week, but then he stepped up. He’s had a few rocky days, but ultimately, he’s been great”

“He’s such a dad. He looks so comfortable with him even now he’s a toddler”

“He’s cute” Loki said. “...Peter’s gotten really into water lately. I thought about getting him one of those big water troughs, but Tony said no”

“That makes sense. Have you considered what you’re gonna do with all this kids stuff after he’s been zapped back to normal?”

“Not really” Loki said vaguely, looking back at Peter and Tony. “He ends up spending ages in the bath now, since he’s got so many bath toys. He loves those little water mills”

“Have you taken him swimming? He might enjoy that”

“Oh yeah, he loves it! We’ve taken him a handful of times. He adores it, especially this little slide they have there in the shape of a whale”

“That’s cute. What about you, though? You never go swimming”

“Well, with the baby, we’re just in the baby pool and the shallow end, and I’m fine with that. Tony takes him into the deeper parts a little bit, but not much. Peter likes being able to splash around”

“Nice. So, you’re doing well?”

Loki nodded. “I’m enjoying it, if I’m honest. He’s a lot of fun, and it makes it a lot easier to deal with the whole situation”

“So you’ve not got any idea how long he’s gonna be like this?”

“No. Thor said he’ll let us know about any progress on the reversal as soon as he knows” 

“Something must have happened to slow their progress. How long has it been now? Three months?”

“To the day” Loki nodded. 

Carol sighed, looking at Peter. Tony was squirting water at him with a little toy frog, and Peter was laughing like it was the funniest thing ever.

“He looks happy” she said. “But he deserves to be given his life back”

Loki looked at her. “Isn’t happiness more important?”

Carol looked at him. “He won’t be like this forever. Regular Peter might have been through some horrible stuff, but he still has a good life. He has a family, and good friends. He’s a superhero. Secretly, yeah, but still. He deserves to have that life back. Even if he’s a toddler now who can’t remember anything from before he got zapped, he still has the same past. You’re never going to be able to change that”

“If it’s a past he’s forgotten, why would we need to?”

“You’re thinking dangerously, Loki” she said. “As soon as that reversal is done, Thor’s gonna come here first. He’ll zap Peter back to normal, and then he’ll go and zap all the other kids back to normal. This was always a temporary thing. As soon as that guy popped up, you all started talking of a way to reverse the effects, isn’t that what you said?”

“Well, yes, but-”

“But nothing. You knew how it had to go even before Peter got hit. Do you really think all those kids are better off now? I’ve heard bits about this, Loki. The first one to get zapped was like, four months ago, right? They're exactly the same as the day they got zapped. So there’s a chance they’ll be stuck as toddlers forever if they don’t get that reversal gun. Is that better than giving them their lives back?”

“I don’t care about the other kids: I care about Peter”

“Stop talking mad, then” Carol said. “You’re allowed to enjoy the toddler version, but you’re not allowed to contemplate keeping it this way forever. It’s not gonna happen”

“I know that” Loki nearly snapped. “I never outright said to you that we should keep him this way;- that was just your assumption. You’re putting words in my mouth”

“I’m taking them from your mind”

“Mumma, mumma!” Peter called. 

Carol stood up and went over to him. “What’cha doing over here, baby?”

“You can make the water bubble!” he said. “Make it bubble!”

“I’ll make it bubble, but only if you promise not to touch”

“Promise!”

Tony smiled at Peter’s fascination and amazement at the bubbling of the boiling water when Carol heated it. He was a little impressed himself. Carol’s glowing hands weren’t something he’d had the pleasure of seeing in action very often. 

“You know, if you’ve got some free time, maybe you could stay the night and come out with us tomorrow” he suggested.

“I’m up for staying the night. What are you doing tomorrow?”

“We haven’t really decided yet. If the weather is good, we were thinking about this outdoor splash pad thing. It’s like a big water-based play area. If the weathers not so good, well, I’m not sure. Maybe just something boring like going out for lunch and then going shopping”

“Getting stuff for your garden project?”

“Maybe. I kinda wanted to go to a garden centre anyway. We did up May’s grave recently, and I wanted to see if I could find another nice statue or one of those little coloured lanterns for her. Garden centres are gonna have ones that’ll last outside, more than normal shops”

“Was she into that kinda stuff? Like, gnomes?”

“God no; she hated gnomes. Peter once hid one in her bed so when she pulled back the covers she got the fright of her life. Peter said it’s the only time he can remember May properly hitting him” Tony smiled slightly. “I don’t know why gnomes freaked her out. She always hated that one Loki used to have by the front door”

“Oh yeah. What happened to that?”

“Peter smashed it in a fit of rage after May died” Loki said, draining his mug. “Somehow I never got round to getting another one”

“Huh” Carol lowered her hand, letting the water go still again.

“Oh!” Peter said. “It’s stopped bubbling!”

“Yeah, but it’ll still be hot, so you can’t touch” Carol said, picking him up and giving him a cuddle. “What time do you go to bed, baby?”

“Usually around midnight” Peter said, very matter-o’-fact. 

“He’s lying” Tony said unnecessarily. “He goes at eight. I guess he can stay up a bit later tonight, since you’re here”

“Aww, that’ll be fun” Carol said. “I’ll read you some stories if you like, baby”

“Ah, maybe don’t suggest that” Loki said. “He’s really into his reading right now, and he won’t let us read to him: he has to read to us”

“Ooh, you can read?”

“Yep! Daddy taught me!” Peter grinned. “I get stuck on the really big words though”

“I’ll help you along. Do you wanna read? Or do you wanna do something else?”

Peter thought for a moment. “I want hot chocolate!”

Carol laughed. “Better ask your dads”

Peter blinked at her, and then looked at Tony. “Hot chocolate?”

Tony smiled. “Sure thing kiddo. Just give me five minutes”

-

Peter decided he didn’t want to read after having his hot chocolate. Instead, he wanted to show Carol all of his toys. He had a lot, so this was quite a time consuming venture. Tony and Loki left him to it for a while, and Peter may have got through everything - if he didn’t feel the need to explain every single toy in detail to Carol. His enthusiasm may have been endearing, but it certainly ate into the evening too.

“Bambino” Tony said at quarter to nine. “I think it’s time to go to bed”

“No!” Peter protested. “I haven’t finished!”

“You can show mumma the rest of your things tomorrow. It’s already past your usual bed time” 

Peter looked at Loki for help. “I can stay up, can’t I?”

“You’ve already stayed up, chick” Loki said. “It’s time to put your toys away and let us take you to bed”

Peter looked at Carol. “I can stay up?”

“No, I think it’s definitely bedtime now” Carol said. “We’ll tidy up your toys, and then you’ll go to bed”

Peter pouted. “I don’t want to”

“You still gotta go”

“Can you take me?”

“Sure, I can take you” she said, looking at Tony for permission. “But first you need to tidy your toys”

Peter nodded and started throwing his toys back into their boxes.

“Careful!” Loki said. “You’ll break something if you throw them about like that”

Peter looked at him, and then started putting his toys away in a much more gentle fashion. Carol gave him a hand, and once everything was away, she gave him a little squeeze.

“Good boy. Are you gonna say goodnight?”

Peter nodded and ran over to Loki and Tony, who lifted him up and gave him a  big hug.

“Goodnight, darling” Loki said. “See you in the morning”

“Night, chick” Tony said. “Be good for mumma, ok?”

“I will!” Peter said. “Love you, daddies!”

“We love you too”

-

Peter happily trotted along to his room with Carol, thrilled to be seeing her again after so long. He decided he had to be good as gold, and he went straight to his en suite, climbed up onto his little stepping stool, and grabbed his toothbrush.

“You know exactly what you’re doing, don’t you, baby?”

Peter did his teeth and then let Carol wash his face and help him into his pyjamas. 

“You’re so good, you know” she said.

“I try” Peter grinned. 

“You ready to get into bed?”

“No! I need a wee!”

“Ok, ok. I’ll go and sort your bed out then” Carol said, taking his rocket and leaving him to it.

It felt a little odd, seeing Peter’s room filled with all this little-boy, toddler-sized stuff. Most of regular Peter’s stuff was still there, like his elephant and his shelf of trophies and his little collection of Steiff toys. But other stuff had obviously been put away for safekeeping, like his school things and his workshop things and his laptop. The photo of May and Peter that had been on the bedside table for so long had been moved. Carol understood why, but it was still weird seeing it was missing - it made the bedside table look bare. 

“Mumma?” Peter said, coming out of the en suite. “Are you gonna be here tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I’m staying over” Carol said.

“Are we going out?”

“I'm not sure yet. I think your dads were thinking of taking you out”

“Oh!” Peter said, climbing up onto his bed. “You too?”

“Yeah, me too” she smiled. “Do you wanna read a story before you go to sleep?”

Peter shook his head. “Tell me one of your stories!”

Carol laughed. “Sure, but you gotta lay down first”

Peter flopped down onto his back, hugging his rocket close. Carol sat on the bed with him. 

“Ok, I’ll tell you something that happened a few weeks ago. So, there I was, minding my own business, when suddenly, out of nowhere-”

-

Loki and Tony looked up when Carol rejoined them in the living room.

“Is he asleep?” Tony asked.

“Yep” Carol sat down beside Loki. “He’s a good kid. He’s excited about going out tomorrow, even though I told him I don’t know where we’re going”

“I think we should go swimming again” Loki said. “He enjoys it so much”

“Well, I’ve been looking at the weather forecast, and it’s supposed to be pretty hot tomorrow” Tony said. “We don’t wanna go to the main pool and waste the hot weather by being inside”

“Didn’t you say something about an outdoor splash pad thing?” Carol said.

“Yeah, but there’s also an outdoor paddling pool in this other park” Tony said. “There’s not really any pictures of it online, but it sounds like it could be a good thing. Just a basic pool, apparently with a kiosk nearby, so we could have an ice cream or something too”

“What if it’s busy?” Loki said. “It might be a bit much, having three of us with the toddler”

“It’s probably not gonna be too busy. People go to the coast and theme parks and stuff when it’s hot. Those are the places that are gonna be crowded” Tony said. “We could go earlier too. Then go for lunch afterwards? And the garden centre. Like I said; there’s some stuff I need”

Loki looked at Carol. “What do you think?”

“I don’t mind, but I don’t have a swim suit”

“We’ve got some here you could use” Tony said. “Peter’s friends have kinda got a drawer full of swim stuff here for some reason”

“Ok, but somehow I don’t think a fifteen year olds bikini will fit me”

“You’re not exactly huge, Cap” Tony said. “I’m sure Millie’s stuff will fit. She’s a bit fat”

“Millie isn’t fat!” Loki said. “She’s just a bit chunky”

“She’s bigger than the other two. She wears bigger sizes. You could always go and see”

“You’d wake Peter up, rifling around in his room for the swim stuff” Loki said. “Maybe we’d better think of something else to do tomorrow”

“I’ll have a brain storm over night” Tony said. “We’ll see what we can come up with. Any suggestions?”

“Hey, I’m easy” Carol smiled. “Now, do you mind if I raid your kitchen?”

Tony laughed and passed her his phone. “Order a takeaway. Loki and I were gonna get something in anyway. May as well feed you too”

*

[flamingo-writes]

Your Hands Only — Levi Ackerman x Reader

Multipart — [Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] [Chapter 3]

Summary: Consistency was an important part of taking care of wounds. Making sure you wash them well, and not forgetting about it. Cleaning the wound on the side of his head and the one above his brow was no problem, however, he struggled cleaning his back wound, which led him to ask for your help.

Word Count: 2383

A/N:  If you’d like to be tagged in this story whenever there’s a new chapter, let me know.

Warnings: none

At first, you wanted to ask Levi if he knew your mother. When you started writing down his medical history and asked for his place of birth, it came to you as a surprise when he mentioned The Underground. The Underground wasn't precisely a big place, there was a big chance of him knowing your mother. However, you didn't ask him.

The next day you were about to finish your work ready to head back home. The sunset was tainting your white walls a gorgeous tone of orange as you wrote down, your hand beginning to cramp. You loved your work except for the paperwork.

A soft knock on your door distracted you as you left the pen on the desk and walked towards the door. You didn't expect Levi to be on the other side, as you smiled gently at the familiar face of your newest patient.

"Levi, how are you? What can I do for you?" You greeted.

"Dr Boston" Levi began as he walked inside.

"Call me Y/N, Dr Boston is way too formal for my liking"

Of course Levi already knew your name. You'd mother used to tell him about you, how you went to the surface looking for a better life and wanted to take her along but she declined. Not because she was one of the few healers in the underground, also because arranging a citizenship was already hard and expensive, let alone two. Your mother didn’t want to drag you behind, so instead decided to stay. Levi knew more about you than what you could imagine. Your mother had told stories of your early years, the kind of person you were, he knew you better than anyone on the surface did. Not even your coworkers knew that much about you, however, you were ignorant to the fact that Levi knew your mother and knew all those things about you.

“What can I help you with?” You asked looking at Levi in the eye.

“I can wash the wound on my back, but it’s troublesome and messy. And I’d like your help” He answered.

“Sure, no problem” You said looking for gauzes and a bowl.

Levi took his shirt off and sat on one of the wooden chairs, resting his chest against the backrest as you gathered everything to clean the wound. The two minutes you washed his wound, you couldn’t help but think about how amazed you were, such a slender and short guy had a marvellously toned back. Usually you’d go by without thinking about any of your patients, but Levi was just very attractive, that was undeniable, and it was hard not to look at him that way.

“Alright. All cleaned up” You said standing up and taking everything to the sink of your bathroom.

“Do you mind if I come here every day for…?” His voice faded away, as he buttoned up his white shirt.

“No, not at all” You answered politely sitting on the chair next to your small desk.

“Just like you, I am a clean freak myself. I came here today because I don’t really trust other people to clean my wound the way you did”

“Thank you, I guess. Now I see why Erwin recommended me to you and why you refused to be seen by any other doctor” You chuckled as you looked away shyly. “Feel free to come by as many times as you like” You smiled at him.

“Thank you, Y/N” He answered politely. “I’ll come by tomorrow around this time” He said grabbing his jacket and opening the door.

*

It’s usually between a week and ten days for wounds to heal and take the stitches off. Depends on the wound. Levi’s head and forehead stitches could be removed in a week, however, his back wound would probably take ten days.

Either way, Thursdays were your free days. And you’d told Levi this yesterday, when he went to the clinic the day before. It was the fourth day in a row that you’d seen him, but it didn’t bother you. His quiet and calm personality was nice. You preferred working quietly than keeping a conversation with your patients. It was easier for you to concentrate that way.

You were reading quietly in your living room, with your black cat asleep on your legs. You were lying on the couch, deeply absorbed by your book, it took you awhile to realise someone was knocking the door. You shook your legs gently, waking up your black cat as it jumped away from your legs.

On the other side of the door was Levi in his usual work attire. Knee high boots, white trousers, and the popular dark green cloak around his shoulders covering his torso.

“I thought you’d be arriving later” You greeted.

“Later? It’s almost 8 o’clock” Levi answered coldly.

“Is it?” You said looking at the clock on your wall above the couch. “Shit”

“Everything alright?”

“Yeah...It’s just…” You muttered looking back at him. “I’ve been reading all day long, I did not think it was this late” Your eyes moved from the clock to Levi’s grey eyes. “Come in”

“You seriously didn’t notice the change of natural light?” Levi walked inside your home, glancing around the small apartment, noticing how incredibly neat and minimalist it was. Except for the tall bookcase filled with books.

“I should’ve, but I didn’t”

Levi chuckled at your answer, noticing the slight hint of embarrassment in your voice.

“Would you like some tea?” You asked, catching his attention.

“Yes, please” He answered looking at you as you walked towards the kitchen.

“I have quite a collection so…” You opened one of the cupboards, looking at it as Levi followed you into the kitchen, his eyes scanning the different small boxes. “Choose”

“Jasmine tea?” Levi asked surprised. “Do they sell this in Trost?”

“No, not really. I ask Erwin to bring me tea from Wall Sina whenever he comes for an appointment. I can only find a few varieties of black tea here”

“You know how to properly make Jasmine tea?” He questioned.

“It has taken me awhile to find out the perfect temperature and time to make jasmine tea without getting bitter, so I’d like to believe I know how to properly make jasmine tea”

“Then Jasmine tea is alright” Levi declared.

Meanwhile the water was ready, you cleaned his wound. Silently, as usual, your fingers lingered gently on his skin, as your eyes scanned the wound once you were finished. You didn’t realise you’d been staring at his back. When you snapped out of it, you stood up and went immediately to the kitchen without saying much.

Levi noticed the weird sudden behaviour and stood up from the chair, grabbing his shirt and putting it on.

“Everything alright?” He asked.

“I was looking at your wound, it’s healing quicker than I’d imagined. Then I remembered I had the kettle on the stove”

Levi grabbed his jacket, noticing a small portrait of your mother and you when you were still a kid. Guilt rushed through him, remembering your mother’s warm personality, always taking care of him after Kenny dissipated in the thin air. He wondered if maybe he wasn’t that big of a troublemaker back in the day, your mother wouldn’t gotten killed. But there was nothing he could do.

“The tea will be ready in a few more minutes” You acknowledged, as he turned around, finding you standing behind him.

“Thank you” He answered awkwardly looking away.

*

Jasmine tea was a very delicate tea. If the water was too hot, or if the tea leaves spent too much time in the water, it could easily become bitter in the blink of an eye.

Levi expected it to taste bitter, even in the slightest. But it wasn’t like that. Not the smallest hint of bitterness. He looked surprised at his mug. You noticed the weird satisfaction in his eyes, making you feel proud of yourself.

“So?” You broke the silence.

“This is good” He declared taking another sip to his tea.

The last few days were a blur. He’d come face to face with the living image of your mother, a woman who looked out for him when no one else did. You turned out to be a very clean doctor, not only your consulting room was clean and tidy, so was your house. And now the tea. There was something in this combination of circumstances that made him feel weirdly aroused and attracted to you. Specially because of how tidy your place was, he’d never come across someone who was this dedicated to tidiness, not other than him.

*

One week later, Levi returned to your place, this time to get his back stitches removed. Every day you’d seen him for the last ten days, and this was going to be the last day of this new routine. In ten days, you didn’t speak much, but you’d gotten to develop feelings for him. Specially after one day in particular when he showed up in the clinic, but you were attending an emergency. By the time you were done with this emergency and Levi's wound, it was already midnight. Levi had walked you home to make sure you made it home safely, and out of gratitude you’d invited him to come inside and have a cup of tea.

That night you two didn’t talk much, but something felt differently. It felt like a warm glass of milk on your belly on a cold rainy day. It was pleasant, one of the best nights you’d had. Just having tea with him, exchanging a few words every now and then.

You felt slightly overwhelmed by the thought that you wouldn’t be seeing him as much. He’d told you before he’d be going to you whenever he needed an appointment because he trusted you and your innocuous practice more than any other doctor he’d known. But it was still going to be some time before that happened.

You opened your door to find Levi on the other side. The sun was setting, coloring your surroundings with warm colours. Levi stretched his arm towards you, offering a box. You held it, thanked him and looked at it.

“Black tea with orange peel” Levi said. “It’s my favourite” He said in his usual monotonous voice as he walked inside.

“Thank you, Levi” You cheered. “I’m going to make some right now” You rushed to the kitchen as he looked at you, amused. You hopped inside the kitchen like a little girl, as a gentle smile grew on his face.

Your gentle touch on his skin, your warm greetings. He was so used to people behaving so in line around him, he’d forgotten what it was like to hang around people who weren’t soldiers. You were relaxed, usually in a good mood, spoke with a soft voice that felt like velvet to his ears. You gave him a very particular vibe. Something he only felt whenever he looked at the sunrise outside the walls with no titans near. Just him, the sky, and the fresh morning air, giving him a feeling of freedom. That’s how he perceived you, like a free spirit. You’d grown into him like no one had before, making him feel confused at times, but still satisfied by just being around you.

You took off his stitches and made tea, as you silently drank your tea, enjoying each other’s companies. Levi’s eyes gazed towards the portrait. You noticed how his eyes were constantly going looking to the picture.

“It’s my mother” You broke the silence. “I miss her quite a lot”

Levi didn’t say anything. He looked back at you with a guilt disguising as fog in his eyes.

“I have to tell you something, Y/N” He began. “My childhood was all but good. It was terrible, to be frank. But your mother made my days suck a little bit less”

Your jaw dropped, as you looked at him breathless, realising that Levi, in fact, knew your mother.

“She’d take care of me, and pretty much anyone who asked her for help” He sighed. “I’m sorry” He said standing up from his chair and moved towards the kitchen bar, where the picture was. “I was quite a troublemaker back when I lived in that shit hole. Someone was looking for me, to hurt me most likely, and went to your mother thinking that maybe she knew where I was. But she didn’t. I never told her because I wanted to keep her safe. I couldn’t even do that right”

“Levi…” You whispered, standing up and walking towards him.

“She died because of me…”

“It was you” You quickly connected the dots of that time you found your mother dead in her house while you were visiting The Underground. “You were in the house when...”

“I was not far from there when I heard the shot. I went to her place at once and found her. She was breathing her last…She called your name before dying”

“Wh-why didn’t y-you…” Your voice trembled, as a huge lump in your throat made it difficult to breathe.

“How could I?” His voice was soft and low. He turned around, looking at you. “I’m sorry” You sobbed, looking at your feet, your hair falling on the sides of your head, hiding it. “She was a remarkable woman. I’m so sorry, Y/N”

God knew how many times your mother had saved his life. He carried on hi shoulders a debt he could never really pay, and he was usually aware of it when he saw you. Now, it weighted twice as much, seeing you cry heartbroken.

Levi pulled you in, hugging you. People always said how cold and insensitive he was. But they were wrong. He was cold, and he’d usually keep his feelings and emotions to himself, but when it came to those who earned his trust, he cared, he really cared. You were beginning to grow into him, and seeing you like this made him feel uneasy, and he took full responsibility for it. His arms were tight around you, as if he was saying “It’s alright, I’m here”. You felt this same message, and hugged him back, crying into his shoulder.

~

[vocallykaix]

Lost and Found {5}

genre: fluff and angst

requested: indeed

length: 1.5k

pairing: NCT Johnny x Reader

summary: The best time of the week was the weekend when you can see your 4 year old niece but one close call led you to meeting a certain handsome man

When you both pulled away you could just about make out the pink tint on his cheeks through the dim lights and you knew yours were just as red, you both laugh at the redness of the other. you hide your head in his chest to mask your embarrassment and he wrapped his arms around your shoulders and swayed you back and forth at a slower pace, ignoring the beat of the song you were following before.

“Come on, let’s get a drink” he broke the embrace and led you towards the bar by your hand with a giddy smile in his face

“Don’t be so obvious” you give his back a slight smack as he took you to the bar

“Something good just happened, can’t I be happy?” You bit back your smile keeping your head down. If anyone would have told you yesterday you’d have kissed Young Ho in a night club with his friends only a few meters away you’d call them delusional yet here you are, leaning on the bar, cheeks flushed, lips swollen with his hand resting loosely on your hip as he ordered drinks.

Your mind was racing, all the doubts you had before were long forgotten in the moment and you liked it like that, you didn’t want to think of the things he ‘could’ be hiding, for now at least you could enjoy it, you could pretend you didn’t see him leave early when ever you two were hanging out, you could pretend you didn’t notice every time he changed the subject, you could just pretend there was nothing wrong.

After rejoining the rest of the group, you sat beside young Ho, so close you were touching thighs. He kept his arm on the back of the seat behind you which made Min Seo cast a few glances and smirks. You all chatted away but your attention was pulled by the vibrating of a phone on your thigh, Young Ho pulled out his phone and read the text that had come through, his smile fading. You watched him type a reply and lock his phone, his whole aura had changed, he looked nervous, he rubbed his palms down his jeans and bit his lip,

“Do you need to go again?”

“What? No, it was just a friend” you didn’t believe him but you nodded turning you attention back to the group with a sigh.

It was half an hour of Young Ho checking his phone, you knew it wasn’t a friend by his reaction at every text, he tipped back his drink and placed the now empty glass on the table before turning to you “(y/n)”

“You have to go don’t you?” he looked at you with guilty eyes

“Do you want me to take you home?” He placed a hand on your knee moving his thumb back and forth. You looked at Min Seo who sat under Yuta’s arm as he yelled with the rest of the boys, she was already looking at you, she nodded her head towards the door before leaning into Yuta.

“Sure” he followed you out to the street and called a taxi for you both. He went with you to you place and took you to the door, refusing to speak or look you in the eye. This just made your anger bubble “I’ll text you later” he said finally looking at you

“If that’s what you want” you replied flatly

“I’m sorry I have to go, I’ll make it up to you I promise” you nodded and he moved closer and leaning in, you were about to smile before he stopped and took a step back taking in a deep breath “I’ll text you” he repeated before turning away and leaving, leaving you there speechless and wallowing in your anger.

You slam your door and threw your coat off and threw yourself onto your bed and took out your phone and saw two missed calls from Jungwoo, you slowly slide right and being your phone to your ear. You were met with sniffling

“Jungwoo? What is it? What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

“It’s Lucas, his dad...he doesn’t want us together” he got out between the sniffling “he even hit him, (y/n)”

“Jungwoo where are you?”

“In a café near the store”

“I’m on my way” you slip your flats on and grab a jacket

“No, I don’t want to bother you, I just need some one to talk to”

“I’ll be there in five minuets”

When you got to the café you saw Jungwoo sitting with his head in his arms in just a t-shirt. He must be freezing, it was now 1am and the temperature had dropped well below T-shirt weather. You order two hot coffees and took a seat opposite him placing the steaming mug in front of him, his head finally lifted and you saw his blood shot eyes.

“Why aren’t you home?” You asked placing a hand over his to try and comfort him.

“I don’t want to be on my own right now, at least there’s the workers here” he let out a dry laugh, rubbing his eyes “thank you for coming, I’m sorry i called so late”

“Stop apologising , drink something, you must be freezing” he let out a shaky breath and took the warm cup in his hands

“If you don’t want to go back you can stay at my place for the night, we can talk if you want”

“Are you sure, I don’t wa-“

“Jungwoo, I’m sure” you laughed

“Thank you (y/n)

After finishing the coffee you both made your way back to your apartment, you let Jungwoo wash up first as you set the bed for him, you decided you’d take the couch, you wanted him to be as comfortable as he could, he argued it first of course but once his head hit the pillow he was out like a light. You took a spare blanket and pillow and made yourself a makeshift bed on the couch, you were about to shut your eyes when you got a text.

Young hoee :p - (y/n) you up?

Young hoee :p - I’m sorry I had to leave, I’m busy tomorrow but do you want to go somewhere the day after? <3

You pondered wether or not you should just ignore him but part of your mind was telling you you were being unreasonable, it could have been something important, he’d never given you any reason to dis trust him;

(y/n) >•< - only if you buy me coffee :/

Young hoee :p - I’ll buy you two :)

(y/n) >•< - whatever idiot

Young hoee :p - see you Soon <3

(y/n) >•< - <3

You couldn’t fight the smile that etched back onto your face as you re read the messages, he’d sent two hearts! Two! You put you phone under your pillow and pulled the blanket to your chin, what were you and Young Ho now? You obviously had something since you kissed, he’s asked for you to go out which meant he wasn’t feeling awkward about it, was it too optimistic to think maybe he felt the same about you as you did him? Your cheeks flushed at the thought.

The morning rolled around too quickly for your liking, it felt like you only just shut you eyes before you’d been woken up by the smell of food, you sat up to see Jungwoo in the kitchen, he looked back and smiled “sorry if I woke you up, I made some ramyeon, is that okay? I’ll pay y-“

“Yes it’s okay” you laughed falling back onto the couch

“So, I was thinking” he makes his was over with the hot pan and puts it onto the small table in front of you “if you don’t have any plans today we could go shopping...just keep our minds busy” he smiles pushing a bowl towards your side of the table

“Sure, let’s do it” you slid off the couch still wrapped in your blankets and began eating.

You were pretty excited to go shopping, the last time you’d give shopping for clothes must have been almost half a year ago plus Jungwoo was known by his friends for his amazing fashion sense so all in all, you’d had a great day a head of you, you made it around about three shops before you suddenly wanted to go home and not come out again, you felt your stomachs ache at the sight, you’d stopped in your tracks, Jungwoo shooting you a worried glance but you couldn’t tear your eyes from it.

Right across the the street was Young Ho with another girl hooked onto his arm. Busy? What a joke.

parts - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6

a/n

ahhh I know i’m terrible for updates, i hope this is okay!! i’ll explain more about JungUWU and Lucas in the next chapter but for now i’ll bless you with this 

[characterxreader]

Bucharest Chapter XI

Summary: After a run-in with the Romanian Mafia, a stranger provides you with protection.

Pairing: BuckyxReader

Word Count: 1,876

Warnings: Mentions of the nightmares, a little but of troubled past

Part 1| Part 2| Part 3| Part 4| Part 5| Part 6| Part 7| Part 8| Part 9| Part 10

 You and Bucky continued playing card games for hours. Throughout the set time Bucky delved into his history--what he could remember, that is. He talked to you about the journals he wrote in whenever he remembered something.

  “So, what kind of stuff do you remember?”

  “It’s coming back every now and again, but it mostly has to do with, uh...”   “Captain America?”

  “Steve? Yeah. I went to a museum a while back for some answers. Apparently, we were close to each other.”

  “Seems like. It’s that one that’s in New York, right?”   “Yeah.” Bucky shuffled the cards, which you taught him to do not long before that.

  You glanced out the window, and light started to appear. “Well, it’s the morning.”   He smiled, staring at you as you gazed out the window. “Yeah. Beautiful.”

  You hummed, turning your sights to the Winter Soldier. “So, when do we begin training?”

  “Don’t you want to sleep?” he suggested, a grin spreading across his lips. “You literally stayed up the entire night with me.”   “Nah, I’m good for now.” You stood up, pain shooting up your legs. It was only then you realized you had not used your legs in about eight hours. “You want some coffee? I’m gonna make some coffee.”

  “Sure. I’ll clean up all of this.”

  You waddled to the kitchen, lifting one leg at a time and shaking it violently. The tingling worsened. You pulled the coffee maker away from the wall, pouring in the proper amount of scoops and the right amount of water. Your fingers tapped against the counter, and you stared at the coffee maker as the black magic poured into the pot.

  The super soldier’s arms slipped around your waist as he pulled you into his chest. You could feel his heartbeat, and you wondered if he could feel yours pounding against his back. “The coffee smells really good,” you told him.

  “Your hair smells good,” he murmured in return. Your breath was caught in the back of your throat, and you grinned. An immense pool of warmth filled your stomach as you poured the coffee into two cups. “I’ll take mine black, doll.”

  “If you say so.” You poured cream and sugar into your mug, stirring it up with a spoon. You grabbed his cup and turned around carefully so not to spill the coffee. “Here you go.”

  You found yourself wedged between Bucky and the counter, and you did not mind it one bit. He smiled genuinely, taking the coffee cup into both of his grasps. Both of his hands grazed your hand as you let go of the mug. “Thanks, doll.”   “Don’t mention it.” You smiled into your mug before taking a sip of your coffee. Bucky took a step back, setting his coffee on the counter. He leaned to the right, the side which the counter rounded and stretched to, as he kept his sights on you. “What’s on your mind, Buck?”   The corner of his lips turned upward at the nickname. “Just thinking about how today’s gonna go. We need to get you new clothes and I need to get mine washed, then we got the training and stuff, right?”   “Right,” you agreed. “How about we head out after breakfast? I’ll slip on what I had yesterday.”    “I’ll lend you a hoodie so you can blend in better.”

  You disagreed with his reason for lending you his hoodie but kept it to yourself. “That works for me. I will go ahead and get changed, then.”

  “I’ll make some breakfast real quick.” You sipped your coffee, heading toward your bag before Bucky stopped you. “Oh, yeah, and you can shower if you want. Forgot to mention that earlier.”

  You rolled your eyes, grinning as you grabbed your clothes and walked to the bathroom. It was not going to take you long to be ready for the day, so you decided on the shower.

  In the kitchen, Bucky prepared some of the fruit the two of you bought at the vendor yesterday. Additionally, he prepped eggs and bacon. He turned to the bathroom door, smiling shyly to himself, and then returned to flipping the eggs. He didn’t even know how you liked them, but his goal was to learn about more than the way you liked eggs for future reference.

  Future was a funny word for him. To describe your relationship. For the first time in what seemed to be forever, life had the stability he needed. You were the stability. When talking about the “Winter Soldier” you were unfazed. In fact, you wanted to stick by his side and fight his ghosts with him.

  If only he could remember what those ghosts were.

  Bucky heard the shower shut off as he slid the eggs and bacon onto two plates. The cut fruit splayed across a third plate.

  He felt sympathy for your situation. You were forced into a world full of hurt, pain, and destruction. Until all matters concerning this situation with the mafia were over, you wouldn’t be able to rest. Yes, your new abilities may have caused you excitement enough to keep you up at night, but Bucky knew that what he told you about HYDRA and the mafia was at least in the back of your mind. Until they were out of the picture, you would not rest.

  The soldier thought long and hard about this information until he fell asleep last night. He swore to himself not to tell you, but the dream. The Nightmare. It wasn’t about his experiences in HYDRA.

  It was about you. He closed his eyes, the pictures of you calling him for help whilst HYDRA guards held him back vivid in his mind. Bucky shivered. He knew it wasn’t real, but something about it made it seem like foretaste for the future. What if it came to a point where Bucky couldn’t protect you?

  He promised himself that wouldn’t happen.

  As you left the bathroom, the smells of the kitchen hit you. Heaven is real, you thought, staring at the food Bucky set up for the two of you. He turned to look at you, then gestured for you to come to the table. “It’s ready.”

  “Thank goodness.” You held your stomach to emphasize your hunger. Bucky rolled his eyes, sitting on the couch with his food. You grabbed your breakfast, snatching several pieces of fruit in the process.

  Outside, the music of the festival began playing. On the streets were dancers and musicians for entertainment. Jugglers, clowns, and magicians walked around with balloons and bowling pins and handkerchiefs. From the window, you heard people shouting and children laughing and squealing with joy.

  “You know, Bucky,” you said, setting down your empty plate beside you on the couch, “I don’t really miss normal life like a thought it would.”   Bucky took your plate, standing and briskly walking to the sink. “Doll, it hasn’t even been twenty-four hours. Give it time, and soon enough you’ll be wanting to see your family again.”

  You pursed your lips, then shrugged. “Didn’t really have one to start off with.”   Bucky’s muscles tensed as he set the plate into the sink. You never really talked about your family. At least, not in the little bit of time he got to know you. Maybe he should leave it for now.

  Nah. “Really? I took you as a family kind of gal.”

  “To be honest, I wish I was.” A lazy smile crossed your lips as your legs crossed on the couch. You took over the seating before Bucky could come back. “Or at least I used to want it.”

  “So,” Bucky said, walking to the couch, “what about your parents?” He moved your legs so he could sit, your calves landing on his lap instead.

  A frown settled on your face. You seemed focused, and Bucky inspected your facial features. “I never got to meet them. Apparently, they died when I was younger. Instead, I was adopted, but I think the family wanted nothing to do with me. The parents only wanted an adopted kid because it made them look good.”

  Bucky squeezed your leg gently. “I’m sorry.”

  You shook your head, smiling the sadness away. “It’s okay. As soon as I graduated high school I became my own person with goals and aspirations. Never had to talk to those people again, so good riddance.”

  The both of you chuckle quietly to yourselves. Bucky’s metal hand remained on your leg, and you didn’t mind one bit. He bit his lip, staring at the floor before meeting your eyes. “Hey, we should probably go and run the errands. I would rather do it before it gets overly crowded with Dalca’s men.”   “Sounds good to me, Buck.”

New clothes in your bag, you walked alongside Bucky through the flood of people. As you continued to bump into strangers and the sort, you slipped your hand into Bucky’s left. The metal cooled your hand, and he squeezed gently. You licked your lips, searching through the crowd.

  Your hood fell off not long beforehand, but Bucky also provided you with a hat. Both of his clothing items smelled like him. You could not place the smell, but you knew it smelled good. Like him.

  Someone rammed into your side, mumbling a quick apology. You turned your head in reaction, catching eye contact with the tall, strong-looking man. Eyes widening, you looked back at Bucky, who kept his eyes forward.

  The bruises on the man’s face correlated with Bucky’s metal fist. It was difficult to forget one of Dalca’s bodyguard’s faces. But the important thing was: did he recognize you.

  “Bucky, that was...”

  “I know,” he whispered loud enough for only you to hear. It was not difficult, seeing as everyone was talking with another person anyway. “We gotta go.”   You slipped through the crowd, disappearing from Dalca’s man instantaneously. You breathed heavy, adrenaline pumping through your veins. You weren’t even sure if he saw your face.

  Unfortunately, Bucky insisted on acting like he did. And he was right to do so.

  Men in well-tailored suits swarmed the streets, their fingers pressed into the ears as they both. Comms. They knew you were out here.

  “C’mon, let’s go through here.”   You followed Bucky down an empty alley. At the end of it, Bucky opened a door, pushing you inside once he was men walking down into the alley. He jumped inside with you, shutting the door and waiting for the men.

  You leaned against the wall of the small closet. Looking around with light coming through the door cracks you noticed brooms and buckets. Not that it would do much for an outdoor alley.

  Bucky remained silent, his body pressed against the door. Centimeters between the two of you were all that was left in space. Whenever you shifted, your body grazed his.

  “I think we’re going to have to wait a little while. Two men are at the end of the street.”

  You groaned inwardly, your head resting against the wall of the closet-like room. Bucky looked down at you, frowning and shrugging in response.

  It was not what you had in mind as personal time with Bucky, but for the meantime, you supposed it would do.

Tags: @disneychic8

[hymn2000]

Called To Be A Rock - Frostiron feat. Spiderson AU fanfic - C20

Chapter 1  Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14

Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19

Comments/reviews/questions welcome as always

Overall Desc.:  Peter is staying with Tony and Loki one summer while his aunt is away working/travelling.

Chapter Desc.: Peter is still feeling the pain of heartbreak. Tony admires Loki’s attitude and treats him. 

Ship(s) involved: Tony x Loki aka Frostiron

Verse: Personal AU

Ongoing Warnings/themes/cw mentions: domestic, hurt/comfort, family dynamic, mental health issues, problems, nsfw, Tony in Dad Mode, bedroom stuff

Chapter 20 - Breathe In And Breathe Out

-

When Tony awoke, it took him a moment to realise where he was. He turned his head, looking at Loki, who was fast asleep on his side, one hand up by his mouth, his pig under his arm. Tony turned onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow, watching him for a moment. He touched him gently. He was warm - a bit too warm, Tony thought. He pulled the covers off him to keep him cool. His dressing gown was rucked up round his waist. Tony straightened it as best he could, smoothing it down over his hip. He stroked his exposed thigh gently, tracing the bruises with his fingertips. 

Loki shifted, rolling onto his back and turning his head away, still asleep. His gown had come undone, and Tony stroked his bare skin gently. Sometimes he rather felt he understood Thor’s ongoing accusations, but it was still hard to cope with hearing them. 

Tony kissed Loki’s face gently, slipping his hand under his dressing gown, squeezing his shoulder. Loki soon woke up, squirming a little while he figured out what was going on.

“Tony..?”

“Hey. Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you” 

“It’s ok. What time is it?” he yawned.

“I’m not sure. Around half eight, maybe?”

Loki looked up at him. “How are you doing?”

Tony shrugged. “I’ve been better. I’m still getting my head around what happened yesterday. Playing the parent is hard sometimes”

“You’re doing it well enough. I wouldn’t worry so much if I were you. We both know he’ll keep hurting for a while. He’ll work it out on his own”

Tony ran his fingers over Loki’s chest. “Yeah, I know. It’s a tricky situation though. Still, I suppose I signed up for all possibilities when I offered to let him stay”

Loki shivered at Tony’s light touch. He tried to ignore it. 

“Do you feel ok?”

“I’m not sure. I just feel a bit sad today. Work’s getting me down. This launch is doing my head in. Having teenager problems to deal with alongside it isn’t ideal. I’m trying not to let it get on top of me”

“You need to relax. Take a break every so often. Stop going in every time someone forgets how to look at an instruction manual. And you can leave Peter to me. Go and do something you like for a bit”

“I know you’re right” Tony said, rubbing Loki’s stomach. “I just wish it was that easy”

“Well, make it that easy, then. Do something for yourself. You’re allowed to be selfish sometimes”

Tony smiled slightly, slipping his hand between Loki’s legs. Loki was expecting it, but it still made him jump a bit. 

“You really are my best friend” Tony said, giving him a little squeeze. “Can we play together for a bit?”

Loki didn’t want to. He’d only just woken up, and he was still half asleep. He just wanted to go and have a quick wash and a cup of tea. But he didn’t want to upset Tony either. 

“After breakfast”

“I’m not hungry”

“Neither am I, but I need a cup of tea”

-

Loki took his time brushing his teeth and drinking his tea. He didn’t bother getting dressed just yet. Tony didn’t make it easy for him; cuddling up against him and stroking his inner thigh and kissing his neck. Loki tried not to feel annoyed, but he couldn’t help it. He liked having his morning tea in peace, and didn’t appreciate having Tony in octopus mode. 

Still, he stubbornly drank down every last drop before so much as looking at Tony. He set the mug down on the bedside table. 

“Ok?”

Loki nodded. “How do you want me?”

Tony grinned, pushing Loki’s legs apart and snaking his hand between them, massaging him roughly. Loki squirmed, putting a hand on Tony’s shoulder.

“Not so hard”

“Oh come on, I know you like it really~” Tony said, but he let up anyway.

Loki let Tony push him down onto his back. Tony kissed him roughly, one hand still between his legs. Loki wasn’t exactly bowled over. Tony was being very different with him, and it wasn’t really a good thing. Tony soon moved his hand, settling himself between Loki’s legs and grinding their hips together. He grabbed Loki’s thigh to keep him close and ducked his head, kissing his neck roughly and biting him.

“Ow! Tony, be gentle, please”

“Sorry” Tony said, but he didn’t sound it. 

He kept kissing Loki’s neck roughly, squeezing his thigh hard, all his movements becoming harder. Loki squirmed and twitched beneath him, grabbing his shoulders, and Tony misread the signs and was rougher still. 

Loki tried once again to block Tony’s kisses - and it dawned on him that he wasn’t enjoying it. None of this was good. Tony was definitely having a good time, and Loki could feel it. But he himself, he didn’t feel good. None of this had felt nice. He’d gotten zero stimulation from it. He didn’t feel good or loved or anything like that. In fact, he was actually in pain, and not the good sort. 

“Tony?”

Tony stopped biting his neck. “What?”

“I don’t like this. I want to stop” 

Tony wasn’t happy about it, but he did stop, moving off him. Loki sat up slowly, wincing a bit.

“What’s up?” 

“It didn’t feel good” Loki said. “I wasn’t getting anything out of it”

Tony huffed. “Fine. Do you want to go on top for a bit?”

“I’d be happier just stopping completely”

“Fine”

Loki was overcome with a sudden guilt. It took one look to realise that Tony had very much been enjoying himself. Loki shifted closer, putting an arm round his shoulders and resting his forehead against Tony’s temple.

“I’m sorry”

“I said it’s fine” Tony snapped. “Mind giving me five minutes so I can ‘go to the bank’?”

“There’s no need for that” Loki said quietly, reaching down and taking hold of him.

He supposed it was the least he could do.

-

Loki was glad he did it, because Tony seemed to forgive him quite quickly. They lay down and had a long cuddle, and Tony soon tipped Loki’s head back and spent a long time kissing his neck properly, making him squirm and whine in a very different way than earlier. 

Eventually he stopped, pulling back and looking down at him.

“I love it when you blush like that” he smiled. “You may well have a lovely mark in a day or two, I’m afraid. Speaking of which” he touched the skin under Loki’s left eye gently. “Your eye is pretty much healed now. Just a tiny bit of bruising left”

Loki put a hand on the back of Tony’s neck, pulling him down for a kiss.

“Good”

-

Since he’d ran out of books to read, Loki hadn’t been using the reading nook, so Peter thought it the ideal place to hide out. He settled in the nest of pillows, playing Tetris on his phone to distract himself. He was feeling very hollow and tired and sore. He wasn’t really hungry, but he took a KitKat from the dolphin bowl anyway, munching absent-mindedly. It didn’t seem to taste of anything.

-

Peter woke up, feeling a little funny. He had fallen asleep quite unexpectedly. He checked his phone, and was surprised to find it was already after noon. He felt a little better, but he was still hurting. But he no longer wanted to recluse: he wanted a hug. Desperately.

It didn’t take him long to find where the grown-ups were. He stayed hidden. They were both in the lounge. Loki was curled up under the quilted blanket, watching telly, and Tony was on the opposite sofa, working on his laptop. 

Peter went off to Loki’s room, finding their book. He spent a while stood there, looking at it, pressing the raised parts of the wrinkled cover so that it clicked. His eyes blurred. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. But he felt so lonely. Surely it had to be worth a try?

-

They both looked up when Peter came into the living room. Tony nodded at him in greeting, but Peter wasn’t really looking. Loki sat up, grabbing the remote and switching the telly off.

“Good afternoon”

Peter looked down at the book, holding it in both hands. He was well aware of his watering eyes and quivering lip, but he tried hard to ignore this. He looked up at Loki, holding the book out to him with trembling hands. 

Loki smiled at him. “We were just about to start chapter twelve, right?”

Peter nodded. 

“Ok, come here, then” Loki patted his knee.

Peter looked over his shoulder at Tony. Tony nodded at him. Peter swallowed hard and took his place on Loki’s lap, feeling rather like he shouldn’t. Loki put an arm round his stomach, pulling him closer against himself. He moved the blanket, wrapping it round both of them. 

“Right..”

Loki took the book from him, and Peter held the edges of the blanket together on his chest, fighting back tears. Loki opened the book to chapter twelve, and begun to read:

“It was not until the next Friday that Marilla heard the story of the flower-wreathed hat. She came home from Mrs Lynde’s and called Anne to account. ‘Anne, Mrs Rachel says you went to church last Sunday with your hat rigged out ridiculous with roses and buttercups. What on earth put you up to such a caper? A pretty-looking object you must have been!’”

Tony looked over at them, and a pained sympathetic expression crossed his face as he saw that Peter had begun to cry. He held the blanket over his mouth to muffle his already restrained self, rubbing his nose against the fabric, but his eyes didn’t leave the pages of the book. Loki kindly chose not to bring attention to it, merely projecting his voice a little more to ensure Peter didn’t miss anything.

Peter soon quietened, soothed by Loki’s voice and the familiarity of the characters he’d grown so fond of. He kept the blanket up by his face, kept his eyes on the page, and finally lost himself in Avonlea.

-

“Anne realised that Marilla was not to be moved. She clasped her hands together, gave a piercing shriek, and then flung herself face downwards on the bed, crying and writhing in an utter abandonment of disappointment and despair. ‘For the land’s sake!’-” Loki interrupted himself with a yawn. “-gasped Marilla, hastening from the room. ‘I believe the child is crazy. No child in her senses would behave as she does. If she isn’t she’s utterly bad. Oh, dear, I’m afraid Rachel was right from the first. But I’ve put my hand to the plough, and I won’t look back’”

Loki lowered the book, yawning again. He rubbed his eye sleepily.

“Dearie me, I’ve gone tired all of a sudden” he said. “Do you mind if we finish the chapter later? I think I need a rest” 

“I don’t mind...”

Loki yawned again. “Sorry”

“It’s ok...”

Loki yawned once more, flopping down on his side and pulling Peter down with him. Peter wriggled a little, making himself comfortable. He turned onto his other side so he was facing Loki.

“Can I stay with you?”

Loki nodded, stifling yet another yawn. He wasn’t sure why the fatigue had hit so suddenly. He pulled Peter close, snuggling down with his head his arm. Tony left his laptop and went over to them, placing a hand on Loki’s forehead.

“Are you feeling alright, lolly?”

“Mm. Just tired. I’m not ill”

“Hm. I’m not so sure: you’re quite warm” Tony said.

“I’m fine. Just let me sleep” 

Tony sighed. He pulled the blanket up over them properly. He hoped Loki was right.

-

Peter slept for a little while. When he woke up, Loki was still asleep, so he tried to stay quiet, not wanting to wake him. He couldn’t help feeling emotional. Loki treated him just the same as he always did, and it was almost bittersweet. He almost felt like something should have changed, but at the same time, he was immensely grateful that it hadn’t. He looked at Loki, and immediately started crying. 

“Come here, you” Tony said gently, coming over and pulling Peter up from the sofa for a hug. 

“LET GO OF ME!” Peter shouted, surprising both himself and Tony, and waking Loki up in the process. 

“What are you shouting about?” Loki mumbled, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. 

Peter looked at him, and then back at Tony. He pulled his arm free from his grip, looking between the two of them again, starting to cry harder. 

“I want to go home!” he buried his face in his hands, overcome with sobs. “I want to go home! I want May!”

Tony looked at Loki. Loki shared his look of concern and stood up, pulling Peter close. Peter couldn’t help clinging to him, swapping his hands for Loki’s chest. 

“It’s not fair! It hurts so much!” 

“I’m so sorry..!” Loki started crying too. “I wish I could make it better, I really do”

“H-hey, stop it, both of you! Stop it!” Tony grabbed hold of them, pulling them close. “Stop crying, please! This won’t solve anything”

“I can’t help it!”

Tony held them tight. “I can’t stand seeing you two upset. Shh, please. Everything’s ok. Everything is going to be ok, I promise. Come on, please. No more tears”

"I can't help it! It hurts so much!" Peter sobbed, face still buried in Loki's chest. 

"I don't know what to do. Tony, I don't know what to do! How can I make it ok again?" 

"Hey, hey hey hey, come on now, stop this. You've been brilliant. You've handled everything wonderfully. You've been honest, that's the best thing you could do" he kissed Peter's temple. "Sweetheart, I know it hurts. I know it's horrible and you feel rejected. But it could be so much worse. You've still got a friend. You've cleared everything up. You have our support. Everything will be ok. I know it doesn't stop your feelings from hurting, but I promise everything will be ok" 

Peter found it very hard to accept his comfort. He felt truly in love with Loki, and didn't see how anything could be ok ever again when he couldn't be with him, when he couldn’t show him how much he really loved him. Deep down he felt like an idiot for letting himself show such emotion, but comforted by both of their understanding and at the knowledge that he could throw himself down on his back and scream without too much consequence if he so desired, he soon started to calm down a bit.

“That’s it. Shush now, it’s ok” Tony gave Loki a quick kiss. “You too, darling: quiet now”

If only for Peter’s sake, Loki managed to stop too. He couldn’t help feeling tremendously guilty, even though he knew that he couldn’t have done anything differently. Peter pulled free, wiping his eyes, not quite able to bring himself to look at them.

“I’d like to be alone” he said quietly.

Tony nodded. “Of course. We’ll give you some space. Loki, can I see you in the study?”

Loki felt it wouldn’t be right to hug Peter, although he quite wanted to. He merely nodded, and followed after Tony, leaving Peter to mull things over.

-

Tony shut the door and turned to Loki.

“Take your jeans off”

Loki did as he was told, watching Tony nervously. Tony pushed him down into the big leather desk chair, getting on his knees in front of him. Loki quirked an eyebrow, and Tony put his hands under Loki’s thighs, pushing his legs apart.

“Um, Tony?”

“Quiet”

Loki shut his mouth - and gasped as Tony ducked his head and started kissing his inner thighs. He was surprised: this wasn’t what usually happened in the study - not that he was complaining. His face had already gone hot, and he knew he was blushing. Tony had grown very good at utilising Loki’s sweet spots, and he was certainly showing his skills this afternoon. Loki bit his lip, looking down at Tony, stroking his hair gently. What had brought this on? he wondered, finally giving in and resting his head against the back of the tall chair, letting his eyes close. God, this felt good.

-

Loki thought how he’d love to feel like this always - warm and loved, with that wonderful hot feeling in his stomach - but that inevitably he’d soon stoop to the other end of the spectrum. He cursed himself for thinking it - why couldn’t he just enjoy the good while it was happening? He tried hard to stop thinking, focusing on how soft Tony’s lips felt, suckling on his skin, and how strong his hands felt as he held him in place. It felt like forever since he’d been treated like this. He was biting his lip hard, trying not to give in - but he couldn’t help his heavy breathing and the arching of his back; and he couldn’t stop his legs trembling against Tony’s shoulders. Tony’s grip tightened, keeping him as still as possible, loving the feeling of his hands in his hair, of him slowly losing control. He looked up at Loki, their eyes meeting - and Loki let out a moan, long and loud. With that, he lost all composure, pushing at Tony’s shoulders and squirming, breathing in gasps, begging and whining and moaning, moaning his name. Tony took that as his cue, planting one more firm kiss on each of Loki’s shaking thighs and stopping, resting his head against Loki’s knee, smiling as he watched him try to suppress his moans.

Loki shut his eyes, trying to calm himself, still a little irritated at himself for giving in. He finally composed himself, and looked down at Tony.

“What was that in aid of?”

Tony smiled, getting off his knees and sitting on Loki’s lap, winding his arms round his neck, kissing him gently.

“You’ve been so good. I thought you deserved a little treat~”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean with the kid. You’ve been incredible. You’ve treated him just the same as always, you’ve stayed friends with him, you’ve not shouted or told him he was an idiot or anything like that. You’ve behaved perfectly. Thank you. Honestly, thank you so much”

“No problem?” Loki said uncertainly.

Tony smiled. “Is there anything else you’d like? Just name it; and I’ll do it”

Loki thought for a moment, hit again with the realisation that his mood could u-turn at any moment without any warning. He felt dreadful for thinking it, especially with Tony trying to do something nice for him. 

“Um, well, you know, my back has been hurting a bit recently...” 

“Ooh, fancy a back rub, is that it? Use that expensive gel?” 

Loki nodded. “Yeah, but first, I thought... Well. Can we do what we usually do in here? Just for a bit? Not too hard - just, well, almost gentle - but not quite gentle - but we don’t have to, not if you don’t want - but I do want - and-”

“Loki” Tony stopped him. “It’s a bit of a u-turn, but if that’s what you’d like, I’m game” 

“Really?”

“Of course. When have I ever passed up on the option of having you over my knee?”

Loki couldn’t help but smile. Tony always enjoyed it just as much as he did, if not more. 

“Do you want to use anything?”

Loki shook his head. “No. I don’t want it to hurt too much. I’m in a bit of a gentle mood”

“A bit fragile, perhaps?” Tony said. “You’re still all a-quiver now”

Loki shrugged one shoulder. “Well, you’re good at making me do this”

“Aren’t I just~?” he kissed him hard on the cheek. “Come on then, my good boy: let’s get started”

-

Tony moved them over to the big leather sofa against the opposite wall, and Loki was more than happy to get into position over his lap. Tony slipped a hand under him, holding him under the arm, and Loki held onto his arm, resting his head in the crook of Tony’s elbow. 

They negotiated briefly on strength and comfort, and once both were happy, Tony held Loki a little tighter and raised his hand.

Loki relished in that first proper hit and the delightful pain it brought him. He couldn’t help being briefly reminded of Peter’s invasive conversation with him, but he pushed it out of his mind, focusing on Tony’s hands, holding him and hitting him. Hard. He soon found himself grinning, and soon - and without really knowing why - he started laughing. Tony was a little surprised, but merely smiled fondly and carried on. That is, until Loki became a little less restrained, and then he couldn’t help it either.

“What are you giggling about? Are you enjoying this?”

Loki shifted slightly so he could look at him, his nose wrinkling as he grinned up at him.

“I didn’t say to stop~”

Tony pushed him back down firmly. “Stay still, then”

Loki squirmed briefly, if only to tease him. Tony knew he was just playing, and he was quite immersed by it. He brought his hand down again - a little harder this time - and Loki squeaked and went quiet for a moment, but as Tony carried on, he started laughing again, more than before. Tony started laughing too, and soon had to stop, pulling Loki upright and sitting him on his lap.

“What’s gotten into you, eh?” he asked, tickling Loki’s stomach.

Loki squeaked and grabbed his hand, falling against Tony’s chest in a fit of laughter. Tony tipped his chin up and kissed him on the nose.

“You’ve gone all silly” 

Loki didn’t protest it. He wasn’t sure what had started him off, but he couldn’t seem to stop. He’d made Tony laugh too, and that just seemed to make him worse.

“Ok, ok, come on then, my giggly little god. Let’s move”

He slipped a hand under Loki’s knees and stood up, carrying him to the bedroom.

-

Tony set the still-giggling Loki down on the bed. 

“Right, lets-”

He was interrupted by Loki’s lips against his own. He had to sit down so he could kiss him back properly, but Loki seemed to have other ideas - kissing him all over and holding onto his shoulders to stop him from escaping. He was clumsy with laughter, still a little trembly in the legs. 

“Ok, ok, that’s enough” Tony moved Loki’s hands and stood up.

Loki grabbed him with an arm round the stomach, pulling him back down onto the bed. “Not so fast!”

“Careful!” Tony struggled back up, kissing Loki quickly to stop him from whining. “I just need to grab something, ok? Just give me thirty seconds”

“I’ll give you ten”

“Twenty”

“Ten”

Tony sighed. “Fifteen?”

Loki considered. “Fine”

Tony was glad he knew exactly where the Musselflex was, as he knew Loki would hold him to time. He grabbed it quickly and returned to the bed.

“You said your back was hurting, right?” he said, reading the back of the tube.

Loki looked at him, at his pensive expression, and burst out laughing again. Tony looked at him for a moment, surprised, but couldn’t help grinning.

“Have you got a secret supply of entonox that I don’t know about, by any chance?” 

Loki was already laughing too much to properly talk to. Tony set the tube of gel down on the bedside table and climbed back onto the bed, pulling Loki close and tickling his tummy.

“Don’t!” Loki shrieked at him. “Don’t! You know I’m ticklish!”

“Exactly” Tony grinned, and kept tickling him. 

Loki tried to push him away, weak from laughter. Tony laughed too, if only because Loki’s was so contagious, and soon managed to push his giggling partner onto his back, where he stopped his attack. Loki was still laughing like anything, covering his face with his hands. Tony looked down at him with quiet admiration, and started to undo his shirt.

“Lets get this off, my silly little darling~”

Loki sat up and let him remove his shirt, and then grabbed hold of him, falling back onto his back and pulling Tony down on top of him as he did so. Tony ducked his head, kissing Loki’s neck and in turn sending him into another fit of the giggles. Loki covered his face again, feeling like he may never stop laughing - and it felt good. Tony moved back slightly, sitting atop Loki and retrieving the Musselflex and rubbing some of the gel between his hands.

“This is gonna be cold, ok?”

Loki wasn’t paying much attention, and startled a little when Tony placed his hands on him. Tony rubbed his stomach and sides, working his way up to his chest.

“Ok, darling, shh. It’s time to calm down now” he said softly, starting on his shoulders.

Loki started to quieten, moving his hands from his face and resting them on Tony’s wrists. Tony looked down at his hands, lest eye contact should cause Loki to fall into another peal of laughter. Loki had calmed considerably, still giggling feebly, but as Tony started at the base of his neck, he soon fell silent, relaxing into his touch. Tony finally looked at him properly.

“There we are” he said quietly. “Good boy”

Loki smiled a little, and let his eyes close, feeling sleepy. He kept his hands on Tony’s wrists, concentrating on how nice it felt.

-

When it seemed Loki may well have fallen asleep, Tony paused, kissing Loki’s nose gently. Loki opened his eyes sleepily.

“Turn onto your tummy for me, sweetheart” 

Loki was happy as he was, but so sleepy he didn’t feel he could speak to say so. Tony moved off him, and he turned onto his tummy obediently, moving the pillow to support his neck better, and making himself comfortable. Tony kissed the apple of his cheek.

“Comfy?”

Loki nodded slightly, closing his eyes. Tony kissed him again and picked up the Musselflex, squeezing a little more gel onto his hands before starting on Loki’s back. He stroked his sides gently and moved to his lower back, resuming his massage. Loki started, sucking his breath and quickly propping himself up on his elbow.

“H-hey, hey, oh sweetheart! I’m sorry; was that too hard?” he gabbled, although he really hadn’t applied much pressure at all.

“N-no. No, sorry, it just hurts-”

“Ok. Ok, here, I’ll stop”

“Please don’t” Loki said, looking back at him. “Everything online says massage helps. I’m sure I’ll feel better for it if you carry on”

Tony wasn’t convinced. “I don’t want to hurt you”

“It’s fine, my love. I promise it’s fine” Loki lay back down properly, one hand up by his mouth so he might hide any pained expressions that may come. 

“Well, if you’re sure...”

Tony still hesitated a moment before continuing. Loki squeezed his eyes shut, trying very hard indeed to stay quiet. It hurt horribly, to the point where he wasn’t convinced that it really would help - but he bore with it anyway, focusing on his breathing. In - one, two, three - out - one, two, three, four...

“Loki, you’re shaking” Tony paused, looking at him worriedly. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

Loki swallowed and cleared his throat, putting on as strong a voice as he could manage.

“I’m sure. You probably just hit a nerve, darling~” 

-

Tony knew Loki was in pain, but he also knew he was too proud to admit it, and would likely get defensive if he stopped. So he kept on valiantly, trying to ignore the pained look that his partner wasn’t quite managing to mask. He was immensely relieved when he reached Loki’s shoulders again. As he had hoped, Loki soon started to relax again. Gradually, his shaking stopped, his expression softened, and he was calm once more. 

Tony spent a long time on his neck and shoulders, finally drawing back when Loki was near sleep. He kissed him on the cheek and got up from the bed, filling a glass of water from the cooler and setting it on the bedside table. He sat on the edge of the bed and gave Loki’s shoulder a gently squeeze.

“How are you feeling?”

“Good. Really good... Thank you”

“No problem, honey. Do you want to sit up now? In your own time”

“Yeah, will do...”

Loki slowly turned onto his back, and let Tony assist him to sit up against the headboard, pillows propped up behind him. Tony gave him a gentle kiss and handed him the glass of water. 

“Drink”

Loki did so, draining the glass. Tony refilled it for him and sat close beside him, one arm round his shoulders.

“What time is it?”

Tony checked his watch. “Just gone four” 

Loki nodded, sipping his water. “Thank you for this afternoon. It was nice”

“No worries, lolly. I’m sorry I got all sulky with you this morning” 

“Don’t be. I know you’re stressed right now... I don’t think this new situation is helping”

Tony sighed. “It’s not an easy one. Peter’s usually such a happy, upbeat kid. It’s hard seeing him upset. He’s had a few bad spells while he’s been here”

“Maybe, but that’s not such a bad thing: it means he feels safe. He likes that we don’t hold back so much here”

“What gives you that idea?”

“I read his journal”

“Loki!” Tony looked at him disapprovingly. “You shouldn’t invade his privacy like that”

“I know, I know. I didn’t realise what it was at first: I thought it was lab notes. He’d left it in the kitchen. So I just had a quick flick through. It was interesting, seeing how he sees the world” Loki looked down at his glass. “He does feel safe here, about emotions and stuff”

“What did he say?”

“Now who’s invading his privacy?” Loki shook his head. “Just something about how you never get angry at me for being loud, yknow, when I feel like shouting. He’s reassured that he could do the same without it being a big thing”

Tony wasn’t sure what to make of that. “Well if he needs to, I’m not going to stop him. But still, I hope he that he doesn’t need to. And I hope he doesn’t copy you:- your wobblies can be pretty tricky to deal with”

“Yeah, but that’s different. You’re used to me now”

“Ok, but I’m used to Peter too, in many ways. You’re very different though: I know that you cope with things either by going into silent mode or screaming about it. I’m not really sure what Peter’s style is. I’m not sure I want to know: knowing means I have to keep seeing him upset”

Loki rested his head against Tony’s shoulder. 

“I didn’t get why you liked him so much at first”

Tony furrowed his brow. “I’d told you all about him, though”

“Yes, and I understood the stories. But when I met him, I didn’t really see it, not at first. But I get it now. He’s a special kid”

Tony rested his head against Loki’s. “He’s a great kid. He’s experienced a lot of bad in his life already. I want better for him. He’s so utterly unspoilt - I don’t want him to lose his faith, you know?”

Loki did know - but he no longer knew what to say. He knew Tony loved Peter. He knew he wanted to teach him and protect him. He knew they’d clashed a bit recently, and that it was really just paternal instincts and teenage feelings disagreeing. He knew that Peter loved Tony too. It had been clear from the start, with the way he held onto his every word and looked to him for advice and clarification, and just the way he looked at him generally. They meant a lot to each other. There was a certain purity to their relationship, and mostly, it was wholesome to see.

-

Loki slept for half an hour. When he woke up, he pulled on Tony’s dressing gown and went to track him down. As expected, he was working on his laptop in the lounge. He seemed a little surprised to see him.

“Oh, hello there” he said. “I thought you’d sleep a lot longer than that”

“So did I” Loki said, sitting down beside him. Tony tilted the screen away from Loki’s view. “What are you looking at?”

“Don’t be nosey” he snapped the laptop shut before Loki had the chance to make a grab for it. 

Loki huffed, sitting back. Tony moved the laptop aside.

“Now, don’t you go getting all moody on me” he said, pulling Loki onto his lap. “What do you want for dinner tonight?”

Loki shrugged. He wasn’t hungry. 

“Well, have a little think. You’ve got time: I need to track down the kid and have a little talk to him before I get started anyway”

Loki slid off Tony’s lap, getting up and retrieving Anne of Green Gables from where it had been left by the opposite sofa. He considered the options.

“Loki, no” Tony said. “You’re not to go to him. I know you mean well, but he needs space. Wait for him to come to you”

Loki didn’t move. Peter had been happy while he was being read to. 

“Loki. Come here”

Loki did so, stopping in front of him. Tony took the book from him, setting it down on top of his laptop. He patted his knee. Loki sat down beside him, resting against the arm of the sofa. Tony put an arm round his shoulders.

“Talk to me, baby”

“I’m sad”

Tony nodded. “Ok”

“I feel so bad. I know I didn’t mean to upset him, but it’s still horrible”

“I know. It’s good that you care. That’s all he needs right now: a bit of TLC and support. You know, after we talked, I was all set to scold him, but when I went to him, when I saw his face, it put it all into perspective. He was devastated. We’ve all felt that way before. It’s horrible”

Loki nodded. “There’s nothing like it. It’s indescribably horrendous”

“You can say that again”

They looked up. Peter was standing over by the other sofa, looking very small and tired, his skin pale and his hair messy. 

“Can I sit with you?”

“Of course you can. Come here, kiddo”

“Grab the blanket first” Loki said.

Peter picked up the quilted blanket from the sofa. His heart started thumping as he got close to them. Loki stood up, taking the blanket from him and wrapping it round him. It made him look smaller still. Peter held the edges of the blanket to keep it in place. He looked up at Loki, at the concerned look in his eyes, at his soft expression and the light bruising on his neck - and he teared up despite himself. 

“Oh sweetie” 

Loki picked him up and sat down with him in his lap, his legs over Tony’s. Peter rested his cheek against Loki’s chest, not quite crying. Loki held him tight, keeping him safe and warm in the quilted blanket. Peter glanced at Tony, but returned his gaze downwards, looking at nothing in particular.

“How long is it going to hurt for?”

Tony and Loki exchanged a look of equal hurt at his question. Tony rested a hand on Peter’s knee.

“It’s impossible to say” he said. “But it will get better”

Peter wasn’t reassured. 

“I listened to that song again” 

Loki nodded.

“I’ve been listening to more of their stuff. They’re good”

Loki stroked his hair gently. “Have you got a favourite song?”

“Fall Down At Your Feet”

“Remind me how it starts”

Peter had listened to it enough to know all the words now. “I’ve given all that I can give, was only what I wanted, holding you it’s easier to breathe, the more I lose..”

“..the less it hurts, the hurt is saving me, I’m on my knees, oh please” Loki finished the verse for him. 

Peter was quiet for a moment, going over the chorus in his head. I, I wanna fall down at your feet, why, why do you bring me to my knees? I, I wanna fall down at your feet. Down, on my knees, on my knees... He knew Loki was going over it too.

“It’s a good one”

“It is” Loki agreed. “I always forget about it. It’s always nice when it gets rediscovered”

“I like it” 

He was still looking down, feeling quite disconnected and numb. He was aware of the tears dripping down his cheeks, but he made no effort to wipe them away. Loki pressed his lips to the top of Peter’s head, not quite kissing him. He pulled the blanket up over his shoulder better and cuddled him tight, rocking him gently. 

Tony watched them, keeping his hand on Peter’s knee. He was glad Loki seemed to have it covered, as he was feeling very emotional himself now. He didn’t need Peter to see that.

-

They cuddled for a long time. Peter closed his eyes, feeling secure. He knew this was going to hurt for a long time, but at least he no longer had anything to lose. Eventually, and just when Tony thought him asleep, he spoke quietly:

“Take it all, I take the fall, don’t have to give it back, I’d give you the world, so tell me when to stop”

“Anything you want, anytime you want”

Peter took a deep breath. “Tell me what you need, I’d give you the world, so tell me when to stop” 

“I, I wanna fall down at your feet, why, why do you bring me to my knees?”

Peter opened his eyes and looked up at Tony. He hadn’t expected him to know the song at all, much less the lyrics. Tony offered him a sympathetic smile. 

“Do you believe me now?”

Peter held a hand out to him, and Tony took it, holding it tight. 

‘...it’s a good way to make sense of things, giving it a soundtrack’

Tony shifted a little closer, snuggling against Loki’s side. He kept hold of Peter’s hand, rubbing his knuckles gently with his thumb. Peter looked at them. He focused on the feel of Tony’s hand, of Loki’s arms round him, of the quilted blanket against his skin. He felt warm from both men and their embraces, and from their love; their support and understanding. He was still hurting, but for now, that pain had eased. He didn’t need to shout and scream or anything like that. He just needed to sit where he was, listening to Loki’s heartbeat, looking into Tony’s eyes, and knowing in the comfortable silence that everything would be ok in the end.

*